From Dry Bones to Living, Breathing Destinies

From my journal dated 3.11.12

Sitting at a picnic table facing what used to be part of Lake Travis. What my eyes behold now is a dry riverbed with barren boat docks, the kind that used to be floating on top of several feet of water. Now they are merely forlorn shells, reminiscent of what once was.

Last year's record drought wreaked havoc on the lakes of Central Texas, particularly Lake Travis. Even with the steady rains we have had in recent weeks, the lakes are still many, many feet below normal, and the driest parts still hold no water at all. Only Go knows if it will ever be normal again, ,and if so, when and what it will take to get there.

As I sit and stare at a dry riverbed and thousands of dry rocks and boulders, I am reminded of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). When the Lord asked Ezekiel if the bones could live, he replied, "O Sovereign Lord, You alone know."

As Ezekiel followed the Lord's instructions to prophecy life into those bones what speaks to me is the creative miracle that transpired in front of his eyes.

"I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them.." (v. 8). What had not existed mere seconds before (tendons and flesh) suddenly appeared on the bones (the framework). The tendons and flesh gave substance to each lifeless body.

What happened next is phenomenal in and of itself. The Lord instructed Ezekiel to speak to the breath - calling it from the from the four winds - calling it to breathe on "these slain that they may live."

Like the bones and like the dry lake beds, sometimes we find our dreams, and maybe our hearts, dry and lifeless. But we are not without hope. The dry bones are the framework of our dreams. They give testimony to the fact that something is there - something has potential. The tendons and flesh are what God pulls together to give our destiny substance. They make it real and tangible, giving it a shape and a face.

But until we learn to call forth the breath of life from the four winds and prophesy life into our own destiny, it will remain lifeless and unused. It will resemble an active destiny, but it will remain an empty shell. Only when we fully believe the purpose of our destiny will we speak it into existence - speaking the word of the Lord and calling life into our dreams and our destinies.

A young father and his daughter just passed by on their bicycles. As they rode by, the dad looked down at the lake bed. He pointed out to his daughter, "Hey, there's water down there again."

I take a closer look. It is true. There is water down there again.

A smile emerges across my face.

Fires and Reservoirs

I was awakened at 1:30 AM this morning with a dream.

It was night time, and we were alerted to a fire in the neighborhood (not where we currently live, but in a neighborhood somewhere in Austin). We somehow had access to some kind of an emergency scanner, which let us know about this fire.

I got in the car and drove to the end of the block and turned left. There was the house fire, several houses down on the left.

As I approached the house that was burning, I noticed the house next door to it had the garage door open and the light was on. The only thing inside was some kind of a game table, like foosball or something. There were two men playing the game, either oblivious to what was going on right outside their door or not caring at all about it.

I pulled up to the curb on the opposite side of the street behind a fire truck, and I remembered what the firefighters had instructed us to do when our home burned last year - to move the vehicles. So I backed up to a safe distance several houses away and got out of the car.

As I walked up the sidewalk to the people whose home was on fire, I could see that the smoke was pouring across the street to where they stood. It filled the air, and I could smell it and it was making me choke a little. As I approached, I saw that the upper floor was fully engulfed in flames, and while some firefighters battled that blaze, others were downstairs placing large red fire tarps over the furniture and grabbing photographs to bring out.

I walked up to the family and said, "I just went through this very thing a few months ago, so I understand. What can I do for you? I'm here. I understand."

Here is where I woke up. The dream was so real that for about a half hour I could still smell smoke (like it gets on the inside of your nostrils and takes a while to work its way out).

While there is a very practical side to this dream, there is also a strong spiritual meaning as well, one that I believe we should all pay attention to.

1. As we stay close to the Father's heart, we become privy to information that He only reveals to those who are truly listening and whom He has equipped to go and meet the need (the emergency scanner). 
2. He positions us where we can be of greatest accessibility to the need - right in the neighborhood. Every situation we find ourselves in throughout our daily lives has the potential to become a mini mission field. Need is all around us. 
3. There are those who are playing games and will not be bothered by the obvious and desperate needs of those around them. Don't be one of them. 
4. Wisdom prevails. Know what to take into the situation and what to leave behind. The car needed to be left behind while I proceeded on foot. 
5. Our experiences, no matter how painful and difficult, become a valuable resource when we are faced with the needs of others. If you have "been there, done that," thank God for it. Use it to connect with someone else who needs what you have right here and right now.

As I prayed about this dream, the Lord spoke to me clearly, saying, " I sometimes allow My people to go through very difficult places because it creates a deeper well inside you of compassion and understanding from which you will be able to draw when I bring you to others who are hurting in the same way."

The word that keeps coming to me is reservoir. It means this:

A natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power, etc.

Of course, an artificial reservoir in context of this discussion would be one that we create ourselves, using our own "wisdom"  and "understanding;" one that is faulty at best and filled with tainted water. A natural reservoir is created by HIS hand, using HIS tools, and is filled with the water that brings life and causes all things to become new.

Notice the purposes of a reservoir:

1. Supplying a community (outreach)
2. Irrigating land (facilitating growth)
3. Furnishing power (equipping the saints)

I know which one I want inside me. How about you?

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

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

Grimy Smudges & Glorious Reality

Music from the Heart: My Heart Your Home by Watermark


"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you."    -John 15:4 (The Message)



The words of Jesus are are simple, profound, and life-altering. They challenge everything we think we know, and the truth we find in them sets us free from everything that would keep us outside the place He has designed for us to inhabit: a place in Him.

These words are no exception. Jesus Himself has invited us to live in Him - to move in, settle in and make ourselves at home there. We, in all our fumbling, stumbling, bumbling imperfection, have been extended a personal invitation from the King of Glory to come and dwell not only with Him, but IN HIM. He's not worried about us leaving our dirty fingerprints on the walls or grimy smudges on everything we touch. He welcomes it.

He invites us to this place because He loves us. We accept the invitation because we know that no grander opportunity can ever be presented to us - to be welcomed into the heart and home of God Himself as one of His own. He cleans us up, dresses us in fine clothes, gives us His name, and shares with us all that He is and all that He has, holding nothing back.

No more wandering through the dark streets of this life aimless, hopeless, lost and alone. We have been adopted into His family. We have been found and given a home and a hope. We have become the picture of restoration. The Creator of all things has reconciled us to Himself, calling us His own.

If you don't do anything else today, wrap your heart around this glorious reality - you belong to Him and in Him. He belongs to you and in you. Home just took on a whole new meaning.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

the old has gone, the new has come! 

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ 

and gave us the ministry of reconciliation ..."

2 Corinthians 5:17-18

On the Verge

Music from the Heart: More of Jesus by Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart

We are created for more. More glory, more greatness, more of the the manifest presence of God in every moment in which we draw breath. Why, then, do I so often feel like I am waiting for something to happen, like I'm chasing after some elusive destiny that will never be mine?

Recently I seem to keep hearing things like, "You're on the verge of something," and "Breakthrough is coming." My frustrated reply to these sentiments goes something like this: "I'm TIRED of being 'on the verge' of something! I want to be right smack dab in the middle of something!"

The "something" here is a living, breathing, life-altering move of God - in me, on me, all over me, and through me. Where IS that? And WHY is it not RIGHT HERE - RIGHT NOW?

I don't pretend for a nanosecond to know the answer to any of these questions. All I can offer is the desperate cry of a heart that is craving more - more of everything God is and does and has for me, His daughter.

The dictionary defines "verge" as, among other things, "a limiting belt, strip or border of something." Hmmm. Is it possible that my being always "on the verge" of some great move of God in my life somehow indicates that there is a "limiting border" that is held in place by, oh I don't know, maybe ... me? Could it be that there is something in me that is the reason why that breakthrough has not yet materialized? Perhaps a lack of faith, or a sense of unworthiness to be the recipient of all God has for me, or maybe plain and simple fear. Whatever it is, I want it gone.

What about you? What is it that hinders you from all that God longs to do in you and through you? Do you feel like you are always "on the verge" of something where God's purposes and plans for your life are concerned? Do you long to press past the "verge" and dive head-first into the living, breathing, life-altering move of God in you, on you, all over you, and through you - and all that goes with it? Are you craving more?

Me, too. So, what do we do now? I don't exactly know, but it is probably something different for you than it is for me. Whatever it is, let's ask God to reveal it, then let's do it! That sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Can it really be that easy? Have we (I'm speaking primarily to myself here) really made things so stinking complicated and involved that we have missed the obvious - pray and obey? Ummm, next question, please.

Seriously, though, I'm ready to get on with whatever comes next. I'm thinking along the lines of some strategically placed dynamite and blasting this "limiting border" to smithereens. You in?

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more
than all we ask or imagine, according to His power
that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

The Heartbeat of God

It's late at night, and the house is quiet. Well, nearly quiet. The only sounds are the whirring of the ceiling fan, the clicking of the computer keys, and in the background, the soft strains of gentle, meditative worship music.

There is a deep longing in my heart tonight as I have come to this quiet place at His feet once again. It is not uncommon for my time with Him to be marked with tears, and tonight is no exception. They are tears of surrender as I lay my dreams before Him, trusting them to Him yet again. There are deep desires in my heart that long for fulfillment so desperately that the longing itself is almost painful.

It seems that my biggest struggle is that I keep trying to cause my dreams to be fulfilled in my own wisdom and strength. I know better, but I still work tirelessly to accomplish what He has already promised He would accomplish in and through me. Why can't I stop?

His voice whispers to me, "Do you trust Me?"

My heart replies, "I want to."

He pulls me close to Him. My head is buried in His chest as sobs overtake me and I exhale for the first time in what seems like months.

"What do you hear?" He asks. I listen closely for His heartbeat. I am not prepared for what I hear.

With a slow and steady rhythm, the beating of His heart begins to grow louder and louder in my ears.

"I love you - I love you - I love you," it says.

I am left speechless in His arms. The insistent reassurance of this simple truth is enough. He loves me. Really loves me. His heart literally beats with His love for me.

Nothing else matters.

I have found a place in His heart that is reserved only for me. It has my name on it. From eternity past to the infinite days of forever that lie ahead, no other person has ever or will ever hold this place in His heart. It is mine, and mine alone.

This is what it means to dwell in Him. I never want to leave this place. It is my safety, my refuge, my secret place. This is where I can be myself more than anywhere else. This is where there is no judgment, only joy - no ridicule, only release. This is where the green pastures meet the quiet waters. This is home. This is where I belong.

Selah.

"Call to me and I will answer you
and tell you great and unsearchable things
you do not know."
Jeremiah 33:3

Hope of Restoration

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. Many times I have sat down to start, but something else always seems to take precedence. Not today.

My heart today is filled with many things: peace in the face of uncertainty, thankfulness for the goodness of the Lord in providing for every need, and an ever-deepening love and admiration for my husband.

But underneath these wonderful things lies an ache that I cannot soothe. It is the dull pain of a vision that has not yet been fulfilled, a destiny not yet realized. Its roots are planted deep in the soil of a hope that has seen and tasted the goodness of the God of restoration who has given us, His Bride, the ministry of reconciliation. The deepest desire of His heart is to reconcile His most glorious creation, you, to an intimate relationship with Him.

You find yourself today at a place where your heart longs for something more than what you have yet experienced in your life. You may have tried to feed that longing with empty relationships, addictive drugs or alcohol, secret activities that now control you, career ambitions or maybe even church, ministry and family activities. Maybe you simply struggle day in and day out just to maintain, living paycheck to paycheck, never knowing true rest, desperate for something that you can't even put a name to. You are weary.

This message is for you.

Your mourning is about to be turned to dancing, your weeping into laughing, and your sorrow into joy as the God of restoration Himself infuses your situation with His presence. In the overwhelming cloud of His presence, that thing you are facing that has consumed your vision WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAND. It WILL fall! Your time is NOW! Embrace it. Your destiny hangs heavy over you and the pending birth will launch you into kingdom-shaking authority as the Lord breathes His life into your passion - the same life-giving breath He blew into the lungs of Adam. It's yours - right here, right now.

Now is the time to be reconciled to Him. Today is the day for hope to be rekindled in your heart. Let the restoration begin.

Father God, as we submit to Your magnificent plan,
saturate us in Your presence again and again and again.
Here in this place of intimacy with You
we have found our healing, our rest, our peace, and our purpose.
Gloriously wash over over us even now
with healing and restoring waters
that burst forth from Your throne.
Immerse us in You. So let it be.
Amen.

He Restores My Soul

“He restores my soul.” Close your eyes, take in a slow, deep breath and as you release it, let these four simple words sink deeply into your spirit. “He restores my soul.”

My soul is the deepest part of me, that inner sanctuary where no one else will ever be able to accompany me; no one, of course, except for the One who fashioned me in my mother’s womb and Who breathed my eternal destiny into my spirit before I ever drew my first breath.

In these precious moments when I am alone with Him, the tears come easily as I let down my defenses and lay aside every tool and weapon with which I have fought today’s battles. I lean into His chest and allow Him to hold me as I begin to weep tears of relief, letting go of anything and everything that has held me captive in a prison of my own design.

This is my safe place. This is where the chains fall away and my rest becomes deeper with each breath that enters and departs my weary self.

He restores my soul. He returns the deepest part of me to its original state, reestablishing His purposes and bringing back divine order. Here, in this place of closeness with my Shepherd, my spirit is at rest. My heart is at peace. My soul is restored.

Jesus said that He is the Good Shepherd and that His sheep know His voice. As I linger here in this place, quietly listening to Him whisper of His love for me, the voice I hear is the same voice that spoke my destiny into existence while I was still being woven together in the secret place. The voice is familiar, comforting and strong.

When my soul is restored, everything changes. Peace returns. Joy is refreshed. Hope is renewed. Destiny receives a breath of fresh air, shedding the staleness that seems to creep in over time as dreams wait for their moment to rise up and be fulfilled.

He restores your soul. Today is your day for restoration. Right now is your moment to receive the rest that He has for you. Here is where your striving ceases. Here is where your hope is renewed and your peace returns. Here is where you fall into His arms as He whispers His love to you.

Then this city will bring me renown, joy,
praise and honor before all nations on earth
that hear of all the good things I do for it;
and they will be in awe and will tremble
at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'
Jeremiah 33:9

Life on the Edge

Music from the Heart: How He Loves Us by Kim Walker

Surrender and Trust. They stand together facing me, hand in hand. Each extends the remaining hand to me, inviting me to join them in a circle of three. Their intent is to lead me to the edge of my comfort zone and coax me to jump out into the vast abyss of possibility that is my destiny.

I have been here before, with these same two companions. Each leap takes me to a deeper level of awareness of His presence and His plan for my life. Why, then, do I even hesitate when I find myself facing this decision again? Why haven't I already jumped?

For me, it is a question of will. Whose will am I truly committed to - mine or His?

Yesterday, as our pastor was closing his message on the Lord's Prayer, he offered the following interpretation of the phrase, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven":

"May I have no will of my own. May Your will be all that I seek."

In my heart, at this moment, this is a matter of surrendering even my deepest desires and most extravagant dreams back to the One who placed them in my heart. This is not as easy as it sounds, but I must keep reminding myself that to give them back over to Him does not mean giving up on the dream. It means giving up on being in control of the dream.

I choose to follow the example of our spiritual father, Abraham, as he accompanied his son, Isaac, up the mountain. He was fully prepared to put the boy to death in obedience to the Lord, but he also was equally prepared for a substitute sacrifice to be provided. I choose to lay my dreams down at His feet, and I have the same assurance that what the Lord returns to me will be His good, pleasing and perfect will for me.

Ultimately, it is the knowledge and experience of His amazing, unimaginable, crazy love for me that enables me to relinquish even those things most precious to me back to Him.

Surrender and Trust are becoming closer friends to me, and I find myself leaning on them for strength. Together we are moving closer to the edge ...

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more
than all we ask or imagine, according to his power
that is at work within us...

Ephesians 3:20

Smoke on the Mountain

Music from the Heart: Glory Come Down by Jason Upton

There are many things I could write about tonight, but only one thing is prevalent in my spirit at this late hour. The warfare in the heavenlies is intensifying.

I have experienced this myself over the past few days, and I am reading about it from others around the country who are also seeing an increase in spiritual activity, specifically where it pertains to God's people being released into their destinies, and more specifically when that destiny includes some form of ministry to hurting people.

I had a dream last week where I was praying for a woman I did not know, and as I opened my mouth, I began to speak into the pain of her past, naming specific things that had wounded her and caused her to question her position in Christ, among other things. As I spoke, she began to weep, leaning into me with her head down as she surrendered to what the Lord was initiating for her release and freedom.

Over the past two days, I have encountered a level of warfare I have not seen in quite some time, and it involves some things the Lord is showing me about a woman I know of, but do not know personally (not the same one from the dream). The details are not relevant in this posting, and I'm not completely sure why I feel compelled to share this in this arena. But here is what I believe:

Someone will read this who has been experiencing an increased level of some combination of spiritual warfare and/or prophetic insight into people and situations around you. This has come after you have prayed for more of the Lord's presence in your life, and you are not sure what to do with what you are beginning to see and sense. You may even be a little frightened by it. You have hesitated to share this with anyone, because you aren't sure how it will be received or if it will be understood by those close to you.

Let me tell right here and right now that you are not alone. Be encouraged that what you are seeing and sensing will happen and is happening even now. As God has been strategically positioning His people for the activity that is coming, He is also calling us to a deeper level of awareness of His presence and a greater sensitivity to His ways. His presence can appear frightening to those who are not prepared to see Him.

When God told Moses to have the people consecrate themselves in preparation for coming up the mountain to meet with Him, He wanted all of Israel to participate. Instead, the people were frightened by the smoke and the clouds that accompanied His presence on the mountain, and they shrank back, sending Moses up alone to meet with God.

Let us not be like the children of Israel in this hour as God is again calling us up the mountain, His holy hill, to meet with Him. Let our hearts be like that of Moses, who boldly but humbly approached God's manifest presence with a tenacious fervor.

God is speaking, and we must be still and quiet enough to hear His voice and ready to obey. Like the children of Israel who were led through the wilderness by a cloud and a pillar of fire, we must move when He moves and stay when and where He stays. When it's time to move, we must be unhindered by things that hold no eternal significance. When it's time to stay, we must remain with Him, not eager to rush ahead and make our own way.

In other words, we are to live simply, listen closely, love Him deeply, and obey completely. This is essential if we are to embrace and fulfill the destiny for which we have been created.

And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Then Moses said, "Now show me Your glory."
Exodus 33:17-18

I Surrender All

Music from the Heart: I Surrender All by Michael W. Smith

I mentioned in a prior post that I am a confessed and recovering control freak. When I mentioned this earlier in the week to a close friend, her reply was "Recovering?" She was, of course, questioning this part of my statement. She knows me well enough to know that "recovering" might be a bit of a stretch. I quickly defended myself by stating the obvious: "Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery."

Okay, so I may have not gotten far past this first step yet, but actually admitting this is a very big deal. All you fellow control freaks, (step out of your denial for a moment), you are smiling right now and nodding, as you know this to be true. Confessing that you have a hard time letting go of control is not easy. Since most of us are also perfectionists, admitting this problem forces us to also acknowledge that we have fallen short of some standard, no matter how unrealistic or self-imposed it is.

This week, once again, I have been brought to a place of self-examination by the lyrics to an old, familiar hymn. The song is I Surrender All. In digging into the simple but profound concept of total surrender, it is not necessary to look any further than the first verse:

All to Jesus, I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live.

As I was preparing this song to include in this morning's worship set, I began to examine my own heart in light of these familiar words. I had to ask myself, "How much of me have I withheld from complete and total surrender to Him? How much of my time, my abilities, my goals, my dreams, my affection and allegiance - have I really come to a place of total surrender? Have I let go?"

The honest answer is, "No." The rest of the answer is, "But I am learning to." Even this morning, as I filled in as a guest worship leader with a band that I have never played with before, I had to let go of the control and not be consumed with how things sounded and whether or not I was adequately prepared. And when I did, the Lord came. He came, and in His presence, I was free and comfortable.

So here is your challenge, Dear Reader. Examine your heart for those areas where you need to release the control to the One who knows you best and loves you most. Choose to let go, and bask in the freedom that follows.

This is not a matter of convenience or comfort or enhancing our relationship with Jesus. This is a matter of survival. One look at the evening news and it is obvious that we are in a day when man's "wisdom" and puffed up strategies on how to "fix" our country's and the world's problems are being exposed as miserable failures day in and day out. OUR ONLY HOPE is complete and utter surrender into the hands of our God. HE will cover and protect His children. HE will provide for every need. HE will defend the widow and the orphan. HE will lead us beside still waters and cause us to rest under the shadow of His wing.

Whatever you are carrying that is weighing you down, that thing that keeps you awake at night, that consumes your thoughts day in and day out - let it go. Give up the control. Let Him take it. His shoulders are big enough to carry it. Surrender - and walk freely into your destiny!

Hope for Dusty Dreams

Last night something happened to me that surprised me. David turned on the television to find the last few minutes of Sister Act 2 on the air. This is one of my favorite movies, and I didn't really realize why until last night.

If you're not familiar with the movie, Whoopi Goldberg stars as a lounge singer who has been summoned by a group of nuns (old friends of hers from the first movie) to come and help them salvage the remnants of an inner-city Catholic high school. The school and the neighborhood are gasping for final breaths as the sisters and their male counterparts try desperately to inspire hope and inspiration in the young hearts and minds entrusted to them. Sister Mary Clarence (Goldberg) breathes new life into the near-dead music program and in the process plants, waters and nurtures the dreams of a better life into the hearts of her gifted students as she teaches them to sing together as a stage choir.

As the youngsters prepare for a state-wide choir competition, they reclaim an old music room, scrubbing walls and windows, and making it their own by repairing an old piano and painting the walls. In the process, the sisters discover an old box of trophies and awards that the school choir had earned in decades past. It seemed the destiny of the school was to produce an award-winning choir. But years of deterioration in the community and a mindset of settling for less than what they were capable of had reduced the school's former achievements to a dusty box filled with forgotten glory.

This brings us to last night. As the choir was waiting to take the stage at the contest, a larger, more experienced and much more formidable choir performed the same song our group of dreamers had prepared. The other choir's arrangement was traditional and stuffy - impressive, yes, but definitely old-school. Like the spies who reported to Moses of giants in the land, Goldberg's choir saw the other group and wanted to quit out of fear and intimidation. A quick pep talk from their favorite teacher, and the group decided to go on.

There is much more to the individual stories of the characters and their personal insecurities, aspirations and secret fears than I can get into now, but as the group took the stage and the auditorium was filled with color, light and unbelievable harmonies, tears filled my eyes. I have seen this movie I don't know how many times, and while it is one of my favorites, I have never had this reaction before. I watched as a group of young people, inspired to greatness by a teacher who managed to see just a glimpse of their potential, shed their choir robes and danced and sang their way to a first-place finish with all the exuberance and passion and energy they had inside them.

Even now, as I write this, my eyes are filled again, as my heart yearns to see more and more people (in real life) stepping out of the stuffy traditions and dream-killing mindsets that have held them back, and dancing their way into their God-breathed destiny.

So to you, dear reader, if you have dusty dreams that have become little more than an empty shell of a would-be memory, if you know that you have not yet stepped into a destiny that has been long-since packed up and forgotten, if you are ready to shed the ill-fitting robes of conformity that hide your beautiful individuality, this prayer is for you.

Father God, Giver of dreams and Designer of destinies,
please come and breathe new life into our dreams.
Blow away the dust accumulated by years of waiting
and listening to dream-killing lies that our lives will
never account for more than they already have.
Restore hope, resurrect dreams and rebuild destinies
and teach us to dance and sing our way into the
fullness of what You have created us to be and to do.
Ignite a passion within us that we have never known before -
a passion for more of You, for seeing Your Kingdom come,
and for being a vital part of Your will being done on
earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.