bread and water

Be the one who is different  because you have Christ in you.  Be the one who says no  to the things of the world.  The line is too blurry  between Christ followers and the world.  We should be light in the darkness.  Sometimes light hurts your eyes if you’re used to the dark.  You might make people uncomfortable  if you’re too different.  There’s a difference between loving others  and joining in their sin.  We can love others without compromising our convictions.  If your friend group were to hear from someone that you  are a Christ follower, would they be shocked? Or will they say, “Yes, I could tell there was something  different about her.” The Bible puts it this way, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so you can test and approve what the Lord’s Will is.” Romans 12:2 

 I tried not to talk about it. And before you get any ideas, I’m not talking about my husband. A counselor told me that emotional abuse is harder than physical abuse for several reasons. It’s unseen. The lies, manipulation and brainwashing can make you think things are okay, but they aren’t okay. The gaslighting and gift giving can cause utter confusion. Maybe they’re nice after all? But why do I feel so drained?  Emotional abusers are like emotional vampires who suck the life right out of you to get their fix, at your expense.  All they care about is how they look to others. They may be physically there but emotionally absent. If you set a boundary and don’t let them near you, they find someone else to torment. I use strong language because it is intense. They cause deep pain to those they hurt but they don’t see it. They lie and cause turmoil and try to break apart healthy relationships. It’s truly sad.  If you find yourself struggling with anxiety or depression and you can’t find th

I woke up to ads on Instagram telling me I needed lip plumper and lip filler and a wrinkle eraser cream.  They say (who are they anyway) we should look a certain way, be a certain size even after having multiple babies, and fit into a social mold.  They say we should lengthen our lashes but God says we are accepted in the Beloved.  “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” That’s Bible.  The Lord desires that we conform to His image. Instead of focusing on our outward appearance, He focuses on the heart. He tells us to love, to be kind, to forgive, to be meek and patient.  He wants to change our pride to humility, our envy to contentment, our jealousy to love.  He wants to change our gossip to encouragement, our lies to truth.  He gives us a garment of praise and a robe of righteousness.  He gives us the armor of God in Ephesians.  When I think of getting spiritually ready it excites me.  When I think of all the ads that come at me wanting me to stay young

 When you have little ones, the days are long but the years are short. I can’t get over that my oldest is 17. When I was a young Mom, older women would tell me that they wished they would’ve had more kids. I have the same regret, even though I have 4. ”Be fruitful and multiply” right? But I also know the loss and grief of miscarriage. I had one after Titus when I was 14 weeks pregnant and the doctor thinks I may have had a couple more. God is in control. I’m thankful for the blessings He has given and realize that all good gifts come from God and I don’t have control over it. God opens and closes the womb. He gives life and takes away. He has a plan that we don’t see here on earth…at least not all of it. When I look at Titus I am so thankful we said yes to God when He asked us to surrender to having more kids. That was hard. But I don’t regret surrendering to the Lord.  You can read about my surrender story in my new Bible study called The Art of Surrender found at www.beboldbebrave.or

 As I was sitting beside John and Titus watching the fireworks 💥 (my favorite thing to do) I had this thought.  Our life is a vapor (my Nana said that and she’s 88 and the Bible says that).  It’s here for just a moment, like a firework. 💥 Make your life count while you’re here on this earth for just a short while. 💥 Be a light for Jesus (in the end He’s all that matters). 😇 When you die and stand at the judgment you won’t be asked how many Instagram followers you had.  You won’t be asked if you were famous on this earth.  You won’t be asked how well your investments did or how much money you made.  You won’t even be asked which church you attended and what you wore.  All that matters is if you KNOW Jesus personally as your Lord and Savior and Friend and Redeemer.  We can’t even trust in good works or religion.  As our friend Joe Huff says, ”Is the blood enough?” What will your life of a spark set ablaze? 💥🔥 Isn’t it truly about knowing and loving God, loving others and glorifying

  Everything about my life right now is not how I planned it. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it. It’s just funny how when you surrender your life to God, He takes you to places you never thought you would go.   I never thought I would leave Oconee County in Georgia. I loved living there. But we have lived in Kentucky and West Virginia and Cleveland, Georgia throughout the years.  I said I would never marry a guy from Oconee but I did. I thought I would go to the University of Georgia and try out for the cheerleading squad there. Instead I felt led to go to a Bible College in North Georgia where I met my husband (who was from Oconee County). I went to school from Kindergarten through 12th grade with his little brother who was my age, but I had never met John until Bible College. Only God knew.  I didn’t see myself as a kid person and didn’t want to have kids right away…but God changed our minds. At 22 years old I was pregnant with our firstborn and then we had lots more. Four boys