I have only just begun putting work into this new blog and already, it has become a fun adventure for me! What a blessing it was to reach out to a few selected friends and ask them to review what I have written so far with an honest opinion. All I have received is positive feedback (I hope they aren't just being nice!), and I even had one friend in particular willingly respond to my request for her personal testimony.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Spoken True, Refurbished
Six years ago, I kept a private blog which was meant for only those who knew me personally to be able to read. Many friends and family found it to be quite inspirational because I poured my heart out, shared intimate feelings about my own life, and received a lot of positive feedback.
My last entry was written in November of 2009, which conveniently is shortly after I began dating my (now) husband. Although the timing may seem coincidental, I can assure you, I did not stop writing because of our relationship. That point in my life just became very challenging and too difficult to do much of any writing. Then, as time progressed, Stud and I got married and we began to grow our family. That's right! In the past 6 years I went from being a single mom of one handsome boy, to a married mother of 3 beautiful children. Life has done so many turn-arounds for me and I could talk about the many blessings that I have, forever, but for now it will have to wait.
What I wrote on November 12, 2009, was and still is true to this day. I have never stopped feeling a calling from the Lord to be as much help and encouragement as I could possibly be for all of my sisters in this world. There is not much that I am good at, but writing is one thing I got. When I stopped writing in my old blog, it certainly didn't go unnoticed. Quite a few readers inquired about it and wanted to know when I would begin writing again. I'd love to pick up from where I left off, writing in that same old blog, but so many years have passed and I will admit that I can not for the life of me remember my login information. Oops!! That's okay, though, because this is a new chapter in my life and with the changes come new territory. So this is my "new" blog. However, as you may have already found, it carries the same name as before. I want to keep things very similar to the old theme so I decided there was no better way than to keep the title going strong. This is Spoken True.
Spoken True sums up the purpose behind my writing in two very simple words. This blog is me! I don't mess around with my writing -- what you see is what you get. I can be funny, I can be raw, I can be emotional, I can be motivational, I can be straight to the point. But whatever I am writing about, there is one common denominator: it is all real. It is all Spoken True! My willingness to open up and share certain details of my life experiences, publicly, has led women to feel comfortable enough to reach out to me by email, phone call and privately in person, for advice on whatever aspect of life they are going through--whether they are waiting for Mr. Right or going through a nasty divorce, and anything in between. Now, hear this! I am NOT a professional counselor by any stretch of the imagination and I always make that clear to my lady friends whenever they come to me. But how many Christians in the Bible and throughout history were technically considered "professionals?"
I am not trying to take the place of anyone with extensive training in mentoring. Some people could indefinitely use professional advice, but I am happy to share my own experiences with whomever God places on my path, if it means a chance to share the love of Jesus with them. That is exactly the love and joy I wish to impose on others through this blog!
But there's just one thing ... I'd like to do things a little differently this time around, because I believe this change is important. I want to expand the blog beyond my own testimony, and invite other women to write in and share their own stories. We live in a generation where women seem to be the spotlight of many topics, and we are held to so many standards and expectations that it is literally overwhelming for each and every one of us.......
If we don't have curves in all the right places, we aren't beautiful. If we don't prove to be just as physically strong as men are, we are weak. If we have ever used our image to earn money, we are whores. If we don't earn our own money, we are users. If we are stay-at-home moms, we are lazy. If we are career moms, we are selfish. If we are age 50 and shopping in the Junior section, we are in denial. If we teach our daughters to play with dolls and wear pink, we are ruining them..... I mean, the list could really go on and on and on. And don't get me wrong, men have their own struggles with society, too. But I'm not a man, so unfortunately I can't be as empathetic as I am able to be for women (I'll pray for you, though).
The point is, women are compared and judged day after day, hour after hour, and WE are our own WORST enemies. How many of you have gone to a store, gas station, bank, or any form of customer service job, and felt judged and immediately hated by the female who is helping you, simply for being ... well, another female!? How many of you can honestly admit you have been that other woman who did the hating? Perhaps the girl you were looking at seemed prettier or smarter than you see yourself. How many of us can truly admit to feeling less of ourselves than we should, and how many of us can agree that we take our own insecurities out on other women before allowing a chance to get to know them? We judge before ever speaking a word to each other, and we only cause more damage by doing so. We have no idea what another person's story is, but the chances are it is more similar to your own story than you may even realize.
It's time for women to come together as the sisters in Christ that our Lord and Savior called us to be:
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:12-15
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Luke 6:27-28
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:10-11
"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
The judgment, the comparison, and the hatred is NOT a part of the loving creatures God is calling us to become. I am just as guilty as the rest of you at falling into these traps, but I also find myself constantly trying to overcome temptation with a spiritual love for all of my sisters, no matter where your path in life has taken you. We should be encouraging, not discouraging; supportive, not jealous; giving, not taking.
Did you know that young girls are surpassing boys when it comes to bullying in schools and on social media? Why do you think that is? Because IMAGE has become such an important part of society that it is teaching our future generations to turn against each other, especially if they feel threatened by another person's image (be it beauty, talent, intelligence, clothes, riches, etc.). HOW TERRIBLE IS THAT?!
Along with these bullies have also come increased suicides, attempted-suicides, eating disorders, self-infliction, and substance abuse amongst our youth, as well as adults. If we as women want to prove our power & strength in ANYTHING, it should be in OVERCOMING these slanted views on each other with LOVE and RESPECT. We can grow stronger if we come together, rather than work against each other. And that is why I want to encourage as many women as I can to share their stories with me, but not only me. Share their story on Spoken True with the world! We all have our own story. Not one of us is a nobody. Each and every one of us is a SOMEBODY and our stories can help shape the future of other women.
If you're interested in speaking truth with me, please email me today! If you feel compelled to share your story but you don't believe you are the best at writing it out, that's okay. I would love the opportunity to help you write and/or edit it. This isn't about talent, this is about getting the message out there. I would also like to encourage as many of you who are creative enough to make videos for your story (What do they call those things --- Vlogs?). All you need to do is upload your video to YouTube and send me the link, then I will gladly publish it here on Spoken True!
There are just a few things I ask you to keep in mind when creating your story...
What We Are Looking For:
Just A Few Simple Rules:
The women of today can change the future for other women who are yet to come. Let's not make it a negative future for them. These are our daughters, nieces, and granddaughters. We could be living in this world for another million years to come, or tomorrow could be everyone's last day on earth. Nobody knows. So why waste precious time by hating, judging, bullying, and creating divisions amongst ourselves? Show the love of Christ through your story today, and teach other women what impact our lives can have when we allow them to be Spoken True.
I'm so excited to see what the Lord will do with this blog and with all of us ladies, far and near! Please join me in praying for this ministry that I am embarking on; for it to touch many hearts and reach the lives of those who will glean from it the most. Amen.
My last entry was written in November of 2009, which conveniently is shortly after I began dating my (now) husband. Although the timing may seem coincidental, I can assure you, I did not stop writing because of our relationship. That point in my life just became very challenging and too difficult to do much of any writing. Then, as time progressed, Stud and I got married and we began to grow our family. That's right! In the past 6 years I went from being a single mom of one handsome boy, to a married mother of 3 beautiful children. Life has done so many turn-arounds for me and I could talk about the many blessings that I have, forever, but for now it will have to wait.
What I wrote on November 12, 2009, was and still is true to this day. I have never stopped feeling a calling from the Lord to be as much help and encouragement as I could possibly be for all of my sisters in this world. There is not much that I am good at, but writing is one thing I got. When I stopped writing in my old blog, it certainly didn't go unnoticed. Quite a few readers inquired about it and wanted to know when I would begin writing again. I'd love to pick up from where I left off, writing in that same old blog, but so many years have passed and I will admit that I can not for the life of me remember my login information. Oops!! That's okay, though, because this is a new chapter in my life and with the changes come new territory. So this is my "new" blog. However, as you may have already found, it carries the same name as before. I want to keep things very similar to the old theme so I decided there was no better way than to keep the title going strong. This is Spoken True.
Spoken True sums up the purpose behind my writing in two very simple words. This blog is me! I don't mess around with my writing -- what you see is what you get. I can be funny, I can be raw, I can be emotional, I can be motivational, I can be straight to the point. But whatever I am writing about, there is one common denominator: it is all real. It is all Spoken True! My willingness to open up and share certain details of my life experiences, publicly, has led women to feel comfortable enough to reach out to me by email, phone call and privately in person, for advice on whatever aspect of life they are going through--whether they are waiting for Mr. Right or going through a nasty divorce, and anything in between. Now, hear this! I am NOT a professional counselor by any stretch of the imagination and I always make that clear to my lady friends whenever they come to me. But how many Christians in the Bible and throughout history were technically considered "professionals?"
I am not trying to take the place of anyone with extensive training in mentoring. Some people could indefinitely use professional advice, but I am happy to share my own experiences with whomever God places on my path, if it means a chance to share the love of Jesus with them. That is exactly the love and joy I wish to impose on others through this blog!
But there's just one thing ... I'd like to do things a little differently this time around, because I believe this change is important. I want to expand the blog beyond my own testimony, and invite other women to write in and share their own stories. We live in a generation where women seem to be the spotlight of many topics, and we are held to so many standards and expectations that it is literally overwhelming for each and every one of us.......
If we don't have curves in all the right places, we aren't beautiful. If we don't prove to be just as physically strong as men are, we are weak. If we have ever used our image to earn money, we are whores. If we don't earn our own money, we are users. If we are stay-at-home moms, we are lazy. If we are career moms, we are selfish. If we are age 50 and shopping in the Junior section, we are in denial. If we teach our daughters to play with dolls and wear pink, we are ruining them..... I mean, the list could really go on and on and on. And don't get me wrong, men have their own struggles with society, too. But I'm not a man, so unfortunately I can't be as empathetic as I am able to be for women (I'll pray for you, though).
The point is, women are compared and judged day after day, hour after hour, and WE are our own WORST enemies. How many of you have gone to a store, gas station, bank, or any form of customer service job, and felt judged and immediately hated by the female who is helping you, simply for being ... well, another female!? How many of you can honestly admit you have been that other woman who did the hating? Perhaps the girl you were looking at seemed prettier or smarter than you see yourself. How many of us can truly admit to feeling less of ourselves than we should, and how many of us can agree that we take our own insecurities out on other women before allowing a chance to get to know them? We judge before ever speaking a word to each other, and we only cause more damage by doing so. We have no idea what another person's story is, but the chances are it is more similar to your own story than you may even realize.
It's time for women to come together as the sisters in Christ that our Lord and Savior called us to be:
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:12-15
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Luke 6:27-28
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:10-11
"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
The judgment, the comparison, and the hatred is NOT a part of the loving creatures God is calling us to become. I am just as guilty as the rest of you at falling into these traps, but I also find myself constantly trying to overcome temptation with a spiritual love for all of my sisters, no matter where your path in life has taken you. We should be encouraging, not discouraging; supportive, not jealous; giving, not taking.
Did you know that young girls are surpassing boys when it comes to bullying in schools and on social media? Why do you think that is? Because IMAGE has become such an important part of society that it is teaching our future generations to turn against each other, especially if they feel threatened by another person's image (be it beauty, talent, intelligence, clothes, riches, etc.). HOW TERRIBLE IS THAT?!
Along with these bullies have also come increased suicides, attempted-suicides, eating disorders, self-infliction, and substance abuse amongst our youth, as well as adults. If we as women want to prove our power & strength in ANYTHING, it should be in OVERCOMING these slanted views on each other with LOVE and RESPECT. We can grow stronger if we come together, rather than work against each other. And that is why I want to encourage as many women as I can to share their stories with me, but not only me. Share their story on Spoken True with the world! We all have our own story. Not one of us is a nobody. Each and every one of us is a SOMEBODY and our stories can help shape the future of other women.
If you're interested in speaking truth with me, please email me today! If you feel compelled to share your story but you don't believe you are the best at writing it out, that's okay. I would love the opportunity to help you write and/or edit it. This isn't about talent, this is about getting the message out there. I would also like to encourage as many of you who are creative enough to make videos for your story (What do they call those things --- Vlogs?). All you need to do is upload your video to YouTube and send me the link, then I will gladly publish it here on Spoken True!
There are just a few things I ask you to keep in mind when creating your story...
What We Are Looking For:
- Your testimony. what experiences have you gone through in life that brought you to where you are today? What wonderful opportunities have you been given? What traumatic things have tested your strength? What brought you to God? What questions do you still have about God?
- YOU. Nothing more, and nothing less. I'm sure you've heard the saying, "To the world you're someone, but to someone you're the world." Well, to you your story may seem like nothing spectacular, but to someone else your story could be more moving than you ever knew. You won't know until you share it. Don't try to elaborate your story, stick with the facts. And please, only share as much as you are comfortable sharing. Nobody has to worry about being guilted into speaking about a topic that they wish to keep private; this is a respectable place where we can come together and not feel forced outside of our comfort zone. But do remember: the more you open up and the more raw you get, the better readers will be able to understand and relate to your story.
- If you are in the middle of a struggle and you have yet to overcome it, that's okay! We still want to hear your story! It can be just as inspiring to hear from someone who is right in the middle of a life-challenge, and the chances are high that there is a reader somewhere finding comfort in knowing they aren't alone. You may also find that in sharing your story, the feedback of prayer and encouragement could help shed more light and direction for you.
- FEEDBACK! There is no point in keeping a public blog if we don't receive feedback. For all of the women who are willing to share their stories, PLEASE help them feel appreciated and loved! You can show your support and encouragement to these ladies by commenting or sending a private email. Share your own advice if you have some!
- Join the email list! Make sure you don't miss all future testimonies by signing up to have each story at Spoken True delivered straight to your inbox.
- Share this blog! "Like" our Facebook page, share links to your favorite stories, tweet them, Google+ them, Instagram them, and whatever else there is in the media world, JUST DO IT! Share the crud out of this blog so that more women can find encouragement through it!
Just A Few Simple Rules:
- Please keep profanity or any other language that you wouldn't use in front of a 3-year old out of your story. This is a faith-based web site which will be encouraged for females of all ages to read and partake in.
- Please keep in mind that this is a Christian blog. However, I will not enclose it only to Christians. Any woman who has an empowering story is free to write in and they are encouraged to so! However, anything that goes against the teachings of the Bible may be omitted in order to comply with the purpose of this blog; to share God's word.
- In case this wasn't made clear enough already, we want to hear from any woman who feels compelled to share her story with the world. There is no age limit to this blog. If you are still in elementary, middle, or high school and have a story to share, PLEASE share it! You could be a strong voice for your generation! If you are a seasoned woman with a lot of wisdom, PLEASE share it! We could glean so much from your experiences.
The women of today can change the future for other women who are yet to come. Let's not make it a negative future for them. These are our daughters, nieces, and granddaughters. We could be living in this world for another million years to come, or tomorrow could be everyone's last day on earth. Nobody knows. So why waste precious time by hating, judging, bullying, and creating divisions amongst ourselves? Show the love of Christ through your story today, and teach other women what impact our lives can have when we allow them to be Spoken True.
I'm so excited to see what the Lord will do with this blog and with all of us ladies, far and near! Please join me in praying for this ministry that I am embarking on; for it to touch many hearts and reach the lives of those who will glean from it the most. Amen.
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