Category: Reflections

my holiday mantra this year and every year is PRESENT over perfect.  this has stuck with me since I first read it from one of my favorite authors @sniequist years ago. she shares that ‘our grounded, present self is more important than any activity we do and gift we give. that we can be fully here as our imperfect, messy, tired but wholly present selves, or we can miss it — these moments and conversations — because we’re trying and failing to make everything just perfect. It’s easy to see others’ seemingly perfect lives this season – the curated stockings and Advent calendars, the impeccably […]

The news feels scary and sad and the weight of the world is heavy — wars and natural disasters and tragedy and sickness and loss and so much bad news. Everyone seems to be arguing and debating and taking sides and it sort of feels like walking on eggshells because you’ll make someone upset by what you do or say but also what you *don’t* do or say. When I feel overwhelmed by it all and that my anxiety might crush me, I try to take a step back and look around. I look around at my daughters — dancing and blowing bubbles and giggling […]

THE CHRISTIAN OUTSIDER: FEELING  “IN THE MIDDLE” & NEVER FITTING IN CHILDHOOD I grew up going to church. My dad was Catholic at the time, and often worked on Sundays, so my mom took us four girls to church by herself. That was my first time experiencing feeling “othered” at church. Everyone else showed up with both parents and I just came with one. I  often felt ashamed that only one of my parents identified as Christan; somehow this made me feel “less than” or “not good enough” from an early age. That somehow my Christian experience wasn’t as good or true or deep because […]