Blog Moving to JonathanHelser.com

Hello everyone,

Thank you for following our blogs.

We wanted to let you know that our blogs are moving jonathanhelser.com and we are combining are current blogs.  You can now follow from this link: http://www.jonathanhelser.com/jonathanhelser/.

Jonathan & Melissa

The 2015 18 Inch Journey Moves to the Fall

Written by JD Gravitt

For the past seven years, we have held the 18 Inch Journey during the months of June and July.  They have been beautiful, life changing summers.  These summers came from a time when we hosted two one-week worship camps for high school and college students during their summer break.  The 18 Inch Journey grew from these summer camps to become the pinnacle of our year, where we focus everything on the students that come to us from around the world.  We hold everything we do open handed and look for ways to improve and mature.  Coming into its eighth year, the 18 Inch Journey is changing seasons.  We are excited to announce the dates for the 2015 18 Inch Journey will be from September 14th to November 12th, 2015. 

The simplest reason is because we love autumn.  The weather is much cooler and North Carolina looks incredibly beautiful.  We spend a lot of time outside during the 18 Inch Journey and there is no better time to be outside than on a beautiful fall day. We would also like to steward our resources more efficiently.  Having the 18 Inch Journey during the summer demands the most out of our facilities during some of the hottest months of the year.   We live and work at A Place for the Heart year round and look forward to this new and beautiful season for the 18 Inch Journey.

Please visit 18inchjourney.com for more.

Closing of a Season

2014 Phase Two Students

Written by Allie Sampson

Photographed by Sydnee Mela & JD Gravitt

On Friday night, our staff gathered together and sat down at a beautiful table to eat a meal and talk about what the Lord has done over the past few months. At one point in the night, Melissa brought up how crazy it was to look back over the past 6 months and look at all of the things that our community has done.  Since January, we have released an album, completed 4 building projects, released the 18 Inch Journey book, opened an online store and hosted 7 worship nights in Asheboro, NC.  As we reflect on all of these things, we are blown away by the extravagance and faithfulness of the Lord who has tended so beautifully to our dreams. We are so thankful to the Father for each of these projects, but by far, we are most thankful for the two schools that we have started and completed over the past six months.

Wednesday night, we closed our 7th 18 Inch Journey school with an extravagant closing dinner.  It was a lovely night of reminiscing and remembering all that the Trinity had done in the 32 students who came.  Tonight, we host another closing dinner as we end our 6-month school.  Phase 2 is for 18 Inch Journey alumni and is a deeper dive into the rhythms and values taught during the Journey.  In February, 12 students returned to the land for Phase 2 and since then, they have been participating in creative classes, small groups, impartation sessions and serving the 18 Inch Journey through servant leadership.  We have journeyed with them deeply and are exceedingly proud of each one of them.

 

The 2014 18 Inch Journey

This evening, our entire community will join together to celebrate the brilliance of the Father and how much He has done in each one of the twelve.  We will hear from each of them as they read their final exit statement, proclaiming how they have seen the Lord since they’ve been here.  We will seal their hearts with declarations: statements we’ve crafted that acknowledge what we’ve seen in their hearts and affirm the Goodness of God in their lives.  We will set a beautiful table, prepare an extraordinary meal, laugh deeply and cry frequently as we honor the journey of their lives and the amazing plans that the Father has intricately woven together for them.  It has been our deepest privilege to get to walk with them and lead them over the past 6 months and we are certain that even better things are ahead of them. Their lives are full of hope because they have cultivated friendship and surrendered themselves to the leadership of the best friend and leader they could ever have: the Holy Spirit.

After saying our goodbyes, our community will be taking some time off to visit friends and family.  We will come back together in the Fall to continue dreaming with the Father and to press more into what He is doing here at A Place for the Heart.  Blog updates and the Cageless Birds store will resume their normal activity in September.  We pray that you have a beautiful and restful August.

Papa Ken Time

Written by Allie Sampson
Photographed by JD Gravitt

As a staff, one of our favorite elements of the 18 Inch Journey is the amount of surprises that we tuck within the 60 days.  However, the way that we find ourselves catching the most traction is within the schedule that we dream up with the Father.  Before the students arrive, the full 60 days are intentionally prayed over and mapped out by our Core Staff.  In planning, we carve out specific times for consistent classes or blocks, which we refer to as rhythms. We use the word rhythms because these classes and activities that we keep coming back to set the cadence and the pace for the summer. They are the beautiful boundaries that we operate within; they keep us on track and create safety through consistency. 

One of our favorite rhythms during the school is Papa Ken Time.  Papa Ken Time is a chance that the students have to sit down with the founding father of this land, a true pioneer in the faith, and ask him questions and hear his heart.  Every weekday morning, Ken meets with one of the five small groups over breakfast.  Often times, Ken will share something that has been on his heart, something that he felt the Lord share with him in their time together earlier in the morning.  In addition, Papa Ken frequently shares from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  The students have the opportunity to glean wisdom from someone who has gone before them – to ask questions that they have on their hearts and learn from someone who has so much to teach and share. 

In addition to weekly Papa Ken Time, Ken and his wife Mrs. Linda invite each small group up to their house for a Sunday Lunch during the school. During these Sunday lunches, the students get to have more intentional time hearing family stories and learning more about Ken and Linda and A Place for the Heart.  These times with Ken and Linda are one of the greatest gifts the students receive during the summer. 

As young people, it is extremely rare to have someone who is generations ahead of us that wants to intentionally invest in our lives, pray for us and answer our questions.  Our community is exceedingly grateful for Papa Ken and the way that he has chosen to give his life to see our generation fall more in love with Jesus. Many times, including this summer, he has chosen to decline overseas ministry trips, just so that he can pour into the students who have come to be here. So many of the staff have had seasons where we have been invited to sit around Ken’s table and hear his stories and each of us that have had this opportunity have been forever changed because of it. 

Heart and Art

Written by Allie Sampson

Photographed JD Gravitt

The 18 Inch Journey is built on the pillars of Creativity, Community and Worship.  Though it isn’t necessarily an art school, we do a lot of art.  We love creativity in all forms. We are a community of photographers, artists, writers, musicians, cinematographers, chefs, bookmakers and dancers. What we love most about art is the way that it is so expressive of the heart.  Art, in all true forms, is a mirror that reflects what is going on inside of the heart of the artist.  

Every Tuesday and Friday, our students participate in a rotation that we call Art/Heart.  During this time, the students are split into two groups.  The first group spends the first half of the time in an art class with Justina while the second group spends the time in a session where one of the staff members shares something they wrote for the Eighteen Inch Journey book.  The students spend an hour and a half in the session and then switch—the students who were in Art go to the Heart session, and the students in the Heart session make their way to Art. 

In the art classes, the students typically spend time working in their history books.  History books are an artistic tradition at the 18 Inch Journey.  A history book is a space to creatively log your history with the Lord.  In the art sessions, Justina along with the Art Interns, Kateland and Lindsay, teach art lessons on color theory, line quality and technique.  Additionally, the students are given various art assignments, referred to as prompts, to explore their heart and the work of their hands.  These lessons and prompts are completed in the students’ history books. Some of the students that come to the Journey are art majors and others have never held a paintbrush in their hand.  There are all levels of experience, and in the art barn, all of the students are working alongside one another creating and discovering who they truly are as artists.

In the heart session, the students have an opportunity to hear from one of our staff members and learn more about their personal journey and experience.  Each session, a different staff member leads the students through a piece that they submitted to the Eighteen Inch Journey book. The Journey students get a chance to listen and ask questions and are often given a prompt to complete in their journal. At the last Art/Heart session, Chris Miller shared on the Goodness of God and his experience of hearing from a farmer at an orange grove in Valencia, FL (pg. 49 of the Eighteen Inch Journey book). Chris then released the students to craft a prayer to the Father about His Goodness.

We have found that these times we’ve set aside for Art and Heart are a beautiful way that the students are finding themselves coming more and more alive.  They are simultaneously discovering their true identity and from that, they are unearthing their identity as artists.  They are choosing to let the Father soften their hearts and are bravely embracing the creativity of the Trinity and in doing so, they are becoming so vibrant and full of life. 

Jessie Miller Teaches on Words & Poetry

 Written by Allie Sampson

Photographed by JD Gravitt

Here at A Place for the Heart, we believe in the power of words.  We believe that our words hold so much potential and possibility and we have come to learn the value of them.  Jonathan often says that our words create the world we live in. This simply means that what we speak (the way we communicate with others, the perspective that we have and agree with, etc) is powerful and will have an effect on the way we live our lives.  Throughout the course of the Journey, we invite the students into several different moments of choosing to understand the importance of their words. They frequently write declarations over themselves, are given prompts that involve journaling and spend time in sessions about communication.  This week, the students were invited into another way of valuing their words as Jessie Miller taught on the art and importance of poetry.

Jessie shared some of her journey with words with the students and staff and unpacked how exploring the gift of her words has been such an excellent tool for her in seasons past.  Throughout the night, Jessie taught on “Jesus the Poet” and the mystery and beauty preserved in the intentionality of the words of Jesus.  She went on to explain the idea of language as a mirror: that when we approach writing, we are holding a mirror up to our hearts and simply writing down what we find there. Writing and language are an overflow of our hearts; more than something we have to produce, it is simply the beauty that we already find inside of us. Additionally, Jessie explained the value of trusting our words. She taught how, with poetry, we must trust our hearts, our ability to communicate and the heart of the reader to understand what we are trying to convey. Jessie explained that when we craft poetry, the beauty is in the ability of our words to meet people where they are. By creating something more open-ended, we are creating an invitation for people to find themselves more known and understood. We are giving language not only to where we are at, but also giving the gift of language to the reader. So much of this reflects what Jesus did with parables and the way he communicated with people. Always extending an invitation for people to find themselves known and loved.

We encourage you to take time to explore your words with the Father, just as the students are doing. It is our prayer that as our hearts soften before the Lord, our words will reflect Jesus more and more.  It is our aim that our words will empower us, and those around us to be more like Jesus in our creative endeavors and in the practical moments of our lives. 

Open Mic Night

 Written by Allie Sampson, Writer for Cageless Birds

Photographs by JD Gravitt

Last Thursday night, we began one of our favorite parts of the 18 Inch Journey: Open Mic Nights. These nights are a chance for the students to share their songs, poetry, art, photographs, dances and any other creative expression that they have found themselves coming alive in. Open Mic Nights are so special to us as a family because these are the moments where we get to celebrate the students, to champion their greatness and to affirm that they are seen and heard. We set aside three of these nights during the school and encourage all of the students to participate at least once. We believe in creating environments for the students to be seen and heard without any comparison– a place for them to share their voice in the safety of family. 

So much of the 18 Inch Journey is discovering that we are not defined by our giftings. Though our gifts are a beautiful part of who we are, they do not make up our identity. We are sons and daughters first, loved before we ever set our hands to anything, believed in before we even attempt prove ourselves worthy. When we come to that place of confidence and security, knowing that the Father loves us and is proud of us regardless of our abilities or success, we can create and explore without the pressure to strive or produce. We are set free as artists when we step into our identity as beloved children. 

There is nothing that excites our community more than seeing people walking in their true identity and embracing their gifts from a place of wholeness. The 18 Inch Journey students blew us away on Thursday night as they shared songs and poems that they had written. After sharing their heart, every student was met with a standing ovation and wild cheering as their fellow students and leaders celebrated their brilliance and their bravery. Standing ovations are not something we have taught these students, it’s simply something they began to initiate as they have learned to love, honor and celebrate their friends. We were joyfully overwhelmed by each of the students, as they shared with us and as they championed each other, walking out of comparison and into wholeness as confident, creative sons and daughters. 

The Eighteen Inch Journey Book

Written by Allie Sampson, Writer for Cageless Birds

Photography by JD Gravitt

A huge component of the 18 Inch Journey is surprises.  We believe that the Trinity loves to give good gifts and surprise us with extravagant love, and our community loves to do the same.  Journey surprises take on many different shapes, but this week it looked like a pristine, freshly printed book.  

On Tuesday, each of our 32 students received their own copy of The Eighteen Inch Journey book – a compilation of art, writing, photography and prompts from the Cageless Birds community put together by Melissa and Justina.  This book is a dream that Melissa and Justina have carried for 2 years and this is the first official volume to be released. Over the past 6 months, the two of them have been pouring their hearts into these pages – collecting and reviewing pieces from our community and lovingly formatting and designing the layout of each page. Just as the Live at Home album is a culmination of songs from our community, this book is a culmination of art and writing that have come from moments we have spent cultivating friendship with the Trinity. Each of our staff, interns and extended community have contributed to this collection that we hope will inspire its readers in their time with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Throughout the remainder of the Journey, our staff will teach their prompts from the book during our Art/Heart rotation: a twice-weekly rhythm where students spend half of the block in an art lesson and the other half in a teaching session. During this time, students will be able to hear more of the back-story of what inspired our staff to write their prompts and will have intentional time to sit with the Father as they engage it on their own.

We are so excited to present The Eighteen Inch Journey book to our students, and now we have some other exciting news! Beginning July 4th, these books will be for sale at our Cageless Birds online store! If you are interested in supporting the Cageless Birds and the ministry of A Place for the Heart, purchasing one of these books is a great way to do so! It is our great privilege to share with you some of the incredible things that we have learned and created from time spent with the Holy Spirit. Our dream is that each person who reads this book will find themselves inspired in their own time with the Father. 

Journey Moments: The Journey Begins // Adam Cox Teaches

On June 1^st, our community welcomed 32 new students onto the land of A Place for the Heart as we launched this year’s 18 Inch Journey. Students traveled from all over the world (including Canada, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland and Singapore as well as 13 different states) to be transformed by the Love of God. On our opening night, students were invited to participate in an extravagant dinner where they were welcomed to the land with a beautiful meal, handwritten declarations and intentional gifts. Our staff, interns and Second Phase students spent countless hours preparing all of the details for this night. If nothing else, we wanted to communicate to the 32 new students that they were loved, celebrated and prayed for before they did a single thing. Simply, we love them because the Father loves them. They were showered with love and surprises—and that is only the beginning.

Each week during the Journey has a specific theme as well as a focus on one of the Fruits of the Spirit. Last week was Jesus week and Joy was the accompanying Fruit. We were honored to have our dear friend, Adam Cox, from Kansas City Boiler Room here with us. Adam has come to teach during Jesus week over the past several Journeys and every time, we as a community are changed and transformed. We were blown away as Adam shared the God Story with us again, unpacking the story of Jesus in a fresh and inspiring way. By putting the Gospel within the context of history, we understood the radical love of Jesus that is revealed through the Scripture. This year, the staff and students were undone by the love and humility of Jesus as Adam taught the God Story and the revelation that we are the Beloved. Adam shared that we are “found in the Father and formed in the family”, meaning that our identity is rooted in and discovered in God and that, by His intentional design, we are shaped and grown in the safety of community. We are overwhelmed with gratitude that Adam and his family gave another week of their time to come be with us and invest in the Journey students that we love so much! We highly encourage you to check out Adam’s teaching on The God Story that has impacted our community so deeply!

If you’re interested in learning more about Adam and the KC Boiler Room, check out www.kcboilerroom.com. To purchase The God Story, visit the KC Boiler Room Store.

Cottage Update

As many of you know, over the past several months we have been dreaming with the Lord about building a new cottage for the 18 Inch Journey. We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have given to our vision for the new cottage.  With your support, we have raised $19,000 of our $250,000 goal.  We are so blessed by your generosity! 

    

Our goal is to build the cottage this fall. Due to delays with building permits, our initial projections for construction have been pushed back.  With the 18 Inch Journey quickly approaching and Phase 2 currently underway, we thought it much wiser to begin construction in the fall so as not to disrupt or postpone either of the schools. Plus, we desire to raise the majority of the $250,000 we need before we break ground on the cottage.

We still plan to accept 32 students to the 18 Inch Journey this summer in addition to the 12 Phase 2 students we currently have.  This will put every inch of space to use and maximize the number of hearts that we can change.  While this will put a stretch on our current space, we are asking the Father for wisdom to steward the growth of this season.  We have tremendous favor with an increase in applications every year, and it is our desire to accept as many students as possible. 

As a community, we treasure each heart that comes to A Place for the Heart and we work very hard to make sure that every student that comes to the 18 Inch Journey is seen, loved and discipled. We feel the invitation from the Lord to grow and expand while still preserving the intentionality of family that the Trinity has taught us.  As the schools continue to grow, we are expanding our number of staff and interns to help lead the schools and tend to all of the inner workings of A Place for the Heart. All of this growth simply means that we need more space.  A new cottage will allow us to accept more students, offer better housing and spread out into smaller groups.

Please help support our vision for a more sustainable 18 Inch Journey by giving to the cottage.  We believe one more bed is one more heart that can encounter the love of the Father at A Place for the Heart.  Please consider partnering with us and helping us change the world one heart at a time.

                                                   To learn more or give please visit: 18inchjourney.com/18/support.html. 

                     You can make checks payable to “A Place for the Heart”

Cageless Birds "Live at Home" CD Release

Written by: Allie Sampson, Writer for Cageless Birds / Intern to Jonathan and Melissa 

A crisp evening, an intimate theater and a family filled with eager anticipation. These were the things that set the stage for the release of our newest album, “Live at Home”, on the weekend of January 24^th. As our community gathered at the Sunset Theater in Asheboro, NC, we couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with the excitement of the Trinity. We were on the borders of yet another defining moment for our community. Long ago, we had released this project to the Father and now, we were about to open up our hands again and release it to the world. 

Reflecting on the last year, we realize just how many moments led us to this one. This album is a collection of intimate moments with the Holy Spirit, impossible victories won, hungry and weary seasons, subtle whispers and family celebrations. As a community, so many pieces of our story are deposited in this album. It is the sound of our family; the echo of our hearts responding to the One who first sang over us. 

We recorded this album at home, in Jonathan and Melissa’s living room, so it felt fitting to release the album just down the road in downtown Asheboro. The intimate atmosphere of the Sunset Theater served as an excellent way to host the close, family feel that we experienced in creating this record. While we were certainly looking forward to sharing our recorded songs and videos, we were most excited about the opportunity to worship together as a family with so many people from our extended community. We felt exceedingly honored by our dear friends and loved ones who ventured over county borders and state lines to join us as we celebrated God’s faithfulness in this completed project. 

Throughout both evenings, we encountered countless breathtaking moments as we watched our brothers and sisters share their songs, their art, their videos and their stories. As various members of our Cageless Birds community stepped behind the helm of the ship to lead us into worship, we could feel the Father’s smile as He watched His children make space for one another’s sound. It was and continues to be our distinguished honor to offer the Father the gift of children who love each other and champion one another. 

Looking back at it now, it seems to have happened so fast. Equipment was hauled in, rehearsals and sound-checks occurred, tickets were taken, t-shirts, journals and albums were sold, songs were sung and videos were shown. But at the end of it all, the only essential part was that our Papa was honored by the way His kids honored each other and by the sound of our love for Him.  

The Opening Dinner

The Opening Dinner of the 18 Inch Journey (a 60 day heart school) is essential to who we are.  As a community, we spend a substantial amount of face time around the table.  From everyday dinners to birthday celebrations, we gather around the table year round. 

It’s fitting that we begin every 18 Inch Journey around the table.  

On June 1, we welcomed our 31 new students to their place at the table.  It’s always a joy to see the fresh faces as they eagerly walk up the hill to the Farmhouse.  We assign each student to a specific table and designate their place with a special name tag.  Recently, we expanded the kitchen in the Farmhouse and it is our joy to cook meals.  Jonathan and Melissa opened the night by welcoming the students.  Then the first of four small groups read their declarations over the students.  We enjoyed each course of the meal followed by declarations.  After dessert and the last group of declarations, the students introduced themselves and shared what they’re looking to get out of the 18 Inch Journey.  We ended the night by praying over each student and agreeing with the plans of the Father for this summer.

A summer in the woods can change your life.  The gluten free chocolate cake from Linda Helser can help.  Jesus made breakfast for His boys on the beach and emphasized the importance of meals with many stories in scripture centered around food.  He spent time around food and modeled family time around the dinner table.  We believe a generation will find their identity as sons and daughters when they find their place at the table.  The table is not just a place for your cup and plate.  The table is a place for stories and a place where brothers and sisters share their hearts.  So we began at the table on June 1 and we will continue to spend many more meals around the table.  The journey from the head to the heart begins with the invitation to find our place at the table.  May we taste and see that the Lord is good and in so tasting find ours identities in Him.

Getting Ready

 It is a wonderful thing to make music that you love.  It is even more wonderful to make that music with people you love.  Jonathan and I are releasing a new CD tomorrow called  Endless Ocean Bottomless Sea.  It is the extended versions of the album On The Shores that we released last February.  We are so excited about these songs getting into the hands of worshipers that long for the more.  As usual, we throw a big release party/night of worship.  We have been rehearsing in our studio these last weeks feeling the beautiful anticipation and excitement growing with every practice.  We are so privileged to have a band of musicians that have traveled to the deep with us and continue to long for the more.  Come join us at the Carolina Theatre tomorrow night as we get lost in the deep love of Jesus. 

Cheers to Joel Case,  Jake Stevens, Molly Skaggs, Chris Miller, and Luke Skaggs we are making beautiful music that makes the Father smile.  The 1000 people coming tomorrow night have no idea whats in store for there hearts, waves of melodies saturated with love.

 

I love Ministry.

There are moments traveling, when you meet people that speak your heart language. You come into a place, and immediately feel at home. When you leave that place you feel full in your heart, and you think about how lovely the people were.

It is true that a city will leave an impression of beauty on your soul, amazing restaurants, incredible coffee shops, the beach, the atmosphere, the smells, the sounds... but really it is the eyes and smiles of the people you sat face to face with that leave the lasting impression. These moments don't always come, but when they do, they remind you that the kingdom of God is alive and growing. You smile internally as you leave that place, in your van full of musicians and interns. You are full. You remember why you love traveling, you breathe deep and thank God for the privilege of ministry.

This weekend we were at Big House Church in Norfolk, Virginia. It was one of those treasured weekends full of everything I described. I don't always travel with Jonathan, but I wasn't going to miss being with this amazing family. From the first moment we arrived we felt the overwhelming joy and expectancy in the spirit. It kept flowing thru set up, to the pre-service prayer, to the first note we played. And the worship...amazing. 350 people crammed into a room, our band set up in the center. Deep heart felt worship. The beautiful presence of heaven. And then...I found out we were having a double date with Adam (the pastor) and his wife. No kids, a beautiful restaurant, deep conversation. Sweet Jesus I am in heaven! Every mom and dad knows exactly what I am talking about. Three hours of uninterrupted glory! I savored every moment. This morning we walked on the beach with there 4 children drinking in the beauty, laughing, enjoying the gift of growing friendship. I love being in a home where you feel the tangible love of heaven every where. A home that is so well loved, every corner and mantle is delicately placed with things that you know mean something. A home that feels lived in, enjoyed, full. A home where family is celebrated.

I am thankful for beautiful families doing beautiful life. I am thankful for pastors truly loving people and teaching them the kingdom. I am thankful for building friendship in the midst of ministry. I am refreshed, I am full, I am alive with expectancy of the kingdom of heaven on earth. Thank you Big House for making space for the presence of the Father not just in your meetings but in your lives, it has left a beautiful impact on our farm family. We will change the earth with love.

Practicing the Art of Savoring

Today I sit on the edge of the rocky, Maine shore, covered in a canopy of thick, rubbery, seaweed the color deep brown and green. The shores in the distance are lined with tall evergreens towering over the rocks. I am in a picturesque land. I take it in as I lounge in my lovely chair.

Vacation.
Intentional rest.
Stopping.

Two weeks with no agenda, no work, nothing to do but rest and enjoy. I desire deeply to "carpe diem" this time and slow down. It is August, but I am at the farthest most point on the eastern shore of the US, so I am naturally not lounging in a swimsuit but a lovely thick, shawl collared sweater. I am in this moment learning the discipline of practicing what I teach my children...savoring. The air is crisp and refreshing. I breath in deep and exhale slow. I watch my lovely children and husband set off in a kayak to the tiny islands in the distance, they stick up out of the sea and beckon little children to come and conquer. They are giggling loud with excitement. Adventure, our human souls crave even in the littlest, youngest heart.

I sit totally content in my chair. Why? Because that water is freezing and the thought of getting wet makes me shiver on the insides. I watch with delight taking in the beauty of it all from a distance. I can see Cadence trying so hard to row in sink with Jonathan. Small arms wanting to help carry the weight of the row. They reach the tiny island and with joy they run around it screaming and shouting. I can barely hear them in the distance but I can see them jumping up and down, like they are the first to make it to this island conquering it with there shouts and arms raised high above their heads. Something so small has filled there heart tanks so full.

If you can't imagine this seen getting any more lovely just wait...in the distance of the sea air I hear the sound of bagpipes. Is this for real? They echo over the waters and turn this beautiful seen into a magnificent moment. I strain to hear the melody that is being played, could it really be...Amazing Grace? Unbelievable. I am in awe of how the Lord knows what I love even when I don't. I am in this moment full blown, my heart is soaring. I can feel the 360 view of my soul taking it all in. I am happy, I am content. I feel loved, I feel seen. I am starting to feel rested, smiling and laughing more often.

Vacation by definition means: a period of suspension from work, study or activity, usually used for rest, freedom or release from duty, business, or activity. I embrace you vacation to restore all the vibrant color back to my soul. Do what you are intended to do. Rejuvenate my inner space as I learn to savor the moments.

The In-Between

{for the full effect...this should be read while listening to the song "Le Chant" by Andrea Marie Reagan link to Andrea Marie's Album} 

Pictures usually inspire my heart to write…pictures I see waiting to happen outside my window, pictures I make with my handy little iphone or my big Canon Mark II, pictures I create in my mind when beautiful music is playing, pictures I see when looking back thru the history of our life remembering the moments that swept me off my feet and made me remember why I am alive.  This morning I was looking back thru my photos…and there it was, my Cadence Zion, 9 years old, brown as an indian, sitting in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  As parents we "capture" our children with our eyes all the time…most of those times are when they are not looking. It is the way there hands move or the way they smile when no one is around and they amuse themselves, or maybe when they look at you and all at once you feel love like you've never felt before.  I feel like a constant camera, asking the Holy Spirit always to help me savor this life I have with them.  I ask that He would keep me alert and alive, that my eyes could be kissed with eternity.  He has put eternity in the hearts of men…How do we connect with eternity in every day life.  I am on a journey to feel eternity here on this earth…in the real soil of life.  Cadence Zion here in this moment…I caught him in the in between.  In between what? I can't remember. It doesn't matter.  Oh that every season would be my favorite.  That I would look back on life and feel overwhelmed by the goodness of God to invite me into motherhood.  Life is moving, always, may we get into the flow of the beauty of it.  That we would trade in our heaviness for a weightless grace to love deep.

The Helser Family West Coast/Hawaii Excursion

{ Part Three: Hawaii}

I have waited a long time to post my final part of our family excursion to the West. I needed time for the depth of what happened to really sink into my heart. I needed to wait and really hear from the Lord what I should write, and not write. Really I just needed time. You see, one of the best parts of the trip was that we were going to get to see my sister and her family in Hawaii. They are leaders of a YWAM school in Kona, Hawaii. You must know that my sister, Shannon, is my most treasured friend in the whole world. She is the truest and most lovely example of family and friendship that I have ever seen. The privilege of getting to see them there, in Hawaii, with our kids was unbelievable. Not to mention that their daughter Shiloh and my daughter Haven are best friends. While we were in Oregon we got a call that my sister had gone to the doctor for an 8 month check-up for her pregnancy. While there, the nurse could not find a heartbeat. I cannot explain what the next 24 hours felt like. These are the moments that you choose to shed your methods of praying like a beggar and take up a wild trust in the Father. You say to yourself, "The Lord would never let this baby die...." You strap on your knee pads and fall to floor, you weep, you yell, you fall silent and then you pray more. We waited 24 hours till my sister gave birth to Selah Praise...she was stillborn. You will find out in time that my life has not been void of suffering and sorrow, but this sent my heart into a tailspin. Where was His goodness in all of this?

We arrived in Kona 4 days later, and the timing of it all was crazy. I have tried over and over to figure out how to describe what my heart felt and experienced in those days. How do you describe sorrow? I sat on the porch the first night asking the Father how I was going to teach and lead worship in the middle of all this. The Father responded, "Melissa, you have found me in the tension, you will find me again." Jonathan, Cadence, Haven and I had the privilege of going to the hills of the Big Island to bury little Selah Praise. I have never experienced a funeral so sweet and so sad. My sister had given all the children beautiful Hawaiian leaves and flowers to put on the grave. In the waiting time, the kids had played with the leaves to the point of them falling apart. As we walked through the lovely hills, Cadence asked me if he could say something during the ceremony. Honestly, I was reluctant to let him, not knowing what he would say and not wanting him to be overwhelmed in the moment, but he insisted. At the end of the ceremony, Cadence walked with confidence up to the grave, broken leaf and flower in hand. He looked at everyone and said, " Selah's body is like this leaf, but her spirit is like this flower." He then pulled the striking white flower out of the leaf. He confidently went on to talk about Selah being in Heaven with the Lord and how happy she is. After a few minutes he turned and looked at the little casket. He dropped the flower and said, "Selah, I will see you in Heaven."

I am consistently proud of my kids, but it has taken me months to understand what the Lord did that day. My nine-year-old was able to rise above grief and sorrow and declare truth. Sure, he has not had seasons of intense suffering, but maybe that is why the Lord said, "to even see the Kingdom of God, you must see like a child." We so quickly lose "our sight." Disappointment creeps in and poisons our heart. We marry circumstance and the love of the Lord...things going great--He loves me...things going bad--He has left me. We try to fight the whispering lie that He is not good and doesn't care. I will not pretend that this lie wasn't loud in my ears. It was blaring. I spent the last days in Kona teaching about worship, standing on stages and singing about His love and weeping with my sister. I will rejoice and speak of my niece with joy, for she is more alive than I can imagine, living in the fullness of everything I believe in. Resurrection is flowing in her body. She is dancing with the angels, walking with the Father and being consumed with tangible love. Hawaii, to say the least, was glorious and terrible, beautiful and tragic. The Father said to me once,"Melissa, if you can't see me in the rain, you can't see me at all." I chose, there, to see Him in the torrential downpour of sorrow. I know the clouds will part and shine the brightest light on my sister and brother and their beautiful children. In the meantime, we ride the waves of sorrow and let them take us to the shores of joy. I heard Kris Vallaton say recently, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. How can you be comforted unless you properly let your heart mourn." I refuse to end this post with some crazy revelation and feel pressure to turn my life into some amazing ministry moment. We laughed, we cried, we ate good food and bad, we went to the beach, we sat in silence and weeping, we sang to Lord and let Him sing over us, we savored the privilege of life and breath and the beauty of family, and at the end of it all this I know, that even when we walk to the edge of sorrow and back, He is unexplainably good.

Traveling with kids Tip #8
[Even in the midst of unplanned heartache don't try to shelter them from it, just remember to still laugh & build sand castles]




{Haven aiming to conquer the Hawaiian Ocean with her floaties}


{My beautiful sister & brother in law...I love them deep}


{My amazing mother...the best grandmother in the world!}


{My sweet niece Arrow...I was the first person she saw when she came into the world & naturally her favorite}


Traveling with kids Tip #9
[Always, Always, Always stop on the side of the road and take beautiful pictures...your children must see you live in and capture the moment]




Traveling with kids Tip #10
[Teach your kids to savor family...at the end of it all family is the greatest gift]


{Have I mentioned that I love my husband and children.}


{Haven and her best friend/cousin Shiloh Grace}