Spring is in the air

A little bit of spring walked into my morning as nature's kind and thoughtful statement.  I sat still to absorb it all.  In my arms, lay a two-week old baby.  And God spoke to me.

How often does God speak to us?  As often as we are willing to listen.  But what does God sound like?

I looked out across flower topped trees, the block was ablaze with blooms and bees buzzing.  The wind whipped my hair against my face.  The sun beat down and warmed my skin.  I love Spring and the new freshness it brings to my mind and spirit.

Everywhere I look it is show time.

There is so much growth after a long winter's night of being still, a stirring of life, enthusiasm, and passion. Spring shows up and shows off, brim full of all things lovely.  Her attitudes are just are down-right contagious.  I love watching the evolving of nature's landscape as if the Creator holds back the hands of time for the exact moment in which the buds burst forth towards the sky, reaching to the heavens.  For a few calm days, spring can be quite lovely.  So it is with our spiritual growth.

New life, spring, growing, feels all warm and cuddly like a sleeping two-week old baby. Our spring is not an interruption but a continuation.

Spring is both a noun and a verb.  The season really shows evidence of germination, a gestation period and a resting or a seed coming to life.  A birthing of life, with a fresh spirit, budding, barking bright and brilliant.  Life blooms purple and pink to bring such brilliant hues to our views.  Sunrises to greet us good morning and blazing dusty sunsets tuck end our active days.

Creation responds with blooms that have been safely harbored under cover till their creative clocks tick tick around the block.  I'm a big fan the way God puts His signature on nature.  Noticing life inspires me to notice the works of God, He gives us everything and gives life to everything. When creation exhales beauty I feel God's rich breath of newness in my spirit.  Clean, fresh and oh so spic-and-span.

There are days when our faith journeys look just nice and neat.  

Spring is a verb.  I think about the unseen growing and shifting in the seemingly dead seasons of our spiritual growth.  There's the mysterious workings of the Spirit, to reveal divine evidence at just the right time.  Our lives are marching towards an eternal timeline.  In the holy undercover work, there seems to be a constant discovery, dependency and dispensing of God's grace and mercy.  

Life's interruptions are really a continuance of His Love.  Spring reminds me of God's generosity of grace that grows my spiritual life.

When winter rests on our hearts I tend to dwell on God's purpose in the pausing.  It's His time of my deeper divine design.  Everyone, everything, needs a time to revive it's purpose, restoring roots.  All created things need a recharge, resetting or sometimes even a brand new fresh start.  A letting go so new can be pushed through.

A letting go of something to show something.  A holy exchange.  And from somewhere near and far we are all silently singing..."Let it go, let it go...."

"Let God grow in my soul.  Have Your way Lord.  Oh Holy Spirit you are welcome here.  Come flood this heart with your atmosphere."

How many times have we felt stuck in our shame and guilt to feel absolutely paralyzed and suffocated from our past?  Those will-dos and should-haves keep us planted in our weak natures and compromise our intentions and goals towards our future.  

Letting go, forgetting and forging forward is evidenced in our spring growth.  

We have to allow God to restart our cold hearts about a dream or passion that lays buried deep within or just unshaped by our attitudes.  We have to allow God access to our hearts to change our heart.  

God not only wants our availability, He wants our accessibility.

Ezekiel 36:26  "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Spring is an holy exchange from our Artist who is ready to imprint a beautiful blueprint, something to linger in and on for His radiant maturing.  His springs are beautiful.

The Perfect Storm

We all need an encouraging word as storms come our way.  Let's get this out of the way first, it does no good to point fingers at who's fault life's storms are. It's just a fact of life that our days are full of "stormy days".  And pointing the finger of blame doesn't really help us at all, it just shames us into not talking about them.

We just need a big 'ole heap of courage and bravery every day because it seems the Christian life is full of storms of all kinds.  These days of faith are full of them, all sizes, shapes, colors, at any time and with much intensity.

I haven't always said this about those stormy days but God has personally taught me His faithfulness in many family storms.  And it's on the other side of those past life storms, I am comforted for the next one around the bend.  I am thankful God has such a personal way that He draws us unto Himself through the lessons of perseverance that He teaches in each squall.  If it weren't for them, I believe I wouldn't know God like I do today. 

Each passing storm gives me an opportunity to trust God in new and deeper ways.  

About 17 years ago, cancer was a daily part of our lives.  Those days were some of worst days of our lives.  But there was a purpose in the cancer, surgery, financial crisis, and the now pain filled days.  Our family has seen many dark and dim-lit days in the physical realm. 

When my husband was facing cancer, God comforted us with Proverbs 3:5-6 when it felt like we were on a bobsled to the unknown.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  I used to question God in the whys of reality until the one day He spoke directly to me saying..."Yours is not to question but to know that I will get you through this, you are not alone."

I go back to that comfort verse many days.  It reassures me that God knows what He is doing and is always trustworthy.  These life verses are my anchor in any stormy day.  As God teaches us in our storms, His Presence is known and His purpose is revealed. 

I don't know what kind of storm you are weathering right now, but know that God's truth remains something to cling to in both our calm and chaotic days.  God doesn't leave us in the middle of this life alone.  The storms we face are another opportunity to experience God's Presence in our daily lives.  A promotion of faith that we wouldn't be able to experience had it not been for those storms.

It's always amazing to me that God doesn't fail in sending or revealing His anchors of hope to get us through.  He is always ready to help in our rescue even when we want to give up ourselves.  He is always ready....to help us to mature us and promote us in our deeper faith journey.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." 

James 1:2-4

He freely sends hope as our lifeline in the midst of our stormy life to rescue us and draw us near to teach us about His character.  I am grateful for His hope that continues to be my anchor, because it is the only thing I can cling to in these days of faith.

Stormy or not.  Through the good days and not so good days, God is faithful and is my hope.  

No matter what storm you are going through, God is with you. He IS our Emmanuel.
No matter what you lack, God knows your needs. He IS our Shepherd.
No matter what you feel in your faith, you have not been forgotten about, overlooked, or put to the side. God is the great I AM.

No matter what storm comes knocking on your life's door, remember God is with us always and we are never alone. His will for our lives is for His kingdom to prevail. He goes before us and never leaves us, we can rest in the peace knowing that no matter what life brews as the current or next storm, that nothing can separate us from His mighty and endless Love.

If you’re in the midst of a trial, be encouraged, sweet friend.  God promises to mature and complete you through it. He also promises that you will be more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you. Pay attention to those words. Not a mere conqueror…but more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

I'm letting God’s promises seep deep into my heart. Our trials have a purpose. It forces dependence on God. It tests us. It molds us, eventually creating us into overcomers, and God is working our trial or storm for good, for His purpose and for our perfection of faith.

I call that a Perfect storm.   

Share about a storm you've endured. How did you see Jesus’ presence and purpose in midst of this storm?

What steps do you need to take to fully anchor your soul in the Lord and not in fear?

He is waiting to be asked

Photo credit:  Peter Cook

God wants to help you.  Yes, with everything.

Did you know that He even cares about the little things that are going on in your life?  In your messy life of yesterday, or today?

There is no problem to small for God to handle.

It reminds me of the time when I attempted to clean my writing corner.  There were notes everywhere.  Post-it's loaded with half-thoughts, sentences scribbled on scraps and little slips.   They were everywhere littering my work space.  I had let it go a little too long, the stack was piled high.

Honestly I thought it would have been easier to slide them all into the trash can.  I guess I am a little OCD when it comes to saving every scrap, even napkins with thoughts.  I might use it sometime ya know?  The corner was a little like the leftovers that reside in my refrigerator.  There's a little bit of this and a little bit of that, with verses written quickly.

I could have used some help but didn't ask for any.  It would have taken me half as long to clean it up and organize, sort through and pitch the thoughts that I had no intention of using or didn't make sense.  I could have asked for help and then I could have gotten done quicker.

But I didn't.  I quit half-way through because it was too much.  It was more than I wanted to deal with at the moment.  It was way too time consuming.

How many times do we approach God with those kinds of prayers?  We think he doesn't have time for us or that it would take to long to tell Him how we really feel or that we assume He is too busy to help us?

Have you told him lately what's on your heart?  Why do we struggle with the telling part of prayer?
Why do we think we need to wax poetic or say some eloquent prayer on our knees in some kind of worshipful pose?  Why do we think that God doesn't care?

God is waiting to be asked and invited into your problems, fears and hangups.  He is waiting for us to invite Him in.

When you don't want to ask God first, it means you probably should.  The fact that God doesn't care couldn't be further from the truth.  We should invite into every part of our lives, our day, our hearts.

How else are we going to gain the strength to get to where we are going?
How else are we reminded that we are not alone in this world?
How else can we set hearts on eternity?
How else are can we tap into our Powerful Source?
How else can we experience His beauty in worship?
How else would can feel the love he has for us each and every day?
How else unless He is invited?

I haven't found a better plan than to make God the center of the big things, the small things, the this and that, the scraps of thought, half-sentences and the overwhelming circumstances that plague our days.  I haven't found an refuge in my messy writing corner with notes so jumbled up there, but when I come to God with my little ideas about my life, He straightens everything out.  Especially my perspective, my heart.

He knows that I need to ask Him first, I know that He is waiting to be asked.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, 
the door will be opened."  Matthew 7:7-8  
"Yes, Lord, each and every time like it's a big deal.  I hear You...and I hear your knocking...I invite You in."  

Oh the price of prayerlessness!  

Music Monday [Christ Is Risen]

We celebrate Easter many ways. I love to spend it in church singing worship to the One who made today a reason to do the happy dance.  One of the most moving songs for me is Christ is Risen, it's a song that we sing on more than just Easter Sunday. This song brings worship to my soul. Plain and simple...Christ saves.  He took a brutal death on a wooden cross and He took the hit for me.  That is and will always be cause for me to celebrate.  

My favorite part of the song are these lines..

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but heaven's will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim 

My favorite part...is personal. Christ bowed beneath the weight of my sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Christ was obedient, He willingly went to Calvary.  The nails didn't hold Him, love did.  

Christ was born for my purpose and nothing thwarted God's plan.

Christ defeated Hell.  Someone had to tell Satan he has lost the battle for our souls.  

Jesus said he would rise again, and he did. That makes Him a person of his words. You can believe Him and  believe in Him.    

We have got the best news around town. Tell someone else! Celebrate that Christ's death has brought us life.  Through His death we too have victory over death. Come awake!  Hope is alive!