• God is a good Dad

    Friday, March 9, 2012

    “There are several concerning areas of inflammation on both the brain stem and the spinal cord.” The room started to spin. Dr. Lee continued, but his words fell on deaf ears. All I could hear was something was wrong with my husband. Seriously wrong. I tried to muffle my tears/snot/sobbing so he could finish…. “Do […]

    Read More
  • Never Have I Ever : Uncovering Promiscuity

    Wednesday, February 1, 2012

    We sat in a circle of 200 college women and played “Never Have I Ever”. It was our sorority pledge retreat back in college. I was naïve and didn’t have much to stand up for (other than the 14 times I’d been pulled over for speeding—ahem) but was never one to judge others for choices […]

    Read More
  • what-now

    What Now? | When Life Doesn’t Turn Out Like You Planned

    Wednesday, January 25, 2012

    Single way older than you ever imagined? Failed marriage? Dead-end job? Shattered dreams? In 2008, I joined a missions organization and moved across the globe to the land of population overload: China. I envisioned a year that was challenging, but overall filled with joy and fun times with my team and our Chinese friends. But nothing […]

    Read More
  • 1331758-audrey_hepburn_gallery__563x400_0_600x400_super

    Don’t Text Back [And Other Rules for Catching Mr. Right]

    Tuesday, December 13, 2011

    Real Men Don’t Text was read by over 2,000 people. Thank you to everyone who read Michael’s post last week, shared it with friends, & commented. We were both blown away by the response. I’ve been observing, thinking, & praying how to follow up. A common thread I see is the incredible frustration among single women with […]

    Read More
  • michael

    Real Men Don’t Text | The Lost Art of Chivalry

    Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Welcome! Today we are hearing from both an expert on manliness (you should see his knife collection) & dating (he swept me off my feet), Michael Dean. Besides opening doors for me and making chocolate runs to satiate my cravings, he enjoys working on his car (Hubcap Hank), playing football, and adding ‘manly’ items to his Amazon shopping cart. […]

    Read More
  • china

    Moving Abroad, Chicken Feet, & Life-Long Friendships

    Thursday, November 3, 2011

    This post orginally appeared on bestselling author Beth Wiseman’s blog on Tuesday. She is one of the fiction authors I work with at Thomas Nelson & I feel incredibly blessed to know her. Today’s post is a great way to gear up for next week’s guest posts. My friend Natalie will post on Monday about strength and weakness in relation to Chinese culture & the […]

    Read More
  • waiting

    Singleness, Settling, and Waiting for “The One”

    Monday, September 26, 2011

    Engagement season is here. Fall weddings are beginning. Women in serious relationships are wondering, “will he ever propose?” and anxiously trying to bring up the “e question” casually. And singles are left wondering, “Will it ever be my turn?” “Will I ever meet the One?” I’ve been in your shoes. The fall of 2008 and 2009 I […]

    Read More
  • SONY DSC

    Stolen Phones and Finding Hope

    Friday, September 2, 2011

    “Thanks to my Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ for calling me His daughter, leading me out of darkness into his wonderful light, protecting me, and never leaving my side. Without Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, my life would be void of the richest gifts and relationships — and I would never have […]

    Read More
  • how-to-write-a-formal-letter

    A Letter to My Freshman “conch-shell-necklace-wearing-midriff-showing” Self

    Thursday, August 25, 2011

    On my drive home last week, a wave of nostalgia overtook my car and I swung by my old Alma Mater. From the chaos, I knew it could only be freshman move-in day. Oh joy! I remember my first day freshman year at Vanderbilt almost too vividly. My entire family –all six of us–made the […]

    Read More
  • God Isn’t Punishing You

    Wednesday, July 27, 2011

    “I’m not married because God is punishing me for my past.”                                     I’ve heard many friends express this sentiment over the years. The belief is whatever they did in the past, especially sexually, is causing God to ‘hold out’ on them and punish them for their wrongdoing. And I’ve been there, too. If you believe there is […]

    Read More

Apr
10

New Site & Easter Pictures

Hi Friends & Blog-Followers! I’m thrilled with my new website. Hopefully, you will find it easy to navigate & calming with the airy, open feel. I do hope that you are still subscribed, but if you usually get my posts via email and did not please subscribe using the link on the right. We had […]

Read More
Apr
5

Waiting at the Tomb | Where are you Mourning?

Growing up a true Southern girl, Easter was always celebrated & church attendance was mandatory. All those years—I heard the same message. Jesus died a brutal death on a Cross, forgave his enemies in his suffering, and was buried in a tomb. After three days, resurrection burst forth from the burial-place and Jesus walked among […]

Read More
Apr
2

But First, Coffee | On Growing a Marriage

  “Really?” I spouted out the bathroom door, glad Michael couldn’t see my rolling eyes. “Sweetheart. It’s just something I want to discuss.” Michael replied in his usual level-headed manner. “I can’t. . .I won’t. . .uhh, can we just talk about this later?” I almost couldn’t get the words out because of the building […]

Read More
Mar
29

An Uncluttered Life | Passage from Jesus Calling

  “Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time. When something comes to your attention, ask Me whether or not it is part of today’s agenda. If it isn’t, release it into My care and go on with today’s duties. When you […]

Read More
Mar
28

Fistful of Ashes | What are You Holding?

What do you love? Who do you love? For me, I love my husband more than anyone in the world. I love my family. I have some very dear friends that I love deeply. I also love to plan the future. I love writing and hope to grow this blog to 10,000 followers by January […]

Read More
Mar
26

You’re Going to be O.K.

My emotions grabbed my heart. I sobbed uncontrollably. Hiding in a dark office, the feelings were all too familiar. The unanswered questions about Michael’s health left me ridden with anxiety and fear. The mile high medical bills seemed to remind me at every turn of my inadequacy. The uncertainty of the future turned my focus […]

Read More
Mar
21

Give the Fat Girl a Break : On Telling Yourself the Truth

After publishing Am I Worth Loving? Wrestling with Rejection, I have sifted through emails and comments from many and even cried over one. I cannot express how it hurts me to see you suffering and on top of all that suffering believing lies about yourself. My college journals reveal several lies I wrote about myself […]

Read More
Mar
19

Am I Worth Loving? | Wrestling with Rejection

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 […]

Read More
Mar
14

“100 Reasons Why I Like You” : A Love Story

“100 Reasons Why I Like You”—the email subject line that popped up on the screen was enough to make her stop and nearly squeal in anticipation. She turned on her favorite song to “set the mood” and started reading. “I like how incredibly intelligent you are. I like how your intelligence is coupled with amazing humility. […]

Read More
Mar
9

God is a good Dad

“There are several concerning areas of inflammation on both the brain stem and the spinal cord.” The room started to spin. Dr. Lee continued, but his words fell on deaf ears. All I could hear was something was wrong with my husband. Seriously wrong. I tried to muffle my tears/snot/sobbing so he could finish…. “Do […]

Read More