tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10852423488454434982012-02-13T20:09:10.833-06:00Is That You, Lord?Hearing His Voice Above All The NoiseShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.comBlogger2171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-24799953131759485852012-02-13T11:34:00.001-06:002012-02-13T12:05:19.845-06:00Stand At Attention(For the next couple of weeks I will be re-posting some of my previous posts to give me time to finish a writing project I am currently working on. This post is from March 22, 2011)
This weekend during our Sunday morning service the presence of the Lord could be felt from the very beginning. All through worship the holiness of God was proclaimed by those with hands lifted high, voices singing, Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-41577897779213954292012-02-06T19:35:00.003-06:002012-02-06T22:25:02.548-06:00The Tragedy of the Unopened Gift
It's so easy to get complacent and comfortable and self-absorbed and stuck in our routines until we eventually just...exist. No plans, no vision, no purpose, no desire to make a difference.
God has given each of us specific gifts and talents and abilities. He has entrusted us with a sphere of influence, a people waiting to know God through our emptying. Through our pouring out what has been Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-46171692687486629092012-02-02T18:02:00.002-06:002012-02-02T18:02:48.767-06:00Will You Consider Your Influence?
I was thinking today of the great ability we have to
influence others. This tool that has been placed in our hands has super-power
characteristics and super-natural capabilities. Within our own sphere of
influence lies a variety of people: adults, children, teenagers, married couples,
young singles, babies, recovering alcoholics, those on the verge of breakdown, those
contemplating suicide,Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-17770701192943859182012-02-01T22:06:00.000-06:002012-02-01T22:06:12.645-06:00What Are You Looking For?
(flickr creative commons - katieb50)
We’ve all heard the saying, “If it had been a snake, it
would’ve bit you!”
The “it” referred to in this common cliché is the subject of
our search, the thing or answer we are looking for but can’t seem to find,
the understanding we desire but can’t seem to grasp.
And then when we do find “it,” we realize “it” had been
practically right in front of Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-62191114846361107602012-01-29T16:22:00.002-06:002012-01-30T19:02:16.933-06:00Five Creative Ways to Share the Love of God in February
When you think of Valentine's Day you probably have visions of cupid aiming his arrow, romantic dinners, bouquets of roses and candy hearts that say "I love you." But apart from all the hoopla and at the very center of it's message, February 14th is about showing someone you love them.
And since God IS LOVE, why not use the month of February to take extra time letting others know how much HE Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-50511191333223414162012-01-25T09:59:00.000-06:002012-01-25T12:15:32.503-06:00Top Five Consequences of Over-planning
Courtney Dirks (flickr creative commons)
My last post, "Top Five Consequences of Poor Planning," has inevitably led me to this one.
On the flip side to poor planning lies over-planning.
Some of you know this side quite well, as noted in the comments on my previous post (not naming any names but hers starts with J).
And yes, even I, the sometimes poor planner, can work myself right Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-34965777458723279062012-01-23T16:07:00.001-06:002012-01-25T12:57:28.654-06:00Top Five Consequences of Poor Planning
Photo Credit - flickr
Poor planning can lead to all sorts of problems. And if you're anything like me, you have your own Top Five list from personal experience. These are mine:
Missed Opportunities. Many times I have come across great opportunities with every intention of participating. But if I don't write them down or put them on my calendar, guess what? I miss out. Dates are forgotten Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-78868265113677766482012-01-20T11:10:00.000-06:002012-01-20T11:10:47.552-06:00Still Persevering, Still Learning, Still Overcoming
Things have been a little quiet on my blog this week.
My apologies.
I have stepped back to get some things in order at home and in ME.
It's good to do that sometimes.
Remind yourself where you're going and why you booked the trip.
Make sure your laundry is washed, folded, and put away before you go.
Reorganize your suitcase to make sure you have all you need.
I'm not talking about an actualShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-23238236987225694992012-01-11T13:52:00.000-06:002012-01-11T13:52:28.006-06:00A Place Called Wit's EndPhoto Credit
My Pastor preached a sermon last summer titled: A Place Called Wit's End.
Have you ever been there?
Psalm 107:23-27 speaks of a group of mariners who have found themselves in the middle of the ocean in a dangerous storm. Their ship is being tossed to and fro, carried up and down and pounded by the waves brought on by fierce winds. Their courage is failing and they have no way Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-53339515390348733632012-01-02T22:10:00.005-06:002012-01-03T06:57:38.064-06:00No Brilliant, Guaranteed Plan Yet
It's natural at the end of every year and the beginning of the next to do a year-in-review of our life, highlighting the lows and highs, remembering moments that touched our hearts, and racking our brains to come up with a brilliant plan sure to guarantee monumental success and achievements in the next 365 days.
I hate to disappoint, but no brilliant, guaranteed plan yet.
(In fact, I feel Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-82240140539315086402011-12-23T00:30:00.000-06:002011-12-23T00:30:26.446-06:00When the Job is Too BigPhoto Credit: Tin Bucket Photography
It's so hard when the very thing with which you are encouraging and counseling others slaps you right in the face. (I thought I had this all worked out?) And immediately the accusations come and bring their friends...feelings of unworthiness and the thought that God must have gotten me mixed up with someone else more together or more "spiritual."
Do you ever Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-54134175568407474392011-12-03T14:07:00.000-06:002011-12-03T14:07:08.987-06:00And the Stockings Were HungAnd the stockings were hung by the chimney with care on the iron thingee I bought from Kirkland's because I don't have a chimney...
Sometimes our lives are not storybook or fairytale material. They may start out that way, but usually change somewhere in the middle of the first sentence.
Over the years, I have learned that we each have our own story. Different characters, different setting, Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-19378190569404176592011-12-01T08:59:00.000-06:002011-12-01T08:59:19.655-06:00When I Don't Want to Pray AnymoreSetting this post up like our church service: Announcements first. :)
I normally write for the Beauty & Fashion column for Blissfully Domestic, but this month I had the privilege of also writing for the Faith column. Would looooove for you to visit me there. :)
There are only 2 DAYS LEFT to sign up for the Ornament Exchange! I'm so excited...it's going to be fun, fun, fun! Have you signed up yetShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-2379212617592445952011-11-28T12:15:00.001-06:002011-11-29T17:45:07.927-06:00Cross Ornament Exchange(Cross I found on etsy)
I thought I'd do something a little out of the ordinary for this blog. Sometimes an unexpected interruption is just what's needed (especially if it's fun).
I am hosting my first ever exchange (swap). I've participated in a few over the years, but this is the first time I am playing hostess. I'm sure to make at least one mistake (*wink*), so thank you in advance for grace.Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-17760158299781141592011-11-23T08:29:00.001-06:002011-11-23T08:35:36.434-06:00More Than Just a Day to Say Thank YouAs the holiday approaches, I stop to contemplate thanks-giving. The subject of our celebration—gratefulness. The purpose of our gathering—the giving of thanks.
What is it that deserves this response of praise? This recognition of honor? What commands my thoughts as I meditate on this giving?
How can I choose when I have been given so much?
Yet to respond with a generic “everything” seems in Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-37428314821875556902011-11-12T08:54:00.000-06:002011-11-12T08:54:42.075-06:00Unexpected
Like an unwelcome visitor, an uninvited stranger barging in, interrupting life, dragging bags of disappointment and unloading boxes of hard to swallow news.
Family members die, friends divorce, leaders abuse, children rebel, houses are lost, jobs end, cancer invades.
And still He whispers, "Trust Me."
No matter how much we pray or cry or wish or scream, sometimes things are not ok.
When Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-88831555040534754782011-11-09T10:18:00.003-06:002011-11-09T21:56:56.450-06:00Have I Made This Gospel Fit?Photo Source
Last night I read a post on my friend Jen's page. She wrote of China and radical devotion and persecution and worship in the dark. Secret places and mountain caves and religion that is not free.
Her words and the picture created clenched my heart.
Jen...Just when we think we have given all, abandoned all, for His sake. We find, we have given little. A watered down faith, a Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-14440741965777846032011-11-08T12:04:00.002-06:002011-11-08T17:29:10.422-06:00I try. I fail. I try again.
Yesterday I posted about being mindful of what I leave behind. In other words, how am I relating to people and what am I giving them? When they remember our conversation or point of contact, what things have left a lasting impression…good or bad?
One of my readers commented about being convicted of this very thing but in relation to her home, her own family. I thought about this all night.
Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-82112833187461418992011-11-07T13:55:00.003-06:002011-11-07T14:21:08.087-06:00A Medley of Perfumed Mists or a Dirty Residue of Criticism?Last week at church I was keenly aware of the various fragrances my friends were wearing. As each of them greeted and hugged me before the worship service, bits and pieces of their perfumes dove into the fibers of my clothing. By the time I got to my seat I was a medley of perfumed mists, a field of flowers, a department store mix of designer samples, a smorgasbord of scents.
I know for some (Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-13343126569130097822011-11-03T22:53:00.000-05:002011-11-03T22:53:45.380-05:00Sometimes It's Easier to Pretend It Doesn't HurtIf my bedroom or closet is messy (and they usually are) I have a bad habit of walking through with tunnel vision pretending like I don't see it. Life is messy, too. Marriage and church and family and death and teenagers are messy. Sometimes it's easier to avoid the messes.
If I run into writer's block or only get 300 words in a day, I have a bad habit of closing my eyes and putting down my paperShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-65400672881018794882011-10-21T08:33:00.000-05:002011-10-21T08:33:48.913-05:00Where in the World is that Proverbs 31 Lady?
Bombarded by social media sites, blog rankings and the local P.T.A., women (and men) today face the temptation of becoming people pleasers and sometimes fall into the trap of performing for popularity or acceptance. Even in the church things can get a little mixed up.
Before you report me to the Pastor, let me explain...
To read this post in its entirety, please visit me and Lana (like Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-8556662590361766142011-10-17T17:35:00.000-05:002011-10-17T17:35:52.504-05:00From This Place
I sit, pretending to be be far removed from distractions and responsibilities. Really, I have just placed my old plastic outdoor chair near a neglected back corner of my home. A place I have not lingered before so its seems new. From here my eyes scan acres of property, noticing and listening.
Three horses to my right stand grazing while their donkey companion plays and rolls creating a cloud Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-83575932008417325582011-10-10T23:17:00.000-05:002011-10-10T23:17:37.707-05:00On Your Way to Your Greatest Place of VictoryNot too long ago I updated my fb status with these words:
Today I am thankful for bumps in the road...because when I hit one the rear a/c comes on in my Tahoe. So don't be discouraged if you encounter a bump in the road...something really cool may be about to happen.
I was, of course, being silly and serious at the same time.
It is true that my rear AC has some sort of short in it and comes onShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-802917828938877422011-10-07T13:28:00.000-05:002011-10-07T13:28:20.797-05:00Undercover Journalist, Smart Glasses & A Green ScarfThe past couple of weeks have been less than productive as far as writing, or rather, progress on my current book project. I know it's times like these I just have to keep pressing forward. I often find myself feeling anxious and questioning if I am in the "perfect will of God." I know that being anxious is evidence of worrying about the future and I know what the Word of God says about that...soShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-70279386921210931212011-10-03T20:09:00.000-05:002011-10-03T20:09:40.638-05:00Fearless (repost)Having computer issues (and working on some other issues) so I am quickly republishing a post that started my year off many months ago...and reminding myself and you that He is with us...even when our knees are knocking...
Fear can be crippling.
And, if you let it, it can steal your destiny.
This plundering thief, if given the power, has the potential to disable your spiritual authority, take Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-65944843848495338262011-09-27T09:57:00.000-05:002011-09-27T09:57:11.806-05:00A Morning in the PropheticI woke up singing this morning.
Blow, mighty breath of God
Move upon this place
Blow, mighty breath of God
Come and move in power and grace.
It seems my spirit was communing with God before I even opened my eyes.
The last week and a half, though, has been challenging. There are things, spiritual things, contending for our future and the plans God has for us. We must be willing to fight back Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-31925063732851654712011-09-19T22:44:00.001-05:002011-09-19T22:53:06.560-05:00CHS 20th High School Reunion & My 39th Birthday(Photo by James Howard Hefley)
Today is my 39th birthday. Tomorrow begins my journey to 40 and since I'm a writer, I decided to write about it. You can read about my 20th Reunion and see more pics on my other blog: BECOMING 40.
Please pray for me. I am working on a schedule and some sort of plan of action to help keep me on track and complete more assignments. Seriously, I need help. lol :)
HappyShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-34312356017421641782011-09-17T00:31:00.000-05:002011-09-17T01:31:48.110-05:00Choose JoyThis morning at 5:30 A.M. I lay in my bed anxious to check the topic for today's 5 Minute Friday post. As I scanned the page my heart sank. The topic... JOY, but the inspiration for its choosing left me already struggling to find such.
Sometimes it's hard to choose joy.
But that's exactly what Sarah has done. Found at the top of her blog, the words, CHOOSE JOY, courageously encourage all who Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-79415541763051625542011-09-15T08:18:00.000-05:002011-09-15T08:22:16.577-05:00After the FireThis morning around 9:30 A.M. our daughter left for a babysitting job. By 11:30, there was news of a fire and mandatory evacuations in the area she was located. Needless to say, I kicked into mama-mode. I updated my facebook status with a prayer request, called my husband and started praying. As I prayed, I found myself asking why. Why the outbreak of so many fires recently?
Over the last Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-73211600672909052312011-09-12T20:18:00.000-05:002011-09-12T21:08:04.832-05:00Choosing To Be Filled Again....and Again
Did you read my post yesterday? We had a powerful, emotional, hope-filled, proud to be an American service at church and I wrote about it here.
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Recently I committed to posting scriptures and encouragement every morning on my facebook ministry page. Today was the first day to do so. I also had a few other things on my plate for this manic Monday. I Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-34898800166347506552011-09-11T22:53:00.003-05:002011-09-11T22:53:30.575-05:00Hear It On Sunday, Use It On Monday & A Tribute
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. We will not fear. Psalm 4:1-2
At the beginning of service this morning, the congregation rose, hand over heart, eyes fixed on our American flag displayed proudly at the front of the stage. In unison, voices pledged allegiance to the red, white and blue and sang of the land of the free and the home of the brave.
A Tribute Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-82044068712402594052011-09-09T14:21:00.000-05:002011-09-09T22:17:32.011-05:00(More Than) 5 Minute Friday, in real life, & an On-Line (un)Conference(Please continue praying for Texas and all those affected by the wildfires and working to put them out. Send Your rain, God.)
I popped over to The Gypsy Mama for the normal 5 Minute Friday post and was surprised to discover this. It sounds really amazing and I can stay in my pajamas…bonus! Maybe you can come, too? I'm thinking...pajama party?
In keeping with their theme, in real life, I decidedShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-69803335238078074922011-09-07T14:02:00.000-05:002011-09-07T14:02:15.579-05:00My Top 5 from the "Yes to God" WebcastFirst and foremost, friends, please remember to pray for my home state, Texas, and all those affected by the wildfires as well as those risking their lives to fight the fires. We need rain and we need a miracle. I know that even in the midst of this, God is bigger and He is still good.
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Last night the webcast offered by Lysa Terkeurst and Ann Voskamp was Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-6323521938922825502011-09-05T02:37:00.000-05:002011-09-05T02:37:15.445-05:00It is Good to Draw Near
For some time now I have felt God's invitation to come closer...an invitation to know Him more...to fellowship and worship all throughout the day. At times I have to just stop and kneel beside my bed, even if only for a few minutes. And some nights, like tonight, sleep is no rival for time in His presence. My body is tired but my spirit is doing cartwheels.
This morning our Pastor finished up Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-47435536757108895752011-09-02T11:43:00.000-05:002011-09-02T11:43:52.364-05:00Finding REST in a Narrow Place
Joining today with Gypsy Mama and a community of others to offer a spill about REST.
Losing our football game last night prompted me to consider times of loss, adversity, disappointments, etc. Although defeat comes with a sting, it is temporary and can be a vehicle to victory. It is easy for me to jump on the encouragement train and speak words of wisdom to my fifteen year old, but what Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-55677476370575597452011-08-31T13:10:00.002-05:002011-08-31T17:19:21.538-05:00imperfect prose: i am His
finding joy in the stilllearning rest in the not-to-dolistening in the quietencountering Him.
i feel His pursuiti hear the sound of His breaththis breath of lifeblowing like a great wind over me.
i will not be found hidingafraid in sin and shamebut turned and runningto meet my Pursuer.
loved and forgiven i receive this giftempowered and filled i break freecalled and commissioned i Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-55533518895808915402011-08-29T19:42:00.000-05:002011-08-29T19:42:25.104-05:00God's Holy Pursuit Part 2(Part 2 of the message I heard Sunday is further proof that my Pastor is sneaking a peek at my notes.)
As my Pastor stated Sunday morning, there is a diminished presence of God's Spirit in the church today.
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." ~Matthew 24:12-13 NKJ
The Spirit of lawlessness has invaded the last Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-43456298460180468612011-08-28T17:27:00.001-05:002011-08-28T22:49:23.100-05:00Hear it On Sunday, Use it On Monday: God's Holy PursuitI'm not sure if my Pastor ever reads my blog, but I am certain he stole my private notes for his sermon this morning.
Either that, or we are listening to the same voice.
Remember my Hebrew study of Genesis 1:1-2 for a section in one of the chapters of the book I'm writing?
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-27888813876589911132011-08-24T17:28:00.000-05:002011-08-24T17:28:37.949-05:00imperfect prose - less air to breathe(Linking a past post with Emily for Imperfect Prose)
Head on our pillow, our body rests but our mind cannot.
Unrest and worry attempt to grip our soul.
Tempted to give in, our mind wanders and begins to doubt.
Suddenly there seems less air to breathe...squeezed and emptied, our faith becomes small.
Uncertainty and fear take root.
Reeling from the events of the day - the month - we become Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-86992664643853816582011-08-23T10:37:00.003-05:002011-08-23T18:28:52.364-05:00(un)Disciplined Writing, Grateful & What I Heard SundayFirst Grade :)
I am on a journey. I am learning. I am growing. I am being confronted with self. I am changing.
"People change when the pain of remaining the same becomes greater than the pain of changing" (John Maxwell).
Although I have always had a love of words, it was not until recently (within the past year) I gave in to what I feel is part of my calling in ministry. It required releasing Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-78388088115659330872011-08-18T00:40:00.000-05:002011-08-18T00:40:55.444-05:00thirsting to be filled
rivers run dry, lifting sand, exposing rootsground cracks open, thirsting to be filled
the earth cries out for rainas a soul pants for streams of God's holy presence
barren, exposed and unproducinglives crack open, thirsting to be filled
awaken, all creation
listen for the sound of approaching thunderprepare and wait in anticipation
watch and see what the Lord will do
linking with beautiful Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-25684023843448224652011-08-17T10:50:00.000-05:002011-08-17T10:50:41.238-05:00Wordless Wednesday - Every Wall is a DoorLinking today with 5 Minutes for Mom - Wordless Wednesday
Every wall is a door. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-51019651524217074322011-08-17T09:52:00.000-05:002011-08-17T09:52:30.751-05:00Believing, Speaking, Living
Another challenge I received this weekend while reading beautiful posts from friends around the blogosphere was to consider this question from Kyndra Steinmann:
"Does what is in my heart defile what I offer, or am I living the Gospel clearly and fully?"
In other words, am I giving action to the words I write and speak, or are they just lip service? Do I truly believe what I say and live what IShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-86348490423088828112011-08-15T14:31:00.002-05:002011-08-15T15:00:10.066-05:00She Likes Me...She Likes Me NotPhoto Credit
What is this proverbial inability to remain confident in Christ in me and who I am in Christ?
Girls, I know you know what I 'm talking about.
Things are fine and then suddenly, out of nowhere, something happens and we feel rejected, disappointed, let down, discouraged, deflated, unworthy...not enough. We forget to Whom we belong.
Why do we (I) look to other things to make us feelShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-79630426168781713952011-08-14T11:38:00.002-05:002011-08-14T12:58:16.885-05:00Period, Space, Space & Other Old Habits
As the title and tag line of my blog suggests, God is indeed always speaking, if we only have ears to hear. I find that - more often than not - whatever I'm learning in the physical usually parallels something spiritual God is trying to show me.
One of my recent status updates on facebook said this:
ONE space after a period. ONE space after a period! Anyone else have a hard time with this? Man,Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-87281575639529495352011-08-14T11:17:00.000-05:002011-08-14T11:17:33.914-05:00Silent SundayShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-44254145909512356272011-08-12T00:46:00.000-05:002011-08-12T00:46:01.376-05:005 Minute Friday - BEAUTYLinking with the Gypsy Mama for 5 Minute Friday
GO.
Beauty.
What is this word that sounds so familiar but has more meaning than the common definition holds?
Camouflaged and hidden under a blanket of misconceptions and false ideals, beauty is really more than meets the eye.
When one knows and is keenly aware of exactly what it is that he is searching to find, the mystery becomes clear and the Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-76799998041505490242011-08-11T00:19:00.002-05:002011-08-11T08:02:57.390-05:00imperfect prose on thursdays...i choose himtoday i am linking up with emily for imperfect prose on thursdays
and i leave behind capitalization, punctuation and fluff
choosing instead unedited thoughts and transparency
because sometimes we just need to talk
no walls, no rules, no expectations
**********************************
i must confess this type of post scares me more than any other
words written are not forgotten and do not Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-11608515623420822672011-08-10T00:08:00.000-05:002011-08-10T00:08:45.928-05:00Wordless Wednesday - Wide is the OceanToday I am linking up with 5 Minutes for Mom for Wordless Wednesday (less than usual, but not completely wordless).
(This month our daughter turns 19. Wide is the ocean in front of her.)
"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Psalms 139:9-10
Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-29691573626858857722011-08-08T11:01:00.000-05:002011-08-08T11:01:08.475-05:00Repentance, A Response, & A Great AwakeningSaturday was an incredible, intense day of worship, repentance, praise and prayer. Over 30,000 people attended The Response in Houston, TX and I was honored to have been a part of it. Over 100,000 others joined online via live-streaming video (that number is probably much greater given the churches who hosted the event only counted as one hit on the internet although there were many in Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-88401033577458212912011-08-05T00:37:00.001-05:002011-08-05T00:50:24.583-05:005 Minute Friday - WHOLELinking with the Gypsy Mama on this Friday...
GO.
WHOLE.
I don't always feel whole. Sometimes there's empty, sometimes there's lack, sometimes it feels like there is something missing. I can imagine I am not alone. Brokenness would seem to chip off pieces here and there, leaving some out, losing some, forgetting others. How can one be whole when one has been broken?
When the One doing the Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-6187382292265970302011-08-04T15:36:00.002-05:002011-08-04T15:36:50.785-05:00The Response - A Call to Prayer for a Nation in CrisisShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-34808930204167823142011-08-03T08:10:00.001-05:002011-08-03T08:13:02.641-05:00He Carries MeToday I am linking with 5 Minutes for Mom on Wordless Wednesday.
I am on a journey, not alone. Even in those times when I can only see one set of footprints, it is because He carries me when I cannot take another step on my own.
(Remembering Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson)
*************************Counting my gifts with Ann V.
#19-25
knowing I'm not alone, even when my feelings Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-88115224763128372492011-08-02T12:25:00.000-05:002011-08-02T12:25:06.346-05:00Hebrew Study of Genesis 1:1-2I am studying Genesis 1:1-2 for one of the chapters in my book.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." KJV
I'm trying to study further the phrase MOVED UPON at the end of verse 2. What does this mean exactly? Why move over the waters, Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-35847538997173758852011-08-01T10:55:00.003-05:002011-08-01T12:57:08.856-05:00What is This Gift if I Refuse to Give?
Ann Voskamp spoke these words in our meeting last Saturday night and I am forever changed:
"Not only do we open our hands to receive the gift, not only do we become gifted because of the gift, our very lives become our gift back to the Giver."
This is living. This is ministry. This is worship. This is loving.
We were challenged at the end of the service to write down things that were holding Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-83460624660432995192011-07-31T20:32:00.000-05:002011-07-31T20:32:54.789-05:00Where I'm FromA few days ago we were challenged with a writing prompt in one of our writer critique groups (TWV2). We were given a template based on George Ella Lyon's poem, "Where I'm From" and encouraged to open memory files from long ago to create a few stanzas about our lives, sharing details and events and pictures to unravel the mystery of our beginning.
I was going to skip the assignment because I Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-61656298631259377592011-07-26T12:42:00.001-05:002011-07-26T12:53:27.049-05:00A Process Begins and Continues(She Speaks - Part 2)
Messages from this weekend continue to burn in my heart. The sound of 650+ women worshipping together, hands lifted high. The sound of silence and tears shed in the prayer room. Hearts open, fears exposed, spirits connected.
Dreams remembered, vision restored, hope renewed, love rekindled, hearts repaired. So many stories, each unique, found in a chair, head bowed...on a Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-6449836950489379002011-07-22T00:53:00.000-05:002011-07-22T00:53:37.510-05:00My She Speaks Journey BeginsThursday morning 5:15 AM wake up call. Hugs and kisses goodbye to my family...out the door at 7:45, picked up by my friend and roomie, Robin. On the plane at 10:12 and on our way to a weekend I'm sure we will never forget.
And so begins my journey to She Speaks...
I have flown probably 7 or 8 times, but have always had my husband or someone with me giving me instructions and telling me what Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-89487906546588147322011-07-15T06:55:00.001-05:002011-07-15T07:00:54.573-05:00Confession #2: An Airbrushed Photo & Self-PromotingIt seems I've opened a can of worms with this confession thing. Unthinkingly naming my last post Confession #1, I have distinctly implied that there must be a #2. And I know you've been anxiously awaiting (A girl can humor herself...especially at 5:30 am okay?).
Here goes...
In preparation for She Speaks, I read many articles, several of which said it would be good to have business cards Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-91638073987236371292011-07-13T23:33:00.001-05:002011-07-14T09:21:12.804-05:00Confession #1Tonight I sit secluded in my parents' guest room, my mom out of town and my dad asleep on the couch. :)
This week has found me struggling to prepare my book proposal for She Speaks. And after two days of wrestling - because that's what it has felt like, complete with a sore back and neck - I have put it down for the moment to hear God speak.
He is so patient with me and He is faithful even Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-83628706386627704752011-07-12T16:26:00.000-05:002011-07-12T16:26:06.647-05:00Time is a GiftI am preparing for the P31 She Speaks Conference so thought I would re-post something I had already written. I would appreciate and cherish your prayers as I continue making preparations. :) Time is truly a gift....
Today I Lingered in the Moment
There I stood, walking from my mother's house to my own, a small trail between the two. My eyes forward, I watched my six year old bouncing toward Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-86734029246932815812011-07-08T23:00:00.001-05:002011-07-08T23:01:11.453-05:00A Key Prophecy by Chuck Pierce(I received this in an email today from Chuck Pierce/Glory of Zion Ministries. Please click to visit their website for more information. A great and timely word.)
A Key Prophecy from Chuck Pierce
"You will have a new place to stand. However, do not rush to establish your footing. In this new place, many changes will take place, so be willing to root and then be re-rooted. I am beginning to Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-27088129819187017792011-07-06T15:40:00.003-05:002011-07-06T18:27:06.913-05:00how can we reach them unless we see(today i am linking my words with others and emily for imperfect prose. i have only found her this week and feel like i have uncovered treasure. she is an amazing writer and artist. you will be blessed to visit her blog. also be sure to check the listed links for some encouraging words from other writers as well)
walking through fields of corn too tallstanding on tip toes to get a peekwhat isShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-52780001150452090302011-07-05T00:00:00.002-05:002011-07-05T00:42:13.139-05:00Dedicated, Depleted and DeterminedI am joining the Sisterhood :) and linking this post with Jen and some others at Finding Heaven Today. Please click the picture at the bottom of this post to visit some other pages if you have time and need the encouragement...
Yesterday at church our Youth Pastor (and friend) filled in for our Senior Pastor who is on vacation. The words he spoke hit me like a ton of bricks. As soon as he Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-48092304721743330632011-07-02T13:25:00.000-05:002011-07-02T13:25:26.931-05:00Reminding Myself...Reposting from February and reminding myself....
Teach Me To Surrender...
Performance and achievement based Christianity is tiring and heavy, hindering intimacy and relationship with our Savior. It fosters pride and fear of failure.
Surrendering and allowing God to work through us to achieve His purposes and reach even greater heights than imagined brings freedom.
**Performance puts the Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-16465453700916892122011-07-01T08:11:00.000-05:002011-07-01T08:11:52.535-05:00Ability vs. CapacityMy mom shared this yesterday and it really spoke to me. History has shown that a lot of us are usually in the same place or going through a similar season, so I thought I would share it to. :)
A Word by Mark Chironna:
Ability and capacity are different. When you arrive at new positions and levels of influence a gap is created, the gap exists between the demands of your new position and your Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-8416323121756196312011-06-29T12:13:00.000-05:002011-06-29T12:13:11.399-05:00What We Must Do When the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days ComeThis morning I walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water. As I turned on the faucet I noticed tiny black sugar ants attacking a spilled drop of Kool-aid. I followed their trail up to the window, where they had somehow found an invisible entrance into my home on their quest for something sweet to drink.
They were very intentional about their target. Militant in their traveling, one by one Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-45771000501981804812011-06-27T12:23:00.002-05:002011-08-15T17:56:34.366-05:00An Invitation...A Call To Intimacy(From my journal last Friday night 2:00 a.m.)
Dark outside, the day sleeps. The only sounds uttered are those of tiny crickets hidden in blades of grass. The only movements made by the glaring red numbers on the clock, a gentle reminder that time continues even when everything else seems to stop. My body commands sleep but my soul awakens, desperate for its Maker.
In the stillness, He is Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-21099956403895342102011-06-22T16:15:00.001-05:002011-06-22T17:33:44.377-05:00How Did That Grow There?
In my hurried state, I step over it, never glancing down to confirm its existence.
But he, six and very aware, focuses in on the lone weed trespassing on the pavement.
"Mom, how did that grow there?"
Turning around I notice the obvious subject of his question. Hard and rough, the asphalt lies bare except for this intruder that has somehow found its being where it should have been Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-68442082726362338342011-06-20T20:07:00.001-05:002011-06-20T20:08:09.862-05:00Updated BioI finally updated my bio (sort of). Please feel free to take a peek.
About ShellyShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-3968699246654635652011-06-16T16:44:00.002-05:002011-06-16T17:13:14.103-05:00Unworthy but Invited to ComeOne by one- secret chambers of my heart are being opened, a light shining into the darkest of corners...exposing that which was hidden even from myself. I can hear a gentle knocking, the Lord calling me to Himself. The closer I come, the more of me that spills out, revealing things binding me to this place. Pride, selfish desires and ambitions, unforgiveness, neglect, careless words. Unworthy Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-11804173193926327042011-06-11T14:04:00.000-05:002011-06-11T14:04:19.578-05:00It's HIMThe perfect place of resting in who I am in Christ...of knowing it is not what I can do but what He can do through me...
Why is it sometimes hard to stay in that place?
Tempted to succumb to the pressures and opinions of the world which unfairly categorizes, labels and judges...motivated by false hopes, worthless dreams and aspirations that glorify self...validated by human praise, acceptance Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-90003891922929589902011-06-07T14:13:00.001-05:002011-06-07T14:30:02.362-05:00Don't Forfeit Your DestinyDon't you love it when God is dealing with you in a specific area? Or several at a time? Feels good, doesn't it?
Not really.
But how will we ever become the person we were created to be without correction, rebuke and repentance? The truth is....We won't.
With that being said, one of the areas God is dealing with me about at this very moment is self-discipline, or more specifically, the lackShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-83526067005363306282011-05-28T21:05:00.002-05:002011-05-28T21:23:42.706-05:00Unqualified and Not Good EnoughEver notice how it's easier to preach something than it is to live it? Kind of like...do what I say, not what I do?
Our fourteen year old son is very competitive and plays several different sports. Any time his team loses a game, I am always quick to remind him that you can't win every time and that losing sometimes is a part of life. I usually go into how the whole experience can teach him Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-71449041546193013172011-05-24T23:27:00.000-05:002011-05-24T23:27:02.717-05:00Finding Something in a Time of LossI close my eyes and I can see his face. I can hear his laugh and the shuffle of his old, tired feet in his worn out cowboy boots.
Today, I said good-bye to my grandpa. Even though I know our good-bye is only for a season, this dull aching deep inside will not rest. I know time will heal and the pain will lessen, but tonight my heart hurts. He lived a long 92 years and it seems selfish for meShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-85783513198391371212011-05-19T13:22:00.001-05:002011-05-19T13:27:38.248-05:00Questions, Preparations & A Writing Sabbatical
Often I sit in my "writing chair" (aka: the cuddler recliner I stole from my husband), the place where stories are formed and words are strung together to take on new meaning, soaking in moments of solitude when the only movements left in the house are those made by sleeping beauties.
Today, I sit alone at my breakfast table (aka: dining table, craft table, game table) reflecting on the last Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-51053016456432001162011-04-28T10:50:00.002-05:002011-04-28T11:14:51.076-05:00Connecting the Rabbit TrailsSitting, waiting in the drive-thru line at Sonic, my eyes begin to explore and my mind wanders, provoking random thoughts building upon one another, leading into the next until finally....a bridge, connecting the rabbit trails.
And this is why I keep pen and paper in my car (And in the absence of paper, sometimes McDonald's napkins become my journal pages....).
In front of me is a beautiful,Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-1118172551618058032011-04-24T09:55:00.002-05:002011-04-24T23:14:46.209-05:00Jesus Has Risen!!(Part 3 of 3 - Click to read Part 1 - Crucify Him and Part 2 - Is Jesus Really Gone?)
With not much sleep the night before, one by one they awaken and remember.
They remember that Jesus has died... and the memories of the harshness of His death come flooding back.
Deep breath.
It's difficult to wake up and grasp what has happened. Two days ago proved to be the most tragic and hardest Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-33968922022119861792011-04-23T21:23:00.002-05:002011-04-24T23:16:15.215-05:00Is Jesus Really Gone?(part 2 of 3......find part 1 here)
I can imagine the morning after Jesus was crucified.
His mother, eyes and face swollen from tears emptied from the depths of her heart...her body void of strength...
His family, His friends....His disciples...
All who followed and believed...
The air is heavy and it's hard to breathe. Even the birds find it difficult to sing.
Is Jesus really gone?
The Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-23382295584674562432011-04-23T01:06:00.001-05:002011-04-23T22:54:34.376-05:00Crucify Him!I close my eyes and I can see the trail left in the dirt.
I can hear the shuffling of His feet.
The sun beating down, the crowd unrelenting.
"Crucify Him!"
Shouts of hatred fill the streets.
"Crucify Him!"
Moments before, it was clear that Jesus was innocent.
"Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in Him no grounds for the death penalty...." (Luke 23:22).
Crucify Him!
...Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-61348197489980491972011-04-18T13:54:00.000-05:002011-04-18T13:54:28.926-05:00Give Me Grace To Rise...I am praying for inner transformation for me personally....and the grace to rise.
This prayer seems appropriate...
O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee, I long to be filled with longing, I thirst to be madeShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-54003513024084930142011-04-10T15:23:00.001-05:002011-04-10T15:29:04.411-05:00What's That Smell?There are no words to describe what I found in my refrigerator this week.
Hidden way in the back, growing in secret, changing colors until it was no longer identifiable, and smelling really bad.
Really, really bad.
In fact, the smell is what prompted my investigation.
I take pride in my house smelling good, so when Child #3 opened the fridge and unleashed an odor not so fresh and lovely, I Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-14011625398915027572011-04-08T13:46:00.001-05:002011-04-08T13:47:01.073-05:00Limitations, Plane Tickets & Sponsorship Info :)I often hear and read articles about how to go beyond limitations put on us by other people. This is true...people do place limits, restrictions and unhealthy boundaries on us (according to their own ideals and convictions) if we allow them to. And they can have a profound effect on our destiny. But what about the limits we place on ourselves?
I was reading a post the other morning about howShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-84834239222301827332011-04-03T00:07:00.000-05:002011-04-03T00:07:41.987-05:00Six WordsMany are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. ~Proverbs 19:21
I could write a book on all the plans I have made for myself and all the times I've tried to figure things out on my own.
In fact, I am writing that book :)
But for now, I'm entering another chance for a scholarship to the She Speaks Conference in July to attend the Writer's Track. Our Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-62139230419268214962011-03-26T22:15:00.001-05:002011-03-26T22:22:05.172-05:00Things Aren't Always What They SeemHidden in whispers of concern, criticism and judgement clothe themselves in convincing disguises.
Envy compliments through forced smiles.
Manipulation and control wear many masks, often confusing even the one on whose face they rest.
And there is not even one who is exempt from the trickery of pride. Pretend humility.
Things are not always what they seem.
It is easy to read this and Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-90980847622834417602011-03-25T20:18:00.001-05:002011-03-25T20:19:11.069-05:00My Soul Longs For HimNo matter where I may be at the moment, or what my circumstances are, His presence always refreshes and sustains me. Set aside some quiet time with Him and be refreshed and renewed in His presence this weekend.
(Reposting from 2010)
All morning my spirit sang "My soul longs for You.....my soul longs for You..." Over and over again.
I could feel an invitation. It was an appointed time for meShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-59769892623684600872011-03-22T11:53:00.000-05:002011-03-22T11:53:56.220-05:00Stand At AttentionThis weekend during our Sunday morning service the presence of the Lord could be felt from the very beginning. All through worship the holiness of God was proclaimed by those with hands lifted high, voices singing, sacrifices of praise offered to the King of Kings....the Holy Spirit moved down the aisles of the sanctuary tugging at heavy hearts and giving invitations to come.
Healing and Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-1694518716336138882011-03-19T12:27:00.001-05:002011-03-19T17:22:44.975-05:00Less Air To BreatheHead on our pillow, our body rests but our mind cannot.
Unrest and worry attempt to grip our soul.
Tempted to give in, our mind wanders and begins to doubt.
Suddenly there seems less air to breathe...squeezed and emptied, our faith becomes small.
Uncertainty and fear take root.
Reeling from the events of the day - the month - we become servants to our circumstances and the thoughts they Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-6853822205842368132011-03-08T22:47:00.000-06:002011-03-08T22:47:27.255-06:00He Knows Me BetterIt is easy to look back over the course of one's life and see God's hand at work. His supernatural intervention. Divine direction. Loving (and much needed) correction. Footprints in the sand.
But often, in the midst of our right now, the center of our present circumstances, "seeing" God at work can prove to be a difficult task.
Perhaps, that is why it is called faith.
"Now faith is the Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-16305794731949958422011-02-28T12:55:00.000-06:002011-02-28T12:55:40.206-06:00Teach Me To SurrenderPerformance and achievement based Christianity is tiring and heavy, hindering intimacy and relationship with our Savior. It fosters pride and fear of failure.
Surrendering and allowing God to work through us to achieve His purposes and reach even greater heights than imagined brings freedom.
**Performance puts the focus on ourselves.**
Surrender puts the focus on God and His ability, encouragesShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-68994797908927384452011-02-25T18:59:00.002-06:002011-03-08T22:48:48.149-06:00Stepping Out of the BoatI did it.
I registered for my first Writer's Conference (See button on my right side bar).
You may be thinking "What's the big deal?"
But seriously, it was (and is) a huge, huge deal to me.
A leap of faith.
A beginning of beginnings.
After completing the registration form, I sat at my computer with my finger on the submit button for about 30 minutes. I nervously tapped the button ever Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-50321054243301805722011-02-11T13:54:00.001-06:002011-02-11T13:55:19.643-06:00PeachyKeen: Who's Coming With Me?You won't be sorry that you took the time to read this! :) Click the pink link to visit my new friend, Rachel from Western Australia, and be encouraged today!!
PeachyKeen: Who's Coming With Me?: "Beloved Daughter of The Most High God, it is time for your voice to be heard. The keys to eternal promises and truths lay in your hands waiting to unlock the treasures bestowed upon those who are Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-38933788518689108912011-02-07T20:59:00.000-06:002011-02-07T20:59:52.915-06:00Let's Talk! Tuesday
It's been since last August that I submitted a Let's Talk Tuesday! post. I put the weekly random posts on hold for an indefinite period of time. Not sure that I'm restarting them, just felt like offering up some randomness this week!! :)
Feel free to link up and join me if you'd like....I will leave Mister Linky open all week and would love to come visit your blog, :) OH, and you canShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-74158933116812167352011-02-04T19:59:00.001-06:002011-02-04T20:12:04.801-06:00She Speaks Conference 2011So, I just added a new button to my sidebar! Isn't it pretty?! :)
I did not get to attend this conference last year, but I'm hoping this is the year it all works out! I'm stepping out in faith and starting to plan! :) More info on the conference (speakers, sessions, etc) is supposed to be released next week.
My plan is to register for the Writer's track and also attend a Speaker bonus Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-4038904027306652482011-01-29T11:39:00.002-06:002011-01-31T14:27:41.856-06:00Trying to Find the Perfect Balance for My TodayThe other day on facebook I updated my status with these words: Trying to find the perfect balance....it's essential.
Essential for what? At minimal, survival, I think, as sometimes this is as good as it gets (...keepin it real...). But other times, to function at our greatest potential, maximize our gifts, strengths and abilities for maximum output. Yes, I do believe this is possible.
Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-41688045860332879262011-01-20T00:14:00.000-06:002011-01-20T00:14:42.025-06:00Today I Lingered in the Moment...There I stood, walking from my mother's house to my own, a small trail between the two. My eyes forward, I watched my six year old bouncing toward me with his arms spread as wide as the landscape. Suddenly my heart pounded and I was flooded with memories and the realization that this place in time won't last forever.
I found myself breathing deeply, lingering in the moment, reluctant to let goShellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-5678414760344513352011-01-13T16:55:00.003-06:002011-01-13T18:09:50.689-06:00On the Outside It's Hard to Tell...God stands knocking at the door of our soul, waiting for an invitation.
And He beckons us to come to Him.
He tugs at our heartstrings, gently pulling at the most tender places, wanting to heal and mend our brokenness, take away our unforgiveness, replace our hatred, forgive our sins, and fill our emptiness with His all-consuming love that we do not deserve.
But oftentimes, we isolate Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-67826507549013260422011-01-09T14:53:00.000-06:002011-01-09T14:53:31.033-06:00Time of Progression-Part 2: Arise and Go OverMoving from one place to another always involves change. Whether spiritually, physically, emotionally or mentally, change is imminent to get from here to there.
And since moving forward is an action, it requires that we DO.
Do something or stay where we are.
Consider Joshua after Moses had died.
And God said..."Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-84627478588196836282011-01-06T23:18:00.001-06:002011-01-06T23:20:45.144-06:00Time of Progression - Part 1I'm finding a familiar theme in my writing these last few weeks. Somewhat hidden among paragraphs and sentences, I've discovered a word and/or phrase that I believe will hold true for much of the body of Christ this year, if they so choose.
The word that keeps appearing on my blank pages and resounding in my ears is progression. Whether forward progress, moving forward, forward movement, or Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1085242348845443498.post-70635980187709360312010-12-30T22:41:00.004-06:002010-12-30T22:51:50.689-06:00FEARLESS - My Word For 2011Fear can be crippling.
And, if you let it, it can steal your destiny.
This plundering thief, if given the power, has the potential to disable your spiritual authority, take your vision, prevent you from speaking/writing/singing or whatever it is that you are supposed to be doing, and bind your feet together, prohibiting any progression toward fulfilling your purpose.
Scripture assures us Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672003996136914533noreply@blogger.com3