Over the past several months, we’ve talked a lot about being women of courage. But just how do we do that? How do we live brave? How do we live as women of courage when life is overwhelming or even scary? When we’re trying something new, enduring the grind of the everyday, or facing something we never imagined, who do we turn to as examples or ...
“Anne, I need to talk with you," I said, beginning the dreaded conversation with our almost sixteen-year-old daughter one Saturday morning. “You know that dad and I were saving money to buy a third car for the family so that when you turn sixteen, you’ll have a vehicle to use. What we didn’t count on was our well running dry (oh, the joys of ...
It wasn’t my miracle, but it was my miracle to witness. We were strangers, but because we have a few things in common, someone thought we should meet. We sat across from each other at a local coffee cafe awkwardly striving to make a heart connection. Honestly, the more we talked, the less likely it seemed that we would ever spend time with each ...
Bored. Unmotivated. Apathetic. Tired. Fearful. Hopeless. Sound familiar? I don't where this season came from. But it is here in full effect. I was Voxing with a friend recently, and I told her I was feeling blah these days. I am not super depressed. I'd say I have been feeling a low dose of it. I'm a bit anxious. There are no specific reasons or ...
Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is ...
My children hate seeing me sad or mad. They want me to be happy, to smile. They need to know that I’m okay, because if I’m okay, their world is okay. But what about the times it isn’t okay? What happens when the walls cave in and the heart explodes and ache can’t be hidden? What then? How do I grieve in front of my children without putting it on ...
Many people think I grew up in a Christian home, but I didn't. I grew up in a moral home, a home that stressed the importance of living by the golden rule but not a home that talked about Jesus. It wasn't until my parents hit a hard place in their marriage that the four of us kids found ourselves in church. I was twelve when I accepted Jesus and ...
A couple of weeks ago, we threw some virtual confetti in celebration of our tenth year here at (in)courage. While it was a joy to think back on all that God had done in our midst through the past decade and dream forward to the exciting plans and good work He has in store of this community, I've got to tell you what really filled my joy bucket ...
God, we remember that day eighteen years ago as if it just happened. We remember the moment we first heard the news. We remember the images blazing across our TV screen and hearts. We remember those we lost. We remember the heroes. Today, we remember all of this too: You are in control no matter what happens. Coming together makes us ...
In the fall of 2011, we discovered our daughter, Faith, had a broken neck. Before and after her precarious but successful corrective surgery, Faith endured strict limitations on her mobility. For months, she reluctantly kept her physical activity to a minimum. Playing on the jungle gym during recess at school? Nope. Riding her bike around the ...
