Let me ask you something. How important do you believe it is to have the right perspective?

I would venture to say that perspective matters more than we sometimes realize. It influences how we see ourselves, how we interpret the actions of others, how we respond to life’s challenges, and even how we see God.

These days, it seems especially easy to misunderstand someone, mishear what was said, or misinterpret something we’ve read or seen. We live in a world where information travels quickly, opinions are formed almost instantly, and sometimes conclusions are reached before the whole story has been told.

A text message without the right tone. A conversation taken out of context. A social media post that doesn’t tell the whole story. A situation that looks one way from where we’re standing but completely different from another person’s point of view.

And before we know it, we’ve formed an opinion based on what we think we know.

But what if our perspective is wrong?

What if there’s more to the story?

What if the very thing we believe to be true is being filtered through our own experiences, disappointments, fears, or assumptions?

Perspective matters because how we see something often determines how we respond to it.

In his book The Genius of One: God’s Answer for Our Fractured World, pastor and author Greg Holder explores the importance of unity, healthy relationships, and learning to see beyond the things that divide us.

Drawing from Jesus’ prayer in John 17, Holder reminds readers of God’s desire for His people to be one. The book challenges us to consider how we relate to one another and how humility, love, and a willingness to understand can help bridge the gaps between us.

What a powerful reminder for the times we’re living in…….

We don’t all have the same experiences. We don’t all come from the same backgrounds. We don’t all process information or respond to situations in the same way. And that’s okay. But if we’re going to love people the way Christ calls us to love them, we must be willing to look beyond our own limited understanding.

• Sometimes that means listening a little longer.

• Sometimes it means asking another question.

• Sometimes it means extending grace instead of jumping to conclusions.

• And sometimes it means admitting that we may not have the full picture.

Proverbs 18:13 reminds us of the danger of answering a matter before hearing it.

How often do we do just that?

I know I’ve had moments when I’ve had to reconsider my own perspective.

When Life Shapes the Way We See God

As I thought about perspective this week, my mind went back to my childhood.

I was only four years old when my daddy died.

At that age, I couldn’t possibly understand the magnitude of what had happened. I only knew that someone who was supposed to be part of my life was no longer there.

Growing up without my father affected me in ways I didn’t fully understand until much later.

There were questions. There were emotions. There was the reality of watching other children experience something I didn’t have.

And although my mother worked hard to raise us and provide what we needed, the absence of my father was still a part of my story.

As a little girl, I saw fatherhood through the lens of loss.

And when your earliest understanding of a father is connected to absence, it can influence how you understand the very idea of having a Heavenly Father.

But here’s what I’ve learned along my faith journey.

My earthly experience with fatherhood did not define the character of my Heavenly Father.

I had to learn to see God through the truth of His Word rather than through the pain of my circumstances.

What a difference that makes! Abba Father: A Different Perspective

Romans 8:15 tells us that through the Spirit of adoption, we can cry out, “Abba, Father.”

I love that.

The word Abba comes from Aramaic and is an intimate, deeply personal way of addressing one’s father. It communicates the closeness of a child who belongs, who is loved, and who can approach their father with confidence. Think about that for a moment. The Creator of heaven and earth invites us into that kind of relationship.

Not a distant relationship. Not one where we must earn His attention. But a relationship rooted in His love.

For a little girl who grew up without her earthly father, understanding God as Abba Father changes the perspective!

I may have experienced the loss of my daddy, but I am not without a Father.

Psalm 68:5 describes God as a father to the fatherless.

And Psalm 27:10 reminds us that even when earthly parents are absent, the Lord receives us.

Those scriptures don’t erase the pain of loss. They don’t replace the memories we wish we could have made or the moments we wish we could have shared.

But they remind us that loss does not have to be the final word over our lives.

I can look back and acknowledge the hurt while also recognizing the faithfulness of God.

I can see what was missing without overlooking what He has provided.

I can remember the little girl who lost her daddy while celebrating the woman who has come to know her Heavenly Father.

That’s the power of a changed perspective.

I wonder how many of us are carrying perspectives shaped by experiences that God wants to help us see differently.

Maybe you’ve experienced rejection, and now you find yourself expecting people to reject you.

Maybe someone betrayed your trust, and now it’s difficult to believe anyone has good intentions.

Maybe you’ve prayed for something that hasn’t happened, and you’ve begun to wonder whether God hears you.

Or maybe you’ve allowed one difficult season to convince you that your entire life will always be difficult.

I’ve learned that our feelings are real, but they don’t always reveal the whole truth.

Sometimes we need to invite the Holy Spirit to help us see what we cannot see on our own.

Proverbs 3:5–6 encourages us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding.

That last part is so important.

Lean not on your own understanding.

Because our understanding is limited.

We see the moment. God sees the whole picture.

We see the obstacle. God knows the way through.

We see what we’ve lost. God knows what He is still doing in our lives.

And sometimes, the perspective we need comes not from gathering more opinions but from spending more time in His presence. Before You Respond, Consider Your Perspective

Here’s something I’m challenging myself to do, and perhaps it will encourage you as well.

Before responding to something that frustrates me, I want to ask whether I truly understand it.

Before making assumptions about someone, I want to remember that I may not know their whole story.

Before allowing fear or disappointment to shape my thinking, I want to pause and consider what God’s Word says.

And before deciding that a situation is hopeless, I want to remember who my Heavenly Father is.

This doesn’t mean ignoring reality or pretending difficult things don’t hurt.

It means choosing not to allow our circumstances to become the only lens through which we see life.

It means making room for truth, wisdom, grace, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And it means being humble enough to acknowledge that sometimes our perspective needs adjusting.

A Final Thought

As I continue walking through this year with the word Surrender on my heart, I’m learning that surrender also involves the way I think.

It’s not just surrendering my plans, my desires, or my timing.

Sometimes I must surrender my assumptions. My need to understand everything. My interpretation of what I see.

Even the stories I’ve told myself about who I am because of what I’ve experienced.

The little girl who lost her daddy could have allowed that loss to define her entire understanding of fatherhood.

But through faith, I’ve come to understand something greater.

I am loved. I am seen. I belong to Him.

I have an Abba Father.

And when I look at my life through that lens, I see more than what was missing. I see the faithfulness of a God who has been present through every season.

So, I’ll leave you with this question:

Are you seeing your life, your circumstances, and the people around you through the lens of your experiences, or are you allowing God to shape your perspective?

Because sometimes the situation doesn’t have to change for us to begin seeing it differently.

Sometimes, what needs to change is the lens through which we’re looking.

And that change can make all the difference.

Until next time, be encouraged, extend grace, and remember to keep your eyes on Him.

Faithfully,

Marvlun

Scriptures for Reflection: Romans 8:15–16; Psalm 68:5; Psalm 27:10; Proverbs 3:5–6; Proverbs 18:13; John 17:20–23

Writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, my love for writing was born out of one of the most painful experiences of my life.

I was just four years old when my daddy died.

Too young to fully understand death, but certainly old enough to feel the pain of losing someone I loved. His death impacted me in ways I would not fully understand until much later in life. It shaped how I saw the world, how I processed my emotions, and even how I viewed love and loss.

I remember my daddy. My Boom-Boom, as I affectionately called him.

He wasn’t a perfect man. None of us are. But I knew that, at one point in my young life, I had been loved by him. And when he was gone, there was a void that I didn’t quite know how to fill.

Death seemed to be all around me during those early years. People I loved were leaving this earth, and I was left trying to make sense of a world that sometimes felt so lonely.

And somewhere in the middle of all those emotions, I began to write!

Writing became my outlet. My way of expressing the things I couldn’t always say out loud. My way of making sense of feelings that were very real, even when I didn’t have the words to explain them.

Little did I know that God would eventually take something born out of pain and use it for His glory.

But isn’t that just like God?

He takes the things that hurt us, the things that threaten to break us, and somehow, when we surrender them to Him, He gives them purpose.

From a Father’s Love to the Love of the Father

My mother introduced me to the love of Jesus.

And what a gift she gave me!

For a little girl who had lost her earthly father, discovering that I had a Heavenly Father who would never leave me was life changing. I wasn’t fatherless after all.

I was loved. Deeply. Completely. Unconditionally!

The love I thought I had lost forever was met by a love greater than anything I could have imagined.

And over time, I began to understand that while my earthly father could no longer hold my hand, my Heavenly Father had been holding me all along.

He was there in the moments when I felt alone. There when I was confused. There when I made mistakes. And yes, there when I went my own way instead of following His.

Oh, how patient He has been with me!

My life has certainly not been perfect.

I met my husband when I was just 16 years old. We fell in love, married as teenagers, and started our family early. We were young, trying to figure out marriage, parenthood, and life, sometimes all at the same time.

And let me tell you, we didn’t always get it right!

There were disagreements. There were struggles. There were moments when we simply didn’t know how to communicate with one another. We had growing up to do, and we were doing much of that growing while raising a family.

There have been so many peaks and valleys along the way.

But God!

Through every season, He has been faithful.

When I look back over my life, I can see His hand in places where I didn’t recognize it at the time.

He took the broken pieces of my life and still chose to color with them.

The very pieces I thought were too damaged, too painful, or too insignificant to be used, He picked up and began creating something beautiful.

And He is still creating.

That is why I worship Him with such passion. That is why I sing of His goodness. That is why I write.

Because I know what He has done for me and for my family.

He is a good, good Father. The best Father a girl could ever have!

As my relationship with the Lord grew, so did the purpose behind my writing.

What began as a way to process my emotions eventually became a way to share my faith.

To be a witness.

To encourage someone who might be walking through a difficult season. To remind another person that God sees them, loves them, and has not forgotten about them.

Many of the words I have written over the years have come out of my quiet time with the Lord.

Just me, my Bible, my thoughts, and His presence.

Sometimes a scripture would speak to me. Other times, a sermon, or simply; something happening in my own life that would cause me to reflect on His goodness. And before I knew it, I would find myself putting pen to paper.

I didn’t know whether one person would care enough to read what I had written.

But I wrote anyway.

Because I believed God had placed something on my heart that needed to be shared.

And out of those quiet moments, my blog, A Journal of Love, was born.

Eventually, my first book came to life!

It took five years to see that first book become a reality. Five years of writing, waiting, learning, praying, and trusting God through the process.

And now, here I am, patiently waiting for the completion of my second book.

There are other dreams still tucked away in my heart. More Video blogs (or is it called a podcast, now), and yes, my sophomore music project that I have been working on for a few years now. #selah

I can see glimpses of what they might become, but I am learning not to rush the process.

Because this journey is not about my timetable.

It is about His timing.

And if there is one thing the Lord continues to teach me, it is the importance of surrender.

Not my will, Lord, but Yours.

I must admit, I remain in awe of what God is doing through this little space on the internet.

Without a major marketing push, my blog has been receiving somewhere between 4,500 and 6,000 unique visitors each month.

I sometimes sit and think about that.

Thousands of people visiting a space that began with one woman simply wanting to share what God had placed on her heart.

People from different places, different backgrounds, and different walks of life.

Some I know personally. Some I have met along the way. And many I will probably never meet this side of Heaven.

The feedback has been encouraging. I am grateful for every subscriber, every person who takes the time to read, and the other blog sites that have chosen to share or repost my writing.

But as thankful as I am for those numbers, I have to remind myself of something very important. The numbers are not my why!

If one person reads something I have written and decides to open their Bible, that matters.

If one person who feels forgotten is reminded that God loves them, that matters.

If a struggling wife, a grieving daughter, a tired mother, or someone trying to find their way back to God reads a few words and finds encouragement to keep going, that matters.

And if someone who does not know Jesus comes to know Him because of something shared here, then to God be all the glory!

Learning to Protect What Matters

Lately, I have been very intentional about removing distractions from my life.

And goodness, there are so many!

How easy is it to pick up our phones, begin scrolling through social media, and suddenly realize that an hour has passed?

An hour we cannot get back.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I enjoy social media. It can be a wonderful tool for connecting, encouraging, and sharing.

But I am learning that just because something has my attention doesn’t mean it deserves my time.

And I don’t want to become so distracted by everything happening around me that I miss what God is trying to do within me.

I want to hear His voice!

I want to recognize when He is speaking and have the courage to obey.

When He says go, I want to go.

When He says stay, I want to stay.

When He says move, I want to move.

And when He tells me to be still, I want to be comfortable enough in His presence to simply wait.

That last one isn’t always easy.

Especially when you have dreams, ideas, and things you believe God has called you to accomplish.

But I am learning that obedience is not always about movement.

Sometimes obedience looks like waiting.

Sometimes it looks like closing the laptop, putting down the phone, opening my Bible, and sitting quietly before Him.

And sometimes it means trusting Him even when I cannot see what comes next.

I may not understand the purpose behind every instruction today, but I believe that one day I will see why He led me the way He did.

And even if I never fully understand it on this side of Heaven, I know I can trust His heart.

My Strength, My Refuge, My Everything

Some of the most precious moments in my life are not the moments when I have accomplished something or received recognition.

They are the quiet moments spent in His presence.

The moments when life has been heavy, my heart has been tired, and somehow, in a way I cannot fully explain, I sense Him drawing close. Those moments mean everything to me. Because I know where my strength comes from. It comes from Him.

• He is my lifeline.

• My strong tower.

• My refuge.

• My peace when life becomes overwhelming.

And I believe with everything in me that no devil in Hell can take away what God has given me.

• Not the love He has poured into my heart.

• Not the peace that comes from knowing Him.

• Not the purpose He has placed on my life.

There have been seasons when I have questioned myself. Seasons when I have wondered whether I was doing enough, moving fast enough, or accomplishing what I was supposed to accomplish. But the Lord continues to remind me that my worth is not found in what I produce.

It is found in whose I am, and I belong to Him. And that is enough.

Psalm 119:105 reminds us:

“Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

I don’t need to see the entire road ahead.

I just need enough light to take the next step.

And I need to trust the One who is leading me.

Remembering My Why

So here I am.

A little girl who once wrote because her heart was hurting, now a grown woman writing because her heart is overflowing with gratitude.

A woman who has known loss, made mistakes, experienced disappointment, and walked through seasons she never imagined she would face.

A wife, mother, grandmother, worshipper, and writer who is still learning what it means to surrender every part of her life to God.

I am not the same little girl who struggled to understand why her daddy had to leave.

But I carry her story with me.

And I believe God has used every chapter of that story to help shape the woman I am becoming.

When I think about my marriage, our children, our family, the lessons learned, the prayers answered, and even the prayers that are still waiting for an answer, I cannot help but worship Him.

He has been so good to us!

Not because everything has always gone the way we wanted. But because through it all, He has never stopped being God.

And that brings me right back to why I started writing in the first place.

• To share His goodness.

• To encourage others.

• To point people toward Christ.

• To remind someone that even when life feels broken, God is still able to create something beautiful.

This blog is more than a collection of stories to me. It is a ministry the Lord placed on my heart.

A place where I can share what He is teaching me, celebrate His faithfulness, and hopefully encourage someone else to go a little deeper in their faith.

I want every word written here to honor Him.

I want to remain sensitive to His leading.

And I want to be careful that in sharing my life, I am always pointing people back to the One who gave me life.

Because without Him, none of this matters.

A Little Encouragement for You

Perhaps you have been walking through a season of waiting. Maybe there is a dream God placed in your heart years ago that has yet to come to pass.

Or perhaps, like me, you have experienced loss and wondered how anything beautiful could ever come from the pain.

Can I encourage you today? Don’t give up on what God has placed in your heart.

Don’t despise the small beginnings.

And don’t allow the distractions of this world to pull you away from the quiet place where He speaks.

Your story matters.

Your testimony matters.

And you never know how God may use the very thing that once caused you pain to bring hope to someone else.

Keep trusting.

Keep listening.

Keep surrendering.

And most importantly, keep your eyes on Jesus.

Because the same God who has been faithful through every chapter of your life is already present in the chapters you have yet to live.

Remember your why. And never forget the One who gave it to you.

With love and encouragement,

Marvlun

A Journal of Love | that focuses on; Faith • Family • Fitness

I got into my car, entered my destination into the GPS, and headed out. But instead of paying attention to the directions, I followed my usual route. I knew how to get to work. I had driven that way plenty of times. I knew where I was going, or at least I thought I did.

Then I ran into standstill traffic.

As I sat there, I glanced over at my GPS and realized, I had missed the turn.

The GPS had tried to take me another way, but I wasn’t paying attention (and I had turn off the voice navigation). I was so accustomed to doing what I normally did that I missed the direction that could have helped me avoid what was ahead.

Eventually, I took a detour. Although the alternate route looked longer on the map, it turned out to be the shorter trip because the GPS knew something I didn’t. Immediately, I thought about God, and how He knows what we don’t….

How often do we do the same thing in life? What’s familiar? We pray. We ask God to lead us. We tell Him we want His will.

Then we start driving. We follow the route we know, make the decision that seems logical, and rely on our experience, feelings, and understanding.

Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is saying, “Turn here!”

But are we listening?

The GPS could see what I couldn’t. It knew there was traffic ahead and that another route was available. It knew that what looked like a detour could actually save me time. And, I liken that to God, and how He sees even more than us. He knows our end from our beginning.

He sees around corners I cannot see around. He knows what lies ahead. He knows which doors should open and which should remain closed. He knows when I need to move, wait, turn, or keep going. #selah

When I look back over my life, I can see times when I tried to do things my way. I moved too quickly. I made decisions before praying. I allowed my emotions, impatience, and limited understanding to lead me.

Those experiences taught me that knowing a route does not mean it is the route God wants me to take.

Sometimes what is familiar is not what is best. Sometimes God leads us in a direction that does not make sense at first. His guidance may feel like a detour. He may tell us to wait when we want to move or move when we would rather remain comfortable.

Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42

Following a GPS requires more than entering a destination; we also have to pay attention to the directions. That thought stayed with me. Life can be noisy. Responsibilities, work, family, social media, our own thoughts, other people’s opinions, fear, worry, and plans can all compete for our attention.

Sometimes so many voices are speaking that we can barely hear the One who matters most. That is why being still/quiet is important to me. I want to be intentional about creating space to hear God, to pray, listen, and be present. I want to prioritize His voice over the noise around me and within me.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Notice the last part: they follow Me.

A Word Of Encouragement

Maybe you are in a season when life is not going the way you planned. Maybe God is redirecting you. Maybe the door you expected to open has not opened. Maybe something has slowed you down. Maybe the road ahead looks completely different from the one you mapped out for yourself. Before assuming something has gone wrong, ask God: “Lord, are You redirecting me?”

The longer route on my GPS turned out to be the better route because staying where I was would have kept me sitting in traffic. Sometimes the same is true spiritually. We resist God’s direction because His way looks longer, unfamiliar, or inconvenient. But He knows what lies ahead. What looks like a detour to us may actually be divine direction.

Follow Your Inner GPS

Today, I am reminding myself and encouraging you to get quiet enough to listen.

Open your heart. Pay attention. Be present. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you.

When He gives you direction, be willing to follow, even when His route looks different from yours.

I don’t want to keep asking God to guide me and then ignore His directions because I think I already know the way.

I want my prayer to be: Lord, have Your way. Life moves much more smoothly when I stop insisting on my own route and simply follow His….

Come, Jesus, come.

I’m learning that I need those moments with God. I need to slow down long enough to hear His voice, to process what I’m feeling, and to remember who I am in Him.

Sometimes those trials expose insecurities I didn’t realize were still there. Sometimes they make me question myself. Sometimes my thoughts start running ahead of me, creating scenarios that God never asked me to carry.
And that’s when I have to come back. Back to His Word. Back to prayer. Back to stillness. Back to the truth!

I am learning to be who God created me to be. Not who life tells me I should be. Not who people expect me to be.
Not who insecurity tells me I am. But, who God created me to be.

Maybe the trials aren’t just about getting through something. Maybe God is using them to draw me closer, to strengthen me, to refine me, and to teach me to trust Him in places where I once trusted myself.

So, yes, life is busy! Yes, there are trials. Yes, sometimes my thoughts are all over the place.
But I’m learning not to run from the quiet. I’m learning to sit with God in it.

Because in the quiet, He reminds me that I don’t have to have everything figured out.
I just have to keep following Him!

That’s it! That’s This Week’s Blog!

No matter the circumstances, God keeps reminding me of one thing: He is Faithful.

This week’s blog is all about my fitness journey. Honestly, there isn’t a huge update this month, but maybe that’s the point. Even while traveling, I kept moving. I got my steps in. I stayed committed. I kept showing up. And I’m still 10 pounds down.

But if I’m being honest… I want to see more.

The truth is, this journey is taking longer than I’d like, and that’s okay. With the GLP-1, the results came quickly, but they came with a price. This time, I’m doing things differently. I’m slowly rebuilding the muscle I lost. My body is getting stronger. My energy is coming back. My mobility is improving.

I can feel the difference, not just on the scale, but in how I move, how I feel, and what I’m able to do.

And maybe that’s the bigger lesson:

It’s not always about the number. It’s about the progress.

And yes… sometimes pictures have a way of adding a few pounds that definitely weren’t invited. 😂 But oh well… here we go!

God has been teaching me that everything doesn’t happen overnight.

• Some things take time to develop.
• Some things have to be rebuilt.
• Some things require patience, consistency, and faith.

And just because I can’t see everything happening yet doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

That part.

The results will come in their time.

Until then, I’m going to keep showing up, keep moving forward, and celebrate the progress I can see.

Because even in the waiting…

God is still Faithful. 🙏🏾❤️

I can keep the schedule.

Handle what needs to be handled.

Show up where I’m supposed to show up.

Answer the messages. Take care of the people I love and Keep the things in the house moving.

And somewhere in all that running, I can forget to stop. Forget to sit. Forget to listen. Forget that I need to be filled, too. There is something powerful about quiet.

Our quiet time gives you room to hear what all the noise has been covering. It gives you space to ask the Lord the questions you may have been too busy to ask:

“Lord, what are You saying to me?

What are You trying to correct in me?

What needs to change? What am I carrying that You never asked me to carry? Where am I trying to lead myself instead of allowing You to lead me?”

Those aren’t always comfortable questions. But they are necessary ones. I’m learning that sometimes the most spiritual thing I can do is pull away.

There is a difference between being busy for God and being built by God.

And I want both—but in the right order.

So this season, I’m giving myself permission to pull away sometimes. To turn down the noise.

To step away from the opinions, the podcasts, the constant scrolling, the lives of people I don’t even know personally, and all the voices competing for my attention…..

Not because those things are necessarily bad.

But because even good things can become noise when they leave no room for the voice of God.

Podcasts (And, there are some really good ones out there). Reality TV (Can you say; #MarriedAtFirstSight). Social media (#TIKToc -Use to be so much fun for me). The non-stop News Cycles with Endless Commentary. And an Algorithms that constantly serves us another person’s life, another person’s perspective, another person’s success, another person’s struggle, another person’s opinion about what we should think, how we should live, what we should believe, and sometimes even how we should feel.

And, It can all be Exhausting!

Recently, I heard the Lord say, “Pay Attention.” I began studying the word attention and how it showed up in the Bible and in my life…. And, what I found was that Bible attention begins with listening to God. Intentionally turning our ears toward Him rather than allowing every other voice to “compete” for our focus. Knowing that; what continues to receives our attention eventually influences our thoughts, desires, attitudes, and actions…..

This week’s blog is centered around me being transparent here and asking myself some tough questions, after clearly hearing direction from the Lord…… My response was to began Fasting and fine tuning my ear. Lord, speak, I prayed – your servant is listening! Its easy to become distracted, non of us are immune. And, some of the greatest distraction isn’t necessarily something bad. Sometimes it is simply too much: Too much information. Too many opinions. Too many voices. Too much comparison. Too much commentary. And, too much looking outward when God may be inviting us to look inward.

The Gift of Getting Away

Jesus understood the importance of getting away from the noise. Scripture tells us:

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16

If Jesus made time to withdraw, to get away, to pray and be alone with the Father, surely we need to do the same; To be intentional, To put down the phone, turn off the computer and to, steal away to the quiet. Not because we don’t care about what is happening in the world, but because we don’t want the world to become louder than the One who created it.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Stillness is not always comfortable. Because when everything gets quiet, we can hear things we may have been avoiding.

• Our own thoughts.
• Our attitudes.
• The ways in which comparison has crept in.
• And where pride has slipped through the door.

For me, I realized that perhaps the thing bothering me about someone else is something God wants to address in me. And that’s where it gets real.

What Do I Do With What I See?

Years ago, I prayed for the gift of discernment, and received it. I wanted to be able to recognize what was from God and what wasn’t. I wanted to know the difference between truth and deception. In short; I wanted and needed more Godly wisdom!

What I discovered in having discernment is that it is not always easy to know what to do, after you have seen what you saw; “Now that you see, What are you going to do with what you see?“

Discernment isn’t a license to judge people. It isn’t an invitation to become the critic of everybody else’s life. It isn’t permission to sit above someone else and point out everything that is wrong with them. Sometimes discernment is God allowing you to see clearly so that you can respond correctly. And sometimes the correct response is silence. Sometimes it is prayer. Sometimes it is love. Sometimes it is boundaries. And sometimes… God is showing us something because He wants to correct us. Ouch.

That one will preach to me before it ever preaches to anybody else.

The Bible says:

“Search me, God

There is so much noise out in the world right now, and its easy to become distracted. I know for me, it can be.

I have to be careful about overextending and/or overcommitting my schedule and allowing busyness to keep me from what makes my heart sing for real! Being in His presence. Alone, with my Bible, and Worship Music – praying and worshipping for an audience of one). I need this! This is my lifeline.

Confession: I do enjoy being on social media and seeing my friends and family (but lately, my algorithm seems to show me everything but…. And, I have found myself distracted – which is how I began watching the current season of, Married at First Sight. Very Entertaining. But, Why? There is still so much work to be done. That is me, That’s my story (no judgement to anyone else). Just asking myself some tough questions and reminding me, about the importance of being still before the Lord.

My hope and prayer is that something that I have said on this week’s blog will help you see ways in which you may have allowed yourself to be distracted. And, to tell you its ok. We all have experience those moments. But, I believe it important that we keep first things first.

Our time with God, our hearts, and our ability to see others correctly (the way God sees them) – must be guarded and prioritized. I hope this helps! This is what the Lord laid on my heart for this week.

Special Note: Thank you to all those who have subscribed to my blog. I really do appreciate the love, and encouragement you have shown. I am blown away by your kindness and it is beyond me how so many of you tune in from week to week. Again, thank you and please let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything that I wrote that you need me to clear up. Until next time… God Bless you all.

Not just the miles I’ve walked or the weights I’ve lifted, but this journey called life.

I’ve been thinking about that podcast I’ve talked about. That book God laid on my heart. The dreams and ideas that have been sitting inside of me, waiting for their time.

I’ve been thinking about my weight and my fitness journey.

I’ve been thinking about motherhood, the joy of it, the beauty of it, and how it has required more of me than I could have ever imagined all those years ago.

And I’ve been thinking about purpose.

About the things I thought I would have accomplished by now.

About the places I thought I would be.

And I realized something: I may not be exactly where I thought I would be, but I’m right where God has me at this moment.

Important to Note: My fitness journey has been teaching me something that goes far beyond exercise.

There are mornings when I don’t feel like getting up. There are days when the scale doesn’t move the way I want it to. There are moments when I wonder if all these steps, miles, workouts and weights are really making a difference.

But then I realize something. They are!

Maybe not always in the way I can immediately see, but something is changing. And perhaps most importantly, I’m learning the importance of consistency.

Maybe You’re Thinking the Same Thing

Maybe you’ve looked at your life and wondered, “How did I get here? And am I too far behind?”

Maybe there’s a dream you thought would have happened by now.

• A book you thought you would have written.

• A business you thought would be further along.

• A career you thought would look different.

• A family you thought would look different.

Maybe you’re looking at your body, your finances, your relationships, your purpose, or simply your life, and wondering if you missed your moment.

A Word Of Encouragement

• You are not a failure because your journey looks different than you expected.

• You are not disqualified because it took longer.

• And you are not too old to dream again.

Your Timeline Is Not God’s Timeline

I’ve had to remind myself of that truth!

• Sometimes what feels like a delay is preparation.

• Sometimes what feels like a detour is where we learn the lessons we need for the next chapter.

• Sometimes God is doing something in us before He does something through us.

• And sometimes, we simply have to trust Him enough to keep walking when we cannot see what’s ahead.

That’s faith!

Not knowing every detail. Not having every answer. Just trusting the One who does.

There Is Still More

My fitness journey isn’t just about losing weight.

It’s about becoming stronger, healthier and more disciplined.

It’s about proving to myself that I can start again.

That I can keep going.

That I can refuse to give up on me.

And maybe this season of my life is teaching me the same thing about my purpose.

I don’t have to have it all figured out. I just have to keep showing up.

So, Don’t Quit

If you’re somewhere in the middle of your story tonight, I want you to remember this:

• Don’t compare your chapter to someone else’s highlight reel.

• Don’t allow the years behind you to convince you that your best days are behind you.

• And please, don’t quit simply because you thought you would be further along by now.

God is still writing your story, so; Don’t quit in the middle of it!

Our team logged over 2 million steps, and the best part is that we were doing it all for a good cause. I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together. But now that the challenge is over, my journey continues.

I’m beginning to notice changes that have nothing to do with a number on the scale. Weight training has brought more mobility back to my knees. Stairs have become easier. Squats are getting easier. Leg lifts are getting easier. Things that once felt like a struggle are slowly becoming a little more manageable.

My trainer recently added deadlifts to my workouts, and little by little, my weight capacity is increasing. I’m not lifting heavy just to say that I can. We are building strength gradually and safely.

My trainer reminded me that this is a slow process, but it is a process where results will happen. And, I needed that reminder.

Sometimes we want the results NOW. We want to see the weight come off quickly. We want our clothes to fit differently. We want to look in the mirror and immediately see the transformation.

This journey has become about so much more than losing weight. It is about becoming healthier and stronger for the life ahead of me.

And I’m not doing it alone. My husband is on this journey right alongside me. We are learning together, moving together and encouraging one another along the way.

This adventure is really about our health and the way we want to live as we age.

The journey continues.

Not the kind of happiness that comes when everything is going your way. I’m talking about a deeper kind of joy. The kind of joy that comes from knowing God, trusting Him, and believing that He is still good even when life hurts.

I believe maintaining your joy is important because joy is more than a feeling. It is a choice to remain anchored in God.

Life will give us plenty of reasons to lose our joy. There will be disappointments. There will be unexpected changes, difficult seasons, unanswered questions and moments when our hearts are simply heavy.

I know what it feels like to carry that heaviness – the death of my mom and dad, for example.

Joy Doesn’t Mean Life Doesn’t Hurt

Sometimes we have this idea that being a Christian means we should always be happy. But that’s not real life.

Jesus gives us joy, but He never promised that we would never experience pain. I’ve cried, experienced loss and disappointment. I’ve had moments when I didn’t understand why certain things happened the way they did.

But through all of it, God continued to remind me that He is faithful.

My joy isn’t based on everything going right! My joy is rooted in God, I can walk through difficult seasons and still have hope – because I know, and believe that;

The joy of the Lord is our strength. Nehemiah 8:10