When I was little, I often had bad dreams. I would wake up in the middle of the night sweaty and scared, clinging to my stuffed horse, praying that what I had just experienced wasn't real. As I fell back asleep, I would try to conjure up a dream of my own, hoping that I…
Honey & Salt
Life is made up of moments that are honey-sweet, and others that bite like salt in a wound. Both are important and both have beauty to be found within them. These are those moments. The ones that make you smile and the ones that make you grateful for what you’ve survived.
Bedhead and Cookie Crumbs
Have you ever sat down to pray and instantly felt so inadequate that you'd rather be doing anything else? Because I have. I can't count the number of times that I've set aside just five minutes to pray, and thirty seconds in, I'm already checking the time and thinking about everything on my to-do list.…
A Story Worth Telling
My least favourite part of Christian gatherings has always been having to share my testimony. I remember sitting on the couches in the girl’s dorm at Bible school with the other first-year girls going on an urban immersion trip with me. We had circled up so that we could all see each other, and one…
Wildflower Freedom
I’ve always loved wildflowers. These little flowers hold a special place in my heart because they remind me to look for wild beauty in the hidden places of life. Wildflowers grow in some of the harshest environments, and despite their circumstances, they thrive. They push past the dirt and spring forth into a breathtaking array…
Hope in the Desert Places
When I think of a hopeless point in my life, I think of the summer of 2017. It was the first day of July, and I had to stop working with horses because I shattered my ankle, which consequently derailed my plans to move to Germany for a year at the end of August. During…
Surviving the Dark Night of the Soul
How often do we say to a friend who is hurting, "What do you need? Comfort food? A sad movie to make you cry? Time alone?" I love the concern that those questions come out of, but what would happen if instead of directing someone to worldly comfort, we turned them towards the author of comfort? Instead of seeking solace in things, why don't we seek the Comforter? There is so much more to life than merely getting by, and there is more comfort available to us than a closet full of new clothes could ever give us.
Moments of Becoming
Each mile marker moment we encounter shapes us into someone new. The good, bad, beautiful, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, soul healing, perspective-shifting moments are what define and refine us. They are the road map that points to where we’ve come from and sets the stage for where we are going.
Waving Through a Window
One of my most treasured pastimes is boiling water so I can steep my favourite tea while placing a couple of snacks on a plate. In the background, you can hear the rhythmic beeping of a dial tone, which will soon be replaced by the voice of a dear friend. The absolute best moment is…
Dear Dad
Dear Dad, I love how much you love bluegrass and yodelling cowboys. You have been a calm, consistent presence my whole life. I don’t know who I would be without you. There are so many childhood memories that are a result of spending time with you, from playing baseball in the park to asking you…
Dear Mom
Dear Mom, Where do you even begin writing a letter to the most important woman in your life? What words do you use when trying to articulate how much of an impact a single person has had on your life? There have been so many lessons that you’ve taught me, some that you planned and…
