hootenannie

It’s finally time. Because as Flannery O’Connor once said, “Somewhere is better than anywhere.” Today, I bought a new house. After a year of being untethered, working with realtors in multiple cities, praying every day for a clear sign of direction as to where I should re-root my life, I came to the conclusion that…

She is curled at my feet, nose tucked beneath her tail. Right now she is peaceful, worn out from our after-dinner walk in which she had a chance to run free through the woods. When she emerged with a rabbit’s leg, severed from the rest of the body, stripped of flesh save the furry foot,…

Over the past several months, I took part in Lore Wilbert’s Writing Mentorship course. If you don’t know Lore, well, me neither — at least not in person. But thanks to years of blog stalking, I’ve come to know her as a gorgeous writer: intentional, challenging, and smart as a whip. Our faith looks different…

I’ve been writing some new songs. I don’t know what will come of them, but they’re forming up, taking shape, becoming. I wrote this one awhile back. I’ve held it close because it was written from a very raw place; even listening back to it now, it stings. But it’s the truest story I’ve ever…

By now you’ve all seen it, right? Last night’s last ditch pass from Vikings quarterback Case Keenum to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, resulting in a game-winning touchdown in the last 10 seconds of the game. Watch it here: And again here: And this one, for good measure: They’re calling it historic, legendary, the Minneapolis Miracle….

I grew up as a pastor’s daughter, an identity that I largely shook when I left home at 18, but which played an undeniable role in my formation. In getting to know other pastor’s kids (PKs) over the years, I’ve found some common threads in our experiences; for example, the pressure of visibility, unfair expectations…

It’s been four months since I left Minneapolis, four months since I sent my things to storage and walked out of my house for the last time. I have a hard time talking about losing my house — and yes, that is the language that makes most sense to me: losing my house. Because while…

I’m in the Pacific Northwest where the leaves are the color of sweet potatoes, the color of pumpkins. After a long, brutal summer, it’s as if all of nature is conspiring to remind me that it’s time for a new season. Madeline L’Engle says, “Until I can mourn the loss of a dream, I cannot…

Several years ago, I took to writing the word “grit” on my wrist. Any time I was faced with a challenge, emotional or physical, I would take a Sharpie and give myself a visible reminder to hang tough. Because that’s what grit is: courage in the face of anything. Strength of character. Steely-eyed endurance. Firmness…

A few months ago, my life was completely upended when a man I deeply loved betrayed my trust and broke my heart. While the details matter to me, all I’ll say is this: I was planning to move to Nashville so we could be together, but it didn’t happen. The relationship was serious enough to…