field to french toast

eggy & sweet, spongy & tasty to eat—french toast breakfast delicacy delivers cinnamon-y & syrup-y goodness!

from flour milled to bread baked, French toast requires time, care, & work, to eventually produce this delightful morning time sweet—a process!

like cooking French toast, our lives are process. we don’t wake up to insta-sweetness. we wade through grief. we battle sickness or even the fight to believe. but when we submit to Jesus, trusting His process, we will find goodness in the end. it won’t always be sweet in the moment, but we can look ahead to the glorious, good ending, & be encouraged.

french toast starts with bread.

bread starts with flour.

flour starts with grains, seeds or roots.

making flour is a process. wheat flour comes from wheat berry undergoing cleaning, soaking, separating, milling, sifting, maturing & packaging.

like the flour creating process, the book of Ruth in the Bible contains some great wisdom concerning waiting, trusting, & being in God’s will & timing. when Naomi returned to her homeland, with no husband & no sons, she was so devestated that she changed her name to Mara, meaning bitter. what if the story stopped there? her debilitating grief would have been a tragic ending. maybe in the moment, that was all she saw. but it was not the end.

it was the middle.

you are in the middle. it could feel like the end. it could feel like life will never get better. but when we surrender & put our trust in Jesus, the best is yet to come.

what if we stopped when french toast was flour dust? would that taste very good? yuck, how bitter! wait, keep going. it gets sweeter.

once flour is made, it needs a person to purchase it.

then, the next step is baking bread.

baking bread involves gathering ingredients, adding proper amounts of flour & its friends, kneading, rising, waiting, shaping, rising again, preheating, baking, cooling. another process.

remember Naomi? her life seemed hopeless, but wait. watch. she may have felt it was over but it was not done yet. her daughter in law began to glean. her daughter in law went to the threshing floor of Boaz, Kinsman Redeemer. there was yet story to tell.

if there’s breath in your lungs, God’s not done. it’s not done yet!

once bread is baked, we need to make French toast!

step one: wait. french toast tastes best with stale bread! so wait for that bread to become stale. wait. i’ll say that again—part of the process is waiting!

Naomi, after quite the rollercoaster, eventually became the grandmother of Obed—one of the descendants of Christ! her waiting was worth it. & yours will be, too!

next in french toast saga: beat a bowl of eggs till the yolks are broken & blended, & be broken yourself, open & humble. add cinnamon. milk. vanilla. then soak the stale bread. soak, rest, be. fry the bread, both sides, till it becomes rich breakfast dessert! lather in butter, drench in syrup & Walla! ENJOY the fruit of the PROCESS. (& ENJOY the process, too!!!)

so, from field to French toast, from Ruth to Boaz, from your birth to your death, it’s all PROCESS. learn to submit to Jesus & trust Him in the middle. don’t bemoan where you are or despair because you can’t see beyond. but choose to rejoice because the Process Maker is Good! then enjoy where you are when you are, rest.

the best is yet to come.

know + go

For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.”

Psalm 88 ESV

Do you know how you need healed?

“Yahweh claims the world as his. Everything and everyone belong to him! He’s the one who pushed back oceans to let the dry ground appear, planting firm foundations for the earth. Who, then, is allowed to ascend the mountain of Yahweh? And who has the privilege of entering into God’s Holy Place? Those who are clean—whose works and ways are pure, whose hearts are true and sealed by the truth, those who never deceive, whose words are sure. They will receive Yahweh’s blessing and righteousness given by the Savior-God. They will stand before God, for they seek the pleasure of God’s face, the God of Jacob. Pause in his presence So wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you doorways of eternity! Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through you. You ask, “Who is this King of Glory?” Yahweh, armed and ready for battle, Yahweh, invincible in every way! So wake up, you living gateways, and rejoice! Fling wide, you eternal doors! Here he comes; the King of Glory is ready to come in. You ask, “Who is this King of Glory?” He is Yahweh, armed and ready for battle, the Mighty One, the invincible commander of heaven’s hosts! Yes, he is the King of Glory! Pause in his presence”

Psalms 24

Do you know Him who fills? When you feel the broken, do you try to paste the pieces together yourself? Do you pretend you’re okay? Or do you go to God? Just fallapart at His feet!  He will touch you & you will be well.

Know the Lord. Become. Belong. Believe. Partake of Real.

What is the food of God?

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.””

John 6:27-40, 47-51, 53-58 ESV

What is God saying here in John 6? Ask Him. Receive from Him for yourself. Know. Go. & all out of Be-ing. This, is the life of God.

lily pad well

the sweet repose of a water lily paints a picture of stillness & rest.

a refuge, for frogs & dragonflies, insects of all families, to pause.

the green leaf only a glimpse of the plant, as long stems wind down to pond bottom where roots nestle, a hidden network. it’s through secret connection the flower floats & flourishes, through this abiding deep below the water, all things flow.

rest is enjoyed, by many, because the water lily is planted, tucked in & secure in a deep place only it knows.

because of this, it grows & it provides a place of refreshment for the world around it.

in all this, its quiet strength is an invitation to you & to me to come & be.

another picture of abiding like the architecture of the lily pad, is a well. A string connected to a bucket pulleys down, drawing on the depths of the springs of water.

like the water lily, may we have secret hidden stems that sweep down, anchoring & connecting us to Life Himself, apart from whom we can do no thing. & from this place of abiding, we enjoy rest & are made into rest for those around us to be refreshed to be renewed, to pause & be a while.

 may the life hidden in us become a living spring, welling up to water the world around us with beauty, rest, & love.

 may we lily pad & draw on Jesus well—today, & each day.

go forward by guide

rollercoaster.

we get on—for thrill & for fun—& all we know is we’re sitting down, strapping in, in for the ride. then, as we’re uplifted, we drop, fly, roar! wherever the tracks guide. we’re completely out of control, all we can do is sit, go with the flow, & laugh.

isn’t this true—life in God is a little like a rollercoaster. whooosh! we’re going forward in Him, by trust & rest, & it is fun. Joy. Freedom! we don’t have to figure it out. we just need to trust. The Life Engineer made the thing, & on Him we depend!

we only need Oil for the track & no fear. but if our roller coaster car gets stuck in the muck of afraid, we must get oil—by going to Secret Place, where Abba Father Friend will strengthen us, again.

so go.

Trust.

Fly! Free.

The Guide has a plan. sit down in Him. hold fast, buckle. Rest.

& don’t forget to smile.

touch my ugly

touch my ugly

let Your love light up my coffin

be with me & the cobwebs

 wisp away, my heart remembers

its song

again

& everything new—

from my piano key toes

 to garden brain.

I want to walk with You in the

cool of the day, going forward

together

that’s all I desire:

together.

have my ugly. I let

You in—to my basement

of dark & spiders & dust

fix me. find me.

only You can

make it better

the pain like cabooses crushing

my chest

yet normal

because it’s all i’ve known

yet You

yet, You

touch my ugly

wash my wounds

i’m ready

100% seen

all the way

known

I welcome

You

I’m done

hiding

behind my leaf loin

 cloth

find me

have me

i’m Yours

pocket

what’s in your pocket?

I don’t mean your jeans or purse, but the space available. we’re all, in a sense, pockets, in that we hold finite, numerable amounts. pockets.

what’s in your pocket? what’s in your heart, your mind, what occupies your space & time? what’s in you?

 the Bible says out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. what’s in you will come out. what’s coming out of you, & therefore what’s inside? if you’re saying some not nice things, like complaining, worrying, gossiping, being mean with your mouth, go to God. because that is an indicator of an area of your heart that needs touched by Yeshua. out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks it says. be aware.

 what’s in your pocket? if in your literal pocket, you have, say a phone & keys, would there be space for sunglasses? probably not. what is there—the phone & keys—occupy the available area, not allowing something else like sunglasses in. in the same sense, we have limited heart real estate. you can’t have space for it all. if your heart is occupied by clutter—worldly noise & the din & chaos of here— you won’t have space inside for Heaven.

we must empty ourselves, to make room for Him.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

heaven belongs to those who recognize their need to be emptied.

for every lie there is a truth. for every piece of junk occupying room in our hearts, there is a treasure longing to take its place.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV

we must identify the lies & in their place, look for that which is true.

we must allow ourselves to be undone, unraveled & start completely over. square one. only then can we be full of good & God.

 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-8

take some time to inventory. what’s within? pray—talk to God. listen. seek. ask. see & let the Lord deal with your interior. let Him empty out those pockets of earth trash wrappers & manmade things, so you can have room for Him to make His Home within.

Lord, would You empty us. flip us upside down & empty our pocket of everything crammed in there! please! all the lollipop wrappers & lipstick, old gum wads & crumbs… the junk, trash, trauma, sin, flesh, evil, me-me-me-me-me… empty us so we can have space to receive anew. we want heaven—YOU! get all the room in us. become our home. be our heart. we just want You.

dancer of my dreams

flush fresh air

lungs gasp flowers—

first time!

lily tulip rose tune

music erupt

toe smile

I know you

this hug home—

my best Friend,

God!

each inside joke

between us

secret laughter

sparkle sprinkle confetti

the salt to my soup

rain to my fields

my gills in ocean

bread to my sandwich

oh! You!

I can’t explain love

but love’s my life

my reality

I experience You every second—

knight rescue,

dragon drooling last breath

because You

came

delighted in me

dream too good to be true

fairy tale realized

You’re the snow globe I’m never gonna leave

my safe space my husband and security

I LOVE YOU

You don’t get in accidents

You don’t spill or change

the only One i’ll never have to forgive

my Lover is perfect

Hallelujah, earth friend! find your gold with me—the live forever hidden treasure box, it exists!!

 the only thing—treasure is a person not a thing. make Him your one thing & life will change. daily puking will disappear. you’ll never need to walk on your elbows again—no more orphaning

you’ll be safe for first time. from drowning to dancing, that’s what King does, who King is

let’s get lost in the maze of His gaze

escape to other space

there’s nothing like being loved by the universe breather

FUN 🎉

tummy blender hill bender hair dryer screaming higher, rollercoaster adrenaline. black & white abc’s absorb tea steam bathes in afternoon sunlight cat on lap, book lover dream. tall friends of brown & green lead eyes up with their branches waving in breeze fresh air canyon view flowerswild & sparkly dew, hikers paradise. board game night camaraderie around the table laugh till snort, pee—the gang’s all here. travel high flying jet to new everything exotic cuisine like cuy bright geometric patterned shawl funky music hola que tal? adventure junkie delight.

what’s your idea of fun?

have you thought of the Presence of God, as fun?

the bible says in psalm 16 that in His presence is fullness of joy. better than the most desirable & enjoyable thing imaginable, is Jesus.

God is fun.

He wants to have fun with us.

have you ever spent more than a half hour around a young child? If so you’ll know their world is quite different from ours! Their world revolves around laughter & play. Good Dads love to wrestle with their children, chase them & be the tickle monster, make blanket forts, & pretend.

a childs entire existence can be summed up into the word FUN.

so if we’re the children of God, we are waking up to playing with our Dad.

He rescues us because He delights in us (psalm 18:19)!

 “Yahweh your God is in your midst, A mighty one who will save. He will be joyful over you with gladness; He will be quiet in His love; He will rejoice over you with joyful singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

“in the wilderness you saw how Yahweh your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’”

Deuteronomy 1:31

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:12-13

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

Philippians 4:4

He loves to play with His kids. when we’re resting, we’re enjoying Jesus. when we’re enjoying Jesus, we’re resting. there is rest available today. it’s in the eyes of love. in the arms that carry you & the laughter—oh it’s in the laughter!

enjoy Jesus today, as Jesus enjoys you

today cascade

life is one breath,

one blink.

so let's embrace, even cubicle space. after all, life is now; this is it! there is no rehearsal, we are here, performance fit!

let's embark on a quest for the good. find the joy in all things and you will never be without in the drought. enjoy Yeshua.

& never underestimate the power of the small—pollen, seeds, a yes.

& may that seed given to you from heaven find a yes in your heart, like how fuzzy yellow pollen dot, carried by a busy bumble bee travels to populate earth with beauty. or a teeny vesselseed of new life finds its way underground, nestled in soil particles, ready to sprout and birth a habitat, an oxygen fountain, a branch dance in wind.

this all happens as that ache resonating in your veins, echoing on the stars, testifies: there is More! 

there's a reason the money's a void, the coins never change enough. 

there's a reason earth searches for her husband. 

we're not meant to be alone. 

so when your heart throbs, let the longing draw you up, out, to the arms of Father.

He is the More our hearts long for. there is a Love drawing us all. 

so belong to God in Christ. rest in His arms.

He's already holding you. Already Loves you completely. 

Love says yes to you today.

Love Himself invites you to dance, to be married, to sing a duet. give up your walls and your defenses.

Love says yes to you!

& even in the junk there's joy. we can laugh and dance! in the midst of mud puddles, Splash. in the midst of depression, Sing! because the God of Grace Loves: you.

today! we can look at the One who is looking at us. we can be seen & understood.

today is a day of rest. resting in Him.

you may be shuffling deadlines or chauffeuring kids, but there is still rest.

you may be hustling or homemaking, but there is still rest.

you may be flying airplanes, running with dogs, typing homework, changing dirty diapers. you may be commuting, headbanging, baking, mowing.

wherever, whatever the day brings, there is rest.

deep in our hearts, we can have peace with God in Yeshua. 

remember what He did—the work done. so we can rest, in Him 💙

comparison kills

sometimes, we compare.

maybe you love to paint but… you can’t paint like that guy over there. so you devalue what you have based on that guy.

noooooo!

since when have other people been the measure?!

God’s the plumbline, & He’s crazy about your abilities in Him!

many people are waiting to use what God’s given them. waiting until they’re exceptionally-up-to-expectations-excellent. there’s nothing wrong with desiring excellence. but, in reality, we need to just step out in faith and do the thing. momentum begets momentum. just doing it is the way forward. start!

we often feel like what God’s given us to share with the world is nothing special. We think— it’s normal to me, so why would anyone else think it special?

…

dear child of God,

you don’t see what you have as important, when, in reality, you’re the only person on earth who can do it like you can. no one else. no one can do it like you.

if you are funny, tell jokes—make people smile! if you can bake, make pies! if you are a singer, sing. teachers teach, athletes train and sewers sew!

just do the thing.

that is how you will get better anyways—by practice! by actually engaging that unique part of the image of God in you, the beauty the goodness, the special talent or skill!

whatever excuses or lies you’ve heard about why you’re not writing, not singing, not cooking, not painting, not starting a business or whatever that special ability God’s gifted to you, tell it to shut up!

stop looking around!

 & instead believe—i am created on purpose, with a purpose. I am here to know and make God known. no one can reflect Him in the exact, unique way He made me to! I get to shine my own specific rainbow in earth. so I shine! I must do the thing i’m made to do! otherwise the world will be missing a ray of light, as no one can shine the way I am created to!

so create! sing! make music & paint & build websites, landscape, & fix cars!! write books & teach children & pole vault! whatever the thing you’re given to do, your gift, do it well, for Him!!

what will you do with what you’re given?

God gave you gifts and abilities and talents for a reason!

what will you do with what you’re given?

gift thanks

everybody's writing stories

let yours be a 'thank you' book—through every breath and bone

let your eyeblinks, heartbeats, footsteps, lungsongs, give thanks

for pollen dust and leaf spines

for the cells that compose music like you and me

tiny thank you’s

thank!

big thanks, like for rainforest soup--steamy and diverse

or for star map, sky pokes who light our path

big thanks like for your best relationship, a friend or a sister, a spouse or a child. thank for that relationship without which you may not be alive

thank!

don't forget the things we forget to notice

the warm sunlight hugging kitchen counter in late afternoon

the dew dotting grass blade in first day click

ocean waving

the constant symphony composed by birds in backyard (don't let them be without an audience!)

thank!

don't forget the things we take for granted

health, home, clothes, food, friends, family, oxygen, sleep, running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, technology, cars, rain

thank!

what about the things that hurt, the splinters and the S shaped spine, the grief and the sneezes, mold and mosquitoes--the things that don't feel good

give thanks in all circumstances, no matter what, always

the spring shines because of months of snow

and who are we to thank for the good and not the hard

thank…

count one, two... six hundred four! oh the blessings we have!

number your gifts and you will never be dry

thank!

we're all writing a story

let it be a dance of gratitude

a movie showing every gift

there is always something to be grateful for

the little

the big

the things that go unnoticed

the things taken for granted

take a moment and list what you have

write it down

paste it somewhere you see

thank, count, smile

BURST with thanks!

truly, there are too many gifts to number

choose, to see the good, in all

thank God!

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

connection = life

when a person bungee jumps, they’re depending on the cord to keep them connected, to keep them alive! we, too, need to live connected, to remain in the vine.

stay strong in connection, keep yourself in the confines of love. know connection is life. Jesus, thank You for being our lifeline. we are nothing without You! please keep us, help us want You. teach us Your ways & may all we do flow out of connection & communion with You.

for without You we perish.

but with You, we soar. so have all of us & more. have this life You gave us, & let the love You’ve shown us be multiplied through fruitful abiding.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you

John 15:1-7

recipe for frosted whimsy

1 inch octopus tongue

Christmas morning

3 watts firefly butt

88 sunshine beam smiles

9 cups pebbles, sprinkles, dew medley

1 pound warm fuzzies

4.3 yaks

For the frosting:

2 whale songs

1/4 cup daisy doilies

11 minutes wind chime melody

top right corner of sunrise from September 5, 1542

Mix well

the stars are trying to get in

unlit fire pit

forgot spatula

no meat to flip

my tent

rips

wind flips paper leaves

dirt carpet

catches trees’

sheddings

and my eye

drips,

salty, droopy

 hands

wait, black hole

head,

 poison crowdsurf thoughts

dead

drowning in illusions

unsure

not safe

but my flesh tent will be

okay

because

the stars are trying to get in

they knocked yesterday,

looked at my failing

estate, said “yes.”

then dropped their stations, to shine within

me

so I’m still camping

on this site with the port-a-potty and the squirrels

my camp grill’s lit now though,

I didn’t do it.

the rocks started singing and I

couldn’t help but

join in.

now we’re clapping

my toes tapping

I can’t stop

smiling

inside

 the lantern’s lit

hot dogs roasting

the forest still smells

like forest,

my hair’s the same colour

but now

I know Love

Himself

heaven here

the stars laugh from

within

I don’t recognize myself

but I’m glad

 to divorce old

this is so much

better

my joy container:

the sky—wide and unmeasured by human

eye

I’m a band

a regular symphony,

forever

colliding

with

now

your days of youth & yawning are over…now is time for merit & mirth

beach carpet—hot, dry, composite miniature shell mirrors, pebbles, sand molecules. each tiny bit composing a yellow shore blankie. i splay on this mosaic—my own music a collage of millions of cells, of notes, dancing, making me. each atom a party room song & redemption long—longer than my eye can see the blue waves echoing off horizon edge.

here, i am.

You brought me here, a bookmark in time, a pause. a place to be—just You & me. so here we are, together, on Your island beach.

Your island beach where You take every memory every tear, each broken pottery piece shard and moonbeam shed from head hung night, You take all the mismatched & missing pieces, to make a mural masterpiece. You leave no second untouched, revisiting & redeeming all the atoms of me until the movie of my life switches genres from drama & trauma to romance—You.

You brought me here, the beach of healing. so heal me here. let us sit let us walk the water’s tip where waves splash & drip the sand dark, where sea & shore hold hands, washing, recreating the sand again & again like tide submits to moon, i submit to You my shadows, heal me here.

Your lavishing is longer than my languishing!

frog finesse

lily circle green bump leaps—flying through  air, flinging her whole self forward with one grand thrust—a royal proclamation of God’s creativity, wisdom, and beauty.

no one jumps like the frog!

zoom in on these propelling frog legs, made with denser muscle fibers and other special features that make a frog capable of leaping like no other creature on earth. frog, known for her strange leg strength, sings or rather croaks a frequency of God’s glory that no other animal created can.

the frog’s ability to jump unique & unusual is given from above just like from above an unusual & unique way is given each & every one of us.

everyone has some sort of special strength!

maybe great ideas come easily to you, or you’re able to fix anything. maybe you can pick up other languages without trouble, or you’re really good with numbers. maybe you can paint murals or run marathons. maybe you can make anyone feel at home by being friendly or you can improvise music.

we all have a frog leg.

if you’re not sure what your unique capability is, ask those in your life. they’ll know.

whatever your frog leg is—that attribute custom cut to you—use it well for the glory of God. can you whip up a mean pie? then bake your heart out. can you crack home runs? then win the derby. can you sing like an angel? belt it.

whatever your gift, don’t neglect it.

use it!

and remember, whatever your file cabinet of excuses could be (no time, i’m a mom, not good enough, inexperienced, no money, etc), God’s Grace is on you to leap!

imagine a frog who never jumped. now that would just be wrong. God didn’t give the frog hind legs for nothing!

so jump!

give God your all with what He’s given you. steward that special something to be what He gave it into the earth to be. don’t quench the image of God in you but let what He deposited into the earth through you be sown.

for the glory of the Son, shine!

let your gift leap!!

Singsong dancewed

the tree is laughing

all my hurt swallowed by music

i can’t stop singing

these battle wounds now

battle scars, marks

who testify—rebirth occurs

can’t tie me down

can’t cage these cells

the Breath Beginner

freed me

the Greenblue Marble Speaker spoke & stonecold death broke

flesh tent coursing, can’t contain, shaking

from fullness gonna overflow everywhere i go

my feet tap to His happy clap, their soles painted glee leave prints in minds & sidewalk squares. a simple song—Be Free

now a wave, now another, gush, asking to have me

yes! i say

thank you for proposing

my rainbow white gown drenched in joy watercolor tears. have me, ocean of bottomless sideless topless endless love

consume & partake

salsa bachata waltz twirl, love at first brush stroke You spoke & i am

You holy, divine, outside of time. all of life a mysterious romance—Your Kingly Self pursues clay us, poised to pounce the moment a flutter of one toe momentum moves toward Maker

waterfalls who no one sees

still relentlessly pour, in wood crevices and mountain treasure chests

come rest in the Garden of Design

lay down your time

surrender all bruises

put down those fists

you’ve been running but there’s a dance floor you’ve been boxing but He’s not keeping score

of your punches (that’s already paid for) so lay down and let the flower’s dew change you

miracle in mundane

oven mitts

breath in out in

mind logs memories in sleep

crisp air fried broccoli

rainbow promise

flowers smiling out window

forks

sky bright and blue

roof above floor below

the fact that we can change; our past is not our future because the cross is real

blood

Word

groceries

friendship

toes

(especially pinkie)

roots

opposable thumbs

colour

our skin holding everything in

every morning God painting a new picture in sky

indoor plumbing

socks

babies

Spirit of God choosing to make us His home

dew

day

night

rocks

eyes remember to blink

ecosystems’ designs

the fact that there’s still light at night (thank You for stars and moon)

pollen

the computers in our skulls

burp relief

gravity grounding us

atmosphere perfect for humans

the cut on my knee daily looking less like a cut

seasons

closet of clothes

cells, stars, stick bugs

mystery laced in all creation that draws us to our knees in wonder

healing from soul’s once brokenness

various spices

athletes, artists, musicians, teachers, mechanics, pilots, engineers, mothers, and plumbers—the diversity in gifts and the beauty of different

sunshine, warm and light, coaxing us to higher ways

today

cucumbers

truth

vision

rain

hugs

God loving to forgive

bread

life Himself

God, open our eyes to see You in everything! for truly YOU ARE. a million eternal three thousand nine infinity miracles in every second

word wash

the same water splashing as Jesus came up from his baptism is in the earth today.

the same water Naaman washed in and was healed is today a fountain still rushing.

the same water parted in the Red Sea when God delivered His people from the Egyptians lives now.

the water that carried Noah and his family in the ark, the water Rebekah used to give camels a drink, the water Jesus washed his disciples’ feet with, the water that gushed from our Saviour’s side… still flows here—covering ocean beds, flooding river basins, flushing toilet bowls, dewing fields and watering gardens, raining plant food and washing our sins white.

about 71% of the earth is water!

our bodies are somewhere from 60-70% water (it varies person to person). of all people, newborns have the most water percentage wise (78%). this is no surprise as babies are fresh from Heaven!

 the US Geological Survey says that the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. the skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.

 water is essential to life

§  water is a vital nutrient to the life of every cell, acting first as a building material

§  water regulates our internal body temperature through sweating and respiration

§  carbohydrates and proteins which our bodies use for food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream

§  water assists in flushing waste mostly through urination

§  water acts as shock absorber for brain, spinal cord, and fetus

§  water creates saliva

§  water lubricates joints

without water we perish.

in the Bible we see it was already created:

the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2

for they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God. 2 Peter 3:5

what is this beautiful mystery we call water?

 Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, studied how the molecular structure in water transforms when exposed to thoughts, sounds and intentions. his findings point us to Jesus.

Emoto exposed water to certain words then photographed the molecules to show the word’s effect on the water:

as you can see, water is literally changed and transformed based on word. the same water from which God spoke and all things came to be, can still today be impacted today by Word.

if our bodies are mostly water, what word is shaping the water of you? are your water building blocks jagged, asymmetrical, broken? or are they symmetrical snowflake mirrors, eloquent and soft, beautiful and sweet?

whose word are you receiving? God’s good word of Love or satan’s lie of evil?

the beauty of this study is that water can change. we are made of water; we can change! or rather we can allow the Word of Heaven to shape us! the Bible calls this repentance, a wild and wonderous gift.

when our hearts are fertile soil for the Word of God to make His home, when we receive what God says, allowing His Voice to shape and create anew in us, everything changes!

 …the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14

let the tears you’ve wept lead  you to every drop of Christ’s blood and all the grace downpour raining from Heaven higher than here! there is a River. His Name is Jesus. He waits to wash you with Himself, the blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel! 

will you let Him wash you? 

all your jagged  jarring spikes and broken gashes of pieces and places can be made beautiful. just let Him have you. let His eternal water touch your rivers and oceans, and all your elbows and memories will become new like when He spoke everything into existence at Day One.

reborn! FreshWATER. a fountain wellspring exploding from your heart where the King Himself rests enthroned in the storeroom of snow, dew, rain, love inside you just waiting to water the world around you!

whoever drinks of the water I will give him will never be thirsty again. the water I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.  

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body#overview

Dr. Masaru Emoto and Water Consciousness

given

look at the seed—it in itself contains the potential to become the plant (even the fruit!), but it must take time. it must take air, must water, must sunshine. & if it be submitted to this process of receiving & rest, growth will grow.

submit to Design & with time, submission will multiply into growth, into gifts to give others—shade, fruit, a home.

so become in the secret quiet. let the Designer take His time to make you fully Thine. discover the sweetness in trust & you will yourself become sweet.

receive the gift daily. receive rain. receive sun. receive clear goodness and the things given from above.

yield & allow Him to prune off all but what He gave—all but the seed—& you will be a pure, perfect bride of love, light—committed & consecrated, set-apart & all together lovely, for Him.

be His. & that which is planted, that which is given in you, will grow.

by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

2 Timothy 1:14

for land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, & produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.

Hebrews 6:7