Praises of a Wife and Mommy

 Tuesday was Anthony’s turn. His bicep tendon repair surgery was scheduled for the 19th, and Baylee and I were there with him. My own pain was minimal that day, but my nerves were all over the place—especially since the hospital didn’t give many updates while he was in surgery. I had my knee scooter with me, so every now and then I wheeled myself around the waiting area just to ease the tension. After what felt like hours, a nurse finally told us they were almost finished and he would soon be in recovery. Baylee and I decided to step outside for a quick walk/scoot to breathe some fresh air before seeing him. When they finally let me back to recovery, I could tell right away that Anthony wasn’t himself. He was very loopy, his arm and hand completely numb, and his balance was off. A nurse brushed it off with a comment that he wasn’t on anything that strong and “should be fine.” But he wasn’t fine. He was weak and unsteady. My heart ached seeing him like that, and I silently prayed ...

 Monday came quickly, and with it my follow-up appointment at the orthopedic specialist. Just like in the ER, they had me lay on my stomach and performed the test to check my Achilles tendon. The doctor came in, looked at me, and said the words I knew were coming but still didn’t want to hear: “You will need surgery to repair this. Even if we don’t get an MRI, we can schedule surgery for Thursday.” They removed the splint from the ER and fitted me with a boot, crutches, and prescriptions for pain. From there, we headed straight to the hospital for pre-surgery testing—a blood draw and an EKG to make sure I could safely undergo the procedure. It felt like a blur of appointments, paperwork, and waiting rooms. After that, we made what would be one of many pharmacy runs. They sure prescribe a lot of medicine for this kind of injury and surgery. By the time it was all done, my husband and I decided to stop for lunch. Sitting across from each other, we couldn’t help but feel both tired ...

August 16, 2025 – A Night to Remember It was a night filled with energy, joy, and worship. I had no idea that a moment of dancing would turn into a moment that would shape the next several months of my life. We were dancing to "Church Clap" —a song that always brings so much fun and excitement. I was fully in the moment, clapping and moving with the beat, when suddenly I felt a sharp, intense pain in my ankle. It was so jarring, I honestly thought someone had kicked or stomped on me from behind. The pain stopped me in my tracks. Trying to stay calm, I carefully made my way to a chair. Panic started to set in as I realized I couldn’t put any weight on my right leg and that it felt strange. Deep down, I knew something was seriously wrong. I sat there, overwhelmed and confused, when I saw my husband come over. He knelt by my foot, looked up at me, and said, “It’s going to be okay.” Then he began to pray.  He is a physical trainer and knows the body well... I could see in his...

  Pexels - CCO Licence Every parent dreams of raising a reader - the kind of kid who gets lost in a book on a rainy afternoon, begs for “just one more chapter” at bedtime, and chooses the library over the toy aisle. But let’s be honest: in the age of tablets, video games, and YouTube shorts, books don’t always stand a chance. So how do you help your child fall in love with reading, rather than see it as just another bit of homework? Here are some practical, playful ways to spark (and keep) that reading flame alive. Start Early, But Keep It Fun Toddlers may not care about plot twists or character development, but they do love rhythm, rhyme, and colorful illustrations. The earlier you make books part of their daily routine, the more natural reading will feel later on. Storytime shouldn’t be a chore, it should feel like a treat, filled with silly voices, giggles, and maybe even a tickle or two when the Big Bad Wolf huffs and puffs. Let Them Choose Yes, you’d love your child to gravita...

  Image credit Just think back for a second. How many funerals have you been to where everything looked, sounded, and felt exactly the same? Maybe that sounds a tad harsh, especially if you’re in the middle of grieving, but just try and reflect for just a moment. Did you see the same flowers, same hymns, and maybe even the same slideshow with “Amazing Grace” or some of those other generic funeral songs on loop? Yeah, it can start to feel less like a celebration of a unique life and more like a script that’s been followed a hundred times before. Every single person is unique; their impact on people's lives was unique too, and shouldn’t their funeral be the same? Thankfully, it’s slowly starting to change. And funerals today are starting to get out of this same mold. They can be colorful, heartfelt, funny, or even downright quirky. But what’s most important is that a can actually reflect the person who’s being remembered instead of blending into every other service people have sat ...

  About the book/video study: Learn practical ways to engage the Holy Spirit in your life as you encounter God's Spirit throughout the Old Testament. This 6-session video Bible study guide (streaming access included) will change the way you interact with the Holy Spirit. Many of us jump to Acts 2 and Pentecost to understand the Spirit of God. But if you look closely, you'll find hints and delightful surprises throughout the entirety of Scripture as Holy Spirit works powerfully in unexpected places. The God You Need to Know Bible Study Guide  will deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit as beloved Bible teacher Margaret Feinberg uncovers the Spirit's work throughout the Old Testament—in the lives of David, Gideon, Ezekiel, and others. With their stories as a guide, Margaret provides 12 practices to help you engage with the Spirit and experience a more vibrant faith life. This study guide has everything you need for a rich Bible study experience , including: The study...

  Photo by Marcus Herzberg: https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-gathering-inside-bar-1058277/ All restaurants are interested in trying to sell more to their guests than you may initially order - that just makes for good business sense. But doing so while you’re trying to enjoy the ambience of the experience can be both an opportunity and a challenge. An opportunity, because of course, they don’t want to make you feel like you’re being upsold at every opportunity, or that your comfort means less than you paying for more. However, restaurants also have a good opportunity to make use of the fellow feeling and joyful relaxation you’re experiencing within their hospitality. You might just feel inclined to buy a bottle of wine or treat yourself to a larger steak depending on the occasion and celebration going on. With that in mind, let’s discuss how to increase spend per head when running a restaurant, using the most common measures owners use: Let The Menu Guide & Excite It...