I was sitting beside my friend, Candice, with butterflies in my stomach as they announced the finalists for the Christian Market Awards in the Memoir category. They gave away honorable mention, third, second, and finally, first place. My name was not called. I was really not surprised. This was my first time ever being a finalist for a book award and I felt incredibly grateful…
Why? This is the million dollar question. If I could answer this questions, I would be a very rich woman because it is the question we all ask…and rarely get answers. The past two years walking alongside my stepdad, Hershell, as he waited for a liver transplant has led to this question multiple times. Why? Why won’t the doctors give him a transplant? What do…
One word. This was the challenge. This morning I asked my Facebook friends to describe 2016 in one word. Many were heartwarming and made me smile; others hurt my heart. How would I describe 2016 — complete. In 2016 I completed my dissertation; I completed the PhD program and graduated. I completed the national mental health counseling examination and achieved several longstanding goals. Jorjanne finished…
1. Exercise – Believe it or not, when you exercise, your brain releases pleasure-inducing endorphins which reduce perceptions of pain and produce a natural high (similar to a runner’s high). When you are depressed the last thing you want to do is exercise, but if you can push through it, it is a natural way to counter those blues. 2. Eat bananas – Depression can…
The young girl enjoyed playing in her room; she was content to teach for hours. Her stuffed animals and baby dolls made the best students. As she passed out their worksheets for the day, she explained to them, “People can be mean; they can steal your toys and cheat off your paper, but no one can ever take your education away from you. Never ever!”…
Ten years ago today I experienced the worst day of my life. There was a knock at the door from a man wearing a cleric’s collar. I knew before he ever opened his mouth the message he had come to deliver. My husband, the man I loved with all my heart, was gone. At the time it was difficult to even breathe. So many thoughts…