One year ago, July 1, 2016, I made a commitment to “Blog 365” – write a blog post every day for a year. Did that happen? Not exactly. Things such as life and teaching and directing stole time away from daily blogging. But I did write 118 blog posts last year – more than I… Continue reading To You I Bared My Soul … and You Embraced It
Going “off-book” is a common theater term that often instills fear and panic in the hearts of actors. It’s the first time you have to set your scripts aside in rehearsal and prove that you have all your lines memorized – when you lose your security blanket and have to blunder ahead, memorized or not.… Continue reading Year 3 of Teaching – the Year I Went Off-Book
Do you feel like the small things have become overwhelming? Tedious? Frustrating? Do you feel tired of the never-ending cycle of dirty dishes, dirty laundry, dirty cars … dirty attitudes? Perhaps the candles have burned down to stubs, the counters and end tables have been piled full of clutter, and last month’s (maybe last year’s??)… Continue reading Humble Enough to Do the Smallest Thing
With the mayhem of directing a show from March until May, time didn’t slow down long enough for me to do my usual monthly review of books read. Now that I have three months worth of books behind me, I thought it best to just pick my top favorites and write reviews on them [the… Continue reading The Best Books of March, April & May
Summers are a funny thing for me as a teacher. On the one hand, I’m simply aching for a break by the time I get to the end of the school year. And I thoroughly soak it up as soon as school lets out (well, as much as you can call the “break” that is… Continue reading A Spontaneous, Intentional Summer
Hannah, mother of Samuel, who almost wasn’t a mother. Hannah, who has two chapters of the Bible dedicated to her story – yet two books named after her son, due to her faithfulness in dedicating him to God. Hannah, whose soul was deeply troubled by unfulfilled longings. I understand your pain, oh sister of old.… Continue reading The Bitterness of Hannah’s Tears
Tonight, it is with great joy that I welcome my first guest post written by my dear friend, Emily Winter. Although I was a mentor to Emily in her high school years, I have to say that if it weren’t for her, I may not have returned to my writing in my early 20’s. It… Continue reading A Healthy Vice
I know some people think I’m crazy to take on directing a show right now when I already have such a full schedule of teaching, National HYPE Director-ing, and college ministry. I sometimes think I’m a bit crazy, too, especially when I’m driving home on a Saturday afternoon, spent with exhaustion. But if you only… Continue reading Coming Home to My Solla Sollew
Don’t be afraid to do what you love. They might tell you it’s impractical, they might tell you it takes too much time, they might tell you it’s not worth it. But it’s always worth it. You love it for a God-given reason – now don’t be afraid to pour your heart into it for… Continue reading Daily Reminders for Busy Seasons of Life
Some Sundays are beauty-filled things where my soul is uplifted, enriched, and filled to the brim with singing, fellowship, and comforting reminders from the Word of God – followed by rest, family time, prep for the week, and maybe a nap. And then other Sundays – are not quite like that. Some Sundays are the… Continue reading Sundays Can Be the Hardest Day of the Week
The Vintage Girl 