What’s the most unexpected thing you have ever experienced? For me, it was a stage four cancer diagnosis for my husband at age 40. When he graduated to Heaven less than 4 months later, my faith was shaken. I was paralyzed by guilt, confusion, shame and fear about the future. My husband’s death was unexpected and I had to learn how to navigate [...] Keep Reading
Book Reviews
Book Review: A Grace Disguised
We are moving in a week. As I’ve been preparing for the move, I’ve been sorting through boxes upon boxes of books. This is an almost torturous task for me – a book lover who would much rather be reading books than tossing books to the donation pile. The other day I happened upon a copy of the book A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. This book was [...] Keep Reading
Book review: Whispers of Rest
When my husband Shawn and I started dating, I asked him what he did on weekends. His response: long runs and long naps. I laughed out loud. Naps?! Did adults really take naps? As an endurance athlete, rest was an important part of his weekly schedule. I had long ago given up on naps. With three active daughters who from the time they were [...] Keep Reading
Book Review: Holy Hustle: Embracing a work-hard, rest-well life
Do you need to work harder? Do you need to rest more? What shapes your ideas about work? What if you could redeem hustle for God’s glory? These are just a few of the questions Crystal Stine is tackling in her newly-released book, Holy Hustle. Crystal presents a challenging and refreshing examination of the roles of work and rest in our lives. [...] Keep Reading
Book Review: Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope After Miscarriage and Loss
The texts were pecked out late into the night. I could read the desperation and grief between the short lines she wrote. My dear friend had endured another miscarriage. Her body had betrayed her again. I cried out to God on her behalf. Honestly, I didn’t know exactly how or what to pray, but I wanted to support. I learned to listen and groan [...] Keep Reading
Book review: Rooted
A few months ago, I took my kids on a day trip to Sequoia National Park with friends. The park is full of sequoia redwood trees, which are some of the largest trees in the world. With their ruddy, giant trunks and branches extending toward Heaven, these trees are truly majestic. I learned the General Sherman tree is the largest known single stem [...] Keep Reading