It’s finally Friday, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Not only is it the end of the week, but it’s also my work from home day. That makes such a difference. No commute, no rushing out the door, no bracing myself for whatever mood my boss might be in. Instead, I can ease into the day with a little less stress, work from the comfort of home, and hopefully keep my migraine at bay. After the week I’ve had, that feels like a blessing.

I always look forward to Fridays, but this one feels especially good because I know what’s coming up next week. The first half should 🤞be relatively calm—Monday is shaping up to be quiet, and Tuesday I’m off. But Wednesday brings my MRI for my back, which I’m both anxious about and ready to get over with. Then the second half of the week kicks into high gear. Thursday through Saturday I’ll be working and participating in events for the museum. It’s going to be a lot to juggle, and I already know it’s going to take a lot out of me.

That’s why today feels even more important. I need this chance to breathe, to regroup, and to prepare myself for what’s ahead. Fridays at home are a reminder that little breaks like this can make a world of difference when life gets hectic. I’ll take the peace while I can get it.

I hope everyone has a great Friday and an even better weekend.

* Thank God It’s Work From Home Friday 

I almost forgot my Isabella Pic of the Week. I took this right after I wrote today’s post. She will likely be this way for at least 2-3 hours before she stretches, rotates a quarter turn, and goes back to sleep.

It’s Monday, and I hate Mondays. I don’t think I’m alone in that, but it feels especially true for me today. Mondays always seem to hit harder when the schedule is stacked from start to finish, and this one is shaping up to be particularly exhausting. I’ve got classes to teach all morning and paperwork waiting for me all afternoon, which doesn’t leave much room to catch my breath.

To top it off, I woke up queasy, and the migraine that’s been dogging me for nearly a week is still hanging on. This kind of lingering migraine always seems to show up when I’m a week or two out from my next round of Botox injections. Sure enough, my next appointment is on Wednesday, and I’m counting down the days until I get some relief. Until then, it’s a matter of managing the pain as best I can and pushing through.

So yes, I’m not exactly starting this week at my best, but here we are—it’s Monday, whether I like it or not. Hopefully once I get through the busyness of today, the rest of the week will feel a little lighter.

I hope everyone else had a good weekend and that you’re off to a much better start to the week than I am. Here’s to surviving Monday together.

Friday is finally here—and it’s a holiday weekend, too. It’s been quite a week. Most of my time at work has been spent buried in emails: finding the right information to answer them, or carefully wording responses to delicate matters that really should have been handled by my boss. Still, I think it turned out to be a successful week overall.

I’ve got a few more emails to get through today, but the good news is that I’m working from home. Well, part of the day will be spent working from the mechanic’s while I get an oil change, but that still counts.

Once the workday is done, I’ve got three days ahead for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Here’s hoping it’s a restorative weekend for all of us.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, everyone!

“But, ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”

—2 Corinthians 10:17–18

Paul reminds us that real approval does not come from boasting about ourselves but from living a life that reflects God’s love. In today’s world, however, it often feels like those who shout the loudest about their own greatness get the most attention. Some leaders demand constant praise and belittle those who refuse to glorify them. But as Christians, we are called to a different way—the way of humility, service, and compassion.

That kind of leadership is not new. Scripture repeatedly warns us against arrogance and pride. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble” (Proverbs 11:2). The one who exalts himself may enjoy temporary power, but it does not last. Self-glorification is hollow because it centers on greed, fear, and division—not on God.

By contrast, there are leaders—both within and outside the church—who live out their faith not by proclaiming themselves righteous but by working for justice. They may not wear religion on their sleeves, but they defend the vulnerable, extend compassion to the marginalized, and recognize the inherent dignity of all God’s children. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

President Jimmy Carter’s life of service—building homes for the poor, advocating for peace, and living humbly even after holding the highest office—is a sermon in itself. President Joe Biden often speaks of drawing strength from Scripture and has spoken openly about leaning on faith through personal tragedy. Whether or not one agrees with every policy, there is a recognizable humility in such leaders—a willingness to see others, to work for justice, and to help the vulnerable.

For LGBTQ+ people of faith, this passage speaks directly to our lived reality. Too often, we hear leaders who boast of their own “faithfulness” while working tirelessly to take away our rights, deny our families dignity, or paint us as enemies of God. They boast in their own power, but their actions betray the spirit of Christ. “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Words without love are just noise.

Right now, the difference could not be clearer:

Some leaders use fear, scapegoating, and exclusion to divide.

Others seek to protect rights, feed the hungry, and extend a hand of welcome.

As LGBTQ+ Christians, we know what it means to be on the margins. But we also know what it means to encounter Christ’s love in unexpected places—in a chosen family that embraces us, in a church that opens its doors instead of closing them, in the simple kindness of a stranger who affirms our worth. These are glimpses of God’s kingdom.

Glorifying the Lord is not found in loud proclamations of greatness or in parading one’s faith as a weapon. It is found in compassion lived out, in justice pursued, in love made visible. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). That is the measure—not who shouts the loudest, but who loves the most.

• When we advocate for the oppressed, we glorify God.
• When we refuse to return hate with hate, we glorify God.
• When we love boldly as LGBTQ+ people of faith—without shame and without fear—we glorify God.

This is our call to action: to live as people of hope in a world often bent on fear, to shine love where others spread hate, and to trust that God’s approval matters far more than the world’s applause.