“Jesus loves me – this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” I remember hearing this hymn a great deal growing up. We would sing it during Sunday school class, and my mom sang it with my sister and me at home. So thankfully, as a child, I was no stranger to the fact that God loved me.

The first verse I memorized as a child was John 3:16. I attended a youth Bible study hosted by Awanas, a Christian non-profit organization, to help young people grow in their faith. One of the challenges they gave us was to memorize a verse weekly. Since then, my love for God’s word has grown, and I’ve continued memorizing verses. Yet, my first memory verse will always have a special meaning in my heart. 

Sit back and let me tell you about a time when I was single, lonely and desperate for a companion. It was 2007 and my long time boyfriend and I had recently broken up in the most viscous way…like he took my dog and my stuff while I was at work type of movie scene.  Ladies, don’t worry I’m not going to scare you too much with my story…bottom line I got my dog back!

For many years I struggled with crippling fear, specifically in social situations. I was constantly caring about what others thought of me, obsessed with others’ perception of how I looked, what I said, and who I was. Social anxiety was a prison and a stronghold over my life. Maybe you don’t have something as severe as social anxiety, but you’ve noticed that you care a little too much about what others may think of you, or you tend to base most of your decisions on the approval of others. Has this fear of man caused you to become a bit of a recluse? Slinking into the shadows to avoid the spotlight for fear of being judged? Or maybe it has the opposite effect and has caused you to become a people-pleaser, perpetually trying to make everyone happy and molding yourself into what everyone else wants you to be.

Before I knew the importance of rooting my identity in Christ, I had based my identity on my social status. Whether searching for personal significance in a relationship, a successful career, or a tight-knit community, I sought fulfillment in these things for SO LONG! I mean longer than I would like to admit. But don't get me wrong. A thriving relationship, career, and a close community of friends are important. But when pursuing these things becomes the most important, we fall into the trap of using them to define our worth.

"I have a dream…!" This famous line from Martin Luther King Jr. did not resonate with me as a child. Now, as an adult, I have many dreams. My dreams continually change based on my season of life. Sometimes I would become confused about a particular dream, whether I should pursue it or if it was one I should release from myself. Have you ever felt like this? Lost. Confused. Worried. You're not alone, sister. We have all felt this way. When it comes to finding our path in life, there is no one way. The path ahead of us can feel like a maze, an incredibly frustrating and long maze

With New Year’s Day right around the corner, it’s already beginning. It’s that time when we start reflecting on the past year’s shortcomings and aspire to improve ourselves in the coming year. It seems common for many of us to envision how we want to “start fresh” in the new year, like what we want to do better and change about ourselves and our routines. But there’s just something about the changing of a new year that feels like the perfect time to start over with a blank slate.

As a first-time Mom, the holidays have taken on new meaning for me. Everything is my son's first-time experience, and I want these moments with him to be very special even though the only memories he will have are from my perspective and the photos I share with him as he gets older. There is something very precious about the moments we share with those closest to us that pales compared to anything else.

We’ve all heard the expression, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” But what does that phrase even mean? How can one child, born in a stable, change the entire trajectory of our world? With Christmas just weeks away, let’s dive deeper into the reason for the season and not focus on the gift-giving, the delicious family dinner, and the festive decor. Instead, let’s find gratitude in the birth of our Lord and Savior and His selflessness to lay aside his heavenly glory so that he might be born in human likeness.

Here we are. Ready or not. We’re in the holiday season. We celebrated Thanksgiving a few days ago and officially began the Christmas shopping season. It’s not a secret; I LOVE Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. After all, what's not to love? It's a day of great food, family, and low stress (compared to some holidays). No presents to buy or fancy decorations. Not a zillion parties or events to attend. Instead, it's a day of turkey, yummy pie, and people you like (mostly). It’s also my favorite holiday because it revolves around a few of my favorite words – grateful, blessings, contentment, and thankfulness.

It's that time of year again! The porch signs are out, the graphic T-shirts are on, and the cute Instagram memes are abundant. The same sentiment echoes throughout: "Grateful. Thankful. Blessed." Before I go any further, please know I have a hand towel engraved with this seasonal sentiment, so I'm not dissing its significance. In truth, it's a beautiful and rhythmic sentiment. It evokes a sense of joy, security, and warm and fuzzy feelings. Unless, of course, it doesn't.

In a world that can feel out of control, or maybe in our own lives that feel like we have more to be upset about than thankful, we can often wonder or feel the need to ask ourselves - WHY can I be thankful? What can I be thankful for?

Earlier this year, I asked my husband, "How do you live in the moment?" I'm a dreamer and a visionary, and I love being creative. So I'm always looking to the future and trying to create or improve. But, unfortunately, my forward outlook on life sometimes makes it hard for me to be content with what is happening in the here and now. Can you relate? My husband, however, is more spontaneous and an "in-the-moment" type of person.

It's that time of the year again when the nights are cold, and the lattes are hot, but we sense something is missing or out of place. Our hearts don't feel the season's warmth as we initially hoped. We're all familiar with how Social Media tends to overdramatize peoples' personal lives, especially around the holidays. So often, we see pictures of couples and families spending time together sipping coffee, taking cute selfies, or being in love. Of course, many of us are glad to see the love shared between families and couples. But for some of us, it hurts to see this, especially when our lives look so different in comparison. It hurts because community and connection are things we deeply long for in our hearts. So how do we give thanks during our lonely seasons?

Sister, I see you, and I want to tell you something I wish someone would've told me when I was younger… Even in your deepest sorrow...continue praising the name of Jesus! Life can and will have seasons of hardship, pain, and deep aching hurt. So how can you find gratitude when it's full of sorrow?

As God's image bearers, our desire for a life of purpose has been ingrained into the very depths of our being by our Creator. We can all relate to that deep longing in our hearts to discover and understand our God-given purpose. We all want to feel necessary, have a sense of belonging and personal significance, and experience the satisfaction of an accomplished life.

Lately, I have been living off "Help me" prayers. My energy has been low as the daily demands of life are numerous and exhausting, leaving me overwhelmed and drained. Yet, even when the days are long, and our souls are yearning for rest, the Lord knows our hearts and will respond to us, even when all we can muster is "Help me, Lord."

You want me to do what? Go where? And be who? It won't always be easy when God calls you to step out in faith and pursue His purpose for your life. You'll feel Him pushing you outside your comfort zone as he urges you to trust Him more deeply. He'll stretch your faith by asking you to do more than you think you are fully capable of doing. Let me share with you my personal testimony as proof of this truth.

“All is well.” Three simple words, but they have changed my life. My journey with those words began when I felt like my life was ending: my longtime marriage fell apart, my three young adult sons strayed from their faith, and I moved out of state—away from everything familiar—to begin a new and intimidating job. Did all feel “well and good” in my life? Not even close. I imagine you’ve known a season like that in your own life. You may be there now.

If you're currently in the midst of a waiting season, you may find it difficult to see anything positives. Your situation probably feels stagnant, confusing, and maybe, even a little hopeless. You know in your heart that God loves you and is in control, but you find it challenging to be patient and picture a favorable outcome when what's around you resembles nothing like what you're waiting for.