The Beauty In Your Journey

You know that feeling when you read a good book and your whole soul fills up with hope and encouragement? Naturally after feeling like this you want to tell everyone about it! That is how we felt when reading Box of Butterflies by Roma Downey. It is an absolutely beautiful book including poems and art, but most importantly Roma's words about faith, God's grace and love, and the value of living a life dependent on and thankful for Him.There is one part toward the end that we felt so inclined to share, but be sure to pick up a copy to read the entire book. It is a treasure of a book, one that you will want to hold on to forever and loan to dear friends and family. On page 207, Roma writes an incredible passage comparing our journey here on earth to Dorthy's journey in The Wizard of Oz, stating that our "true home is within us. True home is in God." We can search the earth and think we need certain things to make us whole and make us feel at home, but who we truly need, God, is with us all along!"I hope that in this book you have begun to see the beauty in your journey. How it may have twisted and turned, and had ups and downs, but ultimately that you were never alone on the Yellow Brick Road. That even in the dark forest, God was preparing you. That even as you danced in Munchkinland, it was time to say thank you. That even though when you arrive back home and nothing has changed on the outside, you'll see that you've been changed on the inside. And that is all that matters. When we awaken fully to God, it's as if we finally remember that we are not merely caterpillars but that we are, in face, beautiful butterflies with wings to fly." -Roma Downey in Box of ButterfliesThank you, Roma for such beautiful, wise, love-filled words that encourage, inspire, and uplift us as the beauty in all of our journey unfolds, even after twists and turns and ups and downs.[show_shopthepost_widget id="3880691"] xo,Team LSK. 

How To Experience Real Rest

Just last week, one of our favorite authors and speakers, Rebekah Lyons, came out with a new book. Her book, You Are Free, is one we have recommended here on the blog before and her new book, Rhythms of Renewal, is once again a must-read.We are so excited to soon be asking Rebekah a few questions, so of course the Q&A will be posted here on the blog, but until then we had to share an excerpt from her book that we keep re-reading. Focused on four rhythms: rest, restore, connect, and create, this new book from RL encourages readers to incorporate these four ways of being in their lives in order to truly rest, experience restoration, deeply connect, and beautifully create.Just from the dedication page, it is clear this book is one that your soul is going to soak up. She shares this psalm in the opening page:"Show me the right path, O LORD;point out the road for me to follow.Lead me by your truth and teach me,for you are the God who saves me.All day long I put my hope in you."Psalm 25:4-5 Then on page 21, just in the introduction, Rebekah writes this:"Through study and experience, I've come to understand four rhythms that help us replace stress and anxiety with life-giving peace and purpose. They help us nurture and sustain lasting emotional health. These rhythms aren't complicated- Rest, Restore, Connect, and Create...however, these rhythms do take practice. Practical acts like fasting from media (Rest), exercising (Restore), sharing a laugh (Connect), or recovering an old talent (Create) can help us break the anxiety-inducing cycles of the world around us and bring balance to our otherwise hectic lives. They can help us cultivate the spiritual and mental space needed to allow God to bring us through complacency and fear and into freedom." -Rebekah Lyons Here's to breaking "the anxiety-inducing cycles of the world around us" that are so easy to slip into. Instead, root yourself in these rhythms and find yourself flourishing and truly living from a place of peace, rest, and strength! Thanks, Rebekah, for writing such a faith-filled and much-needed book.With love,Team LSK.

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Pausing To Pray

As we all know, life gets pretty busy. Am I right or am I right!? God is so gracious, though, and has given us an amazing, restful gift as a tool to navigate the busyness of life and that is PRAYER. No matter what we go through, prayer is always ours to practice and it is a direct connection to our Father. In a moment of stress at work? Put the phone down and pray. Unable to make a decision? Turn your eyes upward and pray. Overwhelmed by your to-do list at home? Step away from the pad of paper and pray. Frustrated with someone you love dearly? Excuse yourself momentarily and pray.It sounds easy, right? Yes, except for the fact that in the moment we can sometimes forget to pray. No matter how much we love the Lord and trust Him wholeheartedly, as humans, we can get caught up in life and seriously forget that we have the amazing gift of prayer, of direct communication with our Maker, available to us at all times. All we have to do is remember whose we are and call out to Him.Jase and I have been extra busy with the home renovation we are doing, so prayer has been an absolute blessing to help handle the task. We were both a little in over our heads the other day, and we got so caught up in the frustration that we forgot to pray. I was driving in the car, and it hit me! What peace it brings, almost immediately, when we pray in the midst of feeling overwhelmed. Prayer releases us from the cycle of frustration (or the feeling of wanting to control something) and reminds us that God is sovereign over all the things and he's with us! We are not handling this alone- He is supporting us, comforting us, and guiding us every step of the way. PRAISE JESUS! 

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Fearless February

It's the first full week of February and we are diving in fearlessly. My good friend (and editor here on LSK!) and I have been talking a lot lately about fear and how to handle fearful thoughts that creep in our minds. I first must say that having a friend who can relate is a great blessing to talk through all the feels and kick fear out together!I always remember a quote from Louie Giglio: "Fear is faith in satan" when I am struggling in a season of fear, and it helps me every time because my faith is in Jesus, therefore I shall not fear. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 By saying no to fear, you are saying no to satan and showing the devil (and fear!) the exit door.Francesca Battistelli has a great song out right now that I blast whenever it comes on the radio called "The Breakup Song", but it is not your average breakup song; it's about breaking up with fear:Fear, you don't own meThere ain't no room in this storyAnd I ain't got time for youTelling me what I'm notLike you know me well guess what?I know who I amI know I'm strongAnd I am freeGot my own identitySo fear, you will never be welcome hereCan I get an Amen!? How good are those lyrics? Let's all play this song on repeat this month as we declare that we are strong, free, and rooted in Christ, therefore able to stand up to fear and say no, fear, not today and not ever!Last but not least, this passage from Andi Andrew's book, She Is Free, has also been inspiring me lately to really stand up to fear with the armor of God and victoriously battle it straight out of my life."Remember, fear is a liar that only has the level of authority we give it. Starve it out by dwelling in and staying connected to God's perfect love. Recognizing and discerning fear is half the battle. Once you see it, you can take authority over it."  So much praise for these words by Andi Andrew! Fear is a lie that has no authority over our lives. Let's hold on to that truth and repeatedly remind ourselves that God is with us always, therefore we shall not fear. He is our refuge, our shield, and our protector...fear stands no chance!

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When In The Wilderness

Let us first start out by saying that Christine Caine's newest book, Unexpected, is the inspiration for this post and a must-read for all. It is so gripping in the most God-loving, life-changing way! It is a book that you won't easily be able to put down because it is full of words and truths that your heart and mind thirst for and will soak right up.There was one chapter that especially rocked my world titled "When the Unexpected Disheartens." In this chapter, Christine shares a friend's story of experiencing a season of incredible growth due to a period of being in the wilderness. I think we can all relate to seasons of life spent in the wilderness; these seasons are scary and they are unexpected. However, as Christine shares, it is often the wilderness when and where God works big-time, and when and where we really grow, bloom, and flourish into the people we were created by Him to be.On page 128, Christine writes: "We all have wilderness seasons in our lives, times when everything that feels familiar, stable, and comforting falls away. But that's exactly why the wilderness is a place of transformation. With nothing to distract us from ourselves, and with no one but God to rely on, the conditions are ripe for growth and change. If we embrace the wilderness wholeheartedly, it becomes a place in which we are freed from our bondage to fear, insecurity, and disappointment."- Christine Caine, Unexpected Thinking of the wilderness as "a place of transformation" turns the wilderness into a hopeful place instead of a fearful one. It is not always easy to see that in the thick of it, but if we can keep moving forward with our eyes fixated on God and trust that he is at work in us in the wilderness, we will grow through it victoriously. As Christine says, the wilderness can ultimately lead to freedom if we let God work in us completely and if we embrace the process fully. I love picturing the Lord literally carrying us through wilderness seasons; so gently, yet firmly, full of grace, love, wisdom, and sovereignty.Hillsong United's song, Wonder, also expresses this positive outlook on wilderness seasons in our lives:

I see the world in graceI see the world in gospelI see the world Your wayAnd I’m walking in the lightI’m walking in the wonderYou’re the wonder in the wildTurning wilderness to wonder

Wilderness into wonder...only God can do such a thing! Praise be to Him for knowing just what we need to go through in order to get closer to Him, so He can get us to where He wants us...where is BEST for us.Are you going through a wilderness season now or have been through one that forever changed you in the best way possible? We would love to be inspired by your story and pray for you as well. xo

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Our Only True Satisfaction

We frequently mention the devotional New Morning Mercies by Paul Tripp because it is seriously that good. For every day of the year there is a page full of wisdom, inspiration, and Truth penned by Tripp and completely tied to Scripture.On May 24th, Tripp talks about our heart's search for satisfaction here on earth. We can so easily look to things and people here on earth to satisfy our heart's longing for love, happiness, and complete satisfaction. The thing is, though, that our Father did design our hearts to search for satisfaction and to be satisfied, but not by or in earthly things."All those things that we think will bring us contentment and joy will fail to deliver. What we need in life is Him, and by grace, He is with us, in us, and for us." - Paul TrippOur hearts, so tender and loving, can only be satisfied by the Creator himself. Every time our hearts long for that satisfying, complete, real love, it is longing for closeness to God, it is reaching up toward him, and it is a need for the love that only comes from Him alone."Your sense of well-being is intended to come from a reliance on his wisdom, power, and love." -Paul TrippIt is by grace that we find peace. It is by grace that the searching ends. It is by grace that our hearts find rest. It is by grace that we feel at home with Him. Without Him in the center of our lives and as the focus of our lives, we would be on a constant search for true peace and satisfaction that we would never find."By grace, we have been given everything we could ever need, in Him." -Paul TrippLong story short, without Him, we would be so hopelessly lost...searching, reaching, struggling, striving, and stressing. Instead, we have hope, peace, rest, love, and grace. Thank you, Jesus!

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A Beautiful Hardcover Version Of The Bible

We have mentioned it before on the blog, a beautiful hardcover version of the Bible that we absolutely love spending time in. Of course every version of the Word is a beautiful gift, but this version is especially dear to us. Friends, meet She Reads Truth.Many of you have probably heard of She Reads Truth- an online Christian community inspiring women who love Jesus to spend time in the Word and live out their lives in Truth while inspiring and encouraging others in their faith journeys. Their website, Facebook page, Instagram account, and app are all inspiring places inviting His daughters to spend connecting with other believers while strengthening their faith.Their hardcover Bible is not only aesthetically gorgeous on the exterior, it is complete with the Christian Standard version of the Word with additional historical information and timelines, devotions, space for notes, and more. We look forward every day to spending time in our She Reads Truth Bibles, expectant to what we will read and grateful for the time spent with Him.Thank you, SRT, for developing such an incredible version of the Bible- it is such a blessing to all! Click the image below to check it out. xx[show_shopthepost_widget id="3152070"]

Worship Song On Repeat

There is something so powerful, beautiful, and truth-filled about worship music that makes listening to it a real spiritual experience and we thank God for that! We have talked about our love for worship music on the blog before by sharing our Spotify playlist + including lyrics to songs in our faith posts. Today we want to discuss one of our favorite worship artists as of late: Will Reagan of United Pursuit. His latest album, Tell All My Friends, is currently on repeat, but there is one song by him in particular that has been causing me to pause and really meditate over the lyrics and that is a track titled "Nothing I Hold To".  Turn it on ASAP and read our thoughts below!

"I lean not on my understanding,my life is in the hands of the Maker of heaven"

Proverbs 3:5-6 immediately comes to my mind when I hear those lyrics. No matter how many times I hear this truth and read this promise, I am just forever blown away by how awesome it is that we have the Maker of everything- heaven and earth- in constant care of and control of our lives, enabling us to be free from having to rely on our own limited understanding. Thank you, Jesus!

"I give it all to you God, trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me"

Giving it all and then trusting. Trust, trust, trust! As Isaiah 64:8 reminds us, we are the clay and He is the potter. We are His work and He is forever working on us and refining us to be the beautiful masterpieces that he designed us to be. It is by surrendering our lives to Him through trust that we reap the fruits of His promises to us.

"I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open"

What a beautiful picture this is. May we all take each day as an opportunity to climb the mountains, go through the valleys, and journey through life with hands wide open- available and ready for whatever He calls us into, guides us out of, and leads us through. Even though it sounds scary not to hold on to anything, that is actually the best way. Our hands can be open as we stay close to Him, since he enables us and strengthen us through any circumstance that we will ever go through.Are there any worship songs that are especially speaking to you right now? We would love to know in the comments below. And thank you, Will Reagan (and all other worship music artists) for writing such incredibly beautiful and true lyrics about the good Lord that speak right to the heart of His children!images by Felicia Lasala 

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Praising Our Great Provider

Do you sometimes just rest in awe of how awesome God's provision truly is? When we dwell on this, our hearts undoubtedly overflow with amazement, gratefulness, and humbleness, and before we know it, we are giving and living in a state of praise for our great, heavenly, perfect Provider.Even though our circumstances might not always look or seem like it, the Lord knows exactly what we need, when we need it, why, how much, and everything else- in every single aspect of our lives! How incredible is that? Praising Him for how wonderfully he cares for all of His children both requires and causes a thankful, open, appreciative, trusting, believing heart.Lately, I have been spending time in the Old Testament and seeing how God led Israel out of Egypt is truly mind-blowing. He made promises to them and fulfilled those promises, leading them out of slavery and into the Promise Land. In His time and His way, God made a way for His people because of His immense love for them. Even though they weren't aware of His plan, He carried it out, gently yet powerfully leading them out of bondage and into freedom with Him!The same is true for us. He loves us more than we could even begin to imagine and is providing for, caring for, planning for, preparing for, and making a way for us, leading us to His best at all times. Rejoicing in the simple yet heart-changing Truth that we are His children and He is our Father is a way of life and is no doubt the best life!What we need and what we want are vastly two different things. Being grateful for everything, trusting completely (especially during hard seasons), and following Him even when you aren't so sure is always, always, always the way. Just think- He knows us better than we know ourselves, so I would much prefer He provide for me than rely on my own "strength"!So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. (Matthew 6:31-33 Christian Standard Bible) "But seek first the kingdom of God...and all these things will be provided for you". We are to seek Him. That is all this verse requires of us. A heart that is seeking Him is one that is believing, praising, trusting, and prioritizing Him. God is so good and we are in His loving, protective, wise, perfect hands.I recently heard this song by Housefires and listening to it really puts my mind in such a sweet, peaceful place. A place of reassurance that He always satisfies us. Any want, desire, aching, longing, and dream...He is our answer and the way!

Come to the water, all who are thirsty Come and drink Come to the table, all who are hungry Come and feast Those who are weary, those who are needy Come receive!

-Come To The River, Housefires

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