Best Books of 2016

Book list season is the BEST kind of season. Has anyone else been devouring all these “best of 2016” lists?? I think the other day at work I had 3 open simultaneously. No shame.

I was already eyeing what I want to read next year, when Goodreads sent me a fun email of everything I’ve read this year! I’ll be honest, when it said I read 20 books it seemed far too small. Only 20?! I realize that’s a crazy amount to some; as an avid reader I felt like I was doing more reading than that…

Sidenote: some of my friends are trying out the 52 books in a year thing for 2017! Anyone ever done that? Seems daunting. Also seems tempting. Hmmm.

Here’s the best of what I read this year! (Along with a full list at the bottom) Any recommendations?? Let’s talk books *heart eyes emoji*  Read More

Less Shame. More Living.

New years used to come with New Year’s Resolutions, anyone remember that? Yet I’m finding less and less people are into resolutions these days – it’s all about goals and dreams and the like. The really, really hip thing this year is having “a word” for 2016. I’m not quite sure if this is Reddit popular or simply just a Christian millennial thing – but its definitely a thing. I’m not knocking it or anything, because I jumped on the band wagon.

I asked God for “a word” for the next 365 days ….and I got 4. Blame it on my chronic overachieving, the fact that I’m a writer by nature, or God’s sense of humor – the fact is, I asked for one and I got quadruple the amount. Trust me, I tried. “God. I need a word. Like, one. Not four. Not two. But one, single word for 2016 – to focus on and write on my mirror and maybe turn into a cool tattoo one day. One word!” No, He reminded me gently, what you need is Me. Also, you need to listen. 
[He has this conversation a lot with me.] Read More

Perfectly Happy, Yet Far From Perfect

2016 started out so great. So, so great. The first few minutes of the new year I was dancing next to some of my best friends – dressed up! – in a brewery filled, surprisingly, with a lot of people I knew. I am such a fan of going to an event and stumbling upon more friendly faces than you expected to see. It’s one of my favorite feelings. New Year’s Eve was filled with good food and good drinks and even better people, it had laughter and dancing, and I went to bed extremely late and extremely happy.

The first few days of the year continued to get better. I got together with friends to catch up, to talk about our holidays, to dream about the new year and what it might hold. Definite events and exciting unknowns. I spent a lovely afternoon with new friends and old, discussing what the last year held for us – high lights as well as low. I managed to get a motley group together to play banangrams at a bar, one of my current favorite hobbies, and I just love when my friends all mix together. I finished a few books (alllllllways a great feeling). After 31 long days of Dressember, I got to wear jeans! I’ve been on cloud 9. I find myself dancing in the car alone, singing out loud while doing the dishes. I’ve been so happy. Read More

Dressember 27: He is Faithful

For the month of December – in honor of Dressember – I’ll be blogging everyday! Thoughts on anything from fighting for justice to feminism, from dresses I’m wearing to books I’m reading, and everything in between.


There’s only a few days left in 2015, and I’m sitting here wondering where the year has gone. It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating Christmas in Malawi. It seems like only a few days ago I was getting off the plane in San Diego, excitedly welcomed home by so many faces I had missed. Was it really 10 whole months ago I started working for IGF? Eish.

As I realized next week is a new year – next. week! – I also realized I have no idea what 2016 holds for me. Sure, a few weddings I’ll be attending. A few big events I know about. But the the details, the in between? I have no idea. I realized I’m pretty much exactly where I was at this time last year: looking out on 2015 with excitement and hesitancy, exhilarated at the thought of all the freedom it held …and terrified at the thought of freedom it held.

But then I thought back on all that 2015 held for me. So much I didn’t see coming, so much I couldn’t have even imagined. Some good, some bad. But through it all, God was with me. Seasons I thought I would never survive came to a close, problems I thought could never be solved are gone, questions I thought would never be figured out are now answered. In everything, God surpassed my expectations. He never left my side, even on the days where I mistakenly thought He had.

He has been faithful in every promise. Today I realized (…or, re-realized) that He will continue to be faithful. Yesterday, today, and forever. This next year might be a mystery, there may be a lot to uncover in the months ahead and a lot of decisions to be made, but I don’t have to do that alone. I don’t have to doubt His goodness or His mercies, because He promises it’s unfailing and they are new every morning. I don’t know what 2016 will hold, but I know Who holds me.