Recently, I have caught myself being awed by the richness of the golden sunlight.  Leaves gleaming.  Reflecting light displays an aura of perfection.  The warmth of the sun in the midst of the crisp breeze delights my soul and captivates my sight.  Loosing myself, track of time, and cares of this world as my eyes become fixated on the beauty surrounding me. 

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1)

I couldn’t help but think of this verse as I gazed upon the majestic trees in my yard.  With every passing minute, the light reflecting off of the remaining leaves seemed to only increase in exquisite beauty, gleaming in the setting sun.

Every tree individually planted.  Strategically placed.  Reflecting the splendor of His GLORY.  Drawing us in by the beauty reflecting off of their leaves. We are like these trees.  You and I are individually planted and strategically placed in this world.  Reflecting the essence of His beauty, glory, and splendor. He uses us to bring warmth to shivering cold souls as His warm presence reflects off of our REDEEMED lives.

Perhaps you wonder why you are where you are in life.  You are where you are to be planted, to yield fruit, to prosper, to produce life, His fruit so that your leaves don’t wither.  He planted you beside streams of water for a purpose. 

When I see these same trees at different times of day they are still pretty but pale in comparison when the rich sunlight reflects off of them.  You are beautiful, but your righteousness pales in comparison to His righteousness.  When you stay planted and allow Him to reflect off of you are just the right time, oh the difference you shall make! His light, His Son, His Glory, His Redemption makes all the difference. 

 

Delight in the law of the Lord; meditate on it day and night.  His word brings light, truth, and freedom.  His word is health to our souls and the souls around us.  Stay the course, not looking to the left or right but with a gaze fixated on Him alone. 

Allow Him to shine on you and reflect off of you to bring freedom and redemption to those around you.  You are placed where you are in life on PURPOSE to REFLECT His glory. 

Thank you for joining me on this 31 day writing challenge.  I pray your eyes were opened to better see His hand on your life, and His redemption at work in your life.  I believe the journey is the destination until we reach home in His arms.  My heart is no longer sick and aching, (Proverbs 13:12) I have found HOPE, I have found purpose, I have found my voice, I have fulfilled a call, a challenge, and will continue to pursue this purpose for which I was made and planted.  As I continue to write, I pray His glory reflects off of each word typed and all who come by receive HOPE and Redemption. 

 

Skeletons in our closets, monsters in our heads if we are truly honest with ourselves we all have them.  Last night I had an opportunity to speak to our students about some of the skeletons in my closet.  (Read more here)  I know I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me and tell me they needed to know and I believe you need to know, say it with me, “I own the skeletons and monsters in my closet, they don’t own me.”

You were bought with a price!  You are REDEEMED and no longer enslaved to sin and the enemy.  Christ has given you all authority.  YOU own those monsters and YOU have the authority to tell them where to go….. If you get what I mean?  You have the authority to take those monstrous thoughts, and condemning skeletons captive and make them obedient to the WORD OF GOD.

5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

You are NOT your monster’s slave.  You are NO longer a slave.  Who the Son sets FREE is FREE indeed! To be redeemed means to be bought back, freed.  That monster is now YOUR slave.  You own that monster.  As for the skeleton’s of your past they are erased and forgotten.  He remembers no more.  There is now therefore NO condemnation, regret, guilt, and shame for those who are in Christ Jesus he bore your shame, my shame once and for all.  He declared, “It is finished”! 

 And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, 

for you were slain,

 And by your blood you ransomed people for God from

Every tribe and language and people and nation, (Rev. 5:9 esv)

Together we all can sing a new song, the song of the redeemed.  I am very passionate about the way we live our lives as the Redeemed of the Lord.  You have a story to tell, HIS story, and you have a song to sing! 

Over ten years ago, the Lord spoke to me when I was inquiring of Him about LIFE.  He spoke to me and showed me that Life is, (John 10:10)  He came to give us LIFE and LIFE more abundantly.

This blog was birthed out of a passion to see believers, and lost wanders, like I once was, found and experience LIFE real life, true life in HIM.  A life worthy of the price He paid.  You are the Redeemed and He has a FULL life for you.  You can experience life in HIM.  He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than you could ever ask, dream, or imagine!!! (Eph. 3:20)

As this series comes to a close I pray the Holy Spirit seals this revelation in your heart and spirit.  You are REDEEMED and YOU own those monsters they don’t own you!

I pray you continue to join me in the days, months, and years ahead as I continue to live in freedom everyday and experience life the way He designed it, in freedom. 

Anchored in HOPE,

Laura Mitchell

Surrounded by friends, to the naked eye, who had perfect lives.  I developed a foolproof plan.  I would simply follow their example.  If this “Savior” I had found didn’t care about me then I refused to waste another minute trying to please and care about Him.  The enemy now had me tied to him like a puppet.  He was the puppeteer and controlled every move I made.

Entangling myself in the ways of this world, I began drinking, smoking, and chasing approval from unhealthy relationships with various guys and seeking acceptance with a crowd of friends who like me, were stumbling through life aimlessly being controlled from the master puppeteer. 

Lying, sneaking around, hiding, dancing the night away at clubs (I know I can’t dance, I was humiliated to be there), however I would risk self-humiliation in exchange for love and in order to find a new “savior.”  Spring break came and all it took was one invite and I was in the car headed out of town.  How I was able to continue on this path for a year or more without being raped, kidnapped, or killed is beyond my understanding other than HIS glory Protects. 

His glory not only protected me the night my father murdered my mother, HE protected me while I ran from HIM.  His glory will HUNT you down, HIS glory PURSUES you.  He started on a high chase pursuit once I was conceived, and hasn't stopped. He will NEVER stop pursuing us.  HE saw the enemy lure me into darkness and He was right behind following, watching every move, waiting for my return.  Blinded by my anger and frustration I was not able to clearly see.  I had no idea He was chasing me, pursuing me, protecting me yet again in my life.

His LOVE is not and will NEVER be a conditional love.  Even when I had left him, let him down, dishonored him with my life HE LOVED ME.  He has loved me, you from the beginning of time and will ALWAYS love you, love me.  Even if you make your bed in hell, HE IS THERE.  (Psalm 139) Where can I hide? 

"I CAN NEVER HIDE FROM HIM ONLY IN HIM!"

~ Laura Mitchell ~

I so badly wish I could come through this computer screen and HOLD you, HUG you, WIPE your tears and WELCOME you HOME!!  HE. IS. HERE. And HE. IS. ENOUGH. He REDEEMS you, LOVES you with an EVERLASTING LOVE based only on HIS LOVE that is UNCONDITIONAL.  He is Perfection and He is our HOPE.  We can ANCHOR ourselves in HIM.  He lived perfectly because we could not.  He died in exchange for our messy lives, and poured out His love on our hearts.  I will love HIM in return with an UNCONDITIONAL love.

If my world shatters today, I will love you.  If my marriage is on the rocks, I will serve you.  If my children are running I will love you, trust you.  If I suffer unspeakable loss I will serve you.  I will love you with an everlasting love because you have poured out your everlasting love over my life.

Besides where else can I go?  Who has and will continue to love me with an unconditional everlasting love?  

I am free from performance driven love.  I no longer worry about being good enough, He is GOOD enough.  I have let go of placing conditions on His love.  I choose now to honor Him with my life and love Him despite the world we live in.  This world is broken.  This world is not my home.  This world will never have my heart.  My heart was won. If home is where the heart is, than for me home is in His arms.

I will live by the fruit of the spirit and no longer live by the frustrations of the flesh.  Perfection is not a fruit LOVE however is and it births JOY.  It is my JOY to honor, love, and serve Him.

“Do you love me, do you love me now that I can dance?”  Want to know the TRUTH?  I CANNOT dance.  Want to know another TRUTH?  While the love of this world is largely based on conditions, abilities, what you can do for me, and performance HIS love is NOT!

www.aholyexperience.com

There is no joy in a love driven by performance and perfectionism.  I am a people pleaser by nature. I began loosing the joy of loving Christ and serving Him a few years back.  To say I was frustrated with life was an understatement.  In my quiet time one morning I clearly heard His spirit speak to me, “You can continue living by the frustrations (unfulfilled expectations) of the flesh, or the fruit of the Spirit.”  As you can imagine, this was not all what I was longing to hear.

I realized, when life did not take shape the way I had pictured, I would become frustrated.  This conditional love could be traced back to my teen years.  When I received the FREE GIFT of Salvation, I was ecstatic.  Now I had a Savior, a hero and HE would SAVE me from all this heartache and pain I ‘d been facing alone for so many years.  I would love and serve Him on ONE CONDITION He would save me and make my life picture perfect.

Life like a fragile piece of china shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.  As if I had not already suffered enough loss, the enemy of my soul, your soul, was lurking in the shadows strategically planning his next plan of action.  Unaware of his schemes at the time I stumbled into his well-hidden trap of anger and resentment.  He tried once before to burry me in the pit of death.  Unsuccessful, he patiently waited for his next opportunity.

Having recently accepted Christ as my Savior and tirelessly performing to earn and keep His love, the enemy encroached upon me at my weakest, struck me with death and loss AGAIN.  Not once, not twice, not three times but with FOUR major losses in a row.

My youth pastors announced they were moving, our choir directors were in a car accident on Christmas Eve and died, my brother ran away leaving a note blaming me, and one of the students in our youth was also killed in a car accident on his way to school. 

After I had served, read my Bible, been obedient, paid my pitiful tithes from my measly afterschool job, joined the drama team, studied, respected my teachers, followed the rules, this Jesus, this Savior allowed all of this to happen to me.

He was suppose to SAVE me, keep me give me abundant life.  He failed me.  Cleverly deceiving me the enemy capitalized on my losses.  He cunningly lured me into anger, bitterness, and resentment. 

I would spend the next year of my high school career with my back turned against my Savior.  While He has NEVER been guilty of forsaking me and leaving me, I have been found guilty of running aimlessly away from Him.  I found myself stumbling through a fog of frustration and confusion trying to make my own way in this world.