Shelly’s Blog
The intersection of storytelling, biblical truth, conversation, and beautiful images. My goal is to help you think differently about life.
4 Reasons Why You Need a Sabbath Journey for Lent
On Christmas morning, tucked into our stockings, H and I opened the gift of a one-hour massage from his mother, Geri. A gift she purchased from a friend at church because the word was getting around: the masseuse is good, and she works from home. We were giddy. What a fantastic gift! Geri...
How to Be a Preservationist of Hope in the New Year
During winter, at 3pm in the afternoon, darkness descends over my London terrace house. At 7:30am the next morning, the neighborhood is a dark silhouette of trees and buildings transforming into a charcoal drawing. But the birds resting on inky branches sing as if it’s spring, as if God is...
How to Have a Slow Christmas in a Hurry Up World
“What society did you say you are part of?” the taxi driver asks, clutching the steering wheel with both hands as we wing our way around the narrow country roads of the Cotswolds, toward the train station in Moreton-in-Marsh. I’m watching sheep and verdant hills blur past while his steely blues...
New for You to Start a New Season
At 6 o’clock in the evening, I leave my cozy house, walk past women wearing silky dresses parading into a hotel, and join the masses on the tube in London. I arrive at Tottenham Court and walk to Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross. Up each of the five floors, stopping intermittently to peruse...
The (Painful) Truth about Transition
My thoughtful husband gifted me with a new camera for my birthday—a Canon M50. He researched all the options, compared prices, asked me questions about preferences, weighed pros and cons, and finally made the purchase that led me into transition. He tracked the delivery online, texted when the...
Simple Sabbath Practices When Summer is Not-so-Simple (Giveaway!)
“I think we need to cancel our summer vacation,” I tell my husband H. And when I hear myself say it, heat rises into my cheeks. I can’t believe I just admitted that out loud. It’s nearly noon on a Saturday but we’re still sipping coffee and tea, reading morning headlines from our warm spots in...
