His Fire - His light

I sat this morning in the moments before sunrise, journal in hand, asking the Lord to share His heart.

I send you into the world as light -
go then as light
a light that shines differently than the world.
Carry My unquenchable fire
that burns not for its own benefit
but for the glory of the One Who ignited you
and I Am the fuel
and I Am the spark
and I Am the wind that fans the flames

It is not the object consumed but the fire that is revealed.

Can you, My people, step far enough into the background to allow the flames and the light to receive all the glory?

For indeed I am a consuming fire and My glory rises among the ashes.

Reaching

Branches frozen
reach for blue
believing praise
will change perspective
and hearts
restored to rhythm
sing an unknown glory

Window Views - White

Snow is falling again today, soft but constant, adding a stillness to this First Week of Advent - a week of preparation.  Journaling this morning I asked the Lord what more He wants me to do to remember His coming and ready myself for His return:

Continue to turn -
Turn away from the things of the world
turn to Me
with all your heart
all your mind
all your strength.
Turn away from darkness
and turn into the light.
Turn away from endless noise and chatter
turn to My silence - My peace.
Turn away from artifice
turn to what is real
not the wrappings
but the gift.
Turn away from the wide road
and turn to the narrow path.

And indeed you will be ready and there will be great joy on our communion as I welcome you as you have welcomed Me.

Stop by Cassandra Frear's Moonboat Cafe for more Window Views

Christmas wish

This has been a year of wanting to learn what it means to surrender

To desire more of Him and less of me

To lay down my plans, offer my heart

To come as I am knowing His love will accept me, but also change me.

This has been a year of learning how much of my "self" still fights for life.

So for this Christmas I want less.

Less of who I think I am and more of Who He Is.

That I might loosen my grip on this alabaster jar even knowing it will fall,

shatter and empty, pouring out all that I am.

This year I think I will wrap a box

to place beneath the tree

as a gift to my Lord, an offering of a place emptied,

prepared, waiting to be filled.

My Christmas hope, a miraculous exchange

that would leave none of me

and all of Him.

Stop by Bonnie's Faith Barista to join in the Jam!

Imperfect Prose - Sugar Hearts

Jessie and Sara Jayne sat without speaking, drinking their coffee. Sara Jayne’s two year old Miranda had fallen asleep with her head on her mama’s lap, while Laura and Charlie, her other two children busied themselves, building a city out of creamers, cutlery and sugar packets. They were uncommonly quiet for children only seven and four, as if they knew that they mustn’t attract too much attention. Instead of speaking, Charlie would tug at his mother’s sleeve and point at what he had constructed, looking for some sign of approval. Vacant eyes looked upon his work without comment. Instead, Laura, his older sister smiled at him and noiselessly clapped her hands. He smiled sadly, accepting the morsel of her encouragement.

Laura took some sugar packets and laid them out on the table in the shape of a heart, tapped Charlie on the shoulder, pointed to herself, then to the heart, then to him. The unspoken “I love you” made his smile a bit brighter. He tugged on Jessie’s sleeve again until she looked at him, then he repeated what his sister had just done for him, pointing at himself, at the heart and at Sara Jayne.

“Right” she said, brushing the sugar packets off the table, onto the floor and the children’s laps. “What’s that’s supposed to mean anyway.”

Charlie’s lips began to quiver as he turned his eyes away. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry” said a voice similar to the one that echoed in Sara Jayne’s head. “It will hurt even more if you cry.”

Laura collected whatever sugars she could, and stacked them neatly in the holder on the table, creating order out of disorder so quickly that Jessie thought she must be well practiced at such.



Stop by Emily's In the Hush of the Moon for more imperfected words

HisFireFly

Priceless

Priceless is the second book by Tom Davis with the subtitle "A Novel on the Edge of the World" and like Scared it will also keep you on the edge of your seat.

Priceless opens wide a window to view the reality of sex trafficking. As much as I didn't want to see the depths of the darkness and degradation young women are subjected to I couldn't stop reading. What made me even more uncomfortable was that this evil was flourishing under the hand of someone posing as a man of God. God's light is always found, even more so in such darkness.

Do not begin reading this book if you do not want to be forever changed. You will be moved to weep, to pray and to speak out for the rights of those who have been unable to speak for themselves.

To learn more, visit online at http://www.sheispricelss.com/

Love & Respect For a Lifetime - Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Have you ever wondered why you don't seem to be able to communicate with your spouse in a way they understand? In this gift book, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs explains that men and women are seeking to satisfy two different needs. He begins with the premise that "women absolutely need love and men absolutely need respect" and goes on to show us examples of how these needs are misunderstood. He then shows us clues to move toward living and loving in ways that better meet those absolute needs.

Though I know this is important information for any man or women to learn, I felt this book was a bit lightweight in its approach. There were many pages of pictures and other pages that were left mostly blank except for a single quote that repeated text from other parts of the book. That space could have been better used to provide more examples or delve deeper into this vital topic. I would, however, consider giving this book to new couples as an appetizer, a way to stimulate their appetite to learn more.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.