Author: Guest Author (Page 1 of 4)

Slowing Up

August 23, 2017 / Guest Author

Quick, quick, let’s go.
I need an answer today.
…or the hardest for me.
What’s been going on? **while eyes dart the room**

These orders, demands and questions bring up anxiety like no other.

I feel like a robot, hurried to respond or give an urgent answer for an asphyxiated time-frame, to reply to a question where a large period looms as soon as something uninteresting exits my pie-hole.

I hate being rushed. Quickened.
You too?

I didn’t realize this until recently, when I found myself reacting in a anxious frantic whirlwind of craziness because of what I perceived to be rush.

Most of my life I’ve put myself on the tightrope of busy and go and whir and faster faster faster.

Probably because I looked around and saw quick go hurry being done well and knew not to listen to the quiet tug of slow slow slow because slow my friends was BOR (yawn) ING.

Slow is for people who don’t have social lives.

Slow is for people who aren’t fun.

Slow is for people who have to sit on their couch because no invites or plans or people are pulling them off their precious sofa.

I’m sorry. I ignorantly believed these thoughts in my younger years.

AND HOW WRONG I WAS.

Slow is wisdom.

Slow is sitting in silence and allowing someone to add a period when they have processed.

Slow is holding air in between you and him or her and letting the uncomfortable weight be a space to learn.

Slow is grace.

And assuredness.

Slow is peace and thinking through and listening first and speaking last.

Slow isn’t boring by any means.

The most fun creative inspiring people I know live slow. Live with purpose even in the hustle bustle of humanity.

They aren’t lazy or inactive or dull.

They are in fact, bright and can easily over-extend their valuable time with many note-worthy agendas and meetings and people and things to be at but they choose to slow up.

Slowing up is a wise ramp to living full.

Living purposeful and filled. With honest truth and courageous vulnerability; not fueled by rush and frantic and I don’t wanna miss ouuuuuuuut!

Slowing up is tried and true.

Slowing up is my jam.

Now, when I find myself chasing a string of to do’s on an imaginary tightrope of frenzied hurriedness- whether asked or self-inflicted- I’m asking myself a few questions.

What am I experiencing inside?
Am I feeling rushed and why?
Is this a legitimate timeline or a life-long habit of quick quick quick?
Am I present?
Am I being kind or snapping at everyone in my wake (including my reflection?)
How can I go about this differently? How can I slow up?

When we pause long enough to connect our minds with our bodies and hearts and then listen, do you hear that? The tick tock of time needed for all pieces to travel different paths and merge somewhere at the triad of slow.

That’s where wisdom is birthed.

At the center of slowing up.

Bekah

God’s presence during a fall off Pyramid Peak

June 7, 2017 / Guest Author

My nephew Ryan is an experienced climber. At the age of 23 he had climbed nearly every high mountain in California, traversed mountains in Nepal, and moved to Colorado to go to college in Boulder, where a range of 14’ers were at his doorstep. 14’ers are mountains that are over 14,000 feet tall. One of these is named Pyramid Peak. Pyramid Peak is a part of “the deadly Maroon Bells” a set of mountains that have claimed many lives because of their unbelievably deceptive, loose and unstable rock. The snowfields are treacherous, poorly consolidated, and the gullies are death traps. Expert climbers who did not know the proper routes died on these peaks.

But Ryan was up for the challenge. He saw the climb as an opportunity to grow, test out his winter skills, and perhaps a chance to see the White Elks. On Saturday March 4^th, he made the long drive to Aspen….solo. He had asked friends to go with him, but none were too excited about the cold, wind, and altitude they would have to endure. He felt the usual fear that always accompanies a climb like this…but felt his plan of reaching the summit and returning before the weather changed was doable.

The first night went fine, as Ryan dug himself a snow cave and slept for the night after a long day of hiking and climbing. His alarm woke him up at 3:00am Sunday morning and he figured he could make it to the summit before noon and head back down before the late afternoon storm that was predicted to come in. However, when he was just about 40 feet from the summit, he stepped on what must have been an ice cap formed by the wind or on loose rock that collapsed under him, and he fell over 2000 feet straight down off the summit ridge on the east side of the mountain.

Meanwhile, back at home in Paradise, California, my sister LaShawn and brother-in-law Dave were waiting for Ryan’s phone call to let them know he made it down the mountain safely. They had an ongoing plan whenever Ryan did solo climbs, that if they didn’t hear from him by 7:00pm PST, to call the Search and Rescue team. It was around that time when they started to get concerned. He hadn’t called them yet and this was highly unusual for him. They called his roommates and they too were concerned. Their next call was to Aspen’s Search and Rescue.

It was almost dark in Colorado when Search and Rescue received the call, so they wouldn’t be able to search for him until Monday morning. LaShawn and Dave decided to fly out to Aspen that next morning to be there whether they found Ryan dead or alive. My Mom and I stayed home with my younger nephew Logan and took care of things while they were away. We stayed in regular contact through a group family text, where Dave could give us updates as they gained information. When the Search and Rescue team told us they found Ryan’s car at the base of the mountain, and then his abandoned snow cave with his belongings left there, we really started to prepare our hearts for the worst. Meanwhile, we had relatives, everyone on Facebook, friends of friends, and our church family praying mightily for Ryan’s survival. With the -4 degree weather and 100 mph winds on Pyramid Peak, we grew less and less hopeful that Ryan could survive another night on that mountain even if he was still alive.

Part of me couldn’t believe this was happening. The previous month, on Super Bowl Sunday (February 5^th) I had fallen down a steep ravine in Paradise while hiking with my sister after church. I fell about 60 feet, hitting several trees on my way down. I was headed straight for the river below and could hear my sister’s screams above as she watched me tumble down faster and faster. I finally landed in a clearing and had to climb my way back up, very badly bruised and face bashed in with a deep cut above my lip. Long story short, I was hauled off to the ER and got 8 stitches to sew together the skin above my lip. I was very sore and traumatized, but amazingly no broken bones or head trauma other than a mild concussion. Everyone said how lucky I was. Luck may have had something to do with it, but I think God had a much bigger plan and purpose for this accident. Because I could barely move, I needed to stay at my mom’s house so she could help me with things. She was already being a nurse to my poor father who was dying of a very rare form of cancer. Two days later, just before midnight, my father passed away to be with the Lord. God knew the timing of my father’s death and didn’t want Mom to be alone that night. I was there with her because of my accident.

So during the month of February after planning and preparing for Dad’s memorial service and adjusting to such a great loss of my dear dad, we all were still in the height of grief and couldn’t imagine losing another one of our family members just a few weeks later.

That’s what kept me going to be honest. Surely God wouldn’t take Ryan from us so soon after losing Dad. I couldn’t let my mind drift to the thought of Ryan being found dead, or not being found at all, which was exactly what happened with the previous climber who died on Pyramid Peak. My sister on the other hand, was laid up in a hotel room reading the Psalms and preparing her heart for the worst. We all knew and believed in the power of prayer from God’s miraculous healing of my sister’s brain tumor back in 2004. The peace that comes from knowing that so many believers all over the world are earnestly praying for the same thing brings comfort and a peace that God’s will, will surely be done. Nevertheless, thoughts of Job in the Bible came to mind often, and there is a real surrendering of our own will that has to take place. God giveth and God taketh away. And I will yet praise the name of the Lord! Certain hymns and praise songs would come to mind and provide comfort. God’s presence was real and tangible even during our darkest hours.

The search for Ryan continued with the Search and Rescue team having not found him yet after day 3. I was still holding on to hope, but my more “prepare yourself for the worst” older sister LaShawn was resolved in her heart that Ryan was most certainly lost forever. I couldn’t imagine what life would be like for her if Ryan didn’t return alive. It would kill her, and I couldn’t bear to see that. It was about 5:00pm on Tuesday evening that I got a phone call from my brother-in-law while I was driving in my car back over to my sister’s house where we were all camping out. I answered my cell phone and Dave said “THEY FOUND HIM!! HE’S ALIVE!!” I could not believe it! I cried for joy and proceeded to thank the Lord Jesus for his AMAZING mercy.

He shouldn’t have survived. According to the doctors and nurses in the hospital there in Aspen, no one had ever survived a fall off Pyramid Peak, not to mention the more steep and treacherous east side of the mountain. It was truly a miracle and all our friends and family rejoiced with us and gave glory to God for this amazing gift and second chance for Ryan. Ryan had good survival skills, no doubt, but the fact that he came out of that fall with only some frostbite and an injured elbow and pelvis, was quite amazing.

God’s presence during these dark days was felt in many ways…. through the love and support of our church family who brought us delicious meals every day while LaShawn and Dave were in Colorado with Ryan… about two weeks total; by the constant prayers and petitions that were posted on Facebook and the phone calls from friends and family that confirmed we were not alone in this… we had a mighty team of prayer warriors pleading for Ryan’s safe rescue; by the comforting visions and dreams of Ryan being found alive shared with us by certain folks; by the gentle reminders of Bible verses and of praise songs that helped us to surrender and put our trust in the only true God; and by the huge financial support from donors to help pay for Ryan’s hospital bills and for LaShawn and Dave’s travel expenses so they could stay in Colorado to be there with Ryan. God’s provisions were exceedingly more than we could have ever imagined. He loves us… no doubt.

Trinity

Trinity Bockus is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Chico, California.

RTS note: To hear how Ryan Montoya survived the ordeal, you can find his story on the internet (a simple Google search will deliver multiple links to articles and news reports) and on the CBS daytime television show, “The Doctors” which aired on May 25^th.

Grow in grace

June 4, 2017 / Guest Author

“I’m so tired of being broken!”

I had HAD it. I was so tired of everything falling apart around me. I would read my Bible and yet I was still anxious. I would nurture my marriage and yet we would still experience conflict. I would pray for healing and yet I was still failing. And it was one of those weeks where everyone around me seemed to have their lives together. Their marriage? Healthy and easy. Their faith? Strong and confident. Their work? Fulfilling. Their life? Golden.

Why couldn’t I just be a put together, already faithful, trusting and selfless woman of God?

I was talking with my husband on the phone, and to be honest I was just complaining. She had this and that. Her faith never ceases. They are such good parents. Why can’t I be a better person? Why am I so messy? Why does it always feel like God is stretching me and growing me? I just want a break.

And that’s when, before I could stop it, exclaimed my frustration and exhaustion with being broken all the time.

I silenced myself. I had to really stop and think about what had just come out of my heart. What did I mean by that? I was tired of being broken. I finished the phone call without really understanding what I had just discovered about myself.

The week went on and I routinely did all the things I thought would make me feel better about myself- read the devotions, listen to worship music, ask for forgiveness over and over and of course just try harder to not be broken. I had chosen to ignore my earlier explosion and was back to avoiding my brokenness.

Have you ever tried to hide and cover up your weaknesses? Like Adam and Eve in the garden grabbing flimsy leaves to cover up what could only be clothed by the blood of a Savior’s sacrifice? Maybe you hide your weakness by not telling anyone. Maybe you hide them with just trying harder, like me. But God is a relentless and pursuing lover so He gently laid on my heart, “Daughter, why does it matter?”

Let me explain. See, I love sharing my struggles; and I think I always thought it was because I wanted to encourage others. And it absolutely is! But God revealed to me that there is a part of me that shares my weaknesses in hope that others will share too- so that I don’t have to be broken alone. Misery loves company right? But as I shared with people who really just didn’t struggle like me I found myself getting frustrated.

It wasn’t until God pulled me aside like a little child and whispered to my soul that I didn’t need any excuses for my brokenness. “I know you are broken”, He says, “and that’s exactly how I want you. My grace is sufficient for you, for My Power is made perfect in your weakness.”

Why did I hate my weakness so much? Why did I run from being broken?

I was scrolling through Pinterest and came across this picture.

I set it as my wallpaper having no idea it would become my new anthem. Grow in grace. I began praying that God would help me to grow in grace for others. Quickly I realized that He wanted me to grow in grace for myself.

“Give yourself grace, little one. It’s ok that you are broken. You are not less than if you are struggling. Like a cracked pot, I shine my Light through your flaws.”

I was reading a friend’s article and his perspective stuck with me;

“It’s about messing up and repenting, matching our steps up with His to jump back in. It’s the experience of God’s holiness in us and our agreement to express His holiness through us.”

What if in this state of brokenness we are exactly where we are suppose to be? What if sanctification is actually the art of accepting our brokenness and realizing that we need help? And praise God the help we need comes from His loving, gracious Hands!

Let’s learn to EMBRACE our brokenness. To truly listen when Jesus says, “You are enough. You are ok.” To not be ashamed with our struggles but to view them as a reminder of our need. To be proud of our scars and our cracks, because we are proud of our Jesus shining through them. To grow in grace, and grow in brokenness as Jesus grows in us.

–Sophie

Sophie Jow is a wife, coffee enthusiast, adventure seeker, and first time blogger/vlogger. Sophie’s Corner, launched just in April, celebrates authentic and messy living with Christ and exploring local businesses and artists. You can follow her blog on Instagram at @sophiescornerblog.

living in the dusk

March 8, 2017 / Guest Author

There are moments when a seemingly obscure passage in scripture just leaps from the page and spears your heart.

This happened as I worked through John chapter 11. It is the story of Lazarus. A beloved friend of Jesus who died and was resurrected to life in order to bring glory to God.

If you know scripture, then I would imagine you have studied this passage and all that it conveys and foreshadows…with Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This time, verses 9 and 10 leaped out at me. They stared boldly into my face and issued a challenge.

Let me share:

“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

These twelve hours can symbolize an entire life. Devoted to God and walking in his will, filled with light and not darkness. When we seek him in all we do and in all we purpose to do, we are able to see clearly where he would have us go.

Now, that doesn’t mean life is easy. Climbing a challenging hill, even in the middle of the day, is still challenging. However, climbing a challenging hill in the darkness of night, in the black that would have you stumble and grope for each step, is SO much harder.

When we allow God to guide us, lead us, and direct our every step, we walk in light. Pure, illuminating, stumble-free light.

So, what about dusk? Or dawn? Or the twilight of evening..where light fades and darkness arises, or darkness fades and the sun emerges? How many of us are living in these half-lit areas?

We like the darkness of our sin. We like to have control over our lives and choose our own steps. We dabble in the dark. Yet, we still claim the light. It’s right there. It’s low…and dim…and not quite filling the sky…but it is there.

We embrace the selfish sinfulness of our hearts, but we attend church. We covet what others have, but we tithe generously. We have materialistic hearts, but we serve in ministry. We skirt the edges of the sun while dipping our toes in darkness. It is hard to let go.

There is beauty in darkness. The stars in the sky. The lights of the universe on display. The moon in all its phases. There is beauty in darkness. And trickery. Our eyes adjust to the lack of light and we think we can see. We determine that the darkness isn’t so bad and that we can manage. This is how we justify our sin. We adjust to its normalcy and move forward. Sure we stumble, but if we don’t get hurt, then it is not that bad…right??

We stumble occasionally and blame the darkness. We have sure footing other times and credit the light. We allow ourselves the stagnancy of living in the dusk. Always balancing a bit of the dark with the light.

God wishes for us so much more! For those who have completely abandoned the light it is sometimes the painful fall over a cliff, and for others it is just enough to send a beautifully brilliant sunset to lure you back toward light.

If you allow him…he can draw you through the darkness and bring you to the dawn of a new life, where only light, and sun, and warmth prevail. Where the road is not always sure-footed…but at least you can see.

My prayer today is for God to reveal the dusk in my heart. The dusk in my life. And bring me back into the brilliancy of day.

– Carrie

Carrie McChesney is a jill-of-all-trades who speaks, writes, photographs, and studies scripture all while raising two wild little men and remodeling their mountain home.

No and Yes

January 24, 2017 / Guest Author

Yesterday God said no to me.

It was something I really wanted. Something I thought He wanted for me. Something that would be so good for me. So good for my family.

But God said no.

So today, I am pouting. Like my eight year old when I tell her no, she can’t have another snack 5 minutes before dinner. I am pouting. Bummed out. Pity-party city. I am sad.

And my sadness takes me back to another time when God said no. For several years the answer was no. That’s a long time for an American! Our culture doesn’t like to wait for anything. Patience is not our virtue.

I really wanted a baby ‒another baby to make Sela a big sister. I was sure it was what was best for her. I couldn’t understand why God didn’t agree. But month after month, I got the same answer.

No.

It made my heart heavy, and I struggled not to question God’s character. I wasn’t so sure how much God loved me. Every month I would hear his exponentially-bigger voice bellow down to me:

No.

Nope.

Ummmm no.

With each passing month, His voice in my head became harsher. More calloused and unkind. God’s voice in my head was cruel.

What does God’s voice in your head sound like? Is it mean? Punishing? Indifferent to your pain? If it is, then that is not God’s voice.

Listen closer.

For the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love… (Psalm 103:8)

During those dark days of infertility, I learned to listen more intently to the heart of God, as it is revealed in His Word. I reflected back on what I already knew of His character and the many ways I had already seen Him work in lives around me. When God says no to His kids, He is not harsh, cruel or indifferent. Just the opposite: God’s no is kind. It is grace-filled and rich in love. Friends, listen for that sweet voice!

If you’re a mom, you know how this works. You’ve likely had one of those heart-wrenching moments when you have to deprive your child of something he really wants. Reeeaaalllly wants. Because you are bigger and wiser, you can see that this something is not what is best for your little one. But oh how your baby wants that something! In their limited understanding, this something would make life so much better. And they waaaaant it. And now you are an ogre. And you never loved them. You are officially the meanest mom. Ever.

Yes, sometimes love says no.

Sometimes Love says no to His kids, too.

So back to my present pouting. I am trying to find a better word for my crappy attitude. Whiney. Grumpy. In a funk…

Downcast. That’s what the Bible calls it.

Downcast: “low in spirit : dejected” (according to MerriamWebster). Low in spirit ‒that sounds much nicer than grumpy. I can own that. Sometimes the circumstances of life bring us low in spirit. God’s Word is actually full of examples of people who were downcast.

From Psalm 42

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

And this brings me to the yes. (remember the title?)

See, if I can take my focus off of the no, then just maybe I can lift my head and remember how many times the Lord has said yes to me. And I can allow this to restore my hope and refresh my praise.

When I was lost in my sin, desperate and without hope, God said yes. He lifted me from the pit, and set me on a rock. When we were vulnerable and alone, like sheep without a shepherd ‒like people without an identity‒ God said yes. He said yes to the shame, the rejection. He said yes to the cross, the grave. I asked Him to take my brokenness and give me wholeness, and He said yes. I needed a savior, a protector and a friend, and He said yes.

I asked Him to love me all my days and never let me go, and He said yes.

Sometimes, God says no.

But, when we needed it most, He said yes.

God said yes.

-Janel

Janel Thomas is a dear friend to those that know her. She is a wife and a mom to three girls – ages 8, 10 and 14. She attended Westmont College where she received her degree in sociology and worked for 8 years in full-time ministry. At present, in between school drop-offs and pick-ups, she works as a church communications coordinator, leads a school care ministry, and is a full-time encourager to all those around her.

Risk 2.0

November 2, 2016 / Guest Author

“Learning to trust takes risking — following God in the face of our fear.”

– Christine Caine, Unashamed

If you came face to face with fear, what would you see?

A mirror
Success
Failure
Crowds
Trust
The Unknown
Disappointment
Loneliness
Rejection
Shame,

As a recent post-grad (and in general, a human) I deal with fear. Fear has been my suitcase since before I can remember, and as I’ve gotten older, it’s become heavier. Fear is something we all deal with.

This summer, after graduating college, was one of the hardest, most excruciating few months I have ever lived. I couldn’t even begin to explain the pain, heartache, shame, confusion, disappointment, and especially fear that I lived in…in the midst of wondering what was next. But I can sit here and write to you without tears pouring from my eyes and tell you God is good and God has been faithful. It’s taken me a long time to get to a place I’m in right now, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the people God has placed throughout my life especially at this specific time .

A few weeks ago I was talking with a dear friend of mine, I had been wanting to purchase A Giving Key but couldn’t think of a word, so I asked her what she thought I should get. One of the things I really love about this friend is that she never actually responds with an answer, but another question.

She just said, “well, what do you need to embrace during this season?”

This season is chaotic, but I didn’t want to choose “peace”, “rest”, “dream”, “fear” or any other typical words, I wanted to get creative this time around. When I looked back through the pages of this season, I realized I was afraid of being afraid. I feared risking anything that could damage what I had going, any thing that could possibly bring me back to the depths of shame. It was during that time of processing, that I discovered the word I needed to be embracing.

RISK.

If you knew me a few years ago, you would know that although I liked to be in control, a bit of a perfectionist, and sometimes a bit of a freak, I also loved the thrill of risk. I love to adventure, travel, create, and sometimes do really stupid things for the heck of a good story or photo. But then this thing called senior year happened. I was working almost full time, going to school full-time, leading a ministry, trying to pay rent, and trying to keep relationships alive. It was exhausting and I was exhausted. I packed that thrill of risk into a box and threw it in the closet to avoid damaging anything I had going. Friends, it’s time for me to start un-boxing risk again, and maybe you as well.

For me the first step in my new life of risk was accepting a job offer in the Bay Area. I am terrified to be leading a middle school ministry, to be looked up to as a pastor would be and in charge of so many small humans. And I will tell you in all honesty, I balled my eyes out the night I got the job offer because of fear and lies the enemy was filling my mind with, because he knows that fear can hold me from doing what God has ultimately offered me.

But I am also stoked, I am excited to be back in a place that has meant so much to me in my life, and a place I truly feel called to be in. This job means moving to a city I have never lived in, working with people I have never worked with, and basically starting over.

One day at a time I am learning to face fear head on. Each day I take one more risk towards trusting God and living a reckless faith for Him.

What are you fearing today? What is holding you back from risking your life to follow Jesus faithfully and radically?

I would love to hear about what words you need to embrace this season of your life, feel free to comment or shoot me an email, let’s chat.

From one human to the next,

Michelle

Michelle is a recent graduate from William Jessup University where she studied Psychology and Bible & Theology. She is currently the Junior High Director at a church in the Bay Area. She is passionate about people, stories, coffee, Dr.Pepper, and Jesus. To hear more about her adventures with Jesus check out tobefullyalive.wordpress.com.

Where is God in my grief?

October 19, 2016 / Guest Author

Grief…..it’s uncomfortable to talk about. We hide it behind closed doors. It refuses to follow a predictable pattern. It recedes for a time and then comes crashing back on a whim all its own.

The heart betrays the mind. Logic slips beyond our grasp. It’s messy, difficult to compartmentalize or even categorize.

The process of grief forces a single mindedness, yet permeates every facet of our lives.

For something so entirely intangible, it might be the heaviest thing we ever carry. We try to compare it to something……anything, and yet it can’t be quantified.

Grief is the ultimate paradox. It goes something like this: There is nothing physically wrong with me; I do not have a life-threatening disease…..yet I feel like my insides are ripping in two.

The heartache becomes the physical ache.

And because grief is no discriminator of persons, eventually no one escapes it- Dreams unmet, job loss, divorce, children unborn, family members gone too soon, severed relationships.

And if you are still reading this, then you are either curious why I’m talking about this…… or you know even more about this subject than I do.

If I may humbly speak to the latter, I have not known what most would consider the greatest grief- losing a spouse or a child, but we are by no means strangers.

And this kind of sorrow begs the question……

“Where is God in my grief?”

And it’s not a new question. Many a person’s faith has hung in the balance as a result of this very type of question.

Several years ago a friend of mine lost her best friend to cancer. My husband asked her this question……

“How’s your heart?”

And through the tears streaming down her face, she said, “No one has ever asked me that question before.”

“How’s your heart?”

What I don’t know about this subject would fill more space than my eyes can see.

What I do know is this……God knows your heart. He knows my heart. He knows my broken places. He knows the wounds I carry.

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

Grief may feel like a scarlet letter, or a secret badge we wear hidden on our person. It feels like more than we can carry…… but we are not called to carry it alone.

“Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”

There’s an old adage that says, “Time heals all wounds.” I would submit to you that God created time and space. His sweet mercy trumps any supposed linear path I may be on.

He created me with this fragile heart and need for others. He created me to have joy. And he created me to feel pain. He created me with a deep need for Him that exceeds anything else that I could try to attain. And on the days that I need him the most….. are the days I will count him the closest.

“I am near to the broken hearted and I will save the crushed in spirit.”

When I sit at the feet of Jesus and let his breath become mine, when I cast my cares upon him, this is what I hear him say…….

My child, your burdens are not too heavy for me. There’s nothing I can’t heal and redeem. I love you with an everlasting love!!

My favorite psalmist David says it like this…..

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness; that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.”

May today’s grief be tomorrow’s dancing!

– Suzi

Tangible

October 5, 2016 / Guest Author

Tangible (as defined from the Miriam Webster Dictionary)

Easily seen or recognized
Able to be touched or felt.

I recently came across a blog post where the author explained she struggled with believing in God, due to the fact that God is not tangible. Believing in something that is not tangible is difficult. Even the disciple Thomas could not believe what he did not see. It wasn’t until Jesus appeared before him that he believed.

Love, gravity or wind cannot be seen, but they can be felt in a tangible way. Our Creator is tangible though we cannot see Him. He is, in fact, the most tangible thing in my life. I feel His presence, see Him working and recognize His goodness. That is His desire for us all. He wants us to be touched by Him so tangibly that others will also SEE Him in our own lives.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalms 34:8 (NLT)

Eleven months ago we brought our daughter home from China and during those eleven months, I learned a valuable truth about the tangibility in my relationship with God. It taught me how our faith moves from the intangible to the tangible, just as my love for her did.

Unlike the easily recognizable, tangible love a new mom feels when her baby is set upon her breast, love through adoption is built over time, or at least it was in my experience. Those “gotcha” videos, which tend to circle in social media, are very emotional and the love seems so tangible in those moments. It’s when the “I love you on paper” moment meets real life. Soon after though, reality crushes expectations and the real work begins, the work of attachment.

In those first months, it truly felt as though I was caring for another mom’s little girl. Thankfully I had a strong adoption community that helped me see how normal this was, otherwise I may have drowned from the nagging guilt that I should have fallen in love instantly. I just wasn’t there yet, even if I wanted to be. My feelings for her were not seen nor felt. They were intangible. So I did what I knew I had to do: I went through the motions. I fed, cared, kissed, hugged and nurtured her just as I did my other children. Slowly through every interaction, the feelings of love began to surface. We began to create a mother-daughter relationship and to attach to one another. Now eleven months later, my love for her is tangible. I feel it. I recognize it. It’s visible.

The truth I discovered is that this is how it works with my relationship with God. I need to play an active part in our interactions if I want to experience Him and know Him tangibly. I need to separate myself from the business of life and “go through the motions” in connecting with Him no matter if it’s always easy or convenient. I need to come to Him in song, in his Word and in prayer. I need to repent of my sins and forgive. Because when I do, He promises me that I will able to “taste and see” Him. He promises me rest and peace. He promises me that He will be there, tangibly.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He is there. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The “fun and games” are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. James 4:7-10 (The Message)

God is always near, always faithful, always present. He is just waiting for us to reach out to him to prove his tangibility. So in essence, the attachment work is on us.

–Rebecca

Rebecca Thorpe lives in Manhattan, KS where her and her husband are stationed. Her husband, a Lt. Col in the United States Army and her have four joyful kids. She is a home-schooling mama, a triathlete, has completed two half Ironman races, and most importantly is madly in love with her savior. Her passion for him is inspiring as she runs this race with her eyes on the Prize!

Chipping away

May 18, 2016 / Guest Author

Several months ago something changed drastically in my life. For the last ten years, my husband and I have had the great pleasure of being empty-nesters. It has been a glorious time that I had dreamed of as a young mom. Those days of someone following me into the bathroom, or cries in the night were over and we were having a delightfully beautiful time in our marriage.

We ate where and when we wanted

We travelled with no worries of children at home

We participated in ministry with no sacrificing family time

Life was free of extra burdens!

Sounds fabulous, and it was until………..

My mother was diagnosed with dementia and required our assistance and so it began. I’d like to tell you that this “woman of God” (me), was happy to have her mother move into her home. Unfortunately, I was hesitant, to have my nice, pleasant life changed in this manner.

Have you been here? Have you been unwilling to allow God to use a situation to grow your faith?

God has and continues to use my new life with mom to chip away at my old self to create something new in me.

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:2-5

Let me be honest, It has been hard, gut wrenching at times, confusing, sacrificial, frustrating and yet there has been joy in the midst. I know it doesn’t make any sense but somehow there is a new thing growing up inside of me.

Romans tell us that our problems can build character. It doesn’t tell us that it will be easy, fun or even exciting! I can attest to that! This process of chipping away at my old self is hard, and I struggle most days to see it as a blessing. However, when I look back over the months I can see His hand, leading me, His Spirit calming me, and convicting me of some stinky, bad attitudes, and His Son showing me how to live a life that bestows grace upon grace to others.

Would I choose this, no! I really like comfort and independence, but I said, “Yes” to serving God any way that He would call me to.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Romans 8:29

The chipping away is not just so that He can remove that which is not pleasant to him, but also so that He can remake us into an image that is beautiful to Him, to become Christ-like in our whole being. When I think about my life in those terms, it becomes less of a challenge and more of a gift. I can’t believe I am saying this, “Having my mom live with us is a gift that God is using to refine me. It is out of love that he called me into this season and I praise Him for it!”

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. Luke 5:36-38

The Father is calling us to allow Him to remake us any way He chooses so that He can fill us with new attitudes, new desires, new experiences and ultimately to be filled up to overflowing with His Spirit.

This is not for the faint-hearted however he has taken this stubborn, strong-willed child and given me a glimpse of what He wants me to be. Surprisingly, I am still saying yes because what He has to offer is more beautiful than anything I have ever known.

Where is He chipping away your old self? Are you willing to allow Him full access to redesign you?

Jann Cobb is a wife, a mom and a teacher. She loves coffee, Paleo and finding God in the everyday moments. You can hear more from her heart at http://www.janncobb.com

Parenting by Faith: Adolescence

April 19, 2016 / Guest Author

Lord, please tell me what to do!

The helpless plea swirled around the room as I knelt by the bed, the door closed and locked, my mind reeling from a brief but loaded incident with my 12-year-old son . . .

My son turned twelve this week. At least I think it was my son. I say this because he is so different than he was just six months ago. He has the same hair, the same slow, deliberate walk, the same eyes, but sometimes I feel like the son I know, the sweet, mild-mannered delight with the ready smile, was abducted by aliens and replaced with a look-alike gremlin of raw testosterone.

green eyed monster And it rattles me.

Sometimes it drives me to a blind run on every parenting book I can lay my hands on. So, as I sat there, I frantically sifted through my options. Biblical principles and wisdom gleaned in parenting classes paraded erratically through my mind, but none addressed the problem directly — and I needed direct help.

Who do I know . . . ? My mind triumphantly fastened on a close friend that had successfully raised three boys — “successful” as in, they have respectable jobs, families, a walk with God, and of highest priority today —

they weren’t the death of their mother.

Bingo.

I snatched up the phone and dialed. “Hi, you’ve reached 555…” Not the machine! Deflated, I left a pathetic message and hung up.

Now what? My husband was out of town so I had no one else to consult.

I was parenting alone, stranded in a hothouse of pubescent testosterone with my man-child, and had no idea what to do.

Trapped without options, I knelt and prayed again, “Lord, please tell me what to do.”

Once again, the urge to scramble to the bookcase and ransack it for parenting help was immediate and strong. However, God chose that moment to remind me of a talk I was preparing featuring the sufficiency of Scripture to meet practical needs. In my notes I’d written, “Do you believe God will hear your prayers and speak to you? Is His Word really able to answer your questions and meet the need you face today?”

I was ready to challenge others, but was I ready to embrace the challenge myself?

Humbled, I decided to wait on God’s help and guidance from Scripture for my own pressing need.

A quick, definitive answer to my prayer didn’t come that day. But as I pressed in to God and listened and waited, He spoke deeply a few weeks later through my daily Bible study:

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

These familiar words caught at my heart as I reflected on the many ways God had expressed His unconditional love for me. My mind replayed instance after instance of God’s patience and unmerited kindnesses toward me. It was in the midst of these revealing ruminations that my son’s face appeared in my mind’s eye.

Carefully, I considered the passage again and God’s voice broke in on my thoughts, “Just as surely as you have needed and relied on My love, so your son needs unconditional love from you more than anything else today.” As God’s gentle words soaked into the freshly tilled soil of my heart I knew:

The transformation that needed to happen wasn’t within my son, it was within me.

That afternoon when my son climbed into the car after school, he looked different to me. Instead of the multi-headed, green-eyed gremlin, I saw a vulnerable young boy caught in the swift and unpredictable current of emerging manhood.

I saw a child who needed his mom to love him.

God continues to transform my perspective. He helps me see past my son’s erratic attitudes and into the emotional and spiritual battle surrounding his struggle toward manhood. And bit by bit, gems of wisdom tumble out of God’s Word and into my heart reminding me that I’m called to live by faith as a mom, too.

Today my son is still trapped in the jaws of the hormonal beast, and sometimes I miss the parenting clues God faithfully provides. But one thing is certain, I no longer view my son through a distorted lens of fear, I see him through the steady eye of faith —

— and love.

****

I wrote this story almost ten years ago and am thrilled to report that clinging to God’s Word and anchoring in His heart was indeed “enough” to impart the wisdom I desperately needed as we passed through the difficult passage of adolescence. As a result, God built a strong relationship based on unconditional love and trust that is still thriving today.

What about you? What is the biggest challenge you face as a mom?

Bethany is a writer, speaker, and Women’s Ministry Team Leader at a rapidly growing church in California. She writes Bible studies, dabbles in fiction, and has written articles for Focus on the Family and Christianity Today’s online resource for women. She has been a speaker for over fifteen years and loves helping women anchor deep in God’s heart to discover His unchanging love and powerful purpose for their lives.

When Bethany isn’t wielding a pen or wearing a lapel mic, she’s hanging out with her husband, kids, and a trio of puggies, all of whom provide endless inspiration . . .

You can book Bethany for your event at bethanymacklinministries.com, connect with her on Facebook or follow her blog at bethanymacklinministries.com/blog to anchor deeper in God’s heart today.

Author: Guest Author (Page 1 of 4)

Slowing Up

God’s presence during a fall off Pyramid Peak

Grow in grace

living in the dusk

No and Yes

Risk 2.0

Where is God in my grief?

Tangible

Chipping away

Parenting by Faith: Adolescence

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