New Beginnings: by Leigha Balchus

January is the month of new, of beginning fresh, of change.  But right about the third week or so, I remember that new is overrated, beginning is hard, and change is uncomfortable. My dear friend, Leigha Balchus, is sharing her story of starting new. Be encouraged as she reminds us that the God of the mountaintop is also God of the valley.

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By Leigha Balchus

When we think of new beginnings, it can bring excitement to our souls because new is good.  New is beautiful and fresh and shiny.  There are many new beginnings that call for great celebrations, such as weddings, the birth of a child and even a new year.  

New is good…until it isn’t.  If we live long enough, we are bound to be faced one day with a new beginning that isn’t all that exciting; one that wasn’t planned and for which we never asked.  A new beginning that makes us long for the days of long ago because suddenly our past looks way better than the present or even the future could ever be.  We begin to think that maybe our best days are behind us.  But then there is God, and He meets us in our quiet moments with Him, right in the middle of our mess, and he whispers His Word into our hearts. 

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

This is exactly the kind of “new thing” God has been doing in my life recently and is still working on today.  It started last spring as I sat on the front porch of our Missouri home, reeling and feeling sick over news we had received.  My husband and I had been entrusted with running a business, a Christian business, nonetheless.  Four years earlier, we felt God’s calling on our lives to pack up everything and move our family far away from our Texas home, so we left everything familiar behind and started over. During those four years, we poured our hearts and souls into that business, often canceling family vacations and working weekends to try to make it successful, only to be faced with the words no one ever wants to hear, “We have decided to move in a different direction.  You guys are just not a good fit.”  It was excruciating!  We struggled with the lie that we had failed God; that He was displeased with us and now we were being punished.  I remember thinking, “Not again God.  Please, not again!”, because we had been here before.  We had experienced job loss in the past.  It had been horrible, and I was sure I couldn’t survive it again.  

That’s exactly the moment where God met me, right in the middle of my distress, the ugly mess life had dealt me, and He whispered to my heart, “This is a gift.”  I was sure it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me because in that moment that is the LAST thing I was thinking.  I was suddenly filled with peace, and my body stopped trembling from the fear.  Our circumstances hadn’t changed, and I had no idea what it meant, but I knew in that moment there was hope and that was enough.  I shared with my husband what God had spoken to me, and we prayed together that day that God would rescue us and that this time wouldn’t be like it was before.  Little did we know, the God of the universe was rewriting our story and making it His.  This time would be nothing at all like the last.  It would be greater than we ever asked or imagined!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Just three days later, there were already three job opportunities in the works!  It was so refreshing and so soothing to our souls.  We were in awe of God’s provision!  Each time we would start to panic, God would bring scripture to mind that would squelch the fear.  One that really made a huge impact on us was, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” (Exodus 14:14)  And, boy did He ever! Three different interviews and two months later brought three job offers and our heads were spinning!  As we prayed, the one we knew God was nudging us toward wasn’t the choice for which we had hoped.  The job God wanted us to accept required bold faith and much more sacrifice than we ever anticipated.  It required saying goodbye to a home we loved with wonderful friends and neighbors, a great school for our kids, an amazing church family, a LIFE that we had absolutely fallen in love with, to move halfway across the country to a small town in West Virginia and…Start.  All. Over.  AGAIN.  

It was a new beginning we hadn’t asked for and really didn’t want.  I thought we must have heard God wrong. This couldn’t possibly be what He wanted.  I wrestled with God and with myself and my faith.  And, just as the Israelites had done while wandering through the desert, I got angry and I grumbled and complained and doubted His promises along the way because, well, let’s face it, unwelcomed change is NEVER pleasant and walking in blind obedience in a direction we don’t want to go can nearly break us in two.  Even the most faithful of believers can fall victim to fear, doubt and uncertainty when we are handed a new beginning that feels so much like the end.  It’s hard to see anything good, anything new, at first, when everything around us looks like an ending.  Our life suddenly becomes unrecognizable and fear sets in. Darkness surrounds us and we feel trapped like we will never see the light again. Suddenly, we find ourselves walking in a dark valley. 

Change.  There it is.  That word.  Oh, how I despise it, but life has taught me that change is what gives birth to new beginnings.  Always.  It is impossible to begin anything new without first saying goodbye to something old, something familiar, something comfortable.  Comfortable feels so nice, but there is no growth in the comfortable, and our Heavenly Father wants to grow us to become more and more like Jesus.  It is our number one calling, and we can never be all we were created to be if we stay in our comfort zone.  So, we must TRUST.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We must trust God with all our hearts, even when we don’t understand.  When circumstances look nothing like anything we ever wanted for our lives and all our plans and all our dreams have been smashed and we feel lost and alone, we MUST keep our eyes fixed on God and His Word.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  He never changes. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  And, when we feel like giving up, like we have not one more drop of faith left to squeeze out, we must ask God to help us overcome our unbelief because nothing is impossible with Him.  This will help us to keep HOPE alive.  

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23)

Following hard after God isn’t easy.  No one ever promised it would be, but I have walked in the valley enough times to know that He is most definitely faithful and His Word has the power to get us through even the darkest of times.  If we will saturate ourselves in it as often as possible and hide it in our hearts, he will use it to speak to us in our darkest hours, if we will only be still and listen.  Through His Word He will give us hope to sustain us until the storm subsides.  And, through it all, we can rest in Him knowing that we are covered by His grace and His mercy.  He understands our hearts because He created them.  He knows our thoughts and our feelings before we ever have them.  So when we feel lost and afraid, angry with God, like our best days are behind us, like giving up, when everything feels upside-down and inside-out and it seems as though God can’t possibly know what He’s doing, when we are unraveled and undone into a million little pieces that can’t possibly be put back together again, there He is with His arms wide open waiting to embrace us, catching every tear that falls, loving us through it all and swallowing us up with His amazing grace.  He is the glue that will put us back together and He will create a masterpiece with all those broken pieces that is far more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. He knows the plan, so why do we worry so much?  Instead, he wants us to find rest in Him.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  

As I sit here today typing this post, I look out and see the mountains of West Virginia surrounding me in every direction, dwarfing me in their majestic presence, and I am reminded of the One who created them.  I am reminded that these mountains are a part of my story and that there can’t be mountains without valleys in between.  Although, the beauty of the valleys may be lost while we are in the middle of them, it is the valleys that make the mountaintops so breathtaking.  It is only from the mountaintop that we can look down and see the amazing beauty of the valleys in all their wonder.  It is where the sun shines bright and casts away the darkness.  Only then can we see how far we have come and the paths we have taken to get there. That is when it all makes sense. 

So as I walk in the valley today and it’s hard to see where I am going, I am reminded that I’m on the most beautiful path of all, one forged by my Heavenly Father just for me, and it’s a gift.  I am praying and waiting in great expectation as I continue to put one foot in front of the other.  Even though some days still feel like the end and I find myself longing for days passed, I give myself grace and remind myself that there is a new beginning just up ahead, a glorious mountaintop where I will look down at the beauty of all the pain and the sacrifice, and I will thank my God for where He has brought me.  

Yes, the mountaintop is coming and it’s going to be good!  So, if you are walking through a valley today, no matter how dark and lonely it may feel, know that you are never alone.  Cry out to God in prayer.  Ask Him to reveal Himself to you as you spend time in His Word.  Keep hope alive, and then watch Him make a way out of the darkness, and follow wherever He leads, putting one foot in front of the other.  And, when we finally stand on that mountaintop, the sun shining bright and warm on our faces, let us all rejoice and bloom where we’re planted!

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Fourteen Good Reads From 2014

More than the actual act of tuning out the world and getting lost in the pages of a thought-provoking book, I love discovering new authors. Real people with real opinions and real perspectives on real life. I've laughed and cried with these men and women and by the time I turned the last page, I learned something new... about this life and about myself.  No, reading is not a careless thing to pass the time.  It is a sacred experience.

Today I'm sharing my top fourteen reads from 2014.

Memoir

Art

Fiction

 

Marriage

 

Parenting
 

 

Family

Spiritual Growth

 

Kids

7 Dynamic Reasons To Keep Dreaming in 2015

Looking back at 2014, I remember the post that kicked off this year, the one where I spoke my dream aloud: “I want to write.”

And I still do. 

I want to use meaningful words to bring real hope to real people. That day I wrote about turning my husband’s neglected study into a writing space for me. And eleven months later, it is beautiful. My stack of books on writing and communicating has grown taller over the past year. Recycled frames hold people I love, words that inspire me, and goals I’ve made. The same man who gave up his room found a bright, bold rug for my birthday this summer to complete this space. Oh, and one weekend when I wasn’t home, he painted the walls the perfect shade of blue. I love my writing room.

I’ve taken tiny steps and giant leaps this year because of this dream. I’ve started meeting regularly with other writers. I’ve learned ways to communicate more effectively. I flew across the country all by myself to pitch to publishers the book I started writing two years ago. And some of those steps were really, really exciting, but a bunch of them were hard. One of the most difficult was calling myself a writer. As I sit here thinking about that dream, I’m surprised at the tears that come.

None of the passion has left, but time has left me feeling powerless.

I’ve buried the dream underneath disappointment, frustration, and the busyness of daily life. But there comes a time when we all need to pull out the dreams we’ve hidden away in the bottom desk drawer, blow the dust right off, and remember why we dreamed in the first place.

Maybe you didn’t begin 2014 with a dream. Maybe it was a prayer, a plea of sorts. Maybe you’ve been asking since 2012 and you wonder if God even hears you. I tend to focus on myself in these situations instead of God. Maybe that’s where the tears originate from- my insecurities, my failures, my rejection, my limitations, my questions, my fears, my weaknesses.

Dusting off dreams means shifting our focus from our own inability to the God who is truly able.

Here are seven dynamic reasons to ditch those self-inflicted feelings of powerlessness. Remembering that God is able just might be the secret to reviving our tired hearts. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

1. God is dependable.

In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.  Psalm 22:4

2. God is desirable.

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  Philippians 3:8

3. God is honorable.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3

4. God is unstoppable.

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Psalm 150:2

5. God is undeniable.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

6. God is immovable.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

7. God is imperishable.

You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Lamentations 5:19

Because of who God is, keep asking and keep dreaming.

If God’s ability rests in who He is, then His power is based on what He has accomplished. And here’s the really amazing part: God’s power is in us. Yes, inside us, and Paul says it’s already at work. The word ‘power,’ or dynamis in Greek, inspired Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and engineer, to name his newly invented explosive “Dynamite” in 1867. Picture sticks of dynamite blasting through all the barriers that keep us from fully embracing our dreams.

When God’s power is unleashed, rocks move and the earth shakes. Matthew writes about such a time in his gospel. “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.” (Matthew 28:2) The earthquake didn’t move the rock; God’s power rolled that stone away and caused the earth to quake. And this same power raised a dead man to life.

I’m not saying if you just shift your perspective, all your dreams will come true and your prayers will be answered immediately. That theology would disregard the mysterious phenomenon known as God’s timing. Yeah, it’s His time we’re on, and while some days that seems incredibly frustrating, it’s actually for our good. Even Jesus had to wait three days in that tomb.

God always knew what would happen. Nothing and no one could stand in the way of His perfect plan. When Jesus walked out of that tomb, death and sin were defeated forever.  And that same power resides inside those who believe.

Because of the work of God’s power within you, keep praying and keep dreaming. 

Ephesians 3:20 is a beautiful praise offering to God. When Paul wrote it, he made sure to point out that not only is God able, He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. And it all revolves around the love of God. When God sent His Son, He could have chosen to demonstrate His power in a myriad of other ways, yet He chose a tiny, helpless baby who grew up to become a carpenter.  The Creator of the universe chose to display His power through Love.  And this is so crucial to understanding God’s power. 

Whatever you’re asking for, God wants to give you so much more, so keep praying.

Whatever you’re imagining, God has something far greater in mind, so keep dreaming.

Though my dream is still in the early stages, I’m reminded that 2014 also began with a prayer for a child. And not too far into the year, we thought that possibility was completely dead, even with medical intervention. Yet God wielded His power and shattered every doubt I’ve held tightly for the past eight years. And today I'm holding my sweet baby girl, a reminder of His goodness and faithfulness. I can’t deny this miracle that so clearly demonstrates the mighty, matchless power of my God. Who. Is. Able.

This beautiful praise song Paul penned reaches a glorious crescendo with this: ”Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

What were you praying for one year ago? What dreams were tiny seeds in your soul back at the start of 2014? Consider writing down your dreams for the New Year, or better yet, share them right here by leaving a comment. Let’s decide today to quit rehearsing all of our inabilities and start trusting the God who is able to accomplish His will in our lives.

May God Bless You Abundantly in 2015!

Love, Kelly

How To Breathe In Hope This Christmas Season

“Mommy, I don’t like Dark,” she says as she sinks down under three layers of covers.

“Me neither, Baby,” I admit.

“Mom?” she asks.

“Yeah?” I say. Her next question stirs something deep inside of me.

“Will you ask God to help me be brave?”

“Of course,” I answer, “God loves you and watches over you and protects you every night while you sleep.” She nods as a tired yawn escapes, and then we pray.

Every night it’s the same conversation, the same prayer before we turn off the lights. As her momma, my prayers sound a bit different, but deep down, I know they’re really the same.  When I’m uncertain, I find myself calling out to the God who helps me be brave just like her. But God wraps up courage in this unexpected package called hope, the antithesis of fear.  Tucked neatly into the Christmas story is a way we can all live with hope, even in the midst of real fear.

 

As I read Matthew chapter 1, I try real hard not to skim through the endless list of names I can’t pronounce that make up the royal lineage of Jesus. Forty two generations from Abraham all the way to Jesus, the promised One of God. I picture my name listed underneath His- the One who made a way for me to enter in. Today one name curiously stands out: “Joseph, the husband of Mary.”

The story begins with a baby (not his) and a respectable plan to ditch the marriage proposal and keep two reputations from getting too tarnished. This was surely not part of Joseph’s plan when he asked for Mary’s hand in marriage.

Adultery in Joseph’s day was considered one of the worst crimes.  Marriages didn’t just crumble, guilty parties were stoned to death. Some believe that Joseph was a widower and this extinguishes the view of him I’ve always held- the young man excited to begin a new life with his beautiful bride.  If this is true, Joseph had already endured tragedy and heartache.  I can’t blame him for trying to avoid the pain of betrayal. 

But God had a plan that was bigger than Joseph’s uncertainty.

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”   

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).  

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 1:20-25 (ESV)

God spoke right into Joseph’s upheaval: “Do not fear to take Mary.” And Joseph rose and took his wife, hinging this decision on the hope laid out before him- a beautiful promise fulfilled by a loving God who had a plan.

Chapter 2 tells of a time when fear dominated the land under the rule of Herod the Great, a jealous monster of a man who took lives as he pleased. As Jesus entered the scene, a sinister murder plot unfolded. But God spoke to Joseph again in a dream, right into the very darkness where fears of a ruthless king ran rampant.

Because God had a plan that was bigger than the schemes of an evil king.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  

And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Matthew 2:13-15 (ESV)

Even in this rescue maneuver, there had to be fear. The journey to Egypt alone would have been long and extremely dangerous since this so-called place of refuge was known for its intense hatred for the people of God. But Joseph was given only two crucial instructions: “Rise and take the child and his mother to Egypt.” So Joseph rose and took them and yet another promise of God, written long ago, was fulfilled. 

Eventually the danger subsided, but not before the deaths of all the baby boys in Bethlehem. I cannot imagine that kind of darkness.  Such sorrow, such heaviness, such fear. But once more, God spoke to Joseph in a dream.  Once more, God revealed part of His plan.

And God’s plan was bigger than hopelessness.

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.”

And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:19-23 (ESV)

Three times I read this repetition of God’s love, His protection, His faithfulness.  In the face of my own uncertainty and fear, God’s words illuminate the beautiful and bright hope that is mine in Jesus. God told Joseph again and again and again to rise and take his family somewhere safe- to the place of His choosing. Three times ancient prophecy was fulfilled, giving us a remarkable picture of a loving God who has a plan and a God who keeps His promises.

God’s plan not only involved protecting Jesus and Mary and Joseph; His plan was to protect and perfect the story He’s been writing since the beginning of time.

And His story involves me and you, too.

 

The word God used to wake Joseph to action, egeirō, is the very same Greek word used in Matthew 28:6 by the angel at the tomb. “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Jesus got up. Jesus rose from the grave. Just as He said He would. 

The second command God gave Joseph was ‘take.’ This Greek word, paralambanō, is translated “to take with one’s self or to join to one’s self,” like becoming one in marriage. There is also the notion of going somewhere together, and I can’t help but picture it as moving out of the place of fear. In John 14:3 Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Jesus will return to take us home. Just as He said He would.

Our hope this Christmas season and all year round is built upon the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of His return.  

Joseph’s story points to God’s bigger love story unfolding. Joseph can be traced back to the Hebrew root word, yacaph, which means “to be joined to.” God used an average man facing real fear and uncertainty, stuck in a situation he never planned, to display the lasting love that compelled Him to give His Son, Jesus, so that we could be joined together… for eternity. 

Joseph reflects the Hope woven all throughout God’s love story, this good news we celebrate each December. You and I can reflect that same Hope every day of the year by remembering God’s instructions to Joseph:

RISE to new life in Jesus, and TAKE HOLD of the promise of His return.  

Hope is for the here and now. Hope is what we grasp in the waiting time. And when we’re clinging to Hope, it’s impossible to keep our white-knuckled grip on fear. As we celebrate the Savior’s birth, let’s remember He is alive and that changes everything. Because of this Hope, we can view uncertainty through the lens of eternity, trusting in the God who has a plan, the God who keeps His promises.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.  Romans 15:13