she is my true love...

I was listening to a song by Laura Woodley the other day and all I really want to say is WOW! It’s a song about how we see our relationship with the Lord. But in the midst of the junk and dirt He sees beauty; He wants us, He chooses us, His beautiful brides

You saw me broken
You saw me battered

You saw me filthy

You saw me shattered

You saw me wicked

You saw me lying

You saw me failing

You saw me trying

You saw me angry

You saw me jealous

You saw me prideful

You saw me selfish

You saw me wonder

You saw me lustful

You saw me striving

Worshipping idols

I want her

I love her

She’s the one for me

I choose her

I know her
She is my true love
Bring her to me

Put a ring on her finger

Clothe her in my righteousness

Shine my light all around her

Place a crown upon her head

Keep her tears in a bottle

See her name upon my hands

When she says: I don’t deserve it

Tell her: I took the nails instead

I took the nails instead

After hearing the song, I decided to create a painting! Around the outside of the canvas has lines from the beginning of the song, and in the center of the painting is God's response to how he see us..."I want her..." And the awesome thing is that after printing it out the words on the paper it resembled a dress; which lead me to make the center of the painting a dress. A beautiful dress, set apart for His beautiful bride.

your love came in...

so this is a song that God gave me while I was on vacation
this past christmas. its one of my favorites, and really just shows me how much
God desires to restore and to love.

I was lost I could not see,
the darkness covered me.
my heart was cold i felt so alone.

but your love came in and filled me up
when your love comes in i'm built up

i once was broken, but now there's you,
and youre picking me up.
all my hopes, joys and dreams,
they are now redeemed.

but your love came in and filled me up
when your love comes in i'm being built up

always doubting left and right,
but now you're by my side, you're by my side.
no longer bound by the lies there's truth in your eyes,
and thats where i want to be.

when your love crept in,
and you tore me apart,
restoring my heart.

cause your love came in and filled me up
when your love comes in im being built up.

now my joy is complete,
cause you're livin in me,
deep, deep, deep within.

Spring is coming...

This past Friday evening I went to my churches women of radiance banquet. To be honest I went because I was asked if I would be interested in displaying some of my artwork. And so I saw this as opportunity for me to get people to see what I have done, and see the talents of other women. But of course God just didn't want that to be my only reason. I mean that would be too simple, come to a banquet display my work, eat some amazing dessert and listen to some special women share. Too simple for God.

So let me just start by saying that the theme for the night was seasons, the different seasons we encounter with our walk with the Lord. My sister and I were looking over the different seasons and what they generally bring into our lives. And of course when I read winter, I was like "Yea, that’s def. where I'm at right now...a season of reflection" and I also made the comment, "I can't wait for spring, a season of impartation" and I just left it alone. The evening started with a light hearted skit about WOMAN. Then we had time to fellowship and share with the women at our table. This was great. This lasted for about 20 minutes, and was then transitioned into the sharing of the different seasons. This is where God rocked me.

Spring was the first season to be shared; the lady got up and started talking. She started by giving the definition of spring (new, growth, to come up, fresh)...all things a person would naturally associate with spring. She then proceeded to share about her life during this season, and then gave three different people who are processing spring (the leftover, the wallflower, and the broken one). At that very moment I just was like wow! God what is happening, my emotions started to well up and I could feel a bawl inside of me that needed to spring forth. But because I didn't want people looking at me I held it in. At the same time trying to process where the emotions were coming from. At the close of this ladies testimony she shared a line from a song that encouraged the spring season of her life "wallflower come dance with me, leftover you’re just what I need, broken one you will be my queen" again the tears wanted to gush from my eyes, but I held it in.

As I started to process my emotions, I was like God this must just be me being emotional. The next season to share was summer, but I didn’t have the same emotional high as I did for spring. And I didn’t really think anything of it. They then transitioned into a worship dance done to the song “every season” by Nicole Nordeman. The song went through the different seasons, and it was just beautiful. Then the same emotions I had encountered during the sharing of the season of spring happened again. “and everything that’s new, has bravely surfaced teaching us to breathe what was frozen through, is newly purposed turning all things green, so it is with you and how you make me new.” These lines sparked that emotional overflow of tears. And again I was just like God where is this coming from why tonight, why here, why? But again I refrained from crying and letting that emotion get the best of me.

Autumn and winter spoke and I was fine, nothing sparked me. Nothing really at that point shook me like spring. So I was just like ok, what is it about spring, what do you want me to know. And on the car ride home I asked God what he wanted me to know, what he was doing in me, why I was so overly captivated by the season of spring. And he responded with, “spring is coming” That was all I needed to hear, once that happened I had such a peace. And I was like,”ok God.” Spring is coming…don’t know what it looks like, but I think I’m ready.

One day at a time...

One day at a time...this is a phrase that I have heard an enormous amount just within the past couple of weeks, and its quite annoying. God knows I'm a planner and that I love to look so far in advance and dream. But that's not what he wants right now, "Isabel can we look at today, I want to show you something." and my response is always "God really, can we just think and dream about how great my life is going to be in 6 months, 5 years...can we just sit and think about all the gifts you are going to cultivate in my life for the future." And God is like, "that's nice; we could, but there are things here, today that I need you to be aware of for your future, things today that will enable your future." So God has really just opened my eyes to the fact that I can't be complacent with today, that I have to be actively engaging in the today's. That he has established specific things for me to know and see every single day. Daily surrendering, daily uprooting, daily pouring in, daily revelation. And I can't receive all of that if my mind is focused on the things I could be in 6 months. This was like God was saying wake up. Wake up and live, today! SO...

God I pray that you would open my eyes to the things you have established for me today. That i wouldn't be so distracted by the tomorrows, but that there would be a peace in knowing you are working daily in me to pull out my future.

Philippians 4:6 & 7
do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.