from the ashes

Sometimes all I can see is devastation. Black charred branches that once held life. Soot underfoot. Ashes and brittle remains of a once vibrant mountain.

And yet, all hope is not lost. 

“I lift my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” - Psalm 121

Metaphorically, I’ve been looking at the mountains, and all I can see are the charred remains of something that used to be wonderful. I can’t see past the ashes to see the hope that lies beneath, because lately, I’ve been placing my hope in the things that will burn away. 

Over and over throughout the Bible, we see evidence of Christ taking us through the refining fires. Just as the impurities are burned away from the silver at high temperatures, he also tempers our lives with fire. 

Although the fires may hurt us, what he burns away are the thorns and thistles that have grown up in our lives. “For our God is a consuming fire.“ (Hebrews 12:29) The fires will be painful, but they destroy the things that keep us from coming fully to him. He takes away to the bad.

“For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; …we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.” -Psalm 66:10-12

After hiking through the charred ruins for several miles, I found out that what I was seeing wasn’t a result of the devastating forest fires in our area, but they were the result of a control fire, meant to keep the larger fire at bay. Yet even control fires cannot always be contained.

The Lord is the control fire, keeps us from being consumed by much greater fires.

Eventually, new life will spring from the charred remains. With the underbrush gone, new plants will have a chance to grow. Old dead branches are gone and new life will burst forth. Redemption may not be evident in the ground today, but one day, before we even realize what’s happening, LIFE will push past the ashes. Hope never fails.

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” - Romans 5:5

“Safe? said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you.”

-C.S.Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

walking through the woods on a snowy afternoon

On Sunday I had been cooped up indoors all day, so I decided to go for a walk around camp. Curiosity got the best of me when I saw a pair of footsteps heading down a path into the woods. Not knowing where it would lead me, I continued along the path already set by another person.

I could tell that they weren't brand new, because the bottoms of the prints had already iced over, but they couldn't be too old either, since it had just snowed the day before.

I followed, not knowing what I would find, but ready for the adventure.

The quest lead me on a several mile walk over multiple ridges and valleys though camp property few ever get to see. It was beautiful. There was a quite and stillness about the woods, other than the crunch of my boots stepping into the powdery snow. 

If it hadn't been for those footsteps, I would have been completely lost. I take that back, I was completely and utterly lost in the woods, but thanks to the footprints in the snow, I had a lifeline back to reality if I needed to turn around.

Not all of it was easy. Certain sections went through briars and through bushes, but the footsteps kept on going.

At times, I almost did turn around and go back to the comfort of familiar sights. There were moments when I was utterly terrified. What would I do if I ran into a bear that's not hibernating (do all bears hibernate?) 

As I walked I saw a great many new and strong things, old animal shelters in an overgrown part of the woods. 

I came across a cabin deep in the woods with a swirl of smoke coming from the chimney and my heart may have started racing, just a tiny bit. What if I ran into someone not so friendly? 

What did I learn from the walk? 

God calls us along a path. It's the path that is often less followed and takes us into the deepest woods, completely out of our comfort zone. 

But he's paved the path before us. 

He directs every step.

"Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me." -Ps, 23:4

When I put my own agenda aside in following his footsteps, he takes me to places I would never have dreamed of going on my own. 

There is joy in letting go and following him!

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
         And do not lean on your own understanding. 

In all your ways acknowledge Him,
         And He will make your paths straight." -Prov 3:5-6

(As it turns out that several of the camp guys followed the trail trying to spot a male buck they'd seen on their hunting camera.)

fresh snow

There is something so wonderful about firsts. When we see things on a daily basis, we forget about the wonder and awe of seeing it for the first time or with new eyes. For some of my students, seeing snow this weekend was a brand new experience. For one of my students, this is only the second time she's ever seen snow, and the last time she was it, there was nothing more than a light dusting covering the ground. So waking up yesterday morning, to see the transformation from the dead, brown grass and dirt patches, to see the world magically covered with a blanket of millions of tiny ice crystals, was truly breathtaking.

We appreciate that first snow. It transforms what we know so well into something completely new. We might enjoy it at first, but like my friends who live in places, it becomes old when that is all you see, day in and day out. The commute to work becomes so much more difficult and it loses its magic.

One my my reoccurring prayers is that God would give me eyes to see the world as something new every day. When I lived in Nigeria, the pollution and smog were so bad, that I never saw the blue sky.  The city of nearly two million where I lived, had its fair share of dirt and trash everywhere. I never really noticed how much it bothered me, until I got home and couldn't stop gulping in big breaths of air as I stood in awe of the beauty around me. The very things I'd grown up seeing on a daily basis, suddenly looked brand new.

For the first several months in the US, I founds spots where I could watch the sunset, because it was all so new and beautiful. (click here  and here for the blog posts)

Lamentations 3:22-23 says:

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."

One writer for Desiring God, Jon Bloom, says this:

"The real illusion is not that old things appear new to us (like God's mercies or a sunrise), but that new things never appear old."

May the newly fallen, fresh snow never get old.

Praise God that every single moment I live in is a new experience and I pray that he would always give me the eyes to see it that way!

All Things New

Your love's making all things new
You're working in all for good
For the things of this world
There is hope renewed
In the life that is found in You

You make all things new
You make all things new
Yesterday and forever
Your love never changing
This hope never fading
Hallelujah

-Hillsong

30 before 30

Its a new year and guess what? Today's my birthday!

I've been working on a list of 30 things I want to accomplish before turning 30. Technically, I started 30 months before my birthday, but now that I have exactly 365 days until my 30th, I want to write out the list so that it's actually in writing.

• Visit 30 countries by 30
• Read 30 books
• Bake/Cook 30 new recipes
• Learn to drive a manual
• Finish "THE PAINTING"
• Become conversational in Spanish
• Catch up with 15 old friends that I've lost touch with
• Visit 10 new beaches
• Get back into running and run a race
• Hike 5 new trails
• Go on a cruise
• Skydive
• Zip line canopy tour
• Visit 5 UNESCO sites
• Blog at least once a month
• Go on a spontaneous trip
• Complete 5 paintings
• Go on a blind date
• Workout Consistently (at least 3x a week)
• Complete Whole 30
• Lose 10 lbs
• Visit 3 new states 
• Learn the names of all the presidents
• Drive a motorcycle (or dirt bike)
• Reach and maintain goal weight
• Roadtrip through another country
• Watch 5 classic movies
• Go to a live performance or play
• Do a pull-up
• See the Northern Lights
• Ski a black diamond slope

These may change as the year goes on, but it's a fun way to start out the last year of my 20's. If any of these sounds like fun, than please join me!

a year in review

What better way to celebrate the past year than a photo collage. I've been incredibly blessed and I thank each person who had a part in making it wonderful!

To all who made this past year wonderful, thank you!

the unexpected on mars hill

We arrived safely in Greece, if somewhat lacking sleep, but we could pass up walking around the city on a beautiful evening. With camera in hand, I had one goal, get a good photo of the Acropolis during that photographer's, "magic hour" of lighting right before dark. Not knowing exactly where we were going, we just kept walking straight ahead with the Acropolis looming before us. We passed by quaint alleys and small restaurants packed with people.

 I thought finding a good spot would be hopeless and wished that I had looked up rooftop restaurants for our perfect view. As we kept climbing higher, we stumbled upon picturesque snapshots for the city and finally found a set of rough hewn steps leading up to a rock. I kept praising Jesus for this chance encounter with this tall rock that loomed over the city with 360 views and the perfect spot to see the Acropolis.

After taking a few photos, Bonnie and  I sat on the rocks and took some time to pray for our trip, for the safe travels there, for grace towards one another in the long hours we would be traveling together, praise for the beauty he had brought is to, but also for intentional conversations with the people we would and had already encountered. We prayed that our plans would come second to the plans that God was preparing for our trip and that we could use our time here as his hands and feet. That we would shine with his light here. After praying, we sat in awe of our surroundings and I told Bonnie that I thought the people sitting beside us might be fellow believers.

We couldn't figure out a way to start conversation, so we sat watching the sun setting, listening the some guys playing the guitar close by and our own conversations turned to trying to figure out where we were and also trying to figure out where the apostle Paul had spoken to the Athenians about the "unknown God" in Acts 17. "Wouldn't it be cold if Paul stood on these very same rocks" I said.

Then Bonnie, turning to the people beside us, asked if they knew where we were. It turns out that we were sitting on Mars Hill, also commonly called the Areopagus, the exact spot that Paul stood! When they saw our Bible open, we discovered that they were in fact Chrisitians and are here with YWAM. We sat together for hours as the sun faded and the city lights started to glow.

After sharing a meal together and much encouragement, we felt like we were on an adrenaline rush and spiritual high. What a blessing to run into fellow believers whose hearts are so wrapped around the Lord and where he is leading them. It was such an immediate response to the prayers we had been praying right before meeting them and can see God's hand already at work on this trip. 

In addition to James, Rose and Danny, we've gotten to me several other people who have also gotten the groupon deal, so we pray for intentional conversations with them over the next few days. 

For now, I'm sitting on a ferry in the Mediterranean headed toward Mykonos Island. 

Please join me in praying for our time away and for the people that God is bringing into our lives here. 

Blessings, 

Liz

washed clean

Today we went to one of the barrios in Alajuelita - one of the poorest counties in Costa Rica. The neighborhood consisted primarily of Nicaraugians who had transplanted to Costa Rica for a better life. If the poor corrugated metal shacks where a better life for them, I can't imagine what life looked like before.

We had so much fun playing with the kids, but it was extremely dirty. We played in a dung filled, dust bowl with sewage water streaming down in rivers through the makeshift concrete gutters beside the houses. When we got there, children appeared from many of the rusty doorways and quickly ran out to join us in playing with the jump rope, coloring pages and games of tag over piles of abandoned rubbish.

I've been dirty before, but today I felt filthy, from the snuggles with snotty children, to the superfine dust that filled every crevice, I looked and felt utterly disgusting.

It's amazing how I shower ever single day and never appreciate it as much as I do on days like today. I feel like a person transformed. I've come away clean, no longer covered in the stench of this world, but have been made into something fresh, good smelling and sparkling clean.

What a picture of Christ's transformative work in our lives.

"We are all infected and impute with sun. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags." Isaiah 64:7

I once sat,  covered in the mire of my own sins. My identity was wrapped in this barrio of the world when Jesus came and plucked me out of my own filth to cleanse me from my sins.

"Jesus answered, 'unless I wash you, you have no part with me.'" John 13:8

"How lovely are the feet of those who bring good news." Isaiah 52:7