ro·man·ti·cize/rōˈman(t)əˌsīz/verb
Transition is the uncomfortable space between where / who, you were, and where/who you are hoping to be or become. The pain of transition can make us romanticize about what life was “before.” Continue reading
I said I would not quit, and then I looked away.
I said I would stay focused, and I dropped my head, gazing upon the ground.
I said I would be self-compassionate and gracious when I made mistakes, and I shut my eyes.
With shame and defeat hovering over me, I stared into the mirror intently, depressed, Continue reading
When a tree is preparing for its renewal season, it sheds its leaves. Liberated from the weight of the leaves, the tree, and its branches are free to rest and replenish. Fall and Winter seasons, though wet, cold, gloomy, and uncomfortable prepare the tree for the vibrancy of new life that is sure to bloom forth in Spring.
I have only recently gained an appreciation for “Wilderness-like” seasons of isolation. Before I saw them as punishment, a “time out” of sorts for not meeting expectations, or for falling short.
However, I am learning that seasons of isolation are really seasons of “PROMOTION PREPARATION.” These are times Continue reading
In order for you to see God complete what He began in you, you must exercise the courage to keep going! Motion is the responsibility of the believer, so keep moving toward the promises God has made you because that is the only way to obtain them!
Step by step, I assure you, Continue reading
Our thoughts are powerful and they have an aroma that fill our minds. They either impart pleasant attractive scents that lead to enthusiasm, hope, and productivity or they impart putrid rotting scents that lead to lethargy, discouragement, and stagnation. The aroma that our thoughts give off impacts others through our words and actions. See, all thoughts eventually transform into words and/or actions. So every place our voices are heard, we are either stinking up the atmosphere with negativity or releasing a sweet smelling fragrance of hope, faith and strength. Continue reading
We live in a culture where it is frowned upon to be dependent. Everyone wants to be self-sufficient, self-made, and self-maintained, no one wants to “need” anyone. Having a need is thought to be a sign of weakness, and in our culture, we insist on being perceived as “strong,” even if we are struggling and stressing to uphold this persona.
I am entering 2018 joyfully sober.
Today, as I thought about the coming year, the word SOBER kept ringing in my ears, so much so that I looked up the definition. Of the many differing definitions, this is what stood out to me,
Quiet in demeanor, Free from exaggeration, showing self control
Going into a new year, we tend to be SO LOUD. There’s so much to prove because no matter how great, or how horrible the current year has been, the next year must be better, bigger, and greater. So we eagerly pop off to our friends, loved ones, and followers, proclaiming all of the many things we are going to accomplish in the coming year. Yet, today as I pondered my own desires for 2018, I challenged myself not to be intoxicated by the possibilities of a new year, without being disciplined enough to count up the cost of my goals. Jesus said, Continue reading
…The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means, ‘God is with us’) Isaiah 7:14
Today, I join my praise and worship with Christ Followers around the world, pausing and giving thanks to my Heavenly Father for sending Jesus, to ransom my life from the bondage of hopelessness, shame, and fear.
To ransom is, to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price.
Because of Jesus, I was delivered from captivity! Before I encountered Jesus, I was a hostage to my circumstances. Bound by the unjust things that had happened to me, and limited by my own ignorant choices. I was without hope, constrained by shame, and enslaved to fear. Thanks be unto God, because He did not leave me in that state of darkness and confusion. Instead, He sent Jesus, just as He had promised the Prophet Isaiah, some 700 years prior, that He would. It was the Father’s unconditional love that made a way for me to be saved, freed, delivered.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved. (John 3:16-17)
Growing up it bothered me when I’d hear people say, “I stay there,” in reference to their home, opposed to saying, “I LIVE there.” I would often correct my friends, “Don’t you mean live there?” Most people use those two, live and stay, synonymously in this context. Yet, to me there is a significant difference between the two. Continue reading
Hope Notes 