The start of the new school year is upon us. The long lazy, days of summer are ending. It is time to shift away from our night owl, vampire tendencies and become functioning members of society again. I have a confession. My house is not ready for this change, and it is going to be ...

During my youth, planning my future was a full-time job. I dreamed of every detail. I knew I wanted to be a mother. God’s plan was never in doubt for me. I created timelines in my head for my perfectly normal life. The straight path we would follow. Instead, we are on a twisty, dark ...

I have a tough job. Many say it’s the most difficult job out there. It’s demanding. It’s time-consuming. It’s thankless. And I don’t mean my career. I’m a parent.  Well, I’m a step-parent. They say parenting is the most difficult job there is, but I would add that step-parenting is just as, if not more, difficult. ...

Content Warning: Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation “Mom, just take me. I’m begging you. I’m not stable.” Words no mother dreams of hearing from their sixteen-year-old child. No amount of planning prepares you to react to this type of request. My teen begged for help, and my world stood still. What happened next? I found strength that ...

Raising kids comes with a myriad of decisions. What foods to eat? Which soap to use? What toys to play with? Use technology or not? The list goes on and on. Before I had children, I thought your child turns five, you send them to school, and that is where the decision-making ends. School is ...

Motherhood keeps me on my toes. As soon as I have it “all figured out”, here comes another curve ball to keep me guessing. My current dilemma, how to encourage the emerging identity of my growing children. As the mom of a teenager, I am in the weeds watching my maturing child figure out who ...

Motherhood is one crazy roller coaster of emotional ups and downs. While a handbook would be nice and often feels required, one does not exist.

The world is coming up on an anniversary. In March 2022, it will be two years since the world shut down. I remember it as if it was yesterday. Government officials said in two weeks, we would be getting back to normal, don’t panic; we only need to flatten the curve. Two weeks became two ...

Motherhood is all about stretching. Your body, your heart, your patience, your understanding, your compassion, your boundaries, and your capabilities—all stretch to accommodate the addition of fresh life you are meant to raise. The augmentation to every facet of your being sometimes feels like stretching cold muscles; it hurts. Shame and guilt lurk in corners ...

Living through a pandemic has forced me to find the silver linings to cope with this new world we are navigating. In 2019, I found myself lost as a mother watching my boys finishing their middle-school years. I’ve heard of the “empty nest syndrome” but didn’t think I would be experiencing it now. When I ...