As I walked into the church auditorium this morning, my heart was instantly seized with a wave of grief at the sight of three caskets. I wasn’t prepared for that, and though my head knew, seeing tangible evidence of the great loss began the next hours of weighty grief. A father’s casket nestled between two of his precious young daughters' caskets is a sight that moves quickly from your eyes to settle deep into your heart. Each casket had a … [Read more...]
Arkansas Hope and Rubble
My heart was pounding as I quickly laced up my shoes, shouting to my son that there was a tornado heading our way. My husband grabbed dirt bike helmets for our protection while my son stripped his bed and placed the mattress in the hallway. Out our west window, we could see a black sky and debris in the air. The voices on the television reported, “Tornado on the ground at 300 near Pinnacle Mountain.” That’s us. We would learn later that … [Read more...]
Arkansas Mourning and Hollywood Celebration
I am sitting on an airplane headed to L.A. to attend an event that is directly tied to my passion to speak into the lives of moms—a time of celebration. Oddly, my heart does not want to keep this commitment made months ago. Celebration seems frivolous at this moment. My heart wants to retreat back to Arkansas, the state I called home for eight years, because there is mourning there. Why would I choose mourning over celebration? [Tweet … [Read more...]
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