YOU ROCK!

I’ve been speechless on the pages of my blog recently—not because I wanted to be—but because other jobs and writing tasks have taken precedence.   Yet, my heart has longed to write and God used this time to both remind and renew this passion…mission…vision.  I was reminded of when God first birthed this desire and gift of writing from within.

I write so that my joy may be complete (1 John 1:4) and similarly to speaking, I write in praise of the LORD.  (Psalm 145:21). 

What do you do that brings joy to your heart and praises our King? 

A princess follows this path of praise and joy, don’t you think?  And not all of our desires and gifts are alike.

As I am writing this; the only thing that I audibly hear speaking is my washing machine; and I realize that in the loud hustling noises of our busy days it is a choice to turn up the volume and hear our King’s voice speaking to our hearts.  

Are we listening? 

As I carried the load of laundry down the hallway, my eyes highlighted a card taped to the door of my son’s room.  I know I have passed by this many times; yet today the Lord has something to say and He used this moment that my hands were full and my mind was racing with my busy to do list.  It was as if God hit the pause button on my moving feet and stirring mind and caused me to read the card on the door that I had previously given to my son and he since altered. 

Then I heard His whisper, “See how your boy has taken the words and made them His own.  Take my Word and make them your own and keep speaking my Word.” 

My heart was instantly rocked! 

As a child, I grew up in a home where encouraging words were few and I often wonder—am I now going over board with encouraging words. Maybe a silly thought?  But one can feel as if she is on a deserted island and alone in her thoughts from time to time.   

I desire for my children to aspire their dreams and believe that with God’s blessing, they may become anything that they desire.  If they want to be the next US President—may it be so—but then I know in reality there is only 1 president chosen in the United States every four years….you know what I mean?  

Yet, how many times have I seen the damage to a growing heart or dream with the mere absence of encouraging words.  Ironically, our mouths can be so quick to spout out some crass, crude humor—but an encouraging word shackles our mouths shut. 

Do you ever withhold an encouraging comment?

            *Do you fear sounding silly?

            *Do you fear that someone will think they are better than you?

            *Do you fear feeling less than?

            *Do you fear creating a pride monster?

            *What do you fear?  What keeps you silent?

It takes courage to encourage.

My heart cries out quietly from my chest, “Help me Lord.” 

Then as if to answer in concert…rockin’ my heart…I see the importance of embracing and owning the truth! 

I am reminded of reading Isaiah 41:10 earlier…and this is how I am choosing to own it:

I do not fear—for God is with me.

God strengthens me and helps me.

What Word did you make your own today?

May we be willing and allow God to use our mouths and our words to rock the hearts of those around us.

“My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.  Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”  Psalm 145:21

Feed the Panini to the Ducks!

“Panini!”  We giggled and talked  about this squished grilled sandwich on a recent road trip.

I don’t normally crave bread—I just don’t—don’t hate me.  But I have found myself thinking about it often these past few days and remembering this one deli I visited often with some former co-workers years ago…oh they served up a yummy Panini! 

While driving home from a retreat, my girlfriend and I were talking about a story we had heard recently and how the characters in the story reflected our lives in a way.  Panini was the name that just kept coming out when we couldn’t remember the antagonist’s name, Peninnah in the story of 1 Samuel. 

You see Panini had it and Hannah didn’t—but Panini wasn’t satisfied with what she had, and her blessing of many children surely didn’t keep her busy enough that she had extra energy to taunt Hannah.  Maybe Panini’s heart was squashed much like a real Panini sandwich when she saw the favor her husband, Elkanah showed Hannah.  Maybe seeing this favor reigning from the Lord on Hannah, turned up the heat in Panini’s heart stirring up all kinds of evil and jealousy; causing Panini to ooze out all kinds of messy emotions and words. 

Is there a Panini in your life?  Are you acting like Panini?  (We are capable of both)

Can you handle seeing another granted favor and be truly happy for them—even encourage them and help them?

I know at times Panini’s hot, messy, squashed heart may resemble mine especially when I am focused on comparing my life with someone else’s, and not fully believing and living out who I am in Christ. 

I also have experienced a Panini or two squishing and oozing their mess a little too close to my heart.   It is not pretty and just so unexpected.

What do we then do with that?

Have you like Hannah found yourself praying out of great anguish and grief?  Journal pages and hard pavement have been good places for me to pound out the Panini pain.

It hurts to be squished by or like a Panini.   A Panini can squash with harsh words, looks of disdain or maybe there are no words at all to communicate disapproval—sometimes the absence of our encouraging words hurt the most.  Or maybe, it is the ‘un-friend’ action on Facebook, or the absence of that ‘like’ or comment on your Facebook post, right??  (Seriously, we need to live beyond Facebook, but it’s there isn’t it?) 

In the midst of Hannah’s hurt, it says she stood up—and, “…wept much and prayed to the LORD.”  (1 Sam 1:10)  Don’t you just love that—she had the courage to stand and talk with her God in the midst of it all!  Sometimes all I want is a good cry in my pillow. 

This reminds me of what I heard singer/songwriter Beckah Shae say on Girlfriendit Radio a few weeks back, “To see yourself the way that God sees you is the beginning to freedom.”   (You can listen to the podcast of the "Put Your Love Glasses On," show here).

The words stood up and stand is rising up above the page for me both in my Bible and in my head as I think about the truth in Beckah Shae’s comment.  Freedom to stand…YES!

Stand firm, then…(Galations 5:1)

Stand at the crossroads…(Jer 6:16)

Stand firm and you will see the deliverance of the LORD…(Exodus 14:13)

I can’t help but giggle a little as I picture this truth of standing up and believing we are who God says we are, not what some squashed sandwich may express to us…really?!? 

I’m not sure why the word Panini has stuck with me these last couple of weeks, but I’m giggling and I think this is good because like Patty and Lisa also talk about on their radio show, laughter is needed to diffuse the pain and it helps us not water the seed of pain allowing anger and bitterness to grow.  If you wanna get your teary-eyes off the pillow and  laugh some more, keep listening to this particular show, for Patty and Lisa chat with comedian Kerri Pomarolli next…she is a hoot and literally stands up for truth!  

It’s time to stand up girls—seek our God who loves us and has great things for us and take that Panini sandwich and feed it to the birds!  

(Or like me, the ducks I saw on my walk this morning—God loves me this I know, for He reminded me this morning to quit giving the Paninis in my life any volume and feed the Panini to the ducks!  And God loves me no less or no more than He loves you—no joke!)

More and More!

Have you ever just wanted to just throw your arms up—you know give up and quit???

Life can be hard sometimes.  I realized these last few weeks that something or maybe someone or some-thought has been tugging on my heart-my to do list-my brain…

My to do list keeps growing with cares and concerns and God keeps bringing me assignments all the while growing me and allowing me to partake in some awesome new experiences.  In the busyness of the moment I am tempted to say things like, “I can’t do this,”  “This is too hard,” “I’m not cut out for this,” “I want to stop-quit-return to a quiet life.” 

As I realize my nature, my true self prone to run away from what God has for me at times, I see my little boy all this week determined more and more to walk; more and more to get up after each fall, more and more to throw his hands up in surrender and thus smiling more and more. 

This all reminds me of my new nature-my new self being renewed because of Christ…more and more. (Col 3:10)

When Jesus has the wheel of our locomotive—it is a wild ride!  God has been showing me recently what it looks like to have peace like a river (Isaiah 66:12). 

We had some family photos taken this weekend and I had some time to just pause and stare at some fast-flowing water falling down a small bed of rocks.  I recognized my energetic toddler was mesmerized for a moment with the flowing water and we both paused. 

For a moment—every care from the week behind and the week ahead dissipated in the rushing water and I knew Jesus was close—I felt His Presence and His Peace.   

His peace He gives us—even amidst the chaos of this life. 

If I look at my to do list this week, I sense my heart begin to race a little bit.  Can any one else relate?

Something in me is nudging me to cry out His name…Jesus is here and will help me.

I think I am going to go run into my closet where no one else can see me and just throw up my arms in sweet surrender. 

Go on…you do the same.  Let’s enjoy this ride of life, no matter how hard it is—no matter how scary and fast flowing the rapids become—Let’s live determined to enjoy this life and smile more and more!

In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you.

(Col 3:10 NLT)

Keep Going!

“What was that?”  My boy commented on the loud-jet engine noise coming from some space in the air.  It sounded as if there was a large aircraft overhead but nothing could be seen and my boys looked dumbfounded—it didn’t make sense to them.

Especially my little toddler who is learning to point out the airplanes overhead; the look on his face was priceless.  (Wish I would have captured it for you; but my phone was buried at the bottom of the diaper bag at the time).

Content brothers.

My boy's look resonated with something in my heart as I noticed him resolve to let go of the question and sat content on the blanket with his brother on the field…this moment, I was able to capture. 

In recent years, I’ve asked God on quite a few occasions, “What was that?” 

Can you relate?  Have you felt God recently lead you down a path with an open door in sight;  yes-in sight…you can just feel the YES and smell the victory.  Only to be left baffled at the end of the journey with a shut door.

I don’t understand it completely still…but I am thankful for God’s Word and little nudges from Him continually that point me to how loved I am (especially when rejection floods my thoughts when standing at a shut door).   In my pursuit of God continually, I find much hope believing in God and believing who I am in Christ…someway-somehow—I find the gumption to not only stand but walk on. 

I feel like these last few years have been full of both open doors and shut doors.  And I ‘m learning that I don’t always understand; but there is a purpose and a plan for even the shut doors.

I read in Jeremiah 35 this week and God showed me how Jeremiah heard from the Lord and was asked to invite over a family—the Recabites. The Lord then said, “give them wine to drink.”  (verse 2).  Jeremiah got the tables all set up with the wine and invited them over; only to have them turn down the wine.   

Oh, I don’t want to claim to understand all that God’s Word is teaching us here; but I found myself relating to Jeremiah.   I have felt on several occasions that I heard from the Lord similarly some sort of action, only to find those around me turn down my offer. 

My heart was comforted realizing that like me; Jeremiah was asked to do something that led to a shut door; and ‘the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD.”

Are you like me and think that if things didn’t turn out; we must not have heard right, or from God at all? 

I wish I could read Jeremiah’s journal entry for that night.  Do you think he doubted that the initial word came from the Lord?  Don’t we easily get trapped into thinking that if we heard from God it must work out smoothly and our paths must be full of YESES AND OPEN DOORS?

I’ve even heard some good Bible teachers speak about learning whether it is a ‘good idea’ or a ‘God idea.’ 

In my limited thinking I can get stuck believing that if it doesn’t work out—it must not have been a ‘God idea;’ and I sense God nudging me to do away with this thinking!  

What if God’s idea was all along for us to walk and see them turn down the offer just as Jeremiah was to offer what God already knew they would  turn down?

Oh, my heart finds so much freedom in this.   I’m instantly flooded with recent memories of being just stumped—feeling that God nudged me down various paths only to find my heart and head confused with the resulting backdrop.

It doesn’t matter how the NO came into my life—or how hard the door slammed; or how disappointing the diagnosis—God never left me and with every NO, door slam and diagnosis I can look back and still see Him. 

I even see Him amidst the NOs and doors and diagnoses; revealing YESES, opening doors and other relationships.   And most importantly, I have felt His nudges to embrace the truth that I am loved and to keep going!

God encouraged me even more as I also read, 2 Tim 4:5…may it encourage you and empower you to keep going as it did me and let's choose to trust and be like those content brothers. 

But you should keep a clear mind in every situation.

Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord.

Work at bringing others to Christ.

Complete the ministry God has given you.

(NLT)

Hmmmm....And A Smile!

Calgon...you can finish that right?

What a week it has been...and I am tired.  I wish this week would have panned out differently...and I had TONS of inspiration for writing flowing through my veins.  I love days like that!

This week, sickness swept our house and there has been just enough time for me to   rest, disinfect and get done the work I needed to do.  

I feel like I missed out on a lot this week...
*girl time with some new neighborhood friends
*the last night of my women's Bible Study
*a date night with my hubby
*a night with our small group

The feeling reminds me of another time when to my utter surprise...things just were not going as I had planned...or as I had hoped.

Disappointment. 

I don't want to read too much into these moments but I recognize that things like this just force me to pause and go hmmmm....

My boy uttered a constant hmmmmmmmm....this week often while in the bath tub splashing about and in those moments when he did not feel well he still cracked a smile and you would have wondered how terrible he felt inside.

It reminded me that when life brings swells of disappointment in our sea of life, with waves crashing to and fro...we have the power to pause because we are loved!

We can take a deep breath and say, "hmmmmmmm...."

This week God reminded me while watching my boy in the bath tub, that when life brings a pause or a surprise (good or bad) we have a choice; we can embrace one of two attitudes..."I am unloved-forgotten-unwanted"(you fill in the blank) and sink in the the sorrow of our seas or we can ride the waves and find our  "splashing' smile' from within because we are "LOVED!"  God's love gives us strength.

What do you bring into your life--your heart to give you strength?

One of the things that encourages me each week is listening to Girlfriendit Radio for they continually point me to truth and inspire me to seek how to live out my faith!

The show this week is titled, "Rock Your Smile" and they chat about recognizing what makes us smile from the inside out...AND...How are you sharing that?

I took away a great nugget of truth from the show this week...

Mary Rice Hopkins shared one of her life truths that resonated with my heart:

She spoke of how Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free.  Because of Christ's sacrifice, we are given a garment of praise in place of the spirit of heaviness that so often comes our way.

Is your heart heavy this week?

Do you believe Jesus wants to replace that heaviness with a garment of praise?

Are you wearing it?

Someone might just need to see you wearing it this week and God might just be nudging you to smile from the inside out.

Hmmmmmm.....makes you smile, doesn't it?

Listening Feet

I sat making my list this morning, like I do often every morning as the sun is rising and the house is quiet.  I sensed God nudging me differently this morning; almost as if he had a hold of my pen. 

I think now, looking back that He was just reminding me that He was near and that He knew all that I needed.  He didn’t want to take a hold of my pen or write for me; but I sensed He wanted to allow me to list what was on my heart, with an awareness of His presence.

The truth that is echoing in my head after spending some time with Him this morning is that…streams of living water flow from me because I believe and walk with Him.  (John 7:38)  This verse seemed to spout off the page with emphasis, like the sprinkler I had just seen yesterday spouting off extra water; both demonstrating their need of attention. Isn't it cool how God nudged me to take the picture yesterday to highlight in my mind as I write?

I feel the need of a refreshing spring of water for my heart as I feel the need of a pedicure before I break out these feet to walk in the spring weather.  There are so many cares on my heart that I am tempted to carry alone and God was reminding me to rest in Him and give Him my cares, my worries—even ask Him to help me with each task for today. 

The pressures of life can just seem so daunting sometimes, can’t they?  Sometimes I feel like I have 10 plates spinning constantly; a plate for my husband, a plate for each one of my boys, a plate for my own health, a plate for my loved ones dealing with life threatening illnesses, a plate for my ministry and work, a plate for every relationship, care and concern.

As I think about the day and write out my list, I recognize that each breath gets deeper and deeper.  Then, as I felt His peace, I faced the temptation to label myself ADD as my mind jumped to what I heard on Girlfriendit Radio last week.  Did you listen?  Oh, it was good—encouraging stuff about preparing our feet to leave footprints in our world. You can download free from iTunes here to catch the skinny on what I am talking about and join others here on the Girlfriendit Facebook Page.

Thankful for something to look forward to for my own feet as I anticipated some girl time and a pedicure, I continued to make my list and pray—pampering and taking care of myself is part of living as a princess after all!

Me and my girlfriend's happy feet.

When my heart is full of Him and my feet are happy—I am able to walk with and in His love and others are also able to experience His love and light—that’s the idea, right? 

Well, as I was writing out my list and thinking about my feet, God reminded me of the stories in the gospel about feet…He washed His disciples feet, a sinful woman washed His feet and a woman who chose what was better…at His feet.

Rather than be distracted by my list or the spinning plates I envision sometimes over my head, I want to choose to place my feet by His feet and stay there. 

Have you chosen to take your feet by His feet?

And it doesn’t matter whether we’ve had a pedicure or not, we can take our feet to the feet of the One who makes streams of living water flow from us.

Remember that spouting water…as I passed by the same patch of grass on my walk back, I also felt nudged to take a picture of these ducks waddling in the sprinklers.  God reminded me of this picture as I write and think about bringing my feet to His feet to be filled with His living water.  I couldn’t help but smile and my prayer is that you smile too…for my heart was delighted to see two ducks waddling around in the spring of water—basking in the coolness…the wetness…

Again it doesn’t matter the feet—just bring them to the Lord’s feet and listen. (Luke 10:39) 

Goofy Girl!

“Ajkdlfjdkjdkljfdkjfeiejfkdjfkdjei!” I couldn’t tell you what I was saying to myself, but I knew the tone and attitude were not good.  I wasn’t even really aware that I was speaking so harshly to myself until I was interrupted by a LOUD screeching noise. *insert my boy's scream here*

I had 5 errands to run that day and in order to fit it all in I had to push my cart just a little faster through the supermarket that day.  There weren’t any casualties; just one run-in and a couple of other really close calls.     

With the groceries in the back of my van, I drove away replaying the run-in and near misses of my shopping cart running into this person and that display; when my baby let out a screech of frustration that brought awareness to my own feelings of frustration.

At that moment I sensed God nudging my heart to look at my boy AND the volume of his scream could definitely not be ignored!  I looked back at him and couldn’t resist laughing…literally laughing out loud!

As I laughed, a series of memories from previous weeks played in my head. These past weeks my mind has been ever aware of laughter and its necessity in my life.  I even told God I wanted to make people laugh more in my own circle.  Especially in the midst of tough situations and emotions, God has shown me His gift of laughter.  I remembered:

*I attended a funeral and then was blessed by the funny stories told by a friend of the family.  My cheeks and belly hurt after having dinner with her.

*Our pastor shared a bit of her story about living with joy amidst pain.

*My boy made us laugh when he was sharing a tough situation going on for him at school.

*My husband made me laugh while enduring a long walk; when I needed to get home to get some things done.

*A Facebook friend’s post made me laugh and gave my heart a fresh perspective.

*Bible study girls made me laugh when talking and praying about some deep emotional struggles.

*Girlfriendit Radio shared about humor—go listen here.

*My girlfriend who is in the process of publishing her first book with a collaboration of hilarious stories of her journey growing up with a prosthetic leg-made me laugh as she shared some of her struggles this past week.  Check out her Facebook page here and look for her to share some of her writing here with us soon.    

And then like old family tapes playing, I saw flashes of girlfriend’s victories and stories making me smile:

*A girlfriend choosing to let go and be goofy after healing from some dark stuff, strikes a pose and claims she’s a ROCKSTAR! (I have called her a rockstar now for almost 3 years)

*A girlfriend choosing to keep the conversation focused on Christ brings her wittiness to the table time and time again.

*A girlfriend willing to be vulnerable and courageous enough to share her mishaps makes me smile and laugh often.

*A girlfriend reminded me that even though I cannot remember the punch line to a joke—that this action in itself is funny!

*A girlfriend makes me laugh when in an email she shared her story and reminded me to: Stand for something. If you are too open minded, all your brains will fall out! 

I want to be one willing to go there and talk about the hard stuff, but I want to bring comic relief too—don’t you?

Well, back to my boy screaming in the back seat!  He was sitting there trying to get his shirt off while strapped in his car seat.  This newfound interest of his has made me smile all week because of the oddity of it.  This week I have found him in his crib with his arms either wiggled out of his jammies or completely shirtless if the wardrobe was right.      

At that moment I sensed God smiling BIG!  “Do you see how you look at him and smile and laugh and think his silly behavior is both cute and funny—Julie, goofy girl, I think the same about you!  Keep going, just be yourself…you are my beloved goofy-girl!”

That’s it!  I am a goofy girl, and sometimes my husband lovingly tells me just that when I do something odd or silly or weird.  (Hmmm… the words we speak have later impact on another, realizing that God used my husband’s kind response to speak to me months-years later…)

God affectionately was telling me relax-chill out, talk nicer to yourself when you mess up!  And the thing is, I know God doesn’t just say this about me.  He says it about you too—yes, you are a goofy girl too!

I love chatting with other girlfriends and talking about how God has been stirring in their hearts and moving them to new places.  Just this weekend I chatted with girlfriends and heard about their busy week and what God was doing in and through them even though life was busy.  

I do believe, that by sharing our experiences,  we inspire others and we just might make someone else giggle with our stories.

This week when I mess up, rather than get into a funk of emotions, I am going to remember these affectionate words about me, “goofy girl,”and then move on! 

What about you?

Don’t you just want to wiggle yourself out of that bad attitude like my son wiggled himself out of his shirt—let’s make each other giggle, share our experiences and just talk nicer to ourselves! 

So, how can you relate, goofy girl?

Please share your thoughts below and connect with other goofy girls on my blog, Girlfriendit, and my FB page. BRING ON THE GIGGLES!

A New Filling!

My heart is turned to newness this morning.  It’s a new day, a new week, and almost a new month!  For one of my boys it’s a ‘new nine’ after he had his birthday this weekend.  And 2 Cor 5:17 says that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. 

Since I lasted posted I left you with my desire to keep walking; and while doing just that this past weekend with my youngest boy, I heard the Lord speak to my heart.  

As my little guy turned around in his seat he beckoned with the tone of his cry and the handing me of his cup to fill it up!  He did not understand that I had nothing to fill it with at the moment and I was struck at his persistence.  He continually kept turning around to hand me his cup so I was able to capture this moment. 

I caught on that he was trusting me to fill his cup and expecting me to do it—right then and there.  As I realized this, I heard from the recesses of my own heart,”Give me your empty cup—each time and I will fill it!” 

Is there something that is empty that needs filling in your life, in your heart? Maybe you need to be filled with a fresh perspective, or filled with a fresh word of encouragement.

Let’s encourage one another to seek Him and ask Him to fill us! 

How do you seek Him and be filled?

“For it was I, the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”  Psalm 81:10

So how do you seek God?  What does that look like for you? 

Have you experienced God’s rescuing…maybe you’ve been healed, removed from a situation or simply free from emotional pain from your past circumstances?

Have you experienced God filling you with good things? 

I would love for you to share your experiences—I know—I can almost hear the groans! Why is it so uncomfortable for us to share our experiences?  Do we fear sounding foolish or inadequate or even boastful or prideful?  Let’s BREAK FREE!   I would love to hear how God has filled you recently!

We were meant to learn from one another’s experiences and rather than just share with you this little picture of my boy and how His actions reminded my heart to seek Him to fill me, I also see purpose in my asking you to share your own experience!

I did not grow up walking with God and until I started asking people how they walked and recognized their emptiness and sought our God to fill them; I never knew what exactly to look for— 

Your heart and your experiences encourage me—YES yours!  And I know that your courage will bless another heart too! 

Maybe we can just do something NEW today.  Looking forward to hearing from you and rejoicing in how God has filled you!

Beloved Walking

Sin!  How do you define it?  Can we go a day without it?  These questions arose amongst a circle of fabulous women this week—

What do you think?  Can we go a day without sin?  I have my own thoughts, but I’m curious what yours might be….I’m not one to stir things up, but I’m curious what your thoughts might be…

Hmmmm…a sinless day….maybe on a REALLY GOOD day when I get to sleep in and take lots of naps-ha! 

While meditating on this thought of a sinless day, a scripture is ringing in my head.  Jeremiah 6:16 states, “Stand at the crossroad and look, ask for the ancient paths,; ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”  

I remembered a former life coach reminding me that sometimes, standing and asking are the easy part; but walking—well, walking can be difficult, especially in a world where we are bound to face pain and be wounded in some way. 

When we are tired or injured, surely walking takes more energy out of us.  Earlier this week I heard a pastor talk about doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly…and the fact that we can’t do or love without first walking humbly. 

I don’t know the answers—but I’m rejoicing in being right here in this place to absorb God’s love and learn to walk.

I wasn’t walking—but driving and God showered me with a message and maybe you need to hear it too. 

I heard on the radio, artist Jason Gray sharing the story behind his song Remind Me Who I am. Gray talked about sin and being entangled in it and realizing that in the midst of sin he had forgotten that He was God’s beloved.  (My heart skips a beat saying I am God’s beloved).

Could this be at the core of our sinful acts?  Do we NOT know or believe how treasured we are and thus attempt to demonstrate just how worthy we are, only to find ourselves knee deep, and entangled in sin.  Sometimes sin we are not even aware of…those unconscious acts that we may think are right and loving—but really our selfishness is marked all over the loving act. 

Do we really grasp just how loved we are?  I read these words found on Jason Gray’s blog,  and listened to his video Remind Me Who I am…they sent my heart blazing—

“There is that parable where Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God being like a man who, having found a treasure in a field, sold everything he had in order to buy the field and gain the treasure. I was always taught that I was the man in the story who needed to give up everything in order to “gain” the Kingdom of God.

Andrew Peterson pointed out to me years ago that in the other parables surrounding this one, the “man” in the story was always God.

What if God cast himself as the man in this parable, too?

Is he the one who gave everything he had in Jesus in order to recover us?

Could it be that we are God’s treasure?

When I’m tempted by sin these days, I can feel beneath it a desire to feel worthy and loved.

This desire tells me that I’ve forgotten who I am and need reminding.

I’m learning to run to the only one who can tell me, the One who carved my name in the palm of His hand and gave everything he had so I could be His.

It is heady and humbling at the same time to be so highly regarded by One so worthy. It makes a difference.”

So , what do you think?  Do you allow yourself to ask questions, do you allow others around you to ask questions?  Does His love make a difference?  Do you think we can go a day without sinning?

Do you believe that you are God’s treasure?

I wrestle with thoughts like these and embrace questions that send us running after Jesus.  I want to know more about Him and His love for me….I do!

I sense God bringing my heart to grasp afresh His mercy, His grace, His love....I’m learning….

Do you know you are His beloved?  Are you walking as His beloved? 

What truths, scriptures, stories, people, relationships encourage your walking? 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts…but until then—I’m going walking.