It's a time for me to refocus and to just relax into life with my family over the holiday. I hope you'll do the same. I hope you'll quiet the noise and take some time to be.
Be with Jesus who came to be with you.
Be with the friends and family that God has given you right before your eyes.
I'm grateful for each of you that take time to read my scribbles in this place. Wherever God takes my word offerings know that you are the dearest of readers to me. I can't wait to share more in 2014. For now here are a few words (and some playlists!) to leave you with as we close the book on 2013.}
Cease striving. I read it in between the lines as I ponder Advent.
It's no accident that our calendar puts this celebration of Christ's coming at the end of the year. A mere week before we start another trip around the sun we sit elbow to elbow in church with candles balanced so that melting wax doesn't scorch our skin to remember the Son who dared to trip around the sun with us in human flesh.
And I can feel the pull when I look at January 1st looming just ahead. The way that I think every year that I have to be more and do more. The words that I write? They burn a hole in my soul some days. They have burned their way from brain, to fingers, to screen and some times it can feel so futile to write post after post to the few that read.
Here is the truth about it all.
God grows a blog. God grows a soul. God grows it all.
God is a master gardener and He can grow as much as He wants in fallow ground.
I think it was Jennie Allen who said that she has never met a writer who knew exactly what they did to make their words take flight and soar to the top of the bestseller. They all say that they really couldn't explain it. They all say it is God-sized.
What is your dream? What is that thing that you think no one sees even though you pour your heart and soul out and into it?
Keep doing that. Keep doing the art that makes your soul full and trust that God will take it where it needs to go.
I know that platform matters. I know that in this world where everyone is a writer or artist or creating something it can seem like there isn't room for more. But might I just say that there isn't room for more, but there is room for you.
I'm happy to make space on my bench.
I'm happy to scoot over so that you can do your art right next to me.
And if you get that book deal or make that cover art or sing that hit song or sale a billion e-books or get that amazing job or birth a beautiful baby or tackle that pile of laundry or adopt Ugandan orphans or kill all those dust bunnies for good or take cookies to the neighbors or buy your dream house or clean out the attic or whatever it is that you put your hands too...I'm going to be cheering and believing that God grows blogs and souls and He dares to do it any day of the year.
This year I'm embracing God's ability to make much out of little.
I'm going to keep believing that I don't need thousands of devoted readers. I just need one God who can take my little and make it His much. I want to encourage us all to embrace this truth and then stand on this side of the sun once again a year from now and worship the God who did it all.
{Oh, I almost forgot. Two! Count them two! Playlists for Christmas! Enjoy and allow the gift of music to draw your heart deeper into Christ's coming and promise to come again.}
In the Bleak Midwinter Christmas Shake
{One last thing. I'm finishing up Dressember and I'd love to raise a little more for the work of the International Justice Mission. You can follow the final days of the project on my instagram feed and read more about how you can take part in ad"dress"ing issue of injustice globally.}
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