Our Stories Are His Story

O God, You are my God,

earnestly I seek You;

my soul thirsts for You,

my body longs for You,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

“Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them.” A.W. Tozer

God put a longing for deep relationship with Him inside of me, and He did that for you too. God put in us a longing for real relationship with others. God has given me some friends who are willing to be vulnerable and speak truth about their own struggles and sins, and to share how the Lord is revealing Himself to them in their real life circumstances. This can be scary at times because we must be vulnerable when we open up those dark places we would rather not have exposed. What will this friend think of me if she knows that? Actually, the truth is I would not share those “secret struggles” with friends because I could not even call them what they were to myself. Worse yet, I would not speak them to my God, and that’s just the way the enemy of our souls likes it!

But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts. I John 1:9-10

When I finally found a friend who was willing to speak the truth about herself and her struggles, it freed me to speak the truth about myself too. It helped me to see the power of calling my sins by their true names (you know, like "exaggeration" is a lie, and justifying why it is okay to be angry at my husband is cultivating a root of bitterness, etc.) and to confess them to the ONE who can take them and cleanse me from them. I also learned the power of replacing the sin with the antithesis of it. For example, when I confess having root of bitterness I ask the Lord to replace that with extending grace to my husband in the way that I would want him to extend it to me. But the thing that is the most amazing is that when I am honest about the sin and call it what it really is, it no longer has any power over me!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

"Eugene Peterson said, 'We live in a narrative, we live in a story. Existence has a story shape to it. We have a beginning and an end, we have a plot, we have characters.' Story is the language of the heart. Our souls speak not in the naked facts of mathematics or the abstract propositions of systemic
theology; they speak in the images and emotions of story."
Chapter 4 “A Story Big Enough To Live In” The Scared Romance –Drawing Closer to the Heart of God by Curtis & Eldridge

This is why God made us to be in relationship with each other, ultimately it points us to relationship with Him. If you understand this, then you realize that your mere existence is a story and it interacts with everyone else’s story in the composition of HIS Story.  If we withhold ourselves from one another, we are withholding HIS story from others, and tragically from ourselves.  If we dare connect with one another, we are releasing ourselves in to the truth and GLORY of HIS Story.  Isn’t that amazing?!! This is the very reason I started this blog.  I am compelled to share His story that He is telling through me and I wanted to give other women a place to share what He is doing in you also.  It is all His, which is why I end every post with the words, Sole Deo Gloria – “To God Alone Be the Glory.”

What do you have to share with someone else? A kind word, a smile, a skill, a helping hand, a prayer, yourself?  Or would He even have you type out part of your story to post here and encourage others? Scary, I know, but so worth  being obedient!  (and I can even publish you under a fake name)

The next question is, “What keeps us from being vulnerable and sharing the story He is writing in our own life?”  Is it pride? Fear? Pain? The messiness of relating to other imperfect, hurting people? Am I content to stagnate where I am? Am I agreeing w/the enemy about something about myself or the people God has in my life? Remember there is a VILLAIN in this story and these are some of his most effective tools. So here’s some truth to battle those lies:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
II Corinthians 1:3-4



Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when she is nothing, she deceives herself. Each one should test her own actions.
Galatians 6:2-4



Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15

Remember, the enemy wants to keep us from living in freedom and being effective. We don’t always have to have a word of advice. We don’t always have to DO something.  Just be AVAILABLE!

Sole Deo Gloria,
WP Stacey

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be OVERJOYED when HIS GLORY IS REVEALED. I Peter 4:12-13

Playing It Safe

"No love of the natural heart is safe unless the human heart has been satisfied by God first."  Oswald Chambers

But I trust in Your unfailing love,

my heart rejoices in Your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

for he has been good to me.

Psalm 13:5-6

So, do I trust in the Lord?  Really trust Him?  If you've read much of my blog, you know that I wrestle with Him, questioning whether or not what He is doing is really good or loving.  I was recently reminded of this clip by Francis Chan about living life my own safe, painless way. 



When I'm in the middle of a difficult time I think I want God to stop the pain, make things right, and I second guess every decision I've made and what I could've/should've done to have avoided it.  But that's not how to live in a real relationship with a real God.  Even though I throw my fits about the yucky stuff, the truth is,  I don't want to settle for a medicore, "safe" life.  I want a real, growing, thriving relationship with my Lord, no matter what it costs.

So, how about you?  What are you holding on to today?  What are you depending on instead of trusting in His unfailing love?  I hope your answer is, "Nothing but Him."

Sole Deo Gloria,
WP Stacey

New Look and New Post

Yes, this is the Warrior Princess Sisters blog with a new look.  What do you think of it?  I'm trying something new, but am open to critique.  It's just a basic template, but a different one than I was previously using.  If any of you have experience and would be willing to tutor or help me in customizing it a bit more I'll buy you coffee or cook for you in exchange for the guidance:)  Any way, it's good to be back on here again.

First, let me thank you all for your prayers for Morgan and Kraig and give you an update on those life circumstances. Morgan is progressing quite well through her physical therapy. She gave up crutches completely about two weeks ago and has gone from hobbling around to limping these days. We are grateful that the limp is not caused by pain. She is limping because she is still strengthening and building muscles in her leg and she is finding it a bit difficult to make her “new” leg that is now correctly structured, flow in step with her other leg that is still painful and incorrectly structured. She just realized all of these things this weekend, so we’ll be talking to the physical therapist at her next appointment and her surgeon when we see him this week.

Regarding my husband’s job…Well, we are very thankful that he has a job! This is the job at a cabinet shop on the other side of town and he is very gifted in the things he is doing there. It is a praise that he feels good to be using the experience, gifts, and talents that the Lord has given him. When I last posted I told you that he had applied and interviewed for a good job with health benefits (which we really need and his current employer does not offer). He did not get that job and it was pretty disappointing for both of us that he did not. It seemed like a perfect fit. He is very capable and a hard worker, so it was a blow to him that they did not offer him the position. I was very disappointed in God for “not coming through for us” and just didn’t have anything in me to share for about the first ten days after receiving this news. I felt like I had nothing to write but complaint and that I did not need to put that on you, my readers and Warrior Princess Sisters. I was not looking for consolation from anyone but God Himself and felt the need to press in to Him and be still for a while.

God began to show me some things as I sat in my disappointment. The first thing He showed me was that I did need to just be still. Still is not an easy thing to be, at least not for me. The following scripture comes to mind as I reflect on my days of sitting still:

This is what the Sovereign Lord,

the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust

is your strength,

but you would have none of it.

Isaiah 30:15

I had underlined and meditated on this passage through other struggles over the past few years, but definitely needed to be reminded of it. I often feel like I am in undesirable circumstances because I have not worked hard enough or been seeking the Lord enough or some other lie of the enemy. This verse helps me have perspective because He is reprimanding His people for trying to make their own way instead of just trusting and resting in Him. So, this is where the Lord has had me, and it’s a good place to be.

One thing He showed me is this job is right where the Lord wants my husband to be. His new boss is excellent at the work he does yet is not high-strung or over-bearing, which is so different from other places he has worked. My husband is valued and appreciated where he is working. This is such a refreshing thing for him, and I see God’s hand in having him in this type of work environment.

Another thing I’ve recognized is that I keep thinking that we have to have health insurance through a group or employer because of Morgan’s legs and the health issues that I have had. In this time of pressing into Him I’ve had to evaluate if I am willing to depend on Him for taking care of our health and whatever expenses it would involve, or do I feel like I have to have an insurance plan to feel secure. I choose to believe that God is who He says He is and that He will take care of us and provide for us. So, I’m giving up worrying about health insurance. I’m relinquishing my disappointment for my husband not getting the job I think he should have, the health benefits I would like, and the idea that I will be secure if He gives me these things. My hope, my trust, is in Him alone.

I have been busier than usual with appointments to the physical therapist twice a week and other doctor appointments, plus we started school again. I’m feeling like I have our schedule at a more manageable place so that I can post a couple of times a week again. I am still very interested in hearing from you through the comments or if you have a story, verse, or something to share with the readers of this blog.  Thanks for reading this today, and welcome back!

Sole Deo Gloria,
WP Stacey