Keeping it Real: Thanks For Noticin’
by KAYLYN LANIER XIONG Do you ever have a moment that just stops you cold and keeps echoing within you? My father taught me by example to honor and revere our men and women in uniform. I can’t tell you how many times I would watch him stop when he saw someone wearing a hat […]
Keeping It Real: Great Men
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a guy? Come on, girls. Tell the truth. You have, haven’t you? Surely, you’ve envied how men can be out-the-door in ten minutes flat. Perhaps you feel a little begrudged that guys get pot-bellies and no one notices. (This never happens in a woman’s world!) Menfolk […]
When the “Nobodies” Become the “Somebodies” Everyone Else Wants to Become!
Who makes the cut for your inner circle? Who gets access to the most real version of you? Can you name those few you choose to do life with through every season? It always intrigues me to consider the ones Jesus chose for His inner circle. Throngs of folks followed Him everywhere His feet trekked. […]
Keeping it Real: The Desires of Your Heart
by KAYLYN LANIER XIONG photo by AMANDA SUTTON PHOTOGRAPHY Hey, y’all! It’s me! (It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I hope you’re doing great!) Here’s a question for you: What do you dream about? What do you think about when you’re sleeplessly staring at the ceiling? What hits you in your gut at random times? […]
Keeping It Real: So You’re Ready to Quit
So you’re ready to quit? Been there a time or two. This life is not for wimps. I watched my mama do hard things all my life. Nothing came easy, but she stayed in the fight! She refused to sit it out on the sidelines of life. She had every reason to quit, but she […]
Keeping It Real: Where Is The Love?
PHOTO BY JODIE BRIM CREATIVE It’s February . . . with celebrations of love, right? So why is it that so many folks struggle to feel loved? How is it that we stand in crowded rooms, yet seem so alone? I’ve discovered that people fighting to feel cherished come from every walk of life. I’ve […]
Keep it Real: I Like “New!”
I like “new!” It feels fresh and clean. “New” has no baggage, no memories to beat me around. It’s untainted by yesterday’s failures and life’s regrets. “New” offers me a blank slate to start again. I like “new!” Given the astonishing opportunities afforded by “new,” why is it that we often use it so feebly? […]
Keeping It Real: A Humbling Invitation
Laugh if you want, but I STILL bake Christmas cookies with my grown children. We’ve laughed and loved through this tradition since before they were old enough to remember the memory! My heart smiles to remember those little flour-smudged faces and sprinkle-filled floors. Oh, the mess! But oh, the delight! The sweetness of those moments […]
Keeping It Real: When all Hell Breaks Loose
When all hell breaks loose in your life, what is your initial reaction? I’m not asking what you want it to be. Truly, what is your “go to” reaction? Do you ever pray because you know you’re supposed to, but you don’t actually expect God to answer? (I’ve done that!) This thinking causes us to […]
Keeping It Real: The Tipping Point
PHOTO BY JODIE BRIM CREATIVE Is it just me, or are you feeling the weight of the hour, too? So many significant things seem to be hanging in the balance. Governments and economies hang by a thread. Significant situations in our own lives feel increasingly fragile, too. Our inability to squash the things that seek […]
