Thursday is Thanksgiving, which brings to mind turkey and trimmings and pumpkin pie, football games, and family gatherings. It’s also the time of year where everyone’s thoughts turn to being thankful. At some of our past family Thanksgiving dinners we’ve gone around the table to share what each of us...
Over the past year, our church small group has done a number of studies that have been deeply convicting. It started with Francis Chan’s Crazy Love. After Crazy Love, we did Chan’s study on the Holy Spirit, called Forgotten God. Following that, we did a study called Unstuck, which featured...
Few people know all of the facts about sexual abuse—including me! As I researched for this blog post, I discovered facts that surprised me. Childhood sexual abuse can be an uncomfortable topic. Please don’t allow that discomfort to keep you from arming yourself with the facts. It’s difficult to prevent...
One day last week, I met a friend for coffee. In the course of conversation, as we chatted about who knows what over Pumpkin Spice Lattes, she said, “I wish I knew what God’s purpose for me is.” I’ve spent a lot of time wishing that same thing for myself....
It’s been well over a month since I signed on with Vox Dei Publishing, so thought it might be time to give you an update on what’s happening with LGM, that’s Little Girl Mended for those non-acronym-minded people. LGM is a good place to start. That’s been my working title...
Have you ever been so filled with anticipation that you couldn’t sleep? I grew up in New Jersey, about an hour from the Jersey shore. During the summers of my youth, my family would sometimes take day trips to Seaside Heights. To my little girl eyes, Seaside was the epitome...
This morning as Abby and I did our 2-mile dog walk, I heard this song play on Pandora. I couldn’t help but pick up the pace as I listened to these lyrics and strode (stomped) along to the drumbeat. Joy, joy, joy . . . overflowing joy because of the...
Why are some sexual abuse survivors seemingly able to recover, function, and even thrive as adults, while others have difficulty coping with the stressors of everyday life? It’s a question I’ve often contemplated in my own life. Some research estimates 20 to 40 percent (others 30 to 50 percent) of...
(Today’s post is the first in a new blog category called Life Abundant. In this space, I’ll be writing about everyday life—a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I hope you’ll sometimes find something that moves you, speaks to you, or is at least useful!) Has...
Today is a special day, one I’ll remember always. After months of skin-thickening rejection letters, today I became a Booktrope author! Vox Dei Publishing, the Christian imprint at Booktrope, has accepted my manuscript and will be publishing Little Girl Mended! There simply are no words to describe what I’m feeling...
