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Love Me?
This week God has been teaching me a lot about how to love me. First, there was this idea to start a series called I Love My Body. I invited many fabulous women (and men) to share their body stories. Stories of hate. Stories of acceptance. The series kicked off with one of the most beautiful Brit’s I’ve ever seen. Her name is Chine and she is actually writing a book on body image. HOW COOL IS THAT? Check out her story here. Then, there was my blog meltdown. I started a previous series called Monday Meditations–and let’s just say it failed. Read why here. Next up, I had the…
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I Love My Body
[Guest Post by Chine Mbubaegbu] – I love my body. This is something I couldn’t have written this a few years ago. Because loving my body certainly has not come easily to me. You could say our love affair has been a tumultuous one. Sure, we’ve had some fleeting dalliances–the odd glance in the mirror where I’ve caught sight of it and approved. But on the whole, arriving at a place where I can say that I truly love my body has been a journey I’ve been traveling on most of my life. When you start writing about beauty and body image, as I have done, and you start telling…
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I Survived My 20s – Grief
[Guest Post by James Prescott] – This is the story of my grief. It was 7.30am on Saturday, April 29, 2000. I was 23 years old. My mobile phone rang. For some reason I had left it on overnight, which I never normally do. I picked up the phone. It was my Dad. I said hello, and he simply replied: “Your Mother’s passed away.” I was in shock. Mum had suffered with asthma for many years so it wasn’t a total surprise. But when someone you love encounters death that often and survives, you begin to think they’re invincible. I had begun to joke my Mum, aged 52 at the…
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I Survived My 20s – Consequences
[Guest Post by Tish] – As a young girl, I dreamed of the day that my very own Prince Charming would sweep me off my feet. I never once imagined that at age 29, I would still be single and dealing with the consequences of Herpes. I grew up in a Christian home, memorizing verses from the Bible, practicing hymns on the piano, and dressing up in my Sunday best for Church every week. I believed in God, even felt His calling once in a while, but I was soon to learn how shallow my faith and understanding of His power was. The chinks in my armor started to show…
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I Survived My 20s – Depression
[Guest Post by Addie Zierman] – I turned 20 on a warm day in July, and then, two weeks later, I got married. There was pink tulle everywhere and 200 roses that we ordered online and arranged into bouquets in the church basement. During the ceremony, two of my best friends from high school sang “Be Thou My Vision,” and their voices filled the room, haunting and sweet. This is how I began my 20s: eyes closed, heart raised. I was full to the brim with love and with Jesus, surrounded by all of my closest friends who felt the exact same way. From that alter, the future looked sparkling…
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I Survived My 20s – Idols
[Guest Post by Kimberly Davidson Campbell] – Although I enjoyed my 20s–and now definitely enjoy my 30s more–there was one problem: where I found my identity. Idols. The biggest heart struggle I had was not just about being single, but pleasing men. Not in the “dress cute so someone will ask you out” men pleasing way; but in something that was for me much more dangerous to my walk with God. I thought if I could be involved enough, cool enough, and popular enough, pretty enough, stylish enough, smart enough, relevant enough–someone would give me my dream ministry position on staff at a church. There was one church in particular…
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What's Your Story — Mikey
I just want to say that it’s totally God that He brought Mikey into my life and crossed our paths. He spoke at my first book launch for Faithbook of Jesus hosted at North Coast Church. Then I asked him if I could interview him on camera for a second book project I was doing. And then that project was canceled. When I resurfaced and the book got picked up again by a different publisher–I asked Mikey. And then nothing. All I heard was silence. I’m so glad Mikey’s story is far from over. On June 29, 2012 he wrote this on his Facebook page after being silent for many…
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Sex and Money
[Guest Post by Jennifer Kephart] – I have heard it said that the two biggest things that married couples fight about are sex and money. I believe and know this to be true, and I think it is because so much of our identity and self-worth are wrapped up in these two areas of our lives. So many times when we meet someone new, we ask them, “what do you do?” Money can be such a touchy subject, but how then how are we just supposed to make it work? In my experience, I find that there are 3 primary areas where money issues can arise: 1) Not budgeting together…
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Afraid of Marriage
There are many reasons to be afraid of marriage. Thanks to Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, we will never forget the title of “Runaway Bride.” The movie follows Julia who freaks out in epic fashion and ditches the groom. Three different times she runs away from her wedding. Enter Richard Gere. He plays the journalist who covers her fourth wedding. There is something about his presence that forces Julia to reconcile her fear of marriage. Obviously the “Hollywood” ending is perfect, and they end up together–but it’s the process I found fascinating. So I have a question for you. What about marriage are you most afraid of? Recently, I received…
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Can you talk about sex?
If you’re a Christian, can you talk about sex while you’re dating or thinking about getting engaged? No, seriously I want to know. I wrote in Not Another Dating Book, “We dare to dream of the day when that guy or girl is going to walk into the room and change our lives forever. But what happens when he or she does? What if those feelings of unworthiness…don’t go away?” This time last year, Marc and I were getting pretty serious. I knew the long exciting road that was ahead of me. We would probably get engaged and soon. There would be ring shopping dates. Talks of buying a house.…
