Brenda Rodgers

Category: Just for Fun

  • The Light Continues to Shine

    From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice,“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Matthew 27:45-46

    Photo Credit: Creative Commons: Art Poskanzer

    The darkness came down and blanketed Calvary. He hung there on that cross for all the people who looked on from below and for you and for me. Becoming the sin He was incapable of possessing, ready to pay the price.

    Then He uttered the words that turned the darkness into light, “It is finished”, and bowing His head He surrendered His spirit to His Father (John 19:30).

    Three days later He arose from the enemy’s plan. Death was conquered. And the Light continued to shine.

    In a world where the grip of darkness is so evident, our hope is in the Light. The Light that is here with us now, in each of us as Believers in Christ, who on this day over two thousand years ago gave us Himself.

    No more do we live in darkness. The Light of the World has dispelled it today and forevermore. Praise be to God!

    “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)

    Today I am linking-up for 5-Minute Fridays with The Gypsy Mama where we freely write for five minutes. Truthfully, today is a day that I spent a little longer than five minutes. It’s the day that gave me Light.

    Share with me in the comments how you are spending this Good Friday and Easter weekend. What are your reflections? How does Jesus as “the Light of the World” leave you feeling?

    Happy Good Friday, dear friends. May you experience God’s grace through Jesus’ death and resurrection this weekend.

  • The One Where "YOU" Write the Post

    Hi Friends!  First of all, thank you so much to all of you who entered my GIVEAWAY for a $20 gift card to Dayspring!  It is my FIRST giveaway!  Yes, my first!  So I really appreciate you participating!

    If you haven’t entered yet, you still have time!  Just click of this post A GIVEAWAY! Beacause Love Came Down with the Promise of Home and leave a comment about Christmas!!

    Now for more fun stuff!!

    My sweet friend Melanie at Only a Breath started a great Link-Up Party where YOU, the readers, write the post!

    So let’s join in the fun too!

    I want to know how AMAZINGLY AWESOME  all of you out there are!!  All you have to do is comment below telling me a little about yourself!

    Something like this:

    My name is ____________________ (you can use a nickname or just your first name if you would like).

    I am _________________________ (student / wife / single mom / etc.).

    I love to ___________ and _______________.

    I am happiest when I am ________________________.

    If I could do anything in the world, I would _____________. (this is my favorite question!)

    I’ll go first!

    Hi!  My name is Brenda!
    I am a southern lady who has been married for three years after a long bout with singleness.  Now I love encouraging single women in their season of life!  Only two years into marriage I witnessed three miracles from God as my husband underwent a heart transplant.  This experience grew my faith more than any other! And two weeks ago I travelled to Burkina Faso, West Africa on my first mission trip!  I am also a reading teacher and a blogger!

    I love to read and write (not a surprise from above)!  I tell myself I love to run, but I don’t think I’m really in love.  I love making my life count and bigger than myself!

    I am happiest when I am with my husband!  I truly love being with him!

    If I could do anything in the world I would have a baby or two or three and maybe adopt!  I would also write “for real” 🙂 Meaning write for an income!

    Now it’s your turn!  Tell me more about your AMAZING self!  And check out the other blog link-ups at Only a Breath!

    Merry CHRISTmas!!!

  • The Only Color I Saw in Africa

    Join me today for 5 Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama where we write for five minutes on a given topic.  No editing. No criticism.  No worry.  Today’s topic is: Color

    Where I am from, in the deep heart of the southern United States, color runs deep. Its roots stretch back into shameful times when it colored our world instead of just our skin. Sometimes these roots still surface above the packed tight soil. And we forget from where we’ve come.

    As I contemplated my journey to Africa, I wondered about these roots. Whether they would be there, too, packed deep within the soil. I wondered if their eyes would see my color and my eyes see theirs.

    But with every outstretched hand I greeted and every body I touched my eyes saw love. There were no colors in our world in the middle of the bush in Africa.

    Only love.

    Immediately I loved them – like sisters and brothers and friends. Wanting to touch them and know them and serve them.

    Love. The only color I saw in Africa.

  • Waiting to Explode

    Join me today for 5 Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama where we write for five minutes on a given topic. No editing. No criticism. No worry. Today’s topic is: Growing

    It rained yesterday.  The grass exploded. 

    Once brittle and dry and tan, overnight it is full of life again – and beauty.

    A little nutrients, a little water, that’s all it needed  – to be its true intention.

    Am I not like the grass, just waiting to explode? 

    Just a little conversation, just a little contemplation of His Word to me – the one who made me – is that all it would take? 

    To be like the grass . . .

    Growing . . .

    through soaking in His provision. 

    Photo Credit: Creative Commons

  • Joy in Tragedy

    Join me today for 5 Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama where we write for five minutes on a given topic. No editing. No criticism. No worry. Today’s topic is: Joy

    I can’t explain it.  There’s no way to.  It wasn’t from me.  I’ve not felt it since.  Well, not in the same way. 

    I stood at the fork in the hallway.  My husband was behind me in his hospital bed, and nurses surrounded him holding up his air supply and medicine bags as they rushed his bed up the hall.

    He was dying.

    I turned my head to the right to look at him one last time and down the opposite fork in the hallway he went – going to one last attempt – a surgery that could save him or that could take him Home.

    And in that moment it came.  Again it sounds quite ridiculous.  But I know it was real.  It was overwhelming.

    Joy.

    Do not get me wrong.  There was no happiness in my heart.  It was almost broken in two.  But the thing that kept it together was the gift of joy sent from Above.

    It was a joy that came from hope.  Hope that he may still live.  It was a joy that came from eternity.  Eternity where I will live with him forever.

    I have not met it since – that joy that is supernatural.  But even today I look for it and anticipate when we’ll meet again.

    ** I am following up with this note after I posted my entry to say that I wrote this before reading Lisa-Jo’s post about Sara.  What is miraculous to me is that I know now that the words and ideas I wrote were from God.  My confidence in joy has been confirmed again, and I thank you, Sara, for giving us a glimpse of what His supernatural joy is like.  Many blessings to you, and thank you Lisa-jo, for sharing.

  • Uncovering the Real Life

    Join me today for 5 Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama where we write for five minutes on a given topic. No editing. No criticism. No worry. Today’s topic is: in Real Life

    There’s a struggle going on, deep inside this life of mine.  A struggle of two lives both wanting to be known.  

    One is all you see, clean and fresh and new.  It’s the fake life that from your bird’s eye view there’s security, peace, and wholeness.  The band-aid does its job here, covering all the yuck, but deep inside revelation oozes out the sides.

    The other one is secretly hidden, behind that band-aid that makes everything look good and fresh.  It’s where  the scars lies – scars from the bruises, caused from the pain.  The band-aid is my mask hiding my real life in fear.  Fear from what you’d think if it was no longer there.

    But in this secret place my real life’s face is here.  And pulling back the band-aid is where my healing begins.  I reveal my scars to you, and in return you show me yours.  The air surrounds the wounds, and our a bond of trust if formed.  The revelation becomes our protection from the unwanted thoughts.  You grow through me.  I grow through you.

    And our real lives get their voice.



    Photo Credit: Creative Commons: Stephanie in love

    Do you feel more at peace uncovering your “real life”?