4 words for 2015.

Last year the Lord gave me four words. These four words (or technically six, but the concept originated as four words from Shauna Niequist, so that’s what I’m calling it) felt like they were to teach, to comfort, to encourage and to grow my heart in new ways as circumstances unfolded, that only the Lord…

the 12 favorite books of 2015.

As I’ve been reflecting on the year, I realize how much of what I read reflects what how I’ve changed and what I’ve learned. Friends, these were the best non-fiction books I read in 2015. I highly recommend each and every one of these, at your earliest convenience. I tried to make a top ten…

the sick-on-the-couch Christmas.

One year for Christmas I was sick on the couch of my grandparents’ home in Southern California. We had long awaited this trip to see them and I was disappointed to find myself snuggled up in blankets, watching the festivities from the cushions. But as I remember back, the specifics of my sickness and disappointment…

when I want a root beer, but get a bird instead.

I like that I can’t put Jesus in a box. I like that he does the unexpected and the weird. I like that he’d rather have some crazy lady crying and wiping his feet with her hair than have a normal foot washing. I like that he is unconventional and doing things that make me…

[book review] the painter’s daughter.

Sometimes a single choice can change the course of our lives. As I watched my dear friend get married this weekend, it was easy to remember and see the beauty in a life-altering decision. As I read The Painter’s Daughter this weekend, I was reminded of the cost of other kinds of choices. The first…

choosing to connect, not compete.

It’s so subtle when it happens, but all of a sudden, I’m believing that numbers and stats are what matters. And before I know it, I feel like I’m in a competition that I never signed up for.  I’m in the process of learning about the publishing process, as I have hopes of being published…