I have a lot on my mind these days as I go through some major parenting milestones with my first born child leaving the nest. (No more wake-ups!) May the Lord be with him and your children as they prepare to launch.
My two sons. The younger one always looked up to his older brother.
I feel an incredible urge to sit and chat—to talk with my close friends and to talk to my mother. But none of that is really possible these days—especially since my mother passed away over three years ago.
I am in a rush, rush, rush to the finish line. No, it’s not the race for the prize, the eternal crown, that is referenced in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. It is the finish line to the day my oldest child moves away from home to another state—only six more wake-ups.
Yesterday started my internal mother clock with the memories of what my son has gone through to get to this point in time. His first college graduation ceremony was last night. (He is attending a large state university where they hold separate ceremonies for your major as well…
I’ve got a big announcement to make! And since today marks the 10-year anniversary of my first Celebrate Recovery meeting, the timing seems very anointed to me. Drum roll please…
…I’m returning to Spain! However, this trip is not for personal or business purposes like last summer. This trip is at the invitation of a Spanish missionary whose Protestant church I attended last year.
Today’s announcement marks another BIG leap of faith for me. Although I’ve seen the Lord’s hand all over this mission, and I’ve had some time to accept this new Call on my life, I am still hesitant and a bit nervous.
A few days ago I heard the CR testimony of a French missionary who will meet me in Spain this fall for the mission. Part of his testimony described the early stages of his call to France many years ago. It so resonated with where I am at today, and my greatest fears. (I am learning a lot from him.)
It is asking for donations to support this cause—risking the rejection, being at the mercy of others’ generosity, and trusting God to provide the funds. ($3,000 is a lot of money by my standards, but not God’s.) I’m incredibly grateful that the CR ministry is matching up to $1,000, making donations go twice as far.
I know people serve abroad and go on short term mission trips all the time. I’ve always admired them—their passion and their faith. I never thought I would be called on mission. However, I cannot deny what I experienced last summer in Spain. And even more, I cannot deny that the Voice of the Lord has been speaking to me and preparing me for this Call. I’m learning more and more how to listen and how to respond in faith.
Facing my Fears
That means I have to face my fears, commit to this mission, and walk in blind faith. It reminds me of a famous scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Indiana, played by Harrison Ford, takes a step off a cavern ledge into the air. Death surely awaits him. But instead a narrow bridge mysteriously appears preventing his fall and allowing him to cross to the other side (video below).
I am stepping off that ledge today by publically seeking financial and prayer support for this charitable mission.
To subscribe to prayer and mission updates, fill out my contact form on this site.
If you decide to donate, please know that every gift to this mission, large or small, is helping to bring healing and revival in a country that is one of the least evangelized in the world.
Click above image to donate online.
So I invite you to partner with me to plant seeds of change across the world. Will you help bring that bridge across the cavern into view so my steps are on solid ground? Here I go…
Click the links below for information about the mission, to pray for the team, or to donate:
Here I sit late night typing away on my laptop rushing to write a post of great significance with the current goings-on in my life. I am listening to some beautiful music to help put me in the mood to write. I know it will because in one month, this music will be larger than life on the big screen. And that is what this post is about…
I’ve dreamed of that day for the last several years, ever since I took my Spanish son into a recording studio and produced his first CD. July 4, 2014 is the day when the music of Pedro González Arbona, the musical protégé whose career I help manage, will fill the theater as it accompanies his first full-feature American film, Tempting Fate. I feel blessed beyond words to join Pedro in Houston, Texas for the private VIP screening of the movie.
The Early Stages
Pedro signed the contract with KevStel Group, an Atlanta-based production company, for Tempting Fate while I was staying with his family last summer in Spain. Within days we were on holiday on Mallorca, an island off the southern coast of Spain, without access to a piano.
We both read the script while on holiday. I sat poolside one day and read the page-turning script in one sitting. Tears welled up at the corner of my eyes as I read through the last scene. I could already see the music that Pedro would create for the poignant movie finale. It was perfect for him and his music.
That script was all Pedro needed to start composing in his head and making notes in the margins on what kind of music to add to a scene. And he was on his way to scoring the soundtrack.
Pedro at work in his studio.
The Music Comes to Life
Over the next several months, Pedro worked remotely composing and orchestrating the soundtrack from his studio while the filming was done in Hollywood. After the film was done, he worked his magic to synchronize the music to the scenes—editing, revising, and composing on the fly to make the music work in tandem with the movie.
One of the most exciting parts of the process for Pedro was to be in the studio with the musicians who were hired to record the music—a pianist, violinist, percussionist, and guitarist. An American soprano was hired to sing as well.
When the conversations turned to the release of the movie a few months ago, we both had much anticipation for how or if we would be able to attend the pre-release screenings. He was of course invited, but travel from Madrid would be costly. After much back and forth planning and juggling, we both committed, and a few days ago finally secured our travel to Houston.
As the countdown calendar on the right sidebar of my site turns from months to days, we have turned our attention to rolling out a new website, registering a new domain name, and creating other promotional materials to coincide with the release of the film. The Tempting Fate soundtrack CD will be available in the coming months—and you’ll be able to enjoy it like I have as I wrote this piece.
Finally, the main purpose of the screening is for media exposure and to line up distributors for the film. You can help with that by creating a positive buzz about the movie and the music through your regular social media channels. So please ‘like’ the Tempting Fate Facebook page (over 10,000 likes already) and share the movie trailer (almost 20,000 views so far) with your friends (or share this post).
Let the Fireworks Begin
Over the course of this movie project, my role was very minimal. Pedro would occasionally send me a song and gave me updates on the film’s progress. I learned a great deal from him about the process. I basically served as an encourager and #1 American fan of his music—as I have from the start. I think my biggest contribution was to pray for him, his music, and the success of the movie.
It is definitely an exciting time for Pedro and his music career. I’m incredibly grateful that I get a front row seat (maybe literally) to watch all of this unfold. I know there is no place else I’d rather be on July 4, 2014, than alongside Pedro as his music hits the big American screen.
While everyone else in America is outside watching the fireworks, we’ll be inside this Houston theater experiencing our own private fireworks display across the screen. I think this day will be an Independence Day celebration we will never forget!
The community of women that I scrapbook with lost our fearless leader Wanda rather suddenly earlier this month. Going out in style, Wanda passed away on National Scrapbook Day. She had just laid her husband to rest a few months earlier after serving as his primary caregiver for several years. We were all looking forward to this new season of Wanda’s life, where she could rest and relax. But that wasn’t part of God’s plan.
A toast to our courageous cheerleader!
Celebrating Wanda
Today I will be attending Wanda’s memorial service. But a few weeks ago, one of her best friends, and a fellow scrapbooker, opened her home to our scrapbooking community, Wanda’s Croppers, to celebrate Wanda and to share stories of her life. It was a beautiful evening with wonderful food accompanied by a champagne toast to her.
We all shared stores about Wanda going back as far as 40 years when she first met her husband, although most of us met her in the past two decades. Tears and laughter intersected as we grieved and celebrated her life.
The Art of Scrapbooking
As a writer who is also passionate about scrapbooking, my blog has become a reflection of both crafts. I spend time searching out just the right image, captioning them when needed and writing stories that I hope inspire and intrigue others. My scrapbooks aren’t just photos stuck to a page; they are stories and works of art. These creative endeavors go hand in hand for me. So Wanda shows up in a small way every time I publish a new post.
Digital scrapbooking page at a retreat with Wanda, courtesy of Jenny, my long-time scrapbooking buddy.
Wanda was a courageous, caring and Godly woman who inspired us to share our legacy and family heritage through the art of scrapbooking. Her legacy touched hundreds if not thousands of people as the passion of storytelling through digital and handmade scrapbooks will be passed down for generations to come. She left a mark on us all.
A Tribute to Wanda
When Wanda’s croppers got together a few weeks ago, I wrote my thoughts down on paper in advance. Below is my tribute to Wanda from what I shared that night. I hope it gives you some inspiration to consider your legacy and treasure the moments you have with those you love.
Pedro’s scrapbook inscription.
“Pedro, May this book serve as a remembrance of the wonderful adventures we shared together in 2010 and mark the start of a summer filled with wonder and awe. Remember—that is what the Lord tells us to do—not to live in the past, but to give us hope for the future and to keep us grounded in His promises. I hope this book serves as a spiritual marker of the wonderful things that God has in store for us if we are open to His leading.”
That is an inscription that I wrote on the inside cover of a digital scrapbook that I gave to Pedro after the first summer he spent with our family. How I toiled over that album. It was my first one with the Creative Memories software. I was rushing at the last minute to upload the files hours before my precious coupon would expire on New Year’s Eve. And Wanda helped me all along the way as she did with subsequent albums as well.
Always at ease behind the camera, and planning that next scrapbooking page in our minds.
That is what Wanda was all about, helping us to preserve our memories—and our stories. So tonight I want to share with you some of my memories of Wanda and what she meant to me.
First of all, I have to admit that the news of her passing hit me pretty hard—surprisingly so. I didn’t consider myself close friends with Wanda like many of you here are. But I greatly admired her. She was a kind and giving soul.
When Pedro’s CD was released, she was one of the first to buy it. She told me how much she enjoyed playing it on her drives over the mountains. She let me play Pedro’s music and sell it at the crops and retreats. The same was true with my book.
CD and book display at one of Wanda’s crops.
I’ll never forget attending her first Open House when she returned back to Western Washington. She took time out of the event to sit down with me and tell me how moved she was by my story. She actually apologized for not saying something to me sooner. No apology was needed. But she wanted me to know. She wanted to have that connecting time.
When Creative Memories (CM) filed for bankruptcy, I reached out to Wanda to pray for her and for the business. I knew it was her passion and financial provision. None of us wanted CM to close its doors, and we didn’t want Wanda to be cut off from her livelihood. I knew what it was like to be a CM consultant. Back when I started scrapbooking, I signed up to be a CM consultant for a few years.
She worked hard at her business. A former teacher, she was the perfect consultant—always doing crop talks and teaching us new tricks and tips. There was never any hard sell or pressure. She was just interested in keeping us motivated to keep working on our scrapbooks.
Sharing my tribute to Wanda.
Wanda was our leader—a cheerleader to be more exact. She fed us, wined us, dined us, and nurtured the parts of us that connected to our families or whatever scrapbooking project we were immersed in. She knew it was important to us and she made it important to her too.
My heart aches for the loss of this woman and the community of memory keepers that she mentored and invested in in sacrificial ways. She will be missed in so many ways by her family and friends. But this group of women will miss her in an entirely different way with a grief that will connect us beyond tonight and beyond Wanda’s public memorial.
Every time we get together again to scrapbook Wanda will be there in spirit. It will be hard to not notice that empty void that she once filled. We unexpectedly got a glimpse into that in February as we gathered at a retreat while Wanda was caring for her husband who had just been put on hospice. He died a few days later. We never imagined that this would soon be her fate as well.
Wanda’s newborn granddaughter.
I thank God that He took her in such a beautiful way, how He timed her departure to be with her husband so quickly, and to see her first grandchild days before she passed away. The time between those few hours when we got the shocking news of her cancer and her passing were surreal to me. It was hard to pray for her when I knew all hope was gone for her recovery. But I prayed for her family and what they were all going through. And then her son gave us all a gift when he posted her tribute on Facebook hours after she passed away. It was as if God wrapped it up with a bow Himself.
Tonight, I’m very grateful that this gathering was planned for us so that we can openly celebrate and grieve the loss of this friend who was so passionate about life, about her family, about her faith, and also about scrapbooking. I know she is looking down from above at us now. I think she is probably taking photos of the entire event and planning a 2-page spread that she can show off to her new friends in heaven. So let’s all stop, look up, and smile for her camera one last time.
Save us a place at the crop in heaven Wanda! We miss you!
Wanda’s Croppers
Today’s memorial service will be surreal once more to be together with Wanda’s Croppers and not have her there with us. I think it will bring us together in a way that maybe scrapbooking couldn’t—in our shared grief. Some of us will create scrapbooking pages in tribute to her. I am choosing to write and craft this tribute to her.
In closing, I’m sharing with you the same scripture I inscribed on Pedro’s scrapbook:
He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. Psalm 111:4
Wanda was one of those wonders we will always remember.
There’s a pain in my heart—not just figuratively, but physically too. My first-born child is moving away after he graduates from college next month. I’ve known for a few months, but it hit me in a new way recently—something I wasn’t prepared for.
Easter Family Time
We had a wonderful time on Easter with my son home from college for the day. We went to church together as a family. We shared our meals together. We talked on and off during the day about his post-graduation moving plans—buying a car, renting a moving van, and looking at apartments online.
It was all very official and business-like. The project manager in me was running wild thinking of all the tasks to do before the official moving day.
While my husband was taking our son back to school, I tucked our other son into bed. We reflected on his older brother’s eminent departure. That was when it hit me—and the pain started. It is an uneasiness that hovers over my heart and tells me to pay attention to what my body is trying to say. It was the first signs of my need to let go.
Living in Uncharted Territory
I’ve lately felt like I am living my life in uncharted territory. My parents both passed away in recent years, more than forty years after their divorce. More than that though is because I didn’t get much guidance from them in my formative years. I was never close to them and my teenage years were rather rebellious. I never really knew what it was like to live in a normal home with two loving parents.
My alma mater
When I left for college at the tender age of seventeen, I didn’t give my mother’s feelings much thought. I just wanted to be out on my own and away from my dysfunctional home environment—one that included an alcoholic stepfather and an unstable and mentally ill mother.
The only extended return home from school was for the holidays my freshman year. There was a fire in my bedroom while I was away at college that first semester. The belongings I left at home were ruined. It was a startling homecoming gift. That was the final straw for me. Goodbye, family!
Turning the Tables
Now the tables are turned. My son is moving away—not just to the university in the city 25 minutes away. He is moving out of state—a short one-hour flight or eight-hour road trip by car. We are packing up his belongings and saying goodbye. He is starting his own life in another state—without any friends or family nearby.
I know our present home environment doesn’t compare to the chaos and emotional unrest that I experienced in my youth. But I also know what it is like to be young and ready to leave the nest.
My son is ready. He is mature. He has done well in school. We are very proud of him.
Letting Go Well
As my heart ached on that evening, I also wondered what it was like for my mother when I left home. Did she care? Did she yearn for me? She wrote me lots of letters while at college. I didn’t appreciate those either.
It is hard to look at myself with this new lens—the one who is letting go of her first-born child. I don’t like what I see—how I treated my mother.
I want to let go well. I don’t want to be like my mother. I don’t want to be a clingy mom either. Like I said, I am living in uncharted territory. I don’t have the answers, but I do recognize the warning signs.
It recently dawned on me how many ministries and arenas that I serve. There are at least 5! Several of them overlap and are related to recovery and healing. I’ll share more about that soon with some exciting announcements as well.
In the meantime, I’ve decided to make some changes to my site to address the growing needs of my writing and these ministries.
I hope you’ve noticed that the tagline of Making Me Bold (noted above) is “Where healing turns to hope.” I’m considering a new domain name to align with that and make it easy to find for key word searches online. Don’t worry, I’m not moving my site or changing my current web address.
I’d love to get you involved in the naming process by answering the quick polling question above. Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post with any other feedback on my site or suggested changes.
Thanks for supporting my writing and ministry endeavors. May God inspire you through it, to turn healing into hope.
Ardis A. Nelson Author, Writer, Speaker, Mentor & Mom
Updated 5/23/2014: Polling is closed. And the winner is…healingtohope.com. Thanks for voting! Look for more changes on my site soon.
The first time I went to Disneyland was as an adult with my husband. Even though we didn’t have kids at the time, we did venture into Fantasy Land and ride one ride: It’s a Small World.
At ‘It’s a Small World’, April 2003.
It’s a Small World, the Ride
I know that people love that song and that ride, but after listening to that song repeat over and over again throughout the ride, I couldn’t get the music out of my head—even though I wanted too. (It’s no wonder; the ride was over ten minutes long.). Despite that I did make a sacrifice to my mental health and take my kids on the ride on a future trip to Disneyland.
The 50th anniversary of the opening of that ride was earlier this year. Not that I follow those sorts of things, but I ran into someone who actually worked behind the scenes on that ride at Disneyland. She was so excited about the anniversary. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it didn’t conjure up pleasant memories for me. Below is a short video marking the 50th anniversary.
Spanish Connections Abound
All of this is just fodder for what I really wanted to write about. In all seriousness, it really is a small, small world. It has become that way for me anyway over the last few years. Of course, I am referring to my Spanish connection.
It seems that after Pedro entered our lives in 2010, references to Spain kept crossing my path. Suddenly I would notice people speaking Spanish around me or run into someone who just returned from Spain.
Hanging out at a local Starbucks
Case in point, just a few months ago while sitting in a Starbucks and reading an email from Rosa, Pedro’s mother, I noticed two women sitting next to me who were speaking Spanish.
I was having a hard time deciphering some words in Rosa’s letter. She sends them to me in English (via an online translator), but sometimes the Spanish words don’t translate. So I decided to introduce myself to these ladies and ask for help. I’m so glad I did.
One woman obliged to explain the translation to me. In turn I proceeded to get a better understanding of the language and why that particular word couldn’t be translated by the app—even when I tried. She was from Southern Spain, where I traveled last summer, so we talked about that a bit. It was wonderful to have this small connection over the country that I now hold so dear to me.
Evan heads to Spain!
Valencia Bound
The world got even smaller for me recently though when my Spanish connections proceeded to intersect with my oldest son, Evan. He won a trip to Valencia, Spain on the ‘Magic The Gathering’ Pro Tour, where he would be participating in their next international tournament. That was when my real Spanish connections came in handy.
Last summer while living and traveling with Pedro’s family, I met some of their family and friends who live in Valencia. I didn’t travel there myself, but we all met on the island of Mallorca where the family goes on holiday. These Valencian friends and family spoke very little English or none at all. Unfortunately that limited my direct conversations with them, but we did spend time together on daily outings to the beach or at parties.
Our daily beach hang-out with my Spanish friends on Mallorca.
Language barrier aside, I proceeded to communicate with my Spanish friends with the use of an online translator, like I do with Rosa, and told them of my son’s upcoming travels to Valencia. These people graciously showed my son around Valencia, took him out to eat, and even invited him to a family birthday celebration at a farm home outside of town.
I was tickled pink to receive photos via Whatsapp (free international texting app) of my son’s time with them. The only disappointment I had with all of this is that Evan and Pedro couldn’t connect. Evan traveled through Madrid and had a long layover, but their schedules just didn’t coincide.
A Taste of Valencia, Spain
Since my travels to Spain last summer (and those numerous posts), I’ve now learned how to showcase my photos more in my posts. One of these days I hope to go back and insert more photos on those posts or write about those places specifically. (It is quite an archive of over 5,000 photos.)
I’m pleased that I can now share some of my son’s photos from his adventure in Spain. Special thanks go to my Spanish family for immersing my son in their culture and for their generous hospitality.
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Is it really a small, small world? Or is it because we have such a big, big God? I’ll let you decide for yourself. I’m just pleased that my world keeps getting smaller and the possibilities greater.
Mother Love comes in many ways, shapes and sizes: birth moms, adopted moms, foster moms, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and girlfriends. For me, it unexpectedly came from a stepmother that I didn’t openly embrace from the start. Here’s a bit of that story on my publisher’s blog, journeystomotherlove.com. Happy Mother’s Day!
I was nine years old when my parents divorced. I’ll never forget that day. After hearing the news, I ran into the woods behind our house and cried my eyes out.
“Why? Why? Why?”
I cried to God.
Those repressed memories surfaced a while back in a therapy session as I got in touch with the little Ardis who was hurting from the trauma of this event. I’ve processed this before, but this time I remembered something new. I remembered that I told my father I hated him. It became one of those pivotal moments in my life when I decided I had to be a BIG girl and stuff my emotions.
I surfaced from those woods, calm and collected. I WAS a big girl. But try as I might, that anger at what was going on between my parents was still there. Both of my parents soon remarried. I lived…
There is a hunger inside of me sometimes. We are all born with it—the desire for love and relationship. From an early age we are taught in life how and who fills that need. It is generally filled by our parents. In most cases, the responsibility falls on the mother. But what if that mother isn’t equipped to take on that role or isn’t capable of bonding with the child? What happens to the inner need?
The Longing for Love
The need doesn’t go away; we just find other ways to fill that emptiness and hunger for love and relationship—in either healthy or unhealthy ways. I didn’t know that or understand the affects that my mother’s mental illness had on me until about ten years ago when my unhealthy ways of relating and compulsive behaviors finally caught up with me.
I’ve done a lot of healing work and spiritual growth in that last decade. I now serve in a ministry where I can come alongside others who are also struggling with the hurts from the past and seeing themselves as God sees them. Even though I know with my whole heart that Jesus came to give me life and ultimately fill my need for love, there are still times when life can get me down.
I still have a longing to be known and to know others. It is a longing for deep relationship. It is the search for a mother’s love that was lost.
Looking for Love
I’ve lived my whole life this way—being self-sufficient without close siblings and without involvement and emotional attachment from my parents. I didn’t know what I was missing because I didn’t experience it. Now, after a decade of healing and recovery work, I know. I know because I have started to more intensely experience the loss of the women in my life who helped me to heal.
When I started recovery, I had virtually no female friends—only a few through work. I didn’t know how to be a real friend. As I started my recovery journey, I observed real authentic vulnerability in other women. I was hungry for that. I let down my walls and embraced this new way of relating. There was freedom gained by not being a secret or thinking that I was the only one who experienced that depth of pain.
Those bonds formed felt sacred to me. They became my mother, my sisters and my daughters. Those relationships have been hard to let go of over the years. Insert the ever increasing presence of social media, and I begin to wonder who my friends really are. Do I want quality in my relationships or do I want quantity? I choose quality, but that has its cost too, as it’s hard to fit in the time to maintain the intimacy.
Missing my Mother
Mother’s Day 2014 marks four years since I last saw my mother alive. Her passing and end of life forgiveness poured love back into me in a whole new way—her love and God’s love. And still the loss of never getting to know her as a person keeps me searching at times for the love and mentoring of a mother. My inner child (my little Ardis) still longs for my real mother’s love.
I wish I could’ve had more time with her. She’s generally not far away though. If I slow down long enough to look for her, she stares back at me in the mirror, smiles, and tells me that she loves me. The knowledge and hope that I will see her again in eternity makes the longing fade into the distance once more.
May your Mother’s Day be filled with the love of your family or other important people in your life.
Earlier this year I decided to start adding my posts to ‘link-up parties’. Link-ups are opportunities for bloggers to share their writing to a wider audience of readers with similar interests. I’ve noticed that some bloggers share their posts on lots of sites every week. I personally don’t know how they do that. It’s a lot of work–if you follow the rules–which include linking to the host blogger’s post, reading other posts on the list, and writing a comment related to the post.
Anyway, I chose two sites that most closely matched my faith values and also exposed me to good writing from Christian women. One of those sites was Christian Mommy Blogger (Fellowship Fridays).
A Welcome Connection
A few days ago I got a welcome email from Julie at ChristianMommyBlogger.com. My post from the previous week so resonated with her that she chose to feature it on her blog. Her email in turn connected with me as she referenced attending the Triduum services at her church during Holy Week–something I’ve also done for the last few years. And so a kindred spirit was found online.
Sometimes all it takes is that one connection, that one opportunity to reach out to someone, to risk being known, and to be vulnerable. It’s not an easy thing to do. When I do, the rewards can be great.
Julie’s decision to feature my post made my heart leap for joy because I knew that God was giving me confirmation to keep blogging. He also reminded me that my call to write is not about being featured this week or maybe next. It is still for an audience of One.
Last week Julie was blessed by something God laid on my heart to write. Who knows who it will be next week. Maybe it will be you.
Today’s featured post is Holy Week, Holy People. It was written by Ardis Nelson and posted on her blog, Making Me Bold. She linked it up last week on Fellowship Fridays 18. As I read it, all I could do was nod my head as I received in her written words, confirmation of what was preached during the Good Friday service at my church.
On Good Friday, I was brought to my knees by that stark brutality with which Jesus’ humanity was assaulted in a failed attempt to blot out his divinity. In the sermon, our pastor sought to make sense along with all of us of this hugely incomprehensible sacrifice. And he said, “Jesus could follow through with God’s will for His life because Jesus knew who He was and he knew whose He was.”
Identity. Purpose. Faith.
Just as Jesus had those and they enabled Him to lay down His life for us; we have those to help us work out our faith in the here and now.
When I read Ardis’ post this week, I was nodding because she touched on identity, purpose and faith in her post. Read it! You’ll be so glad you did! When I got to this sentence in her post, my eyes just welled with tears: “As you enter into these last few days of Holy Week, remember who you are, and whose you are.”
Just as the pastor’s words struck me on Friday; Ardis’ words echoed and confirmed that sentiment for me. As I hope it does for you! And I think Ardis’ words will stay with me not just in the echoes of the Easter season, but all year round. Some would call this a coincidence; but as Ardis told me in a message: “Coincidences? I think not! God is good to align these connections for His will and His ways.”
I couldn’t agree more! It’s not a coincidence! It’s not a coincidence even that you’re all here reading this post. And it’s not a coincidence that you share the love of God with others through your blogs and through your lives. Thank you Ardis for sharing this post and touching our lives in this way! Read more about Ardis here. And check out her book, Journeys to Mother Love!
Enter to Win
In honor of Julie’s selection of my post on Christian Mommy Blogger, I’m giving away a free autographed copy of Journeys to Mother Love. Comment below or in the comments on my featured post, Holy Week, Holy People to be entered in the drawing. You can also ‘like’ my Facebook page or subscribe to my blog (in the right sidebar). One entry for each that you do–up to three entries total. Entries close on midnight PST on Sunday, 5/4/14, just in time for Mother’s Day. (Shipped only to U.S. addresses.)
I'm an author, writer, speaker, mentor & mom. I've struggled to find my voice all my life as I lived in the shadows of a mother with mental illness. Thankfully that was not the legacy that she handed down to me. It took a lot of recovery and deep healing work to rise above it.
I am thankful to God for Making Me Bold in the process. Now I use my writing and speaking voice to help others on their journey to turn healing into hope.
My two sons. The younger one always looked up to his older brother. 
Making Me Bold 