It hurt today as I said goodbye to Max. Our little dog would have turned 13 in a few days but he never made it. He was getting weaker and on Monday he was so sick that I stayed home from work with him and held him most of the day. I had to carry him as he had no energy even to come back in from going outside. There was nothing the vet could

My daughter cut herself for the first time when she was 12 years old. Today, 11 years later, she is still struggling to overcome this problem. At the time I knew absolutely nothing about "self-harm" and it scared me to death. I was shocked and bewildered that she would do such a thing. It’s important to understand cutting - what it is, who does...

Comforting friends who have gone through significant hurt or loss is not easy. We want to support and encourage our friends during their time of trial, but often what we say can only make things worse. One of my professors, while teaching a graduate course I took called "Evil & Suffering" (not the most uplifting course name ever devised) talked...

Several years ago a friend of mine’s son died. His name was Nathan and he was almost two months old when they lost him.   They lost him to SIDS - every parent’s nightmare.  He was there and then he was gone.  I cannot imagine the depth of their grief. In the months that followed my friend shared a few of things people had said to him. ...

Not sure why you are going through this personal tragedy? Searching for why God is doing this? Take our Life Lesson called "Built By Brokenness" and find some answers that you have been searching for. After losing our twins girls at 20 weeks gestation, my world completely fell apart. As I gingerly attempted to reintegrate my new, raw reality...

At 19 weeks I gave birth to a little boy.  We named him Jacob.  We said hello and goodbye in the same hour. He is not a miscarriage or an almost-child, he is my son.  This letter was written three years after his birth.  This is a glimpse into my mother’s heart, a letter written to Jacob my son who resides in heaven.  If you (or someone you...

At 19 weeks I gave birth to a little boy.  We named him Jacob.  We said hello and goodbye in the same hour. He is not a miscarriage or an almost-child, he is my son.  This letter was written three years after his birth.  This is a glimpse into my mother’s heart, a letter written to Jacob my son who resides in heaven.  If you (or someone you...