Amazing...

Greetings to you all!

And to those visiting, I say welcome.

Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

First of all, I want to apologize for missing you last week. I was on vacation in northern Minnesota and the internet was down at the resort. I had fully planned on posting, but the forced break from my computer was a welcomed one.

This week I am in Orlando at the giant Christian booksellers convention. Today is my first day online in what seems like ages. In a moment I'll respond to some of your posts from last week (bless you for stopping by!).

Before I get into my topic, I wanted to remind you of a couple of things. Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to Caribou to someone who posts on this blog. I love to hear from you!

In celebration of my new release, "The Uncommon Woman" I will award a $50.00 VISA gift card to someone who posts in August. Each week I'll post about what it means to be uncommon and I want to hear from you! The call to be uncommon is straight from the Word of God, and I want to hear from you!

Now, on to my topic...

I'm here in Orlando to celebrate and promote the release of my new book (can I just say that this new book is truly the book of my heart?). I'm doing radio and TV interviews, I had a speaking engagement and a book signing, I've had editor/agent meetings, I've connected with a number of my author friends, and I've walked the convention floor to see what new books are hitting the shelves.

Each day I see someone 'famous'. The other day I had an interview right after Liz Curtis Higgs and before Karen Kingsbury. During one of my interviews, I looked to my right and a couple feet away, Rebecca St. James was giving an interview, and Ralph Reed was on deck. Yesterday as I walked onto the convention floor, I looked over my shoulder and noticed Kirk Cameron walking right behind me.

Truth be told, I'm not one to get star struck, but this whole event got me thinking about status and fame. This morning I had the most amazing prayer time in my hotel room.

With the Word of God open before me, I pondered God's greatness and majesty. I thought of the oceans and the mountains and the stars in the sky. He holds it all in the palm of His hands. Amazing. 

While we pine and posture to get our way, He tells us to delight in Him and He promises that He'll establish us.

While we strive and strain because of our many responsibilities, He tells us to be still and know that He is God.

While we are instantly impressed with the accomplishments of man, we often miss the wonders of God's hand.

We love to be noticed and embraced by someone of influence, and yet we often miss or make light of God's invitation to be much with Him.

To think that God Most High - the Maker of the Universe - thinks much of us, is amazing.

To think that the God - the One who is a Consuming Fire - draws us near without burning us up, is amazing.

To think that that Jesus - the King of the Earth - invites us to come boldly and gladly into His presence, is absolutely, amazing. 

May we value the Lord the way He has valued us.

May we take seriously the invitation to be much with Him and trust Him to make a way for us.

May we honor the invitation to come before Him, and do so regularly.

And may we understand in a fresh new way, what it means to walk in the fear of the Lord. 

He is our Friend, but He is far more than that. He is God Most High. He is a consuming fire. 

He is Authority.

He is Power.

He is Peace.

He is Forgiveness.

He is Love.

He is the Judge and He will judge sin and selfishness.

There can be nothing casual about this relationship.

He deserves our affections and our praise, our trust and our gratitude, our reverence and our honor.

He is God Most High and He invites us into a deep and abiding relationship with Him.

Isn't that just...amazing?

Everything else pales in comparison.

Slow down today and ponder what it means to be linked in fellowship with the One who holds the Universe in the palm of His hand.

Have you honored lesser things over the honor due Him?

Reflect again on the greatness of God.

Have a blessed and reverent week.

Until next week~

Shaken...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome!

Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday, and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. 

Before I get into my topic, I have a gift card to give away. And the winner is...Rebecca Marshaw! Congratulations and thank you for stopping by week after week. Please email me at info@susielarson.com to claim your gift card.

Each month I give away a $10.00 gift Caribou Coffee gift card to someone who has posted on my blog. Leave a comment; you may win a nice treat!

I'm excited to announce the release of my new book, "The Uncommon Woman"

We have lots of exciting things going on as a result. Visit my website for more information. One thing I'll share is especially for you. In August instead of giving away a $10.00 gift card, we're giving away a $50.00 VISA card as well as several copies of my new book. Each week I will post on what it means to be uncommon and I want to hear from you! If you post, your name will go into the drawing. Drop me a line and say hi!

Ahhhh...And now on to my topic...

I've talked to a lot of people lately (myself included...yup, that's right; I do talk to myself on occasion) and you know, there's a whole lot of shakin' goin' on!

Many people have expressed an unsettling feeling; a sense that change is coming; and a profound awareness of their own frailties and weaknesses (myself included).

Whatever is not grounded in Christ, whatever is not nailed down in our character is being stirred up!

This past Sunday, before church, my husband and I sat out on the deck and talked about the countless ways God has been faithful to us. I turned to Kevin and said, "You know, five years ago, I sought hard after the Lord and asked Him for a vision for my next place of promise..."

If you've heard me speak, you know I firmly believe that we are called to go from strength to strength; from glory to glory; shining ever brighter until the full light of day (See Psalm 84:7 and Proverbs 4:18). The righteous shall live by faith. Without faith it's impossible to please Him. And there's a 'next place' of promise for all of us.

I continued with my husband, "Five years ago, God gave me a very clear sense of His plan for me and since then, all of those things have come to pass. But with all of the 'shaking' going on, I've not asked God for a fresh vision for my future. I've been more motivated by fear than by faith. I'm more aware of my weakness than I am His strength."

Together we came to the conclusion that the Lord deserves our highest and best. We bowed our heads, we confessed our own lack of faith, and we asked God for a fresh perspective and vision for our future. As soon as we said, "Amen" I was filled with faith and peace.

Within the past few days, some mighty opportunities have come our way. Not what I expected. Not something I feel qualified for. But instead of looking down, my faith compelled me to look up.

This morning during our prayer time on the deck I told Kevin, "You know, I'm glad God allowed that little sifting time because it forced me to reconcile every shred of unbelief in me. In so many ways it feels like our lives are about to change, but I can trust Him. I know it." 

Are you currently experiencing a time of sifting or shaking? Pay close attention to what God is putting His finger on in you! Maybe you're trusting more in your ability than His. Maybe you're more motivated by fear than faith. Just maybe, He wants to do a BIG thing, and you're expecting He'll do noth-ing. 

Put everything on the table, all of your hopes and dreams and fears, and then step back and say, "You get to decide how this goes, Lord. My times are in Your hands."

If He's shaking that which is unsettled in you, it's only because He wants you prepared to go to the next place He has for you. And be sure of this - He has a next place of promise for you.

Be blessed and full of faith this week.

He is faith-FULL.

Transformation...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome! 

Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. I also like to give away fun treats so if you post on my blog, you may win a $10.00 gift card from Caribou. Next week I'll award the winner for June.

And be sure to visit during the month of August because I have something GREAT to give away. More info to come.

And now on to my topic...

Over the past year, some of my closest friends have heard me make this statement time and time again, "I am in a unique place right now. On one hand, my ministry is taking off, on the other hand, I feel like I've hit the ceiling with the gifts and abilities God has given me. I'm not unorganized; I'm moderately organized, but only moderately so. I'm very disciplined, but it seems that in order to keep up with the demands on my time, I need a new way to function. I have a basic level of intellect, but it seems I need far more education than what I now possess. In every way, I feel like I'm on the edge of the land and facing the Red Sea. And yet, in no uncertain terms, I sense that God is telling me to wait on and rest in Him." 

Ever feel this way? It's not the most comfortable place to rest, is it?

I have rested here, and I've wrestled here. I've found peace and faith in this place and I've felt great fear and self awareness here.

This weekend on the way home from church I was praying and asking God, "Help me to be faithful in this place." Because, you see, one the outside, I am busy as ever, I'm working hard, and great things are happening in my ministry. But on the inside, I'm trying to rest while constantly pondering, "things are moving fast; will I be able to keep up?" "and " how will I get there?" and "I'm not qualified for any of this!"

Deep in my heart I know that God uses us not because we're qualified but because He's called us. He chooses the foolish to shame the wise. We humans have a strong tendency to trust in ourselves, to take the credit, and to rely on our own strength. We rely on our own strength that is, until it fails us, and then with arms flailing, we run back to our Refuge because He is an ever-present help in times of trouble.

On the way home from church I prayed and I watched the trees whip by in a blur. Suddenly that still small voice whispered across my heart, "I've heard your prayers for a fresh touch from Me. You're in a cocoon right now. Soon you'll break through to a new place and I'll give you wings to help you get where I am taking you."

I can't tell you what that little piece of wisdom did for me!

It made perfect sense.

I was 'hitting the ceiling' because, in a new way, I had come to the end of myself and realized, on a deeper level, my need for more of God in me. I also need to sharpen my skills and hone my craft. I've got a lot of growing to do.

When God has you in a waiting place, or a cramped circumstance, it's easy to forget the promise on the other side of this season. The temptation during such a time is to focus inward. 

Before God spoke those precious words to me, I felt surrounded and cocooned by my own smallness and limited ability. I felt frustrated by my own weakness and the many ways in which I was lacking certain gifts. 

God uses nature to teach us many things, and this lesson to me, is divine. About 24 hours before the chrysalis (the cocooned monarch) breaks free, the cocoon becomes transparent from the outside. On the inside, I'm sure the Monarch is thinking, "Get me outta here; I'd rather be crawling than stuck in this cramped place!" but on the outside, others see the promise before it comes to pass. Through the transparent film, one can see the beautiful wings, and a butterfly that was once a land-loving caterpillar.  

Though I've been feeling cramped by my own humanity, my closest friends have seen the butterfly in me. They are quick to tell me what they see and this encourages me greatly.

So when thoughts of inadequacy come my way, I will push back and declare that God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!

And when you feel cramped by the smallness of your life, declare that God WILL bring you out to a spacious place and He will put a new song in your heart!

If you're feeling pressed in on all sides, be encouraged. God knows your name and He knows where you live. Don't focus inward, focus on Him. And with all of your heart, soul, and strength, sing this song:

Soon I will fly.

Soon I will do the things God has destined for me.

Right now I declare my worth!

I am alive in Christ!

Though I'm not much from the world's view,

I am everything to Him

And I am made for great things.

I'm not who I was

I'm not what I do

I'm someone He enjoys

I'm not who I will be

I'm not what I should be

But I'm everything to Him

He sees who I am

He sees who I can be

He holds me close to His heart

And soon I will fly...

"...We also, should walk in the newness of life" (Romans 6:4).

Until next week~

The Valley of Decision...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Drop me a note and post your thoughts. At the end of this month, one of you will win a $10.00 gift card to Caribou.

And now on to my topic...

The other day I was talking to my oldest son about marriage. He and I love to dialogue about all sorts of things. This particular time we were talking about the tough seasons in marriage. I said to him, "Jake, there comes a valley season in every marriage where the husband and wife don't 'feel' the love anymore; in fact they don't even like each other all that much. It's in that place where big decisions are made. In this place, the quesion becomes, 'Will I die to my flesh (my rights, my expectations, my demands) or will I set my jaw, clench my fists, demand my way, and let my marriage die instead?' Many marriages die in this valley. But those who, for the sake of their commitment before God and man, die to their flesh, will find on the other side of that valley season, life and marriage abundantly."

Now I don't want to get into a debate about circumstances that surround divorce. I know that some are abused and victims of great injustices within marriage. I'm referring to the majority of marriages that die simply because life within marriage stopped being fun or interesting or fulfilling.

What I've noticed about myself and the countless of other people I've spoken to on this topic, is that those who persevere through the valley, find on the other side, a promised land.

This got me thinking...I believe the same applies to other areas of life. God puts dreams in our hearts and writes a destiny over our lives. And if we trust Him enough to take Him at His word, we will find ourselves on a journey toward the fulfillment of that dream.

Unfortunately, the path that takes us to the promise is always wrought with thickets and thorns. Nothing worth having ever comes easy or without opposition. Storms will come, lions will roar, and our fears will be confronted. God allows the path to be difficult because He intends on refining us and preparing us for our place of promise. He is intent on extracting from us, that which our enemy would love to leverage against us.

God loves us too much to promote us before we are ready.

And so, as we follow His lead, we will at different times, find ourselves in a valley - a valley of decision. Marriages aren't the only thing that die there. Dreams die there too. The flesh dies hard and unfortunately for many, they've opted to let their dream die before they'd ever allow their flesh to be confronted.

We all have weak spots and areas of inconsistency in our character. Until we see Jesus face to face, we will need His guidance and correction. He wants to take us from strength to strength; from glory to glory.

Ephesians 3:20 tells us that He wants to do abundantly above and beyond ALL that we could ever ask or think, but there's a clincher in this verse...it's according to His work within us. To the extent that He's allowed to work in us, will be the extent that He does great things through us.

After my conversation with Jake, I pondered this idea a little more. I envisioned a valley of dry bones. Bones from marriages, relationships, and dreams abandoned because many people refused to die to themselves, to humble themselves, and to let God have His way in their lives.

Don't let your dream die in the valley!

If you're in a season of refining, lean in. Trust the loving hand of your precious Savior and know that He will lead you to the other side. Refuse a sense of entitlement and don't demand to be understood.

Instead, humble yourself and seek to understand what the Lord is doing around you.

He will faithfully lead you and you will be strengthened as you go. 

On the other side of this refining time is a fresh perspective and new mercies.

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God; in due time you will be lifted up and honored before a watching world.

Have a blessed week.

Receiving What We Ask For...

Greetings, Dear Friends! Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome!

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Drop me a note and post your thoughts. At the end of this month, one of you will win a $10.00 gift card to Caribou.

By the way, I'm still learning my way around the new changes to TypePad, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get rid of the picture boxes above without deleting my whole post. So let's just pretend they're not there. :)

Now on to my topic...

How are things going in your prayer life? Do you feel like you're talking at God more than talking to Him?

And what is the outcome of your prayers? Do you come away more peaceful, more assured of God's presence in your life? Are you seeing answers?

Well, believe it or not, receiving what we ask for in prayer is directly linked to whether or not we know how to rest in God's presence (see last week's post).

Many of you know that I've recently finished up a very busy speaking season. Feeling tired and somewhat worn out, I looked around at all of the things that have been waiting for my attention: my always elusive pile of laundry; my paper work; my bursting-at-the seams email inbox; and my frustrating struggles with health issues. Sigh.

Without even realizing my error, I fell into a prayer mode of begging, pleading, wishing, and whining. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it because I know better, but I believe there's something here for some of you today.

One day amidst one of my not-so-effective prayer sessions, I suddenly saw a picture of myself in the middle of a lake, drowning. Someone was trying to help me but my arms were flailing every which way, and I was in such a panic that my rescuer was having a tough time getting to me.

I was instantly confronted.

My prayers weren't really prayers at all, they were a panic stream of words spewed out to whoever and whatever. There was no focus in what I was saying, no object of my trust, and no faith in my heart.

The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. And sometimes our prayers will be cries of desperation. It won't always be pretty. This is not about our "prayer form" but rather, where we're "praying from."

It bears noting that the "fruit" of my flailing and spewing and angst was anxiousness, frustration, and loss of perspective. Instead of feeling energized and grounded (like I usually do after concentrated times of prayer), I felt that opposite, which proved to me, that I wasn't really praying at all.

John 15: 7-8 says this, "If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, you can ask what you wish, and it will be given you. This is to My Father's, glory, that you bear MUCH fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples."

I once did a study on that verse and I was surprised to find out that to abide means this: to be held.

If we want to see answers to our prayers, we must learn what it means to rest in Him, to dwell with Him, and to be assured that He hears us when we call.

As soon as I realized my error, I stopped in my tracks and I switched gears. And I did two things. I stood and then I rested. First I stood on the promises of God and on my position of authority in Him. My prayers changed from frantic spewings to prayers like this, "God in Heaven, I belong to You! I will not allow fear or frustration to cloud my view! I am kept and being kept by You. I am rich and being enriched because of You. You will supply all of my needs and I trust You fully. My heart rests secure in You and I am helped."

Then I went out on my deck, put on some music, and watched the wind blow through the trees. I reminded myself that the skies declare the glory of God and the Creator of the ends of the earth never grows tired or weary, even when I do. I rested because I could.

And do you know what happened? Peace came. I completed my tasks with a heart at rest. And I enjoyed myself along the way.

Psalm 91:1 says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High God (the God who is HIGH above our circumstances), will REST in the shadow of the Almighty." That chapter goes on to promise provision, protection, and honor for the one who has learned to dwell - to camp - in the presence of God.

Why is abiding and resting in God's presence so closely linked with answers to prayer?

Well, because.

As we stay in step with the Lord, our heart beats in rhythm with His. We begin to desire the things He does. We see things the way He does. And when we pray,we say what He is saying.

God wants to answer our prayers! He wants to fill the earth with His glory. He wants us to bear much fruit so the world will see and say, "There is power in the life of that Believer. Lives are blessed because she walks with God."

If your arms are failing today, take a deep breath, and let yourself float on the water. Look up at the sky and allow the Lord to lead you to a place of peace and provision.

Read this great quote from the 1800's by Pere Hyacinthe Besson:

"Jesus our Lord loves to dwell within a quiet heart, and to come to those who are at peace with themselves; restlessness and anxiety hinder our seeing Him, even when He is beside us and speaking to us."

Be at rest once more O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you, and He'll be good to you again.

Have a blessed, restful week, abiding in Him.