Wow. I feel honored that you stumbled across my page. Whether it be by accident, a gravitational pull, or an invitation from a friend, I know this is not a coincidence, but a divine appointment. I am a strong believer in spiritual appointments. With all my heart and soul, I believe that God is the…
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Living Everyday With Hope A coworker asked me the other day: “You are so upbeat and happy. Does anything keep you down?” My response? “Keep me down? No, because I know where my hope and strength comes from.” I proceeded to tell her that just the other week, I had an emotional breakdown. I was…
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Everyone has a testimony, and mine is one of beauty and sorrow. It is a story of redemption and healing, one that my biological and adoptive family is a part of. My sister and I started life part of a home that was shattered and dysfunctional—in Siberia, Russia. Our mother often left my sister and…
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Do you remember listening to the catchy beat of the song “Words” by Hawk Nelson? The song starts out by saying: They’ve made me feel like a prisonerThey’ve made me feel set freeThey’ve made me feel like a criminalMade me feel like a kingThey’ve lifted my heartTo places I’d never beenAnd they’ve dragged me downBack…
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I am surrounded by so many blessings. All around me, I see God’s fingerprints in every area of my life. Yet, even knowing and seeing God’s promises, I can’t help but feel anxiety for the future. Or also seeing the hard and imperfect things in my life and wondering where God is in all of…
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A Story of Healing It was 2021. The world was just opening after Covid. Masks, cleaning, and cleanliness laws were still in place. The world was still a bit of a strange place. I was a young mom of two boys at that time. My children were two and just over one year old. I had…
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A few months back, I was climbing this beautiful trail at a nearby nature park. The particular trail I chose was a steep, rocky path with minimal rest stops. In the middle of me trudging along, tripping over hidden rocks and thick tree roots, I began to think: When we go through life, isn’t it…
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I am someone who has struggled and still struggles with anxiety. My anxiety is often triggered when something happens that’s outside of my control. Feelings and thoughts swirl around, but at its core, I have discovered much of what triggers my anxiety is the feeling of helplessness and powerlessness. I have a “fix-it” mentality. My…
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A Perspective On Psalm 63 David wrote this Psalm when he was deep in the trenches of the desert running from King Saul, possibly hiding out in the Cave of Adullam. Civilization was miles away, water and food certainly hard to come by, and he was surrounded by at least 400 men who were hiding…
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Disappointments are a real part of life. I wish it weren’t! I wish there was a way around that mountain without having to feel all the feelings that come with it. Disappointments often occur when we encounter unmet expectations. “Well, I’ll just stop hoping and expecting good things to happen.” No! Don’t do that. We…
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Awhile ago, I had the privilege of praying a Mother’s Day blessing over the mothers at our church. The Spirit and I collaborated and created this beautiful prayer together. May this be a blessing to you, mamas! I pray that you will pray this over your family and other families that you encounter! Dear Jesus,…
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I first heard these words, purposeful suffering, during one of my audio-guided runs called “Get In Your Head.” This interval speed run was intense—one minute at an almost-sprint pace, with a one-minute recovery; two minutes at an almost-sprint pace, with a one-minute recovery—3 sets of these. Two coaches were motivating me during this run with…
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The first time I had an anxiety attack, I was 16 years old and just weeks away from starting my junior year. My grandpa was visiting with us from Chicago and we were making plans to go bowling with him that day. I was so excited! Partly because I just returned from a two-month trip with…
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Gratitude was something I struggled with for a long time. I tended to see the world through a “cup half-empty” outlook and wondered how being thankful could change any of my current struggles and circumstances. It felt good to complain and lament about all my issues and feelings. Complaining provided an instant “feel-good-fix” in the…
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