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Thresholds and Passages
Thresholds and Passages invites you to walk to the edge of your old life, throw away the blueprints that no longer work, and step into that liminal space where everything changes. It opens portals into the only life that matters - the one lived in union with your own heart and the heart of God. It's the adventure of a lifetime and the door stands ajar.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 18, 2015
I’ve come to understand that “why?” is the wrong question. It’s usually where we start our journey, but it never takes us to any destination. We must find the courage to move away from that place of demanding an explanation from God and take the next step, the one of simple trust: Lord, what do You want to show me?
until our deep wounds are healed, we will translate life through those wounds.
I can take everything that happens in your life— good and bad— and cause it to work together toward a positive outcome? All you have to do is love Me and make My purpose your top priority.
My motives were not emanating from a pure heart. They were far more the goal of someone starving for respect and admiration than they were of loving God and following His purpose.
I love this: "I am fascinated with gates, doors, bridges, paths, and streams. Portals of any kind. It isn’t so much their shapes or types that draw me as the possibility of what might lie beyond them. They call me on a journey to explore, to find something new, to fall into an adventure. Understandably, then, the idea of Jesus describing Himself as a gate captivates and intrigues me. The very idea of Jesus looking deep into my eyes and saying, “I am the Gate. Anyone who comes into Me will be cared for— will freely go in and out, and find pasture” ( John 10:9 10, THE MESSAGE ) captures my heart. In His teaching, Jesus often used common objects as metaphors so people would readily understand the idea behind His message. Responding to His invitation to enter the gate is like walking into a corridor that leads to an entirely different way of living. He Himself is the entrance, the gateway to superabundance."
Could it be possible that what God restores will be better than anything I could have dreamed up in the first place? The idea excited me, and I longed for the day that my distrust and anger could be put to a final rest. I could sense that God was calling me to live my life differently— not only to put aside the hurt and anguish, but also to respond to the joy of this new journey. Not only was God going to heal, He was also going to show me who I really was and guide me toward the abandoned parts of myself I had never known or loved.
God keeps all my tears in a bottle because my sorrow is important to Him (see Psalm 56:8 ). I am His daughter, and He will protect me from the thief who seeks to destroy it all. He grieves with me and longs for the day when I will trust Him with everything.
What are you mourning anyway? Get your eyes off yourself, for I have done a mighty, holy thing in your midst. Sing of My mercy and My judgment. Mercy always triumphs over judgment. Rejoice before Me, O daughter, for I have done a glorious thing.
Who of us is not afraid of pure space— that breathtaking empty space of an open door? 10 Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea
Getting the Right Things Right -- passion, purpose, people, and praise
a purpose statement doesn’t necessarily describe something you do. It’s more a reflection of what you value and the core beliefs around which you build your life
Otium Sanctum, “holy leisure.” It refers to a sense of balance in the life, an ability to be at peace through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, an ability to pace ourselves… we must pursue “holy leisure” with a determination that is ruthless to our datebooks. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
Peace has no counterfeit. When our lives get out of balance, we enter either a storm of emotions or a hurricane of circumstances. We can’t fake peace. Either we have it or we don’t. Peace, of course, comes from the Person who dwells within us. It is up to each of us to connect with that Person within our center, where all is calm, all is bright. Once we learn to live from that core, we become invincible to our enemies.
Now with God’s help, I shall become myself. Soren Kierkegaard
“be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is a deeply beneficial practice. It is a summons for us to pause in His presence. We do the scripture no harm by rewording it to say, “Be still and know that I AM.” Whatever you happen to need today, you can fill in the blank: I AM your peace ; I AM your provision ; I AM your patience
Journaling gives our souls time to rest; it lets us sift through the clutter and noise of everyday life. Journal- keeping provides focus, clarity, and balance to issues, concerns and conflicts. The exercise of consistent, life- based writing is like bungee jumping for the brain— it challenges, stretches, and exhilarates. Journaling is a proven way to change, heal, and grow and is the choice of many for deeper spiritual formation.
Janice Elsheimer in her book The Creative Call : “Sitting quietly, making time for ourselves alone, pouring out our joy and our sorrow onto the blank pages can be a form of therapy, a gift to ourselves— the gift of simply ‘being.’”
Record a Threshold or a Passage
Friends are teachers of our hearts. By interacting with them, we learn to let go of grudges, resentments, and envious thoughts. We face fears— both ours and theirs— and learn how to accept loss together. In the process, we release unrealistic ideals by the practice of love and wisdom rather than criticism and isolation.
we decided that when we have serious gatherings (all our gatherings are not serious), each person brings something tangible that is symbolic of where she is at the moment...We find this keeps us focused on the purpose of our friendship: a circle of friends first committed to Jesus Christ; committed to each other in the areas of listening, praying and supporting; and committed to the joyful prospects of whatever lies ahead . That defines our mission. Our pledge to one another is a reflection of that mission: To do whatever it takes to spur each other on to Christlikeness. To choose life in all its magnificent splendor. To be authentic and honest with each other. To rely on the Holy Spirit for our direction. To be there for one another— no matter what!
To what do we surrender when we enter the dance? To God’s ways, His Word and His will, of course. That is understood by most. But can we imagine that right before we accept the offer to dance, our Partner asks us a question? How we answer tells Him what He needs to know about the state of our heart. He asks, “Are you willing to be completely at peace with how things are right now in your life? Because in order to dance with Me, to move in sync with My rhythm, you must put aside your discontent, your complaining about how things are, and the anxiety about what’s coming. I’m asking for your full trust. These fears direct you to stress and tension. I won’t be able to lead you if you are stressed and tense.” The surrender He calls for is that we drop all the “what ifs,” and respond to His invitation, “Yes, I’d love to dance with You.”
To say yes to following Christ is to respond to the deepest longing in the human heart, the journey of desire, the quest for meaning. It is to enter the romance of life, the dance of the Spirit.
Roy Williams, who writes a weekly blog called “The Monday Morning Memo,” says this about home: Home is a concept, not a place; it’s a state of mind where self- definition starts. It is origins, a mix of time and place and smell and weather wherein one first realizes one is an original…. Home is where one first learned to be separate, and it remains in the mind as the place where reunion, if it were ever to occur, would happen. All literary romance, all romance epic, derives from the Odyssey and it is about going home.
The thresholds and passages along which you’ve journeyed have enabled you to choose to live without resignation and to come to a place of deep acceptance. These thresholds and passages have shown you the path to serenity, the futility of living a frenzied life that precludes reflection and holy leisure. You’ve seen the importance of letting go, not just of all the things you cannot change of your past and its failures, but also of all the lies that say you aren’t God’s beloved. You are letting go and letting come— taking hold of today, NOW, the precious present.
until our deep wounds are healed, we will translate life through those wounds.
I can take everything that happens in your life— good and bad— and cause it to work together toward a positive outcome? All you have to do is love Me and make My purpose your top priority.
My motives were not emanating from a pure heart. They were far more the goal of someone starving for respect and admiration than they were of loving God and following His purpose.
I love this: "I am fascinated with gates, doors, bridges, paths, and streams. Portals of any kind. It isn’t so much their shapes or types that draw me as the possibility of what might lie beyond them. They call me on a journey to explore, to find something new, to fall into an adventure. Understandably, then, the idea of Jesus describing Himself as a gate captivates and intrigues me. The very idea of Jesus looking deep into my eyes and saying, “I am the Gate. Anyone who comes into Me will be cared for— will freely go in and out, and find pasture” ( John 10:9 10, THE MESSAGE ) captures my heart. In His teaching, Jesus often used common objects as metaphors so people would readily understand the idea behind His message. Responding to His invitation to enter the gate is like walking into a corridor that leads to an entirely different way of living. He Himself is the entrance, the gateway to superabundance."
Could it be possible that what God restores will be better than anything I could have dreamed up in the first place? The idea excited me, and I longed for the day that my distrust and anger could be put to a final rest. I could sense that God was calling me to live my life differently— not only to put aside the hurt and anguish, but also to respond to the joy of this new journey. Not only was God going to heal, He was also going to show me who I really was and guide me toward the abandoned parts of myself I had never known or loved.
God keeps all my tears in a bottle because my sorrow is important to Him (see Psalm 56:8 ). I am His daughter, and He will protect me from the thief who seeks to destroy it all. He grieves with me and longs for the day when I will trust Him with everything.
What are you mourning anyway? Get your eyes off yourself, for I have done a mighty, holy thing in your midst. Sing of My mercy and My judgment. Mercy always triumphs over judgment. Rejoice before Me, O daughter, for I have done a glorious thing.
Who of us is not afraid of pure space— that breathtaking empty space of an open door? 10 Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea
Getting the Right Things Right -- passion, purpose, people, and praise
a purpose statement doesn’t necessarily describe something you do. It’s more a reflection of what you value and the core beliefs around which you build your life
Otium Sanctum, “holy leisure.” It refers to a sense of balance in the life, an ability to be at peace through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, an ability to pace ourselves… we must pursue “holy leisure” with a determination that is ruthless to our datebooks. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
Peace has no counterfeit. When our lives get out of balance, we enter either a storm of emotions or a hurricane of circumstances. We can’t fake peace. Either we have it or we don’t. Peace, of course, comes from the Person who dwells within us. It is up to each of us to connect with that Person within our center, where all is calm, all is bright. Once we learn to live from that core, we become invincible to our enemies.
Now with God’s help, I shall become myself. Soren Kierkegaard
“be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is a deeply beneficial practice. It is a summons for us to pause in His presence. We do the scripture no harm by rewording it to say, “Be still and know that I AM.” Whatever you happen to need today, you can fill in the blank: I AM your peace ; I AM your provision ; I AM your patience
Journaling gives our souls time to rest; it lets us sift through the clutter and noise of everyday life. Journal- keeping provides focus, clarity, and balance to issues, concerns and conflicts. The exercise of consistent, life- based writing is like bungee jumping for the brain— it challenges, stretches, and exhilarates. Journaling is a proven way to change, heal, and grow and is the choice of many for deeper spiritual formation.
Janice Elsheimer in her book The Creative Call : “Sitting quietly, making time for ourselves alone, pouring out our joy and our sorrow onto the blank pages can be a form of therapy, a gift to ourselves— the gift of simply ‘being.’”
Record a Threshold or a Passage
Friends are teachers of our hearts. By interacting with them, we learn to let go of grudges, resentments, and envious thoughts. We face fears— both ours and theirs— and learn how to accept loss together. In the process, we release unrealistic ideals by the practice of love and wisdom rather than criticism and isolation.
we decided that when we have serious gatherings (all our gatherings are not serious), each person brings something tangible that is symbolic of where she is at the moment...We find this keeps us focused on the purpose of our friendship: a circle of friends first committed to Jesus Christ; committed to each other in the areas of listening, praying and supporting; and committed to the joyful prospects of whatever lies ahead . That defines our mission. Our pledge to one another is a reflection of that mission: To do whatever it takes to spur each other on to Christlikeness. To choose life in all its magnificent splendor. To be authentic and honest with each other. To rely on the Holy Spirit for our direction. To be there for one another— no matter what!
To what do we surrender when we enter the dance? To God’s ways, His Word and His will, of course. That is understood by most. But can we imagine that right before we accept the offer to dance, our Partner asks us a question? How we answer tells Him what He needs to know about the state of our heart. He asks, “Are you willing to be completely at peace with how things are right now in your life? Because in order to dance with Me, to move in sync with My rhythm, you must put aside your discontent, your complaining about how things are, and the anxiety about what’s coming. I’m asking for your full trust. These fears direct you to stress and tension. I won’t be able to lead you if you are stressed and tense.” The surrender He calls for is that we drop all the “what ifs,” and respond to His invitation, “Yes, I’d love to dance with You.”
To say yes to following Christ is to respond to the deepest longing in the human heart, the journey of desire, the quest for meaning. It is to enter the romance of life, the dance of the Spirit.
Roy Williams, who writes a weekly blog called “The Monday Morning Memo,” says this about home: Home is a concept, not a place; it’s a state of mind where self- definition starts. It is origins, a mix of time and place and smell and weather wherein one first realizes one is an original…. Home is where one first learned to be separate, and it remains in the mind as the place where reunion, if it were ever to occur, would happen. All literary romance, all romance epic, derives from the Odyssey and it is about going home.
The thresholds and passages along which you’ve journeyed have enabled you to choose to live without resignation and to come to a place of deep acceptance. These thresholds and passages have shown you the path to serenity, the futility of living a frenzied life that precludes reflection and holy leisure. You’ve seen the importance of letting go, not just of all the things you cannot change of your past and its failures, but also of all the lies that say you aren’t God’s beloved. You are letting go and letting come— taking hold of today, NOW, the precious present.
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November 2, 2011This book is piercing my heart. I feel like this book was written to me and for me not to sound egocentric. Every question, problem, struggle I have about life, acceptance, letting go, forgiveness, codependency ect. . . is being addressed. I can only read a little bit at a time because I find myself crying every time I read this. I don't know what took me so long to get this book in my hands. I am grateful to know one of the authors on a first name basis, Fran Lankford and I love her. When I read this book, I find myself drawing nearer to her loving spirit and kindness and her knowledge of life, struggles, and triumpths. I love this book.
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July 16, 2012I read this book once and loved it so much and I am reading it a second time. It's very personable and real about real women who live life, have a relationship with Jesus yet face trials, heartache and are able to overcome with the help of the Lord. These women have put a lifetime into one book. This book makes you cry, makes you laugh and makes you smile because you feel like you know them and it just so happens I do know Fran which makes the book that much more real.
July 30, 2016
7/2016 Re-reading of book for a discussion with friends. I enjoyed many parts of this book as a good reminder of God's plan and the way He teaches us and carries us through the thresholds and passages of life. I've found that older women in the midst of life's changes love this book!
February 16, 2012
Since I wrote the book, I'll have to admit it's one of my favorites.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews