How beauty draws us to the Father

Walking through downtown Westport, wearing my bright blue yoga pants and a black hoodie, I stumbled upon a fine arts gallery. At first, I walked right by it; catching only a glimpse of color popping off of the gallery’s bright, white walls. Post-workout and looking a bit scruffy, I felt undeserving to walk in to gaze upon such expensive art work. Yet, my heart couldn’t resist! I was drawn in by the color and wonder of it. I turned back around letting my heart be pulled in by the beauty. The street art made me feel curious and rebellious. It spoke to culture, the artist’s stories, and a blend of embracing the old and welcoming the new. Other art was humorous and straight to the point with text; it made me curious! It made me want more from the artist. One piece brought me to tears because it reminded me of my children. Other pieces popped off the walls with color and brilliant expression.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8

I’ve found that when I’m rushing and my schedule is filled to the brim, I tend to walk right past beauty. At one point in my walk with God, shame prevented me from drawing into His presence. Like avoiding a fancy-schmancy fine arts gallery because you’re dressed in smelly workout clothes.

Think about something beautiful…How might it draw you in? With our eyes we look and see it. Just like art did for me, beauty begs us to come in and linger a while. With our eyes’ gaze, we listen to how it speaks to our soul and to the story it tells of its designer.

If we don’t see the beauty of God, how will our hearts be drawn into His presence? His beauty is seen in nature, creation, and the Holy scriptures. What else might we see that’s reflective of His beauty?

My heart simply cannot resist! My eyes are quickly drawn to beauty in nature. You might catch me stargazing, ocean gazing or even taking in my children’s beauty as they play. To train our hearts to “draw near to God” we must train our minds and eyes to see and sit with beauty. This takes giving beauty a second of our time. There is a reason that humans are attracted to beautiful things. We can see His intentionality throughout all of creation. We must not let our hearts resist entering in. When we notice something beautiful, let it be a doorway to linger and listen for God’s small voice that makes us lean in closer to hear. Listen for what beauty says about God, the way it points to His character. Listen to the way it might connect you to Him and His story of creation, redemption and restoration. How does beauty affect your soul? Does it leave you curious about God or wanting to know more about Him? Does it make you cry? Does it ‘wow’ you with explosive color and creativity? Does it sing a silent melody of His pursuit of your affection?

Look.

Linger.

Listen.

The rest of the verse goes,

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

Well thanks, James. Clearly James wasn’t about people pleasing otherwise it would have read,

“You are doing great, it’s okay if you love Jesus and the world, as long as you keep going to church and washing your hands. Keep it up!”

Clearly, beauty stirs up emotion and makes us feel. Those feelings can cause us to lust, sin, and leave our “first love” for another. My heart loves the Nike “swoosh”, anything that glitters, and the smell of new, name brand jeans. I can easily let those beautiful things become ‘gods’ that only grow greed, pride and neglect of the finances God has entrusted me with.

The feelings we get when we see beauty can also cause us to draw near to God, pointing our heart’s affections back toward the presence of God.

The next time you see something eye-catching I encourage you to look, linger and listen. God has placed beauty everywhere as a way to pursue us. He will never force himself into gaining our attention and affection. He places His love in pockets of beauty all around for us to discover. He pursues you, beloved…and don’t we all long for that?

This is a call to repent (or turn away from) the things that we’ve left him for or that we’ve simply tagged Jesus onto. Nothing will satisfy like Jesus. Go find God in the beautiful, slow, stillness of His glory. Linger in His beauty and any shame or metaphorical weight you’re carrying in will dissolve by the grace of the Gospel.

Give him space and I promise He will fill it.

We pray: Father, open the eyes of our heart to see your beauty and character so we may know you, experience you and make you known! We repent of ____________ that’s clouding our vision from seeing you and drawing close to know you. Help us to live in your love, and be moved by your love to love others.

Adios,

Bri

You have become spiritual adulterers who are having an affair, an unholy relationship with the world. Don’t you know that flirting with the world’s values places you at odds with God? Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy! Does the Scripture mean nothing to you that says, “The Spirit that God breathed into our hearts is a jealous Lover who intensely desires to have more and more of us”? But he continues to pour out more and more grace  upon us.

James 4:4-6

This December started out with a pleasant anticipation of the Christmas season. Let’s be real though, it started November 1st! As hard as it was, we did resist the decorating and carols until Thanksgiving Day. That pleasant anticipation of Christmas slowly faded into an overwhelming sensation of doing more, buying more and questioning every morning with “What store am I going to today?” My feelings for shopping are quickly becoming less and less thrilling. Stores are filled to the brim with toys, gadgets, decorations, cheap woozy-what’s-its and bamboozlement. Every square inch is filled with stuff upon stuff with humans fighting their way through it all. I’m not sure if it’s the fatigue of a pandemic or the close resemblance of the retail atmosphere to how the anxiety of it all feels in my brain. Every December I’ve piled on the list of expectations that come with the season which most of the time serve as distractions from what really matters: Unity and communion with the Father, son and holy spirit, that overflows out of our hearts as unity and communion with our family and friends. Countless things pull for our attention, it’s a fight to keep our souls and hearts at peace. January then almost always comes with a rush of self-propelled ambition to reach goals and start over again. Most often we draw the energy to change and begin again out of a place of shame from slacking off or maybe over eating through the holidays. My thoughts have been swirling with this fascinating idea of starting January differently. Not with goals, more plans, and new habits for self development. (Although, I’m a goal-girl and will not shy away from writing and praying about new goals for the year).

What if I start January, with a heart that is readying itself for the release of control of the year ahead? It’s a bit daring, but how thrilling and soul-settling it is to place it all in God’s hands!? I wonder what He would do with our surrender? What if my focus for January isn’t a diet or fitness goal, or a habit to make me more likable and successful. Instead my focus is to face palms up to heaven and open my heart in surrender to the will of my loving and compassionate Father God? What if I start this new year not out of striving and doing, but out of prayer, contemplation, and surrender to Jesus who truly knows how to empower me for the good of others and the glory of God? This year, I’m setting my heart into the luscious soil of the goodness of God. That does not look like shaming myself into change or over planning or committing to ideas before truly saturating them in prayer. I’m setting my mind into the revelation of wholeness in Christ, not a scattered canvas of great ideas or an elaborate to-do list that leads to burn out. It’s a transition for how we begin…from goal-setting to soul-settling. God has good works in store for you and I to do, and I’m going to go out and do them but not from a place of shame, anxiousness, striving in my own strength or pure ambition. From a spirit of abiding in my maker, sustainer, rock and shield. My great goals and ideas do not sustain me. My appearance and ability to be a good-enough human being does not sustain me…it’s God’s love which sustains me. On my own, I can try my best and perform really well but it results in burn out, a lack of peace and inability to carry joy. It’s God’s love which sustains me. My revelation for this new year is to begin slowly and steadied by the pace of God’s presence and comfort. Our imagination, creativity and ideas will then follow but through the filter of God’s vision for us. I invite you into this with me; to let yourself begin in the abounding and faithful love of the Father. With a heart surrendered, completely saturated and set in the presence and communion with him. I’m starting this New Year with the energy of the birth of Jesus; surrender and simplicity. A simple stable, hay, and manger. The one and only, holy and perfect God putting himself at the mercies of two humans to raise him as a baby (that is absolutely mind-blowing to me)!

The surrender for Joseph was to still wed Mary, even though it would appear to friends and family that Mary had broken a purity covenant with Joseph and God. God had sent an angel to wake and speak to Joseph about the coming Savior through Mary and so the virgin birth was undeniable to him…but he still had to choose to believe and surrender despite outsiders or even close relatives who would disown him for having a child before the proper arrangements were made. He would look like a fool. No matter how costly the surrender, I’m willing to give it all to follow you Jesus. If you’re a goal-setter and go-getter like me, surrendering to God by slowing down might be the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do. In order to live by grace and to serve from the richness of God’s goodness, we must slow down our hurried hearts and renew our crowded minds. I put this into practice much of 2021 and began to see the benefits. I had to surrender and let go of some things in order to create this space of life by God’s grace. What I gained made it all worthwhile, like seeing the sparkle in people’s eyes, more laughter and depth with my husband, healing in my own physical body and mind and relationships and even career opportunities I would have missed out on if I had been too preoccupied. Practically applying this New Year’s Revelation, we can work in pockets of pause throughout our day. Sometimes it helps to have a mantra, a bible verse, a short prayer that you say to tell your brain that it’s time to “freshen up” the heart and mind, if you will. A pocket of pause involves stillness, prayer, or just simple awareness of God with you in that moment. One of my favorite’s is a breath prayer,

Inhale: “Father, your love…

Exhale: “…sustains me”

“When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.”

Psalm 94:18

Before we begin again, remember who holds you and sustains you. When life is going really well, and when life could be better. Remember who sustains you. Before we begin, before rushing into big ideas and grand achievements, let’s be a little rebellious to our natural way of living and doing…let’s pause and pray. It’s one way we can move and live from the simplicity and surrender of the birth of Jesus. 

Merry Christmas friends. I hope you are well in mind, body, spirit and soul. I hope your families are strong and your friendships grow in authenticity this year. I hope that you see your God-given purpose light up in every space you walk into. I hope joy and peace abound in and through you.

-Brianna Joy

When our minds + hearts aren’t planted in truth, love and grace, we become complacent or we wander from thing to thing, with no vision, plan or purpose. With no root system, if you will, we let life happen to us, we live by what we feel and not what’s true or what is beneficial. It’s time to take authority, to give direction to the way we live, think, feel and choose.

The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.

Proverbs 21:5

Below you will find a list of 10 resources that can help us stay rooted in truth, love and grace as we take care of our body, mind, spirit and soul. Doing the work to keep our minds rooted in the Word of God (the Bible), will help us become whole. It works on our “inner layer” because without a firm foundation, the house will crumble. Research the material below to gain insight on how to live a lifestyle of wellness that is long-lasting: one that is fueled by God’s grace, love, and truth for you, not in striving and self-sufficiency.

1. The Bible
2. The Wellness Revelation by Alisa Keeton
3. Revelation Wellness RevWellTv, Challenges + Podcasts
4. Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose. By Rebekah Lyons
5. Well-watered Women studies
6. The Gift of Being Yourself by David G. Benner (this book is 1 of the The Spiritual Journey trilogy he wrote)
7. Biblical Meditation with the “Sleep Meditation” Abide Podcast
8. The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble. I love to align these podcasts with what ever scripture I am studying, easy to do!
9. Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
10. Daily worship through Youtube channels like Maverick City

A throwback from my blog 4 years ago…

I found myself in the woods earlier this week, escaping from reality and hoping for a fresh connection with God. Going on a hike seemed like the perfect idea to spend some time in peace and quiet. Just a few feet into the trail, it dawned on me that I was alone. Every squirrel and chipmunk made me jump. I could just hear what my mother would be saying to me, “Now Bri, a young lady walking in the woods alone? Not a smart idea, you never know who could be out there.”  With my mothers persuading voice booming in my head, I turned back around.

I thought about how this is just like me: FEAR stopping me from reaching the top of the mountain with the beautiful over look. For the past 2 years, I’ve been battling with what I’m supposed to do, as far as a career goes and making sure it’s “God’s will”. You want to know my biggest stumbling block? Fear. Fear of failing, not meeting others expectations, and fear of not being in God’s will.

“God’s will” is one of those christian sayings that has ALWAYS left me feeling constrained.

It’s not what you do, it’s who you are. Better yet…WHOSE you are.

Up until last week, I was trapped in this fear of not being in God’s will and obsessed with trying to make something of myself by gaining a title through a career. There was good intention behind my pursuing a career…I wanted to desperately serve God and serve my family by providing more income to better support them.

Unfortunately, I was trapped. Trapped in the idea that servanthood gave me worth.

The same day that I attempted that hike, was also the day that I failed my exam through the American Council on Exercise–a certificate that was supposed to land me a job. I learned so much from this. I learned that I was putting way too much of my worth, in owning a title in a career because of how hard it hit me. I broke down, throwing out hard words and questions at God, ‘I thought this was what you wanted!?…What am I supposed to do now!?…God show me what you want!…What direction do I go?!’

Now, these questions are not bad at all. In fact they’re good questions to ask. The problem with them, is that they stemmed from a heart of pure servanthood. When that’s actually NOT what a relationship with God is.

Have you ever stressed about the will of God for your life? 

There are many verses in the Bible that explain God’s will. Explaining that His desire for us is to be saved, to be filled with the Spirit and to be set-apart, etc.  Although, when it comes to our day to day decisions, we can get ourselves trapped in wondering what God’s will is, as if we have no choice.

For many things in my life, I’ve been afraid to take advances because what if it’s not the will of God?  Let me tell you friend, it’s time to release your self from that dangerous holding cell. I wasted enough time of my life with that perspective. What God’s done with me, literally just last week…has placed a great shift in my view of our relationship. Instead of living my life with too much worth in what I’m doing, I’ve shifted into living my life completely understanding that I am loved by Him and He values my choices and my passions more than I do my own. He doesn’t see me as His servant, but as His friend:

 “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you FRIENDS, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

John 15:15-16

He has way more interest in your desires, than you have in your own. He is passionate to have the desires of our heart come true. When you’re a servant, you have a master and usually the servant doesn’t know too much about the master’s business, and the master usually has no great desire to know the servant.

“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

The shift to being empowered and liberated by His will.

The shift comes when we realize that we are not identified by all that we do, the applause we get, the certifications we own, or the amount of service hours we hold. We are also not identified by what labels we put on ourselves such as: weak, afraid, screw-up, unpopular, etc.

The shift comes when we realize that we are radically identified as: ONE LOVED BY GOD. To understand that by simply being ourselves, we bring glory to God.

He calls you friend and you are His Beloved.That is your pure, raw identity.

The shift to my worth coming from God’s love for me.

YOU ARE GOD’S BELOVED.

He absolutely cherishes you, 100%. He values what you value. You are known, you are heard you are important…AS YOU ARE. Strip away everything that you hold against yourself, telling you that you aren’t good enough. Then you’ll see the shift in your life slowly begin to work:

People’s negative comments, won’t bother you. His love is greater.

Your spouse, not treating you like he or she should? His love is greater.

You failed an exam? His love is greater.

You’re fearful of saying something stupid or screwing up? His love is greater.

Your friends don’t call you as often as you like? His love is greater.

Your children don’t respect you? His love is greater.

You’re past looks like one out of Shawshank Redemption? His love is greater.

You’re illness is only getting worse? His love is greater.

Yes, things can hurt us in this life. They can hurt bad. But when we shift our relationship with the Lord to one of friendship and pure love, life’s temporary getups don’t hang us out to dry. Being loved by the Creator of this world, means so much more. His love for you is greater than you can even imagine.

“‘Who am I? I am one loved by Christ.’ This is the foundation of the true self. The indispensable condition for developing and maintaining awareness of our belovedness is time alone with God. In solitude we tune out the nay-saying whispers of our worthlessness and sink down into the muster of our true self. Our longing to know who we really are–which is the source of all our discontent–will never be satisfied until we confront and accept our solitude. There we discover that the truth of our belovedness is really true. Our identity rests in God’s relentless tenderness for us revealed in Jesus Christ.” -Brennan Manning, Abba’s Child.

If you’ve wondered why your relationship with God is stale, weak and uneventful. Or maybe stressful and self-condemning…I encourage you to sit in solitude. Sit down with your true self. It’s when we are alone, that our deepest worries, anxieties and fears hit us. What’s causing you hurt? What’s weighing you down? What’s owning yo
u? Now ask the Lord to show you how to live in the freedom His love brings to the table. Radically claim your identify as God’s beloved. Then you will see that God doesn’t want to make every decision for you, but would rather build in you something rich and see your deepest passions spring to life.

“It’s not ‘what is the will of God in my life?’ instead, ‘what are you building in me?’”

-Bill Johnson

 The freedom that comes when you embrace the fullness of relationship with God, will reveal His heart of passion for you and your desires. He loves you DEEPLY my friend. Now, ask him daily how to make the shift to live in that truth.

In His love,

Bri

“Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 The Message

Good Morning Beautiful!

Do you have what it takes to laugh in the face of doubt today?

Doubt likes to grab a hold of your dreams, gifts, and calling to stop you from moving forward.

Have you ever become paralyzed by the feeling? Let me tell you what doubt is…it’s dwelling on your weaknesses when you are on the cusp of splashing into a refreshing pool called, your calling. Doubt makes you feel cemented and chained to your environment, social-expectations and standards. Doubt traps you in a box.

Today my lovelies, we are going to start dipping our toes into that pool of faith, the pool of your calling. Much to our surprise, our calling may not just be one title we get to call ourselves in our lifetime…you know, one day we’ll get “there”. No, but perhaps we are called to many along our path…Teacher. Doer. Initiator. Dreamer. Doctor. Counselor. Server. Cashier. Coach. Volunteer. Lover. Mother. Daughter…The list might go on! Take a “look” at what you hold in your heart: your skills, personality, passions, and abilities. As well as your identity; you know, child and truly loved friend of the Creator of this universe. God has called you and it’s mighty because HE made the call, not you. He has already gone before you in this thing you call your life. Don’t be afraid. Other’s need what you possess, and you need what they are gifted in as well. Take a deep breath and let yourself flourish with great purpose, one brave step at a time. Otherwise, what is our life? Just another human being, grappled by doubt and fear. Release! Flourish! Be free! The world needs you and your gifts, no matter how small you think they might be.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” Romans 12:6

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 1 Peter 4:10

“I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints” Ephesians 1:18

Until next time,

Bri

       There are a lot of mind-blowing moments in Biblical History; God-breathed words portray endless accounts of healing and miracles, supernatural grace, forgiveness and unconditional love. 

But why? I’ve asked myself this question countless times: Why is the Bible packed with all these amazing things, yet for some reason I don’t see much of that happening around me now?

I’ve muddled through different answers in my head: Maybe there are too many distractions, maybe we’ve lost touch with God, maybe it’s the change in culture. Nothing really made sense, seeing as how God promises that He’s the same as He was “yesterday, today and forever”. He promises that He’s our healer. He promises that we would do “even greater things”. 

There is an account of healing in the Bible, where two followers of Jesus (Peter and John) heal a paralytic. Not through bandaids and physical therapy. They didn’t cast a magical spell with fairy dust either.

“And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” -Acts 3

By FAITH in Jesus, they were able to bring complete healing to the man who had been “lame since birth”, in an instant! Part of me reads the story and thinks, “Oh, what a neat story of the power of Christ working in someones life!” and the other part of me says, “I want to do crazy stuff like this! I’m a follower of Jesus, what am I missing that these two guys had?!”

Faith man, it’s faith.

What does it mean?

It’s such a short little word for how powerful it is.

I’ve always struggled with the word, more or less the meaning of it.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11

I’ve turned this verse upside down-right side up and inside out to better understand what faith is and how it applies to me.

According to the verse, Faith is:

1. Substance of hope
2. Evidence of the unseen

As I have been stretched and grown through trials, God has grown me out of my unbelief into a woman of faith. Recently, I was caught in the middle of a challenge that could have easily made me over-stressed and anxious, as I’ve been so quick to do in the past. I remembered a verse that I had recently read:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” -1 John 5:14-15

In the midst of fear, I had a CHOICE. As do we all. I could get caught up in the endless worries of, what’s going to happen? what do I do? #freakout.

OR

I could choose to pray in FAITH. What is the difference you ask?

OH MAMA, it’s huge.

Take the verse above and apply it to your prayer life–in doing so, you gain a whole different type of strength. I promise. FAITH equips you to heavily rely so much on God, that you let your fears escape your mind and replace them with anticipation of God’s faithful response.

Fear is so ugly. It’s a life-ruiner, home-wrecker and a perspective obliterator. It’s Satan’s biggest tactic when it comes to destroying and distracting us from God’s goodness and His perfect will!

24 hrs after praying in faith (BELIEVING and knowing that He heard me and would faithfully answer), an answer came through a friend. It was incredible-I need to pray like this more often!

Two things I’ve learned about myself: I’m quick to fear, but I’m also a quick learner. One who is quick to fear, is less prone to reap the fruit of a deep-seeded faith in God. Faith in EVERY instance.

Together, let’s be a community of Jesus followers who destroy fears with Faith. Each step of faithful living and prayer, opens up a new spout for God’s goodness to pour through.

#Faithoverfear.

Try it today:

1. Set apart time to be alone-distraction free.
2. Be still, and thank God for a few things.
3. Pray with confidence-not thinking “this is too big of a request” or “oh this may or may not happen”or “God may hear me right now, but maybe He’s too busy”. Stop. Pray in FAITH (with confidence) knowing and believing that He is there with you and will answer.
4. Try catching yourself-the moment a fear ridden thought enters your head. Acknowledge them, try to not judge yourself for feeling them. Practice kindness to yourself and allow yourself to feel but not stay afraid.
5. Pray and trust that your LOVING Father will take care of you and that HIS PLAN is the best plan.

“Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” -Job 11:7

“I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” -Job 42:2

 God has given us His Holy Spirit as a helper. The instant you start to feel fear creep into your mind, ask Him to fill you a fresh and proclaim His authority over you, and watch fear diminish.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” -John 14:26

If you have trouble trusting God, remember all that He’s done and hold onto His promises.

He will never leave you or forsake you.

He is always with you.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

He will supply all your needs.

He’s healer of broken bodies and broken hearts.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” -John 14:27

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.” -Psalm 42:5-6

Guys, we don’t have time to let fear control us. Everyone experiences some level of it. Though the difference between what Christians do with fear, and what the rest of the world does with it is exponential (or at least it should be). God gives us a whole different kind of peace that the world can never give us. The kind of steady mind and heart that is able to remain steady in EVERY moment- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Everyone’s going to experience fear; it’s your response that will set you apart. Look around you, this world isn’t thriving. People are hurting, lost, addicted, abused, dying-you name it. There’s a deep calling for urgent rescue. It is our job to carry this eternal faith into the hearts of the people around us, so that we can all thrive no matter what our circumstance may be.

“But you are a chosen group of people. You are the King’s religious leaders. You are a holy nation. You belong to God. He has done this for you so you can tell others how God has called you out of darkness into His great light.” -1 Peter 2:9

Don’t look back. Go forward today in newness of life. This is your choice: choose to step into the plummeting-spiral of fear or the miraculous freedom-ride of faith.

“He said to her, “Daughter, your FAITH has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” -Mark 5:34

Wake up, church! Revelation 3:2

Bri

GROWING UP, WE CALLED MY MOM THE “FIDDLER”. IT SEEMED THAT WHENEVER WE TRIED TO SIT DOWN TO WATCH A MOVIE OR EAT DINNER, SHE FIDDLED WITH THE DISHES, THE LAUNDRY, HER HAIR. AFTER WAITING 20 MINUTES, SHE WOULD SAY, “JUST GO AHEAD…START WITHOUT ME”. WHICH WOULD FOLLOW WITH IMPATIENT REMARKS FROM HER LOVELY CHILDREN. 🙂

This afternoon, I found myself in a place that I’ve been countless times before. I sat down to connect with Jesus, but I couldn’t connect. An hour went by before I truly felt myself zone into the place I wanted to be. Why did it take that long? Because recently I’ve let myself become the Queen of Fiddling.

The Holiday’s brought plenty of joy and awesome family time, without a doubt. Although, it made for very little quiet time. I was like a gerbil caught in it’s wheel, for crying out loud; Traveling, activities, visitors, gifts, food, and Christmas movies. All of which had me spinning non-stop. This week, things began to calm down but for some reason I couldn’t remember how to get off my “wheel”. The moment I sat down for peace and quiet…I pulled out my phone to all the goodies a screen could offer:

Emails, Texts, FaceBook, Instagram, Snap Chat, wishful vacation shopping on GroupOn, ETC. 

After some time, I threw my phone down and closed my eyes trying to clear my mind and let God speak to me. This is what I had originally sat down to do while the boys napped. Elijah began to cry and at once I blamed my wasted time on my crying 18 month old. I comforted him, then let him cry it out hoping he’d fall back asleep.

I turned my attention to the Bible, and Eli’s cry became background noise.

Ah-ha! That’s it…

Connection to our dreams, goals, priorities and God easily become drowned out by time-consuming fiddles. 

Think of someone who has lost their vision. Since there is nothing to be seen, they have an immaculate taste of the other senses. They hear whispers, smell smells, taste tastes, feel the feels better than any seeing person ever could.

ARG! How frequently I cave to entertainment where I don’t let myself have a quiet moment to think. It’s awkward to do nothing. One must look at a screen to be comfortable. *Rolls eyes* You know how it goes…The phone comes out:

In the waiting room.

On the bus.

In line at the grocery store.

In-between commercials on T.V.

In the bathroom. 

When do we give ourselves time to think?!

It is little distraction by little distraction, that the presence of God becomes our background noise.

There are a lot of exciting things going on around us. New inventions, a plethora of entertainment and activities–There’s always something to do. If there isn’t, we go stir crazy because of our heightened sense of pleasure. It’s become instilled in us that we always need to be doing something, never settling, always going…otherwise we are bored. For some reason, the quietness is scary to us. It’s foreign. But that my friends is where we find the Lord. That’s where we see Him, when we seek him in the quiet. The quiet is also where our dreams develop. It’s where our passions come alive when we give them room to grow. And where our priorities become appropriately aligned.

It starts with, well, starting! It you allow yourself to sit, with nothing to get side tracked with, you’ll see progress. Just begin. Begin to open up space for your mind to be comfortable with the quietness.

Together let’s put down the fiddle and make more room for:

…our dreams to develop

…our calling and passion to flourish.

…our knowledge of God to expand

…God to overwhelm you with the peace and joy of His presence. 

You will see yourself become more focused, level-headed and driven when you fully accept quietness into your everyday routine. It is in the seeking that we hear Him speaking.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” -Jeremiah 29:13

“…in Him we live, move and have our being.” -Acts 17:28

Now, put down that dang fiddle. 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:1-2

→Keep moving forward→

♥

Bri