Kookie Cut-Outs by Rachel Britz – Delivering cookies and good news.

Lord, please help these beautiful people.

May 14, 2014 by Rachel Britz Leave a Comment

Tragedy. It’s in our world, around town, and in the bedrock of our own homes. We want to close our eyes because it hurts to look, to feel the pain. But when tragedy strikes a close-knit community we’re forced to see — eyes wide open.

I’ve been following the blog of a mother in New York who’s son is in the final stages of brain cancer. Her latest post had me crying myself to sleep. Their tragedy is slow coming. I imagine it to be like standing on the front porch, watching the wall cloud darken, build, and press in. A tornado is coming. The sound of the train and swirling set in motion. There is no escape. Destruction looms.

Lord, please help these beautiful people.

It’s all I can muster.

This week our small community has been shaken. And, the tragedy hits home. Three young men, a fleeting moment of indiscretion, and lives that have been forever changed.

A young husband and father is fighting for life.

A young football star, detained. I imagine he is fighting for breath.

Another young man, caught in the crosshair. The same.

It’s odd, the way I feel, that there is a sense of unity among us. No one understands and yet, I believe we all understand. We understand that in a moment our lives can be forever altered. We understand that we have all succumb to stupidity. Who can wag a finger? But this, this hurts to watch. We are all torn. Praying and pleading.

Lord, please help these beautiful people.

Beautiful people, indeed. Despite the ugliest of choices and the sickest of circumstances, every life is beautiful. So, what can we do to maintain this unity? We can pray for everyone involved. Equally, we can pray for healing of mind, body, and soul. We can pray for redemption. We can pray for forgiveness. Yes, even before the bleeding has stopped we can pray for something good to come of this. We pray because every life is beautiful. We pray because we all deserve a second chance. Together, we pray.

Lord, please help these beautiful people.

For the Mommas: A GIVEAWAY #MomsNightOut

May 6, 2014 by Rachel Britz Leave a Comment

Do you have FMS? I do. Perhaps, you’ve gone undiagnosed. It’s okay, Frazzled Mom Syndrome affects every mother at some point in life!

One time I braved the super market with a hyperactive school-ager, a toddler, and an infant. While the baby wailed, one was knocking over pet supplies, and the other was running away from me. By the time I made it through check out, FMS had consumed this exhausted soul. As I bagged my groceries I wept. No, I was bawling. It was ugly. Been there?

This weekend we will celebrate Mothers Day. Do you have plans? Well, I have a few ideas.

1) TAKE IN A MOVIE

Last year, while attending the Allume blogger conference I had a really neat encounter with Sony Pictures. They were sponsoring the event to promote one of there upcoming movies {I’ll get to that in a bit}. When director Andrew Erwin splashed onto the big screen to share his heart for th is new movie I recognized him immediately. This, the same guy who directed one of my favorite Sony Picture movies, October Baby. Remember, I blogged about it here. So, there at the dinner table among strangers I gushed about October Baby and my personal Every Life is Beautiful story. Little did I know that I was sitting with actors, producers, and other Sony Picture peeps. Ha! One of the producers was so thankful for my voice to the film that she sent me a box of movies to GIVE AWAY to you!

{SHARE or TWEET this post for your chance to win a copy of OCTOBER BABY! Three lucky winners will be chosen and announced on Thursday, May 8th.}

2) TAKE IN A MOVIE

This weekend is the big release of MOMS NIGHT OUT.

It’s a story about a husband and wife, fighting for each other, and fighting for their family. The big message to moms is keep going, don’t give up, your role is important and valuable. Watch this hilarious trailer to see for yourself!

Grab some girlfriends, your hubby, or the whole family and head out to the theaters this weekend to take in the MOMS NIGHT OUT movie premier. Nothing cures a little FMS like a good laugh, an empathetic story, and popcorn!

Oh, and don’t forget to SHARE or TWEET this post to win your copy of October Baby.

P.S. I don’t get paid a dang thing to promote any of this. I know you were wondering. 😉

The First Day of Spring: A story of forgiveness

May 4, 2014 by Rachel Britz Leave a Comment

The first day of spring. Close your eyes and breath deep. Tell me, how do you feel? The world around you is transforming. It’s vibrant, the birds’ song swallows the morning whole, and the sun and all its rays, the way it warms your face and prickles your skin. This is the beauty of new life.

Oh, how we’ve longed to escape the bitter battle of winter.

A few weeks ago I had dinner with a friend. As we sat around the table, enjoying a hearty bowl of soup, the conversation recoiled to a cold season in her life. Abandoned by her father. He deserted his bride, the farm, the grown and still growing children, grand babies present and those yet to come. Gone. He chose to start a new life, in a new town, with a new job, and a new bride.

My friend describes the aftermath with passion. I see the scar prominently swiped across her brow. She tells me about a box that she stored for years. Filled with the debris of possessions that she had stuffed with her dad’s treasures. Memorabilia. A box she would reopen through the years. At times, she’d sort through these things and relinquish a few items. And then, one time she purposefully broke every thing the box contained. Even still, she did not rid herself of the box. When she moved to a new home she hauled it with her. It became a part of her and she didn’t want to let go of it. So, she carried it with her.

The harsh winter had blown in. She hunkered down and waited…

She had a plan. Dreaming of opportunities to give back the box. Some day. One day she longed to hand the broken, beat up box of demoralized treasures over to her dad. She plotted her words and set the stage in her mind.

The day never came. Eventually, a different kind of longing emerged deep within. Like a seed slumbered in darkness, she wondered its purpose and if it’d ever see the light of day. The heavenly orchestrated elements nurtured the soil. In time new life would come if the conditions were right.

Forgiveness.

Then the day came, burdened and weary from the weight she’d carried. She hauled the box outdoors, pushed back snow that covered the frosty earth, and lit a flame. The box and all it’s belongings burned to ash. No more carrying, no more burden, a radiant surrender.

Relinquishment precedes fulfillment.

When hurt burrows deep, betrayal whips across your flesh, and shame locks us in we all too easily become a prisoner of winter.

Oh, but for the condition of forgiveness. We can live again. Our seed like purpose, buried beneath flesh and bone can take root. As it shoots through the blackened soil and into the light it can grow into something beautiful. New life on display for the world to see its splendor.

What are you waiting for? Forgive. A new season awaits you.

Craving Community #inRL

April 29, 2014 by Rachel Britz Leave a Comment

I’ve missed you. The 6 week leave of absence from my blogging world has served its purpose. Although I didn’t have a baby this gestation has developed clarity, rejuvenation, and a renewed passion to give birth to my next season of writing.

Last weekend I hosted my first {in}Real Life women’s conference at church. 30 women from my small Minnesota community gathered for this global event, supported each year by {in}Courage, an online home for women.

Enjoying lunch with a few special women!

“More than anything, {in}Courage is about relationships – with God and each other.” -{in}courage.me

We all crave community. A place to belong; hang up our coat, take off our shoes, and relax. Like home. A place we can laugh, cry, and tell our stories without fear of judgement. For many of us, we hunger for such a place. The reality is, at one time or another, we stepped through the door of community and it didn’t look or feel like that. Perhaps at first, but then…

Somebody got hurt.

Suddenly, the gold painted walls appeared dross. The once crisp, fragrant linens became spotted with holes and began to smell odd. Musty. So then, our tendency is to flee. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Right? The hurts of community will do that. Drive us to isolation because we’re better off on our own. Right? Wrong.

The church.

The committee.

The non-profit.

The school.

The team.

The family.

Every community contains hurt. How then do we overcome, press on, and get back in the race? Forgiveness, yes! But that deserves an entire post on its own…stay tuned.

By Jesus.

By our story.

Together, we can overcome. You see, Jesus has the power to heal. And when we believe in His power to restore us, the healing of wounds can begin. We also overcome by the word of our testimony. Our redeemed story of brokenness will be used for good. Believe it!

Stepping back into fellowship with community after a fall requires an essence of bravery. Will you, my friend, return to the place you once belonged? Hope and healing awaits. Your story depends on it!

Trust in God. #LentChallenge

March 16, 2014 by Rachel Britz Leave a Comment

I’m not a very good passenger. Yet, it’s a seat my 16 year old {unlicensed} daughter has me sitting in a lot lately. Every time, without fail, I’m white knuckled, pale faced, and paper bagged. I ask myself, why is this so painful?

I believe most of us desire to sit in the drivers seat. The underlying reasons are unique to each one of us.

Perfection.

Control.

Selfishness.

Order.

Envy.

I’ll claim Order. A close cousin to Control, yet, they are slightly different. I need Order. You know, it’s about containers and rightful placement. It’s about processes and finding the best roads to get from point A to point B. It’s about sorting, stacking, list making, and organization. If I can’t see the road ahead…ay yai yai, what a mess –for me.

The truth is, I think I need order. But the lesson I keep learning is quite the opposite.You see, the best passengers have to learn how to unclench fists, surrender their life into another’s hands, and here’s the biggy, trust. This is unnatural and needs to be learned. I am learning.

Right now, the season of Lent is upon us. A period of 40 days before Easter where Christians typically choose to limit or take something away from their regular life as an act of sacrifice. It’s more than partaking in a four-squared fish patty on Friday. And yet, it’s simple purpose is to lessen ourselves enough, so that God can fill the missing hole.

Trust.

This can be hard to do. Especially if you’ve been wounded and ask, “Why God? I’m not sure I trust you.” Oh, but can I encourage you…yeah you, the one reading this who does not feel like trusting yet… I wonder, would you be willing to go out on a limb? During this Lent season, would you consider doing these two things:

1) Make a small sacrifice in God’s name. This can be utterly private or maybe you tell one person you do trust. Then, write your sacrifice in a journal, notebook, or on a piece of scratch paper.

2) Pray. God will notice the moment you decide in your heart to make a sacrifice in His name. The very nature of surrender for His namesake NEVER goes unnoticed. So, what do you hope? Tell Him. If you choose to write out your sacrifice, maybe you want to write out your prayer too.

The art of sacrifice is to create a dependency on the Master Artist. It is never about boasting. The question is, are we willing to give Him permission to hop into the drivers seat? My hope is that through this simple act, you will be filled with awe and wonder. That perhaps, you might learn to trust and receive. Trust, that He longs to teach, equip, and lead you.

P.S. I’ll be taking a momentary break from writing on my blog until Easter. Praying for you during this time. Xoxo