I recently interviewed with a fellow suicide survivor, Leah Slack Stirewalt, on her blog. I met Leah a couple of years ago at SheSpeaks (a writer’s conference). We both felt instantly connected as we shared our stories and enjoyed a sweet time of prayer together. She too, lost her husband to suicide. We have stayed in touch over the years, and it is so refreshing to…
Last week our Sunday school class had a cookout, and many of us left with more than a good time. Over twenty of us there left with a brutal stomach virus. It was like a scene in a bad movie — we were all shocked at how contagious this virus was, and just how puny it made us feel. As I reflect on this rapid spread,…
Many years ago, my mentor commented that I was never home. I laughed, and said, “My grandmother always said that my middle name should have been GO.” She didn’t laugh. With complete seriousness, she said, “Do you not like to be at home?” The truth was that at the time our home seemed like a place of chaos; she was right. I didn’t like to…
Did you know that nearly half of all children with a single mother — 47.6 percent — live in poverty according to the U.S. census report? This number is staggering to me. A friend recently told me that she heard a report that nearly 90% of single parent families end up homeless at some point. Granted, this includes families that move in with other family members,…
Discouragement. We all have those times in our lives. Our kids do the opposite of what we’d like. We get a failing grade. We are passed over for a job. Sometimes life just doesn’t go the way we had hoped. During those times, God wants us to trust in his sovereignty. The Bible tells us that his ways are not our ways (boy, do I…
This week in class, there has been a lot of talk about the value of mentoring. It has caused me to pause and reflect on my own life. My campus minister always encouraged us that we should have someone pouring into us, and that we should always be shepherding someone else. I’ve tried to take that to heart over the years. In seminary, I was…