About Me

About Me

jade

still figuring out this life journey. you too? let's talk about it

Godly Self-Care

There’s a lot of talk in the world about self-care. As the church, we’ve jumped on the bandwagon, no reason not to, the concept and premise is spectacular. In reality, our culture has been self-sabotaging and this new wave of fundamental health is refreshing! Even the church has lacked sorely in this area where we should have been leading the example in healthy practices of caring for our whole bodies…well, we haven’t been. Now we have an opportunity to set an example for a group of hurting people who are trying to self-medicate! However, we also have a temptation to give in to ungodly but seemingly good self-care practices. Notice the phrase in its essence, self-care. Without taking up a religious or haughty spirit, shouldn’t we at least recognize that we can’t much take care of ourselves? Shouldn’t we be in the habit of promoting God-care? Putting that aside, let’s strip the stipulation or confusion and stick with the term self-care for simplicity’s sake. We are going to identify Godly self-care so that we can discern the difference between what the world is promoting for beneficial self-care and what God defines as self-care. Before we can be an example in…

The Striving Leaves Me Empty

It always happens this way. I find myself, at the end of myself, and realize…I ran out. How long was I running? When did I stop leaning into Jesus? What motivated me to do it in my own strength? What fear overtook me and forced me into this corner of striving? What hurt or trauma enticed me to control? Have you ever found yourself in this place? Have you found yourself in that moment where you recognize that you’re not operating in His strength anymore? Not operating in His grace, or freedom, or rest, or trust? You realize that you’re completely in your flesh, and as you take a moment, you get stuck trying to remember where you crossed the line. Let’s troubleshoot. How do we backtrack and resolve what’s happening? But, even better, how do we manage or monitor the engagement of our hearts and our whole selves to ensure that we aren’t leaving our Friend behind? If we’re leaving Him behind, we’re leaving ourselves behind. It’s like this ghostly picture of us is running ahead, and the real us is at rest in Jesus 10 feet back. The version of us that we thought was ok and moving…

Jesus Will Meet You Where You Are

Sometimes you hear the cliche response for the answer to your problem. “Worship the Lord, cast your cares on Him and He’ll make the burden feel lighter.” Well, that’s true, but it’s not always going to motivate you or actually help you get from A to B in your hard place, especially if you don’t understand what that means. When you come to Him in honesty and let it be hard, Jesus will meet you where you are, and then, He will start to comfort you. That’s what the process looks like. People haven’t always known how to communicate that or teach that, or even accomplish that in their own lives, but you can. Sometimes people get confused and think they need to deny their problems or their hurts and worship through it. But there’s a better way.   We are not a people in denial. Jesus wasn’t in denial about His trials, but He took His own hurts to the Father. We are a people of power and self-control, sacrifice and love. Jesus said no one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down. We don’t worship through denial – we worship through hardship. It’s a choice…

Addicted to Achieving

“I feel like I’ve spent too many days saying, “I did _____ and ______, but I didn’t finish this or that.” I almost always end my days declaring what I didn’t achieve. I begin my days making lists for what defines them. And often these lists and achievements are filled with things that may inevitably leave me empty or rob from me —- because they aren’t eternal.” I sat down to read today…to spend time with the Lord. And once again I found myself drifting off in my mind, but without ease. A drill sergeant barking orders and planning the next attack: my strategy for achieving through the remainder of the day. While the kids are asleep I will first clean the dishes, then make a grocery list and eat some lunch before they wake up. If I have time, I’ll read a book…but no maybe I should make the grocery list first, my husband can go while the kids sleep I will read a book and then later do the dishes. But when should I eat lunch? I’ll wait until dinner and just a snack while I finish dinner prep…. How exhausting. I haven’t even begun to tackle the…

Patience With Your Desires: Succeed and Continue

“We proceed through rounds of failure because we know success is available if we continue.”   The point is this: I was about to give up. Because “I don’t have the time to sow into this as much as I want.” Can you imagine if every successful individual had given up when they felt they didn’t have enough time to invest? At the first sight of opposition? If they gave up when their first attempt wasn’t “successful” in their eyes? Remember with success as we know it, often comes failure.   Succeed and continue. The reality is that inventing a light bulb doesn’t come out right on the first try. We proceed through rounds of failure because we know success is available if we continue. Why are we wired this way I wonder? What if I told you that success was available at the start and throughout every round of trial? What have you been dreaming in your heart? What are you working at? What have you been persevering in? How have you been patient with yourself, encouraged yourself or challenged yourself to succeed and continue? Notice that sequence…”succeed and continue“.   Isn’t it cool that we are able to…

Dreaming from the Overflow

  We don’t always know how to steward our hearts for dreams. I think when I was a little girl, I was great at dreaming up big dreams and imagining fairy tales. There is a difference between the dreams of a young child and an adult who has both experienced difficulties and been hurt by trauma. So I’m challenging myself to dream again in a new way. To dream bigger not for the sake of dreaming, but to challenge myself, love myself and joyfully watch God bless my life with abundance. “More than you can think, hope, imagine.” Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… -Ephesians 3:20 That’s great. Lots of fuzzies. It’s real. It’s true. And that’s great news. It’s really the gospel if you think about it. I like another verse in Philemon 6:1… That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. It’s real. He can do immeasurably more because He’s God, but especially because He’s already put everything in us in Jesus. I’d…

Surprises from God

I was in the prayer room during worship and I had another one of those moments that cannot be described. I love these moments. I was singing about believing the Lord for all we have, all He’s promised. And the verse coming to the surface of my heart was this: Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! Luke 1:45 So we began to sing, “Oh, I have believed and now I will see the goodness of the Lord.” As we did, it lifted up as a prayer of faith. And as we sang I knew that it would ring into the air, into the hearts and bring freedom for faith and pave the way for promises. A release was coming. And it did. In my heart, I saw myself in the mansion of the Father. His great big house, with full rooms, full tables, gifts and abundance for me. In my heart, I saw the warfare of my life manifesting promises, the goodness of the Father and His faithfulness laying out gifts, and the destiny and righteousness that I fought for…being affirmed by the King. A great big house, with everything I…

About Me

About Me

Jade

Hi! I'm a mom, online business owner, worship leader and heart-focused, Spirit-led life coach. Thanks for being here. Let's talk about all the ways Jesus shows up everyday. More...

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