Dena and the Blue Bow Tie

Have you ever done something humiliating out of complete innocence? Embarrassed yourself because of your own naiveté? Kept that mistake buried for years? When the secret came out, you had to live with the humiliation for the rest of your life? I’ve made two such mistakes. The two biggest mistakes of my life (well, maybe […]

A Day in the Life of Dena

Parenting is hard. It is definitely a two-person job that requires tremendous cooperation, meticulous planning, and endless flexibility. When you become a single parent, you are solely responsible for every aspect of those precious children in your care. You are responsible for their physical well-being, their emotional stability, their spiritual growth. And, you are solely […]

When God Changes His Mind

I have spent a lot of time recently contemplating how God changes his mind. Have you ever thought about that? If you are like me, your first thought is, “But scripture is clear that God is not a man that he should change his mind” (1 Samuel 23:19)! And yet, I find myself absolutely convinced […]

Destined for Greatness

As I reflect on my life, I am blessed to even be alive. I was born May 23 (we will skip the year). The doctor said that my due date was May 6, but my mom swears to this day that her due date was April 6. She began having labor pains on March 26, […]

Divorced…To God’s Glory!

I don’t pay much attention to the stats on my blog, but today wordpress sent out a year-end summary. I glanced through the stats, and I found that a post from October 2013 was the most viewed post for two straight years. As I reflected on the words in that post, I began to think […]

It’s Not Fair!

I am a runner. Well, I like to think of myself as a runner. Truth is, I started running about five years ago shortly after my husband and I separated. Running saved me. You see, I could go out as an emotional mess. As my feet pounded the pavement, my mind began to clear. I […]

Promises, Promises

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow.” Joshua 3:5 2014 started with God impressing this scripture upon my heart. I entered the year with eager anticipation of what God would do this year. My heart was full of expectation. I was constantly reminded of God’s faithfulness, knowing […]

On Pain and Suffering

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33 I’ve been thinking about pain and suffering a lot lately. It seems that I am surrounded by people who are experiencing immense pain—far more than anyone should have to handle. Just a few examples: […]

A Call to Repentance

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from […]

Live Out Loud!

My house is loud! At the moment, I am enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet. My kids are with their dad, so it is just me, my music playing quietly in the background, and the dog lying at my feet. But, on a normal day, my house gets loud and rowdy! With a […]