What my heart asks for

It amazes me how hard it is to write the first word.

I can’t imagine being a novelist with my mind filled with characters, conversations and plot twists that have all been thought out and are just waiting their turn to be exposed, that they can’t type fast enough. I am only one character and can barely narrow down my own story. 

But this year has been one of great self-revelation, guided gently by my Holy Spirit. I am learning to ask Why? in these moments of paralysis that halt me from doing the next thing I know I ought to do. And the answer is always traced to one culprit. A lie. In this case, as I sit staring at the screen it is, What have you got worth saying? And while many might casually agree to this after reading my ramblings, I realize this question is not posed in my heart by the Lord, Who has done so much and said so much that His encouragement would not be to be quiet.  And I am finding more often that all of my negative thoughts, discouragements, and excuses are all traced to their own individual lies. Lies that I am ready to exchange for freedom one by one. Now that I am aware of them, and that is the key.

So if you are interested in walking with me, I am determined more so to be focused on the Truth in my life and sharing it. To give the true life-giving parts of my life the attention they deserve.  I hope that I can encourage you to find the same - the things that come easily, that you could stay up all night to do, and make your heart race at their thought. And then doing them. But that takes intentionality.  What I have discovered through paying attention to my own heart and what friends say of me is that my weeks NEED to be filled with Intentional:

*Time with my children, teaching in everything
*Time alone with God’s Word, loving it, making sense of it, and sharing it

*Creating something tangible with my hands and giving

*Considering and incorporating meaningful, Christ-centered days/holidays

These excite my heart and I hope each happen often enough that I can write about them, because I guess I like that too.

~Jen Love

for mandi