about.

transparently sharing…

Does it seem hard to find friends you can open up and be real with? Why do we work so hard covering up our weaknesses, failures, mistakes and struggles; pretending they don’t exist? Why are we content keeping up appearances when inside we feel so far from living at that address?

We need each other! We desperately need the deeply unifying bond that belonging to Jesus brings. In fact, He counsels us to transparent living in James 5:16 ESV “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Confess and pray…this is the type of living we are called into as believers in Jesus Christ.. So, let’s stop pretending, let’s stop believing the lie that godliness is tied to our appearingly “in-order” lives. Let’s believe that the Lord will enter into our brokenness as we humbly share real life. “For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly” (Psalm 138:6a ESV) “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 ESV)

encouraging…

As we begin to transparently share our stories, it can be easy to get “stuck”. Stuck in the awareness and discouragement of our struggles, mistakes or circumstances. This is not where the Lord would have us to reside! In our brokenness, we begin to experience the encouragement and hope the gospel brings! The Lord is so kind to meet us right where we are—in our sinfulness and desperate need of a Savior. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus and are unaware of what this means, I want to encourage you to find a Bible (there are countless ones available online for free; I like the You Version App) and start with the book of John. I hope you will reach out to me as well; it would be a joy to dialogue further with you!

For believers, the Holy Spirit works slowly and steadily in our brokenness, transforming us into the likeness of Christ. It is not something we do on our own, but rather a natural overflow of spending time in the Bible and prayer. He transforms our self-fueled strivings, our “try harder” into radical displays of his enabling and empowering grace! Through our lingering and steeping in his word (the Bible) our hearts are remade and our minds are renewed (Psalm 51:10).  As we continue in this pattern, he promises to grant continued insight into what he desires us to know and learn (Jeremiah 29:13). His truths breathe the deepest of encouragement into our souls!

Jesus seeking

As we spend time in his word, God creates and deepens a hunger and thirst to know him and his ways more. We discover that life in Jesus is far greater than anything we have experienced on our own. As we learn of what it means to abide in him (John 15:1-17) we willingly abandon our dreams, hopes, fears, worries, “what we think our life should look like” and enthusiastically choose to live surrendered to him. As we embrace his direction for our life, we find true and lasting joy. This joy is independent of our circumstances but rooted completely upon him!

Even our mundane, the “day to day” of being a friend, spouse, co-worker or parent, he grants us eyes to see the value of what we are doing. We have the opportunity to offer these roles as worship to the one who is worthy of all…Jesus! As we grow in purposefully seeking after him more and more, we watch with great expectation for him to break through and work great transformation in our days and hearts.  We experience the beauty of "tasting and seeing that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8).

This blog is not for those who have "arrived", but rather those of us who feel far from that place but long to know Jesus more. Those of us who recognize our brokenness and strivings as the very offerings he longs for us to bring and lay at his feet.  If you find yourself tired of pretending all is well, the continued facade, weary of…just being weary, please know you have found a home. For those who have caught glimpses of the power and life-giving nature scripture and prayer has brought through his Spirit…we have want more than just tastes and glimpses. We want to learn to reside here; for his joy and encouragement to flow from our core! Will you join me in this journey, as we confess, pray, encourage and point each other to the One who makes all the difference in our life?  

Blessings!