Our Blog
Encouragement for every season of lifeYour Joke About That LGBT Person Does Not Feel Like Jesus
As I sit here in tears, it should be noted that I seriously considered not posting this. Seemed too divisive. But reading another post by someone I know and love that is at the expense of someone Jesus came for, fought for, died for, has me, well... I recently shared...
The Fog Bank
It was dusk as I drove on the lonely highway through the woodsy countryside. My two young children were in the car with me, and I was watching the road before me carefully for the deer that so often frequented the area. As I drove on and the sun slipped below the...
Beyond a Doubt/Marlys’ Story
“From as far back as I can remember, I knew I would end up in Africa, but I didn’t like the idea at all, because I don’t like bugs and dirt, and I didn’t even think about the snakes.” This was the introductory response to my recent interview with Marlys Kingsriter—the...
I Didn’t Mean to Hear It
I didn’t mean to hear it. I sat down in an empty “comfy” spot at the coffee shop, and only a purse occupied any of the seats around me. It looked like a safe enough location for my ten-minute reprieve between morning meetings. And then they returned. A woman (thus the...
Rally the Troops
Ping. “Oh, I’ve got a new text message,” I think to myself. And then, Ping, Ping, Ping. And I know, almost without looking, it’s “the girls.” Something is up and “the troops” are being called into action. These three women are some of my closest friends. If I’m having...
The Real Back to School List
Here we are, mamas, at the beginning of another school year. Backpacks and new shoes have been crossed off our lists. Headphones and what-in-the-world-are-My-First-Pencils -- check. Haircuts and awkward photos on the front step the kids will cringe at in 10 years –...
Trust and Transformation/Andrea’s Story
This is the seventh article in our new series called “Every Heart has a Story to Tell.” As we head towards our first Thrive Conference in October, our desire is share how Every Story Matters. Please check back each week to see how God is moving in women’s lives and...
Fried Eggplant Recipe
Last week I gave a friend an eggplant from our garden and it was clear she had no idea what to do with it. So I told her I’d write out a step-by-step recipe to set her up for success. She was grateful and I thought I’d pass it along to you, as well. We don’t fry all...
Hope in a Coat
I found it in my closet again the other day. Pausing, I pulled the coat from its place in the darkness, running a hand over it to look at it in the weak light of the spare closet. The dusty collar, the fabric-covered buttons, the slightly worn cuffs, an interior liner...
Stylishly Feminine
(Head down) (The air is heavy with hesitation) (Muttered under my breath) Hello, my name is Julie, and I am fashion-challenged. (HUGE sigh of relief) Whew! There. I finally said it. It feels good to get that off my chest. It’s something that I’ve been trying to hide...
