How the name Juniper found its start in my life !

Today I want to share a story from my life showing how the name Juniper Worldwide came about. I have been thinking on this for a while now. I tend to write some in journals and I have this story written out not realizing the importance at the time of it for our future.

I have always loved vacationing at St. George Island with my family. I have memories there of my children being small playing in the sand and ocean. I have memories of bonfires on the beach, walks, and lots of laughter. Some of our best weeks were at that beach.

Then tragedy hit my home and I lost my husband and best friend of 20 years - leaving me with 3 kids to finish raising by myself. That left me reeling emotional to say the least - I really was not sure what was going to happen to me.

Time passed and we made additional trips to St. George - I made one with the kids one March - just the 4 of us for the week. There were some tears but we made it !

Time passed and I met a great man and we got married. Well I wanted him to experience St. George with me. We booked a great house - worked it out with all 7 kids schedules and headed out on our 1st new family vacation. Well I had some emotions that I had to over come that week. I tried to keep them inside but my great Father God saw them and he cared for them. I am so thankful for the love of my heavenly Father.

One early morning I headed out on a walk by myself. I love that time to think , pray and daydream. I was so overcome on that walk with how the Lord can heal my heart. I remember thinking about how I would get so excited to see my family in the distance and how that feeling was forever gone. That my heart would leap with just the sight of my children and husband in the distance - I still longed for that.

Well on that walk the morning of July 26, 2017, I felt Gods healing flow into my broken heart. I looked ahead as I was walking back and I thought I saw Tim and Kaitlyn (who was 10 at the time) playing on the beach and my heart was full - when I saw “my people”. That might seem small to some - but to me that marked a change in my whole thinking !!

When I got back to the beach house God showed me Isaiah 55:10-13 You will go out in joy and lead forth in peace. The mountains and hills (and I add ocean) will burst into song before me and all the trees of the fields will clap there hands. In stead of thorn-bush will grow the JUNIPER and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

It might not be over night - but if you allow God to be your healer, I believe that you too can have joy for sadness. The JUNIPER in place of the thorn-bush in your life. Just allow the Jesus the healer to minister to your broken places.

I am always here if you need to talk
XOXO
Jacque

Lets Love Ourselves- After all We are created in Gods Image !!

Are many of you like me - always questioning your gifting or talents, often comparing yourself to others. Maybe wishing you were funnier, prettier, smarter, richer….. that list can go on and on.

Well this year I am choosing to embrace the fact that I am exactly who God planned for me to be. The God of the universe actually created me, he chose me to have the traits and qualities that I have. God sees me and he already knows my failures - but you know what - God also knows the successes he has ahead of me (if I would just go for it).

We are often like Moses - He was called to lead the children of God out of the control of Pharaoh - But Moses told God 3 times in 2 chapters (Exodus 5 and 6) that he could not do it because he was a clumsy speaker and gets tongue-tied. Do you think that God did not know that already before he called Moses…. just like God already knows all of our weaknesses and he still has called us.

I challenge you today to move on from what the past says about you and move out based on what God says about you.

Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are Gods masterpiece He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago”

Take time and ask God to show you his plan for your life. True joy only comes when we follow the path God has for us. Take a step out - look for Miracles in the Mundane - miracles in our everyday life. Ask God to bring the right hurting person to you today and to allow you to bring hope into a hurting life.

Lets aim to live as the masterpiece that God created us to be. Lets not let fear of failure stop up but lets say YES to God today.

I love you all !!

Jacque

Fear is not ours !!!

Fear can be crippling some times for me - I am just being honest. It can make me want to get into bed and not get up. It can make me be less than I am created to be and that is exactly what the enemy wants.

The enemy wants us to focus on the what ifs - the maybe’s - the what could happens in our lives. He does not want us to focus on the fact we are a child of the most high God - the we are not subject to this world - But we are part of the Kingdom of God !

That as the song says - “We are no longer slaves to fear - I am a Child of God” !! God has chosen us and God has called our name !!

This time of year as the year closes up we all want to look back and see everything that we have accomplished - that we are all 20lbs lighter, can run farther, have read our bible every day, have saved extra money…….the list can go on and on. If you are like me the list might not look exactly like that one - well thankfully we serve a God who is nothing but LOVE. He loves us so much and he does not judge us on our failures but he judges us on love. We do not have to live in the fear of our mistakes.

So we can take heart in the perfect LOVE of God and get up today expecting nothing but God’s goodness. He is our rescuer of ourselves - He is our father - He is our safe place - our home - our today - our tomorrow. God is the answer to our every need. Take heart in the fact that we serve a God that does not rule with fear - God only loves.

If you do not know the love of God in the way that I speak - you can today. He is only a breath away and He is waiting for you - his precious creation. Just reach out to him - talk to Him - tell Him you need Him - that you can not do this alone anymore. God will answer you !! He always does ! Sometimes we just need to slow down and take time to hear Him speak.

I love you all and I am happy to talk to you further about this Great God of mine - Its all about relationship with your creator.

XOXO

Move

MOVE……

I will be honest that I really am taking this thought from Tim - partly from a message that he preached on Sunday and partly from just watching his life.

The definition of move - means making progress - departing - putting something into action - change.

Something that strikes me as amazing is that when we move in the Lord things can happen for others. We are part of God’s ability to move here on earth. We can be Gods heart here on earth. If we would just be willing to move we can help reach the hurting people. God can send you or me to be the answer to someones prayer.

I try to live my life always looking for people that need His help. Whether I am in McDonalds or the Home Depot Line - I just try to take notice and see who is around me. Allow God to nudge me to help someone. What if that person had cried out to God earlier in the day to show them that he is real - we can maybe be the answer to them - that they are not alone and that God is real.

The world really only knows what Christ looks like, acts like or sounds like is by how we, His believers act. We are the visible image of the invisible God. Those are some big shoes to fill. I might be the closest thing that someone sees of Jesus. In my moving I can be Jesus. We just need to give Him something to work with.

There is a song out right now called Move - it says “when You move Darkness runs for cover, when you move no ones turned away, when you move our fear turns into praises, when you move the orphan finds a family , when you move the outcast finds a home” . I can’t get enough of this song - and to think that we can be how God moves on the earth if - we can be a part of someones answer. We can help the outcast or the orphan find a place to belong.

Our life can be much fuller and exciting if we just choose to move in God. This week allow God to use you - just move to help others around you. You can be someones answer this week.

I love you all !!

Waiting while not Drifting

I thought today I would just write about what I am dealing with and maybe that would help someone else. I do usually find we are not alone in our thoughts.

Do you feel like we live in a world of so much pressure - pressure to fit in, to be liked, to be successful, to be good, etc… We live in an instant world with text messages, cell phones, we never have true peace from them. All this information at our fingertips. Even my smart watch causes stress - if I did not get enough steps in a day I better go for a late night walk or it immediately lets me know I have a text or message. Then there is social media, we see the “perfect” lives of everyone around us, maybe it can make us feel left out or not good enough. Maybe we don’t get enough likes on our post. That sounds silly doesn’t it but its real. We all compare ourselves to each other.

Well today lets remind our selves of the true peace in life.

Isaiah 40:30-31 Message Bible For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who WAIT upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

Lets think about the word WAIT - I think it has dual meaning in this scripture - yes lets wait on God - stay where we are or delay action until we hear from Him - wait for him to show us the next step. But I think there is also and action word Wait - where we wait on God by taking care of his needs. Just like the waiter at a restaurant - when we see something that needs to be done just do it. According the above scripture God will give us fresh strength in our Waiting !!

The second scripture I want to mention is Hebrews 2:1 “It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.”

Look at the word DRIFT - To be carried slowly by a current of air or water. To move passively, aimlessly, drifting off, to stray. Lets not drift from Gods promises just because of pressures we face. Lets not let the bad news, or the cares of the world cause us to drift from the Love of our father. We have such a good good father with such great plans for our lives. Each one of us have a purpose that we are created for.

I hope this helps and maybe reminds you to focus on God and not the world around us so much. Take time today just to thank God - to see the good around us. Help someone today and that will help you as well !! Enjoy this day !! You are special and beautiful and wonderfully you !!

I love you all xoxo

Jacque

"A different kind of sacrifice"

“A different kind of sacrifice”

What does that mean to you ? I found this scripture this week in the message bible and it has really stuck with me -

Hebrews 13:16 “Make sure you don’t take for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship - a different kind of sacrifice” - that takes place in the kitchen and workplace and on the streets.”

Its so cool when Gods reminds me of his great love for me and that he even is pleased with me. That if we take time out of our lives for others, he sees that as “acts of worship”. That we are being the hands and feet of Jesus in a hurting world.

There are times I feel guilty about not having enough quiet time with God or bible time and we should all make a place for that for sure. But I sure felt peace when I read that my doing good for others is a form of worship. That taking time while we are at work (no matter our job) to bless others is pleasing to God. Maybe buying someone lunch, or making a meal for them, taking time to do something to make someone smile.

The bible also says that Jesus is here to deliver us and to save us. He says that the poor are not forgotten and that God even knows the number of hairs on our head. That no matter how far from God we run He will come after us. Well - I believe that one way God comes after the lost is by using the saved - by using those of us that believe. We are the hands and feet of Jesus on the earth. We are who represents his great love and sacrifice. We are the touch they may need.


Don’t grow weary in doing good - I challenge you to do something every day to make someone feel loved. Your act of selfless love might just be the thing to make someone say yes to Gods great love for them. God might just need you to make a difference in someones life today.

xoxo

Jacque

God doesnt leave us without help !

God doesn’t leave us without help !

Do you ever wonder what am I supposed to be doing with my life. Yes I have a job, hobbies, maybe volunteer somewhere, go to church ect…. But really still wonder what is my purpose.

Well a good thing to take hold of is that YOU do have a purpose. God chose you to be alive right now and to have influence over the people he has put around you. It could be family, co-workers, friends, neighbors, the mom in the grocery line behind you - that list can go on and on.

If we just take every day believing that truth it can change our perspective on everything around us. Those people who might usually get on our nerves can now become someone that we can touch for good.

God is Love - he looks at each person that he created and all he sees is the Love he has for them. If we can just try to become a little like Jesus and look at people with love it will change our lives. It will make each day exciting - looking for who we can bring hope to today.

Philippians 2:13 says that “Not in my own strength for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you, energizing and creating in you the power and desire, both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

Hebrews 13:21 May God, who puts all things together, Now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him, Make us into what gives him most pleasure, by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah (MSG bible)

These verses show that God is at work in us if we just let him. All we have to do is trust and believe, God’s strength is in us and is continually working to carry out our purpose. Trust that you are enough because Jesus is enough. Take a step and love on someone around you today - God will give you the words to say or the actions to take. God will help you and God will bring people around you that need just what you have to offer. I find that making someone smile or bringing a little hope into someones life just gives me the fuel I need for tomorrow. Lets spread the Love of Jesus together !!

Love you all !

Struggles

Struggles

Struggles are something that I have been thinking on lately - Tim and I both have actually.

Struggles are what makes us who we are. They help form our hearts, our spirits, our beliefs and our strengths. Struggles can make us stronger if we let them - they don’t have to break us.

Struggles are not something we ask for, it could be a death, a sickness, a broken marriage, a bankruptcy, abuse, wayward child - the list could go on and on.

A struggle can change our lives, make our life different than our plans that we had. They can make us wake up one day wondering what we do next.

I want to tell you that NOTHING JUST HAPPENS. With God we have not missed our season. God sees our age, our hearts, our desires, our passions, our wants. God can make a success out of our struggles. God can take what is broken and make it beautiful. With Gods help through a struggle we can find a strength that we would not of ever known we possessed. We can come out stronger, more compassionate, full of kindness and more understanding of others pain.

Take time to read the book of Ruth - Think of Naomi, she lost her husband and 2 sons only being left with her 2 daughter in laws Ruth and Orpah. The thing that brought them together was a struggle. Naomi was old and not able to have more sons, she had nothing to offer she thought. She felt that God had brought her back to her home town empty and afflicted. BUT Follow to the end of the story where God restored the faithful with a beautiful new story - there very own BOAZ. I always have thought of that story from Ruth’s perspective but at the end Naomi defied biology and she became the nurse maid to Obed - a descendant of Jesus. Naomi might of felt like she had nothing left to give - But with God all things are possible.

I am not pretending that the struggle will be easy or won’t be filled with nights of tears, but I am promising that God sees you in the struggle and he is ready to redeem you. I pray you choose to be made stronger and I pray that you are able to find hope in the darkness, hope in the dark times. Jesus is our hope !!!

I love you all !

Jacque

Unbelievable Love.....

Unbelievable Love……

The kind of love that we as humans can’t really explain…..that is the love that God has for us. This week I have spent so much time thinking on Gods love for me, not his love for others, the poor, the lost, or the super Christians….. but his love for ME. The simple, plain, quick to mess up ordinary ME.

As I drive down the road I will hear a song that reminds me that no matter how far I stray from God, or how bad I mess up, Gods LOVE is still right there waiting for me. As I was watching a movie on TV this week, a line from it just reminded me how much God loves us and He is just waiting to help us when were are in need. Gods heart won’t stop coming after us.

Even when we are busy and caught up in the cares and business of the world (those things are important and sometimes can’t be helped) and we don’t take time to spend with God alone, He will find ways to show up in our every days if we just look for him.

Today I was able to go and serve at our Local Rescue Mission praying for the guests who spend the night there and I was so touched and thankful that God has blessed me so much. That I have learned the truth that HE loves us so unconditionally, that he doesn’t have a checklist for us to complete first, that even at our worst and most broken time he Loves us. I saw a sign that said Love is a bridge of the impossible. God is Love and God is the God of the impossible.

If you read this today I pray that you discover this LOVE fresh and new or maybe for the first time. That His love far outweighs his judgement and wrath. That his Grace is for all of us. We don’t have to be good enough for God - we just have to be us. God will do the rest.

Psalms 86:5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call on you.

Love you all

Jacque

Do Not Fret - Sounds easy doesn't it !!!

Do Not Fret - Sounds easy doesn’t it !!

This is something I have been working on a lot lately ! My Pastor has been talking about carefree living on Sundays for a while now - Philippians 4:7 being a great base scripture - “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in EVERY circumstance and in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with THANKSGIVING continue to make your wants known to God” (amplified).

I keep reading this chapter in the bible - I want that to be me - someone who does not worry or fret about things - but instead prays about them and take then takes action. Maybe that action is a to do list - since I wear many hats - running a business, part time homeschool mom, football mom, church member, small group leader….etc ! I often times find that it is very easy to let fret creep in. Maybe the action is clearing my schedule a little by removing things that are not required, simply saying no to someone or getting some help if needed.

I think praying about things does not mean we don’t DO - I used to feel like a failure because I would pray and not feel and immediate difference. But if you look at the bottom of that verse it says Continue to make your request know - so that might mean we have to walk out our circumstances. Wouldn’t we all love to be able to snap our fingers and everything just be fixed.

We must just walk it out with Thanksgiving and joy. Follow Philippians 4 a little farther and see that if we practice prayer the God of Peace will govern our lives. Peace that transcends all understanding will stand guard over our hearts and minds. The GOD of peace will be with us.

Worry can’t fix things:

Matthew 6:24 Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own

Proverbs 3:5 - Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

I guess I want to end this blog by just saying, stay strong in the faith and don’s beat yourselves up. Simply trust God - that HE loves us so much and that HE only has a good plan for our lives. Include him in your conversation and decisions. Prayer is simple - just talking to our father - there are not any big rules - just communicate with HIM. I believe he is waiting for that right now.

I love you all !!

Love, Jacque

Rescue

Rescue

We all need rescue sometimes ! Maybe from our own flaws- or mistakes - maybe our big mouth gets us into trouble - or our weaknesses or maybe even our addictions ! Maybe we need rescue from something out of our control - a bad relationship - abuse - death - loss of a job - this list can go on and on. I know that there have been so many times that I go to my Father and ask for his rescue.

I often feel like God gets tired of it - I think of so many times it seems that I have to get rescued from the same things - maybe I have spent too much money and we don’t have enough - maybe I failed once again on dieting - and I still have the weight to loose …… Maybe its bigger than that and I need rescued from the feeling of have nothing left - nothing left to give - nothing left to love - nothing left to feel.

But God is so quick to remind me that the whole idea of Salvation is RESCUE - that God rescues us from this world thru saving us. That is Gods one purpose …… to RESCUE us from hell. I believe that begins with us here on earth - God wants to rescue us from the pain we feel here - Heaven doesn’t need rescue - WE need rescue.

2 Corinthians 1:8” Forced to trust God totally - that’s not a bad idea since he’s the God who raised the dead. And he did it, rescued us from certain doom - and he’ll do it again - rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing- you and your prayers are part of the rescue operation.” (msg)

God loves us so much - he loves everything about me - He created me - made me - my strengths and weaknesses - my heart - my looks - God hand made me - Isn’t that awesome that we can rest in Gods love for us. Just like I look at my children - and admire there features - their noses - eyes - lips - their little ears - That is what God does to us - He admires us - Just like God loves me - He loves YOU !

If you need rescued from something - just reach out to our Jesus - ask for his help - He is waiting to Rescue you !! I believe it with everything in me. God is waiting on you to Call on him - Psalms 91:14 “Call and Ill answer, be at your side in bad times, Ill rescue you , then throw you a party. “(msg)

I love you all !

Jacque

Tears

We all cry tears - some tears are joy like when your first baby is born and all you can do is cry as you look at her in amazement that God allowed me to be her mom - some tears are in pride like when I watched my son graduate basic training - some tears are tears of joy from laughing so hard you cry. Some tears are for others - you cry for them sharing in there pain or maybe crying because you know they are making bad decisions - some tears are tears of not knowing what to do next -you are just at the end of your ability and nothing seems to be working for you anymore - some tears are over things you can’t control - maybe you were hurt or abandoned - some tears come from deep deep grief - the loss of a loved one, a betrayal from a spouse, a wayward child.

Well I believe that tears are a gift from God - they are a way for us to bring relief or release. Sometimes all I need is a good ugly cry. There are times I cry and I just don’t know the exact reason - but I do know that Psalms 56:8 says “You’ve stored my many tears in your bottle-not one will be lost. For they are all recorded in your book of remembrance”. I think of this scripture often - what does God do with our tears ?

Maybe just maybe God uses our tears as water for seeds that we sow - maybe as water for the hopes and dreams in our hearts - maybe as we are crying over someone - God is ministering to them with our tears. As we are crying over those we have lost - or those pains caused from others actions to us - God is using those tears as seeds for our future. To grow something bigger and better - to replace that weeping with joy - just like He promises in Psalms 126:5 “Those who sow their tears as seeds will reap a harvest with joyful shouts of glee. They may weep as they go out carrying there seed to sow, but they will return with joyful laughter and shouting with gladness as they bring back armloads of blessing and harvest overflowing”.

So today I just encourage you in your season of tears - to take heart - to have courage - to look up - to not allow yourself to wallow in pity - but confess that these tears are tears of growth, tears of a better tomorrow - tears of answered prayers - tears of victory - allow yourself the luxury of crying - just remember God sees every tear and he is using them for your future.

I love you all !

Choose Joy....... by Jacque Clowers

Choose Joy.........

As I am getting ready this morning - I start weeping - yes today we are at the 7 year mark of loosing someone I loved very much ! I am weeping for my children, my future grandchildren, his mom, and even for my self - the what might of been if he lived.   Don’t get me wrong - Life is good for me - God has restored me - my future is bright !  I trust in the Lords goodness and his plan for me.   Yet - I still weep - the fresh kind of pain that I can’t control.  

Then - suddenly I feel the breath of the Lord - such a sweet sweet father - a calm that only he can give flows into my room and my heart.   As I cry out to him he answers me every time.   This time it is a reminder to live every day like it is the most important day ever.  Leave little spots of love everywhere you go - maybe a smile, a compliment, a few dollars, a hug, some laughter, a home cooked meal ……… the list goes on.  But live today like it might be the last day.  Don’t waste a day on sadness or feeling sorry for yourself - I do understand that need at times believe me.  But as the years pass by I try to waste less and less time being sad - take that sad and help someone else.   Give hope out - God has the gift of hope for everyone.  I think God allows and is patient with tears - the bible says He collects our tears in a bottle - He sees our weeping and God promises to turn that weeping into joy if we let him.   Today I am choosing (this won’t be the last time i am sure) to let God turn some joy on in my life.  

Go out with your eyes open and share the hope of the Lord with others.  Maybe start in your own home - apologize when needed - be quick to forgive - hug tight the ones you love.  Show thankfulness for what you do have - take a walk in the sunshine or in the rain - pick a flower - God is everywhere -he is waiting for us to see him !!  

Lastly to the hurting - I just simply offer choice to you today- I have spent many (way to many) days choosing to feel sorry for myself - locked in my room - being unkind to those who love me - wallowing in pity for myself - crying - those days leave me feeling drained and unhappy -  The other choice is just to trust in the Lord - the healer of our hearts and wounds and choose joy - it might be an action at first but I promise joy does come.  Choose to trust our father and his amazing love for us.   I don’t know where your journey will take you - just as I do not know the road God is taking me on - but I do know it CAN be great again - not the same - but it CAN be great.   

Love Jacque