Wow! 2020 is here. 2019 seemed to just fly by. I just looked back at the last post I did, and it was clear back on March 21, 2019. My desire to write has been non-existent. While I think about it quite often, I just never do it. I'm not sure why. After Mari died, I wrote all the time. It felt like I constantly had things I needed to jot down and write out to express how I was feeling. Now, Mari's been gone over 11 years. As a matter of fact, she would've turned 20 on December 29, just three … [Read more...]
Living Hope
A couple of days ago I shared how I've been internally struggling with a lot of self-loathing and simply not feeling good enough. While the struggle is still ongoing, it's my daily quiet time that helps more than anything else, or for that matter, anyone else, to stay as grounded as possible. Some days I fully outright fail. These are days filled with many tears and the inability to see myself in a positive way. Yet, I guess the positive I need to remember to take away is in those moments where … [Read more...]
Sharing My Struggle
I'm sitting here at my keyboard trying to figure out how to start this very post, yet I can't think of a "fancy" way to do it. So here it goes... I've not shared with very many people the struggles I've been going through for several months now. While I won't go into details, there have been a lot emotionally trying things happening in our home to where I've been really down and my self-loathing is in full swing. I can easily get to a place where I'm beating myself up, saying how stupid I am; … [Read more...]
Does God Have a Plan for Me? #ArmorOfGodStudy #ControlGirl
I haven’t felt compelled to write like this in quite some time. I’ve been having my daily Quiet Time (QT) with God each morning at 4am. Yup, you read that right: 4AM. Let me explain the significance here. I am a die-hard NIGHT OWL (you know - whoot whoot). So me and anything before the sun comes up is so not my thing. However, several months ago I felt God convicting me that in order to start my day off right, a consummate night owl needed to start her day bright and early (well, dark and … [Read more...]
Nehemiah, The Story Continues…
Wow, another long one. I feel like when I'm on a roll, the words just flow out of me and onto the page. I loved how I can see the Holy Spirit working through me as I was studying just the background of the Book of Nehemiah. I hadn't even gotten into the book itself yet. Today is November 8, 2015 and I'm doing week 4 day 3 of the study guide today. Continuing in the Book of Nehemiah 1. Nehemiah, the actual person, wrote the book more as a memoir than just a simple non-fiction book. A … [Read more...]
Are You A History Buff?
I was debating on whether to share the Week 4 Day 2 entry I'd written back on November 7, 2015. It's the first day Jen Hatmaker has us research the background of a book in the Bible before actually getting into the book itself. When I looked at day 2 I figured I was going to be expanding upon this specific day so I better include it so it makes better sense in the end. My hope is that maybe you might learn something like I did the day I did it. Thanks. Today is November 7, 2015 and I am in … [Read more...]
Where to Get the Ultimate Guide Book
(While the following post is much longer than normal at almost 2,000 words, please read the entire thing. I reveal some very person things going on in my life at the time. Thank you.) Today is November 6, 2015 and I am on week 4 day 1 of the study guide. During my quiet time, I talk about some very personal stuff but just how much God has been working in my life. When we think of the Bible, it's like the ultimate guide book. It shows us the kind of person we should strive to be. How to act … [Read more...]
Miraculous Breakthroughs (they really do happen)
I did week 3 day 5 of the study guide back on November 5, 2015. This was a huge break-through day for myself as I discovered some things God was showing me. I literally snapped out of a very depressive state. It was one of the greatest feelings I've been through and grateful the Holy Spirit worked through me the way He did that day. Now I'm going to share it with you what I wrote that day. We are asked to turn back to Psalm 68:5-10 for week 3 day 5, only we’re going to use another study … [Read more...]
How to Find God’s Provision and Protection
For week 3 day 4, Jen had us read Psalm 68:5-10 and establish the main idea, turning it into a title. Title: God’s Provision & Protection “Today let’s see what alternate versions can do for your time in the Word. Allow the Spirit to fill your mind with truth as you read the following translations of verse 6: “God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. (NASB) “God set the lonely in families, He leads … [Read more...]
How to Find Sincere Love
Today (week 3 day 3), Jen has us looking at Romans 12:9-21 again. She has us choose from a list of original phrases found in this set of verses and then has a cross-reference for a specific phrase for each one. I chose two of the nine she has listed on page 173. Original Phrase (NIV): Romans 12:9—“[sincere] love” Cross-Reference: 1 Timothy 1:5, which reads: “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22) and a good conscience and a sincere … [Read more...]
