When we deny our pain, losses, and feelings year after year, we become less and less human. We transform slowly into empty shells with smiley faces painted on them. Peter Scazzero Dear Tired Heart, Can we talk? You put up a brave front, but the weight you carry is too much for anyone to handle... Continue Reading →
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on... Continue Reading →
When it comes to instant childhood magic, not much can compete with a good blanket fort. Grabbing all your comfy things, some twinkle lights, and a treat or two, you'd transform an ordinary space into a stunning castle as though assisted by a fairy godmother. Sure, bed knobs and broomsticks might be holding it all... Continue Reading →
Remember Baloo's counsel to young Mowgli in the middle of 'The Bare Necessities'? "So just try and relax. Fall apart in my backyard. Cool it. Let me tell you something, little britches, if you act like that bee acts, uh-uh—you're working too hard. And don't spend your time looking around for something you want that... Continue Reading →
Discipline and diligence will always be prerequisites if we expect to experience the freedom and rest that God intends for us ... But as a girl who's watching this Sabbath principle unshackle the chains from my life more and more every day, I can tell you it's worth all the effort we expend. (Priscilla Shirer,... Continue Reading →
God worked. We are to work. God rested. We are to rest. (Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality) Amid construction paper projects and figuring out how subtraction supposedly functioned, my childhood school day was dappled with monkey bars, swing sets, slides, a wide-open field, and huge shady trees. Recess! At some blessed point in educational history,... Continue Reading →
(This post was originally published on the Baptist Convention of New England’s blog on January 15, 2020. You can find it here.) "Who do we become when we stop allowing all the voices in our head to crowd out the one voice we must hear to come to life?" (Erwin McManus) I find deep beauty in... Continue Reading →
She was never alone—the questions kept her constant company. You know those questions that latch onto you and refuse to let go? The ones that, despite their simplicity, bump around in your brain during the early hours or while you're in the carpool line? For the past year, I've been haunted by this ponderance: what... Continue Reading →
With the heap of hype about self care currently rumbling around the interwebs, it's no wonder our culture is dumping such enormous amounts of time, effort, and money into internal investment. Okay, that's theoretical. Let's make it personal. In the last month, how much time have you spent on investing in yourself/your family: physically (grooming,... Continue Reading →
Hush now, soul; you've worked so longGo soft into the lightYour Father makes you safe and strongRelease your need to fight The snow is falling gently nowIn blankets all aroundYour world will yawn and whisper howIt longs to settle down Broad clouds are strewn high up aboveA canopy dark greyGauzy, woolly, thick with loveStitched loose... Continue Reading →
The Dwelling Place 