She arrived mid-morning on the first day of a new month, nineteen weeks pregnant and bleeding. And I volunteered to take care of her. She needed somebody to be willing. And I knew what to do because I’d done it so many times before. We sped her to ultrasound. And then, the radiologist called. He […]
Dear Woman with Pain and Regret…
I see you. And I know you. I watch you walk in, and smear a smile on your face, convincing your troubled heart everything’s fine for now. How you’ve put on just the right outfit, wrapped that trendy scarf around your neck, and sauntered in, praying no one will detect what’s happening way inside. You […]
How to Ditch Your Apathy and Fight for Your Marriage
We didn’t really fight much. That’s the crazy part. Because if a marriage is unraveling, most people assume there’s fighting. And that’s exactly why it was such a shock to everyone when I confessed my affair. No. Fighting is not the indicator of marital disintegration. The real indicator is apathy… [Tweet that] And apathy happens […]
On Parenting, Divorce, and Feelings of Failure {The MOB Society}
Divorce feels like failure, and is always full of pain. I know. Matt was three when everything changed–his house, who he lived with, and his daily schedule. I’ll never forget the excruciating moment each Sunday night, as we met in the Thrifty parking lot for me to pick him up from his weekend with his […]
Our Mercy Story {VIDEO} : How God Can Redeem and Restore All Things
Exactly one year ago, with trembling hands and a hopeful heart, I shared my story with you. A story of messes and mud. Of failure and finding. A story of how mercy found me. And why I champion God’s grace and believe in second chances. I told you of my struggle with perfectionism, sin, and guilt […]
When a Fallen Tree Takes Time to Grow Again
Because of my story, I receive emails every single week from women who are desperate for answers. Desperate for someone, anyone, to tell them what to do to fix the mess and pain of the life they’re living. And if there’s one thing I know for sure, sin brings pain–deep, gouging, life-altering pain, the likes […]
When Pain Blinds Us to the Truth
The truth is hard to see when we’re in pain. Doubt settles in like an opaque cloud clinging to a mountain and never letting go. Confusion rolls in as a fog, preventing us from seeing more than a few inches beyond our face. And we can’t see the sun that shines above the thickness. We […]
Life in His Laundry Room
I bend and sort the clothes, turn socks and flip shirts inside out, one piece at a time. And I’m always amazed how much laundry we have each week. Laundry stained with spills, smeared with soil, and marked with the activity of long days. Stains from running and jumping and playing. From kneeling in the […]
When You Wonder if There is Purpose in Pain
She loses her job this week and walks away with one less key on her ring and a feeling of loss in her heart. It happens so fast. Abrupt, sudden, and unexpected. Everything becomes ordinary all at once, and none of it is easy at all. After years of giving with grace and mentoring with […]
Freedom Comes When We Reveal the Truth
The day my gown glides across the carpet, I believe I’ll be married forever. But reality turns out so much differently than I’d planned. In so many ways. Bad ways. And very good ways. Good ways only because of Him. But in those years amidst the guilt and shame, my heart longed for freedom. The freedom to […]
