This Is The Place

Five Minute Friday is where gather with my sweet friends

to write our hearts on a page for 5 minutes prompted
by the friend who encourages us to write bravely - Lisa-Jo.

I love this community more than words can express. 
They are my people.

Today we write about VIEW.

This is the view from my Abba place. 
The place He calls me to when the sun bursts through the trees, 
the light breeze wafts warm, and the birds sing beautiful songs.
This is the place where He speaks words of love and grace to my heart.
This is the place where I reveal myself to Him holding nothing back.
This is the place where I give thanks for all He's given 
and I boldly ask for more of Him in everything.
This is the place where I not only offer my life to Him, 
but also the lives of my warrior and sons.
This is the place where I bare myself to Him heart and soul 
taking off all that hinders this closeness to Him.
He sees me here.
And I see Him.
In the flowers blooming with bright colors, 
in the birds soaring high above the trees, 
in the squirrels fearlessly jumping from limb to limb.
In my warrior working with his hands planting, watering, and growing 
both the garden of flowers and the garden of our sons. 
All of it pointing to Him.
Sometimes I am overwhelmed with all He does in this place.
This place where I lift my hands and bend my knees. 
This place that is His. 
His and mine.

Do you have a special place where you meet Him?

Blessings,

Desperate - A MUST READ for Mommas

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have written a book - 

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe. 

One to speak to our momma hearts. 

I recommend this book for every momma and not just the ones expecting

or ones with tinies, but mommas in every stage of parenting.

You can read my Desperate Momma story here.

The Kindle version of Desperate is on sale today only for $3.99

and you can get it here. Seriously, go now.

If you've been thinking of starting a book study of Desperate, this week would be a fantastic time to get the books. If you buy five *paperback* copies of Desperate this week (through Friday) you can get the Desperate DVD for FREE! Go HERE (or your favorite store) to get the books! Then just take a picture or scan your receipt and send it to: desperatebook@thomasnelson.com

To celebrate the release of the Desperate DVD, Sarah and Sally are giving away a $100 GC to a maid service, a Yankee candle (winner's choice), a "breathe" custom necklace, 5 books, and a DVD. You can enter at sarahmae.com or itakejoy.com.

 

Friends...believe me when I tell you that this book is simply a gift from these two incredible women. It is a gift you can receive and one to give away as well. Buy one for yourself and get another for your friend. Buy one for every momma in your church or a momma you might encounter through your day.

Blessings,

Dear Fear...You Are A Liar

Well hello there fear.

You've invaded my space again and I've let you.

You tell me things like...

You can't do this.

This isn't for you.

You aren't enough.

And so much more.

I know you are a liar, but in those weak moments I let you speak to my heart.

Listening to the lies and absorbing them.

Letting them take me to a place not meant for me.

I even hide behind you.

Using you as an excuse to stay in the comfortable.

My heart knows truth and longs for more.

More than you can offer or excuse.

Here's just some of His truth.

I can do this.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

 There are plans for me.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. 

"They are plans for good and not for disaster, 

to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

Dreams do come true.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.

Psalm 37:4  

I don't have to know. I just have to trust.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

I am not in this alone.

So be strong and courageous! 

Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. 

For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. 

He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 

I am treasured.

Others were given in exchange for you.

I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.

You are honored, and I love you.

Isaiah 43:4

For so long I have listened to you. God is growing me in this with each step of faith that I am taking. The truth is that God speaks louder than your lies.

It is about my choice in who to hear. His truth is what I will take into my heart and His promises I will stand on. Oh I know that there may be moments that I falter in this, but He has a truth for that too - grace. I won't get stuck in that stumble anymore. So know that I am declaring today that I am no longer letting you rule my life.

His (the biggest and best truth of all),

Me

What would you say to fear in a letter?

My friend Holley Gerth invited me to join a group of dreamers that she affectionately calls her God Sized Dream Team. What a blessing to be part of this group. 

We will be gathering each week on Tuesdays at Holley's to encourage each other to dream those God sized dreams.

Won't you join us?

What is your God-sized dream?

Holley had written a love letter to dreamers. Her book You're Made for a God-Sized Dream is full of words of encouragement and will speak to your heart.

Blessings,

Lost & Found in Jesus

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone's is sharing on the word AFTER here.




Today was one of those conversations with my mentor that was both encouraging and challenging. After I got off the phone with her, I couldn't get one thing out of my head.

Am I pursuing ministry more than Jesus?

You see there are times that I get caught up in the "doing" and lose sight of the "why."
I could rattle off to you the many reasons that I do what I do, but it all comes down to one thing. The most important thing.

Jesus loves me and I love Him.

Everything that I do from mothering to ministry flows out of that love.
He has to come first in all of it.
And sometimes I fail.
I try to do it on my own, inviting Him into the place where I am 
when all along it's His invitation that I am responding to.
And then there's grace. 
He gently reminds me that it is only by Him, for Him, 
and through Him that any of it is possible.

I want to pursue Him above all.
To stop striving for anything more than Him.
To be so lost in Jesus that there is where I am found.
That is my prayer today.



Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
Psalm 105:4

Blessings,

Sun and Shield

For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.

He gives us grace and glory.

Psalm 84:11a 

Blessings,

My One Word

I have been praying about what my one word would be for the coming year.

First I needed to reflect a bit on my word for the past year...

Be.

Be still, and know that I am God...

Psalm 46:10

This verse resounded for me this past year. 

It echoed deep in my soul over and over again.

Especially be still.

What I came to realize is that it wasn't just about being with Him, 

but it was about being present in every part of my life. 

In every relationship. 

In every moment. 

I just needed to be.

It is something that He is teaching me from day to day 

and it is something I will be taking into the coming year.

My word for this year is...

Grace.

I have been trying to put into words why this is the one word for me.

It all comes back to my life verse.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—

and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8

God's grace is a gift.

Not something I can earn.

Not something I deserve.

Something He gives to me out of His overwhelming love for me.

I want to dive deeper with Him into that grace this year.

I want to offer that grace to others this year.

A gift received to then give away.

Ann Voskamp shared in her book "One Thousand Gifts",

Eucharisteo is giving thanks for grace. But in the breaking and giving of bread, in the washing of feet, Jesus makes it clear that eucharisteo is, yes, more: it is giving the grace away. Eucharisteo is the hand that opens to receive grace, then, with thanks, breaks the bread; that moves out into the larger circle of life and washes the feet of the world with that grace.

Here is a beautiful song by Shaun Groves - All's Grace. 

After I heard it, I just knew that grace was the word for my year.

All's Grace from Shaun Groves on Vimeo.

I am so looking forward to all God has in store for me in the coming year.

What is your one word?

Happy New Year friends!

May the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, 

the extravagant love of God, 

the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, 

be with all of you.

2 Corinthians 13:14 

Blessings,

The First - Eve

Adam named his wife Eve, because she

would become the mother of all the living.

Genesis 3:20 

I am fascinated by Eve. Not so much about the whole "hey let's take a bite of this apple" part of her life, but by the fact that she was the first...not only the first woman, but also the very first wife and mother.

She was created as a woman, so she didn't have a childhood or teenage years. She was created as a wife, so she didn't have a time of dating or an actual wedding. She was the mother of all living and went through pregnancy and childbirth without a mother or any other female support. There weren't any how to be a better wife and mother books, no tv shows with advice on raising children and how to better communicate with your husband.

She depended on God completely. While she lived in Eden she had community with Him that we can't fully experience today. She talked with Him there. She lived with Him there. She knew great joy and no sadness in that sinless world.

Then with one bite all of that went away and she was cast out. Oh how she must have mourned that loss. Today we can't imagine what that loss must have been like for her since we only know what it has been like since "the fall." But even then she relied on God for strength and provision. She knew that He had blessed her with children. She was able to deal with the loss of her sons through Him. She still had a relationship with her Father.

She wasn't just the first woman, wife, and mother. She was also the first redeemed. Even though she sinned and suffered consequences for those sins, God loved her and forgave her. He made a blood sacrifice for her which would be the first glimpse we would see in the ultimate plan of the sacrifice of His Son for us many years later.

There is so much more to be learned from Eve.

More than the choice to sin.

The choice to rely on our Father.

How does Eve's story speak to you?

What I'm Reading - Graceful

Don't we all really want to be known, to be loved, to be accepted, 
to be searched for, to be found?

- Emily Freeman

Emily Freeman's powerful words in her book, Graceful, speak to the "good girl" in all of us. She writes to those of us who have hidden our true selves behind a mask to meet the expectations and avoid the judgement of others. She offers words of understanding, encouragement, and freedom.

This book is a love letter to young women from another who has been behind the mask and through God has found the freedom to be who He created her to be. 

This book is written for young women, but speaks to all of us.

Graceful is a book I highly recommend to all women 

along with her other book Grace for the Good Girl. 

It would be a fantastic book to read in a small group setting, 

especially in youth groups. 

It would be wonderful to read together with a young woman you are mentoring.

It is perfect for a mother and daughter to read together.

You can purchase the book here:

Graceful - Amazon.com

One of the things I love that Emily recently did in sharing her book was gather hundreds of bloggers asking them to write a letter to their teenage selves.

You can read them here:

dear me: a letter to your teenage self - linkup

You can read mine here:

Dear Me...A Letter to My Teenage Self

You can read more from Emily at her blog here:

Chatting at the Sky - Emily Freeman

You can also connect with her on Facebook here:

Emily Freeman - Chatting at the Sky

and follow her on Twitter here:

Emily Freeman.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

I Did It Scared

This is the promise that I have been holding on to for the past few weeks as I have been preparing to lead a Bible study for moms at our church.

One of the fears I have been struggling with is speaking in public. I am talking butterflies the size of cows even thinking about it let alone actually doing it. When my mentor asked me to lead, I thought of a million reasons to give her for why I should not do it and then heard a small voice coming from deep inside that said, "yes." 

And I immediately thought to myself, "You have just lost your mind."

So over the past weeks of preparation I looked up every Bible verse that said "do not fear" in every translation. I thought if I could just get rid of the fear...

But the reality for me was that I just had to do it scared. 

I had to turn it over to Him and say that this is beyond me and I needed Him. The fear didn't go away. I stood on Tuesday morning in front of a group of women and taught (flipboard, notecards, markers, and all). My heart was beating a mile a minute the whole time and the last thing I prayed before I began was "I need You Lord. Please..."

When I was done I sat down and let out a huge sigh. 

All I kept saying in my head over and over again was "Thank you Lord."

Here is a little of what I shared...

In order to learn how to be a better mom to our children, we need to learn more about how our Father parents us. What better way to begin than

In the beginning...

God our Father is the Creator of everything. At the very beginning of Genesis we hear how everything came to be. From light to darkness to stars and oceans. At the end of each day, God looked over everything He had made and said it was good. But something changed after He created human beings in His image. God looked over ALL He had made and said it was VERY good.

That ALL is you. You are His creation and you are VERY good in His eyes.

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

Psalm 139:14

There are so many times as moms that we don't really feel so marvelous. Maybe it's a bad hair day. Maybe it's a day that we don't get everything done on our to-do list. Maybe we are short in patience with our kids.

But how we feel isn't the truth.

The truth in His Word says that we are marvelously 

made in His image and we are very good in His eyes.

That truth isn't just for us though.

It is also true about our children.

There are some days that it is a challenge to remember that they too are very good. (You know...one of those days where there is constant bickering.)

But their behavior doesn't define them.

God does.

They too are marvelously made.

When we focus on the positive, the negative is harder to see.

So for the next week I want to challenge you to write down 

5 things that you find marvelous about your children.

Those Sisters

Those sisters...

Martha and Mary.

They have been on my mind today.

Sisters who loved Him much and welcomed Him often.

Each one so different.

Which one am I?

Most of my life I have been like Martha.

Distracted by the doing.

Missing out on the being.

The world clamors, "Do more! Be all that you can be!" 
But our Father whispers, "Be still and know that I am God.” 
- Joanna Weaver

What I am most thankful for in those Martha moments is His grace.
That same grace He offers Martha when she comes to Him complaining 
that Mary isn't working in the kitchen with her.

The Lord said to her, 
“My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details. 
There is only one thing worth being concerned about. 
Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42

I am learning more and more each day to be like Mary.

One who just sits at His feet.

Which sister do you most identify with?

Deep and Wide

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone's is sharing on the word WIDE here.



Friend do you know how much you are loved today?
Not just that casual "Love ya" kind of love, but an overwhelming big kind of love.
We have had people close to us lose loved ones this week.
My son attended a funeral for a friend today. His first one.
And I couldn't stop thinking about how short time can be.
And I couldn't stop thinking about love.
Do I say it enough?
Do I show it enough?
Do I accept it enough?
And then I thought about just how big His love is for us.
And just as big is the grace He offers us.
We don't have to earn it.
We don't ever deserve it.
He gives it freely.
He gives it fully.
Do you know today how much He loves you?
Deep and wide friend.
Deep and wide.

May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, 
how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
Ephesians 3:18

Women Redeemed Live Webcast

Women sharing their struggles, fears and hope!




{Live Webcast Event}

In coordination with the launch of their fall releases, Kregel Publications will be hosting a live webcast event on September 20th at 8 PM EDT featuring authors Kim Ketola (Cradle My Heart), Teske Drake (Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow), and Dawn Scott Jones (When a Woman You Love Was Abused).

The webcast will allow women to come together to share their struggles and fears in order to move toward healing and hope. Women will able to support one another and discuss shared experiences (abortion, miscarriage and abuse) in a non-threatening, open and loving environment.

Cat Hoort of Kregel says, “We are seeking to provide safe means for Christian women to be vulnerable with each other, to seek help and guidance from authors and counselors, and to find encouragement from those who have shared similar experiences. Our hope is that the Women Redeemed webcast will become a forum for hurting women as well as for those who can help. Kim, Teske, and Dawn are all survivors and their stories will surely inspire and equip other women to move toward healing and hope.”

Please join tonight’s webcast and connect with the authors, talk about your own experiences, make some new friends, and win a prize! Hope to see you there!

To register for the event, just click the banner to the right or here.