31 days of living free: hello, goodbye.

I’m not great at goodbyes. I fumble over farewells. I linger longer than I should and I give extra hugs even after we’ve said goodbye for the tenth time. I (usually) save the waterworks for until the door shuts. As “see you later” leaves my lips, I can’t help but wonder if I’m really saying, “the […]

31 days of living free: heart, home, and hospitality

In the quiet of the morning, I’m sneaking into the dark corners of the living room, an old mug brimming with coffee as my only companion. As I sit here and I look at this place we get to call home, I wonder how my heart can be free when it comes to true, life-giving […]

31 days of living free: words matter (and a letterpress giveaway!)

When we were in the thick of adopting Joseph from Nigeria, we were intentional about being sensitive to the language we used. Words matter. When we created a t-shirt design to help with adoption fees, we settled on an image of a tree with visible roots. As God began to form our family, we sensed […]

31 days of living free: what is brave?

I think you always need a dose of bravery when you read your words in front of a giant (well, to me!) room full of women. Today at MOPS, I shared a devotional based on this blog post. How do we raise brave kids? Start by being brave mamas! Sometimes, we let people put out the […]

31 days of living free: focus on your strengths

Every once in awhile, I hear someone speak and think, “YES. MORE OF THAT.” That’s how I feel every time I listen to Elizabeth Hagen. (She inspired me to write this popular post.) I’m a big fan of Elizabeth’s mother, my loveliest 90-year-old friend from church, and I’m always thrilled when Elizabeth comes to visit. […]

31 days of living free: nothing can separate

I looked down over the waters. I listened to the leaves rustle and the wind echo across the lake and I wrestled with God. Could He really be who He says He is? In the good times it is so easy to believe, but in the bad, could I really believe that God is good? I’ve […]

31 days of living free: free to have fun

I know so many fierce women who are holding it down at the office, at home, and in their communities. Can I just say, GET IT, GIRL. You ladies know who you are. You’re the unsung heroes who make everything work. You’re the first one awake and the last one to sleep. You’re creative and […]

31 days of living free: the unreachable places

There’s no place that His love can’t reach. I think we all need that reminder. So many storms are covering so many, near and far, whom we love deeply. All we can do is cry out with them and cling to the Hope we know to be true. Living free doesn’t mean escaping the pain or […]

31 days of living free: five tips for authentic networking (and a minted giveaway)

I spent two years hustling as a newspaper journalist, writing and editing a daily business networking page in our metro paper’s business section. I lugged my laptop and notebooks across downtown to morning coffees and lunch-and-learns and late night galas, zipping from suburb to suburb to cover the 5 p.m. after-hours networking events. I sipped soda out […]

31 days of living free: love well

How do we love well? That’s a tough question, isn’t it? Loving well is running through the field and letting them be little. It’s sitting up late at night with a cup of coffee when words aren’t enough. It’s an encouraging fist-bump and an embrace that says you mean something to me. I want to live free […]