Walking His Call

Throughout my adult life (I've officially been an adult for 29 years!) I have been given MANY opportunities to "take the high road" in situations. I've been told "take the high road there's no one up there - no traffic". Taking the high road means you've made a choice to be a "full grown adult" about something. It means that your integrity is in the front seat, not the back. It means that you have character running out your nose. Do I sound a little jaded about it? Maybe. You see, taking the high road always comes at a price - always - and you have to decide if it's a price you are willing to pay. More often then not it is a high one. The question you have to ask yourself is: Are you willing to damage or sacrifice completely a relationship for a moment of being on the low road in a situation? What's being on the low road? It's letting your emotions get the better of you. It's choosing to turn left when you should tur...

VULNERABLE: Capable of being physically or emotionally wounded; open to attack or damage.  Unguarded | Open. Some say you can't truly live unless you live at the heart of vulnerability; that when you do you become fully alive; that if you don't you live in a place of shut down emotions. I wonder... I'm processing this today because recently one of my deepest rooted insecurities was hit right in the heart. When this happens I go into full on awareness, protective mode. My armor goes on and I hide behind my walls. This particular insecurity has been a part of me since I was a little girl.  I have learned, over the years to master it - instead of it mastering me - but there are days (sometimes weeks) when it does its best to get the better of me. PLEASE NOTE: Before I go any further I feel like I need to let you know that I've already done the heart-work in this area.  I know why it is there, and that why is not a topic for a social media post (which this will soon...

I'm reading this book (Grace//Truth 1.0) that is challenging my thought processes, and is constantly reminding me of a song my honey introduced me to - "What Would Jesus Undo?" (click the link below to listen). As I was putting down the book today this is how it ended, "If you show no love, no concern, no compassion, no empathy, no willingness to understand another person's point of view, you will rarely, if ever, convince them of the truth. Your attitude carries more power than you arguments... You may win the argument, but you'll probably lose the person." Losing the person is an UNACCEPTABLE outcome when we remember that the Sovereign Lord - Creator of Heaven and Earth - IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE. My heart cries at the number of times I have gotten it so wrong. I confess that I have sinned against HIM in thought, word and deed, by what I have done and what I have left undone. Repentance starts...

It seems that recently I have had quite a few people tell me how strong they feel I am, and I never quite know how to respond.  In the silence that follows the statement, I'm thinking of all of the reasons - all of the circumstances - all of the life experiences I have gone through to make me that way. Famous last words (from around the time God called me into ministry [in the year 2000], while sitting on my bathroom floor in England - because that is the only "quiet" a mother of 2 small boys gets): "Wouldn't it be great if I could learn from the life experiences of others, instead of having to walk any of the hard stuff out myself?"  Ha!  I feel like I might as well have said, "Lord, open up the floodgates of adversity and dump them on my head!"   At the ripe age of 28 I had no idea what was about to come, the journey I was embarking on or the challenges that lay ahead. Yes, somedays I am strong.  I can feel the hard won strength coursing th...

I have always (well, since becoming a mother) been proud of my fierce momma's heart.  I love my kids (all three: Jon, David and Ash) passionately and make no apologies for it - NONE.  After all, God gave this heart - the roots of which are in His own character.  He fiercely looks after His own ( Please read Psalm 18) . I thank the Lord for the gift of my children.  They are such blessings from Him.  That He chose me to steward their hearts leaves me in complete awe.   But, is it possible that my momma's heart could become my "enemy"?   (Enemy: something that harms or threatens someone.) Yes - I do believe it can.  As a matter of fact I do believe it has at times. "How?", you ask... If I can't release my kids into my Savior's care... If I can't entrust them to Him... If I can't say, "Thy will be done"... If I have a death-grip on my worries over them... If I can't live in peace because of all the "what-ifs...

The Lord has been rocking my world over the last 24 hours with this word: "He's the One who never leaves the one behind." It's a beautiful line in a song we sang at church last night, but it goes beyond being a beautiful lyric.  HE DOESN'T - WON'T - LEAVE THE ONE (or us) BEHIND.  He just won't. With the help of Canva.com I created the above image last night as I was processing what He was telling me.  Then this morning I was spending time with Him in the book of Luke and came to chapter 8 verses 26-38.  Here is it: Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man 26  They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.   27  When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.   28  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want ...

I give you this:  Unless you have lived in a bubble all of you life (and sometimes even then) you are going to have some baggage that you carry around.  Even the most diligent of folks - those who work hard to not live in a place of brokenness - have some baggage.  A lot of times we aren't even aware it's there until it raises its ugly head and makes itself known. I am one of those diligent folks who works to not live in brokenness. I know what it is like to live there and made a decision years ago to not live in hurt, un-forgiveness, bitterness or brokenness.  But in that conscience choice - the choice to "get over things" - I find that there is often times residue left behind from the root that has been removed. I found a little bit of residue recently - through some communication with a dear friend of mine.  She asked me for something (which I gave her).  It was my honest - said in love - opinion on something near and dear to her.  After I gave he...