Purpose
-
dear younger me, someday you get to pay it forward
Happy New Year! I’m glad to be back and hope 2018 finds you well. Did you know you helped me reach over 2000 visitors since Cassia’s Place launched? WaHoo and Thank You! Did you find something here that fired you up about pursuing your purpose, encouraged you to walk tall with God, or ignited your…
-
uncommon snow and average joe
We had SNOW on Friday. At the end of a hard, sorrowful week following my mother-in-law’s death, we awoke to Houston blanketed in white-velvet gorgeousness. We squealed. We hit each other with snowballs. We built hideous last-minute snowmen before heading to school once the district sent out the world’s saddest tweet: Roads are passable so…
-
one thing to add to your Christmas list
Show of hands: who’s feeling the push and panic of the holidays? That would be both hands up for me. I have purchased exactly one present so far. One. And yes, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but we kind of lost steam with the tree after an initial burst of decorating.…
-
the stories that make us
The blaze began at the cookstove. Sparks whooshed up the chimney igniting dry-as-tinder wood shingles. The father, an Alabama farmer, was away working the fields, but a hero was waiting in the wings: a fifteen-year-old who refused to let her house burn down.
-
the tough stuff that made me
If you caught my last post, you’ll know I was a mash-up of competing football loyalties this weekend. Let’s just say 3 out of 4 wins ain’t bad, and one contest pitted two of my favs against each other for an upset that has the whole SEC wondering what’s next. All I’ve got to say…
-
the places that made me
This week I’m thanking God for the places that made me. I am a Southern girl through and through, but I admit that the Deep South is a complicated place to be from. For all our churches, hospitality, and genteel manners, we can’t deny a legacy of racism, classicism, illiteracy, and poverty. Turns out, though,…
-
The Secret to Hanging On When Times Are Uncertain
Ever feel like you’re barely hanging on? I’ve been in one of those seasons myself, so no surprise, I’ve found myself drawn in my devotional time to two faith-giants who spoke of distressing seasons and obstacles in their paths. And both of them learned the same secret about how to endure trying times.
-
3 Truths Teens Need to Hear
If you were asked to fill in the blank, “Sometimes, I feel like I’m not ___________ enough,” what would you say? What would your 15-year-old say? I asked 50 or so high school women just that. Here’s some of what they told me: Sometimes, I feel like I’m not Pretty Smart Strong Popular Involved Interesting…
-
How My “Life Verse” Got Fresh Legs: Dream Team, Part II
Welcome back! This month we’re zeroing in on passages from Philippians and praising God for the “dream teams” He puts together. Spurred by Paul’s words, I thank my God every time I remember you, we’ve reflected on the fellow faith-warriors, encouragers, I’ve-got-your-back kind of people who, when monsters loom large, remind us God has a larger…
-
In Good Times or Bad, Who’s Your Dream Team?
Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and now, mass violence. Shocked and reeling, we cry and pray, but truthfully, we also doubt and rage. Once again, we’re united with all others in the suffering that goes on throughout the world and has been since the first murder of an innocent person (Abel) by his enraged brother (Cain). A…