Maturing in Childlike Faith~

One of my favorite songs 

is about a class of children 

with special needs. 

While their teacher 

taught them their ABC's, 

she also shared with them 

the love of Jesus. 

One day, 

she told them

of Jesus' promise

to come back 

and take them 

to Heaven. 

From that moment on, 

she couldn't keep them

in their seats! 

They were always 

running to the windows, 

pressing their 

fingertips and noses 

against the windowpane,

looking for Jesus. 

If He said He was coming, 

He WAS coming!

Oh, to have the faith of these children.

How it must 

please our Father's heart 

when we take Him 

at His word.

If He said it, 

He will do it. 

No ifs, ands or buts

about it.

As I look into my own life, 

I have found 

the moments

that have brought me 

the most pleasure 

are the ones where 

I was understood

for who I am 

and I was taken

at my word. 

On the flip side of that, 

I can also attest 

to the fact 

that some of my most 

frustrating and heartbreaking moments 

have been those when 

who I am 

was questioned or doubted.

We all long 

to be someone 

others 

can believe in 

and count on. 

I wonder if God longs for this, too. 

Can you imagine 

what kind of life 

you and I would be living 

at this very moment

if we truly took 

the Lord 

at His Word?

When I was a child, 

I was told faith 

is a lot 

like sitting 

on a chair. 

When we sit down, 

we have faith 

this piece of furniture

won't let us down. 

We trust it will 

support us and hold us up. 

Seldom do we 

give the chair 

a second thought, 

much less 

a thorough inspection! 

Yet, 

when it comes 

to placing our life 

into the hands 

of the Creator 

of the universe, 

we hold back, 

questioning and doubting

if He will be there 

to hold us up?

But without faith 

it is impossible

to please him: 

for he that cometh to God 

must believe that he is, 

and that he is a rewarder 

of them that diligently seek him.

~ Hebrews 11:6

I once asked my class 

what they were thankful for. 

In the midst of the usual 

flood of responses - 

my bike, my family, our dog - 

one answer stood high 

above the others. 

One little boy 

simply stated 

he was thankful 

God was real 

and not pretend.

Do you believe God is real? 

Are you willing 

to relinquish 

the weight 

you are carrying 

and allow Him 

to support you 

and hold you up? 

Are you ready 

to run with me 

to the window of God's heart, 
leaving your own heartprint,
as in eager anticipation, 
you look for all 

He has promised you?

It is the desire 

of my heart

to please my God. 

What better way 

to do this than 

to believe 

He is WHO 

He says He is
and to know and trust 

He will DO 

what He says He will do.

~Stacy

Listen. Hear That?

"Listen, Baby!

Hear that?"

And since this conversation

usually happened in

the wee hours of the night,

and since with my man

sleeping nestled right beside me

I always slept so peacefully and sound,

chances are

until he gently touched me

and whispered those words,

I hadn't heard that.

"Listen, Beautiful.

It's raining."

Once I shook the sleepy off,

and started to awake, though -

I could hear it, too - 

this beautiful,

undeniable 

sound of rain.

The dancing of rain

on the roof above,

the pitter pat of 

drops on our window pane,

the drip, drip, drip,

of water rolling off the roof

and into newly formed puddles.

Aaah - rain in the desert.

There is nothing like it.

Especially in the heat 

of a long, hot, dry summer.

Besides the symphony of sound,

the rain always brought with it

a cooling of the temperature

and an infusing of the air

with the scent of the oil

from the now soaked creosote bushes.

And I always understood

why the one who loved me so

didn't think twice

about waking me up.

To have missed this.

To have missed the rain.

To have missed experiencing

it with my man.

No - I wouldn't have wanted

to miss one moment of it.

Because as much as this rain

was sent to refresh and water the earth,

deep inside the deepest place of me,

I, too, was refreshed.

I, too, was revived.

"Listen, World.

Hear that?"

And since this post

is happening in 

the wee hours of earth's history,

and since living in this world

nestled up against

all of its distractions,

cares, and concerns can 

lull us into a spiritual sleep,

chances are

until I gently nudge you awake,

you might not

have heard that yet,

either.

"Listen, Brother and Sister!

It's raining."

And I think

once you

have shaken off the sleepy

and begin to awake,

you will hear it, too.

The beautiful,

undeniable,

sound of rain,

The latter rain,

that is.

The sound of God 

pouring out His Spirit 

upon a dry and weary land.

The cry of humanity

looking for answers,

the sound of prayers

ascending up to heaven,

the sense of urgency

in the sharing of the gospel.

Aaah - spiritual rain in our world.

There is nothing like it.

And just like my man,

made no apologies

for waking me up,

I am boldly reaching out,

touching you on your heart,

and waking you up.

To miss this.

To miss the hope falling around us.

To miss the move of God happening among us.

To miss the revival 

and the refreshment

and the very 

power of our God

at work in our land.

To miss experiencing it

with our God, with each other.

No - I don't think

either of us

want to miss out on this.

So, wake up, dear one.

Listen.

Hear that?

It's raining.

It. Is. Raining.

This is not the time to be sleeping.

Breathe it in deep.

this Holy Spirit infused air.

Allow it to 

revive you,

refresh you,

empower you.

Then, go out 

and wake up others, too.

It's raining.

His Spirit is falling.

God is moving.

Be encouraged.

~ Stacy

Faith Remains~

So many times 

we think we have faith 

until we find ourselves in a place 

that has us questioning God,

that in turn,

takes us to a place

that has us questioning our faith 

in God.

We hear a diagnosis.

We get "let go" from our job.

We receive divorce papers.

We stand in a cemetery.

Blindsided and knocked off our feet,

we start to wrestle with God about the "why"?

Only sometimes,

most times, in fact,

when it comes to knowing the "why",

God chooses to remain silent.

And this is where the questioning of our faith begins.

It's easy to have faith

when all is as we think it should be.

It's easy to have faith

when life is good,

and it seems God is good, too.

But - what about when the ground crumbles beneath us?

If we are standing on faith in God,

and not faith in our situations and our circumstances,

we will still be able to stand.

This is what faith is -

standing when we don't know what,

standing when we don't know when,

standing when we don't know where,

standing when we don't know how -

because we know WHO.

Everything is our life can change in a heartbeat,

but God never changes.

Faith is faith 

when we don't have all the answers

and still believe.

Faith is faith 

when we don't understand the why

and still believe.

Faith is faith 

when we don't know 

what, when, where or how

and still believe.

And, this.

Especially this:

Faith is faith even when

we still feel pain,

we still feel anger,

we still feel hurt,

we still feel left wondering why.

Because I think 

what we sometimes forget is this:

It is possible to have faith

and feel as though 

you are drowning 

in a sea of emotions

simultaneously.

Faith can still be there

even in the tears,

even in the heartache,

even in the pain,

even in the struggle.

Don't allow your emotions 

to convince you

you've lost your faith.

Don't allow your emotions 

to "mix up"

the losses in your life.

You may have lost your health, 

but faith still remains.

You may have lost your job, 

but faith still remains.

You may have lost your spouse, 

but faith still remains.

You may have lost your loved one, 

but faith still remains.

This is the very essence of faith in God.

It stays

even when,

in the midst of,

and in spite of.

When our faith is in God,

faith remains

because He remains.

~Stacy 

Until . . .

Gracious Heavenly Father,

You want nothing more 

than for Your children 

to walk in truth.

So often, though, 

we feel as though 

we are in a game 

of hide-n-seek with You. 

We feel as though 

we somehow 

have to make our way 

through a maze of 

"this way" or "that way" 

in order to find 

our way to You. 

We wonder why 

knowing Your will 

and finding Your way 

is so hard to do. 

And yet, the truth is this:

You are not hiding; 

we are not truly seeking.

You are not silent; 

we are not truly listening.

You are not ducking and dodging 

in an effort to stay 

one step out of touch with us;

we are not zeroing in and focusing 

totally and completely 

on You.

The problem is not with You, Father God.

(Never has been. Never will be.)

The problem is with us.

(Always.)

We allow everything and everyone 

to overshadow and drown out 

what You are doing, 

what You are saying, 

what You are guiding us to 

or leading us through.

We remember Peter, Lord. 

How, walking on the water, 

You held out your hand 

and invited Peter 

to walk to You 

and with You. 

Stepping out of the boat, 

eyes, ears, and faith 

all completely on You, Jesus, 

it was easy for him 

to know what to do, 

where to step, 

which direction to go. 

And do, step, and go, he did. 

Right on top of the water, 

right straight to You, 

until......

Oh, Father God, 

this is the word 

(and the moment!) 

that always causes us 

to stumble, 

to fall, 

to doubt, 

to become fearful and confused. 

We hear Your calling, 

we sense Your leading, 

we know what You are 

calling us to 

and we are willing 

to do, step, and go 

until.....

until we are reminded about this,

until we start to realize that,

until we listen to them,

until we forget about,

until we TAKE. OUR. EYES. OFF. OF. YOU.

Help us, Father God 

in our "until" moments.

Help us to keep 

seeking You 

with all our heart.

Help us to keep 

listening for Your

still small voice.

Help us to keep 

removing all that blocks 

our view of You.

Help us to keep 

stepping out,

placing one foot of our faith 

in front of the other 

UNTIL

we reach You, Lord.

Oh, Father God, 

You want nothing more 

than for Your children 

to walk in truth.

You will be faithful 

to lead us,

if only, 

we will be faithful 

to follow.

Thank you, Father God.

In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen. 

~ Stacy

What's So Ordinary About That?~

Ordinary.

So many times

we let this word

define our day.

When the alarm goes off,

we moan as we head into

"just another ordinary day".

As we 

eat breakfast,

maneuver through traffic,

answer emails,

fold laundry,

sit in a waiting room,

pick up the kids from school,

we find ourselves

simply

going through the motions,

doing the next thing on our list,

without ever stopping 

to realize:

each of these moments

are anything but ordinary.

Each moment

is a moment in time

unlike 

any other moment in time.

Each moment,

only a moment,

for that very moment.

Each moment

gone the moment

another moment begins.

Each moment,

unique,

precious, 

God-given

 and 

God-ordained.

Each moment,

a gift.

As I sat in a waiting room

at a doctor's office one day,

I thought about all the

"ordinary" things

I take for granted.

A man in a wheelchair

reminded me how 

anything-but-ordinary

walking is.

A lady on oxygen

reminded me how

anything-but-ordinary

breathing is.

If you stop 

and think about it,

which is exactly 

what I did that day,

you can't help 

but come to the conclusion

that every single moment

of life

is. a. miracle.

Every single moment

of life

is. an. extraordinary. gift.

Every "ordinary" part 

of our day

is anything-but-ordinary,

only we don't take the time

to stop and notice

what we've been given,

what we're able to do,

what our God has granted us

at that very moment in time.

To be a 

living,

breathing,

thinking,

moving,

creating, 

accomplishing,

deciding,

providing,

eating, 

sleeping, 

laughing,

experiencing,

loving

human being

is anything but ordinary.

We are fearfully 

and wonderfully made

and each and every moment

of our life,

graciously and miraculously

given to us.

May we live 

each moment

in awe and appreciation

of both.

~ Stacy

Stand Your Ground~

Sometimes,

most times, in fact,

when you are in

the midst of a storm,

and all is breaking

loose around you,

you feel the overwhelming need

to run away,

to escape,

to withdraw,

to retreat,

or 

to strike out,

to fight back,

to force your way through,

to launch out in a

completely new direction.

Sometimes,

most times, in fact,

neither of these responses

are best.

Sometimes,

most times, in fact,

the best thing

you can do is this:

stand your ground.

Don't allow the pressure

to push you backwards,

and certainly

don't allow the pressure

to push your forward

into decisions

you have no business making

during a time

of emotional stress

and uncertainty.

Stand your ground.

Dig you feet

into the promises

found in God's Word.

Hold fast to the truth

that God is with you

and God will fight

your battle for you.

Believe that 

God is at work,

God is in control,

God is working it

(all. of. it.)

for good.

Pray for the courage 

to not be swayed.

Pray for the strength

to endure the storm.

Pray for the peace

to hear God's still small voice

above all else.

Pray for the 

presence of God to 

uphold you,

sustain you,

support you, 

and surround you.

Stand in the power

of your God,

and let Him work.

Know and believe that

not sometimes,

not most times,

but ALL TIMES, in fact,

your God is faithful.

~Stacy

Sowing in Tears~

In the moments

right before the 

Celebration of Life ceremony

for my husband 

four years ago now,

we gathered at 

the front of the church -

the two pastors 

officiating the service

and me,

and we prayed.

We joined our hearts

and our hands together

in a bond of three, 

and we prayed - 

believing

every single person

in attendance that day

would someday

(if not that day,

and if not already)

come to a 

saving knowledge of Jesus

and enjoy a personal

walk with God.

Nothing would have made

my precious man happier.

We claimed the promise

that God's Word

does not return void,

that it accomplishes

the very purposes of God.

I know 

without a doubt

Heaven will one day

reveal God's faithfulness.

The last few days,

as I am knee-deep

in packing and 

the emptying out of our home

for my upcoming move,

I have been praying

a similar prayer.

As I have been

loading the car

with all of my man's clothes -

(I can still see him in 

every shirt,

every suit coat,

every t-shirt,

every pair of sweats,

every piece of cameo,

every single pair of jeans,)

all of his personal belongings,

as well as so many items

from our life together,

I have been praying

once again, 

and believing anew.

This time my prayer

is for the one

who receives.

For the one 

who might become

the new one 

sporting his sport coat,

relaxing in his t-shirt,

feeling the warmth of a fire from a tree he cut,

poking a log with our fire poker,

enjoying a meal on our tableware,

circling around our artificial Christmas tree,

listening to music on our stereo,

reading by the light of a favorite lamp,

hearing God's Spirit through the pages of a Bible.

I am praying,

that they, too, -

every single person

who is gifted an item

or purchases it from the thrift store -

will someday

(if not that day,

and if not already)

come to a 

saving knowledge of Jesus

and enjoy a personal

walk with God.

And since my man

loooooooooooooooved clothes,

(so much so

I had to make two trips 

just for those),

and since together

we lived a whole lot 

of life together here,

(What a trip that has been!

Thank you my Abba Father!),

among the tears,

I have also felt

a smile of anticipation,

a smile of joy

as I think about

just what our God 

will do 

as I pray

for His very presence

to be known

in the lives

of whoever 

receives each item.

When you have been

entrusted with the honor

of saying goodbye

to your love,

to his personal belongings,

to a life shared together,

it's no light matter.

Knowing and believing

that in all things,

if you entrust

it all to God -

He can and will

make it count

for His Kingdom

you can release it all -

praising God in advance

for the harvest

that is sure to come.

~ Stacy

When You Know You Are Held~

Raw, transparent, and vulnerable -
do you suppose any of us
like to find our character
clothed only in authenticity?

This girl certainly doesn't,
and yet,
I know that I know that I know
it is this that God has called me to -
in my relationships,
in my walk with Him,
and in this space,
where words reveal to you
a whole lot more than I wish they would.

But,
if a revelation of this
sinful, messy, real, authentic heart
is what God can use for you to
better see His heart authentically,
then raw, transparent and vulnerable it is.

Which brings me to today's post
and this admission:

Lately I've been feeling

more apart

(a million broken pieces

scattered everywhere

and in every direction)

than I've been feeling together.

Can you relate?

A little of me here,

a little of me there.

A little attention to this,

a little attention to that.

A little working on this,

a little working on that.

And naturally,

it only stands to reason,

if you don't have it 

all together,

it makes you feel

like you're falling apart, right?

And yet,

God has been showing me,

feeling and being

are two totally different realities.

Life has a way

of pulling us

in a million different directions -

decisions

deadlines

distractions

disappointments

detours

dead ends.

And yet,

if we are rooted and grounded

in Christ,

we may 

give in to this tug or

give way to that push,

but we are held together

in and through Him.

We may feel like

we are just a 

jumbled up,

disconnected mess -

but the one who

holds the moon

and holds back the waves

is holding us.

And His hold on us,

holds us together.

Never let a feeling

convince you

you are something

you are not.

Never let a feeling

talk you out of a truth.

The world can

pull and tug 

all it wants,

(and it will)

but the hold our God

has on us

keeps us together in Him

even in the midst

of the most broken of places.

Our coming undone,

our falling apart,

our not having it all together -

well,

this is simply part of being human:

a human desperately in need of a God

who holds us in the palm of His hand.

Feeling anything but together lately?

Me, too.

Praise God, it's only a feeling.

We've got this,

because we've got God.

And most importantly,

God has us,

and He's never letting go.

For in Him 

we live and move

and have our being.

~Acts 17:28

~ Stacy