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Born To Love

Did you know that fear is a learned trait? You were born in the image of Love, so your natural reaction is actually to love.
 
love, stay close to love, God's love will not fail youThen life happens and you learn how to fear moments, people, and perhaps most of all when there is ‘nothing’ happening at all.
 
When you look for easy ways out of the struggle or make excuses for struggling at all, you’re reacting out of fear.
 
Once you train the mind to respond with fear, it takes effort to overcome the thought of a threat with faith. Faith that God’s word is true; He will never fail you or leave you, but guide you through the darkest of days.
 
In the face of heartache and pain, He is on your side and that’s all you need. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps. 23:6)
 
Consciously choose love. You were born for it.
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Peace for the Holidays

In the quiet, in the stillness, in the chaos, in confusion… In the moment of my weakness, I know that you are God.

Tennessee hiking, Thanksgiving peaceSoaking up the Tennessee sun, I’ve spent the last few days in pure peace hiking in the hills and reflecting over the year. My soul is tender as I laugh out loud recalling some stories. Tears aren’t too far behind as my memory reaches the hard paragraphs too.
I recount the beautiful feet that have crossed my path since last Thanksgiving. No amount of verbs are suffice for how grateful I am to share even a sentence in some of their stories.

In this place of peace, there are no ‘to-do’ lists or tracking time; only grace, greater peace and love from the divine. The Spirit speaks in a language exclusive to the desires of the soul. My mind is at rest, waiting is my pleasure, listening has been my joy.

In the secret of His presence, I am restored.

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Gratitude Gives More

grace, gratitude, love, live a life full of gratitudePeople who value what they have, get twice as much out of something than a person who lacks gratitude.

They get more out of a job, a marriage, and family. This soul multiplies in the chaos and in the silence.

‘Luck’ doesn’t set them up or put them down. No drought can dry up the hope here. It’s thankfulness you can see with your eyes, not just the words you may hear.

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The Choice Is Yours

hopes, fears, quote, nelson mandela

Many of you will be surrounded with family in a few days. There may be dread over a repeat of last Thanksgiving’s debacle. Or perhaps you’ll be alone this year and even that has you anxious. And sad.

We all hold the power of choice. I pray the choice in your words and actions this year reflect the hopes you have for your family and the dreams you have for yourself.

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Faith Requires Feet

walk by faith, faith requires your feet, faith is an action, God is telling the truthDid you know despite its gift of leaping high and long – the impala can easily be contained in a zoo behind a three-foot-high wall?

Across the African reservations, impalas run freely, jumping farther than thirty feet and clearing over ten feet high. So how does a short wall stop the impala from taking the leap?

Because the impala won’t make the jump into what it cannot see. The animal remains trapped in self-imposed limitations simply because of its inability to take a leap of faith.

Faith is kinda like that. Because we lack faith, we stay stuck behind walls of fear, doubt, insecurity, and self-preservation. Faith isn’t functional until it’s an action. It involves your feet, not your feelings.

Faith is acting like God is telling the truth. We run, jump and freefall when we hear His word without having to see it first to know it is true.

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Making Friends With Fear

Do you live as afraid as I do?

Fearful of this memo pad with a mountain of to do’s and the daily snowfall of demands for my time. I’m terrified of telling friends I can’t meet for coffee or commit to dinner or even a phone call. The guilt and judgment that comes with letting people down scares the heck out of me. Staring at the mess of my past, I’m even frightened for the mate who is stuck with this backpack of struggles I carry around.

There’s remnants of a people-pleasing problem laced in the pain of my anxieties. Even as I write this, there’s a stream of sadness warping the sheets of paper because I want to be free from all of it. The fear of what others think. The shame that comes when I can’t keep up with the crowd. And here’s an underlying truth: it is hard to love people well if you do not show love to yourself.

For the last couple of months, I’ve experimented with different methods. There’s a mound of library books about anxiety toppling over the corner of my desk. Self-help podcasts sit on my desktop waiting to be played. I’ve tossed out thoughts with a therapist and swallowed vitamin supplements to relax. None of these are lasting solutions.

One of the great paradoxes of living life as a believer is gaining control over our thoughts while also surrendering them to Jesus?pain, struggle, pray it down, prayer

In Scripture (Philippians 4:7), Jesus tells us that when we’ve given our anxiety and our prayers to the Lord, we will receive the gift of peace: “and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

We receive the Lord’s peace when we pray. Literally, God’s peace descends upon us and takes action! It guards our hearts and our minds. Live in prayer and you will live in peace! There will be quietness and confidence in our lives because instead of getting “worked up” over life’s problems we are choosing to “pray them down.”
Prayer not only gives us peace but it arms us with a conquering spirit, an overcoming spirit. We begin to believe again. We believe to trust the promises of God again. We begin to stand in the strength that is our God when we pray.

We’re never more anxious to receive from God than He is willing to provide. Once we accept the sting of death is real and can happen, we drop this daily fear of living bravely. This is when we really leap into a life worth living.

William Shakespheare, purpose, gift, serve, what is your gift, gift of writingWe are all busy people doing important stuff. There’s a lot to do and not enough time. Life isn’t waiting on our schedule to catch up. In all of this strategizing and planning to be effective with what we have, let us not neglect the one thing that brings clarity to everything else: regular time with our heavenly Father.

Fear doesn’t have to be an enemy if we learn to put it to work. Healthy fear forces you to tune-in and pay close attention to what’s standing between you and living a free life.

Fear alerts you when to be cautious and when you to be bold with your choices. When you learn to master fearful emotions they become the most powerful wisdom teachers directing your decisions.

When you give fear the irrational power to paralyze you, it will stifle your progress. Fear is an opportunity to drive change in your life. For this reason, always remind yourself everything you want stands on the other side of fear.

Let go of the fear holding your mind hostage and start making friends with it.

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness

When the epicenter of love, our beloved Paris, was shaken last week, the core of every heart questioned our own security. We were brushed with the brevity of life, sharing with neighbors we’ve never noticed.

Still trying to understand the reality breaking into regular scheduled Friday nights, we switched between broadcasts and social media. Those who escaped went ‘live’ on webcams sharing their story. Hearing the horror from the mouths of our Parisian friends brought us to the streets of accepting that the City of Lights is a little smaller now.

Many of us haven’t stopped tuning in since. We want to know, ‘where do we go from here.’ Last night, I needed a break from the questions. Switching over to NBC’s singing Great is Thy Faithfulness, Jordan Smith, Lamentations 3:21-23, faithfulness of Godcompetition ‘The Voice’, I carried on through the house cleaning up a days mess while cooking dinner and listening from afar.

The rice had just finished steaming as the timer told me chicken in the oven was also done. Setting dinner to the side to cool, contestant Jordan Smith started to share about his journey through singing, being different and sharing his gift on the show. He summed up his song choice, ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’, with this statement:

“This is about the faithfulness of God. None of this would be possible in your own strength. God is going to provide because He is faithful. God says, ‘I’m going to do everything for you. All you have to do is wake up every morning and be who you are.'”

I wasn’t looking for an answer tonight, but God held His hand out and provided one anyway. There is hope because He is one faithful God.

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Courage could be being present

This past week, I wrapped up a CASA case on eight of nine kids I’ve celebrated holidays and shared a shoulder with. It was an assignment the court passed down more than a year ago.

What began as one abused child, DCS investigations revealed was more of a family ordeal.

Would you be willing to accept all nine? The Judge wanted to know. Do you have the volunteer time?

How can one deliberate over what we can do, when the need is right there staring back at you? These little ones ranged in age, from 15 to two and their curious little minds wanted to know, ‘would you leave us too’?

The children had been whisked away from school in these wrinkled up clothes and tattered shoes. No one could question if neglect was happening; these allegations appeared uncomfortably true.

bravery, courage is being present, be availableI caught a glimpse of the eighteen little eyes, peanut butter smeared on their chins. My heart couldn’t say ‘no’, instead I asked, ‘where do we begin’?

This is a proud moment, indeed, and yet I also struggle with questions of my own neglect to the neighbors around me. Sometimes it’s easier to serve ‘there’ instead of right ‘here’. It’s more fun to fly away or be where my friends are, than it is to stare out of the window-framed picture on my wall and see a neighborhood in need. I have more questions than answers, like ‘where in the world begin’?

And then I sit with the steam coming off my coffee cup and peer into the sweet soul of such kind hearts. Sometimes they remain more comfortable staying at the surface of their story when the moment is still too tender to unearth the truth. And that’s okay, as long as I am present to hear the beginning and see the end.

Sometimes we fail to serve ‘here’ because we want to be ‘there’. Yet, if you truly believe the Almighty God put your hands and heart ‘here’, on the block you call home, in your cubicle where most of a day is spent, and with this specific circle of friends for His glory to be revealed, then you have no use looking over ‘there’. That’s what I’m learning.

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Embracing The Season

pumpkin spice sprinkles, season of Fall, embracing pumpkin spice, embracing FallIt was 34 degrees last night. Grrr… and Brrr! Winter is trying to get an edge on Fall already. I head straight to the kitchen. ‘How can I get more pumpkin in me before this glorious season ends?’ Eyeing a jar of pumpkin spice on the shelf, a crispy slice of cinnamon raisin bread springs from the toaster. Well, that sounds like a start. Mixing up some pumpkin spice sprinkles, I decide to lace every meal in it. A dash here, a pinch there, heck, lets do a dusting in my drink as well.

Fall is a Neverland. People regain a childlike exuberance for life here. It’s a place that doesn’t make sense really. Though ‘life’, the trees and flowers, are dying around us, in this same moment, we come alive.

Nevertheless, this is my toast… to surrendering in the season, snuggling up to the hand life has given, and stretching to hold on to the joy right here.

Winter will come. It is a season of life. And when it does, though the welcome mat won’t be on my doorstep to greet this guest, may I remain ready with an open heart because the power in my pulse comes from Everlasting Joy. Cheers!