When all you can think about is Jesus' call...

Good morning my sisters-

I'm sorry it's been awhile since my last post.  I have been thinking about many things and sometimes when I do — I'm not sure what to write. Like many things in my life, I wake up one day and know exactly what to say.

This year, I was laid off for the first time in my life. I loved the job, it was exciting, full of travel and new people. I was challenged at a level I haven't been for a long time and that was part of the problem. I let opportunities slide through my fingers because along the way I had lost confidence in who I was. My lack of confidence didn't change my path, the company went back into design and still isn't in total release. The experience taught me many things and I am grateful for the time I spent with those people.

I'm on a new journey and it has been full of peaks and valleys. The business is full of wonderful people and the obstacles may be as high to overcome.  I'm different now. I held back last time but not this time. I have a job to do and I will do it.  And yet, in the quiet I still hear Jesus calling. What does it all mean?

The road seems like a super highway. I'm going in five different directions a day. How am I supposed to do it all?  That's the question that keeps coming through.  I have a husband, sons that still need me, a business to run and my new job. I'm exhausted at the end of the day trying to figure out all the different pieces to this puzzle I call life. Fun, what is that?  I find myself entrenched in the day to day stuff and I forget to even take a moment to look out into the stars.

This week I made some very needed changes. My motto for this year is "be the change."  I bought a notebook with that phrase on the cover right before I started this job.  I need to change and I need to be the change.  Your probably wondering what I'm babbling about.  It's simple. The Lord wants me to do something. I keep holding back needing confirmation, courage and faith that it's really Him calling, pathetic I know. There are young people changing the world for good every day and I need confirmation.

As you know, if you've been reading this blog, I have been praying the 99/1 prayer. For every lost soul around the world, I've been praying that they will see Jesus. People are getting pulled in a million different direction, including me. I'm not here for me. Astounding concept I know. Look around on LinkedIn or anywhere else and you will see people needing to be seen. I want to be seen, you want to be seen, we all want to be seen but that's not our journey. It's not about filling stadiums with the saved, it's about calling to the ones that are so full of shame, hate, anger, and who knows what else. Jesus didn't come for the people that knew God, He came for those that didn't.

I hear Him, I'm praying that He will lead me and all those I love to further His kingdom and as I do this; I look up into a dark sky only to see a rainbow. Not just any rainbow, a double rainbow. It hasn't rained here in months.  We are dry and the grasshoppers are eating everything they can. Even the weeds are shriveling up. At that very moment, I know I have to keep, keeping on. I have to keep posting on Facebook. I have to keep writing this blog. I have to work on the book and not make excuses.  I have to get out of my way of wanting to be seen and put Him first and foremost in front of anyone that hits this site. This is not about me.

As far as hearing His call, we are all called to spread the words of Jesus. I'm not the only one He's calling. He needs me and you and 10,000 more. He needs people to show love and stop the hate. He needs us to pray for those that lost their homes in places we may never see. He needs us to pray for the president of North Korea, China, Japan, Russia and oh yes, our US president.  These men hold the keys to destroy the earth. These men make powerful decisions everyday. They are just men so what do they need, prayer, petition and wisdom.

We are called ladies to do whatever we can to lift up the children, men and women all over the world.  Apathy can no longer stand by and be our guide. Time constraints, fearful thoughts, nor needing to promote the right image can be our descriptors. We must take the word, the sword of life and spread it through this world. My medium of choice is on the superhighway called the Internet. You have the same power. Share a post, read, speak and do it again. Don't stop until you stop and I'm not going to either. I'm going to remember that rainbow and ask the Lord to keep leading me behind Him, not in front of Him.

That' what's been on my mind.  May God bless you and keep you!

Romans 11:29 NIV

28Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. 29For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Begin to fight with love and prayer...

Good morning all-

I hope this week has been full of prayers, thanksgiving and a sense of purpose. I know mine has. As I woke up this morning, my thoughts were about my dreams of invasion, true deadly invasion.  That was the dream I had.  It was so strange I won't put it on paper but I will say this, it got me to thinking about fighting.  I'm not a fighter.  I only really fight when I've reached my HOT button.  Not a good place for me to be.  I've learned over the years to push it down.  However, there are times I just can't do it and then we have a problem. At the pinnacle moment my temper meets the road, people scatter.
Anger, resentment, hate are all a catalyst for evil.

Learned behavior can sometimes be a good thing, it shows we've grown and have learned to control bad emotions.   Worldly control also has a downside.  If you control one thing often something that is good is controlled too.  In my world the good was my passion for all things God. Passion has been hard for me to find over the last couple of years. I thought I had passion for all the right things only to be refined to find that my passion was selfish and honored my ability over God.  Today, if you asked me what my passion was I would say I am growing to have one, God.  Over the years, my kids and my husband were my life but my passion was work.  In a very long and refining moment recently God showed me that my identity, my worth and my energy went into one thing, the thing that gave me the MOST satisfaction and that was work.  Work is temporary and meaningless in a world that is suffering lost souls, war, drugs and a lack of everything good.  When you can turn on the news and 95% of what you see doesn't make sense, you know our world needs Jesus!

Because we need Jesus, we need to put on our full armour and fight. I challenged each one of you this week to pray for the 99/1. I'm asking you to do so now. I'm asking you to gear up, have courage and fight.  I'm tired of taking a back seat and watching man do the wrong thing.  Our leaders need our prayers. They are full of themselves at a time when we need them to think about the people. We are self-lovers, surrounded by possessions and a penchant for chaos. Due to all this chaos all I can think about is love and how to break the evil. It seems, I can't walk by a person in need anymore without thinking what could I do or what should have I done in that situation.  There are 30 charities I could name off right now that I wish I could contribute to. Some times in the dead of night I wake and wonder how I could be the wheel that changes everything and then the morning comes and I think this problem is too big for me and it is.

That's what made me think of the 99/1 prayer. I'm going to continue to pray it. I'm going to continue to spread the message and I'm going to ask any reader that hits this blog to do the same. My passion must be to share the gospel.  Christ will do the rest. All He asks of us is to say the words, write the words, speak the words with boldness and truth.

Here's the truth.  Christ did not come for the holy, He came for the sinner. He did not come for the those that believed they were the best, most knowledgeable, followers of God. He came for the worst of these.  Christ did not illustrate to us that passivity in the face of wrong was acceptable, He came to show us that doing what's right, fighting with love, can change the world one person at a time and that's what we have to do, fight with love not war.

Of all the leaders throughout US history, my favorite is Martin Luther King.  You know he was not a perfect man.  He was tempted just like every man.  He fell into those temptations too.  So in essence he was real.  But like Moses, he led his people to freedom through Christ.  It was time that a snooty white population see that color was just skin deep. It was time to fight for what was right, peacefully with respect of their fellow man.  And so Rosa Parks stood up on a bus and then others stood up and one by one a movement happened that was so powerful it changed our thinking and for eight years the US had an African American President and it all started with one man having a vision from God. That passion of those men were right, it was blessed by God and so do I.  I have a vision for women everywhere to stand up and pray for our countries, our men and our children.  I'm one person in a small town fighting for what is right and what's right is that a Christ movement take place in the US. My mission is for one person in every country to fight against evil so that the power of the light can shine on this earth. We must pray for the 99/1.  It's the one that's lost, confused, overwhelmed, weak, strong, stubborn, inherently loves oneself over all else.   These are the people I'm called to love, to spread God's word with authority over evil.  We must fight as if we we're soldiers with a passion for our mission. That mission  is to serve our God with all our heart, stand up and speak His word and not grow weary.  I thank God that King David, FDR, Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Jesus.  Each person thought less of themselves and more about their Godly mission. They stood up for what was right, against evil and if we stand up, pray with all our hearts, repent and give thanks, one day our Lord will return and evil will be demolished.

When I think of the wrongs I've committed in my life, the people I've unintentionally hurt or disappointed, the paths I've traveled that were marked with bad decisions and sin, I realize one thing, if God can use me to speak to you, then out of the least of these can come beautiful things. I'm not worthy to write about Jesus and yet, He calls me to. I'm not worthy to spread His word all over the world and yet, I'm called.  I'm not worthy to speak about love when I have done wrong and yet, I'm here, repentant and knowing in my heart that I am to pray against this evil, fight wrong with right and pray for the 99/1.  If one comes to Jesus because I opened my laptop today, I will be the luckiest girl in the world. That's my hope that as women see this blog, together we will pray this prayer and love will be heard from my deck out through the Internet to as many countries as God deems. I'm one myself, once lost but found. I'm far from worthy but so very grateful that our God saved me right where I was and never lets me go.

Will you stand with me today and pray for our world and the lost. We must turn from our ways and spread hope in the face of much chaos.

We must pray this for ourselves: Psalm 91: 7-8 NIV

A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

Proverbs 10:12 NIV
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.

John 10: 9-11 NIV

…9I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness. 11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep

Lord, we come before you today and we ask you to forgive us for our sins. We are torn up about the hurt, the pain, and the evil all around us.  We are losing our men, women and children to drugs, money, and wars. Our hearts are hurt because we see that money and power are overtaking love and service.  We need a Savior to guide us.  So today, we join together, prayer to prayer to ask You to heal our lands.  We ask in Your name to fight for the one of the 99 and save them from evil.  We cry out to You knowing we are not perfect and that without You nothing will ever be good. You are a God of the possible, rain down the Holy Spirit on the hearts of those that are lost and change nations into Your Kingdom.  We know evil exists, we are witness to it.  Help us all stand with courage in the face of evil. Protect us as we pray this prayer and protect the "1" that is coming to You. May one multiply 1 million times.  Thank You for loving us and believing we were worth the fight by sacrificing Your only son so that we might live eternally.  In Jesus Name the women all over the world said, AMEN!

All the colors of the rainbow, choose to be the solution and pray with me!

Good morning my sisters-

I wanted to take a few minutes and challenge all of us to spend some time in prayer this weekend. Our country and other countries are wrapped in a time of evil and hate. In order for us to break this cycle we must get down on our knees and pray for our leaders, our children, our husbands and wives. It's time that all races come together and stand up for one thing and that's Jesus.

I am white, so I'm going to say that right off before someone says your not discriminated against and you would be right. However,  I'm married to a man that is part Cherokee.  Our kids are different skin colors, one darker than the other.  People looked at me funny when our second son was born and he was totally blonde and very white.  I realized right then colors should never be important.  They were just God's way of differentiating people. Man has made color a thing of hate.  Man has chosen to pick sides and to hate.  Man has forgotten that the God of the Universe loves every single person, no matter the skin color.  It's time we women stand up.  Take this weekend and every time you think of this pray for the one! 

So if a shepherd has 100 in their flock and 99 are following and one gets lost, the shepherd will go after the one (1)! He doesn't care about what he looks like, what sex it is or anything about that little sheep except it belongs back in the fold.  Let's pray for the 99/1.

Please do not get caught up in the politics.  Get caught up in the rainbow.  God created diversity in the rainbow that He put together, that He loves and that He seeks.  Our voices will be heard in Heaven as we repent, forgive and ask God to heal the nations. I believe that our voices will be like a choir unto the Lord. I want every nationality to be represented in this prayer. Our world is cruel, there is no doubt, but we are here to spearhead hope, the hope that was given to us when God created the rainbow.  He is a God of forgiveness, hope, love and with all His powers He lets us choose. 

Choose to stand with me this weekend as I pray for the 99/1!

Is it Him or you?

Good afternoon-

I had a few minutes during my lunch hour to write when this title came to mind.  Is it Him I seek or me?  It's a powerful question with a few minutes to really contemplate.  I'm a saleswoman which means most people think that you have to lie to sell.  You don't!  However, you do have to persevere, not get down when you're rejected and push forward every day knowing that your job is on the line. That's the career I chose and still choose.

With my career, many like me are full of themselves, in honesty they have to be.  They have to be like the childhood story of Humpty Dumpty.  You always have to get back up even when you don't feel like it. For years, that's what I've done. I've pulled myself up, pushed myself to achieve and tried to control outcomes, mainly mine.

Over the last 3 years, I wasn't able to control all the outcomes that came my way.  I still had to pull myself up, dust myself off and move forward but I chose to do it differently.  I chose to crutch on God over me. I chose to let the worry of who I am in my career fall away and in some strange way be reshaped. I'm not perfect so please don't hear that. As a matter of fact, I think I've realized more and more how broken I truly am and how God pulled me up, not me.

The revelation for me is that He must ALWAYS come first. You know how everyone wants to be an influencer and maybe in my heart I did too. I realize now all I want is to sincerely spread His word. It can't be about me being seen.  For the first time I think I realize why I'm a saleswoman. I believe it's because in my hands, through my mouth comes the most exciting product in the world, HOPE!

Hope can only come through Jesus Christ and I get to sell it.  Not in the terms we all think about but in the way of influence, through truth and through testimony. I'm living proof that the Word of God is true. I'm 1 of the 99.  See, I was lost and then found by my Savior. What about you?

I'm determined to remind myself daily that life is about Him not me.  I'm not in the spotlight, I'm not supposed to be famous. I'm just commissioned to do what all of us are required to do and that's to light the path with His hope, His future, His word.

See, I've finally come to the end of the road where my success isn't on me, it's on Him. If you're feeling the same way, reach out to me and let others know that you feel exactly the same.  It's our time to speak the truth of love rather than hate, hope rather than darkness, faith rather then evil, and God over ourselves. Let's spread the word that kindness, patience and understanding will lead to a greater HOPE in Him.

Be well my sisters and start spreading the word!

Colossians 3:12 NIV

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Oh Lord, please help us be a people that calls on You for all things.  Give us the courage to move away from self and to put you first.  Help us to unclothe ourselves from the worldly treasures, while speaking truth to the lost. We are not perfect and therefore, we need you more than ever. The world needs You, please don't forsake us!  With all our love to the King of Kings-AMEN!

The story of Deborah is important to women today..

Good morning my sisters-

I am coming to you from beautiful Kansas where life seems still and peaceful.  If you have been reading the news lately you are very aware to what's happening between leaders in the US, Russia, North Korea and China.  You know the world is in turmoil and  in the US the President has just announced that there is a heroine epidemic in the US.  These are the headlines we are dealing with.  No one trusts us and I doubt we trust any other nation.  Our sons and daughters are falling into addiction and life is not at all peaceful.  And yet, we have HOPE.

I don't live in Guam where they are preparing for a ballistic missile to hit the island. I am not preparing for war and either are most of the people in the US.  I can bet though that our military is preparing in all arms of the forces. We know that are troops are on ships and oversees protecting the waters and watching for the first signs of attack.  Why all this talk about war?  Because of Deborah.  Right before I went back to work this year after a two month layoff, I read the story of Deborah all over again. The prophetess that the King went to for answers.  He wouldn't even go to war without her and she promised to go with him.  She was a woman and yet, she was a great warrior. Her gift was to warn those around her of impending danger and they listened in a time when women were not honored.  Why her? I've asked myself that too and I guess we will never know.  What we do know about her is she was never afraid to speak the truth, God was her lamp and she went with the King believing in the power of God.  Today, women are facing the same situation. Many are in the military, in positions that would put them in harms way.  We also have missionaries and Christians in areas of the world that are very dangerous, really deadly. They are warriors and so are we. My question is: "Are we spreading the word as we were called to do?"

That's what the Lord showed me in that scripture. I may not be a warrior like we see today.  However, I am a warrior because I follow the news, I pray for the weak, I pray for our President and I pray for the leaders in every country.  This is a time that we must come together and call out to our God, render our hearts, repent in faith and ask God to lift our people to Him.  We can sit in our peaceful houses and be blind to our surroundings or we can fight in a mighty way.  Call on the Holy Spirit and ask Him to heal our youth, bring wisdom to our leaders, render men's hearts unto Him and then praise Him for all He has done. It's our time to be Deborah.  We need to walk with the God of our hearts, spread the word and BELIEVE!

With that in mind, I did a little experiment.  I went out on Facebook and did a very small ad. I wanted to see if I could get the blog out there. I've been doing this since 2012 and have been fearful that people wouldn't read it or even like it.  Lately, I have felt the a stronger call to do everything in my power to spread the word and what better way than a world medium, the Internet.  Facebook is used by millions of people daily so I tried it and people are starting to see it.  Here's my challenge, find a post out of the hundreds I have written and share it with your friends. It's not you on the front line then, it's me. It's time we become strong warriors and stand up for what we believe. The world needs us to love them, not judge them. We need to spread the word of our Lord Jesus Christ and to believe in miracles.  The fight is far from over. So, take a step of courage this week and share this blog or share your faith, just share something that will talk to peoples hearts.  The workers are few but we are passionate and want to have Jesus KNOWN all throughout the earth. It's up to us.  Now take the challenge and I will be praying!


Judges 4:4-8 ⁴Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. ⁵She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. ⁶She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. ⁷I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'" ⁸Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."

Lord spread your word unto the nations.  Give us courage in the face of our worldly fears to make you known, not just in our churches or in our little groups but throughout the world.  We want to be your warriors.  Send us out, make us strong in our faith and in the Name of Jesus, AMEN!

What's in a recipe?

Good morning my sisters-

I'm getting ready to leave for church and today I will be teaching Sunday school. I haven't taught since I was 22 years old. I loved teaching, watching the kids light up as I told them about God and laughing. How we laughed.  I am giving another instructor a break this week and I'm hoping to really make an impact.  See the verse today is Ephesians 2:10, we are His masterpiece.

Little children need to know that they are very special.  They need to understand that for all the incredible art, including theirs, we are the most spectacular piece.  God created us in His image and although we sometimes think we aren't special, we are.  As we grow up we forget that God's recipe for our life is perfect.  The world seeps in and tells us we need to be more, we need to make more and we just aren't very good.  This is a lie.

Some of the most incredible people made nothing.  They weren't rocket scientists and they weren't scholars, they were mere men walking along a great man.  I think women struggle with this the worst because we are trying to be men.  You can say no but look around.  I have heard so much about girl power, where is this philosophy getting us?  Is one sex better than the other? No. God created us to be under Him.  He gave each of us talents and if truth be told we should be trying to raise up generations of  men and women that honor Him, not their own intellect.

I am not against a woman engineer or physicist.  As a matter of fact, I'm sure God has gifted some women with this intellect.  However, not every woman was made to do that and not every woman was made to think and be like a man.  As the years have gone by I have seen a huge swing in men not being men.  I have a few boys that are struggling with that now.  Put  a woman of the same age up against them and I guarantee they are more directed.

My goal is to help both sexes toward something far more satisfying than the buckets the world is putting them in. My goal is to tell them how special they are because they were made for such a time as this.  In the US, many have no idea the sacrifice our soldiers make to keep us free.  We see the wounded warriors but we really don't see them. Once they were strong and viral, now many have lost legs, arms and more.  They are still mighty and yet, the world would say they are weak  now.  Far from it. They have filled a purpose much larger than the world could ever orchestrate. They have fought the good fight and returned home to be taken care of.

Each person was made with a recipe in mind.  The recipe consists of a heart that seeks a Father, a mind that needs His word and a soul that yearns to go home.  We were made perfect, even if we have a million flaws.  We are being perfected as if we were a diamond that needed sculpting or a piece of wood that needs stain.  Every piece of us is for the good of our Maker and we are part of His perfect plan.  We all know that it takes more than 5 ingredients to make a great batch of cookies so imagine writing the recipe for each one of us. All I can say is it's extraordinary how much love God put in us.

I'm still finding out all the hidden things God has put in me.  I love to write and He is perfecting me through the written word.  He is giving me courage to fight through my fears of being rejected and to push forward with His word.  He has taught me numerous lessons on giving myself to Him and focusing, not on what you think about me but what He thinks about me.  He is writing through me so that one person will see this blog and be saved. It won't happen because of me you see. It will happen because it was in His plan all along and I just get to see it unfold.

May today find you well and may you praise our God for the perfect recipe, you!

¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Asking forgiveness is very hard...

Good morning all-

This week I stepped out and made myself vulnerable.  I was prepared.  I have been working on this situation for the last two years and knew the outcome but also knew God wanted me too.  You know it's great when you come to a place when you forgive someone, it gives you great clarity.  The hard part is reaching out to that someone.

I am definitely human and I have made mistakes.  A couple years ago I made a lot of mistakes and through it all God taught me what I needed to know and why I needed to go through the trial.  I would say that even when I was delivered I held deep anger toward people and it was hard to shake that anger.  This week I reached out to someone I had forgiven but felt like I might need to ask forgiveness from.  It turned out exactly how I thought it would.  This person wished me no ill will but did not want to have a conversation and yet, it still bugged me.  I was awake a lot last night thinking about it.  Why did it bug me so?  I think the answer lies in the fact that I wanted to mend the fence but the fence was already damaged and I was a participant in that damage.

Relationships are hard and we do hurt people and they hurt us.  Unfortunately it's a fact of life.  Look at Jesus and all the thousands that sought Him out only to kill him for doing absolutely nothing.  He had to live with these people, minister to them knowing all along betrayal would come and He would die for their sins.  He did just that.

As humans we don't want to take on others sins.  Often, we get angry and feel righteous because we were wronged.  That doesn't help us.  Feeling wronged prolongs any healing God wants to bestow on you and even though this week didn't come to a positive conclusion I have come to a place of peace.  I basically asked for a meeting to fully apologize, I had written a note over a year ago and in my mind, that still wasn't sufficient.  I have now been freed from my obligation.

I can honestly say I laid awake for much of last night.  See my intention is never to hurt anyone and yet, I'm sure I do.  And maybe, the other person never meant to  hurt me either but they did.  Either way, I have tried to reconcile and that's all Jesus asks of us.  If I had a do-over, I would definitely do it differently.  Time will pass and the lessons from that time will remain.  I'm not sure I totally understand why things went so south and yet, I know God can right them in the face of a whole bunch of wrong.  People don't intentionally mean to hurt most of the time.  Be slow to anger and be open to forgiveness.  Those are the lessons I have learned most over the last couple of years.  I was meant to learn that lesson and my hope is the damage that was done would be a reminder for the future.

I can't fix everything and I wasn't meant too.  I can't rescue people either because I wasn't meant too. I must walk the way God wants me to,  loving people and forgiving those that trespass against me as I may have done to them.  Forgiveness is one of the most significant gifts our God has given us.  Imagine a world where people forgave instead of hated.  What a world we would live in.  For the person that was caught up in the mess with me so many years ago, I hope she can remember the good parts because that's what I'm going to concentrate on moving forward.

If you've been wronged or have wronged someone, please ask for forgiveness and give it freely. I am so thankful that God forgives me for my sins and in doing so, I owe Him the same respect.  I can't hold a grudge if He doesn't, now can I?  I also can't hole up and never let people back in.  I must spread the word of God and the forgiveness He has bestowed on me as He works on me.  See I will be a work-in-progress until He comes again, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

May your day today be full of joy and laughter. May you forgive the way Jesus forgives. I'm praying for you my sisters please pray for me too.  As I've stated I'm human and you know what that means!

Ephesians 4:31-32

31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.              

Always remember that God forgave you.  That's the key to forgiveness.  Why should we hold a grudge when He doesn't?  And they all said, AMEN!               

#1 reason to give your life to God is love...

Good morning ladies-

I just wanted to write today about a topic that I find often falls off and isn't broadcast as loud as it should be.  The word is love.  Love is never failing and yet, when we think of love, we think of it as a feeling. It so isn't a feeling. It's a commitment, a covenant of the most magnificent kind.  It heals like no other medicine, pulls people together and reminds all of us that we are very special.  Feelings change with circumstances, arguments, and just life. Love remains constant and is not a term to take lightly.

If our God loved us today the way we loved, then what would happen?  Have you thought about it? You know how your feelings are.  They go up and down with the sun sometimes.  Well, that is not a God love.  A God love given by the father is a commitment.  He loves us.  He lets us wander, He leads us by still waters, He heals hurts no psychologist could. He is love.  So what is love?  Love is what 2 Corinthians states it is.  It's kind and patient and it never ends.  A love that never ends.  Many don't know what this means because today love is fleeting and often very unkind.  What seemed like the best guy with all the right stuff turned into a man with inner darkness and yet, God still loves Him too. Why?  That's a good question and it's the first I'm going to ask Him when I get a chance.

Looking for a man to fulfill that hole in your heart won't work.  They can't. They can be our partners but that hole is where the Lord wants to be in your life.  He wants you to remember that He is love and although this world is very cold, He is the light.  No matter what you've done or think you've done, God holds all the keys to the heart and when you ask Him in, He unlocks that hole and fills it up until its overflowing. It was planned before you were born.  You were born with a purpose and He wants to show you how much he cared by showing you what love really is.

You may be in a place right now where you are seeking this magnificent thing called love.  Seek Him first and ask Him to show you the way to love again, not like before, but with a renewed spirit of commitment. Consistency is the key.  You will have to read a lot to see what God intended love to be. It's a relationship and it's stronger than any feeling we have ever felt.  Be patient, pray and read His word and you will see how much He loves us, forgives us and lifts us to Him.

Seek Him first and He will show you the way.  He has for me. It's a journey that takes commitment on my part too.  I have to remind myself daily that He is love and that I have been chosen for such a time as this.  Be well my sisters and please pray for the women in the Middle East that have lost so much and who need Him desperately.  The wars in Syria and Iraq are real.  Remember that.

I am nothing without His love.

2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV

11Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

You don't know what you have until it's gone

Good morning my sisters-

As I write I'm looking out into a beautiful forest, full of flowers, raspberries and little fawns wandering a dense area right next to my aunt's house. Out in the backyard the birds are signing praising the heavenly father for all the wonderful blessings He bestows.  A chipmunk peeks out to let you know he's there and then disappears back into safety and I sit and watch the wonder of the world right here in my aunt's house. She is my last living relative of my mom's core family.  She has outlived everyone by almost 10 years.  She knows loss like none other and yet, daily, challenged with an insurmountable disease that has made her legs virtually unusable, I watch her take every step with courage.

My aunt is an accomplished author, a counselor and a world traveler.  She has skied in the finest winter and summer resorts, walked, exercised and worked hard to build her core for such a day as this.  The day has come when her legs don't do what she needs them to do.  They are weak but she is strong.  Remember that song we used to sing about Jesus.  We are weak but he is strong.  I'm paraphrasing of course but that's what I see in a person that tells herself she can do it, even when the odds are completely against her.

Life is a difficult journey. It's hard and the pain can sometimes be overwhelming.  I rode on an airplane this week with a Make A Wish child and my heart hurt for her parents.  They were her team and she was excited about her journey.  The strain on the parents faces was palpable. They are probably going to lose her and yet the journey was meant to bring hope and light in the midst of darkness.  Those parents are gearing up to lose their daughter.  The trip allows them to hold onto the memories of when they were one and when they are weak, it will be this journey they hold until they see her again.  This is one of many stories of loss and for them all, they must go on just like my aunt does on a daily basis.

My aunt is a lot like my mom.  She is a warrior of great magnitude.  They fight like I've never seen women fight and it makes me wonder where my warrior is sometimes.  Why don't I have the courage to write the book God has called me to write? Why don't I seize every moment to proclaim His name? Why don't I feel good enough to travel the world and speak about Him with honor and glory? Why can't I be like the warriors I have seen?

I don't have all those answers.  I wish I did.  Thank goodness He gives me grace and encourages me in the dark hours to be all that I can be.  He reminds me that none of it is about me, it's all about Him. And yet, sometimes I wonder, am I good enough?  The memories I carry are in the Bible of Him and the disciples roaming the lands to bring followers unto Him.  I'm sure the disciples had no idea of the loss they would feel when He left this earth and yet, we know from their story there was much loss, confusion, and the inability to move.  That is, until He came back and gave them purpose.

We all lose things that we value.  It could be a parent, a child, a friend, money or your health.  Each person has his/her own journey. My hope is that with loss the memories of what once was will light our path to the glorious creator. When we do this, our focus will come off of ourselves and move toward the father who lights the way. God takes care of all living things from the beautiful fawn to you and me.  He knows our trials, our hurts, our challenges and our inner most thoughts.  He laughs with us, cries with us and holds us in our lightest and darkest hours.  He is the King of King and Lord of Lords and for the life of me I don't know why he chose me but I am so very thankful.

So if you are in a time of great need or you're out having the vacation of your lifetime, I hope you look up and thank the Lord our God who created everything under the sun.  Life is a series of events and luckily, we all are on the journey together.  Whether we are a warrior today or a sea turtle floating along the bottom of the wide ocean, we are His and He is near.  Our memories of what He accomplished in His 33 years stand today.  Every day, someone out there is coming to Him and proclaiming that He is God. My prayer is that the  one who reads this will see in the words not what I have written--they will see Him.

Thank you for those that hit this blog. My prayer is that I will continue on to fight the good fight and to be the woman Jesus has asked me to be so that through me, He can show you His light.  Be well my sisters and know that I am praying.

Isaiah 40:30-31 New American Standard Bible

30Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

In the morning...

Good morning my sisters-

I am outside listening to the choir of barn swallows under my deck, drinking coffee with my faithful puppy eating whatever she finds and it's a beautiful morning.  The sun is coming up and the clouds seem so majestic and there is a song in my heart.

I confess that has not always been the case through the last couple of years.  Trials and challenges have followed me.  I have felt regret and even sometimes failure but along the way the Lord Jesus has led me to being in His presence right now, in this moment, I know he's near.

I can't say I would change one thing.  Life is a series of threads in very different colors.  Some are warm, uncomfortable and threatening in nature and others are calm and blue and others are yellow full of ideas and hope.  Intertwined these threads with all they're many hues make a tapestry and as each one is woven we grow and move toward being more Christ like.

Throughout my life I've been told I can't do something.  I've been told I wouldn't get through college, I did.  I was told by an English teacher that I couldn't write, I won a writing award. I was told that if I ever got a great job my math disability would hinder me.  I've had great jobs making money for other people and in the last couple of years I've learned how to do accounting.  You will be told by many you can't do something and there may even be a bit of truth in that.  Humanly speaking, you may not have the talent at the time or the knowledge but we have what others don't, God!

Where I am weak, He is strong.  Where others feel I don't have the aptitude, He does.  And when someone tries to crush you, He will lift you up on eagles wings.  This is the power of our God.  He takes care of the birds and he takes care of us.

If I can express one thing to you it would be to go outside and look at what God created.  Thank Him for His power and His glory. He gives us everything we need to be successful for Him. I guess that's the lesson I've learned the most, it's not about me, it's about Him.

Be well my sisters and know He is God.

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

God first...

Good morning my sisters-

I have been reminded twice this week to think about where my treasure is stored.  I wonder what God is trying to say?  I have a clue of course, I chase after fame, fortune and security, which of course are worldly things not God things.

I have worked very hard all my life and I think God has rewarded that work often.  In the last year, I have been molded, crushed and threaded harshly.  With all of that, I have been refined under fire and found myself new and different.

What's different?  I have found courage in the face of fear.  I have found God in my mountains and in my desert lands. I have found water through Christ that has renewed and refreshed and I have found Jesus in a much more intimate way.  I'm learning that my priorities were all wrong and that when I pray I've prayed that women would be saved, that children would know Christ and that our husbands would become God's men but I haven't prayed the most important prayer which is, "Lord who do you want me to impact, lead me to the broken, help me serve them and not myself."

I have been in my life too much, which  has gone through extreme terrain over the last couple of years.  I have been up, down and all around. I have had to squash my pride, dig deep and read and pray daily.  I have had to address my idols and see my deficits.  And in all of it, I think I just figured out this week that my priorities have been way skewed. I had lost something very valuable that I knew as a young girl...undeniable dependence on God.

My treasures can be seen by people but they come with a cost.  I have a beautiful house and plenty of food.   I could pay all my bills without even thinking about them and my family from the outside looks pretty good.  The world worships money, power, image and perfection.  God treasures servanthood, sacrifice, fallen pride, weakness and dependence.  Do you see the difference?  It is stark in nature and yet, we all fall short.  Paul knew this and so did John.  John saw in Revelation that we would all fall short and that the only savior was Jesus.  He was saddened that not even the people closest to Christ rose to the occasion and yet, through their failure, we have churches, evangelists, missionaries, ministries and faith, even 2000 years later.

So today as I read once again about treasures stored in Heaven I had an epiphany.  That epiphany was God comes first when I have time.  I'm like the rich people giving to the church large sums of money thinking how good I'm doing, when in reality the woman without a job giving her last two pennies knows more than me.  She knows that money will not buy you what she has.  What did she have you might ask? She had two things, God first and full dependence on Him.  She had greater treasure than anyone of us because her treasure isn't here on earth, it truly is in Heaven!  You see, I am no different than those Israelites making a golden calf at the foot of the mountain.  I'm the same and more than likely so are you.

I am committing to put in my mind God first.  Now life gets busy, that's part of the lie.  We put chasing the world in front of what's real and true.  Is my making money more important than the couple that has housed over 80 emergency foster care kids in the last two years?  The answer is no.  Is my working 12 hour days more important than the mother working two jobs to make the rent? The answer is no.

I have stored my treasures here on earth and what do I have to show for it you may ask. Not what's important.  I want to store treasures in Heaven.  I want to use what God has given me to His glory not mine. I want to spend time with Him first so that my direction is His and I want to re-prioritize my life by sitting back, asking His guidance and living for Heaven.  I have been part of the world and I will have to work tirelessly to break that pattern.  I will have to grow down.  What do I mean by that? I mean I will have to get back to that child who yearned to go to church, who sat in the dark praying the Lord's Prayer and had complete dependence on a God she couldn't see.  That little girl had a ton of treasure because she knew without a doubt that God came first.  That woman has lost that child- like focus and it's my prayer that Jesus restores that sight back to me so that when I pray I ask what is most important to Him, not me.

I am off to an interview today where I may be given a job. I don't know the future or where God is going to place me.  My prayer is that if I am blessed with a position I don't forget the  most valuable lesson of the last 6 weeks, which is God first.

I love you my sisters and I am reaching out over the web asking you to commit to Jesus or re-commit to Jesus.  He is the reason, He is our security, He is our Savior.  Be a child for just a moment and let Jesus seep into that burdened, hardened, skeptical heart.  Let Him remind you there is a beautiful place where treasures are stored, not on earth but in Heaven.

Be well!

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV

¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

It's all in the journey...

Good morning my sisters-

I was woke up this morning by an ambitious puppy that wanted to play and oh, how I needed my coffee.  I'm sure you can relate, whether it's waking everyone up for church or a hard night of sleep or just a million things you have to do from church to grocery shopping, sometimes we women just want to sleep. 

In this case, I'm glad my little Bre' saw fit to wake me up.  I ended up doing a daily devotional from Lifeway that was so tremendously touching it made me smile.  In my estimation today, millions of people have just failed at something.  They had every intention of winning their battle with drugs, pornography, image, food, job performance, relationships and  unfortunately, they failed.  I don't know about you but I have tried not to fail ever since I flunked a math test back in 7th grade.  My mom was so mad at me that I thought, "I'll never do that again."  That one thought has propelled me into someone that works harder than others, puts work over family, has me doing the books for my husband, working a job and trying to do everything in my own will.  It has made me a performer for men.  Ouch!  That hurt.

I have become a series of serious and traumatic behaviors all adding up to perfectionism and a fear to fail and yet, I fail just like you.  I don't need to go into all the waves I've conquered but they are many  and I'm still being perfected today.  So as I read this devotional, I was reminded that Peter and I have something in common, we fail.  Now the father of the church, who denied Christ at His most pinnacle hour was prayed for. Jesus knew he would betray him but he wanted Peter to remember that he had already gone before him.

I, myself, get caught up in the chaos of today and work for man instead of God.  I forget the big picture, often, and now realize this is exactly why I had to lose my job.  I had to stop a pattern that was not in Christ's will.  He knows I want to be His woman so He's perfecting me the hard way.

For those of you who have failed, I have these words for you, Jesus has prayed for you to keep the faith, to run the race long and hard and to be His woman.  I don't know why we are so petrified of failing, every historical figure known to us, failed only to succeed.  We should be remembering that not running around with fear in our hearts.  I wish I could save us from the trials of life but it's not possible.  The trials come for everyone and my hope is at the end my faith its stronger and so is yours.

The journey began with a purpose for God but the world gets in and tells you  stupid things, like you must be perfect, look beautiful, be the best and never FAIL!  Well those are the lies and when we believe them we lose hope in our future and in our Lord who has prayed for us.

I stand firm today and say, "Jesus knows you and wants to reveal your inner-insecurities.  He wants you to know He's with you."

As we go out to listen to another sermon, let's take our trials and put them at the feet of Jesus.  He knows them and He's praying that we gain faith, endurance, and His will though them. I don't have this beat yet but I'm willing to struggle with it, are you?

Read Luke 22 today and get to know what Jesus wanted us all to know--He's gone before us.

 

The Power of Prayer!

Good morning my sisters-

Praise the Lord of the World and all of Creation, again I say praise to the Holy Trinity.  If there is one thing I have learned in the last few years, it is to praise Him always.  It's so easy to praise Him when things are good and it's so easy to tell others to praise Him during difficult times if we are in the light.

This year has been full of praises, from my oldest getting a wonderful job to my youngest growing up and finding work that suits Him.  Personally, I have been stretched again with a layoff I didn't see coming and a few months to find my way.  I wish I could say I praised Jesus through every situation but that would be lying.  I can tell you I have been able to praise Him probably 85% of the time and my goal is 100%.  How will I get there you might be asking?  Through prayer and petition that's how and by renewing my mind to look Heaven bound and for my Kings will.  That's a steep order, right? Well, we are asked to do that daily, it's in the Word so why don't we take the time to praise, pray and look Heaven bound--because we've been lost in the world, that's why.

I look at it this way, when a hardship comes what is the first thing we as humans do?  We look at our circumstances (the world). Am I right?  I believe I am. Oh and then we ask why did this happen to me?  Both questions are perfectly human and we shouldn't be ashamed of asking them but we must realize that the minute they pop out of our minds or our mouths we have entered the world and lost a very precious moment with Jesus.  So I have taken it upon myself to start praying during these times. I'm a big "why" person.  As a  matter of fact, I like to know the why behind everything. I'm sure I was that two year old that asked her mom, why a million times and luckily my mom complied most of the time.  When she didn't, I can remember becoming absolutely furious. I needed to know the why.  I think from time to time we all want to know from God, why us, why this situation, why?!

We are not God and that's the first step in understanding why prayer is so powerful and needed on a daily basis.  Prayer is our link to our Father.  Through the Word He gives us vital information on how to bring forth His majesty on earth but through prayer He challenges us, changes us and molds us into His image.  It's through prayer we find peace, understanding and power.  You might be asking me what kind of power do we find in prayer?  We find Heavenly power, majestic power, over-ruling power and spiritual power.  Power is prayer and prayer is God's will and bridge to our relationship with Him in heavenly places (unseen world).  The world blinds you to believe that this is all we have but that is a lie.  We can bring forth power through the Holy Spirit with one word, JESUS!

Now does that mean that every prayer will be answered our way.  Unfortunately not. Our way is not the best way but it will be answered and God will do it in His time.  We will see it in the storms that move, in the mountains we overcome and in the lives of others as they find Him.  We will see it in our lives, in others lives and in world events.  We have the power to come together through Christ and make a difference in this world and in Heaven.  The power of prayer is mighty and it has moved mountains, parted seas and resurrected our King.  Prayer is the power of the times and we are called to use it.

The use of Scripture, the ability to ask for forgiveness and the desire to read the Holy Word is how you learn to pray.  Praying the Lord's prayer, praying the words of our forefathers and knowing that God the Father is the head and that He said, I AM, is how we release the warriors in Heaven and how we battle in a world we can't see. If you are dissatisfied with life, I'm sorry.  I understand that life gets tough and that often we are met with challenging circumstances. I myself have battled many and I'm sure that as I pray and work toward sending the message of Christ to the masses more will come. I used to be afraid of that. I used to be afraid of my world being rocked. I like things comfortable and consistent but for me that hasn't been the case in a long time.  God has stretched me and through those experiences, I have become courageous, passionate and likeminded with Christ my King. I can't say I always like what's happening to me but I like what I become after the hardship and I like the relationship with my God. 

Being one with Christ takes prayer. I often wish that the women in Jesus' life would have kept journals of their prayers.  Words written with specific prayers for the future of the world, for the people they were around and for Jesus as He hung on that cross.  You know Mary had to be praying for her son, she had to be praying to His Father and she had to be asking, take this cup from my son.  And yet, Mary followed Jesus, knew there would be a time He would be taken and instead of being the mother that tried to save her child, she let Him go knowing He was the Savior of the World. Through prayer she had strength to watch her son die and be resurrected. Through prayer Jesus was able to face being humiliated, betrayed and crucified. Through prayer I have found Jesus and with finding Him I have known love, peace, grace and forgiveness.  Through prayer, I get one step closer to meeting my goal of 100%.  It's going to take one day at a time, calling on Him through prayer and petition and receiving the power that resides in His name.

For all of you out there going through mighty challenges remember that we didn't get this way overnight and we won't change, although sometimes God takes a life and changes it in that moment. I guess I'm just a work in progress so I'm going to continue to watch for Him in every part of my life, worship Him with praise and study His word so that I can pray for you and the thousands that need to know Him. I'm one little person on this earth with a mighty gift, I can pray!  Be well my sisters and know I am praying for you always.

James 5: 15-17 NIV

15And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. 17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.…

Lord as Your warriors spread Your Word and Your story, give them peace, protection and our prayers. We cry out to You asking You to help those around the world that are spreading the good news and we ask that people would start believing that You are the way, the truth, the light. Pick up the pieces of those that are being challenged, feed them and cover them with Your presence and peace. Forgive us for putting other things before You, for believing in a world that is evil and for our lack of passion. Lift us up as we pray and give us wisdom to see what's not there and to remind us daily that we are Yours for eternity.  Thank You for loving us and for giving us tools to slay the dragons that bind us on earth.  In Jesus Holy Name we pray!  AMEN