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

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  • Jesus Predicts His Resurrection

    Jesus Predicts His Resurrection

    I find it interesting that Jesus did not leave His disciples in the dark when it came to His death or resurrection. Many times He shared that He would suffer, die, and rise again. The response from His disciples ranged from disinterest to actually arguing that it wouldn’t happen if they could help it (remember… Continue reading

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  • Feeling Sidelined

    Are you feeling sidelined in life? Because I am. Sometimes God takes us to surprising places and sometimes they can make us feel put to the side. I have had a sudden sickness come into my life and not go away. I imagined getting over it quickly, but that is not what is happening. To… Continue reading

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  • Cultivate Through Interceding

    Genesis 18:22-23 God’s cultivating a heart of compassion. This conversation between Abraham and God always confused me and still does to an extent. Yet, I found today in reading it that something new struck me. God wants to destroy Sodom and all the people in it due to their wickedness. Abraham speaks up and asks… Continue reading

  • Suffering

    Matthew 16:21-27 Jesus Predicts His Death How do you respond to suffering? I know how I do, and it is very similar to Peter in this passage. Peter responded to Jesus sharing that He “would suffer many things” and “be killed”, with “Never Lord! This shall never happen to you!” I pretty much say the… Continue reading

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  • Car Repairs and Christ

    Written 4/19/2018, updated 5/15/2021 Car repairs are not fun. They’re always a hassle and nearly ALWAYS expensive. Within the past two years, I have had some bad luck with my car. I have had to have expensive repairs along with that bad luck. Last year, after I had damaged my car, I started to notice… Continue reading

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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