Playing Sublimely

The Great Wall of Prayer

May 19, 2013

full wall It’s the two story wall that leads up to our homeschooling room. It’s a big wall, and I was having a tough time determining how I was going to make it pretty. It was too large of a space to leave it painted the neutral wall color throughout our house, it bored me. I knew it needed something fun. We ascend and descend those stairs at least 20 times a day; and on one of those many trips, it hit me. Yep, that’s gonna be a chalkboard wall of prayer. My husband said, “You’re weird.” I said, “I know, I can’t help it.”We painted the entire wall with chalkboard paint using a two story ladder, a level, an overhead projector, and chalk; and we now have a place to write down our prayers that we bring boldly before the throne of grace. You know you can do that, right? No tipping toeing into His presence with small requests. You can be bold. You should totally have a chalkboard wall too. I’m certain of it.

We hung empty gold picture frames (I’m a picture frame hoarder), so each of us has our own space to write requests.

So now when I sit with the girls at our table, my view towards the stairs is a better one. It makes me happy.
And completely changeable whenever I want it to say something else. I love that. For now though, I’m sticking with asking for mercy. And if you are ever not sure what to pray for, take it from Thomas, just pray for trains. Always pray for more trains.

A few answers to questions you may ask:

-I used chalkboard paint from Home Depot, nothing fancy.

-I did not season the board like everyone in the universe says you must do before you use it the first time. There were two reasons for this. One, the wall was too big and I refused. Secondly, as long as I wipe off the chalk with a wet rag as opposed to a dry eraser, I cannot see any “ghost lettering” that people say will be left behind. It wasn’t an issue for me at all.

-The print font I used is called Barocca Monograms, and the fancier letters I free handed on my own after looking at a few online that I liked. The font of our names is written in Brush Script.

I will most certainly paint another surface in my house with chalkboard paint. I’m irritated it took me this long to do. Be brave. Be bold. Go do it. You will love it.

Filed UnderHomeschooling, My House Tour, Stuff to paint 5 Comments

What If?

May 14, 2013

What if we took Him at His word?

What if we believed Him when He said He is always for us? How would that change the stride in our step? Would there still be fear?

What if we believed Him when He said we had been made new? Would you smile more, maybe if for no other reason than you believed that the old was gone?

What if we believed Him when He said He had removed our sins as far as the east is from the west? Would you lift your head higher, and maybe even praise Him a little louder?

What if we believed Him when He said He would complete a good work in us? Not because of what we had done, but because He was the One who started it to begin with.

What if we admitted our questions, doubts, and fears?

What if were honest enough to say, “I believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!”

What if we took our mustard seed faith to Him and asked Him to grow it?

What if we believed Him when He said we were healed, and we went home expecting to see the evidence?

What if we took Jesus at His word?

What if He really did redeem the very moment the question left our lips?

What if we believed Him for it?

What if it is all true?

What if His grace really is enough? In all circumstances. And what if it’s true that it flows freely?

Well, I think that would change everything.

I think that would mean that He changes everything.

Including you. And me.

Filed UnderJesus 2 Comments

His Voice

May 7, 2013

They told us we would be watching a short film about life and culture in Zimbabwe. Our small and willing group of mission team members sat close on my sectional in our family room. The footage began rolling in old black and white images, and we found ourselves in the 1950′s as a missionary family showed up in Zimbabwe for the first time. No one to greet them, no clear home base destination, just obedient hearts and Jesus. They just showed up. Not only did they not speak the language, there were no roads to even get them to the villages where they wanted to go. No roads, not even a path. So they built one. Using an axe, they began clearing the way for passage through the bush. There were hurting people in those villages, and they had both the medicine and the Truth they needed.

The voice narrating the film was familiar to me. It’s the kind and humble voice of our Missions Pastor. He lived his youth, and much of his life in Zimbabwe. Though he resides here in the states today, his heart and home is still in the villages in Zimbabwe. He climbed the African trees as a boy, and sat high in stands with his best friend whose name was Hamadi. It means “unwanted”. We watched as this family lived out Jesus on earth. One heart, one open wound, one rotting limb, one unwanted child at a time.

I complicate Jesus too often. Though He is inconceivable and incomprehensible, He never asks us to have Him figured out. He doesn’t invite us into a life that is too beyond our grasp of understanding. He doesn’t set us up to fail in relationship with Him. He only asks us to believe, and then to love through that belief. He desires that we show up in our own life, armed with nothing more than Him. Just show up . Leave our own agenda, leave your preconceived ideas about religion, leave your hopes and dreams in our former lives; and just show up and say “I’m willing, make me look like Jesus to this world”.

Halfway through the film, I realized the voice narrating was not the voice I thought it was. It was not the voice of our beloved mission pastor. It was his father’s voice. The one speaking in the film was our mission pastor’s Father…their voices are identical. That reality struck me with such conviction and humility. Both father and son had the same voice, which is the way it should be. The Son of Man came with the same voice as The Father, and we have been grafted into that same lineage. The Father is transforming us into the likeness of His Son. My new prayer is that He will also transform my voice. Yes, I want to look like Jesus; but I really want to sound like Him too. When people hear me speak, I want them to hear the voice of my Father also. I want someone to say about me, “Wow. She sounds a whole lot like her Daddy.” Make it so Lord.

Filed UnderJesus 5 Comments

Looking back and ahead on this Friday

May 3, 2013

April was powerful. We saw a lot of answered prayer in April. I love that. I’m just now at age 36 starting to learn about this whole prayer thing. It turns out, it’s not just a cliche thing Christians do. Who knew? It takes humility and faith to pray; s0 as I humble myself more (or He humbles me more…ouch) I seem to make better progress towards the goal. And here is something else I learned this month…it’s kind of huge and my approach to share it flippantly is somewhat absurd, but He is the goal. Did you know that already? If you did and didn’t tell me, I would like to know why, because that has been kind of a game changer for my life. He is actually the answer to everything (which yes, I know, that really sounds cliche), but I have settled into that truth this month the way I settle into my bed at the end of a long day…and I have discovered rest.

I’ve needed rest, because this past year has been not so restful. Life has been full. Good full, but hard full too. Testing full. Life is showing no signs of letting up, but now that I know Jesus is the answer, I kind of feel better about what’s ahead. And what is ahead? Beautiful Life with Angela Thomas is coming up at the end of this month. She has been in her writing cave studying and praying, and I am so excited about this 2nd conference. You can click here to buy your tickets. I’m flying to Ohio in 3 weeks to speak to a group of women I do not know, but kind of think I might love for the rest of my life once we meet. And then my husband and I leave for Zimbabwe soon after that for 15 days. Ummmm…what? The tickets were booked this week and I wish you could feel my increased heart rate as I type. It’s intense, but in all of it, there is a mysterious peace blanketed over us. It’s warm and familiar and I just want to stay wrapped up.

the3

On the flip side of business, the pace of homeschooling is slowing, which is a tremendous help. Something else that’s a help? My oldest child has become an adult this past month, which is both sad for her momma’s heart, and helpful at the same time. She came to me yesterday and said, ” I spent thirty minutes on the phone with Apple Support trying to fix the problem. They couldn’t figure it out and so I made us an appointment at the Apple Store at 2:20.” Wow. My ten year old sat at the Genius Bar solving the world’s problems with some guy named Mo, and I sat at the Idiot Bar in the corner waiting for her to be done. Let me say it again, that child is my gift. While Ella is running the world, my middle joy is doing the thing all middle children do, trying to figure out where her place is, other than stuck in the middle. She’s doing it with grace and beauty that is far more mature than her age, and I’m so proud. And then through all the chaos and fullness, there is Thomas. The one who is always smiling, always agreeable, and always genuinely joyful in all circumstances. Thomas in a nutshell is this: when I tell him to go get his shoes on so we can leave for swimming, he happily goes and puts on his flippers and waits for me patiently at the door. I. could. die.

And if my children were not enough to overflow my heart, my sister this week texted me this message below. Her son sent in his application to the mission committee before she was able to proofread it. The committee emailed my sister a copy and said, “Tell Jack thanks for laughs.” The two questions:

1. What is your intended vocation? His answer: Pastor

2. How would someone describe you who knew you well? His answer: Super, super attractive, and sort of nice.

jacks

So if anyone is in need of a super, super attractive 14 year old pastor…who is sort nice; please let me know. I’ve got your man.

Life with kids can be so fun, and now the weekend is here which means my man will be home, and we will all be living on a soccer field. My non-cliche prayer for you this weekend is that you would be bold in prayer. Even if it feels weird, even if it feels like you are only talking to yourself. Take whatever your thing is into the Throne Room of the Most High, and speak it to Him boldly. He didn’t suffer and die on a cross so that we would tiptoe into His presence. In utmost reverence and humility, be bold, He’s waiting to hear from you. Enjoy your weekend sweet sisters.

PS: All these photos can be found on my Instagram, my favorite social media. You can find me there at playing_sublimely.

Filed UnderA mother's heart, Beautiful Life Conference, Jesus 2 Comments