I was upstairs when I heard my daughter’s panicked voice: “Mom, the yard is on fire!” She had been burning papers in the fire pit and one got away from […]
Resilient Roots: Living Again After Loss
When I was a teen, a magnificent holly tree took up residence behind our South Carolina home. She was actually quite beautiful, but she was too close to the house. […]
God’s Tattoo: The Splendor of our Scars
I had three surgeries the year following my husband’s death. Those three surgeries eradicated an enemy from my body, but also left me quite different than I was before. Ironically, […]
Undone to Become: Butterflies and Sanctification
One of the most fascinating occurrences in all of God’s creation happens inside a tiny bean-shaped pod. A fuzzy “worm” that has, thus far, spent her life crawling slowly on […]
No Regrets
Time is a funny resource. We know we have a limited supply, yet we never know when our supply is going to run out. Five years ago, I threw Jeremy […]
Dear Younger Me: Grief Isn’t What You Think
13 Things I Would Tell Younger Me About Grief, If I Could 1. There is no such thing as “grieving well.” The right way to grieve is whatever way leads […]
A Day for Widows?
Widowhood. At first, I despised the word. After all, I couldn’t be a widow; I was too young! But Holy Spirit reminded me that Scripture proves again and again that […]
Sunrise, Sunset: Time Marches On
She walked herself down the aisle. Alone. Nobody held it together, except her. Bittersweet tears mixed with drops of rain as I watched our beautiful warrior princess boldly step into […]
Drop Your Nets and Follow Me
Change is hard—especially when it’s not my idea. Especially when it leads to the unknown. Especially when it means letting go. “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” With […]
Prayer for a New Year
A Valley-Walker’s Prayer for a New Year Dear God, as we step into a brand new year, we lift up this honest and heartfelt prayer. Our hearts are full of […]
So Loved
I know about love. I have loved, and been beautifully loved by, a good man. But, as much as he loved me, I’m absolutely certain Jeremy wouldn’t come back to […]
What Does it Mean to be Blessed?
Are we really blessed? In our culture, we tend to think of blessings as: But Jesus said, blessed are: Those last 5 are not exactly blessings I would choose. But […]