Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from October, 2022

Why I Write the Yucky Stuff

Last week, I shared a blog post, When Holidays and Birthdays are Difficult , that had some folks questioning why I write about such things. Some people prefer happy, cheerful, surface-level posts. Some seem to think I want the drama that posts like this may cause, which could not be further from the truth. To help readers understand why I write the yucky stuff, I thought I’d offer a little explanation. I write about seasons of pain because there are many others who are in – or who have experienced – similar seasons, and some of those people are seeking hope. They are seeking someone who understands. Someone who will not judge, will not condemn. Those people need to know they are not alone. They may also need Jesus, so perhaps God will give me the privilege of helping point them toward HIM. In her recent book, Colorful Connections: 12 Questions About Race that Open Healthy Conversations , author Lori Roeleveld wrote this powerful statement: “Shame is a silencer.” Let that sink in. When

When Holidays and Birthdays are Difficult

As the holiday season approaches, we decorate, we plan, we remember. We have expectations that these special times will be filled with love, laughter, joy and excitement. But unfortunately, holidays are often bittersweet or painful for some, because we’ve lost loved ones, or because money is tight, or because distance separates us from those we cherish, or a terminal illness hovers, or a plethora of other reasons. This week, my mind has been on one of those other reasons, so I am summoning the courage to write for anyone else who finds themselves in similar circumstances. If you are one whose holidays and birthdays are sometimes difficult, please know you are not alone. Last week, in a group setting, one of my friends brought up the topic of what she called “the unmentionables” and that phrase fits the relationship I have with my younger son. Yesterday was his birthday, and while I longed to post happy birthday wishes to him on social media so everyone could celebrate him with me, I di

Our Newest Release: Pickle in My Pocket

My husband Tim and I are excited to announce the release of our new children's book, Pickle in My Pocket . The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Book Depository, and most major booksellers by request.  When Tim and I first met, I learned that he loved to tell stories. Many of his stories were from his childhood and time spent with his first cousins. Pickle in My Pocket is a fictionalized version of his "fave-rite" story. About the Book: Come join Poppa Tim as he shares one of his favorite stories, Pickle in My Pocket. "Ewww!" He heard that! This hilarious children's picture book features Poppa Tim as the narrator of a story from his childhood, with a life lesson about patience. Pickle in My Pocket includes a short list of conversations starters for parents to communicate with their children. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating this book.  I talked Tim into a video to help us market the book too! Check out his

Hope in the Midst of Pain

This weekend, a loved one’s niece and nephew (both teens) lost their father to a massive heart attack.  During the month of September, other fathers and mothers (many fathers and mothers) were incarcerated, separating them from their children for indefinite periods of time, changing those families’ lives forever, too. During the past week, people received terminal medical diagnoses, dealt with crushing financial hardships and struggled to pay – or couldn’t pay – for the bare necessities of life, senior adults have been forced to leave their homes because they could no longer afford mortgage or rent, and thousands have lost everything to a hurricane named Ian. So much pain. So much loss. So much heartache. So much uncertainty. All in such a short period of time. Yet the harder life gets, the more my faith strengthens and the more my hope grows. The harder life gets, the more I want to give people the same Hope that I cling to hourly. My Hope is Jesus Christ, and that Hope is recorded in