Traversing childhood traumatic experiences leaves my soul wandering sometimes. It is as if it took all the stillness out of my being. Relearning? Relearn what? I was never taught anything about stillness. Sure, I had to sit still. I had to be calm for my father, but stillness – internally, you know the thing thatContinue reading “Still Water”
Author Archives: Just Jodie
Jewels, Gems & Gunpowder
I would love to hear from you! Sharing Saturday with you. Jewel: The fear of discovery is ever present in the world of healing. I don’t long to reel in some piece of my past that wrecked havoc in my soul, but it’s something I’ve had to do. I wish I could just leave theContinue reading “Jewels, Gems & Gunpowder”
Heros & Whores
What an ugly word, right? Whore is defined as a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships. My mother had casual sexual encounters with my father’s friend and with me. This is just what I witnessed. I also was told by a family friend that she slept with her brother. I asked herContinue reading “Heros & Whores”
A Pierced Heart
It’s tragic to watch the heart of the innocent long for the protection and love of their abusers. Tragedy lives in the soul of those that cannot break free from this. This feeling is not love, but darkness. This kind of darkness pierces your heart and doesn’t let go. It wants to drain the lifeContinue reading “A Pierced Heart”
Heave-Ho
There is a tradition in my family at Christmas where we gift books to each other. My oldest daughter is fantastic at finding just the right book to give me each year. Last year she gave me, The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. It’s an excellent book on how to plan and decide whyContinue reading “Heave-Ho”
If Grace Were a Rainbow
The rainbow is a symbol of God’s faithfulness and mercy. In the “rainbow around the throne,” ( Revelation 4:3 ) it is seen as the symbol of hope and the bright emblem of mercy and love, all the more true as a symbol because it is reflected from the storm itself. In the Genesis account, aContinue reading “If Grace Were a Rainbow”
A Bubble of Satisfaction
I’ve wrestled with my thoughts for most of my life. Truly. As a child, I was a contemplative little girl. I had to be. It seemed no one else in my house had a thought past their nose. Unfortunately, that created a cavern of anxiety in my small being. Anxiety has been my friend longerContinue reading “A Bubble of Satisfaction”
Anguish Squelched
When you give voice to your pain it suppresses the output of anguish. What do I mean? The last time I spoke with my mother and oldest sister, I gave words to my anguish. So much so I sounded like a screeching ostrich, I suppose. The next morning, my husband came to me and said, “MaybeContinue reading “Anguish Squelched”
Living Water
I’ve written before about the many gifts my father gave me as a child. The spirit of religion happened to be one of those. He took my virginity and taught me about his god. His god was cruel, inflicted judgment and pain, and constantly gave me rules I couldn’t or wouldn’t want to follow. IncestContinue reading “Living Water”
The Discernment of Discouragement
On this journey I’ve had to cast the courage to care so many times. I’ve wanted to quit, give up, stay with inappropriate people and just stop caring. The more I cared, the more I had to work at discovering the hidden evils around me. I remember telling Redmond, my counselor of many years, “CanContinue reading “The Discernment of Discouragement”
