Church Lady? I Think Not...

Hey Friend,   (Hey is southern speak for "Hi")

I'm glad you were curious enough to peek in on my blog to see what it is I am blogging about.  This entry may be a little longer than most because I want to give you a chance to get to know me.  Many of you already know me to some degree, but the only one who truly knows everything about me; about you, is God.

Thanks go to my wonderful friend Jan, who has encouraged me through so many trials to keep, hand in hand, walking well with God.  Thus the name of my blog.

In the late 80's, around the time that my daughter Nicole was born (yes, I'm dating myself), there was a skit on Saturday Night Live entitled "Church Lady".  Church Lady had a show that was called 'Church Chat'.  Funny stuff.  The very sad thing, however, is that skit was a spoof on how most people saw Christians or "religious people" - as judgmental, self-righteous, beat you over the head with a Bible, know it alls.  That is precisely what I DON'T want this blog to be.
Face it, we get beat up by the world enough these days, I want this place, my blog, to be a place of encouragement.  I promise to be real if you do. Deal??

Speaking of real...when my kids were in that snarky middle school stage they used to jokingly tease me and call me "Bible Lady" because I would quote a scripture as it pertained to their life; my life; the situation at hand or to desperately calm myself before I wrung their scrawny little necks.  It was those scriptures that I have continued to cling to and add to over the years.  It's no coincidence that in times of trial the one thing that may have gotten me through is clinging to one scripture that God had given me as my life line.

As you will come to know, I am living proof that the prosperity theory of Christianity (become a Christian and your life will go swimmingly) is just not true.  In fact it can be just the opposite.  Some writers make it sound easy to give thanks in the midst of life's trials.  I can thank God for all my trials, but to be honest it may not be until they are a distant image in my rearview mirror that I am able to give thanks.  I have shaken my fist at God.  I have wondered if He just up and bailed on me.  I have cried out to Him in pain - wondering if He could hear me??  I have tried to give thanks in my trials.  Sometimes I was successful and other times not so much.  I do know that my God is big enough to handle whatever I hand to Him.

Here comes the scary part...where I get to be real.  I have put off or found excuses not to write this part.  Why? because it's scary to be known.  In a world of "image management" one would not air such dirty laundry in public as my mom would say.  But, I think it is important to be transparent.  I want this to be a place where you can feel allright about being real and having real emotions and feelings. 

I have experienced losing a job that I loved.  I have suffered with various health issues and surgeries.  I have lived with, and dealt with mental illness most of my life (ocd anxiety and depression).  I have wept over secondary infertility.  I know the pain of infidelity and the plain and simple awfulness of divorce. I have felt lonely.  I have survived raising two children from potty training through hormones, hijinks and flat out poor choices as teenagers.  All I need is a plague of locusts and the list would be complete.

Before you feel sorry for me which is not my intent, let me tell you that I have been blessed with  tremendous "mountain top" experiences.  I have known abundant joy, love, pleasure, happiness and hold your stomach until it hurts laughter.  God IS good!

I don't think you can know true joy unless you have experienced true pain. 

A friend once told me, "If perseverance was a class, you would get an A+."
That same friend has encouraged me to keep walking well with God through all of it - the good, the bad, the ugly.  I want to keep encouraging you to walk well with God (maybe you don't even know Him or if He exists).  Wherever you are; whatever you are dealing with, He loves you...no HE LOVES YOU!!!  He wants nothing more than to take your hand and walk well through whatever joy or pain you may be experiencing and if you need a reminder...that's what I'm here for.

Thank you for your patience in reading all of this.  My next post will be a fraction of this.  I promise.  At this point, I plan to write as the Spirit moves me.  It may be once a week or perhaps more often as time goes on.  If you want to be sure to hear from me you can subscribe and I will be happy to pop in once a week to your inbox.  I encourage you to leave a comment below.

Let's keep leaning, trusting and learning to Walk Well With God!!

Love,
Bev

ps. This is my "life scripture" that I would like to share with you...David is speaking.  "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and be in awe and put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:1-3)