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 ...

I was recently blessed to take a 24 hour writing retreat. A friend loaned me a space about an hour away from home so there would be no distractions. I was skeptical at first. It seemed like another fun overnight opportunity.  On the way, I picked up groceries, and when I arrived, I did not leave until the next morning. It was a grueling, beautiful day of researching, writing, and praying. It's amazing what God will speak when things are quiet enough for me to hear His voice. This new experience helped me to finally understand the significance of why Jesus took time away from the crowds. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16 NIV) One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (Luke 6:19 NIV) Multiple times in the Gospels, Jesus separates from the noise and gets alone with God. After following His example, I understand why this time is so very sacred. Our lives are filled with never-ending tasks to be complet...

We have all asked this question at some point in our lives. My mom is notorious for asking it when she can tell I am sad or overwhelmed. I usually don't know how to respond. Most of the time, I ask this question when someone is in crisis. Depending on the nature or severity of the crisis, I tend to feel like a fast food cashier simply asking, "Can I take your order." It also amazes me that some people approach delicate situations with an attitude of, "What do you expect me to do about it." Sometimes we can't do anything in a bad situation. We may be able to provide temporary relief or comfort. In life, however, we can do nothing without God. Too often, we find ourselves pulled in so many directions that we are unable to provide any comfort or words of advice when there is a struggle. But what if God is the One we are too busy to serve? There are a number of Bible stories that reveal human nature within the plan of God. Today, I'm going with Moses. Credit...

March 2021, I was in the middle of a little finger crisis. If you have just started reading my blog, I'd love for you to look back to the Finger Chronicles, as I have come to call them. In summary, I broke my right pinky finger, resulting in surgery to place a screw, followed by three months of physical therapy and some permanent loss of motion in that digit. Because I'm right-handed, this little break wreaked some havoc on my life, and I found myself pleading with God to heal me so I could return to playing piano. Well, God promised to heal me. But He told me I would be healed to write. And He gently whispered that the writing would move from blogging into writing a book. This revelation took me by complete surprise. I never dreamed I would be willing or want to share my heart in writing. The idea of writing a book was both exciting and terrifying. Nonetheless, I have learned to take God at His Word, so I prayerfully began seeking more in-depth areas of independent study to ho...