A time to Believe...

We meet near the park. Entryway to the woods. Paths lined with trees and nature's music.

She takes in a deep breath. Nervous.

We can all admit belief and unbelief can co-exist. Often.

She knows the goal. She knows the sweat that will moisten her brow. She knows the pain the body will feel. She knows the unbelief, the daily lies she speaks "You can't do this."

But oh, sweet friend, you ARE.

I encourage her with the thumping of shoes. The one stride in front of the next. The motion forward. I speak "You can."

And we begin to run.

The rain pours down and mixes with her tears. Doubt builds and she wears it like her favourite Hoodie. Familiar. I know she wants to quit. I know it is easier for her to leave this goal incomplete, then to finish it with the weight of hurt she carries with her.

I've been there.

I've dressed myself in the same garb of unbelief.

And I realize I don't believe in the power of God when I live like all things difficult or filled with pain are impossible obstacles to overcome. I don't believe in the power of God when I doubt the resurrection of a dream to be achieved. I doubt the power of God when I have faith for others but not myself.

But God is mighty in power to equip and accomplish His work within us.

Us weak. Him strong.

It's in the motion forward. The pushing through the dark spaces that God emerges and light fills us with resurrection hope. It's in the first step, then the second step, that He propels us past the unbelief into belief.

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." ~Mark 10:27

For faith is a gift not a virtue we can self-manifest, but a precious gift given by the hands of God. We are His resurrection people. He breathes LIFE, and we too overcome the grave. The graves that keep us bound in fear. Doubt. Death.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of us? And we doubt?

With emotion still welling-up, her expressions overflow, my friend carries on. The rain still pours, cleansing and washing the fears away as she finishes.

Sometimes, all we need is a little encouragement, resurrection power, to know we have a God who brings life to the areas we thought were dead. We can lean on Him in our overbearing times of weakness. A God who speaks truth into our hearts, when we would rather hold onto fear. A God who doesn't require our focus to be on us, but on Him and all He has accomplished on our behalf.

Let us believe in His power to ignite us to be all He has created us to be.

Over-comers.

His children. His witness of glory. His power manifested.

Oh, sweet friend, you ARE all those things...

Now continue to run into them.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"

(Mark 9:24 Msg)

Do you struggle with belief and unbelief co-existing in your life?

A time to Shake the Dust...

Has anyone told you lately how absolutely wonderful you are?
Uniquely beautiful, you.

Amazingly brave, you.

Yes, YOU!

The one sitting reading these words thinking "No, not me."

Yes, YOU!

The one who is struggling through the days of screaming children, piles of laundry, and dirty floors. The one who is working two jobs to make ends meet. The one trying to push past the daily doubts that creep in, trying to keep you down. The one who is gloriously messy in being truly vulnerable. The one who is standing tall in the face of hardship, not giving up. The one who keeps pretending, ashamed. The one who drains themselves dry, to continually pour out. The one who keeps falling, but manages to keep getting up.

I'm talking to you.

I want to encourage you with this video...

That no matter where you are or what life is throwing at you, you can SHAKE THE DUST!

Shake. The. Dust.

... and be YOU!!!

You are wonderfully made just as you are, and while you are on your way to becoming all God has created you to be... Shake the dust.

A time to Push Past...

There can be a deep well of hurt when you've been misunderstood.

In that isolated place where you feel the heat of the spotlight on you, in judgment. Falsely formed opinions.

People looking past the truth of who you are and what you are trying to say or do.

They look upon you with disapproval and withdraw.

Lost in the revelations and mysteries in which you speak or live out with passion.

Lack of understanding creating distance.

It's tough not being known. In full.

Misguided criticism shot at you like bullets. Darts.

Assumptions made.

We are all guilty of this. Our concoction of oppression, condemnation, and accusations, to sum up a person... what they believe, who they are, and what their intentions or motives are tied up in.

Maybe today we can release our preconceived notions, give someone a chance.

Open our ears to hear them. See their point of view. Understand their story.

In all honesty, the feelings of pain I feel at the absence of understanding, the "missing" of comprehension, is that of alienation. Loneliness.

My ache is in the unfinished, incomplete, distant conception.

The beginnings of something beautiful being cut off. Removed.

My ache is for conversations not yet had. The wonder if more words would help unveil. Help open a heart to ALL truth.

It is disheartening to not be known or understood by others.

I often wish my life could play out as a movie with behind the scenes footage.

My heart exposed with crystal clarity.

And then, maybe then... I'd be known for me and people would get where I'm coming from.

But...

People are going to see what they want to see.

People are going to hear what they want to hear.

People are going to think what they want to think.

And I am learning to not let that deprive me of courage, hope, or confidence in who I am.

To not let opposition hinder the work God is doing within me and through me. To keep on doing what He has called me to do, even when others don't "get it".

For it's here. Right here in these moments. That God whispers to my heart "You are known. Known deeply and fully, by me."

He speaks those precious words piercingly, and with that I push past the need for all other approval and simply stand in the truth of who I am... IN HIM.

A time to Live Awake...

Geared up and ready for my morning run, I reached for my ipod and realize it's dead.

Battery power, empty.

*sigh*

It's rare I hit the hills without music. A beat to keep my pace. Lyrics to numb the mental battles that come.

"I don't think I can go any further."

"Why did I think this was possible?"

"I love running. I hate running. I love running. I hate running."

With no music to distract me, I recognized rhythms that are already there for my enjoyment. Our enjoyment.

His majestic song.

I was attentive and alert to the happenings around me.

The rustling of the leafs. The way my shoes snapped little twigs and the puff of dust under each stride. My ears gave focus to birds chirping and ducks floating upon lake ripples. Splashes from incoming landings and their calling out to their own.

Without the distraction I saw things and heard things I would have otherwise missed.

I was able to fully live in the moment.

Worship arising all around. And I heard it.

His song.

How often do I live with my ears plugged to this beauty around me? Numbing out distractions that could possibly be gifts? Missing out on the graces?

Do we as people forget to live FULLY? Is it time?

Let us unplug. Let us give focus to the task in front of us.

Let us give all we have each moment. And live.

Live AWAKE. Awake to God's song.

His song over you.

Listen for it...

The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

A time to Be Filled...

There is something sweet and cleansing to the soul when rain dances down.

Droplets of heaven falling fresh upon earth.

The smell of freshly cut grass and summers first crisp piece of watermelon.

My eyes gazed the route in front of me. Spring runner making miles.

My eyes pause on every dry crack that splits wide open. Thirsty.

Broken seams stretch long and often on this paved path.

The pressures of a groaning earth and it's daily wear show it's scars.

I understand the ache of such pain. In life.

The pressures of all that is heavy, dark, dry and dirty, can split us wide open.

Hearts spread thin. Cracked. Begging. Thirsty.

A need to be quenched with heavenly rain. His touch.

God's holy hand reaching inexhaustibly to place LIFE in wounds.

Our cracked ground. Our cracked hearts. Our cracked open lives.

He comes to replace void with love, with every droplet of His presence.

When we no longer stuff our sacred spaces with earthly fillers, He comes. And fills.

Bearing gifts to us.

Should we not be the ones bearing gifts to Him? Jesus. The giver of all gifts.

He comes. He comes to us. To our wounds. To ours hurts.

He comes to fill our gaps with something new.

He comes. Always. With LIFE. With LOVE.

I breathe in the fragrance of God, this cleansing flow of waterdrops as my feet want to give room to the split open spaces under me. The picture of hurting people, in wait, for there time.

Their time of healing. Of growth. Of change. Of newness.

Their need for more of Him.

It comes. The rain. Cracks swallowing it up. Gulping.

As earth soaks in it's nutrients. I soak in mine.

I pause in that moment. Thankful.

I soak.

More of Jesus. More of His understanding. More of His grace. More of His love. More of His cleansing flow.

Scars still visible, but beautifully filled.

A time to Begin... AGAIN!

I feel as though I'm stepping onto foreign soil. Here.
Sandal-less. Bare-footed.

I'm a bit scared. To do this thing. Again.

To write.

To share.

To live in words. With you.

But I come. I come, pieced back together. Less fractured. More whole.
I have a heart eager and fearful, all at the same time. To share my story.

My heritage. My pain.

His redemption.

I do not know how often I will travel here. Feet nervous. Fingers stiff.
But I will write when called, and share what is pressed. In and on. Me.

For your grace in my absence, I am thankful!