beEmboldened

My dad was a volatile man. No one knew what would set him off or when he would lose it, so we were always constantly on guard and alert...

Have you ever wanted to ask a question in your religious environment, but felt you couldn’t because you knew something would be at stake...

Christmas is over. Maybe you’re thinking, “I made it. I survived another holiday season fairly well intact.” You met every expectation of...

In our fast-paced, fit-it-all-in, sleep-when-we-die American culture, there never seems to be enough time to do anything thoroughly. We...

Did I pledge my allegiance For the purpose of progress To a priest or a prophet Playing god in the process? Was I chasing convenience In...

On October 6th, The Michigan Daily published a Campus Life article entitled, “‘We will not be silenced’: UMich student survivors of Young...

“We will be stepping outside of God’s blessing if we don’t get engaged.” Was it a threat? Spiritual abuse? Or the Holy Spirit speaking...

Do you know that feeling of not being good enough? That combination of heaviness and tightness in your chest, with overwhelming sadness...

“I don’t understand…” I heard his voice behind me. It was late, and I was standing at the sink washing the last of the day’s dishes, as...

Change is one of the few constants that exist Usually when I think of change, I automatically resist But this Spring I have a new...

“There’s no way to untangle love from worthiness.” Did you hear Amber say this in her interview with me on the Reclamation podcast, a NWM...

My seminary program required me to have a mentor for several semesters. I loved the idea of mentorship, but I didn’t know much about the...

Is “identity crisis” the best way to describe it? At the very least, an interaction I recently had certainly conjures the ghost of an...

Someone let my family down in a very painful way this past week. Someone we wholly trusted with all we hold dear. Someone whom we could...

So. We’re almost 2 weeks in. How are those resolutions going? Great so far? Yay! Not so great once the world realized that the stroke of...

In first grade, I was placed in an advanced learning program at my school. It was a really cool opportunity that focused on developing...

Not everyone believes in radical life change. I both understand and support a healthy amount of skepticism. As a teenager, I had a...

Love. Loyalty. Allegiance. These words are often synonymous with family. Family can be defined in many ways: our household (biological or...

My mom would oftentimes talk aloud to herself, as many of us do. Personally, I like to speak reminders for myself, in hopes of...

I’m an expert because I have spent all of my life hiding. I was raised with lessons in this skill—to attend public school, engage in relatio