Proverbs 18:10 NIV
“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
If today has some unexpected twists and turns that bring fear, heaviness, and anxiety along for the ride, remember to run to Jesus. He is our protector, savior, and the lover of our souls. We are safe with Him. He is the light for our path and rest for our souls. You are loved. Peace be with you.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8 NIV
The loving eye of God on me. Let that soak in for a second. The Lord of Heaven, God of Creation, King of Kings – His eye is on you and me. Tight, tense shoulders can drop. Fast, shallow breathing can slow and deepen. Overwhelmed, exhausted minds can let go and rest.
His eye is on you. He sees what is swirling around you, holding you captive to fear. He feels the heaviness of heartbreak in your wounded heart and spirit.
He will counsel you. He will show you the way to go, how to move forward, and how to let go. He sees the beautiful way ahead that He’s set up and planned just for you. Imagine His joy in knowing what is coming for you just around the next bend in the road, twist in the path, and over that next hill. He sees it and He is leading you toward it.
Right now the way He’s leading may not feel good, happy, or safe because you aren’t in control of it. You can’t see around the bend or over that hill, and that is so frightening. But remember, He can see what’s coming. Don’t miss the part of the scripture that says His loving eye is on you. Eyes full of love that see you exactly where you are on this life-road. Eyes filled with compassion, mercy, and love so great you can’t fathom it. Eyes full of hope, healing, and so much joy. He won’t let you miss it and He won’t take it away. He already set in motion the blessings, the good, the rest, the victory, and the peace. He’s got you.
Do you have that tiny bit of faith to trust Him? I think you do. It’s in there. He sees it. His spirit is fanning that tiniest of sparks into a flame with holy, eternal breath scented with heaven, joy, and His presence. His loving eye will never look away because you are His and you are so very loved. Peace be with you.
Divine Presence…!!! Front and back cover reveal and a peek at the interior! I’m so excited!!!!!
The Kindle eBook version of Divine Presence…is LIVE and ready to go!
Stay tuned and I will announce when the paperback version is LIVE. It should be middle of next week!
I can’t wait for you all to read it and let the words wash over you, comfort, heal, and encourage you that God is with you always wherever you find yourself in a given day. You are seen and so loved! Peace be with you.
EXCITING NEWS
Divine Presence… blurb reveal!
I’m very excited to reveal the blurb for book #4, Divine Presence…! I’m proud of this book and can’t wait for it to be in your hands, speaking exactly what God tucked into the pages just for you. I believe that each of my books in the Divine series have a little nugget or two for everyone.
Stay tuned for the cover reveal very soon… it won’t be long before I send this book out into the world
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
It’s no easy thing to ask God to look into our hearts and see all of our thoughts, feelings, and those secret things we think we are keeping hidden. Exposure feels so vulnerable and raw. How awesome it is that we have a God who already sees and understands our fickle and ever-changing hearts and loves, adores, and delights in us despite what He finds there. That isn’t to say it doesn’t hurt as He sifts, cleanses, and burns away all the debris and messiness we hold on to so tightly. But doesn’t it also feel freeing, healing, and safe knowing that this cleansing and exposure will bring about peace, joy, and gratitude? We can finally rest and let go of all the striving and hiding. We are welcomed and looked upon with holy eyes that see beyond the chaos of our hearts to the beauty, purpose, and masterpiece that He created when He had you and He had me on His mind. You are loved. Peace be with you.
Hello everyone! These are the current 3 books that I have published on Amazon as Kindle, eBook, and paperback. They are also available from other online retailers.
I would love for you to check them out! In each book, I firmly believe that God has something for each of you that will speak to you right where you are in whatever circumstances and life season you may be in at the moment. He loves you and wants you to know Him on a deeper, intimate level. He speaks to everyone in such a unique and beautiful way that I am confident there is something in each book for everyone.
I will soon have book #4 Divine Presence…launched and published. I’m so very excited to get this 4th book into everyone’s hands and see what God has tucked into the pages for you all.
You are loved, be blessed, peace be with you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
The world feels like a heavy place. So many of us are carrying deep cares, worries, fears, and uncertainty. Our worries take so many shapes and hit on so many levels. Each person we come across is carrying something so heavy. They just want someone to take it and be reassured that all will be well. Most of these worries are out of our control. What a helpless feeling that haunts and taints our thoughts, actions, and reactions. I’m just tired. Are you tired, too?
God asks us to give Him all of those things that smother and suffocate. All the things that we can’t name, but that stick to us and hurt. How do we give Him these things?
Maybe we simply talk to Him and tell Him about the weight, the exhaustion, and the worry. We aren’t too much for Him. He already knows the burdens and the toll they are taking. Maybe we say His name, ask Him to take it, and trust that He has, He is, and He will. He will.
We may not feel instantaneous relief, but we might. We may not see the issues immediately resolved, but they could be. What I do believe is that we will feel some room to breathe again. The shroud of dread and numbness will lift a little and the mist of anxiety will ebb, so a bit of sun can filter into the grey. Maybe there will be a shift in perspective and the filters in our vision will be exchanged for hope, gratitude, and trust in the God who created us. He loves us deeply and daily invites us to take what hurts and stresses us, and place those things in His scarred hands where He transforms them into peace, rest, answered prayers, miracles, divine intervention, and hope. So much hope.
Will you think about talking to Him today and finally giving Him those things you were never meant to carry? You are deeply loved. Peace be with you.
For those of us to-do list lovers, who get great satisfaction as we make neat tick marks, cross off or scribble out each line on the list, it feels like a goal has been met as we watch that list dwindle. Accomplishment, focused, and successful. And it is all of those things – an errand completed, a task finished, control over our day. Control. There’s that word again. It seems to be a theme in my life and maybe it is in yours, too. When I make my lists and check things off I feel like I am controlling, planning, and maintaining my life in a healthy and well-kept way. And for a little while, I am. But, if I examine how my life feels from a different perspective I notice that many things on my to-do list are not necessarily things that bring me joy, happiness, or give me permission to rest. Yes, I am pleased when my home is clean and organized and when phone calls and emails are returned and handled. It’s a good feeling and those are necessary accomplishments, but at the same time it feels devoid of simple pleasures, of peace.
In an effort to bring peace into my life, I put it on my to-do list and schedule time for myself as a calendar-ed event. There is nothing wrong with this. However for me it sometimes falls flat; feeling lackluster and forced. There is a lot of pressure to make that time perfectly peaceful and in the striving and worrying about whether or not I’m feeling peace, it ends up a frustrating and tiring experience.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The peace of God. Not the peace that I force and manufacture for myself, or the momentary and fleeting peace I feel when a task is ticked off of that constant and never-ending to-do list. The peace of God. Peace that transcends all understanding, all lists, and the clutter of humanity in this oftentimes chaotic world. The peace of God redefines what a successful and accomplished day might look like if I let go of the ideal of an uncluttered day. Finding Him in the midst of the clutter and accepting each day as it comes, perhaps even allowing some things to be undone at the end of the day, could be the very thing that ushers in peace and the simple joys I am seeking.
Anxiety over an unfinished to-do list has the potential to rob you and me of beautiful times of rest and peace just sitting with a cup of coffee, walking leisurely along the beach, reading a book, and talking to Jesus. I don’t want my endless lists to become an idol that takes the place of His peace. When my day is peppered with quick prayers, ongoing conversations with Him, and following His lead throughout the day, my definition of success changes. A successful day can look like napping when our bodies are worn down, giving ourselves a little more time to complete errands and tasks, laughing and sharing with a friend or listening for His whispers in the wind chimes on the patio. It will look different for all of us and that is the beauty of Jesus – the One who knows us best. He knows how we need to experience His presence. When we welcome Him in to guide us through our day, the clamor of the clutter dims and fades in the power of His peace. God’s peace. It is a guard and shield over our hearts that filters out all that demands our time and robs us of joy. He gives us permission to lavishly rest and bask in His life-giving peace. Restoration. Healing. Peace.
He is Near
Psalm 139:7-10 (ESV) “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
While the moon begins its descent giving way to the dawn, the Lord is near.
As the last vestiges of nighttime dreams drift away, the Lord in near.
In the early morning, as the sun rises to bathe the world in light, the Lord is near.
As you stretch and greet a new day filled with untold adventure, the Lord is near.
When your brewing coffee brings warmth to your hands and a smile to your face, the Lord is near.
In the garden as you tend to the flowers and prune off the withered and dying places, the Lord is near.
Dozing in the hammock under the purple Lilac tree, the Lord is near.
As the honeybees peacefully drone and buzz about the bright colored, lovely blooms, the Lord is near.
In line at the coffee shop as you observe humanity come and go, the Lord is near.
When the scared and frail homeless woman watches as people pass her by without a glance or offer to help, the Lord is near.
As you receive a blindsiding diagnosis and panic freezes your heart, the Lord is near.
When despair causes deep pain and loneliness, the Lord is near.
When hurtful words come against you in anger and rejection, the Lord is near.
He is found in a breathtaking sunrise, a raging storm, a kind smile, and deep conversations. He is found in the loud and frenetic just as often as the mundane and unobtrusive, where the chaos of the world and humanity is stilled.
The Lord is near as He listens attentively to your softest utterance and answers your silent need.
He is near when you recognize His voice in compassionate whispers that rustle the leaves and hover over you in the breeze – the mystery of deep calling to deep.
When you seek Him, He will be found. Peace and hope are waiting for you. Listen for His whispers. The Lord is near.
Jeremiah 29:13 “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”
Shafts of morning light shine through the pine branches and cast shifting patterns of shadow and light on Cassidy’s bedroom wall. Another day is here. All is quiet in the rambling farmhouse. Her cats Violet and Panther raise sleepy heads in response to her feet rustling the quilt they are snuggled on together. In the distance a rooster crows his daily greeting to the rising sun. Predictable.
Leaning against the counter by the sink, Cassidy gazes out the kitchen window at her terraced backyard. The birdbaths are full of clear water and the summer flowers in full bloom. The cats know the routine well and are waiting for their breakfast. The smell of her morning coffee brewing brings her happiness. The stronger the better!
This is her favorite time of the day. Early morning usually reminds her of new adventures, hidden treasures and second chances. It’s a clean slate to create and color the day with hope and the promise of blessings. But she’s struggled this past week finding that joy and seeing any blessings. The simple things that often bring her pleasure and peace feel just out of reach and elusive.
That first rich, earthy sip of coffee lifts her spirits a bit, but even this tried-and-true morning ritual is falling flat. It’s frustrating and disheartening.
Taking her coffee to the backyard she sits in her favorite lounge chair. Her spot is nestled under a Jasmine arbor that offers the most beautiful fragrance. As she stretches out, Cassidy’s mind turns toward the unwelcome thoughts and scenarios that seem to be on repeat lately. They are intrusive and bothersome. Sticky…
She worries over the future of her small business, the health of a family member, and an ongoing disagreement with a dear friend leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. These worries churn in her mind like a chaotic dance with no clear steps. Nothing comes together the way she envisioned, and the way forward is cloudy and obscure. The debris and clutter of overthinking stick to and tangle up the passion and dreams He breathed into her spirit. The sticky webs of worry and unbelief begin to wrap and weave themselves around her heart and mind, pining her in place and preventing her from moving forward. She feels trapped and tears form in her eyes.
“Please Lord, will you help me?”
Cassidy isn’t sure how much time has passed when she hears the faint, cheerful sound of her tinkling wind chimes and the busy fussing and clucking of the neighbor’s chickens. Peaceful.
The sweet, heady scent of flowers and a deliciously spicy mix of herbs and something heavenly perfumes the air around her lounge chair. As her muscles relax and her busy mind slows, Cassidy feels His presence in the garden and such comforting peace. It blows over and around her as she remembers His gentle whispers of protection, acceptance, and love. She knows His voice. She feels it resonate deep within as He begins His work of clearing out and untangling her from the sticky webs of unbelief and worry. “Help my unbelief,” she whispers. I trust You with me.
There is pain at times, in the clearing out, but His compassion flows into the wounds and the relief she feels is glorious. She wants to live life letting go of all she can’t control and enjoy the contentment of living in the moment. She wants a life spent capturing glimmers and glimpses of the divine as He whispers and calls out blessings and hope to surround and enfold her.
She remembers all of the answered prayers and divine encounters – a way was made when she couldn’t see one, and blessings appeared where she least expected them. He turned things meant for evil into good and things meant to harm to bring life. As her mind is released from the frantic worry webs that consumed and wounded her, Cassidy’s favorite verse gently settles in her mind – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”1
He is the Divine Artist creating beauty, hope and promise in her spirit. He nurtures and tends to what He’s created with a fierce joy, purpose, and a dash of divine mystery.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (NIV)
Extravagant Hope 