Today was our first day back to church, Praise God! Cornerstone Church was open since it’s inside our county lines, so we went there. It was heaven on earth to be able to worship in person! The pastor, Dr. Anthony Pranno, preached on 1 Samuel 17:45 with David’s challenge to Goliath in the name of the Lord to give us encouragement for the “giants” we face in our lives!… Read the rest
Talking to Your Kids About Drugs: Part 1 – Introduction
By Laura Stack
Continuing our Mental Health Month theme, I’m introducing a four-part series (this is part 1) on how to talk to your kids about drugs and why drugs are so bad for them from a mental health perspective.
You’ve probably seen this topic addressed before—maybe even a lot.… Read the rest
What I Wish I Knew About the Signs of Suicide: Should I Blame Myself?

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide method mentioned
I woke with a start. It was 1:03 AM on Thursday, November 20, 2019. I reached over to pick up the phone, fully expecting to see Johnny’s name on the screen again, and instead, it said Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.… Read the rest
TODAY IS 420 DAY!
Do you know what 420 Day is? Why is today meaningful? And more importantly, where will your teen be at 4:20 PM today? The answer is…probably at home due to COVID-19…thankfully.
Because today, 4/20, is International Weed Day, the day people around the world celebrate a drug that remains illegal in the U.S.: marijuana.… Read the rest
Johnny and I Had a Secret
When my forever 19-year-old son, Johnny, was a young boy, he and I had a “secret” that we kept to ourselves. I told him God told me when he was born he was going to do something really important in this world.… Read the rest
Johnny’s Five Values
Many of you have asked me to let you know if there’s anything you can do. I think there may be! I first want to thank Jane Jenkins Herlong for commissioning this beautiful artwork of Johnny’s “Values I Believe are the Most Important.”… Read the rest
JOHNNY’S STORY
Johnny Stack was born on February 7, 2000 and died by suicide on November 20, 2019 at the age of 19. He was an incredibly intelligent, funny, charming, handsome young man, which you can see in his tribute video. We are a regular suburban family that did regular family things.… Read the rest