I woke up this morning to the words “hope against hope”. I had gone to bed praying, talking to God about my current health and financial situation, asking for wisdom and peace as I wait for His promise, and asking Him to show me if there was anything I haven’t done that I should be…
Nevertheless – Word for 2023 and a Perspective Shift: What if Life is Like Powerlifting?
For the past few weeks, my oxygen has been below 90% several times a day. There is a possibility that I will be back on oxygen, at least while I sleep until I can have a sleep study done to ensure my oxygen is not dropping overnight. The Long COVID has been a significant setback….
We Need Each Other, Thoughts About Self-Soothing, Isolation, and Holding Space
I have a lot to say about this photo. Thought #1 Riley was scared because of the loud upstairs neighbor. She stood in the middle of the living room and I could see her considering her options. Fear short circuits the brain, it often doesn’t matter that we have a lot of options in a…
Not Coerced but Welcome – Intentional Nearness
Ordinarily, Riley starts her morning on the floor with her peanut butter Kong. Then she moves to the far end of the couch. Every couple minutes, she stands up with her back to me and takes a few steps closer, gradually backing in to be as close to me as she can while continuing to…
Isolation and Re-Engagement During the Pandemic
Not knowing if I was going to live or die for over 20 consecutive days fundamentally changed me in ways that are hard to express. Even now, almost a year later, I find myself surprised at how deeply the entire experience impacted me, my perception of life, my values, and my connection to others.
God’s Order of Operations
This past weekend I participated in an event through my church called a Freedom Encounter. It was the culmination of a small group study I did called Freedom which was amazing. I am a different person than I was when I walked through those doors on Friday night. I’m calmer and more peaceful, and my…
Just Because He Loves Me
God has saved my life – over and over again over the years; and last November, as most of you know, He did it again between 8 and 10 times depending on the nurse who talked to me. While I was in the hospital, He and I talked about a lot of things and He…
A Return to Simple Devotion
When I first returned to Jesus my relationship with Him was deep and rich, spontaneous and beautiful, simple and utterly delightful. When I started spending time with other Christians, it became a complicated duty, full of rules and expectations, increasingly devoid of the love and tender devotion that enraptured me at my salvation. God did…