Reluctantly Redeemed

Last year I started out 2019 with a word. No resolution, no endless list of things that were broken that needed to be fixed, but an idea. A simple word to integrate into my year. I started 2019 with BOLD.  I can tell you that I didn’t always meet this benchmark -not in my personal,…

Thanksgiving (noun) thanks·​giv·​ing | \ thaŋ(k)s-ˈgi-viŋ  also ˈthaŋ(k)s-ˌgi-  \ Definition of thanksgiving A: capitalized: THANKSGIVING DAY B: a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness 2: the act of giving thanks 3: a prayer expressing gratitude This year with what’s been going on this past month it would be easy to skip today. It would be…

“You can find unexpected strength as you wrestle between your faith and your feelings.”- Lysa TerKeurst “God’s highest agenda is not our immediate happiness. I believe that God is much more committed to our eternal joy, our spiritual growth, and the condition of our hearts.” Craig Groeschel How do you handle disappointment when it enters…

I can almost see it- the poorly lit room, maybe a church basement, the smell of burnt coffee wafting through the room as people mill around folded chairs set up in a semi circle while sipping coffee and eating half stale cookies waiting for it to start. As the group comes together reciting the serenity…

Do you remember the movie Mean Girls? Pretty much one of the most iconic young adult films from when I was in high school that is still quoted frequently at least among my circle. While high school and the scenarios that teenage girls find themselves in the movie are extreme it still hits some pretty…

A few months ago I bought my first house. It was a long, drawn out, and at times frustrating process. Every time I found “the one” someone else found it and outbid me. After the long 7.5 month process of searching I was adamant that once I moved in I was done with any “changes”…

“Not every opportunity is meant to be MY assignment.” – Lysa Terkeurst (emphasis added by me) Growing up I was THAT kid in class. The one that threw up their hand with the answer before the teacher finished asking the question. That turned in papers and assignments following the guidelines to a T. I grew…

When my sister and I were little my parents were firm believers in the power of extra-curricular activities. In the summers that meant we were signed up for the community swim team from the time we were able to swim until we aged out. I remember as we got older there was a shift in…

So in less than 2 weeks I leave for my first ever international missions trip. I’m pretty darn excited if I do say so myself. But to be completely honest I’m a little terrified. 15 of us are going to load up on a bus, get on a plane, and fly on down to one…

So I was catching up with the sermons at Elevation Church (they are awesome and you should check them out) and I was listening to “I Told You So” from their series Surround and something that Pastor Steven said resonated with me. “You are sitting in someone else’s sacrifice.” He was talking about how all…