Refreshed by the overnight stop.

Hi friends :) I thought I would share my heart a little with you today. I've been praying for clarity in a few areas of my life, because like so many of you, I feel like I am still in a season of transition. Don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful things to be thankful for in my life, however when certain areas are hidden, it can be difficult to move forward and discouragement and confusion can try and take over. Do you ever else feel like this?

But... in this time of waiting, on days when we think we can't go on another moment, God in all his kindness and extravagance, pours out hope. Ah hope. Life-giving and strength-bringing. Hope refreshes and restores us and gives us the strength to believe again. :)

Did you know, that even when we feel hopeless, our dreams are still there in all their fullness. No matter how we feel or how dark the days get, our dreams are are always always there, faithfully bubbling away, waiting for us and cheering us on.

I was chatting with a friend of mine the other night and we were talking about hope, and how amazing it is, and how we literally cannot go on without it. Think about it, imagine life with no hope? Our souls would just faint and fade away to nothing. But God is relentless in his goodness, he sees every cry of our hearts and every weary tear we shed, and right at the perfect moment, he gives us hope. 

I had this funny picture as I was trying to rationalise how precious hope is, and how beautiful it is on our journey through life. When I was little my family would take road trips to Queensland each year. We would always break up the journey with two stops, normally at West Wyalong in New South Wales, and Goondiwindi just over the Queensland border (I know some of you are nodding and smiling cos you have done this too!). If we had taken the entire trip with no breaks we would have been pretty exhausted, and it also would have been pretty dangerous. So we always stopped twice overnight so we wouldn't have to tackle the whole journey in one go. 

Anyway, I was thinking about this as an analogy for hope. :) Hope is like stopping overnight on a long journey. Rather than driving for 20 hours straight and 'pushing through', an overnight stop refreshes and revives us for the next leg of the journey. This is what hope does. Just when our hearts feel like they can't take anymore, and life feels like 'too long a drive' he stops us and pours out a brand new river of hope. It restores our weary souls, brings us clarity and peace and gives us new strength for the next leg of our journey.

Living life without hope is almost impossible to imagine. Think about it. Aren't you so thankful for it? No matter how dark the season, or how confusing things feel the there is always the promise of hope. As I am writing these words I actually have a horrible headache, but I had these words in my spirit and I had to put them down. I have so many wonderful things happening in my life, so much to be thankful for, but there are also many things that are unclear to me at the moment. It can be hard to move ahead when you can't see the road clearly, but hope always calls us forward. His promise is that "he knows the plans for us, plans for a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11) so I choose to hold onto that promise, breathe and take another step, even when I might not be able to see what's around the corner.

So I pray for all of us today. :) You are so dear to me, and I pray that as you are reading these words that you would be filled with fresh and abundant hope today. That something would shift in your life to refresh your soul and make your spirit leap. Our faithful God sees all we need and his promise for us is sure.

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" 

(Romans 15:13)

So let's stick together, encourage one another this week and release hope like never before. :)

Love you my friends and I am cheering you on :)

Nat xo

Images - Pinterest

Hope for you today.

I love this. There is something about singing that brings great strength. I wonder, do birds ever get tired of singing? I mean, do they have days where they're like.. "I'm so not in the mood today.. I'm taking a break." I don't think so. :) When I see birds, I see creatures of resilience, of great determination, of unwavering tenacity, and of wonderful strength.

Go on, take a look at a bird today.. free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. So trusting and never fearing. I think we can learn a lot from our little feathered friends. Let us stir within us the courage to sense the dawn and begin to sing while it might still be dark. God is holding you and he wants to encourage you. There is hope for you today.

Happy Tuesday my friends :)

nat x

Image - Pinterest

Strength to keep believing.

Have you ever been on an aeroplane, about to land, when suddenly you find yourself circling above your destination, hovering and waiting and not actually moving anywhere? In one moment the anticipation of landing is overshadowed by a lonnnnnng wait. This is called a 'holding'. The primary use of a 'holding' is to "delay aircraft that have arrived at their destination but cannot land yet because of traffic congestion, poor weather, or runway unavailability. Several aircraft may fly the same holding pattern at the same time, separated vertically by 1,000 feet or more."

So if you think about it, it must be pretty frustrating. The plane has flown 15 (or more) hours in a straight, direct, efficient course... only to end up in a "holding pattern". Below is what it looks like. Although the plane is technically 'moving', it's not really moving forward or getting to it's destination.

I was thinking about this and how this 'holding pattern' is so much like us at times. I've been feeling like this in some areas of my life lately. How about you? Maybe you can relate...  just like the plane you're just waiting, waiting, waiting, unsure of when things are going to shift? 

Aeroplanes flying in circles are an "inefficient (and hence costly) usage of time and fuel, so measures are taken to limit the amount of holding necessary". (Source) Although our waiting season may seem like an inefficient waste of time, God's actually working behind the scenes, and it will all make sense soon. And you know what? With planes in their holding pattern, one thing's for sure, sooner or later, each plane WILL land. 

So in the meantime let's remember to keep declaring...

"my dreams WILL come to pass", and...

When our dreams feel like they are so far away it's easy to become discouraged. Heck, I get discouraged all the time! But in those times when it feels almost impossible to believe, God always sprinkles his supernatural hope over our hearts and our perspective changes. Hope invades like rays of bright light in darkness and gives us strength to keep believing. He brings each of us into one another's lives so we can encourage one another with hope.

So friends... let's keep one another encouraged as we wait for the things in our hearts to come to pass. Ask God to bring someone to mind and then encourage them today. :) It's is one of the most precious gifts on earth to give (and receive!) I love you guys and I am standing with you and praying for NEW STRENGTH to receive all you are believing for. Send me an email and let me know what dreams I can be praying with you for. ;)

Love Nat xoxo 

 Images - Pinterest

Refreshed by joy.

Hi friends! Merry Christmas! Eeeeek :) It's three sleeps to go! Well, I hope you have had a great week. Don't you just love this time of year so much? :) What's the most Christmassy thing you have done this season so far? 

Sooo my last post was on "Just chase the one rabbit", and you know what... I have taken my own advice. Yep. Rather than chasing a million rabbits and trying to get a zillion projects done, (and actually getting nothing done in the end!) last week I put everything else on hold and focused on one rabbit. And the rabbit I focused on was this little project... These ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN prints. And honestly, the only reason I was able to get them done amidst all the busyness of this time of year... was because I was able to focus on one thing. ;) Look how shiny they are!

Pretty beautiful hey :) So I have been a busy little bee this past week, processing orders and getting them out before Christmas. (More info coming soon (with pics!) on the printing process!) (PS: to order these prints see below). How about you, do you think you are able to cut back on the rabbits you are chasing? Let me tell you, there is LOTS more joy when we are focused on one thing at a time.

And speaking of joy, I recently noticed an article I wrote last year for Christian Woman Magazine on their website again this month. It's all about keeping our joy at this time. So I thought I would share it with you all today. Hope you have fun reading it :) xo

... REFRESHED BY JOY THIS CHRISTMAS ...

By Natalie Box

My family and friends know that by the time September hits, the Christmas season has pretty much begun for me. While other people are thinking about school holidays and sport, I’m already beginning to dream about decorations, gift ideas, Christmas parties and perhaps even playing some Christmas music (secretly of course). I just love the feeling of Christmas. Do you know what I mean? It’s that magical excitement that stirs when decorations start to appear in stores. Gifts are bought and wrapped, trees are trimmed, Christmas movies are watched and candles are lit (Christmas scented of course). However, even though these things do bring great joy, my favourite part of Christmas is celebrating the joy bringer himself. 

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given … and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. (Isaiah 9:6, NLT). The weight of hope that flows through these words carries truth and life. Here we find ourselves in a season where miraculous hope has suddenly invaded descended upon our planet. The whole world is looking to Jesus! However, despite the reality of this abundant hope, sometimes rather than overflowing with joy, we can actually become overwhelmed by busyness. Ticking off to do lists, sticking to (or going over) budgets, and watching our December calendar fill up right before our very eyes, all become the focus of our attention. All of a sudden we’ve boarded the train to “anxious-ville” and we can’t wait for Christmas to be over. What? Seriously! How crazy is that?!

But good news, this is not what our heavenly Dad has for us. Stress is not his will for our life. Instead of anxiousness and fear; peace, rest and joy are his gifts to us this season. Even as you read this article, I pray that his refreshing presence would wash over you, bringing life to your soul. The word ‘refresh’ means, “to give new strength or energy to; to reinvigorate” (Oxford Dictionary). However if you think about it with reference to a computer, ‘refresh’ means, “to reload and create an updated version of a website” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). God wants to reload us with strength, renew our minds, and refresh us with joy this season.

God is into exchanges. He loves taking our mess and replacing it with order. When he presses ‘refresh’; everything else fades away, and rest, hope, peace and joy come. In the midst of a flurry of to do lists, deadlines and appointments, joy is what he has for you. When it’s noisy, he gives you quiet. When things are moving too fast, he stills your soul. His promise for you today is, “I will lead you to quiet waters and restore your soul” (Psalm 23:2-3). Here are some ways you can be refreshed by joy this season.

5 WAYS TO BE REFRESHED BY JOY THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON:

1. Stop and remember.

What an incredible day that was, when hope entered the world. The finest of plans, meticulously set in place from the foundations of the earth, finally ready to come to pass. Stop and remember. That day, a waiting world watched. A Father’s generosity was poured out. And a Saviour came for the joy set before him. That’s you. What a reason to celebrate!

2. Instead of being overwhelmed, trust.

Worrying never helps the situation. Even though it feels like it’s helping, it’s not. Choose to consciously turn your affection towards him, despite feeling overwhelmed. In an instant his presence comes. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for (his) voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” (Prov 3:5-6, MSG)

3. Rest in his presence.

All it takes is one moment in his presence. “In his presence is joyful abundance!” (Psalm 16:11, ISV). He is always there waiting with so much goodness for you.  The second you turn your affection to him; the connection is instant. This season, his joy changes everything. And he’s waiting right now with a fresh batch for you.

4. Cultivate thankfulness.

Thankfulness releases the miraculous. When you begin to thank God for the blessings around you, big or small, your perspective changes and hope invades. God says to you, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” (Rev 4:1) Instead of being overwhelmed by small thinking, let thankfulness elevate you to a place where joy abounds.

5. Have fun… It’s Christmas!

Think about kids. They don’t do anything unless it’s fun. So, it’s time for you to have some fun. Sometimes as adults we think we’re “too old” to really get into all the celebrations. Well I am here to tell you that you have permission to have fun this Christmas! So get ready because guess what… it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

So right now, take a deep breath. Breathe in his presence. Rest in his love and be encouraged. You are doing an amazing job and I am cheering you on! God bless you and Merry Christmas.  Remember to expect surprises... because anything can happen. ;)

Have a beautiful day guys! This is me bursting with excitement putting together my first orders :) If you would like to order these prints for $25 each (regular mail) or $30 each (express post in time for Christmas) simply email natalie@thewritersink.com.au to place your order :)

Love you guys lots!!

Love Nat xox

Images 3-7 via Pinterest

Trusting in transition.

The definition of trust is "the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Trusting in God is actually pretty easy when life is great, don't you reckon? But when things are messy, uncomfortable, unsettled, uncertain, confusing and completely overwhelming... trusting in God can suddenly become a challenge. I wasn't going to write a blog entry today because I didn't really know what to say. Then I thought that maybe others might be in a similar season of transition or stretching... so I got out my laptop.

I've been back from New York for a week and a half now. (You can read about my NYC journey here and here). After spending two months there (three months travelling in total) I knew it might be a bit difficult coming home, but this past week has been a little bit trickier than I had imagined. After returning from many long trips overseas in the past, I've always settled in quite well and quickly, however this time has been different. 

Have you ever been completely fine one moment, and then the next moment find yourself totally overcome with emotion? Well this has been me all week. So many times I've thought to myself, "What the HECK is wrong with you Nat? People are dealing with much worse situations, pull yourself together!" but when our heart is sensitive to something, we can't just ignore it. Even when we don't know what's going on, we need to slow down, listen and be kind to ourselves. 

God is so faithful though. Whatever season we find ourselves in, he's always right there with us, ready to speak and bring clarity. I've been waking up pretty exhausted since I got back (a mixture of jetlag and emotions I think) and this morning as I lay in bed, half asleep, I offered up a simple one-word prayer to my heavenly Dad: Help. It wasn't until later that I remembered praying it, and I just heard him say...

Ah yes. Jesus. As I heard those words I pictured him and peace came. That's just what happens when we think of him. Peace invades. My mood shifted, my worries faded and I just felt hope. The second we think of Jesus everything changes. Isn't that incredible?

When thoughts and fears cloud our thoughts, we can't see truth. When we're overwhelmed, it's hard to trust. But, the moment we choose to look to our Saviour, hope always comes. So as I continued to focus on him, I felt his comfort so beautifully. I didn't necessarily have all the answers to my questions, but I just felt strengthened. Sometimes we still have to walk through the snowstorm, but he gives us extra strength to walk, and brings other friends around us so we don't have to walk alone :)

And sometimes it feels like we are holding on for dear life to the thinnest most tiniest branch... but he always holds us up.

So when everything is all over the place, when it's messy, when we don't know whether we are coming or going, we can breathe deep and rest assured that he is with us. And he is always doing something NEW.

He creates new things out of NOTHING.

(Romans 4:17)

What are you believing for? Maybe it looks impossible. Well, it's not to God. He's very clever and he always wins.  :)

So today, let's take a deep breath and choose to trust. I pray you have a beautiful day, and that he speaks to you about the things in your heart, bringing clarity and hope. :)

Love Nat xoxo

Images - Pinterest 

Anything Can Happen ~ Book Sneak Peek { Keep focusing on it. }

Happy Tuesday or Wednesday wherever you are in the world! :) How's your week been? It's officially Fall in NYC and it's is so lovely. We have had a few warm days sprinkled in (which I love of course) but now I understand what locals say when they "love New York in the Fall". Beautiful sunny days, without the horrible humidity, but instead an edge of fresh, crisp air. I've been writing my little heart out... for those who don't know I am here in New York writing my book... "Anything Can Happen". It's coming along well but to be really honest with you, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed these past few weeks! Writing takes time and I really want to make sure I am getting God's heart as I write. The creative process is so beautiful, but it's so intricate; carefully crafting and piecing and weaving things together... and this takes time. So as much as I want to be productive, I want to make sure I am not rushing. But being the organised person I am, this can be difficult. (Maybe you can relate?!) When the creative flow is taking longer than planned, or other adventures and opportunities come up, I've had to really ask the Lord for his help and perspective.

Do you ever find you do that? You look at your schedule and then begin to feel totally overwhelmed when you realise you're running out of time or things are taking longer than expected? So I thought I would be honest and share my heart with you. Hopefully it brings encouragement to you to today. Out of a crazy, overwhelming day yesterday, came some beautiful inspiration for my book. Here's a little sneak peek. xo

A N Y T H I N G   C A N  H A P P E N 

{ Keep focusing on it. }

Yesterday I went to sit in Bryant Park to write. It's one of my favourite writing places, because every day they have live jazz. It's such a treat. However when I arrived I was a little bit shocked at what I saw. What was once a lush green patch of green grass, where thousands of locals and travellers normally sprawl in the sunshine, was now a construction site. How tragic! (I'm sure you can picture my face, being the lover of beauty I am. Everyone's going about their day, eating their lunch, chatting, and there's me, standing there like a goose, laptop in hand, with my mouth open as if to say, "um... people, do you guys mean to say you're okay with this?!") Then I realised what was going on. The winter ice skating rink. Ah huh. Adventure and fun was being prepared before my very eyes. But right now, in the 'in between' it was a big old mess. Now, looking back I can see such truth in that scene. Preparation for a new season always requires 'behind the scenes' work and is often messy, but it always ends in something beautiful. After this time of construction there will be a beautiful ice rink where thousands of people will come and skate with such joy.

Anyway, back to me standing there dazed with my laptop. The beautiful pianist continued to play, her gorgeous jazz standards flowing whimsically out into to the air, determined to be heard over the construction and drilling. I shrugged my shoulders and thought, "Well, the show must go on." So I found a table as close to the music as I could and plonked myself there. Have ever you been expecting one thing, but come across another? I was already feeling slightly discouraged that morning, and I when I arrived and saw this picture I felt like it was like a representation of how I was feeling inside. The scene was beautiful, the sun was shining, jazz music was playing, everyone was happy, but there was a loud banging sound intruding on this scene, distracting me from the beauty. 

But we can’t go by feelings can we? Feelings distract us from purpose and joy. So after about two hours of sulking and 'hoping' the discouragement would lift (when will I learn!), I simply asked the Lord to speak to me through his word, and he did. :) What a gift his word is. No matter what we are feeling or experiencing, the word of God cuts through it all and brings life changing hope. Reading his word awakens our spirit and shifts our thinking. It takes us up to where we are seated “heavenly places next to Jesus” bringing clarity and freedom. 

Declaring the word over ourselves in difficult situations is so powerful, because even if we can’t feel anything changing, it is. It’s alive, so the moment it comes out of our mouths it is operative, shifting and changing things. I love the Amplified version of Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power, making it active, operative, energizing, and effective.” Reading the word helps us lift our eyes and brings focus.

I’d asked God to speak to me, but my thoughts were still buzzing all over the place. Do you ever get that? So I stilled my mind, repositioned myself and listened for his voice. As soon as I did this, I heard him gently lead me to 2 Peter. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I read it! Have you ever come across piece of scripture you have never ever seen before? This was like water to my soul.

 "We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard - God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts.”
(2 Peter 1:19-20 MSG)

How true this is. We can be sure of what we have seen and heard. What are the prophetic words and promises that have been confirmed to you? It's time to stir them up because his goodness and his promises are sure. Even now as you are reading these words he is awakening things in you. Immediately after I read this I felt encouraged and strengthened, and I pray you are too. The enemy of our souls is constantly trying to discourage us so we believe nothing will ever happen. But our God is bigger and with him anything can happen. 

So don't give up my friend, whatever the dream is, keep focusing on it. Keep it in front of you. We all have days of discouragement, but we are growing in strength and wisdom every single moment. We know what he has called us to, and it's glorious!

Let these words soak in today. "We couldn't be more sure of what we have seen and heard". We are sure of what he has promised us. And to him, our journey is just as beautiful as our destination. Every day of your life is part of a giant tapestry God is weaving. And he sees it it's fullness and it's gorgeous! 

Have a beautiful day knowing I love you heaps and am cheering you on :)

Love Nat xoxo

Images 1 & 2 via Pinterest

Flourish no matter what :)

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. 

It has no worries in a year of drought, and never fails to bear fruit. :)

Jeremiah 17:7-8

~

Hi friends, just a little encouragement for your week. Whatever you are doing, wherever you are going (even if you have no idea where your path might be leading and it's a little bit scary!)... let's choose to trust him this week. He is cheering us on in all that we do and his promise is that when we trust him we flourish no matter what.

Lots of love to you from NYC ;)

Nat xox

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