Showing posts with label guest post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest post. Show all posts
There is strength within the sorrow,
there is beauty in our tears,
and You meet us in our mourning,
with a love that casts out fear…
Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us…
You’re faithful forever, Perfect in Love,
You are Sovereign Over us.
-Michael W. Smith, Sovereign Over Us-
I am so touched and humbled to be sharing more of my heart over at Mundane Faithfulness on the topic of exhaustion in this journey of life. You can find the guest post HERE and I would love to know your thoughts on it.
Happy Friday again friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful day!
Happy Friday again friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful day!
"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head;
'There is no peace on earth,' I said,
For hate is strong and mocks the song
of peace on earth, good will to men.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
I am so touched and humbled to be sharing more of my heart over at Mundane Faithfulness on the topic of the famous Christmas Hymn, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day" and my prayers and hopes for these final days of preparation for Christmas. You can find the guest post HERE and I would love to know your thoughts on it.
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you have a wonderful day!
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you have a wonderful day!
I am so honored and humbled to be sharing a bit of my story and my heart on the topic of encouragement for the mind over at Holl and Lane Magazine blog today. You can find the guest post HERE if you are interested in reading it.
A huge thank you to Holl and Lane Magazine for having me! I was truly honored!
A huge thank you to Holl and Lane Magazine for having me! I was truly honored!
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news…"
-Luke 2:8-10-
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been intrigued by shepherds, specifically the shepherds the Bible mentioned in the Christmas story. Historically shepherds were referred to as the forgotten people and were seen as especially lowly in society. Thousands of years later, I am humbled to admit how many times I feel like I am part of the forgotten people. Despite social media, technology, and the ability to instantly connect with others, I think we all struggle with feeling forgotten in different ways. The holiday season can compound these feelings of loneliness in a hundred little ways. I know personally how hard and painful it can be to experience joy in this season when we feel like we have been forgotten.
I am so touched and humbled to be sharing more of my heart over at Mundane Faithfulness on the topic of feeling forgotten this holiday season. You can find the guest post HERE if you are interested in reading it.
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful day!
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful day!
If you have been around this blog for a little bit of time than you know how much my little life has been influenced and touched by the late Kara Tippetts. Her books (Big Love, The Hardest Peace, Just Show Up, and And it was Beautiful) have had a tremendous impact on my heart and life. Her writings at her blog, Mundane Faithfulness touched my life, encouraged me in the truth that Jesus is good despite the hard in our lives, and gently reminded me to look for grace in the midst of each day.
Like many others, I was incredibly touched by Kara's story over the last several years, and while I didn't ever get to meet her in person I grew to treasure her greatly. She was truly a hero of mine, a woman whom I prayed for who dealt with incredibly difficult circumstances yet clung to her faith in the Lord, and left a lasting legacy not only for me but for so many others.
I shared in September that earlier this year I had the lovely chance to connect with Blythe, who now runs Mundane Faithfulness, whom I am honored and humbled to call a friend. I have stood in awe as Blythe has navigated continuing Kara's beautiful legacy and yet uniquely developed a deep community rooted in God's grace that came after deep loss. Blythe has poured out her heart, serving behind the scenes, offering encouragement and love to the many hurting that are apart of the Mundane Faithfulness community. In addition she has taken the time to consistently share her heart on the Mundane Faithfulness blog. Blythe's writing is powerful, full of truth and love, and the grace is life-changing. I have literally cried many tears reading through her posts, thankful for her encouragement in this journey of life. I want to go grab a cup of tea and just sit at Blythe's feet listening to her wisdom or just follow her around for weeks on end soaking up her wisdom. She is AMAZING.
I was so touched and humbled when she asked if I would share a bit of my heart for Mundane Faithfulness in September and then asked if I would guest blog. On Monday I share a little of my heart on the advent and Christmas season. You can find the guest post HERE if you are interested in reading it.
If you haven't already had a chance to read through Mundane Faithfulness I promise you will want to grab a cup of coffee and head on over to it. Mundane Faithfulness is full of beautiful truth, God's grace, and encouragement. I can promise that it will encourage you to go back to the heart of Scripture and fall more in love with Jesus.
If you haven't already had a chance to read through Mundane Faithfulness I promise you will want to grab a cup of coffee and head on over to it. Mundane Faithfulness is full of beautiful truth, God's grace, and encouragement. I can promise that it will encourage you to go back to the heart of Scripture and fall more in love with Jesus.
So today, give your heart a gift and head on over to Mundane Faithfulness and spend time reading, connecting, and finding encouragement that grace will meet us each day. (You can find the blog by clicking HERE!)
"Hard is not the absence of God's goodness,"
-Kara Tippetts-
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I want to break free from the chains of this body.
From the chains of illness and suffering and constant pain.
From the chains of extreme limitations and surgeries and hospitalization and doctors and medicines and missing out on life by factors out of my own control.
I want to break free from the circumstances that are hard, that I hate, that make me cry and feel desperate and hopeless.
I want to break free from all the reasons I wish these situations weren't reality...at least not for me.
No matter what I do or don't do, no matter how obedient and diligent I am to my needs - I often feel like I'm going to explode. Everyday I tell myself that I won't give into this pain; I'm not going to feel it. Yet consistently I am proven wrong. I feel a sensation begging me to literally crawl out of my own skin. Confused over when to push, when to step back, when to share my concerns with others and when to leave them between God and myself. I feel trapped inside myself. And there's no way out. No where to run, no where to hide, no way to check out. The only option is to face the demons and DEAL.
Friends, if you're at a breaking point, ready to give up, in desperate need of a bright spot in your life...these words are for you.
Whatever your circumstances may be, whether you are having to endure the unimaginable physically/emotionally/
DO NOT GIVE UP.
I repeat... DO NOT GIVE UP.
Do not give up the fight.
Do not quit.
Do not stop trying just because the fight is hard.
Do not silence yourself when others try to quiet you.
Do not stop pushing when your heart, body & soul urge you to act in a way that doesn't make sense to anyone else.
Do not feel embarrassed by your pain.
Do not stop your tears from falling or your emotions from expressing.
Do not make excuses for the pain or try to justify the things that are out of your control.
Do not be afraid to FEEL.
Do not be afraid to TALK.
Do not be afraid to be SILENT.
Do not hesitate to simply be STILL.
Do not worry when you come to a crossroads.
Do not get anxious when the rain continues to fall.
Do not lose your peace in the unknown.
Do not give up your patience when things are moving slower than imagined.
Do not forget about hope and joy.
Do not lose sight of the joy that lies ahead through eternal life with our Savior.
Do not believe lies from the enemy that God has forgotten you, does not love you, cannot forgive you, or that He does not hear you.
You are SO loved.
Do not hesitate to cry, shout, whisper, or groan to the Lord. He can handle everything you are feeling.
Do not refuse His embrace.
Do not turn down His free grace.
Do not rely on your own strength.
Fight your very hardest & TRUST His strength to take care of the rest.
You have to fight...for your own life or someone else's.
You must be your own advocate whether that's to a doctor, a parent, a spouse, or a friend. Listen to your heart, body, mind, soul and trust the intuition that God has gifted you. That intuition comes from the Holy Spirit who does not lead us astray.
God gives what is good.
Even when our human eyes see a curse, He is working hard to turn it into a blessing. If only we would be patient and trust in His ways, letting go of the need to understand & analyze.
His ways are higher than our own. We were not created to have all the answers...why else would we need our loving Savior?
I get weak. I get discouraged. I get depressed. I get hopeless. I get frustrated. I get upset.
For I'm merely human. But because of the joy of the Lord I find strength. I find encouragement. I find joy. I find peace. I find contentment for every inch of my soul.
For He is the Great I Am.
Today, I encourage and plead all of you to not give up. Keep on, keepin on. I know it's hard. I know at times life feels completely out of control, unbearable, impossible, like a living Hell. I know there is pain, suffering, great sadness all around. I'm there with you in the valley. And so is HE.
I also know there is indescribable JOY to be found in each day, and glorious beauty waiting to appear in all the ugly. There is blinding light that WILL outshine even the darkest night, and the glory of the Lord shall prevail in all situations.
If you're ready to quit, don't. Even when you want to break free, take comfort in His promises, trusting that the Lord is working out a glorious unfolding beyond your wildest dreams.
You can do it, I believe in you.
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I am so excited to have a dear friend and hero of mine sharing on the blog today her heart and her words of encouragement and truth. It is hard to put into adequate words the impact that Mallory has had on my life and in my journey with Lyme Disease. I am so excited to have her sharing her heart today!!
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"God can use you wherever you are"
Let's get real for a minute.
The mundane routines of day to day life make it really easy to feel lost. To feel unimportant. To feel purpose-less. To question "What on Earth am I here for?"
Comparison is such a thief.
We look at pictures, posts of exciting lives full of travel, food, riches, and people who seem to have so much direction. Wow, that person looks super important... And I feel super ordinary.
I used to think that God would never use me in a meaningful way. I thought that my typical Christian testimony and blessed life didn't have enough "umph" to make an impact for the kingdom. Only those who have walked through fire and come out on the other side, shouting their testimony riddled with abuse, addiction, and the rescue of a loving savior could make a difference.
I thought that without traveling the world, serving on various missions, snuggling orphans, feeding the starving people of a foreign nation-- God wasn't using me.
WRONG.
Now, I do have a platform. I have a CRAZY story. I have seen, felt, received multiple miracles from above. I have survived the impossible because of HIS strength. I'm actually one of those people with a powerful testimony (that's still being written)...Does that mean God can use me now? Does that suddenly make me more important than I was before?
Yes...also... No.
Having a story of suffering & despair, one I would never wish upon anyone, does not make my impact for the Kingdom more important than it was when I was healthy & strong leading an active life.
This story gives me a way to share, know, and love Jesus with a perspective that I would not otherwise understand. And I have made the choice to trust that God can do something amazing with it... He totally has.
In the last 2.5 years I have been isolated from the world, people, life and experiences beyond what I can even tell you. In that time, God has miraculously led me to witness, encourage, and share His love with more people than I EVER did in all my 20 years of health and thriving life.
His purpose, plan, hand in my life is OBVIOUS. God is with me, before me, around me. He is preparing me for something incredible. I just know it. I feel it in my soul as the Holy Spirit speaks beautiful purpose into my heart.
But right now, I'm not able. I'm still quite isolated from the world. Struggling with recovery, sickness, lack of independence, strength, and ability to complete normal tasks. Nonetheless, God is able to use me in these ordinary, quiet times.
In the mundane, in the everyday sideline life...one that can feel lost, without direction and without purpose... in which my heart is SO READY to play yet my Coach is reassuring me that it's not game time... I'm confident that God is doing SOMETHING IMPORTANT.
And looking back at my 20 years of ordinary life, I can see God working in all aspects.
Child of God, dear loved one, God is working in your life too.
Through the boring days. Through the bad days. Through the sin-filled days and the obedient ones, too. Through the most joyful times and through the deepest depressions. In your daily job, among your family and friends, around your coworkers, at the grocery store, at the gym, at the hair salon & through your social media presence. God is at work everywhere you are.
Are you longing for a purpose? Do you desire to be used?
There is no exclusive club, no requirement needed to be a chosen one. Today I encourage you to truly open your heart to the Lord. Give Him your past, your present and your future. Give Him authority to use you in whatever way He sees fit...then obey when you feel Him leading and promoting. Pray for the words to say, the humility to serve, and the convictions to want His Will above all. Every season of life has a purpose and a time and an importance in the realm of eternity. Strive for joy wherever you are today and take heart, knowing you are on this Earth for a job beyond all understanding.
Wow, you are so important.
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