I love home improvement shows. I'm so inspired watching the amazing transformations. These brilliant designers take a hideously ugly, old and dilapidated home and turn it into a modern day dream house. It's really quite impressive. I'm also a little obsessed with...
Christian Living
The Brand Name Blues: When You Want to Fit In
We moved to Dallas from the suburbs a year and a half ago. Energized by a new (to us) home, new part of town to get to know, new church, I struck out on my own to make terrific new friends. My expectations never higher, I signed up for everything--MOPS, an ecumenical...
Full:: What REALLY Fills Us?
Normally, it's a good thing to be full. As someone who has struggled with loving food a little too much for the last 34 years of life, feeling full is one of my favorite feelings. In first grade, I ate two Whoppers from Burger King without blinking an eye. In middle...
Disoriented:: When God Changes Your View of Everything
I think I know what it might have been like to wake in ancient Judah, to go out of my house and not see the high places, the altars, the pillars to familiar gods that had been there the day before. There must have been a palpable buzzing of shock and anxiety, as well...
Is it Time to Stop Blaming Barbie?
"Finally, Barbie will look more like us!" The radio DJ exclaimed. "This will help little girls feel better about themselves. It's so great for them." She gushed. But is it true? Will the new, curvier Barbies--or their darker skin or shorter stature...
Enjoy Life!
About a year ago, a woman who I love and respect sat with me and listened as I shared all of the perils of my current life as a 25 year old female. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career (despite plenty of searching), all of the good guys were taken and I was...
Five Ways to Enjoy an Imperfect Holiday
"Was it everything you dreamed it would be?" she asked. And she was serious--not an ounce of sarcasm in her question. She sounded so sincere in fact, I hated to let her down with my answer. "Well, not really." I quietly replied. "It was good. Don't hear be wrong....
The Amazing Beauty Hidden in Authentic Friendship
Weeks ago we hosted a dinner party to thank the leadership team of our small church. We had a baker's dozen around a giant table and I discovered something amazing: the beauty hidden in authentic friendship. You see, I'm married to a pastor. Not just any pastor--a...
Can I Trust God?
We spent the greater part of the season house hunting. Can I just tell your that HGTV makes house hunting look super fun? But, that's not exactly accurate. Shopping for a new home is stressful. Seriously stressful. You go out looking with a certain idea of what kind...
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
Are you fearful of making mistakes? Having others find out your imperfections? Does the thought of a BIG error make you sweat? Yeah, me too. As an intern in college, I worked in the Communications Office. Our group created an Annual Report each year to update donors...