Tag Archives: grace

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Slowing Down Saves Time

What I’m learning is how to live for longer stretches in the sweet seasons. Some hard choices have cleared a path for this space, like the bittersweet disconnect with a temptation to get twisted up in the minute by minute updates.

quiet place, rest, solitude, nevadaIt’s easy for me to get busy with my desires, someone else’s needs and the rest of the world’s suggestions. The fallout of that is a stressed out mind and a painfully stretched heart. My relationships work better when there’s carved out space to listen and laugh unbridled for hours.

We can save everyone some time by slowing down. When we live out of this sanctuary in our soul, we are more careful with conversations. We pause in places that a hurried life rushes past. We yield when there are question marks.

Mostly though, it’s the inner dialogue that consumes me the most. The endless chatter of my own thoughts. Which is why I must pump the brakes from time to time.

You can’t lead the world around you if you can’t harness your own soul. The core of your life incorporates your mind, your capacity to think, your emotions, your capacity to feel and even your capacity to choose. This is what makes our life so unique. The soul is the distinctness God gave us.

We work hard to take care of the framework on our house; the parts people can see. What are we doing for the gears that keep the lights on?

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Often we equate slowing down as missing out. But truthfully, when we merge into a slower lane, there is margin to savor the simple moments, like the sun throwing back the clouds at dawn and the crackle of a good campfire. This is grace. Grace with ourselves and grace with all those around us.

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More Than A Final Destination

God’s only Son, perfect and without sin. When He was on the cross, you were on His mind. The exchange of His life for eternity with yours.
 
eternity, Jesus' sacrifice, the cross of Christ, trishakeehn.com, Jesus died for you, It was Friday. There were beatings and suffering before that fateful trek up the hill of Calvary. They gave Him a crown of thorns to mock this authority as King.
 
As the sacrificial drops of His blood began to spill, your story and mine changed forever.
 
The blood of one spotless human being sealed the saving grace for all humanity. By His blood and your belief, nothing can tear you from your destiny with Jesus.
 
This wasn’t only about the final destination though. Jesus conquered the grave so that you would have the authority and victory to live freely today; free from the chains of condemnation, addiction, depression, and shame.
 
The name of Jesus gives you power to overcome the pain in this world; there is nothing that can separate you from His grace and love.
 
You can live an audacious life of faith and great hope because now you have access to His Spirit, that lives and breathes inside you.
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Grace Was Meant For Us

grace, love of God, Jesus gave us graceWe celebrate Love today. Love that woke you up this morning even after…
 
Some of you are still standing at the cross with your hands full of shame; the enemy has you holding onto the pain of your wretchedness. It was really bad what you said, what you did.
 
But Love. Love reached down from the Heavens and asked for everything in your hands and said, ‘it is covered’.
 
The enemy’s primary weapon against you is shame. If he can get you to walk in shame, you won’t come to the altar and ask God for forgiveness. Accepting the high gift of grace draws you closer to the Father and that’s exactly what the devil doesn’t want you to do. The enemy wants you walking around expecting punishment.
 
Here’s what I want you to know: Jesus already went to the cross for that. You can come boldly to His throne with the tears and the pain and leave it there and He’ll be glad you came. His love and grace was meant for you and me.
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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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Strength of a Woman

eleanor roosevelt quote, trishakeehn.com, teabag, strength, women

Hell hath no fury like a kingdom woman disturbed. She won’t stop doing all she can until she makes the devil regret ever messing with her. This explosion of strength and inner resolve could put many men to shame.

Yet, this same woman of grace is equipped with insight, sensitivity and spiritual beauty to temper steam with some self control. Behind every great man, is an even greater woman.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, the collection of us ought to be able to turn it right side up again. ‪#‎kingdomwoman‬

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Dancing On Life Lessons

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucious

The falls in life usher new seasons that change the chromatic scale of a soul.

When my life feels tangled up with complicated cords, I jump. Four years ago, my work and relationship empire began to crumble. Under pressure, I plunged from the pain and got twisted up in an exhilarating free fall that had me parachuting into the world of dance.

Some lessons later, I was swinging away the blues with a new focus. In class, I stumbled over the feet of a confident partner who was a little cocky in his push and pull, which I enjoyed. We swiveled West Coast Swing into any space we could.

The leaves formed and fell as my dancing feet moved with the rhythm of life. And then, a new season came, swaying my course into a new city. Reluctantly, I boxed up another chapter.

Dust settled on the shine of those dancing shoes as unfortunate circumstances chiseled away at the emotional edges of walls I had built.

I clung to my brokenness, and stuffed my soul with the false security of familiarity.

And yet, God met me with mercy in those tears, as He unwrapped the wounds and purified the bleeding pain. He revealed fresh layers of faith and revived buried passions.

This year has been a journey of beginnings. So it should not surprise you that last week, I took a leap right into Lindy Hop; back into the world of dance.

In the sway of those old songs, I was reminded a good dancer is one who follows the tender touch communicating which way go. This is a lesson for me in life, as sometimes it can be a struggle to restrain my tendency to control things with others and with God. Truthfully, I discovered a greater freedom in following the gentle nudges and flick of a wrist that send me sailing left over right in a thrilling twist of surprise and pure joy.

A dance begins on trust; otherwise, partners will fumble and fall over footwork. Expressions with the hands and body inspire each other in speechless conversations. I feel a blanket of peace covering my mistakes because I know this partner is a step ahead of me with his arms held out to catch me in a fall.

dancing on life lessons

As you’ve been reading this, I hope you caught the reflection of God as your partner in the dance of life.

It can be difficult to close your eyes and concede control when you don’t know a companion, much less the dance. Yet, the only way to experience the thrill that comes with taking chances is to trust. Trust the One who is already ahead of you in the dance.

He will never let you go. Even when you’ve flung yourself so far away and gotten twisted up in the momentum of your mistakes, He’s always waiting to whirl you back in; He welcomes with open arms on the return.

When you place your confidence in the palm of His hand, this unspoken permission allows Him to gently shimmy you in the way to go. It also grants Him access to press into your steps to stop and steer the course before you spin out of control.

You may be like me, with a tendency to escape pain, the unknown, and sometimes things that seem too good to be true.

There is no escape from the grip of God’s grace, interwoven and wrapped around every fiber of our being. He goes with us into the dances we do around life’s hard stuff so that we can discover the deeper love from a Father who never walks away, no matter what we’ve done.

God leaves the pattern of His fingerprint on every experience we encounter. When we know the lines in His hand and let them sink deep into our hearts, the imprint of His image stamps our soul with the Spirit’s seamless whispers, ‘I love you, I love you’.

Press into Him and feel the beat of His heart. Get close enough to taste the breath escaping His lungs through His lips.

Pray. Study Him. Seek His attention.

Open your eyes and notice His personalized expressions of love and beauty surrounding you. His embrace is warm and tender, His heart is compassionate and kind. He is for you. The identity of your first love is waiting to be discovered. The King is asking you for this dance.

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Facing Fear and the Truth

Three years ago, when I turned 30 (for the first time), my heart skipped a billion beats in anticipation of the glorious days this era would bring.

This is when life begins.

It is the monumental moment when a 20-something mistake-maker finally grows into a mature and sophisticated version of herself, with less baby fat.

The first few moments were great! But in the following months, everything came crumbling down. My job. Relationship. Friendships.

And my health. A brisk walk was no longer burning off that pumpkin spice latte! I failed to factor an aging body into my fantasy of a ripe, slightly older age.

With my imagination zapped by this rather rude reality, another nightmare ravaged my picturesque vision of 30… Adult acne.

I’m talking about cystic craters too deep for even over-the-counter creams and pill-popping prescriptions to zap.

Disturbed by my appearance, I caked on clearasil and tried facials, doctors, and dermatologists. Helplessly, the barrage of blemishes continued to plague my life.

If you’re a man reading this, it may mean nothing. If you’re a woman, you probably feel my pain.

Society makes it worse with its infatuation of a selfie-centered culture. Sure, I can keep my camera at bay, but friends and family are a different story. Everyone wants a picture. Smile. Cheese. Snap. It’s done before you know it.

Two years went by and my face was still a mess. I opted to see skin ‘aesthetician’. She suggested a procedure that would extract cysts caught beneath the surface of skin. A fine needle injected several skin layers deep, heats to the temperature of lava. Painful? That’s an understatement.

The nurse gave this disclaimer when she finished the hour long session: What you’re about to see will heal in about a month or two.

IMG_20121201_205516My heart hiccuped at “a month or two”. Where was that vital note an hour ago?

Blood flow stopped when I saw the reflection.

Embarrassment. Humiliation. Sadness. Any little bit of self esteem I was holding onto, all flushed out the moment that mirror reflected hideous wounds on my face.

My mind conceded in defeat. How could I face job interviews looking like this? How could I be seen in public?

For fear a depression could lead to that dark place I had been just a year before, I bought a one-way ticket home to heal.

It was December. My folks were happy there was timeline on my stay. However, my heart grew heavy as every distant relative cringed at first sight of the scabs. The infamous family gathering Q & A’s ensued, reminding me that I still had no job, no house and no plan.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22

Under the exhausting, emotional pressure, my fake confidence finally collapsed in tears. Discreetly, I took my meltdown to the bathroom. Never have I seen a room with so many mirrors. Gigantic reflections all staring back at me and projecting the very image I now hated.

Standing face to face with the fear, I saw another reflection. A deep-rooted bitterness. Anger. Pride. Defeat.

This scarred tragedy on the surface was transparent to the emotional crisis going on underneath.

The outside concerns distracted my reflection of an inside condition.

As I peered past my skin and saw my soul, my  mind understood the deep rooted pain buried beneath. This is when my focus shifted.

My knees met the ground with prayers for a sickness others couldn’t see. For restitution. For restoration. For peace.

Suffering can produce unspeakable intimacy with our Creator. Never more than in the furnace of my affliction have I experienced the profound presence of God.

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Job 42:5

The fire refined jagged edges and impure desires. In my weakness of pain and suffering, God purified and polished a radiant bride of Christ.

…I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10

My mistakes still blemish the beauty of His design, but suffering produced character and growth (James 1:2-4). God used these hardships to mature my faith and develop a resilient spirit.

He can redeem pain in our lives. We serve a God and Savior who knows suffering.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Through this suffering, the transformation of my mind has blossomed into a beautiful daughter, mirroring her Father’s image. Though I know suffering will still come in seasons, my heart is awakened and wrapped up in His love, basking in the glorious gift of His presence today.

You may be reading this in the midst of your own suffering. Perhaps a lot of things have come against you and it seems like the more you pray, the worse it gets. You might be doing the right thing, yet the wrong thing is happening. It would be easier to throw in the towel now.

Look closer. Stand steady. Rest in His Truth. You’ve come too far to stop.

Whenever life gets difficult and the lies bombard your mind, that’s the time to dig in your heels. Put on a new attitude because you are closer to real freedom and victory.

Doing the right thing in the midst of our pain and suffering when it feels so wrong, is what grows us in deeper places and stays with us longer than what’s on the surface.

Instead of being bitter and discouraged, look in the mirror and see through the surface. Keep standing, keep praying, keep hoping and stay in faith even as the intensity turns up!

Jesus, my Healer and Deliverer, You have seen the things I’ve been through. You know what I’ve had to endure. And I trust You. I see the places you have taken me from and I am encouraged by Your promises that this is not my destination. You are working behind the scenes.

I have full confidence my current suffering is refining and growing my intimacy with You, Heavenly Father, as perseverance leads me in the path to victory. I keep my faith and trust in You and expect to see Your mighty hand in Jesus’ name! Amen.

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Gods Restoration For His Sake

Sometimes we get caught in the idea that if ’good’ things are happening to me, God must be blessing my walk. But when we examine the book of Ezekiel, we find God’s ’goodness’ isn’t for the people’s sake at all. In fact, in the Israelites rebellion, God was still restoring for HIS namesake.

In Ezekiel 36:16 is where we find God’s concern for His name. Israel’s restoration would be more than physical. God promised, I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. This cleansing will be followed by the impartation of new life. God will give the converted nation a new heart and a new spirit. In place of a heart of stone He will give Israel a heart of flesh. With God’s spirit indwelling them, they will be motivated to obey His decrees and laws.

God’s restoration will not simply be an undoing of Israel’s sin to bring her to a state of neutrality. Rather it will involve the positive implanting of a new nature in Israel’s people that will make them righteous. Jeremiah called this work of God the “new covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31). Implanting God’s Spirit in believing the Israelites will produce a new relationship between Israel and her God: You will be My people, and I will be your God. God will extend all His graciousness to His people.

Being delivered from their sin, they will experience the bountiful provision of the land including grain, fruit and crops without famine (34:29). When Israel reflects on God’s grace and her former character (her evil ways and wicked deeds), she will realize she does not deserve His favor. In fact, she will loathe herself because of her detestable practices, looking back in horror at them. The blackness of her past actions will contrast starkly with the light of God’s grace.

In the future, when Israel recalls her past actions, she would recognize that God had not saved her because of her merit. God was not doing this for her sake, but to magnify His own name. When Israel is restored and the land cultivated, people would note that this wasteland was like the Garden of Eden (v. 35). That’s amazing to think of right there! That God would take the waste they created and make it so pure again. Israel’s cities, formerly in ruins, would be fortified and inhabited. To the surrounding nations Israel would become an object lesson of God’s grace.

The people would be forced to acknowledge God’s sovereign power in restoring His people: “Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

God also caused the nation to increase numerically, which was considered a sign of God’s blessing. When we look back at at all the mess we’ve left behind, its important not to consider God’s restoration and blessings today as a sign that we must be doing something right. The Almighty, Creator and Sustainer will not let His name be defiled by His people and will restore His namesake.

We, as believers, have a responsibility to God if we say His glory is our ultimate purpose. Our wicked ways and innocent intentions can tear down the name of Christ if we don’t remain mindful of those looking upon us… looking to us as an example of the Jesus we proclaim as our King. In the midst of our ways, we must not mistake God’s hand of restoration as a blessing for our walk, but rather a redemption to His name for His sake.