rooted – KARLA LEES

are your roots showing?

August 7, 2015August 7, 2015 Karla Lees

I recently has to get my hair done.
Because I have very curly hair, i can’t always tell when my roots begin to show, until they are pretty bad. Like over an inch or two.

Because I am transitioning back to my natural dark ash blonde, (which is actually a lighter brown but the boxes & color wheels say is dark ash blonde, so I guess technically I am still a blonde!) now that I had a lot of roots showing, I needed a new game plan. Where am I headed now? More highlights & lowlights to keep transitioning with each cut, or dye my whole head to match the roots, then add a few highlights for fun.

I went with option b. Because I am not ashamed of my roots. I like the color, and want to work with the body I’ve got.

How long are your roots?

Are they subtle and barely noticeable, or obvious to everyone who sees you?

Are they hidden because of how you carry yourself?

The roots to which I am now referring?

Your rootedness in God.

Do you spend more quality time with Him than anyone else you are in relationship with?

Can other people tell you are depending on Him in your day to day life?

Can you remain standing when the storm hits?

God is unshakeably dependable, our Rock of Ages. Nothing shocks Him, ever. Nothing can move Him out of His position as Lord over all.

There is living water & wisdom to feed the souls of those who dig deep and draw close to Him.

And the closer you get, the deeper you become His, and the more He steadies you.

So unlike your hair, these roots are the ones we want to be visible in our lives.

We want Him to look at us and see we are standing on His Word, trusting in His ways, and seeking Him in every moment.

We want roots so deep we are constantly strengthened by Him, grounded in His Promises, & in His Presence.

May we look beyond the superficial, find the courage to let our root grow, and not be afraid to let them show.

your true character

May 30, 2015 Karla Lees

You know that under pressure,

your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.

Let it do its work…James 1:2-4 (MSG)

I find the character of Joseph echoes throughout this verse, not just because colors are mentioned.

When Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, his true character was forced out into the open, for he did not have the luxury of hiding from his owners. And God’s favor clearly rested on him as Joseph kept strong in the faith. He was with him, despite all the ups & downs Joseph faced.

When the storms and chaos comes, the faith you have within comes to the surface.

Is your faith deeply rooted?
Easily pulled up with the first gust of wind?
Well soaked so it can withstand a dry season?

Our character is shown through the pressures of life.

May yours, and mine, be a reflection of the God we adore as we dig down deep for all He has for us in this life.

Like Joseph, may we depend on God alone as our foundation when our identity has been stripped away, our hearts broken, ad the road ahead unclear.

stumped

July 13, 2014July 14, 2014 Karla Lees

When you hit a wall, where do you go?

When that question doesn’t get the answer you hoped for, or any answer for that matter, what do you do?

When you can’t see the next step before you, how do you go on?

Life may stump you.

In all likelihood, it already has, and it will likely do so again, and again, and probably again.

I no longer see bring stumped from a depressing view point.

You see, as long as that stump has roots, it has possibility.

It partly depends on the type of tree, and the ground it is rooted in.

A tree that has already weathered hard storms, drought and disease will keep determinedly trying to grow.

A tree with shallow roots, who never learned to grow deep in difficult seasons, won’t make it.

Which are you?

Are you rooted in God, whose depth is never ending? Who provides for all who have been added to His family tree? Who will never leave you, no matter what weather is up ahead? Who quenches your thirst? Sends the refreshing rains to soak you?

Are you rooted in the world, who is flighty, ever changing and undependable? Who decides one day to live one way, and the exact opposite the next? Where the standard is what feels good, vs what IS good?

Are you rooted in yourself? Locked up within so you can’t put down healthy roots? Feeding your roots with the poison you absorbed in the past? Creating more toxins inside the longer you stay on your own?

Are you ready for health yet?

A tree may be stumped, in part because it needed to be cut down (used for a purpose), pruned (to remove dead growth, diseased sections) or in the way (inconvenience).

There is nothing that can stump the one who designed and made you.

He knows the path you are on, the safe way to navigate it, and promises to Himself walk along side you as you journey together.

There is no stump too far gone for God not to bring it back to life.

If you are broken, He can fix you.

It may not look like how the world considers being fixed, but it has eternal value.

If you are confused, He will guide you.

He knows the design He made you for. How you will best grow fruit, find peace and joy as you walk with Him.

If you are in pain, He will comfort you.
His arms are always open and available.

If you are bound, He will set you free.
The past nor your enemies cannot keep an eternal God, beyond our time limitations, from opening the cage and letting you out. The one God sets free IS free, whether you feel it or not.

Its time to set down roots in the One who can best care for you, the Gardener of your soul.

Plant yourself in Him.

Don’t allow bring stumped to keep you from your purpose.

You were meant to grow.