The Power of a Life Made New... A Spoken Word

It is Holy Week... 

As Aliza Latta wrote a few days ago,  Jesus is going to die on Friday.

Like Aliza, I can't get over it.  

The thought that He did it for me... He did it for you.  

Sure - it was over two thousand years ago now and I have walked with Him for some time, so Easter is not new to me... but the gift that Holy Week delivers every year is this astonishment at the price He paid to make us His... to call us His Beloved... to buy us back!

You just can't get over that kind of Love.  

There is no getting used to it! --or at least I pray that there isn't.  

I pray that we never tire of singing a love song back Him and we never grow 'used to' the idea that He took our place... stretched out and bridged the gap and died on the Cross to pay our debts... He did it all --2000 years ago-- so that we would live for eternity... so that we would have New Life... and have a new covenant and be grafted in to the Family... in to the Kingdom that is both here and not yet!

Jesus will die on Friday... 

Last Sunday, I was honored to give a Spoken Word...  

Consider this my offering on Wednesday...  lest we forget or become accustomed to this Story... His Story... the greatest story ever told that we have the honor of retelling every single day in how we live and tap into the Power of a Life Made New.

May He give you opportunities this week to let His heart be given through you... 

May you know and remember and lean in to the Power of a Life Made New!

When You Pray, Pray Like This... a Guest Post for Asheritah Ciuciu

In the Gospel of Matthew, up on a hillside surrounded by crowds who were spiritually hungry and wanting, Jesus lays out truth and teaches with authority.  He touches on the Law, on anger, adultery, making oaths, loving your enemies, and then He goes on to say, “And when you pray...”

When… not if!

When you pray, pray like this…

I am honored to be over at my friend Asheritah's place, One Thing Alone.  We are talking about prayer because, of course! 

Join me?  
Click HERE to read more!

P.S.  I'm linking up with these lovely writers:

Kelly Chripczuk  for #SmallWonders 

Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp

Kristin Hill Taylor for #ThreeWordWednesday

Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory

Of Mondays, and Spoken Words, and the Winner of our Giveaway...

I shared last week about how I spend my Mondays. (Hint - it's pretty much doing nothing, if I can help it!)

This particular Monday has found me even more exhausted and depleted than normal, but that is because the weekend was filled to the rim with good extroverty things and my week ahead is also filled with good somewhat extroverty/family things (which should read introverts gathering to introvert together!) This simply means that looking back makes me tired, and looking ahead makes me wish the days away sooner so the week flies by.  

However I know the value and necessity of staying present in the present! Sometimes it is work to remain, yes?

The discipline of staying in the right here, right now takes intention and purpose and we must check in with our soul from time to time just to see how we are doing! For me, that is what Mondays are for!

So, my body is speaking louder than my spirit today and what it is telling me that I want is a nap... (and I may grab a short one soon!) but what my soul knows that I need more than actual sleep, is a bit of silence. I'm fixing to enjoy a little self care via quiet patio sitting... I'm planning for a little trade up, if you will! I'm going to let go of striving and grab hold of some Sabbath instead! (Yes - Sabbath is available, even on a Monday! Praise God!)

There's also this... I was honored to give a Spoken Word yesterday at church and I talked about one of my favorite things... one of my favorite 'weapons' = Worship!

What I Learned in March (Plus the Lucky Giveaway Winner!)

Here we are again, at the start of a fresh new month and even though it's been awhile, for most of you - you can guess what that means around here!  It means it's time for my favorite monthly link up over at Emily Freeman's place! I didn't write a post for February... all I remember about February really is just how over Winter I was... All. Month. Long!

***

12 Random Things That I Have Learned...

1. I learned that, it turns out, this cat lover is surprised at how much she is LOVING having a Grandpuppy! 

I mean, come on! Isn't he adorable? He's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and his name is (Mr.) Bentley!

A Few of My Take Aways from Free Falling into Jumping Tandem 2015

You Guys... 

I have avoided sitting down and even attempting to put into words what a gift Jumping Tandem was because here's the thing:

I can't even know yet.

It just keeps unfolding and expanding and is that not just how things work in the Kingdom? 

As Chris Caine says, it just keeps getting Betterer and Betterer!

I feel like I can't comprehend All the Feels yet and I could simply just copy and paste the hashtag that I normally reserve for Alia Joy and just say:

#InsertGushingCommentHere

and you would maybe get me.

If you follow me on Instagram (or Facebook or Twitter) then well, you probably already know. 

But here is maybe something you couldn't really tell from just following the feed:

This was a Retreat in the truest sense of the word.  

While we are in this modern age and obviously - selfies were happening, y'all! - I can't explain to you how many whites of eyes I was able to gaze into this weekend, for extended periods of time! 

That's no small miracle, people.

That Thing I Do Now - Vol 94

Hey my friends!

I am, as you read this, at Jumping Tandem spending time with some (off the charts) amazing people... and God, too! I am pretty sure He is there as well!  So this post may be shorter than usual because when you live way out West getting almost anywhere is a full day of travel, which cut in to my web-searching, post-devouring ways! 

Still... I found some gems...

Featured today are posts by Tonya Salomons, John Blase, Donald Miller, Crystal Stine, Deidra Riggs, a post from right here... and - of course - a video to wrap it all up! 

Happy Reading! (Ya'll know to click on the authors' names below to read the entire post, yes?)