by Shannon Popkin | Nov 10, 2021 | Distraction, Freedom, Podcast, Suffering
Have you ever been forced into a wilderness of discomfort? An out-of-your-control season where the comforts of life are beyond reach? And do you want to binge your way through your wilderness, thinking, “Oh? I have to live without that? Well, then. I’ll...
by Shannon Popkin | Oct 28, 2021 | Anxiety, Control Girl, Suffering, Wisdom
“I don’t understand, Lord…” I must have prayed this prayer five hundred times, as I processed a dreadfully painful situation a while back. It all started with a meeting at Starbucks. I walked in with a sunny expression and hopeful expectation. I walked out trying to...
by Shannon Popkin | Apr 8, 2020 | Problems, Submission, Suffering
Hello, Trouble. We were expecting you. Come right in and make yourself at home. Will you be staying awhile? We thought so. We’ve heard a lot about you. We’ve seen you visit our friends’ homes. To be honest, we’ve been dreading your arrival for...
by Shannon Popkin | Feb 18, 2019 | Love, Mistakes, Pain, Parenting, Problems
This post first appeared on, where I serve as one of the bloggers. I braced myself as I walked in the door. I knew it would be dark, so dark that I’d have to squint to read the faded gray numbers on the price tags. And I knew it would be loud, so loud that I’d have...
by Shannon Popkin | Nov 19, 2018 | Hardship, Suffering, Uncategorized
For a third grade assignment, my son defined thankfulness this way: “It’s when you don’t really like something, like your dinner, and your dad says that you should be thankful for it.” I’m sure he was picturing himself taking huge swigs of...
by Shannon Popkin | Jul 26, 2016 | Hardship, Pain, Suffering
By Shannon Popkin, Taken from the True Woman blog. Hello, Trouble. We were expecting you. Come right in and make yourself at home. Will you be staying awhile? We thought so. We’ve heard a lot about you. We’ve seen you visit our friends’ homes. To be...