the good in others // a devotional
My husband celebrated his 30th birthday in May and surprised us with a family trip to our favorite spot. We had breakfast at our childhood donut shop and then were off to a fun thrift store in Santa Cruz. We made our way to Pizza My Heart, his favorite pizza place and hung out at the Boardwalk, where our two oldest were able to dabble in their first game of mini golf, while our younger boys played in the fun mirrors.
We headed to Monterey, stopping at the local produce stand for veggies and a few of the fresh strawberries that lined the drive there. We ran around Dennis the Menace Park, where our youngest took a small nose dive on the bridge that involved some blood and a bandage. We had dinner at In N Out - after the electrical fire was put out - and went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the morning.
As we left the aquarium, we drove past people riding Surreys, something we have wanted to try but the ages and stages of our family seemed to always be off. Driving along, a family with children similar in age rode past and inspired us to try. We found free parking and went on to do our first family ride along the coast. It was beautiful and fun and as we rode, we did not notice the point where my husband’s jacket, which held our car keys and his wallet, fell off. It was not until we neared the rental shop, my husband realized it was missing and ran the entire way back, only to return empty handed.
As I explained to the gentleman at the rental shop, he spoke of the citizens there and was certain that the community was good and full of good people. He had confidence in them. It seemed like a rare belief. He went on to share a sweet story of losing his brand new I phone and someone returning it to the police station. He searched his stash of chargers to see if one fit our phone, since our phones were nearly dead after losing our charger in the hotel the night before only to find it just as we were checking out that morning. Unfortunately, he did not have one to fit and then went on to call the police station to check if the jacket had been turned in but to no avail.
We sat at the café for lunch, thankful to have my wallet – a rarity - as my husband called to get our car unlocked, in hopes of charging his phone in case anyone tried to call with the found jacket. We sat and laughed at everything over paninis and cheesecake bars and prayed, as our kiddos grew restless from lack of sleep.
The sweet tow truck driver showed up quickly and opened our car, offering water and even his own cash to us. The same situation had happened to him, although he was without cash to get anywhere, so he understood where we coming from.
We walked back the path we had ridden on without any luck but with more hope, as a few more citizens we talked to reiterated the same mantra: the people were good. With that, we headed to the aquarium in hopes of finding a place to charge the phone.
After everything was said and done, my in laws drove over three hours to give us our spare key and buy dinner for us at Pizza My Heart. We started the drive home when I saw a Facebook message on my husband’s phone as it charged.
Someone had found the jacket.
That someone lived in the town we were approaching and met us at a gas station, delivering everything intact. She did not speak English but her son translated how she had been running along the path and found the jacket. As she was about to hang it on a tree she, realized it had something in the pocket. She found my husband’s number and tried calling but no one answered. Her daughter found him on Facebook and was planning on turning in the jacket to the police department the next day if she was unable to get a hold of him.
We were thankful, to say the least, for this women's goodness and an answered prayer.
God is good is phrase I have heard over and over in and out of the church. A mantra in it of itself. One that I continually use when strangers comment on the ages and number of my kiddos whenever we go out. God is good.
Throughout scripture we read that the Lord is good, of his goodness as part of his character and who he is. When we dive in to the Hebrew, the word ischeced, meaning faithful, merciful and loving kindness.
God’s character is good and being made in his image, we have his character traits. He lavishes us with his kindness and goodness, even before we ever deserved it because he is good. Scripture tells us that no one is good, not even one. We are not good in terms of sin but we are seen as God sees Jesus when we believe in him and that alone makes us good.
It is when we taste and see that the Lord is good that we are able to start grasping just a piece of who God is. When we stop taking what others are telling us and start believing and living it out for ourselves. We can know about God but when we get to know God himself, everything changes.
// DIVE DEEPER
+ Read Psalm 136. As you read about the goodness of God and what he has done in the past, take a moment to reflect about how God has been good to you.
+ Has anyone told you that God is good? What does that mean to you?
+ How have you experienced his goodness? How have you seen it played out in others? Is there anyone who comes to mind who exhibits God's goodness? Find a way to let them know.
// PRAYER
Praying that you would get to know the heart of God and what his goodness entails. Praying that his mercy and goodness would follow you around this week and your eyes would be opened to how he has been and how he is currently working in your life. Praying that you would desire to know God’s heart rather than what you have simply heard about him.
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, June 2018. Join the adventure to be the first to get it straight to your inbox, along with other fun tidbits from the shop.
Fear Not Playlist // #musicmonday
When I used to blog regularly at Ingracealways (which are now located here), I touched on fear and different songs that shed light on the topic. It has been an area that the Lord has grown me in as a mama and in regards to trusting him in order to overcome them to walk in freedom.
It has a been a process and a choice as I choose to trust God over anything else, yet something the enemy still temps me with, especially during harder and tired seasons, though I can easily spot it these days and be ready.
Music is a powerful weapon against fear and the enemy, along with scripture - bonus when they are together - so a few months ago I compiled a playlist on Spotify with songs the Lord kept bringing to mind, along with some newer ones like, Fear Not by Kristene Dimarco, that are amazing. I know fear is a big trust killer and hindrance in our walk with the Lord, so I thought I would share them just in case you find yourself combating fear in your journey, as well.
Praying whatever you find yourself up against that you would see how the Lord is already fighting your battle and already has given you the victory. Praying that as you fix your eyes on Jesus that your fears would fall away in comparison.
What are your favorite songs about trusting God over fear? I would love to hear. Leave a link in a comment below, along with anything you would like prayer for.
Cheers,
Tiffany
Meet Elizabeth Greenough
I am so excited to introduce Elizabeth Greenough. I had the pleasure of getting to know Elizabeth during our time together as we brought Inspire Gatherings to the Mercy Multiplied home in Sacramento. She was always smiling, ready to get crafty and fun to be around. And a fun fact, she is one of the first girls to go through every session. We spoke about partnering up afterwards and I am thrilled to be able to partner with her as she goes on to other adventures in life and would love for YOU to be a part of it, too.
Elizabeth is raising money for a mission trip to Uganda and has made some exclusive designs available in the shop whose proceeds will go directly to funding her trip. You can purchase some of her cute designs here or donate directly (see bottom of post).
Without further ado, here is a mini interview with Elizabeth.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you are passionate about these days.
My name is Elizabeth. I’m 21 and am currently living in Texas. I am super passionate about the transforming power of God’s love and his truth that sets us free. I want other people to know the rich inheritance they have in Christ. This is part of what fuels my passion to GO and serve in other nations and places. To be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus. To share the good news, speaking truth and life into the hopeless, heal the sick, to be love and to show love to all I meet.
What was your first impression of Inspire Gatherings?
I loved loved loved the Inspire Gatherings! I've always been one for crafting and doing art, and it was awesome to not only be filled with the word of God but to be able to make something in remembrance. I feel like some much of the time my art is actually an altar to remember what the Lord has spoken to me.
What was your favorite session and what made it stand out?
My favorite session was the last one I did, which is when we painted canvas. It was the hardest for me because it wasn't a thought out art piece, so making it perfect wasn’t possible and it wasn’t the point. The art that came out was directly from my heart and from what the Lord had been speaking to me. It is such a beautiful representation now of the season I was in and I cherish it!
Why Uganda?
I went to Uganda two summers ago now and when I went I was pushed outside my comfort zone and was given so many opportunities to grow and learn and it ignited an even deeper passion in me for ministry. It was that summer that I saw the harvest of so many seeds that had been planted come to fruition. I was so honored to be apart of the work the Lord is doing there. I knew before I left last time that I would be back and although I was unable to go last summer, I am beyond excited to head back this summer!
What is the message and heart behind your designs?
The designs that I have made are simply the words the Lord has been speaking to me so much in this season of life. It's a season of transition, adjusting and preparing all at the same time!
The words are
FAVOR - because it is so clear that the favor of the Lord is on me and it is the promise he has given me to be reminded that I will be provided for in EVERYTHING. No detail will be missed.
JOY - Something the Lord is teaching me to carry always. We can find joy even on the hardest day’s because we have such a faithful God. I don't want to be so bogged down by the cares of the world that I miss the opportunity to find joy in the little things.
JESUS COME - This is a phrase began a constant part of my dialogue with the Lord during the last bit of time at Mercy. As I continued to open my heart to the healing he was doing, these were some of the only words I could utter.
IT IS FINISHED [ED] - This piece became very personal for me because I definitely wasn’t sure I was ready to share this part of my story. But for many years growing up I struggled with an eating disorder. It wasn’t even a year before I went to Mercy that I realized the severe consequences of the choices I had been making and even began to see some of them. After graduating with the program I have really wrestled with walking out the freedom I have found and then one day as I said these words the Lord highlighted the word finished to me but in the way it is written in this piece. I also felt like I needed to look up the Hebrew word for it is finished which happens to be tetelestai.
As I explored this word I came across the word being defined as “paid in full” and the Lord whispered to my heart that he had paid for my struggle and bondage to my eating disorder in full and there isn’t any reason to go back. This is something I have to hold on to know when things become challenging. So the [ed] is this picture is to abbreviate my eating disorder and it represents the work God did on the cross to set me free.
Anything else you would like to share?
I'm super thankful for this opportunity to be able to work with Tiffany. She has been a huge encouragement to me to pursue the art and the ability that Lord has given me! I am expectant and excited for all the Lord is going to do this summer in Uganda!
How can we donate directly to your trip?
1. Go to http://pidw.org
2. Click the Donation button in the top right hand corner.
3. Click the DONATE NOW button on the left. 4. This will take you to the billing page choose fund and scroll down to SHUPAVU. 5. Complete billing information
6 . Please remember to type ELIZABETH GREENOUGH into the comments section.
A special thanks to Elizabeth for sharing with us. I hope you are encouraged by part of her testimony and what God is doing in her life. If you have any questions or would like to connect with Elizabeth on her journey, you find her here:
Facebook @elizabethsexpedition
Instagram @missionunstoppable_
tea party manners // A DEVOTIONAL
The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8: 1-3
I watch my youngest sit at the table with his siblings who are older with more understanding and skill set and coordination.
He sits down. He wants to partake. Today is an impromptu tea party with homemade zucchini bread and frozen blueberries.
His siblings use their manners to the best of their abilities to pour tea in to their little plastic tea cups. My daughter pours tea in to his cup. He stands up on the bench and throws his body towards the creamer. Everyone has something to say about his behavior.
Sit down, please, I urge. He listens but still tries to grab at the creamer. I take the creamer and pour some in to his tea, which pleases his momentarily.
This is his first official tea party invite to the table. He has been a bystander from his high chair in prior tea parties.
He reaches for his tea cup, spilling some on himself and grabbing his sister’s while he is at it and drinking hers, too. He laughs and enjoys his seat among his siblings.
Wet and covered in zucchini bread crumbs, he stands and sits and grabs and partially listens to the cries of his siblings to stop and be careful. I watch their interactions just a few feet away as I redirect him, too.
As I watch, a reminder of what is expected of us in the Church comes to mind. A reminder of maturity. Of whether we are drinking spiritual milk or have moved on to solid food (1 Corinthians 3:2). Whether we are graced filled with those who are dabbling in milk and coming into faith or whether we are full of cries of judgment for their lack of manners and character and posture.
We come to the Lords table and enter the faith at different points. With different scars and wounds and trauma. Some have dabbled in Pandora’s box and unleashed the unknown into their lives, only to have the grace of God fill in those spaces and claim victory over those tragedies and we are to love them. Right where they are at, wherever we are.
It takes time to learn and grow and process. How we respond to others is an indicator of our heart and a true indicator of what we are eating; solid food or milk. Sometimes we are not old enough in our faith to understand it and cannot handle the pushes and grabbing but as we get to know the heart of God through scripture, He softens our hearts and gives us wisdom and understanding because man does not live on bread alone but every word of God. If we are living on God’s word, we are soaking in his truths and it will not return void.
Inviting others to our table, to the Church, can look like a mess. It can look like miscommunication and misunderstandings and bad habits. Our response to a situation is going to be a reflection of Jesus and hopefully an accurate portrayal.
In our Foster Care training, they reiterated the importance of keeping ourselves at a homeostasis emotional level despite children getting angry and spiraling because if we are both spiraling we are not going to get anywhere, except angrier and adding more trauma to child who already has experienced trauma. The same is true with any relationship, especially as a Believer.
Our ability to keep our homeostasis in situations is vital. Keeping the peace and ushering in those to the Table. Showing them how to eat and sit and love by example as Jesus ushers in healing.
// DIVE DEEPER
+ Read Deuteronomy chapter 8. What does it look like to be "living on every word of God'?" How might this change your: thought life / physical body / relationships / etc?
+ Take time to think about your heart towards Believers, non – Believers and God. Are there areas in your heart you need to ask God to remove or add to? (i.e. judgement, compassion, critical thinking, anger, fear, etc.)
+ Is there anyone you have wrongly judged or ushered away from your table? Pray about reconciliation and how the Lord would use you in their life.
// PRAYER
Praying that the Lord would soften your heart to opening your table to someone who stretches you and for the strength to love them well in the name of Jesus. Praying you would see how the little things play out in your life and that you would walk in such a way that you would be moved to compassion over judgement and love over fear.
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, May 2018. Join the adventure to be the first to get it straight to your inbox, along with other fun tidbits from the shop.
trains and tracks.
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31
Lately, sanctification happens around the train table. With three little boys, a lot of time is spent gathered around the it in the living room. There are tracks to be built and the speed trains to be gathered and cabooses to be found. They practically dance around the table, finding the perfect pieces for their train, knowing exactly which ones they need.
Often, they call me over to help build the track after they have started one. I join them, usually gripping my coffee to keep it out of reach from my youngest, who is naturally bent at spilling my room temperature coffee and is the reigning champion for most coffee spilt as a toddler.
I take a moment to evaluate what they have so far: pieces tend to be obscure, leading to nowhere and without room for growth. Then they start with their requests: a bridge on one side and the roundhouse on the other, despite it not fitting in with their laid out plans and get frustrated when I have to move it to accommodate.
The Lord is always so gentle to teach where I least expect them and our train table is not an exception.
A few reminders from around the train table:
You can't build when others are tearing down.
Despite our best efforts, no matter how many blocks we stack, when someone is continually tearing them down we simply cannot build, like my 18 month old son who thinks it is hilarious to take pieces from his brothers’ track. It may last for a season or until we remove ourselves from a negative situation or until the Lord gives us victory over it. Following the Lord’s leading will allow us see, perhaps we just need a little perseverance to see it through.
Sometimes you have to be the one who stops and picks up the pieces necessary for building. Stopping can be the last thing we want to do but is necessary.
While others continue to move and grab, putting heaps of pieces together, we may need to stop for a bit or a season to pick up the right piece. Whether stopping for time to heal or grow or dive deeper or just take it all in. There’s a time to rest that we should never neglect. We have to put things down, sometimes reluctantly from our tightly gripped hands, to usher in the peace of rest, which gives us the strength to pick up what others (or ourselves) may have misplaced or put aside.
You have to know which pieces you have in order to start to build. Knowing your inventory, you must use the correct pieces at the proper places accordingly.
Knowing what we have in front of us is vital. Starting a project takes knowledge of inventory, what we have versus what we may need and seeking it out accordingly. Perhaps the Lord is calling us to do something but we first need to develop a skill or step out in faith. Building a functional train track involves the right pieces in the right places, and the same is true for the Church. God has given each person gifts and talents and when they are placed in the proper place, his Church flourishes.
When pieces have gone missing, you may be the one called to find them.
The Lord left the 99 to go after the one missing sheep and at some point we may be asked to go, too. Perhaps a lonely neighbor or hard to deal with family member or an angry co-worker. We are called to love recklessly, which is not always easy and we may want to turn our backs and sail off for Tarshish like Jonah but God is faithful as we trust him to guide us as we follow him.
// DIVE DEEPER
+ Is there anything you need to stop doing to allow for rest in the Lord?
+ Who is one person you can show love to in a tangible, unexpected way today or this week?
+ Block out time on your calendar for prayer this month. Praise God for the master builder and creator he is. If you do not know what gifts or talents you possess, use this time to ask God what they are and how to use them for his glory.
// PRAYER
Praying that as you go out this month that the Lord would reveal blue prints to plans in motion that you have been building on or are starting to build. May the Lord show you where he has already been building and the fruit of it as you place pieces down. Praying you would hold your plans loosely as he does the Master Building, knowing full well what is to come and how to connect the pieces accordingly.
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, April 2018
blooming hope.
Seconds after finishing up paying for my groceries, I glanced over at a cart full of pretty-much-dead-plants on clearance. Just a dollar. Smiling apologetically at the lady behind me and the cashier for my last minute purchase, I quickly grabbed a sparkly pot with a shimmering snow flake decoration, claiming to be a mini white rose plant, and handed it to the cashier. She looked at me extremely surprised at my choice and went on to tell me with hardly an ounce of hope in her voice, unconvincingly, that perhaps with some water it could come back.
Her comment made me smile and hold back a laugh but the heaviness of her lack of hope vibrated inside. She could not see it. She could not see the hope that was there. Her eyes had not been trained to see what was to come or the future, only what was visible: the two drooping buds among the brown, dry leaves. And her actions reiterated what her eyes saw.
I took the little plant home and gave it some water along with some necessary pruning, before settling it in to its new home on the ledge of the kitchen sink. By the end of the day, the drooping bud was no longer down cast but up facing the sun.
The bud has sense bloomed and new buds have formed and bloomed, as well. Slowly but surely, life has been flowing through its little leaves and flowers and though it may not be the prettiest of plants, it has been serving as a reminder of God’s redemption and hope.
Even when we were dead in our sin, God saved us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, not because anything we have done but because of his mercy. There are seasons where certain situations seem dead and we may believe the lie until God opens our eyes, graciously showing us what he has been working along. There may be pruning of dead parts and the need to add life giving substance to our lives in ways only God knows. And then after some waiting or a long waiting, we are given the gift of seeing the birthing of what God had in store all along. His ever perusing, never giving up love that overflows with hope.
Praying as we enter in to Spring and the plants start blooming around you, that the Lord would open your eyes to something in your life that seems to be dead and show you how to approach it. Praying you would have the wisdom and discernment to act according to His leading and have the endurance to keep going forward, even when onlookers tell you it is impossible and hopeless. Rest assured, God will surely show up and be glorified through the process.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, March 2018.
on tasks.
I lead my son out of my daughter’s room, telling him again he was to be cleaning up the play room, not his sister’s room. His task was the play room and sister needed to clean her room. As I the words rolled off my tongue, the Spirit gently reminded me of tasks that were for given to me.
Various conversations earlier in the week pointed to this fact. Others were not given it. I was gifted to me. Others could walk away and surely had but this one was mine.
As I listened to the More to Be Podcast this week (which I highly recommend if you have not had a chance to listen to yet) they spoke of the same reiterating topic of serving where sent, even if it's hard because we were the ones who were sent there. We were the ones chosen for the task at hand and with God given strength, we can accomplish it.
It’s always fun when God sends reminders, some as loud as flashing neon signs and others as quiet and gentle as the morning dew.
Praying that whatever tasks you are working on and God is leading you to that they will be illuminated with God’s strength and perseverance. Praying that you would encourage others as they go about theirs, finding small ways to help and keeping them in prayer through the duration. Praying that if there is task you have been avoiding that you would find the footing to tackle it this month and watch the Lord do the heavy lifting.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2: 8-10
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, February 2018.
the best is yet to come.
Looking back over the course of the year, it has had some amazing highs – our first family vacation to Disneyland, bon fires on the beach, adopting our youngest who has started walking and officially in toddler mode – no more babies in our home, my husband leading the campus church, and starting Inspire Gatherings and so on. And while it is has been awesome, it has definitely been full of hard; a word I do not like to rest on but one that has been in my vocabulary more than I would like to say it this year.
I entered the year tired. Scrape me off my bed tired. I had done blood tests and ultrasounds before Christmas of 2016, which thankfully revealed nothing more than what my OBGYN referred to as post pregnancy regulation of my menses, after experiencing excessive bleeding and fatigue. I was thankful, despite the oddness of being three years post pregnancy.
In the fall, as the cool (for California) air came, I grabbed a pair of pants that to my dismay, no longer fit – the only other time this happened, I found out I was pregnant and this clearly was not the case. The dentist appointment I finally rescheduled after delaying for over six months revealed a cavity - my third cavity ever, which came as a surprise since I could not even feel discomfort from it.
These quickly became tell tale signs of the tiredness and the less than stellar routines it had produced, not to mention all of the chocolate chips I had been eating through it all.
My morning routines more common than not, were waking up to kiddos asking for breakfast or crying - a lot of crying in January with colds and sickness. A good part of the New Year, my sweet husband let me sleep in until he went to work in the morning, leaving my quiet time until afternoon naps on good days and morning runs hard to come by.
Through it all, God has been faithful and good. Despite the tiredness, he always gave strength and the reminder that he is not bound by time and bible studies are not mandatory in the mornings (though my favorite) and a sweet friend who seemed to be like my personal prayer warrior for the year. Not to mention my mom and mother in law who cleaned our home and babysat more times than I can count. As I lay on the table waiting for the ultrasound in regards to bleeding, the Lord whispered, be still and know that I am God. And as I stepped out in faith leading Inspire Gatherings, God spoke about setting tables for his kingdom and provided everything that was needed and more than I could imagine; one of the sweetest gifts he has given besides my family. It has been a slow and small year, the exact words He gave me to usher in 2017.
By God’s grace and what feels like a small miracle, my energy levels have been back up and to my own surprise this anti-gym girl currently has eight weeks in as a gym member, waking up at what I like to call dark o’clock for bible study before working out, before the kiddos wake. My pants are pretty much fitting and my chocolate consumption is at an all time low. And my teeth are getting a better brushing and flossing, in case you were wondering.
Friend, I have no idea how your past year has been. Perhaps you are finding your pants are on the tighter side or maybe this year has been one for the record books, wherever you find yourself today, I pray that you see the goodness of God throughout the past year and praise him. Praise him for the strength that he has given you to prevail and the perseverance to see things through and the grace he has given despite your short comings and the blessings he sprinkled along the way through friendships and prayers and the gift of a new day.
God has been bringing Jeremiah 29:11 to mind the last few weeks, so I wanted to pass it along to you. It is one that can be cliché in its over usage but a reminder of what God intended from the beginning of creation. His plans have always been for good, for our good. While Adam and Eve brought sin and death in to the world, something that we bring into our own lives at times, God is always good and always working out good – even when we fall short eating too much chocolate - for those who love him (Romans 8:28).
Praying for you as the year unfolds. May you embrace the year with open hands, actively seeking out the goodness of God daily, even when it is hard. Even when the enemy is telling you otherwise. God is good. God is faithful.
If you need a little reminder of who God is, here is a teeny sampling of scriptures that touch on it.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, January 2018.
trees make shade.
I had been asked over summer to do a little Christmas project for the girls at Mercy Multiplied, which I happily agreed too, assuming it would be done long before December approached. But that did not happen, so this past week I finished up our Inspire Gatherings for the year and went on my way wrapping up some Christmas cheer, with some bumps along the way.
As I had prayed about what to do, this message of trees and growth and shade came to mind, as trees are such a part of American Christmas celebrations, so I thought I would share it here with you, too.
In the bible, trees are often used to symbolize a person being rooted in God and righteousness. Someone who is truly growing in relation and faith with him. Someone who trusts in him.
As trees grow, some lose their bark like the sycamore, redbud, silver maple, shagbark hickory, and birch. This usually is not an indication that anything is wrong, rather a visual sign it is outgrowing its skin to allow its trunk to enlarge. However, in some cases, it can be harmful if insects or cold weather attack in the process.
While we are growing in to our relationship with God and learning his heart and hearing his voice, we are shedding our old self and growing spiritually. Our eyes are being opened to sin in our lives, healing and forgiveness that needs to take place and we start producing fruit of the Spirit. The enemy will try to squeeze through the cracks during this process of growth telling us lies and bringing up the past, just as insects and the cold try attack the tree, so we must focus intensely on the Truth of God’s word.
The interesting thing about trees is that as they are growing and maturing, they are constantly giving to others. They make shade for the beasts of the field and provide food for animals and places for birds to make their homes (Daniel 4:11-12). They become a gathering place for others.
This is the sort of life that God wants to instill in each of us. He wants us to be thriving and growing in him. Constantly learning more about who he is and revealing those characteristics in ourselves in order to be able to set us free from lies of the enemy and be a source of freedom for others. He wants us to be fruitful trees that are planted in the house of the Lord, drinking of his life giving water.
Praying that your roots would continue to grow in Christ and that you would seek him and find him and bask in his grace this Christmas season.Praying that you would make shade for others as you follow him. Praying that if have never experienced Christmas in the light of Jesus that this year you would have new eyes to see the beauty of the God of the universe being born on earth to die for your sins. All because of love. Because he loves you. Here's to roots and growth and Christmas.
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:8
If you would like to dive deeper in this short study, you can download a study guide for free here.
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, December 2017.
God gives good gifts.
God gives good gifts.
My mom graciously gifted the kiddos a jump house for Christmas. It has been one of the best gifts they have received, hands down, next to the swing set Penny got for her second birthday from my aunt. The kiddos have played endlessly this year throughout the superfluous winter rain and the blazing summer heat. It has been the perfect inside energy outlet for them, bouncing away the morning and in to afternoons, while I finish dishes or drink my coffee or play mama monster alongside them, chasing them around it.
God has reminded me about his good gifts over the course of the year. As we took a step out in faith and moved to a new town, in to a house we had not seen until the keys were just about in our hands, God said he only gives good gifts. As my mom questioned whether it would smell like cigarettes or what the condition of the carpets would be and I wondered about the exact layout, God kindly assured me he only gives good gifts. When we walked through the doors of the home for the first time, I nearly cried as it was practically the exact layout I nonchalantly prayed months earlier for, at the mere idea of moving - not thinking it would be anytime soon. It was the layout of the last home my family had lived in before my parents went their separate ways. It was open and spacious with plenty of room for the kiddos to run and play and eventually hold the jump house. Another good gift.
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11
As we enter in the season of thanksgiving and gift giving and start thinking about what we should tuck under our Christmas trees and what we would benefit from receiving, there is a sweet reminder of hope that has been poured in to our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), one the best gifts we have received. The truth and comfort and freedom that we find in the Holy Spirit through the power of God, after Jesus rose from the grave and went to be with seated at the right hand of God, is nothing short of spectacular.
A friendship that is covered in grace and presses us deeper in to the very heart of God.
Praying that whatever trials or circumstances you are facing that you would know that God only gives good gifts; knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame (Romans 5:3-5).
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, November 2017.
Jumping.
I posted on Instagram a few weeks back about a little something that has been in the works for the shop. Something that I have been dreaming about putting together all year but as the dreaming has become time and effort and coming to fruition it has been harder to step out and actually pull the trigger.
After listening to the Feather's Podcast by Abiding Ministries (which I highly recommend!) God keeps bringing to up the need to JUMP and need for risk and growing faith. An opportunity to really trust him.
I am so excited to give you a peek at what this little jump looks like. It feels like a day at the lake, hanging out on the dock and running towards the edge. And as you are just a few steps from the edge, your stomach is filled with butterflies and mouth full of laughter as your hair blows behind you and you take the leap in the water, holding your breath. Yes, it's pretty much like that.
We are introducing Christmas Infographs in to the shop in less than a month!
They are perfect to send solo or tuck in to your Christmas cards. There will be options to download and print yourself or have us print them for you, along with a spot on the front for your pretty Christmas picture.
And my favorite part, there will be kits to go along with them, complete with everything you need to make them yourself and start a new tradition. Making our own Christmas cards has been a date night at home tradition for us over the past several years and we want to pass that along to you. My favorite part is being able to look back at our family's highlights over the years and tucking one in to each of the kiddo's baby books.
Kits will include a personalized Infograph, some yummy Gobena Coffee (as an adoptive mama, I love the heart and everything about the coffee. Check them out if you haven't had the pleasure) 5x7 paper, envelopes, washi tape, custom return address labels, and more. You get to choose whether you put on a Christmas movie or listen to classic Christmas carols as you craft away.
This should give you some time to review the year and get started, right? Follow along on Instagram to see how the kits come together.
And if you need another fun reason to join in the fun, proceeds from each Infograph and the kit goes towards funding Inspire Gatherings for the coming year.
Is there anything God is asking you to take a risk on? Maybe putting your heart out there for foster care / adoption or a new friendship or a big move? Perhaps quitting your job and taking a year off like a sweet friend recently did (you can read about her journey here) or starting a new ministry or inviting a family over for dinner. Praying that whatever God is calling you towards this month, how ever small or grandiose, that you would walk in faith and trust him as he goes before you.
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, October 2017.
Enough.
My daughter and I have been reading through the Never Girls series; she was gifted the first collection at for her birthday. We found the rest on our local library’s ebook borrowing system and have been reading them at bedtime and throughout the summer days. As I browsed for the next book, I came across Jennie Allen’s newest book, Nothing to Prove available in audio. I clicked borrow and have been listening to it over the course of the week, namely as I have been sanding and painting a few fun tables I found at thrift stores. Listening to her read as white paint brushed over the wood, filling its pours and the grooves. Covering over the scratches and little dents of its past life.
I think that is one of my favorite parts of old wood furniture. Its past life. Somehow dents and scratches came. Some can be sanded down enough to never be seen again; others stay, adding to its charm and my favorite term, its rustic character.
Jennie Allen read aloud, her words piercing as I painted. Truths of scripture pouring out and reminding me what it means to be enough. That is the premise of the book: We are not enough but Jesus is enough.
It is about leaning in to our weakness to find his strength (2 Corinthians 12:11) and our identities being tucked in to who Christ is, hidden in him (Colossians 3:3).
One point struck me, as more white paint gathered on my brush:
I am realizing it's not my curse that I believe I am not enough; it's my sin that I keep trying to be.
Pride can easily be entangled in being enough. When we are enough we simply have no need for God but in our weakness and firmly rooted in our identity in Christ, we can walk in confidence that God will always be enough, so we do not have to.
When we allow ourselves to repent for our feelings of inadequacy, changing the focus from pointing at ourselves to pointing directly at God and allowing God to bring about his sufficient grace and fully embrace that he is enough, we do not have to be.
We may not feel good enough as a wife or friend or mother or daughter or co – worker but God is enough and feelings are never facts. So much so that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. When we rely on him, we are enough for his purposes.
There is not a measuring stick or comparison to be enough for God. There is just one you and an ocean full of grace and love.
What would it look like to fully embrace God, allowing him to be enough? May we walk in grace this month and know that God is enough, so we do not have to be. May God guide you in your weakness that he may be greater, showing his glory through you.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-11
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, September 2017.
On the table.
I was invited to the Friends of Mercy Luncheon this past week, which is a time to learn more about the organization, learn about how we can help and meet the girls and take in the beauty of the home that draws them nearer to Jesus. My team joined me at the lunch as they had yet to fully see the home and all the details. We enjoyed croissant sandwiches and salad and heard a few testimonies of those who were in the home and had graduated. It was a simply sweet time, full of excitement from the girls to the overcrowded guests in attendance.
As I sat down to eat, the reminder of setting The Table came to mind.
The first time we brought session one of our Inspire Gatherings to Mercy Multiplied, we carefully put our supplies down and got everything situated in its space. We took each handout and canvas and water cup and laid them in each place setting. As we set the table for them, the Lord sweetly whispered, you’re setting the table for them, as I set the table for you.
Jesus tells us in his Father’s house there are many rooms and he is going to prepare a place for us. Luke 14 points us to the parable of the feast. We are all invited to the feast; into salvation and relationship with Jesus. Yet not all who are invited will come.
Throughout our days, we are also putting out place settings and inviting others to the feast. We are given opportunities for others to come to know Christ. Some directly each day – our children, our spouse, our significant other, our extended family or co-workers, while others are indirectly or even unnoticed. The cashier at the grocery store or the librarian. The uber driver or waiter. Our everyday actions reference this invitation and either shows its glory or otherwise.
We all have opportunities to invite others to our table. To The Table. How we send out the invite and how we set the table matters. How we love is intricately woven in to the threads of the napkins and coils of the place mats. How our actions follow in step with our Lord can be reflected in how full our glass is, whether brimming to overflowing or running dry. We get to choose with each passing day what our table setting looks like and whether we are truly living in the sweet spot.
Praying this month you will see ways to invite others in to the little things around you, ultimately showing love and pointing towards Jesus. Praying you will send out invites to the feast, opening up your table, despite its small size or mismatched dishware or lack of décor. It’s the invitation that is the key and heart behind it all.
Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. Luke 14:1
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, August 2017.
on encouragement.
In college, I wrote a small thank you to a professor telling her thanks for all of the work she had put in one of the classes I had taken from her. It was so much work and so much to learn and so much for her to teach and to grade. When I transferred schools I had to retake the class. Same book. Same amount to learn but hardly any teaching occurred that came close to my previous professor's. I felt sorry for the other students in the class who were trying to figure it all out and had no idea what to do. This was where my note was born and sent it out to my teacher in full thankfulness for her efforts.
Later, a friend mentioned that my professor was really encouraged by it and placed it on her desktop as a reminder while she was going through the daily grind. I had no idea the impact that it would make for her and did not think she would remember me.
Encouragement is a powerful weapon and should be used and given accordingly.
Scripture is filled with encouragement and hope and healing and daily reminders of who we are in Christ, should we take time to read it and soak it in and let it sit on our tongues. Allowing our hearts to feel the truth and not just sit in our head.
It is for the days you look in the mirror and see how thirsty you have become. How dryness has dulled your skin, leaving craters and color lacking. How your once overflowing cup has become dry as the desert and there is still laundry to fold and lunches to be made and dishes in the sink waiting to be scrubbed.
It's God's love that truly quenches our drought through his Word and of those around us, should we allow it to penetrate deeper than the page, which in turn allows us to pass it along, heart to heart, in action and truth to others.
Praying your heart would be fully open to encouragement on both the giving and receiving end this month as you take time to read truth in scripture. Praying that you would take a moment to send a few words to someone who needs a little refill in her cup, whether it be through letters on a screen, words over the phone or snail mail. May your cup be filled this month as the Lord directs your steps.
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, July 2017. Subscribe here to read it first.
flowers and identity.
Our house has been filled with a teething toddler and infant. Needless to say, sleep has been off and on and off again. The other night, our almost two year old refused to go to bed, so with the warm spring weather outside, I opted for a walk around the neighborhood in the wagon – soothing for him and sanity on my part.
The neighborhood has surely grown on me, since our move here in October. Mini roses line the walking paths in yellow, white and pink hues, matching beautifully with the variety of flowers our neighbors have planted. We walked and waved to fellow walkers and gleaned a few roses from the path as we went, decorating the Radio Flyer in flowers.
In the morning, my oldest son immediately took notice of the small arrangement I had made with the flowers (he has an amazing eye for detail), and looking up at me after asking where they came from said, “You’re a Flower Mom, right?” squinting his eyes to make a point. “You love flowers.”
I laughed and agreed and admired his sense of detail and curiousness and desire to know me.
It is in these small gestures that we are known. Who we are and what we like and what we are about. Sometimes others point them out in ways that are unfitting and not accurate and give us definitions that do not define us, while at others they pin point us.
Yes, it is sweet my son calls me Flower Mom but others are not as sweet. Our identities can be easily weaved in to conversations or by accomplishments but God keeps reminding to keep my identity firmly planted in him, no matter how sweet or harsh the words of others may be. Our identities are established because of the God, who sent Jesus to die for us. To ransom us from who we once were and to bring us in to his fullness.
May you go out this month with a smile and your identity written on your heart. May this month be a month of pressing in to who God says you are; slowing down enough to stop and smell the spring roses and hear his heart for you.
You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.
Song of Solomon 4:7
Originally posted in The Inspire Monthly newsletter, May 2017.
new beginnings & coming soon
Driving around the neighborhood, sparks of color have been found among the trees as pink and white and purple blossoms enter in. All the while, the calendar states it is merely the middle of February. Perhaps it is the abundance of clouds and rain this winter but it seems a little early for their arrival. Despite my usual love for their elegance and grace as spring is ushered in, this year it seems to early and out of place. But they are declaring in their sweet and soft voices of the newness to come, as does the sun, boasting its extra minutes of light.
So much beauty and birth still to come.
This season has been about birth and newness on more levels than I could possible keep record. The summer brought a season of hard and love and the fall ushered in one of surprise and shifting, as moving boxes filled our garage, while newborn diapers and more social workers graced our homes.
Transition has been a key word in my vocabulary, more than I thought was possible but with each use, as it has rolled off the tongue, God has showed something of himself and brought us to place of truly open hands to his leading.
Now, new birth and life is coming. Blossoms lining the road ahead as we go.
Today is the termination of parental rights for our littlest son, as we are in the process of adopting Ryland's biological brother. We are thankful to tuck four littles in to bed and kiss four little heads good night and surprised by God's grace to allow us one more of his.
We moved from our homiest of neighborhoods, following God's leading throughout it all (perhaps I will share details later) and starting to build an extension of our church there.
And then there is this silly thing that I really questioned God's timing about. With four small children and starting a new church in a new community, is it really time to start something else new? Clearly the answer is yes, because time is his and he gives and makes time for things that his heart is for, should I have the obedience to trust and listen.
As I mentioned months ago about starting a small creative business to support women coming out of hard places and trafficking and addiction, it is now on the cusp of its birth. As products are being listed and the website is almost tuned and women are coming together to be the hands and feet and encourage and inspire others, it leaves me in awe and wonder at what God will do, all the while worshipping and cultivating thankfulness.
Everything is under construction at the new website. I had debated keeping the blog or including it in the new site, so when I did not renew the domain over the summer and the new owner wanted several thousands of dollars for it, I got my answer.
So this is me tying up the last bit of ingracealways and heading over to more new things. If you would like to continue along, this is where you can find me.
Here's to blossoms and new beginnings.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43: 19
UPDATE: on the crickets
This writing challenge has been fun and I learned more than I thought I would and enjoyed the process. With one month closing, it was exciting to see progress and rhythms carved out and being one twelfth of the way through.
And just when momentum and excitement built, life happened. That is life as of late.
Situations and circumstances beyond our control have changed, cliché I know but there's no other words to put to it and I am not at liberty to share the specifics quite yet, hence the lack of activity over here.
I have missed writing and the upcoming prompts were intriguing but life around here had been 100 mph and anything but lack of activity.
So I guess this is me bowing out for now, as we navigate what our everyday looks like. It may allow for more room to write in the future but for now, I am okay with enough time to sit down to fold laundry before calling it a night.
Because some seasons call for fun challenges like writing and then give way to much harder, better things that fill the day with life and relying on Jesus even more. And when it comes between family and otherwise, family always wins. If you could keep our family and the entire situation in prayer, we would be grateful.
The days seem a bit longer and events keep unraveling and reminding me to breath, as more circumstances come up like split toes and trips to urgent care and hit and run car accidents and colds stealing the little bit of energy I have and hand washing dishes for over a week while we await the new dishwasher replacement, all the while our family has graciously helped us navigate the new waters.
We are confident God is working and for that, we are keeping joy afloat and love abounding and prayers constant, for God is faithful.
Here's to crickets around here and new adventures.
For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. Philippians 1:6-7
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This is part of a 365 day blogging series through Savor by Shauna Niequist. If you would like to blog along, whether daily or weekly, I would love to have you for the journey; be sure to link back to the post. And if you are not a blogger, you can join along, too. Just leave your response and answers in the comments
savoring the year: for a bride {30/365}
If you're married, how has the love between you and your husband grown and changed since the day of your wedding? What would you say to a bride on her wedding day?
I once heard about a study that showed how the brain changes once couples have been together for a certain amount of time. I cannot recall how long, though I am sure you can find it with Google, but it showed how different parts of the brain interact with longevity. The chemicals that were once produced in the butterflies in the stomach phase are no longer there. Not to say butterflies are no longer apart of the relationship but more like you are able to be a more sober version of yourself, not seeing the through rose colored glasses. It is the beginning of the opportunity to choose to love and to stay.
By the time Ricardo and I said I do, we had been together for four and a half years and had shared our address for three of them. Those butterflies had long since flown off, our friendship was even more rooted in love. He has always been my best friend and for that I am ever thankful.
The love that was there on our wedding has changed and evolved, for the better, something I hardly give a nod to or thought otherwise before marriage.
Ricardo is more of my best buddy than ever before, as we share even more inside jokes and children and experiences that have squished us together in ways only time and circumstance can.
Bride to be,
I am not sure what else to say about marriage. And honestly, marriage is my favorite and for the most part, it has been easy for us, not perfect but easier than I have heard of others; not to boast but in true transparent fashion it has been a gift from God. Ricardo is my go to guy and I think that is key in marriage and laughing.
As for my advice to new brides, it may be a little more sweet than you experience but if you push your feet in and open your heart and set God at the center, love will be cultivated.
I received this top ten list for marriage when I was engaged and it pretty much covers the basic topics. I slip it in to wedding cards and give it to newlyweds because it is such great advice. Lloyd had been married for a long time, so it is surely tried and true and I can attest.
Perhaps you are coming in to marriage with your address, bed and bank account already shared, as were ours. Our adjustment period was short and uneventful, I guess you could say. We lived with my sister and her boyfriend and got along great, besides Ricardo eating their chips.
But maybe, just maybe you are waiting until after you are married to merge your belongings and for that I commend you.
Either way, marriage may be more eventful than anticipated in all the wrong ways, in which case I would instruct you back to the top ten list and to your knees in prayer, both by yourself and together.
This later is not my story and I cannot direct you through experience but I know love is meant to hold fast and unwavering to the hope we profess. And I want to encourage you it will get better and easier, I hope. But honestly it could get harder before that happens. Love anyway. Choose to love.
The more you are around someone the more the opportunity to love or not. To grow and learn. To experience life together.
So breathe and laugh and smile, even when things are tough. Love always wins and prayer changes everything.
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This is part of a 365 day blogging series through Savor by Shauna Niequist. If you would like to blog along, whether daily or weekly, I would love to have you for the journey; be sure to link back to the post. And if you are not a blogger, you can join along, too. Just leave your response and answers in the comments.
savoring the year: god hears us {29/365}
God listens and hears us when we pray. Have you ever felt that you got more than you bargained for when he gave you exactly what you asked for? What do you avoid asking?
As Ricardo and I started growing in our faith, I started praying he would take the lead more in our marriage. I was hoping he would start suggesting nightly studies we could do together or a small devotional or keep up with the one we had started without me asking about it. We read the bible together but it was not always regularly.
He was busy. He was working full time and still going to school. He was gone at least half the week with night classes. I understood it but it still did not sit right. While he was studying away at business, I was praying God would give him a break through. While he was getting together with other classmates for group projects, I was praying he would go deeper in his own personal time with God.
As I transitioned from working to staying home with Penny, I had more time to listen to sermons at home or while doing errands. God was speaking and I was praying Ricardo would be able to lead our family well.
One night as I asked yet again if we could do our devotions before bed, some frustration from initiating it yet again slipped in to my tone, which Ricardo picked up on quickly and asked for the reason. I expressed the leadership status I was hoping for as I sat next to him on our bed. He was thankful for the hint but put off by the way it came across and I apologized for the way I let it all unfold. It was one of those slight pivots in our relationship that changed our trajectory.
Coming for a line of strong willed women, God reminded me that I had to step back in order to allow him to lead, not stepping on his toes or giving him subtle hints, and loving him as he learned to take more initiative, even when it was not how I would have liked it to transpire. I had to learn submission and learn it well. Something I continue to learn and trust God with as we go over decisions and I support him with whatever he thinks is best and God's leading in the end, which is something I had a harder time doing in the past.
It has been one of those prayers that seems two fold and I know God is one who calls and sets people apart but he also listens and answers prayers.
Through all the prayers and growth in faith and leading well, God called him to be a pastor. To lead not only our family but God's people, which was hard for me to accept at first, as one of my I would never... came to fruition. This is the part where I like to joke and say I prayed too hard for him to lead our family because now he is leading others, too. A friend said she was having similar issues with her husband and I jokingly told her not to pray too hard because you never know who God will allow him to lead eventually.
But through it all, it has been amazing seeing how God has blessed Ricardo with the skill sets and ability to gather people together and the way people listen and ask for his guidance and the wisdom God has given him. And how his relationship with God has developed as he has studied and learned from other pastors and teachers and continues to do so. He has been a great leader as our family has grown and continues to surprise me.
I am forever grateful for answered prayers, even when it seems more than what I asked for.
Here's to God listening and answered prayers.
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This is part of a 365 day blogging series through Savor by Shauna Niequist. If you would like to blog along, whether daily or weekly, I would love to have you for the journey; be sure to link back to the post. And if you are not a blogger, you can join along, too. Just leave your response and answers in the comments.
savoring the year: prayer {28/365}
Has there been a season in your life when prayer was the only thing that kept you sane? In what ways was God's presence comforting to you?