Do you have a prayer you’ve given up praying? I do. Maybe you’ve poured your heart out to God, pleading for things to change until you've got nothing left. Perhaps you’ve prayed fervently, pleadingly, even fasted, gathering others around you, but still...nothing. So you simply stopped, your energy to pray eroded by the silence and your unchanging circumstances. And then weeks or months later you realize you’ve simply given up. If that’s you, I get it, so I want to share ... [keep reading]

You weren’t prepared for the stillness. You know it’s what you were hoping for, what you told your friends and family that you needed, and what drew you to this mountain meadow today. “I need a break from all the busyness,” you said. But it is...very still. Too still. It feels uncomfortable, this sitting, this waiting. This, doing nothing. It’s so unproductive. Your hand itches to take out your phone, check your email, check the weather, look at the headlines. It’s what you ... [keep reading]

There’s a nervous energy that accompanies me when I go on vacation. Does that happen to you too? I dream about a trip for months. I buy the travel books, plot my great adventure with Google maps, I read reviews and research with gusto. Finally, with baited breath, I set off with my family for a life changing experience. No pressure! Once the vacation begins, it usually takes a day or two before we can truly relax. In my experience, there’s almost always push back when you search for peace. ... [keep reading]

It's funny how certain phrases and names can stick so firmly, isn't it? I can barely remember what we did last weekend, but I will never forget the words of my sixth-grade teacher: “Emily, lighten up.” My face blushed red and I turned so no one would see my tears. I was embarrassed and felt scolded and ashamed that I had disappointed my favorite teacher with my overly serious, overly-perfectionist, overly-concerned-with-what-others-think-of-me ways. Lighten up. I don't think he meant anything ... [keep reading]

When they told me it was cancer, I didn’t flinch. Maybe it was denial. Maybe it was the anesthesia drugs still coursing through my veins, fogging my brain. Or perhaps the Lord’s peace descended just when I needed it. Regardless, when the doctor explained how the tumor they’d found was either cancer or lymphoma, I hardly reacted. I didn’t break down. Not then. Cancer Stinks Your tears may have flowed immediately, the what-ifs of your midnight worry sessions suddenly morphing into ... [keep reading]