Deeper Surrender

I am taking some time off this week so I will not be writing for this time.

Blessings my friends.

Add caption

Beauty in the Beast

Gods beauty is everywhere...

This trip showed me a picture of heaven and Gods beauty.  I not only had beautiful scenery but I was

removed from hard circumstances.  It was absolute bliss.  I had such a wonderful time with great

people.  There was no disagreements, no pain, no suffering, no hunger, no physical hardship for me.

It was bigger than life.


Then I returned to real life...

Upon reentering life when I returned to South Carolina, real life began to happen.  I was confronted

with the effects of a sick dog being nursed at my home.  Of Christmas now dead and still up, to be

taken down.  With the reminder of high cholesterol from one doctor and a dental appointment from

another that is never good.  With paying for last minute Christmas that was bought, mail that had to

be sorted through, clothes to be washed, and on and on life confronted me.


Where is the beauty now?

The question entered my mind...where is the beauty now.  I had a taste of heaven but now reality.

What has God shown me about Himself and living this life in the world but not of the world?

I ask myself where is the beauty amongst the pain and the suffering?  The world of sin, abuse,

addiction, the dying, the wars and rumors of wars?  Among the hardships of no jobs, and broken

homes, and the widows and the terminally ill?  The fighting and conflicts and the depression and

mental illness?  The suicide and murders and abandonments, the stealing and lies and hopelessness?


Where He is, there is beauty.

I am reminded that God is beauty wherever He is or has been.  This life can be a beast!  Even in a sin sick, fallen, broken, cursed world there is redemption.  There is restoration and beauty He brings in the midst of ashes.

There is light in the dark world of hate and revenge and bitterness and anger.  There is peace and joy

in trusting the One who holds our future in His loving, caring, powerful hands.  There are gifts to be

used to bring freedom to the captive and liberty to those in bondage.  There are songs to be sung and

dances to be done among those whose lives are in shambles and see no end to the long road of

disgrace and unhappiness.

There still is creation that speaks of His love.  Of His gifts of creation to be enjoyed in food, and

drink, in our senses of taste and feel and touch and hear.  Gifts of being creative and learning and

teaching and growing into His likeness.  Of love and laughter and acceptance of a good friend or

a selfless family who longs to bring Him glory.  Where the self centeredness and selfishness dies

for the betterment of others.

There is not greater beauty than being in His presence and having the promise of the Promise Keeper,

God Himself.  Of the indwelling of His Spirit and the comfort and healing He brings to us all who

were doomed for hell.  The longing for eternal life and glory to be revealed in us there to honor and

worship Him forever.


Of the blessings and workings of Him in everyday life...

The joy we have and opportunity to join Him in the bringing of His kingdom in the here and now.

There is no greater joy than serving Him and others.  Of receiving all He has for us in the cross.  Of

Him meeting our every need in Him.  Of soaking in His love and provision and Him sustaining us

and giving us a strength and power and wisdom we do not have.  Of stepping out in faith and even

in the fear and seeing Him bring miracle after miracle among those we love and hurt for.  Doing

the impossible in a world that has rejected Him.

I think of the new fallen snow and the forgiveness and cleansing He brings into our lives.  Freeing

us from guilt and shame and hidenness and the walls of protection we have build around ourselves.

The trama of failure and mistakes and regret.  He brings out of it all beauty.  The creator, sustainer

of life and breath is our beauty.  He raises the dead, gives sight to the blind and ears to the deaf.

He softens the hardest hard heart and gives humility to the most prideful and self righteous.  He has

shown us a way to deal with anger, anxiety, fear, and unbelief and sin and the effects others sin has on

 us.  He is a Father to the fatherless, a husband to the widow and not married and a best Friend to

those whow have none.

He has shown us coming to Him in it all,  is the only way.  Taking part in community, His word and

His Spirit.  Through personal relationship with Him and others.


He is the beauty.  He is the answer.  He is the

                                                             King of all Kings

These are the things He taught me through His gift.

No Pain no Gain

The Lesson God is teaching me today is...no pain, no gain.

We left home about 1:30 am.  After a few hours sleep I was rested and ready to go.  We drove to Atlanta to check in our 5:30 flight.  We had a two and a half hour flight and arrive in Colorado.

The train to the concourse was closed.  So we had to carry our luggage down stairs and to the C Concourse.

Once arriving we then went to a bus to get out rental car.  We were taken straight there.  We got our car and drove around Denver until things opened.  We shopped awhile and then had a great lunch.  The 2'oclock breakfast was gone.

We continued in a two hour breath taking drive to our condo in Key Stone, Colorado.  The mountains are beautiful here.

The 12 hour trip here was not easy.  I went to sleep soon after we got here.  Thought about how sore I would be today.  But after waking up at 7 am I am rested and ready to go.

We had a great breakfast about 9am.  Some are skiing and others hunting.  I want to do something while here rather than site see but not sure what yet.  I feel a little daring for me.

God is so full of surprises for us.

I am learning to step out of my comfort zone.  Leaving being controlled by fears and anxieties and take a risk.

To depend on Gods grace, His strength and wisdom, to do the hard thing.  It is not easy because we want what we want.  We have desires and fleshy cravings that bring us to an end instead of life abundant.  I am getting a taste of this and I am blown away by Gods willingness to meet my needs and to give me the power and desire to do what I cannot do.

Grace is not passive.

I love spending time in the presence of the Lord.  But when you have been there and experienced His glory and love it just has to go somewhere.  It is a fullness and it has to overflow.  This is what the Father did for us in Jesus.  The love of the Father, Son and Spirit overflowed to us.  When something is shared there is so much more joy in it.  God did not lack anything but had so much love it was for the joy the Lord endured the cross.  Spilling over to us was that joy.

This joy comes through surrender, trusting God and stepping out and being will to do the hard thing.  It all is a work of the Spirit.  But it is not easy always.  It is giving up our lives in order to find it.

Enjoy!

It was not easy getting here but oh so worth it all.  I would do it all over again.  It is the majesty of God, the blessings of good friends and family and enjoying beyond what I could not imagine.  Thank you for coming along with me.

Paul said he beat his body into submission.  That to live by the Spirit you do not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Years ago some of the Saints actually beat their bodies.  This is not what Paul is speaking of but he compares it to an athletic who trains to finish the race for the prize.

Each day holds a surprise.

In the next few days, I want you to go away with me.

Saturday morning I am going on a trip with my son and his friends to Colorado.  I am going from the

hills of South Carolina to the mountains of Colorado.  From 70 degree weather in December to the 

snow covered state with freezing degrees I don't even have clothes to wear.


God has been setting me free...

Three years ago, I found myself sitting on my porch at the farm for hours at a time.  I would then go 

to my computer and zone out from reality on my computer.  Then as depression would hit, I would 

find myself in my bed once more for days at a time.  My house was neglect, my husband and my life.

All I did was exist.

I was filled with anxiety and fear.  I could not leave my house but for an hour at a time once a week 

or so.  I was a controlling, fearful person who did not trust God or love people more than myself.  I

was self focused and introspective on my sin, guilt and shame.


In the next few days, I want you to read my journal.

I hope to send lots of time with God and His creation.  Lots of time with my son and his friends.  Just 

soaking in the creation of God.  Taking pictures and meeting people from around the country there to 

do the same.

I will be journaling and I want to write it here for you daily, is my plan.  I want to post pictures of 

what I see and learn while I am there.

So it will be fun.

It will be a lot of fun, so invite others.  Lets go on a trip together.  Lets move out of our comfort zones 

and dare to experience God and His world as never before.  I have no idea what to expect but I know

I expect amazing things from my amazing God.


Use your imagination and lets GO!

This year I want to be different.  I want my life with God and others to be different.  I want to risk 

and be daring and open to change and enjoy as I never have before the things God has for me.  I want 

to trust God and expect surprises from Him daily.  Good things He has for me and mine.  I want to be 

a part of it all.  I want to count it all joy.  I want to be thankful in all things.  To glorify God in my life 

to serve others and to be about repentance and humility.  

I cannot even think about these things about from the life of Christ being lived in and through me.  I 

want to soak in His presence and feast at His table and wash other feet and let Him wash mine.  I 

want to lose my life that I may gain it.  I want to die to my will so that I might live bodily in the 

resurrection of Christ and His power.  I want to notice the small things and be in awe of them.  I don't

want to miss a part of life being afraid or anxious to live in the fullness of God.

Henri Nouwen says each day holds a surprise.  Only as we seek to see it can we experience it, see it

and participate in it.  God is a generous gift giver.  He gives good gifts in the good and the bad.  Look 

for it, expect it and drown yourself in it.

My son said we have this little bit of life to invest in eternity.  Each day is a gift my friend always 

said.  Live in the moment.  In the here and now for tomorrow may never come.  All we really have is 

this very moment.  Live it to the fullest.  You were promised not just an ok life but an abundant life in 

Christ.

So goodbye South Carolina.  Tomorrow tomorrow I love ya tomorrow.  Its only a day away...