jgibson430

[jgibson430]

The challenge of letting go and surrendering is made easier in knowing who we are surrendering to.

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The challenge of getting older and watching your kids grow. [sappy feeling alert]

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Have you ever considered whether you're learning past the point of your own obedience and practice?

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I don't handle the curveball very well. How about you?

[jgibson430]

Contentment

Finding contentment feels like a lifelong journey for me.

There are times that I just wish I had no more lessons to learn, but alas, I am human and will continue to learn until my last breath. Learning is fun, but it can also be challenging and painful, at times. I hold to the adage that the more you know, the more you realize just how much you don’t know. On to my latest lesson. As I have gotten older, I have realized just how much I struggle with…

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The Dumpster Fire

An opinion piece. My opinion piece. Others may be called to something else, but this is where I feel my calling lies.

I’m an Enneagram Type 8. In plain speak, I can have a tendency to stir up trouble for fun. I have strong opinions. Loyalty is important to me. I value directness. I like control. Anger can be a big emotion for me. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to become more self-aware. I’ve tried to allow myself to be changed and transformed. In some of my CliftonStrengths training from years ago, the word…

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I Don't Want You to Be Happy?

What happens when we seek the welfare of those around us?

This morning, I woke up early, like I do every day. I went through my morning routine before finally settling on the couch with a cup of coffee. In the colder winter months, a hot cup of coffee and a hot shower are reminders to me that I probably wouldn’t have survived in the days before water heaters and drip coffee makers. I opened my Bible app to Nehemiah, where I currently find myself in my…

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Somewhere Along the Road

What lies beyond that curve in the road?

Some people are really good at taking things as they come. They can hit curveball after curveball that is thrown at them and they seem to thrive at the spontaneity of the moment. They pass and move through all that life has to throw at them with ease and grace, weaving and bobbing as they almost effortlessly maneuver their way down the road. I am not one of those people. Call it a lack of…

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The January Bingo Card

I'm not a big 2025 fan so far.

So far, I’m not a huge fan of 2025. Nor am I a fan of this month of January. Just six days into this month, I found out that a good friend’s teenage son died from complications of the flu. That also happened to coincide with the day that good friends of mine had lost their six-month-old son to cancer years ago and the birthday of my friend, Johnny, who passed away at the young age of 43 in…

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Space for Grief

Continuing to process grief and think about others who are processing it so much closer to home.

I am bracing myself for another funeral. Well, it’s technically called a “Celebration of Life,” which takes a little of the sting out of it, but for all intents and purposes, it’s a funeral. It’s been a while since I’ve felt so helpless in the face of grief. To be honest, I think this is probably where most people reside when it comes to grief, they just don’t know what to do, how to do it, when…

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Book Plan for 2025

My book plan for this year.

Nothing groundbreaking in my book plan for 2025. I read 49 books in 2024. My book plan for 2024 had 18 books on it, 15 of which I finished. The remaining 3 which I did not finish can be found on this list. My plan has evolved in the past as I keep tweaking to see if I can finally find a combination that works for me. Of the 18 books on my plan for 2025, nearly half of them are fiction (F) books…

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Books Read 2024

I read a total of 49 books in 2024. Here is my list of books read with a few thoughts as well.

If you’ve been following this blog for more than a year, you know that I track my reading. Since I am not the most focused person, I need to start with a list of books to read for the year so as to have some semblance of order, otherwise, I would just go from random book to random book and be perpetually distracted the whole year through. Over the last few years, I have struggled with getting…

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Gone Without Regret

Would anyone regret it if you were gone? Thoughts on redemption and second chances.

I have been reading through the biblical accounts of the kings of Israel and Judah. They can be somewhat depressing as king after king did evil in the sight of the Lord. For instance, about King Rehoboam it was written, “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” As I read through the accounts, I came to 2 Chronicles 21:20 which reads, “Jehoram was thirty-two years old…

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Silent Night

Hoping, waiting, expecting.

I have always loved Christmas time. Family. Presents. Decorations. Snow. Carols. Some of the greatest childhood memories that I have revolve around Christmas. Smelling the cookies that Mom would bake every year. Hearing her sing along with some of her favorites, like Karen Carpenter, Andy Williams, and Perry Como. Decorating the house and our two very different trees upstairs and…

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The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

In the immortal words of Tom Petty, "The waiting is the hardest part."

I hate waiting. I’m not a very patient person and among my top strengths is Activator, which means that my mantra is, “Ready! Fire! Aim!” And yet, waiting is in the natural order of things. At least God’s natural order of things. He created times and spaces for us to wait. We wait for what we do not have. We wait for what we hope for. We wait for something to come along, to arrive. During this…

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See It, Say It?

If you make an observation and feel you need to tell someone, is it always right to do so? I've found that it isn't.

When I was younger, I didn’t have many filters. I saw something or noticed something and I would have to immediately say something about it. It didn’t matter whether anyone wanted to hear it. It didn’t matter whether anyone would listen. What mattered most to me then was that I had something to say and I needed to get it off my chest. Thankfully, I’ve learned a lot since then, but it hasn’t been…

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The Price I'm Willing to Pay

What price are you willing to pay for relationships and community?

This past Sunday, our faith community said goodbye to a family who had been part of our community for the past few years. It’s really an understatement to say that they were part of the community. They had poured themselves into it, invested, sacrificed, and loved. As I emotionally prepared myself for what I was going to say and how I would hold myself together, I was reminded of Lord Alfred…