You should see my journal. At the end of every year, I’m on the hunt for the perfect word. I want a word that represents exactly my hopes for the year. One that is both a hope and a mission, a desire and an assurance. I am *obsessed* with finding the right words. My words…
I’ve decided slog is one of my new favorite words. It describes life better than most as it brings the imagery of sludge, drudgery, challenges, and weights. That’s life. That’s not all life is, but it certainly includes a large amount of slog. But acknowledging the slog helps me stay in the madness and not…
Efficiency is my love language. I jest. (But it’s also true.) I am a do-er. I work hard at my job, and in school, and take care of other tasks along the way. I get more done than the average person. I am learning to take care of myself with the same intensity. Self care…
I struggle with stillness. I love productivity and efficiency. I think these things define a good day. I love checking thing off of my list. But I’ve been slowly changing my definition of a good day. I thought about this today as I got a massage. It is a treat that I budget for and…
My life needs a quiet hour. I am continually prodded for more productivity, accomplishments, efficiency. Much of this prodding comes from within my own head and heart. There are very few voices in my life telling me to stop. Rest. Just be. I need more of those voices. I need a quiet hour. Every day.…
Manna. Bread from Heaven. A gift… and an assignment? I spoke at a women’s retreat in February and we focused in large part on Exodus 16, the passage about manna. Here’s one of the lessons I learned. Exodus 16:16-21 16This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much…
Don’t scoff. This math is fun! I started running a few years ago and registered for a half marathon because my friend, Tracy, can get me to do crazy things. I had never run before in my life. I always said I was saving up my run because we are each allotted a finite amount…
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This adage has been said for decades, but I believe much more is in the eye of the beholder than beauty. Adventure, love, challenge, accomplishment, even rest — all in the eye of the beholder. I’ll share an example: I got a special deal when I bought…
I am a grammarphile. I enjoy the undervalued punctuation marks. I revel in a properly placed em dash. I snicker at how commas can change meanings entirely . There is also a purposefully placed comma in my title. I am not ceasing to worship. I am ceasing, in order to worship. My life is full of activity,…
I’m sick. My voice sounds both sultry and squeaky with varying frequencies. I feel like Phoebe from Friends singing Smelly Cat with her raspy, mucous-coated vocal cords. It’s no fun. Here’s what I’ve accomplished over the past two days: Illness is one of the few things that makes me stop. Really pause and rest. I…
