faith

Building Bridges

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
Building Bridges by Lorenzo Quinn; Rendered by Halcyon Art International

“From a wise mind comes wise speech;
the words of the wise are persuasive.” -Proverbs 16:23

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” -Proverbs 16:24

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” -Proverbs 18:21

There have been many times over the past few weeks when I’ve thought “Hmm, I should write something about that.” When everyone else seems to be opining, reflecting, musing, and inspiring, there is sometimes undue pressure to add our own voice to the chorus.

Instead, I’ve just been pondering the weight of words. Words are powerful. What we say and write can lift or crush a spirit, promote peace or provoke chaos.

What do I want my words to do? I want my words to build bridges. Bridges to the blessed Trinity on which my faith & hope are built. Bridges of grace, understanding and forgiveness. I want to build bridges culturally and racially; though, honestly, recent times have made me consider dismantling my bridges, taking my pieces and quietly sitting in my own little corner. But Love convicts and compels me differently. So I will build, knowing I’m not perfect and I won’t always get it right but building bridges, I must.

What do you want your words to do?

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

/ LaShona Sellers / 1 Comment

Tis the season, friends. And no doubt it’s…different. I found myself close to ‘Bah Humbug’ until I was struck by the words of an old familiar carol:

🎶God rest ye merry gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember Christ our Savior Was born on Christmas Day To save us all from Satan’s pow’r When we were gone astray Oh tidings of comfort and joy Comfort and joy Oh tidings of comfort and joy🎶

So today I offer tidings of comfort and joy To the believer and the unbeliever To the cheerful and the grieving To the hopeful and the discouraged To the gathered and the lonely

And I pray we all remember and come to know Immanuel, the One who was, is and always will be with us.

“…She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”- Isaiah 7:14

“…and He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”- Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Daily Thanks #26

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

Grateful for…

“A Magnificent, Wonderful and Good God”

Endless Thanks

Unable to contain in just one day,

A lifetime of profession.

A daily exercise of appreciation,

For this life uniquely my own,

For the glorious triumphs,

For the disheartening defeats,

For the gift of grace,

For mercies renewed,

For everyday blessings,

For the difficult journeys,

For the smallest joys,

For the sting of self-reflection,

For the hope in growth,

For love unfettered and unconditional,

For the joy of family,

For the solace of friends.

Thanks to a God so Magnificent, so Wonderful, and so Good.

Humbled by His presence and in awe of His care. –LAS

Daily Thanks #9

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

Grateful for…

“A praying mom’s love and covering”

Awakened
Ears attuned
To the soothing cadence
Of a language
Only heaven understands
Praises and petitions
Worship and warring
Utterances from a heart
Surrendered and seeking
Sacred moments of His glory
Resting and refreshing
Wrapped in the peace of His presence
When Mom prays
-LAS

Letting Them See Me Cry

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2020! What a year…and it’s not done yet. The highs, the lows and so many firsts, including the first (and probably now second, third….) time my kids have really seen me cry.

I’m the mom with the schedule and lists, always with a plan. I’m the mom that hovers, hugs and holds hands. I’m also the mom that yells, lectures and opens doors without knocking (hey, it’s all about balance). But I’ve never been the mom to openly cry. “Not in front of the children,” “Suck it up, can’t let them think mom doesn’t have everything under control.” But you know, all of that has gone out the window in this age of Covid. John 11:35 says “Jesus wept,” the shortest and probably one of the most transparent verses in the Bible. In other words, Jesus grieved and felt deeply the loss of his friend. Over the past few months I’ve grieved deeply the loss of my grandmother, the loss of time, the loss of connections and the loss of some of life as it was. And my kids have silently watched my tears…it’s been weird, it’s been awkward, they’ve asked questions, we talk, we process and life keeps moving.

But the tears I shed are not without hope. Hope for the seeds I see sprouting to life. Seeds of renewed connection and relationship. Seeds of clarity and purpose. Seeds of assurance and unwavering peace. My tears are shed trusting in the One who is Hope.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.” -Jeremiah 17:7

So, yes, I cry but I have hope and I keep going. Let’s keep hope alive, friends.

“As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.”- Psalm 71:14

(Quote photo from www.askideas.com; Scripture photo from Kendrick Home)

Taking Leaps

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So I did a thing. Fleshed out an idea. Took a leap!

First, The Published Journey now has a logo! *woohoo and and a round of applause for Canva* Check out the header.

Second, you can now follow The Published Journey on Instagram & Facebook. This was a major leap. Why? Because I have a love/loathe relationship with social media. I love the connections, community and encouragement I’ve found (especially on Instagram). But I loathe the negativity, distraction and discouragement. Am I the only one who has gone down one rabbit hole too many, wasting precious time and occasionally left questioning my whole life? Then, there’s always a nervous anticipation that comes with sharing words and thoughts that only you may understand. But I’m constantly reminded that, even with an audience of one, I am honoring God with the gift He’s given me.

So a huge WELCOME and THANKS for following this journey…a work in progress. I’ve stopped and started this blogging thing many times over the past decade. I’ve revamped, changed directions and moved from Blogger to WordPress. I’ve plugged away on book ideas. I’ve submitted, fielded rejections, and pondered constructive (and not so constructive) critiques. But I keep learning. I keep going. And maybe I can encourage you to do the same.

Keep going. Take a leap. Write on, friends.