To: You! with love...

Beauty for ashes

lizrose — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:03:10 +0000

I’m so lost
So lost
in His
Love
that He is all I see.

For He is ALL I see
For He is the Great I AM
and I am
simply
His.

Have you ever been so
very in love with God
that you see with distorted vision?

The street walkers
and the ish talkers
display His grace
the triflin’ ho’s
and the dime-a-dozen bro’s
and the lowest of the low…
the
CEO’s
radiate His detail
His intricacies
His zest for… HIS

My vision is
so distorted
—or real—
that the homeless,
the poor,
the imprisoned
have the most.
His bounty, His harvest,
tangible favor.

In my eyes
the crooked are straight and
the wide is narrow
and the meek isn’t who we think
and what is “us”
really isn’t us at all

What I am
is His
What I am
is yours
I owe you that much
—or little—
because what I was
was a distorted piece of hot mess
because I was under self
OPPRESSION
because I was
REPRESSION,
DEPRESSION
and
OBSESSION

I was the lowest of the low…
I was Liz Rose, CEO
Owner of self-destruction
self-instruction and
self-reduction

Now I am-
Yours, his and hers,
and most of all His,
the great I AM,
father of me
the not-so-great I was…

because after all,
after my downfall,
I mean really after all
came
beauty for ashes.

Reverb 10-day 4-Wonder

lizrose — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:09:37 +0000

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

I cultivated a sense of wonder by allowing myself this coming year to become über creative and artsy. I am taking a certain area of my home and making it my art space. A big DO NOT ENTER this area will be posted. I plan to clear out the area to the bare bones to allow accommodations for my craft wizardry. I want to install peg boards on one side to hang beading or craft stuff. Have bins and organizers at hand, pens and pencils and paper oh my! post-it notes and scotch tape and a stapler with staples…wowza! Who knows what can come of my art space?!!!!

Reverb10-Day 3-Moment

lizrose — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:57:10 +0000

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

The moment in which I felt most alive or remember in vivid detail…I was visiting my sister in the funeral home. She was laying on the table, still in her blue hospital gown, at peace.

I will always remember that moment. It is a clear and vivid memory and is sad but not haunting. The rest of the details I will keep to myself at this time.

Reverb10-Day8-Beautifully different

lizrose — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:19:33 +0000

December 8 – Beautifully Different.

Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. I SMILE on the inside:) Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

What makes me beautifully different? Let’s visit each word seperately…What makes me beautiful is my endless determination to evolve and grow as a person, to love others and to move into my purpose God has for me. My heart and my spirit makes me beautiful on the inside-where it counts. I have a deep ability to have compassion for the less fortunate, I have a big heart, a sharp mind and a witty sense of humor. Being me and being chosen to be in existence is why I am beautiful, not by accident but by Gods design and purpose. What makes me different is my perception and how I see life differently. I see things out side of the box, I push the envelope of others perception. I am me. I am honest, sweet, sharp, as loving as I can be, but I can be vinegar too. Beautifully different me: simply complex, delightfully frustrating, more comfortable with my ugly than beauty, regretfully honest, and currently in a love-hate relationship with myself.

Reverb10-Day 6-Make

lizrose — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:57:33 +0000

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

The last thing I made was a piece of jewelry. I made it out of antique bronze butterflies, pink quartz and antique bronze beads, jewelers’ wire, and a pretty toggle clasp. I love to make jewelry. I often think about putting up a site on Etsy.com to sell some of my goods, but it is hard for me to put a price on my time in addition to materials. Usually I just give my jewelry away to friends and family.
I do have a few current pieces I am working on like a couple pairs of earrings…and ideas for more pieces.

reverb10-Day 2-writing

lizrose — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:39:22 +0000

December 2 - Writing.
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
(Author: Leo Babauta)

I write out of feeling and experience so I don’t think there is anything that is not related to me and writing, indirectly speaking.

Reverb10-Day 1 “Movement”

lizrose — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:14:57 +0000

http://www.reverb10.com/
This month I’m participating in reverb10. Every day a new prompt is issued and I will write my response. The goal is to reflect on 2010 and manifest what’s next in 2011. Want to learn more? Visit www.reverb10.com. Since I did not find the site until today December 15th, I will complete 2 per day.

December 1 - One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

Movement-Jan 1st thru July 19th I had movement of the baby that was growing and development inside of me. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and since then I have been in “movement”…washing, rinsing, drying everything from bath, to baby and beyond. In the midst of the baby bliss my sister passed away October 5th. She was my only sibling and she lived 450 or so miles away. Again, movement. Traveling, crying, arranging a funeral and traveling some more. A month later I had weight loss surgery…action; action created a new kind of movement, physical movement. Life and it’s ups and downs created movement like healing of the mind, the body and the soul, my soul. 2010 has been swirling in movement from the time I get out of bed every morning to check in on that beautiful baby girl, to sweating every morning from the movement of my body, to movement in loving others, especially my family right now, movement in the dancing and praising that I am doing through the end of this year.

Adaptation is the 2011 word. For all that has happened thus far.

Deal or no deal?

lizrose — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:56:18 +0000

My teenage daughter and I often watch the game show Deal or No Deal. It’s is a fairly well-known game show hosted by Howie Mandell and the object is to win the big prize of a million dollars. A person chooses case after case hoping to get the smallest amount possible on the board which in turn makes the chances greater that they have the million dollar case in their possession.
Of course there is a twist. The dealer calls every so often to make a “deal” with the player. The higher the chances of the million dollar case being in possession of the player the higher the deal. It could be an offer of hundreds of thousands dollars. That’s a ton of money, right?
Every show the dealer makes an offer the player can’t refuse and so every show the player gives up their chance for actually having the million dollar case. Every show, every time.
The offer gets good enough and the player quits or settles for what is being offered. How often in life during our walk with God do we settle? How often do we not go for the million? How often do we not go with our gut instinct or go according to our spirit? How often do we settle for what is comfortable to us?
How often do we say DEAL because the deal is exciting?
Over a lifetime of deals we lose to bigger blessing or greater opportunity.
We ask for God to enlarge our territory but we don’t ask for our vision to be enlarged also.
If we never ask, we never receive.
How often can we not see beyond the new and shiny deals of today, deals that might be our regret tomorrow.
We already have whatever is neccessary to go beyond the deal.
We already have whatever is neccessary to go beyond what is offered.
We already have whatever is neccessary to go beyond the test.
And who are you dealing with?
Read it until you understand this message is for you.
Accept it not from me, but from your Father who equips you…
You already have what you need to realize and to go beyond your dreams.
He has enlarged your territory beyond what you can see or feel.
Don’t settle.
Don’t give in.
Don’t take the deal.
NO Deal Howie!!!!!!

weapons formed

lizrose — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:45:47 +0000

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Doesn’t it feel like at times that you personally are the only “someone” that the devil is looking to devour? Doesn’t it feel like at times the world is against you? Doesn’t it feel like you really don’t have a friend in the world?

Lately I know these feelings all too well. I know what it feels like to be attacked. I know what it feels like to have emotional, physical and spiritual pain. I know what it feels like to be betrayed. And I know whomever you are…that you already know what it’s like.

The devil is hard at work. People are too. We obviously don’t make friends with the devil, but with people we do. We love people, family and friends and well…we are suppose to. People will hurt us or most likely already have. We have been attacked, we have been emotionally, physically, spiritually injured, we have been betrayed…by people. God’s people. God’s children.

At times of desperation we quote “No weapons formed will prosper,” and it’s a great and fitting Bible verse and it’s still a favorite of mine, but now I see it from both sides of the fence. The verse comes to mind when we are tired of being attacked or sought out. Sought out by the devil, because he is not resting, right? he is a roaring lion searching for you. The verse also comes to mind when we are being attacked by people, people that are seeking to hurt us, people that we are commanded to love, to forgive, and…to love, to forgive, to love, to forgive…
seven times 77 million gazillion dang times.

God’s Word for you,
(and your enemy)
Isaiah 54:14-

In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the LORD.

No weapons formed, no words formed…

I’m rubber and you’re glue…

’cause your words that come against me…
Shall…
Not…
PROSPER!

Awesome! Right?
YES, but…
there is always 2 sides.
Can I dig deeper or strike the hot iron, if you will….
What weapons are you forming?
Are you a practicing blacksmith?
Are you heating the metal and getting ready to strike?
If you haven’t attacked are you getting ready to?
Is there some forgiveness that needs to take place?
Look inside.
Look outside.
What is the reflection of yourself in others?

Lord, Forgive us. Forgive me.

confessional:

While I was going through this process of thinking and writing I realized the reflection that I was seeing was not only of myself, but of my father. This is where it gets deep for me. I hated that man for many, many years. I hated his alcoholism, his abuse and his anger. I have that anger. I have been forming those same weapons and using them on those I love the most, this is what he did too. I have been using those weapons on those I would die for and will die for. When I mean will die for…I mean I am putting to death Liz the blacksmith, and putting to death her weapons because I do not want my loved ones to carry the scars I have carried for too long.

My prayer

‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. (other blacksmiths)
And lead us not into temptation.’ (Luke 11)
Amen.

Today is a new day.
Liz Rose 9/9/10

Love equates God equates Love

lizrose — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:31:25 +0000

Let’s just say that God equals love.

*If we can exchange Love for God and God for Love and they are TRULY equal and equally exchangable throughtout His word…

*If you can’t fully LOVE without a relationship with God and that you can’t fully have a relationship with God without Love (with your whole heart)…

Then here is my thoughts and provisions on the matter:

1 Corinthians 13

Love=God

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not GOD, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not GOD, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not GOD, I gain nothing.

GOD is patient,
GOD is kind.
He does not envy,
He does not boast,
He is not proud.

He is not rude,
He is not self-seeking,
He is not easily angered,
He keeps no record of wrongs.

GOD does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a (wo)man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and GOD.
But the greatest of these is GOD.

*Not only do I love this scripture, because it is the very scripture that reunited me to my Father, but it is equally important to recognize the second part which is where we mature. Where I mature. With God, With Love…I put my childish ways behind me. With God, with Love I see myself face to face. With God, with love I am fully known.

Be Blessed with faith, with hope and ultimately with God!

Liz Rose
7/12/10