Passionate for my REDEEMER!

March 20, 2013 By 10 Comments

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As I woke up out of a deep sleep the other night, two words became vivid in my mind: HOLY PASSION.  I made a certain effort to write the two words down so I wouldn’t forget them.  As always, I come to the realization that Heaven is speaking to me with a whisper and I need to pay attention.

In JESUS LIVES, by Sarah Young, speaking about “Intimacy with HIM,” it says that GOD’S view of us, knowing our deepest desires and darkest secrets, is a view through the eyes of a passionate Lover.  It is GOD’S Holy Passion for us!

Because of HIS perfect, passionate love for me, I have to ask myself: am I just as passionate for HIM? Christ died for me in order to create a passionate flame within me that will never die out!  Do my days reflect this flame of love?

Once again I examine my heart: am I truly passionate about seeking HIM?  HE only wants a relationship with me, and HE pursues me with HIS prevenient grace, and then justifies me, even when I have remained a sinner.

Those of us in CHRIST love our LORD, but do we seek HIM with a passion every day of our lives?  I fall short on this every day!  I will admit I could do so much better in my prayer life!  Since prayer is our direct contact with our Savior, why do we tend to leave it until the last moment or just send up a quick prayer in our busy days?  My prayers sometimes seem vague and general.  Is this you too?

I recently was asked to be part of the Prayer team on another Emmaus Walk. ( You can google Emmaus Communities and see the extent of these communities in the United States!) I am situated in the Prayer Room on site and we will pray continuously throughout the weekend. 

It is interesting how my prayer life has come to the forefront and how GOD has pointed out to me that I could do a lot better in this spiritual effort.  In prayer, HE is drawing me closer to HIS heart.  I am learning to love praying for others, for their needs, and my heart breaks for what breaks HIS.  

HIS Holy Passion for us asks us to love HIM, to seek HIM, and to know HIM with all of our hearts.  Prayer is commanded of us, gives glory to GOD, and gives answers! 

And so we, LORD, as your loving people observing LENT, pray today:

Thank YOU LORD, for the power of prayer…

We first pray for YOUR glory and YOUR kingdom…

We passionately pray that many hearts may be won by YOUR passionate love for us…

LORD help us to do YOUR will…and to passionately seek YOU…

May our daily lives prove that YOU are LORD of our hearts…

Since YOU are Sovereign, YOU touch our every written word, action and deed, and help us to know this deeply…

May our Christian body here, be passionate lovers of YOU and passionate lovers of each other.

Allow your HOLY PASSION to wash over us.

And let YOUR flame of love burn bright and deep within us, now and forever!

IN YOUR SON’S NAME, JESUS OUR REDEEMER, AMEN.

Ladies as you go through your day, pray for MUST LOVE GOD and all that happens here on each page.  If we only touch one soul with HIS love, then we are living passionately for HIM and through HIM.  Let HIS flame burn bright and deep within us for all to see!

PSALM 42:8 “By day the LORD commands HIS steadfast love, and at night HIS song is with me, a prayer to the GOD of my life.” ESV

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Gratitude, One Word, Spiritual, Thought for Today Tagged With: , , , 10 Comments

A Review: “I’ll Hold You in Heaven” + An Offer

November 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In this space of hope, healing, and love, you may have noticed some of our writers centering on a theme recently.  A theme of remembrance in honor of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month – a theme that touches many of our own writing team and an even greater number of the women in this grace-filled community.

In keeping with this theme, today I’d like to share a small, but incredibly powerful resource with you.  Whether you’ve had to walk the dark road of surrendering a child back to God yourself, or if you are a ministry leader who interacts with those healing from a miscarriage, or you volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, or perhaps you’re simply a woman who wants to bless and encourage another sister who is grieving and in pain…this book is for you.

The Review

Jack Hayford has packed beautiful words of wisdom, healing, grace, and hope into just over 100 pages of a small book that takes the reader on a journey through Scripture into the heart of God as it concerns the loss of a little one.

 ”I’ll Hold You in Heaven: Healing and Hope for the Parent Who Has Lost a Child Through Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Abortion, or Early Infant Death.”

Hayford is clear in the introduction of this little book, to state the purpose of its writing.  That is, “to offer a path to hope and healing – not through happy talk or platitudes, but through the solid footing of God’s Word.”  With that foundation firmly set in place, the first three chapters work through issues like, “Was my unborn child, in the fullest sense of the meaning, actually a human being,” “Is [my child] sensitive and responsive as a spiritual entity,” and “Is there any evidence that he or she possesses insight or intellect in the most spiritual sense?”  Moving forward, Hayford then addresses the heart cry of every parent who has lost a young one, “Will I see them again in Heaven?”  As a huge spoiler alert (if the title of the book didn’t already alert you), the answer is a resounding, “YES!”  Again, pointing to Scripture as the backdrop of every point made, every issue tackled, every question answered, Hayford gently handles the heart of the matter with hope.  He concludes the book with advice on the grief process and practical, Biblical steps to addressing the issue of abortion, using his own heart struggle and wrestling with God as a framework.

I understand that beyond a brief summary and outline, I haven’t given you many details of the Scripture Hayford uses, the points he makes, or the practical steps he details in this book…that, dear one is because I want you to get the book and read it for yourself!  For a few dollars, you can work through the questions this book brings to the light for the sake of healing your own heart, or perhaps for walking through the dark spaces with a friend who is in pain.  Most assuredly, your deepest pain will find restoration.

The Offer

In closing, I’d like to offer one more thing, dear one.  If you have walked through, or are currently in the middle of, the darkness that comes with losing a child…I want to walk with you.  As your sister, I want to intercede on your behalf in the Throne Room and ask God for His grace, healing, and love to surround you.  Simply send me an email…you can share your story with me (knowing it will be held in the strictest confidence), or you can simply ask, “Please pray.”  I promise to stand with you…you can connect with me at alle@chasing-eden.com

Grace and Blessings, Dear Ones.

Pregnant Woman Image from CreationSwap//Button Design by Finding Eden Media
Filed Under: Book Review, Emotional, Loss, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Five Ways to Worship While on Vacay

August 27, 2012 By 3 Comments

Between throwing our swimsuit into the suitcase and printing off our itinerary and road maps, let’s take a minute to pause and make sure we’re packing one of the most important things into our vacation bags…our worship.

Scripture is clear about the role worship plays in the life of a Follower of Christ…in fact, it doesn’t play a role – it’s our actual identity.

And you never leave your identity behind…just because you’re going on vacation doesn’t mean you stop being a mother, or a friend, or a blogger.  How those identities play out may look a little different while you’re relaxing and recharging, but they don’t cease to be a part of you.  In the same way, our identity as worshippers should travel with us.

In Scripture, John points out that we are to worship God…truly worship Him in spirit and truth.  What does that look like as we take to the road for a week of “fun in the sun?”  Here are five practical ways you can continue to live out a life of true worship with your family or a group of friends while on vacation.

  1. Give Him Your Playlist – Dedicate your playlist or the portion for that early morning chunk of the ride to worshipping the Father.  If you don’t have a good library of worship music, check with a friend or your pastor for guidance on what to purchase.  Or, shoot me an email at alle(at)chasing-eden(dot)com - I love helping friends discover music that fits their personal style while helping them enter the Throne Room. And, after 10 years as a musician and worship leader, I’ve got a pretty good library built up to give some personal recommendations!
  2. Spend Time with Him – Don’t forget to pack your Bible and any other “tools” you use for your personal time with God.  As your body and mind relax and take a break, you’ll find more room in your heart for God to speak extra encouragement and refreshment.  If you’re traveling with your family or a group of friends – perhaps you could dedicate a portion of each morning or outing to some group devotional time!
  3. Create Something – Some of my most intimate times with God come from being an image-bearer of His creativity.  Whether that manifests itself in a new song, a piece of art, writing, or any other creative medium doesn’t matter.  Dedicate some time on your vacation to create…you could even make a mini-journal or memory jar of your trip!
  4. Explore Creation – Being in a new physical location (or even exploring a place you’ve never visited in your home town) can uncover some beautiful parks, ocean-views, and mountain-top experiences.  Thank Him for His creativity in making this planet our home and capture it in a photo or journal!
  5. Meet Your Extended Family – If your trip spans over a weekend, take the time to investigate a new church in the area you’re visiting.  Meeting with other Believers who you may never see until we’re all called home is an exciting experience as you worship corporately!

What are some other ways you can live out your life as a worshipper even while “on break” from your other responsibilities?

 

Filed Under: Balance, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , , , , 3 Comments

Momma’s Prayer

July 23, 2012 By 5 Comments

Dear Lord, PJ and Christian

I know Your wisdom is infinite,

and you gave me these babies to take care of.

Some days I’m not really sure why You trusted me with them.

They are precious, and I often don’t feel equipped to give them what they need.

I do know they need me to protect them,

and to love them,

and to teach them right from wrong. spiderman

I also know that they need me to let go,

and to let them learn on their own, to grow and make mistakes.

Please, God, help me to be enough.

Show me how to keep them safe as they earn their independence.

Put the words of affirmation they need to hear on my tongue.

Help me to see them grow into the Godly young men and women this world desperately needs.

Let me teach them grace and humility.

I don’t know why you chose me, God, but I am grateful every day that you did. 3 kids

Ease my tears, Lord, as they begin to walk away from my arms. 

May I find joy in their growth, 

and share their triumphs.

I pray these things in Your glorious name,

Amen.

 

 

4babiesCook-Cassie-22

 

 

                                      

Filed Under: Emotional Tagged With: , , , , 5 Comments

Hole-y Jeans | Praying for Our Kids

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sitting around the dinner table full of steaming plates, we grasp hands and thank Him for the food.

Snuggled in bed with covers pulled up tight, we fight off sleep and ask for His blessing on our family.

Rushing through the day with errands, deadlines, and stress pulling us in every direction, we throw up a plea for help.

Pacing the hall of the hospital under the fluorescent lights, we plead and bargain in exchange for healing and safety.

Whether it’s a memorized blessing, intense time of intercession, or a quick sentence of “Help me, Jesus!” – prayer has proven to be a “staple” in the diet of a Follower of Christ.  However, there are times when a situation calls for extended periods of intensive communication from our hearts to the Throne Room of God.  In my short time as a parent, I’ve seen the need for and tremendous impact of these dedicated prayer times for my son.  When I’m on my knees, calling on God to work out His will in the life of my Augustine, I am surrendering my own control and admitting that I alone cannot create “change” in his heart.  I truly believe that prayer is the single most effective and powerful tool I have in my “mama toolbox.”

Praying for your children can be a daunting task – there’s so much ground to cover!  And there are countless resources on praying for children – a simple Google search will generate over 31 million potential hits – just a bit overwhelming!  It’s obvious that great men and women of faith have recognized the need to approach God on behalf of the next generation and have taken the time to equip us to lay the foundation of faith before them and ask for God’s blessing on their lives.  To help narrow that search down, I’ve selected two affordable, eBook resources for you to consider:

“31 Days of Prayer for Our Daughters” by The MOD Squad

While I am not a “mama of girls,” I have friends who have attested to the power and need for this resource as they pray for their daughters.  In a world that degrades, pressures, and can demoralize our girls, we have to stand on the front lines to fight for their hearts.  This eBook is available for $1.99 on Kindle and Nook.

“Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need it Most” by: Brooke McGlothlin

I’m blessed to call Brooke a dear friend and have been incredibly impacted by her words to intercede on behalf of my son.  To raise up a generation of men who are firmly grounded in Christ and who uphold His laws has earth-shaking impact.  This eBook is available for $3.99 on Kindle, Nook, and for PDF download.

These resources are a great jumping off point if you’re looking for a way to organize your prayer time for your kids!  Additionally, during the month of May (1-21), TheMOBSociety is hosting a 21 Days of Prayer for Sons challenge, inspired by Brooke’s book, “Warrior Prayers.”  Each day a group of over 900 women gather to pray through Scripture for their sons and encourage each other.  I’m blessed to be leading the challenge over there, so if you’d like more information or want to join us, please send an email to alle.warriorprayers@gmail.com and I’ll connect you.

Let’s wear some holes in our jeans as we pray for our sons and daughters.

Filed Under: Book Review, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment

And the panic fell down like rain

April 16, 2012 By 4 Comments

By now, I guess I should know that if I feel comfortable in my life, it probably means I’m being a hermit, and God is going to shake things up. I really wasn’t prepared for how huge the shake-up would be this time, or my reaction to it.

It has been a long time, years in fact, since I’ve had a full-blown anxiety attack. From time to time I will feel anxiety over a situation, but not the sheer panic that I’ve felt in the past. I can feel that panic pressing in on me now, though, and I’m afraid I’m going to drown in it.

panic – to become so frightened that one loses the power to think clearly

I know in my head that the things I’m worried about are silly, but the panic flushes all rational thought out of my head, makes me cry, lose my breath, and want to climb into bed and stay there forever.

In my case, my greatest source of anxiety is being in social situations. Don’t get me wrong, I want to be the social butterfly, but I’m just not equipped to handle it on my own. It has been heavy on my heart lately that I need to make more of an effort to not only keep up my existing friendships, but also to go and actively seek out new ones. (Insert deep breaths here.)

I’ve made a lot of online friends over the last two years, and decided about this time last year that I wanted to meet some of them in person. If you read my blog, you probably saw that I attended the Relevant Conference (Now called Allume) last October. I’m pretty sure that the only way I talked myself into it was by telling myself repeatedly that they only sold 250 tickets, so it would be a small, almost homey gathering of like-minded Christian women.

I made it through the cross-country travel from Montana to Pennsylvania (largely because I got to travel with my sweet online sister, Anna.) I lived through meeting Lisa, and Katey, fell in love with Kristi, and only had one near breakdown when I attempted to join in on the newbie meet-up the first day. (There were so many women in that room, and they were all talking, and smiling, and it was too much for me to handle.)

My good time at the conference may have made me a little cocky. You know, I made it through that, so I can make it through anything. I’m the queen of the world!!! (Stop laughing, and keep reading…) Since then, God has set more and more opportunities (challenges?) before me, and I’ve obviously stopped relying on Him for strength because I can feel myself breaking down.

I relied on a double amaretto sour (or four) to get me through my husband’s company Christmas party. As the boss’ wife, it was my job to be witty, and friendly, and fun. I was all of those things, not to mention unsteady, but I made it through.

I managed to tidy up the house and not get frazzled when we had friends over for dinner a while back. Even with people I know, I have a hard time because I’m afraid they will see the dust on my blinds, cobwebs on a hanging light, one of my kids will say something, um, questionable, and I will be judged for all of it.

Last week we went to the new small groups pastor’s house for dinner to meet a few other couples from church who would like to start a group and get to know people. I will admit to changing my shirt twice before we left, but I actually felt pretty good about the whole thing. It was a pleasant evening, and when we saw one of the couples this week at church, we chatted, and it was very nice to have that connection.

So, see? I thought I was doing a pretty good job until this morning when my husband casually brought up the topic of his big work conference coming up, and how we need to start making final preparations to be sure we have everything we need, and the house is ready for his family (coming to stay with our kids). That’s when I burst into tears at the thought of not having the right clothes, or hair, or make-up, or shoes, or purse or… whatever.

I’m feeling way out of my element on this one. I’m just a casual, small-town, Western girl. I grew up in a household a step up from poor. This conference will have over 2000 people, all in the highest positions with my husband’s company. We are staying at the Ritz-Carlton (!). There will be private performances by  The Blues Brothers, Big & Rich, 3 Doors Down, Gin Blossoms, and Eddie Money. There’s a day spent working on a humanitarian project, and one at a beautiful place called Discovery Cove. This thing is no joke, people, and I’m not sure I can handle it.

Then I started writing this post, and I found a prayer card that I think I will carry with me until the conference ends, and we are back home. The card says this:

“O God, please set my heart at rest in Your presence when my heart wants to condemn me. For You, God, are greater than my heart and You know everything.” (1 John 3:19-20)

Will God stop loving me if I wear the “wrong” shoes? Or dress? Or come from a small town in Montana? Doubtful. So why am I torturing myself? No, really. Why? Why do I let my brain get so upset over this?

I don’t know why, but I do know that it probably means I need to spend more time in prayer, getting close to God, and less time on Amazon looking for the perfect pair of sandals to wear in Florida in April.

“When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your love, O Lord, supported me! When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul!” (Psalm 94:18-19)

How can you tell when you need to reconnect with God? What do you do when you start feeling overwhelmed/anxious/panicked?

*** The links in this post do not benefit me in any way. Some are links to my friends’ blogs, and one is to the prayer cards I mentioned and quoted. I am not an affiliate. I just want you to be connected if you’d like to be connected.  Smile

*** As you read this, I am in Florida at the conference mentioned above. I can’t guarantee I will have a computer to reply to your comments right away, but know that I will do so when I get home. Any prayers you feel like sending my way will be wholeheartedly accepted.

Filed Under: Battles, Emotional, Friendship, Mental Tagged With: , , , , 4 Comments