I had the BEST Father in the whole wide world. My father was the oldest of ten, and not only raised me and my younger brother, but he also assisted in the upbringing of his siblings. He retired from Chrysler-Newark Assembly after 39 1/2 years while starting and operating his own exterminating business (Bug-Rite Exterminating)… Continue reading I Remember His Hands – by Dr. Nakishia W. Bailey
When I think of my dad, Dr. John Albert Henderson III, it's so hard to isolate just one special or unique thing about him. Daddy had a larger-than-life personality, which is often how our family members describe him. Even now, on his birthday, Father's Day, and on the anniversary of his death, someone always talks… Continue reading Cherish Each Day While You Can – by Jeanine Henderson Arnett
As a woman in her fifties, I can look back over my life and see how the sexual abuse I endured at 12 and 14 years of age shaped my life - in some ways for the better. My story of survival is not so different from many others; but nonetheless it’s my story to… Continue reading A Journey of Healing After Sexual Abuse – by Siah B Hagin
I remember the hiding. At first, it was behind a curtain in my parents' apartment bedroom watching the light dance on the floor under my feet as I hugged my knees. I was three years old. Later, it was in books that gave me hope that there was goodness in the world. Then, it was… Continue reading Transforming My Pain Into Meaning – by Christina Clardy
My name is Danine Huff Romero, and I was born and raised in Delaware, the place I continue to call home. My African American parents met in college during the civil rights movement, and I grew up in the ‘burbs playing outside and riding my bike all day. I spent summers with my grandparents on… Continue reading I Had to Trust God…and Myself – by Danine Huff Romero
Disclaimer: Topics of a sensitive nature relating to physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse and trauma will be discussed in this series. Discretion is advised before proceeding. For a long time, I thought about how to start drafting my story. I even thought about writing a book. I guess it's best to start at the beginning,… Continue reading Finding Strength Through Forgiveness – by Faith Evans
My journey to becoming a neonatologist (newborn specialist) and career achievements were my life’s priorities before becoming a wife and mother. I did not get married until age 38 which put me on the fast track to becoming a mother, or so I thought. My infertility was my first challenge. We tried to get pregnant… Continue reading When Faith and Medicine Come Together – by Dr. Charrell Bird
My husband, Marvin, and I were excited to welcome our first child together. When we got married in 2006, we didn’t have a timeline for having a baby, and I was enjoying being a bonus mom to his son. After a year, we began conversations about adding to our family. We were excited when we… Continue reading Building Our Faith Along the Way – by Tameka Lightbourne
My husband, Eddie, and I married in October of 2006, and planned to begin trying to start our family after about six months. We got pregnant right away and enjoyed a fairly uneventful pregnancy with our son, EJ, who was born in December 2007. I was able to have an unmedicated vaginal birth with him… Continue reading We Trusted God Through Every Difficult Moment – by LynNae Hill
My husband and I struggled with infertility for seven years, experiencing miscarriages and multiple failed Intrauterine inseminations, before trying In vitro fertilization. Finally, on March 31, 2023, I became pregnant with our son. Six weeks into the pregnancy, I noticed bleeding when I was at work. After speaking to my supportive manager who was aware… Continue reading What He Brings Us To, He Will Bring Us Through – by Da’Shonda Smith
My name is Danine Huff Romero, and I am a native Delawarean. That’s right – I was born, raised, and currently live in Delaware! I even went to the University of Delaware and Goldey-Beacom College. I ventured out to the big city of Philadelphia where I have worked for nearly 20 years but most recently… Continue reading Living Every Day With Autism – by Danine Huff Romero
Every time I find myself thinking, "This is the hardest thing I've ever done," the Lord will invariably allow something else to happen in my life. This was also true back in 2017 when my son CJ was diagnosed with autism. As my husband and I sat on the comfortable tan sofa inside the psychologist’s… Continue reading There’s Nothing Wrong With Being Different – by Susann Williams
At 37 years old, I was considered to be at “advanced maternal age” when our oldest daughter Allie was conceived through fertility treatments. When I turned 39, my husband Anthony and I decided to try naturally for another child, and I got pregnant right away. On June 21, 2018, God made us a family of… Continue reading Don’t Ever Limit God, or Your Child – by Yasmin Only
Life has a way of surprising you. We were not trying to conceive the baby we lost. We already had two sweet boys and were considering the possibility of a third ("the tiebreaker") but had not planned to get pregnant any time soon. But alas, our plans, or lack thereof didn’t mean anything when it… Continue reading Community Helped Me Heal – by Dr. Quantrilla Ard
I met Will in 1999; we were engaged in 2001 and married in 2002. With the natural progression of things, the next step was to start our family. We wanted to take the first year of marriage to focus on the two of us before starting a family. I never heard anyone talk about miscarriages,… Continue reading I Was Never Alone – by Terri Levy
After meeting my husband at work, children were the furthest thing from my mind as I was enjoying my 20s. After we got married, our first focus was to buy a house, secondly a car, but we also wanted to expand our family. After returning from a trip with friends to Virginia Beach in July… Continue reading He Prepared Me For This – by Da’Shonda Smith
One moment I was the one who was praying, and in the next month, I was the one who needed prayer! Friday, September 13, 2019, was a day I will never forget. To fully appreciate these moments, I’ll go back a week or so prior. It was just a regular Tuesday morning. I was in… Continue reading When You Can’t Understand Why – by Rev. Staci Williams
From as far back as I can remember, my brother Tyrone was the greatest thing ever and could do no wrong in my eyes. We had a very unique relationship - he’s the oldest and I’m one of the babies in the family. In my early childhood, we weren't close at all, as he would… Continue reading It is Well With My Soul – by Tina May
I have always been one to hold everything close to me, never wanting to show any weakness or cracks in the armor I had encased myself in. But anytime I can share about my brother, I do. He is no longer here and sharing about him keeps his memory alive in this world. To Melvin… Continue reading Even Though He’s Gone, I Still Have to Live – by Fahtema Lewis
My brother Ron was 7 ½ years younger than me and was considered special from Day 1. He was named after my mother’s brother, who had been murdered a year earlier. He was very special to her, which made our relationship…complicated. I felt like I didn’t exist when my brother was around. At times, I… Continue reading When He Died, My Anger Died With Him – by Markisha Greene
“Our son is using drugs.” “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 ESV I’ve retold the story of hearing those words spoken to me by my husband many times over the past 17 years. Hearing them never gets easier.… Continue reading My Only Hope Is Jesus – by Dawn Ward
“He doesn’t mean it.” I stared blankly at my student. “He’s not doing this to hurt you,” she continued. “It’s out of his control, and he can’t help it.” I fought back my tears, trying to keep my composure so I could continue teaching art to my class of recovering addicts. All this time I… Continue reading Until God Transformed His Heart… – by Heather Henry
My husband Mark was diagnosed with Sarcoma, a very aggressive form of cancer, when the oldest of our four kids was 15. We rushed out and bought William an old truck and gave him the responsibility of getting his siblings where they needed to be while we dove into this battle of cancer. We believed… Continue reading Learning How to Let God Be God – by Tina Akridge
Early Palm Sunday morning on March 29, 2015, our lives changed forever. While on my way home to New Jersey home from Ohio, after picking up my grandson for Spring break, I received a phone call from my son’s then girlfriend, Su’Quay. She asked if I had heard from him, as she had been talking… Continue reading The Power of Praying Over Your Child – by Emily Cannon
It was April 1st, 2022; I had just finished with my client and was returning my broom against the wall after sweeping her hair off the floor. My mother came down the steps and said words that no parent wanted to hear: “Erika you have to get to the hospital - Anisa was just in a… Continue reading Staying Present Through the Storm – by Erika Baines
Our story is about a fateful day when the actions of one person had a piercing and life-altering effect on my family. An unimaginable tragedy and near-fatal accident would later become the epitome of the power of prayer. After living most of our life paycheck to paycheck, we purchased our first home in 2018, and… Continue reading Turning the Bitter Into Something Better – by Shanna Thomas
Experts say that the majority of our earliest memories start around the age of three or four. They’re often spotty and can even lead to confusion about whether they’re real or a recreation of stories that have been told. Even just the mention of it may have you searching back through a mental Rolodex of… Continue reading Death Did Not Win – by Sonya Joy Mack
One of the things that made my mom unique was that she was a domestic engineer, which is today’s more professional terminology for a housewife or homemaker. I thought that was very unique during the early 1950s when I was born. She was always there and accessible for me and my siblings. She truly raised… Continue reading You Only Get One Mother – Cherish Her! By Jeanette King
I lost my mother in 2017. I remember the year before God telling me to prepare myself - that I was going to lose her. How do you prepare for the loss of your mother and best friend? She was my person - the only one in this entire world who truly understood me. Over the… Continue reading She Deserves This – by Jessie Crudup
According to Webster’s dictionary, a “jewel in the crown” is the most valuable or successful part of something. When used to describe a person, a jewel is considered to be a very pleasing or valued person or thing; a very fine example. As I reflect on the beautiful life of my mother, Claudia Wilson, I… Continue reading Claudia’s Story: Strength for the Brokenhearted – by Mercede White
The surgeon we just met stood in front of my family. It was a sunny day on June 28, 2019, when we were informed that my 16-year-old son had cancer. We were referred to this oncology orthopedic surgeon by Christian’s knee surgeon because his ACL recovery had been delayed after he was kicked in the… Continue reading Re-Defining What Faith Means to Me – by Patrice Marshall
Growing up in a huge extended family, I was exposed to many differences and traditions concerning how children should be raised. My mom's side of the family was very strict and lived by the Southern rules; on my dad's side, my uncles were strict, but my grandmother was very loving. No matter what we did… Continue reading The Strength I Needed – by Kaisha Mercado
I dug through the boxes of unwanted items scattered on my living room floor, which included worn and tattered clothes, mismatched glassware, and items from friends and family that would go into a yard sale the next morning. At the center of the room sat a few personal boxes I struggled to let go of.… Continue reading From Escaping Pain to Embracing It – by Amanda Hayhurst
It was a hot 2018 August day in South Texas when we heard the life-changing words, “Your daughter has cancer.” Alice was only four years old at the time, and we had two other young daughters. Though those words were a shock to us, they were not a surprise to the Lord. I later realized… Continue reading When God Speaks – by Marissa Bondurant
I've settled into who everyone sees now - 33-year-old Jasmine: A wife, mom, servant of God, and active in my community as author, entrepreneur, and health care administrator. But this has not always been my full truth. There was an identity that I carried, and more importantly I allowed it to define my reality for… Continue reading The Importance of Staying Connected and Knowing Your Triggers – by Jasmine Moore
I have struggled with depression for as long as I can remember. It has never been debilitating but it is a constant companion that I wish I could just will away. I have always felt that things like grief, rejection, and disappointments were obstacles rather than occurrences to move on from. With each death I… Continue reading Every Day, Jesus Christ is Fighting for My Life – by April Lee
I was 39 old when I realized I had been suffering from depression since my teenage years. The dysfunction that had always been a part of my life had come to a head. I was facing a separation from my husband after 23 years of marriage and my life was spiraling out of control. Not… Continue reading My Journey…From Ruin to Recovery – by Charlene Arnold
Depression. The word alone brings up the imagery of someone alone, in a dark room, under the covers, unable to eat, shower, and in a constant state of sadness with no expiration date. It was a word that I heard in commercials or saw displayed in romantic comedy movies, often with a woman sitting on… Continue reading Hopelessness is NOT Permanent – by Jenise Rolle
My once-normal life ended shortly after the birth of my youngest daughter. Already a mom to two daughters, I was excited about our growing family and couldn’t wait to meet my new bundle of joy. About a month after Janelle was born, she was diagnosed with sickle cell disease based on the preliminary screenings at… Continue reading A Healer and Provider in Desperate Times – by Sha-Ron Williams
We rushed our son Joshua to the hospital on January 11, 2019, after having what we believed to be an epileptic episode. Upon arrival, Joshua experienced another seizure, this time accompanied by a violent reaction. Speaking in a toddler’s voice, he began kicking and screaming, cursing and biting. The doctors had no choice but to… Continue reading Still Fighting for Our Son – by Francine Edwards
On a seemingly normal night in December 2012, I was home with my two sons while my husband Will was at choir rehearsal. William was five and Noah was three-and-a-half, and we were preparing for bath time. Noah wasn't feeling well and stayed in his room, which was not like him at all. The flu… Continue reading Sharing My Journey as I Stand in Faith – by Veronica Wilkinson
Shortly before Christmas in 2019, my family’s world changed forever. While home for winter break during her sophomore year at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), I was on the sofa, looking at pictures and snuggling with my daughter Kymani. Suddenly, a scream pierced through the house. Kymani’s eyes rolled in the… Continue reading Moving Forward When Your World Feels Like It’s Stopped – by Kimberly Love Quick
Marriage and weddings have been so romanticized by culture, and I wanted it all – the marriage, the kids, and the big house. I always dreamed I’d marry someone wonderful, and we’d work as a team to meet our financial, religious, and family goals together. Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly go according to my plan. My… Continue reading God Re-Defined My Life – by Andrea Lewis
I was married shortly after becoming pregnant with my oldest child, Jordan. I thought my marriage would have lasted forever, but after almost 20 years, that marriage ended in a 20-minute court session in 2018. My marriage was full of ups and downs, just like anyone else’s. Issues would come up and would be worked… Continue reading In the Days After – by Annetta (Mia) Jones
I haven’t been back to church since the end of my marriage, although I was practically raised there. Growing up, it felt like I was there every day - and everything in our household was God-centered. We even took vacations in the summer at a Christian retreat. My life’s plan was to grow up, graduate… Continue reading From Surviving to Thriving, Only By God’s Grace – by Love Jennings-Lynch
On a Thursday during the pandemic in April 2020, I was working from home and doing what I like to call “academic management” with my two sons – one in 4th grade and the other in 5th. It had only been a few weeks since the world had shut down and everyone was trying to… Continue reading Divorce Was Not the End of My World – by Latoya Hammond
As we stood there looking at the x-ray of my spine, I saw what looked like “Jenga” in the shape of the letter S. My orthopedist sat back in silence, looking at the screen while my husband Darian and I fearfully waited for him to say something. While my husband may have been confused, I… Continue reading Chronic Pain is Not My Life Sentence – by Tamika Collick
Before I was diagnosed, I lived what most people would call a normal life. I worked full-time, was involved in all my kids' activities, attended church regularly, enjoyed date nights with my husband, drove where I needed to go, and cooked for my family – I had no idea that there would come a time… Continue reading The Wait for My Healing and Strength – by Shemeika Hudson
It all began with an accident - tripping over my husband’s crutches. An avid basketball player, my husband was healing from ACL surgery after someone fell on his knee in a game. In a month, the pain in my knee grew from aching to shooting pain. Fiercely independent, it took me a long time to… Continue reading How God Transformed My Pain Into Purpose – by Christina Clardy
Looking in the mirror, all I could focus on was my bald head. Not my eyes, my smile, or any of the other physical features I was blessed with. As much as I tried, I could not pull my eyes away from the place where my hair had once been. Pain stabbed my heart and… Continue reading Losing My Hair, But Finding My Purpose – by Tabitha Williams
Faith-Filled Moms 