Seasonal - Blossoming Hearts Studio

Love Bootcamp

April 1, 2021October 27, 2026 blossomingheartsstudio

This post gently touches on themes of abuse. Take your time, and be kind to yourself as you read.

Have you ever felt like you’ve been in a holy kind of boot camp, where the Holy Spirt is trying to train you in something, teaching you a very important life lesson, (actually the most important) and you keep losing your grip on the next level of the climbing wall and slipping back down?

Well, honestly, I’ve never even attempted to climb a wall. They’ve always looked insurmountable to me. With this wall though, the Lord has been so gentle with teaching and training me. He certainly has not been a drill sergeant with me, but more like a caring, encouraging coach.

Yet, sometimes when His words hit your heart, you are like “Ugh. Lord, I’m still missing the mark?” Please, don’t hear me saying anything about performance based love here.

The wall for me, the lesson the Lord has so gently, but relentlessly trying to teach me, has been understanding what real love looks like.

Even a little has been difficult for me to understand, partly because I didn’t have much examples of love growing up. At best, it was mostly a twisted, selfish, human love I knew. Also, God’s love is simply so incredibly different than what most of us experience in life in general.

I’ve had several, difficult life situations I’m attempting to walk out right now. Repeatedly, when I’ve asked the why questions, like “Why can’t this end now, Lord?”, “Or why am I still being treated this way, Lord?” or “Why is this happening all at the same time, Lord?” (You know, the questions you aren’t supposed to ask God, almighty.), I’ve gotten the same consistent answer.

“I’m teaching you how to love with My love.” Sometimes, that has been a daily reply. Yet, I struggle and fight it, so many times, instead of just leaning back into it.

It’s hard to love people who don’t like you, especially “Christians” who you were once close to. It’s hard to love family members when they are difficult to deal with, maybe facing mental or health issues that require you to put your needs aside. It’s hard to love teens that just want you to leave them alone (at least, they say they do). It’s hard to love people who you feel consistently reject you, and yet God says “Reach out again. Keep loving. Don’t give up.” It’s hard to love people who come to you broken, hurting, when you still feel the same way a lot of the time. It’s hard to love the prodigal.

It’s really hard to love the one who abused you or even harder who abused someone love, like a child. It’s hard to love the way God does.

Heidi Baker recently relayed a story about how God challenged her on love. She had just experienced the murder of many of their pastors in Africa where she is a missionary. She struggled with her emotions over the horrible losses of those she loved. She questioned. She grieved.

Finally, the Lord spoke to her heart. “You have authority over those you love.” She knew what He meant. “Do you really love your enemies? Those who just murdered those you care most for? Do you true love them?” It was then, she knew what she had to do. Put action to her words of love. That’s His kind of love.

Prophet Bob Jones once said after he had a heavenly visitation that the only question he was asked was by God was “Did you learn to love?”

Do you get that? That’s our one and only pursuit on this big ball of dirt, to learn to love like God does. As Paul said, “To know how wide, deep, long, high is the love of God.” That’s it. Our one calling. Our one goal in this life.

Jesus said it this way when asked what was the greatest commandment. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

We have put a way longer list of expectations on ourselves through religion and culture haven’t we? Yet, the one lesson to learn is not exactly easy.

I was spending time with the Lord a few days ago, and He zinged my heart with these words.

“Daughter, the love you have had still has selfish aspects to it. I’m teaching you what pure love really is, without the dross. I’m using this time to perfect that in you. I love your honesty. I love your willingness to love, to give even when it hurts. Love is not afraid of being hurt. Love is not afraid of suffering. Love is not afraid of rejection. Love freely gives with no expectation of anything in return. Your love has needed a return. (Ouch.) Mine doesn’t. My love is not needy. It always gives. It always believes the best. It never gives up… True love is not afraid of anything. Just keep loving. Keep your heart open to my love. Love never fails.”

One of my favorite and least favorite things about 1 Cor. 13, the love chapter, is that it begins with “Love is patient.” I’m so grateful for it when receiving it, but oh, it can be so hard to walk out. Love is patient. It’s patient with me, and all my mess ups, brokenness, and heartache. But it also asks me to be love others patiently.

The one thing that will never fail is LOVE. The one thing that will always win is LOVE – God’s kind of lay down my life for another, suffering, beautiful love. The kind of love that hung on a cross for me.

I’ve only begun to taste it, to experience dribbles of it, but it is the most wonderful, amazing, and terrifying (In the sense of when I experience it, I am completely undone.) thing I’ve ever known – the true love of God.

If you want to know what God is made of, He says in 1 John 4 that He is LOVE.

I’ll leave you with this, because I feel it is such a beautiful picture of the love Jesus Christ has for us. May we fasten this seal of fiery love over hearts. Let’s celebrate this most wonderful love.

“Who is this one?

She arises out of her desert, clinging to her beloved.

When I awakened you under the apple tree,

as you were feasting upon me,

I awakened your innermost being with the travail of birth

as you longed for more of me.

Fasten me upon your heart as a seal of fire forevermore.

This living, consuming flame

will seal you as my prisoner of love.

My passion is stronger

than the chains of death and the grave,

all consuming as the very flashes of fire

from the burning heart of God.

Place this fierce, unrelenting fire over your entire being.

Rivers of pain and persecution

will never extinguish this flame.

Endless floods will be unable

to quench this raging fire that burns within you.

Everything will be consumed.

It will stop at nothing

as you yield everything to this furious fire

until it won’t even seem to you like a sacrifice anymore.” Song of Songs 8:5-7 TPT

Painting of a blue butterfly on a dark background with small flowers

Christian living, Newsletter, prophecy, Seasonal, Uncategorized

New Beginnings and Fresh Starts

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 blossomingheartsstudio

“This is all about new beginnings and fresh starts,” my friend on the other end of the phone line said this morning. I nodded my head as I confirmed that back to her. Spring always has the feel of that to me, but even more this year.

Many times when prophetic words come my way, I get excited about the fulfillment. Yet, a heart deferred makes the heart sick, right? Many times it seems to take forever God to fulfill those words or maybe we have lost hope of things ever changing.

Over the years, I’ve learned that even when words may feel imminent, they have a process. Much of that process is happening in me to get me ready for the fulfillment of it. Without the process, I would not be mature enough, strong enough to handle the fulfillment.

Kind of like the butterfly in a cocoon. When the caterpillar forms that cocoon, there is hope on the other side, the promise to be fulfilled. While encapsulated inside that dark, cramped space there is a lot going on. The caterpillar’s body basically goes into mush, is taken apart and reformed (rebirth, if you will) into a completely different creature altogether.

I have been in those seasons of cocoons before. In fact, recently the Lord asked me to go into another season of digging deep with Him into some very painful places, of choosing to love even when it is extremely vulnerable and hard. It has felt dark again, pulled apart again. Yet I know from experience now that there is something beautiful awaiting me on the other side of it, when I burst forth anew.

When we receive our rebirth through Christ at the cross, we begin this process of renewing. We are in fact reborn, but then we enter into the process of renewing our mind, our will, our emotions to His purposes and will.

Then comes the day of the butterfly emerging, of the promises fulfilled. If someone cuts open the cocoon in order to help the butterfly break out, denying the creature it’s nature process of the push, the butterfly will not be strong enough to fly, and thus dies.

We don’t always understand prophecies or promises, but even more than that for me the timing of the fulfillment of them. Believing and trusting God for the fulfillment of His word is our work in the pushing. We can’t help God bring it to pass any other way.

It is time! The season for promises fulfilled is here.

In honor of this, our painting class this month is about new beginnings.

Please go to the online class part of our website to order.

Can’t wait to hear how God gives you new beginnings and fresh starts in Him!

Abstract fluid painting in orange, blue, green and purple arranged in a symmetrical four-part pattern

Christian living, Family, Newsletter, Seasonal

A Time of New Beginnings

March 3, 2021 blossomingheartsstudio

Christian living, Family, Seasonal

Socks for Jesus

December 26, 2020January 30, 2021 blossomingheartsstudio

“Blue light special on aisle nine. Children’s shoes for ten dollars,” boomed the voice over the speaker. Shoppers rushed eagerly towards the ominous blue light spinning around like a top.

Sarah, my three year-old, and I continued our Christmas shopping ignoring the people pushing by.

Passing the Christmas trees decked in colored lights, we slowed down, as she declared, “Pretty Mama!” Then she clapped her hands to “Frosty, the Snowman”, as I pressed the red nose of the famous character again. The toy’s hips swung back and forth in rhythm.

“Need to get moving,” I muttered.

Turning my attention back to the duty at hand, I asked, “What do you want to get daddy for Christmas?”

With an inquisitive expression, Sarah tilted her head. “But mommy, it’s baby Jesus’s birthday. What we get Jesus for Christmas?”

“Hmm. You are right,” I said, “What do you want to get Jesus for His birthday?”

“Socks,” she said, “Socks, Mama.”

“Why socks?”

“To keep His feet warm. They must be cold in the stable.”

“Of course. You are right,” I said. “Off to find warm socks.”

With all other gifts forgotten, we strolled to the sock aisle. “How about these, sweetheart?” I held up some multi-colored socks for her to see, but she had already spotted the ones she wanted.

Pointing, she said, “No, Mama. Those.” I brought the brightly colored, fuzzy socks closer for her to see, as she nodded her approval.

She held them securely as we finished our shopping.

Later that evening, she carefully wrapped the precious gift in a small box with bright green paper and a red bow on top. “To Jesus. Love, Sarah” the tag read.

“Hon. What do we do now?” I turned to my husband for advice, after we tucked Sarah into bed. “If we have a birthday party for Jesus, and He doesn’t show up, then what?”

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head, “I know.”

“What?”

“We will find one of those live nativities and let her leave her present there.”

Surfing the internet, we frantically searched. Sure enough, God provided.

A couple of days later, I bundled the girls up in their matching red, wool coats, pulled hats over their ears, and placed gloves on their fingers. Sarah clasped the precious treasure, as we were off to find baby Jesus.

Her sister snuggled close to my chest, while Sarah grasped tightly to her daddy’s hand with one and proudly to the gift with the other. My sister and five year-old nephew met us there to join the celebration.

Abruptly, Roman soldiers stopped us at the theatrical entrance to Bethlehem, “Why have you come to the city tonight?”

Innocently, Sarah peered up in their harsh faces, “To bring baby Jesus a present,” but daddy quickly added, “To pay our taxes, of course.”

The guards snickered to themselves, as they said, “Welcome to Bethlehem then.”

Shuffling by quickly, we paid our pretend taxes at the next booth, and then entered the city in search of the baby.

Past booth after booth we walked, each selling spices, hand-woven cloths, whittled wooden toys, or other treasures. Whiffs of fresh bread dipped in olive oil, sweet dates, and sheep filled the air.

“Look, Mama. The shepherds!”

Nearby, the shepherds watched over their sheep. Suddenly, music began to play, while behind them, spotlights lit up the sky. A man dressed in a white robe with golden, make-shift angel wings attached to his back appeared, declaring the good news that Emmanuel was born that night. Sarah jumped clapping her hands with joy, while her cousin chased a stray sheep.

“But where is baby Jesus?” Sarah asked, turning to me.

“I don’t know, sweetie. But maybe we should try to find the innkeeper. He would know,” I said.

Behind us, the wise men filed in with camel in tow. “Maybe we should follow them to find where baby Jesus is,” daddy wisely added.

“There’s no room in the inn,” a man said, as he halted us from following.

“But I have a present for baby Jesus,” Sarah said, as she cautiously pushed it forward for the man to see.

“Hmm,” the man replied, “You have heard about the baby, who is said to be the new king? We must keep this quiet from the Romans for they would seek to kill a King of the Jews.” He bent down almost whispering in Sarah’s ear. “Come then, little one. Come see Baby Jesus.” Sarah’s eyes lit up as he rushed us through his door. “Go out through the back, to the stables.”

The wise men were just kneeling, presenting their gifts to a young mother cradling a baby in her arms. Joseph stood watchfully to the side. Illuminating the perfect scene, a shaft of light beamed into the heavens behind them.

“Oh, Mama. We found Him,” Sarah whispered.

My eyes brimmed with tears. “Go ahead, Sarah. Go to baby Jesus, and give Him the present.”

Timidly, she approached, gently placing the gift at Mary’s feet next to the gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

At that moment, her cousin overcome with the desire to also bring a gift, began to sing, “Happy birthday, Jesus.” In turn, we all joined in.

Mary’s eyes filled with tears, as Joseph smiled. “Thank you,” she said, “Thank you for these beautiful gifts.”

Sarah ran back to our arms. “Do you think He’ll like it?”

“Oh Sarah, Jesus will love it, for He loves you,” I said. We snuggled together, as her daddy leaned over kissing her on the forehead.

“Time to go,” daddy said, but as we solemnly walked away, I glanced back to etch the image in my memory.

For years, we made the same trek to find Baby Jesus, but as the children got older, new traditions replaced the old.

I will never forget that first holy night when heaven kissed earth, and joy broke through our darkness with the real gift, Jesus.

First published in Refresh Magazine, Christmas Issue 2020

A woman sitting beside a softly lit Christmas tree

Christian living, Family, Seasonal

Light in the Night

December 15, 2020January 30, 2021 blossomingheartsstudio

Darkness enveloped the planet, like an evil vice grip, squeezing out the final breath. Hopelessness hung in the air as crosses lined the roadways with the bodies of anyone who tried to resist the iron fist.

Greedy, power hungry religious leaders gambled their way to positions of power, making deals with their oppressors further smothering those under their influence.

The vague illusions of a “messiah” who would come to rescue them from their oppressors seemed to fade as the lights of the last Hanukkah had been snuffed out.

Four hundred years of silence from the prophets with the only hope left being a miracle of a menorah that had burned eight days instead of one. Oil that miraculously didn’t run out left the last flicker of hope each year. Perhaps Yahweh had not forgotten His promise.

Then the iron fist of Rome would pound again demanding all to bow beneath it’s blow. A wind in the darkness swiftly blew the candles’ flames out, except for the spark that remained.

That spark impregnating a young virgin had been planted where no human eyes could see.

On the darkest night at the moment when all hope seemed lost, a cry of joy cracked open the heavens. With the beat of angel wings and a song of glory to God in the Highest, Messiah’s birth was proclaimed. Not to the high and mighty though, but to the lowest of society, the shepherds out tending their sheep.

Brilliant light pierced the black shroud of the long night. The death grip of darkness yielded to the flicker of a spark which now blazed in glory, as Messiah broke through the trembling knees of an exhausted mother.

A baby. He came as a baby. The light of the world.

He came as a servant, not one to be served. He came to deliver us, not from an evil political system, but from something far more dangerous… ourselves, our sinful nature.

He came as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, carrying our burden of sin.

He came to love us, not to be loved. In fact, He was hated by those who should have loved Him, betrayed by the kiss of a friend.

He came to humble Himself to the lowest position, to offer Himself as a lamb without blemish as the sacrifice for our sin, which had separated us from our heavenly Father.

They looked for a strong military leader who would crush Roman rule and be crowned King. Does that sound familiar in our time? Do we find ourselves looking for the same thing?

Our hope is not found in a political or religious leader. Our hope is found in the true Lord Jesus Christ.

The true Lord Jesus Christ has come, the light of the world illuminating our darkness. For those who receive Him, rivers of joy can flow regardless of the circumstance.

Joy to the world the Light has come!

One day, He will fully return again as the ruling King of Kings, as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He will finish what He begun.

Until then, may we remember what He said. If we want to be the greatest in His kingdom, then we must be servant of all. Love one another, even love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Then Paul said that if we don’t love, we don’t even know God, for God is love.

As the world seemingly sinks into darkness at times, keep your eyes fixed on the Man of Light. We bear His light now. Let it shine. Let the Light of His love shine in and through you to push back darkness. May your Christmas be full of His joyous, love Light.

Is. 53, Luke 2:9, 10, John 8:12, John 13:14, 15, John 13, 1 John 4, Luke 6:27