God has ears, attentive ones!

A year and a half ago or so, a friend and I spent the weekend together babysitting four siblings. It was quite the weekend, and the youngest kiddo was potty training. I was instructed by the parents that at about 5 a.m., their baby would cry out from his bed and for help using the potty. No biggie!

Well, come the first early morning with the kids, my friend nudges me awake, saying, "Liss, Liss, wake up." I am a very heavy sleeper, the youngest cries didn't rouse me. I only heard him yelling for his dad after my friend woke me! I rushed to him too late, his pull-up was wet. [FAIL]

Later that weekend I was sitting in Psalm 34. It may be my favorite psalm, but that's like a girl with a sweet tooth picking a favorite dessert! In light of my recent experience, verse 15 especially hit me. It said, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry." My ears were not attentive to early morning cries, but our heavenly Father's ears are ever attentive to the cries of His children. 

Cry out and He will hear! He will deliver you from all your fears.

About ten days ago, I was wondering what God was going to do. I was wondering what He wanted me to do. I came to God with nothing and in sheer exhaustion. As I waited, He brought to mind 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 

Psalm 27:13-14 also came to mind, and later that night I was reminded of Gideon trusting God for victory over the Midianites with only 300 soldiers.

I went through the weekend with a good friend and her kiddos, still scratching my head about what God had in store. I knew I was simply supposed to trust Him. I knew I was weak, and that He was strong. I wanted to see His goodness in the land of the living. I waited, in His strength and taking heart by His word. He gently kept my eyes on Him in faith, and He delivered. His ears were attentive to my cries. 

More on how He answered later, but for now, rest in this sweet promise and truth, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry."

Lord, thank You for making me righteous in Christ, for I have no righteousness of my own to claim. Thank You for Your great love and faithfulness, for Your Word and how it sustains us. You are good! You are able! You are alone are Father.

happy

When I lived in Long Beach, I would often sit at the light on Atherton Street (near the Parkside dorms) waiting to do a U-turn to head toward Bellflower Boulevard. During my last year in Long Beach, I frequently found myself at that intersection in a blissful state thinking about how thankful I was to be me and to be exactly where God had me.

Today, I had the same thought waiting to turn left in Tempe. (I am an ambiturner, for the record.) And I didn't realize it until today, but it had been such a long while since I felt that way. There were about five different things in my head today that all signified the same thing, I'm really happy again. (I'm normally happy.) Now this year was actually a great year. I have loved being 25 and am gonna milk my last month of it. I had an overall smooth transition to life in Arizona and Jesus was faithful every step of the way, but I guess I had a since of not being settled. This evening I sat in on the end of our S.A.L.T. (Servant and Leader Team) meeting and I realized I had come up for breath. I sighed with relief, the season of "surviving" is over. I survived, now I can thrive as I trust in Him.

I am at home again, and probably not so much is situated in the place, as much as it is in the activities, my role and relationships. I love college students. I do! I love helping women find their identity in Christ. I love making disciples. I love planting, sowing, and watering seeds and helping other people to do it, too! I love freshmen and making them feel loved. And my identity is even further rooted in my sweet Jesus. I am blown away by His love and faithfulness.

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness and love. I am so undeserving. Thank You for Your faithful guidance and Presence in my life through Your Spirit. I just am blessed to be Your daughter. May I ever declare You faithful! 


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6

Here ye, here ye!

Today, October 1, was homemade cookie day. I didn't even know there was such a day until recently, but obviously this was a ridiculous day worthy of celebration.

I decided to make my chocolate chip cookies, but I made a few alterations (one of them was using part oat bran flour). And as the good Lord would have it, I made the best batch of cookies that I have ever made.

I broke off a piece of one of the cookies and as I was tasting it, I was thinking in disbelief, "Is this the best cookie I have ever made?" It was so good, so good that I had to eat the whole cookie. I generally don't eat whole cookies late at night. Well, it was good, and thankfully my brother Luke was nearby to sample one. One bite in, I asked him, "Is this the best cookie I've ever made?" He declared, "This is the best cookie I have ever eaten!" Now Luke is a cookie monster, but I have never seen him savor a cookie, or three cookies, so slowly.

I "snicker doodled" half of the batch by rolling the dough in cinnamon sugar. Luke and I couldn't decide if we liked the plain ones or "snicker doodled" ones better. They were both so good. They were so good that I drove some over to my aunt's house and left them bagged on their doorstep for school tomorrow.

Anyways, hooray for a successful homemade cookie day! Time to write down all of my recipe alterations and keep this one for the years to come. I hope the ladies in Bible study enjoy them tomorrow night.

my Father's hand is gracious to me

A few days ago, I awoke with this phrase in my head: "My Father's hand is gracious to me."  I brushed my teeth and braided my hair, "My Father's hand is gracious to me." Freshly dressed and out the door, "My Father's hand is gracious to me."

And as I sat in the early, misty, Palm Springs morning with my coffee, a dear friend across from me, my journal and Bible, Luke 15 came alive in my soul, specifically the story of the prodigal son.

From the journal:

You see me coming along way off and the love I have known from You bids me come home. Yes, Your measure is generous toward Your children. My Father's hand is gracious to me. And even when I stay home, You say to me, "My child, you are always with me, everything I have is yours." 

O heart, rejoice! There is nothing to fear. My Father's hand is gracious to me. 

Lord, free me from my anxiety...from my busyness, for in it I squander my inheritance, I choose not the riches of my Father's house and presence. I run about frenetically trying to secure something, but I end up so very hungry, desirous of pig slop, when even the ones who are merely Your servants have food in plenty. 

So I come home, and I'm found in Your embrace before I even make it in the door. You were waiting for me and Your eyes saw me while I was still along way off. You run out to me. You grip me, holding me fast. You kiss me for I am Your beloved child. I was lost, but now am found. Before I utter apology or request forgiveness, You have reconciled me to Yourself. And even as I acknowledge my wrong, I am robed afresh with a fine garment to cover me. You put Your signet ring on my finger; I am family and I have Your authority when I act.  My feet, too, are made ready. And You call others to rejoice with You. "Kill the fattened calf! My child who was dead is ALIVE, though she was lost she is found."

This love is great. It is steadfast and full. Thank You.

O Lord, help me to remember in all situations that my Father's hand is gracious to me. Lord, may I hold fast to the fact that You have covenanted with me unilaterally. This is love. This is faithfulness.




And how my heart still rejoices. Oh, to be robed in righteous that is not my own from the law, but is by faith in Christ, sweet righteousness from God! And to have been given the Spirit, so that our hearts may cry out, "Abba," and we may be equipped with heavenly authority to act on our Father's behalf and for His glory.

Yes, our Father's hand is gracious.

O, that many more would come to know the riches of our Father's presence and His gracious hand!

You should like Andrew Bird.

a delightful, tear inducing day

Today was a wonderful day.

I sat next to my baby brother during church.

I had the joy of seeing a dear sister be baptized.

I got to help plan a NavNite! :)

I celebrated my cousin's birthday with him.

I conversed with my dear friend about her upcoming wedding, which apparently I will be singing in!

I also got a pair of jeans for free and prayed with Alicia.

And prayed Isaiah 54:2-3 most of the day.

AND the brother seems to be taking to memorizing Bible verses with me!!!

Teach him your way, O Lord, and he will walk in Your Truth; give him an undivided heart that he may fear Your name. Hallelujah, You are so good. You are faithful! My eyes are on You.

It is good to be small

It is good to be small.

I have always loved knowing the meaning of names. I remember my parents telling me early in life that they had spelled my name with an "i" instead of a "y" because they liked the meaning better (and my mom preferred it in cursive with "Williams," too). "Alissa" is derived from Alice, which is derived from the Greek word for truth. My middle name, Ruth, means compassion, hence the url for this blog. I always liked the meaning of my name and desire to be a woman of truth and compassion. Conversely, as a kid I always thought the meaning of my dad's name was LAME-O. His name is Paul and means small. Who wants to be small? (We're not talking waist size.).

But it is good to be small.

To be small is to have an accurate understanding of who and what one is. I am so very small. Sometimes I feel it more keenly than other times. It is freeing.

I am finite, and He is not. All of the Lord's attributes are infinite and pure. He is not limited by time and space. His workings are beyond us, beyond our comprehension. In light of how small I am and how very great my God is, I am left to rest secure in the knowledge of His goodness and graciousness.

It is good to be small, because we can better see God as He is!