Sky Blue

The sky blue curtains I just hung

sweetly echo the sky of blue just beyond.

Why did I wait so long to whisk away

the beige, colorless ones that stood 

in their plain-clothes plainness?

'Sky blue' even has a sweeter sound than

'beige'.

I will remember.

Next time, I won't wait so long

for the sound of color.

You inspire me.

You inspire me.

You don't even know my name,

or that I even exist.

Yet your words beckon me to come out of my shell.

They call me to speak what is truly me.

They motion me to live in living color...

to let my thoughts dance on the page.

You inspire me.

I only hope that somehow I can do the same.

The strength of the Dandelion...

 Dandelion arrives in early spring,

(before any of her counterparts)

wearing her yellow bonnet.

She brings no insecurity with her.

She is known by all, but appreciated by few.

This does not deter her from being herself in all of her glory.

She's strong.

She knows herself.

She outshines even the more glorious.

Even when others' beauty fades, she still shines.

She never questions her worth or purpose.

Oh, to arrive on this earth like her.

Beautiful.

Strong.

Undeterred by opposition.

Do you know your freedom?

Don't chain yourself to the past. You have been set free.

Free to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Free to follow His example and do even greater works than He did while walking this earth. Free to see others through His eyes. Free to walk the road He walked... 
of humility
of gentleness
of truth
and ultimately of love.

He wants you to walk as He walked, not as anyone else has expected you to walk.

The path has been laid out for you from the beginning of time. It was the Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, His Kingdom. His Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy.

The freedom He gives is like none other. It is holy. It is permanent. It cannot be revoked. 

He will never change his mind and say, "Sorry, I've decided to revoke your freedom." No, that will never happen. He is the One and Only God of love.

He is love. He embodies love. His perfect love seals your freedom no matter what anyone says or does to try to convince you otherwise. His perfect love seals your freedom and sends fear running for cover. 

Fear cannot present itself in the holy presence of your Father's permanent provision of freedom.

Hold on to it with both hands. Keep a firm grip, because the world and Satan will try to rip it from your grasp. Even your own mind, with its tendency to doubt will try to convince you that you are not free.

I have broken free! I am free from bondage, shame, condemnation. I am free to be me. No longer confined to the chains of the past. Even if others try to hold me back with their expectations, I am FREE. 

 I am free to soar on the wings of my Father's love, joy, and peace. I am free to experience all of His abundance. At His right hand are pleasures forevermore.

The Waiting Place

I watch from this waiting place. 

The air seems stale, like it's just waiting to breathe in freshness and newness. 

There are windows here, but they are covered with haze and fog. I can't see out.

 If I take a finger and draw an opening on the foggy window, all I see beyond it are shifting shadows. Light mingled with dark, but nothing is clear.

What can be good about the waiting place?

Does it give me intelligence? Wisdom? Or just more unknowing-ness?

Does it provide space....

space in my mind to ask questions?

space in my heart to search for answers?

space in my soul to search harder for God?

The waiting place, friend or foe?

My heart will have to decide.

The Gospel in less than twenty words

He created.

We were lost.

He redeemed.

He restores.

He repairs.

He saves.

We live.

Forever.

With Him.

Amen.

If you need to be restored

I know a Master Builder. He has nail scarred hands, but not from what you might think. The nail scarring didn't come from his carpentry work in his home town wood shop. It didn't come from accidentally missing the mark as he swung the hammer to build a table or a chair. The scarring in his hands and feet came upon him as no accident though. The Master Builder had a plan. 


His plan originated outside of this time and space. It stretches back to the very foundation of this world. You see, his work as Master Builder began that long ago. It began by building the worlds. In fact, his craftsmanship began even before the world and planets were lovingly placed. They had to have a space to hang properly, so first of all he had to build the universe and all of its vastness in order to display his handiwork that was to come.


"Why did the Master Builder build a world?", you might ask. He built it for you and for me. He built it in order to house us and to showcase his creation, his beauty, his gifts to humankind. All for us.




The world is not in the condition that he intended for it when he crafted it with his hands. Nor are we, his creatures. There is one who came to destroy the beauty and perfection of this world, and the creatures that the Master Builder lovingly crafted from dust. 


But, that is why he came. The Master Builder came to this earth, even though he is not from this world, nor is he even on the same playing field as we are. Yet, he came as one of us to restore us to himself. To rebuild beauty. To restore our lives to their fullest.The scarring ultimately led to his death, but death could not hold on to the One Who built the worlds and us. 



The Master Builder lives to rebuild, restore, repair and redeem what is lost, broken, crushed and destroyed. 




Do you feel broken? Ask the Master Builder. He will put you back together.


Are your dreams dashed to pieces? The Master Builder specializes in restoring your dreams if you ask him.


Are you ailing in your body? The Master Builder came to restore and heal you. Trust him. Ask him.


The Master Builder is most concerned with the condition of you. Your body. Your soul. Your spirit. Your heart. Your mind. Your will.


Will you trust your Maker, your Master Builder....


                                            to replace what's been lost
                                            to repair what is broken
                                            to rebuild what's been crushed
                                            to restore you to himself?

For this is your Master Builder's desire from the foundation of the world.



"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10


 ^"For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 11:10