On a roller coaster, blindfolded. Feel that way lately? Me too. It’s what author John Bevere would call a “wilderness season.” Feeling lost, confused lately by the events of the world, wondering where God is, and how we are supposed to respond. Exhausted. The wilderness is exhausting! As part of an initiative I’m calling, “Summer Reading For Grown Ups,” I’m reading Bevere’s, “God, Where are You?” and inviting you along on this journey. It may… … Continue reading →
“You know there were other people that died. Why is everyone so focused on Kobe?” That’s the comment I saw repeated online a few days after Kobe Bryant’s tragic death. It got me thinking: why do we mourn when a celebrity passes away? I never met Kobe, but I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know who he was. His gameplay graced our television for years, and I knew exactly what people were talking… … Continue reading →
“ “Hey babe. How about a date night? We can make a nice meal. Light some candles. A minor lung procedure?” What? Who SAYS that? Who says that? My husband, Dan, said that. He had a “PleurX Drain,” placed in his lungs to help alleviate the fluid caused by cancer as he lived out his final months at home. Yup. That was a date night. Me, a nursing school drop out, placing a drain in… … Continue reading →
Three senseless acts of violence in our country in one week. Dayton, Ohio…El Paso, Texas…Gilroy, California. At least 34 lives lost. We can’t make sense of senselessness except to say it’s a product of evil, of the brokenness of this world in which we live. When my husband, Dan, was very sick, toward the end of a four year battle with lung cancer, he chose some verses from the Bible as our family verses. Lung… … Continue reading →
Well meaning people say the funniest things sometimes. I’ve experienced some loss. My Mom passed away when I was in my early 20s, my husband and father of my children died a few years ago, and my Dad a few months after that. My kids and I thought we’d move across the country for a fresh start last year, only to land in a new place with the same old problem: pain. We all get to… … Continue reading →
When I was married, I was oblivious to the challenges of my friends who were single, or single again. And, I’m sorry. I had been married to Dan MOST OF MY LIFE, close to 24 years. Since he passed away four years ago, it’s been eye opening. Outside of learning to grieve, and learning to heal, I’ve been learning the ropes of how to do this single life. FIVE THINGS I’ve learned since I’ve been… … Continue reading →
Wally, I listen to your radio show every day! In fact, for the last 3 years, WAY-FM has been all I’ve listened to in the car. Last year, my husband and I separated, and I felt my world was ending. Your show–the music, your banter, and the jokes–helped me through what I thought were my darkest days. Seven weeks ago, my 17-year-old son took his own life. Now, my faith in God is barely hanging on. I haven’t… … Continue reading →
“Miscarriage is so common, it happens all the time.” I have heard this many times in the years since my first miscarriage, and again in the weeks since my second. Yeah, I get it, this happens a lot. Does knowing this fact make it any easier? No. Does knowing this negate the horrible way I feel about it? No. Does knowing this stop the onslaught of tears at random times during the day? Nope. In… … Continue reading →
“You know what? The tree’s up, the lights are up, but it’s a different kind of Christmas because my dad’s not here.” Even though Christmas is a wonderful time of year, it can also be a struggle for families who have lost a loved one. Mark Schultz knows this all too well. He tells the story of his wife, her dad, their adorable Christmas traditions, and how the family worked through the Christmas season after… … Continue reading →
Sometimes there is just nothing to say. There are some things that happen in life that words won’t heal. There are some things that take our breath away that only silence can breathe life back into our lungs. They are the things of life that are beyond someone giving a kind word, a positive hopeful thought, a story of so and so who went through this and that and made it through, a good sermon,… … Continue reading →
