I’m not sure when I started down the lonely slope of striving to be enough. But once I was on it, it was almost impossible to get off. It became an addiction. Although I didn’t see it at the time, I was constantly trying to do more or work more to be seen and loved. Whether my chosen method was writing, ministry, the home, or helping others, I needed to be needed. If others didn't need me, I would disappear. My sense of security would be lost.The funny thing is, I’m not sure whom I was trying Continue Reading
Choosing Courage Over Fear of Criticism
“Courageous” is not a word I use to describe myself. Unsure and timid are more fitting to how I often feel inside. But I try to appear calm. I try to look like I know what I’m doing, even when a thousand questions turn through my mind. In the first months of this year, I felt God calling me to a new season of braver living. To be honest, I didn’t like it very much. It started with an email about speaking at a writing conference. Then came a nudge to lead a women’s Bible study. Then there Continue Reading
A Last Resort Prayer Changed My Life
I remember the phone call like it was yesterday. My husband was driving down a highway in northern Utah and I was on the other end of the line, sitting behind a desk in Columbia, South Carolina. Panicked. As much as I love vacations and travel, I am a woman who thrives on routine. Take me out of my routine, and I get flustered. My husband was about to interview for a job over 2,000 miles away from the town where I’d spent my entire life. Twenty-seven years of memories. Twenty-seven years of Continue Reading