Using the Side Door
A while ago, my mentor challenged me to think about what might happen after I die—more specifically, what heaven might look like. Although middle-aged, I never pondered this mystery before. When I was young, I saw myself as indestructible, protected by the solid shell ... My American, suburban eyes view the world through lenses seemingly crystal clear. Decades of travel, however, have revealed the heavy tint on my lenses. When experiencing a new culture, I tend to compare people and circumstances with my own everyday norms.
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The one who rules in heaven laughs; my Lord makes fun of them. As much as I celebrate ... When I was 18 years old, I was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. I could not make a phone call without sweating. I could not sign my name with someone watching. I could not speak to strangers without turning red. I could not go to school without a knot in my stomach. ... Knocking 22 years’ worth of dust off a resume stretches the definition of “creative writing” to its limit. After giving my time away for two decades, can I convince even myself that ... If you are fearful and anxious, you may be able to mask it very well for years, as I did. In fact, you may mask it so well that you don’t even recognize it as being a problem, but it will eventually catch up with you and affect your emotional, spiritual and physical ... How do I find peace in the chaos? It’s a question that I’ve pondered over the last few months as my family has started on multiple new journeys and begun to fulfill God’s call on our life. Balance has always been important to me. I thrive on variety and fear being one-dimensional, so I dabble in a host of things, contorting myself as I try to keep them all suspended mid-air. Until just recently, I felt almost ... As I moved through the buffet line, I tried to choose a well-balanced meal: half my plate for vegetables, one-quarter for protein, one-quarter for carbs. The selection of crisp salads, hot vegetables, perfect roast chicken, fresh bread, and rice made my dinner both ... I’ve always associated a balanced life with an ultra-organized Martha Stewart type. But as I ponder my life, I realize that although it’s often messy, I take great joy in the journey. I wear many different hats and sometimes pivot so quickly I become dizzy, but ... “I hate it when people tell me everything happens for a reason,” the 18-year-old missionary stated. Defiant tears were in her eyes. “Do people really think God ordains evil? Do they believe he wants these things to happen? Do they not understand that we have choice—
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I’m a girl of the wilderness, wild at heart. There’s nowhere I feel more alive, more of who I was created to be, than outdoors in creation—and I don’t think I’m alone. We were made for this stuff. Beauty. Enormity. ... “For the last decade and a half or so, I’ve been on medication for depression and anxiety.” My words were strong, my voice steady, thank you, God. As I predicted, the ground in ... “Good morning!” I greeted a new family as they walked into our church lobby. “Hello!” They paused, and introductions continued.
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Changing Perspective Through Short-term Missions
Laugh and God Will Laugh with You!
Psalms 2:4 CEB
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God of the Anxious
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Taming Anxiety Over the Unknown
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40 Days to Unwind the Roots of Anxiety
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Finding Peace in Chaos
Vertigo Taught Me Balance
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Finding My Balance
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The Marriage of Physical & Spiritual Balance
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Wrestling with Why
We Were Made for This
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Why My Depression Matters to My Church
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A Love/Hate Relationship with the Church