words in the midst of a messy + beautiful life
In the busyness of the past month, I completely forgot to share an excerpt from my newest post over at SheLoves Magazine! I wrote about sleep training and what motherhood it has taught me about God (thus far). You can read the entire post by clicking here.
… Read the restWhen I hear his soft cries over the monitor a few hours later, I know he’ll be unable to fall back asleep until I go to him. I
Alternative title: So, I Have Some Thoughts About Church.
Or: It’s Good to Reflect On Our Faith.
Or: I Think Sarah Bessey Might Have Written a Book Just For Me.
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When I was six years old, I found God. Or rather, God found me.
I grew up Catholic, not in practice, necessarily, but definitely in name. The daughter of two immigrants, I was enrolled in Catholic school because religion was a tie to the … Read the rest
I finally get to share my secret with you!!!!
* excessive use of exclamation points due to a) giddy excitement and b) being up since 3:30 with my little which means c) alllll the coffee this morning
Are you ready?!?
I … Read the rest
A few months ago, I attended the Rise Up, Sister conference in Chilliwack, BC, Canada, which was hosted by the SheLoves team. I first got connected with these world-changing women a few years ago when their blog popped up on my newsfeed, and I ended up submitting a piece or two of my own. I quickly learned one of the most beautiful things about SheLoves is how they are able to build such a … Read the rest
Today, I’m posting over at SheLoves magazine, a global community of women who love Jesus and are committed to walking in his Way. Brokenness is a theme that weaves itself through so many of our narratives, and it’s easy to stay stuck in our grieving over it. Recently, though, I’ve been thinking: what might it look like if we chose to see our brokenness as a conduit to abundance instead? Click the link above … Read the rest
350 words. This is what being brave means for me this morning.
After years of running away from the inevitable, I have finally started writing my book! For years, I’ve thought a lot about writing a memoir, but I always stopped short of beginning it, citing a litany of reasons (time, money, energy, inspiration) why I can’t. But today, I’m turning “I can’t” into “I will.”
Because I’m full of stories, and they deserve to … Read the rest
My mother’s father was a short, stubborn Scotsman with eyes so icy-blue they’d make you think of glaciers, or perhaps maybe the moon. His name was James. To most, he was Jimmy. To me, he was Papa.
Whenever I reflect on my childhood–long, harrowing years of growing up in chaos, the daughter of two addicts–Papa is the only constant I can remember. He picked me up from school when my parents were late. … Read the rest
Once upon a time, I lived in Liberia. For almost five years, actually. It was one of the hardest seasons of my life, but I kept going back, kept choosing to say yes. I felt a burden: for the country, for its beautiful people, for the incredible kids I got to work with, many of whom became daughters and sons of my heart. And then one day, I left. In part because the burden became … Read the rest
I first wrote this post back in 2013 and have updated it over the years. There are so many women whose stories I am drawn to in the scriptures, but one I continually find my way back to is that of Ruth. I hope as you read these words and explore her story, you will find hope, as I have. What has been lost will be found. I know some of us may not believe … Read the rest
I remember the night I realized something was wrong.
The house was quiet, both my husband and my son sleeping deeply. It was about 4:30 am, and I was shaking in bed, crying hysterically into my pillow. I’d been tossing and turning for almost six hours and hadn’t been able to sleep because I couldn’t turn my brain off, even though I was thoroughly, way-down-in-my-bones exhausted. I woke my husband up, and he simply … Read the rest
