Even the smallest puddle reflects the Sky
(#HarryPotterBookNight this 6 Feb, I’m reading at Expeditie-E!)
I was leaving High School when the Harry Potter phenomena struck. The hype repelled me and some Christian background flagged “witchcraft” as skip.
Sorry Harry…
Fast forward 20 years. My kids’ school sends a letter urging parents to mind “trends and hypes,” characters with magic or super powers like Elsa and Superman came under fire.
Last day of the year, and while many are feeling more carefree and hopeful, some are just trying to survive (connect people, pls).
The Christmas season can be rough, and means different things to different people,
But I keep thinking about Stars…
Lights in the street and homes, lights like hope in the dark season. A new star appeared on the horizon when Jesus was born and if I think about God’s heart, I wonder if it was more than just a flare.
Here’s my take on 6 “Christmas” gifts thanks to the Jesus story. Enjoy and take with you into the New Year.
For anyone who thought “I want nothing to do with God, or “Christians” because of what they do, say, put into policy” (read: USA, White House), or for any who had the bible used against them, for outcasts not “good enough” for “Church,” or who asked too many questions, or had too many ideas, or just didn’t fit. To all who wonder if unconditional love is real, if God cares, or if there are better things to come… This if for you. ❤
I saw The Dark Crystal as a little kid. It was epic, wonder-full, and so timeless I gladly shared it with my own kids some years back. Now Netflix created a stunning Series version: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Season 1 is a thrilling prequel to all that unfolded in the original movie.
[Warning: Spoilers]
The Weak Will Defeat the Strong?
I remember two lone Gelflings and the seemingly uber mighty, lumbering, vicious Skeksis. These rash and rude, self-proclaimed rulers of Thra were stealing power from the Crystal to live forever. And the little, almost hopeless Gelflings had the impossible task of defeating them…
There’s more than enough for everyone. Really. On a planet with people starving and naked…
The core problem, imo, may be so simple that few believe it. (or we’re so far from our humanity…). Continue reading “The 1 Thing Everybody Should Know About “Abundance””
Independence Day… reminder of freedom in America from Tyranny, Oppression, Dictatorship…
“E Pluribus Unum” or, “Out of Many, One” (traditional motto of the US).
Yes, America has come a long way, but yesterday I saw tanks lined up for the Celebration??! I’ve been American my whole life and never recall this happening before.
Continue reading “Freedom from Power-Seeking & Glory on the Fourth of July”
Is it just me? Sometimes disappointment, frustration, or fatigue keep banging on the door. You’ve got a project, dream, plan, but it’s stuck. You wonder: Is it me? My skills or vision? Do I lack proper education or experience? Is my heart really in it?
I read about some fisherman who may have thought the same. They worked all night with nothing to show.
Were they unskilled?
No. They were “Fisherman.”
Was the net broken?
Nope. Strong and ready.
Were they in the wrong place?
Absolutely not.
Continue reading “It’s Not You, It’s Timing – How to Keep Hope When Nothing’s Working”
Encouraging memes can fall flat when you’re in the middle of a firestorm. My experience is that problems or stressors rarely come alone. I’m dealing with X, but Q is spilling over, and my heart is breaking about T (and D through K).. I’m not sure I’m going to make it about P….
Do troubles wait their turn?
Continue reading “Diamonds & Pencils: Become the Hero of Your Own Story”
I cry write about the rift between American “Christianity,” and God’s Heart. Before Donald Trump was elected I wrote an Open Letter to America and POTUS himself sharing what I experience as an epic, end-time battle between Love & Hate. I also mentioned some prophecies from the crazy bible book, Revelation.
“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot someone and wouldn’t lose any votes..”
2 years later, the unwavering acceptance by some “Christians” of Trump’s behaviors, statements, actions and policies– which have been anything but Christ-like– is increasingly BANANAS, or gut-wrenching, or fire-spewing, or all of the above.
Final post in #UnashamedList series. Written especially for youth navigating issues like sexual integrity, porn addiction, (sexual) abuse, etc.
Series intro and full 10 Day list here.
Sex was a massive part of my youth. I’ve shared snapshots of how hard it is being sexualized at an early age throughout this series. I’ve come out about the insidiousness of porn, upsides of “waiting,” and consequences of just doing everything you think is right.
But everything is more complicated Today.
That’s me on my 17th Birthday. No Instagram, Twitter or Tinder back in the 90’s. No Selfies or Filters to daily challenge my self-esteem. If a party got crazy, any d* pics were probably taken with a throwaway camera. There was no Social Media to torch a reputation or courage.
And when I went through a “tomboy” phase, LGBTQ wasn’t even on the radar…
There’s so much pressure on youth today. Few places to just Be. #MadRespect for all walking through it daily…
Continue reading “10 Life & Sex Lessons Mom Never Told Me: #10. Sex = A-Bomb, for Better or Worse”
Day 9 from the #UnashamedList. Written especially to support eg youth navigating issues like sexual integrity, porn addiction, sexual abuse, etc… Series intro here.
You’ve got to do it sometime.
I’m going to be honest. I don’t know if getting tested for STD’s is so normal now that it’s trend. I heard Trevor Noah (The Daily Show) joke once about Chlamydia and how everyone has it.
Oh really?
But if you’ve never been checked out and have been sexually active–from intercourse, to just oral sex– Get. Yourself. Checked.
Continue reading “10 Life & Sex Lessons Mom Never Told Me: #9- Get Yourself Checked w/a Friend”
Day 8 from the #UnashamedList, a special series written to support any youth navigating issues like sexual integrity, porn addiction, etc… Series intro here.
We live in an instant gratification society.
Almost everything is at our fingertips, with a click or swipe. Waiting is a special skill.
Especially with sex: how foreign the idea of waiting might be…
Still, I wish I did. What’s more, I wish someone told me this was even an option. Waiting, sexual integrity, and my body as valuable property weren’t topics I was busy with.
Music, crushing and fun was.
Day 7 from the #UnashamedList series. Written to be a resource for any youth navigating issues like sexual integrity, porn addiction,.. Series intro here.
After reading Day 5, my husband dropped this:
“Op een oude fiets moet je het leren.”
Apparently it’s an old Dutch phrase meaning, literally: ‘You’ve got to learn it on an old bike.‘
The cultural meaning is: get your sexual practice with someone with experience. Continue reading “10 Life & Sex Lessons Mom Never Told Me: #7- It’s Not Cool for Teachers or Parents to Hit On You”
Day 6 from the #UnashamedList Series. Written especially for youth or young adults navigating sexual integrity, porn addiction, identity, etc. Intro here.
Each day of this series I’ve been sharing some of my X-rays to expose what can go wrong.
Today I want to share what goes right: You.
Don’t dare be ashamed of anything you saw, did, thought, or even what was done to you. Never. Continue reading “10 Life & Sex Lessons Mom Never Told Me: #6- Don’t Ever Be Ashamed, We’re all Jacked”
Day 5 from the #UnashamedList Series. Written especially for youth or young adults navigating sexual integrity, porn addiction, identity, etc. Series intro here.
These posts are crazy vulnerable. This one was extra hard to write.
Remember when I said I gave it away to the first guy I kissed? (ugh). We weren’t even dating. It was just a friend who happened to be very cute, and a bit older, and anyway..
(ps, I 100% dispute the size of that “forever alone” quadrant
