Idol Threats

Over the last month, I’ve been working on the beginnings of Unvarnished Grace – and tonight, I posted my first new blog post there. I’m still working out a few bugs over there, so I wanted to post it here too… and let you know that you can check out what I have so far [...]

Read More

Freedom or Slavery?

Galatians 5:1 is a verse that is much loved and often quoted by those of us who have lived through dysfunctional church experiences: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (NASB) We understand that verse better than the average Christian… [...]

Read More

Unvarnished Grace

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 7 years now since I walked away from a difficult church situation… and 5 years since I began to blog about my struggles as I tried to find my place in a healthy church. A lot has changed over those years. I’ve been through some horrible crises and [...]

Read More

Healing the “out of joint.”

This morning, I saw a familiar verse quoted on a friend’s page. Here it is in the NASB: “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by [...]

Read More

Substandard Roadways

I found these old road signs in several places in and around Louisiana’s Chicot State Park. I had never seen one before. At first… I kinda laughed when I saw them. It’s a rather ambiguous warning. What exactly does “substandard roadway” mean? Are the foundations about to crumble at any moment? Did they pave it [...]

Read More

Don’t call me beautiful.

Tonight, Anderson Cooper featured some of the moms from “Toddlers and Tiaras” on his Ridiculist. Granted… that’s a pretty easy call. I wonder how these folks can stand to watch themselves on TV. I’m kinda embarassed for them, even tho I doubt that they’re embarassed by much of anything, considering that they signed a release to [...]

Read More

Jeremiah 29:11

I have a confession to make: I cringe a little when folks quote Jeremiah 29:11. I can understand why it’s such a favorite — after all, who wouldn’t want that kind of promise for themselves? Here it is in the NIV: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper [...]

Read More

Will Anyone Remember Me?

September turned into a month of extreme contrasting memories and emotions for me: Preparing for a 9/11 service, and re-living a host of emotions and memories 10 years later… The paradox of attending a conference which simultaneously stirred strong memories of both belonging and rejection… Passing through a former hometown and visiting with some wonderful [...]

Read More

From Elated to Deflated

I’ve been on a technological roller coaster over the last few months. It started when some of the technology I relied on for day-to-day life — my laptop and my cell phone — both failed within days of each other. That experience was both frustrating and eye-opening. I never realized how much I used my [...]

Read More

Unexpected Solutions

I just got back from another roadtrip. I love taking long drives, especially when I get to be in the mountains or explore areas that I haven’t visited before. Those road trips put a lot of miles on my car… which means more frequent oil changes during those times of the year when I travel [...]

Read More