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Showing posts from January, 2015

Famous

"It's not a fake life, a religious commotion, but a living breathing portrait of Christ." Sam Deford There is a huge draw for "famous" Christians these days. Everyone seems to have a book deal and a microphone. The benefits of social media and spreading the love of Christ are innumerable. More people are reached for the cause of Christ than ever before. This is good stuff. However, us everyday Christians tend to feel lost in the shadows of the limelight. The Christian life is not one of fame. It is not a life glorified but a life surrendered. There isn't a pull for people to know you but instead, to know Him. A life built on faith speaks so loudly even when not a word is spoken. You don't need a mic or lights to shine for Christ. Your purpose is exposed in the everyday comings and goings. No one needs to shine the spotlight on you in order for your purpose to be fulfilled. If you are looking for a stage not a soul, then you are lost. We have value

Run

You can't run from people. You just can't. They will catch up with you. Whether it be in your dreams, old memories, stories others tell, gossip you hear, or you see them at the market. The people in your life that matter or mattered and somehow something went south are still there even when they are gone. I was thirty years old when my parents separated and eventually divorced. While shocking, it wasn't a huge surprise. I remember having to make that phone call to my dad after I had heard the news. He wasn't in the best place (I will share his story of redemption at a later time). I was terrified to call him. I was scared what I may find out. I wanted to run; run far away and pretend like I didn't know. I thought running was easier. If I ran from this problem and from my dad I wouldn't be subjecting myself to potential gut-wrenching rip-your-heart-out pain. I didn't know what I would hear on the other end of that phone line and that scared me. So, I ran; f

Love

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34-35 Save all the puppies, I say! I am the girl who wants to love on everyone. My mom is the same way. Take my mom and I to an animal shelter and we will want to rescue and love on all the animals. Every time I end a phone conversation with her she tells me to kiss the boys a million times and tell them she loves them. Loving others runs deep through my veins. I can't help but love. God calls us to love others. It's our way of showing Jesus to the world. Love is one of His greatest commandments (Mark 12:31). But, love is hard. Are we supposed to love everyone equally? The same way? I have wrestled with how to love for many years. When Jack was about 18 months old we knew we wanted another child. We got pregnant twice and had two miscarriages. Because I was

Confidence & Comparison

"That's the thing about insecurity. When it grips us, the very thing we need most-truth-is the very thing we have a hard time grasping" Lysa Terkeurst, The Best Yes "and let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary." Galations 6:9 I started a new Bible study recently. I always go into a new study with a small amount of grumbling. I know, just know, God is going to put me through the ringer about something. He's not doing this to be mean. He wants to stretch me molding me into the best human I can be; the woman He created me to be. However, sometimes, a lot of times, that stretching hurts and is uncomfortable. So, I started this study and as the days passed and I completed the lessons I hadn't felt that gut-wrenching stretch that I usually do. I thought I was off the hook. It wasn't until I decided to proclaim what I felt God was speaking into my life did I feel that pull. I had just come out of a s

FINALLY

I am FINALLY coming out of the fog of the in-between. Have you ever been in the in-between leaving a season of something behind looking ahead to what will come next but you aren't quite sure what that is or what it looks like? I feel like this has been the longest in-between for me. About three or four years ago I entered this season reluctantly. I felt things end and shift but wasn't quite sure what was on the horizon. I pondered, searched, and forced many things to happen. It wasn't until this past year when I decided to rest in the Lord did my in-between start coming to a close and the beauty of the new awakened. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 I can't say that I was always joyful, patient, and faithful in my time of waiting. I questioned God and wondered what my purpose was outside of mom, wife, and friend (as if that isn't enough). I knew deep down that there was something out there waiting for me. I al

Up Before Out

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Psalm 127:3 I opened my back hatch to grab my yoga mat and out fell three sticks. I laughed remembering that I was instructed to keep those important sticks safe for the "fever;" my four year old's current renderings for the word beaver. I grabbed my mat and went on my way into the gym still giggling under my breath. Children are precious. They are a mess of wonderfulness. They have puppy breath and the energy of a spinning top. They make our lives richer and fuller but, let's face it, they also add some gray hairs and exhaustion too. I had one of those weeks; a week in which time seemed infinite and not in a good way. I'd wake up each morning full of hope. We had survived the previous day and gone to bed on a high note. And then the doom of the day began. The simple tasks I had asked him to complete were not accomplished. He had said he did them but when I checked after sending him off

All Things New

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 I love this verse. I like knowing that I can be made new. I am not a big fan of change. I am learning to roll with it, but I admit I am a routine kind of gal. However, I like knowing that I can be made new in my Savior. When I brake, I am made new. When I make a mistake, I am made new. When I head down the wrong path, I am made new. When I make good wise choice, I am still made new; rejuvenated. As we head into 2015, I am finding joy in the new. There's so much hope and potential in a new year. The only way I can walk into this new year filled with expectancy is by looking back and remembering how I got to this place. Three words come to mind when I look back at 2014: rest, confidence, and expectancy. Last year was a year of rest for me. You know how you have those years where it seems like trial after trial continues to hit? I've had those years b