"When I called to you, you answered me; you made me strong and brave." Psalm 138:3 No life is untouched by the difficult, the unpleasant or the painful, and every living breath demands the fullness of brave be lived out in becoming who we were created to be. Our stories bring hope and healing in the telling because most of us don't consider ourselves brave. The battles for courage arrive with such force that fear often trumps brave...over and over again. As the years drift by, we find ourselves trudging through the same muck, bound by its chains and unable to experience true freedom. But it was never meant to be this way. When I began developing this series, I knew God was calling me to step into a place of brave I've never traveled fully before. Oh, believe me, I've tried, but Continue Reading
Change Your Password, Change Your Life
Hope is the password to a life of change and growth. Without it, we simply exist, relegated to the mundane and doomed to wander. But how do we hang onto hope? How do we keep hold and access all the power hope holds to transform our heart, our soul, our mind, our will? When life bears down hard, how can we push hope to the surface and allow it to mold and shape us into who we've been created to be? How can we inspire just a glimpse of hope when all we feel like doing is giving up? It's been said that hope changes everything, and I believe it does. But sometimes before the change comes, hope requires a little intention. In my line of work, I utilize passwords continually. Every electronic exam given to students is locked down until the students are given the secure Continue Reading
Above All Else…Guard Your Heart: Identity Collaging
We live with a continual threat of identity theft. The threat is so widespread, there’s even an Identity Theft Resource Center to keep us informed of the latest sneaky scams and the best ways to protect ourselves and our privacy in this online world. We’re told to use strong passwords, only log into secure wireless networks, never save credit card information when shopping online, don’t accept social media invites from unfamiliar people, and the list grows with each new confirmed threat. But, when I think of identity theft, I’m also reminded of how often my true, God-given identity is threatened daily, and has been from a very young age. Truthfully, I’ve struggled with my identity in some form or another my entire life. Who hasn’t? Because life is hard and it’s often not Continue Reading
4 Ways to Inspire Creativity
I believe deep down everyone wants to create a beautiful legacy. But beautiful legacies don't just happen on their own; they require consistency, intention, and an abundance of creativity. For me, creativity is the fertilizer that cultivates intention and consistency in whatever choices I make. I simply can't thrive without it, and when life speeds by too quickly, it's usually creativity that suffers first. Sometimes it's time to take a step back, disconnect from routine and reconnect with ourselves. So, for the past 60 days, that's exactly what I've done. Without a plan or an explanation, I completely disconnected...from all social media, including my blog. No emails, no tweets, no pinning, and no posting. I just stopped.. not because I wanted to. I tried Continue Reading