Molly's Zone

  The one-year mark of daddy’s passing had come and gone by much too fast. September rolled in as usual but nothing about life felt familiar anymore. I wasn’t at all sure how we as a family survived such a loss. It was the prime time for harvesting crops and daddy’s favorite time of the year. His death created such an empty space within our family; the memories of him were now bittersweet.  Everything had changed. Whenever I needed a reminder to keep going forward, all I had to do was remember my mama’s words:   “I want to tell y’all somethin’, the Lord will take care of us. Things will be harder around here, but we have to trust Him.”   Those challenging words proved to be a harder task than we thought.  “I need you all to help out more with no belly achin’. We will have to make money however we can.” A mother’s courage was a priceless treasure.   As I finished hanging the last of the clothes outside one afternoon, Georgia and I heard a familiar cry. We ra...

  (Lincoln County, West Virginia: August 1931)   My dad worked harder than anyone else I knew. Life on the farm wasn’t easy, but he always wore a smile through the most tiring of days. Daddy always kept his joy, and never wanted us to feel ashamed of who we were. He never made a big deal over small incidents. This was why I knew something was wrong and had been for the past three months. He grew more tired with each passing day and developed a nasty cough, which I had never heard before.   As I woke up on that hot summer morning, I could see Daddy tucked in bed, with mama rearranging the covers. She looked worried. I could feel my heart pounding. Della, the oldest of us, strolled past me and headed over to where mama was. Their conversation lasted several minutes. Mama leaned over, placed a reassuring kiss on Daddy’s cheek, and left without a word. Della walked over once she saw Will and me.   “What’s the matter with Daddy?” Will asked, concerned.   “We don’t kn...

                                                       "The Introduction"   Lincoln County, West Virginia (May 1931)   “Melda, come inside before your supper gets cold!” A familiar voice echoed from the shack several feet away. I was somewhat of a daydreamer. I liked to come outside in the evenings to sit and ponder over life, well, as much as you could for a twelve-year-old. There ain’t much to do around here. If you’re looking for country living, then I suppose these parts are somewhere you’d want to be. West Virginia is a beautiful place. I’ve grown up on what’s called a poor farm, where farmland stretches as far as the eye can see. Everybody works on the land to keep roofs over their heads. Daddy drives the school wagon, while mama takes care of all ten of us kids. My older brothers help tend to the farm, but us girls help mama with al...

                                                                                Prologue   Lincoln County, West Virginia December 1974       My momma was the center of my universe, my best friend, and the most loving and faithful person that I knew. She was bold! Someone who loved Jesus, and you could tell how important He was to her by watching the way she lived: so full of joy. Momma was not afraid of death. She never wavered. Her faith remained strong until she took her final breath. I wish my faith was as strong as hers. My emotions grew deeper every second.   I love you, momma.   Thoughts and memories are all I have left now. The funeral service was scheduled for today and I didn’t know I was going to fa...

Have you ever lived through one of those difficult seasons that felt as though it would never come to an end?  Maybe you're currently in that headspace---exhausted, overwhelmed, maybe even a little bit cranky because you feel as though no one truly understands what you're experiencing.  Everyone faces different sets of challenges & while it's true that not everyone will totally "get it", I can promise you that whatever you're going through. Jesus knows ALL about it.  Families keep a lot of us busier than ever--but sometimes it's best to step away, to find somewhere quiet & to surrender every ounce of your situation into the palm of His hand.  While doing so won't always guarantee a change in the outcome of a situation, it WILL always result in changing your outlook as you continue walking with Him in the midst of it. 🩷 "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:1...

The level of sheer excitement that continually fills my heart as I'm actively preparing this blog entry will never be fully explainable. I am SUPER thrilled about returning to Molly's Zone as I have absolutely loved serving the Lord with my little blog throughout the past decade & I am SO thankful that He still chooses to provide me with this precious opportunity. You may have noticed that the month of April on Molly's Zone primarily consisted of written messages that were pulled out from deep within the archives. That was never in the plans but life has its interruptions and that's perfectly okay because I have always believed that every circumstance---even those that are unexpected--each hold a specific purpose within our lives.  It was a deliberate decision to step away from writing for awhile because I was not feeling well at all. I had been experiencing debilitating fatigue for some time but began experiencing headaches and brain fog that made it nearly impossi...