"She should be out by now," I said to my husband. I wasn't worried; just noting that I was expecting to be in the recovery room with her by now. 

"Don't worry! Everything's fine," my husband reassured me. 

Only it wasn't fine. 

An hour passed. The simple surgery to remove her gall bladder was now past two hours. 

When the doctor came out and asked for me to sign a release to give blood, I felt panic rising in my heart. What was going on? You don't give blood during a simple surgery. Unless...

I began to pray. I found an empty spot and sang to Jesus and cried out to Him to keep my baby safe. Texts were made to my children, sister, and closest friends, begging them to pray. 

During that time, my daughter was bleeding out on the operating table. They had no idea why. They gave her one pint of blood and then another. Still she was bleeding out. They made plans to airlift her to another hospital, making calls to arrange for another surgeon. 

Not knowing any of this was going on, I just kept praying. My daughter Julianna arrived. Then, Jenny Rose arrived. We waited. We worried. We prayed. 

A transplant specialist, famous in central Florida, just happened to be free and decided to drive an hour to the hospital rather than have her airlifted so she could be kept stable. There was another consent to be signed. I still didn't know what was going on and I was scared. We all just kept praying and asking God to save our little girl. 

I love telling you about great books to put on your library shelves. But, don't leave this one on the shelf. Pick it up and read it cover to cover!

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a Christian classic that was written in a jail cell. John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a Puritan pastor in the seventeenth century (1600’s).

​John was arrested for his faith and teaching which did not line up with the Anglican Church viewpoint at the time. From his jail cell, he wrote down a dream. Wow! What an intricate dream!

This allegory (symbolic story) follows Christian, the hero of the story and a pilgrim on a journey from the City of Destruction to the Heavenly City. An allegory is a story on two levels. On the first level Pilgrim’s Progress is a literal adventure story with all kinds of twists and turns. But, there is a second level to the story. The symbolic story is the story of every Christian who tries to live a pure Christian life. We each have our own adventure of trials, temptations, and tribulations.

John was not a godly little boy or young man.

Yesterday my mother would have celebrated her 80th birthday. I lost her ten years ago and I still miss her. 

Four days ago, I lost a close friend who had been battling chronic debilitating disease. Even though we knew he was sick, his death came as a shock. It was so sudden. 

As I comforted his widow, who is a dear friend, I was reminded once again how horrible death is. You are never truly ready to lose someone you love, never ready to say goodbye. 

If you are hurting now, my heart goes out to you. ​

They were the best of times, they were the worst of times! 

College years are so exciting with friendships, opportunities to meet new people from all over the world, and the thrill of learning and growing. But, college can be stressful--those exams and papers! I have three people living in my house right now who are attending college. The end of the semester is crunch time around here, and sometimes stressful. 

But, my kids are successful in college! They make good grades, share their faith, and build strong friendships. Mike and I managed to not just survive college years, but to thrive! How can you be successful in college? Here are some tips that work for our family!

Put Christ First

When the pressure of crunch time comes--a paper is due, an exam is on the horizon--don't neglect your relationship with God. More important than your GPA and keeping your scholarship, walking in the favor of the Lord must take high priority. 

My daughter, Jenny Rose, sets Saturday aside for the Lord (we happen to meet on Saturday right now because we don't have our own church building). She prays, reads the Bible, encourages her friends, practices with the worship team, goes to sound check, and sings on the worship team at church. She realizes that this means losing an entire day that could be devoted to studies, but she doesn't care. She knows the truth, life goes better when you put Jesus and His Kingdom first.

Work Hard

If you are in college, school is your job. Learning is your vocation. Be excellent at it. Don't just try to "get by" or "pass the class." Make up your mind to be excellent at all you do. Set aside time to study and treat those times as if you are heading off to work. Be diligent. 

Zack is working two jobs and going to school. Some weeks the only time I see him is at LIFE group and at church. He works hard writing papers, doing projects, and studying for exams. Yes, he misses out on some fun things and will have to wait until the end of the semester to see certain movies, but Zack knows the truth: All Hard Work Brings a Profit!

Know Your Professors

Every instructor has preferences and expectations that are different from every other professor. Learn about your  professor's teaching style and expectations by reading the syllabus and paying close attention in class during the first few weeks of the semester. Ask questions if you are unsure of what his/her requirements. 

Go see your professor during office hours when they are available. My oldest daughter teaches English at UCF and she loves for students to ask for help or just come by to chat during office hours. One on one conversations will help you clarify information. Professors are happy to help students with difficult concepts or assignments.   

Take Assignments One Phase at a Time

"The American people have spoken," I heard over and over on election night. I wondered just exactly what the American people had said. I realized how polarized our nation was as many states came down to the wire. Of course, Wyoming, Texas, and other staunchly conservative states voted overwhelmingly Republican and more liberal states like Massachusetts and New York were strongly Democratic. Our state, Florida was a close call. 

The election results made me sad. Not just another four years with Obama who has led us straight to socialized medicine, economic ruin, and unfathomable debt, but I grieved over the amendments passed throughout the nation. Socialized medicine was held up here in Florida. Colorado legalized recreational drug use. Surprised these things were on the ballot? No. Surprised at the results? Yes. 

Where is the America Dream?

I grieved all day Wednesday. I don't recognize this nation anymore. I remember a speech my friend, Kathy gave in high school at an Optimist Club oratorical contest. It was on the American Dream. She was amazing and won the night! Like most young people, I didn't pay attention to the message, only the delivery. She looked pretty and spoke well. 

"Like a lamb led to the slaughter," I kept hearing in my mind. People, so foolish, think they can get something for nothing. Promised the moon, they will end up with only an illusion. Voters will lose far more than they will gain. 

National Sovereignty

Socialism is about more than high tax brackets. It is about the loss of national sovereignty, the loss of freedom, the destruction of the Constitution. 

All socialists believe in one world government. Do we really want to cash in national sovereignty. Do we really want to surrender our freedom to the federal government? We are on a path of destruction. Does no one see? This is far more than economic woes and higher taxes (though they will come in full force!). Individual rights will cease to exist. Yes, they will disappear slowly and many will not even notice. 

Corruption of Power

I gave my heart to Christ at the age of sixteen. I love Him and would lay down my life for Him. He is my boss. I trust Him completely to make wise decisions with my best interest at heart. I do not trust the federal government to make decisions with my best interest at heart. I do not want the federal government to be my provider either. I already have one. I do expect the federal government to provide me a justice system and a strong military that will defend the nation should we be attacked by a foreign government. 

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We are giving more and more power to the federal government, With that power comes more and more corruption because power is like a drug--you just want more and more. Giving more power to the federal government will mean less freedom for families, businesses, educators, and individuals. 

With great sorrow, I still commit myself to honor our president and do my best to be a responsible American. I trust in God's sovereignty, in His discipline.   

Now, I mourn the loss of the American Dream. There is no Canadian Dream, no Venezuelan Dream, no Dutch Dream. Good-bye American Dream, hello American Nightmare.