What I Told My Girls About Bullying and Child Suicide
OUR KIDS ARE KILLING THEMSELVES AND IT'S NOT OK. Last night I called a family meeting on our cozy gray couch. My two girls (ages 11 & 9) turned off their devices and sat down next to one another. They watched Justin and me expectantly with their beautiful,...
Looking for Lovely
In a culture brimming with people hiding behind lovely masks, it is refreshing and freeing to read an author who tells the story of her life without a filter. Such is the woman named Annie F. Downs, author of the newly released book Looking for Lovely: Collecting The...
In the Wake of Easter
I saw it everywhere on social media this past weekend. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were laden with images and text declaring that Easter was the day that changed everything! It is true. The death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in the...
Video of Sistering Testimony
Laura Fleetwood and Elise Aromando were two women separately dealing with tough struggles until God unexpectedly brought them together. They became friends and spiritual supporters - "sisters!" In the video below, Laura and Elise share the story of God working in...
What I Learned From Speaking My Story Out Loud
Six months ago, my friend, Elise sent the following text..."You won't believe the dream I had last night. It was so real! You and I were standing on a stage in front of women sharing our stories." What?!? Back then, the thought of sharing my story in words was still...
What My Daughter Taught Me About Walking Someone Through Suffering
It seems like I've been sick forever. Actually, it's only been a few weeks since my cold turned to to a sinus infection, but it seems much longer! It never feels good to be in the midst of suffering, even if that suffering is temporary like a little cold. One day, as...
Confession
I have a confession to make. Several of them, I suppose. I. Am. A. Writer. It's taken years to write that sentence without feeling a fraud. But it's true. When I write from my soul, I feel centered. Complete. Whole. The universe comes into focus, the words pour from...
Retro Parenting: 10 Simple Ways to Show Love to a Child
For close to a decade, we've had the same bedtime routines with our daughters. Night after night we snuggle in and whisper the familiar songs and prayers. One of the songs I still sing to my youngest is Hush, Little Anna - more commonly known as Hush, Little Baby....
A Three-fold Way of Living Vulnerable
In Part I of this post, I shared how a season of pain and struggle unmade me (still is, really)…I’m breathing through an anxiety attack as I type these words. The trials of my life have a way of uncovering what is true and opening my clenched fists to let go of what...
The Gift of Vulnerability: Part I
This post was originally published by Laura at www.messiahnetwork.org. I moved many times as a child. Five times, in fact, I started over in a new town, at a new school, and with new friends. I remember steeling myself for the inevitable. I donned the fake...
Total Truth Tuesday: I Forget to Pray
I sat at my work desk clicking away, ear buds flowing music. Someone popped their head into the doorway and asked to speak with me. I share a room with three other people, so the two of us sought a bit of privacy in the corner of a hallway, and she broke into tears....
It’s Ok to Not Be Ok
I feel wide and vulnerable these past days. Like I’m standing on the edge of a precipice staring down at dots of things below. In the past, I fled from days like this. Honestly, I still want to flee. I’m tempted to start googling “anxiety & depression...
Total Truth Tuesday: I’m Not Doing Christmas Cards This Year
Each year since the girls were born, I dutifully printed the family photos, addressed 100+ envelopes, stamped, sealed and sent the cards. I know many people treasure them and some people trash them. I'm giving myself permission to pass this year. And the beauty is...
Total Truth Tuesday: Multi-Tasking at the Pump
Total Truth Tuesdays are an opportunity for you to laugh at my strange habits, while I slyly hope you do these things, too. Today I'm sharing how I multi-task at the gas station. I don't know why, but my blood pressure rises when I stand at the gas pump and...
Dealing With A Mask (Guest Post by Maisen)
Today I am sharing an essay written by a very brave teenage girl. She has been dealt difficult situations in her young life that would bring down the strongest of adults, yet she is brave enough to share her story with us here (with her permission and the...
Day 31: Why I Never Wrote The Final Post Until Today
Tonight's post serves a dual purpose. It is the final essay in 31 Days and also a Total Truth Tuesday. I know my final post was due October 31. The idea, after all, was to write every day in October. I almost made it. But I didn't. I could make excuses. I...
Day 30: The Best Book for Anxiety
Today I'm sharing the best book I've read about anxiety. If you or a loved one struggle with anxiety, it's a must-read. Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes Facing Accepting Floating Letting time pass This series is not a tidy story of a fairy tale life....
Day 29: Radical Trust
In group therapy, the concept of Radical Acceptance was introduced. It's this nice idea that we should accept whatever has happened or is happening rather than fighting it or judging it to be good or bad. Think zen to the highest degree. I've tried radical acceptance...