my kind of afternoon…

When the weather hits above 30, you better believe I’m giddy.  Not to mention that I get done at 3:00 p.m. with one of my lovely jobs.  So what do I do?

Throw on a few layers, grab my ipod, my camera, mittens for carrying things, and head out.  Even though I already ran this morning (holla marathon training!), I just had to run/walk.  I’ve missed it SO much in these ridiculous -40 temperatures. It’s my sweet spot.  My oh hey there God let’s go play and soak up some time together.

My: “Words can never say the way He says my name. He calls me lovely. No one ever sees the way He looks at me. Heaven holds me. You would not believe the way He touches me. He burns right through me.”

And that is a perfect afternoon for a snowy February day.

five minute friday: mail

Five Minute Friday: What’s the best mail you got recently – email, text, or snail mail? Take five minutes and illustrate with words how you felt opening it, reading it, or digesting it. Help us read it through your eyes.

When I write, I expose bits and pieces of my heart for others to see.  I risk their reaction.  I lay out the areas that I let them see not knowing whether they will hold my heart gently, tear it to pieces, speak truth in love or any multitude of responses.  I am reworking my inner thoughts and self-talk to change my perception because I’ve realized that I expect others to tear it to pieces.  I expect them to be against me instead of for me.  I’m slowly getting there…transformation…like a pretty butterfly (heyo bible study and truth project)…takes time and struggle.

But in the midst of the struggle, the words of life spoken are like gentle hands removing bandages from a wound.  As I begin to see others fighting for me, loving me, cheering me on, encouraging me, seeing me as He sees me, now those are the moments when I exhale into myself.

He uses these words to heal my broken heart.  Messages from Him sent through those who love Him too.

And so thank you. To all of you who speak those words into my dark places to remind me that even the darkness is as light to Him.