"Consider the Ravens..."

I'm glad you're here. This conversation about loneliness is important, especially as we continue to navigate the uncharted waters of continual quarantine due to COVID-19. In the first post of this series, we acknowledged that loneliness is part of the human condition. Since we are no longer in the Garden of Eden, we are aware of our separation from God and from each other. We experience loneliness because something is broken. If quarantine life has you feeling a little bit broken, you're not the only one -- you're normal. :) So how should we handle our loneliness? Once we acknowledge its presence, what do we do with it? Now, I don't claim to have any kind of corner on the market here, but as an introvert who lives alone and has lived far away from my family/social structures from childhood, I can tell you I've walked some dark paths with loneliness. Maybe you have too. Or, maybe today's the day. You didn't realize it when the new year rang in, but...

Hello from the middle of quarantine. I hope this post finds you well-rested, healthy, and thankful even as many of us grapple with new feelings of being bored, anxious in a different way, and a little bit purposeless in a world that seems to change every day. Many have asked how I am doing, and to be honest, I'm great (all things considered). I've come to the realization that my life isn't terribly different than quarantine life... but that's what's driving me to write this series. Many of my friends who are extroverts or who have jobs that require a lot of social interaction are finding themselves experiencing something they haven't felt in a long time, if ever. I, however, am well-acquainted with it. It's something our society doesn't like to talk about -- a word we relegate to the ultra-homebodies, the socially displaced, and those with very, very sad life stories. But today, I think it's all of us to some degree. Whether we'll admit it or n...

I once heard somebody describe a season in their life as a “box of darkness.” The phrase confused me and unsettled me.   I didn’t like the idea that someone could just hand someone else something that was harmful. Over the years, that phrase has occasionally resurfaced in my mind. Now, on the cusp of yet another birthday, I find myself understanding it a little more. If you were with me this week last year, you may remember a few days when I was not quite myself. It was Spring Break and the week of my birthday, so my routine was off, but it was more than that. This week last year was one of the more subtly intense ones of my young adulthood. I don’t know what it was about that particular week, but turning 30 hit me like a freight train. And, before I worry anyone – no, it hasn’t been the worst year of my life, there’s no hidden messages in this post and I’m (God-willing) not dying of a rare disease or about to shock you with some bit of news. But I can tell you without hesita...

Lately, it seems every other blog post I write is about something I've cut out of my life.  That's not entirely on purpose, but with every change, God shows me things I want to share with you. A month ago I decided to cut dairy entirely out of my diet for at least a couple months. Yes, the girl who has a Pintrest board titled "For the Love of Cheese," has nixed all options for dairy.  Why?  Well... it's a long story that involves more questions than answers and a whole lot of doctors who say things like, "Well, maybe that's just how your body  works?  I don't know why... But you seem fine!"  But over the holidays, something had to give -- I was so sick of my symptoms, I thought maybe dairy was the culprit.  It's been four weeks and really, it's been a lot easier than I thought because 2/3 of my meals are the same every day: Eggs and bacon for breakfast, soup for lunch.  But I have SO struggled to give up creamer and enjoy my coffee.  I ...

I've done a lot of babysitting and childcare in my 30-ish years of life and regardless of location, ages, and family cultures, one thing has been a trend in every household: the littlest kids are always desperate to keep up with the big kids.  They HATE being left out!  Sometimes Copy Cat turns into a hilarious if not dangerous attempt to do exactly what the older sibling is doing.  I often try to guess what's going through the toddler's head as they try and fail and retry and kind of get it and then retry and it just isn't the same.  Character is revealed in these moments.  The kids who are more introspective and analytical will watch longer before reattempting, but those with shorter tempers are much more likely to scream and throw things by attempt number three. :)  And it seems that the more children there are in a family, the more desperate the younger ones become to keep up with the older ones.  The sense of being left out grows with every siblin...