I optimistically volunteered to sponsor the school bulletin board for term four; you know, the one that’s in the middle of everything that everyone can see, no pressure. I envisioned a detailed timeline of the Civil War complete with pictures and dates and original artwork. Unfortunately, the project never materialized the way I envisioned it.…

  Nicky was so mad. It was the third time I called him back to fix the corrections on his math test. Each time he handed me the test, he scurried over to play with the other kids who’d finished. The distraction was obviously more than he could handle. “Hey, why don’t you come over…

  A few years ago, several women who had served and lived at Cookson Hills together, decided we needed an annual “reunion.”  Each passing year, a few more joined us and we always have the best time of fellowship. For many of us, this is the only time we see each other, but you’d never…

  It’s not fair. It’s really not fair at all. I have been teaching middle school now for 12 weeks, and almost every day I think to myself that it’s not fair how good my life is. This life started last year. I was hired to teach first year composition at the University of Central…

  Sometimes, as a parent, I question my decisions. Is it fair to my children to uproot them from the life they know? Will it harm them to ask them to do without some of the conveniences and opportunities they had in our previous life and to share us (their parents) with other needy children…

  “Before you give up your old ways, be sure to replace them with something of value.” — Robert Ruark I am sure there are scriptures to back it up, but this quote has been so profound throughout all my life decisions. I was a mom, wife, and businesswoman who was frantically climbing the corporate ladder.…

  Deciding to become houseparents wasn’t an easy decision. At first, we honestly pushed away the calling. Our lives in Indiana were comfortable. We had a lovely home, a great church, wonderful jobs, a good school district, and plenty of family close by. We also knew that becoming a houseparent would mean putting our own…

  I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on the little community of Cookson Hills. It was December 27, 1978. My husband, Roger, and I pulled onto campus, driving a 1971 Opel Kadett and pulling the smallest U-Haul trailer they rent. We had been married two weeks before, and after a brief…

  Parenting is hard, but it is worth it. I remember the birth of my first child and how much it changed life as I knew it. Alone time with my wife became less frequent. Time with my friends was sporadic. But I felt an overwhelming love towards our new little one. Then a second…

  In Scripture, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel and the sun stood still.  Last night we prayed for snow.   Just twenty-six hours prior, we noticed that one of our daughters had left home unannounced with a boy.  She left through the window with a backpack and…

  I learned early in life to hold family in low regard. Not because I did not need it, but because I could not have it. When my family fell apart during childhood, it shaped me. Honestly, it is still shaping me 25 years later.   I remember the sobering day when my eyes were…

  Sometimes, when you are involved in Kingdom work, it’s easy to get discouraged. The world is fallen and messed up and can leave us feeling disheartened. There are times at Cookson Hills when it’s hard to remain encouraged and hopeful because of the choices the kids make while they’re here or after they leave.…

  Have you ever had a conviction that is hard to put into words? That is how I am feeling as I write this. I need you to see a part of my heart which is always a difficult thing. We have just finished the season of gift giving in remembrance of the gift of God’s…

  One of my struggles as a teacher has been trying to find ways to make my students interested in what we’re learning about in class. Believe me when I tell you that I’ve tried many techniques over the years: real world scenarios, odd facts relating to the lesson, demonstrations, lab experiments, student projects…you get…

You never know how long you’ll have them. With four months of stability and a full house, our focus as houseparents was on building family relationships, making memorable experiences together, and helping kids meet their plan of care goals.  I took pride in our infrequent turnover of children; we had not had a kid leave…

  She came to my classroom like the others. She had her own story, a story with too much pain and sadness for someone so young. Her nine years of life had injured her tender heart. She arrived at Cookson Hills with a wounded heart. Unlike many of my little ones, her pain was much…

  Yesterday I got home from traveling to Ozark Christian College with some of our High School students for a Worship Event. I love and dread going on these trips. I dread them because of too little sleep (on the floor!) and not being able to control my food choices. However, I love them because…