It Gets Better

“It” might not get better. But you? You can get better.

Plot Twist

I know a lot of you have gone through horrific trauma, and I want you to know God has something beautiful picked out for you: a unique path of healing. He loves you and healing is a part of His love for you. Don’t believe for one second that you will always be broken. You are not defective. You are not flawed. You are not defeated. God will win this battle for you.

When It Hurts Like a Mother

The roots of divorce spread far and wide. A broken home is part of the collateral damage, and children are left with a deficit. Here are some practices to hold on to when hurt turns to lies.

Overcome

I walked past a picture the other day that made me stop in my tracks. This picture felt like a prophecy of what was to come — me feeling so small amidst my overwhelming surroundings. That's when I heard God tell me it was time to share: I've been hiding. I know this is no surprise to you. One look through social media or my webpage and it's easy to deduce: that chick is MIA.

You're Invited!

Good news! We wouldn’t dream of leaving you out — so: WE ARE LIVE STREAMING THE WEDDING!

When Starlings Fall in Love — Part 1

We dated, fell in love, struggled through a crisis or two, sought the Lord individually and together, laughed, worshiped together, disagreed, talked about the hard stuff, did projects together, spent time with each other's families... and we still want more of each other.

Questions That Need Answers

Sometimes asking the right question will let you know exactly where you’re going to “land” with a person. Over the years, there have been a lot of assumptions about why I didn’t date for so long. One circulating rumor was I had sworn off men. Which couldn’t be farther from the truth. I HAVE, however, sworn off certain types of men. In the lines below, you will find some questions and thoughts I found helpful in determining what kind of guy I was looking for.

Why I Stayed Single

I didn’t date for 4 years. This wasn't a calculated choice, either. I WANTED to date. I just didn't want to date out of boredom or desperation.The Bible doesn't have much to say about dating because it didn't exist in that culture or era! However, the Bible DOES have lots to say about the kind of people we should team up with in life. So if dating is pointing us toward finding a mate, then I want to pursue a godly relationship from the start.

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.”

Look Up

Have you ever started out running one errand, but found yourself running an errand for someone else instead? Let me tell you — God is one smooth dude. I thought I was running to town for eye liner and dog food. However, both stores on my list were closed. So I ran to Target.

I walked into the makeup section to search for my brand, but my focus was immediately shifted to Paul. Paul was the older gentleman who was timidly walking the aisles of the beauty section. He looked lost. I watched from a distance as he looked carefully at the products and then referred back to his phone.

All of a sudden I heard words exiting my mouth, "Do you need help finding something?"

Starling Stories