You long to fly away from this dark, broken, cruel world because…   you can’t breathe, nor do you want to, everything is bleak, you welcome the night.   Hope is gone, not even a flicker, the light you sought, forever gone.   All is lost, there is no use in trying, the endless tears, they fall in vain.   This numb existence suits you well, curled tight in a corner you hide, the pain turning you to stone, betrayed, abandoned, left alone.   Blinding sorrow, deep raw pain, the ache won’t go away. Promised help nowhere in sight, left alone to whither,…

Fall is, by far, my favorite time of year. However, fall is also my nemesis, for it is usually during this time of year that I fall prey to the temptation to do all things creative. For instance, one fall season, this is what was simultaneously taking place at our house: Holiday Craft Boutique preparations Reading Fair preparations Geography Fair preparations Allow me to paint a visual for you, lest you think these preparations just magically occurred in the peace and serenity of our immaculately clean home. Picture in your mind, if you will, a normally half-put together house turned COMPLETELY upside down. Imagine yourself entering our…

It was his eyes that made me do it.   The soft smile on his face did nothing to mask the deep loneliness in his eyes—the type of loneliness that comes from experiencing the death of a beloved spouse.   “Would you be interested in joining our family for dinner and Family Night this week?” I asked him, as we sat with a small group of people who had gathered for the evening.   It was a spontaneous invitation, really, and for a moment I wondered if I hadn’t been too impulsive. After all, with my urgent need for rest, and the paralyzingly…

Relationships matter to God. Our relationship with Him, as well as our relationship with others, truly matter to Him. With His help, we can nurture relationships with the richest of feelings. When was the last time you experienced the hand of God in the mist of your relationships with family, friends, or strangers? For me, it was a Wednesday evening in the middle of the dinner rush, and I couldn’t have been more grateful. To read more about how God blessed my life that evening in the most unexpected way, head on over to Be Thee Inspired, where I’m guest posting today.

A few nights ago, my neighbor, who attends a different church, is nearly 80-years-old and almost blind, made her way across the street after dark with oxygen in hand to knock on my door and ask me how I was doing. We sat in my living room for an hour sharing with each other our trust in the Lord and how He has carried us through our most recent trials. We read scripture, swapped recipes, and encouraged one another. I walked her across the street when we were done visiting, and she stood at her doorway watching carefully until she saw that I…

“Mom, why are all the flags around town at half staff today?” my daughter asked, gazing out the car window. It’s a question I hear on a regular basis these days and, quite honesty, I’m tired of hearing it. I’ve grown weary of sharing with my children all the negativity that is taking place in our country–mass shootings, violence, death. Instead, I’ve decided to focus on the positive, the possibilities, the things that can fill us with strength, hope, and peace. I’ve chosen to tell my children that whenever they see a flag at half staff, it’s a reminder to ask themselves these…