About

Welcome! My name is Jill. You probably picked up on that when you saw the name of the blog. 🙂 This past year I slid closer to 50 than to 40.  I am a single mom of an amazing young man. He will soon be 18 years old and graduating this year. I can’t seem to convince him to stop getting olde,r so I guess I am going to have to face the empty nest syndrome, as much as I would like to avoid it. It is such a privilege to be his mom. I used to teach Elementary School, 5th and 6th grade, primarily Reading. Around the time I started teaching, I found out I have a wonderful genetic disease, Neurofibromatosis 2. No one else in my family has had it thankfully…I received mine through spontaneous mutation…makes me sound like a Science project. 🙂 In a nutshell, NF2 can cause a tumor anywhere you have a nerve ending…which clearly provides it lots of places to choose from! Mine are primarily in my head and along my spine. The tumors aren’t malignant. The harm comes from the fact they typically grow over time, resulting in pressure and damage in the surrounding area. As the result of an operation on one side, and a growing tumor that hasn’t been removed on the other side, I no longer have any hearing . Lip reading is my primary means of understanding what someone is saying to me. You would be surprised at how many words are formed similarly and what bizarre things you think people are saying. 🙂 At the time my hearing finally gave up, my marriage also ended. I won’t dishonor my ex-husband, and dad of my son. I will only say that I strongly believe in the Covenant of marriage and all that entails. Sometimes life takes unexpected twists and turns that we can’t always control.

Throw in a mix of Clinical Depression, Chronic Pain and Addiction, discovered after my need to take medication for said chronic pain, and that provides a glimpse of some areas of struggles and trials. Through it all, not as a result of anything I have or have not done, the Lord has been faithful. Even during times I haven’t ‘felt’ that on a daily basis, He is full of grace and mercy, never once stepping away from me. I desire to make a joyful noise unto the Lord in the midst of the sunny or rainy times.

I pray this blog might be used in some small way by Him…that He would speak through me, sharing some of the things I have learned…many times kicking and screaming along the way!  I definitely provide Him opportunities to show His strength in the midst of my weaknesses. Isn’t that thoughtful of me? 🙂 If you need a safe haven, I pray this blog will be one for you….a place e that you can turn to for encouragement and prayer. Please know that I’m just like you, no better and no worse. Our trials might be different, but Our Savior, shared by believers, is the the same Great I AM.. Any pain you are suffering from is real. Our struggles may look different, but still result in the same pain and suffering…causing similar fears and doubts. Let’s walk together, as we each playing a vital role in the Body of Christ. May we encourage each other to faithfully and obediently live our lives glorifying Him. I pray we extend each other grace along the way.

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. – I Corinthians 12:26

In a quote from a message by John Piper discussing Ephesians 4: 1-6, he shares more about what our attitudes and actions should convey::

The character traits that will preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace are humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love. So he (Paul) says that a life worthy of our calling and leading to unity of Spirit is “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love.” If you are humble, you will be gentle, and if you are patient, you will be forbearing or enduring. And if you are gentle and forbearing in love, you will be a peacemaker and a unity preserver. So be diligent and eager to be a humble and patient person by the power of Christ. (The full message can be read here: One Lord, One Spirit, One Body)

Side note: Totally insignificant…Pay no attention to the intense expression in my pic. My physical smile is broken right now, so I will do this instead….:)