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Articles by Anjuli Paschall
Gratitude is the gentlest guide.
Dear Embodied Friends, Iām here to say thank you. Iām also sharing a shorter version of this on IG, but I wanted to add a couple extra things for you, in this our smaller space. Iām sending this to the whole Embodied list, but paid subscribers are welcome to comment. Embodied is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. (If you are like: what happened??? Read some of my recent IG Posts.
You Don’t Have to Figure it Out
I walked while I listened to her gentle voice through my AirPods. I listened to her story, her desires, her longings. I listened as she described her calling. Her voice slowed down. I increased my speed on the gym treadmill. Her words fumbled around for minutes before they landed here, “I want to write a book.” This sentence was followed by disclaimers, all of her failed attempts, and cautious questions. I have had this conversation before.
For Motherless Daughters
I grew up with my maternal grandmother. I never lived solely with my mother; she had tremendous issues and struggles that made it impossible for her to take care of a child. Although my grandmother raised me, practically since birth, I never viewed her as my mother. I always knew that my mother existed but, for whatever reason, decided not to raise me. As you can imagine, this will mess with a child’s mind.
The (in)courage Devotional Bible Free Sampler
We have put together a downloadable 54-page gift for you that includes the entire books of Romans and Esther, taken from the (in)courage Devotional Bible. Download your free Bible sampler! THANK YOU. Your first email is on the way. * PLEASE ENTER A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS There is so much blessing and goodness tucked within the pages of this Bible: There are 312 devotions written by 122 writers with stories from women in all seasons of life.
Be Still. Now Move!
“What’s your plan?” she asked me. “I’m not entirely sure,” I responded, stunning both her and myself. One of my superpowers is a good plan, but this time I felt at a loss as to what to do. “I have some ideas and I’m doing my homework. But honestly, I have no idea the right course to take. God is going to have to lead me through this mess one step at a time. It’s beyond me.” In the months before, I’d found myself in the middle of a life-altering crisis.
Awake
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God Will Reach Back Like a Rainbow to Redeem Your Storm
Did you know rainbows are not an arc? Rainbows are actually full circles. Only from a heavenly perspective can one see the full circle with all of the brilliant colors. Years ago, it might not have looked like it, but I was overcome by the odds. I was at a loss at what to do. My circumstances seemed impossible. I needed God to show up in my storm, and I needed a miracle. We had been trying to have a baby for almost seven years.
Don’t Try to Change Me, Love Me
I posted this Voltaire quote on Instagram several weeks ago, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Among many happy face emojis was one half-hearted response from my friend Rick. Essentially, he disagreed with me. I wasn’t surprised. In fact, sometimes I don’t post my opinion on Instagram because I know Rick (and others who disagree with me) follow my feed. How could anyone disagree with freedom of speech?
Daily Articles to Your Inbox
(in)courage is like a virtual living room where every day one of thirty writers takes a turn sharing a story of what Jesus looks like in her life. There are thirty women who write regularly for (in)courage, spanning five decades and representing all different backgrounds, ethnicities, and geographic locations. We celebrate our diversity by sharing what Jesus looks like in our beautiful, mundane, and often messy lives. We’d love to send you our daily articles — sign up below!
That Time the Gospel Showed Up in a Dressing Room
It was right there, with fluorescent lights shining and half a dozen tops hanging on the rack, that I froze in a department store dressing room. Over the Christmas music playing through the speakers, I could hear two voices in the room to my left. A niece and an aunt? A daughter and her mother? A teenager and her grandmother? I’ll never know, but I hope I never forget what the older woman firmly — and yet kindly — said. “Now, remember, this is a gift.
Creating the Greenhouse Effect Before Your Next Crisis
Last year when we were all at home on endless Zoom meetings, my husband craved an outdoor project. I gently suggested a greenhouse — a project big enough to get him outside daily for about a month and something that happened to be a lifelong dream of mine. By the end of summer 2020, I had the greenhouse of my dreams. We only had a couple more months of growing season, but we were able to reap a modest harvest of tomatoes, peppers, and onions from starter plants.
Stop Apologizing for Who You Are
Sometimes, the first thing I do when I come downstairs in the morning is apologize for sleeping “so late.” It is after 7am, I suppose. I’m a night owl by design. My body’s ideal schedule would be sleeping from 1am to10am, like a teenager on a Saturday. I come by this desire naturally; it’s literally in my bones. My mom has been retired for more than five years, and when I’m up putzing around (or watching Netflix) at midnight I know I can text her to chat because she’ll be awake.
Can We Dream Again?
This week, I had the privilege of being a part of some celebrations commemorating the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Also, for the first time, I participated in the The National Day of Racial Healing, and with February, aka Black History Month, right around the corner, I have been reflecting on being God’s voice in my sphere of influence.
Let’s All Be Brave
I’m not one for tattoos that are paragraph in length, but if I was, it might be this. (But like, where? my hip? my wrist? It’s just not gonna happen, people.) There are two stories, two themes, two recurring sentences that run through my life and my brain and spill out into my conversations. God made you on purpose. God made you to be brave. I’m sure of it. I’m sure that you are one of a kind and your call to courage is that unique. So often we convince ourselves that we are average.
Guests
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(Un)Adorned
It took one year for me to grow accustomed to it – life without makeup. Four years later I still have moments when I am tempted to hide the motherhood tiredness and too-many-long-winter-days-spent-inside-the-house pastiness. Going makeup-free began with the thought of my daughter, Brianna, as I mentally flashed ahead to the advent of her teen years and the inevitable question, “Mom, can I wear makeup?” And something in my heart broke.
Outward Aging, Inward Renewal
“…but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” ~2 Corinthians 4:16 I’ve always intended to age gracefully. I still feel about 25 on the inside, so I just imagined my outside would reflect it accordingly. Boy, was I wrong. My body—which managed to birth eight babies and maintain my high school weight—has turned traitor as the number on the scales creeps higher.
Made to Crave Summer Challenge
To purchase Made to Crave click here. For additional free resources on this topic visit the Made to Crave website by clicking here.
When waiting IS the plan...
Being a writer involves a lot of waiting. It is can be weeks–usually months–from the time you submit a manuscript to an editor until the time you hear back. As a not-so-naturally-patient person, this part of the writer’s life has taken some getting used to for me. Recently, when an editor was interested in one of my manuscripts and asked to see the whole thing, I eagerly sent it off.
Breathe Again
I’ve live with bated breath, sat rapt at attention, clinging to my last inhale, waiting for what’s to be. Anticipation has been my oxygen, its unreliable tank shooting spurts of air, giving me just enough to just be. This is a stilted life, never fully being and never fully feeling life. “Rhonda, why are you always so serious?” my party boy baby brother asked me almost 20 years ago at a family dinner. There was no heated talk, no refusal on my part to walk his walk, but he asked me this.
On Cultivating Heart Strings
THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL about real life. It’s not just the laughter you can see instead of just hear (or read). It’s not the twinkle in a friend’s eye. It’s more than the touch or the hug or the wiping away of tears. It’s that we were created for it. To mingle our spirits together and with Him. To be fully full of His love so we can give it away. And friends, those on the other end of those strings flung out from your heart? They are the very best way to be with God. Their prayers make yours better.
Musings From The Sandwich Generation
Sometimes the only sliver of peace in the midst of a busy life is right smack dab in the middle of the shower. Many a great revelation has come to me as I stood under the flow of hot, running water with the steam rising up to meet me.
Lessons in Hospitality from my Hairstylist
Every six weeks my hairstylist invites me to sit down as she offers me a cup of coffee. She carefully wraps a towel around my shoulders and we start talking about what is new since we last spoke. We chat about everyday life at home. We share the challenges of picking paint colors, creating art for the walls and arranging our home to work for our families. We laugh about being the type who would probably clean the house for a housekeeper, if we had one.
Recommended Reads: Love The Home You Have (and a giveaway!)
We are thrilled to introduce you to a new book from one of our own (in)courage authors today! Melissa Michaels has recently released Love the Home You Have, and we adore her heart for hospitality and the fun, practical steps she shares in her book to take your “right now” house and turn it into your “dream” house! Oh, and we’re giving away 5 copies of her amazing book PLUS 5 Everlasting Light Starburst Mirrors, so be sure to read all the way to the end! [linebreak] A Place That Is Warm My...
5 Things to Do Now to Embrace Fall
I love fall. I love everything about it. Yes, I know in some parts of the country the arrival of Fall also signals that a long cold winter is near. But I don’t like to think that way. I don’t want to live in dread of a cold dark season when I can enjoy the gifts in front of me right at this moment. I like to embrace Fall as something special that happens just once a year, from September through November.
6 Habits for Happiness at Home
I’m not always diligent in keeping up with all the good habits and routines I should practice every day. Sometimes I just have a hard time getting started with a new habit, but more often I seem to have a hard time keeping up with them. But there are some things I do that I know for sure change my outlook on my day. No, I’m not talking about running five miles a day or going to the gym (although those would be great habits).
Celebrating (in)courage Turning FIVE with Thanks and Giveaways Galore
Five years. Five years and thousands of women across the globe gathering here each new day with their words. Five years of (in)courage; five years of you and your sister and your mom and your BFF and that neighbor down the road that you just discovered has a job or a four-year-old or a runaway teen or a new business or a diagnosis in common. This is where we all gather. This is the shelter from the storm.
Finding Balance
My girls are now young women, but I still love to talk with them about their life goals and offer advice now and then. A mother is always a mom, right? One thing we’ve been talking about quite a bit is living life on purpose. By that I mean, do we just let life happen to us? Or do we make deliberate choices for our home and life based on our priorities and purpose? There are only so many hours in the day. How do we decide what to do with those hours?
Pin This to Your Christmas Pinterest Board
With Christmas just a week away, many of us are running around wrapping gifts (or let’s be honest, still buying gifts), baking cookies, planning Christmas dinner and just trying our best to keep the housework from swallowing us up whole so we can appear to have our act together for when our guests arrive (or just to keep our own sanity!).
5 Ways to Love the Home You Have
Do you ever find yourself discouraged or even overwhelmed by the state of your home? I know I have found myself in that place more than I would like to admit! The messy rooms, the imperfect decor, the never-ending dirty dishes, and the repairs I couldn’t seem to keep up with threatened my sanity at times. My expectations for my home were often too high and my ability to maintain it all seemed to be lacking. I’d get one room pulled together and another area would fall apart. Can you relate?
{The Courage to Face Our Insecurities} Week 4: It’s Risky, But Do It Anyway
No one can make us feel quite as unsure about ourselves as another woman. And nothing can wound as much as the words that sometimes come from a friend or from inside our own head. That’s why (in)courage exists as an online community committed to making safe spaces for women to connect. Each Wednesday this month we’ve shared some of our stories of overcoming insecurity in order to choose friendship on purpose.
Recommended Reads: Love The Home You Have {Part 2}
Wasn’t Melissa’s post on Monday wonderful? We’re loving how her practical tips are making us feel brave about hosting our Girlfriend Gatherings! Melissa is sharing another wonderful post with us today, and we can’t wait to hear from you.
Authenticity: A Very Good Thing
Sometimes life hands us incredibly full seasons, and our own Melissa Michaels is in the midst of one of those right now. We hope you’ll join us in praying for her and her family as she dedicates time to finishing some beautiful projects, co-hosting a small blogging conference, moving to a new house, and all the other wonderfully, gloriously ordinary tasks that fill her days.
Recommended Reads: Make Room for What You Love
Tell me something. When a neighbor rings the doorbell in the middle of a day to ask for a cup of sugar, do you gracefully open the door, warmly smiling because you feel totally poised, pulled together, fully dressed (yes, pants on) and teeth brushed? Or is it your first instinct to slip quietly around the corner and hide, hoping they will give up and go away?
5 Ways to Create Your Summer House
Do you have a summer house? This is the time of year when we might be scrolling through Facebook and notice that many so many people seem to be heading off to their vacation homes or are traveling to exotic destinations for their summer vacation. That’s so fun! But even if you aren’t heading off to either place, take heart. The home you’re in is one of the best destinations of all. I’ll actually be spending most of the next few months in my summer home.
Small Is a Gift, Not a Punishment
Somewhere along the way, I picked up the idea that bigger is always better. I picked it up and carried it with me, spending more time than I’d care to admit reaching for rungs. We climb ladders and hear applause. We build platforms and receive praise. We joke about doing “all the things,” we hope for hearts and likes, we care about pixelated numbers.
I Just Can't Anymore
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14 (NIV) Here’s the promise for us today: God will fight for me when I just can’t anymore. As the social distancing continues, we’re becoming more weary. We were made for human connection through presence, and the lack of it has caused grief and anxiety and anger for the loss of what was supposed to be this year.
Peace in the Midst of the Storm
I thought I was fine. Sure, the whole world seems to have turned upside down on itself over the past month. And yes, having four kids home all day, every day, while two grown-ups try to work and manage homework isn’t ideal. And, yes, I’ve been a little under the weather — likely a random virus, nothing serious. But I’m holed up at home to be on the safe side. I was fine, totally fine. So I thought.
Being Asian American in the Midst of COVID-19
I can feel my voice getting louder as the white family passes us by, my words coming out more crisply and clearly than I normally would talk. I can’t control the instinctual reaction of my body when there’s even the slightest chance I might be perceived as “one of them.” I’m not other or foreign (I was born here in California), but with the way Asian Americans are being treated in light of COVID-19, I can’t help but feel labeled as dirty, sick, a virus — the virus.
A Love That Stands Near
The words jumped off the page, and I gasped. Not that I hadn’t read the story before. In fact, in my four decades of reading the Bible, I’d probably read this particular story at least a dozen times, if not more. Even so, the words read like the crisp pages of a new book first opened. How had I missed them before?
The Unexpected Gain of Giving Yourself Away
It was my dream for as long as I can remember, back when a girl imagined true love and a house full of children: I’d be the mom who baked homemade chocolate chip cookies for her kids after school. Thus, when I married, it didn’t take long to set up a mixer and buy butter, sugar, and vanilla. I filled my cabinets with all the makings for magic. Even before children entered the story, I baked for my husband with all the love I had in my heart.
You're Right Where You're Supposed to Be
The Christmas tree still stands happy and bright at our house, the wreath still hangs on the door, and half the neighborhood must feel the same way I do: I’ll get to it, but just not yet. Most years, I relish the first few days of the new year. I set aside a couple of hours to sit down with my planner, a goal-setting journal, and a cup of coffee.
Breathe. Relinquish. Repeat.
Help. I don’t know how I’m going to do this. I shot off the 9-1-1 text to one of my closest friends. I’d just returned home from a work trip, and I had only thirty-six hours at home before leaving again for another. Laundry needed to be done, the suitcase re-packed, not to mention children, a husband, and a house in desperate need of TLC. And dinner — what in the world was I going to make for dinner?! Not only was my refrigerator empty, I had no emotional or physical reserves left. I love what I do.
A Frustrating Part of the Vulnerability Conversation
Before the USAF moved our family to the Rocky Mountain town of Colorado Springs, we were stationed in the tropical islands of Hawaii. I still remember landing at the small island airport for the first time, walking hand-in-hand with my four-year-old daughter towards baggage claim. I was exhausted after the long flight and terribly nervous about finding my place and people there. Sure, we were stationed in paradise, but would my friendship landscape look more like a desert?
A Blessing for the Changing of the Season
I grew up with palm trees overhead and flip-flops on my feet every single Christmas. Florida doesn’t exactly celebrate “the changing of the seasons,” which might explain why I will pull the car over just to get a picture of the leaves changing and clap my hands at the first snowfall. For eighteen years, I experienced summer year round.
The Hard Truth About How God Feels About You
We sat shoulder to shoulder in church, just as we had hundreds of times before. Though he’d left home after high school and we no longer shared Sundays together, a break from a tough semester of college brought him home for the weekend. So we went to church, just like old times. I can’t remember the full sermon that Sunday, and I doubt my son remembers it either.
21 Days of Gratitude: a new reading plan from (in)courage
‘Tis the season of giving thanks. Many of us are thankful these days, reveling in the autumnal glory and start of the holiday season. But many of us may be struggling to give thanks for a myriad of reasons. Whether this is a sweet season of gratitude or a season of sadness, we stand with you. Even as we either rejoice alongside you or sit beside you in your pain, we want to encourage you to live as a woman of courage — no matter where your heart is.
The Hidden Gift of Pain
I’d walked the same trails hundreds of times. But I wasn’t prepared for the shock of what awaited me that day. Instead of lush green prairie grasses and towering cottonwood trees in full-leafed glory, I saw burned earth and blackened tree limbs. For about a hundred yards ahead and to each side of my trail, black death covered my scenery with signs of a recent wildfire. It made me sick, seeing such abject destruction.
When You Are Not Fine
“I don’t want to live like a vagrant anymore,” I pray. “I don’t want to be known for my lack, my weakness, my constant recurring despair.” I inhabit a limited soul longing for the wide expanse of eternity. Sometimes I wonder aloud, “How long, Lord?
The Beauty of Becoming Less
It only took a quick glance at Instagram for my heart to sink. An acquaintance had launched a new ministry, a needed and beautiful ministry. And in record time, it grew beyond everyone’s expectations. She was thriving, serving, and Jesus was changing lives in the process. But rather than a heart of celebration, I felt a twinge of defeat. After all, I have a new book releasing in less than two months — how in the world would I get similar results?
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