Tag: life

Soften The Heart: Devotional #25

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“Not my will, but yours be done.”

Luke 22:42

What a powerful statement. What Jesus said right here is, I trust you.

I love this scripture so much because it reveals that without a doubt we are going to go through some really hard things, just like Jesus did.

And instead of questioning God, we stop.

We eventually, ultimately, surrender.

We acknowledge that this isn’t what we want, but we say I trust you God.

We say, if this is how it’s suppose to be I trust you. I know you are with me, I trust you. And then we fully give it to GOD.

I said this prayer just a few days ago to God while in great pain and suffering…..not my will but yours be done.

I more so told God in my head that this isn’t what I wanted but if this is the plan for me and this is how my life is suppose to end I fully trust you God. I told God that I surrendered.

I told God that I trusted him and that if this was my time to go that I would accept it. I wasn’t going to question what was happening. Even though it’s not what I wanted I let God know once again that I trusted Him. I told God that I would be sad to not watch my children grow though.

After I spoke with God, I let it all go.

The rest was completely out of my hands and how this was going to end was something I trusted with God. I trusted his plan for me and my family.

How thankful I am for my faith and for Gods Word. Countless times I feel as if my hand has been held.

Now, what led me to that moment with God was I woke up with some minor abdominal cramping, very minor. As the morning continued the pain increasingly progressed to the point where I could barely even walk.

I called for my husband and he rushed home from work and raced me to the ER.

After an hour later of excruciating pain they discovered that I had a twisted intestine and that it was attached to a scar adhesion from a precious c-section.

Things got real, real fast when they said they were sending a helicopter for me to get surgery right away.

It was in that moment where I knew this was very serious. I was in too much pain to be scared but I knew my husband was terrified.

This is where I surrendered. I wanted the pain to end. I was letting go while fighting. It’s a hard thing to explain.

But I can fully say that I put my trust in God. Words can’t fully express how I felt when I woke up after the surgery and even how I still feel in this moment.

My testimony has grown in a way that excites me and that I’m eager to share. I have been redirected in the most beautiful way.

The word of God gives hope. The word of God gives peace. The word of God gives us strength.

What I have gone through God has been with me the entire time.

And I’m so grateful to have trust Him.

Thank you Lord, amen.

Dears Readers, I Had an EMERGENCY abdominal Surgery! – Bowel Obstruction Surgery

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I’m still in shock.

I’m currently recovery at home and it’s been about 4 days now since my surgery.

I will write another blog soon letting you all know what went down but I may not post for a while because I really need to focus on my healing.

Or a few of my posts going forward for a bit may be recovery and healing related.

One thing for sure I am incredibly grateful to be here. This was very sudden and completely unexpected. I have been overwhelmed by love from family and friends.

God truly carried me through this from the beginning and my trust is completely in Him.

I got home yesterday from the hospital (today is Saturday and this all went down on Tuesday) and being able to hold my children and stroke their hair and give them kisses is something I am not taking for granted.

I have learned so much from this experience and how much more eager I am to help and heal people!

Remember my friends, it truly is the littlest things that leave such powerful impacts.

Examples would be:

  • A gentle touch 
  • Sincerity in the eyes
  • Tone of voice 
  •  A warm smile 
  • Story telling
  •  Sense of humor 

God bless all of you, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here.

Marie

Figure Out “YOUR TRUTH”

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Figuring out your truth and what you genuinely want can be a deeply personal and ongoing journey. It’s not uncommon to feel clear about your desires, only to have them shaken when exposed to external influences, especially social media. Here are some steps that might help you ground yourself in your truth:

1. Create Space for Reflection

When life gets busy or overstimulating, it becomes hard to hear your inner voice. Setting aside regular, quiet moments for reflection—whether through journaling, meditation, or even walks in nature—can help you reconnect with your deeper self. In these moments, ask yourself:

• What feels authentic to me?

• What activities, people, or ideas make me feel alive?

• What do I naturally gravitate toward when I’m not comparing myself to others?

2. Listen to Your Body and Emotions

Your body often holds the key to your truth. Pay attention to how you physically and emotionally react to different ideas, situations, or possibilities. When something aligns with your truth, you may feel lighter, energized, or excited. When something is out of alignment, you might feel heavy, tense, or anxious. Trust those signals.

3. Limit External Noise

Social media can easily cloud your perception of yourself, as it constantly exposes you to the lives and opinions of others. You might see what others have or desire, and it can create doubt or envy. Consider setting boundaries with how much time you spend on social media. When you do engage, practice mindful consumption: ask yourself why a certain post affects you and whether it aligns with what you value.

4. Define Your Core Values

Knowing your core values is essential in figuring out your truth. Ask yourself:

• What are the non-negotiables in my life?

• What principles do I live by, regardless of what others are doing?

Once you’ve defined these values, check in with them regularly to see if your desires and goals align with them. This helps you stay true to yourself even when external influences are strong.

5. Embrace the Fluidity of Your Desires

It’s okay for your wants and desires to change over time. Sometimes we fear that changing our minds means we don’t know ourselves, but growth often brings new perspectives. Give yourself permission to evolve, and trust that each phase is part of discovering your deeper truth.

6. Differentiate Between Ego Desires and Soul Desires

Ego desires often come from a place of external validation, comparison, or fear of missing out (FOMO). Soul desires, on the other hand, tend to be quieter but more persistent. They resonate with your deeper purpose and bring a sense of peace or fulfillment. When considering what you want, ask yourself:

• Am I wanting this because it feels true to me, or because it’s what I think I should want?

• Does this desire nourish my spirit, or does it come from seeking approval or fitting in?

7. Trust Yourself

Even though social media and external influences can be overwhelming, your inner compass is still there. Trust that you have the wisdom to discern what feels right for you. When in doubt, return to practices that ground you—yoga, meditation, or connecting with nature—and let that stillness help you reconnect to your truth.

Your journey of finding your truth might be connected to your self-care and yoga practices, allowing you to tune into your inner wisdom beyond the noise. Social media can offer inspiration, but your deepest answers lie within.

Make Time For Things You Enjoy

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As a child fun seems to always be at reach. It’s tangible. It’s free. It’s easy. Children can find joy in the littlest of things. The spark they gather in their eyes is pure magic.

As we get older life happens.

The colors that were once so vibrant in our life begin to fade. No longer are we new, we’ve developed cracks and have broken pieces that we don’t know what to do with.

It’s so important, it’s so necessary, it’s vital I would say to bring that inner child back to life as we age.

Fun needs to become a priority and we have to make time for it as crazy as that is.

“I have to make time for fun?”

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT YES!!!

The more we incorporate the things we once enjoyed as children believe it or not those dull colors in your life become bright once again.

Maybe those colors never went dull to begin with, the light was just on a dim setting.

And those broken pieces? Let fun be the super glue.

You deserve to laugh, you deserve to smile, you deserve to feel joy in our life.

Make that time.

Xox marieelizabeth

While Trying To Discover My identity This Is What I Realized

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I read a blog not long ago and a girl was sharing what she felt she identified with. A hint of jealousy hit because I thought how lucky is she to know who she is and what she identifies with.

But then as I was driving to pick up my kids from school this little story came to my head,

A rainbow goes to a cloud and asks, “what color am I?”

The cloud says, “you’re blue.”

The rainbow goes to another cloud and asks the same question.

This time the response was, “you’re red.”

The rainbow asked many different clouds the same question and each response was just a different color.

The rainbow becomes frustrated. Thoughts emerge.

“Will I ever know who I am?”

“I feel so lost.”

“How are others so sure of themselves but I still can’t figure it out?”

The rainbow shouted, “I don’t understand! What color I am!”

The rainbow decides to ask a bird this time.

“Little bird, what color am I?

The bird says, “Well, you’re a rainbow my dear! You are more than one color!” And then flys away.

And then it hit me. I do not conform to one thing. I am many beautiful things, made up of all sorts of color, like a rainbow!

Here I am searching for my identity, only to realize I’m a little bit of everything!

If you’re struggling with your identity, then you’re probably a rainbow as well my friend.

Which makes us pretty special, don’t you think?

Peace and love ,

Marie

Soften The Heart: Devotional #23

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Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

Psalm 127:4-5

In this scripture we understand the significance of children. It is made clear how much of a gift that they are. Children are the arrows, they are the direction, they are the way. If we pay attention to the children they will lead us to the answers that we seek.

You’ve heard before that, “Children are the future.” Thats because they are THE FUTURE.

To have any children in your life is a blessing. Whether you have children of your own, nieces or nephews, maybe you’re a teacher, counselor, you’ve adopted, etc. “Bless is he whose quiver is full of them.”

(A quiver is a case that holds the arrows of the warrior.)

God has placed the children in your life as a blessing. See them as such.

With this awareness you can become more mindful of your influence around children. With this awareness, you understand that you are the one shaping them. Whether you have given birth to them or not, you are apart of their “maintenance and care”. So that they, like arrows, may be strong and sturdy. That they may hit their intended target.

Born doesn’t just mean to to give birth, it mean’s “to bring forth”. Any children brought to you in your life are a blessing. The scripture tells us this.

This scripture also tells us that we need children as much as they need us. How does a warrior fight without his arrows? How does an arrow fly without its warriors?

We are to be strong warriors with our bows and arrows (patience, calm, precision, is what makes a good archer) and we are to direct them. We are responsible for the accuracy and sharpness.

God has given us the best weapon to defeat the evils of this earth. To restore peace and love. We have been given the gift of children.

God also reminds us that we will struggle inevitably out there on the courts. In life.

However the more arrows that we have in our quiver the better. Which I interpret as the more children you influence in a positive way the more that they will influence others in positive way.

For every hand you touch, you touch every hand they touch as well.

We have great power to influence children and this awareness helps us to be more observant and patient with them. WE are what shape those arrows, WE are the ones that pull the arrows back and release.

Arrows that are shot with no intention can hurt and destroy. It’s important and vital that we understand who we are, that when the time comes to launch our children out into this world, they too will be warriors.

10 Questions About STRESS Answered – Gaining More PEACE In Your Life Gives More PEACE To Others

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First of all I want to acknowledge this awesome photo who I wish I knew who to give the credit to. I love how it depicts stress. We can appear calm but be fuming on the inside where it feels like our heads are actually on fire and we are covered in dark, heavy smoke.

We may be so use to the smoke that it’s just become apart of our day to day life. With this blog I want to extinguish some of that fire and help you to see through the smoke.

Your heads still going to catch on fire from time to time let’s be honest but maybe we can make a fire extinguisher more accessible for you and for others.

10 Questions About STRESS Answered – Gaining More PEACE In Your Life Gives More PEACE To Others

1. First of all what is stress? How is it defined?

Stress is a feeling of emotional strain and pressure. Stress is feeling out of control. Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. It’s feelings of tension.

Stress is your body’s reaction to a change or challenge. Stressors can be positive and negative.

2. How do we react when we are stressed?

There are mental, physical, and behavioral ways of reacting to stress.

Examples of mental could include feeling overwhelmed, loosing your temper, feelings of irritability, thoughts of self harm, racing thoughts, etc.

Examples of physical could include headaches, digestive problems, muscle tension, even your breathing can change.

Examples of behavioral could include jaw clenching, biting your nails, even becoming verbally or physically aggressive.

3. Who gets stressed?

EVERYONE experiences stress. Even babies and children.

4. What are things that cause stress?

An overall answer to which causes stress could be lack of control over a situation.

Common examples could include; life changes, work, family, financial problems, health.

Not so common examples could include; unrealistic expectations and even procrastination.

Most things that cause stress fall under one of those categories above.

5. When do you feel stressed?

  • When you are under lots of pressure.
  • When you face big changes in your life.
  • When you are worried about something.
  • When you don’t have much or any control over the outcome of a situation.
  • When you have responsibilities that you find overwhelming.
  • When you don’t have enough work, activities or change in your life.

6. Does our stress affect the people around you?

The short answer is ABSOLUTELY. There is such a thing called ‘secondhand stress or stress contagion’ if you can believe it!

Stress from others can affect your own stress levels even if there is no direct interaction.

Stress contagion can happen through social and biological mechanisms, such as pheromones, social cues, and emotional expression. For example, people are four times more likely to catch stress from someone they know, such as family, friends, or coworkers.

People that are stressed release a chemical that can be inhaled by those around them, causing these people to become more anxious, as well.

Read more about it here.

7. Can you be stressed and not even know it?

Yes. Feeling unwell or becoming sick could actually be caused by stress.

Many of us are so used to feeling stressed that we may not even know it until we get sick. 

Often times we also mistake anxiety for stress.

8. What happens if we ignore stress?

Ignoring our stress can lead to poor mental health and physical health over time which can take a toll on your body and open all sorts of un-fun doors. Obesity, diabetes, heart problems, and that’s just to name a few.

9. Why does stress happen?

It happens to help us, ultimately. Stress is the bodies response to pressure.

When we are stressed our body releases adrenaline and the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is “natures built in alarm system.” It’s a steroid hormone that our body releases in response to stress to reduce inflammation.

10. How can we reduce the stress in our lives?

There are many ways that we can reduce stress in our lives.

Examples include:

  • Good sleeping/eating habits
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Exercising
  • Asking for help
  • Decluttering
  • Going for walks
  • Saying NO
  • Mindful breathing
  • Making time for hobbies
  • Acknowledgement of our stress
  • Connecting with others

And that’s just a few!

Overall stress isn’t going ANYWHERE but understanding it and acknowledging it is one way we can learn to better flow with it.

And when we can better flow with it we will develop more peace in our lives and give back more peace to those we love around us.

Lots of love always,

Marie

Hello My Readers – I’m Still Here

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Hi my beautiful readers!

I have not posted in awhile and I am so sorry for that! As most of you know I have 4 little ones and they keep me very busy! It’s been hard to get moments to really write or share anything.

I do want to share though that I can be followed on Facebook and instagram where I share things on there as well 🙂 .

Instagram – thewildgems

(On this instagram I share all sorts of things! It’s kind of like an abstract painting lol. There’s a lot going on)

Facebook – the wild gems

On this Facebook page I share videos that I’ve watched that inspired me, quotes, feel good things)

And I did create another instagram very recently where I kind of just share my thoughts under

gemwilde

Looking forward to connecting more! You all mean so much to me! I am grateful to share this journey with you all! I feel truly thankful.

Lots of love,

Marie

Dear Readers, My Birth Mom Passed Away

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My birth mom passed away. It’s been a week now. It’s lead to an indescribable type of grief that I feel very alone in if I’m honest. And I feel compelled to just release some of the things that I’m feeling at the moment.

My aunt (my birth mom’s sister) texted me last Wednesday telling me that she had passed. I had never met her. That wasn’t my choice. I’ve been wanting to meet her my whole life and I actually almost did last spring but it just didn’t happen because she had somewhere to be apparently. Who knows what the full truth is. I can feel I’m not being told everything. I know she was mentally unstable. Suffered from schizophrenia. But how she died seems to be unknown. She checked into the hospital for something, was there for a few weeks, and passed “with family by her side”.

I was really upset at first, clearly I still am. My birth mom was in the hospital for a few weeks and my aunt didn’t tell me? The opportunity to meet the woman who birthed me is gone and it breaks my heart.

All of this pain as being an adoptee has resurfaced I don’t even know how to handle it. I just keep crying. I never knew any biological family until I turned 29. I always felt so completely alone growing up.

I haven’t even told my adoptive parents that my birth mom has passed because it’s just going to make them uncomfortable and they’ll probably say I’m sorry and that’s about it.

When I told them I had found biological family on ancestry there was no happiness for me. There was fear. Never have they ever really talked to me about how I felt being adopted. But they didn’t know, I know that. I was just a grateful child who hid the wounds very very well.

Having adopted two children (my niece and nephew on my husband’s side) I will be a different parent. Their wounds will get the oxygen they need. And I will help them find answers.

I’m just sad right now. I’m just really really sad and another adoptee told that I’m experiencing disenfranchised grief. Basically it’s a grief that’s not understood or validated.

It’s lonely. It’s lonely to want to share this with more people in my life but they won’t get it but also I think…I don’t want to share because I’m not ready to fully reveal how much I’ve been holding in and for so long. Plus I can’t talk about this without crying.

I think that’s why I love this blog world so much. I can be so raw and just let it out. And no one close is going to read this because hardly anyone I know reads my stuff, and if they even do they never say anything.

And if you just read this, wow, thank you. Thank you for hearing me for a moment. Thank you for letting me cry and share.

To be a grown up and still this lost at times and here I am raising children…..

How do you guide children when you aren’t even sure of the way,

Ps – I do have a picture now of my birth mom when she was probably about 18. My youngest daughter has her eyes. They’re so beautiful.

Dear Readers, I’m Sorry I Haven’t Posted In Awhile

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Good morning my beautiful readers, how are you all doing?

I’m still here, and I am sorry that I have not shared anything in quite some time. To be honest I’ve just been very busy and this blog hasn’t been a priority at the moment.

I have 4 kids in case you didn’t know. An 8 year old, a 7 year old, a 4 year old, and a 1 year old. I’m a busy mama. And no, we didn’t just boom boom and decide to have kids back to back. Two of them are biological and two are adopted.

I know I don’t have to share that at all but I want those who read this to really understand. I like to joke that I got the “have a baby get one free deal” because that’s exactly what happened.

We actually just adopted my son (the one year old) in January. So thankful that that has been finalized.

I like to consider myself an open book so if you ever read any of my posts and would like clarification on anything don’t ever hesitate to ask me. We are friends on here I like to think.

Anyways, I’ve been busy. But it’s been a good busy.

I’m going to make an effort to release all that I’ve been absorbing and share it with you all.

I’m getting back into reading and I’ve already gained so much new insight! I love it!

Thank you my readers for taking the time to read what I share.

There’s something so intimate and comforting about being in the blogging community.

Lots of love, always

– Marie

The Wild Gems