Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. – Proverbs 3:3-4
A new definition of success
Author: Jelise
16 things to give up in 2016
Did you make any new year’s resolutions this year? We’re a little over 1 month into 2016, and according to Statistic Brain Research Institute, 36% of all resolutions have already been ditched. I’m personally not a big fan of new year’s resolutions. In general I find them to be lofty goals, like lose weight or quit smoking, at which you can either succeed or fail, with little room for anything in between. I am, however, in favor of trying to be
Infinitely more
I’m excited to announce that I’ve been asked to be a regular contributor at author and artist Crystal Sutherland’s blog. Crystal and I met about 18 months ago at a conference for Christian women writers and speakers. As you can guess, we connected instantly and soon discovered we shared a similar story and background from our childhood. But more importantly, we both shared the goal of encouraging women, and especially childhood sexual abuse survivors, as they journey toward the healing and freedom
Living every day as the Season of Giving
This is my favorite time of year. Truly, I love everything about it — the music, the decorations, the sappy Hallmark movies, the parties, the Christmas pageants, Advent devotionals and calendars, even that stupid adorable elf on the shelf. But perhaps what I love most about Christmas is giving gifts. I love being able to buy or make something that a dear friend or family member has been dreaming of, or perhaps something that will make their life easier, or just bring
Finding rest in hope
It’s 4:30 a.m. I cannot sleep. I feel a burden deep in my soul and it is so heavy sometimes I feel like it’s crushing me from the inside and I can’t breathe, my stomach hurts, my heart aches and all I can do is let the pain leak out through my eyes. There is so much hurt and pain all around me. Friends with broken marriages, broken hearts, broken bodies, broken dreams. Those mourning the ones they love the
Healing in Pine Ridge: Part Two
On October 3rd, 2015 ten of us landed in the tiny airport of Rapid City, SD. Four more were making the long drive from Virginia to South Dakota, and our group of 14 would be spending the week working on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Who knew so much could happen in one week? This is part two of two. Click here to read Part One. If you’ve ever been on a mission trip you know that the best part about missions
Healing in Pine Ridge: Part One
On October 3rd, 2015 ten of us landed in the tiny airport of Rapid City, SD. Four more were making the long drive from Virginia to South Dakota, and our group of 14 would be spending the week working on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Who knew so much could happen in one week? This is part one. To read part two, click here. Why Pine Ridge? Five months ago I knew little about Pine Ridge Reservation or the Oglala Lakota that
Finding protection against spiritual warfare
Humbling (verb) – 1. to make meek; ex. to humble one’s heart. 2. to destroy the independence, power or will of. Humbling. That’s the word that sums up the last three weeks of my life. The interesting thing about being humbled is it can be both a positive feeling and an unfavorable one. I’ve had both. God has done some amazingly big things in my life the last few weeks — guiding me through leading my first women’s retreat, my first
Dear camp counselor
Dear camp counselor, September is here. Backpacks are packed, pencils sharpened, and yellow school buses wait at the corner. Orange and brown leaves are starting to cover our yard and the sun is coming up later and going to bed sooner. Alas, summer is officially over. Despite the excitement and energy that surrounds a new school year, there is one bit of summer that lingers in our house; one topic that resurfaces at the dinner table, in the car, and at bed-time.
When God creates extraordinary out of the everyday ordinary
Do you ever feel like God is calling you to do extraordinary things, but then you look around and feel like your life is as ordinary as they come? I know I do. And sometimes that call in my heart leads to dissatisfaction in my daily life. I imagine whatever it is God’s calling me for, it can’t possibly look like this. By day, I work in corporate marketing for a big IT company. While it’s mostly been a rewarding