The Shift [As in Isaiah 35:1-2]

Have you ever fallen into a sudden pit of loneliness

A desert wasteland with no friendly oasis in sight

Nothing on the horizon to lift your spirits

Just emptiness and lack and utter thirst

And crying out to God for help

As you wander in a desolate place of sadness?

But then you showed up to a new day to find it filled

With soul renewing worship and the sweet joy of friendship

A complete perspective shift to hope and new life

And all at once you find crocuses blooming in the wilderness

Out of nowhere—a garden

And you wonder how God could have ushered in such goodness?

A Winged Hope

a fluttering heart

a winged hope

where before

only was despair

now a fresh dewy thing

unfurling like the dawn

playful delight

a colorful beach ball

an ocean wave of possibility

butterfly wings

Poison Dart Words and Their Antidotes

Sometimes words, intended to harm or carelessly spoken, can be poisonous darts that strike at places of insecurity and fear in us. Maybe we cannot help being wounded by them. It hurts and staggers us. The wounds may come from strangers or at times from the people who love us best.

The question is - where do we go from there? Do we agree with the deadly and detrimental words that diminish us and let the poison take root? Or do we fight – look for antidotes, combat lies and discouragement with truth and encouragement in order to heal and overcome and live more confidently into who we truly are? As e.e. cummings noted:

 “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”  

Recently, I was reminded by my sister that no amount of money will be “enough” to secure us for all future occurrences—real security is not found in finances but in trusting God and relying on His wisdom to direct us in every area of life and in every season.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 – “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

Isaiah 46:4 – “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you, I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

My sister also reminded me that I do not need to take on other peoples’ worries nor do I need to hold onto my own. Sometimes fear is contagious or our circumstances may tempt us to start freaking out on occasion. But 1 Peter 5:7 says to 

“Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.”

God will help us through everything we face in life no matter how daunting it seems at the time.  

I need to remember that God will provide for me in every season of life and that my worth is secure in belonging to Him and that I have so much to be grateful and glad for right here and now.

Miscellaneous Fun with Poetry

restless freedom
a little blue sky time
feet in the sand
waves crashing

~

9am

The soul sisterhood, kindred spirit, coffee drinking

Gathering begins

 ~

Kindred hearts

Discuss God, life, favorite books

And joy blossoms

~

The forest beckons

Playfully, bounding

Full of winter sunlight

And laughter

~

Speak shame withers

Lies exposed to the light

Vanquished

Not perfect – good and bad in us

But not a lost cause either – redeemable
Covered by grace

~

Scared she was

            What if the words wouldn’t come

            What if she ventured out into nothingness

                        Where would that take her?

                        Where would that leave her?

                                    Empty.

                                                Alone.

                        Or.

            Somehow. Miraculously. Surprisingly.

                                                Filled.

            After all, God’s blessings come in

                        Unexpected Ways.

                        She wrote.

            The fear was vanquished

                        By Grace.

            The words unfurled

                        Not perfectly or always easily

                        But truly, beautifully, joy-filled.

                                    An act of faith

                                    And love.

                        And where the words came from?

                                    That was often a mystery

                                    Of Divine Love and Providence.

            As when she wrote,

                        She experienced God’s wonderful presence

                                    And pleasure

                                                The delight of Life together.

                                                Never alone. Loved forever. Deeply glad.

Some Things to Help Mend a Broken / Rejected Heart

God

Ice cream

Music

Dancing

Laughter

Gratitude

Really living

The intricacy of a snowflake

An old friend

Knowing who you are matters and always will – no matter what others think

Being yourself

Being a child of God

Playing

Letting go

Trusting God

Knowing there is more life ahead

Remembering you’re not the only one who has felt this way – most everyone has

You are still wonderful

Getting outdoors

Having a dog for a pet

The people who love you for who you are (strengths and weaknesses)

Flowers

Poetry

Continuing to show up

Bravery

Living each of the questions into a brighter tomorrow 

Savoring today

What makes your list?

Some Thoughts on Joy and the Marrow of This Present Moment

What an awesome winter for cross-country skiing! :) Today, while out on the trail - exhilarated by adventure and joy, awed by the beauty and romance of creation, I was thinking - if only I could get a job where I got to be outside in the woods every day like this.

Then, all of a sudden, I knew God was speaking to my heart a huge, "Hello! What about fully experiencing this present moment!" ;) Of course! I am so rich in what is right in front of me! And - Yes! what I really want is to savor more everyday moments like this and to have a greater awareness and gratitude to celebrate what is right in front of me. Sometimes I do get too greedy and think that I need to somehow arrange for my future happiness with some master plan. But really, there is life right here and now that I do not want to miss! God is continually providing me with life and daily bread. That made me think of this passage from Matthew 6:25-34 NLT about the birds and the lilies of the field and how God cares for us:

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God^[d] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Thank you, God, for all of that. I want to keep soaking up the marrow of this present moment with You - and each moment after it on into eternity. Nothing compares to the romance and adventure of life with You :) 

Immeasurably More

Also, this past weekend on an Amtrak train, I sat by a woman who is a minister at an African Methodist Episcopal Church. What stood out the most from our shared conversions and reflections on each of our lives, God, was that you are always working things out for our good in ways beyond what we can ask or imagine - You are with each of us through all the ups and downs of our lives and You care about the tiniest details of each of our lives.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

~

. . . this same God who attends to the majestic details of the universe also gives meticulous attention to the minutiae of life. For instance, the Bible says that He has the hairs of your head numbered. That's serious attention to detail! Not one baby bird falls out of its nest apart from his attention (see Matthew 10:29-30). He is God of both the macroscopic and the microscopic. Nothing is too big or too small to be beyond His direct control. . . . There is not one person who is continuously on my mind, but you are never out of God's conscious thought or away from His immediate attention. He has been obsessed with you for all eternity and can't take His mind off you. He is so in love with you that He has committed all the resources at His disposal (which are considerable) to your well-being. God has never glanced away from you for a moment. . . ." -from A Divine Invitation by Steve McVey