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You guys, let’s talk about community. This has been on my mind so often lately. Just running around my brain like a hamster on a wheel. Side note: I hate hamsters. I think they are gross. They are too small and weird and just creep me out.

I have been pondering about what community really means after reading ‘Bread and Wine’ by my brand new favourite author Shauna Niequist (everyone go buy all of her books. Seriously. Her writing is some of the best I have ever encountered). I have been craving deeper, closer fellowship lately – possibly more than ever before. I want to be honest and open floodgates for people to share and be open and vulnerable.

In ‘Bread and Wine’ Shauna talks repeatedly about the benefits of having a tribe… why doing life with your people adds so much richness and depth to your own life. As I am writing this I am also talking to one of my dearest friends. She lives across the country, and it makes me sad. But she is one of those keeper friends. We reconnected and she is one of my friends I have the most in common with. She is one of the busiest people I know and still makes time to talk to little old  me. She is there for me at all hours of the day (or night), and tells me I am not being a whiny brat when we both know that is not true. This friendship adds so much richness and texture to my life. Knowing you have someone there who will listen and help you work through junk in life is a deep gift.

I adore my people so much. I have no idea what I would do without them. I value who these great women and men are and what they bring to this world. My life is made so much better and more full with the presence of them. I love weathering storms with my pals, listening to them talk about what’s going on in their lives, and helping them wherever I can.

My friends have helped me weather wild storms, listened to me for hours on end, and have helped me understand what this crazy world is all about.

For that, I am thankful.

What do you love most about your tribe? How do they add depth and richness to your life? Do you have any cool friendship traditions?

“I’m just going to be honest because that’s what I do”. This is a quote from Jennie Allen, the Founder of IF Gathering, a Christian ministry. I will never forget her saying this in this YouTube video. I just love it so much!

I wanted to write on hope in the midst of trials because I am in a trying season right now. I am experiencing depression and anxiety. These are not fun topics to write about because they are both still attached with way too much stigma. I wrote on my old blog about my experience with having a husband who suffers with chronic depression and anxiety. I prayed for God to help me understand what Nick (my main squeeze) goes through regularly. Funny how God seems to answer prayers.

I wanted to write about this now, versus when this trial might be over so that I can be a cheerleader for others experiencing a time of trial right now. There is hope. We live in a big, dark, scary world – but God is higher than that. He is reaching down with His loving Hand right now to help and hold you.

It has been a long, heavy season of rejection and I have experienced loss. I want to be a hope-releaser and encourager of people in this time.

Depression feels like a big, black, vacuum pit of hell. Depression is a physical thing. Like it is often noted, why do we intellectually view depression as less of a concern than cancer when our brains are the central, vital parts of our physical bodies? Depression fills your mind with lies. Depression tells you that you cannot do things, so why even bother trying? Depression puts a physical barrier between you and everything you try to accomplish. Depression fills you with a mental fog that sometimes makes thinking about menial items challenging. Depression makes you exhausted.

But sisters and brothers, please accept my offer of hope. Our God is for us, so who can be against us? There is hope and healing. You can do it, keep going. You are worth it.

Take baby steps. Literally one foot in front of the other. I often think of this as I take walks in our beautiful neighbourhood. One foot in front of the other. That is good for now. Moment by moment. Step by step.

Yesterday I was listening to the ‘Around The Table Podcast With Maggie and Jacey’ (one of my all time favourites – I will include a link for your full listening pleasure). On the episode I was listening to, the girls had entrepreneur/writer/headstander/momma Jess Connolly on show. Jess was talking about the piece of her heart that loves to encourage other women. I wanted to shout all the amens on the street right then and there. In my mind I was saying YES girl, YES. That is what we women need to hear right now.

This topic makes me think of this verse: so encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

We need to encourage each other. Let us not compare where we are at with where others are at, but celebrate and lift each other up. Let’s celebrate what others are doing, accomplishing, and simply who they are. As we are all His creation and workmanship, we all have indelible value. This is a major lesson the Lord has been teaching me lately – that we have worth because are simply His. Our personal worth does not come from what we accomplish, but because we belong to the King.

Let this be our anthem:

Women, I want to encourage you.

I want to celebrate you.

I want to join in your victories, big and little.

I want to root for you in all that you have done, and everything you are working on.

Good job.

You are strong.

You are beautiful.

You can do this (with His strength).

So be encouraged. Keep going. Little by little. Step by step. Be encouraged. You are loved.

Link:

Around The Table Lunch Break with Jess Connolly

I was throwing my hair back moments ago as I was running out to take our family dog, Molly, out for a walk. I ended up leaving my hair down for the walk, but it made me think of an interesting topic: the hair on our heads.

Every time I see a ‘My Hair Story’ video on YouTube, I roll my eyes and continue on merrily with my video search perusal. Then I got thinking! Our hair is so personal. The hair on top of our head is a physical part of us. It contributes to how we look, which comes with thoughts, emotions, and identity markers.

My hair is wild. My hair contains different types of strands. There are thinner, straighter ones. Wackadoodle kinky types, and wavy ones. I am going to make no churn pumpkin ice cream (I will let you know how it turns out – making homemade ice cream scares me), so my hair is still back. But I have a headache, so I cannot wait until this ice cream is done so I can let my hair be wild and free.

My hair is a host of insecurities for me, and I want to change that. I have leaned towards needing to apologize to others for the frizzy, untameable mane that is atop my head. How bizarre is that? I did not choose this hair, therefore I should not need to apologize for it. I want to rock my hair. After all, the God of the universe gave me this unique attribute. I want to be confident about sporting whatever my hair is deciding to do without apology. It seems so silly and shallow to be writing about hair, but it is an intrinsic part of our being. I want to celebrate who all people are, and image is a part of that for every beautiful human.

The word says: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” – Psalm 139:13. God loves us, and created us. We can be confident and rest in who *He* designed us to be. Let’s all celebrate, encourage, and love each other on. Crazy hair or otherwise.

Updates:

1. The pumpkin ice cream was good!
2. My hair was driving me crazy the other night, so I threw it back. I put it back occasionally when life necessitates this.