Welcome to my blog!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  I’m glad you are here!

I’m a wife– a minister’s to be exact.  I’m a mom, an educator, and just a person trying to live with peace and joy.

 Life is quite the journey, isn’t it?

Twists and turns and off-roading at any given time.  My life has certainly felt a little like off-roading these past few years.

Maybe you can relate.

My husband is my pastor.  That doesn’t mean my life is full of sweet cherub choirs and praying all day (although there have been times when that might have been the best course of action for me)!  For certain, I love my man! He is a wonderful husband, father and the best pastor/leader I know!

BUT

sometimes, life gets bumpy and messy even inside the church.  Can I get an amen!

How do you walk through life when life gets messy and complicated and you feel like you should have just stayed in the house and pulled the shades?

My kids are my biggest treasure!

They have provided me with years of laughter and love.

 But not a single blessed one is of a compliant nature. Hmmmm. Well, that has left me scratching my head and counting to ten on more than one occasion over the last 19 years!

How could three little darlings test my very sanity and my self-confidence in one fell swoop?

And let’s throw in a hefty dose of homeschooling for good measure! That ought to make for some interesting days….

OH!  Who am I kidding…..months and years!

What do you do when a crisis of such magnitude hits your family with such a force that the only thing you can do is cry rivers of tears and circle the wagons?What do you do when all you want to do is flee instead of fight?

You have no warning and everything you know to be true burns to ashes in moments.  People can be cruel.  That is life.

BUT

I also know that wonderful people are in our lives to become tangible expressions of love to us when that is what we really need the very most.

Without that, my journey would not be complete.

My journey is one of crisis, hard days, things that won’t ever make sense, and days full of depression and anxiety stumbling through the shadowlands.

BUT

then again, my journey would not be complete without the

miracles

peace

joy

gratitude

answered prayers

and regained faith.

In the words of the country music singer Gary Allan,

“Life ain’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride.”

And that is what I’ve come to believe deep down.

Life sometimes takes a turn through some ugly terrain and you can’t see around the bend but, if you just hang on a little longer, the road will smooth out and the view gets more beautifully breath-taking with time.

I often say some questions will NEVER have answers.

And even if they did, they wouldn’t be good enough.

So, I choose to focus on the BEAUTY that has come from the pain.

My journey is learning how to live with peace and gratitude. We are all still here and together.

The scars have become beautiful reminders of GRACE in the ugly.  And we fiercely have each others’ backs in this family.

Nothing can take away the consequences that come from the

ugly, selfish, horrible abuse

 one of my treasures had to endure for two and a half years

alone

and

in silence

from the hand of a trusted authority figure.  

We still feel the reverberations from the shock waves of such betrayal and abuse. But, I stand in the middle of a miracle and watch as the broken is being mended and the jagged pieces are being lovingly put back together with such grace and divine creativity that all you can do is sit back

AND

watch with a big ‘ole goofy grin and a grateful heart.

So, there you have it.

I’m not super fancy.

But I love beautiful things…..as long as I can get a good deal!  Lately, thrift stores are my ally and books are my escape.

God has been good and we even got a darn cute Bichon puppy in the mix (which we lovingly call our PTSD dog).  She is the fourth baby I will never have and has healed our hearts in ways I could never have imagined.

I figure if I went through it, it better be for some good.  I won’t have the pain wasted.  That is the point of this blog.  I’ve journeyed through the Shadowlands and deserve a t-shirt!  Maybe you have too or know someone who has had a bumpy ride…..for whatever the reason.  I would love for you to follow me and share this blog with your friends.  I won’t waste your time.

I look forward to sitting down and chatting on the porch.

I don’t drink coffee but I’ll bring my chai.

SO

why don’t you stop on by and we’ll talk about life and how we can enjoy this beautiful ride.

 I certainly don’t have all the answers

but

life can be sweet and perhaps wisdom can even stop by.