Bloom Where You Are Planted

I’m not sure how it became my motto.  I saw it first on a t-shirt.  Then it started appearing everywhere I turned.  Bloom where you are planted.  At first, I just thought it was a cute saying.  But the more I’ve been thinking about it, it is great advice.

Last summer, we had random sunflowers just popping up all over our yard.  I would be amazed at all the strange places the sprouts would pop up from.  I blamed the scattered flowers on the birds.  I laughed to myself each time I discovered one.

Then one day I spotted one delicate, little sprout leaning towards the sunshine from a crazy corner of my girls’ swing set.  It was a partly shaded spot.  The sprout was protected from kid feet by a neglected corner spot behind the climbing ladder.  I watched this sprout each day, tracking its progress.  Thinking, there was no way that sunflower could bloom where it was haphazardly planted.  I was waiting for it to turn yellow, wither and die.

But that sprout grew.  It grew tall and it grew straight.  The sunflower head widened.  It managed to poke though the side and out of the corner through the swing set ladder.  Always reaching, yearning for precious sunrays. 

I marveled at that sunflower.  Out of all the beautiful flowers we had purposely planted in the flower beds last summer, this “stray” sunflower was my favorite in the whole yard.  I was rooting it on!  Cheering it on in my head as I surveyed its progress each day.  When the day arrived that it fully bloomed, it took my breath away.  This sunflower was stunning.  The golden hued petals astounded me.

And that is when it hit me.  That flower bloomed where it was planted.  It didn’t choose the unlikely corner of a child’s play area.  It didn’t select my yard above all others because it had the best soil or choicest plot of land.  And it certainly did wait for the best time.  Nope.  The seed had no say, no choice in the matter.  It simply was planted and it did what it was intended to do.  It sprouted and grew.  It blossomed and bloomed! 

Ladies, I don’t know about you, but I want to bloom where God has planted me! I long to be deeply rooted in His love.  I desire my life to be a beautiful testimony of our awesome Creator.  I want to do what God has intended for me to do: to love Him and love others.  I’m not going to allow lies and doubt and fear to try to get me to wither and die off. I am excited to grow and blossom!

“Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the young women.” Song of Solomon 2:2 (NIV)

Don’t believe the lie that we have to wait for the “perfect” time or place.  We don’t have to put it off, waiting for this season of life to end and another to begin.  And perhaps blooming right now is the farthest from your mind.  You are just trying to survive each day.  But you know what, like that sunflower, you are exactly where God wants you to be. He has planted you where you are for such a time as this.  Sweet friends, let’s surrender whole heartedly to God, right now, right here.  Wherever you are, allow Him to grow you.  Then you will bloom where you are planted!

Oh what a beautiful garden that will be one day – when we are all blooming for the King!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:1,11 (NIV)

Our sunflower, Aug. 2015, blooming in the unlikeliest of spots

Post by: Marcy Gates

This Hot Mess

If you know me for more than like, a day, then you have probably heard me refer to myself as a ‘hot mess’. It’s totally what the kids say these days. I have a dear friend who just shakes her head and giggles at me when I say this about myself, she thinks I’m silly for thinking this way.

One of my most favorite t-shirts says... you guessed it, “Jesus Loves This Hot Mess”. I get compliments every time I wear it. I think I love it so much because it reminds me that Jesus never asked me to be perfect.

I feel like a hot mess a lot of mornings at about 8:55 AM. I am still pouring coffee, throwing food into lunch boxes, trying to get my child’s coat on him, going over the list in my head and scrambling out the door... when I should have been in the car driving out of the neighborhood 15 minutes earlier. “I am always late!” I tell myself. “Ugh, when will I get my life together? I am such a hot mess”

Work’s got you down, feel like a hot mess?

Had a fight with your spouse, feel like a hot mess?

Yelled at your child, feel like a hot mess?

Laundry piled high, feel like a hot mess?

Financial mismanagement,

Haven’t made up with your friend,

Can’t forgive your sister,

Feeling like Monday is on repeat,

Haven’t been to church in months...

Feel like a hot mess?

Whatever part of the spectrum you are on, it is easy to feel like a hot mess. But just like my t-shirt is a reminder for me, I want to remind you that Jesus loves you!

Truth be told, I’m not really a hot mess. Neither are you. So don’t stay stuck there and don’t let it pull you away from God.

Ever tell yourself you are just too messy to be anywhere near God? I know I have. Oh yeah, I have. “I am just too much of a mess right now to (praise, worship, thank) pray to God, He doesn’t want to hear what I have to say.” Allow me to let you in on a little secret, God is not afraid of your messy.

“Then I realized that my heart was bitter and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant-- I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you: you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.” Psalm 73:21-24 (NLT)

When David was angry, bitter and confused; he acted like a fool. I am sure he felt like a hot mess. Yet he recognized that he still belonged to God. He belonged to God and God was guiding him, providing counsel and leading David into his glorious destiny!

God is not afraid of your messy!

Don’t let your “sometimes messy” lead you in the wrong direction. Put your faith and trust in the truth that God is right there with you, guiding you, counseling you and leading you into your destiny. Lay your messy down right there at His feet and let Jesus minister to you. Don’t shy away from God when you feel like the ‘Hot Mess Express’ (oh yeah, I had to pull that one out). Recognize, just like David did, that you still belong to God.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

When the world has got you down, let God be your strength. When you are bogged down with life’s blunders and complications, remember who you belong to... forever!

“But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.” Psalm 73:28 (NLT)

If you are feeling, or have ever felt, like a hot mess I have the remedy; three parts praise, two parts thanksgiving and one part testimony. Don’t neglect God in those moments, praise God for who He is, thank Him for what He has done, and testify about what He is doing!

God’s not afraid of our messy. He is right there with us, asking us to be faithful. Trust Him, even when your heart and flesh fail you.

You will probably still hear me refer to myself as a hot mess sometimes, but only because I know God is not afraid of my messy. I belong to Him, he is holding my right hand, guiding me in His counsel, leading me into a glorious destiny! 

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

Let the Sunshine In

I went from room to room with a bounce in my step that bright morning, stopping at each and every window.  There was a huge smile on my face as I carefully twisted open the mini-blinds.  Beautiful, glorious sunshine began to pour in. You have no idea how my heart gets giddy in the glow of the sun!  The warmth!  The light!  Sunshine instantly brightens up any room. And it’s different than just turning on a lamp or overhead light.  It penetrates.  It is hard to keep out.  It changes things.  Sunshine causes growth (hello daffodil shoots!) and brings life!

My heart did a little dance in the sunshine for a moment but then my eyes focused on the windows.  More specifically, the dust laden mini-blinds covering the windows.  Then my gaze shot around the room.  There was a ceiling fan with dust-lined blades.  Spider webs in the corners of the room where wall meets ceiling. The smudges and scrapes on the baseboards from carelessness.  All the dog hair that desperately needed vacuumed!

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I like things neat, orderly, and clean. The girls’ toys are put away at the end of the day.  Messes are tidied up.  Bathrooms are clean – usually, lol!  But, there are other household clean-ups where I just can’t seem to get it together. Those jobs somehow get overlooked.  And I think it is because I can’t really see what needs cleaned.  I mean, sure, I can assume that if I haven’t dusted and polished around the house in a while, dust bunnies will take up residence. But isn’t it a shock to really see things in the true, bold, bright LIGHT?!

Do you say these things to yourself like I do??

• I just cleaned that!
• How did I let this happen?!
• Are other people are sneaking their dirty laundry into the baskets while we are not home?!
• We must be the dirtiest people on the planet! How can there be so much dust?!
• No one will be going ________  (insert area here – upstairs, downstairs, in the closet, etc.) anyway so don’t worry about cleaning it!

However, seeing a room bathed in brilliant sunlight changes everything.  Doesn’t it?  And you know what, that made me realize… Seeing our HEARTS bathed in brilliant “SON-SHINE” changes everything too!

Think about your heart for a minute.  Sure it looks just fine at first glance.  But, what happens when you allow the full light of Jesus to completely engulf it?  Do you notice some cobwebs?  Is there a dusty spot or two? Some areas you have ignored?  Maybe a few hurts that you need to allow His Light to penetrate and heal?

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 (NIV)

Nothing can hide in the brilliance of light.  And I don’t know about you, but I want Christ’s light to shine brightly in me and from me!  I want to see if there is an area that maybe I haven’t fully released to Him yet.  I want to allow His grace and love to transform those little corners of my heart that may have been neglected.   I need His light to shine on the areas where forgiveness is needed.  I want to live life in the “SON-SHINE”! Don’t you??

Ever mess up and feel like, “I just told myself I wasn’t going to do that!” Or maybe you have closed off a part of yourself out of hurt and figure, “I am shutting the door on that part of my heart. I will lock it away so I don’t get hurt again.” Or perhaps you have let some of the sneaky lies of the enemy slowly work their way into your heart.  You may not have even really realized it until Jesus shone His light and you truly saw for the first time in a while what had tried to take hold.

Sweet friend, let’s allow that “SON-SHINE” to pour in today as if we were opening up the blinds on the windows of our hearts.  Let that glorious LIGHT penetrate your heart, warming you with its brilliance and glow!  Don’t be afraid of what you might see. Don’t shy away from recognizing a little dust or cobwebs.  That magnificent, life-changing light is so worth it…

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46 (NIV)

Let’s pray…

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for being the light in my life!  Thank You for lighting up my heart with Your mercy, grace, and love! Jesus, I don’t want any nook or cranny of my heart to escape Your brilliant light!  Reveal to me now what areas may still be in need of healing.  I invite You into those areas that are in desperate need of Your restoration and care.

If there is a sin, Jesus, that I have not brought before You yet, open my eyes to it so that I may bring it to You right now for forgiveness. If there is a grudge I have been holding on to, shine Your light on it Lord. Lead me in relinquishing it and lavishing forgiveness on others just as You have lavished forgiveness on me!

Jesus, if there is a lie I have been believing, shine Your glorious light on it and melt it away.  I pray that I would remember that by Your blood I am forgiven, loved, and set free.  I am forever Yours.  Allow Your grace to flow through my heart and clear out anything I have been holding on to that does not line up with You and Your Word.

I ask too Jesus, please guide me in shining Your light brightly wherever I may go.  May I be like a city on a hilltop shining brightly in the darkness of this world.  May I lead others to You and point them to Your glorious light! It is in Your Mighty Name I pray Jesus…  Amen!

Post by: Marcy Gates

Always Have, Always Will

February is the “Love Month” and shhhhh... Don’t tell my husband but I am pretty sure Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. I know, I know, it’s all “Hallmark”, commercialized, and money making frivolity but for me, it’s simpler than that. There is something about drawing a red heart on a piece of paper and giving it to the one you, “loved yesterday, love still, always have and always will.” This month I have been thinking about God’s grace and what that means for us, for everyone! It always comes back to grace, the simplicity of grace. 

The Hebrew word for grace, in the Old Testament, is Chesed. I give you this word because it is the very essence of God’s love for us and it is translated to mean lovingkindness. 

“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

You see it is God’s lovingkindness that draws us to Him. When we were yet sinners, God loved us. When we were yet sinners, God pursued us. We are drawn to His lovingkindness because it is like no other. Lovingkindness also means “loyal love”. This is a covenantal love. A promise, a faithful promise, a marriage covenant.

“I will betroth you to Me forever;

Yes, I will betroth you to Me

In righteousness and justice,

In lovingkindness and mercy;

I will betroth you to me in faithfulness,

And you shall know the LORD”

Hosea 2:19-20 (NIV)

God never goes back on a promise, He never breaks a covenant. And even when we, like Israel, are unfaithful, His lovingkindness keeps us. 

“Again I build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.” Jeremiah 31:4 (NIV)

His grace, His lovingkindness draws us to Him and restores us! This is a love worth celebrating! This is a love worthy of praise! 

Your love has found us

Your love has found us

We are yours forever

Your love has found us

It's all around us

Holding us together

(“Love Has Found Us” - Gateway Worship)

When I think about this kind of love, I can’t help but be overwhelmed. How about you? It is my prayer that we would be daughters who seek to know our Father’s lovingkindness. Let us be daughters who rest in His lovingkindness. Let us be daughters who let His lovingkindness fill us up and overflow from our hearts and our lips!

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

Fixer Upper

Photo courtesy of  HGTV

My absolute favorite show on tv right now is HGTV’s “Fixer Upper”.  I am all about shiplap, French doors, and hardwood floors these days! And don’t even get me started on the stars of the show, Chip and Joanna Gaines.  These two make me want to pack up my family, move to Waco, Texas, and raise baby goats after every episode!

If you haven’t caught the show yet (Which, really, we need to talk. I am available to watch a marathon with you on a Saturday afternoon to get you up speed!) Chip and Joanna take prospective buyers through a few really run down houses.  (Get it – fixer uppers?!) As they tour each house, Chip and Joanna (let’s be honest, mostly Joanna) give their clients their vision of what the house could be. (And y’all, it always involves hard wood floors throughout. Lol!) Then the clients decide which prospective home will work the best for them, purchase it, then let Chip and Joanna go to work.

At the end of every episode, Chip and Joanna do the “big reveal”. They pull back a giant poster of what the house used to look like to reveal in highly dramatic fashion the newly renovated and much improved house.  (Kinda like pulling back a curtain or an unveiling.) Their clients freak out.  They gasp, jump and scream with glee, and/or stare with awe.  They are astonished at the transformation that has taken place on the inside and out of the property. These people are absolutely in love with their new/old house!

This reminds me of what it is like with God and how He is transforming us.  We are sorta like His fixer uppers!  We can’t really see it in the beginning, how He will grow us, change us, and mold us like Him.  But we trust Him.  We trust His vision.  We give Him permission to do what He wants.  We give Him full reign in ourselves.

Sometimes it isn’t easy.  There are times when the project goes long.  Often there will be a few snags along the way.  Maybe a detour or new element comes in to play. You just never know with fixer uppers, what you will run into.  There’s such mystery, so many unknowns.  But yet, you keep trusting the One with the vision, the One with the experience in this kind of work.

And then…  At the end of that major event, that trial, that season, that life… We are astonished and in love with what God has done!

 "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Post by: Marcy Gates

We Need Each Other (How I Overcame My Fear of Friendships)

This is just part of my journey with being a part of small groups and why I think being “plugged” in is an important part of walking with God. 

-Jimmie Lee

I used to be afraid of other women. I was afraid to let them in. I was afraid to try to be friends. In pretty much every season of my life, I tended to keep this extremely small circle of friends. Part of this was my personality... quiet, shy. But mostly it was because I was filled with insecurity. This insecurity had me building up walls, making excuses and keeping me from relationships that would help me grow.  

About 7 or 8 years after I renewed my commitment to Jesus, I got fed up with feeling stuck all the time. Over those 8 years I had a group of friends who were strong Christians but not a whole lot of them were women, because they were mostly my husband’s friends. These friends were a crucial part of my walk with God but I needed women speaking into my life. This would mean I needed to step out of my comfort zone and step out in faith. 

I prayed that God would put women in my life that would love me and not judge me. It still took me a little while to get up the courage but I did end up getting involved in a women’s small group at a church near me. That group of women that God sent me to will always be a part of the tapestry that is my life. They prayed over me, spoke life into me, and all with God’s power; never judging or condemning. They were Jesus to me when I needed Him to break that fear and insecurity. God used that time in my life to prepare me for seasons ahead. He showed me that His daughters are a powerful force to be reckoned with when they join hands and seek Him. And He showed me that other women... are just like me! 

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” (adapted from C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves)

Today I almost crave that time with women and when it’s not there I miss it. My favorite part about coming together to talk about Jesus is experiencing the beauty. It is a beautiful thing that each of us, individually can be so different, but come together for one purpose. Your story, your journey, it matters and it could help another woman find freedom. God made us to do this life together. He created relationships! He made us to be a body and we all have something unique and powerful to bring the table. We are better together. 

“The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” Proverbs 27:9 (NLT)

My life has not been the same since I stepped out in faith several years ago and joined in a women’s small group. In fact, much of my spiritual growth has been spurred on while being plugged into a small group. I have learned how to pray, speak life, encourage, love and support those around me through small groups. If you are thinking about joining a small group, but there is something holding you back, I encourage you to step out in faith! Don’t let the enemy’s lies keep you stuck. Whatever it is, insecurity, confusion, busyness, cast it aside and step out in faith. I promise you will find encouragement, love and spiritual growth! 

“So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:22-25 (MSG) 


Ladies, if you are interested in joining a small group, Jimmie Lee will be leading our next eight week session... Ever wonder what justification, redemption, and righteousness really mean for us as Christ followers? Join the Women’s Small Group Study on Wednesday, January 27th at 7:00. For the next 8 weeks, we will explore one life changing word per week and how it relates to the salvation we have in Jesus.  You won’t want to miss this time of growth, learning, and fellowship!  For more information and to register visit www.westridge.cc

How I Lost 30lbs. & Then Gained It All Back...

In September 2012, I surpassed my weight loss goal by losing over 30 pounds.  By September 2015, I had gained it all back.  What happened?! Were pizza, French fries and chocolate to blame?  Laziness? Is this just another “New Year/New You” weight loss post?!

No. Not at all.

Let me explain.  

Back in 2012, I was determined to get healthy.  I wanted to lose all the weight I had gained from bad eating habits and three pregnancies.  I didn’t like how out of shape I was and I cringed when I saw pictures of myself.  I found a diet and exercise plan that sounded reasonable.  Even my husband was on board and joined me!

Now, I’m such a rule follower.  In fact, I follow the rules so well that staying on the diet was something I was easily able to do.  Well, okay, maybe not easily. There were times when I was drooling over making my daughter a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while I knew another “carb-free” meal was awaiting me.  But, I had clear guidelines (a.k.a. rules) and I was able to stick with them.

When the diet ended, my husband and I were ecstatic with the results.  I actually had ended up losing more weight than I intended!  In fact, I had lost so much, I almost looked sick.  Like there was something really wrong with me.  My hip bones stuck out noticeably. My kiddos thought my lap was uncomfortable to lay their heads on.  (No more “cushion” I guess!)  Still, I was excited to start living in this “new” body and was enjoying working out daily.  In fact when I looked at myself in the mirror I felt like I had lost so much weight, I could eat however (and whatever) I wanted.  So I did.

There was problem though that I never tackled while I was dutifully eating right and working out.  I never addressed the fact that I use food as a comfort.  If I was stressed, taco dip sounded good!  And after the diet ended, cravings for pizza or fast food were no longer being denied but given in to.  And oh my, when the kiddos started getting crazy and my hormones were going nuts, chocolate sounded like the best decision ever! Snacking at night before the diet started was just part of my usual daily routine.  But while I was dieting, I stopped. Many glasses of water were guzzled in the evenings trying to drown out the grumblings of my empty stomach.

After the diet ended though, there was no “rule” that said I couldn’t satisfy my craving for cheese sticks or cheese curls.  There was no “rule” dictating to me that I must exercise.  So slowly but surely, the old habits returned (food = comfort) and brought the extra pounds right back with them. 

The real issue was that even though I had lost the weight and gotten healthier, I didn’t realize the comfort I was seeking could never be satisfied with food.  30 pounds later I have learned the hard way that my comfort is from Jesus and Jesus alone.  Now one would think, after all this time, after all I have seen God do in my life and in the lives of others this would come easy for me.  One would venture to guess that after all I have learned in my walk with Jesus that I would have grasped this by now.  But I’m still learning.  I’m so thankful that God is not done with me yet.

So that is why I am so eager for the upcoming 40 days of prayer and fasting that West Ridge will begin in the new year. (This special time will run January 3^rd through February 13^th.) I believe that God has asked me to cut chocolate from my diet (One of my favorites!) and to limit my food intake to three modest meals a day (That means no guacamole and chips at 9:00 at night!). And I’m sure there will be some bit of weight loss from this.  However, it’s not about losing weight right now.  For me, it is about coming to God and bringing Him the first of the new year.  There is a purpose for the prayer and fasting.  I want to be pursuing God in the beginning of this new year, this new start.  And in that time of prayer and fasting, I want to be seeking Him and learning how to truly allow Him to comfort me.  I believe that by coming to God first, by earnestly seeking Him and His heart, that our relationship will grow even closer.  I am confident that He will renew my mind, that He will break the yoke that has been bringing me down, and will bring us even closer together in unity. 

Ladies, it will be a good thing!  I’m entering in to this new season with an expectant heart and I hope you will too.  I’m not looking at this 40 day journey as a time of what I have to do without or even a time to follow a “rule” but a time of great expectation!  I’m looking forward to hearing from God, to receiving healing from God, and to gaining His vision of what He has in store for me in 2016 (and beyond)!

Sweet friends, this upcoming forty day journey, is going to be amazing!  It is going to be life changing!  Don’t hold back now.  Please don’t let 2016 kickoff and skip seeking God first!  Bring Him the first part of the year.  Come to Him through prayer.  Allow Him to speak to you in only ways He can! There probably is something God wants you to fast from. Prayerfully ask Him what it is.  It might be food, it might be technology, it may even be dare I say… coffee!  Whatever it is that God is leading you to, I want to encourage you to be obedient and participate in the fast.  God has awesome things that He wants to reveal to you, to speak into you, to show you, and to help you with!  Why miss that opportunity?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”

Isaiah 58:6-9(NIV)

Post by: Marcy Gates

By the way…  If you missed Pastor John Goebbel’s message concerning the upcoming 40 days of prayer and fasting at West Ridge, you can catch it right here: http://westridge.cc/display.php?s=79660