This is the place you’ll find hope. The kind of hope that can carry you through those hard places you unexpectedly find yourself in.
I’m no stranger to the hard life throws at us and in the midst of trying to find my way through one of those dark places I heard 4 words deep in my spirit,
“Lift Up Your Eyes.”
It was a gentle reminder from our great God that I needed his perspective instead of my own to walk through my husband’s unexpected journey to Heaven.
Those words carried me and you too if you’ve followed along with me. They also led us to creating the Seek and Savor podcast which equips us to lift our eyes on a daily basis.
I’m Mama to four amazing young adults and Nana to six darling grands with two more on the way.
My sweet husband got to meet his Savior at the age of 47 after a year long battle with brain cancer. We miss him every day.
Life for me, felt like it was ending but God was doing a new thing.
I don’t know where life finds you today beloved, but God, He is all about doing a new thing in us and it begins when we fix our gaze on Him instead of our circumstances.
Life may be filled with hard things dear one, but we were made to do hard and holy things and in the process we become vessels of beauty, fit for the KING.
“My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. ” Exodus 33:14
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I am trying to remember to press in. I want to be in tune with His voice not just when I am desperate and in times of deep suffering. But also when the sun is shining, my to-do list is long and all is right in my world that day. Commune means: To converse or talk with profound intensity or intimacy. I have not mastered it, but I long for it to become second nature, this walking and talking with God. No more boxes of time that he must fit in! Morning devotions, Bible Studies and church, yes, but also doing the laundry, taking a walk, driving in my car. When you walk in relationship with someone beloved there is a back and forth a giving and receiving.
Paul said that he had NOT YET attained to knowing Christ as he ought, but he pressed on toward that goal. Phil, 3:8 I want to know Christ and I want to be sensitive to His voice. Imagine a world where we listened more and talked less. What are some ways you make time for the Father to speak to your heart? #hisstillsmallvoice #leanin #soulfuel #hopeforthefuture...
I’ve always associated giving thanks with abundance. But I now know ‘thanksgiving’ can happen anytime, and is probably most profound when it comes from a place of brokenness.
Not only does it carry a peculiar beauty, it carries power. I believe that power is a gift God wants to give to you today.
When my husband was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer at the age of 45, then moved to Heaven just 14 months later, our hearts were shattered. But it was only seconds after he exhaled earth and inhaled Heaven that I experienced true thanksgiving in the midst of heartbreak. I remembered feeling it and marveling that the two could coexist.
When life gets hard we have two choices. We can become bitter or we can press into the Father. We can hop back up on that potter’s wheel and say, “Fashion me into the vessel You want for Your glory.” It’s a choice we make, not one time but again and again.
The practice of noticing and giving thanks shifted my focus from the little things that used to rob me of my peace to all the tiny drops of grace the Lord would shower my days with.
When you begin practicing the presence of God, it opens up a whole new world of sight. It is this perspective, this seeing with new eyes, that allows you to walk by faith. What once was impossible is now the only way. I pray that the eyes of our hearts are enlightened during this season of ‘giving thanks’ and even after. Ask the Lord to help you notice some things today you may have formerly passed by, and give thanks for them.
“I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:17, NIV). #givethanksalways...
We set our minds on many things. Some of them are good and some of them just further distract us from the very present battles waging war against our souls. I was thinking about how to handle those battles one day so I returned to The Word. And here is what happened…. “The TRUTH of the Word was doing something inside me. It was bringing life to my bones. It was waking up parts of my heart that were asleep. Perhaps dear ones, if we truly saw the WAR going on in the spirit world we would quake in fear. We might even feel overcome. But I believe God has chosen us to live in this time period for a reason. I believe the enemy wants us to SLEEP but our God who is rich in mercy is saying WAKE UP beloved. WAKE UP. Put on the full armor of God. The BATTLE IS AT HAND. And so we get to choose. Comment Yes, if you want the link to one of the most listened to episodes of the podcast: The Year of No Fear. #liftupyoureyes #thebattlebelongstothelord #fixyourgaze #fightthegoodfight #wordofgodspeak...
I was reminded today of something that happened several years ago as we were approaching Christmas. I had gone to visit my daughter in California and was scheduled to fly home that day but due to the wildfires in her area we postponed our flight.
I ended up at a breakfast Christmas party where I met a lady from Brazil who had moved there 10 weeks before. As we exchanged stories I was so humbled, like fall on your face humbled as she said ,” I am so honored to meet you and your family. What does she mean, I thought to myself. Who am I? Then she continued… “Because, you have been counted worthy to suffer for Christ!” 😭 What? Who talks that way? Oh yes, the Word of God does!
This woman was well acquainted with the Word and spoke truth over me for quite a while! Beloved the best thing we have to give away to others is the truth of God’s word! Maybe the ones you love don’t need you to look for one more gift to put under the tree. Maybe God has a WORD from His Word He wants you to pass onto them. Let’s steep our hearts in His Word so we can be ready in season and out of season to bathe others with the Word! #wordofgodspeak #truthoverlies #restfortheweary #loveofgod #godwithus #bestchristmasgift #rejoicealways #frommyhearttoyours...
Let nothing keep you from your Savior this Christmas my friend. No laundry list of things to do. No endless list of parties and gatherings, No grief that threatens to steal your joy. No disappointment that life is not how you imagined it might be. For when we look at Jesus and remember all He has done for us in the coming down, When we remember that he paid it all and then some, We can’t help but be changed. Because that is what LOVE does. It changes us. *From this week’s episode of the Seek and Savor Podcast- Love Came Down. Link in bio. #seekandsavorpodcast #liftupyoureyes #lovecamedown...
*Life is always changing. Even this snow covered path I walked a couple of years ago is covered in ice today. Trees are uprooted and branches scattered all around.
Lift up your eyes friends and look back to see where you’ve come from and how far God has brought you.
Then ask him what’s next. Not in a 10 year plan kind of way. But just a “today” kind of way.
And maybe it starts with “Thank you!”
Thank you for bringing me this far.
I would love to pray for your next steps. Drop a comment if you want that.❤️
It was just a couple of years ago, but I still remember it. She told her mama that Nana had to have this even though they had already bought me a present. Her mama obliged.
It was a necklace that said two words, “Immeasurably More,” A lump rose in my throat as I opened it.
My heart needed those words. It needed to remember that while I “lift up my eyes,” I also need to remember that God is able to do immeasurably more than I can find the strength to ask for or even imagine. This is for you too friend.
Our God is for us. His book is a love story. Sit down, and invite Him to speak to your heart. You are dearly loved. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen Eph. 3:20,21 #seekandsavorpodcast #heisforyou #renewyourmind #rejoicealways...
2016 was the year we said good-bye to Alan. We will see him again, it isn’t forever though it feels like it. It was the year we followed God’s voice to leave everything we knew and go to the place He was calling us. Little did we know it would be our last year to all live together for many years. It was a year of resting and grieving. Grief is exhausting. It was a year of quieting the noise and only listening to His still small voice. It was a year of making big decisions like buying a house and starting my public writing journey. (Art by @breezybrookshire.) This morning I sat in my chair and watched a red cardinal outside my window and I longed for one more day with Alan. I can’t say 2016 was my favorite year. But it was a year of turning the page in our lives and finding God was still with us on the next one. And for that reason alone it was a good one. #rejoicealways #liftupyoureyes #lifeisbeautiful #seekandsavorpodcast...
When I am struggling the Lord has taught me to remember His faithfulness in the past.
It helps remind me of who our God is and how He operates. But, sometimes the battle is fierce and even remembering is hard to do.
I love the pep talk God gives His people in, Isaiah 43:16-20
“ I am the LORD, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.
But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.”
He goes on to make some beautiful promises. *Like if we find ourselves in the desert he will make a pathway through it. In fact He will create rivers of refreshment along the way.
Can you remember a time God was faithful in your hard circumstance? Now use that as an anchor to go beyond remembering to a place of HOPE!
Share a time you remember or just raise your hand in solidarity! ❤️ For more encouragement on remembering check out my link in stories. #seekandsavorpodcast #liftupyoureyes #rejoicealways #renewyourmind #onethousandgifts #rememberwhereyoucamefrom...
I like to think of joy as that feeling of bubbling mirth that just wells up inside us and spills out of our mouths in trickles of laughter. And it can be. I have memories of time spent with family sharing stories, reliving the past punctuated by outbursts of laughter. What has joy looked like for you?Do you have memories reuniting with loved ones you haven’t seen in a while? Your heart feels like it may burst when you open the door and they walk into your arms. You are overwhelmed with joy. This may surprise you but I have also found joy when life has so wearied me with its storms I find myself stumbling to the Word. Out of sheer desperation I gather it up close. Glancing down at the page the words seem to leap off of it and down into the soil of my heart and I feel seen. The God of the universe sees us friends. He knows us. Those words written so long ago were written for us, for such a time as this. Our hearts begin to fill with deep joy, as we remember He is with us. It’s as if our very soul splits wide open with a grin and His Joy becomes our strength! What brings you joy friend? #joyoflife #givethankstothelord #rejoicealways #wordofgodspeak...
Life is always changing and change requires trust. I have walked through devastating heartache. I have loved ones that are walking through heartache. You may too. Or maybe it’s you. I see the enemy launching his arrows this way and that. It can feel like we are all just tiptoeing into the New Year, hoping for a better one. Some of us write down “words” to live by others just hope to survive. But we can do more than hope beloved. We can REMEMBER. We are not walking alone. Our God is present and He lights up our darkness( Psalm 18:28). Every time I find myself wrestling to figure out the how and the why. I am learning to bring my heart back to this place. He is here. I can lay my questions at his feet and trust Him for future answers. And while I wait, I will fix my gaze on Him, away from the darkness and toward the LIGHT. #seekandsavorpodcast #liftupyoureyes #rejoicealways Save for a day your heart needs to Remember. For more hope subscribe to the Seek and Savor podcast....
If you have felt overwhelmed or disappointed in ANY way beloved, you may be experiencing this....
The enemy tries to tell us we are alone and forgotten. Just like he came to Eve in the garden, whispering lies to her soul. Trying to lead her astray from the one great lover of her soul. He does this with us. He uses whatever he can to divide our hearts. We start to pull back and keep a piece of ourselves for ourselves, as if our God is not to be trusted with ALL of us. Stop. This is not a new tactic. He tried this with Jesus and what did He do? He spoke truth to the enemy and over Himself. “It is written.”
It is written dear one that - God is with us. - He has good plans for us. - Darkness has not overcome. - He is our good shepherd. - He restores our souls.
What truth from God’s word do you need to speak over your heart today? #seekandsavorpodcast #speaktruth #renewyourmind #guardyourheart #rejoicealways...
