Author: Paula Nilsen
-
Divorce Advice (Part 2): Create Space
Divorce Advice #1: Create Space before Reacting Pause a moment. Take a deep breath. Let it go. Shake it off. Chill. No, really, take a moment. Trusted advisors and friends offered the best divorce advice in the early days of severing myself from my husband. My favorite piece of advice, however, comes from a quote… Read more
-
Christian Divorce Advice (Part 1): Journaling
Christian Divorce Advice (Part 1): Spend Time Journaling Have you noticed the many voices clamoring to offer advice? During my divorce I was desperate for advice but often found advice lacking. So I looked to people who blazed the divorce trail. In Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life, Eric Greitens writes, “Those who went before us… Read more
-
Prayers for Divorce Healing
A Prayer for Relief after Divorce “Dear God,” I started. From there I wailed uncontrollably. I had no words. This was me my first few months after divorce. I lacked the language to pray. You see, my pain sat on me like a scavenger bird sat on its prey. Its massive talons gripped me with… Read more
-
3 Mind-Sets to Adopt When Starting Over after Divorce
Starting Over after Divorce Starting over after divorce requires summoning all your fortitude. Summon help from God, a friend, or a book that promises healing. Allow these trusted advisors to pour into your life. You are the funnel, wide open and waiting to receive. Here I offer three mindsets to adopt when starting over: Start… Read more
-
3 Ways to Forgive and Forget
Forgive and Forget To forgive and forget is difficult, but it’s necessary and an important aspect of moving forward. I’ll be straight up; I don’t like doing things I’m told I have to do. It started when I was a toddler. My mother’s words still echo: “Eat everything on your plate.” I sat for hours… Read more
-
Stay Hungry
“It just takes a tiny hunger pain for God to step in” (Paula Nilsen). After moving from a house to an apartment, I quickly learned that if I wanted to get any rest at all, I had to find a way to muffle the noise from the tenants above, and from the busy street beyond… Read more
-
A Dash of Frankincense This Christmas Day
Mira lifted my clothing and placed the burning pot of frankincense underneath. Luckily for me, I watched her do the same to my friend first, so I knew what to expect. The dancing ribbons of smoke from the resin disappeared under my clothing. At first, I was a little taken aback—I had never seen or… Read more
-
Cooking Class in Rome
The concierge handed me a map, traced the route I should take, and off I went. Trastevere was my destination and walking my only mode of transportation. The route took me past the ancient ruins of the Colosseum and the Forum, past the city center, over the bridge of the Tiber River, and to, what… Read more
-
Spilt Milk and Other Nonissues
I’m sure you’ve noticed how anxieties crowd out God’s message of peace. We aren’t meant to carry them. We are meant to cast all our cares upon Him. A wise person once asked me: Can you make this “issue” a “nonissue?” Can you just say, “This really isn’t that big of a deal”? It’s a… Read more
-
St. Louis Art Museum
I am back in St. Louis again. Today I visit the St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM). I take exit 1E right off interstate I-170. It takes me past the famous Washington University, toward Forest Park, the site of the 1904 World’s Fair Pavilion. I arrive at the art museum hungry, so I go straight to… Read more
