Monthly Archives: April 2014

Sunday evening as the sun was setting over the tree line, Bestie and I were out in our yard doing some fine tuning to what has become a MAJOR undertaking. Our yard. All brand new. Complete makeover. My muscles ache just thinking about it. The hours, the effort, the sweat, the dirt. If you asked me right this very second if I thought it was going to take this much commitment, if I thought it would be such a gigantic endeavor, I would’ve said “No.” Hahaha! Silly girl. In that moment, with my favorite person by my side I plopped on the freshly mowed carpet of St. Augustine and ushered him to plop as well. I’m pretty sure I saw him roll his eyes at the idea, but then heard a sigh as he leaned over and kissed me on the temple. We were both witnessing God’s glory. It wasn’t a formal celebration. There were no dancing animals. The soundtrack of the wind and leaves blowing reminded me of this:

Luke 12:23 “For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

27“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 29“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.

In that moment, I was reminded of what we both already know to be truth. God has got this. I shall not worry, I shall not want. I shall not be weary. Go searching for Him. You’ll find Him every time. Jehovah Jireh, My Provider.

My heart fluttered as we sat watching the bees buzzing around our newly planted purple orchid tree. We sat for a good ten minutes, taking joy in the beauty of all God’s creation. The colors of hibiscus, the scent of gardenias, the texture of palms. All Him, all His voice. If nothing else, in that moment I knew that we were in His Whisper.

Bloom where you are planted.

There’s a saying we have in Florida to the effect of “If you don’t like the weather, give it half an hour.” That being said, with Easter around the corner we’re still in the season of the Snowbirds. (Snowbirds = retirees that migrate south for the winter and leave when the plumbagos start to bloom.)

It rained yesterday, then it didn’t, then it did again. Snowbirds make driving during ANY kind of weather more “interesting” but when it rains, grab your popcorn buckets folks. You’ll be there for a while. You also have to make sure you’re more in tune with your surroundings while driving in those conditions. They’re intense!

The two littlest Littles and I were out and about in it running a few errands. Not exactly my idea of a good time. The Smash was a fussbucket and G was antagonizing him. Praise the Lord for squeezy applesauces!!! Ahhh, silence. I admit, moments like this I have to reallllllly focus if I want to hear His whisper. But He is always there to talk.

As I rolled up to a stopped intersection I saw a crusty old bumper sticker on the station wagon in front of me. It read “I’m so gay I can’t even drive straight.” Ok, so I may have chuckled out loud, just a little. The sedan next to it had one of those ‘Baby on Board’ signs. The gas guzzler beside me had a stick family of a dad, mom, three girls, four dogs, two cats, and a goldfish. No, I am NOT making this up. Three very different decals. Three very different messages. All human. As I sat there waiting for the light to turn green, I tried to relate to all three of those individuals. We are all uniquely and beautifully made, we all have things in life that we choose as symbols/labels that we identify with.

It got me thinking… If my HEART had a witty one-line sticker slapped on it for the world to see, to identify with, what would it say? What would YOURS say?

“Jesus loves the little children… ALL the children of the world… Red and yellow… Black and white… They are PRECIOUS in His sight… Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

1 Corinthians 13:12-13 “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.”

Bloom where you are planted.

John 3:21 “But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are–wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence upon Him].”

I write because I feel compelled to share with you what He is doing in my life. His greatness never ceases to amaze me. These words that pour out, they are not my own. They are not my thoughts, they are not my authority. They serve merely as a symbol of my conviction for His brokenness. Jehovah, my Savior. He died. He bore the weight of the sins of every person that has, is, and ever will come to be. He took the debt we owed that had the weight of a penalty not one could ever atone, and He washed it clean. I depend on Him. He is my Refuge when life makes me weary. He is my Fortress when the world gets scary. He is my Father that is desperate for relationship with me.

He saved me. I am no longer a prisoner to my own selfish flesh. I was a raw, broken, sad little girl. The bitterness I carried for so long. The years of inner turmoil that dug into my spirit like blades of sawgrass. The anger I identified with because of past hurts. They’re all gone. He saved me. I am free. I am becoming all that I am simply because of Jesus. I want to spend the rest of my life chasing after Him. I want to grow old (but never gray) living in the glow of His Presence.

Why do I do this? I want each and every person that reads this blog to be touched by Him. I want you all to have lives full of this unending grace. I want your lives to be flourishing gardens of beauty and fragrance that will stretch beyond your greatest imagination. I want this conviction for hope, faith, and love to spread like wildfire. I want the hearts of this great nation to ignite like wildfire. I want this passion to become an epidemic. We can change the world, one wiped tear and bear hug at a time.

I want you to live lives full of joy. I want each and every one of you to live out your redemption. There is so much freedom in knowing that the price tag for eternal salvation is one I could never pay. Nothing I can do can measure to that mark. I can simply be loved, because I am. So are you. Go! Bless and be blessed.

Bloom where you are planted.

John 3:17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

I love outreach. Informal outreach. Relevant outreach. One heavy load at a time. The more I pursue the grief of strangers, the more affirmed I am that outreach is the occupation of my heart. We are all beautifully created in the image of His perfect love. We are all puzzle pieces. No one piece is complete without the rest.

Mark 12:33 “To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

All humanity needs love. Love and sacrifice are repeated over and over and over throughout Scripture. Love God, love others. Why? To make a change, to spread hope, to share joy, to fill needs, ALL to glorify Him.

It’s easy to get caught up in “witnessing” to those that also believe. It can be unnerving to step out and be hope for someone in a dark place. To be a light bulb in a lit room is a tad redundant. Those that need dreams need bold intercession.

3 John 1:5 “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.” 

Strangers. See that?! And what exactly are we called to do for these strangers?

Psalm 105:1-2 “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.”

We are supposed to share His love with them. His love that proclaims we are not owned by man. Only His love can satisfy our souls and leave our vessels full. That is the message of Truth that we are to share with this heartbroken world.

Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

The least of these, He says. Synonyms of the word least are: bottom, gutter, trivial, unimportant, lowest, feeblest, poorest, last.

Whatever we do, for those. Whatever. A sandwich, a pair of shoe laces, a bottle of water, a sick visit, a hug, a kind word.

Seriously, Father? Let me get this straight… I could plant a forest to save an endangered species of tree frog, but giving a homeless family a warm meal has greater impact in the Kingdom? You bet. Our PTA could build a bigger library for our already privileged children, but witnessing to women in strip clubs pleases Your heart more? Yes. Ohhhhh, ok. Now I get it.

All those things are good. The intention is there. The fight is lost though, if it isn’t a fight for salvation.

There are times that I miss an opportunity, when my reaction is delayed well beyond what it should be. Those that know me best have seen me chew on those instances over and again. I have a hard time shaking those missed chances for fellowship and compassion. They stay with me, like a white hot branding iron on my heart. I am imperfect, but that’s ok… It’s ok for me to be imperfect, to screw up. His love spills out all over my life like a bucket full of hot sudsy mop water. It washes me clean. His love is new every morning, and His faithfulness is great.

I really enjoy hugging strangers. Really really. On sidewalks, in malls, and grocery lines… I hug cashiers too. If I am willing to listen, to act on an opportunity, the blessing out measures the effort. Every. Single. Time. As long as my heart is open and my ears are clear I know, that it’s in His whisper.

Bloom where you are planted.