Read Angie's Thoughts

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 While working through my abuse issues, people often quoted this verse to me, especially the second counselor I worked with. While at  the time, I got the basic gist of what it meant (I would be able to help other people who had been abused because God had helped me) it's only been in the last several days that I have truly grasped what it means.  I recently received an e-mail from a woman a few years older than me who came across my blog in a way that completely had God's fingerprints all over it. She was on Facebook and went to click on the name of a friend that she and I have in common. Instead, she clicked on my name. She and I had met once, several years ago, through a mutual friend and she remembered who I was. N...

I wrote this poem last night in the midst of a 'storm' I am currently battling. Lately it seems unending and so brutal. I am weary and so tired of this battle and yet, there is no end in sight. Please, friends, pray for me. Pray that I can give this storm over to God and not let Satan get me backed into a corner where I am most vulnerable. Into every life a little rain must fall, but what do I do when it starts pouring? When the sky is blue, the birds are singing and then the wind starts roaring? Out of nowhere the pain bowls me over and I have no chance to break my fall, And the force of it steals my breath and no one seems to hear me when I call. The tears start to fall as the hurt begins to build until I don’t know if I can take any more, And what started as a sprinkle with bit of wind suddenly becomes a torrential downpour. So I face the wind with my broken heart in my hands and wait for the storm to move on, And pray that maybe, just maybe, as the storm blows over, this ti...

One of the highlights of teaching this year has been our Read Aloud time every day after lunch. I enjoy reading to my students so much! I love to watch their faces light up with joy when something good happens, their brows furrow when something bad is happening, and sit forward in anticipation when I get to a really good part. For several months, we read through all of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I loved those books when I was younger and it was a wonderful experience to be able to share the stories with my students. Ramona always seemed to be getting into some sort of trouble, usually without even realizing it at the time! In one book, after having a particularly rough day, her mom comes to talk to comfort her as Ramona is crying her little heart out. Her mom asks what she can do to help Ramon and she replies fiercely, "Love me!" How many of us have issued that same plea in our own lives? I will be the first to admit that I have - often. We all want to be loved, it...

I've always been a big advocate of bringing scary and painful things out of the dark in order to help others. That's why I've never shied away from talking about the sexual abuse in my past in order to help others who are facing a similar struggle. Well, it's coming up on a year of fighting a battle in my life that I've only told a handful of people about. Like being abused, this issue carried a lot of shame for me at first and I only told the people I did because I knew I would need their support to get through it. If you were keeping up with my blog at this time last year, you will remember that I was going through a time of feeling down and discouraged about life in general. I threw around the word 'depressed' a few times because it seemed to sum up what I was experiencing. My grandma encouraged me to see my doctor to see if there were any biological reasons for my feeling so down. My doctor is a Christian who knows me personally and I couldn't have a...

(Not sure who made the video but at least you can hear the song!)  I love this song. Written by Steven Curtis Chapman after his youngest daughter Maria was killed in an accident at their home in May 2008, it not only speaks to the pain he and his family have endured over the past 21 months but to many life situations that we all face. This song shows us that, 'whatever valley you must walk through, Jesus will meet you there.' Lately it seem as though I've prayed for Jesus to not only meet me where I am struggling, but also where I know friends are facing hurts and struggles of their own. A sister in Christ is facing infidelity in her marriage where she is questioning so much and trying to keep Satan from having his way in all that has happened; a friend is getting ready to welcome her little boy into this world while grieving the loss of her only brother only a couple of weeks before Christmas; 10 Christians are being held in Haiti on charges amidst ...

Exactly a year ago, God blessed me with one of the greatest gifts I ever could have asked for - my dog Maggie. A year ago this weekend, I picked her up from the vet who had fostered her for a week-long trial period. I knew by Monday that I was never going to take Maggie back! Over this past year, she has been the perfect dog for me, it's like we were made for each other! She is extremely loyal, very protective, and a lot of fun to watch if she doesn't think you're looking! I noticed last year how much it did my heart good to come home each day after school to find her waiting so excitedly in the yard for me. After having cats for the past few years that only cared when I came home if their food bowl was empty, it was a nice change.  She loves to ride in the car with me, no matter where I go, and sits straight up in the backseat looking out the window. She is so serious when she does it that it cracks me up! Now that it's gotten colder, I take her to schoo...

A friend and I recently started a Bible study - Fingerprints of God by Jennifer Rothschild - and on day two, she wrote something so amazing that spoke so much to my heart that I just had to share it. I hope it's as much of a blessing to you as it is to me each time I read it!! In Genesis, He fashions you with His hands. In Exodus, He gives you freedom and deliverance. In Leviticus, He gives you access to Himself. In Numbers, He builds cities of refuge to protect you. In Deuteronomy, He guides you with His protective hand. In Joshua, He honors you with His divine purpose. In Judges, He shows you mercy in spite of repeated failures In Ruth, He values you by bringing you into His family. In 1 and 2 Samuel, He makes the insignificant significant. In 1 and 2 Kings, He honors you by His faithfulness. In The Chronicles, He makes your prayer powerful, granting you success. In Ezra and Nehemiah, He allows you to return to Him and gives you tools to rebuild all that is broken. In Esther, He ...