Redefined

Neither love nor rejection from the finite will define my worth.
Neither my accomplishments nor my failures will define my value.

 My Creator, my Father, my Savior, my God...He alone holds that right.
He redefines the shame I have felt.
He redefines the lies I have told myself.
I am redefined by His grace.
I am redefined in His truth.

I am all that He says I am.

 

My identity is found in Christ alone.
My confidence is in Christ and who I am in Him.

He is faithful when I am faithless.
He is trust when I doubt.

He is able when I'm weak.
He is love when I am abandoned.
He is wisdom when I don't understand.
He is joy when I am heart broken.
He is forgiveness when I fall.
He is worthy when I don't feel good enough.
He is patience when I'm overwhelmed.
He is hope when I am discouraged.
He is truth when I'm uncertain or deceived.
He is freedom and salvation.
 

God help me to see.

Help me to hear.

Help me to know Your heart.
I am worthy because You have chosen me.
I am rescued.

I am redeemed.

I am restored.
I am made complete in You.
I am Yours.

I am Your Beloved.

It's You

Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

But as for me, I will always have hope;

I will praise you more and more.

My mouth will tell of your righteousness,

of your salvation all day long,

though I know not its measure.

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;

I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praise to you -

I, whom you have redeemed.

Psalm 71

There is a light in the dark

That's come to make us new

Come to heal our hearts

God it's You

There is a hope for the weak

That's come to show us the truth

Come to be all we need

God it's You

God of all creation

King of all the nations

The universe declares His praise

Can you hear it rising

Over the horizon

Come and join redemption's song

It's You

God it's You

You are the light in the dark

You've come to make us new

Come to heal our hearts

God it's You

God it's You

God of all creation

King of all the nations

The universe declares His praise

Can you hear it rising

Over the horizon

Come and join redemption's song

It's You

God it's You

You are worthy

You are worthy

You are worthy, God

You are worthy

You are worthy

You are worthy, God

A New Perspective

I took an little trip north to New Hampshire this past weekend. I've had an open invitation to visit for the last few years, and for some reason I've never acted on it. It's kind of crazy that I've ventured south multiple times, but never north. I think there were a couple of things that made me resist the thought.

It's cold.

It's dark.

Ok, so somehow I hit it on one of the most balmy weekends they've ever had for this time of year, so I can't complain about the temperature. Although, every time I walked outside I was mentally bracing myself for a breath snatching kind of cold that thankfully was not the case.

But it was dark. Like REALLY dark. And the darkness started closing in around 3:30. It was a little eerie to say the least. By the time 5:00 hit, I was heading up 91N through Vermont along the New Hampshire border, and it just got darker and darker. I could only see the road directly in front of me. There were hardly any other cars on the road. There were no lights anywhere. No nearby towns to shed a little illumination. I couldn't see the moon or stars. Nothing. I kept waiting for a moose to appear out of nowhere. The darkness was enveloping. Oppressive. All encompassing. Penetrating.

Contrast that with my drive back south Monday morning in the daylight. That same stretch of road took on a whole different feeling in the light. It was absolutely glorious! Breath taking! Completely gorgeous! I couldn't believe how much I had missed seeing on the way up because I just plain couldn't see it in the dark. I just kept looking around and soaking it all in. God surely outdid Himself with those incredibly beautiful mountains.

The sun decided to paint the sky with the type of rays that filter down through the billowing clouds in streams. The trees were a mix of those that had shaken themselves free from their autumn leaves and the evergreens that live up to their name. And while the snow wasn't laying as thickly as is pictured above, there were patches of white dotting the landscape combined with ice formations clinging to the sides of the rock face that had been exposed in order to make way for the highway.

I just kept repeating "Wow, God, WOW!!" and thanking Him for the gift. I couldn't help myself. It was majestically beautiful!

What a difference light makes. I gained an entirely new perspective. I kept thinking about how much I could have missed if I wouldn't have had the opportunity to drive through that area in the daylight. The oppressive darkness of the night was lifted and turned into one of the most glorious scenes I've ever witnessed.

And then I started wondering how much I could have missed if I wouldn't have God's light opening my eyes to the beautiful things He's been doing and orchestrating along this life journey of mine. What a difference His light has made in my life. His light has illuminated the most amazing and miraculous things. I know I have an entirely new perspective on everything that happens.
A new perspective on the people around me.
A new perspective on my purpose; my passions; my goals.
A new perspective on morality; on my actions, thoughts, and words.
A new perspective on compassion.
A new perspective on pain; hurt; disappointment; worry; tragedy.
A new perspective on contentment; joy.
A new perspective on failure.
A new perspective on friendships; community; relationships; marriage.
A new perspective on change; waiting; anticipation; growth.
A new perspective on everyday miracles; sunrises; ocean tides; babies; stars.
A new perspective on thankfulness; grace; mercy; faithfulness; trust.
A new perspective on life.

I'm so thankful for my Savior. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to walk through this life in His light. I'm so thankful He broke through the oppressive darkness that shrouded my heart and turned my life into something beautiful...something even more glorious than the scenery I witnessed this weekend.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you."

2011 Best Of - Waiting

It seems like a long time since I compiled my thoughts on what I've been learning through the process of waiting.  I think it's one of the major themes of this last year.

Waiting...

I'm still waiting...

I'll probably always be waiting for something...

So I went back and read over my thoughts from earlier this year.
It's good to review.
And as I read, I'm seeing that they still hold fast and true.

It's something that will consistently continue to be ingrained in my heart. Something that I'm so thankful to still be learning and growing in as time flips forward into the new year.

Waiting...

Waiting...in Contentment

Waiting...with Expectation

Waiting...in Worship

Waiting...in the Interim

Waiting...with Shattered Dreams

When You Came

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  ~Matthew 4:16

Light has dawned in the shadow

Life has shattered the dead

Glory has overcome darkness

Sight has revealed what's ahead

Truth unveils the deception

Grace eclipses the shame

Mercy forgives transgression

Found recovers the strayed

You came to bring freedom

You came to bring change

You came to bring light into this darkened world

And nothing remained the same

When You came

You came to bring healing

You came to bring hope

You came to bring life like we've never known before

And everything changed

When You came

Peace has overwhelmed turmoil

Love has drowned out hate

Joy has broken through sorrow

Strength has encouraged the faint

Comfort supplies the needy

Clean washes the stained

Freedom bursts through the chains that have held me

Hope heals all the pain

You came to bring freedom

You came to bring change

You came to bring light into this darkened world

And nothing remained the same

When You came

You came to bring healing

You came to bring hope

You came to bring life like we've never known before

And everything changed

When You came

We were lost

We were broken

We couldn't find You

We were blind

We were wandering

We didn't see You

Until You came

All He Says I Am

There are so many voices out there telling us how we should act...what we should look like...who we should be.
It's so easy to get lost within the lies of those voices.
To never actually hear and know the truth of who we are.
To never hear the only Voice that matters.
To never hear the truth of who we are in Christ.
To never know the love, freedom, and abundant life that's found through knowing Him.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Our identity is in Him and Him alone.
We are His beloved children.
Redeemed. Restored. Whole. ALIVE!!

No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. 

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.  

I love Cody Carnes' song All He Says I Am that expresses all of this so incredibly well. I could just sit and listen to it over and over and over. In fact, I have...

He whispers in my ear

Tells me that I'm fearless

He shares a melody

Tells me to repeat it

And it makes me whole

It reminds my soul

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

And He says I am His own

I was blinded by scales upon my eyes

And He came like a light

And burned up all the lies

Oh He set me free

He reminded me

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

And He says I am His own

Chains are broken, scales are on the floor

Truth is spoken, I'm no orphan anymore

Chains are broken, scales are on the floor

Truth is spoken, I'm no orphan anymore

Chains are broken, scales are on the floor

Truth is spoken, I'm no orphan anymore

I am loved

I am new again

And I am free

I'm no slave to sin

And I'm a saint

I am righteousness

And I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

Oh I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

And He says I am His own

God's Presence Matters

I've been thinking about being present and what that means. Really connecting and focusing on people. People matter. Relationships matter.

I've been thinking about what it means to be here now. Letting go of regrets, releasing fears, silencing distractions, being still, really knowing God, and dwelling in Him. Our relationship with God matters. God's presence in our lives matters.

In comparison, does anything else really matter? What matters besides God's presence? Without Him, nothing matters. If we are connected to Him, we can do all things. Without Him, we can do nothing.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

I love how Francis shared it at Catalyst Atlanta this year:

Be Here Now

I wrote yesterday about the importance of being present. Connecting. Engaging. Forming genuine relationships. Focusing. Investing in people. Getting involved. Being available.

But before we can do any of that, I think we need to actually find a way to BE STILL.

I think it's getting harder and harder to shut off the noise of the world around us and actually be still. We have so many distractions in life, one of which seems to be the ever increasing monopoly of technology. But it doesn't stop there. It's life in general. It's the "to do list". It's the tasks that we need to complete at work. It's the little children clamoring for our attention. It's the bills that need to be paid. It's the burden of illness; the overwhelming incurable disease. It's the unresolved fight we had that morning with our spouse. It's the voices of poverty. It's the next cause; the next social justice. It's the media hype. It's the celebrity glamour; the next fashion trend. It's the sideways glances of comparison. It's the I need to be better; the I'll never be good enough.

It's the regrets of the past.
It's the anxieties of today.
It's the what ifs of the future.

What would it take for you to let go of your regrets?
To trust that as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

What would it take for you to release your fears?
To fully cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

What would it take for you to believe that God loves you and will never leave you?
You cannot flee from His presence.

What would it take for you to silence those distractions?
To be still and know that He is God and find peace.

Last year at the Global Leadership Summit, I saw Blaine Hogan perform this amazingly simple skit that so effectively communicates what it means to let go. To surrender. To be still. To Be Here Now. You really have to watch it. It's incredibly powerful...

God is here now.

He has always been here.

He will always be here.

Now it's time for us to be still and finally, truly be nowhere else but here.

Psalm 13

A variation of Psalm 13 rewritten in response to my own heart's cry...

How long will You wait?

How long will it take?

Tell me how long

When will this change?

Will it ever end?

What's the point?

Why the hurt?

The pain?

I don't know what I'm waiting for

But I will trust

I trust in You

In Your unfailing love

And I rejoice

There's joy in You

Joy in Your salvation

I will sing

You've been so good

So good to me

God, give me peace

God, give me strength

God, I need You

Restore my joy

Bring me back again

Return hope

Free my heart

My soul

I know You can deliver me

I will trust

I trust in You

In Your unfailing love

And I rejoice

There's joy in You

Joy in Your salvation

I will sing

You've been so good

So good to me

Rewind

Have you ever wanted to go back and redo certain eras of life?

Sometimes I'd just love to hit the rewind button and totally change everything about my college experience. Well, not my roommate (just to clarify since I know you're probably reading this...haha). And I'm not saying I want to go through the classes and studying part either. BUT seriously, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go back and relive the social life part as the person I am today rather than who I was back then. Oh man...I would have gotten involved in SO much more...done SO much more...been so much more fun! Why in the world did I hole up in my room so much?! Why didn't I get to know people?! I can't even use the excuse that I was investing time in studying. Nope...I was just flat out lame.  haha

And then there's a whole other level...

Sometimes I'd just love to rewrite portions of life when I made stupid choices; gave into temptations; let other people's opinions speak louder than the truth; rushed ahead with decisions before consulting God's wisdom. Actually, there are even some parts of life that I honestly just want to completely erase. I wish they never took place. I don't even want a second chance to live through them again. Can we just pretend like they never even happened and move on?

But there's something I've started to learn and really understand over the last few years. There's something about the past that's made me who I am today. There are seasons of life I'm not proud of, there are things that I should have handled a whole lot better, and there are moments when I've completely messed up. But without going through those rough spots and working through a lot of painful and hard times, I wouldn't have learned most of the invaluable life lessons that are behind why I'm where I am right now.

There's something to be said about the wisdom that comes as you live life. There's a difference between head knowledge and really understanding through experience. And while it might be nice to be able to rewind and be granted a do-over, I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to trade any of my past if it meant giving up what I've learned through it. And as long as I keep my eyes open to God's leading, He will continue to use every facet of life to continually mold me and help me grow.

Back Again

 She walked away at seventeen
She didn't wanna be anything He had for her
She took off running thinking freedom was somewhere else but in His care
Running away from His arms of liberty

But He never left her side
He never gave up tryin' to get through
How much He loves her still the same
And wants her back again

He's calling her

My love, come back again

She messed it up at twenty-one
She never thought she could repay the damage done
She took off running thinking there'd never be forgiveness for this shame
Running away from His arms of mercy

But He never left her side
He never gave up tryin' to get through
How much He loves her still the same
And wants her back again

He keeps calling her

My love, come back again

Now she's here at thirty-three
She's learned some things about life and Jesus along the way
She took off running thinking there's no other way to make it through
Running straight into His open arms of love

You see He's never left her side
He never gave up tryin' to get through
How much He loves her still the same
And wants her back again

Now He's holding her

My love, you're back again

Sufficient

Have you ever been reading through Scripture and caught yourself glazing over the passages that you've known all your life.  They're so familiar that you don't take the time to stop and really let them sink in. But I love when those exact same verses coming roaring back with renewed meaning and strength during certain seasons of life. God's Word is living and active, and I'm so thankful He still breathes life into our hearts through His Word.

I watched a North Point service online this weekend, and one of those verses has caught my heart and mind with a new depth.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians how he pleaded with God multiple times to take away a "thorn in his flesh". It was a torment to him. But despite his prayers, God says "No" outright.

Wouldn't you think that with all the incredible work that Paul was doing to spread the gospel, God might step in and help him out?  Wouldn't you think that Paul would be so much more effective if God would take away the thing that was ailing Paul?  Wouldn't you think God would want to make Paul as strong as possible so that he could do even greater things through him?

But God said, "No." 

Really?!  Why, God?! 

And then in verse 9, we see how God spoke into Paul's situation and Paul's subsequent response:

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I love how Andy Stanley explains it: While we have permission to ask God to remove our thorns, God has the right to say no to our requests. God may choose to showcase His power on the stage of our weakness, but the question lies in how we are going to respond.

Are we going to question if God exists? Will we question His wisdom or falter in our willingness to trust Him? Do we continue to struggle to deal with the situation in our own strength? Or do we instead submit to God, trust that He is in control, and accept His answer of no. Because when we do, God gives us something in return - sustaining grace. His strength in our weakness is proof of His presence in our life. In our weakness, we will find that His power will sustain us through even our most difficult circumstances, and His grace is sufficient to cover every need.

It Is Good

I love this excerpt from the last chapter of Shauna Niequist's Cold Tangerines:

I have to remind myself that [life] is good. I have to create hope in my life, because there's something inside me that has radar for the bad parts of life. I walk into the kitchen and all I can see are crumbs on the counter, and I look in the mirror and don't even see my face, I just see all the potential wrinkles forming. I have a dark, worst-case scenario sensor, and it takes over. It's all true. There are crumbs on the counter. I am definitely getting wrinkles. I just don't want to live in only that reality.

Because there is another reality. A better one. Hope and redemption and change are real, and they're happening all around me. So I choose to act out of that reality, because the other one makes life too hard, day after day. Life is painful, and we carry with us so much disappointment and heartbreak. But I'm fighting to save some space inside me where I can create hope. I can't live there in the disappointment anymore. I've missed whole seasons of my life. I look back and all I remember is pain. I guess I went to work or class during that time, but I don't really remember. I wasted a lot of time wishing I was different. I didn't love the gift of life because I was too busy being angry about the life I was given. I wanted it to be different. But being angry didn't change those things. It just wasted time. I can't take away the things that have happened to you or to me, but what we have, maybe as a reward for getting through all the other days, is today. Today is a gift. And if we have tomorrow, tomorrow will be a gift.

It's rebellious, in a way, to choose joy, to choose to dance, to choose to love your life. It's much easier and much more common to be miserable. But I choose to do what I can do to create hope, to celebrate life, and the act of celebrating connects me back to that life I love. We could just live our normal, day-to-day lives, saving all the good living up for someday, but I think today, just plain today, is worth it. I think it's our job, each of us, to live each day like it's a special occasion, because we've been given a gift. We get to live in this beautiful world. When I live purposefully and well, when I dance instead of sitting it out, when I let myself laugh hard, when I wear my favorite shoes on a regular Tuesday, that regular Tuesday is better.

Right now, around our house, all the leaves are falling, and there's no reason that they have to turn electric bright red before they fall, but they do, and I want to live like that. I want to say, "What can I do today that brings more beauty, more energy, more hope?" Because it seems like that's what God is saying to us, over and over. "What can I do today to remind you again how good this life is? You think the color of the sky is good now, wait till sunset. You think oranges are good? Try a tangerine." He's a crazy delightful mad scientist and keeps coming back from the lab with great, unbelievable new things, and it's a gift. It's a gift to be a part of it.

Let's echo his words, and let our lives speak those words: It is good.

Valuable

There's one thing I wish every single female out there would come to realize, take to heart, and truly embrace...

I think if we look long enough and hard enough in the mirror, we'll all see a scared little girl staring back at us. I don't care how self-assured you are. I don't care how much you seem to have your life put together. I don't care if you've got a Barbie figure and an Einstein mind. When we start to peel back the layers we've built up around our hearts, there are always insecurities of some sort.

I don't know when it started for you...

• Some little girls have been scarred early on in childhood. It might not have been something traumatic. Sometimes she just doesn't have the privilege of crawling up into her daddy's lap and knowing that he loves her. She's not shown how precious she really is. And a few bricks start being laid around her little heart to protect it from disappointment.
• Some girls grow into adolescence and start comparing themselves to all the other girls around them. She's trying to climb the ladder, but never seems to be good enough or pretty enough. She alters her image. She tries to fit in and be popular. And a few bricks are laid around her heart to protect it from insignificance.
• Some girls grow up in a relatively safe environment, but start to flounder when facing the realities of facing life alone. She sees her friends all get married, and she starts to wonder what's wrong with her. She starts dating someone who doesn't meet standards...just so she won't be alone...and she gives away pieces of herself that can't be taken back. And a few bricks are laid around her heart to protect it from guilt and shame and regret. 
• Some girls marry the man of their dreams, and then the dream crumbles in the harsh reality of life. She wilts during arguments and pulls away during conflict. She can't understand why the fairy tale isn't coming true. And a few bricks are laid around her heart to protect it from abandonment and loneliness.

Your story may be something completely different, but it's still led to a similar fundamental weakness. And if the right buttons are pushed long enough and hard enough, your determined resolve will disintegrate. Your story may be different, but I think all stories come back to the same bottom line issue...to the same underlying question: What is the foundation of your self-worth?

If there was only one thing that I could communicate to women of all ages, it's this: "You are valuable." 

The problem is that we tend to look for our value in all the wrong places. We look for approval from people. We try to fit a certain mold; look a certain way; maintain a certain weight. We seek happiness in relationships; in accomplishments; through children. And yet we never get to know who God created us to be as individuals. We never learn to find contentment in Him. We never realize how unique and wonderful He's made us. And ultimately, we fail to realize that we are beloved daughters of the Creator of the universe, and as such, we are significant and valuable.

There is nothing here on earth that will satisfy that longing in your heart, and you will continue to find futility in searching for significance outside of a relationship with your Father who loves you more than anything. Let that sink in. It's seems like such a simple concept, but it's one that holds depth beyond comprehension: Jesus loves you. [He has] loved you with an everlasting love. He loves you just the way you are. You are beautiful. He's calling, "Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." You are a priceless treasure, and you are exceedingly valuable.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Change

It's crazy to think that a year ago, my little world as I knew it totally turned upside down. The safe little bubble that I had built up and lived in completely imploded. I suppose in comparison to the crisis situations that I've seen other people go through, it might have been insignificant. But for me, it was earth shattering. Not knowing who to trust. Not knowing what to do. Not knowing anything really.

And yet in the middle of it all, there was a strange sense of peace. 

You see, this wasn't the first time I've had the rug pulled out from under me.  It wasn't the first time I've experienced heartache.  It wasn't the first time I've been left in complete bewilderment. Not understanding. Not knowing who to trust. Not knowing what to do.  But I think this most recent time was different somehow, and I think it's because of things that God has been teaching me step by step especially over the last few years.

For the first time in my life, I knew that my focus was first and foremost dead set on following what God wanted for me. Even if it meant change (which up until that point hadn't really been a part of my vocabulary). Even if it meant leaving everything that I loved doing and was thrilled beyond words to be involved in.  Even if it scared the crap out of me. So while I felt completely out of control and disoriented, somehow I knew that God was in control. I knew that no matter what happened, He would walk through it with me. And if God was asking me to uproot myself and start over, then He would certainly not waste the amazing things that He had begun in my life or the passions that He had been stirring in my heart.

There was really only one thing I kept coming back to amidst my uncertainty. Even if I didn't understand, I knew that if God was calling me to change, then I could change.  I would change. And I found peace in that. Overwhelming peace.

Sitting on her front porch, a great friend encouraged me to trust my gut, and trust that if I've truly been seeking God's will and His guidance, then God was in that peace that I was experiencing. And that's when I think the lightbulb finally went on, and it finally clicked. I realized that maybe I wasn't so uncertain about what I needed to do after all.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Crazier still, once I started to embrace that peace and follow God's leading, that's when change actually started to hold a hint of excitement for me. I'm actually starting to look forward to it! I love what Steven Furtick posted on twitter yesterday: Everything I ever thought I needed that God took away, turns out it was blocking something BETTER He had prepared. And let me tell you, I've seen God open some amazing doors along the way. And as I continue to learn to let go of my will and follow His, I'm thinking there's a whole slew of incredible opportunities just waiting to unfold in God's perfect timing.

I do not know what the future holds.  I do not know where God might call me.  I do not know what may be on the horizon.  But I do know without a doubt that as long as I'm running hard after God and following His lead, I never have to be afraid. I can trust that His plan will always be so much greater than my own. I can rest in His peace no matter what He might ask me to change.

Epic Fail

This clip got passed around the office this week, and I just died laughing...

Don't worry...it's fake.  No one was harmed in the filming of this video.  Therefore, it's ok to laugh at the kid's demise!  :-)

It's crazy though.  You kind of  forget the fact that their tablecloth trick actually worked, because you're left in shock (and laughter) at the epic failure that happens afterwards.  I think life is like that sometimes.  How many times do we try something new and triumph in our success, only to have the world come crashing down around us in the very next second?  How many times do we lose sight of how far God has brought us when we're yet again smacked in the face with that one area of life that just doesn't want to fall into place?  How many times do we forget about the incredible blessings that God has lavished on us when we encounter disappointment, loss, or heartache?

It's in times like this that I'm so very thankful that we have God's Word to run to - to remind us of His love and faithfulness and to give us hope. There is nothing in life...no pain, no crisis, no failure...that is too epic for Him to overcome! 

I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”
I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:17-26 

Holy

I see the Lord

Clothed in splendor

Too brilliant

Too awesome

Too wonderful to comprehend

I fall to my knees

And I cry

Holy, You're holy, holy Lord

Holy, so holy, holy Lord

I'm not worthy

Stained with sin

Too guilty

Too broken

Too unclean to raise my head

I fall to my knees

And I cry

Holy, You're holy, holy Lord

Holy, so holy, holy Lord

Then He lifted me

Redeemed my life

Gave freedom

Gave healing

Gave power to begin again

I stand to my feet

I lift up my eyes

I raise my hands to You

And I cry

Holy, You're holy, holy Lord

Holy, so holy, holy Lord

Celebrating Good

I look around, and I see a world that God spoke into being.  With just a word, the heavens and the earth came into existence.  And when God created this world, it was GOOD.  The light was good.  The sky, land, and sea were good.  The plants and animals were good.  Mankind, created in God's image, was GOOD.  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. 

Well...it was good at least. In this crazy life we live, there are a lot of things that seem hurtful and painful and just plain destructive.  The fact is, this old world is slowly wearing out. And on top of that, there is war and fighting. There are natural disasters...seemingly more now than there have ever been. And we are all a sinful people with sinful natures who just outright mess up...a lot. It's no wonder that sometimes I find myself getting stuck focusing on the negative.  

I'm realizing that there really are good things all around us though, and I just need to step up and recognize them. 

Orange and pink sunsets
Bible verses that speak to your soul
Spring flower blooms
Encouragement exactly when needed
Babies laughing and cooing
Smiles that light up your entire face
Promises of rainbows
Friends who know your soul and protect your heart
Morning dew drops catching early morning rays of light
Answered prayers
Life nourishing rain

Sometimes it comes easy.  In the high points of life, it's easy to be positive and see good in everything.  But there are often times when I need to force myself to find the good amidst the storms that rage in life.  I love how God still creates good even the darkest times, and I want to make sure I celebrate His goodness and the good blessings He gives.

I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

On Pause

I've been reading in the Old Testament about the Israelites after God brought them out of Egypt.  Every time I've read through those passages, I subconsciously shake my head and laugh at how ridiculous they are.  They could look back and see how God rescued them in miraculous ways.  They could visibly see that God was right there with them...leading and guiding both day and night.  They'd complain about not having water, and God would provide water.  They'd worry about what they were going to eat, and God provided manna.  Then they complained about not having meat, and God provided quail for them to eat.  Time after time after time, God provided.  And yet they still complained. 

Then I stop laughing when I realize that I just read about myself...

Is it just me, or does anyone else have times when it feels like God has hit the pause button?  You feel like you've been obedient and done your part.  You hurry up...then you wait. 

Come on, God!!
Hello?  God??  Are You there? 
Tag...You're it! 
It's Your turn.  Make a move. 
Hello?

[[grand pause]] 
**crickets**

Nope.  Nothin'.
**sigh**

It seems like I can look back over the past and see time after time when God has blessed me in incredibly amazing ways.  I can vividly see that He's been actively working in my life.  I know without a doubt that I'm on the right "path" and following where He's leading.  I can see Him at work in other people's lives around me, and I'm able to encourage them to rejoice in His victories within their lives.  I can see how He's been moving and orchestrating events both in the past and the here and now.  And yet, there are days, which at times stretch into weeks, when I start to lose a little hope. When I get discouraged.  When, logically, I might still trust Him, but I don't feel His presence.  I might even start to complain a little.

I read Jeff Manion's The Land Between several months ago, and I love how he described what God's goal was for the Israelites in the desert...and for us as well:

In the wilderness travels of the Israelites, God was out to grow a specific fruit in this harsh environment: he wanted to produce a relationship of trust.  He desired an intimate relationship with his people, and trust is the glue that holds any relationship together. 

The [wilderness] was intended as the people's training ground, their boot camp.  The desert was to serve the purpose of transforming the people of slavery into the people of God.

Because they were in training to be God's representatives, they were thrust into situations in which either their trust would have to stretch or they would crack.  Their God was asking, "Will you trust me when you have limited water?  Will you trust me when food is in short supply?  Will you trust me when you grow tired of the food I am providing?  Will you trust me?"  Unfortunately, the people cracked - repeatedly.

The wilderness is a great space to be enrolled in the school of trust.  Perhaps if we can grasp the purpose of our [wilderness], we can cooperate with that purpose rather than resisting it.  The purpose is trust.  The purpose is transformation.  God brings us out of Egypt and into the [wilderness] to draw us closer in a relationship of trust and to transform us.  We need true, lasting transformation in our lives.  If we can understand what God desires from these experiences, we can resist a spirit of complaint and turn toward God, crying out to him honestly with our hearts, believing that he hears us.  We can trust him to provide in ways we might not even know to ask for - trust that he sees us, knows our needs, and looks on us with loving concern.

Never Change

The whole world turned upside down

Nothing stays the same

Battered and bruised, so confused

Nothing makes sense to me

Feeling lost, completely alone

Broken hearted again

Pieces crumble like before

It never seems to end

God, You were

God, You are

God, You will always be

My hope, my trust, my security

You never change

You never fail

You never will leave

My constant, my life, my eternity

Lifting my hands to You again

Surrendering my heart

Take this life, make it Yours

And use it for Your plan

Offering up what little I have

Broken and torn apart

But God, You make things new again

More beautiful than before

God, You were

God, You are

God, You will always be

My hope, my trust, my security

You never change

You never fail

You never will leave

My constant, my life, my eternity

No matter what life brings

No matter what the pain

Only One remains the same

My God will never change