Hope Victorious

  I loved Thanksgiving when I was young. Many of my favorite memories are of Thanksgiving and the special feeling of that day. Most of my peers when I was young said that Christmas was their favorite holiday, but for me it was always Thanksgiving. For my family there was a lot in common between the two: a day spent with family, lots of baking and cooking, board games and watching football, extended family and friends visiting. When I was a kid, we often went to my paternal grandparent’s house, who had a small farm in the country, about a 40-minute drive from my house. If we were spending the holiday with my mom’s side of the family, we typically gathered at my aunt and uncle’s big house that was in the same town as our house and that of my maternal grandparents. I loved going to both places! There were similar things, but also differences that made each place enjoyable and special. I loved the feeling of Thanksgiving, my family together all day, eating yummy food and playing togeth...

  The unity of believers is a strategic witness to the greatness and power of God. As Christians we have the opportunity to demonstrate God in how we live in unity amid a world obsessed with comparison, competition and performance. As our world is torn apart by division based on appearance, belief, opinion and affiliation – we can stand apart. Unity – togetherness. A choice that is difficult and costly. Unity is not agreement. It is not conformity. Unity is a choice, a prioritizing of importance.   Joshua rallied the people of Israel prior to his death and called them to choose again to serve God and not the idols and pagan gods of the land. They stood in the land of Promise, the land their ancestors waited for, wandering in the wilderness because of their lack of faith. Joshua and the new generations claimed it with their faith, they fought the battles and witnessed the victories of God again and again. And there they stood victorious residents of age-old promises, commit...

  Bird What do you sing about? And when you stop – Why? I like your morning song best of all Bright and cheerful – a greeting of the day   Where do you go in the rain? Are the drops heavy on your wings? I see you darting for cover But never witness your return to the sky   I see you in the trees – your house is so near my own You bathe in my fountain Enjoy the flowers I’ve planted Pull the worms from my lawn But I do not know you   I wish you could sit near me I can be still and quiet I would like to see your eyes And listen to your voice up close   Sing little bird And I will imagine You are saying good morning To me –   Tired Heavy eyelids           Deep breathing I am tired           Weary of going and coming and going again                     Weighed down by all the things that re...

  You’ve shared my brightest moments           Witnessed my triumphs           And your cheers have encouraged my effort You’ve seen my courage and heard my “yes” when it was tentative and unsure           You know the cost I bore           My whispered fears and quiet tears With steadfast faith in God’s goodness           You have prayed for me and with me           Your faith has pointed the way           When I felt lost and was too afraid to move   I have seen your heart too           The joyful, bold and overcoming times           When love overflowed and my pride in you mixed                with awe of the goodness and faithfulness of God We have celebrated and...

  “Are you hungry according to your appetite or mine?”   I was praying and preparing for our Sunday worship service. My hopes were up, thinking of all that God may do in our time together. We were having a special speaker, and I was filled with anticipation of the wisdom and power that would be released. I had great faith for how God would touch me and each of those who came. At first, I felt the Holy Spirit stirring up my faith, increasing my expectation. I was declaring the desires of my heart for myself and those in the congregation. Believing that the revelation God would release through the worship and speaker that morning would bring freedom and transformation for each of us, I began to thank Him for the specific impact of this breakthrough. I had faith for words of encouragement, for invitations into freedom from depression, addiction and apathy. I felt that He would bring comfort and reassurance to individuals with long-standing unanswered prayers, and they would h...

  I bear no regret There is no shame Not sorrow or pain I hold no doubt towards you None   I don’t remember your mistakes or failings Your weaknesses are not weighty to me I am not at a loss for what to do How to respond I have lost no hope or joy in you I cannot be disappointed in you And never feel that I have wasted any ounce of investment in you   My plan is leading you I intercept your mistakes with my redemption Your places of weakness are my strategy for promotion I partner my strength with you I enjoy you!   I look at you through love that is greater than any love you’ve yet known You are learning. You are becoming My love is forming you and I am confident Leading you brings me great joy   You are never heavy or difficult for me to bear I am the one who created you, called you and paid a high price for you You are mine and I bear no regret in you   Again and again, I will call to you I call...

  It can be difficult to truly rest. There is more to resting than simply ceasing activity or doing less. Rest is more than being inactive, it is more than being quiet or doing nothing. Rest is not sleeping.   Rest is more than a physical state; true rest is found when you are in a place of peace, being refreshed and restored. I find rest to impact my mind and emotions in addition to my body. I want to share the key truths that I find best support and enable me to rest. When I focus on these truths I can rest amid hardship and stress. There will always be reasons to be anxious and to stay busy. I believe that rest is a choice, a discipline that is critical to our health and wholeness. When I focus on these truths, I can choose to rest: Rest is necessary and commanded by God. My effort is not the biggest factor in my success. My choice to rest instead of striving is a command of God. My relationship with God is advanced and deepened when I choose to rest and depend more on Hi...

  Home   Secure and Confident In who I am           No pretense           No need to strive, worry or be on guard Accepted   -   Approved of Loved Celebrated   Imagine being so sure of how you will be received That you are free           Completely Unashamed           Unafraid and Unintimidated           Encouraged           Guaranteed Praise This is freedom “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere”*   I knock and you answer I cry out and You hear me Open arms greet me   I am here At Home With You, my God       *Psalm 84:10             I Run to You   I am running to your protection You define my safety I trust You I take risks and I am stretched Within Your protection, I can grow   I run to your power...

  Were I a Tree   Were I a tree I would be A Willow tree      Soft and swaying      Thin and hanging      Atop my sturdy core Come a walk beneath my branches Feel the breeze through all my leaves   Were I a tree I would be A mighty Oak      Heavy Imposing      Aged and Wise      Leathery lobes on gnarled branches      Twisting - spreading Climb along sturdy limbs Lay beneath dense canopy Protected   Were I a tree I would be A towering Redwood      Higher than eyes can see      Roots reaching far and twisting      Needles and cones      Small but resilient      Bark protects, resists -  survives None more determined than me Stand in wonder Feel drops rain down   Autumn Tree Turning Leaves Painted Trees Golde...

  Recently I’ve been reflecting on light and the power of light to dispel darkness. I’ve been thinking of the power of natural light in the midst of darkness, but also of spiritual light. I’ve felt the radical impact of hope and truth being released into places where fear and hopelessness have created an oppressive darkness. The light of truth shines brightly and the atmosphere shifts. Spiritual light is as powerful, if not more so, than natural light. I think we often think of light in contrast to darkness. A light, however small, is powerful to eliminate darkness. But even in the light of day, you can turn on a light and see the impact of it. God has been speaking to me about the “quality” of light versus the “quantity” of light. Perhaps I have previously defined light by comparison to darkness. But light, as used in the scripture, is powerful. The truth and glory of God is not powerful because it is greater than the darkness of evil. God is not good in comparison to evil. He...

  Listening to God’s voice is like holding a candle in the dark night and walking slowly. Step-by-step, there is only enough light to see where you stand and the next step as you take it. Faith is believing that your foot will not slip, that your step is secure. When I walk in the dark, I want a big light to shine brightly, bringing clarity to the whole journey. I want to see the destination, not just my current step. But listening for God’s voice isn’t like that. He speaks a word for me to hear and asks me to respond. Faith is stepping out and trusting that I will hear Him again, and again. Step-by-step His words are like the light of the candle illuminating the way forward as I hear and move according to His voice. I must believe that He speaks, that I hear Him, and step with resolve. His voice leads me and lights my way. I must listen with faith to hear Him. Hearing, I must then trust His voice and my hearing so that I move. Each step is a risk; that is the nature of faith. I wi...

  Doubt calls me   -   Invites me to consider My unanswered questions   -   And misunderstanding Doubt holds up the prayers that remain unanswered The disappointments and places of loss Doubt is a fire Hungry and devouring There is plenty of fuel I have been disappointed, lost and confused Many of my prayers and questions remain unanswered There is much I don’t understand I have sorrow and anger and millions of questions Doubt speaks its own questions What if things don’t get better? What if it gets worse? Doubt demands an answer Why don’t you understand? What is wrong with you? The questions and demands point at me At my weakness and lack I am torn down and trampled over by the questions of doubt Doubt is the enemy of faith   -    But faith is a fire too The fuel of faith is my testimonies    -     The evidence I have of my God I pile up the truth I have experienced   ...