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!
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.
Captain’s Log - “Distraction Free Day One…” With a kiss, I ushered my husband out the door at 6:53 am leaving ten long hours to fill until his return.
What should I do - watch television, not enough energy to clean, was it too early to call someone?
The internal chatter continued as I shuffled into the kitchen to refill my water bottle and find paper to make my plan of attack.
In a matter of minutes, I was hit with the realization of my sudden spiral into the abyss of social media. Those hours of mindless scrolling symbolized a temporary band-aid, a way to occupy my day. They offered a mere distraction from the physical pain of my illness and emotional emptiness of spending so much time alone.
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.
