Someone asked me a few months ago how I was doing in this pandemic. I said I was doing well. I didn’t even qualify it with an “all things considered…” I had been on break from school for a few weeks in the summer, and the weather had been good. I’d started having outdoor socialContinue reading “Finding Rest”
Author Archives: Alison O
One Brick at a Time
Have you ever hit a wall? I mean figuratively, not literally. I’m not talking about the kind of wall that other people put up either. The kind I mean is the wall we put up inside of ourselves, around those most vulnerable places, to keep others from seeing whatever it is we don’t want themContinue reading “One Brick at a Time”
A Mother’s Heart
Now I lay me down to sleep, the Lord I pray my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. I remember concluding the prayers by asking God to bless my mom, my dad, my brothers, and even the smelly old cat that my brothers hatedContinue reading “A Mother’s Heart”
Too Close for Comfort?
I have had arguments with two good friends recently, and it has me wondering. Over the years, both have shown me a tremendous amount of patience. They each have given me multiple free passes when I mess up. And yet, I still sometimes try to get an emotional response from them when I’m tired orContinue reading “Too Close for Comfort?”
An Abundance of Emotion
Several years ago, in a small group setting, the group was asked to name something we had experienced since we had encountered Jesus. My immediate response was “peace.” I was slightly taken aback by the group leader’s follow-up question, “What if God took your peace away, would you still love Him?” The answer was, andContinue reading “An Abundance of Emotion”
A Reflection on Christian Women and Marriage
Before I became a Christian, I had a very narrow-minded view of what Christian women looked like. I knew what I thought I had heard in church about what a woman’s role was. It did not fill me with hope. For a very long time, it also kept me away from exploring the faith IContinue reading “A Reflection on Christian Women and Marriage”
Bit and Bridle
“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Psalm 32:9) Whenever I encounter this verse, it sometimes troubles me because I don’t want to be that person who God has to drag kicking and screamingContinue reading “Bit and Bridle”
Work in Progress
I have been quiet on the blog front this summer. Truth be told, I was burned out from trying too hard, trying to do too much, and my heart was hurting from the passing of three friends over the course of the last year. This summer has been a season of healing as I choseContinue reading “Work in Progress”
A 90-Day Fitness Challenge
Four weeks ago, I drew a line in the sand. 30 pounds will come off by mid-September. I even signed up with a personal trainer at the yoga studio where I work. To date, I am 10 pounds down. My hope is to run a half marathon with Team World Vision this October. I haveContinue reading “A 90-Day Fitness Challenge”
Finding Joy
Joy (noun): (def)The emotion expressed by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires; DELIGHT. The expression or exhibition of such emotion; GAIETY. A state of happiness or felicity; BLISS. A source or cause of delight (definitions from www.merriam-webster.com). As I was researching for this blog post, I learned somethingContinue reading “Finding Joy”
in heartbreak and in hope 