I don’t know how to live in a world where my little girl skips past broken relics of violence Where she asks me to hold her lollipop amid the echos of anger and smiles in the sunshine knowing nothing …
When My Five-Year-Old Evicted Jesus From His Heart
It was bedtime and it was my turn to tuck the little man in. We usually lay down with him for about 10 minutes before he sleeps. He uses that time wisely to ask for stories and make up some …
Prayers From the Heart
When I was a young mom with four kids under the age of six, I felt guilty at my lack of a significant prayer life. My prayers didn’t measure up to what I thought they should look like. Looking back …
The Gift of Surrender
My strategy for finishing a puzzle is a three-pronged approach: I find the corners, build the frame, and fill in the middle until it’s done. My daughter on the other hand has an entirely different game plan. She searches excitedly …
Keep Passion Alive in the Process
I am the queen of unfinished projects, and I have a tub full of unused yarn hiding in my basement to prove it. No, I’m not 80, I used to crochet baby blankets for my friends’ new additions. Creating something …
How God Used Art and IG to Help Me Conquer Postpartum Depression
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 …
When Passion Feels Like Failure
I couldn’t explain the tug on my heart to work with refugees and immigrants. I just knew it was there, under the surface, staying strong through the years of raising kids and going to seminary. But though I downloaded volunteer …
Prayer by Comparison
I know many people who are beautiful pray-ers. They’re the people who sound like professional public speakers, who never stumble over their words, and who invoke “Amens” and “Yes, Lords” from those around them during the prayer. It is beautiful; …
Something Better
When I met my husband, Alexis, he called himself an artist. During those pre-dating days, I often stopped by our college cafe where I knew I could find him transforming a blank wall into a European-looking street. When he painted …
The Biggest Question We Barely Ask Ourselves
I hear moms talking around tables with glasses of wine and cell phones in view, should a spouse or child at home need us while we are away for our few coveted hours, about what gives us purpose in life. …