identity Archives | All The More: Collective Blog

Immovable Identity

July 22, 2022 Rachel Guerrero 4 min read

“Am I good enough? Am I deserving of love today?” These are the types of questions that run through my mindas I seek my husband’s approval. Just recently, my husband, Josh, told friends of some marriage advice he received prior to our wedding. The advice was basically if there is a problem in your marriage, 99 percent of the time, it comes down to the man’s issue. Now, I’m gonna be honest, as a woman, this sounds great. No problems are really mine? If he was better, everything would be better? Sign me up. Of course, what the advice really meant was, please lead your family, outdo her in love, be an example in love and sacrifice. Of course, I know I sin and mess up very often and that these problems of mine in attitude and actions can affect my marriage in many negative ways, just like my spouse’s. […]

When am I ever going to be good enough?

April 9, 2021 Claire Raabe 5 min read

A few weeks back I found a new song on my Spotify Discover Weekly while jogging around the park. The music was peppy enough at first and the lyrics straightforward and catchy. However, when the chorus came, I found myself a bit haunted by its repeated questions: When am I ever gonna be good enough, for anyone? When am I ever gonna be good enough, for anything? They’re all ten thousand steps ahead of me Everything I’ll never be When am I ever gonna be good enough? I am a pretty driven person. I have always been motivated to pursue the highest and best. For most of my life this has manifested itself in school and sports. Now as a young adult, I see this in my professional aspirations, personal drive to always be learning and growing, and internalized pressure to keep up with my peers in terms of life […]

Owners of nothing, stewards of everything

September 11, 2020 Rachel Marissa 3 min read

A while back, my mom let me borrow her purple water bottle. I used it so much I started to forget it was hers to begin with. Sometimes I fail to remember that the “purple water bottles” God lets me borrow are His, too. During my first year in the counseling program at my seminary, I was so very aware grad school was a gift from God. I knew He was loaning me the knowledge, time, and resources. I was believing and remembering He is all-wise and knows everything about counseling, my program, where He’s calling me. I found myself holding loosely to grad school. I wasn’t anxious about going to class, studying for exams, writing research papers, applying for internships, or telling people I had no idea where I’d be after graduation. As I entered my second year of the program, however, a strange thing happened. I became clingy, […]

Political Homelessness

May 1, 2020 Victoria Scrima 4 min read

On November 8, 2016, I curled into my bed at 3 am repeating, “No, no, no, this can’t be,” as my friend attempted to console me. We were glued to our TVs late into the night, witnessing the surprising win for the 45th Presidency of the United States. In 2016, I would be called an engaged citizen. I watched the debates. I kept up with political headlines. I knew my stances and was prepared for a political conversation on various hot topics. I donated to my favorite candidate and even bought a shirt (Ru-Bae-O, anyone?). I kept up with the statistical projections, and I was ready. I felt our country was finally moving in the right direction. DIVISION AND ALLEGIANCE As we neared the election, I put my absentee ballot in the mail tray at my job. As I did, the receptionist – a Christian and friend of mine – […]