Daughter of the King: in His Hands

Yesterday morning as I saw the pictures and heard the news of ice-covered DFW, I felt deflated.  For the past four months I had been looking forward to a dear friend being the guest of honor at our church's Daughter of the King, women's event.  I was so excited for several reasons - getting to hear her sing and share her story is always a blessing and I was excited for my church family to share in this blessing; and I was looking forward to our high school girl friends coming together to hear our friend, and fellowship.  

That was not God's plan.  Yesterday morning, I knew that with a pouty lip.  I whinned to anyone who would undestand or listen.  She's not coming.  

That was not God's plan.  I say that now with a full heart and a huge smile.  HE HAD OTHER PLANS!  

In my friend from childhoold's place, stood another friend.  She stood, and she sang, and she played her guitar, and she shared her story.  She bared her soul before her home congregation.  She walked in obedience with every chord, with every word, with every detail of her private story.  I can imagine she wanted to puke, cry, and walk off of that stage several times, but she didn't.  She stood and explained how God met her where she was at, lying on the floor at rock bottom.  

She stood in front of a jam-packed full sanctuary of people she has grown up with, as well as complete strangers, all ages - she sang and she blew transparent.  She deep-breathed and swallowed down her own will, and made known to many the power of God's grace and mercy.  

The majority of the audience knows Jesus in an intimate way, but I would say lovingly, the minority (myself included) has bared their soul as she did in front of such a large audience.  

The Lord made a path for those to follow.  

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the mold of the norm was shattered a bit.  Rocked.  

Another close friend who came to the event, said she had just seen Rick Warren on The View this morning, talking about how we need to take the one thing we are most scared to share, and make that our focal point (or something along those lines).  That's where God has done the most work.  He wants us to not leave behind the nasty, the bad, the embarrassing; because that's where He shines brightest.  Where people can see - WOW - He brought you from there!  Or, He helped you through that?  WOW!  And create a desire in others for that.  Creating a gnawing in them to get and have what those who's mess, He's made HIS MESSage, have in HIM.  

The Word says GO Tell!  In one translation Jesus says Run tell that!  Not really, He just says, Go tell as many as you can about me, but I hear, "Run tell that!"   :)  He says, "Go back and report what you've seen and heard: The blind will receive sight, the lame will walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor!"  (Luke 7:22)

I pray that people not only heard my friend's words and her songs last night, but that God spoke to them about sharing their own story.  I pray they take away more than just a great evening, but a conviction to be transparent.  To bare past and share present.  Myself included.  

My personal joys last night came from the fact that she sang "Oceans".  Enough said.  This song has been God's message to me for the past five months (weird the timing).  She sang "The Rock Won't Move".  :)  Anthem.  Listened to it on the way to the church.  She sang a song she wrote.  One that tells her story in song - through the gifts God gave her.

Think about that.  Can you imagine God's face - the light - His presence - bursting forth from the heavens when one of his children, uses the gifts He gave her, to tell the story he saved her from, and is writing now, to let others know of his saving grace, His redemptive love, His hand extended and open and ready to lead someone up and out of the pit, or off the floor, and to take the next step toward freedom?  Can you imagine?!?!?  

My friend was stretched.  WAY out of her comfort zone.  

She got a call yesterday morning to step in, in the absence of the scheduled speaker/singer, due to dangerous weather conditions.  She walked out onto the stage and stared out into the audience of many, and then she obeyed.  God's work happened last night  And it was awesome.  

 

 

 

Somewhere close to 25 years ago, my parents loaded my two brothers and I up in our multi-shades of brown passenger van, and we embarked on an adventure.  An adventure that became a permanent reoccurrence in our lives every December from that year on.  An adventure that annually rebirthed fresh memories, a new story, and another page written well in the book of life.  Our annual family trip to the Christmas tree farm! 

The Bullard Christmas tree farm trip most always began the same - current family vehicle loaded down with us five: Dad (Rod), Mom (Rhonda), me (Ashley), middle brother (Cade), baby brother (Chase).  Once crammed into the car, Rod and Rhonda would kick-off the caroling, I'm pretty sure with "Over the River and Through the Woods".  True to form, at least one of us kids was against the world, or feeling just the opposite.  Wishing ourselves adopted by some other family, who didn't torture their children in such ways as caroling and traveling millions of miles all the way to Gilmer, to saw down our Christmas tree.  So at least one mad kid, with the remaining two belting out those carols with the hopes of further infuriating the mad one.  :/ 

Once at the Tree Farm, we would pile out of the family vehicle and onto the hay bale-lined trailer, on which we would grab at the available hand saws, and fight over them, arguing who was going to get to saw the tree down that year.  As Mr. Youngblood drove us out into the middle of the tree field, and we barely escaped limb and extremity loss - then the fun began.  We would race all over that field, darting in and out of the rows of tress, shouting "This one! I've found it!"  "No this one, it's PERFECT!"  Much to our dismay, no matter which tree we thought was most amazing, Rhonda would have the final say.  There was the checklist:  Perfect, full shape; not too tall, no holes, straight trunk." 

After about two to three years of hearing us complain about how she ALWAYS got to pick the tree, and once she realized just how many homemade ornaments we were going to bring home each year of grade school (I believe I was in the 2nd grade when this began) - we started another new tradition - the KIDS TREE!  Now we got to pick out our own tree!!  AND we got to put our stringed popcorn, and all of those homemade, clothespin reindeer, Styrofoam cup angels, and coffee filter snowflakes - all over it!  Everyone was happy!  Well at least 3 out of 5 usually. 

So back to the farm. After body-tackling each other to the ground over who got the SAW, and successfully felling the trees, we'd wait for the tractor to come back and get us.  They'd shake and wrap the tree, and then we'd giggle as Dad fought to tie those trees down to the top of the suburban or van.  On the way home we'd stop at eat the Lock Stock and Barrel Saloon for burgers!  Once they went out of business, the tradition became La Finca - best hamburger at a Mexican food restaurant!  Mmmm! 

Then we would carol all the way home. Or maybe do a Chinese Fire Drill.  Or play a game where we tried to get people in the cars next to us to look over at us.  Or there was the one year that Cade was so mad at us - he had tried to run away at the tree farm (off into the trees), but we found him, and as we were Decking the Halls, we heard Cade mumble something.  "What was that Cader?"  "Tree's gone," he replied nonchalantly.  And YES, the tree was GONE folks.  That was a special year.  We rode in the bench seat Ford from Wholesale Supply (all five of us), and the wind just up and scooped that tree right out of the bed!  We all turned to look, and sure enough, there was the tree hopping and bouncing down the rode behind us.  Oh the memories!

Once in the driveway, the tradition always took a turn for the...well, it started an uphill climb we'll say - for Dad anyway.  For us kids, it was like a treacherous bridge you see on Indiana Jones movies - where the wooden planks are missing and you aren't sure if you'll make it across.  We always prayed the neighbors weren't home when we got back with our tree, because after we unloaded our beloved fresh-cut trees, and cut the mesh off of them, the battle began.  The battle between Rod, the tree, and the tree stand.  It NEVER went in without a hitch.  It was war, and it was never pretty.  We would try to stay inside and untangle lights and check for bad bulbs, while Dad had it out with the ole tree stand.  Every now and then Mom would go out to check the progress, especially once she heard the chainsaw crank up.  I won't share those conversations here in such a public place, but I'm sure your imagination won't fail you.  :)

It was our tradition!  It was fun and exciting, embarrassing and tortuous - depending on the kid and the year, but nonetheless we made memories!  And we are carrying on the tradition.  My little family has been cutting our tree down at Danville farms ever since our sweet Dylan came into the world.  We haven't missed a year at Danville (in the past 8 years), with exception to last year when Philip and the kids came home from a trek in the woods with two serious, for real Charlie Brown Christmas trees.  My brothers and their brides cut their trees down as well.  And THIS year we had a very special treat. 

Today, we ALL went to the Tree Farm together.  What a sight it was.  All of us traipsing over the field, searching for the right tree.  Laughing about the memories from days gone by, and thankful we all lived through those wonderful times.  I pray my kids carry this tradition on with them.  And I am thankful for my parents, and that making traditions, and having fun as family, was a priority.  It's what we did.  We made memories that have lasted and will continue to last us a lifetime!  Merry Christmas!

 

 

The Narrow Place Experience

Yesterday afternoon two friends and I headed to Ft. Worth to hear a friend IN CONCERT!  I was pretty dang excited.  We were going to get to hear her sing her own songs in a concert setting!  As the ride ensued, and converstions began to flow (for 3 hours), the Lord began a work that would change us all and mold each of us.

Still trying to proccess all that He revealed and healed, and put that into words, but I hope to share that soon.

As for the artist - Lauren Chandler - the best I can describe it is this:  God's gift to her, could fill the Grand Canyon, just a source of love, peace, joy, heartache, healing, a river of Him flowing through her and filling the space around you.  The words He gives her to tell her story and share her heart, and sing her relationship with Him, are full of life; drenched in the Spirit.

And a little bit of girl punk, foot-stompin, declaring His love NEVER fails, never gives up, never runs out on me.  It was invigorating, passion-stirring.

Describing the narrow place we are in - between Jesus saving us and returning home with Him; the struggle, the pain; the goodness; the glory; we wait patiently and full of hope.

The intricate details of the entire night's events; the very words He spoke to us through Lauren; the way we all got there that night, on that day; the events and experiences leading up to it; the stories that were shared; the testimonies given; it was a masterpiece of our CREATOR.  He brought it all together and for it to be so personal was overwhelming to say the least.  I'm in awe.  And I'm excited, b/c it doesn't stop with last night.  There is more to come.  More of His plan, and paths we may have never dreamed of exisiting, were just revealed.

I love you Jesus!  Thank you for loving us enough to do something like THAT!  You rock!  And so does your girl LC!

If you have not blest yourself with The Narrow Place album, hop over to iTunes or Amazon and download Lauren's Chandlers heart shared through song on The Narrow Place.

Peace and Love.

No Limit Soldier

Saw a sticker on the car in front of me in the parent drop-off line this morning that said "No Limit!"

Two things came to mind....

The first, naturally, was a song from about a decade or so ago...nah-nah-nah-nah  No Limit Soldier. Thankfully I couldn't remember the lyrics, and the Holy Spirit quickly took my attention to Him.

With Him, I have no limits.

Just me on my own?  My limits abound. I can't make it an hour into my day without failing in my attempts to be better, or I'm sad to say, on some days, just be nice.  :(  But that's me.  That's my humanness.  That's my junk riding herd over my day.  And I am beyond limited in what that day will bring.....UNLESS!!! 

Unless, I allow my Jesus and his LIFE to flow freely through me...THEN, I am limitLESS! 

A No Limit Soldier for Him. 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Phillipians 4:13

I have NO lack, for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glroy by Christ Jesus.  Phillipians 4:19.

PLEASE do not gloss over this verse, I tell myself.  BELIEVE it.  You can do ALL THINGS through HIM.  If I choose to be His no limit soldier.  (nah-nah-nah-nah).

Disclaimer: The content of this message is directed to the author herself; the author is a hypocrite just like the rest of the human race; no judgement please.