Move!

Ever felt "chosen" to do something, but you've been too worried or afraid to move or step out? Something that goes with being "chosen" is a scripture you may have heard but never really believed for your own life. In Jeremiah 1:5 it says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." The same God whose mind and power fashioned the stars, the seas, the animals, and all the other human beings has carefully, individually, and intentionally crafted YOU. You are not just a collection of molecules thrown together by random chance. God has CALLED you into being. Jeremiah goes on to question himself because he is too young, but God says that he doesn't need to be afraid. He has put words in his mouth. How many times has someone told you that you are too young to do something great for God? How many times have you questioned your abilities? How many times have you allowed fear to dictate your present and future? Today is the day to say NO to the enemy. You are powerful and your words are not your own but God's through you. It's time to dream again!! Rise up women and men of God in power and authority!

~Worth Dying For

Prayer

"The correct concept is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues "without ceasing"; we are not even conscious of it, but it never stops."

~Oswald Chambers

Silence

I love silence. There's something refreshing about being silent. It's like a renewal, or, like taking in a deep breath and then exhaling after a strenuous day. Silence: absence of sound or noise; still; absence of concern, or my favorite, to put (doubts, fears, etc.) to rest; quiet.

God, I feel safe when I'm silent. No more giants hindering me, my mind. I find safety in your silence, your words. I see but don't have to hear because you've imprinted them on my heart. Yes, you are always speaking. and I am always listening, hearing. teach me to hear your silence. it's all consuming, it's wind, it's fire, it's rain, it's spring, it's season and reason and wisdom and faith and love and peace and pure and holy: silence. When I am lost, I take the path less noisy.

Favorite Kid Quote of The Day

My friend's 5 year-old daughter said:
"Can I kiss my brain because I'm so smart?"

Free Fallin'

She's definitely a daddy's girl, and she loves for her father to tuck her in at night. Every night before her bedtime story and night time prayer, she would climb to the edge of the bed, turn backward and free-fall. Her 4 year-old self has an immense amount of confidence in her father. She trusts him to be there to catch her. That's why she loves the "free-fall game." She knows she can climb to the edge, close her eyes, put her arms straight up in the air and fall backward because she trusts that she will fall safely and securely in the arms of her father.

One day, her father was out of town, and her mother was left to tuck her in. Like routine, she ran to her room, climbed to the edge of the bed, put her arms in the air, closed her eyes, and she fell backward. Her mother wasn't prepared nor was she watching as her daughter hit the ground and started crying. In shock, her mother asks, "What happened?!" "Daddy always catches me," she cried.

The very next evening, daddy was home, and she eagerly ran to her room and completed her nightly routine of free falling. She completely forgot about the horrible fall she experienced the night before. She completely forgot about being hurt, and she was confident the outcome of her "free fall game" would end with her safe in the arms of her father. And you know what? She was right. She fell time and time again; trusting her father every step of the way. Children trust ruthlessly.

A friend reminded me the other day about "childlike faith," and I've been holding on to that principle for the last few days. I had to remind myself to free fall with God - to let go of all control and trust that He'll lead, guide and even catch me. I love this quote by Brennan Manning, "Without exposure to potential failure, there is no risk." We don't grow in faith and trust because we're afraid to risk. We don't want to fail, so we take control of our lives when in fact, we never truly had control to begin with. We've got to have radical dependence in God.

This week, let's ravish the heart of God with our unwavering trust.

"When I am most afraid, I put my trust in you; in God whose word I praise, in God I put my trust, fearing nothing; what can men do to me?" (Ps. 56:3-4)
"My trust in God never wavers" (Ps. 26:1)
"I, for my part, like an olive tree growing in the house of God, put my trust in God's love for ever and ever" (Ps. 52:8)

Sunday Thought

"If there is even a trace of individual self-satisfaction left in us, it always says, "I can't surrender," or "I can't be free." But the spiritual part of our being never says "I can't": it simply soaks up everything around it. Our spirit hungers for more and more. It is the way we are built. We are designed with a great capacity for God, but sin, our own individuality, and wrong thinking keep up from getting to Him. God delivers us from sin--we have to deliver ourselves from our individuality."

-Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest"

Song

i love you. let your heart beat within me.
draw near so I can adore you. teach me
obedience so I can prosper. Cause my
face to shine as I cling to your life and
your words. I arrest my will to radiate
your deepest beauty, your thoughts and
your life.

snow day

i'm home today, feeling quite ill. i've got a sore cough and slight fever. wrapped in the softest blanket imaginable, peppermint tea in hand, i get to meet with you. what's better than sitting in your presence, looking out through my window, watching the trees you created, blow in the wind. they're covered in snow; everything's covered in snow. and, it's beautiful. you're beautiful. this is the perfect day to think... and, i am beside myself. with so many thoughts teeming the space that should only be occupied with peace, i decide to turn my self off for a while. right now, i have the privilege of sitting by a window, and of course, i am journaling. the sky is gray and i can feel how cold it is outside every time i touch the window glass. you know, there's something wonderful about waking up early in the morning. there's like this glorious fog that you'd only be able to experience if you awaken at 3 or 4a.m. during my prayer time this morning, i felt as if i were sitting on a rock next to god in the cool of the day. i began to read "now the lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the lord is, there is liberty," (2 corin. 3:17). and then i read, "for you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn you freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…but I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh… but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…" (gal. 5:13, 15, 22, 23). happy snow day.

Addictions

I recently started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago, and surprisingly, I'm doing well. There's a point system that I have to adhere to, along with at least three to four days of cardio. I go to weekly meetings and I try to weigh in at least once a week. A major part of my success is due to the fact that I cut desserts from my pallet, and I stay as far away from anything sugar related. So far so good, until today... My friend Beth is one of the best bakers I know. She can make a mean brownie, and boy is it good! Today, she asked me to taste a piece of brownie she made because she needed a second opinion on whether or not the brownie was completely cooked. As she held the brownie in front of me, I said, "Asking me to taste that brownie is like asking a recovering crack addict to taste crack to see if it's good!" We laughed, but I tasted the brownie and instantly I craved another piece. In my mind, Weight Watchers went completely out of the window, and I began to rationalize in my mind about eating that brownie. I wanted a whole brownie and not just a small piece. What ever happened to sticking to the plan? "I'll begin again tomorrow," I said.

I can't tell you of how many conversations I've had with a few young adults this weekend on addictions. Some have been liberated from years of stuff, whereas others are in-and-out of the struggle and don't really know how to remain free. It breaks my heart because satan's plan is to get our youth so mixed up and so confused that they miss who they are in Christ. They believe that just because they struggle, there's no way anyone could understand their plight. They believe that if they shed light on their addiction, condemnation and judgment are soon to follow. This is the main question I was asked: How do you stay free without lying to yourself about "beginning again, tomorrow?"

I had a dream the other day about a nest of bees hovering over a large honeycomb. The bees were all shapes and sizes and of many colors. The honeycomb was huge and overflowing with golden honey that seemed endless. The bees hovered and fought for hours around the honeycomb because they were trying to fill their buckets with as much honey as possible. They were squeezing in between each other, grabbing as much honey as they could and then they flew away as fast as possible so no one could take the little bit of honey they collected. I saw a few scenario's of the dream, and then I awakened. The bees were us, hovering around the goodness of God. We were trying to fill our buckets with as much of Him as possible before we flew away as if to never get a second chance at a relationship with God. Instead of dwelling with Him all the days of our life, some of us chose to 'grab-n-go' - hoping that what we grab is sufficient for our life. Sometimes, we don't trust Him.

Addictions are strongholds. Bondage. God came to set the captives FREE. Allow God to unmask you.

God is our refuge and our everything. We've got to turn to Him continuously and trust that He'll be there to help us in our hour of need. He's our doctor, our father, our rescuer and our friend. No addiction or struggle can trump God's purpose for our life. Psalm 46:1-3 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear..." God wants us to trust in Him more than our addictions - more than our desire to crave 'just a little piece.' He wants us to trust that those dark places in our lives will be brought to light without the fear of condemnation. Darkness can not live in light. Once God gets a hold of the struggle because it was continually offered to Him, He'll turn it around. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."