A small-scale tour of the goodness of God in 2021.
Tag: work
Lift, release, recover: Building strength with God
Building strength isn’t just about the lift.
The only valentine He needs
You don’t have to make your heart fancy and perfect before you give it to God. He loved you first anyway!
If you’re still here, he’s not done
Hey, all you Type As, Enneagram 1s and 3s, control freaks, and perfectionists (like me). I’m about to say some swear words. There is no “done” in this life. No matter what you accomplish with your hands or in your heart, the best you can do this side of Heaven is progress. Y’all okay? I …
State of Wonder: 21 in ’21
I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, but when I do, it’s about progress, not perfection.
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory!
Did your parents sing-shout this at you when you were a kid? Turns out, it’s pretty good advice.
He who calls you is faithful (even when you aren’t)
Like most people, I wrestle with my Calling. The capital-C sort that God gives you before you’re born. I’ve been fortunate enough to hear what my Call is, but contrary to what I believed before I knew, knowing hasn’t actually made anything easier. In some ways, knowing makes it harder. Because when you know your …
Holy rest: the power of sabbatical
Sabbatical (noun): from the Hebrew agricultural term “shmita,” referring to a year-long break from working the land to allow it to rest and heal in God’s care rather than man’s. I have never successfully returned from a sabbatical. Every time I’ve taken a break from writing, whether personal or self-improvement or fiction, it’s ended up …
What rest looks like
I just got back from a week in sunny Florida, my first solo travel in 6 years. I showed up with a backpack and no plan aside from thawing out. As I kept telling people, I was just happy to be there. This trip was a much-needed time of rest for me, a fermata of …
Turns out I don’t hate fall anymore (but it took some doing)
I’ve always dreaded fall because it leads inevitably to winter, when my creativity hibernated under my depression. But this year, it’s different. This year, I’m free.
The State of the Ellie: September 2019
Delays, immigration, getting swole, the next novel, and 10kg of flour.
State of the Ellie: August 2019
A (not so) brief summary of my July. Featuring a nagging case of FOMO, professional maturity, toddler attitude, and being bored with my health updates.