Both of my pregnancies were quickly followed by cross-country military moves and major bouts of postpartum depression. No part of you wants to meet the neighbors and find a new church home when you can’t even sleep at night or …
The Ministry of Showing Up
Lately it feels as though there is a new shooting every day in this country. It seems as though we all know someone who is affected in one way or another by violence. Several months ago, I sat with one …
One Step Closer
I dragged them into marriage and motherhood unwillingly: the memories of my childhood. They tracked my steps and lurked in the shadows until it was safe for them to emerge; when my life had settled into the predictable patterns of …
The Restorative, Healing Powers of Awe
Awe research. It’s a real thing and it’s happening at the University of California, Berkeley. A team of psychologists have found that people who experience awe manifest some very interesting behaviors. I would have guessed that awe boosted mood temporarily …
In the Light: Healing Sexual Intimacy After Porn, Sexual Addiction and Betrayal
This is part of a series of posts about journeying through a husband’s addiction to porn. I recently shared about what the sexual intimacy healing process has looked like for my husband, Jason, and I in a marriage marked by betrayal …
In the Dark: Healing Sexual Intimacy After Porn and Infidelity
I’ll never forget the first time my husband, Jason, and I had the opportunity to speak together to a group of couples at a retreat deep in the mountains of Colorado. We were there to share our story and more …
Life After Miscarriage
“The heartbeat is fast — 166 beats per minute,” the technician told me a week ago in the blue hush of the ultrasound room. “Is that good?” I said. “Oh yes, that’s very good — very strong.” Then he told …
The Vulnerability of Miscarriage
I have a story to tell. It isn’t an easy one to share. It’s deeply personal and I wish it had never happened to me. And yet this story is one of the most defining moments of my journey in …
Not My Child: Protecting My Son From a Sexual Predator
Several years ago, our family was befriended by a community acquaintance with whom we shared some extracurricular activities. Over time, this man (I’ll call him Bob), began paying attention to my 2-year-old son. He’d ask my son for high fives …
How to Be Vulnerable
“Can I cry?” The deluge of tears and snot began, of course, before this terse sentence had even left my lips. I was mired in a season of life where I felt like nothing but one huge, raw, exposed nerve, …