Happy Friday, good people! I hope this finds you at the tail end of a good week. I, for one, am finishing up the second week of a monster cold. Currently, my biggest pregnancy craving is a barrel of Nyquil with a straw but apparently that's a no-no. Not fair, right? In the midst of my coughs and sniffles, I did manage to begin a new post but I did not manage to finish said post and so, this week, I want to share with you some work I've been doing over at iBelieve. I really enjoy writing for . . .
Guest Post: Lessons in Love
My latest piece for Red Tent Living is up! This month, their theme is, "Do You Love Me?" Here's where that prompt took me: Lessons in Love Growing up, I loved playing “house.” I’d run around the basement pretending to be cooking, cleaning, and going on dates with my “boyfriend.” Everything in my game of adulthood was easy and lighthearted. There was rarely any conflict or hardship, which might be why his words, spoken fifteen years ago, cut me so deeply. I can remember exactly where I stood . . .
Guest Post: It’s Okay
Thanksgiving has come and gone and it's now socially appropriate to blast Christmas music during all hours of the day (yay!). The holidays are here, which can elicit wildly different emotions for each of us. Maybe the hope of this Christmas season feels incredibly tangible to you; maybe you know in your head that there is hope, but you're struggling to feel it in your spirit. That's okay. I am so delighted to welcome Elisabeth Klein to the blog today. She's sharing out of her newest . . .
Guest Post: The Unfiltered World
My latest post at Red Tent Living is up! You can find it here. The Unfiltered World The morning after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, I went downstairs to find the kitchen table strangely empty. I’d grown used to seeing the Chicago Tribune scattered by section across the table, my parents taking turns picking through each segment. On this day in April, however, the typically bulky newspaper was quite lean. Curious, I asked my Mom what had happened to the rest of the newspaper. Though she . . .
Sunlight, Lamps, & Candles
I had a highly anticipated (by me) post set to go out to you this week but, in light of the recent events, the timing doesn’t feel appropriate. That piece can wait because today and this week my mind is on Las Vegas. You may have seen my initial response to the shooting posted on social media. I’m trying to be really intentional about living into my words, leaving the house with a real awareness of who is around me and how I am helping them to feel seen and respected. I met a new neighbor . . .
Grief, Joy, and Chocolate Cake
I nearly skipped down the big steps leading to the front of the venue. I was laughing and making jokes with a friend, giddy with excitement that this day—the wedding day of my dear friends—was finally here. A few members of the wedding party sat in the seats that would soon be taken by friends and family. I continued laughing lightheartedly, about to greet the small group with a hearty hello before suddenly noticing their tears and somber tone. Immediately, I felt snapped back to the reality of . . .