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

What should I do?

Good morning my sisters-

I woke up to a very noisy puppy this morning at 5:15 am.  You see she has already learned if she howls enough people will come running.  As I watched my husband hold her close on Saturday, I thought this is a big mistake and it so was.  He just wanted to love her, protect her and show her she could trust him but the more he held her the more she realized, "I've got him!"

Babies can manipulate just the same. Now of course we are to hold our babies but I'm talking 8 months in when they really should be sleeping.  That was my life, two babies every two hours for four years because my husband couldn't stand to hear them cry.  Well I know the pattern well and I'm about to break this puppy of the howling and crying just to get her way.  I will still love on her and love her but I have to teach discipline and independence early on, or this will be a train wreck.

Going through this over the weekend it reminded me of the decisions I have made my whole life to protect the weak and to redirect others anger and responsibilities onto my shoulders. I can't tell you when it started but it was early.  If someone hurt my mom, I wanted to say something. If someone was in the hospital and I didn't like the answers I was getting, I would question them and often, push them to finding the right answer and if I was with my boys I would want to protect them from the cruelness this world offers, which by the way may not be the best answer.

Work has always been a part of my life. I learned early to not count on people if I wanted security.  This doesn't mean I had a bad childhood because I didn't. It means I was a stubborn teenager who often believed she could do anything. I worked three jobs to pay the rent. I walked to work for almost a year until my dad bought me a cheap car and when the transmission went out I bought the most expensive Plymouth Horizon on the market. I was stubborn and I worked hard and I didn't ask for money, mainly because my parents didn't have it and also because my mom was strong enough to say "Sorry, we can't do that for you."

You think with that kind of mentorship I myself would be that parent, right?  Well, I haven't been. I've been the one feeling sorry for the hours I traveled and had to work. I've been the one full of shame because I wasn't at every major event.  I've been the one to hold onto protecting my child when he is a man and needs to protect himself.

I can't speak for every parent but I can speak for myself and I realize I made some bad choices along the way. It's like holding that puppy too long and her thinking she controls the house.  She controls the house only if we feel bad for her and we don't teach her the error of her way.  If we don't do that, it's not her fault, it's ours.

So as I contemplate what I should do next, I have to start moving in a positive direction with all my relationships. I have to stop protecting and I have to let go of the responsibility.  Young men need to work and we all must have consequences for our actions. And I need to do what I know is important and step up to the plate and let God lead my son and me.  Leading doesn't mean I get to sit by and watch life go by. Leading means I surrender my will to His will and I do what He would have done. Jesus never sat around waiting on opportunities to talk to people. He walked the crowds, He went and prayed and He spent time with His Father. He prepared daily for His work and spent countless hours mentoring the disciples. He worked hard and so did they. 

So if you are sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, make something happen. Stop wandering mindlessly.  If you're asking yourself right now, "What should I do?" Do something!  Volunteer your time while you're writing you devotional.  Apply for so many jobs that one has to fall.  Spend time with our Father to understand His direction for your life and then go forward dear soldier.

Everyone has a moment when life truly pushes them to the brink of despair. I get that but it can't eat you. So as the weeks tick by and my salary is about to stop, I, too wonder, what I should do and then I think move forward and God will provide.

So, I'm moving forward. I'm cleaning out closets, working on cover letters and applying for jobs. I am putting my hope in the unseen and asking God to provide the way. And finally, it's not my job to protect and provide. Wherever you are today, know this, God understands.  He sees you lying around wondering what the next steps are and silently, He is encouraging you to cross into the promise land without fear, you can conquer the enemy, most of the time it's the person in the mirror.

May God hold you and keep you today as He guides you through the unknown. May the light of the world rain down on us and may the Holy Spirit guide us.  In Jesus Name I pray.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Zechariah 9:12 NIV:

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

AMEN!

The unknown..the unseen...the God of the Universe

Good morning all-

Several weeks ago I was laid off from a job I absolutely loved.  My journey to that opportunity started with me leaving my current employer to embrace whatever God had for me.  I had never left a job without a job.  I also have never been laid off.  In my career, I have been through at least a dozen layoffs and in each one I kept my job, so you can imagine how surprised I was when I had just completed back to back shows for this company, only to find myself jobless.

I am human so the questions started coming one after one.  What was God up to?  How did this happen? Why didn't I see it coming?  Why? Why? Why?  If you have ever been in this position you know exactly what I'm talking about. Vulnerability hits you like a hammer and your mind goes to self-defeating shame, fear and a myriad of questions. All that and more came upon me and I embraced each one with the tenacity I take on a challenge and before I knew it I was trying to turn those feelings into opportunity.  But the vulnerability made me feel weak, emotional and completely sad.  I loved this job. I loved the technology, the vision and the idea that I would be selling something that would protect people and the environment. That excited me. The other thing that excited me is that I might be a millionaire. Most people on the ground floor of a start up with a good product will become millionaires and believed that I was on a journey toward security.

Well security is not in my cards obviously, at least not worldly security.  I once again lost sight of the fact that God was in control of my life and my life is a canvas to encourage others away from the world and toward the only security we have, eternal life through Jesus Christ. Wow! Did it take a loss for me to see this once again? I would say that it did and the only good news I can report is I didn't see it as a punishment from God, I am looking at it as a faith journey.  I never felt angry at God or questioned his authority. I never felt shame because I knew that I had created opportunity and a sales plan that was working. I knew that I had given my all to this company and I was making an impact.  I just didn't see this train coming to a stop and moving this opportunity out of my life. I have to believe that He knows what's best and the only way I really even know He's in it-- is the peace I feel, the Scripture I've read and the odd chess game going on in my head.

My future is unknown. I'm navigating a land I have no experience in. I can't see ahead and my heart feels like I'm in a desert or a row of trees that are so dense, I'm unable to see beyond to the opening I know is there.  I have been praying three things: that I wouldn't have unbelief in my heart; that I wouldn't build a golden calf; and that I would trust like I've never trusted before. I can't hear Him, I can't see Him and in this fog I just have to trust in a God I have never seen. I have to trust in my Father because He tells me to.  I have to believe Jeremiah 29:11, my life verse in the same passionate way I did last year. I need to embrace the challenge to move from the world into the supernatural.  As I write this, I know my prayers are correct and I know that I have been questioning my purpose and why I believe everything is on me.  What am I supposed to learn from this trial?  I have decided to do what God asks of us and take it one day at a time.  I will live in Him by washing my heart with Scripture, asking for my mind to calm and rest in Him. I will trust in the unseen and give everything to Him and like last year, He will deliver me and I will grow in Him.

I know how scary the unknown is. I know how disheartening the storm is but I refuse to not hope for a future that is propelled by the God of the Universe. And as you read this, I pray that you too will release your fears, your insecurities and your future to Jesus Christ.  He never put His security in the world, He put it into His Father's will and that's where I must put mine too. Life is short and I have a purpose.

So if you were just blown away with bad news, you feel unbelievable shame, you wonder why your life is not going the way you planned it, my hope is you will read this and know that I am just like you but I believe that God loves me and that He will use all of this for His good.  I hope you can trust Him and believe it. Obviously, this doesn't feel good but neither did dying on a cross. He didn't do that for a selfish purpose, He did it to save us and we are blessed because of His sacrifice. He trusted that by giving His cup into the hands of His Father--His life would bless many and it has. In the dark, we must move toward the light, the hope of a new day and Jesus who will guide us through the unknown and into the promise land.

If you don't know who I'm talking about, please ask Him in prayer to reveal Himself.  He is the exact answer you've been waiting for and His people all over the world are going through tremendous trials to show you that He lives, He loves and He forgives. We must believe and we must trust Him.

Here's a few Scriptures that have ministered to me this week. They are:

Proverbs 16: 1-4 NIV

1 To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.

2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD.

3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

4 The LORD works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

¹¹For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


May Jesus minister to you the way He has to me.  Thank you Lord for I believe you will show me my way in the dark and you will reveal the unknown for your purpose.

When one door closes...

Good afternoon my beautiful sisters-

I come before you a lamb of God and guess what so are you!  This week is one of those weeks you wish you could rewind back in time and say," Hold, stop and don't go forward."  On  Monday I was laid off without any warning and found out my youngest son's secrets.  All in one week!  Oh and it's going to be Easter tomorrow and I'm supposed to be concentrating on why I'm here in the first place.

If you're reading this and you are thinking, that's me exactly, I feel you.  It seems Christians all around the world are facing incredible hardships.  Some are starving, some are in war, some are mourning loved ones and some are being persecuted.  The news reads of ISIS, hatred and mass chaos and all I can think about is me.  Not a pretty picture but a true representation.

That's until I read a post by Beth Moore and then another from Anne Graham Lotz and my point of focus changed.  It was slow at first but as the week wore on, I started seeing Jesus everywhere.  He was in the sky as the clouds rolled in on the back of 35 mile an hour winds.  He was heard in the singing of all the birds dancing in the sunshine and frolicking in the trees.  He was in my head saying, "I'm here."  And of course, He was in the Scripture I turned to about His will being released to His Fathers and in the coming events toward Good Friday. He's been everywhere, at least when I've come out of myself.

As I walked my dog today, I felt Him in every step.  I thought of footprints and how he carries us when we don't know it.  I thought about how much I have learned to trust Him in the dark and look for the light even when a door closes and man did it close this week.  I never saw it coming. And it was as tears flowed down my face and I realized it was wet that I knew that this door closed for a reason.

As I sit writing I can tell you two things: I'm human and I'm scared to death.  I can tell you that I have been in mighty prayer for my oldest son to get a job and for my youngest to confess what was keeping him in the dark.  I can confess that I've been hurt, angry and totally in shock. I'm 51 years old and what am I supposed to do now?  That's the question that is turning and burning in my mind and yet, in the quiet there is this peace that I can't explain.  It's like when a storm hits and all the animals are quiet, that's how my heart feels and it continues to ask, if this door closes, what's next?

So here I am a week into a journey that caught me by surprise and I'm thinking it's time to quit feeling sorry for myself and to concentrate on the one who made me. So instead of a state of bliss, I'm once again in a powerful spiritual battle. Have you ever been in this place?  Have you had a door slam in your face when you least expected it?  Have you wondered, what in the world just happened?  Well then, I guess you live on this earth because it's happening to humans in every nation.

I definitely don't have all the answers and for me, this isn't the last of my little pity party I'm sure. The door was slammed and I have to trust that God knows best and He will move me forward with purpose and thanksgiving.  In the meantime, I have to hold onto the truth of Jesus Christ's life and resurrection. I have to take one day at a time and ask His will to be my will. I have to confront my fears and live with courage. I must believe that He knows why He shut that door and I have to continue to pray for the nations, for peace and for God to return to His people.

My bubble just burst. My next action has to be to repent, forgive and take courage in the face of my  loss. It's time to move on to moving mountains and asking until I get an answer. So that's where I stand on the eve of the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  My fingers are typing while the wind howls and the clouds roll in. And I'm here asking the Lord to reveal to me His purpose and forgive me once again for all my sins. I'm far from perfect and once again, this week has taught me that life happens and sometimes it just doesn't feel good.

Please join me in prayer for every family that is going through loss, for every child that doesn't have food, for our leaders to be wise during this heightened time of hate and fear.  Jesus was born in a time not much different than this. He might not have experienced a super bomb like MOAB or warships with planes but He knew they were coming. He knew that there would be tension between nations and that there would be rumors of wars. He knew that He would have to hang on a cross for my sins and He did it sacrificially.  He did it so that we might have hope, light and eternity.  If you're facing trying times and blaming God, I would ask you to praise Him instead.  We think we know what's good for us but we don't.  We live in a time where everyone thinks they are smarter and wiser than the almighty and we aren't. And if like me, you've just had a door close, let's take hope that He has an even better door for us to open and walk through.

Romans 8:34 - Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

1 Corinthians 15:20 - But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Romans 14:9 - For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

To my Lord and Savior may your peace rain down on this earth and may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Happy Easter everyone!  Jesus is the reason we live, glorify the trinity and like me bow down to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Prayer leads to faith...

Good morning all-

How are you today?  I hope you woke up with thanksgiving in your heart?  I sure did. I find waking up praising Him gives me courage to face the challenges of the day and there are always challenges. This morning as I woke, I opened my devotional and read about Daniel and how his prayer was in motion but there were stop points that kept it from happening. It was going to happen just like God said but it took time, more time than probably he wanted.

Have you ever been in a  situation where you've prayed  hard and months and days went by with no answer? I think we all have. Well, there are many reasons for us not getting immediate answers I think.  There are many reasons we might not see our prayers come to fruition. For example, is it part of God's will? Two, if it's in His will, it might not be in our best interest for immediate results and lastly, He loves when we seek Him faithfully so we may have to wait to hear from Him.

It's been my own experience that prayer leads to faith. Like a flower needs the spring rains we need situations in our life to lead to greater faith.  I wish faith was blind but all we have to  do is look at the history of the world and know that it's not.  On top of  that, we want a carefree life, one with the least amount of challenges and the most reward.  Well, sorry to break your bubble, but that's never going to happen. Every person within their lifetime will see challenges and for those of us that know  Christ, we will be on our knees, growing our faith and casting forth His word, or at least I hope that's our response.

I have learned that prayer is a life long education.  I prayed when I was 5 years old. I can remember uttering the Lord's prayer through my teens and when I was really battling the world it was the Lord's prayer that led my boss to ask me to an evangelist meeting and that's where prayer once again brought me to Jesus.  Throughout my life, people have said I have a  direct line to God. I've always brushed it off but I can honestly say it's been my prayer life and praying His will for people that has given those around me strength in dark times, hope in depression, guidance in confusion, and joy in the little things. My rainbows, as I like to call them, happen when God meets the people I'm praying for and they know it.

Prayer is a vital channel to our Lord.  He hears every prayer. My faith has been built in the power of prayer.  I wouldn't be who I am today without hours of prayer for myself and others. I believe there are no selfish prayers.  God knows what we need and if we are praying for the right reasons and they align with His will, we will see it come to fruition. It may take many years but it will come.

Right now, I have a wonderful friend on a spiritual journey.  She may even read this blog today. If you do  my little iron gypsy, I pray that this adventure will bring  you closer, widen your faith and provide all that you need to help people get healthy. You're an inspiration to me and I thank you for your friendship and your willingness to help people renew their bodies and their minds. 

I leave you with this thought today. We aren't praying enough, we aren't loving enough and we aren't believing enough. Open your eyes my sisters to new experiences and never give up! I'm not giving up and either should you!

Matthew 17:14-20

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

When will He come?

Good morning all-

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "When will He come?" Honestly, I haven't for a long time until I was 35,000 feet in the air and I thought, "Jesus, when will you come?" I'm not sure if it's #Annegrahamlotz# call for us to be looking or just that I'm looking.  Either way I've been asking myself that and many more questions.  Here's just a few:

• Why do we hate God's people?
• Why do we judge others and not ourselves?
• What makes us right in our views when we don't seek God first?
• Who is in authority?
• Do I love myself, my family, my job more than I love Him?
• Have I even started to fulfill my purpose or am I too busy for Him to begin it?
• When did I start believing that being quiet when people need connection is the answer?
• When did I begin to stop dreaming of when He would come?

I want us never to forget why we are here and what we are here to do and that includes me.  We are called to:

• Love God above all things
• Love our neighbor more than ourselves
• Seek and find Him
• Call His people to Him and spread the word
• To live all our days in thanksgiving for we were saved
• In suffering and in abundance
• Until our last breath

Our call is to love Him with all our whole heart.  So with this post today I hope you find Him, I hope you remember why you're here and I hope that God saves all of us.  Please pray for the leaders of every country and for Christians to remember the call and why we live. It's for Him not us.

Loving you my sisters.  May God bless you and keep you all your days.

John 3:16           New International Version (NIV) 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Lord lead us to You always. Let us not forget why we are here or who we are in authority too. Please begin a revival of hearts in young and old and please help the people hear Your powerful word.

ONE DECISION, ONE CHANCE, NO LOST OPPORTUNITIES...

Good morning all-

This week marks a one year anniversary of me listening to God's voice and leaving a job I loved.  I had been in prayer for over 5 months when the Lord started knocking on my heart to trust in Him with every fiber of my being.  I remember plane rides that were so full of prayer and petition wondering could I do what was written on my heart.  Like the ocean tide these thoughts would flood in and wash out and in the quiet I heard the gentle whisper to jump.

One year later, I jumped!  The Lord has provided in a way that astounds me.  The trial was horrendous and at the same time awe inspiring.  I made one decision, I knew I had one chance and I didn't want to lose the opportunity so with courage from the Holy Spirit, I did all that and was blessed.  The time is now. 

Jesus had the same thing happen to Him.  He had a decision, one chance to save the world but it came at a tremendous cost.  He had to give His life for yours and mine.  I wonder how often His mind raced. I wonder how often He heard the wind whisper trust in Me.  I wonder how long some of His nights were as He realized the magnitude of those days leading up to being crucified.  I believe He did.  He knew that His friends would leave Him and that He lived and taught the man that would prove to be the death of Him and yet, He made one decision, took one chance and lost no opportunity to be the Savior of the World.

I was reading last night an article on President Bush.  He paints portraits of men and women that served Him and He knows them by name.  The portrait will be about courage.  Men putting their own lives and limbs on the line for this country and I was in awe.  He cares that He made one decision that changed the course of many.  There's another man that knows the names of His warriors, Jesus Christ.

I don't know what your going through right now but I know that Jesus does.  You might be in a flood, or in a fire.  You might be in the pit of despair or at the brink of death, make one decision, take one chance and call on Jesus.  He is the Savior of this world.  The world will drag you with it but the power of the cross is active and ready to hear your call.  He waits.  How do I know?  Because throughout my adult journey He waited patiently for me to trust Him enough to resign from a job that paid well. Some might think I did it without realization of what I was doing and to them I would say, not a chance.  I did it by walking side by side daily with my Savior. Over time, my relationship got stronger and my trust became deeper.  That relationship has been one of my most valued possessions and even now as I pray for my family, I am using the tools Jesus taught me to stay strong, to pray with unending fervor and believe that He will see His will to the end.

You are worthy to receive the greatest gift your life will ever know.  Trust in what you can't see. Trust that God our Father knows exactly what you need.  Jesus is not some mindless prophet. He is real and He was the Son of God.  He died for you. He loves you and He knows exactly where you are.  You may be able to hide from the world but you can't hide from Him.  If a president knows the name and story of every soldier in a portrait, imagine how much God knows about you.

You have a decision to make.  Choose Jesus.  Choose to trust a God that breathed life into you.  Choose a God that loves you no matter what.  He is here for you now and He will wait for you.  He waited for Peter to get strong enough to lead a church.  He waited for Paul to be blinded and created a man that brought His name to thousands.  He waited for me to trust in Him blindly so that He could do great things.

Don't put Him in a box. Don't put words in His mouth.  Read the Bible and visualize the last days leading up to the cross. He sweated blood and the angels had to minister to Him.  He was scared but in the end He said, Your will.  Not His will which was to escape the horrendous suffering He would undergo but God the Father's will over His.

ONE DECISION, ONE CHANCE, NO LOST OPPORTUNITIES!!!!!

For He rose again just like He said He would and that my sisters is the power of the cross.

Matthew 26:38-40New International Version (NIV)
³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Trusting that tomorrow the sun will rise...

Good morning my sisters-

The sun is rising on Kansas this morning as I enjoy my first cup of coffee.  The dogs are eating their food as fast as they can and I hear the rumblings of my husband getting up.  It's morning on the Plains and as I sip my coffee the word trust swirls in the air.

Trust is not an easy word.  And in many ways, its an extremely hard thing to do. As little children, we trust that adults will take care of us but for some that's not the case.  As adults,we trust that we can take care of ourselves and so it goes.  Trust is hard.  It takes a strong heart to trust again when you've been betrayed or not taken care of.  Trusting in the unknown is even more difficult.  How do you possibly trust in something you can't see, hear or smell?  That's my question for today and I'm sure for those of you that have hit this blog, it's your question too.

In order for most people to trust there has to be a strategic repetition of actions.  Words don't count because most of the time someone has lied to you or been deceitful; so we look for actions to meet thewords and the first sign that they don't, trust wanes and with it comes fear and unrest.

I believe our journey with Jesus is just like that. It takes an extraordinary experience for us to believe in Him and then a supernatural experience to trust in Him.  It takes us giving Him our lives, admitting our sins and getting washed by the blood to understand that we are loved for who we are, not what we do or say.  Humans, by nature, have become wary of our friends, co-workers, family members and strangers.  People are stumbling all because of trust.  How can you trust that there is a God?  How can you trust that Jesus exists and how can you trust Christians when they let you down?

The questions surrounding Jesus have been the exact same for centuries.  Some trusted that what He said was true, others doubted and rejected His existence as the Son of God.  Even after you have accepted Him, you look for people to do the right thing and that just isn't always the case.  Like you, they let people down and regret it.  Jesus never let any of us down.  He predicted His death.  He knew the hour was going to be difficult. He knew that His own disciples would reject Him and that His mother would watch Him suffer.  He knew that as much as I love Him, I would let people down too.

The world is a dark place.  It is full of treachery, greed, pain, confusion, evil, fear, frustration, addiction and false teachings.  Included with all those words is a lack of trust in our fellow man.  People have figured out that you can't always trust someone that looks trustworthy.  Well we are human so who do we trust then? We must trust in Jesus.

I have spent the better part of my life trusting people that weren't trustworthy.  I have this inane sense to see inside your heart and always I see a ray of light there.  Even in the darkest soul, there is a light of good and if they seek it, they will find it.  My problem is that  I don't test my insight.  Over the last couple of years, I've learned to ask for discernment, which has given me insight into the light and the nature of the person.

So in the world we must use Godly discernment but with God we should trust without reserve.  That's what the disciples did after they saw Jesus resurrected from death.  They trusted that what He said was true.  They took that with them to their deaths and it's documented for all of us.  Moses, Abraham, David, Job, Isaac and Isaiah all trusted that God would deliver man from their sins so they walked the earth with trust in their hearts for a God they could not see.  Today, we walk more in the seen than the unseen.  If we can't touch it or feel it we can't trust it.  We are wrong.  We need to be like Paul who heard from Christ and began preaching the word without asking anyone. He just did.  One minute he was blind and the next he was preaching the Word of God.

Often, I struggle with trust because of my experiences.  Over time, though, I am learning to believe and trust in the God I can't see.  To believe He was born of a virgin and that he was beaten and killed for my sins.  As I have grown closer to the Spirit, I have walked out of my comfort zone and trusted Him who knows all.  I am not the smartest person on the earth and I'm definitely not the wisest but I am the child of  the God who promised to keep me always and that's exactly who I want to trust in.  I am His and He is mine.  My experiences have taught caution in the world, which I think is fine as long as I put my heart and mind in Christ's hands.  He is the reason I breathe and therefore, I owe Him all my trust.

Before I go, I want to say one more thing.  Trusting Him doesn't mean I will have all the money I want, all the friends I need, all the comfort I desire or all the success and awards I desire.  Trusting in Jesus means that I have a relationship I can depend on, period!  If you're looking for a relationship that never fails, ask Jesus into your heart today.  He is trustworthy.

Lord Jesus I pray that those that hit this blog will begin to ask you for supernatural eyes and supernatural trust.  I pray they will die to themselves and as they do, You will reveal yourself as you have throughout the centuries.  You are trustworthy and I believe that You will never leave us or forsake us.  May we be trustworthy with the gifts that you have given us and the message that must be spread throughout the nations.  Spread Your word and Your love to those that trust the least!  In Jesus Name we pray!!!!

Psalm 9:10 NIV

10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Patience...Do you have it?

Good morning my sisters-

It's another great morning here in the state of Kansas.  We finally received the gift of rain and it's February.  Lately the ground has turned to dust and as the wind has picked up so has the soil.  The Lord is mighty though and saw the need of His people and the animals by providing a thunderstorm that washed over the earth.  The bounty of rain is one of the most needed elements on the earth and as the earth waited patiently the Lord provided and now the fields are full of much needed moisture, the birds have much needed water and our water supply is growing.  All in good time.

Have you ever sat down and contemplated how patience is one of the keys to being satisfied? Whether you're waiting on a spouse, a child, a job or a need, patience is the key to living a joyful existence but if you're like me, you probably run out after a long hike up a tremendously steep mountain, right?  We grow weary waiting and waiting never feels good.

Last week I had my first breast exam in over 17 years.  Before you say it, I KNOW!  It took me that long to make time for it.  I'm just too busy to go to the doctor, the dentist, well really anything that gets in the way of work.  It's not an excuse really because that's who I am.  However, in the back of my mind, I'd been thinking it was time to do the test, so I did.  And then, I got that call. " Lisa, the doctor would like you to have further tests this week."  Okay, now what?  Great attitude I know but that was the attitude with not a lot of patience.  I was already thinking, "What if?" 

Time ticked away for three days and then the test.  As I sat waiting with three other women all I could think about was the hundreds of women that had sat in the same waiting room and I was humbled and a little scared.  They came back that the doctor would like to do a sonogram on my left breast and my mind began racing to what would I do if they said, "You have cancer."

In my mind, I thought two things patience and trust.  Wait for the outcome my mind shouted and then the song "I will trust" came in my mind and as I came out of my in-depth thinking I was humming it, right in the waiting room. The diagnosis was good and nothing came of the hour that I spent waiting patiently to find out if I had cancer except a clearer understanding of what waiting means to someone that has cancer.

I learned a lot last week, mostly that someone on a daily basis faces the diagnosis of cancer.  They face wondering what it will be like to lose their hair, their eyelashes and eyebrows.  As they wonder how they will tell their family or how will they get through or the fact that they will be facing surgery and even the loss of their breasts. And if all of that isn't bad enough what about departing this world.  Believe me  when I say this, all of those thoughts ran through my mind in less than three minutes. Your mind races like a sports car going over a hundred and then when you say, "I trust in You," things begin to become clear.  You realize that you must practice patience in the face of adversity and in all things you must trust that you have reached this crossroads because God put you there.

Many have faced a different outcome than I and many more will face it.  For those of you that have sat in that waiting room wondering what tomorrow will bring, I get it.  I don't understand past that though and would never want to say that I do.  I also get one more thing, I get that Jesus is the only way I could have faced such a diagnosis, period.  If you are going for more tests, wondering what tomorrow will bring you, remember one thing, Jesus knows the answers, rest in Him and He will help in times where you grow weary, when you think life is not fair or when you just feel like your patience has run out and the outcome is not good. He is with you always!

I thank Jesus for this epiphany and for reminding me that many women have gone before me and faced this courageous battle.  Please pray for women all over the world that have just sat through those moments and were handed a very different diagnosis than I was.  Please pray that they will be patient, that they will not grow weary and that God will give them peace to face the race, one day at a time.

Isaiah 40:30-31New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

May the God, our Father, always walk with us in hope and faithfulness even if the answer is not what we wish to hear.  I praise You Lord for giving me a sensitivity to what others have heard.  The path of this journey is not always easy, as You proclaimed so long ago.  We ask that You would continue to guide us and provide us with great faith to be patient and to trust in times of hardship and in times of joy.  In Jesus Name. AMEN

Happy Valentine's Day from God..

Good evening-

On the day that everybody celebrates love with cards, flowers, elaborate dinners, jewels, and everything worldly, let's remember one thin,g there are many that don't have someone to share today. So on this Valentine's Day, here is a message that means more than diamonds and gold.

The message:

Your Father chose You for such a time as this.  He alone can complete you.  He gave you life and freedom to love Him, not for just one day but for every day of the year.  We are to LOVE God first and then our neighbor.  Love is patient, love is kind, love does not boast, so today we proclaim that the greatest gift we could ever receive is the love of a Father that forgives and who saves.

To all of you that are sitting by yourself  know this one thing, You are loved!  You may never get diamonds or flowers but you have the choice to choose life, so choose Jesus.

On this Valentine's day I give my heart to the Holy Trinity.  I have been saved by the life of Jesus and I am His, forever.  That's the greatest gift and all I need today.  Feel love from our God and know He is near, always!

1 Corinthians 13
John 3:16
Genesis 1
Acts 26

We give you all the glory!

Being a bastard...

Good morning my sisters-

I heard an incredible story of a Korean women who was given up at 4 years old.  Her mother chose to marry and be protected over taking care of her half-breed daughter.  She was abandoned, lonely and had experiences in her youth, that many adults have not had to endure.  She fed herself bugs, slept in fox holes and was abused by others of her same race because she was half as much as them.  She wasn't just a bastard in Korea she was a Toogie. 

Our pastor shared her story out of Lee Strobel's book," The Case for Grace."  Her name is Stephanie and today she ministers to orphans in Korea and leads many to Christ.  During his sermon, he discussed how even after she was adopted by an American couple she never felt good enough.  They loved her but still she had to be the best, because in her heart she was still that little street urchin that was a Toogie.  I, for one, could relate to a very small part of the story.  I am a bastard just like her, however, our stories are very different.  I was from a middle class family and I learned of my birth status when I was 12 years old.  I had continued to have a re-occurring nightmare, always on Halloween.  I was Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz and something very evil was chasing me.  The ironic part of my story is I lived in New York and now I live in Kansas.  I guess that the dream was partially right anyway. Back to my point though, in the book it denotes how she did not cry, kept everything deeply bottled up inside and worked for image and perfection and that's where we are exactly alike.  It took a major situation in my professional life to unbundle and free years of anger, frustration and a sense of lacking more than being.  Maybe that's why I chose sales. In sales, you are only as good as your last sale.  No one cares about what you did yesterday, you have to keep going, be better, run faster and make more money.  You are never enough and for years I have chased that thought.  I am not enough.  Maybe you can relate.  This world has a way of making you feel like you are Dorothy running from the evil witch and you just keep running wondering when all the chaos will stop and you will just be enough.

Stephanie reached that point and so did I.  The challenges, thoughts and confusion are what make us  depend on God.  As we seek Him, we find him and how I have sought His guidance, His light and His will.  Bastard to me is one of the worst words ever until today.  Until my pastor said that Stephanie's father told her a story of a boy who was a bastard, who grew to be a man that had laid in straw, was severely abused, tortured and gave His life.  That boy was Jesus.  His father was not Joseph. Joseph was His earth father but God was His Father and all of  the sudden I felt a quiet in my heart, a sense of being and an understanding what the last couple of years were for me.  They have been about casting my image, anger, abandonment, and perfectionism to Christ and saying, "I am weak but You are strong."

Words hurt and emotions that are bottled up to the point of storing our tears  aren't what make us strong.  We may have overcome them but none of that matters without Jesus.  My first thought every time I write is that I hope you like reading my words and I hope they are meaningful to you but that's not what matters anymore.  What matters is the fact that I know I'm weak and through Jesus His Grace is sufficient.  How I was conceived and who had a part in that conception doesn't matter.  What matters is that God said, "You are mine."

Fame and fortune are what the world is about.  The image we create is just that, void of substance and lacking of our purpose and call.  Jesus called us to spread the word to the nations.  He prayed and prayed to remain in His Father and until His very last breath He did.  You may be dealing with many circumstances that are out of your control and praying for deliverance.  I get that, I've done that. He hears you and when we can say that we are grateful for all the bumps, lumps, molding and pruning, we will begin to see our full potential.  It has taken 51 years for me to feel the kind of peace I felt today.  To sit in church and realize there is no shame in what or who I came from.  I am not unclean because by GRACE I was saved!  I did absolutely nothing to achieve it and really don't deserve it. And yet, He gave it to me anyway.

If the following words resonate with you today, understand one thing. God is grace.  So here are just a few  that I want you to pray about with me.  They are:

Abandonment, shame, bastard, unworthy, awkward, ugly, babbling, idiot, sad, emotional, angry, image, perfectionist, driven, controlling, unemotional, saintly, judgmental, broken, abused, tyrant, smart, stupid, dirty, gross, unclean, wreck, killer, excuse ridden, co-dependent, coveting, touchy, bigot, argumentative, addict, sexually promiscuous, orphan, confused and broken. 

These words describe many who have come to love Jesus Christ.  In their hearts, they were unworthy to wash His feet but by Grace we are saved.  He didn't come for the one who believes themselves to be mighty, He came for the broken, bruised, and repentant.  He came for you!

Once again, my Lord and Savior meets me on the road of my own thoughts and beliefs.  Once again, I am washed with a picture that reminds me that He has gone through everything I might possibly face in this world.  I am His, which makes me wonder why He would want to love a wretch like me.  And then again, this story and the many in the Bible  remind me of why I love Him so.  With all my faults, confusion and constant berating, He hits me with this story.  I am enough because His grace is sufficient for me. Please pray that God would reveal His grace in our every day lives.  My prayer is that these words would because a harmony of God's great song of Grace.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 NIV:

1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

References for 2 Corinthians 12:1

• Cross References

• 1 12:1 - ver 5,9; 2 Corinthians 11:16,30
• 2 12:1 - ver 7; S 1 Corinthians 2:10

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.

References for 2 Corinthians 12:2

• Cross References

• 3 12:2 - S Romans 16:3
• 4 12:2 - ver 4; S Acts 8:39
• 5 12:2 - Ephesians 4:10
• 6 12:2 - 2 Corinthians 11:11

3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—

4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

References for 2 Corinthians 12:4

• Cross References

• 7 12:4 - ver 2
• 8 12:4 - Luke 23:43 ; Revelation 2:7

5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.

References for 2 Corinthians 12:5

• Cross References

• 9 12:5 - ver 9,10; S 1 Corinthians 2:3

6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,

References for 2 Corinthians 12:6

• Cross References

• 10 12:6 - 2 Corinthians 10:8
• 11 12:6 - ver 11; 2 Corinthians 11:16

7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

References for 2 Corinthians 12:7

• Cross References

• 12 12:7 - ver 1; S 1 Corinthians 2:10
• 13 12:7 - Numbers 33:55
• 14 12:7 - S Matthew 4:10

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

References for 2 Corinthians 12:8

• Cross References

• 15 12:8 - Matthew 26:39,44

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

References for 2 Corinthians 12:9

• Cross References

• 16 12:9 - S Romans 3:24
• 17 12:9 - S Philippians 4:13
• 18 12:9 - S 1 Corinthians 2:3
• 19 12:9 - 1 Kings 19:12

10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.