• Real Men Don't Text Cover

    Real Men Don’t Text Book Cover

    Monday, March 11, 2013

    Check out our cover! Real Men Don’t Text will be at a bookstore near you in September. Michael & I can’t wait to share it with all of you. Just a few more weeks until we’re done with edits. I want to squeal in anticipation of not seeing 5am, or sitting in front of a [...]

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  • church

    The Separation of Church and Hate

    Monday, February 4, 2013

    It was one of those tough moments where the air feels oppressive and you start to sweat. A good friend sat across from me on my couch, fumbling with her rings. She had just broken the news to me: “I’m getting a divorce”. It felt weighty, even unbelievable. As she sat on my couch and [...]

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  • Girl Hiding

    Your Body is Not the Problem

    Sunday, January 27, 2013

    “Those high-school girls . . . they dress so slutty,” she said and then casually chuckled and added, “It’s a battlefield for men out there.” My entire body felt tingly and hot, as I sat quietly. I didn’t quite know why her words prompted such a strong response inside me, but I excused myself to [...]

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  • Celebrate

    Learning to Celebrate

    Thursday, December 13, 2012

    “The slight turn of seasons reminds me of last fall, and it strikes me that my life has changed almost beyond recognition since then. In the process of breaking my heart, life or God or something — not that I don’t believe God moves in these ways, I just don’t want to immediately blame Him [...]

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  • Waiting by the Phone

    10 Reasons He’s Not Calling You

    Wednesday, November 28, 2012

      What could possibly have gone wrong? I wondered, pondered, prayed, and even once yelled hoping my empty apartment would provide an answer. The date was perfect from my opinion, he even said he ‘couldn’t wait to see me again”. The first few days after the date, I entered an intense period of self-examination. The kind of [...]

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  • Vanderbilt/UT Game

    When You Marry the Wrong Guy

    Sunday, November 18, 2012

    On Saturday at the Vandy/UT game, I got in a fight, well not a fist fight, more like a verbal confrontation. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to punch the guy, but I did get to give him a piece of my mind. I’m still heated just thinking about it. My amazing father-in-law came in town and [...]

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  • Real Men Don't Text Video

    We’re Going to be Authors!!! | A Video Message

    Monday, November 12, 2012

    Michael and I are going to be authors! Real, published, coffee-addicted, “have you read my book?” authors. Can you believe it? Last February, Michael whisked me away to a chic hotel in downtown Nashville for what he called “a writing retreat”. We spent two days dreaming up what it would look like to write a [...]

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  • Image of landscape painting

    Good People Don’t Go to Heaven

    Tuesday, May 8, 2012

      The wind circled the small coffee shop, rustling the leafless trees. “I’m a good person. I go to church pretty often. . .and even give up my weekends to volunteer,” she dropped the comment in mid-conversation. I gazed at my new friend, confused how we went from our favorite restaurants in Atlanta to that [...]

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  • playground

    Healing Shame

    Wednesday, April 18, 2012

      Lunchtime. 5th grade. {When is middle school ever easy?} My friend Caroline and I carry our lunches in brown paper bags outside to the playground. We talk about what fifth graders talk about: movies, boys, nail polish, and our (insert eye roll) exasperating teachers & parents. Then, we hear it. “Here comes fat big Ruth. [...]

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  • 129900770471477344_goqqqjht_f

    Am I Worth Loving? | Wrestling with Rejection

    Monday, March 19, 2012

    In preparation to share my story at a Vanderbilt Greek retreat next weekend, I spent hours yesterday reading back through my college journals. Several themes emerged from the pages, but I mostly wrote about desiring love. And rejection that seemed around every corner. I find it intriguing that when asked about my college years, I [...]

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Image of Ignoring Spouse
May
21

Are You Ignoring God?

“My husband and I often goes days without speaking. The silence of our house is. . .devastating at times.” I overheard a woman telling a friend at a party. “I don’t even see how you could call what we have a marriage.” I continued to eavesdrop and learned she was thinking about divorce. No matter [...]

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Little kids dancing
May
15

The Very Important “N” Word

You know when it’s coming. It’s the man who lingered by your side all night at the bar. The coworker who finds any excuse to email you. The classmate who just won’t leave you alone. It’s never the men you want; often the mommas boys, the gangly awkward ones, or worse the you’re-lucky-I’m-asking-you-out type. Mr. [...]

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Pray for Ian Desiring God Video
May
13

This Momentary Marriage

Marriage. It feels like the end-all, be-all, but is it really? What if marriage is just temporary? I spent a lot of time with my friend Natalie this weekend & we naturally talked a great deal about marriage {she’s dating a great man!}. She asked for wisdom, asked what it was like, and wanted to [...]

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baby
May
12

Motherhood and the Unconditional Love of Christ

Happy Mother’s Day! In preparation for mother’s day, I asked a friend to write about becoming a new mom & what she learned about Christ’s love in the process. If you’re a mom, I pray you feel loved today. If mother’s day brings up tough memories, I pray you find strength in knowing God is [...]

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Image of landscape painting
May
8

Good People Don’t Go to Heaven

  The wind circled the small coffee shop, rustling the leafless trees. “I’m a good person. I go to church pretty often. . .and even give up my weekends to volunteer,” she dropped the comment in mid-conversation. I gazed at my new friend, confused how we went from our favorite restaurants in Atlanta to that [...]

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Image of Late Night Text
May
7

Mr. Late Night & Mr. Last Minute

Mr. Late Night It may start innocently at first, a late rendezvous here and there, but pretty soon the only time you’re spending together is after dark. It used to be a booty call, but now it’s more frequently a “booty text”. {creative, right?} If you ever receive a text message late at night that consists [...]

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It's a Wonderful Life
May
1

Mr. Promised He Would Call & Mr. Inconsistent

Let’s talk about relationships, shall we? I continue to hear a wealth of stories about women cashing in their ticket for a lifetime with Mr. Right because they settle for Mr. Right Now. Heartbreaking! If you’re new here, I suggest reading Real Men Don’t Text and Real Women Don’t Text Back to gain context for [...]

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Image of Michael and Ruthie Dean
Apr
29

Running is Redemption

On Saturday, thousands of people–runners, people that would qualify as ‘elderly’, costume-clad individuals, & even non-athletes–awoke before dawn and gathered around Centeniel Park for the annual Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon. Adrenaline & the god-aweful smell from the porta potties wafted over the streets; people checked their watches obsessively counting down ’til race time; [...]

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Mrs. Wrong--Kids kissing
Apr
26

You’re Dating Mrs. Wrong If. . .

Gentlemen, it is a pleasure to write to you today. This is not coming from a man who has it right, has done it all right, or will do it right in the future. This is coming from experience, and that experience has taught me a few things about relationships, women, the type of woman [...]

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Mr. Wrong Book
Apr
23

You’re Dating Mr. Wrong If. . .

Have you ever looked back and considered what your life would be like had you tied the knot with an ex? Thought about how much you wished it worked out with him at the time—but now are thankful the relationship ended? I have. It’s scares me to think about the guys I seriously dated & [...]

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