Knowing God
God Speaks. Why Listen? Thoughts From A Student.
God loves us, and he wants to communicate with us, but hearing him requires intentional listening on our part. He loves you that much. He cares for you, personally, individually, right now, exactly who you are, where you are at this very moment in time. No exceptions.
Peace, and Feet Fitted with Readiness
Our sin-soaked selves can come before the throne of a holy God and be met with peace singularly because of Jesus. The gospel establishes readiness that equips us to navigate treacherous terrain with a firm grip on peace.
I Will Restore You
True restoration is something comfort can’t author. Sometimes In order to enjoy the peaks, we have to do some climbing. But He will restore every single day what our heart needs to thrive in the work he has given us to do. He is without limit, and he lavishes us with his love.
Oriented
Rollercoasters and floods can prove disorienting. But there are things that can orient our hearts and speak truth when we don’t have eyes to see it.
Tetelestai
With one word, he declared the gospel, comforted our restless hearts, and silenced the threat of death. With one word he defeated our fears of inadequacy, of never being enough, of hopelessness and of eternal separation. He ushered in life and offered freedom. As he was dying, he knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what he was saying.
Loved and Lovely
It’s a truth I hope to cultivate in my daughter as she grows into a woman who will eventually be prompted to evaluate what she sees. She will eventually order her loves in such a way that what she believes is lovely will be the backdrop to the way she evaluates beauty.
What I Learned From a Cold
I was quiet, so my kids were quiet. My voice was not loud, so when I said something my kids were looking at my face with rapt attention. Quiet does not mean unclear. We can listen and look intently into the face of the one who loves us too.
Cultivating Hearts in Real Life
Shaping loves isn’t always fancy. It can take lots of raw, unimpressive moments that cumulatively do foundational work.
It Sure Did Fly…
When 72 years of marriage “sure did fly by,” you know this life is quick. So within this love story is a prompt. What story do you tell?
Because I love him
Evidence compels, but evidence can only go so far. To know the one who formed you… it’s something more altogether.
The God Who Sees
All over scripture we see the phrase “looking at them,” or “turning his gaze towards them,” or when Jesus saw…” We know one thing for sure, Jesus did not avoid his people. Maybe you wonder at his interest. Maybe you aren’t sure where you stand before him. Maybe you aren’t sure he would look directly into your eyes if given the choice, so it may be of interest to see some examples of a variety of people he engaged. They are imperfect. So are we. He is still looking.
Daughter of The King
You are a daughter of the King. And that will only move us to the degree we have wrestled with what we believe about our Father. So what does it mean to be a daughter of the king? Because we will not access what we don’t know is ours to claim. Do you know who you are, who is accessible to you and what is yours to claim?
They Still Know His Voice
We may wonder at His command to “Be Still” long ago. Today, the winds and the waves, they still know his voice. They still obey his commands.
The Greatest Attempt — Reflections from Iceland
Even in the most glorious expression of beauty, our greatest attempt at life at it’s fullest measure falls decisively short of the fullness of being known, of being satisfied in, of being comforted by the creator of our hearts and the one who delights in us.
Vascular Indwelling
He is integral to our ability to abide in a life with our Lord, because even when we are facing the wrong way, he enables us to move in the right direction. The nutrients of life found in the truth that he presses into the fibers of our hearts are not randomly discovered, but purposefully whispers and watered… it is why it is accurate to say that he dwells within us. In our most desperate moments we could no sooner escape the presence of the Holy Spirit than we could stop the flow of blood in our veins without dying.
Eyes That See
He sees value where we see poverty. He sees success where we see struggles, he glorifies what we often ignore, condemns what we often worship, invites when we feel unworthy. He is unimpressed with and undistracted by shallow formality and consistently engages with clarity of vision into the person’s heart before him.
S.T.A.R. and Encountering God
We are a people who are invited to encounter God. Available here the STAR resource; to prompt intentional & strategic engagement with truth.
Come to Me
Ceaseless awareness is a beautiful way to live. But in those moments when we need rest, when we need to plow a particularly gargantuan field; let’s listen to the invitation we’re offered.
Hesed Loyalty
I can think of few gifts more powerful than to know there is an unwavering love that does not hinge on moment by moment valuations of an offering, or even calculated chemistry, but a steadfastness of love that endures.
Promises
I think perhaps we look with scrutiny (realized or not) at the promises God makes. We narrow our eyes and say, “do I believe that?”
Will Smith, Anna Delvey, and Advocates
It has been an interesting week. It’s easy to discuss the lives of those who live public controversy. But we’ve all played the role of defendant. We all need an advocate.
Jars of Clay
You carry a gifted treasure. Something he delights in giving us though our bodies waste away, inwardly he renews day by day. So that when we are many in years, and cannot move with liquid grace, there is something under all the sore bones and wrinkled flesh, that far outweighs any semblance of strength we ever had at our best.
My Thoughts On IF:Gathering 2022
I just got back from Dallas about a week ago. I had planned to attend the IF conference, and my 7 husband decided it was a perfect opportunity to escape the grind of our normal routines, and take winter break in the middle of nowhere — also known as Point, TX. It was gloriously still. Beautifully quiet. Except for the coyotes… they were loud. But the point is that going into this conference my heart was rested, stilled, and ready to listen.
The Great Secret
Etched into the inside cover of my Mamaw’s old Bible are some faded words in shaky cursive. Nothing else claims any space on that otherwise blank page, as though THIS thought were what she wanted front and center. As though this thought were one she allowed no other...
Cliff Crawling in the Garden of the Gods
My darling girl has been flexing her independence muscles lately. One week it included things like washing her own hair, handling some new chores, and riding her bicycle as fast as she could peddle down our street. The next week we were on vacation and independence...
The Yoke and the Plow
Exhaustion seems to be the undercurrent of our culture right now. COVID just reared up and blasted us over the last 2 years, and while there has certainly been a spectrum of loss, even on the best side of the swing there has been a cumulative ask that has diminished...
Testify
What story is your life telling? When people get around you, what message are they leaving with? This summer we wrapped up a trip to Utah. Hiking (along with the rest of the world during a pandemic) has become one of our favorite things to do. And while there is some...
Deep Calls to Deep
My brother is a walking billboard for what cool looks like. He lives in Austin, cool. Loves to surf, cool. People are literally drawn to his personality. He commands a room with his unassuming but brilliantly stated thoughts, most of which are completed with some...
Self Reliance and the Danger of Drowning
Foamy splashes of salt water breaking over my face is what woke me up to the reality of my situation. It was all I could see in every direction and I wasn’t alone. From my perch on a splintered piece of driftwood I searched the waters around me, silently; eyes wide...
Awaken
Lullabies are sweet songs intended for the purpose of lulling into slumber. It’s a delicious taste of peace to receive their sweet sounds — and to deliver the ones we love into a dream. Until, alas, we are pulled from our dreamy depths and we must awaken. My...
My Honest Agenda
I have an agenda. Let me start with that honest truth. I love to write, but I cannot say that I am the best at it. I love God, but there are people who love him more. I love considering the eternal, but there is so much I still have to learn. I am no professional...
On Our Knees
I went to a Lady Antebellum concert last week with my handsome hubs. Loved it. And I wasn’t the only one. It was impressive. There is just something about looking out into a room with the capacity to hold 15,000 people, and watch the nearly full auditorium become...
Rainbows
There are a lot of rainbows floating around right now. And since this is supposed to be a blog about eternal stuff; well, I think the rainbow is a pretty tremendous place to land if we want to celebrate something. So consider this: The truth about the original...
The Announcement part 2: The Point of Interruption
The day in history which most pointed to hope was preceded by exactly the opposite in the hours before. Everything so many assumed to come came to a crash on the hill of Golgotha where hope was drained from hearts even as they watched the life drain from the face of...
So That…
If you really want to keep your finger on the pulse of your incentives to pray, simply answer the question: “so that…” what? If you receive what you ask for, what happens? What is the “root motivator” behind the words you utter before the God you acknowledge in the...
A Promise to Claim
After opening about 2.5 gifts (out of about 250) last Christmas, Cruz decided he was over it. While the gargantuan pile of goodies wrapped in ribbon and cacooned in Christmas paper all but jumped out at him, he contentedly played with the original squeal inducing...
My Response to: “Dear Church, Here’s Why People Are Really Leaving You.”
Recently there has been a lot of attention given to a post entitled, “Dear Church, Here’s Why People Are Really Leaving You.” It made me ache. It made me sad, really sad. It made me feel misunderstood and it made me frustrated. Just being honest. And it stuck...
Prince of Peace
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” — Isaiah 9:6 We have been celebrating the birth of a baby who is...
The Announcement
It wasn’t a fleeting act of spontaneity. A casually thrown together event. It was a night that had been carefully constructed. The moment Eve’s lips collided with the apple; the second Adam choose to disregard God’s instructions and we went our own way; when sin...
Do vs. Done
One of the most significant distinctions in the Christian faith is the “do versus done,” concept. To me, it’s also one of the most love-saturated truths. Yesterday, the boys and I came home to find our carbon monoxide alarms going off in the house. Awesome. The...
Two Whispers, Two Results
How many times do you laugh about a season of life that you are SO glad is over?! Like dating, your first job, junior high, the years you spent finding yourself. Usually you can spend hours with old friends laughing and reminiscing until the tears are freely falling...
A Desperate Heart
What are you desperate for? Desperation is prompted when we are acutely aware of that which we are lacking and also believe to be essential. And it typically evokes action. When we are utterly convinced of a need for something we are compelled to take active steps...
3 Characteristics of God
So recently (in probably my favorite post ever) we explored the fact that God wants to be known; that His glory is important because we are important to Him. This was evidenced in the point: "In the Old Testament, a variation of the phrase: 'Then they will know that...
Heaven Is For Real — Right?
Heaven Is For Real, by Todd Burpo, came out on November 2, 2012 and has since captured the interest of millions. According to Wikipedia, within 3 weeks of it’s release, the book debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list. By January 2011, there were...
Why Sin Is Fun
We just walked through the topic of “Why Does God Want to be Known,” and how his glory is our benefit — that our lives will never be so fantastic as when we are in relationship with Him (fun post). Which begs the question: ever wonder why sin is so fun? Ever...
Why Does God Want To Be Known?
God wants to be known. All over scripture he went to great lengths to make people aware of who he was. In the Old Testament, a variation of the phrase: “Then they will know that I am the Lord,” is used 88 times. 65 times in Ezekiel alone. Most of the time it was...
Revealing Beauty, a Pursuit Rewarded
Women are wired with a desire to reveal beauty. Now there are days (and I don’t think I’m alone) when 4:30 rolls around and I’m still in my “comfy clothes”… ok fine – PJ’s. But I will bust out my best effort to actually USE my curling iron, put on something that...
Pool of Truth
What is your heart bathing in? From what source are you immersing your mind? We all soak something up to restore ourselves amidst the pollutants of the heart we are assaulted by, and we are wise to consider the source. What is breathing life (or something else) into...
Forsaken
It means to be abandoned or deserted; which infers an interruption of sorts. The one forsaken wasn’t alone to begin with. My own instinct is to assume (in most cases) a devastating separation, or rejection. Which is what caught my eye and compelled me to linger as...
God Answers Us
God Answers Us God answers us. His response is always intentional, always soaked in love, always trustworthy. When we demonstrate interest in hearing from him, he takes pleasure in making himself known. When he speaks, we can expect that his personal response will...
3 More Steps on Hearing God’s Voice
Annnnd we continue from our previous post on how to hear God’s voice. I still think Tahiti would be a great place to hear from God. Waiting on that clear calling… insert dreamy sigh. Listen for Truth and watch for Persistence: When you start getting an impression...
Three Steps to Getting to Know God’s Voice
Ever want that “letter” from God telling you exactly what to do in a weighty situation? “Hey Sally Sue, Yes, I want you to move to Tahiti. – God” (That’s my dream letter). Or maybe you’re staring at a wave of voices and opinions and influences; all cascading down...
God Speaks part 2 – The Relationship
Think of someone you love – if you were to hear them speak even in a crowd of people, you wouldn’t even have to see them to assuredly affirm their presence. You know their voice because you have heard it frequently. You know their heart because you spend time with them, invest in them, and have built a history with them.
God Speaks
God Speaks. It’s true. It’s huge. The fact that we have access to and ability to hear from the God who with a word created the universe is a tremendous thing.
Creation Offers Glorious Glimpses
I would have been blessed by this scene simply being black and white and never would have known differently to feel robbed; instead he painted with colors like no artist could duplicate, and splashed them over his earth out of his good pleasure.”
Life at Its Fullest Measure
I think the most devastating reality we could face would be that we missed out on the great mission and purpose and full life that God has in mind for us; that we would sacrifice the eternal for the moment, and that we would be content with the substitution over the real thing.
The Easy Way or the Hard Way
When Roman trusted me, when he opened his hand and allowed me to work out the splinter, his trust was reinforced. And our relationship with God is the same way – when we open up our wounded hearts and allow him to work, our trust in him is reinforced.
Unseen and Eternal
I believe an eternal perspective changes everything. We all have to make a decision about what we believe about eternity. And about what we believe is eternal. It impacts the way we work, the way we play, the way we parent, protect, apply boundaries, engage with people, the way we love. It alters the way we experience relationships, consider poverty, and perceive wealth. It dictates our goals, our mission in life, our visions for the future and our hopes. It changes our priorities. It guides our way of thinking in EVERYTHING we do.
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