united – KARLA LEES

Wisdom Seekers

November 19, 2015November 19, 2015 Karla Lees

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 (NIV)

The quest for knowledge can become a fact finding mission without an end, unless you know the right place to search.

I am married to a man who is my complete opposite. As a science brained person, he loves logical progression as he acquires knowledge (a+b=c). As an artsy creative type person, I love to use my senses and intuition to learn. We have been known to frustrate one another because we cannot explain ourselves so that the other gets what we are saying.

As newlyweds this caused a great deal of friction in our marriage.

Until I discovered this verse in James, and realized if we were ever to understand one another, we would need the Holy Spirit to help us communicate.

It takes His wisdom to show us what is behavioral, and what has been hardwired into our design.

God has never failed to shine His truth and wisdom on any situation where I have first waited for Him to speak.

Heartbreaking, traumatic or at a crossroads—whatever the circumstance—His wisdom was the exact fit for what I needed to know, and for where I needed to go from there.

I can honestly say I am still married today because of God’s wisdom, love, grace and guidance through some very turbulent waters.

Pause and Apply: Do I tend to leap before thinking? What do I need to bring before God so He can speak wisdom into it?

Prayer: Lord, You give the gift of wisdom to all who ask. I am asking today. Help me navigate the choppy waters ahead in a way that pleases You.

The post Wisdom Seekers first appeared on Remade.

birds of a feather

June 11, 2015June 10, 2015 Karla Lees

I always related to the ugly duckling as a child, and honestly, still as an adult.

Not because I think I am exceptionally ugly (surface beauty is in the eye of the beholder…) but because I have always felt on the outside looking in. A misfit. A round peg trying to fit in square holes.

I have felt that way at times in my relationships, my jobs, in ministry & at church.

And then in an email that arrived last night, I realized why I didn’t fit with the rest of the lovely ducks in the pond around me.

I’m a songbird. 🙂

Silly goose!

Laughter aside, I was trying to make myself fit into a mold I was never designed to fit.

I am both a trailblazer and a companion in my giftings. A mentor, leader & supporter all rolled into one.

I tend to flock with the other birds also seeking their right fit.

And that is okay with God.

Coz its how He designed me.

With that email yesterday?

I realized that I have four fellow chicks I am meant to flock with. To support when one moves into the lead, to be alongside to help break the winds and offer relief when needed. To all jointly pull in one direction, yet as individuals each doing our part.

That I am not alone.

Just as the foremost goose in the front of the flock rotates when their wings get tired, I am meant to be part of a team, not on my own.

And like the other geese, we all have separate backgrounds & nests which make us uniquely qualified to separately share, becoming amplified when we join as the Bride to share His Words & Love to the beloved who don’t yet know the depths of His heart.

He makes us somehow even more when we are together than our sole efforts on our own.

We live in five different areas over a few time zones. Some have older kids, some younger. A few have obvious scars, others are more hidden.

We all have an intentional pursuit of His Presence, insatiable desire for His Word and longing to hear His voice over all.

Like geese, we know we need God to be the strength allowing us to fly despite the headwinds against us. We know we were meant to be united in fellowship, tight flock formation despite our differences.

We may not always be completely understood in our home ponds, but as birds of a feather united together for His Kingdom, we are being blessed.

My desire is for God to help each of us find our main voice as daughters of the King, writing for His Kingdom and His glory.

When God unites our hearts, we can’t wait to flock together. 🙂

PS. I am blessed to have both local flocks of chicks, and a international flock. This post specifically refers to my fellow writing chicks: Beth, Brandi, Kate, Jaime.

May we become the Song He longs for us to sing in harmony for His glory.

PPS. My “local” flock of chicks know how much I value & appreciate their love through the swells, valleys & storms. I regularly try to let them know how much I treasure them, more than words, and flock together whenever we can. You know who you are, sisters! xo

community matters

April 6, 2015 Karla Lees

Today, I am taking a day off from writing.

I am spending some time allowing my sprained wrist to recover, but also listening to where the Spirit wants me to write next.

Easter hit me with a different impact this year, and I want to soak in the lessons I ahve learns, and make them part of me before moving on.

But because YOU matter, I am posting about community.

How unity is such a part of God’s heart for His people.

Because He himself dies to bring us back to Him, to be reUNITED with Him.

To become one with Him, through him, in Him.

You can read this post in its entirety at my church’s blog:

http://auroracornerstone.ca/blog