Living in Freedom & Confidence
"In him (Christ Jesus) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." – Ephesians 3:11 niv
So excited to be a guest on my new friend Mandee McDonald’s podcast – Known with Mandee Mcd – Episode 83: The One with Hillary Grigel – Survivor of Sexual Assault. I enjoyed talking with Mandee so much we continued our conversation for an additional 45 minutes after the recording ended. We even joked about…
Our thoughts are powerful. What we think determines how we feel. How we feel sets the tone and course for not only our day, but all those with whom we interact. What we think determines what we are capable of. If we determine to do something, most likely we will. Conversely, if we decide something…
Mentors. What a treasure it is to have someone willing to come alongside us. Someone older, wiser, and willing to invest in the next generation. I have been blessed to have had such people in my life, especially during difficult seasons. Two such mentors, Walt & Jane Miller, will always hold a very special place…
One of the most well-known miracles of Jesus began with 5 small loaves and 2 small fish – the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1-15). Although 5,000 only accounted for the men present, not women and children. Scholars estimate the number fed was actually somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000.* Yet it all began with 5 small loaves and…
Have you ever been restricted to one page? A letter. A resume. We type everything out and it spills onto a second page. So, we edit. Eliminate. But we just can’t seem to squeeze everything we want onto one page. So we adjust the margins. We shrink and squeeze them until we can successfully cram…
I can’t keep plants alive. I try, but I always forget to water them or water them too much. So imagine my excitement when beautiful succulent flowers emerged like a Phoenix out of the ashes in my planter (see picture above). We normally rotate new annuals in this planter, but I think we are just…
I recently heard a celebrity share on a podcast that they have someone who sifts through their social media comments for them. They filter out all the negative comments and highlight the comments worth their attention. The interviewer sarcastically responded with: “Wait! You mean there are mean people on the internet?!” Ok, so I have…
Summer is finally here! My initial reaction to summer vacation is relief. Hooray for more flexibility in our schedule. No more school. Less rigid bedtimes. And best of all, forget the usual morning routine of trying to get kids ready for school, which at my house still feels like herding cats. But my feelings of…
Have you ever had a dream or a goal? I am a planner, so I feel the need to always have dreams and goals. Dreams and goals are great because they give us a vision. A destination. An aspiration. However, with any dream or goal we don’t instantly arrive, there is a process of becoming.…
In April I met with a local news station to share my story of Sexual Assault for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). It might not make sense to everyone, but I jump at every opportunity to share my story. Why? Because our stories matter. Our voices matter. They need to be heard. Only one person…