Lift Me Up, Lord
Building a sense of safety requires trust—not reliance on others, but trust in the strength and beauty of our innermost selves, made in the image and likeness of God. For me, this has been one of the most difficult parts…
Relocating the Home of the Bridegroom
Relocation has been a part of my life since I was a young child. My family moved to a different town about once a year, which meant uprooting me (yet once again) from friends, school, church community, and all the…
Roses in our Vineyard
Many years ago, when my husband and I were in Germany, we were given a tour of a local vineyard by a very eager and chatty winemaker. He was excited to give us a thorough wine education, including information on…
Peace the World Cannot Give
At the end of His earthly life, Jesus repeated one theme over and over, above all others: that of peace. “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me … Peace I leave with you; my…
Love the Size of a Horse Chestnut
One of the many powerful healing tools I learned while engaging in the CHRIST Program from Hope's Garden was how to create a self-soothing basket. Laura suggests that within this basket, we collect items that help regulate our nervous system…
Emerging from the Cleft in the Rock
Trauma rips a person wide open and uncovers past wounds they didn’t even realize they had, while at the same time layering new wounds onto an already-wearied soul. When the trauma presents itself in the form of repeated relational abuse…
Behind the Wall
The Bride: I hear my Beloved. See how He comes, leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where He stands behind our wall. He looks in at the…
Jesus is Calling Me
Marriage is sacred—yet so am I. I’m a beloved child of the Father. I’m called to an intimate relationship with Jesus. I’m desired and cherished. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). These are truths…
Healing After Trauma: Awakening to God’s Call
Talitha cumi … Let Him kiss me I feel like I’ve been asleep for a long time. I’ve been entombed, like a fairy-tale princess; enclosed in a glass casket, cut off from the rest of the word, secluded in a…