Because God is creative, I have the real-time, real-life capacity to imagine, dream, and envision (expect) things that are beyond my limited scope of natural sight.

Which makes me think, if God didn’t exist (which actually, totally contradicts the fact that I was created…) I’d lack the ability to imagine, to dream, to think (see) beyond that which I can immediately see and know.

I wonder if, without being made in the image of the creative God, I’d just be an animal…

I just offended all of you cat-lovers, didn’t I?

So I, in my own nature, cannot know the things that God has prepared for me.
My eyes can’t see, my ears can’t hear, my mind can’t conceive what God has planned for me.
BUT IT WAS THE SPIRIT OF GOD that revealed these things to me.

The Spirit of God searches out the things of God and show us his deep (& creative secrets) that are exceedingly, abundantly, BEYOND that which we could ever ask, hope or think of.

We have received his spirit SO THAT WE CAN KNOW the things he FREELY GIVES to US.

I think we, too often, take the familiar revelation of Holy Spirit for granted.
Religion has taught us that it’s HARD to hear God’s voice, that it’s reserved for those that are “good enough” to hear it.

But do you REALLY think that the dream in your heart was from YOURSELF?
You, who WITHOUT GOD, would have no capacity to dream or envision or HOPE for something beyond that which you can see.

You can have as much of God as you want.
He’s been made 100% available and accessible now because of Jesus.
100%. You can have as much of him as YOU want.

Do you really believe that?
Then why are you striving to hear? Why are you striving to get a “clear word” or revelation?
Do you realize that God is on YOUR SIDE now?
Do you realize that HE WANTS YOU TO HEAR HIM more than YOU do?
Do you remember that he is a God that wants to be FOUND?

Holy Spirit was given to us to LEAD US into ALL TRUTH.
ALL truth.

All revelation, all encouragement, all dreams, all visions, all expectations, all hope; ALL TRUTH.

The very fact that you can IMAGINE something GOOD beyond your present situation IS GOD.

Our religious boxes cause us to “over spiritualize” the voice of God and we’re left sitting in a puddle of confusion, doubt and fear, wondering “was that REALLY God?” – left questioning what we heard as if his voice is so infrequent and distant.

BULL.

Jesus is real. He’s alive. And he, being the word of God, is always speaking.
Holy Spirit, being our comforter, guiding us into all truth, always has something to say.

Are you really listening? Or are you too busy striving (trying) to hear the voice of God to the point that when you think you finally do, you’re left questioning every single impression you even had.

He is found in the quiet place, in the resting of our hearts against his.
HE IS NOT HARD TO HEAR.
EVERYTHING IN YOU was DESIGNED to be able to HEAR & RECOGNIZE his voice.
Just like a baby recognizes it’s father’s voice, so naturally, so effortlessly.
There was no training involved, no coaching, no striving, memory-racking lessons.
It’s just natural.

Go back to being like a child.
Go back to trusting what you hear; trusting what you sense.

How many good, creative, hopeful, imaginative thoughts that are actually FROM HIM do you just discount because it’s so familiar and natural, you think they were your own ideas?

Don’t you remember?
THE CHILD-LIKE INHERIT THE KINGDOM.

For you feed them from the abundance of your house, letting them drink from your river of delights.

You are the fountain of life; the light by which we see.

Tonight was so sweet; so precious, so rich. I felt the presence of God like I never have before; just soaking, just resting, just being still.

I didn’t have to do anything, say anything, or be anything, I just ran in.
And I found rest.

How do you compare anything with the sweetness of that moment? When all you feel is this intense weight of peace, protection and provision. A moment where nothing else matters, where time is irrelevant, and you find everything you need.

My heart is awakened, full, thriving, satisfied, still, thirsting for more.

What if we just melted here for a little while longer?

I realize this is a little late, seeing as Halloween has already come and passed, but I wanted to officially add to my “on-going collection of thoughts” my feelings about Halloween this year at this point in my life.

I hate halloween. At our age it’s either super scary or super skanky, but I mostly hate it for this reason: it’s such a dividing, seemingly confusing and controversial issue in the “church”. But I’ve concluded this year that bottom line, Holy Spirit leads us into ALL TRUTH. We are responsible for being sensitive to HIS leadership in OUR LIVES. Its the same conversation as bikinis at the beach: Halloween (or bikinis) might not be an issue that Holy Spirit is working on in me at this point in my life. Or maybe at this point in my life, I’m super sensitive, and I’m feeling led NOT to participate at all.

You know? There’s so many issues like this where it really is between us & Holy spirit & where we’re at in our journey with him. I am just offering another point of view. I hate halloween but I also don’t think God is disappointed, as if we’ve chosen the “lesser way”, when we dress up our little babes as princesses and superheroes and pump them full of suga’!

I feel like this has been bouncing all around in my head for October so needless to say I’m glad Halloween is done & now we can get around to celebrating the SWEET holidays like being thankful for our little lives & baby Jesus….but it’s a challenging & thought provoking conversation to have nonetheless.

And after coming around full circle, from one end to the other, I have to take a look at the situation and realize I am FREE to make my decision, the Lord is ALREADY WELL PLEASED with me, and I can trust his sweet, specific, and intimate leadership in my life to help me navigate issues of “what he would do”.

Remembering that frees me up to PARTNER with Holy Spirit in my decision and to GIVE GRACE to others who might be working through other decisions with him in different ways – to love them right where they’re at.

This year, as I was racking my brain about it, what he thinks, how I wanted to respond, etc. I DID hear him say, “If you don’t speak life over & bless the little “trick-or-treaters”, WHO WILL?” …so that’s exactly what we did! Jesus-people, lets “do Halloween” differently than the rest!

This resurrection life I received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?”. His spirit touches my spirit and confirms who I really am. We know who he is and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us – an unbelievable inheritance!

If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!

That’s why I don’t think ther’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. We can hardly wait for what’s coming next. We know that there are glorious times ahead and meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

And this waiting, it doesn’t diminish us anymore than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. 
We are growing in the waiting.
Of course, we don’t always see what is growing or even what we’re waiting for, but the longer we wait, the more we grow and the more joyful our expectancy becomes.

Meanwhile, the moment we grow weary in the waiting, God’s spirit is right alongside, helping us. He knows us far better than we know ourselves and in mercy, he keeps us safe as we learn in grow. I think of the decisions I’ve made along the way that could’ve brought complete and utter destruction in my life but in his kindness he was PATIENT with me as I grew and learned.
He wasn’t worried that I wouldn’t make it.
He wasn’t worried that I wouldn’t learn.

And that’s why I can be so sure that in every detail of my life, he is working it into something for GOOD.

So how can I lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst my sending his own son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for me?

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing – nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable – absolutely nothing can get between me and God’s love because of the way that Jesus has embraced all of us.

I’m learning that it’s all so simple.
I am JUST LOVED – and I don’t have to be anything, say anything or do anything (or even believe it, for that matter) for it to be true. I’m learning this – all of the time, actually – that there is NOTHING I can do that will make him love me MORE.
There is nothing I can do that will make him love me less.

And so, in those seasons where everything is confusing, nothing makes sense, and I have no idea where I’m going, all I have to do is GIVE INTO LOVE and LET HIM LOVE ME.

That’s it.

I used to know life in patterns and seasons. Now, all of my boxes and perceptions have been completely obliterated by something and someone so much bigger than me. Everything I thought is being turned upside down. Every vision I ever had for my life is being challenged and reshaped, and while it’s looking like nothing I expected, or dreamed, I KNOW that whatever is coming my way, whatever season I’m currently in is exponentially better than what I had envisioned.

For he gives exceedingly and abundantly beyond anything we could ever ask, hope or think of.

This is my HOPE.

Something I was reminded of yesterday is that God writes down all of our life’s story in a book even before we’re born. He keeps track of every little detail of my life (thank God, because I can’t seem to keep up!). He knows how every hurt and pain and traumatic situation will teach us and how the RESTORATION of that blow will be so instrumental in helping others who find themselves in the same situation. Doesn’t that, even that, make it all worth it?

So all I know how to do is LOVE and LET HIM LOVE ME MORE. I know that all of the questions, confusion, misconceptions, and misdirections will be answered and quieted as I find myself in the only place that is safe. I know that growing, learning, and loving well is the prime purpose and passion (vision) of my heart. I know that I’m walking in the fullness of that, even now.

This is rich. This journey is rich and freeing. To know that I don’t have to have everything figured out, that I don’t have to have a handle on the ways in which things fall and grow, is a freeing relief that propels me into my destiny.

I hear the hope and vision he speaks over me. I see the gold he is pulling out of my as I give myself to love.

And so I grow in the waiting, knowing it’s worth it all.

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
His love is new – fresh and refreshing – every moment.

How great is your faithfulness!

I’m sticking with God.  He’s all I’ve got left.

God proves to be good to the man who diligently seeks, to the woman who passionately waits.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself.
Enter the silence. Lock yourself up in the hiding place.

I don’t run.
I take it all full-face with joy and expectation for greater things; exceedingly and abundantly beyond my imagination.
The “worst” is never the worst.
I am filled with HOPE.

Why?
Because he won’t ever walk out and fail to return.

If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard.
He makes all things beautiful just in time.

He is making all things work together for my good.

In him I hide and in him I find.  

I went outside to rake leaves into giant piles, mow my lawn (with incredibly straight lines), and put away the patio furniture to prepare for winter.

Halfway through I took a nap on my hammock in the last bit of warm sunshine before the clouds and cool air rolled in.

It seemed like a perfect day to make my house smell like chocolate chip cookies and freshly brewed coffee.

Like usual, I leveraged my creative ambition to “invent” something delicious & body-loving!

These “cookies” are so healthy – no sugar added, high in protein and fiber – & easy to make! The failed caramel I made from scratch for a caramel-apple-making party proves that I’ve got a long way to go before baking is claimed as my forte but I think I’m making progress!

In a large bowl I mixed less than half a stick of salted butter, two egg whites, a small cup of Greek yogurt, a few packets of Stevia, some unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Then I added about a cup of oats, 1 1/2 c. of multi-grain flour, a little salt, 1 t. baking soda, unsweetened dark chocolate chips and a LOT of raisins.

Since I didn’t use sugar or oil, I had to add a little water at the end to get the batter to a cookie dough consistency.

The Greek yogurt is my secret weapon. It gives a rich consistency without any fat, in the place of oil, with a bonus of adding lots of protein.

Mix everything together and get creative with your inclusions. I decided on chocolate & raisins.
Next time I think I’ll add a fresh banana and maybe some unsweetened coconut…

Bake at 350 for about 15 min or until golden brown.

I think I just found a great replacement for the high-sugar Luna bars for breakfast!

Cheap, easy, healthy & delicious!
Hope you enjoy this on a cozy fall afternoon!

The year quickly went by and I was officiating a wedding at a different place in my life than I had imagined. Still, I dug up the treasures and wisdom I had discovered in the overflow of this season and managed to piece together what I have learned to be the gold in real love.

The key; that love is something you choose.
It’s a choice you make between yourself and another; between grace and offense, between kindness and self-defense, between compassion and expectation.

You GET to CHOOSE to love.
It’s an honor, it’s a privilege, to learn to love well along the way.

These words reflect where I’m at in my journey of learning how to love well and the vision that (I believe) is foundational for a healthy, growing, thriving and rich relationship.

“A wise man once said that “where there is no vision, the people perish”. These words were spoken out of understanding that a heart full of vision cultivates an environment that causes one to live, and grow and thrive IN LOVE.

This man understood that vision, desire and purpose is the motivating force behind the choices we make in our journey in life.

And that’s what Love is: It’s a choice.
Love is a person, it’s an action and it’s a choice.

And many years ago you chose each other. You made a choice. You made a choice to learn and grow together in love.

And that’s exactly what you’re doing all over again today.

This vision: that above ALL things you would choose love is the motivating force behind the choice you are making today.

And for the rest of your lives together as you to learn and grow, you’ll be continually confronted with the choice to CHOOSE love, to choose each other, to love each other WELL.”

A year later, I’m in a different season, but I hope that this exhortation to choose love is found and developed in its fullness through the overflow of my heart.

It’s funny how seed goes into the ground and dies and then it begins to grow something powerful.

I heard him speak of the science experiment we all took part in as little kids. You know, the one where we hide a tiny speck into a cup piled with dirt.
And we watch.
We wait.
And it seems pointless.

Then one day a hint of color breaks through and you realize it wasn’t in vain at all.

There are things that are just really hard and don’t seem to be good, but the Lord has a way of breaking through darkness. Actually, in darkness the seed of God is growing; coming into existence, developing, creating.

If you’re in a place of darkness – your circumstances seem really dark – there is hope that out of this dirt a treasure will be born.

Out of your darkness will come a great light.

For most of us that think there is something really wrong, there is actually something going really right. 

“God takes a long time to act suddenly”

Light and life to dark places that bring forth treasures, promotion, and abundance.

It’s time to reap with joyful shouting.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick but there is a tree of life that is shooting up.

Amen.
It’s time to move.

You make beautiful things out of dirt

I love soup because it’s so easy to make, you have so much freedom to be creative with different flavors and textures, it’s low in calories, high in nutritional content and just down-right homey.

I knew that I wanted to make a chicken broth-based soup full of vegetables but I wanted it to have a warm, rich flavor that sometimes simple soups seem to lack.

I started off by sauteing root vegetables (which get sweeter as you cook them) in 1/2 T. of butter. I opted for butter because the olive oil tends to not do as well with high heat. 1/4 of an onion, carrots, celery, and 6 cloves of garlic. Yes, 6 cloves of garlic. You might want to adjust this number depending on if you’re making this for a hot date/plan on engaging any part of the general public later on.

Garlic has anti-inflammatory benefits across all of the body’s systems; it’s cardiovascular and metabolism-boosting benefits along with it being rich in manganese and vitamin b6 (which boost the immune system and help regulate blood sugar levels) makes it a GOOD THING to enjoy.

I only cooked my vegetables for a few minutes because I wanted to make sure they kept as much of their nutritional content as possible and that their consistency would be a little crunchy even when I brought my soup to a boil. During this time I started to add my spices. I was going to for a warm, comforting, rich flavor here. I added chili powder, coriander, cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, sea salt, unsweetened cocoa powder (just a pinch), cumin, and curry powder.

Both cumin and curry powder have such distinct flavors that can totally mix up the flavor profile of whatever dish you’re making. Cumin is that flavor your recognize in good chili and curry is…amazing. I only put a tiny bit of both spices in. I wanted the warmth without overpowering the rest of my soup.

Once the vegetables are done cooking I added a can of Trader Joe’s black beans (just in water and salt, isn’t it nice that people still can food like that without all of the preservatives?) and 16 oz. of chicken broth.

Bring your soup to a boil and you’re done!

I added a spoonful of fat-free cottage cheese and chopped spinach at the end. Mostly because I believe those two things makes anything taste better. Get creative and add your own twist to your soup – whatever you want; cheese, squeeze of a lime wedge, crackers, tobasco, etc.

It’s so easy, it’s so wonderful, & it’s so fall!

I am glad to live in the land of Ten Thousand.

Everything I ever wanted I found in you. 

Sometimes it takes someone as big as GOD to handle and make sense of and protect everything that’s inside my heart.
I’m thankful that someone as big as GOD lives inside of me and is perfectly able to lead, guide, and comfort.

When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher.

When everything seems too big, too much, too unsure, too possible, too overwhelmingly glorious and complicated, I’m thankful to know that there’s someone as big as God to leave it with. I’m thankful to know that everything is under control, everything is taken care of; everything is okay.

I’m okay. 

I want to overflow with a good thing.