Undivided: More Than a Hashtag, I’m Grateful By Jodie Montgomery I admitted in an earlier blog that I was ignorant regarding racism in the church, over history and today, and that I was purposing to become more aware about the injustices suffered...
Happy Birthday Grandson! By Jodie Montgomery Already a year has flown by since the birth of our first grandchild. I do not remember pre-grandchild days. He has changed so much. As I think about what I and other family members will pass on...
I Ate Your Almond Joy Cookies By Jodie Montgomery My daughter and her husband (and the perfect grandson on a first road trip) went to visit my brother and his wife. They all had a great time. My brother and his wife...
Anger Management By Jodie Montgomery Exodus 32:22 Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.” In this day of anger management, we need to remember that a person that is good...
Karen – Name Calling on a Whole New Level By Jodie Montgomery Last week, at lunch, I received an education on the name Karen. I have since researched “Karen” and discovered that: According to the dictionary, Karen is a member of an...
2020: What was & wasn’t, what is & isn’t, what will be & won’t be By Jodie Montgomery I haven’t felt isolated during quarantine. If anything, time alone ended for me as my husband has been working from home and I felt...
I just think prayer is weird… By Jodie Montgomery Sometimes we think more about how we should pray or don’t know how to pray or how weird prayer is that we just don’t pray. I think our lofty pondering can keep us...
Worth Repeating By Jodie Montgomery Sometimes you hear something worth repeating. Let me clarify, sometimes you hear something really good and it is so worth repeating. Allison McCoy and I were watching Dr. Anita Phillips, a counselor, talk on the online If Gathering...
Pop Up Scripture Encouragement through a Discussion on Death & Lament- Ironic? By Jodie Montgomery If I could play background music with a blog, this would be my moment of going dramatic. I would play a dirge. I have these moments in...
Bible Study is Uniting By Jodie Montgomery As Allison mentioned in her blog last week, some of our closest friendships are developed at Bible study. Through the years, I’ve gained prayer partners through study and friends that I know will speak truth...
Bible Study Buddy By Allison McCoy Do you have a Bible study buddy? In the photo above, I’m pictured with my first Bible study friend. When we first met in 1997, I was settling into married life, in a new city, separated...
“I was saved through Bible study…” By Allison McCoy Fresh out of college, just married and living in a new city, the next “adult” thing to do was to plug into a church. I mean, after all, that’s what my family did...
Bible Study is Relational By Jodie Montgomery Life can be a bit isolating due to busyness. I have a lot of responsibilities at home, work, and church. I’m grateful for some time savers at home, the dishwasher, vacuum and laundry, but I...
Light of the World John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” I hope we do lights on our...
King of Kings Revelation 19:16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Christmas is meant for worship. Christmas is the answer to the Psalmist’s cry “What is man that You...
Messiah By Jodie Montgomery Matthew 1:16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. Messiah is the name which identifies the Psalm 2 Lord’s Anointed King who comes to justly rule the world....
THINK By Jasmine Luter I have a seven and four year old and if they are like most other siblings, sibling rivalry incidents happen often. I've noticed that quarantine sometimes seems to heighten the incidents in frequency and intensity. For the most...
Gift of God By Jodie Montgomery I enjoy giving gifts to those I love if I have an idea what the recipient would value and/or need. I like the recipient to feel really touched by my thoughtfulness, maybe even tear up as...
July 4, 2020 By Jodie Montgomery Happy “Independence Day”! This 2020, it seems odd to celebrate independence when so many are so restricted by a pandemic and socioeconomic barriers. I do not FEEL freedom. The Fourth of July was first celebrated on...
Nature Girl By Jodie Montgomery Job 39:1 “Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer?..” Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have...
Ignorance By Jodie Montgomery “Ignorance must be a fun place to live; my parents seem to vacation there year-round.” ― Nenia Campbell I overheard someone saying how younger people are much more open to talk about racism and current events than their parents. I would like...
Focus By Jodie Montgomery I’m struggling with my vision right now. One of my eyes is corrected for distance and the other for near, but right now all seems foggy. I’m trying to make life clearer by wearing readers, but I find...
Remembering By Jodie Montgomery I think that it is important for people to hear one another’s stories, but stories about old boy or girlfriends can be hurtful to our spouses. So as a general rule, my husband of 37 years and I...
Holiness is Our Friend By Jodie Montgomery Some things I just want to force. I love hydrangeas: big blooms, variations of color, bold green leaves, fullness. I know they do not flourish in Florida, but I still plant every hydrangea received as...
Wisdom Literature By Jodie Montgomery The Old Testament Wisdom Literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) is very different from the historical and prophetic books. Wisdom literature helps the reader get inside the author’s thought life. Biblical wisdom literature helps the...
I Covet (Yearn to Possess) Something By Jodie Montgomery This blog may not interest many of you. It is a confession. I covet something. I think about this something constantly. I realize that my focus on this something is robbing me of...
Translations By Jodie Montgomery I have been walking in my neighborhood more regularly due to the quarantine. Many are doing the same. The weather has been incredible. I’m thankful for the timing of this gorgeous spring season. As I walk, on many occasions...
The Mirror By Jodie Montgomery On our bathroom counter, my husband has a shaving mirror. It is round, set in a bronze stand. It takes up space so I resent the thing. Through the years I have paid very little attention to...
Why was Mrs. Beasley still in my attic? By Jodie Montgomery Since I’m home 24/7, I’m doing a pandemic purge. This isn’t bulimic. I’m cleaning out my storage areas; closet and attic. I am not a hoarder… with the exception of Christmas décor....
Trying to Help By Jodie Montgomery 3 John 3-4 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. In times of hardship,...
Covid-19 and the Home By Jodie Montgomery In our Women’s Ministry online groups, I’ve had a number of women mention that being quarantined has actually been an incredible time of connecting with their family on a new level. Some are mentioning that...
Zoom Calls and Coffee Mugs By Jodie Montgomery In this time of social distancing, I’m learning a lot about online resources and staying connected through video conferencing. I’m also learning a lot about missed opportunities on video conferencing. I realized that I had...
We thought we would run some "sanity checks" and see how everyone is doing during this time. Some lighthearted chats via Zoom have been set up with pastor's wives & our women's ministry leaders on different topics. Please click HERE to...
I ate little bugs By Jodie Montgomery While I social distance, I need to be cautious of the dangers at my home. The health care professionals do not need me showing up in the ER because I ate some little bugs. I have...
Abounding Love By Jodie Montgomery 1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I am feeling the self-induced pressure of writing something profound, encouraging,...
I realized that I told a little about my grandson’s birth but really the story is my daughter’s to tell. It’s been months now since the event, we were a bit numb from so much emotion. When you hear a...
When I traveled to England with my daughters to tour Jane Austen movie sites, my youngest daughter was monitoring social media for any "Pop Ups" we might pop in on. This was another fun adventure in the midst of a fun...
Children by Jodie Montgomery Throughout the world, children are in need of care. Many see children as an inconvenience or they see themselves as incapable of parenting. This is heart wrenching. His Body through local churches is uniting to increase awareness of...
Speechless by Jodie Montgomery There are so many topics bombarding my thoughts these days that I really have no idea what to say or where to start. Thoughts swirling include what’s for dinner, why such a number gap between church membership...
More on She Loves Out Loud 2020 By Jodie Montgomery In all the years I have been doing women’s ministry, I have never had so many women at an event come and tell me how much they wished more had known about...