Blessed Little Bird

Covid 2020 has hit so many of us in ways we never expected. Seclusion, fear, worry, anxiety, illness, death, broken relationships, closed doors, lost opportunity, mandates and restrictions. I started Blessed Little Bird 9 years ago. I still believe, with all that I am, that this business has a mission, a message and a purpose far bigger that what has been and can be taken away. I, like many, have lost at least half a years worth of income. I have lost half a years worth o...f new relationships, new opportunities, new adventures, and new chances to share the word. And if I allow it, I will have lost half a years worth of vision, creativity, passion, and promises. But I am not done. I have not been broken. So I am stepping out and trusting that what has been placed on my heart is the message God wants His children to hear. That the words that come from my voice are filling and fruitful. That the path I am following Him upon will lead to green pastures and fields of gold. Because within all the pain and suffering of what we have lost, sits gifts of things so much more beautiful than we could ever imagine. I know its hard to see amongst the rubble and ashes of broken hearts, but trust me, its there. Restoration in abundance, faith as our first posture, prayer on our knees, tears of sadness that turn to joy, endings that lead to new beginnings, fear that turns worry into worship, new appreciation for people, for life, for seeing smiling faces... We are stronger than we know. Braver than we think. More full of faith than we knew we had space for, and beyond prepared to finish a season that looks like ash from the surface, but is actually a field of beauty placed within the rubble and a future growing with beautiful promises. Our faith isn't reliant upon success or freedoms, our faith exists because we believe with all our might that the God of all creation loves us, would do anything for us, and holds promises and truths for us that only He can provide. I covet prayers, and ask you to welcome my new project... "Dear Ashes, Love Beauty" (Details to come over the next couple weeks, so please, stick around) #dearasheslovebeauty

I don't know about you, but in my life, I need a lot of grace. On a daily basis, I become the mom I dont want to be, the wife I dont want to stand next to, the friend who is just too much, the daughter that isn't enough, and the Christian I'm not proud to be. On a daily basis I give Jesus a million reasons to be disappointed in me. I fight shame and anger, frustration and greed. I battle envy and heartbreak. I long for the way things used to be and miss the blessings God has... in my life now. I spend more time asking God "why me?" than asking Him "why not me?" One minute Im preaching the gospel and the next I'm crying on the floor because I feel fear, anxiety, anger and envy...things that Jesus doesn't give me. I cradle them in my tears and leave no space for Jesus to carry them away. I need to grow. I need a safe place to let go of the things I think I am, the things I carry into my everyday, and allow grace to blanket me, releasing the burdens that I so comfortably sling on my shoulders as a companion. I need grace. I need His grace. Grace gives me the ability to walk into shame, and right back out of it. Grace gives me the chance to make it better, next time. Grace speaks truth into my heart and allows me to speak that same truth into the hearts of the ones who have hurt me. Into the hearts of the ones I have hurt. Grace opens the door when it feels like every single lock is missing the key. Grace gives me hope and dreams and reminds me that no matter how awful I think I am, how ashamed I feel, how desperately I walk in disappointment expecting comfort, Jesus is always waiting for me on the other side. He isn't mad. He isn't punishing me. He isn't turning his head away from me, or saying painful things. Jesus carries the currency of grace, and that can buy more faith, hope, peace, reconciliation, contentment and dreams than anything else ever could. Grace is the place where truth is revealed, faith is restored and peace is strengthened. When I try to buy my own strength, pay the bills with my own knowledge and power, I am all too quickly reminded that my currency doesn't hold power here, that my currency is temporary and unfulfilling.(Cont. below) See more

I've always felt the closest to people who call me by my nickname. Its an odd endearment for me, but for some reason, calling me by my full name has always felt formal, or felt like I was in trouble. As I have grown older, the amount of people that call me by my nickname has changed, naturally. As we do life with kids and pandemics, quarantine and schedules, the quality time we have with people starts to change. ... Some Friendships become distant and others grow stronger. In different seasons of our lives, sometimes we have a lot of "nick name" friends and other times, we just have a few. What I know to be true, is everyone needs nickname friends. People who stand by you in the hard stuff, when things get ugly, when you cry over heartbreak or for no reason at all, when things unexpectedly shift and you don't know which way is up, friends that know your heart and want to see deeper into your soul, when time stands between visits and lingers longer than anyone had hoped, but you can still pick up where you left off because distance and space have no place. Nick name friends are a gift, a treasure and God's token of what grace and love looks like on this side of heaven. Who are your nickname friends? (Give 'em a tag and let them know how special they are to you) Love has no divide. Love is stronger than time, distance, hardship and change. Hold your nickname friends close, they are a sweet, special gift. #friendshipisgoodforthesoul #nicknamefriends #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #thereismoretothestory #prophetessarising #thesemomentsmatter #notjustonsunday #loveneverfails

For every hard thing, there is 10 fold of good things. For every hard season, a beautiful season is to follow. For every heartbreak, mending is just around the corner. 90 something days ago I started an 80 day challenge to get myself in shape. It was hard. And I wanted to give up. ... In the midst of a global "pandemic", racial divide, fear mongering media overload, loneliness and grief... With the world raging around me, I wanted to throw the towel in even more. This isn't a post for a job well done. Not a cry for a "congrats"... This is a testimony, a reminder, a hope that friends, we can do hard things, even when things around us are really, really hard. We have had lives lost and saved all around us the past few months. We have seen distance grow in relationships and distance shrink in between. We have felt alone and supported at the same time. The tears I shed are for the losses, the gains, the disappointment and the accomplishments, the right now and the what comes next, the hope for reconciliation and the promise for restoration, the broken and the healed, the lack of communication and the new connection. There is beauty in the hard stuff. Within it lies truth, honesty, hope and faith. You just need to be willing to look for it. Here is to beauty from ashes, all things new, and hope for the future. When the sun sets may you rest in the peace that you are loved more than words by a God who believes you are amazing. When the sun rises may you wake with a beautiful anticipation for what He wants to show you today. And if you feel like hope is lost, remember, hope is always leading you to the other side of what is hard into what is beautiful. #hopeisntlost #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #thereismoretothestory #prophetessarising #thesemomentsmatter #notjustonsunday #loveneverfails #anointed #wecsndohardthings See more

If you ever get your hands on this journal, you will get to see the depths of my soul, the longing for promises, purpose, restoration and redemption. You will see captured, a fearless cry for what resides in my heart, a plea with God to make a way, open a heart and maybe even mend something utterly broken. A vision longed for, a purpose fulfilled, an open..or closed door. I was listening to my utmost favorite author and Podcaster @anniefdowns , who was speaking with my other... utmost favorite author @loswhit , whom together I could melt into the lullaby if their words all day long....and they were talking about prayer. To be honest, all too often I say I am praying for something, but really I am just sitting in wait...saying things to myself like "God knows my heart already..." or praying "could you maybe, please, if you want..." sorts of prayers. But something Carlos said, so profound, so simple...so easy to accomplish... "Pray specifically and pray boldly. So many pray passively and vaguely. If we cast a wide net, I'll catch something. But if I get specific with my prayers and he doesn't answer, then what?" Do we walk in expectation that God will answer our prayers or do we stand behind the wall of doubt and think maybe, He will gift me with something because he "knows me?" And if He doesn't, start wonder why we aren't being heard. If we pray boldly, state clearly and sink deeply into our prayer lives, God will show up. Its not always when we want, or how we want...but I know I'd much rather look back and see the ways God has moved, see the ways my prayers have been seen and heard, by praying with a fervent, powerful statement of faith, than stanfing on the sidelines, praying because I am supposed to, or even not praying at all, and wondering if He has seen or heard me cries. I will start laying out my bold prayers, without fear of Him not showing up, but standing with faith that He is already there. #prayboldly #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #thereismoretothestory #prophetessarising #thesemomentsmatter #notjustonsunday #loveneverfails

Some of my favorite moments are hearing from my clients the "why" behind the words or scripture they choose for their pieces. It stirs up a part of my heart that is reminded of what is true in all of our lives, a part of my heart that sometimes needs the reminder, and the part of my heart that says we are in this together. I love this piece. Here is my client's why: I am a Christian and because I am I strive to be like Christ more each day and better than the day before. Je...sus tells us to love; love your neighbor love yourself, love Him, love your enemies. Throughout it all He always loved first. I want to treat people the same way Jesus did. Food for the soul. #whatisyourwhy #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #thereismoretothestory #prophetessarising #thesemomentsmatter #notjustonsunday See more

I'm headed to my 2nd funeral in 2 days. They aren't sad, they are celebrations of lives long lived. Lives of men and women who worked hard, loved hard, and fought hard. Goals. But, as most everything these days, it makes me think. ... I think about the generation we are saying goodbye to, the stories that get buried when they do, the traditions and hardships, the battles and victories, lives lived well, people loved well, appreciation for life and gratitude for what has been. The path walked by our generations before are beautiful pieces of art, times that will only be remembered in history books. And I wonder, what story, what legacy, what are we leaving the next generation? Will we leave them stories of division or reconciliation? Will we leave them in fear, or standing in truth. Will we leave them prepared to walk in His name, for His glory, or will they succumb to the pains of this world? Sometimes I wonder why so much is hard in the world right now. Why can't things just be better, be peaceful, be good, all the time? And as I told a friend this morning... sometimes God has us in a space of waiting so we know what it is we really want. My prayer is that as we are sitting in the waiting, as we are holding space for things to be different and better, as we are holding space for the next generation, as we are preparing a place for the future, that we align what we want, with what God wants. That we allow our hearts to stay open, accept change, grow peace and that ultimately, we become the generation that the next generation talks about as beautiful works of art. #pavingtheway #forsuchatimeasthis #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #thereismoretothestory #prophetessarising #thesemomentsmatter #notjustonsunday

I want to share my heart from a place of love and grace. I pray you hear it well. I pray for a better place, where we have growth within the presence of grace. I won't pretend even for a minute that I know what its like...to live in this world, fighting for equality and freedom. ... But, I will... Stand firm in what I know to be true. We are all equal, all under the same big God. We all bleed the same color blood. We are all children of God, put here on this planet for a purpose, to spread a message of truth, love and hope. Our country is falling, to its own detriment...and as believers, followers of Christ, we must remain steadfast and strong, united as one, under God, His power and authority. Jesus didn't die so we could bring back what he laid at the cross for us. Let us be the peace, represent the faith, be strong in our beliefs and even stronger in our convictions. The enemy will go to great lengths to make sure we divide, not conquer. He has been working overtime. The message is simple. ...we are one, under God. Love one another. Support one another. Reach out to one another. Everyone is hurting. Everyone. Let us link arms and be the wall formed against the enemy, strong and mighty. As I walk through today, reading posts of praise and posts of protest, I choose to -not judge. -not make assumptions. -not force my opinions on others. I will -give support -give grace -give empathy -give sympathy -lean in to understanding -acknowledge the pain and hardship -be on my knees in prayer and ultimately, seek Him first in all these things. Let us be Jesus's hands and feet in a land that is desperate for reprieve, desperate for hope, and desperate for change. When our brothers fall, let us be there to pick them up. Let us be there to stand, arm in arm. Let us be there to pray with fervent expectation. Let us be the placeholder for our brothers and sisters who are crying for freedom . Let us do the work set before us, in His name. Because, so much growth happens in the presence of grace. #presenceofgrace #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #anointed #thereismoretothestory

Its no coincidence that today I hold my hammer and forcefully hit these letters, these words, these statements of truth, permanently into arrows of gold. My heart hurts. I know yours does too. I have had no words, and maybe you haven't either. ... And some days I'm not sure I was ready for today, or that I did a good job yesterday, or even if my tomorrow is going to be good, too. But the truth is... We were made for this. A time, as this. It may not be in our words, or our ability to relate or respond to what is happening in our world. But it is in our faith. It is in our hope. And it is in our ability to pray the most powerful prayers from the depths of our hearts, asking God to show up, let His kingdom come. We won't always have the voice, the words, the ability to understand, but we always have our prayers. These are the keys to His kingdom, the threshold between looking behind us at once was and glancing into the future of what will be. Perhaps, we were made for such a time as this. To be warriors, not worriers, To be prayers and not protesters, To be faithful and not faith less. And to stand in hope, not be hopeless. Prayer is the most powerful weapon. Use it. #perhapsyouweremadeforsuchatimeasthis #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #thereismoretothestory #prophetessarising #thesemomentsmatter #notjustonsunday

Last year I walked through a really hard time of grief. I was grieving what was, what was no more, what was lost, broken hearts and battling lies that were thrown at me, by the enemy, from all angles. I started losing myself, forgetting who I wanted to be and leaving behind who I thought I was. I was drowning in what if's and why's, questioning people and things, and...God. ... Its amazing what grief does. In the same breath, it can take you down a dark rabbit hole of despair, only to find peace waiting for you at the end of the tunnel. It can overwhelm you with fear, and in the same moment, captivate you with its beauty. It can suffocate you with lies, and in the same sentence, counter them with truth. It can leave you wishing for something else, but seeing, finally, the blessing in what is. Grief is natural. Its a process we must walk through when mouring loss, when mouring pain, when mouring brokenness, when saying goodbye to expectations and closing chapters of our lives. As hard as it feels as you walk through it, the truth is, without it, life would be unbearable. Without the feeling of grief, Would we know what dreams of ours exist? Would we understand the depth of care we have, the ability for forgiveness, the grace we always have just inside our front pocket? Would we learn, would we grow, would we acknowledge the dark parts of us that hide on a daily basis, but show up when things get hard? Grief doesn't take away all the pain, all the problems, and it surely doesn't replace what has been lost..... But it does allow space for growth, healing, restoration and bravery. I have learned that the sister to grief is bravery. And bravery is a gift from God that leads me on amazing adventures. #bebrave #anointed #beautyfromashes #declarethetruth #theperiodmakesitfinal #thereismoretothestory #prophetessarising #thesemomentsmatter

We've been sitting here a while now, haven't we? What first began feeling like a little bit of freedom from daily obligations has begun to feel like a trap. What first began feeling like a long awaited break now feels like loss. What first felt like a reprieve now feels like a punishment.... Its been quite a long while.... I know at times I have felt helpless, abandoned, frustrated and sad. I have felt as though my future rests in the hands of someone who really doesn't care. That my choices, liberties, freedoms and independence has been locked away and the key has been locked away, too. And then I remember... I remember that My choices may be limited, but I am not . My circumstances may be undesirable, but I am not stuck. My life may look and feel different, but I am not hopeless. My heart may be heavy, but I am not lost My spirit may be aching, but I am not alone. We may feel bound and powerless, by the ones bigger than us, telling us what we can and cannot do, where we can and cannot go, but we are free in the one that is more powerful. Rest assured friends, He is way more powerful. And I know, My future rests in Jesus. Our hands may be tied but our souls are not. Because my hands aren't in shackles, My heart finds peace My mind can rest My spirit can seek, and find. I choose not to be bound by my situation and limitless burden, but to be bound WITH the one who sets me free. I choose to be bound with the one who holds my future, not by the thing that drags me into the past, or keeps me in a present of uncertainty. And now, bound by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given methe task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." Acts 20:22-24 NIV Internal freedom means external peace. Praying for peace that surpasses all understanding, bravery to walk into your Jerusalem and, bound in spirit, share the word of truth, grace and love. #boundwiththeonewhosetsusfree #notjustonsunday

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