Author: brookeholt

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

As Meg Rice, my brilliant and wonderful Bible teacher, shared with us today — here is the perfect definition of faith.

Hebrews 11 goes on the list the Hall of Faith. Each of these men and women walked the journey of faith without seeing the full picture of God’s plan.

Like them, we are called on our own faith journeys. As we have all experienced, the journey is filled with challenges and unexpected trials and tribulations. There are also many blessings and joys along the way plus the assurance of God’s eternal promises.

I want to be remembered like these people listed in Hebrews 11. I want to leave a legacy of building the Kingdom of God. That means walking in unchartered territory. For the past few weeks, I have read over and over again how it is the Lord who holds us, who carries us and will bring about the fullness of His plans.

Are we walking in faith with hope in the plans of our eternal and faithful God? Will we be commended as those in the Hall of Faith? My prayer is that God will give us His vision, His presence and His power to walk our journey of faith unto His glory and our joy.

It is vitally important for me to look back at how God has worked in my life and to share my story. This week, I have marveled at the wonderful people God has put in my life to help me grow in my spiritual journey. There are so many to thank; however, words from one special friend have been in my mind all week.

A few years ago, I have the blessing of time with Linda Strickland. We heard each others stories then she spent some time praying for me. I will never forget when she paused in her prayer over me and spoke these words: “Brooke, you have lived as an overcomer, but God wants you to live as more than a conqueror.”

Needless to say, I began meditating on Romans 8 and even tried to memorize the whole chapter (which didn’t go so well). God seems to be prodding me to move back to the exhortation of Linda’s words to me that day.

There is so much in life to overcome. I was one who had persevered through life despite many challenges and much adversity. However, I do want my life to be characterized as more than an overcomer. For me, to live as “more than a conqueror” has required much healing and a true understanding of God’s love with my heart instead of just my head.

How I give thanks for those who have spoken into me, prayed for me, encouraged me and loved me along the way. God is so good to provide what we need for each and every season.

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

These words sound easy, but the practice of them is so very hard. For a few months, the Lord has spoken these words to me in many ways. I struggle so often with wanting to take control, to make my plans, to forge ahead. Thankfully, through Scripture reading and study, I have been reminded of the Israelites. God provided abundantly for them and worked in abundant ways. They saw His glory. Yet, they doubted and did not obey. I want to obey because I want God, and I want His way. Right now, that means being still and trusting in God’s perfect plan. Not easy for this little control freak, but I know His ways are higher then my ways and His thoughts higher than my thoughts.

What does it look like for you to be still and know?

“It’s all good!” How many times have you heard that phrase or even spoken it yourself? Because I started to say this to myself this morning, I thought about what this cliche really means then couldn’t help but ask the question: is it really all good?

In just the past few months, we have seen numerous natural disasters; there have been terrorist attacks; cancer still reads havoc on people we love; and just this past Sunday, 20 people were killed in a shooting at church.
All is not good!

This cliche is used to protect us from our own pain or the pain we see around us. The truth in all the pain is that God is good. As I wrestled with having my world turned upside down in this move to Texas, God kept taking me back to Psalm 56. Verse 9 says: This I know, that God is for me.”

“All is not good”.  But, God is good, and God is for me. Let’s stop running from the pain and pretending that all is good and start pressing into the good God who will never leave us nor forsake us. In the pain, He can work good.

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2).

Yesterday, I had lunch with a darling new friend here in Houston. Devera and I got to share some faith stories over the best vegan bowl I have ever had (Local Foods). We talked about desiring God, what that looks like in our lives, and how to lead others to a place where they experience this thirst for the living God. For both of us, our hunger and thirst for God increased as we experienced His healing touch in our lives. At that point, my faith moved from being just in my head down to the recesses of my heart.

As I read the Gospel stories of Jesus and his ministry, I long to be one of those people that Jesus touched or spoke to or just saw in the crowd. As I read the Psalms, I am reminded of God’s glory and the joy of being in His presence. However, as I live day to day life, I can forget that I am made for that intimate relationship with the Lord. Of course, I will have my quiet times, my prayer time, and even my weekly or multi-weekly time at church; yet I still wander and start thirsting for things of this world more than I thirst for Jesus.

Thankfully, all the things of this world leave me discontent, and I have to go back to the living water. Isn’t God gracious? He made us for Himself and He continually woos us back to His heart.

The danger is when we ignore His wooing and continue to look for things of the world to meet our needs. Eventually, the longing is so far subdued that we don’t even recognize it even more.

What are you thirsting for today? Does it bring life, true life?

Each morning, I start my day asking the Lord to help me thirst first and foremost for Him. I don’t live it out perfectly, but I can think of no better way to start my day. There are no better streams than the flowing streams of God!

Lord, cleanse our hearts, minds and spirits so they thirst for you and you alone!

A few days ago, I shared Psalm 56 where we read the words: “This I know that God is for me.” For the past few days, I have been listening to the Chris Tomlin station on Amazon Music. At least 3 or 4 times, “Jesus Loves Me” played on this station. Amazing what music can do for a heart! Once again, I got to hear the words that “God is for me”.

I got a beautiful glimpse into what that means in my life. Once a month, moms from Spring Branch Middle School get together for some study, prayer and encouragement. This morning, we discussed what it looks like to fight for our children. I always say that you can do what you want to me, but if you go after my husband or my children, I will become the beast! I fiercely want to protect my family.

After hearing Chris Tomlin’s song, “Jesus Loves Me”, I got another glimpse into what it means to have God for me, what it means to have God for you. The Lord fights for us. Even greater is his tenacity for us than that of a mother for her child. God’s love is a love in action.

What does it mean to you to have a loving Father who fights for you? Does it change your perspective on your challenges, your hurt, your loneliness? Jeremiah 31:3 says: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

EVERLASTING LOVE.

That is God’s love for me, for you.

What would it look like for us to move into that everlasting love of the Father today, to allow Him to fight for us, to know and fully trust His heart is good towards us — that He is for us?

I encourage you to go and listen to Chris Tomlin’s song again today. Here is a link on U tube that displays the words as the song plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gKXu6J2wE.

Exodus 33:14: “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

REST. God will give us rest? I have never been good at resting. I am good at moving, playing, working, even fidgeting. I am just not good at resting. One of my best friends can sleep anywhere — on a plane, in a car, during a sermon at church, lying on the beach — wherever she is, she can rest. How I have coveted her gift!

What God has revealed to me once again is that I am one who strives. I perform. I want to earn things and feel like I am constantly improving in some way. I love challenges, especially if it involves exercise.

One day, after finishing an exercise class, I laid perfectly still on the ground for some much needed rest. As I laid there, I saw a picture (in my mind) of a beautiful waterfall with a flowing stream at the bottom of it. It was glorious! Immediately, I had the sense that God’s presence was at the top of that waterfall.

So, I began to climb tenaciously. It was a steep climb with many trees on the path. I saw my striving, my work, then my fatigue. I wanted to get to God so I kept pushing and pushing and pushing. Anybody been there?

In my exhaustion, the Lord met me with the most wonderful news: “Brooke, my presence is at the top of this waterfall, but my presence is also down in the flowing stream.” Without delay, I headed down to the stream to experience the presence of God. There, I floated on paddle boards, played in the water and enjoyed rest. Just as I heard, the presence of God was in the flowing stream.

In our day and age, I think most people are longing for rest. It seems elusive and something to look forward once we are on vacation. Then, we need a vacation from our vacation! We talk about Sabbath in the church but rarely do we experience the true rest God offers on that day. God created us for rest. Look back to the passage in Exodus: “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

He wants to give us rest today. What I have realized is that I have to choose to accept that rest; in my vision, I had to choose to stop climbing up the mountain in order to take the path down the mountain. There will always be more to do. There will always will be another mountain to climb. There will also be God waiting in the still, quiet moments. It is here that He longs to meet us and give us rest.

Casting Crowns says this much better than I ever could in their song “Just Be Held”:

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

God sees you in your striving and your exhaustion. He knows your needs, reaches out His hand and asks you to sit with Him and rest.  Friends, let’s choose just to be held!

One of the most precious women I have ever known, Nikki Richnell for my Houstonian friends, came to my house for lunch last week. As always, she was dressed to the nines and was just as adorable as ever. We sipped tea while waiting on other guests, then Nikki excused herself to the bathroom.

When Nikki returned to the group, she burst out laughing and showed us her shoes. Both shoes were mighty cute, but they didn’t match. Needless to say, we shared in her laughter!

Being human means being imperfect. As put together and lovely as Nikki is, she is still human and subject to the fallen, imperfect nature. The same is true for each of us. We hide the imperfections so well through pretty clothes, make up, hair, and polished language. We desperately try to hide the brokenness underneath the surface and save those places for the people we love most — think husband and children.

What if we looked at our imperfections or the broken parts of ourselves in a different way? What if they are the very things that drive us to Jesus. The power in Jesus is His power to save, heal and restore. My favorite story in the Gospels is of the woman with the hemorrhage for 12 years (see Mark 5:24-34). This woman had tried every avenue to get healing from her disease, but there was no relief. At the end of herself, she risked everything to pursue the healing of Jesus. There is no doubt that her efforts were rewarded. Not only did the bleeding stop, but this woman had Jesus look her straight in the eyes and commend her faith.

Friends, we are imperfect. We make silly mistakes like wearing two different shoes, and we make huge mistakes. Our bodies are finite; our hearts are fickle; our minds wander. Thankfully, our God is a God who loves us in the midst of our imperfections. Can we see our imperfections and brokenness as the gifts that drive us to Jesus? Can we go after Him as if He is our only hope? Can we see being at the end of ourselves as a gift?

Go after Jesus! He sees you; He sees me. He sees beyond our masks, facades, fancy clothes and great rhetoric. “The Lord rejoices over us with singing” even when we are wearing two different shoes (Zeph 3:17).

Since my life totally changed in August, I decided it was time to try all things new. One of those new things was a different form of exercise. By God’s grace, I ended up at Big Power Yoga in Memorial. I love it — love the community, love the teachers, love getting hugs on the way to class (Gayatri), love the workouts (though I am almost always sore). I can honestly say that yoga has become part of my healing journey. I have learned so much about myself, my body and how to breath through challenges. Yoga has helped me grieve honestly and intentionally.

One of the amazing teachers, Nancy Perry, said something quite profound in class today: “This practice is designed to teach you to stop overriding your body with your mind.” I couldn’t help but think of my earlier posting about hope and perseverance.

Perseverance is good; it is necessary; however, sometimes we have to listen to our bodies, to our spirits, to our broken hearts and slow down or even stop. Life for me has been about pushing through — pushing past the pain in body, mind and spirit. In His mercy, God designed us with the capacity to survive. The problem is that the very means of our survival can become the very things that rob us of life.

Healing for me has come as I have learned to listen to the pain and stopped trying to forge ahead without acknowledgment. Feeling the pain is scary. Pain takes us places where we feel out of control and uncertain. The promise of God is that His truth sets us free. Entering into truth leads to a greater experience of God himself and a better relationship with ourselves and others.

I am so thankful that I am learning to stop overriding my body with my mind. It is still my natural go to but with intentionality, I am getting better. Friends, we need a resting place. In yoga, that is child’s pose. It is humbling to go there, but sometimes it is the only place where one can get much needed rest and restoration.

Persevere with HOPE but don’t override your body with your mind. God designed these two to work in sync with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

And thank you to Amy Bruce who introduced me to Holy Yoga. I am had NO idea where God was going to take me after that, yet I am so grateful for the blessed start!

My word for the year is HOPE, and I have been posting Scripture verses that speak of that hope. This week, I have been pondering how to live with hope. One message reverberates in my heart, mind and spirit — LIVE LOVED!

I heard this message in church on Sunday; it was repeated over and over again in a song on the way to Bible study yesterday: “Oh, He loves us. Oh, how He loves us……”; in my Centering Prayer group, I kept hearing about God’s steadfast love then saw a picture of what it means to live in that love.

LIVE LOVED! Where to start? Reagan’s sermon on Sunday reminded me of a Cross Train devotion I taught many years ago from Mark 1:9-11: “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'”

Thanks to the death of Jesus on our behalf, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus — all the righteousness of Jesus. We are declared clean, healed, forgiven, accepted, delighted in and perfectly loved.

This is an amazing message! Despite the amazing gift God offers me through Jesus, I still often choose to live unloved. I wonder what it would be like if we started each day allowing God’s words to Jesus/to us to flow over us and through us: “You are my beloved daughter/son; with you I am well pleased!”

God’s love is not earned; it is accepted. Just like God’s grace. If I want to live with HOPE, I realize I have to choose each day to live loved. The enemy taunts me. Shame wants to control me. Guilt sometimes tries to hold me back from fully living life. Yet, Love, GRACE, HOPE call out to me through God’s truth.

Today, I choose to LIVE LOVED; I choose grace; I choose HOPE because I am God’s beloved daughter and He is well pleased with me. That is a miracle that I choose to believe!