There is the space between the letting go and the receiving.  This space can feel like a void.  It’s the space that takes the most courage because you’ve just done what God has instructed by letting go of the thing you don’t need anymore, but you’ve yet to receive the promise, or the next thing.  There is a space that can feel as vast as the ocean, and it’s in that space where trust is the only buoy.

Only people from my age range would probably remember this, but the space between reminds me of the Nothing in the movie “The Neverending Story”.  Do you remember that?  They are just in a vast black space for a time.  It is a quiet spot in the adventure, but it was not the end.

In that space many return to the old out of fear.  Some force their way through to any new thing they can find, but the few….the trusting will stay still and continue to move only at the beck and call of the One Who laid out the plan in the first place.  It’s in that space where we truly learn whether or not we trust God.

I am finding myself in that space today.

My question to you is, what do you do when there’s nothing to do yet?  How do you wait?

Do you spin your wheels looking for something, anything to do?  Do you throw a tantrum, yelling and screaming at God and others because you are just so painfully uncomfortable, or do you take that moment, that breath and lean into the Father’s chest?  Do you take advantage of a pause?  Do you find a closer more intimate space with God?

It’s in the nothing, that we can truly find something.  That something is the glory of God.  The Presence of the Lord.

If you find yourself in the space between today, I want to encourage you.  Instead of flailing around and freaking out about the nothingness of it all, just take a minute and look around.  Is God actually trying to bless you with a respite?  Is He taking a breath so you can refocus on Him, or meet another facet of His being?  Whatever it is, just embrace it.  Just breathe.  Enjoy the moment because before you know it, the next thing will come, and life will be full again.  Will you trust Him?

But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”  Psalm 31:14

In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation.  Psalm 5:3

Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually.      Hosea 12:6

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.  Psalm 27:14

I’m learning a lot about catch and release right now.  I’m learning that dreams are a catch and release process.  What I mean is, many times I will have a dream or an idea and in a powerful moment I will know that it came straight from God’s heart to mine.  But then another moment comes, and I must release that dream to Him, so He can create it.  It’s really a beautiful exchange, but can feel terrifying.

I make it a practice to search out my dreams with Him.  It keeps me full of life and it keeps things brimming over with excited anticipation, but I cannot ever let the idea of dreams distract me from the Dream Maker.  He is still and will always be much more important than any reward.

I think that is why we catch and release.  To ensure that we keep our focus on Him, not His gifts.

He is God, and as we discussed a few weeks ago He is Qanna, a jealous God.  He does not want what He does to supersede Who He is in our hearts and minds.

In other words, we need to keep the God of the universe front and center.  It actually makes the gifts more enjoyable when we do.

Lately, while my life is changing so much, I find a great comfort in just being with the Comforter.  I enjoy the quiet moments between the two of us right now, so much that I’d rather not leave them behind.  I have found such joy in my Creator.

When is the last time you just sat with God and appreciated Who He is?  When was the last time you hung out with God just to hang out, not because you had any particular need?  Will you make today the day you take a respite with God?  Will you just crawl into His lap because you love Him?  Will you go before Him simply to spend time with Him?  Leave your agenda and list at the door and embrace the beauty of simply being.  Some of my favorite moments with my husband are the “nothing” moments.  The times when we are just together because we enjoy each other’s presence.  God desires that too.  That’s where real relationship blooms.  That’s where intimacy dwells.

God, I come to You today, simply to say “I love You”.  I long to lavish my affection upon You.  Wipe the cares of the world away from my mind, so I can focus on You alone.  I give You my whole self.  I adore adoring You.  You are worthy of my whole heart.  I love You Abba.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.  Psalm 25:5

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalm 91:1

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.  Psalm 62:1

The other day while I was running, I saw myself and I was dripping in gold.  And I thought about this verse…..

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”  Acts 2:17-18

In that moment, while I ran, I just decided to receive whatever God was pouring over me.  I decided to not qualify anything, but simply receive His Spirit as He was pouring it out.  I felt such peace and a deep satisfied feeling.  I also felt His pleasure.  I felt He was pleased because I didn’t have to try and explain it to myself or, like I said earlier, qualify it.  I simply trusted that whatever He was giving me was good and right.  He is, after all, God.  If I can’t trust God, then who can I trust?

This Sunday morning, I encourage you to cry out to the Lord.  Ask Him to pour out His Spirit onto you.  He said He would.  I believe He is eager to do it.  He must be because the verses above were being repeated from an earlier passage in Joel 2.  He went through the trouble of mentioning it twice.

So, why don’t we honor that outpouring by stepping into it purposefully.  Let the Spirit of God transform you today.  Receive a greater measure of His Spirit this morning.  Why not become an active believer, you know?  Not a pew warmer or a Sunday Christian, but someone who actively pursues a deeper walk with God every day of the week.

Why not seek His presence 7 days a week, not just one?  Don’t you want to be all in with Him?  I mean, He did give His all to offer us the chance to have relationship with Him, didn’t He?

Take some time in your quiet place and just sit in His Presence.  Don’t try to do or be anything, simply receive.  Undoubtedly, if you wait on Him, He will come to pour out His Spirit over you.  Imagine showing up at church, feeling like you’ve already been to church at home?  Then you will really have something to contribute to the body of Christ.  I believe it’s our commission to go to the house of the Lord already brimming over with His Presence so we can share with one another.  It’s so awesome when I really connect with God before church and then I feel overflowing with abundance when I fellowship with the believers and don’t show up at church merely a consumer.  I want to show up at church as a carrier.  A carrier of His Presence.  That is who I want to be, don’t you?

Let’s carry His Presence out into the world today!

I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory.  Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.  I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.  My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.  Psalm 63:2-5

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?  Who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.  He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.  Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.  Psalm 24:3-6

This morning I was feeling the fog of doubt in front of me.  Then I had the clearest vision.  I saw a real thick fog in front of me and when I looked at it, all I could see was my own reflection.  I felt myself crying out for God, to know where He was in all of this and I reached my hand out. It went through the fog, real easily, and on the other side I could see the bluest of skies and a brilliant horizon.  Then God spoke to me.  “Lisa, your doubt comes from the times when you are looking to your own self to complete a task or to be good enough to receive a good gift.  Your fear or disappointment masquerade as doubt.”

Like a punch to the gut, I felt all at once the sweet conviction of God and the peace of a new understanding.  I am so grateful for these moments.

Then, I kept hearing the above verse run through my mind. And I realized that sometimes the fog of doubt is something God will clear, and at other times we are to continue up the hill and climb above the fog.  In other words, keep pressing into God to get above the fog of life, to not let the fog stop us from moving further into what God has planned for us. To stop being deterred by not seeing what is ahead.  If God is calling you to move forward, then do it, whether you can see the next step or not.  If He’s calling you, then He will provide all you need.

Friend, don’t let the fog of doubt cast your own reflection and smallness back upon you and discourage you from stepping into the plans and process God has for your life.  He is big enough.  That’s all you need to know.  He is ENOUGH.

Our doubt and fear comes when we can only see ourselves, but we never feel afraid when gazing at the Father.  It’s all come back around to perspective again.  So much of life and how we live it has to do with perspective.

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant.          Psalm 25:10

And if God has placed a promise in your heart, you can count on that!

May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.  May the Lord grant all your requests.  Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand.  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.                Psalm 20:4-8

This morning as I walked around my home, everyone else was sleeping.  I took a minute to reflect on the beauty of this place and also how with each phase of this current season, it is becoming less and less  our own, as we prepare to sell it and move to Oklahoma.  Yes, we are moving to Oklahoma.  Every time I say that, my heart squeals with delight at the thought of getting back to the south, and then a second later it aches with the reality of leaving behind all that we have built and invested in up here for the last 7 or 8 years.  And one of the hardest things is to leave our Jubilee home.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, God gave us this beautiful home during a year He called Jubilee.  This home was such an extravagant gift, and then came the moment about a month ago when He asked me to let it go.  He is gracious and kind to me, and He quickly showed me, even in the letting go of the Jubilee house the Jubilee blessing would continue.  What a comfort that was because honestly, at first, I wondered what I’d done wrong.  I felt like deciding to move would seem as if we are ungrateful for this home.  Then I had a moment with God and He showed me I was wrestling with Him, as I also wrote about a few weeks ago.

Have you seen the picture of Jesus standing in front of a little girl?  She’s holding a little teddy bear and He has His hand out and is asking her to give Him the bear.  What she doesn’t see is, He has a giant teddy bear behind His back and He’s just waiting for her to give Him the little one so she can hold the big one He wants to give her.

Well, that’s what this season is like for me.  I can feel it in my bones, He’s about to lavish something really great upon us, but I still have to go through the process of letting go.

I’ve asked God repeatedly what our plan for the next home should be because we have a few options.  His response, “You’ll know once you’ve sold this house.”  His loving kindness wrapped in a sense of humor makes me laugh.  But also brings me comfort.

It’s not like letting go of this house is the only challenge though.  I am also letting go of all the ministry I do here.  We are all letting go of this church, our school, friends, familiarity.  But something about it seems so safe and timely.  I’ve rarely felt more peace.

So, as we take one step at a time, He is leading each one and only giving enough light for the one we are taking.  This is a faith building moment.

Did I mention when He first told us we would be moving back south, we immediately hired a painter, ordered carpet and obtained a carpenter to fix up this house.  Not only that, but when Chris went to interview for a job we sent a full U-Haul of our things to place in storage in AR.  None of these are things I would’ve previously done because I am a generally cautious person, but at the beginning of this season, God spoke to me, “I want to teach you to trust Me in a new way.”  This is that new way.  Trusting without seeing anything.  Living from moment to moment instruction, literally.  Every morning, I wake up and ask God what tasks of preparation I should get done that day, and then that’s what I do.  I’ve never lived quite this close to a moment to moment situation with Him.  At least not for this amount of time and for something so significant, but I’ve been wrapped in such peace.

This morning while walking around and reflecting, I heard “free fall”.  Yes, that’s what this feels like.  And if He continues to direct me, that’s what I will continue to do.  I’ve never been more safe than in this moment.

You call me out and ask me, “Will you trust Me with each moment?”                                        I slowly open up my hands, for I know I do not own it.                                                              How can I hold back what was always Yours before mine?                                                        What an oddly frightening and peaceful moment relinquishing to Your time.                         I sing and pray, “I trust You Lord” and now is my time to prove  it.                                          I know You are in every moment as we plan on moving.                                                              We are not just moving to a new location, but a deeper place with You.                                  How humbling it is to watch as within me You break through.

You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey Your words.  I have sought Your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise.  I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to Your statutes.  I will hasten and not delay to obey Your commands.  Psalm 119:57-60

You crown the years with Your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance.  Psalm 65:11

Hello heart, it’s been a while since I’ve checked in with you.  I’ve noticed several times lately, I will come across a person or life scenario and a flood of emotion will cause tears to come to my eyes and then I realized, I need to make a pit stop.  God’s grace has been covering my every moment, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to still be aware of myself and my need to process.

We’ve been walking through so many different obstacle courses all at the same time.  How are you, my heart?  Life has been throwing one gauntlet after another onto the course we’re navigating, and God’s hand has been both protective and instructional.  I am so grateful, but I am also so tired.  Let’s take a rest today, heart.  Let’s sit a while and just feel.  Like walking through a garden, let’s let emotions run their course as we bask in the Sonlight.  We need a moment.  A moment of rest.

Hello heart, I’m glad to take some time with you today…..

Today, I encourage everyone reading this to slow down for a minute and make a pit stop.  When you travel in a car, you don’t just keep going until the car dies or runs out of gas.  In much the same way, you must stop your life for a moment to check in with yourself.  To find out how you are really doing.  Making such pit stops will help you avoid many different things, like becoming depressed and anxious.  It also helps you not start exploding on those around you.  It can help your attitude stay where it should be and will help you regain your focus on the Father.  We all need this time.

I encourage you to go away to your favorite place (hopefully outdoors) and just sit.  Drink in the daylight and listen to nature around you.  Close your eyes and drink in the fresh air and the sounds of God’s creation.  It won’t be long before any residual emotions begin to rise up to the surface and then you can take each one to the Father and receive His truth over them.

This is THE most important thing you can do for yourself and your family.  This is pivotal for a deeper walk with God.  He meets us in that quiet place.  It may take longer for some to find the quiet inside than others, but that’s ok.  I just encourage you to surrender to the task of resting and re-focusing.

Have you been cranky lately? Or frustrated? Or lonely? Or sad? Then ask God to show you what’s out of alignment.  As He tenderly resets your heart posture, you will feel relieved.  Just like going to a chiropractor can make you feel like you’ve literally removed bricks from your shoulders, going to God to realign will be such a relief.  Will you take this time today?

This is what the Sovereign Lord, The Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…..Isaiah 30:15a

The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.  Psalm 23:2-3a

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23:6

Last week in the midst of a season of unknowns, I began to feel anxiety trying to couple with me.  I felt the ice-cold tendrils of fear attempting to entangle my root system and begin corroding my faith.  I knew the familiar way life began to feel like a dizzying whirlwind.  But what I also knew was, I don’t have to live that way.

When I feel anxiety and fear attempting to invade like unwelcome guests, I now seek to intentionally center myself again.  I go to my worship place.  He is always found there.  I have walked through life with my Savior long enough to recognize when I need to press in more deliberately.  And I know, and I am fully confident that I never have to be afraid or anxious.  He did not create me to walk with a limp.  He created me to walk confidently, and at times, to run.

When these negative feelings began to creep in, I immediately stopped moving.  I knew I had lost focus or step somewhere, so I asked God, “Why is anxiety trying to creep in?  I had been wrapped in such peace, and now it’s gone.”  Then in a flash He spoke, “You were at peace when you were keeping in step with me through this situation, but then you started trying to move faster than me, and you became afraid.  I am teaching you new trust, and it is through moment by moment instruction.”

I know this is true.  I saw how I had been peaceful and emerged in one answered prayer after another, and then I began to look too far into the future.  God had warned me at one point, saying, “You won’t know what that step is until you walk out this step first.”  But sometimes I am stubborn.  Suddenly, I wanted to know everything all at once.  Panic swept over me and anxiety began to close its grip.

Luckily, the grip only lasted for a breath.  The deliberate refocusing I did brought immediate peace again.  And there was God, waiting for me to return to Him and the place where I ran ahead.

He is a gracious God.

Now that I am so much more confident and aware of His love, I am becoming anxieties foe.

Anxiety now finds disappointment when it tries to find a landing zone in my life.  I see it coming.  I know its signs.  But I also know the God of the universe and I’m not afraid to call on Him.

Friend, you can be free from anxiety.  God is the answer.  It’s going to Him and searching out what you are running from and asking God for His perspective that gives you peace again.

I realized last week, that I had begun to feel anxiety because I had suffered disappointment and suddenly worried that God wouldn’t provide.  Doubt gave way to fear and anxiety.  But He has a history of never failing to provide for myself and my family.  So, that thought was a lie.  That’s how anxiety works.  You must be willing to give your life an honest look, walk in humility, and let God show you the door that let fear and anxiety in, so you can close it again.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.  Isaiah 26:3

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do no give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14:27

I guess I’ll be writing about water a lot this week.  Not intentionally, but these are the visions and words I’m receiving.

I saw myself out on the water in a canoe.

One of my favorite places on earth is the White River.  The only rival is the Buffalo River, where I used to go on canoe trips.  There is something so calming about being out on the water.  The sounds of the birds.  The sounds of either the motor of the boat, or the oars hitting and moving through the water.  There seems to be a balance found on the water.  Suddenly, people become equals and strangers become friends as you pass by each other.

The feeling of the sun beating down on your shoulders as you sit with a fishing pole in your hands.  Eating lunch in the boat or on the shore.

This is a magical place for me.

My soul longs for it.

I hear God every time I’m out on the river.  Nothing to distract my attention.  When I’m out on the river, life is paused, and I can fully re-connect with God.

Now I can see myself on the river again.  The wind is lightly blowing over my face, and I realize that wind is Holy Spirit.  He whispers to me.  Telling me secrets.  Filling my heart with relationship.  These are the moments that make life bearable.  Oh, how I long for the river.

Oh Lord, even when I can’t go to the river, take my spirit back to that place of connection and rest with You.  You are the River.  There’s nothing that sustains me better than those moments with You.

Your love is like a river.  Its waters soothe my soul.                                                                      Your love is like the river.  I love its steady flow.                                                                            Oh, your love is like a river.  The one I love to float.                                                                      Your love is like the river.  The one where I go.                                                                            You meet me on the river.  Each, and every time.                                                                          You speak to me on the river.  That I am Yours and You are mine.

Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them.  Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.  Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.  Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim His praise in the islands.  The Lord will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior He will stir up His zeal; with a shout He will raise the battle cry and will triumph over His enemies.                   Isaiah 42:10-13

You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your Presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.  Psalm 16:11

Tonight, I asked God what He wanted to speak through me next, and immediately I saw myself standing in front of a giant dam.  I reached out my hand, and with one finger, gently touched the dam and it broke open.  Then God reminded me of the time I visited Niagara Falls.  We rode the Maid of the Mist out as close to the falls as they would dare go.  The wind was whipping around, and water was spraying all over us because of the massive amounts of water pouring over the falls.  More than 6 million cubic feet of water falls every minute over the crestline during peak times.  It is breathtaking.

But what happened when I was in that boat at the bottom of the falls was more breathtaking.  God began to speak to me right then and there.  He said, “This is only a fraction of the amount of the Holy Spirit that I want to pour out onto the earth.”  I will never forget that sacred moment.  I learned a few things about Holy Spirit that day.  You can’t control Holy Spirit, and if you try you will lessen the flow.  Holy Spirit is the epitome of power.  Where Holy Spirit is pouring out, things will be changed.  The falls are constantly changing, with that much water pouring over it’s inevitable.  Just as we are changed as Holy Spirit pours over us continually.  When you are in the presence of Holy Spirit, it shows.  Just like when you visit the falls and ride the boat out into the midst of the waters, you come back wet.  It’s obvious.

My question to you is, do you spend so much time in God’s Presence that those around you can tell?  Does your life provide evidence of your exposure to Holy Spirit?  Or does it show evidence of the lack of it?  Does the testimony of your life prove you are scripturally knowledgeable, yet not really living in communion and relationship with God?   There is so much more than “knowing all the rules”. God is so good at building relationship with us, when we let Him.

Right now, as I walk through life and am learning to trust Him in a new way, I’ve discovered how well He knows me.  He is walking with me in such a way that in the past where I would’ve felt out of control and fearful, now I see His steady hand moving and guiding me and all in a way that speaks to my own uniqueness.  He’s so sweet like that.

Building a relationship with God is the BEST investment of your time, period.  Spending time soaking in His Presence is a worthy use of your time.  He loves everything about you.  He loves to show you how much He loves you.  The only question is, will you let Him?  Without a doubt the experience with leave you a changed person.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!  Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed- not only in My Presence, but now much more in My absence- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.  Philippians 2:5-13

Revelry means: merrymaking

A few weeks ago I was at church worshiping at the altar.  Suddenly, I felt a little one come nestle by my side as I was singing.  It was my Hannah.  I put one arm around her and continued to worship with my other arm raised to Heaven.  Then I had a vision.  I saw myself at the altar, but I was dressed in the same type of armor that the Amazon women wore in the Wonder Woman movie, and Hannah was too.  I saw God was looking at us and He said, “Lisa, even warriors take time for revelry and rest.”  In a flash I saw a war camp in the woods.  I saw myself there and I was constantly training, but God was drawing me to also make time for rest and fun.  He said it would even make me a better warrior.

That really struck me.

I have been warring for so long, I can honestly say, I struggle to find fun.  I still find time to rest.  That’s a skill I’ve been working on for years, but when things are tight, and time is stretched, and everything always feels like it’s hanging in the balance, it’s hard to let loose and have fun.

I was aware I was missing revelry, but still didn’t know how to achieve it because so many of the things that were once fun for me, aren’t any longer.  It’s like something internal is distracting me from truly relaxing.  Even in my resting times, I’m feeling the need to constantly focus my spirit.  How then, can I achieve revelry?

It all starts with trust.

Yes, you read that right.

If I’m going to let my guard down and embrace life, not escape it, but embrace it, then I must trust God.

And there’s the rub, so to speak.

I am reaching a new level of trust and it’s been so challenging, for a time I lost fun.  I still had joy, but not much fun.

Does it feel like you are trudging through life?  Does every day feel rushed and labored?

I challenge you, and myself, to go out today and just have some fun!  Whatever brings you a feeling of childlike pleasure, do that.  Be silly.  Laugh a lot.  And let all of those smiles wash over your spirit like a refreshing spring shower.  Let the water pour over the garden of your soul.  I know for a fact, God loves to laugh and have fun.  I see it in worship, even.  He will sometimes show me the funniest pictures and give me silly words.  They are silly, but so powerful.  I have learned to trust Him when He speaks to me this way and when I release it to the group, there is always a healthy laughter that seems to bring an increased Presence and calm to the room.

He is the laughing God.

A merry heart is good like a medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.  Proverbs 17:22