In typical North Carolina fashion, we had a warm February that caused many of the trees and flowers in my yard and neighborhood to bloom early. While it was beautiful for a time, we hit a cold spell last week and woke up to sleet and snow on Sunday morning. As we walked through our … Continue reading Waiting for spring
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Brave in the small things
My word for the year is brave. I once had someone say to me that I was a brave person when it came to the big things – as in, I would pack up my life and move to South America for a year when I was 22 (which I did). But, I was overly … Continue reading Brave in the small things
Seasons, part 1: Protect the present
“This is such a unique season.” The number of times I’ve said this since having a baby is nauseating. And while it’s true, just acknowledging the “uniqueness” of any given season doesn’t stop me from missing previous ones or imagining future ones. While we were at the beach, I found myself missing how easy it … Continue reading Seasons, part 1: Protect the present
Don’t believe everything you think.
We’ve all been cautioned at one point or another to not believe everything we hear. Whether it’s something someone else tells us, something we see on TV or something we read on social media, we recognize the importance of determining for ourselves what is true and not blindly believing every piece of unverified information that … Continue reading Don’t believe everything you think.
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
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.
Say no (and mean it)
The Internet is buzzing about Simone Biles. And while her decision to press pause on competing in the Olympics speaks volumes about the importance of mental health and self-care and so much else, there was one thing that really stood out to me about this historic moment: the strength it takes to say no and … Continue reading Say no (and mean it)
HJC 