Surrenders

There is an exercise called "surrenders" that one of the instructors at the gym really likes to use in her classes. You have your hands raised in the air like you are surrendering and bend one knee at a time down to the ground and stand back up. With your arms raised and moving to the ground you have to really rely on your core for stability. After just doing a few your heart rate goes up and everything can start hurting...seriously. There are some regulars in the class that sigh when we are told we are going to do them because of how hard they are and how you can feel after doing several sets. Though challenging as they are, it's incredibly effective as a whole body exercise.

Our spiritual lives should take this posture. When we truly surrender our intentions, hopes, dreams, wants, desires, etc to God we have to fall to our knees and lift our hands up to Him. We have to be trusting to the Lord because He is at the core of  who we are - keeping us stable even if it doesn't seem like it while in the moment. We will continue to pray and offer it up as many times as we need to - even if it hurts or we are too fatigued to keep going. But once we surrender, it is to God. It is no longer in our human hands, but His. He can and does make all things new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) And just remember, as you are doing your surrenders, there is a world full of others right there next to you doing the same thing.     

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All that I am came from you God.

Be present here with me, please God.

And in this moment, I give you my thoughts, desires, needs, and dreams.

Not one of these things may be what you have in mind for me Lord. 

Do what you will for me and my life Lord - I give you all of me.

Open my heart to be conformed to your own.

Now and forever in this moment I am yours!

Amen.

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth

Winter

It is only January and yet it feels like Winter has been present for months. Cold air, snowy streets, and shortened days are all making their place known. I sometimes find myself lamenting about not being able to go for walks with my daughter outside as frequently as I would want to like in the other seasons. Though living in the Midwest for close to a decade, my Texas blood is still not a fan of the bone cold temperatures or scraping ice or snow off the car in said temperatures. Can't it just be spring already?!

No. No it can't.

We have to have a full season winter in order to get to spring. At the same time, all these "uncomfortable" things that happen during the winter allow for some beautiful graces and opportunities. What other time of the year can you make snow angels and build a snowman outside? When else can you wake up to a call from school saying, "We're closed today!" and go back to bed for another hour or two before spending a day with your children? What other time of the year can we snuggle up with our loved ones next to a fire? (Ok, maybe you do that all year...)

Similarly, the season of life you may be finding yourself in currently may feel like winter - a coldness and more darkness than light. You may be yearning for this time to be over and onto the next thing. However, God placed you in this exact moment for the experiences you are having right now with graces and mercy our humanness cannot fathom. In the season you may be experiencing perhaps it has allowed for you to grow closer to a family member that you may not have otherwise gotten to. Maybe, this season has allowed for you to grow in a particular virtue that you had been struggling with for some time. Perhaps, this season has allowed for you to be more loving to others finding themselves in a challenging/difficult/hard circumstance.

Winter will not last forever. Your season of life will not last forever. One day we will wake up and it will be Spring. One day we will wake up and this season of life will be in the past and we will be onto the next part. So while we wait, enjoy the snow, the cold, and the shortened days because there may be a time that we look back on this time and say to ourselves, "Man, I miss the winter."

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Father God, 

In this season of life that I am in I ask for your presence with me. Help guide my eyes to see the beauty of this time and whatever uncomfortable as an opportunity to walk closely with you, Lord. 

In your name, Amen.

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth

Too much watering

I was recently visiting a classroom where students were able to do some different roles to help. One of the roles in the room was to water the plant. However, this particular day the teacher shared that she did not want anyone to water the plant as it was starting to overgrow and had more than enough water the past few days. (I mean, the plant looked like it was about to wrap itself around the leg of the stool it sat upon.) The students in the classroom had clearly done their job well, but perhaps with too much excess. 

We all need watering in our lives in order to grow, but perhaps there are some things we can do in excess that can be too much and cause us to "overgrow." With any virtue or good thing it is incredibly possible to fall into excess or deficiency. Perhaps we are spending too much time watering our fitness to keep healthy and lose sight of taking care of the chores around the house. Maybe we are overly cautious about saying x number of prayers every day and lose sight of simply being present with Christ in relationship with Him. Or maybe, we are spending too much time serving others and not enough time in quiet prayer with Christ nourishing ourselves. 

All things need balance with the help of God's loving graces and mercy. Too much of anything - even good - can turn into something not healthy or not good for us. 

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Lord, help us to be well balanced so that we are able to grow well and not do harm to ourselves or others. When we have overgrown, bring us back to that place we need to be and the graces we need to be balanced again. 

Amen.

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth

Songs speaking to me - Post 1

Sometimes I think music speaks more clearly to our hearts and spiritual life. Every so often I plan to  share in a post a few songs on my heart from the several weeks that may bring joy/comfort/encouragement/the words you want to say but don't know how/etc. to you. These are in no particular order: 

He Shall Reign Forevermore by Chris Tomlin (Christian)

Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in the Sky (Instrumental)

Whole Heart (Hold me Now) by Hillsong UNITED (Christian)

New Every Morning by Audrey Assad (Christian)

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Father in Heaven,

Thank you for the gift of music in my life. Through music you my God can speak to the places of my heart that have no tangible words for my sadness to great joys. Thank you for the gift that these individuals have shared with the world and how their music has touched me and my spiritual life. In your most precious and holy name,

Amen. 

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth

Fishing

Have you ever been fishing? It is quite the activity! There is so much anticipation and unknown going into it. How many fish will I catch? How long will it take to catch my first fish? For some individuals it can be one of the most fun things, while others it is far from enjoyable. When you do get a bite, sometimes it can feel so subtle and if you don't react quickly you will miss the fish. Other times, it is obvious you have gotten a bite and you have to act quickly and reel it in. It is easy to get discouraged in fishing - especially if you don't come home with many fish.

Our prayer lives can sometimes feel like fishing. There are times where we put out our intention and have to wait a while before we are prompted to act or see something. These are times where God is calling us to be quiet and possibly reflect. Sometimes we get a bite or rather insight quickly and it is obvious from the tugging happening a need to act. Other times, it is more subtle and you have to really be in tune to what you are focusing on to feel the nudge to act. Sometimes it seems that in our prayer lives all our intentions are being answered and other times it can seem only 1 or 2 of our intentions are being answered and quiet, reflective, and waiting is necessary. Like fishing, our prayer lives can sometimes feel discouraging.

Fishing and praying can be challenging or discouraging at times. Quietly reflecting and waiting for a bite is hard and not always the most fun. Some days are better than others with catching fish, but regardless of how many fish are caught or prayer intentions given to our Lord, that time was well spent growing in patience and knowledge. There will always be fish caught, in His time.

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Father in Heaven,

There are times for quiet reflection and times for action in our lives. Help us to openly sense what and where you are calling us to be in this moment. Give us the graces we need in our quiet reflection to be patient and open to the unknown. When we are prompted to act, help us to be focused on that mission and do it well. 

In your name,

Amen. 

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth

Student Artwork

Being a teacher there have been occasions where I have been given artwork from my students. Some have been scribbles on scratch pieces of paper while some have been true masterpieces on full sheets of paper. With each piece of artwork I have been given I take delight in. The simple act of each student creating something for me is just so thoughtful and kind. Each year I put up every piece of artwork on my wall and it fills my room with a gentle warmth.

God does the same with every prayer we bring to Him. He truly delights in hearing our voice speak to him our needs, wants, hopes, fears, and gratitude. Just like many teachers do, God smiles back at this beautiful gift - even if it feels like a scribble on a torn piece of paper. No prayer is too sad, silly, big, small, or insignificant to bring to Him. He looks at it and finds great value in every intention.

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Father in Heaven, 

Sometimes my prayers to you feel like something just scribbled on a piece of scrap paper while other times the most beautiful piece of work I could have made. I know you truly embrace and love every prayer of mine - no matter how it looks, feels, or sounds. Thank you Lord for listening to all my prayers!

Amen. 

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth

Duct Tape

When I was a teenager my Dad and I bonded over a comedy that was a "fix it show" using duct tape. In the show they would fix everything from car doors, plumbing, and even make a "beautiful" Christmas set up for your yard.  The idea was "I can fix anything" without having to call in a professional and it will work just as well. It was very obvious and comedic that nobody would really fix anything in that capacity in that way. 

However comical in the show, I seem to find myself in situations that I want to grab the duct tape and fix myself. Sure, the duct tape can hold the broken pieces together for a bit, but at some point it will fall back apart. I have different gifts and talents, but there are some things that need an expert to fix properly. The ultimate "fixer" is our Lord - for He can make all things new. But, it can be hard to take things to Him - especially the things that feel like they are so far beyond repairing. With great humility, and practice in trusting Him, we can turn into our Lord for all our needs. Believe me when I say I am actively working on this instead of reaching for the duct tape when seeking the healing or fixing I need. 

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Lord, sometimes I try to use the duct tape to fix things that really need a professional. Please give me the humility and graces I need to go to you, my ultimate physician and healer, to receive what I need. Help me to trust you more each day instead of my own devices.  

In your most precious name, Amen.

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Simply a little pencil in God's hand,

Elizabeth