Whispers on Your Heart

God has spoken something over you--something that seems impossible--

something you can't comprehend with your own understanding.

Do You Believe His Promise?

Do You Believe He is Capable?

What is Your Response?

Have you Penned a Song of Praise?

Write a song of praise to God today for all that He has whispered into your heart.  You may not understand the timing, the specifics, or the how--but God hasn't asked you to.  God asks for a willing heart, an obedient heart, a heart that believes that He is who He says He is.  

Sit down and pen a song of praise to God.  Sing that song out everyday and everyday sing it louder and bolder.  When the seeds of doubt threaten to take root--fill your heart with so much praise for who God is and all that He is capable of that there is no room for worry, fear, or anxiousness.

Your song is your testimony.  

Don't sing of what you don't know...

Sing of who you know. 

Your God has filled your heart with purpose, He has whispered words of promise over you.

Sing Your Song of Praise because your God is Who He Says He is...

What He has spoken will not come back void.

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

He is capable--though He may whisper...

He is powerful--though He may be calm...

It is in the gentle whispers, where His calm presence overwhelms our hearts, 

where His power transforms His promise into something of great purpose.

Expecting Hearts

As I walk down the aisles of the local store, I see the shelves and shelves full of easter bunnies, candies of every kind, eggs in every color, and baskets of every shape and size.  Its so easy to get in the mindset of, just another year, just another easter!  Easter bunnies and baskets are just a fun tradition of a cultural holiday, but I wonder as Christians, how many times we let the season pass us by and think to ourselves, "Just another Easter."

Growing up in Christian school and going to church as a family, I studied God.  I studied the Bible, I memorized scriptures, I was tested on the qualities and characteristics of God.  I studied God but did I really know God?  It wasn't until I was in my late twenties that I truly realized that while I knew of God and pursued His word---I had never really understood or pursued Relationship with God.   Studying God built my foundation, reading His word strengthened my understanding, but pursuing relationship has transformed my faith.

It is easy to get burnt out on faith, on religion, on church when we merely study God at a distance.  Its so easy to just think to ourselves--just another Sunday, just another Service.  When you are in relationship with God, you go from sitting at a distance, looking on from afar, to sitting face to face and seeing for yourself that God has something to say to you today.  Relationship creates an excitement in you because you long to see and hear what God has to say to you each and everyday.  He is not just the God of the Old Testament, He is not just the God of the New Testament, He is not just the God who dwells in the church----He is the God of your awakening, He is the God of you slumber, He is the God of His most Holy Temple--YOU.  Relationship changes Everything.

This year, as Easter approaches, lets focus on encountering God.  Lets have an excitement, a stirring in our souls, because it's not just another Easter--Its an opportunity to celebrate your relationship with God, for who He is, for who He was, and for all that He has done to pursue relationship with You.

This is not just another Year, This is not just another Service.  This is Your Year, This is Your Service.

Expecting Hearts Experience Extravagant Encounters.

Captured Chaos

Do you know what the beauty of photography is?  

To me it is the captured moment.

It is the moment of calm that you find in the midst of all the chaos.

I had a friend text me and say, "Thanks for Capturing our Chaos."  I thought about that and laughed because isn't that the truth!  We know of all the tears, the kiddos that just didn't want to sit still, the bribery with M&M's (sometimes for both kids and parents!), the stress of just trying to get a few good photos.  Others will see the developed picture though and have no idea the back story behind it--they will simply just see a captured moment of a family smiling together in perfect unity.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret--not every picture a photographer takes is good or even usable (Shh, I know..shocking!).  Sometimes it takes hundreds of photos just to find the few that are frame worthy.  I used to be so hard on myself because I would want to just click my camera and have a perfect picture come out--I got so mad when I would sit down and find only 10 good photos in the midst of 100.  I longed to be perfect like every other photographer (because we always believe everyone else has it all figured out).

I realized though that you have to take lots of pictures in order to find that one moment of calm in the midst of all the chaos.  If you don't keep clicking, keep refocusing, you will miss that split second moment when a smile erupts, when eyes sparkle, and when a personality is captured by a simple expression.  You can't give up because you never know when that moment will come.

Life is a lot like photography.  There is chaos all around us--events in our life that make us think that there is no way we can capture any beauty in the midst of all this.  The devil attacks us with every obstacle there is and everything inside of us just wants to give up, but then that still small voice inside us says--don't give up, don't give in, keep trying.

Not everyone will understand your journey and all the work you have put into becoming who you are.  Not everyone will see your depth or your fight or your unwillingness to give up.  People only get to see captured moments--when everything looks simple, normal, and fine.  My encouragement to you though is to look at those pictures and moments in your life, remember all the chaos behind the scenes, and smile big because while it may have taken a hundred tries, you did it.  You are stronger than you think you are.  You are more beautiful than you think you are.  Your life has more purpose than what you think it does.  You are God's workmanship, His art--You my dear are frame worthy.

Don't stop capturing life's moments, no matter how chaotic things may get because there is ALWAYS beauty in the midst of chaos, you just have to be willing to look for it.