Kookie Cut-Outs by Rachel Britz

Delivering cookies and good news.

The Grief Project

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Last weekend we spoke at a widows retreat hosted by The Grief Project.  A small, rapidly growing resource and support group for widows based in St.Paul, MN. As it always happens, I leave humbled and awe-struck. Amazed at the courage that these incredible men and women have. There brokenness, so delicate and fragile, offers me reflection and insight into the deeper mysteries of life. Stirring my heart, for their offering leaves an imprint that I cannot put into words.

And this weekend was no different. This time it was a man who captivated my thoughts. During our time together, Aaron and I attempt to draw light specifically to the subject of organization. Getting your financial ducks in a row. It is our belief that all our quests in life (big or small) are always driven by our core values. Whether you agree or not, even the way you handle your money, is driven by these virtues hidden deep within.

So, what is important to you about money? That simple introductory question sets the stage for our time together. And so began the unravelling of this man’s story. A business owner. Co-owner, along with his wife of a few decades. She took care of everything (those were his words). Then, came 2008. The stock market crashed and he thought he lost everything. All the money and investments he had worked so hard for. Yet, he still had his wife. Then in 2009, his wife became sick and over the course of the year, through surgeries and treatments, she lost her battle. He truly lost his everything.

Finding a balance between money, virtue, and relationships can be tricky. I mean, our hearts know the true ranking of these things. Why then does money always seem to get into the middle of stuff? Our relationships. Our grief. Our values. Because of our need for sheer survival, money plays a part in our life. Period.

At some time or another, grief and sorrow and loss all graft their way into our life. I believe we all need a grief project. A project where perspective is garnered through loss. A time when the unimportant things suddenly have no place, where focus and a clarity prickles our skin. Though never easy, this kind of awakening to our senses, the shock to our core virtues, is the very thing that propels us to move forward. Forward with grace and innocence.

I’ve had a lot of grief projects in my life. Death, despair, and darkness have certainly had their day with me. Time and time again, only one thing got me through. Belief. I’ve always believed that God was on my side. Though wounded, though flat out broke, though hope did not seem present, I have always held onto the belief that God is my helper.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1

Considering your own grief projects, how have you made it through? My guess is your core values played a part. What advise and insight do you have for those who are hurting?

Bananas!

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Once when I was a kid my grandma told me to never eat a banana before bed. “They give you bad dreams!” she said. From that time on, I was careful to avoid the golden peel before bedtime.

Since then, I’ve learned a thing or two about dreams. Having not paid a whole lot of attention to them during my growing up years, its been an area that God has unveiled a few of His unique mysteries to me, and what I have discovered is a language rich in beauty and revelation.

Like most things in life, the awakening to something greater than ourselves usually comes in awe and an unexplainable mystery. Many times it’s painful. This raw pain and unquenched mystery is often the catalyst that draws us in, motivating us to gain more understanding and knowledge.

And that is exactly what happened to me. Through a series of bizzare, supernatural experiences my life became awakened to this idea that one of the ways God was speaking to me was through my dreams.

Bananas! I know what your thinking… “okay, this is where it gets weird.” 

Truthfully though, this process of understanding a dream language is more like a journey. A continuing education course where the learning never ceases.

Sadly, many Christians today do not believe that God does or could speak to His people in this way. I mean, we’ve read the biblical accounts from Daniel, Eziekial, Isaiah, and so on. But somewhere along the way we have fallen into a misconception that that was then and this is now. But it’s simply not true.

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams…” Acts 2:17


I’ve made a lot of wholesome mistakes. Big ones. And if by chance I’ve captivated any of your imagination and stirred your curiosity, then may I suggest 3 things you can do to see if God may be speaking to you through your night-time dreams.

Let my intentions be clear, this is a Christ-centered approach. One focused by way of the Holy Spirit. Ready?  

1) Write Your Dreams in a Journal.
The little ones, big ones, and somewhere in-between ones. Pay close attention to the people in your dreams and be sure to write their names down (include last names). How did you feel? Scared, content, happy, frustrated… Also, be sure to write the unseen things. For instance, if your standing outside of a house that is not your actual house but in your dream it felt like it was your house, make a note of that. At first, this may all seem like a silly, baffled mess. Especially if Grandma is running around in a superman cape holding a basket of fruit… just saying. If you believe in the possibility and you seek to hear God in a new way, He will show them to you!

2) Pray About Them.
Ponder them. Dissect them. Pray about them. Not every dream, comes from God. We do live in a world that is made up of natural self (which means we do natural things, like dream while we sleep). We also, have a real enemy who desires to infuse fear and distort truth. So again, I say pray about them. Ask God to reveal their meaning. The purposes for God to speak into your life through your dreams is to lift you (or someone in your life) up in encouragement. To edify; to give you instruction in something or to guide you into moral knowledge.

3) Read.

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Get into the Bible. For obvious reasons, His word is a compass. In it you will find truth to fill your mind. All of this will equip and guide you into uncovering the mysteries of His dream language.

In addition, I highly recommend the book Dream Language by James Goll. This book has been very helpful to me in gaining a richer, biblical understanding of my dreams.

I encourage you today to consider the possibilities. One that may bring clarity into your life in a ripe, new God-breathed way!

Back to the Future

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This week I entered my first writing contest. The subject in 350 words or less needed to describe the idea of relationship and planting seeds. After thinking back, I chose to write about a time in my life four years ago. A time when God was doing some really powerful, transformational things in my life.

Let me take you back to that time.

While vacationing in northern Minnesota during that hot, August summer I awoke in the middle of the night having had the most profound dream. To summarize, I had been flying (hoovering) over the clouds. The feeling was as though I was flying across the country. Then a faint whisper, a voice came over me and said SEPTEMBER. This followed by the image of the number 21. Then I woke up.

From the outside, listening in, this may not seem so profound to you. However; you know the feeling. The one where you know that you know. A gut wrenching assurance. Without question, this thing is way bigger and stronger than yourself.

This dream set in motion a series of events that would soon follow. I knew God was asking me to do something so I prayed a lot. I asked my closest friends to pray for me too. The conclusion was that I was to fly across country on September 21st to visit a dear friend. Why? Besides the obvious (lovin’ up a good friend), I really had no clue. So I bought a ticket and off I went. Sounds easy? Not so much. I was terrified and scared out of my mind. Realizing that I had been given a mission, I was blind to the outcome. And so this is faith. Trusting in God under ALL circumstances. I now believe that this was part of the plan, to prove my faith in Him. But, He also had a few other things He wanted to accomplish along this mission.

Several years ago, I wrote in my blog, sharing an excerpt from this adventure. You can read it here to familiarize yourself with that piece of the story.

The woman I met on the plane is where my writing contest piece takes place. Her story has left a mark on me and I’m forever grateful that I was able to come alongside her during our brief encounter.

There is beauty in looking back and reflecting on the good things in life. The way God weaves the mysteries of everyday life into the profound earth shaking events. The way we are all woven together for a purpose our eyes cannot yet see.

All this reflection comes at a time in my life where I sense a new season approaching. I’m excited at some of the possibilities that the future holds, the direction and leading I feel I’m being called into. Yet, just as before, with much trepidation. Soon enough, I’ll share more details and invite you in on this new journey. Stay tuned…

Book Review: In the Woods by Tana French

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Standing before the best selling book display at Target, In the Woods grabbed me right away. Set in Dublin, Ireland the premiss describes an unfolding mystery about a boy whose two friends go missing while together playing in the woods. Although unable to recollect any details from this childhood nightmare he is haunted by it into his adulthood. 20 years later the boy, now an adult, has become a Detective for the Dublin Murder Squad. As chance would have it, he and his partner are called into an investigation of a teen girl who was murdered at the edge of the woods, in the same location where his childhood friends went missing.

For me, the murder/mystery books rarely make their way into my hands. If you don’t already know, Ireland has a place in my heart so generally I gravitate to themes and settings involving the emerald isle. No exception here. I figured that since it was on the best sellers list that my odds might be pretty good.

I would give this book 3 stars (out of 5). The plot and character development was good. Yet, at times I felt as though the author would jump back and forth between the main characters childhood and adulthood in a way that took me a while to catch up to where the book was going. In the end, I felt that in one key area didn’t have the closure I needed to feel satisfied. To leave it open, felt too unorganized for me. Lastly, even though the setting of In the Woods took place in Ireland, the writing style didn’t transport me into their unique culture. The book could have been in DesMoine, Iowa for all I knew. My vote for your
summer reading is to let this one pass you by.    

Summer Lovin’

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This summer is different. It has a whole new look and feel. I have been able to minimally reduce my working hours for the summer so that, for the first time in a handful of years, I can spend more time with my kiddos.

So far I have relished just being there for them without any real agenda. I do however have a plan. One is for myself, the other for the kids, and one for the whole fam.

Here is my Summer Lovin’ survival list:

1. The bucket list. Each of the kids was given an assignment to come up with 3 to 5 things that they would like to do before summer break was over. We wrote them on close pins and attached to a bucket. Once complete we drop the pin into the bucket. Here are a few ideas at the top of our summer bucket list.

2. Create a summer reading series. This was mostly an incentive for me! I love to read and I love to check things off of lists so I figured the best way for me to accomplish some serious summer reading was to create my own series. I jumped onto Amazon and chose 5 very different books. I’ll blog about each one as I finish. Here’s my list:

In the Woods by Tana French.
Fiction. Murder mystery set in Dublin, Ireland.

Permission to Speak Freely by Anne Jackson
Spiritual Growth. What is one thing you feel you can’t say in the church?

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Fiction. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, Victoria Jones only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Until…

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?

Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar
Historical Fiction. The prophet Nehemiah’s cousin, daughter of a scribe. A woman living and working in a mans world wrestles with her past while working long hours for the queen.

3. Family-night. Were trying hard to set one day a week for family night. This summer we intend to spend more of these nights around our bon fire pit. Making Smores, talking to each other, and just having fun!

Do you have any Summer Lovin’ survival ideas? I’d love to hear them…