Dianna Buchwalter

“Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come.” Proverbs 31:25 (CSB) The door opened at 14,000 feet! With someone strapped onto my back, I prepared to plunge to my death. Or, so I thought. Tears streamed down my cheeks as we inched our way to the door. “NO!" I screamed. There was no way I could jump out of that plane. One step is all it would take but I clung to the door until my knuckles were white. Apparently, the skydiving instructor thought I said go instead of no and suddenly we were free falling at a rate of 120 mph! I had difficulty breathing and I was sure I'd be in the arms of Jesus in less than 5 minutes. After what seemed like 5 hours of plummeting, a single cord was pulled and a bright colored umbrella sprouted out above us. We sailed through the sky and in that moment I was able to take in the magnificent beauty that was all around. Once my feet hit the ground, a wave of accomplishment washed over me. "I did it. I conquered my f...

There’s a monster in our house.  That’s right-a big, ferocious tickle monster that comes out daily.  He seems to make his way to both of my children, upon request. The laughter that echoes out of their mouths will light up a room with joy. How ridiculous would it be if I told my kids I couldn’t tickle them because when they move, they could bump their heads on something and get hurt? Pretty silly idea, right? So many intoxicating, playful times would be lost all for what could happen. Life is filled with great moments like that. The kind that bring delight and pleasure. Sometimes, their short lived and others last much longer than we expect.  But, with those, also come the trials and heartache.  As we age, we witness more blows so we come to expect the bad will always follow the good. As a result, even when things are going smoothly, we will hold our breath and wait for the other shoe to drop. Why do we let the good things in our lives be overshado...

When we are single, making decisions can seem easier because we have the privilege to choose whatever we want. With the freedom also comes the burden of bearing the consequences, whether good or bad - alone or what seems to feel like we are alone. Let me explain further. When I was married, my ex-husband and I were a sounding board for each other. We compromised and rationalized and even if we did not agree on a certain matter, there was comfort in knowing we had one another’s back. I've been a single mom for the past three years, which has included hundreds of decisions. Though I often seek wise counsel, the weight can, at times, seem overwhelming. Several weeks ago, a curve ball hit. I was in a very comfortable place in my life when Wham! God called me out of it.  No warning. I found myself at a crossroads faced with two good choices that would not only affect me but my children and quite possibly the direction our lives would go. However, I knew that, as Lysa ...

The clock read 3:09 a.m. Oh no, I’ll never go back to sleep I thought, as I felt the velvety touch of my three year old’s hand rubbing my arm. Without much sleep the night before, I was exhausted. She began softly singing as her body flailed from one side to another. As much as I liked having her lay beside me, I knew no rest would be had. So, I picked her up and carried her to her big girl bed. She quickly nestled in under her safe, warm blankets as I told her to go back to sleep. My feet felt like they were 500 lbs as I lifted one foot in front of the other, fumbling my way back to my own room. My head hit the pillow and bing! My eyes were wide open. And so began my racing thoughts, tossing and turning and staring at the clock. Then, I heard God say: “Go back to sleep”. And so for the next two glorious hours, I slept so soundly, I don’t think I moved. Many night have been broken up in segments by the sound of my daughter’s tiny trampling feet or cries from my son after ...