We're in the midst of a five-week series, sharing excerpts like this one from Craving Connection: 30 Challenges for Real-Life Engagement. We're excited to read through a few chapters, complete challenges, and experience our first (in)courage book alongside you! Each Tuesday we will share part of a chapter, as well as challenges we will all aim to ...
On an evening not long ago in a church sanctuary while the lights burned low, this is what came to my heart. When I got done writing I breathed a sigh of relief. I hope you’ll do the same when you finish reading . . . **** This is easy to forget: God doesn’t value a far-off there more than an ordinary and near here. And every there for us is ...
"Lord, restore us to Yourself, so we may return; renew our days as in former times." Lamentations 5:21 HCSB Lamentation Four years ago, I sat in the corner of a tiny break room off the hall of a hospital corridor. My husband, along with his two brothers and the hospital's representative sat together at one of those eight-foot long all purpose ...
At the beginning of last December, I embarked on something doomed to fail — a diet. October birthday cakes, Halloween candy, and Thanksgiving pies had caught up with me, and I didn’t want to have to buy new jeans. I did pretty well the first few weeks, but then came the Christmas cookie exchange party I hosted and the annual tradition of making ...
There's this thing about women. They may be wearing purple boots or skinny jeans or sweat pants. But when they do that thing -- that thing where they look right into your eyes, where they just reach over and hug you, where they whisper secret truths in tears that trail slowly down their cheeks. Where they surprise you with a packet of ...
Last summer I was a sad song stuck on repeat. Wrought with loneliness, over and over again I cried out to God asking, “Where are my deep friendships?” In a perfect world, my idea of a deep friendship is composed of two people who love each other so deeply that it’s a bit overwhelming. If you’re discouraged, your friend is there to listen and ...
I bought Raviolis because I was tired and it seemed easy. All kids love raviolis, right? Apparently, not mine. The three-year old flat out refused. I got mad when she wouldn't try a real bite. I told her, "You are going to eat this bite or you're not eating!" She cried, and took the bite. Then she said she didn't like it, and I told her ...
I woke up to my phone’s alarm, the screen radiating a too-early time. I ambled downstairs and flipped on our gas stove before walking into the kitchen and pulling my chai latte fixings from the fridge. It wasn’t till I dropped two pieces of bread in the toaster that I noticed the entire room blazed coral pink. Grabbing my phone, I slipped open ...
"The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it." -William James She grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania and lived through the depression. Thankfully her story didn’t stop there. As we joined together to celebrate her life, the pastor pointed out, that for a woman of her day, my Grandma Mary was a ...
Over the next several weeks, we will be sharing excerpts like this one from Craving Connection: 30 Challenges for Real-Life Engagement. We're excited to read through a few chapters, complete challenges, and experience our first (in)courage book alongside you! Each Tuesday we will share part of a chapter, as well as challenges we will all aim to ...
