Stories and reflections on faith and following God when anxieties and doubts try to get in the way
I have always loved nature photography. When I was struggling with depression during my senior year of college, my eyes ached from scrolling through Pinterest for pictures of mountains and butterflies and birds. I watched nature documentaries. I obsessed over pictures of snails taken by photographer Vyacheslav Mishchenko. I sat outside in the cold and... Continue Reading →
Can we change the way we perceive things by changing the language and images we use to think about them?
Every fall is like this. On the first day, I step outside, and everything is different. The air is cooler, slightly. There's a rich, nose-tingling scent of dried leaves.
Self-doubt turns me inward and tells me I'll never be good enough. But the Bible is full of stories of helplessly broken people who were used for God's glory, not because of their confidence or abilities, but because of God's power within them.
Because of the boost of medication, I have been able to try new things that I might not have tried before, like taking long hikes, kayaking, visiting friends, and more things that I love.
Empathy deepens relationships, fuels understanding, inspires reconciliation, unites us in our differences, and pushes us to act in love. But it is also dangerous.
Doing hard things makes us stronger. The more I have been stretched, the bigger I can dream. I used to confine my dreams to my backyard, but now there is possibility. Because I know I can do anything for an hour.
You are not alone, and many like yourself have completed the journey you are just beginning who are ready to tell you that you can do it.
For a few months, I couldn't step onto a scale without having a mild panic attack.
