Have you ever disqualified yourself? Maybe you benched yourself from some area of life because you’ve determined you’re too inexperienced, too lacking, or even too tainted by your past. You decided if others saw how poorly you made Pinterest recipes or knew what you’d done in college, they’d be in agreement with your permanent position…
In August of 1997, a “commencement speech” blew up the internet with its wisdom and sage advice, beginning with “Wear sunscreen.” These wise words were penned by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich. Her words were put to music and became an instant hit. I was particularly struck by the truth of one line the first…
“I’m pregnant. I wasn’t sure how to tell you,” said my curly-headed, sometimes-spacey fifteen-year-old friend. I was seventeen. I had last seen her a year earlier. We’d sat up late into the night, and she’d spilled out all the seedy details of her life, expecting me to be shocked and ashamed. Instead I nodded my…
Faith in Christ is the cornerstone of my existence. My awareness of his deep love for me and the knowledge that I am never alone, never without help, steady me throughout the storms of life. When the constant complications of chronic illness make life seem dark, soul-crushing, and unrelenting, the nearness of God’s presence shifts…
For several years, five of my dearest friends and I celebrated an annual ritual that still fills my heart with gratitude and delight. Each New Year’s Eve, we trekked to a local horse farm on the outskirts of town, Bibles and journals in tow. Together, we reflected on the year gone by. What had we…
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. This may sound like the opening lines of a famous novel, but it was true. We had very little in that season of our lives, but our little pushed us close to Christ, where we found abundance. I was a single mom who…