Religious Trauma: When Faith Got Used as a Weapon
“I can’t open my Bible without my chest getting tight.” The woman who said that to me loved God. That was the part tearing her up. She was not an…
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God Is Near the Broken, Not Disappointed in Them
“I thought I was a bad Christian because I still flinch.” A woman said that in my office years into her healing, and she said it the way people confess…
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When the Person Who Hurt You Never Says Sorry
Somebody reading this has an empty chair at the table. The conversation you were owed, the one where they finally look you in the eye and name what they did,…
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Faith After Betrayal
There’s a question you may be carrying that feels too dangerous to say in Sunday school. You prayed over that marriage. Then, you trusted God with that friendship, that church,…
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God Is Big Enough for the Truth
The last few posts tell the truth plainly, naming the wound, feeling the anger, sorting fact from fear. Before I move into the next part of this series, I want…
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BEFORE THE SHAKING Book 2 in the OMS Series
About the Book Kid was three years old when his legs stopped working. He was three years old when the doctors at the first hospital said it was strep, and…
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When the Person You Trusted Was the One Who Hurt You
There’s a particular kind of pain that only shows up when the hurt comes from someone who was supposed to be safe. A stranger can wrong you and it stings,…
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Forgiveness Begins With Truth, Not Silence
Let’s start here, plain as I can say it. Forgiveness doesn’t open with a hug or an olive branch. It opens with the truth, said out loud, about what actually…
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Boundaries Are an Act of Stewardship
Boundaries are not just emotional tools. They can be an act of stewardship. That may sound strange if somebody taught you that boundaries are selfish. But stewardship means caring for…
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Hope Can Begin in a Broken Place
Hope does not always begin in a bright, easy place. Sometimes hope begins in the broken place. It begins after the loss, after the tears, after the disappointment, after the…
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My New Book Is Now Available: Nobody Told Me: The Honest Truth About Grief
Today’s post feels like the right place to share something deeply personal. My new book, Nobody Told Me: The Honest Truth About Grief, is now available on Amazon. This book…
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When Grief Changes Your Faith
Grief can change the way you pray. It can change the way you read Scripture. It can change the way you worship, trust, hope, and understand God’s nearness. Loss can…
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The Strength of a Loyal Love
Honoring the quiet perseverance of my mother while grieving my Daddy There are some kinds of strength that do not look loud. They do not come with applause.And they do…
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Where I Am With God Right Now
Where I Am With God Right Now. Holding faith when it doesn’t feel steady If I’m being honest, my faith doesn’t feel neat right now. It’s not wrapped up in…
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When Your Parent Starts to Need You
When Your Parent Starts to Need You When Your Parent Starts to Need You and the moment roles begin to shift, there is a moment that doesn’t announce itself. There…
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God’s Faithfulness in New Seasons
God’s Faithfulness in New Seasons Testimony and trust New seasons can feel unsettling, even when they are needed. Change brings relief and uncertainty at the same time. You may sense…
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Trusting God With What Is Still Tender
Faith and vulnerability Faith invites trusting God with what is still tender. Healing honors vulnerability without rushing strength. Some places in us heal more slowly. Tenderness lingers. Faith does not…
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Resurrection Doesn’t Rush
Resurrection Doesn’t Rush Easter reflection without bypassing pain Resurrection is often preached as sudden and victorious. But Scripture tells a slower story. There was grief before the empty tomb. Silence…
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Starting Again When You’re Afraid to Hope
Starting Again When You’re Afraid to Hope Gentle courage Starting again can feel more frightening than staying stuck. When hope has disappointed you before, your system learns to be cautious….
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God Was With You in the Dark Soil
God Was With You in the Dark Soil Faith in unseen growth Dark soil can feel like abandonment. Buried. Forgotten. Unseen. But soil is not where life ends. It is…