A Dandelion Wish

Do you remember the days you would wish upon a star, throw a penny in a fountain, or blow the fluff off a dandelion? You wished for the impossible and believed all your dreams would come true. It was before you realized stars had no power, pennies were worthless, and dandelions became unwanted weeds in your yard. It was a time of innocence—where you could smell summer and touch dreams. Where logic and reason took a backseat and anything was possible. Do you remember?

Last Tuesday I met twelve women—twelve broken women who have long forgotten the days of innocence. They look to a woman of faith. One who can lead them to dream again—and still believes in Dandelion Wishes.

Lesley Glenn’s dandelion wish is a prayer for God to use art therapy to restore women to their true identity and walk in God's destiny for their lives.

This post is dedicated to Lesley and the twelve women I met that day.

_________________________

The storms of life crashed in all around them. Thunder claps shook their very existence. Hopelessness reigned over them day in and day out.  They had not weathered the downpour of rejection and abuse well. Their only shelter from the storm was in a rehab center just outside of town.

I let out an anxious sigh as I stood in the plain and worn out activity room of the rehab center. Assisting my friend I nervously set art materials on the tables. One by one, women, young and old, entered and occupied a seat— restlessly awaited the art therapy workshop to begin.

As the women began their first therapeutic art exercise I prayed silently God would calm my nerves. This was new territory for me. I knew brokenness, but not to this extent. Taking another breath I remembered what my friend said earlier, “Come with all your senses”. I wanted to numb my senses more than awaken them—it was only an hour…I can do this for an hour. I prayed a silent prayer and dared myself to allow God to open my eyes. “What do you want me to see, Lord?”

As I looked with eyes wide open the Lord showed me I’ve seen these women before. Not these in particular, but ones who were also beaten down from storms of life. Sadly, I saw them only in my peripheral view. I intentionally shifted my head to look away and pretended they didn’t exist.

I could no longer ignore them. Twelve of them sat in front of me—their presence demanding for their existence to be acknowledged. I felt the Lord’s heart beat for them. He gave me the courage to look them in the eye—and smile. The Lord’s love for each of them welled up in me as He quickened my heart—

They are no different than you.

It was true. These women were broken—just like me. Desperate for complete acceptance—just like me. Crying out for someone to believe in them—just like me.

The Lord’s words stayed with me. Remorse filled my heart as I realized somewhere along the way I labeled these broken women unworthy—even unworthy of a smile. My heart dropped. I know what it’s like to long for acceptance—and yet I did not extend it.

Forcing myself to stay engaged and present, I watched my friend talk to the women. She connected with them—looked them in the eyes and listened. They were drawn to her because she accepted and believed more for them.

The women continued to quietly create and bring color to the canvas of their lives—Colors of healing and hope. The storms of life may have had them down for awhile, but healing was at their fingertips. As I watched the movements of their hands move the colors back and forth on the page I was beginning to believe restoration was happening right before my eyes— 

and even within my own heart.

Do you accept unconditionally or selectively?
How do you  want to be accepted?

Here or somewhere…be real.

Share your journey.

Be sure to check out the right margin
of this blog for this month's contest!

Reflective Scripture

Psalm 18

Relevant Worship

What Love Really Means By JJ Heller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGUKWiw7Wk

Final Round

They were a bloody mess.

The opponents were no longer playing by the rules. Intentional blows below the belt brought more hostility than when the fight first began. Illegal head butts between fighters resulted in blurred vision and aching bodies.

The bell sounded signaling the end of the round.

Retreating to their respected corners they longed to rest and regain strength. It had been a long fight. Extended rounds left the rivals weak and flailing in their execution. Yet they refused to give up. Both wished to defeat their rival and become the champion.

The bell rang to begin yet another round…

The fighters stood in the center of the ring. Exhaustion overcame them. Neither opponent threw a punch.

Finally after some time the lightweight made the first move.

“We have to stop this—we’re on the same team.”

Skeptical of this new strategy the heavyweight circled around his opponent making defensive jabs of accusations, criticism, and blame.

The lightweight almost threw in the towel—

But instead made the riskiest move in any fight—

She became vulnerable.

Removing the boxing gloves the lightweight dropped the gloves to the ground, No defense. No protection. No strategy—only vulnerability.

Tears that once masqueraded as sweat flooded the face of the lightweight.

“I don’t like us anymore.”

The heavyweight was hit—straight to the heart.

Hope motivated her next move.

“I want us to be on the same team.”

Something welled up within the heavyweight. Instinctively, he removed and dropped his gloves to the ground. Suddenly, he couldn’t remember why he entered the ring. One thing for sure--it wasn’t a fight worth winning anymore. He reached to embrace his companion—the one he vowed to live for—not fight against.

With boxing gloves kicked aside, the couple embraced new hope as apologies were exchanged and promises made to heal.

Supportive coaches lovingly led them outside the ring—and back into their home, while the judges came to a unanimous decision.

Noting the couple’s unique techniques of attacking pride and defending unity while in the ring gave reason for Father, Son and Holy Spirit to declare them both—

C h a m p i o n s.

Will you drop your gloves?
Will you be vulnerable?

Will you be a Champion?

Here or somewhere…be real.

Share your journey.

Dream Killer

She was a dream killer.

At the first sound of one giving voice to an impractical dream she drew her weapon of doubt and lunged toward the dreamer with sharp words to pierce.

Logic and reason crafted the careless words that slipped easily from her lips, “It will never work,” she said.

The dreamer paused and locked his gaze on the dream killer. With tenacious confidence he replied, “Yes it will.” The bright eyes of the dreamer never faded. Not even once. She tried to kill the dream-

But the dream lived.

Shocked the dreamer was not discouraged by skepticism the dream killer pulled out her next weapon. Watching the dreamer’s movements she waited for the mark of failure. Pulling back the arrow of “I told you so”, she waited for the precise moment to release the blow.

But the arrow never left the bow. The dreamer worked with focused attention pursuing his dream. The weapons of the dream killer never fazed him, nor slowed his progress. All things were in place for the dream to take flight and in time his dream soon became a reality.

The impossible became possible.

The dreamer exuberantly celebrated what he always knew could be. The lies of the dream killer bared no weight compared to the dream that lived within him. His eyes danced with joy as he looked the dream killer right in the eye and spoke the last word,

“I told you so.”

The power of belief in those words sent the dream killer to her grave—forever.

Have you ever dared to dream?

—it’s what I live for.

Have you ever attempted to kill one?

—yes…last week.

This post is a true story of that account.

Which role will you choose?

Here or somewhere…be real. Share your journey.

Deeper Work

Colors faded.

Movements ceased.

Sounds silenced.

All was still and quiet—in her heart.

She was aware of it for months. Soothed by the calm, yet disturbed by a greater need. There was something more—something deeper. Striving proved to bring no joy. And so she pondered for weeks until finally—revelation. The something more had to come from Him—but at her appeal. With unwavering trust she whispered…

“It’s time Lord.”

He immediately moved on her words to bring to pass the one thing guaranteed to bring new life to her heart—healing.

“Lord, it’s time for a deeper work.”

He had been waiting for this. Waiting for the wisdom He deposited into her seasons past to take root and bloom. He was waiting for her to call on Him for deeper soul work.

His agenda was short, yet purposeful: Expand her capacity to hold new facets of His love and reinforce her identity in Him.

He worked swiftly to align the work her heart needed.

He calculated the level of healing needed to her pain tolerance, assigned angels to minister to her, and people to walk with her.

Stepping back to reassess the plan He looked at His Beloved. Delight welled up within Him. He was proud of His daughter. He knew this would be far more significant than any other season of refining because it was at her call—not His. Now here she stood, His little girl, fully grown declaring courageously His deeper work to be released within her.

Standing proud, Father God resolved all things were in place and ready to be released save one thing—His promise.

Silently and lovingly He wrote His vow across her heart.

I will be with you—always.

Her hand touched her heart. She knew. She knew He was there. She knew He would never leave her. She was confident He would walk through each heartache and tear of her healing. He was with her.
He was present.

But He was also future.

He stood in her future just as much as He stood in her present. This time more than any other she understood the power of her Lord being with her now and calling to her from the soon to be. This deeper work must be done to bridge the two time zones closer. Her destiny depended on it.

The work began.

Brokenness unveiled.

Tears flowed.

Pain gripped.

Heart throbbed.

Sobbing on the floor she could not form into words the weight she felt. Although He stayed silent-- she knew the truth. She was not alone. He was with her. As much as she wanted to run from the process—she stayed.

She stayed. She breathed. She waited.

As He healed.

Will you cry out for deeper work in your life?

Relevant Scripture

The LORD will guide you always;
   he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
   and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
   like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

Never will I leave you;
   never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

Relevant Worship

Drink of You by Laura Rhinehart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=effMUHPCrNE

God's Daredevil

Daredevil [dair-dev-uh l]–noun   a recklessly bold person

Hearing shouts from the backyard I glanced out the kitchen window. The sounds came from a tree. Nine feet in the air my son stood. With one hand holding the trunk, the other waving wildly in the air he shouted at the top of his lungs. I sensed joy in my son’s adventure. He seemed to be in a world all his own. Yet, my curiosity peeked. What was he was shouting?

Opening the back slider the gusty desert winds met me with force. Walking over to the tree I saw the thrill in my son’s face. With his shirt and hair flapping in the wind my son shouted these words over and over…

“I ’ m   A   D a r e d e v i l!”

Upon that declaration he jumped from his place of safety to the branch five feet in front of him and grabbed a hold of it—then fell to the ground. Exclaiming the awesomeness of his feat he headed back to the tree to climb it again.

God was stirring something in my heart. He wanted me to see something—and I did.

My son was living my dream.

That afternoon I watched my son over and over again climb that tree, declare his fearlessness and jump. And each time he jumped he grabbed his goal then fell to the ground in fits of laughter only to get up and do it all over again.

I wondered what it would be like to live out my dream of bold and reckless abandonment for God. What would it be like to live the life of—a daredevil?

What if each day I took a risk to climb up the tree God has planted for me? What if I stood fearlessly at the top of that tree declaring my passion to set others free from bondage? What if I sensed His pleasure in such a way that empowered me to take leaps of faith for His Kingdom? What if I left that place of security, not by a push, but rather by choice? What if I grabbed a hold of my destiny—even if just for a moment? What if crashing to the ground only exhilarated me to do it again—and never give up.

What if?

How will you live like a daredevil for God today?

Share your journey.

Relevant Worship (more like soundtracks for daredevil feats)

*What is your theme music for making leaps of faith? Share in the comment section.

Indiana Jones Theme Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pNlMgH2p-Y

Superman Theme Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9vrfEoc8_g&feature=related

Reflective Scriptures

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.—Proverbs 29:25

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.—Romans 15:13

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

—Psalm 37:3-6

Powerful Force

In the midst of Sunday morning worshipers a small, blonde-hair, blue-eyed figure stood before me. The sad condition of his heart was evident. With shoulders drooped forward and head bent low—shame enveloped his body and spirit. Burying his face into my legs I leaned down and scooped him up and held him close. His morning tantrum and defiant behavior ceased. He was silent—finally. Yet as much as the screaming may have come to an end, his heart was noticeably unresolved. I held him, rocked him, and comforted him.

I sensed in my spirit this moment to be different than previous parenting occasions. It didn’t seem right to lecture or even punish my four year old. I wanted to tell him he was forgiven, but even that seemed to miss the mark.

“Lord what does he need to hear?”

Love

I pondered the Lord’s reply as the music in the worship center grew increasingly intense. People young and old sang in unity the words that comfort every soul—the truth of God’s love.

Love is a powerful force.

I took my son’s face and turned it toward mine. He resisted at first, but soon yielded. When his eyes met mine they looked big, anticipating a reprimand. I stifled his expectations by deliberately and thoughtfully speaking the words, “I love you”. His eyes grew bigger as if waiting for news of his punishment. I said it a few more times and his eyes softened, his countenance lightened, and snuggled happily back into my arms.

Love is a powerful force.

As the worship continued in the sanctuary, this personal moment with my son magnified within my heart. The Lord impressed there were others in the crowd gripped with the same condition. Even though my natural eyes saw people standing upright with heads lifted high, my spiritual eyes saw shame wrapped tightly around hearts.

Shame is a powerful force.

It’s the human condition. Whether we are the recipient or the executor of embarrassment, dishonor, humiliation, or indignity we have all experienced shame. Unhealed it can leave our soul wounded with an inability to trust or even forgive—anyone.

Shame is a powerful force.

But Love is a far greater one.

For it was Love who rose from His throne, left heaven, and stepped into our world. His presence alone soothes the aches in our hearts. Carefully chosen words escape His lips only as a whisper, yet resonate within our soul like peals of thunder. Shame-breaking holy words—

“I love you”

releases forgiveness, healing, restoration, and honor over every deep, dark, and broken area of our heart.

Love is a powerful force indeed.

Will you agree with God and declare over yourself, “He loves me”?

Listen in on this week’s Relevant Worship playlist and share your journey—with me…with someone.

Relevant Worship

How He Loves by Kim Walker-Smith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GFIJXWXiyI

Restoration by David Brymer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKLMO0IcJ8&feature=related

You Are My All in All by Gaither Vocal Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb_M4iZw6ns&feature=related

Reflective Scripture

But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us…Ephesians 2:4 Amplified

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT

He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. Psalm 23:2-3a NASB

Recipe Box

As I lay in a sobbing heap on the floor the Lord’s presence drew near as He beckoned me to trust. The words surrender and sovereignty impressed deeply on my heart. Waiting for complete understanding the Lord met me in my tears and made it all clear to me…

I watched the Lord shuffling through what appeared to be an old worn-out recipe box. It was crammed full of index cards with jotted down recipes—recipes for Surrendering to His Sovereignty. My life circumstances were listed as ingredients. I noticed how some items were bitter, and yet others were sweet. Each card represented a moment from my life. Even though the ingredients varied from card to card the cooking instructions were identical. It simply read—Trust Me.

All day and night the Lord passionately and empathetically read each recipe card to me…

When you’re crying in a dark corner because of your parent’s divorce—Trust Me

       When darkness becomes your friend—Trust Me

When you’ve pushed for 3 ½ hours and

there is still no baby to hold—Trust Me

And when the baby won’t stop crying—Trust Me

When you share your heart and dreams with your husband—Trust Me

       And when you won’t share anything at all—Trust Me

When you take your son to his first day of school—Trust Me

And when he forgets to miss you—Trust Me

When you confess your darkest secrets with a friend—Trust Me

When you guard your heart—Trust Me

When a fountain of blood spews from your son’s head—Trust Me

And when the ambulance refuses you to ride with him—Trust Me

When you stand before an audience with a microphone,

but without notes—Trust Me

And when I take you off the platform

and put a pen in your hand—Trust Me

When your husband has skin cancer—Trust Me

       And when he disregards sunscreen—Trust Me

When your boys snuggle in close to you—Trust Me

And when they push you away—Trust Me

When a reader tells you you’re going to hell—Trust Me

And when you feel like you are living in hell—Trust Me

When credit card debt is more than you earn in a year—Trust Me

And when you don’t care—Trust Me

When your son presents a biblical report in a public school—Trust Me

And when he doubts my Word is real—Trust Me

When your husband remembers—Trust Me

And when he forgets—Trust Me

When you take risks to step into the destiny I have for you—Trust Me

When you want to give up—Trust Me

When your son gazes into your eyes as if

he’s known you your whole life—Trust Me

And when he screams he hates you—Trust Me

When you jump off your brother’s desk

to soar through the air—Trust Me

And when you fall on your face…Trust Me

The Lord suddenly stopped. Tears washed over my face as I surveyed the many recipe cards strewn all over the room. For the first time I noticed the cards were worn and the edges bent from use. My heart paused, “Lord, have we done this before?” He need not answer for me to know we have. Something tells me He is willing to do it all over again.

I then looked and saw the box still open in the Lord’s hands. Inside sat even more cards—white and crisp they were left untouched. The Lord made no effort to pull them out. “Lord?”

There are more moments yet to be experienced for you to trust Me.

The recipe is the same time after time. Regardless of the sweet or bitter ingredients stirred up in my life God is urging me again and again to surrender to His sovereignty.

“Tell me again Lord, how?”

Trust Me, Beloved, Trust Me.

What is written on your recipe cards? Share the journey.

Reflective Scripture

Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.  2 Samuel 7:28

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Psalm 143:8

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Relevant Worship

No Matter What by Kerrie Roberts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA3MSqufJP4

In Christ Alone by Avalon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJCYHPPqmE0

Here in Your Presence by New Life Worship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJrHpESAYPQ