Ash

Years ago, I felt like I had been dropped into someone else's hellacious life. I watched my life burn to the ground and all that remained was ash. In those painful moments I heard God speaking something significant about those ashes. He asked me to take the ash with me. He said, “Elise, don’t scatter the ashes. I have a purpose for them.”

Believing in Love

The impossible desire of my heart is to find love again. It's ok to feel like it's impossible. That's how I'll know it’s the Lord when it does happen. It seems bigger than I can fathom and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Conversation Hearts for Single People

In honor of Valentine’s Day and single adults ‘round the world: let us celebrate and laugh over the ridiculous conversations we’ve endured in our season of solitude. Admittedly, I would love to be taken out for dinner on the most romantic Thursday of 2019. But seeing as we are just days away from V-day and there are no suitors in sight I’ll choose to entertain myself and YOU with some of the oddest conversations I’ve experienced to date.

Elise CorinneFebruary 11, 2019single parent dating, singleness, single and parenting, single, single parent, single mom, Singleness, single dad, Single, Christian single parent, christian single mom, godly single mom, starling stories, starling of the day, Starling Stories, starling story, darling starling, my darling starling, conversation hearts, conversation hearts for single adults, dating in your 30s, dating in your 40s, dating in your 20s, divorce, Divorce, divorce blog, divorce stories, Dating after divorce, life after divorce, kids of divorce, Christian writer, christian, Christian, christian divorce, Christian Dating, Christian divorce, awkward conversations, awkward pickup lines, inappropriate pickup lines, Gilmore Girls, DMs, sliding into my DMs, sliding into your DMs, What you do?, Valentine's Day, age-appropriate, Does your baby have a daddy?

Unfolding the Folds

The enemy of my soul was trying to sell me on the idea I was stuck in a cycle… and I almost bought it. In a twisted way, my hopelessness made me feel like my issue fell under special circumstances. We do this all the time. We take our problems and explain to God why He can’t fix them.

Elise CorinneJanuary 30, 2019Unfolding the folds, starling stories, starling of the day, Starling Stories, my darling starling, divorce, divorce blog, divorce stories, Dating after divorce, darling starling, anxiety, depression, external processor, healing in process, singleness, single, single mom, single parent, Singleness, Single, single dad, single and parenting, Christian single parent, christian single mom, godly single mom, godly perspective, enemy of my soul, It's not supposed to be this way, Lysa Terkeurst, spiritual fight, spirituality, writer, Christian writer, christian divorce, Christian, Christian divorce, kids of divorce, disengaged, withdrawn, withdrawal, withdrawal symptoms, Shame, never alone, feeling lonely, feeling alone, isolated, isolation, finding a husband, life after divorce, healthy emotions, seasons, cycles, unhealthy cycle, unhealthy cycles, season or cycle, waiting for wifey, wait for a mate

Dating Woes

After my divorce, I was told by well-meaning friends and family, “You’re going to have men beating down your door to date you.” LIES!!! This has absolutely not been my experience. Not that I would even want this to happen anyway. Honestly, that sounds like a lot of drama and stress.

Over the past three years my dating life has consisted of one confusing night out. (ONE!)

[Insert cricket noises here]

Enter: “The Story”

Pumpkin Pie for Breakfast

I was recently sitting in a meeting at work and as things were winding down everyone was asked about their plans for the upcoming holiday. Some were hosting family, others were going out of town, some were even making several stops in one day (like Jay and I used to do). Then it was my turn. I opened my mouth to reply, but my throat clenched shut and tears welled up in my eyes. I knew I was sad, but I didn’t realize how sad until that moment. Three years ago I said goodbye to holidays with my in-laws and pumpkin pie for breakfast. This year, I say goodbye to a Boston accent, hilarious stories told from across the pond, and the smell of my mom’s famous sourdough rolls. Every few years our Thanksgiving table gets smaller and smaller. I didn’t realize how much I was still grieving the loss of these traditions until I was sitting in a meeting trying to choke back tears.

Elise CorinneNovember 19, 2018Give Thanks, Thanksgiving, Surviving the Holidays, Surviving Thanksgiving, single and parenting, single, singleness, single parent, christian single mom, single mom, Singleness, single dad, Christian single parent, godly single mom, Single, Grieving, Grieving well, Grieving loss, grieving, grieve, family dynamics, Broken family, unhealthy family dynamics, dealing with difficult family, Divorce, divorce stories, divorce blog, kids of divorce, Pumpkin pie, Pumpkin pie for breakfast, Pumpkin, Let them eat cake, ex-in-laws, ex-husband, ex husband, Thanksgiving traditions, Thanksgiving Tradition, Traditions, Holiday traditions, saying goodbye, starling of the day, darling starling, starling, Starling, Sta, starling story, starling stories, Starling Stories, my darling starling, Thanksgiving table, non-traditional traditions, divorce, christian divorce, Christian divorce, life after divorce, healing, healing in process, healthy communication, healthy emotions

Tethered

My heart is a deceptive, selfish little thing… especially when it’s hurting. My heart strings were being tugged and pulled to the point of becoming untethered and I felt like I was being cut off from someone I loved.

The Sourest of Lemons

I never thought I'd be standing in my house — holding fruit from my ex-husband's girlfriend — wondering if I should freeze it and fast-pitch it through the window of Jay's car or make some bomb lemonade from it. I had a strong urge to do one of those two activities and I can honestly say I wasn’t in the mood for lemonade.

Elise CorinneOctober 15, 2018This Is Us, starling, starling stories, starling of the day, story time, Starling Stories, starling story, lemons, lemonade, lavender, lavender lemonade, sparkling lemonade, sparkling lavender lemonade, bitter, bitterness, fast pitch, consequences, blog, betrayed, Blog, baggage, betrayal, web journal, cheated, cheating, christian divorce, christian, Christian divorce, Christian, christian single mom, Christian single parent, cheating husband, my spouse cheated, my husband cheated, my husband cheated now what, my darling starling, darling starling, my husband left, remind my soul, divorce, divorce stories, adultery, godly single mom, godly perspective, what does God say about divorce, she left, he left, healing, healthy emotions, healing in process, emotional pain, emotional baggage, emotions, emotional scars, emotional healing, memories, kids of divorce, girlfriend, when your ex gets a girlfriend, the sourest of lemons, when life hands you lemons, when life gives you lemons, Dr. K

The Fight

"It was time to put on the boxing gloves, but not for him. I had to fight for me. This wasn't a selfish battle, though. I was going to war with my feelings. I had a fight ahead of me and it was a brutal one.”

Companionship

Jay was undeniably familiar, and yet, he wouldn’t be familiar to me ever again. Which led to another question: Would I ever get to experience the comfort and familiarity of a man again? It’s strange to belong to someone for so long and then, suddenly, belong to no one.