Pam and I have recorded many podcasts together, but there’s one I will always remember. It’s not so much the content of the podcast that will set up…

As we began the process of creating Arise Single Moms twenty-two years ago, it involved many facets—from completing tons of paperwork, to forming a board of directors, to hours…

When I was a kid, I wanted to marry a cowboy. I loved their manners, work ethic, patriotism, and how they looked in their Wrangler jeans. Separate from the Mr. Cowboy Boots desire, I imagined living in a lighthouse nestled in a nook to read book after book while watching the waves pound the shore.

Sometimes I find myself just stopping in my tracks or looking into the mirror and wondering how everything went so off track…and I let myself feel what I need to during those moments. 

I was out with a group of my friends when I saw it happen…the look. My friend had been divorced for a year and a half, and even though it was hard, she really had been thriving. She had gotten highly involved at church again and had joined a small group. Her kids were finally on a good routine. She had even been able to consider dating again. The work God had done in her life since her divorce was absolutely beautiful. 

I feel like the hollow echo when entering a courtroom is unlike any other experience. Just getting there is crazy enough: you dress up, your heart is pounding, you frantically try to find the courthouse and find parking. Then your ears ring with the loud creak of the door as you open it and your heart races as you search the room to figure out what you are supposed to do.

In case you haven’t realized it, parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world. No matter how many parenting books there are, there’s not a “one-size-fits-all” parenting manual. If our parents would have been perfect, then maybe that would help us. But there has not been a perfect parent from the beginning of time—except our heavenly parent, God our Father. So the good news is, our “perfect parent” will help. 

1. My past is not what defines me. It is empowering me to become someone I’ve never been before. 

l. She has four legs, four arms, and two hearts—equaling double the love.

Playing with Barbie and Ken as a child and dreaming of my wedding, I didn’t imagine my life would not include the white dress, picket fence, and children. As time evolved, I finally realized at the age of 37 that a traditional family was not in God’s plan for me. He set me apart to live life as a single woman

Well, single mom, it’s that time of year…CHRISTMAS. Everywhere you look you see festive lights twinkling in the night, Salvation Army volunteers ringing their bells, and TV commercials vying for your credit card number. It’s all supposed to be “merry and bright,” but if the truth be known, some of my most hurtful former days revolve around the holiday hoopla. If you’re like me, there are some Christmas memories you’d like to forget. Do you have any of those?

As a single mom, the most uncertain time for me was always the holidays. Sometimes I had my boys; other times I didn’t. Sometimes plans had to change at the last minute because of another person’s planning—or lack thereof. I remember a conversation I had with a friend. She asked me what my plans were for Christmas. I said, “Honestly, I wasn’t sure.” I never really knew if I would have the boys or not until closer to the date. 

If you were like most married women, you never imagined when you said “I DO” that one day it would turn into an “I DON’T.” Maybe you’re the one who wanted out of the relationship, or perhaps you’re the one…

You’re likely reading this blog because you wrestle with a situation that will not, I said WILL NOT, leave you alone! I call it your ‘this’ – that one thing that you simply cannot get beyond.

I’ve never been one of those gals who has a “word” chosen for each new year. But one day several months after a new year had started, a word hit me out of the blue…

Do you know one of the things I absolutely LOVE about God? It’s that He uses simple things to confuse the wise.

Here’s something that might be helpful for moms walking through the joys and challenges of the holiday season. Why not draw up a “Ten Commandments” rulebook in what you “will” and “will not” allow? After all, we can predict how we handle the future by what we create today.