I became “twice widowed” when my beloved prince, Joel, went to his Heavenly home after a brief and sudden illness on February 12, 2017. My previous husband, Chris, died by suicide on May 4, 2011. Both events took place by the time I was 45.
I am a single mom and “bonus” mom of nine (four we adopted internationally and domestically, who are all living at home), and Grandma Leah and Nonnie to four precious grandchildren with another on the way in early 2027.
I’m passionately in love with Jesus. Therefore, I take seriously the command to care for orphans and widows, having now been deeply entrenched on both sides of that spectrum.
For some fun facts…I am a Carolina Panthers fan through and through. I LOVE to travel and pretend I’m a “food blogger” whenever I visit new places. I also love being outdoors…hiking, fishing, etc. However, I am also a girly girl…I love the colors pink and teal, girly movies, butterflies, flowers, being pampered, flowers, bubble baths, flowers, “raindrops on roses…whiskers on kittens” …you get the idea…oh yeah…and, flowers!
This website began as a simple expression of another one of my pastimes, writing. I love sharing, through this blog and by speaking at women’s events, the day-to-day happenings in my life, especially how they relate to my walk with Christ. He has been so good to broken me!
But perhaps you’re wondering why this website is called Out of Deep Waters. Honestly, it developed from a scripture verse that God led me to over and over in the book of Psalms:
“He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.” ~Psalm 18:16 NLT
As I tried to pick this verse apart and really dig into what the Lord wanted me to see and hear, I discovered a goldmine of nuggets relevant to my life in general. Throughout years of dysfunction, abuse, heartache, addiction, abandonment, and extreme loss, God reached down to ME! I didn’t have to search for Him; He reached down from heaven and rescued me! He hasn’t only done that repeatedly in my life, but He continues to do it. After He reached out and rescued me, He began restoring me! The rest is up to me. Do I want to be restored? Do I want to be well? Do I want the best He has for me — in spite of the past — in spite of how far He had to reach to rescue me. The answer? A resounding YES!
And so…this place is an attempt to reflect that amazing God of mine… the One who REACHES… the One who RESCUES… and the One who RESTORES. He’s done it for me before, He’s doing it for me now, and He’ll keep doing it for me as long as I need Him to. He loves me that much! And… He loves YOU that much too!
I am not the same woman I used to be. Losing two husbands to (what I deem) early death radically changed me, and I honestly believe I’ve been changed for the better, but I’ll always be a work in progress and will continue to be until the Lord calls me Home!
Click HERE to read more about Chris’ sudden death.
To follow along on my journey of chronicling my walk down Grief Road following Joel’s death, you can start HERE.
Thank you for stopping by. Your presence here at this little corner of my world means so much to me, and it would mean even more if you feel so inclined to comment and leave a word of encouragement occasionally. I pray that my simple musings might ignite something in you! A fire, perhaps, to live a life of victory in Christ Jesus, regardless of your past, your brokenness, or the personal tragedies you’ve had to endure. Because, simply put, Christ alone can heal broken hearts, spirits, and souls. And…if all is stripped away…He’s simply enough! I pray that one day, you too can come to that same realization, because it brings peace and joy, even amid our circumstances.
He reaches…He rescues…He restores…