this adventure with the Most High

one final shout-out

2011-06-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

Just in case any of my sweet email subscribers missed it, my new blog launched a couple of weeks ago.

If you have not yet stopped by, then today is a great day to come check it out. I am starting a new series on the thought life. More specifically, how to have victory in our thought lives. Praying the Lord speaks mightily.

Click here to come on over.

And if you would like to subscribe by email, just click here and enter your email address. After verifying your address, my new blog posts will come straight to your inbox.

Blessings, friend.

it's blog-moving day!

2011-05-31T06:00:00.004-04:00

Goodbye {This Adventure} from Lara Williams.

(If you are having trouble viewing the video, click here to watch it on Vimeo.)

So here it is, the link to my new blog website ToOverflowing.com. Come on over and check it out. We are having a launch party and you are invited! It just wouldn't be the same without you.

(Click here to subscribe to my new blog posts from "To Overflowing". They will come straight to your email inbox.)

sit quiet and wait

2011-05-30T06:00:00.007-04:00

I ask him for a word. A word of hope to lift any burdens. A word to stir his promised joy. I sit quiet. Waiting. Because he does indeed speak.

I don't actually hear his voice, but I am learning to know his whisper. I don't actually see his hands, but I am learning to know where they are pointing. So I sit quiet and wait. Expecting, with his Word laid open on my lap.

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True things fill my mind if I let them. And they change me. If I lay down the grocery list swirling around up there and push aside the ticking clock that beckons I run ragged. If I just sit quiet and wait. Listening. Gleaning.

If I. He will.

He so faithfully guides. He just did. Sit quiet. And wait.

Bringing it home...
What true things lift your spirit today as you sit quiet and wait on him?

{Oh and...}

Tomorrow's the big day. And I'm so excited! We are taking the leap {sooner than expected!}. So grab your shoes.

it meets me in unexpected places

2011-05-27T06:00:00.002-04:00

The gospel meets me in the toy-strewn playroom. The grabbing and fussing flares between my young ones and it meets me, in the midst of a competitive Hi Ho Cherry-o game.

On good days, when I am sensitive to His Spirit, I remember that they are flesh. I see them as he sees them, a little soul in need of a Savior. I use the moment as a picture, illustrating again their ultimate longing. Freedom from self. Freedom to love.

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On not-so-good days I react in my own flesh, reminded again of my desperation. Thankful for his persistent grace.

The gospel. A holy God bending down and redeeming mankind out of his extravagant love. Innocent blood shed for my rebellious soul. And for theirs. Undeserved. Beyond comprehension.

Seeing others through the gospel changes me. It softens me. It frees me to love.

Bringing it home...
How does looking at others through the lens of the gospel change you?

we are in our "now" on purpose

2011-05-26T06:00:00.002-04:00

My sister said it the other day and it spoke to me--deep down. And if it's true then nearly every thought is affected.

"He has us exactly where he wants us."

On purpose. With precision. According to his sovereign plan.

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"Not (even one sparrow) falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:29-31

In this now of ours he is working. In this season he is refining and building our faith. Whatever today looks like--with all its seeming complications and hindrances--he is moving about, orchestrating and reigning, transforming and mending.

If it's not so then he is not the God revealed in scripture. The revealed God means things; he doesn't just use things. He loves to the point of death and restores the broken.

He has us where he wants us. On purpose. With precision. According to his sovereign plan. Believing it so changes...everything.

Bringing it home...

Do you believe that he has you where he wants you?
What does believing him sovereign over the daily happenings do to our hope and faith?

the main thing

2011-05-24T05:51:00.006-04:00

"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." My daddy used to say that.

I've addressed it before, but it bears repeating. We live in a loud world. So much calls our name begging we look and then sit for a while. The enemy has an agenda. Distraction!

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Last week I was lured. I felt it heavy on my spirit. Outwardly I did all the same things, but my mind wandered. Even my time alone with the Lord felt distracted. Then only as a faithful Father can do, I heard the words of Jesus whispered in my ear, "You are distracted by many things. But only one thing is needed." (Luke 10:38-42)

Don't you love the chastening of the Lord. {wink} Truly, he loves those he disciplines. So I thank him.

The world will holler for you and for me. Things entice. Stuff draws us in. But only one thing is needed. The main thing.

Bringing it home...
How do you keep the main thing the main thing in such a loud world?
Is there something you need to lay down in order to focus on the one needed thing? No better time than now.

He's on love's side

2011-05-23T06:00:00.005-04:00

During a recent "discussion" with my man, I realized something about God. You see, I have this tendency to think I am right when I argue. But not only that, in those not-so-lovely moments, I can even think that God must think I'm right. And he must be on my side. Cause he's gotta be choosin'.

But, that's pretty much wrong thinking. In fact I don't think He is on any one person's "side." Yes, he is for us as his children. And yes he loves beyond human reason. But ultimately, he's on love's side. Unity's side. His side.

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We are the wayward, selfish ones. We are the ones who misunderstand and misrepresent His amazing-ness. So He's not choosin'. He simply is. Love.

When the thought hit me the other night, it shut my mouth. Mostly. It gave me a different perspective. It caused me to pause and reconsider. Because if he is not choosing my side, then I want to get back in line with his side. The love side.

Humbling.

He's on love's side. He is love.

Bringing it home...
How would thinking of him this way change how we argue and fuss with others?
(Or maybe I am the only one who finds myself in these types of "discussions.")

an adoption story

2011-05-20T06:00:00.010-04:00

New life begins to grow inside her, along with strangling fears. Another mouth to feed. Another child to raise from girl to woman. The future seems complicated. Uncontrolled. Worries wake her as an unfamiliar pain grips her mama-heart.

The stars outside fall into place as usual. The sun sets and the moon lights, bright on that African plain. In the quiet she does all she knows to do. She whispers a prayer to Him. Her God. The listening One. The able One. The willing One.

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She asks for a family who seeks Him--one who knows Him and loves Him and teaches Him. A family who will carve out a space for this precious one soon to be birthed oceans away. Tears and hope begin to mix together on that warm night. Tears with the thought of letting go. Hope with the thought of love lavished on her new one.

As her faith prayer is breathed, He answers. Miles away He begins planting seeds of desire in the chosen family. Seeds that He confirms and confirms, over and over. Seeds that soon sprout above the soil, green and tender. And a little uncertain.

Months go by. The desires grows strong and sure. The path lays straight before them. Until that day when this new one unites with those chosen for her. Chosen by Him. Joy erupts with first touches.

That mama may never know. That mama may never hear. But that mama's prayer was answered. Faithfully. Her victory will come in the believing.

This post written in awe as I have watched our God work adoption into a family I hold dear. Love. Love.

Bringing it home...
How does the thought of this mama's answered prayer encourage you?
Do you have an adoption story to share?

the day His word came to life

2011-05-18T06:00:00.006-04:00

I'm hanging out today over at Do Not Depart, talking about the day His word came to life. Like the freak-you-out kind of alive. I would love for you to stop by.

Oh, I was on-fire for Jesus. The kind of on-fire that calls old friends to make amends and weeps with joy over a forgiven past. He redeemed me from so many pits. He lifted me out of myself and opened my eyes. Then like only our wild God can do, he led this prodigal to seminary.

I craved him deep. I wanted...

Click here to read the rest of the post.

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Bringing it home...

How has the word come alive in your own life?

(finally!) vloggin' Philippians 3

2011-05-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

Here it is (finally!), Philippians chapter 3...and what the heaviness on my heart reinforced in my spirit.

Click here if you have trouble viewing.

If you missed my first two Philippians vlogs (and would like to see my secret love for dancing), click here to watch chapters 1 and 2.

Linking up with my sweet friend, Katie Orr, over at Do Not Depart. I just love that precious sister.

Bringing it home...
How have you seen the Word meet you in the moments?
(Come on, friends. I want to hear from you!)

infusing hope: four things to remember {4}

2011-05-16T06:00:00.003-04:00

I sometimes have to preach to myself. I have to make the words come out of my mouth so my doubting heart can hear. And then believe.

{number 4}

Remember his faithfulness and declare it. Out-loud.

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Say it. Sing it. Proclaim it. However you want to declare it. Just let the words meet with the air. Let his praises grace our space. Let his past faithful acts mingle with the present. Here. And now.

Let those beside us partake of the blessing. Let those who share our moments hear, that they too may be stirred. And spurred towards faith in the faithful One.

Remember. Then declare. Out-loud.

Bringing it home...

OK, friend, it's your turn. Declare his faithfulness.

For those who have more time, read Joshua 4:1-7. How did Joshua lead the Israelites to remember? Why?

If you missed the first three of "infusing hope: four things to remember," here are the links: {number 1}, {number 2}, {number 3}

taking the leap

2011-05-14T06:24:00.006-04:00

Blogger was down for a couple of days due to "technical difficulty." Poor thing. It was so confused. It even sent out one of my older posts yesterday. But, God was and is in control...even over technology.

In fact, the little system glitch was the final nudge I needed. I have started the process of creating a new blog website. And I am so excited.

The content will be the same. But the blog title will be easier to remember. And the platform will be more reliable. Plus...sometimes a fresh start is just fun. Hopefully the changes will be made by the end of June. But I will keep you posted because I can't imagine "moving" without you going with me!

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So grab some good jumping shoes and we will take the leap together. And yes, they can still be cute.

Bringing it home...
Do you like change? Why or why not?

I'll be back on Monday with {number four} of the short series "infusing hope: four things to remember."

infusing hope: four things to remember {3}

2011-05-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

The rains will fall. The waters will rise. This side of Jesus' return, the trials will come. But they are not without purpose. They do not define our God.

{number 3}

Remember. His promises remain even when the waters ahead seem impossible to cross. We just have to be wild enough to believe him in spite of what our eyes may see.

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As our toes dip into that water's edge--believing that he goes before us into the deep--the rushing ceases. The waters flee from him. The seas turn away into a heap. He makes a path for our feet, often straight through the seeming impossible. And what should have been our demise, becomes a place of rejoicing.

His promises stand.

Our gaze will be tested on this life-journey. But faith is the victory. Believing him to do what he promises he will do--regardless of the momentary waters--causes hope to rise.

Remember. If he said it, then it will come to pass.

Bringing it home...
Are there some deep waters ahead?
What promises are you clinging to as you step into what seems impossible to cross?

For those who have more time, read Joshua 3:9-17. What stirs up hope in your spirit from Joshua's example?

Click here to read {number 1} and click here to read {number 2} from this short series, "infusing hope: four things to remember."

dreamin' and believin'

2011-05-11T06:14:00.004-04:00

He puts them there–these seeds of desire that will one day birth into living color. He does that in us and he does that in our kids. He has plans and works set aside just for us. And just for them.

I'm hanging out over at the MODsquad today, talking about dreaming and believing. Click here to read my post.

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I'll be back tomorrow with {number 3} in the short series "infusing hope: four things to remember." If you have missed it, click here to read {number 1} and click here to read {number 2}.

Love to each of you today. Praying you are encouraged in Him.

infusing hope: four things to remember {2}

2011-05-10T05:52:00.004-04:00

There exists a space between his promises and their fulfillment. More often than not this gap marks our trail of life. And we have a call in this meantime.

{number 2}

We remember. Walk forward by faith.

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We keep our eyes set firm on his promises. Whether overarching or an intimately spoken promise, if he said it then it will come to pass.

The trail may get rocky or thick with brush. The path may seem dark at times. But our call is this walk of faith--putting one foot in front of the other, moving towards that "promised land."

In doing so, we are sanctified.

We may not know what's around the next bend, but we know where we are heading--towards his promises fulfilled. So keep walking, my friend. Keep walking.

Bringing it home...
What promises of God do you hang onto as you walk your own life journey?
How do you purposefully keep walking towards those promises?

For those who have more time, read Joshua 1:10-11, 16. How does Joshua's response to God's speaking infuse hope and courage to your own heart?

infusing hope: four things to remember {1}

2011-05-09T05:56:00.005-04:00

We are forgetful. Life happens and we forget the Rock upon which we stand. The enemy tempts us towards defeat and our emotions latch on as if his whispered lies define us and our tomorrow.

So we desperately need to remember the true things.

{number 1}

Noise. Everywhere there is noise. People talk. Media declares. Thoughts analyze. Yet, He is speaking to his children.

Am I listening?

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The God of the universe--in all his glory and splendor and eternality--bends down and speaks to us. He speaks. To us.

He speaks promise, command, and direction. He speaks out of love to give life and joy and victory to those who seek. He speaks through his word.

Am I listening?

Remember. The sovereign one speaks. And he will speak to you and me if we have ears to hear.

Bringing it home...
Are you needing a word of promise or direction from him?
Practically speaking, how can we hear from God?

For those who have more time, read Joshua 1:1-9. What does God promise, command, and direct Joshua to do? How does that infuse hope?

from rejoicing to weeping: a mother's day post

2011-05-07T07:30:00.003-04:00

I’m not sure there is anything more joyful than holding your child for the first time. Tracing the lines of their hands. Memorizing the sound of their cry. Overwhelmed by the love that--in a moment—-redefines your existence.

I’m also not sure there is anything more painful than mother-desires left unfulfilled. From broken bodies scorned by disease, infertility, and death to broken lives of children running in rebellion, a mother’s heart can bleed in excruciating pain.

Motherhood. From shouts of joy to cries of despair and everything in between.

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So I find myself in that torn place today, rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. All the while pointing to the One who holds time and life in his faithful hands. He is looking at you, sweet one.

Happy mother's day, mama. I love you.

Bringing it home...

How goes your heart this mother's day weekend?

am I THAT thankful for anything

2011-05-05T06:05:00.003-04:00

Remember those ponderings from the courtroom? I'm going back there today. Praying for a merciful judge with a tender heart towards me who will have ears to hear. Oh, and, that it will go quickly. Your prayers are appreciated.

In the meantime, if you haven't seen this video yet, it is an absolute MUST watch.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Bringing it home...
I would love to hear your response to that precious video.

we are all asking the same question

2011-05-04T06:00:00.002-04:00

It seems we're all asking the same questions. Am I loved? Lovely? Love-able?

We want to know that we hold the attention of another. That someone notices our nuances and then smiles tender with interested eyes. We want to be fully known and loved regardless. The reckless love that pursues and stays and sacrifices.

And. We are.

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We are perfectly known--from our rising up to our sitting down. Every intent behind every word on our lips is known. His gaze is set firm on his own. His thoughts innumerable and precious. His plans prosperous.

That craving to be known subsides in his glorious presence. For we are known with an eternal, love-knowing. His gaze locked. Cling there.

"God demonstrates his own love towards us,
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"And my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory
by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Bringing it home...
Read Psalm 139
How has he proven the sufficiency of his love in your own life?

rest for the weary

2011-05-03T06:00:00.003-04:00

"Come to Me." To him. All who are weary and he will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28)

This is good, my friends. I try to avoid using too much Hebrew as to bore your socks off, but this is so very good.

Rest signifies to give intermission from labor, to give rest, to refresh so to recover strength.

"Intermission from labor." I love that. Who needs an intermission from the toil? Who needs a refreshing in order to recover some strength?

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He says to come to him.

Coming to him looks like me, bowing down in my living room and laying it all before him. Again. It sounds like my voice, declaring his revealed character and speaking the raw. He never flinches. It feels like the weight slowly lifting and his peace faithfully falling.

Rest given. Strength recovered.

Bringing it home...
How do you come to him when you are wearied?

birds and mice and snakes {oh my}

2011-05-02T06:30:00.001-04:00

Spring has definitely sprung around our house.

A couple of weeks ago my kids discovered a nest in one of their sand buckets with six baby bird eggs lying expectantly at the bottom. The mama wren flew in and out, guarding and waiting. Then last Friday, they hatched. They are teeny-tiny, ugly and precious. And I just can't stop myself from peeking in on them throughout the day.

Then on Friday afternoon my man calls to tell me that he found a baby mouse in the garage. A mouse?! Mice are icky and I run from them. So I wasn't thrilled at the thought of having one as a temporary "pet."

But when I got home, this little mouse sucked me in with its cuteness. It is less than two weeks old with its eyes still shut and when it's all curled up it's about the size of a little bouncy ball. The thought of releasing it caused my mother instinct to rise.

Something then possessed me and I decided to pick up the little guy and feed it with a dropper. {I don't even know who I am anymore.} This God of ours, making baby-everything too cute.

For the record, I draw the line at baby snakes.

Spring. The time when new life births.

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Our God is a God of newness. Beginning with salvation and continuing with transformation. He does not remain static. Just after that winter freeze comes the warm breeze beckoning new life. Flowers bud from once frozen ground. Color bursts from the dim brown.

Someone needs to remember the newness today.

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind."
Isaiah 65:17

Bringing it home...

How has he shown you personally that he is a God of newness?

for those needing hope

2011-04-30T06:30:00.001-04:00

We crave it. A happy ending with pretty people. Something bright in a world that often feels dark.

Yet images of royalty flash across the screen followed by the cry of cities devastated and families separated. It's hard for a mind to comprehend.

When full, we rarely seek. But when empty and broken, desperation forces us to look at him. Look for him--questioning him.

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It's in those times of soul-fatigue that we have a choice. Either we reject Him as unfaithful and deny Him as sovereign, choosing to define him based upon what our eyes momentarily see.

Or we choose to believe him to be who he has revealed himself to be. Beginning with him and then resting in his Father hands.

Only one choice stirs the hope. Praying hope to rise in him for those facing great loss today.

"Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust."
Psalm 16:1

Bringing it home...
What word from the Word can you give to someone needing hope?

uncovering the smile when life gets tense

2011-04-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

My daddy used to say that either we are in a trial, we just got out of a trial, or a trial is on the horizon. Not too comforting at first glance, but reality none-the-less.

On this side of heaven, trials will come. Some are the big, life-stamping trials. The ones that end up defining us. But many are the small, minute-by-minute frustrations of life that aim to steal the smile.

The pressures of the everyday come...every day. If I'm not diligent, then all the stuff that needs my tending can wipe away the grin. And I'm left standing there slicing apples with a frown.

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But I want my kids to remember their younger years with me having engaged eyes and a joyful face. As the daily demands increase and the mental list grows, he is teaching me how to rejoice in my soul so that it comes out on my face. So here are some practical ways that I choose the smile.

When life gets tense, I lay down the list.

Literally. Figuratively. I set it down. I remind myself that I have enough time to do what he has for me to do. And loving those beside me is what fulfills his ultimate call.

I pause to gain perspective.

I sometimes escape to the laundry room and close the door; or go for a long walk...to the mailbox. Alone. Or just close my eyes and slip away in my mind while the wildness grabs onto my legs. The point is in the pause.

I ask for his vision for that moment, or for that person.

The only life-giving perspective is his perspective. When I have stepped away, I commune with him. This is especially vital when one of my little ones is acting particularly irrational or excessively whiny. {One of my flesh triggers.} To see as he sees spurs love.

I choose to engage the now and the one standing before me.

As I commune with him, he often reminds me of the blessings in the moment or the gifts within the other person. The ways he designed them with precision and purpose. They too are a work in progress, just like me. The smile slowly creeps out.

I fail at times. The stuff coming at me occasionally wins. But he is either the God reigning over every single circumstance--big and small--or he is not the God revealed in the scriptures. Believing him sovereign and love mingled together changes me. It changes my face.

Bringing it home...
What brings a smile to your face even when life comes with fierce persistence?

spandex alone (for goodness sake) does not a 6-pack make

2011-04-26T06:00:00.003-04:00

I (periodically) go to the gym. It's what Kat would call one of my weekly retreats. I get a little exercise while having a little church with Lecrae streaming through my ear buds. It rejuvenates this mama-soul.

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After a brief round with lunges yesterday, I glanced up and saw a gentleman wearing spandex shorts with a sweat-band around his head. (I'm just sayin'.) But he wasn't exercising. He had on the "right" workout clothes. He had paid the membership fees. He even made it to the gym. But he spent his time leaning and chatting and drinking a smoothie, while those 6-pack abs lingered in the dark abyss of future workouts.

What a warning for us in living spandex color.

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We could wear all the right "Christian" clothes, pay our tithes and give to the needy. We could wake up early and be at the church every time the doors opened. But if we stand passive on the sidelines, we miss the point.

This Christian life is meant to be active, because passive living leads to bondage.

Our call is to fight the fight of faith.

Take every thought captive to obedience.

Run with endurance the race set before us.

Wrestle against principalities of darkness.

Meditate on true things.

Pursue love.

Die daily to self.

Believe.

We cannot coast through these brief days and expect to stay spiritually fit. Faith is active. It works itself out through our choices.

So let's get that spandex on--or not--and then move about our minutes with purpose. Victory awaits.

Bringing it home...
How do you build your "faith muscles"?

What other action verbs to you see in the scriptures?

wanting sunday's "He is risen" to affect my monday livin'

2011-04-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

I know me too well. I know my desperation for his invasion. Minute-ly. My heart craves things that oppose him. My sin rises from the dead as if it still has a place in this earth-suit. The dailiness can pull at my patience bringing out the unlovely--the attitudes I thought were buried.

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Yesterday was Easter--in case you were wondering. With shouts of praise I declared, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! My Lord is risen." But one of the most amazing things about that awe-evoking truth is that it is so personal. That truth is meant to seep into my individual moments and change things. Change me.

No longer do I fall before my Maker condemned. I am declared righteous. No longer am I a slave to sin. I have been set free from the chains. No longer does my tomorrow have to look like my yesterday. He rose to bring newness of life.

Easter affects things in my now...if I believe. If I fight the fight of faith.

With Paul I desire, "if by any means, (that) I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:11) Eyes set firm on eternal things. Promises from the mouth of my God as stepping stones guiding my path. Reckoning myself "dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:11) Because of Easter this is our rightful inheritance.

We shouted, "He is risen." We sang. We danced. We worshipped. We remembered. But may that truth invade our moments of today when life happens and self demands its supposed rights.

He rose to free us. On Monday.

Bringing it home...
What does it mean that Christ freed us?
How is that meant to affect our daily living?

two angels now sat instead of hovered

2011-04-24T06:30:00.001-04:00

Two now sat instead of hovered. For nearly one thousand years two cherubim of gold hovered over the ends of the mercy seat. Facing one another with wings touching, covering that seat of sacrifice while looking on the yearly blood. (see Exodus 25:17-22) But now their wings rested.

When Mary peered into the tomb, two angels sat--one where Jesus' head had been, the other his feet. No longer were the cherubim covering that bloody sin sacrifice. They too declared with their posture, "It is finished."

The final sacrifice had been made. The debt paid with Jesus' unblemished body and blood. Redemption purchased. For me. For you.

Then He defeated death--that final foe.

He overcame. He arose. He looked death in the eye and crushed its power. In full supremacy. He. is. alive!

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And He will come again.

One of these days the Father will look to his son and declare to the heavenlies with holy authority, "It. Is. Time." The feast will be ready. The trumpets will shout. The angels will gather in rejoicing. And those who knew him as Lord will meet him in the sky.

The story is not over. In some ways, it is just beginning. He is risen. And He will come again. Hallelujah.

Bringing it home...
One question. Do you know Him?

he took the cup to his bloody lips and drank

2011-04-22T07:00:00.004-04:00

The image of the cross has become so culturally trite, adorned with rhinestones and lying glittery on bare breasts. How far we have come from that rugged wood of old and its sobering reminder of souls purchased with unblemished blood.

He stepped out of splendor, away from the continual shouts of "HOLY HOLY HOLY," where the train of the King's robe fills the heavenly throne room. A room heavy with majestic perfection. In His complete divinity the son of God humbled himself and veiled his glory in man-skin, placing his two feet on this broken earth...

motivated by incomprehensible love.

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Then he drank it. The cup filled full of the Father's holy wrath. Every ill-word, every hate thought, every selfish intent, every lustful yearning, every child molested, every prideful bent, every declaration of my glory rather than Yours. Every single sin needed covering. His holiness, by its very nature, demanded.

So he drank it. He took the cup and willingly put it to his bloody, beaten lips. The wrath that we deserved.

He heard the scorn hurled. He saw the faces twisted in contempt. He knew the very veins on the hands of the fingers pointing accusations. He could have called each man, each woman, by name. For in the beginning was the Word...and the Word became life and dwelt among us. Jesus. And he came to die.

Remembering Good Friday and the penalty imposed with overwhelming thanksgiving.

he washed his betrayer's feet

2011-04-21T06:48:00.006-04:00

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The betrayer looked down at the Messiah.
Hate churning in his soul.
Deception being plotted in his mind.
With toes dripping wet.

Yet love washed away the day's dirt roads.

Willingly.

Humbly.

Purposefully.

In full knowledge.

While willing to die.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
who being in the form--essence--of God, did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of no
reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant,
and coming in the likeness--the outward appearance--as a man."

Philippians 2:5-7

Let this mind be in you--in me--willing to wash the betrayer's feet, as our eyes are set on the Lover of our souls.

It is Maundy Thursday. We remember him.

Bringing it home...

How is he calling you to follow in his footsteps?

lingering that leads to bold obedience

2011-04-20T06:00:00.004-04:00

I imagine her eyes stayed on her Lord as his words spilled out in teaching. Her heart stirred to life as she sat quiet near his feet. Submissive. Gleaning. She heard with open ears of the death soon to come. His death. And the prompting overwhelmed her.

She slipped away, purposeful, heart-beating fast with the thought. Once home she pulled her alabaster jar out of its waiting, then glanced upward in humble thanksgiving. Breathing deep. She placed it around her neck and walked those dirt roads quick to find him. To anoint him. *

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It seems she may have grasped it more firmly than the others. Jesus had told them of his coming crucifixion. But as she anointed him with her costly oil, his disciples grumbled at her choice of seeming extravagance. He responded to their indignation, "She did it for my burial." (Matthew 26: 6-13)

She laid it all down. She took all of her earthly treasure, all of her future desires, all of herself, and poured it on her Lord. And it pleased him. He then esteemed her.

I want that to be me. To sit low at his feet hanging on his word. To have ears to hear his radical promptings. To boldly obey even if others are grumbling. Father, purge my heart of that which hinders.

Bringing it home...

In the midst of this holy week, join me in taking time to get real with him. Linger before him. Tell him the things he already knows--those things that cause the anxious in your soul. Then meditate on him, his promises, his faithfulness, allowing his peace to calm those wild places. Tamed with the truth of his word.

Then tell me, how does this woman inspire you?

*The first two paragraphs are written with my own creative license. These happenings are not in God's word, only in my imagination.

my writings will one day end up on a free table

2011-04-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

Our church library has a "free book" table. Two words I love. "Free" because I am always looking to win in my purchases. And "book" because expression through the written language opens my soul.

Though I must admit that I am more of a book hoarder rather than a book reader these days. I enjoy knowing they are on my shelf yet rarely get to glean from their last pages, unless you count the Sesame Street series or the latest from Veggie Tales.

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The other day I perused the free table and totally scored with books by Francis Schaeffer and J.I. Packer, and a third on the life of C.S. Lewis. I don't read light. But as I balanced these three gems in my arms I had a strange--somewhat depressing--thought.

"These books are on the free table. These books are on the free table." These pain-stakingly chosen words of theological genius now sit--somewhat discarded--on the free table. And I was reminded again of my place in the universe.

There is only One worthy of glory. Only One.

A couple of years ago John Piper's words encouraged me as a writer. He said--and I do not quote because I cannot remember the reference--that every generation needs writers.

We as speakers and writers, who long to lift God's name and point others to His throne, have a place. He gifts with purpose. But we tread dangerous waters when we slip into the tempting desire of self-exaltation.

As we enter into holy week, may we all lay our hearts bare before Him. May we ask the hard question of our soul, "Whose glory do I seek? Yours? or mine?"

Only One deserves the eternal praise. Only One humbled Himself from the heavenly shouts of "Holy!" into flesh clothing, then down to the gruesome death of Roman crucifixion. Only One conquered sin. Only One sits on the throne worthy of honor, forever. And ever.

For we will all end up on the free table.

Bringing it home...
How do you keep from falling into the devastation of self-glorification, especially in your gifts?

He scans the earth to show Himself mighty for the loyal

2011-04-16T06:29:00.009-04:00

Feeling wild. Doing a Saturday post.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth,
to show Himself strong on behalf
of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9

Click here if you cannot view the video.

Our God does this. He responds to the heart who believes Him. He reigns on high yet searches, ready to bend low. As we turn to Him by faith--even the faith as small as a mustard seed--He will reveal His might.

You may be one who is waiting--desperate--to see His strength. Know this. He is working. He remains faithful. He promised. He is bound by His word.

Bringing it home...
How do we show our hearts loyal to Him in a culture that denies Him loud?

believing the true thing

2011-04-14T05:30:00.004-04:00

"MAMA, HE SAID I WASN'T FOUR YEARS OLD!" cries my middle son, obviously upset at the insistence of my youngest.

"Well, sweet boy, you are four. So believe the true thing."

(And no, this is not my son. Though the expression is all too familiar)
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We have these types of conversations often. One says one thing. The other knows a different thing to be true. Yet agitation and tears flow as "the other" ponders the lie.

But is this not me?

I know the true thing. He loves me, actively and deeply. He is always good. He reigns over this particular situation. He has me here with purpose.

Yet I get agitated and tears flow as I explore the lie. As I turn it round and round in my hands, believing its every crevice. But if He loved me then this. If He was good then not this.

The answer to the emotional madness lies in the focus. If I set my eyes and mind on the untruths, then that which Christ died to give me is stolen--love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

But if I choose to believe the true thing, Spirit-rest fills my lungs. And I breathe. And I smile.

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"Oh. Yeah. I am four."

What He declares about me is true. What He reveals about Himself will always be. What He promises for tomorrow will come to pass. Plain. Simple. Truth. The choice is in the believing.

Bringing it home...
How do you choose to believe the true thing?
What true thing are you actively choosing to believe these days?

do not awaken love too soon, my child

2011-04-13T05:30:00.002-04:00

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.”
Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4

I have scars from my love-past. Tender-to-the-touch places that my sweet Lord has graciously healed, yet marks that will always describe my history. Memories periodically arise reminding of that rough terrain of old, places I walked to learn life’s lessons the hard way. And the memories leave me burdened for my own sweet children.

I'm sharing over at the MODsquad today. Click here to read the rest of the story.

Bringing it home...

How has your own past driven your prayers of intercession for your children or grandchildren?

seeing the valley as a gift

2011-04-12T06:30:00.005-04:00

The sufferings, the thorn, the excruciating, and the valley can be a gift. Dare we believe Him, that He is cultivating the ground for great faith and great love. And great joy's eruption.

Oh to use caution in our insistence that He take the "gift" away when true life is found in intimacy with the Lover of our souls. He quenches the thirst of the weary. He revives again and again and again.

He proves Himself sufficient.

Take heart. Stand tall. Run into Him. Our refuge. He is worth the deep.

Words of the precious Martha Snell Nicholson. I have posted this poem before but bears repeating. It bears memorizing...

I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne
And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out his hand, but as I would depart
I cried, "But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me."
He said, "My child, I give good gifts and gave my best to thee."
I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore,
As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more.
I learned he never gives a thorn without the added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides his face."

Ms. Nicholson was an invalid.

Bringing it home...
Have you ever thought that even the valley might be a "gift"?
How does that perspective affect our stance?

it happened there on the soccer field. unexpected.

2011-04-11T06:00:00.008-04:00

One particular boy caught my attention. He wandered onto the field during my son's soccer practice and stood in the line-up, a head taller than the rest. And a bit aimless. The coach quickly shuffled him across the grass towards the correct team--the older team. But he stopped at the edge confused.

All around him boys chased and kicked and laughed. Purposed. Playful. But he stood staring, rubbing his hands nervous with his posture uncertain.

I sat on my blanket, with my other two kids squealing and rolling in the grass beside me. My eyes stayed locked on this boy. This wandering soul lost in the midst of soccer madness. Lord, help him find his place. Lord?

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Just as I was about to run over and guide his feet, one of his teammates tapped his shoulder and motioned, "over here." And my heart sunk. That this other boy would notice and stop and intervene--it blessed me something deep. In fact, I wanted to hug him. Or call his mama to brag on her son.

Then His words rose up in my spirit, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Phil. 2:4) And right there on the soccer fields, scripture took on the form of real life.

Do I do that? Do I notice and stop and intervene? Do I look out for the interests of others, or am I consumed with me? Forgive me, Father.

Give me Your eyes that I may see.

Fill me full of You that I might intervene.

For Your great glory, o Lord.

Bringing it home...

How can we "look out for the interests of others" in the daily moments of life?

stricken with a deadly disease

2011-04-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

Convince us of our grievous state.

Overwhelm us with Your abounding grace.

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"Once let him see his sin, and he must see his Savior. He feels stricken with a deadly disease, and nothing will satisfy him but the great Physician. He hungers and thirsts, and he must have nothing less than the bread of life." J.C. Ryle, Holiness

Jesus.

Bringing it home...

Practically speaking, how do you feast on Him in the dailiness?

my ponderings from a courtroom

2011-04-07T05:30:00.004-04:00

I went to court a couple of weeks ago. Yes. Humbling. Back in January, a delightful police officer *wink* gave me a traffic ticket on my way out of town for a conference. A conference in which I was the speaker. About the Bible. And God. And holiness. *sigh*

Anyway, my court date finally arrived in which I had the chance to explain "my side of the story." I pictured myself going before a huge man in a black robe, with shackles clanking at my ankles. It ended up being much less dramatic.

As I sat on a hard bench in a mostly brown courtroom with 200ish other traffic offenders, I started thinking. And then I started writing. So here they are, my ponderings from a courtroom...

clouds above the skyline--

floating quiet,

while I sit in a stale room

with faces looking forward.

waiting. waiting. waiting.

but He's here--

knowing each and every soul,

every tear that fell last night,

every fear that steals the peace.

I wonder how many know.

how many see?

how many look to You for life--

the Maker of the skyline?

I wish I could tell you that revival broke out amongst my fellow violators and we had church. But the magistrate was firm in her no-talking policy. So I settled for quiet musings with Him, praying that those beside me might be blessed by my conference notes laid open on my lap. The word does not return void.

And I know you are just dying to know the verdict. Well. I have to go back to court. Again. One day before another conference. Apparently the magistrate cannot hear defense. Though, I might add, she thinks I have a good one. So I'm on the books, still without shackles.

Bringing it home...

How has God shown up in the most unexpected of places?

OR, how have you been humbled lately? Oh, come on. We're all friends.

is He leading you to do something radical?

2011-04-06T05:30:00.002-04:00

My oldest drew this picture and she only wanted one thing, "for daddy to see it when he gets home."

(I admittedly didn't have to put this picture in the post, but I think it's adorable.)

My man was in Haiti last week on a medical mission trip. Doesn't he look handsome in his scrubs? And no. He's not a doctor. He's a firefighter.

He and a dear friend spent most of the week serving at a Cholera clinic with Samaritan's Purse. And they have many stories to tell from their time in this place-that-still-suffers.

But instead of speaking the details in this space, I want to encourage you with two truths by which God has encouraged me.

God calls. He prompts. He pricks. He leads. As we delight in Him, He places desires upon our hearts. He sets His will in motion.

He blesses obedience. When we follow His lead, stepping out in faith, He equips us in the call. He carries and sustains. He fills. He flows.

My man was called which began as a seed of desire. And then he was blessed last week as he "put his feet in the water" by faith. I was blessed in the watching.

In the end our God brought full circle that initial desire that He had laid upon my husband's heart, to His ultimate glory. And something about that amazes me.

Bringing it home...

Is He calling you to step out in radical faith? Oh, I would love to hear!

Let's follow His wild lead and come up under His blessing.

being freed from the comparison rut

2011-04-04T06:00:00.007-04:00

I can fall into a comparison rut if I'm not careful. If I do not diligently guard my heart ponderings, then my mind will entertains lies. And it can happen so quickly.

A click here, a post there, and before long I'm believing myself to be a horrible mom, an ungrateful wife, a bad dresser, with a frumpy house. Then I just want to eat. Chips or chocolate. Or both.

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But that is not what He has for His children. If we set our gaze down here in search of our identity, then we will be left wanting. We will be left comparing.

If we look at those beside us to determine our worth, then the abundance He intended for our daily moments is stolen. And we bow out, surrendering to lies.

When I find myself in that place--holding me up next to another fallen person--there is only one way to freedom. I have to go back to what I know is true.

You, o Lord, are true. You have created me wonderfully unique, with meticulous purpose. You have good things for my today...and my tomorrow. Your love is a banner over my life. Your plans include blessing, even through the hard. Give me your vision. Forgive my discontent. I choose praise. I choose thanks. I choose to believe.

The winds then slowly change. A smile creeps onto my face. A song is churned. And I take His hand's invitation to dance.

Bringing it home...

How have you wrestled with the comparison?

How do you choose Truth rather than believe the lies?

sometimes we need to do some shoutin'

2011-04-01T06:00:00.003-04:00

I'm just a girl on the other side of your screen. Most likely we have never sat across from one another over a cup of tea, shared a good cry, or laughed until it turned to cackling. Though that would be AWESOME!

But I call you "friend" out of the overflow.

This crazy big God has put a love in my depths for you. He has placed this desire in me, that you and I would simultaneously look up and believe Him, adore Him, & praise Him.

Let's just have a little church in this space.

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But there is an enemy. I know. It sounds like Sunday talk. But he is the father of lies. And if we are pursuing our Maker, then he knows our names. He knows our weaknesses. And he wants us bound to disbelief with a mind set on temporal things.

So this girl--on the other side of the screen--calls us forth today. Sometimes our soul's need a good talking to. We need to preach some Truth to ourselves and dare to take Him at His word.

Friend. He has that thing under His sovereign control. Peace is rightfully ours in Christ. Sometimes we need to do a little holy shoutin'.

Bringing it home...
Tell me. What promise from His Word are you standing on today?

Me? I'm believing that He is the "God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did." (Romans 4:17)

And as Abraham, I want to be "fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:21) If He said it, then it will indeed come to pass.

Sweet Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience is offering a scholarship to the She Speaks Conference.
This gathering is meant to inspire daughters of the King to seek Him first and then spill Him out onto other sister-friends, as He leads. Lord willing, I would love to attend. Would you?

standing in front of the near-naked woman

2011-03-31T06:30:00.002-04:00

We finished our trip to the grocery store in record time, without any potty breaks. Which, by the way, is a pure miracle. I wrestled the over sized, impossible-to-turn, racecar-cart into the check-out aisle, and there she stood.

Gorgeous. Curvy. Seductive. Near-naked. Air-brushed. Right at eye-level with my two young boys and my one impressionable girl--all three actively working-out "beauty" in their hearts and minds.

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I had a mental moment imagining myself in slow motion diving over the cart obstrocity into the magazine stand speaking in a deep, slow voice, "nooooooo," in efforts to protect their precious eyes from images too mature.

I quickly snapped back into reality. And I breathed prayer to Him, "Father, guard their hearts. Blind their eyes to unnecessary things." Then I repositioned myself in front of her voluptuousness.

I think that's part of our call as parents. To be a buffer. To stand in the gap. To pray for their protection from falsity.

But then our call is to rest in the love of our great God.

Faith will be our place of victory. Trusting Him to be moving on behalf of His own, forever reigning over the details. Even in the grocery store check-out.

He is greater than any magazine cover. He is greater than any perversion that enters their sweet lives. He is worthy of our trust.

Bringing it home...
How have you seen the battle to keep your children "innocent" play out in your own life?
How goes your trust in your sovereign God?

I let them color on the floor.

2011-03-30T05:30:00.002-04:00

I let them color on the subfloor.

Cause sometimes I just need to play.

Rather than put out "fires," trying to control the fold.

And maybe, just maybe...

something I say...

is starting to stick.

To all you mamas and papas: keep on. Keep teaching. Keep sowing the seeds of faith--passing that baton to the next generation. Eventually, the seeds take root.

"These words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way,
when you lie down, and when you rise up."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Bringing it home...
Like me, do you have days where you wonder if anything is sinking in?
Will you share a time when you saw the "fruit of your labor" reflecting in your kids?

when bitter steals love

2011-03-29T05:00:00.004-04:00

Bitter steals love. It can settle on my tongue so quick until all I taste is ill-will. It infiltrates my thoughts before I notice. And with that, love is stolen.

Forgiving is hard. Let's be honest. My rights stand up big when my toes are crushed. My heart secretly insists that the pain be acknowledged and the broken mended with groveling.

"broken heart" - photo credit

But that is not how He works. That is not how He loves me. Instead He intercedes for His enemies--those hammering Him to a cross and denying His name.

He isn't weak. Or frail. Or dumb. Or delirious. He simply lives in perfect oneness with the Father. His love is not threatened by the actions of man.

I push Him away when I slather my ungrace and my unmercy all over those beside me. But who am I to demand anything?

Me. The one who has slapped my Lord in the face with disrespectful rebellion over the years. The one who adulterates my own soul with idols of this world.

My freedom call is to love. To love is to forgive. To forgive is to release others from my selfish wrath, choosing to remember the offense no more. Choosing to take each thought captive to love rather than to bitter.

Only by His grace. Only in the power of His Spirit.

Bringing it home...

Do you have a story of forgiveness?
How can we practically dig up a bitter root?

dare I take Him at His word?

2011-03-28T06:01:00.007-04:00

Something in me wants to hold back a piece of my life for the things that I want to do. As if my plan is best and His...sub par.

But what if His words are true. What if His plans are intended to prosper me and to give me a hope. What if He really is working for my good, even if things appear to be straying away from my plans for this day. What if.

Dare I trust? Dare I lay every single thing down and rest in His vision for my tomorrow? Dare I believe with a radical faith, giving Him all of my desires, opening my clinched fists and letting go? Dare I?

His ways are not mine. He looks at the heart and desires my freedom. He knows that best sometimes means He says, "No, my child. Not today." His love precedes His movement. His love covers my day.

What if I actually took Him at His word?

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"Blessed is the man whose hope is the Lord.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
which spreads out its roots by the river,
and will not fear when heat comes;
but its leaf will be green,
and will not be anxious in the year of drought,
nor will cease from yielding fruit."

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Bringing it home...

What does it mean to you that we can be like a fruit-bearing-tree in a drought if our hope is the Lord? If we take Him at His word?

heading to Richmond, VA

2011-03-25T06:21:00.006-04:00

Heading to Richmond, VA today to do a one-day conference with singer-songwriter (and friend) Abby Sutton. So excited to worship with these ladies! Expecting God to speak and move and be mighty among us.

St. Matthews Episcopal Church
1101 Forest Avenue
Richmond, VA
Saturday, 9:30am-2:30pm

Would love to see you there!

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vlog number 2...and the box dance

2011-03-24T05:00:00.002-04:00

His Word is alive, my friends. Seriously. It speaks to our individual hearts, ministers in our darkest hour, and pierces the hardest of rebels. If we allow it. It breathes. And by His grace, I've been marinating in it.

A number of weeks back I posted my first vlog in which I recited Philippians chapter 1 after taking on Katie's challenge over at "Do Not Depart." Since then I have been working on Philippians chapter 2 (a natural progression). So here it is, my attempt at reciting the next chapter.

Click here to see Lara reciting Philippians 2 from Lara Williams.

Bringing it home...

How has He proven His word powerful in your own life?

if only He would hurry up

2011-03-23T05:00:00.003-04:00

I like things to happen when I think they should happen. Let's just be honest. If God followed my timeline, then He would have fulfilled all of my valid desires yesterday. Or the day before.

Sadly I watch my three-year-old writhe on the floor--an emotional wreck--and I see me. Granted I hide the temper tantrums better than he, but my mind can easily throw a fit demanding my way. Demanding He hurry up.

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But "He does not make haste." Another wise word from the woman I want to be like when I grow up.

His movement is precise and timely. He waits until every single piece of the puzzle lines up exactly as He desires. All the while He actively cultivates the ground of our hearts, building character and faith. And once we finally settle, resting in His Father hands, the rains begin to fall.

The promised flowers birth.

He has not forgotten. Those desires He buries within us will indeed make their way into our days. In His time. However He redeems our moments. Even the "waiting" is purpose-filled, intended for our good and His ultimate glory.

He does not make haste.

Bringing it home...

Are you waiting on Him to move?

How do these wise words from this precious woman encourage your own heart?

wrestling against fear

2011-03-21T05:00:00.004-04:00

Fear came for a visit this weekend, like an enemy with whom I had severed all ties--unwanted and unexpected.

My man had taken my two boys on their first camping trip, complete with tent and sleeping bags. And no cell service.

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Just as dark covered my bedroom windows, my mind began feasting on "what-ifs." At first the fears were subtle, like a distant, undefinable hum. But as the evening passed they became more pronounced. More visual.

And I felt trapped in a paralyzing web.

I tried to break free with distractions like food and email. But the fears haunted.

Then wisdom hit. I got low before my Lord and laid each thought before Him. I named the fears, out-loud, one-by-one, until they all hovered in the air of our conversation. Confession, for He commands "fear not."

I then spoke His truth. I chose the truth of His character as my place of meditation and slowly my heart believed. Slowly. But certainly.

Dare my night be stolen by fear.

Soon after, my mind rested. My eyes closed. And in a moment, morning came. And all my boys? They arrived later that day with campfire memories.

Bringing it home...

Are you battling any fears?

What truths of His character could bring comfort to your "what-ifs"?

a semi-embarrassing fact on a Saturday

2011-03-19T05:00:00.001-04:00

Question: What does Milli Vanilli, Elton John, Def Leppard, and Debbie Gibson have in common?

Dun, dun, duuuuuuuunn.

Answer: I went to all of these concerts in the late 80's or early 90's--willingly and happily.

There is zero spiritual value in me telling you this wretched piece of information. I just thought you should know who you were dealing with. And how much God can redeem.

I'll be back on Monday with something more nourishing.

Bringing it home...

You tell me.

finding renewal in the midst of a mess

2011-03-18T05:00:00.005-04:00

Sometimes we need to step away from the mess to gain perspective.

Our house is a mess right now. Literally. The other morning I got up for a moment of quiet before life began. And I was met with the distant sound of rushing waters.

I ran down the stairs and flipped on the light to find water shooting out from behind the refrigerator, hitting the ceiling, and running down the wall. It had formed a pool in the kitchen and soggy carpet in the adjacent rooms. I pulled out the fridge and turned off the geyser then stood there dripping. Thinking.

My man and I quickly shifted into clean-up mode, with my hair now frizzing from the unexpected shower. Insurance was called. Floors were ripped up. Duct work was replaced. And now we live in a wind tunnel waiting for everything to dry.

Life gets messy--physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally. Some messes are monumental--like Japan's current devastation. Humbling. Some messes are just slight annoyances. But all tempt our focus. All lure us towards distraction and discontentment.

In the midst of the mess we have choice. We can choose our mind's meditation. We can choose what our hearts will believe. We can choose to see His gifts.

Sometimes we need to step away from the mess to gain perspective. To walk out onto the front porch, listen to the birds singing for spring, feel the warm sun blanket our skin, and meet Him in all His splendor. Breathing. Believing.

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In that quiet space I listen to my thoughts. I take each one and compare it to His voice. If they conflict, I replace my own with Truth. I choose His perspective. I stand on His promised character. And slowly, His undefinable, unexplainable peace arises. What amazing grace.

Those who wait upon the Lord--binding to Him in faith--
will be renewed.

Isaiah 40:31 (expanded)

Bringing it home...

Where do you go to gain perspective?

How do you find His renewal in the midst of a mess?

dropping the stones of judgment

2011-03-17T06:30:00.003-04:00

Depravity surrounds us, dripping. We cannot escape it. We cannot deny it. Those we love and admire fall into pits of consequential sin.

The news tugs on my curiosity with its proclamations. The magazines entice my eyes to linger on the lies and hurt. Even the church pews are filled. We whisper and point...and blog. Yet only by His grace, it's not me. Not today, anyway.

Jesus teaches us love. When the mob picked up stones to strike the adulterous woman, He bent down and spoke words that caused rocks to drop from their clinched fists. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

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May my feet follow after His, proclaiming forgiveness rather than binding with chains of proud judgement. People fail. We break promises and hurt those we love. But He calls us to unity. He commands us to forgive.

One day He will rise from His throne and say, "It's time!" The horse will be beckoned. The gates will fling open. Nothing will hold Him back. May I be found praising, forgiving, and loving--working the ministry of reconciliation. By Your great grace, o Lord.

Bringing it home...

How do we "drop the stones" when someone close breaks our hearts?

choosing to thank Him in the messy

2011-03-16T05:00:00.008-04:00

It feels like my complaints are justified at times. My "rights" are trampled and I want. I need. But Paul says to do all things without complaining. Which I am certain implies that we take all things without complaining. Hmm.

I read chapter seven of Ann's book the other night and she called me out. She set me straight with one heavy word written in such poetic beauty. Blasphemer. Blasphemer? Me?

If God is sovereign, which He is. If He relentlessly loves His own, which He does. If nothing can enter my day apart from His will, which it can't. Then complaining reveals my unbelief. I don't believe that He is giving me good gifts. And I blaspheme His name.

That thought overwhelms me a bit. I need to sit down.

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Choosing to see His good even in the mess will be the place of victory. Choosing to search out the gift from His hands of love leads to contentment's waters from which joy erupts.

Easier said than done.

We are human. We feel and respond. I feel and respond. I overreact to my kids. I mumble under my breath. I hold the moment in my hands and scrutinize, criticizing Him with my frown. But He gives good gifts.

Oh to see as He sees. To bless Him with thankful lips, even in the hard. Especially in the hard.

Bringing it home...

Does this thought overwhelm you like it did me? What are you thinking?

How do we do this on Monday or Tuesday? How do we choose to thank instead of complain, when the messy is so obvious?

how to advise the broken-hearted

2011-03-15T05:00:00.009-04:00

The phone rings just as my teabag hits the hot water to steep. I answer and hear weeping. There's a gash on her heart. She explains the pain. The reality seems more than any human should bear.

I am left speechless while the clock ticks slow. I absorb her ache. It becomes a part of me.

Lord, give me the words to say.

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I remember the three friends who spoke with such confidence regarding Job's painful suffering--defining God from the earthly perspective, limited and hindered. Eventually the Sovereign chastens their poor reflection.

So I pray. God fill me. Dare I speak words that falsely portray Your face.

Then I ask to pray with her--to take her hand and lead her to the only knowing One. We approach His throne bold because of Christ. Clothed in righteousness. And His words become my own. Graciously.

Truth flows out and fills our hearing. Our faith increases as we remind our souls of who He is. Her faith increases. Her head lifts. Her tears dry. He spoke and comforted.

He spoke. Not me.

Bringing it home...

How can we be wise in our advising of others?

Linking up with sweet Rebecca at...

sifting through the advice of onlookers

2011-03-14T05:00:00.004-04:00

I wrote this post in response to my time in the book of Job.
I was not referring to any of the precious people that God uses to
speak words of wisdom and edification into my own personal life.

People mean well. They do. They hear of our lot and have an opinion. They speak out of love or concern... or fear. They hold views based upon experience, pressuring with "shoulds" that ultimately birth from the need to control.

They mean well. They do.

But I ultimately want my God's opinion. I want to follow His lead no matter how radical that path may seem. I want to walk by faith and not by sight. I long to hear Him and then obey with my next step.

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So I take the opinions of those-who-mean-well to His throne room. I lay them down and ask Him if the "shoulds" are the best. And I wait there--believing Him to guide.

I don't want to be one who responds hastily to the pressures of life. I don't like who I am when I make choices out of unstable emotions. I desire to live thoughtfully. Prayerfully.

He is on His throne. He knows the beginning from the end. He sees my momentary decisions. And He shepherds His sheep. I choose to wait on Him.

Bringing it home...

How do you handle the myriad advice from others?

comparing my to-do list with His

2011-03-10T06:00:00.004-05:00

I hold up my list up next to the clock and it seems impossible. How can I possibly check everything off before the sun sets?

People need loving. Stuff needs cleaning. Errands need running. People need loving. But I don't think I can do it all. And I'm not supposed to.

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Tasks often make it to my list that He never intended for my today. In an effort towards external perfection I cram line items onto the page. And it quickly becomes my list. Not His.

We each have enough time to do everything He intends. The key is in the listening--hearing His promptings in the moments of my day.

When I follow His lead, the walk is quieter. The pace is slower. The love is heavier.

His list is best.

Bringing it home...

How have you seen this play out with your own "to-dos"?
How can we know and follow His "list" for this day?

believing Him active when it feels He must be static

2011-03-09T06:00:00.007-05:00

He is moving. He is active. He is never static. Someone needs to hear that.

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There have been seasons in my life--too many seasons--where I have doubted his movement. Times when I defined my God through the situations in which my feet appeared stuck. And it felt as if he had stepped off of his throne for a bit.

But our faith is the victory. Believing him to be who he has declared himself to be, regardless of what our eyes may see in the finite, brings freedom.

I have written a book--well, most of a book. An unpublished book. I know he led me to write its pages. I know it will be published one day. Yet, I wait. And wait. And I have choice in the waiting.

I could sulk and whine and demand, causing my soul to live under the pains of anxiety. Or I can believe him to be working. I can walk through the doors he opens and trust his timing to be absolutely perfect, allowing his peace to be my guard.

Faith is the victory. Believing him to be God. Mighty. Faithful. Love. Sufficient. Good. Active. Holy. True. Able. Beyond me.

Bringing it home...

Practically speaking, HOW can we choose to believe him? What does it look like in the day-to-day?

I would love for you to join me over at the MODsquad today where I ponder prayer by asking, "Do I truly want to pray away possible circumstances that are meant to strengthen and develop faith in the Almighty?"

Click here to read more...

pornography. a door leading to soul-death.

2011-03-08T06:00:00.002-05:00

It now saturates the church pews, suffocating the minds and homes of too many to count.

Pornography. There. I said it.

It takes men and women captive through empty promises of satisfaction. Lies defining sex as external and simplistic, something to be bought and sold and hidden.

But the lies eat away at one's soul.

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He created sex. He designed it in all of its glory and mystery. Denying Him centrality in its discussion leaves sexuality as a mere facade. Apart from His voice, we miss the fullness.

Yet too many are bound--seduced. And I find myself burdened for my own children. Burdened for my own boys.

If left unaddressed, one taste can lead to a feasting which can lead to an addiction which can lead to soul destruction.

So how can we help others battle against the deception? How can we equip our kids to fight for purity?

Here are four very basic ideas--very basic ideas. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, as situations can get very sticky and multi-dimensional.

Pray. Commune with the Lord. If we are concerned for someone, then the place to begin is on our knees before the Holy One. Asking for His vision. Asking for His strength. Asking for His wisdom. Asking for His timing.

Confront. With unconditional love at the core, desiring to see the other live free from lies, approach with the utmost humility. Remember that apart from His great grace, it would be me still bound by chains.

Equip. Especially with regard to our children, may we teach them to "sharpen their swords." Show them from the word God's instruction and design. Teach them how to meditate on truth and take captive their lustful thoughts.

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Wait. Allow God some space to move around. Allow others some time to respond. In the meantime, love.

Bringing it home...

As I said above this is not a comprehensive list. What would you add?

How are you equipping your own children to battle against lust?

priceless art

2011-03-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

The canvas awakens my morning eyes.
Truth swirled into this moment of time with purpose.
Hues my eyes cannot fully define.
One glance and my spirit dances--free.

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I pause as the relevant graces the page.
Taking it in slow, I encamp over His word.
It whispers my name.
It's here, I'm known.

This quiet moment created for me,
Or maybe I for this moment,
To behold the glory and splendor--speechless.
It enters my marrow. It alters my plans.

Fascination, nondiscrimination...Revelation--
Given to all who seek.
As bread it feeds my soul-hunger.
As water it quenches the dry.

Piercing.

The Creator holds the paintbrush.
His love drips from the bristles, crimson red,
In fierce pursuit of my wayward heart.

Bringing it home...

How has he proven his word to be priceless art in your own life?

these are the things that ignite my flesh

2011-03-04T06:00:00.005-05:00

I have triggers--circumstances that ignite a flesh response. They hold with them the potential of sending me into slight freak-out mode. And it ain't pretty.

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I read the words of Paul describing the flesh--envy grouped together with murder--and I am reminded of my absolute depravity before a holy God. My flesh depravity. Galatians 5:16-25

No "work of the flesh" is more detestable than another. All point to selfish intents. All reveal a heart in pursuit of "me."

But He is teaching me to identify the things that trigger my flesh. And as my awareness grows, I am more prepared to put out a spark before it starts a roaring fire.

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So here are three of my personal triggers and some basics to my "fiery flesh prevention."

The Clock

When I have to race the clock to get somewhere on time--with three young kids in tow--my blood pressure rises.

Practical solution for me: Begin transitions earlier, like loading the car fifteen minutes before I actually want to pull out of the driveway. Or abbreviating my morning mommy tasks by preparing some things the night before.

The Whining

When my kids enter into whiny-mode, my ears ache. Literally. It gets into my brain and eats away any remnants of sanity. (OK, I jest a bit.)

Practical solution for me: Flee. But if I cannot flee due to obvious reasons, then I stop and breathe and pray. I remind that "mommy does not understand whiny voices." And I teach (again) that whiny words reveal a whiny heart. “Let’s each name three things for which we are thankful.”

The Mess

When my house is a cluttered mess, I can get tunnel vision. I focus on the stuff instead of the little ones who need me to be fully present.

Practical solution for me: Along with encouraging our kids to put away what they get out, I do a 20-minute clean sweep through the house each day. I start in the laundry room and fly through the house at unmentionable speeds putting away the strays.

Situations will arise that can easily ignite our flesh responses. But in Christ we do not have to live enslaved to the flesh. That's why He died. And rose. And sealed us with His Spirit.

The only fire escape is through His power, His wisdom, and His filling.

{P.S. My firefighter man will be so proud of my fire analogies.}

Bringing it home...

Have you identified any of your flesh triggers?

Are you willing {and brave enough} to share?

the choice we have in every single moment

2011-03-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

"We remember what we rehearse," words of wisdom yet again from this precious soul. Say them, slow and purposed.

If we rehearse in our minds the insults from another, then the wound stays open, soon to be infected with bitter.

If we rehearse in our hearts the lies successfully sold to this world, then all Christ died to give is stolen and replaced with despair.

The choice is in the rehearsing. The repeating.

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If we rehearse blessings and intercessions, handing life to another, then love creeps up and out and onto those walking beside us.

If we rehearse Truths revealed by the Maker's tender will, then our sword becomes sharp in preparation for the faith battle.

The choice is in the rehearsing. The repeating.

The choice is in the moments of this day.

Bringing it home...

What are you rehearsing?

Practically speaking, how can we change what we rehearse?

the idea is just too wonderful

2011-03-01T06:04:00.006-05:00

The thought that He desires to be my friend, humbles. That He invites me to walk beside and commune, to share the hidden things. The idea is too wonderful.

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It makes me ask. Am I his friend? Are you?

{Written in response to my time in John 15:11-17. }

news that steals away our breath

2011-02-28T05:30:00.004-05:00

Some days are heavy. Devastating news comes unexpected and we stand with a fractured heart that aches. Gaps that want filling. Gashes that question the Maker's hands...and His purpose.

So we weep. And with those who weep, we weep some more.

We take the broken pieces to the only One able to soothe and uphold. We lay the shards at His feet and then fall down weary from the crawl.

The clock slowly begins to move forward. People go to the store to buy milk and they laugh about the mundane. But for us, life stopped. It stopped when the darkness fell.

And we wonder if feeling will ever return to the numb places.

It's there we wait, at the only place where hope glimmers faint in the far distance. We wait in the embrace of His arms, as a Father who lifts up his child when she fears the night.

And He holds tight until we are ready to walk again.

Written in remembrance of Drew Dennison. Praying for his grieving family.

I should be dead in more ways than one.

2011-02-25T05:30:00.002-05:00

I should be dead. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. Literally. But God. Heartbreak, addictions, and loss have at times sent me spirally into valleys. But God.

By his immeasurable grace I live. I rejoice. I overcome. I stand firm. I fight the fight of faith. I run the race. I fly with new wings touched by his beauty.

Today I am sharing {an abridged version of} my grace story with my sweet blogger friend Stacey over at 29 Lincoln Avenue. Click here to stop by. I would love to "see" you.

Oh and, have I told you lately that he thinks you are precious? He does!

calling all couponing-divas for such a cause as this

2011-02-24T06:00:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday I posted about my trite need for recipes when the world is dying of hunger. It was a sobering day. But a dear friend commented about her wise use of coupons and it got me thinking.

She coupons in order to stock pile items so that her family can give those things to people in need. Brilliant, huh?! And maybe enough motivation to get me back on the coupon wagon.

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I am the worst at couponing. In grocery store visits of old, I have fumbled around with slippery 50-cent-off coupons while my kids grew ever-impatient, nearly scaling the dairy case. So I gave it all up. The reason to coupon was not worth the hassle of carrying it out.

But, if I had some tips on how to coupon quickly and easily for such a cause as this, I may be able to follow through. And I bet others may be inspired as well.

So we coupon-drop-outs need you money-saving-divas. Either leave a comment with your amazingly easy ideas or link up one of your own blog posts that inspires and equips.

Come on girls. I know you are out there.

the secret to peace when others are living your desires

2011-02-23T06:00:00.004-05:00

We spoke on the phone and she said it in passing. Without any loud to-do. But it stuck with me. Her wise word, laced with grace and humility, hung in the air of my days.

I introduced you to this precious jewel last week. She has walked through some rough terrain that could easily tear open our fragile soles. Yet her word to me was contentment.

Contentment. The secret.

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"Lara, I have learned to be content. My God only gives His children what is ultimately best. So I trust Him fully, come what may."

I felt that lump in my throat. I want to commune with Him like that, wholly content with the hand I have been given. Rain. Or shine.

Discontentment declares of my Lord, "You do not know what I need. You must not love me as much. You surely have forsaken." All lies.

The cure: inhaling trust and truth, exhaling fear and envy. Knowing that where He has me today is ultimately for His greatest glory and my greatest good.

Content.

"For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound...

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:11-13

Bringing it home...

How have you struggled with discontentment?

What truths about our God empower us to rest where we are today, contented?

my "need" was so trite in comparison

2011-02-22T06:00:00.007-05:00

I was originally going to post today about my need for new recipes. How I was in a meal rut, preparing the same three dinners for my sweet family each week, while then grazing on the leftovers.

Then I picked up Compassion's Winter magazine. And the original post felt so trite.

"The world's greatest health risk: Hunger." Hunger. Sometimes I just need a shake back into reality. While I moan over eating a big plate of hot spaghetti...again...billions are starving. While our nation consumes more calories than any other, most scrounge for a bite.

To be honest, I read these statistics and I am left paralyzed on my soft couch in hopelessness. The task appears daunting. The numbers overwhelming.

So I ask His opinion.

I think our call is simple as the Maker's children. First, let's not forget. Let us not grow blind to the great need "out there." Let us remember a world desperate for the basics.

And second, let's do something. Anything. As an individual we may not be able to save the whole world, but we can help one. Or two. Or five. We can ask Him to open a door where our excess can be shared with another. Locally or globally.

So I am not going to whine about eating the same thing again tonight. I lift up thanks and ask that our fill be used to bless another.

Bringing it home...

How about you? What do these statistics do to your own heart?

their little feet follow wherever mine go

2011-02-21T06:00:00.007-05:00

The dentist stirred up a fire in my 6 year old daughter. After he visited her classroom talking about cavities and proper dental care, my girl jumped into the car after school and began quizzing us on our flossing regimen.

So I had to admit it. I'm a sporadic floss-er. There, I said it. I typically floss on an as-needed basis. Well, that and a two-week intensive prior to my next dental appointment for fear of the hygienist's judgment.

I know that flossing is important. But the head knowledge does not affect my typical daily habit. So I live in shame.

photo credit - timfotography

My kids follow my lead. In fact, my daughter's flossing passion has waned since that dentist's frightful visit. As I failed to enforce the floss, she has failed to make it a habit.

They do reflect me...in more ways than just flossing.

If I truly love the unlovely, then they will learn love. If I feed the hungry or visit the lonely, then they will more likely do the same. If I apply the Word to my dailiness, then they will be prone to follow suit.

Their feet are following mine. So I want my toes pointing towards the Lover of their little souls.

Bringing it home...

How have you seen your own kids reflecting your heart convictions? Positive or negative.

learning to love regardless

2011-02-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

I recently spoke to a group of moms in Knoxville, TN. A precious woman said something afterwards that stuck with me.

{And I paraphrase.} "When we stand before our God we cannot point the finger at others in defense of our unforgiving, ungracious, unlovely behavior. It is me before my Lord. I want to be found faithful to love, regardless."

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Is that not great?! Too often we get hung up on rights or demands, yet His burden is light. Our freedom call is to love. Just love.

Unforgiveness and bitterness steal the joy He died to give us. They bind us with chains and place our focus within this earthly realm. We miss His blessings when we choose to wear the Avenger's cloak.

He is teaching me--this slow learner that I am.

Each day it is simply me before my Lord--you before your Lord. He promises His strength when our weaknesses overtake us, if we humbly believe.

If you are having trouble truly loving another, begin here:

Repent. Confess your insufficiencies out-loud before the Lord. He is faithful to cleanse all unrighteousness. Revival always begins with repentance.

Ask Him to love through you. Cry out with all your heart. He alone enables us to love our "enemies," as Christ commands. Unless He fills and spills, we will be left with spinning wheels. {Hey, I'm rhyming.}

Follow His promptings to practically love. We love in the moments of our day. Ask Him to show you practical ways to love the other. Listen to His promptings and then obey.

Blessing follows obedience. It's how He works. Our souls He will bless as we choose the way of love, regardless of the other.

Bringing it home...

How have you struggled to love your "enemies"?

What practical advice do you have for others?

staying on schedule in our very scheduled world

2011-02-17T06:30:00.003-05:00

The lady at the pharmacy asks in such a benign way, and I feel my face get red.

I know this. Don't panic. Just think slowly and calmly.

"December 31st, 2007," I say with partial confidence and only a moment's hesitation. You would think that the date of my third child's birth would be more firm in my mind. But I have calendar issues.

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I recently missed an appointment...again. So after a talk with my God, I implemented some practical things to do so I can stay on schedule in our very scheduled world.

I figure there have to be others like me--those with calendar deficiencies. So this is for you, three quick calendar tips to help our kind.

Keep an up-to-date calendar. Google calendar has become my friend. It allows you to easily enter recurring events, like birthdays and work schedules. And you can access it from anywhere.

Refer to it every morning. You would think this is a no-brainer, but I have to make a conscious effort to look at my calendar every morning. I told you: issues.

Do not talk about dates unless you are looking at your calendar. I get into trouble if I discuss dates without actually having my calendar in front of me. Do not commit unless you have confirmed it first.

Missing important dates can hurt those around me. I want to be a blessing.

Bringing it home...

What other calendar tips have worked for you? Come on, friends, I need help.

I want to be like her when I grow up

2011-02-16T06:00:00.007-05:00

I want to be like her when I grow up--because she looks so much like Him. I told her that yesterday. We met on an ordinary Sunday just after I stood at the podium humbled to think that I could teach her anything from the Word.

She reminded me of my own grandmother.

After my teaching, she came over and smiled. She grabbed my hand tight, then spoke a word of blessing. It left me near speechless.

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He is knitting her onto my heart. What a gift.

She speaks and I want to sit low and listen. She shares pieces of her life--even those severed pieces--and I am awed at her solid faith. She reads books of heavy theology, knows Him deep, and spreads grace. And pours me a cup of hot tea.

I want to be like her when I grow up--because she looks so much like Him.

We need the wisdom of those older in the faith. In a world that races by, treasure lies in their stories of knowing Him.

If you don't already, ask Him to bring someone into your life who is years beyond you in faith. Then take the time to listen to their stories. Let them affect you.

I plan on telling you more of this precious jewel...

Bringing it home...

Do you have someone like her in your own life? How have they blessed you beyond words?

I am a {recovering} control-freak

2011-02-15T06:00:00.006-05:00

Hi my name is Lara and I am a {recovering} control-freak.

Sometimes I need a strong dose of His sovereignty.

photo credit - picturen8

When people or situations jump out of my box of control, the old me--we'll call her Wilma--is tempted to arise, surfacing as fear or angst or frustration. And I can allow the momentary struggle to steal the joy and peace rightfully mine in the Lord. Rightful through His sacrifice.

It's then I have some choices to make.

I can set my eyes on the thing happening, or the person disappointing, and define my God through my circumstance. {He must not love. He must not see. He must not be able to rescue.}

Or I can define the moment through the character of my God.

He does not say "oops" or "I did not expect that one." No sin or disease confounds him. No man can take his scepter. No storm sends rain apart from his word.

To Wilma I say, "Believe him! He loves. He remembers. He sees. He works. He promises to work all things together for the good of those who love him. He will guide. Abide there. Rest. there."

I twist and squirm as the truth tries to settle down into my spirit. I fight it for a time, questioning in disbelief. But ever-so-slowly, I allow His covering. And His incomprehensible peace soothes and mends.

And Wilma soon retreats.

Sometimes I just need a good talkin' to. {And for those who are wondering...I don't really talk to Wilma. No need for an intervention.}

Bringing it home...

How does life tempt you to believe that He has lost control?

How can we actively choose to stand on His character and promises regardless of our circumstance?

what Janet Jackson taught me about love {or not}

2011-02-14T06:00:00.004-05:00

I am a product of Janet Jackson's 1986 hit, "What have you done for me lately." {uh uh uh uh uh, oooh oooh oooh, yeah.}

Seven years after its release, I graduated from high school defining "love" with similar sentiments.

photo credit - nicole pierce

For most of my life I wrestled with this little word love. I wanted the Cinderella story complete with gown and horse-drawn buggy. I wanted the "happily ever after" while gazing longingly into my man's eyes.

But our love story has been more of a Lifetime drama.

My man and I have walked through deep valleys with tough choices. We have questioned the plan and left wounds on the other. We have pointed fingers and miscommunicated.

But here we are...loving.

In these wife-years I have learned some things about love. True love--the Maker's love--chooses to pour out rather than demand.

It lifts and waits and gives. It fights for truth and destroys the list of wrongs. It suffers long and believes when hope hides. It is not based on the actions of the other.

How I want to love as my Lord so graciously loves me.

Sweet Janet Jackson, I enjoyed jamming to your songs. I forgive you for feeding into my confusion.

And to my man, I. love. you.

Bringing it home...

How has true love been proven in your own life?

when exactly did I become a woman?

2011-02-10T06:00:00.008-05:00

Someone recently referred to me as a woman {which is better, I suppose, than her referring to me as a man}. But the word sat on me funny. Woman.

I tried to remember when I crossed over to that woman side, leaving the girl behind. Granted I am thirty-something, driving the Bling, with three kids needing my constant provision. But woman?

I'm not so sure if I can find the tune for such a song.

photo credit - M. Angel Herrero

I think I know me too well. I know my childlike need to learn the same truths again and again and again. I see Him clearly as Father, but to think He might define me as His woman-daughter causes my voice to crack a bit off key.

{Thinking}

I guess we all struggle to truly hear. He defines us one way and we wrestle to believe.

He declares us forgiven, yet we drag around those rusty chains of condemnation. He describes us as new, yet we live under the bondage of old strongholds. He covers us with freedom words, yet the slave clothes fit comfortable and worn.

Why do we do that?

I want to believe what He says about me. To learn the notes of this--His--song. I am His woman-daughter, maturing and growing ever-more confident as I walk equipped and empowered by His great grace to sing.

OK. Maybe I can play this song as I keep my eyes set on the Composer-Director.

Bringing it home...

How do you struggle to believe what He declares about you?

having eyes for her tomorrow

2011-02-09T06:00:00.003-05:00

I watch her direct her brothers, reacting to their faults, and I see me. I see the weaknesses in me that I want to change. Or don’t want to change, so I sit paralyzed in ungratefulness or oversensitivity or control. Me.

But focusing upon her imperfections entangles. And his burden is light. My call is not to “fix” the waywardness. My mommy-call has always been the same--to train, to guide, and to love. Just as my Lord so tenderly raises me.

When my Father-Maker looks patiently upon his daughter, he does not glare at the unfinished product irritated by it’s slow coming. He sees my tomorrow transformation and builds towards it.

He smiles...

Today I am posting over at the ModSquad.

Click here to read the rest of the post.

my vlog premier...and yes, I danced

2011-02-07T06:00:00.003-05:00

I vlogged for the first time. And for those who are looking at the word with confusion, vlog=video blog. And...I'm a little nervous thinking about your viewing eyes.

"Why vlog?" you ask. Well, hopefully to encourage you. As 2010 came to a close, I joined Katie Orr over at Do Not Depart in the challenge to memorize the entire book of Philippians.

By His great grace I am remembering His word. {OK, mostly remembering His word.}

So this is me--with very little make-up--reciting chapter one of Philippians.

Oh, and, I do a happy praise dance when I finish to which my son asked, "Who's birthday is it mommy?" I don't know. :-/

Lara reciting Philippians chapter 1 from Lara Williams on Vimeo.

what I DON'T do so I can do what I DO...do

2011-02-04T06:00:00.011-05:00

The other day I spent some time with my sweet friend Emily from Chatting at the Sky. (Doesn't she just rock?!) Anyway, through our kid-free conversation we found ourselves in a discussion over the things that we DON'T do.

I figure the list just needs to be blogged. So here goes. Ten things I don't do so I can do the things I do...do...

I don't bake {often}. Unless you count slice and bake.

I don't scrapbook, sew, or knit. In fact, the stack of idealistic cutesy papers and supplies in my hall closet haunts me.

(Martha would be so disappointed.)

I don't {formally} homeschool. I say formally because I don't have official desks. Though we as believers should all be homeschooling to some extent. Read this excellent post from "Motherhood Your Way".

I don't dust, mop, and/or vacuum my house every single week. Learning to be OK with dust at the top of my door frames.

I don't watch {much} TV. I can't find much that impresses me.

I don't nap...except on Sundays. Lovin' the Sunday nap.

I don't regularly re-decorate my home. In fact I still have some blank walls that cry out for a covering.

I don't talk long on the phone. Unless my children are all strapped into their car seats.

I don't spend hours on social media. I try to remain purposeful and remember my "why" and my "how long."

I don't sleep late. Though one day when the kids are away at college, I hope to stay in bed until at least seven. {wink}

I want to do most of those things. I enjoy having fresh muffins for my kids and seeing my walls full of up-to-date photographs. I love to sleep in and engage the social media outlets. But to do what He has for me this day, I simply have to lay some things down.

He gives the same amount of time to each of us. Twenty-four hours per day. No more, no less. We have the time to do all that He has called us to do. The key is seeking Him in the moments to know exactly how He desires we spend that time. No other life fulfills.

So there you have it. Ten things I don't do, so that I can do the things I do...do.

Bringing it home...

What don't you do so that you have time to do the things He has called you to do in this season of your life?

nearing day 40 of my fast {and chocolate}

2011-02-03T06:00:00.004-05:00

I have purposefully avoided blogging too often about my fast these past four weeks, so as not to seem...whatever. But as I enter the final 7 days I wanted to take a moment to share how He has faithfully rained down and what He has taught in the process.

photo credit - HDC Photography

Fasting affects things. Not in the sense that fasting manipulates our God into action. That would be ridiculous. But fasting, combined with the intentional seeking of His will, affects--probably my own wayward heart. When we lay down things of the flesh in pursuit of the ultimate Bread, He fills. He rains.

He has specific plans for His children. He is Father. When He designed you and me, He did so with purpose. And He desires that we know those plans through intimacy with Him. As we His children look up to Him for direction, pressing into Him for wisdom, He bends down and answers.

He makes hearts tender. He has been transforming mine. He has given me clearer vision to see and understand those next to me. He has knit a deeper love for my man and my kids in the quiet places of my own heart. And He has stirred an unexplainable longing for those I do not even personally know, but am blessed to minister to.

He may impress upon you to do something seemingly crazy-radical. My advice? Just do it. Walls may fall down.

He is bound to His promises. If He said it, then it will come to pass. By His very nature He is bound by His words. When He speaks a promise, our victory in the waiting comes in believing with fervency that one day that thing will happen.

(Most of all) HE IS GRACE. He is grace. There have been days that I have not been as purposeful, where I did not set aside that specific time to pray in the afternoon. (GASP!) But our God remembers we are dust. He sees us perfectly and responds to the ultimate desire of our heart to honor Him.

Lastly, chocolate must be a gift from Him. Yes, it's true. I am looking forward to that handful of M&M's. I may even put them on top of a huge, cheesy slice of pizza.

If He leads you to do something that seems odd or insane in the eyes of the world, run fast after Him. He is always working, friend. Always. Faith leads to great reward in Him.

Bringing it home...

Has He ever led you to do something that may have sounded crazy in human terms? If you followed through, what was the result?

inspired to bury His word deep

2011-02-02T14:00:00.001-05:00

Today I'm hanging out with sweet Kat over at Inspired to Action where I wrote about burying God's word deep into our hearts and the hearts of our kids. Come on over!

remaining purposeful in cyber-space

2011-02-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

A small piece of me longs for simpler days. When phones hung on walls and information waited to be discovered in libraries. Instead I wake to my cell vibrating on the nightstand with messages that have streamed in while I slept.

photo credit - flickr D. Bjorn

We live in a noisy, cyber world that can easily consume us. And though the Internet is not satan's spawn nor does Twitter plot evil against mere humans, I have a deep craving that beckons from within.

A cry for His still, small voice to guide me.

Yesterday I shared how my morning quiet before the Lord proves vital in facing these busy days. But once those morning minutes tick away, life awaits. And I want Him to meet me in its midst.

One way I stay focused in our cyber-culture is by determining my "why" and my "how long." Why am I here? And, how long should I stay? Knowing the answer to these two questions enables me to take charge of these fleeting minutes that add up to today.

How do you remain purposeful in our busy, cyber world?

the challenge to maximize our mornings

2011-01-31T06:00:00.007-05:00

So much potential arises with the sun. The start of a fresh day. The sight of a sky painted as the Artist's canvas. The pouring out of His new mercies.

photo credit - romainguy

But the demands can blindside me. In mere seconds of my three little ones opening their eyes, I am needed. Needed to fix breakfast. Needed to soothe any early tears. Needed to wipe...everything.

If I do not purposefully take the time to listen to His voice, then the noise of living quickly tries to drown Him out. And my heart is left wrestling for Truth. Wrestling to love.

I had this professor at seminary who used to say, "We cannot coast through a single day." He was right. All we have is today. We cannot live on yesterday's faith. I think that is why my moments of quiet with the Lord before the kids arise have become such a precious necessity.

So I am excited to play a small part in Kat's challenge over at Inspired to Action. She has written the (FREE) ebook called Maximize your Mornings, giving women practical tips on developing life-long habits to maximize our morning routines. Her heart to encourage is priceless.

So how about you? Are you wanting Him to invade your morning moments? Head over here to read more.

sisters.

2011-01-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

This is my flesh and blood sister. It isn't her birthday or the anniversary of some major life happening. It's just Friday and she makes me smile.

We live only a mile from one another. Our kids tumble and laugh and chase. And sometimes fuss. But she holds this place in my heart that insists I sit back and exhale a purposeful word of thanksgiving. I've never mentioned her here, in this my-reflection-space.

photo credit - stacey haines photography

These days our conversations steer towards our great God. We still quote our favorite movies or laugh at our own mama coming out in our words, but when we hover around and about our Lord, the bond goes deeper. What a treasure.

He does this though. He places people in our lives with which to be real--people who have seen us wearing our thick glasses with no make-up, or wiped tears from our eyes when life stings raw. People given as a gift, to sharpen and build and encourage.

We were not meant to live isolated days. He created with community at the root, that we would take off the veil of people pleasing perfection and just be. She is one of the ones He gave me--seeing me and loving regardless.

I love you my sister. My friend. He is doing a precious work in you.

Bringing it home...

Who is someone that He has given as a gift to your life?

Maybe today is a good day to tell them how much they are loved.

dream seeds...buried with purpose

2011-01-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

A dream lying dormant in the crevices of our soul. Hiding deep down. Colorful. Wild. Free. One that causes your voice to whisper as the thought moves to the edge of your lips. Absurd. Unattainable. Beyond reach.

But what if He placed it there?

What if the dream is His, planted as a seed in the soil of your heart, just waiting to burst forth from that furrowed ground? Waiting for His breath to summon the bloom.

photo credit - brenda starr

I'm convinced He does this with His own. His Spirit gives seeds of vision to be watered over time until that day when He opens the door wide and tenderly waits for us to step over the threshold. One shaky foot in front of the other.

Hang on, my friend. He completes all that He begins.

Bringing it home...

Do you have a deep down dream?

What thoughts does its "coming to life" evoke in your spirit?

fully engaged living

2011-01-24T06:30:00.005-05:00

She has green flecks in her big brown eyes. And I want to see them. Too often I'm tempted to nod and "mmm, hmm" without a glance in her direction. Pasta insists I stir or laundry lays wrinkling in the dryer. But she needs me fully engaged. They all do.

photo credit - flickr Rolands Lakis

Today's moments will fade into yesterday's memories before my coffee completely cools. If I'm not purposeful, intentional, and mindful, tomorrow will grace the calendar before I impress their wills towards Him. I could miss it. I don't want to miss it.

To live life face-to-face with those He places in our path. To meet them in that moment--the right now moment. To see earnest cravings and know the why to their tears. I think that's His way. The way of love.

Life is too short to waste it on mediocre living. I pray that He uses me up to pour love and grace and mercy and compassion onto those that walk next to me.

I will fail.

Probably in the next hour.

But my deepest desire beckons Him to touch others through my wanting hands. So here I go, about my today. Desiring to live fully engaged. Are you coming?

Bringing it home...

How do you intentionally engage the moments with those beside you?

the shuffle of faithful feet

2011-01-21T06:30:00.006-05:00

He wins some small battles for our heart affections. We walk in a fog, playing the game of deception. Hope he steals and joy he swipes, with no regard for my own tear-stained, dark, sleepless nights.

But the shuffle of glorious and faithful strong feet move high above the clouds, with His-story to complete. His children under covenant, sealed with sacrificial love; songs of praise seep out of His throne room above.

photo credit - brenda starr

Listen deep, breathe Him in, though the wolves may surround. He sees your earnest longing--in Him alone true life is found. You are not forgotten. You are not alone. His plan is unfolding. His name will be known.

Stand firm; His own promises cannot be thwarted, in spite of this cold world's declarations distorted. Stir up the fire, the coals, burning ember. Believe, abide, love strong, and remember...

Him.

His whisper through my words

2011-01-19T06:30:00.004-05:00

I never thought I'd say it. But the whiny plague that often weighs down on my precious children taught me something the other day.

photo credit - www.artzthings.com

It was one of those moments when the words came out of my mouth yet I knew it was Him speaking directly to me.

"Baby girl, do you trust me? Your whiny heart tells me that you are not trusting my love right now?"

Trusting My love...

Do you hear Him? Speaking to me?

My feet paused as my mind soaked in His whisper.

We deceive ourselves into thinking that this whole parenting thing is all about us--the adults--teaching them--the children--how to do this life thing well. Then He pierces us through the very words that leave our lips.

Slowly but surely I'm learning that parenting has just as much to do with me being transformed into His holy vessel, as it does with them being taught His ways.

Oh He is so patient.

"Lord, I want to trust You. I know that Your love blankets my very existence. Forgive me. Cleanse me. I choose to set my eyes upon You."

Bringing it home...

How has He spoken to you through your own words of instruction to another?

He is present tense

2011-01-17T06:30:00.005-05:00

Just to remind the heart of His child--

the depths of the one who trusts in Him...

He lives.

He sees you.

He hears you.

He understands you.

He remains faithful to you.

He gives what's best for you.

He blankets you.

He forgives you.

He pursues you.

He defends you.

He sustains you.

He loves you. Loves. You.

Actively. Presently. Continually. Undoubtedly. Faithfully. Wholly.

Through the shed blood of His Son.

Believe.

chasing love...to Suffolk, VA

2011-01-14T06:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's post definitely stirred up some comments--both on the blog and in my everyday life. I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine that caused me to go one step further in my pondering of food.

Yes. Our bodies are the Lord's temple (how graciously cool is that?!) so I think it obvious that we respect that temple and fill it with healthy things. However, everyone is in process. Everyone. Including me. Including you.

In whatever convictions He lays on our individual hearts, we must allow love to be our guide. We are under grace, not Law.

photo credit - flickr photo by pink sherbet photography

"If your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:15-17)

May love for our brothers and sisters
be our ultimate drive.

So speaking of love for my sisters, I get to go share with some lovely women in Suffolk, VA today for a women's conference. If you are in the Suffolk area and want something encouraging and invigorating to do with your girlfriends, then come on out! I would love to meet you!

Here are the details...

Southside Baptist Church
917 Carolina Road

Suffolk, VA

Friday night, 7-9 p.m.
Saturday morning, 8:30 - noon

Tickets are $12 and include Saturday breakfast.

Come and let Him renew your heart!

ponder with me the topic of food

2011-01-13T06:30:00.006-05:00

Food. It's absolutely everywhere. Bodies are fueled by it. Celebrations revolve around it. Hurts find comfort in it. Mouths drool for it.

This Daniel Fast has me thinking a lot about what I usually put into my body. Wait wait wait. I'm not going to get all legalistic on you, nor am I going to march with picket signs banning sugar in schools. I'm just pondering. So bear with me.

He gave us each one body. Just one. And once sealed with His Spirit, He declares it to be His temple. So I'm thinking the best thing is to take care of it. Right? Feed it mostly healthy God-foods and strengthen it a bit. Not rocket science.

photo credit - flickr by cayusa

"But chocolate makes my mouth water and rich cheesy sauces taste so good on pasta." All true and all mulled over in my own thought life at some point in the last 12 days.

Hmm. But what if there really is good, better, and best--with the choices we make having effects on the body and mind. See. We're just thinking. So thankful for His amazing grace! And for the word "moderation."

On the food-note, this was last night's dinner. Very tasty, with a kick!

Moroccan Couscous

1 box quick cooking whole wheat couscous
1 lb. peeled and cubed acorn (or butternut) squash
1/2 c. diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
Olive oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
3 tsp. curry powder
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1-15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 c. golden raisins
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
Vegetable stock or water
Salt to taste

In large stock pot, saute the onion and garlic over MH heat in 1-2 T olive oil until softening. Add squash, ginger, and curry (and more olive oil if needed). Saute for approximately 5 more minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, raisins, and cinnamon. Add enough veg. stock or water to make a thick stew. Cook until squash softens, approximately 10-12 minutes. Serve over the cooked couscous.

Bringing it home...

Ponder this with me. What are your thoughts when it comes to food choices? Do they matter?

How do you think the American church, as a whole, sees food? {just to stereotype for a moment}

praying against human trafficking

2011-01-11T14:00:00.002-05:00

For the last thirty days I have stood beside Abolition! and approached the throne of our great God on behalf of the atrocity.

Children forgotten to the hands of captors.

Women reduced to mere objects of cheap sexual thrill.

Faces that have names, and hearts that have grown numb to the pain.

And though the thoughts, images, and stories drain hope from one's veins like color stolen from a once beautiful painting, when bowing before His throne a small glimmer of Light seems to break through.

I found myself prompted to pray that His Spirit would stir among the captives. That He would invade the brothels and dirt beds with the secret of life found only in Him. I don't know how. I don't know when. But I believe it His will.

Today is 1.11.11.

Would you join the thousands
interceding on behalf of the victims?

intro post for the MODsquad blog

2011-01-11T06:30:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago the sweet girls over at the MODsquad invited me to be a monthly contributing writer for their inspiring blog. Their heart and vision is to "encourage and inspire moms to raise daughters with purity, character, & hearts for God." What a blessing!

So here is a taste of my intro post that went live today...

"Spilling Him Forth"

I’m like you—assuming you are like me. I fail. I fall. I flounder at times with this mothering thing. I regret certain words or tones or thoughts. I have to get on my knees before these precious children entrusted to my hands of care and ask for their forgiveness...

Click here to read the full post.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to browse the site. Some amazing women hang out in this space!

eighties crunchy hair

2011-01-10T06:30:00.004-05:00

I had crunchy hair in the sixth grade. Mousse-drenched, hairspray-secured, eighties crunchy hair. One day a boy noticed. As I passed him on the school sidewalk, he asked if he could touch my lovely brown locks. Flattered by his adoration I said "sure."

But he pretended as if my strands gashed his hand, as if blood now gushed out of his fingers. So dramatic. Apparently he had never touched anything quite so...crunchy. And my fragile, people-pleasing spirit walked back to homeroom crushed by a stupid boy's opinion.

Twenty-five-ish years later I am blogging about it. Hmm.

Since then, the Lord has grown me in the area of worth. I went from a timid desperately self-focused tween to a confident woman who now knows and believes what my Maker declares over me.

But to be honest, the tendency still tempts me at times. If left to wander in this flesh, I can allow the words of others to affect me--especially the opinions of those most dear to my heart. Thankfully He has taught me a few things along the way.

He has given me vision to see those wayward thoughts the moment they enter the scene. Unless we see them we cannot take them captive.

He has taught me how to replace those thoughts with Truth. His Truth. The things He declares over me.

"You are fearfully and wonderfully made."

"I am listening to your every word."

"Every concern on your heart concerns Me."

"You are a daughter of the King. Adopted into royalty."

The flower blooms.

photo credit - flickr photo by nosha

As His Truth washes over those withered places, hope arises. If only that young sixth-grader had known. She would have walked back to class with her crunchy head held high.

Bringing it home...

How do you allow the words of others to affect your stance?

How can we actively, practically believe what the Maker declares instead of fallen mankind?

Daniel Fast-ers...

I am praying for you, believing Him to continue to pour out wisdom and understanding. He promises to reward those who earnestly seek Him.

it's there i'm home

2011-01-07T06:30:00.003-05:00

The sun rises fierce in the sky, another day--
Another vapor of time to choose...

In whom or what will this heart trust?

photo credit - flickr photo by mark wooten

All is vanity, he declares;
Time flies past unaware of my stepped-on toes.

People stare off, wondering and questioning,
Testing reality.

Yet life is only found in One.
Healing only flows from Him.

Truth only exists by His word. His word.
Not mine--unless I speak forth the revealed.

By grace He reaches down to the fibers of our will.
In mercy He loves and lavishes and awakens.

His, I'm called. And there I'm home.

these days {a guest post}

2011-01-05T06:30:00.002-05:00

I just know that this guest post from a dear sister-friend will bless you as it has me.

********

These are hard days.

Days where it feels like I did not accomplish a thing. Yet at night I lay my head on the pillow, exhausted.

Days where I feel like a failure.

But then I look to my Father.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2

I realize my Helper sees me in all my struggles.

And I see grace.

After looking to My Help, I look again at these days with a new perspective. Much is being accomplished.

There is great value in these days, as I choose obedience in the roles He has given me. Comforting babies, meeting needs, directing little hearts to Christ. Sitting at His feet, hiding His Word in my heart.

Spending these days knowing Him,

and making Him known to my family.

And really, what is more important than this?

Bringing it home...

Do you struggle with measuring your days with what you have (or have not) accomplished?

What are the roles that the Lord has called you to put first, and be obedient in?

********

Pastor’s wife, and mother of three, Katie Orr loves to teach God’s Word. Longing to equip others to walk with the Lord for a lifetime, Katie has discipled women and taught small group Bible studies for over thirteen years. She served on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for seven years, before God called their family to pastoral ministry.

She blogs at Do Not Depart, where you can receive encouragement and tools to abide in God’s Word.

fav Christmas gift {on the lighter side}

2011-01-04T06:30:00.002-05:00

Aren't these the most precious things you have ever seen? I mean really. The colors and workmanship.

I received them in the mail from one of my favorite friends over Christmas. I called her and left a message saying, "I absolutely want to love the present you made for me.

But I have no clue what they are. Call me."

I'm crazy, I know.

Her out of town travels meant she didn't receive my message. So I took matters into my own hands. I carried my beautiful new gift to a ladies night and polled my dear Bible study friends.

The conclusions varied. One thought sure they were to be threaded through your belt as a type of belt-purse. Another was certain that they hung around your wrist to safely carry keys and a cellphone while hands were full of packages or groceries. I personally liked my first assessment which had something to do with earrings slash ear warmers of sorts.

But a few days later I caught up with my sweet friend via email. It turns out...

Drum roll please...

They are...

SLIPPERS! We laughed. And I love them!

Bringing it home...

Do you have any funny Christmas gift stories? I would love to hear.

If not, what was your favorite Christmas gift?

Daniel Fast-ers...

Practically speaking, how are you being purposeful in prayer?

Remember with me that this is not a time of dieting, rather a time of communing with and humbling ourselves before our Lord. Feasting on Him and His foods.

I am just so excited to walk this journey beside you! I am already thrilled by the God-stories you have to share.

laying stones

2011-01-03T06:30:00.001-05:00

I forget much. To the level of embarrassing. In fact, I usually give approximates when it comes to the exact birth weights of my children. Can we say pathetic?

But considering how often God instructs His people to purposefully "remember" tells me that I may not be completely alone.

So today I am linking up with Katie Orr over at Do Not Depart to lay some stones of remembrance for 2010. Things that God did in my own heart, home, and ministry for which He deserves all the praise.

original photo courtesy of catherine hadler

Heart...

God continues to break my own heart-chains that had suffocated for years. Lies. Expectations. Supposed rights. He is freeing me to truly love--truly love. And He is patient with my process.

Home...

My six-year-old asked Jesus "into her heart." So precious. Now she wants to know whether or not every establishment we enter and every person we meet is Christian. It's priceless.

My four-year-old followed suit, under his sister's slight pressure, to also ask Jesus into his heart. We are still clarifying the basics of said decision.

The Lord continues to redeem our marriage. We serve a very big God who heals and transforms those places where it appears the enemy has won. (I love you, babe, and am blessed to do this life-thing with you.)

So I stand on this promise, "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Ministry...

I finished the majority of my first book and sent the proposal to a handful of publishers. Now I wait on and believe Him for the harvest.

Though I have been graced with various teaching opportunities over the years, this was the first year I was the speaker at a women's conference. Like, "the" speaker. Yikes. More conferences and venues are now booked for 2011. The Lord is truly opening doors for the calling that He placed on my heart years ago. He wows me.

And some personal randoms...

We stopped using diapers. The baby of the family is no longer a baby. Thankful for three healthy children.

I cooked my first Christmas turkey. (Yes, I'm thirty-five-years-old.) Thankful that He always provides.

Bringing it home...

What about you? What stones of remembrance for 2010 do you want to lay?

Daniel Fast-ers...

To hunger pangs I say, "Lord I hunger more for You!"

Looking forward to praying with each of you individually as we start this venture. If you haven't already, please email me at Lara@LaraWilliams.org if you want to share accountability and encouragement as we walk this road.

leaving regrets at the throne

2010-12-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Leave any 2010 regrets at the throne. Tomorrow is a new year, a fresh start. Let's press into the One who made us, sustains us, protects us, heals us, and loves us relentlessly.

Blessings to you and yours!

Bringing it home...

What are your hopes and prayers for the coming year?

Daniel Fast-ers...

If you are beginning the year with a spiritual fast, then here are two quick things to think about before we turn to the January calendar tomorrow.

Determine your purpose. Remember, fasting is NOT dieting. Fasting is abstaining from foods with a spiritual purpose. Get alone with the Lord and ask Him for wisdom. Then write down your purpose(s).

Plan some meals. If you are joining me on the Daniel fast, then check out this website for some tips on foods to eat and foods to avoid.

actually believing

2010-12-30T06:30:00.001-05:00

It does not matter what it is, if He calls us to something--anything--then we can believe Him to both equip us and bless us as we take those faith-steps towards obedience.

Friends, we have an active, moving, powerful, unique, mighty, unwavering God. He filled His Word with accounts of how He works in the lives of those who believe Him.

I don't know what He is calling you towards in this coming year, but He thinks good thoughts towards you--thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Let's get into His Word allowing it to simmer in our hearts. Then, let's be radical followers who actually believe what He says. Who run the race of faith with endurance. No other life of victory exists on this planet.

I honestly love and pray for you, friend. Thanks for doing this life-thing beside me.

Bringing it home...

To what is He calling you in this coming year? Are you standing on the sidelines, walking, or running towards His call?

And if (only if) He is leading you towards beginning 2011 with the Daniel fast, then I would love to hear from you personally.

Please email me at Lara@LaraWilliams.org so we can encourage one another on the journey. Faith begets faith.

the "why" from the Word

2010-12-29T07:00:00.005-05:00

I like to be liked. I do. So posts like yesterday's post make me a little uncomfortable as I enter into the realm of "odd." In fact I ended my evening last night by asking my man if he thought I was odd. He lovingly said "yes."

So here I am. The odd girl who is about to partake of a 40-day Daniel fast. Trying to lay down the world's approval and settle back in to that audience of One.

Today I want to tell you more about what He showed me from the book of Daniel as I sought him about this crazy fasting thing. Quite a bit fell from the pages, so I am going to bullet-list it for simplicity sake.

Daniel 1:8-9, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies. And God brought him into the favor of those ruling over him.

Granted, we do not serve a king in this country, but Daniel's heart goal is what draws me--not to be defiled, stained, or polluted by the world. God then blessed him and brought him into the favor of those over him.

On this side of Christ, we are under grace. Food itself does not defile. But our world is defiled. And one way to set ourselves apart from this world is to abstain from some of its delicacies. In this case, for me, I'm following Daniel's lead and setting aside certain food and drink.

Daniel 1:11-16, Daniel and his three friends asked the steward over them if they could simply eat vegetables and drink water rather than partake of the king's rich foods and drink. The steward agreed to a 10-day trial. After 10 days they appeared better than all the other men who had eaten of the king's foods. So he took away their king's portions and gave them only vegetables. It appears they did this for at least the three years of king's training that they were under (see 1:5).

The word translated "vegetables" actually means "something sown." This is what I call "God-foods." Foods grown from the ground, free of manipulation. In my personal fast I will limit myself to eating those things that grow from the ground--fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts. God-foods.

Daniel 1:17-21, God blessed their setting apart. He gave them knowledge and skill and understanding so that they were 10 times "better" than all who served before the king.

I'm not trying to be some wise-guru of sorts, but wow. I want my King to find me worthy of His best. Worthy of a taste of His knowledge and understanding. It appears that setting ourselves apart from the world at large sets us up for His pouring out, both for our good and for the glory due His name.

Daniel 10, just read the entire chapter. It is now approximately 60 years later. 60 years! Daniel sets out again, humbling himself before the Lord and seeking understanding. For three full weeks he eats the same way that he ate in chapter one while communing with God in prayer. And he was visited by an angelic being with a heavenly message.

OK, so I am not expecting to be visited by an angel. I am certain I would completely freak out. But the thing that hit me here is that God moved towards Daniel as he set himself towards prayer. He communed with the God of the universe, humbling himself and seeking understanding, and the Most High responded. That. is. amazing.

Daniel 10:12-14, This is where it gets crazy. The "angel" explains that on the first day that Daniel began praying during his fast, this angel was sent. But that the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood him for 21 days. So Michael, one of God's chief princes, came to help him get past.

Did you catch that?! Daniel set himself apart to humble himself and pray for understanding and an angel was sent to him. BUT, the angel had to war in the heavenly realm against evil forces of darkness. Take a breath.

Is this not crazy?! Paul tells us of these principalities of darkness in Ephesians 6 but to think that our prayers can call down heavenly beings to war against those strongholds kinda blows me away.

So those are some things that He showed me from His word. A time of humbling, a time of setting apart from the world at large, a time of seeking His face and His understanding, a time of warring against strongholds. All for His ultimate glory and, graciously, for our good.

Bringing it home...

What thoughts does this text stir up for you personally?

40-day fast on the ultimate Bread

2010-12-28T06:30:00.008-05:00

There's nothing like taking a bite of warm homemade bread topped with real butter melting into the crevices. I sneak a bite of the end pieces before anyone even knows it has left the oven. The steam rising. The smell filling the kitchen. Mmm.

I love some physical bread but I'm about to spend 40 days feasting on the ultimate Bread. The Bread of life.

"Man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word the proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." Deuteronomy 8:3

I sensed God's stirring last week. That deep speaking--heavy and silent, though loudly undeniable--that leaves you awed. Leaves you excited and expectant towards the next turn.

And before I go into any details I have to make sure you understand my heart.

Fasting is something that has been an on-and-off part of my spiritual life for a number of years, though I rarely if ever share those personal days of abstaining with others.

But this time is different.

I believe that I am supposed to share in order that some may walk this journey with me. In fact, I would venture to say that He has already planted seeds and will confirm it in a number of readers' hearts even before they finish the last sentence of this post.

That said, I am being led to start 2011 with this 40-day fast. Not a complete Jesus or Moses fast. (He is gracious considering how much I touch food throughout the day for these little folks that call me "mama.") Rather I am being called to a Daniel fast--eating God-foods and drinking only water.

"Why?" you ask with burrowed brow. Well, the short answer is because He led. The long answer has more to do with spiritual warfare and humbling myself before His throne.

The start date is Saturday, January 1st. So in the next few days I am going to share more details about what a Daniel fast looks like and the real why behind my personal venture.

I believe He is willing to speak clearly and open doors wide to those who humble themselves before His throne.

So I am (mostly) excited. Though I must admit a touch of mourning over not eating that physical bread for the next 40 days.

But He is the Bread of life and I want my fill.

Bringing it home...

Is fasting a familiar discipline to you? If so, what are your personal thoughts? If not, what questions do you have?

Do you feel led to start the new year with a purposed abstaining?

A couple of great resources that have taught me so much on this topic of fasting are:

John Piper's A Hunger for God, and
Jentezen Franklin's Fasting

These two books take different "spins" on the topic but I feel much can be gleaned from both.

back to routine

2010-12-27T06:30:00.002-05:00

Wow. I missed you! I missed tapping away on this computer while praying that He would overwhelm us in this little space. So, hi friend! I hope your Christmas was beautiful and that the birth of our Savior tasted sweeter this year than ever before.

My aim this week is to get back into routine, with pine needles still covering the living room carpet and snow stacked outside our doors (which equals kids at new levels of hyper). So come back tomorrow. I am going to be telling you about something very exciting!

Until then remember Who reigns in love, mercy, justice, and power. He has not forgotten or forsaken you, my friend. Believe Him faithful.