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Searching the Heart
Recently, our country was hit with the painful reminder that there is still so much hate residing within us that needs to be addressed. This hate is nothing new. Racism is nothing new. In fact, as time grows closer each day to the end of time altogether, we sadly cannot be surprised by this spirit of division attacking us. However, that doesn’t mean we have to condone it. It All Begins in the Heart Growing up on the outskirts of New Orleans, “The Melting Pot”, my community was nothing but diverse in both color and culture. And though I am a white woman from a white family, I was thankfully…
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The Way, The Truth, & The Lyme
The Testimony of Jessica Johnson Creatively Transcribed by April Normand When I say Lyme Disease, what is the first thing you think of? Ticks, no doubt. Want to know what I think of? The inability to walk. The feeling of cement in my legs. Being completely unable to move my neck. Inflammation within and behind my eyes that makes it too painful to even see. Spine shattering, gut damaging, life changing chronic illness. That’s what I think of. My Story My name is Jessica Johnson. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, a place of beaches, campgrounds, military, and shrimping. Where small town living meets the big city. The…
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What I Learned in One Year
Well, it has officially been one year since the launch of Weather in April, and what an experience it has been! It truly is amazing how God works. In the beginning of my diagnosis, I felt like the last person on earth. Little did I know what world was really out there – a world of others who feel what I feel. See what I see. Experience the same life I do but only with a different lens. It is almost as though I have learned more in this past year than I have throughout this entire sickness. And I don’t think that would be the case had I not…
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Oh Be Careful Little Ears What You Hear
You can hear it almost anywhere you go. It relaxes you, invigorates you, and takes you back to the oldest of memories. It sets the mood to every minute you’re exposed to it. It is the sound of music filling the air. And while many share this common interest for a love of music, I can honestly say, I’ve always taken it two steps further. Music was rich in my family before I was even a thought. It was always played and always encouraged to be played. Upon entering my teenage years, it quickly became an obsession. My walls were plastered with posters and album covers. I could tell you…
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Depression
⊗ Trigger Warning: This following post contains sensitive material about depression and suicidal thoughts. Please proceed with caution. ⊗ Sometimes I feel brave enough to say it. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I feel empowered. I feel stronger. I feel a purpose. And then sometimes I feel nothing but shame. A woman once said not everything has to be shared. I had hoped this could be one of those things. But not everything that is needed to be said is easy to be said. This is that. It has been little over a year since I overcame the very lowest part of my life. But I’m not talking about depression alone.…
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What to Do When You Can’t Read the Bible
I get it. Reading the Bible is not an easy task. It can sound like Shakespeare, and the size is nothing but intimidating. So what are we supposed to do when God wants us to read it, but we simply cant figure out how? I would like to share with you a few tips that have helped me overcome the hurdle of consistently reading the Bible. And perhaps you too will see what God is capable of doing through you when you truly desire Him. It begins with praying for five things: 1.) Desire You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. –…
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What Are You Afraid Of?
It’s funny. I was the child always terrified of going to the doctor. I was the one who built up major anxiety over visiting the dentist or hospital for a checkup. Who would have thought I would one day have no choice but to overcome my fears. While I thought pregnancy had cleared me of most fear and humility, I was quickly proven wrong. Although both my epidural and blood patch had caused little pain, I was beyond terrified when it came to getting my first spinal tap. As symptoms progressed that summer of 2017, I knew the inevitable was coming, and no amount of mental prepping could relieve my…
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The Vision of the Sealed Book
I saw it all like words in a sealed book. It was delivered by men unto someone with one simple request: “Read this, please.” But the person responded, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” So the men delivered the book to someone who was illiterate with the same request, “Read this, please.” But this person responded, “I can’t. I don’t know how to read.” The prophet Isaiah wrote about this vision centuries before Jesus was even born. Perhaps you don’t understand. Why couldn’t the first person simply have unwrapped the book? Or maybe you’re wondering why the second person never learned to read at all. But what if this story…
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Claiming Thankfulness
Sickness did not sneak up on me. Sickness did not work its way into my life because of any bad health decisions I made. There was no family history waiting to show itself again. In fact, I was perfectly healthy for twenty five years, never a broken bone, rarely a visit to the doctor. My sickness had a cause. My sickness started the day my epidural went wrong. Science is still a mystery to most, and our bodies can do some fascinating things, but no one will ever convince me that my sickness just developed on its own. You don’t go from leaking spinal fluid from a faulty epidural to…
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Will the Bride Say “I Do”?
Long before the Israelites were trapped in the slavery of Egypt, God had a plan. Though centuries had gone by from the time He made His promise to Abraham, that didn’t make His plan any less perfect or efficient. He knew the timing, and He was ready to move. He was ready to break the chains of bondage and show the world who He was and what He could do. Wonders would be performed before the eyes of thousands of people. He had miracles saved up especially for this time that the world had never seen nor would ever see again. which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have…
