Sweet and Sour 365

"As this year draws to a close, receive My Peace. This is still  your deepest need, and I, your Prince of Peace , long to pour Myself into your neediness. My abundance and your emptiness are a perfect match. I designed you to have no sufficiency of your own. I created you as a jar of clay, set apart for sacred use. I want you to be filled with My very Being, permeated through and through with Peace." ~Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

Parenting can be the best of jobs and it can be the hardest of jobs. BUT- we don't have to do it all on our own.  We can partner with the One who is the expert at being a parent. "The battle for our children's lives is waged on our knees." ~Stormie Omartian, The Power of a Praying Parent .

Merry Christmas!

"Tonight, at the foot of the cradle of Christ, like at the foot of the Cross of Christ, there are no big people- no powerful, no proud. Tonight there are only those who tramp to the manger with nothing; there are only the manger tramps, the men who lay down all the self-made, the women who lay down all the self-sufficiency, the children who lay down all the wants. We, the manger tramps, who kneel where thrones tremble and demons fall and the self-made crumble and the self-righteous weep...All of conquered heaven and grateful earth echo and throb tonight with the heart cry of the God-Child: I did it for love. " ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift .

"There are words that ring like a hammer, that split apart the atoms of things, that startle us out of the dead of sleep.  He. Will. Save. God. With. Us. Words with weight. Words with the weight of glory in them, the whole of the cosmic questions - words that answer all things of gravity, that bring down the love of heaven." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

"There is no need to produce or perform or perfect - simply become a place for God...When you are a space to receive whatever the will of God is in this moment as grace, you take hold of God." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" ~Luke 1:28

"But the holy God who comes is your saving God, your rescuing God, your weight-carrying God...lie down and rest. You are unconditionally accepted and unbelievably wanted because you don't merely know of Him; you are related to Him by blood." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift "Prepare the way for the Lord's coming!" ~Matthew 3:3

"As the cold can move you deeper toward the fire, struggling can more you deeper toward God." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

What if we began this day believing this message is for us? You are beautiful with God's beauty...beautiful inside and out! Have a beautiful Friday!

"You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village." ~Micah 5:2 Advent Day 17 - Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift "The King is coming, and the new Kingdom is stirring. And stirring in you. When the King rules your world, you cease to rule or worry. All worry dethrones God. All worrying makes you King and God incompetent. There is a King born in Bethlehem and on the throne. You can breathe."

"Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, but Jesus took three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, in the belly of death, so no one else would ever have to....advent never stops coming for you. Turn around and watch it come." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

Advent Day 15: The Greatest Gift , Ann Voskamp "How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him!" ~1 Kings 18:21 Come let us adore Him - stop having idols. Stop performing for those other things. *preaching to myself* Tim Keller says, "The only way to overcome idols in your life, is to see that Jesus gives you freely what every other god says that you can only get through your performance. Jesus gives you through His blood what every other god demands through yours."  Ann Voskamp says, That what God wants for Christmas is "simply your bended knee." How much longer will we waiver?

"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light." ~Isaiah 9:2 The message of Christmas is hope. Christmas can never be bought...it can only be found. "God favors the darkest places so you can see His light the brightest." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift .

"People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

"Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." ~Ruth 1:16 Today is day 12 of Advent.  Keep looking for His Light. "Brilliant people don't deny the dark; they are the ones who never stop looking for His light in everything...When we have an agenda for God, we can't see the gifts from God." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

"That is always the secret to the abundant life: to believe that God is where you doubt He can be...no personal choice that muddied your life can ever trump the divine choice to wash your life clean." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift .  Advent Day 11

"The Ten Commandments are a command to relationship. To love vertically, to love horizontally, to love relationship - and it's not a suggestion." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift [The Lord said,] "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!" ~Deuteronomy 5:29 (NIV)

December 9th "What was intended to tear you apart, God intends it to set you apart. What has torn you, God makes a thin place to see glory... The Cross stands as the epitome of evil ...If God can transfigure the greatest evil into the greatest Gift, then He intends to turn whatever you're experiencing now into a gift. You cannot be undone." ~Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift . "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good." ~Genesis 50:20

Day 7 with Ann Voskamp's, The Greatest Gift. "Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide." ~Genesis 22:14 (NIV) Hey so, we don't have to perform or try harder for God to love us. God gives us His greatest gift...His Son.  God gives God to YOU and ME! This day...this Monday...we may feel overwhelmed of the thought of the week...but slow down and breathe because, "You don't need to climb mountains named I Will Perform. You don't need to climb mountains named I Will Produce. Every mountain that every Christian ever faces, the Lord levels with sufficient grace: The Lord Will Provide." ~Ann Voskamp.

"God has brought me laughter." ~Genesis 21:6 Today, let go of the weight and laugh with those you love. It is a beautiful release...and lowers the blood pressure! ;) " And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” ~Genesis 21:6-7

"I will bless you...and you will be a blessing to others." ~Genesis 12:2 Sit with Him...fill yourself so that you can pour out to others. "Faith is the gift of God. So is the air, but you have to breathe it; so is bread, but you have to eat it; so is water, but you have to drink it." ~D.L. Moody

"Christ comes like an ark, like a cradle over floods. And we read the headlines and wonder, If there's a God who really cares, He'd look at this world and His heart would break . And God looks to the Cross, that real Tree, and says, ' My heart did .'" ~Ann Voskamp

I find it so fascinating that the very first God-question in the Old Testament is "Where are you?" and the very first question in the New Testament asked by the wise men, "Where is He?" Ann Voskamp says, "Really wise men and women never stop looking for God. And because your really wise God is love, He never stops looking for you." Yes!  This is so good...thankful He never stops! "They hid from the Lord God among the trees." ~Genesis 3:8

"So God created human beings in his own image." ~Genesis 1:27 This is where it all starts. It starts with His love for us. Day 2 of: The Greatest Gift, Unwrapping The Full Love Story Of Christmas. By Ann Voskamp

Step into His story this Christmas season and stay there. He is holding on to you. He has you. He is always present - with you - loving you. "Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot." ~Isaiah 11:1

"The Lord merely spoke,      and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born." ~Psalm 33:6 (NLT)

Advent...it means coming. Preparing to make more room for Him this Christmas and less about "stuff." Ann Voskamp has all you need for your very own, "The Night Before ADVENT" party.  Go to aholyexperience.com for more info!

Giving thanks for family and party mix ;)

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thes. 5:16-18 (KJV)

God is present all the time and He is giving you a personal invitation to draw near. Be intentional about spending some time with Him throughout your day. He understands you more than you understand yourself. Accept His invitation and draw near. "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." ~James 4:8 (ESV)

"... And He will be called      Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." ~Isaiah 9:6

"Rest is our secret weapon and we all need just one day to step away from all the things that just won’t step away from us." ~Ann Voskamp

"But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me..." (2 Tim. 4:17 ESV) It is so easy to be afraid. Listening to the news, scrolling through the Facebook feed - it is so easy to feel the fear and anxiety of what is happening in our world today. I have to remind myself not to conform to the pattern - I have to limit myself to the news and the hate. We have strength in Him. Today, step away from the news...get outside and away from the screens. Take more walks and breathe in the fresh air, play games with the kids, put twinkle lights up, LAUGH and LOVE. Light overcomes the darkness .  We don't stand alone in this world...He never leaves us. Turn to Him because He is LOVE. *preaching to myself*

"I am pleased with you, MY child. Allow yourself to become fully aware of MY pleasure shining upon you. You don't have to perform well in order to receive MY Love . In fact, a performance focus will pull you away from Me, toward some sort of Pharisaism. This can be a subtle form of idolatry: worshiping your own good works. It can also be a source of deep discouragement when your works don't measure up to your expectations. Shift your focus from your performance to MY radiant Presence . The Light of My Love shines on you continually , regardless of your feelings or behavior. Your responsibility is to be receptive to this unconditional Love. Thankfulness and trust are your primary receptors. Thank Me for everything; trust in ME at all times. These simple disciplines will keep you open to My loving Presence." ~Jesus Calling, Sarah Young

Thankful that God pulls me together and keeps me together. Today, when things get crazy or when it seems like the day will overtake us - let's remember that He is before all things and that in Him... He holds all things together.

As we start off a new week...lean in.

Pause....Rest...and Give Thanks.

Light will OVERCOME

It's the end of the week!  There are things that we probably want to shake off and there are things that maybe we wish we hadn't said or done. But there is good news...He is always giving us what we don't deserve. Grace - a gift. Thankful for the gift of His grace. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." ~Romans 3:23-24 (ESV)

Today, be thankful for the friends that stick by you. The ones that tell you like it is, accept you as who you are, love you through it all, and never leave. Those are the true friends. Grateful month! The Gift of Friendship ...we all just need people we can turn to & be real & messy & honest & say to each other: By His grace alone, I offer you the gift of gritty & raw friendship: To accept you & affirm you. To believe in you & be there for you. To support God's dreams for you & support your arms. To give you the gift of knees in prayer. To give you the gift of hands in help. To give you the gift of heart in friendship. I offer you the gift of being your Jonathan, your Barnabas, your Ruth, by the grace of Jesus alone. ~Ann Voskamp