Looking Full in Your Wonderful Face

Could You lead me away to a place where I won’t be blinded by distractions? Could my hand melt into Yours so I can feel only You directing my feeble steps? Could You please catch me up in a warm embrace and never let me go? Could You change my vision so it no longer looks inward to please myself, or outward to criticize others? Could I please see only You—resplendent in majesty? Could You take me higher—away from this world?

Take me somewhere we can dance among the stars, and see the sunrise the way that You see it. Let’s swing along the galaxy, and catch a ride to the next one over on a shooting star. You could paint a picture for me with the aurora borealis, and I could rest on Your shoulder and admire Your handiwork. And when I got tired You could carry my light little frame in Your strong arms, down to the earth and to my waiting bed. You could sing of Your redeeming love—Your irresistible, irrevocable, unrelenting love—and I would sleep the deepest, most peaceful sleep of my life. Then You would pray over me—for my heart to be abandoned to You alone; for my mind to be filled with pure thoughts of You; for my hands to do Your work; for my lips to speak Your words of life; for my feet to carry Your gospel of peace to the ears that have never heard; for my eyes to look on Your children with love, and love them. Then You would whisper in my ear,

“I am always, always yours.”

And in the morning I would wake up with lilacs next to my bed, even though it’s the middle of winter, and I would know deep in my heart…. You are mine.

My Broskis :)

Aren't you glad that God gives good gifts? This week I have been reveling in the good gifts that my Abba has given to me--specifically the brothers in the Lord that God has surrounded me with. A couple years ago I did not know how to rightly relate with guys around me. My motives were twisted and I lived a compromised lifestyle (follow this link to read the story of God calling me to a life of integrity http://myespero.wordpress.com/category/jewels/). But by the grace of God, my youth has been redeemed and He has now blessed me incredibly with wonderful brothers who build me up, speak truth plainly to me, call me to higher standards, genuinely care for me, and love me despite my flaws.

I am humbled that the Lord would give me such good gifts after the way I have treated so many brothers in the past. It only tells of the forgiveness of my loving and gracious God, who is slow to anger, full of abounding love, and rises up to show me dazzlingly beautiful mercy. There is truly nothing I have done to deserve such love.

Thank You, Abba. You are a good, good, Father.

Two of my amazing broskis, Tyler and Matt, and I

Rejoicing in HIS goodness,

Jules

Watching Love Happen

The sky is pleading for spring. Even as a sliver of a crescent moon rises over the shadowy darkness, the last tinges of light hang on to the western skyline. The stars are twinkling brighter tonight—dancing harder in hope of a breath of sweet relief from the icy winter. In the air there is trace of warmth, even though it is only the beginning of February, and below freezing. One can hope. And perhaps it is the hope in my own heart tonight that causes spring to be found in the barren winter of Minnesota. My hope is alive, and I praise the Creator of moon and stars, of snow and ice, of winter and spring, of hope in hopelessness, for the hope that He has caused to live in me.

A silly grin spreads across my face in the darkness—only God and the stars see it tonight. I am reveling in the beauty of life. Who am I that He would be mindful of me? I giggle, loving that He created the stars to shine in the darkness and the snow to sparkle in the lamplight. Have you ever noticed how snow sparkles? I was looking out the window this afternoon at a heap of snow and loved the glorious colors being reflected off of each flake in the dazzling sunshine. I could see the whole rainbow sparkling like brilliant diamonds—lavender, peridot, aquamarine—the snow reflects the softer colors it seems; and my eyes were happy to catch their shine. Now they reflect only a quiet white—pure and simple.

Sometimes in my romantic imagination I wish that life had a soundtrack, like all of the movies. I am in love with music and I wish a symphony orchestra followed me around to play the sounds that are in my heart when I stand in awe of beauty. It would capture and express the fluttering and the skipped beats that frequent my heart when I catch a glimpse of His eyes.

I’m so in love.

My soundtrack instead is the silence of a winter night wishing spring, and the sighing that I breathe—a girl watching love happen in her heart.

{Hearing}

I am listening to music today, which might sound like an ordinary experience, but for me is a first in 31 days. The Lord had me give up music for the month of January (not entirely, as obviously it's hard to get away from music completely in our culture), so that I could tune my ears more to hear His voice instead of drowning it out with other things. I am thrilled to be able to listen once again to the songs that I love so much, but I have definitely grown accustomed to silence, and I think that I will be listening less to music now than I have in the past. Though music is a wonderful, beautiful thing, it can be a distraction more than an asset when it comes to hearing the voice of the Lord. What might be preventing you from hearing His voice?


Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you. Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk--not as unwise people but as wise--making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Ephesians 5:14-17