Day One

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

"The Sovereign Lord has filled me with His Spirit.  The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted.  He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives, and to open the eyes of the blind.  He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of God's favor to them has come, and the day of His wrath to their enemies.  To all who mourn in Israel He will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness.  For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory.  And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities long ago destroyed, reviving them though they have been deserted for many generations."

~Isaiah 61:1-4

I chose that verse ten years ago as an SNU college student, and it still speaks to my heart today!  It describes the life mission of Jesus, which He restated in Luke 4.  And we are called to emulate Him, so I believe this is also a wonderful verse for a Christian mom and counselor...

Planted by God for His glory.

Strong and graceful.

Anointed and filled with His Spirit.

Bringing good news, comfort, liberty, and clarity of vision.

Declaring God's protective strength, His avenging love and favor.

Sent to help those who are grieving.

Validating the ashes, mourning, and heavy realities.

Praising God and trusting Him to bring redemptive beauty and joy!

Overcoming generational strongholds.

Rebuilding what was ruined.

Repairing deep-rooted devastation.

Reviving hope!

...Yes, please to every bit of that!! 

Happy Thursday, friends and fam!  Today is day one of pursuing my Master's in Counseling!  I am in Lakewood, Colorado today to start my five-day Residency course at CCU.  (Prayers appreciated for grace, peace, growth, and good connections.)  We will write a paper about our experience afterward, then we have a break until the fall semester begins August 22nd.  

A staggering amount of life transition has happened over the past few months, so I can say with certainty that there will be a lot of new things happening over the next three years.  There will be some great times, major milestones, hard things, personal growth, and a lot of the mundane in-between stuff.  I'm a little nervous and a lot excited to walk with God through the transformative, refining process ahead of me.  It can feel daunting when I think about the big picture, but I'm taking it one step at a time!

I am drawn to the idea of grief counseling, to the idea of teaching college students who hope to become counselors, and to the idea of walk-and-talk therapy with teens and young adults!  I know that a few wise and timely words can make a massive impact in people's lives, in how they view themselves and how they interact with others going forward... especially when they are coming to you for counsel.  So I don't know exactly how the timing will work or what the future holds, but I know this degree is step one.  I want to live from my heart, staying close to God and remembering I can do nothing good apart from Jesus.  I want to help people reframe their challenges and concerns, to be a kind and positive voice that strengthens their resilience and improves their internal narrator (thereby changing the trajectory of their futures).  I am super thankful to be seizing this opportunity and pursuing my God-given desires and calling, in His strength and in His timing... yay, God!

"But I am trusting You, O Lord, saying 'You are my God!'  My future is in Your hands..."  ~Psalm 31:14-15

Hooray for the pursuit of purpose!  Let's do this!! ❤

May the Lord keep guiding us with His wisdom and counsel,
leading us to a glorious destiny!

What's Next?

One last post today, then you probably won't hear from me for a couple weeks.  But it's cathartic to write and I really needed to post an update today.  I have to sort through 15 years worth of exhibits over the next couple weeks and try to contact the attorneys to come pick them up or allow me to shred them.  All while working on getting my home ready to sell and trying to find a home in the Moore/Norman area!

I'm feeling all the emotions about this move, but not feeling *overwhelmed* or paralyzed by any of it, and I know that's from God!

I started watching The West Wing and listening to the episode-by-episode recap podcast, and their catchphrase at the end of each episode of The West Wing Weekly is "Okay?" "Okay.  What's next?"  They talked about how often that line is used in the show, and the idea really stuck with me that no matter what you go through or what curveballs you face in life, you take the next step and you keep moving forward.  You know there is more to be done, and you keep going.  Of course, those words feels more poignant than usual for me in this season.

This was the first post I saw on Facebook the morning I got the job offer.  Big decisions on a time crunch are not my strong suit, so I'm incredibly grateful when God comes through with big and small confirmations like this!

This = my spot in the new courtroom... it's a much smaller courtroom, but I'm in a much better spot, and the size is much better for recorded audio!  My office is great - I'll be setting it up Easter weekend - then jumping right into a jury term on April 18th!

I genuinely don't have time to write much right now.  (I'm certain I'll make up for it eventually.)  Moving is intense!  There is a very long list of things to do to prepare for my upcoming move, and I'm trying to focus and take action and keep it all straight.  I made an offer on a house in Norman yesterday and found out today that I didn't get it - the housing market is crazy, but I'm trusting God's leading and timing!  Mom and I spent the weekend working on staging my home (taking down all photos, packing some things, storing a lot in the garage).  

The photo wall -- my favorite wall in my house for the last five years -- is not going down without a fight!!  I'll have to amend my prior post recommending the ultimate adhesive - eek!  We tried two electric sanders (took off the paint but not the glue), acetone, strong rubbing alcohol (recommended by the glue manufacturer), razor blades, putty knives, peel n stick vinyl planks, and pulling the paper and glue off by hand until our fingernails are brittle.  It's crazy how much it will not budge.  These pics are several hours apart, and we barely made a dent in it.  So it's the one very frustrating spot we were unable to perfect, but it's a really great house, and I'm praying and believing it will still sell quickly!

A few recent photos so I feel caught up... here's Jaceman wearing the sombrero for Triston's birthday, and reminding me of Chet getting on the saddle on Malori's birthday in 2008! lol

The mini Miss K with her character award for Initiative! ❤

T-man's double chocolate cookiecake - yum!  Hard to believe that he'll be driving a year from now!

And our last Jury Term pic (Tiffany comes up to take minutes and read the verdict for our jury cases, so we get to hang out a bit more at work on those rare days)!

A posed candid after the trial - I love it! lol

Okay, friends!  What's next??

Prayers appreciated as I take the 1,000 small steps ahead in this transition period.  I'm excited for what lies ahead and believing the best is yet to come! ❤

On Earth as it is in Heaven

My first 2021 accomplishment:

If you don't count binge-watching season 3 of Cobra Kai yesterday, then it's making pancakes for the first time in my life tonight! lol  Hey, I didn't say it was a big accomplishment, but I was pretty happy about it!  I added peanut butter and syrup, and that was my dinner tonight. #noragrets

 

 

I randomly bought this griddle on a Prime Day deal, so I'm glad I finally bought the pancake mix and tried it out!  I'm also happy about 17 Again being on Netflix!

Random meme that made me laugh:

My word for 2021:

Sunshine!  Super cheesy choice, I'm aware, but I'm going with it... sunshine is a bright light that overpowers the darkness, brings warmth and joy, encourages growth and vitality, and highlights beauty.  And I want more of that sunny joy and energy in my life, both literally and metaphorically!! ❤

My verse for 2021:

This verse has been on my heart a lot lately.  Embracing the power and love and sound mind part feels really important right now, so I love this reminder of what God is about (empowering us to live with love and wisdom) and what He has nothing to do with (fear and worry)!

My theme for 2021:

Chet mentioned having a word and a verse and a theme for 2020, so I decided to do that this year since it's so hard for me to narrow stuff down! lol  I read the Lord's prayer today and was so struck by this line.  How quickly it would clarify some of my decisions to keep those words in the forefront of my mind... making an effort to live my life on earth according to God's will, as it will be in heaven... full of love and patience and hope and joy, not worried or anxious, trusting God deeply, bringing peace and encouragement, taking care of myself without being hyperfocused on food or appearance, knowing with deep heart certainty that Jesus loves me personally and that the best is yet to come!! ❤

My resolutions for 2021:

1. Read through the four Gospels every month (switching up the translation and style, but it breaks down to 3 chapters a day and lots of time getting to know Jesus better)
2. Keep practicing and earn my RMR, CRR, and RDR certifications
3. Minimum of 300 days of 16:8 intermittent fasting (an 8-hour eating window)
4. Earn the 15K badge on Peloton for 15,000 minutes in 2021
5. Keep a phone note list of Who God is to Me day by day... publish it here monthly (this and the gospels one are suggestions from Annie Downs)
   
6. Write something new every day... here or a journal or a book entry or a letter
   
7. Walk, jog, or run 100 minutes per week (broken up in any way I prefer)
   

I'm tracking some of these goals with this calendar made by someone in the #BooCrew - how cute and fun, right!?  I love that you can see it all at a glance - I think that'll be motivating for me to keep following through on them!

Blog Day

"The act of writing turns out to be its own reward...  If you are writing the clearest, truest words you can find and doing the best you can to understand and communicate, this will shine on paper like its own little lighthouse.  Writing involves seeing people suffer and finding some meaning therein.  Your job is to see people as they really are, and to do this, you have to know who you are in the most compassionate possible sense.  If something inside you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal.  So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work... Life is like a recycling center where all the concerns and dramas of humankind get recycled back and forth across the universe. But what you have to offer is your own sensibility, maybe your own sense of humor or insider pathos or meaning. All of us can sing the same song, and there will still be four billion different renditions."

~Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird ❤

Eleven years ago on this day, I opened this new blog and wrote my very first post.  (I had a Xanga blog and some MySpace posts at some point before that, but this one is something I have stuck with for over a decade, and that makes me feel proud and thankful.)

Writing can be a very cathartic outlet for me to process my thoughts in hard seasons.  And I am grateful to have so many fun memories and quotes and vacations documented here.  To have a place to pay tribute to the people who shape and influence my life.  A place where I can see God's faithfulness play out through the seasons, where I can look back and see what has changed and what has remained the same.

And I'm thankful that YOU care enough to read!! ❤

I have no plans to shut it down any time soon.  I hope to continue writing and growing, speaking life and coming alive and becoming more honest and courageous in my writing!  I want to focus less on the past (or only on what has value and brings joy), forgetting what lies behind and pressing forward with God!

Anyway, hope you have a wonderful and safe 4th of July tomorrow!!  "Raise a glass to freedom!" =) 
And I hope I get to watch The Patriot at some point.  Huzzah!

(*I did a search for "American flag" on Google Photos and made this happy collage. lol)

Thankful Thursday! (94)

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Today being "the perfect date." ;-)  It has been nice outside lately, so she's not wrong. lol

2.  Getting to go see Avengers: Endgame with Tiffany tonight!  "It's not about how much we've lost; it's about how much we have left!"  #whateverittakes #getexcited

3.  Laura Allison for being our awesome bailiff, a long-time friend, and the one who introduced me to Hamilton! =)

4.  God keeping all the stinging insects away from me!  And for kind strangers who will get rid of them when I'm cringing in fear. lol

5. Every Christian leader who teaches God's word with sincere motives and not for the sake of image or money!!

6.  God directing my path, little by little, step by step.  My goals have shifted a bit, and that is normal and it's okay.  ...I googled school stuff for Rachael, then had approximately one thousand Facebook ads about affordable master's degree options, something that was a goal for me several years ago and still often sucks me in and gets me researching different programs.  Seeing this question in the ad below made me realize that I don't want to do the work required for a master's degree simply to say that I have it.  I have a great job with good hours, pay, benefits, peace, and job security... and if I am going to put my money and energy toward starting something new, I choose motherhood!

7.  (Saved this for #7.)  It's in the very early stages, but I'm thankful that my adoption dream is starting to feel more real and less distant (meaning within two years, not two months).  I feel much more confident here than I once did.  I've started a private blog where I can research and write and plan and prepare, and I'm learning new things and feeling some direction from God already!  On Easter Sunday, I ordered the framed print pictured below - the first purchase I've made for my future daughter's room, and it made me really happy! ❤  That's all I'll say here about it, but I'm excited to be moving in that direction and feeling strengthened and encouraged by God! =)

*It arrived today after work. =)

That's all I've got for now.  Hope you have a lovely Thursday!

The Light of All Mankind

"When we have found what life's really worth, 

There'll be peace on earth!"

"In Him was life, 

And that life was the light of all mankind.

The light shines in the darkness,

And the darkness can never extinguish it!"

~John 1:4-5

Last week, I watched part of a show on Netflix called 13 Reasons Why.  (Spoiler alert...)

It's about a teenage girl who commits suicide, leaving behind a series of tapes where she tells her side of the story about 13 people who hurt her, people she believes to be responsible for her death by suicide. I watched the first two episodes and knew I couldn't watch the entire thing, so I skipped around through some of the middle, then watched the last episode in full. The suicide scene in the final episode is graphic and disturbing, as is the fact that this show is marketed to middle school and high school kids. The intended message was for kids to be kinder to each other and be aware that their words and actions often affect others more than they realize. But it glorifies the suicide-as-revenge idea, which is just so dangerous, and it places the blame for her death on everyone but the one person who chose and physically caused it (including blaming the school counselor - who dedicated his life to helping students - because he was unable to guess and fully resolve the problem she was only willing to hint about).

Obviously, I have a lot of problems with the overall content and marketing and message of the show. It struck a chord with me on a personal level for reasons I may struggle to put into words. Life can be hard and messy and confusing, and it's incredibly painful when people you love walk away or betray you. The idea of blaming them and making them regret that choice can be appealing - and I most definitely understand that. People who have not been there do not understand or sympathize, but when you're under deep depression or demonic attack (or both), it's a real struggle to see past yourself and your immediate, excruciating pain. You feel disconnected, and what once was meaningful feels hollow... and you can quickly become deceived about what your life is really worth to God, to other people, and in your own eyes. You feel like you're alone in the darkness, and it's scary, and you can't see anything clearly. Deception colors your reality, and nothing really matters to you.

....I think that love is "greater than" faith and hope because love is the only one you can still feel when you're truly at rock bottom. The love of Christ becomes the light at the end of the dark tunnel, so to speak. And you can choose to walk toward love and leave the darkness behind, or you can turn away from it and let the pain and bitterness consume you. It's literally your choice between abundant life or allowing the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy you. Life begets life and death begets death... and your choices in those moments will affect everyone around you!

God knows exactly how to pull us back toward love and light, all the way back to full faith and hope, and I'm so thankful He does not ever give up on us!!

My thoughts on all this go deeper than what I can write today, but that's okay. It all comes back to Jesus loving us enough to forgive our betrayal and die in our place. Which brings us to the resurrection triumph of Easter Sunday, and my favorite two verses in the entire Bible:

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."

Choose Life!

"I have set before you life and death,

Blessings and curses.

Now CHOOSE LIFE,

So that you and your children may live

And that you may love the Lord your God,

Listen to His voice,

And hold fast to Him.

For the Lord is your life..."

~Deuteronomy 30:19-20

"In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind... In Him we live and move and have our being... I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life... The power of life and death is in the tongue, and those who love to talk will eat the fruit of it... Yes, I am the bread of life... Listen carefully to My words, for they are life to those who find them and health to all their body... Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her... When the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace... Whoever has the Son has life... Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life... Your unfailing love is better than life itself... For You are the fountain of life, the light by which we see."

This will be my sixth year to do this focus word for the year thing (which means I have to do it at least one more). ;-)  It was TRUST for 2012, HOPE for 2013, LIGHT for 2014, BALANCE for 2015 (and later it became STRONG for 2015), and BEAUTY for 2016.

This year, as you probably guessed, I'm focusing on the phrase, "CHOOSE LIFE."

I think most Christians hear those words and their minds go to abortion and choosing life for the unborn. I'm certainly an advocate for that, but those words are much more personal for me. I have been doing well for a while, but I know what it is to be deep in the valley, to feel the "shadow of death" pressing you on all sides. To feel so much inner pain that you slowly become numb - the emotional equivalent of passing out from extreme physical pain. I know what it feels like to want to die... There is a healthy place of longing for the kingdom of Christ and acknowledging that everything on earth is partial and incomplete, and there is an unhealthy place of feeling desperate to escape the pain and uncertainty and earthly "bondage to death and decay" as the Bible calls it. I'm very familiar with both, and very aware of how quickly everything can shift, like a sudden car wreck that leaves you fighting for life when you were cruising down the road singing along to the music just minutes before. It almost makes me want a tattoo of this one for a constant reminder: Choose Life.

It's not just about choosing to physically stay alive rather than die. It's choosing to embrace things that lead to life over things that lead to death... in my food choices, music and entertainment, friendships, work, thoughts about myself and my future, words to others, daily attitudes, etc. Being vigilant to guard my heart against the arrows of Satan that lead to death, despair, and discouragement. Stopping my thoughts before they spiral out of control, praying before I say or write something I would regret, choosing to forgive rather than hold on to anger, having grace and encouragement for others rather than heavy frustration. Sometimes it's seeking counseling or other help when you need it. It is choosing to seek and follow Jesus daily. 

There are a thousand different ways that we can choose life in the little things, and making those daily choices will make it much easier to choose life when the big things arrive... When someone you love leaves you or passes away, when you lose something that cuts you right to the core, when there is an unexpected diagnosis, when your suffering feels chronic and unshakable... you will recognize that people and earthly things cannot bring you life, and instead, you will hold tightly to Jesus. And put your hope and identity and security in Him as much as humanly possible. We can choose to honor Him and really live out the full number of days God wants to give us, to trust His timing and will rather than trying to control what no longer belongs to us because it was purchased by Christ.

I want to make the daily small choices that strengthen me and lead to life (body, soul, and spirit), and to remember to cry out for more of God and more of His life whenever I feel the shadow of death creeping in...

This quote rings so true:

"When our souls feel crushed and overwhelmed, we believe ourselves to be tired of life; but it is death, not life, that wearies us.  In all our troubles, let us remember that what we lack is life – what we need is more life, more of God’s powerful presence in us that makes us more alive and whole!  When we feel broken and tired of life, let us recognize that it is actually the presence of death in this world that we are tired of.  When we feel most inclined to give up, let us rouse ourselves to live.  Of all things, let us avoid the false refuge of a weary collapse, a hopeless yielding to things as they are.  The dissatisfied ache we experience is caused by the life of God in us is crying out for more life (more beauty, freedom, restoration, love, and healing).  We are victorious when, in the midst of our pain and weakness, we cry out  -- not for death or numbness  – but for the strength to fight; for more power, more understanding, more of God in us!"

~George MacDonald (paraphrased)

2006 Pics

Heading to the Wayside Inn in Boston - I remember that JMM saving me this seat made my day. That trip was really the only time the feelings were mutual. (Spoiler alert - it didn't last long! lol)

(We were on opposing bowling teams here and got a face-off picture just for fun. I look more fierce than I'm usually capable of in pictures, and it became more fitting after the letter.)

* * * * * * *

Exactly ten years ago, (Wednesday, 12-13-2006), I got a life-changing call from Judge Golden in Creek County offering me the job as his court reporter! I was SO EXCITED... not just for the job, of course, but for the idea of moving closer to Joshua Michael (my assumed future husband, who was an ORU student at the time).

So metaphorically speaking, that was my mountaintop super-happy moment... not too long before this happened:

Lol it's funny because it's true. I was a hot mess - and to quote Tim Keller, "the depth of the wound was my own making." Anyway, since I rarely revisit that period of my life, here are a few pictures of precious, wide-eyed, naive, Josh-idolizing 2006 Lindsey and friends! Apart from my lovely sister, not one person in these pictures is still involved in my life today, but that's for the best, and I love my current friends, and I'm thankful God has been there shaping me through all of it, even when I fall headfirst into a steep downhill slide! ;) (To be clear, he was a great friend and I'm sure he's a great husband and dad these days - but he was a terrible god, as everyone outside of Jesus tends to be.)

Pics = Tuesday night dinner group (me, Rach, Josh, and Wesley Blake). 
Then me and Josh at the beach in Boston!

Christmas pic at 9121 with Josh and Andrew, Sarah and I umbrella-ready for Wayside Inn, Josh and I at the Boston Pops sing-along, Ted's with Josh and Drew 

Big pic = Dallas shopping trip. Top right = Jessie, Rach, Josh, and I.
Girls night with Courtney and Sarah. Evan and I in Boston. Josh, me, and Sarah, in Dallas. Stairs pic before Kelcey's birthday.

Melting Pot celebrating Josh's job with the Connor/Winters Law Firm.
Bravo for Elaine's birthday.
Rhema lights with Drew, Sarah, Chene, and Josh. (Sidenote - I'm wearing the same scarf today.)
Sarah, Josh, and I at Maggiano's in Dallas.
Cookiecake and Maggie Moos ice cream cake for Josh's birthday (at 9121, with Sarah and Courtney).
Chene, Holly Dei, JMM, Rach, Me, Sarah, and Zana - another Melting Pot extravaganza!

Multiple experiences in my life prove this truth:

"And now, I'm glad I didn't know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better in God's hands. I could've missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance." 

(-My adjusted version of The Dance by Garth Brooks)

Deeper truth, very worth remembering:

"Sorrow comes from losing one good thing among others... Despair, however, is inconsolable, because it comes from losing an ultimate thing... from taking some 'incomplete joy of this world' and building your entire life on it. That is the definition of idolatry."

~Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods

Preach!!
Okay, that's all till we get back from Big Cedar! =)

Strong.

If I were ever to get a tattoo, I think it would simply be the word "Strong."  
Not "Be strong" or "Stay strong," like it's an instruction.
Just "Strong."  

Like it's an identity.  

.....

I'm unlikely to ever get a tattoo, but this is one I'd actually consider, maybe circled with a cross to symbolize "in Christ."  (Simplistic picture below.)  Either way, I plan to post it around my house and at work because I'll need constant reminders to fight for this!  It's a word that has been on my heart lately, and I'm going to pursue it... body, soul, and spirit.

I have wrongly viewed myself as weak in each of these areas for a while now, but I want to embrace the idea of being "clothed in strength and dignity."  I am tired of feeling fragile and focusing too much on my shortcomings and not enough on the power of God that lives inside me!!  And since I have a choice in the matter, I am choosing to believe God and see myself in a new light, empowered by His might to overcome strongholds and conquer new ground.  It will be an uphill battle, to be certain.  But I am determined to push forward and work with the Holy Spirit to redefine myself as a strong woman of God with inner strength of spirit, emotional strength and resilience, and yes, even increasing physical strength!!  

There are so many awesome verses on this topic:

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  ~Joshua 1:9 

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak... those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength."  ~Isaiah 40:29

"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word."  ~Psalm 119:28

"The Sovereign LORD is my strength."  ~Habakkuk 3:19

"I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources, He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit."  ~Ephesians 3:16

"LORD, be gracious to us!  We wait for You.  Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble."  ~Isaiah 33:2

"This is a sacred day before our Lord.  Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"  ~Nehemiah 8:10

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength!"  ~Mark 12:30

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."  ~2 Cor. 12:9

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  ~Psalm 46:1

I get really excited any time it feels like God is confirming something... the following is part of a Facebook note Stasi Eldredge posted just yesterday:

"When I talk with younger women there is a burning desire that rises in my heart for them. It is the same one that I have for you, whatever your age may be, and for myself. I want them to be STRONG.   

Strong in faith. 
Strong in spirit.
Strong in their souls.
Strong as their bodies will allow.

I want them to pursue strength more diligently than flawless skin or a perfect figure or the lovely hair de jour. I want them to seek it more passionately than straight A’s or being popular or chosen by others... 

Strength will help us all to stand upright and not fall down when pushed against by the world’s current. It will give us the courage to pursue God and serve Him wholeheartedly...  The kind of strength I am talking about doesn’t roll in on a tray. It is cultivated day by day by a deep and steadfast pursuit of and belief in the King of Kings.

“The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” ~Isaiah 12:2

We need to pursue strength with our spirits, our souls, and our bodies!  Pursue the heart of our Father with our own.  

I am chasing after Him.  I need God desperately.  Additionally, I’m pushing myself physically this summer because it is all intertwined.  We are body, soul and spirit.  I’m climbing hills.  I’m working out.  I’m cleaning up my food act.  (Well, I am at least, once again, trying to.)  And I’m doing none of it in an effort to become more valuable as a daughter of God or more worthy of his affection.  That is not even possible because He has declared that I already am.  So are you.

For me, being weak in some areas has meant that I am more vulnerable to shame, and when I’m vulnerable to shame, I can too easily succumb to the accusations of the evil one.  I can fall down inside.  And stay down.  And honestly, God is using that too, teaching me about the boundless, endless, fathomless, unconditional love of the Father.  He is using my weakness to draw me to Him.

Because of Him, today, I’m standing up and saying “No” again to the accusation of the enemy and asking for God’s strength to believe that there is nothing I could possibly do to earn more of His love.  I have it.  I can rest in it.  It is because I am so loved that I am choosing to press on where he would have me go and grow.  Or shrink...  I just want HIM. And to be strong in Him.  Don’t you?

...As I walk up, up, up this summer, I will be praying.  With strength.  For increasing strength.

Join me!  #stronggirl

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might."  ~Ephesians 6:10

Song of the Week = Soul on Fire by Third Day