Cynicism vs. Hope: Guest Post by Kelly

October 7, 2015September 28, 2015 Alyssa DeLosSantos2 Comments

Meet Kelly! She is a fellow For the Love book launch team member, new friend, counselor, writer, speaker and teacher with a passion for the poor and hurting in her community. Read more about her passions and journey at http://www.kellyjohnsongracenotes.com. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Hi, my name is Kelly and I am a West Wing addict. I have spent the last…… Continue reading Cynicism vs. Hope: Guest Post by Kelly

Following God to Myself

September 11, 2015September 11, 2015 Alyssa DeLosSantosLeave a comment

Have you ever encountered a younger version of yourself? When this younger version speaks you understand without knowing all the details because it is *somehow* strangely familiar… LaSondra didn’t want to be engaged in conversation with me, but I was unrelenting. Something about her Protected. Reserved. Suspicious. disposition was oddly similar to a younger version of me.…… Continue reading Following God to Myself

Christian Living · Faith · Hope

When Silence is Deafening and Hope Wanes

September 4, 2015August 18, 2022 Alyssa DeLosSantos13 Comments

Today is a two cup day. That second cup is steeping now. The house is unusually quiet, worship music fills the air, a candle flickers before me, and I’m kind of undone. We have a difficult family situation weighing on me. My heart is tender and my mind is divided. I’ve attempted to clean my…… Continue reading When Silence is Deafening and Hope Wanes

Community · Faith · Grace

For the Love {of Answered Prayers}

August 18, 2015August 17, 2015 Alyssa DeLosSantos9 Comments

We were in unfamiliar territory. I guess that’s what made my request bold {or stupid}. I asked, nonetheless. Lord, would you let someone affirm me today? Yes, I know I’m in Orlando {1,000 miles from home} and it’s likely I won’t know a single soul at Disney, but please? {Then I crossed my arms and…… Continue reading For the Love {of Answered Prayers}

Belief · Faith

In Persistent Pursuit

August 3, 2015August 3, 2015 Alyssa DeLosSantos7 Comments

The question itself wasn’t bad. But, the afternoon interrogation-which included a single question {presented in varying ways} repeated over and over-was exhausting. He must have asked me 100 times about the old cell phone collection in our hutch. He wanted one of them for his own personal use. I attempted to explain {each time} that there was…… Continue reading In Persistent Pursuit

Belief · Hope · Love

Generous Love: Disrupting a “Me” Centered Theology

June 28, 2015June 28, 2015 Alyssa DeLosSantos5 Comments

Post-it Notes protrude from most of my books and notebooks {marking favorite quotes and things I want to return to again}. I place them for the sake of easy {future} retrieval–but–without a doubt, they eventually fall off. Have you noticed that? They transfer to the bottom of shoes, the elbows of sweaters, or to the dreaded “black-hole”…… Continue reading Generous Love: Disrupting a “Me” Centered Theology

Belief · Faith

Divided Attention

April 16, 2015April 17, 2015 Alyssa DeLosSantos2 Comments

With the last push {in my final delivery}, I believe I birthed my brain. Honestly. She said placenta which must have been code for: recall, memory, and all connected, logical thoughts. I track random pieces of fuzz adrift in my house. I stop to pick split ends {for 5 minutes and sometimes much longer} in the…… Continue reading Divided Attention

Belief · Christian Living · Faith

Ears to Hear and the Will to Follow

March 6, 2015March 22, 2015 Alyssa DeLosSantos1 Comment

The rodeo–always a fun {slightly concerning} family affair. On a recent trip, while watching the mutton busting, cue obnoxious cheering that embarrassed our teenagers {parent win}, and shamelessly adoring the little darlings holding on for dear life–I couldn’t help but notice the sheep {already ridden} congregating in a corner of the large arena. It was fascinating and…… Continue reading Ears to Hear and the Will to Follow

Belief · Faith · Grace · Hope

The Liberating Power of Confession

November 7, 2014 Alyssa DeLosSantos4 Comments

It was the intersection of my guilt and the Lord’s prompting. My breathing became shallow and my heart thumped wildly. With everything in me, I didn’t like where this was leading. It’s a moment I won’t soon forget. Jesus was directing me to confess my failure—to Him…and to someone I wronged. Confession. There’s something we…… Continue reading The Liberating Power of Confession

Belief · Faith · Grace · Hope · Love · Uncategorized

Fish Tales and Parasite Problems

October 3, 2014 Alyssa DeLosSantos4 Comments

You shouldn’t ask us to fish-sit. We are not reliable. We’ve had 3 (count them aloud 1, 2, 3) beta fish that are no longer. Don’t laugh…let me explain. Beta fish number one: his name was Rico. He was adopted into our family when I married my husband. Our big kids were young and just…… Continue reading Fish Tales and Parasite Problems