Blog: finding yourself

Courage for Authentic Relationships – by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: June 5, 2026

We all long for “heart connection” relationships—places where we can finally exhale, where we don’t have to impress or pretend. Places where we can be what I call “spiritually naked and unashamed.” Yes, the kind of relationship where we don’t have to hide the unpolished parts of ourselves or cover our fears and struggles behind a carefully orchestrated mask. Masks protect us from rejection but also genuine connection. Throughout Scripture, God is always inviting people into something deeper—something more intimate. He never asks us to bring our perfected selves; instead, He welcomes us as we are. David’s honest laments, desperate pleadings, and even his anger before God, along with Peter’s failures, reveal a God who meets His people in their weakness and lovingly draws them into deeper, more authentic relationship. So how do we do this? This quest for authenticity? First of all, we have to want it. Authentic relationships…

Posted in: ask questions, authentic, be a blessing, beauty and joy, Best friends, circle of friends, Commitment, community, companionship, courage, don't give up, empathy, Encouragement, find the simple joys, Finding Truth, finding yourself, friends, Friendship, girlfriends, good conversation, happiness, happiness needs to be shared, happy heart, honesty, how do you spell LOVE, hugs, intentionality, Kindness, laughter, Lifter-uppers, Listening, love lives here, make time for each other, mutuality, one-another, Prayer deepens relationships, Praying divides our burdens, praying with friends, relationships, spiritual friendships, Understanding each other, vulnerable, we are made for relationships, we need each other

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DON’T LET AGE BECOME YOUR CAGE – by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: March 26, 2026

The cat’s out of the bag; I turned 79 last week! While in Colombia, South American the calendar showed it was my Birthday and wow did I get celebrated. It’s so refreshing to experience how people in other countries esteem and honour older people. I truly felt cherished and celebrated. Whenever people hear my age, they are shocked and wonder why I am still travelling around the world to speak at churches and conferences.  I say: “Why not?” As Christians in ministry do, we ever retire? I am so grateful for my body which, to this point, has not let me down.  The 31 years of pumping weights in the gym and now these last years of walking and hiking have kept my core strong and infused energy. In the morning when my feet hit the floor, I thank God that my body still works and I am able to…

Posted in: accumulate experiences, achievements, adventure, Age is not a cage, Balancing life, beauty and joy, beauty in God's creation, Best friends, bitterness, celebrate instead of compare, circle of friends, companionship, decisions, do the right thing, don't give up, Encouragement, Expectations, feeling good, find the simple joys, finding yourself, Forgiveness, fresh joy, friends, girlfriends, God's creation, growing old, Hearing God, Hope, Legacy, lifestyle, Made for more, Overcoming Struggles, praise, Prayer deepens relationships, praying with friends, purpose, recapture your joy, regret, seasons of life, show up, take care of your heart, thankful, thanksgiving, we are made for relationships

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Don’t You Care? – by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: February 9, 2026

Posted in: accusations, all alone, anxiety, ask for help, Balancing life, care, Christ, Come to Jesus, communicate, disappointment, do the right thing, don't you care, Encouragement, Expectations, feeling bad, finding yourself, frustrations, gift of peace, God's voice, heart of God, honest, intersection of faith, invisible, Jesus, lifestyle, live one day at a time, Making Wise Choices, needs, Offenses, Overcoming Struggles, Overwhelmed and Undervalued, Peace, personalities, power of words, presence of God, purpose, Resentment, rest, rhythm, Say no, self worth, take care of your heart, troubled hearts, trust God for today, Understanding each other, we need each other, what rest do you need?

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When Life Changes from “WE” to “ME”-By Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: September 5, 2025

It’s shocking to walk down Aisle 5 of your favourite grocery store and have to restrain yourself from buying your spouses’ favorite pickles or seasonings. In that moment the harsh reality hits once again; the life you’ve known and loved is gone. It’s a punch in the gut. And now you’re shopping for one instead of two. You get to buy all the items that make you happy, but the happiness has vanished. But happiness has vanished. Another painful moment is buying birthday, anniversary or Christmas cards. You’re drawn to a card that says: “Happy Birthday from Both of Us.” But there is no “both” it is now just you. I loved being a “we” and did not want to reclaim my personal identity. So much of being a couple is intertwined: “we love this restaurant,” “we love vacationing in Europe,” “we love going to church together.”  I am no…

Posted in: all alone, alone, becoming, brokenness, companionship, darkness, death, empty soul, finding yourself, From WE to ME, Good Marriage, grief, grief changes us, grief is lonely, grief is unpredictable, happiness, Hope, loneliness, mourn, Move on, new identity, Prayer, suffering, sympathy, trust God for today, weeping

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