This One's for the Kids.

Dear Jesus,

I'm thinking about the home that I want to cultivate alongside my husband someday... the home that welcomes Your little ones, and delights in their souls.

You did not forbid them. They were welcomed. You embraced them, knew them by name. You genuinely loved them. They never inconvenienced You.

Does my heart embrace? Are children welcome past the entry way? Children with their mess-making abilities, sticky fingers, and knack for breakables? I love to picture how You would've set up Your home, Jesus. Children would be welcome to sit on the "good furniture." They would be more than welcome to put their hands on the windows to peer outside at Your creation.

My heart... and I mean the deep, passionate pieces of my heart... longs to invite little ones to an atmosphere of grace. May they know they are wanted in my life, loved in my life. Eyes that can’t yet see over the counter, doors too heavy, knobs too tall- May I use stepping stools, Jesus.

Help me not to hold them back, but let them grow, explore, create, have space to breathe. May they have a place to play, where toys can come out without frustration, have a place to belong.

May there be space for laughter, a place on the wall for their pictures, cups they can reach if they are thirsty, books at their fingertips to grow on.

May they have a comforting, soft and clean place to sleep, inviting them to the blessing of rest. May they have boundaries which protect, but not so many that quench their spirit. May I let them help stir up dinner, roll the color on their bedroom wall and pour the soap in the washing machine. Help me slow down when they are following and listen to their conversation with both ears. May they not just have fingerprints on the window, but fingerprints in the atmosphere. May I help them see where they belong, and Who they belong to.

Above all, may this home have an attitude of grace. May accidental spills, and I-didn’t-mean-to messes, and I'm-so-sorry breaks be easily forgiven. May they hear “yes” from my lips more then they hear, “no” when asking for outside adventures, finger painting, and imaginative dress up. May discipline be handled with love, given for their best, not my state of happiness. May I have a heart to enjoy the moments shared, and a home to embrace them. May the children always know I love them...always.forever.no matter what. May I treasure their presence always, for You did not forbid them.

Matthew 19:13-15
Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
And He laid His hands on them…

So thankful for children today, Jesus. Thank you for placing a passion in my heart for their souls and their lives. Use me, Jesus. Let them know I love them.

Oh so much.

Love,
Lyss

Victory.

I often think about what it must have been like for the Israelites, as they traveled around the desert for forty years.

A generation that was once full of hope, chosen and set apart, with a promise from almighty God, had seen miracle after miracle occur as they were delivered from slavery. But this same generation was never able to experience the fullness of life God intended for them to have in the Promised Land; they were still filled with doubt and unbelief.

Their journey through the desert should have taken only a few weeks, but ended up lasting for 40 years. God always provided for them, and was always there in their midst leading them cloud by day and fire by night. Yet the people chose to remain in doubt of God’s faithfulness, and an entire generation that had once been marked by God for greatness, died with an unfulfilled promise in the desert.

How many times have I allowed my circumstances, feelings, hurts, and pains replace the promises of God’s Word in my life? How many times have I chosen to settle and be comfortable in my current state, instead of trusting God and stepping out in faith, believing that victory is found on the other side of my obedience?

I'm not giving up. I will not give up on the promises of God. I am choosing to trust that God will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5), and I'm believing that He is a good God, who has good plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). I'm deciding today to be a part of a generation that is full of faith, and take possession of the “Promised Land” God has already given to me~ health, wholeness, promise, blessing, favor, and breakthrough.

When I (and you, too!) trust in Him, you and I WILL walk in victory and no weapon that is formed against us will prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

I hope you feel extra loved today.

~Lyss

Big.

I read a quote today which I loved.

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." ~Lewis Carroll.

I stopped and mulled this one around in my head for a little while. I love it. I thought of one of my favorite verses in the whole world- Ephesians 3:20. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."

My God is able to exceed my wildest expectations in every area. I have determined that I'm going to live in the high expectation zone when it comes to my amazing God.

God is a BIG God.
He is big in favor.
He is big in grace.
He is big in love.
He is big in mercy.
He is big in forgiveness.
He is big in goodness.
He is big into doing the impossible.
He is big into using the unlikely.
He is big into doing the unimaginable.

There is no problem He cannot solve.
There is no sickness He cannot heal.
There is no heart He cannot mend.
There is no need He cannot meet.
There is no mountain He cannot move.
There is nothing my cannot do~ That's true!

I'm not going to shrink God in my life. I'm not going to expect less than what He wants to do in me and through me.

Whatever it is I think God wants me to do, I'm going to remember that He able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond anything I can ask for, hope for, or think.

So.

Think big.
Dream big.
Expect big.
Hope big.
Ask big.
Pray big.

Because we serve a BIG God.

Whoa. What a life.

Voices.

Sex trafficking and child slavery is happening all over the world, including in the United States. It is a clear and present reality and danger for women and children, and it hurts my heart.

Today, in an anthropology class, as the topic was being discussed and statistics were thrown around... a hand was raised at the back of the classroom and a question was asked. "Why should I care?"

My blood was quickly boiling, but then I got to thinking. Why DO I care so much? Why has this cruelty affected the way I view my world and the people in it? Why do my eyes well up just thinking about it? Why?

So, as I prayed for the bruised and tattered, broken and lonely girls who are enslaved today... I got some answers.

Here's why I care. Here's why I care deeply and passionately about these sweet girls living in bondage.

1. Because... 300,000 is not merely a statistic. Each one is a person with a name and a face, a soul, a heart, and raw emotions.

2. Because... God commands us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.

3. Because... I have been given freedom to speak, so I will use my voice to be hers.

4. Because... less than 1% of sex slaves are rescued.

5. Because... everyone is valuable, knitted and formed by the hand of God.

6. Because... whatever is costs to make a difference cannot be greater than that of a life.

7. Because... she isn't just a victim, she is loved by God.

8. Because... now that I have seen and I have heard, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead.

9. Because... God uses the ordinary but willing people to bring hope and freedom.

10. Because... I can plan and hope and dream about tomorrow, but she can't.

11. Because... my purpose for being on earth goes way beyond me.

12. Because... He came to set the captives free. We are His body. I am called to do great things in His name.

13. Because... my heart breaks for her broken heart.

14. Because... I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

15. Because... as long as there is ONE victim of sex trafficking, freedom has not fully been achieved.

16. Because... Godly men don't treat women like objects. Godly men don't buy girls.

17. Because... if she was my daughter, I would beg someone to care.

18. Because... everyone deserves a childhood.

19. Because... people are not a commodity.

20. Because... seeing ONE girl's life changed is worth it all.

21. Because... even if I pretend slavery isn't happening... it IS.

22. Because... each and every girl was created in the image of God.

23. Because... so often worth and value is determined from words spoken, whether the words are true or false. I want to be a voice of truth.

24. Because... my legacy is being written by the life I am living. What will I remembered for?

25. Because... God makes beautiful things. Out of dust. Out of us.

THIS is why I care. THIS is why I desire to love extravagantly and be daily dying to myself.

Our lives are essentially the story of whatever voices we choose to listen to and trust the most.

I spent many years of my life listening to my own voice and the voices of fear, doubt, and negativity from others. As a result, I was more often than not defeated before I had even started my day.

I seemed to always feel less than, not quite enough, inadequate, unable, and insufficient. And because I felt that way about myself, I acted and allowed myself to be treated accordingly.

It was not until I made a conscious decision to listen to and believe God's voice above all others that I found freedom.

Daily, I must choose to trust the voice of the One who knows me best, to believe the One who says I am "fearfully and wonderfully made," and to put my faith in the One who "knows the plans He has for me, plans for good and not evil, plans to prosper and not harm me."

What is the loudest voice speaking into your life?
Who are you listening to?

Are those listening to you hearing truth about who God has called them to be?

Perhaps today is a good day to change the dial to a new frequency...

The voice of hope.
The voice of life.
The voice of courage.
The voice of love.
The voice of grace.
The voice of compassion.
The voice of purpose.

The voice of God.

It starts with me. and you. let's go.

A Dirty Hem.

With school starting tomorrow, along with the knowledge that my life will once again be filled with homework and notecards... I seem to be in a major cleaning mode. In the past few days, the family and I have started tackling some home projects that we have been putting off for awhile. One of them (which I was DREADING) was cleaning out the closets and getting organized for fall. I was dreading it for a few reasons, not the least of which was that there were some gorgeous dresses in a size 4 that I knew God was calling me to surrender to the “in your dreams” pile. hahaha. I decided I need to take some pressure off myself about conforming to the world's standards, so I was pretty liberal with my tossing. I finally decided it needed to get done, so I set up camp in the middle of my room and dedicated this morning and afternoon to the cleanse. I turned on some Jesus Culture and started reaching for the piles.

About a half hour later, I was in tears.

I hadn’t expected it to be so mentally draining. Sometimes, I really REALLY feel like I see life in photographs. I remember the outfit I was wearing when I met my best friend for the first time. I remember the shoes I wore my very first day of high school, and the blankie I slept with every night until junior high. I remember the shirt I was wearing when I entered into the house I now call home. I remember the headband I was wearing when my sweet friend asked me to be in her wedding. I remember the clothing I was wearing the day I was mistreated and broken in a way no one should ever experience. I remember the exact jeans I had on the day I found out my dad was in the hospital. I even remember the earrings I was wearing when I got a C on my anatomy exam that I had worked so hard to study for. I remember the bathing suit that I was wearing the first time Charlie and I jumped in the pool hand-in-hand. I remember the scarf I wore when I knelt before my amazing God and gave Him my WHOLE life, all of me.


I was missing Redding today, but in a different way. A way that I can't really describe. Perhaps because the outfits I put on now will have photographs attached from HERE. From this NEW place, with these NEW people. They won't be moments from The Stirring, or moments at the Echols, or moments with The Bride down the street. It seems like at this point, the hardest moments come in ways that are totally unexpected.

I sat on my floor and dreamed of the special moments of last year, with His beautiful people, for awhile. I miss them so much, and I daily mourn the loss of the little moments of life I take for granted with the people God has placed in my life.

As I made my way into my closet, I felt so heavy with sadness. I started throwing the too-small dresses into a giant bag while I had a little “conversation” with God. It was pretty one-sided.

At least it was at first.

After a few minutes, I looked up and saw the Carolyn walking toward me, carrying the bag that has her wedding dress in it. She was moving it to the garage. When I talk about “the Lord speaking to me,” it is in a time like this, when I feel a prompting to do something and I know that it is coming from Him. In this moment, I felt like I needed to unzip the bag. It seemed a little odd, but I know Him well enough to know that I should just obey the urging and let Him guide me to where I am supposed to be. I asked my sweet cousin, and she happily handed over the bag and headed upstairs to finish her own cleaning. I unzipped the bag and tuned my ear to a posture of listening.

I pulled the bottom of the dress out of the bag and the train came spilling out. I spread it out on the ground and studied it as visions of weddings began to dance through my head. I started to relax and my eyes drifted to the edges of the train. And I saw the most incredible, unexpected thing.

The hem of the gown is dirty. Really dirty.

And I know how it got that way. She walked down a church aisle, took photographs in the grass, and danced and ate her way to happiness. She lived in it.

And so I sat on my floor asking the Lord to show me why He had brought me here. I closed my eyes and imagined the hem of each wedding dress I had seen on a beautiful bride dancing with her new husband.

“… I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:2-5

I couldn’t remember the whole scripture in that exact moment, but the words “You are the bride of Christ” came to mind. I suddenly had an image in my mind of myself in a glorious white gown that floated all around me. A seemingly endless train chasing after me as I walked.

And then, Him.

I couldn’t see Him in my mind, but I felt a great peace as I imagined my hands, clutching at fabric all around me so I could run to where He was. I saw myself, falling before Him as my dirty gown settled all around me. Dirty from the hurt and the disappointment. Dirty from the dancing in joy. Dirty from years of memory making with friends. Dirty from loving deeply, richly, completely. Dirty from the fears, the dreams, the sorrow, the confusion. Dirty from the laughter, the regrets, the mistakes, the injustice of this world.

Stained by this life I have walked while my Savior whispered, “One day I will wipe your tears, my sweet bride…”

What a glorious hem surrounds us all. It follows us wherever we go, gathering up pieces of this life in anticipation of the glorious day we will meet Jesus face to face.

And one day, I will bow to the King of Kings, and I will worship Him.

And as He wipes the tears from my eyes, I will ask Him the question that cannot be answered fully from a closet floor... "Why did you bring me here, Lord?"

And in the meantime, I will start to think of my days like a wedding photograph. I will walk, veiled, down this long aisle, in breathless anticipation of the day that awaits me.

I will trust in the One who will make all things new in His time.

I will keep my eyes on He who waits for me.

I will.

Or rather, I do.

Thank you, Lord. May my life be an offering that brings You glory…,
Alyssa

Let the Waters Rise.

We all have them. Psalm 38 days; days when skies are gray and tears fall easy and breathing seems hard. So yesterday I read Psalm 38 over and over.

Then I listened to my favorite Jesus Culture song (for the moment)- One Thing Remains. And I prayed.

I woke up today and I can breathe. New mercies. Grace upon grace.

He seeps into the dark of our brokenness and brings light and life.

He comforts. Before the Bread of Life was shared, it was broken. Jesus died. And as one marked by His love, He takes me there. To His dying and rising.

I will face brokenness in life. I will face pain. I will face suffering.

I have been washed over.

I have been plowed under.

But I have been called to walk in newness of life. I get to walk in the confidence that I serve a Sovereign, Perfect God.

He is the true Bread of Life.

And He said, "Take, eat, this is my body which was broken for you. Take, drink, this is my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins."

Life has been given. Freedom is here.

So today, I am thankful to soak in forgiveness. And I am thankful for the One who went so willingly, who gives so fearlessly.

The One in whose heart I have found true Hope.

The One who takes these tattered pieces of my life and makes me new. So that I might be poured out on others.

Today, I am saying thank you for brokenness.

Weddings, Suffering, and the Crown of Thorns.

One of my dearest and closest friends asked me to be in her wedding just over a week ago. It's been a whirlwind ever since! I don't think I'll ever quite be able to express my thankfulness and gratitude in words to sweet Caitlin for letting me be a part of such a special, beautiful time in her life. It has been nothing less than a complete joy and honor, and it has drawn me to the cross. Thank you, Caitlin.

God is good to give us love stories. He is good to fill our lives with men and women who desire to seek the heart of God, and pursue purity and relationship. He is good to give us intimate whispering and public outpourings of affection. He is good to give us hands to hold and eyes to gaze into. He is good to give us trials that can be worked through together, in unity. He is good to teach us and mold our hearts, preparing us for the next season of our love story.

He is good.

It's fair to say love has been at the forefront of my mind lately... between weddings, engagements, baby showers, and detailed depictions of long walks on the beach, my life has been happily bombarded with fairy tales. and I love it.

I went home this weekend, and brought my old children's Bible back with me to read to the boys. They patiently and respectfully listen to my adult Bible, (and we will still continue to integrate this in!), but I feel as though they will comprehend and understand more fully if we stick with the picture Bible for a couple more years :) SO, with love on the brain and a sudden urgency to read God's Word with boys... I read to them.

... and as I read, I began to cry. Perhaps it was exhaustion from the week. Perhaps it was the boys listening so intently with eyes wide and hearts open. Perhaps it was the overwhelming realization that my God DIED for me. for ME. For the boys. For my family and friends. Or perhaps it was a combination of all three. But nonetheless, I began to cry.

They nailed Jesus to the cross.

“Father, forgive them, ” Jesus gasped. “They don’t understand what they are doing.”

“You say you have come to rescue us!” people shouted. “But you can’t even rescue yourself!”

But they were wrong. Jesus could have rescued himself. A legion of angels would have flown to his side-if he’d called.

“If you were really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!” they said.

And of course they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop. Like when he healed the little girl. And stilled the storm. And fed 5,000 people.

But Jesus stayed.

You see, they didn’t understand. It wasn’t the nails that kept Jesus there.

It was love.

LOVE.

For some reason, I hadn’t quite thought about it in those terms, and I was rendered speechless by the infinite power that was denied for the sake of love. The Gospel was presented simply and powerfully to five searching little eyes, and also to me.

Love took on a restored, revitalized meaning in the matter of seconds. Suddenly the colors of the bridesmaid dresses didn't seem to matter as much, and the waiting for my own prince charming was fulfilled once again by the most wonderful Man.

This year is not going to be without hardship. I'm in a new place, with new people, at a new (HUGE) school. I will be out of my comfort zone, and daily relying on the Lord's strength and guidance. But I am encouraged this morning. Encouraged that with the love of Christ, ordinary days will become extraordinary. He has filled my life with uncontainable joy, and will continue to walk before me, preparing the perfect path.

I realized that in the past year (which has been one of the most difficult, rewarding, joyous, and painful), it wasn't the nails that held me through heartbreak and suffering. It was love. Deep, desperate, longing love for the One who was mocked on my behalf. Our amazing God beckons us to nestle deep into the brokenness and find inexplicable comfort in His embrace. I have done this countless times, and I have been rescued from a pit so deep I could not fathom a way out of it. You may be wandering, searching, waiting, hoping, begging for mercy and for relief. I understand, and I hurt for you, but this year, I have learned about a part of myself I didn’t know existed.
As a follower of the Most High God, I must know and be thankful for the times when God places a crown of thorns of my head, allowing me to suffer and feel pain. I must feel the burden of the cross at different points in my life, and with the power of Christ Himself, I can say with confidence “I am choosing to bear the crown because I cannot live without the love…”

Tell Him, the One who knows your deepest fears and most secret desperation, that you are choosing the thorns... with gratitude.
And one day, not so far from now, I believe we will be made complete, and pain will cease completely.
Oh, Lord, come quickly.
But until then, I have surrendered my life as an offering, and am allowing the hands of the Father to carry me through what I think is impossible.
He will make known to you His boundless love, which allows us the strength to make it another day.
And another day.
And then, one glorious day, He will call for us.

Oh, how I love my Maker. If you are trying to pursue relationship out of forced conviction, you will miss out on the glory of falling in love with the Maker of your soul. There is such a difference between religion and relationship. I could not have survived without the latter, I assure you.
You see, the thing about the nails in this life is that they are temporary. We bear them because we know that we will lay our crowns at His feet in the blink of an eye. We will join Him for eternity, and will worship the One Who was scarred on our behalf.
I am praying for each of you as you begin your day. I am praying that you will see the crown of thorns as a promise. Yes, it is painful, and yes, sometimes we struggle under the weight of it, but no, it will not defeat us. Because Christ has already won the battle. So I claim victory as a follower of Jesus.

LOVE. I am thankful for weddings, best friends, bridesmaids, flowers, venues, and first looks.
LOVE. I am thankful for Jesus, the crown of thorns, suffering, scars, and renewed hope.

We praise Your name, Lord. For You are who You say You are.
You are, and always will be, enough.