Going from Undefeated to Defeated
Every year, my son plays basketball through the Upward program. Upward is a church based sports program. The kids are taught Bible lessons and verses along with basic mechanics of the game. For the younger kids, they don't keep score, and the focus, instead, is meant to be on sportsmanship and teamwork. But, as we have learned, the kids all keep a mental score anyways! The 2019 season was a great season. My son wasn't thrilled about the team name; They were the Volunteers. His disappointment with the team's name quickly disappeared when they won their first game, and then
Ask
My parents like to tell stories about my sister and I when we were little. Some of these include us begging to go to McDonalds or spend the night at a friend’s house. We would plead and cry until someone caved… either them or us. :-) My sister and I never had a plan or strategy. We knew what we wanted then we asked for it. I remember being that way with God too. I would just put my hands together and start asking. Honestly, that is not the case anymore. Now, I’m hesitant and start questioning myself instead: “Is what I
Eyes of Hope
The medical residents were making their way into my father in laws’ ICU room...so I stepped out of the room. His kidneys were failing, he had double pneumonia in his lungs, no one had a clue about his brain function and a ventilator seemed to be the only thing keeping him alive. I could hear the discussion taking place on the other side of the curtain. It wasn’t good and my stomach was in knots. After the physicians’ rounds were over, I pulled the chief physician to the side- “Is there something you need to tell me? Is it over?”
The Power of Relationship
The very first field placement I had as a social work student was visiting homes of lower-income families with 2 and 3-year-old children. Each week I brought a book or toy and modeled for the family how to interact with their children. The goal was to help families engage and enhance vocabulary skills needed to prepare for success in school. I went into each home with great enthusiasm and typically, I was greeted with such as well. To my surprise, however, there was one parent who greeted me week after week without expression or emotion. Despite my best efforts to
But God
It’s been said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. But I’ve found that when God is involved in your story, he can accelerate those steps in a way that doesn’t make sense at all. Years ago that was my story. We had a failed business venture that left us in A LOT of debt. It was so much debt that my Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball spreadsheet showed us paying off this debt in 10 to 15 years. To say that I felt overwhelmed and suffocated was an understatement. We simply did not make enough money to
Joy In the Battle
Is anyone else SO DONE with 2020? I have plenty of moments when I just want to put on my yoga pants and watch Netflix until 2021. Of course, I know I can’t do that (unless I want to add unemployment to my list of issues this year). The fact is...I am tired. I am tired of dealing with uncertainty and disappointments. I am tired of fighting this battle called 2020. There was a time in Old Testament history when the Israelites were probably tired too. They had endured a lot as a people and then were exiled away from
Rolling With It
While chatting with my friend this morning, I mentioned how my oldest daughter has learned to roll with it since she was just a toddler. There were times when a celebration was canceled because of hospitalizations or when we had to decline to go to an event because it was in the middle of the flu season. Tears were shed but ultimately, we had resolved to make the best of the situation and move forward trusting that God’s plans were better than our own. It was never easy, but what I have seen is the development of strength and character
The Impact of One
The afternoon fatigue was setting in one day at work. You know that feeling you get a couple hours after lunch? I was grateful for the few minutes I could sit down. The questions automatically came out of my mouth as I talked to the young girl in the room, and I was laser- focused on writing down her answers. After doing this for a few years, I had the routine down, so I was in my zone and noting down the answers as I rolled onto the next question. Just as the words of the next question was about
2020 Vision
We are halfway through the year... Can you remember what you were doing the evening of December 31, 2019? I was at a friend’s house. We ate good (but not good for me) food, hung out then transitioned to a time of prayer, reflection and a challenge for the new year ahead. A new decade was upon us...and I was excited. 2020. The number itself has a cool ring to it. I thought about Vision. Clear Vision. What thoughts went through your mind as 11:59PM turned to 12:00AM? Anticipation. Excitement. Hope for a new beginning? For me, it was all
Treasure These Days
It’s a week full of excitement at our house this week. We had loads of fun celebrating my husband yesterday for Father’s Day. Tomorrow, it’s my son’s birthday, and to round it off, my daughter’s long-awaited graduation is this weekend. With all this activity, I’ve actually found myself wondering where did the time go? I mean, it seemed like just yesterday that I was praying over each unborn baby by name and thanking God for what He impressed upon my heart about each of them. We had learned how to use a car seat, a sterilizer, a baby monitor, and
