In the beautiful freedom of his love and grace. In the freedom of giving my body to him as an act of worship- scars, hurts, imperfections and all…
If You’re Worried About Your Child’s Future
Sometimes it comes out of nowhere. Sometimes it’s a thought in the back of my mind. But when these words and worries come, they’re fierce and have the ability to hold me captive…
Orlando, Radical Faith, & Surrendering Fear
I heard the news of the Orlando massacre after church on Sunday. My kids were playing in our living room and I was crouched over our kitchen countertop in disbelief as I scrolled through Facebook. Is this real? I thought. Terrorism had once again revealed its evil and ugliness in all its forms. My …
When A Big Fear Made Me Brave
Yesterday, I headed to my women’s Bible study at church. It was thundering, lightening and pouring down rain so I quickly shuffled all my kids out of the van. I checked them into childcare and grabbed a chai tea and scone for my second breakfast…
Life & Love With Little Children
Jeremiah and I never used to frequent cafeterias until we had kids. At the cafeteria we ate at a few nights ago, balloons strung from the wooden highchairs, the food selection and presentation was outstanding, and an old lady played the piano in the background. When we got settled into our table, John and Rebekah …
Depending on Grace in Motherhood
My kids and I had just settled in at the park. The sky was bright blue. The breeze was gentle. I picked up my 17 month old daughter and inched her little legs into the holes of the swing. My three year old son was off doing his own thing on the slides. The mom …
When You Fear People More Than God
As Christians brought up in the church, this particular young woman and her boyfriend struggled with their purity. Eventually, they found out they were pregnant and considered having an abortion. All kinds of thoughts brewed through their mind: We know abortion is wrong, but it would be devastating if people in the church found out …
Yes, free indeed: Overcoming Our Deepest Fears
“Get dressed. We’re going to the lake,” my husband Jeremiah says on the other end of the line as he’s driving home from work on Monday. I was already dressed in my workout clothes and I was loving his spontaneity because it had been a hard day at home and I needed some fresh air. …
Running for Life [abundantly]
I want to really live in 2011, but sometimes I fear the unknown and I fear failure. I’m still on vacation at my parents place, and this morning I went on a run for the second time this week. It had been over a year since I ran last. In the first 15 minutes of …
Critics vs. Cheerleaders
The more I live my life, the more I see the need for cheerleaders, and not critics. I remember in my junior year of college, I wrote a fiction piece my Creative Writing professor loved. He read it to the class and at the end of the year, I won the Fiction Award at the …