Growing Through Life's
Classroom

For anyone figuring life out - one honest step at a time.

The Marathon of Birth: 28 Hours That Changed Me Forever

A year ago, I was in no way ready to write about this—and definitely not ready to put it out there. But for me, healing often means talking about something. It means looking back after the dust has settled and finding meaning in an experience that once felt impossible to make sense of. Nobody can really tell you what giving birth is going to be like because nobody knows what it will be like for you.

Claire Maendel

2 days ago6 min read

What My Anger Was Really Hiding

Because it suggests something uncomfortable: Anger is not always uncontrollable. Sometimes anger is a performance. A strategy. A form of intimidation. A way of forcing another person to feel the heat that is burning inside of us.

Claire Maendel

May 283 min read

I Judged Christians Until I Became One - The Heart Behind Courage to Learn

I used to judge Christians. And now that I’m a Christian, I have to be careful not to judge people who don’t believe. It’s a little like ex-smokers becoming the harshest critics of smokers — when really, they should understand the struggle better than anyone. This has caused me to reflect deeply on how differently people see the world.

Claire Maendel

May 124 min read

Purpose

Courage to Learn is a platform about the kind of learning that comes through real experiences, mistakes, and figuring things out as we go.

I've made my share of wrong turns. Times where I thought I knew better, rushed ahead, or had to face the consequences of my own choices. But over time, I've started to see that those moments aren't wasted.

My faith has shaped how I understand that. Not as a straight path or perfect process, but as something guided, refined, and used for something more than just self-improvement.

Courage to Learn is about being willing to keep going - stay open, to grow and to trust that even our hardest lessons can lead to somewhere meaningful.

The Journey