Journey With Jen

It's been one of those weeks. Actually, to be honest ~ just a long few days that have seemed to last. :) Kent had been having some heart pain especially since January. Usually things with some exertion, like walking/hiking and stairs. It would come and go. Then, it starting lasting longer. Once we went back to his heart doctor, we got a heart cath scheduled for Wednesday. We had to be there by 10 and his procedure was supposed to be at noon. Of course, it was around two when he went back. They were supposed to go through his arm and they did try it. It just didn't work and they had to go through his leg anyway. About an hour and a half later, the doctor came out. He suggestion was double bypass surgery. If we decided against that, he could put two stints in the one artery 70% clogged. It didn't take me but a few seconds to go with option 2. Kent was not ready for a bypass. We were on schedule to get the stints done the next morning. The next morning, we find out that Kent i...

Proverbs 26:20-22 "Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip the quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts." While reading Proverbs, I came across this verse. Don't you love the description? I can visualize the fire or even the words 'choice morsels.' It goes on in verse 24 to say, " Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit . " Each of us gets a different image in our head about this that is some how a product of our childhood or how we're raised. Honestly, when I think of this, it takes me back to 6th grade. That's when the separation began for me. I remember being in the bathroom stall when some of the popular girls came in and started talking about me. I stayed in there until they left. Then, I cried and had to wipe it up and go back to the classroom...

John 10:25-27 "Jesus answered, I did tell you but you did not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Wouldn't it be wonderful if God's voice would answer your prayers? Or like Even Almighty and just be able to have a conversation to God. To understand Him. To see or touch Him. Yes, that day is coming. Until then ~ we are here on the this side waiting for glimpses of other side. If you are like me, sometimes it is hard to wait and listen. . . Remember that Garth Brooks song that called "Unanswered Prayers"? This is the chorus: Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers Remember when your talkin ' to the man upstairs That just because He doesn't answer doesn't mean He don't care Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. There are times when silence is the answer from God. He knows we ca...

Last week when I was reading the bible....looking for something but I didn't know what. I had a few things wrote down from Psalm 24 from church a few Sunday's ago. So, I started there. When I got to Psalm 25, I stopped and re-read it a few times. This! This is what I was looking for! You might be thinking...that was a week ago, haven't you moved on since then? Yes, but I keep going back to it. It's amazing! David's plea...his yearning...that should be our plea. Our yearning. "Guide me in your truth and teach me" for "my hope is in you" (v5). My hope is not here in this world. I'm very thankful for that. This world if falling apart. My hope is knowing there is God that loves me. Mistakes and all. He wants me to do better...be better...yet, understands when I fall and extends His grace. Even David can look at his life and see mistakes. (v7) "Do not remember the sins of my youth and rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for y...

"Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different. It's accepting the past for what it was." ~ J.Kornfield Isn't that an amazing quote? To accept the past for what it was and the next thing that should be added is.... to move on. Learn from it, yes. But to move on. Quit dragging it around with you for the rest of your life. God offers this to us as well. Forgiveness. It's in Him we are able to break free from the mistakes of our lives. Acts 10:43 "All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." And, if God can grant us forgiveness for all that we do, we must do the same for those who trespass against us. Not to say that it's always easy. Some things are easier to let go than others. But, with Valentines Day coming up ~ this is on my heart. After all, the One that loves us the most, has already given us the best gift ever. He has given us forgiveness! Tha...

It's been a crazy winter. I honestly don't remember the last time I've walked in 2 feet of snow. It's been days spent inside with the kids. Cuddling on the couch watching a movie. Playing games of Yahtzee and Phase 10. Playing games on the Wii. (Pictionary is so much fun!) It's been times times of a warm bowl of soup or chicken and dumplings. Snow ice cream for dessert, of course. Warm cookies straight from the oven. Going out into the snow and lasting only about 30 minutes just to add more clothes to the pile of laundry! :) I think of these snow days and they bring a smile to my face. It won't be long and they'll be gone. These snow days will just be a warm memory.

We briefly spoke of this during Sunday school. I think that all of us have self esteem issues if we're honest. We're not thin enough, smart enough, or good looking enough. How else is there a multi-billion dollar industry writing and selling books about self esteem? People, on the whole, are trying to fill that hole inside of us. Searching for something to fill it up and make us feel better. Some books try to tie self worth and self esteem as the same thing, but I don't believe it is. Self esteem changes day to day, sometimes moment to moment. When get frustrated and yell at one of my kids, my self esteem goes down because I feel bad for my actions. If my pants aren't as loose as they were, my self esteem goes down. But ~ self worth ~ that is different. Our self worth comes from our Creator. Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that "God created mankind in his own image." We are worth so much to God that He sent Jesus here to live and to die for us. Isn't that a...

This song by Kerrie Roberts had me turning up the radio and singing loud. It's a beautiful song that can cover any circumstance you maybe going through. I hope you enjoy it as well.

What will it take for God to get your attention? That's a good question. For Christians, it is very easy to put God on the back burner. Yes, we know He's there. We cry out if something comes up. But, when do we stop just going through our lives on auto ~ and ask for His guidance... His help... His strength daily? Right now, what's on my heart are the others. The ones like my Dad was. I'm not really sure what or if he had a spiritual life growing up. I just know that I didn't go to church growing up. Once I started going with friends and would try to talk to him about it, he just talked about how 'they' stuck their noses down at others, how judgemental they are, and he just didn't need it. Then, cancer came and got Dad's attention. It changed him. He had the chance to talk with other's about God before he died. He knew God before he passed away. Not the Christians that sometimes get in the way of God's real message... but, God. The loving Fath...

Today is our 14th wedding anniversary. It's unreal in someways. I don't really feel old enough to be married that long! LOL I'm thinking that's good...yeah, that's what I'm going with. There's plenty enough days that I feel old ! :) And those vows ~ through sickness and in health. I never knew how those words would play a part in our lives. Kent has had asthma since his childhood. Yet, eight years into our marriage, he had a heart attack. He was only 39. If you ask him, he didn't have a heart attack. If you ask his doctor & me, he did. In fact, when we got to the hospital they gave him some nitros to stop it and they didn't work. Dr. Carver came out of his surgery and told me that his heart attack actually didn't stop until the stints were put in. Kent's now had a total of three stints put in, two different surgeries. Which is scary enough. He's now not only on asthma meds, but blood pressure meds and cholesterol meds. Last year, he w...