Pull up a chair, friend. You’re welcome here.
My name is Twyla.
I’m a relentless believer in direction over pace and ripple-effect living. An enneagram 9 learning to live open. A blueberry tea drinker, sourdough bread baker, minimalist wanna-be, chalk painter, mom of three, and wife to my first and forever. I play worship songs loud and on repeat. Write, speak, podcast, and create graphics. Number my thanks to remember gratitude is a before, not an after. (And that picture above? Welcome to the space where I meet with God and share my heart through words.)
~ Missional Neighboring Advocate ~
I used to know very few neighbors by name. Now it’s my joy and privilege to help you deepen your relationship with God and the people near you. I didn’t know how much I was missing until we started doing life in everyday ways with the people in our neighborhood.
I’ve come to understand that the things God does inside me are not meant just for me. The same is true for you. Our lives are meant to overflow. Have a ripple-effect. It looks like getting close to Jesus and letting others in close enough to know the ways He’s growing and guiding you. I call it missional neighboring.
On the blog you’ll find weekly encouragement to help you embark on your own journey of missional neighboring. If you prefer audio, subscribe to The Uncommon Normal podcast to get the same content. For my best encouragement and a more personal peek into the things I’m reading, baking, and playing on repeat, sign up to get Tuesdays with Twyla, my weekly note to my email friends.
I wrote a little book to help you make sense of missional neighboring because I get how overwhelming it feels to look at the gap between the way you’re living and what you want your life to look like. So I broke it down into 30 bite-sized devotions. You’ll learn how missional living begins in your heart, and then ripples out into the way you think, talk, live, and open your heart, home, and life to your neighbors. You can learn more about my devotional here.
Your new friend,
~ My Family ~
I can’t sing or dance, but my husband makes us laugh with his rendition of Johnny Cash and I greatly enjoy being a dance mom. We love the woods. Even my kids would take a hiking trail in the Smokey Mountains over the entertainment in Gatlinburg. Once upon a time, we home-schooled. Now my kids go to school with neighbor friends while I write.
Brandon and I met in a coffee shop after a 20’s church service. He pulled up a chair and we talked until most everyone else had left. When he asked for my number so we could continue the conversation, I couldn’t say no. Fun fact: he proposed under a waterfall, yep, on a trail near Gatlinburg. Did I say we like hiking?
Each of my kids is radically different, and the Enneagram has been a wonderful parenting tool. It helps us better understand and have grace for each other. I wish I’d learned about it sooner.
~ What I Believe ~
I believe that faith is more about being than doing. Knowing we’re cherished, chosen, and created to reflect God’s image dismantles our drive to do things for God and instead invites us to do them with Him and because of Him.
I believe that Christ is the ultimate Hope-Giver and that we can trust Him with our upside-down question marks and ampersands. Praise Him in the nevertheless and not-knowing and not-yets.
I believe we find joy when we press into surrender. Let go of what’s not ours to carry.
I believe discipleship is as simple as ripple-effect living—and God’s mission is to fill the earth with disciples who will praise Him in the presence of others.