Throughout our days…in each of our lives…we must stay in the Glory.

Do you want to live a life fulfilled?

Do you want to live in the fullness of His Spirit?

Do you want to fulfill every purpose for which you were created?

Then you must determine to stay in the Glory.

We each have so many opportunities to begin to set off on our own. To follow our own intentions and ideals. We each have a strong urge to be independent of God…but if we are to fulfill His plan for our lives and those around us, then we must determine to stay in the Glory.
Throughout this week I’ve had ample opportunity to begin to walk my own way…to surrender to fear…to give into bitterness and disappointment…to think I don’t need to walk joined with my husband because I can handle things on my own…but it’s a decision every day to walk in the Glory.

To stay the course of unity.

When we stay in the Glory, we stay in unity.

I’ve noticed that it’s easy for all of us to walk in surrender and unity, at the moment of impact…but it’s the days, weeks, months, and years that follow when it becomes most important to walk in the Glory intentionally.

I can physically feel it when Chris begins to pull away and want to default into his own way…and I feel it within myself when I want to, as well.

Nothing in life is neutral, I’ve learned.

It’s all forward or backward…light or dark…sin or righteousness.

So, I wake up every day and intentionally pursue oneness, unity, and staying in the Glory.

What about you?

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:4-5

For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24

“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:6-9

I am constantly learning what it means to be one with my husband. This last week has been a very clear lesson…

When we walked through the hospital portion of the week, I noticed something. I was tuned to Chris. My body reached for him…my spirit kept reaching out to him when I couldn’t touch him. My mind was on him and what he needed and how he was processing. When I left my kids to watch after themselves, I told them, “I love you very much, but your daddy is my husband, and he needs me right now.” They all eagerly sent me to tend to him. They get it. Somehow, they understand. I’ve tried to instill within them the importance of placing marriage above everything, but God. My kids are more secure because they know Chris and I are firmly joined together. It’s our gift to them.

We are no longer separate, we are one.

The great separation that has come upon marriage in our culture is quite obviously the enemy’s plan to destroy our concept of union.

Marriage is a representation of our union with Christ. No wonder it’s so offensive to the enemy.
Christ comes into our hearts. Holy Spirit fills us. We become one, essentially. The Spirit moves, we move. The Spirit leads, we follow. When we have a need, the Spirit fills that need. When we need comfort, it is there inside of us…in the person of the Holy Spirit.

One.

We are meant to experience the oneness of Christ in our marriages.

Today, I encourage you…if you are married…to consider whether or not your marriage represents that oneness. Have you become bitter in your marriage? Are you satisfied? Have you become complacent? Are you increasingly growing in intimacy?

The answers to these questions can also be a clear indicator of the state of your relationship with Jesus.

We are called to love one another. Not only when it’s easy. How can we be one with someone we despise, yet not despise ourselves? Love your neighbor as yourself. A simple yet complicated admonition from the Bible.

There have been a lot of moments this last week in which I could have easily been swept away into the ocean of grief. There have been moments when the depths of sadness felt all consuming. But in each of these moments I have chosen something else.
Yes, I am grieving.
No, I won’t despair.
Instead, I cling to the cross.
In those overwhelming moments, I find myself reaching out for my husband and us clinging to the cross together. When I’m alone, I seek God’s face.
Come Lord, come…I’ll say.
When grief fills your chest and your thoughts no longer feel like your own…when you don’t know how to go through the normal motions of the day because there is so much on your mind…in the space between the loss and tomorrow…cling to the cross.
That’s all we have.
It’s more than enough.
One thing that I’ve become acutely aware of during this process, is that nothing is more important than Jesus.
We say it all the time, but when faced with eminent death, it becomes so clear. Everything else fell away during those moments when I looked at someone who was about to die.
Life was laid bare and nothing else could be gained except heaven.
Heaven was all that mattered.
I won’t apologize for writing about our grieving process, mainly because I think we learn most when someone is willing to be open about an ongoing process…but also because I’m convinced many of you have also experienced things like this…and I hope this causes you to remember and possibly realign too.
There is nothing on earth worth more than Jesus.
No promotion. No spouse. No child. No belonging. No fame. Nothing.
We must remember.
Jesus gave everything so we could have everything. Let’s remember that today and every day after.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28

I have realized, over the years, that we can find beauty in any and every circumstance…if we’re only willing to look.

Walking through the process we’ve been in this week has been a good reminder of that truth.
There is beauty everywhere.

Realizing God set up Chris’ schedule, so he was in state to be there for his brother. Realizing that our children are more than capable to rise to the occasion and even extremely willing, changes everything. Being able to, as a mom, focus on my husband and let the kids tend to themselves…any parent knows how HUGE that is. Knowing that God set up every moment so we had exactly what we needed…it’s too much to list.

In this glorious and heavenly provision…we find beauty.

In the bonding that occurs through pain…we find beauty.

In the shared sorrow and bearing one another’s burdens…we find beauty.

In serving those who are struggling most…we find beauty.

Reaching for my husband and sharing our strength…is beauty.

God can make all things beautiful.

Even as Jesus hung on the cross, mangled and bleeding…we find beauty.

His willingness to lay down His life for us created the most beautiful thing possible. Eternal life.
I encourage you to always look for the beauty in everything. No matter what situations you’re facing, look for the beauty. Are you struggling in some way? Ask God to come and make it beautiful. Are you in pain? Ask God to show you where the beauty is…He makes all things beautiful in His time.

All things.

All.

We simply choose to see it, or not. It’s there regardless.

Will you choose to see?

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

As we walked through the events I wrote of yesterday, there were two moments when I sang. The first happened on Kevin’s last morning. I was driving to the hospital and began praising God and realizing that worshiping Him is a distraction from our grief. It realigns our hearts with heaven and keeps us focused on what is eternal. It is a touchstone for us, as believers. Reminding our eyes to stay locked on God. Then I began to sing a song I wrote a few years ago. It just burst out of me. Unexpectedly.

As tears streamed down my cheeks, I realized it was for Kevin. I didn’t realize it was a perfect song to sing as someone is transitioning into their permanent homecoming.
God told me to go sing it for Kevin. To worship for him. To sing the words he couldn’t sing. To turn our hearts toward heaven, together.

So, I did.

There were only a couple of people in the room, and I asked if I could sing a song for him. He welcomed it.

He cried as I sang…I didn’t know until after, because I’d closed my eyes to quiet my own tears. It took all I had inside to choke out the song despite tears…but after a few words…I commanded my soul to be still and allow God to use my voice to speak to Kevin’s heart.

Calm fell.

The Spirit of God came in the calm.

We knew his journey was almost complete.

Later that day, when we knew it was time to say the final goodbye, Kevin was ready to release this earthly home. As the final meds kicked in, we stood around in reverence. Quiet. Chris softly stroking his head and encouraging him to let go. Telling him he was ok and we wouldn’t leave him.

Chris turns to me, “Lisa, will you sing?”

This is what I was created to do. Worship leaders aren’t for the fog machines and praises of man. No. We stand in the silence and fill it with heaven. We hold hands with the dying and align their hearts with God. We bring comfort to the grieving by turning their eyes toward heaven with a song of worship. Worship leaders were never meant to have all eyes on them. They were meant to become invisible. Covered in the veil of praise. We surrender our voices to be captured by heaven.

This was the most important song I’d ever sung, thus far.

I stood, closed my eyes and sang.

Oh, how I long for heaven. To feel the Father’s firm embrace. To see the gates come open wide, revealing His whole and holy face. To see into the eyes that have seen for all time…the song I wrote, begins.

Today as you walk among the living, I hope you’ll consider the true meaning of worship. The heart of the worshiper. The purpose of your life…and what you hope to find at the end.
In those moments last week, Chris and I found a renewed focus. I hope this consideration grasps you too.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works! Psalm 105:1-2

This week, our family has walked a loved one to the end of their road on this earth. Chris and I stood side by side and comforted his brother, while we watched his last breaths be taken. Now, today, Chris and I and one other will go make the plans for the families last goodbye…the funeral.

We got a call on Thursday, asking Chris to come to the hospital and pray with his brother. His health has been poor for a really long time, so we weren’t sure just how bad it was this time. Chris left.

On his way, he called and it was clear I needed to join him, so I headed out to drive the 2 hours and meet him.

Halfway through my drive, we learned this was it. Kevin asked to see our children and say goodbye.

So, the kids began their own drive.

In the end it was so sovereign that we each received our own time to process during the drive. It was an unexpected gift. A blessing.

When I arrived, I stood near Kevin’s feet and he looked at me and said, “Well Lisa, it looks like this is the end of the road.”

Immediately, everyone in the room was sobbing. Tears poured from my eyes like they never have before. I’ve never been with someone who knew they were about to die. I’ve never watched someone have to say, “Ok, I’m ready to stop treatment and go to eternal sleep.” I’ve never sat and watched their body taking ever increasing pauses between breaths…until the last one came and went. I’ve never felt the spirit of a person leave the room, while we watched their body become empty.

Holy.

There is only one way to describe it.

Holy.

We will all reach the end of our own road. What a gift it was to know he was in his last day, so he could say all he wanted to say…

Three things were important to him at the end…and I never want to forget it because it boils life down to what truly matters.

I love you…he said to every person.
Please forgive me if I’ve ever wronged you, and I forgive everyone who has wronged me.
Make yourself right with God, because I want to see you there.

Love, forgiveness, and salvation…

That’s it.

Today, I encourage you to visit these three things. Do those you love know you love them? We just can’t say it enough. Never hold back the words or the actions of love. Have you forgiven? The Bible says we are forgiven to the measure that we forgive. Nothing is too great to forgive. Are you right with Jesus? It is always good to check in with God and become right again.

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7

One nation under God.
We are and always have been.
Many say that America turned away from God, but I don’t believe that to be true. I believe America has been invaded by many from other countries and they have tried to turn our land away from God. They’ve tried to transform what can never be transformed.
God is in our DNA. He founded this country. Miracle after miracle occurred in its establishment. People can argue against it, but it’s true.
Year after year, people have been slipping into our country and becoming incorporated with us…but their loyalty isn’t to God and His precepts, they worship foreign gods.
Now is the return of the boldly proclaimed gospel. The Truth.
Let’s not be shy as we lead the way toward restoring honor, conscience, neighborly love, faithfulness, and the like. Let’s lead the way toward Christ. America shall be saved.
Today I encourage you to embrace godliness. Embrace sharing the gospel. Become living examples of God’s people. Be faithful. Do business fairly. Love like Christ. Give generously.
The God Who established this country is also the God Who died for your sins and made a way for us to join Him in heaven. Why would we be ashamed of that?
Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, both now and forevermore. The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong. O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with You. But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil. May Israel have peace! Psalm 125:1-5
May God bless the godly. May He lead us in all righteousness and truth, through His Holy Spirit. May we see His glory. May the righteous rule the land and drive out the darkness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
America shall be saved.

We are in a season of restoration.
It’s ok to say so.
It’s ok to admit it.
Our family is in a season of restoration…but so is America.
I believe this with all of my heart.
It’s time to allow God to restore you too.
It’s the time of restoration for the church, as well.
God’s been cleaning house for the last few years…first demolition must occur, then restoration can happen.
We’ve been seeing this in many ministries.
When the Lord brought back His exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. Psalm 126:1-6
All of us who’ve wept through the last season will reap such joyful harvests now!
Sometimes it’s difficult to embrace a season of restoration when you’ve been through a lengthy winter…but we must learn how to do so. It’s important to be satisfied in want, sure…but it’s also important to be satisfied in plenty.
Plenty is coming.
Are you ready?
Relationships, finances, careers…many things are being restored.
Lean into this season and who knows what God will do!
Today, I challenge you to embrace the restoration God is bringing to your life. Thank Him for carrying you through the valley and embrace Him in this new season of more than enough.

As I sat before the Lord, I saw myself at a tree. I reached up and forcefully placed a spile as deep as I could into its trunk. I could see inside the tree and there was a lot of rich maple to be had. I wanted to get to the deepest part…
Spile: a wooden or metal peg used to broach liquid (like maple syrup) from a tree.
I’m discovering that we each access as much of God as we are willing to pursue. Not only pursue, but to make ourselves available to receive.
God gives what He gives, but we position ourselves either in openness to receive or not.
The only effort I saw myself making in the vision I had was to thrust the spile into the tree…the flow of syrup was dependent upon the Lord. I stood waiting for what I knew was there.
There will never be a time when God doesn’t have more to release into us. He is infinite. He is everything and has everything…why do we always seem afraid of running out?
It’s not possible to reach so far into Him that you find the end. He is infinite.
Infinite.
Without end.
Infinite.
I repeat this because I feel like we don’t truly believe this is true… or at least we doubt if He wants to allow us much access.
If this is you…I ask you…how much access would you give your children? Take that and expand it to infinity and you’re beginning to get a picture of how much He desires to share with us. We only need to be ready to receive.
How do you become ready?
Openness to new things or things that are beyond what you dream or imagine.
Be trustworthy toward God.
Practice stillness.
Walk in a manner worthy of your calling.
To name a few…
I encourage you to go before the Lord and ask Him for more than you can imagine. Then ask Him to help you become ready to receive.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3

I see so many people lead their lives with control. They operate in a controlling spirit when interacting with family, friends, business, even church. It’s the opposite of love. It’s showing that they know nothing of love, true love. Control is rooted in fear and as Scripture teaches us, perfect love casts out all fear.
How do you know if you are operating from control?
Think about this…
When someone tells you an idea do you listen or immediately begin to bring up problems with it and “trouble shoot”?
When a loved one is making poor choices do you react in anger and a desire to tell them exactly what they’re doing wrong and should change?
Do you only ever see the problems in a situation and think people can’t solve it unless they involve you or have your input?
These are just a few ways that the controlling spirit can show up.
Perfectionism is another manifestation of control.
The need to control shows an utter lack of faith.
I’m learning some hard lessons right now. Walking out things I’ve never navigated before, but the only way for me to learn these lessons is to live them. I will make some mistakes, yes. But that’s how I’ll learn to do better next time. In the same way, I’m watching my kids grow up into young adults who are making their own choices. I will only frustrate God’s work and delay my kid’s growth if I constantly try to control all they’re doing.
Catch and release.
Parenting is a game of catch and release.
I was gifted children. Not to control them, but to steward them as I daily release them to God. They belong to Him. My future grandchildren also belong to Him. I am even now, preparing my heart to grow in this area. I long to be matured by God. To learn, grow, and then be willing to be a safe place where others are afforded the same. To give them the opportunity to make mistakes and grow.
It’s sometimes confusing. It’s humbling to be sure. But it’s going to be ok.
We need to find the faith to hand the control to God and trust Him with each person’s process.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18