Category: Uncategorized

Mirror mirror

On the wall

Who do you see?

Is it even you at all?

When you look in the mirror who do you see?  Is it a woman carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders?  Has she gained a few too many pounds?  Too skinny?  Maybe you are agonizing over the wrinkles and scars on her body from years of life. Do you see her smile or are you too focused on her worry lines?

Stop for a minute. That reflection you’ve been staring at just now…that’s the world’s reflection of you.  The scars, the wrinkles, the wrong proportions, those are the things the world wants you to see. Those are the things the world says define you.

Let’s take another look. What does God’s reflection of you look like?

Look closer.  Do you see the strength of a woman who has weathered difficult storms?  Do you see a body that has carried and brought precious children into this world?  Do you notice eyes that are windows to a soul so deeply loved by her Savior?  Do you see hands and feet that have served her family and others well?

All believers are blessed with personal gifts of the Spirit. Paul highlights these gifts in 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

The Bible tells us that when we place our lives in His hands, God places specific gifts in our beings just as He wanted them to be. Do you get that?  He gives gifts that are perfectly placed in us.

Want to know what else?  When we as believers step up to the mirror, He sees those perfect gifts in our reflection…and each of us have gifts that are equally as important as the others. Not only do we have them, but we are called to use our gifts to unify the Church.

But how can we serve others with our gifts if we can’t recognize them in ourselves?  So go ahead. Walk up to the mirror again. Do you see what God sees?  Are you looking at the world’s reflection of you or are you seeing His reflection?

Don’t get me wrong. There is physical beauty in each of us (we are beautifully and wonderfully made), but His reflection goes far deeper to reflect our hearts, our gifts, our souls.

He wants you to see a nurturer, an encourager, a person who opens their home to others in hospitality. He wants you to appreciate the teacher in you or the mom who is raising God-fearing children. He wants you to see a grandmother who imparts wisdom to her adult children or a faithful friend walking alongside another in pain.

1 Corinthians 13:12

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Today our reflections remain imperfect. When He returns our reflections will be no more for we will be fully restored to Him. We shall see Him face to face.

Until then, what do you see in the mirror?  Who do you see?  He wants you to see a child of His who has the power to change the world…one reflection at a time.

Ashley

”This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

~Psalm 118:24

Have you ever been in church or at a conference where someone’s message hit straight to your core?  You thought, wow, if only I had something like that to offer!

I’ve been there. Now what could I possibly have to say of any inspirational value to someone else?  Why the heck do I feel the need to write a blog about my faith?

So often in this process I’ve let satan tell me that I’m not knowledgeable enough in Scripture or educated enough in the Bible or certainly qualified enough to minister to others through the sharing of my story.

And then I came to 1 Corinthians. Recently, I started in Acts and have just kept moving forward in the New Testament. The timing in reaching 1 Corinthians is no coincidence. As I’ve had these questions pop up in my head, God brought me some much needed clarity through the Scriptures I’m about to share.

1 Corinthians 1:17

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel- not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

Paul is talking to the church in Corinth. Unlike me, Paul was very well educated in Scripture, had a direct physical God-encounter that radically changed his life, and went from murderer to preacher. His pathway to sharing his faith journey might be different than mine but our calling is the same….preach (or simply share) the gospel.

I am going to assume that Paul had to fight the urge to draw on his theological training/education in order to allow God to be at the center of his message. On the other hand, I have to fight the urge to avoid sharing due to my lack of formal religious training in order to share the gospel through my own life story.

We all have to leave something at the foot of the Cross to allow Christ’s power to consume us so that our message is about Him, for Him, and nothing else.

If my focus is on me and how I’m being portrayed, then it can’t be on Him and the power of the gospel. God will provide the words that need to be heard in order to reveal His glory, and He does this when I am in tune with Him.

How does the tuning process work?  How can a beautiful melody occur between my Father and I?  It begins and ends with a relationship…through prayer, fellowship in community, communication through Scripture, and time, among other things.

So if you are like me and get nervous about saying the wrong thing to someone, knowing you are doing your best to share His Truth, rest assured that neither you nor I have that kind of power. All He asks is that I make myself available, and He will do the rest!

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

You see, God isn’t looking for elite religious pedigrees. He’s looking for a relationship. He’s looking for you. He’s looking for me.

I feel called by God to share my story, a story unlike any other. My prayer is that He will always guide my spiritual revelations so that my story, His story, brings hope and encouragement to others.

Feel like you have nothing to offer?  Afraid you aren’t equipped to know His Truth?  Let’s lay those uncertainties at the Cross because God is calling YOU!  If we open our hearts and minds to Him, He will use us in amazing ways for His purpose to reach those around us. You just never know when your story will forever be intertwined with another.

So many people’s stories have impacted mine because they had the courage to share!

Ashley

“This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

~Psalm 118:24

What’s your greatest fear? That one thing you’d rather not even think about? That thing that makes your palms sweat?

For me I’d have to say that the fear of rejection, of not being enough, is totally up there…right along with cockroaches and mice. Both make my skin crawl.

As I start to unpack this fear, I have so many questions. Why do I feel this way? Where did this fear come from?

I grew up in a very healthy family with two parents who loved (and still love) my brother and I unconditionally. Our performance didn’t matter to them…but I can see now that it TOTALLY did to me.

You see, the more I performed, the more I was recognized. And the more I was recognized, the more worth I felt. It became a cycle and breeding ground for pride. It left me always striving for more and nothing less than the best.

That is until my best wasn’t good enough, at least by cheer standards 🤣.

Oh the tragic day that I didn’t make the Varsity cheer squad my senior year of high school. Boy was that a tough pill to swallow, but as everyone reminded me….adversity builds character. Who wants to build character their final year of high school?

While that disappointment was pretty trivial, more serious adversity would later follow. Fast forward to optometry school when I lived through a time of unexpected medical crisis. The result? God showed me Christ through the hands and feet of those who surrounded me and walked with me daily toward restoration. He took me from a place of utter brokenness and showed me a promised life of BEAUTY in complete dependence on Him. (This is an ongoing life lesson for me.)

However, through the healing process, I began to try and put up walls to prove to myself that I was strong enough. But God began showing me that I would never be strong enough by myself…no matter how much effort I put in trying! Instead, He showed me that if I put my faith in Him, He would heal my brokenness. As a matter of fact, He’s calling all of us out of our brokenness into a fulfilled life with Him!

“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
~Psalm 118:14

And then….

God sent Philip. My “fortress” as he loves to refer to himself. He protects me. He loves me. All of me. And he does it so well.

I had always preferred to be the one to give strength to others, but this season of my life God knew I needed some strength infused into my own life. God saved me and gave me new life, and then He made sure I’d be well taken care of here on Earth. What a gift!

So my fear of not being enough…is it still there? Unfortunately, it still creeps up at times…BUT God continues to remind me that all I need is Him. I am complete IN HIM. No matter what my circumstances bring, He will never leave me nor forsake me. There will be no question of my worth from Him. Ever.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
~Deuteronomy 31:6

I am enough in Him. No performance required, just a simple yes I believe. My question is do you?

Ashley
“This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
~Psalm 118:24

Are you currently at a crossroads and not sure which direction to go?  Do you find yourself unsure of a decision you need to make?  Maybe your faith is being challenged?

Recently, I was reading from Romans chapters 3 and 4, and a small question jumped out at me. “What does Scripture say?” (4:3). I’m kind of inclined to think when the Word presents me with a rhetorical question and then gives me the answer I need to pay attention.

Here in Romans, Paul is discussing how righteousness is credited by faith and not works. He points to Scripture, and specifically the life of Abraham, to further his point.  Abraham is such a beautiful example of faith in action.  Paul is reflecting on the Word of God from Genesis 15:6, “Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

Abraham truly believed God in some very difficult circumstances.

So when you are faced with difficulties or questions about which direction to go….when you are at a crossroads, where do you turn? When your kids are bringing the crazy, or your life is spiraling out of control, or maybe you have personal conflict at work, who do you turn to first?

For me, it has often been my husband or a girlfriend who gets to bear the brunt of my frustration.  How do I handle this situation?  What can I do to make changes for the better?  What do you think I should do?

If we go back to Romans, here I think God is using a simple (but profound) question to grab our attention. When you don’t know something….what does Scripture say?  When you need guidance on how to parent in Christ, when you aren’t sure how to handle conflict at work, when your faith is being tested….what does Scripture say?

Not what does your spouse say, or your best friend, or better yet social media. But what does Scripture say?

I encourage you to dive in and find out because I know from experience that God is waiting to be in communication with us. And if you have no idea where to start, Ephesians is a great place. His Word will bring life, healing, redemption, hope, and so, so much more!

Ashley

“This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Have you ever wondered why your life journey is leading you away from something of comfort and towards something new and unknown?  Are you being called to make a big life change or have a big decision in front of you?

Why, God, are you tugging at my heart into the unknown?

It hit me suddenly when I saw a picture. God has called me to move in an unexpected direction because that was right where He needed me to be, right where our family needed to be. In any transition, you move away from something toward something new. Things change. But in doing so, you have to let go of expectations and embrace His journey.

Then God sent me an angel, Mr. Jim, who further solidified God’s voice in my head. We recently met Mr. Jim, a retired Ambassador for Snowmass mountain, atop a ski lift. We started chatting, and I jokingly said we needed to keep him for the day. And that we did!  Turns out, he gives tours on the mountain and guided us across some amazingly beautiful slopes.

As we talked, we discovered he is 81 years old and is living life to the fullest, as evidenced by his annual fall solo adventure trips around the country plus his past solo sailing trips across Europe. And not only has he retired from a successful career, he returned to school for a degree in divinity from Harvard and now gives back to his Snowmass community.

Papa Jim (as I started to affectionately call him) is a great reminder how God calls all of us out of our comfort zone and into dependence on Him.

A couple of days later, as my husband started our day off on a black slope, I just kept muttering to myself, “Lord help me. I’m getting out of my comfort zone. I can do this!”

While things are beautiful and known inside our box of comfort, Christ is calling us outside of our own limited expectations and into His realm of hope and complete fulfillment. He wants us to know Him more fully and this requires faith.

Thank you, Papa Jim, for showing me not only some gorgeous mountain terrain but what I can do when I get outside of my box!

Ashley

“This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

I have a friend going through a really, really difficult life circumstance. She’s facing overwhelming challenges, and it breaks my heart. I want to wave a magic wand that allows her to fast forward through the pain because in the end we know that He will get her through this….it’s just the getting through it part that stinks.

God can and will use the times of darkness to remind us that we are not created to do life alone. He promises us that He WILL restore our completeness in Him, but most likely until then we will continue to experience periods of pain and trials.

So how do we live in these moments?

Because I have no words, I wanted to share His Word with my friend. I went to the concordance in my Bible and looked under despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8 was listed. I want you to read verses 7 and 8:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. “

Do you see all of those “buts?”  Before each “but” is what the world wants to heap down us and have us believe about our circumstance:  hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. However, the identities following the “buts” are how God wants us to see ourselves in the middle of the storm: NOT crushed, NOT in despair, NOT abandoned, NOT destroyed.

God is not saying that in those moments we are not broken-hearted. As a matter of fact, I think He uses the negative phrases to impress upon us that He gets our pain. BUT, He promises us that this is not the end. It is not our final chapter. We have HOPE in Him.

Friend, if you are smack dab in the throws of an all out spiritual battle, cling to the “buts” you see in this scripture. Know that God is continually working His provision in ways we cannot see or understand. Trust in His Truth and love. And please know that you are not alone.

Ashley

“This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

~Psalm 118:24

Yes, pun intended from this eye doctor. And the pressure is on. I mean, it is 2020 after all, the year of perfect vision!

So how do I capitalize on this year?  What goals do I set for this year?  How do I make up for all the missed opportunities from 2019?  Time is slipping through my fingers like a handful of sand.

Motivated yet?  Yeah, me either. Just exhausted thinking about it.

Continue reading 2020 Vision: My Top 3 Truths for the New Year