i heart david crowder band

In last night's post, I plopped down a link to my current ultra fave song, "How He Loves." I actually first heard this song in a LifeChurch.tv worship podcast (they are free to download on iTunes by the way, you really need to scope them out--look under podcasts). Months later I heard David Crowder Band singing this song. I actually was not familiar with DCB until then.





We are trying to sell our house (stick with me here), and have rearranged every bit of furniture, including our computer and desk. It now sits in our bedroom. The speakers for the computer now sit in a box in the garage. So, when I blogged last night at home, I quickly searched for "How He Loves" and found DCB's official music video. I quickly clicked to watch the silent film version, just to make sure I wasn't linking up some crazy inappropriate "secular" song with the same name. As it started to play, I watched in disbelief. Blinked a few times. Checked other YouTube suggestions. Blinked again. Then googled DCB. And holy cow, what do you know? They are crazy cool! Totally not what I was expecting. You have got to watch the "How He Loves" video! Seriously, Christian artists are really getting outside the box in their photography, videography, design, promotion materials. These guys are hilariously creative! They have just bumped Brandon Heath as my new music crushes. Ha! God, you crack me up. You totally get my sense of humor.

(please visit those links to get what I'm throwin down.)

joy poured out

I fell in love today. With new friends. Who are pouring out their swelling hearts in thanksgiving.

Ann Voskamp, guest writer at incourage.me has been on a journey of a thousand gifts. Ann has found the real joy secret in the gifts that our Beloved pours out upon us.

I interpret what Ann writes as MY message: "Count the ways He lavishly loves... Husband of the soul endlessly caresses... He murmurs soft:" No longer will Liz be called Deserted, Desolate, Forsaken, Childless, Abandoned, Destroyed, Empty; but Liz will be called Beloved, for I delight in her. She is my bride and I will protect her. (Isaiah 62:4 Liz version)

Oh how He loves me. He is jealous for me.

These are the gifts He poured out on me this evening...


Standing over the heater vent, letting my ever so inviting pj pants fill up with warm air... aaahhh

















and watching my little boy pretend that the lotion bottle was a microphone... oh what joy!


































Thank you, Beloved.
Thank you.

Belen Hope

Today, I was blessed to photograph this sweet baby girl. I know her Mama. I first met her Mama long before this baby was placed in her heart. I lost touch with her Mama and then God casually crossed our paths again. I then learned the dream that God placed in her Mama's heart and joined her in prayer for this sweet baby--long before we knew exactly who this baby was.

Cassie's journey of adoption has been a testament of faith and the discipline of waiting. There is power in wisdom and wait.

It's tough being a woman who can balance passion and patience. Cassie, you are an encouragement to me, and to so many others. And today was my honor to capture this moment in time with your sweet baby girl.

I’m Not Who I Was

Yes, I wish you could see me now because I’m not who I was. Only by the grace of God do I say this. And to His glory alone. May my life be a declaration of His grace.

I've been pouring over this Brandon Heath song the past few days. It is quickly becoming my desired ringtone.

I realized through the Beth Moore Esther study we are journeying through, that God speaks such truth through her. As Beth spoke last night on our video for session 5, I too realized that if I was going to walk in the fullness of what God was calling me to, I needed to put away those former things and put on the robes of the one He ordained me to be. I will never fulfill my God-ordained destiny until I let go of those former things. (They were going to be the death of me.) I could not straddle the fence.

I came to that realization about the former things around 19 months ago. But I've sort of been in this place of awkwardness since. I have difficulty realizing that God already sees me with the royal robes that He has ordained for me (even with my imperfections). There is nothing I can do to earn this queenship.

sweet surprises

I never win anything. Don’t we all say that? But really I do not ever win anything. Well, ok, minus the one time I won season tickets to the Waterloo Blackhawks. The minor league hockey team was the only thing that kept me sane at times during some very grey years. Ok, so besides that one time; I never win anything.

When I would read on the blog sites that I have been drawn to follow, that they are hosting a giveaway drawing; I never enter. Why bother? I never win anything. Perhaps never entering might be contributing a smidge to me never winning.

Four months ago I fell in love with the handmade jewelry by Lisa Leonard. I mean I fell hard. It is so alluringly imperfect. On the first day of visiting her site, I already had filled out my wish list and emailed it to my husband. I would remind him occasionally that I really would like one of my many selections for any type of holiday or gift-giving occasion. Any would do. Then I grew impatient. And almost ordered it myself! I mean, shopping cart was brimming, “proceed with checkout” was staring me straight in the eye. But then I stopped. I knew that God drew me to that website and I yet I also knew that God was telling me that our budget did not allow for luxuries such as at this time. So I waited. I am not exaggerating when I say that the very same week that I let go of my LL dream, I read on MckMama’s blog that she was having a giveaway drawing for gift certificates to Lisa Leonard Designs! I literally gasped out loud (GOL)! And thus, my ‘never entering giveaway days’ were over. I was in a very difficult moment in my life and said a prayer as I entered the contest. Details of the intimate exchange between Jesus and I will not be mentioned. Let’s just say that my Beloved knew how I was hurting and knew how dear this was to my heart. I left my comment and just knew I wouldn’t win. I never win anything.

Enter the next morning. I drag myself into the office. Begrudgingly, I flip open the computer. I stare at my steamy coffee. And I want to cry all over everything. My heart is heavy with the stress of my ‘difficult time’ weighing me down, down, DOWN. The last thing on my mind was the results of the giveaway. As I opened my email, I was flooded with congratulations. Clueless, I researched. Holy cow, I won! I won… I WON! But I never win anything… But I WON! Oh my Beloved, what have you done? This silly little token that amounts to a silly necklace is actually a sweet surprise wrapped up and handed to me by the one who adores me more than I can ever fully comprehend, on the very day that I needed it the most. A beautiful gift from my Beloved. Oh thank you!!


i loved even just the packaging...









one sweet necklace for my boys









and one just for me and my Beloved









with a secret on the back
{The pieces are gorgeous and amazingly made. I love how personal they are. Today I wore the jumble of charms. Tomorrow I will wear my forever heart.}

And then the floodgates opened…

I read, also on MckMama’s blog about Gussy’s giveaway. Ohhh, Gussy! Girl you have been gifted with such creative talent! Sure, what the hay, I’ll enter her giveaway. I never win anyth… Well, wait, I have won something, but surely I won’t win again…. I scoped out her etsy shop and quickly fell in love. I threw an item or two in my cart and 'proceeded to checkout' and then I stopped. Hmm, can this wait a little longer? Perhaps. And peace was made. A few days later, Gussy knocked, saying "You won."










Oh, BELOVED!

Seriously, check out Gussy’s stuff. Her photos don’t quite show how beautifully crafted her items are. The fabric is RICH with texture (ha, at first I wrote Rick). And it is so thick and truly sturdy. The button is ceramic or something! Indeed it DOES bring a smile every time I see it!























Ok, I’m spoiled beyond belief. I read a review of Stone Crossings on incourage.me I was truly intrigued, and well, well, another giveaway?... ok, sure why not, I surely won’t win. After reading the compelling review, I promptly found it on Christianbook.com, threw it in my cart, clicked “proceed to checkout” and then stopped. I have several books that I have not yet completed. A few I haven’t opened yet. And I also said a prayer. For the first time ever perhaps, I asked God what he would have me to read. Then I added it to my wishlist. Peace was made. And then I got a message from the author of the book, LL Barkat!!!! Oh Beloved, this is too much! I’m blushing.

And I think I might want to buy a lottery ticket!

What are you waiting for? Get to entering some of these (I think there is one going on at Lisa Leonard's blog)! I can't wait to read LL's book, I'm sure I'll gush when it arrives!

Buff Warrior Princess

HA!, a dear friend wished this for me this week. I don’t remember the starting point, but from whenever that moment was until about 11:00 p.m. last night, I was drowning in a sea of unfinished tasks, mountains of laundry, endless distractions and a pinched nerve that only acts up in instances of crazy stress overloads. At just about my breaking point a few days ago, I sat down to do my bible study, distracted by the pile of laundry staring at me the whole time. I read “If God helped us avoid every possible unpleasantry, fixed every hangnail, and anesthetized ever headache for us, we’d quit learning how to deal with difficulty. We’d forget how to cope and we’d crush under the least inconvenience. In daily living, Beloved, strength comes from muscle, and muscle develops with a work out.” This was on Week 4, Day 2 of the Beth Moore Esther study that our ladies group is going through.

Well holy cow, God, how much more buff do you want me to be?! I woke the next morning, still exhausted, and looked at the mound of laundry closest to me on the bedroom floor and laughed as I felt God say to me “see Liz, you aren’t going to die from leaving the laundry overnight!”

I found several other golden nuggets of truth revealed later in the study this week…

In Day 4 I read, “We can refuse to walk in obedience to God or cower in fear from our calling and He will undoubtedly still accomplish His agenda. As for us however, we will pass up the fulfillment of our own entire life-purpose and we will miss a mighty work. Frighteningly, perhaps even a mighty deliverance.” Esther 4:14 reads, “ Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Beth writes “What if this is a critical moment? What if this very thing, this very decision, is the most important piece of the puzzle comprising my purpose? Beloved, in the times of greatest struggle when you make the Godward decision over convenience, earthly comfort, or carnal pleasure, you too have come to a critical moment in the fulfillment of your destiny. A defining moment. A war is being waged over your head in the unseen realm, and a great cloud of witnesses is cheering you on. You have no idea what is at stake.”

God started really stirring in my heart the urgency to post the video of “my story.” And then the panic started to rise as I was reminded in odd coincidences of timing, that I am a SINNER. The sin in my past I want to cover up, hide, and throw that mask back on. Enter Day 5. “Esther came to what many would call her ‘defining moment.’ Sometimes our most important moments come hand-in-hand with our willingness to reveal that we aren’t really who we’ve seemed to be.” What? God are you serious? Did you give Beth some crazy vision of what exactly I would be going through emotionally/spiritually at the exact moments that I would be reading this right now?! Weird. In a good way. I think. I related to Beth’s comments about a defining moment in her life “God allowed hardship and consequence to press against me from both sides until a decision had to be made and part of me had to die. Consider these words describing Esther’s dilemma and, in turn, our own: ‘In crisis situation such as this, there was no neutral position. Failure to decide brings personal loss and misses the opportunity to fulfill God’s purposes.’… There was no way back. must step into the unknown known and into the hiddenness completely unhidden. Fully exposed, only a providential force could protect her now.”

Tonight is our meeting where we will view the session 5 video and start off our new week. I bubbled up some chili to take. I pray that it’s another wonderful night of treasured moments with new friends and my Beloved!

Something monumental is brewing in my life. I can feel the anticipation! I swear, something odd has happened during this bible study. It has not been a torturous, dreaded task that I have forced myself to do. “Many people still picture scripture reading like taking a beating or like swallowing a dose of terrible-tasting medicine to get over a virus. Until you get into Bible study for yourself, you can’t imagine how thrilling it can be and how healthy and free your mind can feel.” Indeed, a voracious love affair with my Beloved is unfolding!

Your Glorious Right

I was reading last night in Beth Moore's Esther study about repentance. I don't know why exactly, but it really struck me what she wrote. "Repentance is not your punishment, it's your glorious right... your invitation to restoration." She referenced Acts 3:19-20, "Repent... then refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord..." and Joel 2:13 "Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish."

Where was this verse as I was growing up a child in FEAR of God. Not the reverent fear of respect, but the fear as in "He is an evil ogre sitting up there, just waiting to strike me down..." I heard too many scary bible stories from the Old Testament. Perhaps they were presented in a frightening way, or perhaps I took on that perception--I'm not sure. I did not cling to the stories of Jesus loving little children. Nor did I understand the love that He has for me. The kind of love that calls me Beloved. The kind of love that delights in every detail of my life.

I often look back and wonder how my life would have been different if I had understood things differently. But likely I would not understand it like I do now, if I had not experienced what I have in this life.