The wrestling, the wrestling, the wrestling. You never count on the brawl. It sneaks up from a dark alley, and suddenly, there you are, flat on your back. You have no idea what just hit you. You never count on it, never plan for it, and can never be prepared for it. The fight may […]

I have heard this idea, and it is even taught. It has been said so often and has been used so much that people quote it and believe it. It is the idea that you have to “learn to be okay alone.” I understand some of where it comes from, maybe the idea of learning […]

I recently had a conversation with someone where we were comparing big cities, the activities, and things that you can do there, and we concluded, “They are all the same.” You experience good eats, you sit at a rooftop bar or nice restaurant. You enjoy live music, etc., but after you have done this enough, […]

I got a text with bad news at 9:45 a.m., right before Sunday morning service. I had trouble breathing from that moment forward. I led our Sunday service and led an Unplugged Acoustic Worship Service that evening. Our opening song at Unplugged said this: “Don’t let your heart be troubled Hold your head up high, […]

I am passionate about living. You know what I see? People who desperately want to live, want life, want rest, want peace, and we flip and flop around trying to figure it out. I sat in a small group last night. We looked at a passage of scripture from Luke 10:25: 25 On one occasion, […]

I recently saw a quote, and I had to pause. It said, “You cannot think your way out of depression; you need to move your way out.” I thought Wow- this is so true. Sitting around “thinking” more by yourself is NOT the answer. During the winter months, many of us find ourselves locked up […]

I flew to Kenya on June 6th, and it is so hard. The travel is long, exhausting, and uncomfortable. You have to actually fly for 18 hours in a plane to get there, but that doesn’t count the endless lines, security checks, and waiting. You get there, and your body is like, “What did you just […]

There is no promise of ease in this life, but I still want it. We all do, and unfortunately, the comforts of our Western culture reinforce and coddle us into a false reality. A reality that everything in our environment and life should be “just right”, should bend to my comfort, and make me “feel” […]

I was faced with my first major life crisis at 20 years old. The kind of crisis “good Christian girls, who followed all the rules” are not supposed to face. It was a moment when your faith is shaken. It is a moment where every solution being presented, “just keep praying,” doesn’t “work.” It is […]

I recently had a coworker, Mike, tell me about his personal counseling session. After explaining the issues and problems he was facing in life, the counselor asked one poignant question. “Who is Mike?” He stared at the counselor, wide-eyed, and a bit taken back. He gulped, “I don’t know.” I was on a phone call […]