“The heavens declare the glory of God; The skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 19:1

January 1, 2016-standing on top of my favorite HIGHEST point in this world, Squaw Valley, USA!

Yes, it’s true, I am undeniably a mountain girl. Nothing gets me higher or makes my spirit soar faster than being in the mountains! Spring time, when you can see the wild flowers, smell the fresh breeze, feel the cool air on your face, and hear the birds sing their songs that make me want to hum along is lovely. Summertime, when the fresh air and blue sky’s beckon me to lace up my Nike kicks and hike the beautiful hills is fun. The Fall, when the autumn colors burst forth from every tree like flame set ablaze is beautiful. Those seasons are wonderful, but Winter stands apart from them all! By far, my favorite season! The magic of the evergreens that never change color, and seem to point straight to heaven. Being able to witness their strength demonstrated in greatest form as a snow storm settles on their branches and weighs heavy as they stand firm and tall. Watching the snow fall softly to the ground or in swirls of white, causing everything to look fresh, bright, clean and new…New, that’s what resolutions are all about!

An opportunity to start new, with a fresh beginning and a clean start. To repurpose ourselves and to make a commitment with the newfound dedication to follow through and not look back!

I told you in my first post that I am a snow skiing enthusiast! More than anything the mountains make me feel alive. I feel as though I am ushered into the direct presence of God. He’s there in the breeze that hits my face. He’s there in the movements my muscles make as I make my way down the slope. He’s there in the beauty that surrounds me. The beauty of God’s creation declares His glory and I need not say a word or utter a single sound. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

It’s so automatic to simply respond to the glory and splendor of Gods creation when I’m in the mountains. However, as the saying goes, “I have to come down from the mountain top.” Inevitably the routine and reality of daily life creeps back in. The challenge awaits me: How do I hold on to the glory and the majesty of God in my daily mundane?

I must purpose it! It became clear to me that I must purpose to lift Jesus higher!

To purpose is to have intent. Therefore, I must be intentional! No one has to tell me to be intentional about eating. I rarely have to have an alarm go off telling me it’s lunchtime. I am typically looking at the clock counting down the minutes. No one has to tell me to be intentional about drinking coffee in the morning. Those aromatic beans call my name most mornings before I can even get my teeth brushed! In fact if I’m being completely honest, I think sometimes they are the reason I get out of bed!
I tell others that Jesus is the most important purpose in my life, and He is. If that is Truth, then I can do nothing less but to purpose to lift Him higher!

“He must become GREATER; I must become less.” John 3:30.

My Resolution for 2016 is to “Lift Jesus Higher!”
In order to do that, I must become less, and He must become the GREATEST!
-the GREATEST purpose in my life
-the GREATEST intention in my life
-the GREATEST in my work
-the GREATEST in my marriage
-the GREATEST in my parenting
-the GREATEST in my neighborhood
-the GREATEST in my world

To lift Jesus higher means my ego must be lowered. It requires me to stop living for me. To stop putting myself first. To stop praying only when I find a quiet spot that suits me. To stop serving only when I am well rested and have an adequate amount of time on my hands. To stop loving my husband only  when he is showing love to me. To stop spending time with my kids only when it fits into my calendar. To stop smiling at my neighbor only when she is kind and smiles back. To stop giving only my leftover resources to missions, child sponsorship, my church, etc….

NO, that’s not lifting Jesus higher! That is simply allowing Jesus to have a place in my life, not THE GREATEST PLACE IN MY LIFE!

If I truly desire to lift Jesus higher, to the place my spirit soars so easily to on the mountaintop, then it has to be all about Him, not about me.
I must live for His glory! I must live to make Him famous! I must live to increase His kingdom! The beautiful thing about our Savior, is that when we lift Him higher, we soar to heights that are higher than any place this earth holds!
Are you ready to take the steps with me? I know it’s easier said than done. I have failed time and time again. Truthfully, I fail every day at one or more of my “good intentions.” However, the Truth is, Jesus never fails me! He is waiting to catch me when I fall, and help me do a better job next time. Together we are stronger, so let’s do this!
Nike has nothing on us! One step at a time. He is Faithful!

TRUTH BOMB💣
To lift Jesus higher means I must lower my ego. I must purpose my eyes to be fixed on JESUS! In all things, I must practice putting Jesus first. Then, and only then, can I put others first!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!”  Hebrews 12:1-2

I’d love to hear your comments and encourage one another on how you are taking steps to lift Jesus higher!

Also, coming next week…A Series on LOVE! After all, Valentines Day is just around the corner!

Speak Truth Love

  Welcome to SPEAK TRUTH LOVE, A blog about, wait for it…speaking God’s truth in love! Easier said than done, right? I know of what I speak, this blog has been years in the making!

I sensed God asking me to speak. To use the voice He gave me to say something for Him! I felt God tugging at my heart as He urged me to write Truth; Truth with a capital T, ABSOLUTE TRUTH, in a world where we are subjected to NO ABSOLUTES, where everything is relative. I clearly heard Him tell me to do it all in love, because GOD IS LOVE!
It is not as simple as it seems. Starting was the hardest part! Isn’t it always? We know we need to exercise so we join the gym, we look up the diet, we buy the cleanse…but starting it, impossible!
I see the need to paint the walls in my house. I stare at them, decide what color would be perfect, what new wall decor would compliment the color, the throw pillows, afghans, etc…The days go by, and those days turn into weeks, the weeks turn into months, and even worse sometimes the months turn into years…and I still haven’t painted the walls! Why is starting so hard?

Well, we are adults, living in an adult centered world, with responsibilities that overwhelm us and sometimes even paralyze us. We’re afraid to make a mistake, afraid of being judged, criticized, or someone finding out that we are less than perfect. Not just by the world, but by those who are closest to us. Meanwhile, while we are fretting, worrying, striving for perfection, we simply end up wasting time. God never asked us to be perfect! He wants us to love Him, to listen to Him, and to obey Him. To become childlike!

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

Have you ever seen a child begin to walk? How do they do it? One step at a time! That’s our goal! That’s the key to starting…one step at a time. So that’s what I’m doing, I’m putting one foot in front of the other, and taking one step at a time as I speak God’s Truth in Love!
  If you stop by hoping to find a woman who is perfect in speaking Truth, living her life, loving others, and following God…you will be disappointed! I will fall off of that perfection pedestal faster than you can put me on it! I am just a woman with a voice, A child of God who depends on her heavenly Father to accomplish anything! A child who needs to be loved in her failures as much as in her accomplishments! A woman who clings to the hope of God’s Word and His Love!
My hope and prayer is that you will take steps with me. That you will walk alongside me in this journey, and that you too will become childlike as you trust in what He has for you. That you’ll visit SpeakTruthLove and look to see if God is speaking any truth to you.
In doing so, prayerfully, you will be encouraged, supported, and feel built up in the love of God to do what He has put you on this planet to do. God has a special and unique purpose for each and every one of us! For you who work at your dream job; for you who are still looking for your dream job; for you in the marriage you always hoped for; for you who are looking for the marriage you hope for; for you who are called to singleness; for you who are raising your family; for you who are living in your dream home; for you who are looking for a home…no matter what age, stage, or season you find yourself in, God is calling you to the unique purpose that He has put you on this Earth for.
So how do you start? How do you find it? By taking one step at a time! Join me, won’t you? We are in this together! Let’s become childlike, as we trust, obey, join hands, and take one step at a time together, and learn to become His children again!

*Every week I’ll leave you with a TRUTH BOMB to encourage & challenge you! I’d love to hear your comments on how you are challenged by God’s Truth!*

TRUTH BOMB

“Whoever humbles himself,(herself), like this child, this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4

Do you want to be GREAT? Then humble yourself. You must realize in your own strength, following the world’s pattern of greatness, you will never accomplish it. God’s economy is upside down from the world’s economy. Humble yourself, become childlike, and He will make you GREAT!

See you next time when I Speak God’s Truth about my New Year’s Resolution to “Lift Jesus Higher!”