.

With what appeared to be every ounce of his strength, the newborn reindeer calf pushed himself to a standing position. His spindly legs trembled and his entire fuzzy, brown body shook with the effort of remaining upright. Close behind, mama reindeer hovered protectively, keeping watch over her baby’s progress. The calf took one halting step forward—then tripped and tumbled to the ground.⁠..⠀

I’ve been thinking about blood lately. No, I’ve haven’t been reading Dracula or watching horror films (which I NEVER do anyway—yuck!). But I have been reading The Power of Communion by Beni and Bill Johnson…

With what appeared to be every ounce of his strength, the newborn reindeer calf pushed himself to a standing position. His spindly legs trembled and his entire fuzzy, brown body shook with the effort of remaining upright. Close behind, mama reindeer hovered protectively, keeping watch over her baby’s progress. The calf took one halting step forward—then tripped and tumbled to the ground.⁠..⠀

I’ve been thinking about blood lately. No, I’ve haven’t been reading Dracula or watching horror films (which I NEVER do anyway—yuck!). But I have been reading The Power of Communion by Beni and Bill Johnson…

There have been many days when I’ve felt dwarfed by the enormity of my dreams and skeptical of my ability to accomplish my goals. When those days roll around I like to encourage myself with something Theodore Roosevelt once said…

Last month, I wrote a post in which I said that most setbacks are temporary. But what do we do when they just seem to go on and on?

To connect to the internet at my house, I use an old-fashioned Ethernet cable. One perk of this arrangement is that when I have a project that requires high concentration, such as writing a blog post, I can unplug the cord. Without access to the internet and its myriad distractions…

Yesterday morning, I was feeling worried about some things in my life. I opened my Bible and found myself reading in Luke where Jesus says, “Never worry about any of your needs…

My soul was thirsty, dry, and weak. I felt like I’d been put through a wringer and every last molecule of moisture had been wicked away.

For years I struggled with a chronic condition, and for years I ached for a breakthrough. After yet another disappointment, I was weary from the effort, the wondering, and the waiting…

Surprise! This word has rolling around in my heart and mind lately. I’ve been thinking about how God is God of surprises.

He surprised Pharaoh’s daughter with an infant in a basket made of papyrus.

He surprised Moses with a burning bush.

He surprised Samuel with a still small voice in the quiet of night...

Tryphena. Tryphosa. Persis. The names sound like something you’d find on the back of a bottle of amino acid supplements. But, actually, they’re the names of women who served the ancient Christian church…

As I shared last week, Fairbanks got a lot of snow in April. After having our warmest March on record (which resulted in the snow being almost completely gone by the end of March), it was a bit of a letdown to have such adverse weather in April. But, by the time I wrote my last post, which was less than a week after our last big snowfall, almost all the snow had (re)melted…

I somehow have this subconscious perception of God as stoic, serious, and stern. Thankfully, God has done a lot over the years to change this perception, but sometimes I still find that when I’m in emotional pain or am struggling with a problem, I feel guilty. Deep down, I think I should be stronger and I fear God is displeased with me…

I’ve been on a long quest to feel good and function at my best, not just so I can enjoy everyday life, but so I can have the strength and energy I need to accomplish all God has called me to do.

In my health journey, I’ve learned about environmental toxins and the harmful effects they can have on our bodies. Sadly, many of these toxins can be found in personal care products…

Last spring, I visited a friend in California. I live in Alaska, so it took a couple plane rides and a few hours of driving to get to her. Before I arrived, I asked for her address and directions to her house. With my course clearly mapped out, I was able to find her house without a problem.

But what if, when I asked how to get her house, my friend had simply said, “It’s in California”?

Our cold winter has finally come to an end, and, with temperatures here in Fairbanks inching into the 50s, I’ve been opening the windows and drinking coffee out on the deck (🎉 yay!).

Last night, I took a short stroll down the driveway after dinner, just to get some fresh air. It was so refreshing! As I made my way back inside, I marveled at how something as simple as fresh air can make you feel so good…

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I used to write mean things about myself in my journal. This week, I decided to get really real and share a few actual quotes.

So (deep breath), here’s a peek at what my 15-year-old self was saying:

“Why am I like this…?”

As a child, Amy Carmichael was bitterly disappointed by her brown eyes. She so longed for blue eyes that she prayed repeatedly that God would change her eyes from brown to blue. To her dismay, He didn’t.

But, years later, Amy developed a newfound appreciation for how God created her when she became a missionary to India. There, Amy worked to rescue young girls who were enslaved as temple prostitutes…

I used to write mean things about myself in my journal. Mostly, it had to do with dislike for my appearance. I look like Carina, and, deep down, I believed that wasn’t okay. I thought I should look like the models splashed across magazine covers and the movies stars on TV. It wasn’t hard to see all the ways I didn’t measure up, and, somehow, I thought that body bashing would magically transform me into what I wished I could be…

Not long ago, I was driving down the road on a bright winter day when movement on the shoulder ahead caught my eye. At first I thought it might be a fox. I slowed down to take a look and quickly realized that the animal was too big to be a fox. Was it a dog…? As it trotted across the road, my heart jumped. I saw, to my shock, that it was a lynx!

I’m sure my eyes were bulging like a startled pug’s. I’ve never seen a wild lynx, and I had long been asking God to let me see one of these stealthy forest cats…

I grew up knowing about God’s love. My pastors preached about it at church, my teachers taught about it at school, and I read about it in my Bible. But I haven’t always felt it.

In my late teens and early twenties, I struggled with the disconnect between my knowledge of God’s love and my experience of it. I started talking to God about how I felt (or rather didn’t feel) and I began praying to feel His love more…

Happy February, ladies! I don’t know about you, but I love the month of love! At a time when we’re still being battered by winter’s icy paw, Valentine’s brings so many cozy, good feelings. I love the warm pinks and reds, the luxurious chocolates, the cheerful flowers…

I love that the days are growing longer, and after months of weak winter sun, I can actually feel a bit of heat shining through my windows…

Every once in a while I get asked what steps I’ve taken to grow as a writer. After the most recent query, I realized that the things I’ve done to nurture my skills as a writer are applicable to many types of artistic endeavors: drawing, singing, playing the piano, woodworking, pottery, photography, calligraphy, sewing…You name it, these steps can probably help you hone your skills…

Despite being the dead of winter, January is one of my favorite months. The year lies before me as wide open as the creamy pages of my new calendar. My imagination is free to run wild. The air is full of newness, excitement, and possibilities.

I think one reason new beginnings are so exciting is that they almost always carry an element of creation…

I hope your New Year is off to a great start!

I feel like I’ve been in a post-Christmas whirlwind, but I think I’m finding my way back to a more normal rhythm. :)

This week, instead of my normal blog post, I’m sharing an article I wrote that was published in my local newspaper…

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying a wonderful New Year’s Eve (or New Year’s Day, depending on your time zone!)!

As I reflect on this past year, I see so many ways God has helped me, encouraged me, and showed His love to me and those around me…

During my first year as a counselor, a former professor invited me to her classroom to speak to her counseling students. She wanted me to share about what it was like to actually be working in the field. Near the end of our talk, one student gushed, “It must be so wonderful to finally be doing what you really love!”

I was at a loss for words….

I sat in the coffee shop debating my next step. I had already decided to go to graduate school. Now I just needed to decide what to study. Against the backdrop of café chatter and between sips of my Americano, I mulled over two options: a master’s in English or a master’s in counseling…

Have you ever had a pair of shoes that didn’t quite fit?

I once had a pair of adorable brown suede flats that I LOVED. They were super cute and went with just about everything. The problem was, they didn’t quite fit. The toe box was too narrow and squeezed my toes, while the back of the shoe had elastic embedded in the leather that bit into my heel, leaving bright red stripes. Still, I was determined to wear them…

 What can help you have

• A stronger immune system

• Increased quality and quantity of sleep

• Decreased feelings of loneliness

• Better relationships, including more feelings of connection and generosity

• A better sense of self-worth

• More feelings of  happiness and joy

• More resistance to stress

• Less pain

• And greater life satisfaction? …