When I scheduled the pre-release party for Tears to Joy, I had no idea that it would serve to kick off Mental Illness Awareness Week. Sadly, millions of people with a mental illness fail to get help, because of the stigma associated with mental illness. Stigma exists because of ignorance. I hope as people read Michael’s story of his battle with bipolar disorder, it will…
Joy. Joy unspeakable. Today is further evidence of how God has turned my tears to joy. Six years ago, I began writing a story of undeniable grief and heartache. The tears were gutwrenching and my whole body ached with the pain of loss. I wondered if I’d ever smile again. Fast forward. Today. My cup overflows. God has been more than good to me. He…
People mean well — but their words are often like knives that strike us to the core of our being. Most of the time they don’t even realize the hurt that they’ve caused us when they say things like, “If you just trust God, then you won’t feel depressed,” or “Christians are to be joyful always so snap out of it.” There are lots of…
Four days. In just four days the culmination of a life-long dream, countless tears, and hours of hard work will occur. People keep asking me, “Are you excited about your book’s pre-release?” Let me just say, excited is an understatement. There are some who have already read Tears to Joy, but the official kick-off is this Friday. When I think about all who will read the…
We’ve all had them — those moments when you feel a strong urge to call someone else. You think, “I’ll call them soon,” and that nagging feeling keeps at you until you pick up the phone. I just want to publicly say how thankful I am for friends who following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday, I was really discouraged and hurting when a friend…
Last night, I was blessed to go prayerwalking with a group of middle school girls. I explained to the girls that so often we go through life with our eyes closed to the people around us. I told them that we were going to ask God to give us eyes to see the needs around us so that we would know how to pray. As…