A Whale of a Conversation
The only thing we didn't get to do on our honeymoon was see whales because it was past season. I've always longed to see these majestic creatures, but kept missing opportunities in both the US and Australia, where the weather didn't permit.
When a sweet friend gifted us the ability to get whale cruise tickets while we were recently in Maine, I was like a child, GIDDY with excitement!
The day came, and I prepped ALL the things we'd need, including 5 layers of clothing and jackets because we didn't pack winter clothes and it was going to drop to about 40 degrees on the water. Of course, I was hanging over the side as far as possible as we sped through the water on a super speedy catamaran. I was determined to not miss a whale sighting...the wind in my face was COLD! (And, I loved it!)
I had every expectation of it being the BEST
whale excursion they'd ever had! My anticipation was SO high!
whale excursion they'd ever had! My anticipation was SO high!We saw fin whales first, then seals and Atlantic dolphins, then finally spotted a humpback. THIS is what I'd been waiting to see - a massive whale in full breach...
What we saw were 4 tail flukes.
Don't get me wrong - I was THRILLED to see what we saw and loved every moment of the cruise, but I was also disappointed because I knew there was so much more to be seen and to experience.
I brought my disappointment before the Lord. What followed was a whale of a convo with Him... I clearly heard my Father speak to the depths of my heart.
"Daughter, this experience with the whales is mirroring what you're feeling and sensing in your relationship with Me.
You have such expectation. You know how big I am and long to see Me in the fullness of who I am in might and majesty and raw beauty - to be left speechless before Me, and have your breath taken away in My presence on display.
You've seen Me in part, yet you know how much more is just below the surface, and you're longing for it."
Selah.Pause in His presence.
Have you ever felt like this? You KNOW there's more in Him, yet you're only experiencing a portion that's so much smaller than what you recognize is just below the surface?
My whale experience absolutely mirrored my internal longings for Him, and it's given me a tangible experience that's like a pin on a map and a line drawn in the sand. It tells me to return again and again with continued expectation in my heart of seeing and experiencing more of Him.
I've seen Him in measure, but I KNOW there's so much more to Him. It's just below the surface, and He delights in revealing Himself to us in power, might, and beauty.
I have complete assurance within me of seeing Him in all His glory as I continue to look for Him with full expectation in my heart!
THAT was a whale of a conversation!
What has He been speaking to you recently?
Living for Him,
Andrea
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
The Bride Dismembered:
A Call to Love and to Reunite the Body
This message comes with a bit of a disclaimer. I've been sitting on this for quite a while. Sharing it now isn't related to a particular event or person. It simply continues to resound in my heart and is part of my prayers. I'm here if you need an open conversation rooted in love. I promise to listen.
This is a message for the Body of Christ, those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.For a while now, my heart has felt increasingly heavy over the divisions in our nation, how it’s no different in the church, and that the factions sometimes appear even greater in His Body, His Bride.
I see the Bride of Christ dismembered with its pieces strewn about.
Passions run high for Jesus, and for what each believes rightly or wrongly reflects His heart in the things transpiring in our nation. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a time when anger has run as high as it is between those who are brothers and sisters in Christ.
We believe our position is “right” and the other is heinously in error. I’ve witnessed very few humble conversations seeking to understand from a heart positioned in love, and instead, have seen countless stones being viciously thrown from opposite sides.
What testimony is being spoken to the world through our words and behavior? How are we any different than someone who isn’t a follower of Jesus when we act and speak to one another as we do?
We’re more interested in winning arguments and turning people into converts, not of Jesus, but of our beliefs outside of our faith.
God is coming back for a pure and spotless Bride, not one that’s bloodied and torn apart from the battles we seek to win in an effort to be right and push a particular agenda.
We’ve got to do a better job of walking in humility and love, being willing to really listen to one another, and hear one another’s hearts speaking. We must allow the heart truths we hear to dismantle any lies we’ve believed because we’ve only seen part of the picture and written a false narrative we’ve believed to be truth.
It’s likely we’ll still believe differently, but in listening to understand, and valuing and honoring one another, my prayer is that we'll stop cutting off vital parts of the body. An arm or a leg can’t function on its own, and the body suffers greatly when either is severed.
Love is the glue that holds the body together and doesn’t let any part separate itself.
We can be the mature Bride and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
“...Let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)
Do you know God? Love others by allowing His love to be reflected in your words and actions.
Living for Him,
Andrea
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
When Heaven Rewrites Your Identity
I love it when God shows you something new in a very familiar scripture. That’s what happened to me recently when I read the prayer of Jabez found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.
Two short verses, just a few words, but they say so much! Many have taught on this verse. A bestselling book was even written focused solely on Jabez’s prayer.
What stood out to me in my recent reading of it might not be what you’d think.
I first asked the Lord what He meant by Jabez being more honorable than his brothers. When I looked up “honorable” in Strong’s concordance1, I discovered it’s the word “kabad,” which I knew meant “glory,” but it also means “to be heavy, honorable, make weighty, and great,” among other things. What I found interesting is that there’s also a negative aspect to this word. It can mean “burdensome, severe, dull.”
Hold that thought.
Can we talk about his name for a moment? “Jabez” literally means “He Will Cause Pain.” His momma named him that because she experienced pain during his delivery. (Aren’t most births accompanied by some level of pain?) I couldn’t help but wonder what his brothers must have been named!
As I pondered on these two things - the meanings of kabad and Jabez, I began to form a very different picture of Jabez in my mind, and I heard his heart’s cry in an entirely different way as I read his prayer.
When we read Jabez’s prayer and personalize it, we often focus on the blessing, the enlarging, God’s hand being with us, and Him keeping us from evil. It’s easy for the last part - “that I may not cause pain” to become a bit of an add-on as we think of others in what can be an otherwise self-focused prayer.
What I suddenly recognized was that every time Jabez heard his name, what he really heard was “he will cause pain,” “he will cause pain,” “he will cause pain.” That was programmed into his identity every time it was spoken.
Could it be that the reason Jabez was described as being more honorable than his brothers was because of the burden he bore in being told he would cause pain wherever he went and in the lives of anyone he knew and loved? Was that internal belief system he was supposed to keep as his own?
If so, it gives an entirely different perspective on the last portion of Jabez’s prayer. When he asks God to keep him from evil, that doesn’t just mean bad things (morally or naturally), but also “adversity, affliction, calamity, distress, sorrow, and trouble.2”
I personally believe Jabez had developed such an intimate friendship with God that he knew he could not only cry out to the Lord in prayer for the blessings, but he could also bring before God the injustice of his name. That declaration of causing pain had been made by his momma, but God spoke a better word over Jabez. He knew his identity wasn’t as one who would cause pain. The cry of Jabez’s heart was that he wouldn’t fulfill what others had spoken over him every day of his life, but he would walk in the truth of God’s original design for him.
The King James Version of verse 10 says, “ . . . keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” In this context, “grieve” means “to worry, pain, anger, vex, or be sorry.3” Put that together with the definition of “evil” and we discover in this sense, Jabez is asking God to keep him from adversity, calamity, distress, sorrow, and trouble so that it wouldn’t cause him worry, pain, anger, or to be sorry.
Either way we look at it, I believe Jabez is holding God to the truth of what he knew GOD had spoken over him, and the only way he could know that was through deep friendship with God.
God’s response was to grant Jabez what he had requested. I find the entire exchange to be incredibly beautiful - from Jabez’s heartfelt cry to God’s loving response!
We’ve each had things spoken over our lives that aren’t in alignment with God’s truths and our original design.
What would it look like for us to bring those things before God like Jabez did? To cry out before Him and in essence say, “God, this is what has been said, but I know it’s not who I am. Tell me who I am and enable me to walk in it!”
It could shift so many things in each of our worlds!
We are His sons and daughters, His beloved Bride, His perfect partner, His friend - those are just some of the truths He has spoken over us. Father God, help us to walk in the truth of who YOU say we are!
I hear God responding, “So I granted him what he requested . . . "
Living for Him,
Andrea
P.S. Praying this Easter fills your heart with fresh hope, deep joy, and the unshakable truth of who you are in Him. May you hear heaven speaking a better word over you. You are loved. You are His. You are made new. Much love and many blessings, now and always!
Endnotes:
- “Honorable.” e-Sword, version 2024, Rick Meyers, 2024. I Chronicles 4:9
- “Evil.” e-Sword, version 2024, Rick Meyers, 2024. I Chronicles 4:10
- "Grieve." e-Sword, version 2024, Rick Meyers, 2024. I Chronicles 4:10
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
Where He Is . . .
Is always where we want to be and that very rarely looks like what we expect.
Ever have one of those moments as you’re reading the Bible when you can’t move past a verse or two – you have to know more? That was the case with me this morning. I love those moments because they send me on the most glorious rabbit trails of searching out word meanings, reading commentaries, and researching on the internet. That may sound boring to some, but I’m unapologetically an avid student and when I’m learning about my favorite subject, faith, it’s an absolute joy to me!
So, what captured me today? It was Matthew 11:16-17, two verses that hadn’t yet been underlined in my over 25-year-old Bible, so they’d obviously not made an impact previously. This is Jesus speaking . . .
“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament.’” Let me give you a bit of background before I dig into what the Lord was speaking to me in those two verses. In the larger picture of this passage, Jesus is talking to the multitudes and is validating John the Baptist and his ministry. He’s calling out the people, including the teachers of the law – the Pharisees and Sadducees, for their responses to John’s ministry. While many people believed in the message John preached, they didn’t all believe he’d come as Elijah to prepare the way for the Messiah, many ridiculed him for the way he lived as a Nazarene and fasted, and some certainly didn’t like how he delivered his message. Jesus, on the other hand, didn’t fast, He hung out with “sinners and tax collectors,” and drank wine. There were plenty of those who weren’t pleased with that either. They refused to be satisfied.
Now, back to verses 16-17. What Jesus was doing was likening the people to children who played in the marketplaces. Several commentaries mention children would have seen their parents at weddings and funerals and could easily pretend play at those things and likely often did. These children were frustrated because whether they played the flute and danced, like at weddings, or “mourned,” their friends weren’t happy with either and didn’t want to join in with them. It was the same with John and Jesus – the people weren’t satisfied with either way of living and preaching.
This got me thinking about dissatisfaction in the church body today. For instance, some are “Team Traditional,” while others are “Team Contemporary” (and there are different views on what “contemporary” looks like among churches). There are cries of dissent over all kinds of things in the church.
- “There’s too much grace preached and not enough repentance!”
- “Worship has become a glorified, too-loud concert all about people and their needs, rather than it being focused entirely on Jesus!”
- “Tradition has no place in modern Christianity – that’s for churches that don’t preach the salvation message. It’s just dead religion.”
- “People have become too familiar with the Lord in their desire for intimacy with Him. There’s not enough fear of the Lord in the church today.”
I’m not saying there aren’t valid points in what I’ve written above. What I’m pointing out is that there will always be those who oppose one “side” or the other, just as people opposed John or Jesus.
My question for God was, “Where is Jesus in all of this? Is He in the flute playing or in the mourning?” Here are some personal opinions of mine that lead me to believe He’s in both.
- I’m so thankful for His grace given to me every moment of every day . . . and I believe in the importance of repentance in our walk with Him. I love that it’s His GOODNESS and KINDNESS that draws us to repentance (Romans 2:4 ) – that part of the message is often left out.
- I see beauty in the hymns and the ways they can draw us into His presence. I really appreciate the words and meanings of those songs written so long ago and love how many of today’s artists have re-recorded those hymns in powerful renditions. I’ve been totally caught up in His presence through those yet choose much more contemporary worship on a daily basis because that’s what I love. There’s a place and room for both. I’ve been grateful for each time I’ve needed Jesus to meet me in hard places in my life and He’s done so through songs that are more about me and my needs than about the beauty of His holiness. In this season, I’m much more in search of songs about Him than about me because I’ve finally discovered everything I need is found in His presence.
- I have pretty strong feelings against religion because I believe Jesus died to forgive us of our sins and free us from the law. To me, religion is the law – it’s the trappings of legalism that hold people in bondage to “do/don’t,” “should/shouldn’t”, and “have to.” I want to see people freed from the shackles of religion and brought into encounter with God. Why? So they can experience the truth of who He is, rather than be bound by legalism and a wrong view of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and so the things they do or don’t do stem from the love for and depth of relationship they have with Him. That doesn’t mean I believe Jesus looks at all traditions and things of the past as “bad” or “useless.” For instance, I believe there’s a place for quiet contemplation and meditating on Him, spending quiet time in His presence, much as monks and others have done for centuries. There’s also such power and transformation that takes place through Communion, yet for most, it’s mainly become an act done on a specific Sunday of the month and lost its meaning and purpose. I also believe in the supernatural and the realm of the Spirit. I believe in praying in the Spirit, miracles, healing, raising of the dead, partnering with angels, visions, dreams, the prophetic, and so much more that’s available through our relationship with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Many discount so much of what’s available to us through the Spirit realm because the New Age movement hijacked much of what was meant for Christian believers and accessed it through an entirely different spirit realm.
- The fear of the Lord is crucial in our walk with Him yet often, we ignore this aspect because we don’t know how to walk out fearing the Lord. I don’t believe our loving Father would ever ask us to be afraid of Him. He would never require something of us that would drive a wedge between us, especially not after having sent His Son to die on the cross so that we might be forgiven, redeemed, and restored to right relationship with Him. To walk in the fear of the Lord is to walk in reverence, awe, and wonder. We simply haven’t understood how fear is defined.
In response to the John and Jesus debate about which was right or better, Jesus said in the second part of Matthew 11:19 (NKJV), “Wisdom is justified by her children.” In another version (NASB 1995), you read, “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” My favorite is “God’s wisdom will become visible by those who embrace it” (TPT).
Wisdom isn’t found in arguments over this or that being right or wrong. It’s found in the person of Jesus. Together, let’s find Him in the dancing and in the mourning. Where He is is always where we want to be and that very rarely looks like what we expect.
I think there’s a lot more we can discuss on this topic and what I’ve written has just scratched the surface. What are your thoughts? Reach out and let me know!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
Creating a Legacy for the Generations to Come
The other day, I was reading the Bible, and something stood out to me as never before. Maybe it’s because we’ve been loving being grandparents and are now preparing for the arrival of our second grandchild. Maybe it’s because I’m turning 55 in April. Or it could simply be founded on the importance we place on family. Whatever the reason, I saw building a legacy in a new way as I read 1 Chronicles 22, 28, & 29.In these chapters, we read about King David’s desire to build a house for the Lord, but God told David his son, Solomon, would build it instead because David had been a man of war and had shed blood, whereas Solomon would be a man of rest (1 Chron. 22:7-10).
David’s heart was right, his plan was honoring, and yet it wasn’t his work to accomplish. He could have chosen to do it anyway because he really wanted to be the one to do it. He could have felt defeated, slighted, or offended by God. He could have felt shame, frustration, or disappointment. But David didn’t do or feel any of those things. Instead, he thoroughly prepared for his son’s success in building the temple.
David made sure the stones were prepared, the wood was cut, iron was available “in abundance for the nails of the doors of the gates and for the joints,” along with having enough bronze available it was “beyond measure” (1 Chron. 22:3). He also prepared a massive amount of gold and silver (vs. 14) and made sure the workers and craftsmen were in place for “every kind of work” (vs. 15).
In chapter 28, we read how David prepared detailed plans for every facet of the temple construction, the work of the priests and Levites, and all of the articles used – plans given to him by the Spirit (vs. 12-13). The weights of gold and silver were meticulously measured out for everything, even down to the forks used (vs. 14-18)! It’s really amazing to read how thorough David was in making sure his son could succeed at the work God had called him to do.
I love how David said, “All this . . . the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.” (1 Chron. 28:19) David set his son up for success and made sure he had everything he needed to accomplish the work and it was all by the instruction of the Lord.
David was also certain to speak into his son’s life, preparing him for what was ahead. “And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 28:20)
Not only that, David made sure the leaders were also prepared to help Solomon. “David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, ‘Is not the Lord your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.’” (1 Chronicles 22:17-19)
So, David gave up his personal dream but created a legacy (that was ridiculously thorough) that would propel his son to success. It was far more than leaving a monetary inheritance. While David amassed and bequeathed ample financial blessings, he didn’t miss the facets of investing in his son’s character, equipping him to not just build the physical temple for the Lord but to also be a man with a loyal heart who would keep the Lord’s commandments, testimonies, and statutes, knowing that by doing those things, Solomon would have success in building everything for which provision had already been made (1 Chronicles 29:19).
David also knew where all the blessings came from – the hand of the Lord, and publicly acknowledged that as He worshipped the Lord before the people of his nation. David also prayed for his son and the people he governed who would now come alongside Solomon in this work.
How does all of this apply to us today and why has it been stirring my heart so much? As parents and grandparents, it’s vitally important we think through the details of the legacy we’re leaving the generations who will come after us.
- We may or may not have a financial treasure to leave them, but as with David, the Spirit still gives us plans to implement that will propel our generations for success in the work of their hands that God has called them to accomplish on earth.
- We can pray for them and cheer them on (including those yet to come), impart wisdom, and live lives of faith and worship that become inheritances they can build upon as our ceilings become their floors and our battles become their victories.
- We can be sure they know where all the blessings come from and how to live with grateful hearts.
- We all recognize it “takes a village” to grow and launch our kids into their God-given callings and destinies. We can be really intentional about creating that community, as well as pray for those who will be with them in the work set before them, and lead them in blessing and worshiping the Lord.
- We can teach our kids not to fear and how to walk with strength and courage, as well as what it looks like to have a loyal heart – one that’s intimately connected with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
- We can walk humbly before God, lean into His leading, be willing to let go of the things that aren’t ours to do, and joyfully celebrate the callings of the ones we love – whether or not they’re called to carry on the dreams we had in our hearts to accomplish.
Psalm 123:7 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Heritage is defined by Merriam-Webster as “something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor (legacy, inheritance).” Children are our legacy and our inheritance, our reward and our gift from the Lord.
None of us were created to simply take up space on the earth, live the best lives possible with all the shiny things, make a name for ourselves, and do what’s best for us.
We were created to rule and reign in partnership with God and our families, establishing heaven on earth in the process, and bring light to dark places as we worship the Lord together and see His glory fill the earth.
We have a responsibility to create a lasting legacy, passing the torch to the next generations - after we’ve helped prepare and equip them for success.
I sense an urgency to this, and it includes an added element. As mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, we have to be aware of those who are fatherless around us and step in to raise them up as a generation who knows who they are and Whose they are because we’ve shown them through being part of their lives.
Will we say yes to intentionally doing all in our power as led by Holy Spirit to create a legacy for our generations? It couldn’t have been an easy task for David, but he didn’t shy away from it – he went above and beyond to see it through. Will we shape the world by the legacy we create or abdicate our responsibility? What will our decision be?
Living for Him,
Andrea
P.S. As always, if Brian and I can pray for you, please reach out!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
