Tag: passion

what family looks like

Karla Lees

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Today is Family day here in Ontario, falling the day after Valentine’s.

Which got me thinking about love and family.

To me, there are three different types of family, which ideally represent the three main types of love:

The family we are born into is meant to be our Agape love foundation. Agape love is meant for each person, whether they know God or not. It was meant to be a love we offer regardless of how we like one another or not, by choosing to love. You may or may not have experienced this type of love in your family, which may make it hard for you to accept God’s choice to love you no matter what.

The family we choose is designed to meet our need for Philos love. Philos love is sisterhood/brotherhood love, the kind of companion or best friend love we all need. And it’s the one we choose for ourselves, based on our likes/dislikes. This kind of love can also not be what we hoped for or expect, as its based upon others.

The family which chooses us represents the best love, God’s love. Eros love is the deep passionate desire and longing kind of love, which initially draws hearts together to long for more besides agape (security) and philos (friendship) love.

All of human love is a pale reflection of the Love which was and is the source of them.

For we are fallible, and will let each other down, even those we love.

God’s love isn’t like ours. It’s puree without flaw. Deliberately chosen and eternally held dear.

His Agape love?
It is for always.
(John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8)

His Philos love?
It is for everyone.
(John 5:20)

His Eros love?
It is forever.
(Song of Song 1:1-4)

For His heart? His heart is:

●To place the lonely into families.
(Psalm 68:6)
●To restore the brokenhearted.
(Psalm 147:3, Psalm 34:18)
●To comfort the hurting and mourners. (Job 5:11)
●To hear your cries. (Isaiah 41:10)
●To fill you with His love. (Ephesians 3:19)
●To never leave you. (Romans 8:37-39)

If your family isn’t quite what you hoped for, wounded you or abandoned you…

If your best friend hurts you or your spouse breaks it off with you…

There is still hope to be found in love.

God’s love is the purest love there is. It is yours to receive, and He longs for you to be one of His.

For He not only made you, He loves you. No matter what. And He wants you part of His family.

Family here on earth may let you down. God never will.

Take a few moments to ponder His love for you.

Allow His love to bypass your wounds and walls, and fill you up beyond your imagination.

For if you invite His love in, He will come. His love cannot help but do so!

Family is about love.
Love which chooses one another even though there may be failures or wounding.

Family is at the heart of God.
For He is family all in One.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Ever loving one another, ever reminding us all we are wanted and loved.

As family.
As friends.
As the Beloved.

what is fueling your hope?

Karla Lees

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.  Isaiah 40:31

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Hope is fuel and passion fuels hope. Christine Caine

How is your fuel tank?

Are you running low from all the running around you are doing, and not stopping long enough to sit as His feet?

I am coming to realize that if we make seeking Him foremost eac day, somehow everything we need to do gets done with more grace.

It’s part of the Kingdom of Heaven, how spending time with God fuels us up.

Hope is intertwined with passion in a circle which continuously redirects us to the other as we seek Him.

For its in the pursuit we discover our passion, which fuels us to pursue all the more, elevating our levels of hope in such a way we are even more fueled to keep pursuing.

Our energy feeds off this combination of passion and hope, calling us to grow deeper, soar higher and leap all the steeper.

We can become, do, see more than we ever imagined possible when we allow the fuel of Heaven to be our drive.

Jesus showed us this kind of empassioned hope fueled living while with us on earth.  He knew who He was in relationship to His Father, placing His desires before His own, and walked empowered by Holy Spirit wherever He was lead.

My prayer for you and I?

For us to catch that this was not an isolated incident in the life of Jesus; but a daily moment by moment occurance, one we too can live out.

Weary from all the running here there and everywhere? Low on hope? In need of a top up of love and passion?

○Head to your Father’s embrace.
○Sit at the feet of Jesus.
○Allow Holy Spirit to whisper their love deep into your very being.
○Soak in their Presence.

And then, in their power, refueled with their love, you will be ready to roll with fresh hope and passion for the day ahead.

For we, you and I? We are meant to be the ones who soar, who can stay on course in the race without losing our focus or source of fuel. 🙂

So let hope rise up and darkness tremble at Your Holy light, for every eye to see Jesus our God, great and mighty to be praised.

One

Karla Lees

We are made One in Him.
He takes us from every background imaginable and make us His sons and daughters,  all of us.

We become His family.

One family.

And as family, we are meant to gather together as we pursue Him, the focus of our passion.

United.

One pursuit.
One passion.
One purpose.

To know Him more.
Become more His.
To share the good news that we are never alone.

It only took One to bring us back from the outskirts and plant us firmly in the circle of His affection.

Jesus.

One love.
Which spanned the heights of heavens and the depths of despair to free us from the enemy of the One. 

Release the snares of our wrongdoings,  and ushers us into His embrace and family.

One things alone remains forever.

His love for you and I.

Wavering because you don’t yet know what he has called you to do?

Your purpose is clear.
Pursue Him.

Our primary purpose for being on this earth is to know our Maker, and be known by Him:
To worship Him for who He is.
To wonder at what He has done.
To walk where he leads.
To welcome Home the lost.
To work for His glory….
To let His Words come to live within us.
To listen as He speaks.
To love that He loves.
To never lack in companionship.
To learn at His feet.
To laugh at the wonders He displays.

Join me as together we celebrate the One, and become the Beloved He is creating for himself.

One bride, longing for her Love.
Pursuing Him with all she is and has.

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pace or pursuit

Karla Lees

Is the pace at which I am doing God’s work destroying God’s work in me? Bill Hybels

There are days where I feel like I can’t catch my breath. One thing after another gets crossed off my to-do list, until I collapse on the sofa at the end of the night and wonder where my day, and my inner peace went.

Many of the things I did were good things.  But I am awakening to realize that not all of them needed to be done by ME.

I have a loving husband and two adult children, with a cute cat and a pygmy hedgehog living with me in our cozy nest.  This year, with three of us working and one in school full time, I have had to pull back on doing all the cooking, and use the crackpot more and assign nights to cook based on who is home first.  The cleaning jobs are fairly equally divided too. Not everyone is as tidy as the others, but working as a team leaves more time for family fun this way, with no one person carrying the weight alone.

All I do at home, my job or church may be His work.

But if I lose sight of how and what He is wanting me to do when and set my own pace, I can bring it all down through my attempt to do it all, in my own strength.

What we do on our own can be good, but what we are able to do with God can be great!!!

I have a few gifts and talents which God has given me (mostly around communication & community).  I am becoming increasingly aware of the fact that not all I do is meant for me to be doing.

Which means that the pace I am trying to maintain is a waste if I am not achieving His best for me at the end of the day.

Instead of trying to organize myself into obedience, I am taking a different tact this year….

I am pursuing God as my main priority.

There will always be jobs to be done, for we will always have work of one kind or another until we get to heaven.

If pursuing Him first causes me to allow him more fully to work through me, I need to lay myself down each day, and let Him set my pace.

Pausing to make sure I am running in pace with Jesus and all He has for me to do and become is more important to my well being.

Ultimately God is to be my pace setter.

My part is to give Him the space he needs within me to see the mext step ahead, as He equips me to meet each task to the best of my ability in Him.

I refuse to not answer the call He is stirring up deep within because I am keeping a frenzied pace without His purposes for me in mind.

I have no more space for the kind of waste in my life, Beloved.

Join me as we slow down before His throne, settle in at His feet, and ask Him to open our eyes to the things which matter most to Him, while He leads us to the peace within as He reminds us who we truly are, and what it is he has for us to do today.

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May the #wonder of living life at His pace overtake all of our busyness as we seek him first!

Hello, it’s Me

Karla Lees

Like so many of you, I too have been enthralled by Adele’s song Hello. Everyone can relate to feeling disconnected from someone who love, who may not be returning our affection. The passion Adele harnesses as she sings it stirred me so, it brought her revelation that someone this song was really God’s song for the ones who don’t yet know Him.

I have pondered, played and waited on rewriting this song to be sung from God’s perspective over the lost. For if He sings over us, which the Word confirms to be so, He must be singing a song for everyone. Whether we answer His call to relationship and restoration or not.

May He stir us anew to know his heart for the lost, those without hope or direction,  those who are looking for home but haven’t found Him yet.

For the ones He loves are never far from His thoughts and are ever constant on His heart.

Hello, it’s Me
I was wondering if after all this time you’d like to meet
To discover everything
that really matters to you
But I seem to be the only One trying
Hello, can you hear Me
I’m right here in the Word showing you who you could be
When you were innocent and free
You’ve forgotten how it felt before sin dropped you to your knees

There’s such a wall between us
And a million miles

Hello from the other side
I must have called a thousand times
To tell you I paid for everything that you’ve done
But when I call
you always seem to be on the run
Hello from here deep inside
I’ll never stop My loving cry
To tell you I’m here to help restore your heart, and your life matters
dont let things tear you apart anymore

Hello, how are you
It’s so typical of Me
to talk about you
I’m sorry you’re not doing well
Do you want to be free of that lie
where nothing good will ever happen?

It’s no secret that one of us
Could be running out of time

Come home Love is My forever cry
I must have called a million times
To tell you I paid for everything that you’ve done
But when I call, you always seem to be on the run
Hello here from deep inside
I’ll never stop My loving cry
To tell you I’m here to help free you at last and you truly matter
dont let life batter you down anymore

Hello I’m waiting for you
My arms are open wide
Can’t you hear my heart beat wildly
As I keep looking at you?
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when you don’t quite have the best fit

Karla Lees

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For the past few years, I have struggled to find the best fit for myself in a pair of jeans.  I have more padding than I would like in my ab area, with a literal vs visual tush (basically flat) and fairly skinny legs.

I have curves in the wrong places for the trendy type of pants that are usually the easiest to find when looking for jeans.

Either I find a pair (my previous best fit) of skinny ones with a midrise and have sag beneath my tush, or find a great tush fit with wide wide legs and difficulty breathing (not an option for great quality of life).

Because I am also between sizes, and am over 5’8″ tall, this combination has made it very hard to find my best fit.

Until last Saturday.

I happened to be at the mall with a girl friend, and we decided to poke in a new store that we can across there.

And on a mannequin on the top shelf above their jeans, were my dream jeans.

Ladies, you know what i mean. The pair you just know that you know are going to be a perfect fit for you.

And guess what? After 5 different styles of jeans, guess which pair I ended up with?!

MY perfect fit.

So why I am sharing about finding the perfect fit of jeans?

Because just as the widow got justice from the earthly judge she kept going to day after day after day (Luke 18), committing to get your answer when you are looking for your best fit is possible.

And God encourages us to do so.

He wants us to know what we are passionate about, then pursue Him until we learn and can see where our best fit is.

I have known for years that I am not an average puzzle piece.  I don’t fit with everybody else fits & talent wise.  I am custom designed to be a part of the puzzle, but in the exact place I am meant to fill.

I am made for my perfect fit.  Just as you are.

Now, I am not saying that we aren’t to serve or work outside of our passion.  I am saying that God knows where we are to be the perfect fit for what He has planned for His KIngdom, and He chooses to use us uniquely shaped people to fill in the right places for His blessings to flow.

Because if your barista is meant to serve people, they will greet you with a smile, learn your name and get your order right.

Your kids’ babysitter, child care provider or teacher will celebrate your child’s successes, and inspire them to be the best they can be.

Your pastor will learn your name, pray for you, encourage you to find your place in the body you belong to.

Your mechanic will care that you are stressed out by your sudden car repair, and get how you need you need it fixed and fast.

Your doctor will take the time to explain and listen to you during your visit, without making you feel like just a number in line.

But put someone designed to be a mechanic in your local coffee shop as a barista?  Or a ballerina in as your pastor? Or a rock star as a grocery teller?

Not the best fit for their skill set, even though they might get the job done.

And if you don’t know yourself the way God has designed you to best fit, you can spend a lot of time and energy pursuing the wrong paths.

If you are looking for your best fit?
Where you are meant to release His Kingdom with your gifts & talents?

Ask Him.

He knows when and where you are to be.

He knows how and why.

He knows if it meant to be you or someone else.

I was in a job I did well in, but not the best fit for me.  I asked God to make it quite clear if I was to stay or go, and He did.

We were attending a church where we loved the people, but after many years, staff changes and most of our friends moving on, we needed to ask God if we were to stay or to go, and He did. We are now in a better fit for all four of our giftings in our family.

Again, I am not advocating change for change sake, nor recommending one church over another.  We are one Body.

But the church around the corner might need your gifts, and the church you are currently in doesn’t.  Because it isn’t your best fit.

You might be better suited to go to another country and use your gifts there versus in your local community.  Because that may be your best fit.

God may want you to be the first parent in your family line to stay at home and raise your children instead of working full time out of your home.

You may be meant to minister in word, song, prayer, encouragement, healing or teaching.

And you may not have figured out where He wants you yet as you are so busy doing, you haven’t set aside the time to sit at His feet and listen.

In order to find the perfect fit, you have to be actively seeking it.

If you, like me, have forgotten who He made you to be and need to rediscover yourself,  i would like to suggest a few things to help you along the journey:

51-pWsm5DoL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_1. Do a spiritual gifts assessment.  Answer honestly, and you may be surprised by the result. Something you may have thought of as not relevant may be part of how He points you to your best fit.  The thumbnail is the best one I have ever done, and have actually taught.

5lovelang2. Discover your love language.  Visit the 5 Love Languages website, and learn how you best receive love.  This definitely impacts how you feel you fit.

3. Direct Revelation: Pray, worship, journal, read the Word. Spend quality time at His feet, and ask Holy Spirit to bring you revelation, and speak to you about where He wants you to serve to give Him the most glory.  This may change over seasons in your life, but with Him as your guide, you will stay on course.

4. Don’t give up!   Keep listening, seeking confirmation and His direction.  He may have someone as you to do something you  have never done before, and your spirit comes alive as you do.

How did you find your best fit?  I just love how God speaks to each of us in just the right way we need to hear Him!

wrapping Words

Karla Lees

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18

12 short words.

Unwrapping His promise.

Encompassing the Father’s heart, the Present of Jesus,
the Presence of Holy Spirit.

God initiated.
God with us.
Embraced into His family.
Present, wherever we are.
Spoken by God to us.

Wrap His words around yourself  and live cloaked,
well covered in the knowing:
He has chosen YOU.
He loves YOU.
He will not leave YOU alone.
He is coming for YOU.

12 words, simply put, from His heart to yours.

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If you need a physical reminder of His love & Words, consider purchasing one like I did this week at:
www.goodnewsbracelet.com

Part of this post was also seen this week at: Remade Ministries

come-passion

Karla Lees

In an interesting unexpected conversation yesterday on the bus, I touched an aspect of God in a way I had not yet done in such a way before.

As i was listening to the earnest young missionary from the Latter Day Saints speak about his church having the ‘living prophet’ and 12 apostles, I felt compassion for him rise up within my heart.

He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.

Like many sheep, he is following the wrong shepherd, and doesn’t know any better.

He hasn’t yet met the Shepherd.

What makes Jesus unique to me after this brief conversation is how much compassion He has ALL THE TIME.  Yes, He did lose His temper once or twice. but because of His passion for serving God, and wanting us free of what binds us.

He came to us because of His passion for His people.
All of them.

The ones who know, the ones who don’t yet know,and the ones may choose not to know Him.

Come, Passion.
Compassion.

Lord, may the passion that led you to choose to walk amongst us here on earth , willingly taking on the cross, sin & death?
May that passion arise anew in us and flow out from us in a wave of compassion that will draw people to discover You.

Come, Passion. Well up within us until we can’t help but burst forth in worship, praise as we shower Your love, mercy & grace wherever we go.
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be the you God designed

Karla Lees

There are a lot of things about me which I love.

My ability to multitask
My love of puns & fun
My voice when I sing
My love of music
My eyes
My curls (95% of the time)
My feet
My passion to learn
My burning yearn for more of God

When you add all the gifts, talents, spirit & soul, and mix in my uniqueness to the packaging God custom designed, I am the result.

God didn’t just whip me off a conveyor belt, He took care, with planning & purpose & love in mind, as He set about making the spark of cells that would become me, only me.

Ever thought about just how much ‘detailed programming’ God invested in your creation?

He thought about making you, and you came to be, at exactly the right moment in time & history.

You are no accident.

I came out with more than a few quirks:

My pinkies are significantly shorter than the rest of my fingers.
I have a few birthmarks, my fave being the upside down heart on the back of my left leg.
I have freckles, and skin that turns shades of red vs lovely tan like colors.
I have a mouth on the smaller side for all the teeth that tried to come in.
I have a limited trunk.
I visibly cringe when I hear a wrong note.
I don’t like coffee, beer or cigarettes.

Just as my gifts & talents are by His design, my quirks were also known by Him.

My whole life was taken into consideration before He created me.

The same for you!

You are so well known by the Master Craftsman.

Not only does He know your strengths & quirks, but two other key factors:

He knew you wouldn’t do well on your own, so He placed you where you would have family; by blood or by choice.

He knew you would fail. To live up to His standards, others expectations, your own hopes & dreams.

The need for Jesus was woven into our very DNA to help us become alive as He designed, as only He can bring to life.

Out of love,
He gave us each a custom gift.
Life.

Because of how we lived,
because of our hurts & shackles,
because of our great need,
He gave us His most precious gift, new life through Jesus.

He not only set us free
& made us clean,
He welcomes each of us
who come to Him
with arms wide open
into our forever family.

When we begin to truly live
our lives with Him,
following His leading
as He guides us,
our gifts and talents awaken
and begin to make sense,
as we become one with
His unique action plan for us.

How I live out become more ‘me’ will look very different from someone who is an extrovert, a gifted athlete, or evangelist, for example.

I am so thankful that God gave us direction, through His Word & through Holy Spirit’s prompting within those who accept His lead.

I am very grateful that the God who designed and shaped me is continuing to do so as I ask for His help navigating the life laid out ahead of me.

I am especially moved when I remember the pain Jesus purposefully chose on the cross to show me (you) His passion for me (you).

Embrace the freedom to be yourself. He wants you to be the you He designed for you to be, with Him walking closely beside you every step of the way.

As I become more ‘me’, my prayer is I reveal more ‘He’ to those around me.

That my efforts to live reveal His hands keeping me safe, His love anchoring my heart, His wisdom in my choices, and His glory when I hit the mark!

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#betheyouHedesigned

stripping away the veil

Karla Lees

You have been teaching me a necessary lesson over these past few weeks, God.

I keep putting up veils to shield myself from seeing You directly.

You Yourself valued being able to see us face to face so much You died on that cross to rip the veil, to make it clear You were approachable, and passionate about being with us….not just while You were physically on earth but now & forever.

In my ignorance, I put barriers up between us. 

That I have to be right (impossible without You) before I can come to You.

You whisper, “Just come.”

That You don’t want the broken pieces, but only me as a whole.

You wipe my tears and say, “Come as you are.”

That only the right words or right music are fit & pleasing offerings for You.

You smile, and remind me, “Your whole life can be, and is, an offering when you are Mine.”

My part?

To pursue Him.

Unabashedly, no holds barred, flat out pursuit with everything I’ve got.

If I can’t hear properly, pursue You through silence. Your Word. Listening in my spirit.

If I can’t speak properly, pursue You with the bubbling up of praise spoken within my mind, worshiping along with music, reading the Psalms to find how I am feeling & offering it to You again as if fresh & new.

If I can’t write or type, i will speak or sing my heart out as I praise & worship You for who You are.

If I cannot see over or beyond my pain, to lift it to You as all I am able to offer in the moment.

Any way I choose to earnestly pursue You is a welcome offering to You God.

As the song by Jesus Culture states so eloquently,

I WILL pursue You,
I will pursue Your Presence.

For it is my choice to pursue You NO MATTER WHAT.

You, Your Presence, Your Word, my sole pursuit for the rest of my days on earth, and the promise to come!

Because without You, I find I exist, but i don’t truly live.  You came that we may have life to the fullest with You, not just an existence apart from You.

I can’t live without Your Presence.

So strip it all away, Lord.
Whatever is keeping me from my pursuit.
May I only pick up what You would have me use to continue my pursuit of You, and You alone.

Your Presence is life.
Real life.

Not settling for anything less.

Am i scared about this means?
You betcha.

But I am planning on doing it afraid, because He is so worth my all.

And when i get to see Him face to face, I long to know He was pleased with my pursuit.

#heartcry
#iwillpursueYou
#hopeinHisPresence

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