Praises of a Wife and Mommy

I often talk about physical healing, but lately, I’ve realized that the emotional and spiritual side of healing may be even harder to face. This post feels different to write because it’s deeply personal. It’s about being honest with myself and with God about the parts of healing that no one else can see. As an educator, I’ve always known that when a student has a big reaction over something small, it’s usually not about the “something small” at all. It’s about everything else beneath the surface—the unspoken pain, the bottled-up frustration, the weight that finally spills over. And now, I get it in a whole new way. During this healing journey, I’ve had moments when something seemingly insignificant—like a comment, a small disappointment, or an unmet expectation—has completely undone me. I’ve crumbled into tears, felt anger rise, or just shut down. It’s like my emotions were waiting for one last drop to overflow the cup. God has been showing me that I’ve developed a habit of stuffing ...

Here we go again with self-esteem and finding a dress. A few weeks ago, I shared about the frustration of trying to find something to wear to a wedding  and now it’s time for a Gala! This is an event my husband and I love to attend to support an organization close to our hearts. I’ve always enjoyed getting dressed up for it, but this year felt a little different. The truth is, I’m still wearing my boot. I knew I wanted to feel confident, not self-conscious, so I decided I was going to make it work. My daughter came with me for a little mother-daughter shopping trip, and I actually found two dresses that I really loved. I may have splurged more than I normally do, but when I tried on that elegant black dress — the one that would cover my boot perfectly — I felt… beautiful. Not because the dress was perfect, but because I realized I could still feel like me. The injury didn’t take that away. The boot didn’t define me. My scars don’t tell the story of shame, they tell the story of hea...

 I am eleven weeks post-surgery. It feels both so far from the beginning and yet, somehow, still like yesterday. The scar is healing nicely, and I can really see how far I’ve come, but this week brought some new challenges. Physical therapy started off a little rough. On Monday, I felt pain on the lower right side of my ankle, and honestly, it discouraged me. My mind went straight to questions: Did I overdo something? Is this normal? Am I still on track? Wednesday's PT felt much better and I got some new movements to do.   Pain has a sneaky way of trying to plant seeds of fear. But even in that moment, I knew I didn’t want fear to take root. Healing isn’t always a straight line; it’s often two steps forward and one step back. Still, I had to remind myself that progress isn’t just measured in how I walk but in how I trust the process and lean into God’s faithfulness through it. By midweek, things were looking up again. The pain started easing, and I could see that even wh...

One morning, I woke up and noticed something strange — my feet were two different shades. My left one looked perfectly normal, but my right, injured foot had a purplish tint to it. I honestly have no idea why it looked that way, and for a moment I just stared at it. But here’s the beautiful thing — I had no fear. A few months ago, that might not have been the case. Early on in this recovery, every ache, color change, or new feeling would have sent my mind racing. But this time, I just looked at it, breathed, and reminded myself, “God’s got this.” Sometimes, healing looks a little different than we expect. It’s not always pretty or perfectly even. It’s a process — a living picture of how God works in us too. He’s constantly restoring, renewing, and refining, even when things don’t look “normal.” Scripture: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3 God’s healing isn’t just about the physical; it’s about the peace He places deep in our hearts when we trust Hi...

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and honestly, I never expect anything. I don’t feel like I should. My church family already poured out so much love and support during my recovery through prayers, meals, and messages of encouragement that I felt completely cared for already. But God has a beautiful way of surprising us. All of a sudden, during service, the kids’ church came in each child carrying a card. One by one, they began handing them to us. Card after card, little hands holding big hearts. And then they led the prayers over us. I was completely overwhelmed, not just by the creativity in their cards but by the purity and power in their prayers. It was such a humbling, joy-filled moment. Later, more cards came in, along with gift cards. And I think word got out that I love steak because we received four gift cards to Texas Roadhouse! Yes, I love their steaks, and yes, I laughed at how God knows the desires of our hearts—even in the smallest ways. This day was such a sweet remi...

The state meet was such a big day. I’ll admit it, I was a nervous nelly like always when my kids have something big going on. But maybe I’m growing, because this time I didn’t have the “nervous poops.” A little too much information, but for real, other parents will understand that feeling.  I wouldn’t call myself a nervous person. I’ve learned to kick anxiety away and to claim 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” I do not entertain fear, and I refuse to let anxiety rule my heart. But when it comes to watching your child compete, those mama nerves can still sneak in. It was a cool, windy day, not the kind of weather I had hoped for. I layered up and decided to stick with my crutches since there was light rain earlier that morning. Just getting from the car to the starting line wore me out, and every step reminded me that healing takes time. Instead of trying to get to multiple viewing spots, I stayed near the start and finish, soaking it all in. Duri...

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