Elena. Irinia. Ted. I have a lump in my throat while listening to their stories. For about one minute, these teenagers share a synopsis of their life story, starting with the pain and hopelessness of abuse, neglect and despair, and ending with the joy of adoption. And everything started because someone, on the other side of the globe, cared enough to send them a shoe box filled with simple, inexpensive toys. While I watch the videos, pictures of children around the world parade across the Continue Reading
Are You an Eagle Living in a Barnyard? {The Atlanta Journal Constitution}
A farmer was walking by a field one day, when he spotted a small bird on the ground. While carefully approaching, he realized that the baby bird was an eagle. Excited about his find, he brought the eagle to his barnyard, where soon it started living and behaving like the chickens. Several months went by when one of the farmer’s friends stopped to visit. While observing his friend’s barnyard, he was dumbfounded when he watched the king of all birds pecking around like a chicken, refusing to Continue Reading
Marriage, Divorce… and the Fruit of the Spirit {The Atlanta Journal Constitution}
In 1994, Howard Markman, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Denver and director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies, and Clifford Notarius, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and director of the Center for Family Psychology, published a book titled “We Can Work it Out: Making Sense of Marital Conflict.” The book was written based on 20 years of scientific investigations of several married couples. Later, in 2016, a Continue Reading
Anxiety & Depression In the Church {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
Hi. My name is Patricia and I am a recovering anxious Christian. I hid behind the smile and said everything was great, even though my world was falling apart. I lied to myself that I could handle one more item on my to-do list, even though I knew I was about to hit a wall and crash. And I believed that my anxious days were behind me, only to find out that anxiety may be my thorn in the flesh. 'Til Kingdom come. I was sitting in my church’s choir rehearsal this week, skimming through Continue Reading
Run Your Own Race {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
After persistent pleading, I finally agreed to play Mario Kart with my daughters. Our teenager had asked us to purchase the video game at the end of the school year, so they could enjoy it during their summer vacation. I was reluctant, since my plan was to spend the summer enjoying fun outdoor activities, while cutting screen time to a minimum. Thanks to endless rainy days, my summer plans didn’t stand. Needless to say, there are only so many activities that a mother can come up with Continue Reading
What Will They Say… When You Leave? {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
He didn’t see me coming from behind. Intently staring at his cell phone, I could see by his broad smile that whatever was on the screen was either funny or brought him much joy. As I kissed his cheek, he woke from the trance and hugged me. “Let me show you something,” my stepdad said. He pulled the message from his cell phone, and read his daughter-in-law’s text out loud. She spoke of his influence in her life, and the admiration she holds. He grinned from ear to ear, the words filling Continue Reading
