Tag: plans

disappointment

Karla Lees

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It’s still there.

That disappointment you have been trying to avoid bringing into the light.

Thinking that if you don’t look at it, it won’t hurt as much. 

Harbouring our hurts only deepens them.

I have struggled with many disappointments over the years, and I have discovered the truth: each disappointment is the opportunity for a divine appointment.

Have you been praying for something you hold dear, and it hasn’t happened yet?

Did someone you love let you down, again?

Has it been x number of years since your last raise?

Did you get passed over for promotion?

Has your significant other broken up with you?

Did your loved one die even though you had been praying for their healing?

Have your womb and arms remained empty despite your petitions?

Last night, He reminded me in my LifeGroup that what matters to us, matters to Him.

Money has been tight for the past few years. Surgeries & schooling, unexpected car repairs & time off work without any raises can leave you frustrated.  I had been praying for increase, however God wants to bless us with it, and not seen almost any fruit in quite some time. All our needs are covered, except my desire to be debt free.

We were invited to pray what was on our hearts during LifeGroup, and as I had already stepped our on Sunday to ask people to join me in praying for something related but equally important, I decided to not speak up about that need, and my disappointment it hasn’t yet come to pass.

Imagine my shock when God prophetically spoke that exact request through the leader a few moments later.  Increase is coming.

God has a way of reminding us we can always bring what is bothering us to Him, doesn’t He?

He has never informed me that what was on my heart was insignificant when I brought it before Him.

He has always welcomed me with open arms, heard me out and loved up on me wherever I was at.  Whether I share my joys, pain, hurts, grief, or blessings.

Every disappointment I experience can lead to my experiencing God in a deeper way, if I not only bring it to Him, but give it to Him.

I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11 MSG

Come near to God and He will come near to you. James 4:8

And when we do?

He meets us there.

We experience divine appointment in exchange for our disappointment.

As I stop typing and move on to spending some time with Him this morning, I will close by leaving you with one of my favorite passages to claim when I am struggling with loss or disappointment, when the road ahead is unclear.

May He meet you right where your disappointments are, as you bring them into the light of His Presence. May He comfort & strengthen you too, as you draw near, and remind you of the blessings He has in store for you.

Psalm 23 (MSG)
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely Your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

married ever after

Karla Lees

This morning, i had the privilege of attending the wedding between a former coworker & a fellow worship team member, both of whom I go to church with.

It was lovely….with the couple obviously in love & desiring God to be the center of their lives.

Once upon a time, that was me, and you too.

I remember that joy, the kind of terror and the rest all rolled into one which I felt on my wedding day.  I knew God was with me, as we invited Him to be our centre.

Today was semi-sweet to me, because as life happens, not all the vows we make are honored, are they?

For a few moments, all I could feel was my regrets for not loving my hubby to my best every step of the way as God wanted for me, and my loss for my hubby not doing the same.

It was a brief moment of open heart surgery which surprised me, because I didn’t realize I was still grieving for what could have been in what was.

Then He whispered what He has continued to whisper to me every day…. I know; I’ve got you.

I cannot go back and fix what was broken, but He can lead me back & remove the wounds occurred there.  He restores my soul with delicacy & unswerving accuracy.

I can love, with His help, my best today in the here and now, and love the ones He has given me to love while I have them.

Love is a precious gift which sometimes takes a look back to help us see just how sweet it is.

It is never too late for two people who are seeking God with all that they are to be restored & begin to have their married ever after.

If like me, you find yourself in the forest of regret, remember God has never left your side, ever.  He has plans for your blessing, even if your plans appear to be unraveling. All things are possible is His motto, and we can trust Him with what, and who, matters most to us.

There is no sin He cannot forgive, no hope He cannot restore, no love He cannot rekindle in those pursuing Him with every fibre of their being.

 

I prefer semi-sweet chocolate, because I have learned to appreciate the balance blend the dark & the light.

Without the dark chocolate, the lighter milk chocolate would not taste as sweet.

When God releases His blessings in the midst of our brokenness, it seems all the more sweet when we compare it to the dark of our pasts.

May He speak His love to your heart today. Whether you are surrounded by loved ones or alone, my prayer for you is to know & feel embraced by the Loving One who will never let you go.

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what to do when you catch a glimpse you prefer you hadn’t?

Karla Lees

Yesterday, I decided to walk around the mall I work in, and explore.

As I work on the top floor in one of the professional spaces, I don’t see many of the other businesses, beyond the food court & the stores I pass on the set route I take to catch my bus.

On my walkabout, I was struck dumb by a way larger than life ad from a company I usually have found to not be provocative or rude in their imaging and marketing.

The slogan was brilliant, the image was offensive.

It has rankled within me since I inverted my eyes in the mall, and kept walking by.

Last night, I decided to look up the company’s website to find contact info, and was confronted with the same ad on the home page. Again, shocked but this time not unexpected.

What do you do when you are confronted with something that offends you, or is counter to your beliefs?

1. Turn your eyes away from it. As soon as possible, avert your gaze. It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and as His Kids, we want the spark to set the fire of pursing Him aflame, nothing inappropriate to distract us from our pursuit!

2. If you see it along a route you take, try to avoid it. Take an alternative path, or purposefully read or chat with a friend and keep your eyes fixed somewhere else. Don’t let someone else’s muck cause you to stumble.

3. Complain. Speak up. I tweeted my disappointment to the company respectfully, and informed them of my intention not to return until the ad is down… My voice matters when it impacts sales, period.

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If evil is its source, God calls us to align with Him, and use our voice to point out the truth, no matter what it is.

4. Take your business, and/or presence, elsewhere. Don’t support businesses or buy products that cross the line.
I am a fairly loyal shopper, and I like to support local businesses and companies that reflect excellence, quality and are respectful to their customers.

5. Pray for them. Pray for the companies to listen to those who are bothered by their actions, ads or decisions. Pray for the models or actors who take roles that do not represent them as a whole person.

6. Keep your eyes fixed on Him, keep His Words in your heart & mind. Stay grounded in His truth and goodness, His holiness and love which will last forever vs the temporary thrills trying to trick you into thinking they are in the right. Allow Him to shield you.

7. Decide on a personal or family ‘code’…Let me give you a few examples:

Don’t go to the movie theater without thoroughly checking out the movie you are going to see through a reputable godly reviewer. Have a three strike rule and you are willing to walk out (we do this with dvds too). I have left a theater twice over the years and never had a problem getting a refund when I was offended by content. I also don’t mind missing the first few minutes of a movie if it means I miss the previews, which are the only wildcards left if you did your homework. We recently saw a movie that I didn’t check out through our usual wise reviewer as we impulsively headed to the show, and the last five minutes of the movie ruined it for us with unnecessary smut.

A few years ago, we decided as a family to do away with our cable/satellite TV, as we were constantly turning the channel to avoid a risqué commercial or TV show. I was also tired of spending money on preset programming bundles when we only follow about a dozen shows a year.

Instead, we purchase DVDs (Downtown Abbey!) or episodes online. We no longer watch commercials, spend less time and money watching TV, and are not seeing images we would rather not enter our home or minds. The only time we have really missed it? Major sporting events, but we have family & friends who don’t mind inviting us over to watch the games together.

Filtering what we allow in is not only up to us…

Most importantly #8: In all things, seek to honor Him first. My general rule of thumb: if God would likely take part if He was with me, then it passes. As He is always with me, I need to listen to His prompts and leading over the cultural clamor’s sometimes sloppy seconds.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

9. Break off the impact of that glimpse.
By seeing something that God didn’t intend for us to see, we need to repent, and ask Him to cleanse us from its negative impact.

10. Ask Him to help you stay the course, every day.

We don’t try to be holy because we want to be holy. We become holy when we allow God’s holiness to permeate us from the inside out. Only then will what bugs His heart bother ours.

Keeping yourself from seeing what we know was not intended for us to see is honoring the One who died to separate us from the world. As citizens of heaven, we are to live under His authority & guidance, as He wants the best for us as we live here!

As lights in the world, may we all speak up where we can when evil tries to lure us to the dark side.

Because we know light wins in the end, and we should want that for everyone we encounter, every day.

better tomorrow today

Karla Lees

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I am a creative person, which can be a danger at times when I lose my anchoring.

Spending too long dreaming about the future can hobble your walk in the present.

We were meant to dream…but with the dreams God has for us to be dreaming. Dreams that awaken our soul’s deepest longings and desires, and single-mindedly pursue the passion they stir within us.

But the key is for God to be the one who gives us those dreams.
Which means we need to be pressing in close to Him regularly, and asking Him for the dreams He has meant for us to dream.

One of my deep down, never spoke about dreams in high school was to write a book.

I partly allowed the kind words of others to point me in a different direction for school and work, because I was too fearful to speak up and share my dream.

It took several years and a few major traumas for God to rekindle my love of writing into full flame again. When I had been in high school, computers were just coming into the mainstream, and I would never have believed I would end up writing a blog on my own computer every day!

I am trusting that the One who gave me this dream will stir up the embers until the spark catches on and it burns high with the fuel of my faith & His promises as it begins to unfurl.

How do i know this dream is from God, you may be asking yourself? I know I did.

1. I want to write because I have to. Its a part of me.

As God is the giver or our gifts & talents, I believe He hardwired to do so, and equips me to use it as He strengthens me. For God to give me a dream about writing fits with who He has designed me to be.

2. The dream never died.

God is eternal, and His words & promises are as well. What He has spoken comes to pass.

3. When you get confirmation.

When He reminds you through others who don’t know about your hopes & dreams, and they speak as if they are reading your secret journal, you can bet it was God! When He leads you to the right resources, a part of your spirit jumps and laughs within you.

I have another major dream He has spoken into me and over me over the past years. I am keeping that beautiful one even closer to my heart for its time has not yet come. So it is expectantly slumbering as I await for my Prince to awaken it.

Time spent pursuing Him will only add to the dreams He gives us, like colored paint adds depth and life to a black outline.

So I wait for the outline of my dream to write a book for His glory to unfurl. I have had a colored glimpse of what I think it will look like at the end, and am laying this dream down before its Giver so it will come to life as He leads.

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Dreams from God come true when we allow Him to take us by the hand as we sketch them out- whether its via word, music or art!

While I wait for what is to come, I draw close to Him today, to not miss out on what He has for me in the here and now.

My tomorrows are only in His hands if He has my today.

maskheraid

Karla Lees

…the grand facade, so soon will burn….

In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel

For 30+ years now, I have sung this song, one of my faves, especially the delicate remake by Nichole Nordeman.

Today i heard another word in place of ‘grand facade’: ‘masquerade.

And in that split second of awareness that can only come from Godly given insight, I clearly knew God wants me to let go of my mask.

The mask that has been aiding me, hiding me & protecting me from the world around me.

I can relate to a few animals in the animal kingdom.  Fox. Cat. Song Birds.

Unless they are raising young, they tend to be solitary creatures, living mainly lonely existences to the outsider looking in. But they don’t care about what we think, their instinct is to hide when they are afraid.

Unless I lay down my mask, I will end up the same. Except I care too much sometimes what others think about me at times, and I am tired of hiding.

Why I am afraid? I fear that if everyone really knew the real me, they and deep deep down, God, wouldn’t like me.

The mask that was supposed to aid me was in fact an enemy designed cover causing me harm.

That’s right. When we wear masks (not when we are paid actors or acting for a scene in a play, mind you) we align ourselves with the enemy.

That isn’t any good for anyone who is one of God’s children, which we ultimately all are.

God wants us to be who He has made us to be, not hiding behind masks.

I have a few small tattoos that I got several years ago on an impulsive whim. They irked my hubby (the shock of no notice and he doesn’t like the dark black ink color) and so I have covered them up and had them lightened a bit. Masking over what I liked. (Note: Hubby has since said his issue with them doesn’t mean I have to keep them covered up when I am around him.)

Now I am aware of cultural differences, and so in my work settings where it would potentially be offensive, I do not show them off but easily keep them covered under work attire.

I am free to show them, but choose to respect the views of those around me. I am not hiding them out of fear.

In the same way, our masks that hide our true nature need to come down, yet we are to be respectful of those around us while being true to who we are.

I am an artsy writer singer tea lover momma friend who loves God.

As I take my worn mask off, I realize that I can truly not hide who I am anymore. I could only squelch it for moments, maybe even hours, but the mask was never meant to be worn long term like our true identity is.

Stop settling for a second rate version of who God designed you to be, and take a look at yourself through His eyes:

Treasured
Adored
Redeemed
Unique
Image bearer of God

That’s right.

We were made to reveal His image to the world around us.

Wearing a mask cheapens our look and limits our ability to radiate the Son.
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Am i all of a sudden comfortable speaking up for myself in some areas where I have been masquerading?

Not really, to be completely honest. I just emailed someone to make an offer of help who may not receive it well. I followed His lead, and was myself in a way that may make the reader uncomfortable.

But I know the one who will give me the right words to say, reveal the timing of when I am to say them, and prepare the heart of the one i am to speak it to. My part is to stay real before Him. And on the days when I need the reminder, I tell myself:

God loves you.

Just as you are.

Despite your foibles, pimples, quirks, mistakes, impulsiveness and everything in between!

He died for us in an eternal display of grace and love while ripping the mask of religion in two.

The veil was masking God from His people. By destroying it He re-veiled Himself, stripping the mask and shining His true image for the world to see.

I am a little apprehensive and excited all rolled into one as to what my giving up my mask will look like.

However, as I increasingly get to know the God I follow, I am comforted to know that He knows the plans He has for me, plans for blessing, hope and a future beyond what i can see right here, in this now.

I will be able to see His face all the clearer without my mask.

I can feel how much He loves me when I come, just as I am, and let His love wash over me in a river of undeserved but oh so appreciated grace, and see how He will increasingly reveal Himself to and through me as I stop hiding.

How about you?

the force

Karla Lees

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Are you an ally of the Force?

There are only two to align yourself with…as we all see so visually made clear in the Star Wars saga.

You can align yourself with good, or the dark side.

The best? Being led by Holy Spirit.

The less? Being led by the enemy.

If you are unsure about which force you are aligning with, there are two sure fire questions to ask yourself:

1. Will this action I am considering hurt anyone, myself included, in any way?

2. Will this action I am considering bless anyone, myself included, in any way?

Door number one leads to harm, and is not the force you want to be joining up with. The enemy of humanity wants nothing more than to tear each and every person down, in an futile effort to try to show God he is His equal.

Door number two leads to blessings, and is the force you want to join and walk through life with. The creator of humanity wants nothing more than to build up and draw to Him each and every person, in an overwhelming love call to remind us that He alone is God, and wants the best for us.

It doesn’t matter what the outsides look like, as Yoda so aptly demonstrates in Star Wars.

It matters which well you are drawing your strength from.

If you don’t take the time to think through before you act, you can unknowingly align with the enemy.

Harm is never worth it.
And always does more damage eternally to the one who delivers it, if left unchecked.

Good is always worth it.
And always does more building up of the Kingdom and blesses the one who offers it, even if left unnoticed.

The Force is with you.
Your choice? Which side you will join.

The battle has already been won.

God will be the victor.
And the enemy knows it.

Don’t miss out on all He has for you, to bless you, give you a HOPE and a future.

May The Force behind all Good, Holy Spirit, be with you.

look up

Karla Lees

When I feel low, its usually because I have taken my eyes off of God.

When God is in His proper place, and I acknowledge how big, strong, mighty my God is, I can’t help but look up to Him.

Focusing on the problem makes it block out my view of God. It doesn’t mean God is not in the picture.

I was at a training course, where the teacher shared a part of someone else’s story.  A young man was crying out to God in a drug trip to reveal Himself. All the man saw was a tiny distraction, which led him down a tormented path for years.

When he finally went for healing and freedom, he asked God to reveal where He had been in the room at that exact moment.

God did.  He completely filled the room.

We can miss the bigger picture and how big our God is (as far as our finite minds can grasp an infinite God) when we narrow our focus.

When we limit our vision to what we think we should see, instead of seeing whatever God wants us to see.

Himself, reigning over all, no matter what we see going on around us.

We serve the one and only God, who is seated on His throne:
the Creator of all we can see on our earth, in our universe, and beyond.
the Savior of all people, who has never and will never stop reaching out his arms to them, us.
the Healer of all brokenness and wounds within us.
the Provider of all good gifts
the Guide who shares all wisdom, knowledge and discernment to all who seek and ask
the King who reigns forever and ever
and so much more!!!

In light of who He is, we need to remember He is greater than all we will come across:

The enemy who is being and will be defeated.
Those who hate and harm us.
Painful situations caused by sin & selfishness.
All disease, mental illness & sickness.
Losses and grief.
Broken hearts.

Today, I am reminded anew to lift my eyes up, and keep them focused on God, not how I may be feeling.

I will look up.
I will proclaim God reigns over everything happening in my life.
I will choose to put my hope in the One who gave so much for me.

Its never too late to look up.

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bless from the mess

Karla Lees

You catch way more flies with honey than vinegar.

-Unknown

I recently had a gear shift, or what you may refer to as an ‘aha’ moment.

I have a few friends who are both teachers.

My newest friend of the two finally felt she found the school she was meant to stay in, and was unsure there would be a place for her next year. She was almost heartbroken at the thought of moving on, and couldn’t see how it could happen for her to stay.

I prayed for her, asking God to move whichever teacher at that school who was waiting for their dream job/blessing on, so that the position would become available for my friend. Not what this person was expecting. A little taken aback by my approach, she also prayed the same way.

One of her coworkers shortly after shared that they got word their “dream job” had opened up for them, and space was made at the school for my new friend to stay there next year.

My other close friend has had a really rough year at her current school, without a great deal of internal support. Mess is an understatement for her year of extreme stress. I quietly prayed that God would move out into a better position whomever was needed for her to have a better year if she was meant to stay, or else open up an admin leave for her. As the year was an emotional rollercoaster, she was unsure which door she was meant to go through. The main person involved has recently been promoted out, leaving the door open for blessings to come without my friend needing to leave.

Praying God opens a door for someone else waiting can help us while we wait for ours to open.

Why pray for others? Why not just pray for our needs?

When I look at Jesus in the Word, I see a man of compassion for those who are struggling or hurt around Him. I see miracles, healings and deep care for those He blessed.

Why not bless someone else too while we pray about our need?

Jesus poured out His very life for those He loved, which was everyone.

We can have a positive impact by praying blessing on others….so why not ask Jesus to bless them too?

It could lead to their discovering who He is, how much He loves them and what He has done for them.

So I choose to pray blessing for those I work for, blessing on those in know who are waiting for doors to open, and blessing on those who are waiting for their doors to open.

We serve a big God. There is no reason why He won’t choose to bless if we ask Him to, even setting off a blessing chain reaction of open doors swinging wide before their King!

If God intends for you to walk through a door, He will open it for you. His Word promises His plans are good for us, and will come to pass when we seek Him first. Don’t be afraid to pray for the door to open if you know that you know that is where God wants you to go!

And if your coworker or neighbor or friend gets blessed in the process, even better 😉
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better things ahead

Karla Lees

When your life is filled with potholes, valleys and pain, its hard to see the mountains.

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But God,
the eternal
forever
all powerful
Provider
Redeemer
Restorer
More than able
Healer
Lover of our souls
Maker of heaven & earth
Before all time
promises….
We have good things coming.
Good things are in store for us up ahead.

Just because we can see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t there in our future.

Like me, you may have experienced horrors you were almost crushed by.
You are still here.

You may have had your dignity and innocence stripped away against your will.
You are still here.

You may have felt loneliness to the point of despair, and almost lost yourself in the depths you found there.
You are still here.

If you believe in God,
know He is for you,
you need to believe His word will come to pass
and He is who He says He is.

For you are still here,
which is not an accident.

You are still here
because God made a way for you to make it through your past.

You have good things ahead in store for you.

Its time to let down your burdens,
step away from your past,
(which is your history but not you)
let God in,
and begin to hope,
dream,
soar again.

With God, there is no such thing as too far gone, or too big a situation for Him to enter into on your behalf.

“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 NIV

I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Jeremiah 29:11 MSG