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
I’d love to connect with you.
Email me using the form below and I’ll respond soon. I’m also available for speaking events for women of all ages and stages. For a list of topics, please visit my Speaking Page.
*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.❤️
Sometimes, we just need to step away and remind ourselves that our God knows all that is troubling our souls and He has not given us over.
I do that sometimes and on this particular night it was medicine for my soul. After I walked this historic horse farm I sat on top of a hill and witnessed the ever changing sky. Minute by minute the colors changed, chasing each other until even the lavender faded to black. I felt the tension leave my body.
It reminded me that everyday He goes to great lengths to show us He is present.
We can either stop and notice or continue on, overwhelmed by what our feelings are speaking to us.
He is for you beloved! How do you exhale all the things and remind your soul this is true? Tell me all the ways! 👇🏼 #exhalefear #inhale #joyforthejourney #rejoice #seekandsavorpodcast...
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...
I think one of the single most powerful things we can do is practice the presence of God. This is something I’ve been learning to do more and more since my beloved moved to Heaven and I wonder now why I didn’t do it before, when he was still with me. It changes you dear one. Now when I find myself alone or called to do something I’ve never had to do or that Alan used to do I talk with Jesus as I do it. Something shifts. The quiet isn’t so quiet. The hard thing is easier. Maybe that’s what it means… “His yoke is easy.” We aren’t in this alone friends. It’s Jesus right next to us plowing that tough road ahead. Remembering we serve a very PRESENT God is what Christmas is all about. As we practice living in His presence that reality will sink in and change the fabric of our hearts. I share more about this in my e-book “Let All The Weary World Rejoice. “(on Amazon. 💕)#seekandsavorpodcast #liftupyoureyes #rejoicealways #immanuel...
There’s a reason you’ll always hear me come back to this phrase. I’ve put them on mugs and t-shirts and artwork. Because in the midst of my darkest hour, they are the small and simple words God’s Spirit breathed over my wounded soul. His voice was quiet and tender and still broke through the loud and crushing pain. And they did what words from our Father should always do, they brought me to His side. There is a gift in not knowing the next step to take beloved. There is freedom in not being able to find your way out of whatever heartbreak or mess you’re sitting in. Because in the moment I heard those words I KNEW that I could not help myself. I could not bring my heart to a place of HOPE. Only Jesus could. So I speak them again and again, to my own heart, to yours, to whoever will listen. “Lift up your eyes” friend. Find Jesus and fix your gaze upon Him. Look at His goodness in the past. Meditate on His faithfulness. Savor His precious promises in His Word. And repeat. Do it again and again. One thousand times a day if need be. It’s the sweetest assignment you’ll ever be given. And in doing so, your heart can’t help but lift in HOPE. Because in the Light of Christ all darkness has to flee. Let Jesus words be the ones you allow to take root in your heart. *If you want a free download of this in watercolor, sign my for my newsletter at taradickson.com Tag a friend who needs fresh HOPE ....
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...
This week I was reminded that often beauty and devastation go hand in hand. As I walked around my neighborhood I marveled at the trees glistening as if they were covered in diamonds. I also mourned the massive trees lying on their sides,roots lifted in the air. The longer I walk this earth I see how much we can learn that it is possible to hold both. It’s not only possible, good can come from it. Today’s episode of the Seek and Savor podcast is a reminder that we can still find beauty in the middle of broken places. Are you looking beloved? Comment link if you want to listen to this 8 minute episode. Save to remind your heart. ❤️...
We serve a God who will not let us go missing. He leaves the 99 to go after the one lost sheep. Sometimes beloved we are lost because we wander. And sometimes we are lost because the weeds grow high, we get distracted and darkness falls all around us. Take heart. Lift up your eyes. And let the stars remind you that he knows your name and he will not let you go missing.
“Lift up your eyes on high, And see who created these stars, The one who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.” #liftupyoureyes #countthestars #thosewhowander #lightoftheworld Is 40:26...
New Year’s Eve is the anniversary of the day our world began unraveling…. But God was with us, carrying us, making a way. As I read and remember some words God gave me when we were in the thick of it, these are some that stood out as worth sharing. They are my gift to you as we enter a New Year. May they lead you deeper into Him.
“It was not enough anymore for me to just read His word in the morning. For, by the afternoon the pain of watching the changes in my Alan from the brain cancer would overwhelm my heart if I did not gird it up with MORE of God’s truth! I see now how beautiful the scripture is that says,
“You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.” ( Deut. 6:8) The Lord knew we would need daily, reminders of His Word. His Truth becomes the solid ground that we can build our lives on! The word is Living and Active and more powerful than a double edged sword. It is the ONE thing that is strong enough to carry us through hard times, to strengthen us when we are weary and renew our hearts when they fail us. Carve out time in your day to sit down with this GIFT. Ask the Spirit of the living God to open your heart and mind as you read it so that you might be transformed by the renewing of your mind ( Rom. 12:2). It is the Greatest Treasure and too often it just sits on a shelf. Let it be your daily bread for the new year.❤️#new #lifeafterloss #hopeforthefuture...
It was just a few years ago on Christmas Eve, the house lay quiet, and I was the only one still up putting the last-minute gifts in the stockings. I smiled, anticipating the expressions of delight. Stockings are our favorite. It’s the place you still find surprise. You never know what you might find hidden in the toe. I thought back to Christmases past when I wasn’t alone. My husband sat beside me yawning. Placing one item in after another, anxious to climb into bed himself. I let out a sigh, longing for Christmas to make things right. And I began to wonder what it is we’re really hoping for at Christmas?
Surely, it’s not just that latest gadget, a beautiful sweater, or every item on our list. I think it goes deeper. It’s the eternal longing He placed in all our hearts to see His face. I remember one of my favorite Christmas songs. “O holy night the stars are brightly shining It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” Just like that my heart is laid bare. Like a surgeon ready to operate, I feel the Spirit exposing our deepest longing. We’re desperate to feel our worth. We want to be seen, known, and loved. So, what does our Father do? He goes to the greatest lengths to show us. Like light breaking the darkness, our Savior left His Father’s side and appeared here so that we might never doubt again, just how much we’re worth. May this Christmas find us all not encumbered by more Christmas treasures we find under the tree. But, may we finally see the greatest gift we have been given: the worth we have because of Christ. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). 🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS DEAR FRIENDS!
