Storytime with Hallie

A Journey of Life, Church & More

Welcome to the Storytime with Hallie Blog

Welcome to my blog where you will find stories about my life. I will explore issues surrounding mental illness, trauma, the church and more.

These two photos are a good reflection of where I am right now. The first is during a ministry event when I was working as a Pastor. The second shows me right after I let the leadership at my church of 27 years know I was resigning.

I wanted you to see the raw emotion in each photo. The top one, I am full of joy and laughing. The bottom photo I am full of sadness, pain, and mourning.

I will explore many different ranges of emotion through this blog as I share. I will speak transparently and honestly. I invite you to join me.

Recent posts

  • Chernobyl, Red Forests and a Walk Forward

    By Hallie J Carl On April 26, 1986 I was a shy fourth grader with bad bangs and the smile of someone who would most certainly require orthodontia. 6000 miles away from my fourth grade woes, Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded, causing the worst nuclear disaster in history. (Above:…

    Storytime With Hallie
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  • Portals: A Poem

    By Hallie J Carl Do you dream about me?I dream about you.My eyes flutter awake in the morning, discerning if it was a memory or not.It causes me to shake. In my dream last night,you yelled at me that I didn’t help you.Then you came and gave me a kiss on my head, like a…

    Storytime With Hallie

  • A Family Exiled Part Two: Hope Renewed

    By Hallie J Carl In Part One of A Family Exiled (which I would ask you read first if you haven’t already), I shared my journey over the last year of pain and hurt. In this difficult season, I lost something very important. Hope. I didn’t sense it’s absence because in its place I was…

    Storytime With Hallie

  • A Family Exiled:

    A Place We Called Home, A People We Called Family by Hallie J. Carl I gazed out over the Baltic Sea, its waters calm and peaceful. It was good to be back in Latvia. I became enchanted with its stoic beauty, strong people, and curious youth in 2019 when I was able be on a…

    Storytime With Hallie

  • “Striving to put right what once went wrong”

    By Hallie J Carl “Do you have tickets?” The question seemed reasonable, yet at the same time, unbelievable. Who knew tickets were necessary? I have a tendency to go all in. If I like something, I really like it. As a teenager, this was an even stronger instinct. I would feel like I was the…

    Storytime With Hallie

About Me

My name is Hallie Carl. I am a wife (to Lee), mom (to Caleb and Isaiah) and the two things I am most passionate about are books (so many) and dogs (Enzo, Tonks and Ahsoka).

I formerly worked as a Pastor, where I was passionate about leading and guiding women in their walks and through hard things. I also loved reading and teaching the Bible.

I care deeply for the overlooked and misunderstood. I believe each person on earth deserves to be treated with value, empathy, compassion and love, even at our most unlovely moments.

Recent Posts

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