Author: kristenrupp525
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When Change Is Uncomfortable
Change makes me uneasy. The kind of discomfort where my stomach swirls and I’d rather run the other direction than cross the threshold of a new season. I want routines, on-time bedtimes, and easily manageable plans. The older I get, the more I realize the impossibility of this checklist. If this is you, friend, I…
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Hope When Our Lives Aren’t Perfect
I’m a perfectionist. Through and through. I crave order, things in place, perfectly crafted meals, precisely poured coffee, and a made bed complete with decorative pillows. I am also a mom of two young kids who love creating and playing. When a perfectionist mom collides with spur-of-the moment children, tension often overflows. If you can…
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When stillness is hard to find
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a crank-the-music-up-loud kind of girl. My husband often jokes with me, “You were really jamming out in here,” when he hops in the car after I’ve been driving. My son follows in my footsteps as, “Turn it up,” is one of his favorite requests. So, today, when his…
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Embers of Light
The summer air surrounds me like a light blanket, an earthy fragrance with a hint of moisture. The breezeless air stills the trees, as if frozen, begging for someone to notice their grandeur. As the summer air swirls into my nose, I notice our garden. What started as tiny seeds dropped into the ground and…
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Whispered Truths
“I’m terrible at this,” these negative words escape my daughter’s mouth, piercing the air and also my heart. This phrase stings like an open wound, especially coming from the mouth of my six year old daughter. Please don’t think you are terrible at something already. Please don’t let the lies loom large already, God. Allow…
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Five Truths For Our Weary Souls
Two weeks ago, during a string of rough days, intrusive thoughts blared across my mind, leaving in their wake, a tear-stricken face and warped mind. I’m not sure what your hard season looks like—job loss, heavy-hearted loneliness, a difficult diagnosis, grief from losing a loved one, a broken relationship, anxious and depressive thoughts, an eating…
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Because of His Death: “the old has gone, the new is here!”
Have you ever felt like spring’s beginning is just plain yucky? As we squelch through muddy backyards, wipe filthy dog paws, or dig in dirt to plant hopeful seeds, it is easy to focus on the dirt caked upon our shoes or underneath our fingernails. In doing so, we often forget the new creations breaking…
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Is God Near When I Pray?
Do you ever struggle to pray in difficult seasons because you feel God is far away, so you don’t cry out to Him? God’s nearness is something I struggle to believe and feel, especially in difficult seasons. In His kindness, the Lord illustrates His nearness as I watch my daughter at the playground. I invite…
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The Dawn of Spring: the Shepherd’s hope in our weariness
My gray and green shoes pound the sidewalk pavement, while my hand loosely holds the ridged black leash. Following this long leash to its end, you will find my white faced, golden haired miniature golden doodle. Anxiety is all-consuming today– pulsing between my shoulder and scapula, palpitating tension throughout my body. I cannot seem to…
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Off the Bench: come to Jesus and find rest
My heart pounds in my chest like a pep band bass drum, setting a tempo too rapid for this occasion—sharing dinner with family and friends. In this moment, my body occupies a seat on the bench. The bench is a challenging place. I watch the game blur in front of me, wanting to join in,…
Refuge of Grace 