Anchor Points

If you need somebody to declutter your house, I'm your person. I can get rid of things in record time. The only problem is that I might accidentally throw away something important because patience and discernment aren't always part of my process. I like quick results. And sometimes I bring that same expectation into prayer. I want an answer, a solution, or some kind of relief, preferably by the en...

Have you ever been really excited about an idea, only to discover that nobody else seems interested? You put in the effort, things don't work out the way you hoped, and suddenly you're wondering whether it's time to quit. I think we can be quick to interpret rejection as a sign that we're doing something wrong. But in Luke 9, Jesus prepares His disciples for the possibility that people won't welco...

Have you ever noticed that we don't read about Jesus racing from one place to another? His days were full, people needed Him, and there was plenty to do. Yet the picture we see in Scripture is someone moving with purpose, not panic. That really stands out to me because my days can feel like one giant race. Unread messages, phone calls, errands, appointments, and a to-do list that never seems to ge...

Do you remember what it felt like to walk into a school cafeteria and wonder where you were going to sit? For some kids, that's still one of the hardest parts of their day. I recently came across stories from high school students who felt so alone that they avoided the cafeteria altogether. Some ate in bathrooms. Others wandered the halls just so nobody would see them sitting alone. Those stories...

I have this strange little picture in my head of my relationship with God. It's a rubber band. God's holding one end, and I'm holding the other. Whenever life gets crazy, I imagine that rubber band stretching. And believe me, I've had seasons where it's been pulled about as far as it can go. I remember starting a ministry job when suddenly the kids were sick, our dryer broke, my husband's schedule...

Imagine going through life unable to smile. Not because you're unhappy, but because physically, you just can't. That's the reality for Tayla Clement, a young woman born with Moebius syndrome, a condition that affects facial movement. For years, she struggled with being different, being bullied, and wishing she could change the one thing that made her stand out. But something shifted when she began...

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you started rearranging everything else in your life to make it happen? I think we can all relate to that. I recently heard about someone making enormous life changes to chase a dream of freedom and adventure. I don't know all the details of her situation, but it made me stop and think about my own dreams. Dreams aren't bad. Neither are our desires or p...

You know those conversations where somebody tells you everything in their life is absolutely wonderful? The kids are great, marriage is great, work is great, and even the dog is behaving perfectly. Not a single problem in sight. I love when life is good, and we've certainly got wonderful things happening in our family. But we've got hard things happening, too. That's usually how life works. Someti...

Imagine trying to build a house by putting the roof on first. It wouldn't work very well, would it? And yet, sometimes that's exactly how I approach things. I remember painting our basement without using primer. I was so excited to see the room finished that I didn't want to bother with that first layer. Unfortunately, the paint didn't hold up the way I hoped. I've been thinking about how that rel...

A few years ago, I decided to paint our basement for the kids. I wanted to make the space look nice, and I figured I could save some time by skipping a few things. Primer? Painter's tape? Drop cloth? Surely those weren't all necessary. Well, the paint on the carpet and the peeling walls eventually told a different story. I wanted the finished product without doing the work that needed to come firs...

Nobody enjoys driving down a road full of potholes. If I see one coming, I'm going around it. Give me the smooth road every time. But I'm facing a decision right now, and the easier path doesn't seem to be the one God is nudging me toward. That's a little uncomfortable because I can already see some of the bumps ahead, and I'm not even sure I'll like the outcome. I've been reminded that following...

Have you ever played the game of telephone? By the time the message reaches the last person, it's usually nothing like the original. I recently watched something similar happen in our community after a car accident involving a man and his two dogs. The story spread quickly online. People shared updates, others added details, and before long, versions of the story were circulating that had very lit...

When was the last time somebody gave you a genuine compliment? Not just a passing comment, but something that really made you feel appreciated. Those little words can feel like rain falling on dry ground. My daughter gave me a compliment recently, and I almost missed it. Isn't that funny? Sometimes we're so caught up in what we're not doing well that we have trouble receiving something good. So he...

Have you ever felt relieved just to have a name for something you've been struggling with? I get that. In our house, ADHD is something we're very familiar with, and sometimes having an explanation for why things are difficult feels like a huge relief. But I've been thinking about how easily we can let those labels define us. We start seeing ourselves through our struggles, our limitations, and the...

Imagine the fire alarm is going off, everyone is leaving the building, and I decide to stay because I don’t see any flames. I don’t smell smoke. From where I’m standing, everything looks fine. But what I believe in that moment doesn’t change what’s actually true. If the building is on fire, it’s on fire whether I can see it or not. That’s a simple reminder I need sometimes: truth doesn’t depend on...

There’s something special about being genuinely surprised by someone’s kindness. That feeling of, “I can’t believe you did this for me. I wasn’t expecting it.” It fills you with gratitude because suddenly you’re aware of what someone has done for you. That’s how I want to be with God. It’s not that I intentionally push Him away. Sometimes I’m just moving through life, and He’s not really on my min...

I can start the day with the best intentions. I’m going to read God’s Word. I’m going to do the devotional. I’m going to spend time with Him. Then I check my phone, make breakfast, handle one thing after another, and somehow the whole day gets away from me. I think part of the problem is that I keep telling myself I’ll get through everything else first, and then I’ll make time for God. But maybe I...

Title: Why I Kept Holding On to the Rocks | Anchor Points | Ep. [###] Apple Title: Why I Kept Holding On to the Rocks | Anchor Points | Ep. [###] Episode Show Notes There was a time when following Christ honestly scared me. I was curious about God, but I also had parts of my life I wasn’t ready to hand over. They were familiar, even when I knew they were weighing me down. I picture it now like sta...

My daughter has a leopard gecko named Blur. About every six weeks, Blur sheds her skin. Before it happens, she gets dull-looking, a little cranky, less active, and honestly not quite herself. It doesn’t look comfortable, but the shedding is part of how she grows. And watching that little process reminded me that growth in our own lives doesn’t always feel good either. There are seasons when God is...

I can open a bag of baby carrots and somehow still find myself searching for the most perfectly shaped ones. The odd-looking carrots stay behind because, apparently, even my snacks have to meet some strange standard of perfection. But those little carrots got me thinking about how easily we do the same thing with ourselves. We can spend so much energy trying to become a cleaner, prettier, more acc...

You know that feeling when you can picture exactly what you’re trying to say, but the word just won’t come? I’ve stood there trying to describe a laundry basket as “the big thing I use for dirty clothes.” The answer is somewhere in my brain. I just can’t quite reach it. Technology can be helpful when those gaps happen. It can give us the answer almost instantly. But that made me think about someth...

My mom noticed one of Grayson’s handprints on the inside of her car window, and instead of wanting to wipe it away, she said it made her smile. To her, it wasn’t just a smudge. It was a reminder that he had been there. It made me wonder how often God leaves little reminders of His presence in our lives that we’re too quick to clean up, move past, or overlook. Maybe it’s laughter from our kids, a p...

If you ever need someone to declutter your house, I’m your guy. I can throw things out fast. The only problem is, speed doesn’t always leave much room for patience or discernment—and there’s a decent chance something important might accidentally go with the clutter. Sometimes I bring that same desire for instant results into prayer. I want the answer, the solution, the change—and preferably right...

I love the encouragement we find in Christian spaces—the smiles, the hope, the uplifting moments. But sometimes I wonder if we can accidentally make faith look a little like an Instagram highlight reel, where everything seems positive, polished, and put together. The truth is, sometimes life hurts. There are hard marriages, losses, addictions, anxious days, and moments when we’re simply not okay....

Have you ever been floating on a raft in a pool, closed your eyes for a minute, and suddenly bumped into the other side? You weren’t trying to go anywhere. You were just laying there. But while you were doing nothing, you drifted. I’ve learned my faith can work the same way. When I stop being intentional about spending time with Christ, I’m not really standing still. Little by little, I can drift...