Category: Blogging for Better

Why each of us should be concerned about the bushfires in Australia

Why each of us should be concerned about the bushfires in Australia

It was January 2013, almost seven years to the day, when I first set foot in Sydney, Australia. I had found out only weeks before that I would need to travel to Sydney for work and, after 21 hours of travel, I was quite thrilled to finally set foot on this continent on the other side of the world. I spent the week working only a few blocks from Sydney Harbor and enjoyed the clean, friendly, metropolitan city. But I

Using words to rescue children with mental illness

girl writing in journal

From the time I was a little girl, writing has been more than just a creative outlet, it’s been a way for me to process my thoughts and feelings. Whether it was through short stories, poetry, song lyrics, or just writing in a journal — words helped me deal with overwhelming feelings of fear, hurt, sadness, and anger, as well as express love and joy. In college, I battle with debilitating depression. I had a severe reaction to the Prozac

Building community, one garden at a time

Handful of blackberries

From the age of 9 when I planted a tiny bean in an old milk carton filled with dirt and watched in awe as that green shoot sprouted and grew, I have loved the satisfaction of getting my hands dirty and seeing God’s creation come alive. While I’m not a particularly talented, or even dedicated gardener, over the years I have spent many hours selecting the right plants or seeds, and relished feeling the moist dirt crumble through my fingers

Family honors son by giving special needs children adapted toys

wooden block toy

When I was a new parent Baby Einstein was just becoming a “thing” and there was a lot of hype around educational and developmental toys. I sought out stores and websites that sold these toys, even if there was a heavty price tag attached to them because I wanted to give my children every opportunity to thrive. But I never stopped to think about the parents whose children weren’t able to play with these toys. Or how difficult and expensive

When children with special needs can’t get the help they need

When children with special needs can’t get the help they need

We knew from the time my son was in pre-school that he was not like the other kids. He was only five the first time we took him in for testing. Over the years my sweet boy has been tested and evaluated for everything from ADHD to Bi-Polar to Autism. After a few misdiagnoses and false starts, I’m so grateful that with the help of a wonderful doctor and supportive school we now have proper diagnoses and treatment in place,

When a luxury item isn’t a luxury: How one organization is giving homeless women their dignity

clothesline full of bras

I remember the day clearly, especially what I was wearing. I was in high school and Umbro shorts were all the rage. If you don’t remember these, they were a thin nylon/polyester short, usually in wild colors. I think they were originally made for soccer players, but seeing how I hadn’t played soccer since I was five years old, I was more concerned about the cool factor, than the practicality of these shorts. I remember a classmate whispering in my

Wonderfully made: breaking the cycle of self-loathing and an unhealthy body image

Wonderfully made: breaking the cycle of self-loathing and an unhealthy body image

“I need to lose weight! I’m fat.” These are words spoken by my 13-year-old daughter last week, and not for the first time. My beautiful, strong, muscular, dancing, soccer-playing, cross country running daughter. And my heart breaks a little each time she says something disparaging about her body. I worry for her. I worry for her sister. I worry because every day they are faced with images that tell them what beauty is and then they look in the mirror

Stories for hope: how one family is honoring their premature triplets by giving children’s books to hospitals

Stories for hope: how one family is honoring their premature triplets by giving children’s books to hospitals

When I was pregnant with my twins I was put on bed-rest at 34 weeks because of some early-labor symptoms. The doctor told me as long as I could make it to 36 weeks, it would be considered a full-term twin pregnancy. At 36 and a half weeks I felt the contractions begin and I could not wait for those babies to be born. I was D-O-N-E being pregnant! I labored through the night and into the next day, my

She needed her story told

Jelise Ballon speaking at women's retreat

When I was 13 I was molested by my step-father. There was no police report filed. There was no public announcement made. I never even got to confront him. When I told my mom what had happened she could not accept the truth. She said I had misunderstood. She said if I reported it to anyone it could ruin his life and his career. Two days later I went to live with my dad and step-mom, where I could feel