08/10/2026
Miggsy Monday Memory
These two boys have my heart.
One is my sweet Joshua—our Miggsy. The other is Cade, one of those special young men I have been blessed to call my own. I watched Joshua grow into an amazing human, and for the past several years, I’ve had the privilege of being Cade’s pastor, his second mom, and one of the people cheering him on as he has grown into such a fine young man.
Sometimes the similarities between Cade and Josh are uncanny and heartwarming all at the same time. Their reactions, their humor, and the way they connect with all their friends can stop me in my tracks and make me smile. There are moments when Cade says or does something that reminds me so much of Joshua, and it feels like a small gift from God.
This summer, I had the blessing of spending so much time with Cade—from NYC to watching him serve as a Kids Camp counselor and then attending Teen Camp as a camper. I was able to be part of so many moments, and I will always be grateful for that time together.
This picture was taken ten years ago today at a Shorebirds game when our whole church, The River, went together. At the time, we had no idea how deeply our lives would become intertwined.
Cade’s family walked through the fire with us during Joshua’s journey. They stood beside us during the hardest days, and they have continued to be a light in the years since Joshua passed. Now, their family is facing a heartbreakingly similar battle. We wish they never had to understand this kind of pain, but we are so grateful that we can walk beside them with an understanding and connection that others may not have.
God has joined our families in a way that is heartbreaking, beautiful, and difficult to put into words. In the middle of circumstances none of us would ever choose, His grace has given us one another.
Ten years later, this picture is so much more than a memory. It reminds me that God was already weaving our families together long before we understood how much we would need one another.
These two boys have my heart—and they always will.