Tag: spirit

Take me away…

Karla Lees

Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place

– Natasha Bedingfield, Pocket Full Of Sunshine

My heart started crying out this song to my Abba these past few days.

When life gets tough, my first reaction is instinctively to ask to be rescued, for a quick escape so I don’t have to deal with whatever is currently facing me.

Afterwards, it used to be I would escape into a bag of sour cream potato chips or a sitcom, licking my wounds and berating myself for rolling over and taking a beating yet again. 

We never learn to be proactive and change our ways by just thinking about it. We need to do it.

Instead of being passive and keeping my hurts buried in the hidden spaces within, I am learning to run to the secret place.

His embrace.

I am invited there 24/7.
365 days a year.
And on into eternity!

I stopped short quite some time ago as I was headed down the wrong path of response when it hit me.

Why wait for eternity to fix everything? Why not now?

If we are called to supernaturally live in, through and with Him…then here on earth is where we need to do so.

Just as Jesus did.

Jesus took Himself away at times. Not to kick his wounds or hide away, but to reconnect. Becoming rejuvenated and reinvigorated for the plans He was to walk out with His Father. (Luke 16:16, Mark 1:35)

Jesus never backed down from doing His Father’s business where He saw His Father inviting Him into a situation.

I need to do the same.

Instead of allowing fear and survival instincts to drive me, I need to choose faith and supernatural instincts to guide me.

He promises to always be with us, and show us how to live free.

Our part is to choose to stay in His embrace through our days, and refuse to allow the lure of other pleasures to steal us from where our souls and spirits know is where we belong.

With Him.

He may take you away from a situation by prompting you to remove yourself from it.

He may guide you as to what to pray to shift the atmosphere.

He may tell you what to say to diffuse discord and bring peace.

The whole time, He will be with you.

I would rather be in His embrace in a hurricane than left alone to my own devices.

Lead me away from what doesn’t work, Abba, and keep me headed on the path You have for me. May I run to You first, and You alone, when the storms begin to circle.

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He hears…

Karla Lees

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

Crushed.

You let someone down, failed to meet that deadline, were passed over for the position or promotion, lost your one person whose love made your heart soar.

What crushes one heart may vastly vary from another, but we each can be crushed when the weight of loss or our choices come crashing down upon us.

And when we are crushed, we can forget we are not alone there.

No one else on earth may fully comprehend what you are going through. No two of us are exactly identical through and through, as we have each been made unique.

We might resemble another on the outside, yet our experiences, emotions and energies can set us apart in an instant.

There is One who hears what we may not be able to form into words in the moment our spirits are crushed.

For He doesn’t need our spoken words to know what’s on our hearts.

God can hear your heartsong whether you speak it out or keep it unspoken.

He hears your cry as you emit your brokenness, in the very moment your spirit screams in pain.

For crushing is painful.

But nothing is lost in His plans or purposes for us. Not even our crushing.

God knows the plans He has for us, and they are good. For our good, from our good, good Father, who has our best in mind.

He knew the crushing would come, so He knows how to comfort and restore us once it has.

If like me, you feel crushed today, may you hear the truth of His promises to you:

He is always with you.

He not only loves you but adores you.

He knows everything about you, as only a Maker can.

He sees all that happens to you, and cares so much about your pain that He keeps eveything tear you cry.

He hears all, spoken and unspoken, and is always listening for you. He loves to hear from you.

God will never stop coming to your rescue. He may have eternally saved us once and for all, but the Word is filled with His love in action as He continually comes for those He loves. To protect, to heal, to rebuild, to make new, to give hope, to guide.

Today, draw near to Him just as you are. Crushed, broken, needy, unlovely, worried, anxious or fearful.

He promises to meet us where we are, and never leave us there alone.

Our spirits may be crushed in the now, but I keep pressing forward into His embrace.

For I know the only way I was meant to fly is when He lifts me up and breathe new life into this form once again.

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This post was shared at “A Grateful Heart” link up today: http://embergrey.com/epic-weekends/ #agratefulheart

Sunday Psalm: HalleYOUjah

Karla Lees

As I’m reminded of all the wonders
made by Your command,
I arise from my seat
to quickly take a stand
I close my eyes
and raise my open hands
then Your praise shot forth
as I began to understand,

It’s all about You
it always has
and it always will
be all about You
Father, Son & Spirit
we shout HalleYOUjah
for all the world
to hear the truth
It’s all about You!

When I saw the words
as Your love shone forth
when You opened my eyes,
I dropped to my knees
with a grateful heart
from the surprise
I lift my hands
asking You to shine through me
so all world can see

It’s all about You
it always has
and it always will
be all about You
Father, Son & Spirit
we shout HalleYOUjah
for all the world
to know the truth
It’s all about You!

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#singanewpsalm

let your weight of burden go

Karla Lees

I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. Philippians 3:13b

I have had a few conversations of late where wonder was expressed at how I can leave my past behind me.

It was not easy learning to let go and to forgive, but I figured out quite quickly I couldn’t hold on to the old me if I wanted to become the new me He had in mind with my design.

The tighter we grip our past, the less able we are to step forward.

We weren’t meant to be under that kind of strain, nor to carry that kind of baggage.

God reminds us that we are to:

Come to Him, all those who are weary and burdened, and He will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Al;though I knew this as we all do on one level, God made this verse come alive to me in a very unexpected way.

One day, soon after my second child was born, I was walking from our car into a mall to go shopping.  The moment i got out of the vehicle, with each subsequent step, I could feel an increasing weight being applied onto my shoulders. I felt more and more weary,  with a strong sense of despair all at the same time.

I was beginning to hunch and limp so much so as I kept walking I thought I might be having a stroke. I was pretty close to completely freaking out on the inside when it suddenly occurred to me to pray in the moment.

So I did.

The weight briefly got heavier as i did, and then i heard, “Are you ready to let Me carry those burdens?” in His sweet soft voice.

That was the eye opener my squelched down hurting soul and spirit needed.  I stopped, prayed and asked Him to take anything i might be carrying off of my shoulders, and to give me rest in the place of those burdens.

He did, almost immediately.

My  exhaustion and sense of burden lifted. My back straightened, my neck and shoulders loosened up, and my gait realigned with every step i took after giving Him that weight.

The weight of our past and our disappointments we were never meant to be lugging along with us.

We were meant instead to carry the weight of glory, Beloved.

The moments in our past where we were hurt or experienced a sense of loss?  He asks us to give Him those as we draw close to Him.

The moments in our past where we felt joy or celebrated? These too can become traps when we stay stuck in them, and can’t move beyond them.

We are meant to live in the now of this moment, Beloved.

God has reminded us in his Word how He has plans and a purpose for us, each and every one of us.  Good plans.

Plans which will incorporate the blessings and lessons from your the past, as He uses them to help His design come to light.

If you haven’t fully stepped out of the reach of those shadows lurking from your past, take comfort.  God knows.

His plan is for your full freedom.

And your full freedom will come to pass, because He isn’t a liar.

When the weight of the past speaks loudly at you, remind it you know it isn’t His voice trying to get Your attention.

Its time to take the igniter out of the liar’s hands, and let God heal and remove the past wounds weighing us down.

Then He can reignite…

Our hearts with His love.

Our minds with His hope.

Our bodies with His touch.

Our purpose with His guidance.

Our lives with His life in us.

Before this busy season of celebration begins to pick up speed, set some time aside to soak in his Presence.

Just like a bubble bath relaxes you physically and emotionally, soaking in his Presence helps the dirt of the past to be washed away as He restores and rejuvenates your spirit.

Let the weight of His glory cover you and make you whole as you place the weight of your burdens and hurts into His loving hands.

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lean into Hope

Karla Lees

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His timing is perfect.

The Max Lucado quote above jumped out at me last Sunday night, again yesterday morning, and won’t leave me be.

This morning, I awoke to the beginnings of a migraine. and this quote jumped back out to me, yet again.

I choose to believe it’s God reminding me of the truth it contains.

Lean into Hope.

God knows we need a shoulder to lean on and strong arms to hold us. That’s His job. Ours is to learn in at all times, trusting He is there for us. No matter what.

Heed the call of heaven.

We can’t find our path through the storms without His light showing us the way through. We may not be able to see our way, but if we are listening for His voice, we can hear His direction guiding us onwards.

Press into the Promises.

Our God is the God of Promise. What He says will happen, will.
What He says He will do, He will.
The precious promises He has wrapped throughout the Bible are there for us to wrap our hearts about when things are bumpy, painful or seemingly exhausted of hope.

These three short sentences all have something in common, besides all being penned by the same man.

They are all calls to action.

We need to choose to do these three steps in order to keep our equilibrium during the storms.

Because God is waiting for us to lean, heed and press in to Him.

He can’t do those steps for us.

He can be with us when we accept His reminders and invitations to come…

Lean on the arms which never tire, heed His loving voice speaking hope and life, press in to our ever present never shaken Rock.

He is the strength we need.
He is the love we crave.
He is the foundation we long for.

You do remember He adores you? Always has, always will?
No matter what?

Choose Hope, Beloved.

Every day, every time, every season.

For He alone will never fail to rekindle our hope when we put our faith and trust in Him.

waiting for Hope

Karla Lees

In the hard times, I have begun to speak words of hope to myself, especially when i want to wallow in my situation.

Life can be hard, can’t it?  And we can easily become swamped down by the what ifs, why mes, will it ever ends and Argggghhhhs.

I especially love the Psalms, because I can see myself in most of them.  Crying out to God in the midst of my anguish and pain.

But that’s only part of the purpose for the Psalms, Beloved.

The psalms were not penned to remind us we are alike in our difficulties in life, but to remind us of the Hope each psalm contains for us all.

Hope Himself will rise to meet us, as God met each psalmist in their journey of waiting and seeking.

Our living Hope is entrenched in each word of HiStory, the Bible; for He is  both the inspiration for every word and the rescue for each person recorded in its history.

And because He is, and always will be, He is our Living Hope in our present moments, no matter what they are.

He rejoices with us when we get or hear good news.

He cries with us when our hearts break from sudden or slow loss.

He mourns with us in our grief.

He actively pursues us when we feel lonely.

He houses us when the echoes of abandonment try to return.

He makes His home with us, giving us hope, purpose and a future intertwined with his heart.

So like the psalmist of Psalm 119, I choose to wait for His word of Hope.

For Him to speak life into my weary brittle bones. To spark passion into the embers of my dry heart. To come to me and show Himself strong. To love up on me in every area where I have lack. To provide over and above what I can believe for in the natural.

So I wait for You.

Because You have never failed to reveal Yourself to expectant hearts who eagerly wait for You.

Will you join me in the wait?

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Sing a new song: Over Me

Karla Lees

Yesterday, for the first time in quite a while, I wrote a new song.

Not a new psalm as I do each Sunday, but an actual song I believe He wants me to sing one day.

Many who know me know how much I love to sing. You only have to get into a car with me and turn the music on, glimpse me on the bus lip synching to my iPod or catch me singing along at my local Starbucks.  I dreamed of doing musical theatre professionally, did a brief stint as a rock band backup singer and have sung at weddings, coffee houses & funerals. Music is part of my DNA.

At church, I sing without abandon as I worship my God.  I used to hold back out of dear of what others thought about how I was worshipping.  Now? I really don’t care what anyone else things but my God.  Coz its for His enjoyment and glory, not anyone else’s.  He made me to use His gift of music and words to bless His heart, and point others towards Him.  He has given me the nickname, Songbird.

For someone who was scared of public opinion so much she used to quake in her boots everytime someone called or emailed, “Can we talk?” without any details being given, this has been a huge breakthrough for me.

God has brought me out of the desert I imposed upon myself into the freedom He has for me in the Promised Land of His Presence.

Where I can hear His voice more clearly, and long to spend increasingly more time with my True Love.

In a shocking turn of events for me, I received this song in its entirety in less than 5 minutes.
Lyrics, melody, bridge…and i could hear the harmony as I rushed to write it down. In those moments, He rekindled my long lost dream to write songs again.

Today, I feel led to share these words with you.

Because I sense this is your song too.

Please be aware that as a writer, offering what is most precious to outsiders is a huge risk. My heart is intertwined with this song He birthed in me last night.

Sharing it with you when it is still a newborn feels awkward to me, but I want to be obedient to follow where He leads.

May Holy Spirit whisper what He wants you to hear as you read these words from His heart through mine. 

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OVER ME– by Karla Lees

You’re drawing me deeper
the more I surrender
abandon my ways for Yours

You’re holding me tighter
the closer I come
exchanging my heart for Yours

and You sing over me
You sing over me
You sing over me
how You love me
how You love me

You’re drawing me deeper
the more I surrender
abandon my ways for Yours

You’re holding me tighter
the closer I come
exchanging my heart for Yours

and You pour over me
You pour over me
You pour over me
overwhelming love
overwhelming love

as You sing over me
my spirit soars free,
my spirit soars free…
Deep cries unto deep
as You love me
as You love me

greatly blessed, highly flavored, deeply loved

Karla Lees

Last night was one of those nights.

When you are so tired you can hardly keep your eyes awake, and just as you are comfy in bed trying to fall asleep….

  • hubby starts puking (from something he ate)
  • daughter gets a massive nose bleed
  • hedgehog starts running like a maniac on its wheel
  • cat starts snoring
  • the weight of the money getting tighter with a third car repair in ten days looming ahead

And you think, right there on the edge of losing it, “How will i ever get to sleep?!” before you hear His whisper, “I’ve got you.”

I left go, give it all to Him, and have a wonderful seven hour sleep. 🙂

God has an amazing way of flashing His promises and blessings through my mind & into my spirit when i need it most.

For in Him, as His Beloved, I am:

  1. Greatly blessed.  I am moving in with the King of all that is, ever has been & ever will be into eternity. I have an eternal inheritance as His daughter, His Beloved. Hullo, can I get an amen, soul?!  And if that was not blessing enough, I am never left alone. He is always with me. Even through the worst this world & circumstances can hurl my way.  I can rest in His loving care.
  2. Highly flavored.  I have been hardwired uniquely by the Master Craftsman just so, and my uniqueness when offered to Him & for His Kingdom blessed Him.  He gives good gifts to all His creation. Each sunrise, sunset, baby cry, flower blooming, rain fall – is a gift for us to enjoy.
  3. Highly favored.  Each talent & skill He bestows on us is a visible sign of His favor, as is our ability to walk right up to Him in His throne room & climb up on His lap, to ask anything we want of Him.   As His Beloved, we have especial favor in the eyes of our Love.
  4. Deeply Loved. His Love is astounding. That You choose to shower Your love upon me, breathtaking wonder! Going to the cross to show me just how much You love me- as far as the east is from the west, with no end? Overwhelming joy!

If you too are in the midst of hard times, take the time to draw close to Him again right in that moment when you feel like you can’t take much more.  Allow Him to shoulder your burden, fill You with His peace & love, and comfort you as He walks with you.  He truly shines all the brighter against the dark backdrop in your difficult moments.  Don’t forget to ask Him to remind you who you are to Him.  He loves to love up on His Beloved 🙂

 

 

i am greatly blessed

love letter to the Beloved

Karla Lees

Beloved,
yes, I mean you.
Please look at me.
I am inviting you
to come out of hiding
and enter My embrace
just as you are.

My love for you?
It’s not based on what you do,
for I am not interested in performance as a basis for My love.

My love for you?
Overflows out of me,
because I am Love.

And I felt desire for you
my Beloved,
my Bride,
back before I created
this world & all its wonders.

Do you grasp that I consider you
to be My crowning glory
of the wonders in this world?

I had a glimpse of you
as I laid out my plans for Creation
and although I knew
it would take time
and many many lifetimes
in earth’s time
for you to come to me,
I was excited
for our meeting.

I have been waiting for you
since before time began
to meet with you.

Love cannot help but long for the one it loves.

And You are she to me.

My Beloved.

I know life in its daily drudgery can be hard to cope with some days,
but I hope you know the Truth which accompanies you always.

I am with you, each & every moment of your life.

In the hard times, I bring comfort peace as the jewels of My love for you.

When you are rejoicing, I clap for joy.

When you are grieving, I hold you even closer to my heart.  For I too know the pain of deep loss.

When you finish the race before you, I am the Prize waiting for you at the end.

When you feel discarded or broken by this world, know that I long to reshape you into the masterpiece I saw you as & created you to be from the beginning.

Oh my Beloved,
that you would accept what you may not be able to fully understand on this side of Heaven….
you are loved.

Walk it out.
Be loved.
Allow yourself to be my Beloved,
no holds barred, without restraint.

As you walk as my Beloved,
the fragrance of My Presence you will carry will entrance those who do not yet know they are part of My Beloved.

My Bride awakens when she senses My desire for her.

Be loved, Beloved.

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God has been wooing me with quiet loving whispers to my heart, and reassuring Words to my spirit.  The harder my days seem, the lighter they become when I recognize that being His Beloved is not like work, where you can turn it off or on at will.  His Love is meant to cover us, soak into us, and become part of us, making us over as His Beloved from the inside out. 

Be loved today, Beloved.  Allow Him to speak the words & song the song over you He longs to bless you with.

Sunday Psalm: not just spoken

Karla Lees

Your love
is not just a spoken love
although You made sure
to record it
in Your Word

Your love
is not a distant one
as You made sure
to display it
in Your Creation
for all to see

Your love
is not a woosy love
as You made known
on the cross
lifting Your heart
high for those You love

Your love
is not just a spoken one
but You never stop
speaking to
Your Beloved

Your love
is love in action
never stopping
ever pursuing
constantly drawing near
continuously reaching
for the hand
of Your Bride

Your love
caused You to
create a counterpart
so You could have
another to love,
although God in Three
are already
complete
without her

Yet Your love
became spoken
and fleshed into action
when Jesus walked
lived and breathed
and loved amongst us

Showing us
Your love
face to face
in a lavish act
of crazy grace
as You spoke
Your love
directly to
Your people

Your Spirit never stops
revealing the Father’s
adoration of His children,
and the Son’s devotion
& delight in His Bride

Your love is
not just a spoken love
and I am forever changed
because of Your love

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