Completely Broken Fully Loved

There are times in life when we feel defeated. We feel unlovable… unworthy… insignificant. We seek to see if anything good within us remains. These times may follow transition and loss, or decisions we regret and can’t undo.

It is humbling to soak in the image of our Heavenly Father patiently waiting for us to turn our tear stained faces toward Him, and be welcomed with His loving embrace… even in our brokenness. It is hard to imagine that His perfect love for us does not waver in these dark and broken times. It may be even more difficult to believe that as we seek forgiveness, we are separated from those unspeakable parts of us-as far as the east is from the west.

In the midst of difficult circumstances God’s steadfast love remains. His love doesn’t fluctuate with our emotions or ability to soak in our worth. His love doesn’t even go away when we’ve gotten it “wrong.” He grieves when we are trapped by the lies that we are unlovable or unworthy. His death on the cross beckons us to be awakened to our worth. He sacrificed His life because you matter that much!

God chose love. He chose us. What might it mean for us to allow this kind of transforming love? How might we need to loosen our grip on the negative thoughts and choices that keep us defended and frozen from action, and instead seek reconciliation with God and others? How can we start allowing the persistent love of our Heavenly Father to penetrate our broken hearts? If our Creator places this inherent, incredible value on us, what would it be like to allow this in just a bit more? To let in that we really do matter?

Even in our brokenness, we can choose love. Love of self and the grace to begin again. An everlasting love that we can’t earn, but that is given as our personal gift from God. We reflect on how we may share this love with others who carry their own story of brokenness. Instead of getting caught up in competition with one another or having to be shamed by our past failures, we can release judgments, seek forgiveness, and choose to love ourselves and one another as our Creator chooses to love us.

Allow love. Chose love today.

It’s hard to walk a straight path on the beach when the waves are crashing into you and rushing right back out towards the ocean. The ground beneath your feet feels unsteady as the sand shifts and the water recedes. It reminds me of how hard it is to live a life that is set apart, when the world we live in is full of temptations and desires that are constantly vying for our attention. We try to stand in our own strength and steady ourselves instead of leaning on God. As you try your best to be intentional about living a life that will bring joy to your Father, set your focus on God and He will make your path straight. He will be the solid rock to stand on when the sand is being washed away from beneath your feet.

Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

#madebyGodforGod #setapart #Heisthesolidrock 

~HJ

Our world constantly invites us to pay attention to stimulus. Notifications on our phones (email, social media, texts, calls), staying up-to-date with the latest that’s happening all around the world through media or social media, and an endless list of to-dos are just a few things that beg for our brain power each waking moment.

So where can we intentionally seek out peace in our lives? Just a few simple suggestions can benefit our brains by giving down time to process significant moments that have happened each day. Try:

• Turning off the radio while driving
• Setting boundaries
  • Turning off social media or email notifications on your phone
  • Choosing specific times to mute your phone completely like at meal times
• Spending time in prayer
• Being selective about what news media you take in by getting your news by newspaper or online and reading only those stories of interest instead of taking in everything that’s presented on television.
• Taking a walk in nature
  • Noticing wildlife
  • Watching a sunset/sunrise
  • Being near water or other nature that invites peacefulness for you
• Setting aside time for journaling, meditation or a yoga practice
• Experimenting with silence and noticing what happens inside for you as you don’t give into distraction

Be creative and note what helps you slow down and check in with yourself most effectively. Notice the difference of creating space compared to seeking out more stimulus if you feel bored. Then take note of what happens to you as you seek out time to just be.

~MM

It doesn’t look like it in this picture, but the waters were so rough that day! I jumped in to start snorkeling and instead, swallowed salt water like crazy and battled the waves the entire time I was out there. Within a few minutes my legs were exhausted from trying to make any sort of progress against the rough waters. I was doing everything I could to try to keep up with the rest of the group so I wouldn’t get left behind. Even though I had a life jacket on I almost felt like it wasn’t doing enough, and I felt frantic when the waves seemed to be pulling me away. There are times when I have felt like this in my own faith journey; this world has tried to pull me away and made me doubt who I am in Christ. It is during these times when it is essential for me to remind myself Who is truly in control of this life, and Whose I really am. 

The moment when I finally grabbed the ladder to crawl back onto the boat, a flood of relief swept over me. The boat felt like my safe haven and became a place of rest for my weary body. From the view on the boat I was able to gain a different outlook. The waters looked beautiful and I could appreciate the experience of being out there even more after making it through the dicey waters. The affect the waters had on the boat was drastically different from the affect it had on my body. The anchor was able to keep the boat in a stable position compared to my body which was subjected to the force of the waves. Throughout the rough waters of this life, let God be the anchor for your soul and find a safe haven in Him. 

Hebrews 6:9 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

The sunlight beaming down on the ocean reminds me that no matter how tough your life is right now, there is a light that you can look to, and a hope that you can hold on to. He is always with you. Sometimes it may feel as though you have been struggling for a while, and trusting in God can seem challenging during some of those hard times when you are feeling pulled away. You may feel as though you have reached the point of exhaustion from enduring the rough waters. But God is holding on to you and He will never let you go, no matter how difficult the trials are that you are facing. When you get tired of battling the waves and fighting in your own strength, grab on to the ladder that leads to the safe haven and let God fight for you. Let Him hold you up and give you rest. 

#Heistherethroughitall #letGodfightforyou #safehaven

~HJ

We have likely all been there. Feeling defeated and hopeless, we may ask “why try” or we may feel we have nothing to offer/give. We may want to run or hide from reality using escapes such as drinking, drugs, sex, or anything we can find to numb our emotions and avoid the dark feeling inside.

During these times, it can be hard to find a reason to keep fighting for ourselves.  So, what do we do when we feel this amount of despair?  God invites us to cry out, to let Him hear the depths of our pain and to give voice to our feeling of despair.

This can be terrifying!  Looking at that darkness and acknowledging the pain and the difficulties can feel overwhelming. We may fear that by looking at “it,” it could overcome us.

It takes tremendous courage to confront that hopeless and defeated feeling. Often when we confront these things we wind up feeling worse before we feel better. But as we do confront those feelings, even when doing so makes us anxious and frightened, we may also see the fear that masked all this yuck inside was actually creating the ongoing pattern of pain and hurt. When we have the courage to face our internal yuck, we begin to experience freedom from the patterns that have kept us emotionally trapped.

Again… it takes tremendous courage.  Be courageous and hear this today… you ARE worth the fight!

~MM

There is just something about a sunrise that is captivating. The sunlight pierces through the darkness of the early morning sky in those first few moments of the dawn.

Because of the light we are able to see the wonders of God’s creation. Some of those wonders include the breath-taking views we are lucky enough to witness, but it also includes those people that surround you. Look at all of the footprints in the sand. Think of how many paths you cross in just a single day. God orchestrates the crossing of courses for a purpose. Every interaction matters. He can use you to shine His light on this side of heaven and let others get a glimpse of what His love looks like, if you let Him.

#everyinteractionmatters #shineHislight 

~HJ

Helen Keller shared, “Better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.” As we slow to consider how we see the world around us, Helen’s quote may challenge us to consider how we interact with people and our environment. Many of us do not understand a world without sight, and in this quote we are invited to be thoughtful about how this gift may even keep us from choosing love and kindness.

In what ways may you need to choose to let go of judgment and instead lead with your heart and love? Loving ourselves, others, and the creation around us will open up new ways of engaging in the world.

~MM

Life happens. We often use this phrase to reference how there are things in life that are out of our control, or perhaps as an explanation of why we can’t get things done we would like to. The reality is there are always things beckoning our time and attention. Without a very intentional thought process the outside world can begin to demand more and more. As our days pass, we can begin to feel like spectators or someone who is dragged along more than an active participant in our lives.

Continue reading “Intentional Slow Down”