Advent Sunday 1: Hope Reflections from Isaiah 9 We walk in the gloom of anguish. We walk in thick darkness, our heads bowed low, our hearts burdened heavy, our tears breaking out. Sin weighs us down. Pain, disease, heartache, despair— They seem to touch every corner Of our messy and fragile… Continue reading And So, We Hope this Christmas
Life is not a fairy tale. Wishes don’t come true on command. Princes don’t show up on cue. Happy endings aren’t guaranteed. And singing animals don’t flock About princesses in captivity. Life—real life—is messy and broken. Sometimes you’re weeping into your pillow, Staring out the window at bleak prospects, Praying the same tired prayers… Continue reading Life is Not a Fairy Tale
Deny not these tears, My sweet one. Deny not the ache in your heart That whispers a fragile song With a broken melody. For with each tear, Gently bottled by the Father, You reveal your humanity And the love woven Strand by strand into your soul. And every tired longing Whispers that this… Continue reading Deny Not These Tears
In a season of hoping in my life, I wrote the following prayer. And if you are in a season of hoping right now—praying—longing—wondering—I pray these words would encourage your heart and help you center your hoping in Christ himself. He hears all our prayers. His sovereign love and grace are guiding our lives. We… Continue reading A Prayer for Those Hoping for Love
I’m not about the nightclubs with pulsing lights and loud music. I’d rather not do crowded restaurants and noisy chatter. Crowds of people I don’t know overwhelm me. And a packed day with no rests can break me down. Do you know what I love instead? A perfect cup of steaming tea with a… Continue reading Why the Artist Must Spend Time Alone
I ask you, oh Lord, To shape my desires According to the cross. Let me not demand That my desires Be met according To my ways and my time. Rather, take these desires— Sweet as they may be— And make of them Something far sweeter As I learn to trust you In the… Continue reading Shape My Desires According to the Cross
She held secrets that no one else knew about— Delightfully fanciful secrets of her quiet, inner life— Where she would dream dreams about the future, Hold wistful trysts over past memories, And get lost in joyful moments of the present. She was at home with herself And pleasantly satisfied with her own company, For… Continue reading The One Who Would Enter that Sacred Space
The other morning, I read a quote about motherhood on Pinterest. And my heart broke a little because of the ache within it to carry out that quote. In quiet desperation, I cried out to the Lord, “Why can’t that be me right now? I would give anything to pour my heart and soul into… Continue reading Until the Assignment Changes
Originally written for the Good Friday service at Christ Community Bible Church in Arlington, Texas. His hour had come at last. The hour that all creation had been waiting for Since the woman first sank her teeth into A morsel of fruit And plunged the world into death and decay. This was the… Continue reading A Beautiful and Scandalous Night
“But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, In the abundance of Your steadfast Love answer me in Your Saving faithfulness.” Psalm 69:13 My prayer is to You – Not my wistful fancies. My prayer is to You – Not the sly imposters. … Continue reading When Will the Acceptable Time Come?
The Vintage Girl 