Well, at least there’s that...

  I’ve wondered why  people walking in Gods plan often respond to a compliment by saying, “it was God”. Was it only God? Scripture states that he does nothing without man. “Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭18‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.18.17.NIV  He gave the earth to us, so he uses us   We have to participate   For example, a young man was telling me part of his life’s story. And I told him how much his smile brightened my day.  His respond was “it’s God”,  The reason for the smile is God, I agree. The journey that brought that smile was his. However, I often perceive people don’t accept their part in Gods gift because they were taught that was to be prideful. Is saying “it’s God” a sign of humility? Let’s talk about that. What if the young man had  chosen to do drugs and destroy his mind? He wouldn’t have the heart, or joy or the shine that God gave him.  Are we so irrelevan...

  Psalms 23. “He leads me by still waters…” I’ve read the Bible most of my life. I love to read   I’ve heard this verse preached over and over again, but today, as I was reading a different book, I grasped a principle I had not seem previously. Nothing is new under the sun, but there are insights that we miss that can change the way we understand truth. The way I saw this scripture unexpectedly opened my eyes to a new insight.  I was thinking about the fact that evil and deception are rooted in truth.  If a lie didn’t start with truth, we would recognize the lie and immediately run from it. Anyway, I like fiction books   They pull from the dreamer in me and. help me see beyond the possible   As I was reading the book I mentioned, there was a lake that was only clear when the person went into it. If a person was looking on the outside,  the water  still looked murky.  I saw a spiritual concept in that word picture. We are all created  in ...

Wasps  I've been thinking about this subject for a long time. Let me explain what I mean by "Walk Away from the Wasps."  There've been times in my life when I thought "If I can just explain what happened, I can fix it!" I want to fix so many things that are out of my control....don't you? Here's the story that started this thought process. I had a job that I loved. I was good at it and I was laughing and happy for the first time in a long time. Then something beyond my control happened and I couldn't explain it. I had an accident. Nobody was hurt, no damage was done, but I was fired because they said I was negligent. I've never been fired in my entire life. I was devastated. How could this happen? Why did it happen? What happened? Well, a few months later, I found out what happened. If you read my blog "I believe I can fly, but I'd rather not," you'll read about a serious accident that happened at another job. That accident ...

Has anyone ever told you that your pain is minimal? Have they compared your pain to someone else? Let me tell you a story and let’s see if you can hear the ridiculousness of those kinds of comments . I’m a cancer survivor. I still have many side effects from having internal heated radiation and almost 30 surgeries in the past 23 years.  I was having issues with scar tissue.  It was blocking my intestines and there was nothing that could be done.  I had a gastroenterologist insist on doing a colonoscopy, even though I told him he couldn’t do it . It was awful.  He drugged me and did it anyway I was violated . When I woke up he told me how bad the scar tissue was.  I started crying.  It’s hard to survive such a huge event only to know there’s more to deal with   This gastroenterologist told me to cheer up . After all, there were children with cancer??? Cancer is horrible! Why would I feel better knowing a child was suffering like I was. Where is the comf...

 “Triggered”. One of the most overused words.  I had someone tell me they’d been “triggered” because their children wouldn’t do the dishes.  No, that’s “frustrated “ and you can control that outcome. “ Reward reversal”. If they don’t do the work, they lose a reward. No drama, no screaming just natural consequences.  When a person suffering from PTSD is triggered, it’s as if someone part of past trauma has resurfaced and the person is bombarded by the feelings of said  trauma.  A friend of mine was in a car accident and nobody from their family came to check on or support them They actually turned their phones off. Yes, that’s cruel in itself. When you’re a person that’s suffered from abandonment and trauma a situation like that “triggers “ that person to relive every time they were abandoned. My friend went into a trauma response and assumed the families response was the same as they’d experienced previously..  They stopped speaking to my friend and ga...

 Once I asked a “qualified “ person what was wrong with me? Why did I get hurt so deeply by others? Why did their disapproval of me matter.  “What’s wrong with me?” The answer they gave me was awful. They said I was codependent… what? So I depended on others too much and was clingy to find approval??? They were so wrong. They had no clue what it’s like to survive living with abusers. They’re irrational and combust spontaneously.  You never know what’s going to happen next. So, you live on guard. You have to judge the mood of the room before you enter it in order to survive.  I was also told that I’m a “fixer.”  Yes, I have to fix everyone. That’s also a condition of abuse. If the abuser has a problem, fixing it is the only way to survive another day or another moment.  When a person is abused most of their lives they have to learn how to think differently. Relaxing is a luxury never afforded them. PTSD is very real. So, when someone sneaks up behind you, yo...

   Make Church Great Again   I’ve given this subject a great deal of thought. The Church is supposed to be an institution, a safe haven, a light house, a refuge for the broken. There must be places that still believe in those concepts, aren't there? Is there still room for the broken at church? I'm going to take you through the journey of an individual that went to “church,” searching for the Biblical aspects of The Church. Throughout her journey I'd like you to ask, "What can the church do differently?"   Angie has just experienced a life altering change. The people that she cared for, the people she gave her life to care for, have just rejected her. She literally has no one, so, she goes to church. Her prayer is that she will find comfort, let’s see if she finds what she’s looking for. Here’s her story:  " I can’t believe that my family has rejected me again. I have no idea what they think I’ve done. I guess I have to start over one more time....

  https://youtu.be/_6y5bgrKhLI?si=okhqwhA-CR5EyA80 I love this song.  I believe I can fly, but I’d rather not.  Have you ever dreamt that you were flying? Did you try to fly when you were a child? Did you jump off a roof (I don’t recommend it) to see if you could fly?  Me too! Let me tell you about one of the times and hopefully the last time I flew.  It was a sunny day and all was well. I had a job as a tram driver. I was so excited!  I’m limited to what I can do when it comes to working. This seemed like the perfect job for me. I'd drive a truck pulling a tram in circles.   The venue I was working for had a concert that night. I was thrilled. I’d be doing something I enjoyed.  Plus I’d get to hear the concert. I had already made a couple of friends, so I was feeling really good.  The employee parking lot wasn’t finished yet. The venue was a work in progress. I was asked to take a golf cart down a hill and bring employees up the hill. I...

Have you or someone near to you been physically, mentally or emotionally abused? Growing up and marrying an emotional abuser can skew a persons ability to comprehend that they are being abused. While growing up, I had the impression that I was the reason my father failed in ministry. The concept was “if you weren’t born we would have traveled and had a great ministry.” Nobody knows where I got this idea from, but it was firmly planted in my mind.  The abuser changed tactics as I grew older. When he was having a “bad” day, it was my fault. I was literally told “he only acts like that when you’re around.” So, I stayed away from him as much as possible to keep him from blowing up or acting hateful. I assumed that it was my fault. The root of abuse is the need for power.   Abusers , all abusers, are thirsty for power. There are no exceptions.  During my childhood the abuser would be very kind, then funny, then cruel. People didn't or didn't want to see the cruel side. As...