Kookie Cut-Outs by Rachel Britz

Delivering cookies and good news.

So Long 2014, a Survey and COOKIE GIVEAWAY!

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It’s strange; how some years are so tender and sweet like the lingering aroma of a lilac tree on a fleeting spring day. We want to sit and savor the moment, hoping it should never pass. There are other years, though, and they sting like a unsuspecting insect waiting with wings.

2014. 
A tender reflection of a year filled with deep valleys. A year of pruning, demanding less questions and more trust. Yet, in the midst of it all, a trip-of-a-lifetime will be my treasure for years to come. 
There are no words. 
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
A new year has overturned, 2015 here we are, eager. 
You, too, we’ve traveled together for a while. It’s hard to believe that I started this blog over six years ago. We’ve grown, haven’t we? 
God is at work in me. Do you believe He is at work in you? My desire for this year is to dive deeper than ever before. I desire for us to be eager like students to think, read and discuss the life changing truths that help us to grow our faith and live more like Jesus. 
But first, I need your help. 
In an effort to focus our studies I need to know where your at. I want to know what you care about, what you’re interested in learning and what issues your wrestling with right now. So, I’m taking a survey. 

Will you take 2 minutes to complete it? Fill in below or click HERE.

As a way of saying thank you for taking the survey, you guessed it, one random winner will will be awarded one dozen, super-fun winter themed COOKIES.

Drawing will be held FRIDAY, JANUARY 9TH.
Must complete survey and provide email to be eligible.
Cookies will be shipped the week of January 12th.

Joyful Ole’ Saint Nicholas

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We’re on our way! December 6th, and this Christmas is already in loco motion. Today marks the annual festival of Saint Nicolas. The real Santa. A story worth retelling, a tradition worth repeating.


Photo Credit: monasticmumblings.com
THE STORY
When Nicholas was a teenager his parents died, leaving him a lot of money. This made him a wealthy young man. Orphaned, he went to live with his uncle who was a priest. 
One day Nicholas heard about a man with three daughters who lost all of his money. The family was so poor they had nothing left to eat. And because of that, the man was left with no choice but to sell his daughters into slavery. So, the night before the oldest daughter was to be sold, Nicolas snuck into their home and left a small bag of gold. Enough to provide food and keep the daughters in the safety of their own home. 
When the man discovered that the gift was given by Nicolas, he approached him by saying, “Thank you — I hardly know what to say!” But Nicolas said, “Please, do not thank me — thank God that your prayers have been answered.”   

THE TRADITION

How are you feeling? Poor, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed… Or did you wake this morning feeling strong, sure and at peace? 
My goal this month is to emphasize the truths about JOY. It’s definitely earned a tender spot in my heart this season. Not because I have it all figured out, but rather, I’m learning to rest in the strength JOY is intended to provide for my live-long-days. 
The beauty of traditions is that they provide us with a way to repeatedly act out the things that mean the most to us.


TRUTH
JOY is a gift. Contrary to secular opinion, I do not believe we have enough power or strength to create our own joy. Happiness, based on choices and intention, yes! But JOY is different than happiness. True JOY is a gift from God, created by Him and kept in Heaven. {1Peter 1:4}  

Why do you think the legend of Saint Nicolas has lived on for so long? 

I believe we are inspired by the strength of Nicolas character. A strength that he admittedly turned over to it’s rightful owner – God. We are inspired because the tradition of the giving to those in need lives in all of us.   

Speaking of gifts, and tradition and Saint Nicolas. Who in your world is in need? Oh, not sure? Close your eyes, take a deep breath, maybe two… 

Who did you see? There, you got it, good. Make it meaningful, do it secretly, and let the legend live on.

Bombs and Turds: The Secret to Joy

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We all know that faith can emerge from something as small as a mustard seed. Well, after last week, I’m convinced that fear and bitterness begin with mouse turds.

It’s true. One tiny clue lead to another and soon the revelation came. A small family of rodents had taken up residence within the cozy, foam filled cushions of my car seat. So began the series of unfortunate events. A week filled with set-backs, hormones, parental trials and discouragement. All this holiday goodness just in time for me to share a message on JOY at church.

Yeah, God is funny like that.

There are a lot of little secrets in life. A lot of things we would like to know so that life will be happy, good — better. If we held such knowledge then, life would be complete.

JOY.

It’s one of those secrets. One of those little words that has the power to overturn EVERYTHING in our life. The truths about JOY are simple:

1) It’s a gift that is imparted to believers in Christ. {John 15:11}

2) It’s an experience that lasts. Unlike happiness, JOY and SORROW can exist together. {Isaiah 53:3, Hebrews 12:2} 

3) It’s part of our inheritance. {1Peter 1:4}

Do we believe it?

THE POWER OF DAVID’S STORY

David is good and strong King. He is a man after God’s own heart. During his reign King David has decided to prepare a place in Jerusalem for the Ark of Covenant {it’s the sacred chest that God told Moses how to make and contains the written law}. So, he goes about constructing buildings in the city and specifically pitches a specially designed tent to hold the Ark when it arrives.

In preparation, David summons the Levite people to bring up the Ark to this new dwelling place. It’s a really big deal so David appoints singers, musicians and priests and invites all of the descendants of Israel and a ton of other people to gather for a grand celebration.

Here’s a clip from 1 Chronicles 15:28 – 16:4:


“So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman. He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol, thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel.” 

Afterwards they go on to play their music and parade down the streets of Jerusalem. Then, David gives this elaborate psalm of thanks saying,




It almost appears as if we have this perfectly painted picture, right? 

But wait…
What’s up with the lady in the window? David’s wife Michal. The woman we see hanging out in the window who chooses not to join the praise festival. In a quick snapshot we witness her watching her husband sway and dance to the music and while he is filled with JOY she cannot suppress her bitterness.
I know what your thinking, what a snag. Yeah, I thought so too. But, then it dawned on me that there must be more to the story…
What I learned is that in a sense her anger is justified. Her husband had been unfaithful to her and her own dad {King Saul} has pretty much used her as a political pawn her whole life. She’s battered and bruised. Despite the fact that Michal loves her husband she chooses to only see him through the lens of her own pain and, because of that, she bitterly criticizes him.

THE POWER OF OUR STORY
I wonder how many times have we been invited to the party but we choose to stay back and watch from a window. Bitterness, anger, despise…it lingers beneath our chests. Do you feel it? Nothing squanders a JOY bomb faster than a woman in the window.

Or that one person invited to our celebration that is choosing to hang in the window. We can’t help but fix our gaze, shift our attention to the distraction.  

What we need to understand is that there is always more to the story. 

This week marks the beginning of Advent. A season of waiting. In Latin it means, “coming”. A season when we pause to remember that the JOY of the Lord has come to our world. He who brought JOY and STRENGTH to get through these days — is here and now.

That’s the gift of Christmas. 

Remembering. 

The secret to living joyfully means that we understand our JOY has already come. We only need to abide in Him. When we choose to shift our attention from the window to our dusty streets and celebrate, then, and only then, can we unwrap true gift and let it settle things in our hearts once and for all. 

Let us make JOY a tradition this year. Let us show our children, and neighbors, co-workers, friends and enemies alike this great and marvelous gift. Our legacy, our inheritance rests on it. Let’s pass it on, pass it around the table and share the goodness of this rich blessing bestowed to each one of us.  

Dare to show your beauty #FaceMe

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I lied. Yesterday, I expressively shared my excitement about blogging today with the Face Me tour. On second thought, maybe this post could wait. I wish it could. Because vulnerability is like a scratchy sweater.

Except, I’ve learned that stories can change stories.

Here is a little piece of mine, I hope in helps yours. 

Daddy’s girl. A title I wore proudly like a prized medal around my neck. It was during those growing up years that my dad repeatedly told me two things:

1) You are beautiful
2) You can be anything you want to be

I believed it with my whole heart. That was good.

Then, I grew into a young woman. Those innocent words of beauty truth became muddled with whole host of sketchy desires and selfishness. I found myself hooked on using outward beauty to wield power and manipulate relationships. That was bad.

When I got married it felt like a fresh start. I tucked all those good and bad beauty secrets away and moved on.   


Sometimes, though, God brings to the surface hidden emotions that quite honestly take us by surprise. This year has been one of those years. A wrestling with some very raw, painful and confusing stuff. Issues I thought I had put behind me, God was unearthing. And dang, that does not feel very good. Of course, He always unearths through a series of uninviting circumstances. Not because He wants to see us suffer but because He knows the benefits hardship can bring. Peace, joy, hope and truth shine most brightly in dark corners.

In the midst of this circumstance I found myself face-to-face with a few deep seeded thoughts about my inner self that I hadn’t realized. 

  • I have a terrible body image.
  • I have a deep, deep fear that my main man will one day become un-attracted to me. 
  • And because I fear that one day he will not be pleased with me, I hold an even deeper fear that he will look to other women to fill the void. Women who are younger, women who are in better shape than me, woman who are more beautiful.  


My image. My worth. Just how long have I believed these lies? The truth is, they have no basis. My main man is faithful. He’s a Godly man of incredible character. He loves me and our marriage is not in trouble. It took me a few painstaking months to uncover those bulleted items above. Lies are buggers, they like to hide. Unless you’re daring enough to go searching through that dark soul of night, you’ll have a hard pressed time uncovering them.  


So, here’s the scoop. Sometimes you need to be stripped down. to. nothing. Bare. Cleansed of all the impurities. A girl, make-up-less, unveiling her true self.


So that, truth can be built upon a clean foundation. It’s been a process. The good news is that the rebuilding has given me a deeper, abiding faith than I thought I needed. God knew all along. 

Beauty is a mysterious thing. Our culture glorifies outward beauty to the point where we are constantly bombarded with images, tips and top secrets to achieve the most benefit. The problem is that we will never ever arrive at the destination. Outward beauty is fleeting. Inward beauty however, is contagious. You meet someone who has the strength of character and shines bright with love and you are drawn like a moth to the flame. Inward beauty lasts forever.  

The secret is that we must first be a people seeking wisdom and the very best place to find beauty truth is in scripture. Digest these words.  

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” -Proverbs 31: 30

In 2002, I remember watching Nicole C. Mullen on television accepting her first Dove award. At the end of her speech she quoted Proverbs 31: 30. I’ll never forget the feeling that overcame me when those beauty truth words poured over me. Here was this beautiful woman, bedazzled in a gown and the glory of achievement and whoa, wait…she paused an entirely captive audience with these words. It was shocking. As if saying, stop looking at what you see, seek to fear the Holy and there you will find true praise.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” -Psalm 139:14

There’s that word again, fear. We have been created with wonder and trepidation. Not on accident, not impartial or incomplete. Whole. Do we believe it? When this awesome truth sinks in, praise will arise.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.” -Isaiah 54:10

Highlight two words in this passage. UNFAILING and PEACE. If the very worst thing happens, if the lie I’ve believed to be true becomes reality, then what? Unfailing. God’s love for me never ends, it cannot fail, it remains perfect and steadfast and true. Forever. When I absorb that truth it turns my then what into so what! The promise {covenant} is that God’s gift of peace cannot be taken away. It’s here to stay. Forever.

Every single one of us wrestle in some fashion with beauty. Your story is different than mine. Where we seek to destroy embedded lies and fill ourselves with truth, we will begin to notice the peace that transcends understanding settle into our daily lives.

It’s about transformation. The essence of pearls. It’s about God’s unfathomable love for me and you. His desire to restore and heal our broken pieces. A process that Paul describes as, “the renewing of your mind.” In other words, telling yourself a different story. A story of truth.

Because true stories can change stories.


Follow the #FACEme Tour!!

Nick Kording: http://nickkording.com/thoughts/
Lindsay Harrel: http://www.lindsayharrel.com
Joseph Courtemanche: http://www.commotioninthepews.com
Gabrielle Meyer: http://www.gabriellemeyer.com
Jaime Wright: http://coffeecupsandcamisoles.blogspot.com
Carrie Wisehart: http://www.carriewisehart.com
Emilie Anne Hendryx: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com
Andrea ‘Dia’ Nell: http://andrea-michelle-wood.blogspot.com/
Sarah Baker: http://godbooksandchocolate.blogspot.com/
Kristy Cambron: http://www.kristycambron.com
Cara Putman: http://www.caraputman.com
Stacy Monson: http://www.Landof10000words.wordpress.com
Laurie Tomlinson: http://www.laurietomlinson.com

Do you really need to go to church?

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Imagine Garth Brooks in concert. The long line of fanfare that trails city streets, congestion filled hallways, a body of people gathered under one roof. Eager. A desire to listen, enjoy, sing, hug, dance, cry, celebrate. Everyone wants a ticket.

Now, imagine, the doors to a church open wide. Do you see your church? Do you see a church?

First thought, go.

Perhaps you feel warmth, joy and celebration. A place that you belong. A place that feels like home. Perhaps, like a Garth Brooks concert, church is one giddy celebration week after week. Good, this post is not for you.

Do you struggle with going to church? Yes, good, this is for you.

Church. Oh, sometimes you’ll go because you think it’s the right thing to do. Or it’s Christmas. Or the kids. And so on… but mostly, the idea makes you feel bleh. Most likely, a lot of things make you feel bleh these days. Do any of these thoughts ring true?

Disconnected.
Bored.
Ashamed.
Tired.
Guilty.

Relevant Magazine recently posted an article on the subject. According to Ed Bahler, “We’re seeing churches fail at an unbelievable rate,” he says. “And we’re seeing churches planted at a rapid rate. It’s a transition from an outdated model to one that’s hopefully working better.”

So, what propels a person back to the pew?

Think September 11th. Heart wrenching calamity, war that detonates the security of our homeland, where do we run when our world falls apart?

Think Famine. When nothing, nothing can quench our hunger and thirst for something more, where do we get our fill?

I’ve wrestled with this post for a while. I’ve wrestled because a post with a message like, “Hey you, you wanna go back to church?” could come across one trillion different ways. It’s the kind of message that makes me want to have a cup of coffee with you, sit face to face, and talk it through. You’ve got your issues with church, the people, the building, the rules….

The truth is, I’ve sensed God is up to something in your life and He wants me to encourage you to return to Him. He’s been bugging me to tell you that he desperately wants you back in community. A community that He will use to love you and build you up in truth.

Church, in its simplest form, is two things; a hospital for the sick and a fertile field for seeds of grace, forgiveness and righteousness to grow.

What are you waiting for? You don’t need a ticket to go. Who knows, this could be the beginning of something great!