Patchwork Pieces

A journey through seasons of life can appear like patchwork pieces of a quilt. We only see the present, look back at things in hindsight, and try to look beyond trying to catch a glimpse of the future. A road trip through my life right now would be journeying through rolling hills, flat green and sometimes dry land on my way to another month of learning the art of practicing medicine. 

Driving through rural areas I see contrasts of color against blue skies, green grass, and sometimes the ripples of a lake. I love the changing colors of the trees in Autumn, how the colors of fire, wood, oceans, grass, sunsets, and sunrises all mix together as a tree conserves its life and releases its leaves. 

On the inside the production of chlorophyll slows down. This substance of the tree makes trees green in the spring and summer and it also represents growth. As it slows down it leaves carotenoids and anthocyanin unmasked revealing the many different hues of golden oranges and reds and bronze. The timing of change is different for each species of tree yet winter is always a certainty. 

The tender green leaves would die in the freezing cold weather so the tree has to toughen up to preserve its life in order to reawaken in the spring. Stems, twigs, and buds are equipped to face the wintry conditions unlike the leaves. Still, these fallen leaves provide nutrition for the ecosystem below. Though winter is the inevitable each tree has to face, so is the hope of each coming Spring. 

From the inside out our lives reveal the continual change and growth that we face in this journey through seasons of life. Just like that quilt of patchwork pieces, we put together the pieces of each season. It's never the same leaf, fruit, or flower that is visible and the seasons that come vary. Yet, it's the same breathe of life flowing, threading through our veins. 

Through all these seasons we choose daily to trust, to love, to care, to win, to succeed, to choose life or to choose death. This is what makes each patchwork piece so unique.

The phrases below are put together in patchwork pieces just as our lives simply seem to be pieces of a much grander puzzle. What we often see and our view of life is myopic. Things may not be as you want them to be but with God all things work together for good and for His glory. We can trust in the life He gave flowing in and through us. We can place our faith in knowing we are trees planted by streams of living water. We can also revel in the knowledge that not only the fruit we bear brings nourishment and hope to others but so do the leaves that fall revealing beauty from our growth and change. 

There is a season for everything under the sun. A season to learn, to grow, to enjoy, to plant, to harvest, to mourn, to laugh, to search, to find, to love, a time for war and a time for peace.* Most importantly I hope we go through a season of seeing and coming to understand the greatness of God's love. Our lives gain a greater meaning and our eyes are open to a greater dimension and depth because of God's love. Hopefully this season gives you the much needed life to recover from the past and press forward through the rest. 

............................

Words fail. Talk is cheap. Actions mean so much. Character changes, sometimes. Perfection never is. Control is uncontrollable. Relationships fade. Friendships wilt away. And life rushes by. People think money equates success. For others dreams are no longer a reality. Some have strength of will with no quality. Beauty becomes skin deep. With all living without consequence

Life has to mean so much more. Love has to be real. There must be something to believe. Adventure should be calling. With a passionate appeal

Trusting with heart and mind. Learning to let go. Reasoning rejected. Desires transformed. A life revolutionized. Faith unveiled. 
Crazy love revealed. Born to die. Life to give

Death exchanged

Sin crossed out. Shame replaced

A beautiful exchange

Glory illuminated the source

Christ revealed

Salvation is here

   

Victory comes. Freedom delivered
A life worth fighting for
Conviction exposed. Reliant confidence
In a love worth living for
..................................

*[Ecclesiates 3]

Moments of Greatness

Here’s to looking forward to a New Year of living in the moment! 

Waiting - the word itself just seems so awful sometimes. 

Waiting to get in line at the post office to pick up a long awaited package that got missed being delivered straight to your home or to send out those Christmas cards that were supposed to be mailed two weeks ago. 

Waiting in the drive thru at Starbucks for your warm spicy chai latte. :) 

Waiting in the grocery store line wondering if you got in the wrong line again as the lady two people down from you pulls out a coupon book and her check book! 

Waiting for traffic to move. 

Waiting. 

Our entire life seem to be a series of times of waiting interrupted by moments of receiving, giving, accomplishing, achieving, or living. 

We wait expectantly. 

We wait faithfullly. 

We wait with hope. 

We wait in silence. 

We wait anxiously. 

We wait with joy. 

We wait excitedly. 

We wait with bated breath! 

We wait in suspense.

We wait on God. 

The definition of Wait |wāt|: to stay where one is or delay action until a particular
time or until something else happens; 

                           to remain in readiness for some purpose;       
                                             be left until a later time before being dealt with; 

Synonyms: remain, stay, rest, stop, halt, pause, linger, bide’s one’s time, deferred, delay, intermission, lull, hold on, long, pine, hiatus, gap, moratorium, recess...

We all wait with bated breath on the last day of a year expectantly waiting for another new year. 

Hoping that the blank canvas will be filled with vivid moments of brightness and cheer.

I am going to wait expectantly for the new and exciting. 

Knowing that God is always wanting to give us more than we can ever imagine simply because He loves us.

Yet, life is full of run of the mill mundane moments. 

I know that in each and everyone of those everyday ordinary moments is where I can allow God to be extraordinary. 
I can expect to find unforgettable, surprising joy, peace, faith, love, lessons for growth and miracles in the simple moments of my everyday life. 

More importantly, I hope you try to seek and linger in God’s presence in each moment and I’m sure you’ll be amazed and changed by what you find. 

Remain in His presence and you will find grace and strength to go through each moment of your life. 

Water, waves, and words

Remember when your parents took you to the beach and you ran towards the ocean excited to feel the sand between your little toes. You watched as the waters rushed forward and washed away the sand around your feet. As you looked out at the expanse, the sunlight danced upon the waves creating an illusion of serenity hiding the depths of the seas' ferocity. 

Well, that’s what I did. I dug my toes deep into that squishy soft sand to see how deep I had to get before I could just stand there rooted into the ground without letting the sea drag the sand away leaving me back on unstable ground. I stood there feeling the cool wet sand between my toes and the rush and tug of the swirling waters moving forward and then back. Appearing as if the sand and waters were dancing before me in some sort of savage waltz. I look up and marvel at this magnificent, beautiful, terrible sea, the waves rising up feigning to crash right over me. Yet, as the waves get closer, closer and closer still they shrink and with a force sweep over the sand pulling all before it into the deep. Knowing my parents and sister were close behind I would stand courageously before this wonder knowing no matter how deep I went in there was always someone looking out for me. I would stand there with my toes digging deeper into the sand, watching the swirling waters and the crashing waves before me. The beauty and majesty of God’s creation staring back at me. Blues and greens mingled  together with shimmers of white and yellow light, something so alluring yet so unknown. 

Now, as I step forward looking at a metaphorical majestic ocean of life, I dig deep into God’s word allowing my feet to be rooted and grounded. I run excitedly towards life’s oceans knowing that my Savior’s awesome presence is ever near and as I look up at those waves I know they will shrink as they get closer. Though the waves may come with a force trying to pull and drag all before it, I can stand. 

Hello Love

I like to write.

I like to hope and dream.

I like to imagine that I can be an inspiration and a blessing to those I may meet.

I like to hope the thoughts I express in paragraphs and prose turn into poetic muse.

I like how this past year has been full of life-changing moments.

I like how when I meet a new friend or person along this life’s journey, a new memory of affect is created.

I like how it’s through life’s momentary meeting’s I can encounter an encouraging word, an inspiring story, a laugh, a smile, a burden to share or a lesson to learn. 

I like how just when I think I have placed God in the center of my life He yet again turns everything inside out.

I like how I have to grow each day, learning to draw grace and strength from deep within.

I like how I soak up inspiration from my Creator.

I like how much I love and need the Lord my God.

I love how much my God means to me and how much faith I place in Him alone.

I love how I find comfort and meaning to life through my relationship with the God I believe in.

I love how I never have to stand alone.

I love the freedom and peace I find in my Saviour.

I love Jesus and all that His name encompasses.

I love how crazy and strange it may be to say all of this and know that I am unique.

I am thankful for Love that gives me air to breathe.

I am thankful that God is love. 

[fbcomments]

Quiet Confidence

People may write me off as the best quiet spirit, naysayers may say my personality needs to change and is one not many would want to hire, people may say you’re aiming too high, maybe you should try doing something easier, maybe you should stop trying to achieve this dream of yours, maybe...the list can go on and on. The world is full of negative naysayers always unwilling to accept the best for others or they think they need to offer ‘good advice’. The one thing they don’t know is that their words of negativity or what may be meant to deter me only fuels the fire in my belly even more. I haven’t come this far floating on clouds, it’s been pure determination and confidence not in myself alone but in something far greater. It is a courage to attempt to accomplish the desires that burn in me that God alone placed and is faithful to complete. It is with a quiet and calm confidence in One who is more than enough that propels me further not for myself but to give of myself and whatever I can offer to live a life worthy of a love and salvation given so freely for me...and for you. 

Yes, it may hurt to hear the negative but it doesn’t really matter what other’s think, say, or do if you have placed your confidence in the Creator of life, dreams, vision, creativity, and all things beautifully set apart for the praise of His glory.

The best thing about my kind of confidence is that I don’t place it in a fading outer appearance, a vast educational knowledge or intelligence or degrees, riches, social status, awards, and accomplishments. My confidence is in One whose beauty never fades, a love that never fails, a joy that runs deeper, a peace that cannot be shaken, a wisdom none can comprehend, a strength that goes beyond the physical, and an abundance of life that flows not out of momentary happiness but is rooted in faith. 

It is scary stepping out of your comfort zone but all it takes is one step. That is all I do, take one step at a time confident in my faith; confident that the desires I have are God given; confident that in my daily mundane life, is where moments of God’s greatness can be revealed. I am confident that there is an ever growing amount of learning to be done but I am also confident that the doors God opens present challenges that will come with joys of seeing more of what God can accomplish through ordinary people believing in an extraordinary God. 

-I hope you know how much God loves you!