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, […]
The Sifting: This Trial Does Not Define You
Satan seeks to sift you;He relentlessly demandsTo pound and press and shake your faithUntil you cannot stand. The sifter watches closely;He cannot read your mind,But if you let him in […]
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 […]
Deep Roots and Divine Resilience
You probably overlooked her at first glance. She’s not not much to look at. Surrounded by her thriving, productive counterparts, she seems to be a lost cause. You see, the […]
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 […]
Making Space for the Fatherless and Childless on Father’s Day
I don’t remember his first Father’s Day without her. I suppose I was too consumed by my own grief to notice. I’m certain he got up and went to church, […]
Grief: Gotta Go Through It
One of my earliest memories is going on a “bear hunt” with my Kindergarten teacher. We’d all march in place as we chanted: Going on a bear hunt.I’m not scared.Gonna […]
Even If He Doesn’t
In 2021, my theme for our Student Ministry was “That’s Messed Up.” We spent the year learning about the deeply flawed people in the Bible and the God who redeemed […]
Just After the Rest: Finding Value in the Silent Measures of Life
A lifetime ago, I was a musician. In music, we call a pause a “rest.” We like that word, don’t we? Rest sounds like such a lovely thing—until you’re forced […]