August 2024 - Flannel with Faith

Simplistic Sanctuary

Posted on August 30, 2024January 26, 2025 by K.L. Hale — 105 Comments

If these walls could talk, what would they say?
About bodies with bleeding hearts and hands. 
Building a home of worship, soft like the Sycamore and their souls,
strong like their grit and gratitude.
Resilience rebounded. 
Diligence demanded. 
Fragrance of faith and the forest. 
Lumber of love and frugal floors of forgiveness.
Simplicity alongside the stream. 
As the wind embraces the leaves, the Spirit engulfs the believers.
If the trees could talk, what would they say?
Several sacrificed for this sanctuary. 
Broken branches and hearts 
Congregate with Christ by the creek. 
Everyone is welcomed with open arms.

Traveling the backroads of my soul, some swervy, a few straight, headed to the heart of what matters most. Simplicity. Surrounded by nature, friends, and good music. Fellowship of food & faith. The sights, sounds, and smells of my therapy theme park. Who will gather to hear this kind of music when this generation is gone? It’s not everyone’s cup of coffee, but it puts a spring in my soul. Making new memories; cherishing the past. My resilience rebounded. Health, habits, and homes might change. My heart is fixed.

Sycamore Log Church, built in 1933-nestled in the hills with humility. A simplistic sanctuary stationed by Creation. The Acts of the Gathering meet weekly. Trees, trails, people, and a creek. The Spirit, love, and nature speak.

“Where the river flows everything will live.”
Ezekiel 47:9

“We are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations, and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart.” A.W. Tozer

Pics by K.L. Hale

Embracing imperfection with faith, flannel, & fresh air

K.L. Hale

Meaningful Maintenance

We don’t wait for our car engine to seize before checking the oil, yet so often, we wait until our bodies are exhausted and our spirits are dry before we think about care. Real upkeep isn’t an emergency repair—it’s meaningful maintenance. It sounded like that for many months: bzzzzz-rrrrr-bzzzz. But it got louder when I…
Finley River Flash Sale!

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Stifling Start

Summer is off to a stifling start? “What a life!” the almost-five-year-old chimed, her voice full of wonder as she leaned against her dad in a kayak drifting across the cool waters of an Alaskan lake. Nearby, her seven-year-old birthday brother relaxed in a child-sized kayak, stretched out and happily being pulled along by their…

Thank you for taking a leap of faith to follow!

©2020-2024 Flannel with Faith. All rights reserved.

Complete Confidence

Posted on August 19, 2024August 19, 2024 by K.L. Hale — 90 Comments

“Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:4-5
2 Corinthians 3:4-5

My sweaty, white-knuckled small hands gripped the pew. Others advanced down the aisles to the altar. What was this tug in my heart? Peer pressure? God? Or was it because my grandpa scared the hell out of me? Fire and brimstone! I was only 8! Yet, the burning in my heart intensified as I grew older. Religion reformed–to a relationship.

I’m nothing without Christ. I’ve tried it.

Religion, rituals, and rules–history and learning fascinate me. I’ll boast of relationships. No matter your belief, my relationship with Christ requires me to LOVE HIM AND YOU.

Doctrines might deter detrimental decisions and dissect discernment. The heart makes us human. Both can break. Oh, we will all fall. I’ve tapped into a power that is made perfect in weakness. As Craig Groeschel shared, it’s bigger than your worst mistake, depression, the number on a scale, your scars, career, the divorce, and the diagnosis that keeps you awake. Ah, confidence!

When that bill comes, you decide between treatment or a trip. When you wake up and think, “What will I do for ME or what can I do for others?” Don’t get me wrong. We ALL Need self-care. But in a world filled with “self-care,” we have high rates of anxiety and depression. Do we love ourselves TOO much? God, it isn’t about ME. It would be easy to hide from humanity and use technology to tackle temperaments and scroll with scrutiny. How good would that be for ME? What’s good for YOU, God?

Disease, decisions, and daily life. To what do you cling when the things that give worldly confidence crumble? Without HIM, I’m nothing. Do you know you’re everything to HIM? You only have to ask and believe.

HIS confidence gave me the courage to visit nearby bookstores and to dream of an RV (even hook one up!). He placed amazing people (hello Dewey and the crew) in my path who shared their incredible stories and took detrimental detours in decisions to find complete confidence in our Creator.

Complete confidence in the face of crisis, cruelty, crabby, cranky, crazy, cruel-even the credible, creative, crafty, crowded…

and cancer. Confidence in Christ–you can count on it!

Musical Monday & Memories

Last night I attended a concert celebrating the Hosea Bilyeu family. Hosea and his family have impacted the 417-land in faithful ways! His wife’s family began The Baldknobber’s variety show in Branson. I reckon I was one of few younguns compared to the 1,000 in attendance. I thought of how music, many genres, speaks to my heart. My spirit felt age 8. My heart and mind could see my folks singing; mom at the piano, Dad belting a tune, and us kids singing along. Then, I sank into memories of my kids, music, and memories. Soul comfort was delivered. Through all of life’s circumstances, one thing remains constant without change–Christ. Confidence. It’s all Christ.

With music in mind (and the fact it’s a Monday, and I love alliteration) here’s a Music Monday piece in dedication to Pastor Pete’s daughter-in-law & family and Tania Fultz.

https://audio.com/kl-hale/audio/scars-in-heaven

Cover by K.L. (original by The Nelon’s)

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
Jeremiah 17:7

Have faith. 🤍

Embracing imperfection with faith, flannel, & fresh air

K.L. Hale

©2020-2024 Flannel with Faith. All rights reserved.

You are loved. 🤍

Tethered Tuesday

Posted on August 13, 2024August 13, 2024 by K.L. Hale — 111 Comments

Was it tethered to a spider web? How was it magically suspended in the air? In the blink of an eye, it started spinning chaotically. The small leaf whirled, circled, revolved, and rotated. With grace, it pirouetted perfectly to the music in my mind.

Harmonic motion? Oscillation? A leaf vortex? An eddy of air?

In nature, I completely surrender to the majesty of our Creator. My brain, heart, and soul are connected—no distractions, only love.

Turbulence and sudden wind shifts can create chaos—or beauty. Unstable atmospheres might unhinge us. OR it might produce an amazing air and climate of clarity!

Perfect pirouette

A whirlwind of emotions will whip. I’m tethered. The gravity of grace, grit, and gratitude grounds me.

https://audio.com/kl-hale/audio/special-love-august-13

Have you heard of NET, yet? 🦓

What a joy to have unexpected family time—a move from Missouri to Oklahoma. In the last 12 years, I’ve witnessed my sons move to Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and Washington state—to Texas and back to Missouri. Two years ago, I never dreamed I’d be able to go any distance. I’ve been asked, “How are you feeling”? Smiling I think of how much grit God gives me to do what I do. Giggling, I say, “I’m operating on 70%!” Some days, I do what I can on 30% “reserves”. It’s best to ignore the “healing” going on in my innards—because frankly, it feels strange and sometimes it hurts! God gives me wisdom and discernment. I’ll lean on faith and common sense.

Last night I stayed up very late watching the celebration of life for the 4 Nelon family members. When the surviving daughter, Autumn, sang on stage with The Isaacs I was astounded by her faith and moved to happy tears. When Nathan’s Dad spoke of his son, he shared HOPE. That’s the faith I DESIRE—and HAVE! I’ll never lose it. At this very moment, someone is celebrating. Another is grieving. One is doubting; another believing. One hurting-one healing. What if we all put down distractions and supported one another? The isolation of COVID is years behind us; yet, just as trauma might end, the lingering effects continue. Humanity is attempting to heal while the hurt continues. Our minds are powerful and what we see, hear, and choose to “digest” will impact us—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. How can we share hope? How can we share love and faith?

What grounds you when the wind & atmosphere are unstable? When you spin chaotically out of control will it turn into a dance?

I have a rare cancer. But cancer doesn’t have me. Grace grounds me. Faith fills me. Love lifts me. It’s a special love—have you ever felt it?

I’m totally tethered.

Have heart. Have faith. 🤍
You are loved.

Embracing imperfection with faith, flannel, & fresh air

K.L. Hale

pics by K.L. Hale

Accepting August

Posted on August 1, 2024August 2, 2024 by K.L. Hale — 75 Comments

“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.”
Michael J. Fox