No woman dreams of marrying a man that struggles with lust, but the sad truth is a lot of us do. It’s a truth that many “church-grown” women neglect to understand or acknowledge until a serious relationship arises. Sometimes it even takes years into a marriage before it comes to the surface.

But for the large majority of us, we eventually have to confront the reality of our husband’s very real temptation to lust after another woman.

My little brother used to close one eye, hold his thumb and pointer finger about an inch apart from each other up to his open eye and “smush” me. I probably deserved it most of the time.

Isn’t distance perception a funny thing, though? That a nearly 5’9” person can seemingly fit between two tiny fingers?

Big things can seem really small sometimes.

When it comes to present issues in our lives though, doesn’t it seem to feel just the opposite?

Small things seem mammoth.

And most of the time we don’t even realize they are small until we are farther away from them. Then, we glance over our shoulder, hold our thumb and pointer finger an inch a part, and easily “smush” them.

It’s World Adoption Day, and although I haven’t yet been able to adopt as a parent, I was adopted as a child. So today is a happy day for me.

My father adopted me when I was ten.

I’ve written a blog before telling my whole adoption story, so that’s not what this is about.
This is just a quick thank you to the parents that have chosen to adopt.

My entire life abortion has been a topic I’ve worked hard to avoid. Because my entire life abortions have happened, people have argued, and abortions just keep happening.

I distinctly remember being in debate class my junior year of high school when the topic of abortion was announced. I sat and listened as the “right wing” and “left wing” of the classroom yelled back and forth about women’s rights and the definition of life.

Usually a very outspoken member of the class, I didn’t say one word that day. I put my head down to join the “sleepers” in the classroom, giving me an automatic zero.

But I wasn’t sleeping. I was crying.

The word “shy” is not the choice adjective most of my friends use when describing me, but put me with a group of new people and I am instantly the wallflower. Whether it’s a new team, new school, or new church, I’ve proven to be an introvert over and over again in situations where I’m the “new one”.

But, without fail, there always comes that one fateful day when I wake up, go to that new place, and realize that I accidentally left my filter at home.

Unfortunately for the friends I’ve made since moving to Ohio, I’ve recently noticed I misplaced my filter again.

All of the sudden it seems like half of my sentences begin with, “I know this is T.M.I., but…”