Frustrations had reached a new level in our relationship. One word described the atmosphere between us. Tense. Every attempt at conversation ended in some sort of disagreement. Family conflict became expected, part of the routine. Pretty soon we realized avoidance was the best answer. But all I really wanted was for things to be ok…

My earliest memories involve feelings of loneliness and longing. Born with a highly sensitive personality, my little spirit was continually bombarded with all the feelings of life in our sin broken family. Even when I was too young to actually know and understand the facts of what was happening under our roof, I felt it….

“I’m sorry, there’s no heartbeat.” Empty. My heart skipped a beat. A miscarriage landed me in the bed with low back pain and abdominal discomfort. The same as birth bangs when my daughter was born. Except there’s no baby to hold or name or take home. The doctor described this three-day nightmare as a natural…

Desperately we waited for answers as we sat by the hospital bed where my four-year old little girl was strapped down so she wouldn’t yank out her breathing tube. She was having seizures, hallucinations and ultimately had a blood plasma transfer. During the three weeks we were in the ICU of Children’s hospital, I experienced…

Almost two years ago, my son, who was seven at the time, sustained second-degree burns to his face and hands. His wounds needed about two weeks to heal, which truly amazed me. But I’m still being refined by what I learned of community relationships during that time. To be refined means to have unwanted elements…