More than Unbroken

This weekend was full of miracles. I got to travel with my Daddy and younger sister to Texas to visit my dad’s mom (Mamaw). She moved in with my uncle and aunt a few years ago, before 2020 wreaked havoc on our lives. I haven’t seen her since she moved and her health has declined some with age. Our mad dash to visit was well-planned, but we mainly needed to see her, love on her, and just be together. My Mamaw is almost ninety-one years old. She was an AT&T operator. She was a pastor’s wife and took care of the church outreach, including selling homemade barbecue sandwiches as church fundraisers. In her spare time, until recently, she crocheted and made quilts for people as gifts, especially those in the nursing home and hospital. But more than anything, she prayed.  This weekend’s adventures included singing gospel music with my sweet Mamaw, Daddy, uncle, and sister. We reminisced about the past. And my mind couldn’t help but marvel at answered prayers that had unfolded and culm...

I probably sound like a broken record, but this is a very busy time for our family. I am notorious for putting too many irons in the fire. My need to please others usually overshadows logic, and I end up feeling less than best. We are an active bunch, and I stay busy.  When I feel stretched as I do now, the enemy loves to creep in and make me feel less than. Have you been there? His favorite tactic is to use my emotions against me. He loves to whisper that I'm not enough. That my best isn't what people need. That all of my work means nothing. Logically, I know this is untrue. The Word of God tells me so. But some days, my heart takes over and my emotions come out-raw and unfiltered. This week, I had such an experience. Looking back on the situation now, I can recognize that my thought process in the middle of what was happening was completely irrational. I let my heart do the thinking. Mistake number one. I allowed the enemy to whisper the "less than" lies and believe...

Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. (Psalms‬ ‭90:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Lately, I find myself feeling very nostalgic. My older son is a senior and tomorrow, my baby will be a teenager. I’d be lying if I said that I’m doing great with the changes. Some days, I can take it in stride. Other days, I yearn for the baby days again. In all of it, I recognize that with each growing pain and new season of life, God is revealing more about Himself to me. The truth is, I’m not sure what to expect in the next two years. Some days, this lack of knowing is so frightening. Life in the past two years has been so very unpredictable. However, I’m thankful for the ability to grow through pains of life so that I can lean into my Abba Father who never leaves me. Some people think that when bad things happen that God has abandoned them. I find this to be the opposite. It’s in the difficult moments of life that Holy Spirit draws me into His presence, and I am comforted.  The fact...

As we enter a new school year, I'm once again excited and anxious to see what the year ahead will bring. After nine years, I am back in the English/Language Arts classroom, so I'm sure this transition period will be a bit time-consuming. But it's also exciting to be available to students in a different capacity. My new classroom isn't the only thing that will take getting used to. My older son is entering his senior year of high school. This year is going to be full of once-in-a-lifetime moments and last times for him. My younger son is playing football for the first time. Back in the spring, I recognized how quickly these moments come and go. But we always come back to the beginning at the end of summer and the start of a new school year. I love fresh starts. That's one of the perks of teaching. Every school year, I get a fresh batch of pencils and brand new students who are ready to be loved and taught. If only in everyday life, we could treat our days as a fresh ...