by Vella Karman | Nov 6, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging, Soli Deo Gloria
I used to work as a pizza delivery driver. It wasn’t safe, it wasn’t easy, but it left me with a lot of crazy stories. Like the time I delivered pizza to a cult gathering place. My boss pulled me aside to complain about the phone call. “They were very particular,” she...
by Vella Karman | Sep 18, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging
The molting phase triggers when you transfer from living in your family’s mindset and lifestyle to opening up and sharing with friends about core aspects of life. From the outside it looks like a clash of mindsets and immature behavior. These are the friends who...
by Vella Karman | Sep 11, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging, Bonfires & Stars
I figured something out. If you don’t feel safe in friendships, one of the best ways to get that safety is stepping into friendships. I know, it sounds counterintuitive that doing the thing that scares you will take the fear away. But it’s true. You start...
by Vella Karman | Aug 14, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging, Bonfires & Stars, Lone Wolves
My worst fear is really common. It plays across the minds of thousands of people night and day…what if I’m unloveable? This question niggles at the vulnerable parts of our hearts. It stops us from stepping into community. It stems from an anxious fear that tells us we...
by Vella Karman | Jul 24, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging
Close-knit groups are intimidating. When they’ve known each other for years. When you’re new or temporary or not a Harry Potter fan. When you’re in college but still act like a kid sometimes. We all want to belong–God gave us an inherent need for community. And we...
by Vella Karman | May 8, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging
I attended the first ever Ohio Writers Association Conference last Saturday! And it got me thinking about big events. People make so many assumptions about introversion and extroversion in connection to big, loud crowds. So let me clear some things up. What...
