This past June we set out to my husband’s home state of Ohio. A year and a half prior, he swore we’d never return to the Buckeye state if we could help it. We had lost too much there… especially him. So much of his life’s story now has tainted memories because an extremely close family member, as it turns … Read More
When God’s Time Table Is Different Than Yours
I remember how upset I felt on May 18th four years ago. My husband and I were silently grieving our way through failed fertility treatments. No one knew but us and maybe one or two close friends. Not even our families. We were doing our best to put on smiles to celebrate a family graduation, but inside, our hearts were … Read More
Even the Good Things
Romans 8:28 is one of my power verses…a go to for my heart when it seems like the rug has been pulled out from under my feet and I’m fumbling along, trying to find light when my world goes dark. But lately, I’ve been struck by the truth of how when it says, “And we know that in ALL things … Read More
Why We Need Stories
One of my current favorite television shows is, “This is Us.” As a series’ long fan of “Gilmore Girls,” the decision of whether I was Team Jess, Logan, or Dean was FINALLY decided after the first episode of “This is Us” because of how much I appreciated Milo Ventimiglia’s character as Jack. I know the characters are completely unrelated, but … Read More
Finding God in the Joyful Places Again
It’s raining today, steadily. But my heart is as full as it’s ever been with sunshine. The dark days are not completely over. I don’t think they will ever vanish in totality this side of Heaven. But the awareness of joy is constant for me now. It’s not from magic. It hasn’t been instantaneous. It’s been a process of asking … Read More
Im(manuel)
I’m having trouble concentrating on anything today other than the giant belly that sits between my computer and me. It’s spring and there is so much new life blossoming outside. Each year, the seasons wax and wane with an untold story of what will bloom and what will remain barren. Even when the petals vary, the roots remain. Only the … Read More
Filling the Dark, Empty Spaces
We just celebrated Christ’s resurrection this past Sunday. Easter is one of my favorite holidays, because the festivities and remembrances of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection seem to re-center my focus on hope. Christmas has a way of making me feel expectant and Easter has a way of making me feel simultaneously sure-footed and full of life. Both historical … Read More
Being Overcome
A word has been buzzing through my mind this Holy Week: “Overcome.” I woke up after a hard stretch of days, and that word just weighed heavy on my thoughts. Truthfully, with many of the hardships our family has dealt with the last five months and also just having to say goodbye to my grandparents’ home as I’ve known it … Read More
The Mountain’s On Fire, But The Cross Still Stands
A year or two ago, fire broke out across the mountain in Ridgecrest, North Carolina. The Baptist conference center is very special to my family. For all intents and purposes, it is an extension of my hometown, Black Mountain. Many Saturdays when I was growing up, my Daddy would pile my sister and me in the car to go in … Read More
When All You Know Is That Jesus Loves You
Recently, some majorly bad decisions, which did not match up with the apparent character of a person very dear to our family, were revealed. In shocked disbelief, questions poured out. Nothing made sense about any of the information we learned because all things we were hearing were polar-opposite to the person we thought we knew. The more uncovering that happened, … Read More