**Welcome to my Glorygram! Each week I write this letter as an invitation to you God's table to taste and see His glory in the world. I’d love to share a plate of my Glazed Soy-Ginger Salmon with you! Pull up a chair and savor it with me.
I gathered a group of seven friends at my table for lunch. We are all women leaders who serve at churches and ministries across the city. These women challenge me, pray over me, and inspire me. I arranged a small bouquet of barely-opening daffodils at each of their plates. I encouraged them to take these home and put them in water as a reminder to “Bloom where you are planted.”
A few days later, I started getting text messages from my friends – pictures of their bright yellow flowers blooming. One friend had put hers in a mason jar. Another added hers to a vase tied with raffia. Another had used her daffodils to dress up her table’s centerpiece and added greenery.
The final photo I received was of a bud vase stuffed full with daffodils. The flowers were limp, shriveled at the ends, floundering.
My friend sent the following text with her photo: “Life lesson: Don’t stifle your growth by putting yourself or your dreams in a too-small vase.”
The visual was profound for me – for all of us.
I was sitting in a season where I heard God whispering that I needed to step back. I needed to create margin for myself. I was teetering on the edge of burnout after years of intense ministry in the non-profit space and then the loss of my first husband Ericlee. I needed to devote more time to my three daughters. My body and my heart were crying out for nourishment.
My new husband Shawn gently and wisely told me: “If you don’t say no to some commitments now, you will not have space in the future to step into the big things I believe God is calling you to.”
I hemmed. I hawed. I squirmed at his words.
I knew he was right. His voice resonated with what God was already telling me. If I really wanted to flourish in my calling, I needed to prune back some of the commitments I had – even the things I most loved.
I took my own bundle of daffodils and put them in the biggest, widest glass vase I could find –- a wedding gift from a mentor friend. That vase full of water and space and vibrant, yellow flowers was a daily reminder to me about what I need to truly flourish: space to hear God, space to grow, space to add new and different flowers when the time arises.
That was almost a decade ago and I find myself reflecting again at the end of the summer on how we have to be intentional with our time and talents if we want to flourish long term as individuals and as a family.
The word “flourish” is a verb that means “to thrive; to be in one’s prime; to be at the height of fame, excellence, influence; to grow luxuriantly like a plant.” These definitions speak to me about not just surviving, but actually embracing, enjoying, thriving in this calling God has for each us. That’s unique for each of us.
In his book Strong and Weak, Andy Crouch writes about flourishing: “The paradox of flourishing is that true flourishing requires two things that at first do not seem to go together at all. But in fact, if you do not have both, you do not have flourishing, and you do not create it for others. Here’s the paradox: flourishing comes from being both strong and weak.”
God has shown me that I must embrace both my strengths and weaknesses, sprinting and slowing, work and rest. And the more I am willing to live this paradox out loud, the more others around me feel freedom to step into their respective callings as well.
“Flourishing requires us to embrace both authority and vulnerability, both capacity and frailty – even at last in this broken world, both life and death,” Crouch writes.
For the fourth year in a row, I carved out the month of July for sabbatical. Sabbaticals have their roots in Christian tradition and scripture. Leviticus 25:1-5 calls for the people of Israel to set aside the seventh year as a year of rest for the land. In the New Testament, Jesus modeled regular rest and solitude. He drew away from the crowds even when the needs seemed to be pressing and chose to be in prayer.
This year, I continued my sabbatical rhythm of taking a break from deadlines, Zoom meetings, turning on an out-of-office message for emails, and spending days away from my phone and social media. It’s vulnerable to take time to rest, to trust that my work will be there when I return. I always feel a mix of anxiety and relief in missing out.
I chose to spend as much time as possible outdoors, including three camping trips to Shaver Lake, Kings Canyon National Park, and Big Bear Lake with family. I ran a relay race raising money for clean water access for vulnerable women around the world and enjoyed my niece’s wedding in Santa Barbara.
I stayed up way too late reading fiction for fun.
I asked hard questions and didn’t look for answers tied up with bows.
I counted more stars than calories.
I wore my hair naturally curly and most days didn’t put on makeup.
I said yes to as many adventures as possible with my family and friends.
I spent less time juggling commitments, studying and writing, and more time listening, learning and cooking delicious meals because I enjoy the process.
And slowly but surely, the parched places in my soul rehydrated. I felt more connected with myself, my values, and my Creator God. I was reminded of who I am at the core.
Recently, I was listening to a podcast where the co-hosts Jo Saxton and Pastor Steph O’Brien were chatting about the power of retreating to advance as leaders. Steph painted the image of pulling back a bow intentionally, which pushes the releasing of the arrow.
The pullback of the bow is what helps gather the energy to launch the arrow.
In the same way, when we rest, when we recalibrate our sense of purpose, when we reconnect with God and nature, then we are able to renew our energy for the good work God has for us.
This week my youngest will join her sister at the local public high school. (I can’t believe my baby is a freshman!) My middle daughter starts her senior year with her sights set on college and her career. My oldest girl begins her junior year back in San Diego on campus at Point Loma University.
In May, I finished my final year teaching journalism at the Christian high school. Because of a misalignment of values and a sense that God has new assignments for me, I decided it was time to move on.
In this new chapter, I am excited about partnering with my new literary agent DORENA WILLIAMSON to get more of my kids books out into the world. We are submitting projects that have been sitting in files for years. I’m also working on writing a middle grade mystery novel. (Hopefully more news on that soon!)
The space I took this summer to breathe, rest and pray helped give me a confidence that this shift is good and necessary for our family. This also means I have space in my vase for my flowers and passions to bloom.
I got an unexpected call this week from California State University, Fresno, inviting me to teach a new course called “Interrogating Children’s Literature: Power, Representation, and Universal Design.” This course explores how children’s literature shapes young readers’ understanding of cultural identity, equity, and social context. Yep, right up my alley. I start next week!
Ten years ago I stepped away from teaching at the college level to pursue my writing and speaking. Now I may be returning at a time that feels right. I will also be growing my business as a speaker coach and freelance editor.
Friends, I imagine you are facing transitions in your family this fall too. Whether you are sending kids to college or kindergarten, whether you are continuing in a decades-long career or starting up something new, you are invited to flourish by God’s design. Here are some truths to cling to:
Flourishing requires space and rest.
Flourishing thrives in community.
Flourishing is for everyone.
The prophet Jeremiah gives us a vision for what true flourishing looks like: “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8, NLT)
We have to trust the Master Gardener if we want to step into true flourishing. We have to dig our roots in deep, water them and prune our plants so there is space for the fruit to come.
How can I pray for you and your family in this season?
Each week I like to share links to some of my own work and resources that are inspiring me and my family to chase after God’s glory! I hope these books, giveaways and podcasts will encourage you in your flourishing too!
How do you flourish when life feels heavy? Maybe He wants us to stop planning and striving. Maybe He wants us to focus less on producing and more on abiding. Maybe it’s time to allow the Master Gardener to prune, nourish and cultivate our lives so we can flourish together for His glory. God designed each one of us to flourish. He also grants us privileges and gifts to help others flourish in the garden of life. Flourishing Together invites women to dig deep in the soil of faith and cultivate a life in Christ that is fruitful. In Flourishing Together, I share how God helped me move forward in a new marriage and career following my first husband’s death. These words help believers who feel parched and disconnected from the Vine to root themselves in Biblical truth and find rest. I have used this as curriculum for small cohorts and large groups.
Busy Bodies, Busy Brains: Learning to Love How God Made You is a beautiful new book by my Redbud author friend Kristie Anyabwile. This heartwarming picture book takes readers into the thoughts of a child who is neurodivergent, capturing the whirlwind of activity in his mind and body and offering a unique perspective on how he navigates the world. Come along as our young friend discovers a powerful truth: God made him intentionally, and his busy body and brain are gifts he can use to serve God and help others. Each month I give away a copy of a beautiful book. For August, I will give a copy of this new kids book to one of my faithful Glorygram readers. Share why this book appeals to you or who you might share it with in your circles!
Children all encounter change differently. And whether a new year, a new school, a new neighborhood, or a new team, change can be hard. Through her just-released picture book, Doing Something New, award-winning author Mitali Perkins reminds kids that wherever they go and whatever they do, in all of these changes they are not alone: Jesus is with them. And not only is Jesus with them, but he also understands and empathizes with them because he, too, has experienced new and difficult things. This book gives a fresh take on the beatitudes in the book of Matthew and beautifully pastors readers through times of transition.
Are we friends on Instagram? Check out some of my summer sabbatical adventures and new endeavors over on the ‘gram. I’d love to connect with you more personally and post daily over there!
What is a woman’s highest calling in God’s eyes? And how does the church sometimes miscommunicate about what this calling truly is? In this heartfelt episode of Hear Women, I sit down with Dr. Sandra Glahn—author, seminary professor, and scholar—to uncover what it means to be a Christian woman when your life doesn’t fit the often expected script of marriage and motherhood. Together, we open up about the unspoken struggles of infertility, the pain of failed adoptions, and the silent grief that many women carry. Sandra shares how church culture, outdated scholarship, and unseen suffering can leave women feeling adrift and unsure of their God-given purpose.
Friend, I’m so grateful you are a part of my Glorygram tribe! I count it an incredible privilege to connect with each of you through this Glorygram. For $50 per year (or $5 a month), you’ll gain access to my full archive, bonus posts, monthly recipe posts, and my special Advent and Lent devotionals! My subscription-only content will be an extension of the foundation we’ve already built together. My goal is always to help you continue to feast on God’s glory in your everyday lives. To subscribe and unlock this exclusive content, simply hit the Subscribe Now button. Founding members will also get a personalized, signed copy of one of my books! I am so grateful for all of your prayers and support!
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