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Trisha Keehn

Writer

Trisha Keehn is a creative writer fueled by a lifetime of faith. She is part of the Life.Church and YouVersion Bible App creative writing team, and uses her broadcast news background to help companies choose their words wisely. Trisha is a wife, mom, coffee connoisseur, lover of libraries, and a savvy traveler.

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The Beginning of Community

Starts in your soul

Minutes pass slowly, as I breathe in the gentle air of Heaven. The resistance in life that tugs on every string I try to pull has frustrated my once settled soul. All these outward cravings clouding the inward search are a clue that my living has become a cover up to the cries beneath what can be seen.
He says it’s courage that has led me down a difficult road, beyond the grave of woundedness and denial, to enter into this desert of being alone.
“Do not run,” He says, “just be still and quiet. Listen to your own struggle.”
It seems that while the silence grows deeper, I become more and more aware of a presence embracing my soul. And as a deep peace fills the empty space, I know it can only be Christ in me that recognizes Christ in all that is surrounding.
“Here I am!” I yell.
community, community with God, peace, community with othersThrowing his arms around me, the warmth holds me like I am His. Like He has been here the whole time waiting. We look at each other for a long while, until the corners of my smile tremble and the tears flush away the last remnants of fear.
Collapsing on this trail of mercy all my thoughts are safe with Him. “I am tired, Lord. I’m not sure which way to go. Tether my wandering heart. Every anxious thought, secure it to your promises. For the love, Lord! I want nothing without You. You know this. I’m not looking for answers. I’m listening to the questions. Breathe, O breath of God.”
He offers me the chance to stay alone and take the risk of entering into my own experience, without being immersed in more knowledge or illusive advice.
So I remain.
He assures my desperate heart that unknown beauty is growing just below. “One day this desert will be a garden,” He insists.
Bringing my heart to this place of community with God alone is the beginning. My soul sways with the breeze. Spirit, breathe Your heart in me. Carve your ways into the fibers of my being.
From now on, wherever You go, or wherever I go, all the ground between us will be Holy Ground. And this is where my community begins.
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Run Ready

#runready, brooksrunning, #globalrunningdayThis life is a race of sort. Not the kind we measure by who crossed the finish first or who did it best but rather who endured to the end. We do this by keeping our head up when the heat is on. We show up when the struggle hurts. We narrow our focus to Christ when the world offers greener and wider pastures.

We are more capable than we think we are. We have more in us. When we show up, we practice not giving up. I assure you, joy is waiting just on the other side.

If you feel like there’s no way you can win now… the debt is too high, the mistakes too many, the burdens too heavy… hear this assurance, Jesus already secured victory before you even began. Rest up. Soak in His grace. Lay down the weight in your prayers tonight. Tomorrow, pick up only His peace. Take it slow. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far you go. He’s waiting for you at the finish. ‪#‎RunReady‬ @brooksrunning ‪#‎globalrunningday‬

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The Voice of Courage

Still Lives

memorial day, flag, remembering heroes, When the sun falls below the horizon, evidence of its work remains for some time. The skies continue to glow a bit longer after it is gone.

In the same way, when a great person’s life comes to that final sunset, the skies of this world stay illuminated with traces of bravery and courage long after they are out of view. This kind of extraordinary person does not die from this world. When they depart they leave much of themselves behind. From the grave, their voice still speaks.

Remembering the extraordinary men and women who have gone before us with their courage and still have a voice in our world today.trail run, memorial day, remembering heroes

I want you to remember that life isn’t just about getting what you want. Sometimes it involves giving up the things you love for what you love even more.

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Consider That It Might Be God

When circumstances in your life start to shift, at least consider that it might be God.
 
considering God, listening to God, God's voice, trishakeehn.comWhen you are confused or curious about the way things are going and which direction to walk in, ask God if there’s something he’d like to say to you.
 
And be willing to trust Him.
 
Sometimes it’s the heart we’re bringing into the throne room that’s holding us back from hearing God’s voice. If you haven’t followed through on His nudges in the past, what’s inviting God to share the plans He has for your life?
 
Agree in advance that you will be faithful with the follow through. Then open your hands, open your heart, and be attentive to any small way he might use to communicate with you. Listen and keep your eyes open. What’s the downside?
 
It is these little acts of obedience that invite God’s power to fully flow in our lives.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. – Isaiah 30:21
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Crack the Confusion

3 Steps That Will Determine Every Decision

Are you struggling to make a decision? The battle over your time can keep your strengths and dreams locked up in procrastination, confusion, and forgetfulness. Life is based on making decisions, and not making them holds you hostage to compromise in your calling.

You can spend more time dreaming about tomorrow and rob the opportunities to walk out the steps today. Moses used his speech as an excuse. Jeremiah and Gideon used their age. There’s no shortage of excuses that can tie up the process.

Whether you are a parent, a spouse, a leader, or someone passionate about a cause, your choices need internal clarity and courage versus external social pressure.

Lord, grant me the boldness that I may speak forth (Acts 4:29).

The truth is that what you do today will determine whether you have success with tomorrow. And, some invitations that look like opportunities today can actually distract and derail you from the best use of time.

“Doing something good is not good enough”, says Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. This is not selective enough criteria for your time. So how do you start making strategic decisions that support the work of your life?

McKeown offers advice on how to make the decisions based on what’s essential to your life. He suggests starting with this question, ‘What is most important right now’? McKeown recommends three steps to benchmark a discerning ‘yes’:

  • Identify the three most important priorities in your life.
  • Use your priorities to decide what the criteria for saying ‘yes’ to an opportunity will be.
  • Set a plan for the next 90 days centered on this criteria and these priorities.

Fear can have you struggling to say ‘no’. You might be afraid this answer will shut down other opportunities, or result in a frayed relationship. You might be tempted to accept a request based on a ‘what if’ scenario you’ve dreamed up. Just say ‘no’.

I have boldness and access with confidence by faith in Christ (Eph. 3:12). I boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man will do to me” (Heb. 13:6).

You must eliminate every excuse that is hindering you from doing what you have been called to do. There is no rationalization worth stopping the success God has already set before you. God’s grace is sufficient.

I come boldly to the throne of grace, that I may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).

Successful people are doers of the Word (James 1:22). This means you can’t sit passively and expect a lucrative life. If you want to experience the full provision of God’s covenant operating in your time, then you must be proactive with your response to these decisions.

When you waver or avoid choices that need to be made, you open up a door to doubt. When we don’t have clarity, the enemy capitalizes on the uncertainty with more questions to cause confusion.

You can’t be slow to act when God is telling you to move. You are commanded in Romans 12:11 to be “fervent in spirit [and to] serve the Lord.”

When we feel like we’re going nowhere, this keeps our minds feeling defeated. And if we’re not careful, we can become tired and idle. So let’s make that plan centered around our priorities and start making bold decisions based on the Lord’s calling in our lives.

I will be strong and courageous; I will not be afraid, for the Lord is with me wherever I go (Josh. 1:9).

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This post, Crack the Confusion, by Trisha Keehn, appeared first on LiftUpYourDay.com

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Celebrate Today

The Gift of Joy is Yours

the gift of today, celebrate today, choose joy today, embrace life, live, live freely, trishakeehn.com, joy, peace
The greatest gift I have been given today is J O Y. It is where we get our strength.

Not every day is a walk in the garden of roses. Sometimes it’s more like patches of thorns. But even then, it is a day the Lord has made. I have a choice to be glad in it. I can choose to have a good attitude through it. I make the choice to extend good things to someone else, no matter what has happened.

The enemy can change up the circumstances, but joy in the Lord is lasting. Defeat only comes when I hand over my joy to fickle situations. I choose to rise above everything that comes against me and keep my focus on the Lord’s unwavering goodness. Today, I have the gift of J O Y.

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The One Thing That Lasts Forever

Bill Hybels quote, trishakeehn.com, see where God takes you, push the throttle, challenge to live, life wide open to GodWhat are you going to do with your life that will last forever? How will you outlive your earthly accomplishments? Here’s what I know: people are the only thing that makes it to the next life.

This is your one and only life. What are you going to do with it?

Some need to give up the chase for more money, more accomplishments, and more thrill-seeking tales. Others need to make the choice to just let go of control and self doubt. How much clearance does God really have to call the shots in your life?

Bill Hybels says, “I challenge you to push the throttle as far as you can push it, and live your life wide open to God. See where He takes you. I have a feeling you’ll never regret it.”

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Holding Space With People

We live in a ‘me too’ community. It feels good to connect with someone who shares our struggles and experiences life like us. But when we’re hurting, ‘me too’ isn’t what we want to hear. Good intentions may be behind the phrases we use with hurting people. However, in a place of excruciating pain, good intentions are not welcome.

A few weeks ago my younger sister came to me with her struggles. The sadness and frustration she was experiencing moved my tears and emotions to say things I thought would heal the wounds. Instead, it hurt her heart.

How often do you try to step in and speak while someone is sharing a story of sickness and strife?

In the midst of turmoil, words will do more damage to a vulnerable soul than your own silence.

No matter what you sprinkle into the content that comes out of your lips, a troubled heart can’t hear the humanity in it when their focus is on the heartache. And that’s where many of us go wrong with our words when we try to talk to hurting people.

“Healer” is not your job title.holding space, trishakeehn.com

Our desire to feel close and connect with people may even find a story to artificially join in with ‘me too’ experience here. This is merely a self-centered strategy to shift the focus and create a shared conversation.

The reality is we can never fully understand someone else’s pain. It is physically impossible for you to experience their story in it’s entirety, no matter how similar the situations may be.

We have to step out of this tendency to view someone else’s struggle through the lens of our own evaluation. We operate out of what we want versus understanding what a distressed heart needs.

Healing happens when we hold space with people.

Compassion helps us lean in with our ears and get comfortable with the dead air.

It’s difficult. Sometimes I don’t see the ‘right’ in it. Then Jesus gives a little nudge. This isn’t about me. This is about my friend. What does she need?

Let me squeeze into this crawl space with her and see the circumstances from where she sits. Instead of calling her out of this place, I just need to climb in.

As you read this, maybe a friend came to mind who has been struggling through some desperate times. Go there. Climb into the darkness with her instead of calling her out.

Perhaps there’s a sting in your soul where you have fallen short of being a compassionate friend, like me. The conclusion to this story is that I went back to that place with my sister and used my knees to find her. Using less words and more tears this time, I admitted my wrongs and asked if I could join her. “So with a final breath in this quiet space, I want you to know that I am comfortable with dead air,” I whispered.

This post, Holding Space With People by Trisha Keehn, appeared first on LiftUpYourDay.com

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We Still Hope

Lord, I thank you for the gift of today. I choose to focus on what’s right and not dwell on what’s wrong.

God, I know that you are bigger than anything that I’m facing and that you have me in the palm of your hand.

I believe that every chain trying to hold me down is being broken right now in the name of Jesus. Every stronghold trying to stop me is being loosened in the name of Jesus.against all odds, we still hope, against all logic, hope, trishakeehn.com

Lord, You said what was meant for my harm, You turn and use for my advantage. So I shake off the burdens and declare that I have victory in Jesus. I put my shoulders back and hold my head up high.

I thank you Lord for all you’ve done in the past and I boldly confess that my greatest victories are still out in front of me. I let go of the old and take the limits off of You, Jesus.

I live from a place of peace and rest knowing You, my God, are for me… who can be against me?

This is my declaration, Jesus. I speak of your strength and joy rising up from the inside as I place my trust and confidence in You, Almighty God.

So breathe in my direction, Jesus. Comfort me in the disappointments and loss. Give me beauty for ashes. Restore my health. Rebuild my relationships and make me brand new. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Make this your declaration if you too need to let the devil hear it loud and very clear: Against all odds… Against all logic… we still have H O P E!