"I don't need to be perfect. I don't need to be the best. I just need to be faithful."
Tag: fear
Peace has a name.
I hated night time as a kid, and I don’t like it much now. There’s something about the dark that brings all of the scary things out.Sometimes I couldn’t put a name or face to my fear - it was just there, hanging over me in the dark. I had a hard time turning off… Continue reading Peace has a name.
Just take the step.
When is the last time you really stepped out of your comfort zone? Have you felt prompted to do something but you talked yourself out of it? What’s holding you back? I believe more than anything else, fear holds us back. Fear of rejection. Fear of judgment. Fear of failure. Fear of embarrassment. Fear of… Continue reading Just take the step.
When things go back to normal.
I keep hearing it - “I can’t wait for things to go back to normal.” “When things are normal again...” What “normal” is everyone is longing for? Seeing family and celebrating holidays together. Having birthday parties and baby showers and weddings. Worshipping in packed sanctuaries together. Having the freedom to take the kids to the… Continue reading When things go back to normal.
Choose hope.
On this day last year, I got a phone call at work. It was a nurse from my doctor’s office, telling me that my baby girl’s genetic screening came back with a positive marker for Down syndrome. She wanted me to come in for more tests and follow up with the “high risk” doctor. I… Continue reading Choose hope.
We are not immune.
When we pray for peace, what does that mean? When we pray for protection, for healing, for God to bless us... what are we really praying for? When we say “Lord, thy will be done,” how often do we try to define what that should look like? I think sometimes “answered prayers” can be equated… Continue reading We are not immune.
Trading worry for worship.
Right around this time 3 years ago, I took a pregnancy test in our downstairs bathroom. I was home alone when I saw the two lines on the stick. Immediately, I felt this overwhelming sense of unconditional love and intense pressure to protect. I knew my baby was just a speck at that point, but… Continue reading Trading worry for worship.
Fearfully and wonderfully made.
When I was pregnant, I had an app on my phone that tracked my baby's development each week and had a little handprint to show how big the baby's hand was that week. I kept all my ultrasounds in my purse and stared at them, wishing I could just see him already. I remember reading… Continue reading Fearfully and wonderfully made.
Letting life happen.
I've seen the movie Forrest Gump probably 500 times. At LEAST 500. It's one of my favorite movies, and my dad loved Tom Hanks movies, so we watched it a lot. Watching it on Netflix with Spencer yesterday, I got kind of emotional. I don't know if it's because I have a child now, and… Continue reading Letting life happen.
Thoughts on fear.
We took Spencer to the playground after work today. Much to his delight, someone had brought two gigantic play balls and left them unattended. He immediately started yelling "ball, ball" and ran over to one. I apologized to the other mom there, but she said the balls were already there when she got here and… Continue reading Thoughts on fear.
Kristen Stewart, Writer 