Below is what resulted… and much to my surprise, I found that I was writing – and singing – to myself. Something in me broke free though this project, and it most definitely tore me away from timidity and left me with a desire to pursue more what I’m meant to do in life. So I have Jon Foreman to thank for that!

Here it is – Follow the link to a rough recording, and view lyrics below.
(Note: I had to sing reaaaallly softly so as not to wake Gideon up! Ideally, this would be a fully produced song. Hoping to add keys, drums, bass, etc. someday!)

Tomorrow’s Song

Verse 1:
Since when did you trap yourself
in this voluntary cage
How long have you sat in silence
In such a rusty state
Have you forgotten who you are?
Have you forgotten who you are?

Veer 2:
You say reality leaves you too tired
To let your dreams take flight
But between those hopeless shoulders
Your heart is still familiar
With the sound of something more
With the sound of something more

Chorus:
When will you sing
Find your voice and let it ring
Let go of apprehension, break the tension
Fill your lungs and sing
Tomorrow’s song will never come
Unless you sing today
So let it out – cry out now

Verse 3:
Perfection is so ironic
It can never be attained
Still, you lie awake at night
Wondering why there’s so much to conquer
But it’s time to let it go
Love, it’s time to let it go

(Chorus)

Bridge:
Rise above reality
Be not afraid of victory
Wake your wings and set them free
It’s time to change your history

(Chorus)

Today, as I kept watching events slowly unfold over television, I started feeling very strongly that we need to change the tone of our prayers. I’m sure many of you have been praying comfort, peace, and strength over the people, and that is a very good thing; but like me, you may have been praying with a rather heavy heart, as the only kind of footage we have been seeing (at least in the US) are those of total devastation, hopelessness, immense fear, and uncertainty.

Though I believe God weighs our hearts with empathy and compassion for these people, I believe it’s time to stand up from our mourning place and begin proclaiming life, hope, freedom, and deliverance for the people of Japan. It’s time to shrug off the sack-cloth and put on the armor of God so that we can pray with a newfound energy.

I shared this over Twitter/Facebook last night; but tears come to my eyes even now when I look back on it. As I was praying on the way home from a meeting, I saw a vision of Jesus standing amidst the rubble that is scattered across Japan’s northeast coast. He was next to a young Japanese man who was caught in the rubble, unable to escape, awaiting rescue. I heard Jesus say to the man, “I am here.” And even in such a horrible place to be, I could sense that the man trapped under the rubble had a sense of peace about him.

On a similar note, I just received this Facebook message from a friend in Cordova, Alaska:
“As I have told you, Japan has been on my heart – praying for a nationwide revival. Well tonight during prayer meeting I had a vision!! I saw Jesus come out of the rubble, and then He walked down the coast and around the whole country, passing through each city – Looking for who he can save.”

Friends, Jesus is there. His presence is in Japan, He is walking in their very midst. And I am sure He poured out a lot of sorrow and mourning as He witnessed the thousands of lives that have been lost. I’m sure He has sat in somber silence next to those who have mourned the lives that were crushed under buildings or swept into the waves. But I am strongly feeling that He is moving on from the place of sorrow – and calling us as His Bride to move on, too – so that He can reach people in Japan to give them hope, strength, and a reason to continue living even when they don’t know what tomorrow brings.

So as you faithfully continue praying for Japan, please pray for the people – but this time, that their hearts will be lifted up with a supernatural joy and peace. That hope will fill their hearts each time that they hear of a miraculous story of reunification or rescue after days of being buried in rubble. That hope will lift their heads into believing that yes, this too shall pass. Even if it’s a disaster, they can overcome.

Pray that people will begin to have encounters with Jesus. Pray for revival! And as I said before, pray that Japanese believers will share the gospel with family and friends – with the boldness of a lion, but the gentleness of a lamb. With truth that is driven with love and freedom, not fear and condemnation.

And as you spend time praying, keep up with current events, but please be careful not to be distracted by the media’s hype. Yes, it is a rather catastrophic situation they are facing; but God is bigger than that. God can control even a man-made nuclear plant. God can still the earth and the waves. God can still hearts that are shaking with fear and anxiety. All things are possible with God, and our God is a God who saves!

Thank you. As before, please feel free to pass this on to people you know so that they can pray in agreement on these things. God bless.

-Caroline
Twitter username: CareSpinny
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CaroMae

I wanted to thank you so much for all the prayers you’ve been lifting up to Japan, what I consider my “home” since I was born and raised there as a missionary kid for 18 years. I am so encouraged by the compassion people have been displaying towards the country and its people during this time. As we continue to intercede for the nation, I wanted to bring you a few things to pray into – a guideline, if you will.

I’ll be completely honest with where we were: Jeremy and I were over $400 in the red with no promised income. Jeremy didn’t have any projects coming in, and I didn’t receive my normal salary since music school was out for the next three months for summer break. With our increasing debt and bills stacking up like a teetering Jenga tower ready to topple over, things were looking pretty bleak.

Probably one of the greatest blessings during this lean season was that despite our finances, Jeremy and I continued to have a strong marriage. Apparently, statistics say that if you have financial problems as a young married couple, it’s more than likely to increase tension and become a source of arguments and blame-games… thankfully, this wasn’t our case. If anything, because we were both leaning on God so much, it was bringing us closer together as a couple. We still had our fights from time to time, though… and I’m not proud to admit that I caused many of them with my bad attitude.

Not that my attitude toward our lack of money was bad… but the unavoidable stress from our situation was projected onto the littlest things. The constant clutter around the house. The miserable heat in our condo that never seemed to give us reprieve. Laundry. Gideon waking up from a nap as soon as I tried to tackle chores. Dishes. Finding ants in our pantry. There was always something that I found to complain about… until finally, my grumbling was brought to a screeching halt one day when Jeremy snapped at me: “You HAVE to stop, lady.” (Gasp! He called me LADY!)

So I tightened my jaw. A rush of anger, shame, and guilt surged through me and I resisted the urge to break down in screaming tears. I fully deserved that reprimand, but I was too prideful at the time to apologize. Instead, I packed up my Bible, Gideon, and the diaper bag and said, “I have to leave for a bit. I gotta go think.”

It was off to the coffee shop for me. There’s this wonderful little sanctuary in Littleton off of Broadway and Panama called Solid Grounds – a coffee shop owned by a church that sells a fantastic endless cup of delicious coffee for just a dollar, and homemade cookies for 50 cents each. After making my much-needed purchase with a blessed gift card, I settled down in a comfy chair, allowing the AC to cool me down and collect my thoughts.

Something told me I needed to read Philippians.

I honestly believe this Pauline epistle is what saved me during this season. And that late morning, as Gideon lay snoozing in his stroller, I chewed verse after verse in that darn book like it was the biggest slice of humble pie.

Philippians 1:27 (NIV) – “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Chirst…”
2:5 – “Your attitudes should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”
2:14 – “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…”
4:8 – “Finally, brothers, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

That day, even when each word in that passage felt like a jab in my ribs, I felt God gently teaching me to change my attitude and heart. And to do that, He reminded me how I needed to surrender all of my thoughts to Him.

You see, our thoughts lead our hearts and attitudes. Whatever we put our mind on, our hearts will form around it.  It affects our mindset. It’s a subtle buildup of little thoughts here and there – seeming so harmless by themselves – that can either allow us to become the beautiful individual we are meant to be, teeming with life, love, grace, and peace or… contort our heart into a grotesque, deformed monstrosity… And before you know it, you are up to no good.

Our thoughts form our hearts. And our hearts, beliefs. And beliefs, actions. And our actions can either bring life or destruction to our very soul.

But what if you allow someone else to hold your heart? When you give your heart to God, He guides it and starts forming it in His way. And that reshaped heart takes the reigns and begins to lead our thoughts. And our actions. We become redesigned and renewed. Our actions begin to reflect the One who holds our hearts.

So who – or what – are you letting your heart be held by? Are you letting the outside world seep into your heart, or allowing God to pour out from within you?

It says in Proverbs 4:20-23 (NASB) – “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight. Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

What we feed our hearts makes a difference. And if by chance 8 months ago I continued to allow those negative thoughts to control my attitude, I’m not sure where my marriage would be today – I can only say it wouldn’t be very happy. I’m not even sure where my heart would be, either. It really is by the grace of God alone I am where I am today, and by the grace of God alone that I have been able to continue keeping my attitude in check. (disclaimer: I still have my bad days!)

I am realizing more and more the depth of this truth; our hearts and minds are sanctuaries to whatever god we are serving. It is fragile and prone to wander if we let it. That’s why it is so important to keep our eyes on the Father. The exercise of seeking God and giving Him our hearts, minds, souls, and strength should be one that never ends even after we accept Christ into our lives. In fact – it’s an exercise that should only increase as you walk with Him daily.

So it might be worth asking yourself this question again:
Who – or what – are you letting your heart be held by?

But lately, I’ve noticed that there are two tensions in particular that have been tugging at me. And maybe they’re tugging at you, too.

On one side, we have the “hurry up” tension. Be like Paul, run the race with everything you have, keeping your eye on the prize. Life is short – you have to live every day to the fullest. God has given us dreams, visions, callings, and passions – and they all beckon you to completely throw yourself at them, no matter what the obstacle may be.

I have passions. Dreams, visions, callings. All of those things – and they have been beckoning me for over a decade. I have spent most of that decade bound by such timidity that I couldn’t muster up the courage to pursue any of them. But one slightly ironic thing that happened in my life lately: my desire to pursue these things reached its highest height right when I became a mom.

For those of you that are already enjoying the adventures of parenthood – you understand the irony. When you become a mom, those callings must come to a temporary halt. You spend the first 6 months feeding, clothing, bathing, rocking your little one… then you get used to that routine. Your head comes above water, and you finally feel like you can breathe and have extra time to yourself once they learn to sleep through the night.

Then they start to scoot. Then they start to crawl. Then they start to walk. Then — what my little guy has started doing lately — they start to RUN.

They keep you fully occupied for the entire time they are awake – and they turn your house into shambles. All your extra time is spent cleaning up after them, doing dishes and laundry… knowing that you get to do it all over again the next day. (Don’t worry, I am far from bitter! I am totally smiling as I write all this, knowing Gideon brings so much joy into my life!)

Yet in the middle of all this transition into parenthood, I have still been yearning to write. I’ve been longing to work on music… but to very little avail. I wish I had the drive to follow the “hurry up” tension, go against all odds, and finally make something of these desires. And I would be lying if I said I haven’t been discouraged or disappointed in myself for barely making any progress when I have so much stirred up in me.

But I finally realized I need to have some grace for myself.

You see, I believe that in a world that has lately been screaming “HURRY UP! Get up off your lazy bum and accomplish something!” – there is an opposing tension that is quieter, less noticeable.

It’s the “slow down” tension. The call from God Himself to be still. A call to relax, not let your passions become a negative burden that makes you feel guilty for not pursuing them. To enjoy every little moment in life without constantly chasing after the next. And I gotta admit, the “slow down” tension makes me really uncomfortable.

Now, both the “hurry up” and “slow down” tensions have good messages to begin with. It is absolutely important to “hurry up” and pursue our passions and fight against meaningless distractions the world throws at our way (come on, we can all admit to checking Twitter or Facebook a little too much or playing one too many rounds of Angry Birds). It’s vital for us to quicken our pace so that we can gain momentum into what we are meant to do in life.

But what if you gain too much momentum? What if you’re constantly rushing to accomplish your next goal? You could miss out on a lot of life. You could start ignoring the important people around you: your spouse, your kids, your friends. You end up being selfish about your time.

That’s why it’s important to “slow down.” Enjoy the little conversations you cultivate with the people around you. Relax and rest in the evening after a day’s work – even if it’s “just staying home” and cleaning up after your kid. To not be so hard on yourself when you don’t reach a certain goal that may have been set a little too high to begin with.

But what if you slow down too much? What if you start cutting yourself too much slack? The consequences are surprisingly similar to when you’re moving too fast in life: you could miss out on a lot. You could start ignoring important people around you. You end up being selfish about your time.

So what then? How do we live life to the fullest without missing out on the little things? How do we know which rope to tighten or loosen?

Here’s what we can do: to find out whether you need to “hurry up” or “slow down,” simply think of which tension makes you feel uncomfortable, and give into it just enough without letting go of the rope that you’re so comfortable holding.

If you choose to live life intentionally, you will learn to appreciate the little moments but have the courage and indignation to not let life pass you by. You will learn to keep both tensions. And you will eventually find yourself living at the speed of life.

You can find out more about the “Living a Better Story” seminar here: www.donmilleris.com/conference

Here is how Jeremy and I  started living a better story, and how we want to continue doing so…

———————————————————

“Put in your two weeks’ notice at Red Robin. You’re going to have more work than you know what to do with.”

Those are the words God spoke to my husband, Jeremy, in a half-unpacked office just past midnight.

It was March of 2009, and we had just moved into a friend’s house in order to save some money. The economy was starting to affect our finances, and Jeremy and I signed over our lease at our apartment to a complete stranger because we had an inkling that we would no longer be able to afford it.

Jeremy had been struggling. Back in September, he had opted not to return to film school since tuition for non-residents of Colorado were too pricey; he padded the sting of reality with the reasoning of any logical 26-year-old husband by saying, “Besides, it would be a better investment at this point to put tuition money towards filming equipment and train myself.” Which is perfectly good reasoning. But I could tell that’s not exactly how he felt.

My husband’s dreams were still there. He had always been a dreamer while also being a jack-of-all-trades. In high school, he played soccer, football, dabbled in photography, wrote stories, and played guitar to name a few. Since then, he always struggled to pinpoint exactly what he wanted to do in life. But he had passion. And in recent years, he had discovered a definitive niche for media and film; he desired to see the culture of media today shift in a positive, inspirational direction. But how?

Then came the clear, concise thoughts from God.

A call to quit his serving job. A call to spend time diving into the things that make him come alive. To learn how to harness media and make it into something meaningful, relevant, and challenging in this culture. To pursue his dreams that were still unfolding. To stop waiting for the right time and just do it.

A couple hours later, after Jeremy had gone asleep, I woke up in the middle of the night for absolutely no reason. I was wide awake and bewildered since being pregnant had made me a deeper sleeper than ever before. And just seconds after I stirred, Jeremy woke up beside me and asked if I had dreamed at all.

“No,” I replied. “Why?”

“Well… Here’s the thing. I felt like I had to spend time praying tonight, and I felt God tell me to put in my two weeks’ notice at Red Robin. That I’ll have more work than I’ll know what to do with.”

I laid there in silence for a moment, propped on my elbows with my growing belly under the covers. Then, I remember saying with a smile on my face, “Well then, go for it.”

We had NO money. I worked at Starbucks and a music school part-time, and that covered barely half of our living expenses. Not to mention the medical bills that were only just beginning to pile up with prenatal visits. So where was this idiotic sense of peace coming from within me? I’m still not sure to this day. But I knew at that moment that God was calling Jeremy and I to something greater than what we were living and being at the time. And I knew that if I turned the other direction and ran from it, we would miss out on something really, really big.

So we went for it. Jeremy quit Red Robin and started his training days at “Crazy-Go-Nuts University,” studying tutorial after tutorial online, learning as much as he could about web design, graphics, film editing, and what-have-you. I spent my days serving coffee, budgeting our groceries out of my weekly tips, and growing a baby.

Out of that season, a little seed called Studio Mae was planted into our minds. The jack-of-all-trades in Jeremy never quite left him; he didn’t want to focus on just one thing when it came to our media studio. He envisioned documentaries, back-pack journalism, podcasts, short films, radio broadcasts, magazines… the list kept growing. And I kept finding a desire to help with design, writing, and music composition. We both wanted to find every way that we could give a voice to the issues of this world and support the journeys of others living lives of love, joy, compassion, and inspiration. And since then, the vision of Studio Mae has flourished into a company that features media, arts, and entertainment to create a “new media culture.”

Alongside that, our faith has been flourishing, as well. If there was any time to get us on our knees and depend on God for every single thing – from mountainous medical bills to loaves of bread – this has been the time. If there was any time to jump into a sea of beginnings and learn to swim in it without water-wings – this has been the time. It’s also been a time of refining our characters individually and as a couple; we have learned to listen to each other and serve each others’ needs more than ever. In fact, the biggest miracle in this entire journey just may be the fact that despite the hardships we’ve faced in the last 18 months, our marriage has never been stronger. Our love for God, for our family, and others has never been deeper. And the best part is – by His grace, we’re still growing.

We’re still broke. We have been living in the grace of God’s provision through odd short-contract jobs and the blessing of families and friends around us – but we’re still just getting by. To top it off, our lease is up at the end of the month, and our landlord is selling the condo so we have to move out… but have yet to find a new home. And I find myself writing all of this with a smile on my face because I know God is about to come through in a big way. That would not necessarily have been my perspective 18 months ago. Somehow, someway, I know that God is going to provide a way for us to continue pursuing our passions – to live our dreams – and pay the bills at the same time.

In all of this, some people may say that having a baby in the midst of quitting a job and kick-starting a company is beyond foolish. I would beg to differ. Beyond crazy perhaps? Absolutely. At 12:30am on September 10th, 2009, just 10 days after we moved back into our own apartment, I went into labor. Nine hours later, our boy Gideon Leo was born. And our world continued changing. Along with our own business, our grappling with the story of our lives, we added another character to our novel. His name, Gideon, was chosen for the biblical meaning “Mighty Warrior” – yet we’ve realized how much the biblical story of Gideon has been a part of our everyday lives.

Gideon may have been the very least in his clan, but God used him and a handful of other wanna-be warriors to bring down the gigantic Midianite army. Gideon knew he had no way in Hades to accomplish such a feat, and therefore had to ask God for proof – twice – before he could be sure God was actually serious about His plans. But God provided victory for Gideon. And I know that even with all the times we’ve asked for confirmation, and all the times we have told God “There’s no way we can do this!” – God will do the exact same thing for us. After all, Studio Mae really is God’s vision over our lives that He is unfolding.

Yes, it has been financially harrowing; and raising a newborn has taken a gripload of time and energy. We quickly came to terms with the fact that like Gideon, we are warriors in this fight, but can’t make any of this happen in our own strength by any means. In the midst of it all, God has taught both Jeremy and I so much about His power, provision, and peace through having our now 11-month old Gideon our lives. It has shown us first-hand what “childlike faith” looks like. Gideon has absolutely no worry of what he’s going to eat or where he’s going to lay his head down at night. All he knows is that his Mama and Papa love him, and they both take care of everything he needs. Jeremy and I discovered the same thing about God; He delights in providing for us, and never wants us to worry. He provides it all – including victory over our obstacles.

So here we are, with this story unfolding in front of our eyes. I feel like we are closing up the prelude, and God is about to begin writing the first chapter of our adventure with Studio Mae. But we could use a little help. Studio Mae started with a passion for media, the truth, and entertaining. The vision of what it may look like in the future is still taking shape. Over the past year and a half, we have taken the steps to live a better story – and major steps of faith that has brought us closer to where God has called us. It has not been without it’s peaks and valleys, supporters and nay-sayers; but through it all we cling to the dream that God has given us. Going to Don Miller’s “Living a Better Story” seminar would be essential to this part of our story because it’s still just beginning, and we need all the tools and encouragement we can get to continue living it out.

We’re excited and full of anticipation. We can’t wait to flip the page into the next chapter. Because this is our adventure. This is our life. This is our story.

(p.s. To take a peek at what God has shaped Studio Mae into so far, check out http://www.StudioMae.com)

Hello, world – it has been a long, long while. I never intended to be silent for so long – but as you may know, I’ve been engaged in the adventure of motherhood since September of last year. Well, here’s the truth that many mothers know too well; you are lucky to do even 20% of all the things you plan to accomplish!

I never knew that having a baby would soak up this much time. I mean, I knew that having Gideon would redefine my priorities, but let me tell you… No one can be fully prepared for it! As a recovering perfectionist, I had many-a-plans stored up for myself once Gideon was in the world. Writing a motherhood-blog… writing music… spending time with other mothers… getting exercise… take an art class… the list went on and on. And I have yet to do those things!

Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely, positively, incredibly in love with my son. Every hour of sleep lost and every second spent caring for him have been worth it all. And it has been such an adventure getting to know him – and in turn, getting to know myself as a mom.

Anyhow, I am here to tell you that I am resuming my blog-writing days. I have learned so much in the last year in so many realms… and I hope that in sharing my thoughts, discoveries, and revelations, you all can laugh and learn along. Thanks, friends.

I feel like American culture thrives on the gold-star phenomenon, don’t you?  We’ve done it for years.  I mean, come on; how many of us are bent on achievements, success, and going the extra mile?  Well… maybe not so much.  But I do feel like for most of us, it feels good (or relieving, even) when we do something good in life.  Accomplish something, earn the extra dollar, get recognized, and the like.

As for myself… I’ve grown up a different way.  Sure, my home culture has always considered achievements with high esteem.  But in Japan, there is more than one chart in existence.  One keeps track of gold-star successes; the other, I’m sad to say, keeps track of black-star failures.  You see, Japanese culture is very success-driven… but it’s motivated first by fear.  A fear of failure.  A fear of letting others down.  A fear of being behind the pack.  It’s like Will Ferrel says in Talladega Nights, “If you’re not first, you’re last.”  Sound ridiculous?  It is… but it’s kind of the sad truth.  Which leads us to the black star chart.

I know I’ve always been a perfectionist.  Yet I’ve recently discovered why that is, and just how much this chart has been affecting my life and the way I live it.  You know how you live with something for so long, you simply adjust your life around it and don’t notice the obstacle that it creates?

I feel like I’ve been that way about my source of perfectionism.  I’ve constantly lived with subtle fears of not reaching the extremely high marks I make for myself, but never have dealt with the reason why I’m that way.  The reason why I’m afraid of failure is simply because I, like a lot of other Japanese people, am an expert at keeping track of all of my mistakes.  Every little mishap puts a little black star on my chart.  And the list grows… and it gets overwhelming.

My sister may remember this event well: During my senior year of high school, I was preparing a very difficult piano piece – Claire de Lune by Debussy – for a recital.  I poured hours of practice into the beautiful song, and when the big night of the performance came, my sister was able to come see me play.  I started off well; really well, actually.  All the dynamics were there.  All the intricate imbellishments and moods were depicted.  And yet… I stumbled in two distinct places of the song towards the end, during the grandeur finish of my piece.

There was great applause and cheering… yet as I took my bow, my heart sank with frustration and defeat.  It wasn’t perfect.  And it makes me sad to tell you that it ruined the rest of my night, not to mention put a damper on the rest of my week.  So I proceeded to put another black star on my chart.

Sigh… I have faced battles like these for too long.  For years now, I have felt like I’ve never been good enough.  Not doing enough.  I could be a better wife.  I should be doing more housework.  I should be more diligent with practicing music.  I need to be a better leader.  I need to work harder.  I need to eat better.  I should be less selfish and more selfless.  These accusations never end!  They are like invisible needles that prick my heart with guilt and shame.  Little voices that whisper I’ll never measure up – I’ll always be far from perfect.  And as a result, I know I’ve been really, really hard on myself.  

Yet… Little did I know that by being this way – convinced that I am rightfully degrading myself – I have been going against the very core of the Gospel’s message of Sonship.

Beyond these screaming accusations in my head, the heart of God’s truth has been whispering to me gently:

“I love you and delight in you just the way you are.”

“I am proud of you.”

“You are my daughter, whom I have created, and am well pleased.”

All these years of giving ear to the voice of the Accuser, my Father has been showering me with gentle words of affirmation.  Acceptance.  Never-ending love.

Because I am His daughter, there is nothing I can do – good or bad – gold or black star – that can change how much He loves me or delights in me.  (Romans 8:38; Ephesians 1:3-8; I John 3:1).  In fact, He delights in all the things that He has created – including myself.  I am a part of His creation, therefore He has proclaimed over me, “It is good.”

A pastor told me today (without knowing a thing about my cultural background) that there are some lessons that I need to un-learn… and I know that this false “need for perfectionism” is one of them.

Now, after writing this blog – I feel like I’m finally – finally - letting the truth of God sink into my heart.  The only words that God speaks over us are life-giving words.  Sure, the Lord will also discipline those He loves… there’s a time and place for that.  But that’s just a part of His wholesome Fatherhood.  It brings out the best in us – and I need to let go of trying to discipline myself – striving so hard to accomplish what the world beckons me to do – in order for Him to lovingly shape me into the vessel He wants to make of me.

It is such a relief to know that I don’t have to try so hard.  His glorious Kingdom is and will continue to be manifested without any of my human efforts.  In fact, the more I let go and lay myself down, the more He can simply do through me.  No star-charts involved.  I’m sure I still need to get used to the idea for a while, but… for now, I finally feel like I can relax a bit.  And I shall rest in that.

Visit here to see what it’s all about!  (It’s even better than the Hokey Pokey.)  Plus, one new post is up for you to see.