Elizabeth, a woman of celebration who created a safe space, a home for the Lord and all He creates.

Mother of John the Baptist, cousin and friend of Mary the Mother of Jesus.

She must have been so open.

Open to the mysteries of God, to the Lord’s ways and His love…She must have really known Him. She created space for the Lord to first work in her heart before she was ever given the gift she wanted, a child. She chose God before everything else.

Elizabeth had to have done that. We’re humans, and I know I have to wrestle with whatever it is I want more than God - there is no way I get to being grateful for something I really desire without giving it up first. It is only when things have been put in their proper place (in relation to God) that I have been able to really receive whatever it is I first wanted.

With God, I know it’s never about wanting to withhold from me. He wants to give me what it is I want more than I want it! He is the one who put that desire in my heart in the first place.

However He will not fulfill the desire if it will get in the way of He and I - our relationship. Which means it’s up to me to ask Him to order my heart, to put things in their proper place, and to help me give up what I want so I can want Him more than anything else. That is His best for me.

He is patient and wants me more, wants us to be together more than anything. So He will wait to give me things until I am at a place where the thing I want will only add to my relationship with Him instead of take me away from Him.

Elizabeth had received the mystery of God. She knew He was the Creator of beauty and every gift she was given. I guarantee she doubted Him at times, but she was faithful to continue to choose to believe even in the midst of not seeing her heart’s truest desires.

She was rejected by her community because she didn’t have what so many had. She was an outcast. It was believed in Hebrew culture if you were barren then you had been living in sin, so I’m sure most of her town thought this was the reason God didn’t bless her with children.

Ironically, it was actually because she was so precious to Him He had her wait!

As I’ve been reading and slowly going over Luke 1, I’ve paused to picture myself in her shoes, in this setting. She was older and couldn’t have kids. And yet, the first thing she said when she got pregnant was “How kind the Lord is! He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

She pointed to His kindness; she thanked Him! There is no way she could have done this unless she had already known Him as kind.

I think it’s miraculous how God knows every detail of every person and story. I love this one so much, because part of Elizabeth’s calling was to be an old mom!

She needed time to become the woman of God she became, because she would one day host the miraculous; Mary, carrying in her womb the hope of Israel, the promised Messiah. The fulfillment to her long awaited desire was bigger than she could have possibly dreamed.

Elizabeth and Zechariah created a space for God to enter into their hearts even in the midst of shame from their community. They dedicated themselves to Him in every way. Who they were allowed God to enter first into their hearts and then their home. Their home was one of miracles. The miracles were not only for them, but for the world…first for themselves, then for Mary, a young mother with a supernatural conception who had no place to go, which means they were also hosting Jesus.

I wanted to also put myself in Mary’s shoes as I’ve read this story. Mary was 100% human, and yet believed and was obedient as only a child could be. She said yes. Even then, I’m sure she was nervous and had many thoughts.

But God knew! He created a home for her to enter into and receive on earth. To be loved, nourished, welcomed, and embraced when everyone else would say she was crazy. The faith and obedience of these two families is a legacy! Just as Elizabeth led the way for Mary, John the Baptist led the way for Jesus.

I am sure Elizabeth taught Mary so many things in that stay. The most important was probably in how to create a home, a home for someone who carries something greater than herself. Elizabeth and Mary both knew personally the kindness and love of the Lord, and they knew there was more than enough of all of His goodness for everyone.

Elizabeth recognized Mary was carrying something much greater than anything or anyone she would ever encounter, and that knowing was even by the grace of God through the Holy Spirit.

Putting myself in their places, my very human experience allows doubt and jealousy and all those ugly thoughts to come in so quickly and loudly.

It’s only the daily choice of loving that changes that.

Elizabeth had to believe there was enough space for both John the Baptist and Jesus to be great. The only way I think this could have been done is by the help of God and them choosing to keep their eyes on God. They must have done the hard heart work…. constantly choosing to believe in who God was and what they knew about Him.

How sweet it was of the Lord to give them each other in this time. God would have never trusted Mary to go to Elizabeth in her time of need unless it was a safe space for her to learn and grow. I know Elizabeth was learning and receiving just as much from Mary, a teenager. Their roles in life were so different and paramount.

At first glance, I didn’t see how precious Elizabeth was. At first I saw her as the sidekick, the second choice, not as good as Mary. It wasn’t until I took the time to pray and ask God how He saw her that I was able to receive His truth about who Elizabeth was and her calling. 

The truth is she was beautiful, with a divine purpose bigger than she could have ever imagined. He showed me it was my untrained heart that saw the false perspective. He healed a part of my own rejected heart as I’ve learned about Elizabeth.

Now I revel in her. She is my new favorite.

A kindred spirit in every way, and I’ve become a bit obsessed with her. Knowing I will be older when I get married and have children, today I fight to create space in my heart for the Lord to heal me, so I can be given the gift of others in this season. I want to make space for people to experience Him and live in a house of miracles here on earth.

Oh Elizabeth, how grateful I am for your life and my dear Daddy in Heaven. How thoughtful He is to make me a little like her!

My question has been,

“How do I become a Woman of God?”

I see this gaping hole when it comes to defining who we are and what we hope it will look like.

At least with art, we have mother Mary on one end and goddesses on the other. Mother Mary seemed unattainable and I knew I was no where near that. The goddess pictures were beautiful, but I know I am not someone to ever be worshipped or idolized, so that wouldn't do.

I needed something pointing to God and at the same time saying I am His Beloved and He is well please with me. I needed it to be hopefilled and honest. 

This idea really began when I was in what is known as my Dark Night of the Soul. As my friend Natasha so kindly puts it, the dark night is not an optional step in discipleship. It is an invitation He, the King His children invites in to. 

It is an invitation, but in it, you will die completely to your own way of living. Laying down the learned habits picked up from experience or inherited.

It will put them to death, so we can live in the way of wholeness, from the love of the One who made us.

In the darkness of that season I wrestled with my mind, my emotions completely ruled by my thoughts. I had to learn what it meant to take every thought captive out of necessity. Thinking at the time I was going crazy because I had never seen anyone go through what was happening to me. 

It was only in hindsight I saw it clearly. All I knew then was that He was calling me to Himself.

To be His child, to address all the pains and hurt I had pushed down. He was inviting me to heal, to know what true love really looked like and I had the chance to say yes or no. It was a choice every day to address the past, the reality of my actions and fear formed thoughts.

Like Mary, I had a choice, it was going to happen regardless, so how would I respond? I made a moment by moment choice to choose God over my thoughts, over my fears, over my circumstances. I said say yes. And it’s been a one step at a time journey in learning I am fully His, in becoming a woman of rest. 

I had no idea how to rest. Work was my rhythm, doing my way of life.

With a thousand and one questions, I began to demand answers from God.

Yes, I am extremely demanding when we chat. He already knows what I’m thinking and feeling, so I figure, why hide it? 

In very loud, angry ways, I would scream out. He was always there, even if I didn’t feel it. His words said so and I choose to believe it.

Just like that season, I didn’t know where to begin again when it came to a picture, something to put on my wall to see when I wake up, when I question.

Mary seemed the only thing that soothed my creative hand and longing heart.

God trusted her with His own child and her response was one I needed to adopt as my own. The Bible is our roadmap to living the way God can best protect and prosper us, it had worked in every other area of my life, so what may seem obvious was an epiphany for me. Since digging into reading the bits about her there are I keep feeling there is so much more 'He wants to impart.

This collection is the beginning of Morehouse. Becoming a woman at rest is an adventure, so the Woman of God collection will be to.

Each month a new woman of God will be released. In this first release, She Believed, includes women of so many different cultures.  We don’t know what she looked like and I know we could guess, but I wanted to communicate the mystery of who she was because Mary could have been any of us. I believe God wants us to know that. 

She was the beginning of feminine faith. A person of belief in the midst of what seemed absolutely and ridiculously impossible.

So much of life seems and feels impossible so often. Healthy relationships seemed a made up idea from where I stood, healing my heart was ludicrous at one point, a family that doesn't hate each other was out of the question, going to my hometown without shame would be a miracle. All of these ideas seemed impossible, but each and every area has been or is being made new and alive. I am completely redeemed, at least in these areas.

His ability to create is bewildering. I really am a new creation and God is in the business of making masterpieces.

Mary knew God, she knew who she was as His child and her role as a daughter. I didn't always know God wanted me and that I am a cherished gift God gave unto Himself. Bringing life to Mary in these images comes from my first hand experience of that truth I now know for myself. 

My hope with this collection is for it to be a reminder of the gift of life He has given us. To choose faith and His goodness over what we see in front of us. For people to experience more of who He is and how loved they are.

With love, from a very grateful woman at rest,