We parents, we stumble through a lot more than we may let on. What we most often let the world see is confidence, security, resolution— but underneath it all, the stuff we often protect from detection is a jumbled mess of emotions…
How God Changed Paul
Convinced. Paul— then called Saul— was convinced. He was right. He was righteous. I can’t help but notice the word “con” in “convinced”. It took God setting then Saul aside, taking him away from his circle of influence, blinding him, opening his true sight— and then He reopened his physical eyes. Paul was conned by […]
The Blood of Jesus
Who can understand how the blood of Jesus can wipe away the sins of the world? Only God. The same God Who created time itself, created a way where He could come onto Earth, and prepare the only way to eternal Salvation for a fallen, disgraced, despicable humanity. The only way. Blood is not a […]
Back To My First Love
Lately my time, one-on-one with God has been a spontaneous thing, which becomes steered by intention. Something within me has changed. My perspective, or I guess my realization of the reliability— the consistent stability— of God with me. I never question His willingness to make sure I am taken care of. He has never wavered— […]
Vlogging- Venting Blog
So– I know this will be shocking, but– I have a pet peeve. Actually, I have a few. But the one I am being pounced on by right now is– well– I’ll call it flabbergasted. I am biting my proverbial tongue pretty hard right now, in all honesty. The ignorant gall of some people brings […]
Reflections
Today is my birthday. I’m ?? years old– my Grandma always said “A lady never reveals her age.” I’m feeling like– I made it! I survived! I feel a kind of rejunenation today. Also tired. I’m leaving an era behind me. My husband just retired from the military, and we’re moving into a new phase […]
Don’t Forsake The Assembling Of ‘Ourselves’ Together
Hebrews 10:25. How many times I’ve heard that– especially when I’ve missed a service at some churches. I’ve lost count! I’ve exhausted and frustrated myself trying to jump through those hoops that lead to acceptance. What about when the assembly forsakes it’s own members? Like me. When my health started to betray me, and I […]
Is Church Membership A Two-Way Street?
Over the past few years, my husband and I have gotten involved with several ministries. We’ve gone to churches or chapels. We’ve gone through membership classes, fulfilled membership requirements– jumped through those expected hoops… Then we moved, as is the military way. We’ve lived Stateside twice, for a combined 3 1/2 year total of our […]
Just Stop–
Daily busyness mutes His voice. So many things clutter our lives, clutter our hearts– clutter our churches. So many good things. So many good intentions. So many ideas to please God, programs to help people, traditions we’ve convinced ourselves we need. Abel understood the very heart of God. It was more than just hearing and obeying God. […]
Happy Birthday, United States Air Force– What Is There To Even Celebrate Now?
As a veteran and military spouse with 22 years of Air Force experience, what can I say about my beloved branch of service on its 69th birthday? I was proud the day I stepped out of MEPS with a promised new, exciting yet completely unknown future. At 24, after a failed marriage to a man […]
Fighting An Invisible Enemy
I have an invisible enemy. I’ve fought against it for as long as I can remember. This enemy does not fight fair. It hides in the shadows. I have exhausted myself many times throughout my lifetime trying to fight back, but it dodges every retaliatory jab. My enemy catches me off-guard, though less often […]
What You See Isn’t Always What You Get
We live in a timeline of illusions. Photoshop and other apps often help us give the appearance of faked perfection. Movies and tv shows take us to other times, places, worlds, universes, and realms of perception. Even Reality shows are not very “real”. We are so caught up in a culture of perfection that the […]
Dark Reflection: Looking At The Painful Past
I hate looking at my past. I hate remembering. I have set out so many times to write “my story”, but something always blocks me. I think it might be “this” me hating the “old” me. I don’t want to look at it through my memories. Why would you? Today my youngest was playing with […]
What Do Women Really Want?
There are too many things competing for your attention, and your affection– those things the woman in your life most deserves.
Don’t Talk About It
Confronting is the first step to healing.
I Once Was Not A Christian
I have had a lot of experiences in my lifetime. Way too many to write about here. I’ll break it down into two parts: Before Christ and After Christ. I’ll even throw in some Why I CHOSE Christ, for added tangibility. So, BC: I was born into a family that loved me, but that love […]
God Loves Divorcées
I get it. God hates divorce. Divorced people also hate divorce. It’s ugly. It’s destructive. It tears apart what God put together. It turns a peaceful union into a war zone. Moses gave permission for divorce because mens hearts had hardened against their wives. A hardened heart makes way for cruelty and abuse. Moses was […]
One Anothering
My husband and I got into an argument early this morning. Which, in all honesty, is an uncommon, even a rare thing for us. We both had had a long night for different reasons, both feeling tired and some stress. He was snippy with me, I was short-fused because of that and the long night… […]
Depression IS A Thing
Worth
Comfortable In My Faith
Do you find yourself being a reactionary or responsive Christian? I want to be responsive, but I have reactive tendencies far too often. My reflex at feeling attacked, questioned, put on the spot or called names like hypocrite used to be to jump into action and find Scripture to back up my actions, words and […]
So What?
This is what my insides feel like every time I try to write my story. Gut-wrenched. I describe that feeling to my husband as killer moths flapping around in my tummy. Every time I tell a portion of my story it feels like someone reached inside of me and yanked a piece of me out. […]
180 Into Momhood
It started with a carnation. Just over 20 years ago I walked into my church service on Mother’s Day Sunday. A divorced Airman, stationed in Japan, I assumed everyone knew my status. But a boy handed me a red carnation, my favorite flower. I started to give […]
Exposed
I hate my past. I hate the parts of my personal story that involve my past. I don’t like who I was, I don’t like what I lived through. I abhor my reactions and choices. I despise where I had no choice or that I […]
What’s In An Opinion?
I have always liked people. Anyone who really knows me, knows it’s kind of my nature to try to put others before myself. Sometimes I’m clumsy about it, often I appear to just be trying too hard. OK– yeah, I try too hard. Always I just want others to know they […]
Embracing Pain and Fear
Do you know Who you belong to? Do you believe on Him so deeply, that no amount of pain or suffering will manipulate you into relenting and turning away?
My Mom Is One Of A Kind
The things I learned from my mom are perseverance, strength, wisdom and loyalty. My mom is: Practical Economically minded Resourceful Supportive Effective Valuable Excellent Rational Authentic Needed Courteous Encouraging Strong-willed Tenacious Realistic Engaging Necessary Generous Thoughtful Humorous Wise Intentional Selfless Daring Outgoing Magnanimous Logical Original Yielded to God Ambitious […]
Before and After: A Matter of Perspective
It’s been 2 months since my dad’s passing, wow, to the day. My timing isn’t planned, just lucky coincidence. This picture accurately represents something unexpected for me. My dad is smiling here. He was happy because my husband was able to visit him. When my dad was alive, it […]
Jemtree's Heart 