Just A Mom from Ohio

Over the last year I've been finding myself sitting at Jacob's well trying to figure out what this living water is all about. The well is deep and it seems to be at the center of my existence. I'm not even trying to get there usually and I'm just there again. God keeps bringing me back. But why? What am I missing? What am I not understanding about the way Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman? Often I feel dehydrated. I literally wake up in the night so incredibly thirsty. Keeping a glass of water by the bed seems to be a requirement. Whenever I feel anxiety building up in my soul, the Word of God is like that glass of water. If I keep it close, accessible, and chose to drink it up frequently then I am less likely to feel parched. Another way I deal with anxiousness is to work out. It distracts me and the way my body hurts reminds me that I am alive and capable. Yet it requires me to drink more water and to refuel my body. If I don't drink enough water,...

 At the moment I am writing this it is nearing the end of the infamous "love day", the one, the only, Valentine's Day. Bam! You either love this day or you hate this day. Usually. Depending on what you may be focusing on. More often than not, I have been single on Valentine's Day. I wonder if that has shaped how I feel about Valentine's Day or really any romantic anniversary when I have been "attached".  I'm not that sappy. I tend to want to move past these types of days quickly. I don't want anything jinxed. This lady has trust issues.  Tonight I was so happy to have Bible study to go too. And that wasn't about my relationship status. Or maybe it is. My relationship with Jesus is growing as I study the Bible with these women. I'm noticing a hunger for the Word. It's awesome and sometimes intimidating. Application questions are no joke! In a larger group, I am aware of how unique and wonderful God made us all. Noticing all of the ways...

Attempting to finish my  the homework in Bible study workbook before it starts tonight - anyone else relate? This is my second study at the church and I am loving it. Regardless if I can completely keep up with the homework, I am growing.  This week we reviewed  Matthew 18 and that is where I am pausing to reflect and write this blog.  Answering questions about The Parable Of The Lost Sheep right after the conversation of Who Is The Greatest impacted me. The little ones Jesus spoke about hits a nerve. I had been reviewing these questions at my son's soccer practice while my daughter tried to occupy herself. She was looking through her True Girl subscription box for January and it included a journal. I was telling her my study was kinda like the study we get to do with True Girl. If you never heard of True Girl, check it out .   She wanted to know more about what I was answering. We ended up talking about the Lost Sheep. My daughter really...

 I haven't been writing much but I still have the desire to write. I actually have several started ideas saved just hanging out in interspace. Perhaps it is the season I am in with #momlife.  Before I had this blog, even before I had kids, I had a blog. I used to type it out on my computer or write in a journal. My audience was God. My goal was to communicate. It was authentic and raw. It was a lifeline to Jesus.  I am questioning why the struggle to post much content on  Just A Mom From Ohio . In Bible study recently a topic of motivation struck me. Have I lost touch with the heart of the blog? Am I writing about God or for God?  Since I was young, I felt like God lit a fuse in the writing part of my soul. It came naturally. It was a way that I could communicate with others and with God.  I wrote a lot of poetry in high school. Writing poetry was a way to organize thoughts that I couldn't even speak. Today I would consider it a form of prayer. My heart wa...

For 2021 my word of the year is " Jesus ".  My daughter and I were talking about my word of the year board from last year and together we came up with my new word. I usually choose a feeling word or an action but when she said Jesus, it felt perfect. And on this 3rd day of the new year, I feel confirmation that it is indeed the word and person I need to focus on.  My words in past years have included: surrender, release, content, and stand. During those years, my antenna we're up and I paid extra attention to any mention of those topics. My intention with my 2021 word is to strip away any gimmicks or facades and get to know Jesus better.  In 2020, I watched the first season of The Chosen . That show helped me look at Jesus, to humanize Jesus for me. It is hard to remember sometimes how Jesus is both fully God and fully man. I so enjoyed making connections about Jesus' relationship with the disciples, especially Peter. It was encouraging to vis...