“God… please…”
When our heart cries out in desperation, yet is met with what could only be explained as silence, where is God in the messiness of life when we cry out in our lacking to God while everything stays the same…?
Heavy heart, in those moments of our brokenness when God doesn’t FEEL generous, may we lift our eyes to the Suffering Servant like we have never done before.
Read MoreWhen the chaos of life feels like a heavy fog…. and the needs within, and the needs around, weigh heavy on you; may we not forget that there is no fog that can completely hide a light. May the ambience produced in the fog capture our attentention in a way that we may have otherwise missed without it. For those who are longing for rest… for home… for peace… this is for you.
Read MoreFather, we come to You in weakness, recognizing the children that we truly are…
Holy Spirit, bring us to a depth of love and obedience to You never experienced before…
Jesus, in our questions, hurts, and fears, may we feel the depth of our true need for You and Your love for us regardless of our weakness and wars… help us.
Read MoreThere’s a depth to love that can only be understood when we are at our lowest. Despite the dark nights our feet may wander through… or the terror of the open seas that we find ourselves lost in… or the haunting voices and sirens of our unrelenting regrets and shames… heavy heart, may we rest easy knowing this truth:
Even at our lowest... we are loved MORE than we can fathom.
You are NOT a lost cause!
Read MoreFeeling overwhelmed?
Feeling weak?
No matter where today finds you,
Heavy heart, our wounds and weaknesses point toward something greater.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
"... And when He took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
And they sang a new song..."
- Revelation 5: 8-9
No matter where today finds you, may everyday we sing a new song.
To those who read this, you truly are so, so loved...
May we never fail to see our lives as the precious gifts that they are.
There’s something about water.
From the dependence that each of us have to it, to the peace and solace that it provides… each and every one of us can not go long without it. Continuing from Episode 152, join us as we look at Ezekiel’s vision found in Ezekiel 47 of a river unlike any other, and the abundant source of that river that we are more dependent on than we tend to realize.
Read MoreRegardless of our upbringing, there was someone in our lives who clothed and fed us when we were not able to. From the fragility and dependence that a child naturally has for their caretaker or parent… to the prideful refusal of the same Creator, Savior, and Sustainer who has been involved in every aspect of this fragile life that we call our own... it’s mind boggling how quickly we can forget where we come from. When the chaos of life reminds us how small we really are… and when our circumstances tempt us to believe that our God is even smaller… When the chaos of life reminds us how small we really are… and when our circumstances tempt us to believe that our God is even smaller… heavy heart, may the words of today’s episode wash over… and through us, today.
Read MoreThere are times in our lives when we long for, more than anything, to run away from the messiness of our overwhelmed emotions and thoughts... and we long to get away… get alone… and to find distance from the noise and relentlessness of our restlessness. In the moments of life where we long for our fears, questions, and hurts to cease… heavy heart, there is a refuge beyond any person, or place, that this world can offer.
For those who long to run away… may our running lead us to the arms of Jesus, our Sanctuary.
Read MoreAt times, surrender and trust can feel as if it is impossible. For some, the new day may great you with warmth and hope… and for others, painful hurts, needs, and questions may weigh heavy on the heart. No matter where the day has greeted you, heavy heart, may we never be afraid to trust and surrender to Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor.
[Recorded live at Lakepointe Church, Shelby Twp. Michigan, December 5th 2021]
When we travel where we have never been before, each and every one of us will find ourselves face to face with fears and anxieties of various kinds. On today’s episode, join as we wash our fears and anxieties in the sobering Truth that our God knows where He is taking us… and from where we are... our anxieties never will tell us the Truth.
Heavy heart, our God is faithful. You do not walk alone.
How do we bring the parts of us that we hide and ignore to the Light? Regardless of where today finds you, heavy heart, our God is stronger than any demon and any lie that we entertain in our weakness. As we continue the discussion from Episode 148, may we never forget this simple truth:
Jesus is greater than any darkness that we face.
On November 30th, 2021, a 15 year old student opened fire upon his classmates and teachers at nearby Oxford High School. In the aftermath and tunnel vision of our grief, pain, mourning, questions, fears, hurt, and anger… when dark thoughts come into our mind from the brokenness within and around us… heavy heart, we are so much more than just another pawn for darkness when we find ourselves spinning endlessly from our helplessness and hopelessness. Every tragedy reminds us that brokenness is real.
Read MoreEpisode 147 (11/17/21): No matter who you are, there is nothing that can prepare you for the death of a loved one. Born in Kharkov, Ukraine, Bradley Michael Hawkins was adopted at 15 months old by his parents Sharon and Scott Hawkins. 21 years later, Bradley’s life was cut short by a tragic skateboarding accident.
No matter where today finds you, may Bradley’s life story of struggle, hope, and victory remind you how loved you are EVEN WHEN brokenness surrounds you and your heart feels shattered into a million pieces.
Heavy heart, this life is a vapor… and you loved more than you could ever know.
Recorded on November 14-15th, 2021
Read MoreEpisode 146 (11/10/21): So much of our life is spent searching for worth and value. In the moments where we feel stepped over, stepped on, or overlooked; heavy heart, rest easy… you are worth so much more than you may feel and the value of your life is so much more than what you can see right now.
Heavy heart, even at your worst, you are not loose change.
You are not loose change.
Living in the midst of “The Information Age”, each and every one of us are daily bombarded by overwhelming amounts of information. Though we have more podcasts, songs, movies, potential for relationships, messages, technology, and resources then we could EVER utilize in our short lifetime, there is an intense longing within us for more… something more… someone more to satisfy a hunger that we struggle to understand. At the end of the day, all the information that this world (and the galaxies around us) could hold would still never satisfy the phantom longing for something else… something more.
Read MoreWhen your thoughts, emotions, insecurities, and weaknesses make you feel tiny…
When you are in awe of the fragility of self and the fragility of life…
Heavy heart, the magnitude of life is real, yet our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer is SO MUCH GREATER than we could ever fathom.
OUR GOD IS SO MUCH GREATER THAN WE COULD EVER FATHOM!
Read MorePain, difficulty, confusion, and chaos has a way of blinding us from the sobering reality that we are not entitled to anything in this life. When we struggle to see God’s goodness in the midst of all that swirls in our head and heart, may we lean into the chaos seeking sober eyes. May we not miss our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer in the whirlwind of change.…
… Heavy heart, there is so much more than what our bloodshot eyes see in our limited understanding.
We are entitled to nothing, yet we are loved as Royalty.
“God, where are You…!?
“God, what are You doing…!?
“God, why am I going through this…!?”
When life doesn’t seem to make sense… underlying, uncomfortable, questions such as these, will find us all.
On todays episode, join us as we look at three separate stories in the Bible and seek to better understand how each and every day we have an opportunity to take the hand of our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer as He walks us through the chaos and the questions that accompanies it.
Heavy heart, may we lean into today… with every question… every fear… every circumstance… with all that we are. No matter where today finds you, you are right where you need to be, regardless of life’s messes.
Read MoreEpisode 141 (09/18/21): Growing up, my grandmother used to put together big diners for our big family gatherings. As I look back on these dinners, I remember many, many times, where my dad would PLEED with her that instead of feeling the need to constantly serve, for her to instead just be present with us. Though I remember finding it funny to see her laugh away my father’s requests back then, I find different emotions come to me now.
My grandmother passed away many, many years ago… and what grieves my heart the most, is that even though I remember many of the dinners that we shared as a family…
… I don’t remember much of her.
In the tension of busyness and rest, it’s so hard to know what the greatest need truly is. In a life where we long for and resent both, join us as we look at Jesus’ interaction with two sisters in Luke 10.
Read More
