Journey With Patina

Journey With Patina

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A belief in the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Embracing my walk as I grow in word of God and how God wants us to live and love His people.

  • Have You Ever Felt Out of Place Spiritually? Watch Out For Those Fake Plants

    I’m so grateful that God gave me time to heal in my peaceful home over the past year of this journey. I’m learning to live and interact with people differently in all environments.

    As I venture out into the public, I can see and feel the demonic spirits roaming around me. Let’s just say, I see and feel things that are really uncomfortable to my flesh. But God is my Comforter and My Companion, Jehovah-Shammah. I know that He is right there with me, regardless of where I am.

    I’ve found that large crowds are not for me. I used to thrive in them. In one year, God has uprooted me from things of past, and renewed a new spirit and moral compass of courage, hope, resilience and perseverance that I can’t explain.

    Recently, in past 30 days I’ve been to three public secular places. I was extremely uncomfortable, almost to the point of tears. I’m learning to walk in these places differently, knowing what is in there. I have to prepare myself for spiritual attacks prior to going. There’s always mischief and mishaps roaming about in the spirit. I can see it on people and it’s so natural to the human race that they don’t see it in themselves anymore. This is a sad time that we live in. The spirit that is floating around is one of survival in self and not in our Lord and Savior, the Son of Man and the Holy Ghost.

    Today, I was studying Matthew 15:12-14. The Lord showed me that every plant NOT of God:

    • Shall be uprooted
    • The offspring’s will be uprooted
    • When used by an individual shall be uprooted because they are blinded by its fakeness of what the plant appears to be.

    Matthew 15:12-14, KJV

    12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

    13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

    14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

    In the three environments that I attended, I saw fake plants that may be uprooted if they don’t change their ways. I experienced the following in spiritual realm in those environments :

    • I felt isolated, like I didn’t belong. In one instance, I recall telling my friend that I was extremely uncomfortable and at that time I hadn’t recognized the environment for what it was.
    • I saw the irritation on people’s faces. Not that they meant to project it at me, but I could see their misery.
    • I saw the spirit of I need attention. Everything from the busy body to the person who had to say something.
    • I heard gossip. When people huddle, that’s the first sign. When you come around they stop talking. Need I say more.
    • I saw fake smiles with survival spirits. There is no amount of clothing and make-up that can hide misery.
    • I noticed that when people try to be kind and empathetic, they struggle because they can only see themselves. It’s shows when their spirits are uneasy around you. They can’t stay around you long. It’s too uncomfortable for them.
    • I saw people (plants) just going through the motion without direction.
    What type of plants are you following?

    The lesson for me is that I was reminded of what and who I am in Christ Jesus. Focus on knowing the differences between the wheat and the chaff. As a child of My Lord, I may mingle amongst them, but I am not like them. I will continue to ask God to show me how to navigate through this process while I’m still learning. I don’t have all of the answers. The first step was for me to identify where I am in my walk with Christ. My desire is to be able to walk amongst His People and be a light and to bring them to Christ. As uncomfortable as it has been and it will continue to be, I’ve taken the first step.

    𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽:

    One precious moment for me was taking selfies with my god babies!

    🥹😍🌸🫶🏽

    That is it for now. Regardless of where I am physically, I will remain steadfast and walk with the armor of God and the breastplate of salvation.

    Continued Blessings!

    𝓙𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓟𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓪

    I smile because He loves me! Jesus is the way.

  • Breast Cancer Survivorship: Sometimes I Want To Scream

    Instead I’m choosing to write and educate, instead of blessing you in the flesh. Lord, give me the strength to describe this part of the journey in way that you can understand even if you can’t relate. I’m going to let it all fly, including the emotions that come from me while I write this blog.

    Breast Cancer Survivorship is another level of healing. This is the mental part of the healing process that no one speaks about. Normal people, those who have never had cancer or have never been through surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, often think it is like bouncing back from cold. Let me tell you right now, it’s NOT. So, please don’t project what you think on a person that just had the scare of their life. Now that the physical part of it is over, we need to heal mentally and physically. Physically we are battling trauma and scars from months, and for some people years of treatment. We will never be the same, simply because of the WORD that we all have to live with daily: reoccurrence. As for me, I pray and ask God to help me find comfort so that I don’t live in my head.

    God has led me to speak freely about survivorship so that I can educate others on what’s real. Often I hear, give them grace; and I agree. But when grace is not extended back, then what? Wayment, what about my mental health? Is the world that self-centered? The answer is, YES! I will not apologize because it takes me longer to heal in comparison to someone’s timeframe. Now, let that sink in. I know, that was a bit aggressive for me to express, but it’s also selfish of others to think my healing is based on where someone thinks I should be in MY healing process.

    The pressure to say, I’m okay when I’m not is overwhelmingly present. I tell others that I’m okay because I don’t want the pity party that comes along with not being okay. I smile to avoid the uncomfortable awkward comments and conversations. I need time to heal. 😞

    Then there’s the mammagram. See folks, it’s the PTSD associated with having to get tested and preparing yourself for the unknown: every 5 months, 6 months, 1 year. The mental capacity to endure is one thing, but the reality is that you remember your treatment and the process every time you go in for a mammogram. Trusting God and walking with Him daily is how I’ve managed to deal with it. I’m learning to take it in stride EVERYDAY! No days off.

    Please don’t be that person who says, “𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓫𝓮 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓽𝓸 𝓷𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓵”. Normal doesn’t exist anymore. We live differently and our new normal may require more time than you are capable of comprehending or that you have the patience for. We’ve given you grace and accepted you, consider doing the same for us. It’s okay if you don’t understand.

    Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrew 11:1

    Have faith with us.

    Walk with Jesus with us.

    Be like Christ Jesus.

    Having hope through perseverance is how I live. Though Jesus Christ, I’ve found peace and rest in the joy of the Lord. Having confidence in Him is the only way that I live in survivorship. I chose to live life, in peace with no regrets.

    May this blog give you more clarity, compassion and empathy towards breast cancer survivors. Unfortunately, with this disease patience and experience is the best teacher. But let’s learn to extend grace to others, because trust me you would want it if it were you.

    I don’t look like what I’ve been through! Praise Him.

    XOXO

    Journey with Patina

  • Tips For Getting Through Radiation (Non-medical advice) from a Breast Cancer Survivor

    This post may include affiliate links to help you find the products that I used while in radiation.

    I know that you may feel completely overwhelmed. That is normal. That’s why I wrote this blog so that you don’t have to figure it all out.

    Depending on your journey, your treatment plan will vary and so will your experience. I wanted to share a few things that helped me during radiation. Please seek medical advice as the information that I’m sharing based on what my physicians share with me that worked for my situation.

    1. Drink Plenty of Water

    Staying hydrated is important to maintaining the elasticity in the breast tissue. Also, I found that I feel so much better when it’s warm outside and it helps with digestion.

    2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize some more.

    Each oncology radiologist will tell provide you with a list of preferred lotions. My doctor suggested the following: Eucerin and CeraVa. She suggested Aquaphor for when my skin started to crack and peel. Please refer to your physician for what they recommend. These worked for me.

    While in radiation for 25 days, I moisturized three to four times a day. I can’t stress the need to moisturize as often as possible. Immediately following my appointment, before dressing to go home I would moisture at the facility.

    3. Wear comfortable loss fitting clothes

    I work comfortably clothing to radiation. Wear something that you can easily get in and out of. Over time, your breast may become sore, red and tender. You want to be comfortable. Tell your doctor if you start to experience these symptoms.

    4. Wear a Wireless Black Bra

    You want to get a few wireless bras that zip up in the front are more comfortable. Preferably black.

    Preferred Bras

    Fruit of the Loom Women’s Front Close Sports Bra – Cotton Blend, Easy Fit & Built-Up Support

    And

    FLORATA Sports Bras for Women Zip Front Sports Bra Wireless Post-Surgery Bra

    My Favorite Bra’s

    5. When going out in the sun, protect your skin.

    As I shared earlier, hydration is extremely important. Not only for your skin but also for your internal organs. It will help you significantly when you are out and about in the sun. I wore hats and long sleeve linen shirts to protect my upper body from the sun. My treatment was in the summer, so linen worked for me. Remember, the radiation is burning your skin so it’s important to protect it from the sun. I was told to stay out of direct sunlight for a year.

    6. Stay away from stress.

    Find your comfortable place. A place where you can nap, read and or watch TV. Your body will tell you that you need to step away from life. Listen to it. Don’t feel the need to explain yourself to anyone, embrace it.

    7. When you are tired, get up and walk.

    My oncology radiologist suggested that when I feel tired, that I should get up and walk. It worked for me. I found that the more I moved, the less tired that I would become. Some days the push through was really difficult. Especially after 18/25 treatments. It became more difficult but I made it through.

    8. Carve out time to rest and sleep.

    Rest will look different for everyone. For me, I would move all day long. But after 5 or 6pm, I made is priority to sit down and watch TV to rest my body. This meant that I had to prep meals in advance to ensure that I was sitting by 6pm.

    I found myself in the bed by 8pm and up by 6am. Yep, 10-12 hours of sleep and rest was how I was able to get through.

    Remember, your body is healing from some traumatic experiences. I had chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. In addition to the physical, there is the mental aspect. People will expect you to be normal. Let them keep those expectations to themselves. Forgive them, because they don’t understand. And, it’s okay.

    When you are ready, get out of the house as often as possible. It’s good for your mental health. All and all, take care of you first. Everything else can wait.

    Be encouraged and know that I’m cheering for you.

    Until next time,

    𝒥ℴ𝓊𝓇𝓃ℯ𝓎 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒫𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝒶

  • Travel Gives Me Joy: Yeah Mon!

    To know me is to know that I love travel. I’ve been fortunate to travel and embrace experiences and foods that most people dream of. Oh yeah, and add a Bob Marley beverage to top it off.

    One of my favorite places to visit is Jamaica. I can’t count how many times I’ve been there. One thing is for sure, it never disappoints and it always feels like home. The people are my favorite part. They are a kind and a resilient group of people who show appreciation.

    From the jerk chicken cart, to Dunn’s River Falls, a beach day, or a day trip to Cafe Rick’s in Negril. It’s a good time for anyone.

    As I continue to fight to stay healthy and live a full life, I’m going to plan my next trip to guess where: Jamaica Mon!

    Here are a few pictures to remind you to book that vacation!

    Until next time,

    𝒥ℴ𝓊𝓇𝓃ℯ𝓎 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒫𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝒶

    𝒮ℯ𝒸𝓇ℯ𝓉𝓈 ℛℯ𝓈ℴ𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝒥𝒶𝓂𝒶𝒾𝒸𝒶
    𝒪𝒸ℯ𝒶𝓃𝒻𝓇ℴ𝓃𝓉 𝓇ℯ𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓇ℯ𝓁𝒶𝓍𝒶𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃
    𝒥ℯ𝓇𝓀 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝒸𝓀ℯ𝓃 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓉 ℴ𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓇ℯ𝓈ℴ𝓇𝓉
    ℐ𝓉’𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁ℯ𝒹 𝒶 ℬℴ𝒷 ℳ𝒶𝓇𝓁ℯ𝓎
    ℰ𝒶𝓇𝓁𝓎 𝓂ℴ𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝓌𝒶𝓁𝓀

  • 10 War Room Scriptures For Cancer Patients: Healing, Patience and Peace

    Joshua 1:9

    While I was overcoming and beating breast cancer, God revealed to me a few scriptures that taught me to practice patience through the healing process. God commands us to trust His process. Healing is more than physical, it’s about the soul as well. God is in the business of healing us inside out. Embrace God and how He wants to heal your soul and your body.

    In Joshua 1:9 God commands us, Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be you dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

    Healing Scriptures

    The one who heals is Jehovah Jireh.

    Jeremiah 17:14

    Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for You are my praise.

    Psalm 41:4

    I said, LORD, be merciful to me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against You.

    Matthew 11:28

    Come to Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

    Peace Scriptures

    The peace giver, the Comforter is the Holy Ghost.

    Mark 5:34

    And He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of your plague.

    John 14:27

    Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

    Philippians 4:7

    And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

    Patience

    Ephesians 4:2-3

    V. 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love;

    V. 3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

    Psalm 27:4

    One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.

    James 5:8

    Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near.

    Psalm 37:7

    Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

    May you embrace these scriptures in your heart during your journey, and share them with someone who needs to be reminded of Gods promises.

    Until next time,

    𝒥ℴ𝓊𝓇𝓃ℯ𝓎 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒫𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝒶

  • Seeking Gods Presence: Why is it so hard to sit still?

    Seeking Gods Presence: Why is it so hard to sit still?

    Taking time to sit in a quiet place and read the word of God helped me to understand the season of life that He had me in.  I learned to sit.  Something that I had struggled with in my life for many reasons. 

    Have you ever asked yourself,

    “Why is it so hard for me to sit, read the word of God, seek Him and wait on Him?”

    What are you chasing?

    Life will have you chasing the things of world.  If we would chase God like we chase our jobs, we would be in a better position in our lives.

    The word of God instructs us to;

    “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

    Matthew 6:33

    Seeking God is an act of surrendering.

    It’s not passive. It’s intentional.

    It’s choosing stillness over striving. Presence over performance.

    Seeking God is about putting EVERYTHING that you thought was your priority to the side, and making Him your priority now. It’s never too late to reach out to Him. Why not now? 

    The Subtle Danger of Idolatry 

    We spend so much time idolizing so many things and we don’t realize it.  By definition, idolatry is worshipping of anything or anyone other than the true and living God. It’s not just about bowing down to statues, but also about placing excessive value, trust, or devotion on anything that overshadows God’s position in one’s life. This can include wealth, power, relationships, or even good intentions.

    That can be:

    • Careers

    • Relationships

    • Social media

    • Money

    • Even ministry or service

    If it steals your attention, devotion, or trust from God—it may be an idol.

    We don’t always notice it. Idolatry is often subtle, socially acceptable, and even praised. But slowly, it dulls your hunger for God’s presence.


    🕊️ Let’s Pause and Pray:


    “Lord, help me to be still. Help me to lay down the idols I’ve built and make You my first pursuit again. Teach me to seek Your presence in every season of life.”

    Self Reflection: What are you idolizing today that is keeping you from seeking God’s presence? 

    God instructed me to write this for you. I pray that it blesses you like it blessed me.

    Until next time.

    Journey with Patina

    Day 1 of Radiation Treatment
  • Carrying The Joy of the Lord Through Life

    Carrying The Joy of the Lord Through Life

    My Journal Reflection

    Somedays the weight of the world can make me feel so heavy. But I keep my trust in the Lord. I’ve found that the more I trust Him, the lighter the weight gets.

    I’m reminded that during my daily life and time with Him, to seek His voice for guidance and wisdom. Often times the answer is right in front of me. Only when I listen to Him with my spiritual ears.

    He calls us to find joy in listening, obeying His Word, and drawing close to Him—without doubting His timing. Sometimes, His timing is exactly what we prayed for. I can testify to this—I’ve seen Him answer my prayers in ways I didn’t recognize until I was standing in the very middle of what I had asked for. It’s happened to me twice in just the last three months. What I thought was a storm turned out to be God fulfilling the desires of my heart and sheltering me under His wings. I’ve been meditating on Psalm 91 these past few months; and now that I truly understand it, I’ve found rest in the joy of the Lord.

    Psalm 91

    Nehemiah 8:10 KJV. “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

    Knowing this I can sing 🎶 SWEET JOY 🎶 to the top of the mountain top. With gratitude and thanksgiving I will honor the Lord.

    Amen

    XOXO

    Journey with Patina

  • 5 Things That I Wish I Knew Before Chemotherapy

    I’m sharing these 5 things based on my personal experience. I survived chemotherapy and these foundational things that I am sharing made a world of difference for me. I hope they help you, or someone that you care about along their journey as well.

    1. Clean Your House Top to Bottom. Chances are after you start chemotherapy, it will be months before you feel like doing to much of anything. It is more likely that someone else will clean for you. For me, chemotherapy took a lot of my energy. On most days it took everything in me to shower and dress for the day.
    2. Prepare meals for at least 10 days for each treatment. Your first treatment is a good gauge on how you feel about food. Food is a strange thing. I lost my taste buds and appetite. This varies per person. Once you figure out what you can and cannot eat, on days when you have a little energy between treatments, prepare food for the next treatment.
    3. Tell people what you need. When people ask for what you need, ask for gifts cards to your local grocery stores and Amazon. It may take a few treatments before you know what you like and dislike. Also, your side effects may be different. You don’t know what works for you until you go through it. Your medical staff will give you recommendations. Take them and adjust accordingly. Ask your medical team about every side effect that you experience. This will help you to purchase what you need.
    4. Store cases of water. Hydration is critical. Pick up as many cases of water that you can store in your house. You may need Gatorade or the hydration packs. I can’t stress this enough.
    5. Don’t plan to do anything but to rest. Protect yourself from everyone and everything until you can trust your body and understand how you respond to chemotherapy. Your doctor will monitor your white blood count. Protect your immune system at all costs.

    Please be patient with yourself. You are going treatment that will take a toll on the body. There is so much that you don’t know about how your body will respond. Trust me, there is no such thing as normal anymore. Give yourself time to adjustment and grace during this season. When you are tired, rest. When you are sleepy, go to bed. Listen to your body. It’s having a traumatic experience.

    Click here to learn about the 20 must have items that I recommend for chemotherapy. Please speak with your doctor to ensure these items will work for you.

    I’ll continue to share what worked for me along my journey.

    Until next time.

    XOXO

    Journey With Patina

  • Reminder to Self: In the storm, Trust GOD

    God wants me to keep it simple when a storm comes. God has equipped me for any storm that comes my way. I just have to believe.

    When the rain falls so hard that I can’t see in front of me, I keep walking forward and trusting God with expectation.

    When the hail comes down, I seek God for His spiritual covering.

    When lightning strikes, I know God will shield me from all danger and chaos.

    Regardless of the strength of life’s winds I still stand tall.

    God made me to endure not to fold when trouble is near. In all things trust God!

    XOXO

    Journey With Patina

  • God is Speaking, but are YOU Listening?

    Have you ever felt spiritually disconnected?

    To be honest, there were times in my life when I was going through the motions. I thought I was listening, but in reality I was not. That was probably a sign for me to slowdown and find a quiet space to listen. Nevertheless, I kept going.

    When He has had enough He will sit you down. I know from experience. In 2024, God sat me down and said, 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓼 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱. In February 2024, I had a knee replacement that shut me down for 3 months. But it took me another 2 months to begin to feel like myself. I was pushing to get back to the normal routine.

    Well, apparently I wasn’t listening. August 2024, I was diagnosed with stage 2, breast cancer. My life, as I knew it came to a halt. I remember feeling scared, confused, and frustrated. I didn’t understand why God would do this to me, but I have always trusted Him. So, I said Lord I’m listening and trusting you. It has been a journey.

    Fast Forward

    It’s May 2025, I can’t tell you how grateful that I am that He slowed me down.

    Over the past few months, in my quiet time with Him, He has revealed so much. He began to unfold His ministry for my life while I was healing physically and emotionally. I feel really good now about the path that He has me on. One thing is for sure, 𝓘 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮. God gave me a new life and I love it. I have a more peaceful and serene life. I’ve fallen in love with my devotional time with Him. There is no going back.

    Living in peace and listening to God is a choice. I chose Him and trust Him.

    Choose Him, choose love, because love is DOPE!

    XOXO

    Journey With Patina