Forgiveness: The Mirror Image of Love
My siblings and I were deeply hurt by our dad when we were growing up. He broke our mother’s heart by taking up a mistress and bringing her into our home. He also constantly insulted us and our mum, and in the process, our love for him turned to hatred. Anytime we would meet to […]
An Adventure in Forgiveness
The topic of forgiveness can quickly become overly heavy and difficult. Sometimes, by just hearing the word, my memory kicks into full gear. The heart-pounding emotions of yesterday’s hurtful events can sap my energy or re-break my heart. Without much prompting, my mind flies down a spiderwebbed, dusty, dark tunnel to places I might not […]
Admitting the Ugly Truth
We moved to SE Asia with our 10 month old son in 2014. The rest of that year is pretty much a blur of language learning and culture shock but I do remember the next 2 years with perfect clarity. I spent the majority of that time trying to get pregnant, being pregnant or recovering […]
Insomnia: Mostly I’m Not Afraid to Go to Bed
Mostly, I am not afraid of going to bed anymore. But there are nights, after a cup of chamomile tea, some yoga, and a bit of journaling, when I think, “Maybe tonight I won’t be able to sleep,” even though the Sand Man is laying it on thick and it’s so quiet I hear the […]
A Grace Greater than Betrayal
As someone who has worked with middle school, I am all to familiar with betrayal. Fifth grade seems to be the year where many of us have our first brush with a friend who shares what we told them in confidence or talks behind our back. Fifth grade seems to be the year where many […]
Betrayal Hurts and that’s Okay
When I was in 8th grade, I told one of my good friends a secret about a crush I had on a boy. Although I had been wisely advised by my family not to trust her, I did anyway. You can guess what happened—she blabbed. She told everyone my secret. The gossip spread like wildfire […]
Praising God through the Pain
Seven years, two countries, multiple new friendships, hundreds of blog posts, countless conversations – all have passed since “that” night. And yet each August I still lean into the Father and revisit portions of the pain and hurt. I contemplate shattered dreams and a changed life. Tears fall more frequently, and melancholy is more prevalent. […]
The Blessing in the Burning
I was twelve when my house burned down. We were playing cards in our living room, in our log cabin, in small town Outer Mongolia when we heard what sounded like kids throwing rocks on the roof. I remember my Dad running into the house yelling fire. I remember running down our street to the […]
Hope has a Name
It wasn’t the name her mother gave her. Her mother named her Power. I’ve only known her a week. But I’ve been dreaming of her for years. The little one who would join our family. The little one turned out to be almost six years old. And seeing as how I missed the first six […]
What if You Could Change Your Story
I recently took a walk in our local park just as the leaves were starting to emerge. I looked up, then felt that familiar pang that God was trying to say something to me. I remembered those teenagers when I was five. And for once I didn’t remember what they did. I remembered what I […]
Shame and Offering
The idea of this week’s theme came from an interview I heard last fall with a pastor. She was asked what illustrations she uses in her preaching and said she preaches out of her scars, not her wounds. And this phrase stuck to my soul. I’ve known for months I would be sharing with you […]
Remember This When the Ache Returns
Sometimes it surprises me how hard it hits me. The grief. The way the memories and the longing can co-mingle in one giant ache. The tears well and they spill and I think to myself, “Shouldn’t I be over this by now?” But I’m not. My broader story, past life in West Africa, is one […]