My favorite new year tradition is selecting a #OneWord, a guide and banner for the next twelve months. My past words include: Alabaster Freedom Anchor Worthy Trust Savor Bloom Held Breathe Last year, alabaster showed me beauty and purpose, depth and light, hope and devotion, sacrifice and love. For 2026, I’ve chosen “wholeness”. It’s not … Continue reading Wholeness
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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
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
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
Taking Time to Identify Tension
Sometimes it seems easier to sweep it under the rug. The heartache. The pain. The frustration. The overwhelm. The bad. The hard. The tears. The trial. The trouble. The struggle. The tension. It takes vulnerability to bring it into the light. To let God's truth shine on it. To allow others to see our mess. … Continue reading Taking Time to Identify Tension
Wrestling with Restoration
I've been camped out in the book of Isaiah, thanks in part to my daily chronological Bible. I keep thinking about our current cultural and political climate. I keep thinking that we need rescue. Without trouble, we wouldn't be in need of rescue. I look back on the Israelites' journey. If they didn't have enemies … Continue reading Wrestling with Restoration
Restoring Joy
Confession: I had a rough morning, emotionally-speaking. I sat in my favorite chair, sipping my coffee, feeling the weight of the world (or at least the weight of all my feelings). With my kids at school and my husband at work, the house was quiet but my mind was not. My flesh was at war … Continue reading Restoring Joy
My Race to Run 