I did a really horrible thing. I’m serious. It was really bad. It was exactly the opposite of how I normally like to live my life, and as a result, I hurt someone. Chaos ensued — big, huge, teary-eyed drama. Too many people involved. Lots of hurt feelings. And in the middle of it all, I knew I had caused it. And I had to fix it. And fix it I did. I chased down the person I’d... Read more
Hello, loves! I’ve been cocooning over the month of December. For the first time ever, I really paid attention to the Advent season as opposed to the “Holiday Season”. Don’t get me wrong. I still put up a tree and bought presents and cursed at crappy wrapping paper. You know. All the things that go along with “The Holidays.” But I also intentionally waited for God. I paused. I took a breath. I made room for God,... Read more
I sit here, in the early morning hours, staring at my Christmas tree. It’s beautiful. It’s covered in peaceful white lights, and there is already a small pile of presents beneath it. There is a cat — cute, fuzzy, slightly annoying — sitting on the arm of my chair, casually touch my arm with his paw while I type, a quiet bid for attention. The family is asleep upstairs; outside there is white snow falling like manna from... Read more
It finally clicked in my brain — why this idea of Christian peacemaking just doesn’t do it for me. The sermons started the week after the election, and I didn’t hear just one. I heard many sermons — in churches, in coffee shops, on Facebook — saying now is the time for us Christians to foster shalom. Blessed are the peacekeepers, and all that. And I wanted to fall in love with this idea because — I mean,... Read more
This advent has really driven it home for me: sometimes, waiting sucks. I’ve been spending much of this advent season waiting, and contemplating, and trying like hell not to strive. After all, striving feels like it’s in my nature. Striving feels like everything I should be doing. It’s familiar and comforting, albeit exhausting. When business gets slow, it’s time to hustle. When the holidays are roaring down on you like a subway train with broken breaks, it’s time to... Read more
I’m a fertile myrtle, so I didn’t think I’d connect with a book about infertility. But like I so often am when it comes to the way God might work in my life, I was wrong. I sat down to read Birthed: Finding Grace Through Infertility convinced I would have nothing in common with author Elizabeth Hagan. After all, both my children were conceived after three stress-less months of trying, practically on schedule. They were born pretty much exactly when we... Read more
I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but lately Christmas hasn’t been doing it for me. This is made even worse by the fact that the whole season used to make me positively giddy with peppermint-infused glee and jingle-bell laden joy. Seriously. I could milk a holiday spirit for weeks. I absolutely LOVE presents. Yes, gifts are my love language, and I love to both give and receive. In days gone by, nothing could make me happier than... Read more
There, at the very bottom of my soul, is the soft spot. Every time I pray and ask God who I am supposed to be in this world, the image of a warrior, with dirty armor and scuffed skin, calloused hands and iron weapons, assembles itself in my brain. I have tried to ask for something else — a more peaceful assignment, but the truth is I’ve always known that this was my commission. Not only that, it feels... Read more
Sit down with me, girlfriend. We need to talk. It’s almost like middle school all over again, this world of social media. We’re fractured into separate groups — tiny little familiar tribes of people who think and talk and dress and possibly look like us. And with some kind of eighth-grade mean girl mentality, we’re tearing each other down. I’ve seen the posts on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t try to pretend it’s not happening, girl. We all know it is.... Read more
A few days ago, I got an email from another mom. Now, moms — we have a special language. It can cross the air with just the lock of our eyes. The mama-bear love we have for our kids is palpable, and when we’re in a room together, we can practically feel it emanating from each other, run our fingers through it the way we might mindlessly play with the sand when we’re sitting on a beach. Even when we’ve... Read more
Jerseygirl, JESUS
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In