By: Mary Ellen Collins I recently attended a silent retreat. Yes, I said silent. 6 hours of not conversing with anyone. Well, no human. God only conversations. First question is how in the world can an extrovert keep silent for 6 hours? Well, I can, and I absolutely loved this...
By: Heather Wolper Every year as the blue expanse of May sky stretches out above my head and new life begins to overtake the chill of winter with a blanket of green, I think of my mother. Like the tender leaves that appear each Spring, she was soft and delicate...
By: Mary Ellen Collins GET READY… Here is comes again! 18 ways to get through Mother’s Day! Here it comes again, it washes over me and I am knocked down by the impact of the day and the feelings I have — Mother’s Day. That day where mother-daughter groups I see are smiling...
By: Christine Fishel Dear Strong Woman, I see you. You ask questions, seek answers, and attempt to fix, even as you know it is all slipping through your fingers. There is no stopping the dwindling of a life called to its ending. I see you. You hold up those beside...
By: Mary Ellen Collins Last Friday, I saw the movie, I Can Only Imagine. In case you haven’t seen it, go. Highly recommend it. It is a story of the lead singer of MercyMe, Bart Millard. Based on the incredible true-life story that inspired the beloved, chart-topping song, I Can...
By: Mary Ellen Collins I recently heard an expert on biblical truths say that impatience is pride. What? No, I don’t believe that. Really? I know that God hates pride. But I have never heard that impatience is pride. How can that be? Think about it, what happens when you...
By: Heather Wolper This week I’ve felt the weight of disappointment tugging like a toddler eager for my attention, standing in my shadow, tugging on the hem of my skirt and loudly demanding a response. As my plans have unraveled, frustration has begun to rub against my heart like a...
By: Christine Fishel After a period of extreme amounts of loss, I want to hibernate. My sister has attended 7 funerals in the past year. We’ve lost our dad, our grandmother, a cousin, and two aunts. More in our close circle are fighting deadly diseases. We’ve watched our original family...
By: Anonymous Reflections and Book Review Honestly, I get so tired of seeing on social media, commercials, and especially in Hallmark, how “beautiful,” “loving,” and “caring” mothers are. How they made our lives so “wonderful.” I appreciate those that are grieving for a good mother, and I am happy that...
By: Danielle Ilacqua (Guest Blogger) Last year at 1:17 a.m., instead of surfing social media, I sat in a hospital watching my only parent prepare to go to heaven. It’s been a year since my mom’s passing. The waves of grief this past year were amazingly difficult because you have to...
