Listen in as I share and expand upon an essay from This Beloved Road Vol. ll: Into the Source. Truly, God’s wisdom and goodness are beyond this earth.

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Which is the greater miracle… a sudden and complete change in our circumstances or a grace that sees us through when change comes over a long journey?

I’ll be sharing and expanding upon an essay from This Beloved Road Vol. ll: Into the Source. Hope you can join me!

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Readings are from Pray Forward: prayers that align my will with Yours.

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Prayer that Transforms

I used to observe life in giant sweeping motions, like the sunset on a vast horizon. I didn’t always recognize small steps of growth or simple acts of love. I was more aware of swaths of time, large accomplishments or failures, and built-up emotions. When I did notice details, I usually associated them with either great happiness or deep pain.

Unwittingly, I processed God, myself, and life through this narrow lens.

At some point, God drew me to see and process life through His lens, not my own. He shined His light on details, again and again, until I saw their value, beauty, and power toward change. I realized the whole was made up of many, many details. Some hard. Some lovely. Some plain and easily missed. Each one carried grace and significance.

Instead of a pendulum of extremes, details became a consistent thread of strength and love from my Creator. An anchor to remind and hold me to truth.

Where I used to start with the horizon and (maybe) notice a few fine points, now I notice the tiniest details first while making my way up to the whole. This is true both physically and spiritually. In the natural things around me and in God’s presence.

I live in the center of a large valley, surrounded by several mountain ranges of various sizes and terrain. I know this from a simple glance. Nearly every morning and evening, however, my husband and I stand in awe as shafts of light highlight details we’ve not noticed before.

Suddenly a hillside reveals its many dips and curves as golden hues mark it for God’s glory. Clouds move across the sky and release beams of light or rain to draw our eyes to details so dramatic, we stand with mouth open except to say “Wow!” over and over.

Truly, the horizon takes on greater significance when we notice the details.

In the Ways of Love

In the same way, we may think of love in broad strokes, measuring it by our felt need or the way it was displayed. As humans (even followers of Jesus), we too often make grand gestures or say all-encompassing statements, calling it love, and then wonder why relationships seem so fragile.

Scripture and experience show me that the love of God is about details.

Details of motivation.
Details of intentions.
Details of perspective.
Details of heart-posture.
Details of obedience.

When we step into the Light of God, His majesty illuminates details we overlook. In the Light of His holiness, we see the specifics of our flaws and selfishness. We also see the purity and power of God’s love, and it compels us. To change. To become love for His sake.

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 2:10-11 ESV

---

As I was praying…

I asked Abba what He wanted me to know about the little things and love. I sensed Him say:

They are connected. You cannot love unless attention is given to details. Details that only My light can expose. For beauty. For value. For integrity. For change.

---

If you’re struggling to love God, yourself, or others…

May I encourage you.

Step deeper into the Light of God.
Go further into the truth of Jesus’s life.
Open your arms to hear the Father’s words.

Allow yourself to be known. Truly known, as only life in the Light can make you.

Here you can fully receive and express the matchless love of God.

Here you become like the One you behold: Love, Himself

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It’s not a small thing to see ordinary and seemingly mundane details through His eyes. This simple shift will change how you respond, believe, and move forward.

When I pause and choose to recognize God’s majesty, power, and wisdom in common details, I live my life at the altar of worship.

---

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Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

John 13:7 NIV

Treasures Hidden in Plain Sight

Hunting with my husband, Matt, the first 30 years of our marriage taught me that one step in any direction can completely change what I see. I would have thought a 600 pound elk a hundred yards away would stand out like a ship on a pond, but tree trunks and foliage can hide objects much larger if the angle is just right.

The same can be true in our walk with God. Hidden details often become obvious as we simply continue to walk with Jesus.

Putting it another way…

As I was getting ready for my day, a simple picture came to mind. I saw God putting pieces of a puzzle into place. After a second, I realized they were pieces of my life. Pieces I recognized from last week and years past.

His movement was neither slow nor rushed. Instead, each decision carried the weight of love, steadfastness, intentionality, and purpose.

He didn’t look around, trying to get the input, opinion, or affirmation of others. My Father’s eyes were wholly focused on the pieces before Him.

This isn’t to say God dictates my life as if I’m His puppet. The pieces I saw God put into place were for my understanding. With each one, He allowed me to see the bigger picture, hidden connections, and meaning to what I was experiencing. This understanding not only answered some of my questions about my circumstances but, more importantly, it increased my faith, trust, peace, and joy as it brought me to know God more intimately and clearly.

I remember times when the Holy Spirit spoke a scripture to me and then all seemed to move in the opposite direction. Or I’d receive information that didn’t seem connected to what I was going through or praying about. These seemingly random experiences, ideas, people, opportunities, and truths later revealed themselves as the wisdom of God.

When you pour a box of puzzle pieces out on the table, you have no way of knowing if all of these pieces go together (especially when that box has survived a few kids). Even with a new puzzle, a first glance can have you setting certain pieces to the side, not sure where they might fit.

Life can feel that way at times. Like random pieces, poured out of an old box. A few go together quickly but many details and experiences don’t seem to fit or belong in your story. You may look back and wonder why you were drawn to certain topics or people or activities. You may pass some off as a detour or mistake.

May I encourage you?

Don’t toss out what doesn’t make sense. Luke 2:19 tells us that Mary, the mother of Jesus, treasured what she didn’t fully understand, pondering it in her heart. She allowed her Creator and God to bring understanding in His own way and timing.

Lean in, continue walking with Jesus, and the bigger picture will become clear.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6

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Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

Proverbs 4:7

---

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.

Proverbs 3:13

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The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

Psalms 119:130

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Treasures Hidden in Plain Sight

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I pray this encourages you to step out in all the ways God is leading you today. Each step of obedience carries value and positions you to be a part of His perfect wisdom, joy, and purpose!

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Wednesday, June 10, 2026 (3pm MST)

A weekly rhythm of book-reading, Q&A, and journal prompts.

Tomorrow I’ll be reading an essay and sharing how Jesus can give you a new perspective on obedience, turning it from dread to awe.

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Hey friend!

You are invited to join me for a new weekly rhythm here on Substack.

Live video book readings with backstories, Q&A, and take-home journaling prompts to process the topic and go deeper.

Starting: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 (3pm MST)

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I’ll be reading from my books as well as writings from other authors who have inspired and shaped me over the years.

I look forward to a new point of connection with you! Please comment if you’d like to hear or discuss something specific.

Please share and invite your friends. I’ll send an email with the official invitation and link next week. Hope to see you there!

Expectantly,
~Amy~

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Welcome to June!

Sunshine, flowers, long days, flipflops, fun food, and changing schedules. With summer break and seasonal activities, this is a month of finding our bearings. Are we in the middle or at the beginning? Or maybe both?

I’ve lived most of my life in the Rocky Mountains, where winters run long and summers fill up fast. June usually marks when I can safely put snow boots away and pull out my favorite clothes. Exchanging winter layers for summer dresses always makes me feel younger and lighter. One June in particular, however, was about stripping off another type of weight.

In January, 2020—before COVID had come on the scene—the Holy Spirit dropped a thought in my mind: Don’t plan anything for June. I tucked His instructions away in my heart, periodically pondering what He might have prepared.

My husband, Matt, and I had bought a piece of property in Montana a year earlier with a five-year plan to develop, build a home, and move. We continued working and living in Wyoming but started our projects right away.

Being in the middle of ranch country, eight miles from town, we built an outhouse first. Then a tiny 8’ x 12’ prayer cabin. Although we didn’t have power or running water, I decorated and stocked this special cabin for our weekend visits. Little did I know that God would invite me to stay a full month for a personal retreat.

June has long been my favorite month. I savor the mix of spring storms and summer sunshine as the mountains turn green and wildflowers fill the fields. With excitement that first morning, I asked God why He had brought me here. Why for a whole month?

It’s time to get rid of some yokes, the Holy Spirit whispered in my thoughts.

His words hit to my core. I wasn’t exactly sure what yokes He meant, but my health confirmed that I’d been carrying burdens that weren’t from the One who says His burdens are light. So, I did the only thing I knew to do: I sat with Him, walked with Him, read scripture with Him, listened, and wrote note after note as He opened my eyes to see and understand.

One by one, over the next four weeks, my Savior gently lifted a misplaced need to be responsible for certain people and situations from my shoulders. Where I thought I was acting out of love, the Holy Spirit helped me see that I had been trying to do what only the Trinity can do.

With each release—mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically—He bathed me in His love and wisdom. Slowly, I felt knots in my body untangling. Some of my chronic pain stopped immediately. Other symptoms lessened as I continued to lean into God’s love. Instead of misguided attachments, I could now love myself and others from a place of rest, joy, and anticipation of God’s goodness and power that reaches far beyond me.

The Holy Spirit reminded me of the gift of no. Not every offer or invitation is meant for me. No is a very holy word when we walk with Jesus.

One of the most treasured gifts God gave me during that month was a deeper understanding that any moment can be a fresh start. I can let Jesus take whatever is weighing me down anytime I’m willing to release it. Then my heart and hands are free to receive what He wants to give.

My journey of releasing and receiving continues on as Jesus draws me deeper into His love, year after year, revealing layers I don’t see until His light reveals them or showing me things I’ve picked up in my own strength or insight. With perfect love and wisdom, my Creator is making me free and whole.

I’m so grateful.

As you move into this next season, are you carrying any extra weight? Maybe heavy expectations you’ve put on yourself to be everything for everyone during the summer break. Maybe an undue pressure to keep a writing or work schedule that God hasn’t asked of you. Or saying yes to every opportunity.

I know we’re long past New Year’s resolutions, but beginnings can happen anytime, even in the middle. Jesus is the perfect one to lift off those earthly yokes and bring rest and hope again.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:29-20 AMP

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I’ve sat at a lot of tables in recent months. Long, banquet tables; small kitchen tables; patio tables; ottomans; coffee tables; and restaurant booths. Each one offered me a gift.

Although I’m still writing, posting, and connecting online, I find myself sitting down with a friend or family member or a full table more and more often. Almost daily.

Today, I took a jar of dried figs and four bags of organic tea (held together with a hand-dyed silk ribbon) to a new friend, Mary. Last week, 80-year-old Mary made soup and pie and showed me the prayer shawls she crochets. She and a couple of friends have given away more than she knew to tell in the last 23 years, next door and around the world. She shared stories of miracles. Of God bringing salvation and healing as she walked with Him in this deeply personal way.

Yesterday, it was breakfast on the back patio of a coffeeshop with an old friend who recently moved to our new town. The sun made its way down the alley as we caught up on life’s ups and downs, hopes and questions and blessings.

On Monday, three couples arrived at 2:00pm for a barbeque to celebrate Matt’s 60th birthday. We said our last goodbye seven hours later after we each overflowed with good food, rich conversation, and intimate prayer for one another. These very special friends asked to bless our home that’s under construction so we walked across the driveway, the air fragrant with rain, and received their prayers of agreement for all God desires in our future.

Several times in the last couple of months, my siblings and parents have all gathered from Montana and California for support through hard moments and to celebrate special occasions. Soon we will gather again when our son and his wife fly in from Colorado for a long weekend. I’m so grateful.

I’ve also gathered with my church family around the communion table, worshipping as we stood under the flow of our Savior’s love.

Sometimes Table Gatherings Aren’t Around a Table

Last week, one of my neighbors and I crossed paths at the end of our long driveways. She was leaving and I was coming home. She turned her engine off so I got out of my car and walked over. We talked and prayed and made plans to meet again at her kitchen table in the coming weeks.

This afternoon, a good friend and mentor who lives many hours away came to mind. I sent a quick text and received an immediate reply, “I was thinking of you too.” Then, quite unexpectedly, we texted, then called and encouraged one another and prayed together around the table of the Lord’s presence.

Gathering Together Isn’t Just for Extroverts

The need for community isn’t about personality or temperament. Our need for one another began when God told Adam that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Yes, God created Eve for marriage and family, but God’s statement also pointed us toward the need to be in community.

It isn’t good to always be alone.

I’m an introvert. I love time by myself. I savor quiet and serenity, beauty and being with God’s Spirit. I am refreshed and recharged when I take time away with Him.

But nothing can replace the joy and strength I experience when I enter into relationships the Holy Spirit brings my way, watching Him knit the hearts of complete strangers or complete opposites. With laughter and tears. With beauty and mystery, wonder and questions and pain. God knows what He’s doing when He brings us together.

May I Encourage You…

Whatever season of life you find yourself, whatever frame of mind, attitude of heart, or area of need: be willing to be willing to be personal with someone across a table.

Online relationships can and do occasionally produce eternal fruit in our lives. You can connect in an intimate, God-breathed nature with someone you’ve not met in person.

But nothing can take the place of the touch of a hand on yours. Or seeing tears form in the eyes looking across the table as they listen to your heart-story.

Nothing compares to realizing an actual person who knows you intimately lives down the road and would come at any time of day or night if you called for help.

Nothing compares to being that person for someone else. Even if they don’t call on the phone, but you hear it in your spirit and go to their aid.

This weekend…

If you don’t practice a tech-free Sabbath already, I encourage you to try it. Turn your phones off and put the remote in the drawer. Take time away from scrolling through someone else’s curated life and invite someone to enter more deeply into your real one.

It doesn’t have to be fancy.

• Take twenty or thirty minutes to pray or visit with your spouse before getting out of bed in the morning.

• Meet another family at the park with a pizza.

• Have a friend over for coffee on the patio.

• Make a pancake breakfast and invite your neighbor over the fence.

• Invite your spouse or kids to go for an evening walk.

The goal isn’t to be impressive. The goal is to make room for relationship.

For honesty and laughter and growth. For space where the walls come down and hearts are healed. Where we each realize that we’re not alone or the only one who wrestles through tough topics.

Where the Spirit of God can kindle fires that knit us together and lead us to Him.

Where we can be known by God and one another.

Expectantly,
~Amy~

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Your Jumpstart to Overcome Overwhelm

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Photos from Unsplash.

I’m letting go of pain
Releasing control of stories
I’ve kept in my mind
As evidence for another day
Another defense
Another fight

I relinquish my right to fight
To be right
To prove my point or place

I leave it all behind
In Your hands
In Your love
In Your care

To be redeemed
To be rewritten
To be forgotten—except to celebrate
The me I am becoming

No more letting myself hold on
Stuffing
Sorting
Storing to remember again and again

No more rewinding
Looping
Unable to push STOP

It’s time to allow my spirit to soar
Above
Beyond
Free
Redeemed
New

I’m rising above muscle memory
And mind games
This battle on earthly fields

I’m rising to sit with You
Where You’ve invited me
To become and to belong

Your faithfulness, O God
Has given me faith to overcome

Excerpt from Details: The Poetic Language of God

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Photo by Javier Allegue Barros.

I’ve been reading the book of Matthew this week and was struck by the simplicity and depth of Jesus’s directives in 11:28-30.

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

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Often when reading this passage, I’ve focused on the yoke, wondering how Jesus’s yoke could feel easy or light to one who is already weary and carrying a heavy load. I was probably tired myself, wanting desperately to receive rest but too occupied with details that didn’t sound restful.

Yokes remind me of pairs of oxen, straining to pull a heavy wagon. How could a yoke be easy? What kind of burden could Jesus give that would feel light? I wondered.

These questions always circled low without fully landing on an answer I could grasp or articulate.

This time, however, my focus landed on Jesus’s three directives: Come. Take. Let. In this—this shift of focus—I began to see a pathway.

1. “Come to me…”

Although a large percentage of people on earth picture God as distant and uncaring, if He exists at all, our Creator has always desired for humans to walk intimately with Him. To talk to Him. To come with our questions, victories, battles, sorrow, and pain.

Jesus spoke clearly to the crowd, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Come. Come and receive. Not come and do, but come and receive rest.

The nation of Israel was used to doing. Their lives were steeped in rules and traditions that were meant to help them walk intimately with God. Instead, they became heavy, inescapable burdens.

Jesus came to set the captives free. To lift off our heavy burdens. But it all begins with coming to Him. We must turn our focus away from details we don’t understand and back to the Source of all that is good.

“Come to me…” He beckons. “Come to me… I will give you rest.”

Let the other things wait. Turn off the noise. Breathe deeply, and turn His way.

2. “Take my yoke…”

Can you imagine following laws that only served to show how sinful you are and making sacrifices that would have to made again and again… and weren’t able to clear your conscience? You’d still walk around carrying the guilt and shame even when the sin had been covered by the blood of goats or lambs. (See Hebrews 9:9.)

Then Jesus steps into the scene, inviting the weary to take His yoke. A yoke of grace, not works. A yoke of mercy, not judgement. A yoke of love, not condemnation. A yoke of life and freedom by the Holy Spirit.

My picture of the oxen pulling a heavy wagon is not the kind of yoke Jesus offers. Jesus’s yoke aligns us with our Father. It positions us to walk by the Spirit. It keeps us in the Father’s love. It helps us stay in the grace of Jesus’s sacrifice when the path is rough or distractions tug on us. The yoke of Jesus reminds us that we’re not alone.

3. “Let me teach you…”

If you ever want to do a fascinating and life-changing study, look for all of the times the word let is used in the Bible, especially in the New Testament.

• Let your good deeds shine out for all to see.

• Let both grow together until the harvest.

• Let the children come to me.

• Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.

• If you let your life go, you will save it.

• Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn’t even get into the Don’t let… statements.

The first time I began to notice the word let everywhere, I realized how I can put up barriers to God at the same time I say I want Him.

For example: I can pray for peace but not let peace rule in my life. I can say I’m a child of God but not let Him have parts of my life.

In Matthew 11:25-27, Jesus expressed how His Father hides His Kingdom from those who think they are wise but reveals it to the childlike. Jesus also said that His Father had entrusted everything to Him, and only Jesus could reveal the Father.

And now Jesus was saying, “Come to me… Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus isn’t insecure or jealous, keeping His Father to Himself. Jesus humbled Himself to reveal His Father. To reconcile us to His Father. To bring us into His Kingdom.

Jesus invites all who would to learn what only He is able to teach… if we let Him.

It feels a bit like I’m stopping in the middle of a lesson, but I want to emphasize Jesus’s words: “Come to me.”

May my words serve to encourage you to go to Jesus. He is the only one who can remove your burden and align you with Life and Love. He is the only one who can fully teach you about His Father, by His Spirit. He is the only one who can give you rest.

Be still. Lean in. Ask. Listen. Let.

Blessings!
~Amy~

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It’s already May! Where did the last month go?

I say that, but then I smile and know exactly where it went… I’ve been visiting our son and his family the last three weeks.

Three weeks. That’s a long time. At least that’s what I used to think. I grew up with the cultural mindset that guests overstay their welcome after a week—and often after a few days! When Eli and Jess asked me to come for a month last year, I defaulted to what I remember hearing as a child and my mind raced with excuses.

“You’ll get tired of me being in the way.”
”You’ll want your privacy.”
”I don’t want to be a bother.”
”You have better things to do than entertain me.”

Honestly, as an introvert, the thought of being at the mercy of someone else’s schedule and lifestyle for so long made me nervous—even if I love them dearly. I wondered if health issues would flair up. I considered if Matt would need me or if projects could wait.

Still, their invitation persisted with excited assurance that they wanted me to come for as long as I could.

Eventually, I came back to the thing I knew to do: trust the One who knows me better than I know myself. As soon as I set aside my thoughts and asked the Holy Spirit what I should do, a beautiful clarity came. I could stay in my regular routine and serve those around me. Or, I could step out of my comfort zone and receive this gift to love my son and his family in a more intimate way.

The Importance of Time

We tend to avoid extended time with others when it feels awkward or our selfishness stirs within. Even in the closest relationships, time has a way of revealing our hidden habits or tendencies. Our unexpected opinions and assumptions.

To experience the holy work of our transformation, however, we must yield to time spent outside of our own mindsets and convenience. We must lean into the delicate and difficult. Here the Holy Spirit cultivates the soil of our soul.

I’ve now experienced the blessing of two 3-week visits in the last nine months. Can I say, extended time together is better than I could have imagined. Instead of trying to cram lots of special activities into one week, disturbing all of normal life and leaving everyone exhausted, I simply slid into their daily rhythms.

Oatmeal on weekdays. Pancakes on Sundays.
Brushing hair. Brushing teeth.
Storytime, bedtime, and morning sleepy eyes.

We played on the floor, and I pushed in the swing.
We picked flowers and ate greens foraged in the yard.
We waited for the school bus and walked sun dappled streets.

We took turns fixing dinner and washing dishes.
Groceries, dentist appointments, and festivals.
Time together and time apart.

Long talks and long pauses.
Tears and laughter and longing.
Little hugs and kisses and dirty fingers.

And all along the way, the Holy Spirit wove in the Word.

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];

James 1:19 AMP

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Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT

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Love is patient and kind.

1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT

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So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

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Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:14 NLT

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The work of the Kingdom takes time. Leave out this fundamental ingredient and our transformation halts.

I’m not the same person I was three weeks ago. And neither is my son or daughter-in-law or granddaughters. We have each one shared and let go of and received more than we could have known. We loved deeply and grew closer. And I witnessed again: God’s ways are perfect.

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Note:

I’m grateful to have written many worship songs in the last 30 years as a natural overflow of my walk with God. Recently, to have a personal audio archive and also fulfill requests from those reading the lyrics in my books, I’ve started making simple recordings on my phone to share. These encounters captured in song are a large part of my journey of transformation. I pray they open pathways for you to meet with the Trinity as well.

Many years ago I found myself at the keyboard again, pouring out my awe and love to the One who had poured His love upon me. Although I’d written many songs by this time, each one still felt like the first. It usually took weeks before I could get through them without weeping.

Unrivaled Love was no exception. The reality of a God who chooses to reveal Himself and draw me into His beauty and holiness stunned me. And it stuns me still. Nothing comes close to knowing His love.

It’s easy to cut ourselves and our perception of our relationship with God down. We know our faults, after all. We see our weaknesses. But pause a moment and recognize how far you’ve come. You may be deeper in His love than you realize.

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Unrivaled Love

Little by little, You show Yourself to me
And little by little, I go deeper than it seems
Little by little, You show Yourself to me
And little by little, I go deeper than it seems

Now the past is gone, lost in shadows dark
And there’s nowhere to run
To escape Your beating heart
In my ears, in my mind,
A love so loud, it’s bursting through my heart

My God, my love
My only aspiration
My friend, my life
My single inspiration
Lead me on, pull me closer
Draw this craving soul to You
To the depths of Your unrivaled love
To the depths of Your unrivaled love


Now the past is gone, lost in shadows dark
And there’s nowhere to run
To escape Your beating heart
In my ears, in my mind,
A love so loud, it’s bursting through my heart

My God, my love
My only aspiration
My friend, my life
My single inspiration
Lead me on, pull me closer
Draw this craving soul to You
To the depths of Your unrivaled love
To the depths of Your unrivaled love


I’m deeper than it seems
And I know because I see
A beauty my mind can’t comprehend
Like the ocean pulls the waves
Back into the waters deep
The beauty of Your love... is pulling me

My God, my love
My only aspiration
My friend, my life
My single inspiration
Lead me on, pull me closer
Draw this craving soul to You
To the depths of Your unrivaled love
To the depths of Your unrivaled love

To the depths of Your unrivaled love
To the depths of Your unrivaled love

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This Beloved Road Vol. II: Into the Source

Sometimes, what’s obvious is not what’s important.

2 am. The puppy’s barking. Matt jumps up to make it in time. To start this day as every other for the last month: a quick trip outside.

Ten minutes and everyone’s settled back in.

But like so many other nights I don’t fall right to sleep. So I sink back into my early morning time of prayer. I’m thankful for these quiet hours to agree with heaven.

Immediately my heart floods with thoughts of friends and family in the midst of difficulties and a world turned upside down with death and confusion. Even still, there’s so much to thank my Father for. So many ways I see His mercy and love, His power and wisdom poured out.

I barely start when, like a gentle touch on the shoulder, the Holy Spirit stops me.

Be still.
What do you hear?

I pause.

What do you feel?
Soak in this moment, He whispers.

As I lay still, little details each take their turn at center stage in the dark room.

• Rain gently pelting the roof and bouncing off windows.

• Wind chimes singing in harmony.

• Matt’s measured breathing beside me. In. Out. In. Out.

• The soft, cool pillowcase under my neck.

• The weight of the comforter on my feet.

• The feel and sound of my own breath.

Remember that old saying, Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees? It’s a reminder to not get so entangled with details that you forget the big picture.

But what if we sometimes get so overwhelmed with the big picture and forget to enjoy the details?

Details set in place by the Master-Creator. Details pointing out where we stand and what’s important. Details reminding us we’re alive. Details declaring His glory.

This wasn’t the Spirit’s first invitation to lean back and savor the moment. They’d come over and over in recent weeks. Invitations to pause, to smile, to enjoy what might pass in the next breath.

• Moonlight through the clouds.

• Flavors that linger, sweet and spicy.

• Hugs that go deeper than skin.

• Dew in the morning and shadows making their way across afternoon hillsides.

As you know, there are two sides to every coin. Two points to every paradox.

The One who said, “Ask...seek...knock...” (Matthew 7:7) also said, “...your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:8)

The One who leads us to pray without ceasing, (I Thessalonians 5:17), also calls us to “Be still...” (Psalm 46:10)

Sometimes He just wants to hear the beat of your heart—and you to hear His.

Sometimes He waits until you let all else fade so you can feel His hand squeeze yours.

Sometimes your silent enjoyment of simple details gives Him greatest honor.

There are plenty of prayers to pray. Countless horizons to speak truth to. But take a moment. Take a few. And lean into the details. Lean into the sounds and rhythms and smells. Hold them close, even for a moment, and thank the One who gives you the ability to smile. He loves that.

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This Beloved Road Vol. 11: Into the Source is an amazing treasure chest filled with godly insights, word pictures, meditations, and reflective poetry.

Amy Layne Litzelman is a worshipper and she will inspire you to talk to God daily as a Friend. This book cannot be read quickly. It is filled with spiritual gems to ponder over and over again. You won’t want to forget her touching personal applications of hope and love. Keep a highlighter or notepad handy because her words will probe into your soul. As you identify with her messages, you will be challenged to respond and grow in a deeper relationship with God. —Amazon Review—

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Photo by Lana S.

Highlights From Parts 1, 2 & 3.

• Meditation, in and of itself, is neutral: neither good nor evil, positive nor negative. Defined as the concentration of thoughts on one thing, meditation is simply the practice of pondering, considering, focusing upon, contemplating, and turning a subject around in one’s mind.

• Biblical meditation goes a step deeper, becoming communion with the Spirit of Truth, who reveals as you examine and teaches as you study, ponder, contemplate, and inquire.

• “In that hour or two of meditating on God’s words in the face of my fear, God’s words won my heart. Won my attention. Won my freedom.”

• Meditation is an underlying element of every story in the Bible.

• The thoughts we entertain will become the words we speak, the beliefs we manifest, and the future we each choose, and we will surely eat the fruit of it.

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Now that we know the value of biblical meditation, it’s important to have some practical tips to start and sustain this beautiful practice.

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I’ve been reading the gospel of Matthew over and over during Lent, jumping into John at times as well. The weeks leading to the crucifixion and continuing to Jesus’s reunion with His followers draw me back, deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper.

As I read and reread, I began to see myself—at some point in my walk with Jesus—in many of the stories.

I could see my…

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This past weekend we celebrated Palm Sunday, remembering Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week. More than ever I felt the heaviness of Jesus riding into a cheering crowd when He knew they’d soon call for His crucifixion.

As my church family waved palm branches and sang “Hosanna!” this picture tugged at my mind and sat heavy in my gut… this double-sided weight Jesus bore alone. Several times He had told His disciples of His coming death, but it still hadn’t sunk in. How could it? Jesus’s death was still outside of their paradigm of a Messiah.

I could imagine Him feeling this weight for weeks, His face set toward Jerusalem while the crowds and His disciples expected more miracles and His eventual reign over their Roman oppressors.

It made me think of times when friends and family have carried a deep sorrow in the midst of holidays or other circumstances that called for joy. The need to enter in often felt like a second, more painful burden even as the guilt of stealing the joy of others seemed unavoidable.

At the same time, I know God doesn’t leave us alone during these dark and confusing passages. I’ve experienced undeniable, unexplainable grace when I knew I should have been devastated. If we will receive it, the Holy Spirit gives strength, comfort, and even joy when it would appear impossible. The pain doesn’t go away completely, but the Holy Spirit colors it with a light and gentleness found only in our Father’s love.

I am reminded of another post, written many years ago after experiencing this grace. I pray it encourages you if you find yourself carrying a double-burden. You’re not alone. Jesus understands. The Trinity is here to protect and minister to you.

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Photo by Fernando Venzano.

Power From the Rock

Excerpt: This Beloved Road: A Journey of Revelation & Worship (2nd Ed.)

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

Ephesians 6:10 AMPC

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On a trip to the mountains of central Idaho, I marveled at a tree growing from a stone cliff, and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart: It’s going to be very hard when you go home. Very hard. I’m going to make you like that tree, able to grow roots in the rock.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself, as much as I knew how, but growing roots into stone is not an easy thing. Little did I know the course the Holy Spirit would take as He led me into this truth. Into God Himself.

As I began this journey deeper into my weakness and His strength, I was quickly reminded that humility is essential. As unbearable as the path ahead appeared, I had to choose immediately to submit to it, thereby opening the floodgates of His grace. James 4:6 (NIV) became a constant companion: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

God’s grace would enable me to do what was otherwise impossible.

I also began to learn a more experiential meaning of a few words, as the route would demand:

• Tenacity: to hold fast.

• Perseverance: to persist, to maintain an effort, not to give in.

• Persistence: to continue firmly in a state or action in spite of obstacles or objections; persisting, steady, persevering, lasting; to stand.

• Strength: quality of being strong, ability to endure, power or vigor, to make strong or stronger, to re-enforce.

• Stamina: power of endurance, staying power, vigor.

Now, walking in these attributes with our own strength is very different than finding a supernatural Source. The first lasts only until our strength is used up. The second, however, starts at the point of our weakness and taps into a sovereign and unending strength. We were not created to be strong because of who we are or what we do. We can only truly be strong because of our union with our Creator—and only in the realization of our total dependency upon Him.

While reading Ephesians 6:10 (AMPC), the word be suddenly stood out: “Be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him].” It doesn’t say to do strong, but to be strong. My strength didn’t come from my actions but from my identity in Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, Paul recorded how he came to know his weakness as the point of potential God was seeking in order to demonstrate His own strength. In fact, God’s good desire is to perfect His strength and power through our seemingly weak and useless bodies. Imagine the joy Paul felt as he realized the freedom he could gain in this place.

This is how the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition says it: “Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!”

In my pain, I read this verse and pictured myself crying out to God, my face to the ground. Then I saw a tent being placed over me.

The Spirit asked me, What do you see?

I only saw the tent; I couldn’t see myself, broken and praying inside.

The Spirit whispered, When you are weak but covered in God’s tent of strength, it is His strength that is visible to those around you, not your weakness.

This encounter was the encouragement I desperately needed; I’d been wondering how I could ever minister from my weak state. But in my humility, God promised to cover me with Himself.

Although the process was at times long and wearisome, I could feel my roots going deeper and see His strength increasing. I tasted honey from the Rock and was refreshed from the waters that poured forth.

In awe, I could declare with David, “The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted” (Psalm 18:46 AMPC).

I am grateful for His ways.

1. How does this essay give you a greater understanding of being empowered by God’s strength?

2. Are you willing to go through the process of transformation—from your old nature to your new-creation life? If the Holy Spirit finds a willing heart, He will supply the strength.

3. Write down one scripture or statement from this essay that will encourage you on your journey.

Recap: Rarely a day goes by that I don’t think back on that particular season of God deepening my roots in His love. He used my weaknesses to reveal the beauty and trustworthiness of His strength. I am grateful God’s ways are perfect.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

Ephesians 3:16–17 NLT

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I picked up one of Amy’s devotionals this morning (This Beloved Road: A Journey of Revelation and Worship, 2nd Edition)… I feel like a whale that came to the surface, blows for air, and then slowly dives, effortlessly and unexpectedly going deep. Peacefully stirring up new thoughts and questions for my Lord.

Very relevant to my life right now. Didn’t see that coming. Thank you, Amy.

—Gary Smith—

More on this topic:

Unexpected Ways God Meets Us in Our Pain

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Have you ever thought about the difference between being with God vs. Him being with you?

Is there a difference?
Does it matter, as long as you are together?

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Recently, in a moment of exhaustion, straining to see a light at the end of the tunnel, I found myself asking God to please change my situation. To come into the middle of the chaos and turn it around.

First, let me clarify: this prayer wasn’t unbiblical. In the beginning, God stepped into chaos and brought Light and Life. Two thousand years ago, He stepped onto the earth in His Son, Jesus, to bring Light and Life. And He is still releasing Light and Life every day, all over the world, through His Spirit.

Many, many times the Spirit of God has entered into my darkness with His brilliant light. Into my sickness with His word of healing. Into my confusion with clarity and truth. Into my confession to release hope.

But, in this particular moment of exhaustion and prayer, I sensed Holy Spirit reminding me of another truth: Jehovah is the God who invites me to be with Him.

To take my focus off of what I see and feel and think I know.
To rise above the things of this earth.
To step over the threshold of His chambers.
To sit with Him and see from His perspective.
To follow Him, not ask Him to follow me.

As I pondered the Holy Spirit’s reminder, a thought came: Do I want deliverance from something or deliverance into Someone?

There’s a big difference between wanting God to meet my immediate need and leaning more fully into Him, no matter the lack or distress.

When God delivered the nation of Israel from Egypt, He entered into their slavery and led them out to freedom. Ultimately, however, He invited them into an intimate relationship of walking with Him. Following the cloud of His presence. Knowing Him as a loving Father who loves, provides, trains, and disciplines His children.

Sadly, most of those who came out of slavery wanted God to do things differently once they were on the other side of the Red Sea, safe from the Egyptian army. Many even longed to go back to being slaves in Egypt when freedom didn’t look like they expected. When the final test came in the form of walled cities and giants, only Joshua and Caleb embraced God’s invitation to continue walking with Him. Trusting. Expectant. Faithful.

Many centuries later, God came to earth in His Son, Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us.

During His ministry, Jesus went out into the highways and byways. He touched sinners and healed lepers and dined at the tax collector’s banquet. He searched out the lost sheep, knelt in the dirt with the poor, made the blind see and the adulteress clean.

At some point in each encounter, however, Jesus would extend an invitation: Come and follow Me.

Jesus came with a greater mission than to fix this world. He came to reconcile us to our Father. Redeemed sons and daughters of the one true God, filled with His Spirit, displaying His wisdom to the powers and principalities in the heavenly realms. One with the Trinity.

Not fearful. Not begging. Not wondering, Where is God? but understanding, I can stay with Him.

Again, to clarify: God is with us by His Spirit—drawing, loving, healing, and setting free. And I will continue to ask Him to step into the lives of those who do not know Him and those too weary to walk with Him.

But I believe there is also a stunning invitation extended to us as we mature and move forward as His children. He wants us to draw near to Him. To lean in, lean on, lean with Him in what He is doing. To be His disciples: following, serving, loving as we walk the path He chooses.

While God is intimately aware of my needs and has met me in very tangible ways, each moment is an opportunity to lean into the bigger reality that I can stay with Him, listening, learning, becoming whole.

How have you experienced God being with you?
How have you recognized that you were staying with Him?
Do you think there’s a difference?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Photo by Dan Musat.

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