Tiffany, the USA -> Canada Expat Much has happened since I first heard the voice of God tell me that 2022 would be the year of taking territory (click here to read my post about these words). I could not have fathomed the mental, emotional, and spiritual journey that my life would take to even experience the initial manifestation of this prophecy. Taking territory isn’t exactly a glamorous process. It’s quite painful, actually. I remember first driving into my new neighborhood here in Quebec. I signed our lease sight unseen because I couldn’t afford, financially or timewise, to travel to Ca ..read more

Strive /strīv/ verb [according to Oxford Languages] make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. struggle or fight vigorously. This second definition of striving fits what my life has looked like recently. A struggle and a vigorous fight. Have you ever been here? If not, then you’re probably not human. In a world that constantly communicates our insufficiency in knowledge, beauty, achievement, wealth….need I name more?…..we are constantly told two sets of lies: The efforts you are making are insufficient. You need to try harder, do more, be more than you currently are. You need to gri ..read more

What does being faithful look like? I have begun to ask myself this as I struggle to find the motivation to write. To mentor. To do many things, actually. Anything, in this season, outside of the demands placed on me professionally. I want to take care of myself. To take care of others. To show up, in life and love, and be present. But to be honest? In this season? That’s easier said than done. I don’t think what I’m going through is entirely uncommon for those of us who choose careers of passion. Careers in which we didn’t look at the debt-to-income ratio or our projected salaries to decide t ..read more

God wants to be known by you. Take a moment to ponder that. To be known. We often focus on the fact that God wants our worship, our obedience, or our time. But, through and above all this, God wants you to understand who He is. His character. The depth of His love for You. His holiness. All of Him. If we approach interpreting the actions of God and our lives in His creation from this lens, we will start to notice this core motive in our everyday lives. Yes, God will reveal Himself to us through grand showings of miracles, signs, and wonders. Sudden healings and provision in desert seasons are ..read more

To strive is to struggle. To strive to be faultless perfect, in every aspect of life and in all situations, is utterly exhausting. Redefining perfection in every new season. The standard of perfection seemingly becomes more and more unachievable with the welcoming of every new stage in life. In truth, many of our frustrations in life either originate from our own intrinsic failure to achieve perfection, or rather the inability of others to meet our varied mental and often unvocalized standards of faultlessness. In the middle of this struggle, I contend with the ever-changing standards of perfe ..read more

Autonomy and Holiness I value nothing more in my adult life than my autonomy. My independence. The right to govern myself. To choose my activities. To not be subject to the will and emotions of others to dictate how my day will progress. I quickly end friendships when people display controlling or emotionally unstable habits. My heart is closed off to family members who impact my mood. I protect my peace with ferocity. I have even separated myself from social media, perhaps in a partial effort to claim even more autonomy in my emotional and mental status (click here to read my previous post ab ..read more

What do you think the following scripture means? “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 KJV) What does it mean to you to have an “abundant life”, which has also been translated as “life and life in all its fullness”, “full life”, or a life that’s “rich and fulfilling”? What would your life look like if these adjectives were fully manifested in your life? What if you’re wrong? You see, I’m in a bit of a theological debate between the Christianity that was fed to me and t ..read more

“Nobody cares. Nobody likes you,” I heard social media subtly whisper to my heart. The voice was very quiet at first. Almost inaudible. Indiscernible. I don’t know when precisely it began growing louder, but soon it went from my heart to my head. Soon I was able to repeat its sentiments. And, too long after that, I realized it was lying. I really thought I was strong enough to not be affected by social media. I would casually flip through Instagram when I had nothing better to do. Post a funny Facebook status when something entertaining occurred. Ask my husband to pose for a cute photo if we l ..read more

Praying was not a foreign exercise, but a part of the daily words I heard spoken in my home, whether over food or over the pulpit. Sometimes people spoke in very simple words. I’ve even heard desperate cries at altars using no words at all. How precious is it to know that Christ even understands our wordlessness? That every tear is comprehended by our Creator. And our deep guttural silent groans as we walk through the briars of life? He understands those too. I have also heard elaborate prayers. There was a man who, from the sincerity of his heart, with no pretense or self-righteousness, would ..read more

When Hope is Broken The concept of hoping for anything terrifies me. I cannot concretely pinpoint the first time in my life that I realized the danger of optimism. Maybe it was the time I prayed that my grandfather would be healed, only to experience his death a few weeks later. Could have been the time I competed for a full-ride scholarship to Michigan State, and after being courted and wooed by the university, I reached the shattering realization that I was being offered admission to the university at the cost of mortgaging my future with student loans. Maybe it was the year that I sat on th ..read more