Remember How Hard Your Brain Is Working
Today I remember that it’s OK to not have the same level of productivity as we all did pre-COVID. As the new semester begins, I find myself amazed that my To-Do list that would once have, at this point in the day, neat lines crossing out all those things I accomplished instead contains eight items […]
Some Encouragement from Psalm 97
I love the way Psalm 97 ends: For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise […]
2 Free Downloads for You: The Verb List and the Community Building Questions
Today I’ve decided to give you my two most requested documents of all time. First, enjoy my personally curated list of the best questions to ask to allow a group to get to know one another. My favorite question is this: What question do you like people to ask you about yourself? Second, enjoy this […]
A Little Reinventing
The Italian Mama tells me that it’s a time for reinventing yourself (again) when a child leaves for college. She told me this when I had both girls suddenly in elementary school, when I had girls in middle school, when they left for high school, and now when I have one in college. You just […]
If You’ve Been Comforted
How thankful I am today for all the parents who have traveled on ahead of me who knew exactly what to say and exactly how to comfort Ashley and me as we left our daughter at college! Just when I would become overwhelmed with sadness, I’d receive a text from a mom who reminded me […]
When the Fear of the Thing is Worse Than the Thing
I think it’s true of most things: our fear of something is often worse than the thing we’re fearing. I’ve heard it said that sometimes when your worst fear comes upon you, you find that you move through it. You survive it. God’s grace abounds. At least in the case of dropping a daughter off […]
Prayers for a College Student: Flourishing, Favor, Shalom, and Excellence
Tomorrow I drop my oldest daughter off at the University of Pittsburgh where she’ll be a student in the Honors College to study microbiology! This morning, I spent time journaling and thinking through how I could best pray for her and her new suite-mates. If you also have a college freshman, enjoy these prayers! First, […]
5 New Growth Goals for Writers
I recently agreed to host a seminar on The Art of Writing to help Christian writers improve their craft. I found myself so excited I could hardly contain the joy! I do love helping writers grow! Since it’s the beginning of a new academic year, it’s a great time to consider how you also might […]
Taking In What’s Provided
Today I realized how much exists right around me for true nourishment. It’s just not conventional nourishment. It’s not what I’m used to or what I think I even need. But I’m learning to receive from the Lord’s hand whatever He choses to offer me. This applies to everything from books to conversations, from the […]
The Remedy Nearby
This morning I remembered the astonishing and beautiful claim that when you encounter some poisonous plant in nature, the antidote is often nearby. It’s such a wonderful phenomenon: poison ivy will often grow near its remedy, jewel weed; stinging nettle will grow near the horsetail plant that relieves the stinging and itching; and there’s even […]