“The last thing I want for you is an inherited faith! I want you to know Jesus.” The words left my mouth effortlessly because they sprung from the core of my mothering philosophy. The conversation’s tone held hints of boldness and passion, but these words wrapped around the angst of my child and led her to comfort. My intention had been clearly spoken: I did not expect her faith to look like mine, but in fact, I wanted nothing more than for it to be her own. Children are a heritage from the Lord according to Psalm 127. “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth,” say ..read more

My high school English teacher showed Dead Poets Society at the end of every fall semester. As trees grew bare, Robin Williams inspired our impressionable young minds as John Keating by getting on top of his desk, reciting poetry, and encouraging his students to write their verse. My worldview shifted, though not for the better, when Keating pulled his class out into the hall to look at photos of generations past and remind them of the fragility of life. “Carpe . . . carpe diem,” Keating whispered. “Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” Yes! Yes! Something awoke within ..read more

It was Christmas eve, impregnated with an importance that thankfully, didn’t visit annually. We all knew next Christmas one of us would not be there, so we held tight to the time gifted to us as we celebrated the birth of my Grandma’s Savior, who she would be meeting…soon. We gathered around the hospice bed draped with holiday quilts and hugged her gently trying not to disturb the tubes that helped her stay a little longer. We donned Santa hats, hummed joyful ditties, and took pictures in an attempt to capture our last Christmas together. Smells of the yuletide feast filled the house, in which ..read more

Ouch!  I glared at my pointer finger for getting in the way of the thorn attached to the rose bush.  In North Carolina, even though I’m not a fan of summer’s hot humidity and daily mosquito bites, I still enjoy going into the yard to cut flowers to make a bouquet for the kitchen table.  Roses are some of my favorite flowers.  My entire life, I’ve observed my mom take good care of her rose bushes and I’m grateful she has trained me along the way.   I have a few bushes of my own now, that I’ve nurtured over the years. One sticky, summer evening I decided to tend to ..read more

“Worthy are you, our LORD and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.”  Revelations 4:11 ESV “Mom!”  My oldest child appeared in the room. “You’re gonna be mad.” I had an idea of what I was about to encounter.  I knew my youngest child, whose artistic flair is undeniable, had retreated to her room to “make something.”  I learned several years ago that fighting her artistic impulses was a lost cause. However, not long before this, I had laid down the law: paint and pens were for paper only.  I ..read more

The world feels dark right now. I don’t know if it’s darker than it “used” to be—I don’t know how you would even measure that. Man has always been sinful and has relentlessly propagated evil on earth. But currently, the darkness in the world feels especially palpable. I think this is partly because basic, foundational truths are being rejected by the culture around us and partly because, through technology, the amount of darkness we are privy to—that we hear graphically detailed—far exceeds what we were designed to know. Consequently, the darkness often feels inescapable. The darkness we exper ..read more

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) Immanuel is Your holy name. I marvel at the way You came. God with us in helpless infant form, Only a mother’s love to keep You warm. Expectations of Your coming were high: A King to conquer, not a babe to cry. The words of prophecy long misread Foretold Your kingdom in our hearts instead. You took on flesh not to defeat mere men With armies of hundreds marching again. It was the power of death You would slay Upon the cross o ..read more

Days ago my eyes rested on my 8 and 11-year-old sons wedged into a chair built for one, a book in each set of hands, and a fleece blanket over their collective lap. I smiled and thought to myself, “I cannot imagine those two without each other.” They share a room, are best friends, and know precisely how to provoke each other to the greatest heights of aggravation and hilarity. What most made me pause on that rainy Wednesday was the sudden realization that only God in His sovereignty could have put these two together. How else could a child, born in China and raised for two years in an orphana ..read more

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 NLT I am a sister of King Jesus, Daughter of our great loving God. I wasn’t born into this perfect family. In fact, I was born lost and flawed. I wandered through life forsaken, Or so it seemed oft’ to me. Darkness surrounded my heart Until the day I gazed on the tree Where Jesus, the Son, hung dying To ransom the lost of this world. He rose to life everlasting With my adoption papers unfurled. Not born His daughter ..read more

One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.  But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. Genesis 34:1-2 NLT. She said I couldn’t write about the trauma I went through In the Christian book market this subject was taboo No matter that my true story portrayed God’s amazing grace Showing other lost rape victims that forgiveness has its place Her motive may have been to protect another book she repped Or perhaps it was the torment of a secret that she kept No matter he ..read more