Heartprints of God

Remember Me? I'm So Happy To Be Back!

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 08:21:00 -0600

I release the weight

of all that is me

into the chair underneath me,

and breathe deep.

As I gaze beyond

my laptop

to the view in front of me,

I am overcome with tears.

Several months ago -

(well, actually,

looking back now,

I know this transition

began over a year ago)

God starting moving.

(Isn't He always?!)

An unexpected trip home

December 2020

to check on my mother

became she and I

doing life together -

between her home and mine

(400 miles apart from each other)

month after month after month.

I tease her,

with all the driving we have done

over this past year and a half,

we could have probably

toured the United States

several times by now

Then came August 2020.

A trip to see my sister

to celebrate my mom's

eighty-fifth birthday,

and as they say,

the rest is history -

only the history

is just now

starting to become ours

as we settle into

a new home -

one that is now ours,

hers and mine -

in a new state

where neither of us

have ever lived before.

Needless to say,

with all the

here and there

of the last few years,

the one place

I haven't been

is here.

At my keyboard.

Writing.

Sharing.

Telling of the goodness

of my God.

And the heartprints

I could share

of what God has done

while I've been absent here . . .

I pray I get the chance.

In all the "new" happening,

I have also been

working on a new webpage.

One that will enable me

to house all things

"Heartprints of God'

in one place.

It's still a work in progress,

but if you'd like -

come on over

and have a look around

HERE,

at www.stacylsanchez.com.

God willing,

now that life is

settling down

even the tiniest bit,

I hope to be

showing up here often.

And, if you are a subscriber,

showing up regularly

in your inbox again, too!

Our God is amazing.

His faithfulness -

unbelievably believable!

Knowing Him

the way I do,

hearing Him lead

the way I do,

feeling His conviction

and counsel

the way I do,

seeing His blessings

and favor

the way I do,

witnessing His heartprints

always in all ways

the way I do -

you could

never ever

convince me

there is no God.

I pray with every word

written in this place,

your heart believes

more and more, too,

His ways

definitely

are not our ways,

(and really, aren't you glad?!)

but oh,

how perfect they are.

Take it from

a heart

that knows.

~Stacy

Maturing in Childlike Faith~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 10:05:00 -0700

One of my favorite songs

is about a class of children

with special needs.

While their teacher

taught them their ABC's,

she also shared with them

the love of Jesus.

One day,

she told them

of Jesus' promise

to come back

and take them

to Heaven.

From that moment on,

she couldn't keep them

in their seats!

They were always

running to the windows,

pressing their

fingertips and noses

against the windowpane,

looking for Jesus.

If He said He was coming,

He WAS coming!

Oh, to have the faith of these children.

How it must

please our Father's heart

when we take Him

at His word.

If He said it,

He will do it.

No ifs, ands or buts

about it.

As I look into my own life,

I have found

the moments

that have brought me

the most pleasure

are the ones where

I was understood

for who I am

and I was taken

at my word.

On the flip side of that,

I can also attest

to the fact

that some of my most

frustrating and heartbreaking moments

have been those when

who I am

was questioned or doubted.

We all long

to be someone

others

can believe in

and count on.

I wonder if God longs for this, too.

Can you imagine

what kind of life

you and I would be living

at this very moment

if we truly took

the Lord

at His Word?

When I was a child,

I was told faith

is a lot

like sitting

on a chair.

When we sit down,

we have faith

this piece of furniture

won't let us down.

We trust it will

support us and hold us up.

Seldom do we

give the chair

a second thought,

much less

a thorough inspection!

Yet,

when it comes

to placing our life

into the hands

of the Creator

of the universe,

we hold back,

questioning and doubting

if He will be there

to hold us up?

But without faith

it is impossible

to please him:

for he that cometh to God

must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder

of them that diligently seek him.

~ Hebrews 11:6

I once asked my class

what they were thankful for.

In the midst of the usual

flood of responses -

my bike, my family, our dog -

one answer stood high

above the others.

One little boy

simply stated

he was thankful

God was real

and not pretend.

Do you believe God is real?

Are you willing

to relinquish

the weight

you are carrying

and allow Him

to support you

and hold you up?

Are you ready

to run with me

to the window of God's heart,
leaving your own heartprint,
as in eager anticipation,
you look for all

He has promised you?

It is the desire

of my heart

to please my God.

What better way

to do this than

to believe

He is WHO

He says He is
and to know and trust

He will DO

what He says He will do.

~Stacy

Listen. Hear That?

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sun, 8 Nov 2020 18:45:00 -0700

"Listen, Baby!

Hear that?"

And since this conversation

usually happened in

the wee hours of the night,

and since with my man

sleeping nestled right beside me

I always slept so peacefully and sound,

chances are

until he gently touched me

and whispered those words,

I hadn't heard that.

"Listen, Beautiful.

It's raining."

Once I shook the sleepy off,

and started to awake, though -

I could hear it, too -

this beautiful,

undeniable

sound of rain.

The dancing of rain

on the roof above,

the pitter pat of

drops on our window pane,

the drip, drip, drip,

of water rolling off the roof

and into newly formed puddles.

Aaah - rain in the desert.

There is nothing like it.

Especially in the heat

of a long, hot, dry summer.

Besides the symphony of sound,

the rain always brought with it

a cooling of the temperature

and an infusing of the air

with the scent of the oil

from the now soaked creosote bushes.

And I always understood

why the one who loved me so

didn't think twice

about waking me up.

To have missed this.

To have missed the rain.

To have missed experiencing

it with my man.

No - I wouldn't have wanted

to miss one moment of it.

Because as much as this rain

was sent to refresh and water the earth,

deep inside the deepest place of me,

I, too, was refreshed.

I, too, was revived.

"Listen, World.

Hear that?"

And since this post

is happening in

the wee hours of earth's history,

and since living in this world

nestled up against

all of its distractions,

cares, and concerns can

lull us into a spiritual sleep,

chances are

until I gently nudge you awake,

you might not

have heard that yet,

either.

"Listen, Brother and Sister!

It's raining."

And I think

once you

have shaken off the sleepy

and begin to awake,

you will hear it, too.

The beautiful,

undeniable,

sound of rain,

The latter rain,

that is.

The sound of God

pouring out His Spirit

upon a dry and weary land.

The cry of humanity

looking for answers,

the sound of prayers

ascending up to heaven,

the sense of urgency

in the sharing of the gospel.

Aaah - spiritual rain in our world.

There is nothing like it.

And just like my man,

made no apologies

for waking me up,

I am boldly reaching out,

touching you on your heart,

and waking you up.

To miss this.

To miss the hope falling around us.

To miss the move of God happening among us.

To miss the revival

and the refreshment

and the very

power of our God

at work in our land.

To miss experiencing it

with our God, with each other.

No - I don't think

either of us

want to miss out on this.

So, wake up, dear one.

Listen.

Hear that?

It's raining.

It. Is. Raining.

This is not the time to be sleeping.

Breathe it in deep.

this Holy Spirit infused air.

Allow it to

revive you,

refresh you,

empower you.

Then, go out

and wake up others, too.

It's raining.

His Spirit is falling.

God is moving.

Be encouraged.

~ Stacy

Faith Remains~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sat, 7 Nov 2020 14:55:00 -0700

So many times

we think we have faith

until we find ourselves in a place

that has us questioning God,

that in turn,

takes us to a place

that has us questioning our faith

in God.

We hear a diagnosis.

We get "let go" from our job.

We receive divorce papers.

We stand in a cemetery.

Blindsided and knocked off our feet,

we start to wrestle with God about the "why"?

Only sometimes,

most times, in fact,

when it comes to knowing the "why",

God chooses to remain silent.

And this is where the questioning of our faith begins.

It's easy to have faith

when all is as we think it should be.

It's easy to have faith

when life is good,

and it seems God is good, too.

But - what about when the ground crumbles beneath us?

If we are standing on faith in God,

and not faith in our situations and our circumstances,

we will still be able to stand.

This is what faith is -

standing when we don't know what,

standing when we don't know when,

standing when we don't know where,

standing when we don't know how -

because we know WHO.

Everything is our life can change in a heartbeat,

but God never changes.

Faith is faith

when we don't have all the answers

and still believe.

Faith is faith

when we don't understand the why

and still believe.

Faith is faith

when we don't know

what, when, where or how

and still believe.

And, this.

Especially this:

Faith is faith even when

we still feel pain,

we still feel anger,

we still feel hurt,

we still feel left wondering why.

Because I think

what we sometimes forget is this:

It is possible to have faith

and feel as though

you are drowning

in a sea of emotions

simultaneously.

Faith can still be there

even in the tears,

even in the heartache,

even in the pain,

even in the struggle.

Don't allow your emotions

to convince you

you've lost your faith.

Don't allow your emotions

to "mix up"

the losses in your life.

You may have lost your health,

but faith still remains.

You may have lost your job,

but faith still remains.

You may have lost your spouse,

but faith still remains.

You may have lost your loved one,

but faith still remains.

This is the very essence of faith in God.

It stays

even when,

in the midst of,

and in spite of.

When our faith is in God,

faith remains

because He remains.

~Stacy

Until . . .

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 20:01:00 -0600

Gracious Heavenly Father,

You want nothing more

than for Your children

to walk in truth.

So often, though,

we feel as though

we are in a game

of hide-n-seek with You.

We feel as though

we somehow

have to make our way

through a maze of

"this way" or "that way"

in order to find

our way to You.

We wonder why

knowing Your will

and finding Your way

is so hard to do.

And yet, the truth is this:

You are not hiding;

we are not truly seeking.

You are not silent;

we are not truly listening.

You are not ducking and dodging

in an effort to stay

one step out of touch with us;

we are not zeroing in and focusing

totally and completely

on You.

The problem is not with You, Father God.

(Never has been. Never will be.)

The problem is with us.

(Always.)

We allow everything and everyone

to overshadow and drown out

what You are doing,

what You are saying,

what You are guiding us to

or leading us through.

We remember Peter, Lord.

How, walking on the water,

You held out your hand

and invited Peter

to walk to You

and with You.

Stepping out of the boat,

eyes, ears, and faith

all completely on You, Jesus,

it was easy for him

to know what to do,

where to step,

which direction to go.

And do, step, and go, he did.

Right on top of the water,

right straight to You,

until......

Oh, Father God,

this is the word

(and the moment!)

that always causes us

to stumble,

to fall,

to doubt,

to become fearful and confused.

We hear Your calling,

we sense Your leading,

we know what You are

calling us to

and we are willing

to do, step, and go

until.....

until we are reminded about this,

until we start to realize that,

until we listen to them,

until we forget about,

until we TAKE. OUR. EYES. OFF. OF. YOU.

Help us, Father God

in our "until" moments.

Help us to keep

seeking You

with all our heart.

Help us to keep

listening for Your

still small voice.

Help us to keep

removing all that blocks

our view of You.

Help us to keep

stepping out,

placing one foot of our faith

in front of the other

UNTIL

we reach You, Lord.

Oh, Father God,

You want nothing more

than for Your children

to walk in truth.

You will be faithful

to lead us,

if only,

we will be faithful

to follow.

Thank you, Father God.

In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

~ Stacy

What's So Ordinary About That?~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 00:22:00 -0600

Ordinary.

So many times

we let this word

define our day.

When the alarm goes off,

we moan as we head into

"just another ordinary day".

As we

eat breakfast,

maneuver through traffic,

answer emails,

fold laundry,

sit in a waiting room,

pick up the kids from school,

we find ourselves

simply

going through the motions,

doing the next thing on our list,

without ever stopping

to realize:

each of these moments

are anything but ordinary.

Each moment

is a moment in time

unlike

any other moment in time.

Each moment,

only a moment,

for that very moment.

Each moment

gone the moment

another moment begins.

Each moment,

unique,

precious,

God-given

and

God-ordained.

Each moment,

a gift.

As I sat in a waiting room

at a doctor's office one day,

I thought about all the

"ordinary" things

I take for granted.

A man in a wheelchair

reminded me how

anything-but-ordinary

walking is.

A lady on oxygen

reminded me how

anything-but-ordinary

breathing is.

If you stop

and think about it,

which is exactly

what I did that day,

you can't help

but come to the conclusion

that every single moment

of life

is. a. miracle.

Every single moment

of life

is. an. extraordinary. gift.

Every "ordinary" part

of our day

is anything-but-ordinary,

only we don't take the time

to stop and notice

what we've been given,

what we're able to do,

what our God has granted us

at that very moment in time.

To be a

living,

breathing,

thinking,

moving,

creating,

accomplishing,

deciding,

providing,

eating,

sleeping,

laughing,

experiencing,

loving

human being

is anything but ordinary.

We are fearfully

and wonderfully made

and each and every moment

of our life,

graciously and miraculously

given to us.

May we live

each moment

in awe and appreciation

of both.

~ Stacy

Stand Your Ground~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 08:22:00 -0600

Sometimes,

most times, in fact,

when you are in

the midst of a storm,

and all is breaking

loose around you,

you feel the overwhelming need

to run away,

to escape,

to withdraw,

to retreat,

to strike out,

to fight back,

to force your way through,

to launch out in a

completely new direction.

Sometimes,

most times, in fact,

neither of these responses

are best.

Sometimes,

most times, in fact,

the best thing

you can do is this:

stand your ground.

Don't allow the pressure

to push you backwards,

and certainly

don't allow the pressure

to push your forward

into decisions

you have no business making

during a time

of emotional stress

and uncertainty.

Stand your ground.

Dig you feet

into the promises

found in God's Word.

Hold fast to the truth

that God is with you

and God will fight

your battle for you.

Believe that

God is at work,

God is in control,

God is working it

(all. of. it.)

for good.

Pray for the courage

to not be swayed.

Pray for the strength

to endure the storm.

Pray for the peace

to hear God's still small voice

above all else.

Pray for the

presence of God to

uphold you,

sustain you,

support you,

and surround you.

Stand in the power

of your God,

and let Him work.

Know and believe that

not sometimes,

not most times,

but ALL TIMES, in fact,

your God is faithful.

~Stacy

Sowing in Tears~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 09:52:00 -0600

In the moments

right before the

Celebration of Life ceremony

for my husband

four years ago now,

we gathered at

the front of the church -

the two pastors

officiating the service

and me,

and we prayed.

We joined our hearts

and our hands together

in a bond of three,

and we prayed -

believing

every single person

in attendance that day

would someday

(if not that day,

and if not already)

come to a

saving knowledge of Jesus

and enjoy a personal

walk with God.

Nothing would have made

my precious man happier.

We claimed the promise

that God's Word

does not return void,

that it accomplishes

the very purposes of God.

I know

without a doubt

Heaven will one day

reveal God's faithfulness.

The last few days,

as I am knee-deep

in packing and

the emptying out of our home

for my upcoming move,

I have been praying

a similar prayer.

As I have been

loading the car

with all of my man's clothes -

(I can still see him in

every shirt,

every suit coat,

every t-shirt,

every pair of sweats,

every piece of cameo,

every single pair of jeans,)

all of his personal belongings,

as well as so many items

from our life together,

I have been praying

once again,

and believing anew.

This time my prayer

is for the one

who receives.

For the one

who might become

the new one

sporting his sport coat,

relaxing in his t-shirt,

feeling the warmth of a fire from a tree he cut,

poking a log with our fire poker,

enjoying a meal on our tableware,

circling around our artificial Christmas tree,

listening to music on our stereo,

reading by the light of a favorite lamp,

hearing God's Spirit through the pages of a Bible.

I am praying,

that they, too, -

every single person

who is gifted an item

or purchases it from the thrift store -

will someday

(if not that day,

and if not already)

come to a

saving knowledge of Jesus

and enjoy a personal

walk with God.

And since my man

loooooooooooooooved clothes,

(so much so

I had to make two trips

just for those),

and since together

we lived a whole lot

of life together here,

(What a trip that has been!

Thank you my Abba Father!),

among the tears,

I have also felt

a smile of anticipation,

a smile of joy

as I think about

just what our God

will do

as I pray

for His very presence

to be known

in the lives

of whoever

receives each item.

When you have been

entrusted with the honor

of saying goodbye

to your love,

to his personal belongings,

to a life shared together,

it's no light matter.

Knowing and believing

that in all things,

if you entrust

it all to God -

He can and will

make it count

for His Kingdom

you can release it all -

praising God in advance

for the harvest

that is sure to come.

~ Stacy

When You Know You Are Held~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Fri, 9 Oct 2020 08:57:00 -0600

Raw, transparent, and vulnerable -
do you suppose any of us
like to find our character
clothed only in authenticity?

This girl certainly doesn't,
and yet,
I know that I know that I know
it is this that God has called me to -
in my relationships,
in my walk with Him,
and in this space,
where words reveal to you
a whole lot more than I wish they would.

But,
if a revelation of this
sinful, messy, real, authentic heart
is what God can use for you to
better see His heart authentically,
then raw, transparent and vulnerable it is.

Which brings me to today's post
and this admission:

Lately I've been feeling

more apart

(a million broken pieces

scattered everywhere

and in every direction)

than I've been feeling together.

Can you relate?

A little of me here,

a little of me there.

A little attention to this,

a little attention to that.

A little working on this,

a little working on that.

And naturally,

it only stands to reason,

if you don't have it

all together,

it makes you feel

like you're falling apart, right?

And yet,

God has been showing me,

feeling and being

are two totally different realities.

Life has a way

of pulling us

in a million different directions -

decisions

deadlines

distractions

disappointments

detours

dead ends.

And yet,

if we are rooted and grounded

in Christ,

we may

give in to this tug or

give way to that push,

but we are held together

in and through Him.

We may feel like

we are just a

jumbled up,

disconnected mess -

but the one who

holds the moon

and holds back the waves

is holding us.

And His hold on us,

holds us together.

Never let a feeling

convince you

you are something

you are not.

Never let a feeling

talk you out of a truth.

The world can

pull and tug

all it wants,

(and it will)

but the hold our God

has on us

keeps us together in Him

even in the midst

of the most broken of places.

Our coming undone,

our falling apart,

our not having it all together -

well,

this is simply part of being human:

a human desperately in need of a God

who holds us in the palm of His hand.

Feeling anything but together lately?

Me, too.

Praise God, it's only a feeling.

We've got this,

because we've got God.

And most importantly,

God has us,

and He's never letting go.

For in Him

we live and move

and have our being.

~Acts 17:28

~ Stacy

A Necessary Hurt~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 13:20:00 -0600

"Which hurt worse?" I asked.

It was a question I asked

each and every time

my husband told of the time,

when as a small child

playing baseball in the field

right across from his home,

he had fallen and broken his arm.

Only,

no one knew it was broken.

Knowing if others knew

his days of playing ball on the field

might come to an abrupt halt,

he hid his hurt.

And since it was a fracture

and not a clean break,

he was able to hide his hurt

for quite awhile.

Until

the hurt kept hurting.

Until

the pain wouldn't let up.

Until

the hiding and the not telling

and the fear of not playing

made it so the playing

wasn't any fun anymore.

When his parents

finally found out

and he found himself

face to face with a doctor,

he heard these words,

that to his ears,

seemed unbelievable.

"Your son has a fracture.

However, since this wasn't

dealt with in a timely matter,

his arm has tried to heal itself,

but not properly.

We are going to have to

re-break his arm

and set it in a cast."

And this is where

my question always

interrupted his story.

"Which hurt worse?

The first break or the re-break?"

His answer -

always the same.

"Both - but in different ways."

My husband passed away

four years ago.

And when he did,

might heart broke wide open.

Not a fracture, a complete break.

And unlike my husband

when as a child

he hid his fracture,

when my heart broke,

everyone knew.

And try as I might,

I tried my very hardest

to deal with it head on.

To not push it under the rug,

to not pretend it wasn't there,

to not NOT deal with it.

Holding onto to God

with all my might,

I jumped right in to

the messiness of it all,

the sorrow of it all,

the not-one-thing-normal of it all,

in an effort to get to the other side.

And yet,

it is more than obvious to me now,

as I prepare to sell my home

and move to a brand new city

in a brand new state,

after living twenty years in my home,

and thirty years in this quaint town,

without my husband -

I am experiencing a re-breaking of my heart.

As I empty closets

of my husband's clothes -

shirts, that with just one glance,

can bring life to a faded memory,

my heart is breaking wide open

all over again.

As I decide

what to do with this

and what to do with that,

the realization of his death

feels in so many ways

brand new again.

And I find myself

wrestling with myself

to answer my own question:

"Which hurt worse?

The first break or the re-break?"

And the only answer that fits

is that of my husband:

Both - but in different ways.

This - I am discovering -

is simply the nature of grief.

As long as I'm alive,

as long as God graciously gives

breath to my lungs,

and a beat to my heart,

re-breaks

are going to happen.

Like my husband,

before admitting his break,

I think the sting of grief

can always be felt in

some degree and in some fashion:

A scent here.

A comment there.

A song overheard.

A thought re-thought.

It doesn't take much

to stir up grief,

to bring tears,

to stop you in your tracks.

But, a re-break -

this is like starting all over.

As tears roll endlessly down my cheeks,

I hear the Great Physician,

my Abba Father say words

that seem almost unbelievable:

"I want this heart to heal

perfectly and completely

and in order for that to happen,

we are going to have to

re-break it.

It's not that you didn't try

to heal it properly the first time,

it's just that in order

for the healing to be complete,

we have to heal this hurt

at every single level."

The words are hard to hear,

the pain harder yet to feel.

And yet,

four years into this journey,

with my precious Jesus by my side,

I know I can trust my God

to do what is best.

Yes,

my heart has been

broken wide open again.

But praise God,

I have no doubt,

I will only find my God

in this pain,

deeper,

stronger,

and closer to me

than ever before.

Healing is happening.

One break at a time.

One tear at a time.

One prayer at a time.

One step forward at a time.

One turning it over to God -

over and over and over again.

"Oh the pain.

But you know what, Beautiful?

Once it was finally healed,

I was back on that field,

playing my heart out,

better than before."

This is God's ultimate plan:

I have come that you might have life

and life more abundant.

~John 10:10

Lord, give us courage

in the times of re-breaking.

Remind me over and over,

it's all part of the plan

to get us back in the game of life,

better than ever before.

~ Stacy

A Glorious Beginning~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 09:16:00 -0600

So many times

we look at the

end of something

and think life

as we know it

is over.

And,

maybe it is

for that particular

season of our life.

But,

what we fail

to remember

is that

our God

is a God

of new.

When one

season is over,

it is only

ushering in

a brand new one.

And Fall,

more than

any other season,

reminds us that

"the end"

can be

a glorious part

of the new beginning.

For God

is in it all.

~ Stacy

Peace is Found in the Surrender~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 08:34:00 -0600

Sports and me?
Together?

Well,
let's just say
we're not as close as
peanut butter and jelly
or mac n cheese.

In fact,
when it comes
to sports in general,
I've always tried
to keep a safe distance
between them and me.

And yet,
I have found myself
actively engaged
in an activity
of a sporty nature.

And not just any sport,
mind you.

No - the sport
I have found myself
thrown into
is oddly
(or maybe not odd at all)
the one that allows
the least distance
between competitors.

WRESTLING!

If ever there was a
full-on,
no space between,
contact sport -
wrestling is it.

As to the hows and whys
that brought me to this place,
and positioned me on this mat,
most likely this will all unravel
in future posts -
(I'm still processing it all -
because you know as well as me,
whenever God is in it,
it can be overwhelming
and it takes some time
to find the appropriate way
to communicate His move
in ways that do justice
to the all of who He is),
but for now -
it's safe to say,
this wrestling has done it's job.
(at least for the moment)

And that's the thing about wrestling:
in order to stay in the game,
in order to gain an advantage,
in order to pin your opponent,
and be declared the winner,
you have to
lean into,
press against,
and lay all your weight up against,
the one you are wrestling with.

Thankfully for me,
I have no problem
at all
leaning into,
pressing up against,
and laying all of my weight
on the one I'm wrestling.

In fact,
it is the very close proximity
and the very nature of wrestling
that has positioned me
right where I need to be:
leaning into,
pressing up against,
and laying all of my weight
on my Jesus.

I couldn't be
in a better place.

So, while sports
definitely aren't my thing,
I've come to love wrestling.

Not for the sake of wrestling,
because anyone who has wrestled
knows it can twist you
and turn you in some
unique and unusual positions
before the match is over,
wearing you out
and leaving you flat on your back
with nothing left to give,
but simply for the fact
that it brings me
so close,
so very, very, very close
to the heart
of my Father.

So close,
I can hear the beat
of His heart
and soon,
amid all the huffing and puffing,
amidst all the tossing and turning,
in spite of all the moaning and groaning,
(from me - never my Lord)
my own heart beat,
my own breaths,
begin to fall into rhythm
with His.

And like Jacob,
who wrestled
with His Lord, too,
when you come away
from the match,
you are changed -
in ways you can't even explain,
but in ways you can't deny.

And while some might feel
it is irreverent
to wrestle with the Lord,
I would humbly disagree,
for the place I have been,
the position I have found myself in,
this place of wrestling,
of leaning into,
pressing up against,
and laying all of my weight
upon my Savior
has been nothing less
than sacred and holy.

Through this wrestling,
God has
met me,
held me,
challenged me,
instructed me,
re-positioned me,
and humbled me.

He has
given me deeper insight
into who I am
in light of who He is,
and has shown me unquestioningly
the areas of my life
where spiritually speaking,
I am still so
vulnerable and weak.

And while most wrestlers
play to win,
the greatest lesson I have learned,
while wrestling with my Lord
is preciously and powerfully this:

Peace is found in the surrender.

When King Jesus is
finally and officially
declared the winner,
peace reigns supreme.

Yes, anything that draws us
closer to our Lord
is a blessing.

And for me
the blessing has come
through wrestling -
a wrestling, which in turn,
brought me to place of
willful surrender,
which ushered in
the peace
that passes all understanding.

And even though,
someone watching from the sidelines
would declare Jesus
the true winner in this match,
(which He unequivocally is -
always and each and every time,
for all time)
I have to say,
and forever give thanks,
that my losing me
to better
serve and love Him
has me
feeling like a winner, too.

~Stacy

Do the Unthinkable~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sun, 5 Apr 2020 19:36:00 -0600

So many times in life
we find our self
in a place where we never
thought we would be.

Divorced.
Addicted.
Depressed.
Abused.
Overweight.
Unemployed.
Diagnosed.

The list could go on and on -
but, you don’t need me to identify your present location.
You are there.
You already know the place where you are all too well.
And, you feel trapped.
You feel as though you have no way out.

Either by choices we have made
or circumstances beyond our control,
life takes an unexpected turn,
down an unanticipated path,
to a never before imagined,
unthinkable place.

Before we know
what has happened
or where we are,
we find our self
behind locked bars
with no key and no way out.

I know.
I’ve been there.
So have Paul and Silas.

Acts 16, NLT
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten and thrown in jail. They found themselves in a place where they never thought they would be. It wasn’t their choice to be where they were. It was the choice of the angry mob. Yet, here they were. Mistreated. Locked up. Trapped.

Sometimes we, too, find our self in a place not of our own choosing.
Someone else or circumstances out of our control have made the choice for us.

We didn’t want a divorce.
Cancer wasn’t in our plans.
We did nothing to deserve being abused or mistreated.
Yet, it happened.
We were stripped of our dreams,
beaten down by something outside of our self,
and thrown into our situation.

We are there -
seated right beside Paul and Silas.

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the other prisoners were listening.

Amazingly enough,
despite what they had just experienced
and in spite of where they now found themselves,
Paul and Silas decided to pray and sing.

PRAY AND SING!

Life sent them to an unthinkable place
and in turn,
they did they unthinkable.

With feet bound,
and flesh torn,
they praised God.

Those around them couldn’t help
but hear the praises
flowing from their hearts.

Chances are you
are not alone
in your unthinkable place.

If you look around,
you will discover others
going through the same experience you are.

Could it be you have
found yourself in this place
by no choice of your own
because God has plans to use you
to bless others who are walking this road with you?

26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

Paul and Silas chose to praise God
and when they did,
God responded.

And, don’t miss this!

Their praise not only set them free,
but it brought freedom to the entire prison.
EVERYONE in the prison was set free.

Today in the very midst of your situation,
I challenge you to praise God -
not silently, but boldly.

Praise Him with everything you’ve got!
Praise Him no matter where you are
and no matter who may hear.
Praise Him from the very depths of your heart.

Like Paul and Silas,
your praise has the potential
to not only set you free,
but to loose the chains
of all those imprisoned with you!

27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer was the one responsible
for all the prisoners.
This was his job.
This is what he had been told to do.
This was his place in life.
Yet, when the prisoners appeared to be free
and he thought his job and his life were over,
he almost killed himself.

Chances are the ones in your life
who have been holding you prisoner
are in this place because
this is what they know.
This is what they have been taught.
This is where life has placed them.

Those who have been abused often abuse others.
Hurting people hurt people.
But notice,
through the power of praise,
even the jailer -
the one holding them captive -
was set free!

29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” (Act 16)

Did you notice the jailer
brought them out of the jail.
They didn’t remain where
they once were
now that they had been set free.

When God opens
locked doors in our life
we can’t dilly dally around
and stay in the place
that once held us captive.

We must get out.
We must move
into the new place of freedom
God has for us.

The jailer knew this.
He wanted nothing to do
with the old place he had been.

And, he wanted whatever it was
Paul and Silas had.

He wanted joy -
the kind that makes you sing
when you are imprisoned.

He wanted power -
the kind that opens prison doors
and sets captives free.

Most of all, though -
He wanted to experience
true freedom in Christ.
He (the only one physically free)
wanted to truly be set free!

It doesn’t matter where you are today.
It doesn’t matter if you are there
because of choices you made
or choices someone else made.
All that matters is that God is there with you.

Like Paul and Silas, you can be set free.
Like Paul and Silas, God can use you to set others free.
The choice is yours.

Are you in an unthinkable place today?

Then, like Paul and Silas - do the unthinkable.

PRAY AND SING! PRAISE GOD! -
and watch God do the unthinkable!

Watch God move!
Watch God shake your world!

Watch God open the doors
and loosen the chains
and set you
and everyone around you,
free!

~Stacy

Don't Settle~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sat, 4 Apr 2020 18:34:00 -0600

Dust settles.

When life stirs it up,
it simply settles,
however and wherever.

Although made of dust,
when life stirs you and me up
through hardships,
trials,
challenges,
disappointments,
frustrations,
and dead ends,
you and I
should be very intentional
as to
when,
where,
and how
we settle.

Through each of these
"dust flying moments",
God can work a work in us
that will far outweigh
and greatly exceed
any inconvenience,
any anger,
any hopelessness
we might experience
in the midst of it.

Our job is not
to simply "settle"
for what life hands us;
our job is to place our life
in God's hand
and allow Him
to use every bit of it
to settle us
in Him.

And after you have
suffered a little while,
the God of all grace
[Who imparts all blessing and favor],
Who has called you to His [own]
eternal glory in Christ Jesus,
will Himself complete
and make you
what you ought to be,
establish and ground you securely,
and strengthen,
and settle you.
~1 Peter 5:10 (AMP)

Don't ever settle
for anything less
than God's best for you.

Don't ever settle
until God, Himself,
has settled you.

~Stacy

All You Need~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 09:51:00 -0600

Lying in bed,
head on my pillow,
eyes closed tight,
head focused on God,
my spirit cried out to God.

"Lord, fill me with all I need."

There in the darkness,
I listened for His still small voice.

"My child,
you already have
all you need.
You have my Spirit
living inside you.
All that I am is yours,
ready to be accessed
any time,
any place,
in any situation.

You have all you need
because you have Me.

My child, don't you see?
You ask amiss.

The cry of your heart
is not about what you need,
it's about what you fear.
And for this,
you have all you need, as well.

For I did not give you
a spirit of fear,
but of power,
and of love,
and of a sound mind.

Power - my Spirit working in you.
Love - my Spirit flowing from you.
A sound mind - my Spirit living through you.

Don't be afraid, My child.
You have Me
and you already have
all you need.

Rest in this truth.
Rest in Me.
Simply rest, My child."

And, I did.~♥️

♥️

~Stacy

How'd I Miss That?~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 09:23:00 -0600

When my father's health was declining,
the Lord opened the door for me
to move back home with my parents.

Unfortunately,
my husband wasn't able
to make the move.

For five years,
seven hours of driving each way,
my husband and I commuted
back and forth
on long weekends and holidays.

(Did I mention we traveled
this seven hour road
back and forth,
forth and back
for five years?)

Each time I found myself
behind the wheel,
I was on a mission:
getting home
to see my husband
or getting back up
to my parents.
Both hands
on the steering wheel,
eyes locked on the road
in front of me,
full steam ahead.

A couple of years ago,
far removed from the situation
that had been my life
for five years,
I traveled this same route
once again.

This time was different, though.
I had no mission.
I was leisurely traveling North
to spend time with my mother.
I was on a mini-vacation.
Time was my friend,
not my enemy.
The trip was inviting,
not to be endured.

And,
what a trip it was.

I saw antelope,

bouquets of wild flowers,

fluffy clouds,
a stately windmill,
the smile on an elderly lady
as I drove down the main street
of a little town.

Everywhere I looked,
I saw beauty.
Each time I turned
my head or a corner,
I saw life.

The entire trip
I saw everything
I had failed to see
for five years!

How had I missed all of this before?

Sadly, each time
I drove this road before
I only saw
what was right
in front of me.

The commitments.
The obligations.
The demands.
The deadlines.
The distance to be traveled.

The same was true of Elisha's servant.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17

When he awoke one morning,
all Elisha's servant could see
was an army surrounding him.

That's it!

He only saw
what was directly
in front of him.
But then,
Elisha prayed
the eyes of this
"spiritually blind" man
would be opened
to see what was
truly before him -
the army of the Lord
surrounding them.

It makes no difference
if we are merely out
for a joy ride
or fighting the battle
of our life,
we cannot afford
to lose our spiritual vision.

We cannot settle
for merely seeing
what is before us.
We must also see
beyond that,
to see God
in every place
of our life.

In the beauty
of a desert landscape,
He is there.

In the operating room
of a hospital,
He is there.

In the traveling
of life's highway,
He is there.

And yes,
even (and especially!)
in the deadlines,
demands,
disappointments
and diseases
of life,
He is there.

Don't miss
what you can't see
by only concentrating
on what you do see.

Faith looks beyond.

Faith sees
what can't be seen
(yet!).

When we allow God
to open our eyes,
our vision becomes clear.

We see beauty
where we have never
noticed it before.

We see the
army of the Lord
encamped around us
ready to
protect and defend.

We see God!

~Stacy

Squinty Eyes, Still~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 20:49:00 -0600

Sometimes,
most times, in fact,
even if we aren't even looking -
God is faithful to place right in front of us,
exactly what our heart is needing most.

At least that's the way
it happens most often for me.

Not while on bent knee
(although He does speak to me here),
not while knee deep in scripture,
(although He does speak to me here),
not while sitting on a pew
(although He does speak to me here),
not while crying out in desperation
(although He does speak to me here),
not while I am looking for Him
(although He does speak to me here).

No,
more times than not,
when I'm completely lost in my own little world,
not focused on my Abba Father at all,
love gifts for my heart
that are undeniably from Him,
and all about me,
are placed smack dab in front of me.

And,
maybe,
because these precious gifts come
at a moment when I'm not looking at all,
they bring with them,
each and every time,
an even deeper awareness of our God
who is ever
intimately,
actively,
tenderly,
purposefully,
intentionally,
lovingly
present in our life.

Such was the case one day
while I was mindlessly scrolling
through my Instagram feed.

God showed up in the most beautiful place,
unveiling desperately needed truth
in the most precious of words:

"Like Lazarus,
we've all had our brush with death,
a moment or two when
the light was eclipsed
by a terrible dark.
We know what it's like to
feel the breath squeezed out of us
by hard relationships,
tough circumstances,
unexpected events.
And although we might push through
to the other side,
it often takes us more than a minute
to adjust our eyes from dark
to the light."
~Michele Cushatt

As my heart reached out
to grab hold of each and every word,
I realized I was doing so
through squinty eyes -
eyes that have not yet
fully adjusted to the light
of this new season
where I now find myself.

Like this morning -
with news of the pandemic
making its way
from video of far away places
to the next state over,
and now indeed,
the next city over,
new, never-before felt
feelings of grief
sprung up from deep inside.

And what was most
surprising of all,
beyond the fact
that - here -
four years later,
grief still washes over me,
sometimes with the intensity
of the waves of grief
I experienced early on -
was the emotion
this wave stirred up:
anger.

I've heard it said
anger is one of the
"normal" stages of grief,
but honestly,
before today,
I haven't really come
face to face with it.

But today,
the anger was strong.
And the face of the one
I saw in my anger,
the face of the one
my heart was mad at,
was that of my husband.

Only instantly -
as soon as the anger came,
as soon as I realized my man
was the one my anger was directed at and to,
I tried to squelch the emotion
before it came full blown out and out -
anger.

Not that the anger didn't seemed justified,
because my broken heart
certainly thought it was,
not that the anger wasn't a "normal" grief emotion
because like I said,
I've read enough
and been told enough
to know that it is,
but simply because
if I let this emotion run free,
if I let myself get mad at my man,
how would I ever be able
to apologize to him
and make it right again?

The conversation
I heard myself
having with myself
went something like this:

ME:
How could you, Handsome?
How could you leave me alone
after promising to be here
to take care of me?

Also Me:
Take it easy. Don't be angry.
Yes, He promised,
AND he kept that promise.
The promise was only until
death do you part.

ME:
Yes, but Handsome -
you always said you would be here
when things got crazy.
That's why I married you.
(Well, ok - that's not the only reason,
but it was on the list!)
You know how to hunt and gather.
You know how to survive in the woods.
You know these mountains
better than our city streets.

Also ME:
Really, Stac?! C'mon, girl.
Yes, yes, yes to all of that,
but if he was here
you know what he would say.
"Look to the mountain maker, Beautiful.
That's where your help comes from."
C'mon, don't get angry.
Keep the peace between you.

(Honestly, that line there -
I have no doubt
was the Holy Spirit speaking.
Over the 25 years of being
with my man,
I had heard that very line
spoken to my heart
time and time again
in the heat of a "disagreement".)

ME:
You're right.
I know you're right.
I don't want to be angry.
I don't want to be mad.
I think I'm simply feeling fear
and that vulnerable feeling of being just one
after so many years
of being a mighty, unstoppable force of two.

Also ME:
I get that.
But again,
you know what he would say.
"Look to the mountain maker, Beautiful.
That's where your help comes from."
It's where he got
his strength,
his wisdom,
his peace.
It's where you get yours, too.
With God, you are
never, ever just one.
Don't be angry.
Look to God.

And the treasure of this moment -
this moment when God spoke
and I wasn't even looking,
was this:

It was more than ok
that I was
fighting the waves,
the unexpected,
don't see them coming
until they hit you
waves of grief -
still.

It was more than ok
that I was
feeling a sense
of fear and vulnerability
trying to transition
back to one
after so long having been
a mighty, unstoppable force of two -
still.

It was ok,
if the light
from this new season,
had me looking out at life
with squinty eyes,
trying to adjust
and see clearly -
still.

It was all ok,
as long as -
(and this is HUGE)
as long as my eyes
never lost sight of my God
in the midst of it all.

As long as
my eyes were fixed on my God -
still.

Yes,
more times than not,
when I'm completely lost in my own little world,
not focused on my Abba Father at all,
love gifts for my heart
that are undeniably from Him,
and all about me,
are placed smack dab in front of me.

This -
a precious gift, indeed.

~Stacy

On Fear, Crayons, and the REALity of it All~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 15:47:00 -0600

"Joshua, it's ok, now. You can take your fingers out of your ears."

Several years ago, I was given the awesome privilege of serving as a Nanny for a wonderful young couple who had been blessed with three small boys. One son attended a Christian preschool in the mornings. One day, when I arrived around noon to pick him up, I walked in on this conversation between his teacher and one of his fellow classmates.

Noticing I had entered the room, the teacher shared with me that the school fire alarm had been malfunctioning, sounding numerous times over the course of the morning. It was obvious by the look on Joshua's face, and of course the fingers in his ears, that the alarm was getting to him.

"Joshua. Finish coloring your picture, Honey."

Joshua, who had no intention of using his fingers for anything other than preventing the loud, shrill sound of the alarm from penetrating his small ears again, just sat there.

"Really, it's ok, Buddy. I think the men have fixed the problem. I don't think we will hear it anymore today."

"But what if there's a fire?" he asked.

"Honey, the fire alarm isn't going off because there is a fire in our school. It's just not working right today. It's ok, though, because there are some men here fixing it. There is no fire. Our school is fine. "

"But what if there IS a fire?" he asked again.

"Well then, we will simply do what we did earlier today when the alarm went off and we practiced our safety drill. We will go outside where we will be safe. It's ok, Joshua. There is nothing to worry about. Finish your picture, Sweetheart."

Still, Joshua sat totally immobilized by the fear which had gripped his heart.

"I don't want to die in the fire!!!" he finally screamed.

Walking over to Joshua and gently taking his fingers out of his ears, the teacher knelt down beside this scared little three year old and looked him right in the eye.

"Don't worry, Joshua. I'm right here. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. I'll take care of you, Joshua. I promise. Teacher is right here with you."

For the first time since I had entered the room, a look of peace flooded Joshua's face. It was ok. He didn't need to worry. Teacher was here and she would take care of him. He was safe because she was right here with him. Joshua reached for his blue crayon. Soon, he was back to work coloring his picture and sharing in conversation and laughter with his classmates.

As I'd witnessed this scene, I'd realized I am a lot like Joshua. I have a tendency to let the cares and worries of this world grip my heart, leaving me paralyzed in fear, unable to enjoy all that is going on around me. I become consumed with fear and allow it to steal the life (not to mention the joy) right out of me.

As I watched Joshua, I was reminded of a acronym I once heard for the word fear:

F - false

E- evidence

A- appearing

R - real

This was certainly the case with Joshua. Joshua was fearful of a fire that didn't exist. I, too, am fearful of things that probably don't exist either, or most likely will never even happen. Yet, even though what I fear is not usually real, the fear itself most definitely is!

Maybe you are like Joshua and me. Maybe you also struggle with fear. If so, how can you and I learn to escape this fear, once and for all, and live in the freedom and abundance of life that Christ wants us so desperately to experience?

It's quite simple, really. Joshua found his peace when he realized his teacher was right there with him and would take care of him. We can partake of this same peace by keeping our heart and mind fixed on our Heavenly Father, who promises to never leave us, nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) Even more than this teacher could ever hope to be there for Joshua, our God IS there for us. We don't have to fear ANYTHING in this life, because our Father is with us.

I have heard it said that the phrase "Fear Not" is found 365 times in the Bible. 365 times! That is one time for each day of the year or each day of our life. Obviously, God wants us to live a life free of fear.

Fear tries to take us prisoner, causing us to think irrationally and respond unwisely. We need to remember that most fear comes from Satan. The Bible tells us that God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but rather one of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Only when we choose to keep our focus on Christ, knowing and believing that He is always with us, will we be free from the torment of fear. As we rely on Him to take care of us and to work all things out for our good and His glory, we will be able to let go of fear and instead take hold of the power, love and sound mind freely available to us through Christ.

The choice is up to us. We can either choose to sit around with our fingers stuck in our ears, fearful of what might happen, all the while missing out on what IS happening, or we can rest in the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father, embracing and thoroughly enjoying each and every minute of our life

Now..... where did I leave my crayon?

~Stacy

Just a Tap, Even~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 16:41:00 -0600

"Just knock on the wall.
Just a tap, even.
I'll be right out there.
If you need anything at all, Beautiful,
just knock and I'll come."

Early in our marriage,
and even earlier in my life,
(probably since infanthood
the doctor had told my mother),
I suffered from migraine headaches.

When I first met my husband, though,
in our early dating years
and on into our newlywed days,
they seemed to be at their peak.

My migraines
(at least to me)
were over the top.
Pain unlike anything describable.
And, my migraines
(at least to me)
were so very scary.
They felt as though my head
would literally explode.

And whenever one hit,
honestly all I could do,
was lay my head down.
To be still.
To try my very hardest
not to move.
Not an inch.
Not the tiniest of movements.
Because if I did -
if I moved my body
even the slightest bit -
my stomach was almost always sure
to join in the fun.

Except my arms.
For some reason,
moving my arms didn't count.
Maybe because I could move them
and the whole rest of me
stayed put.

And early on
into our newlywed days,
seeing the love of his life
suffering with these
(at that time)
fairly regular migraine episodes,
my man took to his knees.
He prayed for healing;
for God to take these headaches away.

But in the meantime,
each and every time
one came,
my husband was there.

At first,
(because lying completely down
wasn't an option -
only making the already incredible pain, worse)
my man would sit behind me,
then I would lean back
onto him,
and settle into his presence.

Feeling him close,
relying on his strength
to hold me up
and letting my own strength go,
healing began.

With his hand,
he would oh, so gently
stroke my hair.
A touch so light
it almost wasn't,
but a touch
that amazingly touched
every part of me.

Minute after minute,
we would sit
in the stillness,
in the dark.

And, minute after minute,
little by little,
the pain would start
to subside.

When it let up enough
for me to lie down,
my man would slowly
slip out from behind me
and oh, so gently
bring pillows up to meet me,
so the transition
was as smooth as possible,
and the movement
as little as possible.

And then -
as he was leaving the room,
he always said these words:

"Just knock on the wall.
Just a tap, even.
I'll be right out there.
If you need anything at all, Beautiful,
just knock and I'll come."

And, he did.
Whether completely absorbed
in an exciting basketball game on TV,
or cooking him something to eat
in our little cocina,
or washing a load of laundry,
if I knocked,
he came.
If I tapped, even,
he was there.

Today,
a migraine brought me
home from work,
and into my bed.
The second of only two migraines
(Thank you, Lord)
I have had
since my husband passed away
four years ago.

As I tried propping myself up,
the tears began to fall.
And the missing of my man
overtook me
with the same intensity
as the pain in my head.

And, I cried and cried and cried.
(And if truth be told,
I am crying here now,
as I type these words.)

The tears fell and fell,
unbridled, unstoppable,
until -
in my heart,
I heard the words
my husband had spoken
over and over again.

Only,
while they were uniquely his,
the voice I heard
whispering them to my heart,
was that of my Abba Father.

"If you need anything at all, sweet girl,
just knock and I'll come."

And, upon hearing HIS words,
upon being reminded of HIS invitation
to come to Him
all who are weary,
all who are in need of rest,
I did what my man did
so many times before.

In my spirit,
without moving an inch,
I went to my knees in prayer.

I leaned back
onto Him,
and I settled into
His presence.
Feeling Him close,
relying on His strength
to hold me up
and letting my own strength go,
healing began.
A touch of healing
so light it almost wasn't,
but a touch
that amazingly touched
every part of me.

Minute after minute,
my God and I
sat in the stillness,
sat in the dark.

And, minute after minute,
little by little,
the pain started to subside.
Soon,
sweet sleep took over.

Four beautiful hours of sleep.

Now, here I sit -
resting on my patio,
a cloudy sky above me,
a light breeze caressing me,
and an orchestra of feathered friends serenading me.

And the intensity of praise
flowing from my heart,
far surpasses
any pain or discomfort from this day.

For The Lover of my soul,
the Great I AM,
my Abba Father -
has restored my soul.

And all it took,
(all it ever takes)
is a simple knock,
the slightest tap, even.

Ask,
and it will be given to you:
seek,
and you will find;
knock,
and it will be opened to you.
~Matthew 7:7

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
~Psalm 46:1

~Stacy

Faithful God~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sat, 1 Feb 2020 20:41:00 -0700

~Stacy

When a Heart Wants to Know~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 18:05:00 -0700

I open her message
and as I do,
the desire of her heart
spills over into mine
through the words written there:

Hi friend,
Today in church my pastor was talking about making a new year resolution. He suggested making a simple resolution - to live by faith and not by sight. How allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you will change you from the inside, little by little.

I guess where my question is is this: How do I do that?

To me it doesn't seem so simple. Don't get me wrong. I somewhat understand. I feel in touch with the Holy Spirit when I am quiet and focused, but what about in daily trials and decision making? I don't know why this concept doesn't feel so simple, but at the same time it feels like EVERYTHING I want this year to be about.

My private resolution for this year (before church today) was to strengthen my relationship with God, devote more time to my Bible and be more aware of my mouth and my emotions. I think these two are somewhat the same, but now I feel a little confused. I think this is something we all strive for, but he made it seem so simple that now I find myself questioning what that "really" means to me.

As I read her words,
it is as if
she is sitting beside me,
and we are once again,
sharing our hearts,
like so many times before.
Only now -
miles between
leave us no other choice
than being connected
via social media.

I put my phone down,
and I lift my eyes
(and the eyes of my heart)
heavenward.

And,
I pray
for His words.

A day passes.
Then, another day.
And, another.
And then one night,
I hear His voice
and I reply:

Hi, my beautiful friend! Happy, blessed new year to you. And, I know it is going to be just that for you because the desire of your heart is to know the heart of God. As I read your words, and most importantly - heard your heart in each one, I was struck by how what you were asking me about "how to do" was so similar to the friendship, relationship, heart to heart bond that has become me and you.

When I first met you (and visa versa), our time together was cordial, pleasant, and amazingly comfortable and relaxed - so much so that my first brief introduction with you left me wanting to know you more. Visit after visit of honest time spent together, and honest and real conversations trusted to and shared with each other soon made time with you more like "heart therapy" than a simple get together.

I started to know your heart. You started to know mine. I started a sentence. You finished it. I felt your struggles as though they were my own (because they now were because of our relationship) and you "took on and carried mine". And, I say all of this to say - for me, precious friend, this is how you walk in the Spirit. To lean in close to God, to become so attuned with His Spirit that you know His voice. To know what would please His heart or hurt it. To know in your innermost being His leading, convicting, encouraging, re-directing, longing, etc.

It's simple in the fact that once you know, you know. Just like the knowing of you is simple because my heart knows you so deeply and personally. But, it - like any relationship - is also "difficult" in the sense that it requires you being intentional, deliberate, honest, real, willing to set aside regular time for "visits" to know God deeper and more intimately.

Our relationship was built over time and it's the same with God. Like you said, you already are aware of His Spirit in you. You are seeking Him and wanting to know Him more. And, you will. Day by day. The harder you listen. The more you be still in His presence. The more you pray, read His word, join a women's Bible study, listen to Christian music, read daily devotionals, spend time worshiping, lean in to know Him more, your heart will become more and more attuned to His.

Think also about your relationships with your two young sons. Just like your spirit can sense things about your precious boys "simply" because you know them so very well as their mother, you'll be able to sense things about God because you are His daughter. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:13 - "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all of your heart."

And,
I am sharing this here,
because maybe,
just like my precious friend,
you, too,
have the same desire,
have the same question.

Maybe, you too,
feel as though this concept
of walking by faith
and not by sight
doesn't feel so simple,
but at the same time
feels like EVERYTHING
you want this year to be about.

If so -
this is for you, too,
precious one.

And I will end this here,
the same way,
I ended my words to her-

If you make even the slightest effort
to "meet Him", precious friend,
He will meet you right back.

~Stacy

The Secret to Contentment~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sat, 4 Jan 2020 11:34:00 -0700

If only, I was married.
If only, I wasn't married.

If only, I had my dream job.
If only, I was retired.

If only, my children were old and grown
and on their own.
If only, my children were little again.

If only I was skinny.

If only I was talented.

If only I was rich.

If only.
If only.
If only.

Have you ever been caught up
in the "if only" game?

I'm sure you probably have.
After all,
it's pretty popular
and it doesn't require much more
than a discontented heart
for you to be able to play along.

For some odd reason,
we humans are never quite satisfied
with where we are now.

We somehow think
if our circumstances were different,
everything else
would be different, too.

We'd be
happier,
healthier,
prettier,
richer,
kinder.

We'd be
more productive,
more popular,
more dependable,
more agreeable,
more Christ-like.

Unfortunately,
the "if only" game
only leaves us feeling
depressed,
frustrated,
defeated,
and ready to give up.

Want to know
how to win
at the game of life?

Want to know
the secret to
enjoying where you are,
making the most of the moment at hand,
finding contentment
no matter what
your circumstances are?

Here it is:

The secret is Christ in me,
not me
in a different set of circumstances.
~Elisabeth Elliot

You see,
what matters most
is not what is happening around us,
but who is residing inside us.
If we have Christ in us,
we have all we need.
Period.
End of story.

It is Christ that makes the difference.

Instead of dwelling on our circumstances,
we simply need
to trust in and rely on
the One dwelling inside us.

If Christ is in us,
than Christ is also in
our finances,
our health,
our marriage,
our loneliness,
our children,
our job,
our conflict,
our trials,
our victory.

The very One
who is in our midst
is in the midst
of our circumstances, too.

Right here,
right now,
God is here.

All we need to do
is to keep our focus
on Him,

Allow Christ
to become the center of
where you are,
what you are doing,
and who you are becoming
through it all.

In every season of our life,
Christ longs
to make it count.

And, He will . . .
if,
we keep our eyes
and our heart
fixed on Him.

~Stacy

Just Try~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Tue, 3 Dec 2019 20:59:00 -0700

Just try.

Just two little words,
and yet in these two words,
I can't help but feel
gentle encouragement,
sweet confirmation,
and a much needed push
from my Heavenly Father.

Just try.

So - - -
I pull out my laptop,
dust off the keys,
make a fresh cup of coffee,
sit in my favorite spot on the patio
and

just

try.

And I don't know why.
I can't put my finger on it,
can't wrap my mind around it,
can't define it or explain it -
but for some reason,
a place that once felt so natural
and so inviting,
a place that was raw, revealing,
and so incredibly healing -
now feels daunting,
unreachable, distant.

So - I have stayed away.

But, this staying away
has left me feeling
pent up and full,
unsettled and misplaced,
completely unraveled,
with a whole mess of loose ends.

Because writing has always been
the one place for me
where God has taken all the loose ends
and tied them all together again.

Moments with Him,
just His Spirit and my keyboard,
have always been the moments when
broken pieces were scooped up,
and in the most amazing of ways,
put back together -
not as they were before -
not as I often wished they were -
but always, always, always in a way
that my heart could accept.

Maybe it's because lately
the loose ends
and the broken pieces
aren't from one single heartbreak,
one single disappointment,
one single challenge,
one single mess.

Lately, my heart
has been dealing with a whole lot of ends
and a whole lot of broken pieces
all at the same time.

And it only makes sense
that all these different pieces -
when mixed up all together,
have no choice but to become
one big, huge, tangled mess.

And I remember the words of my sister -

"It's a process you have to work through.
Just like everything else.
You process by writing.
So, write."

Just try.

Just two little words,
but again,
my Heavenly Father speaks them
deep to my heart.

It might be awkward and rough,
it might be uncomfortable and slow in coming,
it might be messy and complicated,
but just try.

So -
here I sit -
processing the all of it
the only way I know how -
one prayer at a time,
one word at a time,
one moment at time.

And amazingly,
my heart is already beginning to feel at home.

Maybe it's not about finding the answer.

Maybe it's not about tidying everything up
in a neat, jagged free bundle.
Maybe it's not about fitting all the pieces together
or making sure all the loose ends are no longer loose.

Maybe it's simply about
over and over and over again
finding God in the midst of it all.

Maybe it's not about making
these shattered areas of my life whole again -
but rather finding my wholeness
in Him
in the midst of all the brokenness.

Maybe it's not about working toward
a finished project,
but rather being willing to accept the finishing work
God is doing in my heart
as I make my way through
the doing,
the experiencing,
the learning,
the living,
the exploring,
the wrestling,
the juggling,
the untangling.

Maybe,
just maybe,
it's not all that complicated at all.

Maybe it is as simple as this:

Just try,
sweet girl.

Just try.

~Stacy

Lacking Nothing~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 22:30:00 -0600

I'm sure you've heard
the old saying
"waste not, want not".

My mother was as dependable as a rock
about quoting this particular saying
whenever I sat at the table
with a plate of liver and onions
in front of me or
anytime my plate was home
to some sort of creature
that used to reside in the sea.
(Hmm....looking back on it,
the fact that I'm now a vegetarian
isn't that odd, after all.
But, I digress).

The point then and now is simply this.

It you don't use something in its entirety,
if you fail to
guzzle the very last drop,
swallow the very last crumb,
squeeze out the very last bit,
you may later find yourself
coming up short
and wishing you had.
You might find yourself "wanting".

One day as I was driving home from work,
listening to my favorite Christian radio station,
a short, simple, to the point statement,
by the DJ got me thinking.

"Nothing is wasted in God's Kingdom."

The word nothing
always gets me thinking.
When used in conjunction
with God's Kingdom,
my mind simply had no choice
but to whirl this thought
around and around and around.

Nothing.
If nothing is wasted,
then everything must be used.
Right?

As this idea tried to wind its way
from my head to my heart,
I thought about one
of the most quoted scriptures of the Bible.

And we know that all things

work together for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called
according to his purpose.

~Romans 8:28

All things.
Everything.
Nothing wasted.

God has a purpose
for every single thing in our life.
The good.
The bad.
The happy.
The sad.

It is God's desire
to use them all for good.
Sometimes, though,
I wonder if I thwart His plan.

Sometimes,
when I go through a heartache,

instead of allowing God
to use it for good,
in bitterness or anger,
I turn up my nose,
push it away,
and turn my back on the whole thing.

Sometimes,
when I don't want to suffer,
I waste the heartache,
because instead,
I willfully choose to
detour around the purpose in the pain,
miss out on the lesson in the tears,
and sadly,
forgo the blessing
that is waiting to be squeezed out.

I want what I want
and in my wanting
I end up in want.

As a child,
I didn't want to eat
my liver and onions -
no matter how many times
my mother told me
they would give me iron
or assured me
they were "good" for me.

And, because I didn't want to,
sometimes
(when my stubbornness won out
and my mom was wore out)
I didn't.

Instead,
I went to bed hungry
and in want of something
to fill my stomach
and ease my hunger pains.

It's the same spiritually.

There is nothing wasted
in God's Kingdom
UNLESS
you and I choose
to waste the blessing
God has placed before us.

You and I won't walk away
from the table of God's will
hungry and still in need
of spiritual nourishment
UNLESS
we choose to refuse
the feast God has served us.

Now, as an adult,
I am mindful of mindlessly
throwing away that
which can be salvaged,
recycled, or re-used.
I try to be a good steward
of the money and the possessions
God has lavished upon me.

Shouldn't the same be true
in my spiritual life?

A chance to comfort others
with the comfort I've been given,
an opportunity to learn from the pain
and grow in the strain,
an invitation to become
more like Jesus through it all -
all these are too priceless
to throw out the backdoor of my heart
and into the dumpster of life.

How I (and possibly you, too)
need to glean all I can
from the ALL of my life.
How I (and possibly you, too)
need to reach out, embrace, and guzzle up
every last drop of the pain.
How I (and possibly you, too)
need to reach down,
pull out all the stops,
and squeeze out every last bit of blessing
from each and every teardrop.

How we need to
endure,
persevere,
press on,
so, in the end,
we won't be found in want,
but rather,
we will be found in Him,
in Christ Jesus,
complete, and lacking nothing*.

* James 1:4

~Stacy

Because I Failed Her . . . ~

heartprintsofgod@gmail.com (heartprintsofgod@gmail.com) — Fri, 5 Jul 2019 21:10:00 -0600

She sits beside me
as I sit beside my husband.

We are there
waiting for our order.
She is there
waiting for attention.

As my husband
moves toward the counter
to answer a question
about our order,
she reaches for a jacket
as she looks at me and says,
"I love this shirt.
I really do.
It's one of my favorites,
but I hate the way
it is always
inching down in the front,
and I have to keep
pulling it back up.
It makes me uncomfortable,
ya know?
Don't you hate shirts
that do that?"

The shirt she is
referring to
is a low cut,
spaghetti strap style top -
v e r y low cut.

Before I can answer,
she laughs,
and then this precious girl,
no older than
fifteen or sixteen,
continues.

"So, how is your day going?"

"Wonderfully well," I answer.
"And yours?"

"Good. Just hangin' out here
cuz there's not much else
going on, ya know.
I'll probably walk home
in a little while."

"Do you live far from here?"
my husband asks,
as he rejoins us.

"No, not too far.
And my dad might
come pick me up -
if he's not still
mad at me.
If he is,
he'll make me walk.
That's just the way
it goes with us.
It's not bad -
it's just us."

She laughs another laugh,
then turns to talk to one
of the young male workers
who is now on his break,
sitting on the other side of her.

And, I hear God's Spirit
telling me to tell her.

In a quick spin on her stool,
she turns to me again.

"So, since you ordered
a hamburger without the meat,
you must be a vegetarian.
How's that working out
for you?"

This time,
I laugh.

"It's working out ok.
I really don't miss meat at all."

She continues with small talk.

We talk about the way
she loves steak
and how her dad
makes the best
out on the grill,
marinated in his
special garlic teriyaki sauce.

We talk about my purse
and how she loves
the black, white, and tan
print pattern.

We talk about everything
except
what God is telling me
to talk to her about.

Our number is called.
We pick up our order.
I walk out of the door
and out of her life.

As we drive home,
my husband oh so gently says,
"You should have told her.
I thought about telling her,
but it wasn't
for a man to say."

I know what he's talking about,
and he is right -
so
v e r y
right.

"She probably doesn't
have a mother
or anyone in her life
to tell her.

It was obvious
she wanted attention.
And, it was obvious
she felt comfortable
talking with you.

You should have told her -
honest and straightforward,
but wrapped in love,
like you always do.

Don't let those opportunities
slip by, Stacy.

God placed you next to her
for a reason."

As I sit here now,
writing this,
I see her face.

I see
the innocence,
the loneliness,
the beauty,
the struggle,
the reaching out -
and I know
I failed her.

I know
I failed God, too.

I know
I was given
a divine appointment
and
I missed it.

And, my heart hurts.

I long to go back.
I long to hit rewind
and do it
all over again.

But, I can't.
The moment is past.
The door closed.
The opportunity missed.
The words unsaid.

And because
I failed her,
I am pouring these words
out to YOU here.

Everyday
God places
one divine appointment
after another
smack dab in front
of me
(and
in front of you.)

Sometimes I listen
to His prompting
and speak His words.
Sometimes, like tonight,
I don't.

And, as I think back
to the way God leads
and the way
I choose to follow
or not,
I know one thing
to be true.

The only time
I have regret,
the only time
I leave a divine appointment
heartbroken,
the only time
I feel like
I feel right now,
is when
I don't listen,
I don't speak,
I don't step
through the door
He has opened for me.

Don't be like me.

Don't miss His
divine appointments
in your life.

Don't hear His Spirit
telling you to speak
and then choose
not
to listen,
not
to obey.

Don't miss a moment
to speak a word -
HIS WORD -
that can
turn a life around,
draw a heart closer to His,
completely transform a life.

Listen.
Follow.
Speak.

Don't find yourself
in my heart's shoes -
wresting with
regret and sorrow
because
I failed her.

(Note - this is a post I wrote on my Heartprints of God Facebook page on May 13, 2014. God placed it in front of me again today - and upon hearing His voice - "tell them" - here it is.)

~Stacy