So hard to believe that you are in your final 'twenties' year! When I see you, I still see the little sailor:
Now here you are, all grown up, a husband, a lawyer, a gentleman I am proud to call my son. This year has been full of beautiful memories for you to treasure, but none more than the moment you will never forget. You are going to be a DAD! A father of a baby girl!
In light of this monumental event in your life, my thoughts went to parenting and how to be prepared and learn from my mistakes.
But first of all, you are definitely not me nor will you make the same mistakes I made! You are starting from a much better and healthier place. Plus you're a guy!
I know you will be an awesome, doting father. (Your brother is already saying he wants to be the best uncle ever. He already has plans for her to be his flower girl! LOL.)
So, my thoughts just went to what God has been teaching me the past few years especially since I developed this 'illness' that seems to not want to go away. I have been healing my union with God not realizing before how 'hardened' my heart had become because of turning inward, becoming numb, instead of turning to Him because I felt betrayed by Him. For too many years! And this deeply affected those around me. My family.
Instead this year, He has been showing me that He has always been present, always with me, except I was not looking for Him. I wanted the ocean, He showed me the skies. He showed me the trees, flowers, and most of all the people around me. He revealed to me His glory that was always there.
In this study I have been doing with Ann Voskamp, she talks about God's first question to man: "Where are you?"
It is a question meant to make you ponder where your heart is in relationship to Him.
So Nate, this is what my heart wants to share with you. Each morning, answer the question, "Where am I in relation to God?"
Do I need to heal this union?
Who is shaping my worldview that will be passed on to my child?
Why is this important?
Because responding to this question and actively nurturing this relationship is going to make you the healthiest parent. Your child needs a parent secure in his relationship to God. A parent whose roots run deep into His Word and His Church. A parent whose love is magnified by the Holy Spirit within.
I read a reflection from Paul Tripp about the mighty oak and immediately thought of you. The mighty oak displays and points to His glory. There is so much of the mighty oak in you! You are hardworking and strong and many people look at you and say 'wow! Paul Tripp says that:
"...an oak is a strong, glorious tree. It grows for hundreds of years and can withstand the most brutal elements that nature throws at it. Not only does it represent strength and is magnificent to look at, but an oil is also vital for life. No other tree in North America supports more life forms than an oak...an oak tree and its properties should stop us in our tracks and fill us with awe. Yes, it is one of the most glorious plants God created, but that glorious created thing is designed by the Creator to be a finger pointing to His glory!
As you stand in awe of His glory, you start to be free from your obsession with your own glory and your constant need to be right, in control, and acclaimed. As you begin to bow to the Creator's majesty, you begin to be free from the dangerous delusions of our own majesty.
Pray that you will always see the glorious One behind the glorious physical thing you are seeing, hearing, tasting, or touching. Look beyond the creation and open your eyes and heart to see the Creator's glory. God, in love and mercy, is inviting you to confess and surrender....
From the beginning, He invites us to know Him, experience His grandeur, and give ourselves to the only thing that makes sense---WORSHIP."
Soon you will look into the eyes of your newborn and feel a taste of the utter delight God feels for you. The love you feel for this tiny human being will fill you to overflowing. (My heart still literally melts when I see you and Daniel!) See the Creator behind this, the apple of His eye, this 'imago dei'.
And worship.
Never stop worshipping all the days of your life, especially when hard times roll in as they inevitably will.
My blessing for you is that you will always be like the oak, a finger pointing to His glory. Rooted in Him, yielding fruit in season, not withering, but prospering and maturing, always knowing where you are in relation to Him.
Psalm 1:1-3 (AMP)
"Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).
But his delight is in the law of theLord,
And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.
And he will be like a treefirmlyplanted [and fed] by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]."
Memories of your past year!
Prayer:
Father, as I look at the glorious 'oak' in Nathan, I cannot help but see You behind him, awesome in glory and worthy to be praised. Would You hem in with Your Presence, letting him see through Your eyes, think through Your mind, touch with Your hands, hear with Your ears, taste with Your lips. Give him a holy hunger for Your Word so that he can ponder and be transformed and grow roots that withstand the most brutal of storms. Give him a desire for community of believers so that he is encouraged and supported. Give him a desire for service so that he shares the fruit of the gifts with which You have blessed him. Give him and Sarah a renewed love for each other that their child will see and feel secure. Continue to grant him favour with 'kings' as he lives graciously and contentedly with integrity. Give him the wisdom for healthy stewardship of his time and energy. May his day start with You and end with You so that Your aroma fills his day and night. Finally, how can I adequately say thanks for the gift of Nathan? He fillsme with such joy and delight. May You always fill him with that sense of delight You feel for him, so that he does not feel he has to strive and be perfect, but just let himself rest as he is in Your loving sovereignty.
So Lord, I surrender my firstborn child to You Who loves Him perfectly. Sustain and protect him from the evil one.
Now to You, O Lord, be the glory forever and ever.
Amen.
God of creation There at the start Before the beginning of time
With no point of reference You spoke to the dark And fleshed out the wonder of light
And as You speak A hundred billion galaxies are born In the vapour of Your breath the planets form If the stars were made to worship, so will I I can see Your heart in everything You've made Every burning star A signal fire of grace If creation sings Your praises, so will I
God of Your promise You don't speak in vain No syllable empty or void
For once You have spoken All nature and science Follow the sound of Your voice
And as You speak A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath Evolving in pursuit of what You said If it all reveals Your nature so will I I can see Your heart in everything You say Every painted sky A canvas of Your grace If creation still obeys You, so will I
So will I So will I
If the stars were made to worship, so will I If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I If the oceans roar Your greatness, so will I For if everything exists to lift You high, so will I If the wind goes where You send it, so will I If the rocks cry out in silence, so will I If the sum of all our praises still falls shy Then we'll sing again a hundred billion times
God of salvation You chased down my heart Through all of my failure and pride
On a hill You created The Light of the world Abandoned in darkness to die
And as You speak A hundred billion failures disappear Where You lost Your life so I could find it here If You left the grave behind You, so will I I can see Your heart in everything You've done Every part designed in a work of art called love If You gladly chose surrender, so will I I can see Your heart, a billion different ways Every precious one, a child You died to save And if You gave Your life to love them so will I
Like You would again a hundred billion times But what measure could amount to Your desire? You're the One who never leaves the one behind
35Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?37 NO, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8: 35, 37 (NLT))
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protectandguard you from the evilone. (2 Thessalonians 3:3 (AMP))
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (Psalm 51:17 (NLT))
Now we havereceived, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from God, so that we may knowandunderstandthe [wonderful] things freely given to us by God. (1Corinthians 2:12 (AMP))
So Dan, you have come through another year.
You have persevered.
You have despaired. You have laughed. You have cried. You have questioned. You have doubted. You have struggled.
You have not given up.
You have stayed the course.
For nothing can separate you from His love.
Not even you.
Because He is faithful and is strengthening your foundation in Him to protect you from the evil one. Your struggles should always lead to a broken and repentant heart, never to a hardened or cynical heart, for He can only do His mighty work in a heart tenderized with brokenness. His Holy Spirit will help you know and understand what God has given you.
You said you sensed your 2022 word was "Come Alive".
Ezekiel 37:3-6, 13-14
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will make breath enter you so that you may come to life.
So I spoke this message, just as he told me...
6 I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and I will put breath in you so that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’” 13 Then you will know [with confidence] that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and made you come up out of your graves, My people. 14 I will put My Spirit in you and you will come to life, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and fulfilled it,” says the Lord.’”
May this be the year of the breakthroughs you are looking for. He can bring what seems dead to life, mend what seems irreparable, and provide where it seems impossible.
But notice, the speaker follows the Lord’s command.
He obeys. He heeds the call and the power is unleashed.
So prophesy to your struggles.
Those dead, dry bones represent so much in our lives. Our dreams, relationships, finances, jobs, health concerns – everything that may seem broken and hopeless is not beyond the Lord’s reach. Be encouraged!
When we follow the Lord’s call on our hearts, all things are possible. Believe!
It does not matter what your year was like last year, this is a new one. There is much ahead. Hope is alive because our hope is in Him.
My hope and desire for you in the victorious power of God is outlined in Come Alive (Dry Bones) by Lauren Dangle and also Hillsong:
Come Alive (Lauren Daigle & Michael Farren)
Through the eyes of men It seems there's so much We have lost
As we look down the road Where all the prodigals Have walked And one by one The enemy has whispered lies And led them off as slaves
But we know that You are God Yours is the victory We know there is more to come That we may not yet see So with the faith You've given us We'll step into the valley unafraid, yeah
As we call out to dry bones come alive, come alive And we call out to dead hearts Come alive, come alive Come up out of the ashes Let us see an army rise We call out to dry bones come alive
Oh God of endless mercy God of unrelenting love Rescue every daughter Bring us back the wayward son By Your spirit breathe upon them show that You alone can save You alone can save
As we call out to dry bones come alive, come alive And we call out to dead hearts Come alive, come alive Come up out of the ashes Let us see an army rise We call out to dry bones come alive, Yeah
So breathe, oh breath of God Now breathe, breath of God Breathe oh breath of God Now breathe
Oh breathe, breath of God Now breathe, oh breath of God Breathe, oh breath of God, now breathe
As we call out to dry bones come alive, come alive And we call out to dead hearts Come alive, come alive
Come up out of the ashes Let us see an army rise We call out to dry bones come alive, Yeah We call out to dry bones... come alive Oh Come alive
Victories, breakthroughs, restorations – He is able to do it all. Listen, pray, and anticipate victory, my son.
Prayer:
And here is the prayer from my friend Joy for you, whose every word I echo for you:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You for the gift of this day. I thank You for breathing life into us and keeping Your sustaining hand on us…waking us up for purposes You prepared for us before the foundation of the world.
Lord, today I bring Daniel to You. I thank You for the way that He loves and serves You. I praise You that His heart belongs to You and that His desire is to follow You.
Lord, I would ask this year that his faith would grow deep.
Lord, root him in Your Word.
Give him an unquenchable thirst and deep hunger to know You in intimate relationship. I pray his faith would grow and his roots strengthen by the power of Your Word and by Your Spirit. I pray Lord that You would protect his mind and guard his heart.
There is so much competing for our attention. Lord, keep him strong. Give him strength. Impart unwavering faith for Your glory.
Lord, I pray that he would see You as God of provision. May he fully and completely depend on You and see You supply his every need. Your Word says that You will not see Your children begging bread. You daily supply. May Daniel see miraculous provision for needs. Grow his trust.
Strengthen him and keep him dressed in the armour of God, protecting him from the arrows of the enemy.
Enable him to make wise choices through the reading of Your Word. Grant him understanding. Help him turn to You at every moment and fix his eyes on You to direct each decision.
Father, give him a thankful heart. Help him to praise You.
Thank You for the gifts of music that You have given him. Lord, give him remarkable ability while protecting him in humility. May he always use his talents for Your glory.
May his life reflect You and radiate Your presence, drawing others to a saving knowledge of You.
And Father, I pray, he will never turn away. Hold him fast. Surround him with mentors and friends who are seeking You with all their hearts. May all who influence Daniel’s life, impact him for eternal gain.
Lord, I ask You would grow his faith abundantly and to maturity.
May he not live based on feelings, but on the promises of Your Word. When he is disappointed, encourage him. When he is fearful, may he know Your presence. When he is overcome by circumstances, overwhelm him with Your closeness. And every day Lord, let there be joy. Unexplainable delight in You. A thankful and grateful heart. Lord, we can never repay You for all You have done for us. May Daniel live graced and loved that others may see You through his life, for Your glory. I ask these things in Your Name, believing You to answer and supply, in Your precious Name, Amen.
Have a wonderful year. May you grow in integrity and your faith be lived out loud,
Joy
Col 1: 9-12. "Fill Daniel with the knowledge of Your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that he may live a life worthy of the Lord and please You in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so that he may have great endurance and patience, and give joyful thanks to the Father". Yes…praying for an abundant fruit bearing year in every good work for His glory! Amen!
And my closing prayer:
Lord Jesus, You allow us to walk in victory even when we feel defeated. I cry out to dry bones in Daniel's life in Your Name and trust You to bring them to life. I lay 2022 at your feet. Heal all that is unwell in Daniel and his relationship with You and all others. I pray that you grant him the desires of his heart that align with your will. Give him a tender, grateful and teachable heart. Increase his influence and provide what he needs.
Make him keenly aware of the plans You have for him and help him to answer Your call on his life. I believe You are not only willing, but able. I praise You in the waiting and in the victory. In Your Name I pray, AMEN.
…In Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart…I have overcome the world! (John 16:33)
As I reflected on this year and what the Lord would want me to share, this phrase caught my attention and resonated with me in light of all that has transpired this year: Take Heart…
It has been a year of losing heart. A year of loss, sickness, deprivation, discouragement. Several of my friends lost loved ones. Some have been diagnosed with troubling illnesses. Some have lost jobs. Some have experienced rejection in relationships. Is it any wonder we have lost heart? Where is God in all this? This is not what we expected!
My Advent study Our Hope Has Come by Lifeway Women shared some insights that gave me some perspective:
His disciples did not understand…”their cluelessness was a result of their expectations for the Messiah. They expected the Messiah to overthrow Roman rule. They expected Him to bring peace and end persecution of God’s people. They expected deliverance. But Jesus had something else in store. He didn’t want to overthrow Roman rule, He planned to overthrow Satan’s rule. He wasn’t there to bring peace between nations; He was there to bring peace to our souls. He wasn’t going to deliver God’s people from the authorities of the day; He was going to deliver God’s people from sin, death, and shame, and do so with finality…”
SO what I have learnt this year is that it is true when He said…”For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts…”(Isaiah 55:8-9) We don’t know what His overarching plan is in all of this, but we DO know that He has a plan, even though Satan is wrecking the world in his fury, he has already been overcome by the Lamb. Jesus is our HOPE. This is a time of cleansing going on in the Church, ‘the establishing of Christlikeness, the crown event in the church” according to Francis Frangipane.
Indeed, personally this has come to life for me in this very rough year with an unexpected struggle. This has caused me to seek healing in my union with God, thawing out my heart used to numbing as default when overwhelmed. I have discovered new joys in my everyday life, seeing Him as I look upward in the sky and clouds, as I look around in the eyes of those surrounding me, and in my walks, the leaves, the trees, the flowers, the cool breezes and oh, that sunshine!
God has also used some women to inspire and encourage me by their walk with Him: my Mom with her joy, always beaming with her faith in Her Saviour, Joy B. with her joy in all circumstances, Lina A. with her words of Biblical truth and Beverly R. with her reflective walk through grief and several others like Bonnie G. and Vaneetha R. on discovering God’s Presence in suffering. So grateful for my husband and 2 sons and daughter-in-law. For too long, I have looked at what I did not have, and did not fully realize the treasures laid before me. Blessed beyond measure!
May you too see the treasures around you for they are His Presence in your life. He sees you. He has got you. Trust. Rest.
