Jacque Watkins

finding grace through the mud

Mended :: To Shine Hope to the Broken {Week 10}

by

I’ll never forget him, broken, and in need of being mended. He was 35 years old and going blind. His diabetes was out of control, but he didn’t care. His wife had tried for years to get him frequent a doctor. He refused. Even after they had explained the risk of further complications … heart […]

Mended :: May We Surrender in Our Grief {Week 9}

by

Surrender is hardest when we don’t understand. Sarah’s with Jesus tonight. Her battle is over now. She was only five years old, just one month younger than my youngest daughter. My heart is broken for her mama and all who loved her. Leukemia stole her future and ripped apart her hope–the hope of tooth fairy […]

Mended :: When All We Have to Do is Surrender {Week 8}

by

There was a time in my life when I was unwilling to surrender. The noise of my desires and the chaos of the details left me spinning like a top. Disoriented and alone, I grew more and more discouraged each day. It was as if I was in my own rowboat, saying goodbye to the […]

Mended :: When You Need to Remember God Loves You {Week 7}

by

Sometimes we’re mended little by little as we stop and choose to see all the ways He loves. I awake to kids arguing and yelling … punching actually. And as I investigate why this is happening, it becomes no surprise why punches were thrown. At seven and eight years old, April Fool’s Day is a […]

Mended :: Providential Purpose {Week 6}

by

Angie Smith continues to bless, as we make our way through her book Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole. This week we’re discussing chapters 17-19 and continuing to wrestle through the steps of being mended. We are made complete amidst tragedy, redeemed through failure, and comforted by a Savior who understands every detail of our […]

Mended :: The Root of Brokenness {Week 4}

by

I grow up on a farm … a farm with lots of weeds. I wish I could say I don’t have much experience with them, but that would be a lie. The truth is, I spend many afternoons in that central-San-Joaquin-valley sun pulling countless weeds, and I never, ever enjoy it. In fact, it seems […]

Mended :: Chapters 5-8 {Week 3}

by

We’re in our second session of the (in)couragers community and you can read all about it by clicking here. This session we’re walking through Angie Smith’s amazing book, Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole. Today, Tracie is hosting our study on her blog… I first met Tracie last July at the She Speaks Conference […]

Mended :: Chapters 1-4 {Week 2}

by

We’re in our second session of the (in)couragers community and you can read all about it by clicking here. This session we’re walking through Angie Smith’s amazing book, Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole. Today, Denise is hosting our study on her blog… Denise has been my in-real-life friend for over a decade, and […]

Mended :: Beginning the Journey in Community {Week 1}

by

I’ve been broken and shattered. And I’ve lived without hope … engulfed with regret and buried in shame. In fact I remember being so broken and stained by the sin of my choices that I seriously wondered if I had stepped just beyond God’s love. Because for me, I willingly made choices that destroyed my […]