Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 Nineteen years has gone by quickly. This last weekend, we packed up my oldest son and took him to his college dorm. When he was born, it seemed like this day was a lifetime away. Now, […]
My kids are on my mind a lot lately. If my life were perfect, I would probably work part-time and devote so much more time to my kids. I would be the mom who is at every activity. I would be the mom with home-cooked meals every night. I would be the mom with fresh-baked […]
One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Matthew 6:12 The mountaintop. Have you ever thought about how many things happened on the mountaintop in the scriptures? Moses received the ten commandments on a mountaintop. Abraham took Isaac to the mountaintop to offer him […]
I’ll never forget the conversation I had with my then husband about the woman he was having an affair with. “It’s just exhilarating that someone like that would be interested in me,” he said. Adultery hits at the core of your being. Every ounce of self-confidence and self-respect you carry is destroyed. You look in […]
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 […]
My son is a graduating. Yes, my son is a senior in high school, and he graduates in just over a month. I’m not sure this reality has even hit me yet. Our year has been so busy and crazy and chaotic—between adjusting to marriage and blending two families and fighting for my step-daughter and […]
When you hear the word “father,” what do you think of? I think of a big burly teddy bear. Many of my friends—even my cousins—were afraid of my dad. But me? I remember him on the floor with us, down on all four as we piled on his back. I remember the fun times we […]
Have you ever noticed that balance is absolutely essential in life and yet so difficult to attain? The last two years have been indescribable. Wonderful. Hard. Emotional. Chaotic. And very, very busy. My life was going well. I was a very busy single mom, working full-time, building a ministry. Now take that incredibly busy life […]
My heart has been shattered into a million tiny fragments over and over the last few weeks. I’ve watched so much pain in this community, in my own home. I’ve shed thousands of tears, unable to control my own emotions. I’ve rallied all of my strength to fight for my child, to do what’s best […]
When I was walking through my divorce, I remember that moment of surrender. “Lord,” I cried out, “I don’t want this journey, but I will take it if this is what you have for me. But don’t you dare mess with my kids!” I’ve dealt with my share of hurt and pain over the last […]
