Cherished

What does it mean to cherish? 

Webster's says

1 a: to hold dear : feel or show affection for <cherished her friends> b: to keep or cultivate with care and affection

Wow!  To think that you (and I) are cherished.  Cultivating our lives with care while showing affection and holding us dear.  

Freedom in those words....

Be still and know that you are cherished!

Stuck

Can you really expect a different outcome when you continue the same actions?  Of course not...

So what is it that drives us in directions that we don't want to go.  Why can't we break through the repetition and move into something new.  Where is the control? New thoughts, new dreams, new actions?  How do we stop the viscousness of it all. When, where, how does it stop.  Even if only internally, this repetition is paralyzing.  Is this the beginning of insanity?  What then?

I'm stuck.

Good!

Isn't it amazing how God only gives us what we can handle. Every now and then He lets us get a glimpse of the big picture. Just a corner or snippet, but a glimpse nontheless and we are either so in awe of His perfect plan or completely broken and remorseful, but most likely we are both.

I am so in awe and completely broken today because I serve a good God with a perfect plan!

Surrender

She tried to be a good girl and a good wife
Raise a good family
Lead a good life
It's not good enough
She got herself up on the 48th floor
Gotta find out
Find out what she's living for
Surrender, Surrender
Surrender, Surrender

Tonight...

Oh, the city's afire
A passionate flame
It knows me by name
Oh, the city's desire
To take me for more and more
It's in the street, getting under my feet
It's in the air, it's everywhere

I look for you

It's in the things I do and say
If I wanna live I gotta
Die to myself... someday

(Excerpt from "Surrender" by U2 released in 1983)

When will be your someday....
God has been working overtime the last few weeks in my life and in the lives of those closest too me. He is amazing. As we surrender the things in our lives that keep us from real intimacy with the Father and each other, He reveals Himself more and more. Through this we are able to move further from our sin and into His will.

What do you need to surrender? It's not too late.

Titus 2: 11-14

11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Stronger than You

You think you can simply look into my soul.  Show me your fire. 

Enrage the fear within me.

You cannot.

My Security unshaken will bring my peace.  Your fire will die.

No more confusion when you are gone.

You are not welcome here.

I don't know how you dwell.  Your time is over.

A simple cry.  Come out!

Freedom.

What fear keeps you from, love overcomes.  Speak with the authority of the One who gives authority and you will be freed.

Romans 8:38-39

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Blessings, 

Beth

(If anyone would like an interpretation of this one, please email me and we can get a coffee, or something, I'm sure I'll need it)

Huh?

If you're reading this and you don't really know me, you might think I'm some kind of crazy person.  Well, you might be right, but I like to think I'm just on a special journey.  

I've learned that keeping emotions, feelings, thoughts, etc... hidden away can lead me into a kind of darkness that is a scary place.  A wilderness, if you will.  So on my journey out of this particular wilderness, I have discovered blogging.  Seems like a strange way to vent the smoke from the sometimes raging inner turmoil that is my soul, but so far it's working.   

If you're reading this and you do know me, please don't judge.  If you find anything useful.  Use it. If you don't, don't.   

Blessings,

Beth

Patterns...

Patterns... shotgun spray on a target, football receiver's path, dressmakers tool, ripples on the lake, musical score, poetic rythm, petals of a flower, fingerprints, behaviors, thoughts...

Are all things subject to pattern?

Our pattern of thoughts drive our emotions...Our emotions drive our actions...

Are patterns meant to be followed or interrupted? I guess it depends on your pattern.

Romans 12:1-3

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Recognizing your own pattern, maybe that's a stepping stone.  A path out of the wilderness...maybe, we'll see.

Blessings,

Beth