The Biggest Small We Can Be

I go to a place where trees reach for the sky and writers do too.

We arrive carrying words in our minds, dreams in our hearts, hopes we've whispered silently to the ceiling in the night.

It doesn't matter that I'm on faculty, or have a book published, or anything else.

Here I am a child again asking the playground questions, "Does anyone want me? Do I fit in?"

I look at the trees again and I wonder, "How did they get so tall?"

And I realize...

Not by striving but by being.

Not in a day but through years of growth so small it can't be seen.

We sometimes talk of platforms in this world--building them, being on them, maintaining them. What if we (especially me) were more like the trees?

And the most powerful tree of all formed a cross so that...

But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. John 12:32

No platforms. Only crosses.

It's an entirely different sort of dreaming.

Another type of trust.

Not of becoming more but less so that we can make much of the One we love.

So here in this place where trees try to reach the sky and writers do too...I choose instead to bow, to kneel at the foot of the cross. To worship rather than work, serve rather then strive.

It's a choice I'll have to make again. Every day. Because my heart is prone to wander, my self-sufficiency quick to grow. But this is the only way.

Not trying to touch the sky but insisting on touching His heart.

I shift my gaze from the trees and look at the path before me.

And I breathe deeply of grace...clear as the mountain air.

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My DaySpring Story: Part 5

(To start from Part One click here. And if you can't see the images click here.) 

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Congratulations to Dawn for winning the Christmas set giveaway! If you still want the set or anything else I've talked about in this series you can find it on DaySpring.com and get 20% off with my friends and family code. (holley20)_____________________________________________________________________

 

And now for the rest of the story...

For several years I spent most of my time at DaySpring on cards and gift items.

I also got to be editorial director for Blessings Unlimited, a direct-to-consumer division of DaySpring (think Pampered Chef or Mary Kay).

We'd meet as a team to brainstorm, pray, and ask God for new creative ideas. He always answered and this beautiful catalog is an example.

I love working with Blessings Unlimited!

Then a year or so ago God began nudging my heart in new directions. At first I didn't know what it meant. I just had a vague sense that I wanted to be closer to something, someone. And then one day I realized it was YOU.

As I explored the social media world more, a dream began forming in my heart for a community of women online that was about every part of us—spiritual, emotional, social, and even practical! I began talking about this possibility with other women and found they shared this dream too. In particular, my coworkers Stephanie and Lainie also felt a passion for a new way to build a relationship with you.

Over the next year we spent hours talking about what this meant, praying about what God had in store, and moving in that direction without even knowing where we were going exactly.

All of that eventually became a new site called (in)courage. I hope you'll take a moment to read the whole story here.

(in)courage was never a corporate initiative. It was a calling.

And it has become an amazing God-sized adventure that has knocked my socks off.

(in)courage has convinced me that God can and does do the impossible.

Come closer, and I'll whisper to you why that's true. In less than three months, we've had well over 100,000 unique visitors to the site from almost 170 countries. Our page views are on track to hit half a million this week.

And, y'all, I just don't think that happens without Jesus.

We have a team of almost thirty amazing women who write and create products for the site. They are the heart of what we do and I'm honored to know and work with each of them. You can get to know them here.

That's the latest chapter in my God-story with DaySpring. I'm so thankful that you let me share all of it with you. If you take anything away from it I pray it's this...

If God can use me then He can (and does) use you. And there is nothing that can get in the way of His plans. It doesn't matter what anyone says—not a publisher, not people, not the pulpit—God is the author of your story and He gets to write the ending. Period. There is no mistake too great, no weakness too big for Him to overcome, no obstacle too complicated for Him to get around.

Find out what He created you to do and then do it. You + God are unstoppable.

I wrote this piece for Blessings Unlimited and I'd like to close this series with it because it expresses my heart for you...

You are a woman of strength—
more than a conqueror,
able to do all things,
a warrior and princess
in the Kingdom of God.
You are called to fight,
to minister, to pray,
to change the world.
The Lord has given you
all you need
and made you
all you need to be
for victory. 
So go forth, strong sister,
With a smile on your face,
a heart full of hope,
and a determination
to never stop until
you receive every
blessing God has for you.

I can do everything through Him
who gives me strength.
PHILIPPIANS 4:13 NIV

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My DaySpring Story: Part 4

(To start from Part One click here. And if you can't see the images click here.) 

First of all, thank you for letting me share my story! I've never done so before and it's been fun, humbling, and a little bit scary. I'm amazed that you're not only reading but leaving kind comments too! I'd hug you all if you were here.

Explaining everything I worked on at DaySpring during the first few years is a bit like trying to describe a kaleidoscope so I'd love to just share a few of my favorite projects with you...

 

 

I wish I had a big yellow umbrella
that would keep away all the rain in your life. I would hold it over your head, and the drops would splash, splash, and you would never even feel it. But I don’t have a big yellow umbrella - so I’ll walk through the rain with you.

The card above began as an e-mail to my friend Heather on a tough day. She was a designer at DaySpring and it became the starting point for a summer line called Heather and Holley in stores several years ago.

Then this new version of it came in 2008 and won Card of the Year at the Louie Awards (the greeting card equivalent of the Oscars) in New York City!

I love that card because while most of my cards start with an assignment, it simply came from the heart in a moment of need for a friend.

I've helped create card lines for stores like LifeWay, Family Christian, Hallmark, Wal-mart, and a variety of other places. Altogether I've written about 2000 cards!

I've also worked on other paper items like journals, calendars, and this Comfort and Encouragement booklet. It's a ministry guide for anyone who wants to help others through losses.

I wrote it during my counseling degree when I assisted with a grief support group. The name of each person in the group and the loved one they lost are in the front of the book. Sorrow is sacred ground and I'll always be grateful for those who let me walk and learn with them.

 
  
I even got to write three children's books with Thomas Nelson through a partnership! I love knowing that even if I don't have kids of my own yet, I can be part of building a heritage of faith in other families.

DaySpring also does gift items so some of my projects are things like ornaments, mugs, and home decor. Here's a little Christmas message that I wrote for card that became the inspiration for a gift line...

The Meaning of the Snowflake
Every new snowflake comes to the earth
as a picture of our Saviour’s birth,
because they are sent from up above
and remind us of God’s care and love.
Each one is so intricate and small
because Christ sees the details of us all,
and just as two are never the same
the Lord knows and calls us each by name.
Snowflakes gently cover the world in white
and hide what’s unlovely from our sight,
showing us how He covers our sin
and gives us His grace when we come to Him.
So may every snowflake bring Christ to mind
and in every bit of white may you find a
reason to celebrate anew and a reminder
of His love for you.

I love being a small part of connecting women with God and each other.

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Without you, none of the words I write would matter. 

I truly appreciate you so I'm having a giveaway of this Christmas set as a little thank you!

It's from the gift line I mentioned above and it comes with two mugs as well as a carafe that's perfect for serving cozy cups of tea or cocoa.

Just leave a comment before midnight on Saturday to enter!_________________________________________________________________________________

A couple of years ago, God began stirring something new in my heart and that has turned out to be an amazing adventure I never expected. To be continued...

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