Wild horses, manes flowing in the wind, thundering hooves. Isn’t that what we associate with freedom? Beholding its savage majesty from a distance, don’t we ache to be swept up in their speed – to ride or be part of the herd? But we cannot get close. From our vantage point, we behold the idyllic illusion, rarely considering how vulnerable these beauties are. They are completely subject to the elements, much more exposed than their strength and size would suggest.

Confidential cries cross the boundary of silence to my inbox in response to a survey of relationships. Humbled by their trust, I recognize my own struggles in many of these e-mails. There are nuts and bolts to be learned in long-term interactions -decoding of male / female languages and lessons passed from the seasoned to the less experienced.

I am furiously typing away because I woke up to a quiet house this morning and grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to read the first chapter. Then I ran to the computer and here I am. And oh my sister! I don’t even know how to express to you what I am feeling or thinking. I felt like, something happened. Someone else gets it. I am not crazy.

Elisabet’s much anticipated first book is now available.

Countless self-help books offer us formulas. However, God is not quite as manageable as they promise and reality has a way of messing things up.

Welcome to my virtual garden at the ocean’s edge. Come, lean into the winds blowing from eternity and let them touch you where you need it most. This is a place of holding raw reality in open hands to the Creator Who gives beauty for ashes, Who understands every fluttering heart beat, and Who loves us at our worst.