I spent a rare weekend with friends, and I had never felt so loved by a group of girls in my whole life. I’m usually one of those who is slow to trust, but there’s something different about these friends of mine. I only see them once a year, and when I leave them, I feel a little bit more confident in who I am. They all seem to be striving to come closer to the truth about themselves, and truth in Christ is the best thing that ever happened to a woman. When I leave them, my love for them will have always doubled, but one of the greatest, most lasting thing I’ve noticed is that I walk away more tender with myself. I see myself in a new way.

…continue reading at (in)courage! The process of writing this post has stopped me in my tracks all week.

photo by the brilliant Kelly Sauer