Category Archives: Blog Posts

With strong family ties to the area, our latest People of The Ville honoree gives us a look into the past of our great city. Bill Beam, Jr. and his family have a long residence in Louisville with family history dating back to 1798 when his fifth great-grandfather, Captain Peter Fontaine, whose property later became known as Fountain Ferry Park, arrived in Louisville. Bill also explained that this was not the earliest arrival to Kentucky and “many family members lived in Kentucky (primarily in Frankfort, Shelbyville and the Bardstown area) years before the state’s admission to the union in 1792”. … Continue reading →

1Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Thankful…for so much Years ago, when my children were small, we used to have a “Thankful Tree”. The idea was not my own but borrowed from somewhere long before the internet was so large and ideas for such things were plentiful. If you’ve never heard of this, it’s simple. I would draw a large tree on paper (I used to get the end rolls from a newspaper office) and then tape the picture on a prominent wall in our home. I used colorful leaves cut from construction paper—enough for all six of us for every day in November. Every day, each of us would take one leaf and write on it something we were thankful for and then tape the leaf to the tree. By the end of the month, the tree would be full and the visual was excellent for the girls to see how much we could be thankful for instead of dwelling on what we didn’t have. … Continue reading →

I have been a football coach’s wife for years. It’s a unique and awesome experience and my new book (still working on) is about one year in particular but is also about the incredible and sometimes heartbreaking times that we all have to endure for that one moment when it all comes together. This season and last I decided to experience it all in a new way. For years, I have sat in wind, rain, snow, and heat. I have stood along the fence to allow my kids time to stretch their legs. Many years I spent in the stands cheering and crying alongside the other parents. Several times, I sat in a dark van along the parking lot with a sick child to try to catch glimpses of the struggle on the field. There are moments when I wanted to scream for joy and others when I felt anger well to the point of a near explosion. Whether it was a poor referee call or a comment from someone in the stands or maybe a rowdy group across the field, I was always a Tiger…or a Cyclone…and the last 15 years a tried and true Bearcat. The past two years I elected to give the parents a break and time to enjoy their own young men and took my camera to the sidelines. I have enjoyed the fresh perspective and everyone was amazingly respectful. Most who know me well know that I took a rather hard hit last year and had a bruise that covered the inside of my thigh for weeks (I still have some pain from it). Last night, I watched our team fight and struggle…and eventually lose to end their season. We had an amazing year like we knew we would. The guys gave all that they had… I remember a few years ago one team that was similar and very dedicated. When their season ended, several seniors placed their cleats on the Bearcat in center field and left them there to symbolize that they gave all that they had and left it all on the field. This stuck with me last night as I watched these young men fight. As I walked over to hear the speech after the game, I lifted my camera and shot pictures of the young men kneeling before their coach. I do this every time but this night was different. I clicked as many as I thought I needed and turned to walk toward my camera bag to pack up and leave. That’s when it happened… There isn’t much that a 51-year-old woman can give a team to help them on their journey through the season. I gave up my husband to the hours of film and coaching, but I found that I had given something else that I had no idea would happen. I pulled my camera up one last time to try to capture the field but it wouldn’t turn on. The battery had failed…but the camera was dead too. This camera has clicked thousands of pictures through the years and I’m honored that it plowed through this season so well. Smiling, I packed it away and felt another layer of sadness and I thought about those cleats mid-field so many years ago. Part of me wanted to leave my camera there last night…I gave what I could…my husband…my time…and now my camera. The 2017 Bearcat Football season has ended…but now we will see what these young men will accomplish in life. To them I say…give LIFE all that you have. … Continue reading →

1 Peter 1:24-25 For, all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowe**rs fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this was the word that was preached to you. … Continue reading →

Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. As a child, I was afraid of going into my basement. I remember running down and up to get something and singing at the top of my lungs, thinking that would help. When I was older, I was staying with an aunt when I had a horrible experience. … Continue reading →

Prayer seems so simple. We are told to just ask and God will hear us; but do you feel like you’ve been ignored? Some time ago I went through a difficult time with my health. There seemed to be no answer medically and my symptoms only worsened over time. My weight was dropping and I was scary thin. I remember preparing myself for death and thinking through all that I needed to do in order to get my family settled. I started cleaning out cluttered areas and even gave away some of my clothes, trying to make it easier for my family if I passed away. The most difficult part was thinking about my precious daughters and my amazing husband. I was so grief-stricken for them, not just for myself, but then one day…I fell apart. … Continue reading →

The Hurricanes in Life Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. The hurricane coverage is dominating the news right now. The stories of loss and devastation are difficult to watch, but there are other stories of survival and the camaraderie of the human spirit. Every time a natural disaster hits some part of the world, it makes me realize once again how much we depend on God for safety and security. … Continue reading →

The People of The Ville: Melissa Seelow Interest rates have risen but homes are selling faster than ever. To get your next home, you need to move fast and with confidence. One local realtor is helping people do just that and has risen to become a multimillion-dollar producer this past year. Her name is Melissa Seelow of Semonin Realty and she is this month’s featured pick for The People of The Ville series. … Continue reading →

Parenting is difficult. Period. It’s a wonderful journey wrought with emotional toil as well as unimaginable joy. The old saying ‘Long days, short years’ is really true; but even still, those long days can seem very long. … Continue reading →

Introducing: The People of The Ville Louisville, Kentucky is an amazing town with even more amazing people. In this series, I hope to shed some light on the interesting and awesome personalities that make up our great city. … Continue reading →