Growing up, my decisions were made for me, as they often are for children. When I got to pick my birthday restaurant, people would whisper their favorite places and this special part of my day became a turmoil of stress, making sure everyone was happy with my choice. Unfortunately, this learned behavior stayed with me until adulthood. My …
Ending the People-Pleasing Cycle That’s Suffocating You Read More »
Navigating the dating waters can be extremely confusing, and at times, frustrating. Everyone has their own idea about what you should do – your parents, friends, and the guys who like you. It can be hard to decipher the boy code at this age, since boys aren’t usually mature enough to tell a girl he …
Oftentimes we’re encouraged by people’s stories of faith—how God did something amazing and miraculous and in His time. How He showed up in such a big way that it was undeniable that it was God who came through, that it was no work of ourselves. We’re in that time right now. I’ve wanted to wait …
Some nightmares break with dawn. Others survive the daylight. For over a decade, each even-numbered year starting in 2000 has been life-changing. I’ve named them after their greatest accomplishment: 2000 – went to my dream school – Florida State University 2002 – met Justin Jett, the love of my life 2004 – made his name …
I remembered why I decided to wait to have sex as I listened to a podcast from Andy Stanley this morning on my way home from dropping off children at school. “I’m not the appetizer, I’m the dessert.” If we start off loaning our bodies, who is going to wait around for the main meal? We ordered Olive …
I sobbed in front of the open pink trunk I’d stolen borrowed from my sister. The dinged silver edges and worn interior matched the beating I’d verbally given myself. The cold kitchen tile seeped through my thin pajamas. With muster, I kicked the side of the case. I needed to quit crying. I needed to …
I’m having a breakdown. Tears stream down my cheeks, and my tissue needs replacing. Justin and I have been in transition—leaving a decade-long ministry that we love and looking toward the future with hope. It’s been hard to find time to do anything, let alone blog, which leaves a sense of dissatisfaction in my soul. …
We had a fantastic time on our family vacation. Justin’s family is amazing. His mother is one of 12 children, and almost all of her siblings have four or more kids themselves. I love hanging out with them. It was a blast! The only negative portion of our trip was on the way home. …
Familiar with the phrase, “It’s always calmest before the storm”? Or “It’s always darkest before the dawn”? I’m adding a new one: “It’s always ugliest before the pretty.” I walked into my favorite salon yesterday with two-day-old hair pulled back in a messy bun (sorry, Meghan), and couldn’t wait to get my roots touched up and …
“You don’t fall in love, you grow in love…If you fall in love, you can fall out of it. We’ll let love grow.” – The Cinderella Rule I love the quote from the nineteenth-century Italian poet Arrigo Boito: “When I saw you, I fell in love. And you smiled because you knew.” Looking back, that’s kind …
Have you ever read a Reader’s Digest? I love the joke pages and they sometimes put funny jokes at the end of their articles (but I don’t have any jokes for this article, so if you’re expecting one…don’t.) An article from the July/August issue of this year had an article called “Deadly Mind Traps: These Grisly …
Setting Biblical Boundaries for Christian Dating Read More »
One time, I made a list of the qualifications I wanted in a husband. Cute. Tall. Funny. Smart. Christian. But I think most girls want that. What was to set the guy I wanted apart from every other guy who was cute, funny, tall, smart and a Christian? I had to really think …
God doesn’t normally tell me “no.” Whoa…whoa…whoa… Such a bold statement, I know, but it’s true. Most of the time, I ask for God’s will to be done without being too specific on the request or how the request is to be fulfilled. Many times the answer is “yes” or “wait,” and I like to …
I’m at a ladies’ retreat … camping … with fellow Choose Now columnist Wendy Fitzgerald. We are both leading workshops, which start tomorrow. So I went to Target, bought a new shirt, and my sweet husband helped me roll-pack it so it wouldn’t wrinkle. Fail. It was more wrinkled because of the way we rolled it …
If you’re waiting for your future husband to show up, do I have a song for you. On the way home from taking kids to school, I heard “6’2” by Marie Miller. Loved this song. I’m gonna share it with you. In just a minute. As I listened and tried to sing along, I thought about the …
