Suddenly the stacked plastic chair mats I was sailing across the polished concrete floor on in the dark … hit the wall. Which hurled me up into the air. Suddenly I flipped in the air and landed on my right side. Crushing the upper right side of my body. What does suddenly mean? “An abrupt…
“What a horrible Christmas morning …” were the words I heard on the radio. The cohost, agreed with, “Our Christmas plans are ruined by the wind and the sleet!“ I was driving south to serve Christmas lunch at a homeless shelter indoors, but also outdoors for those who were not able to get into the…
My baton came down crashing into my teeth, but I knew I had to pick it up and keep smiling. I was in the first grade, and my twirling team was doing our first little performance in the high school stadium. I was terrified of being in front of people. But I remembered thinking that…
“I know it’s Thanksgiving Day, but this is 911. Please call me ASAP!“ The text was alarming, so I called immediately. On the other end of the line, I heard frantic sobbing. Between the sobs I heard, “Something horrible has happened to him. He was supposed to be here at 9 AM to help me…
My hands were trembling so ferociously that I dropped the brush I was trying to use to brush my hair. The dressing room was filled with celebration, and costume changes. I was standing in the back corner, trembling, wishing I had not enrolled for this dance competition. Another amateur who was also competing with my…
I was eaten alive with anxiety. The knot in my gut kept me awake at night and distracted me all day as I attempted to complete my dissertation. I plopped down in a chair in my major advisors office, and I said to Dr. Pat Love, “I will be so flipping glad when I get…
“I had no idea if I came to church with you I was going to have to sit on the second row!“ was the disgruntled statement a friend made when she joined me. I told her I’d be willing to sit somewhere else if it would make her experience more enjoyable. She said, “Well,…
I was standing frozen outside of my mother’s hospital room and it felt as if time stood still. All I could hear was a loud roar in my ears, end it felt like someone had turned all the lights off. I was struck with dizziness and nausea. I had just heard the words, “I think…
I remember sending a “Dear John” letter home from a mission trip to my boyfriend in high school. At the moment, it seemed like the right thing to do. He had not been supportive of me going on the mission trip, and it made things difficult. You see, I grew up believing the relationship myth…
“This whole thing is freaking me out!” were are the words I gasped when I walked into my home in Rockwall, Texas. Every cabinet was open, every electronic was gone, every Christmas gift was missing from under the tree, and photo albums filled with memories were no longer in the bookshelves. My home had been…