Tales from a Tattooed Heart

Life. It is almost as short as the word itself.  Today our town of Colorado Springs lost a police officer in the line of duty. He left behind a wife and 2 children. My heart aches with many others tonight as we grieve for the family, friends and coworkers left behind. So crazy to think how quickly one life can be taken away. The suspect also lost their life and that also makes my heart hurt. I don't know the details of this situation but I know other officers were also shot and as of this moment seem to be recovering. But ugh, so much loss, so much hate, so much crazy. I don't know what lead to the events of today and I'm not sure anyone could have prevented what transpired. A wife now goes to bed alone without her best friend and two kids will wake up tomorrow without a father to greet them. This reality sucks. The suspect may have family missing them, and who knows how today would have ended if they had made better choices. In a moment decisions were made that wil

How do you explain the color blue to someone who cannot see? How do you explain the sound waves make against the shore to someone who has never even seen the ocean? How do you explain the forest to an Eskimo or your house to a stranger? Shy of literary genius, these tasks are so very hard to accomplish. I mean we can give a general description and even draw or share a picture but nothing can compare to the experience of these things. Even a recording of the ocean is not the same as having your feet on the wet shore while the endless cold water sends waves chasing one another to your toes. Try as we may but our words will always fall short of the thing we wish to express. That is how if feel when it comes to explaining God's love. Utterly at a loss of words! If I had counted how many times I have already pressed the delete button just trying to get this far I think you may have some idea with just how much I struggle to convey my thoughts about this very subject. Where do you

It's February and since the last days of December we have been reminded with red and pink hearts that soon we would be celebrating a day of love... Well a day that we are supposed to spoil that special someone with chocolates and stuffed bears, flowers and dipped strawberries, love notes and fancy candle lit dinners. From December on we may be either looking forward to the 14th of February with delight and fanciful day dreams or dread and irritation. How we look forward to that big V-Day probably has much to do with whom or whom-not we are to be spending it with. More often than not some V-Days have been more special and meaningful, just because whom we may have had the pleasure spending it with and how it was celebrated. I know that for myself personally Caleb and I are pretty low key when it comes to Valentines Day, mainly because we celebrate our anniversary shortly after and I much prefer all the discounted presents over the full price ANYTIME! However, as with most people loo

Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Romans 12:20 NLT http://bible.com/116/rom.12.20.NLT Your worst enemy sitting across from you bound up in a chair screaming profanities at you, reminding you of all the hurt they have caused you. No remorse, just vulgar nasty sneers towards you while you listen to the most demonic voice you have ever heard. Their lies spit from between their teeth reaching your skin like acid and their eyes forbid rest from their hateful stare. You are free to move anywhere in the room and yet your enemy seems to fill it with their dark presence. There is little comfort in that they are bound, and you are free. The room still feels too small and the door is far too heavy to open. The windows that are meant to bar in the rightful prisoner seem to have you both trapped in and the air is hot and almost like poison to the lungs, thick and s

I am screaming on the inside. And well, on the outside too depending on the next little person to come to me to tattle on another, or the next time my husband chews too loudly... I am at the end of me. I have reached it, and sadly it is a way shorter trip than I would like to admit. I mean it didn't take much for me to crumble this time. Crying before and after everything I do. Seeing light at the end of the tunnel isn't even helping in this moment of self-pity and wallowing. I can't fix it now and that makes me sad. I can fix it someday way off in the future, but today I can't make it all better and that makes me feel defeated. I wonder how Moses felt while wandering for 40 years? I wonder how it felt for him to wander... He was provided for everyday by THE miraculous hand of God (just like me!) and his people had no needs that weren't met (just like my own family) BUT the people he was with still complained and still doubted (just like my people... only I'm a

Dear Big Father God, I thank you. I thank you for the big things in my life like; my family, my friends, my health, my home and of course toilet paper. I thank you for the small things like; coffee with creamer, warm socks, a view out my window and gas in my small bus. Today I thank you for the big and small things alike because tomorrow I'm not guaranteed to have any of the above. Tomorrow I may be seeking for the very thing I'm thankful for today, so today I take the extra measure of time to praise you for what I have today, knowing that the things I have today are already answers to my past pleadings and prayers, and I praise you for them today as maybe someday in the future I will need to ask for them again. Lord, in a moment of transparency with you and others, I ask that you will tune my heart in on the things that are not so earthly bound. All of the things I've thanked you for some at a cost, a style, a choice for me to have obtained it, and although you have prov