There are two types of people in this world—those who keep the front of their fridge clean and organized, and those with an obnoxious amount of photos and little-kid drawings and reminders cluttering the front, both sides, and maybe even a bit of the back. I—most certainly—belong to the latter group. I like to think…
I Think We Speak Different Languages, and That’s Beautiful
Every couple of Thursdays, our house fills with mommas and babies, aunties and sisters. We crowd around our table, sitting on the couch or folding chairs or the floor. Kids build towers with legos and throw a few at unsuspecting victims. The rest of us talk and laugh. We share about our day or tell…
One of the Most Important Questions We Can Ask the Father
Real talk—to my core, I am a worker and a striver. And sometimes, I turn into the worst kind of hustler—fighting to prove that I belong, that my voice carries value, that I am more than another number in this world. It’s why I need to remember that I don’t make the trees grow. I…
Hey, Maybe This isn’t Your Race to Run
Can I be totally honest? This season of life is challenging, and these days are full of everything but normal. On the really rough days, I find myself looking around at those around me. My peers are chasing successful careers. They’re married and having babies. They’re buying homes and puppies and paying mortgages. Meanwhile…I’m single.I’m…
With Love from Your Single Friend in the Church
This feels like a really delicate thing to write about. These words let you see inside the world of Kate in a way that feels exposing and scary and deeply vulnerable. But I don’t think I’m alone here, so, dear friend, if you’ll give me the space, I’ll try to tell my story with courage. …
Why a Café in Mae Sot, Thailand Matters to You
I look back at pictures and feel as if I had been there, but I wasn’t. In fact, in 2016, I was 9,000 miles away and very much absorbed in my own little world. The happenings of a brand new café in Mae Sot, Thailand honestly wasn’t on my mind. Three years ago Braverly opened…
Why We Need to have the Courage to Look our Neighbor in the Eye
I was 14 years old when I first remember looking pain and injustice in the eye. I was staring into the face of a girl laying in a Romanian orphanage crib. She had a mop of curly brown hair on her head and tiny bones. Her deep brown eyes seemed vacant until she heard the…
Stumbling into Holy Ground Moments Around the Table of Refugees
Last week I was invited to a space I had no business being in. It was an honor.It was a privilege. It was humbling. I made sure to take off my shoes before I walked into the friend of my friend’s home partly because of culture and partly because of that verse in Exodus. I still…
The Simple Practice that Changes [Almost] Everything
I like to think of myself as a pretty joyful person—quick to point out beauty even in the mess, to see hope even when reality is bleak, to notice Jesus even in our splintered stories. But somedays, joy isn’t quick to come. Somedays, it seems to hide in the shadows. On these days, I’m faced…
Why I’m Choosing Insatiable Curiosity Above All Else
I think this book may have just changed my life. I recently finished Beginner’s Pluck by Liz Bohannon. I started it on a Friday and finished it four days later, and it’s safe to say I’m ready to start on page one all over again. So much gold in this book. Her words, more than…
