New Seasons and New Spaces

    I have been doing quite a bit of thinking and considering the future, these days. Things in my life have begun to take a new shape and, as I have been considering this blog, I have been asking God what His vision is for the future. I still want to blog and I still want to share my heart through writing. I actually went back into the archives and I really was touched by the way God has guided me. In those entries, which were/are sometimes far apart, God really grew me. He grew my understanding of His character. He has led me deeper into the knowledge of Him, as well as deeper into my understanding of myself. 

    All this to say, I have felt like it is time to start a new season of blogging! I have moved this little blog over to a (very lovely) new site: annadumaresq.com. I am so excited to see what God has in store for me and for this creative outlet! I sincerely appreciate each one of you for following along and I hope to see you over at my new space! 

An Anchor Amidst Change

    I was in Chincoteague recently with a few friends and my sister in order to celebrate a birthday, relieved to step out of the norm for even a short weekend. I slipped away one morning to walk by the water and I just was marveling at the beauty. The clouds, chasing each other around above me. The ocean, quiet and stead, softly touching up against the shore. It resonated with me. 

    Honestly, some days, I feel like a little cloud, floating through the sky on a ceaseless journey of joyful movement. Other times, I feel more like a little wave spilling over the shoreline—consistent, patterned, and yet having to adapt and change with every obstacle faced. 

    Change occurs when we least expect it. I mean, look at this last year. I feel like every single day has brought some form of change. 😅 It happens and will happen throughout our life. For people like me who struggle with change, it can be a bit difficult to feel like things are always moving. 

    And yet, in every high and low, in every change, the resounding truth is this: God, in all his glory and power, shall not be dethroned. The Creator is still reigning over all His hands have made. From before the world was set into motion, He was. He formed the concept of seasons—for the world and for each of US. Seasons of plenty, seasons of difficulty. I don’t understand how it happens, but I do know that you need both. You need the struggle to have the victory. You need the perseverance to obtain the strength. You need difficulty in order to grow and press into a deeper walk of Faith—fully relying on the One who gives you breath each day. 

The challenges press us closer into His presence and under the shadow of the Almighty. 

And He IS here. 

In the midst of the waves, calming the chaos and stilling hearts in the presence of His glory. 

So. In the midst of changes—both joyful and challenging—rest today in the promise that you are not alone. God is working all things for good, which may not always mean “easy” or “our ideal circumstances”. Believe Him and dig into the Word which stands the rest of time. He is Truth. Cling to that anchor, which holds fast in every season. ❤️

Surrender: A Posture of Trust

 I was recently asked the question “what is something God has been teaching you”. 

Honestly, it can be hard to really articulate the inner workings of what God is doing in my heart. We can talk about the things He has done, but sometimes it’s more difficult to verbalize the growth or stretching of our faith—those lessons learned in the quiet places. The shifting that happens when our flesh wrestles with the refinement of the Holy Spirit.

Considering this question, I was reminded how God recently has been opening up my eyes to the ways I *try* to dictate life to Him. We all do that sometimes. 😆We tell him what we expect life to look like, and then grow confused when things don’t happen “our way”. When things aren’t in our control...

Surrender.

It’s not just a flippant, “I don’t care” attitude. It’s a choice to lay down—even the most treasured parts of our hearts—in the hands of a Creator who let His son be nailed to a cross for YOU.

Surrender.

It’s a walk of faith. Not a denial of hard things, but a full-on acknowledgment of difficulties being faced and saying “but God can”. It’s a posture of trust. 

Surrender.

It’s a relinquishment of pride.
It’s a setting aside of trying to make things work out in YOUR own strength.
It’s a laying down of your agenda and saying “yes God” to where He directs.
It’s trusting His “yes” AND His “no”.
It’s holding on and it can also be letting go. 
It is not a matter of “learning to not care”; it means learning to love God MORE than you love your own control. It means learning to desire obedience more than sacrifice (because we don’t always get to pick what He asks us to surrender). 

So that is what I’m learning. 

Surrender. One day at a time, one situation at a time. ❤️

Returning to Hope

     There are days where things seem simple. Days where things go smoothly and we fall asleep feeling satisfied. There are other days, however, where we wage an invisible war in the battle of the mind. Days where the truth seems more uncertain—days where anxiety and fear creep into darkened corners. Days where the thoughts race, our heart beats faster and we wonder. We wonder how things will turn out. We wonder what the future holds—for us and for the people around us. It’s easy to fall into discouragement or fear. It’s easy to wonder what is going to happen next.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I (continue to) have hope: the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning; great is (His) faithfulness. “The LORD IS my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him” (Lamentations 3).

    Hope is not denial of the difficulties we face. Hope is looking at the dismal situation in front of us and staying resolved in expectation. We can expect God to move. Because of He mercy. Because He is our portion. Because His tenderness towards us doesn’t fail. Because He is JUST (1 John 1:9). Because He is our refuge (Psalm 46). Because He doesn’t create things without purpose. Because He promises that He is with us—not in some far off way, but His name is Immanuel. God with us—in our midst.

    Even if your mind is racing. Even if you can’t see the way forward. Even if you don’t know how things are going to work out...choose to put your hope—your expectation—in Him. Cling to scripture. Listen to worship music to remind you of the truth. Press into His presence instead of away. It may be a minute by minute decision to return to hope each day. But keep turning your heart back to the one who had YOU in his plans before the foundation of the world.

    Return to hope, dear one. Again and again. He has not failed you, nor will He. ❤️

Daring to Dream

    I had an unexpected snow day recently and I don't know about YOU, but few things excite me more than a snow day off from work! I do some of my best thinking on snow days! I think I have previously shared that I am naturally an introverted-thinker type personality. I typically come across as a very emotive extrovert, but I am in my element when I have space to ponder and muse.  To be 100% honest, I have playlists entitled "thinking" just to have background music as I am processing. For me, quiet snow days are the PERFECT way to spend a day thinking and reflecting.

    As with most people who tend to lean more on the internal processing side, I have a very big thinking world. Being an internal processor means I tend to take a little more time to reflect before I jump into commitments OR state my opinion. I want to think and think about what I really believe. One way I sometimes help myself process or get to an answer is to ask myself questions. It might seem simple, but I have found self-reflection questions to be really useful as a tool in making decisions. 

    Lately, I have been thinking about questions pertaining to 'goals'. Now, hear me clearly when I say that I am NOT typically a big picture person. I tend to be more practical and "here and now", as opposed to the "could-be"s of tomorrow. But lately, I have been thinking about my own future goals. What do I want to aim for with my future? What do I want to do next, now that school is finished? As I was reflecting, one thing I kept finding myself bumping up against is how much fear I have with planning for the future. I keep finding myself stopping short of BIG goals because I am afraid of failure. I am afraid to make mistakes and afraid of disappointment. I can sometimes refrain from even praying about big things because of fear.

    Truthfully, I hate that. I do not want to live my life dictated or marked by fear of the unknowns. I want to live a life brimming with courage and trust in my Creator. 

    God has created passions, desires, hope, dreams, and visions in each one of us. Obviously, as believers, we want to walk in obedience to Him and follow His leading in these area. I want to walk in a manner worthy of the calling (as a believer in Jesus) that I have received (Eph. 4:1). With that belief, I also think it is important to pay attention to where God has placed us and what He has equipped us with. What are the things He has set before you? Where are the places you feel called?

    If He created us with these talents or hopes, why NOT explore them? What if He is giving opportunity for you to glorify His name and expand His kingdom even more? Why NOT prayerfully pursue the things that “scare” us to see if it’s something He *would* have us do? As I have been considering my own life (and convicted in my fearful response), why NOT expect Him to show up in the big ways as well as the small? Why NOT trust Him to guide us in these areas? 😊 He shows up in the unexpected places. So let’s look for where He is calling us to—outside the boundaries set by fear and timidity. 

So. With these things in mind, here are a few of the questions I have personally been pondering. 

• If you could do something, without fear of failure, what would you do? 

• What would you want to create or a goal you want to work towards that may seem “impossible" without God's help? 

• What is the fear that is holding you back from trying? 

• What is an area of your life that you want to see mature and grow? (Physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, etc.)

• What is something you feel afraid to ask God about because it seems so BIG?

Trust Him with your future. Trust Him with your heart, with your hopes, with your dreams and with the BIG plans you have no idea if they could work out. Offer up your dreams to Him, letting Him shape them and use your desires as He will. Those who look to Him--those who HOPE in Him--will never be ashamed. Trust Him. He has more in store for you than you can even possibly imagine. <3