MIA KOEHNE
  • HOME PAGE
  • About
  • SCHEDULE
  • Mia at Your Event
    • The Ministry
    • Listen & Watch
    • Promotional Materials
  • Email / Contact
  • Mia's Blog
  • Store
  • Event Photos
  • Resources
    • 2023 Reflection Videos
    • Minute With Mia
  • HOME PAGE
  • About
  • SCHEDULE
  • Mia at Your Event
    • The Ministry
    • Listen & Watch
    • Promotional Materials
  • Email / Contact
  • Mia's Blog
  • Store
  • Event Photos
  • Resources
    • 2023 Reflection Videos
    • Minute With Mia
MIA KOEHNE

Look Up

10/28/2015

10 Comments

 
Picture
I struggle with heights, especially when there is nothing beneath me. I would definitely not make it as a tight rope walker.

So, it is quite ironic that a few weekends past, I found myself 50 feet in the air on a wire looking down at the people below me. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time
Picture
I somehow found myself signing up for the Ropes  Course at the camp I was leading worship at. Once it began, the first thing I had to do was scramble up a tree, then walk across a wire bridge and step sideways across another wire with the aid of the hanging ropes. Apparently, I was doing a little to well, so the instructor had my put one hand behind my back and grab the ropes with only my right hand. I was tempted to reach with the other hand, but the challenge fired me up and I did it.

I was feeling great....until I got the the swinging bridge. I took a step down...it wasn't steady. I put my arms out to balance myself. With each step, I could feel the distance between me and the ground, as the bridge wobbled just enough to unsettle my heart and stir up my fear. Then it happened, I froze. I froze and the thoughts and pictures in my head of the moment where it all ends and I fail and go crawling back down, a failure, flooded my mind.
Picture

​The instructor coached me. She said I could do it. She gave me tips, saying that if I just keep moving, the bridge would be steady, especially when I have to go over the single six foot plank in the center. I didn't believe her. I knew what I felt. I knew that with each step, the bridge seemed to swing more. Yet, I made the decision to believe what she was saying and I moved forward quickly, flying across the plank (with my eyes closed) and I made it to the next tree. I could breath again!

After that the swings were a breeze and I ended by sailing down on the zipline.

I made it. I felt invigorated. I faced my fear and I conquered it.
But, here is the reality. At no point was I actually in any danger of falling to the ground. I was safely harnessed to a secure line that would catch me if I fell. Yet, the fear was still there, the hesitation was real. Did I actually trust that the harness would catch me? At the time, no!

That's life. And that's life in Christ. How many times have I gone through trials and I look down and all I see is how far I could fall instead of looking up and remembering the harness that will catch me when I do.

When I am wrapped in my fear and trials come, it is more difficult to hear and trust the voice that says, "Keep moving. If you trust me the way will be sure and you will make it to the end. You will not fall." All I can see during that time is how far down I could fall.

In our fear, our vision can get blurry, but we also have the ability to choose to trust Truth. We can choose to trust those who see more clearly than we do and heed their wisdom. We can choose to take our thoughts captive and put them in obedience to the truth of Jesus Christ.

Friends, when you are on the wire and you look down, may I encourage you to look up, remember that you are secure and harnessed to the anchor of your soul, Jesus Christ. It's true. Trust me, because I can see clearly now.

​Where are you struggling to trust? Today, try to take a tiny step forward in faith in that area and see if He is faithful. 

​I loe you in the Lord, Mia
10 Comments

Extra-Ordinary

10/21/2015

4 Comments

 
Picture
I have been working on a little writing project over the past several months. I wrote, re-wrote, had it proofed and re-proofed and then I let it sit for a while before I took it to the shop to be printed. 

The day that I finally went to the print shop…. three days before I needed, I arrived with my project completely unformatted, so Tracy, the print specialist, worked patiently with me to make sure my project came out looking it's best. She gave me her opinions and even helped make decisions on color choices, all the time showing me great patience. 

The store was quite busy, so it would take about three days before I would have my project finalized, but I was thankful and grateful that she would be able to get my project done in time in spite of my procrastination.

After she finished taking my order and all the printing notes, she looked at me and said "Can I just thank you for being so nice, patient and understanding" It took me back at first. I explained to her that I was thankful that she was so patient with ME. I can be handful and a bit high maintenance as I am not the most savvy person when it comes to formatting projects. 

You see, the day earlier, Tracy dealt with a customer that wanted his project right away and when he did not get his way, he was apparently quite mean and brought this sweet worker to tears.

As I thought about our encounter, here is what I pondered... Tracy thanked me for being patient even though I did absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. I simply treated her with respect and gratitude for the work she was doing. I didn't scream and I didn't yell because she couldn't have my project ready in one day.

It saddens me that we live in a society where, all to often, people are so self-focused, that when a person is simply civil to another human being, they are seen as extraordinary.

Friends let's bring the extraordinary back to a place of being simply and beautifully ordinary. Let's bring back words like "Please & Thank-you" when we are out in the world. Let's treat others the way we want to be treated ourselves.

And on those days when we slip, let's have the humility to go back and simply say "I'm sorry." And I, my friends, have had to do that on a several occasions.

Love you in the Lord,
​Mia

Read More
4 Comments

Free Giveaway!!

10/14/2015

0 Comments

 
This weeks blog, is more like a fun infomercial, but hey, you may get a free prize!!

​ I don't know about you, but I love free stuff. This week I am excited to have the opportunity to give away something free to you! Well, 1 of you, actually. Whether you are male or female, I think you will like it. ok... guys....you may like it because you can give it to your gal and she'll think your awesome!

This week I am partnering with Our Pampered Home to be able to share a sweet gift with you. My sweet friend works for this company and she thinks it's swell.
​

Read More
0 Comments

Ready To Breath

10/7/2015

6 Comments

 
Picture
I'm a pretty chill person most of the time, so when I slip into hyper slow mode, to the untrained eye, most people would have no clue that I am struggling. In fact, the changes can be so subtle, that even I don't know.

I have some deadlines from various places coming up and I have been on the road for some trips, some of which were expected and some that were not. These little events in my life start stacking up and before I know it, it turns into crunch time.

When I am stressed, instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I tend to procrastinate and fall prey to distractions, still unaware of what is going on until........

BOOM, my body starts screaming out "I'M STRESSED, HELP ME!" The screams come in the form of hives. Yep, because apparently it's the only way I will listen.

So here I am a few days before an event with ugly blotches on my arms.

But, here I am. Here I am ready to listen, ready to take a look at my priorities and focus on what is important, ready to be accountable, ready to press into God's strength and NOT my own.

Here I am...ready to fix my eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of my faith. 

Here I am, ready to Breath.

How do you handle stress? Do you recognize it quickly or do you need to get hit by a bus (figuratively) before you stop and re-evaluate.

What really helped me this time was sitting down with my husband and simply writing down all the deadlines and things I needed to get done. And you know what, it's not as bad as I thought. I saw more clearly those things that I could let go and those things that were important and now, I'm off to get 'er done (and go hiking)!

​Peace out friends! Don't forget to breath!
​Mia
6 Comments

    RSS Feed

    The Blog

    A collection of writings from a life based on the truth that about midnight anything can happen.
    Acts 16:25

    ​Paul and Silas, as they prayed and sang hymns to God, saw chains come loose.

    Today, we still see God doing the same thing in response to our prayers and praise and because of His great love for us.


    Picture

    Author

    As an imperfect servant of the Lord, I often feel I am fumbling my way through life, looking upward for guidance and outward to love. So, I write about it, to break up the noise in my head. 


    Email / Blog List

    * indicates required

    Categories

    All
    Addictions
    Adoption
    Advent
    Believe
    Be Still
    Bible
    Birthday
    Bold
    Celebrate Recovery
    Change
    Children
    Christianity
    Christmas
    Comfort
    Community
    Compassion
    Courage
    Daughters
    Death
    Depression
    Easter
    Evangelism
    Exercise
    Faith
    Family
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Foster Care
    Friendship
    Frozen
    Gentleness
    Gospel
    Grace
    Great Commision
    Healing
    Health
    Health & Fitness
    Hiking
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Home
    Hope
    Humility
    Humor
    Joanna Weaver
    Joy
    Kindness
    Loss
    Love
    Loving Others
    Marriage
    Mary
    Mary Did You Know
    Mending The Soul
    Ministry
    Missions
    Motherhood
    Music
    Musician
    Music Industry
    New Release Tuesday
    New Year
    Obedience
    Oswald Chambers
    Parenting
    Patience
    Peace
    Perfection
    Prayer
    Procrastination
    Rest
    Sanctification
    Serving
    Stress
    Struggle
    Thankfulness
    Transformation
    Trinity
    Trust
    Twitter
    Urgency
    Vocation
    Workout
    Worship
    Worship Leading
    Wrath Of God


    Archives

    July 2022
    October 2021
    April 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

Copyright Mia Koehne Music LLC © 2015