Looking Joli Good

I remember sitting in Sunday school one morning when someone confidently declared, “Well, the Bible does say God helps those who help themselves!” Everyone nodded in agreement, but I remember thinking, Wait a second …that’s not in the Bible. It was one of the first moments I realized how easily people confuse familiar sayings, opinions, or traditions with actual Scripture. Years later, when…

When I was in my early twenties, our church hired a new assistant pastor who was young, newly married, and absolutely certain of his divine calling. He had just graduated from a fundamentalist Christian college and carried himself with the kind of overconfidence that only comes from immaturity and believing you speak directly for God. I can still picture him, red-faced, on his tip toes, shouting…

Happy Halloween! It’s the last day of October which means trick or treating! It is also the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you’re a woman between 40 and 75 and haven’t scheduled your yearly mammogram or screening yet, why not take a minute today to make that appointment? Early detection saves lives and taking care of your health is one of the best treats you can give yourself.

When I think back to my years in a high-control church, I can still hear the tone of certain sermons: loud, emotional, and dripping with guilt. It wasn’t enough to encourage people toward good; we had to be made to feel bad first. I remember walking out of services heavy with shame, not because the Holy Spirit had convicted me, but because a man behind a pulpit had told me I should feel guilty…

As a young teenager, summer camp was one of the highlights of my year. The days were full of excitement, games, funny skits, and team challenges. We cheered for our cabins, enjoyed the beautiful outdoors, ate camp food, and felt like we were part of something special. But as the sun went down each evening and we gathered in the chapel, everything changed. The air was thick with seriousness; the…

I remember that I was so excited to share what I had learned with my church ladies Bible study group. I had spent hours studying the book and passages and thinking about how to explain them in a way that would encourage discussion. As I began to speak, I noticed two women exchanging quiet glances. Their laughter was soft at first, barely audible, but it carried a weight that made me tense. Every…

In the 1990s, a simple question swept through youth groups and church camps alike: What Would Jesus Do? The words appeared on colorful bracelets, bumper stickers, and T-shirts, meant to remind believers to act with kindness, humility, and compassion. It was supposed to be a personal moral compass, a quiet invitation to pause before reacting, to let love guide choices both big and small. The heart…

The sun was warm on the hillside as Jesus sat down among the people. They gathered close as children sat resting at their mothers’ feet, fishermen still smelling of the sea, and travelers dusty from the road. His voice was calm, yet full of strength. He spoke about love, kindness, and forgiveness. He taught that even the smallest act of mercy mattered in the eyes of God. The crowd grew silent,…

Looking back, I had what I would be described as an ideal childhood! Two parents who loved me and each other. A home where I felt safe, loved, and free to be myself. I spent hours playing outside, exploring the world around me, and letting my imagination turn ordinary spaces into magical places. I was able to have a childhood that gave me confidence, joy, and the foundation to grow into who I am…

Yesterday, social media was flooded with memes about yet another prediction for the rapture. Years ago, this would have sent me spiraling into fear. I grew up with rapture anxiety—a constant dread that at any moment Jesus might return and I would be left behind. Movies like A Thief in the Night etched terrifying images into my mind, convincing me that the only way to be safe was to be as perfect…

Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. This verse is often used in high-demand religious environments to emphasize human depravity and unworthiness, even in the face of sincere effort or goodness. It can shape a person’s view of themselves in…

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” — Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV) This verse is commonly quoted in high-control religious environments to discourage trust in one’s own feelings, thoughts, or intuition. It’s often used to justify external control or authority—implying that people must not trust themselves and must instead rely entirely on religious leaders…

There is a quiet kind of violence in the words people speak about us. Sometimes it’s loud and obvious—labels hurled in anger or judgment. Other times, it’s subtle, passive-aggressive, cloaked in concern or advice, spoken from pulpits, whispered in passing, or passed down like family heirlooms. “You’re rebellious.” “You’re too sensitive.” “You’re not enough.” or sometimes it is that “You’re too…

For the last several years I have been slowly working on getting my Masters of Science in Nursing, Public Health Nursing. As I approach the finish line, I’m excited to begin the next chapter of my nursing career in public health. For much of my career as a nurse, I’ve been known as someone who is confident, composed, and capable. On the surface, I appeared to handle challenges with ease, but…

For as long as I can remember, the message was clear—be more, do more, give more. And yet, no matter how much I did, it was never quite right, never enough. This phrase—“never enough”—echoed quietly beneath the surface of my life, a constant hum in the background of my thoughts, my choices, my identity. It took years before I realized that I had internalized a system that thrived on my…

Music has an uncanny ability to transport us back in time, reviving memories both joyful and painful with just a few familiar notes. I hadn’t heard To Be with You by Mr. Big in years, but the moment it played, I was instantly transported back to an experience from my childhood that left a lasting impression. Although I genuinely enjoy the song, it is forever tied to that memory. I was around…

Studying population public health has opened my eyes to the overwhelming impact that infectious diseases have on individuals and society. As I’m reading Anthony Fauci’s On Call, I find myself deeply moved by the part he played in the relentless battle against HIV/AIDS and the advocacy that shaped public health responses. This story isn’t just about statistics and policies—it’s about the people…