Category Archives: faith, hope & love

Facing Fear

  June 17, 2013 - 12:22 am |
11 Comments

Facing Fear The chalkboard art in my room is currently inspired by a quote I heard from an interview with Brene Brown, (h/t Donna Hall for introducing me to Brene Brown, showing me the Podcast app on my phone and changing my life forever in the midst of a late night painting frenzy!) Here’s the quote: It’s possible to be afraid and brave in the very same moment. She goes on to say that she finds herself in a state of being both afraid and brave all the time, and it is the willingness to be brave while we are … Continue reading →

Serve Moore

  June 4, 2013 - 2:25 pm | ,
2 Comments
Serve Moore, Tornado Relief, Ten Dollar Tuesday, Tornado, Oklahoma

Last week, I went to Moore, Oklahoma and saw with my own eyes the path of destruction left by recent tornadoes. It was like nothing I have ever seen before in person. Since being there, even more tornadoes have come through the area. Our work day was organized by a group from Starbucks, and since my brother is a supervisor for some stores in the area, he was going and he let us tag along. Basically we put on gloves and picked up debris, moving it to piles where it could later be collected by the city.

Month 4: Radio Silence {Seven}

  May 14, 2013 - 10:00 am | ,
1 Comment
radio silence, quiet, media fast, seven

We are about halfway through Month 4 of this crazy little mutiny against excess, as Jen Hatmaker calls it in her book. A group of us started strong in February eating only seven foods for one month. (really, really hard) Then we wore seven items of clothing in March. (easy peasy) Then in April we tried to give away seven things a day. Some gals did great. Others of us procrastinated.  I am still going through my things and giving them away here in Month 4, because I didn’t finish in April. But that’s ok because this month is giving … Continue reading →

Compassion on Mother’s Day

  May 7, 2013 - 10:00 am | , ,
5 Comments
Mother's Day, Grandmother, Mother, Compassion on Mother's Day

  Having Compassion on Mother’s Day Mother’s Day always sneaks up on me, but it slapped me hard across the face this week when my mom said something about how my Grandmother always would take us all out for pizza on Mother’s Day. While she was talking, I realized that this will be the first Mother’s Day of my mom’s life without her mother.  I watched my mama’s hands setting napkins out on the table and was careful not to make eye contact. Then I started thinking about how many people will be missing and remembering their mothers this Sunday. … Continue reading →

Month 3: Seven Possessions

  April 30, 2013 - 12:10 pm | ,
2 Comments
seven: an experimental mutiny against excess, reading, cute coffee mug, jen hatmaker book,

Well, today is the end of Month 3 of Seven. If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I am participating with a group of girls in following Jen Hatmaker’s challenge to take on seven areas of excess in our lives in seven months. This month was Possessions, in which the goal was to giveaway seven things every day. Friends, I have to admit that here at the end of Month 3, I am struggling to stay focused. I want to hurry and finish up giving away and cleaning out all the things I really, really meant to … Continue reading →

A Cup of Tea with A Side of Prayer

  April 5, 2013 - 9:00 am | ,
4 Comments

 I just need a couple of hours to myself. Do you ever feel that way? Since Spring Break, it feels like we have been in catch up mode.  Since my husband works at a church, sometimes Holy Week is really busy.  I have to be super intentional to pay attention on Easter Weekend or sometimes I miss it in the rush of activity. Which is sad, because I love Easter.  Palm Sunday and Easter are my favorite two Sundays of the year.  Spring and new life and resurrection speak to my heart and awaken all that slumbers in winter.  Both … Continue reading →

Good Friday

  March 29, 2013 - 10:00 am |
Leave a comment
Bread and Wine, Lent, Ash Wednesday, Lenten Reading, Devotional

For Good Friday, I have combed back through some of my favorite essays in the Lenten Reading collection, Bread and Wine. Several weeks ago, I underlined almost every paragraph of this particular one by Henry Drummond about Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. When I returned to it this morning, it touched me again so I chose it to share in this space today, both in the hopes that it will be meaningful to others and because I know I will need it again.  And again. Turning by Henry Drummond The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter…and Peter went outside and … Continue reading →

3 Encouragements from Reading Bonhoeffer

  March 15, 2013 - 10:00 am | ,
5 Comments
bonhoeffer biography, bonhoeffer, eric metaxas, books, book and tea, lovely combo

Only he who cries out for the Jews may sing Gregorian chants. Dietrich Bonhoeffer In January I joined up with a fellow blogger who was hosting a read-along of Bonhoeffer’s biography by Eric Metaxas with the understanding that we would post our thoughts on the first half of this book on February 15 and then do the same for the second half of the book today. The second half of the book covers about the last 10 years of Bonhoeffer’s life, 1935-1945, which are the years of Hitler’s rule over Germany, as well as the German occupation of many surrounding … Continue reading →

Month 2: Clothes + Pure Charity

  March 1, 2013 - 10:00 am | , ,
2 Comments
20130301-102205.jpg

I love new beginnings of almost any sort, which is part of why I am excited about starting Month 2 of Seven: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess.  This month’s area of excess is clothing. Of course I am also giddy about having had a cup of coffee this morning, and it feels like the whole world is open to me today as I consider what I will eat. All the choices! Pictured above are my seven items of clothing, finalized this morning.  I am going skiing for spring break, so I am allowing myself to wear ski gear on the … Continue reading →

Bonhoeffer

  February 15, 2013 - 10:00 am | ,
4 Comments
bonhoeffer biography, bonhoeffer, eric metaxas, books, book and tea, lovely combo

In January I joined up with a fellow blogger who was hosting a read-along of Bonhoeffer’s biography by Eric Metaxas with the understanding that we would post our thoughts on the first half of this book today and then do the same for the second half of the book on March 15. I’m so grateful that this event served as the impetus for my introduction to such a man.  I knew of Bonhoeffer before, knew that he was martyred for resisting Hitler, and had even attempted reading his acclaimed work, Life Together, once or twice, but now… Friends, I have … Continue reading →