Comparatively Speaking

"A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms."

It started pretty early for me. The first memory I have of sizing up the "competition" was in fourth grade. My "boyfriend" had broken up with me, taken back the necklace he had given me as a gift and gave it to his new girlfriend, my best friend, Missy. My heart was shattered. Missy was walking around so proud of her new status and I was wondering, "What does she have that I didn't?" Missy was a softball player and she had a sense of style that was carefree and a little on the tomboy side, I on the other hand, felt awkward and tried so hard to have the trendy stuff, but while everyone else had Chuck Taylors, I was wearing what my big brother and his friends referred to as "Bo-Bos". It just so happened that on this same day, I was going to ride the bus home with Missy and spend the night. I followed through with the first part, but called my mom to come get me before bed time came and cried most of the way home.

I spent the next twenty some years competing with girls in one way or another. I don't think this is unusual, especially in our world these days. Most of us feel like we need to size up the competition. Look at the girl next to you and notice everything she's wearing and doing, and compare it to what you have and do. For some reason, we see different as a threat. We can somehow decide if she is better or worse than us and usually find a reason to dislike her for it. This has nothing to do with HER and everything to do with US.

Insecurity:
1. uncertainty or anxiety about oneself; lack of confidence.
2.the state of being open to danger or threat; lack of protection.
Do you see anything about that definition that sounds biblical? I don't. I see fear. I see a lack of understanding who God created us to be. I see a desperation for love.

I can sit here and tell you about a bazillion different reasons that I was insecure, or about all of the things that happened in my life that made me feel less or out of place. But that's not the answer, and it would be just one more thing for you to compare to, even if it made you feel "normal" or "not so bad after all." We have a tendency to look to others to feel like we are enough, to feel accepted or rejected.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." -2 Timothy 1:7

You see, God made us to be filled by Him and Him alone. That desire you have to be loved, it's because He made you that way. He made you to crave His love. And He accepts you. Just as you are. All of your quirks, all of the failures, all of the baggage, all of the inadequacies, all of that self doubt. He's asking you to leave it behind. Leave it alone. And step forward to walk into the beautiful Light of His Presence and allow Him to define you.

Instead of looking to each other for comparison, let us each look to Christ as our example. He is the only one that we should ever be comparing ourselves to. We will never live up to His honor or glory, but we should be striving to be more like Him with every breath we take and every word we speak.

"and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" -Ephesians 4:24.
"Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding." - 2 Corinthians 10:12

Holy Spirit by Jesus Culture

There’s nothing worth more,
that will ever come close nothing can compare,
You’re our living hope
Your Presence Lord
I’ve tasted and seen, of the sweetest of Loves
Where my heart becomes free, and my shame is undone
In Your Presence Lord
Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your Glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your Presence Lord
Let us become more aware of Your Presence
Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness

About the Author :

Emilee is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

The Constant Gardener

"Your deepest, most constant need is for My Peace. I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live; but there are weeds growing there too: pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief. I am the Gardener, and I am working to rid your heart of those weeds."

I read these words in my morning devotional today, and it really made me think. It sparked some questions immediately; have I been harvesting my garden? If God has planted Peace, have I been feeding the soil for it to grow and be routed or am I allowing the weeds and bugs and vermin to have their way?

I had a garden one summer. I planted it in this first of the spring, and in the midst of my life with all of the other things that were deemed more important, the garden just kind of got overgrown. It was so hot out in the garden, and I had gone completely overboard with all of the plants that I bought to put in the ground, so when I looked in the yard at the work ahead of me, it just seemed so overwhelmingly time consuming.

That's the thing about gardens, they require effort in order to reap the harvest.

I'm so thankful that our God is not a lazy gardener. He could take one look at me and see all of the deep rooted sin and think that there was just too much trouble involved to forge ahead. He could see that I keep struggling with the same prideful ways over and over again and say there's just no hope for that girl. He could look at the depths of my heart and see that the cracks and tears are so deep that no amount of surgery could heal them.

That's what a lazy gardener would do.

But our God is as far from lazy as the depth of the Universe.

He looks at us and He sees the mess. He sees the lust, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, anger, bitterness and pride. And He knows exactly how long it will take for us to hand it all over to Him and say we can't carry it anymore.

No matter the length and duration of that pursuit, He still tills the soil. He still plants the seed. He still waters the plants, just enough to make them grow. And when they are ripe, He comes to pick them.

Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

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Author: Emilee Lowe

Emilee is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Uniquely You

I love people. I am a talker, and I love nothing more than to sit down with someone and have a conversation. The intricacies of the different stories and lives we live fascinate me and it blows my mind to see how big our God is and all the ways that he works so precisely in our individual circumstances. The way that each person expresses and describes their story differently is so interesting and telling of their personality, and I could watch and listen all day long.

I would be lying if I said I never wondered what other people thought of me. I know as well as any other Truth-seeking Christian that the only opinion that matters is God's, however, this doesn't keep me from wondering how I come across to the world. We are human. We see each other and immediately our brains process some sort of information: She's cute. She's funny. She looks mad. What's up with her teeth? Her legs are really short. I like her hair. I think she has two different eyes. Her nostrils are big.

We can be brutal without intention. There have been a few times recently that I have felt uncomfortable while I was carrying on a conversation with someone whom I've recently met, and I noticed them looking at various things on my face while I talked instead of making eye contact with me. It made me extremely aware of every thing I did and I wondered what their thoughts were. Did they hear anything I said? Was my breath bad? Did I have broccoli in my teeth? My biggest concern is always if I seem genuine. Now, wait a second before you go thinking that I'm a phony. The reason I worry about my authenticity is because I don't talk as easily as I type. I stumble for the words I'm looking for, and in the silence of the search, my comfort level goes into the danger zone.

I am not so much a fan of being vulnerable.

But I realized today that as much as I look to others for their approval or acceptance or just to feel like I'm not alone in being a weirdo, it's not about them. And it's not about me. I can't keep living day in a day out wondering what that girl was looking at on my chin, or why someone stopped following me on twitter, or how come that friend of fifteen years stopped calling. These thoughts should be fleeting and my mind and heart need to stay focused on being who God is calling me to be...even if that means it's the girl who shares too much and cries too much and uses the word awesome too much. As long as it's pointing to Him, and my heart is soft and pliable for His hands to work with, I'll be ok.

And He won't let me down. He won't let you down either. Trust Him and be who you are; everyone else is already taken.

Truthfully, we are all so consumed in our own flaws and too busy worrying about them to notice anyone else's. Wouldn't it be so incredibly mundane and boring if we all looked, acted and thought the same? Jesus came so that we may have life and have it in the full! So I think it is far past time to stand boldly and firmly as the person He created us to be!

Lovely. Brave. Spirit-filled. Honest. Joyful. Faithful. Kind. Peaceful. Self-controlled.

You can't strike out when you are true to yourself.

John 10:10

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Galatians 5:22-25

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

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Author: Emilee Lowe

Emilee is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

"Harboring unforgiveness in our hearts is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."-Joyce Meyer

I have a confession. I have struggled with unforgiveness for a long time. At times I thought I had let go of it, and other times it is so blatantly obvious in the forefront of my mind that I can't seem to think about anything else.

The person I've been poisoning myself over probably doesn't even remember that I exist. They most likely have moved on with their life and forgotten all about the pain they caused. I can only imagine that they harbor no feelings of regret or remorse toward me, and that I haven't been torturing their thoughts the way that they have tortured mine.

I know better than this.

I could come up with a bunch of reasons why I still struggle, and why my trust has been tested and tattered and how I can't go back to the way that I was before the hurt was caused. I can explain why revisiting those scars, and remembering the pain reminds me of how far I've come.

But when I think about the excuses and the justification, it all falls short, because those details fail when put against the Word of God. When it comes to forgiveness, and letting go of the hurt, The Lord is clear on what He expects from us:

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Nowhere in those scriptures does it say UNLESS. There is no acceptable excuse. And that can be a really hard thing to grasp, and swallow. It doesn't matter if she tried to ruin your marriage, it doesn't matter if he broke your heart, it doesn't matter if she took all of your money and lied about it, it doesn't matter if he ran over your cat. I know these are some hard circumstances. And we are all so human and naturally led by our emotions that we really want to hang on to those feelings of righteous anger.

But even if the anger and hurt and pain is righteous (you were wronged by someone by all definition,) you have to let them go. Forgive them.

Releasing them of the offense is actually the only way you will relieve yourself of the pain. This does not mean to let them hurt you again or pretend it never happened in the first place, but to move forward without holding on to that bitterness.

Grace. We all want it. Can we start giving it a little more? How about a lot more??

"If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking" - David Crowder Band - How He Loves Us

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

Imitations and Idols

Just the other day, I had a few minutes to waste while I waited at a consignment boutique for the clerk to decide whether or not she wanted my belongings. I decided to look around and sift through some of the racks, just for a little bit of retail therapy. Just a little look would give me my fix, no need for purchase. As I was gazing, I couldn’t help but hear a girl named Jenny being beckoned repeatedly by her friend. “What do we think of this Jenny?” “Jenny, do we likey?” “Jenny, do we love?” “Jen, is purple our color?”

Poor, poor Jenny was all I could think. This girl, Jenny, had a major task on her shoulders. She had to make choices not just for herself, but for her friend who was desperately seeking her opinion. Jenny didn’t get to enjoy a little retail therapy for herself, instead she had to decide whether or not her friend liked something. I cannot imagine the weight of the burden of making decisions for your friend who obviously was not sure of who she was.

When I was a little girl, I was so sure of who I was and what I loved. I could pick out my favorite shoe in a matter of seconds, and the perfect hat and purse to match as well. I would dance and skip around, and be completely elated when someone in the grocery store would tell my mother how much I looked like Blossom Russo. For those of you who didn’t grow up in the Blossom era, Mayim Bialik (who now plays the beloved Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory) was Blossom, a spunky, unique, big-hearted girl who dreamed up all sorts of fantasies and always learned a lesson from her family. I didn’t necessarily want to be Blossom, but I appreciated anyone who thought I resembled my teen idol.

Somewhere along the way of growing up, I started making less choices for myself, and more choices that looked like everyone else’s. Now, the psycho-analyst part of me could think of all of the major changes that occurred in my life between my adolescence and teenage years, but truthfully when I look back I know that it was just my need for approval from others and wanting to fit in. It all started with a few small choices, getting a pair of shoes just like my friend Nicole had in seventh grade. She was so upset that I wanted to copy her, and her mother just kept assuring her that imitation was the highest form of flattery. Nicole and I drifted apart gradually, not because of the shoes but probably just because I found someone else to mimic.

In high school, I met a girl who loved skater boys and big jeans. I had been rocking the flannel shirt look for about a year at that point, but when Jennifer suggested I try on her wide leg jeans and Airwalk shirt and told me how cute it looked, I knew I would be wearing that style until she told me it was no longer acceptable. It took a year or two, but that friendship fizzled out as well, due again to my insecurity.

I haven’t been that girl in a long time. I found my true self as I got a bit older and decided to stand firm on the unique girl that God had created me to be. But when I heard the girl in the store asking Jenny what to think, it just took me back to that place, and I wasn’t really sad for Jenny anymore. I was heartbroken for the unnamed shopping partner who had no definition of her own.

Maybe this sounds familiar to you. Maybe you are seeking approval from your friends or family, or maybe you’re posting selfie after selfie on Instagram to see what people think. Perhaps you are looking to someone else to tell you what to think about anything and everything.

Please stop.

You are worth so much more than anyone else could ever make you feel. The approval and opinion you are seeking cannot and will not be filled up by anyone else. Only Jesus. You will only find out how valuable and cherished you truly are when you look to God to define you. Jesus thinks you are priceless. Do whatever it takes to remind yourself of this, especially when you are thinking of looking elsewhere for that seal of approval.

Repeat after me:

Christ is enough for me. Everything I need is in Him. I will allow myself to be defined only by His word.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

Blurred Vision

I went for an eye exam today. I was about six months overdue and because of all the changes in my family and our circumstances, I continued to procrastinate about making an appointment. So last week, as I was in the supercenter, I noticed the sign for "low cost eye exams" and walked in to check on what my insurance co-pay would be (zero: win!) and scheduled to come back in after the weekend.

Now for some people, that is a simple 'get up and go' for the day of, but for me this meant I was going to spend a good amount of time properly cleaning my contacts and make sure to do the extra credit work of digging out my expired prescription and glasses case. Most of the people I know prepare for the dentist by flossing and brushing extra well the morning of, I practice the same over-achieving ritual but with my eyes. This is because I've been wearing contact lenses for over twenty years now, and I've gotten very complacent with them. They undoubtedly find their way into the lens case each night, but they never get scrubbed or rinsed before doing so and I'm sure it's no surprise that I'm about to say that I don't wash my hands before I snatch them out of my eye. The contacts I had in this morning should have been replaced three months ago. But having impaired vision is not cheap! The deciding factor for scheduling my exam was the traces of black specks I had started to see in my peripheral vision from time to time, and the occasional "stars" that would appear accompanied with a slightly dizzy feeling. Pretty good indicators that something needed attention.

Upon my visit with the most bubbly, happy, understanding and patient optometrist I've ever encountered, I found that my eyes were in need of rest from the daily contact use and just needed more breathing room in general. She told me that the black specks and floaters I was seeing were just "glorified eye trash" and that more time in glasses instead of contacts would probably make my eyes very happy. She said all of this with a smile on her face and didn't make me feel totally irresponsible and unworthy of vision care the way other eye doctors have in the past...not that I have ever been an eye abuser before!

I say all of this to share what I "saw" in all of it.

We can sometimes take things for granted, like our vision, or our faith, and think that just the bare minimum or the easiest approach can be enough. It's usually not. It may get us by, it may sustain is and help is achieve some version of what we're attempting, but we don't have the clearest version until we fully immerse ourselves. When we decide to follow Jesus, it is the single most important decision in our lives. But this doesn't mean we can take one step towards God while keeping our other foot in our former lifestyle. 

Without properly cleansing all of the impurities and sin out of our way, there's always going to be some "trash" that floats by and distracts us. We have to let go of the old, every single filthy, dead, stained, bruised and tattered part of that old person. This is not something that can be done at the last minute and shined up to look pretty. It won't be easy, and it won't be quick, but it will be worth every tiny bit of your heart and soul. The new creation is so much better in every way with that old bag of chains stripped away.

Drop it behind you and set it on fire.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

Vanity

I just finished a thirty day fast from all things beauty related. No makeup, no heat styling for my hair, no nail polish, just me without the mask I held so tightly over my skin for twenty years. It was thirty days filled with insecurity, dread, doubt, discontent and lots and lots of pouting and snarling. But through it, out of it, there came something so much bigger than all of those things. JOY.

I was putting on my makeup one Friday morning while my three year old watched in amazement and God pressed on my heart that it was time to take a break from my vanity. I can not tell you how many hours I have spent over the years primping in front of a mirror and slathering on layer upon layer of war paint to cover the imperfections that made me feel I wasn't measuring up to our world's definition of pretty. I continued putting on my face, trying to ignore that voice that I had heard clear as day. "But I don't want to!" And that was when I knew even more clearly that it had to happen.

I wore my mask the rest of that day, and then upon waking the next morning, I packed up all the makeup in my bathroom and purse and gave them to my husband to hide from me. All was good and fine until we had to leave the house that evening. I was going to have to step out in public with every bit of my blemished skin and frizzy hair and own it like I wasn't filled with despair!

The calling that God put on me in this time was to refocus my eyes and heart on how He defined me; what my beauty meant as a daughter of the Most High.

I struggled through the first few days of the fast, pouting and snarling every time I would pass my reflection. I knew this wasn't the way He wanted me to be, and through each day I would find new scriptures to focus on instead of my selfishness.

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

He made me! He made you! He made us! He created us and breathed mightily into our lungs and said we are good. He said we are beautiful. He said we are perfectly imperfect, just the way he wants us!

I floated along on these promises for a few days until the enemy tempted me. He saw the progress and he aimed to diminish it. I was searching for something under my bathroom sink (AKA the deep unknown) and I found a bag of makeup that I had overlooked when packing it all up for my husband to hide. For that split second, I thought about how easy it would be to throw on the tiniest bit of concealer, or mascara, or

blush, and how no one would even notice the difference but it would make me feel so much better about myself. And then a second later I recognized what was happening.

Satan is a liar!

From that moment on, I knew that the vanity break challenge was God ordained, and though I wasn't crazy about my appearance through it, The Lord showed me each day the importance of listening to His voice above all others. It was difficult, the hardest fast I've ever done, but I gained a sense of Joy and Confidence that can only be found in Him.

After the thirty days ended, I didn't feel the need to cover up everything the way I once did, and it has forever changed the way that I feel about myself. In no way will I ever be perfect, but through Christ in me I will always be enough for Him.

Song of Songs 4:7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

When the Plot Twists

My family relocated five months ago to our dream location, a coastal town with the best church in the universe and the prettiest shells and sea you could hope for…or at least that’s the way we see it. But our circumstances are so far out of our control and less than ideal that it has tested us more than I ever expected.

My husband had this longing to be by the ocean, not unlike most of us, but his longing seemed to come from a calling set on his heart from God. Packing up and moving wasn’t as simple as doing just that, we had a house to sell, I had recently opened up a business of my own, our daughter was just over a year old and nearly all of both of our families had settled into the city we were in. The roller coaster of decision was so hard on its own, and even though the calling seemed clear, the timing and details were so uncertain. Everyone around us thought we were crazy, and to be honest I was pretty sure they were right.

About six months after we made the decision to move, when the opportunity presented itself, my husband received a job offer that opened the door. However, they needed him immediately, so we packed up everything and moved in just less than three weeks’ time. At the time, I was certain that I was going to be admitted into an institution, but by the Grace of God we made it to our new residence.

Three days later, the job didn’t work out. The next job he got didn’t work out. And then he was unemployed for two months. I was angry. I was so bitter that the bottom had fallen out of our dream plan. OUR PLAN. I found my heart was so heavily burdened with resentment and the closest and easiest person to blame was my husband. I convinced myself that these decisions and choices that had landed us in this predicament were all made by him and I was just going along with them out of submission. I didn’t vocalize these things at first, and by the time I did it had festered into an ultimatum in my heart. ‘Either he fixes this, or I’m out.’ That’s what I thought.

I can’t believe I’ve actually just typed that out and admitted it to anyone. But it is the truth.

By the time I talked to my husband about these issues, there wasn’t much love or grace left in my approach. The hardness of my heart came at him like a brick. And as you can imagine, he was already feeling like he had let our family down. My accusations and ultimatums did nothing to build him up, and only tore him down further weighing heavily on the threads that were holding our marriage together.

BUT GOD. There is no explanation I can give for the change in my heart other than those two words.

We were living smack dab in the middle of the consequences of our decisions. For so many years, we had chosen to act now and think later when it came to major choices and changes. We ran and jumped and jived as long as we could but when we landed here in our “dream location” God showed us that there was nowhere left to run. And despite it all, we were exactly where we were supposed to be. He has orchestrated event after event that have given us confirmation time and time again that we are right where he wants us.

My husband ended up with a job that he loves, and though we are still struggling in major ways, I know that this has strengthened our relationship with each other and more importantly with The Lord. Our daughter is happier than I have ever seen her. We are more stressed than I think we have ever been, yet I have a supernatural peace that I simply cannot put into words.

Stressing, worrying, freaking out and trying so hard to control things serves no purpose other than distracting attention from the Glory of God. No matter the situation, no matter how desperate and impossible it seems, He will always make a way for His Will to be done. I know that in the midst of this major storm we’re living in, He hasn’t left us and hasn’t forgotten about us. He has a plan. It’s obviously very intricate and complex, but that’s nothing for Him!

“God also allows suffering so that we might learn what it means to depend on Him, not on our own strength and resources.” - Charles Swindoll

“What God Originates, He Orchestrates. How is never a problem with God.” - Andy Stanley

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

Decrease the Defense

Surrender.

It's such a simple word.

The act though, not simple at all. Maybe in theory it seems like it would be so easy to let go of everything and give it over to God, who asks that we do this, because when we learn that He is the Author and Originator it would seem pointless to hold anything on our own. But in my life, even though I know I have no right or power, I tend to hoard these things and try to hide them from my God as if He doesn't see it.

Between the offenses and defenses in my heart, you may think from the outside that I would be a football fan. I'm far from it. But the amount of plays in my emotions would keep any NFL coach on their toes. The truth is, even though I thought I had forgiven things, something can trigger that hurt and I feel like I'm right back at the day that the pain was inflicted.

I've even been known to be offended FOR someone else. I get upset over things that happened to my husband long before we ever met. He has let them go and moved ahead with hope and forgiveness, and yet when he shares things with me about his past I find myself churning bitterness inside at the thought that anyone could ever treat him that way.

This is not healthy. It's not smart. And more than everything, it's not the way that God expects me to respond and live.

sur·ren·der

cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.

Surrender. The enemy? Satan is a big one, but the next? Self. We are nothing aside from our Lord.

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

It is time to submit EVERY part of ourselves to Him, because there is none as deserving of our every thought, emotion, desire and breath than He.

Less of me. More of You, God.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

Connect with her on :

Silencing the Murmurs

You are good when there’s nothing good in me.

More often than I care to admit, I catch myself falling into the traps that the enemy of my soul sets for me. I can start the day with the very best intentions, and the most God-centered thoughts, but as soon as something goes ‘not my way’ I fall out of His arms and into the slump of the old me. I am smart enough to know that there is no coincidence that I get knocked off of my fluffy cloud of happiness. But sometimes, I get so frustrated with my flesh!

I started a journey just a bit ago that I felt God called me to run toward, and it involves fasting from something that I had more of an attachment to than I realized. Our Lord is cool like that, He recognizes the idols in our lives long before we do, and He pursues us until we submit. When I began the challenge, I felt like I was super energetic about it and hopeful of all of the wisdom I would gain in the process. And within a few days, I felt that intensity fizzle and it was replaced simultaneously with doubt and dread. I hate to admit that…but it is the truth. Instead of forging ahead with praise for my calling and praying for clarity and purpose, I wallowed. I listened to the whispers of deceit telling me that it was a pointless silly task to set and that I should just give in and allow myself some revelry. No sooner than I entertained the idea, I recognized who was whispering it. Get away from me devil.

There was nothing good in me in that moment, but immediately following, I began to declare “You are good when there’s nothing good in me.” Peace washed over me that renewed my certitude and confidence in the call that The Lord had for me in this season. It’s not meant to be easy, and it’s certainly something that the enemy recognizes as vulnerability in my heart, but that is all the more reason for me to put on the full armor of God. There is no room or time for me to be lukewarm.

No matter what we are facing, no matter what task we are involved in, we are going to face opposition. It may come from the enemy, it may come from family or friends, or it may come from that girl who looks into your eyes in the mirror. We have to always recognize our weakness, and know that He is strong enough to carry us. The key there is to be willing to run into His arms when we are frail.

Carry your radiant Light into the murkiness, it will always reign.

Romans 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

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Passing the Torch

“No man is an island, entire of itself.” 

This quote from John Donne has resonated with me after I saw it in the movie About a Boy many years ago. You see, I love to write, but I’m not much on reading so movies and I are the best of friends. It’s funny though the meaning that something can have when you are bumping along in life alone, without a relationship with God, and then the revelation is has after you are found by The Lord. I used to think that this was all about the lives we build together and the way we let people into our hearts. This is part of it maybe, but when I read it now I think that it is so much more about sharing each other’s burdens and encouraging one another in love. It’s not so much referring to the relationships we have for our own sake but more for the sake of sharing the Glory and Love of God.

Can you imagine floating along in this world all by yourself? I ask that question knowing that someone reading this feels that they are. But you’re not. We are all here together and it is not by chance or without purpose. You’re not meant to do this alone. God did not create us to keep everything to ourselves. We are meant to share things. When facing a hard time, the first response should always be to take it to God. Pray and seek His Wisdom. Then, confide in someone you trust and allow them to share in your burden. We don’t need to push it under the rug and act like everything is perfect. I think that is a stigma that as Christians we sometimes fall victim to, thinking that we have to have the all of the answers or act a certain way. We are not perfect, and we can’t be. What we can be though is real. And I think that we owe that to each other. Grinning and bearing it isn’t helping anyone. Be honest with your friends, your sisters, and yourself.

I can picture God looking down on us seeing it as an ongoing distance race, where we are passing the torch to each other as we reach the end of each leg of the journey. We wouldn’t be able to run the full track alone. But with the help of our Father fueling the flame, and the help of our friends taking the torch as we pass it just when we think we can’t run another step, we can go the distance. In some seasons of your life you may feel like you could run and run as far as you can see, like an eagle soaring so effortlessly. Other times, you will feel like you can’t even start the race, and your knees are weak with defeat. That is exactly why He has put us here together. The abilities and gifts that He has put inside each of us are different, but when shared with each other they fill in the spots that are lacking. His yoke is easy and His burden is light, and if we encourage and love on each other we can become closer to His likeness.

When your friends are hurting, and you don’t know how to help, sometimes it seems so easy to wallow with them. And often there is no real answer that you can offer to their problem. Listen anyway. Pray with them. I know it can be scary and uncomfortable sometimes to pray out loud with someone for the first time, but you can’t possibly know the impact it will have on them until you do it. When you take the time to lift them up and point them to God, the Glory and results are all His, and HE WILL SHOW UP. It also builds the relationship with your friend because you are sharing your heart in a way that cannot be done otherwise.

Be bold lovely.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

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The Lullaby

My sweet little girl has so much energy and character, it’s often hard for me to keep up with her and maintain the level of stamina needed to sustain her needs. Thankfully, God created coffee, and I express my appreciation to Him for it daily. I truly do enjoy every minute with my daughter though, and we have so much fun together doing the things that I would normally consider mundane. She thinks that folding laundry and washing dishes are a special treat that result in a broken heart for her if Mommy dares to do them without her. If my husband or I have the audacity to take the recycling or trash out without including her, we can expect a full on meltdown. She seems to want to mimic anything that I do, and I often hear her saying phrases that she has obviously picked up from me as well. I am so thankful to say that these phrases are “Bless His Heart” or “Be a Good Listener” rather than some of the former choice words I would've spoken before God snatched me up.

Each day, after being up for hours and using all the sass she has to help me do these tasks, as well as dancing, singing and playing for a good while, the time comes for her to take a nap so that the "crankies" don’t set it. If you have a child, you know that this can sometimes go smoothly, and other times it can test your patience more than any other task you've ever attempted. I’ve found the most consistent part of this process is that she asks me to sing a song to her. The lullabies I sing to her vary depending on the day or what I’ve been listening to close to that time, and since I am one of those people who finds a song she loves and plays it on repeat for a year, I typically know a lot of the lyrics to a lot of songs. This comes in extremely handy for singing lullabies, so all you future Mamas out there, keep this in mind.

The pastor of our church has done a series recently called ‘God is Able’ and among lighting a fire in many other areas, this has also reignited my love for the song with the same title by Hillsong. My little girl has fallen asleep every day for two weeks now while I recite these words over her: “God is able, He will never fail, He is Almighty God, Greater than all we seek, Greater than all we ask, He has done great things…” (if you have never heard the song, Google and listen and repeat as necessary). This has resonated with me on a whole new level lately. There is nothing that God is not able to do. There are so many things in our world, in our lives, that we think are not possible because they simply don’t happen for us the minute we decide we want or need them. As my pastor said in this series “You can’t microwave a miracle.”

Our world and society has become so accustomed to the fast paced response in every facet that we can’t understand why our heart’s desires aren’t being fulfilled immediately upon request. Patience is a virtue that the majority of us do not have. And the truth is that in the waiting time, the space between our request and the response, that’s where the faith comes in. Taking the time to kneel, and pray in the silence, that’s when we realize that God is able. He WILL never fail. Even if we don’t get what we want, His plan is always better than what we could’ve hoped for.

If you’re in the midst of the waiting period, sing yourself a lullaby. And imagine what God is singing over you, what He has planned that is immeasurably above anything that you’ve set for yourself. Praise Him, because He is worthy above any other desire in your heart.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

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A GPS God

I found myself travelling for the first time in years without my husband as my chauffeur. This was a spur of the moment trip where I packed up my little car for my daughter and I to shuffle on up the road six hours back “home” to where most of my family and friends are. My husband was working the weekend, so it seemed like a good time to run on up and visit some of the people I haven’t seen in the past nearly four months since we moved to the beach. I felt somewhat organized considering I had only decided about eighteen hours before that this was my plan for the weekend. Before my husband left for work Friday morning, he suggested I take our GPS with me, even though I thought I knew my planned route. So mid-day, I ventured out with my toddler in tow, armed with a fully charged iPhone, MP3 player, and Tom-Tom.

I used to be an enraged driver, flipping out over anyone who cut me off or tried to pass me, but that was before Jesus took the wheel. I totaled my car just over six years ago in what I consider my salvation moment. Ever since, I have been the most defensive and alert driver you will encounter. I think this is why my husband insists on driving everywhere when we are together. 

It’s not so fun having me as a side seat driver, worrying over every swerve of any vehicle around. But this time, I had even more precious cargo on board with my daughter in her car seat sleeping most of the way. I was coasting along listening to my music and trying to breathe as calmly as possible and praying for peace on our trip. Then, out of nowhere, my GPS alerted me that there was an alternate route that was eight minutes faster and I caved into the temptation by clicking OK. I am not the best at multi-tasking while behind the wheel (and I am not sure that any of us should really be trying to multi-task while driving anyway) so when I realized it was trying to take me on the back roads of North Carolina where I would likely have no cell service and be even more lost than I already felt, I decided to just continue up the main highway and hope that Tom-Tom would recalculate my route.

My recalculated route ended up taking me about 40 miles out of the way. I was lost with a GPS. I had trusted this piece of technology over my own sense of direction and planned route. I was a nervous wreck when I arrived at my destination and had stressed myself so much that I was shaking. 

Then I realized the symbolism. God is our Provider. He is our Compass. He is our Planner. We have so many distractions and temptations begging for our attention daily, and if we’re not careful we can so easily get turned around and lost before we even realize it. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to take a wrong turn here and there. But ultimately, we have to learn and pay attention to the way He is guiding and leading us. The only way to do that is to stay in His Word, and continually pray about every choice and decision He would have us make. And if we choose wrongly, and go our own way for a time, we need to look to Him to recalculate our route. Sometimes that means waiting, continuing on blindly, trusting that He will speak in His time. 

There are times and seasons in our lives where we will question if we have made the right choices, taken the right turn, but as long as we keep praising and seeking Him in the process we cannot go wrong. God wants our trust. He wants our devotion. He wants our heart. All of it all the time. Don’t let the world tell you that you’re wrong, or that you need to speed up and follow the crowd. The Only One you need to follow will guide you away from the chaos. Look up and keep your eyes pointed to The Son.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 27:13-14

13 I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

About the Author :

Emilee Lowe is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.

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