Michelle Flaningan
Trusting Without Evidence
By Michelle Flaningan | | Trust
Recent events have made it feel like many years of prayers for a loved one have gone down the drain. I have cried out to God more times than I can count for them and everyone impacted by their decisions. Their choices have caused them to be in a terrible place, yet they continually follow…
Read More You Can Bring the Shoes to Me
By Michelle Flaningan | | Feeling Overwhelmed, Parenting
“But my toes feel weeiiiirrrdd!” he cried as I adjusted his new sandals. I calmly reassured him that he could change back into his favorite slides as soon as we were done. Our passionate five-year-old was having a rough time adjusting to his new shoes that morning. He was having a difficult time managing all…
Read More The Box of Groceries
By Michelle Flaningan | | Following God
I read a story in Readers Digest recently about a girl who recounted random acts of kindness that provided her family with much needed food. The girl’s parents were going through a divorce, and her mother was struggling to make ends meet with no income. There was no way to pay for groceries or bills.…
Read More Knowing Who We Are
By Michelle Flaningan | | Identity
I never dreamed I would actually meet them, yet here we were on our way to do just that. The scenery went by in a blur as my mind anxiously played out every scenario possible. My parents offered encouraging words from the front seat, and we even came up with a code word in case…
Read More The Surprise Gift
By Michelle Flaningan | | Gratitude
Armed with a cup of coffee, a notebook and my laptop I found a comfortable seat at the kitchen table and settled in. We had an all day team meeting on the agenda and I hoped to get a few things done before it began. I carefully reviewed a few records keeping in delicate balance…
Read More When Change Leaves You Exhausted
By Michelle Flaningan | | Feeling Overwhelmed
The other night at 3am I heard whimpers and whines along with a gentle rattling of our new puppy’s crate. Maverick was excited to see me, but more excited to encounter the big back yard. As I stood in the yard waiting for him to finish marking his territory, my mind instinctively wandered back in…
Read More Dead Leaves
By Michelle Flaningan | | Identity
The other day I noticed that my dahlia Plant had been scorched by the heat. As I grabbed the garden shears to trim back the dead leaves, I started thinking about how Jesus is a much better Gardner than me. I nearly let this plant die! I did a little trimming and then set the…
Read More When Expectation Turns to Devastation
By Michelle Flaningan | | Loss
Out of nowhere a momma bird began building a nest on top of our outdoor lights. Our family tried to move the nest several times, but she came back and built the nest in the same spot. We watched in amazement as the twigs became a solid round nest complete with mud for a solid…
Read More Always Included
By Michelle Flaningan | | Adoption, Identity, Parenting
How do I describe the man who made an indelible mark on my life? How do I honor the man who, with my mother, chose me for adoption? It’s hard to find the words to paint an accurate picture for you. So first I’ll tell you a little bit about him. My dad is…
Read More From the Heart of My Mother
By Michelle Flaningan | | Adoption, Identity, Parenting
If you know my family, you know that we did not come together in the typical fashion. As I give you a brief overview of how we came together, please understand I feel the weight of knowing there are not enough words to honor the love and sacrifice this family is built on. Our family…
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