Category Archives: Loss of a Child

Not a Believer of Coincidences

imageI have never been much for believing in coincidences.

The Bible says that God directs our steps and knows just how many hairs are on our heads, so it is hard for me to imagine Him leaving things to chance.

My son, Jonathan, entered a drawing for a professional photo shoot a couple of years ago and won.  Funny thing, Jonathan was always entering contests and seemed to have a knack for winning. He won a beautiful flat big-screen TV from a drawing also before that.

The photo shoot was taken in Spring of 2011.

Just months later, on September 24, 2011, Jonathan was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 27. Continue reading

7 Comments

Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations

Sometimes Kids Just Aren’t Ready Yet

When my kids were little I took on the huge responsibility of homeschooling all three on the heels of our move across the country from San Diego, California; to the northwest.

My kids had gone to a small private school for the first couple of grades.  Jonathan, my youngest, had just finished kindergarten.

He did okay in school except for the teacher’s frequent complaints.  Jonathan, she said, was a very “intense” child.

“Jonathan  is not a rude or undisciplined child,” his teacher said,” but he has a difficult time keeping quiet during class, sitting still, not speaking out of turn, and he often corrects the other children on the playground when they aren’t following rules.”

As his parents, we didn’t know what we could do about our son’s “intensity.” Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under In a Kids World, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations

Great Mother-Son Memory

imageI never prayed so hard for a sunny day. I always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding. We chose an upscale turn-of-the-century, Victorian bed and breakfast overlooking a beautiful lake for our wedding and reception.
It had been pouring for days, but God answered my prayer. September 25th 2004 turned out to be a gorgeous day after all.
Shortly after I announced I would be getting married for the second time, my then 20 year old son, Jonathan, actually asked me if he could walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. His question caught me off-guard because Jonathan made it clear he did not like to attend any wedding. I hadn’t planned on anyone walking me down the aisle at all, but after thinking about it for a second or two, I felt flattered that my son would request such a thing. How could I possibly say no to that!

Continue reading

10 Comments

Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everydayliving, Gottalaugh, Just for Fun, Life Lessons, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations, Writing and Author Stuff

Just Do It

The month of September will forever be imbedded in my soul as a much different month than the rest of the months.
It is a month of grief and rejoicing all tied into one tight giant knot.
  • Grief because God prompted me to visit my 27 year old son, Jonathan, the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the fourth week of September nearly two years ago, to deliver a book I ordered as a gift for him.

It was a great novel about police work.  I knew he would love it because he loved to read and because he was a police officer. It was a sort of peace offering, as we had been at odds with each other for quite a while and I wanted it to stop, but didn’t seem to convey it the best or it wasn’t received or something.  Always something got in the way.  Anyone who has had an extremely unfriendly divorce and terrible relationship with their ex knows what kind of havoc that can bring on the relationship between a parents and their children. Continue reading

13 Comments

Filed under Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Loss of a Child

A Touching Story- Boy Wants to be Fireman

Very beautiful. Truly a soul stirring and tissue grabbing story!

booklovers1's avatarbooklovers1

In Calgary, Alberta, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia.
ATT2
Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up & fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible.. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son’s dream to come true.

She took her son’ s hand and asked,
‘Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up?
Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?’

Mommy, ‘I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up.’

Mom smiled back and said, ‘Let’s see if we can make your wish come true.’

Later that day she went to her local fire
Department in Calgary, where she met

View original post 544 more words

1 Comment

Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everythingelse, In a Kids World, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Loss of a Child

Caught-Up with the Urgent?

“It all seems ultra-important at the moment—but later we realize much was done at the extent of cultivating deeper and more meaningful relationships with those we love most.  Being held hostage by the tyranny of the urgent is not how we were meant to live.”                                Charles R. Swindoll.

Guilty?

I sure am.

The years I struggled as a single mom I was under an insurmountable amount of stress.  It wasn’t just child support or family support that I lacked, I was also stuck with huge amounts of debt I didn’t create.  I tried to make the best of things, but I was often overwhelmed, exhausted, and grumpy.

Unwittingly, I placed more importance on finding a home for my family than the treasured place my kids held in my heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t love them.

It was for them that I sacrificed! Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Loss of a Child, Single Parent Struggles, Writing and Author Stuff

Growing Pains

You know that feeling of resistance we naturally get when we are required to step outside our zone of comfort, to push further, strive harder and move past stagnation?

Much like when the momma bird pushes her young to the edge of the nest.  What is that youngling thinking?

“Momma’s off her rocker!”

“She’s trying to kill me!”

“How could she do this to me?”

That little one, paralyzed by fear, becomes frozen as momma gives the final shove.

Down, down it goes until finally it gets this crazy notion to flap its wings… flap, flap, flap… Continue reading

9 Comments

Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everythingelse, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Life Lessons, Life with Chronic Pain, Loss of a Child, Single Parent Struggles, Writing and Author Stuff

He Never Promised Us A Rose Garden

I have been a prodigal.  Saved at the age of 19, but without further mentoring or Bible studies, I tried to be a follower of Christ on my own.

I continued recklessly living my life, making poor choices as I had before.  On a rebound from a hurtful breakup, I became pregnant at 22.  The responsibility of a baby, straightened my life, but I had a ways to go.

I did not want my daughter to grow up like me, never knowing what her father looked like, so I worked at keeping a relationship with her father. Apparently, I worked too hard, I became pregnant again when she was eight months old.

We got married, but deep in my heart I knew it was a mistake. I had the naïve notion everything would work out once he saw what a good wife I could be.  Immediately after our marriage, my gut feelings were confirmed.  I made a horrible mistake. Continue reading

31 Comments

Filed under A Broken Childhood, Awed by His Love and Grace, Child Abuse and Neglect, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Life with Chronic Pain, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations, Single Parent Struggles

Celestial Comfort For The Broken Hearted

Though I can honestly say I rarely run out of a topics to write about, I was not sure what to write about today. I looked at my list and this story stood out.

As I have mentioned before, my life has bounced from one tragedy to another since childhood, to the point at times all I had left to hang on to has been my faith in the living God.  And that, by the skin of my teeth.

What I am about to share is an odd story, perhaps some will even doubt my sanity, but as God is my witness, it is as real as I am sitting before my keyboard today.

After all, isn’t our God the God of the impossible, the unexplainable?

Continue reading

25 Comments

Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Everydayliving, Following Christ Has Changed My Life, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations

I Can Make A Big Mess All By Myself

Since the beginning of mankind, people have had a tendency to blame others. In Genesis 3:11-13, God confronts Adam and Eve after they eat of the forbidden fruit.

God said, “Have you eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Adam said, “The woman You gave me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

The LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”

Eve said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat…”

Adam blames Eve, indirectly blaming God, “the woman You gave me.” Eve blames the serpent. There you have it. When it comes to humanity, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastics 1:9: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Continue reading

5 Comments

Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Gottalaugh, Inner Sruggles and Heartache, Life Lessons, Loss of a Child, Seeds of Inspirations