A new year can mean a fresh start, an opportunity to reflect on the past, and a call to look forward to the future. It’s also time for one of my favorite traditions – choosing my #oneword for the year. Inspired by Margaret Feinberg in 2017, I chose breathe. My words since then have been: … Continue reading Freedom
Freedom
Shake off the Dust
The time has come to shake it off… cue Taylor Swift 😂 It’s time to shake off the dust. “Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, … Continue reading Shake off the Dust
Ashes
I wrote this in February, but decided not to post it (until now, with minor edits). These words carried me through a dark season, in unseen places and incredibly hard times. God can turn ashes into beauty; He can bestow beauty where the enemy left ashes. But even among the ashes, beauty can be found … Continue reading Ashes
To Whom It May Concern
To any reading this who are victims, to those who have faced impossible circumstances and devastating trials: I just want to say how proud I am of you. You are so brave. You did whatever you could to survive. What happened to you is not okay. That friend should not have betrayed you. That family … Continue reading To Whom It May Concern
Secrets + Shame
“The Secrets of Hillsong” + “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets”... Wow. Two documentaries that have more in common than you think. So many secrets; so much shame. Have you watched them yet? What are your thoughts? I avoided both of them at first, but afterward I was honestly glad I watched them. Hear me: … Continue reading Secrets + Shame
Dear Church
Dear Church, It’s time we do better. Pastors, leaders, elders, deacons, congregants, volunteers, givers. Collectively. It’s time. Let’s. Do. Better. The church is meant to be a place of restoration, reconciliation, and redemption. It’s supposed to be a safe place. Instead, we’ve experienced retaliation and rejection. Again. I grieve for the bitter tastes of organized … Continue reading Dear Church
A Consequence of Curiosity
Curiosity killed the cat. It also eliminated the church member. I wasn’t offended or spreading gossip. I was asking questions so I could understand and try to heal. Distance, process, heal, return. That was my honest goal. Instead, my curiosity offended them. In their eyes, I was a problem that must be isolated. A liability … Continue reading A Consequence of Curiosity
My Race to Run 