Learning Along The Way

What Changes When You’re Brave?

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I’ve been reflecting on this question: What Changes When You’re Brave, Lisa?

I’m wondering if there is a monumental shift of focus? 

Do you go out and do courageous acts like this?

 

Photo by Sammie Vasquez on Unsplash

Or this?

Photo by Leio McLaren (@leiomclaren) on Unsplash

Although I think these images demonstrate two women being brave in big ways, I don’t think these are the only ways people change when they’re being brave. We change in ways that often go unseen.

We change inside. To be brave means we need courage. The latin root of courage is cor which is heart.

(photo by Lisa Lewis)

Courage is an act of heart. Being brave means we have an internal shift away from staying stuck in fear of _____________ and a movement toward demonstrating the strength of heart that it takes to be brave.

Where can we find strength of heart?

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

As I’ve considered what’s been shifting for me through reading Annie F. Downs’ 100 Days to Brave,

what stands out are the ways God is helping me be more honest with myself, seeing areas that still need changing, without diminishing the challenge that change brings, or without disregarding the work I’ve put in so far. His grace toward me, toward you is never ending. I am so thankful.

Did you know that she has started another 100 Days to Brave Facebook group? Check it out!

But even with reading her great devotional for the past 98 days, what keeps me from bravely doing the next right thing on any given day? At any given moment? 

I’ve narrowed it down to one of two things: fear of failure and/or expectations. The fear of failure keeps me from trying to make a change. Expectations are just loaded with potential landmines to step in; they usually look like disappointing myself or someone else by not being good enough.

I’ve been putting into practice some coaching techniques I know; testing them out on myself to see if they will be helpful for others. And guess what? They’re working!

Like anything we do that is new, the first time we try the new thing, we may meet with resistance; either from inside or outside ourself. Either way, the resistance to change is where we need to apply courage to push through the resistance.

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Because the focus of my coaching is helping women connect the dots of work, life and faith, I see the need for tools to help us apply what we may already know. We still allow resistance to hold us back from connecting the dots and seeing the Way to live wholeheartedly. This can be what changes when we’re brave. Facing the resistance and pushing through to the other side.

Years ago when I was considering the name for this website, it struck me that all of life is about learning. But wholehearted living is learning to live along the Way, with a capital W. The question for me centers on how do I live a regular life keeping my eyes on Jesus? How did He live His earthly life? And now that the Helper has taken up residence in me, how am I to live as I continue learning along the Way?

With this question in mind, I’ve been putting together a course, a series of lessons with activities focusing on learning to let go of expectations and fears and learning to lean in toward the unique path Jesus has for each of us.

Lots of people develop courses and put them up for sale. I’d like to do that too eventually. But first, I’d like to run a Beta test group and I want to offer the course free to you, my dear readers.

Free. 

What have you got to lose?

This course will be six weeks in length. There aren’t grades. But like anything, you will get out of the course what you put into it. But I do want your feedback. I value suggestions. I want to know if you think there needs to be more or less material in different topics that we’ll encounter. Or if you think of something fun to add to what is already in place. That’s what a beta tester does. Gets great stuff for free and then gets to give their opinions and helpful input.

Will you help me?

All you need to do is respond to this post by Friday, Jan. 11.

You’ve given me your email already. I won’t be talking about the course here weekly, you’ll receive the material in a separate email.

The start date will be next Monday, Jan. 14.

So, who’s in?

#letgoleanin

 

Why is Being Brave Such a Challenge?

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Fifty days have passed since I started this journey. When I considered doing this I honestly thought: 100 Days to Brave would be a cake walk for me; I’ve had to learn to be brave through so many hardships already, how hard could it be?

Like a lot of things I’ve walked through, I continue to be surprised by things that catch my breath and not always in a good way at first.

Why is being brave such a challenge?

My Hubster told our little boys “you can’t be brave unless you face fear.” I thought that was a beautiful thing to say to teach them to be strong men. He did a great job. They are both strong & brave men; living their lives in new cities with new circumstances; contributing to the world in the roles they fill. I’m a proud & blessed Momma. But their brave challenges have not been my brave challenges. I have my own and honestly they’re not easy for me to walk through.

Annie’s book is pressing in on relationships and how they call us to be brave. Like Annie, I’m an Enneagram 7 who doesn’t like pain, who likes to reframe hard things to minimize the pain, distracting myself from hurt, and often walking away from discomfort without leaning into the painful communication that working through hard things requires.

I know that might surprise you since I write about growing and changing and letting go of expectations; learning along the Way to lean into the yoke that Jesus has uniquely fit for each of us. Yet I am challenged.

It’s hard to let go of hurt and cast my cares on Jesus. Why? Because when I’ve been hurt, I want  others to know, to experience at least a piece of the pain I feel. It’s not rational. It’s emotional. Those are two different parts of me. Learning to bring them together to one cohesive unit within me is the challenge and I choose to be brave. 

Five years have passed since we left the part of California I had lived for 29 years. Five years is long enough to have gotten involved in a new community, made new friends and moved forward in life. It’s more than a little embarrassing to recognize I’ve been like Lot’s wife looking over my shoulder instead of keeping my face forward. The move was hard and painful for me. It seemed some of the people I had spent so much life with simply forgot me.  In the trying to move forward, I was also mourning what was no longer; there was a still small voice whispering “worship”. I turned to Spotify to a Hillsong Worship playlist I’ve listened to countless times. Comforting. Familiar. Yet this time I heard with new ears:

In the crushing, in the pressing, You are making New Wine.

In the soil I now surrender, you are breaking new ground.

So I yield to you into Your careful hand and I trust You I don’t need to understand.

Make me a vessel, make me an offering, make me whatever You want me to be.

I came here with nothing but all You have given me; Jesus bring New Wine out of me.

Tears flowed. It is not easy for me to let go of something. And I can be unpleasant in the process. Ask my Husbter. Poor man. He’s a saint. These words from Hillsong could not be more personal. I felt Holy Spirit telling me the crushing, the pressing was for my good, but most of all that God would be seen in me as others watched me navigate these waters. He would receive the glory in my choice to let go of disappointment.

Cuz where there is new wine there is new power; 

there is new freedom and the kingdom is here 

I lay down my old flames to carry your new fire today.

You see in every letting go we have a choice: to cling to hurt, to let bitterness take hold or to hold out open hands, fingers spread so that what’s in them falls through like water pouring over our fingers, washing them so that nothing of selfish thoughts are left, only an openness to what God has ahead.

Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash

It’s a laying down of the old ways, the ‘old flames’ to carry the new fire we are being offered. He won’t force us. It’s His offering to us out of what He has already done.

This my dear friend is why being brave is such a challenge. We only see what we know. Sometimes we think that is all there is. And if we don’t get what we thought we needed or deserved, then we are disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with disappointments. Its what we do with the disappointments that makes the difference. Do we re-hash them, making them stronger in our minds, in the emotional place where disappointment can turn to resentment then into bitterness? Or is there a different, better Way?

Let go, lean in. It’s more than my hashtag. It is a gracious invitation from the One who has walked the path of truly letting go; who offers the invitation to learn from Him, who offers us rest for our souls.

Make me a vessel, make me an offering. 

Jesus bring new wine out of me.

I know this place. It can feel lonely. But here’s the thing: you are never truly alone if you’ve claimed the offering Jesus made on your behalf; Holy Spirit walks within you giving you what you NEED.  But even then, sometimes we need another to bear witness to this hard part of our journey. As I coach others in spiritual formation, I have been given the privilege of holding open the Sacred Space of listening, the seeking of God’s wisdom together and the gift of presence. It’s a beautiful process.

If you’re walking through a challenging time and want to learn to walk more closely with the One who loves you well, message me.

Where there is New Wine there is new freedom. And the Kingdom is here.

Don’t we want that?

Enjoy listening to New Wine

Learning to Brave the Church

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I’ve been reading 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs since October 1. I mentioned I was going to do this and invited any of you who wanted to learn to be brave alongside me to read along and I’d post my thoughts periodically. Today I’m learning to be brave in this life with God in His Church.

Today is Day 46. Her topic is being brave to engage in your local church.

I have much to say about life in a local church; much that I’ve read in scripture as well as have experienced. Annie said something that resonates with me:

“Brave people are willing to stay plugged in, even when things get hard.”

I haven’t been in a church yet where relationships weren’t hard. People. People can be hard. I know. I’m one of them.

Here’s the thing: each of us has a list of expectations of how circumstances “should” play out; how relationships “should” work; if I behave a certain way, like sharing my heart, you’re “supposed to” take care of my heart and not talk about me to other people as a “prayer request”. If I invest my time in developing our friendship, you “should” reciprocate. If you don’t meet my expectations, I’m hurt and disappointed.

Any of this sound familiar? It’s painfully familiar to me. Learning to see my expectations for what they are: potential for disappointments when they go unmet; potential for heartbreaks when I’ve risked developing relationship that turned out to be only surface kindness and not actual heart connection, has been a big part of my journey of learning along the Way. 

Jesus didn’t come to fulfill my expectations for how my life is supposed to play out (life according to Lisa). He came to redeem my broken thinking and acting; to renew my mind that I may more fully show Him to the world as I navigate risking relationships in a new church community. He came that we might have life and have it abundantly.

Abundant life isn’t lived in isolation. We don’t attend church to check a box and say we’ve accomplished the Jesus points for the week. If you and I are truly following Christ, we ARE the Church, a significant part of the Body of Christ who has been designed as God’s workmanship to do good works that were determined before the beginning of time. We are God’s poetry. 

A poem doesn’t have to behave a certain way to be appreciated. A poem is a work of creative art as it is. In a book of poetry, each one is valuable and unique; one might tell a story, one might paint a picture. In any case, a poem is valuable simply by being. 

So are you. No doing necessary to be loved by God. No doing to earn favor from God or others. Just be you.

So how do we learn to deal with learning to be a creative work of our loving Creator God who has value in simply being and still learn to interact with all those other poems in the same book we call Church?

We learn to be brave.

It’s brave to risk letting go of expectations that others interact with me in a prescribed way and lean in to the Way God has made me, allowing each of them to be who God has made them to be.

Here’s another part of this beautiful book of poetry: God has given us guidance in three forms: His Word, the model of His Son Jesus and Himself in the Person of Holy Spirit who indwells those who claim the Name of Jesus.

If we look at the guidance God has provided for navigating this life, we see in His Word He has provided encouragement, patterns to follow and even how to handle conflict as His followers. That’s amazing!

The second form of guidance is looking at Jesus. He lived his 30+ years dealing with conflict. How did He handle it? Get into the Word to find out. Was He free from conflict? Hardly! Yet He shows us how to be kind in the face of criticism, how to draw good boundaries, how to care for your soul. We have a beautiful Guide. Do we look to Him?

 

The third form of guidance is, in my humble opinion, the most extravagant form of guidance: God Himself has set up residence inside us! Wait, what? The God who spoke all this Creation into being, who hovered and protected before the Creation began, the God who raised Jesus from the dead, has chosen to live in you?! In me?! 

How can we not be brave?

Life with people is challenging. But God in His infinite wisdom (and divine sense of humor) designed that we would learn to live life in community to show Him to the world.

Church is how that is best done. 

So yes, there are disappointments when we have expectations of how people are “supposed to” behave. Guess what? Our expectations may even line up with the guidance God’s Word gives us and yet a real group of people may not live out the expectations as they’re conveyed. How do we deal with that?

Give our heart hurts to God. He tells us to cast ALL our Cares upon Him because He cares for us.

It’s kind of like He knew we wouldn’t get it right and would need guidance in how to deal with hurt too. Hmmm.

Learning along the Way is just that: living life, coming up against something that either does or doesn’t line up with what we knew at that point and then recognizing we need help to grow further. One of the places to get help is found in authentic community with other Christ-followers who are willing to risk being brave to live out what they are learning along the Way.

I’m telling you what I’m learning, and inviting you to learn along with me. A virtual community of sorts.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about investing in relationships even when they’re hard and hurtful. God has a lot to say about how to live this life with Him. Let’s learn along the Way together!

Are You Hanging onto Fear?

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Two days this week I came to the computer with ideas about being brave and found I had nothing to say. I was stuck. I told myself its ok come back later, but of course, later never came. I didn’t guard time to write, so time wasn’t there.

I wrestled with why I challenged myself to work through this devotional 100 Days to Brave? I questioned my sanity, my purpose, my raison d’ etre (five years of studying French peeks out on occasion)

I came to an existential crisis point. Why do I want to tell you to let go of what’s holding you back and lean into the unique creation you are? Why do I want to encourage you to be brave, to learn what that looks like in your life, to take a first step?

I want to help women connect with the passions God has placed in them for their good, for other’s good, and most of all, for God’s glory. Click To Tweet

I have been hanging onto fear. Fear that no one will care about this message. Fear that these words go no where, that writing and speaking this message is a waste of time and money. Fear that I’m not listening to God’s Word accurately and I’m doing this for my own selfish gain. Fear of resistance, of ridicule, of rejection.

Getting honest about fear is a bit scary; as I continue to learn about myself through the lens of the Enneagram, it makes more sense why I get scared. At my core, I don’t want to feel pain. I want to have fun. I avoid conflict because conflict is painful and looking at the underside of my emotions is hard work.

But God.

My two favorite words in Scripture. Best search I ever worked through; try it.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I came to my time with Him this morning without an agenda. I simply wanted to sit in His Presence and have coffee with Jesus. After I read the portions of Scripture in my Bible reading plan, I read today’s entry for Jesus Calling. 

Take time to be still in My Presence. The more hassled you feel, the more you need this sacred space of communion with Me. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax in My holy Presence while My Face shines upon you. This is how you receive My Peace, which I always proffer to you.

I got comfortable in my chair, held my warm cup of coffee and sat quietly looking outside through the sliding glass door into our garden space. I watched the changing morning light illumine the persimmon tree in our neighbor’s yard, the orange-red fruit standing out against the green leaves. I noticed a finch search the feeder for just the right seed. What caught my attention was a hummingbird lighting on the bubbling water feature. It dipped its beak into the water hovering slightly above the water spilling over the slick turquoise orb, then all of a sudden, the hummingbird sat in the center of the bubbler and began to take a bath.

The freedom, the enthusiasm, the fearlessness all spoke to me in the hummingbird’s hesitation, then the jumping in. As I watched, these lyrics crept up to my consciousness

So let go my soul and trust in Him

And just like the shifting morning light, the awareness of my fears paled in the Light of this phrase.

So let go my soul and trust in Him

I was being invited forward. Come, Further up and Further in.

The invitation is for you too, my friend.

I see your face in my mind; your eyes rimmed with tears you’re blinking back; your brave smile trembling.

He is for you, just like He’s for me. God wants His daughters to walk in freedom; to be able to live as He has designed each of us; moment by moment learning from Him the unforced rhythms of grace.

The invitation to Come to Me isn’t a one time invitation. Jesus invites us again and again and again. You might take your eyes off of Him for a myriad of reasons; Come to Me remains the same, simple invitation. 

Learn from Me, watch how I do it. 

I’ve been hanging on to fear. I’ve been clinging to things that have weighed me down, hindering me from the life purpose God has given me. 

Right now, I’m choosing to be brave, to share my inner struggles to help you see you’re not alone in yours. The beauty is the precious invitation to Come is whispering at the edge of your conscious thought; listen and respond.

Let go and lean in.

You won’t regret it.

Perhaps you’re wondering how to get started? Or how to get back?  

Call a friend. Message me. Comment below (I read them before they get published so if you don’t want your comment published, tell me.) 

Bravely take the first step.

I leave you with this beautiful offering. Enjoy.

It is Well 

Are You Weary? Burned out? The #1 Way to find Relief

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I hope you’ve been pondering the invitation Jesus spoke that is recorded in the gospel of Matthew chapter 11 verses 28-30. Looking back: Come to Me…

This week’s phrase is “…all who are weary and burdened…”

The invitation is comprehensive. ALL. There are none who are excluded from this invitation to Come. Every.Single. Human. Being. Throughout. History and in the Present and Yet to be born. ALL.

This reminds me of a concert verse ( a verse that speaks of this topic in another way, enriching the meaning and reinforcing the message)

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The concert term? Whoever. It’s another way of saying ALL.

(on a side note: a search for the word ALL in scripture is time consuming but has had a lasting impact on my understanding of the character of God)

Weary and burdened may seem redundant but they actually emphasize different aspects of tired and weighed down.  Weary is a present tense verb, which can also be translated exhausted. Exhausted with trying hard to live up to expectations. Exhausted with trying to solve problems, do good work, be the best version of ourselves…all in our own strength.

Photo by Yolanda Leyva on Unsplash

 

Anyone?

Burdened in this context is the word for putting something on the back of an animal to carry the weight. Jesus was speaking specifically about the religious rules that the Pharisees had added to the Law; these burdens were unnecessary to say the least. Here Jesus is telling the people He sees they’re exhausted from trying to deal with all the brokenness in their lives and He sees the unnecessary performance rules put on top of them by the Pharisees.

What about us today? Where are you weary of the try-hard-life?  What unnecessary burdens from a broken understanding of Christianity do you bear?

Jesus sees. He cares.

Come to Me All who are weary and burdened…

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It’s Fri-Yay!!

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It’s nearly quitting time on Friday afternoon. At least it would be if I worked a regular job. To be honest, there’s very little regular about me; even when I did work for a regular paycheck I didn’t do my work in a regular way.

In fact, I don’t think like a regular person. I’m far too out of the box and I’m pretty sure God is delighted with the way He’s made me. (see Ps. 139)

I am an Enthusiast. I’ve been in hiding thanks to many hard things in life, but God has brought me back to center. And it’s been a crazy journey of unlearning and re-learning along the Way!

One of the many learnings over the recent part of this journey has been learning to see God’s handiwork in creation with eyes of faith.

I’ve begun keeping an eye out for how God surprises me with reminders of His love. As often as possible I take pictures of the heart shape that appears in random, unexpected places.

This morning’s raspberry on my Rice Chex

The coffee sludge that I rinsed out and set aside to wash later.

The leaf along the path

These are so fun to find!

I’m wondering if you have seen random heart shapes around in your days? Do you notice?

One of the best outcomes of this part of my journey has been the practice of contemplation. Becoming contemplative is the result of spiritual practices of silence and solitude. I ran from those two words for most of my life! I told myself, “ain’t nobody got time to sit still.”

For two decades Silence was filled with the wonderful noise of family. The only silence I found was early before anyone got up. I tried to do that daily, to fill my mind & soul with God’s Word and what Oswald Chambers had to say each day. Those quiet times set the foundation for my soul; they weren’t long times, maybe 30 minutes. But I shudder to think what life would have been like for me when I lost both my parents suddenly, had I not already had the foundation of my soul built on God.

Solitude was thrust upon me when we moved. All the new was overwhelming and I reeled at the disorientation. I struggled with the compounding losses: parents, home, roles, familiar places; everything that had been regular was gone. Solitude became my familiar place. It was hard for awhile, lonely at times, but Solitude is one of the greatest gifts because I learned I am never truly alone.

Now, ten years later, I can spend hours in silence and solitude and not lose my mind. (that actually may have happened long ago, but I digress) Instead of going nuts, I have learned to listen and to see. These are gifts from the Giver of all good gifts.

In this month of personal challenge to

I’d love to have you join in. Keep an eye out for heart shapes in random places. Notice God’s handiwork, like sunrises, sunsets, cloud formations, the smiles of children, birds singing, whatever.

Let’s collect them and share them.

 

Word on Wednesdays

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A couple of years ago, I wanted to learn to meditate and memorize three verses. I’ve memorized a lot of verses over the years but I hadn’t dug in, slowed down and let them marinate into my soul. This was a new practice for me.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

This is the passage. Three verses packed with meaning beyond our English translation. Three verses that as I began to sit with them I realized I wanted to slow down even more and consider them phrase by phrase, not all of the three verses together.

What I learned from doing this slow, meditative practice has reframed my relationship with Jesus. That is saying something. I loved this experience so much I want to share it with you on Wednesdays for the rest of the summer. Beyond this month of Summer Fun!

This is another Way we can practice how to Show Up every day.

My desire is to encourage you to meditate on these words, phrase by phrase, allowing them time to get into your bones. Once there, they will transform you from the inside out.

It’s not magic but it is Mysterious; how does a passage of the Bible have the power to change the way we think and act? I wish I had the full answer. I do know there are countless examples of scripture transforming minds & hearts but perhaps as many of scripture being used out of context as a weapon of hatred and control rather than being wielded with grace. My question becomes “what was the context and its intent?”

As we study this passage we’ll get to see photos of the region where He was when He spoke these words, hear more about His audience and what their lives were like, and look for what this means for us as Christ followers in 2018.  I hope each of you will reply with questions or additional things you learn as you study on your own; we are all in this together! Please share. You don’t know how your question or learning may benefit someone.

For this week I’d like to encourage you to do a comparison reading of this passage in several translations. As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to bring these words to life in your mind and heart.  Choose one version that resonates as you read it and then begin to memorize the passage in that version. You have the rest of the summer!

How Do You RSVP to This Invitation?

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wheatfield-glenn-carstens-peters

(photo credit: Glenn Carstens Peters via unsplash)

When I discovered this photo a tonic chord resounded in my soul. I saw it and sighed. There is such peace, such calm, a connection with the land, provision & possibility, I knew I needed to make use of it.

I spent the summer meditating and digging into three verses from the gospel of Matthew. This passage is often quoted and for good reason. It holds a beautiful invitation into this With God life:

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Simply the first 3 words of Matthew 11:28-30. And yet there is no simplicity in the RSVP to this invitation.

In an RSVP we either say Yes or we say No.

Yes I will Come to You Jesus. I will come in the morning and hang out with You in silence with my coffee. Yes I will come to You when I drive on the freeway or when I take the kids to school or on my run or as I do dishes, laundry, answer email, wipe noses, change diapers, clean the house, whatever.

OR

No I can’t come to You Jesus. I’m too busy. I’ve got to take care of all the things before I can consider sitting down to read my Bible.

This invitation isn’t the Salvation invitation. This is the How You Live Your Day Invitation.

Theology calls it Sanctification.

How do You RSVP to this invitation?

If you’re anything like me, the answer changes moment by moment. Sometimes Yes Sometimes No I’m off doing my own thing.

I pray that I am more like Jesus today than I was yesterday and that I will become more like Him tomorrow than I am today. But I am easily distracted. In fact, I am convinced that I can distract myself! I don’t need anyone else to do that for me.

I desire to be saying a sincere Yes to this beautiful, simple and yet incredibly challenging invitation.

How do You RSVP to this invitation?

Speaking of invitations, I am taking the #Write31Days challenge again. This year I am writing daily over at Lisa Lewis Coaching. I’d love to have you visit and of course, share your thoughts.

 

A Letter to My 25 year-old Self

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I spent time with a young friend online the other day, listening to her words and hearing her heart: the things that are bringing her joy and those that weigh her down. Singleness is filled with so many possibilities, life directions, places to live, all of it. I remember well that season of life. When I look back to my own single life, I don’t do so longingly; it’s more with the eyes of ‘if only’.

Since ‘if only’ and ‘what if?’ are not helpful in taking action in life, I’m learning to let the ‘if only’ statements go, to lean in to ‘what is’ and the results of choices of that season. No one has perfect knowledge except God alone, so we begin taking steps of faith, trusting He will do what only He can do, causing it all to work together for good, for those who love Him, and He has called according to His good purposes.

I think what I’d want to say to my 25-year-old, single self if I could write a letter with three decades of life lived; looking over the path I’ve traveled.

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(photo: green chameleon via unsplash)

Oh, sweet woman, 

You are good and beautiful in the eyes of the only one who really matters. Don’t let the imperfect image of God that you see in M be the way you see God. Jesus doesn’t judge you. Remember the Woman at the Well? Or the Woman caught in adultery? No judgment.

Jesus doesn’t compare the condition of your physical body to any others He has created. You are uniquely beautiful as you are. He’s given you gifts and talents in a combination that no one else in His creation has ever had, nor ever will. Let that rest on you sweet girl. 

Get close to Him. He alone will sustain you in the years to come. No man will be able to hold your heart, heal your broken places or fulfill your little girl dreams. Only Jesus. He is enough. In fact, they need to learn to lean in with Jesus themselves. However, that my dear is not your job. Let God be God. Remember what Jesus said to Peter when he asked about John? “What’s that to you? You follow Me.” Stop being impetuous like Peter and grow in your faith as Peter did. 

Get outside regularly in His creation. You know you’ve always loved the beach; He put that appreciation in your heart. Not all His girls care about nature the way you do. Don’t lose sight of how you are filled up with awareness of God when you walk in the mountains or by the sea or through your garden. He is with you, present to your thoughts and longings and caring for you deeply. Look to Jesus.

Walking with Jesus doesn’t make the pain go away or magically keep bad things from happening. In fact, He told us to remember we will have hard things in this world. But the good news? He has overcome all the bad things and has the power to help us through them. One.Step.At.A.Time.

You’ll need to remember that dear one. There will be a lot of unknowns coming your way. Your marriage will fall apart. M will leave you with your unborn son. Your theology will be faulty but Jesus doesn’t falter. He will walk beside you as you continue to take feeble steps toward Him. Keep walking. There are no unknowns to God. He’ll give you just enough Light for the next step. You and your baby will be ok. You’ll be loved by some amazing emissaries of His love. 

Let go of the expectations of others that keep you from looking honestly and humbly at who you are. Those expectations keep you from accepting how you’re made. You are here for purposes much bigger than the small potatoes that some people want you to believe. Let go of the lies that you’ve been told that you are not enough. Or the lies that you are too big or ask too much of people. You are enough in Him. Let it be.

Remember two things: Love God and Love Others. That’s it.

Oh, how I wish I had had all this wisdom at the ripe old age of 25. This is why I am passionate about being available to speak into young women’s lives. Not because I have all the answers. No. But I know the One who does. I am confident in His love for each one of us. Just as we are. In the messy middle of our journey toward the Father heart of God. Click To Tweet

Do you have someone speaking into your life? Are you willing to be honest and risk the vulnerability that sharing your heart brings? Don’t miss the opportunity of sharing your story and hearing another’s story. You might just see how your two stories fit into God’s big story together.

3 Ways Perseverance Trumps Perfectionism

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Life lessons unfold while watching plants grow.  I don’t mean literally watching all the time. I have a life outside of the garden! But seriously, there’s wisdom we can glean. I’ve witnessed how perseverance trumps perfection.

In the spring, on a whim I threw some sunflower seeds in the ground shortly after we moved into our latest rental. I say latest because I’ve begun to realize all things are temporary and some things shorter than others. So I might as well try to make a garden grow. Somehow gardening gives me hope.

Seven of the seeds sprouted. They fought their way through the not so great soil managing to take root. When they were about 3 feet tall I noticed their leaves had some holes in them. A farm girl I know told me to get some bone meal and put it around the base of the plants; it would deter the bugs that were evidently enjoying the tasty leaves. Being a dutiful learner I bought said bone meal, sprinkled it around and kept an eye out for the bugs.

I pictured tiny bugs being thwarted from their diabolical plant eating plan. Instead? I witnessed a surprising pest: a goldfinch! Who knew? Sunflower leaves are dessert for them.

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These birds tried to destroy the sunflowers. So many leaves were chewed up I thought for sure the plants would die. They looked shredded and unsightly. I tried wire mesh to encircle the plants but I couldn’t keep the birds away.

Then out of nowhere a feral mama cat and her three kittens began visiting our quiet, secluded backyard.

They circled around our yard twice a day. I think the beautiful bird feeders with 20 or so finches consuming birdseed got the mama cat interested in our yard. The kitties watching birds began to protect the sunflowers from getting picked and pecked. Better pest control than I could have planned!

While the wild cats have been growing, so have the sunflowers. The early leaves that appeared to certify the demise of the plants were left behind and new strong leaves unfolded as the plants grew taller.

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I had considered saving more precious California water to let the shredded sunflowers die. Instead, when new leaves sprouted I kept watering, waiting to see what might happen with this gardening experiment.

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This isn’t my first foray into sunflower growth. In our longtime home I grew sunflowers and learned some lessons there too. But these sunflowers? I learned 3 important lessons that may help you, too.

1.) Growth takes shape over time with intention. Don’t give up when you don’t get the immediate result or it doesn’t look like you expected.

2.) Play the part you have been given. We’re not meant to make perfect things or be perfect people. The way something (or someone) looks at first may not be the way it looks when finished.

3.) Do the work and leave the results in God’s capable hands. So often we start something and have an expectation of how it’s going to turn out, don’t see the immediate results and then give up in frustration or disappointment. What if what our role is simply to start, persevere in doing the work and then Trust?

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

I’ve been watching these grow 5 months. That’s a very short time in light of eternity. But in our fast paced nano second results driven culture 5 months is FOR.EVER. I’m recognizing how vital time, intention, work, perseverance and especially trust really are for all aspects of life, but especially in letting go of the old dysfunction of perfectionism.

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Perseverance trumps perfectionism. Every time.

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