Tag Archives: hope

All you need is a seed

All you need is a seed.” – me

This is Kai. Age two. We walked around the park and he blew dandelion dead-heads and a great future for the yellow flowers into the air, again and again.

kai two blowing dandelions

We shall not discuss the merits (some might call them a bane) of the dandelion’s existence. I doubt one could argue the beauty of the yellowest yellow against green grass, nor dispute its’ place as the #1 child-to-mommy bouquet annually.

We just know that in its’ short life, it blooms pure yellow-happiness. Then dies. But the story isn’t over for the dandelion, oh no. The slightest breeze, a person shuffling by or an exuberant, puffing 2-year old can give the dried up ‘old dandee’ another chance. A lot of other chances, actually. The life is in the seed.

So don’t give up your day dream, as they say, even if it’s looking dead. Every possible chance for it to live again is in the shriveled, dried up grain of a plan, a hope, a heart’s wish. You never know who might come along and give you another chance, or even more. The life is in the seed. *poof!

Song for a Sunday // The Mountain of the Lord

Ruthie* was leading this when I walked in to Southlake Worship Center in Hobart, IN a few weeks ago. Even though I could only recall the last few words, I remember loving the gentle strength of the song’s lyrics, and the soulful melody – which remained with me.

Thanks to my godly, anointed and so-so-so beautiful sister-in-law, Dawn, for helping me find it. I love it even more in the re-listen. The Mountain of the Lord, Kim Clement

“‘Cause there is a place for those who are broken in the mountain of the Lord…”

“…you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”  Hebrews 12.22-24 NLT

My song for this day, a day the Lord has made.

***

*Ruthie was the cutest little girl, daughter of church leaders and powerful worship leading. I’d see her shining her light in the church hallways in the late 80s and early 90s while visiting my parents. Now she is a worship leader, and wholly anointed, bright light and powerful leader, still shining away!

Song for a Sunday // In Expectancy and Preparation

We wait.

baby due 12 16 13

We wait with expectant joy.  A baby is coming.  Joy will be fulfilled and realized with the final Aaaaahhhh-she is here!  She has come!  We understand the anticipation and longing there was for the Messiah “for a people living in darkness…” this year with more vivid zeal and holy anxiousness than ever.  Like children who can barely get to sleep on Christmas Eve as they excitedly anticipate the gifts they’ll find from mommies and daddies who love to give them good things, we await Evangeline’s arrival, sometime before Christmas.

Just a year ago, we were hoping-waiting-cautiously-opening-our-hearts for Malakai.  He came early.  In January.  It was sweet and the consummation of so much prayer and eager yearning.  So sweet…

kai meeting the big santa dec 1 2013

Kai is here today, checking this Santa character out. He isn’t sure about him.  Malakai will be full-fledged walking and running by Christmas morning, I am sure of it.

Advent

And today, the first Sunday of Advent, we remember, with exceeding joy, that the long-awaited Savior of the world, once a mystery and a desiring, yet He already was waiting for us and we acknowledge the beauty of His coming and look for Him again.  He is the Promise.  The Hope and Perfection of all things!

I had an idea!

I didn’t grow up in high-church tradition, so we didn’t observe Advent and the traditional readings and candle-lightings and services that went with the four Sundays leading to Christmas, nor the daily devotionals.  But I discovered them when my children were small and have so so so always tried (or maybe more accurate: wanted to try) to implement the observation, the wreath, the candle-lightings.

Today, after all, the first Sunday of Advent is about HOPE.  It is about the story of the Old Testament Patriarchs, Jesus’s ancestors, looking, waiting, hoping, longing for His coming.  Hope is needed now more than ever…

So, as I was wondering, what song to do for Song for a Sunday, I realized how Advent could totally be a time of songs, too.  Which it probably already is, but I am going to set myself to selecting songs for this season, each one to sing and think about, each to represent our longing and worship as we enter this busy season.

I plan to set apart a few minutes each day, at least long enough for a song, to meditate on the Joy of my Desiring, a Savior!  I’ll share with you if you’d like.  I think this could help lots of busy families who want to observe and celebrate Advent, but can’t find the time.  A song!

Today,  O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by Francesca Battistelli

And my anticipation is doubled because soon, a new grandbebe. And this year, I will comprehend in deeper ways.  And look for Him in my day to day…And this is blessed.

And we watch.  And we wait.

fear manifested.

It looks like this ::

fear looks like this

This is what fear looks like.  Fear rooted in pride (“I hope no one finds out”) grows this way.

Don’t ask me how I know.  Or why I am an expert, able to spot it a mile away.

1 John 4.18 amp  “There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].”

Thank goodness.