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Daniela Rajcok May 4, 2026 The tired cry of an adult Before a baby learns words, they can still tell you exactly what they want. WAAAH — “I’m hungry.”WAAAH — “I’m uncomfortable.”WAAAH — “I’m tired.” And the more I pay attention to that, the more I realize adults do the same thing. We just don’t always call it a cry. I have to say… I find it honestly incredible, the unique ability parents have to recognize their baby’s cry. Before I became a mom, I thought it was impossible to know, just by a...

The Strength to Ask for Help There is a kind of strength about family life that does not get talked about enough. And that is the strength of seeking support. The strength to ask for help. “Sure, my family is struggling. But other people probably have it worse. I’ll only reach out for help if it gets really bad.” That way of thinking is very common. More common than people admit. Especially in families that seem to have it all figured out. I come from a ministry family, so I know firsthand...

"Parents Feel Fear Too, and..." When I was little, I loved playing with my dolls and pretending I was a mom. I would cook for them, dress them, take care of them, and take them to the doctor. In my mind, parents were the coolest people. The strong ones, the confident ones, the ones in charge. They knew what to do. I could not wait to become one. Last year, that dream came true. I became a mom. And one thing I realized pretty quickly after that is this: When I was little, I had the privilege...

Fear in a Nice Outfit Becoming a parent alters the weight of decision-making. The choices that are made start to matter even more because they are not only about yourself, but also touch and affect the life of the child(ren) placed in our care. And when that kind of weight is added, fear can begin to show up very easily. Not always in obvious ways. Sometimes it wears an outfit, more like a disguise. Fear can come dressed up as “responsible.” It sometimes dresses up as being “careful.” And...

The Boy Who Said Nothing By: Daniela Mejia I met a student at a school who barely spoke to anyone. All day, this boy had shut down, wearing a serious, upset face. Teachers tried talking to him. They asked what was wrong. They tried everything to get a word out of him. Yet nothing. They called me in to talk to him. When I sat down next to him, I didn’t start by asking what was wrong or what he had done wrong. I simply asked how his day was going. At first, he said—you guessed it—nothing. But...

The Third Choice: What to do with the weight of harsh words. Many months ago, I led a kindness project in a few middle schools here in my city. I brought a bucket of rocks and a pack of markers, and I told the students, “Write a kind message on a rock for a stranger to find.” Very simple. Almost childlike. I remember one student raised his hand and asked, “But why are we using rocks?” And I remember holding one in my palm and thinking, because this is what words can feel like. Heavy. Hard. If...

The Security of a Fragile Sheep Encouragement for anyone learning to find peace in uncertain seasons. Psalm 23 has, over the last two years, become more than just the words and declarations of a man—it’s become my own life verse. I’ve borrowed it, embraced it, and made it mine. I could sit with every single line of Psalm 23 and find something new to digest, but lately one phrase has been echoing in my heart: “The Lord is my Shepherd”. There is no questioning, we are dependent beings. We need...

Guarding the Mind: The Dangers of Scrolling After Horrific Events It's a natural desire to want to show up online, to stay informed, to care about what others are going through, and to join the conversation. That desire to connect comes from a really good place, afterall, we are all designed to be social beings and we have an intrinsic desire to care for one another. But lately, the endless stream of violent videos, traumatic news, heated opinions, and explicit content has left many people...