I have always thought that being a burn victim would be horrible. Sure, physical therapy for injuries hurts, chemo makes you sick, having staples taken out is no fun….and there are tons more things that can happen to our physical bodies that, as I think about them, makes me wish I hadn't started this post!
But treatment for a burn, a severe burn, has to be up there at the top of the awful list. To get the treatment you need, you have to be prepared for the daily pain of it all. From what I understand, they have to remove the dead skin from the wound so that good skin can grow and heal it….repeatedly. Like sandpaper. Scraping off the bad, so the good has a shot at growing back healthy.
Daily.
Have you ever been through a season of your life that's like that? Daily scraping? You feel a bit like a burn victim. Trying to muster the energy each day to crawl out of bed and face what you know is coming. The scraping. And it hurts. And it's painful. But it's the process of healing and growth. And that's always for the good.
It's always for the good.
Sometimes God has to be aggressive with the sandpaper of our lives to scrape off the bad, and refine what is beautiful. To shake off the weakness within us, and strengthen our cores to be able to bear more weight. More blessings. More gifts. More callings. More purpose.
But it hurts, friend. And it's sometimes an ugly business. But if this is where you find yourself today, know that at the end of the scraping there is peace. There is joy. And there is a sense of accomplishment that you not only survived, you finished well and better than when you started!
Let God continue the refining of what is good in you. Allow Him to reveal your weaknesses and insecurities, your imperfections and your mistakes! Look fear in the face and know that God will strengthen you to walk forward. Be humble and acknowledge your shortcomings. And be willing to ask God for more grace, more mercy, more guidance, more faith, more hope, more joy. The Bible says ask and it shall be given! So ask! (I certainly wouldn't hesitate to ask for more meds!)
Much love for you today, and know that, if this is you, you are not alone!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Born to Give Us Life
God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas Day. To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray. Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. Oh tidings of comfort and joy!
He has come for us this Jesus.
He's the hope for all mankind.
He has come for us the Messiah.
Born to give us life.
**********************************
This has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs. And Meredith Andrews' addition of a chorus has bumped it up even higher on my list. But singing it today, I just really focused on the words to this song. At the end of the day, it's more than a Christmas song. It's a peace-giving reminder of how to live our life: Be at rest. Don't let anything bring you down or worry you. Remember that no matter the battle, we know how it ends because Christ was born! To save us, while we were STILL sinners. Take comfort and be joyful!
He has come FOR US this Jesus.
I love that line. "This Jesus." That guy you hear about. This "Jesus." And yes he's the hope for all mankind. How beautiful? In the midst of so much ugly these days, so much chaos. This Jesus is the hope for ALL mankind….every problem, every issue, every stronghold, every mountain.
He was born to give us life.
Life. A life to be lived. A life of freedom, hope, redemption, grace, fulfillment. Life. Not fear, not insecurity, not anger, not anxiety. Life.
I pray that in the midst of this Christmas season (and i'm sure I'll have more to say before it ends!) that you not only remember the reason for the season, but that you fully appreciate that reason and rejoice in the life-giving gift of Jesus Christ.
He has come for us.
He has come for us this Jesus.
He's the hope for all mankind.
He has come for us the Messiah.
Born to give us life.
**********************************
This has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs. And Meredith Andrews' addition of a chorus has bumped it up even higher on my list. But singing it today, I just really focused on the words to this song. At the end of the day, it's more than a Christmas song. It's a peace-giving reminder of how to live our life: Be at rest. Don't let anything bring you down or worry you. Remember that no matter the battle, we know how it ends because Christ was born! To save us, while we were STILL sinners. Take comfort and be joyful!
He has come FOR US this Jesus.
I love that line. "This Jesus." That guy you hear about. This "Jesus." And yes he's the hope for all mankind. How beautiful? In the midst of so much ugly these days, so much chaos. This Jesus is the hope for ALL mankind….every problem, every issue, every stronghold, every mountain.
He was born to give us life.
Life. A life to be lived. A life of freedom, hope, redemption, grace, fulfillment. Life. Not fear, not insecurity, not anger, not anxiety. Life.
I pray that in the midst of this Christmas season (and i'm sure I'll have more to say before it ends!) that you not only remember the reason for the season, but that you fully appreciate that reason and rejoice in the life-giving gift of Jesus Christ.
He has come for us.
Monday, September 22, 2014
A Clean Shot
I cut my finger…apparently.
I don't even know when I cut it, but I noticed a little dried blood yesterday evening. So apparently at some point I cut it. And now it hurts. All day, every time I bump it or rub it on something or wash my hands with soap it hurts!
And this got me thinking: I don't even remember hurting it, but I sure feel the after effects! How many times in life is that us? We may not even recognize when someone hurts us, when we take an offense, or when we get bruised. But boy do we sure feel it for sometimes years to come when things rub against that wound!
And then you find yourself backtracking, asking what is this pain from? But that's only if you're careful and observant. If you're not careful, you may not even notice the wound itself, and just continue to live out of the pain and rawness that results from it's hidden place in your life.
How can something we didn't even recognize as a hurt leave a mark that takes time to heal? Whew. That's a question right there. And I'm really not sure I have the answer. But I know it happens. I have this image in my head of that scene in the action movies where there's a gunshot, and you think the hero is ok; until they look down and realize the bullet went right through them. And then the blood spills out…and I stop watching.
Sometimes a hurt does just that. It's a clean shot. Through and through. And until the junk starts spilling out, you may not know it's there.
Instead of bandaging it, I say let it out. Get the junk out of your life! Figure out:
1) where the hurt came from
What caused it? Why? When? You may have to journey back quite a ways…
2) what draws the blood?
What in particular causes the wound to surface? What rubs it the wrong way? Why?
3) how to let it heal
Do whatever it takes to get to the root of it, and let it heal! Don't keep living out of the pain, out of the discomfort.
The smallest grain of sand in the wrong place (like your swimsuit) can do major damage! Don't discount wounds because they seem tiny. And don't discount them because they seem too big. God did not create you to live that way. He sent His son so that we could walk in freedom.
Much love.
I don't even know when I cut it, but I noticed a little dried blood yesterday evening. So apparently at some point I cut it. And now it hurts. All day, every time I bump it or rub it on something or wash my hands with soap it hurts!
And this got me thinking: I don't even remember hurting it, but I sure feel the after effects! How many times in life is that us? We may not even recognize when someone hurts us, when we take an offense, or when we get bruised. But boy do we sure feel it for sometimes years to come when things rub against that wound!
And then you find yourself backtracking, asking what is this pain from? But that's only if you're careful and observant. If you're not careful, you may not even notice the wound itself, and just continue to live out of the pain and rawness that results from it's hidden place in your life.
How can something we didn't even recognize as a hurt leave a mark that takes time to heal? Whew. That's a question right there. And I'm really not sure I have the answer. But I know it happens. I have this image in my head of that scene in the action movies where there's a gunshot, and you think the hero is ok; until they look down and realize the bullet went right through them. And then the blood spills out…and I stop watching.
Sometimes a hurt does just that. It's a clean shot. Through and through. And until the junk starts spilling out, you may not know it's there.
Instead of bandaging it, I say let it out. Get the junk out of your life! Figure out:
1) where the hurt came from
What caused it? Why? When? You may have to journey back quite a ways…
2) what draws the blood?
What in particular causes the wound to surface? What rubs it the wrong way? Why?
3) how to let it heal
Do whatever it takes to get to the root of it, and let it heal! Don't keep living out of the pain, out of the discomfort.
The smallest grain of sand in the wrong place (like your swimsuit) can do major damage! Don't discount wounds because they seem tiny. And don't discount them because they seem too big. God did not create you to live that way. He sent His son so that we could walk in freedom.
Much love.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Just a few thoughts...
So last night I took a few of my youth girls to hear Kari Jobe and Christine Caine minister in Monroe, Louisiana. It was an awesome night with such powerful worship and words! Not to mention SO much fun on the car ride home. But as I sat there (on the front row, thanks to my girls) I had several revelations during the night.
The first, was how long it's been since i blogged….so I am going to TRY to be back with a vengeance! More to come on that later….
The second thing was thinking about how far we travelled to get there. It was a 3 hour drive, which isn't horrible but isn't close either. It was the first time I left my newborn son to be put to sleep by someone else (oh yeah, ps I'm a mom now! more on that later too…). And it was a weeknight, work night, stormy night. But, we still made it there. And despite so many reasons to cancel, I felt an expectancy that kept me determined to make the trip. So I got to thinking: what makes tonight different? I really could listen to this on a podcast I'm sure. I could stay home and worship to a Kari Jobe classic. I could revisit notes I have from all the previous times I've heard Chris Caine. And I felt God remind me of the people who travelled far and wide to come hear Jesus speak. Sometimes there is a great power in getting out of your seat, getting out of your norm, getting out of your routine and pursuing a moment with God. I can have them in the quiet of my own home, but seeking Him out brings a whole new anointing. Saying "God I know you are going to be in this place tonight, and so I'm going to meet you there." And He was…..
And lastly, I had another revelation during Oceans. (I mean seriously, could that song speak to me more often??? If you're not familiar with it, get it!) They had this awesome LED screen with these huge crashing waves behind the band. Not all storm waves, some were just huge swells like you see in Hawaii. And I thought of Peter getting out of the boat to meet Jesus….and I realized that somehow in my head I've always pictured the waters being calm when he got out of the boat. The image in my head is Jesus appearing on a flat lake, coming through the midst. And that's impressive enough! But as i watched the monster waves roll and crash, I thought about what it would be like to see Jesus standing in the midst of that saying "come walk to me." It's one thing to get out of the boat when the waters are calm, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame to get out when the seas are rough. When there is no flat water to even tread much less stand on! Would I get out of the boat?
So there you go. Just a few of my thoughts from the night. And no, those aren't even any from my notes after the awesome message! Just the random chats between me and God before the night really even started. More to come soon….
much love,
Jessica
The first, was how long it's been since i blogged….so I am going to TRY to be back with a vengeance! More to come on that later….
The second thing was thinking about how far we travelled to get there. It was a 3 hour drive, which isn't horrible but isn't close either. It was the first time I left my newborn son to be put to sleep by someone else (oh yeah, ps I'm a mom now! more on that later too…). And it was a weeknight, work night, stormy night. But, we still made it there. And despite so many reasons to cancel, I felt an expectancy that kept me determined to make the trip. So I got to thinking: what makes tonight different? I really could listen to this on a podcast I'm sure. I could stay home and worship to a Kari Jobe classic. I could revisit notes I have from all the previous times I've heard Chris Caine. And I felt God remind me of the people who travelled far and wide to come hear Jesus speak. Sometimes there is a great power in getting out of your seat, getting out of your norm, getting out of your routine and pursuing a moment with God. I can have them in the quiet of my own home, but seeking Him out brings a whole new anointing. Saying "God I know you are going to be in this place tonight, and so I'm going to meet you there." And He was…..
And lastly, I had another revelation during Oceans. (I mean seriously, could that song speak to me more often??? If you're not familiar with it, get it!) They had this awesome LED screen with these huge crashing waves behind the band. Not all storm waves, some were just huge swells like you see in Hawaii. And I thought of Peter getting out of the boat to meet Jesus….and I realized that somehow in my head I've always pictured the waters being calm when he got out of the boat. The image in my head is Jesus appearing on a flat lake, coming through the midst. And that's impressive enough! But as i watched the monster waves roll and crash, I thought about what it would be like to see Jesus standing in the midst of that saying "come walk to me." It's one thing to get out of the boat when the waters are calm, but it's a whole 'nother ballgame to get out when the seas are rough. When there is no flat water to even tread much less stand on! Would I get out of the boat?
So there you go. Just a few of my thoughts from the night. And no, those aren't even any from my notes after the awesome message! Just the random chats between me and God before the night really even started. More to come soon….
much love,
Jessica
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
A Walmart Revelation
Ok, so yesterday I was at Walmart. (ugh, right?) I was actually there on "church business," shopping for some supplies for a demonstration in our youth group. I checked out in the "20 Items or Less" line, and the girl was young and seemed very sweet. (Blaine always makes fun of me for getting their life story while I check out! haha)
She finished most of my stuff, and then grabbed the last item. There were two $15 giftcards stacked on top of the box of sheets as she scanned it. Seriously, there is no way she couldn't see them. She had to hold them down on top of the box to scan it! But regardless, she put all 3 items in the bag and hit total.
Now, I watched her do it. And then I definitely saw the total and knew it couldn't include $30 of giftcards. And so, of course, I pointed out her mistake and had her rescan them.
But to my dismay, my disappointment, and to true shock, would you believe that in that short 3 second span before I corrected her, the thought of "don't say anything" actually went through my head? I'm just being transparent with you this morning, and believe me, I was surprised too! This sneaky small voice quickly piped up and said "Keep it! She had to have seen it, and she's doing you a favor." It said "It's not your fault she missed it." I'm telling you....that voice came out of nowhere and FAST! I was so appalled that the thoughts had gone through my head I probably gushed way to forcefully "Oh you missed 2 things. Here, rescan them!" haha It was like I felt that by just thinking those thoughts I had actually committed the act!
And this is what I took from that: I'm a pastor on staff at a church. I love Jesus with my whole heart. I am honest almost to a fault and never break rules because I just can't take it. AND YET, that enemy that hates my soul was ready in an instant for me to take the opportunity. I almost felt violated! That he would be so present in my thoughts!
And so I left wondering how present is he in my daily thoughts? It may not be thoughts about stealing, but how present is he in thoughts about other people? Or thoughts about my job, or about my husband? How often is he chiming in with an opinion that DOES NOT MATTER? And so I thanked God for that little moment that shook me, and vowed right then and there in the Walmart parking lot to be on constant guard for the enemy and his schemes. I pray that my thoughts would be God's thoughts, and that my actions would always be pleasing to Him! And just like I shut down the ridiculous suggestion of stealing, I pray I would continue to boldly shut down anything that doesn't make me more like Jesus!
That's my prayer for you today too!
Much love!
PS- Don't judge! : )
She finished most of my stuff, and then grabbed the last item. There were two $15 giftcards stacked on top of the box of sheets as she scanned it. Seriously, there is no way she couldn't see them. She had to hold them down on top of the box to scan it! But regardless, she put all 3 items in the bag and hit total.
Now, I watched her do it. And then I definitely saw the total and knew it couldn't include $30 of giftcards. And so, of course, I pointed out her mistake and had her rescan them.
But to my dismay, my disappointment, and to true shock, would you believe that in that short 3 second span before I corrected her, the thought of "don't say anything" actually went through my head? I'm just being transparent with you this morning, and believe me, I was surprised too! This sneaky small voice quickly piped up and said "Keep it! She had to have seen it, and she's doing you a favor." It said "It's not your fault she missed it." I'm telling you....that voice came out of nowhere and FAST! I was so appalled that the thoughts had gone through my head I probably gushed way to forcefully "Oh you missed 2 things. Here, rescan them!" haha It was like I felt that by just thinking those thoughts I had actually committed the act!
And this is what I took from that: I'm a pastor on staff at a church. I love Jesus with my whole heart. I am honest almost to a fault and never break rules because I just can't take it. AND YET, that enemy that hates my soul was ready in an instant for me to take the opportunity. I almost felt violated! That he would be so present in my thoughts!
And so I left wondering how present is he in my daily thoughts? It may not be thoughts about stealing, but how present is he in thoughts about other people? Or thoughts about my job, or about my husband? How often is he chiming in with an opinion that DOES NOT MATTER? And so I thanked God for that little moment that shook me, and vowed right then and there in the Walmart parking lot to be on constant guard for the enemy and his schemes. I pray that my thoughts would be God's thoughts, and that my actions would always be pleasing to Him! And just like I shut down the ridiculous suggestion of stealing, I pray I would continue to boldly shut down anything that doesn't make me more like Jesus!
That's my prayer for you today too!
Much love!
PS- Don't judge! : )
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Bet Your Bottom Dollar
Sweet Moses. It's July. The LAST day of July and my last post was in March! I am sorry, my friends, for my lack of consistency with my blog updates, BUT I have a sweet little intern who is making it her new priority to remind me about this baby! So here's to lots more writing!
Earlier this week, I happened to be up before the sunrise. This phenom does not happen often, I assure you. But sure enough, there I was up even before the sun. It was dark, obviously. And although I knew it was technically early morning, it still felt like the middle of the night. There was no light to tell if it was cloudy, or if the day would turn into a nice one. There was no light to trigger my "go-on-and-get-moving" senses, and my "seriously-we-should-still-be-asleep" senses had full control.
And yet, I knew it wouldn't be long.
I knew that in just a short hour or two that beautiful ball of fire would begin its climb to the top of the sky. I knew that daylight WOULD come. I knew that a sunrise can not be stopped.
And in that thought, there is something poignant. There is such beauty in the fact that, no matter how dark, no matter how long the night may seem, the sun WILL come up. It is impossible for it not to.
And I thought to myself as I drove to my destination in the early morning dark, that is so God. To give us a daily reminder of His faithfulness. Just like I can count on the sun to come up after even the darkest of nights, I can know that I know that I know that God is ever-present in my situation, and that He alone has the victory in this world. Those words sound a little preachy this morning, but it's the truth. And I find myself picturing God each and every morning anxiously waiting for the sun to peak over my horizon and saying "Told ya."
We serve a big, big God and His daily reminders of His faithfulness are all around. But I hope this one stays with you, as I know it will with me. That just as we KNOW the sun will come out tomorrow, we can have the same unwavering belief that God will show up in our lives.
And of course I have to end this with a timeless classic. (If I can be honest, it's always annoyed me. But I guess Little Orphan Annie hit the nail on the head...)
Earlier this week, I happened to be up before the sunrise. This phenom does not happen often, I assure you. But sure enough, there I was up even before the sun. It was dark, obviously. And although I knew it was technically early morning, it still felt like the middle of the night. There was no light to tell if it was cloudy, or if the day would turn into a nice one. There was no light to trigger my "go-on-and-get-moving" senses, and my "seriously-we-should-still-be-asleep" senses had full control.
And yet, I knew it wouldn't be long.
I knew that in just a short hour or two that beautiful ball of fire would begin its climb to the top of the sky. I knew that daylight WOULD come. I knew that a sunrise can not be stopped.
And in that thought, there is something poignant. There is such beauty in the fact that, no matter how dark, no matter how long the night may seem, the sun WILL come up. It is impossible for it not to.
And I thought to myself as I drove to my destination in the early morning dark, that is so God. To give us a daily reminder of His faithfulness. Just like I can count on the sun to come up after even the darkest of nights, I can know that I know that I know that God is ever-present in my situation, and that He alone has the victory in this world. Those words sound a little preachy this morning, but it's the truth. And I find myself picturing God each and every morning anxiously waiting for the sun to peak over my horizon and saying "Told ya."
We serve a big, big God and His daily reminders of His faithfulness are all around. But I hope this one stays with you, as I know it will with me. That just as we KNOW the sun will come out tomorrow, we can have the same unwavering belief that God will show up in our lives.
And of course I have to end this with a timeless classic. (If I can be honest, it's always annoyed me. But I guess Little Orphan Annie hit the nail on the head...)
The sun'll come out tomorrow.
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun.
And there will be.
Much love!
Jessica
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
One Thing Remains
So we are singing this song this morning in chapel. And it's one of my faves! But as I'm listening to the band practice outside my office, this same song also came on my Pandora. (yes I often have dueling worship music playing in our offices...can't hurt right?)
And as it came on my own computer, I was just struck (again) by the simplicity and power of the words. And of course, decided I had to share.
See, the same thing hits me every time I hear this song. It strikes me as truly unique, amazing, life-changing that in this world where NOTHING stays the same....ok wait pause. Let's focus on that for a second. Literally nothing stays the same! Friends change, cities change, families change, jobs change, you change. People leave you, people change their mind, people disappoint you. Parents may walk out, spouses may quit. Bosses decide you aren't a good fit, schools say you don't measure up. The stock market crashes, your iPhone gets a new update. It snows in May, it rains all summer. Nothing in life stays the same. Nothing is 100% guaranteed.
Except the love of God.
And so, in the midst of this chaos of life, how striking are these words:
Higher than the mountains that I face,
Stronger than the power of the grave,
Constant in the trial and the change,
This one thing remains.
Your love never fails, never gives up,
Never runs out on me.
And on and on and on and on it goes,
For it overwhelms and satisfies my soul.
And I never ever have to be afraid,
For this one thing remains:
Your love never fails, never gives up,
Never runs out on me.
So simple, and yet we make it complicated. We forget in the midst of our situation that no matter what happens, God's love for us never fails. And even if we remember that fact, we often forget that that fact is truly the only thing that matters. God's love for us. God's love that promises us eternal life. God's love that is never ending. God's love that meets every other need.
So let that encourage you today. No matter who or what has let you down, there is one thing that never changes, never ends, never fails.
This one thing remains.
Much love,
Jessica
And as it came on my own computer, I was just struck (again) by the simplicity and power of the words. And of course, decided I had to share.
See, the same thing hits me every time I hear this song. It strikes me as truly unique, amazing, life-changing that in this world where NOTHING stays the same....ok wait pause. Let's focus on that for a second. Literally nothing stays the same! Friends change, cities change, families change, jobs change, you change. People leave you, people change their mind, people disappoint you. Parents may walk out, spouses may quit. Bosses decide you aren't a good fit, schools say you don't measure up. The stock market crashes, your iPhone gets a new update. It snows in May, it rains all summer. Nothing in life stays the same. Nothing is 100% guaranteed.
Except the love of God.
And so, in the midst of this chaos of life, how striking are these words:
Higher than the mountains that I face,
Stronger than the power of the grave,
Constant in the trial and the change,
This one thing remains.
Your love never fails, never gives up,
Never runs out on me.
And on and on and on and on it goes,
For it overwhelms and satisfies my soul.
And I never ever have to be afraid,
For this one thing remains:
Your love never fails, never gives up,
Never runs out on me.
So simple, and yet we make it complicated. We forget in the midst of our situation that no matter what happens, God's love for us never fails. And even if we remember that fact, we often forget that that fact is truly the only thing that matters. God's love for us. God's love that promises us eternal life. God's love that is never ending. God's love that meets every other need.
So let that encourage you today. No matter who or what has let you down, there is one thing that never changes, never ends, never fails.
This one thing remains.
Much love,
Jessica
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