Welcome to Hope That Soars, where together, with my husband Ryan, we navigate the messiness of life by pointing people to the HOPE found in a relationship with Jesus.
Our journey is filled with heartache and the daily struggle of chronic illness, scripted by a loving Creator.
It is through Him we find LOVE, JOY, and STRENGTH to press forward.
I pray you will join us as we share life lessons gained through mishap, adventures, and everything in between. Perhaps somewhere along the way, you too will find, a HOPE that SOARS!
All in The Story of Us
Suddenly, because everyone was experiencing the same thing, physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being became a top priority. Social media became a hub of activity, a place for people to interact. Churches reached beyond the walls with more creativity than ever before and families began using this time to build bridges of connectivity.
A group of grade school boys raced by as one shouted out his stinging remark… “Don’t let the ‘Goodyear Blimp’ on the swings, she will break them.”
I hurriedly brushed the tears that escaped while trying to muster every ounce of courage I felt and shouted over my shoulder. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
Boy was I wrong!!!
“Mrs. Brooks,” I heard loudly from the back of the room for what seemed like the twentieth time in the half-hour Music class period. I aimed a look of warning at the inquisitive student for not raising her hand, but that didn’t stop the unexpected question from slipping out of her mouth…
“Are you Brooke’s mom; she looks just like you?”
My cheeks heated with embarrassment as the snickering began and I cast a glance at the shy fifth-grader in question.
The song she conveys in her desperation caught me off guard; as the lyrics propelled the character to place one foot in front of the other by choosing to do the next right thing.
I sat holding my breath, my watch vibrated indicating my heart rate had elevated matching the crescendo of the music. At the exact moment, lost in my pity-party of emotion, my niece reached over grabbed my hand, and sweetly held on for the remainder of the movie.
