Are you A Recovering Pharisee?

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on April 19, 2023 by Her Broken Wing

Remember Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer? And the misfit Toy island? 

The island consisted of goofed-up, imperfect, and flawed toys because they “didn’t fit” in. 

Churches should hang a sign above their church doors that reads: “All misfit toys welcome here!” The goofed-up, imperfect, and flawed by sin are welcome here. 

In the Bible the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asks Matthew to follow Him. Matthew was a total misfit. No one cared for the tax-collector. They were dishonest.  But when Jesus invites Matthew, he gets up and follows Jesus. Leave’s everything behind. Matthew a pharisee. A sick Pharisee. (Matthew 9:9)

Does your church consist of strict, legalistic behavior as that of a Pharisee with rigid, religious rule-keeping—theology totally empty of love?  There is no love among the Pharisees, just laws.  Laws without love. 

Jesus heard the Pharisees question why He was hanging out with sinners, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”(Matthew 9:12)

“I did not come to call the (self-)righteous, but sinners.” 

I am not saying to give out free passes to go on out and sin. No. There are natural consequences of our behavior. But who are we to judge (Matthew 7:1-2)? Love them.

Gosh guys, church is not for the perfect. We don’t need to pray for torrential hail storms or floods or pandemics or whatever. 

We don’t stop bleeding before we go to the emergency room!

In fact, God delights in working through outcasts and misfits!

As the friend of sinners, Jesus Himself became the ultimate outcast!

Are you a misfit or a pharisee?

Connie

Praising in the Hallway

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , on April 11, 2023 by Her Broken Wing

Psalm 130.5 “ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

My dear friend and mentor called me yesterday and we were talking about where God has us. Some frustration on both ends. We said I guess God has us both in the hallway. 

As a woman having a baby, the doctor say’s don’t push! But the urge is strong and she wishes to push. Same as waiting in the hallway, we want to open the door before it is time. Same as it will be premature and there is a reason not to have an untimely opening of a door. 

What does all this mean?

Why hallways? Why must I wait on God’s timing?

God has a way of managing our life when we hold onto the hem of His garment. 

A hallway is temporary not a place to stay. Especially, when I see a door ajar. 

There are hallways in everything  such as Homes, offices, churches, even life….

 Hallways help protect us. Such as life. 

Hallways can be a hope of things to come. Hold on, friend. You will not be in the hallway forever. Your time will come. God is about to open a door no man can shut. Savor our time in the hallway, for the next phase maybe good, not so good or indifferent. But know It will bring us closer to Him. 

What have we learned in the hallway of life?

Waiting is not a sign of laziness. Nor has God left us. Are we ready for what is behind the door? Is God developing and maturing us to be ready for our next journey?

In waiting we learn, to “be still and know God” Psalm 46:10

Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway.

Blessings

So Dark but So Good

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , on April 8, 2023 by Her Broken Wing

1Peter “ He himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;” by His wounds we are healed”.

Jesus endured the cross on Good Friday, knowing it lead to His resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of God’s reign of righteousness and peace.

Good Friday marked the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That is why Good Friday is so dark and so good.”

The rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous.

.Am I a wilderness Christian that will never experience the promise land? What is my fear of pursuing the land of milk and honey? Do I feel obligated or true passion?

What about this new generation Christian? Will they ever understand a Promise Land Christian?

Do I know the extent to which Jesus sacrificed Himself? How he died? That his death was historically one of the cruelest most tortured deaths a human could face. Do we know that? Our minds can’t mentally think of this cruelty because it isn’t normal. Why didn’t Jesus stop this? Because that was His purpose! He came to die that we may live…. It was cruel, bloody and nasty.

I spent 40 years in the desert before I finally made it to the land of milk and honey. Sadly, I didn’t know or maybe I chose to ignore God’s love then and now. I vacillate some days based on how life is going. How I am handling life. How life is handling me.

My resurrection came during a time of brokenness. In a dark time of fear, hurt and immense pain,The lose of a friend through death. Through hurt and. Through a season.

Will I step back into the wilderness or choose the promise land? Will Jesus’ death be in vain? Am I victorious or am I a victim?

And now I sit in silence waiting for that glorious resurrection!

Connie

Jesus knew

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , on April 3, 2023 by Her Broken Wing

How ironic Holy Week is. How sad but glorious. How promising. And How much love is poured out!!! 

All in the name of us prodigal children. 

Jesus’ back bent carrying the cross that we made Him carry. And yet Jesus said (Matthew 11:29) “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble…” His pain for our pain. 

Jesus ultimately carried the heaviest load, not just the cross but my sin.

Love that’s truly cruciform, is truly vulnerable enough — that the heart gets hurt.” Ann Voskamp (Sam)

I know what Holy Week means. Well on paper. Do I truly feel the emotion? The pain? The love? 

I’ve read the book. I know the ending. It would be a sad story without us knowing the ending. Spoiler Alert- Christ wins!

So reading further, it says Jesus walked into a realm of submission and surrendered to His Father. “Thy will be done…” (Matt 6:10) God let Jesus lay down His own life to bring us home. Gods Only Son. What love!

Jesus knew. 

It was an emotional gloomy week. He knew what awaited Him.  

I’ve had enough situations in my life that i had dreaded only to find out the outcome was worth it. Like my first day of sobriety. Thankfully, My life was saved through an intervention. But it saved my life. What if my life had not been spared? Would my purpose have been thwarted? How about those times where I eventually led someone to You, oh Lord and the time I baptized my mom. What would have happened if I had not been here? That may not even be the reason or my purpose. Maybe I will never know!

Like wise, what will my life ask of me?

I hear many times in the healing rooms, some of my hardest days will  come during my sobriety journey. I think about the disciples and their life sharing the love and resurrection of Jesus. It wasn’t easy.

I’ve seen myself get off the floor from fighting on my knees through prayer. I have laid prostrate begging to get sober, as well most days now on my knees having an intimate talk with God.

I just need to pick up my cross and walk. My God awaits me.  He is my love.

Oh yes, life is still out there!

She’s Back

Posted in Uncategorized with tags on April 2, 2023 by Her Broken Wing

Hey y’all. Yep, a little Georgia goes a long ways.

.For all of you readers and those that have left comments, I apologize for my absence. Like really absent! It’s been over a year and I am itching to get back in. So thank you all that have left comments. I will be more interactive. So bear with me as I get started back.

grace and love

Another year

Posted in Uncategorized on April 2, 2023 by Her Broken Wing

13 years YEA BABY

What Will Your Christmas Tree Whisper

Posted in Uncategorized on November 14, 2022 by Her Broken Wing

What story does your Christmas tree tell?

The whisper of the Tree

From little hands, the gifts of a child. Broken macaroni to broken legged gingerbread men. “To mommy and daddy with love from our child.” This home established in 1994. First Christmas 1984, 1987 or 1995. Gifts from our childrens school years.

Our tree whispers giggles of our children up way too early Christmas morning running to see if Santa ate his cookies or did Santa come. The tree sees and hears everything.

It sees all the love poured into the last minute assembling of a toy as we try to put together in frustration (yes) with love and excitement. Oh to see their face!

It sees the excitement between our own surprise gifts to each other. Wee early mornings in the still darkness of the day.

Yes, our trees tells many stores but if you are in our house embrace the love, listen to the whispers but many stories are sacred to the family.

And yes our tree is dusted off early as we are one of those!!! But after all memories have started!!!

Get ready for another season of memories because of our gifts poured out because of Jesus Christ.

Blessings


LIGHT in the DARKNESS

Posted in Uncategorized on September 16, 2021 by Her Broken Wing

In the midst of horrific pain,we, in the darkest part of our souls, try to grasp just a piece of the pain as if to take away their agony. But really we are too scared. What if that were me? We are vulnerable. It is just too dark.

Truly, we cannot take away the pain. It’s too immense of an emotion that no one can even sense what that person really feels.

Oh, we want to do something…anything! But it doesn’t work that way.

We can’t begin to understand even a minuscule of their emotion. Nor do we really want to. To see that kind of pain is just too much and we turn away.

But then it transpires. Courage. Prayer. Love. And most of all, God.

God didn’t do this but we blame him. It just happened. Nonetheless, His shoulders are big enough to handle the sorrow. We don’t know why this took place, this day, this time. But He is the only one that can mend the spirit. Bring us back to a new “normal.” Life has changed course.

Human touch. Slowly but it does happen.

The light in our darkness.

A memory.

Resentment

Posted in Uncategorized on September 9, 2021 by Her Broken Wing

Hey guys been awhile!

I have 12 years clean and sober. Life has been a journey. I mean like really.

I still attend AA faithfully. I have worked the 12 steps numerous times (not that i want to)! But i develop resentments as life goes on. people, things, places but mostly people.

Even though I attend AA this has become more of a God thing to work through. (Mark 11:25)

Recently, my doctor told me of all the things i should do to improve my health. I felt cared for. Why is it he can make suggestions but when my spouse does, I blow up in flames? ”They” say don’t sweat the small stuff but I do. And those small things build on top of each other like a skyscraper!

I have one right now. But the more I think about it, it is not him. It is me. He’s a godly man but pisses me off. yes Connie, look in the mirror.

Resentment robs me of my life life’s choices. it really robs me of peace and serenity. When i choose to be free, i can love. A Godly love.

Its all about forgiveness. And that my friends is all about serenity.

Later. ❤️

The Little Girl Down The Street

Posted in Uncategorized on October 19, 2018 by Her Broken Wing

There was a quiet girl down the street. Average girl. You wouldn’t notice her in a crowd. But in her young age, she was more concerned with the other girls. She tried not to let the sting of being sometimes picked third,forth even last but never first to the team. She was Mediocre at best.

She wasn’t the smartest. She didn’t get awards,scholarships or recognition for any of her works, art or music. She secretly thought it was good.  It just wasn’t to be. She was Mediocre at best.

She wasn’t the prettiest. There was always someone prettier. She felt inferior to her friends that were smarter, cuter. Parties, “I’m sorry you are not invited.” Her body image was less than. She hated who she was and was mad at God that He had not made her special.

To her mediocre meant failure.

She dreamed of a prince rescuing her so that others would see. See that she was special.

At night, her mind would Dance with the stars. She would dream of being special to someone, something.

But she had a dark secret that kept her from being “like the other girls.” One she promised to never tell. One she was too ashamed to tell. Even as a small girl,she knew it was wrong. Was it her fault? But she was so young. So yes, she wasn’t like the other girls. She carried her secret through her life. She had begun to realize she was not special like she once thought. She believed the lies.

As she grew up, the secret grew with her. And she grew less. She learned though by happenstance one evening as she sat off in a corner that there was another world. One drink made her high and for a while she forgot her pain. But she didn’t stop at one. Two, three. And before long she was singing karaoke with the rest and felt like one of them. And the boys … the boys had started talking to her. Finally, she was special. One even said he would take her home. How special she felt. She felt like a princess again, like when she was little…before…,it happened. Even if just a short time, she let him walk her to the door. But then he began to get pushy. He wanted to come in. She said no. But he was stronger than her.

Once again she carried a dark secret deep within her soul. “What is wrong with me?” She begin to self-loathe. She began to not care. She thought God had forgotten her.

But she had found a way to drown out the pain privately where she couldn’t be hurt. Or that is what she thought.

At first, she just drank on weekends. With time, she started drinking a night or two during the week. Eventually, she was drinking everyday. She was having a hard time focusing at work.

Her world had spiraled. She had lost everything. The few friends she had. Her job. Her dignity.

It was then that she walked through the doors.

Me

Her Broken Wing