More than Unbroken

The tongue can bring death or life… ‭‭(Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Words have power. I have some deep scars where the words of others left their mark. Because I recognized the power of what we say at a young age, I am quite practiced in the art of silence. Now, for those who know me, allow me to clarify. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. (James‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬) In the heat of anger, we sometimes say things that can never be unsaid. Those thoughts have become words that will hang in the air until grace finally pushes the pain aside. As a teenager, I experienced some not-so-nice exchanges of words with my parents. We said things we regret and wish we could take back. But the words hit their mark. I love to talk! Especially to myself; I happen to be a great listener. But if I don’t think through some of my conversations, I could end up wounding another soul and crushing a spirit....

It’s been a rough week. Like, cry on my mom’s shoulder for an hour, unable to eat because of feeling sick to my stomach, and feeling so many emotions. I’d be lying if I said it was easy to distract myself. Ultimately, I had to force myself out of the bed and just go through the motions of the days. Would you believe there was a time, years ago, when I couldn’t have done that? So, I’m growing. I didn’t cave inward and pull away from those that care about me. Instead, I met the challenges face on, all the while expressing what was happening in my heart and mind with those I trust. To my surprise, I wasn’t the only one who had a bad week. In fact, several people in my circle of connection shared that, they too, have struggled this week. Nothing distracts an Enneagram 2 (Helper) like recognizing that there are others hurting and in need. But I just couldn’t. Still, the fact that we were all walking through a battle assured me that this was no ordinary bad week. This was personal. Even mo...

Around this time every year, I start thinking and reflecting on my experiences as a teacher and consider adjustments I would like to make for the following year. This was a practice I learned from one of my best college professors while I was finishing my degree. I believe no matter how “good” we are, there is always something we can improve upon. The same is true of me as a believer. Have I stopped lately to reflect on my performance as a Christian? Have I considered how my words and actions have affected others? What can I do better? So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. (Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Ever played tug of war? At our school, this is the definitive mark of the champions of field day in K-4th grades. My boys prepped for tug of war by wear gloves and cleats. They even practiced at home. I, on the other hand, do not love this game. Perhaps now that I am older and feel mentally and emotionally pulled in every direction, it’s not as fun. The ...

There is so much I could discuss this week.  I celebrated my 39th birthday on Friday, so it would be appropriate to discuss how grateful I am for what God has done in my life over the years.  The tragedy of another school shooting, this one being a Christian school, has made me reflect on the evil in the world and long for the return of Christ.  Politically, our country faces more unrest as former President Donald Trump was indicted this week.  The content is there. But rather than take a defensive stance, I choose to go on the offensive and attack the enemy where it hurts him the most. Today, we enter the week of the Passion of Christ. It is my favorite time of year and is the holiest week for Christians worldwide.  Most of the time, we focus on how the people cheered and praised Jesus. It’s strange to link this crowd with the same people who, in a week’s time, were calling for His death. The people wanted a king to deliver them from the physical bondage of the...