article by Marci Julin photo by Holly Occhipinti https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ Some days, I confess, I choose to carry the heavy burden of caring immensely about what others think of me. The last six months have been uneasy ones as God seems to be increasingly directing me towards public ministry. This blog post proves difficult to write because it requires me to analyze and vulnerably share my own struggle with insecurity. Because I know that as humans we

by Marci Julin It's that time of year again when advertisements for chocolate, flowers, and bling bombard us from every source--or hopefully our husbands anyway! Advertisers know how women's hearts long for romance, and they happily offer men endless suggestions on how to fulfill that longing. Although the holiday primarily focuses on couples, all monetary expressions of love are, of course, encouraged. Since a shortage of funds often prevents my family from diving head-lo