This morning, the Lord reminded me of a critical part of my burnout and people-pleasing story. He reminded me of when I left the church and checked out on Him for almost a year and a half. I am not ashamed of this experience. I thought it was necessary at the time. I just never thought much about how that season of my life shaped my journey and current relationship with God. And so, I’ve never shared it publicly. In 2017, during my first burnout, I walked away from the church. I was unsure I would ever return. I lied when I gave my pastor my membership renouncement letter. I told her I was lea ..read more

On a night when I would rather have been out and about in Tilaran town in Costa Rica, the Lord prompted me to rewatch one of my favorite movies Redeeming Love. “Pay close attention to the marriage scenes,” the Lord whispered. After tears upon tears, I finished the movie with a new understanding of marriage and the grace and patience it takes to serve a broken or healing partner, like me. And the blessings to be found on the other side of intentionally taking the short but difficult steps to healing. “Redeeming Love tells the story of a prostitute named Angel and a farmer named Michae ..read more

A Costa Rican stranger who became a friend. Happy new year, my friend! I am sitting here reflecting on my first fully solo trip to Costa Rica, a country where the natives don’t speak my native language, and I barely speak theirs. One of the things I grew to appreciate is the kindness of strangers during a time when “basic human decency” is often viewed with distrust and assigned ulterior motives. Strangers helped me with my suitcase. Strangers gave me directions and contacted taxis on my behalf…many offering help without me asking. Strangers stopped to help me despite the language barrier. Str ..read more

At 30 years old, there are two questions I get asked quite a lot. Why are you single? Why are you still a virgin? The answers to both these questions are linked…and definitely not what most people think. A common assumption is that I’m a virgin because I am a Christian. And that I am single because I do not have options. Both couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, I want to honor my Christian covenant with God, and I understand the implications of breaking that covenant. But I made the decision to wait until marriage to have sex… before I became a Christian. In fact, the reason for that d ..read more

I almost got swept away by strong river currents last week. As I reflected on the moment, the Lord dropped a bombshell on me about men’s roles as leaders and women’s submissiveness that I’d like to share with you. But first, let me share the story of my near drowning. My friend and I visited Rio Fortuna in Costa Rica. It is such a magical place. We settled further upstream, where the current was really strong. By now, you all know that your girl loves the water but can not swim to save her life . After we settled, I wondered about crossing to the rocks on the other side of the river. I turned ..read more

“Get in the box, you Jezebel!” If you’ve watched the movie, Barbie, you probably instantly recognize that famous Will Ferrell line. He screamed it in irritation as Barbie takes too long to reenter the box that would return things to “normal”. But this post is not about people who try to force us into “normal” boxes. After a rather tough experience of mine own, I recognized something that is many times overlooked. Sometimes we are the Will Ferrells screaming, “Get in the box, you Jezebel!” at ourselves. Let me explain. As a former people-pleaser, I used to be my harshest critic and very confl ..read more

One of the most frequent questions I get is “When are you getting married?” For many years that question made me uncomfortable because my dream was to be married by my 25th birthday. But you know what? I’m really glad that I didn’t get married at 25 like I planned and others expected. Growing up, I had this amazing plan for my life. I would achieve certain degrees before 30, and I would meet and marry an awesome man by the time I am 25. I got the degrees but the marriage goal went by unfulfilled (not due to a lack of trying on my part). And as more people questioned me about my status, I felt ..read more

I was said to be one of the nicest person ever but I was a horrible friend for years. And I had no clue. Let me share the back story. A few years ago, when my corporate and church career were just taking off, my friends from other spheres of my life often invited me to events and gatherings. I’d decline the invite or cancel at the last minute as the demands of church, my job, and the needs of my boss and clients got the best of me. After a time, my friends stopped inviting me to stuff. And I noticed. To be honest, I felt a bit hurt by it, but I also didn’t believe they stopped inviting me with ..read more

Head over to Amazon to go grab your copy of my book “In Search of the Pink Flamingo” if you are ready to: Learn to flow. Ditch the busy work and release the need to constantly strive for perfection and control. Step confidently into the exceeding abundance God has for you. Break the cycle of people-pleasing. Find the courage to live life on your own terms while creating a lasting impact – no more hiding or blending in! Own your voice. Learn to recognize and redefine the standards, expectations, and voices that haunt and block your own. Process difficult emotions. Tap into a deeper well of fre ..read more

I’m about to burst a big myth about the best place to write a book. I wrote most of “In Search of the Pink Flamingo” in a steel panyard as I spent time with my friend, Sunshine, in Canada. My laptop and I had the time of our lives (cue the Dirty Dancing reference) as the Holy Spirit and island beats provided inspiration. I loved it so much that I dedicated the book to the Pan Fantasy Steelband. This was a far cry from the patio in my apartment complex that I imagined when my book coach encouraged me to find a dedicated spot to write. I was traveling again when it was time to edit the book. I ..read more