Discover joy in the hard places

Welcome to the blog of JP Mills where you will find encouragement and belonging through reflective journaling and poetry.

Joyful Ruins

Discovering joy in the hard places

beautiful Beauty Bible Christ church cross darkness Dear younger me devotional faith fear God healing Heart Home hope humanity hurt Jesus John joy life light Lord Lord of the Rings love Luke Mark nature New testament Old testament pain peace poem poetry prayer relationship relationships romance single suffering The Bible trust wait worth

  • Complex Trauma

    Sometimes it feels like I can’t catch my breath I barely get my feet on the ground or get my head above water when I am caught off guard or pushed down again It feels never ending And this is complex trauma Repeatedly pushed under water by life without a chance to breathe deeply So… Continue reading

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  • Broken Filter

    It feels like the filter inside me is broken Instead of filtering out the bad and letting the good in It seems like it filters out the good and lets the bad in “The bad” far outweighs any good “The bad” means something is wrong with me even when the good is present “The bad”… Continue reading

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  • The Truth about Moving

    And then the loneliness hit me like a tidal wave Too busy before to notice Somewhere new Beginning again It’s the moments you take to slow down I was watching tv and felt the loss of my parents then I realized I am alone again and will be for the foreseeable future I know it… Continue reading

  • Poet’s Heart

    Speak your poems to nature let your poems be for you An affirming of who you are Delight in them without anyone else Truly, Celebrate, cry, laugh Absorb their beauty Treasure them and nature will be your audience When it hurts to share such vulnerability with others remember this Continue reading

  • To be with you

    I’ve never found myself desiring a presence But your presence is wanted Not for attention or validation just to be with to be able to look over at you and smile to feel safe knowing you’re nearby to catch your brown eyes to roll my eyes at your cheesy jokes to be with you I’ve… Continue reading

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About Me

An obsessive journaler who loves meeting others along their journey and giving them a hand to hold through pieces of writing. I write about the heartbreaks of life and the joys, the ups and downs, and I often learn my greatest lessons and miracles from nature.

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