• Girl Black and White Looking Down
    Church Ministry,  Community

    “Boys Will Be Boys” and Other Lies

    “He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction…it’s a temptation for him he wanted to eliminate.” Capt. Jay Baker, USA TODAY When I was fifteen years old, I took my first job as a waitress at a family-owned Italian restaurant. I enjoyed working long hours over my Summer vacation and worked many nights and weekends during the school year throughout my high school career. It was a busy restaurant, and I spent nearly every moment on my feet. One night a man came into the restaurant with his wife and teenage son. He was a regular, and I recognized him. His wife never seemed happy, and something…

  • Mental Health

    Encouragement: World Mental Health Day 2020

    Did you know that today is World Mental Health Day? Everyone who struggles with their mental health has their own unique story. In fact, just today I had the privilege of getting a snapshot from a few different people… One person was diagnosed with clinical depression just this week. He mentioned that he didn’t even realize the way he’d slipped into survival mode until his doctor called it out. Another shared his struggle with bipolar disorder and revealed he recently came out of an episode. Another told of his ongoing battle with PTSD as the result of his years in combat. Yet another shared she’s starting therapy due to current…

  • Identity

    Brokenness: Our Worth In Christ

    The reality of our brokenness can quickly become a point of overwhelming discouragement. If we are not careful, we approach our failures as a mere means to gauge our own self-worth and allow it to dictate our identity...