“I actually have a few songs I’ve never released because I felt like they were too personal and/or people would misunderstand their meaning,” says Julia Smith of Nachtigal. “They are my time capsule to put those emotions in, but I’m not sure if they would be helpful to other people or not. I struggle with that because I don’t want to hide the ugly parts of my life, and sometimes I think it could be helpful to other people to know they aren’t alone in feeling those things.”
Farmer Don is an 88-year-old man I meet every so often on my morning walk. Sunrise changes our habits during summer, so I hadn’t seen him for a few months when I ran into him […]
Grief helps me remember I wanted one more day – and the time we spent together mattered to me.
Lori Matthews
I believe my story of grief is similar to that of many women. In the summer of 2017, I had my first miscarriage. Our oldest daughter was a year and half old, and we were […]
The weeks leading up to Grandma’s death were exhausting and frustrating. I was in new territory, dealing with emergency room visits, rehab, social workers, and most of all, Grandma’s unhappiness with her circumstances. words + […]
I began to accept the fact I might never know why God did not perform the miracle for which I prayed.
Jennifer Harrison
The mission of Family Through Faith Ministries is focused on one mission expressed in three ways. The mission is to feed people Physically, Spiritually, Mentally. interview JULIE JOHNSONphotographs courtesy of FAMILY THROUGH FAITH FARM When […]
The symptoms began in 2019: weight gain, bloating and swelling in my abdomen, pain in my lower abdomen, nausea, shortness of breath. On Sept. 5, 2019, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s follicular lymphoma. My oncologist said […]
One of the best times to be on a college campus is during Homecoming. To help plan your route, click on the links below to learn about area Homecoming happenings.
Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts in Springfield, Missouri, presents BEAUTIFUL – The Carole King Musical, Dec. 3-5. Tickets are on sale beginning Oct. 4, 10 a.m. Find information about presale tickets here. Music from the show includes “I Feel the Earth Move,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “One Fine Day,” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.”
Dr. Iman Williams Christians is the chief clinical officer at Lost & Found Grief Center in Springfield, Missouri. Though grief is personal to each of us, in this Q+A, Dr. Iman shares with us insights […]
I had to pause for a moment and thank God. I did not have to walk out of that room and tell our 15-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter their dad was dead.
Heather Priebe
Prayer. It seems like the catch-all sometimes, the easy response. “I’ll pray for you.” But what happens when you pray, yet don’t receive the answer you desire? In 2009, I prayed that prayer, that heart-ripping, […]
It seems romantic and idyllic to tuck a seed into the ground as if it’s a child in bed after a full day. But farming is war.
Andrew McGowan, Family Through Faith Farm
A little over a year ago, my right foot hurt so badly I could barely walk. I researched the pain online (not recommended), but eventually made an appointment with a local podiatrist. I learned my feet are very flexible; I have a bone spur in my heel, but it’s the bone spur to have; and plantar fasciitis was the culprit of my intense pain.
On Oct. 14, 2014, my husband had emergency surgery for a mass in his colon. Two days later, Todd was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. My strong, healthy, 46-year-old husband, the father of our […]
Homegrown Journal 