Just over two years ago, I wrote a post for Estuaries revealing that I had burned out, big time, after my three-year stint on staff at The River. At the time I wrote that post, I was only barely beginning to scratch the surface of what was really going on for me. I only understood that I...
“So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them” ...
Something about the changing of the season makes me want to be home—although not in my loud, messy home full of boys having sword fights and dishes piled in the sink. I want to be home in some magazine version of home, drinking a mug full of cider and reading a book by the...
I lived in a world where a rock was not the symbol of the relationship I desired with God. I wanted a relationship symbolic of the burning bush, for the light that it would shine upon me, rather than God. Over time, I realized that what I desired in my relationship with God was a...
I got engaged a little over a month ago and, in the midst of all the excitement, I found my soul craving a spiritual practice I’d put on the shelf for a while—hiking. Since Monday is one of my days off, it can be an ideal time to go hiking because the trails are...
In my last Estuaries blog, I wrote about preparing for my Senior Professional in Human Resources certification, SPHR. I have since completed the prep class, passed the test, and have a fancy electronic badge. When people ask what it means, I explain that it affirms my competency and...
Change is difficult. It’s a fact that can be found throughout the Earth. I don’t know many people who would disagree. Even in the most advanced, up-to-date societies there is still a resistance against change, in some form, no matter how small. As humans, we find comfort in...
I had a health scare recently that involved a lot of blood work and a lot of waiting. During this three-month process, I was anxious and fearful. I was consumed with thoughts of everything horrible that can happen. Worst-case scenarios rolled through my mind like movie trailers: suffering...
It had been a few months since I had heard from my cousin Jane, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got a text from her. “Wanted to share a horrible thing that just happened in our town,” she wrote. She then forwarded me a news article about a family in Ann Arbor...
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6 ESV) “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” (John 4:14 ESV) I am not satisfied. I think I have been satisfied perhaps...