Do you know the feeling when you realize you’re in the middle of a moment that is a lifetime coming and the fulfillment of seeds planted and watered? A few Sundays ago I experienced just that moment when grief turns to joy! My niece Jennifer was born to my sister when I was 18 years old. Brenda was such… Read More
Living with Grief and Heartbreak
January is off to a quiet start here on the blog, partially with intentionality and partially completely out of my hands. When I scheduled my carpal tunnel surgery for Jan. 5 I knew it would be hard to do a lot of my daily tasks, including computer work, which was fine because I wanted to spend some time focusing on my… Read More
Let It Go: The Song God Keeps Teaching Me
I started this post last Christmas because I knew my husband and I were headed into a season of uncertainty. The single lyric of Let It Go was stuck in my head and for good reason. Tim was scheduled for hernia surgery followed by rotator cuff surgery in early December. As a painting contractor that meant a six month recovery and unemployment…. Read More
I Am Not Alone….and Neither Are You!
One of the hardest parts of my brother-in-law’s recent death has been knowing the grief that my precious sister-in-law and her girls are suffering through. Yet I’m always reminded that none of this surprises God or catches Him unaware. I have heard the worship song I Am Not Alone by Kari Jobe several times recently and the message is one I pray… Read More
Just Breathe In and Breathe Out
I take a deep breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. What was that breathing technique I saw online? 4-7-8 Inhale for a count of four. Hold for a count of seven. Exhale for a count of eight. Heart still flip flopping an extra beat. I open my email and watch as the messages flood my inbox. Stress. To do lists…. Read More
When a Heart Breaks
There are joyous seasons in life, days filled with sweetness and precious memories, almost to the point of taking my breath away. Then the seasons of grief arrive, days filled with inconsolable heartbreak, crushing the wind from my lungs. Blessedly I’ve known both seasons and every one in between. Ordinary days full of diapers and messes, schoolwork and piano lessons, basketball games… Read More
Unafraid: Why I Went to See a Therapist
When I started this post several days ago I had no idea that our lives would again be filled with a new crisis with our adopted son. I just knew I needed help coping with my own feelings and hurts God had been revealing to me. As we continue to walk forward with our son, loving him and getting him… Read More
What No One Wants to Talk About at Christmas
Ever noticed that NO ONE wants to talk about losing a loved one at Christmas? This poignant essay breaks the barrier on the grieving process and offers hope! Today I went into the attic and pulled out the baby clothes I had saved from my two biological children. It’s been years since I tenderly went through them. I touched them almost… Read More
Marshall Hall “When I Cry”: Simple Gift Sunday
Get the hanky out. This song pierces my heart and moves me every.single.time. With my mom’s death on Christmas Eve 2010, my sister’s unexpected death at the age of 53 and the relationship loss of an adopted daughter I know what pain feels like. I don’t just listen to this song. I weep. I grieve. And I thank God that… Read More