Praises of a Wife and Mommy

 I finally decided to let some people decorate my purple cast—but with one very important requirement: you had to add scripture before signing your name . If I was going to carry this thing around, I wanted it full of life-giving encouragement! Plus, as a pastor, getting kids to open their Bibles and pick a verse? Total win-win.  Before anyone else touched it though, I had one big request: I wanted a crown drawn right on top. 👑 Why? Because I’d been thinking a lot about James 1:12 : “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” Thank you Baylee for doing  a great job on the crown!  It was a sweet time—laughs, Bible verses, doodles, and lots of love. But here’s the kicker: silly me, we decorated it on a Saturday and Sunday… and then Monday afternoon the cast came off.  All that beautiful artwork, all that scripture, lasted just a coupl...

  Okay, let’s be real for a minute—showering with a cast is basically a workout in itself. Between wrapping, balancing, and praying not to slip, showers have become… less frequent 😂. And don’t even get me started on shaving. My trusty cast protector works so well that it has created the perfect greenhouse for hair growth. The other night, my daughter sat down next to me, looked at my leg, and just started laughing uncontrollably. Apparently, the section of my leg that hasn’t seen a razor in nearly a month now looks like it belongs in a wildlife documentary 🦍. So here’s my question: when I go in for my next appointment, should I bring a razor and sneak in a quick trim before they recast me? (Don’t worry, I’d stay far away from the actual incision—no risks here! 🙅‍♀️) Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. Proverbs 17:22 reminds us: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” And let’s be honest, in this season of pain, recovery, a...

  “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” — 1 John 3:1 (NIV) Friday August 29th, was my one-week post-op check-up, and to be honest, I wasn’t fully prepared for what I saw. When the nurse unwrapped my leg, I got my first look at the incision. It was much bigger than what had been explained to me. The skin looked stretched, there was bruising, and my heart sank a little. Then came the X-rays, which left my calf aching since the cast that had been protecting it was gone. The pain wasn’t intense, but it was noticeable—almost like my body was reminding me how fragile healing can feel. Afterward, the surgeon came in and explained that the incision was larger because once he got in there, he realized there was more damage than expected and it had been harder to repair. That was not the news I wanted. I wanted to hear, “You’re healing faster than expected!” or “Everything looks perfect.” Instead, I had ...