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Anxiety is a Gift
[Guest Post by Teri Antti] – Anxiety is a Gift? Yes! A Blessing! I once read that true peace can only be sustained when what you say, what you believe and what you do are all the same thing. At the time I read this anonymous quote, my thoughts, beliefs and actions were as far from being aligned as you could possible imagine. I was in a season during which my anxiety was at an all time high. I could not leave my house. Fear had found its way into every ounce of my being. I was rapidly loosing the confidence to even parent my three daughters. I had a…
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On Depression: Overcoming Low Self Esteem
[Guest Post by Tara Burke] – I struggled with depression during my teenage years — I felt that I had nothing to show for my life; nothing to offer anyone. While recently at a seminar for performing arts and missions, one seminar attendee asked the question of how to check one’s pride when receiving accolades and attention. This question stirred another one in me–what about when someone’s pride isn’t the issue? What about when the issue is whether they are any good at all? While I kept a happy face, I never told anyone how I really felt. I felt like a failure–a Christian wasn’t supposed to be depressed! All…
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On Anxiety: Why I Overeat
As long as I can remember I’ve had anxiety, which is why I overeat. In Junior High, my parents took me to doctor after doctor and they all agreed–I had hypoglycemia. The solution was to carry around extra snacks or protein with me to stabilize my blood sugar when it dipped. The problem was it dipped often. No matter how much food I ate I was always hungry. Day after day, I prayed to God and asked him to stop my hunger. When eating higher amounts of food didn’t work–I became even more anxious. I was afraid to eat because I didn’t want to get fat. Even as a young…
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On Dating: Should Men Pursue Women First?
[Guest Post by Marc Fisher] – Recently, I heard a panel on dating & relationships that tackled many interesting questions–should men pursue women? It was extra special because my wife Renee was one of the panel speakers. I felt encouraged afterwards because it gave some real challenges to put into practice in my own life–but what stood out the most was a single question. A question asked often in Christian circles, but often merely glanced over, Should men pursue women–first? I think we miss something that can radically alter our relationships if we don’t stop to ponder this question in more depth. We need to ask why does the question…
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I Love My Real Smile
[Guest Post by Emily Maynard] – This is my real smile. This is what I look like when I’m laughing, before I cover my mouth with my hands, before I wipe away the mascara inevitably melting onto my cheeks. This is what my friends and family see every time I come alive around them, when I laugh at one of my own jokes or snort over their funny stories. This is what I look like when I get excited about a puppy or a gluten-free cupcake or a gorgeous pair of shoes or a fresh idea burning in my heart. This is what I look like when I’m happy. This…
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I Love My Post Baby Body
[Monthly Columnist – Jaimie Bowman] – I’ll be honest–I’m not sure how to love my post baby body. It started in the 6th grade–didn’t it for most of us? I was in P.E. class, bending over for our warm-up, when the muffled laughter came from behind me and then grew louder and louder. I turned around and asked what was so funny. Three girls looked at each other, then back and me, and said, “It’s just that….your butt…it’s as big as Mrs. Rowan’s!” Mrs. Rowan was our P.E. teacher–I was 12. I stuffed that experience way back in the deep dark corner of my soul, hoping to never remember it…
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I Love My Body – Quitter
[Guest Post by Aurora Vilchis] – I quit. I have no intention on returning and I won’t even care if you call me a quitter. You know why? I quit the club. The club of self hatred, self loathing and self focus. You’ve been there, a bunch of gals get together and suddenly it becomes one big hate feast; one hates her thighs, another her ears, something too big, not tight enough, too small. I thought that I had to join in because I’m a girl. But then it hit me. The light bulb turned on. It is true that they say we will do anything to be healthy except…
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I Love My Body – Heart
[Guest Post by Sundi Jo] – The heart is something we obviously can’t live without. When it stops beating, so do we. But how often do we really live, even though our heart is pumping life into us? There was a time in my life that yes, I was breathing. My heart was beating. Blood was running through my veins. But there was no life in me. I was simply surviving. I used food to build walls around my heart. For each wall that was built, the harder my heart became. Calloused. Stiff. I was a 330 lb., little girl living inside the body of a 25-year old woman. I…
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I Love My Body – Unique Beauty
[Guest Post by Melissa Thomas] – When I was 4, I knew I wanted to grow up to be a ballerina. They have such a unique beauty. I used to dance in my parents living room. I would play Tchikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” and “Swan Lake,” and dream of being on stage with a giant tutu. I took dance lessons and learned how to twirl around, point my toes and stand in second position. When I was 11, I had my first seizure. I was waking up, getting ready to go with my family to breakfast. My dog jumped on my bed, excited to see me and greet me. I got…
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I Love My Body – Compared To Yours
[Guest Post by Amber] – I’m just going to come out and say it–I love my body–no matter what yours looks like. It took me many years to stop playing games. You know–the comparison game? I once was a: cheerleader, softball player, National Honor Society, top 5 percent of class, homecoming princess, voted most spirited, and the prom queen runner-up. All of these phrases described me in high school. Sounds pretty stellar on the surface, right? Except that I was: lonely, insecure, tired, disappointed, and scared. Those are words that also described me in high school, despite the fact they were less noticeable. Sure, I had lots of friends and…
