God is so in love with you. Yes, YOU. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. It’s impossible to change the way He feels about you. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own drama and chaos, we find ourselves concentrating on the negative things in our lives and we forget one simple truth — He loves us!

The following list includes some of the first meaningful steps I took in my attempt to surrender my shame to God. It would be amazing if I could tell you something like, “Follow these three easy steps and you too will be free from shame!” As I’m sure you know, overcoming shame is not like that; it’s a journey.

One mom in particular asked me to write a blog about basic ‘Children Facts’ that new single moms needed to know. So I thought about my own initial days as a single mother.  And here’s what I wish someone would have told me.

“Leave everything better than you found it” remains a quote that has infiltrated my life for many years.  Most are familiar with this statement from the book that swept the nation in the 90’s called God’s Little Instruction Book.  But my first introduction to the concept came from my mother.

Have you ever tried to fix things on our own in this life?  It feels like we are strong enough to handle all life throws at us. However, some things we can’t do in our own strength.

Over the years I’ve had many friends come and go. Some departures were due to relocations and unavoidable life events. While others, I hate to admit, were due to misunderstandings or hurt feelings. But some friends, even the ones I hardly get to see anymore, are just friends for life.

“MEN RAISED BY WOMEN: What He Won’t Tell Mom… Humph! I wanna hear this!“ The defiance in her tone was spoken to someone else but meant for me. It was deliberately spoken loud and timed perfectly with my entry into the room. 

What is the cost to follow Jesus? The cost is everything. I don’t know what that looks like in your life, but I know what it looks like in mine.

Have you noticed women sometimes have a tendency to act out of insecurity, jealousy, pride, selfish ambition, or even fits of rage? I know because I have lived it, and I see it all too often on current TV shows where the scripts are positioned in such a way that makes this behavior not only acceptable but cool.

When you woke up this morning, did you have a smile on your face or did the stress of today’s activities instantly overwhelm you? It’s common for us, as people, to wake up with a million things running through our minds. Typically we are stressed before the sun rises, and with our to-do list growing longer by noon, we are even more stressed when the sun sets.

Have you ever just felt lousy as a single mom, like you’re not a candidate for God’s forgiveness or you’ve fallen outside the realm of deserving God’s favor? If so, you’ve swallowed the biggest lie of Satan EVER! 

I had been remarried for only three months when I went to my first Survive ‘N’ Thrive conference.  I attended, not as a single mom, but because someone invited me to sponsor a lunch table and I was curious to see how my donation was being used. Answering the call to support a single mothers’ conference was an easy YES for me.  I had just spent the last five years raising two little boys on my own and I couldn’t wait to give back in some way.

I was a single father for the first nine years of my daughter’s life. Her mom and I were never married and once she got pregnant, things went south very quickly. Almost a decade later not much has changed. Sure we have our seasons of peace, but they are few and far between.  

Against all odds, the little green weed had persevered and conquered what many would consider impenetrable. I pondered, how many times have I encountered difficult hindrances and obstacles and desired to surrender to defeat? When have I persevered like this little plant?

It was 2007, and I had just recently left my home and my marriage due to continued emotional, verbal and physical abuse.  My oldest daughter was about three years old at the time and we had just moved into an apartment.

My friend’s husband is a police officer with the K9 unit with the local police department. His dog, Leeon, is an amazing animal who takes his job very seriously. When Leeon isn’t working, he is your typical dog that likes to play. Even though Leeon is well trained at listening to his master’s voice, he still requires being on a harness when outside. His master keeps him on a leash not as a punishment but rather to keep him safe.

For me to write on this subject certainly opens a can of worms. Worms are like problems, irritants, difficulties, and who likes those? Yet as single parents, they’re often unavoidable.

I remember well one of the loneliest times of my life. I had spent a long day sitting in a hospital waiting room. My husband’s cancer surgery had gone well, but it was stressful to say the least. As I sat in my car to go home, I took a moment to try to collect myself. I turned on the ignition, but all of a sudden, fear and loneliness flooded my mind and the tears flowed

That is no more essential than when a child heads off to college. If we’re holding on too tight, they will be less prepared to leave for college as mature adults making their own decisions.

Here are four concepts to help you release your college-bound young adult:

As an American History teacher for eighteen years, any chance to visit historical sites sets my blood to racing.  On a recent vacation to Massachusetts, my car positioned its course to Plymouth to see the infamous rock where sea-wearied Pilgrims disembarked in the New World.