The Song In Our Hearts

I was completely overjoyed by Lisa-Jo Baker’s word prompt of ‘song’ for this week!!! I am a music fanatic!!! I love to sing and write songs! I love connecting with singers and songwriters! Let’s just say that it is a passion!

Despite my love for all things song, my first thought wasn’t of the typical definition of this word. The Lord had actually been surrounding me with this word for a week before Lisa-Jo announced the prompt. God is too good to me!

I had been meditating on this verse in Zephaniah 3:17 where it says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

I started thinking about what those songs sound like. I believe that God sings songs of salvation, hope, healing, purpose, destiny, passion and peace over us. He is delighted at the very thought of you and me. He created us with such care. He created us to be in relationship with Himself. He created us to be a light in a very dark world. That sounds like meaningful songs to me!

I also spent some time listening to a podcast series by Louie Giglio entitled ‘Passion and Purpose’. This one message in the series was all about finding out what your passion is and walking it out. At one point Louie quoted Henry David Thoreau…“most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them,” That resonated deep down in my spirit. It also kind of brought up a sense of heaviness in me. I began to sob at the thought of dying with a song still inside of me, with the dreams that He has for me never being realized.

I want to hear God sing clearly over me and eventually join in that song.

I want to fulfill EVERY call that He has on my life. Most of all, I only want my passions to shine light on His great purpose.

What is the song that the Lord has put inside of your heart?

 

Brave

So, I looked up the definition of the word brave. Its primary meaning is to have or display courage, especially when facing danger, difficulty, or pain.

 It is both a feeling and an action. I can feel brave. I can act brave. And those two things don’t always happen at the same time.

But that is the life that Jesus has called us to, a life of bravery, a life full of taking risks and stepping out on faith. I can feel brave through the Holy Spirit. It is God who stirs up that feeling within me. It is also God that causes me to act bravely when things are coming against me.

Being brave isn’t the same as not being scared.

That is such a relief to me! In those times that I don’t feel brave, God’s power is made perfect in my weakness. My desire is to learn to radically trust and radically follow God. I want to get good at doing things afraid. I don’t want to rely on how I feel. I want to rely on what I know to be true…God’s promises.

If God has called you to do something, He will equip you for it.

So, lets live brave on purpose, knowing that God is faithful.

What areas of your life is God calling you to be brave in even though you may not feel brave?

 

 

 

 

 

The Heart Of Mentorship:: an (in)RL 2013 Recap

So, this past weekend, I participated in an online web cast called (in)RL (which stands for in Real Life) hosted by the lovely community of (in)courage. (www.incourage.me) I have been a part of this community for the past year and a half. Honestly, it is one of the best things that God has done in my life! The idea behind this web cast is to lead women beyond the computer screen of blogs and comments and into the lives of real friends through meet ups.

On Saturday morning, I had a great work out. I showered and decided to grab some coffee before heading over to my friend Amy’s house for our meet up. When I arrived at the coffee shop, one of my youth girls from church called out to me. We hugged and then she proceeded to pour her heart out to me about all of her boy “drama”. She is 16, smart, beautiful, loves Jesus, has a servant’s heart and has so much potential. She has never felt the way she does about a guy before.  He is older and has shown her tons of interest. He also has some very adult issues that he is dealing with. She told me how she let her guard down a bit and shared some personal information with him. He then proceeded to back away from her. Needless to say, her heart is broken. That broke my heart. I see glimpses of the young woman that God is molding her into. He has such purpose and destiny for her. My prayer is that she will fall deeply in love with Christ and not get distracted by the cares of this world. During our hour-long conversation, I did my best to let God speak through me. I shared with her about staying focused on the great plans that God has for her, about guarding her heart and the dangers of getting caught up in the desires of our flesh. It was such a divine appointment for us to connect that day. I know that God spoke truth, love, direction and encouragement to her. It was an honor to be used.

After I left the coffee shop, I headed over to my friend Amy’s house (www.amybayliss.com). This friendship actually came about out of last years’ (in)RL meet up. She was supposed to host but had to cancel due to family illness. We were in contact through Facebook for months. Then we connected in real life last fall. We hit it off! This is a friendship that I treasure dearly. She is such a big sister to me. Amy has such wisdom, knowledge and a love for God. She has a great heart and desire to see others grow in their relationship with God. She is very willing to be open and honest in order for others to learn from her mistakes and experiences. She encourages me and challenges me. Our meet up this year was at her house. We both invited people but no one showed up. It was totally okay because it was totally how the Lord wanted it. We ate cupcakes and watched the videos on the challenge to stay in community and mentoring. We talked for hours!!!! That happens a lot when we are together.

Mentorship is the overflow of community. When you build strong community, mentorship will happen.

The videos on mentoring struck a deep chord in me. That is my heartbeat! Everyone, in every season of life, should have people who are further along in their walk with Christ speaking into their lives and also have others whose lives that they are speaking into. The Lord was so gracious to me that day in showing me the very definition of mentorship in my life. Community is one of my passions! Pouring into the next generation is another! I know that I am walking out His purpose for me when I am part of community. I feel His delight and His approval. That fills my heart with such joy! I always want to live out of a desire to please God alone.

Who is speaking encouragement into your life?

Whose life are you speaking encouragement into?

A Call To Community

The Lord has undoubtedly used the context of community to rock my world! In college, God brought true Christ followers into my life and showed me what true relationship and true joy looked like. He showed me my need for Him. It was in the context of community that He showed me who He was, who I was in Him and the life that He had called me to.

I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of community. I have seen the beginning of friendships and sadly, the end of them. I have also experienced some dear friends hear from the Holy Spirit and follow His leading in blessing me in countless ways.

When community is wrong, it is hard and exhausting. It just flat out hurts. There are a lot of tears and stretching during those times. When community is right, it is SO right. It brings life, encouragement, hope, healing, acceptance, safety and direction.

No matter what circumstances invade the community that you are a part of, know that God has called you to be a part of community. That is how He will grow you, strengthen you and fulfill His purpose in you and through you.

 

My Pastor, Mike Haman, said this at church recently…”When suffering, we never WANT community LESS, but never NEED community MORE!”

 

That is SO true! That is the way God designed it. We were never meant to go through life alone. The enemy wants us to withdraw but the Lord wants us to persevere in relationships.

This is what the community of (in)courage has meant to me. They have not let me walk alone. They have taught me to persevere and press in to God. Even though the community is online, God has joined our hearts together. We share our joys and pains. We pray for each other and speak God’s promises boldly. God’s purpose behind community is for our good and for His glory. (In)courage has been the biggest surprise blessing of my life! I would love for all of you to discover the depth of His love for you within this community.

 

Regardless of whether or not you have experienced highs or lows of community, decide it is worth it. Decide that life is far better together.

 

Has God placed you in an online or real life community? If so, tell me about it…

 

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20

 

 

 

 

Click here to come over to our (in)RL page to register for FREE and find out how you can join in on the real life community fun on April 26th & 27th! 

Join us today for an (in)courage link up – share a blog post telling us where you have seen God at work in your communities (online or in real life).

Each of you who link up with us (and help us spread the (in)courager’s trailer and a FREE (in)RL registration invitation) will be entered to win one of of the amazing new (in)courage ((together)) necklaces by Lisa Leonard!

1 necklace for every 100 blog posts linked up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Value Of I’m Sorry

This surprise apology happened just this past week. My sweet friend Sarah and I have been friends for about 5 years. We went to church together and went on mission trips to Mexico. Like many friendships, we drifted apart. She was in school and had a boyfriend. After she graduated, she got married and has moved around the country the last couple of years. I keep up with her travels on Facebook but we have not had face to face quality time in years. Even though Sarah and her husband moved back to Baton Rouge a few months ago, we still hadn’t connected. Then, last Thursday, Sarah announced on Facebook that they were moving to San Diego. I commented to simply ask her when she was moving. Her response caught me totally off guard! She said, “Probably not until August. We need to hang out! I’ve been moving around so much that I haven’t kept in touch with you! Sorry for that! “  I must admit that I got a little teary eyed. Even as I write now, I am tearing up.

Sarah infused my spirit with such value and love and care and thoughtfulness with that apology. Often, when friends move away, there is a fear that you will be forgotten because they have gone on to their new lives. There is a strong sense of feeling left behind. I was not expecting an apology nor did I think that I was in need of one. But somewhere inside I needed to know that she hadn’t forgotten me, that I mattered. Sarah’s apology spoke volumes! It went far beyond her regret that we had not kept in touch. It spoke of her love for me and my importance to her even though we are in different seasons and are often separated by distance.

Apologies are complicated. They can be for something small or something big. We just need to be aware that what we have said or done or haven’t said or haven’t done has had an impact on someone else. When we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, He will show us just how much influence we possess. God’s desire for us is to always to be reconciled to the community that we are a part of. That is what paves the way for us to worship God in Spirit and truth.

Everyone wants to be loved. Everyone wants to be acknowledged. Everyone wants to be remembered. Everyone wants to be valued. An apology holds that power and so much more!!!

Who do you need to impart value to with the offer of an apology?

In Which God Redeems Our Mistakes

The prompt from the lovely Kristen Strong this week is about a surprise mistake that God brought good out of. I thought of a recent one, but it actually wasn’t my mistake. I am not saying that I am perfect, by any means. I just could not remember any mistake that I made that stood out to me.

At the end of November of last year, my sweet friend, Tasia had a birthday. I love birthdays! And I love buying presents for my friends’ birthdays! Now, I am about to say something wild….Tasia had NEVER heard of Beth Moore. Crazy?! Huh? I was astounded! I just could not understand how that was possible, but I did know that I had to be the one to remedy this.

I gave Tasia a Beth Moore starter kit. I bought her one of Beth’s devotional CDs, a small booklet about purpose and her book entitled ‘Feathers From My Nest: A Mother‘s Reflections’. The first two items, I found at Lifeway with no problem but the last one was nowhere to be found even though Lifeway’s computer stated that it had thousands of copies. I feared that it was out of print. The next day, I called Living Proof Ministries in Houston to order the book. Sweet Diane Riley, the LPM product manager, told me that the book was not out of print. Yea! I ordered it on Tuesday and received it on Wednesday. I gave it to Tasia on Thursday at her birthday lunch and she loved it! I thought that my part was done.

Little did I know that God was not done…

During all of this birthday excitement, my other sweet friend Christie had just lost her mother the week after Thanksgiving unexpectedly due to complications after surgery. Those times are always hard and contain a wide range of emotions. It is always hard to know what to do for a friend who is grieving. But God knew what He wanted to do. He always does! Now, Christie does know who Beth Moore is and absolutely adores her. That same Thursday, I get home that night to find another package on my door. I picked it up and it was from LPM. I immediately knew that it was ANOTHER copy of ‘Feathers From My Nest’ and I immediately knew that it needed to go to Christie. I opened it and that is just what it was, another copy!

On Friday, I called LPM so that I could pay for the second copy. Diane was out for the day, so I spoke with Sherry. She was not totally sure how I received another copy. Later I actually spoke with Diane and she said that she made some kind of mistake where the first book was not recorded as having been mailed. I told both of them all about Christie and what God did. When I spoke with Sherry, she thanked me for calling to pay and then she said, “I am so glad that God redeems our mistakes!” That has stuck with me. He does! He really does!

God will redeem EVERY mistake that we place in His sovereign hands.

He knew before I did that that book would help to bring healing to Christie’s life. He knew before I did that He wanted to use me to play a small role in His greater plan. He took a simple mistake and did something greater than I could have planned or imagined.

Whether we make some huge mistake or a seemingly small one, the Lord waits with open arms to take this burden off of us, bring good out of it and bring glory to His name. All we have to do is surrender it to Him and trust that He loves us and knows best.

“Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

What mistakes have you been holding onto? What prevents you from completely surrendering them to God?

 

 

 

<a href=”http://chasingblueskies.net/?cat=47” title=”"><img src=”http://chasingblueskies.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/outoftheblue_final_draft_A.jpg” alt=”" title=”" style=”border:none;” /></a>

Home

To me, home is not a place.

See, I have never had a place that felt like home. I have never been surrounded by people who felt like home. I have always felt like a wandering soul, never connected to anyone or anything. That is a lonely road to walk and a heavy burden to bear.

Then, Jesus swept into my life and changed that!

Now, home, for me, is Jesus. It is who He is. It is where He is. It is where He is going. It is what He is doing. It is EVERYTHING about Him!!! His very heart and presence are home to me.

God’s Spirit lives inside of me, so wherever I go, He goes with me. He will not leave me or forsake me. There is SO much peace and rest and safety and security wrapped up in this truth. He is my refuge and strong tower. He is my ever present help in time of need. He is my provider and protector. He is my hope and strength. He is my father and friend and the absolute joy of my life!

It does not matter that I never knew what home was before. All that matters is that I know now. The Lord has redeemed my past and shown me that, in Him, I will ALWAYS have a place to call home.

What does home mean to you?

My prayer is that it will come to mean Jesus.

Ordinary

Ordinary. Common. Usual. Everyday. Natural…is what I can do. That is me. I am who God created me to be. I have gifts, talents, quirks, weaknesses and strengths. That is okay. That is the way God likes it. He never intended me to be anything more.

One of the things that He desires is for me to be fully surrendered to everything that He has called me to be and to trust Him to be everything that He promises to be.

Extraordinary. Amazing. Surprising. Unusually Excellent. Super…is what He can do. That is God. That is who He is. He is that and so much more. He is perfect, wonderful, strong and loving. God never intended to be anything less.

He longs to add His ‘super’ to my ‘natural’. That is when miracles happen. That is when His glory is displayed. That is when lives are changed. That is the way I like it!

Only God Could Have Known

Let me start by saying that God has covered me in His grace long before I knew what grace was. My childhood was far from perfect, but whose is? I have never had strong family ties, even to this day. For the most part, I am okay with that. God has been so faithful to place me in strong spiritual family. He continues to take me by surprise with each new friendship that He brings into my life. The first part of Psalm 68:6, “God sets the lonely in families…” has been and continues to be a theme in my life. I honestly could not pick just one friendship for Kristen Strong’s link up post about a surprise friendship. So, I picked two of the most recent ones that have brought absolute JOY to my life.

In August of 2011, I attended a women’s conference at Istrouma Baptist church here in Baton Rouge. Kari Jobe led worship and Susie Larson was the main speaker. I could not for the life of me remember if I had heard of Susie before. Her name sounded familiar but I could have just been making that up! From the moment that Susie began to speak, I knew that it was God, that I was there. Between her powerful testimony, her sense of humor, her engaging stories and her deep revelation of scripture, I was wrecked! The Lord moved mightily within our midst that weekend! God was so sweet to allow us some time for good conversation. It was one of those conversations where you talk about anything and everything and nothing all at the same time. I felt very connected to her. After the conference was over I got her contact information because I felt in my spirit that I was supposed to be a part of her ministry in some way. I had no idea what that meant or what that looked like. We have stayed in contact over the past year and a half and it has blessed my socks off! She has been a “big” sister to me in more ways than I can count. She has walked with me through both highs and lows. She has given me words of wisdom, truth and encouragement. I know that she prays for me, loves me and wants God’s best for me. I have had the huge honor of being a cheerleader for her! She placed me on her Intercessory Prayer Team list so I get emails with updates and prayer requests. Along with the Prayer Team, I was chosen to read a copy of and write book reviews for her new book ‘Your Beautiful Purpose’! (which BTW is a must have!!!) I could not imagine my walk with Jesus without her influence and leadership.
[www.susielarson.com]

Now, this leads me to my second surprise friendship, which was formed at the very same church in Baton Rouge. In December of that same year, Istrouma Baptist church had a Christmas concert. Their choir sang and they had a very special guest perform….AVALON! I have been a huge fan of theirs for well over a decade! The concert was amazing!!! It was a good mix of old, new and Christmas songs. I sang EVERY word. Greg Long even took my request for ‘Can’t Live A Day’ for his lovely wife Janna to SANG! I am totally that girl that likes to hang out after concerts to chat and get autographs. As it happened, the majority of the people left after the concert and I was able to have lots of hang out time with the group. The two most recent additions to Avalon are Jeremi and Amy Richardson. I was blessed to have some quality time with Amy and we hit it off! We have also stayed in contact for over a year. I have sent gifts and spoiled her three precious girls from a distance. I contributed to their Kickstarter project for their new worship CD, ‘Never Let Go’ (another must have!!!) She sent me Birthday wishes and even checked on me during Hurricane Isaac. There aren’t words to describe what her kindness has meant to me.
[www.jeremiandamyrichardson.com]

The fact that these amazing women have large platforms did not impress me. I was drawn to their sincere love for the Lord. That is what our friendships are based on…a devotion to Christ, to others and to furthering His kingdom. I love that neither one of them let having a large platform close them off from allowing God to bring a new friendship into their lives. They both have tremendous integrity, faith and are super intentional. These relationships BLESS my soul in ways that only God could have known. I am terribly grateful that He has joined our hearts together!!! Susie and Amy are not only friends, but I consider them family.

And this is the heartbeat of our God, to set the lonely in families.

What surprise friendship could be on the horizon if only you would be open to it? What are the things that keep you from being open?

God Answered Before I Even Prayed

I know! I know! The title sounds kind of crazy. But, it happened. This is a short and simple story with long and lasting effects. Last May, on a pay day, I went to the bank to deposit my paycheck. There was nothing special about that day. I hadn’t been praying particularly big prayers. I wasn’t feeling super spiritual. I was just going through an ordinary day, doing something that I had done numerous times before. I drove into the Drive Thru of my bank and sat in my car filling out my Deposit slip. I withdrew my tithe first, before I made the deposit. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love tithing and giving to my local church and watching God multiply resource in order to build His Kingdom. For some reason, the thought passed through my mind, “God, I love tithing, but I would love for this amount of this paycheck to be the amount after I tithe.” That was it. Nothing deep. No pleading or grand notions. Well, I had also babysat that week as well. I withdrew a tithe out of that money and added the rest of it to my paycheck. When I had finished adding the sub totals together to come up with my final deposit amount, my mind nearly exploded. I could not believe what I was seeing! The final amount was the EXACT amount of my paycheck!!! What?! Are you serious?! I dare anyone to tell me that God doesn’t answer prayers! He not only answers them, He shatters them! He may not answer them in the way that we want Him to, but He always answers.

I had a want. I had an idea. I had an expectation. But God had something far better in mind.

A good friend of mine, Andy, taught our youth a couple of weeks ago out of James 4:6 in the Message version. It speaks of what Jesus gives in love as being far better than anything else I could find. That rocks my world! God loves me that much! He will go out of the box in order to show me just how much He loves me! He will go to any lengths to reach us and show us that love. He showed me in that moment that His provision is far better than anything that I could have come up with on my own.

In Ephesians 3:20, it says,” Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” God is a BIG God, so we can pray BIG prayers! But the answer to our biggest prayers aren’t big enough! That is wild!!! But that is our God!!!

So, what are the big prayers that you want God’s far better answer to? God is waiting and longing to answer and maybe even before you pray them.