Girl Who Grew Up On A Bus

"Life is a constant struggle of reigning ourselves back in to refocus on what really matters." Do you remember being a kid and trying to walk on the parking lot curbs without falling? Interesting how as soon as we'd lose focus, we'd lose our balance and fall. Thank goodness the ground was only four inches away! Imagine taking it to the next level - tight rope walking. I can't even imagine the amount of focus, determination, and coordination required to do that without plunging to the ground! Life is a lot like this and the world is so full of distractions that it is almost impossible to stay focused on the end game. We often don't even realize we are off track until it's too late. Imagine trying to walk a straight line and looking only at each step as you take it, fully focused on where you are in that moment with no clear sight of where you are trying to get to. The odds are that you will veer off incrementally with each step until you end up...

  "...underneath heartache, pain, suffering, loss, bitterness, fear, anger, resentment, and sadness, there is simply a deep-rooted desire to be loved and accepted"   I've had the opportunity to talk to many people over the past few weeks as they've shared their stories and their personal struggles in life. Every story was completely different, yet there was a common theme among all of them. Each person was shackled by chains that kept them from experiencing the freedom that Christ delivered to them when He died on the cross. Each person was held in bondage created by their own inability to let go of the very things that have immobilized them. I've spent many hours writing and praying for answers, for insight, and for a deeper understanding that could explain the pain that plagues the lives of so many. What causes brokenness? Why do we let things get between us and who God created us to be? How do our hearts become so hardened? Why do we push ...

  "We see the world through a lens of our own brokenness, which then distorts our perception of reality causing us to react to the stories we tell ourselves rather than the actual truth".   Can I just say it? Life is hard. I think we can all agree with that. Today's culture sends us conflicting messages about what is important, what kind of job we should have, how much money we should earn, how we should look, and the list goes on and on. It's confusing and just when we think we've reached the bar of worthiness, the standard changes and we are reminded that we can never live up to the expectations of society. In the eyes of the world, we are doomed for complete and utter failure from the moment we enter it. Ugh! No wonder there is so much brokenness in the world! Material things have become more important than quality time connecting with our children, we are willing to compromise our core values to get that next promotion, we rate our suc...

We often wonder why bad things happen? Why do people get cancer and kidney disease? Why do children die? Why is there divorce and war and all those terrible things? This is a question that plagues many of us as we try to make sense of the world around us - as we seek truth and hope and purpose for our lives. Even as Christians, we sometimes find ourselves asking these same questions as we are not immune to pain and suffering. We experience sadness, grief and loss just like everyone else. It's so easy to choose faith and trust God when things are going well. But what do we do when things are hard? or when bad things happen? These are the defining moments of our faith. The sad truth is that when man experienced "the fall" (Genesis 3), sin came into the world; and when sin came into the world, it created a space for terrible things to happen to good people. The affect of sin does not discriminate between good people and bad people. We all have brokenness....

As a mother, I want nothing more than to nurture my kids. Like a gardener who cultivates the soil that will one day bear great fruit, I want to plant seeds of Christ-like love into the hearts of my children that will foster hope, peace, generosity, a sense of self worth and value, boldness, righteousness, and a deep love for the Lord. I just had the most special moment with my 9 year old last night - one of those defining moments between a mother and her child that leave a permanent mark. My son was upset. He seemed flustered and angry. There have been times in the past when I've seen him this way and my immediate reaction was to discipline him for acting out. However, I did not do this. What I've learned about feelings is that there are often deeply rooted emotions that are buried so deep that they end up being revealed as something different - it's essentially a defense mechanism so we can feel safe and unexposed. It's ...

This poem was given to me by a random person that God put into my life for a short time to offer words of wisdom and encouragement through what has been a tough season in my life. I read it almost every day...sometimes many times a day. I read it every time I struggle to see and understand where I fit in this world. I read it in the moments I feel unseen or misunderstood. I read it when I feel alone - sometimes in a room full of people.  And every time, it brings me to a place of confidence and truth because I know "whose" I am; and because of that, I am free to be me. I am enough just as I am and I am loved by a perfect Father... SHE by Danielle Bennett  She is a patient gardener, and if you ask her soil how it became so rich, it will tell you how she has always been more willing to listen to what it needs than waiting to speak it into moving at the pace of her understanding. Her silence is terrifying because you know the next time she opens her mouth t...