No one is alone in the Refiner's Fire!
Hey Fam!
It’s me! It really is—me!
I hear the questions already!
“So?” “Who are you?” “Why should I care?” “And why are you calling me “fam” when I do not know you?”
That’s exactly what I would want to know, and at some time in my life, I probably would have added: “and your point?”
You know my name is Alethea, and you now know what it means. In a nutshell, I am a woman who is a daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, mother, and grandmother--the standard female things. I'm also an "ex"...wife, girlfriend, fiancée. And, I can say 'been there/done that" to a lot of things--some I wish I couldn't. But then, there would be fewer of the things I've learned living in my crucibles.
Why “Fam”? Okay! Since God says He puts the solitary in families, (Psalms 68:6), I hope that as I share from my life, and the crucibles I live in, we will find commonalities that bind us together—that we will become family.
The reason you should care about any of it is simple--I care about your journey! It's not fun traveling alone.
So, when you need me, I'm here. I'm your girl, your sistah-friend, someone who will also listen when you want to talk.
My Story
Welcome--Inside The
crucibles!
A couple of decades ago as my dad and I stood on the driveway talking, he started to chuckle as he said, "You were born with the gift of gab!" It was part of one of those conversations we had in later years--usually in the last hours before I began the long cross-country trek from my parents' home in Louisiana to my home in Oregon.
There were so many things I wanted him to know, and many other things I needed him to share. That driveway became the place for such conversations.
Many years before that my mom, offering words of encouragement as she observed my life or listened to a story of one of her grandchildren's antics said, "You need to write a book!" My reply to her comment: "Yeah, probably, but it will be years from now!"
Well, here I am years later--talking and writing--about my life, the things that affect me, and the things that probably affect you, too.
As I share about life from my many crucibles, it is my hope that you make the discovery I did: Learning to thrive INSIDE your crucible is a lot better (less painful) than trying to survive in it--or worse--jumping out of it right into the fire!
I also hope you share subjects you want to talk about in the Forum, ask questions, and give feedback. Let's respectfully talk about the things that matter, supporting and encouraging each other.
He said he chose me in the fires of affliction (Isaiah 48:10). Job said: “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)
The principle of the crucibles is right there!
And if it were true for Job, why not me? These trials cause me to change. It’s not about anyone else. It is what the Refiner sees of value in me and what He sees that needs to be removed. They are part of the things that He works together for my good.
My life consists of many crucibles in which every aspect of who I am is transformed:
· Female/Woman
· Parent of disabled adults
· Caregiver to a cancer survivor
· Abuse Survivor
· Divorcee
These were the crucibles in which
I once merely survived.
principle of the crucibles
Other crucibles
My other crucibles are less painful:
· Gardening
· Photography
· Music
These are the crucibles God uses to keep me growing as He refines elsewhere with the hottest fires.
“The Crucibles”, therefore, is my way of sharing my discoveries, in hopes that someone else will recognize their own crucible living and decide to move from survive to thrive, as well.
We Have to learn how tothrive instead of survive
Vision
Our vision is to be the place where the wounded receive more than an emotional bandage; to be a community where people come to be heard, to obtain compassionate support, and find help as they seek healing.
Our vision includes the ability to provide funding for respite care to cancer caregivers and revenue to support the ministry of The Crucibles.
Sometimes we get ourselves into things ~
and need a little help to get out.
