EN ROUTE

If you ever want to know "where I am," ask me what song I am listening to. Like most workdays, I put in my earbuds and listen to the audio bible, then worship music and or a podcast. As of late, it's been less podcasts and more audio bible and worship music. I don't have any particular "favorite" artist but Bethel music has been frequent during this season.  Sometimes I wish I was musically gifted and a creative artist in that lane because worship is super powerful and satisfying. ( I've always secretly wished I was a worship singer.)  It's beautiful in lyric and sound. I can get lost in the moment. An atmosphere of intimacy is created and I experience God in a profound way. It involves my entire being - mind, body, heart, soul. It's dynamic, effective and appears straight forward with the ability to speak and move people instantly. As if that gift has more of an  "ease" in the offering, the reaping and sowing, bearing of the fruit......

Song: Fountains  Written by Josh Baldwin, Jonathan David Helser, Bobby Strand, Tony Brown, Joe Volk I will never forget The moment I met you The moment you called my name Pulled me out of the darkness Gave me a promise To never thirst again All that I ever wanted My heart has found in you I have tasted life Nothing satisfies Like you do The fount that won't run dry Nothing satisfies like you do I want all that You offer Your living water Drink from the endless well I will sit at your table Forever grateful Forever where You plan All that I ever wanted My heart has found in you I have tasted life Nothing satisfies Like you do The fount that won't run dry Nothing satisfies like you do All my fountains are in All my hope is built on your love All my fountains are in you With every breath I live for you Lord All my fountains are in you All my hope is built on your love All my fountains are in you With every breath I live for you Lord All that I ever wanted My...

Wouldn't it be amazing to wake up everyday feeling awesome, prepared, complete, whole in your physical body, mind and spirit (heart and emotions)? Zero angst or need for troubleshooting. No problems, worries, burdens or questions. Only answers - fully known and knowing. Carefree. Just being. Scripture is so accurate in saying, " He has also put eternity in their hearts " found in Ecclesiastes 3:11. There is a longing and ache  for something far greater, more beautiful and wholly pure - it's heaven. We long for perfection and one day, for everyone who has received Jesus as Lord and Savior, we'll be in the presence of God almighty and all will be right and well. In the meantime, we seek to experience heaven here on earth. We desire for our present reality to match our promised future.  I slept well last night and woke up feeling ready for the day. I had my morning routine, prayer and scripture reading. And even still about an hour into my workday, I could begin to...

Song: Take Courage Slow down, take time Breath in He said He'd reveal what's to come The thoughts in His mind Always higher than mine He'll reveal all to come Take courage my heart Stay steadfast my soul He's in the waiting He's in the waiting Hold onto your hope As your triumph unfolds He's never failing He's never failing Sing praise my soul Find strength in joy Let His Words lead you on Do not forget His great faithfulness He'll finish all He's begun So take courage my heart Stay steadfast my soul He's in the waiting He's in the waiting Hold onto your hope As your triumph unfolds He's never failing He's never failing Take courage my heart Stay steadfast my soul He's in the waiting He's in the waiting Hold onto your hope As your triumph unfolds He's never failing He's never failing And You who hold the stars Who call them each by name Will surely keep, Your promise to me That I will rise, in Your ...

Song: I Am No Victim I am no victim I live with a vision I'm covered by the force of love Covered in my Savior's blood I am no orphan I'm not a poor man The Kingdom's now become my own And with the King I've found a home He's not just reviving Not simply restoring Greater things have yet to come Greater things have yet to come He is my Father I do not wonder If His plans for me are good If He'll come through like He should Cause He is provision And enough wisdom To usher in my brightest days To turn my mourning into praise He's not just reviving Not simply restoring Greater things have yet to come Greater things have yet to come I am who He says I am He is who He says He is I'm defined by all His promises Shaped by every word He says I am who He says I am He is who He says He is I'm defined by all His promises Shaped by every word He says I am no victim I live with a vision I'm covered by the force of love Covered in my S...

I heard a really touching quote not too long ago. It resonated deeply in my spirit. I just cried. It concisely and powerfully put language to what I also believe, value and the timing of it was beautiful. A well known worship leader said this, "I want to mother a generation because the difference is, an incredible leader can point you in the right direction, but a mother and father will walk you all the way home."  Even in the midst of all that is taking place in our nation, the world and planet earth right now, I am filled with hope, great expectation and anticipation. I anxiously await for what God is going to do in and through his willing and available sons and daughters. Count me in! I am ready, let's go. I do believe I am stepping into a new season, chapter. Although my children are still little (age 7 and 4), our pace and rhythm has definitely shifted and there is more margin in our life right now as they become more independent. While they will always be my first...

Always  behaving  or  happening  in a  similar ,  especially   positive , way: Not changing.   In  agreement  with other  facts  or with  typical  or  previous   behavior , or having the same  principles  as something  else : Agreeing.  Always  happening  or  behaving  in a  similar  way: Not varying. ( Cambridge Dictionary) I recently read this:   It's hard to be consistent because we tend to focus on the outcome more than the process. Put another way, we're more drawn to the positive feelings of outcomes rather than the struggle of the journey. Most of us quit during the struggle before we can experience the rewards of staying the course. And there is truth to those words.  Perhaps that is why scripture teaches us  to walk by faith,  not by sight  (2 Corinthians 5:7)  and encourages us  not grow wear...

JESUS.  It’s the Name above all names, and there is none who compares.  There is no greater name.  There is power and authority in his name.   There is healing in his name.  There is peace in his name.  There is hope in his name.  There is protection in his name.  There is LIFE in his name.  Everything we need is in him. Today if you feel like your falling apart, fall into the arms of Jesus. Call on him. He loves us dearly. 

Finally brothers, whatever is true,  whatever is honorable,  whatever is just,  whatever is pure,  whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence  and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 Have you ever caught yourself saying, “where did that _____ (insert the thought, emotion, feeling) come from?!”  Now more than ever do we find that we need to be all the more vigilant and mindful of our input. Because it impacts our output. That’s why I’m so thankful for the wisdom God gives through his written word. Keys to success. God’s word truly is our compass and navigation for  every season, crisis, situation of life. The apostle P aul and Timothy knew a thing or two about persevering with joy and thanksgiving during times of crisis, trouble, immense pressure. And they ran their race well. Effectively and faithfully til the very end.  The chapter title for the verses above is clear and straightfor...

Patience is definitely a fruit of the spirit I intentionally and consciously work on because it's not easy for me.  Being patient and practicing patience is so very hard. It's not natural,  I can always use more patience. So when I heard the phrase "immense patience" from Bob Goff, as he kept repeating those words, I literally  felt the power of the words wash over me. I had an overwhelming sense of immense patience towards myself in my journey towards greater growth in patience. It was liberating. I felt a release. And kind compassion towards myself for the times I blew it and failed to demonstrate patience. Now  I can't use the word patience without first saying immense.  Immense patience. Two seemingly simple ordinary words separately, but when put together it powerfully describes patience so well. It gives a word picture and clearly communicates what patience requires from us, of us. The immense ( extremely large or great, especially in scale or...

Transformation: A  thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. The goal is transformation not behavioral modification. God desires for us to be awakened to engage for lasting change - transformation. Scripture exhorts us to multiply and bear much fruit. Fruit that is good for consumption. Fruit that is beneficial. Fruit that continues to produce and provide nourishment long after it's been used up.  We can receive information but if we don't take in that information and process it for understanding, it's no more than letters and words on a page. In one ear and out the other. We can be made aware of information and be informed of the relevance and scope of that information within the context of our world. However even still many will be informed and made aware of a matter or issue but if they don't actively engage with the information, they will walk away unchanged. Then there are those that are made aware and immediately put into action to further explore and...

Have you ever found yourself with lots to say but nothing to really say? Maybe it's writers block. Perhaps it's a level of restlessness, angst. Maybe it's a craving, desire for connection. To be seen. To be heard. To be known. Maybe it's just all of the emotions with life in the middle of a global pandemic. There is hope but sadness, confidence but uncertainty, faith but questions. We just don't know what the future will look like or when we can "walk" into our future. We're living day by day. Tomorrow is uncertain and not guaranteed. Surely we cannot predict or say what we anticipate should or will happen. Maybe it's all of the above. Or bad pizza, but not likely.  I am in transition, in all facets of my life whilst amid a global pandemic. That's probably a big contributor to all the feels. It's awfully loud but quiet at the same time. Lots to say but nothing to say. Lots to do but nothing to do. Work hard but at the same time you cannot...

Psalm 23 never gets old. It's timeless, applicable and relevant for every season. It's a beautiful passage for all moments of life. It reminds me that I have a good father who is always with me. He helps me. He knows what is best for me and He leads me. He tends to my heart, mind, body and soul. I am cared for and taken care of. When  I feel overwhelmed, under attack or backed up against the wall, I can have peace and walk in peace because the war is over, the battle is won. He fought for me and is fighting on my behalf. I can rest. I do not have to fight for victory, I stand in the victory he has won for me. I do not have to fear, because God is with me. He is for me.  So when challenges come or I'm tempted to worry, I look to my father and find my strength. He will direct me to fight from victory or to stand and let him fight my battles.  Surely this is a time in history where we more clearly see God as our very Good Shepherd.  The  Lord  is my shepher...

Song: "Mountain High" - Jonathan and Melissa Helser  The One who holds The mountains in His hands Is the One who wrote My name upon them The One who filled The oceans of the deep Is the One who poured His Spirit inside of me You know my mountain high You know my valley low Everywhere that's in-between You will go You know my mountain high You know my valley low Everywhere that's in-between You will go The One who sung The stars into the sky Is the One who knows Every day of my life The One who wears The heavens like a robe Is the One who chose To make me His home

Narrative: a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.  A narrative or story is an account of a series of related events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.  What narrative are we telling ourselves about ourselves, life and those around us? What do we believe to be true of our story? Who are we getting our facts from? What are we using to filter our narrative through?  It is so important that we pause and listen to the narrative we are telling ourselves. It could literally change our destiny, the trajectory of our life. It could be the difference between life and death, freedom and bondage, hope and despair. Moving forward or staying stuck.  Does our narrative match with God's word? Does it align with God's truth and what he says about us? What a great opportunity we have in this season to take the time to listen to the narrative we are saying and believing.  And go before God and ask him to help adjust, align and rewrite, rew...

Is it just me or oftentimes after a powerful encounter with Jesus, his truth or a mountaintop experience shortly thereafter we are tested or given an opportunity to put into practice what we just learned or dispense what we received. Our natural inclination is perhaps to question the validity of our encounter, experience or revealed truth. Some may find themselves discouraged, doubtful or looking for the exit door. Why is this? I think because we are human. And life is hard, complex, complicated and tough to figure out sometimes.  For me the frustration is probably because I think in linear terms. Everything needs, should follow a natural progression. I prefer for the things to fit neatly, nicely in a box with a bow.  But oftentimes our life including faith journey is anything but compact and predictable. It feels more like an up and down, ebb and flow, long stretches, sharp turns, quick stops, fast then slow. It feels so unpredictable and my mind craves control and cer...

Silence: The complete absence of sound.  Silence can be hard. It's the unknown. It's the uncertainty. It's often in moments of silence that we begin to wonder, wander and write our own narrative. No wonder scripture exhorts us to "be still and know that I am God" and repeatedly tells us to train our heart and mind to remember God. To remember the things he has done in the past for us, to remember his promises, to know his word because we will all face moments of silence or what appears or sounds like silence. We will all have a "Saturday."  I have great empathy and compassion towards the disciples in the days Jesus walked this earth. It took great courage for them to follow Jesus. So for those disciples who fled or denied Jesus in a moment of their humanity, I cast no stone or judgement. I don't see it as a failure. They responded the only way they knew how - in their humanness. They did not have God's spirit - the Holy Spirit. They didn'...