You Are Treasure

“C!!! Nooooooooo!” I heard our middle child scream from downstairs. Followed by wails from our little guy.

“That was mom’s bluebird! She loves that! She’s going to be so so sad!!”

Running downstairs to see what the commotion was, I find my beautiful, smooth-glass bluebird with its tail broken into dozens of pieces.

C had apparently decided it needed to fly {that’s only speculation, of course, which I hadn’t considered until just now as I went to write this, because he’s a toddler and he can’t express to me what his intentions were.}

But I imagine he had climbed and picked it up off the bookshelf I had it adorning, and chucked it across the living room to the tile by our back glass door, in an attempt to set it free with the other bluebirds. 🥴

He’s been watching blue jays out the window all week. Guess he didn’t know this wasn’t the flying sort. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I was so not happy. His middle name even came out. “That’s not a toy!!! That’s momma’s treasure!! Why did you break that? That makes momma so sad!!” I hollered, adding to the chaos with my own.

I’m not really a tchotchkes kind of girl. I don’t like too many trinkets setting on my shelves. The few I do have are meaningful. And bluebirds for me remind me of my grandpa who went to heaven several years ago. But this one wasn’t even from him. I don’t even know if I can consider it a gift at all. One year when the older two were too little to browse Amazon themselves, they asked me if they could get me a bluebird for Christmas and this was the result. Normally I would have dismissed the request because I like it better when someone else picks out gifts for me, but this one I loved the minute I saw it. Its glass was so smooth, and when the light streamed through it, it seemed to glow! It really was beautiful.

I sighed as I looked at all the broken tail pieces that A had scooped up in her hands. “I can put them back together, mom. I’ll find some super glue.”

“No. I appreciate it, but this one is beyond super glue. We will just have to toss it in the trash.”

Looking back at C, frustrated, I repeated my earlier statement. “Little mister, momma is not happy. Why did you break my treasure??”

By then he felt bad, I think. Or maybe he just wasn’t digging time out.

“I sorry. I sorry I break bluebird momma. I sorry I break your treasure,” as he reached and attached his arms behind my neck, in an attempt for me to pick him up off the chair.

I couldn’t resist. I scooped that boy up and hugged him.

The minute I heard the word “treasure” come out of his lips, the Holy Spirit convicted me for having used that word.

“Treasure” is our word. It’s the one C tells me that I am, when he feels extra lovey. He will look right into my eyes and say “You are treasure, momma.” He does that because I tell him that often. “You are a treasure, sweet boy.” {He is the treasure at the end of our 5-miscarriage rainbow. ❤️}

“Oh buddy”, I said, “I’m sorry too. I forgive you. Stuff isn’t my treasure, you are. And bubby and sissy and daddy….”

Guess I needed this lesson as much as C needed a lesson not to get things off the shelf.

After my “time out”, God gave me a teaching talk too:

“Don’t hoard treasure down here …

Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe…

It’s obvious, isn’t it?

The place where your treasure is,
is the place you will most want to be,
and end up being.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:19-21‬ ‭MSG‬‬

A reminder even more beautiful than my bluebird figuringe in its prime, now tailless and placed on a more out-of-reach shelf, by my daughter, who was unable to let it stay in the trashcan.

And even though I had decided by then that the memory attached to it was all I needed to keep, that stuff didn’t matter so much after all…

I think I’ll leave it sitting there, to serve as that very reminder.

And also to remind me,
even when our “tail” breaks,
even when we feel shattered,
even when we make mistakes or are hurt by others in a way that would leave us easily discarded by the world,
God isn’t like that.
He can’t bear to see us call ourselves trash.

He scoops us back out of that pile,
and maybe he fixes our “tail”
or maybe he doesn’t.
Maybe the lesson is more important than the arm or the leg or the broken place in our memory bank.

The lesson being this:

Whether or not we think we are beautiful, or whole, or glowing, or shelf-worthy,
God… he looks at us and he forever calls us
“TREASURE.”

And God’s treasure can never truly be broken.

He Drizzles Peace In The Puddles

Isn’t it amazing?

That God designed puddles?

So that when we’d be inevitably looking down after a storm- we’d still see the UP, reflected in the puddles, reminding us to turn our face to the sky again? ⛅️

The clouds are going to clear!

And even before there’s sun in the sky, it can rise in our souls!

WOW. He is good.

You Are His Story- Be An Open Book!

I was asking God this morning:

“Why do I struggle,
deciding what to write books about?
What all to put in them?

Lord you’ve surely given me books worth,
that I’ve already shared on my blog over the last several years.

But when it comes to putting it all into a collection-

everything you’ve done for me in my life,

all the lessons I’ve learned the hard way
that I’d love to spare someone the trouble of,

all the places that felt like brick walls of dead-ends,
that your whispers of faith took me through…

Well it feels like I could never put that all
adequately into words,
let alone organize those words into a book.

But here we are,
words are the love language you’ve given me,
and as your love flows in,
it has to go somewhere or I’ll burst!
Words are the way I know best how to flow it out.

And all I want to do is to share with them…
that if you could take a mess like me,
and help me, d.a.i.l.y,
if you could take the little I have
and bless a.n.y.o.n.e. with it,
you could surely do that for them too!

All I want to do is share with anyone who will listen,
and anyone who is searching,
sifting through all the messages out there,
all the how-to’s,
trying to successfully get to “the life”
so that they can feel like they are worthy to be a part of the sharing of something special …

That you, Jesus, ARE the Way.
Yours is the only real Truth.
You are THE LIFE.

The only how-to we need to know
is how to come to you.
Simply, by asking.
Receiving your salvation and guidance as a gift.

You are wayyyyyy too big to put in a book, Jesus.

How am I even supposed to begin
writing a story like that?! “

〰️〰️〰️〰️

And He said to me…
{through His Word}
{with His Spirit inside me chiming in,
like a commentator}

➡️You are the book. 📖
Each of you, are ALL books! 📚

➡️I am writing my message on YOU!

➡️Just be.

➡️Be an open book. 📖

➡️And don’t filter what I ask you to share.

Your podcast
and blog
and book
then will more closely resemble a journal.

A documentary,
rich with description
of the battle between choosing faith,
while still feeling ALL the feels
{because flesh and feelings don’t disappear,
when faith appeals
and you decide to walk forward in it!}

It’s not supposed to be a guide book,
that’s what the Bible is for,
that’s what my Spirit is for…
{these have to be read and received by each person for their own selves.}

I’m not asking you to lead,
I’m asking you to help feed {my sheep} —
with encouragement for the time you are in,
passing on the very encouragement
that I have given to you.

〰️〰️〰️

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:2-6‬ ‭MSG

…You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you.

Christ himself wrote it—
not with ink,
but with God’s living Spirit;
not chiseled into stone,
but carved into human lives—
and we publish it.

We couldn’t be more sure of ourselves in this—
that you, written by Christ himself for God,
are our letter of recommendation.

We wouldn’t think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves.

Only God can write such a letter.

His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action.

The plan wasn’t written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit.

It’s written with Spirit on spirit,
his life on our lives!”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:2-6‬ ‭MSG‬‬

〰️〰️〰️

You see, we don’t have to write our own stories.

He is writing something way more fabulous than we could ever imagine, and we are free just to be a part of that.

We don’t have to have the responsibility of editor,
because he will take all the things,
and weave them together in our next chapters, and work all things out, eternally, for our good if we choose to love and walk according to his purposes.

We weren’t supposed to fit Him into a book.
All the books in the world couldn’t do justice
at describing him!

We are meant to be part of HIS story,
Which is also too rich for paper!

It’s why he writes, instead, on human hearts,
our very lives being his canvases!

And anything he asks us to put in print?
Or podcast form?
Well it’s just a publication.
Just a record of his goodness.
A testimony, among a trillion others,
like stars in the sky!
But each one- important-
each one shining and pointing back
at the Maker of those stories!

Amazing, isn’t He?! 


	


	





	

		
Why We Can’t, As Christians,  Go Along With “You Do You”
	


	
	

		






What does Jesus have to say about the “You Do You” message? 🤔 ⤵️ THIS.





The world will always tempt us
to put those walls up,
to withdraw and “do our own thing”
and give up on authentic, genuine connection
and conversation that grows both people.





It doesn’t feel peaceful
when others are different than us,
and all the voices are speaking over each other…





And when it doesn’t feel peaceful, we tend to want to withdrawal altogether.





But as Christians, we have been given work to do.
We have been given conversations to have,
which involve listening AND speaking.
He tells us how important that is!
Conversations and heart-to-heart connection
is how he always intended
for the great commission to be fulfilled!





If that weren’t true,
He wouldn’t have said it.





If our connections didn’t matter,
he would just take us to heaven as soon as we are each saved.





But he doesn’t.





He wants us to network-minister!
To meet needs—
for connection, community,
conversation about the hard things,
all centered around HIM,
and His message
that fullness for all our places of “empty”
has already been pre-paid by Jesus,
and is available to everyone, without cost!





When we are filled with the Spirit,
He constantly pulls us back together with others,
every time our flesh wants to run.





He whispers, encouragingly,
“Hey now, none of this going off
and doing your own thing.”





Not for good at least.
For a moment, it’s ok.
Just for a pause.





Jesus sometimes went off into the wilderness
to be alone with God,
or onto the mountain with his close pals,
because he needed a moment to regather.





But he didn’t run away from the people
who were pulling on him.





He didn’t even run away from the people
who were persecuting him.





He didn’t say “Forget it, it’s pointless. We will never see eye to eye, so let’s be ok just to do our own things.”





He kept speaking truth.





He kept serving, in love.





And we are called to be like him,
not Iike the world.






	


	





	

		
In The Throne-Room, As In The Bedroom
	


	
			

				
			


			
	

		






Boy does God keep taking me out of my comfort zone. I never talk about sex on here, y’all, but that’s exactly what analogy he used to show me something today. So- with a slightly red face 😉 – here goes- because it’s too cool not to share!
〰️〰️〰️





Joy is found when we come into intimate {prayer} time with Jesus, with a goal of enjoying our time together, and of pleasing Him, over self. 🙏🏻





Mommas who have gone through infertility will understand this analogy:





When we go into the bedroom with our husband, with only the goal of what we want out of it,
{sex just to make a baby},
pretty soon we find it clinical and joyless.
That’s not how it was designed to be!





The Bible says that we, the church, are like the bride of Christ.





Just as husband + wife are partners in physical life, connect and become one in sex (bodies intertwining), and stay connected through communication…





Jesus + each of us can become partners in spiritual life, connect and become one (spirits intertwined) through the Holy Spirit, and stay connected through communication {prayer}.





When we go into the throne room of grace with Jesus in prayer, with only the goal of what we want out of it,
{when our prayers are only about what we want and need, and there’s no praising him or dwelling in gratitude for our partnership}
pretty soon we find it as clinical and joyless as sex-just-for-a-baby.
That’s not how it is supposed to be!





I think that’s why so many Christians who should be full of joy are often joyless! Because we have “grown this big family” and we have lots of spiritual kids, and maybe we talk to our heavenly-hubby about the kids and about the prayer list of things we need, but we’re forgetting to take a “date night”regularly. We are forgetting to connect intimately, which is supposed to be what gives us energy and passion and joy, to be ABLE to do “all the stuff”!





Sex is so much more fulfilling when the wife comes into that time, longing to please her husband, and the husband comes into that time longing to please his wife. The mutual servanthood, each looking outside of self, is a beautiful thing!





Can you imagine how it would feel to come into the bedroom and have your partner say “Ok, time to please me, woman”, and then care nothing about reciprocating that pleasure?





Or having them just skip through the foreplay to get right to the main act, out of a sense of obligation or wanting self-relief?





Ugh. That would not be great, right?





I’m pretty sure that’s how it feels for Jesus when we come to the throne room, out of a sense of obligation instead of longing to enjoy that intimate time together.





I imagine that’s how he must feel when we come into that place of togetherness, with a transactional mindset, only wanting what’s in it for self.





He’s a loving partner, a selfless spiritual mate, it’s true.
But shouldn’t that inspire us even more
to reciprocate?
To want to please him?
Not in a works kind of way,
but in grace upon grace?





We can trust him to meet our needs,
(and he knows how to do that even better than we do, he knows what’s good for us and what’s not).





We don’t have to be shy about telling him
what we need
and even what we want.
He’s a good partner and he wants us
to be open with him,
and come to him with those things instead of living to meet them for self in the world.





But oh the joy that is found,
when we come into our together time,
laying aside our own needs for a moment-
because we trust that he knows and will handle those, and that there will be a time to discuss that, after.





Such joy is found in pleasing him –
through thanks-giving and praise,
simply for who He is.





And just like you can see it on your hubby’s face, when you please him,
it feels good in your soul.
An even better feel-good than when he pleases you, I think!





Likewise,
even though we can’t see Jesus’s face,
when we please him,
since we are intertwined in Spirit,
we can FEEL it in our soul!
And it’s an even better feel-good than when he pleases us by giving us the things we have been praying for.





His presence—
{His joy, His fulfillment}
it’s the best present ever!





Sometimes I get so busy
just going through life,
just caring for my family,
and seeking to serve in the house of the Lord,
just doing the “housework”,
that I forget to take that intimate time.





And when I do,
sometimes it’s clinical and rushed.
Jesus, help me, amen.





And He’s so good.
He does help me.





But today- helping me looked like this!
It looked like telling me why I get joy-sapped when I amp up the work for him, without amping up my together-time with him.





Like a momma with lots of kids still needs intimacy with her husband (more than ever),
a spiritual worker, a servant in the house of God, needs intimacy with Jesus more than ever too!





Y’all.
Just a tiny taste of that this morning-
Just a few minutes of coming to him in praise without even feeling the need to remind him of my needs that still need to be met…





I can barely describe the feeling I left that time with.





It’s like laying aside your honey-do list,
just to ENJOY your honey!





It’s like trusting that He will do what needs to be done, and that I can also ask him for those things that I need, to do what he’s asked me to do…





But in this moment,
we are laying the serving and working
to the side
(Not forever, just like we don’t stay forever in the bedroom with our husbands),
and we are SIMPLY EN-JOYING.
Sparking joy in one another!





And the coolest thing?
Married or not,
Male or female,
Rich or poor,
Young or old,
everyone can get in on this!





Go to him to get your soul filled today!





HE is what everyone is looking for
with all the feel-good stuff.
The hygge.
“All the Fall.”
The being pampered.





He’s better than “retail therapy”,
or “camping therapy”,
or “vaca.”





I’ve looked for this feeling everywhere.
And when I include Him, I enjoy Him.





But it turns out it was never the place
or the activity,
so much as it was the Person.
And the joy and peace that flooded in as I thanked and praised him!





And it turns out-
that instead of waiting
for the next answered prayer,
or the next vacation,
to feel thankful,
I can generate that same
“Soul-orgasmic” joy
by calling to mind
things I’m already thankful for!





THIS is what I’m trying to describe
when I say “from full!”





We can live from this fullness,
from his already-goodness,
and the feelings he gives us
that follow our thanksgiving and praise
for Him-
instead of chasing the next bit of blessing,
so that we can have that thank-full feeling again!





Wow this is way more personal than I ever intended to go.
And also- I’m fairly certain I’m not even coming close to describing it!





He is THE life!





Nothing compares to Him!





Amen. Amen. Amen.





Christians- trust me, try this.
Go get alone with him,
Dwell with him,
Offer the sacrifice he’s really after-
praise and thanksgiving for who He is.
And ENJOY as you’re consequently ultra-filled
by his presence!





Hebrews 13:15-
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

	


	





	

		
Jesus Already Paid “The Rent”
	


	
	

		






Business quotes are pretty believable.
I gotta admit: I bit.





Our flesh doesn’t know what to do with grace.
It doesn’t make any sense.





We feel more comfortable with the grind.





We feel more comfortable and in control,
and less guilty about the blessings we have
when we can say we “earned them.”





But what happens when the “rent” {the measure of success} goes up, like it always does?





What happens when we hit the point we have no more left to give?





I’ll tell ya what happens.
Because it happened to me.
And I’ve seen it happen to others
over and over again.





Stars- burn out.
They crash.
The “light” leaves. The sparkle fades.





We hit rock bottom,
feeling like the plain ol’ rocks
we were always trying not to be.





But that’s where he picks us up,
and calls us TREASURE.
He puts HIS unfading light in us.
And for the first time-
because we LEAST feel like it then-
we taste what His grace really is!





Grace is a receiving a title you didn’t have to earn.
{Because He gives those, freely.}





Grace is a place at His table,
{which is better than the best in this world!}
that you didn’t have to pay for with cash or hustle,
Because Jesus earned it for you with His own blood, sweat, and tears on the cross.





Grace is knowing that you’ll never be loved or valued or sought after by Him any more, or any less, based on your own performance. Because He called you worthy of dying for before any “journey” of yours ever even began.





The world’s success tastes sweet for a moment.
But it leaves you thirstier,
and the after taste is bitter.





Thankfully, Jesus is the best palate cleanser!





Free Unconditional Love {Grace}
tops
Earned Conditional Love {“Fake Grace”}
EVERY • SINGLE • TIME!





His Grace WINS!

	


	





	

		
Fresh-from-the-Father Love
	


	
	

		











Today I was busy chatting, at church, 
Planning,
Preparing
for some ways I wanted to pour into others.





And this little girl at church, who barely knows me, walks right up to me and gives me this little flower, in a tiny cup of water.





And it stopped me in my tracks.






She didn’t make a show out of it.
She didn’t interrupt my conversation.
In fact, she didn’t say anything at all.
She simply handed it to me, for whatever reason, and skipped away.





And it stopped me in my tracks.
“Carmen, did you mean give this to ME?” I asked.





“Yep!”





“Really? That was so sweet of you! Thanks!”





“You’re welcome!”





And then she went on about her business as if the whole thing really was no big deal. To a child I’m sure it was just natural.





See a fallen flower, pick it up.
Save it.
Put it in a cup of water and give it a drink.





See someone who needs a smile?
Pass the flower along.
(Little did she know God was using her to give my soul a drink too. 😉)





It’s really no wonder that Jesus says in the Bible in Matthew 18:13- “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”





THIS is exactly what he’s trying to help me learn in this season of life, y’all!





Planning is ok.
Just don’t miss the moments right in front of you.





Preparing to bless, that’s wonderful!
Just don’t be mistaken- sometimes it doesn’t take doing something that you feel is BIG, to bless.
Look for opportunities right before you.





See a blessing? Pick it up. Pass it on. With a smile.





Sometimes nothing even need be said.
(& Sometimes maybe it does need to be, and you can trust he will give you the words when those are needed too.)





We adults complicate things so much.





Lord, thank you for this child’s gift today!
And thank you for your beautiful reminder!





Please continue to sanctify me,





Please continue to help me (even while you’re growing and maturing me in your wisdom and grace)… to “become little again.”





Please help me flow in this childlike love.
That simply sees differently,
Gives differently,
Is barely conscious of self at all while doing it.





This love that reaches out and touches people,





a love that knows no boundaries





and is not held back by learned social “etiquette”,





but just FLOWS





because they’re more fresh-from-the-Father,





in a world who needs to be reminded
just who we are in Him! 





It’s funny, today our pastor preached about humility. And he did a really great job! 





And part of humility, for me, in this season, has been learning to accept the duty of taking a turn teaching in the kids’ room,  even when I don’t feel like that’s “my gift” or my particular area of ministry calling. 





But in this moment? 





God showed me PERFECTLY…





he used a child to teach ME, 





what true humility is. 






	


	





	

		
{Read The Passages, Before The Blog} Can You Feel It? Can You Hear It? He’s NEAR.
	


	
			

				
			


			
	

		

Spirit-filled Jesus lovers- you HAVE to hear this.
Read these books in the Message version and tell me if you have the same experience!





This is by FAR the boldest post I’ve ever made, but I guess that’s why happens when you tell him you’ll say WHATEVER He wants you to say. It’s SUPER uncomfortable and simultaneously AMAZING!





I’m re reading the old prophetic books:
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi- in the Message. That’s just what I’ve gotten to so far.





My heart feels like a pacemaker under an MRI. Literally being RIPPED OUT.





For the lost!





And the fence sitters!





And the prodigals afraid to come home!





For the dispassionate and lukewarm believers that are being blinded with busyness, and lies, and fears and all the things!





I have been ALL of these.





It took me hitting rock bottom for me to cry out.
And I’m asking God some of the same things Habakkuk asked. {Basically how long? How long until we hit the bottom so they can see?}





Please – “as you bring judgment, as you surely must, remember mercy!” – Habbukuk 3





“God, I’ve heard what our ancestors say about you,
and I’m stopped in my tracks,
down on my knees.





Do among us what you did among them.
Work among us as you worked among them.





And PLEASE – “as you bring judgment, as you surely must, remember mercy!” – Habbukuk 3





😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭





You all- LISTEN- it continues on…





“God’s on His way again…
Skies are blazing with his splendor…
PLAGUE marches before him {HELLO!!!}
Pestilence at his heels {😬😬😬}.
He stops.
HE SHAKES THE EARTH…
Nations tremble.
The age-old mountains fall to pieces;
ancient hills collapse like a spent balloon…
I saw everyone worried and in a panic {Do you see it?!}…
Mountains saw what was coming.
They twisted in pain.
Flood waters poured in.
Ocean roared and reared huge waves…
Angry, you stomped through the Earth.
Furious, you crushed the godless nations.
You were out to save your people,
to save your especially chosen people….
When I heard it my stomach did flips.
I stammered and stuttered…
I staggered and stumbled…
I sit back and wait for Doomsday to descend on our attackers….
Though {the equivalent of basically, the world is falling apart and the economies are failing}-
I’m singing joyful praise to God.
I’m turning cartwheels of joy for my Savior God..
Counting on God’s rule to prevail,
I TAKE HEART AND GAIN STRENGTH!”
{from the prophet Zephaniah, chapter 3}





〰️〰️〰️





And just like him— even alongside the heart- ripping anguish for the people caught up in the world, simultaneous the hope in my soul feels like a metal detector that has found TREASURE!!! 💍





With every passage I read, truth reverbates in my deepest core and it’s like a beep beep beep that tells me it’s CLOSE!





VERY CLOSE!!





We are almost there.





He is NEAR!





And that’s both exciting and terrifying.





But he is reminding me that it’s our enemy who should be afraid, and we should remain as close to Him as we can!





For all those who have strayed- it’s time to come home!





Prodigals- it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, he has already forgiven you and wants to welcome you back with a feast! {I know, I was afraid and ashamed too and He did it for me!}





Lukewarm- get his Holy Spirit fire inside you and get fired up!!





Busy, dispassionate, drowned- throw it off! All of it! It’s burying you! It’s not worth it! He’s so much BETTER!!





Fence-sitters- DECIDE! Before it’s decided for you and you get left behind.





Lost- LISTEN UP! Listen close. He’s calling out to you personally! He wants you to be among the saved! But He won’t override your free will. It’s your call!





And those already making the Most High their shelter- he says hang on TIGHT! He knows it’s a bumpy ride but He’s got us. He might be the destroyer of the enemy, and the one shaking the world, but he is our father and protector!
DO NOT FEAR. HOLD ON TIGHT.





〰️〰️〰️





You guys, my fingers are typing this and just barely able to keep up.





This feels intense and urgent and to be honest I’m shaking as I post this.





Some may say I’ve gone off the deep end.
{It’s true, He is DEEP.}





Some may unfollow me because it’s too much.
{I get it.
Don’t follow me anyway, follow HIM!
I don’t even want to be a leader,
it’s very uncomfortable that he’s asking me
to share this.
I am tempted always to “just do me.”
But He in me CAN’T.}





And now, I’ve done what he’s asked me to do for the day, and I’m going to go enjoy my family.
Because I still can, and it’s a gift,
and if the anniversary of losing my dad has taught me anything-
It’s that whether or not the world ends soon,
Every day is SOMEONE’S last.
And we never know when our day is.
So it’s best to be sure we are always ready.
Not worried, but ready.





KEEP, EVEN SLEEP, WITH YOUR ARMOR ON!






	


	





	

		
Write My Own Story? No Thanks. I Want To Live In The Story God Is Writing For Me!
	


	
			

				
			


			
	

		

We have been tricked, y’all. Lied to by the world.





We have been told that we can write our own stories-
we have been inspired to,
coached to,
pushed to.





But can’t we see that’s not entirely true?





Can’t we see that even the “prettiest” life pictures we build up around ourselves, can’t fill us with all the security and all the sense of worth we’d hoped it would?





{The great news is that God offers those freely!}





〰️〰️〰️





Can’t we see that there are some “plot twists” that we are NOT in control of?





When we die. When loved ones die. When people get sick. When jobs are lost, when business dries up, when the economy totally tanks. When the whole world goes crazy. When COVID.





{The great news is that, despite any of those things, we don’t have to go through “rock bottom” alone. And that, at the moment we feel hopeless, we find an EVEN GREATER hope!}





〰️〰️〰️
We have been told that if we don’t build our own kingdoms, we will spend our whole lives helping someone else build theirs.





{The Truth is, that’s the very best thing that could happen to us! Embracing who we were made to be- both daughters/sons AND servants in HIS Kingdom. Trading in the “rent is due daily” life for the knowledge that the rent has FOREVER been paid by Jesus, but that we still g•e•t to use our gifts within his Kingdom, which is fulfilling!}





〰️〰️〰️
And we have been told that if we are savvy enough, or helpful enough, or convincing enough, or educated enough, or kind enough, or if we pay enough for special “insider training”- not only can we build our own kingdoms instead, but that others will WANT to help us build ours.





But the thing we are forgetting to take into account?





None of it matters, if it’s not for Him.





“If God doesn’t build the house,
the builders only build shacks.





If God doesn’t guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.





It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.





Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?”





‭‭Psalm‬ ‭127:1-2‬ ‭MSG‬‬





〰️〰️〰️





“Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ.





Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection.





If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing.





If your work passes inspection, fine;
if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over.
But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.”





‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:9-15‬ ‭MSG‬‬





〰️〰️〰️





Y’all. I’m a writer.





I tried my whole life to write a story
I could be proud of,
others could be proud of,
He would be proud of.





Turns out- simply embracing the story He had been writing for me all along, {as I was trying to edit and fancy up and “plot twist” and all that}, has been the very best.





I don’t like surprises.





I like to be in control.





But control comes at the cost of heaviness.





Anxiety is the grinding, the rubbing,
of our own plans and control against God’s.





When we learn go with HIS flow,
the anxiety goes too, for the most part.





And the moments of it that still pop up are simply reminders that we are trying to do our own thing again.





I’m learning to let him be the author.
He’s much better at it than I am!

	


	





	

		
Even In Fear & Trembling
	


	
			

				
			


			
	

		

“Fear and trembling” are the words from the Bible that popped into my head, as I went to record podcast episodes 1 & 2 these past two weeks.





Fear and trembling, not so much about what people would think of me, but that if anyone is listening who is not a believer- what they would think of Him because of what I said.





I have the Fear of God in me.
Which does not mean that He is scary.
He should only be scary to those who are not on his side, not his daughters or sons.
The Fear of God is more like a deep reverence. Respect.
Concern for what He thinks.





I feel a fear of rejection, but not the same old one I used to have, that would have to assuage myself with reminders that “it’s not me they’re rejecting {when I was in direct sales}, it’s the opportunity.” Because in my heart I would rather someone reject me personally than reject the opportunity to get to know my friend, Jesus.





So I just want to “get it right”, you know?





I don’t want to just turn on a mic and ramble,
as if what I say doesn’t really matter
because if I believed that then I wouldn’t be doing it at all. Because podcasting vs. writing is NOT comfortable for me. Not one bit right now.





And yet it feels that way at times.
{Like I’m just rambling}.
And I have to fight that feeling too.
The lie that I’m just a rain drop in a hurricane.
That in this season of utter chaos, the “ripple effect” has gone out the window.





Because there’s already so many voices out there-shouting-
and here I am,
flesh overwhelmed by all the “noise”
like a deer in headlights,
yet soul provoked more than ever to speak up for TRUTH.
So that I find it impossible to be silent, even when my flesh would rather be.  





Fear and trembling,
Because I’m afraid to “preach it” wrong.
Or predict it wrong. {That Jesus is coming soon.}





But in prayer He reminds me that
I don’t need to call myself a prophet or a teacher-
Jesus will come when He will come,
But what people do need to know is that
the Holy Spirit is already RIGHT HERE.





An ever-present, real-time, available-to-us HELP.
A comforter.
An advocate.
A friend.
An intercessor.
THE FILLER.





Because too many of us are living dried up,
Trying to get filled, in the world.
Trying to fill others in our own power.





And all the while there is a better Way.
Him.
HE is THE Way, THE Truth, THE LIFE.
And only through Him do we eternally succeed.





And though our own salvation has zero to do with works, we do have work to do- which is extending the opportunity for salvation through Jesus to others,





And He makes himself available to help us accomplish this.





And so  even when it’s scary,
or out of my comfort zone,
or it feels like it doesn’t matter
(because I’m just one voice amongst millions),
or like there are plenty of other better-equipped people out there to spread God’s message…
Because He asked me to share and keep sharing,
I will.
I will trust that it matters because He says it does.





I will take this imploring personally, and I will exhort other Jesus-followers to as well:





“…Be energetic in your life of salvation,
reverent and sensitive before God.





That energy is God’s energy,
an energy deep within you,
God himself willing and working
at what will give him the most pleasure.





Do everything readily and cheerfully—
no bickering,
no second-guessing allowed!





Go out into the world uncorrupted,
a breath of fresh air
in this squalid and polluted society.





Provide people with a glimpse of good living
and of the living God.





Carry the light-giving Message into the night
so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you
on the day that Christ returns…”





‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:12-16‬ ‭MSG‬‬





〰️〰️〰️
Enjoy daily encouragement?
Want to check out the podcast?





Here are the links.





•Apple•
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-full/id1586362401





•Spotify•
https://open.spotify.com/show/5eRd94Me9sDJNtxjiXXpq0?si=S_FBrTDLQBO8LZIfbiOZrQ&dl_branch=1





•Anchor•
https://anchor.fm/from-full





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