The Mother Heart of God

 Now let Us conceive a new creation—humanity—
made in Our image,
fashioned according to Our likeness…
So God did just that.
He created humanity in His image,
created them male and female.
Gen 1:26-27

Have I thrown you off here?  That’s OK.  It’s taken me a couple of weeks to catch on myself.

You’ve probably guessed that I love to journal (a stretch I know).  But here’s the kicker … the entire time we were away on our “bucket list trip” I never wrote a word; never opened my journal till the very last day and the only scripture I “read” was what was already written on my heart as it breathed itself into my spirit.  In the background there was this “performer” part of me that tried to raise it’s head from times gone by that “God would be mad at me for acting this way”.  But whenever I started to hear that … it would get drowned out by:

Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea

Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say

Haven’t you noticed
Suddenly I’m bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I’m learning about you
Day by day.
From: The King and I

OK, I am literally laughing out loud here!  I’ve been hearing this song over and over and over as I wake, walk, drive, and look.  It wasn’t until just now that I looked up the reference and found out it is from “The King and I”.  That’s exactly what this trip has been for me.  The King and I “getting to know each other” on an even more intimate level.  Just hanging out with one another.  Looking at the amazing things that He has created and letting them speak to me of who He is; what He likes and how He feels about me.  Being amazed at how well He knows what I like and having it there just for me … the way Mom always knew what to make for my favorite meal; the way she mouthed every word to every song I ever performed.

Like – ice flowers.  I’ve discovered they only bloom at the maximum 2 weeks a year.  Sometimes not even 2 weeks.  Of course, they are purplish-pink – my favorite color – and, of course, they were in bloom when we arrived and almost gone by the time we left.  Before we left I only read about them being in one particular place, Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove – but they were literally everywhere we went the first few days.  As in the very first morning when I walked out onto the beach at Half Moon Bay:

Half Moon Bay
Cliffs with Ice Flowers
April 28, 2013

And later that same day, it was like I had stepped into the movie “What Dreams May Come” (one of my favorites).  We had turned off onto a small side road to go see Pigeon Point Lighthouse.  There were dunes right up to the roads.  My sweet hubby suggested we stop and see what might me on the other side of the dunes.  So I get out of the car, climb up the dune and voila …

Ice flowers and rock Pools,
Pigeon Point, CA
April 28, 2013

Trails to walk through a canvas of ice flowers
April 28, 2013

But my Heavenly Father, with His great big “mother’s heart” wasn’t through nurturing me yet.  Look what He had waiting for me in Santa Cruz …

Lighthouse Beach Ice Flowers,
Santa Cruz, CA
April 29, 2013

and then at Lover’s Point:

Lover’s Point Ice Flowers from the distance.
Pacific Grove, CA
April 30, 2013

Lover’s Point
Up close and Personal
April 30, 2013

Lover’s Point just keeps gettings sweeter!
April 30, 2013

People actually live here!
Lover’s Point – Pacific Grove, CA
April 30, 2013

More than anything I could read in the bible or anywhere else, what became ingrained in me over and over as I looked  is how intimately my Heavenly Father knows “my favorites”; knows what makes me giggle like a little girl; knows how to make me feel renewed and refreshed .  As all that transpired, it also became very clear – that I must be alot like my Heavenly Father.  I mean He must like ice flowers too to make so many of them and make them purple!!

So on this Mother’s Day – my prayer for each of you is fresh revelation of Your Heavenly Father’s nurturing mother’s heart for you.  And yes ladies … that nurturing heart inside of you that just wants to find ways to let the people around you know how much they mean to you … just means your heart is created in the image of the Mother Heart of God.

Can beauty and pain co-exist?

McWay Falls – Big Sur, CA
May 1, 2013

My husband and I just completed a “bucket list” trip for both of us.  We flew to California; rented a mustang convertible and spent a week driving the pacific coast highway.  A friend asked me on a scale of 1-10 how would I rate our trip; without heistation I responded “12″!

Yes, a week ago today, I was standing in front of this stunning place.

As I stood there I saw some hikers coming up over the cliff edge immediately in front of me.  I was instantly curious (imagine that) and asked the gentleman if they were teaching a class on climbing. His response stunned me.  ”No ma’am.  A woman lost her life here yesterday.  She walked out to the edge of the cliff  ’to get a better picture’ where it is unstable, it gave way and she fell into the ocean.  She called out for help but the current overtook her before anyone could reach her.  We are examining the site and searching for her remains.”

I could not reconcile this tragedy with the beauty that just seconds ago had been saturating my soul.  I had “discovered” this beautiful place weeks before our vacation on the internet and I had been waiting for this moment to experience it real-time.  Conflicted doesn’t beging to describe what was transpiring within me.

Clarity came tonight.  But for the past week, I just knew I wasn’t going to let the enemy steal the gift of this beautiful place away from me and so other than my husband and I expressing our sympathy to the rescue team, I’ve not spoken of this to anyone.  John 10:10 tells us the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy; Jesus comes to bring life and life abundantly.  My motivation was not to give the enemy “any press” for what he’d done rather only to speak of the beauty My Heavenly Father created.  I truly had no clue until this evening that I was operating out of fear – fear that pain is greater than beauty and destroys it.

I walked into my acupuncturist’s office tonight for treatment for a cold.  As he assessed me, he said I’m definitely picking up the attack of the virus, but I am also picking up that you are very distraught, definitely fear.

Say what?  I just finished the vacation of my life …. distraught? Fear?  What was he talking about?  I showed him some of our trip pictures.  He was quiet and then asked – what were you doing 9 days ago?  I counted backwards … well we were at McWay Falls, that beautiful photo I just showed you …. oh my …. all the conflict welled back up within me.

As I lay quietly during the treatment I didn’t want to think about the pain that had transpired in that beautiful place.  I was afraid the pain would consume and destroy the beauty I had waited for and experienced.  I heard the question come from my heart that is the title of this post – “can beauty and pain co-exist”?  

The answer I heard from my Heavenly Father was “just look at your own heart.  It’s beautiful.  It loves and loves and loves even though it suffers pain.”  Couldn’t argue with that one.

My next question:  So how does that work Lord?

The revelation that came to me was this:  when the veil in the temple tore when Jesus was crucified – the beauty of heaven permeated earth and all its pain.  It has been doing so ever since.  Just like this water fall flows continuously onto this beach with fresh water; just as the tides continually washes over each grain of sand; the beauty of heaven flows into this earth and washes over each life to permeate and wash away the pain.  The only way pain wins is if you hold onto it.

That’s what I’d been doing.  Trying to bury the pain and therefore holding it in, rather than letting go and letting God wash it away with His beauty.

Amazing enough in itself.  But there’s more.

I had another question.  What do I need to know about this fear Father?

The revelation that came was “you believe that if this woman had been more afraid, it would have kept her safe; actually, wisdom is what would have kept her safe.  There were signs all around that warned of unstable cliffs.  She ignored the wisdom they offered.”

In that moment I came out of agreement with the lie that fear can keep me safer than wisdom.  I came into agreement with the truth in 1 Corinthians 1:30 “Because of God you are ·in [united with; in relationship with] Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God” .  Listening and following wisdom/Jesus keeps me safer than fear ever can.

So the answer to my question is yes:  beauty and pain can co-exist, it’s my/our choice of which one we take hold.  Wisdom tells me let beauty work its healing balm.

I hope the beauty below is a balm wherever you need it in your life.  I have so much more to share with you in the days to come!

2nd view of McWay Falls May 1, 2013

Beach at McWay Falls, Big Sur CA, May 1, 2013

Coastline north of McWay Falls, Big Sur, CA
May 1, 2013

Sunset over Inn at Spanish Bay
April 29, 2013
Who knows where this beauty may lead?

 

 

Surprised to discover being a refugee is a good thing

Our refuge and strength

(Picture Source:  Jillian Kent Blogspot)

I don’t know about your vocabulary but in mine the word “refuge” is not on my commonly used list.  But it has recently caught my attention as in “God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble”.  Psalm 46:1

So just what does that make God to us?

Webster’s dictionary describes a refuge as:

• shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.
• a place of shelter, protection or safety
• anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief or escape

Hmmmm …. sound like anything you might need during the course of a day, or maybe even, every day?

How about when the world just doesn’t make sense, like a bombing at the Boston Marathon; or when someone you love becomes ill or dies; or your health fails acutely or chronically; or your marriage fails; or there is more month than there is finances?

How about when you feel old?  What is feeling old anyways – a longing for our youth to be renewed.  At least that’s what it is for me.  God knows that desire is in each of us.  How does God know that?  Because since before time began He purposed you and purposed me to be eternal and vibrant.  It’s the way He wired us, to be eternal beings.

He wants us to be free of the paralyzing cynicsym that can come with the time that we spend in this world.  I’m not espousing being so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good, but rather having that child-like quality that “it’s going to be OK”, regardless.

That’s why Jesus tells us to come to Him as children.  He wants us to be filled with that feeling that life is good, promising and full of possibilities, full of hope.  Why?  For the same reason as the little boy in “Miracle on 34th Street” answered the judge as to why he believed in Santa Claus … because my Daddy told me so.  All that wonderment and joy that fills a child as they engage their world even though they don’t understand it and have no idea what lies ahead; it’s been promised to you and to me because our Heavenly Father has what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard and what has not entered into anyone’s heart yet for those that love Him (1 Cor 2:9).

But the choice is ours of where we put our focus.  We can focus on what isn’t (fill in any lack in your life here, including life not making sense) and demanding understanding; or, we can focus on what is, i.e., being thankful for what is true and real in this moment and that powerfully opens the gateway for God to renew our youth as the psalmist describes it below:

Who satisfies your mouth
[your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation]
with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s
[strong, overcoming, soaring]! (Ps 103:5 Amplified)

The one who has made this promise to you and to me is the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth who does not weary, does not grow faint (Isaiah 40:28).  So I’m thinking He’s good for it

Just what is true and real and does not change from moment to moment – God is Merciful, Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abounding in Loving Kindness and Truth (Exodus 34:6); His faithfulness is our shield and protection (Ps 91:4); He is able to take what the enemy purposes for evil and turn it to His good purpose (Gen 50:20); and He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8).

So I am back to where I started … ”God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)  Any moment, any problem, it is unconditional.  He is there to be our aid, relief, escape, protection, shelter and safety.  The choice is mine and yours whether to take the refuge being offered or not.

As for me, I’m choosing to be a refugee … and that’s a very good thing.

Silly goose syndrome

Keystone Sunset 2002
The lights have just turned on for night skiing as the sun sets.

Do you ever feel guilty about enjoy a beautiful sunset or sunrise?  No.  Why is that? Because you know there is enough for everybody.  No matter how much you enjoy it, it doesn’t take away from anyone else’s enjoyment.  It’s big enough for everyone and there will always be more.  As my Mom would have said, “Don’t be a silly goose, enjoy it.”

Well, that’s the way it is with God’s love, God’s hope and all the blessings that he has for each of us.  Do you know how BIG His blessings are?

As I was walking yesterday morning the stars were still out and I looked up and saw the big dipper.  What came to me in the that moment is that our Heavenly Father created the big dipper to be a testimony to how big a scoop He needs to pour out His blessings.  I just stared at it.

God’s blessing scoop … also know as the big dipper

Photo from: www.scienceinthebible.net

It is so huge and that scoop is not the total of what He has, that is what He uses to scoop out all the blessings that He has created since eternity began to pour out on those whom He loves; which is everybody!

The only catch is we have to say YES, I want them; YES I believe those blessings are for me.  We can’t buy into the lies that there is not enough for everybody; that I’m not good enough for God to bless; that God doesn’t love me because of the way my circumstances look.  It’s not true.  Those are all lies of the enemy because He doesn’t want you to know the big dipper that God has to pour out blessings into your life.   How can I say those things are lies?  Because of what Ephesians 1:4-6 tells me:

Long before he laid down earth’s foundations,
he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love,
to be made whole and holy by his love.
Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.
(What pleasure he took in planning this!)
He wanted us to enter into the celebration of
his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

He gave His only Son to open up the supply for that big dipper to pour into your life, and to pour into my life so that we could have all, all that He has purposed for us since before eternity began; all that He created that was good (Gen 1:31).

As if that wasn’t enough, the way God feels about you never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8) and absolutely nothing as in nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus has embraced us (Rom 8:39 The Message).

You may be thinking, that all sounds lovely but what about all the “doo-doo” (keeping that G-rating here ) in my life.   Fair question.  Just this week I had fresh revelation about Romans 8:28-29 where we are told that:

²⁸ Furthermore, we know that God causes everything
to work together for the good
of those who love God
and are called in accordance with his purpose;
²⁹ because those whom he knew in advance,
he also determined in advance
would be conformed to the pattern of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers;

Why would God tells us that He can work everything to our good?

Because He knew that in this fallen world in which we live there is going to be things that are ugly and hurtful because there is still an enemy prowling around seeking those whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).  But God has promised us that He can turn those things around – whatever it is in your life whether you have been wounded, hurt, disappointed, discouraged, sick, betrayed, or rejected are covered in “all things”.  He doesn’t say OK I can only turn certain things around but rather He can turn ALL things around to make us more Christ-like.  To make it possible for us to be able to live in that place like Jesus did constantly aware of the Father, of His love, of what He is doing, of His power, of that fact that He’s got your back and He wants to see you thrive.  That is Father God. That is what He wants.  Jesus knew that beyond the shadow of any doubt; our Heavenly Father wants us to be consumed by that truth as well.  That is why He has made us these promises that say I can do this for you.  I know where you live.  I know what it is like, but I can do this for you.

A friend just shared a Jeff Foxworthy quote with me that pretty much sums it up for me:

Jeff says he believes God gave the world children
so we could see how He feels about us.

“I know when my kids are laughing
and my kids are happy, it thrills me,” Jeff says.
“It just thrills me all the way through and through.
I think He feels that way about us.
If we believe what we say,
we should have a smile on our face all the time.”

So what do you say?  This Easter, do you want to get rid of that silly goose syndrome?  I know I do.

I know there is enough for everybody, and that my opening myself to receiving God’s love and the blessings He has for me does nothing to take anything away from you.   And, you know what … there is even more than that!  There is restoration for what has been lost or destroyed (Joel 2:25).  There is exceedingly, abundantly above all we can even dare to dream to ask (Eph 3:20).

Now that is definitely unconditional hope!  Happy Easter!

A Whale of a Parable

You know the expression a picture is worth a thousand words … so what does that make a video?

A whale of a parable
Click link below for full video

Saving Valentina

My sister sent this video link to me last week. As I watched I thought what a parable for our lives.

To me the net represents our belief system. When our beliefs do not line up with God’s truth they can entangle us to the point where we cannot move or breathe and without help we will perish.  That perishing may be emotional death, spiritual death or literal death because our faulty beliefs cause unsafe choices on our part.

Just like this whale, we cannot get free by our own efforts alone.  We only become more entangled when we thrash about in the same faulty beliefs expecting a different result.  We need the help of someone with a sharp knife who can see the net clearly to patiently cut away our entanglements to set us free.

The Word of God is described as being sharper than a two-edged sword (Heb 4:12); sounds like a pretty effective tool to me.

When we try to pull away before we should, God does not give up. He is every bit as patient as the man in this video.  He keeps pulling us back to close to Him, so that he can cut away the lies that entangle us.  And, just as this good samaritan rejoices in the whale’s freedom as much as the whale does; so too does our Heavenly Father rejoice in our freedom when we are set free by His truth.

The joy of freedom

If your world feels like it is closing in like a net around you, be still and know He is God (Ps 46:10).  Trust Him just as this whale trusted this good Samaritan.  Allow Him to speak truth to you through His Word and exchange your darkness for His light (Luke 1:79);  your weariness for His strength; (Is 40:31) and your captivity for His freedom (Is 61:1).

With thanks from my heart to yours

Does it seem like a year?  It’s gone by quickly for me.

I had no clue what to expect when I sat down and started to write last March about Unconditional Hope.  For that matter I still have no clue to what expect

But, I want to thank each of you who have read, commented and encouraged me this past year.

I started writing because I wanted to share the unconditional hope our Heavenly Father has poured and continues to pour into my life.  The surprising thing has been, when you give hope away, it returns to you.   Such a deal.

What a gift I have received to see how many have chosen to visit, read and/or follow my blog.  It has made my heart leap to be able to make heart-to-heart connections with people I’ve never met, as well as, with people I have met but never dared to let them see the real me before.

When I started last year I asked friends to pray that I would have godly courage to be transparent. God provided not only the courage, but with every step into transparency came more freedom, a bonus I had no clue was waiting for me.

So here’s to more unconditional hope for all of us, regardless of circumstance.

Fog and pelicans

Not 2 things that I normally think about at the same time.

But, as I sat here quietly this morning that’s what I heard “fog can turn us into Pelicans”.  I just love it when my Heavenly Father grabs my attention to go “say what?”

When you can only see what is right in front of you

When we can only see what is right in front of us we tend to withdraw and hold tight to what we have.  There is only one problem with that, when you are holding so tightly to what you have because you don’t know what lies ahead – how can you receive what Your Heavenly Father has to give you?

It’s called a poverty spirit.  You believe it’s all up to you to supply your needs and so you hold on as tight as you can to what you have. I’ve heard it illustrated this way.  An orphan and a prince sit down at the same feast table.  The orphan will eat until he makes himself sick because he is afraid there will not be any more.  The prince will eat until he is full and stops because he knows His Father will provide for him.

Which are you?

I saw this illustrated recently when I was in Florida.   As I walked on the beach there were Pelicans and Seagulls.  Both were displaying the poverty spirit in spades.  The Pelicans would not share their catch with the Seagulls in case there was never another fish to catch; and, the Seagulls pestered the Pelicans over and over because to them it appeared the only food to be had was what the Pelicans had caught.

Pelicans fishing for lunch with seagull watching closely

Seagull swooping in to take what appears to him to be all that is available

Pelicans depart because they wil not share, afraid of what the future holds.
The seagull is not far behind still focused on the Pelicans have what I need.

It’s a ruse you know.  That there is not enough for each of us.  That if you get what you need there will not be enough for me; or if I get what I need I am taking away from you what you need.

How do I know that?

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing)
come to you in abundance,
so that you may always and under all circumstances
and whatever the need be self-sufficient
[possessing enough to require no aid or support
and furnished in abundance for every good work
and charitable donation].
2 Corinthians 9:8 Amplified

Every need that each of us have is another opportunity for us to receive from our Heavenly Father.  His provision comes in many forms.  I’ve seen it come as a complete gift with no effort on my part. I’ve seen it come from an opportunity He provides for me to have a job and income.  I’ve seen it in the lives of others who have studied and trained to care for the sick and being the beneficiary of the fruit of their efforts.  I’ve actually seen His provision when I didn’t even know I needed it, as in a hug from a friend that makes me safe enough to surrender the burdens of the day I’ve been carrying or grieve a loss that just felt to big to feel before their embrace.

When we keep our expectation on the provision of our Heavenly Father for whatever the need, it opens us up to receive.  From this place of expectation of provision when I see you receive it builds my hope and faith of how He will provide for me. When I receive it not only blesses me but encourages those around me as it displays God’s loving kindness and faithfulness to them.  After all, that is His Name that He told to Moses – Merciful, Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abounding in Loving Kindness and Truth (Exodus 34:6).

I plan to keep my hands open, how about you?

Open Hands to Receive
www.sfodan.wordpress.com