A couple months ago I rejoined Instagram. I hadn’t used it since 2014, but after living in Czech Republic for over two years, I had beautiful pictures and needed to put them somewhere. Also, at the end of April, I adopted an adorable 3 legged dog and knew I’d be taking LOTS of pictures of him. Instagram has changed over the years. It is still about displaying pictures on social media, but it is also a platform for promotion, sales and expressing opinions – just like all other social media now. But when did Instagram become a place to find a romantic relationship? Since rejoining, a few men ha ..read more

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok from Pexels This week I rejoined Instagram because (of course) I needed something to waste more time on. I had an Instagram account years ago, but decided to ‘archive’ it when it became unhealthy for me. My life was much different back then since I was still struggling with my depression and I was easily triggered by things on social media. Thankfully that is not an issue anymore. Since I live overseas, having Instagram is a good way to follow what family and friends are up to back home, and they can also keep track of me. Plus, I now work with teens ..read more

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash I haven’t written on here in a while. For about 8 months I switched to writing on a platform called Medium because it gave me the opportunity to interact with other writers, and also earn a little extra money. But I ended that membership last month. Although I enjoyed the connection with other writers, the platform introduced some policies that I was not comfortable with. On top of that, being on that platform made writing a competition, a business as I strived to gain followers, increase my viewership and make money. I didn’t like that. So I am back to ..read more

It was exactly a year yesterday since I said goodbye to the life I knew. I got on a plane, with three suitcases and a carry-on, and moved half way around the world. Why? Because God asked me to. Was it difficult? Yes. Was it heartbreaking to leave loved ones? Absolutely. Do I get homesick? Regularly. Do I regret doing it? Not for a second. This last year has arguably been the best year of my life. On January 15, 2019, I got on a plane with a one way ticket. I landed in the Czech Republic in the early afternoon of January 16. It was exactly one year and one week from when I learned I had been ..read more

This month is suicide prevention month. Many people will let it pass without giving it a second thought. Not because they’re insensitive. Not because they don’t care. But because they’re lucky enough never to have been touched by suicide or the affects of it. They’re lucky enough never to have lost someone to it. They’re lucky enough never to have contemplated it. They’re lucky enough to have never tried it. Some of us are not so lucky. So this month touches us deep down in our souls as we remember. We remember those we lost. We remember almost losing ourselves. We remember the excruciating p ..read more

Photo by Renato Abati on Pexels.comUnwanted. Unloved. Unworthy. Not good enough. There are days when these words float through my head on repeat. We’ve all experienced this. Something happens in our lives and these negative images of ourselves circle our minds. You’ve lost your job, so you feel as though you’re not good enough. Your friends ditched you so you feel unwanted. Your partner left you so you feel unloved. Someone yelled at you so you feel small and unworthy. These negative depictions of ourselves can spin like a broken record, repeated over and over and over. I found myself allowing ..read more

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comHave you ever been asked this question? Have you ever asked this question of someone else? Usually this inquiry would be made in a casual setting, or perhaps occasionally in a hostile environment as one person challenges another. In either of these situations, the first response would likely be a name. This may be followed by a statement of job profession or perhaps a reason for being in that place at that present time. In a casual instance where you are meeting someone for the first time, other information may be offered as small talk ensues. A person may share w ..read more

Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.comI am currently reading a book by Charles Swindoll called ‘Paul: a Man of Grit and Grace’, which is about the life of the Apostle Paul. The chapter I just completed focused on suffering and the “thorn in the flesh” God gave Paul to keep him humble. Though many have speculated, it is unknown what Paul’s thorn was, whether it was physical, mental or emotional. All we know is that it caused him great pain, and he pleaded with the Lord three times to have it removed. We also know that God’s response was ‘No’. “Each time He said, ‘My Grace is all y ..read more

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.comWorking in ministry, I have a lot of conversations with people that can end up being very deep. One thing I see over and over is the struggle many have with vulnerability, and the fear of being vulnerable. I get it. Being vulnerable is scary. I’ve spent years working on being more vulnerable and opening myself up. However, with being vulnerable and more open, comes fear of rejection and judgement. I am at a place in my life where it’s less scary to be vulnerable and honest because I know who I am and I know my worth. Through years of therapy, conversations, reading ..read more