The reflections of a mother clinging to the 136th chapter I’m not going to lie, when my children were small, I was young and full of pride. I had taken childcare classes, read parenting books, and observed plenty of other mothers. I knew exactly how I was going to raise my children to confident, blissful …
What makes you so special?
So you think you are beyond the reach of God's grace and mercy? The skeletons in your closet are too scary to be let out into the light? You have sunk too low, and your regrets have piled up higher than your deepest fears (and that's saying a lot)? Well, what makes you so special? …
Letting my foot hang over the edge
Monsters are real. I’ve known this for quite a while now, even though it has taken me years to say it out loud. The monsters never look how I imagined them, but I recognize them when I see them. As little kids we know the danger is real. We can feel it and hear it …
I am worth more than leftovers
It took me a long time to realize this, but I am worth more than leftovers. I can and should lay down my rights for yours and forgive seventy times seven and give my life for a brother, BUT there’s sacrificial giving and then there’s self-sacrificing living, and there’s a fine line between the two. …
Who I am and why I’m here
I’m a Christian working mom who is married to a pastor who is a former Marine. I am a mother of six and grandmother of one. Once upon a time, my husband and I sold everything we had and served as missionaries overseas. But I’m so much more than that. I am also a woman …
Sometimes I bow my head and whisper your name
You may not know this about me, but sometimes when the world has gone quiet and I’m alone with my thoughts, I bow my head and whisper your name. You may be sick or studying for a test or reeling from a broken heart or picking up the pieces of a shattered dream. You may …
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I was okay . . . until I wasn’t
I thought I had it all under control. One day while we were living in Pennsylvania for part of our missionary training, I took the kids and went to WalMart for a supply run. The lady behind me in the checkout line saw me paying for fabric with my four daughters in tow and sporting …
Someone forgot to tell the flowers
I am working at my computer while my cat chews the cords and my son asks what’s for lunch and my husband walks by and kisses the top of my head. I am well rested because it’s a much shorter distance to my dining room table than my office across the river, and the gym …
this is my time, and these are my people
I wasn't born yesterday. I wasn't around when my ancestors left Ireland, Scotland, and Germany in search of something worth leaving everything. I'm glad I didn't have to pick a side during the Civil War, fighting with friends and family over more than social media. I'm thankful I missed out on those early days before …
I found myself somewhere spectacular
I don’t always know where I’m going, but I definitely know where I’ve been I have been to lots of places this year. I’ve shown up to some of the same old places, like work and church and the grocery store. I’ve gotten gas and run through drive-thrus and filled prescriptions. But a few times …
