Batman and my Creator

It's Thursday and Im so excited about the upcoming weekend! Dying eggs, spending time with family and hearing about the cross and resurrection of my Savior! Easter stirs people because we are forced to see the cross for what it truly stands for and it pushes believers to repentance and many people commit to follow for the very first time. This morning I am reminded of the Batman movie with Val Kilmer in it. Remember the scene with Nicole Kidman and he picks up the ink bloat and he saw bats. That's because he was batman right!? We find out later that bats are what he fears the most. My whole life I feared God and I allowed Sunday school lessons, my relationships and stories told to me to distort my view of the cross and ultimately my Creator. My prayers seem to always start with my head hung and not out of reverence but out of shame. Never praising but always begging for forgiveness. It wasn't until I got in the word and begin reading about Him that my view truly began to change and my heart just seemed to follow. The cross stands for my freedom. The cross stands for NO more guilt and shame. The cross stands for an intimacy like no other. The cross stands for an eternity spent in paradise. The cross stands for forgiveness. You see the cross once stood for criminals and the visual sign to others that the person hanging was and should repulse those who passed by because of the crimes they committed. There is no beauty that comes from the necklace that hangs around our necks when curse those around us, gossip, act self righteous, withhold grace, be impatient and the list goes on and on. We have cheapened the cross to shirts and jewelry as a feel good piece. I am not bashing your necklaces or pictures hanging in your houses ( I have them). When people were crucified the blood and guts that went into killing them was for the people to see and know you better not even think about doing what they did. Jesus went to the cross for what you and I did and will do and that steeple you pass by or that necklace hanging around your neck should remind you not of what you did or thought this morning but that YOU ARE FORGIVEN for it. Approach this weekend by not idolizing a cross but a Creator that sent His son to free us. The tomb is empty and so is the cross! My shame! My guilt! My past! My bitterness! My food addiction and all my other junk is GONE!!! (I just killed some exclamation points ha!) I pray you will be encouraged today and that you allow that stirring within you to push you and change you.

But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. (Isaiah 53:5 HCSB)

If you don't already have plans for Sunday you should be my guest!!! 10:30 Revolution church (YMCA on Franklin blvd)

Get back up

I wrote this last night and then my iPad died so I forgot to post until now-


Today my sweet Rachel turned 11 years old and we woke her up to bright turquoise pancakes with a candle in them. I can't believe that in just a few months she is going to be entering the jungle and chaos of what we call middle school these days. Then Rebekah turns 16 oh my word I am going to stop this trip down future lane. I am currently sitting in a booth at the skating rink with my man listening to Justin Timberlake on the loud speaker and we are watching Rachel and her bff skate. The entertainment of watching people fall is priceless until its your own child. Then suddenly you wish you could have stopped the embarrassment, mended the pain and hope their ego isn't too bruised. Rachel skates slow because I think one she is scared to fall but another reason is because she spends her time dancing on the sidelines. It's her comfort and the thing she is good at and no risk are involved. Every time a song comes on its like the rhythm is in her blood. No matter what the song is she will stop wherever she is and breaks it down and it's always on beat and good at that! A few minutes ago she was skating steady and without any signs of falling a boy who was going super fast came around the corner as if he had one more lap in the olympics and hit her from behind and just like that she was on the floor. I didn't run to her rescue because i knew it would embarrass her and so after much laughter (I'm sure she was fighting back tears) she got up and came and sat with me.... and in that moment I realized how often we are just like that. We spend a lifetime wanting to join in, or stepping beyond the boundaries we have in our minds by facing the fears and out of nowhere and without any warnings you suddenly find yourself flat on the floor. We then just sit...and sit... sit. Today is your time to start over and try again. God is the God of protection, change, refuge, healing, power He is whatever you need Him to be in whatever season you are in. I realized that after Rachel finally got the nerve to get back out on the floor she watched her surroundings and yet skated that much slower. We also do that daily. We have to stop watching and wishing for what others are doing or allowing their speed to determine our speed. We seek completion in relationships, we let food make us whole, we allow our collisions to take us out. Get up and run toward your Creator. You will fall, you will get hurt, ministries will fizzle, relationships will end and dreams will die BUT God is still the same and He wants your heart positioned with your hands up ready for Him to pick you up and carry you through it!!! By the way Rachel is back on the skating floor and her speed is picking up....

It's your time to change this world GET UP!!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV)

Stop interrupting...

When God seems to be silent it often frustrates us to the point of questioning His authority. The silence speaks so loudly and then our thoughts go crazy. I am sitting in a coffee shop with an iced coffee, my iPad and I am enjoining this uninterrupted time. I interrupt everyone and its a flaw that I constantly say I'm going to work on and yet never seem to follow through with. I blame it on being a middle child haha not the baby or the oldest simply "lost in the middle" hahaha (kidding mom). I have found myself in the stillness of waiting so many times and was convinced I was bring punished by God. I also read this morning about David's rash behavior of killing and ravaging towns simply because he couldn't see Gods hand. I realize more and more that its a call for me to press a little harder into my creator and to trust Him. Just like David acted rash we often take maters into our own hands and then emptiness and sin or disappointment sets in. How many of you have begged God to heal someone, take an addiction away or provide blessings among many other request? All of us have seemingly begged God and when He appeared quiet or ignoring us we acted rash and interrupted His perfect plan. Psalm 10 has been said to be the cry of David's heart during that time frame where he felt abandoned by God. I love that he still recognizes Gods sovereignty as he questions where He is-

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (Psalms 10:1 ESV)

The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear (Psalms 10:1, 16, 17 ESV)

Ladies I promise He hears your every cry. He sees your anger and knows your fears. But He is YOUR King forever and ever. Nothing will lessen or stop His deep pursuit of your heart. Keep pressing in and wait with expectation because change is coming so don't interrupt :) Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord ! (Psalms 27:14 ESV)

SPRING is almost here I can hear it.

Since I am no longer working a full time job I have begun to fill up my time with things I love to do.  Meet friends for coffee, mentor some incredible ladies, write my book, blog more and really pour my heart into UNBOUND Ministry and my church.  It’s funny because I am even busier now.  I have starting giving myself one day at home to accomplish laundry and housework and also just spend time in the word on a more intimate and deeper level.  I am obsessed with the back story now. I can thank Beth Moore for that and also this new Bible series.  I love seeing real life characters playing out the hardcore bible stories that felt boards and Sunday school teachers minimized for years.  Rebekah watched with us and said “I never learned that part in Sunday school”. The Bible is def rated R.  I am currently doing a Beth Moore study on David and last night was all that I have been studying on my tv screen! It was so awesome. Because  I had a huge weekend of  wedding festivities and surprise birthday party stuff  today is my day at home.  Spring is almost here because I can hear tons of birds chirping as if they never have before. Flowers are blooming with such intensity and the trees and gentle breezes remind me of the upcoming season.  Fall is my favorite for sure but spring brings reminders of new life. All the things that once died are now blooming with new beauty and elegance. I am now experiencing a new bloom.  I went to a conference called Dare to be back in January with one of my best friends.  We had the time of our lives! We laughed A LOT, cried and enjoyed the beauty of Nashville.  On my way there I was telling my friend about how God was pressing down on me that I am enough. I literally bought a necklace the week before going that said that very thing.  I get there and the speaker Charlotte Gambill looked me dead in the face without knowing anything about me and said in her cute accent LADIES YOU ARE ENOUGH.  I about fell out of my chair… actually I cried like a baby. I sat there with such a passion to change the world and yet I felt as if that passion wasn’t enough.  I came home and in just a few weeks I was laid off from my job.  Time was no longer an issue. I had all the time I wanted to do whatever I wanted and I said God fill me up.  Since dare to be I have found that I am truly enough. If I am stripped of everything I have, I am enough.  If my dreams never come true, I am enough.  If I never lose all this weight, I am enough.  If I never have all the things fixed in my house, I am enough. You see ladies God’s love for us has nothing to do with what we have done in the past for Him or will do in the future.  He simply loves us. When we love Him this fuels us to serve Him and out of that surrender comes “daring to be” moments that God orchestrates and equips us fully for.  I love girl’s ministry and yet that conference did something else in me.  I realized that most women are numb or refuse to move forward because they are trying to measure their gifts, callings and ministries to others and their gifting, calling and ministries.  YOU ARE ENOUGH! In May I am having another “dare to be moment”.   UNBOUND is now going to begin hosting women’s events. Its time for women to step out of their fears and their constant perception of not measuring up and KNOW that the Creator wants you to dream beyond your imagination because YOU are ENOUGH!  Stop chasing a calling and chase the one who placed that calling within you.  His love is never-ending and His mercies are new each morning. Love Him fully and know that YOU ARE ENOUGH!  

Romans 5:3-5 (the message)  There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

 

                                  GO Register today!! www.revolutionchurchnc.com/unbound

 

Sing your heart out!!

Memories are images burned in our hearts. Some are bad and some are really really good. I know that as my kids get older I am starting to really enjoy looking back at their old pictures and talk about stories of when they were younger. This morning as I was reading in Psalm chapter 9 the very first verse stopped me in my tracks...

I will give thanks to The Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonderful deeds

When I was a kid at the beach I would collect tons of beautiful seashells. I would go back to our hotel and put them all out on the balcony to count and I would recount them all throughout the week. I knew which ones were mine because I had held them and studied their shapes and I found them. I thought about the second part of that verse " I will recount all your wonderful deeds" and it hit me every single time I have been in that place of drought or uncertainty God has sent reminders of all the times He has pulled me or pushed me and most definitely carried me through them. Today as you start a new work week, relationship, job or whatever journey you are on remember to choose JOY no matter the outcome of your circumstance. I love this verse in Colossians

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. (Colossians 3:15-17 MSG)

Sing your heart out today!! God is FOR you and I promise when you let go of your ways and your plans something happens within you and surrender sets in and you suddenly leave the results up to Him. So what are you thanking Him for today?

A dose of truth

I have been sick all week and have had really no energy for much of anything. I have dug in our medicine box trying to find something that would attack my symptoms. I would look for words that I knew meant relief. This morning around 4am I was up with sneezing, coughing and headache among other junk and as I popped a cough drop in I was reminded of a verse that talks about the truth of Gods word.

Every word of God proves true; he is  a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5 

As I read this verse and let it sink in I realize that when I struggle with my worth, or allow thoughts to invade my actions, or worry about things out of my control I am really calling God a liar.  WOW…. I am calling the Creator of the universe the very one who created my mouth, my heart, my mind and my innermost being a LIAR!  He says I am a masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10) and I say I am not. He says He is enthralled by my beauty (Psalm 45:11) and I talk about my body in a negative way.  I worry about my future and He says He has equipped me and wants to blow my mind (Ephesians 3:20).  God's word PROVES TRUE!  There is nothing I can do, or say or even get lost in that will fulfill that place within me that longs for truth. God is truth and His words should be the only words I cling to for completion.   His words should be the very thing that drives me to love people. His words should be the only words I look to as a means of provision.  His words pierce darkness and illuminate the areas of our hearts where brokenness once was and restoration now stands.  God’s words breeds redemption and yet we turn to the words of people from our past or current friendships to guide us to shape us and to mold who we are.  Trying to measure up to someone will only leave you empty and frustrated. It’s time to start walking in the confidence that you are equipped to BE YOU and leave the results up to God.