My Season: Destiny

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I have this thing about windows. All my life I have grown up looking out of them. Dreaming hoping and wondering about the world beyond them. They have been a place to cry, to think, to pray, to dream of my future. I remember having a very hard time envisioning my future. I had so many things I wanted to do with my life and the first was to escape the house I was in. But then what? What was the plan after I ran away? Was there more to life than just survival? All I knew was how to stay alive and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to on the streets.

I never really thought there was much for me beyond just staying alive and loving God. I told God when I was a teen that if His love was all that I had that would be enough for me. If I suffered my entire life and knew He loved me I could survive. It was His love that kept me alive all those years and it would be His love that would continue to do so. But my “plan” was not His plan at all.

I may have thought I was born to suffer but I always knew I was meant to do something powerful one day. I just didn’t know how or what that was. And It didn’t matter at one point because I didn’t believe I could do it even if I figured it out. I could have never  known the hell I would have to walk through would be apart of that call. Honestly if I would have known back then what was coming ahead in order for me to get to the place I am now, I would have ran full speed away from that path and onto the easier option. And who knows where that would have lead me?

For 8 years I have been on a journey leading to my destiny. And I can honestly say I have not reached my full potential in my character to step fully into the Call on my life. I am in a season of  learning to submit my flesh to the Holy Spirit. To surrender my will and allow the Lord to guide me. I feel like I am going through things I already went through years ago. There are times where I get so annoyed and think “Seriously? Have I not already surrendered that to God?” In those moments I feel like I am wasting time on things that I should already have moved on from. But I am seeing that old wisdom can look different with new realities.

One of those things I’m struggling with questioning if what I am doing is God’s will when I have been told time and time again it is by Him. I have seen what happens when I give just a piece of this thing away. The Glory for Him that comes from it. It is undeniable. I worry that the Lord will get tired of my questioning and doubting. But I am so glad He is patient with me because I need a lot of pushing right now.

I am really needing reminders of why I am doing the things I am doing. And God knows exactly what I need before I do.

As I was watching my husband ‘s and I’s favorite show “The Flash” one of the Characters said something that sparked life into me. She said;

“You know what makes a great speedster? It isn’t their speed. It’s being the light that everyone needs when the world goes dark. It’s the kind of person they are. The kind of person that always wants to help. ” 

That reminded me before I even knew me He knew me. And this call was placed on the inside me. It’s apart of who I am not some thing I just picked up on the side of the road one day. I have been walking toward this for 8 years through the guiding of the Holy Spirit. So now I am in the season of praying for the courage to continue forth.

It takes courage to stand and speak when you don’t think anyone is listening. To leave everything and everyone you know in order to follow Jesus fully. It takes courage to walk where no one else is walking. It takes courage to stand in the gap and when the heavens ask “Who will go forth” you say “Here I am. I will Lord.” He is working on me even in the toughest times.

And even when I want to give up for no apparent reason He is faithful to bring people across my path to get me moving and keep me walking forward. So here I am  Lord. Arms open giving you my life so I may keep it! There is no peace without you and you are everything I will ever need. May all those who seek truth find it through me pointing them directly to You. The King of Kings and God of all. El Shaddai may YOU be glorified forever. Amen.

Do you feel the same? If so know I get it. It can be hard when you know you hold something powerful but don’t know how or when you will release it to those who need it. On the road you grow weary, confused, doubtful, fearful and insecure. But none of that will change this fact:

You were made for such a time as this and He is so much more than all of this. You were born with those gifts rather you use them or not. But He will guide all things for His Glory. All you have to do is say:

Here I am. Yes I will.

#ourdestinyhisglory

Building

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Yes I know I have been absent on here. But only for a little bit.. just a little bit.  Aside from the fact I have a family to raise and Co-Lead, there have been things I have been working on that I have not talked about.. until now. As you will find out the more you get to know me I am a women that wears many many hats.  As you have read in my previous post there is so much on my heart. But I have learned the art of contentment and building. 

Building…. Yes that has been the Word for this season of my life.

The Lord and I are building on the call of my life. He, laying down the foundation, paving the way ahead, and cheering me on. And I am being faithful and obedient in placing the bricks in the areas He directs me to. So in time I may walk fully in this magnificent ministry He has designed in me to bring to the World. Many nights I have prayed for the peace of God and called upon the wisdom of rest while laying in my Fathers lap. His love washes over me and He works even as I sleep. My mornings are filled with praise for a new day ahead of me. I know that I will find every tool, every stone I need waiting for me to get to work on this beautiful thing that for now is His and mine alone.

For the first time ever I am now going to reveal to you what I have been working on. I feel it’s time. There are hints in here but not everything will be revealed. This is what the Holy Spirit has directed me to share:

The Book is Coming

I have finally started the editing of “the book”. I have a goal to when I want the editing to be done so it can be sent in to be published. This book carries my heart, spirit and soul. Tears are still being shed as I edit.  For a while I was so afraid to send it out into the world. Afraid the wolves my rip it apart. But who are they? And this story is not my own. How can I hoard something that has never belonged to me? It would be utterly selfish. The cover is done and my heart sings every time I set my eyes on it. For the longest time I had no idea what to do about the cover. Until Rebecca came :). I am amazed at the work I have done through the Lord and how He took care of it all. My very first creation will be such a huge part of my heart. Glory to God for what He has done and what He will do through it!

I’m starting a YouTube Channel.

If any of you have followed me from my previous channel or my previous blog from blogger you know I used to have one. This one will be very different! I had no idea the Lord would call me back on there in the first place. I thought I was done. But it makes complete sense now why last year I started working on it again. The things that the Lord has done I could have never came up with myself. I am so excited for the opportunity to know even more of you out there and share with you some major parts of my life. All for the Glory of God. Because guys I was so okay with just this corner on the internet, even Instagram was His idea. But I do it for all of you. The channel itself will not be active until after the book is ready to be sent into the publishers. I hope to hear from you guys over there when it does!

Now that you know, I will be updating on these things as this year finishes up. Things are evolving in so many areas of my life each month. And with fall harvest, canning season and homeschooling starting up, I have got to get BUSY. I know the Lord will lead me as He has been. I am always amazed at the things I get done. But I know I can’t do anything apart from Him and I can do all things in Him.

Write soon. God bless you guys.

J.S

 

 

Legacy of Love

Being a mom of 4 is quite the challenge. And even though I have gotten a lot stronger since my c-section I have come to realize that sometimes there is just not enough time in the day. I have gotten to the point where I am needing more breaks to rest than I ever had before. I feel bad about that sometimes because I want to give out more so my kids will remember how much I loved them. But I get so darn tired and just need moments of rest.

One of the things I love to do is watch a movie or a documentary while they nap or dad takes them outside to play. One documentary in particular has recently sent me on a thought journey and taught me an important lesson. Being intentional and devoted is the first things that help create a legacy of love for our children and that is what matters the most.

August 1997 was the year that I was 8 turning 9. It was also the month and year that Diana, Princess of Wales died. I was watching  Dianna: In her Own Words on Netflix and revelation sprang forth in my heart. She was the first person I ever looked up to. I barely remember much about the first time I had heard her name. But I knew she was someone very much loved and the beauty of her heart drew me in.

I was so young then on the day of her funeral. My heart was breaking knowing that this person no longer graced this Earth. And I cried. I remember being shocked of how many people were there at her funeral as well every other memorial services around the world.  I had no idea I was not the only who took notice of her. But what amazed me the most were the words being spoken about this woman. This mother.

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When I heard of all that she did for the sick and the left behind I thought in my mind “I want a heart like that. I want to do that one day.” I could have never imagined that my heart would grow to have a hunger to be a humanitarian as well. There is a natural born hatred in me for injustice and suffering. And one day very soon I will be traveling to the least of these just to sow the love of Christ.

As I grew up I came across more information about Diana. The more I found out the more I fell in love wit her. This woman was long gone but she left such a legacy of love that it was still being felt by the living. The one thing that I came across that stood out to me more than anything about Diana was her absolute love and devotion for her children. Each photo and video I saw of her and the two boys,  I remember thinking “I want to be a mother like that!”

I see now well before my children had even entered this world God was already sowing in my heart His will for me as a mother through Diana. I had no other influence. The main women in my life abused me. Hatred and lies were being sown in me daily but the Lord always brought me across women that would sow truth in me and combat it all. All these years it was meant for the now., the today as a mother of four beautiful children.

Some may think that is idolatry. Call it what you want, all I know is God will use the people around you as a child to help you to grow in the way you should go. God always knows what He is doing. And though I had no mother to teach me I had Diana.

In this season of motherhood today I am learning that being an intentional devoted mother is the first step. Devoted to raising well fed healthy kids. Devoted to praying with them and reading them the Word. Intentional in teaching them and disciplining them according to God. Intentionally creating an atmosphere of peace and rest. Some days it’s all that I can do that day and that is enough.

Let me share with you this intentional piece of a letter I just wrote in my motherhood diary. That day was  I was so tired and all I could do is take care of their basic needs and write them a little letter:

“I want to always make sure no matter what, I am doing my part as your mother. It can be hard when I am hurting. But you guys as well as the Lord, get me out of bed every morning and keep me moving forward. You are truly a gift to me. Each one of you created something beautiful in my character.”

There are so many things I have done that I know is creating a legacy of love for my children. I want them to always know that they have been a huge part of who I have become as a mother and women. That Life without them is unimaginable. So I have to remind myself daily. Be intentional and stay devoted. If  today that’s all I’ve got that is everything they need.

God bless you!

Simple, Fresh, Daily Make Up

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When I was a teen I wore make up daily. I always went for a good eyeliner , masacara and every once in awhile a fun eye shadow.  As I have gotten older and my skin has changed (thanks to my pregnancies) things have changed for me quite a bit.

My struggles:

  1. My skin tone is one of the hardest to match. Also I’m much lighter in the winter and much darker in the summer.
  2. Most make up irritates my skin or is way too heavy on my skin. Because of this I can’t use powder and only use liquid. But liquid make up is harder to find in my skin tone.
  3. Mascara can break out my eyes. I have small thin lashes so everything always clumps way too much!
  4. My lips. Oh my! They are full and round so only certian colors don’t make me look like a clown and match perfectly with the color of my skin. Gloss makes them look twice as big and when you mix gloss with color well then my lips transform into balloons.

So as you can see this is one of the reason I am not a fan of make up. It takes alot of work just to find what works for me and well I’ve wasted alot money over the years. And there has been plenty of make up thrown in the trash. Whats the point of keeping it when it doesn’t work?

It’s been 6 years since my last make up haul from Sephora and Mary Kay. It was the month of my wedding and I wanted to splurge. Now after my 6th baby I am in need of another one. Just to treat myself. After all no one and I mean no one should be wearing make up thats 6 years old… No wonder my face started breaking out. Huhhhh.

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I am normally a Covergirl… girl. But I thought I should try something different for once. And my last purchase of foundation was through Mary Kay (way over priced by the way) and I just was not interested in paying for something I knew I would not use often. Eventually I will have to replace my make up once again. One day ……down by the river in a van… I was reading my Redbook magazine and I came across this new foundation by Maybaline New York:  Fit Me! Matte +Poreless. So I decided to check it out.

What I love about this foundation.

 ♥♥  For one it matches my skin tone PERFECTLY. It’s Matte, which means I wont look super shiny! I am sure shine looks good on some of yall but it just makes me look greasy. Gross. So I love the matte. It looks more natural on me as well. Which is always my main goal. The foundation doesn’t irritate my skin and when dry, does not rub off so easily. No stains on me! Yay.  So make sure you have some kind of make up removal wipes to clean it off well. It is also thin. So you can easily add more without feeling weighed down. Honestly a thin layer is good enough for me but I have put it on thicker and it has even more coverage without feeling thick. My skin is still able to breath!

This one is a keeper! As long as they keep making it. I will keep buying it!

 

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For my lips I figured why not try another matte? I saw this also in my Redbook mag and went to hunt down a color that was right for me. I always look great in a soft pink. What I love about this Melting Pout Matte:

♥  It’s light weight, thin and the color is on point. But oh snap! I have one small compliant, it is D.R.Y. I tried but a base of chap stick on then applying this but that made it a weird texture. So then I tried to mix it with my Covergirl Fruit Spritzer (which is ancient they don’t even sell them anymore), and that changed the color and took away that matte finish.

I love the Matte look but I will be shopping for another one because this one is way too dry.

 

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As I mentioned above I have been through different types of masacara because of breaking out. So I was a little worried when trying a new one.  I did a ton of research reading reviews on different ones before making my choice. In the end I went again with Mabaline New York and picked up their Lash Sensational.

What I love about it:

It plumps up my teeny tiny lashes, and it has not broken me out at all yet. It applies evenly with no clumps. BUT its a little thick and this is the first mascara that I have ever had to fan my eyes to get it to dry quickly. I think I am going to stick with Maybaline though since it’s the first mascara that has not broken me out. I will just be trying different ones to find my absolute favorite.

All in all I still loved the way everything looked on me and have worn this easy make up look countless times in the last month.

This was my first make up review guys!!!! I hope you liked it. I will probably doing another one in the future since I wasn’t a 100% in love with the lip matte and mascara.  And I still have to hunt down a good eye shadow palette. More beauty posts to come so stay tuned!

 

Beautiful We Are

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I am a lover of natural beauty. So most of the time I don’t wear make up. My go to morning routine only consists of washing my face with something as natural as possible and applying a gentle cream or moisturizer of some sort. But every once in awhile I like to have a little fun and wear make up for no reason really. I do not think make up itself is bad I just don’t believe I need it to be beautiful.

My grandmother told me told me something that has stayed with me my whole entire life. She was an older women that when you met her and found out her age you would have never believed it. She didn’t look her age at all. After hearing a few of my friends ask the same question, I decided to get an answer. I asked her “How do you stay looking so young?” She said “I don’t wear make up and I take care of my skin.” From that day on I decided that was exactly what I would do.

When I was in my young 20’s I always heard women older than me say the darndest things! I would see a women one day at church and comment how beautiful she looked. I would immediately get these responses:

“Oh I haven’t put my make up on yet. I look horrible!”

“Well you know its all about good make up! You would not believe what I look like without it on!”

“Well you know I can’t leave the house without my face on!”

I never knew if they had make up on or not. I just saw a beautiful women before me. And true to my heart when I see something beautful I say something. When hearing these comments though it always broke my heart. Not one time did a women just say “Thank you.” They always in some way or another added something negative to take away from the positive I just gave them.

What my grandmother told me was not the only thing I carried with me about beauty my entire life. The Holy Spirit also gave me a word when I was a young teen. I believe the comparing and insecurity starts to comes full circle when middle school starts. Sometimes I would worry so much about what I looked like and scared someone might see if I was not well put together. One day I was looking in my mirror, just staring out myself for no reason, yes I was weird… and the Holy Spirit said to me “It does not matter what someone says or thinks about you. All that matters is what you think about yourself.”

So when those women said that about themselves it was a reminder of what God has told me. It hurt my heart but also created a passion to want to spread the truth of what beauty really was. This is why I created this section. It is not about natural make up or natural products. Although there will be times I post about such things. It is about spreading a truth that has been in my heart since I was a little girl. No matter what, you are beautiful the way you are.

There is no need to create yourself  beautiful or enhance your beauty because you are the very word itself. Beautifully made, loved and created. I will be having fun trying all the things to write reviews on! But more importantly my hope is this part of my blog spreads a passion for the women of this world to just love themselves how God has made them. In every season of their lives.

Love

J.S

The difference Between Soul Oneness and Spirit oneness Part 2

 

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I want to share with you a few paragraphs from the book ‘The Marriage Builder” I think It’s important to put these before I move on and show you the example of these truths in my own marriage and what God has done with us in knowing them.

“In explaining Spirit Oneness, my primary focus is on each partners individual relationship with God and how that spiritual relationship reaches into a person’s needs for security and significance.

“..if the foundation of Spirit Oneness is mutual dependence on the Lord for personal needs, then the foundation of Soul Oneness is a mutual commitment to minister to one another’s personal needs.”

Although my husband and I are not responsible to supply things to each other to make us feel significant or make us feel secure, we do have a responsibility to each other in helping one another by giving and ministering to each other the love of Christ.

A few years after my marriage and before this book came across my path the Lord spoke to me about who Eve was. He said to me “Eve was not created for the pleasure of Adam. She was not created to fill voids in Adams life. She was not created to be his servant. She was not created to change Adam or to help him in His relationship with God. Or make him a better man. She was created to be apart of Adam. To uplift Adam. To help him. To support him. To partner with him. To create with him. To walk with him all the days of his life.”

I could understand this only to a small degree. The Lord was showing me that as I women and a wife you are not your husband’s keeper and he is not yours. But for the first time ever I understood who I was as his wife. When we started reading this book I understood even more. That in order to be one with my husband I must minister to him as his wife. Not worship him, not even submit to him, but to minister to him. What would that look like?

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My husband works in the world sometimes all day. There are times he comes home more spiritually exhausted than physically or mentally. As soon as I notice it I make sure I remind him of what our Father has told us. Where He is taking us and what the word says about un-godly people. I am ready at anytime ready to minister truth to my husbands weary heart.

Sometimes my husband struggles with insecurity. He has dreams that God has placed in his heart and he sometimes feels inadequate to do them or feels like he wants to give up. I am ready to sow love and encouragement in him. Reminding him that God is the author and finisher of our lives and that His will for him will come to pass in His timing. To keep the faith and know that it will be through Him that theses things are accomplished. I always want my husband to know how proud I am of him and how far he’s gotten. I point out how much he has already done and the progress he has already made, proof of God’s provision and will.

To be one with our spouses we must be ready to minister to them even when we are not happy with one another. This is by far the hardest part of soul oneness. When things are not going well it is easy to leave ministry and step into manipulation. All of a sudden when your feelings are crushed you withdraw and refuse to speak to your spouse until you get an apology. You withhold sex from him or her because your don’t like how they have been treating you recently,.You put them in the “dog house” and send them to the couch to sleep. You refuse to allow them back in your bed until they are ready to comply. You withhold telling the truth about your feelings afraid of being hurt and let down.

All of these things are manipulation tactics. But we don’t see them that way because the world has taught us it is normal, acceptable or okay. And while its okay once again to draw boundaries, we are not to use the law of boundaries to control or punish one another. God calls us to be of the Word and not of the World. He call us to love like Christ loves the Church and to respect and honor each other. Nothing against Paul but these two scriptures in Ephesians should go for both sexes and not just penned to the individual ones:

“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.”

 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

One day while we were heading out to go shopping I was highly upset with my husband. To control my reactions I become very silent. I shut my mouth when I’m hurting because I am a feisty little women and my mouth gets me into trouble. As I was praying on the way to the mall asking God to heal my heart and forgive me, the Lord spoke to me when I asked Him what to do about the situation. He said “Love as Christ loves the Church” He said it to my 5 times. So I looked over at my husband and apologized and forgave him as well. I chucked what he did as far as the east was from the west and moved on. This is the art of ministry in our marriages that creates Soul Oneness.

The more you sow into Soul oneness with your spouse the more your hearts will change toward one another. You may be the only one doing the sowing but remember that every seed will come to life. But what seed are you sowing? The law of sowing in reaping is inevitable. So try to start habits of sowing through ministry and not manipulation. Of course there is SO much more in the book, so again I will put it down below. Share with other couples you know even if they aren’t struggling. We all need these truths in our marriages and it’s best to know them now than too late.

May God be with you, keep you and bless you.

J.S

The difference between Soul Oneness and Spirit Oneness in Marriage

At the age of 23 years old I walked down the aisle for the second time. For two and a half years I prepared myself to become a wife for the first time. In my last marriage I never got a chance to be a wife. I was too busy being the wife and the husband. I had to lead my marriage and our lives which was not the will of God. But my husband refused to have a relationship with God and lead our marriage. When your out of alignment in your marriage all heck breaks loose. Eventually came infidelity on my part and then divorce later.

I read so many marriage books, searched the Word of God, worked on my heart with the Lord and sought out advice from older married women. But talking to them only confused me more when I was hoping for wisdom. I picked up Joyce Meyers book on marriage and for months I cuddled up on my couch devouring and highlighting every sentence that I felt spoke to me. I was on a mission to preparing myself to becoming a wife by doing pre martial counseling, growing closer to God, and seeking wisdom. But even after all of that I still years later had no idea what I was doing and was afraid I had once again failed.

One day my husband and I met up for lunch on his lunch break. Our daughter loved any chance she got to see him randomly in the middle of the day. We got into an argument over something stupid and that led to harsh words and my heart breaking for the first time in our marriage. As I was driving home listening to Air1 radio a song came on reminding me that when God ordains something He has a will and plan for it. In His time and in His way He takes care of it. I began to weep. So loudly I am sure the people who were driving next to me could hear me through my rolled down window but I didn’t care. I felt like my whole world was falling apart. I said out loud through my choking tears “Lord I do not know what you’re going to do but I trust you know better than me. And you have a plan.” I was barely married and the year-long honeymoon phase passed so quickly. I was trying so hard to be a good wife and mother. But I felt utterly useless. I didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes.

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Photo by Megapixelstock on Pexels.com

I knew that my now husband was my soul mate sent from God. After I surrendered fully to Him and letting Him become my focus I met my husband 6 months later at two months before my 21st birthday. But a year after we married, I had caught religion and I had forgotten who brought me to this marriage and who sent me to where I am. Because that’s what religion does. It traps you into forgetting the truth and you start accepting what is false about God. But in that moment, in my weakness, my will power failed me and I broke submitting myself to God seeking Him for truth. After asking ministers at the church I was attending to help us and counsel us only to be ignored and told no, I broke down and prayed again. I remember saying “Lord. You have given me the greatest counselor. If I cannot find anyone to counsel my husband and I will you please lead us to something that your Holy Spirit can counsel us in?” After all God knows our inner most thoughts and He created our hearts of Flesh.

Days later my husband comes home after his second job, walks straight into our room and loudly says “You need to get this book. It’s called The Marriage Builder. I was just listening to Focus on the Family on Star and they were talking about this book and I heard God tell me to get it!” I looked at him so surprised but instantly felt revelation spring forth in my heart. My husband had no idea I prayed that prayer but I knew that was God answering it through him. So the very next day I ordered two books offline and we began reading it as soon as it came. I want to share with you the one truth in that book that changed my marriage forever and made a huge difference in how we see each other today.

Spirit Oneness

Spirit oneness is normally confused with soul oneness. For a long time people, even me, have heard that we are one in the spirit with out spouses. But that is not so. We connect with our spouses in spiritual ways but we cannot be one in the spirit with them. Spiritual oneness is only for you and God. When you are one with God spiritually you understand that all of your needs are met by Him. You are loved and can love because He loves you. And no matter what your spouse does or how he or she is towards you, you can have peace and rest in the fact that God sees you and knows what you need. He can supply your every need, emotionally, physically and spiritually even when your spouse cannot.

Feeling alone in your marriage? God promises to be there for you even if it’s two in the morning. Feeling let down and overlooked by your spouse? God sees all that you do and is your biggest cheerleader. If you listen He will tell you how proud He is of you and give you that sense of achievement. Feeling lack of intimacy in your marriage? Intimacy with God is the greater than any you will ever get from your spouse. Intimacy is not sex. Sex is just a product of intimacy which I would love to share with you also in a later post.

The reason why I had to understand this important truth was because when my needs as a wife or a person in general were not being met I would go into a pit of despair, anxiety, depression, and even resent my husband. We would fight like cats and dogs because anger would rise up in me when I felt disrespected and I would lash out in vengeance. When the lack of intimacy in my marriage was in my face evident, I would get depressed and withdraw from my husband and even sometimes my friends. When my husband would not see the hard work I did in the home and would honestly sometimes be insensitive, I would have anxiety attacks and would sometimes even attack him.

But when I understood this truth of spirit oneness with God, every time I felt let down, overlooked or disrespected by my husband I would run to my daddy. Under His pinions I would  say “Father. My heart is hurting. Because Jim was so rude to me today. I reacted horribly though. Please heal my heart, help me forgive him, and help me to be a better wife.” Sometimes I would literally run right in the middle of an argument out of the room and into the safety of prayer. I ran to the nearest place I could be alone. On my porch in the summers, in my bathroom and bedroom in the winter and at night on the couch in my living room.

I sowed into my spiritual oneness with my Father by doing that. The more I did that the less I expected of my husband and the less I lashed out when I felt hurt. Now I truly could write a book about this very subject. That is why I had to break this up in two separate posts. Because on the other hand, we do have to understand what our boundaries and that is it just fine to defend those boundaries when our spouses are not respecting them. But both go hand in hand. We need to let go of high expectations of our spouses but also be able to stand up for ourselves correctly when hurt.

I would always tell my husband when he was being rude or not respecting my boundaries. But when I understood my husband’s lack of love and acceptance or attention does define if I am truly loved, accepted and seen, I was able to escape the trap of anxiety, depression and despair. And then I was able to forgive and move on truly never hoarding resentment towards him.

This helped my husband as well. But like me we are both still growing in this. We are always being met somewhere down the line with something we have to let go of and rely on God for. Or something in us that we need to change  so that we are ministering spouses and not manipulating ones. When you grow up in an abusive home like we both did, your sense of boundaries and identity is messed up or none existent. That was something we had to both come to understand as well.

Check out the book if you can. There is even more than what I wrote about. It truly is a blessing to us we are actually still reading through it 3 years later. Yeah…. each chapter forced some serious issues out of us both that we had to give time to mature in before we moved on! I will write about Soul oneness in the next post.

It’s all about Him and You

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I have posts I’m working on but I cant even finish them until I say this:

Welcome!

Welcome my new readers. I am blessed that you are here. Not for my own gain but to share with you with what the Lord has given me. Each post is created for a purpose. Rather that be to help a woman in her beauty needs, uplift a father or man in his life, and even just to share my testimonies hoping it will lead to some serious chain breakage. My desire, my whole entire heart is that this would be for you. I am behind the scenes praying that the Lord keeps me focused on the reasons why He has brought me here. The enemy is always ready at hand to break me and make me feel as if it’s about my own ability or whatever selfish reason. And when that happens I can feel myself begin to doubt this and where it is heading. But when I remember it’s about my Jesus and you it gives me strength. And when I see that you are blessed by one of my post it keeps that fire of purpose burning in me. I want you to know and remember. I have 4 little ones here. And they will always be my focus next to my marriage and but third to my relationship with God. When I am focusing on those three firsts in my life I may be absent on here and it can take me longer to surface back on the net. I will always be back as long as it is God’s will. I have a feeling though this season of my life is just the beginning. God bless all the eyes that are here, all the hearts that are present, and may His spirit be with us in every post. Welcome and stay tuned!

Rotini Herb Mac and Cheese

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My afternoons are always up in the air. They also come very fast. One minute I’m waking up and the next I’m standing in the  kitchen wondering what to cook the G Kids for lunch. Lunch time is my second favorite time to be creative in the kitchen. So this is another one of my very own recipes. My kiddos LOVE mac and cheese. But they also love to be surprised. This is a little spin on the classic. It’s different but gives those little taste buds a chance to get to know herbs. I did two different pasta because my kids are artists at heart so they get intrigued by different shapes and textures in their food. I hope your kiddos like it. My husband (the biggest kid of us all) ending up sneaking off with a bowl for himself. So I guess this is going to be a new added side on our table. Enjoy!

ingredients:

3 inch slices of Colby and Monterey Jack Cheese 8oz

1/2 cup or more Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 cup of milk

1/2 frozen peas

1 cup of Rotini Pasta

1 1/4 of a cup of Elbow Macaroni

1 tsp of Italian seasoning

1 tsp of Parsley

Seasoning salt to taste

 

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1.Start off by cubing the Colby and Monterey Jack cheese. Add cheese in a bowl and let sit on counter as you cook the pasta. The cheese melts and blends better when it is not so cold.

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2.Cook pasta until tender. Drain and put pasta back into the pot and on the stove.

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3.Add milk, herbs and seasoning salt. Stir well on low for 3 minutes.

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4.Transfer pasta to a small casserole baking dish. Add frozen peas and cheese to mixture. And if you want more seasoning salt. Stir until well combined and cook in oven until cheese cubes melt. Remove from oven and stir in the remaining shredded cheese. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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Ta da!! Easy Peasy. We paired this with halved sautéed hot dogs and I sprinkled  creole seasoning on them. They loved both. I hope your kiddos or you like it as much as we did 😉

Here’s the printable:

Rotini Herb Mac and Cheese

 

An Open Letter to the Parents of Willingly Lost Children.

 

Dear Father,

Dear Mother,

I know it hurts. I know right now the only thing that you can think of when you rise in the light of a new day or when you fall asleep to the end of a long night is what did I do wrong? I know you heart aches thoughtought the day and your mind is searching for reason for, solutions to bring them home. To bring them back into your heart. To fix the brokenness of your relationship. You would do anything to have them with you again. And you most likely have done everything in your power to raise them well so that they could one day be free to find happiness. You protected them as much as you could to keep them from dysfunction, so they would not grow up bent toward a life of chaos. You taught them so they could one day be wiser than you ever were, hoping they would escape the wrath of God. But still they ran from safety, right toward a road of destruction.

You fed them. You clothed them. You did what Jesus called the ultimate sacrifice.  You laid down your life so that they may have a better one. Have you ever thought for a second that it very may not have been anything that you did or could ever do? Have you ever thought for a second that you are not the one to blame? There is a whisper in the wind. Will you take a moment and be still to reciieve the voice that reaches out to you?

Beloved. I know your hearts of hearts. I too endured the pain you now posses when you walked away from me time and time again. But don’t you know you are not your own? That no matter what, you and your child are both mine? I weep with you my son, my daughter. I watched them walk away and I watched your heart break. Won’t you give them to me? Let them go and then you come to me. Let me heal you. For if they do return there will be rejoicing and not bitterness. But if they do not return for you there will be healing and restoration. I will be with you and will never leave you. My love for you will never run dry and I will never forsake you. Yes my love is greater than any love you could ever encounter on earth. It pains me to see you suffer so. Not one worry will bring them back. Not one plan can change their hearts. But know this. I have a plan for you. It will lead you to rivers of life. I will fill the void in your heart that the child you bore used to fill. And though you may sit in emptiness, I will fill you with healing and love. 

They may have strayed and may have gone. Maybe on their own accord or manipulated by the lies of others. But do not dwell in the pits of despair. Do not allow shame to steal your every breath. And never feel that you have failed. For we all must be held accountable for the decisions we make. And their decision to betray you, exclude you or shun you is their own. And you must let them go. Let them go and walk into the Father’s house. And they may return to a home of forgiveness and love. But if they never return, let the Father heal you of your broken heart. So that you may continue on in His purpose for your life. Because we are all here for a reason. And as long as you are alive and still breathing. There is more for you to do, there is more for you to receive, no matter what comes and no matter what goes.

Sincerely,

A mother who understands

J.S