My midwife told me when I was birthing my second baby girl that if I held my breath the contractions would hurt even more. My natural reaction in pain is to tense my muscles and hold my breath to avoid the pain. In childbirth, I needed deep, long, measured breaths to carry me through the pain. Somehow breathing through the pain helped release the [...] Keep Reading
Grief
Books to help kids of all ages navigate grief
When my husband soared to heaven nine years ago, my daughters were ages 2, 5, and 8. I was a young widow and a suddenly single mama, trying to grieve and make space for my daughters to grieve. One of the most natural ways to help them process their grief was through reading and discussing books. At the time, I found it difficult to find books that [...] Keep Reading
Books to help adults of all ages navigate grief
Most people don’t want to read books about grief until they find themselves on a grief journey. At least that was true for me. After my husband died nine years ago, I found myself reaching for books that would give me hope in the depths of grief. I wanted to read the words of people who had been down their own windy path of loss — and survived. In [...] Keep Reading
The power of sharing your story: Three women in the Bible who changed history
Our family started a new journey this Fall. We are walking through a curriculum called Foundations written by our pastor, Brad Bell. This experience brings us deeper into understanding of key principles in the Bible, but also invites us to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. My favorite part is that we are discussing what we learn [...] Keep Reading
An unexpected adoption: You are loved as God’s daughter
The hallway started to feel a little toasty on that December afternoon at the Fresno County Courthouse as forty friends and family packed in for the momentous occasion. The joy in the air was palpable for the official adoption ceremony of my three daughters by my husband Shawn. Shawn and I married seven years ago after my first husband [...] Keep Reading
On butterfly wings: No Shame in Going Gently
Last month I ran in a trail race called Shadow of the Giants near Yosemite National Park. Through the years, this race has become a favorite to run with my friends. The course winds through the Sierra National Forest. It's always a feast for the senses as we run alongside the giant sequoia trees with their enormous trunks pointing toward [...] Keep Reading
