My seven year old self loved the soft pink walls in my childhood home. My bedroom was a space that welcomed my imagination, my dreams, and all of my big seven year old emotions. From seven to seventy, we all need a space like this. One of the questions we get all of the time is how to easily shift the vibe of your space. Obviously there are many ways to do this, but one of the simplest ways is to change the color of your walls. Psychologists have found that certain colors have the ability to make us feel calmer and more at ease. When choosing colors for your bedroom, first consider using a neutral color that will go with a wide variety...
"It's not good enough yet"I recently heard a child say this and it shocked me. Instead of saying "it's not done yet", they chose to say "it's not good enough yet". I'm sure the concept of "worthiness" is well known by our older kids but I wasn't prepared for a younger child to express it or demonstrate even the slightest understanding of it. Our striving for worth and perfection is seen by others, especially the younger people in our lives. Not only do they pick up on what we say, they also pick up on how we say it and how we respond to situations. When did we start shaping our actions and responses around proving or growing our worth?When did we start believing...
Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets – this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience.”
I'm learning to practice gratitude for a healthy body, even if it's rounder than I'd like it to be. I’m learning to take up all the space I need, literally and figuratively, even though we live in a world that wants women to be tiny and quiet. To feed one’s body, to admit one’s hunger, to look one's appetite straight in the eye without fear or shame—this is controversial work in our culture. Part of being a Christian means practicing grace in all sorts of big and small and daily ways, and my body gives me the opportunity to demonstrate grace, to make peace with imperfection every time I see myself in the mirror. On my best days, I practice...
