talent – KARLA LEES

hope in His presence

January 21, 2015January 21, 2015 Karla Lees

Only the forgiven and loved can help others be forgiven and loved. Only the free can free others. Don’t be talented, be free. Write on, friend.

Those words jolted me wide eyed and bush tailed right out of a lull the other day.

And I realized something about myself.

Its not my talent that makes me any different from anyone else.

Because we are all talented.

Its not my looks that separates me from the crowd.

What a giggle writing that line was. I am a normal gal with the same issues other gals wrestle with: post deliveries, post injuries, post 40 🙂

Its not my voice, sung or written, that attracts people to me.

Its the message of freedom God has given me to share.

To sing hope into the spirits of those who are broken, hurting and lonely.

To write hope for those who need the reminder, or need to hear the truth for the first time.

Freedom is waiting for all who pursue Him.

After one particularly hard season of being broken down and painfully rebuilt, God impressed on my heart that HOPE is now a part of me.

Like an identifying factor, I am recognized for the hope I have.

The hope that grows when I am in His presence.

The hope I hope I share when I communicate.

The hope i hold dear in my heart.

The hope I walk in each day.

I am free.

And God’s not finished with me yet.

I know the hope I have.

Do you?

(Quote from: You Don’t Need More Time)

in Your eyes

October 1, 2014October 1, 2014 Karla Lees

My best is just that.
Mine.
My best effort, filled with all the passion, skill and gifts I have to back it.

I have a hard time letting myself down, let alone people.

And God.

But I know myself. I have the tendency to see if I am pleasing those around me, family, friends & coworkers with my offerings.

While it is important to get feed back when I miss the boat, I am not to base my best upon their view point.

I am to do my best as an offering to the God I serve, in appreciation for who He is, all He has done & continues to do for me, and because it honors how He made me.

God put His best into our creation.
He doesn’t make second rate, its not in His character.

If I am made by Him, as the Word reminds me, I was well made. One of a kind, uniquely me, handcrafted with care.

His best.

And when, like all of us, I strayed and needed a shepherd to bring me back to safe luscious pastures to feed & grow, He gave His best to us in Jesus to make that happen.

Only the best will do when it comes to defeating evil.

God wins, every time.

I had a very long unexpected few work days. Technical glitches hit right after my weekend away, and I have been catching up ever since.

This time, however, I am not stressing about it.

I am doing my best.

I love all the hats I wear, but they are just that, temporary wares.

Who I am matters more than what I do.

My best is listening for what God has to say to me, who He says I am, what He has to teach me, the guidance and love I have longed for in the secret place from even before words.

When He gets my best, the rest becomes the best I am capable of.

Keeping my eyes fixed on the Best that has ever happened to me?

I see my reflection in His eyes.

I find rest, so I can offer my best.

And I am complete.

🙂

In Your Eyes: Peter Gabriel
(awesomely sung by either Peter Gabriel, or Nichole Nordeman)

love I get so lost, sometimes
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
when I want to run away
I drive off in my car
but whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

in your eyes the light the heat
in your eyes I am complete
in your eyes I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
the heat I see in your eyes

love, I don’t like to see so much pain
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

and all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade,
so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

ten things I like about you

April 25, 2014 Karla Lees

I really like ten things about you.
Even though i may not have met you yet.

That may sound strange, but as an observer of people, I have finally figured these things out.

And you probably need to know what these things are.

1. I like the fact that you aren’t me.
I spend more than enough time with myself, so I like that you are not me. I find our differences interesting. Think about how boring it would be if we were all alike.

2. You are here on purpose.
You were not an accident, no matter what anyone else had told you. God planned you, on purpose, from the spark that He first set off when He created you in your mother’s womb. You are handcrafted, and a one of a kind original. There will never be another one of you, ever. He designed you after Himself. He intentionally placed you in this place and time.

Image from- http://cdn.theresurgence.com/files/2013/08/05/Wired_ResurgenceTemplate2.jpg

3. God has equipped you with talents and gifts.
Sometimes you need to be reminded that you are good at something. We all have strengths, and when we get to know each other, we begin to see these in one another. It may take a friend or coworker to point it out to you before you may begin to see it in yourself. You likely are good at a few things, not just the one you may be best at.

4. God cares for you.
Each and every person who ever has been, is or will be is important to God. So much so that Jesus died for each of us, to pave the way for us to draw close to Him. He is the closest friend you can ever have, will never leave you and always wants the best for you. He is in your corner no matter what.

5. You are here for a purpose.
You are meant to do wonderful things with your life. Bless people through your profession, invent something, raise your kids well, mentor or teach others, encourage and help others. God will reveal the things you are meant to do as you get to know Him, and yourself through His eyes.

6. You are worth being heard.
If no one has ever told you so…what you feel and think matters. You have a story worth telling, and it deserves to be told. And heard.

7. You look great when you smile!
That’s right, a smile makes you look your best. And when you smile, it increases the likelihood that those around you will smile back at you.

8. Things may be tough, but they will get better.
This world is just our temporary home, and it’s a hard life most of us are living through. But its not our final destination if you believe in Jesus, and place your hope in Him. Heaven will be your forever home. No more tears, sickness, disease, pain or loneliness.

9. You always have something to be thankful for.
As bad as things can get, take some comfort in the small things around you if you can’t see any big things to be grateful about. Being able to breathe, read, hear, walk. A roof over your head, food on the table, a job. A cloud in the sky, sun, rain puddles, flowers, cat purrs. Whatever you can find, remember to be thankful for having it.

10. Someone is thankful for having you in their life.
They are. Whether a family member, close friend, coworker or a stranger you helped out…someone has been blessed to have you in their life.

I hope we meet, whether virtually, here on earth or in heaven one day.

Until we do, remember these ten things that you need to know about yourself.

It took many years for me to reprogram the lies and believe these truths about myself. May you cast off what needs to go to make room for these truths you were meant to know about you.

I am glad you are here.