Our life in line

Imagine if you will....


You're standing in a line, one right behind the other.  What are they giving away? - - -  the very thing that is your heart's desire.  Everyone in this line has fought hard to stand here.   They've seen roads and paths you've never seen and the same appears to be true vice versa.  


As you stand there on your tip toes, peering around the others, body aching from the wait.......everyone is straining their eyes to see if anyone is coming to give away one of these packages.  Sometimes they come close and walk off and other times there is no one in sight for miles.  And even still.... sometimes they come and place a package in your arms;  allow you to admire it;  and then they very sweetly slide it back out of your hands and walk off.


You wait again.  Eventually a person comes and someone is able to leave the front of the line dancing, praising, cheering, and crying with package in hand.  You think to yourself....."that feeling must be amazing!"  Then, you realize..."yes, I'm one step forward in this line."  Getting excited for forward movement you glance around.  Oh no, you see faces ahead of you that you don't recognize.  "Hey, when did they cut in?  Why did they jump ahead?"  "Perhaps I need to recount and get familiar with my surroundings."   You look in front and sure enough more people were allowed in, you look behind and the people behind you are starting to multiply.  The supply versus demand is starting to look critically unbalanced.  And to boot, no one is coming to drop off a package over the horizon.  These are the times your heart sinks and your mind asks if you should even stand here anymore. Your body says "I can't take anymore, I must lay down".  You find yourself sliding downward to the ground.  Not giving up your spot but without strength to stand anymore.  


"How do you do it?" - - - - - We don't.  We're both side by side in this line together bodies laying in our spot, weak and waiting.  Waiting for the line to move again; waiting for someone to pick us out of the line and say here; or even waiting for the command to be released from it all.  


Questions are being thrown at you regularly.  How can you consider walking away when you know you are in the right line and that eventually you'll work your way to the front?  Have you heard anyone's footsteps coming?   Why can't you just.......?


They go on and on and you smile and answer knowing that only the two of you side by side (and perhaps those in front and behind you), know the extent of this wait and what it will do to you.


You ask the Lord.... "should we stay here or should we move on".  And suddenly God, who can be so vocal, becomes silent.


Now you lay in silence....waiting.


This is our life.  We lay on the ground with only God's strength to move forward or step out.  We are submitted to Him and His call. Our flesh has been weaken to the point that it is no longer a factor.  


We know He will answer! We just don't know when and what that answer will be.


And even though the story seems to be a sad one; it's not.  We love our life and love that we are no longer operating from self but from supernatural grace, moment to moment.  It is all beyond our abilities and from that He will receive the greatest glory and praise!  It's great to see that the Lord has built up such a testimony; now if He'll only see us through to the praise report.  (we know He will by the way, we just need Him to keep picking us up and moving us forward).


So, if you're facing what looks to be the most impossible situation, the situation that hurts the most and weakens your resolve....know that it's okay to lay down and allow the Lord to pick you up when necessary.  Don't leave the line!  Stay committed until He releases you.  Know that laying down doesn't mean you've given up anything; except your fleshly desire to see it through in your own strength.  If you stay committed and without allowing the flesh to intervene then.....then you will see the Majesty of our Lord prevail!


"Bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."  


promises fulfilled lead to commandments obeyed and He gains all the Glory!

It's June again

This is our 31st anniversary of celebrating the month of June.  It's the 9th anniversary of celebrating our marriage together.  It's the 7th anniversary of believing for expansion.

With each year, month, day, and moment we are able to celebrate looking back and looking forward.  Ecclesiastes cannot be "upped".
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plan, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

The word "celebrate" usually implies that in doing so there is great joy and while that is true it does not forget that their is also great sorrow.  Additionally we recall that not all moments are extreme, some we are merely moving within.

This month we find ourselves again in the midst of all of the above.
Old seasons are passing away and new ones are beginning. We pluck up faded hopes and plant new dreams.  Moments can lead us weeping before the Lord and others can bring the encouragement of a friend.  We "dance upon injustice" for ourselves and others.  We embrace where we are and refrain from embracing where we are not.  Nearly each week we gain opportunities and nearly each week we lose them.  We keep our faith and cast away our cares.  We rend our hearts and keep silent holding on to promises.  We speak and sew into the lives of those we love.  We hate that war is necessary but know that peace will soon be coming.

Come Yeshua, move in our lives, hold us up, breakdown the flesh, strengthen our resolve, lighten our loads but not so much that we lose our ability to grow character.  We need you, we embrace all that You command and all that you give.  We look to the day that You fight the big battle and reestablish your peace and Kingdom!

Polka Dot Sky

Yay, it's Cinco de Abril!: oh no wait that's not right.  We're a month too early to break out that kind of fun.

So here we are; another month of living in fun unexpected times.  It's been three and a half months of being back home and it's only getting better - like any good relationship does.

The finale of last month marked some eventful changes of which we hope to post for your reading pleasure soon.  And the opening ceremonies of this month.....polka dot skies (and roads, and cars, and people, and anything that stays still or moves in the outdoors).

Spring has arrived taking the temperature and pollen count to new levels.  But, it's beautiful (not the pollen, the budding trees and flowers of course).

We see new colour appearing in different variations in our lives and are excited by the enhancement it brings.  (tune in later to see the extent of that thought - for now just dine on it's amuse bouche nutrients).

Happy Spring Everyone!

20 Days to Spring

Nicole Nordeman sang it best....
"Every drop of sun is full of wonder; You are summer.  I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come; You are autumn.  Even in death you open doors for life to enter; You are winter.  So it with You and how You make me new with every's season's change...as You are recreating me....Summer, Autumn, Winter....Spring."


Last year the seasons brought with them great strength building events.  This Springtime, we are happily looking forward to "newness".  Newness in Him, newness in relationships, newness in location, newness in revelation, newness in vision, and if we are being completely honest..... newness in hope.


Sometimes the aftershocks of the previous year can ripple without expectancy.  This movement automatically brings forth shifts and changes.  We have fully embraced and been excited for this new season in our life; not forgetting the ripples and wrinkles from that of the previous.


This leaves me (Kelly)  thinking of the phrase I love to sing so much each week......"renew our days as days of old".  This can be a simple statement or one of great complexity when applied personally to what has made someone flourish in life or what has crushed them.  My life has seen many quakes. I am not blind to the knowledge that most everyone has experienced life shaking circumstances with the same intensity but yet I only know the way it has affected my heart, logic, and fighting power.  God is my strength and even more wonderful....it is His joy that is my strength.....sometimes it's just a matter of weaving through the flesh to find that joy.


This time...this Spring....seems to carry a greater possibility of brightness with it.


Thanks to a dear friend who sought me out just to say..."Kelly, I know this sounds crazy....but I understand how you can be a woman of much faith and yet if you were completely real to yourself realize that in one out of a million pieces to your heart you have let hope completely bust."  It's like when people say..."keep faith, with God all things are possible."  My internal response to that "yes, but it doesn't mean He has to give you what you ask for if your heart is to let Him lead you into whatever His heart desires are for you." 


This winter, I have allowed many thoughts to lay dormant.  Allowed the unhealthy ones to die out.  And, have rested in knowing that in this fast approaching Spring season God will help to break out new life, new hope, new vision, and His joy will overflow.  I've needed to rest and now that sphere of hope is forming again...  


Life is wonderful and I have no complaints. I LOVE this season....I also love that He is renewing my days as days of old and all that it entails. 


I take a firm hold of it and all it's ways of pleasantness..... 

Return not Revert

Roughly 2,780 days later; we've returned.  Home has moved many times but somehow this time the term seems most fitting.


We're back; not the same as we left (Praise the Lord) and never to revert back to the way we were.  Forward progress is our goal.  


We are here to abandon and hold on, to jump and stay steady, and to relinquish and maintain.


Thanks to all who have gotten us this far (the list is immeasurable) and thanks to all who will stay by our sides no matter the geography.  


Single we were, married we became, parents only for a moment, and today we are stronger than ever.  Hineni