It has taken me a lifetime to finally be broken and humbled to the fact that I am not the author of my life story. I am not the one who controls all life circumstances. In my shame and insecurity I had used the defense “I can just handle things my way, especially with…
Mary and Joseph were expecting. Maybe they weren’t exactly sure of the full implications of the baby she carried in her womb, but they had the word of God, the promises of God that this Son would be the Messiah who would save all mankind. They expected that God would keep His promises to them: …
Little Wife truly didn’t intend to cause so much embarrassment and discomfort to Big Man. She had a good heart and was only trying to be as helpful and loving as possible. But sometimes things happen…. It was a sunny morning and Little Wife was preparing the breakfast for Big Man. He enjoyed his handheld…
Just thinking about life as I made some turkey vegetable soup. Funny that soup would remind me of the years I’ve been blessed with. My life has had a delicious flavor; there have been so many components or ingredients that have been added as with all of our lives and so each pot is unique. …
I’ve been thinking much about justice this week. I’ve encountered the justice system in two separate counties of Illinois and found great differences in how abused women were heard and helped. There does not seem to be a standard of justice when it comes to domestic abuse. Often it comes down to “he said, she…
We have all asked the questions. Those hard questions. “Where was God when my husband hit me?” “Where were you, God, when I was all alone and nobody believed what was going on in my home?” “God, do you even know what he’s doing to our family?” “Does God even care?” I asked those questions…
FOCUS Ministries is blessed to announce Chaplain Natalie Frame has joined the staff. I am honored to be the first FOCUS Ministries chaplain, and it is truly a joy and a privilege to serve in this way. Please allow me to introduce myself and answer a few FAQ’s. First of all, I am so thankful…
The basement of Big Man’s farmhouse was very dark and very damp. Spiders, centipedes and creepy crawlers ruled in this part of the grim home, but even still, Little Wife felt safer here than in any other part of the house. Curled up down here on the cold cement slab, she could hear and not…
Once upon a time, when Little Wife was married to her first husband Freddie, they decided that they should be going to church with their many beautiful children. It’s just not easy raising a family these days, and Freddie agreed that they should find a nice church so that the kids would grow up knowing…
First there was the Courting of Little Wife. All the pretty promises, all the exotic and romantic candlelit dinners, the gifts beyond reason, the shopping trips with unlimited budgets, the Broadway shows where Little Wife was dressed to impress. Oh the grandeur, oh the glory, oh the love! Little Wife was the princess in the…