One Thing

I sit on the floor of a bookstore and I am overwhelmed as I pour over titles and covers and table of contents and skim chapters and pages of so many books I lose count. Thousands of souls lay bare in front of me. Bare and exposed and powerless to withdrawal their words, authors stare at me from back covers.

To imagine my own book on these shelves one day is terrifying. I picture my words here...available for any stranger to read...to love or to hate.

I feel vulnerable.

This writing is an exposing of one's most inner thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and fears.  It is an uncovering, a confessing, a revealing.

My heart beats fast and I am afraid. Afraid to succeed. Afraid to fail.

A familiar voice tells me I will never be good enough and I can never work hard enough.

And then I remember our reflection verse this week in our current Online Bible Study. I remember Martha and Mary and I remember the one thing.

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42.

As I dig a little deeper I discover what my heart already knows. There are many matters that cause us to be anxious and distracted from the one thing we were created for. There is only one thing from which all other things are birthed that is required of us. It is the better choice and it is good, beneficial, and worthy.

It is to sit at the very feet of Jesus. To surrender. To exalt Him above everything else in our lives, no matter how pressing or important or necessary. When Jesus calls, we must accept His invitation.

As I consider my current project in light of this scripture my thoughts change. This writing is an exposing and all those other things, too, but it is more.

It is worship and it is sacrifice. It is intimate and it is personal but it is not mine.

As I sit at the master's feet, as I chose the one thing that is required and good, then will His purpose pour out of me and then will His glory be revealed in my story and through my words, whether they ever find their way to those bookshelves or not.

As you surrender those things that are causing you anxiety, whether it is work or ministry or tribulation, and find your place in His presence, you will have chosen well.

As you lay down those distractions and cease striving and doing and working to prove yourself or make sure everything is just right, and instead sit at the feet of Jesus, you shall hear His word as Mary did.

Verse 39 says, "And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word."

As Mary settled near Jesus, she heard his word. She positioned herself close enough to understand every word He said and she heard Him.

I want to do everything I can for God. I want to lead Bible studies and write books and teach and encourage others and fulfill my purpose. I want to understand and know and hear Jesus. But it must all start by sitting at His feet. We must find a place near Him and dwell there. His presence is our starting point. It is the place from which everything else we do must begin.

Can you lay down those distractions and surrender your anxieties today? Can you cease for a moment and spend time at the feet of Jesus? I'm praying you can. I'm praying I can. Let us sit together and listen for His words.

Father, your word says as we draw near to you, you draw near to us. We choose to draw near to you today. We long for your presence and desire to hear you speak to us. Help us to lay down whatever might be keeping us from you. Give us courage to trust and strength to obey. Have your way in our lives. Be glorified in all we say and do. We choose the one thing, the better thing. We choose you. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

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Linking with Melissa Taylor and a community of women for the last week of our current online Bible study, Stressed-Less Living, by Tracie Miles. Click here to find your way there.

Our next study, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa Terkeurst, starts July 28th. Want more info? Click here.

Never Alone

Lay it down. 

Release it all to me. 

Step away and step into my presence.

A time of separation and a time of connection. 

A time of tearing down and a time of building.

These were some of the things God spoke to me years ago when He asked me to walk away from a large part of what had become my identity and comfortable place.

Sometimes He asks us to do hard things. And we don't always understand the purpose in His asking or how what He's asked us to do could be for our good. It doesn't always make sense in the moment.

But trusting Him requires surrendering our will for His. Trusting Him requires believing He is working for our good. Trusting Him requires sitting on the Potter's wheel as we take take shape in the palm of His hands. It sometimes means letting our plans and dreams die. And it takes faith.

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Ex. 33:14

No matter where He asks us to go, He goes with us. 

On page 97 of our current study (Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles with MTOBS), Tracie unknowingly pens a part of my story:

"As we make our faith a priority and learn to trust in God's plans even if we do not understand them or like them, the doors will be flung wide open for God to enter our lives and begin His mighty work. During the wait we are called to fall on our knees just like Hannah and pour out our hearts to Him. We are each called to live life in a state of dependency on Him..."

In Exodus 33:14-18 Moses pleads with God for His accompanying presence and asks to be shown His glory. His dependency is on God and He knows that without Him, He might as well stay home.

At the end of His response to Moses's requests, the Lord agrees to send His presence and to show His glory. Then He says, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock."

There is a place near Him for each of us. In our surrendering to His will and in the realization that we can't do what He's called us to do without His presence and His glory we assume our proper spiritual position. It is here, in this place, that we are more near God than anywhere else.

In verse 21, the word place in Hebrew is MAQOWN, which means: standing place, post, station, city, land, region, place of human abode, etc. MAQOWN originated from the Hebrew word QUWN, which means: to arise, become powerful, to be established, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, etc.

When we are in that place near Him, His plans and purposes for our lives begin to take shape. His plans are established. His purposes are fulfilled. And His power can be displayed through our lives.

Also in verse 21 is the word stand. The Hebrew word is NATSAB, which means: to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish, be stationed, be appointed.

This word is a verb, which conveys an action or a state of being. In that place, we will stand (we must take action, DO something, and BE that which God has called us to be). It is a place of appointment with and by the King of Kings.

The Lord is calling us to Himself. As He does so, He will require things of us that are hard, scary, impossible, and beyond our human abilities. But when we wholly surrender and position ourselves in that place near Him, His presence and His glory will not only sustain us but go with us and enable us to do that which He has planned for us to do.

We are never alone in His presence. And when we don't understand why He's asking or requiring certain things of us, we can rest assured that His plans are so much greater than ours.

Today, He has called you, anointed you, equipped you, and appointed you. 

I believe that place has been created by God and is reserved for each of us. In it is found our destiny and our purpose. There, His grace is abundant to do that which He has ordained us to do. There, His goodness is undeniable. There, His glory is all consuming. It is there, in His presence, in that place that we are so near Him, that we are changed, made whole, healed, and set free! It is there, that we are able to give out what He has placed within us. 

If His presence does not go with me, I do not want to go. 

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Joining with Melissa Taylor and a community of women as we seek God and His word in our current Online Bible Study: Stressed - Less Living by Tracie Miles

(Part of this post is taken from a previous post of mine, A Place Near Him)

How Your Facebook Status Can Change the World

Do you believe what you say and do affects others?

It does.

Do you want your life to make a difference?

It can.

Everything in your life (yes, down to your Facebook status) can make an impact on someone's life.

Today we have a greater opportunity to influence and reach others than ever before. Social media sites, blogs, YouTube - it's CRAZY to think about how much power is at our fingertips.

Just this morning while writing this post my blog was being viewed in three different countries. And in the last twenty-four hours - Germany, Canada, France, Israel, India, Russia, and the US.

It humbles me to think a mother in China is being encouraged by my words. Or that someone in South Africa is starting to believe God really does love them because they read it here.

Without a passport, I have traveled into homes across the world. The Philippines, Malaysia, Aruba, United Kingdom, Netherlands, China, France, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Japan, Thailand.

And my #1 referring site?

Facebook.

Even if you don't have a blog but you have a Facebook page, what you say matters. What you write has power.

Your words are affecting someone. Your family, your friends, your community, your school, your co-workers, your children, your children's friends, your parents, your teachers, etc.

When I post a scripture on my fb status, it's like opening the Bible with possibly a thousand other people or more. And if they decide to share my post on their page or copy my status to their status, the influence grows. Good news travels fast.

Unfortunately, so does bad news.

Ever notice how quickly people respond to a negative fb status?

What you say matters.

Your fb status really can change the world, or at least a part of it.

• Open the Bible with your friends
• Spread good news
• Be encouraging
• Speak the truth in love
• Refuse to criticize, judge, and condemn
• Live a life set apart - out loud
• Choose joy

People are watching, listening, and reading.

Someone is having a bad day.

Someone feels hopeless, alone, and afraid.

Someone is contemplating suicide or abortion or abandoning their family.

Someone is searching for truth.

What are your words saying?

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Linking with Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood :)

Biopsy Results, Surgery, and On Making a Difference

Update: Thank you to everyone who prayed for me recently. My biopsy results came back clear. Thank you, Jesus. I am moving forward with a hysterectomy and biopsy of my left ovary in two weeks. It is nice to know you will be praying for my surgery (I'm a big baby about needles and such). I am looking forward to complete recovery and putting this all behind me. I am not good at slowing down and much prefer operating at 100 percent. :)

I read a status on Facebook this morning from a friend (thanks, Pastor Carl) that said:

"I used to be afraid I would not make enough money, now I am afraid I won't make enough difference."

It's funny how our goals and objectives change as we get older. I have spent a large part of my life with goals like

• build a new house
• drive a new BMW
• finish my college education
• go to Europe

Not that any of those or wrong or that I don't still want to accomplish them, but they have moved down a little on my list. And really, if they don't happen, it's not a big deal anymore.

With my children becoming adults and my husband and I getting older, my thoughts now drift to how my life has made a difference and what things are still left to do that will impact those around me for good and for eternity.

• Have I loved my children enough?
• Have I said I'm sorry enough?
• Have I been a good friend?
• Was I kind to strangers?
• Did I show mercy, judge less, offer grace?
• Did my words build up or tear down?

I don't want to live without making an impact on the people in my life. If I err let it be because I've been too good to others and not too evil. If I fail, let it teach others and myself a valuable lesson and let the experience make us better and help us find God more. If I make a mistake, I pray my children and others can avoid the heartache because of consequences I suffered.

So whether or not I ever build a new house, I will choose to love.

If I never drive a new BMW, I will forgive more and judge less.

If I never walk across the stage with diploma in hand, I will refuse criticism and offer grace.

And if I never use a passport, I will choose to be kind.

Let this life of mine make a difference. Let my husband be a better man because of my love for Him. Let my children love God more because they know their mother does. Let my family relationships and friendships be filled with joy and peace and goodness because it is not I who lives but Christ in me.

Instead of finishing another semester of college, I sit at my desk and write. I pour out my heart through these words and pray that somehow they make a difference to those of you who read them. I pray that I can be more vulnerable, share more struggles, be more transparent...for His glory alone.

How have your goals changed? Have you noticed a shift in your thinking and focus?

(Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons-Lindsay)

Linking today with Jen for Soli Deo Gloria

This Knowing...It Changes Me

I stand at my sink and scrub potatoes dug from beneath the earth in dad's garden.

I slice squash and zucchini and take chicken from the oven and I know.

I know this mothering really is ministry. This loving of family with dinner cooked and laundry folded is more. This serving my husband is not just physical.

It's all things I know but as the words form my heart grows.

It is in this making of a home that God is seen.

It's in this loving that God becomes known.

My husband arises while it is still dark and kisses me goodbye and this daily sacrifice for our family is worship to our God.

I listen to the sound of our children sleeping, tucked in beds warm and safe and theirs. I count my blessings and thank God for this ministry.

This knowing ...it changes me.

Suddenly daily frustrations take on new meaning and I ask forgiveness for my unseeing eyes.

Like yesterday in the grocery store where my flesh ruled and my heart followed and this unsettling affected my spirit and took my joy...but I had provision to buy everything I needed.

Or at the doctor's office when things didn't go as I imagined they would and though my smile was present my heart was polluted and my thoughts impure...but my son is healing and my family is whole.

Or the pile of dirt by the front door from shoes thrown inside without dusting...but the game of front yard football was fun and we laughed.

Or this house that is too small and these dishes that fill the sink daily...but this family fills the table and my arms are full.

These things aren't meant to take our joy, although they can if we choose. They are for growing and reminding and changing and thanking.

I begin today with my eyes open and my heart bowed.

I stretch these hands wide and worship my God who causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

And, oh, how I do.
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Linking with beautiful Emily today.

Even If I Fail a Thousand Times

Flickr Creative Commons - Henrique Pinto

This past weekend I attended my first local writer's group meeting in person. After attending She Speaks last summer, I have numerous writer friends and relationships online, but locally, not so much. I love that we are able to transcend state boundaries and miles of highway and form relationships with the help of the Internet, but I also know the importance of face to face time. (And I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of all the lovely new faces I met!)

I know we go through various seasons in our lives, some more lonely than others. I have been there. And all those seasons are necessary. But I am thankful also for those times God connects us with people and partners and soul sisters.

There is something about being surrounded by others who share your passion.

It feels like community. It feels like home. And it feels nice.

But it's also scary.

It requires vulnerability and transparency and willingness to receive correction. And of course, there is always the possibility of rejection.

But what would life be like if we never took chances?

If we never risked being hurt for the chance to be loved? If we never risked failing for the chance to succeed? If we never opened ourselves up to correction in order to grow?

Just like relationships, the very calling on our lives can be (and usually feels) risky.

For me, putting my words out there for all to see and judge and criticize can welcome anxiety if I think about it too much (and sometimes I do). Writing a book seems overwhelming at times, and has actually caused me to lay the whole project down a time or two (or three).  Once published, there is no taking words back.

I could just sit home and socialize via facebook and email. And I could keep my words hidden in my journals and private files on my computer. (Some days this is definitely my reality)

But I've decided I don't want to miss out on all the good God has planned, even when there's some yuck mixed in (because you know, there is always some yuck).

Flickr Creative Commons - Abi Skipp

I've decided the chance for success and the hope of fulfilling my purpose is worth the risk of failure.

Even if I fail a thousand times.

(Remind me of this every so often, okay?)

All dreams and goals and big plans require risk on some level.

What is your response when faced with something that feels a little scary?

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Linking with:

Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood

Michelle at Graceful

Shanda at A Pause on the Path

Laura at The Wellspring

Dare to Be YOU

The other day I was considering my life in the moment. Isn't it funny how we go through seasons and stages and up and downs and failures and successes and sometimes never learn what God is trying to teach us?

Rarely satisfied and often discontented, we are unable to live our lives fully and take advantage of opportunities right in the palm of our hands. We compare ourselves to other people and yearn for what we don't have.

Yes, I do that sometimes.

We can get so caught up in who we are NOT that we forget who we ARE.

We can spend so much time thinking about what we DON'T have that we forget what we DO have..

I read this quote this morning:

"Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand." ~Bruce Barton

What opportunities has God laid before you?

What are you holding in your hand, refusing to release?

Honor God today by using the gifts and talents you already have.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us..." Romans 12:6a

Don't long to be like someone else, dare to be who God created YOU to be!

I'm rootin' for ya, sisters (and brothers)! But more than that, God is cheering you on!

And remember, God is always speaking. But if we are not listening, we won't hear Him. Position yourselves to hear from the King of Kings today! He longs to tell you great things!

Really, He does. :)

"Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
- Jeremiah 33:3

Photo credit: Ian Burt - Flickr Creative Commons

Won't You Join Me on the Swing?

Sixty whole minutes before time to pick Taylor up from the high school. I didn't want to drive home and have to come right back, so we headed to the city park. It would provide a much better waiting area than the school parking lot.

Logan bounced from the Tahoe and went straight for the playground and I, gifted with an hour of leisure (or so I thought), found the perfect spot on the grass for my blanket and books.

I tried to read a few sentences between glances at my wandering seven year old, but my mind had shifted into mama mode making it difficult to concentrate or retain any information other than what pertained to my little man. From the jungle gym to the monkey bars to the merry-go-round and finally to the swings.

Faster and higher and higher and higher.

As a kid, I remember swinging as high as the swing would go, pushing and stretching it to its limits and then jumping off. I remember the excitement and exhilaration I felt as I climbed as high as possible and then contemplated the exact time I should jump. I don't remember being afraid or even getting hurt.

But as I watched Logan do the same thing I did so many years ago, all I could think was, "Oh no, be careful! Not so high! Watch out!"

Where had my excitement gone? Where was the risk taker and girl who wanted to test limits and boundaries and gravitational force?

It seems part of growing up and "maturing" is learning to be afraid, learning to be safe, and learning to accept mediocrity. Now, I know there is an argument on the flip side about how all this is good, because certainly it is wise to be safe. But today, I am exploring the possibilities and opportunities often missed because we are too scared to move out of our comfort zone - our "norm" - and take a chance at greatness. We refuse to take risks because...what if...?

For me, attending my first writer's conference last summer was scary. Getting on a plane and traveling from Texas to North Carolina (without my hubby by my side), sharing meals and attending classes with six hundred women I had never met before, going face to face with two publishing houses for a fifteen minute pitch, sharing space with Lysa Terkeurst, Renee Swope, Ann Voskamp and countless others who are national and international speakers and published authors, having breakfast on the last day with two new friends and finding out one was working on her thirtieth book (yes, 3-0)...all this is a little intimidating.  Hang on I'm hyperventilating....be right back....

Ok.

Deep breath.

Sorry, I just remembered I'm signed up to attend again this summer and got a little anxious.

I also remembered I'm taking the speaker's track this year (plus writing classes and meetings) and will have to prepare two short speeches to be critiqued.

Have mercy.

When we refuse to break away from the norm (if God is asking us to do so) and live a dream, write a book, produce a CD, enter a contest, accept a speaking engagement, lead the local PTA or PIE at our child's school, facilitate a Bible study, start a business, coach a team, use our gifts as more than hobbies, change careers or accept another job, we could be missing out on God's plans and purposes.

God often asks us to do things outside of our own ability so His glory and strength and power can be known and displayed through our lives.

Don't listen to the voice that says you can't do it.

We may not all slay lions and fight giants and conquer cities or publish books, but He desires to use each of us to bring His glory to the earth and build His Kingdom (not our own) in one way or another. For some that may mean praying bold prayers and interceding for people you don't know, for others it may mean:

• raising Godly leaders for the next generation 
• being a voice in your community
• teaching children's church
• encouraging those who are hurting
• praying for someone in the grocery store
• going on a mission trip
• trying out for American Idol or The Voice - vote for Raelynn! :)

I haven't jumped off the swing yet, but I'm swinging. My stomach is queasy and I feel excitement building. I'm a little nervous, but I think that's ok. As long as I don't plant my feet in the ground and refuse to swing (I've been known to leave skidmarks).

Is God asking you to do something out of your comfort zone?

Is He asking you to move forward with something, to take action?

Let me take some pressure off and put your mind at ease. You can't do it. Nope. But He can do it through you. And that's exactly what He wants to do.

Won't you join me on the swings? I'll let you jump first. ;)

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Linking with Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood

The 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 deposited, not only are we re-filled and refreshed and strengthened, but other hearts are mended and souls are restored because.

Those assigned to our sphere of influence are waiting for us to do something.

But the choice remains ours.

The Tragedy of the Unopened Gift

To sinful patterns of behavior that never get confronted and changed,
Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed,
Until weeks become months
And months turn into years
And one day you're looking back to a life of
Deep, intimate, gut-wrenchingly honest conversations you never had;
Great bold prayers you never prayed,
Exhilarating risks you never took,
Sacrificial gifts you never offered,
Lives you never touched,
And you're sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul,
And forgotten dreams, and you realize there was a world of desperate need,
And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself-
You see the person you could have become but did not;
You never followed your calling.
You never got out of the boat.
-Gregg Levoy

A few years ago I was teaching a bible study in my home and I ran across this poem. I used it in our introductory session as a reminder that each of us have a purpose and can make a difference, but we also have the choice not to. We have to encourage ourselves (as David did) and live each day with purpose, take risks, love, remember our dreams, and open the gifts that God has placed on the inside of you (and me!)!!! Don't wait until the end of your life and see the person you COULD have become, be that person now.

Write that book.

Start that business or non-profit.

Paint those beautiful images God has given you.

Speak your testimony.

Sing. Act. Dance. Create.

Serve. Help. Exhort. Pray.

Do.

Something.

The gift has been given.

It's time to share it.

(Photo Source: Flickr Creative Commons: asenat29)
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Linking with Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood. You should join the party :)

Also joining graceful Michelle :)

From 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 of dust on the parched Texas ground.

In another pasture, my daughter's horse stands tall resting under a shade tree.

I notice the ease and grace with which these creatures move. Confident and strong they rest in who they are.

My ears tune to the birds singing a melody of praises as they celebrate.

The wind blows giving rhythm to the leaves around me.

I marvel at the variety of activity witnessed from this place.

All of creation purposefully existing at once.

Living, thriving, resting.

Knowing, accepting, being.

And I, another small part of His great design, sit writing.

I have found my place.

Give me strength, Oh my God, to live and thrive and rest...in You.

To know, accept and be who You created me to be in this place prepared for me.

Sisters and friends, I pray that you stand confident and strong, resting in the place created for you. There is a place for you. And you are not here by chance.

"My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret and intricately and curiously wrought (as if embroidered with various colors) in the depths of the earth (a region of darkness and mystery). Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days (of my life) were written before they ever took shape, when as yet there was none of them." ~Psalm 139:15-16

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Linking today with Jen at Finding Heaven.

Dedicated, Depleted and Determined

I 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 opened his mouth and began speaking I knew God was using him to deliver a message and I, its intended recipient.

Simply but profoundly titled "From Desire to Desperation," my personal message immediately challenged and convicted me.

Isn't it funny how sometimes you know what God is going to say before He says it?  It amazes me how He drops His word in our spirit and sets off an explosion in our heart.

To set the stage, Pastor Timothy used the example of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 starting in vs. 8.  It is hard to miss Hannah's desperation in these verses. She not only desired a son, she was utterly desperate.  She committed herself to God in this matter in such a way that she was emptied of everything.  In dedication and determination, she poured out unto God relentlessly. 

Hannah was dedicated, depleted and determined.

Point 1: TRUE DEDICATION

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new." ~2 Corinthians 5:17

When we are dedicated, we are wholly committed to something, set apart, reserved and consecrated for a specific use or (sacred) purpose (source: dictionary.com).

True dedication to God means, as the scripture states, that old things have indeed passed away and all things have become new.  We are a new creation and our life should reflect the change.  The way we think, the way we speak, the way we love, the way we forgive, the way we encourage, the way we serve...everything we do and everything we are should be centered in the person of Christ.  Not that we are perfect (because we aren't), not that we will instantly gain victory in every area and over every stronghold (because we won't), but that we live intentionally and purposefully, completely submitted and dedicated to the life we now live, consecrated and set apart for a sacred purpose.

Point 2: TRUE DEPLETION

I just read  a guest post by Todd Henry on Michael Hyatt's blog the other day titled Why I Hope to Die Empty.  If you haven't read it, I encourage you to do so.  It's really, really good.

TH's friend asked the question "Do you know what the most valuable land in the world is?" After numerous wrong guesses of places like diamond mines and oil rich lands, he replied, "It's the graveyard... because with all of those people are buried unfulfilled dreams, unwritten novels, masterpieces not created, businesses not started, relationships not reconciled.  That is the most valuable land in the world."

This statement brings conviction to live and the freedom to do so.  TH states "My only job—each and every day—is to empty myself, to do my daily work, and to try as much as possible to leave nothing unspoken, uncreated, unwritten."

As we fill ourselves with God's Word and become empowered to do that which He's called us to do, we should do it.   Just do it  (Sounds so simple...) .Pour ourselves out first to Him in worship, sacrifice, prayer, dedication and then to others in service, encouragement, love, forgiveness.  In the pouring out of ourselves - our needs, wants, desires, hurts, disappointments - and in the emptying of all that He has poured in -healing, provision, peace, love -, spills out ministry and the gifts He has placed within us. 

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" Galatians 2:20.

In our emptying, we surrender all.  Just as Hannah surrendered the very thing for which she cried out so desperately (1 Samuel 1), we too must realize the blessings that come are not so that we can hold onto them, but so that we can release them back into the hands of God.  It isn't our ministry, our book, our child, our song, our life....it's His...and it's for His glory alone.

3. TRUE DETERMINATION

How determined are we to find God?  To find His presence and dwell there?  Do we look for Him as treasure?  Do we thirst for Him?

"O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water"
Psalm 63:1.

Each of these points challenged me and caused me to look within, to evaluate my level of desperation.  Am I truly dedicated?  Am I truly depleted?  Am I truly determined?  My flesh and desire to please people or have them see me in a certain favorable light wants to proclaim "Yes!"  But in my heart of hearts, the transparent and honest answer is...no.  Yes, I love God, Yes, I have desire, but my level of desperation is not enough.  There are some things I must still surrender, some things I must lay down, some things I must let go. 

As God is preparing each of us for His purposes, I pray that we become desperate.  Desperate for Him and desperate enough to empty ourselves so that He can live through us.  Whether in writing, speaking, praying, singing or to whatever ministry He has called us, I pray that we are able to lay aside those things keeping us from moving forward.

We can be truly dedicated, depleted and determined. 

We must live purposefully and intentionally.  We are created for a sacred purpose.

In seventeen short days I will board a plane for North Carolina to attend the She Speaks Conference.  I am nervous and feel very inadequate but I know God is going to speak to me there.  In addition to gathering a plethora of knowledge, I am praying to receive divine direction.  I am laying down some things in order to attend, setting some things aside, and letting some things go.  I feel my desperation increasing. I know He is leading.

Won't you pray for me and allow me to pray for you, sweet friends?

Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation ~Psalm 62:1.

Time of Progression - Part 1

I'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 taking a step forward, it's all the same.  The words began to fit together for me like a jigsaw puzzle. 


I feel like this is going to be a Time of Progression.


Progression: 


*Definition- the act of progressing; forward or onward movement; advancement


*Synonyms - advancement, boost, break, breakthrough, development, evolution, forward march, going forward, giant strides, growth, headway, improvement, promotion, step forward


Let me just say, I get excited when I study words.  And this list of synonyms is reason for a little shouting!


On a hunch, (aka....slight nudge from Holy Spirit) I took one of the synonyms...evolution...and expanded a little more.  Are you ready for this?  You're not driving and reading are you?  If so, you might want to pull over.


*change, enlargement, expansion, flowering, growth, increase, maturation, transformation, unfolding


My. Oh. My.


Can you feel it?  God is wanting to do something big in and through His people this year.  And He's wanting His people to do something big in Him this year. 


Of course, there are pre-requisites.  We'll get to those a little later.


And just to make sure you understand, I thought I'd let you in on something else I found.


Since we got excited over a few synonyms, it's only fair that we give equal time to some antonyms.


*blockage, hesitation, withdrawal, decrease, halt, stoppage


So, basically, the opposite of progression , or moving forward (enlargement, expansion, growth, maturation, transformation), would be blockage, hesitation, withdrawal, decrease, halt, stoppage.


Makes perfect sense.


In Exodus 14, God had delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, but at the first sign of trouble, they became very afraid and began to cry out to Moses..."Have you taken us out here to die?  Why?! We would have been better serving the Egyptians!" 


I can hear it today...


"Why, God?  Why did you bring me here if I was just going to get hurt?  Why is it so hard?  Can't you see the enemy trying to attack me?  I would've been better off staying where I was."

V.15 - And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me?  Tell the children of Israel to go forward." (emphasis mine).

**The Hebrew word for forward in this verse is Naca, which means to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart, lead out, cause to spring up.


They had been delivered from bondage, but they couldn't stop.  Action was required.  They had to depart from where they were, and move forward in order to step into what was next for them.


There are many scriptures in the Bible where God had already given the victory, but the armies of the Lord had to take action, and go forth, go forward, advance in order for the victory to become reality.  In other words, God had a plan and made a way, but He didn't just do it for them.


So God has a plan and has made a way for me, for you...our victory is certain, unless we stay where we are.  This will have a different meaning for each of us.  He wants to mature us, enlarge us, expand us, grow us, increase us, transform us.  What instruction is God giving you?  Where is He telling you to go?  What is He telling you to do, to get rid of, to repent of, to speak, to pray, to teach, to write, to apologize, to ___________?   What is the action He is requiring of you?  Only you know.


This year will be a time of Progression for many.


A year of Progression for those who say yes.


A year of Progression for those who push through their fears.


A year of Progression for those who aren't afraid of change.


A year of Progression for those who will hear God, and obey.


A year of Progression for those who turn a deaf ear to man's opinions.


A year of Progression for those willing and obedient.


A year of Progression for those who allow God to transform the ruins in their lives.


A year of Progression for those who find their place near God.


A year of Progression for those who do more than talk about what God has told them to do.


The choice is yours.  You can move forward.  I heard in my bible study this week from Beth Moore that we are the greatest obstacle we will face.  Sad, but true.  Don't be the reason you miss your destiny.

Jeremiah 7:24 - "But they would not listen to and obey me or bend their ear (to Me), but followed the counsels and the stubborn promptings of their own evil hearts and minds, and they turned their back and went in reverse instead of forward."

Help me, God, to hear you and obey and move forward with you.


To be concluded.....Stay tuned for Part 2: Arise and Go Over!.....coming soon....


*from dictionary.com
**from biblestudytools.com

A Place Near Him (reposted)

(Reposted from earlier this year...)


One of my favorite passages of scripture in the bible is found in Exodus 33. Moses tells God that if His presence does not go with him, then he does not want to go. He then asks the Lord to show him His glory.

v. 18 And he (Moses) said, "Please, show me Your glory."

v. 19a ....Then He (God) said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you....."

v. 21 And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock."

God said there is a place near Him....

In verse 21, the word place in Hebrew is MAQOWN, which means: standing place, post, station, city, land, region, place of human abode, etc. MAQOWN originated from the Hebrew word QUWN, which means: to arise, become powerful, to be established, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, etc.
I believe there is a place for each of us where we are more near God than anywhere else. A specific place. And when we are in that place, He will establish us there, causing His plans and purposes to persist in and through us.

Also in verse 21, is the word stand. The Hebrew word is NATSAB, which means: to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish, be stationed, be appointed.

This word is a verb, which conveys an action or a state of being. In that place, we will stand (we must take action, DO something, and BE that which God has called us to be).

v. 22 "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by."

In that place, the glory of the Lord is so great that we, in our current state, cannot handle it. So much so, that God will have to protect us, lest we be destroyed. He told Moses He would make all His goodness to pass before Him and that He would proclaim the name of the Lord before Him. In that place, God's goodness is revealed! And His name is proclaimed so that all who see it will know that it is Him!

I believe that place has been created by God and is reserved for each of us. In it, is our destiny, our purpose. There, His grace is abundant to do that which He has ordained us to do. There, His goodness is undeniable. There, His glory is all consuming. It is there, in His presence, in that place that we are so near Him, that we are changed, made whole, healed, and set free! It is there, that we are able to give out what He has placed within us.

If His presence does not go with me, I do not want to go.

I pray that the glory of the Lord will be revealed in my life, that I might be near Him and know that which I was created for, that He might establish me in His plans and purposes (not my own) and so that others can see His grace and His goodness through me. That I might find that place....

I pray, today, that you might find that place and that His glory is revealed through you!

Please Send Someone Else!

(Re posting from 2008)

Moses felt inadequate and questioned God about sending him to rescue the Israelites.

Ex. 3:11 "Who am I, that I should go and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

 He felt inadequate because he was! ....in himself. But God did not expect him to do it alone or in his own strength.

Again Moses reminded God of his inadequacies and weaknesses (like He didn't already know!) and pleaded with Him to reconsider and send someone else.

v.10 "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

v.13 "O Lord, puhleeeaaassseeee (emphasis added) send someone else to do it."

First, God's reply was -

v.11 "Who gave man his mouth? Who made him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

and then
 v.12 And God said "I WILL BE WITH YOU"

But after Moses continued to beg to be replaced by someone more qualified or with a Masters in Speech and Communication :-) , God agreed to let Aaron (Moses' brother) go and speak for him.

Moses was so overcome with feelings of inadequacy that he could not trust even God's ability to help him. Been there.

My friend J. (quiltermamma) commented on my last post about the bible stories we heard growing up. No mention of struggles, inadequacies or weaknesses for the most part. (Where's the reality in that?!) Just plain ole superheros of the bible! But truth is, they were ordinary people like you and me. People (superheros) who had struggles and problems and issues. People who when God called them to do something, sometimes didn't think they could do what He was asking! But the one thing that I believe gave them superhero status was that they did it anyway! Even if they whined a little in the beginning (or ran away for awhile!), they eventually obeyed and fulfilled their mission, their assignment. They allowed God to do great things through them.

Each of us has been given an assignment. Probably several assignments. Let's remember what God told Moses, "I will be with you." He doesn't expect us to go alone. He knows our weaknesses and inadequacies. The great thing is, He loves us anyway! And He doesn't change His mind about His plans for us!

I have so often been filled with feelings of inadequacy and thoughts of "I can't" or "There's no way" or "You want me to do what??" or "How, God?" or "Can't you send someone else??" and the list goes on! When the world (and the church) so freely exercises their judgement and takes pride in exposing other peoples' weaknesses, stepping out in faith and doing something you've never done before and don't feel qualified to do can be terrifying! I mean, leaving the wilderness with your GPS set for Egypt can be a little less than exciting! (Especially when the last time you were there you were a wanted man!)

Moses was worried about how the people would respond to him.

Ex. 4:1 What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say "The Lord did not appear to you."

As Moses, I too have also done this many times. The What-If Game. I can sit and play several scenarios in my head of different things that COULD or MIGHT go wrong. What if I mess up? What if I say the wrong thing? What if they hate me? What if? What if? What if?

When we put our eyes on the people and not the assignment, we get into big trouble. People can be scary! (Can I get an amen?) And mean!

So, as I am traveling once again through the Old Testament, I am being reminded that I am a perfect candidate for helping to carry out God's plans and purposes on the earth. My resume is filled with some of the same "qualifications" as Moses and other bible superheros. Not that I should be ok and content with my weaknesses and inadequacies, but that I should not let them be a reason or excuse to give my assignment to someone else or allow them to stop me from fulfilling my purpose. God choose me (and you) even with all of our flaws. We have to learn to trust God's ability, and not our own. He is a big God. And even when we don't, He knows what He is doing.

XO