by Anna | May 8, 2015 | lifeblog, Reader Favorites
There are parents without carseats, diapers or pacifiers. Mothers who do not have bedtime rituals or middle of the night feedings. Parents without hand-stamped necklaces or birthstone rings. These are the other mothers – the ones in our midst who are quietly hurting....
by Anna | Apr 18, 2015 | at (in)courage
In this technology-driven-and-saturated world, not only do others have things we want, the things they have are displayed for all the see. Book deals aren’t secrets. Beautiful families are posted on walls. Opportunities and great ideas are shared right in public. It...
by Anna | Apr 14, 2015 | lifeblog
I weigh more than I ever have before. I wear a bigger size than I ever have before. I have more soft folds than I ever have before. On the last flight I took, while the seatbelt fit fine the sides of the seat nearly left marks on my hips. Sometimes I don’t...
by Anna | Mar 13, 2015 | at (in)courage
It takes someone to lift the veil of perfection, going first with their story that says their life is otherwise. You who do this are the brave women, the beautiful everyday warriors, the ones who makes space, and it may make all the difference to the woman you pass in...
by Anna | Feb 5, 2015 | at (in)courage, lifeblog
One of these homes backing up to our neighborhood is a Christmas holdout, strings of colored lights lining their deck railing. I love these lights. In the middle of the cold dark nights, they glow. Pacing and swaying with a sleepless baby, they glow. Struck...
by Anna | Jan 6, 2015 | lifeblog
This business of sharing your heart online is tricky. In my seven (!!!) years of writing here, there have been a few roadblocks. Things other than time, technology, and topics. Those things are everchanging and rotating, but not new. No, these are roadblocks that...
by Anna | Dec 29, 2014 | at (in)courage
Each day begins white as snow. Each day gives us a do-over. Each and every day starts with fresh mercy and new grace. Guilt doesn’t have to enter the picture. There’s no big party to welcome a new day, no sparkly orb or bands playing, no confetti tossed. New days dawn...
by Anna | Oct 22, 2014 | lifeblog
I’ve been keeping a secret. For months now, I’ve been stealing scraps of time for my own self to write something that I just plain wanted to write. It’s a God-sized dream coming true, a little piece of my heart come alive. And soon you’ll be...
by Anna | Sep 3, 2014 | lifeblog
Five years ago, I sat in a dingy office staring at a computer screen. I was astonished to discover other women finding community in that box, and one of the sites I visited daily was (in)courage. Their writing was always a breath of fresh air and encouragement,...
by Anna | Aug 14, 2014 | at (in)courage
I have lost two babies. Jesus held them before I did and I will miss them for all of my days. At some point during both of these periods of loss, I was told – with the sincerest of hearts and the sweetest of comforting intentions – that God wouldn’t give me more than...
by Anna | Jun 25, 2014 | lifeblog
I scroll through my Facebook feed, passing photos of women in workout gear, weight loss progress reports, toned legs stretched out in a chairside view of an ocean. A friend of mine from years ago is now a professional bodybuilder, her photos making me cringe in...
by Anna | Jun 4, 2014 | lifeblog
I’ve felt a bit reserved with my love lately. Like my heart wants to burst at the seams but for some reason, decides to just quiver a little instead. I know fear is creeping in when I don’t lean into my husband as we stand in the kitchen, or hold his smiling gaze for...