How to Sit With Hard Stories.

Recently, my friend Molly spoke at a women’s event. The theme was The God Who Sees You, and she shared the story of the Egyptian slave Hagar.   Hagar’s story is found in Genesis chapters 16 through 21; if you aren’t familiar with it, it’s a really challenging story to read. It is tempting to skip…

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A Fresh Perspective on Comfort

While I love gathering in community and connecting with people, I prefer it in small doses, in small groups, and behind the scenes.  So, when God started nudging me to speak at our church’s recent women’s event, I pushed back a little. I so wisely told God that the theme was comfort, and it would…

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Defining Celebration

When you hear the word celebration, what words come to mind? I imagine many of us conjure up images of parties, events, balloons, decorations, food, and large gatherings.  And while the word celebrate can be defined as marking something with festivities or parties. Search the word “celebrate” in Merriam-Webster, and you find the first two…

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The Heart of the Matter

Thoughts come and occasionally turn into words or phrases that we share out loud with others. (For me, sharing words frequently takes the form of social media posts.) And as we share out loud, we hope our heart behind the words is understood. That others gather the full intent of what we are trying to…

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Building a Bench From Faith Instead of a Platform.

While my faith in God informs who I am and who I am becoming and is woven into the words I write, I don’t often write specifically about faith. It is a simple story on many levels yet also complex, and I’ve struggled to find words that share not just a story of faith but…

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