Two years post-divorce I celebrated my first Christmas without my children. I awoke early that morning, but not to the sounds of excited whispers and scampering feet as I had for the twelve years prior.  I made my way to the kitchen, but not before passing our Christmas tree. It stood solemnly – unlit, without a gift nestled below

When my ex-husband and I first separated, I was angry. Like throw-everything-in-the-garbage angry.  After my ex had removed his things from the home, I spent the better part of three weeks clearing out my garage, screaming and crying as I sifted through box after box of nearly twenty years worth of memories. Old photos, letters, keepsakes, even articles of

When I was seven years old, I saw “The Little Mermaid” at our local movie theatre three times. Three times. I didn’t just love Ariel – I wanted to be Ariel.  My best friends and I would spend summers at the neighborhood pool, flipping our imaginary “tails” (because the real ones hadn’t been invented yet), each of us dreaming

I haven’t been on a date in a year. Well, one year, 3 months, and 2 days actually. I didn’t really set out to stop dating for a year; it just sort of happened. The last time I went on a date was in early March 2021. The date itself was really nice; I went to a nice restaurant

Overwhelm is most often not about whatever sets us off, but rather is connected to something deeper below the surface. Like the time I flipped out on my mom over broccoli. Every Sunday, my kids and I have dinner with my parents. We’ve been doing this for years. This tradition is awesome for a number of reasons, one of

In the last year of my marriage, my then husband and I hand selected the fixtures and finishes of the semi-custom “forever” home we’d commissioned to be built. It was a farmhouse-style abode, nestled among towering box elder and redbud trees, with a trickling stream playfully lapping at the property line. It was the largest piece of property we’d

Just because a relationship with a narcissisticu abuser ends, does not mean the abuse itself will stop. In fact, a separation or divorce may give an abuser the impression they no longer have to “play nice” to keep the victim close, and they may continue to abuse with less restraint than before as they use the children (and the

In the post “By the Numbers: The Silent Epidemic of Domestic Abuse in the Christian Church,” we discussed the raging epidemic of domestic violence in Christian churches and pastors’ self-reported struggles with addressing it. At PlusONE Parents, we have a deep love for the Body of Christ, and know that many pastors and people helpers desire to support the

Domestic abuse is an insidious, silent epidemic in the Christian community. Sadly, 37% of pastors surveyed say they believe that domestic and sexual violence does NOT occur in their congregations. With nearly 1 in 3 American women suffering domestic abuse at some point in their lifetimes, it’s not likely that nearly 40% of churches are completely free of this