Calling all hearts!

Music Video:  Be One
   (Natalie Grant)

“It's time to get our hands dirty
Be love there's a whole lot of hurting
Calling all hearts
Calling all hands
Calling all feet to take a stand
Why sit around and wait for a miracle to come
When we can be one
When we can be one
When we can be one”

Hey there!  Hope everyone is doing great out there!  I just love our coffee chats on here.

I recently attended the movie debut of the Dare to Be movie.  It was amazing and inspirational.  Sitting in the theater and listening to these women share their story and why they do what they are called to do and how they work with God through it all.  Natalie Grant presented some powerful songs from the beginning of the movie.  Then it came time for her to sing the song, Ever Be.  I love this song, "your praise will ever be on my lips"  and that's what it should be...always.  God's praise should be upon our lips.  It's hard though, right.  Circumstances through out our day get us down and it's hard to sing that praise.  God can help us through that, taking our mind off our own circumstances and situations and putting our focus solely on God and his presence in our lives.  
It's not about who we our in our life, it's about whose we are in God's family and what God has called us to do.  

"...Faithful you have been and faithful you will be..."

As I was listening to Charlotte Gambill give a message in the movie, she talked about not letting the misunderstandings of your past claim your future. Isn't that the truth?  So often we feel so dragged down by the past hurts in our lives that we stomp out all the good that is awaiting for us in the future.  Our destiny is far greater than our past. 

I love how Matthew 11:28-30 states this passage in the Message Bible,  "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?  (Hand raise in the air) Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. (Amen) I'll show you how to take a real rest.   Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. (YES!)  Learn from unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Have you ever felt like this?  You can work for God, you can work with God and these two are far different from each other.  God tells us to walk with Him.  Walk with Him and He will be with us and help us.  

I love the saying, “all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.  Just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery.  And I promise you, something great will come of it."

What happens when we take that 20 seconds and do something so incredibly brave that our lives could just possibly change forever.  What if we dared to be fearless?  What if we set out to do that one thing that we have been scared to do?  What would happen?  How would you help someone?  What would you do?  How would you feel after it was all over? You may go out there wanting to be able to bless someone, but just maybe you'll find yourself just as blessed by them. 

What would it take for you to get out there and Be One for Someone? To recognize there is a need that you can help out with.  To be able to share the love of Christ with someone else.  What would happen in your 20 seconds of courage? 

Dare to be what God is calling you to be!  What are you daring to be known as?

Here's a little take home. Leave a comment with your dare to be answer.  

I Dare to Be known as __________________.  


Praying for you!


Blessings, 

Greater love....

Today as we reflect on Veteran's Day, we remember those who have served our country in some form or another.  They gave up their lifestyle with their family and friends to defend our rights.  While few have made it home, back to their families, many have lost their life in service.
We are forever grateful for those who have served and have given their lives to serve.  

As we remember those people we are reminded of how much God loves us as well.  To have a Heavenly Father who would give up His Only Son; so that we may be free and forgiven from our sins, so that we may live forever in eternity with Him.  John 3:16 says that, God loved the world so much.  
Can we even fathom how much those words that mean, so much, in this verse?      Someone who loves every part of everyone.   No matter who they are or what they have done.  Sometimes I think we think we know how that feels, but sometimes I think we don't even know the half of how that really feels to love that much.  (The way God loves us).  It's that close, eternal, infinite love that we can come as close to as we can to show that kind of love.  
We strive to be like Christ.  To show love to our fellow people in this world.  We have God's Word to help guide us in that love.  A love letter to us to share with the people we come into contact with in this world.  So because God sent His Son to save us, we have so much freedom and a reason to share our faith with others.
And, we want to thank those who have served and fought for our rights to be able to keep sharing our faith and God's Word.  Because we have these people in our lives we have the freedom to keep sharing openly about our Christ.

I saw this verse earlier today......

John 15:13 (NLT) There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15:11-15 (MSG)  “I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

Keep on sharing Christ's love with everyone in this world.

Blessings, 

Let my life be the Proof of Your Love!

Well, I think it’s here! What you may ask?  Winter…finally!  Yay!  After a long warm, summer….it’s finally starting to cool off, and yes…even rain a bit.  I have been waiting for this as the Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Brulee latte’s have come back at Starbucks and and everyone talking about being able to wear their “Fall” and “Winter” outfits (sweaters, boots, hats, scarves, etc).  While I’m sitting here in California just waiting for the next season to arrive, since it seems like it has hit everywhere else but right here.  Let’s just say 100 degree days in the early Autumn made it seem like Winter would never come. Really made me want to take that short escape back to Indiana for the amazing ‘cooler’ weather they had from what I can remember from living back there.  But now as the new year has come upon us the upper 20 degree weather has come upon us. 
As I am sitting here thinking about what I wanted to write this afternoon…I was thinking about the title of this blog.  Listening to the radio at the same time, I started thinking about the song, Proof of Your Love, from the band For King and Country.  In the past couple months the song that has been playing on the radio several times.  I mean just the chorus of this song is simply awesome and amazing and has me singing along all the time!  I was so blessed to be able to attend a for King and Country concert a couple months ago at a local concert. They were amazing!!! From their awesome stage presence and singing with a passion in their soul to being able to share the wonderful message that God had laid on their hearts that night!  They are as incredible live as they are on the radio, and so on fire for Christ during their concerts.
Which brings me to what you may be asking, what is the proof of your love?  It’s living for God, but it’s so much more than that as well.  It’s living fully devoted and sold out to Christ.  There’s a saying that says generally speaking, to live your life so on fire for God that anytime someone were to speak bad about you, nobody would believe them. Isn’t that completely the truth though?  We’ve all been hurt by people we’ve trusted and we learn to forgive them. If we stand for what we believe in and lead pure lives, even though we may slip we know we can get right back up again, forgiving those who hurt us and living the PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE!!! Being love and showing love!!!  Be the light that shines to everyone.   You never know, you may be the only Jesus that some people see, so live for Him in everything you do.

"…let my life be the proof, the proof of your love
let my life look like you and what you’re made of
how you lived
how you died
love is a sacrifice
so let my life be the proof, the proof of your love…” (4 King and Country)
We were blessed again by being able to hear the amazing song styling’s of Jason Castro.  Another amazing concert piece and message from him. 
Just being able to listen to the stories of their life, whether they are at home or on the road, they can relate to so many people who may have similar issues.
“…This is only a mountain, You don’t have to find your way around it, Tell it to move, it’ll move, Tell it to fall, it’ll fall
This is only a moment, You don’t have to let your fear control it, Tell it to move, it’ll move, Tell it to fall, it’ll fall…” (Jason Castro)
I remember traveling with my drama team in college and we would always save a portion of our time we had to share for a personal testimony by one of our team members.  There were times we weren’t totally sure who was going to speak until we actually got to where we were going to be and God told us who needed to be addressing the crowd that night. Even our dramatic pieces were changed a lot just because of where we felt we were being led once we got there.  But, ultimately, where ever we went we wanted those watching us to see Christ in our lives while we were with them.  We wanted our lives to show the proof of God’s love in what we were sharing.  So many times we left those “performances” completely changed and humbled after sharing with people, praying with people and just listening to their stories as well.
Acts 20:24 - But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Shelli and Me after the concert that night!!!

Today I Dare to Be..............

Daring to be....

A couple weeks ago, I read a blog from Natalie Grant (recording artist).  She presented people with a challenge, a challenge to step out of their comfort zone and dare to be more of something they tend to struggle with.   I wanted to share her blog on here as well, so we all can dare to be the kind of girl that God has called us to be.  Through our faith, we can do anything through Christ.  

(from nataliegrant.com) 

"If you’re anything like me, you have a catalog in your mind of some pivotal moments in your life when different people may have said “you can’t…”

Some of those defining moments have stayed with me, influenced me, kept me from believing that I am who God says that I am.

But the more I have discovered about Jesus and the more I learn of His thoughts towards me, what once were deafening and defeating statements, are replaced by the Truth of God.

I’m calling on all my girlfriends to rise up and be a part of a revolution. That together, with one voice, the earth would hear us, as the sisterhood of God say, “yes, we can.”

My challenge to not worry, be afraid or scared but to
rely on  God to get me through and renew my strength!

Dare To Be is a call for women to stand and say “I am who God says that I am. I can be what God says I can be. I can do what God has asked me to do.” If we could begin to see what God sees when He looks at us, how would that change our lives, marriages, families, communities and the world?

When Jesus asked Peter to walk on the water, I’m betting there were many “I can’t” thoughts that initially crossed his mind. But because Peter dared to believe and trust, Jesus accomplished the impossible through his life. He wants to do the same through us. Jesus didn’t say, “I’m sorry, Peter, but water-walking is for Messiahs only.” No, he said one simple word: Come. God is daring us to do impossible things by faith.

This is what I am asking of you. Throughout the week, I want you, daughter of the King, to dare to believe & live 1 thing God has called you to be.
So, what will you DARE TO BE? Love, kindness, hope, courage, joy, peace, justice, freedom, empowered, uncompromising, forgiving, whole....Natalie Grant

“I can do all things through CHRIST…”(Phil 4:13) – and so can YOU!

We can all think of times in our lives where we have not done something because we were either told we couldn't do it or we were afraid that we couldn't do it.  When we dare to step our of our comfort zone, to step out with our faith and to be the girl that we are called to be by our God, we can accomplish anything we set our hearts to.  As we put aside the "I cant's and You can'ts"  and change our words to the "I cans," bigger things can happen.  We can change our world, if only we change our words, not in only how we talk but how we think; because, as most of us know we 'think' more than we 'talk.'  So what are you 'daughter of the King of Kings' daring to be each week?  Step what to the person that God has called you to be....and just remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made and a child of the King!  YOU ARE LOVED!

**Video attachment of Natalie Grant's song, "Daring to be"