A Prayer for When Life Crumbles

Lord Jesus, my heart is heavy and burdened. This year has been unbelievably hard. It seems everywhere we turn, we find nothing but trouble, heartache, pain. It’s taking it’s toll on me. Life seems to be robbing me of my joy, my peace. I cry out to you night and day, begging for a break, […]

Truths About the Christian Life

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 Last week, I wrote about the battle I’ve been waging in my mind. It’s been a major war between believing […]

Lies!

“Hello. I know you don’t know me but a few years ago, I met (your ex-husband) on a dating site….He mentioned the divorce on that first date but didn’t give much details. We continued to go out and I would kind of press him on the issue. He made it sound like you were the […]

Giving Hope in the Midst of Pain

“You just need to pray more.” I remember hearing those words as my life was falling apart. I could barely muster enough strength to get through the day. The tears fell freely, like a fierce thunderstorm that sweeps in unexpectedly. My mind was cloudy, my thinking irrational, my words incoherent. And my faith? It was […]

It Takes Two and Other Myths About Adultery and Divorce

It takes two… I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase as it applies to many different things in this life. I spent the majority of my life believing that divorce took two, that if a divorce occurred it was because both people were responsible for the failure. I now know just how wrong that belief is. […]

On the Church and Divorce: Thoughts About Paige Patterson and the SBC

The last few weeks, a firestorm of controversy has erupted in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Allegations against Paige Patterson, now president emeritus at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, have been made public, allegations that include his stance that women should stay with their abusive husbands and his mishandling of a rape on a seminary campus […]

A Letter to My Son On Your Graduation

Dear Blake,   It’s been almost 19 years since the nurses placed you in my arms, that precious little preemie who was struggling to breathe. The weeks before your birth were tumultuous as we discovered a problem with your kidneys and watched my health deteriorate. Your birth definitely wasn’t what we planned, but in that […]

Behind Closed Doors

I wrote this article a couple years ago. It has come to my mind repeatedly today as I have been debating how the church (particularly the Southern Baptist Church) deals with abuse in marriage. Unfortunately, many want to continue to turn a blind eye to the abuse and destruction that is so prevalent. Many fail […]

When Bitterness Consumes You

Monday, I drove out of state for work. A quick down-and-back trip, but it provided ample time to think and pray and listen to sermons. It was a welcome change of pace. Before I left, I was faced with an unexpected situation that brought a flood of memories to the front of my mind, reminding […]

That Perfect Peace

Our lives are incredibly chaotic. Even as I sit here writing, I’m surrounded by complete chaos and disorder. We have pulled everything out of two bedrooms in preparation for new flooring to be laid tomorrow. The living room is piled high with beds and dressers and clothes and everything we typically keep in our bedrooms. […]