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Alison McLennan

  • Motherhood + Marriage
  • Self-Care
  • Anxiety + Depression
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Starfish on ocean floor

When You’re Stuck and Need to Believe that Change Is Possible

breaking waves

Let the Waves Carry Them

It’s Okay to Live a “Small” Life

Path to the ocean

To the Strong (Tired) Mom Who Can’t Do It All

January 7, 2019 By Alison 2 Comments

7 Jan

Sister, I see you there, nodding to your child’s monologue while a to-do list scrolls behind your eyes like ticker tape. You have one ear in this moment but your focus is on later today and the next five tomorrows. Errands, projects, meetings, emails, activities, events, programs. There is more to do than there is of you, and before your…
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Moms, Are You Tired of Just Surviving Summer?

Moms, Are You Tired of Just Surviving Summer?

June 30, 2018 By Alison 2 Comments

30 Jun

I tried to create a realistic summer plan. I really did. There’s just one problem. IT’S NOT WORKING. The kids and I can’t seem to get through a day without rubbing each other raw. I’m sure you can’t relate at all. I’m sure your summer days have been full of contented self-entertainment, voluntarily completed chores, and sibling affection. But just…
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blue bottles by a window

It Is Time to Surrender That Good Thing You’re Doing?

May 18, 2018 By Alison 2 Comments

18 May

In March I made a hard decision, one that left my heart bruised: I resigned my position on the board of a ministry I dearly love. This decision wasn’t due to scandal, controversy, or incompetency (things we too easily associate with resignations). I have immense respect for the people and mission I was serving, and if anything, I wanted to…
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3 Unconventional Prayers of Thanks {for the Weary}

November 21, 2017 By Alison Leave a Comment

21 Nov

If your social media feed is anything like mine, it’s overflowing with holiday coziness. But twinkle lights and spice-dusted lattes aren’t always enough to foster gratitude when the calendar commands. Some of us feel our lack more deeply than our blessings, and turning that around isn’t a simple attitude adjustment. That doesn’t mean we need to give up on giving thanks….
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3 Lies That Keep Us from Choosing Rest

October 12, 2017 By Alison 2 Comments

12 Oct

While mowing the lawn last summer, I moved the wrong way and felt an ominous pop in my lower back. The next moment I was hobbling to the kitchen for ice packs, ibuprofen, and a muscle relaxer. “I can’t afford this right now,” I told my husband through tears. It’s a lament I repeat each time I wake up with a…
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Starfish on ocean floor

When You’re Stuck and Need to Believe that Change Is Possible

October 5, 2017 By Alison 8 Comments

5 Oct

I’m not sure when it started, but somewhere along the way I began describing my life with some pretty troubling adjectives. Stuck. Trapped. Defeated. They were words I said to myself, mostly. I might have shared them with a close friend, or occasionally hinted at them here, but mainly I’ve kept them politely hidden, like a festering wound covered by…
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Have You Been Bullying Yourself?

July 20, 2017 By Alison 9 Comments

20 Jul

You’re at a friend’s house, and your kid is pushing every button you’ve got. After a morning of battling wills, you finally lose it and let slip a glimpse of your worst self. When the smoke clears, you slump down on the couch beside your friend—the one who’s known you all your life. She touches your shoulder, looks you in…
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On Turning 39: 3 Things I’ve Learned Since 29

March 25, 2017 By Alison 7 Comments

25 Mar

I’m 39 today. I’ve been dreading this birthday. It marks the last gasp of a brutal decade—one that ushered in emotional disorders, chronic physical challenges, spiritual battles, and relational wounding. I just keep thinking: If my 3os were so hard, what am I up against in my 40s? Yet this past month my thoughts have turned to the benefits I’ve reaped…
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Welcome

I'm Alison: writer, introspector, chronic over-thinker. If you long to learn the art of stillness and live an authentic, rested life...well, so do I! Maybe we can figure it out together. Welcome to my grace-laden mess. I'm glad you're here.

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