You know those moments where you are thinking something you believe you SHOULDN’T? There’s a holy conviction, “Yeah, this isn’t right”. “I know acting out this or that certainly will not reflect Christ. Lord, help me keep my mouth shut, my face straight, and give me the grace to not explode in so doing”.

This morning I found myself there. Some things get me going. One of them being when others present the ideas they’ve mined from other people and present them as their own. I recently heard from a fellow creative, Erwin McManus, “Every time someone pays the counterfeit, the thief is receiving the reward”. Woah.

Counterfeits stink. They come with a cost, even though they may seem to be, or even are in many cases, more affordable. Their inception is grounded in lack of integrity. Inevitably compromising the material it is built upon. Eventually it will fall apart and cause the one who bought into it to replace it or perhaps choose to buy the original. Counterfeits come with a cost.

I’m thinking of this and then I pray, “Lord, prune my thoughts. Graft in YOUR thoughts and character for this situation. You be reflected in this situation. Bless me with the words to speak and share, should this perceived injustice be confronted.”

While praying, I saw a tree. I saw a large oak tree. Remain deeply rooted in love came to mind. I then saw branches and even some roots being cut away. Another vine was grafted in. A new sprout and bud popped up on another.

How often do we avoid those uncomfortable places or opportunities for correction? How often do we just stuff the feelings down and move on? How often do we say to ourselves I am going to make right of this situation and confront? How often do we rely on our self, rather than the Holy Spirit, to give us the words to speak?

As the image continued to become clearer, new branches crafted in and new buds popping up, I realized the tree would be bearing new fruit. His fruit. Any fruit now coming from this tree would be the “real deal”, a fruit of the Spirit, not a counterfeit provided by a soul maneuvering from a natural response.

I pray we do not fear the pruning. I pray we trust the Lord will not prune, only to leave a painful, gaping wound or severed limb. I pray we realize He prunes to make room for His character, His will, His BLESSING – His reflection.

I pray we go to Him with our character, in exchange for His. I pray the world begin to see more clearly Who God REALLY is through our lives – because we intentionally choose the REAL DEAL over our natural-world-shaped feelings, thoughts and preferences.

I haven’t written much lately. Not because I have been lazy, but because focus has been pointed at other areas. So many good God things going on, blogging hasn’t been on the top of the requests of things to do.

Yesterday, however, I sat down and wrote for about four hours. It was time I map out milestones for my story, the testimony of God’s overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love for me. If that song is now in our head… GOOD!

Writing while recalling is much different than writing to teach, encourage or perhaps facilitate some level of healing in the life of someone else. It is also different than writing to share or perhaps entertain. Although, my prayer is the pages of my written testimony will certainly encourage anyone convinced they are in a hopeless situation. I also pray it will cause others to see there is healing in the hands of a mighty God if we would but only surrender FULLY to Him! And of course, due to my God given flare, I do pray the method by which it is shared is entertaining on some level. Most importantly, I pray folks are able to live more courageously in Christ and allow the old woman or man to truly pass away.

You see, as I sat down to capture what was supposed to be 15 – 20 milestones and life lessons throughout my tenure (I hope that’s OK Ms. Writing Coach), I ended up capturing 25. I know! It’s hard to believe someone who hasn’t quite reached the top of the hill just yet would have so much to share. That’s exactly why I sense the Lord speaking to my heart it NEEDS to be shared. Exactly.

When recalling the milestones and faithfulness of God, I come to tears. He truly does have a reckless love for me, and I know He has one for you as well! It’s breathtaking. He has pursued and protected His plan in my life since before I was formed. He protected my ability to hear and speak when spinal meningitis threatened to steal both when I was an infant. He was there with me through the heartache of learning my father’s life had been carelessly stripped away by a family member, even though I couldn’t really sense it at the age of five. Even after others tried to hush me by convincing me to stay quiet after their poor choices, or shame me with insults of how my obese body looked at a very young age – He was looking after me.

When pain and depression would not loosen its grip and I chose to bring my own happiness and gratification, He kept watch and let me go only so far. When rejection from the ones closest to me came, He received me with wide open arms like the loving Father He is! God has been good, sooooo goooood!

It amazes me how He transforms poor choices, heartache and sorrow, into jewels of lessons learned, joy and peace. I am astonished at how He WILL NOT LET UP and CONSTANTLY calls us back to Him, even from our own self-reliant, self-imposed captivity. I am blown away that His passionate pursuit is not for our sake alone. No. It has always been and always will be for the sake of the lives we are surrounded by. He came to this life to live wholly unto the Father and sacrifice His life for you and I. We are called to do the same.

As I wrote the milestones and then took the step of sending them to my writing coach, I felt a twinge of anxiety. What will she think? Oh my goodness, only a few people know these things about me, will she even want to work with me? Being vulnerable isn’t easy. In fact, not coincidentally, the subject of being vulnerable has been prevalent in the first week of the Rise Up Commitment. I even completed a mini video study where we looked at the life of Hannah, the woman from Shunem, Adam and Eve, and King David. From them we learned why some folks may offer up vulnerability, why some appear to not be open, the one thing that may be lying at the heart of being able to become more vulnerable, and an example of how we can live when we are vulnerable with both God and man. It may be of interest to you. CLICK HERE TO VIEW and please let me know if it spoke to you!

I pray you have a great week and be encouraged today to spend a bit of time reflecting on how good God has been to you throughout your life. If you don’t know Him, through the person of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and you’re tired, hurting, broken, angry and fearful. Would you do me a favor? Would you reach out and message me? I want to pray with you.

​Psalm 136:1-3

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for His steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for His steadfast love endures forever;

God bless!

Shanon

I recently updated the homepage to this site and felt overwhelmed! I was overwhelmed by the faithfulness of God, always! Overwhelmed by how He has grown me, stretched me outside my comfort zone, and truly caused me to be a blessing – an instrument called for His GLORY!

It was literally just over one year ago when Rise Up! Devotions was published and released. Thirteen months later and God has penned five more publications! FIVE. And God receives all the glory for it. Every last ounce I have to give, is HIS!

You see, I share often, God will take what little we have offer and multiply it. I share this because this has been my experience. I also share it because oftentimes we may see the vision He has for us and feel like we have to make it all happen at once. This is a reminder – we don’t. We simply rely on Him to receive our offering and cause it to grow.

I am so grateful Rise Up! has been purchased by women all over the country and into South Africa. I’m also grateful He made the way for Rise Up! to be translated to Spanish and shared with Dominican friends. I’m also grateful for the kind words left by book reviewers:

" A great devotional to encourage everyone to Rise Up and know who we are and what God's Word says we are. "

" Such a great book to read if you are looking for a devotional to help you dig into the Bible deeper! You can go through it as slow or fast as you want. You can sense the author's passion and the way God is calling her all throughout this book. Such a great devotional! "

" The Rise Up Devotions are a great tool to help you dig deeper into God's word. If you are looking for a devotional that encourages as it guides you through scripture, this is it! "

I am grateful Rise & Pray has been shared with nearly a hundred women, now encouraged to rise and pray for others in their lives. Prayer. Prayer has been, is and will continue to be the power behind everything God does through this ministry. And when I read a review like this:

" Beautiful done, Holy Spirit led, and simple. Perfect for us Mamas who feel we don’t have a lot of time to sit with the Lord. However, this makes you want to draw close. This makes you realize what you are missing. "

My heart is completely satisfied knowing the Holy Spirit is literally being sensed through the words of the pages He lovingly composed through my feeble hands and soul.

Both Courageous Humility one and two, what can I say?! God seriously showed up in a profound way in the writing and composing of each six week study. He made His will known in that He wanted it to be accessible to millions of people via YouVersion. And, He made it so! Although I am currently working on getting part two uploaded to the Bible app, I love seeing thousands have read and completed part one – in less than a year!

With the Rise Up Commitment Daily Devotional just recently being released, my heart swells. The content Christ penned for the devotional means so much to me. It means so much because I literally witnessed Him bring understanding, awareness and transformation in the lives of twelve very special women in my life, whom I now consider sisters!

Through writing, the Lord has created an unbelievable community! But He isn’t done. Not by a long shot. I’ve recently been brainstorming two book ideas in my mind, both I believe calls from God. One book idea will be the testimony of my life, the other an experiment for Christians and non-Christians alike. BOTH, I believe will bless others and provide understanding, encouragement, and perhaps some level of healing on the wide array of faith journeys intersecting with my own.

The exciting part? I envision this writing being done in a new way. Writing, for many, is very isolating, which may be difficult when you are an extrovert and know you have a call to interact with others. These two projects will be social and interactive. You will be given an opportunity to join me on the journey of composing both. If you are interested in learning more, please leave a comment and I will share what is currently stirring in my heart and how we can connect with one another.

Take care and God bless!
​
Shanon 

When Lisa Bevere shared she hoped to “build a team of bold believers who are committed to standing upon truth”, I couldn’t shake it. I had literally just gifted the finishing participants of the Rise Up Commitment with a charmed necklace adorned with the following verses:

Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.

Ephesians 3:17-18 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Isaiah 61:3 In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
​
RISE UP, FIRMLY ROOTED IN LOVE. We, Lisa Bevere and I, seemed to have the same hope and prayer – with unique taglines.

I gained access to the audio files of the book before the hardcopy arrived. I downloaded and began digging in while on spring break. The story of the adamant stone was intriguing. I was encouraged to be adamantly intimate with God. I was reminded God is constant, and because of His never changing character, I can trust Him to help me change and better reflect His character. Pause.
​

We must be believers first loving God and then loving others, not just in word, but in action also, as His Holy Spirit leads! From there Lisa discussed that it’s not enough to be adamant in love, but adamant in hate as well. This is where it could get quite sticky for some. But Lisa Bevere, in her simple yet profound way, shares that we must hate what God hates, which is anything that destabilizes love and our perception of God, and ultimately disgraces us (the apples of His eye). Lisa then breaks down seven things the Lord hates. It’s a challenging list that, if reading with the intent to have the speck removed from our own eye, and may have us weeping towards the prayer closet for repentance.

Lisa then moves into being adamant for Truth and dispels the notion that Truth is fluid, by contending that Truth is the Word of God. When she referenced John 17:17, the foundational Scripture for the Rise Up Commitment devotional, I’m pretty sure my socks would have been blown off – if I ever wore them! Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. Where exactly is the heading, Lord? You are speaking the same message to little ole me, as you are to the best-selling author, Lisa Bevere!

After being moved to be adamant for Truth, readers are cheered to be adamant in Word. This chapter is very timely, and needed for the era in which we find ourselves. Lisa largely focuses on how we should speak with our mouths and what we type and post on social media. Social media being the primary place that seems ungoverned by etiquette and loving discourse. One particular area spoke to my heart: virtual versus actual.

Lisa shares in the book, “Virtual communities can be good or bad, healthy or abusive. Healthy virtual communities encourage our engagement and relationships with our actual communities.” Bingo. This was one lesson learned from hosting a series of challenges. The conviction was applied throughout the Rise Up Commitment and was a game changer. Lisa even states, “it is far easier to invest in a virtual community than to cultivate an actual one.” We learned throughout the commitment, God and His Word at the center of a gathering and relationship, supernaturally provides all the water, light, and weeding necessary to yield a finely cared for community.

When I began the section on adamant transformation, I knew that I knew God is doing a deep work. A deep work in the lives of many, and He is calling for transformation in the Body of Christ. When Ms. Bevere began to tackle the topics of the reality of our God, our day, the cost of sin, and the reality of us by pointing to the book of Romans, socks were lost and jaw dropped with eyes bugging out a bit. Our Rise Up Community had just read through the sixteen chapters of Romans AND the first half is currently being covered in my church home. Lord, I’m listening.

The end certainly confirmed the call and inspired me to declare, “I am adamant”. I sense those who will order this book and read it will certainly be moved and inspired. I pray it motivates fellow Sisters to press in to the Word of God and actively cooperate in the sanctification process, in an effort to truly live adamantly whole in Jesus Christ – spirit, soul and body.

If the words of Adamant wasn’t enough, God fully confirmed and persuaded me this morning Lisa truly has a message from God. She shared these words with gals participating in the online study group:

"I believe that in these last days God is raising up Women who are going to be standard bearers for Truth... I am already praying that God is gathering your women in strength and that we are going to RISE UP in such a beautiful day of Truth and splendor!"
​
Amen and amen! Thank you Lisa Bevere for writing Adamant, and sharing God’s message with so many. I am adamant with you, Sister.

April's Book & Next Month's Book:

​​Amazon Affiliate Link disclaimer: Shanon Roberts is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. 

Every time we have completed a challenge, there seems to be a somewhat unpleasant phase that follows. This phenomenon has been no different for the Rise Up Commitment. What are the typical symptoms experienced during this phase?

The overarching symptom is an overall sense of feeling “off”. Off may be described as feeling tired, disconnected, tempted to withdraw, changing priorities and routine back to what was comfortable BEFORE, feeling “heavy”, bloated even – you know? “Off”… and uncomfortable. And it may include any combination of these individual symptoms as well as others not mentioned.

Why does this happen? I believe it has to do with being less intentionally focused, which leads to a sort of disconnect to God and our sensitivity to Holy Spirit. I too was feeling off. However, I felt it was because of a couple life events. First, I didn’t follow through on the intentional period of rest I knew I had been called to. This left me scrambling with how to fit other things in that I hadn’t planned for. Second, our 11 ½ year old, beloved black Lab, Zeppelin, was put to rest, and it left my heart and mind feeling heavy. His home going represented not only his leaving our home, a home in which he was the very fiber and fabric of, but also signified our teenage daughters leaving in just a couple short years, to live the lives they are called to. Can you say introspective much? That thought process spiraled quickly! Third, exhaustion set in like I haven’t experienced in a while. I’m still not sure if it is due to the day light savings time switch (Hello? Shouldn’t I be adapted after nearly three weeks?!) or my body rejecting the long distant running I have been trying to build up to for a half marathon in May.

I felt I had prepared for “post-commitment”, in order to dull the risk of the uncomfortable feeling. Daily devotions are just as natural as brushing my teeth now, so this area wouldn’t fall to the wayside. I had a plan in place for my nutrition for the next three months. I had a plan in place for my fitness. And I knew I was going to continue to spend more intentional time with my husband and daughters and others. As I write this, I begin to see the root.  Heart connection to the Holy Spirit was already beginning to be dulled. That is what may cause many of us to feel “off”.

For me, I can see where my gaze quickly shifted from that of Jesus, and hence my uber sensitivity to His Spirit, now known as abiding in Him – according to my mind. I first began avoiding eye contact after not following through with His instruction to intentionally rest. Abide was also hindered when I began focusing on my broken heart, which snowballed to nervous anticipation about time left with my daughters. Regardless of where the exhaustion was coming from, it bothered me enough to provoke me to pray, assess and adjust to what I knew was best for this vessel.

Eat whole again, a commitment or challenge doesn’t have to be in place to eat well. Be ok with a change of plans when it comes to fitness. Get to bed on time (yes, that means some tasks will have to be left undone). Allow God to hold the tears of my sorrows, so I can let go. Trust Him to help me make the most of my daughters’ and I’s time together, rather than allowing sadness to damper when we ARE TOGETHER, TODAY. Ask forgiveness for disregarding instruction, and move on with what He’s asked. Continue moving forward, rather than looking back…

I pray this met you well, and if you found yourself feeling “off” the past couple of weeks, God has spoken to you in a tender and loving way. In His love for you and your love for HIM, I hope you allow Him to pick you up, dust you off, and get back in the vein of the vine.

Rising in Christ,

Shanon​

​I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I sat across the table from the hiring manager of what seemed like the perfect opportunity. It seemed as though God had been providing opportunity after opportunity to reflect His glory through art. A talent I had chosen to lay down five years prior, for the sake of my family.
​
Earlier in the year I was compelled to respond to a newspaper article in my community, related to highlighting the arts. The response inspired an in-person conversation with key folks in our community, which led to sharing my story as an artist over the past twenty years. The conversation inspired the request for me to share art for a first ever Chamber of Commerce exhibition in my community.

Initially, it didn’t seem to fit, but then it did. Time was arranged enough to allow the creation of several new pieces, while also tending the souls in my home, working, creating new devotional content, and continuing to support and encourage others.  When opening exhibition day arrived, I was elated at the pieces God had inspired me to create: Jesus as the center piece, my daughters and marriage secondary and tertiary, my community fourth. The exhibit, along with pieces from twenty years before and in between, captured the evolution, or transformation of my heart and perspective over the years.

From this newly inspired art collection, followed the selection of one piece. The piece was chosen for the cover of a women’s magazine in a surrounding area. Again, I was elated at the opportunity to share my love for God and the fact that all my inspiration comes from Him! The passion spark for art that was flamed from both these events inspired the creation of this website, with a thought I might be one day providing creative services for others, in a new capacity. The intent of the site was to showcase creative capability and function as a portfolio of sorts.

And then some interesting events took shape…

On October 18th 2017, God shared the Rise Up Commitment idea with me (in my mind somewhat flippantly so), and I shared the same day (which I rarely ever do) with a gal I love very much. She pretty much said, “DO IT!”

October 20th 2017, Glo Magazine released the November copy featuring the chosen piece to newsstands. My heart was happy!

October 25th 2017 (seven days after the Lord planted the Rise Up Commitment seed), I discovered a job opportunity as a Graphic Designer. Following the inquiry and discussion with the hiring manager, an initial interview was set up.

October 26th 2017, I emailed about a space to host the Rise Up Commitment. I sensed God needed this commitment  to be VERY different from challenges past. A very distinct curriculum was formulating, details of the flow and location. All coming together in a clear vision, but I needed to know it was from Him, rather than my over creative mind.

November 1st 2017, I had an interview with the hiring manager. He had sent me the details of the position and the expectations. Was it God’s hand? Everything I had taken upon myself to learn throughout the development and creation of this new ministry, was exactly what he was looking for. Had God been preparing me for THIS?

The punch came just as swift as the opportunity and interview had. My stomach felt hot, my heart began to race, I felt a bit woozy and my entire demeanor morphed three quarters of the way through the initial interview, from poised and confident, to not so much. I could tell the hiring manager picked up on the shift as well. In an instant, I realized that if I took on this position (which was seemingly a guarantee based on the way the conversation had gone to this point) all other areas, including my home, family and the ministry God had entrusted me with, may fall to the way side or I would burn out trying to make everything "work".

You see, I have a tendency to operate with tunnel vision when learning something new and trying to do my very best. I knew God didn’t want me operating in a tunnel for someone else’s vision with a talent I held dear to my heart. I knew He was calling me to operate out and about with the spiritual gifts He had been making known and blessing me with.

I left the meeting knowing THIS was not what God was preparing me for. The next day, the entire curriculum for the Rise Up Commitment was formulated and captured via Word. The space I had inquired about, was also approved for use throughout the ten week program (I'm told this is somewhat rare). God was confirming. Five days passed. I prayed. I spoke with my husband. On the fourth day I shared with my husband I believed if I pursued the opportunity, I knew it would only be self-serving. Yes, it was perfect for me. Yes, it would help me feel like my talent was being put to use. Yes, I might get a new office. Yes, I might get a new salary. Do you see the theme there? Me – I – myself. I knew it would fulfill a hope I had, but it would essentially cause me to lose or diminish focus on others and ultimately God’s heart.

I had been given a mission right here in my community. This new role, I believed, would not help but hinder this mission. All this I shared with the hiring manager who called me the fifth day to gauge where I was regarding the position and next steps. He had in fact noticed the shift in my body language. He also arrived at the same conclusion, but for different reasons, once I shared my heart. This opportunity was not for me, and it was confirmed.

And I have to say, praise God! He in fact provided everything needed, regardless of my concerns and insecurities regarding capabilities, for the Rise Up Commitment. He added sustenance and cohesiveness to the curriculum. He provided me with the ability to create everything needed before and during the commitment, when the support I once had was no longer there. He showed up week after week in the space He laid on my heart to pursue - for every gal participating. He transformed hearts and minds in a very short period of time, and created a Sisterhood. He brought clarity and certainty to my mind as a result of my participation in the commitment, as to what my spiritual gifts are, and how to serve others with them. He provided vision as to what is next. He continues to move.
​

​He will provide the vision for what is next. He will equip, empower and enable the vision to become reality in His time and way. He will provide support through others. He will, if we are willing to seek Him first and press in. Be encouraged to do both.
​
In Christ WE Rise,
Shanon

​​There were no selfies. No video was taken to post to YouTube. There weren’t even blog posts to update the blog world and a handful of readers, what each week brought. No hashtags to tweet, follow or add.

It was perfect. Intimate. Personal. Powerful. And IN PERSON.

Twelve women, including myself, have an extremely difficult time putting into words exactly the experience we have had the past (almost) ten weeks. Part of me wanted to utilize the word encounter right there, rather than experience, because that is also what our time together became. We encountered one another. We encountered God. We experienced something so divine, words fail to appropriately and amply describe.

Yet we tried.

“The Holy Spirit was THICK tonight!!”, is how one described it.

Another expressed one of our gatherings as an, “AHH-MAZING Spirit filled night!!”

Rich, is the word I found myself using when attempting to describe it.

From the first night gathered, to the last, the Lord blessed us with His presence in amazing ways. And indeed, the atmosphere was plentiful, abundant, luxuriant, exuberant, and rich. His presence, and the fullness to which He made Himself uniquely known to each of us, certainly was astonishing, astounding, surprising and breathtaking! In my mind, I envision Heaven causing the same effect.

Many nights many of us would walk through the double doors bringing more luggage from the week than our backs or shoulders should have been able to bear. By the time we left, it was as if we’d spent eight ours at the spa with every pampering offering we could afford. Our cost? A willingness to arrive with an open mind, softened heart, readiness to pray, and adaptability to move as the Holy Spirit of the living God would lead.

Lead and move He did! On the night of our kick-off, He was seemingly able to alleviate many feelings of discomfort and awkwardness. He led us in a night of healing. He also brought to mind the importance of His Holy Spirit actively operating in our lives as the Bible describes – with no omissions. He compelled us to press in to becoming a truly peculiar people, and to be prepared for the persecution and praise that may result. He began to lay the foundation and magnify what VISION is, from His perspective. He then equipped us with the ability to build according to His vision. We sensed He was abiding with us this past Monday while we joyfully received communion together and humbled ourselves to wash feet.

Even in the resistance He was there. We had to cancel one evening, due to winter weather that made it unsafe for travel. He watched over His daughters and kept each of us safe. We had to cancel another evening, when flu hit me and tore through like a storm in our community. Again, He protected each of us, while compelling us to lift one another in prayer.

God established connection and community, while compelling us to draw closer to Him and others.

He changed lives. He provided clarity. He restored hope. He provided vision. He renewed. He provided contentment. He was with us.

He saw us where we were and met us there.

Now He is moving us.

We know He has only just begun. He’s calling for so much more. Yes, He increased our sensitivity to His Spirit as we incorporated devotions, whole foods, exercise, and focus on our relationships - the goal of the commitment. Yes, He oriented our lives towards Kingdom direction for 2018, another goal of the commitment. Yet, He is also calling us to RISE UP MORE.

More as Wives. More as Mothers. More in our homes. More in our places of professions.

More in our COMMUNITY.

Not only is He calling each of us to more, but we fully believe He is calling us to grow. In the days, weeks, and months to come, there will be opportunities for you to encounter God right where you are, as well as connect with the RISE UP movement, and become part of the Rise Up Community. We are praying for you already.

​Please stay tuned. There’s much on the horizon, He’s only just begun…
​

​The Rise Up Commitment is a ten week program designed to help women grow closer to, and increase awareness of, God. Participants read the same Scripture each day, eat whole foods, exercise, focus on relationships with family and others, and engage with a community of other like-minded women.

If you would like to learn more, please CLICK HERE - or - leave a comment for Shanon, below.

I do this thing in the morning when getting ready for my work day, where I look out my bathroom door periodically to see what the time is. “My sink” within our double sink counter, is closest to the door. There, I apply my makeup, curl my hair and frequently check the time. The clock is on my dresser, oriented on the corner just so, so I can both see it when I am ignoring it in the morning from under the comforter on my bed, and to pace my timing before work. It’s essential I have the clock. But sometimes I look and don’t see. Sometimes I physically move my body while the curling wand is in my hand, take a glance, see the numbers, return to my reflection in the mirror, and wonder. Wonder again, what time is it?

You see, sometimes, I go through the motions without actually seeing and registering the information the clock is providing. Sometimes I do the same when reading a book, or watching movie. What did I just read? What was that scene about? Sometimes I do the same when I read the Word of God, or when having a conversation with my hubby or girlies. Hold up, why am I signing this permission slip or why did so and so get mad at so and so, again? Wait, did he really just say, “it was a rad day to twerk, slow yolk"? Nope, “I had a bad day at work, no joke.” Although, I wouldn’t put it past my husband to say that, just to see if I was really listening and present with him!

I may be quickly approaching midlife, but I don’t think I have an issue with my brain misfiring and misconnecting. The issue may simply be my mind has one too many thoughts bubbling up from the recept of my thought maker. Or, it may be familiarity and routine hinders my ability to truly see what is right in front of me – be it a clock, scene, time with my family, or sadly, the word of God. It could be, and likely is, there is a need to be more intentional about being present and aware.

This year my husband and I agreed to be more conscious in one another’s presence and with our kiddos. The reality we had just a couple short years with our oldest and only a couple more than that with our youngest, was hitting us hard. Not that we hadn’t years prior, but we wanted to consciously make more moments truly “count”. We determined to both look and see. We resolved to both listen and hear. We set out to be present and go for more quality time. No distractions. No devices. But presence.

The same is true when getting into the Word of God. Oftentimes we can read the Word and not truly see or hear what the Lord is speaking to our hearts. We can quickly glaze over familiar Scripture, because we’ve heard it from the pulpit in a variety sermons. We can say to ourselves, “oh yes, I know that one”, because we repeatedly see it on social media. Or we can read as part of our routine, fill the time slot we’ve allotted, and still miss what the Lord is saying.

Today, I’m encouraging myself, and I would like to encourage you as well, to consciously make more moments with the Lord’s word truly count. It’s not that we haven’t before, but perhaps setting the intention to be present and see and hear His word anew will unlock a breadth and depth like never known. Invite the Holy Spirit into your time in God’s word, before opening your Bible or reading a devotion. Utilize a concordance to break down the words of just one verse. Incorporating this practice over the past eight years has opened God’s word in more ways than I could have expected. Trust me, I had (and still have) a lot of growing in God’s word to do! Exploring with a concordance has literally transformed one verse into an hour long study where the Holy Spirit composed thoughts, revised understanding, and enlightened.

This is the final thought I would like to leave with each of us. The Holy Spirit operating in and through our thoughts opens the word of God, more than Strong’s concordance ever could. My prayer for all of us is to know and understand we have the Spirit of the living God residing within us, as believers in the Savior Jesus Christ. He brings all things from His Spirit, including His word, to life within us. His Spirit helps us to better understand scripture and compose our prayers, as His Spirit leads. Be encouraged today, and increasingly more days hereafter, to spend time in prayer and God’s presence, allowing the Holy Spirit to become a very real Presence, Help, Comfort, Advocate and Teacher. Let’s be intentional about creating more space to increase our sensitivity to His Spirit within, trusting He will expand our understanding of His word as we offer to Him any amount of time we may have.

Then, may we look and see what the Lord is sharing, listen and hear what He is speaking, look and see someone’s joy or frustration, listen and hear the pain and uncertainty in the voice and words of others. May we be intentionally present in all we do. Lord help us to both look and see.

God has done so much! He has shown me so much over the past year. What it means to listen. What it means to serve. What it means to love, trust, have faith and wait. Recently, it was on my heart to share Christ’s testimony in my life by sharing one of my favorite moments with my personal connections on Facebook. Later, I was compelled to create a little picture video to share on social media. As I did both, the reminder of God’s goodness was keenly made known.

Each moment captured, each challenge shared, saturated with grace. God’s grace and love for me, allowed this imperfect vessel to experience His perfection and love, with each step forward and each fall. His passion for me empowered me to rise up from those moments of weakness or pain or hurt or disappointment. Not for my sake, but for His glory and the growth of others.

Now, moving into 2018, He has spoken. He has shared with me this is the year to flourish. I had asked what it may be, as I hadn’t felt a solid sense of what His heart for the year was. I knew, however, it involved fully entering into all the promises He has for each of us and living from a place of His victory while serving and loving others. Flourish. This is the word presented during Sunday’s streaming service. “Will we choose to flourish?”

I listened, took notes, and captured Scripture. Still not completely certain this was His word for me. This morning I read an online newsletter from a gal I was recently connected to, and there it was, “2018 is your year to FLOURISH!” Whobity whaty?! I went to BlueLetterBible.org and typed in “flourish”.

The resulting Strong’s synonyms: flourish, bud, blossom, grow, break, fly, spring, break forth, abroad, abundantly, break out, spreading, spring up, wealth, riches, shine and gleam. To which grow, break out and spring up stood out to me.

What lies ahead is certainly a time for growth in the promises of God. God has been sharing repeatedly I have got to let the past rest in the past, and break out from the learning ground in the “wilderness”, in order to fully enter into the place He has prepared. Last month I had taken a trip to Florida and spent some time on the beach. I could sense He was speaking to my heart, “It’s time to let go and move on. Move on and allow something new to grow through you.” Later, after sharing my personal testimony, I could sense the Lord allowing me to put the past away and focus on what is in front of me. You are not defined by your past. You are not defined by hurt. You are not defined by your mistakes. You are only defined by God’s Word – there is so much more for you.

It likely goes without saying, spring up equated to rise up in my mind – a reminder from Him to continue to allow His Spirit in my life to do so, and respond as He leads. Being a word person, I also took a look at a the google result for “flourish”… [to] grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.

My thoughts went to the Rise Up Commitment. Indeed, the Scripture, environment and each component of support divinely knit together for the ten week season, are intended to allow for healthy and vigorous {energetic, dynamic, strong, enthusiastic, spirited} development! Praise the Lord!

This morning, He helped me to see, in order to continue on in the faith required, trust He will provide all that is needed, and enable putting away old things, breaking out and shining in every area He is calling to for His glory and the sake of others, there first needs to come several resolute conclusions; conclusions that may stimulate or nurture your growth as well.

First, understand who we are in Christ.

Second, allow the shadows of our former life to be cast away by the Light we now rest in.

Third, not only understand intellectually who we are in Christ, but receive, embrace and allow His new identity to manifest in our lives.

Fourth, allow God’s purpose to become the purpose we desire to live, trusting and allowing His Holy Spirit to empower us to live His calling.
​
Lord, help us take Your Word seriously and allow it to become flesh in our lives. Increase our faith and trust You to keep, sanctify, transform and flow through us. Help us to not set our own reasoning above Your Word. Bless each of us with the grace to get back up when we fall. Lord, cause us to flourish in all the ways You are calling us to, for Your glory and the growth and well-being of others. In Jesus’s Name we pray, amen!

This moment. This moment means a lot to me. I’ve failed. I’ve failed a lot over the years. I’ve made mistakes. Whether I was set up for failure from the outset of my life, or whether that set up caused me to learn the hard way or not, I learned a lot from those mistakes.

Never give up. Never give in. Never hold on to shame, judgment, guilt, disappointment, opinions, criticisms or the mistakes of others. Keep going.

This moment is a result of that tenacity. Several years ago (six and a half to be exact), I submitted a piece for this publication. Denied. Not long after, I sensed the need to stow away my easel, paints, brushes, pens and tubes in the attic. I chose to focus on shaping and molding the masterpieces in my home, in hopes the Sculpture would craft the lives in our home, in a way only He could.
​
He did. A home was made warmer. A marriage became stronger. Two children who’ve become young women over the years have consistently done well in school, respect adults in their lives, have creative and free minds, and genuinely care for others. Are they perfect? Not by a long shot. If learning the hard way to embrace what needs to change is inheritable, both girls received the birthright. Ultimately, we all do our best to learn from whatever may come our way, and keep on living and loving.

When I was asked to exhibit earlier this year, I was nervous. I know what it is like to pour into something only to have one or two people show up. I know what it is like to scribe, edit and scribe again for hours, only to have no one read. I know what it is like to have folks who do show up, be critical, convinced they could do better. I acquiesced to the invitation with a tinge of uncertainty in April of this year, yet charged and with renewed confidence. I submitted another piece to the publication, ten days after accepting the invitation. Not this time. Not this piece.

I kept going. I continued to create. I shared only with the works of art within my home. After a few days before the artist reception, I submitted another work. I waited. People came. I shared with others Christ is my heart, along with my husband and children – those were the pieces I created, highlighted and shared. Near the end of the exhibition, I learned the piece had been accepted. I was elated.

I was delighted because the piece chosen means so much. It is of one of the three most loved people in my life. It depicts simplicity of a moment, among what may be perceived to be as chaos. It captures my desire to pause, and combine, and layer, and create, and appreciate, and love. It is a true reflection of who I am as an artist, and the authentic eye God has given me. Over six years ago, I did not possess a unique vision. I liked to mimic what I saw. But transformation causes us to set aside all we know and learn, to step into something new and bright and bountiful. This is what I see in this piece titled “New Life”.
​
Good gravy God is good! He continues to create connections and opportunities to minister to more people in a way that truly utilizes the strength I've grown into through weakness, and the gifts He continues to bless lives with. I pray you have a blessed day and were blessed by this piece!