One Beautiful Life

Gift of Allume

What a weekend.  A weekend my husband gave to me as a gift.  A gift of love.  A gift for my heart.  A gift for my soul.  A gift for my blog.

I am humbled to be amidst so many women who long for their lives to have impact, by women who long for their words to have impact. By women who already break darkness with the light of their lives and words.  By women who share the same insecurities, the same needs, the same challenges, the same longings, the same wounds, the same unknowns, and the same stories.  By women who share different insecurities, different needs, different challenges, different longings, different wounds, different unknowns, different stories, and yet the same Creator and Redeemer and Love.

It is beautiful in so many ways.  Inspiring.  Challenging.  Uplifting.  Encouraging.  Thought provoking.  Transforming.

I thought I was coming to be... actually, not sure really what I thought might happen after being here.  I knew I would enjoy it.  I knew I would learn some things.  I knew I would meet some really amazing people.  But I didn't know it would leave an imprint that would give shape to whispers that have tried to penetrate the quiet, the comfort, the complacent, the disorganized and confused.

I know I am called to be a voice. I know I love the Lord.  I know I love how active He is in our lives.  I know I love the way He constantly reveals Himself, demanding begging allowing offering us to be changed having been brushed with His glory.  I know there is balance between grace and obedience.  I know there are blessings in obedience.  I know there is a lot that needs to be heard, reminded, harkened to that is not being spoken.  I know there is a war full out on God's people as the enemy seeks with relentlessness to steal, kill, and destroy us as the end draws nearer.  I know there is massive amounts of division when the Word begs us to remain united.  I know there is power in the Holy Spirit and the Word of God... the same power that raised Christ from the dead and I know the Word says it is available to us.  I know I long for every believer to believe in that power and use it to fight this war in which we are called to stand.  I know the Word says that "for lack of knowledge my people perish," and I see that all around me in churches, in marriages, in families, in schools, in communities, and in nations.  I know that I can not taste and see that the Lord and His Word is good and true and not share it... all of it.  I know that truth without love is a clanging cymbol.  I know that time is passing every day and will not last forever.

What I don't know is what this means for my blog... my little outlet where I boldly and humbly share how audacious God is and how He is transforming me... one piece and day at a time.

I know I am an encourager.  I know I am a creator.  And I know I am a writer.  I know I am passionate about the Lord.

I know I want to encourage, inspire, and inform.

What I don't know is what that means for my blog.

But it means something.  I do know that.

So as I ponder and pray, I invite you, ask you, to pray with me and for me.  I only want to walk in the paths that God has prepared for me beforehand.  And I want to serve and glorify Him with my life and my words.


One thing this conference has really shown me, that I totally lost sight of, was that a blog creates community.  I shut that down when I turned off my comments.  Even though people still email and facebook me with precious notes, that community has been removed from here.. the very place where it is intended to be.  I apologize for that.

I didn't want to be driven by comments.  I didn't want to even worry or think about comments.  It was hard to accept the fact that no one shared one thought on orphans or the Holy Spirit but yet had much to say about a craft.  I didn't like how that made me feel and so I felt getting rid of the comments would get rid of the issues.  AND IT DID.  It has been so freeing to not have comments open.  It took away so many negative aspects of blogging and I like that.  But it closed the door, no, removed the door, that should always be left open for words, thoughts, friendships, discussion... for community.

So I open comments back up tonight as the first change to this little space.  And I will have to pray  and let the Lord guide me through the issues that arise from that.  And I pray He builds a community where friends can gather and walk in an open door, if they choose to turn the knob, and enter in and find Him there.

Much love to you,
Dawn