Still learning … to know, to see, to say, to be

Deborah in a wooded setting, smiling at you and resting against a small but strong persimmon tree

I’m Deborah, a white woman from the Deep South, a lover of God and seeker of truth.

Seeker means still learning.

At last, I’m learning to see what I previously could not.

I’m learning to separate out what appears religious, but is toxic – from what is precious, and truly God.

I’m speaking up to tell what I’ve seen.

I can tell you from experience: It’s humbling to see how much you haven’t seen. It’s grievous to learn ways you’ve missed and misrepresented the Lord. It’s frightening to face yourself, to press in to change, to go with God where you never dreamed you would go. It’s daunting to face backlash from very unexpected places, backlash intended to bring you back to the status quo – or, if you won’t turn back, designed to silence and shun.

I can also testify: It is incredibly good to go with God. Whatever is toxic enslaves and dehumanizes. God sets you free. Free to know him and to go with him. Free to build real relationships with others. Free to become the person he created you to be.

Who I am

Most of my life, I identified myself by my achievements. But then, to follow Jesus, I had to let go of everything that might appear to qualify me for ministry.

It wasn’t easy to lay down what I had counted “gain.” But in doing so, I discovered what I would have told you I already knew: My achievements aren’t me. And clinging to them would have kept me from the true gain of knowing Christ.

So how do I tell you about me?

I can link you to posts where I tell some of my story. And I do that below.

But you don’t have to read my true confessions to know more about me. Writers reveal themselves in everything they write. So if you read any of my posts or books with your heart open, you should know mine a little better. More than that, I hope you know God a little better and see yourself more clearly through his eyes.

Why I write

Ironically, I’m a private person. Yet I’ve spent my adulthood putting my life “out there” in my writing. I do that, first, because I believe God has called me to it, and my heart’s desire is to honor him.

Second, I write as a way to live out the Lord’s fierce love. I explore key truths for living life, even when it involves shining light on things we Christians may not want to see, including those so-very-deceiving things that masquerade as godliness and deeply divide our hearts.

I write to connect with others who are seeking and traveling the path of life, so we can encourage one another along the way.

What I like

I enjoy and appreciate lots of things, among them: mountains, trees, the songs of birds, good coffee, dark chocolate, soft throws, mellow music, reading, writing (yes, I actually enjoy it!), fast walking, mowing the yard (go figure), genuineness and depth in relationships.

I like being able to talk to God for real – to tell him when I don’t like what’s going on, to ask him questions and listen for his answers, to wait in his silences, to recognize his voice.

I like the knowing in my spirit (that can happen when I least expect it) that God is there, that he takes delight in me, that I am in him, and he in me.


If you want to know more

Happily, posts that tell my story are grouped under the Category, My Story. If you want the nitty-gritty in some sort of coherent order, I’d suggest reading these posts first.

Your thoughts?

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