…think about such things. Philippians 4:8
From the start of our marriage in 2009, Nick and I, young college students at the time, knew little about budgeting and had no plans for how to use our money wisely in the present or the future. We both had low paying ministry jobs, but still chose to eat out often, bought whatever we …
I have a very bad habit of comparing myself to other people. I look at other moms and often feel that they are much better moms than me. I look at other Christian women and often feel that they are better Christians than I am. I look at women who are not only mothers and …
On my daughter’s 7th birthday, my husband and I took her out to lunch, just the three of us, so she could have some special one-on-one time with mom and dad. Eden was incredibly happy, dressed in her new pink dress with a large red cherries print, eating breadsticks, and working on an activity book …
Several months ago, I stepped outside of my house into the warm, sunny, breezy weather of the day. I was going for a solo walk around my neighborhood and my mind was racing with my most recent concerns. Something was bothering me that I couldn’t quite put my finger on and I asked God to …
Hi friends! The head pastor of my church asked me to share a testimony this past weekend about experiencing Jesus in my daily life. This is the manuscript version of what I shared: Hi, I’m Deanne and I am a stay-at-home mom of three children. My youngest child, Salem, has a very rare genetic syndrome. …
Continue reading "How my neighbor changed the way I think about my son"
“Open your hand, Ezra! Open your hand!” I still remember the sweet, young Vacation Bible School counselor speaking in her peppiest voice as she was giving high tens to all of the kids in her group. When she got to Ezra, she was confused by his semi-open right hand. I could see her thoughts turning …
At the start of 2018, God asked me to live a hidden life for an indefinite amount of time. I was sitting in my husband’s office during a four-hour spiritual retreat. I had approached this particular retreat with some solid expectations. We had been living in California for about a year and now that all …
I watched in dreaded anticipation as the two women approached me. One was Salem’s speech therapist, Maddie, and the other was her supervisor, Susan. I had been in the waiting room while Salem was in his therapy session. Today he was being evaluated to see how he had progressed since beginning therapy several months ago. …
When I graduated from high school at seventeen years old, I promised myself that I would never come back to Southern California. The smog, the traffic, the lack of seasons, the bubble community of my Christian denomination, the superficial culture, and so many other reasons were only part of why I wanted to leave. With …
Continue reading "Why I begged God not to bring me back to California, and why He did."
When I was a teenager, I struggled for a long time to forgive someone who had hurt me more than anyone. My pain was so severe that I often went to bed at night asking God not to wake me up in the morning. After years of torment and asking God to help me, I …
Whatever is... 