The Formula for Leading Your Emotions

Ok, let’s get back to the purpose of this blog and talk about leading our emotions so we can be led by the Spirit of God instead of being dragged around by fear, pain, anger, and the pursuit of distraction. We are often at a loss for what to do with our intense feelings and …

10,000 Gifts From God

Today I wrote down my ten thousandth gift from God!I kind of wanted to use 10,000 exclamation points to try and communicate how excited I am, but even that wouldn’t cut it (and would be annoying for you readers) so I’ll restrain myself. For now… I’ve written more about my gratitude list in an older …

How To Lead Your Feelings: Loneliness

Social distancing, isolation, quarantine, stay-at-home, these are all terms we are much more acquainted with than we were just a month ago. But you don’t have to be isolated to feel lonely. Even if you’re an essential worker and are still on the job, or if you’re working from home while trying to finish your …

How Easter Leads Us Out of Shame

Shame.It’s more than guilt.Guilt says, “I have done something bad.” Shame says, “I am bad.” It’s more than embarrassment.Embarrassment says, “Others disapprove of what I’ve done.”Shame says, “Others disapprove of me.” Shame is the soul crushing weight of believing “I am worthless. I have nothing of value to offer, so no one values me. I …

The Global Pandemic is Trauma

Today I’m going to step back from the How To Lead Your Feelings series to share a podcast that has helped me be honest with myself about how I’m currently handling the stress of the pandemic compared to how I want to handle it. The Allender Center Podcast, hosted by Dr. Dan Allender and Rachael …

How To Lead Your Feelings: Love

At first, love might not strike you as a feeling that needs led. Especially in our “follow your heart” culture. It seems like you either feel love or you don’t. If you do then great! If not, well, you better start looking for it again. But what if love could be chosen? Love, like the …

How To Lead Your Feelings: Fear

Honestly, I’m afraid to write this post. I’m afraid every time I write a blog post, and I’m definitely afraid to publish my book, Tasting Dirt: When Your’re Disappointed With God. I feel fear about a lot of different things. So do you, because fear is part of being human. Fear has a very beneficial …

How To Lead Your Feelings: Happiness

Have you ever heard/read that “God is more interested in your holiness than your happiness” or “God is more concerned about our character than our comfort?”Did you just wilt a little inside? I noticed a growing sadness even as I typed those sentences out. Don’t worry though, we wont stay there because neither of those …

How To Lead Your Feelings: Don’t Ignore Them

I hate being ignored. Don’t you? I believe we have all experienced being ignored at some point or another. As an adult I’ve experienced it most frequently in group conversation when I’m in the middle of saying something and another person starts talking, and keeps talking, as if I hadn’t been saying anything at all. …

A Desperate Christmas Eve

It’s Christmas Eve, and my 8-year-old son is desperate to open presents. Dorian’s been asking for a month to open his stocking (which I just stuffed two days ago). Waiting is soooooooo difficult. The anticipation is “killing” him, he says. “Can’t we just open one? I just want to get Christmas started!”Do you remember the …