Worth For The Soul

The following is an article published in The Town Messenger on December 21, 2010.

Christmas. I love the word and I love the music. I love the sights, the sounds and the smells of this season. I love Christmas. I always have.

What I'm not overly fond of is the insanity that seems to creep in no matter how valiant my effort to keep it at bay. The moment my focus drifted to money and gifts and what is "expected" of me, I was in trouble. Not that buying gifts for family and friends is in itself a bad thing. It just should not (in my opinion), be the primary focus.

This past week has been an unusually emotional one for me as I received some disappointing news. It came on the heels of a very stress-filled series of events that have made the past year one that I will be glad to put behind me. Nothing tragic, just a very long year of difficult circumstances and changes that, when put all together, have taken their toll on my emotional strength.

So, when my disappointing news came the other day, I wallowed around in the mess of it for a while, then sat down at my computer. A friend had posted on her Facebook page a video link of a little girl, seven years of age, singing O Holy Night. I clicked "Play" and was washed away in a river of tears as I was overtaken by the emotional release that only comes when we reach our breaking point and finally lay down that which we have been clinging to, but were never intended to carry in the first place.

Listening to that precious voice singing the familiar words, my self-focused worry and desperation were magnified as my heart threw down the weight I had been carrying and ran to the truth that had been standing firmly in front of me all along.

Long lay the world (me)

In sin and error pining (for things and ideals),

Til He appeared and the soul (mine)

Felt its worth. *

My disappointment was so strong because something I had been longing for was being delayed again, and there was nothing I could do about it. How foolish I had been to allow my heart to chase after something that could so manipulate my emotions and my outlook. Instead, my heart should have been pursuing the One who makes all things new and Who promises to give me the desire of my heart if I delight myself in Him.

My soul does not find its worth in any material thing, circumstance or situation. My soul finds its worth in the appearance of Him, in the tangible presence of the Almighty in my every moment. Why? Because it is for relationship with Him that I was created in the first place. Immanuel, God with us, makes that relationship possible. My surrender to His love makes it a reality.

Life is filled with ups and downs. Some days we laugh, some days we cry. Some days we want to scream and shout, and some days we find our comfort in silence. We will be happy, we will be sad and yes, we will be disappointed. But our disappointment only comes when we put our hope and trust in something that is not meant to carry the weight of such precious cargo. I, for one, must be constantly reminded of this one simple truth:

But seek first His kingdom

and His righteousness,

and all these things will be

given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

In this season, may the true wonder of the Creator of the Universe coming as a baby through the womb of a young virgin Hebrew girl captivate you and pull you into the beauty of His presence. Wise men (and women) still seek Him.

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*O Holy Night (Lyrics by Placide Cappeau; Music by Adolphe Adam. Read about the history of this hymn here.

The artist referred to in this article is Rhema Marvanne, now eight years old, from Dallas, Texas. For more on Rhema’s ministry and music, visit RhemaMarvanne.com.

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Home For The Holidays

The following is an article published in The Town Messenger on December 14, 2010.

This year, for the first time in our married life, my husband and I will not be travelling home for Christmas. That’s because earlier this year, we moved back to the Austin area. This is where we are from, where we were married, and where most of our family (immediate family, that is) lives. We are already home for the holidays.

During our time in Fort Smith, Arkansas, we made the annual trip home to Austin for Christmas, and each year the futile attempt to squeeze in even brief visits with as many friends and family members as possible always left us wishing we had more time.

Since we are already here, rather than just showing up to exchange presents and eat, we get to be a part of the Christmas preparations with our families. David hung lights outside his mom’s place the other day, and I decorated my parents’ Christmas tree this week. We received a Christmas card from one of David’s sisters the other day, and I was almost giddy as I realized it was our first since returning home. Despite my husband’s claims that I am high-maintenance, it really doesn’t take much to make me a happy girl. Home is a good place to be.

It’s interesting to me that of all the holidays we celebrate, Christmas and Thanksgiving are the ones that draw us away from our daily grind, sending us into planes, trains and automobiles bound for the place we long for more than any other: home. Thanksgiving has obvious undertones of why we go home, being thankful for the things and people most important to us, the traditions and activities that keep us connected through the years.

But I found myself wondering today, “Why Christmas? Why is being home for Christmas so important to us?” It didn’t take long for the answer to become clear in that simple, quiet way that the most profound truths usually arrive. The still, small voice inside me whispered, “Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?”

It’s true. God sent His son into a broken humanity with the single purpose of restoring our fellowship with Him, ultimately bringing His family home. To be with Him. Forever.

I believe that our desire to be home for Christmas is actually part of a deeper desire to be drawn into that place where we truly belong – that spot that can only be filled by us, deep in the heart of God Himself. It was the longing in His heart that motivated Him to give us the most precious Gift ever given, and it is the longing in our own hearts that must ultimately respond, accepting that gift and giving ourselves in return.

That is what Christmas is all about. Everything else is just fluff.

No matter where you find yourself as Christmas rolls around, whether or not you get to spend the day with family or friends, you can still spend it with the One who made it all possible. In your own heart of hearts, will you be home for Christmas?

He Loves Me

"How precious to me are your thoughts, God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand—

when I awake, I am still with you."

Psalm 139: 17-18

These words and their meaning overtake me as they roll over in my spirit. As I was out running errands this morning, I was still basking in the glow of an unexpected visitation from my dearest Friend. He had come to me while I was working at my computer. I found myself just sitting here, soaking in an unplanned dousing of His presence.

Later as I sat behind the wheel of my car, He came to me again, as if to say, "I'm not finished with you yet."

In the middle of my crazy busy-ness and determination to mark yet another item off my To-Do List, here is what I heard, "I am so in love with you. You are so beautiful to Me."

Naturally I immediately responded with wordless tears. "I have always loved you. I love watching you. I love the way you belong to Me."

One of the many thoughts that flooded my heart in the nano-seconds that followed was that He always knows exactly what to say - what I need to hear. In a way that only the most attentive Lover ever could, He once again captured my attention and my heart in one moment.

This year has been for me anything but routine. After seven and-a-half years in Arkansas working with an amazing team of people building an outreach church, my husband and I yielded to the undeniable leading of the Lord that it was time for us to return to Austin. David came in January to find work while I stayed in Fort Smith, continuing to work and wrap things up both at my job and the church. At the end of March, I left Fort Smith for Austin.

That was only the beginning of what has developed into one of the most unusual years of my life, but that is a story for another time. One of the many things I have come to understand and embrace on a much deeper level than before is that God is not interested in adhering to routine. Everything about my life this year has been such a departure from normalcy that the comment I most often hear from people is, "I don't know how you do it."

Well, neither do I. Because none of it makes any sense. God will use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and what seems to be the most ridiculous course of action is sometimes the only one that will get you where you are going. People used to tell me I was an "outside-the-box thinker." I no longer think outside the box. I live there. The box, if it ever really existed, is just a tiny spec on the horizon in my rear-view mirror.

And through it all, quietly providing a solid foundation on which I can place my trust, is this crazy peace that has come to be a familiar friend. It's the peace that passes understanding, that defies logic and stands as a silent centurion protecting my heart from the sure despair that would overtake me if not for the undeniable presence of the Comforter in every moment.

So here I am, experiencing once again a sense of wonder that in all the crazy, mixed-up stuff that is my life, Someone is thinking of me constantly. He watches me, not waiting for me to mess up, but smitten by the look on my face when He enters the room. The love in His eyes is for me. And no matter how far I step away from "normal," He is still here, walking with me and leading me into Himself.

And tomorrow morning, when I wake up, He will still be here.



A Timeless Message

A friend posted a video this evening on Facebook. It is a YouTube video of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, along with over 650 other singers from 28 participating organizations, descended on a Macy's store in Center City Philadelphia. Their purpose was to surprise the unsuspecting shoppers with a Random Act of Culture. The event took place just a few days ago, on October 30, 2010.

Scattered throughout the unwitting crowd were randomly placed individuals who, when given their cue, burst into a full rendition of the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah. As I watched and listened to this mass choir sing one of the greatest and most inspired choral pieces of all time, something began to emerge in my spirit - a realization of what I was witnessing as being a picture of what the Church is to be in world.

This was a secular group on a secular mission, but what transpired was a public declaration of who Jesus is and His ultimate dominion over the kingdoms of this world - His eternal reign as King of Kings.

Here is what I saw:

1. Hundreds of individuals from dozens of organzations coming together for a common purpose.

2. A multi-generational, multi-cultural ensemble of voices singing the praises of our Eternal King.

3. These individuals are not all dressed alike and standing together as a group, thus separating themselves from those they are singing for. They are dressed like everyone else, scattered throughout the crowd. Until they started singing, they appeared to be just shoppers.
4. Each individual sings his/her part from wherever they are standing, with faces upturned and eyes fixed on the conductor, who is standing on an upper level.

5. When the shoppers realize what is happening, they stop what they are doing and engage in the process. They smile. They laugh. They break out cameras and video cameras and phones to capture the moment. They sing along.  They sway to the music. You will even see one woman with a camera in hand and the other hand lifted in worship as she was unable to stand still.

How profound a challenge this is to the Body of Christ - to unite under one banner and take the message of Jesus to the public forum in a bold and beautiful display of a multi-generational, multi-cultured declaration of who Jesus is! I promise you - when the Church begins to take this kind of a unified approach to getting the message of Jesus into the marketplace, the schools, the businesses and other public arenas, the world WILL SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE!

George Frideric Handel was a child prodigy who began composing operas at a very young age. By the time he was in his twenties, he was the best paid composer in the world. Over time, however, as his music came to be regarded as old-fashioned, and he was unable to sell anything. He endured bankruptcy, depression, a stroke and a palsy that crippled his fingers.

In August 1741, Handel began to compose the music for a libretto given to him by a friend, a collection of works about the life of Christ. Inspired by the words, "Comfort ye, comfort ye My people" from Isaiah 40, Handel had agreed to the project. Less than a month later, the entire work of The Messiah was complete.

The lyrics to the Hallelujah Chorus are few, but their message is profound:

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth

The kingdom of this world

Is become the Kingdom of our Lord

And of His Christ, and of His Christ

And He shall reign forever and ever!

King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Forever and ever!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!



The fact that this masterpiece was written by a man whose career was essentially over in the eyes of the world around him is a message for another time. God can and will use the most unlikely among us to accomplish His purposes. He always has and He always will. It's what He does best.

So here, for your watching and listening enjoyment, is the Opera Company of Philadelphia and over 650 of their friends, singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" in a Macy's store. May we, the Church, receive inspiration from this to unite under the watchdul eye and graceful movements of our Conductor as we unite together to bring the music from the heart of heaven itself outside the walls of the church and into the streets.

Selah.

(Be sure to pause the music player on the left side of this page before starting the video.)



The Bigger Picture

Somehow the entire month of August slipped by me without my getting a chance to post. Anything. At all. Thanks to an insanely busy schedule these past few weeks as we have prepared for the start of the football season (we broadcast high school games, among other things - more about that later), I am actually cheating a little on this post.

I'm sharing an article I wrote for The Town Messenger this past week. Here is the article in its entirety, as well as a link to the actual print publication itself. Enjoy.

The Town Messenger Issue 14

The Bigger Picture

by Rachael Wilkins

Life is undoubtedly a crazy maze that can leave you standing dazed and confused about which end is up as you meet yourself coming and going. And that’s on a good day. Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we sometimes find ourselves staring straight into the eyes of circumstances we would have much rather avoided altogether. Good, bad or indifferent, life happens.


I found myself this week sitting across the table at Starbucks from an old friend, someone I have known since the sixth grade. Between the two of us lie some of life’s most heart-breaking tragedies and all the pain that goes along with them; but intertwined are enough laughter, tears, hugs and girl talk to hold it all (and us) together.

As she walks through the process of self-rediscovery after a divorce that left her as a single mom, I am reminded that while I have been feeling sorry for myself in certain areas of my own life lately, there are countless people around me whose lives are being turned upside down. Sometimes I just need to look around a little to be reminded that my little piece of the world is the only piece that revolves around me. I needed to see the bigger picture.

I needed to be brought back to the reality that my life, while far from perfect, is generally good, and that I am wonderfully blessed. It is unbelievably easy in this culture to filter every experience through the mindset of, “What’s in it for me? How does this affect me?”
We have become so finely tuned to approach life through self-indulgence that we don’t even recognize it anymore.


As my long-time friend and I reconnected over cinnamon coffee cake and our favorite fruity beverages, my focus was readjusted to be more in line with what I know to be right. God did not place me here for the sole purpose of getting the most out of life. Does He want us to enjoy the ride? Absolutely. He’s cool that way. But our ultimate destiny is to know Him and to make Him known. And we cannot do that unless we step outside ourselves once in a while and see what is happening around us.

This past week in Hutto, a friend received word that her brother, a Marine, was seriously injured in an incident in Afghanistan that claimed the life of his squad leader. Another family was devastated by a tragic fire that destroyed their home and by the loss of their husband and father. My heart aches for these families and others who are facing life-altering situations like addiction, abuse, jobless-ness, illness and a host of other issues. Sometimes life hurts.

The challenge this week? Take inventory of your blessings and the things and people you can be thankful for. Open your eyes to the life happening outside your own four walls. Find a way to make a positive impact on that life. Take a little time to step back and soak in the bigger picture. With its array of joys, sorrows, hopes, dreams, laughter, tears & fears, life really is a beautiful masterpiece.

You Are Here

God's ways are not like our ways, of this there is no doubt. The harder pill to swallow, however, is that His timing is usually not like ours, either. I think that we are impatient creatures by nature and that patience does not occur naturally. None of us is born with it. It is a process - a fruit of the Spirit that must be nurtured and cultivated and, well, you get the idea.

Our culture has capitalized on this fact that we are impatient by nature and has carefully groomed us to expect instant everything. But the harsh reality is that we don't always get what we want, even if it is what God wants for us, when we want it.

In the four months since I have moved back to Austin, my idea of what my life would be like by now has pretty much shriveled up and died. My expectations have proven to be a bit unrealistic, although not necessarily by the world's standards, but by the standards adhered to when walking out what the Lord is leading you in - no matter how crazy it seems to yourself and everyone else.

Where I thought I would be by now is a tiny little speck on the horizon while I stand here in the middle of nowhere under a big red circle that reads, "You are here." Well, "here" is not where I want to be. I want to be "there." Waaaay over there. Now, please.

While I have spent much of the last several weeks feeling like I was spinning my wheels going absolutely NO-where, just waiting for something - anything - to bust open, I am beginning to catch a little glimpse of the "why" behind all this waiting. It's still a little fuzzy, but I am confident that the path that has been laid out before me will gradually come into focus as my "eyes" adjust.

Things are beginning to move slowly. Very slowly. I have been often frustrated in recent months because things were not happening as quickly as I thought they should. I have questioned whether or not I had heard God in pursuing the things I have been pursuing, and each and every time, I have ultimately returned to this one simple truth:

There is an illogical peace that resides deep in the soul of a child of God when she is standing dead center in the will of God for her life.

It makes no sense. Every circumstance swirling around her screams, “Worry – fear – dread!” But she quietly stands. The people around her question her actions and may eventually begin to believe that she has somehow missed the mark. There she is, standing alone. Her own thoughts and everything she has come to understand as what “should be” are shaken to the very core and pieces begin to crumble to the ground. She’s still standing.

This peace defies all reason and even makes her look like a fool. But it is the quiet confidence that is intravenously transmitted from the heart of the Almighty Himself directly into her spirit, and it is the very source of her strength and resolve to keep standing.

He sees the much larger picture of His plan for me than I will ever be able to comprehend or would even be able to carry if I saw it all now. This is where trust becomes something you can sink your teeth into. This is where faith brings you one step closer to spiritual adulthood, making the transition from child to woman or man. This is where your spirit becomes more intricately intertwined with that of the Creator. This is real - more real than anything else staring you in the face right now.

So keep standing. Keep your eyes fixed on the face of the One Who knows you best and loves you most. Your Deliverer is coming. He is standing by. You WILL see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

 "In quietness and trust is your strength..." 
Isaiah 30:15


"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness
of the LORD in the land of the living." 
Psalm 27:13

It Could Happen to Anyone

Today I'm taking a break from my usual subject matter to share with you an article published this week in the Town Messenger in Hutto, Texas.

Penned by Yours Truly, it is a true account of a recent experience I had involving my car, a camera, and a $75 ticket.

Enjoy. But not too much. :)

It Could Happen to Anyone - 

The Good News & Bad News of Getting Busted on Camera

by: Rachael Wilkins

It finally happened. I had heard of it happening to other people, but like so many other things we hear about, you don’t really believe it until it happens to you. And it happened to me. I always thought that if it did happen to me, it would happen in some big metro area, not in a little community like Hutto, TX. But here is where it did happen.
 

They say Hutto is a small town with big ideas, and that is precisely what popped into my head and out of my mouth when it happened.
 

“Hey! What’s the big idea?”
 

There I was, minding my own business, sorting through the mail - bill, bill, advertisement - when there it was. A letter from the City of Hutto addressed to yours truly.  “Hmmm, I wonder what they want?”
 

I slid my trusty letter opener along the top of the innocent-looking envelope, creating a nice, clean opening through which I pulled out the contents. I opened the “letter,” and there they were, staring me in the face – two full-color snapshots of my rear end. Okay, so it was my car’s rear-end, but now that I have your attention, let’s continue.
 

Now before you start thinking that I was flying down Highway 79 like a bat out of you-know-where, allow me to explain that when I committed the offense that got me busted on camera, I was making a right turn on a red light at Exchange Blvd, an act that, so far as I know, is perfectly legal. Apparently, however, I did not come to a complete stop before doing so. That, come to find out, is not so legal. 

For those of you who have found yourself in this same situation, I know you feel my pain. Thank you. For those of you who have not yet experienced that surreal moment when you see a full-color photo of your vehicle committing a no-no, accompanied by all the sordid details, don’t laugh. It could happen to you, too. And if it does, I have good news and bad news for you. Bad news first.

The bad news is that fighting a photo ticket is next to pointless for obvious reasons, and your little moment of carelessness (aka committing a ticketable offense) will cost you $75.00. 

The good news is that photo tickets do not count as moving violations, so they should not appear on your driving record or affect your insurance rates (or so says my attorney). 

The other “good” news is that if you do find yourself the recipient of a traffic ticket in Hutto (the photo variety or the old-fashioned kind), you can easily pay your fine online at the city’s website, HuttoTX.gov, from the comfort of your own home. I love technology.

But seriously, this little adventure has served me well as a reminder to pay closer attention when I am driving. It’s easy to get distracted and coast through a stop sign or fail to come to a complete stop when appropriate. I’m grateful for the fine job our Hutto Police Department does in keeping ours a safe community. But in the future, I will be more careful and keep that $75.00 in my pocket – at least until the next big shoe sale.

Not Forgotten

I have a confession to make. I love Amy Grant music. The old stuff. I guess it's mostly because it is part of the music I grew up on, and as much as I love current music, I do occasionally wax nostalgic and take great delight in listening to the songs that became the soundtrack of my life. Recently as I have been listening to Grant's The Collection, I have been hearing something in the lyrics of some of the songs that I have missed before.

If you are a singer, you know that there are particular songs, especially early on, that seem to generate requests for you to sing again and again. For me, one of those songs was El Shaddai, which I first sang at a little Assembly of God church in El Campo, Texas in my teens. As many times as I have listened to and sung this song, there was something that only became real to me today.

As I was driving to pick up my dog from the groomer, this song came on, and one line in particular struck me in a way it never has before. I relate on a more personal level to this line than I ever could have imagined when I was a young singer with visions of touching the masses with music that would move and inspire them.

The line that captured me was this: "...to the outcast on her knees, You were the God who really sees." Today for the first time when hearing this line, my mind immediately returned to a little bedroom in my parents' home in the months that my first marriage was ending, and the image of myself face-down on a tear-soaked carpet, pouring out my heart to a God I couldn't see, longing to be held by arms I couldn't feel.

In those agonizing months of coming to terms with rejection and betrayal, I learned to know Him on a deeper level than I had ever dreamed possible. He came to me, expressing His love for me in real and intimate ways that even now I have a difficult time expressing with mere words. I came to know that He saw every painful thing that had happened, and as He healed my heart, His voice became more familiar and precious to me than I had ever known before.

Today as I drove, I heard that same familiar voice speaking again to me - through me. Here is what He said:

"To the one whose heart has been battered by rejection and betrayal, to the one who has been cast aside, to the one who has been overlooked in search of someone or something else, to the one who feels the dull ache of dreams that seem too lofty to ever come true and the sting of criticism that makes their destiny seem unattainable, tell them this:

I have not forgotten you. You are mine. I have inscribed you on the palm of my hand, and your face is etched into my heart.The ones you thought would love you may have rejected you, but I have accepted you. The world may have cast you aside, but I have adopted you as My own. The world may have overlooked you, but I have called you by name, and you belong to Me. I want you to know the depths of My love for you, to commune with Me in sweet intimacy. When we spend time together, your destiny will become clear, and as you walk in all that I have laid out in My word and listen to and follow My voice, your destiny will be fulfilled in a more powerful way than you have ever dared to imagine."

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

       How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
       they would outnumber the grains of sand.
       When I awake, I am still with you."

Psalm 139:17-18

Late Night Instruction

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Sometimes life just happens so fast that it's all you can do to hang on and run with it - much less slow down long enough to write about it. Such has been the case for the past several weeks.

The truth is, I really don't have anything profound to say even now, but I find myself with a few rare moments of quiet solitude this evening, so here I am.

The birthing of a new media company with my dad and brother has consumed much of my time and attention recently, but I also have a couple of consulting clients that have been keeping me busy as well. For these I am thankful, because they have provided at least a small trickle of income while we are getting the business up and running.

The crazy pace of keeping all these spinning plates in the air has resulted in more than a few very late and even sleepless nights as looming deadlines have dictated my sleep schedule.

The other night was such a night, and as I lay in bed, physically exhausted but still too mentally buzzed to fall asleep, I began to pray. One of the things I specifcally prayed for was a client project that was coming to a close after several weeks, and I was having a hard time putting together the final analysis in preparation for a presentation meeting with the client. I had started over several times and was simply uncomfortable with the overall organization of the presentation.

As I prayed for direction, the answer came to me pretty quickly as to how to proceed. What followed was a gentle but firm reminder that if I would simply slow down long enough to listen more often, I would be much more able to clearly hear what He is guiding me in.

The steps of the righteous ae ordered of the Lord, and He promises to make our path straight before us if we acknowledge Him in all our ways. It may seem like a simple thing, but this foundational kingdom principle is one that is increasingly difficult to walk in consistently in today's society.

Let us commit to challenge ourselves and one another to continuously acknowledge the Lord in all our ways throughout each day, knowing that He will make our path straight, making it clearer for us which way we are to proceed.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

The Sound of Wind

In a rare quiet moment of solitude this evening, I am unusually aware of the hand of God hovering, sensing blessing and favor lingering near. My heart is once again completely saturated by the overwhelming sweetness and staggering power of His presence.

There are so many unanswered questions in my heart these days, but the peace that consumes me somehow settles these matters in my spirit, giving me the strength I need to continue on this journey. 

That sounds nice, but sometimes I'd be grateful for some hint of where this train is going. I was chatting on Facebook the other night with my friend, Wendy, and after my usual rant about having no clue what God is doing in all the "not normal" stuff that defines my life lately, she simply said, "You are in the hand of God right now."

"Well," I replied, "it would be really great if He could just open His fingers up a bit and let a little light in, because it's dark in here, and I can't see a thing!"

How often do we, having yielded our lives to the One from whom our destiny came in the first place, find ourselves still struggling for some sense of control over the direction in which we are headed? Admittedly, too often. Giving up control doesn't come easy.

Faith requires us to walk boldly into uncharted territory. It dictates that we stand in foreign places with the confident assurance that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He said He will do in and through us.

It is only when our will has been conformed to His own that we experience the true freedom that He intended for us from the beginning. Our dreams are not designed to be achieved but fulfilled. The dreams that He has planted within us can only be fulfilled when we stop trying to achieve them and trust them back to Him. Even in this very moment, He is preparing us for the fulfillment (the development of the full potential of) our dreams and our destinies.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is the sound of a strong and steady wind that I hear approaching. It seems to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It sounds like no other wind I have ever heard - gentle yet strong, and I close my eyes to listen to its voice.

It is the breath of God. It is the sound that was heard in the most defining moment of Creation as the Almighty exhaled, breathing eternal existence into the lifeless body of Adam. It is the sound I hear now, as lifeless dreams are beginning to stir with anticipation. The winds of eternity are approaching, and nothing will ever be the same again.

"Blessed is she who has believed that 

what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."

Luke 1:45

The Butterfly Circus

As we navigate this earth life, we are sometimes faced with circumstances and situations that challenge our resolve to continue in our pursuit of the dreams that the Almighty has placed within us.

We encounter difficulties and trials, financial struggles, health issues, nay-sayers, and every sort of scheme the enemy can muster to discourage us from continuing onward. Sometimes we just need to be reminded that the process of becoming what we were created to be is not meant to be an easy one. Butterflies aren't born as tiny little versions of their parents. They enter the world as a less-than-attractive little worm-like creature, but through a process of isolation and great pressure, they become beautiful & graceful flying marvels, sparking a bit of child-like wonder in anyone who witnesses them as they flutter by.

As I have been battling discouragement today, I was faced with news that seemed to just add insult to injury. I told my husband, "I will not be discouraged by this. I refuse to do it." I went on to say (as much to myself as to him) that we must be on the verge of something really powerful, because the resistance we have been receiving the past year or more has been intense and nearly non-stop.

Enter The Butterfly Circus. This brief movie (20 minutes) is one I have seen before but felt led to watch again today. There is an abundance of symbolism is this project and a host of potential sermons reside therein. The lessons are simple but very profound. The one I am walking away with today is the reminder, as spoken by the Showman, "The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph."

The movie features motivational speaker Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms or legs. I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes out of your crazy life and watch this uninterrupted, soaking in the priceless messages of hope, restoration, and overcoming that are portrayed in this story. And by the way, have a box of Kleenex handy.

For more information about Nick and his ministry, visit lifewithoutlimbs.org.

Since space here will not allow a screen size that will let you enjoy this movie at its best, I'm linking you now to the official site. Enjoy.

The Butterfly Circus

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work 

so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1:2-4

I am Certain of This One Thing

Sometimes I feel so close to Jesus that I can almost taste the sweetness in the air as His fragrance seems to permeate the air around me. Other times, I don't feel Him quite so close, but must rely on the simple truth that He is faithful, and that even though I don't "feel" Him, I know He is here. Tonight falls into the latter category.

As I sit here listening over and over again to a couple of songs that are deeply ministering to my dry and thirsty spirit, I am once again overtaken by the immenseness of His love for me. Tears flow readily as I drink in His goodness. I don't know why He loves me so much, nor can I explain why He has chosen me, an immeasurably imperfect vessel, to carry out His kingdom purposes in this generation. But He does, and He has.

So here I sit in a darkened room, with lyrics declaring His faithfulness and music that soothes my soul washing over me like a cool and refreshing waterfall on a steamy Texas summer day.

"All I ever know is Jesus, You are faithful to the end."

These are words I have spoken over and over as I have recounted to wounded women the part of my story that includes a broken marriage and the unbelievably dark clouds that shrouded my heart month after month as I underwent deep emotional healing. In my darkest moments, when I felt completely and utterly alone, the only thing that gave me the strength to draw my next breath was the knowledge that Jesus was faithful. It was the grace that I found woven through the tapestry of my heart through a lifelong love relationship with Him that enabled me to keep going through the process of healing. When I didn't know anything else, I knew the character of my God. I knew He was with me, even though I couldn't always feel Him.

As we face uncertain times and the unrest that naturally accompanies seasons of transition and change, of this one thing I am most certain: Jesus is faithful to the end. He will never leave me or forsake me. He did not bring me here for anything other than His divine plans for me - the plans to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future. Of this I am sure. 

Keep standing, dear friend. Don't sit down. That which has been conceived in you is about to be birthed into the glorious fulfillment of the destiny for which you were born. We don't have to understand it all right now. He will reveal all truth to us in His time. Until then, let us remain steadfast, continuously reminding ourselves and one another that He is faithful to the end - that He is faithful to complete the good work that He has begun within us.

"The LORD gives strength to his people; 

the LORD blesses his people with peace."

Psalm 29:11

Divine GPS

I read somewhere recently that trust and understanding rarely accompany one another. Truer words were never spoken.

It seems recently that as I begin to engage in this next chapter of my life, the more I am learning to trust and the less I understand. The simple but deep revelation that is settling into my heart is that if I understood everything, there would be no reason for me to trust.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart 

and lean not on your own understanding."

Proverbs 3:5

This familiar verse has made its way across my path several times in the past few days, and I am learning to slow down and listen when the Lord is trying so persistently to capture my attention. 

When I see these words, one of the first things that comes to my mind is one evening several years ago when I was speaking at a ladies' meeting at church. My message was on trust, and I opened my hardcover Bible to the page where this verse was found. 

As I spoke, I began to casually but carefully tear the page out of my Bible, much to the horror of some of the ladies there. I held the page up and said, "This is my understanding."

I then held up a pen and said, "And this is me."

Holding the page just above the podium, I tried in vain to lean the pen into the page. Needless to say, the very thin paper could not support the weight of the pen, and the pen just kept falling. 

I carefully placed the page back inside the Bible, closed the Book and said, "But watch this. When I submit my understanding to God's and allow His Word and His understanding to surround mine..." I stood the Bible up on the podium and successfully leaned the pen into the Bible, which, of course, was plenty strong to support it. My point was made. 

I still have that Bible, and that page is still folded and rests in its rightful place. It serves as a constant reminder to me of how feeble my understanding is and that my need to fully trust Him is great. 

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, 

and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:6

As we encounter the stuff of life that presents itself to us every day, it is the acknowledging of Him that proves to be the greatest challenge. In order for me to acknowledge Him, I have to be still long enough to take my hands off the stuff and what I think the outcome should be and ask Him what His plan is in it. He promises that if we will simply do that, just stop and ask for His direction, He will make the path straight before us. 

It's like a divine GPS navigation system. Only the desired destination (destiny) has already been entered for us. He is giving us the directions. We just have to listen and follow the straight path that He is placing before us. 

The direction I think things are going seems to be changing almost daily, and as the Lord keeps gently reminding me, my security is not in the circumstances that surround me. My security lies in the quiet confidence that I am being closely held in the shadow of the Almighty, nestled safely next to His heart. Here is where I have found my hope.

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength..."

Isaiah 30:15

Transitions

After what seems like an eternity, I am finally sitting down to write again. Not that there has been any lack of material to write about. It's just that sometimes life necessitates that we focus more of our attention on living it than writing about it. Such has been this season for me.

So much of what I see happening around me right now involves transition. It seems that since the last few months of 2009 until now, not a week goes by without someone I know engaging in a change of some kind - new jobs, new homes, new cities, new engagements, new pregnancies. It is no coincidence that the word all of these things have in common is the word "new."

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"

Isaiah 43:19 

This verse says two things to me:

1. God is fully engaged in an ongoing creative and restorative work in our lives.
2. If we aren't paying attention, we might miss it.

It is so easy to get so intertwined in the stuff of life that we lose sight of who He is, who we are, and why are here.

He is the God of the Universe, the Creator of all that is, the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. We are His children, growing up to be His friends, and maturing to become His Bride. We are here simply to know Him and to make Him known to all nations. Oh, and by the way - all nations starts right outside our own front door.

It's the "Do you not perceive it?" part of this verse that grips my heart and causes my gaze to be lifted from the things I clutter my life with to look up into His eyes. It is like He is saying, "Hello? Did you hear anything I just said? Weren't you even paying attention?"

There is a re-positioning happening all around us. God is maneuvering His people into the places and positions we must be in for this next chapter in human history. There is movement in the heavenlies, just as there is movement in the earth. The very foundations of the earth are literally shifting and shaking, causing great destruction on the surface. Minor and major earthquakes are in the news almost daily.

We would be foolish to not recognize this as a physical manifestation of what is also happening in the spirit realm.There is restructuring and movement in the deep spiritual places that will cause great disturbances on the surface of life as we have known it. There are surface issues that need to be shaken apart and broken loose so that true deliverance, restoration and freedom can come.

The questions we must ask ourselves are these:

• Do we perceive it? Are we paying close enough attention to recognize what God is doing?
• Are going to resist the change, go along grudgingly, or fully embrace the new thing He is doing?

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

 See, I am doing a new thing!
       Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
       I am making a way in the desert
       and streams in the wasteland."

Isaiah 43:18-19