Restoring Hearts Blog

“We know what we are, but not what we may be.” William Shakespeare When I was a little girl, I watched the TV show, “What’s My Line?”  Three contestants all claimed to be the same person and the audience was supposed to guess who the real person was.  At the end of the show the announcer would always say, “Will the real _________ please stand up.”  Then their true identity was revealed. Throughout my adult life I wanted the “real” Norma Donovan to please stand up.  I wasn’t q

“Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God.” William Carey My name is Norma Donovan, and I’m a recovering responsibility addict.  While taking an online assessment, the discovery of responsibility as my number one strength seemed to be more of a curse than a blessing.  The beauty of that talent though is that my heart longs to obey God. The book, Living Your Strengths states the “responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything yo

“You were made to be seen. And when you are reflecting an accurate image of who God really is, people after His own heart will glorify Him, not you.” Allison Bown Each year I prayerfully seek God on a “word” for the year that I desire to grow in. I chose shine for 2019. I still struggle with fear of man and hiding has been my typical response. Putting a cap on who I am, not fully embracing His call on my life and settling for a partial identity of who He created me to be, are

“We give glory to God simply by being ourselves.” Brennan Manning In the past, I have been caught up in the comparison trap, wanting to speak or write like someone else. Because I didn’t know who I was, insecurity became like a weed wrapped around myself, choking out my identity. Today I am less tempted in this area, as I’ve grown in the comfortableness of who I am in Christ and who He’s created me to be. Insecurity with our identity and a lack of agreement with God in who we

“The destiny of every human being depends on his relationship to Jesus Christ.” Oswald Chambers When asked to give a report on the exploration of Canaan, God’s promise land, ten out of the twelve spies focused on the negative and hooked into their fears. Their response influenced the rest of the Israelites to weep, grumble, and rebel, even to the point of wanting to return to slavery in Egypt. But Joshua and Caleb responded differently. “The land we passed through and explore

“I am not yet able to fully believe that where my failings are great, ‘grace is always greater.'” Henri Nouwen There are many nuggets of wisdom in the parable of the lost son found in Luke 15:11-32. Pause for a few minutes and read this passage. As I’ve reread these Scriptures, I am able to identify with both of these sons. But I relate most to the oldest son, the one who judged his sibling and thought all along he was more of a laborer, than his father’s son. How we see ours

“Are you getting more value from Him or from your assignment?” Eric Johnson I have been on a writing adventure with God for many years. He called me to write when my heart was covered in shame and my identity was locked into performance. I liked myself when I was productive, pleased people, and kept many balls juggling without them crashing to the floor. Up and down my security went, like a roller coaster, when it was based on what I did and how well I performed. Fortunately,

“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.” St. Augustine of Hippo The day before surgery, the Lord told me to “rest and receive” during my time of recuperation. For some that might be a reason to celebrate. But for me, who has received my identity from performance and is a recovering doing addict, that mission can make me anxious. It’s been comfortable for me in the past to hide behind busyness as a way to medicate my emoti

“Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it.” Oswald Chambers I’m reading through the Bible this year and currently I’ve been studying the saga of Joseph. Reading Genesis, chapters 37-50, you will discover Joseph being promoted and demoted several times. I would not use the word “fair” to describe Joseph’s life. Unfair, maybe. Frustrating, yes. But through all the injustices of being betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and being false

“Shame is a soul eating emotion.” C. G. Jung I loved dressing up when I was a little girl. I’d put on various outfits, Mom’s jewelry, hats and the ultimate…high heels. My parents called me the Dress-Up Queen. I don’t remember playing different roles with each of the outfits. I just enjoyed looking good. Do we ever grow out of dressing up and pretending we’re someone other than ourselves? Our outfits may change, but hiding behind various masks makes us think we look good enoug

“Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” William Carey My name is Norma Donovan. I’m a recovering responsibility addict. While taking an online assessment, the discovery of responsibility as my number one strength, seemed to be more of a curse than a blessing. The beauty of that talent though, is in having a heart to obey God. Living Your Strengths, states the “responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and

“We know what we are, but not what we may be.” William Shakespeare When I was a little girl, I watched the t.v. show, “What’s My Line?” Three contestants all claimed to be the same person and the audience was supposed to guess who the real person was. At the end of the show the announcer would always say, “Will the real _________ please stand up.” Then their true identity was revealed. Throughout my adult life I wanted the “real” Norma Donovan to please stand up. I wasn’t qui

“There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.” Author Unknown A marathon is 26.2 miles. I had no idea how far that really was until I trained to run one. If you were to ask me how in the world I did it, the simplest answer is, one step at a time. Believe me, the hours spent in training, the sacrifices made and the pain felt are not worth the t-shirt and medal. But the satisfaction that you did it, and knowing you obeyed God, is well wor