fear {not}.

So, yes.

Dear one,

please do not be afraid. 

I know it's your gut reaction...

it's mine, too.

But, please, 

don't.

Again and again God speaks through His Word. 

Again and again He tells us not to be afraid. 

And that's easy to remember when things are 

good,

easy,

light.

But when things are 

hard, 

scary, 

uncertain?

Check, please.

I'm tempted to give up. 

Me?

I'm smack-dab in the middle of a tough spot

that has had me afraid. 

Good heavens, you'd think I'd know this by now. 

But God whispers and reminds me

it's okay. 

He can move in spite of my fear.

And He will.

Let's you and I do ourselves a favor today, okay?

Let's remember that God didn't give us a spirit of fear.

Nope. He didn't.

My fear?

My fear has had me feeling 

less-than, 

immobile,

defeated. 

You see, I forgot to truly, really trust that God is bigger,

and that the last thing He wants is 

a fear-filled me

and a fear-filled you.

So, friend?

Today?

Tell the fear to take a walk. 

You're a child of the King. 

And ain't nobody got time for that.

And trust that God's gonna make it all turn out just fine.

Will there be bumps in the road?

Sure.

Scary moments?

Most certainly. 

But God will be there

with us

every step of the way.

Fear not. 

Many blessings,

Deni

But as for you, Israel my servant,
    Jacob my chosen one,
    descended from Abraham my friend,
I have called you back from the ends of the earth,
    saying, ‘You are my servant.’
For I have chosen you
    and will not throw you away.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

~Isaiah 41:8-10

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

~2 Timothy 1:7

{All pics taken in my favorite bathroom in the Magic Kingdom. The Adventureland bathroom. 
Weird, I know. It has the prettiest tile, though...}

reclamation.

I wrote these words over a year ago, 
and forgot about them. Until two days ago.
God doesn't waste a thing.

I have lost things.

And I want them back.

Maybe you have lost things, too.

Time is short.

And I want my bravery back.

And my innocence, too. 

Please.

I want to look a bully in the eye

and say 

"no"

again and again. 

No.

And I want to think I can do what God has called me to

because I'm wired by Him to do it.

And I don't want to be told that I can't

just because I don't fit a mold

or presupposition

or traditionally-held thought.

That's not good enough.

And, 

through Christ, 

I am.

I want to sit and be

and not have the 

incessant to-do list running

like a ticker tape machine

in my head.

I want to just be. 

And, 

through Christ,

be enough.

I feel God starting 

a reclamation project 

in my soul.

He is taking the ashes

left by others

and building something

new.

And beautiful.

For what He begins,

no one but Him can

declare an end to. 

No one.

Maybe you have ashes, too.

Charred remains of once-beautiful things.

Maybe you've had enough 

of looking into your soul 

and seeing ruins.
And just maybe God would like to start a 

reclamation in your soul.

I know He would. 

He wants the best for you.

And He'll stop at nothing 

to declare you whole and well and beauty-filled.

Today?

Invite the One who reclaims

into your ruins.

And 
ask Him 

to 
rebuild.  

Many blessings,

Deni


To all who mourn in Israel,
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
~Isaiah 61:3

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
 When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
 I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.
~Psalm 91: 14-16


all pictures taken at Disney's Animal Kingdom
{the most photogenic theme park there ever was}

a waltz.

One two three,

one two three.

One two three,

one two three.

It's a dance, you know. 

A waltz, to be specific.

One two three, 

one two three.

This day could be 

rushed

and harried 

and running-around-like-your-hair's-on-fire

or it could be

a dance.

A waltz.

One two three,

one two three.

There is a melody in the air

floating just above you.

The din of the everyday

can drown it out if you're not careful.

What if...

what if God has a song to sing to you today?

What if He has the tune and the lyrics

all ready to go?

What if He's just waiting on you 

and on me

to hear the music?

To stop the noise,

and hear the lifting, lilting melody

that He's singing over us?

Today?

Today (and everyday),

God loves you like that.

He has a song for you.

All ya gotta do is stop and listen.

And then move...

one two three,

one two three.

Many blessings as you dance,

Deni

For the Lord your God is living among you.

    He is a mighty savior.

He will take delight in you with gladness.

    With his love, he will calm all your fears.

    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

~Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

{pictures taken at Disney's Animal Kingdom}

{yes.}

This?

This moment?

Day?

Year?

This life?

It's all about Jesus.

It's all about Jesus and you.

Sometimes you may get to thinking that 

this life is all about 

your to-do list,

the overwhelming project,

the deadline that's looming.

Perhaps you've started thinking

that you're too weak,

too small

to do something big.

Please hear:

Jesus has done the big thing.

He lived

and died

and 

lived again.

For you.

And He's asked you to dance.

Today?

Say yes. 

Say yes to Jesus

and His everything

that He has for you.

Your fears?

He'll help you with those.

Your weaknesses?

He'll make you strong

and 

others will see Him in you as a result.

This day?

He has a plan.

Nothing catches Him off guard,

and He doesn't waste a thing.

Just say yes.

Today.

This is how much God loved the world: 

He gave his Son, his one and only Son. 

And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; 

by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son 

merely to point an accusing finger, 

telling the world how bad it was. 

He came to help, to put the world right again.

~John 3:16-17 The Message

Many blessings,

Deni

{invite beauty} today.

(taps microphone)

Check one, check one...

is this on?

Can you hear me now? 

I know how you feel. 

Some days. 

Well, some days are just a bit tougher

than others.

Some days you wake with sleepy eyes

and 

a sleepy soul.

Some days you may feel as if you're wading through a fog.

Sifting through a haze.

Seeing

but not really seeing.

Speaking 

but not really speaking. 

Listening

but not really listening.

Some days

you're just good to get through. 

And do it all over again.

These days?

My soul is crying out for food.

For water. 

For sustenance. 

And substance.

No more spinning wheels.

No more 

more.

I want to invite quiet into my day.

I want to save faith a seat.

I want God at the table.

I want His dream for my life.

Because the daily 

can be 

heavy

and 

ill-fitting

sometimes.

And without Him, 

it's all a bit too much.

With Him, 

today,

you and I could invite beauty.

We could intentionally 

make space for 

the lovely

and 

the majestic

and 

the Creator

who made it all.

Including you.

And me.

And when it gets too weighty,

let's you and I get alone with God. 

Knowing that He is the only One 

who can speak to our souls. 

And give us rest.

Today.

Many blessings,

Deni

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? 

Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. 

I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. 

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 

Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

~Matthew 11:28-30

{Pictures taken in the Morocco pavilion in Epcot}.

{new} today.

Here. 

You are here. 

You may wonder sometimes why

you're in the space you are.

You may wonder what it's all about. 

The here and now may not make sense.

But you are here for a reason. 

There is a story being told.

A picture being painted.

A dance being choreographed.

And you?

You are being created

again and again 

each day.

God makes all things new.

Even when you're tempted to think

that the story is over,

that the paint has run dry,

that the dance is over.

God makes you new each day.

Today?

He has given you 

a 

fresh page,

fresh inspiration,

fresh joy.

Just listen.

And watch.

And wait with expectation

while the Creator 

makes 

you 

new.

And we know that God causes everything 

to work together

 for the good of those who love God 

and are called according to his purpose for them.

~Romans 8:28

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

    his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

    “therefore I will hope in him.”

~Lamentations 3:22-24

Many blessings,

Deni

{photo taken in Epcot at dusk. best park in the whole wide world.}

leave them there.

Often my prayer is for God to 

pare me down,

boil me down

to the essential.

The me He has in mind for me to be.

That I would only be concerned with the 

stuff He has for me.

I've done my fair share of cooking over the last 

umpteen years.

I know what happens

to a pot of salted water that boils away.

Salt crystals are left.

Beautiful and white

and essential.

I want to be the salt crystals in the bottom of the pot.

I want only what God has for me.

Not all this

stuff.

This schedule.

This hurry up.

And wait.

I want to sit at the feet of Rabbi Jesus 

and learn like Mary.

Because that was the essential.

And Jesus said it was good.

So you and I today?

Let's not miss the 

pared-down beauty that God has in store for us.

The worrying and the waiting?

Leave them right here.

And walk toward the 

story that Jesus has for you.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you
~1 Peter 5:7

Many blessings,

Deni