“THAT’S MY SISTER!” I yelled as I sprinted across the dining hall to break up a friendly dog pile of stinky boys tackling one of my friends. It was summer, and I was a camp counselor. It felt like a rite of passage: an opportunity to love on kiddos, have new...

Recommending books may be my love language! So, I decided to create a monthly blog that recounts some of my favorite books. My hope is that you will find something you can pick up and get lost in. Here is my April 2021 favorite books recap just for you, my fellow book...

An excerpt from my Rooted in Love Guide: As believers, we have heard this message from the beginning “that we should love one another” (1 Jn. 4:11). Yet, we often use the excuse “I will get around to it later.” I will get around to asking my co-worker to lunch. I will...

Our family loves to overcommit and create our own chaos. This last week we packed up our house for moving in three days, hosted a weekend BBQ, led our weekly small group in our box-filled home, worked jobs, had full days with our kids, went to baby appointment, etc....

Don’t allow a friendship breakup to catch you off guard. Instead of being surprised—let’s be prepared. Two imperfect people in a relationship breeds conflict and sometimes it gets so big you can’t come back from it. Sometimes boundaries are crossed, and you have to...

As a young girl on the playground, it was a wise decision to name a best friend—you needed someone you could count on to cheer you on as you brave the monkey bars. It was also very fickle. I remember receiving a note when I was out of school sick for a few days from...

“Will you pray for me?” my friend asks as we end our phone call. “Of course,” I respond enthusiastically. I want to pray for my friends but there is another side of me that feels a bit inauthentic because I know my prayer life falters. I want to be true to my promise...

This year we may need to leave behind the donut walls and the heart-shaped charcuterie boards-- But, this doesn’t mean Galentine’s get-together is cancelled. On the contrary! This is the year we get to move away from tradition and try something new. Perhaps, you go...

May this be the best and hopefully last Zoom Galentine’s Party you will ever plan! Creating an unforgettable online event needs some extra prep work. You need to know your why before you can plan this event because it is untraditional. Let the purpose of your event...

Friendships are never neutral. Either you are experiencing a friendship that fills you up or leaves you empty. Friends either cheer you on or hold you back. They can point you in the right direction or mislead you down a different path. Have you heard the phrase, "you...

In 2020, I read 145 books--clearly the quarantine did not slow me down. My goal in 2020 was to read all sorts of genres so you are going to see foodie memoirs, thrillers, and sci-fi epics. You'll also see my favorite Christian nonfiction, romance and detective series...

Doesn’t matter what age or what stage of life you are in—you will always need to be practicing the art of making new friends. It may seem that once you have achieved some level of comfortability with a group of people, you will never need to put yourself out there to...

Here are some of my favorite resources to help me think outside the box, get creative and be encouraged to actually GO and LOVE my neighbors. Even in difficult times, we can still build connection with the people next door. Books on being a good neighbor How to Love...

Guest Post by Molly Huffman Growing up in church, I always heard that God loved me. I heard that He would provide for me. I can remember sitting there in the church balcony, tucked under Dad’s arm while Mom sat in the choir loft. I consumed little morsels of the...

During a routine Wednesday night—quick dinner, kids in bed, followed by small group—a guy in our community confessed how worried he was about his work due to COVID. His job was dependent on people traveling and he already saw work dwindling those first few weeks of...

As our friends and family come out of quarantine, even the simplest thirty-minute conversation on the porch has felt monumental. We usually have a revolving door of friends in our home because my family is full of extroverts and our mission field usually takes place...

Tim and I celebrated our five-year-anniversary in May, and we reflected on some of the things that strengthen our friendship and make it great. We hope one tip helps you add something fun and new to your relationship. I pinkie promise, they are not cheesy, but...

{3 min. read} Sometimes to protect your relationships you have to say "no" to other ones. Last year, I took a step back from two godly communities I really cared for. As I tried to manage all these different communities, I found myself growing bitter when the new...

What keeps you from inviting others into your friend circle? For me, it's two things: My comfort It is easier to not do anything. It's easier to continue chatting with my friends instead of leaving the circle to jump into a potentially uncomfortable conversation with...

Do frenemies exist in your community? Are there people who take advantage of your kindness? Do women in your small group seem more of a foe than a friend? Have you had a spiritual mentor who has deeply hurt your feelings? Is there a friend who has said something that...

Our people need us now more than ever! Things have changed drastically for our communities within the last few days. Many of our favorite places to gather with friends and neighbors have shut down for our safety and our favorite weekly rhythms have been replaced with...

Is your library shut down like ours? As an avid book reader, I panicked just a tiny bit! But then I remembered I had so many resources at my fingertips: Free Little Libraries (find your nearest one by clicking) Borrow books from friends Amazon and of course AUDIOBOOKS...

I retain information best when I sit down and dive in with a group of people. That’s the benefit of using the Rooted in Love guide with a small group—to invest in God’s Word and have accountability towards gospel transformation. In this leader guide, I will provide...

It doesn’t need to be “Kardashian level” drama for friendship conflict to feel really tough. I shy away from conflict and hard conversations as much as possible because who wants to rock the boat? Who wants to say something that may be difficult for a friend to hear?...

'Tis the season to be busy! Fa-la-la-la-losing our minds! Our family and friends can bring out the best and worst side of ourselves during the holidays. I love my community so this time of year I begin to fantasize about how special every moment will be…but then the...

When it comes to my favorite shows, artists or even celebrities, I love any “behind the scenes” clips I can find. Recently, Disney + launched a new documentary show called “The Imagineering Story,” which takes us behind the scenes to see how the magic of Disney comes...

Welcome to our happy place where God's grace and love covers every square inch! Tim and I have been married for almost five years and one of our mutual missions fields is our home. We both saw our home as a shared commodity for God's Kingdom--for the people living...

With a lifelong heart for building quality and authentic relationships in-person, I think it would be amiss not to discuss a phenomena in our generation—online friendships. Who would have guessed that a majority of our networking would happen over mediums like...

What holds you back from inviting others into everyday hospitality? I’m not just talking about a meal at the table but inviting the girl from your class into a conversation, or the new neighbor into your bible study. Having led a small group for over three years, I...

If Marie Kondo did friendship, she would probably ask us to reconsider the essential practices that will “spark joy” in our gal pal relationships. The woman is the new age Martha Stewart for healthy and simple home routines so folks can have a healthy and simple life....

Hospitality comes in all shapes and sizes, but it requires the same discipline of making daily deposits to our soul care so we can welcome others with generous hearts. When I am empty, I struggle to be a friendly, kind-hearted person. This horrendous, ugly person...

In middle school we read the classic, Anne of Green Gables. The quirky read-head who captures our hearts! In the book Anne asks her best friend, Diana if she would be her bosom friend. The bosom is the heart, where we keep our most secret thoughts and feelings. So,...

Community in college was difficult for me. I was constantly comparing my new friends to my old friends. I often chose staying in over going out. And I rarely spent time getting to know someone because I was jumping from one social-circle to the next. If I could go...

When we get stuck in our friendships, we listen to harmful voices to clarify what went wrong. When I started college in 2009, I had a lot of unspoken expectations for community. I assumed it would be: + like-minded women who thought about their faith exactly like I...

The most important question we can ask ourselves in friendship is: “How do I confront my own emptiness?” It may seem ironic to begin growing as a friend by focusing on yourself, but you need to know your own “belovedness” before you can offer that gift to someone...

Guests are about to walk into your home, yet you feel exhausted from your day and slightly frustrated when you see the mess of toys on the floor that you need to pick up? Perhaps your roommate's dishes are piled high for everyone to see, or work is preoccupying your...

I used to be more confident—unshakeable in my identity in Christ. But then life happened, and the power of people’s perceptions felt stronger than God’s. When God said I was loved, I poured all my energy into being someone I felt my community could love. Even though...

When Tim and I were married, I immediately wanted to lead a small group. It’s in my DNA and I couldn’t wait to use our spiritual gifts as a team and serve our church body in this way. Tim had led a small group two years before we were married and was feeling burnt out...

IS IT WEIRD TO HAVE FRIENDSHIP HABITS?! Absolutely not! Brainstorming a rhythm for how we will grow as a friend can help give us vision for where we’d like to see our friendships in a month, a year or five years and setting intentional steps to pursue that vision....

Yikes! You have a frenemy in your circle and you have no idea what to do about it?! This may be a gal who is a bit too quick to squash your ideas, say something petty or seems like a forever fake friend. What’s worse about frenemies is that the conflict or the...

Last fall, my small group decided to host our very own women’s retreat. We missed the bond and growth that happens over a retreat experience. One gal stepped up to help me organize everything and it was such a blessing for our entire community and I want to provide...

Guest post by Mel K. In light of last week's Fostering Friendships Challenge, I wanted to share my personal experience. The challenge couldn't have better timing because it took place just before my annual tea party! The Problem One of the problems I have is that I...

My husband and I have an obsession with pottery kitchenware. It began the year we were married when we were gifted a beautiful pottery bowl made from the clay of my home state, Kansas. Immediately, we felt like this piece was not just another snack bowl in our house,...

Sometimes to encourage our efforts in friendship, we need real examples of women who are cultivating deep, life-long relationships with one another. Author, Melanie Shankle, celebrates her twenty-five-year friendship with her best friend Gulley in her memoir: Nobody’s...

Even though we want to hibernate in our homes during the colder months, we need to continue to find ways to connect! Here's five creative, inexpensive, and fun friend dates to try until the warmer months come. Thrifty and Nifty I am a newb to thrifting but some of my...

You’ve invited folks over for an evening to reconnect and share a good meal. Before your friends arrive, you are finishing up dinner details, cleaning up the house and selecting the party music. Creating an environment that feels thoughtful, inviting and nourishing is...

Usually I am writing about building my relationships with friends, but my community also extends to the two people who live inside my home—the ones that truly have to “do life” with me. Perhaps, nurturing these relationships are the most important! Being a first-time...

The foundation for healthy community is a consistent practice of reading and studying God’s Word. As a life-long journal user, I am constantly looking for new products to keep my bible study and my journaling fresh (sometimes we need to switch things up so our...

This holiday season, purchase with a purpose by giving gifts that give back. Not only do the following companies make incredible products that will charm your family and friends, but they also support a variety of different causes. May your gifts inspire cheer and...

If you have always wanted a chance to pick my brain about friendship, now you can! As a Radiant columnist, I had the opportunity to talk all things FRIENDSHIP on the Radiant Podcast! Friendship is one of my favorite topics because we each have a unique opportunity to...

Most Christians have heard of the term “spiritual discipline” which usually conjures up thoughts of hours alone meditating on Scripture and praying. Growing up, I had a  Sunday School teacher who would call my house in the middle of the week to ask how my Bible...

“It is when we are most lost that we sometimes find our truest friends.” –Brothers Grimm, Snow White My junior year at college was a mixed bag of lots of good community but, little connection. If you saw me around campus you probably thought: “That girl has it...

Before 10am there are already a list of things telling me I’m not enough. I am behind on laundry, I did not meet a work deadline and I choose to eat a donut rather than avocado toast for breakfast. To turn my insufficiencies around, I try harder. I people please. I...

In the book of Joshua, the nation of Israel is making their slow journey to the Promised Land when they come upon the Jordan River. I’ve never seen the Jordan River in real life, but if its anything like the Roaring Fork River here in Colorado then I wouldn’t want to...

I hate the moment when I am driving out of my garage, have turned onto the main road headed toward my busy day, and realize I forgot to put deodorant on. If I am not reminded by my mental checklist of morning to-dos, I am quickly reminded a few hours later when I get...