by Stacey | Nov 12, 2015 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Such a beautiful day to end dark.
Sleepy smiles and warm hugs. Family prayer. Snacks and play. But like a cloud slipping over the sun, darkness creeps over little hearts. Gentle correction produces tempers and tears. The easy becomes hard.
Love is patient
Harsh words. Wounded hearts. Growling anger.
Love is kind
Love responds with another hug, even when little arms beat against my chest. Love softens the tone, even when my insides twist in frustration. Because Love never fails.
Never.
Love is patient with the crying child.
Love is kind amid the battle.
Love keeps no record of wrong.
Never.
Oh, how these children keep me humble. Driving me to me knees, where I meet Perfect Love.
And He meets me there, bent low, confessing my sins, my lack, my need.
He is patient. He is kind. He holds me tight, even when I beat against His chest in anger. He speaks truth into my soul. He sheds light into the darkest corners of my heart.
I yield, almost as begrudgingly as my child. Exhausted from the struggle. Ready to listen and repent. He threads His Spirit through me, and by His strength, I respond in love.
*from the archives
by Stacey | Oct 1, 2015 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
She sang it in her hospital room. As the pain increased, so did her praise. She sang, “Bound for Glory” by the Vertical Church Band and I will always, always, always, see her beautiful face every time I hear that song.
And suddenly, all that frustrated me, sapped my joy, or stole my patience, didn’t matter anymore. The time wasters that sucked away hours lost their appeal. She gave me perspective. Holy perspective.
Only God knows how many days are written in my book of life. Yet, how long have I lived as if tomorrow was certain? How many hours did I waste on things destined to burn?
I hug my kids a little bit tighter. I extend more grace. Much more grace. I unplug and pray. I pray long, hard, like I’ve never prayed before. I pray until I can sing along with that sweet little girl. This world is NOT my home. I am bound for GLORY. It’s time to live like it.
This world is not my home. I’m here for a moment. It’s all I’ve ever known, but this world is not my home. The fight is not my own. These burdens aren’t my future. The empty tomb has shown I am bound for glory.
I am free because I’m bound. I am bound for heavens gate. Where my feet will stand on holy ground I am bound for glory.
The saving work is done. Death is not my ending. My God has overcome. I am bound for glory.
All my pain, hurt and shame, gone when Jesus calls my name. Endless joy endless praise—All when Jesus calls my name.
And this sweet ten-year-old does what many four, five or six times her age cannot. She stares death in the face and smiles because her God has overcome. These burdens are NOT her future. She is bound for glory.
Thank you, precious girl, for loving your Jesus.
*printed with permission
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by Stacey | Sep 14, 2015 | Home Makeover Projects
This dresser once held my husband’s baby clothes.
When my mismatched office came together, I knew I would do something special with it – I just didn’t know what. While I worked on my desk, I slapped the leftover chalk paint on the dresser. It was midnight. I only had a bit left. And I really didn’t care too much about the quality of my work. I did no prep. Absolutely none. I was tired, but didn’t want to waste the homemade chalk paint that wouldn’t keep until morning.
It remained white for weeks until I was inspired by a quote in Christine Hoover’s book, The Church Planting Wife. I knew I needed that quote somewhere in my office.
“It’s not about what you do but who you are becoming in the process. We certainly go after the dreams God puts in our hearts, but ultimately, none of it matters compared to the journey, that maturation process God is taking us through—that we may become more and more like Jesus.”
I played around with the quote trying different fonts and text sizes. I printed it out and cut and taped it on the dresser to see if it would fit.
Once I knew where I wanted to place the words, I used a level to mark the beginning and end of each phrase and drew a straight line in pencil.
Next I saved the word document as a PDF, opened it as a jpg, horizontally flipped it (like a mirror image) then printed it on wax paper.
To flip the text: Open the .pdf document you wish to “flip.” From the menu bar select File->Export. In the format drop down menu select JPEG. Save the file. If you now open that file you will be able to flip both horizontally and vertically under the tools tab/edit
To feed the wax paper through the printer: Tape a piece of wax paper cut to printer paper size a 1/4 inch from the top of a printer page. Feed it through the printer so the ink prints on the wax paper.
Placing to wax paper ink side down. CAREFULLY rub the ink onto the drawer front. Do NOT wet the drawer (the ink will smear) and do not move the paper (the ink will smear). You should be able to see your pencil line guide through the wax paper. I attached the knobs to ensure I liked it so far.
Let the ink dry overnight. Using a small paintbrush and black paint, paint over the ink transfer ensuring to “paint inside the ink-lines”
After the paint dries, wash the pencil marks off. A Mr. Clean magic eraser works great. Lightly sand over the words to distress, then sand the edges of the drawers and the base unit.
Attach the handles and wipe the dust off. You’re done! It involves quite a few steps, but it is well worth the result.
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by Stacey | Sep 3, 2015 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
It was our first full-time ministry experience. The majority of the village population lived in a cluster of homes surrounding a four-way stop, and worshiped another five minutes down the highway in this tiny country church.
Voices raised in worship seeped through the paper-thin walls as we poured out ourselves for the gospel. Now, over a decade later, the church no longer stands. Part of me wishes I could see those familiar walls again. However, the church, the real church, is not made of walls.
The church is not an institution, but instead is a spiritual entity made up of those who have by grace through faith been brought into a close, intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9). Those people, no matter which building, denomination, or country they happen to be in, constitute the true church.
The church is made of people living for Christ, people working to tear down the walls standing between an unbelieving world and God. It’s where everyone matters, but numbers don’t because it doesn’t matter how many bodies fill the pews, what matters is how Jesus changes lives— how people put themselves down and pick Jesus up.
Inside those thin walls, in that place of growth, place of wonder, place of challenges, and place of miracles, God saved souls and moved people from darkness to light. He changed me. He sanded my rough edges and sifted my heart, leaving me with nothing but Him. And because of that, I will always be thankful for those ministry years that spurred growth, maturity, and a total dependence on God.
All for His glory.
by Stacey | Aug 27, 2015 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
The invitation was simple. Come.
Come to the park and don’t leave until your hunger and thirst are satisfied. Take from the bounty of pizza, chips, and water. Take until you are filled and quenched.
Whole pies went home with some, slices with others, thanks offered with starving eyes.
But there are a million ways a body can starve, physical hunger being only one.
So we prayed with those thirsty for God. Hugged those starved for affection. Conversed with those famished for companionship. And most importantly, directed their attention to the only One who can satisfy their deepest needs.
The preacher invited the starving to come to the table and feast on Living Bread. Living Bread proclaimed through Living Words able to rebirth the dying with a simple invitation. Come.
And those who were thirsty, poor in spirit, who knew their need, came to drink from the fountain that truly satisfies. God ushered souls from darkness into the Light.
And this day in the park was anything but a simple day in the park.
For many came.
