Tag: writing to heal and encourage
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The Grace of His Gaze
Wrap presents. Put up decorations. Maybe I need new lights since mine don’t sparkle just like the ones I saw on Instagram? Finish Christmas shopping. Can we all stay healthy for everything we have planned? How can I make this Christmas special for those around me? If you’re anything like me, this might be a…
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Rewriting Our Scars: is there even beauty there?
My son’s scream jolts me out of my thoughts as we walk over the rocky trail on a daily adventure. Sticking out his bottom lip, he looks up at me, “Mommy, it’s red. I’m bleeding. I need a Bandaid.” I reach into my bag and pull out a neon colored Bandaid, pulling off the wrapper…
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From Pressed to Praise
Recently, anxiety got the best of me by attaching securely like Velcro—hanging on my shoulder, pressing my chest, and making it hard to breathe. In that moment, I knew I needed to go to sleep, hopeful the morning would bring peace rather than anxiety. However, when I awoke, I couldn’t dislodge the restrictive strap of…
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The best kind of hope
“I really hope my kite will fly today,” my daughter says uneasily. Several Easters ago, both kids received kites and her brother’s soared beautifully, while hers struggled to make it off the ground. “We will give it our best shot,” I encourage. However, inside I also wonder if the kite will take flight. Uncertainty creeps…
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Morning Marathon: where does our help come from?
I glance at the clock. It’s 9:15 AM and I already feel like I’ve run a marathon. Note: I’ve not run a marathon, and those of you who have, you are rockstars! I know my body is not near as tired as I write this as yours is after a race. You, half-marathon or marathon…
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Worthy: God’s Whisper in Despair
You know those nights when tears soak your pillowcase leaving behind puffy eyes? Or tossing and turning is a constant companion, leaving you exhausted to face the day ahead? You are not alone; I’ve had those days, too. Take heart, dear one, God’s Word offers us a sweet truth for our worn-down souls. Even if…
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The Satisfier of Our Souls
Do laundry, pick up groceries, clean toilets, vacuum the endless dust bunnies, when was the last time I washed the sheets, and oh yeah, what are we even having for dinner? Does this list sound familiar to you? Often, I find myself believing the completion of this endless to-do list, will provide contentment. But, will…
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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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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…
Refuge of Grace 