You shall go out with joy

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ Declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands’” (Isaiah 55: 8-12 NIV).

I question, I doubt, I worry. I wonder why I would have to go through such a time as this. But God provides just the same. These verses above are so encouraging to me right now. They remind me that God has a purpose and a plan far above anything I can imagine. While the road directly in front of my may seem horribly rocky, He sees to the other side. He knows the ultimate outcome. And He will use this time to draw me closer to Him. The choice is now up to me. Will I trust in His faithfulness and love? Will I trust in His ultimate purpose? Or will I wallow in loneliness and self-pity? I chose the former. I pray that today, and everyday will be filled with joy and peace. I hold tight to the promise that He will carry me through each hard day of this journey called life, because there’s no better way to live.

The Call

^"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8).

I am here for a reason. My being here has purpose. It has intent.

At times I start to believe I’m insignificant, that I don’t really matter. But there’s no truth in that.

God has called me by name. He has given me a life to live on this earth, and that life has purpose.

That purpose is to share the Gospel. To tell others how much God means to me. How life isn’t worth living without Him. Hopefully this is evident in the very way I live my life.

In addition to this, He has called me to be a mother. He’s given me a beautiful gift in my daughter, one I don’t take for granted. He has created me to be the perfect mother for this little girl. My strengths and weaknesses (and those of my husband) are knitted together in a way that will help to best raise this child.

He has called me to be a wife. He’s blessed me with a wonderful husband, one whom I’m called to love and support day-in and day-out.

He has called me to be a writer. He has put words upon my fingers, and given me an unquenchable desire to share them with the word. If the desire wasn’t there, I wouldn’t write.

He has called me to live my entire life for Him.

What has God called you to in this life? Are you answering that call, or ignoring it?

The Coal

Reading: Isaiah 3-6; 2 Corinthians 12

"Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:6-7 NIV).

This morning I felt my human nature well up inside of me. I woke up to a crying baby, who continued to cry for the next two hours. I was filled with woe-is-me type thoughts, filled with grumbles and complaints.

Until I stopped and admitted that once again I needed a touch from my Savior.

Once again I needed Him to place a coal upon my lips and make me worthy.

Worthy to come into his presence.

Worthy to enter the throne of grace.

Once again I needed to be reminded of all of the blessings in my life.

Blessings that are hard to see what I have a crabby, stuffy nosed baby on my hands.

And so I turned to prayer.

I turned to scripture.

I turned to my Savior to feel his heeling touch.

Use Me

Reading: 2 Chronicles 21-22; Obadiah; Joel 1; 2 Corinthians 8-9

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV).

As the weather gets colder and I bundle my little baby up tightly for trips outside, I start to think about those who are less fortunate then me. I wonder if someone’s baby is cold today, less protected from the wind then my own.

My arms are already so full. I feel as if I’m constantly running from one thing to the next. My hours largely revolve around the little girl in my life. So what can I do? Where can I be used?
It’s probably a mistake to say that I can’t be used. God knows my limitations. He knows my gifts. And I’m sure He has things in mind, even now.

My prayer today is that He will show some of those things to me. That He’ll show me how to best love and serve this Christmas season, even if it is with a baby in tow.

How does God want to use you this Christmas?

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" (Isaiah 6:8 NIV).

Leviticus 13; Mark 7:14-37

There’s snow on the ground as I write this today. Yes, I know it’s only October, but for some reason, God decided to let it snow today. I find a fresh snow-fall so beautiful. It’s so white, so pure. It reminds me of that verse in Isaiah 1:18 that says: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
On our own, we are dirty and impure. But Jesus did something wonderful for us. He came into this world and died for our sins. His death and resurrection paid the ultimate price. Now we are free to stand before the Lord, no longer blemished and impure, but clean and white.
I’m so thankful for that price that was paid for me, and for you as well. On my own, I’d never measure up. Without God I’m like that dirt outside my window that somehow missed being covered by the snow this morning. With God I’m the grass, completely white and beautiful.

The Potters Hand

Last night at church I watched a potter work his wheel. He was completely in control. As he worked with the clay he formed and reformed the shape on the wheel. It was hard to tell what the clay would end up being in the end. But he knew. The potter had a clear picture in mind of exactly what he was making. He looked at the dirt and saw something beautiful.

What a profound image of our walk with God. He sees the outcome, even when we cannot.
Consider these verses about God, our potter:

Isaiah 29: 16 "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?"

Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."

Jeremiah 18: 1-4 "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 'Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message.' So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him."

What an image of how God works in each of our lives! He is molding and making us every step of the way. He sees beauty, even when we cannot. He sees the final product. He calls it beautiful.


Thank you for seeing the promise of a beautiful vessel in me dear Lord.
Thank you for seeing through the scratches and calling me beautiful, unique, significant.
Thank you for the reminder that I am no mistake, but a work of art.