The Wilderness Within
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” (Luke 4:1) Wil•der•ness /wildərnəs/ (noun): “a region uncultivated and uninhabited by humans; an area essentially undisturbed by human activity.” This might sound like fun if you’re talking about a controlled wilderness adventure, hiking and camping through the […]
Blessed in the Wild and Untidy
The meeting was set for 8:15. I had spent the previous day packing ten years’ worth of belongings into 2 copier paper boxes. I had also sought out my tribe to let them know I was pretty certain tomorrow would be my last day. I arrived early the next day and took the boxes down […]
Eye to Eye
Let’s all take a minute to count on one hand how many times our faith has led us into a dry and arid place instead of a vacation by the sea. What’s that you say? Are you going to need to borrow someone else’s hands and feet to count them all? I get it. I’m […]
The Tissue or the Key?
Hello, my name is Traci, and I am a recovering people pleaser. I have spent the majority of my life worried about two things: what people think of me and my weight. Both of these things have provided me with either fleeting happiness (Yay, they said I did a good job! Awesome, I fit […]
Understanding the Blessing
“At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” –Matthew 27:51 The works of God are a profound mystery. He has surprised me more times than not. When I am certain He hasn’t heard my prayer, He turns around and answers it with precision. When I have considered […]
Free to Fail
An empty room can be more crushing than a crowded one. I’ve been to packed workout classes where you can hardly move freely, let alone breathe fresh air. I’ve also been to workout classes that had nobody in attendance, except for myself, the instructor. In the silence of the room, voices screamed accusations in my […]
The Road to Radical Freedom
In room 14 of a Motel 6 when I was ten years old during our family vacation, I sassed off to my mom as she was brushing my hair. Guess what that got me? The brush. I had said something unkind. My words lacked love and respect in response to whatever my mom had said […]
He is Worth the Risk
Confident. Recently the Lord gave me this word, and it has pulled me into a new season of boldly asking and trusting the Lord. As I study this word, I begin to see that true confidence —God-fidence— is utterly founded in looking to God instead of myself, my abilities, or my circumstances. This is […]
Bold as a Lion
When asked to contribute a blog post that would encompass the heart of being “bold in the soul,” I shook my finger at the sky and boldly proclaimed, “Lord, I love your sense of humor, but more importantly I love your redemption.” “Bold” is a word that has been used to describe my character my […]
The Tattoo of the Lord
For a while now, I’ve debated whether or not I want to get a tattoo. I know exactly where I want it and what I want it to say. The words, “imago dei” (image of God), are of spiritual significance to me, and I would like them in a spot where I can see […]
