Awakened To Love: Recent Episodes
Elizabeth McIntyre Hosford
This is for the messy ones. The weary ones. The hungry ones. For those who know they were created for something more. Who long for the more. Those who carry a deep ache within.
This is my journey. I am learning to be unapologetically, me. And I am on a journey to discover what the ‘more’ is.
I think it is Love. And I believe that Love really is everything.
*New episode every month on the 16th.
What is our definition of obedience? There is something which the Lord has been speaking to my heart: “Beloved, I want to teach you about obedience, simply for obedience’s sake. I want to show you how your unconditional yielding to Me, moves my heart. Will you let go of the end result? Will you allow Me to teach you? Will you let obedience alone, be enough?” Choosing obedience, and fixing my gaze on Him alone. This is what I am learning. And that’s a bit of what this episode is about.
Like Peter responding to Jesus’ call and stepping out of the boat to walk on the water, like Indiana Jones’ journey requiring him to step off the cliff without the evidence of what he would step out onto — I believe there is a deeper realm of faith God invites us to live from, where in order to succeed we are required to look to Him alone: not looking at our circumstances but with our gazes locked on Him. Into the unknown…always and forever.
“Don’t forget to remember.” This episode is a whopper of a testimony about process: and how, even when things do NOT make sense in a current season, there may yet come a time (if we can look through the eyes of faith) when we can look back, and realize that there was a purpose. I think the Lord loves to show us His faithfulness, if we will take the time to look for it. This episode is all about that. And, well, maybe some more besides ;)
Wow! 2023! We are halfway through January and it’s already been SO FULL. This episode is a space of reflection, remembering, and reveling - in the wonder, the breakthrough, and so much anticipation. There’s lots of encouragement, a few of my personal revelations, and sweet invitation deeper into the heart of Jesus.
Ephesians 1 is the subject of this episode. I read it this morning and it caught my heart - so I wanted to unpack it a bit, with you. I hope you’re even half as encouraged and strengthened as I am from this encounter.
Vulnerable, raw, and messy. This episode is a confession, a declaration, a peek into my messy spaces right now. It holds a story, a commitment, and an invitation. And it ends with a blessing: for you.
This episode is simply, Scripture. I share some verses / passages that have left a mark on me. Passages that I arm myself with. Passages that remind my heart of God’s goodness and of His invitation: to look only to Jesus. To love Him, and be loved by Him. Even as I recorded this episode I could sense my faith rising anew. His words change is. His words hold power. And power is released as we declare His truth over ourselves. So as you listen to this, I pray that you are encouraged and strengthened, and reminded of how incredibly good God is, and how very much He loves you.
Preparation for planting. Pulling out obstacles (old dead roots, stones, things that don’t belong there or would get in the way of new seeds). Exposure and oxidization. Softening the ground. This is gardening; but this is also what God does with our hearts - if we will let Him. This is what He is doing in me. And this is what we talk about today.
I believe in the promises God has spoken over me. But He has been uncovering areas in me, where I’ve been so fixated on HOW I think His promises are supposed to come to pass, that I’ve missed some of their actual fulfillment. Hence missing the forest for the trees. BUT! He’s at work, and He’s teaching me and changing my heart and I AM LEARNING. This episode is all about that.
Transition, stretching, flexibility, growth, trust, pain, anticipation, vulnerability and revelation… a handful of the key ingredients to a life of surrender. A wee bit of what is featured in today’s episode.
Raw emotion. Desperation. Angst. Cries for help. The depth of grief. Clinging to hope. Promises of rescue. Safety. Romance. Wonder. Delight. Knowing I am seen, and known, and loved. Today’s episode is a glimpse into where all of this is found. And more.
Sometimes I feel like the Israelites: rescued in so many miraculous ways, only to face a new difficulty and immediately begin to question and grumble and complain. So easily I forget. This episode is a pouring out, an overflow and a breaking open. A prayer, a confession, a commitment. The response to an invitation of Love from the One who has chosen me - the Lover of my soul.
Disclaimer: This episode really has nothing to do with the fact that it’s my birthday. It holds a creative piece I wrote a few years ago (the episode title hails from that), and there’s also a shameless plug for one of my favorite created things, ever. So, maybe have a listen ;)
I’m so thankful for YOU! Whatever your story, whatever your process; you are valued, you are loved, you are needed. I share about that. Oh and then I share some other thoughts from my heart ;)
Brother Andrew’s ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’ is the main inspiration for this episode. I share some things I felt the Lord speaking in response, and I pray it encourages you; some of it inspired some by scripture, some by Brother Andrew’s writings, and some simply coming straight from His heart.
New Years has become a time of reflection: looking back over the year now coming to a close - acknowledging, processing, celebrating, honoring, repenting, forgiving…and then looking ahead. What is to come? What do I want to take with me into the new year? What do I want to leave behind? This has been my January so far. Listen to this episode for more :)
Things rarely go the way we want them to. There seems to be an extra emphasis to this around the Christmas season. We end up far busier than we intended, we are facing our first holiday after losing a loved one, we have a broken relationship with a family member…the list goes on. I’m learning to embrace the season, even my life in general, regardless of disappointments or grief or any amount of mess. I’m learning to live my life from this place: to love my actual life. To love my actual Christmas.
Happy November, friends! This month has ushered in a thick fog in the region where I live, but I declare that this is a season of clarity and wide open space for you, and for me! This episode is a declaration of the song of the bride, as recorded in Song of Songs. I pray that you are encouraged and drawn deeper into the heart of Jesus as you listen, and receive, and respond. Blessings!
Life is full of ups, and downs. This isn’t news to anyone. Yet there is a promise - the pain and the disappointment is actually invitation into fullness. It defies logic. It requires faith. But anything worth having will always cost us something. And there is only one thing that truly matters. There is only one message I want my life to declare.
The reality of life. We get busy. We grow tired. Overwhelmed. Distracted. We forget the goodness. We stop noticing the beauty. In this episode I share about the above as I reflect on my recent-slash-current process. Learning to recognize and pursue Love, even -and especially- in the hard things.
Song of Songs. A book that has always been a fascinating mystery for me - but which has come unlocked in a special way through studying the Passion Translation. This episode is all about it. The poetry. The encounter. An unveiling. And awakening love.
It’s a new season! For the podcast, as well as for me personally. This episode dives into a story about a month-long process leading to an importation, encounter, and activation.
There is power in choosing belief instead of worry. There is beauty in the process of learning to believe what we have been promised even while NOT SEEING IT. This episode is about grace instead of performance, and redemption in the midst of failure. About believing that we are who God says we are: ROYALS.
This one is inspired by a tattoo. A word, its definition, its origin, and what it means to me. A bit more of my story mixed in there too.
Here I share a bit of my current season: some things I’m walking through. Vulnerability. Transparency. The humbling reality of truly being in process. I use a couple word pictures, which is where you’ll notice the episode title comes into play.
How and what we choose to speak holds greater significance than I think many of us realize. Today I share some of what I’m learning about the authority we have been given, and the power that is released through what we choose to confess.
Dreams. They hold more significance than I think we give credit. They are one of the ways God speaks to us. This episode is about a particularly vivid dream I had, which involved - you guessed it - a cello. I believe what I gleaned from it may be an encouragement for you as well.
Here I share a bit of my heart regarding this podcast: why I started it, where we’re going, and what I think might be ahead.