Kookie Cut-Outs by Rachel Britz

Delivering cookies and good news.

Rend Your Heart: 5 tips for a #holyfast

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The first time I ever fasted I had no clue what I was doing. All I knew was that my family was in crisis, my heart was broken, and I was desperate, DESPERATE for God’s mercy rain.

{Mercy; love, compassion, a feeling that prompts action – an action that is undeserved by the one who benefits from it} 

So, I got behind the idea of fasting to forego food for one day. The idea was to deny all else but God. I told no one. What I received in exchange for this simplistic act was the gift of knowing. Assurance. A vision of hope. Heaven and Earth did not literally break ground that day but, eventually the breakthrough I prayed and fasted for came to pass. 



Fasting. It’s a simple, sacred act that very few Christians are choosing to partake in. Why? Have we forgotten that our destiny resides in self denial? Perhaps we are afraid – there is a certain trepidation when we lay ourselves bare before God. But, when the fear of doing NOTHING becomes greater than our TROUBLES we should fast.

When the fear of…

Our world falling apart.


Our church falling apart. 

Our relationships falling apart.

Our bodies falling apart. 

Our broken selves falling apart.

… we rend our heart.  


{Rend; to tear, rip apart, or split in two} 


These calamities, they rend our heart and we ache for the mend. These 5 things have helped to make a deep and lasting connection with God during my fast experiences.
  1. Declare it. Take possession of the burden. Allow yourself to hold it {not carry} for the moment. Gather the assembly. Who shares in your sorrow? Invite them to join. When Esther commissioned the fast for all the Jews in Susa she declared it! {Esther 4: 15-17} 
  2. Repent. Ask for forgiveness. This will cleanse you of all unrighteousness. Basically, make sure that you’ve checked your heart and cleaned up your inner sanctuary. 
  3. Create space. Life is busy and on days of fasting it can feel almost impossible to “stop” life from happening. Especially if you have little ones who will still feel the need to eat and drink. Creating space amounts to being creative. Get up before everyone else. Create a worship playlist that you can listen to periodically in the day. Close your bedroom door for 5 minutes and get on your knees. Keep a journal and write words, verses, phrases that the Spirit is speaking to you. Open your eyes to the world around you. Nature has a way of speaking to the heart when we choose to go looking for it. Go where the wind blows. If the Lord is leading you don’t be afraid to go through the doors He is opening before you. 
  4. Frame it.  The things revealed to you during this sacred act should be mounted in your heart. I write everything down and keep it as a way of remembering. Because God delights in His sons and daughters He gives those who fear Him the desires of their heart. Your sacrifice will not go unnoticed. It’s only a matter of time, dear friend. Hold fast to the gift exchange in this process.
  5. Believe. Stop doubting. There is nothing left to prove because the proof died on the cross. We now can pray and fast with confidence that He will fight for us. 

{Restore; to bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigor. To reconstruct}

Last week I shared my heart for Sierra Leone and the horrible Ebola disease that is attacking the countries in West Africa. Doing so, I declared a #holyfast for Monday, August 18th. Would you be willing to join us? If you’ve already said, yes, then LET US gather back here to encourage, edify, and share the awesome things that God will do through this day. Leave a comment or send me a message. 
Love to you all.

The Lights Just Went Out: Ebola, Sierra Leone,& my Heart. #holyfast

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I’ve been pretty quiet about this whole Ebola thing. I mean, what can be said that hasn’t already been said. Like you, I’m sad and have felt helpless. When reports first began to surface perhaps I was a little naive. It seemed isolated. It seemed that this West African outbreak with fingers barely scrawled across the border of Sierra Leone would keep it’s distance from my heart.


But it has not. 

First, I’ve been pretty quiet about this guy. This little love that stole my heart 16 months ago. Ibrahim. Remember how I shared with you our first encounter. It’s still so sacred to me.

A lot has transpired since then. Last October I received word that another family had stepped forward to begin the process of adopting Ibrahim and his two older sisters. I need to be real here and tell you that this was very painful. It felt like a miscarriage to me. A baby I believed was destined to be my son.

I had to let go.

I had to trust that my prayer for God’s sovereign will over this boy would be made whole. And so, I mourned the loss of my hope and in time was able to celebrate for him. In the process, I’ve made a new and lasting friendship with a dear family.

Meet my friends Amber and Tyler. Together with their four kids they are currently fighting to adopt Ibrahim and his sisters.

The initial purpose of this update was to rally adoption support. But, as we all know there is this diseased cloud looming over the nation of Sierra Leone and it needs to move on, dissolve, and disperse itself into the abyss. Oh Lord, we pray.

On Tuesday the orphanage announced that they are going into a state of lock-down due to the Ebola virus. What does this mean? It means minimizing the staff to slow down the volume of traffic in and out of the center, stockpiling food and supplies for a period of 6 to 9 months, no outside schooling, church will be closed to the public, and monthly Skype calls have been suspended.

Communication has been halted. It feels like the lights just went out.

So what can we do while we wait? I have an idea.

“Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly.” – Joel 1:14

This is a summon to all who abide in the house of God. A gathering of His people to cry out in one accord, on one single day, for one single purpose.  A holy fast. A time of public abstinence from food or drink. A demonstration of sorrow, a plea for God to breathe His breath across the West African plains and spare the nations.

“…Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?” – Joel 2:17 

Let us gather together on MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH for a #holyfast. The day may seem dark but, He is the hope of the future. The God of light. What can we do? Join me as I…

Pray for Ibrahim.
Pray for the orphanage.

Pray for the city of Freetown.

Pray for the World Vision villages in Bo. 

These are the people we are fighting for. Let us take up the torch. We are the ambassadors.

Who’s with me?

The Key to Fighting Fear

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I’m afraid of way too many things. That’s why, when I met my new friend Brenda during a recent trip to Colorado I was over the moon. Ever make a new friend and within milliseconds you realize that you could be related? Sisters. You finish each others thoughts. Yeah, that was Brenda. She’s also afraid of way too many things.

Finally, I don’t feel so alone.

During our family vacation we {not all of us} wanted to do many things. Here’s the short list:

Hiking
Horseback Riding
Go Kart Racing
Visit Stanley Hotel
Swim
White Water Rafting {not to be combined with the swim!}
Rodeo
Site a Bear

We did most of them! And, of all the items on the list only one gave me the most trouble. Fear trouble.

It was horseback riding.

Why? I don’t know. Really, it’s because I DON’T KNOW anything about riding a horse. Except, they are the most beautiful beastly creatures I’ve ever seen. Their pulsing power intimidates me. I don’t know…therefore trust becomes an issue. I mean the last guy I talked to had gotten bucked off and broke 7 ribs. Then my new friend told me about one that fell off the side of the mountain with it’s child-like rider in the saddle. The child survived. The horse did not. Another story of a fellow rancher who encountered a bear and a moose with her calf while riding and the horse got spooked. The stories keep rolling.

Too many unknowns.

And so it spins. This is the game. Perhaps yours isn’t horseback riding. What is it? What keeps you awake at night? What worst case thoughts captivate your mid-day dreams? More so, how are you fighting them?

I’ve spent years thinking up counter strategies to my fears. All the ways I would overcome the monster, the inevitable when it happened. But that never worked because the inevitable has NEVER happened. Truth.

But, I am learning and these three things have helped me fight the good fight.

1) Tell someone. Tell the One.

Do you feel alone? Grab the ear of a trusted friend and tell them the fear. The night before our riding adventure my 9 year old snuggled in close to me and whispered, “Mommy, I’m kinda scared about going horseback riding.” I’m glad she finds me trustworthy. “Me too!”, I replied. So, together we prayed and told God about our fear and asked for protection and fun!

2) Perseverance. 

The ability to keep going despite the mental anguish. Secure your thinking cap and stand your ground. I’ve learned the most effective chance of perseverance is when you change the story you are telling yourself–most importantly change the outcome of your story from disaster to victory! Oh yeah, I know you’ve got it in you! And when it comes to missing out on life with my family because of some spiny fear–I’m gonna do my best to push through and press on!

3) Shalom. 

Meaning peace. It is not acquired by going out and searching for it. No. Shalom is a gift. Well, it’s an exchange actually between you and the giver of life–God. First, you have to be willing to give, hand over the fear. Let it go. When you unclench this thing from your grip–it’s free to go, free to be replaced with the deposit of peace. The hope of Shalom mysteriously shows up to fill in the gap of your release.

Sure we can ignore and dismiss these fears that poke, grip, and eat away at us. But why? Their purpose is to diminish life. To hold us back. May today be the day where you take a stand, look that thing square in the eyeballs, and wave your snapping fingers. Time to get a move on. Time to start livin’!

Give Me a Break

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I’m tired. This week marks the start of our family vacation to Colorado. We drove through the night, attempting to grab a hotel room somewhere along the plains of Nebraska. No luck, no vacancy. So, we kept on going and going and going through the night until we finally found a room. It was their last one. It only had a King-sized bed. There are 5 in our party. Yeah, that was fun. #memories

We all need rest.

No, really. We all need a break from the everyday routine. We need a break from a lot of things. Let’s be honest.

Work.
Kids.
People.
Pets.
Voices.
Demands.
Temptation.
Exercise.
Finances.
Food.

We all have something that is weighing us down and because of it we need to rest our weary selves for a bit.

The problem is I think we’ve lost our way. We don’t exactly know how to do it or where we should go to get it? Like you, I’m still trying to figure it out. The balance. However; I have learned that I don’t need to travel to Colorado to find it. I’ve learned that I don’t need to buy something, quit, do more, do less, or be someone I’m not in order to receive the gift of authentic rest.

Then how?

I find a clue when I consider the life of a man named Job. He was a good man who loved God with his whole heart. Yet, in his life he was given the mother load of burdens. He lost all his wealth, his servants, and his children to death. Then came disease. A tumultuous marriage. The man was well acquainted with grief.

“What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” {Job 3:25-26}

There it is. Did you miss it?

Fear.

It’s the culprit for our restlessness. The captor of our peace. The stealer of our joy. Those dreaded fears, herein lies the root. You see, it’s not so much the circumstance or season of life that keeps us down. Weighted. Yes, they are factors, but they are also used as pawns in the game of “If only…”

If only I made more money, landed that deal, didn’t have these hours…

If only he changed the way…

If only they just listened to me…

If only I could look like…

If only I could stop…

If only they would stop…

If only…

How then do we get a grip on those “If only fears” so we can finally catch the break we’ve been aching for?

1) Write a letter. To whom? To yourself! For the last several months I’ve been working through some junk. It never ends does it? At first, I was so focused on the “if only.” The emotion of how I felt and the person I perceived was causing the pain. Oh, the lack of peace. But then, one day while I was praying I felt the Spirit tell me to write a letter. To myself. So, I took my notebook to a quiet place for an undisclosed amount of time and I wrote and wrote and cried and wrote it all out until something happened. Revelation. Writing a letter to myself allowed me to see things from a deeper level. I was shown that my circumstance was being used as a pawn to cover up some deep seeded lies. I was shown these dreaded fears that I wasn’t aware existed.

2) Name it and claim it. You’ve got to identify the “thing” that is relentlessly pushing you so hard. By acknowledging it in your heart and in your mind you’re setting yourself up to overcome it. Once you name it you are giving it a reality in your life. It takes on a shape. And, by doing so you can pray specifically for it. Overcoming isn’t about using your strength, power, and abilities. No, it’s about allowing the Spirit to work through you to overcome it. {Zechariah 4:6}

3) Let it go.  Once we see with our minds eye that hidden fear, the root lie buried within, we need to hand it over. Much like the sacred act of a dove release we need to envision ourselves releasing it to God. How? Pray. Not just one time, I’m sayin’ EVERY SINGLE DAY! Turn it over, give it up, and let it go!

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” {Psalm 62:1}

Like Job, when faced with tiring adversity we can choose to adopt rather an attitude of wonder and praise. Giving up all fear so we can live each day in freedom, peace, and mindful rest.

Tell me, how can I pray for you? You’re not alone.

Mississippi Mission

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Have you ever been driven to do something so much bigger than yourself? A thought, idea, or an all consuming motivation that manifests a life of its own. It eats away at your insides, growing to great heights and even as you try to contain it within your being, you simply can not.

You’ve been called on a mission.

A few years ago a friend of mine, who is a young wife and mother, had a life changing encounter at the local county fair. This experience sent her on the wildest ride of her life. 

One summer day, while the fair was in town she decided to take her children for some fun. During her brief visit she met and made small talk with a few of the hispanic carnival workers. Every day she took her kids down to the fair the same workers were there. Every day their conversations continued. She learned that they had families too. Wives and children. For them, this job was their only means to provide for their loved ones back home. My friend describes her heart being torn as she surveyed their deplorable living conditions. She was filled with compassion. Long after the carnival packed up and left town she couldn’t stop thinking about them or praying for them. God had impressed these husbands and fathers upon her heart in such a profound way and her spirit became restless. 

What could she do?

It was an internal war. A gnawing feeling that she had to do something. But what? So, she prayed that God would give her a sign. The following day when she arrived at work she noticed an envelope sitting on her desk. Opening it revealed an unexpected company bonus equalling thousands of dollars. Immediately her heart leapt. This was her sign. The money did not belong to her…it was a gift that needed to be given to her new friends. 

But they had already packed up and left town. Long gone. How could she ever find them?

The internet. She searched and searched and discovered their carnival had landed in Mississippi. It seemed so simple. Crazy, yes! But she had a simple plan to hop on a plane, rent a car, show up and bless these men with the monetary gift.

But wait, she hadn’t told anyone yet. Namely her husband. Yes, she had shared the details of meeting her new carnival friends. Yes, she had told him all about these hard workers and their living arrangements. Yes, she had told him about their families…as much as she knew. She did not tell him about the burden on her heart. She did not tell him about her secret prayer.   

Late one night she mustered up the courage and poured out her heart to her husband. The burden of compassion. The call to give. The missional plan. 


He said, “No.” He would not bless it. 

At first…

But then, night after night, silent prayer after silent prayer, something changed. His heart softened. Until, he eventually said yes. 
Before I tell you the rest of the story, you should know three things.

1. She was scared to death.

2. She felt crazy for doing something so completely out-of-control.

3. She was blind to the outcome.

These three qualities are what constitute a true mission; scared, crazy, and blind. The framework for any purpose or project that is bigger than self. From the world’s perspective such actions are perceived as foolishness. This however is faith. Trusting the pounding heart, the whispered call-to-action, because you believe that the One greater than yourself wants to use you for a divine purpose.
When my friend arrived at the dingy fair grounds of that lonely Mississippi town her hispanic carnival friends couldn’t believe their eyes. They remembered her! After a few exuberant moments of disbelief and welcoming hugs she describes an awkward silence envelope them. She imagined the question, “Why are you here?” written across their creased foreheads. The look of  pale faced confusion covered their faces.  

As planned, she only stayed for a brief moment. Long enough to hand each of the three men an envelope. Long enough to watch their disbelief overturned by overflowing tears of joy. Long enough to discover that this was their last stop before returning to their families. Long enough to learn that one man’s wife was extremely ill and in need of surgery. He needed $800 for her life sustaining surgery. The exact amount of money he had been praying for to cover the cost was now held in the palm of his hand.   
And then she was gone. Mission complete.

Dear friends, what mission are you being called into? All you have to do is say, Yes, I’m all in! 






{This is a re-purposed repost from 2012.}