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How His Love Endures: March 2021
"I've been thinking lately about how when you look at an image, you really don't see beyond the face. In an image driven culture, faces are everywhere, and in public spaces, more specifically, social media, they are mostly happy."
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How His Love Endures: February 2021
The shortest month of the year almost always feels like the longest because it is in the dead of winter for those of us who experience every sense of the season. And 2021 was no different. February felt a bit more challenging in my mental health journey. F is for…Functional anxiety. Let me explain this type of anxiety as I experience it, because anything attached to that word often is misunderstood. FUNCTION: I have a great exercise routine… I’m active and engaged in my job, volunteering, etc… I enjoy down time on the weekends.. ANXIETY: but I can’t seem to get to bed at a decent hour. but I struggle…
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Uncomfortable
We are approaching an anniversary that none of us want to relive. We are coming upon a year since the pandemic forced us into lockdown, and took away what was once normal. Last week, I began to feel anxiety, but I couldn’t put my finger on the depth of the emotion. I was feeling overwhelmed, but not necessarily stressed. I was feeling sad, but not hopeless. I was feeling helpless, but not of any less value. And then this weekend, as I was engaged in a coping method of watching reruns of my favorite shows: I named it. Uncomfortable. I feel uncomfortable. If I try and look too far forward,…
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How His Love Endures: January 2021
If you picked a word for 2021. What reflections do you have about it after this first 31 days?
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My Word for 2021: Endures
We have made it to the last few days of 2020! It’s hard to believe and a relief all wrapped into one! I love how this last week of the year is one of reflection and planning. I love the hopefulness and energy to start fresh. God constantly reminds me that I start fresh each day as I wake up to His new morning mercies. Whether it’s a new year, a birthday or just a new season, God provides all that we need to start anew. I looked back and discovered that I’ve been selecting a word for ringing in a new year since 2014. This has been a wonderful…
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Let’s Celebrate like it’s the First Christmas
We are experiencing grief and lament in this season because we are going without many of our regular traditions. I am continually reminded that Christmas 2020 is probably much closer than we realize, to the first Christmas when Jesus was born. Did you participate in a nationwide census? Look to Mary and Joseph: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. Luke 2:1-3 NIV Did God call you to try something new? Adapt to your surroundings? Learn flexibility and…
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What if Jesus was born in 2020?
Many of us are ready to put this year in our rearview mirror and look forward to 2021. Yet, each of us could also name so many blessings that God has provided. If we look at the whole, it’s an overwhelming mess, but let’s look at it through the lens of our Savior, Jesus. What was it like the year Jesus was born? Was the year as hard as what we have all experienced in 2020? I venture to say it certainly had its challenges. King Herod was ruling in Jerusalem. Herod and his family were domineering despite being practitioners of the Jewish faith. And when Jesus was born, the…
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2020 Reflection: Savor
The season of Advent seem like the perfect time to reflect on this past year and begin to look ahead. Here’s the post I first wrote about how I chose this word and the Scriptural connection. It started rather silly with a gift we purchased for ourselves at Christmas time last year. After we were married, Jack and I decided we would not give gifts to one another for the holidays, but that travel or an experience would be our way to make memories. An unexpected financial donation came to us and we decided to purchase a fancy coffee machine! Each morning that I’ve gotten to use it, I’ve SAVORED…
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Sharing Our Experiences of Grief
I preface this post with the acknowledgment that I have an AMAZING support system and community of care in this season. I can freely write about this topic because I have a safe group to process with and I’m so thankful for that safety net. I’m doing pretty good right now, but there’s peace in processing through my writing and I know there is power in sharing our stories to help others, too. I started writing this post on an anniversary of a difficult event and almost a week later, I finally have processed enough to share. It’s been a lonely season of grief. In the midst of loss, God…
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Savor 2020: Christmas in July?
In early April, I shared this update on my 2020 word, Savor. It’s been three months, and so much has changed as we continue to navigate this strange season of life together. If you are catching up, here’s the first post, as in recent years, I’ve picked a word or Bible passage to focus on throughout the year. We are halfway through the summer and over halfway through the year and we’ve reached the consumer driven celebration of “Christmas in July,” even in the midst of COVID. I think about the amazing news and celebration of Jesus’ birth, and how much Mary must have treasured being a new mom and…
