A Life of Gratitude

We sang a beautiful song last Sunday at church. It's called "New Wine," by Hillsong. The whole song is wonderful but there is one line that I've been thinking about all week. It says, "I came here with nothing, but all You have given me." I believe that is a very profound thought in a short sentence. It's also been the perfect thought to ponder over the week of Thanksgiving. No matter what we have or what we've done, it is all a gift. We came to this world with nothing. Every single thing we have is a gift from our Heavenly Father.  The family we were born into, the place we were born, and even the time in history we were born, were all handpicked by God. We were literally born with no clothing, no food, and no way to take care of ourselves on our own.  We came here with nothing, but all HE has given us. So, whether we have all we've dreamed of or a life that is lacking greatly, we can still be grateful. If we have something to

This is not something I ever imagined doing. In fact, even a couple of years, the thought of telling someone my story made me sick to my stomach. But God has changed everything for me. It's not something I've done, other than just being willing. He has provided forgiveness, healing, and freedom that I cannot begin to adequately describe.  A little over 2 weeks ago, Angela Forker of the After Abortion Photography Series, flew from Indiana to North Carolina to tell my story through conceptual imagery. The photo shoot took place at the former abortion clinic where I had an abortion 20 years ago. It wasn't an easy experience. It was difficult being back inside that building, reliving that day, and allowing someone to see the full reality of my past. There is also a heaviness there that can't be explained. I thought it was just a feeling I had because of my history inside these walls but as soon as we drove in the parking lot, Angela felt it too. The day was tough but t

I was driving down the road this afternoon and noticed how beautiful the fall leaves are right now. I always love this time of year. The colors are just incredible. As I was taking in all the beauty, it occurred to me that the only reason we experience this lovely time of year is because these leaves are dying.  What if we focused on the death of the leaves instead of the beauty this time of year offers? Thankfully, we mostly forget the truth behind these colors. We simply see the gorgeous shades of red, orange, and brown. Even though death is the cause, there is so much beauty. As I was deep in thought, I felt God whisper to me, "This is the way I see my children." There are so many things going on in our lives. We mess up all the time. We ruin things and hurt people. We experience pain and frustration. But God simply sees beauty. He looks at us, His creations, and sees something wonderful. He doesn't spend even one second worrying over the clutter and

 I just have to brag on my biggest boy! Tonight, Bryan and I along with several of our friends and family, got to enjoy Dylan's first full-length play, Treasure Island, Jr. I was absolutely blown away! The cast only consists of only4 actors but they played several roles and told the story so well. It was truly wonderful! My 11 year old son was the youngest actor and did an amazing job! Seriously, I might have been beaming with pride over his performance. I literally caught myself smiling from ear to ear as I watched him. I could not be more proud Dylan!    Today I am grateful for the opportunity Dylan has had to be apart of the Kernersville Little Theater. He has been working very hard over the last 2 months. I am so proud of his dedication and fearlessness. If you know Dylan, you know acting is the perfect hobby for him! I am thankful he has found a place to display his talent!

I bought this little outfit 20 years ago in Ouagadougou, an African village in Burkina Faso. I remember it as if it were yesterday. Walking through the market, I found this adorable outfit and just had to have it for the daughter I would have one day.  It's so crazy to see my sweet Allison wearing it! She wouldn't stand still for a photo but she loved dancing around in this little skirt and top! This photo was made in Africa. I was 16 years old. I held a lot of babies on this trip because many of the women in this Nomadic tribe had never seen a white woman. They thought it would be a good luck for their babies to be held by white women. Do you want to hear something interesting? The Mission Trip I went on, to Burkina Faso was in the summer of 1999, a little less than one month after the abortion I had in June of 1999. That sort of blows my mind. I don't recall whether or not I thought about the baby I had just aborted when I bought this little outfit, but