Today marks 9 years since the murders of Daniel Smith (my father), Michael Hockensmith, and Angela Hockensmith. So much has changed for both of our families. We have celebrated graduations, the Hockensmith children have grown tremendously (Andrew celebrated his 18th birthday this year), my dad would be a great-grandpa of 10 (they were all born after his death), my sisters have both gotten married, and countless other events. Despite all of the changes, one thing has stayed the same – we still miss them. Over the past 3 years, I have tried to write a post about a topic other READ MORE
Category: Personal Growth
Perfect Timing
Last summer, my husband, Chris, and I began working on yard improvements in preparation for putting our house up for sale. As we surveyed our backyard projects, we noticed our above-ground pool required several costly repairs. After spending a few days weighing the pros and cons of keeping the pool, we decided to remove it. Chris and our 21-year-old daughter made the pool removal look easy. Within one week, they had broken it down and hauled it from the yard. The hard part would be filling the large, crater-type, hole in our sloped backyard. Even if we could find massive READ MORE
Our Story of Forgiveness
For Valentine’s Day this year, my husband, Chris, and I decided to go to dinner and then see a movie. The theater was playing only one romantic film, LD Entertainment’s Forever My Girl. Surprisingly, Chris was interested in going to see it, and despite having watched it twice with two of my friends, I was happy to go with him. Forever My Girl, based on the book by author Heidi McLaughlin, is a heart-warming film about Liam Paige, a small-town boy turned country music star, who returns home after 8 years of running from his past. When he arrives, he discovers he READ MORE
6 Keys to Cultivating a Better Perspective
Recently, I was talking to one of my mentors about a subject, and I started telling him about some limitations related to the topic. He listened for a few minutes, and then he highlighted a couple of areas where my thinking needed to shift. He challenged me to move past my barriers and recognize what I had working in my favor. He was right. I had several things going for me in the situation, but I couldn’t recognize them because I was frustrated. After the conversation, I felt empowered and inspired. I could see my current difficulties through a clear READ MORE
Stepping Out on a Limb
I am a thinker. I do not like to make hasty decisions. I enjoy examining situations with a magnifying glass, looking for impending problems and valid alternatives. Eventually, I will make a decision, but often after picking apart every possible issue and scenario. Recently, I had an important decision to make. I was attending a meeting, a few months ago, where a local pastor mentioned he was hosting a trip to Israel in December. For many years, I have dreamed of visiting the Holy Land, but I didn’t believe I would have the opportunity until my children were grown and READ MORE