you

Sunday Psalm: HalleYOUjah

Karla LeesLeave a comment

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

be the you God designed

Karla LeesLeave a comment

There are a lot of things about me which I love.

My ability to multitask
My love of puns & fun
My voice when I sing
My love of music
My eyes
My curls (95% of the time)
My feet
My passion to learn
My burning yearn for more of God

When you add all the gifts, talents, spirit & soul, and mix in my uniqueness to the packaging God custom designed, I am the result.

God didn’t just whip me off a conveyor belt, He took care, with planning & purpose & love in mind, as He set about making the spark of cells that would become me, only me.

Ever thought about just how much ‘detailed programming’ God invested in your creation?

He thought about making you, and you came to be, at exactly the right moment in time & history.

You are no accident.

I came out with more than a few quirks:

My pinkies are significantly shorter than the rest of my fingers.
I have a few birthmarks, my fave being the upside down heart on the back of my left leg.
I have freckles, and skin that turns shades of red vs lovely tan like colors.
I have a mouth on the smaller side for all the teeth that tried to come in.
I have a limited trunk.
I visibly cringe when I hear a wrong note.
I don’t like coffee, beer or cigarettes.

Just as my gifts & talents are by His design, my quirks were also known by Him.

My whole life was taken into consideration before He created me.

The same for you!

You are so well known by the Master Craftsman.

Not only does He know your strengths & quirks, but two other key factors:

He knew you wouldn’t do well on your own, so He placed you where you would have family; by blood or by choice.

He knew you would fail. To live up to His standards, others expectations, your own hopes & dreams.

The need for Jesus was woven into our very DNA to help us become alive as He designed, as only He can bring to life.

Out of love,
He gave us each a custom gift.
Life.

Because of how we lived,
because of our hurts & shackles,
because of our great need,
He gave us His most precious gift, new life through Jesus.

He not only set us free
& made us clean,
He welcomes each of us
who come to Him
with arms wide open
into our forever family.

When we begin to truly live
our lives with Him,
following His leading
as He guides us,
our gifts and talents awaken
and begin to make sense,
as we become one with
His unique action plan for us.

How I live out become more ‘me’ will look very different from someone who is an extrovert, a gifted athlete, or evangelist, for example.

I am so thankful that God gave us direction, through His Word & through Holy Spirit’s prompting within those who accept His lead.

I am very grateful that the God who designed and shaped me is continuing to do so as I ask for His help navigating the life laid out ahead of me.

I am especially moved when I remember the pain Jesus purposefully chose on the cross to show me (you) His passion for me (you).

Embrace the freedom to be yourself. He wants you to be the you He designed for you to be, with Him walking closely beside you every step of the way.

As I become more ‘me’, my prayer is I reveal more ‘He’ to those around me.

That my efforts to live reveal His hands keeping me safe, His love anchoring my heart, His wisdom in my choices, and His glory when I hit the mark!

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#betheyouHedesigned

Sunday Psalm: Wherever I Go

Karla LeesLeave a comment

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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beYOUtiful

Karla LeesLeave a comment

Everybody should have a Hoho.

Not the snack cake variation, but the kind that comes in the mail.

What is a Hoho?
Their creator, Crystal from http://www.littlebitfunky.com says it best:
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And here is the picture of my Hoho, whom I have named Foxy…
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Isn’t she cute?

I have struggled off & on for years with how I look… mainly because I have listened to too many peoples’ versions of what they think beauty is.

I don’t think I have ever felt beautiful. I don’t think I am the homeliest of the bunch, but I am no supermodel.

I can tell you, partly due to the ministry & work of Crystal, that I have been able to accept my uniqueness, my You-ness (which is pronounced Eunice). I was looking at these hohos she makes, and felt the whisper that I too was unique and lovely in my own right. I don’t have to be perfect. And I am lovely in my uniqueness.

There is only ever going to be one Hoho of a kind. No two are exactly identical, as the variations in design & size are endless.

The same is true with us.

God made each of us as unique creations. On purpose. By design.
And says “It is good.”

I bought my funky hoho to daily remind me that I am beYOUtiful.

I am the most beautiful when I am being myself.
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Coco Chanel, famous fashionista, stated

Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.

God is pleased when we accept ourselves as His unique craftsmanship. Wanted, planned, designed.

The pleasure Crystal must have when she hears how God is blessing the children (& a few adults, I am sure!) with the comfort & reminder of their cute cuddly hohos.

Accepting we are beautiful by being ourselves is a priceless concept sewn alongside every stitch of these hohos.

If you need a reminder of how God sees you, the Bible has many verses on how much God loves & cares for us, and considers us treasures.

A very visual person, my Foxy Hoho will be reminding me of many such verses daily.

Thank you, Crystal for your hoho ministry, & exceptional craftsmanship!

PS. I will be HOlding onto the truth of who I am in Christ, and asking Him to HOld onto me.

Hoho, get it?! 🙂

ten things I like about you

Karla LeesLeave a comment

I really like ten things about you.
Even though i may not have met you yet.

That may sound strange, but as an observer of people, I have finally figured these things out.

And you probably need to know what these things are.

1. I like the fact that you aren’t me.
I spend more than enough time with myself, so I like that you are not me. I find our differences interesting. Think about how boring it would be if we were all alike.

2. You are here on purpose.
You were not an accident, no matter what anyone else had told you. God planned you, on purpose, from the spark that He first set off when He created you in your mother’s womb. You are handcrafted, and a one of a kind original. There will never be another one of you, ever. He designed you after Himself. He intentionally placed you in this place and time.

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Image from- http://cdn.theresurgence.com/files/2013/08/05/Wired_ResurgenceTemplate2.jpg

3. God has equipped you with talents and gifts.
Sometimes you need to be reminded that you are good at something. We all have strengths, and when we get to know each other, we begin to see these in one another. It may take a friend or coworker to point it out to you before you may begin to see it in yourself. You likely are good at a few things, not just the one you may be best at.

4. God cares for you.
Each and every person who ever has been, is or will be is important to God. So much so that Jesus died for each of us, to pave the way for us to draw close to Him. He is the closest friend you can ever have, will never leave you and always wants the best for you. He is in your corner no matter what.

5. You are here for a purpose.
You are meant to do wonderful things with your life. Bless people through your profession, invent something, raise your kids well, mentor or teach others, encourage and help others. God will reveal the things you are meant to do as you get to know Him, and yourself through His eyes.

6. You are worth being heard.
If no one has ever told you so…what you feel and think matters. You have a story worth telling, and it deserves to be told. And heard.

7. You look great when you smile!
That’s right, a smile makes you look your best. And when you smile, it increases the likelihood that those around you will smile back at you.

8. Things may be tough, but they will get better.
This world is just our temporary home, and it’s a hard life most of us are living through. But its not our final destination if you believe in Jesus, and place your hope in Him. Heaven will be your forever home. No more tears, sickness, disease, pain or loneliness.

9. You always have something to be thankful for.
As bad as things can get, take some comfort in the small things around you if you can’t see any big things to be grateful about. Being able to breathe, read, hear, walk. A roof over your head, food on the table, a job. A cloud in the sky, sun, rain puddles, flowers, cat purrs. Whatever you can find, remember to be thankful for having it.

10. Someone is thankful for having you in their life.
They are. Whether a family member, close friend, coworker or a stranger you helped out…someone has been blessed to have you in their life.

I hope we meet, whether virtually, here on earth or in heaven one day.

Until we do, remember these ten things that you need to know about yourself.

It took many years for me to reprogram the lies and believe these truths about myself. May you cast off what needs to go to make room for these truths you were meant to know about you.

I am glad you are here.