The blessing of surrender…
Losing a child changes you. It changes everything. It made us realize we were never in control. It brings humility in one fell swoop and throws you down hard. When hearts are broken, God gives us grace to rebuild. The scar tissue of loss, combined with faith, brings strength that can move mountains. Nothing is more powerful than surrendering your life to the hands of God.
Moving Day
When my pregnant, swollen belly was contracting just minutes before our son was born, I cried out that I certainly could NOT do this…I cried out in the same manner the day our son left. People are our gift for a short time on earth. Find peace in knowing that they were YOUR gift. By…
Are you Connor’s Dad?
Recently, my husband was treating our youngest two with dinner out. As they looked over the menu he noticed a waitress looking their way. She stopped at their table and asked, “Are you Connor’s dad?” Surprised, he answered, “yes!” She explained that her college roommate was a good friend of our son. She felt she knew him from the…
Love on purpose
There are nights that sleep leaves me to my thoughts. I lie wide awake with words bursting from my heart. I’m certain these words are meant for someone, so I write. A journey is always better when it is shared. It is truly a love story. Dear friends ~ Love well. Watch the sun rise. …
Good greed?
This morning as I entered Carter’s room for the first time in a week, he jumped up, hugged me tightly and thanked me for coming back to him safely. Thoughts from a child that lost his birth parents, foster parents and a brother that left for college and did not come back. It’s all in…
Eyes wide open
I always joke that our oldest daughter Claire was born requesting scissors to sever the umbilical cord that held her back from independence. She was born without fear. If she made a bad choice, I would explain to her she would sit in “time out” if the behavior continued. The words were barely in the…
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…
A little R & R ~ restoring relationships.
Our attitudes determine our future. The circumstances and people placed in our lives do not. God has called us to settle our differences with each other. We have all had relationships were we have felt betrayed, hurt and angry. A false sense that there will always be a tomorrow to forgive, lingers. The power of…
Big or small ~ love them all.
Mom, I can’t wait to see what you will be dressed up as for Halloween this year! Can I be a witch or Dorothy from Oz? Are we going around the whole block this year? The words, “can I go by myself?” ~ are never spoken. I gently explain that this may need to be…
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…
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…