A Life of Gratitude

Each year it seems I am captivated by a different part of the Christmas story. This year, I can't stop thinking about the shepherds. Luke 2 says they were just hanging out in the dark fields with the sheep, minding their own business, when an angel appeared. It makes sense that the angel's first words were, "Do not be afraid." It must have been terrifying. Then, a host of angels appeared and filled the darkness up with light and praise. I wonder if the shepherds thought it had been a dream or if they stood there dumbfounded for a few minutes. The Bible says they hurried off to find the baby they had been told about. Can you imagine how incredible it would have been to see the baby an angel had just described? I'm sure they had no problem believing the baby was the Messiah. They probably bowed in adoration, wondering why the angels chose to tell them, simple shepherds. Once they had worshipped the Christ child, " they spread the word concerning what had been t

This evening we were on the way home from a family night out, driving on old country roads, when I heard a still small voice that said, "Watch out for the deer." I looked over at Bryan and said, "Watch out for the deer. I'm not sure why but I just know I need to tell you that." I guess he took me seriously because he put both hands on the steering wheel and I felt him reduce the speed. About two minutes later, I noticed a deer across the street and as quickly as I could scream, "Ahhh, there's a deer!" It ran straight toward our van. Bryan slammed on breaks but we collided with it. It was loud, jarring, and happened so fast. The buck was thrown to right of the road. We couldn't stop to see what happened to the deer because there were so many cars behind us, but with the impact I felt, I'm guessing it didn't make it.  A couple minutes later I realized I had been warned that we were about to hit a deer. How amazing is that!?! Because I hea

Earlier this week my oldest son and I listened as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case that has opened the door to the possibility of overturning or altering the landmark decision made in 1973 by with Roe v Wade. Its no surprise that this history-making case has caused emotions to run high on both sides of the abortion issue and elicit all types of opinions. However, I never get used to how extreme and irrational the fight for abortion truly is. Saying men have absolutely no right to an opinion about abortion is like personally building a house and then not being allowed to have a voice in whether the house is lived in or demolished. Since the beginning of time it has taken both a man and a woman to create a baby. Women cannot get pregnant on their own. This absurd pro-abortion arugement has made it easy and acceptable for men to walk out on their responsibilities. If we want men to step up when a pregnancy is wanted, we cannot also say they have no right to an opinion wh

 Over the past several days, I have been in awe of the the gorgeous colors of fall. I simply cannot get enough of all the trees and leaves. Yesterday, as I was basking in the the incredible scenery, I felt God whisper to my heart, "Autumn reveals how necessary change is and how beautiful it can be." Regardless of who you are or where you live or what you do, change is a part of everyone's life from time to time. Things just don't stay the same forever. It could be a job, a relationship, a health concern, or any other circumstance of life, but we can be sure that change is something we all deal with.  So many times we are opposed to change. We often fear leaving what we know and facing something new. Sometimes we are truly hurt by a person or situation. God may have allowed it because He knew it was necessary for change to occur in order for us to continue growing into the person He created us to be. Over the past year I have experienced change in many ways. My family

  This morning I visited a special lady in the nursing home. It's been a long time since I've seen her because of Covid restricitions. Nana is my husband's grandmother but she always referred to me her as granddaughter. She's been a part of my life for 25 years and I believe we've had a special connection, especially since all of my grandparents passed away years ago. Seeing her physical condition sadden my heart but when I sat down beside her and said her name, she looked right at me and smiled. I spent time reading scripture and singing hymns to her. I'm not sure if she knew who I was but I know my presence brought her peace and joy.  I read 2 Corinthians 2:9 to her which says, “ No eye has seen, no ear has heard,      and no mind has imagined  what God has prepared   for those who love Him. ” After reading that verse I looked at her and said, "You have so much to look forward to, don't you!?" Her eyes widened and she smiled the biggest smile. It

Earlier today my husband looked at me and said, "You're absolutely gorgeous."  I love when he says things like that, of course, but to be honest, I never truly believe it. I don't think I ever have. As soon as he, or anyone else, says something about my appearance, I almost always doubt they are being truthful. In my mind I hear things like, "Oh, he has to stay stuff like that," or "They're just being nice," or "There is an alterior motive behind that comment." I've spent my entire 39 years thinking terribly negative things about myself and comparing myself to others, wishing I looked like them. I can't recall even a handful of times that I felt pretty. Even when I was 18 years old, with a perfect little figure and flawless skin, I thought I was fat and ugly. I worked out every day and starved myself, always thinking if I could just get to size 1, then I would be happy with my appearance. I never did.  When I look back at pict

  Our weekend healing retreat, Alive Again, was held at Joshua Cox Inn in Westfield, NC. It was absolutely amazing. I can't even express how grateful I am for the opportunity to watch these women begin to experience the freedom and healing God desires for them. The women who helped make this retreat happen are so incredibly special to me. God handpicked each volunteer which made the weekend absolutely perfect. I am grateful for each one of these women and for the participants God brought to the retreat. It blesses my heart so much to know that God is using my story to help others find the healing He has lavished upon me.  Tori

  Not Forgotten Ministries hosted its third annual Memorial Service for the Victims of Abortion at Miller Park on September 18. This family event honored the millions of lives lost to abortion. Attendees laid flowers at a beautiful memorial, which included several candle filled vases created in memory of specific babies lost to abortion. These babies have been given names by mothers who have found healing through our abortion recovery programs. North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson was the guest speaker at the memorial service. We were so honored to have such a bold advocate for life speak at our event. He shared powerful words of encouragement and support. He spurred us on as we continue fighting for life, reminding us, “You are not in this fight alone!” adding, “There is no where else I would rather be today because this is so important.”  It was truly a beautiful event. I am grateful for the opportunity to honor the lives lost to abortion and shine a light on this dark tr

I don't believe that people should be forced to wear a mask, but due to my auto-immune disorder, I have worn one throughout the pandemic. I don't believe vaccincations should be manditory, but due to my immuncompromised state, I had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine earlier this year. Even with obedient mask-wearing and the vaccine, I am currently battling Covid-19. I began noticing symptoms last Friday. I went to six urgent care centers on Saturday morning, being turned away by all of them because they were all at max capacity. I was able to get an appointment for Sunday morning. My chest pain, low pulse ox, and cough were reason enough for the doctor to test me for Covid. She prescribed an inhaler and antibiotics to help my breathing. I've been laying in my bed for five days now, which is highly irregular for me. I have absolutely no energy, every muscle aches, taking deep breaths is painful, and I cannot taste or smell anything (which is incredibly odd I might add.) My

  Watching women who have had an abortion begin a journey toward healing and wholeness has become one of my favorite things! It's not easy for a woman who has had an abortion to come out of hiding, share her story, and accept God's healing. Many times they only take these steps because they realize they are drowning in their sorrow, shame, and guilt. Regardless of how long its been since their abortions or how many they've had, healing is a process with many layers, which can feel daunting and overwhelming. But once a woman is ready to embark on her healing journey and she surrenders to the Father, He can do incredible, amazing, seemingly impossible things in her life. I am so very grateful God is using my story, and the ministry He created out of it, to bless other women in such a beautiful way. As women step out of the shadow of their secret and talk to others who understand and relate, they are finally able to grieve their loss, accept God's forgiveness, and forgive

  I'm a go-getter and do-er. If I put my mind to something, I'll work myself to death to get it done, which really isn't healthy, physially or emotionally. There can be perks to a personality like mine because I am a very productive person and rarely quit before a job is done. However, those traits don't mix well with Ankylosing Spondylitis and cause me to be terrible at taking care of myself. Packing up and moving a family of six into a new home over the past couple of weeks has been absolutely exhausting for me. I really don't like clutter or disorganization so I have worked and worked and worked. It's been less than a week since we moved in and our new, three-story home is really close to being unpacked and we're almost settled in. But now, I'm paying for it physically. As I sit here being infused with medication to get me through the next 8 weeks, I've been thinking about why God has allowed this disease in my life. I've realized that I am

If you've read my book, you'll probably remember the white house beside the pond. Our family moved into this lovely home in 2014, all because of God's goodness and His faithfulness to us. This house was our "promised land," in many ways. We believed this would be our forever home. Since 2014 we have added two more little people to our family and I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that causes me to experience some really hard days physically. The stairs in our home are abnormally steep and there are no bedrooms on the first floor. We've also outgrown this house, so we realized we would eventually need to move to a different home. We weren't looking for a new home just yet but when God said it was time, we decided to say, "yes!"  Tonight is our last night on Georgia Pond Lane. The movers arrive tomorrow to remove all the furniture from our white house beside the pond. It's bittersweet saying goodbye to this home. We have so many wonder

This evening our family played putt-putt at the request of our nine year old. We had a really nice time even though it was 90 degrees outside. This is the first time we've played that Allison really understood the game. She didn't want any help and played every single hole. I had so much fun watching her. She diligently took several strokes at each hole, never getting frustrated or aggravated. And when she finally got the ball in the hole, she would yell, "YES!" Then she would squeal out a big, "wahoooo!"  Hole 13 was exceptionally difficult which required Allison to take several more strokes than normal. I thought surely she would get irritated with it taking so long but once she got the ball in, she yelled, "YES! That was the best hole yet!" Then she squealed her signature squeal.  At times she made the course more difficult than it needed to be by standing on top of the barricades and trying to putt from there. As I watched her do this, my face