My Journey to Hope
How did I come to be at the very first Hope’s Garden Home? (Part I) A number of people have asked me how I came to be at Hope’s Garden Home. I have to admit, I would have asked myself…
Emotions – Guides, not Masters
Your emotions are trying to tell you something important. Your emotions are guides to your needs and, as such, must not be ignored. It is an essential part of our healing journey to learn to respond to our emotions without…
No One Blooms Alone
Every brushstroke of the painting below was a prayer for the Roses of Hope’s Garden. I began this piece several months ago after a rather emotionally intense Domestic Abuse Support group. I am grateful that technology allows me to minister…
Sempiternam Requiem
Please don’t flee from the title of this essay—I promise, it is not about death. It is about life. Or rather, I should say it is about finding life through death. I want us to have the courage to live…
Love Letter #1 to a Scrupulous Soul
Dearly Beloved, You are not alone. I write this letter as a first in a series, with much tenderness and compassion in my heart from one scrupulous soul to another. The struggle is real. I am with you. Let us…
The Divine Bridegroom Knocks
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” (Revelation 3:20) Jesus the Divine Bridegroom literally knocked on the door of my heart and asked to sing the Song of Songs to me on the evening of June 1, 2019. My twenty-seven year…
Deep Calling Unto Deep
Sometimes the new year does not get off to the greatest start. This January has been a month of disappointments to be honest. One right after the next. Little ones. Nothing earth shattering. New York plans canceled four times. No…
The Healing Power of Creativity
When I was young, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would tell you “an artist” which was a bit ironic because I had trouble coloring within the lines and I couldn’t draw…
Igniting the Fire of Divine Love
Inspired by the words of Revelation 3:15-16, St. Catherine of Siena wrote to one of her disciples, “See that you are not lukewarm but on fire … If you are what you ought to be, you will light a fire…
The Garden of my Life
My garden, once a sanctuary, was trampled upon by those closest to me – my own family. Years of betrayal and anguish left me feeling forsaken and utterly all alone. I tried to navigate life all by myself, but I…