From Tender-Headed to Tender-Hearted: Leaning on Christ in Life’s Tensions

I’m what’s known in the Black community as “tender-headed.”    For as long as I can remember, combing and detangling my hair has been painful.   Wash days were filled with tears and yelps of agony as my poor mother tried to work through my thick, tangled hair.   The end result was always beautiful, […]

That Time I Lost It at School Pickup—and What It Taught Me About Grace

Sometimes, we’re just not at our best. Like earlier this month, when I picked up my 17-year-old daughter Gabby early from school for her orthodontist appointment.    Scheduling these things is always a hassle: Most of the appointments offered are during school hours or not long after, meaning every time we have to drop what […]

Guilty as Charged

There’s one thing I’ve always really, really wanted. I know many people that have had it. In fact, you may have it right now. Sometimes I sit and daydream about what it would be like for me to have one of my very own. I even catch the sides of my lips curling up into […]

5 Ways to Stay Connected in Your Marriage

Today’s a great day! Know why? Our first guest blogger is in the house! Her name is Monica, and she is wife to Anthony and mom to five beautiful girls. Okay, so at the risk of stating the obvious, Monica and Anthony are clearly #relationshipgoals. From the first time I met them, I couldn’t help […]

“Living Successfully as a Single”

Hey guys! Today I’m excited to be able to share one of my new favorite things with you: Podcasts! If you’re not already familiar, podcasts are kind of like talk radio shows that you can listen to whenever you want. They’re a great way to pass the time and engage your mind while you’re in the […]

Run Your Race

A few months back, one of my kids received a homework assignment they were struggling to complete. As minutes turned into hours, frustration mounted.  After much huffing, puffing and other unintelligible grumbles of annoyance, the child in question said, “My friend so-and-so doesn’t have to work this hard to get the answers right! I know for […]

5 Reasons You Should Smile More

I grew up in a household much like many others. There was homework to be done and chores to be tended to. But there was one thing that frequented our household much more than any other I’d known. Smiles. My mom and I were known to smile on occasion, but my dad? He took this thing […]

Let’s Pray!

Last week, I told you about The Gathering: A Time of Worship for Women that my church sponsors. One thing we had at The Gathering was a prayer wall, where we invited women to leave anonymous prayer requests, like the one above, so that we could pray for them. It’s such a privilege to be able […]

The Gathering: A Time of Worship for Women

Twice a year, my church organizes a time of worship for women in the Cleveland, Ohio area called The Gathering. We eat, talk, worship and hear from  a speaker (that’s me!) about God’s Word. We started as a group of about 15 women meeting in a local library. Now, we’ve grown to nearly 200. In […]

Lose the Crutches, Part 2

In part 1, I promised you a part 2 to answer the question, “How do I let my crutches go?” (You may remember that we defined a crutch as anything we use for support that inhibits us from becoming the woman God wants us to be. This might come in the form of our temperament or personality […]