Wretched radio listenings.

"Is what Jesus sees inside of us....none of us would want to have our heart photographed, and the picture held up to the eyes of our neighbors. We wouldn't even want our best friends to see a full transcript of our secret life. What goes on within us, the jealousy's, the envying, the bitter feelings...got any? The impure thoughts, the "meanness," the selfishness, the suspicions, the anger, the filth. Your inner life, photographed, held up for all the world to see. You would not have a friend in the world...they would RUN from you if they saw what was going on in your heart. Now fancy this. God sees it. Imagine how He feels about YOU. Now fancy this. He's NOT disgusted...he's not repulsed. He's bigger, He's grander, and He's greater, and while your best friend would see the photograph of your heart and high tale it away from you, and tell everybody he never knew you, Jesus says *I* am a friend of sinners. *I* will say you're not too dirty for me. --J.R. Miller, one quality of true friendship is trust. -- What could be more sacred than feeling safe with a person? THAT is the kind of friend Jesus is." -Todd Friel


If y'all ever have time, or want to hear some good teachings, and outspoken Christian talk....go to http://www.wretchedradio.com/ and listen to Todd talk. It's VERY interesting, funny, and just good, strong Christian people saying what others are afraid to say.

So, my friend made a very good point about my stuff being published in prisons. My name going around....is not such a good idea. So we had to sit and come up with a pen name. :) 'Twas very fun. I had all my friends on Facebook give their ideas, and my mom helped some, and we finally kind of put everything all together, and got "Reflections by Jessalyn Singer." Pretty good, I thought! I like it a lot...It's almost my first and middle name mixed. The "Singer" part. More complicated. lol My mom said since "Hoover" is a vacuum cleaner brand, we'd change it so "Singer" since they made vacuum's as well as sewing machines...plus, I LOVE to sing. haha It's sort of like a play on words for the whole thing. :)

Some hard times

So....I was thinking about something, as I often do. When we are depressed about hardships in our life...do we ever stop to think about other reasons why they are happening, besides being "punished?" See, I think this is our automatic reaction. Not only can our relationship with God be strengthened in these times, because we have to rely on Him and not ourselves anymore, but we're able to reach people we wouldn't normally have been able to get to, because of our situation. Whether it's being able to relate with others about some hard time, or just going through a rough patch and having others with the same problem there with you. We take "opportunities" as "punishment" a lot. Someone gets put in prison for something they didn't do, they can take it as a punishment, or a chance to REACH the people there where they are. Maybe it's God putting them in a place they can make a difference.

Most of this is coming from thoughts regarding a friend I'm writing in prison. He was so very depressed for awhile about being there, when he really didn't do anything "wrong." I told him that God can use anything that happens in our lives to glorify Him, to bring others to Him.

I actually have a prayer request that goes along with this, too. He wanted to read a lot of things, so I printed out some of my blog posts I wrote having to do with sermons and spiritual thoughts I've had. I sent them to him, and he read them to his "bible study group" and some of them wanted to borrow them. I'd never thought much about my writing, simply because it all comes so easily for me to write, I didn't think it was that big of an impact thing to others who've read it. Anyways, this past letter I received, he said he'd passed the pages around all over the place, and I've been getting "amazing reviews and comments back from the people who read them." (his words) He wanted to know if it would be ok for him to submit my blog print outs to the prison paper...and said it would reach 10-15 thousand prisoners. I was just in complete shock. So, if you will, pray God will use anything I can do to reach some of these people. I couldn't do anything without God's help and guidance, just pray this small thing I do will reach many people for the Lord.

I pray everyone is having a fantastic New Year...'tis another year to work for God, don't waste it. :)

God bless,
~ Jessie ~