Fear? Goodness, no! {part 1: POWER}

May 9, 2013May 9, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 5 Comments

by Heather Spring

There’s a new book that’s been an instant favorite around this joint:

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

It’s main theme is having confidence throughout the day, come what may. A repetitive line in it goes like this: “Does Pete worry? Goodness, no!”

I’ve been thinking about what life would feel like FREE from worry, fear, anxiety, and insecurity. God’s doing a new thing in me. I want it said of me: “Does Heather worry? Goodness, no!” Do I believe that can be a reality? Yes, yes, I do. More and more every day. But… I do know what it feels like to be in the grip of fear, only to end up a coward. I’ve also drank the waste-your-days-in-worry-kool-aid, unfortunately I awoke faced with unchanged circumstances that tempted me to fill up my glass with more of the same. My fears have kept me from really loving people, trusting others, and ultimately trusting God.

Do you know how many times the Bible says: “Fear Not”?

It is said that there are 366 “Fear not’s” in the Bible—one for every day of the year, including Leap Year! God doesn’t want us to go a single day without hearing His word of comfort: “Fear not!”

I think there are a few reasons God has to repeat Himself when it comes to the subject of fear:

1. We are a fearful, anxious people (a.k.a. a bunch of scaredy cats). If you are sitting there all proud, murmuring to yourself, “I’m not anxious. I’m not scared of anything!” Then you’re worse off than the rest of us, for you are even too scared to admit your “scaredness” to yourself. There… I said it, you’re welcome. We all have heard horrific stories of what others have gone through that have left us speechless. The fact is, we fear losing what we love. We love people. We have dreams we’re fond of. We desire comfort and a life of ease, and there are numerous, possible scenarios that threaten these things we call precious.

2. We are not home. It’s like we know our address but somehow we can’t escape the reality that we’ve been left bunking with our crazy uncle who’s hell-bent on not following the rules and indifferent to the fact his snuggly, cuddly blanky is filthy and the pacifier he’s joyfully sucking on is actually a grenade. He blissfully drifts off to la-la-land to escape this hopeless chaos. Our “now” is messed up, I don’t have to tell you that. This world is broken and it isn’t our home.

3. There are just some things that we have to be told over and over and over again. Like “don’t chew with your mouth open,” or “wash your hands after you use the restroom,” or “please, don’t pass gas at the dinner table.” (I live with boys, enough said.) “Don’t fear” falls into God’s category of musts in repetitive instruction.

Here are a few examples of this repetition of care and love for us:

Are you fearful about your future?
“Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you” (Gen. 26:24)

Moms & dads, are you fearful about providing for your family?
“So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (Gen. 50:21)

College students, teens, men, and women:
Are you fearful of what can happen if you go against the crowd?
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord,” (Exodus 14:13)

Are you anxious about what He’s called you to?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6)

Christ followers, we have one voice saying: “Don’t fear, be SECURE & CONFIDENT in the One that lives IN you!” And then we have this other voice that is saying quite the opposite, don’t we? “The accuser of the brethren” wants to cause you to doubt, waver, question, and live trapped in insecurity. He delights when you are uncertain of who you are and what you are capable of!

As a little girl, my dad taught me 2 Timothy 1:7 in song form. I bet you want to hear it don’t you?

Here it is…

Let me paraphrase this verse in 2 Timothy: “This spirit of fear that you have, yeah, that’s not of Him… but let me tell you WHAT IS FROM HIM: Three ah-mazing gifts…

POWER, LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND.

I’m going to break this verse down in three separate blog posts.
In {part 1}, I want to spend time on this first gift that we’ve been given that combats fear: POWER. And {part 2} I’ll expand on LOVE. And finally {part 3}: A SOUND MIND + a chance to enter a giveaway. Whoop whoop!

So the first gift: POWER

The Greek translation is “Dunamis” (doo’-nahm-is): strength power, ability
It comes from the word Dynamite! I LOVE THIS!

I truly believe, we don’t need more of Him—we need less of us! When you invite Christ in, He’s not just a little in, He’s ALL IN! And this ALL includes a power that can only be associated with dynamite! Boom!

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”(Acts 1:8)

We have received this POWER, supernatural, out of this world, power—the same power that raised Christ from the dead—and He LIVES IN US! (Romans 8:11). How in is He? He’s ALL IN? And how secure can we be? Completely Secure! Why? Because we can muster up this power? Goodness, no! Because, we’ve got HIS power pulsing through our veins, making us courageous, fueling our fire, engaging a supernatural strength that has everything to do with His IN-ness! (I’m typing so fast I’m making up words now!)

“His divine POWER has given us everything we need for a godly life…” (2 Peter 1:3)

What do we have to fear? Who can come against us?

Nobody.

No one.

Not a single soul.

Nothing in this world or out of this world!

Does that not make you feel a little bit stronger? A little more confident? Does it make you want to do courageous things for the glory of God? It should!

And here we are missing out, living locked up and shaken up—fearful in our todays and doubting He’ll be with us in our tomorrows.

All the while, He most adamantly says, “I’M ALL IN! Why are you insecure? Why are you fearful? MY SPIRIT LIVES IN YOU!”

So when I’m lacking the power and living in fear, plagued by insecurities, worrying my life away, living out of self-preservation – it is my choice!

Do you need to fear? Goodness, no!

I’d love to hear your thoughts…

**{part 2: LOVE} will be posted on Monday (5/13).
{part 3: A SOUND MIND} will be posted on Thursday (5/16).
So, if you haven’t subscribed this would be a great time to do so! You’ll receive the new posts in your little virtual mailbox. Ok? There’s my plug. You totally don’t want to miss out on the giveaway! Plus, there’s so much more in this Scripture to discuss!

Hiding

April 11, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 6 Comments

by Heather Spring

After Zachariah wakes from his afternoon nap there are a series of events that follow.

The very first thing: “I hungry, Mom!” SNACK TIME!

The next: “Let’s play cars!” CAR TIME!

The other day, after bringing him his snack I left the room to change over some laundry. A few minutes later I called out to him, “Are you done, Zach? You ready to go play with your cars?”

There was no response. So I walked into the living room and saw him hunched down behind the arm of the couch. “Wacky Zachy Dean, come on, let’s go play with your cars upstairs!” Silence. “You know you want to!” I said playfully. His response, “I’m hiding, Mom.”

“Hiding? Why? You want me to find you?”

“No.”

“Buddy, I want to play with you.” It brought back memories of when we were potty training. Both my boys would always “hide” in hopes to evade the dreaded number two. So, I thought, just in case, I’d ask, “Do you need to go poopie?”

“Nope. I’m just hiding.”

I let it go a few minutes more before I began my next tactic… the lure. “Zach,” I called out to him at the top of the stairs, “I’m upstairs looking at your cars. Do you want to join me? Come see some of the cars I’ve got lined up here.” Surely, that will seal the deal.

“I’m hiding.”

Hmmm… If that didn’t get him running over himself to get upstairs, there was obviously something HE was hiding.

I decided to investigate a little more thoroughly. “Hiding, huh? Well, I think I can find you.” I could see the top of his brown-hair poking out from around the arm of the couch. As I knelt down next to him, “You weren’t hiding very well…” And then as I took in my next breath, my investigation was complete. I could “smell” why he was hiding. “Zachy?” I patted him on the bottom, “You poopied in your pants!?” My fully-potty-trained-3-year-old had momentarily forgotten the sequence of events that are supposed to happen when one needs to “go.”

Rushing him to the bathroom, he continued to deny the evidence.

Zach had made a mistake… you could say, he went “toot” far. And his fear of Mom’s wrath led him into hiding and denial. (I’m that scary, people!)

Reminds me of a conversation I’ve read many many times.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (Genesis 3: 8-10)

Adam and Eve had a lot in common with my Zachariah. Because of fear they went into hiding. Playing with matchbox cars wasn’t on the top of their list, but strolling and conversing with their Creator God was. And just like Zach, these two had a nugget in their drawers—they had eaten from the only tree in the Garden that was off-limits.

God: “Where are you two?”

A & E: “We’re hiding.”

God: “Well, that’s silly. It’s a beautiful day for a stroll, don’t you think? Let’s walk and talk.”

A & E: “We’re hiding.”

Adam and Eve’s shame over the sin they had committed kept them in hiding. They weren’t very good at hiding either. He could probably see their little heads ducking behind the trees as they tried to stand as still as they could. Our hiding keeps us from dealing head on with the issue we’ve made between us. No matter what has caused us to go into hiding, nothing is too “bad” that we need to stay tucked behind trees or a couch.

So here’s the gist of my lesson learned… are you ready? Don’t let the poop get in between you and God.

God wants to show us that if we present ourselves to Him, our mess and all, that our relationship can be immediately restored as we confess and as He reminds us of His tree. He says, “If you are looking to hide, I have a great spot. You can hide behind my tree… the cross.” If we have put our faith in Him we are IN Him… we are covered by what happened on His tree. So if you’re going to hide, hide there and only there, for the cross of Christ frees us to enjoy that same relationship that Adam and Eve began in the Garden.

So… come out, come out, wherever you are! May we not miss moments with Him due to our shame, guilt, pride, and sin. He’s bigger than all that stuff.

Zach learned that although I wasn’t happy that it happened, (and, yes, he gets that I don’t want him filling his britches anytime he wants), ultimately, I love him and nothing he does is worth breaking our relationship. Nothing. There’s moments to be had together, adventures to share, cars to be driven. I am called to train him up into a successful human being. Part of that training requires moments where discipline is a healthy part of our relationship. But even then love is at the heart of my no’s, do’s, don’t do’s, tearful talks, and consequences. I long for him to understand, even in those moments, that he doesn’t have to let mistakes rob us of sweet time together. He should never let the poop come between us.

Why do we close our eyes?

March 18, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 6 Comments

by Heather Spring

I tried out an experiment on my husband the other day. I wondered what it would be like to keep my eyes open while kissing him. So, unbeknownst to him, I didn’t close my eyes. I’m not talking about taking a little peeky-peek here and there, I’m talking my eyes were open as WIDE AS CAN BE through the entire kiss. I think I just might know what you’re thinking: “You’re such a fun wife!” (Ladies, you should definitely try this one on your hubby! Spice things up, will ya?) But now that I’m thinking about it, he hasn’t really wanted to kiss me lately… hmmm…

So why do we close our eyes when we kiss?

I’ve read a few theories, but even scientists have tried to figure this out, and still don’t have a definitive answer. Some say when we close our eyes it eases the strong emotional pressure that we feel while kissing. Others believe closing our eyes is a natural response to something being that close to our eyes. From my now limited experience, I would have to add that seeing your love—pores magnified to the 1,000th degree, facial hair courser than you once imagined, and the merging of two eyes into one—is very distracting. (He still has the cutest eye I’ve ever seen.)

Another random thought for this Monday: why do we close our eyes when we pray?

Why do you? Or do you?

I don’t always close my eyes. If I’m driving I definitely keep them open, you’re welcome. I have prayed at times while cooking, again eyes stay open. (*FYI: The time I caught my hair on fire was not because I was trying to cook and pray at the same time.)

Is praying with your eyes closed mandated in Scripture? Nope. I’ve looked, but never found a single verse that says, “Thine eyes must be closed whilst speaking to Jesus.” The Bible simply calls us to pray… and to pray without stopping (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If we only talked to God with our eyes closed and we strived to follow this command to begin an unending prayer, then we’d never get anything else done. But what the writer, Paul, is really calling us to is constant communication with God. With eyes open or closed.

There are times that something catches my eye and I have to talk to God about it. And with this sight He has given me I can “see” beyond this world and into needs that are much deeper than one’s skin. It’s truly an honor to experience “beyond-me” moments. And I pray, in that moment, for that need, for that soul, for His glory. But there are times in prayer that I NEED to close my eyes. It’s like going in for a kiss; it’s a natural response to close my eyes. It’s part of my response to living by faith. In Heaven, when my faith becomes sight, I’m quite certain I won’t ever feel the need to close my eyes while I’m talking to Him (that would be awkward for both of us). But here and now, I can’t see His face, or touch His hands, or feel His arms, or see His smile. I’m living in the “not yet”. So when I do talk to Him with my eyes closed, I can tune out the temporal things of this world for a moment and set my spiritual eyes on Him. Sometimes I like to close my eyes when I sing to Him. I like to picture the One I’m singing to. I like to imagine His face as I tell Him through song just how much He means to me. For me, it’s a form of setting my heart on Christ, and for this human being that has a heart that is prone to wander, I do what I can to direct my eyes and attention on the One I’m talking to or singing to.

So I close my eyes for my eyes to be opened.

There’s nothing like meditating on the images in Revelation that describe the throne room of God. Imagining my King, in all of His splendor, sitting high and exalted on His throne as I join the song that’s on constant repeat in Heaven: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND IS AND IS TO COME! (Revelation 4:8). My simple voice adding to the chorus of Heaven as a multitude of voices ring out adoration and praise to the One who’s worthy, yet hearing Him take notice, “I hear you, Heather. Keep singing, sweet girl!”

So as I close my eyes on this dreary, cool, I-can’t-believe-it’s-already-Monday morning, I’m filled up. My eyes are closed and my heart is open, as I fix my eyes on the One that loves me like no other. Who leads me on this path that has been set before me. Heart fixed on a God who became man and died for me. Who then defeated death so that I might live… really live. Who knows my name. Who knit me together in my mother’s womb and knew me intricately before my parents ever held me in their arms. Who knows what I’ve done in my past and not only still loves me… but likes me and invites me into a greater story.

So wherever you are today, continue your unending prayer. Or maybe you just need to begin one. Whatever your posture: kneeling, sitting, standing, lying down, eyes open, or eyes closed. And in your doing: walking, eating, drinking, cuddling, typing, organizing, working, wiping little noses, playing, driving, speaking, laughing, serving, loving, crying, or kissing with your eyes open…. may we accept the invitation to converse with the Creator of the Universe about all things.

Anyone have something I can be praying about today?

I am mad at you!

February 5, 2013February 5, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 3 Comments

by Heather Spring

My son Noah is five and is learning so much this year! He’s been working on writing words. He’s learned how to break down sounds and write what he hears. I am a VERY proud momma! So the other day he handed me this note:

I held it in my hand and sounded it out: ” I am mad at you!” Staring down at the penguin notebook, I immediately started praising him for writing a sentence, “Buddy, that’s GREAT! I can read this—good job!” As I began to look up, still commending him for his job well done, I was greeted with a big scowl and arms folded in disgust. “Ooooh,” I said, “I get it… you’re mad at me! I’m sorry I’ve made you mad… but, YOU ARE WRITING!”

I’ve been thinking about this over the last few days. And it’s made me think about my relationship with God. (There’s nothing like a good old fashion hate note to get you thinking, right?) When we accept Jesus as Lord, we are told that we can call Him Abba! Daddy! (Romans 8:15) He says we can speak to Him. We can crawl up in His “spiritual” lap and enjoy simply being with our Daddy. We can tell Him anything… even that we’re mad at Him. We can storm off to our room and then slip Him a note on a penguin pad that says, “I um mad at yo! (Insert mad face with VERY furious eyebrows!) We can fold our arms and give Him the best pouty face we can dare muster up.

Communicating our frustration with Him is better than the alternative… not talking to Him at all. Not trusting Him with our feelings, with our frustrations, or with our disappointments. Growing distant or giving God the silent treatment does not grow our relationship—it hinders it.

I have to admit, that’s a habit/cycle in my life that I’ve had to work really hard to break. There have been times I’ve thought I could teach my spouse a lesson by giving him the cold shoulder. I’ve grown cold to friends in hopes that they would get the message that “I am not happy with you!” I’ve even thought I could teach God a lesson, by pulling away. But lack of communication with God hurts us. Distance cannot mend. It cannot bring about healing or understanding. It is not a relationship builder—it is a relationship breaker. It thwarts growth and steals the opportunity to love despite differing opinions. And lets be honest, we have a skewed and limited perception of real love and what that looks like. Can’t we just take Him at His word that Father knows best?

I’m thankful Noah felt comfortable enough to say to me, “I am mad at you!” I want to know how he’s feeling. Maybe truth will reign as we communicate. And maybe he’ll hear my heart as I seek to show him there is love even in discipline. There’s love even in the “No’s.” That simple expression of frustration might usher in deeper intimacy and trust despite feelings. Honesty is vital! You can’t understand His love for you if you are not willing to be real before your Daddy.

Maybe there’s someone out there that needs to stop being religious and start being real. Sometimes we play the “I’m fine” card when we are anything BUT fine!

Have you had this conversation?

“What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” I say, purposefully not making eye contact and scrubbing the counter.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem fine.”
“I’m FINE!” I say with more force as I seek more things to clean in a rage. (Sidenote: you think you can get a lot of cleaning done when you’re mad, but you just start cleaning in circles. I don’t recommend it.)

My husband won’t let me play the “I’m fine” card. Here’s one of my favorite moments when I tried to play my card and Dallas called me out! We’d had the above conversation and at that point he had been following me around as I cleaned in huff. After tailing me from room to room with no interaction he said, “I feel like Patrick Swayze in that scene in Ghost when he’s following around Demi before he realizes he’s a ghost.” At that point I turned and made eye contact with him and began laughing so hard I seriously forgot what I had been fuming about. And after I remembered… I was mad again… just kidding! We had honest communication and the relationship was strengthened.

God’s not Patrick Swayze. He’s alive! He longs for us to be real and talk to Him… even if we need to confess, “I’m mad at You!”

Tell Him how you are feeling even if you know that you are not justified in your feelings! Honest confession is not only beneficial in this relationship, but it’s necessary. And the good news is… if He has anything to do with it, you won’t stay mad long. His kindness leads to repentance and repentance leads to our growth and growth leads us to wholeness and in our wholeness we mirror our Daddy. And there’s nothing like looking more like Him.

So what do you need to say to Him today?

Today’s Altar

January 30, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 3 Comments

by Holly Ann (artwork provided by Kathrine Tripp)

Often, when Heather and I share our story, we close the service with a time of “remembering.” We’ll place river rocks in designated spots throughout the room, and invite people to pause and reflect on the difficult times that God has seen them through. The next step is for each of them to write words on these rocks that identify those times. Finally, we encourage everyone to take their rock and place it somewhere in a prominent place at their home or work as a visual reminder of God’s faithfulness.

I have a rock that sits on my dresser at home. The words “FAMILY, HEALTH, DREAMS” tattoo my rock as a reminder of key moments in my life that God intervened and turned my circumstances around. There have even been times when I catch a glimpse of my rock that I physically have to pause. Overwhelming peace rushes in as I remember once again how faithful of a God I serve!

This practice is very similar to what is seen throughout the Old Testament. Recently, I’ve been camping out in the book of Genesis and have been reminded of the importance of altars. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, just to name a few, regularly built altars to worship the LORD. These altars were extremely significant. They symbolized communion with the LORD. They were a place of worship and a place to remember His covenant and promises.

Last week I found myself asking, “What ‘altar’ have I prepared for the LORD lately?” These moments in Scripture captured the heart of God; they got His attention. I wanted a visual—SOMETHING—even a physical act that I could perform to thank God for His goodness in my life. I wrestled with these thoughts all day. Later that night, after sharing this growing tension inside of me with my hunk-of-a-man, Aaron reminded me that it’s not about the “altars” we prepare, IT’S OUR LIVES.

Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice” – 1 Samuel 15:22

Honestly, I REALLY didn’t like this answer. It seemed too simple. I wanted something a little more complicated. But the more I pondered this, I realized that this is the ultimate sacrifice to the LORD and there is NOTHING easy about it! Scripture is actually quite clear.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” – Romans 12:1

HERE’S THE PRACTICAL TAKE-AWAY:

The way we honor Him… the way we remember His faithfulness… is with our lives.

Today, we don’t build our altar and then walk away. Our altar moves. It walks. It talks. We remember His goodness in how we respond to conflict. We remember His faithfulness when we show compassion to those in need around us. We remember His grace when we honor our spouse. We remember His love when we choose to forgive the person who’s devastated us. We celebrate His death and resurrection when we work at our daily, mundane tasks with a grateful heart.

It is our constant, rising aroma of worship.

I fully know that I will FAIL maintaining this level of “remembrance” in my life, but when I do (and unfortunately that is more often than I’d like) I fall back on His grace and remember once again…

LORD, this LIFE is yours!
And I will remember you with ALL of me.

Alive

January 9, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / Leave a comment

I’ve been a bit teary this morning as I’ve been reading God’s Word. It’s in these moments when the Word seems so clear…

an exposing of deeds,

of thought,

of motive,

of desire.

There’s nothing like it. There’s NOTHING like Him! How can a book contain such treasures that I can read it until the day I die and still continue to have awakenings and “Aha” moments that leave me speechless? I have to confess, I’m fearful of growing cold. I’m fearful that I will miss Him, simply because I don’t care. But this morning was a reminder that,

The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

We have a personal God. And by His very Spirit that has made it’s home in every believer and through His Word that’s alive and active, we are

ushered into peace,

given hope,

promised a future,

granted joy that sustains.

We may fear that we will fail Him… but HE WILL NEVER FAIL US!

HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU!

His promise to never leave or forsake US is one aspect of His love that draws me back to Him every day. Today was one of those mornings. It was almost as if God Himself nestled Himself beside me. In one hand he cupped my shoulder, pulling me in as if to cradle me in an embrace, and with the other He held His book and read His Letter into my ears. His voice is peaceful but strong. It’s thick and full, yet quiet all at the same time. I remember a time that all this black, white, and red didn’t mean much. I knew that it should, but it didn’t. Being “born again” is real. A new Heather came to life with new eyes and a new heart. I’m not bragging here… well, if I’m bragging I can only brag about the grace that’s been extended to me. The veil has been removed.

… but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

Do you know Him? Have you let Him speak His Word over your heart today? What is He saying to you? I’d love to hear what you are learning. Feel free to post a phrase or maybe a Scripture that’s been heavy on your heart as a way of fulfilling our calling to…

… encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13)

2000 was a life changing year for us. There were moments we didn’t know if we would survive, but God’s love rescued our hearts. For those out there that are hurting, confused, angry… there is hope. Real hope! Our lives are evidence of that hope and a God that is real and His love that’s healing.

Feel free to connect with us on our facebook page: DancingOnMyAshes

To order the book:

Amazon
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Video made by: Rob Lyons Productions

Dancing On My Ashes | The Story

January 4, 2013January 6, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 19 Comments

by Heather Spring

Zachariah is a smarty pants. He only leaves out a few letters when he sings his ABC’s! Seriously, people, my Wacky Zachy Dean is A GEEENIOUUUUS. What’s the saying – “The apple doesn’t fall far from the oak”… no… the tree, right? Or, I’ve got it! He’s a chip off the old… that squarey-thingy… Ok, darn, he must get all his smarts from his daddy! My point in all of this is we are constantly learning new things, but do we get this excited about it!? I love at the end when he cheers for himself! “Whoo-Hoo!”

Here’s my thought of the day: Let’s celebrate the growth that happens in our lives. I’m not saying we need to pat ourselves on the back, but I do think we need to stop and rejoice over the work He is doing in us. Is He doing something in you? For me, the Lord has been really pounding me with verses on peace. (For those doing Women’s Bible Study at LPC, you’ll recognize this verse!)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

I am learning this…

learning…in the process of.

But things are happening in my heart that can only be the work of One greater than me. Today I’m reading this verse and pausing to say, “Whoo-Hoo! Lord, I’m thankful for the work you are doing in me. I’m overjoyed at the constant rewiring you are accomplishing in my mind. My heart leaps just knowing that You WILL NOT STOP. You are relentless and I love your determination. Because I am prone to fear, to fret, to worry, but You are calling me to take in Your peace. Peace that calms seas. Peace that remains even when my circumstances don’t change. May I let You continue teaching me about this peace that you offer so freely and this call to not fear.”

Now I think I might eat some yogurt.

How about you? Do you have something to Whoo-Hoo about? I’d love to hear…

Whoo-Hoo!

October 5, 2012January 5, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 1 Comment

No Eye. No Ear. No Mind.

August 1, 2012January 5, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / Leave a comment

by Heather Spring

This artwork hangs in my home. It is probably my favorite thing in my house. Not probably, it is, besides my husband and children. When I see it, my heart smiles. I love it for many reasons.

One. It was made by my sweeter-than-a-bowl-full-of-jelly-beans friend, Kris Crawford. She has such a gift from our Father. Her hands were made to worship in this way! And Kris’ worship now leads me to worship when I pass by these paintings standing tall in my home.

Two. As you can see the words here are from Scripture. 1 Corinthians 2:9. I love that God’s Word is alive and active and He promises that it will never return void. So anytime it goes out, you will return with something, even if you’ve read the same verse over and over. I have read this verse a lot. I can’t give you a number or anything, but before it hung in my house I had read it and reread it throughout my years of being a follower of Christ (and before). I don’t know if you are like me, but there are times I read a verse and I have one of those WOW moments that leave you sitting there with your mouth slightly ajar coupled with an extra heartbeat or two. I LOVE when this happens. It is exhilarating. I have read this verse at different times in my life. Sad times. Happy times. Times of ease and times of searching for answers. And each time it has been a call to trust Him fully, rest knowing He has unimaginable good for us when we live loving Him. There’s no eye, no ear, and no mind that can comprehend or dream up what God has in store for those that love Him. I’m taking this verse in today over and over and my heart is leaping over this promise and my eyes get a bit teary, but that’s ok. I’m thankful that God is patient with me because I have to say I am a slow learner and I learn better with repetition. So to have this hanging in my house is good for me.

Three. Today was one of those WOW days. I had a bit of insomnia about 3 am this morning and I couldn’t stop thinking about this verse. Twelve years ago two very special people in my world stepped from this life to the next. And as I was lying there in bed this morning, I was thanking God that their faith became sight. Because they loved their God and had put their trust in Him, they stepped into eternity seeing in that moment, the One that they had put their faith in. I can only imagine how that might have felt. I dream of that moment… the excitement to actually see Jesus’ face. Feel His arms. I wonder if I’ll spend a few minutes touching His face saying, “Here’s the face I’ve been dreaming about!” I wonder if I’ll have one of my laughing-so-hard-you-start-crying moments. I can dream all I want. I can close my eyes and work hard to try and conjure up what I think it might look like or feel like to experience “what God has prepared for those who Love Him.” But even in my grandest attempts, they will never be good enough or sweet enough, or capture the WOW moment that will be mine on that day.

Four. I have analyzed those birds to artsy death. On the left canvas there are two birds on a wire. Waiting. Sitting. Longing. Maybe dreaming. Wanting to fly, but not. On the right, mirroring the second half of the Scripture, they are taking flight. They are now experiencing what they were created for. Should I start singing, “Wind Beneath My Wings” now? (It would fit, right?) Sometimes I think that the birds represent James and Scott. They are now experiencing wholeness of life that the rest of this broken world groans for. Or maybe I’m one of the birds. Maybe it’s a snapshot of Holly and I before and after our awakening. Or maybe it’s Dallas and I. Or our two boys. As a mom who loves her God and loves her children, I pray that they will understand His great love for them and choose to take flight. For me, there’s no other choice. I believe that this verse is true and that I can trust in this God. He is the only reason I can really live, move, love… fly. I KNOW Heaven will be amazing! It.will.BLOW.our.minds! But until then we get to fly here and now, experiencing even now what He has prepared for those that Love Him. Too often I don’t take advantage of the “flight” He’s prepared for me… on this earth. He has prepared good things for us TODAY. I can lose sight of that too often.

Are you one of these birds? If so, which bird are you?

So, be encouraged, birds, I mean, friends… if you know Him, let’s LOVE Him. Let’s let Him love us. Let’s hope, dream, let faith rise up, as we spread our wings and live and move all for His great name’s sake. He loves us. Sometimes I have to say it until I really get it: He loves us! He loves you. While we have breath in our lungs, may we enjoy journeying with Him. If you don’t know Him, you can. (Feel free to message me if you have questions. But here’s the gist… He loves you regardless of whether you love Him or not. He died a death to bring you life. You can accept this love, by talking directly to Him, confessing your need of His blood that covers your sin. And believe in Him and begin following Him. Amazing love that leads to life, not death!)

Numbers five through seven. Kris made the branches out of newspaper. Some of the headlines and content crack me up. It’s a personal joy/game as I search out what other treasures are threaded in my trees.

(If you want a one-of-a-kind piece of worship for your home, feel free to contact Kris at kriscrawfordis@gmail.com. SHE IS THE AWESOMESTEST!)

Honor Your Father

June 14, 2012January 7, 2013 / dancingonmyashes / 2 Comments

by Heather Spring

I wrote this last year as a tribute to my Fathers. As this Father’s Day approaches I couldn’t stop thinking about this post, so thought I’d edit/update my tribute and share it on our blog…

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The Bible says to “honor your father” (Exodus 20:12). Well, it would be my pleasure to do so… right now! I often get teary-eyed for a few reasons on Father’s Day. The main reason used to be because I miss my daddy. He’s been in Heaven for 13 years… probably only feels like a few moments to him, I’m not sure, but for us time stands still at times when we feel the weight of our loss. Here’s the only picture of “us” that I have. For those of you in a large family you probably can relate. I have many pictures of my dad, but this is the only one that’s just us. It’s priceless.

(Here’s me and my dad! Can’t wait to see him again.)

There’s so many things I’d like to talk to my dad about. I wish he was here to see all that’s happened since his death. I would love for him to know what God has continued to do in our lives because of the legacy that he began in us. Maybe he knows… he probably does. But what I wouldn’t give to be sitting next to him and sharing stories, sharing laughs, and sharing some ice-cold gummy bears.

The great thing about my God is this, when I lost my earthly father, God opened my eyes to see that He was and always had been my Father. So whether I had someone to call “Daddy” or not, He loved me. I totally get the verse in the Bible that says, He is a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). As alone as I’ve felt at times, strangely enough, I have never been alone. (And then if that wasn’t enough, which it really is, but He went another step forward and has placed men in my life that “father” me. So, I continue my “honoring” by introducing you to Jim Brill.

My late husband, James, left me with the most precious gift – his family. They have adopted me. We have held one another’s hands through our darkest hours, and I truly cannot imagine my life without them. When I lost James I remember saying that I couldn’t fathom ever marrying again! I remember vividly the day that Jim told me that not only were he and Penny praying for God to bring the right person into my life, but at some point he would be honored to be the one to walk me down the aisle! In tears I said, “That will never happen.” On November 6, 2004, Jim walked me down as I married Dallas.

Can’t thank God enough for giving me another father – Jim Brill.

What a beautiful picture of grace, redemption, hope, and love. I thank my God every time I remember this amazing gift of my father, Jim. Happy Father’s Day, Jim!

So… if that wasn’t enough! My mom fell in love and married, Bill. We are still celebrating God’s timing and his divine plan in our lives. Bill has been a reminder to me personally, that God hears our prayers and we can fully trust Him. Daddy Bill’s presence has brought about healing and laughter within our family. I adore this man and love the way he loves my mom. He signed up for a lot when he married her (haha), there’s a lot of crazies in this family (you know who you are), but without batting an eye he’s loved us and adopted us as his. We’ve adopted him and he’s adopted us. I feel like he’s been a part of our family from the beginning! That kind of love is from God! Happy Father’s Day, Bill!

Daddy Bill or Papa Cary, as Noah likes to say!

You’d think I should be done with all my honoring…. but I tell you, I’m one blessed girl, because it doesn’t stop there. I have yet another daddy! For those of you that know my husband you know that it’s just not fair that he’s mine. He’s one of those guys that you would say is almost too good to be true. I bet some of you are shaking your heads with me. Well, there’s a couple reasons that he’s sooo great… two of those reasons: Earnie and Loretta. Amazing, Godly parents that raised him to love God. Not a love of religion or religious activities, but a love of a God that is real and alive.

When God allowed me to take in the fact that I was to be part of this family I was overwhelmed! I had always heard people complain about their in-laws and here I had two sets of “in-laws” that I adored and had a sweet relationship with. I am honored to call Earnie my father! Yet another reminder that God knows what we need and who we need in our lives. I am learning so much from watching him! He is selfless with those in his community, devoted to his wife, and the ultimate papa! Happy Father’s Day, Earnie! I love you!

Earnie and I smiling over some throwed rolls!

So, like I mentioned earlier… Father’s Day has always been one of those days that I get teary-eyed. I have to admit, I think I always will, but not simply over the father that I greatly miss, but now over the way God fathers the fatherless. If you scan the above pictures, it’s obvious, I am loved. Every good a perfect gift is from above! None of this has happened by chance or because I’m lucky… it’s because I have a Father that is Love.

Some of us visited my dad’s grave site last month.

My mom calls this photo: Life Goes On

We miss him.

Death is hard and I desperately long to get on with the reunion! It’s hard when I’m trying to explain to my boys who their grandpa was! Or to my husband, for that matter. There have been times I’ve said, “You see that guy over there, he kind of laughs like my dad.” or “The way that man tells jokes, that’s exactly like my dad.” I’m desperate for them to KNOW him, because I know all of my boys would have LOVED him! But until we are all together again we settle for these moments in time where we pause and celebrate and remember and then thank God for the breath in our lungs, but more importantly LIFE ETERNAL!

So, may you be encouraged today. Maybe you, like me, don’t get to sit in the same room with your dad building new memories. Maybe you can’t pick up the phone and call him. You can’t enjoy the way he laughs, tells stories, or smiles. Maybe all you have are memories and pictures of what once was. Or maybe you do have an earthly father but for many reasons you don’t have a relationship, and as Father’s Day approaches you find yourself grieving. I’m praying for you today. I pray that your eyes will be opened to His great love for you and the men that He’s placed in your life to father you! May we all honor the Father of all fathers! We have a Heavenly Father that will never leave us and will always speak truth over us (even when the truth hurts). One who loves us with an unconditional love that forever is working to make us whole.

Thank You, God, that all my earthly dads want to be just like You!

Happy Father’s Day, Jesus! You indeed are the ULTIMATE FATHER!