Jesus
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Ditch The Hamster Wheel of “Perfection” and Step Into Your Best Life With Jesus!
Ladies, let’s talk about the elephant in the room… imperfection. We work so hard to be the perfect wife, perfect mom, perfect daughter, perfect sibling, employee, friend, boss, Christian, neighbor, woman… whew! I’m exhausted just writing it. But, let’s face it… trying to chase perfection is like trying to put a fitted sheet on a bed. You get one corner on nice and snug and you feel so proud, and then the other corner pops right off. So you move around, re-tuck that corner down and get it looking neat and “perfect” and up pops the next one. It’s a never-ending round and round as you struggle to get it…
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Are You Still Dead On Easter Sunday?
I know the feeling all too well. My body was warm, but my soul felt cold. It had been so long since I had heard God’s voice that I began to question if it was all just a manifestation of my needs and desires. And if God was real, had He decided that I was simply not enough, underqualified, a failure, and a disappointment? Either way, it was Easter Sunday, but I was still in the cold, dark tomb. I was still dead. And this day was just another reminder that Jesus didn’t love me anymore. I had failed Him. But hold on… as you read those words, you heard…
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He Grieves: When Your Spouse is Spiritually Shaken By Loss
Being the spouse of someone that is in deep mourning is a unique kind of helplessness and pain. And whether it comes on suddenly or over time, it rocks your world, just as it shakes theirs. The focus is, rightfully so, on the partner in deep mourning. So, when you’re the spouse, you feel selfish to even acknowledge that you are on a somewhat parallel path, also mourning a deep loss, but a different kind of loss. The loss of the one standing right in front of you. The one that is physically still there, but emotionally, they feel empty and gone. You face the fear of the unknown as…
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The Healer of a Crippled Heart
Merriam-Webster defines a cripple as “being lame, flawed, or imperfect.” I don’t know about you, but I can definitely identify with that. I have battled things in my heart that have left me feeling hurt, hopeless, overwhelmed, defeated… crippled. I have often longed to accept this defeat because each time I try to stand on my own, I fall flat on my face. But the Bible tells us that “it was faith in Jesus that made this crippled man well… He was made completely well because of trust in Jesus.” (Acts 3:16) We talk a lot about the healing of the blind, the deaf, and the lame, but Jesus didn’t…
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Art Journaling In The Space Between Feeling & Reacting
I remember reading a line in one of Lysa Terkeurst’s books that really spoke to me… “I’ve gotten so much better about sitting in the space between the feeling and the reaction.” She went on to say, “I sit with the feeling and take time to sort it out.” I remember thinking, wow… I want to be able to do that. It sat with me for a long, long time. As strange as it sounds, I feel like God took me on a refurbishing journey this last year. Some people say they reinvent themselves at some point in life, but I didn’t reinvent myself. I was refurbished. I liken it…
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DIY: Old Books Repurposed into Art and Prayer Journals
I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about this blog post! It combines so many of my favorite things: Books, repurposing, journaling, art journaling, prayer journaling, crafting, and even thrifting! What a fun and unique project!! I think these adorable and one-of-a-kind creations make great gifts too!! The customization options are truly endless!! I really hope you enjoy this DIY project as much as I did! And I hope it brings you even more blessings as you use it!! This tutorial will primarily be a visual tutorial with instructions below each photo. Again, the customization options are endless, so think of this as more of a…
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Book Review: Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa Terkeurst
Can I recommend a beautiful book that I recently finished reading? “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget” by Lysa Terkeurst. I stumbled upon her book while visiting another blog and was immediately intrigued. When I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I cried my way through page after page. Lysa so beautifully walks the reader through the healing and forgiveness experience as God intended for us. She is so raw, vulnerable, and real in her writings that you immediately connect with her while you “sit at her table.” This book is beautifully written and I wish I could buy it for everyone that I know and love. “No human…
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Resting in Jesus in a “Save Face” Society
Life is full of humbling moments, but the most painful ones usually involve a gross exposure of our cracks, flaws and imperfections to the world. Society, as a whole, tells us that the most important thing during these times is to immediately shift into damage control. The message is clear, “hide your imperfections and cover up the pain with lies.” Wear a smile. Act like nothing is wrong. Act like you’re winning. Don’t let them see your vulnerability. Don’t let them see you crack. If they see it, it gives them power over you. We are so busy trying to control the damage and save face that we have forgotten…
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God Whispered, “Give It To Me.”
I stood at this very spot when I heard God whisper, “give it to me.” Give you what? “Your shame.” I can’t, God. I deserve it. If people knew what I was really like, they would say the same. “Give it to me.” His words were so powerful that as I type them, I’m drawn to tears. But, let me go back a few beats because I believe that God has been preparing me for this moment for months. I have lost several people over the years to suicide. Some I knew only a little. Others I had lost touch with. I felt saddened, and if I’m honest, sometimes angry. …
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In This Difficult Season, Pray Tirelessly Over Your Thoughts, Your Words, and Your Heart. Proverbs 4:23
Everyone I know is hurting right now. The world has changed so much in the last few weeks and we are all trying to navigate through this new norm together. The future holds so many uncertainties and, in so many ways, we have no control over tomorrow. It’s unfamiliar, stressful, exhausting, and scary. During such a difficult time, it’s especially important to be mindful of the seeds that we choose to plant and water in our heart. Don’t let the enemy use this difficult season as an opportunity. I am reminded of one of my most painful regrets (and biggest lessons) during our infertility journey a few years back: To give…
