My 8-year-old arrived home last week in tears. Lip quivering, she came to me with a heap of questions about the coronavirus. “Is my daddy going to get coronavirus because he’s Chinese?” I looked at her dumbfounded – my heart walking a thread-bare tightrope between sadness and anger. “Who told you that, Baby?” “Oh, kids at school are ... [Keep Reading...]
struggle
Love well by listening well
A year ago, my husband Shawn and I embarked on a new journey. We joined a marriage class at our church called Re-engage. Shawn and I married four years ago after the death of my first husband Ericlee. He joined our family of four girls (including me) when we were in the throes of grief and gently shepherded us through some tough transitions. Last ... [Keep Reading...]
Dear Vanessa Bryant,
The following is a letter originally posted on my Instagram @DorinaGilmore on January 28, 2020. I wrote this letter while flying home from a funeral in Texas after hearing the devastating news about Kobe and Gianna Bryant and 7 others who were killed in a helicopter accident. Although I don't know them personally, my widow-mama heart grieved ... [Keep Reading...]
Stepping into abundant life through the door of His love
{If you prefer to listen rather than read, check out the audio version of this post here on my Abundant Life podcast.} When I stepped in the door my jaw dropped. The buffed hardwood floors, the wrap-around staircase perfect for prom and wedding photos, the windows upon windows. As I walked through and saw the open floor plan, the granite counter ... [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...]
6 Ways to Find God’s Peace in Difficult Circumstances
Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the hymn “It Is Well.” There was something about those lyrics that brought a sense of peace whenever I sang them: “When peace like a river, attendeth my way… It is well, it is well, with my soul.” Horatio G. Spafford, the man who penned that hymn, experienced profound tragedy with the death of his son ... [Keep Reading...]
