Priscilla Shirer's Blog, page 41

The Calm After the Storm

Hi Going Beyond Family!

My name is Michone’ Taylor and I am so, so, so very glad to be the newest member of this ministry team.

I was born and raised in the small country town of Longview, Texas, so the sleepy, wooded area where this ministry is located feels very familiar. But, just to be clear, that doesn’t mean that I won’t run for the hills at the first sight of a spider, snake, or any other un-human creature. I have many passions that include dance (see my dance troop and I below), spending time with my extremely close-knit family back home, and spontaneously trying new things! I love a good adventure!

Things have been incredible so far, and laughing with Nicole and Jerry here in this office has just been the icing on the cake! It will be such a delight to serve you in EVERY WAY that I can since you, yes, YOU, my sisters, are an answer to my prayer.

You see, I prayed for this job and God answered my request with a “yes!!!” Going Beyond Ministries offered an amazing position with stability and the opportunity to work in full-time ministry.

You know what the interesting part is? Even after God had so obviously given me my heart’s desire, I found myself wondering “now what?” and “what if?”. I’m prone to worry and all too often it steals my affections for God and then saps the energy I should be using to worship Him. I’m amazed that an all knowing, all loving, sovereign God can see this flaw in me and yet still answer my prayers with a “yes” on occasion.

This is grace.

So, what does one do when they’ve been so prone to worry and concern like I am.

I wonder. Then I ask Him.

He whispers in response . . . “REST. Enjoy this place. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Don’t anticipate trials. Get to know me in my beauty and splendor. Be Still.”

I am asking our Daddy-God (that’s what I like to call him) to teach me how to rest in Him. In this pleasant, happy, prayer answered season, my new prayer is that he teaches me how to enjoy the blessing of a “yes” to my request without bogging it down with the unnecessary burden of anxiety. Teaching a heart, that has made its home in worry, not to search for things to be anxious about is going to require quite an effort. But it will be worth it.

The Lord’s desire for us – you and me - is peace, joy, rest, and fullness in Him. Truly realizing that when the Word says “Be Anxious for nothing” in Philippians 4:6, it is a command not a request. I cannot worry and walk in faith at the same time.

Neither can you.

So, God is refining me in deep ways as I start this job. And I’m going through this beautiful, purifying season . . .with you.

Thank you for welcoming me to Going Beyond Ministries. I pray that our Father will teach us how to rest in His goodness, in His beauty, and in His love. In this we will be still and allow God to replace our fears and anxieties with heartfelt affection for Him.

Michone'

Guest Blogger: Kelly Minter | The Heart of a Deliverer

I love reading the Word and seeing things that I've seen before. . .but have never really seen before.

Know what I mean?

Kelly Minter is one of those writers/speakers whose insights into the Scripture always leave me breathless. She sees hidden things tucked deep in the crevices of a passage that escape the notice of others. Then, she lays them out masterfully and beautifully, like the most bountiful buffet you've ever seen, for others to feast on.

Her guest blog post today is. . . a feast.

And it's a message that we need to hear.

Read every word, ok? If you don't have time to take it all in right now, just read what you can and then come back later. If each of us could really take this lesson to heart, our relationships, homes, ministries and entire lives would be so much better.

Thank you for teaching us, Kelly. We are grateful.

Priscilla

I wish I could begin with something nobler about my heart but sometimes I want to be a judge more than I want to be a deliverer. This realization came to me one morning while reading Scripture, you know, minding my own business—It’s just so strange how when you read the Bible God shows you stuff about yourself you weren’t necessarily looking for. I was on my living room couch reading Stephen’s speech of Israel’s history in Acts 7. I could see the little petunias spilling out of my window box on this serene morning; steam was swirling up from my coffee cup. In other words, I wasn’t looking to be convicted. But Stephen was apparently, like, whatever, and he stuck it to me at Moses’ part of the story.

Now, some of you remember Moses as the one who endured plagues, parted a sea and carried the Israelites on his back through the desert; you remember him as the great deliverer. But did you know he was a judge before that? I didn’t know this.

Before God visited Moses out of the burning bush—way before that—Moses saw an Egyptian and a Hebrew fighting. He looked a couple directions and then killed the Egyptian, buried him in the sand, and did it all in the name of protecting his fellowman. The next day Moses saw two Israelites quarreling, stepped in, after which one of them lashed out, “Who made your ruler and judge over us?” The answer is that Moses had made himself judge and this hardly ever goes over well. I’ve tried it a couple times. But our flesh is so prone to it. We like to draw our lines in the name of ‘righteousness’ and keep these people who we like and agree with ‘in’ and put those people who live contrary to our worldviews ‘out’. Life is so much more comfortable and safe when we can just lop people off, which is why judging feels so good. And at times, deceivingly, right.

So word had gotten out about Moses’ tiny, little killing and you know the story: he fled to a desert in Midian for forty years until the Lord appeared to him from a burning bush where He sent him back to rescue Israel from the hands of the Egyptians. At this point in the speech my coffee was still hot. I was still delighting in the flowers. And then somewhere in this bubble of Christian bliss, Acts 7:25 happened: "This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer.” Enter, revelation for me:

God had never called Moses to be a ruler who judged but one who delivered.

Apart from this being somewhat prickly for me, because I had to take an honest look at my heart, this is the greatest thing ever. Ever. God hadn’t sent an Old Testament judge to Israel; rather He’d sent a rescuer. He didn’t tell Moses to go bury a bunch of sinners in the sand. No, no, no. He sent him to liberate a nation. And this whole rescuer notion didn’t originate with Moses; it was God’s idea. Our merciful God’s idea. It was a plan that took forty years in a desert for God to work out in Moses, because going from being a self-appointed judge to a God-appointed deliverer takes some serious humbling.

I thought about a family I’d met who wasn’t living in what you’d call a biblical setup. I’d developed a friendship with them, but I realized that part of me cared more about them getting their lives ‘right’ than I did about investing in their souls. It would have been easy to leave them in the sand where they ‘deserved’ to be, because after all, they’d made all these wayward choices. But the Lord was speaking to me, dropping this family into my mind like a little Polaroid with Acts 7:25 scrawled on the white bottom half. Like Moses, God was sending me to be a deliverer, not a judge.

And then I really started thinking. . .

Judging is quick, clean and easy (kill, bury, walk away.) But when you’re a deliverer you’ve got plagues to face, Pharaohs to contend with, big seas you have no power to part. You’ve got to roll your sleeves up and sometimes water turns to blood and flies and frogs take over and the people you’re trying to rescue, curse you. Judging means you only have to consult yourself, while delivering means constant interaction with God—think of all the dialogues God and Moses had over the course of rescuing Israel. (Think of the amount of conversations Moses had with God when he killed the Egyptian: zero.) Judging takes five seconds and none of your heart will be required. Delivering will be ongoing and you’ll actually have to care. Judging makes us feel good about ourselves, but in a false, Pharisaical way. Rescuing people will always reveal how truly weak and incapable we are, requiring us to rely more wholly on the Lord—the way Moses did at the edge of the Red Sea while a host of chariots tore after him. The truth is, Moses only needed the strength of his hand to kill the Egyptian, but He’d need the power of God to part the Sea and deliver Israel.

I think my fleshly propensity to judge is often because rescuing people requires more than I want to sacrifice. When I bury someone under the sand of my judgment, they’re so much less of a hassle that way. But when the Lord says, look at that person; she needs rescuing, then my very being is required. This is true because judging moves us away from people while delivering draws us toward them. We might get inconvenient phone calls and someone might actually need us, but this is when our small sacrifices remind us of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The one who actually draws near to us as both Judge (John 5:22) and Deliverer (Mt 1:21). He’s the only one who can be trusted with both offices, the only one worthy of each. Because of Jesus, I wonder what would happen if we—His Bride —began moving toward our relatives, neighbors, enemies with a heart of deliverance instead of moving away from them in judgment. To humble ourselves before God, take those who need rescuing by the hand, stand beside them at the point of their need (and ours), and like Moses, say. . .

. . .See the salvation of the Lord. (Ex 14:13)

Kelly

June Jewelry Box

Remember that 6th grade speech you had to give in front of the entire class about your science project findings?  Ugh, please don't remind me.

Or the report you had to present to all the big-wigs in the corporate meeting that everyone was going to attend? Butterflies!

I'm talking about stage fright.  

For those of you that tremble just from reading that word, I'm right there with you, sister.  We know it to be something that can be downright debilatating and paralyzing. In this month's Jewelry Box, Priscilla writes about her own experience with stage fright. If you've ever experienced stage fright, you will be nodding your head up and down in agreement as you read.  I sat on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next, then found myself cheering at the end when she gives fear and intimidation exaclty what they deserve.

I definitely took notes.

This month's Jewelry Box is out now and you can check it out here!  Also, if you've overcome the grip of fear and intimidation in your own life, we'd love for you to share your story in the comments below. Your story may be encouragement to another.

Oh, did you know that you can have these monthly nuggets sent directly to your inbox each month?  Yes, indeed. When you head on over to the Jewelry Box page, you'll find all the informaiton needed at the bottom of the page to do so.

Have a GREAT Wednesday!  It is always a blessing to be able to serve you! 

Nicole :)

And the Winners Are...

Happy Monday to YOU!

What an overwhelming response we've had to our Empty (DVD/CD) giveway last Wednesday!! Thank you to everyone who shared their story about how God had shown up in each of your "empty" circumstances.  Reading them reminds us that God's timing is always perfect and that He is a loving and sovereign God. It was also wonderful to see you all encouraging one another and building each other in Christ. Priceless! 

Sisters, continue to share your amazing testimony with others around you.  You never know who is need of a special dose of encouragement!

Well. . .we have selected the winners!  There are 10 signed copies of Empty all wrapped up and ready to go!  Check your email today to see if you have won!

If you would like to purchase Priscilla's latest resource, Empty, for yourself, family or friends, you can order a copy here!

Many blessings,

Nicole :)

Guest Blogger: Linda Dillow | People Marry for Different Reasons

Some of the most impactful books I have ever read have been authored by Ms. Linda Dillow. This woman spills her entire heart onto a page when she writes. The Spirit of the living God flows through her pen to the paper and soaks it with a holy message that makes you feel the presence of God.

Nothing to be surprised about actually.

Because when you meet her, God's presence is. . .well. . .present. To sit with her is to sit with a woman who has lived deeply and fully and has experienced a depth of relationship with Jesus that few dare to strive for. To listen to her is to fill your own cup with a bounty of goodness that will overflow. And to worship with her. . .Oh my. . to worship with her is like being escorted into the presence of Jesus by a close personal friend of His who knows just how to point the way.

Cause. . . she knows Him.

Intimately.

Linda is the best selling author of Calm My Anxious Heart, Intimate Issues, Creative Counterpart, and her latest, What's It Like to be Married to Me?, among many other books. In each she shares practical teaching and ministry that will literally change your life in a very personal way.

Linda and her husband, Jody, served as missionaries for 17 years living in Europe and Asia and training Christian leaders. They have been married for 49 years, have 4 children and 10 grandchildren.

Did you hear that? Married 49 years.

This woman has a wealth of wisdom worth tuning your ear to. Lean in and take in all that she shares, ok? Not only here today but in all of her wonderful books.

She's an amazing woman who has made a tremendous difference in my life. Love you Linda.

Bless you today,

Priscilla

People marry for different reasons, but one man definitely takes the prize for the most unique reason. How I laughed when I read the following advertisement in the want ads of a New York newspaper:

Farmer with 160 irrigated acres wants marriage-minded woman with tractor. When replying, please show picture of tractor.

I certainly didn’t marry to gain a piece of farm equipment—or equipment of any kind! I married Jody Dillow fifty years ago because I wanted to be his lover and best friend, forever. One of the most beautiful verses of Scripture shows us the heart of a young bride as she describes her feelings for her husband. She has set forth the physical attributes of her beloved and ends with this statement:

His mouth is full of sweetness.

And he is wholly desirable.

This is my beloved and this is my friend. (Song 5:16)

I hope this verse is your everyday reality with your husband.

For many, though, the dream fades, and real life takes over. Children, jobs, house payments, and an economic downswing cause your lover/best-friend intimacy with your husband to slide down in your priorities. One day you wake up and say, “Where did the intimacy go? And how do I get it back?

You know that 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Of the 50 percent of couples who stay married, many are angry and resentful. Others are simply resigned. They’re living by default, not design. They’re hanging on in marriage because it is the right thing to do. They’ve given up and settled for ho hum, status quo. It shouldn’t be this way.

Marriage is hard work and I’m committed to working hard on my lover/best friend intimacy with Jody. I refuse to settle for mediocrity. I refuse to live out scripts handed to me by the media, by mothers, by anyone other than God. He is the Creator of marriage, and He has a design for you and for me. I’m filled with hope that you can be different, that your marriage can be different.

Will you choose today to live out your marriage, not by default, but by design?

Will you begin by praying, “God, Please show me how to live my marriage by design and build a lover/best friend intimacy with my husband?”

Linda

It's Giveaway Time!

The Going Beyond office has been buzzing for the past several days because our latest resource, Empty, is finally here!!

Last spring at our Awaken event, we had the privilege of gathering with over 3,000 women in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area for a night filled with worship and Bible teaching. Priscilla’s teaching that evening was a powerful message about one of the most incredible stories in Scripture – one of Jesus’ first miracles.

This teaching opened our eyes to an often forgotten principle – running out of our resources, energy, joy, or patience (just to name a few!) is the perfect set up for a run in with Jesus. A run in where He shows His mighty power in your circumstances and works on your behalf. 

A run in that will change your life. . .forever. 

We are very excited that we now get to share this message with all of you. Priscilla's latest resource, Empty (DVD/CD), is now available right here in our store!

And to celebrate, we are giving away 10 signed copies! Does that sound like a plan?

Here's how to enter to win:

1. Leave a brief comment below telling a time when you had felt empty and depleted of things such as your finances, joy, or time, for example, and saw the Lord show up in your situation. Your brief comment is going to be a great opportunity to encourage others that will be stopping by the blog.

2. Include your email address in your comment.

3. Tweet, Facebook, or Instagram a link to this giveaway to encourage your friends and to spread the word!

We will randomly select 10 winners on Monday, June 9th! Don't forget to leave an email address so we can contact you if you are a winner. 

We can’t wait to hear how God has shown up in YOUR life!

Have a fantastic day, my friend!

- The Going Beyond Team

Guest Blogger: Nicole C. Mullen | Beginning or the End?

There have been quite a few times that I've been stopped in a public place by a wide-eyed young lady with a hopeful glimmer in her expression. She'll pause, smirk and then ask me sheepishly, "Are you Nicole C. Mullen".

I try to let them down easily.

Uh. . . No.

The truth is, Nicole C. Mullen and I do have a similar look. There. I said it. Happy everyone? And it's an honor to be mistaken for a woman like this. She's a wife, mother, singer songwriter, speaker, minister and youth leader at her local church. And (in her spare time) she writes and sings songs that unashamedly take us into the presence of Jesus. Her music has made such an impact on the world that she was inducted in to the Christian Music Hall of Fame in November of 2011.

What I most admire about Nicole (besides her chiseled biceps) is that even with her full schedule she still makes the time for mission trips with a mentor group that she established called the "Baby Girls Club". She leads girls to their purpose and a zealous determination to guard their purity.

Today, Nicole writes a blog for us that's worth the read. Enjoy it and then go nab her latest CD, Crown Him: Hymns Old and New.

Bless you today,

Priscilla

I am often amazed at how many times you work so hard to finish something; You lose sleep, miss meals, skip entertaining events, all to reach your goal. And right when you feel as if you are just about to touch that rainbow's pot of gold...it all disappears, and a big neon sign obstructs your view. Now the only thing you can see are flashing lights, spelling out two beautiful words: "The Beginning!"  (Nevermind that it's gonna take a nap to appreciate them.)  "The Beginning...What? You’ve gotta be kidding me?" is your initial response. But this is not "The Beginning", as in the start of the same thing you just finished, but 'the beginning' of something really new. It's a road you have never ventured down before; An invitation. I mean at this point, it can't be ignored, but it can be denied. 

I find this to be true in every area of life. Kids finish one school year, only to start another one...or eventually a new life. We work on projects and as soon as they are done, either we are offered a season of rest or that 'project' has now opened doors to more opportunities...and thus more busyness. The same is true when someone is sick and passes away, or someone who was once close to you is now far away. Either way, something new is about to begin.

Not only is this true in our everyday lives, but this is how 'The Kingdom' works as well. When we come to Christ with our pain, our shame and our sin, it is the end of those things reigning in our lives.  A New Day has dawned! Jesus' Lordship, occupation and dominion of that territory begins. 

It's the Cross and the Empty Tomb! 

It's the end of "void and darkness", but it's the beginning of "Let there be light".  

It's the end of a long, hard, pregnancy, but the beginning of a new life.  

And yes, it is even that which ends in death, only to be followed by the beginning of Eternal Life. 

Like a great baton exchange in a relay race, it's a wonderful crossing of the finish line.  It's called transition... where the End always precedes the Beginning.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 1
2 Cor. 5:17 (NKJV)

Grace and peace y’all,

Nicole

All Things for His Good

I felt like I was on top of the world. A naive 20-something. I had just been hired with an up and coming firm that paid more than I knew what to do with. So, I did what anyone would have done. I went out and bought a brand new car and acquired a really cool set of friends. I didn't need anything or anyone and I was fully capable of doing this life 'all by myself'.

I felt completely invincible.

Until a small dent in my plans quickly brought me back down to earth and brought my plans to a screeching halt. I was involved in a bad car wreck that sandwiched my car between three others. Everything I held so tightly to was taken from me in that very moment. My car was a mangled mess and I was in such a great deal of pain that I could no longer work. My new friends? No longer had the time.

As months went by, there was no amount of medical procedures or physical therapy sessions that could provide relief from the pain I was experiencing. I searched hard for a bright side. I really did. At least I had my life. That is what I remember thinking.

But that, too, was soon in question. My health had made a turn for the worse. To spare all details and fancy medical jargon (that I cannot pronounce anyway), my body was having an adverse reaction to a procedure that was suppose to provide relief.  

I was quarantined and placed in an intensive care unit hospital bed while my family members stood by helpless and full of questions. The doctors needed 24 hours for the test results to come in before they could give any medical reasoning. 24 hours to determine if I was going to survive or not. Until then, all questions remained unanswered. It was, without a doubt, an agonizing 24 hours for all involved.

But in the meantime, family and the few friends that were there, prayed. Their response is something I am forever grateful for.

Now… Let me just say, this could not have happened at a more inconvenient time. My sister was to marry in 5 days. 5 DAYS! I was the only one she chose to be in her wedding party and I still needed to find a bridesmaid’s dress! This is procrastination at its finest, folks.

I do not remember much from that week. I can only sit in shock hearing first-hand stories. I do remember feeling sweet peace amidst agonizing pain though. How was that even possible? I also remember that my love for Christ changed while I was confined to that hospital bed. It had grown to a level that I had never experienced before.

I grew up in church. Accepted Christ when I was 5. I knew the gospel, and I knew it to be true, but I had not experienced the joy of living and trusting it for myself. I was living off of the hand-my-downs from my parents. But on that hospital bed, He was no longer the God of my parents and grandparents. I made a decision to recommit my life to Christ and He was now personally mine.

At the time, I could not fathom how God was going to work this period of my life to have a fruitful ending. I was struck powerless…but I was left lying in the hands of a powerful God.

As I look back, I’m reminded of a well-known scripture…

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB

I definitely could not see it during the storm. But I see it now. As dark and bleak as that time in my life was, it was worth going through to find Him.

Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, as difficult and incomprehensible as they may be at times, commit it to the Lord and trust in His Word. He is always and forever sovereign.

By the way, I found a bridesmaid’s dress with a few hours to spare. And it was an honor to watch my sister walk down the aisle.

Nicole :)

Guest Blogger: Melanie Shankle | The Light of His Grace

I am so glad that Melanie Shankle AKA "Big Mama" is with us today that I can barely stand it. I LOVE HER and her writings. Her books (which, by the way, are New York Times Best-sellers) are the ones I pull out when I want to laugh and learn and relax and relate.

Yeah. That's it. She's utterly "relate-able".

You can see yourself in her stories. Her marriage is yours. Her stories of motherhood are yours. Her messes and mixups and bobbles and broken pieces are yours. So, it's easy to snuggle up with each chapter of HER book and yet somehow get lost in YOUR life.

That's why I like her. Cause she's "every woman".

Most of all, she likes cute clothes. . . and food. That's why we're friends. She'll chow down on some mexican food and then find the bargain basement blouse someone else just spent full, department-store prices for. Then (because this is just her way) she'll blog about both - the food and the blouse. Tell you where to eat the best salsa of your life and then post a link to the clothing store that has the best sale of the year.

My kind of girl.
Enjoy her.

And then look her up. . .follow her. . .friend her. You know, all of that. Just because. . .she's witty and brilliant and flat-out fun.

Bless you today,

Priscilla

My husband Perry and I moved into our house six months after we got married. We were just two skinny newlyweds back then and when our realtor showed us this little cottage house that was the only semi-decent thing in our price range (and by semi-decent I mean the only one without shag carpet left over from the 70’s) we signed the contract and became real grown ups in the form of a thirty year mortgage the way God and Bank of America intended.

We saw promise in this house that was painted a hideous shade of yellow with mint green trim. And that was before mint green had made a comeback like it has lately. Seriously, mint green is everywhere right now. I don't totally understand it, but it's better than jelly shoes and ribbon belts so let's just go with it.

Perry was in full-time ministry at the time, but now owns a landscaping business. And I guess it was his landscaper's eye that made it our top priority to get rid of the hideous, overgrown ligustrums on the west side of the house and replace them with two beautiful Mountain Laurel trees. In case you don't know, there are few things in nature better than a Mountain Laurel tree in the spring. They get these gorgeous lavender blossoms that smell like grape soda and basically make the world feel like a better place.

So we had a company come plant our trees. The next spring they were covered in blooms and we declared them worth every penny. We had tree pride and were sure all our neighbors had tree envy.

(Not really. I don't think tree envy is a real thing. Unless maybe you're a botanist.)

But over the ensuing years, they quit producing as many blooms. They began to look a little pitiful. I mean, they weren't terrible and they were still alive, but I'd drive around town and see other trees that had flowers all over them and I'd feel bad about my trees. So maybe tree envy IS a real thing and I had it.

Finally, last spring, Perry had a tree specialist come out and look at our trees to see if there was a problem. The tree guy took one look at them and immediately made his diagnosis. When the trees were initially planted, they were planted too deep and over the years the roots had become covered by more and more layers of dirt and mulch until they weren't getting enough light from above.

Hi. Spiritual analogy, anyone?

The tree guy brought in some kind of equipment that I'd tell you all about except I didn't care enough to ask and he dug out all the excess dirt around the tree roots to expose them to the light. And I am not kidding when I tell you that not even two weeks later both of our trees were covered in the bright green foliage that's a sign of new growth and health. That's all it took. The roots were in need of the light.

Those trees have been a reminder to me that I let too many things crowd in and block out the voice of God in my life. And not even bad things necessarily, just busy things. It’s hard to balance all the carpooling and cooking chicken for dinner and acting as the cruise director for our family. These are all good (well, maybe not the chicken) yet they can add to the busy-ness that distract me from absorbing how much God loves me.

I heard Beth Moore say once, “We will never be secure until we realize we are fully loved by God, no matter our failings.” That's my struggle. I struggle with grace. I struggle to comprehend that I am fully loved by God no matter how much I fail. That's the place I go when I let too much dirt cover up the truth of God in my life.

Because I know myself. I know all my weaknesses and failures. I know what I’ve done and what I regret and what I’ve been saved from. I know all the ways I continue to fail on a daily basis. And if I’m disappointed in myself, then how is God not disappointed in me? How does He look at me with unfailing love and hope that I’ll do better tomorrow but won’t love me any less if I don’t?

It doesn’t make sense. And sometimes it just feels easier to cover these insecurities up and pretend they're not there instead of exposing them to the light.

Over the last few weeks God has shown his love to me in a hundred different ways, just small simple things. There have been moments when I’ve almost felt like it was too much. More than I deserved. And I've felt him say to me in the deepest part of my heart, the part I sometimes let get too covered up, “You are so much harder on yourself than I am.”

I am. I’m hard on myself. I get caught up in the comparison game and feel like everyone is loving better, living more purposefully, doing more significant things and, essentially, blooming so much better than me. I give other people the benefit of the doubt, but I never give myself that same grace. And that’s what God has been whispering over me.

Grace.

He has never once looked at me, shook his head and said, “Wow. What a failure. I should have gotten someone else to do that.” That’s not how he works.

I don’t know if any of us have the capability or the comprehension to ever fully grasp the love of God. It’s too big. But I know that the only way we'll ever grow and become what he has called us to be is when we expose ourselves to the light. That's where we bloom.

That's where we find ourselves immersed in the fragrance that tells the world who we belong to, what he has done for us, and that we are covered in ridiculous amounts of grace by the light of his truth.

Detours and Delays

Was on the way to Dallas recently - headed home after a ministry trip in another state. We'd had a good time and it seemed like our investment had been beneficial to those who had attended the conference. We sure hoped so.

We were grateful for the opportunity and joyfully exhausted. Ready to come home - sleep in our own beds, use our own shower, walk around in our bathrobes, refresh - you get the idea.

So, when the pilot's voice came over the loud speaker of the plane, I was immediately concerned. We were 1 hour and 45 minutes into a flight that was only supposed to last two hours but the pilot wasn't telling us to prepare for landing in Dallas. Instead, he explained that weather in our destination wasn't good and that we were being diverted to Austin.

Sigh.

Now, I like Austin. It's actually one of my favorite places to visit . . .but not tonight. I wanted to go home.

Instead, we were detoured. We sat on the runway and waited for weather to clear at home. I looked out of the window of row 12B and watched other aircraft in our same dilemma. I was frustrated. Felt like a waste of precious time to me. And just when my thoughts were about to head straight for emotional dumps . . .I saw them. Dozens of fuel trucks hooking themselves up to these planes and giving them the extra gas that they'd need to finish their journey successfully. These planes were all headed somewhere different - somewhere unique to their passengers - but they all needed the same thing. . .fuel.

The detour may have been an inconvenience. May have seemed like a waste and pointless diversion in my plan to get home quickly to my destination. But something good - something beneficial - was happening here in this unexpected place. Good things. . . necessary things were being added that would help me get where I wanted and needed to go.

Not such a waste after all.

Been diverted from your plan lately? Your schedule for the day (or for the year) been interrupted? Listen to me, this season is not a waste. This place - this runway where you are sitting - is where God will bring the fuel you need to get you to where you want and need to be. There will be relationships that develop here, character that matures here, growth that occurs here. Spiritual fuel. He will impart to you here that will be required if you are ever to get there.

So relax. Rest. Trust.

. . .and receive.

You are fiercely loved,

Priscilla