In the Quiet

+ J.M.J. So. This post is really hard for me to write. It's hard for me to admit to you that I have hated people before. Forgiveness is something that I struggle with, especially when the person doesn't apologize. I struggle to forgive when the person doesn't even think that he or she did something bad. I struggle to forgive when that person is walking around somewhere, perfectly oblivious to the fact that I am letting him or her make me miserable.  It sounds crazy, right? To let someone have that kind of power over you? In a way, it is. Christ asked me to forgive, and sometimes I hang on to offenses like they're going out of a fashion or something. In my life, grudges do need to go out of fashion. Because you see, I have purpose in life. I have passion, and I don't want it to be continuously marred by hatred. Now I'm going to tell you something that may surprise you.  I loathed myself. For years. For more years than I care to admit. The

+ J.M.J. Good morning! How are you feeling this morning? Are you feeling beautiful?  Feelings aside, are you beautiful? Can you say "I am beautiful"? I couldn't even bring myself to say that out loud for a very long time. I watched the video above, and I thought to myself, this woman is crazy. She wants me to say that I am beautiful. That's a lie, because I'm ugly. Do you know what the real lie was? The real lie was that I was ugly. I'm not ugly. I'm beautiful! Saying that I'm ugly is disrespecting the art that God created. Let's go further. How much worth do you think you have? Do you think that you have purpose on this earth? Do you feel worthy of being loved for who you are and who God created you to be? Do you feel worthless?  How strong are you? Do you feel weak? When you feel weak, do you try to hide it by accomplishing all kinds of things? (Guilty as charged).  Do you feel like you are a burden to other peo