“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing disturb you, let nothing disturb you,” I chanted in my head as I stepped out of the kitchen and into the garage to call my husband Rob with the news. “It’s in both lungs,” I uttered when he answered his office phone. “Okay,” he said, “I figured it was.”…
Wondering Why
My God… why? — Jesus Hospital orderlies, dressed in green, had taken Sammy down to the operating room. We’d said our goodbyes and now, somewhere in Southampton General Hospital, a surgeon was preparing to conduct his third operation of the day. There was nothing more I could do. Sammy’s life was in the hands of…
You Get To
Learning to Treasure What You Didn’t Want Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way. — 1 Corinthians 12:31 A deep breath and a huge, slow eye roll. That was my immediate reaction. A family member had just said to me, “You get to.” This was her…
You’ll Get Through This
No one travels far down the road of life without discovering that this journey is not always smooth or perfect. We can pray and wish for safety on the way. We should enjoy the stretches of the ride when the sun shines and things go beautifully. We ought to thank God for the times when…
He Paid the Bill
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with a medical condition, chances are, you are also being confronted with mounting medical bills. And health care is expensive. Globally, health care cost is projected to continue skyrocketing. In 2016 researchers found that America spent almost twice as much on health care compared to other…
Beauty in the Breakdown: Now What?
I was in a studio in Franklin, Tennessee, about twenty miles south of Nashville, recording the song “Men and Mascara,” with Byron Gallimore producing, when the doctor called me. I saw his name on my phone but didn’t take the call because I didn’t want to break the creative flow. I wanted to focus on…
Lift Your Eyes Up
I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. — Psalm 121:1-2 NIV My 8 year-old son, Justin, and I were trailing behind my husband and other two 8 year-old sons (yes, triplets) on the beach bike path near…
Faith: Stay the Course
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. – 1 Corinthians 16:13 In less than a week, I was exhausted from the chemotherapy. Sometimes I was able to get up and take a sponge bath; other times it took all I had to go to the bathroom or brush my…
The Gift of Love: Give and Take
Joe and I hold hands in the car and also in the movie theater. He ends every phone call by saying “I love you” before he hangs up, and he sends cute text messages frequently during the day. He randomly hugs me, pokes me, or rubs my back whenever I pass by him in the house. Aside from my mother,…