Here we are friends, walking the final few steps of our Relentless journey together- looking for the presence of God in the midst of our suffering, and what a road it has been! But we have just one more thing to wrestle with… How do we, as a chosen people, a holy priesthood, a royal nation, which has been called out of darkness and into marvelous light (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9), walk this out? How do we not keep such joy and healing and the experience of God’s presence amidst our pain to...

Have you ever had a friend message you exactly what you needed to hear at the perfect moment? A few years ago, I received word that a friend I’d journeyed through Cancer simultaneously with had just been admitted into hospice care. It took my breath away. I was mourning in the mountains, when a friend messaged me this: “To inspire someone is way more than making them happy or amazed or even more than making them feel good. It is to lend them spirit when they are short, and of course because...

“Suffering is a great unifier, because all of us experience it and it puts all of us on the same ground. It’s also the great divider because it forces us to choose. We cannot stay neutral when dealing with suffering. We either have to believe in God even more or we have to reject him completely. There’s no middle ground.” When asked why they don’t believe in God, a vast majority of people would reference the problem of pain. There is just too much suffering in the world for there to be a...

“I’m staaaaaarving.” Anyone else’s kiddos claim this on a regular basis? In July of 2011, we received a phone call that would change our lives forever. Three little kids, whose mama couldn’t care for them anymore, needed a home. Twenty-four hours later we picked them up and brought them home as our own. For their first meal in their new home I had brilliantly planned Kraft mac & cheese and watermelon, because this was not my first rodeo. Listen, I had raised three boys before; I have...

Have you ever walked into a room and felt completely out of place? Like somehow there was something inherently flawed about you? That for some reason you just did not belong? Perhaps it’s happened to you from within a room you were even invited into. This room could’ve been real- a home, an office, a church, but it also could’ve been figurative- Facebook, Instagram, social media. A few years ago, my family and I went ice skating, and I gotta tell ya', I was pretty excited to unveil my hidden...

I love math. Always have. Just today, I felt a small thrill when my kids returned from school (AKA their computers in the kitchen, thankyouCovid) with a math problem they needed my assistance with. The reason? An equation is straightforward, solvable, with a clear conclusion. I wish faith were more like algebra. Instead, faith sometimes reminds me of the tedious, makemewannapullmyhairout, task of untangling my headphones. It is the actual worst. I would honest-to-goodness rather buy a new...

Chemo and radiation were complete, and I was hopeful I could finally enjoy a long-overdue meeting with my counselor, a little too hopeful… It was approximately ten minutes into the session when it happened. I puked. First on her office carpet; next, into her very cute, very permeable wicker wastebasket. I apologized profusely while she graciously reassured me, moving about to help clean and comfort. What a mess. I mean if there were ever a place to spill your guts, I would say it’s in your...

“Is there more than just shame at the end of this rope?” It had been an exceptionally hard day, and coming from someone battling Cancer for the third time, that was really saying something. Treatment had been especially brutal, and I was in desperate need of support. I logged onto Facebook, and posted a simple request for prayer from my community, something I rarely resort to. After just a few minutes, one short comment succeeded only in adding insult to injury… Come on now, Michele, it’s...

I thought they’d come to offer compassion and support. Instead, they’d come to criticize and correct. I was desperate for comfort, maybe some wisdom or guidance. What I received was something quite different. When I look back on that day, the memories still feel painful. I am no longer the young girl I once was. And yet these church leaders whom I’d loved and respected for most of my life left me heaped in accusation and shame. They “neglected connection for the sake of harsh correction.”...

I remember it like it was yesterday… Certain memories seem to play in technicolor. These are the ones you can see, smell, feel for years. Where the terror hangs heavy and every hair on your body stands at attention. Physical trauma has a way of marking our memories in this way, and surprisingly enough, emotional trauma sure can hold its own, too. This memory is one of the vivid ones. I was finally cancer free, again, and sitting on the back porch. Years of rapid and consecutive trauma had...

Confession: I am far crueler to myself in my own head than I would ever dare be to a friend. Anyone else? Who are you to lead anyone else when you can barely lead your own family? Who are you to speak up when someone else could say it better? Who are you to preach God’s grace when you struggle to simply love your own people? Do the questions accusations sound familiar? In chapter 3 of Relentless, I tell the story from Genesis 32, of a wrestling match between Jacob and God. Jacob, refusing...

Wouldn’t it be nice if all of our shared experiences were about how much we all love Ice cream? Aisle 7… Or Pop-Tarts? Aisle 3… Or puppies? Wrong store…  If the only things to relate over included the words sunshine or sandy beaches or mountain getaway? Instead, I’m willing to bet that if you’re old enough to read this, you’ve been around long enough to know the sting of betrayal, the paralysis of bad news, the pain of a broken heart. It was like being ripped in two. In chapter 2 of...

There it was again. That phrase. The one intended to bring comfort in a time of chaos. “Everything happens for a reason.” They mean well, I tell myself again.  Sometimes our pain proves too heavy for loved ones to hold; so they shift under the weight, reaching for the nearest phrase that seems to tie the bloody up with a bow. But what if there aren’t any cute clichés that can clean up the mess of our brokenness? What if we don’t receive a clear answer to the question, “Why?” that rings in...

How many times have you heard the words fall from your mouth? “…I’m fine.” Even just today? As the crack splinters a little further through the chambers of your breaking heart, threatening its very foundation. As the next breath threatens not to come. As the husband walks out, the roommate makes yet another passive aggressive remark, the child slams the door, the unpaid bills pile up on the counter, the elderly parent grows weaker… “I’m fine. It’s fine. We’re fine.” It was a typical...

Have you ever found yourself buried by darkness? Sitting on the floor weighted down by a darkness you can feel, arms wrapped tightly around your knees, wondering how much longer you have before all the oxygen is siphoned from the room? Do you know the place?  The one where the pain in your chest meets the ache of your weary soul and you wonder deep down if you will actually drown under all that weight. I'm too tired. I can't swim anymore. Do you know the feeling?  The one where you suspect...

 We all have those moments. We get the text, the email, the Facebook message with someone who shares their unsolicited advice, criticism and opinions. It hurts. It exposes. It doesn't feel good. But then we have a choice. We can choose WHAT we do with that message. Here are the four steps you can use to tackle criticism. 

We all need to learn how to listen better. I've never met someone who has perfected the art of listening to everyone in their life. Usually we do well with some people and fail with others. Learn with me today as I share the five  necessary skills needed to learn how to listen.

From all my experiences and research, today I share the single most important strategy to help you diffuse a charged situation (which you will probably be able to use today). 

 Today I talk about a newer tradition and perspective for me involving Ash Wednesday, Lent and savoring the divine. 

Listen in as I discuss how to deal with fear and the five steps to get you through. Friend, whatever led you to land here, I need you to know something before you go:  ONE, you’re not alone. Not even close. You don’t need to clean up, buck up, or pull yourself together. We’re a bunch of in-progress people doing our best to find meaning, growth and deeper faith exactly where we are. That means you belong.   And TWO, you matter. Your story. Your work. Your struggle. You aren’t a random...

Whatever led you to land here, I need you to know something before you go:  ONE, you’re not alone. Not even close. You don’t need to clean up, buck up, or pull yourself together. We’re a bunch of in-progress people doing our best to find meaning, growth and deeper faith exactly where we are. That means you belong.  And TWO, you matter. Your story. Your work. Your struggle. You aren’t a random accident, a problem to be solved or an invisible face in a sea of a billion others. You are the...

 Although some view Kindness as meek or weak, practicing kindness—especially with those you don't deserve it—can be some of the hardest and most rewarding work you do. Rather than say something about the recipient, kindness reveals the character of the giver. Today I give you five EASY kindness practices that can help you develop this skill in you daily life.   Michele   P.S. Let's Stick Together! You can also subscribe to get my occasional blog posts and newsletters in your email....

Part of the human experience is discovering that, in spite of your best efforts, you are flawed, wounded, imperfect. Although you do your best to put forward your best front, behind the scenes there is likely something you feel embarrassed about, maybe even ashamed of. Whatever it is—your appearance, a regret, a disability—shame will try to convince you that you are unworthy of love and belonging as a result. As a result, you will want to hide, runaway, get smaller and smaller and smaller in...