Today was an emotionally hard day at church

I knew it was going to be hard but I didn’t know it was going to pull at my heat so bad

I lost it when Kirby sing “I want to be just like you.” I normally love that song but today I hated it because of the way my dad is treating me.

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bub
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, “I want to be like you”
I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin’ over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he’ll see
He’s got a father in God ’cause he’s seen Jesus in me

Lord, I want to be just like You
‘Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
‘Cause he wants to be like me

Got to admit I’ve got so far to go
Make so many mistakes and I’m sure that You know
Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try
With all the pressures in life I just can’t get it all right
But I’m trying so hard to learn from the best
Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness
‘Cause I know that he’ll learn from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me
Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall
But it’s only ’cause I’m learning from the best Father of them all

I cried and just wanted someone to reach out and give me a hug

All I wanted to do today was to call my dad and talk to him

Psalm 103

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
       so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

 ¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
       he remembers that we are dust.

By Joanna Swett

Change My life

Bring light into sea of Darkness

Heal my broken heart

Clean my heart

Change My life

Take my wounds away

Take my tears away

Take all  my stress away

Take my f rown away

Change My life

Bring light into sea of Darkness

Heal my broken heart

Clean my heart

Change My life

Show me your glory

Show me your ways oh Lord

Show me your mercy

Show me how to forgive my dad

Change My life

Bring light into sea of Darkness

Heal my broken heart

Clean my heart

Change My life

 Make my life whole again

Make my life joyful again

Make my life less stressful

Make my life on fire for God

Change My life

Bring light into sea of Darkness

Heal my broken heart

Clean my heart

Change My life

Help me to keep Satan out of my life

Help me to smile more

Help to bring joy back into my life

Help me to live a full life

Change My life

Bring light into sea of Darkness

Heal my broken heart

Clean my heart

Change My life

By Joanna Swett

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am a teacher of God’s children

I am a daughter

I am a daughter to my Heavenly Father

I am a friend

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am an aunt

I am a granddaughter

I am a niece

I am a worshipper of God

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am designed by God

I am a traveler

I am a photographer

I am a college graduate

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am a volunteer

I am an inspiration to others

I am a listener

I am ripple and wave for God

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am 24 years old

I am able to share my story with others

I am a reader of books

I am advice giver

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am a volunteer

I am an inspiration to others

I am a listener

I am ripple and wave for God

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am a blog designer

I am welcomed back into the arms of God

I am made to live by God

I am made for God

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am not in charge God is

I am a cousin

I am a prayer warrior

I am able to show God’s love to others through my actions

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am a great cook

I am a writer

I am a yoga novice

I am an artist

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

I am designed by God

I am a traveler

I am a photographer

I am a college graduate

Who Am I?

I’m amazing

I am created in God’s image

I have a mission to carry out on Earth that God has given me

Who Am I?

By Joanna Swett

Im struggling to Find God

I need him  to give me hope when I feel hopelesss

I need to meet him at the cross

Im struggling to Find God

I am hurting on the inside

I have a broken heart that only God can heal

I have come back to the father

I need to know What it Means to Be Loved

Im struggling to Find God

I need him  to give me hope when I feel hopelesss

I need to meet him at the cross

Im struggling to Find God

I want to carry out God’s plan for my life

I want to feel loved and cared for by God

I need God’s strength to to give me hope

I need to see God’s light in the admist of the darkness 

Im struggling to Find God

I need him  to give me hope when I feel hopelesss

I need to meet him at the cross

Im struggling to Find God

I am in awe of God’s creation

I am able to take care of His children

I want God to give me the joy back that I once had

I want God to fix my broken relationships

Im struggling to Find God

I need him  to give me hope when I feel hopelesss

I need to meet him at the cross

Im struggling to Find God

God cries when I cry and I have been crying alot

God hurts when I hurt and I have been hurting alot

God suffered more on the cross so we wouldn’t have to

God understands what I am going through right now

Im struggling to Find God

I need him  to give me hope when I feel hopelesss

I need to meet him at the cross

Im struggling to Find God

Where is God in my life

It feels like Satan is taking over my life

I just recommited my life to God

I want God to work on time so I can see how he is helping

Im struggling to Find God

I need him  to give me hope when I feel hopelesss

I need to meet him at the cross

Im struggling to Find God

By Joanna Swett

I first accepted God into my life when I was five or six.  I was on my bed with my parents. I prayed the prayer and asked God into my heart. I had been going to church before I was born and continue to go after I was born. It was the day that I asked God into my heart that my life changed for the first time.I went to Sunday school and started to read my bible and life was great. I just went to church because my parents went. I didn’t really have any friends at church. In first grade I started to go to church camp

I kept going through the motions of my .life untill my life as I knew came crashing down. In 2001 my parents got divorced. I was angry at God and I was angry at the world. Church became a place where I was supported and felt safe. I knew people were praying for me. At camp that summer I saw a new side of my friends I was also able to ask God back into my heart with the help of my counselor. I felt like I wasn’t alone anymore. It was by God’s grace that I was able to get through the four-year custody battle.

I continued to become closer to God through the years after the divorce. My life was a struggle but I realized that I always had God by myself.  This continued untill 2007 when I found out I had a new medical diagnosis. I also helped my friend deal her grandma’s death. It was a year of ups and downs with many more downs. I once again asked God back into my heart.  I was able to share with my testimony with my Sunday School class and then with the whole church. It was a very magic time on my faith journey.

I continued to be on the right path with God untill 2010. I was started struggling with my relationship with my dad. I was questioning where I fit into his life and how much he  cared about me since he had a new girlfriend. I knew I wasn’t treating him the way I should be. During this time we were studying the prodigal son story in church. I was very touched my this study. I felt like the prodigal daughter running away from my dad. I was able to sit down with my pastor during our Easter service and asked God back into my heart. That is where I am today. I am on fire for God. I am understanding the sermons better at church and I take notes on them every week and try to figure out how they relate to my life. I cry almost every week.

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¹³These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

 ¹⁴Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

 ¹⁵He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. ¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

 ¹⁹After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. ²⁰Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Jesus asked some great questions

Jesus asked alot of questions

Who do people say the Son of Man is?

Who do you say I am?

There are very few people in my life who I really want to know what they think of me

Jesus asked the general quetions but was interested in the particular

Peter told Jesus that He was the Son of the Living God and that He is Christ

God told Peter that something was happening inside from the Father in Heaven

Are You My Mother By Dr Seuss

A story of indentiy and relationships

Who you are and who they are

Who you are in Christ what you are to be doing in His kingdom

Understand who Jesus is and how He revealed Himself to you

We are God’s friends and He is a “hands on” God

By Joanna Swett

• Become a better teacher
• To reconcile my relatioship with my dad
• To meet new friends
• To learn to like being in charge
• To learn new skills in DBT
• To continue to work on writing positive things on my blog
• To learn how to make new recipes
• To take time for myself
• To continue to go to the gym
• To get through the family renunion

I am blessed to have a roof over my head

I am blessed to have a mom who I can live with right now

I am blessed to have a great church family

I am blessed to have a great support network

I am blessed to have so many prayer warriors in my life

I am blessed with my ability to write

I am blessed with my ability to be a great teacher

I am blesssed with good physicial health

The Blessing

Let it be said of us
while we walked among the living
let it be said of us
by the ones we leave behind
let it be said of us
that we lived to be a blessing for life
let it be said of us
that we gave to reach the dying
let it be said of us
by the fruit we leave behind
let it be said of us that our legacy is blessing for life
this day
you set life, you set death right before us, this day
every blessing and curse is a choice now
and we will
choose to be a blessing for life
let it be said of us
that our hearts belonged to Jesus
let it be said of us
that we spoke the words of life
let it be said of us
that our heritage is blessing for life
(chorus)
for your Kingdom
for our Children
for the sake of every nation

My relationship with God

My child care center dream

My children at work

My family

My friends

My self-worth even though I don’t have alot of it right now

My self- esteem whis is very low right now

My support network of people at church

Why I Have Little Will to Live Right Now

My relationship with my dad and how much pain I am right now

Job stress- Getting new children next week

Job stress- Being somewhat in charge while Rose is gone

I don’t have a lot of friends my own age

I would be able to avoid situations that are scary to me such as being around my mom’s large family

I would not have a disability anymore

I have no joy in my life right now

My life doesn’t seem to be going in a good direction right now

  Things I Want to Talk to Dawn about and That I Could Use Some Prayer For Right Now

I have been stress eating when I am stress I eat junk and more food than I should which I know is not healthy but it is one of the ways I cope

Suicidal thoughts

Getting through the family reunion

How to deal with my dad and seeing him at church

I have been going to bed a lot earlier after work and just laying in my bed because I am so depressed

Having to maybe take my dad to court over some legal issues that we are dealing with right now

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..

He will Never Let You Go

By Phillips Craig and Dean

You don’t have to say it
I can see it in your eyes
Though your heart is bruised
You hide the truth
Beneath a fine disguise

I’ve got something to tell you
Though it’s simple it’s said with love
Nothing new, still it’s as true
As it ever was

[chorus]
He’ll never let you go, oh no
That’s never been His way
When He said that He would love you
He was talking about for always
He’ll never let you go, no matter how low
You feel that you have fallen
His arms are longer still
And He wants you to know
He’ll never let you go

You trace through your failures
And good intentions left behind
And you wonder when you’ll fly again
You’ve lost the will to try

But there in your weakness
You will find the wings of the wind
Should you get scare, He’ll be there
Where He’s always been

[chorus]

And in the desert place where the heart can’t sing
When your faith is shaken
When you can’t face the morning
You’re not on your own
You’ll never walk alone
He’s got you safe beneath His wings, oh

[chorus]

A picture taken of me in January