Silly socks ~ ugly shoes.
Three months after suddenly losing our son, my daughter and I were set to serve on a mission trip. I did NOT want to go. I was certain I had nothing to give. Only after arriving at the church in Honduras with our medical team did I realize WHY I was there. Have you ever done…
Never alone…
Four years ago today hundreds of people poured through the doors of Trinity Lutheran Church to pay their respects to our family. We stood with our son for nearly 8 hours. Time seemed to move quickly through my eyes. Yet, each time I looked up, I saw friends and family patiently waiting in lines and…
Pain is the fuel of passion.
Recently I heard a young person say that they were NOT following their passion in college as it just wasn’t practical. So the student had decided to MINOR in the subject of their PASSION. Is “minoring passion” an oxymoron? In July of 2013 our son tweeted, “Walk outside, look up, be happy.” Those six…
Grief is the price of love…
It is so rare to have love in our lives. It’s even more rare to have people around us that really care for us and support us. We are so busy filling our schedules outside of our home, that we forget the people who love us ~ are right in front of us. We think to…
He’s still here…
It was one of the darkest nights since he left. Rain had been falling all day. The need to escape the confines of my home were desperately calling to me. The deep pain was relentlessly throbbing in my heart. Earlier in the day I found myself looking for our son, calling out his name as…
Cheers to 21!
Thirteen years after they met on our front porch, she walked into our home. I couldn’t help but smile. I recognized those eyes and curls as soon as she walked through the door. They did not remember each other, but I knew instantly. In the year 2000, a spunky little girl stopped to play on our…
You’ve got a friend…
I am truly working to help protect families. As many of you know, three years ago, our family lost our first born son as he was crossing the street. He was two months into his freshman year of college. We were not prepared for this in any way. One year ago I left my solid career…
Never give up.
Look Up Be Happy is a motto. It is also where hope and knowledge is shared. Wisdom is knowledge applied. Faith gives us fearless, eye-opening strength in suffering. Our family struggled with the sudden, unexpected loss of our beautiful son. This suffering instilled depths of gratefulness to life. There are no words to describe the pain of…
Life without Faith…
The bible never promises an easy life. It tells us to have faith that we are not alone. Many may not understand your walk, but know that your purpose in this life is important and not forgotten. I will forever remember Pastor Shank standing next to me as I wept over our motionless son. He…
The gift of life…
This month we expected to celebrate our son’s college graduation. How does one combat the pain of that which will never be? Look up and find the gifts you have been given. In February I made a call to Midwest Transplant. The last time I spoke with them was hours after our son died. It…
A wrecked life…
When God closes doors to your aspirations, we must believe he has a different plan for our life. When you feel defeated and worn down, it is easy to give up. Somedays I look back at the words placed on my heart and they give me strength. I pray they do the same for you……
February love!
On this first day of February, I share with you a letter written to our son, on his last Valentines Day. Four years later, I clearly see the words placed on my heart given to him in a new light. As I read, I see a sovereign God, reminding us of HIS awesome gift of…