Three years ago, we weren’t sure Johnny would ever walk again — much less return to duty. After a 94-day fight with COVID, he came home by the grace of God.
Fast-forward to December 2022: Mark and I had dinner with Johnny and Brenda, celebrating his retirement as the longest-serving Chief in Blue Ridge history. The same week, there was a major event to celebrate his BRPD retirement.
Three months ago, I saw him at Twitty City, retired and smiling, playing softball like a teenager.
And today? He’s putting the uniform back on.
That’s not luck. That’s not coincidence. That’s the Lord writing a story only He could write.
Obedience isn’t always convenient , but it’s always necessary for me. Thank you, Jesus, for literally always having my back. You are my favorite seatbelt. I love you. 💜✝️💜
This morning, I flipped to Isaiah 22–23—pages in my Bible that had never been marked, which is rare for me. And as soon as my eyes landed on the words, “You saw the breaches in the wall…” something in my spirit stirred. Breaches. Blind spots. Exposed places. The kinds of openings in jiu-jitsu that an opponent takes instantly.
Isaiah 22 is a picture of vulnerability—cracks in the defenses, unseen angles, places where we try to fix things ourselves. But the Spirit whispered, “Daughter, you do not guard your own back. I do.” Then chapter 23 shifts the tone completely. From judgment to sovereignty. From exposure to restoration. It is Yahweh saying:
“I see the openings. I see the places you cannot protect. And I will be the One who stands behind you.”
Not an accident.
Not a coincidence.
A setup.
Later, the Lord gave me a song—“Stay” by Zahriya Zachary—and as soon as I heard it, I felt the seatbelt.
That secure, unbreakable hold in jiu-jitsu when someone takes the back with intention, with closeness, with stability. The moment the song said, “If my head’s on Your chest, I can hear Your heartbeat,” it felt like the exact pressure of an arm across the shoulder. Then “If my hand’s in Your hand,” felt like the underhook that completes the seatbelt.
The whole song is a spiritual rear-mount revelation:
He closes the space between us He breathes life into me He anchors me He guides my movement He knows my soul He holds me with no holding back
This is the ultimate jiu-jitsu metaphor:
Jesus has my back.
And not loosely.
Not casually.
Not “spiritually symbolic.”
But in the most real, embodied way—like an instructor settling behind you to protect, to steady, to teach.
In jiu-jitsu, the back is the power position.
It is the safest place for you and the most dangerous place for whatever opposes you.
It is control, guidance, protection, and presence.
It is where the breath is felt most closely.
It is where trust is necessary and surrender is holy.
And today, the Lord gave me a picture of Himself taking my back with a perfect seatbelt grip—an embrace that says:
“I see every breach. I know every blind spot. You don’t have to defend what you can’t see.
Stay close to Me. Stay tethered.
Let My heartbeat steady you. Let My breath fill your lungs. I’ve got you.”
Isaiah 22 exposed the walls.
Isaiah 23 showed the restoration.
And the song “Stay” wrapped it all in the reminder:
“This is the gift of My great love—so stay.”
Stay close.
Stay tethered.
Stay held.
Stay in the position where He guides your movement and guards every unseen angle.
I love that my Savior has such a sense of humor.
He knew exactly how to speak to me today—
in the language of breath,
the language of the mat,
the language of intimacy,
the language of grappling,
the language of a daughter learning a new art and a new obedience.
Jesus has my back.
And because He does, I will stay.
Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for ONJJ. Please use Jiu-Jitsu Wilderness for YOUR GLORY.
I woke up this morning with “Hey, hey, hey!” from Fat Albert in my head. It made no sense at first, but that’s exactly how the Lord works with me. He uses the oddest little threads to pull my attention toward something holy. And of course, once something like that hits my spirit, I can’t let it go. I looked it up and learned that Fat Albert first aired on November 12th of 1969 — and somehow the date, the repetition, the sound of that “hey, hey, hey” settled into me like a breadcrumb trail.
As with any word or message, I search Scripture.
Floodgates!
Hey — ה — the fifth letter. The breath of God. The soft exhale that changes everything. It’s the letter He added to Abram and Sarai when He made them Abraham and Sarah. It’s the letter of grace, revelation, openings, divine breath, the place where God says, “Behold.” The more I sat with it, the more I realized how much He has been teaching me through fives and breath and revelation without me even knowing the structure underneath it.
Hey isn’t just a sound; it’s an invitation. It’s the place where He breathes Himself into a life and names it again.
And I think that’s why it moved me. Because so much of my journey right now feels like one long, loving exhale from the Father — His breath over my bones, His breath over these scriptures He keeps circling me back to, His breath over my remembering. Every time He reminds me of a verse, every time something lines up in a way I can’t explain, every time I whisper “I see what You did there,” it’s hey. It’s His breath.
There are two “Heys” in His Holy Name YHWH. #ISWYDT
The fact that hey is the fifth letter just feels like another God-wink, because He has been speaking to me through fives for so long — grace on grace, breath upon breath, revelation after revelation. It’s the little openings He keeps giving me, the way He keeps showing me things at exactly the right moment. And it all started today with “Hey, hey, hey” echoing in my spirit from a cartoon that aired decades ago. Only God can take something like that and turn it into a doorway.
That’s what hey is for me now — a doorway, a breath, and the quiet reminder that He is always teaching me, always revealing Himself, always drawing my eyes back to Him.
I see what You did there, indeed! Thank you, Jesus!
Father God, Thank You for opening my eyes to the Hebrew roots of pride and the Greek words that reveal its many forms. Pride is always the absence of wisdom and the absence of genuine love.
Where pride grows, love shrinks. Where love shrinks, relationships fracture. Where relationships fracture, the enemy rejoices.
Only you, Jehovah Rapha, heal the root.
Holy Father Abba in Heaven, I come to You as Your daughter, seeking deliverance from every form of pride— seen and unseen, confessed and unconfessed, known and hidden.
Lord, Your Word says clearly “Love does not envy, love does not boast, love is not proud.” (1 Corinthians 13:4) So I ask You now: Destroy everything in me and in Your daughters that is not rooted in love.
By the power of Your Spirit, tear down every high place where we have lifted ourselves above another.
Strike down the swelling pride of ga’ōn (Obadiah 1:3; Isaiah 16:6).
Bring low the lifted heart of rūm (Deuteronomy 8:14; Obadiah 1:4).
Break the stubbornness of zādōn (Psalm 119:21; Deuteronomy 17:12–13).
Soften the haughty eyes of gāvah (Proverbs 21:4; Psalm 131:1).
And wash out the sourness of ḥāmatz (Psalm 73:21 [“my heart was embittered”]; Exodus 12:15 as the leaven-warning tied to pride), before it spreads into bitterness.
Lord, kill the bitter root. Kill it completely. Kill it at the source. Do not let it grow back. Do not let it entangle Your daughters or choke out sisterhood, unity, and peace.
Holy Spirit, lay down a new foundation: a foundation of humility, a foundation of gentleness, a foundation of wisdom from above— pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruit (James 3:17).
Father, let Your love cast out every fear, every comparison, every jealousy, and every wound that pride tries to cover.
In the mighty name of Jesus, I renounce all pride. I renounce every bitter root. I renounce every spirit that brings division.
Plant in me—and in every sister— a heart that loves like You love, that listens like You listen, and that bows like You bowed when You washed feet.
Let us love more and more by your perfect example.
Make us one, Lord. Make us whole. Make us healed. And let Your Spirit guard our unity with Your peace.
Today was such a beautiful Wednesday. I went to get my hair done and had the sweetest, most meaningful conversation with Becky—my dear friend, my hairdresser, and the pastor’s wife at our church. Every visit with her feels like a little ministry moment—two hearts sharing stories, laughter, and faith.
Today was in particularly different in that I shared my Messianic experience when I learned Becky’s sister and three of her daughters are Messianic.
I didn’t have enough time to warm up and roll at jiu-jitsu today, but I still went and observed. And honestly, it felt like a spiritual experience just to watch. I saw how intention was born on the mat—how every shift of weight, every exchange of energy carried its own story. When partners switched, the entire rhythm changed—body type, flow, and balance transforming the interaction completely.
The loving way they taught and corrected one another reminded me so much of how the Lord disciplines us—not in harshness, but in love. Gently guiding, refining, shaping us through each encounter until strength and grace meet as one.
Even without stepping on the mat, I left feeling deeply connected—part of something living and breathing, a quiet lesson unfolding before me. Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is simply observe, and let His Spirit show us what we might have missed in motion.
Thank you, Jesus! As I wore my ONJJ “Positive Energy Activates Constant Energy” purple Tshirt- I must smile and giggle a pinch as the Blonde Polish Chick I am. The tshirt spells PEACE upside down. I see what you did there. #ISWYDT. I love you.
Part One can be found by clicking this sentence. Three excellent questions posed at breakfast yesterday consumed me for more than seven plus hours! The first two questions are answered in the link.
Joyce’s third question was, “What is the significance of Shimei’s, 16 children, 16 sons and 6 daughters?”
The reference comes from 1 Chronicles 4:27 (in the genealogies of Simeon’s tribe):
“Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah.
To be fair, my husband prays 1 Chron 4:10 every night over us in bed. I have special love and some knowledge of 1 Chronicles. The Prayer of Jabez is powerful and yet very simple. He was named Jabez, which means “pain or sorrow”, as his mother bore him in pain. (verse 9) Rather than living with a name which did not suit his spirit, he prayed for reversal, asking God to turn his pain into blessing.
I digress. It happens. This post is not about Jabez, but Shimei. I sense a connection in the genealogies about redemption.
Shimei (שִׁמְעִי Shim‘i, is from the root שמע – shama, meaning “to hear, to listen, to obey”) was a descendant of Simeon. Simeon’s name also comes from shama.
This family line is literally the “hearing” lineage.
This alone sets the tone. He is the one who listens, or “is heard by God.” Linguistically speaking, the number of his descendants — 16 sons and 6 daughters — is a picture of fruitfulness through hearing and obedience. There is an entire golden thread in the Bible of how listening and yielding through obedience brings the Master’s Multiplication into play.
Numerically speaking, there is another treasure trove because “16” is a double blessing. The Number Eight in Hebrew numerology represents new beginnings, resurrection, covenant renewal (like the 8th day circumcision, the 8 souls on Noah’s Ark). So to me, this is a double blessing which amplifies that theme. Shimei’s line reflects restoration through listening.
Rather poetic, as my sweet Joyce may be the best listener I know, aside from Jesus!
What about the six daughters? The Number 6 represents much if you consider Genesis 1:24-31. Created on the 6th day, 6 represents man in his earthly nature. Looking at Exodus 20:9-10 and the Sabbath, it seems six represents the cycle of human effort and stewardship. There are also six directions to form the cube of creation ; north, south, east, west, up and down.
Spiritually speaking, the 16 sons represent a double blessing of new beginnings of those who hear God and the 6 daughters may represent the completion of that obedience expressed through compassionate nurturing.
Maybe the six daughters represent the human side of fruitfulness — compassion, nurturing, community, and earthly connection.
Either way, placed together, 16 + 6 = 22, and that’s not random. I don’t write that as if fact for all, but it is absolute fact for me. Nothing God does is random. If is precision. Our Master of the Universe is the epitome of precision.
There are precisely 22 letters in the Hebrew aleph-bet, the very building blocks of creation and communication.
If Shimei means to hear, then having 22 children total literally symbolizes “The fullness of God’s language heard and expressed in human life.”
It’s like saying: through listening (shama), the full alphabet of divine expression was birthed.
The text also notes that Shimei’s brothers didn’t multiply; not all who hear will bear fruit.
True hearing brings multiplication in both spirit and legacy. It’s reminiscent of Jesus’ parable: “The one who hears the word and understands it bears fruit — some thirty, sixty, a hundredfold.”
Shimei’s fruit is 22 children and it’s wonderful to imagine how full his branch is connected to the vine. What precious fruit!
Today was only my second class at One Nation Jiu-Jitsu. There is much to unpack.
BJJ Technique Focus: Shrimping (Hip Escape)
The shrimp, or hip escape, is one of the first movements every Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu student learns. From your back, you press one foot into the mat, lift your hips, and slide them sideways while curling onto one shoulder.
The goal is to create space between you and the pressure holding you down. It looks small—but it’s the move that keeps you from being crushed.
I just learned that shrimping is an escape method and scooting can be offensive or defensive option.
Shrimping teaches that survival doesn’t come from strength. It comes from angle, timing, and breath. You don’t fight pressure head-on; you shift, realign, and make room to breathe. It’s the language of escape written into the mat.
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📖 Scripture
“You brought me out into a spacious place; You rescued me because You delighted in me.” — Psalm 18 : 19
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💭 Reflection
When I shrimp, I feel it in my ribs first—breath meets resistance. Every inch of space feels earned. And that’s what the Spirit does inside us: He gives us room where the world tries to press us flat.
Sometimes God doesn’t lift the weight immediately. He teaches us to move under pressure without losing peace, to shift our hips instead of panic, to create a little grace-space before the breakthrough.
The shrimp reminds me that freedom isn’t always dramatic; it’s often quiet, rhythmic, and deliberate. Each small escape becomes worship in motion—breathing, turning, trusting.
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🕊️ Coach Jesus Says
“When life pins you down, don’t freeze. Breathe. Turn toward Me. I’ll show you where the space is. It’s not running away—it’s moving wisely.”
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✨ Golden Nugget
“He sets my feet in a spacious place.” — Psalm 31 : 8 “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” — 2 Corinthians 3 : 17
Shrimping is the gospel in motion— God teaching us how to make space for grace when the weight of the world presses in.
I went to my second jiu-jitsu class today. Sadie and Sam were there, as was Mushaffa. It was helpful to hear Mushaffa’s growing process with BJJ. In fact, it was so encouraging, I went ahead and paid through December 15.
My husband fully supports me taking these classes. Added bonus- It was a stellar deal and provided me a tshirt, ONJJ Irreverent compression shirt and shorts.
This was the photo taken yesterday, maybe a minute or two after Mushaffa left.
Today’s class was four women and 11 men. While I observed them all rolling, My favorite lessons came from watching Mushaffa with Sadie and Sam with a male professor.
Truly, every person has a different style which makes sense based on body type. I love there is isn’t a “one size fits all” when it comes to “good jiu-jitsu”. What is “good” is indeed a very individual variable.
BJJ Technique Focus: Seatbelt
For things like definitions, it seems wise to use BJJ accepted definitions. To that end, I read several and this is the gist:
The seat belt is the foundation of back control. One arm threads over the shoulder, the other under the arm. Hands clasp palm-to-palm across the chest as you press heart-to-back. Your head stays tight beside theirs; your chest follows their spine.
It’s called the seat belt because it keeps you connected through chaos.
Nudged to learn if anyone particular in BJJ made it famous and this was the response:
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), the seat belt control position was popularized by Marcelo Garcia. While the grip itself may have existed in various grappling arts before, Garcia integrated it into a highly effective, modern system of attacks and transitions, making it a standard and essential part of the BJJ arsenal.
Even if your opponent rolls, twists, or bucks, you stay attached—anchored, calm, and ready.
My life verse is Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give up.”
I see how it applies here. #ISWYDT.
Control before victory. Connection before submission.
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📖 Scripture
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” — Philippians 3 : 12
Greek katalambanō = to seize firmly, to grasp with purpose.
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💭 Reflection
When I learned the seat belt, it felt less like domination and more like devotion. One arm over the shoulder—the arm of authority. One arm under the heart—the arm of compassion. Together they hold without harming, guiding without forcing.
That’s how God holds me. He doesn’t choke me into obedience; He secures me into peace. If I thrash, I lose connection. If I breathe, I feel His rhythm.
The seat belt teaches me that staying connected is stronger than any submission. Control comes through closeness, not power.
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🕊️ Coach Jesus Says
“My grip on you isn’t to choke—it’s to keep you from falling. I’m behind you in every scramble. Breathe. Stay connected. I’ll guide you through.”
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✨ Golden Nugget
“Your right hand upholds me.” — Psalm 63 : 8 “No one can snatch them out of My hand.” — John 10 : 28
His hold is holy. The safest place on the mat—and in life—is under His seat belt of grace.
Jesús, thank you for getting me through the first two classes. Thank you for encouraging my husband to make me rest today. Getting to spend the whole afternoon with you has been beautiful.
I went to church this morning without my husband. He wasn’t feeling well, so I told him I would carry him with me in spirit. After church I came home, made us lunch, and told him I was going to attend my very first jiu-jitsu class at One Nation Jiu-Jitsu.
At first he laughed, but later—just before I left—he told me how proud he was of me. Mark knows me well. Praise God.
When I arrived, there were two young students, two others maybe in their late 20s or 30s, and two female instructors, Sam and Sadie. Sadie was wonderful—encouraging, strong, and patient. She’s 38 and told me about “Jiu-Jitsu Grandma Elaine” from Alabama who began training around 62.
I looked her up; what an inspiration!
My training partners, Mushaffa and Lindsay, were amazing. We practiced the closed-guard position, using praying hands to sweep, push to the floor, and transition into a Kimura hold. They helped me every step of the way.
After drills I watched everyone roll and spar. It was fascinating—the flow, the respect, the controlled strength.
At one moment, there were three feet clearly coming from one leg as I watched Sam and Sadie spar. All I could think was about a chord of three strands and Ecclesiastes being brought to life.
I’m sore but so full of gratitude. Thank You, Lord, for the courage to step onto the mat, for new teachers and friends, and for the joy of trying something completely new.
The funniest moment was Sadie telling me Sam had figured I had some type of gymnastics background. I confirmed I could still do cartwheels, as I did for Linda in the Hickory Falls parking lot last night. One of the younger students said she could do a cartwheel, as well. I said, “yes and that’s fantastic …but you are not 57 years old””. She might be 10-11 and said, yes I am 57! 🤣🤣🤣
I went home to rest for a half hour before visiting with my JoJo. What a blessing to listen to good music with good friends and make dinner from cheese, crackers and grapes.
Thank you, Jesus, for every little thing. I love you. I have not written about my girls night out last night—-but it’s blessing has been echoing all day. Thank you for the lovely sisters you have given me. I love you.
My God Room 