Just A Mom from Ohio

Last night I was looking for a show to watch on Netflix that wouldn't get me sucked into a series and yet would be more than a cooking show or another organizing show, even though I love those. I landed on a show about being minimalist. I've learned about it in the past but I thought it was cool that it was less than an hour and it related to being organized but was a little deeper. The show was called " The Minimalists: Less in Now " and its new (2021) and the guys are from Ohio 😜. So this morning, while at home with the kids on a precautionary quarantine, I had started to purge random areas. In that effort, I found an old notebook that I kept saving. I opened it to see notes from 2010. These were notes about a specific memory of a pivotal time that changed my approach and outlook on my faith and relationship with Jesus.  Why don't I remember taking these notes? I'm going to attempt to explain my selective memory from my life experience, not in a

Will I ever be able to hear that phrase "hindsight is 2020" and not shudder at the memory of 2020? As the year 2020 has recently come to a close, I want to pause. What has 2020 taught me? It seems like this year will go down as a whopper. What will we take from it as we start 2021?  January is over. Where did that month go? Time has a way of moving slow and fast all at the same time.  Today there is much uncertainty and much to overcome.  Sounds familiar if you look at history books. While each situation is truly unique, we can look back and pull both lessons and hope from the past?  History can be ugly. People can be quite wicked. And power and money can lead to greed and destruction.  Its hard to have hope at times.   BUT I do.  However my hope is not in the world. My hope is in Jesus.  Can you see the light and hope of Jesus shining in your community?  I was able to share a meal with a young lady who has a heart to share the gospel through gifts the

For 2021 my word of the year is " Jesus ".  My daughter and I were talking about my word of the year board from last year and together we came up with my new word. I usually choose a feeling word or an action but when she said Jesus, it felt perfect. And on this 3rd day of the new year, I feel confirmation that it is indeed the word and person I need to focus on.  My words in past years have included: surrender, release, content, and stand. During those years, my antenna we're up and I paid extra attention to any mention of those topics. My intention with my 2021 word is to strip away any gimmicks or facades and get to know Jesus better.  In 2020, I watched the first season of The Chosen . That show helped me look at Jesus, to humanize Jesus for me. It is hard to remember sometimes how Jesus is both fully God and fully man. I so enjoyed making connections about Jesus' relationship with the disciples, especially Peter. It was encouraging to vis

What is Christmas in 2020 teaching us? It seems that I constantly hear how awful this year is and has been. It is undeniable that 2020 has brought in an immense disruption to life as we knew it. Still I'd like to challenge the mindset that a new date on a calendar is what will bring us back to whatever we thought was "good enough" or "better" before.  Life is hard. It always has been from my angle and life has also always had hope. However, so often I couldn't recognize that light of hope until I was beyond that season and looking back.  This year, 2020, I made some accomplishments in healing through EMDR by discovering the presence of my Hope in some very dark times, long, long ago. It took vulnerability and intention to see the good in past pain.  What will we see when we get past 2020? What hope was trying to break through the darkness?  Are we supposed to be living for next year or for today? This year has taught me to trust God . God has provided and k

I looked out the window and saw snow on my car. Apparently there was a weather report warning of it. Do you pay as much attention to the weather report as I do? It's Ohio in November or was it April 1st, anything is possible. This weather reminds me of a new CD I have loaded in my car. Yes, I still buy Cd's. Luckily, I found this one at a BAM (Books-A-Million) without having to order online. Cd's are becoming a rarity. The CD is The Elements by Toby Mac. It's been 4 months that I have almost written this blog. What's the hold up? There is not really that much pressure to write, its just my own delay. Or is it the elements of the spiritual warfare getting in my way? When I'm driving in the car and I listen to this CD, it starts with the song, "The Elements" and I love it! It pumps me up. The part that resonates with me so much lately is the fight, the struggle. For about 6 weeks, I've gotten back into a workout routine and its good. The adrenal

Layers. There are so many layers. We start out as a seed in our mothers womb, which was also a seed in her mothers womb, and on and on. We have been carried around for generations unbeknownst to ourselves. Have you ever heard of such a thing as generational trauma? For me and many others, it is real. September is suicide awareness month. If you have read my blogs or posts then you will know that I am unashamed about mental health and my journey with it. There is a history of suicide in my family. There are traumas woven throughout my heritage, as like many of yours. So what else can I do but face it. I sure as heck haven't been able to escape it or the effects of it, no matter how hard I have tried. Stuffing it, numbing it, talking through it, giving it to God, are all part of my journey. There doesn't seem to be a one size fits all answer.  painted rocks for suicide awareness from a friend and her group of amazing people Today, I'm writing about a simple yet p