Rose Petals

“He loves me, He loves me not, He loves me, He loves me not.” Isn’t this just how our life is in God? Pulling off the rose petals and hoping that the last petal we pull will be “He loves me!” We have such a hard time understanding that He does indeed love us!” – Mary Katherine

Celebration of Flower

Yea, it’s my birthday!!!

Birthday Countdown 3..2..1..

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability… To be alive is to be vulnerable.” - Madeleine L’Engle

confession

i am in deep cleaning boxes, boxes and….boxes of photography hidden and hoarded away. i have sincerely repented to the LORD and I extend an apology to others for burying my seed- all the doubles of pictures never given out, all the empty photo albums and frames yet to hang on the wall. wow, this is a tremendous work long overdue. it’s time to reflect and time to move forward. His deep is cleansing my deep, even in the most precious place of visual memories. Perhaps this year will be a year of new expression of photography and beauty. Help me LORD, be a good steward of life, relationships, gifts and talents, all You have gladly brought and are joyfully bringing.

captured by beauty

Brittany Collins Photography

 

53 degrees

it’s actually freezing in florida. 

could perhaps the seasons be changing?

The City of Light

“God proposes to His people and says ‘Here’s a diamond, come live in it!’ We will experience the depth of beauty we long for.” 

-Stuart Greaves

Where the sunshine and snow meet

A special time indeed more than I could have drempt of.  Breakthrough comes even to the final hour. The same beauty and freedom extended to the thief on the cross came at the count-down to a new year. Taking hold of it, is like emerging from a war torn building after the battle has departed, the silence rings in the air, a fresh wind blows through, the streets are empty and you begin to find your footing and build trust to walk step by step in new found peace. Then rejoice!

Arizona was not as much sunshine as much a washing of desert rain day after day. 

My time at Kansas City was unlike any other time. It was full with an ever contracting rhythm of hunger for God, the passion of this generation was opening my eyes and expanding my faith.  The conviction of the LORD, as the most brilliant light was searching my heart. Living in South Florida has influenced me more than I had realized, now I see and plead with the LORD to continually keep me aware to true beauty that is available without cost but is found in His hand open to me. 

I want the fruit of my dreams, yet the LORD says, then labor in planting yourself in Me like a seed, broken in the hidden, nourished in the light of communion, take root in Love, be planted and TRUST Me. So I begin to discover what it truly means to ’shut the door and pray’, and to labor taking care of another family  -yes moms labor with arms of iron and hearts of gold daily to raise little children in the best way before the King of Glory, and all the while I entrust my details into God’s tapestry of love. 

I just realized, (last night this was tested and proved – quality) that sometimes to get out of a funk, you just need to get around some seasoned, saturated spiritual mothers and fathers who know the LORD intimately, who have walked through the thick and thin and have seen His face. Their fire is like an ol’ campfire, they burn with an experiential history of stories that invoke and release faith- even to see the light of Christ in their eyes provokes me. Their joy is rich and contagious. 

It’s 2009 which means another year closer to ten year high school reunion. Wow. I remember my thesis teacher once told me that this generation graduates and expects to have a job the next day but he said his generation came from college to ‘marinate’ and to refine their vision and skills which comes from  life lived daily that would mark and deepen the theme of their creativity. Even Jesus Christ my Beloved was hidden in the carpenter’s shop building with his hands – the very hands that after 20ish years of woodwork would be prepared for the splinters of the Cross, the worn in hands would touch and heal every person that came to Him. He was building in a shop yet longing to build His kingdom in the hearts of man and to the ends of the earth. Then His day came! And He is coming again! All this to say, wow almost ten years since high school, yet perhaps in perspective it is a drop in the bucket of the glory He is yet to reveal! 

Today, I saw Hotel for Dogs in a theatre packed with 5 year olds and found myself once again overwhelmed to potential tears at the climatic scene of reconciliation. Why-it’s just dogs, right? This happens often- the human heart was made for the reality of victory and redemption. Last week, I saw Horton Hears a Who -a profound movie (about the ending of abortion and the significance of a life ‘a person is a person no matter how small’). Moving passed the knot in my throat I was struck with a deep conviction in the seed bed of vision. True, I am about a year behind everyone, but this movie in story and quality left me crying out to the LORD for more! ‘Oh sweet LORD revive us Your Bride with the Spirit of the Living God to create powerful pictures, stories of your heartbeat, prophetic invitations to this generation. Yet first, ignite our hearts of fire with Your desire. All for Your Glory God!’

Dreaming Fields of Horses

along old country roads on the way home I saw friends, wedding, dear family 

and baby cows, wild horses and stunning starry nights

on knees

When all else has been done

Completely done, I am undone

Only option with an invitation

Marked by His fragrance is

To surrender again and again

And listen to some Phil Wickham 

‘Quotes’ to Ignite Hearts

Run in Your Dreams

(Speaking of the film Amazing Grace) I believe He (God) set up the movie for me, just for me and a million other people as well. See if you don’t think that way, that you are somehow as special as you are… Begin to believe that way and God will begin to feed you with His stuff. Begin to obey it and shoot for the stars. I have a dream tonight, a dream that America can turn back to God… I prayed for revival for twenty years…Then one day the guy that was pastoring the church at the time spoke to me and said, “You’re not a pastor Lou”.  I was trying to be one. “You’re not a pastor, sorry you need to go get a job or do whatever else you’re going to do.” I could have gotten ticked off and said are you firing me? But you see the opportunity to get wounded is the open door for you to fulfill your destiny. Joseph’s pit is the stepping stone to the palace. So the things that had been burning in my heart, dreaming in my heart for years, I decided to do. There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but few that will catch your heart. Pursue those! Passion is the North Star of your life. It is the compass. It is the directive by the Holy Spirit. What makes you happiest is your destiny. Whatever makes you the most glad, that thing is the director to your destiny. Whatever you do follow life, His words are Spirit and Life. Follow where the fires burns. Romance. Poetry… God’s not boring! Follow the thing that burns in your soul. It will lead you to your destiny. Pay close attention to your tears and your dreams. 

The cry in my heart was, “How can I turn America back to God?” I knew I couldn’t do it by myself, but I knew I could write a page in history. 

God can mobilize His own movement. 

When the anointing comes you are released from the ministry and it’s a joyous occasion. Step down preachers. God has taken the field. It’s not about big preaching, it’s about Me pouring my Spirit out on my sons and my daughters. Step aside Lou, I am going to take the field. 

(Referring to a youth conference) They were singing “Dance with me O’ Lover of my soul” . The Spirit of God descends. They sang it for two hours. The preachers try to get up to preach and had to sit back down. The Lord was saying, I am going to marry a generation to Myself. I am going to break their addiction with a love that is stronger than death, the very flame of the LORD.” 

-Lou Engle

         Intentional Love 

” The honor we discussed with our couples is obviously that of a man toward his mate; how that extrapolates to singles I’m not sure, since it’s the love of a man for his wife that is to look like His love for His bride, the church. So it must be unique, saved for one person. It’s more than people skills or southern gentlemanly manners, though those certainly are honoring. It’s treating her like royalty—because she IS. And it’s unilateral…when He died for us, there was nothing lovely about us, yet He gave extravagant love—long before any of us even knew to ask for it. So my love for my bride (wife Ruthie)—-to mimic His love—must be constant, independent of her apparent loveliness at the moment. And just as we, as believers, become more and more radiant the longer He pours His love on us, my spouse WILL become more and more radiant, physically beautiful, and absolutely aromatic as she basks in total acceptance, absolute forgiveness, and complete encouragement. Any man who truly FEELS and understands this awesome gift and responsibility cannnot help but devote every available ounce of energy to showing honor to his beloved. The honoring part is simply the natural outpouring of a heartfelt adoration for my bride. The old Test. verb for honor is kabed “to give high praise and status to another, in word and deed”.

Success in this area is like success in all areas of life: it’s never convenient, nor is it accidental. It must be purposeful. One of the awesome things about loving someone this intensely and intentionally is that the more you ‘work’ at it, the more the emotions follow. There are innumerable examples for everday life: I always, while at work (as a doctor), visualize Ruthie being there with me: would she feel comfortable with how close I’m standing next to a female nurse or md; I choose to let only words of praise about her come from my mouth to others; when on the phone to her in the earshot of others, I make sure I’m honoring to her in my words and tone of voice (sincerely, not as a show). I never joke about her or at her expense. She gets the first kiss when I get home, even if anyone else happens to be there.

Honor develops such a passion for the other that, no matter how long we’ve been married, seeing her come into a room full of people STILL evokes a bit of a gasp of awe in my spirit. How any of this applies to singles I’m not sure; it’s certainly not stuff we practice on others to get the hang of it. I think–emphasize: think–that once a man has found his future wife, it’s time to start digging in and really studying that woman; earning a PhD in Ruthie, for example. Just as He searches our minds and spirits, knows our every need and is ready to meet that need, I as a man get the awesome privilege of continually searching Ruthie’s soul, fulfilling needs, encouraging her on to her destiny. In a very real sense, my actions (minus the many mistakes) and attitude should look–to her, my children, and the world–like God. They should be able to look at me loving Ruthie and think “Oh! So THAT’S what God’s love is like!!” If my needs happen to get met in the process..fine. But I as the man am the one to present her to the Father without spot or blemish. (truth of the matter is, no woman alive can receive consistent, passionate selfless love and not reciprocate).

I am convinced that the one true overriding purpose a man has in life once he’s married is to see just how much love one woman can absorb in a lifetime. And HER one true purpose is to see …just how much love one woman can absorb in a lifetime.

-Everitt S.

rhythm

“In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made her vow, saying “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon Your servant’s misery and give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life… As she continued to pray, Eli the priest observed her… Hannah spoke, “I am pouring out my soul to the LORD…I have been praying out of my great anguish and grief… Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” 1 Samuel 1:4

“For creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to this present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:22

Hannah wept for the dream of her heart, a child. The earth groans for the children of God to be revealed. Here in South Florida with hurricanes even now brewing and making way in the ocean. The Lord’s heartbeat pulses and longs for His children. And the earth breaks open with cries in one accord. The torrents of God’s desire and passion for family makes way in the heights and fills the valleys. He comes to the deepest part of the human heart as redemption (home) before the waves crash to the coastline and judgement is declared. Will we turn and see Beauty standing before us?

Please keep me in prayer as Hurricane Hannah is a week away, that I would be covered in His peace, love and equipped with wisdom. Thanks!

storytime

faith like a child

the other day as I held Little M, reading her books, she looks up and begins to count the freckles on my face. One after the other, she counts, “Sparkle. Sparkle. Another sparkle. Sparkles”. The beauty of innocence is joyful fascination and gladness to see and speak of beauty.

dearest ukraine

While staying inside from the cool winds swirling over South Florida. I had plenty of time to rest and edit through the first 2 rolls of film (of 30) from Ukraine. Here is a tiny sneak peak. 

Savannah looks unto Kiev

the winds of change

Tropical Storm Fay is by the Florida Keys. The intense beauty of the low clouds reaching across the expanse is unlike anything I have yet to see. It’s a beautiful night. The winds blow yet everything is calm in the LORD’s presence. The rain comes in blankets, layers of water. Father God’s hand covers me.  Thanks for all your prayers!