My deadlift shoes and those I wore to the gym that morning are on the floor before me. Looking down at my feet, embarrassment overwhelmed me. Oops, I did it again. My socks don’t match. And it’s not even close. I grab a deadlift shoe […]
Sanctified Reasoning
I deadlifted 295 lbs with no problem. It took effort, of course, and the five lifts leading up to it, 135, 185, 225, 250, and 275, were crucial to my success. It moved so well that my coach suggested that I go up. 305, 310, […]
The Sin of Not Praying
I don’t even know her. She’s a friend of a friend. Each time she messaged me, it was to provide an update on her physical, emotional, or financial situation. Her “pray for me right now” arrived in my inbox at strange hours. I’ve heard that […]
When Will the Bleeding Stop?
A plate came barreling down on my forehead one dreadful night in July two years ago. Blood soaked my glasses, covered my hands, and dripped on the floor. My crime was opening a cabinet door. Crying out to the Lord in the emergency room, I wailed, […]
What if You’re Strong But Not Courageous?
“Hey, strong gyal, you gonna be here on Sunday? We need you to roll that stone away!” He cracked himself up with his joke both times he told it. Once to me and then again to our pastor. I didn’t mind. I even used this […]
I Didn’t Know it Would be You!
With a smile that lit up the room, she walked toward me, saying, “When I heard that a Ms. Sharp would be speaking, I didn’t know it would be you!” We were at a Girls’ Sleepover for her church, face-to-face, for the first time. We […]
Cry Out to Jesus
How do you define happiness? For me, happiness is walking down a flight of stairs pain-free. Over the past year, each interaction with stairs has been daunting and painful. After hearing several recommendations, I was compelled to give the local pain doctor a try. Honestly, […]
Practicing the Pause
Last week I asked, “Who are you when you’re hungry?” This week there’s an acronym that keeps popping up in my mind. HALT. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. It serves as a reminder that these four common stressors are powerful enough to derail […]
Who Are You When You’re Hungry?
What if she ordered food, opened the cash box, took out twenty dollars, and when the delivery man arrived, paid for her meal with her employer’s money? This seems like a shocking move from someone hired to clean the premises. But, who are you when […]
The Secret Power of Small Beginnings
I arrived at the gym that morning fully armed with well-rehearsed excuses dressed up as reasons to quit. While others managed to lift twenty or thirty pounds, the weight of the five-pound dumbbell in my left hand was nearly unbearable. Sweat trickled down my back […]