Every spring, I put my head down and speed walk past the card aisles announcing Mother’s Day. The signs’ prodding inquiries ask whether or not I’ve bought a gift for my mom. Their reminders rip scabs off wounds I’ve tried to heal. Sometimes I gather my courage and head into the aisle to play with […]

[Author’s Note: This article is specifically meant for women who know that their friend struggles with disordered eating, meaning this friend has trusted you enough to share this part of her story with you. If you have a friend who you suspect struggles with disordered eating but she has not explicitly disclosed this to you, […]

A NOTE FROM GRETCHEN Idol worship creeps into our hearts quickly. The phones we believe we must have by our sides at all times, the profiles we strive to build and maintain, the portfolios we work tirelessly to improve, the people we think we must know and be loved by in order to be important—all […]

There comes a point on a Sunday when everyone knows it’s time to head home for lunch. Jokes are no longer funny. Squealing kids are no longer cute. Stomachs growl a little too long. It is unquestionably time to go. With each passing moment, my attitude grows dark and my patience wears thin. We all […]

I laid awake at night, doubt floating around my mind. I had recently learned that several Christian leaders I respected had sinned. It was shocking to me, and left me questioning my own areas of influence. Because people who appeared so strong in the faith could fail, I became afraid of my own weakness.  During […]

I tried to squelch the hope growing in my heart as I swung into the drugstore. This time I felt different. Against my better judgment, I allowed myself to believe that maybe the result would be different this time too.  I made the familiar walk to the back right of the store and crouched down […]

Why would God restore their marriage but not ours? Why did they get pregnant so easily while we’ve been struggling for years? Why did God bless them financially, yet we’re living paycheck to paycheck? Questions like these plague us when we focus on what we don’t have in our current circumstances. But sometimes the situation […]

Several years ago I started to notice a nagging toothache. I tried to ignore it, hoping it would resolve on its own. The pain stuck around, but I kept putting off a trip to the dentist. I imagined I would need a filling—or worse, a root canal—and the thought of an uncomfortable and potentially expensive […]

[This article is an excerpt from chapter 11 of The Well-Watered Woman. Today, April 6, marks two years since the launch of the book, and to celebrate God’s faithfulness, all things The Well-Watered Woman are on sale this week! Shop the Book Anniversary Collection in the Well-Watered Co.]    After my first panic attack, I […]

[This article is an excerpt from chapter 4 of The Well-Watered Woman. This Thursday, April 6, marks two years since the launch of the book, and to celebrate God’s faithfulness, all things The Well-Watered Woman are on sale this week! Shop the Book Anniversary Collection in the Well-Watered Co.]    I’ve always tried to look […]