Tag: write

Sonday Psalm: worship

Karla Lees

Today is a double celebration day.
I am celebrating my eldest child’s birthday, and singing as a part of two worship teams today.

But every day is meant to be a celebration for those who discover  who they are in Christ.

I want to encourage you too today to celebrate. 

Bake a cake.

Walk in the wonder of nature near by.

Read the Word.

Sing with abandon.

Shout for joy.

Craft a new song, poem or picture.

It’s Sunday.

The day Christians usually set aside to worship the Son.

I like to think of it as Sonday.

It’s time for a new psalm to arise from His Beloved.

It’s time for us to let Him know how thankful we are to be His.

Celebrate the blessings you have been gifted with today, whatever they are!

#Sondaypsalm

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Sunday Psalm: in the depths

Karla Lees

In the depths
where we hide our hearts
the deep cries are made

In the heights
of Heaven
Your tears at our plight
were great

For You so loved us all
You decided to send
part of Yourself
to meet our need
with the gift of Your son
merged with our DNA

Such depth to Your love

That very same babe
free to be a Rabbi of renown
who spread Your Words of love
as He walked through our towns
speaking peace to our hearts
and life into our hidden places

No matter to You
was too large or too small
You touched each of us
with the greatest Love of all

Such depth to Your Love

Never ending
Your love will go on and on
Forever
Your heart will beat for me
Drawing me out
from where I’ve hidden away
into Your embrace
which restores each day

Such depth to Your Love!

#SundayPsalm

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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?

wordofHope

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

in His grip

Karla Lees

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I begin truly living when God is the one writing my story.

Sounds like the opposite of what logically makes sense, but its so true.

When God writes our story, His love comes shining through.

Our part is to make sure we are in His hands, He does all the rest.

Again, sounds too easy, but that is where the battle truly is…
in letting go of our deep rooted desire to control & allow God to take the reins.

For who better to write our story than the One who not only created us, but reigns forever over all?!

The fact that He came to us & rescued us from ourselves is awesome enough, but the fact He wants to partner with us through every moment of our lives?

Breathtaking.

When we sit in the driver’s seat, we tend to only see two ways….what is behind, and what is directly ahead.  We don’t tend to be as aware of the passengers on the journey with us unless they make a lot of noise, or are our Beloved.

When God sits in the driver’s seat, He sees everything all at once:
where to avoid the pitfalls & obstacles ahead, what He has gotten us through, who we are to have alongside us for the next step of our travels, and speaks to us to love & guide us as we use our gifts & love for His glory. All at the same time.

Only One beyond time can see it all.

Only the One who orchestrated it all deserves to be the conductor in our lives.

Only the One who scripted our love story from its inception deserves to write the love letter He is making in each of His Beloved’s lives.

Mother Theresa understood it wasn’t about the gifts we offer back to Him. It’s all about the God who has us lovingly in His grip, revealing His love to the world through our willing obedience & submission to His ways before all.

Somehow in His grip, we become way more than we could ever hope or imagine, because the One is who is so magnificent is moving within us beyond our comprehension in the moment.

His story, written on willing lives in the ink of true Love, will never fade…and miraculously becomes our story too as He writes it.

May we lay down our desire to be in control, and allow the One who makes all things new to write His love in our hearts so deeply the overflow draws those around us to meet the Author of their story!

His writeful place

Karla Lees

I had a dream I had kept hidden for several decades. And a few months ago at a special prophetic night, someone publicly read the mail in my heart and spoke it over me.

I am to write a book….at least one.

I have had a few ideas of late, but the timing for my first project isn’t right yet. I hope to coauthor the second, a bible study, over this summer. 🙂 I now contribute devotionals weekly to a Christian women’s community on Fridays. 🙂 I join blog linkups and learn from other writers. 🙂 My first piece 🙂 will be published in a well known US Christian woman’s magazine this summer, so I know that His Word is being birthed in me. I am in preparation mode for the dream to come to be.

I have been patiently waiting for direction on how to move forward in pursuit of this dream, and for now, I am to keep writing every day, and do what I am already doing. I am a writer, and my main Reader is cheering me on to continue.

Yesterday, I got a deeper revelation, which knocked my concept of writing on its head.

God whispered into my soul, my spirit, “Even if you were never to write another word, I am still writing your story. You are my living Book to show the world who I am, and what Love can do.”

Oh my, God.

I am a living Book, being constantly written in the hands of the Author of us all.

The Author whose Word has touched countless generations in this world, as His stories were told out loud, and then recorded for all to be able to know, and see. He desires all people to know His Words.

My story is His story, history being lived right here and now.

My life is His book coming to life.

I am His living book.

And He is using me to spread that life through my writing.

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. -Mother Theresa

I dig deeper, to know more of who He is, how He wants me to live, life to the fullest as He leads, and listen to what He wants me to say, sing, write. I soak in His Words, and pray He allows them to take root & grow fruit as He waters & brings them to life.

He corrects my typos, and rewrites chapters and scenes I once believed set in stone, with a living hand writing in blood, as His tears of joy stream down His loving face.

My life is truly becoming a live one as He rewrites & writes my story.

If you too have a background you are ashamed, not proud of, broken by or horrified at revisiting even in thought, He wants to erase the pain of your back story. He longs to reveal His strength & love to you, so you can store that memory safely in His safekeeping, and leave it there.

Your history before God? A prequel to the real story now taking place, with the intended Author now taking His rightful, writeful place!

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#lifelessonscontinue

PS. I just love this song about not holding back, and giving Him our all, but also way the script seeka to be being written by His hand. 🙂

May it reveal to you how much He longs to write your story with you.

(Lord I’m Ready Now- Plumb)

Sunday Psalm: Wherever I Go

Karla Lees

Everywhere I go
I know
You’re not far away
You’re right here,
You’re right here

-Jeremy Camp

I have wasted
so much time
so much effort
trying to hide
to run away from You
in my shame,
to try and cover up
how undone i really am.

It didn’t matter how far I ran
You were there along side me,
offering me quenching water
as I ran the race
which i secretly wanted
to lead me to You
despite my taking off
in the wrong direction.
I missed the subtle detours
You placed along the path
I ran until
I saw You waiting at the
finish line
as You waited
to congratulate me
for making it back
home to You.

It didn’t matter how deep I dove
to try and cover myself
in the very mud of the pit
You had rescued me from
when You found me,
You continued to serenade
Your love song
of longing and freedom
until I couldn’t take the stench
of the pit any longer,
and reached up to take the
outstretched arms
which had been waiting
all along.

It didn’t matter how high I tried to climb on my own,
the landslide of my pride
once broken
slid me straight
into Your embrace.

Everywhere I go,
You are.

When I take my eyes off
the passionate love that glows
for me
in Your eyes,
and tune out
the devotion, freedom and truth
You speak over me
I falter
and lose my way.

Yet everywhere I find myself,
You are waiting for me there.

You will never let go
of Your bride,
for You are the One
who paid such
a costly dowry
to purchase me,
such is Your great love
for me.

My heart pounds,
my spirit leaps in response:

I surrender God.
I embrace You,
and want to join You
everywhere
You are.
Instead of making
You chase after me,
I chose to chase after You
today.

May this be my prayer
all of my days.

#SundayPsalm
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love the one you’re with- 3 ways to show it this Valentine’s Day

Karla Lees

Love is a choice.

You may have heard that before, but this Valentine’s, may it sink in deep.

We show this love by how we care for those around us.

By choosing to love them, our love can be seen like an outer garment.

We choose to love.

How we express that love should be up to three key factors:

1. Listen:
Keep an ear out for how the person says they want to be loved, which is usually their primary Love Language.

My hubby is Physical Touch, so a long hug, hand hold or kiss he interprets as how much I love him. If we spend too long apart, those small touches remind him he is loved.

My daughter is Show Me. A spontaneous gift, a thoughtful card, going out of our way to drop her off or pick her up from school…those speak volumes too her of how much she is loved.

My son is Quality Time. Spending one on one, whether chatting, reading together, gaming or watching a comedy or action dvd reassures his heart that he is loved.

Mine is Words, or Tell Me you love me. I text, call or email loved ones regularly as a way of reminding them how much they mean to me. Hearing I was on someone’s heart or mind & they tell me about it makes my day!

(PS. Not sure what your love language is? Take the free test at:
Discover Your Love Language , it is so worth doing…for all your relationships.

2. Look:
How we see them show love usually reveals how someone wants to be loved.

It is likely no surprise that a writer & singer would love to hear loving, kind & encouraging words. Take the time to observe your loved ones as they express care & love to those around them. They will give you the best clue you need by how they show their love.

3. Get Equipped:
Learn how God says we are to love up on one another:
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Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

This is a huge list to try & do on our own. Trying to love in our own strength leaves us exhausted and empty.

Feeling stressed about how to love like the list in 1 Corinthians 13?

The good news is God helps us to love others when we come to Him to be loved…

The overflow of His love through us is more than enough to express our love to others.

This Valentine’s, let your loved ones know how much you choose to love and treasure them.

Your loved ones doesn’t need our freaking out about what you should get them by the world’s standards.

Bigger doesn’t mean better if your wife hates the roses you get her every year, coz you think that’s how you need to show her extravagant love & that she is special on Valentines… if she really loved daisies (true story!)

If you can only afford:
a small well chosen token…
genuine affection & love poured into a card…
a shared moment over coffee…
a dance to your wedding song…
a poem about love you printed off the internet and put in a dollar store frame…
then be yourself and express your love however you can. The best Valentine’s I ever got were hand written cards from my loved ones, as they showed how much they loved me by loving me back as I love to be loved!

Its not about the monetary price, but the choice you make to invest your love into another’s heart.

Love is priceless, and will live on beyond beauty, objects and time.

Choose to love from the best Source of love there is, its Inventor & #1 Lover of us all!

Love is always worth the investment when you choose to love the ones He loves, revealing His heart as you do.

His love never fails,
never gives up,
never runs out on us.

That’s the love I want my loved ones to know I have as my source of love, and that i will model for them.

Love wants the best.

Loving your beloveds as they long to be loved is the best gift you can give, every day!

hope in His presence

Karla Lees

Only the forgiven and loved can help others be forgiven and loved. Only the free can free others. Don’t be talented, be free. Write on, friend.

Those words jolted me wide eyed and bush tailed right out of a lull the other day.

And I realized something about myself.

Its not my talent that makes me any different from anyone else.

Because we are all talented.

Its not my looks that separates me from the crowd.

What a giggle writing that line was. I am a normal gal with the same issues other gals wrestle with: post deliveries, post injuries, post 40 🙂

Its not my voice, sung or written, that attracts people to me.

Its the message of freedom God has given me to share.

To sing hope into the spirits of those who are broken, hurting and lonely.

To write hope for those who need the reminder, or need to hear the truth for the first time.

Freedom is waiting for all who pursue Him.

After one particularly hard season of being broken down and painfully rebuilt, God impressed on my heart that HOPE is now a part of me.

Like an identifying factor, I am recognized for the hope I have.

The hope that grows when I am in His presence.
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The hope I hope I share when I communicate.

The hope i hold dear in my heart.

The hope I walk in each day.

I am free.

And God’s not finished with me yet.

I know the hope I have.

Do you?

(Quote from: You Don’t Need More Time)

Sunday Psalm: Sing a New Psalm

Karla Lees

For the past 112 of 114 days I have been have a quiet time reading a psalm a day. I have discovered three main things along the journey:

1. God is found in all situations, from each breath we take every day to the running of nations. He reigns over all. He is righteous, living, majestic, creative and fascinatingly amazing to see through the psalmist’s words.

2. We can pour out anything we are feeling before God. Our hopes, dreams, hurts, anger, joys, failures, and everything in between that a person could want, need or desire.

3. God included people with all our quirks and frailties not only as part of His story, but used us to tell the story of how He interacts with us.

The Psalms is part of a collection that was recorded over centuries as a series of snap shots of God and His people.Selfies, as you will, that we took with God in each picture. And God initiated in each writer what He wanted them to write.

Fast forward to 2015.

Those of us who follow God, still feel that deep longing to create, to express how amazing He is. How much He loves us. How He has created all things. How He draws close to those of us He calls His own, and longs for those who haven’t yet come home.

And this love wants to be heard.
Through all of our gifts and talents.

As a result, I decided to write my own psalm every Sunday.
Starting today!
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Sing a New Psalm

Morning crashed through the clouds above; announcing the new dawn.
The birds chirping welcome as they flit between branch to nest in the strong oak trees where they make their home.
The fresh aroma of spices & tea rising beside the bread coming out of the oven.
I head into the quiet place
to meet with You, Lord.
Thankful for the glimpses
of Your touch in nature
visible outside my window.
Grateful for the roof over my head,
the food in my belly,
the laughter of my family.
Thankful for the grace
I sense all around me.
Evidence of Your handiwork
in my heart, mind, spirit & soul.
You wrap loving arms around me
when I feel low,
lift my head to capture my gaze
to remind me who I am to You.
Adored, Your precious purchase.
Beloved, daughter of the King.
Chosen, handiwork extraordinaire.
Daughter, in whom You delight.
Everything I have,
I owe to
Your hands.
All of that would be enough,
but You still offer more!
God with me,
You walk beside me.
You wrap Your arms around me,
drawing me close into Your embrace.
You are my refuge when the storms come.
Your Presence fills me with joy whenever I approach.
Always welcome,
always wanted.
My heart burst to share the good news- we never ever
have to be, or feel, alone.
Its is time to raise my voice
and sing this new psalm of praise
to You tonight.