Month: October 2025

Sometimes life hands our kids moments that make us want to step in and shield them completely. But then, every once in a while, we watch them rise on their own wiser, stronger, and more grounded in their faith than we ever imagined.

This week, my daughter experienced something no child should have to face. A boy from her past class … someone she thought was a friend …suddenly sent her a string of cruel, hurtful messages online. There was name-calling, mockery, and even an attempt to imitate her profile in what seemed like an effort to embarrass or confuse her. It was jarring, unprovoked, and wrong. UGH!

Well, thank God she came to me IMMEDIATELY crying and asking for help FIRST. But here’s the part that moved me most: Tatum never retaliated. She didn’t spiral into anger or shame (she started too!). Instead, she responded with truth and calm. ( When he tried to excuse it as “a joke,” she simply told him, “Pray and ask for forgiveness.” (wow)

That was it …no retaliation, no harshness, just a quiet reminder of accountability and grace. Although she was VERY HURT and told him to please stop over and over…he didn’t. I had to handle it with the school and parents. YUCK..but necessary. Also, her best boy friends, stood up for her and had her back with this boy. REAL FRIENDS. (She did say she would punch him if she ever sees him, but she won’t). (Secretly, I wanted to say OK…don’t judge me!)

Later, the next day, she spent her morning before school doing something that brought tears to my eyes…. she cleaned and redecorated her room, hanging up Scripture verses that reminded her of God’s goodness and love. She took what could have been a painful experience and turned it into a reason to strengthen her space and spirit.

As a mom, I’m proud beyond words. Watching your child choose light over darkness forgiveness over fury is humbling. It reminded me that character is revealed not in how we avoid hardship, but in how we respond to it. I still don’t know how the people involved will respond, but we will see.

We can’t control how others act, but we can control what we reflect back. And this week, Tatum reflected grace. I love you Taties.

Today brought SOME real answers. After months of nausea, fullness, and that all-too-familiar pressure that builds the minute I start to eat, my EndoFlip finally gave us a clearer picture of what’s going on inside.

The good news first: my stomach, pancreas, duodenum, and small intestine all looked healthy. No ulcers. No inflammation. No structural disease. Everything looked beautifully normal which, in the world of GI mysteries, is actually something to celebrate.

But then came the key finding:
my pylorus, the tiny muscular valve at the base of the stomach that opens to let food pass into the small intestine, was tight. Really tight.

That one word explains so much. When this valve doesn’t relax as it should, food can’t move forward. It just sits there — like guests waiting at a door that won’t open. That’s why I feel full so fast, why nausea hits after a few bites, and why I get that woozy, “blood-sugar roller coaster” feeling as my body tries to process food that’s stuck in the wrong place.

To help, my doctor injected Botox into the pylorus to calm and relax the muscle. I wanted to ask him to do my face to so I could have my face tighten up vs. loosen up. HA! The hope is that this will allow the valve to open more freely, letting food move through at a normal pace again. If it works, it could mean a turning point; a real chance to retrain my body and begin nourishing again without fear or pain.

The best part? This isn’t structural damage. It’s “neuromuscular likely tied to vagal-nerve dysregulation.” In other words, the wiring between my brain, nerves, and stomach just needs to be gently re-tuned. That means healing is possible.

So for now, I’m taking it slow. Small meals. Gentle movement. Deep breaths. Gratitude for a doctor who kept looking, and for a God who never stopped leading us toward answers.

Maybe this is the beginning of things moving — literally and figuratively — in the right direction.

The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy OUR (my) needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen OUR (my) frame.” — Isaiah 58:11

Even when my body feels stuck, I know He’s still moving. One step, one meal, one breath at a time.

Tatum went away for the first time to Jr. High YTH Camp with Scottsdale Bible Church (SBC), and oh my goodness…we missed her (well, I did… and the birds did too!). Cooper had his bone, so he was perfectly content, but the house just felt too quiet without her.

The camp sent plenty of updates, which helped so much…

She had the best time! She came home glowing..and SAD. New friendships! My heart is so grateful for the experiences she’s having and the people she’s meeting through this season. She walked in to a WE MISSED YOU extravaganza.

and in her room:

She asked me for about 15 hugs that night, and she didn’t want me to leave her room. I felt so grateful. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

This week, I took a tiny splinter out of Tatum’s foot. It was so small, yet it caused her so much pain.

It made me think of life….and even my own health journey. Sometimes it’s not the “big” battles that weigh us down the most, but the small, constant irritations: fatigue, discomfort, uncertainty, or even the daily frustrations that build up. A splinter might be tiny, but if left unchecked, it becomes consuming.

Perspective matters. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:34 not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own. He calls us to hand Him both the “splinters” and the BIG things. When I keep my eyes on Him, the small things stay small, and even the big things don’t feel so overwhelming because they’re no longer mine to carry alone!

In my health, in our home, in our lives; it’s a daily practice of surrender. Trusting that He knows the size of every challenge, and He equips us with the grace to handle each one.

Keep the small things small, and trust God with the big things.