Angela Parlin

So Much Beauty in All This Chaos

#PrayforOrlando

By:

orlando #orlandoshooting tragedy mournI’m still processing what just happened this weekend, and I’m painfully slow.

I want to say something. I want to do something. I want it to stop. And I don’t think it will anytime soon.

I’m praying for all the hurting people, the ones I saw on the news and the ones I didn’t.

I’m praying for their comfort. I’m praying they’ll feel the nearness of the Lord to their broken hearts.

I’m praying for those amazing Floridians I follow on social media. For those who are out there, walking the streets, looking for people they can put their arms around and sit with and listen to. I’m praying for the officials, the enforcers, the risk-takers, the ones who work to save.

I’m praying as I walk through my ordinary Monday, because the pain of so many people is important. Because the senseless killings are overwhelming. Because I just don’t understand. Because I may not be near the hurting myself, but I know Jesus is near.

I spend too much time on social media.

Sometimes I read too many posts, with differing points of view, when events like the #OrlandoShooting happens. I guess I’m looking for help with processing my thoughts, for hopeful perspectives. That’s not always what I find.

Sometimes behind these screens, people shout hurtful things rather than caring for the suffering. Sometimes people take the opportunity to call out other people for not responding the way they’ve decided they should. Sometimes it’s all politics, politics and blame. Sometimes the internet shouters even scold people for being more sad and overwhelmed by one tragedy over another.

Sometimes these noisy interwebs suck the hope right out of my heart.

But today, I’ve seen something better, and while I know the junk is still out there, today I’m seeing a whole lot of love. Maybe I’m getting better at sifting through what I read, but in any case, I’m encouraged by so many shows of solidarity, by so many prayers and expressions of care and concern.

We live in a world where a place of dancing turns into a place of mourning overnight. When this happens, what do we do?

We mourn with those who mourn.

We weep with those who weep.

We use the power we’ve been given in prayer.

We look to the Lord because He’s the One who remains our Rock.

Because He’s our Refuge, our Strength, our Shelter from all the storms of this life.

We ask Him to lead us when there’s more for us to do.

May these ancient words, which have been floating through my head today, infuse your raw heart with hope as you mourn our nation’s losses.

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8, NLT

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. John 14:27

 

Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

All We Like Sheep, Dust, & Grasshoppers

By:

view eyes lookSometimes we need to be reminded what’s true about ourselves.

The swirl and chaos of life leave an Out of Order sign on our insides. We forget. We simply lose sight.

We lose sight of what’s real and true and important. Our eyes fill up with what’s in front of us, whatever mountain we have to climb, the challenges we face. And so we need to remember we are God’s masterpieces, and He treasures us. He made us wonderfully and with intention. He wants us to draw near to Him.

By God’s own definition, we are wanted and chosen and so very loved.

But sometimes I wonder if we don’t need to be reminded more often who God is—instead of who we are. I sat in my corner chair-with-a-view this morning, looking out at the sky and the birds and the backyard trees, realizing the freedom I find in lifting my eyes to heaven.

When I fix my eyes on Jesus, I’m free from so many thoughts of me. From so many needs. So many desires. So many distractions.

The truth is, I don’t only need a better view of myself each day—I need a better view of God. I need to fill up with who He is, not only focus on who I am.

I need to think less of me, and more of Him.

I was reading Isaiah 40. In which the prophet compares human beings to a variety of things. Some are questionable. Isaiah continues to point back to God, but nothing comes close to comparing with Him.

We are like grass that withers, like flowers that fall. But the Word of the Lord will endure forever.

We are the flock He gathers in His arms. He is the Shepherd who carries us close to His heart, who gently leads those who have young.

We are only a drop in a bucket. We are dust on the scales, like unto nothing. But He holds the dust of the earth in a basket. He weighs the mountains on His scales.

He stretches out the heavens like a tent to live in. He blows on the rulers of this world, reducing them to nothing.

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth. 

And from His view? We look like grasshoppers. Grasshoppers! Now that’s humbling. Which is really the point.

God is our incomparable Creator. His understanding is so far beyond ours. He even calls each of the stars by name.  He’s never exhausted, never weary. He is power and might. He’s the everlasting God, the amazing Creator of the ends of the earth.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.

Our lives tangle up in chaos, often. We stumble. We fight. We exhaust ourselves. We hope. We hurt. We pray. We seek help. We work hard. We lay low. We escape the chaos when given the chance.

But through it all, our Creator is near. He always loves. Always sees. He’s always just. Always right. Always giving. Always true. Always worth following. Always on the throne. Always worthy and awesome and incomparable. His beauty remains.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth…

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

(verses 28-29)

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.

Because sometimes, we just need to be reminded of what’s real and true and important.

*See this post also at Angela Nazworth’s site, for her series on Sight.

I would love for you to Subscribe (box to the right) to receive weekly posts! Thank you!

Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

When You Wax & Wane

By:

remain in HimFrom her bedroom window, the full moon glows.

Rays bounce to the north, south, east, and west, painting a cross of light over a pitch dark sky. Supermoon circles large in the center of a bright, shining, old, rugged cross.

I sit on the corner of her bed, watch my sleeping beauty breathe, and I stare at the moon.

“God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” –Martin Luther

Tonight, God wrote the gospel on the moon, and I needed it more than I knew.

Many days, I gulp down living water early.

But then I run through days, where the gospel feels lost on me.

Some days start on a high note, but tangle up in chaos before we reach the middle. Some days, I have to convince myself to try get on top of it all. Instead, I feel irritated. I can’t stop moving, but I’m only running in circles.

When I finally sit down for a few minutes without little people asking for more pieces of me, I ask God really mature and selfless questions.

Why won’t they ever leave me alone?

It’s not what I really want, other than the opportunity to pause and re-center.

The night of the supermoon, it hit me.

The way of the moon is to wax and wane, and the light can all but disappear sometimes.

My light can all but disappear, in the jumble of kids and school and endless meals and the house with its dirt and projects and always so many things to do.

My light disappears in the way I react to their childishness and stubbornness and rips and smudges and everywhere messes.

I want to remain in Jesus, to be a light that shines His love day in and day out, even when it’s only for my little crew.

I also want to be left alone sometimes.

I want to stay on schedule.

I want my house all put together.

I want to complete things when I start them.

And since none of these are entirely possible, some days my light goes out. Or at least grows dim.

How is it so hard to remain in Him, when I do take the time to begin in Him?

The night I saw Him cross the moon, my heart welled up with this visible shot of gospel, in the middle of my own frustrations and failures.

His cross was brighter.

His love was stronger.

His work outlasted my own.

Once my eyes were fixed on Jesus again, I could see it all more clearly.

There is so much beauty in and around and through the chaos of our days.

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone. This doesn’t diminish the importance of the Bible. Nothing compares to opening the pages of His Word and hearing from the Lord.

But God surrounded us with all this beauty, His own glory. It fixes our minds on Him again, and maybe there’s always more to see.

So when you look up at the sky today or the stars tonight, or when the wind blows through your backyard trees, I hope you will remember.

I hope you will look and see Jesus above the roar of your life’s chaos, and you will continue in Him. And you will remain in Him.

Read this post also at PurposefulFaith.com.

Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

Beauty in the Chaos of a Writer’s Life~ #Ladder2Rooftop Academy

By:

This one’s for my Writing Friends, or anyone who wants to learn more about the writing life. This post begins a series on Writing, where I hope to encourage other bloggers and newbie (or wannabe) writers. So glad you’re here!

writing dream

I have always been a writer.

As a young girl, I copied words of story books, just for fun. I wrote stories and poems throughout stacks of notebooks, some of which still reside in a pink plastic box in the attic.

I wrote copy for yearbooks and a number of newsletters, and I wrote for a weekly teen section of the local newspaper. I wrote for college organizations and church groups, and later took my first real job as a writer at IBM.

Then a different dream came true, and I became a Mom.

As a 30-something, third-time Mommy, I heard the whisper to write again. I didn’t know what it meant exactly. My hands were full. I was afraid and feeling inadequate. I wanted to know what it meant–Exactly. But I only had some ideas.

So I rocked my tiny pink bundle and chased two toddler boys, and in between all the work of early motherhood and the playdates and parties and near-daily Target runs, I dreamed little writing dreams.

I bought some books from the Writing & Publishing rack at Barnes & Noble, and hated everything I learned. You must promote yourself. You must sell your work. You must build a platform, the wise professionals told me.

Then I wanted my writing dream to die.

It wouldn’t.

I have always been a writer, because I write. It’s a gift God has given me, and it brings me so much joy.

But becoming a (published) author hasn’t turned out anything like I first imagined. Do you relate?

What did your dream look like, when it first came to you?

The writer’s life is both beauty and chaos, and the journey often turns out to be different than we’d hoped.

Maybe you haven’t arrived where you think you should be by now. You’re disappointed, and like me, you fall into discontentment sometimes.

One season, I was ready to give up completely. Alone, on my screened porch, I heard another whisper.

“Don’t quit.”

“Come with me.”

“On this journey, I have many things for you to do—write and nurture and host and love and lead and teach and more.”

I said Yes.

Here’s my dream, Lord. It looks like published books to me, but I trust it to You instead. You decide what it becomes.

I grieved for what might never be. It may never turn out the way I hope. Of course, I could kick down doors, and probably make some things happen.

But I’m doing the work I know is mine to do in this season. I’m listening and learning to trust.

Writing is my dream, but it’s not my only dream.

I also dream of loving and leading well where the Lord opens doors for me. I dream of seizing the days of this season, while my kids live at home. I dream of living with no regrets.

What are your other dreams for this life? What are your other callings?

Today, I blog here and on a couple other blogs, and I write for various organizations. I’m working on writing a book, whether it gets published or not. And I love it all.

With my business-owner husband and our four busy kids and homeschooling, my life is full and chaotic and beautiful. It’s a journey I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Even in the chaos, there’s always so much beauty. We find it whenever we choose to see.

Has your dream taken a new shape?

Has it expanded or headed a different direction?

I pray you will see the beauty of your right-now place. If you desire more of this type of encouragement, would you Subscribe at the pink box, top right?

Click here to find out more about the #Ladder2Rooftop Academy, where I contribute to Beauty in the Chaos of the Writer’s Life.

 

Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

What Are You Running After? {RaRaLinkup}

By:

what are you running afterI call myself a runner, but I always feel the need to qualify the statement.

I’m not built like a runner. I’m not a fast runner. My mileage wouldn’t impress you.

But I get out there, onto the trail several times a week. And other than the last few months of four pregnancies plus a couple injuries which sidelined me for a time, I’ve been a runner as long as I can remember.

When I run, I’m usually smiling. It’s a strange habit, but I smile in part because running is my alone time. I walk out the front door, ready to move, and it’s like a big, deep breath. Plus a lot of panting, but still.

I smile because the finish line is always on the horizon, and I’m a hoper and a dreamer. I smile, because I need the opportunity to think my own thoughts for a bit. Thoughts about something other than school and the next meal and a million little tasks to do around the house.

Give me some fresh, quiet air under a big blue sky and the opportunity to think my own thoughts–and it feels like being home. Not so much like being in my home, but at home with myself. 🙂

Last week, out on the trail, one of my thoughts morphed into a pressing question:

What are you running after anyway?

I sensed it wasn’t meant physically, and it wasn’t actually coming from my own thoughts.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24

I’d read this verse recently. Run in such a way that you may obtain the prize. To be honest, this is a little uncomfortable for me. I’m not one to go after the prize. It seems like everyone I know is competitive, and I’m certain it reveals something broken inside me, but it’s still the truth.

Yet this instruction tells us to run for it. GO AFTER IT. Run like you’re trying to win the prize.

Paul isn’t talking about running though. He’s speaking about our lives. We’re all in the race. We’re all runners, and we don’t need to apologize for whatever level we haven’t arrived at yet.

The course we run is the Christian life. But we’re not running to win the prize of salvation, since salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by our own works. What, then, is the prize we’re running to win?

What are we running after anyway?

Jesus.

We’re running after Jesus, friends.

And I know it’s easy to say He’s the One we’re running after, but sometimes we’re pursuing so many other things.

Sometimes we’re running after everything else, hoping something will fill our souls and fix our lives and make us feel better. Those things do make us feel better at times, but it’s temporary. It’s all just a Band-Aid, and it wears off.

In the middle of raising kids to know Jesus and writing words I hope will point people to Him, I sometimes find myself in a distant place, disconnected even. And since I find myself there, I wonder if you do too.

So what are YOU running after today, my friend?

Is Jesus the prize you’re seeking?

Are you pursuing His nearness?

Do you desire to simply know Him more? Is this enough for you?

He really is the Life we so desperately long for. Let’s run to win more of Jesus!

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

*******

Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. John  17:3

I would love to have you Subscribe to follow this blog ~ Subscribe box is top right. Thank you!

Kelly Balarie (22)

Welcome to the #RaRaLinkup once again, friends! I’m so glad you’re here. Linkup your encouraging post below, and remember to leave a comment for at least the person before you. Spread the love! xoxo

 Loading InLinkz ...

 

Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

Compassion International

Join the Compassion Blogger Network