Updated on June 30, 2017
The Confession – Part 1
It has occurred to me that I have not been terribly transparent. Part of that is just because I felt there was more value in giving you meat versus my story. Don’t misunderstand. I have not lied, but I have been vague. My life has been a series of mistakes at times that I am uncomfortable sharing openly with the general public, especially on the World Wide Web. But today, I will give you the full picture. I won’t go through all my mistakes….today….but I am sure over the next several months and years, as I continue to write this blog, I will unveil them all to some degree. The point is not to confess my mistakes, but to tell you what I have learned from them. So let’s get started…
I am the wife of a pastor. I haven’t always been the wife of a pastor. I was once the wife of a City Utility manager and also once married to a correctional officer. I have mentioned before that I have been married previously. Well, it was not just once before, but twice before. Actually, I have been married a total of 3 times. Divorced twice. OUCH! Most of the time, I never think about it. I just go about my business, but then something comes up in conversation and it comes back like a ton of bricks being dumped on me from the sky. Yes, it happened. No, I am not proud of it. Does it define me? No. Again, I don’t think about it often. I can’t change it though. Since I can’t change it, I decided to learn from it and help others through it.
Now, let’s go a little deeper…I was a born-again, God-fearing, church-going, Jesus-loving, Christian during both marriages…well sorta. I wasn’t attending church during my second marriage, but the rest was true during both marriages. Now, how does that happen? How do I break one of God’s most sacred covenants all while being a Christian? Well, for starters, I wasn’t a very good Christian. I obviously had some communication breakdowns between me and God. All self-induced. He was always there waiting and ultimately, when I did begin to come back to Him, He rewarded me greatly.
This isn’t going to be a “tell-all” story of what the problems were in my marriages. Suffice it to say that we were both at fault in both marriages. The point is, after the ending of my second marriage and beginning the journey of drawing closer to God, He blessed me beyond my wildest imagination. Here I had sinned and sinned and sinned against Him, all while taking Him along for the ride, yet, He still blessed me after I came back. He is sooooooo good to us, isn’t He?
Let me also say that I didn’t have to divorce my husbands. God could have fixed both of my marriages if my husbands and I would have wanted Him too. He could have made both of them sweet. Would I have done that, had I known He would? Definitely, in my first marriage, if I had been willing, He would have and could have fixed it. Now knowing what I do, it would have been the best thing for everyone. Myself, my ex-husband, and our two daughters. Sadly, I wasn’t interested in any of that. I was angry, tired, dissatisfied, selfish, and confused. My first husband was never God’s choice for me, but once I married him, it became a union God joined and one that He could bless. I often wonder if my current husband was always His choice for me, because looking back, I can see how He could have orchestrated our paths to cross. Hmmm….
Ok, since I don’t know that, we will move on. So once I married my first husband, God saw us as one. Even if I didn’t, God did and He can do a lot to have made it better than what either myself or my ex could. Of course, I wasn’t terribly desirous of that because I didn’t really commit to it as I should have. I always knew I had not married the person God had for me and therefore, I just never applied myself as I should have. More importantly, I never loved him as God would have preferred. Love is not a feeling, it is a choice. I never chose to love my first husband as I should have. Feelings of love are a bonus and they also come and go. There are days, even now, that I don’t get all fluttery inside when I kiss Earl, but I choose to love him. There is a huge difference in that.
Ultimately, after 9 years and two beautiful daughters, my first husband and I divorced. All my choice. Heavy sigh Then, I fell apart inside. I lost like 70 lbs, most of which I needed to lose, and my self-esteem careened down, down, down. One might think I should have turned to God in that case. I had the foundation for it. I never stopped praying to Him, but boy, was I ever praying the wrong things back then. I can’t exactly tell you what I was praying, but I can assure you, it was not effectual prayer.
I should have turned to God, but I didn’t. My subsequent decisions show pretty clearly that I did not turn to God. There was Light at the end of the tunnel, but I wasn’t to find it until many poor decisions later as you will see in my next blog post…. How is that for a cliff hanger…
In His Love
~Jennifer
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/49273060@N04/14772766682″>entre sueño y realidad</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>
Updated on July 28, 2015
“Our Father which art on social media…”
Are you looking for God on Facebook? Pinterest? Twitter? Instagram? We spend soooooo much time on Social media these days and so much less time doing everything else. We post on Facebook our every thought. We take “selfies” and scatter it all over Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, and Facebook. It is where we get our news, the weather, the gossip, the recipe’s we have for dinner, and where we “hear” from God.
Because I am on them all, I see all that people post. I can see that people are hungry for the things of God in their posts. Quotes from Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, etc. These are everywhere! I am not saying that they are all bad, just that many times, this is the ONLY source people are using to draw closer to God. To understand their own situations in life, to hear God speaking to them. I think people genuinely desire to hear something from God, but because they don’t go to church or they don’t read their Bible, they glean whatever they can from social media, which can be a unreliable source.
Where is the reliable source? The Word of God, The Holy Bible, The Holy Spirit, God in heaven, church, etc. Stop getting snippets from Twitter or a pictogram on Instagram. I am not saying those sources are bad, but they should NEVER be your only source. In fact, at best, they should confirm what you already KNOW God says!
The same goes for this blog. I will say things on here that should never stand alone. In other words, if you can’t find some scripture about it that matches what I say on here, you should not believe it. If I say anything that goes contrary to what the Word of God says, call me out on it and don’t take it as “gospel”. I am a human being just like the rest of the world, but I get my doctrine from the Word of God, from God Himself through prayer, from our church pulpit, etc. I can, have, and could again “miss” it.
My husband uses an example that has stuck with me over the last 7 years or so. He loves those shows like CSI, Law and Order, Blue Bloods, etc. You know when they have a DNA sample that is of the killer and they are looking at their suspect’s DNA to see if it matches? They line it up to see if all the lines line up with their original sample, if not, they throw it out. Do that with what you hear on social media, if it doesn’t line up with the DNA of God, then throw it out! Look at the things in your life, if it doesn’t match what God’s Word says, fix it, change it, start over, and get in line with God’s word. When you do, you will always come out victorious!
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8 NIV
~Jennifer
Photo credit: stockphotosforfree.com
Posted on July 26, 2015
Raging Storms – No Worries
Last Sunday, we experienced major flooding at our house. Check out the video here… https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.whitlockrice/videos/10207530666724467/?l=438395556631432799
At the end of the day, as we were preparing for bed, I reflected on the events of the day. How the storm had rolled in around midnight and how I was thanking God for our nearly completed roof and well protected house. I fell asleep in the peace of knowing we are always well protected by my God whatever the storm that rages outside. I do not worry about anything. I don’t lose sleep over worries. I don’t let worry keep me from eating. I haven’t always been that way, but once I truly got ahold of what God says about worry and about His peace, I realized I was wasting a lot of time worrying for nothing.
We do live in a world that celebrates those who worry. I have seen pictures and such on social media that speaks of worry as though it is a good thing! I have heard people say that if you are a parent that worries about your children, you are a good parent. WHAT? That is just crazy to me! Worrying is useless…totally a waste of time and does not make me a good parent at all!
He commands us to not worry. Worrying is a sin. Did you know that? I don’t think people realize that. When God commands you to do something or not to do something, then if we do (or don’t) it, we are sinning against Him. Aside from the fact that it is sin, it is also very dishonoring to God when we worry, especially if He has provided us with His word on the subject. You do realize that the Bible is referred to many, many times in scripture as the Word of God. It is called the Word for multiple purposes. One of those reasons is it is like a written contract on His promises. It is His word on the matter. Does that make sense? If I say, “I give you my word.” That indicates that I have promised something to you. My word is only as good as my history of completing my promises. So, if I have given you my word in the past and then not done what I said, my word has no real value. God has always made His word valuable. He always does as His word says He will. So, if we know he has provided for our every need and we pray that way and thank Him for that provision, but then we can’t sleep at night because we are up worrying, then we have shown that we don’t trust His word even though He is always faithful to do His word. How disappointing to God for us to not take Him at His word.
Luke 12:22-34 is devoted to not worrying and a great place to spend some time reading and meditating on the subject, but in Matthew 13:22-23 Jesus shares in the parable of the sower and the seed how people who hear the Word but lets the worries of this life and world we live in cause fear and worry in us, then we are unfruitful. If we hear the word and understand it, it will produce a crop for us. We will be fruitful.
There is no fruit in worry. None. Nothing. So why spend a single moment of life doing it. Put your trust in God’s hands and rest. I mean literally rest! Be in peace, be in comfort, be in a place of rest over everything because He has provided for your every single need.
~Jennifer
Photo credit: Brooke Auchincloss/ONOKY/Getty Images
Updated on July 15, 2015
Protection Guaranteed
I know this picture of a teepeed toilet is not what you often find on a blog much less a Christian blog that is based on all scripture and meant to edify, but I had to laugh at it and it seemed to be the first thing that came to mind when I decided to write about our protection. I can’t even give credit for the picture to anyone because I randomly found it online and there was nothing I could find for photo credit. So, whoever took this picture, I love it and thank you for making it available and comment below so I can give proper credit.
So now, back to the subject at hand. Protection guaranteed. We live in an evil world and things are going to happen to people. There is just no two ways about it. The devil came to steal, kill, and destroy, so as long as he is given place in the world, he will do just that. I hear people say all the time, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I am sure you have heard it too. We will spend some time discussing what constitutes “good” another time, for now, let’s just assume that bad things are happening to people.
Often people believe that God can stop anything from happening anytime, anywhere. I am not saying He doesn’t have the power to do that, but I am going to say that He doesn’t always have the authority to do that. Where does that authority come from??? Christians. Yes, God gave the Church the authority in the earth to move. How does He move on authority? So glad you asked….PRAYER! There it is, once again, as always, that word that so many throw around like it has no value when it packs sooooo much punch, PRAYER.
God gave us Christians, the Church, the Body of Christ, all authority in Christ to make things happen in the earth through prayer. When we pray, especially when we pray the Word of God, God responds. Now, our prayers need to line up with the Word of God for Him to move. This is important. I know because I have been married before and I was just sure it would have been better for my ex-husband to die than for me to have to deal with him ever again, but praying for that did absolutely no good because it didn’t line up with the word of God. Seems pretty simple, but at the time, I am sure I prayed harder than ever for him to be hit by a bus, a train, fall into a deep cavern, etc. I would also like to stop now and repent for good measure because I don’t remember if I did back then or not and I don’t want THAT hanging over my head! And I also will formerly apologize to my ex for praying that he meet an early grave. I don’t think or pray that way anymore. Forgiveness is a powerful thing too! Once again, another post.
Ok, now that I have cleared that up, you are probably wondering how all this ties into our protection…great question. We do not need to live in fear for our lives when we sit on a public toilet seat to the degree that we mummify it in toilet paper. We do need to live in fear when we take flight in an aircraft that it is going to fall from the sky and kill us. We don’t need to live in fear that if we drive across a bridge that it is going to collapse sending us over the edge into the raging river below. Those may seem like irrational fears, but some people fear those things and then there are what some might call “normal” fears. A fear that your children will be in an accident, or that you, yourself will be in an accident.
Pray the word of God over your family, yourselves, your loved ones. Psalm 91:11 tells us that He will command His angels over us to guard us in ALL our ways, that they will lift us up in their hands, keeping us from even stumping our toes on a rock. (Authorized Jennifer Rice version). One word here that I gave preference is ALL. Not just some of our ways, but ALL our ways. That about covers it. From public toilets to airplanes. We are protected.
I want you to know that I am just like you. I am just a child of God who goes through life doing a lot of the same things as everyone else. So God protects ME because I am me, but because I am a child of His and I pray for his protection over myself and my family.
~Jennifer
Family photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/9351345@N04/8254654951″>025_PF_120112-X3</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a>
Updated on June 30, 2017
Forget Me Nots
Can you imagine if we lived in a world that we could forget all the stupid things we have done in our past, or the stupid things we have said? I know I have said the stupidest things at the worst possible times. UGH! At times, I have stuck my foot so far down my throat that I can still walk on it! And then there are all those things I have done! The things I have said, cannot compare to the stupid things I have done! Bad, Bad decisions! And then when I am driving down the road or if I wake up in the middle of the night, those things come screaming back to me from the recesses of my mind in flaming color! All the details spill out before me like it was happening all over again. These aren’t just stupid decisions as much as they are sinful acts. These things are not necessarily against the law of man, but the law of God! They should be illegal but no, they just violate all of my morals. I guess maybe my morals were pretty lame back then.
The good news is that I recognized my mistakes, my stupidity, my bad moral judgments, and repented before God. He is soooooo good! He doesn’t just forgive us, but says He will remember them no more. “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25 How AWESOME is that! Now why can’t I do that? Why do I keep remembering them? He says He does it for His own sake. I want to do it for my own sake. AND I CAN!
One thing to remember is, if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a new creation. I am a new creation. The old me is gone and with it, all those wretched things I have done. I have been given a clean slate and each time I repent, I get a clean slate again. Does that give me permission to do it again and again, NO. I have not fully repented if I am going to continue to do it. Repentance is turning from the sin, not continuing to do it and asking forgiveness for it again and again. But that is another post…
So back to forgetting it. If God is willing to remember it not for His own sake, I am sure He won’t mind if I don’t remember it for my own sake. Most of the time, we do things because we don’t know any better. I am remembering these things, because I didn’t know that I had a choice to forget it. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Isaiah 43:18. That sounds great to me! Sign me up! There it is in black and white, plain and simple, all spelled out, almost like a command. Not only do I have permission to forget the former things that the former me did, but I am not to dwell on the past. So from now on, if I start to have a memory replayed in my head at 3 a.m. when I woke up to the trash truck, I will not dwell on it. I will simply say outloud, “I don’t remember what the old me did and I will not allow myself to relive it and dwell on it.” And go back to sleep.
Peace to you as you forget your past.
~Jennifer
Posted on July 4, 2015
Speaking of “New Beginnings”…
So here I go….this is a brand new blog, still has that new blog smell, doesn’t it? I am going to be learning as I go and I hope you will all bear with me.
This blog is intended to use Biblical truths and my own life experiences to inspire, encourage, and empower followers to create new beginnings in their own lives. I am looking forward to the journey and hope you are too.
My life has been a series of good intentions, bad decisions, repentance, abundant blessings, and new beginnings. I will share as we go some of what I have learned, am still learning, and working toward in this temporal world in which we live. I will use scripture that helped me along the way and how my relationship with my Heavenly Father has chipped away the debris in my life to bring me to this point and for what is to come.
While I work out the technical side of this blog, I am hopeful that the content will be much better than the asthetic that is displaying it.
Looking forward to spending time with you. Thank you for joining me.
~Jennifer