By: Kolleen Lucariello Sometimes we don’t notice how guarded we’ve become until we try to take the layers off. In October, Pat and I traveled to South Carolina, hoping to escape several weeks of Central New York’s winter. I left expecting mild weather throughout the weeks we'd be there, so I packed accordingly and left my heavy made-for-a-New-York-winter coat behind. Why? Because I assumed I wouldn’t need it. But to my surprise, the temperatures dropped and stayed far colder than I had...

By: Kolleen Lucariello I was driving home after attending an evening session of our church’s Holy Spirit Conference last February, with Tasha Layton’s song, Worship Through It, playing loud and on repeat from my playlist. The entire drive, I sang along: “I know my God can do it, so I’m gonna worship through it. Before I see my breakthrough, I’m gonna choose to praise You.” From the moment I first heard that song, it resonated deeply within me. I'd been praying for healing in my body after a...

By: Kolleen Lucariello When I bump up against someone—whether it’s a comment that felt like an insult, a careless action that stings, or even an intentional act meant to wound—something inside of me gets snagged, reminding me of my favorite gray sweater, the one covered in little snags from years of wear. It doesn’t take much for me to find a new loop on that sweater, and honestly, some days, it doesn’t take much for my heart to catch on the unexpected, either. A word, a look, a tone, and...