I Think You are Wonderful

I once came across this child’s drawing once sent to the legendary Marilyn Monroe.

Children often get right to the truthful point.

“I think you are wonderful.”

What an astounding thought. Yet, how many of us experience that sentiment?

Yeah.

Most of us struggle with this positive self-image thing. We may have had negative people and experiences in which we were told- and believed- the exact opposite. Coping with that pain, therefore, it’s no surprise some of us have turned to our addictions, disorders and any number of “comforting” vices. We want to feel we are wonderful. And the drug, the drink, the food or any other object of our desire supposedly tells us precisely that.

Meanwhile, however, we completely lose sight of a Truth, if we ever knew about it in the first place. The Most High already thinks we’re wonderful.

He thinks that…about us… right now. And Elohim isn’t short on these kinds of thoughts…

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O YAH! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”

Psalm 139:17-18

However, how much time, how many negative, self-destructive and toxic thoughts do each of us spend, draining ourselves, dragging ourselves down and engaging in self-destructive choices?

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...”

Proverbs 23:7

And then, what if we have the audacity to believe these negative thoughts are actually The Almighty’s thoughts? Things like...

He hates us...

He wants to punish us...

He doesn’t care...

He can’t do anything for us; it’s hopeless...

You can see how motivating these kinds of thoughts are in promoting a happy and healthy life and recovery.

Yes, we need to remember there’s a difference when it comes to the area of thoughts.

Our negative self-image does not equal The Most High’s perspective about us…

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says Elohim. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

Some examples of those higher thoughts include…

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will guide you with My eye.”

Psalm 32:8

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you… thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Yep, that’s already over our heads, isn’t it?

But wait, He’s just getting warmed up. We haven’t even gotten to the love stuff yet.

“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”

Isaiah 43:4

 “…‘Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’”

Jeremiah 31:3

 “Elohim your YAH in your midst, the Mighty One will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

Whew! He sounds like a love struck Romeo, doesn’t He?

But that’s the point. He is besotted with love for us; He just can’t help Himself.

Can anyone say Song of Solomon?

“If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.”

Song of Solomon 1:8

“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.”

Song of Solomon 1:15

“Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.”

Song of Solomon 4:1

“Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.”

Song of Solomon 4:7

And I’m just citing the tamer verses here. Song of Solomon, known as the most erotic book of the Bible, symbolizes the passionate love between The Most High and us. Depicting the chatty commentary of two young lovers, this book has some pretty steamy pages.

And, as if that wasn’t enough of a love fest, proving how much He is “into us,” check out these next two ditties:

“But The Most High demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Yahshua Ha-Mashiach died for us.”

 Romans 5:8

“For The Most High so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

These aren’t just some random musings here.

Yahshua

Our Heavenly Father’s Son.

Died for us.

Still feel unlovable?

Need more?

All right, let’s truck on over to Genesis, the beginning of the whole shebang.

 “So The Most High created mankind in his own image,
in the image of The Most High he created them;
male and female he created them…

The Most High saw all that he had made, and it was very good...”

Genesis 1:27; 31

The Almighty, from the start, created us to be glorious “mini me’s” of Himself...

“And The Most High said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...’”

Genesis 1:26

From the beginning, He thought we were wonderful.

Why can’t we then?

“…I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

Psalm 139:14

Why should that wonderful thought be any more difficult to believe than any negative, insulting thought we entertain in our daily lives?

“I think you are wonderful.”

Let’s endeavor to start thinking that way about ourselves. Elohim already does.

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 

 

Let the Word Do the Work

I am a hopeless romantic. I also majored in Theatre in college.

It should, therefore, come as no shock that I LOVE “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, a classic in literature. I read it in high school, well, most of it (Cliff Notes did the rest).

Speaking of “cliff,” let’s talk “Heathcliff,” the dashing male figure within the literary classic.

This, now, leads me to my hopeless romantic self, to my love of film, and the film adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.”

Sir Lawrence Olivier embodied the dashing, brooding, moody, tortured (in need of trauma therapy, for sure), Heathcliff.

(Yes, let’s be real. In the story, whether it be in book or film form, Heathcliff was not emotionally healthy. Heathcliff was abusive. Olivier’s portrayal of him certainly spotlights his cruelty. But I digress).

 Yes, Heathcliff, we will put a pin in this “Wuthering Heights” stuff for now; we will make that world stop for now.

And move on to the very real actor portraying you.

“Let the wig do the work.”

Sir Lawrence Olivier

This famous thespian, of stage and screen, supposedly, uttered this line.

They did not teach it in any of the acting classes I took in college.

Nevertheless, I did acquire some “on the stage” experience concerning this quote, years before I came across the quote.

During my Junior year, I was cast in a stage production of John Guare’s “The House of Blue Leaves.”

I was cast as Bananas O’ Shawnessy, the crazy housewife, just released from a mental facility.

And she barked like a dog.

Woof-woof.

Dealing with the director, he wanted me to wear a wig. I had long dark hair.

And, despite one my fellow actors making the comment, “She’ll look great and crazy, running across that stage, with all that hair flying,” the director’s vision decided otherwise.

Faded copper wig, instead, with three curlers in it.

I already tried being a redhead when I was thirteen, with disastrous results, dying my hair “Red Copper Penny” TWICE during a three-month summer vacation.

I wanted to look like Rita Hayworth.

I looked like I had Jaundice instead. (My Olive Complexion).

Anyway, I can attest to the influence that faded copper wig, with at least three curlers in it, had on me.

Yes, I learned my lines. Yes, I rehearsed. Yes, I prayed not to make a fool of myself onstage, forgetting my lines or tripping on the set.

All of that helped.

And there was something about putting on that wig, along with the ratty robe costume.

“Let the wig do the work.”

Did I more authentically… “become crazy?”

(No comment from the peanut gallery, please).

I say all of this, if you are still following me after Heathcliff, Olivier, theatre, and wigs to highlight THIS SCRIPTURE…

Isaiah 55:8-11:

 

8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

But let’s really zoom in on Verse Eleven:

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

 

“LET THE WORD DO THE WORK.”

 

That’s what popped up for me, anyway.

Scripture asserts that His Word… WORKS!

It accomplishes what it was intended to do.

And, unlike a wig, it is not ornamental, or for aesthetics only.

It does some DEEP work.

My theatre background has familiarized me some on similarities to “learning lines.”

It goes far beyond simply “reading the Bible.”

Yes, we are called to read, and even memorize, Scripture.

AND…

Much like that of a wig…

Put on The Word.

Embody it. Apply it. Speak it. Make it your own.

“Work The Word.”

But know, the entire time, that it is truly “The Word doing The Work.” 

Just some musings from a Theatre Major.

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 

About Being a Caregiver…

Different Paintings…

(Cancerventures Book Excerpt)

“…(Hubby) is schlepping much more difficult paintings than those college days.  

It’s paintings of anxiety, disappointment, and tears, of surgery drains, bandages, and scars, of medical tests, of waiting, of possible recurrence, of errands, of buying me cute things because I’d like them, of telling me I’m beautiful when I don’t quite fit the standard criteria anymore, of reassuring me. It’s paintings of not showing he’s scared or overworked or overtired or having health issues himself, all because he must take care of his wife who has cancer. 

Sometimes, there are just too many paintings to schlep...” 

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

Arrow By Day

 "I sought Elohim, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears." 

Psalm 34:4

As part of gym class when I was a kid, we learned archery.

The gymnasium was set up with bullseye targets and “shooting stations.”

It was not that spectacular. The point was to get us youngsters exposed to the different types of sports and physical activity.

I was not good at gym class. Some of my best traumas have resulted from this era of my childhood.

I was so anxious about anything. Not being well-coordinated, and being overweight, not surprisingly, I was, therefore, not good at “sports.”

I tried to just get through the exercises of humiliation, get it over with, await the “S” for “satisfactory,” or the “C” on my report card.

I was anxious during each class session.

Again, I just wanted “to get it over with.”

So much so, that, during one of the class rounds of shooting arrows, I, solely fixated on getting everything done and over with ASAP, after shooting my arrows. I went towards the target, to pull them out.

Big mistake.

Other kids’ arrows were still in motion. I could have gotten struck, probably in the back.

It would have probably been more than a flesh wound, let’s put it that way.

I soon heard the whistle blow, and my gym teacher sprinted, yanking me out of the area.

Yes, we students were informed not to retrieve out arrows until everyone had finished shooting.

It was dangerous not to wait. We could be literally shot with some stray arrow.

Dangerous.

I paid attention, at the time of that warning, to the caution, as we embarked on this sport.

But, again, on this particular morning, I was anxious.

I was consumed with getting everything over with as soon as possible.

It was a coping strategy, learned from my childhood abuse experiences.

So, any safety instructions fell out of my head in that space.

The event was traumatizing and humiliating, but I was introduced to the concept of arrows, anxiety, and how they would show up in my later life as “issues.”

“Arrows.”

 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." 

1 John 4:18

 Anxiety. Fear. Nervousness.

Scripture has a lot to say about fear. And how He helps concerning it.

 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your YAH; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

 

"For The Most High gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 

2 Timothy 1:7

 

 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for Elohim your YAH is with you wherever you go." 

 

Joshua 1:9

 

 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to The Most High. And the peace of YAH, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Yahshua Ha-Mashiach Christ.

Philippians 4:6-7

As a child, I did not know about these scriptures.

As a child, fear just got embedded into my central nervous system.

Hence, the archery incident in gym class.

Anxiety. Fear. Nervousness.

Yep, they have been a part of my life.

Abuse, trauma, and the scary world we inhabit have made sure that I would wrestle with these things in my life.

Within the past few years, I have really grabbed ahold of Psalm 91, for protection.

Comprehensive protection.

And there is QUITE a need for comprehensive protection.

This part of the scriptural passage has been especially resonant for me.

 "You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day." 

Psalm 91:5

The arrow that flies by day.

That can apply to any number of precarious, uncertain, dangerous, and threatening circumstances.

We live in a scary world.

Arrows are aiming and shooting at us all day long.

Psalm 91:5 also intersects with Isaiah 54:17…

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper…”

Just visualize an arrow being formed and aimed at you and me.

It looks ominous and deadly. It looks like it’s going to take you and I out.

And then, The Most High steps in.

Like the gym teacher who intervened when I was walking towards my target to remove my shot arrows, amidst other kids’ flying weapons.

Nothing hit me.

Nothing will hit you, either.

The weapon may be formed.

But, with The Sovereignty of The Most High, we are protected.

And we are also equipped and directed to put on The Armor of The Most High (Ephesians 6:10-18).

And there is particular attention paid to Ephesians 6:16…

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." 

Arrows flying at us?

We are called to EXTINGUISH them.

All “by faith.”

I suppose we could go to Amazon and order a full-on knight’s armor.

(But really, where would we store it when not in use?)

The armor, although invisible to the human eye, is still real, strong, active, and protective.

It would have been great for me to understand this when I was a kid in gym class.

Alas, I was nine. What do you want from me?

But, here and now, we can address the arrows of fear, anxiety, threat, and danger, applying power from The Most High to our circumstances.

It’s not done perfectly, easily. Feelings usually don’t get all warm and fuzzy.

We may, indeed, still “feel fear.”

But it does not have the final say.

The Most High does.

He is greater than any arrow.

Let’s pray.

ABBA-

I come to You, in The Name of Yahshua, Your Son, my Savior.

You know my fears.

You know what terrifies me.

You know and see every weapon.

Forgive me for focusing so much on them.

You are more powerful than any threat that rises against me.

Help me to internalize that, activate my faith for that to be reality in my life.

Thank You for protecting and helping me in innumerable ways that I cannot see and am not aware of.

Thank You for keeping me safe.

Help me to feel Your safety, intercepting every arrow, from here on out.

Thank You for helping me.

I receive it, by faith, in Yahshua’s Name.

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

A Prayer For Curses (IF You Know?)

Curses in the bloodline. We are guilty of contributing to it somehow. On a small individual scale. And on a larger scale of humanity and spiritual identity deception.

We are the culprits. Let’s pray, then, the Culprit’s Prayer.

You and I, right here, right now.

“…What is Your Name, and what is Your Son’s Name, if you know?”

Proverbs 30:4

If You Know?: Cruse, Sheryle: 9798272042019: Amazon.com: Books

Breast Forms: To Be or Not To Be?

“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
         In the secret place of the steep pathway,
         Let me see your form,
         Let me hear your voice;
         For your voice is sweet,
         And your form is lovely.”

Song of Solomon 2:14

Breast forms. Your choice.

Some of my experiences with them.

But, no matter what, your form without them, is lovely.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

—Psalm 139:14

How To Put a Bra On

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

—Psalm 139:14

After my 2017 Breast cancer diagnosis, as I recovered from my bilateral mastectomy, I hadn’t counted on this particular problem. Putting a bra on.

I was once a large- busted woman, in double D territory. And, granted, I’ve never had a well-fitted bra, pre-mastectomy. In the past, whenever I tried to cope with an ill-fitting double D, the issue was more about finding non-ugly bras than finding ones that were large enough to house my bustline. When I finally managed to find one or two that didn’t make me cringe, I’d put them on over my head or step into them. Presto! I was in my bra.

Once I recovered from my breast surgery and radiation, however, the landscape changed. I was fitted, correctly so, with mastectomy bras. The firsts of their kind included one white garment, one black, both with cute little rosettes on them, for added sassiness. I was able to insert my chosen B cup breast forms into them. It was dramatic. I was no longer “top heavy,” as I had been most of my life.

And then, things really looked promising: “Coobie” bras. These “comfort bras” had a built-in shape already to them; there was no need, then, for my breast forms.  My husband actually bought these two for me, selected from the wider range of colors offered. One of them was even purple. Purple! Finally, some actual color in my life!

So, here I was, with an exciting reality of pretty and colorful bras, set before me. I should be feeling comfortable and feminine right about now, right?

Well, not quite. And here’s where old bra-festooned me collided with new, post- mastectomy, bra-festooned me. The former me was able to put my ill-fitting bras over my head or step into them, spinning the already- fastened garment around my midriff and slipping the straps over my shoulders. Because my pre-surgery bras were, indeed, larger and ill-fitting, there was enough room for these maneuvers.

But now, with these well-fitted bras, there was just room for, well, me.

I tried slipping them over my head. Nope, too restricted, not enough room. I tried stepping into them, hoping to do the midriff slide. No such luck there, either. I wound up ensnaring my legs with the bra halfway up my thighs; it was a wonder I didn’t trip myself, bonking my head on the corner of my dresser.

So, unless I wanted to learn the trade secrets of a Cirque du Soleil acrobat, I needed another plan.

The only way seemed to be the good old- fashioned way. I had to put them on, leading with my torso, slipping the straps up my arms and over my shoulders and fastening them by their hooks in the back. I tried a number of times; it wasn’t happening. The amount of fabric housing the two clasp options on these newer bras was only an inch. With my larger, pre-mastectomy options, I was accustomed to a three-to-four- inch swatch of material, accommodating at least four different clasps. I was stranded, fidgeting, attempting to get hooked already.

I finally had to resort to yelling for my husband, “Honey, please help me?”

With the more relaxed, Coobie bras, there was no such hook. These were strictly over the head bras. But, because they were a second skin fit, wriggling into these bras overhead was a greater challenge than I was used to experiencing.

Fitting 911:

I couldn’t go on like this, contorting myself into a pretzel, just trying to get into my lingerie. And, unless my husband wanted to be on constant standby, I needed to figure out how to put my bra on all by myself.

Therefore, I called my Breast cancer supply store. This shop is a sorority of women having gone through their own Breast cancer experiences. They “get it.”

I asked about another fitting for my second pair (out of six) of mastectomy bras, allotted per year, via my insurance plan. I explained my predicament, asking for any front closure bras and strategies to help me get dressed. I was told there was one bra which had a front closure feature; we could order it in a 38 A, to compensate for the adjustments during my next bra fitting.

So, I showed up. I was met by the lovely Gail, who worked with me in an earlier session.

Brands of Bras:

Gail laid out my black 38 A bra, from the ABC brand of bras. This piqued my curiosity. I asked about the major brands available. Here are some offerings you should be able to go into any Breast cancer supply store and ask for by name.

Besides ABC, responsible for my front closure bra, there is Amoena (pronounced Ah-Mona, but looks like it’d be pronounced Amoeba). My first 36 B black and white rosette bras were from this company. You can also ask for my beloved Coobie brand “comfort bras” and Luisa Luisa, which provided the recovery garments I was given for my bandaged, post-surgery and pesky drain needs.

As I was fitted with my ABC black, front-closure bra, something immediately caught my attention. This bra had clasps in both the front and the back. Where had these wonderful creatures been all my life?

I’d never encountered this option with bras before my breast surgery. Gail told me she believed only mastectomy bras had this feature. The design and patent MUST have come from a woman.

The 38 A strategy worked great with my 36 B breast forms. I fastened the six front closure hooks and voilà! I was in my bra.

Strategies:

I also asked for additional strategies. Gail suggested the tactic of putting on the bra first, gathered around the midriff, while inserting the forms into the bra pockets, instead of fitting the forms in first before dressing.

I tried that maneuver with both my rosette Amoenas and my front-clasp ABC option. Not surprisingly, theses bras proved more of a contortionist challenge.

Again, with the close fit, there simply wasn’t as much room for sliding and shimmying. Trying to get my forms in still felt difficult. My wrists can only bend so far.

With my front-clasp ABC, I had better results. It’s difficult to say how much of that success was attributed to the midriff/breast form approach while on my body or how much of the ease was directly related to the fact that the bra was a 38, not a 36.

And that leads me to my next strategy. Go for getting a larger size if you need to do so. In my situation, the original measurements of my first bras simply added 4 ½ inches for the larger bras. It can feel a bit like a bad Algebra class, trying to size this math accurately. How a 38 A emanates from a 36 B, I’m not exactly sure. Which is why a professional fitting is a must. They know how to make the math happen.

“Without counsel, plans go awry. But in the multitude of counselors, they are established.”

Proverbs 15:22

No “Perfect Fit:”

I’m learning, overall, this entire mastectomy bra thing is trial and error. There is no perfect bra, Cinderella. You can try certain brands and maneuvers, but, as with our new bodies, it’s about adjustment, not perfection.

But hopefully, in these imperfect life changes, you and I can, at least, somehow, someway, put a bra on.

May you, in you own adventures, indeed, NOT BE, fit to be tied in the process!

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 (“Cancerventures: Tales of a  Diagnosed Woman” Book Excerpt)

Amazon.com: Cancerventures: Tales of a Diagnosed Woman eBook : Cruse, Sheryle: Kindle Store

But So Are You

Kicking And Screaming

Consonance and Dissonance

I never watched the series, “Severance,” but I recently became aware of its theme song.

Listen to it.

What I am struck by is the discrepancy of the noise.

There is the pleasant sound of the music; there is the more complex, less pleasing, sound of a certain struck chord.

I started thinking about the two words, encapsulating the “music.”

Consonance and Dissonance.

First, Consonance: the definition…

“Agreement, compatibility.”

Simple enough explanation, huh?

It’s easy. It’s not forced. It flows.

Now, the opposite.

Dissonance: the definition…

“Lack of harmony, clash, tension, harshness.”

You and I know, unfortunately, what THAT looks like.

Dysfunction, chaos, upset, heartache.

There is abuse.

Everything is so difficult. There appears to be too much resistance.

This is not from The Most High.

 

“For (The Most High) is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

1 Corinthians 14:33

We battle not against people. We battle with spiritual forces instead.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:12

What forces are you battling with right now?

What is going on with you right now? How confused are you?

Do you have peace?

Let’s Pray.

ABBA-

I come to You, in The Name of Yahshua, Your Son, My Savior.

You know what I hear and feel in my life right now.

You know the harshness, the confusion, the pain, and the discord I am dealing with.

Forgive and help me for opening any doors that have let in those things that are not of You.

Help me to recover and find Peace. Your Peace.

Do for me that which I cannot do for myself.

Silence and destroy the lies against me and against my life.

Give me wisdom about how to next move forward.

Restore Your Peace, Your Love, Your Blessings, and Your Favor for my life.

Help me. Protect me. Guide me.

Thank You.

I receive it, in Yahshua’s Name.

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 

Forgiveness (Thin Enough Book Excerpt)

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

Mark 11:25

 

The buzz of the new millennium was in the air. Everyone was thinking of starting new, starting again. Could it apply to the relationship with my dad? I saw this as a perfect opportunity to try, at least. So I wrote my dad a New Year’s card, thanking him for everything he’d been and done for me. I also asked for his forgiveness, for hurting him in the past. And I told him I hoped we could become closer in the New Year and the New Millennium. I signed it “I love you, Sheryle.” That was probably the most difficult thing I have ever written. I honestly didn’t even know if I really meant it. But I did start wanting to mean it. I felt better after writing it. I decided to forgive him—even if that meant the feelings would come later. I waited. His move, right?

Dr. Fay applauded my efforts, while cautioning me at the same time. She didn’t want me getting my hopes up too high. Indeed, I might not get the ideal desired result, not that I knew what that would be. But writing and sending this card, for now, was enough.

Once Dr. Fay and I worked through my relationship with my dad, I thought I had all of my issues wrapped up. Not quite. I still had one parent to go.

My mother: my best friend? My ally? My enemy? Who was she to me? Once I felt a little more at ease with my father, Dr Fay wanted to delve into the wonderful world of mother/daughter relationships. I knew that I had “issues” with Mom, of course, but I honestly thought they were under control. I came to therapy to deal with my dad. Mom wasn’t the problem. I knew she loved me. She’d sacrificed so much of her life for me. I didn’t have that much of a problem with her, did I?

Dr Fay asked me about how well I got along with her lately. I told her that we talked on the phone regularly. At this point, she asked me about the move from Minnesota to Oregon. How did my mother feel about it? Honestly, Mom wasn’t happy about me moving so far away. She had always talked about all of the plans that “we” were going to make, all of the things “we” were going to do. No matter what I wanted to do, it was always a “team” thing with her. Her dreams always included me, and my dreams should always, therefore, include her: together forever.

Growing up in a sheltered environment, college offered my first timid steps away from her world. I discovered that I loved my freedom. Despite the fact that my behaviors were far from healthy in college, I certainly didn’t want to go back to that cage. I was free. I was living my life, or so I thought. Even if my eating disorders became my life, at least they were mine, not hers, and certainly not “ours.” No, Mom, this belonged to me!

So the tug of war ensued. The more I wanted to run away from home, the more she wanted to keep me there. I resented that greatly. She, of all people, knew that dysfunctional situation and how stifling it was. Wouldn’t she want me free and happy? That’s what she always said, but then she would turn around and encourage “our dreams and plans” again, which were close to home, while discouraging mine, which were further away.

I felt like I had two extremes going on here. My father didn’t want me at all, and my mother wanted me too much. Mother bashing became the new focus of my sessions with Dr Fay. I began to wonder if my father’s lack of involvement in my life was attributed not to the fact that he wasn’t interested in me, but rather, that he simply didn’t see any room for himself in my life. I suddenly found myself embittered toward my mother. Had she stolen my father from me in order to have more of me for herself? I started to feel like I had issues with the wrong parent. I felt angry, confused. Who do I blame?

I wanted a scapegoat. None of this was making sense. Food wasn’t my enemy? My father wasn’t my enemy? It had to be Mom then, right? All I was left with was more questions and more pain. I felt like, once again, I wasn’t getting any better, only angrier and more wrong. Basically, I lived a temper tantrum twenty-seven years in the making.

While still stewing in my anger toward my mother, I did get feedback from my father regarding the New Year’s card. It wasn’t directly from him, but, in one of my conversations with my mother (I was still talking to her), I found out that he read it silently to himself and smiled. According to my mother, he kept it by his chair and looked at it from time to time. Mom told me she thought it made him happy. I was tempted to feel slighted by his easy happiness here, but I couldn’t hate him anymore.

More and more of my sessions were spent crying. I didn’t know what to make of this. Was that what I was doing here? Accepting? Grieving? Maybe I wasn’t crying or grieving specifically for my father or mother. Maybe I wasn’t even crying for myself. Maybe I was grieving instead for the situation, not just what happened to me, but what happened to all of us.

We all bought into our “should” lives: this is the way “life should be.”

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 

“Breastless: Your Form Is Lovely”(Cancerventures)

“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your form, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your form is lovely.”

Song of Solomon 2:14

Your form.

What comes to your mind when you hear those words?

As a survivor of breast cancer, someone who has been through a bilateral mastectomy, the issue of “form” can be painful and challenging. I have lived with a “breastless chest” for over eight years now. Being breastless is regarded by many, in a negative and painful light. There is a life, being breastless that is not tragic, full of despair. I embrace my form, adopting the “breastplate of righteousness.”

The Most High has made all the difference. He calls us to have “lovely forms,” no matter what they look like.

You and I are not “disfigured.”

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Ephesians 6:14

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son...”

Romans 8:29

 

www.whatishisname.com/name-the-issue/breastplate-not-breasts

Amazon.com: Cancerventures: Tales of a Diagnosed Woman eBook : Cruse, Sheryle: Kindle Store

 

 

Poured Out For Many?

“For (The Most High) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

Most of us are aware of John 3:16.

It’s the whole point of The Savior, right?

And a lot of us, in different church and worship settings, have taken Communion.

“Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24; 1 Corinthians 11:25).

“Let everything be established amongst two or three witnesses.”

“This will be the third time I am coming to you. ‘By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.’”

2 Corinthians 13:1

Why am I bringing this up?

Well, because I frequently take Communion.

You can buy the Elements online, even through Amazon.

There are different scriptural passages that represent “The Last Supper…”

Mark 14:22-25

Luke 22:18-20

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Matthew 26:26-29

Depending upon church, worship settings, and personal preferences, any of these scriptures can be employed, taking part in “Communion.”

A lot of the time, I refer to Matthew 26:26-28…

“While they were eating, (Yahshua) Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My Body.’ Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you.
This is My Blood of The Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

(The New International Version; New Living Translation; King James; Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

Recently, I noticed something about this passage in Matthew, while taking Communion, specifically, verse 28…

“…This is My Blood of The Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

What got my attention?

“Poured out for Many.”

Huh?

Did you catch it?

“Many.”

How can that be, because, after all, John 3:16…

“For (The Most High) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

Well, yes, again, The Point of Our Savior is to save all the world, all of humanity, dying for all of our sins.

Where does “For Many” come from then?

We have choice.

“But if serving (Elohim) the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve (Elohim) the LORD.”

Joshua 24:15

We choose.

Our choice concerning this proposition determines where we will fall in the “For Many” category.

This, then, introduces another aspect of “Communion.”

“If We Examine Ourselves…”

It’s found in 1 Corinthians 11:26-32…

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim The Master’s death until He comes.”

Verse 26

“So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of The Master in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the Body and Blood of The Master”

Verse 27

“Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.”

Verse 28

“For those who eat and drink without discerning the Body of The Master eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

Verse 29

“That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”

Verse 30

“But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.”

Verse 31

“Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by (Elohim) the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.”

Verse 32

Examine Yourself…

I have many memories, especially during my adolescence, of my denominational church emphasizing the “examine yourself” part of 1 Corinthians 11:26-32.

During the service, as this scripture was repeated, before The Institution of the Communion Elements, there was probably about thirty seconds of observed silenced, implemented for self-reflection.

Now, I have no idea just what kind of thorough self-reflection can be achieved in under one minute.

Most of the time, anyway, it was not silent. Someone usually coughed or sneezed.

Usually, a baby cries in the Sanctuary.

Nevertheless, “Examine Yourself” was stated.

It should be sobering, not just “a moment- or less than a moment- of silence.”

But this gets us back to “Poured out for many.”

What is our current spiritual state?

It’s a nervous and fidgety question to answer, if we are honest answering it.

“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.”

Psalm 19:12-13

Yahshua, Himself, again, covered the ENTIRE GROUND of Sin and Forgiveness:

“Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Luke 23:34

And that, yet again, leads us back to John 3:16.

“For (The Most High) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Our Savior died for everyone. And “everyone” does not accept Him.

Choice. We have choice.

Let’s examine ourselves right now.

Let’s choose to do so.

Let’s pray.

ABBA-

I come to You, in The Name of The Master, My Savior, Yahshua.

I come to You, bringing myself, in full examination.

You know everything about me. You know every sin.

You know what I am choosing in my life.

You know where and how You factor into that.

Forgive me. Cleanse me. Help me.

I need You.

“Communion” with You is not just a ritual.

It proclaims the Purpose, the Life, the Death, the Sacrifice, and the Salvation Work of Your Son, for the world’s sins, individual by individual.

Today, now, by faith, I chose You.

Help me, guide me, empower me as I make this choice.

Thank You for Your Mercy.

I accept and glorify You for it,

In The Name of Yahshua, I pray.

AMEN.

 

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 

 

“IF You Know?” Identity Prayer

If You Know?: Cruse, Sheryle: 9798272042019: Amazon.com: Books

Arise, Shine!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”

Isaiah 60:1

Name/Shame: The Power of It.

“…What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, if you know?”

Proverbs 30:4

My three books, “Thin Enough: My Spiritual Journey Through the Living Death of an Eating Disorder,” “Cancerventures: Tales of a Diagnosed Woman,” and “IF You Know?” all have something in common with the stuffed pink flamingo I received from a dear friend: the power of a name, especially when shame is connected to it in some way.

Is shame a part of your name? Is it a part of who you are in this world?

The Most High wants you to seek Him; He wants to take your shame.

“…My people shall never be put to shame.”

Joel 2:27

He’s called you by your name; be healed today.

“…Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

Isaiah 43:1

Ampersand

Here’s a little quick ditty of a pep talk.

Yes, there is a hard line between good and evil: one or the other.

(Is this the pep talk?)

Not quite.

Yes, there is a hard line between good and evil: one or the other.

AND…

There is “AND…”

(This is more of the pep talk).

 The symbol, known as “Ampersand,” reminds us of that.

 

You know the symbol.

It is commonly used in organizations, businesses, and law firms.

 

It is this symbol right here:

It’s kind of a reverse, cursive “S,” isn’t it?

Doing a little “Copilot/AI search” on the symbol…

“Etymology and Historical Context

The ampersand symbol (&) has its roots in the Latin word "et," which means "and." Over ti it evolved from a ligature of the letters "e" and "t" into the symbol we recognize today. The name "ampersand" itself emerged from a linguistic tradition in which letters that could also function as words were referred to with the phrase "per se." For example, when reciting the alphabet, one might say "A per se A" to indicate that the letter "A" is being referred to as a word.
When it came to the ampersand, the phrase used was "and per se and," indicating that the symbol "&" stands for "and" by itself. This phrase was often slurred together, eventually evolving into the term "ampersand" by the early 19th century.” 

 

Yeah.

 

So, anyway, this symbol connected me immediately with Ephesians 3:20…

 

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

 

Specifically, I was focused on the two words, “exceedingly” and “abundantly.”

Let’s check out the definition of those words.

First, “Exceedingly…”

“To an extreme degree. Extremely. Tremendously. Highly. Incredibly.”

So, The Most High does things at such an intensity, that it is regarded as “extreme?”

What does “extreme” mean to you, in the realm of blessings?

What does that look like to you?

Can you imagine it for yourself?

Yep, The Most High is able to do things along those lines.

Quite overwhelming, wouldn’t you say?

Next, “Abundantly…”

Its definition:

“in sufficient or more than sufficient measure : fully, amply, plentifully. Significantly. Largely. Noticeably.”

What gets my attention here?

The concept of “noticeably.”

Yes, He is Big, Great, Expansive, in His Glory, Power, Majesty, and Ability.

He delights in displaying it constantly, hence, oh, I don’t know, HIS CREATION?

What would be a noticeable blessing for you right now?

What would that look like?

We do both Him and us a major disservice to limit Him. We limit Who He is, what He is willing and capable of doing.

We shut down the “Ampersand” of Who He is.

We shut down how He possesses within Him, An “And” World.

He can do this AND He can do that.

Eye hath not seen…

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which (The Most High) God hath prepared for them that love Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

Where are you right now?

What negative symbols have you identified with today?

Lack?

Poverty?

Limitation?

Sickness?

We all can easily identify with these symbols.

But The Most High is GREATER than any or all of that.

We can often limit blessings as being that of one at a time.

Maybe “either/or.”

Not “And.”

We limit The Most High, The Creator of Everything, to only doing “one thing at a time?”

Really?

He’s the ultimate Multitasker.

How many things is He doing simultaneously, in an “And” fashion 24/7?

This AND that?

Scripture tells us that He looks for someone to be strong for…

“For the eyes of (Elohim) the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9

Is that you?

Why couldn’t it be you?

It’s more than symbolic.

Let’s pray.

ABBA-

I come to You, in The Name of Yahshua, my Savior.

I ask You to reveal Yourself to me, through the “And” Quality of Who You are.

Forgive me for not believing You. Forgive me for doubting and limiting You.

You know how to do multiple things in my life right now.

You already have been doing constant, multiple things for my life.

Thank You.

Forgive me for taking You for granted.

Right now, You know exactly what needs to be accomplished and taken care of in my life.

I ask for things that are often too small, too short-sighted, and not Your Best.

Forgive me for that.

Help me to trust You…with me.

I need a lot of help with that issue.

Thank You that You love and You bless in ways that are more than just “one at a time.”

Help me to receive it, by faith, and see You at work in my life.

Thank You.

In The Name of Your Son, Yahshua, My Savior, I pray.

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 

Minnesota is Bleeding (Yahshua Wept)

I’m not an “expert.”

But I am someone who once lived in Minnesota.

“Land of 10,000 lakes.”

“Minnesota Nice.”

And I am brokenhearted by what has occurred in a “seemingly” unlikely place.

Once upon a time, when someone mentioned Minnesota as a state, these were the reactions:

“Minnesota?”

“Where is it?”

“Don’t farmers live there?”

It is viewed by a lot of people as “rural,” “quaint,” “simple,” “naïve.”

And then things changed a little more.

Prince, all decked out in purple, got global attention for his musical expertise.

And then, the film, “Fargo,” (which is in North Dakota, not Minnesota) put the Scandinavian accent on caricature-ish blast in the late 1990s.

Quaint. Yes. Humorous.

We can laugh about simple farmers and Ole and Lena jokes.

We can talk about Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox; there are famous statues of them in Bemidji and Brainerd.  

And maybe there was laughter going on.

Until there wasn’t.

Until Minnesota was known for something else besides 10,000 lakes, Prince, and Scandinavia.

First, 2015…

Jamar Clark.

(From Wikipedia)…

On November 15, 2015, two police officers fatally shot Jamar Clark, a 24-year-old African-American man, in Minneapolis. The two shooters were Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze. They were a part of the Minneapolis Police Department which subsequently placed the men on paid administrative leave. The night after Ringgenberg and Schwarze shot him, Clark died at the Hennepin County Medical Center after being taken off life support. His death resulted from one of the gunshot wounds the shooters inflicted on November 15.[1]

In response to the shooting, Black Lives Matter organized protests outside the Fourth Precinct police station that lasted for 18 days, as well as other protests and demonstrations in and around Minneapolis. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that cases concerning officer-involved shootings would no longer be put before grand juries, but instead his office would make the decision to file criminal charges. On March 30, 2016, Freeman announced that no charges would be filed against Ringgenberg and Schwarze. Freeman concluded that the officers acted in accordance with Minnesota Statutes authorizing deadly force and that the state would be unable to provide evidence that the officer's use of force was unlawful.

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

 My husband and I were living in the Twin Cities then.

This was during an era of black people regularly being shot on camera. A lot of it was in response to Barack Obama being “The First Black President of The United States.”

Shooting people on camera, being pulled out of cars and shot in their homes, became a modern-day form of lynching.

Each night, the evening news mentioned the latest. There was the latest footage. The latest name. Sometimes male. Sometime female.

There are so many.

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

And there was one child, Trayvon Martin, that was the first of this brutal kind.

He was a teenager, killed in Florida, wearing a hoodie, and buying some Skittles candy for himself.

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

 I don’t have the heart to get into all of Trayvon’s tragedy right now. You can look online and read- or re-read- it all for yourself.

Nevertheless, this is part of why body cameras on police officers have become a much-discussed topic. It’s part of why we film everything now with our camera phones.

And that leads me to the big name that put Minnesota on the map, for bloody reasons.

Philando Castile.

July 6th, 2016. (I cannot believe that it’s almost 10 years ago).

(From Wikipedia)…

On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old African American man, was fatally shot during a traffic stop by police officer Jeronimo Yanez of the St. Anthony police department in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

About 9 p.m., Castile was driving with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter when he was pulled over by Yanez and another officer in Falcon Heights, a suburb of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Castile, who was licensed to carry a firearm, told Yanez that he had a firearm. Yanez replied, "Don't reach for it then". Castile responded, "I'm, I, I was reaching for...", to which Yanez replied, "Don't pull it out". Castile replied, "I'm not pulling it out", and Reynolds said, "He's not..." Yanez again said, "Don't pull it out". The police officer then fired seven close-range shots at Castile, hitting him five times. Castile died of his wounds at 9:37 p.m. at Hennepin County Medical Center, about 20 minutes after being shot.

Again, my husband and I were living in the Twin Cities at the time.

Of course, local news coverage was insane. And even for the more metropolitan locale of Minneapolis and St. Paul, it still shook the state.

Yes, this was “the cities,” as locals often refer to it as.

But Minnesota? Not here.

Minnesota doesn’t act like this, right? The people here are different, right?

“Minnesota Nice,” right?

The victim was known as “Mr. Castille,” by the students, as he worked with school kids. I believe he closely supervised their lunch program, to make sure they had something to eat.

There has been some haziness about what I remember, witnessing this “local news.”

It was in July, just after “the Fourth of July.”

I seem to remember that he had his family, and they had groceries in the car.

What broke my heart the most was his little girl, who was in the vehicle when he was shot and killed.

In some of the footage released, I believe you can hear her tiny voice say…

“They shooted him.”

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

Did I hear that correctly?

It’s so disturbing to think “that really happened.”

That all of it “really happened.”

Not the first time. Not the last.

Again, that was almost a decade ago. I ponder how his now adolescent daughter is doing.

How traumatized was/is she?

How much did she remember of that night when her daddy was killed?

“Daddy’s Girl.”

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

 George Floyd.

(From Wikipedia)…

George Perry Floyd Jr. was an African American man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd had used a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill, on May 25, 2020. One of four police officers who arrived on the scene, Derek Chauvin, knelt on Floyd's neck and back for over nine minutes, fatally asphyxiating him. After his murder, a series of protests against police brutality, especially toward Black people, quickly spread nationally and then globally. His dying words became a rallying slogan: "I can't breathe".

“I can’t breathe.”

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

He was also heard crying for his mother.

Primal. Desperate. Heartbreaking.

At the time of this atrocity, my husband and I had just relocated to another state on The East Coast. This was during the early, frightening days of Covid. It felt harrowing enough.

We relocated in April. George was killed in May. Trauma, as we “sheltered in place,” wore masks, and were uncertain about what life looked like now.

When the news broke about George Floyd, we recognized where he was killed. Some of the violent protests were “in our old neighborhood.”

Not just our old home of Minnesota, but now our new home had lockdowns, protests, and curfews. A Pandemic was one thing, but this?

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

 Renee Good.

This one is incredibly fresh. And painful.

And female.

(From Wikipedia)…

On January 7, 2026, Renée Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old American woman, was fatally shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross. Good was in her car, stopped sideways in the street when Ross walked around it and then walked back and around her vehicle. Other agents approached, and one ordered her to get out of the car while reaching through her open window. Good briefly reversed, then began moving forward and to the right, into the direction of traffic. At this point, Ross was standing at the front-left of the vehicle and fired three shots, killing her, as her vehicle passed him, turning away from him. The killing sparked national protests and multiple investigations.

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

Renee was a woman, a mother of three children, and she was shot dead. Supposedly, right after she was shot, the officer cursed her with vulgarities.

Not surprising, unfortunately.

Renee, in that moment, was recorded as saying, I guess, her last words…

“I ain’t mad at ya.”

She was just trying to survive the situation and be safe.

She could not accomplish that.

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

 My husband and I had not lived in Minnesota for years, at the announcement of Renee Good’s death.

2026 just started. The first month, with the hope of a new start, felt decimated.

And just as I could barely catch my breath at that tragedy…

Alex Pretti.

(From Wikipedia)…

On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, was shot multiple times and killed by United States Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This incident occurred amidst the widespread protests against Operation Metro Surge following the killing of Renée Good on January 7 by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Video recordings of the incident showed Pretti filming law enforcement agents with his phone and directing traffic. Pretti stood between an agent and a woman whom the agent had pushed to the ground, putting his arm around the woman.  He was subsequently pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by several federal agents, with around six surrounding him when he was shot and killed. Bystander video verified and reviewed by Reuters, the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press (AP) appears to show an agent removing a gun and moving away from Pretti roughly one second before another agent fires at him; AP reported that a voice can be heard saying "gun, gun" right before the first shot.

Pretti was legally licensed to carry a handgun. In reviewing video evidence, Reuters, the BBC, The New York Times, CNN, and The Guardian all concluded that he was holding a cell phone, not a gun, in the moments before being tackled. Agents appear to shoot at him at least ten times within five seconds, beginning while he was pinned to the ground and continuing after he collapsed and his body lay motionless.

 He was a white male. A VA ICU Nurse.

And he was forced into the “Prone Position.”

I did not know what that was.

“Prone.”

Its definition?

“lying on one's front with face downwards. ‘a prone position.’"

That’s how he was shot.

“Prone.”

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

It’s only been a few days since this last “Minnesota news.”

I am in pain, shock, overwhelm. I’m crying.

This goes beyond politics, party lines, and opinions.

You may bristle at me citing John 11:35.

Depending upon your stance, you may argue that He would not cry about… any of this.

It is/”they” are “too wicked” to cry over.

Is this “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4-8).

It feels like it to me.

“Yahshua wept.”

John 11:35

Why wouldn’t He weep over this?

I am not Chicken Little.

We cannot predict where wicked hearts can go.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9

Like I said, I am not “an expert.”

I’m a broken heart, a believer in The Most High, originally from Minnesota.

I need prayer about this. How about you?

Let’s pray.

ABBA-

We come to You now, in The Name of Our Savior, Yahshua Ha-Mashiach.

You know what is happening right now, especially in this country.

And in Minnesota.

You see all.

You understand every heart, motive, pain, and fear.

Help us; forgive us.

Heal us.

This is beyond what we can do to resolve this.

This is beyond politics. Beyond any state.

Silence the lies and the attacks of the enemy.

Release, instead, Your Divine Intervention to help us immediately and directly.

Forgive and restore us.

Heal the brokenness. Heal our land.

Comfort all who mourn.

Respond to our cries of pain, fear, hopelessness, injustice, and confusion.

Do what only You can do.

We need You.

Show up now, With Your Love, Your Face, Your Hand, and Your Angels.

Help us. We need You desperately.

Thank You.

In The Name of Yahshua we pray.

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

 

 

Break in case of emergency (Sheep/Ditch Gif)…

I just need this today. Right now.

It makes me smile and laugh. And I need to smile and laugh now.

Barbie: Dumb Idol (Thin Enough)

“What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.”

Habakkuk 2:18-19

Most females grew up, playing with Barbie dolls. We were heavily influenced by her image. And it was a rigid, unrealistic, and unhealthy image. Check out how the Barbie doll's dimensions contrast to those of a "real woman."

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse

Marked With Beauty Marks

“Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.”

Song of Solomon 4:7

Scars? Tattoos? Marks on our lives?

I discuss how we are beautiful, how all markings, literal or symbolic, upon us are beauty marks.

I was given radiation tattoos for my cancer treatment. They are three little beauty marks. They tell part of The Most High’s role in my life story

What are yours?

He has called, marked, and beautified you. He’s calling you “beautiful” right now.

Amazon.com: Cancerventures: Tales of a Diagnosed Woman eBook : Cruse, Sheryle: Kindle Store

 

www.whatishisname.com/name-the-issue/beauty-mark

 

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse