Hayah!

Where are you?  Are you in the same place you were yesterday?  Last week?  Last year?  Do you need to move on?  Do you wonder why you haven’t moved on?

Maybe there is no need to move on—but maybe there is?  Maybe the issue is that you rushed on ahead when it would have been better to stay put.

This week while studying, a word jumped off of the page and stuck to my mind like a used piece of chewing gum that meets my shoe on the hot asphalt sticks.  

Joshua 5:8 states, “And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.”  This word HEALED…is the word for me this WORD WEDNESDAY!

I discovered this word, thanks to a wonderful Bible Study teacher, it is the Hebrew word hayah.  Go ahead and say “HAYAH” out loud…it’s kind of FUN, isn’t it?

I immediately picture myself and karate chopping a board in half.   Can you picture it? 

This word hayah means:  to live, exist, enjoy life, to live anew, recover, be well, to refresh.  And I have actually karate chopped a board in half before and this sends a surge of euphoria through your body.  However, when God karate chops the blocks for us-we are rejuvenated and left with a new feeling of LIFE!

Any time I feel like life has cut me down in some way I am right there at the Lord’s feet to receive His hayah! 

Are you in need of healing?  What is stacked up in your life right now?  What blocks before you are in need of God's powerful-HAYAH! 

I would feel so honored to pray for you and I encourage you to comment or send me an email.  (Today is the last time to be entered into the drawing that I have talked about this month).  In the past, others lifting me up with their healing prayers have blessed me; and healing comes when we remain with God and allow Him to hayah what is before us.

If we are in need of healing—may we stay put and allow God's HAYAH to breakthrough and heal what needs healing…Then…

Then we can fill in the blank _____________.  

Preparing For The Task....with MUSIC!

My devotional reminded me this morning of this picture I took this past weekend of my boy.  Jesus Calling for today reads, “…A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him, before he moves a muscle.” 

Do you prepare yourself mentally for the day?  Anyone like my boy would be a little ‘shaky’ (this is the word he used to describe how he felt before his first playoff championship game).  Just like me and you; he desires to do well; remember what he has been coached and finish the game with both accolades of 'well done' and a 'W' is always the goal!  

O Lord, help us to finish this game of life well...

With a desire to teach my boy who to rely on—who to lean on to persevere through this familiar ‘shaky feeling;’ I am thankful the Lord brought to my memory; Psalm 16:8 to share with him.  “I have set the LORD always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” 

Then dad cranked out the playlist for our boy to listen to and it helped him focus and prepare for the task at hand.   Hmmmm...music has such a purpose in our lives.  

Does music help prepare you for certain tasks?

O Lord, please make my boys, make us those who seek You...those who seek to linger in Your presence; taking the time to prepare mentally for whatever the task is at hand. 

O Lord…please make it so….

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

“10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”

I heard this during worship at my church this weekend; you can listen here.

Do song lyrics and scriptures come to your mind often?  O, may it be so….

I would love to hear what has been brought to your mind recently.

*Just a few more days to be entered in to win a copy of the devotional.  Drawing to be held November 1st!

Vulnerability Hangover

I sat that morning with what I could describe best as a ‘vulnerability hangover.’ (Thank you Brene Brown) 

Do you know of Brene?  Check out her Ted talks here:  http://www.brenebrown.com/welcome

It was the morning after attending a challenging Why?! Event with the Girlfriendit Team.   (http://www.girlfriendit.com)

I know vulnerability is the birth place of joy and love for me and you!  Yet, I admit I am often so tempted to stay silent rather than embrace the 3 Cs Brene talks about:  Courage/Compassion/Connection….because bottom line, it is scary. 

Back to why I was sitting with a ‘vulnerability hangover.’  That night I sat around the table with some great friends as well as some strangers—some remarkable high-capacity women leaders and I listened while someone shared her story and then felt nudged to share mine and it was like a firecracker went off and sparks were flying because God was moving.  What makes us vulnerable makes us beautiful princesses!

It is risky…vulnerability that is…and it fuels our lives!

So at the moment I want to-or you want to trade in our stories..DON’T!  It is God’s story and it must be told for God to shine in this world through our COURAGE/COMPASSION/CONNECTION.

God reminded this morning as He tended to my hangover in just a few scriptures past the reminder that we are Abraham’s daughters (remember what I blogged about last week…read it here) 

God reminded me that it is all about planting seeds—tiny ones the size of a mustard seed.  These seeds will grow and become a tree and birds of the air will perch on the branches of these trees.   (Luke 13:18-19)

It takes faith as small as a mustard seed to step forth and be vulnerable and with these tiny seeds we will see God moving in the lives of those around us…

Do you see many trees and birds around you? 

How can we help each other keep planting?

Do you have a seed story to share? 

Light Up His Name

"....I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God..."

2 Tim 1:6

Do you know your spiritual gift?  Check out these links at Girlfriendit.com.

Are you prepared to tell your Jesus story?  My church is encouraging us to write our Jesus Story this week here;  in order that we would be prepared and not ashamed to testify about our Lord.  (2 Tim 1:8)

I recently shared my story with a stranger only to find out that she shared a similar story...who knows how God will use this interaction in the future.  

Who knows what coals will begin to heat up in our paths as we step out and share and use the gifts we have been given-share the stories that we have been given.

I wonder if anyone is like me and struggles with sharing their story because it feels a bit ugly and messy.  Each time I share a little about myself I sense a pull from within to remain silent at the same time a burst of energy not allowing me to be silent.  

The morning after I shared and felt so vulnerable, I sensed God speaking to my heart, "I want you to be excited to share your story--your story is not yours at all- it is my story and it makes me famous."

In recent months Girlfriendit encouraged us to write a 1 sentence synopsis of our story.  

Mine was:  

I once was a broken little girl living a life of destruction without purpose and now 

because of Jesus I am living life on purpose for a purpose as His princess.  

How can I help you with writing your 1-liner for Jesus?  

I am praying for you to fan into flame those gifts God has given you...for together we spark a HUGE FLAME THAT LIGHTS UP HIS NAME!

Music Monday Mayhem

Another Music Monday Mayhem…

Does music help calm you or energize you? 

At different times it does different things for me; but regardless of it jazzing me up like a cup of java or setline my heart as if sipping a hot cup of tea….God uses music to help me.

So why do I forget to make time for it in my day? 

Do you forget to make time for things in your day that help you? 

With so much vyng for our attention and trying to rob us of peace and joy; how about we take this Monday to schedule in something that will benefit our hearts and souls. 

Maybe you already make listening to music a priority; if so, what do you listen to.  What are your FAVs that you can share? 

I just learned that you can download for free a song a week from the Christian Radio Stations.  Go here to download.  I downloaded "Carry Me To The Cross" by Kutless last week

When the path is daunting...

And every step exhausting...

I am not alone...I am not alone....no-no

These lyrics reminded me of the last Girlfriendit Radio Show - No Never Alone. Did you listen? You can download here. 

Off to crank up the music and live as full of Him as I can today-for that is what us princesses do...right?!?  Would love to add some of your favorite worship music to my list...comment below and share (Remember you will also be entered into the drawing to win the devotional book).

Enjoy your Monday Princesses!

Can You Count The Stars?

This moment was so great and I’ve shared it already with several circle of girlfriends but for some reason I am having trouble compiling it here on my blog.  Sometimes speaking and sharing in person is just a little easier when the message is just so monumental!  I eluded to this a couple of weeks ago in this blogpost about Watching for God. 

It was literally like God moved a mountain for me to see my faith. 

Both Matthew and Luke share Jesus’s words in the Gospels that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can speak and move mountains- right?!?

I was studying about Abraham and reading in Gen 15 and picturing God bringing me out to the night of stars and writing out a prayer to God asking Him to help me believe His promise of blessings as vast as the stars.  This picture of being under the stars stuck with me for a couple of days.  And the following mornings every tiem I walked through my neighborhood and felt the sun both warm my face and blind my eyes as it rose—I remembered and thanked my God. 

Later that week, I heard a Bible teacher speak about Luke 13 and was intrigued by her sharing the details of this crippled woman.  I got goose bumps and felt God nudging me to pay attention.  I began to think about what might have crippled this woman and even with my recent rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis I knew God wanted me to see more than just physical crippling.  I felt nudged to ask what is crippling me and have been on a journey with Him to discover these things.  And I bet there will be more blogs as He reveals. 

Because of the Bible teacher’s description of this crippled woman, I was seeing this crippled woman who Jesus saw-then called-then healed-then touched in Luke 13.  The Bible says she was bent over and could not straighten up at all; can you imagine looking at the ground and your feet all the time…never being able to look up at the stars the Bible teacher explained. 

When we are crippled we are not able to see the promises that God has for us and I am convinced this is why Jesus healed her.  She needed to be able to look up at the stars…

A little later, I was compelled to read the story in Luke 13 in its entirety and verse 16 jumped off of the page…this crippled woman, Jesus called a ‘daughter of Abraham.’  And that is what we are…daughters of Abraham...capable of great faith.  

And God desires for us to see all that He has for us--as vast as the stars.  We are meant to stand tall and look up to stars.  Are you feeling crippled-emotionally-physically-spiritually?  I used to be crippled with shame from abuse that I suffered, praise God I no longer walk hunched over because of that--yet I still want to seek to be free of anything that may be crippling me.  Don't you?  

I feel this is what God wants us to remember: Jesus sees you - He has called you - He will heal you - He wants to touch you.  For you are Abraham's daughter!  Get out there and look up at the heavens!

Can you relate?  I would love to hear how Jesus has touched you or how your faith has moved mountains thus far.  

Watered with the Word

Word up!  Having you gotten in the Word yet today?  What spoke to your heart?

I love the picture I got in my head when I read Proverbs 14:27.  (These pictures on my blog, don't do it justice)

"Reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." AMP