Tag Archive for: Family

Parenting Is NOT for Wimps

Sometimes parenting is really hard. This week has been one of those difficult weeks with my kids. My kids are great, and I know I am incredibly blessed. But, with everything we’ve been through, it’s understandable that we have our struggles. Struggles with faith. Struggles with the past. Struggles with the future. Struggles with growing […]

Definition of a True Friend

Life falls apart. Unfortunately, it’s simply part of this…life. For example, Job lost everything. He lost his wealth, his servants, his children. Wave after wave of loss hit him, without time to even breathe between crises. He was left mourning, devastated, in despair. When Job’s life first fell apart, however, he was blessed with some […]

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 […]

Cultivating Gratitude When Life Sucks

Let’s face it: sometimes life just sucks. I’m not one to use any type of profanity, but I’m not sure there’s any other way to describe 2016. It’s been an unbelievably difficult year, filled with life-changing realities that have permanently altered our lives. And here we are, with the holidays upon us, trying to figure […]

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 […]

Portrait of a Spiritual Leader

Life is funny sometimes. I’ve been waiting for years for God to give me permission to enter the dating scene, and—at what seems the most inopportune and unlikely time of my life—I have found myself tip-toeing into a relationship. As I enter this new season of life, I am asking many questions: What am I […]

To Trust…or Not to Trust

2016. It is definitely a year I won’t forget. Death. Illness. Surgery. Financial struggles. New relationship. And kittens. Yes, kittens. Several months ago, I told you about our cat, Tigresse. She was one of a kind. She was our gopher hunting, mouse killing, door opening four-year-old cat. But, I use the term “was.” Back in […]

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 […]

To the Fatherless Child on Father’s Day

A decade ago, I was a happy pastor’s wife staying home to raise my three children. We were the picture of the perfect family. Then, my perfect life was ripped to shreds. Lies. Infidelity. Betrayal. Immeasurable pain. And suddenly, I was a single mom struggling to raise my three precious children on my own. Without […]

Honor Your Father

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Ephesians […]