Shelly’s Blog
The intersection of storytelling, biblical truth, conversation, and beautiful images. My goal is to help you think differently about life.
Searching for Certainty: Finding God in the Disruptions of Life
Under the glow of recessed lights in the bathroom ceiling, I stand in front of the mirror gazing at the chiaroscuro masterpiece: My new body. Light and shadow highlight the ripples on the terrain of my stomach. I imagine the surface like sand blown by the intense heat of the Sahara, from smooth...
How to Cultivate a Quiet Mind Amid Uncertainty
As we transition into week five of Lent, most of us are wandering around in a malaise, retracing the entrails of our homes as if waking from a bad dream. The coronavirus pandemic in the forefront of thoughts, we are whispering a collective, “Oh, right. It’s still Lent, isn’t it? I forgot about...
What We Need to Hear Right Now
I don't know about you, but the last few days have been like waking up from a disorienting dream as we navigate the harsh realities of a pandemic. Lent has shifted from a choice to a way of life inflicted upon us. And I'm paying attention because this penitential season is preparation for...
You Need to Sit Down for This
Over the past two weeks, we’ve practiced the penitential discipline of resting different parts of the body for the purpose of creating intimacy with God on A Sabbath Journey for Lent. Your responses (following) have been rich and vulnerable. I can’t tell you how honored I am to be the...
4 Ways to Rest Your Words in a Loud, Opinionated World
This Sunday marks the beginning of the second week for A Sabbath Journey for Lent. I pray that the sacrificial discipline of resting a different body part each week will be a meaningful and rich experience for you. As we transition from resting our eyes to resting our words, a recent encounter...
Ash Wednesday: Because we Need the Smudgy Grace of a Do-Over
Welcome to the beginning of A Sabbath Journey for Lent! Over the next forty days, I pray that these weekly reflections will make the Lenten season rich and meaningful for you. Once a week, we are giving up one day of keeping busy for abiding with Jesus through rest. Forget being consumed with...
