Sharon JaynesConfidence in Christ, Dealing with Your Past, Expectant Living, Identity in Christ, Living Free, Living Fully, Renewing your mind with the Truth, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, Uncategorized 9 Comments

When You’re Struggling with Bad Thoughts and Habits

Someone once asked me if I had ever struggled with a stronghold in my life. To be honest, at the time I wasn’t even sure what a stronghold was. So I did a little digging.

A stronghold is one of those churchy Christianese words that’s hard to wrap your mind around. It’s not a word we use everyday.  Read more…

Sharon JaynesExpectant Living, Identity in Christ, Living Free, Living Fully, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, Trusting God 29 Comments

You Are Who God Says You Are

Today I’m writing over at www.proverbs31.org for their Encouragement for Today devotion. In case you missed it, I wanted to share  it with you too! Lived blessed! You are.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

I became a Christian when I was a teenager.  Read more…

Sharon JaynesDealing with Your Past, Expectant Living, General Inspiration, Living Fully, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, Uncategorized 52 Comments

Moving Past Disappointment

Sometimes you expect you’re getting a Rachel and you wake up with a Leah.

Okay, I know that example might connect better with a guy, but you get the point.

Let me try that again. What do you do after you’ve crossed the Red Sea of obstacles, only to be dying of thirst at Marah three days later?  Read more…

Sharon JaynesExpectant Living, General Inspiration, Living Free, Living Fully, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, Uncategorized 140 Comments

When You Don’t Want to Go Back to the Way You Were

I just got my braces off…again.

I have had braces on my upper teeth three times. Count them. One. Two. Three.

As the orthodontist explained, “Teeth have a memory. They always want to go back to the way they were.”

As soon as he said those words, I felt convicted. I have a tendency to go back to the way I was.  Read more…

Sharon JaynesA Sudden Glory, Dealing with Your Past, Dreams of a Woman, General Inspiration, God's love, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, Uncategorized 9 Comments

When You Don’t Like the Story God is Writing

I often think of my life like a story God is writing…and so is yours. And to be honest, some parts of the story I don’t really like.

If it were up to me, I would have written some of it differently. My second child would not have died, and I would have a daughter who would be 26 years old this year.  Read more…

Sharon JaynesDealing with Your Past, Living Fully, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, Uncategorized 74 Comments

When You’re Struggling with Disappointment of the Worst Kind

My son keeps me laughing with funny videos posted on YouTube.com. One was from the movie Hercules.

Rumor has it that the script had the word “disappointed” in parenthesis, noting that the actor was to say the line as if he were disappointed.  Instead, when the actor got to that particular line he yelled out…DISAPPOINTED! Oops!  Read more…

Sharon JaynesConfidence in Christ, Identity in Christ, Living Fully, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, Uncategorized 15 Comments

Miss Masterpiece…That Would Be You

It was truly a work of art. Yes, one eye was much larger than the other, the nose resembled a giant squash, and the ears looked like saucers on the side of his head.

But my kindergarten son’s self-portrait unveiled on parents’ night is a masterpiece I’ve treasured through the years.

As I looked at Steven’s drawing,  Read more…