Discovering SunriseDiscovering Sunrise

mundane no longer has a place

joy

Through the Eyes of a Child

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

I walk with God, so I can walk with you, so you can walk with God.

Anonymous

My daughter filled an ordinary afternoon with excitement as she announced, “Did you know you can Google Madeline’s dad?!” (Name changed in my attempt to diminish embarrassment for my daughter and friend). This was mind-blowing to a fifth-grader. She was sure to tell me she had tried searching our names and was not nearly as impressed. But her best friend, she could learn all about her dad from the world wide web. But before he was “somebody famous” to my child, he was her friend’s dad. Although she could now read the stats, accolades, and accomplishments to learn more about him, she already knew him from hanging out with his kid.

Choosing Relationship

As I read the following words of Jesus, I recalled that afternoon. I realized this is what Jesus meant when He said, “…no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27).  And He explained this to His friends, recorded in John 14:6, “…no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” I was reminded we learn the real version of the Father from spending time in His presence with His Son.  But often, we choose to do the research instead of getting to know Him through a relationship. 

Relating

My easily impressed fifth grader is now in high school, so my analogy has shifted. If you wanted to mentor some kids at a local high school, you could hang around, hoping you don’t get asked to leave, or you could send your teenager to that school. You are more likely to develop a relationship with the students when your child invites them over, and they get to know you through your child. This is what God the Father did for us. There was no better way for humanity to get to know who He was than for Him to send His Son to earth— God wrapped up in humanity.

These analogies are so simple, yet they sum up the plan of salvation. God ached to reveal to His children who He was, so He gave us Jesus. 

Knowing God the Father has to start with a relationship with the Son. According to Jesus, it’s the only way (John 14:6). These aren’t just words to recite but truth to absorb. Scripture echoes this sentiment over and over and over.

Acknowledging My Need

I skipped this for so long because of my perceived self-sufficiency, thinking I already had it all figured out. I was only seeing from the viewpoint handed to me and from the constraints of religion and knowledge. I’ve realized how often we latch on to a version of God that we’ve created based on our upbringing and circumstances, rarely taking time to dig deeper, allowing ourselves to discover His infiniteness. For ourselves. In the middle of this messy life. This requires time, energy, focus, and developing a relationship. 

Accepting Grace

Only by grace, when God showed me my need, I responded. I got to know Jesus and allowed Him to reveal the Father to me, and everything changed! Jesus promises as we seek, we will find (Matthew 7: 7,8 ). You will discover who the Father is as you get to know His Son. I encourage you to set aside everything you’ve ever believed and let Jesus, through the Spirit of Truth (John 14:26, John 15:23), reveal who His Father is to you.

This recognition of need, grace, and dependence creates a beautiful cycle (John 15:7-11). As He transforms us, we begin walking in peace (John 14:27), freedom (Isaiah 61:1), and joy overflowing (John 15:11, Acts 2:28, Ps 16:11), revealing His true identity to others. Jesus calls us to be salt (Matt 5:13) and light (Matt 5: 14-16), reflecting Him. Anything more, and we are taking the place that only the Holy Spirit should fill (John 14:26, John 16:13). Our position is to encourage others to sit openly at Jesus’ feet and treasure hunt in God’s Word for themselves; the only place to develop a personal relationship with Him.  If, instead, we focus on teaching others about God and whatever view we have created of Him, we miss the point and mislead them, leaving them empty-handed and taking on a responsibility that isn’t ours to bear. 

 Jesus meant what He said, “…and I, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself” (John 12:32). That is all the Bible calls us to do: lift up Jesus. And as we lift Him up, He will reveal the Father. From this stance, our focus shifts, and we stop taking on responsibilities that aren’t ours to carry, and we will be left to rest in Him (Matthew 11:27-30).

🎵Kings Porch// I Speak Jesus 🎶

For The Thick Darkness

by Caroline on category , , , , , 

“…and Moses drew unto the thick darkness, where God was.” Ex 20:21

The Place of Healing

Five years ago, in the valley of Lyme, Babesia, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, my dad offered to anoint me (James 5:14,15). I didn’t accept. I wasn’t there; my heart wasn’t ready for this depth of faith. Instead, I took the long way to healing. God knew this was the path I desperately needed. The place where I would learn His heart and allow Him to heal mine.

It wasn’t on the proverbial mountaintop where I learned who God really is; it was in the painful valley. It took a broken-down body to realize how self-sufficient I’d tried to be, doing life by my strength. Superficially I had it all together. I had a house full of things and a career to support our lifestyle. I had a schedule overflowing with commitments, good things, family, work, and church. Unaware, I was using my things and calendar to build a wall around my heart, safer than feeling too deeply. Staying busy was my shelter.

Shifting Perception

The fire of life… It hurts; it’s hard. This life, where the enemy is the prince (John 14:30). This world is not as God created, hijacked by one bent on our temporal pain and eternal destruction (1 Peter 5:8). The enemy knows he wins when he can get us looking only from our fleshly perspective.

Here anxious thoughts race, the heart aches, knuckles white. The fire. It’s hot; it burns. Barely surviving and alone; this is where Satan wants us to remain. Hopeless, overwhelmed, imprisoned. But we don’t walk alone. God is there. He is here, waiting for us to get a glimpse of Him. A glimpse of eternity, a perspective so much bigger than our current circumstances. This fire, He is walking in it with us. Every second we refuse to let the enemy steal our peace is a moment of surrender to the One who holds our eternity.

Discovering Surrender

Sometimes it takes walking in the fire to learn surrender. Acknowledging our insufficiency leads to openness, Ephphatha. It’s here where God teaches us to abide. Seeing and experiencing Him is life and peace (Romans 8:5-17), even in the fire.

When I don’t know what to do and the enemy is pressing in, my imagination running wild, worst case scenarios, always the worst case scenario, why do I do that…I have learned to stop. Stop. Acknowledge my feelings of uncertainty, and surrender. Surrender. Every moment relinquished is another won in the strength of Jesus Christ. We are on the enemy’s battleground. We can’t fight him on his territory. In the flesh, he will always win; therefore, we must take our fight higher, into the spiritual, where God Almighty has already defeated him. The only way we win is to keep looking to Jesus and His cross. Satan knows this truth and will do anything to distract us just enough to keep us from realizing this reality.

Learning to Believe

The next time you feel the darkness closing in, claim the words of Jesus. “Let not your heart be troubled, believe. You believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1). Here, Jesus speaks to His disciples, drawing on what they already had, a belief in God. He met them where they were. He urged them to use their existing faith in God to believe that Jesus was who He said He was, God with us. I encourage you to dare believe God is in the fire with you. Believe that Jesus has already defeated the enemy who has caused the heartache you are experiencing.

We were not created to do this alone, and we were not designed to carry these weights, hearts burdened, heavy. Let the One who made you walk with you in the fire (Matthew 11:28-30). It is possible, through Jesus Christ, to live in this sinful world and live to the fullest. Joy overflowing. (John 15:11) Our bodies might break, and our hearts will ache, but even here, we can rest in the fullness of who He is.

Anticipating Miracles

As I learn to surrender control, I’ve learned to anticipate miracles; sometimes, the miracles are in the things in between. When you anticipate the miracles, you will find them. When you look for God in the fire, you will glimpse who He is and who He can be for you.

“I’ve got a story, too good to hide… I’m a living breathing miracle, and I’ve just gotta testify….” These lyrics played in my heart as I woke up the other morning. A good song stuck in my head, and I decided to listen. As I hit play under my chosen song, “Another in the Fire” played instead. All these tangled-up lyrics got me thinking about my experiences and the experiences of those with whom I’m walking through life.

I can’t help but share the story He has given me. Through my discoveries, I want to walk with you to a place where you can walk more closely with Him. Learning to take words from an ancient Holy Book and see them in a new light has changed my reality. Regardless of where you are today, I want to encourage you that it is possible to abide with Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, especially in the fire. It all begins with surrender. Just let Him walk with you, even there. (Ps 139:10)

Treasure hunting

Today, walk in His promise that when we ask, we will receive, and when we seek, we will find (Matthew 7:7). As I did, you might receive something you don’t even know you need. Spend time treasure hunting with God in His Word; it will change everything!

Ps 91

John 14-17

Matthew 6

Matthew 11

Good News!

by Caroline on category , , , , , , ,

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.

Helen Keller

We’re hosting another Good News Party!

We will use John 14 as a jumping-off point to talk about how we can allow these words of Jesus to become real in our lives. To explore together how we can learn to let go of our fear, worry, anxiety, and need for control and overcome them by claiming His promises of peace and joy in our everyday lives!

We would love to have you join us this Saturday beginning @ 10:15!

Email me at discoveringsunrise@yahoo.com for details and directions

Love Overflowing

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.

Mother Teresa

Making Space

The most loving thing we can do for those we love is to stop looking to them for fulfillment. When we remove this pressure from them, we open a part of our hearts for God to fill. The One who created us, the only One who knows us in our entirety and loves us without limit. He is the One waiting to fulfill us, but we only expose this place when we let go of our expectations of others.


If you reflect on the last time you fought or felt frustrated with someone close to you, did you perceive they owed you something? Anything? Gratitude, affection, attention, praise, time—was there something deeper underneath? This misaligned expectation creates the illusion of love and, therefore, disappointment. People we love will always let us down, not because of their faults but because we have placed a responsibility on each other that God did not design us to carry. The Enemy quickly pressures us into thinking we have to be everything to everyone and, in turn, expect this from others. It’s not until we start to look up and realize we receive our fulfillment from God that we will experience true love, peace, and joy. (John 15:9-12)

Shifting My Perspective


A friend introduced me to this concept as she told me, “If we go to someone else to fill a need before we first go to Jesus, we are operating in the flesh. Before we turn to the earthly, our spirit must be filled from above.” I recognized this was powerful, so I resolved to unpack it later. I’m thankful I did because she was right. The deeper I dig, the more Biblical truth I uncover in this mindset.


As I’ve spent time with this, I am adding, being filled from the Spirit is our highest calling; we can’t reach out to others if we are not filled first. Only once I receive fulfillment from the Holy can I extend a hand to the earthly. Any fulfillment we receive in relationships is a blessing overflowing, not the purpose. (John 15:4,5 and Psalms 1:2,3)

Freedom in Letting Go


I must admit that I am operating in the flesh when I feel let down by others. Otherwise, I will give the Enemy a place to slide in and take a foothold on my perspective. Every moment, it is essential that I look above for fulfillment as Jesus did (John 14:30). If I want this truth to transform me, I must first acknowledge where I’ve been self-centered in my relationships. Where I’ve placed conditions on love and where I’ve been holding onto expectations. Love isn’t about receiving; it’s about contribution. When I align my actions with this truth, I receive freedom! When my sole purpose becomes to overflow the love of Christ, I am free to love without expectation. I become free to uncover joy in each moment.

Practical Truth


I previously discovered a possible connection between joy and loving unconditionally (read that post here). I continue to explore these beautiful life applications as I sit with the Father. God’s Word is teaching me that He is the only One that can truly fulfill me. As I learn to accept His unconditional love, I am learning to better love others. I have uncovered more peace and joy as I embrace this thinking and walk in this truth. This is just another piece supporting this connection, another discovery I had to share!


🎵 Andrew Ripp, For the Love of God 🎶

And… SAVE the DATE: February 25th

We plan to have another Good News Party! I’ll update as we get closer.

Subscribe

Subscribe to receive more straight to your inbox.

Good News!

by Caroline on category , , , , , , , 
"And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

 Romans 10:15 NLT

Unsettled

I woke up solving tomorrow’s problems and re-living yesterday’s mistakes. Feeling unsettled, I listened to a meditation titled, Be Still My Anxious Heart, attempting to redirect my focus and focus my perspective as I stretched my awakening body. As the words of Jesus, recorded in John 14, filled my ears, I felt my Lord speak to my soul. “Let not your heart be troubled….” I needed this today….” Believe in God, believe also in Me.” I knew I needed more, so settling in with my blanket and coffee, I opened my Bible to John 14:1. “Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in Elohim, believe also in Me.” As I read the verses, letting each sink in, I felt the weight I had picked up that morning lift. 

Connecting

For months, there have been two words that God has been establishing in my heart. Ephphatha—discovering openness (Mark 7:34) and Abide—discovering God’s Presence in our everyday lives (John 14:17). These concepts grew more profound as I realized this chapter in John brought both together. 

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.” John 14:16 KJV. The Comforter to abide with me. I love the designation Jesus uses here. Not only is Jesus teaching me to abide in Him, but I am also learning to remain open so His Spirit, His Comfort, can abide within me. This verse connects Abide to Ephphatha.

I penned my thoughts as this discovery became real that morning, “It’s all connected. Beautifully connected. Father, your freedom floods my soul in the darkness this morning. Your peace covers me like the soft pink rolling over the night sky—the words of Your Holy Son spoken to me. ‘Peace I leave with you…not as the world giveth…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ John 14:27 KJV”

 My initial contemplation of, What if I read these words daily and take them to heart? Became, I am going to begin every day with these words for a month. As I flipped back through the chapter, I noted that John 14 has 31 verses. Perfect.

Sharing

It’s been seven weeks since I began reading John 14 daily. Each day after reading the chapter, I spend time on the subsequent verse, treasure-hunting for the application for that day. Reading John 14 daily affected me so positively, that when I completed the 31 days, I added John 15 to my daily reading. I have filled pages with so many thoughts and discoveries. I want to share the realness of this discovery with everyone I know; the peace and freedom I have felt from resting at Jesus’ feet. We don’t have to do life alone!

Celebrating

Part of Ephphatha that God is planting in my heart is to open our home to be a place where others can join us in excavating life applications from God’s Word and sharing discoveries. So, we are throwing a Good News Party on October 15th beginning at 10:15am!

Weather permitting, we will gather outside under the trees, and around a campfire. We want to provide a place where we can learn from each other and encourage each other as we discover how to get into God’s presence, remain open, and abide in everyday life. With so much pressing in on all of us daily, we want to provide a respite, a place to reset and recharge. A place to discover or be reminded we have Good News to celebrate! We would love to have you join us this Saturday! Please contact me for details at discoveringsunrise@yahoo.com. 

I am learning that the best adventures begin when I step out into the unknown places where I feel Him leading. Therefore, I choose to obey when God tells my heart to throw a party with an open invitation. (John 14:31)

I look forward to sharing this adventure with all of you! 

Perspective 🎶

Can Love Do That?

by Caroline on category , , , ,

Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.

St. Augustine

Almost daily, I fill journal pages with thoughts and concepts that flood my mind as I treasure hunt through the Bible. Ideas discovered in words that used to be just Bible verses, becoming treasures, leading to new ways of looking at life and living. Regularly, as I excavate, themes emerge, and I begin to assimilate; it’s all connected. These uncovered concepts change how I perceive every moment, and I feel compelled to share. 

I had to explore the probability that we can experience untethered joy by loving unconditionally. 

Can unconditional love lead us into joy? Truly living in each moment, without a single concern for the next. What if everything we did was for the good of the other person? Unconditional love. 

This conjured up feelings of angst and concern; wouldn’t this lead to being taken advantage of? But didn’t Jesus tell us, if someone asks for your shirt, give Him your jacket too? Or if someone asks you to walk with them one mile, walk two. (Matt 5:40,41) The “what if” is removed from the equation if I take this to heart. This frees us to stop worrying about “what if it’s not fair, what if I don’t get my share, what if they don’t even notice my sacrifice.”

Instead of acting self-protectively, unconditional love intentionally seeks ways to give beyond ourselves. There is a layer of anxiety and stress attached to worrying about “what’s in it for me,” could I really release this? What if we took control of the situation, determining ahead of time that we would hold the other person’s best interest ahead of our own? What if we didn’t have “toes to get stepped on”? What if no one could take from us more than we were hoping to give? Freedom in this intentionality. 

Another level of learning to trust my Heavenly Father is unearthed here. Replacing my ulterior motive buried deep within, with the kind of trust that can actually let go and trust Him to take care of me. I can only trust Him fully once I recognize His unconditional love for me. Laying all our shortcomings and selfish purposes at the feet of Jesus is where we begin to accept unconditional love. Acknowledging that we have received what we don’t deserve enables us to give unconditional love to others (Ephesians 2). As I breathe this in, letting the pieces connect, I recognize I can’t overflow with joy without first letting go of all selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3-5). It’s all connected. 

Frequently the opportunity to apply this concept arises. And even though I know it, my flesh still fights, claws digging in protectively. There will always be that dark voice whispering, You can’t actually love unconditionally; you’ll be taken advantage of, or you’re not capable of loving like that….” And then the voice of Jesus breaks through, “Love them like I love you. I died for you. Not in some hypothetical or historical story, I actually spread out My arms and endured physical torture and darkness, for you. Love them like that because of Me. Not of your own might, but by My Spirit, that now lives within you.” And I must acknowledge that it’s only through God’s power that I can release my ambitions and enable His unconditional love to flow through me. Again and again (John 21:22, Philippians 2:3,4, 2 Corinthians 3:5 and 4:6,7). 

Acknowledging that we do not have the power to love like that is the only way to liberate His power. Jesus gave us a promise to claim, “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24. To receive, we must ask for the ability to love unconditionally and the wisdom to discern when to establish boundaries (Matthew 5:43-47 and Matthew 10:14). 

Each time I walk in this, choosing to align my actions with His teaching, I find unimaginable freedom that floods my soul. Freedom to enjoy each interaction without looking how to spin it to my advantage. The freedom to love deeper because I am looking for ways to fulfill the other person. The product of soul freedom is joy. 

 I don’t believe that it is coincidental that joy follows directly after love in Galatians 5:22. Living every moment grounded in love will only have one result, joy overflowing. And when we can live in this world with joy overflowing, only then can others begin to comprehend the depth of the love of God. It’s not our sermons or our theology that draws people to Jesus; it’s our joy.

  “…so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them”, John 17:13. This kind of joy is contagious. And Jesus commission becomes natural, “As You sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” John 17:26. Sent into the world to be overflowing vessels of joy. 

I encourage you to explore living, loving, and interacting unconditionally; you just might discover joy.

Listen and smile: Believe- Jimi Cravity

Sunrise

by Caroline on category , , , 
All you see is gray, darkness lingering at the crust of the earth
Another hopeless day of "drudging through the drudgery" without purpose
A sigh escapes your heavy heart.

All you see is pink, pushing through shades of lavender as the darkness ebbs away
The sun's rays, no longer held captive to the horizon
Another day to be alive, moments no longer lost to monotony
A deep inhale and praise escapes from your soul.

Which direction will you choose to face at sunrise? 

Be inspired to choose joy as you listen here

bare tree with glossy christmas toys and lights against dark sky

Can We Live Today Like Heaven Came Down?

by Caroline on category , , 
Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer...
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year...

What I’m learning from Pig-Pen

 As we snuggle up to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” I realize there’s a lesson to be learned from Pig-Pen. We all leave a trail behind us, an unmistakable cloud that surrounds us.  The question is, what does our cloud look like? Pig-Pen’s cloud is visible, but so is ours. What are we giving off with every word, every action? Are we stirring up dust and dirt, bringing down the aura around us, or are we emitting an uplifting spirit, spreading happiness and joy? Could it be, this is what it means to bring heaven to earth? What if we lived every moment like it was our chance to create heaven? If we took just a second before speaking and acting, to determine if we have the chance to make heaven real?

We can only have one or the other, heaven or hell. If we become more intentional and consider first, would our actions change? What if all we focus on is the cloud around us?  What would we see? Would we be able to see past our aura as we radiate joy and goodness? Or would we get caught up in looking down because we can’t see past the dirt and grime? 

Embracing today’s reality

In these mixed-up times, I catch myself wishing things were different; I realize I have to stop and evaluate. Could it be we aren’t created to wish away this life, whatever it looks like? In Matthew 3:2, John the Baptist declared,  “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” He wasn’t prophesying about the end of time. A time when earth as we know it will end, and we will go to a perfect place. He was announcing the arrival of Jesus Christ to earth! “The kingdom of God has come near.” Jesus brought heaven down. He didn’t spend a short, miserable life complaining about all the sin and tragedy here, saying He couldn’t wait to leave this horrible place and go back to His Father. No, God brought heaven down.

Jesus showed us how to live and enjoy life. Not only to reap eternal life but also life on earth! He showed us what heaven looks like. He lived, He loved, thoroughly and openly. His life on earth was far from miserable! He created a network of friends, community; laughing- eating- drinking- loving-living- Heaven on earth. I see sparkles of joy just exploding around Him!

Choosing joy

Continuously we have the choice- create heaven or hell? Not an ultimate destination, but in this moment. Jesus Joy or Pig-Pen Filth? Pig-Pen makes it easier for me to analyze my every action. Although I often fail, I strive to live every moment in thanksgiving, emitting joy and gratitude around me everywhere I go, bringing heaven to earth. That’s the beauty of recognizing moments; we keep getting redos! In this holiday season, which likely looks very different from previous years, let’s remember we have the opportunity to create joy! 

As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love...I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this; Love each other as I have loved you.  John 15:9-12

Treasure Life.

✕