The summer before I turned fifteen, I went to a Christian camp with my youth group. Although it was a wonderful experience, one wherein I began to develop my own faith, my adolescence was still steeped in drama and self-centeredness. I made it clear to God that I needed to hear from him personally that…
Two summers ago we went on our first international vacation as a family. Mexico was our destination, and with much excitement—and a little trepidation on my part—we packed up and flew to blue waters and white-sand beaches. We were all ready for new adventures. Our kids are practically part fish, growing up in a Texas…
Several years ago, my family sat around the dining room table reminiscing, and someone asked me what my worst vacation memory was. “Oh, boy,” I replied. “It’s a doozy.” And, indeed, it is. I was in elementary school, and the trip was to a cavern somewhere. I was excited to see it. We had to…
Our recent move meant our sons, who are in fourth and sixth grade, would have to switch schools at the beginning of the fourth quarter, so before we committed, we carefully weighed the pros and cons. We prayed daily for guidance and wisdom, and ultimately a clear path lay before us. This was the second…
I have two sons, and my oldest son’s recent high school graduation has brought on a flood of emotions. Mothers tend to want more for their children than they had, and I find myself thinking about my son’s relationship with his dad. I wanted my sons to have a bond with him because I’d always…
Ten years ago next month, I started a new life. When I was fourteen, my mother lay in a tuberculosis sanitarium fighting for her life, while at home her mother died of kidney disease. Thirty-six months later, when I was seventeen, Mom lost her life to kidney disease as well. At twenty-eight, I learned the…