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Tara Johnson

sharing stories through writing, speaking and singing

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anxiety

Sunday Between Eleven and Twelve

October 2, 2019 By Tara Johnson 4 Comments

My heart hammers as the doors open wide. Smiling faces blur. I duck my head. Greetings call out and all I long to do is drag in one free inhalation of air. Breathe in, breathe out. I come yet again to the place where I was wounded, yet I know it’s where I should be. Why is this so hard? How strange that both Hope and Goliaths should occupy the same pews. Music floods the air. My mind struggles to focus on the words, the Read More

Filed Under: Anxiety Tagged With: anxiety, anxiety in church, depression

What You Can’t Take Back

April 30, 2019 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

I watched the teenage girl in the pew, her arms hugging her torso, cheeks flushed red as she stared at the floor. The rest of the congregation was singing some worship song about peace being found in God’s presence but not her. She looked trapped, blue-eyed gaze darting from side to side. My heart ached as I studied her. She had told me of the crippling anxiety that marked her days. Facing each morning with grit was a victory. Just when she had begun to Read More

Filed Under: Walking with God Tagged With: anxiety, anxiety in church, blessings and curses, life and death, oh be careful little lips, power of the tongue, power of words, watch our mouth

Hippie Gospel

September 24, 2018 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

I’m disillusioned. I’ve lived my entire life in church, nestled safely inside the Bible Belt and surrounded by believers just like me—flawed people who desperately love Jesus and are trying to do their best to figure this whole Christian-Living-thing out. None of us are perfect. Churches can be pretty messed up places because, well, they are filled with broken, sinful people. Just like in Walmart. Just like in McDonalds. Just like in our homes. During the past year, I’ve watched a loved one battle the Read More

Filed Under: Blog, Church Life Tagged With: anxiety, anxiety and Christians, church, healing, panic attacks, panic attacks in church, understanding panic in church

When You Can’t See God

July 30, 2017 By Tara Johnson 2 Comments

Magic Springs wore me out last week. Correction. The heat, combined with my children’s nonstop energy, wore me out. The amusement park nestled in the outskirts of Hot Springs, Arkansas is a popular place to take families for summer fun where they can zoom down water slides, swim, splash in freeze zones, play games like bumper cars or catch a ride on numerous pulse-stopping roller coasters. After hours swimming in the hot sun, the older kids wanted to ride a coaster. My friend offered to Read More

Filed Under: satan's lies, Uncategorized, Walking with God Tagged With: abandonment, anxiety, emotions, fear, God's love, God's word, Grace, Grace moves in, Jesus never leaves, truth, when you can't see God, where is God

Living Like Sugar

February 27, 2017 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

Our house was hopping this weekend. Teenage girls and giggling preteens were everywhere. Nate zoomed through the chaos in his normal Hulk-ish style. Movies, candy, tasting challenges, raucous laughter, Youtube videos, card games…there was noise coming from every direction. Most in the house had a blast…with the exception of our dog Sugar. Poor thing. She’s ten years old. Far too elderly for whooping and hollering, high-pitched squeals and pounding feet. She’s suffered enough living with Nate. In the middle of the bedlam, I moved to Read More

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Walking with God Tagged With: anxiety, fear, God's peace, hiding, overcome, overcome the world, peace, peace in the middle of hard times, psalm 91, rest, shadow of the almighty, shelter

Worry Squashing: How a Princess Can Get Rid of the Peas Under Her Mattress for Good

February 28, 2016 By Tara Johnson Leave a Comment

On Wednesday nights, I’m teaching a group of teen girls about being God’s princess. We’ve used classic fairy tales as a springboard into learning what it means to be an heir with Christ. It’s been a fun and exciting study, and now we’re embarking on a new princess. A less famous princess than some: the poor, exhausted girl from The Princess and the Pea.  Remember her story? Through a series of misfortunes, she arrives drenched and mud-splattered at an enormous castle. In her disheveled state, Read More

Filed Under: Beyond What We Can Imagine, Walking with God Tagged With: anxiety, fear, freedom from fear, getting rid of worry, God's princess, identity in Christ, peace, peas under the mattress, princess, worry

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Engraved on the Heart by Tara Johnson

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Meet Tara

Tara JohnsonTara Johnson is a writer, singer, speaker and passionate lover of stories. Tara uses fiction, nonfiction, song and laughter to share her testimony of how God led her into freedom after spending years living shackled to the expectations of others. She lives in central Arkansas with her husband and children.

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