What We're Listening To Wednesday - Jesus Culture Leadership Podcasts

I recently found and began listening to Jesus Culture's Leadership Podcasts on my iphone podcast app.  It's been eye opening(or rather ear opening), challenging and I've been learning a lot about what being a leader looks like for myself now and even for what I'd hope to look like as a leader in the future.  It's not just for the cliched "leader", we are all leaders in one way or another.  Whether a pastor leading his congregation, a leader of a country, or a leader of the home, we lead everyday, if even in the most minute of ways.  I'd really like to encourage you to listen to these podcasts.  They have bonus features such as: book recommendations, music and even a little sports section...yet it is the featured topic that is worth a listen for sure.  If you don't have an iphone to download the app, go check out this website and take a listen.

http://new.jesusculture.com/podcast/archive/

Christy

Mystery Of Looking Up!

Have you ever driven late at night and looked out your windshield and counted the stars? Or pulled over and hunted for the North Star to guide you in the black abyss of the night?

When I was a child, I had the privilege of re-creating the Milky Way upon my ceiling with blue sticky tack and plastic glow in the dark stars. Often, I couldn’t fall asleep and I’d create shapes, especially triangles, and would connect each star together. The years have past, yet I still connect the stars at night like dots upon a mountain cliff or roof terrace. 

Why do I love the stars?

It’s a mystery…

Approximately, 100 thousand million stars are estimated to exist by scientists, yet the exact number of stars is left unknown.  Recently, Coldplay crafted a song called, “A Sky Full of Stars," as the lyrics echo in my mind. Furthermore, God declares unto Abraham that he will have descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5)!

Oh the mystery...

Truthfully, I love the stars because I am reminded of the mysteries of life.  At the age of sixteen, I made a promise, “I want to find a boy who likes making diamonds in the sky.”  I haven’t found him. Instead, I have found countless people to explore the mysteries of life with. It's in those unknown and uncharted portions of life with those I love, I have witnessed such healing and restoration, such meaning and revelation, and such understanding and celebration!  

Life is a mystery of stories...

It's a process of understanding the mystery, as each verbalized story is like connecting one star to another.  I sometimes look up at the sky and marvel at all stories that are left untold. If each star resembles a person, then why do we feel so disconnected in our world? I believe that no human being is alone in the galaxy of life and no story should be left untold. Instead, the mystery of our stories collides in the sky like a massive meteor shower. 

I look at the stars tonight...

Those unexplainable mysteries of life...

And another story left untold...

As a result, I am calling all fellow star watchers to have the confidence to share a mere piece of your story as a point of connection to another human being. Don't let the mystery hinder the healing and restoration, meaning and revelation, and understanding and celebration!  

Charlene

P.s. In addition, God continues to remind me to look up and he will grant the desires of my heart like the million of stars that dot the sky. So, don't forget to look up at the stars tonight, ok? 

What We're Listening To Wednesday - Give me a song

Sometimes, there are no words that can/need be spoken.  Just a song.

Love,
Christy Creative Dreamer Dawn

What We're Listening To Wednesday - Rejoice and Lament

I find myself drawn to this song for a few reasons. 

#1.  It is like poetry...and I love poetry ;)

#2.  I like the word lament.  I sort of knew what it meant and being the nerd that I can be sometimes, I love looking up words and their definition.  This is what I got: 

la·ment: to express sorrow, regret, or unhappiness about something

#3.  There is a time/season to feel out your feelings.  You're allowed to feel.  Just don't get stuck and dwell on your feelings.  Move through the process, you can still thrive through the process of pain, hurt, sadness...just make sure you continue to move and push forward.  

#4.  When the season of lamenting is done...REJOICE.  

Don't forget that through the lamenting, you can still have peace, joy and love.  If you are walking through a season of lamenting, lean on God, trust in Him, continue to ask Him for the best, continue to hope, believe, and dream.  Let your suffering produce deeper roots in Him, let your sadness/hurt from the past catapult you towards a bright future.  God's hand will never stop moving in your life if you allow it, He will continue to bless you even in your time of lamenting and when you look back, you will see that those feelings, each and every single one of them...got you to where you are today.  

Rejoicing with you, 

Christy Creative Dreamer Dawn

Overflow!

They say traveling brings out the BEST and the worst. I ponder this familiar statement and read, "may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 NIV).

Above 40,000 feet in the air, the worst happened with multiple moments of explosive vomit. I sat in my confined middle seat and questioned, "should we just go home?" But, I heard God boldly say time and time again, "the BEST is yet to come!" So, with little faith and a smudge of doubt I mumbled a prayer, "vomit cannot be the BEST...I choose to receive only the BEST oh Lord." 

The best did come...

The BEST exhibited itself by exploring European culture, swimming in caves of the Mediterranean Sea, eating fresh Italian pasta and glorious gelato, deepening new and old friendships, discovering breathtaking landscapes upon ATV's and bikes, and looking up at the stars as the waves crashed upon the shore. 

Sometimes the BEST requires patience and a willingness to wait. Furthermore, the BEST requires perseverance and hope for what cannot be seen or even touched. In addition, the BEST requires an eagerness to receive what your Heavenly Father has already provided in advance for you to simply experience. 

Truthfully, the BEST might not be what you envisioned or anticipated or even expected. As a result, the best ironically endures a point of completion and a verbalized goodbye.  The old saying states, "every good thing comes to an end." But, I'd like to add that the best always ends so another beautiful piece of life can be explored and experienced. 

So, I've returned home and frequently been asked, "how was Europe?" I cannot help, yet glow and respond with a single response, "the BEST!" Ironically, I returned home to hear discouraging news. Hence, I am realizing the power of declaring the best upon the days and weeks before me and especially on those whom I love. Furthermore, when I don't understand certain pieces of life, it is actually an opportunity to humbly ask God, "please reveal only the best..." For sometimes His best is discovered in seasons of waiting; endured in transitions with such perseverance; and simply accepted with mere awe and wonder because it's right before you! 

In the process of unpacking the contents of my backpack, I realized that overflow comes from a point of believing and declaring the best!  I re-read the passage and began to declare the best in a place of overflow. So, "may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 NIV).

Will you join me in declaring the best?

Charlene

P.S. And I pray that you may discover God's abundant overflow for you just like this picture from Greece! 

Thankfulness

Definition: Expression of gratitude; acknowledgment of a favor.

                     1. Gratitude; a lively sense of good received.

What We're Listening To Wednesday - Explode My Soul

What We're Listening To Wednesday

This whole album is worth a listen, but this song in particular has captivated me.

Explode my soul is an awakening, a calling upon my spirit.  The words seem like they were stolen from the depths of my very being.  Every time I play this song, I feel myself wanting to run down a sidewalk shouting "explode my soul...explode my soul, Lord."  I've decided against the shouting out loud in public scenario.  Yet I continue to sing this from a place that is being changed, transformed, challenged, encouraged, restored, healed and moving towards an explosion that will I'm sure, shake things up :)

I hope you find this song to be of encouragement.  Maybe you'll find your spirit drawn to another song, or perhaps you'll interpret the lyrics differently and they'll mean something entirely opposite of what they mean to me.  None the less...be blessed ♥

Love,
Christy Creative Dreamer Dawn

P.S., please share in the comments what you are loving listening to, we'd love to hear :)