Life as a Model

When Cassie was about two years old, everyone was gathered around the dinner table. As I sat the food on the table, Cassie looked at me and innocently said, “Mom, you did d–n good.” I’m sure the shock on my face must have been priceless. I looked quizzically at her dad, his face as confused […]

Terror at Night

The sound of the phone startled me awake. “Hello,” I managed, struggling to wake from a deep sleep. “Something’s wrong with Cassie,” came the frightened voice on the other end of the phone. I bolted from my bed and rushed to her room. There sat Cassie’s friend who was spending the night, terrified. And there […]

When the Earth Shakes

Oklahoma is known for tornadoes. But, did you know that Oklahoma now leads the nation in the number of earthquakes? Most of the earthquakes we have are small. I’ve missed most of them simply because they have been undetectable to the normal person. Several weeks ago, however, we had one that was impossible to miss! […]

You Have Permission

Being a parent is hard. Being a single parent is extremely hard. Single Mom or single Dad. Never married. Divorced. Widowed. One child. Two children. Eight children. No matter the reason you are a single parent, the struggles are real. The struggles are often overwhelming. The struggles are often similar. When you are divorced and […]

I Can’t Handle It!!

Have you heard the saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle?” That is an outright lie! The Sunday after I learned of my husband’s affair, we went to a new church. The pastor was preaching a series on, “You Can’t Handle It.” He spoke of the trials of this life and how […]

Uncle!!!!

I’m crying UNCLE on 2016! Can I just say I’m over it? It seems I enter every year with great expectations, waiting for God to totally blow my mind with good things. So far, I’m still waiting… Let’s review the last six months. My oldest had surgery in December. A very painful surgery. My kids […]

Rewriting History

Have you ever seen history rewritten? History is often about perspective. We each have our own experiences through which we interpret events. Sometimes an event will change the way we see our past. I’ve seen this over the last years concerning marriage. Often, we rewrite our marriages in light of our circumstances. For example, I’ve […]

Friendship, Tears, and Pig Poop

Sometimes as a single mom you find yourself doing things you never dreamed you would do. And, when you are a single mom of boys, you really get into some smelly situations. Take my sweet Cole. Cole is my outdoorsman. If it involves being outside, he’s all in. Hunting. Fishing. Camping. Shooting guns. Hanging at […]

Serving Left Overs

I have very fond memories of my childhood. Many people say I was raised in a Leave it to Beaver home. My dad worked for the government, and my mom taught Home Economics at the local high school. Dad was raised as a farmer, and we always had a huge garden filled with fresh fruits […]

When Life is Hard

Being a single parent is hard. There’s loneliness. The longing to love and be loved. The desire for adult companionship. An intense need to share your life with someone. And it is so much harder during the holidays. There’s guilt. Will my kids be ok? Will my kids overcome the loss they have experienced? Did […]