Blog
A Hurting Parent’s Christmas Wish List
Adults are too old and too big to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. But what if you could? This mom shares a different kind of wish list for herself and her child who struggles with self-destructive behaviors. What would you ask Santa for if you could? Is there anyone who can help? Is there any real comfort or joy for you this year? Maybe you’ll find some in this post.
7 Lies of Suicide: A 14 year-old’s Goodbye Letter
Has your son or daughter struggled with suicidal thoughts? Have they made an attempt to end their life? Maybe you know someone who has been impacted by suicide. Many of us do....
Parenting in the Trenches
As loving, caring parents we try hard to do the best we can to raise our children well, but sometimes we find ourselves parenting in the trenches. Our children's lives have not...
10 Tips to Help Parents Build Stronger Bridges
We need healthy boundaries with our children, but we also need bridges. Boundaries are good stewardship of ourselves. They help us know what is and what is not our...
Nature: Relief for Weary Parents to Destress and Restore
Fjords National Park, New Zealand Today I welcome guest blogger Kirsten Panachyda, author and mom of a son with mental health challenges. We all carry a lot of stress as parents...
Dear Depressed Parent, God Will Carry You
Another middle of the night phone call delivered news of yet another hospital stay in the psych ward for my daughter. Cutting herself severly and suffering with an alcohol...
A Goal for Parents in Pain
Parents in pain struggle to make sense of their suffering like anyone else. “We’ve bought the lie that suffering is a mistake,” wrote Kara Tippetts,--a young mom with terminal...
Encouragement for Hurting Parents
Today’s blog post is a collection of quotes from my book, You Are Not Alone: Hope for Hurting Parents of Troubled Kids. I've been a hurting parent in great need of encouragement....
A Hurting Parent’s Freedom Song
Today is the 4th of July. Thinking about what this holiday means caused me to ask myseslf: How can parents whose children are in bondage to drug or alcohol abuse, self-injury of...
7 Tips When Mother’s Day Hurts
MOTHER'S DAY is this weekend. If you have a child who struggles with a heartbreaking challenge or is estranged from you, today is a painful day. Your heart hurts—a lot. If...
A Story of Hope for Parents in Pain
When parents in pain center their attention on their problems, they lose their focus...and their hope. When we're consumed with fear and what-ifs, it's an indicator we don't...
A Special Post-Easter Message for Parents in Pain
Can you believe Easter has already passed? COVID still hangs in the air leaving many of us with an uncertain future and a less than lighthearted feeling--similar to how we feel...
Sometimes Parents Feel Guilty
My daughter was going to rehab. She had graduated from high school only a few months earlier. Shocked, I didn't want to believe it could be true. My daughter needs a residential...