You are Beautiful

I came home last week after work to find some love notes on the mirrors in our apartment from my husband. These simple actions of love mean so much to me. This picture above inspired me to write to you oh readers of mine. The phrase "You are Beautiful" may not strike much emotion in you but to me, it gives my heart wings at times. And it is a phrase that never gets old because when I hear it from my husband and from my Savior I know just how much they mean what they say.

For many years, God's consistent message to me has been how beautiful He made me and how beautiful my growth is to Him. Too often, we can tend to toss aside our value, especially when it is God telling it to us in many ways. When I look at the snow fall, I see how much God loves me and thinks I am beautiful. When I see how amazing a sunset is, I see the promises of God and I know God calls me beautiful. Everyday, there is something that God shows me to reveal this simple truth. It is like He is my lover who planted the tree in the backyard that I love just so that everyday I would know how great His love for me is... in fact, He showed me how deep His love for me was the day He died on a cross of wood from a tree that was planted for that very intention.

God uses my husband to communicate this same truth. I could not be more grateful for this! In fact, it has become a part of my daily life that I love and hold close to my heart every time I hear how beautiful I am from my husband. I must also say that there is a difference between having one say it and another mean it with every fiber in their being. For example: One can say that they love you but if they do not show it in their actions, the phrase is simply just words that have a superficial meaning to them. A person's actions reveal the truth and sincerity behind their words. It does not have to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest gesture can have a thousand meanings. And the person has to be able to be at a place where they can see it, hear it, and accept it deep into themselves.

I sense that many of you have been deeply, deeply wounded. In some ways, we all are alike because we are able to understand the pain of betrayal, rejection, gossip/slander, and so much more. When we allow God to heal these wounds and show us how safe He is, we are finally able to see, hear and accept our true value, our true identity. Too many times, we toss aside our true identity because we have yet to believe what God tells us about ourselves because of the pain (some of you may live or work in an environment where negative/false identities of who you are, are planted in your heart... or you may be holding onto the pain because that is what you are used to), while other times we just ignore His voice whispering in our ear because instead of living WITH Him we think that living for Him is the same and we remain busy.

So BEAUTIFUL ONE, you are deeply loved and you have a God who gave all and designed this earth to show you your value. The next time you see a flower growing through the cracks of pavement, or the sun rise from the darkness, know it was God who was thinking of you when He set it all in motion. His every thought is you! You are beautiful to Him. Soak it in, embrace it, and accept this truth. He has so much more He wants to show you. Accept His extended hands to be swept up into His arms as He longs to dance with you. You have no need to worry about the steps to this dance because all that matters to Him is that you are in His arms. Just keep looking in His eyes. There lies the truth of who you are. He does not lie. To you He says, "You are Beautiful, my Beloved."

My Life: A Bottle to Break Over Your Feet...

For the first time in weeks, I have some extra time to write about things on my heart. I must admit that I am tired, worn out and I feel a little beat up. There are so many good things that are happening and about to take place, but in the middle the enemy attempts to steal my joy. When life gets tough, I have to remind myself that God holds my heart and He is what matters.

At the moment, I am having an evening that reminds me of moments that I enjoyed from my years of being single. My husband is at a class tonight and it is strange that I am by myself. As I think this way, it also occurs to me that it seems strange that I would think that this is strange at all, because when I was single I thrived on nights like this. Nights where I would have a bubble bath by candlelight, eat junk food, and watch a girly movie.  These moments that I have enjoyed and am currently enjoying, are my favorite because Jesus meets with me here. I thrive being in the presence of God. It is all I want.

There is a song by Misty Edwards with a line that says, “I want to put my passion in a bottle and break it over your feet”, like the time Mary anointed Jesus with perfume. If I could put all that I am; all my dreams; all my passions; all my love; all of me into a bottle I would want to break it over Jesus’ feet and anoint him with it. As I think about what this means, it puts my heartache into perspective. My heart can be that bottle and each time that it breaks it pours a little bit more of my passion and life onto His feet as a love sacrifice. There is nothing more that I would want other than to love my Savior in this way.

As I reflect over the past year, all of the heartache was worth it. It helped fill up the bottle of expensive perfume to anoint over the feet of the one who calls me Beloved. What is even better is that my bottle fills up with not just heartache but of thanks for all of the wonderful things that God did for me this past year. 2011 was amazing in so many ways, and I get to wake up to one of the most precious gifts God has given me every morning!

Even though I am tired and beaten, my soul sings and my lips will forever give Him praise. I will live my life filling my bottle to pour over Jesus’ feet. No matter how many tears I cry, or how my heart might ache, and even if I may have a hard time breathing for the feeling of a sword piercing my heart, it is worth every priceless drop of my life over His feet. I am indeed a woman in love. And Love constantly sweeps me off of my feet into a sweet romance that is my life. Here I am. Forever yours.

Adoption

For a long time God has been speaking to me about how He wants me to have a loving impact on others. There are so many different ways that God has been teaching me how to do this. Most recently, and actually on a more consistent basis since 5 years ago, God is teaching me about the importance of adoption. There are so many different perspectives that one can take on this. I have been adopted into God's family and there He gives me unconditional love. With this in mind it causes me to reflect on how I view others and in turn how I treat them.

Since ministering to children is my life right now (as well as my husband's life), God has been revealing His heart for children during our most intimate moments together. His heart breaks when children are neglected, abused, forgotten, negatively yelled at, talked down to, and left behind. It is gut wrenching to see the affects of sin from adults upon children. My question to you is: what are you doing about it? Are you adding to the grief of children or are you helping them?

One of my favorite parts of what I do is being able to adopt kids every week for a short period of time as if they were my own. This is something that God has been teaching me. I long to have His heart and His heart is HUGE for kids! There are times when I long to get out on the streets of Rwanda, India, Indonesia, Thailand (the list goes on and on), and pick up orphan children and bring them home with me to a warm bed, clean clothes, food and water. Even with this longing, God has been showing me how to do this very thing in the lives of children every week on a spiritual level. I know that this is training for what God will be propelling my husband and I into later.

My soul cries in agony, it groans, for words cannot express the desire to save hurting, lost, and orphaned children. This desire has been planted and God has been watering it and showing me how I am saving kids already. As I look at the many faces of the kids I get to minister to each week, I see such huge hope in knowing that they will lead the church to save others. Their potential is so much bigger than most of us give them credit for. My husband and I adopt them, so to speak, for the short time that we have them, and it is beyond amazing to see them grow!

Adoption speaks so much more than just accepting someone into your family (or as your own like I mentioned above). It is treating them as your own flesh and blood. It is about loving them unconditionally and doing all in your power to give them the best. When any of us are put into an environment of people who treat us like this; like the most precious person in the world, we thrive and grow in ways that surprise us. It is my prayer that every child that God puts into my life would feel God touching their heart with His love; and that they would know their true value, priceless, beautiful, and worthy.

So, whenever I dream with God, I see Him planting wonderful seeds of hope and love in the hearts of kids everywhere. I know that wherever my feet walk, I will pick up kids and bring them home to care for them as if they were my own. It may be a large family, but it is worth every tear, sacrifice, and sorrow to bring children before the feet of Jesus. Someday soon, I will kiss away dirty tears, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and shelter the homeless. Until that day, I will faithfully do all I can to do the same for children spiritually.

If you ever have wondered why Jesus informed the people to "let the children come", take a look at this video below. I think that God desires children to be lifted up higher and higher to their full potential. Too often we limit them, whether by accident, religious codes, or because of abuse and neglect. I encourage you to take the time to watch this video. It shows how someone invested in them to train them up as spiritual leaders. In this process, they realized their identity in Christ. This is God's heart for children and for His people: that they would know how precious they are to Him and that there is no need to fear. He will use you to do great things. Now... take a look at the video and you will know what I am talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RyW6-pM0oE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Victory!

How do I begin when most often I am left speechless because of who God is? I can write today in praise and awe of the One who calls us beloved. He is our victorious King!

As the holidays are right before us, especially Thanksgiving this week, I have never been more thankful for all that God has done! So many dreams of mine have come true within the past year that I do not even have the words to describe my grateful heart. I cannot even begin to sum up all that God has done or is going to do. It would literally be a novel if I began to describe everything that has taken place.

I am beyond excited when God begins awakening hearts and revealing more of who He is to those that are very dear to my heart, as well as my husband's heart. Just this week, God revealed His marvelous Love and Spirit to dear friends of ours whom are family to us. New life and healing was a surprise for them this week and we could not be happier. In fact, I sing and dance in praise to God for His victory!

God also did very many victorious things for us this week. We are learning what it means to fight the enemy with the Holy Spirit leading our every step. To know the Spirit by His first name, Holy, is something that transforms my husband and I every day. We bow in surrender and deny ourselves in order for Christ to reign in us. Victory! There is only victory in Jesus.

I hold all these things close to my heart; the things that God has done and has promised us. As I do, these take root within me and I feel as if I could fly high on wings of eagles. Do I feel strong? Most of the time I feel so weak and unworthy. But God states, "my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). That is all that I need to know and my heart is content. 

During the rage of battle, we know that our King goes before us victorious! We are found in the arms of Love, safe, and thriving in ways that we never thought could ever be possible. This life is hard but living it is an adventure that brings such joy and love. I pray that not just my life, but also the life of my husband and I would only reveal who God is. And God brings freedom, joy, healing, love, peace, life, and victory! My heart sings praise to our Victorious King and will continue to all of the days of my life.

Thank you Lord for who you are! We will never stop serving you and loving you with everything within us. Thank you for your victory! Your blessings and gifts are more than we ever dreamed. We thank you with our lives.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Today as I reflect over the past week or so I am astonished at how quickly things are coming forth, bringing changes that are going to completely transform our lives. My husband and I had a discussion on this a couple of days ago. We talked about how we are going to have to make sure that we do not take our relationship for granted in the process of what is to come. What is to come you ask? A beautiful oak tree! God has been forming a firm foundation for my husband and I ever since our relationship started. Because of our hunger for purity, joy, righteousness, love and more and more of Jesus, God has been planting seeds within us so that we would become big oak trees of righteousness to give him glory (Isaiah 61:3). Firmly rooted together, we will shine forth Jesus and lead others to his feet. This includes bringing orphans into a family that they never thought they could ever belong to. What a great promise!

As the holidays are coming, I am learning to let go of so many things that I have been hurt from, as well as my husband. I find hope in the One who calls me beloved, that He will give me the strength that I need to stand for truth and not be manipulated to do otherwise. This is essential in our process of preparation for these new things that will be coming into our lives. It is essential because we need to be so firmly rooted in God, that any crack or hole must be filled up with God's love. We must not have a bend in our foundation so that it will be able to withstand the storms, and attacks from the enemy who wants to uproot all that God calls good.

Even though there are things ahead that I am not looking forward to, I trust that God turns all things into good for those those that love him (Romans 8:28). There are several things that I am so tired of. One of those things is cheap shots from the enemy. The enemy knows that he has already lost and in his anger he attempts to do what he can to injure those who are victorious on his way down. Truth is coming out and it will continue to be revealed in so many different ways. God's truth cannot be hidden, nor can the enemy fight and win against true Love.

Once all of the hurtful, unresolved things are cleared away, my husband and I stand together in great anticipation for all the good things God is doing. He continually performs miracles for our behalf almost every week. He has doors that have opened to us, without any effort on our part that we will be walking through in the months ahead. And at the present time, we are enjoying this roller coaster of joy and breakthrough that God has us on! We have never felt so blessed or alive in our entire lives and pray that He will use us to light the fires of Love in the hearts of everyone that we come across. 

Here we are Lord, with our hands and hearts wide open to you. We long for you everyday. We love you and will allow you to write our love story for the world to see. Our hearts are yours. Please show us how you want us to Love and handle the situations during the holidays this season. Amen.

Praise to you Oh Lord for your joy, love, and breakthrough! With you we can stand amidst the fire and not be burned. All praise and glory be given to you in all things!

Bigger and Greater

            To be known, to be understood, all my life this has been my desire. The one thing about this is the fact that I have to allow myself to open up; to be so real and honest that there would be no barriers between you and I. But this can be hard because as I open up there is the possibility of being hurt, and even in some cases betrayed. There has to be some form of trust, and I know that this trust is more in God than anyone else.

            God has shown me this past week that some of my deepest wounds are from the moments that I have opened myself up. I trusted God in some of my most vulnerable moments and opened up to those I was afraid would not understand. And God has helped me walk through the fire. It has been painful but the flames have never consumed me. Instead, God has been refining me, and perfecting me from the inside out. It is only through the work of God that I am who I am today.

            My soul cries out as this fire cleanses out every impurity and possible seed that would stunt the purification process of my growth. My heart and soul has been wounded and I need God to help remove the arrows. This is what my God is doing in me. He is healing the deepest parts of me and removing the arrows that have been shot in my heart and in my back. It is all right to feel betrayed. It is all right because my Savior knows all about betrayal. Peter denied him three times, and still to this day, individuals deny his very existence, his unconditional love and his unending grace. The person who has been betrayed in the most horrific way holds my heart and understands me completely.

            I let go of any bitterness and embrace forgiveness. In this, the one who holds my heart teaches me how to truly love someone. He gives me grace during the times when more shots are taken and they cause strife. He gives me strength and courage to remain standing instead of falling back to hide. He gives me the hope to use these arrows and hit the devil right back to show him that my God is bigger and greater than anything that would want to destroy all that God has called good.

            Now, I fully embrace these wounds, I pick up the arrows that God has helped to remove and I choose them as my weapons of warfare with Love leading every step. With my husband by my side, God reminds me that I do not fight this battle alone. I am grateful beyond words for this. And at the end of each day, as my husband puts his arms around me, I know just how much God loves me. At the beginning of each day, as my husband embraces me and gives me a tender kiss upon my lips and forehead, I know without a doubt that God is crazy about me and only desires the best for me.

Words can never describe the miraculous touch of God upon my heart and soul. I may walk through the fire but I know that the flames will never consume me (Isaiah 43:2). I hold these arrows intended to destroy me and fight back with all that I am. The one whose eyes are like blazing fire, whose hair is like white wool, whose voice is like the sound of rushing waters, and whose face shines like the sun goes before me with a double edged sword coming from His mouth (Revelation 1:14-16). He is teaching me how to fight back and use these arrows to win battles that are humanly impossible to achieve. In Him alone, I sing and dance my way into battle. He prepares a table before my enemies and anoints my head with oil (Psalm 23:5). Indeed, my God is bigger and greater than any other. Amen.

Psalm 113

God will provide. God will fulfill big dreams and passions. Praise His name!

Psalm 113

"Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?"

"He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord."

This is my verse for the year. It speaks of God doing so many humanly impossible things. He loves us! Praise His name!