A Love Letter from your King

Today's encouragement is for every girl and woman who has ever struggled or is struggling with her identity. May we learn together to be deeply rooted and grounded in our faith in God our Savior, not in this crazy world around us.

A friend let me borrow a really neat book. It reminds me of Jesus Calling, except it does not have a date at the top of each entry. This book is called His Princess: Love Letters from your King, by Sheri Rose Shepherd.  It is filled with love letters from our Father. I was drawn today to this entry, mostly because I saw some of my key words of "light" and "shine".  I wish I could sit across from you, listen to your story, share some of mine, and pray with you! For now, this letter is for you, as if coming directly from the throne room of our Father. He's willing to sit with you and  me. He is our King, and we are His precious daughters, princesses extraordinaire!!  Let's believe it deep within our hearts! This one's for you. <3

"You are the light of the world, like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all."  

~Matthew 5:14-15~

My princess . . . be My light for the world today. 

I stepped into your darkness so you would shine for Me. Did you know that I have empowered you to light up the lives of everyone around you? You are My light to the world. So walk with Me, and let Me illuminate your life today with My love and My power. Look to Me, and I will make you the bright spot in someone's darkness today. 

Don't hide your light beneath your uncertainties and insecurities.

Spend more time with Me and I will make you glow with a godliness that's irresistible. If you will let Me, I'll make you shine in such a way that you will be My star that points to heaven and brings hope to the hurting.

Love, your King and True Light of the world <3

Lord, Cradle Me

I wrote this poem 14 years ago! I have a notebook filled with poems I wrote in high school and college. I have written a few since then, but it seems life has taken on a new turn, a new season. :) I wish I could say that my writing is mine and could take credit for each pen, pencil stroke, or peck of the computer keys.  What part of this life is our own except that it has been given to us as a gift of God? That is how I feel toward my words.  They are God's gift. I accept them as a way to help make sense out of this crazy, sin blotched world we live in.  As I looked at the sketch of Jesus holding the little child, I thought of my own son and how he snuggles his small, 3 month old frame close to me.  When I am holding him, I am his strength and security.  He can let down, relax, and fall asleep in the safety of my embrace. We can also do that with our Savior when the winds of life blow hard against our own fragile frames.  

I have taken this poem out many times since then and I am always struck by its raw simplicity and honesty. May it meet you at your place of need.

Lord, Cradle Me

I sit here in this quiet place

Oh Lord, could it be that

Your mercy and grace

Truly like a river flows

Coming straight down to my soul.

You say that You placed me

Right here on this earth

For Your eternal purpose

As I accepted Your new birth.

But why is it that I

Keep doubting Your plan.

Why can't I just trust in

The guidance of Your hand.

There are times I love You so much,

My heart wants to overflow.

I tell You that I'm thankful,

That I'll never let You go.

But something happens then, Lord

Something I can't quite explain.

I love You, the I fall down

And don't recognize when You call my name.

Oh Jesus, precious Savior

Cradle me in Your arms.

When I cannot hear You call me

Please keep me from alarm.

I ask You to whisper to me,

Please calm me with Your hand

And when You sense I'm ready

Let me down and lead me by Your hand.

I thought that I could walk alone

Just knowing You are my hope.

But Jesus, I have failed and know

That on my own I cannot cope.

My one desire is You, Lord.

I want to live all my days in praise.

And when I lose that passion

Lord, remind me of that day

When You bore my sins upon You.

Now how can I be content to stay

In this place where once You called me

Now You lead me on Your way

I cry "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!"

When I start to go astray...

Oh Jesus, precious Savior

Cradle me in Your arms.

When I cannot hear You call me

Please keep me from alarm.

I ask You to whisper to me,

Please calm me with Your hand

And when You sense I'm ready

Let me down and lead me by Your hand.

A poem by Rebecca Joy 

September 13, 1999

Such awesome and powerful imagery!

Daffodils

I was looking back through some notes I have posted on facebook over the years, and I wanted to share a poem with you.  I first moved out here 8 years ago at the end of this month.  It was a particularly warm winter, and I remember loving the view of Mount Rainier as I drove, that peak of majesty waiting just around the bend. It makes me smile and praise God every time I see "my mountain".  :)  Near our church, there used to be a beautiful field of daffodils that would bloom each spring.  I was fascinated and captivated by it. We used to park near it and walk to church to teach our class of eager kindergarten kids on Sunday mornings.  On one particular spring morning, 8 years ago, we took this photo. I am so thankful for it.  If you look closely, you can see Mt. Rainier in the background. I know we are still in the middle of winter, but don't we all need a glimpse of spring to get us through the icy chill of winter? 

This poem by William Wordsworth is my tribute to wonderful, rich literature and I am inspired to include it here by my love for daffodils. If only you were here and could see the vast beauty of God's creation. I feel connected to this far-gone poet by the appreciation of God's glory we share. 

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodil;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed and gazed but little thought

What wealth to me the show had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

Freedom

I have a lot to say about my second graders.  I call myself their school mom sometimes (and at times they slip and call me mom!).   Last year I called my class my little ducklings.  They loved it! Each year is different and even the tougher classes end up being precious to me. This year, since I was gone on maternity leave for a little while, I worried that I would have a more difficult time bonding with my class.  Instead, the opposite has happened.  With each challenge and triumph, we seem to grow closer together as a classroom community.

I love teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr. Every year I get out my January file and run my hand along the cover of the book Martin's Big Words. I consider the price he paid for the freedom we have today.

 I always pray that I will clearly communicate his message of peace, love, and unity.  I look into those impressionable little 7 and 8 year old faces before me, so innocent and eager to learn, and I hope that they will understand.  I read, I pause, and I watch their faces as they process the information I am sharing with them.  They raise their hands and one student each year says, "If it weren't for what he did, we wouldn't all be able to be in a class together."  I watch as they look around at each other and we nod. Another teacher at my school mentioned that a student of hers told the class that her parents would not have been able to get married.  Powerful thoughts for their minds to process.   I love how they embrace this truth.  They are so quiet as they learn about this great man and what he did for our country.  As I got to the part of the book where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed, I looked up to see shock and horror play across those sweet faces. I pause.  A tear trickles down the face of one of my sweet Samoan boys.  I silently thank God for their tender hearts.  I remind the class of the freedom we have in our country for a woman like Rosa Parks to stand up for her right to sit on that city bus and for those who joined together with her to fight for their rights using words and actions, not their fists.  

I point to the American flag in our classroom as a reminder of freedom. A boy that often struggles to remember to raise his hand, in the magic of this moment does so and asks me, "Since Martin Luther King stood up for what he believed in, can we honor him by saying the pledge of allegiance now?"  All 22 young eyes turn expectantly toward me, awaiting my response.  I can feel the goosebumps along my arms, sensing that in this moment, we are bonding.  I hold back the tears, and agree. I call the student to the front of the room who leads the flag salute this week.  We wait for all students to stand.  Not one lingers at his or her desk.  All proudly stand, and what was once a rote ritual becomes a chorus of voices with deep meaning and purpose.  A young voice says "Ready, begin!" and in a voice that sounds together as one, all 22 students and their teacher place right hands over hearts and recite:

"You may be seated."  You could hear our voices echo down the hallway and into the courtyard.  A class of students joined together in a bond of unity, freedom, and peace.  With liberty and justice for ALL.

I smile as I consider how proud Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been to hear his words echo through the halls of classrooms and cities, homes and harbors everywhere: "I have a dream!!!"

As we consider our dreams in this new year, I am pausing to remember the ones who have paved the way before us.  May we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as others with a simple, childlike remembrance.  

**PS) I discovered today how to let anyone comment on my blog.  I love to read your thoughts, and now you don't have to be a blog writer to make a comment.  Thanks for sharing!

Still Standing!

*This started out as an email yesterday and I decided to post it here: 

If you are trying to reach me by phone today.....it started off as one of those mornings. The day started off really well! I woke up early, got things going on time, and started reading a really good book while I was feeding the baby.  I am reading Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. The chapter I was on talked about anxiety and stress, and how we respond to it.  We can either choose stress and fear, or joy and hope.  We can choose to pray and look up or wear ourselves thin with the wondering and worrying.  I do the latter too often. :(  The reading was so good and so powerful...I wanted to will myself to soak in those words and really live them out!!!
 
I didn't know I would recieve a mini-lesson so quickly, a chance to practice those faith muscles.....While trying to burp Hanson this morning, after he drank 8 oz of milk, he spit up everywhere, all over himself and my robe. I almost anticipated it coming.. he has been sleeping through the night and at times will get one good burp and there goes the first milk of the morning. :(  I tried to prepare this time and wear my robe before getting dressed for the day...I went to throw everything in the washer, not remembering that I had placed my cell phone in the pocket of my robe. I went upstairs to wake up the girls, then all of a sudden remembered about my phone...too late...there was water all over it.  Oh no! I wanted to friek out...I could see the faces of my girls, watching me.  Wondering what I was going to do. I did choose faith this time! I have the phone sitting in rice and it will hopefully be revived soon (although the next morning when I tried to plug it in, it still would not work).  The good news is that I was able to put Hanson's car seat back together correctly this morning after he messed through his diaper onto it last night! :) I  ended up being super late to school due to that morning mishap, but people were so kind to help me out!  To add insult to injury, did you know that the sliding doors on a mini van will not open if it is freezing outside?? I do now! I tried to open that thing to no avail and had to eventually give up and get all three kids in through the front seat.  I was exhausted after that feat, and then I had to pull over on the way to drop the kids off at my mother in law's to push closed the back doors that still would not open but were jarred open by my earlier attempts at prying them open. I am sure I was a sight as I body slammed the van on the side of the icy road!  Haha! I did not want them to go flying open when I was driving.  So, fellow texters and callers, I am unavailable to contact in that way right now but I will let you know when my cell phone works again!  A plus was that the girls were super helpful and cooperative this morning (some mornings are tough!!) and there was a gorgeous skyline on the way to work.  Everyone is healthy and safe...just my poor cell phone bit it.  I was late for work but was given grace by some super helpful co-workers and now I am ready to conquer this Friday afternoon!  I may be worse for the wear, but I am still standing (sometimes with a smile on my face!).  :) I hope you have a wonderful day!!!
 
PS) Interestingly enough, my flip calendar today says: 

"There is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings." ~J. Robert Moskin~

Indeed!

Beautiful Things

*I wrote this a few years ago and found it to be encouraging today!

I read the Magic Treehouse series to my class each year, by Mary Pope Osborne.  I love them because they teach historical lessons as the kids travel through time and have to find clues along the way.  The kids love them, and so do I!  We were on book 19, and I have read these many many times, but I marked this one page that I read to the kids because it held such meaning for me! The kids had been in a jungle and encountered a tiger.  They had to find a gift on their trip, and the gift given to them this time was a lotus blossom.  Here is the part that struck me so much.  Here one of the characters finds the gift:  
 
"Annie jumped up and hurried to the stream.  She pulled at one of the large flowers.  It came up, muddy root and all..."  Then, their guide said to the kids, " This perfect lotus blossom grows from dark, thick mud....its beauty cannot live without its ugliness...do you understand?..."  
 
(The kids had just helped save a hurt tiger, and then the tiger tried to come after them.  They got away, but their guide told them this): "When you saved the tiger, you saved all of him...You saved his graceful beauty-and  his fierce, savage nature.  You cannot have one without the other."   
I read it a couple of times to my class, said it meant a lot to me, and I put a paper clip in it.  Jesus has saved us from the ugliness of our sin, but is this, our past, that if we draw from the strength of our roots, all of that muddiness can help us turn our lives into something beautiful.  I just LOVE what this analogy has done for me!!!!!!!!!!
 
I am learning to accept the things I cannot change, and I am learning to have courage to accept responsibility for the things I CAN change in my life and really learn the difference between the mud and the beauty.  I heard a song by a band called Gungor.  You can hear the song by copying this link into your web browser. http://youtu.be/nJ4yNYY1hHM If you haven't heard this song, it is BEAUTIFUL!   They repeat the chorus a lot.  Here you go!
 
Beautiful Things- by Gungor
 
All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way?
I wonder if my life could really change at all?
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come up from this ground at all?

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

Oh, you make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
Making me new

You make beautiful things
(You make me new)
You make beautiful things out of the dust
(You are making me new, making me new)

You make beautiful things
(You make me new)
You make beautiful things out of us
(You are making me new, making me new)
Visit http://www.xtralyrics.com

Oh, you make beautiful things
(You make me new)
You make beautiful things out of the dust
(You are making me new, making me new)

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

My Mission

Do you have a mission? I started thinking about a personal mission statement in college, when a professor challenged us to write a statement.  I continue to go back to that journal I wrote in 10 years ago. I started it in May 2003. 

Beautiful, spiral-bound journal

 Little did I realize that 10 years later, I would look back on the words within these pages and remember the hope, the wide-eyed innocence of my early days, the longing for a future filled with purpose.  The friendships that I would be privileged to keep and continue over the years...all so precious!

The first page...wanting to remember!

 My personal mission statement:

I, Rebecca Joy, have been formed by my Creator God, and fashioned before the beginning of time to live a life worthy of my calling. I have been placed on this earth to glorify the name of the Lord, to listen to and faithfully obey His still, small voice, and to love and minister to the people He places in my path."

My mission statement and goals

Combining the old with the new, my long ago journal with a new bookmark a friend recently brought back to me from Hawaii...I re-read the words in this journal. I feel so very thankful that I recorded memories from when Matthew and I first fell in love and sought God to begin our journey...

I think I am going to write out my mission statement and carry it with me.  Everyone has a mission.  Let's live as God intended us to be, not wishing to live another's journey, but JUST as we are.  I am often tempted to compare what I feel are my weaknesses to what I view as their strengths.  What if we choose to embrace each other as we are, celebrating the strengths and praying for perseverance to overcome the weaknesses.  <3

Let it Shine!

I have a few daily flip calendars that really encourage me.  There are 2 calendars on my desk at school, one in my bedroom, and one by our front door.  I love sharing quotes that inspire me.  My daily quote for yesterday was:

"Begin today! No matter how feeble the light, let it shine as best it may. The world may need just that quality of light which you have." ~Henry C. Blinn~

Last year, just before Christmas, I secretly encouraged staff members at my school. For one week, I would leave notes, small treats, and words of encouragement on desks or in office mailboxes. My purpose at the time was to spark renewed interest in our secret elf staff giving for the 2 work weeks before Christmas.  I called myself "the everyday encourager", a reason I chose that as my blog address.  :) At the end of the week, I revealed that I was the one who had been secretly encouraging them that week.  It is fun to be a part of "secret elf missions" before Christmas, but my hope is to be an encouragement throughout the year.  On one of the days, I gave staff members a tea light candle with this phrase taped to it:

"A little light shines brightly when connected to the right source." ~Rebecca Joy~  

I thought of that quote as a reminder to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus...not my circumstances or on others around me.  

I find myself changing...one small step at a time. It sometimes seems easier to encourage others and believe the best for them, while being extremely hard on myself.  I felt like God was whispering the following to me one day as I was washing my hands at work, about to go back to my classroom. I looked myself in the eyes and heard:

"There's something different about you --You're confident and free.  There's a Light all around you! You're becoming who you were called to be!" ~Rebecca Joy~

My prayer is to continue to believe the truth and to live it out in my moments.  When I stumble and fall, I know that God will be there to pick me up.  No matter how dim the light seems at times, stay connected to the Source, and allow Him through you to let it shine! <3

Go ahead. . . HOPE!

I originally intended for this to be my first entry, but I am going to trust God with this post, that I am finishing it at just the right time. Thank you for reading my entries! I find writing to be a healing outlet for me, and I am excited to share my journey with you!

As I have thought about what I want to write, I have often found myself holding back, wondering who will read this, and if they will care or relate.  I have finally been able to offer myself, where I am, with my writing laid bare, an expression of who I am. I am ready to hope. I am ready to dream again….not to hold so tightly to my life, and to surrender. It is in the spirit of that offering that I take you on a flashback.

I picture myself at 21. I remember the journal I got that year from my college roommates…..the beautiful, thick, spiral-bound journal that would only take me a year to fill.  Now, in the light of my almost (gulp) 31 year old self, I reflect. How is it possible that 10 years have passed since I turned 21? Life seems to stretch out far and wide at that age, like a blank canvas, just waiting for color, shape, and form. I suppose that dark mixes with the light, to add depth and dimension. I stare at a photo I pasted in that same journal from the very year. My roommates and I were outside on a rare Western Tennessee snow day. I smile now as I imagine my perspective at the time. It was really my first snow day since leaving my FL home at 18. 

Flashback to Tennessee!

I see myself there with my lifelong friends, walking along campus in my new winter coat and cute, trendy cap. The amount of snow is nothing compared to the feet of snow falling on Mt. Rainier, but to me at the time, it was perfect; A stamp of joy on my life’s journey.

Now, in the light of the recent elementary school shooting, my heart whispers a prayer:

“Oh God of ages past, present time, You who hold the future. I cannot bear to look at the images... the loss of life, the innocent children, and the hearts of families who are aching and wondering why, this senseless tragedy.  My heart longs for heaven and yet in the here and now I pause.”  

To cry over the counselor's note to elementary students in my class telling parents how to talk to their kids about what happened. My tears make the page blurry as I read under the bullet "Your child is safe at Alpac" and wonder is that true...are they? Am I?  I am only safe in my salvation. I pray for each child in my class while they are in P.E. the day I learned the horrific news.I placed that note in each of their backpacks.  The question a friend told me that God is asking her echoes strong in my heart....am I willing, God? Am I willing to surrender? For You to work? To let go? To stop trying to figure out why, HOW I will fix all of the things, situations, and relationships in my life or this world that have gone or are going wrong.  I pause. I wonder. I long for heaven. It is okay to cry. The tears fall.

My heart is learning to live freely, one moment at a time….listening more for the voice of Jesus than the loud crashing of the enemy. I long for the surrender. I sit at the feet of Jesus, and I offer myself--right here, where I am, with the thoughts of my past….the sadness.  Replace them, Lord, with the healing and the forward motion of surrender. I don't know where You will lead me, but I will let You. Go ahead. HOPE.