A global pandemic…who would have ever thought we would experience something like this in our lifetimes. To see the world basically come to an almost complete standstill, is unprecedented. Our lives seemingly changed overnight and our daily routines are quite possibly forever changed. As I walked into the post office the other day for the first time in a while, (wearing a rather lovely face mask I might add) I couldn't help but be taken aback by the safety precautions that had been put into place. It was a glaring reminder that things have changed. I will be the first to admit that I am not good with change..especially major change. It usually takes me quite a while to find my footing again. Depression sometimes creeps in and I begin complaining and doubting God more. My attitude might even be a little "unpleasant". It even affects how I interact with my husband and kids. But how do we keep from letting our present circumstances overtake us? We align ourselves with G...

Daily devotion and prayer time is essential to your growth in Christ. It is a time to get to know Him in a personal way. It can be a struggle at times to be consistent, especially if you are a busy mom like me. However, making it a priority in your life will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. Whether it lasts for a few minutes or an hour, here are six ways you can maximize your devotional time.

It's 2020, y'all! Happy New Year! You have survived motherhood in 2019! Whoohoo! As a kid, 2020 seemed so far away. It was totally in my plan to be driving around in a flying car by now. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. I can thank the Jetsons and Back to the Future for setting that failed expectation. I can't imagine that I am the only one who was looking forward to this, right? Well, with the new year comes resolutions, goals, promises, etc. No matter what you choose to call them, most people want this year to be better than the previous one. And for that to happen, we believe we must change something. It may be changes to our physical appearances (the gyms are making a killing around this time of year), our attitudes, our relationships, or even our business plans. There is nothing wrong with any of that. And if achieved, most of these things can bring some joy and fulfillment to our lives. But if you are like me, most of those go out of the window within t...

Suffering...Struggling...Pain...Grief...Despair.  These are not very comforting words.  I would imagine, when you read these words, a smile did not appear on your face.  They are words that describe feelings and emotions that we would rather not feel or deal with.  Yet, they are a part of life.  It's a part of living in a fallen world.  All of us, regardless of our religious beliefs, cultures, and finances, will have a moment in our lives where we will be faced with these emotions. A couple years ago, my middle son began having tics.  The tics started (or at least that's when we noticed) in February of 2017.  They started out as motor tics with his head and shoulder.  Almost always, the tics would manifest when he was sick or about to become sick. For the first year, we sought help from our pediatrician and two different neurologists in Nashville.  We had various tests ran on him to rule out seizures and another condition called Pa...

The other day as I was driving back from Mississippi, I began thinking about all of the many, many things I need and have to do. I was already exhausted before I started thinking and immediately became depleted after I was finished thinking. The word “overwhelmed” does not even come close to describing how I felt at that moment. School is about to start next week and I know what’s coming down the pike. Needless to say, last year was rough and I am still not sure I have fully recovered. Third grade was a big challenge for us last year. Add autism, a mischievous two year old, a few hundred doses of anxiety, a dash of soccer practice, a seminary student trying to graduate, and a couple gallons of exhaustion. Mix, stir, and you end up with a buffet of craziness. There was so much to do, that I couldn’t decide what to handle first. I can’t tell you how many times I threatened to drop out of third grade. But as I was driving, God spoke to me about giving my schedule and my to-do lists...

Yesterday, our pastor's wife, shared a wonderful testimony on how much of a blessing her time alone with God has been for her. Her encouragement to make that time priority was also conviction for me. I haven't been making that time a priority lately and it shows. It shows in how the fruits of the spirit are displayed in my life. It shows in my interactions with my family and others. It shows in how I handle circumstances in my life. So for me, to hear her talk about this particular subject, was God's way of giving me a kick in the pants. That brings me to this morning. My chance to start afresh! By the way, I have started over many, many, times in my life. I can't count how many times I have tried to have a consistent study life, only for it to fall by the wayside after a few days. Honestly, I am not even sure how this fresh start will go. But I am going to go for it anyway. Even if I don't necessarily want to or feel like doing it. Time with God is a MUST! No...

Well, Elmo is dead. Gone to Toys R Us heaven. We have had Elmo since my firstborn was just a few months old. It was probably one of the most annoying toys, but its matted, dingy red fur brought joy to all three of our boys. Well last weekend, he met his maker at the hands of our baby boy Joshua (or as we like to call him, Baby Hulk). Elmo was drowned in either sink or toilet water. We have no idea which one. His once loud, vibrant voice has now been silenced for all of eternity. Joshua is quickly approaching the "troublesome threes" and seems to want to exit his "terrible twos" in grand fashion. He has been into EVERYTHING! I have gone through this twice before and I didn’t think he could do anything to top his brothers. But (as he so often does) he proved me wrong. Raising toddlers can sometimes feel like the equivalent of a scene from the movie Gremlins. They start off cute and cuddly like Gizmo and the next thing you know there is chaos and mayhem all a...

Several months ago, I awoke to the sounds of two bickering boys. Jay and Trent were accusing each other of being mean to the other. Then, as expected, one of the boys approached our bedroom door ready to present his allegation of why the other one was being mean. Well, since I was still in a fog from having just woke up, I didn’t fully address it at that moment. Frankly, I am not a morning person and it was too early to be an adult. I managed somehow, to get them all (including the 2 year old) to calm down enough to go downstairs for breakfast. The bickering and side remarks were still going on. At some point, it became too much for me and I talked to them about how they were treating each other. I went on to explain how this is not how brothers should treat each other and asked them if they thought this pleased God. Of course, I get a resounding "No". A few minutes pass by and I notice Jay is nowhere to be found. Lately, when he is upset about something he has been goi...

My dearest Jason, Today we are celebrating your 8th birthday as well as Mother's Day. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be your mother. Your arrival into this world changed the course of my life and I am forever grateful. Jason, ever since you were born you have brought joy to the lives of the many people you have come into contact with. You light up the room with your smile. You are a very loving individual and it shows through your interactions with your peers and your family. You are full of surprises. Your dad and I are constantly amazed by the many gifts and talents that are working inside of you and we cannot wait to see them exhibited throughout your life. I often reflect on the day you were born and how we were so nervous and excited. Our first child, the one we had been praying for, was finally ready to make his debut. I remember crying when I heard your first little cry.   I was crying because God was fulfilling a promise he had made to us. You, my...

My dearest Trent, Today is your 6th birthday and I am so grateful that we are able to share it with you. You are a very special little boy and I thank God for blessing us with you. I wanted to write a letter just to show you how much you are loved. Trent, I am sure it can be hard being the middle child sometimes. But please understand that God's timing for your entrance into this world was just right. I remember when I found out you were on the way. It was quite a surprise even though we had prayed to have another child someday. The look on your dad's face was priceless. (I have video footage if you ever want to see it!) A few months later, you made your debut in dramatic fashion. That day was a day that your dad and I will never forget.  It was the day that we weren't sure if I was going to make it through your birth. You had decided to come early with no warning at all. I was in a LOT of pain! I can remember laying on that table screaming and crying because somet...

I can remember growing up wishing that I had a sister. Yes, I had my brother, but there was only so much he could understand as a male. And with us being 7 1/2 years apart, we didn’t have a whole lot in common. When I was really small, I was so desperate to have a sister, I would pretend that Janet Jackson was my sister! Ha! Although I was young, I longed for someone to talk to that could understand me and just be my friend.  Well, unfortunately mom and dad never had any more kids, so that was it. No sisters for me--at least not biologically. However, over the years, I have come to realize that God had a different plan for me. He brought several sisters into my life at various points to fill that empty spot in my heart. Some were only in my life for a season and others are still very much a part of my life today. And as time has gone on, I have come to appreciate what real sisterhood looks like. As women and as mothers we often need those "sister" relationships. Thes...

My dearest Joshua, Today, we celebrate your second birthday. I thought it would be a good idea to write you a letter. I know you won't remember much about this day, but this is a really special day and I want you to always know that on this day we honored you. Over the last few days, as we anticipated this day, many thoughts crossed my mind. It was on my heart to share with you just how special you are and how grateful we are for your presence. I think back to when I first found out we were expecting you. I was shocked needless to say. You were a total surprise…a pleasant one. I was a bit overwhelmed at first because I wasn’t sure how we would handle three kids. I was scared because I had such a traumatic experience during and after the birth of your brother Trent. I was worried because your brother Jason had challenges and I did not want that for your life. But after filtering through all of those feelings, I found myself back in a place of hope. I became hopeful because ...

Well here we are. The final hours of 2017.  As I reflect on this year, I am reminded of the ups, downs, victories, defeats, joys and sorrows that we have encountered. But through it all, God has remained faithful to my family and I would not change a thing. I am a firm believer that everything, good and bad, happens for a reason. I am grateful for the people I have met and those that I have reconnected with this year. If I have learned anything this year, it's that we should always seek to be better neighbors, better spouses, better parents and better friends. I hope that I have done just that for someone this year. One of the biggest things I am grateful for this year is my family. The move from Knoxville to Huntsville was not the easiest. There were many moments when I questioned if this was where we needed to be. But God always reminded us of how he orchestrated our transition here. So there is no doubt we are where we need to be at this time. God has provided for us in man...

Well its finally here. Mother's Day. The one day a year where moms everywhere are supposed to feel loved, appreciated, and adored. For me it’s a day of relaxation or a day to just do some of the things that I want to do. It is one of the days that I look forward to each year. As the day approached this year, I started to think about what motherhood should look like as it relates to Christians. It's our ministry.  It's our calling. While thinking about this, I was reminded of a message I shared a few years ago with a church in Tennessee for their Mother's Day Luncheon. So I would like to share some brief thoughts from that message with you over the next couple of blog posts. ****************************************************************************** Are you striving to be a "good" mother or a godly mother? When God first spoke this question to me, it immediately struck my heart because for so long I was worried about being a good mother and concerne...

It's been quite a while since I have posted anything to the blog. Since Joshua was born our life has been turned upside down and all around. Our lives have changed so much since my last post, I am still trying to process all of it. So where do I begin? In September, my husband and I celebrated our 10 year Anniversary. We decided to throw a party at a local Thai restaurant with family and friends. It was amazing-- Great food with great people.  It truly was an unforgettable night. But while we were enjoying the company of our friends, in the back of my mind I knew that things were about to change. For me, the party felt like a farewell. I tried not to think about it, but I knew it was coming. See a couple of days from that night, Jason was scheduled to have an interview with a company in another state. And I knew…before they even talked…I knew within myself, our lives were about to change again. Sure enough, within a few weeks, an offer had been made to my husband. It was to...

It has been a while since my last post (a year almost), but here is the second part to our autism journey. With it being Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to continue to share our story.   Our story continued…. By the time Jason was 2 1/2, he was in speech therapy, a language clinic, and a Mother's Day Out Program.  We wanted to give Jason everything we possibly could to help him develop. Looking back, I can definitely see how God was working the whole time. The various people who worked with Jason, were definitely put in our path for a reason. From the time Jason started early intervention (September 2012) until the time it ended (May 2013), I saw great improvement, especially in the area of speech. By the end, not only was he talking well, but he was talking TOO much! Ha ha! However, even with all of this improvement, he was still a bit behind his peers in some areas and I was in denial about him possibly having autism.  I just did not want to accept t...