Our family enjoys craft ramen and sushi and we found a good spot in downtown Santa Barbara that satisfies our collective craving for a relaxed, no-nonsense meal that we didn’t have to make ourselves. One evening while we were savoring and slurping, the steam from our bowls rising like incense to the ramen deities, two … More Cussing at school, craft ramen, and other personal wins.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my own thoughts shock me. They show up unexpectedly, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis in the dead of winter, flying clumsily across the meadow of my mind as though it were a warm, summer day. Hey, butterfly—you’re drunk. Go home. At the risk of sounding slightly … More Butterflies in the meadow.
I took a sabbatical from my blog this summer. I didn’t make an announcement—maybe I should have done. I didn’t. Nothing was wrong, my life just became very focused. We were managing an enormous transition and my attention needed to be elsewhere. Upon reflection, I noticed that my body and spirit knew I needed the … More Quiet: emerging from my summer writing sabbatical.
I. Messed. Up. I mean, I have definitely messed up before, but this most recent time felt significant. Maybe not because it was my worst offense, but because I fell significantly short of the standard I had set for myself in light of calling myself a Christian. I thought about my lapse in judgment for … More That one time I sucked as a friend.
Three years ago I couldn’t imagine going back to college. I had already gone that route and hated it. Reading dry textbooks, listening to boring lectures, and writing about things that don’t matter to me and shouldn’t matter to anyone else was not my idea of a valuable use of time. I emerged from those … More Cutting Corners Won’t Cut It
I have wanted a capsule wardrobe for what feels like forever. I first saw the idea in a magazine years ago and was enchanted. The concept of achieving effortless style, endless outfit combinations, and eliminating a number of items in my already cluttered closet sounded amazing, but every time it felt like the right time … More Spiritual truths from my closet.
Have you ever had to take a detour? I certainly have—it’s so annoying. There is a direct route to your destination, but this big obnoxious orange sign appears and says, “Nope.” That was my whole week—maybe even my whole year up to this point. I could see where I was going with my writing and … More Holy S***** Detours
My husband and I recently watched the mini-series Broken on the streaming service BritBox. The show stars Sean Bean, an incredible actor you may recognize from his more popular titles like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Frankenstein Chronicles, or Snowpiercer. Even if you only remember Sean Bean as the actor who dies … More When I don’t know what to do, I look for light.
I was walking through a nearby neighborhood the other day while replaying a conversation with a friend from the previous week in my head. Don’t we all do that—replay conversations and come up with better or snarkier responses than the ones we had used in the moment? Well, I do. Anyway, I stewed on our … More Bumping into Jesus…and gargoyles.
Last month, my friend Kelsey guided an eager and eclectic group of women through a series of spiritual disciplines connected by the overarching theme of thirst. We read through Psalm 42 together, meditated on the longing and spiritual thirst expressed by the psalmist, talked about deer pants (a story for another day), savored biscotti, and … More How keeping a potted plant alive reminded me of my need for Jesus.
Still Small Voice 