Life Updates
7/10/2024 Two Pictures - Infinite Canvases
We serve an amazing and gracious God. I have been fortunate to travel west three different times and spent significant time seeking God for healing and direction in my life. I was recently out west and took the following picture.
The beauty of this photo is associated with the conversation I was having with a blessing in my life... We were talking about the beauty in what God creates for each of us. We were discussing how God creates uniquely different canvases for each person as we navigate this life and that everything is perfectly crafted individually for our unique perspective, Every. Single. Day. Every fine detail meticulously designed for a purpose greater than we can imagine... Over and over again, God has a steadfast faithfulness! There is so much that we fail to comprehend of his glory and grace throughout our lives, even in the moments of our lives.
We chased this sunset for almost 60 miles in the 60 minutes before darkness fell over the land west of Teton's heading into West Yellowstone, each moment becoming more enchanting than the last. Each angle revealing the Glory of Jesus and his creation exuding his majestic power. It was an insightful moment I will never forget, and it was such a powerful illustration of everything God has been teaching me over the past few years of my life. I have been learning to see the beauty in each moment, regardless of the challenges present, a moment where God further spoke to my heart, and affirmed the direction he has for me to travel.
The next evening, in reviewing pictures with my mom, she had a similar experience in talking about the same sunset... Wondering what it looked like for us on the other side of the mountain. We all knew we were in different places and would be returning to camp from different directions, but little did we know we were talking pictures at the exact same time of the exact same sunset. The timestamp for each photo is the same, but the locations were miles upon miles apart from each other, on opposite sides of the mountain... Yet, both canvases lay equally yoked by the same illustrator, captured by the Holy Spirit through two different people within the same moment of time... A divinely inspired set of photographs.
This can be a lot like life and how we navigate significant life events. We always have different perspectives on each side of the mountain we have climbed as we reviewed what has happened through reflection, as life is challenging... Of this I am beyond sure, but God is in the beauty of every detail, and I have often failed to see it because I didn't know how to look for it in the moment. This is an essential piece of what he is constantly teaching me- seeing the beauty in every moment, whether the moment is good or bad.
His glory can and will be revealed to you by simply asking him to reveal himself in each and every situation you find yourself in, as he seeks to reveal his presence to us in our lives! His beauty can be found in every moment! You may have to shift your point of view, but it can still be seen as illustrated in these photos. God's beauty can be revealed throughout whatever you face in the same moment of time. You can see the 1° of your problem or situations, while simultaneously seeing the 359° of everything else too! The key is in our ability to step outside of our situation and see how God is revealing himself in every moment. Seek him and you will see him... Ask him to reveal the beauty within the situation and I am certain you will begin to see it. The key I have found is that I have to be careful not to make the question I present about myself, but about God and his glory. When I focus my attention outside of myself or the situation I am in, I begin to see significantly more at work for my good.
Beauty can be found throughout all the angles and difficulties in this life. The second photo by my mom truly encapsulates this illustration as we were talking about everything crafted for each of us on our individual paths through this life. However, though we may travel as individuals, the sharing of our experiences truly expands our capacity to love and connect to God and his collective power along with the significance of beauty shared. Having someone to share the beauty with is infinitely more powerful and inspiring. Sharing in the experiences of God’s glory allows for many hearts to praise what is being done by him. Moments like these are rarely captured from different perspectives so far away from each other without preplanning and forethought, but God loves to craft beauty through our shared experiences! Do not do life alone...
This powerful understanding would not have come to me if I didn't have one of the most unique blessings in my life sharing these moments with me. I'm thankful for all that God continues to reveal in my life and if you’re reading this, I'm praying for his beauty to be revealed in yours too. Life is more than we can possibly comprehend in our moments. Regardless of what our future may hold, it is my prayer to continue to honor God in all I do. I continue to pray for God's glory to be revealed through the beauty found in this life. Even when I feel the 1° of my situations in the depths of my soul, the 359° of God’s beauty is still alive within the Holy Spirit prompting me to seek God’s will first to see God’s will for every moment. I encourage you to do the same.
5/21/2024- Milestones
While on our journey, I have shared several of the things I have learned, but often I haven't shared the deeply personal aspects of the hurt. I have been challenged by several friends close to me, that I make everything to optimistic and positive. It is impossibly challenging for me to separate the eternal promises of Jesus from the day-to-day grind of life. Today is no different. I'll attempt to elaborate.
What's in a date? Numbers, events, memories, grief, pain, joy, so much more than any of us could possibly imagine. Today is one of the bittersweet dates. It used to carry so much joy and for awhile deep grief and pain. This year it just seems like it is going to be busy, full of life, and veiled with a variety of emotions.
In my infinite wisdom, I scheduled dentist appointments for the girls and I today, just to try to make it as mundane of a day as possible. Little did I know at the time it would become one of the busiest days of the school year for us... And I would have eventually needed to cancel my dentist appointment last minute... Fortunately, the girls are able to carry on due to my amazing parents! I'm thankful for the people that have carried us through all the challenges.
Which brings me back to reality about specific milestones in life. Milestones serve as markers of one of the most deceptive thieves of all creation, time. Milestones are meant to signify the passage of time. The older I get and the further away from particular milestones, I have come to realize the fragility of milestones. They are only as significant as we choose to make them.
I believe milestones can also serve the deception of pain. Foolishly, I have associated pain with milestones because of how I have chosen to view those dates. I focused too much on the grief of life and suffering and what was lost. Simply put, I failed to be thankful for the opportunities I've had. In looking back, I can suffer a similar fate if I'm not careful, because I run the risk of dwelling in the "what ifs" of life. Therein lies another pitfall as I can also get caught up trying to understand everything; and for an overthinker like me... Oh boy! The "why" question has also been as pervasive in railroading my journey to see the 359° of beauty just as much as all the other aspects have. Navigating these obstacles hasn't always been easy, but it comes down to where our help comes from, fixing our eyes upon eternity.
So, what's the point? Today is Tuesday, May 21st, 2024. I would have celebrated being married 19 years with Ashley. As it stands right now, today is just another day of life, filled with just as much potential as it did 19 years ago. Now, I desire to be as thankful as I can be for each and every milestone I encounter, because simply put, they are what you make them to be...
Today happens to be more symbolic than others and truly reveals the beauty of a soul that has already gained access to heaven. Today, Ashley's intentional influence has officially come to a close for me, as I have the final words written from her heart to mine. I'm thankful for everything God gave me through her and now as I look forward to what's ahead, I see some of the most beautiful blessings I could have ever imagined in the horizon. These blessings have made all the difference in understanding a glimpse of God's intentional purpose in the difficulty of our pain. We may never fully understand the 1° of our pain, if we can't bring ourselves to see the 359° if beauty that is surrounding every moment.
Yes, there has been significant pain in my life, but there is greater beauty to be revealed. I find, it is only revealed when I ask for it to be revealed in this world... Then God shows off in all that that he is doing, and I stand in awe of his majesty. To quote the words my grandfather shared with me years ago that have made all the difference in seeing the beauty surrounding me, "Seth, there is always opportunity in adversity." The opportunities in front of me give me such hope.
5/11/2024 - Starting Something New
It is time to start something new. I am working hard to just make day to day a priority. So, in order to honor the calling I have on my life, it is time to start providing glimpses into the potential future that exists for our family.
God granted me a vision long ago about what this might look like. I have faith that he is building something within my heart greater than anything I could ever imagine. This new resource is a part of that vision playing out in my heart and mind. God has given me a vision that I have only shared with a few of you up until now, but this will hopefully serve as a stepping stone into the future.
It is time to allow that vision to be shared, so I may be held accountable to honor what God has called me into. In my mind this is a bold step forward, but in reality it is nothing significant, yet... This is a process that will take significant time as I choose to prioritize my first ministry responsibilities, my family. I have always been richly blessed by pursuing the immediate relationships in my life.
The platforms that exist are limiting my impact on those that have followed our story. I am overtly positive and overwhelmingly Christian in today's world and the algorithms are all working against us. Therefore, I am working to find an alternative distribution method of what God is doing within my heart and how he continually reveals his grace and abundant provision in our lives.
I need help. If you have experience in website design, distribution systems, I need help! I am also looking to begin telling my story on others' podcast and sharing in what God has given me to share. I know my story is not mine. It is God's story of teaching a man how to keep going no matter what happens. Revealing ways on how to see the beauty within the most chaotic of situations, while delivering hope in abundance! Jesus is holding everything together, "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him." Colossians 1:16 NIV
I am absolutely no different. I am not holding anything together, only Jesus is. I am thankful that he holds me together when all I am is pieces of what he wants me to become through him. My capacity is completely reliant upon the work being perfected by Jesus Christ within who he is crafting me to be each day! All we have is the here and now, so thank you for being here now...
-Seth