God Put Me Through Beauty School

It’s just about time for my two nieces and I to make our 5^th Annual We 3 Queens Toast! Every year we bring in the New Year together with a special *clink*. We count on God to give at least one of us a word for the New Year and then with little pinkies sticking out and with our best English accents we say… “Ahem…yes…yes…CHEERS….here here…Lovey please…etc” to our word for the year. So in the midst of our crazy JOY comes this word that sets us off on a Divine Adventure. Even though we share things through humor we all seem to have a sense when the word for the year may be learned through tough trials.

One year we toasted to “the Joy of the Lord is our Strength.” I am now calling it BraveHeart Joy because it was the kind of joy that was learned through battles!! It was a year of seeing our enemies outnumber us and instead of running away…we faced them with unflinching faith, took off in a full sprint directly towards them and yelled on the top of our lungs….. “FREEEEEEDOOOM……” It seemed humanly impossible to win freedom in these areas that were beating us down but not only did God say we would win…He said we were meant to walk in JOY …AND … it would be our Strength. If we weren’t walking in joy and strength then this was our year to get there. So instead of a happy, skippy present wrapped in a fancy bow…it came with battle armor. We unwrapped the breastplate of righteousness, the sword of the spirit, shield of faith and chose to Rejoice…anyway.

This is the amazing thing I discovered….when you’re facing the worst, the annoying, the frustrating, the mundane, the numb, the crippling…and God is telling you you’re meant to walk in Joy and Strength….it’s going to seem like a slap in the face at first. Unreasonable. “But God, how do you expect me to be “joyful” when…etc” But then you clinch your jaw, paint your face, gargle with  some salt water and YELL….THANK YOOOOOOOU JESUS!!!!! Thank you that we’re going to WIN this today! Thank you, that you’re creating in me unwavering strength and character so that I may be free. Thank you that through this battle you’re bringing me to higher ground where my enemies can’t touch me! And you know all those annoying, crippling, fearful, numbing things I mentioned? You know those enemies that outnumbered me?….THANK YOU FOR SETTING ME FREE from them! Thank you for Waking Me Up so that I might truly LIVE and feel ALIVE in this world. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FREEEEEEEDOM!!!! Then you’ll be astonished when you find yourself in the midst of the same Braveheart Battle laughing and crying and amazed that you no longer even see your enemy. You don’t even care about how big they were in this moment because God’s Loving Adventure is bigger than the pain, the fear, the problems. This is what I mean by BRAVEHEART joy!

Isaiah 51:11
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, CROWNED WITH everlasting JOY. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

The thing that is so amazing about God…is that we –get- to win and have Joy in the face of battles. He’s not asking us to face something difficult and be faux thankful for the plants and trees…we can rejoice because he takes away the sting of death and sets us above our enemies! We can rejoice knowing God will set us free. And when we’re at our lowest, we can hold onto the hope…-knowing- God will turn our ashes into something beautiful. But even though we know God will come through for us…it doesn’t mean we get to skip the battle, know what I mean? I’m good at thinking I’m putting it in God’s hands when I’m really just ignoring it and letting fear fester. Just don’t be afraid to stop and really look to God…bring your heart to Him and let him show you the way. God has all kinds of battle plans (worship, praying, waiting, thanking…etc). But it’s through the battles that God crowns us with JOY!!! That’s when we understand Joy as Strength. Because He did it …He won…So We Won…and we get to walk away free. Talk about Strength!

So, the words God gives We 3 Queens continues to grow through the years and this one on BraveHeart Joy has become so big in my life this past year. It actually went hand in hand with our 2011 word which God gave to my niece Sarah -> God has a special surprise for us this year and CHEERS to discovering it.

We all three felt excited knowing we were off on another adventure and all wondering!! Wondering what this would mean for each of us. Isn’t it fun to Wonder about good things?

Anyway, there were so many things that happened in my world this past year but I’m smiling because I just discovered the SURPRISE. This is it…get ready…. ->

God gave me the gift of EXTRAORDINARY.

Let me explain. It was an incredibly challenging year and I faced many Big Girl lessons. The adventure this year required more faith, joy and strength than I thought imaginable. So many great things but all riddled with frustrations and difficult heights. My every step forward came with non-stop hits. But I couldn’t believe how God was using JOY to challenge me, spur me on and strengthen me to win so many battles. I was blown away by the connection between Joy and Strength.  But the last couple of months…I have been exhausted. Battle Weary. I gave in to the frustrations, I let bitterness take root and I felt generally negative and I was too tired to care. God would have probably given me rest…but I chose my own way before I could find that out. Wow, how quickly we fall. I was complaining, I mean praying, to God about all of it. Then it hit me!!!!!! My reactions to EVERYTHING…WERE COMPLETELY NORMAL. I WAS COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED!!!

And then God dropped this thought in my mind, “But I didn’t call you to a path of Normal…I called you to a Beautiful Adventure. You have two paths in front of you: Normal and Extraordinary. You don’t become Extraordinary in easy, peaceful times…so this is Your Moment…This is your moment to choose Extraordinary. You can choose to walk away with all the bitter ashes…most people would. It would be pretty normal and even understandable. But I’m handing you the gift of Extraordinary. This is your moment. Go on…open it. You’re gonna love it.”

*teeears….*

God’s not minimizing my pain or exhaustion…he knows it’s hard…but He’s got a twinkle in his eye….and maybe a sparkling crown behind his back. He’s handing me a gift.  *Surprise*

It may be normal to get to that bitter place throughout your journey…Just Don’t Stop There….Keep Going…. Search for the hidden treasures. Find the rest and strength God has for you. Look for the sparkling jewels hidden in hard times…they’re the ones that will turn your life into a beautiful adventure…into something extraordinary.

So for 2012- CHEERS to an EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE.

God give us strength to walk this path and say ‘yes’ to your gift. May you turn our ashes and battle scars into something truly BEAUTIFUL. It’s so astonishing the ways You bring Beauty into our world. May it shine on our faces and in our smiles this year so that others might be uplifted by it…even for a moment.

Love you guys, Missy

James 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the Crown of Life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

(NLT) Romans 5: Faith Brings Joy

¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

^(NIV) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials (rejoice in suffering) for we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Go on. Jump in...

I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is God brought me to a special place in Sarasota so I could learn something new about faith. The bad news is I thought I already had that part figured out. Has that ever happened to you?

It’s kind of like those drivers who were frantically yelling at John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, “YOU’RE GOOOOOING THE WROOOOOONG WAAAAAAAAY,” and I just now realized “Ooo they’re not drunk, I am, in fact, going the wrong way.

In this challenging season, I’ve been bouncing from the extremes of doing too much and not doing enough. All the while, God continues to speak one simple word to me……Faith. He wants me to believe in His Good Plan for my life.

Jer 29:11: For I KNOW the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you HOPE and a Future.

I thought I understood what this meant because I’ve taken giant leaps of faith in my life. I’ve been trained to have faith more than anything else! For example, I learned that trying to make something happen in my own strength is an obvious lack of faith. So I put my fears, concerns and needs in God’s hands and left it there….so I thought!

Ding Ding Ding…..

That’s where I went wrong! God showed me I wasn’t actually putting it in His hands…I was IGNORING IT! I turned my back on the issues that were too big for me and ran! Every time fear would try to surface, I would switch my optimism dial “on” with the power of my faux faith. It took me a long time to realize these fears were warning lights on the dashboard. Something was festering below the surface! I –thought- by putting it out of my mind I was leaving it in God’s hands. Instead, the most important issues in my life were being completely ignored.

My Faux Faith led to Faux Peace. I’ve had a peace about where I am in Sarasota and life but I haven’t had a peace about how I’ve handled everything. I was starting to shut down and I didn’t understand why. It was kind of like floating in a sea of faux peace and becoming comfortably numb. Then I would “wake up” and realize I hadn’t done enough and I would desperately try to catch up. I would get frustrated with God because it didn’t seem like he was helping me. And then I would hear in my heart his gentle, unstirred voice, “Have Faith, Missy. Believe that I have a good plan for you. Hold on to the words I gave you.” And then I would go back to Faux Faith. Repeat Cycle: for 2 years.

So what’s the answer? How do I avoid Faux Faith and walk in True Faith?
Here it is…..

Wait for it…… the answer is….. ACTIVELY TRUSTING GOD!

What the spam does that mean? It means if I wake up in the morning and I don’t have True Faith then it’s my job to GET THERE! Rather than ignoring it, I need to RUN straight to God….. And then walk away?…. Only if my heart is filled with his rest, peace and the KNOWING He’s going to take care of it…knowing He’s going to lead my steps to the right path that day….knowing He’s going to give me the strength for the task at hand. If I put it in His hands, walk away and then see myself shutting down…it means I took it back!!! So then I need to run back to God and put it back in His hands… For how long? ….FOR AS LONG IT TAKES!

I will warn you, once you discover a root of fear in your life, it will be amazing and then it will be a battle! You will wake up in white water gasping for air. But you know, it’s ok….because it’s sign YOU’RE ALIVE again! Floating in Faux Peace only puts your life on hold and you’ll have trouble hearing the drivers say, “You’re going the wrong way.” It’s a path that ultimately leads to chronic boredom and the death of dreams.

So True Faith means staying heart-to-heart with God and trusting him to lead you out into the deep water….a place that’s over your head and impossible for you to navigate in your own strength. He knows the way….Trust Him. Don’t let fears hold you back from your life’s adventure. If you’re in the white water like me….then I have this to say…. “YOU’RE GOING THE RIGHT WAAAAAAAAAAY!”

I believe God wanted to make sure I got this message so He told the angels, “Ok it’s going to take Missy a while to get this so we’re going to stop down in a very special place. We’re going to plant a garden, cook, hang pictures on the wall and fill her life with love and friendship. We’re going to use every bit of this time and we’ll wait because I want her to be free. I have a pearl of wisdom I want to make sure she gets.”

This is the beautiful picture of God I have to share with you today!

I pray today God would show you a beautiful picture of his love for you! I pray He would set you free to really LIVE. I pray He would give you the courage to wake up and swim!

Love and Hugs,
Missy

PS: I had a new revelation about relationships! Sorta like how God showed me how our culture tries to fit BEAUTY in size two skinny jeans. There’s got to be more to it than that. Well, he’s showing me a bigger picture for relationships! God is not limited by our limitations and how we define Love through relationships. I HOPE to write about it soon.
PSS: Before I published this I ran it by my dad. He told me he saw a bumper sticker today that said, “Feed your faith and you will starve fear.” Good One!
PSS: The picture was provided by my talented and beautiful cousin Aimee Junnila. Check out her stunning pics: http://www.AimeeJunnilaPhotography.com & http://www.AandAphotos.com

Isn’t it interesting how we’ve taken the Beauty God created & made it fit in size 2 skinny jeans? Let’s change that–> So it has been a long time since I’ve updated you on my Beauty Adventure. I, too, was wondering why I stopped writing. Was I in some kind of depression? Was fear holding me back? hmm….what was at this root of this Beauty Writing slump? and then it hit me! I’M HAPPPPPY! Content! Joyful! Wow! haha! It’s kind of strange that I had to even think about this. But I just sort of let go and embraced it these last few months. God fulfilled some of his words to me in unexpected ways and it was wonderful. However, I also dropped much of my special, heart to heart, time with Him. I was resting but I lost sight of stillness. It hit me this past week when I started waking up at 4am with sudden bursts of anxious thoughts. Talk about a Divine Wake-Up Call! It was a GIANT reminder that, yep, I still NEED God. God is always doing a new thing…the journey continues…and I need His guidance and direction. I need his Peace. Strength. Love. Forgiveness. Purity. I need to be in the Beauty of His presence! It’s so easy to get distracted in this age of warped speed information and lose sight of God’s beautiful picture for our lives. We’re bombarded with messages of fear and pictures of false beauty. The way the world defines beauty may be a small picture but we can never quite measure up to it. It provokes a competitive spirit and even the most “beautiful” never find rest in it. It’s fleeting. There’s always going to be someone better. Is this the kind of beauty God created? Or a perversion of the truth?

So what –is- the truth…what’s real? So far, I’ve discovered God’s beauty brings REST. It takes you out of the competition because you’re a one-of-a-kind. There’s no comparison to the beautiful picture your life was created to be! It has so many levels that have nothing to do with whether we fit into skinny jeans. And it’s certainly not a girls-only prize. It’s even more than serene snow-capped mountain tops. It’s ALIVE with adventure and laughter…. -and- serene mountain tops:) Whether we find it in a sunset, the stillness of prayer, a kind gesture, a loving smile, unexpected joy, an outburst of laughter with friends, a 10 dollar BCBG garage sale find:) or when we wake up and see a ‘picture’ of contentment…we can see God’s gift of Beauty. The more we gaze upon -this- beauty, the more we begin to reflect it. Again, this is key, the more we gaze upon the Beauty of God…the more we begin to reflect it. And it’s not just an inner beauty thing. Trust me, people will begin to notice. People are drawn to Beauty and you have it!

My cousin Aimee Junnila is a very talented photographer and she has a true gift for capturing Beauty!She took this picture and I saw it on a day when I was overwhelmed with work/life stuff. My mind was running circles around fear and when I saw the simplicity and beauty of this picture, I cried. I let go of the swirling thoughts that, in contrast, seemed..well..gross. When I look at this, I sense a bride preparing to walk down the aisle. It’s Clean. Pure. Beautiful. I thanked God for giving me such a special picture and for the strength it gave me to Look Up and accept His grace. I felt Free. Pure. Prepared, even…just like the picture.

God I pray today you would create in us a clean heart and restore a right spirit within us! Lord, forgive us for allowing so many distractions and false messages to cover up the true beauty you’ve given us. Set us free so we may be your brides of beauty! May you wash away the messages of fear and false beauty that weigh us down. God, I’m amazed that our hearts can reflect the purity of snow white capped mountains and our smile can carry the warmth of a beautiful sunrise. Thank you for sharing your gift of beauty with us. Help us to share this gift with others too. Give us the inspiration to look for the beautiful pictures you have for us this week! Who knows, maybe God has a special Valentine for you! and , if so, you -have- to let me know about it. <3

To see more of Aimee’s pictures, check out her website at www.AimeeJunnilaPhotography.com. I absolutely love the way she sees life!

Love and Hugs to you, Missy

www.missymidden.com
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Psalm 18:32: It is God who arms me with strength and makes MY WAY perfect. (36) YOU BROADEN the PATH beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. Psalm16:11: You have MADE KNOWN TO ME the PATH of LIFE. Psalm 23:2: “He leads me beside still (quiet) waters. He restores my soul. He GUIDES ME in PATHS of righteousness…”

I went for a run a while back on a street congested with new construction and a long line of traffic. I laughed when I saw the sign in the picture “Traffic Calming Ahead.” Maybe the Sarasota traffic division had a meeting and discussed a new “Zen” campaign for road signs. I posted it on Twitter to share the laugh and went on my way. I certainly didn’t think this was a “spiritual” moment. However, on this pursuit of True Beauty I keep discovering God’s sense of humor. He speaks in creative ways and I’m always surprised to think of God as being funny! Isn’t that something we find attractive in another person, though? But we think of God, the Creator of Beauty, as being beautiful in the sense of sweeping snow capped mountains or the gentle ocean waves at sunset but not the words on a road sign that could end up on Late Night TV Shows. That’s on our level! It seems too real…too down to earth.

So, later that day I called my mom for prayer. I am facing a new round of changes and I need to let go of a few important things like my HOME! Upon moving to Sarasota, God gave me this word in Psalm 16: “Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you made my LOT Secure. The boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places.” I LOVE it here and I felt it was safe enough to plant myself for a good while. I hung pictures on the walls and decorated every room. It’s a big step for someone who moves around a lot. But the past year, my lovely, safe haven has become a giant financial burden. I’ve been holding on for dear life because I thought God said this was a secure place. I didn’t think I would have to let go of it. So I’ve been waiting on God to come through with a plan that let’s me stay here and I think God has been preparing me to leave. Things have been a little murky lately as I’ve been coming to terms with this. I recently agreed to just Let Go of it and it felt like I exhaled a year’s worth of worries.

I always hear people talking about how it’s easy for a single person to move. “You’re young, you don’t have a family to worry about…you can go anywhere…” But let me give you the perspective from a single, young-ish…ok ISH….person who’s had to move a bunch of times. A single person’s family becomes their community, their church, small group, boyfriend, even co-workers. So when a single person has to move…they lose their family. I would feel so blessed to move ANYWHERE with my family! While I know God is leading my steps, I’m not facing easy decisions. There have even been misunderstandings with God. So what do you do when that happens? Call mom:)

I made the official decision to move out of my house and God opened a door for me to stay in Sarasota. It’s a miracle but it’s still a step out of my comfort zone. My mom told me she had a peace about this move and she prayed God would give me road signs along the way so I would know I’m going the right way. Wait a minute…did she just say ‘Road Signs’? I just spent my day snickering about a road sign: TRAFFIC CALMING AHEAD. Whoa!

This is why the adventure of God is so thrilling. The picture God wanted to show me started coming in to focus like the directions on a treasure map. So here’s what I’m seeing: I think the last few months (even year) have been murky and often confusing. It has been hard. Heavy. I believe this is a month of marked change. I believe it’s time to take a few steps forward….out of our comfort zones. I believe the ‘traffic’ is the busy thoughts mixed with a HEAVY daily grind. There has been “construction” so it has been especially annoying and slow. It has been hard to move forward. Traffic CALMING ahead: I believe this is a calming of the mind. Clarity. Focus! I believe God is leading us forward into new territory and soon we will begin to see things more clearly. Without the traffic and construction it will be easier to move and see where you’re headed. The work you’ve been doing that hasn’t been going anywhere …will start moving again.

So right now as we begin to move forward ….even with a limited view…God wants you to know “I AM with you!” You’re not alone. Clarity is coming.

A few weeks ago I was writing my prayers out to God in my journal. A new age friend of mine had pointed out, in her words, that I had “circled things with negativity.” What a profound picture! She was right. There were cities and careers and things and people I had circled with negativity and fear. I’m usually a pretty optimistic person but …wow….I couldn’t help but see these circled areas. It’s ok to have an opinion and not really like something, but she was right…. I had definitely done the circling! So I started praying about this and asking God to wash away these circles of fear and negativity. I asked him to forgive me and I sent Love and Forgiveness and Peace to each one of these areas. Then I got to ME. I asked God to wash away the negative circles I had drawn around myself. Wow…I hit a nerve and the tears started flowing. I prayed (and discovered), “God I’m so disappointed in ME…in myself…please forgive me and help me to forgive myself…I send Love and Forgiveness to myself. Please wash the circles away and set me free.” I spoke in the third person just as I had done the others, “I send Love and Peace and Forgiveness to you, Missy…Peace to you Missy…Peace to your tender heart. Grace to you Missy. Then I started praying the words God gave me to hold on to and it seemed God started speaking directly to my heart, “You are sought after, You are on a path to be a bride, your nets will be filled with fish and you’ll see you have a reason to rejoice! If you could see what I can see….you would Rejoice. I give you permission to calm down, to smile, to be happy…your life is going to be blessed once again….you’ll never be alone…I am your Friend…I am your Healer….I am your Safe Haven…I am your Love…I am your Helper…I am your Leader….I am your Partner….I am……I AM …..” And then I sensed God speak this profound word, “I AM …I am the Great I AM….and I AM…………with you.” The giant snow white capped mountainous beautiful creator GOD ….is with me. This ‘big’ God is with the ‘small’ me in a very powerful and big way! This BIG God is so close …close enough to know our sense of humor…close enough to know you and BE…..with you.

Wow God thank you for being with us….thank you for leading us to a Path of Life! Thank you for ‘making known’ this path. Don’t let us forget the only real security we have comes from You and not the good gifts you’ve given us. Help us to put our eyes back on You. Thank you for leading us into the beautiful adventure with You….the path of LIFE.

Love and Hugs to you….
Missy
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Proverbs 2: 1-6: My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and IF YOU LOOK FOR IT AS FOR SILVER AND SEARCH FOR IT AS FOR HIDDEN TREASURE, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and FIND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

IF YOU SEARCH FOR WISDOM AS IF IT’S A HIDDEN TREASURE….YOU WILL FIND IT!

Ok, I’ve read this scripture 5 zillion times. It was my staple scripture for almost a decade. But I just recently saw it with new eyes!

Several years ago, I was telling a skeptical friend about something God had done in my life. It was probably something similar to the things I share here…like when I blogged about “Holy Inside Joke! God’s in on it!” My hilarious boyfriend agreed to watch a silly girl’s movie with me and we were joking about it being our “fancy pants” date. I was leaning on my Bible at the time and looked down at a scripture that talked about wearing “Garments of Splendor!” I’m sure there’s a translation out there that says Fancy Pants! haha. It might sound like a small thing but it was Huge for me! I’m on a path to discover True Beauty and I learned something new about it. Most people agree that a sense of humor tops the “things I find attractive about you” list. So it made sense that the God who invented Beauty would also have a sense of humor. God wanted to be “in on the joke”….the fun side of my life. Who knew he could be that real in our lives!:)

So, it was probably five years ago and even though I can’t remember what I was saying…I’m sure I was telling my friend something similar to this…some new amazing revelation. At that time, he asked me a question that I didn’t think twice about …until now. After discovering more about God’s sense of humor, I woke up with his question so LOUD in my head: “What makes you, Missy Midden, think you’re so special that God would do all this for You.”

I think I finally have the answer!

The intent of the question was probably to point out I’m not really that special. haha It’s funny because I didn’t detect the skepticism at the time so I’m sure I answered enthusiastically as if he really wanted to know. I thought it had something to do with how God related to me personally as a creative person.

Ultimately, it was fair question. One that deserved a good answer.

The last few weeks, I kept thinking about the “wisdom” scripture. It kept coming up and rolling around in my mind. I sorta wondered what God was trying to show me since I had already dissected this scripture for years….but then I saw it! I saw the answer to his question. If you search for Wisdom as if it’s a Hidden Treasure….you will find it!! This suggests LIFE IS MEANT TO BE AN ADVENTURE! “Finding hidden treasure????” that’s like something out of Indiana Jones. Wisdom is universal…we all need it. So, these creative revelations are not just for creative types. God said we could have wisdom if we searched for it like a hidden treasure! Getting to know God IS the adventure. Our life is designed to be an adventure! So the only difference between my friend and me was that I chose to look under a few more rocks. I dug a little deeper in search of something significant. Something Beautiful. Pearls of Wisdom! I searched fully convinced I would find some new treasure! I would find God and Divine Inspiration for that moment of my life. I think it’s important to walk in Divine inspiration rather than be a slave to what seems safe and practical to everyone else.

So recently, I checked my treasure map, dusted off a little sand and found that God had a sense of humor. I discovered that God is so much more than the One who listens to our desperate prayers or approves our earnest pursuits and good deeds….but he Delights in our FUN TIMES! He asks us to rejoice …but look …he rejoices over us too! Isn’t that such a cool picture!!!

Zephaniah 3:14-17 Sing O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy…..The Lord the King of Israel is with you; never again will you fear harm…do not fear o Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great DELIGHT in YOU. He will quiet you with his love, He will REJOICE OVER YOU with SINGING.

Sometimes the “small” thing …IS….the adventure! Today, for example, I discovered true beauty can be found at Marshalls! haha (I’ll write about this next…it’s funny and meaningful)

So to finally answer my friend’s question…. We’re ALL that special!!! Look for Him and see what You find! I think this is when life will get interesting for you! This is the way to turn a dull life into a (better than Indiana Jones) kind of adventure!

By the way, when my friend was suggesting I believed I was a little “too special” …I was at the very lowest point of my life. What a testimony to the power of God’s adventure! Even though I was crushed in every way imaginable and it would have made more sense for someone to feel sorry for me….instead ….someone actually believed I thought I was “too” special! You know why ….because I was SPECIAL. I was blessed to learn that unimaginable treasure, an exciting adventure, pearls of wisdom and True Beauty can be found even in the darkest phase of your life. This adventure isn’t reserved for the rich, the creative, the stable, the ‘no longer hurting’…God never let me be a victim of my circumstances!

We are all meant to be free….to live the adventure ….to wear the hat! Who Knows what we’ll find …there’s so much ground to cover!

I pray God gives you courage to search for him as if He’s a hidden treasure and the faith to BELIEVE you WILL find Him!

Love and Hugs…
Missy
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Ugh….WAITING! WAITING for your soul mate to show up….Waiting for someone to say, ‘You’re hired’……Waiting on some kind of spark to bring you to life again….Waiting for that person to change….Waiting for everything to run smoothly for once, Waiting for the microwave to beep…WAITING, waiting, waiting….

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

You might be thinking, “Yeah but for how long? I’ve been waiting for years ….in some cases…all my life.” Ok and realistically sometimes a few minutes or a whole half a day!:)

But no matter how optimistic, “spiritual” or “strong” we are, we have those days we’re just sick and tired of waiting! I wonder if God can relate? I wonder if sometimes we’re really not waiting at all but Running as fast as we can in the wrong direction?…just to be moving?…just to be doing Something?

I wonder if, in fact, God is WAITING on Us?

So a lively, free-spirited friend of mine was going to bust if she didn’t have a summer ADVENTURE. Much to her Dismay….NOTHING was really working out but she felt like God was telling her He had something special for her. Even though she tried to venture out on her own a few times, ultimately, she surrendered and chose to wait on God wholeheartedly. During this process, I watched her go through a “boot camp” of life lessons and grow quickly. Then, on a casual, adventure-free day, she had eyes to see something New. She knew in her heart it was the “something special” from God. This adventure didn’t require a plane ticket because it was in her own neighborhood. It might not have been what she was expecting but it was Much Better. It was also something that had been there all along but she never really noticed it. I believe God didn’t give her eyes to see it until she was ready. I was inspired by this because I could see the wisdom and perfection of God’s timing. He wants to give a Good gift and maybe sometimes we have to learn a few things in the meantime. Maybe we need to grow from the little trials in front of us first. Otherwise, the gift might not even be a blessing. I believe God protects us so we don’t ruin our own good gifts….like pouting before a surprise birthday party because you thought everyone forgot about you. ooooo Just wait …. it’s gonna be worth it!

Isaiah 64: 3-5: For when you did AWESOME things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways.

He is waiting on you to Remember Him….He wants your attention. He wants you to be ready….so he can give you an AWESOME gift…it’s all part of the Beautiful Adventure.

So maybe God relates to the pain we feel when we have no choice but to WAIT. He wants to give us unbelievable gifts and he’s not ignoring our needs nor our heart’s desires. He’s waiting. Waiting until the gift will be a blessing and not a curse. So, again, just maybe in all of our inner grumbling about having to Wait on God and thinking he’s taking FOREVER….maybe God’s actually waiting on Us.

It might not always be the case…but God I pray today we would stop and surrender. Instead of trying to manipulate our circumstances or expect the other person to change….God help Us to change. Help us to draw closer to you. Help us to remember your ways. And for those of us weary in well doing…help us to let You be the strong one. Help us grow a little more this week. Help us to see you in Heaven dying to give us a good gift:))

Pearls of Wisdom=True Beauty (from my niece Kelli): Don’t try to be so strong on your own. Give God your fear.
“He makes all things new. There isn’t room for perfectionism because God is already the perfect one and he doesn’t require that of you. He wants you to listen to him. Let him be the perfect one and let him make all things new”

I know I told you I was going to write about wisdom next ….shoot….I haven’t forgotten about it.
Hugs and Love
Missy

Isaiah 62: The Lord made a proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, you Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and YOU will be called SOUGHT AFTER, the CITY NO LONGER DESERTED.

I finally have a minute to share the GIFT God gave me this year for my birthday! He gave me a Name! Sounds simple, but it was attached to FREEDOM, Joy and an Incredible Adventure!

“You have a specific place in the [Great Battle] line, a mission God made for you. (Your life has a purpose). That is why it is so essential to hear from God about your true name, because that name is the mission of your life.” Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

So, I was sitting at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans having a Beignet on the last day of a seven day video shoot for Louisiana Travel. Yeah, I know, it’s already a good gift. The work was behind us and I wanted to have some God-time before heading back to Florida. The timing of this trip seemed significant and I had a feeling God was going to show me something. I had no idea it would be so huge even though I went in with pretty high expectations. I started the trip ready to learn something that would prepare me for the next phase in my life. I was ready to let go of the old and embrace the new. So I was surprised to get to Louisiana and realize I had brought some of my troubles with me. Ug, I felt the weight of some unsettled issues, offenses and fears. But sitting at this famous café, in a powdered sugar haze, God lifted the heaviness and all the anxious thoughts.(God knows exactly how to get my attention haha). When I opened my heart to God and started writing in my journal I felt His nearness. His Joy. Something was definitely up. I knew the anticipation for something Great was going to happen in this moment. This was it….God had something for me.

I started thinking about the people we interviewed in Louisiana and the friends I got to see. Louisiana is known for good food, good music and a welcoming spirit. It’s true. In Florida, we see tourism as a business. In Louisiana, tourism gives locals the chance to show off their amazing culture to new people. I felt embraced. Then I started putting it all together. It wasn’t by chance God brought me to this welcoming state.

Let me back up a bit. God gave me the Isaiah 62 scripture before I moved to Sarasota. I had been abandoned by everything I loved but God said, “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ’see you Savior comes! See his reward is with him….You will be called SOUGHT AFTER, a CITY NO LONGER DESERTED’”. So I came to Sarasota and I realized, sitting in the café, that God had spent every bit of my time there preparing me to actually be able to RECEIVE this name! AHHHHHHHHH!!! …..And can you believe this was just days before my birthday. It gets better.

Before I could receive it…God had to deal with the thieves that have been stealing my God-given name and torturing me with deception for so many years. Their names? Abandonment and Rejection.

God set me free me from this giant cycle of dysfunction involving these enemies and then placed me with people that would help me walk it out in Sarasota. My boyfriend has a HUGE part in this area of freedom. The final test came recently when we decided to take time apart to seek God about our future. It was handled with such love and respect that I was surprised when I woke up the next morning FREAKING OUT!!! I felt the familiar tormentors Abandonment and Rejection say … “ha ha …you only thought you were free!” I was begging God for help and I felt like He was not answering these desperate prayers. You have to understand, this kind of torment is more than I can handle. My response, “what do you want enemy? The names of my family? Here you go.” But even my mom felt like my earnest prayers of desperation were somehow not right. I thought, “God if you expect anything more from me in this moment, then I’m gonna get in the boat with Jonah.” All the while, I felt God was saying there’s reason to rejoice. But this seemed cruel and why does it seem like I’m praying the wrong prayer? I had the defeated attitude that I would probably learn something…yay, joy, awesome…not really feeling it. But I woke up the next morning and….CUE THE REJOICING MUSIC….I was just fine. Sounds anticlimactic. Nope, I’ve broken up with boyfriends before and it’s a painful TWO YEAR process…NOT waking up the next day simply feeling FINE. But I realized I wasn’t really abandoned because God didn’t abandon me! AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I UNDERSTOOD THAT!!! I wasn’t staring down the barrel of heartache….I was FREE. God didn’t abandon me and he didn’t abandon my dream, my true heart’s desire. That’s why God would accept nothing less than REJOICING because there was REASON TO REJOICE.

God had to bring me back to a place that looked like abandonment and rejection so he could show me I HAD SIMPLY OUTGROWN IT. I’m looking to God to fulfill my dreams not a person. It wasn’t just a matter of casting out a devil and hoping it was gone. God had been leading me down a path of freedom for Years so in this moment I would be able to face my old enemies and say, “nah….it’s not working. I’ve OUTGROWN it.”

So, as I sat there, in the midst of sugary goodness and an amazing adventure, God says, “NOW, you are ready to Receive it. Your name is SOUGHT AFTER, a City No Longer Deserted. You will Never be Alone because your NAME is Sought After…all the days of your life. If you find yourself in a city that seems to have deserted you…I’ll change the city. You’re no longer attached to your tormentors. See? look, you’re in Louisiana. I brought you to a place to be embraced to make my point. You no longer have to fear. Your path is SOUGHT AFTER…all the days of your life. This is my gift to you. Happy Birthday.”

Teeeeeeeeeeeeears……………………………………………………………….

I got on the plane and opened Wild at Heart and started reading where I left off, “ The history of a man’s (our) relationship with God is the story of how God calls him out, takes him on journey and gives him his true name.” …..But the new name is really not new at all when you understand it is your true name, the one that belongs to you. [God called Abram off to a new frontier and gave him a new name, he took Jacob off the Mesopotamia and gave him a new name]”

God took me off to Louisiana….and gave me a new name.

I believe it’s a gift I can give! If you’re in my life and reading this….then you can know for sure ….YOU are not alone. God hasn’t abandoned you. He hasn’t turned his back on your heart’s desire. YOU are Sought After. You’re Not Alone. This is the deeply personal message He gave me to GIVE YOU!

So grab a powdered doughnut and celebrate! This is good news! Freedom is the Beauty of an Adventure with God!

Next, I want to write about seeking wisdom as if it’s a hidden treasure and addressing a question someone asked me years ago: “What makes, you, Missy Midden so special that God would do all this for you.” Haha…it’s a fair question even though the intent was to point out I’m probably not that special.
Love you!
Missy

Let’s Put On Our Fancy Pants and Ride……….

Believe it or not…..God Wants -In- on the Joke! Seriously! God appealed to my sense of humor today to get me out of a major funk!

I just finished two of three video projects and I’m ready to start the next one. This is my crunch time and it’s usually when I do my best work. However, while I’m finishing these projects I also have to follow up on new leads and put together new proposals and I’m already working until 11pm at night! You have to understand, I don’t have a Type A personality and work is never going to be an escape for me! I’m creative and I need a lot of space to ponder life, be still, laugh, have fun, and then discuss it all. But I’m also a hard worker and I would rather be run over than drop a ball when it involves other people. I am constantly pursuing the balance between the two! So yes, sometimes I will work a month straight without blinking and then other times, like yesterday, I pull the covers over my head and HIDE!!!!! Can anyone else relate to this????

I woke up feeling the burden of being a single woman trying to make it for one more month. It seemed like I hadn’t had a day off since high school. I was completely burned out and weak from the unrelenting responsibility!

OK ….BUT THE ACTUAL PICTURE OF MY LIFE IS MUCH DIFFERENT! I’m sorry God for giving in to these thoughts when YOU have provided for me, YOU have taken care of me, YOU have given me time off, YOU have brought me to safe pastures and the wildest adventures!

I wanted to write out the tormenting thoughts that caused me to shut down yesterday so I could share the amazing way God brought me out of an ugly pit.

It’s hilarious actually! God didn’t minimize my feelings but he strengthened me in a very unusual way! My friend gave me a DVD with four of the sweetest girl movies of all time. I Love it!!! Being the best boyfriend -of all time- Derek agreed to watch one of them with me. So last night he asked me out on a dinner and movie date. We settled on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for the movie. haha! Of course we are making jokes about it because otherwise it would potentially be the most painful two hours of his life.:) So we have named this is our ‘fancy pants’ date night. There is a point to telling you this…..

Today, I woke up still feeling the heavy burdens but I just couldn’t waste another day. I felt like I was buried six feet under trying to find the strength to come out of it. This was no joke! I turned to Isaiah 35 which is titled in my Bible: Joy of the Redeemed. It says, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom….it will burst into bloom, it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.” It sort of set the tone for what God was about to do. Plus, as I’ve written before, this is the year of Joy! We 3 Queens made a toast to the Joy of the Lord is Our Strength!

Next, I turned to Isaiah 51:9: “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord;”I needed to Wake Up and quit hiding….so this immediately got my attention. Then I turned the page and saw this word repeated a few more times (Is 51: 17) “Awake, awake! Rise up O Jerusalem…” (Is 52:1) Awake, awake o Zion, clothe yourself with strength, put on your garments of splendor…” PUT ON YOUR GARMENTS OF SPLENDOR??? Right at that moment my boyfriend text me and said something about our “fancy pants” date (jokingly) and I was responding …with my Bible open to PUT ON YOUR GARMENTS OF SPLENDOR! LOL! Omgosh ….. GOD IS -IN- ON THE JOKE! Garments of Splendor…it might as well say Fancy Pants! Then the scripture goes on to say, “shake off your dust, rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem, Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”

Even though I knew God was speaking to me through the “wake up” word, I didn’t seem to have the strength to step out of the pit. UNTIL, Until…. I realized God was part of our date night joke!! In that split second, I was AWAKE and Laughing and pretty Amazed!! Pit? What Pit? I mean, isn’t it hard to imagine God actually listening to a silly date night conversation?….much less RESPONDING to it!!! God is so real! He was saying, ‘Wake Up and put on your fancy pants! It’s your ‘fancy pants’ day! There’s reason to rejoice!’ haha!

If you ask most people what they find attractive about another person…..’a sense of humor’ is usually right up there with the most important qualities. So doesn’t it make sense that the God who created Beauty would also have a sense of humor! Amazing, right?

Just in case you’re still in a pit…I pray God would strengthen you in a powerfully, personable way. “Awake, awake…and clothe yourself with strength…put on your garments of splendor…”

So lets put on our Fancy Pants and Ride….this is an incredible adventure!

Love you,
Missy

Isaiah 62:11
“The Lord has made proclamation to ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him….’”

I haven’t written since my 7 Day Faith Walk Adventure and you can’t even believe all that God has done since then. There has been so much revelation but it wasn’t complete enough to write about until now. God was still adding his signature touches of Love and Beauty to the story He wants to tell through my life. It wasn’t quite breathtaking enough last month. (as if!!!) But God completed his gift of breakthrough beauty in time for my birthday! In a sentence….He called me away and gave me a New Name! This name sums up all the revelation God has been giving me since the Faith Walk and the direction he is leading me now! He wrapped this extraordinary gift of revelation and adventure with a Name. A New Name. It has been there all along but This was the time to finally receive it. It was a gift from God! This story unfolds like a mystery with clues that lead each one of my steps to this revelation. I can’t wait to tell you about it. I can’t wait to tell you the name because I believe God gave me this gift to GIVE! It’s something to share with the people God puts in my life. YOU! Isn’t that just like God?!

In the meantime, I went for a walk this morning feeling a little cranky. The moment I opened my heart to God on this walk His love rushed in and ‘created in me a clean heart’. It’s our nature to pick up offenses, worries, and burdens. But, seriously, just a minute with God, sensing His love for me, and those offenses were washed away and replaced with love. It made me realize how important it is to find that space….that heart connection…with God. We don’t Love, or give, or have faith or strength on our own. We need God. We need a Savior. We don’t need a legalistic approach to prayer and Bible time (that’s going in the Wrong direction completely)…we simply need to connect with God each day! Sometimes I connect with God by listening to music and going on a walk. Sometimes I sit on a bench for a little stillness. Sometimes I open my heart to God during the 5 extra minutes I have to sit in my car before walking in some place.

It’s worth it to be FREE!
Love you
Missy
Here’s my song for the day! I Love it!!!! Heather Clark: Price of Love

Actually, I was surprised how the 7 Day Faith Walk Adventure ended. I guess I was expecting fierce warrior prayers to continue with bold declarations of Faith. If it was going to compete with the rest of the week, shoot, I didn’t rule out doing cartwheels down the street. I have a head cold so I got a fully caffeinated coffee before my walk in preparation for the prayers of this final day! And then God did something COMPLETELY different. Haha

First of all, after I decided to do the 7-day walk I ran across the Battle of Jericho story:

Hebrews 11:30
By faith the WALLS of Jericho FELL (DOWN), after the people had MARCHED around them for SEVEN days.

THEN, I found this scripture at the bottom of one of my daily devotionals:

Psalms 12:5-6 (NLT) “Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.” The Lord’s promises are pure, like SILVER (something connected to beauty) refined in a furnace, purified SEVEN TIMES over.”

And the scripture my mom gave me:
Isaiah 58:6:
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? (THERE IS A VERY FUNNY STORY I’M GOING TO SHARE ABOUT THIS…WAIT FOR IT……… )

So I started off this 7th day READY for something big. I started praying, “ THANK YOU GOD, THE WALLS ARE COMING DOWN, THANK YOU GOD…THE WALLS ARE COMING DOWN IN MY LOVED ONES LIFE…THANK YOU GOD THE WALLS….” and more of this for about 10 minutes. I believe this IS the significance of this final day of walking but somehow this prayer didn’t feel “inspired.” I also spent the first 30 minutes trying to find a song that seemed to fit. Finally, I turned the music off and just prayed, “God, I need your help with what I should be praying. I sense my prayers are falling flat. Would you help me?” Then, I walked some more and I sensed God simply say, “just enjoy the walk.” I didn’t think I would write about this but just wait until you see where it took me! Ok, but my thoughts started wandering and I prayed, “God, I can think about what I want all day long…and I wanted this to be the hour I concentrated on You.” But again……… “just enjoy the walk” …. “ok … but what do I think about?” I sensed God asked in return, “what do you like to think about?” This is not at ALL the fiery faith walk I expected lol. “ok, I like to think about….” Well, then all the negative stuff I think about came to mind…so I prayed, “o I should ask forgiveness for that.” And then I believed God said, “No, that’s not what I’m talking about …just what do you really enjoy thinking about?” …… “ O oo ok what do I like to think about…. Hmm…ok um….really? ok…um…..like what do I LIKE to think about? ….ok, then finally, “ I like to think about what I’m going to write, I like to think about pictures that help an idea make sense, I like to think about my boyfriend, and You, I like to think about having fun and all the things that made me laugh at some point….Well, what do you like to think about God?” THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING! I didn’t really expect an answer but an immediate “YOU,” followed.

THEEEENN…..I started seeing the picture God wanted me to see today. In the same way we might turn on TV or find our favorite websites online to be amused….GOD TURNS ON YOU-TUBE! Beyond the battling, the work, the super spiritual stuff…God is amused by US and all our idiosyncrasies. God was asking me what I enjoy thinking about and He shared what He enjoys thinking about too. You know what this is???? It’s a FRIENDSHIP! Isn’t that what all the battling and all the super spiritual stuff is all about?….to be free to Know God! Well, what do you know …the walls –did- come down.

Ok, here’s the funny story that, well, it applies. Earlier in the week, my mom and I prayed to break the yokes. I knew that was a prayer straight from God’s heart. So at the end of my prayer walk that day…I was breaking the yokes! With all the boldness God gave me this week I was declaring, “Break the yokes, break the yokes…Thank you Jesus the yokes are breaking…” except, I had the picture of EGG YOLKS in my mind hahaha. Disclaimer: I did know the actual meaning but couldn’t recall it just then. (I know, sure, sure) So, I was trying really hard to see the significance of breaking all those yolks. I called my mom back and asked her about this with MUCH LAUGHTER IN RETURN. The definition of a yoke is: a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, esp. oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal. SO, IN ESSENCE, IT’S A WORD PICTURE THAT REPRESENTS A WAY TO BREAK THE CHAINS AND SET THE CAPTIVES FREE. (not so much ordering up an Egg McMuffin).

My dad even called me that night asking if I had any egg yolks left to break. HA HA HA ….. lol……

I think God saw me walking , praying and breaking those egg yolks and CRACKED UP LAUGHING! I also think it was precious to him because he sees his daughter doing her absolute best to please her Father. But this was definitely a YOUtube moment for God. He wants to be our friend and just when we think we’re heading into a Hallelujah battle…God turns on YOUtube! He just doesn’t let us take ourselves too seriously. He’s a real friend…. and again, isn’t this the whole point? This IS the Hallelujah Battle!

Thank you Jesus, the Walls Came Down today! Thank you for the adventure that led me to the most pleasant walk with you….as my Friend. How simple, How Profound!!!

The special thing is right before I decided to do this walk, I whispered the prayer, God I’m walking through a bit of a lonely place. I need a friend. I’m so thankful for the friends in my life…but I had a moment of feeling alone in the midst of everyone. I asked God for a friend, I asked if He would be my friend. *teeeear* It was the most intimate prayer he could have possibly answered.

What a way to end the week.

My brother, Robert Midden, gave me the perfect conclusion to this 7day Faith Walk Adventure. He said:

“Sometimes we look to the past to define the future. The only problem it is God who defines everything.”

Love and Hugs
Missy