restoration

The Age of Beauty

| Laura Lee Bonde

A couple weeks ago, someone contacted JC’s Girls because they wanted to do a photo shoot of a beauty-from-ashes story. Sounds like I might’ve qualified, right? Wrong. They wanted someone under the age of thirty. So why does beauty have an age?

To me, beauty is timeless…ageless. It’s not something one “puts on.” It’s something that “comes out”…that shines from the inside. One of my biggest struggles inside my heart at the porn convention was experiencing my beauty in the midst of an environment where everyone was all dolled up, but it was super important for me to experience this for “me.” It was part of my journey, part of my walk, and so much came out of it. Continue reading →

Unpacking a Bond

| Laura Lee Bonde

On Sunday, after driving everyone home from the porn convention, I climbed into bed around midnight. There was no way I would’ve been able to unpack the van that evening and knew it would be waiting for me in the morning. I was going to call a friend to come help but, but Katie woke up, so I asked her, “Would you like to help me unload the van?” She said, “Sure.” I had no idea where that would lead. Continue reading →

Going Bananas

| Laura Lee Bonde

A week and a half ago, Katie (my daughter) bought a case of bananas…a case! She had asked for a ride to the store because carrying this big, heavy box would’ve been awkward on the trolley and unbearable to carry home, so I gave her a ride. They were really beautiful bananas, so I was excited to juice, make things, etc., and then, I found out: they were ALL for her. Continue reading →

The REAL Reward

| Laura Lee Bonde

Yesterday, work allowed me to come in late, so I would be able to go to Nathan’s school and watch him be rewarded for his excellence in writing, but little does he know, every time I go to support him, I receive the greatest reward of them all.

As the kids file into the cafeteria, those who are receiving an award usually scan the parents to see if they can find their family member. I always make sure I arrive early enough to be seated, so that when he walks through the door and looks amongst the parents, he’ll find me, and yesterday was no different.  Continue reading →

A Drive Through God’s Heart

| Laura Lee Bonde

Last night, as I was driving to pick up Kyle, I was having the best time with God. I think that’s why my gas light keeps coming on. When I’m in the car, I’m so far in heaven that I forget about earth, and then, the light comes on and grounds me once again. (I did it again the other night: no teeth, jammies, had to pump gas.) But that’s okay, the reason behind the missed responsibility is so intoxicating, and last night, I was at it again.  Continue reading →

To Be Known

| Laura Lee Bonde

When I was twelve years old, I lost my innocence to a fourteen year old boy, and I thought I had found love. This happened on a weekend night. That following Monday at school, he acted as if I didn’t exist…looked past me…flat out ignored me. It broke my heart. Maybe that’s why it’s always been important for me to look people in the eyes, to let them know I “see” them. This is still true for me today.  Continue reading →

Chosen

| Laura Lee Bonde

Recently, I’ve received a lot of worship flag orders, so in my time away from work, there’s a lot for me to do. Yesterday would’ve been a good day to finish some. Little did I know…my son, Kyle, had most of my day planned out, and it was time well spent.  Continue reading →

Coach Kyle

| Laura Lee Bonde

IMG_1963My son, Kyle, has a dream of someday either being an NFL coach of a team or owning one. On Saturday, his dream began with his first coaching position of my other son, Nathan’s, team. I was one proud momma!

When I post about my kids, it may seem odd, but if you lived inside my heart, you’d understand. When my older two were little, I oppressed them with a darkness that’s hard to fathom: Continue reading →