Brave Heart, Brave Soul. She who is brave is free.

It's been a while since I really sat down and talked about my battle with breast cancer. Not because I haven’t wanted to, but mostly because life has gone on around me and the fact that I have lived through this beast is not something the world cares to slow down to notice. I have been in the depths of grief many times during my struggle with breast cancer and I have felt the harsh, sometimes burning sting of those who feel the need to strike the wounded while they are still down. It’s sadly part of the game of life. I have always referred to these types as cancer bullies and they seem to strike, to come out from under rocks when you least expect them. It’s honestly a vicious go around we all live through. We pray to make it through, don’t we? We want to be blessed with long life, to be free of cancer and all her consorts, including the cancer bullies. We pray for healing, for enough money to pay the bills in the after math of cancer and for His mighty hand to hold us, ...

We all have a God Story, whether we believe in His Grace and Mercy or not. If you hold God as your compass through this darkly lite world we live in or not.  If you have rejected the idea of His existence you have a God Story, your story is what you believe or do not believe in when it comes to faith. Some of us find God early in life, some of us find him late. Some of us reject His purpose in our lives from the moment we are aware there is more to this universe of ours than just you and me, some of us reject God as life begins to unravel around us. Some of us can't seem to find Him at all and still others seem to be able to believe in the unseen without much effort at all. For many grace seems so far out of reach, so untouchable, so unlikely, yet His grace is the Hand that holds us, that binds us to joy and provides peace of mind in the middle of so much turbulence,  the very rope keeping us from the depths of  total despair, longing to reach down and ease our sufferin...

Have you ever seen the State farm ad, State of Chaos? Poor, poor, Dwayne, while most of his neighborhood is fleeing from an out of control robot monster taking over the street, a couple well meaning, but seriously over chatty neighbors are commentating on the destruction of Dwayne’s life as everything he owns is torn apart.   We have all lived through times like this and quite honestly felt as if we served as the commentary for those who have nothing better to do than chat about how our lives are falling apart. Life is harsh and can be unpredictable. No mater how hard we try, plan or even push ourselves, everything we thought was meant to be in our lives can crumble, leaving us with the pieces. Have you ever felt as if life was coming at you from every side? Seriously, you know those kinds of days, maybe even weeks, when everything that CAN, WILL come against you? Lights go out because you forgot to pay the bill, you swallowed a swig of sour milk with your stale donut, stubbe...