After my husband’s death, I quickly discovered people had a lot to say about grief. As a young widow at age 37 and mother of three young girls, I was often surprised by the comments. Sometimes they would share their insights in hopes of offering comfort. Oftentimes these opinions were driven by myths about grief that get passed around, rather than [...] Keep Reading
compassion
Instant Pot Recipe: Easy Haitian Rice & Beans
On Thursdays, we eat Haitian rice and beans. We pray for our friends in Haiti and around the world.We started this tradition in January before we knew the coronavirus even existed. Long before people were stocking their pantries for home quarantine. We wanted to eat this simple meal in solidarity with people who survive on little.Haitian rice and [...] Keep Reading
Pivoting Away from Jealousy Toward Abundance
When I was a newly-minted widow, I started to struggle with envy. In those early days of grief, it was excruciatingly hard for me to see all the summer vacation photos with daddies playing with their kids, the wedding anniversary celebrations, and the perfectly-crafted family Christmas pictures. Feelings rose up inside me that I never faced before. [...] Keep Reading
Providing a sense of home for widows in Haiti
She would often tap-tap-tap on the back screen door of the Bell Mission House built by my husband’s grandparents, where our family typically stayed. The first thing most people notice about Comère is she’s blind. Comère walked more than 5 miles from her home in Bahoncy beyond Fontaine in the northern mountains of Haiti. She would bring one of her [...] Keep Reading
Redeeming Ruth: The Father’s Heart for the vulnerable
I was invited to share a message this Sunday at Action Community Church in Clovis for their summer series, "A Father's Heart: a series about things God cares about." I chose to share about God's heart for the vulnerable, specifically widows, orphans, immigrants/foreigners and the poor. In this message, I unpack the story of Ruth in the Bible [...] Keep Reading
How to celebrate Father’s Day when your daddy is gone
I still remember that first Father’s Day after my husband’s death. I didn’t know what to do. As the day grew closer, I felt more and more paralyzed about how to prepare for the day. I was invited to an out-of-state wedding. Despite my guilt in leaving my three daughters behind with grandparents, I knew I needed to go. It would be good for my [...] Keep Reading
