I wish I knew it was okay: That I didn’t excel at sports. That I didn’t have a boyfriend. That I wasn’t a part of the “in” crowd. I wish I didn’t believe the lies I told myself: If only I was thinner. If only I was prettier. If only just one of the popular guys asked…
Author: anchoredvoice
The Altar of Normal
If I could go back 25 years, and talk to the naïve 14-year-old who was setting foot into the big leagues of high school, I would tell that smart, athletic, ambitious, excited little girl to stop trying to be normal. I’d tell her that normal is just a word we use for comfortable. I don’t…
Honest Hope: An Interview with Author Lee Ann Zanon
Hello Readers, We have a treat for you! Enjoy this interview with Lee Ann Zanon author of the newly released devotional Honest Hope. When I sat with this book, I felt as though I was sitting down to coffee with a dear friend. In a year that has been filled with feelings of isolation, this…
Exploring the Enneagram
What is the Enneagram? The Cliffnotes version—it’s a personality typing system with 9 types that focuses on core motivations. It is uniquely designed for personal growth, but as I talk to more people about the Enneagram and have helped them find their type, I’ve found a common reaction to the negative aspects of each type—embarrassment…
Choosing Joy in the Wilderness
The doctors said that full recovery would likely take six to 12 months and from that point onward, I counted off the days with eagerness. When nothing seemed to change by the 6-month mark, I comforted myself by looking forward to the 12-month mark. The timing seemed symbolic to me – I would regain full…
Pleasures Forevermore
Recently my eight-year-old daughter asked me if people can be happy without Jesus. I answered her in the moment, but I’ve been thinking about and attempting to refine my answer ever since. Yes, I believe the world is brimming with good things that can bring happiness to all people. Loving relationships, delectable food, satisfying careers,…
The Song of Redemption
Have you ever stood at the edge of the ocean? Felt the tide lap at your feet? Heard the roar of the water as the waves crash? Maybe you’ve seen the sun slip lower and lower on the horizon, turning from gold to pink to fiery red, fading into purple, and finally the dark blue…
Psalm 104 and the Goodness of God
Nearly eight years ago, my family left our tidy neighborhood home on a city lot and settled onto an eight-acre homestead with two Hereford cows, a 2,000 square foot garden, and a small orchard. We were naive and inexperienced, but nurturing the spark of a dream in our hearts, we were committed to learning. A…
The Ache of Beauty
As a girl, I remember buying a classical music cassette tape with my own money and pushing play in a pink bedroom tucked under the eaves. When I heard Pachelbel’s Canon in D for the first time, the perfection of that sweet melody caused a queer aching to well up inside of me. It was…
Beauty in Hard Circumstances and Unbreakable Joy
Unbreakable Joy: A 10-Week Bible Study: Joy. We all want it, and in Christ, we can all have it. Regardless of our circumstances, our blessings or challenges, we can have unshakable unbreakable joy in Christ. And this joy begins by understanding what true biblical joy is, where it comes from, and how we can best…
Anchored Voices 