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mundane no longer has a place

Minimalism

rock in between grass and flower

Out of My Hands

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it…

Joshua Becker

Minimalism has taught me the art of letting go. I’ve learned the necessity of release to move towards something better. This outlook has changed every aspect of my life. And now, I am learning the most challenging surrender: my will. Encompassed in my will are all of my “supposed to be’s,” these plans I make, and how I think life should go.

Circumstance

I hadn’t planned for my sweet dog to have an invasive tumor forcing its way through his skin, tight and breaking, slowly stealing his health. I don’t want to be in this place where I feel torn, where I’m trying to determine the best care for him, attempting to plan now for an unknown future. This echoes many circumstances where we run through scenarios and create hypothetical futures trying to make the “right” decision. It becomes paralyzing; we become trapped in analysis and worry.

Compass

As I kept thinking about my dog, praying for God to intervene, I realized how much my mind had spiraled. My heart was troubled—so far removed from the peace I crave (John 14:1, 27). This Peace is my compass. His way is rest and peace; if that’s not how I feel and the way isn’t clear, I am learning to wait for direction (Ps 27:14 and Ps 62:4-8) and rest in Him (Ps 46:10). 

Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. Psalm 31:5

Determining to let go, I discovered Psalm 31:5. I’m learning to let the One who has redeemed me carry my burdens. Each time I begin to worry, I recommit my spirit, will, and everything I hold dear to the One who is greater than me. He is God, and I am not (Hosea 11:9).

Release

This is where the battle for our will is fought. The Enemy knows this and is relentless. He is always there whispering doubt, pressing in, heavy. Therefore, I must learn to surrender control to my Father again and again and again. I must choose to completely surrender my will and rest fully in His embrace, where He promises to hide me in the secret of His Presence (Psalm 31:20), the place the world can’t see (John 14:19,20 and 2 Corinthians 4:18), where we find soul rest. In John 16:33, when Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble…” He promised us His peace for these places where everything is spinning around us; our circumstances don’t have to overtake us (John 14:27).

Even Here

Wherever I am, He is, and soul rest is possible (Ps 139:10-12). It’s these ugly-beautiful places where we see God turn ashes to beauty, morning to dancing, praise for heaviness, gray to color, vibrant, we come alive (Isaiah 61:3) and discover joy, as Jesus promised (John 15:11). When we stop clinging to what we think “should be” or “could have been” and accept the place we are, we can find true freedom in surrendering all to Christ. The miracle here may not be that my dog receives healing but that through surrender, I can enjoy the moments I have with him without worrying about what’s next. In the middle of tail-wags and tears flowing, it’s here that I rediscover the blessing of moments right in front of me (Ps 138:3).

Open Hands

This type of surrender cannot coexist with worry. Just as complaining and gratitude cannot share breath, neither can worry and surrender. Let not your heart be troubled, believe (John 14:1). Jesus is giving us His template, His strategy: complete surrender of every thought, ache, desire, worry, and scenario. Jesus taught this to his last breath (Luke 23:46).

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46

Full Submission

This is where the battle is fought: our will. I can cling to control, or I can surrender to My God—The Almighty Father who says to me, “Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name: you are Mine…(Isaiah 43:1)…I will go before you… I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places (Isaiah 45:1-3).

God keeps teaching me it’s worth releasing my control to His Sovereignty. Today, if you are in a hard place, lean in. Don’t fight; I’ve learned that it’s in the darkest places we discover who He can be to us. Exchanging worry for that soul peace of Jesus (John 14:27) is worth it every time.

Discovering John 14: The Completion

by Caroline on category , , , ,

John 14:29

Several years ago, as I began to use minimalism to remove layers from my life, I began to uncover free time. I started using this time to treasure hunt in the Bible. I found more than recordings of ancient history; I discovered God’s character and plan to restore His relationship with His creation. Before, I had rushed past verses, not realizing how the Old Testament was so connected and deeply interwoven with prophecies about Jesus’ first and second arrival to earth. In this verse of John 14, Jesus asks His disciples to dare believe that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, and in His resurrection, He promised them confirmation. He tells them that the words He has spoken about the future will come to pass, just as those spoken by the prophets long ago were fulfilled in Him. This gives us so much hope in a world filled with uncertainty. Jesus promised it, and we can trust Him; He is coming back!

John 14:30

I had never considered Satan as the prince of this world before immersing myself in John 14 and hearing Jesus refer to him this way. This explains so much about the pain and disruption we see all around us and feel within; we are living in Enemy territory. His scheme is to disrupt the relationship between humanity and our Creator. Jesus has been teaching that He is in the Father, the Father is in Him, and the Spirit of Truth dwells in us—this is what it means to abide. To be filled so wholly and entirely with the Presence of God that there is no space for the prince of this world. With these words, Jesus gives us His strategy: leave no room for the Enemy. Abide.

John 14:31

I can’t think of a better declaration for this year! “But that the world may know that I love the Father.” Purpose. Every word and action of Jesus was an act of worship to His Father, evidence of His love. His life was an overflowing of this love, and His death, the final proclamation of it. Jesus understood the purpose of His life because of His relationship with His Father; this is the only way we will discover direction and purpose for our lives. It all begins with a relationship, in the quiet place where we learn His voice and commands. And from here, when we submit our will and let go of control, we declare our love for the Father. As Jesus concluded this conversation with His disciples, He followed it with another statement, “Arise, let us go from here.” Like His disciples then, we are not meant to stay in the upper room, where it’s comfortable and safe. Therefore, let’s go out and declare to the world that we love the Father!

Reflecting

If you have taken the time to meditate daily on John 14, I pray that your relationship with Jesus has deepened as you’ve absorbed His words. I hope you’ve read them in a new way that changes how you see the world and your present circumstances. A way that helps you release control and rest more fully in Him.

Keep Seeking

As we move into another new month, I encourage you to build on this momentum of daily treasure hunting. I love John 15 through 17, where Jesus builds on many of the concepts from John 14 in these final chapters before His death. I am learning; this is only the beginning of learning to abide—in all things!

Learning to Abide: Thirty-one Days in John 14

I’ve added a page on the menu where you can easily find this series; you can find it by clicking here. You can also still find the daily posts on Instagram @discovering_sunrise.

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

Discovering the First Thing

by Caroline on category , , ,

Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.

D.L Moody

“First thing first, all my desires reversed…” What if this is how to begin this year? No goals, resolutions, or plans of our own. What if we start with what has a lasting impact, by determining our values, and aligning our actions?

This Beautiful Life

Underneath it all is life. Breath and lungs and heart pumping life substance throughout. Underneath all is the core of our being. Soul. Hopes, dreams, anticipation, and expectation; do they ultimately steal our nows and ability to be? This moment. Not recreating the past or manipulating the future. Just now. This breath. This heartbeat.

Our future is not guaranteed. Do setting goals for this hypothetical existence just set us up for disappointment? Without goals, would there be regrets if I just evaluated time spent as it is passing, living in the now, with intentionality? These are questions I learned to ask. And as I began to contemplate, I wondered, have I been asking the wrong question? What if life isn’t about what we do but who we are?

Beyond goals and resolutions and unknown futures, I discovered an alternative focus.

Identity

Who am I? If I strip it all away. Apart from family, relationships, status, and career. Beyond flesh and lungs and heart pumping–soul. Where does my identity lie? The question is, “if everything changed around me, and nothing went as planned, would I remain?”

Where does your identity lie? What distracts you from answering this? What holds you back from being this? What if instead of piling on more to-do’s, we discovered what’s beneath by stripping away excess?

Over the past several years, I have learned to ask myself this question, “Who am I?” I have learned to keep asking and to keep digging, and to keep pulling back layers.

Who am I underneath it all? To answer this, I had to uncover what is truly important. To align my actions with my values, I first had to discover what my values are—I credit The Minimalists for introducing me to this concept. This worksheet of theirs is one of the tools I have found to be vital as I identify and evaluate my values.

Implementing

I have done this for the past four years instead of setting goals and resolutions. Then throughout the year, I examine my values to ensure my daily actions are aligned.

As you reflect on the efficacy of your past resolutions, consider whether it is time to take a chance and consider a new approach.

Would life be more interesting and enjoyable if you remained flexible? If you allow yourself to experience the moment’s beauty without manipulating the outcome? If you remain true to your values yet realize there may be more than one way to get there?

I can relate if you’re three days into the year and already have broken resolutions. I’ve been there. So, I dare you to dig behind them. What is your “why”? Do your core values shape it? Ask the essential questions, then be flexible about how your time unfolds while focusing on the purpose behind the action.

I challenge you to permit yourself to let go of your resolutions. It takes effort and intentionality to evaluate continually, but I have determined it is worth it.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12

I began this post with lyrics from THIS SONG. As I have learned to prioritized my values, I've uncovered a life with meaning and purpose, and everything changed.

Making Space for Purpose

by Caroline on category , , , , , , ,

We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness.

Oswald Chambers

As I began the daily devotional of My Utmost for His Highest, that opening line seized me. Oswald Chambers, goes on to write, “Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.”

Six years ago this week, my journey into minimalism began. As my husband spent the week in the boundary waters, I spent the week discovering the excess in our home. I was unaware real life was waiting for me underneath it all. I had no expectation of uncovering peace, purpose, and freedom; all I knew was something had to change. 

Reevaluating

My husband is there again, and I have spent the week remembering and analyzing. Although I have experienced so many benefits from minimalism, I have allowed one obstacle to remain. Unreviewed sentimental items. These things taunt me each time I walk through the garage. Things, taking up mental space, creating clutter, and keeping me from moving forward. Things, creating a disturbance, holding me back from the freedom I know awaits.

It’s not having sentimental items that bothers me, it is that they are un-curated. This unintentionally goes against everything I believe in. These things keeps me from beginning meaningful projects, because I feel I need to address them, before moving on. So this week I have resolved not to accommodate anything in my home without intention. Having a home completely free of clutter is not the end game. The purpose, is to free up time and space. To create a place where we can follow our passions and experience meaningful activities and contribution, unencumbered by stuff.

Digging Deeper

Determining what is worth keeping requires careful review of every card, letter, photograph, item. Reading the words and internalizing the sentiment takes time and effort. Intentionality, simple but far from easy. 

So much self discovery in determining what is worth holding onto.  Evaluating whether or not to keep something, requires knowing the purpose for keeping it. I have to ask myself,  “Is this worth my time and energy to store/scan/manage?” Finding the balance as I reflect that years have passed and those times have merged into a beautiful present.

But, as I recover those words from boxes, I remember. I don’t want to forget the words of affirmation from my parents building a strong and sturdy foundation. I don’t want to forget the nervous excitement of that first note, high-school banter, from the man who now steadily walks by my side as life unfolds. The joy, the pain, the heart swelling and overwhelmed with love and affection; the emotions associated with reading those words. I realize it’s not the words, but the person, who had an overflowing in the soul and had to express it, that I want to remember.

As life moves forward, I don’t need those written words to tell me how they feel, I have life experiences to reveal this. It’s in doing life together, roots grow deeper. Although I know I don’t need these things to connect me to my past, I chose to keep a few, the ones that still make me smile when I read them. Why? Because I have a meaningful relationship with the one who wrote them. 

Remembering

I read John 14 last week, and I’ve read it again every day since. I realize reading these words of Christ over and over are like rereading a love letter. The words an expression of love, hope and promise for the life I can build on Him, anticipation of something more. Like the words from those I love, these words of Jesus hold so much meaning because of my relationship with Him. His words are alive and relevant because I choose to experience life with Him. I believe Him when He says in verse 6, that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Reading these words again and again, to remember.

I don’t want to forget the chaos and clutter where now there is calm and peace. My life has changed so much in the last six years. Gratitude floods over me as I acknowledge my God who loved me too much to let me just exist. I am filled with praise as He keeps me stirred and restless, with a peaceful anticipation of what comes next. As I pursue living with intention, I am reminded over and over, that it’s only in letting go of the past that I can move forward and flourish.

This week I have found renewed purpose. A reminder of the importance of questioning the purpose of everything I allow to remain; allowing only things that supplement my life, not distract from it. I must ask with everything, “Does this move me toward my purpose or hold me back?”

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The Belly of Hell

by Caroline on category , , , , ,

Recently, as I sat watching someone I love languish in pain, helplessness attempted to creep in. When I arrived home from the hospital for a quick respite, I read Jonah, and the concept of the “belly of hell” became real to me. It refocused me to the place of thanksgiving. I felt helpless, and it’s right there, where we have nothing left; God asks us to lift our hands in a hallelujah. And as gratitude floods the soul, our perception changes; a shift that can only happen in this place.

The belly of hell. Whether physical, circumstantial, relational, or psychological, this place of desperation is never when or where we expect.

“Out of the belly of hell cried I, And thou heardest my voice.” Jonah 2:2 KJV

I was searching for more, something different than the race I’d been living, but I didn’t know what it was. The discontent led me to minimalism, intentionality, and self-awareness. I was making positive changes, but my focus was misplaced. Unaware, I had replaced the noise of consumerism and chasing stuff with the clutter of “being” and “doing” through my own strength and intentionality. I had created empty spaces that were beginning to reveal a more profound emptiness. As I began to use some of my newly discovered free time in stillness, God listened to my cry when I didn’t even know I was crying out (Jonah 2:2). He answered me in the physical interruption of my life. As I battled Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Babesia, I began to hear God’s whisper.

I can still smell the crisp spring air as I recall mustering up the energy to wander the trail to clear my mind. As I forced movement of my broken-down body, the song “Space to Speak” permeated into my soul. In my quest for control, I didn’t yet realize that I was fleeing from God’s presence (Jonah 1:3), but there, in my brokenness, I was learning to make space for Him.

Cultivating a New Perspective

I discovered this thanksgiving concept several years prior as I read “One Thousand Gifts.” I was a master of negativity, even the little things I found to complain about with one barrage of “ugh” after another. This book opened my eyes to how I was looking at life, and I became more intentional in acknowledging blessings and embracing what was before me. Learning to give thanks was a start, but still, I was vomiting tiny particles of negativity over beautiful everyday moments.

Regardless, I began to enact the discipline of giving thanks. I didn’t have illustrations yet like the “belly of hell,” but I learned one choice at a time to give thanksgiving. And the more I practiced, the more I realized that gratitude and negativity can not exist in the same breath. We are given opportunities repeatedly to cultivate this, and practicing is essential to giving thanks when it hurts. I learned that sometimes we give praise because it is an overflowing of the thanks we feel in our hearts, and sometimes we give thanks despite the circumstances because this is what we have learned to do. Either way, there is a peace that comes with giving thanks in all things.

As I recently unpacked the story of Jonah, I discovered the realness of Jonah’s experience. Amid his daily routines and plans, Jonah heard God’s call to “Go” (Jonah 1:1,2), and instead, he ran, attempting to flee from God’s Presence. Fleeing from the presence of God. How many times do we try to do this in a day? Do we flee from His presence with the perpetual motion we insist on keeping? Do we flee from His presence when we lack intentionality? When we finally stop moving at the end of the day and turn on a show, stare at a screen, or grab a drink, numbing our minds? Do we flee when we pick up our phones instead of interacting with the human next to us?

Back to Jonah…

As the storm pressed, waves crashed, and the safety that Jonah had chosen for himself began to dismember; he was forced to acknowledge that God meant what He said when He said, “Go.” Jonah’s attempt at escaping the presence of God was only going to lead to death. “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8 NIV. When he realized the imminent destruction of all those around him, he demanded they throw him into the raging sea. He chose to die instead of fleeing anymore from his Creator.

There in the “belly of hell,” Jonah acknowledged his position and the position of God. When he cried out in his lowest moment, God heard him. In stillness, God saved him, allowing him three days and three nights to contemplate his situation. And amid this janked up circumstance, Jonah chose to praise Jehovah. “…but I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving.” Jonah 2:9 KJV

Go

God longs for our stillness and the sacrifice of the voice of thanksgiving. In every circumstance. Like Jonah, once I got to this point of acknowledging my nothingness and need, I had nothing left but a hallelujah. And this beautiful moment of praise changed my heart. Giving thanks changes us, and getting into God’s presence transforms us. Letting go of our worthless idols opens us up to God’s grace and mercy. Every moment matters. If the soul tells you something is off, listen. Be willing to embrace your belly of hell, whatever it might look like, because it might be the very thing that brings you into the life-saving presence of the Life-Giver.

“All my words fall short, I’ve got nothing new, how could I express all my gratitude…So I throw up my hands and praise You again and again ’cause all that I have is a halleleujah…” 🎶Brandon Lake- Gratitude

Stepping Out of the Cyclone

by Caroline on category , , , ,

“In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.”

Dave Hollis

Reflection

Before the first bands of light crept into the black sky on Saturday morning, I immersed myself into the lyrics of the song, “Something Heavenly” by Santus Real. As I reflectively went back in time, I began to write…

Eight years ago today, something shifted within me. Eight years ago today I also awoke in the darkness, but in contrast, today I awoke in peace. That morning the sound of the weather alert, wind and rain, and a sense of urgency to take shelter, broke the sleepy silence; in that moment something inside me stirred. As I hunched in my basement, beneath a roaring train, holding my 5-year-old to my chest, I knew what really mattered.

I see now, the restoration of our home is only a glimpse of the renovation God has done in my heart—renovation leading to restoration. That morning, as the tornado stripped away our roof, my heart’s first layer also became exposed. The realization struck me, we aren’t meant to live, tucked neatly within our four walls and behind picket fences; with the chaos hidden inside. I have since, removed layer, after layer, after layer, of my life, I am now on the other side of the destruction. We have removed not only physical possessions, but also expectations, commitments, debt, and consumerism. I have surrounded myself with what really matters, and what remains, is peace.

Urgency

How do I portray this? My heart aches to share what I have discovered. I see it around me, many in the cyclonic life; the swirling around of everything, except for what truly matters. Let it fall apart. Let the roof come off of your house. I would do it all again in a second. Be willing to be exposed, and real. It’s underneath it all where we are alive. All of these things we think are life are only a semblance that we have constructed. Overfilled schedule and lives are tearing families apart. In a rush to create life, we are losing it! Our society has it all wrong. They tell us- go, go, go– do, do, do –work, work, work – and this becomes a shell of life.

I discovered soul guidance, hidden in Isaiah 30:15, where God tells His people that it is “in quietness and trust ” (NIV) where strength is found. In the King James Version He says, “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.” Over and over again He urges us to stop; “…but you would have none of it”, He says. Although He discouraged their constant motion, they still said, let’s get our horses, let’s fight, let’s run, let’s go…. and like so long ago, He is still longing for us to stop and find our strength.

Stillness

If we clear the chaos even for just a moment, we will hear Him say, your strength, your sanity, your life, is right here with Me. Right here, in the quiet place. But this quiet place, we must create. Quiet and stillness won’t just happen like the inevitable silence that comes immediately after the passing of a tornado. Creating silence feels scary, I know, I’ve been there, but it’s necessary to begin cleaning up.

You can’t begin restoration in the middle of the cyclone of life. First, the roof, your first layer, must be torn off. And then, when the silence ensues, you have a choice to pause for a moment and decide, is where I’ve been worth rushing back to? Sit in that silence a little while and listen to your soul. Is it time for a shift in direction? Time for a cleanout, a cleanup, or a major renovation? This choice is yours, and it’s worth considering.

Movement

So, embrace the chaos of your life, and use it as a warning signal; alerting that that you can’t go on this way. Get in the driver’s seat and be intentional with your time and energy. Life is going to just keep happening, with or without your input; but with intentionality you can end up where you thrive. Surviving may be part of the process, but it’s not the end-point. Be brave enough to live, and start forging your path through the destruction toward what really matters.

Be Inspired – “Say I Won’t” by MercyMe

What if Your Story Didn’t Stay Hidden?

by Caroline on category , , , ,

All I know is I was blind, but now I see…

Heart open and torn, able to feel joy and pain; where I once was numb.

Presence, stillness, and peace; where rushing and worry resided.

Conviction where indifference stood.

Life changed. My life, completely altered.

Tossed and anchorless, controlled by waves of circumstance, emotion, reactivity; now grounded.

Once slave to debt and consumerism; to obligation- to more, more, more…where now there is contentment.

I was living my own death sentence; His death for me in vain.

His beautiful gift of salvation, I accept; with my face to the ground, muddy tears confessing, His blood washing away what used to be!

I accept, hope eternal raised from the dead; I’ve been set free! I feel the freedom, sweet release, I’m bound no more, His saving grace.

Like the blind man, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

I was blind, but now I see!

No turning back…no turning back. 

"When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.' So they called to the blind man, 'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.' Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 'What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said,  'Rabbi, I want to see.' 'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and follwed Jesus along the road." Mark 10:47-52 NIV

When Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” will you have an answer?

What’s your story?

Exposed, and This is Who I Am- Part Two

by Caroline on category , , ,

Every person has an outlook on life; he is seeking his highest joy. Outlook determines outcome…If life is to be rich and meaningful, then our joys must be the highest possible and Jesus tells us that the highest joy possible is to see God.

Warren Wiersbe, Live Like a King

A Constant Practice

I didn’t expect it to take me almost three months to write this follow-up post, misled into thinking I first had to complete my quest to address every single item in the dreaded closet to continue. Again, as I have sorted through so many things, I recognize this is a continual process. Not something to be completed, but a constant evaluation of what I allow to remain. I have rediscovered that learning to live intentionally involves so much more than just getting rid of stuff.

Retrospect

I frequently moved during my childhood; therefore, I spent a lot of my time packing and unpacking items, yet I don’t really remember them. As I went away to college, I took only essentials, leaving excess left behind. I never returned home to appreciate boxes and drawers filled with what I had abandoned.

Although the items left behind no longer held value to me, I just accepted them back into my household, box by box, as I entered adulthood. Instead of intentionally addressing the items, I began to reinforce the habit of thoughtlessly keeping and collecting things, placing value and sentiment onto lifeless items. I was unknowingly creating idols. Giving lifeless items importance, allowing them to steal my space, and hold me down, ultimately allowing them to steal my freedom.

Shifting to Intentionality

Breaking this cycle requires determining the reason for keeping or removing each thing. As I strive to live intentionally, I have to contemplate what I really want out of life? I know my resolution- Freedom. To be free of stuff, free of idols. Desiring to live open and honest and free, my actions, aligning with my values. Leading me to a place to establish a home to nurture family, and growth, and relationships. Home, a place of respite and a place to give my daughter wings to fly- experiencing life without managing stuff. To give each of us the ability to go anywhere, untethered, free.

It’s the fear of leaving the comfortable that held me back for so long. But, as I grow spiritually, I realize this fear is beginning to fade. Because of frequently practicing letting go, I was recently able to experience significant growth. I had an item, which I was more attached to than I had realized.

My Bible, which I had received from my Mom 22 years ago, had played a substantial part in building my relationship with Jesus; full of sentiment and built-in devotionals, my favorite verses marked, and well-worn pages. My Bible, which I thought was an integral part of my connection to Christ. And then, God asked me to give it away. Let go. Follow Him. And I did. The freedom and the growth I have experienced, already reaching so far beyond what I could have imagined! He tells us- Give- Store your treasure in heaven- Come- Follow Me… Trust Me.

Centrifugal Motion

Everything I have must continually be evaluated for purpose, recognizing changing circumstances. I can use each thing to learn from and share or allow it to become an idol. Treasure in heaven can not coexist with treasure on earth. The more I release back to Him, the more freedom I feel. The more I learn to trust, the more alive I become! Experiencing a taste of heaven in the midst of earth. Trusting Him has nothing to do with our bravery and sacrifice. It is the full acknowledgment of what He can do in our lives and what He has already done. We must take ourselves out of the equation, or else we will miss the point. I want nothing in my life that I can not let go of, in trust. He has shown me the beauty and the peace of releasing the comfortable.

Yes, our outlook determines the outcome —every day, a new opportunity to reevaluate what is truly important. I am learning I have to acknowledge, anything that takes me away from what really matters is only a distraction. Anything that takes away from peace in my soul, and time with God or His purpose, is an idol.

Through the removal of things from my life, I have discovered who I am. As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect…”

There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Exposed, and This is Who I Am- Part One

by Caroline on category , ,

It’s been four years since I began the process of decluttering, minimizing, and determining what is essential in my life. As I have experienced this process, I have evolved and grown in ways that I never expected. With repetition, letting go becomes less painful, and the lightness I feel afterward is freeing. The more I recognize I am in control, the more I allow myself to let go, and I am empowered—release, potentiating a cycle of change. I now recognize that the feelings of freedom that have surfaced have become a craving, essential to my wellbeing. I’ve tasted it, and there’s no turning back.

Four years is a long time, and finally, I have recognized the reason why paring down has taken me so long. I have neglected to address everything fully. In my adaptation of minimalism, I tried to justify overlooking the hard stuff. I thought I could do this halfway. Time and again thinking, this is enough paring down, this stuff I don’t want to address right now isn’t hurting anything. But then I realize, it still produces heaviness.

It’s time that I acknowledge; I have a basement closet full of items that I’ve attached sentiment to, and kept “just in case”. No longer can I pretend that they’re not stealing my peace and taking me away from what really matters. We’ve chiseled away so much, and I realize if I don’t do this all the way, we will be missing out.

Read On

Treasure Life.

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