Yesterday morning, I sat in the rocking chair in my six-week-old Jessen’s room and watched him sleep. School shootings have always wrecked me. But now they do on a different level. I found myself thinking about his first day of kindergarten. How it’s supposed to be such an exciting day, but one that I’m already … Continue reading Power. Love. A sound mind.
writing
At peace ≠ in control.
"At peace ≠ in control." This was all I wrote in my journal the other day. Because as I’ve watched my baby learn to self-soothe, I’ve realized the healthy and unhealthy ways I too tend to self-soothe. In moments of stress or anxiety, my way of coping is to find something to control. They aren’t … Continue reading At peace ≠ in control.
Stop waiting for a worry-free season.
We’re two weeks in to being parents and the worries haven’t stopped. I knew deep down they wouldn’t - that they would just “transfer.” During pregnancy, I was scared of losing the baby. As we got closer to our due date, I was scared of something happening during delivery. And now that he’s here, I’m … Continue reading Stop waiting for a worry-free season.
Lent 2022: Choose the better thing
I first felt compelled to try to give up hurry and worry for Lent when I found this note tucked in my Bible next to the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. It was a poem I had written some years back and it read: Lord, prune the Martha spirit away from my … Continue reading Lent 2022: Choose the better thing
Lent 2022: fasting hurry, surrendering worry
The timing of Lent this year feels special to me because it also times up with the final weeks of pregnancy. Baby boy is due at Easter, and while we actually have no clue when he’ll make his appearance, I love the idea of spending these last weeks intentionally fasting something in preparation for this … Continue reading Lent 2022: fasting hurry, surrendering worry
One day at a time.
“Give us this day our daily bread” is a hard prayer to pray, especially in seasons where the future is uncertain. In Exodus 16, we see the Israelites waking up to find just enough manna covering the morning’s dew to meet their hunger for that day. For 40 years, they had to trust that God … Continue reading One day at a time.
But If Not – MLK Day reflections
“The ultimate test of one's faith is his ability to say ‘But if not.’" - Martin Luther King Jr. On Sunday, our pastor challenged us to listen to one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermons. So, I listened to and read through the transcript of his sermon “But If Not” from 1967. In reading through … Continue reading But If Not – MLK Day reflections
My word for 2022.
Abide. When you pick a word of the year that’s immediately put to the test, you know it must be good. My word for 2022 is abide. The Greek word for abide, meno, means to remain or to stay and it denotes a sense of permanency. It comes from John 15:5: “I am the vine, … Continue reading My word for 2022.
Advent, bonus week // Starting weak
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always a weird one for me. The magic of December is quickly outpaced by the incoming grind of January and the pressure to "start the year off strong.” But there was one final thought from the book of Habakkuk that I wanted to share as a bookend … Continue reading Advent, bonus week // Starting weak
Advent, week 4 // Even if
Advent is just as much about remembering as it is about anticipating. We can rest assured that God will be faithful again because of his faithfulness in the past. After two chapters of Habakkuk’s wondering and questioning, we see him make a switch in chapter three, called “Habakkuk’s Prayer.” He begins to recall victories and … Continue reading Advent, week 4 // Even if
HJC 