He desires you ... part 2

Have you given any thought to yesterday's post?

I sure have and it doesn't matter how many times I read these promises in His word...

I am excited, I am grateful and honestly there are days I am relieved.

I don't have to do it on my own and I am not meant to.

Neither are you.

So let's dig in a little deeper.

What happens when you choose something? 

You pick it out and it is yours.

You chose it because you saw value in it.

You take care of it because it is yours.

Remember yesterday when I said He chose us.

He chose you. He chose me.

Well the same theory applies to us.

He chose us and we are now His.

We belong to Him.

We have a new idenity.

It is in Him.

Daughter of the King.

Princess.

Beloved. 

Loved.

Honored. 

Cherished.

Prized,

Special.

Perfect in His Sight.

If you have never heard those words attached to your name,
I encourage you to print them out, paste them on your bathroom wall,
on your fridge, on your desk,
anywhere where you will see them, and read them and believe them.

I love that identity.

It is so far from how I see myself many days.

But every day I wake up He sees me through His eyes, not my own. 

I am sinner, saved by grace and in Him I am a new creation.

Guess what sisters? You can be too!
It is such an exciting thing and I can't help but share it.
It is a message I want to shout from the rooftops.
So many of you know just what I am saying, you too know about His amazing grace...

 but maybe you needed the reminder.

Or maybe like me you never tire of hearing you are made new in Him.

In Ephesians Chapter 1 vs 17 -18 Paul is praying for the church at Ephesus and his prayer is that they would be given a spirit of wisdom, and revelation so that they would know Him better.

My prayer is the same.

That as women of the body of Christ we know be given a spirit of wisdom, to know Him better. 

In getting to know Him better we also come to know our purpose and our plan in Him. 

What is your purpose, what is your plan?

Maybe you are still even doubting there is one for you.

Well sweet friend, there is a purpose and plan, unique for you.

It isn't my plan or my sisters plan or even my best friends plan.

It has been designed specifically for you, and no one can fulfill it but you.
You are destined for greatness, you have something that has been set apart, by Him for you.
only you.
Can you imagine that?
He has a plan, the God of the universe, the painter of the majestic skies,
the one who commands the oceans
He has a plan, just for you. He designed it with you in mind.
Only you.

He also shares that we would come to know we are His glorious inheritance. 

You are His prized possession.

And that as a believer we are given incomparably great power...

Remember, God power is never tied by our past, our present, titles, degrees,
positions of authority, or rules of this world.
The power He possesses is all surpassing power

Believe that promise and take heart that He is bigger that anything you face.

As a daughter of the King you are linked to Christ, forever. No matter what may come to pass. 

In Him there is Victory, therefore, we always have victory because Jesus always wins. 

Friends, I am proof of God's mercy and grace. 

I am proof He shows no favoritism among choosing His children. 

He just desires a relationship with you. 

There is nothing you can do to change that.

If you decline today, He will still desire you tomorrow, and the next day.
He will still pursue you until you take your last breath.

Maybe you have accepted His offer to be your Lord and Savior,

this message is equally important to us as well.

He pursues us too.. He desires to grow in a relationship with us too.

He desires to be the place to run to with all your fears, He desires to celebrate in your joys,

He desires to hear the deepest concerns of your heart, He desires for you to know Him

to experience Him fully. 

Come with me, let's say yes and pursue Him together.... 

Friday Faves ~ The Pearl Event

You've heard me say it a million times over, but I must say it again. It was amazing y'all. 

Today Sweet Sibi has a post dedicated to this event... and it brought me right back to this Friday in May.

Sibi is a talented writer and she pours her heart into her latest post about this day... about her Father, our Father and His heart for His women. See, Sibi and I we love women's ministry, we love seeing women come to know true healing in Him. Discovering who they truly are, a daughter of the Most High King.

Please go visit her today, read her post.... you will be so blessed. 

What Courage Looks Like

Happy weekend friends!

The Pearl Event ~ The Triple Strand ~

These women are amazing. 

Cherish, Sibi, and ChaCha... they are too cute. Too cute for words.

Their hearts are huge and God is doing awesome things in and through these women. 

Their stories of grace, redemption, forgiveness and identity are precious. 

Their pieces have been made whole in His lavish grace, which is my hearts desire.

Seeing women made whole in Him. 

There are no words big enough for this event. No words.

I will try and wrap words around this event but know it is so much bigger, so much more special. 

The Pearl Event is such a special event for women and if you have been before you understand.

If you have not been before, pray about attending next year.

One thing I can say with certainty is this was God's show.
We all just sat back and watched Him show up.
He orchestrated every last detail and oh my stars did He blow us away.
He blew me away.
It truly is amazing when you sit back and give Him the space to move using you as a tool in His huge scheme what He is able to accomplish. It will never cease to amaze me and it always brings me to tears.



This precious girl front and center was our worship leader, together with her band they led us in worship...
preparing Him room to move and work and heal and love.
Her name is Michaela McLaird
She has a fabulous new CD out called The Morning Sun. Available through the link above via itunes.
Y'all she has such a unique yet powerful and rich voice.



Yours truly had Session 1
All I can say is that there was such healing in sharing my story. Which really isn't even my story, it is His story, His story of what He has done in my life and His faithfulness to me.



Session 2 was led by the lovely Cha Cha ~ of The Heartfelt Home.
God has moved in her life in such a big way.
Those of you who follow her blog know some of her story but getting to know her over that weekend...
really hearing her pour out her journey of being emptied and then filled by Him.
Such hope, such promise... and there is so much in store for this lady.
He is using her in big ways in her home church in ways she never saw for herself... But God.
Just look at what He is doing!



Session 3 was led by the precious Cherish Pinson of Southern Soulmates.
Y'all this girl is a doll! Love her to pieces.
She walks with grace, beauty and such courage.
Her story is one of heartache but it ends with such redemption in Him.
It is a true testimony of healing, grace deeper than the sea and love that covers all.
To hear her speak brought me to pieces. I was a wreck.... What He has done in her life is so powerful.
She was such an encouragement to me....  there are just no words! No Words.



Our Sweet Sibi wrapped up the day with Session 4 and our HeartWork.
Her blog can be found here. 
If you don't follow, do yourself a favor and become a Pearl Girl! You will be blessed.
Y'all hers is a path full of challenge... Things that were meant to destruct and harm and to ultimately keep her from her Savior, from an intimate relationship with her Father....But God, as Sibi always says, But God.
Sibi's "But God" is amazing, there is no other explanation that it's all Him.
She is true woman of faith, prayer warrior and daughter of the King.
She seeks Him with all her heart and mind and obeys Him even when it doesn't make sense...
She trusts whole heartedly and He uses her willing spirit for His glory and drawing women unto Him.
Sibi has been such a kind friend to me over the years and I am so grateful for her life.
I am so grateful that she says yes to God and and shares the pieces of her story offering hope when
the world is crashing down on us.... she walks her faith and lives her love of Him.
Thank you sweet girl for putting this all together. For saying yes to Him, for listening to Him speak in the midnight hour... for sacrificing, for loving, for every detail down to the last pearl.
and as Rachel always says, "You are loved"



The infamous pearls....


Sibi and her graphic designer did such a fabulous job on the programs. Gorgeous...



If you have been to a Pearl Event you have seen this video... It brings me to tears every time.



You know I love this one with Love Being a Nonny, she's so stinking cute!

at the end we got to love on these women and hug their necks and adorn them with pearls like the princesses they are... and it blessed me beyond words. Aren't they precious?



Wish I had a better shot of the room... so gorgeous. What a setting!



The Green Room for the Speakers and their Hubbies.
Spent a few quiet minutes in here with my sweet guy before the day started and he spoke truth over me that I will never forget. It's written on on the walls of my heart....



The Gardens at the Entrance, these roses are to die for.
My Sweet friend Cherish told me what they were... and now I forget... but I want them in my yard.

 I mean really, look at these babies! That is beauty. God has such an amazing creative side.



If you have never been to a Pearl Event, when Sibi holds one again you can be sure I will post it all over this blog to let y'all know!!! But go. This is something you can't miss. Grab your momma, sister, cousins and friends, load up that car and head on over. Sibi will welcome you with a big ole hug a squeal and a laugh.
You will be blessed beyond belief.

friday faves

right now i am working on a post that will attempt to capture the pearl event, the triple strand.

however, life is happening right now and i can't give that post the attention it truly deserves. 

this weekend sweet friends, it will get done. honestly, i can't wait to share! 

in the mean time i do have a few friday fave pictures i just have to share.

this is thursday night, sibi took us to chuy's

this was new to my hubby and we and wow! 

it was amazing. loved this spot.

we snapped a quick picture after dinner. 

cherish, myself, sibi and cha cha

amanda pilkinton was my ticket giveaway winner,

however, miss amanda went and had herself a baby right before the event! 

so she treated her sweet momma and sister to the tickets.

girls, these ladies are precious! aren't they cute?

miss amanda, i sure did miss meeting you but i do hope our paths cross soon! 

enjoy that sweet baby and congratulations on such a sweet blessing!

the pearls! what else can i say? ofcourse it is on friday faves, they are pearls

you can never ever have enough.

you dont even want to know how many pieces of jewelry i had on that day that were pearls.

i had a license to wear it all, and wear it all i did! 

loved every minute and i might start doing it more often!

the programs were gorgeous, sibi has such an eye for these things. love her style! 

and this just sums it up girls, lots of hugging and squeeling and this my friends is the lovely woman behind Love Being a Nonny, Do you follow her? if not click on the link, hop on over and subscribe. I have read her for a while and it was such a pleasure meeting her. If we lived closer we'd hang out! She is a doll! 

some of the sweet women getting ready to start the afternoon sessions

and pink peonies, there were many of them and i just adore them...

peonies and pearls, really? does it get any better?

girls there is just so so much i want to share, and share i will.

enjoy this little sneek peek and be sure to come back next week for more on the pearl event. 

lots of love

simple sentiments

are you coming to the pearl event? 

if so you will hear more of my story, my journey to forgiveness 

and best of all you will hear all about the Father's heart.

join us won't you? 

may 17th is just around the corner

www.thepearlevent.com

The Pearl Event ~ The Triple Strand Giveaway!

Welcome Sweet Friends ~ 

Can you believe it we are 8 days away from the Triple Strand!

I am squealing and twirling and just all kinds of excited! 

What is The Pearl Event ~ The Triple Strand?

Simply put, it is a God Breathed event for women of all stages of life to be loved on by their Heavenly Father

This year there is a precious line up of speakers who will be sharing their hearts and the pieces of their story. 

Do you want to join us at this event?

Well, lucky you! I have seats to share! 

Enter the give away by commenting below. Be sure to leave your name and email address! 

A winner will be chosen Friday Morning! 

Lots of Love, 

RRA

how He sees you

hello friends ~ 

have you ever wondered how God sees you?

there are times when I have made my own assumptions how He sees me.

Oh boy, the places my mind goes after I know, I've really blown it.

Maybe you have blown it too. 

Maybe you haven't but maybe someone makes you feel like you are less than.

Those times I loose my patience over play-doh in the grout and marker on the new table.

Sometimes I am embarrassed how He must see me in that moment.

But you know what? He has so much more grace for us than we have for ourselves.

A Max Lucado quote struck me today and I just had to share.... I even made a printable... 

(feel free to print and hang on your mirror and read everyday if you need this precious reminder)

because maybe, like me, you need to be reminded of how HE sees you. 

He doesn't see us through our eyes, the only one we are capable of using as our point of reference.

Thank goodness He doesn't see us through that lens.

He sees us through the lens with the beautiful filter of grace. 

Grace for those moments when we feel "less than".

On May 17th some of my sweet blogger friends who have become in real life friends are joining me on a fabulous adventure that is God inspired... The Pearl Event ~ The Triple Strand.

No this isn't about Pearls or Fashion or even blogs.

It is about Jesus.

It is about the blessing we receive as inheritance as a daughter of the king.

It is about forgiveness, life and love in Him. 

On May 17th I'm going to be sharing more of my story.

More about finding your true identity through His lens and filter of grace instead of the worlds.

I'd love for you to join us.... 

Just click on either of the Pearl Event Logo's on the right hand side of the page for more details. 

So today, as you go about life, toss that old dusty, clouded lens away.

Look at yourself through what He sees.

You are so beautiful, You are so loved,

You are a Precious Princess.

not home yet ~ when life hurts

source unknown, if you know do share so i can give proper credit and link to this adorable piece of art

 What a heartbreaking week our world has just been through! The Boston tragedy, the earthquake in China and then even closer to home the drowning of a little boy in the gulf near our home. There is just so much heartache... but you know what I see when I look at all of that? People with hearts even bigger than the pain. Hearts that want to pray for, love on, and be the hands and feet of Jesus to the hurting. 

In a world where we often question "why?" because it just doesn't make sense I know there is something so much greater than all of this hurt. He is here. We live in a fallen and broken world "but God", in Him there is light, and life and HOPE! 

One day we will be on the other side of all of this, with Him, where there is no more pain, no more hurt and no more heartache. This morning on the way to work I heard a song by Building 429 and it was such a perfect reminder as we start this week, as so many start the healing process.

 I wanted to share the lyrics with you. 

Take a minute and read them... even if you've heard the song a 100 times 

there is so much in these words....

sometimes it feels like i'm watching from the outside

sometimes it feels like i'm breathing but am i alive?

i won't keep searching for answers that aren't here to find

all i know is i'm not home yet

this is not where i belong

take this world and give me Jesus

this is not where i belong

so when the walls come falling down on me

and i'm lost in the current of the raging sea

i have this blessed assurance holding me

all i know is i'm not home yet

this is not where i belong

take this world and give me Jesus

this is not where i belong

when the earth shakes i want to be found in you

when the light fades i want to be found in you

all i know is i'm not home yet, this is not where i belong

take this world and give me Jesus

We aren't home yet.... but you know what? We have faith, we have each other for encouragement 

and we know His love is bigger than all of it. 

His promises are the blessed assurance that we aren't in this alone.

One day sweet friends, we'll be with Him. 

As we walk with friends through the coming weeks

as our world heals, we all know more trials will come

let's be a light in this world for Him.

Let's be the hands and feet of Jesus to the hurting

won't you join me?

If you're the one with the heartache so huge you can't see beyond today....

let me encourage to run to Him. 

Place it all at His feet. 

He is bigger than the mess you are in.

He sees the other side.

Rest in Him. His timing. His guidance.

He will not leave you... 

how do I know?

well I have had my share of heartache in this lifetime

and the one constant a midst all the pain, Him. 

He never left me. He never failed me.

He has healed the pieces of my heart.

He will do the same for you. 

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

did you read that promise? 

forever.

He is the same forever.

Our world changes, our problems change, feelings change, relationships change, 

life, well it changes. 

But God ~ He is the same forever.

I love this promise. 

I need this promise.

What about you? 

made strong

how often do we tell ourselves, our kids or our friends, just be tough, be strong. 

we encourage them with words and though well meaning 

i believe we are leaving something out. 

something so powerful that can not afford to not be uttered from our lips.

yes we do want those around us to be strong when the waters rise.

lord knows i have been there more times than i can count.

too weary to take another step, life reduced to a breath,

 and being strong, well it was at times such a heavy load to bear.

 it was the hardest thing i had ever done until i realized

on my own i was weak.

on my own i was powerless.

on my own i am just a piece of flesh going through the motions.

but in Him.

in Him i am strong.

in Him i am powerful.

in Him i have life.

we are not meant to go through this life alone.

i believe that is why it is so hard.

we are designed to need Him.

we are designed to crave and desire something more. 

when we figure this out, we are free!

we are free to live because He carries those burdens for us.

this is also why community is so important.

a community of believers.

other women that can help you lighten that load by praying for you, 

encouraging you daily to spend time in His words and speaking words of life giving affirmation from His word when you just can't take one more step.

this week i am really spending some time meditating on this verse

from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

" ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

He has called me to press into this and really examine what this looks like.

in doing this He is showing me and guiding some of my next steps.

as you know i am preparing for the Pearl Event III.

i am preparing to share with His daughters His message.

you see, i am mess. 

but in Him and through Him great and mighty miracles have occured. 

to not share how my weakness was made whole in His goodness 

well i just couldn't live with that.

i just can't help but want to share!

He is so good and so faithful 

despite me being the person i am.

alone, i am nothing. but in Him, i have life.

sweet, sweet friends, i urge you tonight, if you are feeling less than,

if you are feeling inadequate, like you have nothing but weakness in your bones...

run, run to the well spring of life.

run to source of all strength and all life.

He will meet you there.

He promises that.

there is nothing, nothing that can separate you, His daughter, His beloved, from Him.

He is just watching, waiting patiently for you to ask.

seek His face and His strength will supply all your need.

He has done it for me. He will do it for you.

friends, "His power is made perfect in weakness"

simple sentiments

fear

as we continue through our study of “stuck” by jennie allen

we are talking about being scared this week.

There are so many things we can be scared of and for all of us, it is something different.

I’d venture to say the things I struggle with you may not even bat an eye lash at… and then flip it around and the reverse may be true. However, at the core of who we are, we worry, we struggle. Fear and anxiety are so real, crippling real for some. To be honest, for me it is something I struggle with in one area of my life right now and it is so real to me I could touch it. It has all but stopped something God has put on my heart. To write that I am saddened I have let that happen. A wise woman once told me that sometimes, we have to say yes in fear and press on. Believe me, I hear her in my head. : ) I also hear the Father saying, keeping going…. But that is where I am at right now and I want to keep things real.

In studying this topic I have found several things….

The most important one being, it is a universal problem.

The good news, there is a universal solution.

Reading Matthew 6:25-34 we’re reminded that we matter to God, He sees us, just like he takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers in the field He will care for us too. He reminds us that we are far more precious and who are we to think He won’t provide those needs?

It’s one of those simple concepts that as I write it it’s like, “well duh”. But how often, how often do I get caught up in my own little situation, my own little world and I can’t see beyond myself to even be reminded of this promise? Too often. Way too often, sad to say.

In preparation for my study Wednesday night I have pulled out some notes… and in the bible the phrase “fear not” is mentioned 446 times, the statement “do not fear” is mentioned 246 times. What does this mean for us? Yes, clearly God is addressing fear a lot. But why? Why did He say almost 700 times, 700 times girls, that we are not be afraid? Because He knows this is such a real problem. He knows we are going to struggle with fear, and worry and anxiety. He knows these emotions are going to consume many days and likely even more nights. He knows these emotions will be used as a tool to take our focus off Him, off what He has for our lives, what He has to say. 

Let me speak this into your life, into my own life, we can’t let this happen.

We can't let this be used as a tool to take our eyes off of Him. What He has for us is far too precious to miss it! It is far too valuable to not be able to savor the goodness He has for our lives if we just let Him guide us and focus on His message for our lives.

Jennie relates this fear and anxiety in a way I had never heard before but when I read it I could see myself. She says it is like a sit and spin…  oh my gosh, I can see it. How many times have I sat and spun. Round and round and round over and over until I am flat worn out. My hair looks like I took ride on a tilt a whirl and I am beat. There is nothing left and have gotten nowhere. I’ve expelled a great amount of energy and nothing happened.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who could relate to this?

So what do we do? Where do we go from here?

We have a problem and we know it’s real and it’s powerful?

We pray, we spend time in His word, we present our requests to God, we find peace in meditating on His promises. We seek whatever is pure, noble, trustworthy, just, honorable, lovely and commendable. We spend our energy and our time to the practice of those things. We let ourselves get worn out seeking His will and guidance for our lives instead of sitting on that emotional sit and spin. We seek community and fellowship with other Christians who can lift us up and encourage us along the way. We let ourselves be consumed by His greatness. It is a challenge and one I want to accept. You see, I have tried the other way. I have spent far too many sickening hours on that sit and spin and come up empty. I’ve also known what it is to trust Him and every time I’ve done that He has blessed me. Things don’t always turn out the way I hope, or the way I think they should… and sometimes years later I have been able to see why and His fingerprints are all over…. And what I come to see is that at the time I couldn’t see what He was doing but the hindsight gave light into His favor and protection, His ultimate care for His child. He cares for you in the same way. 

Will you take the challenge with me?

friday faves - book edition

this week's friday faves is going to center around one of my all times favorite items, books!

the written word has long been one of my more treasured past times... whether reading a novel, a bible study or doing my own writing, all things books hold a special place in my heart.

so with the cooler weather upon us, cozy jammies and nights with hot tea or a great glass of wine to the books i dive right in. here are a few of my favorites in all different categories: 

 this cookbook is by far one of the most used at our home.
there are notes in many of the pages of recipes i have "doctored" up over the years
but nothing in here disappoints. it is often given as a gift to a new bride as she is sure to
find many wonderful meals for family and friends.

dorthea benton frank is my #1 favorite author to read.

her sweet stories, set in the south, colorful characters, oh my it is just too much.

adore everything she writes. have each of them perfectly sitting on the bookshelf in my room.

oh, and sorry, but if you ask me to borrow one, i may not be able to part with it. : )

crazy love by francis chan. 

it's fantastic. it's going to change your perspective on life, on god. 

on everything really. can't say it enough friends, go. read. this. book.

the little golden books, need i say more? 

really too many children are passing these up these days.

many of these stories have the sweetest life lessons, precious pictures...

my children have a huge collection, some dating back 30 years.

and you know what, we still adore them.

such innocence i long to hold on to as long as i can for these babies.

oh junie b jones! she is at our house one popular girl.

her silly character in the junie b jones series has us laughing outloud.

we are really enjoying getting to know this spunky kindergartener.

kate morton, you are new to me but oh how i love your novels.

they are totally different in terms of what i would normally read and they are a bit long

but oh how wonderfully written. 

this book i read shortly after finishing the help.

it was such a great read. if you loved the help you will love this too.

or at least i hope you do! 

this book is such an incredible resource. 

a valuable resource of a parent of a preemie.

highly recommend.

the help. it wins the award for my favorite book ever.

i was one of those people who even hesitated seeing the movie because i had such vivid images

of this story in my mind that i feared seeing the movie would ruin it. it didn't, it solidified this story for me.

and skeeter may just remind me of one of my most favorite people....  

and this my friends, this right here, it is wrecking me.

it has been more open and vulnerable to myself than ever before.

new things have been unearthed and growth like none other is happening.

powerful book. but i do warn you, it digs deep, super quick.

jennie allen knocks the socks off of a bible study in this one! 

can't sing her praises enough.

so what are your favorite reads??

who are you?

source unknown

who are you? no really, who are you?
are you like me, wearing many tiaras?
the list can be endless sometimes.
our roles. our responsibilities. our titles.
but do they define us?
or maybe other things come to mind when i ask "who are you?"
maybe you hear other titles, other not so socially acceptable titles
titles that you or those around you have given, marked by deeds or circumstances from your past.
does that define you?
do you let it?
do i?

tough stuff there.
of course we answer, no, no way.
i know what i have answered.
but is that the truth?

our world loves identity. a unique identity.
everyone is searching to show the world who they are. stake their claim.
but the one thing i find funny about it all,
 is that in trying to find our own version of ourselves we look to others to define us.
we look to our parents, our children, our jobs, our friends
we look to define ourselves in the roles that will make us liked or more accepted in our community.
all the while missing the real blueprint.
it's already there.
it's you. it's me.
plain and simple.
just as we are, created just as we are by a God who doesn't make mistakes.
and if it is impossible for our perfect God to make mistakes
and if He gets it right every, single time,
then what does that say about you?
what does that say about me?

our identity is found in one place.
it is found in who He created us to be.
we have to start rejecting the idea of every false identity we have created for ourselves
 and accept the one truth of who we are, in Him.

we all operate out of who we think we are.
that's imperative to our daily life.
our sense of who we are, who we are meant to be needs to come from Him.
we are designed to be in an intimate relationship with our Father.
knowing the love and value He places on our lives.
to truly understand and live out who He created us to be
to follow the unique blueprint for our lives we have to be in regular communication with Him.

a few years ago i battled some tough stuff.
rejection of a parent.
cut off, non - existent.
and i struggled. the pain was unbearable at times.
i struggled with "if i can just be tossed aside, forgotten, not a care in the world by the person who gave me life, then what does that say about me?" tough place to be in.
from there it was years of discovering who I am in Him.
finding out who He created me to be, my perfect heavenly father, who never left or forsake me.
He didn't forget me. He didn't toss me aside.
instead He called me unto Himself, lavished His grace, mercy and love upon me.
He demonstrated to me through the bible, study and written word that He created me for a time such as this.
He created me perfectly. He loves me deeply.
He let me see that people may disappoint us,
circumstances may wound us, but His mercies are new every day.
His love never ends.
i got lost in that love and years later i can say healing happens.
i no longer see myself as the girl who's parent doesn't care about her.
i no longer see myself as someone who can be tossed aside, left, forgotten.
i can see myself as loved deeply by my God.

if i had let that define who i am... if i had let that rejection paralyze me in that chapter of my life
oh the great blessings i would have missed.
don't get me wrong, there was pain, there were difficult days to walk through i don't wish upon anyone.
but it was during the pressing down, the stretching, the growing pains that i discovered who God created me to be. i discovered the person and started heeding the direction and call He had for my life.
what happened to me wasn't fair, it was meant for my destruction, but God, used it for so much more.
we have a choice to make.
we can let others define us and act out of those descriptions
or we can let Him show us what a perfect creation He made in us.

if we do anything but the second option friends, we are selling ourselves short of some serious blessings.
life, in my book, is about loving God, and loving others.
years ago, i could have chosen to revel in the pain, paralyzed there for the rest of my life.
i'm not sure how much i would have been loving my God, and certainly not loving others.
taking the second option brought so much more.
taking the second option sets us free!

we can discover our true identity in Him.
we can make a difference in lives of people.
we can live the life we were created for.

sweet friends, He has a call on your life, He has a plan that no one but you can accomplish.
He can take that situation you are walking through and use it for His good, for your blessing.
we just have to let go, and let Him.
will you do that?
praying that we will all have the courage to do it.
He's going to meet us there. He promises we will never walk alone.

who are you?

broken ~ a universal issue

source unknown

you know, the source of the picture / quote above is unknown to me.

but the sentiment, the problem, it's not. 

i could have written it, heck maybe you could too.

if we got real honest, we all could.

we are all broken. 

some of us are just better at hiding it.

for many. many years. i was real good.

hiding our sin. 

hiding our hurts. 

and why is that? 

i am broken.

i am broken in a million ways.

ways a person shouldn't be broken. 

hurts from a parent, guilt and regrets, too many to count.

about a week and a half ago my small group started, stuck by jennie allen.

it's rocking my world. 

in a good way.

it's a nose dive into those places we are all trying to avoid.

past hurts, regrets, relationships, sin.

those yucky pieces of our life we'd all rather ignore and pretend aren't there.

for so many women we are so concerned about our image, how we "look" 

to those around us. and i don't just mean in the clothes we wear or the tablescape

on our dining room table for the holidays.

we are concerned how we "look" to our friends, our family,

never wanting to appear like we have done anything bad or that

our hurts actually hurt us. women are strong. 

aren't we told we should be strong? 

and if we are told we should be strong in adversity then wouldn't we 

"look" bad if we shared the broken pieces of our lives.

what would our friends think? our neighbors? or goodness gracious those  

ladies down at the church? surely we can't share that with them! 

so we package them up, tie on a bow, and set them in a dark corner of our heart.

only taking a peek at them when we can't sleep.

oh friends how i have been there.

there was a time where i surrounded myself with some friends, 

people i truly thought were my friends.

however, time told the truth as she always does... 

and they weren't.

years earlier i should have known this.

there was one huge clue.

the pieces of my heart that were broken,

the parts of my life where i needed the most help

i could have never, ever shared with them.

image was at the forefront and i felt that my "stuff" 

would have been looked down upon.

and you know what? it likely would have.

their lives appearing much more picture perfect than my background.

maturity and years of reflection have brought me to a place that 

made me realize, if i couldn't have shared those pieces freely 

then they weren't really my friends after all.

it also let me see they too had their own "stuff" but they were really great at hiding it.

i was too. years, never sharing more than the surface. 

sweeping it under the rug.

but oh! the things we young women do.

the broken places came to surface as they were never truly healed.

pieces of my story, the mess of my heart.

it has been a lifetime of hurt. 

to say this is a place where i was stuck.

a place in my heart that affects me to the core, well that's an understatement.

so when i heard about this study, i knew it was meant for people like me.

but you know what? 

this small group of girls i am meeting with... it's for them too.

you see, their story isn't the same as mine.

our broken pieces may have similarities, but they are different.

but it all boils down to a universal problem.

we are stuck. 

sins of our past. hurts from others.

we are stuck. 

what i am learning in this study, and being reminded of daily.

is that yes, we are stuck.

we are broken.

i am a hot mess! 

but there is a beautiful answer. 

we are loved by a perfect God.

we are made whole and our pieces are mended in His lavish grace.

as i fall on my face for what feels like the millionth time,

offering these broken pieces of my heart,

He draws near, calls me unto Himself,

and i hear Him say:

you are dearly loved.

and in those moments my spirits breaks free.

free from the hurt, free from the pain

and it is just me and my creator

i need Him at the core of my existence.

i need God. 

bare soul to the world, i need God.

paul tells us in 2 corinthians 12:9-10 

"my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

 therefore,i will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, 

so that Christ's power may rest on me. that is why, for Christ's sake, 

i delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

 For when i am weak, then i am strong"

we all have them. broken pieces, places in our lives we rather brush over.

maybe we're embarrassed, maybe we're too ashamed to even go there,

maybe we just feel like it's only a small sin, it's not like we did anything

"that" terrible.

it is still sin. it is still, there. 

once we come face to face with our "stuff" and bare ourselves to the One who made us.

arms wide open, realizing we are just a mess, without Him.

once we come to that place, there is such freedom.

such grace, such love.

friends, go there, go there for one minute.

what would it be like to set it free?

to pull that place out of your heart, that broken place you have been hiding,

and give it away. 

what would happen?

early in my marriage i learned a valuable "new to me" aspect of god.

i learned that not only is He my Savior, but He is my Heavenly Father.

in my weakness, in my pain, through my tear streaked face

i saw God. i saw that even though my earthly father may disappoint and hurt me.

even though he may not keep his word and his sins have damaged my heart.

there is something so much better. 

there is a Heavenly Father who loves me.

a Heavenly Father who keeps His promises.

a Heavenly Father who lavishes grace, and love and mercy on His daughter.

a Heavenly Father who forgives, lifts up and bears my shame.

a Heavenly Father who is so much more than i can even fathom in my human mind.

for that i am forever grateful.

for that i will boast about my pain, my past hurts and sins.

for without those pieces of my story there would be no ending like the one 

i get to experience. 

my past could have brought me down.

it could have been my demise.

but God, but God used it for so much more.

when we give our broken pieces to our Heavenly Father,

His arms open wide and those pieces becomes something utterly amazing.