I am strong because I am weak.
I am fearless because I’ve been afraid.
I am wise because I’ve been foolish.
Put a Ring Around Your Dreams
Commitment. Motivation. Self-discipline. Self-control. Patience.
Just like relationships, our goals take more than just a desire. The beginning will test you more in ways you never dreamed.
Mine is sharing God’s truths with others. That might be writing stories to inspire others or encouraging hearts around the table.
But there are times when I feel like calling it quits.
There are days when I’m tempted to throw my hands up in frustration and give in.
There are nights I go to bed convinced God chose the wrong person, and then wake up in the morning even more discouraged and confused.
There are obstacles that feel like dealbreakers, a circling of ideas that seem to go on forever, droughts that will seem unbearable, and resistance that easily lead to an undoing if I let them.
There are days when the devil is determined to get his way. And on those days, he is relentless in trying to rip this dream apart.
Maybe this sounds like days you’ve had too.
A couple months ago I decided to take my goals to the next level; I put a ring on it. This promise carries financial weight, responsibility, and accountability; I hired an assistant.
Making this commitment is one way that keeps me from throwing in the towel and giving up.
This helps me keep my pledge to God, grounded in faith and wholly non-negotiable.
If you don’t have a sense of commitment, your dream is very likely to fail. Make it a covenant that runs to the core of your being.
If giving up is an option in the back of your mind, you’re already there.
Step into your dream with a level of commitment that is unmistakable and undeterred.
You have to have faith that says, ‘no matter how hard it gets, I will not give in.’
No matter how great the obstacle, you can work it out.
No matter how tempted you are to quit, you can make this dream work.
You have to know in your heart that God will bring you through any hardship and trial the devil throws your way, if you just stay the course, and remain in God’s will.
Fear is the devil’s playground and he loves dragging us there with him. But no decision based on fear is ever the right choice.
A life of faith says if I step out and do the right thing, God’s blessing will follow.
Faith is believing that God is
always in control. And that he always has your best interest in mind, even when things don’t work out as you might expect.
The blessings of living out this God-given dream are immense. There is nothing more satisfying than living in the call He’s placed in your heart. There is nothing more intimately rewarding than experiencing God’s hand in and through you.
Don’t miss out on God’s greatest blessing for your future. Seal your commitment and then watch the floodgates of blessing open wide.
Taking The Long Way Home
#contentmentisChrist
Contentment sometimes seems negative because we want to visually interchange it with complacency. But the word is simply just gratification. In fact, conversely to being complacent, I wonder if it’s possible that being content is actually what moves us forward.
After three summers of stubbornly braving the southern humid heat while sitting in hours of stand-still traffic with a vehicle that was only good for blowing hot air, I finally broke down against my financial will and bought a new one.
There was a sort of surreal sense the first time I turned over the engine and felt this frigid breeze blow briskly by my face. I swear the angels were singing.
With tears streaming in gratitude and unbelief, I reached for the phone and called home to my mom.
It was the first time I wasn’t mapping my location based on congested traffic to avoid.
“Mom, my heart is content. I don’t care what’s up ahead or how long it’s going to be. I’m taking the long way home.”
Isn’t it amazing how our circumstance can change the course of our drive? We no longer look for the shortcuts because our soul is satisfied. We are willing to wrestle with and withstand whatever roadblocks or barricades stand in the way of our route.
Contentment is deeper than this though.
I’m not claiming to know the key to contentment. Clearly I just let simple air conditioning in a car determine my satisfaction for several summers. Paul unpacks the crux of contentment in Philippians 4:11: I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
I will do my best to peel back his words and paraphrase in light of my own story: Your changing circumstance does not affect the declared strength of Christ. Contentment is a calm acceptance and stillness of heart in life’s pressures because of God’s sufficiency in your life.
Contentment unravels around our relationships. We’re selfish by nature. We survey our spouse for what he/she can do for us, or at least what we can get out of marriage. We sulk when we don’t get our way, and get angry because they’ve hurt our feelings. (I’m speaking out of my experience with marriage here. I could be the only one with this problem though ;-)).
But can we at least agree that for vows to last, it must be built on more than the happiness and well-being of two people. God’s plans have a much greater purpose. And that purpose needs to be greater than any amount of stress and struggle we experience.
We discover contentment when we take the focus off of the circumstance and put in on the needs of our spouse, trusting God for our own.
More frequently a lack of contentment cycles through our jobs. It’s easy to get so focused on our dreams and goals that we get to the point where we’re not going to be happy until we see those things happen.
If we have to have something in order to be happy, our lives are out of balance.
When ambitions start to frustrate us, and we lose our peace and don’t enjoy life, that’s a clear sign that we’re holding on too tightly. If we find ourselves chasing the elusive, “if I only had a _______, I’d be happy” dream, we’ve made our destiny a disillusionment.
God’s purpose is greater than any dream or goal you could envision on your own. Your problems don’t define your purpose. They are simply obstacles of the devil that you need to get past in order to continue with your primary purpose.
Comparisons will leave us discontent while conventionality will construct a coffin around life. So embrace both the light and the shadow.
The journey through this life will involve ups and downs. Job changes, the economic ebbs and flows, choices you make and decisions determined by others. And sometimes just the good or bad timing of it all.
There are few ideal situations, even fewer vacations and no perfect people. There’s no use in wasting time visualizing a life of highlight reels when that doesn’t exist.
It is our responsibility to live out of contentment in God’s purposes and make adjustments so we can live joyfully, whether He gives a little or a lot.
Whether you’re in a season of plenty or in a season of less, you can live with contentment and peace.
Release your vision of perfection. Freedom comes when you say, “God, I’m turning it all over to You. You know my desires and what’s best for me. I’m choosing to trust You and Your timing.”
When we learn to be content whatever the circumstances, it takes away the power of the enemy. It takes away his ability to frustrate us. Not only that, but by our actions, we are showing our faith in God.
When you choose to trust His timing, you can live in peace, you can live in joy, and you can rest in Him knowing that He has good things in store for your future.
Find freedom in contentment and rest in His everlasting peace.
Father, today I choose to trust You. I release frustration over the dreams and desires in my heart because You know what’s best for me. I choose to trust Your timing knowing that You are faithful. As I wrestle with what it means to be content, take the wheel in my confusion and settle all doubt. I want to take the long way home with You, Jesus. You are my holy obsession and burning desire. In Your presence I find peace and rest. Lead my soul beside still waters. May I never lose sight of this contentment that You are all I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you know someone struggling with fear or frustration, send them a link to this message. Or maybe you know someone feeling like a failure. Share some encouragement. Contentment is a message about who Jesus is, and it has nothing to do with our circumstances.
Freedom
Take A Vacation
Without leaving home
Sure you could be laying on the beach at some far-flung destination, not checking emails and sipping a cocktail at 2 p.m. rehearsing “I’m on vacation!” You don’t need to set an alarm to wake up and can follow all the whims in the world because time, my friend, is on your side.
Sounds dreamy, right?
Well here’s a super surprise for you… It’s all in your head. Even on your couch, you can keep the beachside mentality by reading an entire book in one setting or download tons of music, and not move until you get hungry for chocolate chip cookies and espresso.
Not convinced?
I grew up in a family where having a good time was priority. Sure we lived paycheck to paycheck, but we were also at the lakes every weekend and living a good life. This is where I learned how to enjoy every day and live like it’s vacay.
Here’s a 1-2-3 for how you can to.
One: Live like the days depend on your prayers.
One day over coffee with my mentor, she mentioned she doesn’t use an alarm to wake up for work. This prayer warrior divulged that several years prior, she asked God to get her up on time without an annoying alarm and she’s never had to hit snooze again.
Her daily discipline was inspiring to me so I prayed that bold prayer too. And God has yet to miss a morning of waking me up.
Sadly, we settle for much less than God wants to give. We’re taught in Sunday School that He has the whole world in His hands but we get on our knees and ask for a little patience. Pray for bigger and bolder moves. Petition for the impossibilities to be made possible. No matter how little or big it seems, just ask. Your faith and expectancy won’t appall a willing Father. In fact, it will bring Him honor.
Get smart with your schedule and stop working to live. If you want God to give you those exhilarating gifts of not knowing what’s coming next, leave room for the interruption. At the very least, unwind some tension in your life by freeing up time from the daunting list of to-do’s. Breathe in some flexibility so you can bend when the whims blow instead of breaking under frustration.
No one wants to feel like it’s work to be around you. Let those closest to you feel a fresh breath of freedom in your company and use your brakes to develop some boundaries with the burdens. If you’ve already crossed the line by bringing home your complaints and unending emails, commit to change the course or it will impact your years to come.
Embrace the good and let go of the bad. Raise a glass to liberty and give the boot to negative nancies. Spend more time celebrating and less time stressing. Set yourself up for success by building a balanced life.
Two: Relish in Relationships
Focus on the quality of your hours alone with yourself. Spend time building a solid foundation in your heart for the future. A little loneliness goes a long way in creating a richer, deeper, more vibrant life. Sit with yourself and discover your worth.
Ask God to show you His supremacy in all things and teach you His sufficiency in the silence.
During the quiet hours, God’s still, small voice often breaks through the void and speaks the loudest.
Be intentional about taking this opportunity to get to know you. And take initiative with others. Dig into the pockets of your friendships and splurge on going deeper.
God has richly blessed me with homegrown girls who have weaved their way into my regular routine. But there was a day these warm hearts were few and far between and my soul ached for women I had never met. So I began advocating morning and night in prayer for specific friendships to join in my journey.
Today, I have more than I could have ever imagined and I’m madly in love with each of their raw emotions. God gave me the gifts and now I make it intentional to meet monthly, diving headfirst into the deep end of life as we wrestle through the wonders and worries together. Then I eagerly dig out my calendar to schedule when to do it all again.
People like to be pursued. I selfishly love their stories. Sometimes I wonder if my excitement over shared company is similar to what God feels when we come to Him spilling all our stories from the day.
Here’s the other thing I noticed. When there is nothing anchoring the heart for attention, I’m more apt to make small talk with anyone and everyone. You’re probably more carefree with your conversations over a campfire with a complete stranger than you are in your own coffee house, right?
One day I realized how ridiculous it is that I’m more shy in my community than I am willing to make connections in planes and trains on the first ticket out of here. I get so focused on what’s in front of me, it’s as if I pull a string on imaginary blinds and don’t want people peering in on my privacy.
Boldly embrace relationships. Commit to their hearts. It’s the silent cry your soul is longing for.
Three: Dream On.
Last lesson for living like you’re on vacation is to make your work work around your dreams. Live for what you love to do and let everything else fall around it. Let go of every limiting fear that says you can’t create the life you desire.
Reading and writing are bookends to my day. I spring out of bed in the early hours, eager to lift a finger on my dream. Then I make time in the middle to get paid for marketing, but it’s meager compared to the minutes I spend living my dream.
For me, there’s just something about learning new things that inspires a refreshing ‘ah ha’ moment like a much needed vacation. Regularly I run down the New York Times Bestseller list to discover new ‘must reads’ that have been reviewed and raved about. Then I click over to my library account and reserve a copy. Some books are only worth a browse, but the point is, fresh content is available to check out or download at your disposal.
Maybe taking a nosedive into literature hardly feels like a vacation to you (hey, there’s audio books and magazines too… just sayin’). Chances are your daydreams look a lot different than mine. But the point is, I’m giving you permission to pick something to splurge on and go for it! Sleep in. Dream on. Dream until your dreams come true. Mosey on into the next moment and be deliberate. Don’t just take a vacation. Live like you’re on one.
Happy Father’s Day
There are so many wonderful fathers to celebrate, and no doubt, deserving of our outpouring affections. There’s one who stands above the rest as the granddaddy of them all. And even if you find yourself “fatherless” today, He’s never left your side.
He loves to lavish His children in unfailing affections and enjoys giving graciously when we ask. He exceeds all our expectations even when we don’t. His strength can move mountains and His reach will cross the ocean to find us wherever our feet may fall. We never have to go looking for Him. His grip won’t let us go.
The model of our earthly father’s heart pours out of His wellspring of forgiveness and mercy. No matter how far we run, His arms remain open wide, welcoming a return. He runs to us in the depths of our desperation and stands ready to defend us, even when it requires death on a cross.
I’m very thankful for my father on earth. And when I stare through his reflection, tears of joy and utter amazement flood my heart as I see the most beautiful Father of them all.
Happy Father’s Day, Daddy.
The Uphill Climb
Our minds are tempted to stop the struggle on an uphill stretch. It’s okay to take it slow, just don’t stop now. Shift your eyes off the end and refocus your attention inward, on strength and the supply. Draw in those deep breaths and relax in the pace. This is what’s going to propel you forward in the climb. That’s how you finish a race.
Don’t get caught up in the climb. You got this!
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24
And in the end we will say,
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
Caught in the cross hairs of conflict
Are you staring an obstacle in the face and wondering where you took a left turn when you should have stayed right?
The demands here and now have seized your time and you’ve abandoned your desires and dreams because the situation looks overwhelming.
Maybe in the midst of the struggle, you’re still sizing up the situation; is this high tide or low tide? Because if this is as bad as it gets, there could still be a chance to conquer the circulating currents in this conflict.
Whether this is the worst of it or not, you conclude that what lies ahead looks bleak and pretty impossible.
There is a sea ahead and an army behind.
The enemy is barreling down the slopes with speed and gaining ground on your hope.
You’re surrounded so you surrender not just your hands but your identity too, as the doubts close in. Defeat looks imminent.
Now you feel like you’ve failed God, you’ve failed yourself and you’re not who you thought you were.
What if the trouble you’re facing is the very wall God wants to drive you through?
Fear has an overwhelming tendency to increase in us but, praise God, so does courage.
Though the horizon looks hopeless, God has a miracle up His sleeve.
Our initial instinct is to stop everything at once. Yet, when we do that, we short sight the strong arm of God.
Give Him the opportunity to do what He says He’ll do. The Author and Creator cannot fail. This is the very nature of Almighty God.
In our trials, His power penetrates human wisdom to draw all eyes to the throne.
Stop staring at the surmounting surf and advance headlong into the swells of strife, my friend.
Do you feel adrift already, in an ominous ocean with no island in sight? Know that the waters are not beyond God’s reach.
If you’re treading in the deep end, I want to remind you the bedrock of Truth hasn’t been moved by the flood.
Take a deep breath from the bottom of your gut and exhale as you stretch your thinking. Let it lengthen your limbs a little further past their limit.
Now steady the stride of those flailing feet. There’s a Rock for you to stand on and it’s been there beneath the surface of your stress this entire time.
Trust it.
We’re all on a journey into the land God promised us.
Yours might be pursuing higher education, starting a business, selling an idea, or making a difference. Maybe it’s gaining some self-confidence, self-esteem, healing or extending forgiveness.
Stand with me here on the shoreline of your suffering as we scan over the story of Moses and the Israelites.
When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. (Exodus 13:17-18)
I’m pretty sure whatever is in the way of your promised land, these guys felt the same futility as they stared at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army closing in. Their pilgrimage to the Promised Land looked hopeless being backed up against the wall of a massive inconvenience.
It’s senseless to sit here too long wondering why life has to be so hard. Hidden behind the Hollywood highlights of this story, there’s some deep truths that can help move the mountains standing in your way.
First, you should rest. Army or no army, you need rest. This isn’t sleeping through the storm. It’s a peace of mind in the eye of a hurricane kind of stillness. Find a spot to camp out in serenity while you bring to God the concerns anchoring your heart.
Second, use what you have to work with. The Almighty can take what you have and turn it into whatever it needs to be in order for you to accomplish what you’ve been called to. Sharpen the skill saw. Cast out a line to your connections.
Third, press on. Oceans of emotion toss with demands every day trying to prevent us from God’s plan.
When floods of fear feel like they’re going to level your life…
As the rolling tides of resistance wrestle with you all night…
Even If there’s nothing but crickets and crashing waves staring back at you…
Press on.
While you’re waist deep in the waves of doubt or your heart is trekking up and tumbling down the rocky terrain of pain…
Press on.
Wherever the enemy packs a punch and swipes a roundhouse kick that leaves you lying flat on your face…
Press on.
The clouds will come but let the helium in hope carry you higher into the heavens.
Honor God with your trust.
He is with you. He is for you. Do not be afraid.
Keep walking. Keep believing.
This storm is just a season that is about to blow over.
Your faith in His unfailing forgiveness and unconditional love is the way out, my friend.
Summon the Holy Spirit to silence the solicitations on your soul.
Sink down into your stance on the solid stone of Truth.
Wait in expectation and watch as the winds and waves obey His command.
Get ready for God’s big reveal.
Tuck that hope in your heart.
God, I release to You all that I am and everything that I have. I invite You to flood every part of my being and use me for Your glory. Thank You for using what is in my hand.
Power is like being a Lady
The greatest mystery of all
Everyone has a story beneath the cover of a smile.
Often, it’s listening to unhighlighted chapters in another person’s life that peels back fresh pages in our own.
Dig deeper.
See past the boldface and bookmarks.
Don’t be afraid of a little dust.
Therein lies the secret to the greatest mystery novel of all; Life.
So what’s missing from your story?
Explore the unknown. Inhale the enlightenment. Embrace the unraveling Truth.
Lift back the folds in every face you encounter to discover how deep your heart goes.