Tag: invitation

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!)

meet with Me

Karla Lees

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Come,
the invitation reads.
Meet with Me,
the Spirit whispers.

Today is unmarked
brand new, teeming with possibility
like the freshly fallen snow
and I want to guide you through it
Not from afar
but closely beside You

I love to listen to the sound of your voice
the rhythm of your heartbeat
as you begin to slow down
and align with my heartbeat
as you draw near

Meet with Me
has been my invitation
since the Garden
I have made it over
and over ever since
through the Word
through My prophets
through My priests
through My followers
through My Son
through My Spirit

Come to Me

I invited you
face to face
when I walked among you

Come as you are

It doesn’t matter to Mewhere you’ve been
My arms are always open wide
My love ready to pour over all your wounds
My touch ready to soothe all your hurts
My blood ready to cover all your sin

My Presence is always ready to walk with you
through all your wins and losses
hurts and healings
storms and deserts
sorrows and joys

I wait here
to meet with You

Won’t you come
and meet with Me?

#crytotheBeloved

pressing in for mercy

Karla Lees

This morning I responded snappily to an ongoing stressful situation.  I didn’t pay attention the reminder which flashed into my mind to just listen, but instead instantly reacted.

Again.

As someone who believes how we use our words can bring life, I am likely harder on myself all the more because I know better & know He desires for me to live His Words.

But You delight in showing mercy,
and mercy triumphs over judgment.

When I get overwhelmed at times, I forget to:
stop.
pause.
breathe.
pray.
listen.
wait.
then speak.

When I fail & speak sarcastically, with hurtful words, I become undone once i take a second to process what i have just done, knowing I may have wounded someone I care for.

But You delight in showing mercy,
and mercy triumphs over judgment.

You whisper loving words to invite me back to Your embrace, into Your Stronghold of safety where I can come & be washed clean of the stain of my sinful words.

My past embraced
My sin forgiven
I’m blameless in Your sight
My history rewritten

When I bring all of me before You, You are quite well aware of each of the wrong doings, flaws & gaps existing within me, alongside the gifts You are awakening.

You embrace me anyways.

There will never be a day
You’re uncertain
of the ones You choose

You know me & chose me long before I even came to be.

There is no surprise to You of what I am like, for Your Holy Spirit indwelling me means You are constantly aware of what is going on within me.

You are personally invested in me. Your Beloved.

And once You clean me up & lift me back up again, all i desire to do is spend my life celebrating You. You love me so You even took the judgment upon Yourself so I would no longer carry it.

So I will awake
and spend my days
Loving the One who has raised me up
From death to life
From wrong to right
You’re making all things beautiful

Even me.

Mercy found me but didn’t leave me there.

He helps me move beyond what I believe is possible into the expanse of His possibilities…all things are possible for the endless God who sticks with me through all my days.

You delight in showing mercy
and Mercy triumphs over judgment.

PS. The quoted text today are the lyrics from the one song that whammied over the head & grabbed my heart’s attention Monday night.  The song is Mercy, by Amanda Cook, of Bethel Music, on her yet to be released CD BraveNewWorld. A definite must hear for those of you, who like me, struggle to receive the costly but precious gift of mercy God offers us all.

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lonely, so lonely

Karla Lees

After losing this piece twice by trying to directly post it to Facebook, I have decided to press through and post it as my blog post for today.

It relates to the Christmas story, so I am going to run with it 🙂

I bet Mary & Joseph felt very lonely in their separate situations before getting married.

Its not every day you see an angel who gives you remarkable news.

Notice the angel didn’t appear to both of them together about the coming of Jesus, but individually.

They weren’t alone, for God was with them through it all, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t feel lonely along the way.

I have decided to go public about my previously private struggle with loneliness.

This week, I have realized I also struggle with SAD.  This is the third winter I have felt blue, which doesn’t help my lonely feelings other than to amp them up.

There, i said it.

This morning, I felt like a freight truck of obvious collided with me as I read the article I have linked below:

http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/if-you-ever-feel-lonely-read-this/

I can relate to entering a full room and feeling alone.  Set aside, like I don’t belong.

Then I hear the whispers of truth combat the lies the enemy has planted, like land mines waiting for the right pressure to ignite.

I am wanted.

I am set apart, not set aside.

I have been lovingly handcrafted with care.

I am irreplaceable, unique, one of a kind.

There will never be another me.

I have a purpose that only I can fulfill.

God is with me.
24/7, I am in his gaze and on His heart.

Loneliness is an emotion, more like a side effect that may come with a job, or particular situation.

Purpose is a fact. Recorded for you to be able to revisit as needed.

How can we tell which of the people we know or meet are struggling with loneliness, feeling unwanted?

We can’t always tell. Many of us hide our struggle away, because we fear the rejection that could come if we admit it out loud.

And we can’t always hear God say who is struggling in our hustle and bustle, because  the reality is we aren’t always listening at the right moment.

There are three key things you can do with everyone you meet which can help, and make you appear approachable:

1. Make eye contact.
2. Smile.
3. Share a kind word, encourage them if you can.

Spending time in the Word helps steady me, as does getting enough rest, and regular time with my support team.

Spending time in the world can heighten my struggle, so I try to limit how much I do in a day, to try and maintain my perspective, especially in the winter.

Christmas can be a time of heightened emotions. The extra weight of expectation can weigh heavily upon us as we try to get more done in the same amount of time, preparing for the holidays.

If you struggle with loneliness or being unwanted, this can make you question why. Why bother?

The Christmas story gives a beautiful example of why God can down to be with us.

Its actually the highlight of the story to me, because it meets me exactly where I am at.

When the angels invited the shepherds to the birth of their King.

Did you know shepherding is one of the loneliest and lowliest jobs of the day?  Shepherds were the outcasts, pretty much one step above lepers. They were sent out to live with their flocks, a lonely job, especially if there was only enough flock for one.

God purposefully invited the lowliest to sit at the feet of the Mightiest, and worship Him.

Not only that, but their invitation was mind-blowingly amazingly special. A whole choir of angels singing His praises, and the invitation to join them in welcoming their King.

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We have all been invited.
Some times, we need to be reminded of our invitation.

Reminded of the truth:

God didn’t come for only those who have it all together.

He chose the humble to parent His son, a virgin betrothed to a carpenter, from a small town.

He shared the good news first with outcasts & outsiders before the insiders were notified.

The only fanfare in His arrival?
The spectacular display of angelic voices- seen only by the shepherds and their flocks. Yet God didn’t see that as a waste, rather a special invitation it would be hard to ignore.

Our position, our emotion, our standing- none of that can disqualify us from our invitation…

All are invited to worship the King this Christmas:
the lonely.
the hurt.
the outcast.
the broken.

May you too find hope in His Presence this Advent, and may He rekindle your joy at His arrival.

His purpose for coming to earth?
For all to feel welcome.

Come to the manger.
Come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
God with us.
His gift.
For you,
for me.

#AdventuresinAdvent

home

Karla Lees

…make myself at home in His love.
– John 15:10 (MSG)

Our true home is calling.

Jesus came so we can have life in abundance here on earth, but the source of that life is eternal.

God Himself.

And once we decide to let Him in, He opens the doors to wonders we can only grasp at while here on earth.

We will be gasping with awe and wonder when we see them in heaven.

We were designed to walk with God in the garden.

To converse with Him face to face.

Once we have met Him, our spirit within begins to long for its true home, heaven.

And we have an internal unquenchable hope dependent upon our eternal God.
Holy, true, awesome in all His majesty.

His Spirit continues to whisper to our spirit, reminding us we are on a journey where the final destination is set firm:
Heaven is our true home.

And we get glimpses and snippets of heaven breaking through in to our daily lives from time to time, through thin places.

Where the presence of heaven invades earth in a mighty glimpse of what is yet to come.

His love is the key to it all.

God has a place for you, for me, in His love. Jesus refers to it as the Father’s mansion with many rooms.

I think that mansion is His heart.

God invites us to move in, and live in His love.

To make our home in Him.

To rest with the Almighty, secure in knowing He is in control.

As much as I love my family, friends and most of my life here on earth, my spirit leaps when I think of heaven.

I believe our spirits can be home sick for our true home, just as we can be when we are away from our houses or country.

His love is drawing us heavenward.

Hope begins with His Presence,
reaching out to us,
calling us Home.

Every love song serves as an echo of heaven’s invitation home.
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