BEAUTY FOR ASHES I took my bag of stones Threw them all in the air And like bubbles in the skies I watched them float away I poured my bucket of tears In my garden of shame And right before my eyes Beautiful sunflowers sprang up I took a hammer to the lock on my chest of secrets And dark and hidden fears To my surprise when I opened it It was filled with shining diamonds and jewels I broke down my... Read More »

I'm sure the memories that my girls have from summer camp will stay with them for a long time. It's not only the excitement of being on their own away from home, but it's the adventure of doing something different and new… being around new people and trying new things that leaves such a lasting impression with the children. The hardest part is saying goodbye to new friends. Kira loved the zip line... Read More »

I enrolled in Houston Community College through the encouragement of my Star of Hope case worker and counselors. I tell people all the time that when I received my HCC acceptance letter, something inside of me changed. For the first time, I was able to stop looking back at the pain of the past and I could clearly see forward to the success of my future. I began attending HCC in the Spring, January... Read More »

I wrote this in a moment of awareness of how I let my failures consume me to the point to where I was utterly crushed.  Sometimes it is only at this rock bottom point in life that the shock of life's pain and defeat is sufficient enough for one to wake up and realize that only Christ can give true restoration and forgiveness.     This poem came to me in minutes.  Although like many of my poems,... Read More »

DIANA There is a lady I have known In a relationship that has grown At the stop Near Cullman and Scott 2 years I passed her way Before I ever asked her name “”””Diana””””” Her eyes are remarkably blue A kindness so true Every day I am learning Different things about her journey I don’t mind that her hand is held out I am not too proud To have money for giving That’s how she makes her living I try... Read More »

This is my version of the famous "The Footprints in the Sand" poem. THE STROLL Strolling down memory lane With the LORD Is needful During those moments of testing I call on HIM HE takes my hand And together We walk back through The green pastures The still waters Recalling beautiful sunsets Ocean shores Unforgettable moments When I knew I was loved I was kept I was carried HE gently RE-directs... Read More »

THE LONELY MANI saw him on the morning drive Carefully studying him as I went by This man sitting in the cold At the intersection of the road It wasn't his homelessness I was stirred by his loneliness His home, a shopping cart His clothes tattered and torn apart Not moving not saying a word Just sitting there near the curb Staring blankly ahead As if already dead A song called him a monument... Read More »

This writing has a deeper significance for me than just being an encounter with a mosquito.  The scripture says that blood is the life of the body.Child abuse (of all kinds) is a prevalent and horrifying common occurrence in our country.  As a client at the Star of Hope, many nights I would sit up in my bed wide awake after some bad dream.  I would look at my daughters sleeping peacefully and... Read More »

Two days I have endured This tormenting spirit The one that is too strong for me The one that I have entertained for so long I needed to get us out for a few minutes A few snacks and hot chocolate in the warmth of the car There was this beautiful choir singing to me through the radio “I am standing… In the need… Of a blessing!” And my thought was this, God “is” the blessing As I looked up... Read More »

Hello! I am Wendi, a single mother of four beautiful daughters and one autistic son. When people ask me why I found myself and my daughters without a home to call our own, there is no direct answer that I can give them. It was just a symptom of a deeper problem. When my family showed up on the doorstep of Star of Hope at 3 a.m. after driving halfway across the country, I needed more than just a... Read More »