Come Join Me!

My new blog is fully functional now and I'm anxious to get started on this new chapter in my life. Look for more real, honest entries straight out of my journal and morning quiet times. I'm also planning on hosting a discussion on The Hunger Games in a few weeks. I hope you'll join us. You can also find me Jewels of Encouragement every month on the 24th. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope to see you along the road. May your battles always end victoriously.

Sherry

Changing direction...again!

Happy Tuesday to all! I can't believe we're halfway through June already! Is it just me or is this year flying by too fast? I feel like I've been on one of those roller coasters that spins and dips and flips upside down...I'm kind of dizzy! The last few months have been quite eventful. I won't bore you with details but here's a short summary:

I began entering the weekly writing challenges over at Faithwriters.com. It would appear that my writing course at Longridge paid off. Through a handful of well placed entries I advanced all the way to the highest level. I am among the masters now and anxious to find out where God is leading me next. I stepped down from the worship team and now my special music is limited to an occasional Thursday night service. So while I haven't been as active with the blog as I would like, I've still been writing as often as possible. Speaking of which...


Be on the lookout for a new blog address to find me. I am shutting this one down and starting over in a new direction. My new blog is called Letters to God. I'll be sharing my morning quiet times and journal entries with an occasional story or guest post thrown in for diversity. I hope you'll stick around! More to come in a few days. Stay tuned and thanks for hanging with me this far. I can't wait to see what's around the next corner. The sword and the shield are cleansed and rested...

Guest Blogging Today

Happy Saturday! I'm over at Jewels of Encouragement today talking about self-worth. Drop in and leave me a comment!

Light on the Horizon

Happy Friday! I'm over at Jewels of Encouragement today. I hope you'll drop by and leave me a comment so I know you've been there.  Also, you may have noticed the beautiful photos I've been using in my posts. If you get the chance, do drop by Eric's website and check out his work or leave a comment for him. I know he would appreciate it. I hope you're encouraged in the coming week! If God has done something amazing for you I want to hear about it!

Choosing to Stand

I suppose at the heart of every great battle stands a warrior looking for the nearest exit. He tugs at his helmet as the sweat drips down his chin and soaks his chest. His armor is heavy and his fear heavier. He knows that someone will die today. Will it be him? He stands at the ready, spear in position and shield in place. He faces his enemy and prays with every ounce of his strength, “Dear God, please do not let my death be in vain!”

I’ve had to reposition my armor lately because frankly, it’s getting  uncomfortable. The war I’m engaged in is intense. I am weary, battle scarred, and discouraged. If I die tomorrow will the choices I have made in this life bring any glory to God in the next? I can only hope and pray.

Perhaps the secret to fighting well is not so much in wearing the armor or standing on the front lines. Maybe it’s all about choosing to rise and forcing oneself to stand upright when surrender seems more appealing. Armor is certainly important and battles cannot be won without facing the opponent. Before victory can be achieved perhaps the warrior just needs to believe his legs are functional and will carry him where he needs to go. Maybe all I have to do is believe I can…

Photo by Eric James Photography

Of Suffering and Such

If it takes me all stinking day I am going to write something, anything...I will not stare at a blank screen today... 


I suppose I could stand to listen to my own advice as posted here. Failure can be a good thing. It forces us to be real with ourselves and the world around us. Speaking of which, if you've been following me during the last month you may have noticed that my Project Kindness got scrapped. I gave up after a week but only because I realized how daunting the whole thing really was. I can't realistically make myself go out of my way to do something nice for someone 365 days out of the year. It was a great idea in theory but I'm going to be honest. Chronic pain makes it hard to do a lot of stuff. As I move on from that brief, though well-intended hiccup, I learned two things. I don't have to be Superwoman to show the world I care and the fact that I'm aware of others and making the conscious effort says enough on its own. Case closed and moving on. Today I'm working on another less grandiose achievement.


You know that feeling you get when the world around you seems to move so fast that you get dizzy? Things move at lightning speed and you're left exhausted, a little sick, and ready to just...stop. As in stop this ride, I want to get off right now. Yeah, that's me. Can I please have five seconds to gather my strength and breathe a little? Two weeks ago I woke up in excruciating pain...again. Endometriosis is a cruel and hateful disease, caring little if you're still paying off the last four surgeries and going through menopause in your 30s. All it knows is destruction. So I spent the next week fighting with my body. Then I got really depressed. Then I found out that a family member I dearly love is fighting cancer. Then I started having recurring nightmares again. Then I decided to sit down and write about it all and ended up staring at a blank screen. And getting more depressed. It's been a long month but guess what? I finally have good news!

Today I decided that I'm not going to stare at a blank screen anymore. I'm going to push past the failure, defeat, and depression and call it like it is. I am not a quitter (most of the time) and I refuse to give up. I read a blog yesterday that really got under my skin. The author asked the question- "Why must we go through these horrible events and situations in our lives? Why?" I was very blunt in my response. "What keeps me going is hope. I have a living hope in something (Someone) I can't see but feel is as real to me as the pain I am experiencing as we speak. I know it's all temporary and some day I will be free...Why do we go through this hell? I believe it's so that we will turn to God. In anger, sadness, comfort or simply to yell at him, I believe he just wants to hear our voice..."

Bad things happen so that we will turn to God...and find our freedom in his restraints. In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul urges us to purge out the old leaven so that we may become new. Perhaps another reason bad things happen is so that we may be cleansed- cleansed from toxic thoughts and behaviors that hinder us from truly pressing forward toward the mark of Christ. Our greatest joys and triumphs are a direct result of our greatest pain and suffering. Nothing valuable is achieved without hard work and anything worth having is worth suffering for. That's just the way it is. 

Today I'm celebrating a small victory. My screen isn't blank anymore.