Not managing her stress and allowing fear to rule her life has caused Dani* to experience significant health challenges over the course of her life. Her challenges began when her older brother was killed by a drunk driver. Dani was just nine years old. She remembers her family ‘living in a place of loss’ after…
A single mom of two, Jill*, is one of those 70 percent of women who has experienced sexual and domestic violence in her lifetime. To put it in tangible terms, seven out of ten women you know have been victims of abuse. Her scars may be visible, but likely not. *Her real name is used…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35.7% of American adults are obese. This growing epidemic is causing an increase in the number of people who face heart attacks, strokes, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. One hundred forty seven billion dollars were spent on health care related to obesity in 2008….
SLAVERY IS WRONG. As a country, we’ve officially known it since 1863. But there’s something you might not know — slavery still exists. The End It Movement wants every man, woman and child to know that there are 27 million men, women and children, just like them, living in the shadows. In brothels. In factories….
If you have not read my blog post “Overcoming Tragedy, Part 1” about losing their son Trey, please do so before reading the heartwarming conclusion to Sharon’s story. Working Through the Tragedy Sharon and John experienced a “honeymoon” period of two to three weeks after Trey’s passing. Everything felt surreal. Life kept happening around them…
After eighteen months of trying to have a child, Sharon and John* rejoiced when they discovered they were finally going to have a baby. The first few months of her pregnancy were filled with excitement and expectation. *Their real names, used with permission. Uncertainty at Every Step At the six month appointment, concerns about the…
In August of 2011, Jessica* reached a point in her life in which she knew she needed to begin exercising to help control her weight and to get healthy. A friend recommended she try running. It was hard at first, but she had something to prove to herself. With a 5K race in her sights,…
If you have not read my blog post “Restoring a Broken Heart, Part 1,” please do so before reading the amazing conclusion to Stacy’s story. Broken in a Million Pieces After three consecutive days of excessive use of cocaine with Brad, Stacy knew she’d gone too far. Heart racing out of her chest to the…
The following is Stacy’s* journey of overcoming addiction and abuse. Part two of her story will be shared in my next blog post. You won’t want to miss the restoration part of her story! *Her real name, used with permission. A Broken Childhood Stacy vividly remembers the night when she was five and her father…
Nothing excites me more than combining my two passions: teaching and writing. This November, I was given the opportunity to mentor a class of 5th graders in the art of creative writing. These students participated in the Young Writers Program of National Novel Writing Month. Their teacher set the goal for each student to write a…