Jenn's Journey

Good morning, friends. I hope you are enjoying your long weekend. ☺ As you celebrate, please take time to remember those who have sacrificed for our freedom. Take a moment to pray for this country of ours, too! Grab a cup of coffee or tea and relax…it's a holiday!

I'm up early this morning. The birds are just beginning to sing, which is my favorite time of day, and the darkness is fading into light. I've been struggling with what to share this week. So often my blogs have been written out of my pain, or a difficulty I've experienced, and the lessons I've learned. Right now, I feel like I am having a mountaintop experience after being in the valley for a long, long time. I am so grateful.

I get inspired by memes that I see on Facebook. I save the ones that speak to me the most. In fact, I have so many saved to my phone I may have to weed them out one of these days. The one that spoke to me this week is: "Those mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb." Think about that for a minute. 

 Life tends to pile more onto us than we can handle. Anger, political unrest, abuse, loss, tragedies, death, divorce, broken relationships, addictions…the list could go on. Everywhere people are staggering under the loads they carry. I've been there. I just happen to be in a moment where I've stepped on top of the mountain.

Not for one minute do I think I've accomplished this on my own. Nor do I believe that I won't ever have to climb another mountain. What I do know is this: there is Someone who has shown me that not only will He help me climb the mountain, He will shoulder the load. It's taken me awhile to learn this and accept the help He gives freely.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. What are you carrying, friend? What mountain do you need Him to carry you up? His promise of rest is waiting for you. 

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn

Freedom Friday's

It’s Friday…already! Whew, time’s flying by! Join us for another revelation in Jennifer’s freedom journey! You won’t be disappointed. Grab your coffee and your strand of faith…the knots will be worth tying!

John Maxwell, Leadership expert, states that “Success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.”  Most people see success as and endpoint but it really is a journey.  Our purpose is simply a (me or you shaped) hole that only we are uniquely qualified to fill.  It is our responsibility to discover what hole God created us to fill.  Hurt and pain can keep us from wanting to walk in our purpose. We can feel aimless, pointless and worthless in that moment.  

Knowing our purpose is not only essential to our freedom, but is our freedom journey.  The pain that we have suffered makes us uniquely qualified to help someone else!   

For a very long time I have felt pointless, aimless and invisible to the world and to God.  I allowed various past and present hurts to keep me feeling that way.  One day I read in my Bible, “God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things.” (2 Corinthians 1:4, 6 NLT) 

I realized that God was brewing up a greater purpose that will outlast my pain, but He needed me to open my eyes and see it. So I have started reaching out to others instead of pushing away.

We can be a blessing in the lives of others by looking at:

• Where God has brought us. What pain in your life can you help someone else through?
• What God has done in you. How has He prepared you to be a light in someone else’s life?
• Those who need help. Where are the women who are now experiencing what you once did?
• God’s strength and depending on Him.
• Opportunities to be a blessing in someone else’s life.

Believe me when I say that helping others will help in your healing and freedom journey.  Move from being a wounded woman to a warrior woman in God’s army.

Jennifer

Wednesday's Word

2^ND Corinthians 4:16

2nd Corinthians 4:16: Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day!

Welcome to Wednesday’s Word & Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. I’m not so certain men really think about this subject as much as women do, so ladies, join me for what I hope will be a joyful blog about the topic of aging…gracefully!

I’ll never forget the first time, or any time thereafter, for that matter, that I looked down at my feet while exercising and literally gasped! What in the world was that around my knees, this sort of jelly-like flesh that headed west while I was trying to stand up towards the east? But it didn’t stop there! It happened while working my upper body as well I’d look to the north only to see the skin around my arms heading south!

What in the world…why in the world….I began this internal anguish, and suddenly it hit me: the body is aging; the heart is willing but my flesh…well, it’s a tell-tale sign that I am in deed getting older.

So a few weeks ago, after too many occurrences like this, as well as a stolen glimpse here and there in the mirror while getting dressed, I determined in my heart this goal: I was going to be fit, firm and fun by _____! I’ll give you a hint: both numbers of the age begin with an “F”! I figure the only thing to do is try to build some more muscle to take up residency in that flapping skin!

There’s just a wee-little problem with this grandiose goal of mine: It requires more of me and from me in order to achieve. Sure, the muscles have great memory, and yet everything is moving at a much slower pace within, especially my energy level…except the aging cell! Why can’t I just age gracefully? Why does my flesh scream hide my flesh, fix my flesh, especially in light of this amazing word found in 2^nd Corinthians 4:6? Could it be that my flesh is ruling my heart? I mean, look at the end of the first statement: “…do not lose heart”! 

How does one find that balance in the midst of “the change of life” where gravity seems to have disappeared? 

I think the first thing is to take our eyes off of our flesh, and set them on the things of the Spirit, just as we are told in Romans 8:5. Oh, how I now understand more than ever this truth: that the more I focus on the flesh, the more I will be ruled by my flesh! 

As I was struggling with this too, too much over the last couple of weeks, I heard a whisper:  Even though your outward woman is perishing, the inward woman is being renewed day by day! 

Talk about a splash of perspective! Don’t you just love how He speaks through His word to let us know He loves us right where we are, just how we are? 

I am determined to keep my eyes on the One who gives me each day to age, plugged into the Power Source that I would be eternally renewed day by day, despite what the external looks like. ☺ When I get there, He’s certainly not going to talk to me about how great my body looked; He’s much more invested in our spiritual self!

How about you; are you preparing your inner self to see Him face to face? 

Learning to rejoice in the process…

Evinda

Jenn's Journey

Good morning and happy Monday! Thank you for stopping by once again. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you reflect on some of my thoughts.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29
"Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him." Ecclesiastes 10:12

Ever stop to think how your words affect others? This has been a subject matter of my prayers recently. It is way too easy for careless words to slip from my lips, especially when I am tired, stressed, triggered or in a hurry. 

My job deals with people, which means I meet all kinds! When a person sits in my chair to have his/her teeth cleaned, I never know what I may hear.  For the first time in 22 years, I had a patient swear at me, and say some very ugly words. I was taken aback, nearly to the point of tears. The words stung. I had to struggle to remain professional. I was able to keep my voice calm and try to ease the situation, but it took prayer to do so. 

I understand that often people are upset and anxious at dental appointments, which causes them to lash out.  While I understand this, it's hard to be the one who takes the brunt. I've noticed that if it's the first patient of the day who spews negativity, it can set a tone for my day. While it's my responsibility to rise above, and remain pleasant, that task can seem monumental sometimes.

I remember once asking a clerk at a store how her day was going. She acted surprised that I would ask, and thanked me for doing so. Words, attitude, they matter! In a world that has gone mad, where people hardly think twice about tearing others down with words, we are called to a different standard.

I can do better at speaking graciously and using words that build others up. There's a quote by Maya Angelou that really hits home: "'I've learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

Words are not easily forgotten when they are unkind, and how those made us feel will certainly be recalled.

 I pray for God's grace to work in me, that the words I use build others up.

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn

Freedom Friday's

Welcome to our Freedom Friday series! Grab your coffee and your strand of faith because there are definitely some little knots to tie in the bigger scheme of spiritual roadblocks!

Removing Spiritual Roadblocks

“And it will be said: ‘Build up, build up; prepare the road!  Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.’" (Isaiah 57:14, NIV)

Roadblocks are physical barriers, circumstances, or people that hinder us from pursuing our desired paths. There is such a thing as emotional roadblocks! They can also be reoccurring, destructive… attitudes or feelings such as un-forgiveness, anger, guilt, shame, insecurity, hopelessness, or fear (to name a few) that seem to have control over us.

Roadblocks hinder our relationships, interfere with our ability to achieve our goals, and ultimately keep us from reaching our God-given potential.  Simply put, it keeps us from the freedom that He wants us to walk in.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)

Breaking through Roadblocks (mindsets, habits, and patterns):

• God hears the cry of the oppressed. Stand firm in the belief that our Father is a good Daddy that cares about our physical, emotional, mental or spiritual prisons.

• Only God can set us free.  “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17).

• Understand our responsibility is to walk in the freedom that Christ purchased for us! No matter what has happen to us or where our circumstances are.

•          Guard your heart: Proverbs 4:23.  “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”
•  
•           Acknowledge your feelings.  Transformation rarely happens overnight.  Daily (sometimes hourly) we have to remind ourselves that it’s ok to feel.  Instead of wallowing in those feelings, face them and then repeat scriptures or journal or call up a friend.

Are you Ready to Begin the Journey to Overcoming Your Roadblocks?  The first step is to ask God to begin showing you areas of your life where Roadblocks exist.  Write out or journal those roadblocks.  Acknowledging them is the biggest step toward healing.

Jennifer

Wednesday's Word

She Said “Yes!”

Luke 1:36: Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! Grab your coffee or whatever you’re having for our time together, and don’t forget your strand of faith because I’m certain there will b a knot or two to tie! Oh, and I should warn you, this blog is not about a proposal…per say, or maybe it is!

Mother’s Day has come and gone but a scripture our pastor walked us to and through on Mother’s Day got me to thinking -- Uh-oh! – and inspired this blog.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I where I am supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing?” Or, “Am I on the wrong track?”

I have to admit, even though I’m in ministry, I do ask myself those questions, and too many times to count! Yes, it’s because I am in ministry that I know I don’t have it all together and constantly have to stay plugged into the source. If I pull away even the tiniest bit, I can tend to feel so disconnected.

Oh, how I love His ways that are definitely beyond my own comprehension at times, but His answers…well, they are always comprehensible for He speaks to us in the way we need to hear, if we will only listen. Let me tell you, He got my attention on Mother’s Day and to give this truth even more value, I must share with you that I was ready to throw in the towel…on all sorts of things, including ministry!  I was definitely headed on the wrong road, yearning the simple life of just working as a court reporter, making money and spending money…But then God used my pastor to speak into my soul.

Allow me to give you a little background about Mary, in my humble opinion, the greatest and bravest mother that ever lived: She was young, poor, and definitely from the wrong side of town -- just a few of the characteristics that culture tried to use to define her as someone certainly not worthy to carry the Savior in her womb. I am not exactly sure how she met Joseph, or how long they were “going out” or “dating,” as our culture calls it, before they became engaged, but nevertheless at 15, she found herself engaged to a very honorable man, someone who loved her just the way she was. Isn’t that what we all want?

And now there appears an angel of the Lord telling her she will, through the Holy Spirit, conceive a child who will be the Son of God! See, the problem is she wasn’t married, hadn’t “known” Joseph in that way, and to say yes would be the biggest risk she would ever take. Sure, maybe nowadays getting pregnant before marriage seems to be the way it happens for a lot of couples, but back then, it wasn’t. And besides, she didn’t get pregnant by her fiancé!  It is a hard thing for us to wrap our minds around this “immaculate conception,” so let’s move to the life-applicable truths for you and me!

First, do you realize the impact of her saying “yes”? How she said yes in that moment impacted not only all her tomorrows, but ours as well! This is where we we’re going to sit for a minute.

What we say “yes” to really does have an impact on our tomorrows and yet, there are times when I just want to throw my hands up and say not only no, but heck no! I get tired, frustrated, discouraged; I wonder why I always have to be the bigger person, the one to change, the one to keep my mouth shut, the one to show up and shut up! Are you feeling what I’m saying? That’s exactly where I was at when I was walked to and through the story of Mary saying yes.

Saying yes when we want to say no is tantamount to jumping off a mountain…and waiting for Him to catch us. And He will! It’s the when that can often send us diving instead of soaring, striving instead of thriving.

See, when it comes to things that matter, things of eternal value, there is no neutrality. There are many moments in our life that we must “seize the moment,” make a decision to say yes, jump…. and then wait for Him to catch us!

So if Jesus were to ask you to do something that is completely outside of your comfort zone, something that society wouldn’t agree with or to, something that stretched you beyond your imagination, what would your answer be?

Counting my stock in Spandex…. and continuing to say yes!

Evinda

PS. I’d like to say happy birthday to a very special young lady in my life, my step-daughter Breanne! Tiny one, I pray that the memories you create celebrating you will squeeze your heart with love and laughter to last you a lifetime!

Jenn's Journey

Happy Monday! Thanks for stopping by. How good are you at thinking of others before yourself? I had to ask myself this in the past week, so here are some of my thoughts.

Last weekend, we went to the Renaissance Fair. It was a lot of fun. I enjoy people watching. Some people go all out and dress as if they stepped out of the Middle Ages. Others, you wonder if they checked a mirror before leaving the house. Shopping, eating, and watching shows and music are all part of the fun.

My daughter and I stood in a line for 45 minutes so she could roll around in a giant, air-filled bubble on a pool of water.  We watched as a mother of a young boy walked him to the front of the line. She sheepishly said, "Oh, he doesn't know how to wait in line." Those of us who had already waited with our kids looked at each other stunned!

A couple days later I was again waiting in line. This time I was at the bank. Only two tellers were working. One of the customers was talking away, apparently about the death of someone in her family, seemingly unaware of the growing line behind her. I found myself getting very irritated.

I've been pondering these instances this week. On one hand, it's hard to understand how people can think so little of others, especially in the first example. Where has common courtesy gone? Everywhere we look, we see selfishness, and the 'me first' attitude. I have to admit that my annoyance in the bank was because I wanted to get in and get on with my day.

A verse came to mind: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." (Philippians 2:3) How would this look for me while at the bank? Perhaps I could be less irritated by thinking perhaps the woman has few people she talks to, and this was a time she could finally say what was on her mind. I was not in a particular hurry so I could afford to be more patient. Maybe I could say a prayer for the young mother who was not teaching her son manners. Does this mean the behavior of others is not selfish? No. But it does mean that I will take into account how I think and how I act.

As Christians, we are called to be counter-culture. It's not about 'me first' in the kingdom of God.

Until next week, be blessed.

Jenn