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
present
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
Anchor
It’s been a long 6 months… and I have missed sharing in this space. Originally I took a break from blogging to focus on motherhood; the work-home balance had pushed me to my limits. Instead, parenting a child with special needs took some unexpectedly hard twists and turns. Add in some stress and overwhelm (and … Continue reading Anchor
In Loving Memory
Last weekend my sister and I took a quick trip to Seattle to see family and attend a memorial for our Grandma Ries. Rosemary’s story was often a mystery to us. I’ve been told her life was not an easy one. I’ve always wondered why she disliked and avoided having her picture taken. I feel … Continue reading In Loving Memory
Valley After Valley
Recently I’ve been reflecting on our different seasons and chapters, our various moves and the similar challenges in each new place. It was then that I realized: I’ve spent the majority of my adulthood living in four different valleys. I lived in the same small town for 21 years (Marysville, Washington). And then my family … Continue reading Valley After Valley
At the Well
Have you ever felt disqualified because of who you are? Or maybe unqualified because of who you aren’t? I’ve felt both! There’s a real struggle between feeling like you’re too much but also not enough. (Jess Connolly & Hayley Morgan have a great devotional on this called Always Enough, Never Too Much.) At Life Group … Continue reading At the Well
Fear and Love
One of my biggest fears is the fear of abandonment. Loved ones leaving. Being left out or left behind. Being overlooked or forgotten, especially by those closest to me. And that reinforces the fear that I’m not good enough, that I’m not worthy. It’s something that I often come back to in counseling as I … Continue reading Fear and Love
My Race to Run 