Tag Archive for: Family

The Ultimate Safe Room

A friend, who has never been to Oklahoma, asked me to describe our state. “Think oil,” I began. “Lots of oil. And earthquakes. And droughts. And floods. And blizzards. And ice storms. And tornadoes. Lots of tornadoes. Big tornadoes.” Certainly makes you want to come visit, huh? And, it probably makes you wonder why any […]

Crash…and…Burn

Remember how I said I was tired? Well, Saturday proved to be my breaking point. Last week was incredibly busy at work. I had multiple evenings where I was still sitting in my room, computer out, working at 9:00 pm. In addition, my oldest had multiple doctor’s appointments yet again (a broken arm…again). And, God […]

Are You a Nabal or an Abigail?

There was a man in Maon who did business in Carmel. He was a very important man and owned three thousand sheep and one thousand goats…. The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and attractive woman, but her husband was a hard man who did evil things… […]

The Hurting Child

Divorce hurts. Divorce hurts everyone involved. I have spent the last two years talking about the pain I have experienced, about how I have come through the pain to find the joy of Christ. I have shared how God has redeemed my life, brought me back from the death of divorce and given me an […]

Fear Factor

It’s funny how different kids with the same parents, raised in the same environment can be. My oldest, Blake, was a very timid child. He was scared to take risks. In his defense, we discovered when he was three that his vision was very poor. He saw two of everything until we put him in […]

Father Knows Best

“Mom,” my daughter began, “I can’t wait until I’m 18 so I don’t have to deal with this situation any more.” My heart broke for her, until my younger son called me to his room. “Mom,” he began, “this situation makes me so mad! I try really hard not to explode. Instead, I end up […]

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 […]

A Broken Christmas

It’s Christmas morning, 7:00 am. I am sitting in the living room, wrapped in a blanket. My kids are still asleep. Today, there will be no gifts, no celebrating. Instead, my kids will get up, pack their bags, and leave for their dad’s house. They will be gone for ten days. I don’t think I […]

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 […]