Tag: home

lasting hope

Karla Lees

I am hardwired to be optimistic.

It takes a lot to get me down… usually a combination of illness/injury, eating poorly & not sleeping enough.

But like you, every day something tries to undermine my hope:

I am married to a wonderful man, who tends to be more of an Eeyore in nature, mostly due to his having seen so much in his nursing career over the last two decades.

I have had random twitches joint pain which has still not been diagnosed, leaving me exhausted some nights, and make it hard to fall asleep on others.

I too have had unexpected expenses pop up.

The loss of a loved one.

The dishwasher conking out when it was full.

My order not show up.

Not enough work.

Too much work.

Our complaint lists can keep going and going like the Energizer bunny, if we keep feeding them.

I choose to feed my hope.

Not on fluffy catchy feel better quotes.

Not on physical food or drink.

With the hope that lasts…

God given hope which rests on Him as its sole source.

In a world seeking bargains and making our lives as ease filled as possible, it dumbfounds me to see people spend millions on make it all better in 10 day programs.

If it didn’t take 10 days to get there, it isn’t going to take 10 days to get back out….just saying.

Since my life has had a lot of knocks, whacks and pitfalls, I need a source of Hope that can take all the concerns and worries I have, and then some, for days to come, for the rest of my life.

God is my choice.

He even paid the cost, fellow bargain hunters, so we can come to Him without barrier.

He even invites us to come and find rest in the shelter He has to offer:

He himself is our peace (Eph 2:14)

Come to me,all who are weary and heavy laden (burdened) and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Because he loves Me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name.
He will call on Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
 and show him my salvation.”
(Psalm 91:14-16).

God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!”
(Jeremiah 31:3a)

This is just a glimpse of the treasured promises from God for you.

He knows you.

Despite anything you may have done or will ever do, He loves you dearly.

He made a way for you to come home and be with Him, your heavenly Father.

Jesus calls you sibling, friend, chosen, apple of His eye.

Holy Spirit is within you to guide you, help you in any way you need Him to.

God with us.

That is where I place my hope.
Not on shifting trends, things that pass away and don’t last.
On the foundation of Hope my God has laid down for me.

All my hope is in Him.

The path of hope is waiting for you as well.

Its a journey unlike no other, but with Him leading you, you will always have reason to be thankful, give praise and hope.

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(Repost from Sept 17, 2014 as I am out & about getting ready to celebrate one of my babies’ birthday today, and this is one of my fave posts!)

Hello, it’s Me

Karla Lees

Like so many of you, I too have been enthralled by Adele’s song Hello. Everyone can relate to feeling disconnected from someone who love, who may not be returning our affection. The passion Adele harnesses as she sings it stirred me so, it brought her revelation that someone this song was really God’s song for the ones who don’t yet know Him.

I have pondered, played and waited on rewriting this song to be sung from God’s perspective over the lost. For if He sings over us, which the Word confirms to be so, He must be singing a song for everyone. Whether we answer His call to relationship and restoration or not.

May He stir us anew to know his heart for the lost, those without hope or direction,  those who are looking for home but haven’t found Him yet.

For the ones He loves are never far from His thoughts and are ever constant on His heart.

Hello, it’s Me
I was wondering if after all this time you’d like to meet
To discover everything
that really matters to you
But I seem to be the only One trying
Hello, can you hear Me
I’m right here in the Word showing you who you could be
When you were innocent and free
You’ve forgotten how it felt before sin dropped you to your knees

There’s such a wall between us
And a million miles

Hello from the other side
I must have called a thousand times
To tell you I paid for everything that you’ve done
But when I call
you always seem to be on the run
Hello from here deep inside
I’ll never stop My loving cry
To tell you I’m here to help restore your heart, and your life matters
dont let things tear you apart anymore

Hello, how are you
It’s so typical of Me
to talk about you
I’m sorry you’re not doing well
Do you want to be free of that lie
where nothing good will ever happen?

It’s no secret that one of us
Could be running out of time

Come home Love is My forever cry
I must have called a million times
To tell you I paid for everything that you’ve done
But when I call, you always seem to be on the run
Hello here from deep inside
I’ll never stop My loving cry
To tell you I’m here to help free you at last and you truly matter
dont let life batter you down anymore

Hello I’m waiting for you
My arms are open wide
Can’t you hear my heart beat wildly
As I keep looking at you?
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comeback timing

Karla Lees

When that setback happens in your life, its impact can have you believing there is no hope for a comeback.

But that all depends on what you mean by these terms.

A set back sets you back from the plan for your life.

A come back gets you back on the right track.

But what if the set back reveals you weren’t on the right track?

And what if the comeback doesn’t look like you feel it should?

For those of us who believe in God, follow Jesus and allow Holy Spirit to speak to us, guiding us on our journey, we have a different plan in play.

God’s plan.

And as we all know, what we decide doesn’t always go according to our planning. no matter how much time or effort we have vested in it.

This isn’t the case with God.

He invested His all through Jesus so we could have a comeback from the fallout of our setback, our fall into sin.

He literally have His all so we could come back to God.

With a love like that laying down His life for us while we didn’t even get know Him, I put more credibility in what He says than any one with lots of knowledge or street cred.

If He made us and He saves us, there must be a bigger plan in play that I can see in my day to day life.

Because God didn’t just rescue us and leave us to fend for ourselves available. He left Holy Spirit within each of us, to remind us that He is with us. and nothing will happen to us that He cannot redeem.

Redeem means to make right in His eyes.

Not always ours.

Struggling in a marriage where your husband regularly hits or cheats on you?

God has a comeback for you that may not involve your husband, but will involve you & Him. Together.

Unable to have a baby? Your comeback may arrive in counseling others through your greatest area of pain, offering them the support you prayed for while you were struggling or a child in desperate need of your loving arms and a safe home.

There are more accounts of broken and hurting people in the Bible whom God used than there are perfect people.

There was only One who had it all together, and that’s because He was God.

Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David , Bathesheba, Rahab, Esther. Mordecai, Ruth, Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul… and the list could go on and on forever.

Because each of us has had a setback, haven’t we, of one kind or another?

Life is full of hurts, blocked goals, loss, betrayal, and pain.

It is also filled with Hope.  Because of the One who came to be our Hope in the midst of each of our setbacks, as well as the all the mundane and wonderful moments interspersed in our lives.

He Himself is the comeback we need to cling to when faced with our setbacks.

He alone can guide you towards the comeback He has in store for you. even thought the path is so clouded by your pain, you can’t see beyond the next step.

But He can.

What sets us back the enemy tries to warp and tell us is designed to set us apart from God.  Which isn’t true.

God is always crying come back to His children.

He always has, and ALWAYS will, until each of His children has made their way back Home.

I am in a holding pattern for my comeback after a major setback which occurred in my life.

I refuse to allow the enemy to discourage me about the fact my comeback is not fully here yet.

I can say not yet, because God has clearly revealed Himself to be with me in a way I could not have experienced apart from His meeting me in that setback.

So, like you, I choose to wait for the comeback He has for me.

Because He promises in Isaiah 35 that He has better than what was taken from me ahead for me.

Blessing is coming back to me.

While I wait, He holds me tight and reminds me of His love.

I may not understand His timing. but I have felt His love for me, and choose to place my comebacks in His capable hands, for them to come to me in His timing, with His full blessing released as it comes.

I think some times if our comeback came right away, we wouldn’t know the comfort of His Presence had we not had the delay.

I wouldn’t trade the God I discovered in my setbacks for any of the tarnished treasures this world tries to offer me as I wait.

Instead, I choose to place my trust Jesus, author of the biggest comeback in all history!

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where is Home?

Karla Lees

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A few weeks ago while hubby & I were on a walking date, we got chatting about houses.  I love smaller places then hubby, and he made a comment about how differently we thought about homes.  I replied you are my home, not where we are living.

Wherever he is, is home to me.

Home requires staying in one place. A rootedness that seems to be forgotten in this never before seen age of travel & exploration.

Not all have learned the secret to making a home….

You carry home within you.

Huh?

I have now lived in houses of many sizes, stayed in rentals, motels & hotels over the years.

Home remained with me through them all.

When God makes His home in You, you are given the gift of home within.

Wherever you go, you are Home.

For He is with you & in You, everywhere you go!

So it doesn’t matter what country or house or apartment or condo I live in.

I can be at home anywhere, as long as He is my Home.

As a natural nester, this was a hard concept for me to initially grasp.  I wanted a tangible physical house to call home.

God blessed us after two ‘interesting’ apartment rentals with a long term townhouse rental for several years.  And I tried to nest, but was restless.

Then we had the opportunity to buy a house.  And when we did, God reminded me that it isn’t the size of the house, but the heart that makes a house a home.

When we live in time with His heartbeat, we are Home.

I can nestle in with Him at anytime, and know I am Home.

Today, right now, take a moment to close your eyes, and listen for your heartbeat.

Remind yourself that He is at home within you.

Ask Him to help you always remember He is your true Home.

It doesn’t matter where you go.
It doesn’t matter where you live.
Home is about the heart.

Lord, make Yourself at home with me.  Decorate me within until You are comfortable with the decor. Rearrange me until I follow where You direct me. Wherever you are, I want to be. You are my forever Home, and thank You for the glimpse of Home you give me every day.

May together we create a legacy of love in this Home for Your glory.

small nests

Karla Lees

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I have discovered small quarters can work as an amplifier for those living within them.

I prefer a cozy sized home.  For our family of four (plus pets), our home has been perfect for us. A home that wraps about us,and embraces us.

We don’t have too much privacy from one another in our about 1300 square foot house, but for me, that has helped make it a home.

Home to me is not a pristine show place, but a place where grace & love are experienced daily. Where disagreements & squabbles can’t be swept under the rug of excess space, and His Presence can be found.  Where we aim for peace before bed, forgiveness to flow 24/7 & new mercy every morning.

I am not naturally comfortable in big spaces or places, but have learned that as long as I know I am going home to where I truly belong, I can make due.

The same can be said about our relationship with God.

I want God to make Himself comfortable in every room of His home within me.  I want Him to be in charge of making it a home He wants to hang out in.  I don’t want so much space across the rooms that I can’t see Him at work in it. 

I want His love to have free reign within, but find I need to be reined in so He can expand & fill me more fully.

I want to be small enough I can acknowledge His need, and overflow beyond my needs into the waiting hands longing for His touch about me.

I want His love within to be seen more than the size of my house, or heart. 

My experience?

Love grows best in small nests.

I often refer to my home as my Nest. When I feel His Presence most at home, I like to refer to it as “nestformysoul.”  If I don’t need to be away from home, you can usually find me in my Nest, resting on my spot on our sofa, reading, singing or writing when I am alone, spending time with my family & friends.

call on His name

Karla Lees

The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

Not only is God Himself our stronghold, our safe refuge, but His very name is a strong fortress!

Have you ever faced something so mind-numbing, grief-paralyzing or shockingly painful that the only word you could speak was Jesus? I know I have, and the peace that He poured into my heart, mind and body as I continued to cling to His Name? Amazing.

If you too need Him to draw close to you, call on His Name, and picture yourself running into His embrace.

He is our ever present source of refuge, and He is just a Name away!

Join the chorus of believers crying out for God from across the ages… for His Name was, is, and always will be our Refuge, Fortress, and Home!

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PS. This piece was featured as one of Remade Ministries Drops of Encouragement, where I am one of their guest contributors.  Drop by & be encouraged, or sign up for e-updates of new posts at: http://remade-ministries.org/devotion/call-on-his-name/

resident

Karla Lees

Resident: noun; a person who lives somewhere permanently or on a long-term basis.

Reside: verb;
1. have one’s permanent home in a particular place.
2. be situated.
3. (of power or a right) belong by right to a person or body.

Beloved, did you know God wants you to live, to reside with Him always?  Permanently.

As gobsmacking as that concept is to take at face value, it goes way deeper than this…this idea of resident.

Because not only does He want you to live, reside with Him, He sends Holy Spirit to take up residence, to reside within each of us who belong to Him.

We receive the right to have Holy Spirit, in all His power & Godness, as full time resident within us.

Mind blowing, isn’t it?!

Jesus was a walking living breathing demo to us of this, as He and His Father were one, each living within the other despite one being wrapped in humanity & the other in full unharnessed radiant divinity.

He lives in me, I live in Him.

God situated, with me in every situation, as I reside, found in Him.

God invites us to become full time, permanent residents in Him, and longs for us to allow Holy Spirit to freely move in all the areas within us.

We get the keys to His home, when we give over our keys within to Him.

Each new room we give up releases us to run into a new wonder, more of the wide open spaces of freedom God has waiting for us.

I don’t know about you, but I love being at home, and being made to feel welcome wherever i visit.

We all long to return where we are wondrously welcomed.

And how You welcome us into Your arms, heart & Home!

God, I welcome You into my whole life. Jesus, I thank You for covering my sin & making me right with You. Holy Spirit, make Yourself at home in me. Wherever I need a makeover, gently lead me to the right tools I need to set me free, and rebuild as You desire me to be.

May I reside in You, be found in You, no matter what, all my days.

May I be so familiar with Your Presence that heaven will confirm my feeling of home in the here and now.

Take a moment, and listen to: http://soaking.net/sarah-busco-make-your-home-inside-my-heart/

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Allow God to speak to your heart about His moving in, and your moving deeper into His Presence & Stronghold.  Soak in Him, rest in His embrace.

May He embrace you as you seek Him afresh.

Note: Sarah Brusco is a Vineyard worship leader, through whom I have been blessed by her worshipful heart. She can be followed at https://m.facebook.com/thewovenwhisper or @SarahBrusco.

hedgeaway Home

Karla Lees

Yesterday, I startled a sweet little bird as I took my Nordic poles out for a spin.  Like the giant to Jack, I must have appeared a formidable threat.

Before those of you who have met me laugh too hard at that thought, I don’t mention it because of what I did, but rather what the bird did that split second after encountering me.

Along the boundary lines of this property is a hedge.

That wee bird headed for its entrance point in that hedge so quickly, I almost missed it.

An entrance way now made visible from all the traffic made by this tiny bird.

When trouble comes and appears like a giant above us, we too have a hedge we can run to for safety & protection.

God.

He is our Stronghold, our restful hiding place. In His Presence giants shrink to their proper size when aligned with His grandeur & majesty.

The truth is? Like that bird, we can be easily startled by anything  coming our way.

We don’t have to remain that way.

Today, join me in hiding away in His embrace.  Jesus made the pathway known back to our true Home.

It’s up to us to choose where we want to live.

Because our bodies are just the outer shell for the eternal spirit within.

We can choose where our spirit will live.  In the shadow of giants or in the shadow of His Presence.

I can assure you, no giant will appear to be larger than God when you begin to measure it against the God of the universe.

Cancer, debt, mental illness, abandonment, infidelity, loss?

God is bigger.
Greater.
All in.
Cheering you on.
Loving up on you.
Your safe place for all the emotions swirling within.

You can stay living in the land of giants, fearfully always looking over your shoulder….or staying close to Him throughout your day. Knowing with a plea or thought, He will remind you He is with you in less than a split second.

We can fly in His Presence.

We need to remember when the giant’s shadows begin to appear…..

Our hiding place is His embrace, always and forever.

Like that bird, may we fly into His stronghold at the first sign of trouble, and live secure knowing He is all we need for all we face.

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Sunday Psalm: Captivated

Karla Lees

I come
trembling with awe,
hesitantly fearful
as I approach You.
I am so enamored with You,
the very idea You might not
feel the same about me
fleetingly haunts my mind,
as my insecurity &
brokenness try to overcome
me as I draw near.

It is You I adore,
and like the moth to the flame
I want to burn for You,
knowing I will never be the same
through our encounter.

As I tentatively step Your way,
You turn and capture my glance.
I am enthralled by Your gaze,
as the passion & love You have for me burns its way into my spirit,
at the very core of who I am.

You begin to walk towards me,
confident in Your magnificence,
as I start to run.

I can hardly wait
to be in Your embrace.
The dirt of our time apart
begins to miraculously
fall away
and I begin to glow
from the reflection
of Your adoring complexion.

When You open Your arms
in welcome,
i rush into Your warm embrace.
My head rest against Your heart
and I both hear & feel the ferocious beating of
Your love for me.
You captivate me
in all You are.

I am Home.

#SundayPsalm

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true North

Karla Lees

Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey is one of my least favorite characters of the 6 novels written by Jane Austen.

Not because she has been poorly written, but because of the mirror it reflects of my own past.

I find her character uncomfortable, as it reminds me of who I used to be in a way I cannot easily turn away from.

She unsettles me, as my past does at times when I spend too much time reminiscing over it.

Catherine ends up meeting a “nice” man, Henry when she is newly arrived in Bath.

I met my Henry on site when he joined the staff of the summer camp I worked for.

There was immediate attraction, and a sense of connection I was too immature to fully comprehend, until one day he abruptly left, and I didn’t have a clear understanding as to why. Because I too had done something I should feel guilty for, by making my interest clearly known prior to knowing much about the man I was interested in.
I did know he had a faith, I just wasn’t sure where I was headed at the time to know how that might have impacted his decision.

When we reconnected through a mutual work acquaintance 4 years later, we still felt the same draw to one another. My Henry asked me out for dinner a few days later and over Chinese food, he shared how he had been struggling over the fact I was not a believer, something I shared at the time with his previous girl friend, and so he left to avoid further complicating his life when another job opportunity arose.

It wasn’t because I had done anything wrong.

Until a few weeks before we remet, I hadn’t been headed for true North yet.

And he did the right thing by walking away.

Unlike the Northanger Abbey story, where Henry walked away from his father over his unjust treatment of his love interest, my Henry walked away from me because he was following His Father’s leading….and heard ‘not yet.’

I am pleased to say we have been together ever since that dinner, almost 24 years ago next month.

And our True North has guided us through all the highs, lows, sickness, health, parenting, loss, grief and joys we have faced since.

The best thing that could have happened for me was that separation, although it felt like the opposite at the time.

Times of reflection can lead us to discover who we really are, in all our flaws, warts & weaknesses, if we have a reference point to fix our sight upon.

I cannot stress enough the value in both of us having Jesus being our true North.

Without Him, our considerable differences would have led us to part years ago.

With His guidance, speaking time in His Presence & Word, He helps us navigate, as the compass in our lives.

No matter where we go. Jesus will always guide us to our true Home.
With Him.

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