Happy Birthday, America!

Posted on July 4, 2019July 4, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

This story was originally posted on my Facebook on July 4th, 2016. BENERGY story for 4th of July: Not long after Ben died, I received a poster in the mail from one of the Ranger Battalion chaplains. It was a...Read More

Iron Sharpens Iron

Posted on June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

We started and ended the walk together. All twenty miles of the walk. We didn’t know it, but we would lean on and encourage each other to get to the finish line; me and those who walked with me. This...Read More

The Best Thing You Can’t Undo

Posted on May 9, 2019May 10, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, even ten years after my Ben was called Home to God’s beautiful Heaven, it’s not the easiest holiday for me to get through. However, I still absolutely embrace its meaning and celebrate being a mother. Besides...Read More

I Saw a Snake Today, Yay!

Posted on April 19, 2019April 19, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

Yesterday the thermometer where I live reached 63 degrees and it felt wonderful. The sun was warm and there was very little wind. Sixty-three may not be the warmest temperature, but after an extraordinary cold and snowy winter here in...Read More

Change of Command

Posted on April 11, 2019April 12, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

I recently attended the change of command and retirement ceremonies for Generals Joe Votel and Tony Thomas, the outgoing Commanders of the United States Central Command and the United States Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida. They are both four...Read More

Your Soul Thinks in Music, Your Brain Thinks in Words

Posted on March 28, 2019March 29, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

A place I once frequented to hear live music had drink coasters for a time that made me stop and think. They said, “Your brain thinks in words, your soul thinks in music.” I had an epiphany when I read...Read More

The Power of One

Posted on March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

I recently attended a church retreat. The theme of the weekend centered around a stalk of wheat. Biblically, wheat symbolizes charity, love, fertility and represents the life cycle. A sheaf, or sheaves of wheat, are stalks of harvested grain bound...Read More

The Golden Buzzer

Posted on March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

On the television show America’s Got Talent, contestants perform in front of celebrity judges each week with the hope of being chosen as the winner. Weekly winners then move on to a final competition where the grand prize is a...Read More

What is your Red, White and Blue?

Posted on February 28, 2019March 18, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

What is the American Flag? I am the the American flag, the American flag is me.(deep breathe, exhale 1-2-3) Red, white and blue are 3 words I never thought I would use to describe myself. At 8 years old, I...Read More

The Blindside

Posted on February 21, 2019February 21, 2019 by Jill Stephenson

Have you ever seen one of those videos where someone is feeding a baby and then gives him/her a taste of lemon to see their reaction? The poor baby was expecting another bite of what he/she was eating and were...Read More