I want to gather with the important people and tour the important places and feel like I belong. And it makes me feel so small to even admit it. I think the longing comes from the way I’ve come to know them as close friends through their writing. They’ve chosen to put themselves out there […]
How to Become a Better Friend {Releasing Expectations}
I hadn’t heard from her in over a month. And I didn’t feel a release to send another message until I did. Because sometimes, in a friendship, we need space. We need to process all that’s happening inside and respond when our heart is ready—when we have something meaningful to say. And that’s what I […]
When You’re Spun by Change and Weighed Down by Grief
This past month my friend’s mother dies suddenly, the Sauer family says goodbye to Ben, their brave four-year old cancer-fighter, and another friend cares for her husband in hospice, in what are sure to be his last days here on this earth. And they cling to the hope he’ll make it through Father’s day before […]
How God Uses our Messy Muddy Life
The more I read, the more I see how the Scriptures paint a portrait of a God who sees. A God who knows even me. Especially me. And who uses my life to paint His glory. He who is good and kind, just and righteous, divine and man. Acquainted with suffering and intimate with grief. […]
In the Aftermath of a Mighty Storm, We are Changed
It was an ordinary Sunday afternoon. That is until the storm began. The storm that wasn’t in our Southern CA forecast–the spring flash storm we weren’t even expecting. The sun was shining with a brilliant blue sky. And then the clouds rolled in, announcing the beginning–blocking the sun, and darkening the sky. Then the wind […]
The Way to Get Joy {And a Reminder: You’re Not Guilty Anymore}
She stands on that gigantic stage and accentuates with her arms to punctuate her points. And you can hear a pin drop in the room because at the core of each one of us, we are aching for joy. And she explains how it is possible. No matter what you’re facing, as long as thanks […]
How to Really Become Big {The #BackwardsPrinciple}
Her tiny fingers wrap around mine, as I try to wipe all the vernix away. She cries as she lies on her mama’s chest, and I’m marked by her dependence before me. I see it everyday, and I’m in awe of how we’re born–the humble way a human being emerges into this world, looking down. […]
Love Runs Toward Another {To South Africa with Love}
To love is always to give a part of ourselves away. To reach out in hope that the one we’re reaching for in return will take us in and hold us tight. Love runs toward another. It is kind and patient. Never seeking self, but always reaching out in hope, to protect and trust and […]
How to Ditch Your Apathy and Fight for Your Marriage
We didn’t really fight much. That’s the crazy part. Because if a marriage is unraveling, most people assume there’s fighting. And that’s exactly why it was such a shock to everyone when I confessed my affair. No. Fighting is not the indicator of marital disintegration. The real indicator is apathy… [Tweet that] And apathy happens […]
To Slow in This Season, and Reflect
I walk the perimeter of the tiny lake at sunset, and the trees reflect and glow on the surface of the lake’s still water. I walk, and ponder–reflect on my life, and this season I’m now living. There is silence. Ducks split the smoothness in formation, leaving a wake behind them. They are braving their […]
