Co-worker: “How old is she?” Me: “She is probably around my age, like mid-twenties.” Co-worker: “Uh …” Me: “Oh no. I’m definitely late twenties. 27. I’m almost dead.” I felt twenty-five for a long time. I was confident I had most everything figured out, and the things I didn’t just yet—well, I had plenty of time. Thirty is when I …
Read More »Faith
Are You Letting Fear Decide?
We’d only been dating for three weeks, but Steve had already figured out he was going to marry me. I, on the other hand, was more practical than that. In a few months, I’d be moving to a new city in a new state, a thousand miles away from him. It would be too hard. It was doomed to fail …
Read More »Interview: Kerrie Oles – Revived From The Me I Used To Be
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to talk to Kerrie Oles, author of Revived From the Me I Used to Be, you’ve instantly found yourself a fast friend. In one short phone call, I felt refreshed and built up in my faith because she shared the heart of God with me. I believe in reading this interview—no matter where you …
Read More »Faith To See In New Ways
“In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land” (Psalms 95:4-5). Recently some friends and I went on a road trip. Before we left, one friend told me the other friend had only been outside her hometown twice in her life. …
Read More »Where Did My Promise Go?
It was a normal road beneath a glorious sky. I was driving one leg of a 15-hour trip, hoping to skirt the severe storm just to the west. Perilous black clouds gathered and seemed to creep up on me. Yet on my right, the sun shone and the clouds were puffy white, enticing me to hope. On these long trips, …
Read More »3 Pictures Of TRUE Contentment In My Life
A little while ago, a good friend of mine asked me, “When have you ever felt ‘this is it’”? It was just another way of asking, “When in life have you been completely content?” The more I thought about this question, three images or pictures kept coming to mind. All three pictures are representative of larger themes of contentment in …
Read More »Prayerfully Preparing For Marriage
I’m 16 years into my second marriage. If you and I had some time together in a coffee shop to chat about your hopes for marriage and what I’ve learned from one failed marriage and this one, this is what I’d say: Praying for yourself is the most proactive, effective thing you can do to prepare for a great marriage. …
Read More »Finding Spiritual Freedom In Dating
Freedom is the ability to be who we truly are at the core of our character in Christ. When we are authentically our true selves, we can enjoy dating because we have nothing to lose and we are able to walk out our deeper character with confidence. Essentially, we stop apologizing for who we are, and insecurities don’t weigh us …
Read More »Security Meditation
Security. At one time, security may have seemed like a dirty word to the adventurous side in me, but now my inner gypsy is tired and looking for a home without wheels. Words like “predictable” and “reliable” have a lovely ring; they no longer seem like synonyms for boring. This past year, I have been tearing out my hair in …
Read More »Losing And Rebuilding Trust
Snow ziplining is an incredible rush! Last winter, I went ziplining at Hawksnest in Seven Devils, NC. It was an absolutely phenomenal experience! It was snowing, the temperature was in the 20s, and the wind was gusting around 20 miles per hour. The stations were set up diagonally across the mountain’s descent, the longest line being six football fields long. Yes, hanging …
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