I didn’t plan to be an Angeleno. When I moved to LA for college, I had a smattering of dreams. Maybe I would chase the Hollywood life? I majored in Theater. Maybe I would be a songwriter? I wrote some really terrible poetry. Maybe I would nanny in Germany? I joined a dating-like app that paired me with some families. Maybe I’d just find a “good Christian husband” and follow him wherever he went? I got matched on an actual dating app with a few real-life (just) friends.
Read MoreIt was about a year ago. We were eating dinner at the dining table in our living room. Behind us, a tarp blocked off the real dining room, which had no ceiling. Sawdust and particles of whatever used to insulate our hundred-year-old attic covered the heavy cardboard that covered our wood floors. It was hot, and our summer renovation projects had reached the point where the glamour and excitement was wearing thin, replaced by impatience and the struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Read MoreIn the book of Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as a woman. She speaks a powerful message full of rich imagery and timeless advice that colors our perspective on the book’s theme as a whole. My recent seminar at Cornerstone West LA walked through the text of Proverbs 8 and 9 to explore what Woman Wisdom can teach us about living wisely in our world today.
Read MoreLEGO. The magic of those little bricks. Endless possibility. Delightful tiny replicas. Adorably mis-proportioned accessories.
Read MoreIt took me more than a decade to realize that Los Angeles had seasons.
Read MoreThe problem with being in your 20s is that you have a lot to say (and some of it is quite good) but you haven't yet earned the spiritual street cred for people to listen. Now in my 30s, I probably do have a few nuggets to share, but the imposter syndrome can be debilitating. I expect that by my 40s, I'll have achieved the right seasoning.
Read MoreChances are, if you haven’t personally assessed every item in your home for joy-sparking, someone on your social media feed has. She’s evangelizing about her newfound freedom thanks to Marie Kondo, Japanese organizing consultant, and all-around delightful inspiration for former-hoarders. Few people can simultaneously judge your messy home and somehow make you feel good about your capacity to change.
Read MoreRepost from Cornerstone West LA. I’ve been on a bit of a reading kick lately. From novels with my Kinder moms book club and middle elementary audio books on the drive home, to parenting books by neuroscientists and heady theological commentaries on the usage of a particular Greek term prior to 312 AD—I’ve been all over the place. Somewhere between Moscow, Havana, and Ancient Israel, I got to thinking about how we read what we read as Christians. How do we decide what to read, which authors to trust, and what is worth our time?
Read MoreThis summer I culminated the last few years of research into a seminar for Cornerstone West LA that offers a framework for how to tackle stories in Biblical narrative, an area of Bible reading that I’ve often shied away from. I’m proud of the work it took to pull that hour and a half together, as well as the opportunity to teach the topic…
Read MoreI have heard my fair share of horrid arrangements of “Mary Did You Know?”, with all their vamping and belty vocals, yet each time I listen to the song, I cannot help but tear up when I think of that young girl in ancient Israel.
Read MoreI know that it’s fashionable to be annoyed at the Christmas decorations that pop up just after Halloween, but yesterday as Eloïse and I were doing some pre-Thanksgiving meal prep, I went all in. We turned on the Christmas music and danced to “Oh Holy Night” while cranberries popped gleefully on the stovetop and pie finished in the oven…
Read MoreThese are hard days to keep up with the news. I’m feeling a little redundant continuing to say, “No, God does not approve of violence against women…”
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