Tag Archive for: Family

If I Were Anna Duggar

The Ashley Madison scandal has been heavy on my mind in recent days. It hits so close to home because I’ve been the spouse on the other side, the spouse horrified to discover her husband on an online dating site. I suppose we could at least point out that these spouses weren’t hiding the fact […]

God’s Masterpiece

August 20, 2015. Back to school for my kids. First day of 6th, 8th, and 10th grades. Where have the days gone? How did my babies grow up so quickly? Three kids. Three different reactions. Three different attitudes. One prayer. Today, my oldest climbed into his car and drove himself to school for the first […]

Letting Go

“Mom,” my 13 year old began, “can I go to Mississippi with Miles?” Of course, the normal questions began to spill from my mouth. When? How much? What are you going to do? How are you getting there? Who is going? As with any normal teenage boy, he knew very few of the answers. He […]

The Ultimate Safe Room

A friend, who has never been to Oklahoma, asked me to describe our state. “Think oil,” I began. “Lots of oil. And earthquakes. And droughts. And floods. And blizzards. And ice storms. And tornadoes. Lots of tornadoes. Big tornadoes.” Certainly makes you want to come visit, huh? And, it probably makes you wonder why any […]

Crash…and…Burn

Remember how I said I was tired? Well, Saturday proved to be my breaking point. Last week was incredibly busy at work. I had multiple evenings where I was still sitting in my room, computer out, working at 9:00 pm. In addition, my oldest had multiple doctor’s appointments yet again (a broken arm…again). And, God […]

Are You a Nabal or an Abigail?

There was a man in Maon who did business in Carmel. He was a very important man and owned three thousand sheep and one thousand goats…. The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and attractive woman, but her husband was a hard man who did evil things… […]

The Hurting Child

Divorce hurts. Divorce hurts everyone involved. I have spent the last two years talking about the pain I have experienced, about how I have come through the pain to find the joy of Christ. I have shared how God has redeemed my life, brought me back from the death of divorce and given me an […]

Fear Factor

It’s funny how different kids with the same parents, raised in the same environment can be. My oldest, Blake, was a very timid child. He was scared to take risks. In his defense, we discovered when he was three that his vision was very poor. He saw two of everything until we put him in […]

Father Knows Best

“Mom,” my daughter began, “I can’t wait until I’m 18 so I don’t have to deal with this situation any more.” My heart broke for her, until my younger son called me to his room. “Mom,” he began, “this situation makes me so mad! I try really hard not to explode. Instead, I end up […]

A Day in the Life of Dena

Parenting is hard. It is definitely a two-person job that requires tremendous cooperation, meticulous planning, and endless flexibility. When you become a single parent, you are solely responsible for every aspect of those precious children in your care. You are responsible for their physical well-being, their emotional stability, their spiritual growth. And, you are solely […]