Nov 10, 2022 | Community Life
I knew the friendship had run its course—yet, the shared history and guilt over closing the doors kept me feeling chained to this unhealthy friendship. For years I wanted to sneak out of the friendship quietly but my conscious wouldn’t allow me to just disappear from...
Oct 27, 2022 | Community Life
My husband, Tim, was hosting a football party this fall and was discouraged when a few of the guys cancelled last minute. He was walking around the house, making loud sighs as he read the texts coming in on his phone. He looked at me and said, “How do you do this?...
Oct 18, 2022 | Community Life
Welcome to tough conversations with friends. We all want to avoid them and yet, we have felt that tug to dig in and say what we feel the Spirit leading us to say. Hard conversations do not equate to conflict or criticism but when done in love, can be edifying and...
Oct 6, 2022 | Community Life
Tim and I sat in the dimly lit hotel lobby and clinked our glasses together celebrating seven years of marriage. I looked at him with so much joy because this year we had tackled three kids, a book release, a new job, an ACL surgery, settling into our new home and so...
Jul 25, 2022 | Community Life
“Let’s grab coffee?” you ask. “I’m more of a tea girl, but absolutely,” I respond. Coffee dates are a tale as old as friendship time. They’re perfect for their casual, treat-inspired friend time. Yet, there is something more going on when we sit down to talk with...
Jul 20, 2021 | Community Life
A serious conundrum every mom faces –how do I make time for friends, experience quality connection and keep my sanity all at the same time? I know many will say, “invite people into the mess, be flexible with your kiddos, etc,” which are not bad thoughts. But as a mom...
Jul 15, 2021 | Community Life
“We cultivate the complexities of our friendships,” wrote Jeff Hall in his research on how we create intimate friendships. Hall took it upon himself in 2018 to study how people go from complete strangers to best friends. I have mentioned his research on numerous...
Jun 21, 2021 | Community Life
Many of us are nervous hosts. There are a lot of details to consider when bringing people together for a celebration, a dinner, or “just because” you want to spend time with others. Yet, I think most of our nerves could be settled with one simple truth: Just because...
May 27, 2021 | Community Life
…it can really hurt. Wanting to celebrate a friend in a new transition only to be rewarded by her reprioritizing her time with you can feel like a betrayal. Having a friend disconnect by using the excuse of busyness can feel like the beginning of a friendship...
Apr 9, 2021 | Community Life
What’s the difference between meeting the needs of your friends and being taken advantage of? How do you set boundaries around your capability to host others? When do you need to take a step back in a friendship that feels on the edge of unhealthy? Creating good...
Nov 9, 2020 | Community Life
My son and I were standing on our neighbor’s porch, waiting for her to answer the door after my son had rung the bell one too many times. We were going to rebuild our garage and needed her to sign off on it so there would be no surprises when a construction truck...
Sep 24, 2020 | Community Life
Could I have done something differently? What if I would have just kept my mouth shut and not shared my criticisms? Did I do something wrong? Why did she just stop answering my messages? Losing a friend, no matter the circumstance, can bring on feelings of shame. I...
