Author: Jelise

Finding your tribe – 5 unconventional tips for forming meaningful, lasting friendships

I recall walking into the kitchen and seeing the giant pot simmering on the stove as the hearty aroma filled the house. “Whatcha making?” I asked my step-mom. “It’s chicken soup. My friend Sue is having surgery tomorrow and I wanted to bring her some soup,” she replied. This was a common occurrence in our house. Whether it was making soup, dog-sitting, sharing lawnmowers, an evening out, or simply talking on the phone, I watched how these relationships developed and evolved

My burning bush

“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.’” 1 Samuel 3:10-11 A dear friend used to tell me “sometimes God gently pokes you with a stick and sometimes he has to knock you over the head with a 2×4.”

Dear moms: you're doing a great job!

It was about 7 years ago. For some insane reason I had taken all three kids out to lunch. By myself. They were about 5, 2 and 2 at the time. I remember my son refused to listen and then started to have a melt-down about 5 seconds after we sat down with our food. So, I did what I had to do and put him in time-out, right there in the middle of the Dairy Queen, pretending not to notice

When love leads, truth follows

From the beginning my intent for this blog has been to spread hope, encouragement and love. Because of this, I have purposely chosen not to write about controversial topics. Believe me, it’s not that I don’t have my own opinions about wars and politicians and Duggars and SCOTUS rulings. In many cases I have very strong opinions; but I find that the thing that makes a topic controversial to begin with is its power to divide people, and where there is

One year and counting…

One year. A lot can happen in one year. On June 26th, 2014 I took a deep breath and officially launched Neither Height Nor Depth. Not sure at the time what it would turn into, who would read it, or exactly why the Lord was calling me to do this, I took the leap of faith and, wow! What a ride the past 12 months have been. Firstly, I want to thank everyone who took the time to read, comment and

Guest Post: If looks words could kill

This month’s guest post comes from Christy Pearce, who runs the blog Faith Like Dirty Diapers. Christy and I met a few months ago through the Compel writers group run by Proverbs 31 Ministries. Right away I was struck by how open and honest Christy is in her writing, using her own life experiences so that she may encourage others. She has a real passion for ministering to women, particularly through their marriage and parenting struggles. Today she shares with

A letter to my daughters on their wedding day

It was a beautiful, blue-skied, May day. We sat in the historic church surrounded by gilded marble, a painted cathedral ceiling, and stunning artwork all around. Fresh flowers adorned the alter and a row of handsome young men stood at the front. One by one the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle and then the doors opened and the stunning bride appeared. I saw the huge grin spread across her groom’s face as he saw her for the first

Lord, help me get through this

Today is kind of a big day for me. Nope, it’s not my birthday. Not my wedding anniversary either. One year ago today I mailed my capstone and finished grad school. Yeah, so what? (you’re probably thinking) Lots of people finish graduate school. And you’re right. But this anniversary is really not so much about finishing grad school or even finishing my capstone project and handing it over to the FedEx guy. It’s really about what happened when I walked out of

Guest post: An Uncluttered Heart

Y’all, I am so excited to introduce you to my friend April Lakata Cao! I first met April nearly 25 years ago in 8th grade chorus class. I was the new girl — socially awkward and going through an unfortunate “Blossom” phase. But I remember April as the beautiful girl, with quiet confidence. Even back in 8th grade she seemed to have a wisdom beyond her years. We shared many classes throughout highschool, but never really got to know each other

Cloud dragons, King Arthur, love, and forgiveness

I could see from his moist eyes and furrowed little brow he was upset. “What’s the matter, honey?” I asked my 9-year-old son. And the emotions burst out of him like a water balloon hitting a brick wall. “I ruined Easter,” he cried. My heart broke for this little boy as I held him and tried to sooth his tender feelings. It had been a bit of a rough day for him. From the moment he woke up to get ready for church there