• LightWater Collective

    go back

    The sight of a vast mountain range marching off into the distance has the power to stir my soul like nothing else. At key points in my life, God has planted this little MidWestern girl within view of such grandeur, fortifying me with a tangible reminder to keep looking up! The three years I spent in grad school in Colorado provided just such a reminder. The campus led down to the river, boasting a riverwalk that stretched for miles within sight of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Driving back to my apartment from weekly trips to the grocery store, I relished the curve in the road that restored the…

  • LightWater Collective

    returning to the Shepherd’s side

    We often think that our choice to wander away from our Good Shepherd will manifest as an outwardly obvious decision. Sometimes it is outright defiance. Other times, though, our stubborn rebelliousness may not be apparent to us. I’ve learned that, more often than not, my own wandering begins as a slow meandering after what is good. Before I realize it, I am focusing too much on the good and less on the source of good: God Himself. I slowly, unsuspectingly, put distance between myself and Him. The Lord has given us a broad land and much freedom to roam, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still pitfalls nestled among the…

  • LightWater Collective

    sanctuary

    As the week drew to a close and my self-imposed deadline loomed nearer, my stress level continually rose. Friday arrived and I greeted it with tears. I had one day left to finish everything on a still very long list of to-dos. How was I ever going to get it done so that I could enjoy the holidays? I dropped the children off at daycare and went quickly home. Everything ground to a halt. I felt like a giant ball of panic. What happened next was so simple, but I will never forget it. I cried out to the Lord, and He helped me.

  • LightWater Collective

    reaching for Eden

    Headlines scream the unthinkable; trauma and terror splash across the canvas of our otherwise routine lives. We are left gasping at the shock of it all. Perhaps the latest disaster struck some other community this time, but imagination stirs our empathy, bringing it uncomfortably close to home. Barely a day escapes without some grim reminder of the world’s brokenness. Each new tragedy chips away at our peace, tempting us to give way to despair. Surely even the most faith-filled among us has lifted up that agonizing cry: It isn’t supposed to be like this! That’s true, you know. This isn’t how things were meant to be; our hearts were not…

  • LightWater Collective

    reaching toward home

    Reaching toward one thing unavoidably requires distancing from another.  In this case, I was pulling away from God and His wisdom, and from my family, to try and get my needs met. I was looking to my own enjoyments to obtain peace, rest, fulfillment—things that only He can provide.  My peace and contentment can’t be found anywhere else but with the Father. Looking back, I can see the ways that I refused to go to Him with my need. While I was grasping at straws, He was still reaching out to me, watching over me. His hand was always extended. The answer to my desire was right there the whole…

  • LightWater Collective

    standing in awe

    Nothing solidifies my awe of God more than being on a beach where water pounds into the shore, loud and furious. Nothing brings me to amazement more quickly than gazing into the clear night sky. I see the heavens twinkle and the inky blackness simultaneously come close and stretch into distances unknown. How can I not come to God with honour and wonder and fear? With my whole self? Might it be that I have forgotten? Or have I chosen to ignore in whose hands I am resting as I go about my daily pursuits?

  • LightWater Collective

    a tribe that roars

    We do not lose heart. When staring into the tangible darkness that seems too heavy to move or see through, our knees do not quake. Our hearts do not cease to beat. To be lionhearted means to stand firm, despite the thunderstorm. But when it is time, you charge that wall with every fiber of your being and take the enemy down. No retreat. No thought of losing. Fighting from a place of victory. Take aim and pray—not from your circumstance, but from a place of authority and strength. God does not call us to be people of fear, but a tribe that roars and takes the land. 

  • LightWater Collective

    doorway to hope

    Crossing the threshold of the dining room, an oversized wall clock caught my attention. Its hands had been removed, indicating a suspension of time in this place dedicated to hosting memorable moments. God had brought me here to celebrate life—of that, I felt convinced. Yet, I couldn’t drown out the ominous ticking that sounded in my mind, counting down toward the expiration of my hopes. I’d prayed God would write a love story with my life: this didn’t seem to be it. Still, I clung to the truth of His faithfulness, determined to believe He hadn’t forgotten me.

  • LightWater Collective

    emerging

    I have gotten the rare pleasure of literally watching a butterfly come out of its cocoon. It was one of the most intriguing processes to witness. As each day passed, the outermost part of the cocoon’s skin began to thin until it was barely even there, entirely translucent. Suddenly it was gone. The most fascinating part was that the butterfly did not instantly fly away as I was anticipating. It laid very still, slowly starting to move parts of its body ...

  • LightWater Collective

    raw joy

    Sometimes, joy doesn’t look like rejoicing. It may feel startling, or undesirable; its rough edges may scrape our fragile skin as we brush up against it. But when we begin to recognize joy in the raw places of our grief and disillusionment, we are convinced anew that God is good, that faith is real. When we see that there is hope ahead, that we haven't been abandoned in the midst of an unfinished story, this is our joy. So hang onto this truth, Beloved, when the winds blow untamed and the path twists in front of you. Yes, there may be suffering and pain where the road bends, but the…

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