Continuing the series on foundations, we look at what it looks like to wait. I wanted to make sure and chat about this during the Advent Season as there are some lovely parallels between the two.

When we name our pain, we are restoring honor and dignity.

Confession time: I’ve spent so many years hiding girls. If I'm TOTALLY honest and vulnerable with you - I've gotten good at hiding my Faith and my work / life story. Two incredibly important things that deserve to take up a lot of space.

It wasn’t until year six in our recovery that I got to a point where I realized the risk of change was less than the risk of staying the same. I had a sweet baby boy, God’s gift to us and yet my heart was cold. I knew I didn’t want this to be my family’s legacy. So one night, lying in bed, I decided to choose to trust God again. To give Him my life.

So often we give others power in our lives that only belong to us.

I used to think I could forgive in order to circumvent the grief process but I know differently today - grieving is a big part OF the forgiveness journey.

And then I released each one of them - pen and paper, just me and God.

And then I realized, the one and only way to move forward through the pain was to lay it all at the foot of the cross and ask Jesus to do a miracle in my heart and release me from the hurt and the pain that Jason caused.

Why do we keep landing here? Asking ourselves - what are we really doing? Why are we limping along like this? Should it really be this difficult? This stressful?

Little did I know that holding myself to a perfect standard, also meant I expected everyone around me to be held to those same expectations.

I just can't believe that we are coming up on 13 years into this process and there is still work to do. Not the ugly slow work of the first three or so years but work none-the-less.

What reading Habakkuk is teaching me is that it's when we grapple and wrestle with our situations - it's through this that we have the potential to move closer to God.

It seems I've had just enough time to tackle the must-do's on my to-do's and I'm not building in any margin for the things on my list that feed my soul.

Forgiveness is supernatural. And I'm never ever going to feel in my human heart like doing it. But this, dear sisters, is what I can tell you: I know it works.

It’s the best thing that ever happened...

I also love that God was gracious enough to give her another woman in a similar situation.

It brings tears to my eyes as I think about this. Because in the past, I think I would have been annoyed to miss out on my run.