As many know, I am finishing a 30 day personal leave from Grace Center today. Tomorrow- I head to Summer Camp with 60 of my favorite humans to kick off my return the right way. The past month has been great. I knew it wouldn’t be a true time to unplug as I am still a mom of four- and they all still attend our church and youth group. Not to mention, I’m married to the other pastor of our ministry.
Each year, the Lord gives me a word to meditate on and learn about. It always comes paired with a scripture to discover too. In 2019, my word for the year was Generosity and the accompanying scripture was “Give away your life; you’ll find given back, but not merely given back- given back with bonus … Continue reading My 2019 Journey with Generosity
Yesterday, as I sat across the table from Brett, I welled with tears of regret as I apologized for a decade of anxiety, tension, and fear I’d caused in our home. I sought forgiveness for ways I hadn’t trusted him in our parenting partnership and owned that my grappling for control has hurt our family. … Continue reading Putting on My Oxygen Mask First
A date that once represented some of our greatest pain has been redeemed and reclaimed as a day of celebration.
Two years ago today, we purchased our first home. This was a dream we waited eleven years for. Emilia is two months old today. She was our only baby that took a while to conceive. As I reflected on these promised fulfilled today, it got me thinking about how important it is to remember our … Continue reading Remembering Breakthroughs
Years ago, I had the idea of not only regularly dating and pursuing our kids (which we do) but annually taking them on a fancy date. The kind where you get dressed up, go out to a nice sit-down restaurant and treat them to a lovely time. I do not love celebrating Valentine’s Day between … Continue reading Reasons We Date Our Children
Ten years ago today, I woke up hung over. I had been on a nearly forty day binge of drinking to numb my pain, confusion, shame, and heartbreak. As I sat up out of bed, I audibly heard the voice of God say, “Knock it off.” The fear of the Lord overtook me as I … Continue reading Ten Years to Hope
Now that Esther is a month old, I have people asking me if our older kids are still doing well with her, or if they still like the baby. I understand the question, but it makes my heart sad. Not only are Elle and Johnny still head-over-heels in love with their baby sister, but their … Continue reading Yes, My Kids Still Like the Baby
Brett and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary last week on June 2nd. That day, a friend teasingly asked us to share all the wisdom we’ve gained from being married that long. I have been pondering on that question since, and one thing keeps coming up. I have learned to appreciate and embrace the trials … Continue reading My Beautiful Scars
shailey ratliff 