Monthly Archives: May 2016

You Are Not Alone

Posted in Parenting by

I could hear the baby wailing from across the department store. My first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn’t one of my kids.  I was enjoying a quiet shopping trip all alone, a scenario that rarely happens, especially on a Friday afternoon.

My husband had the day off and had graciously offered me a chance to sneak away so I could buy some much-needed items for myself. We both knew what a nightmare it could be to try to corral our kiddos in a dressing room while we frantically tried on clothes.  I was definitely relishing in this unexpected moment of retail solitude. Continue reading →

Straight Paths

Posted in Devotions by

When I was a young girl, one of my favorite things to do in the summer was to explore the ravine behind my best friend’s house. She had a huge backyard filled with what seemed like an endless forest of trees.  We spent a lot of time building forts, eating sticky peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and navigating the trails that wound through the woods.

The main avenue into her woods was a wide and easy to follow trail that had been landscaped into the property. It was a large U shaped path that started on one side of the backyard and if you followed it completely around, would bring you right back to the grassy lawn behind the house. Continue reading →

I Won’t Stay Silent!

Posted in Community Impact, Parenting by

Two weeks ago, I heard the heart-wrenching news that one of my former high school classmates had been shot and killed inside her Colorado home. Molly Nickal was just 35 years old. She left behind three beautiful children, the youngest a 3-month-old baby boy. Her husband, Gary Nickal, has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.

As I read the news articles chronicling her tragic demise, it was very clear that this beautiful woman was a victim of domestic violence. According to an article in the Mankato Free Press, Molly’s family had been afraid for her because her husband was controlling, violent, and had isolated her from the rest of the family. Molly had even told one of her sisters that she felt like a prisoner in her own home. Continue reading →

God Sees You

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Have you ever wondered if God really sees you or cares about your circumstances?

There’s a beautiful story found in the gospel of Mark about a woman who suffered with an unfortunate medical condition. The condition caused her to bleed continually and she lived with this burden for twelve long years.  During this time, she spent all the money that she had visiting multiple doctors and undergoing numerous medical treatments.  However, instead of finding relief, her condition got worse.  Continue reading →

Apple Blossoms

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Staring out my living room window, I see a vibrant mix of magenta and green. The buds on my crab apple trees are bursting open to reveal delicate pink petals that wave and flutter gently with the breeze.  It’s a beautiful picture that dares me to believe that spring has finally sprung in Minnesota.

I love this time of year. Spring is a season that points to the promise of new life.  It reminds me that no matter how cold, dark, and bitter the winter may have been… there is warmth and new beginnings just around the corner.  Continue reading →