About

ABOUT ME
 

I’m a recovering legalist, an artist, a poet, and on occasion, an oyster gardener.

I am also mother to three, a full-time employee for a local bank , and a writer of blogs about business and community. 

Most of my friends know me as "Reggie," short for "Regina" (my first name) but I write and paint under my middle name, "Lucienne." It's what my family calls me and, well, as a woman, that always felt like I needed to be someone other than who I was. I feel like using Lucienne reminds me who I am, even if it's not what I am most commonly called.

WHAT I BELIEVE

In 2017, I experienced a spiritual awakening. It happened at a rock bottom moment for me, a point mired in loss, depression, and the ugly realization that changes were needed in my life and my personal habits. This was also a “coming to life” event accompanied by experiences I couldn’t explain. I legitimately thought I was going crazy. 

As I found answers, those answers rocked my concepts of faith. The only explanations I could find involved chakras, energy, and synchronicities. Those were all things I’d either never heard of, or tried to avoid with the belief that we are to put our eyes on Jesus and separate from everything else. (That’s not to sound hoity-toity. It’s followed out of a sincere devotion to my faith and how we are taught.) 

I am still learning how to put words to those latter experiences, but I am a firm believer in all of them now, too. 

I also believe in the mind/body/spirit connection, meaning that everything I just mentioned is relaying information to us, about us. And in many cases, physical conditions are a result of spiritual situations or emotional struggles.

I believe that our beliefs, not just our religious beliefs, but our beliefs about ourselves and the world around us, dictate more than we realize – often holding us back.

I believe that our emotional depth and vocabulary, in addition to our creative pursuits or hobbies, are just as critical to our spiritual health as spiritual practices like mediation, prayer, and reflection.

Through these beliefs, I can tell you that for the first time in my life, I feel whole and healed. Yes, I am still working on things. I am not perfect by any means, but I struggled with deep shame, disassociation, and insecurity for most of my life. I believe that it was God, above all things, who healed me. It was also the integration of these other items that I have mentioned that brought me balance and wholeness. 

The following are three biblical principles that I cling to and contribute to my growth and healing.
 

• Encourage yourself: People won't always be able to encourage you. So, you'll have to learn to do this yourself. Romans 15:4 tells us that all of scripture was written for our instruction so that we would be encouraged throughout our journey. Ezra and King David were profound leaders and examples who “strengthened or encouraged themselves” in the Lord (Ezra 7:28; 1 Samuel 30:6). They both accomplished great things as a result of their faith. .
  
  So read your Bible. Memorize scripture. Pray it. Write it on sticky notes, along with your goals, dreams, and anything else that lifts your spirit. 

• Set stones of remembrance: You will also see verses where markers or stones were set in place or names were changed to remind people of significant events, milestones, turning points, and other great things the Lord accomplished along the way. (Joshua 4, 1 Samuel 7:12, Genesis 28:16-22, Genesis 17:1-8, and more.)
  
  This is a very encouraging practice too. It can be so easy to look back and only see the areas where we stumbled, or look ahead and see how far we have to go. But if you can collect reminders of accomplishments and make them visible or tangible, they remind you of all of the things the Lord has brought you through. Journaling is an easy way to do this. Especially, if you go back and read your entries later. You can also create a physical reminder, or collect something (like cards and art - wink wink) to symbolize it. 

• Spirit and truth: In John 4:24, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that God is spirit and that a life of worship is done in spirit and in truth. John 3:8 tells us that spirit goes wherever it pleases, and no one understands it. So, we must be attuned to both the Word of God and his spirit for complete instructions.
  
  I accomplished a lot of this, again, through journaling, but also through honing my intuition, and through listening, prayer, mediation, rest, and reflection. The gleanings didn’t always make sense, and sometimes they went against my religion and my self-made rules. But I have seen the Lord move in profound ways as a result. 

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL FIND

• Video or blog messages about testimony, Bible study, life tips, and inspirational stories
• Greeting cards and cards of encouragement
• Art and poetry

THIS IS WHY

I want to share my faith and encourage you on your journey. Grab a piece of art or a card. Put them where you can see them, take in their messages, and remain encouraged. Use their inspiration to reach victory – which I know you will – in Christ. And share them with others you know and love, so they can do the same.

OTHER CAUSES 

I love to share what I learn. So you may find information on the following topics as I work on these areas in my own life: recovery (particularly shame), healthy relationships, growing your faith and spirit life, going green(er), and managing a business. 

I AM HERE

Reach out. Ask me questions. Share your thoughts. I'd love to connect. Through all of us love and light can shine. 

With love, 

Reggie