Annie Leigh Edwards

There are many things in this world that freak me out: tornadoes, spiders, snakes, tsunamis, men who wear capri pants, ISIS, and yes, the gremlins under my bed. These are all valid reasons to be fearful. Yet, I’m also afraid of things that are less tangible—like chasing my dreams. Why am I so afraid of pursuing my passions? Here are just a few reasons: I am afraid of being rejected. I am afraid of being ignored. I am afraid of living a life that doesn’t matter. I am afraid that I am not doing it right. I am afraid that there are already too many people doing what I want to do, and they are doing it much better. I am afraid that

Bored? Yeah I get it! Am I the only one who has ever been bored with life? Sometimes I wonder, is there a chance that boredom stems from misplaced fear? I’m not exactly an adrenaline junkie, but lately I have the hankering to get brave. Yes, me … the perpetual nail-biter, weather radio analyst, locksmith with a Ph.D. in Google. Yes, this lady wants to get her brave on. Now, I don’t even know what “brave” looks like because I have been held in the arms of blessed safety since infancy. There were the baby gates, kid leashes, pillows on the edge of the fireplace, electrical covers on all outlets, locks on cabinets, bicycle helmets and knee pads, curfews, “don’t climb any higher

My memories from childhood run together like a ripple in that old creek behind our home … it is impossible to distinguish the ripple from the current, but it is all being pulled in the same direction. Such is life; if you blink you might miss it, so they say. They said I didn’t learn to ride a bike until I was ten years old. It is difficult to steer through the hallways and waiting rooms of a hospital, crowded by children wearing masks, scarfs, and pain. These are not the things I remember. I do remember a sister who was born dying. Cancer. I remember parents who although were they hurting, did not question God or resent His plan for their

I have grown up with a sister who has spent her life fighting cancer and now a mother who also has the same battle. From a young age, I experienced how fleeting this thing called life actually is and there is still much growing up in that lesson to be done. I praise the Lord that my sister is now in remission! I have learned that those who know how to die, can live fully! Life is full of jagged edges, reminding us that we are bleeding mortars. My sister was born dying, but then again, I guess we all are. Although we may not share the same scars, there is one thing we all have in common, we will live and

Sin slithers in when we least expect it, and goes for the chokehold every … single … time. Sin attempts to strangle us by twisting the truth with lies. Gasping for air, we ask, “Does God really love me?”; “Does He really want me to have good things?”; “Is His way really the best way?”; “Is God really enough?” Sin chokes out the light, and in the darkness the poison sinks deep, damaging everything in its path. Sin will always break its promises and break our hearts, and yet, we are just like our sister, Eve. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. We were created to be worshippers, and whether it’s God Himself or a piece of fruit, we will spend our