Overcoming Obstacles

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  Overcoming Obstacles

  THE BEST OF TIMES

  Charles Dickens’ enduring line, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,” perfectly describes my life in 1976. Parties were plentiful, responsibilities were shallow, and worries felt far away. Yet, this way that seemed “right” left me with a deep sense of longing. The faith I had inherited from my parents, once a steady anchor, now felt irrelevant. Looking back, I was like a punctured balloon, drifting erratically and aimlessly until all the air spilled out. Christmas Eve 1976 was just another day of party hopping. In fact, I didn’t even realize it was Christmas Eve. As I made… Read More

  December 3, 2025
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  Loss Of Loved One Overcoming Obstacles Recovery

  FINDING GRACE IN GRIEF

  The week of Thanksgiving is meant to be joyous. It’s a celebratory, anticipatory week that culminates in a big family gathering, filled with gratitude and nostalgia. On November 22, 2022, that’s exactly what I was anticipating. Then, I got a phone call that changed my life forever. It was my parents. They called to tell me that my older brother, Jason, had been in a helicopter crash off I-77 in Charlotte, NC. As a television meteorologist, Jason was in the air that morning learning the station’s new camera system. It was supposed to be a routine trip, but it turned into… Read More

  November 26, 2025
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  Overcoming Obstacles Recovery

  “FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU”

  “If there is a god, he will have to beg my forgiveness.” Whether or not these words were found carved into the wall of a Nazi death camp, it is certainly how I felt trudging through the jungles of Vietnam in 1966. “Why would God permit such mayhem and horror?” I was told that God was good and loving, but I found no love or goodness in the rot of war. While I remained culturally tied to Christianity after returning to the United States, I was, for all intents and purposes, an atheist. My job as a police officer only reassured me of… Read More

  November 12, 2025
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  Loss Of Loved One Overcoming Obstacles

  ECHOES OF AN ANCHOR

  My mother was always my anchor. She was my safe place where I never felt judged, and I could let it out and still be loved. Her death two years ago left my world in shambles. She did her best to raise her boys to be good men, teaching us love, kindness and a work ethic. Through the years, my mother became my best friend; the one I could turn to for anything, who knew just what to say, when to listen, and when to set me straight. I will never forget that call; my mother was gone. Falling into a sea… Read More

  October 8, 2025
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  Overcoming Obstacles

  HONORING MY MOTHER

  As spring began to bloom in 2025, life felt steady—new job, another birthday, fresh beginnings. But one phone call from my mom in April changed everything: “I’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer.” The words felt distant, almost unreal. The joy I had felt about my new job faded, replaced by a single thought: I needed to be with her. I was grateful the doctors had caught the cancer early, yet my mind kept returning to the statistics: each year, millions of women face this diagnosis. Women under 40 are affected, too. I was still too young for a mammogram, but the… Read More

  September 24, 2025
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  Loss Of Loved One Overcoming Obstacles Recovery

  I AM REDEEMED

  I was born into what looked like a solid, God-fearing home—two parents, three brothers, and church multiple times a week. My dad sometimes preached, and my mom led the nursery and sang in the choir. But behind closed doors, life was very different. My dad, who spoke of God, was also my abuser. He manipulated and confused me, framing the abuse as love. That trauma shaped my identity. I craved love, even in broken forms. By 15, I had been abused by five different men and became pregnant with my first son, Damian. I loved him deeply, but inside, I was… Read More

  September 17, 2025
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