“God is always coming to you in the sacrament of “God is always coming to you in the sacrament of the Present Moment. Meet and receive Him there with gratitude.” Evelyn Underhill 

Such brokenness we see, such pain, such fear. Attend to Jesus — Lord, Savior, King — with all your honest thoughts and feelings, and let His power and love change you. Let Him form and re-form you into a help for the hurting, a bright spot for those in the dark, a presence for others to rest in. A ‘little Christ’ on the earth.

 ^ what I’m rehearsing to myself
Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfil Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfill the will of God through the inner influence of His Spirit instead of the outer influence of the law of God” (David Guzik).

This took me probably 15 years of following Jesus to grasp. It felt too easy, my willpower was my measuring stick, and the freedom was terrifying. 

But alas, God’s way is the best way, and there is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. I can’t muster spiritual fruit, but His goal, thankfully and marvelously, is vineyards and vineyards.

May we surrender this work to Him.
“The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must en “The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love.” Parker J. Palmer
I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me rec I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me recently: What if you made choices out of fear of missing out on God instead of fear of missing out on what others deem significant?

In all honesty, FOMO sneaks up on me not along paths of a friend’s travel adventures or home decor or even if friends hang out without me. My FOMO animal comes in the form of popular and effective Christian voices. Because of technology and social media, I have access, though not complete (because we’re not actual friends), to their lives and ministry, their work and the personality they choose to share online. While a good thing in many ways, it stops being good when it becomes an avalanche I can’t keep up with but am afraid to stop.

// new blog post: FOMO on God //
zoom zoom zoom zoom
Like Anna plays in my presence, like she comes to Like Anna plays in my presence, 
like she comes to me when she gets hurt,
like she wants to be held when she’s sick,
like she unashamedly + honestly feels any and every range of emotion with me, 
like she never corrects or censors or judges herself before coming to me, 
like she trusts me to love and care and accept her always... 
so it can be and is for me with God my Father. 

What a delightful way to be with Him! Don’t hold back — disappointment, confusion, happiness, sadness, longings. Give Him access to you, as you are right now, and find rest and love for your soul.
Just a girl bumping her New Years’ goal of wakin Just a girl bumping her New Years’ goal of waking up early to February as she reaches her 10th day of coronavirus quarantine.

I’ll keep the details to myself, but I do have to acknowledge the generosity and availability and kindness of our family and friends. They’ve brought us meals, groceries, medicine, and @maghjohnson, IN MICHIGAN, sent us a Door Dash gift card for a pizza. I could cry over the love. @audreyhealy5 @kgmartin521 @ansley.c.evans @nm_wilson @klb418

Also, even though today was the first day I had the energy to walk it, I’ve never been more thankful for our long driveway. Sunshine is the JAM. 

To everyone who has had COVID or will get it, our experience will of course be different, but— solitary, friends, solidarity. And grace upon grace.
Supplies of water, sustenance and shade in the wil Supplies of water, sustenance and shade in the wilderness are impossible without God. Miracles of change and help.

“The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I will answer them. I am the Lord, the God of Israel. 

I will not abandon them. I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool and dry land into springs. I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees in the wilderness. I will put juniper, elm, and cypress trees together in the desert. 

So that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah‬ ‭41:17-20‬ ‭CSB 

It is the Spirit of God who changes hearts.
It is the truth of God that transforms + renews minds.
It is the Son of God who leads the way.
It is the love of God that heals and calls. 
It is the power of God that does the impossible.
It is the presence of God that makes a difference.

So I pray. Faithful to what + who He puts before me. Trusting Him to be faithful in being God.

So we pray.
Ruth Haley Barton writes that in silence we come t Ruth Haley Barton writes that in silence we come to God with what is true about us and let Him be in control. 

This is my personal prayer for this year and honestly for the rest of my life — that I would accept what comes, and what is. That I would welcome what God gives and allows for me. That I would grow comfortable in His presence with what is true about me, not what I feel *should* be true, or even what I wish was true. 

Not defending, not comparing, not berating, not promoting, not criticizing, not earning... being with Jesus with what IS, and receiving Him. Letting Him form and grow what is there, the real me. 

Accepting with joy. Because God is God, sovereign, wise, almighty, good and merciful, and I am His.
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inspiration, relationships · 07/11/2014

Combating Fear

No matter how good we may get at understanding our fears, unfortunately that doesn’t mean they’ll cease to show up in some way or another.

I have a fear of disappointing people – causing conflict, of letting someone down, offending someone. Some might call it people-pleasing, I tend to call it perfectionism. I have this idea in my mind that says, even if the choices I make are better ones for me (healthier, wiser, best, etc), I’m not doing all I can to love someone if they’re unhappy or offended or disappointed.

I’m been praying and seeking and asking for understanding. Asking God to give me eyes to see where my belief is distorted, what needs correcting. Still in the process, but I have discovered some tips to combating fear:

Counter a fear with a couple of positive things you know to be certain, and/or positive affirmations. This works to rewire the brain, creating new thought patterns that move you out of a fear-locked way of thinking. This one is particularly helpful and relevant to me. Take every thought captive, as the Bible says. I underestimate the power of my mind, the power of speaking truth to myself. So I then ask God to show me said truth, and help me implement it.

Surround yourself with people who truly love and know you. This time of my life is a super social one. Everyone wants time together, which makes perfect sense, we are relational people and face-to-face interaction is where we thrive. But with the number of major energy-necessary things currently on my plate, the best thing for me right now might be hermithood (to an extent). I may offend people by not being able to hang out a whole bunch or give lots of attention to every one who asks, but if it’s not the wisest thing for me, I can’t carry that weight. I don’t think God is asking me too. I can’t be someone else’s perfect. And I can’t please everyone. But I can do what I believe God has placed in my hands to do, and give time to the desires He has given me. I trust that He’ll direct me in what needs to be prioritized and what doesn’t.

Eliminate the should. Culture has conditioned the world to think that women and their emotions are wacko, and all over the place. But alas, so wrong. Emotions are indicators. They are strong and beautiful and speak loudly to what’s truly inside. It’s very powerful to be honest with your feelings rather than live in a shell of what you think you should feel. Honesty, especially with yourself, can allow for deeper intimacy in all your relationships.

Love yourself. Not in a pretentious, “I’m so awesome,” way. Loving yourself as you encounter fears or tensions has the power to transform them into things that are useful and support your growth. I have a tendency to say, “Doesn’t matter about me, I shouldn’t put myself above others.” That way of thinking isn’t sustainable though, I’m learning, for giving time and energy and goodness to that which deserves and needs it. For example, I cannot sacrifice loving John well or learning about him or prioritizing him for things that are out of my control, or not truly my responsibility. Loving him well, or simply giving my best energy to that which I know God has entrusted to me, is what brings me joy. And then I love life, and myself.

Living a great and full life starts with me, with you. It’s our choices.

I’m about to have a good, hard look at my days, and pray for wisdom in what to prioritize, and what to release.

And then, hello freedom. 

image via

In: inspiration, relationships · Tagged: fear

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“God is always coming to you in the sacrament of “God is always coming to you in the sacrament of the Present Moment. Meet and receive Him there with gratitude.” Evelyn Underhill 

Such brokenness we see, such pain, such fear. Attend to Jesus — Lord, Savior, King — with all your honest thoughts and feelings, and let His power and love change you. Let Him form and re-form you into a help for the hurting, a bright spot for those in the dark, a presence for others to rest in. A ‘little Christ’ on the earth.

 ^ what I’m rehearsing to myself
Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfil Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfill the will of God through the inner influence of His Spirit instead of the outer influence of the law of God” (David Guzik).

This took me probably 15 years of following Jesus to grasp. It felt too easy, my willpower was my measuring stick, and the freedom was terrifying. 

But alas, God’s way is the best way, and there is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. I can’t muster spiritual fruit, but His goal, thankfully and marvelously, is vineyards and vineyards.

May we surrender this work to Him.
“The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must en “The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love.” Parker J. Palmer
I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me rec I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me recently: What if you made choices out of fear of missing out on God instead of fear of missing out on what others deem significant?

In all honesty, FOMO sneaks up on me not along paths of a friend’s travel adventures or home decor or even if friends hang out without me. My FOMO animal comes in the form of popular and effective Christian voices. Because of technology and social media, I have access, though not complete (because we’re not actual friends), to their lives and ministry, their work and the personality they choose to share online. While a good thing in many ways, it stops being good when it becomes an avalanche I can’t keep up with but am afraid to stop.

// new blog post: FOMO on God //
zoom zoom zoom zoom
Like Anna plays in my presence, like she comes to Like Anna plays in my presence, 
like she comes to me when she gets hurt,
like she wants to be held when she’s sick,
like she unashamedly + honestly feels any and every range of emotion with me, 
like she never corrects or censors or judges herself before coming to me, 
like she trusts me to love and care and accept her always... 
so it can be and is for me with God my Father. 

What a delightful way to be with Him! Don’t hold back — disappointment, confusion, happiness, sadness, longings. Give Him access to you, as you are right now, and find rest and love for your soul.
Just a girl bumping her New Years’ goal of wakin Just a girl bumping her New Years’ goal of waking up early to February as she reaches her 10th day of coronavirus quarantine.

I’ll keep the details to myself, but I do have to acknowledge the generosity and availability and kindness of our family and friends. They’ve brought us meals, groceries, medicine, and @maghjohnson, IN MICHIGAN, sent us a Door Dash gift card for a pizza. I could cry over the love. @audreyhealy5 @kgmartin521 @ansley.c.evans @nm_wilson @klb418

Also, even though today was the first day I had the energy to walk it, I’ve never been more thankful for our long driveway. Sunshine is the JAM. 

To everyone who has had COVID or will get it, our experience will of course be different, but— solitary, friends, solidarity. And grace upon grace.
Supplies of water, sustenance and shade in the wil Supplies of water, sustenance and shade in the wilderness are impossible without God. Miracles of change and help.

“The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I will answer them. I am the Lord, the God of Israel. 

I will not abandon them. I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool and dry land into springs. I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees in the wilderness. I will put juniper, elm, and cypress trees together in the desert. 

So that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah‬ ‭41:17-20‬ ‭CSB 

It is the Spirit of God who changes hearts.
It is the truth of God that transforms + renews minds.
It is the Son of God who leads the way.
It is the love of God that heals and calls. 
It is the power of God that does the impossible.
It is the presence of God that makes a difference.

So I pray. Faithful to what + who He puts before me. Trusting Him to be faithful in being God.

So we pray.
Ruth Haley Barton writes that in silence we come t Ruth Haley Barton writes that in silence we come to God with what is true about us and let Him be in control. 

This is my personal prayer for this year and honestly for the rest of my life — that I would accept what comes, and what is. That I would welcome what God gives and allows for me. That I would grow comfortable in His presence with what is true about me, not what I feel *should* be true, or even what I wish was true. 

Not defending, not comparing, not berating, not promoting, not criticizing, not earning... being with Jesus with what IS, and receiving Him. Letting Him form and grow what is there, the real me. 

Accepting with joy. Because God is God, sovereign, wise, almighty, good and merciful, and I am His.
“May the urgency with which I approach my work n “May the urgency with which I approach my work never become anxiety. The world is not mine to save.” @justinmcroberts

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