women and retreats…
Women retreats were synonymous with conversations about child birthing, menopause, and floral doilies. My sisters and I would look around and roll our eyes when my mother would invite! us! every! year! She spoke about the laughter, learning, and life-changing...
read more100 words on how we should live…
God cares not only about redeeming souls but also about restoring His creation. So should we. He calls us to be agents not only of His saving grace but also of His common grace. Our job is not only to build up the church but also to build a society to the glory of...
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a sign of things to come…
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. —Psalm 18:2 The idea of God being an inanimate object has never settled well in my mind. It seems odd. Bread...
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six months later…
Dear Matthew, Six months ago today, I ran down route 246 to the Santa Ynez mission, fell to my knees, and wept in the rose garden. I knew I wanted to marry you, but for a fleeting moment I was scared. Scared that you would leave me, scared you would reject me, scared...
read morequestions, comments, and catalyst…
For those who aren’t able to join us for Catalyst, I’m bringing it straight to YOU. Woot woo! Day one has been action packed and I’m overwhelmed with the thought of doing this all over again for two more days. 🙂 So friends, I need you. If you could...
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silent weepers…
I remember reading about a case study from a Romanian orphanage that wanted to run their orphanage like an assembly line. Diaper change, bottle given, placed in crib. For the development of a child, those are the most crucial times in life when touch and affection and...
read more100 words on memory…
Jason Bourne: Who has a safety deposit box full of… money and six passports and a gun? Who has a bank account number in their hip? I come in here, and the first thing I’m doing is I’m catching the sightlines and looking for an exit. Marie: I see the...
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turning points…
If you’re a leader you know how hard it is to continue pacing at warp speed. Whether at school, church, home, or work, the demands and expectations of us to press on and fail forward sound better on bumper stickers and post-it notes than actually having to do...
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dieting, depression, and desperation…
Someone asked me a question on Formspring about eating and dieting. Asking me to speaking about gluttony and dieting is akin to asking Scrooge McDuck about his principle for giving money away or asking Snooki how she tans so naturally. I always shy away from this...
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where we are, where we want to be…
At the core of it, our jobs provide money, a roof over our head, and food on our table. In cubicle offices, with black phones containing tons of buttons, on swivel chairs with back padding, we go into work, do what we have to do, and sit in traffic until we have to do...
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I’m a writer and teacher in love with two men: Jesus and my husband, Matt. [You might not find this funny, but I laugh at myself, so it all balances out.]
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