Today is a Very Special Day for Our Family

November 15, 2022
Blog

Today is a very special day for our family!

I love this picture….it embodies a story of redemption that includes many seasons of mountains and valleys that we have walked through together as a family. As I started my day with gratitude, I was reminded of it’s importance. My husband, Jeff, and I are celebrating our 35th “Blind Date” Day. 35 years ago, we took a leap of faith to go on a blind date. A mutual friend “insisted” we were made for each other.

Well, it turns out she was right, and we built our lives together, including adding two beautiful sons – God’s greatest gifts. The smiles in this picture with the words on each page could represent headlines during our life together…

Sometimes, you just gotta eat pie!

Love covers. So much LOVE covers over SO MUCH.

Luck or skill? No matter what, God’s got this.

Embrace your Zoo! There is beauty around every corner.

Today, we have a brand new podcast episode. It is out of the overflow of joy and gratitude in my heart that I get to share our oldest son Ryan’s healing journey through opioid addiction on the I Am HealingStrong podcast.

It is a faith-building journey that has helped to shape our family. We have experienced the goodness of our God through redemption and restoration. We have learned to trust Him, over and over again. We share this testimony by faith believing that someone will hear it and be able to get out of bed today, putting one foot in front of the other, having experienced hope.

Ryan reminds us to never give up. As long as there is breath, there is hope.

The word “testimony” actually means…do it again, God. At HealingStrong, we talk alot about sharing your testimony of faith because in so doing, God will be glorified through our weaknesses and suffering. Some testimonies are a little more personal and hard to share, but when we do, God’s Word reminds us that it is an important part of healing and overcoming. Read Revelation 12:11.

In this I Am HealingStrong podcast, Ryan shares:

How a common trip to the dentist started a downward spiral.
How a meeting at 2:30 a.m. at the kitchen table was a lesson in faith.
How his counselor thwarted a relapse that was already in motion.
How a Lyme Disease diagnosis helped him focus on the physical aspect of his healing.
How a mission trip to Peru revealed God’s desire for a surrendered heart over service.
How his grandparents played such an important roll in his recovery.
How the Around the Word community helped him to be in God’s Word daily and why that has been an important part of his recovery.
How addiction recovery parallels the intentionality it takes to heal from any disease.

In the interview, Ryan also offers practical tips and pivotal resources that helped him take his daily steps on his “thousand mile” journey: