Good morning all-
Light always reigns over darkness even when you feel like the enemy has won. In the end, it will be God over all evil. In the beginning, it was God creating and today it's by faith we live. The world tempts us to not see the glory in God. It makes us trust our own judgment rather than God's and as we learn we forget to trust.
Samson had been warned many times to not be deceived. Instead, he fell in love with a woman that would be his demise. She cut his hair, turned him over to his enemies and without strength he was tortured and blinded. I guess that's when Samson finally saw the true light. Not the light of his flesh but the light of God.
His final prayer stunned me today because I know the Bible is clear on revenge. The Lord says that revenge is His and if we believe Scripture we must believe that too. But in Samson's final moments he repented and then asked his Father to give him one last thing, revenge.
You probably already know the story. God did give Samson his strength back and those that stole from him were demolished. In the wake, so was Samson but if you know the story then you know that Samson also died. I think what struck me so deep is that God honored his last request and Samson was able to have revenge on his enemies. I have to believe that through Samson, God took revenge on evil that day.
All of us struggle with the flesh and want some kind of revenge. Which way is right? I think the right way is to let God go before you. He is the only one that needs to take revenge. We are just vessels and we should be confident in our Lord and Savior. He promises that He will go before us, so let's give Him the lead.
Please take in Samson's words and repent of wanting revenge. Revenge will come if Christ chooses it. We are to pray, petition and repent. Don't let the flesh fool you, it can be evil. Remember God is the God of love. Our duty is to love our enemies even when we want to crush them.
Read Samson's prayer:
Judges 16:28 Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Take your eyes off of you and put them on Christ! He is the healer, the deliverer and the power behind loving your enemies.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Saturday, February 13, 2016
One Servant Full of Faith for Women Everywhere: How did Paul keep the faith?
One Servant Full of Faith for Women Everywhere: How did Paul keep the faith?: Good morning my sisters- Have you ever wondered how Paul kept the faith? I do. He was beaten, jailed, persecuted by his very own people ...
How did Paul keep the faith?
Good morning my sisters-
Have you ever wondered how Paul kept the faith? I do. He was beaten, jailed, persecuted by his very own people and yet every letter showed strength, not in himself, but in Jesus. The more I have read the more I have been in awe over the power of his faith and for his knack for being abundantly forgiving. Like most, we all have trouble forgiving especially when people are cruel. But Paul never faltered. He taught the Gospel with verve and intention. He knew that God was with him, beside him and before him and that when he was done, He would be in heaven.
Reading his letters is like looking into the heart of a lion. I'm sure he felt despair, anxiety and maybe even fear but through prayer and petition, he shed those worldly things for Godly thoughts. His shield was his pen and he was determined to leave a legacy even in the face of iron bars and chains. He writes in 2 Timothy 2 that no one came to defend him. Out of all the people he walked with and brought to Christ no one stood up for him. And here's what really gets me, he understands and forgives. As I read the whole chapter this morning it made me really think about forgiveness and human nature. It's not easy to forgive anyone that's gone against you, especially if it's in a false manner. People want to defend themselves and get angry when they feel they've been done wrong and yet, Paul just wanted to forgive. Maybe his capacity of forgiveness was so great because Christ forgave him. Maybe it's because he sat on a road blind and Christ brought someone to his side. Maybe it's because He had experienced such forgiveness himself, he just had the overwhelming capacity to forgive. No matter how he was able to forgive, the point is he did and he continued to minister to the loveless through his writings and teachings and on February 13, 2016, he's still ministering to all of us.
I think what caught my eye today was how he truly believed in all circumstances Jesus was with him. In chains, sitting on a cold floor, he wanted parchment to write. He wanted to leave a legacy of the Gospel while he was in pain, discomfort and probably horrid conditions. His sole thought was not for the shower he couldn't take or the toilet that wasn't available, it was to spread the word so that we would know the impact Jesus made on his life. Do you see the unbelievable beauty of that picture?
God further revealed through the word to me that fear and worry are not of him. I think most of us have faced a time of fear and worry. You have to think that Paul would have been sitting on that floor full of it, right? And yet, I didn't get that at all. I read the calmness and conviction in his words. I read a direction that was met on the road of walking with Jesus. I felt the power of his faith and the impact Jesus' forgiveness had made on his life. No where in 2 Timothy 2 did he complain about his circumstances. Instead he left us all with something to aspire to. He left us with peace that goes beyond all understanding and in his words we hear forgiveness. If I had a paint brush in my hands today, I would paint a bird going across the setting sun, singing to the heavens and worshipping God in all His glory. That's what the letter Paul wrote reminds me of. It reminds me that even in horrible circumstances a human man with human feelings, forgave, loved and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ.
Fear and worry are not of God but loving your enemies, praying for those that don't know better, speaking the word of God and believing that Jesus is with you, for you and all around you, is the most important lesson we can learn from Paul. We are running a race but most of us are chasing after all the wrong things. We want power but aren't willing to be servants. We want money but we're not willing to sow it once it's given. We want people to love us always, without the need to forgive our enemies but most of all we want God's mercy when we don't even take ten minutes a day to be with Him.
I admire Paul and love to read his letters. They remind me that I'm not here for me. I'm really here to be with Jesus and to fulfill my purpose for Him. That's really it. My hope is that as we all look for Jesus in the scriptures that we will find Him, not in the package we desire but in the package He is and will always be. The Israelites tried to put God in a box and failed. The Pharisees tried to squash Jesus' ministry by killing Him and Satan continues to attack the defenseless. But I have hope. You know why? Because Paul killed thousands of Christians and throughout his journey, was made blind to see. His journey was to proclaim the name of Jesus and 2000 years later, we still are. It's time we all got Supernatural with God and took off the cloak of knowing what the future holds. You can't fix your problems alone. You can't buy peace on earth. You can't stay strong in the face of adversity without Jesus Christ and you definitely can't fight Satan without being in the Word of God. This world keeps us so busy that we don't take time for the one thing that will propel us to success. Jesus is what we need every morning and every night. We need to breathe Him in just like we do air. And when we do, we will see a change, maybe not in others but in ourselves. If we want to run the race to the end, then we must fuel up on the Word of God! So, as I write this I'm challenging you to take more time each day to praise our Lord, to read His word and to meditate on it. Life is busy but without the fuel Jesus provides, you will crash and burn. To be a woman in today's world is immensely difficult. The demands that are being placed on our lives today are more than in any other time in history. We've gained our right to be in the armed forces, to be CEOs, business owners, career minded people but we've lost something to. We've lost the ability to rest and to have our men lead us. We've lost time with our children and we've lost time to be at Jesus' feet. Our lives are around seeking everything that God did not intend for us. So, before the roller coaster of life hits, let's sit at the feet of Jesus. His time is more valuable, don't you think?
As always, my prayer is on you my sisters. I am praying that through our faithfulness our sons and husbands will find Jesus in a powerful way. I'm praying that the lost, confused, angry and hurt will one day sit at the feet of Jesus. I'm praying for Syria, Africa, China, Russia and every country in the world. I'm praying for our leaders to have wisdom and for those that follow Jesus to pray with intention and to live a life full of the peace that was given on the cross. Most of all, I'm praying that we will take our eyes off the world and put them in the realm of the supernatural. I'm praying for a heart like David's, for wisdom like Solomon, for faith like Abraham and Sara and for dedication and forgiveness like Paul. I'm praying that God would save those that love Him and through His word men and women all over the world will find Him! Lastly, I'm praying for a Holy experience and the kind of dedication, perseverance, and profound trust that each of us needs to walk in the world. WE ARE NOT ALONE!
Please read 2 Timothy 2 today and find comfort in an earthly man who believed in a Savior!
Have you ever wondered how Paul kept the faith? I do. He was beaten, jailed, persecuted by his very own people and yet every letter showed strength, not in himself, but in Jesus. The more I have read the more I have been in awe over the power of his faith and for his knack for being abundantly forgiving. Like most, we all have trouble forgiving especially when people are cruel. But Paul never faltered. He taught the Gospel with verve and intention. He knew that God was with him, beside him and before him and that when he was done, He would be in heaven.
Reading his letters is like looking into the heart of a lion. I'm sure he felt despair, anxiety and maybe even fear but through prayer and petition, he shed those worldly things for Godly thoughts. His shield was his pen and he was determined to leave a legacy even in the face of iron bars and chains. He writes in 2 Timothy 2 that no one came to defend him. Out of all the people he walked with and brought to Christ no one stood up for him. And here's what really gets me, he understands and forgives. As I read the whole chapter this morning it made me really think about forgiveness and human nature. It's not easy to forgive anyone that's gone against you, especially if it's in a false manner. People want to defend themselves and get angry when they feel they've been done wrong and yet, Paul just wanted to forgive. Maybe his capacity of forgiveness was so great because Christ forgave him. Maybe it's because he sat on a road blind and Christ brought someone to his side. Maybe it's because He had experienced such forgiveness himself, he just had the overwhelming capacity to forgive. No matter how he was able to forgive, the point is he did and he continued to minister to the loveless through his writings and teachings and on February 13, 2016, he's still ministering to all of us.
I think what caught my eye today was how he truly believed in all circumstances Jesus was with him. In chains, sitting on a cold floor, he wanted parchment to write. He wanted to leave a legacy of the Gospel while he was in pain, discomfort and probably horrid conditions. His sole thought was not for the shower he couldn't take or the toilet that wasn't available, it was to spread the word so that we would know the impact Jesus made on his life. Do you see the unbelievable beauty of that picture?
God further revealed through the word to me that fear and worry are not of him. I think most of us have faced a time of fear and worry. You have to think that Paul would have been sitting on that floor full of it, right? And yet, I didn't get that at all. I read the calmness and conviction in his words. I read a direction that was met on the road of walking with Jesus. I felt the power of his faith and the impact Jesus' forgiveness had made on his life. No where in 2 Timothy 2 did he complain about his circumstances. Instead he left us all with something to aspire to. He left us with peace that goes beyond all understanding and in his words we hear forgiveness. If I had a paint brush in my hands today, I would paint a bird going across the setting sun, singing to the heavens and worshipping God in all His glory. That's what the letter Paul wrote reminds me of. It reminds me that even in horrible circumstances a human man with human feelings, forgave, loved and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ.
Fear and worry are not of God but loving your enemies, praying for those that don't know better, speaking the word of God and believing that Jesus is with you, for you and all around you, is the most important lesson we can learn from Paul. We are running a race but most of us are chasing after all the wrong things. We want power but aren't willing to be servants. We want money but we're not willing to sow it once it's given. We want people to love us always, without the need to forgive our enemies but most of all we want God's mercy when we don't even take ten minutes a day to be with Him.
I admire Paul and love to read his letters. They remind me that I'm not here for me. I'm really here to be with Jesus and to fulfill my purpose for Him. That's really it. My hope is that as we all look for Jesus in the scriptures that we will find Him, not in the package we desire but in the package He is and will always be. The Israelites tried to put God in a box and failed. The Pharisees tried to squash Jesus' ministry by killing Him and Satan continues to attack the defenseless. But I have hope. You know why? Because Paul killed thousands of Christians and throughout his journey, was made blind to see. His journey was to proclaim the name of Jesus and 2000 years later, we still are. It's time we all got Supernatural with God and took off the cloak of knowing what the future holds. You can't fix your problems alone. You can't buy peace on earth. You can't stay strong in the face of adversity without Jesus Christ and you definitely can't fight Satan without being in the Word of God. This world keeps us so busy that we don't take time for the one thing that will propel us to success. Jesus is what we need every morning and every night. We need to breathe Him in just like we do air. And when we do, we will see a change, maybe not in others but in ourselves. If we want to run the race to the end, then we must fuel up on the Word of God! So, as I write this I'm challenging you to take more time each day to praise our Lord, to read His word and to meditate on it. Life is busy but without the fuel Jesus provides, you will crash and burn. To be a woman in today's world is immensely difficult. The demands that are being placed on our lives today are more than in any other time in history. We've gained our right to be in the armed forces, to be CEOs, business owners, career minded people but we've lost something to. We've lost the ability to rest and to have our men lead us. We've lost time with our children and we've lost time to be at Jesus' feet. Our lives are around seeking everything that God did not intend for us. So, before the roller coaster of life hits, let's sit at the feet of Jesus. His time is more valuable, don't you think?
As always, my prayer is on you my sisters. I am praying that through our faithfulness our sons and husbands will find Jesus in a powerful way. I'm praying that the lost, confused, angry and hurt will one day sit at the feet of Jesus. I'm praying for Syria, Africa, China, Russia and every country in the world. I'm praying for our leaders to have wisdom and for those that follow Jesus to pray with intention and to live a life full of the peace that was given on the cross. Most of all, I'm praying that we will take our eyes off the world and put them in the realm of the supernatural. I'm praying for a heart like David's, for wisdom like Solomon, for faith like Abraham and Sara and for dedication and forgiveness like Paul. I'm praying that God would save those that love Him and through His word men and women all over the world will find Him! Lastly, I'm praying for a Holy experience and the kind of dedication, perseverance, and profound trust that each of us needs to walk in the world. WE ARE NOT ALONE!
Please read 2 Timothy 2 today and find comfort in an earthly man who believed in a Savior!
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Provision God's way....
Good morning all-
How are you? It's been some time since I've written. I have many things on my mind but I think the title of this post has been most prevalent in the last couple of months. Compassion Sunday is around the corner, Syrian refugees are hiding from the bombing against ISIS, a mayor in Mexico was killed for taking a stand against the mafia and Taiwan just had a devastating earthquake. Destruction, sorrow, fear and despair are spreading throughout the world. And then I read the call from the Pope and I had to totally agree. We are getting more and more desensitized. Our young men are hiding behind video games and our young women are finding power in all the wrong places. The other generations have gotten angrier, more disenchanted with hope and our candidates for president lack unity under God.
This is the world we are facing but in the midst, the Pope called us to love. He is asking the Catholic Church to look beyond taking sugar and alcohol out of their diets during Lent and replace it with sacrifice by sowing seeds, loving their neighbors and bringing hope to the world. It's a message most people won't understand but the Bible is clear, we are to love God above all others and our neighbors. That could mean the people next door but I think it's more than that. It's loving the people that were in a 71 story building, praying for Syrians, the poor and really anyone going through a trial. It's praying for hope when it seems hopeless and it's asking the God of all mercy to bring peace on earth.
The question I have rolling in my head is "How is God going to provide for all these different people groups?" I have no good answer but I know that He is and He will because all of these different groups have come on my heart in the last couple of weeks. Every last one of them. I can't read a Twitter feed without praying. I can't see a postcard from Compassion without praying and I definitely can't look at the faces of children as they are being pulled out of a building that looks like the columns that crumbled at Samson's hands. I am not desensitized because I've been asking God for days to give me His eyes and His heart. Hate can't manifest itself in our hearts if we pray and we can't stay in our own belief system of provision because only God can provide for all these terrible circumstances. No Government, No amount of money, No person can heal the sick, feed the hungry or provide hope in the darkness like Christ can. It's our duty to pray, to have a heart and when we get one. it should be our prayer for God to guide us in how we should respond. I'm not a military person with great shooting skills and I'm not a physician, nurse or practitioner. I can't climb a building and I don't know how to use a fire hose. I can't clean up the Flint Michigan water crisis and I can't solve the homelessness in Kansas. That's a ton of things I can't do but I can do one thing, I can pray that my heart aligns with God's will and that I pray with persistence and repetition. The rest is in the hands of the only provider we need.
We have been provided for. Every dollar, every piece of food and in every act of kindness, God stands at the forefront. He is with us on earth and He will come back one day. The world is evil, we know that but the God of our hearts is calling us to soften our hearts through prayer. He is asking us to give up ourselves and the things we believe we provide and give back by loving others more than we love ourselves. We can find beauty in the provision of Christ when we believe He will provide. I'm along way from staying in this mindset but over the last couple of years, I've come to realize that every thing I have, every moment of peace and every second of joy comes from God, not me, not in the US and not in the world. It resides in the Word of God and in the Holy Spirit He left behind. Our God is one with us, for us and for every nation under the Heavens.
Our provision is provided when we give, when we sow and when we love someone else. That's what Jesus did. He gave of His time, His love and most importantly, His life. Let's listen to the men of God who are calling us to believe in the unseen. Go where you haven't gone for a long time and rest in God's provision and please pray for the world. Only through prayer will we see God's provision, love and saving grace.
I pray that during this Holy time people in the US and all over the world will unite and ask God to soften our hearts and make us His!
2 Kings 6:23 KJV
And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
How are you? It's been some time since I've written. I have many things on my mind but I think the title of this post has been most prevalent in the last couple of months. Compassion Sunday is around the corner, Syrian refugees are hiding from the bombing against ISIS, a mayor in Mexico was killed for taking a stand against the mafia and Taiwan just had a devastating earthquake. Destruction, sorrow, fear and despair are spreading throughout the world. And then I read the call from the Pope and I had to totally agree. We are getting more and more desensitized. Our young men are hiding behind video games and our young women are finding power in all the wrong places. The other generations have gotten angrier, more disenchanted with hope and our candidates for president lack unity under God.
This is the world we are facing but in the midst, the Pope called us to love. He is asking the Catholic Church to look beyond taking sugar and alcohol out of their diets during Lent and replace it with sacrifice by sowing seeds, loving their neighbors and bringing hope to the world. It's a message most people won't understand but the Bible is clear, we are to love God above all others and our neighbors. That could mean the people next door but I think it's more than that. It's loving the people that were in a 71 story building, praying for Syrians, the poor and really anyone going through a trial. It's praying for hope when it seems hopeless and it's asking the God of all mercy to bring peace on earth.
The question I have rolling in my head is "How is God going to provide for all these different people groups?" I have no good answer but I know that He is and He will because all of these different groups have come on my heart in the last couple of weeks. Every last one of them. I can't read a Twitter feed without praying. I can't see a postcard from Compassion without praying and I definitely can't look at the faces of children as they are being pulled out of a building that looks like the columns that crumbled at Samson's hands. I am not desensitized because I've been asking God for days to give me His eyes and His heart. Hate can't manifest itself in our hearts if we pray and we can't stay in our own belief system of provision because only God can provide for all these terrible circumstances. No Government, No amount of money, No person can heal the sick, feed the hungry or provide hope in the darkness like Christ can. It's our duty to pray, to have a heart and when we get one. it should be our prayer for God to guide us in how we should respond. I'm not a military person with great shooting skills and I'm not a physician, nurse or practitioner. I can't climb a building and I don't know how to use a fire hose. I can't clean up the Flint Michigan water crisis and I can't solve the homelessness in Kansas. That's a ton of things I can't do but I can do one thing, I can pray that my heart aligns with God's will and that I pray with persistence and repetition. The rest is in the hands of the only provider we need.
We have been provided for. Every dollar, every piece of food and in every act of kindness, God stands at the forefront. He is with us on earth and He will come back one day. The world is evil, we know that but the God of our hearts is calling us to soften our hearts through prayer. He is asking us to give up ourselves and the things we believe we provide and give back by loving others more than we love ourselves. We can find beauty in the provision of Christ when we believe He will provide. I'm along way from staying in this mindset but over the last couple of years, I've come to realize that every thing I have, every moment of peace and every second of joy comes from God, not me, not in the US and not in the world. It resides in the Word of God and in the Holy Spirit He left behind. Our God is one with us, for us and for every nation under the Heavens.
Our provision is provided when we give, when we sow and when we love someone else. That's what Jesus did. He gave of His time, His love and most importantly, His life. Let's listen to the men of God who are calling us to believe in the unseen. Go where you haven't gone for a long time and rest in God's provision and please pray for the world. Only through prayer will we see God's provision, love and saving grace.
I pray that during this Holy time people in the US and all over the world will unite and ask God to soften our hearts and make us His!
2 Kings 6:23 KJV
And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
A follow up to my year of yes..
Good morning all-
On November 20, 2015 I wrote about my year of yes. I had just read a best selling new book with that very title and I really began to think about all the things I never said yes to. So I proclaimed on this very site that I was going to take the wheel and say yes to things I normally would have said no to. I was going to be kinder to myself, exercise more and a whole bunch of other things. Interesting though because through the holidays, I started realizing my year of yes had nothing to do with me and everything to do with Jesus.
Funny how the flesh takes over when you read a book that has some enlightenment to it. I believe I can scale tall buildings in a single leap. Don't you? What happens when you don't? Come on girls we have all been there. I know you want to fit in those size 0's you wore in high school, right? Well that's just not a good goal and besides, what did it take for you to be in those, starving yourself, that's what. Is that a healthy choice or a fleshly choice? We all know it's pure flesh. The stigma of making good choices is always around being thin and yet, God made us in different sizes and shapes. There is not one person the same so really, what's the point.
Okay my rant is over. My point today is that the flesh wants me to think about myself, my feelings, my wants, my dreams, my desires. It never wants me to think about Heaven, whose in Heaven or that He really does know what He's doing. It wants to gain knowledge so that I don't look for God and it really wants to believe it can do all things by itself. Isn't that how we were raised? Of course we should desire to make goals, spend time refining our craft and take care of ourselves, that's not the issue. The issue is when no one wants to talk to us because all we can talk about is ourselves. That's the problem.
So over the holidays, I spent a lot of time seeking the wisdom from the only source that matters, the Word of God. I asked God to reveal to me Scriptures that would fill my mind with His will not mine and to help me look at the unseen. I was once very good with that until life hit me in the face and I had to go to work and provide. I used to know who provided, who was supreme and who was always right and by the way I know it for you but this is me we're talking about. I believed for you but forgot for me. That's what was revealed to me, so clear, I felt like I got hit by a bus and in it I began to feel true peace, not just the peace we talk about but God's divine and utterly perfect peace and that's when I realized my year of yes needed to be about Jesus.
Up to this epiphany, I really thought it was about taking care of myself better, having better work/life balance but in retrospect that wasn't what Christ was asking from me. He wanted me to take up my mat and believe. That hit me like a rock yesterday so I put it on Twitter. I thought I had but obviously I haven't. So before the day begins, I'm sitting at this computer to tell you to take up your mat, believe, and spread the word to anyone that will hear that Jesus Christ has risen and will come to get His bride. Don't be shy, be bold and if the devil tries to get you to back down, pray for protection and proclaim that the only way to Heaven is through Him. He is bold, beautiful, loving, kind and He holds our provision, success and our eternal life in His hands. My year of Yes is about Him and through Him all things are possible. May the Lord of our Father Abraham bless you as you walk toward Him and away from you.
Here's the King James Version of John 5:7-8
7The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. Note: "mat" is in the NIV version
Jesus please let us take up our mat and walk toward You!!!!!
On November 20, 2015 I wrote about my year of yes. I had just read a best selling new book with that very title and I really began to think about all the things I never said yes to. So I proclaimed on this very site that I was going to take the wheel and say yes to things I normally would have said no to. I was going to be kinder to myself, exercise more and a whole bunch of other things. Interesting though because through the holidays, I started realizing my year of yes had nothing to do with me and everything to do with Jesus.
Funny how the flesh takes over when you read a book that has some enlightenment to it. I believe I can scale tall buildings in a single leap. Don't you? What happens when you don't? Come on girls we have all been there. I know you want to fit in those size 0's you wore in high school, right? Well that's just not a good goal and besides, what did it take for you to be in those, starving yourself, that's what. Is that a healthy choice or a fleshly choice? We all know it's pure flesh. The stigma of making good choices is always around being thin and yet, God made us in different sizes and shapes. There is not one person the same so really, what's the point.
Okay my rant is over. My point today is that the flesh wants me to think about myself, my feelings, my wants, my dreams, my desires. It never wants me to think about Heaven, whose in Heaven or that He really does know what He's doing. It wants to gain knowledge so that I don't look for God and it really wants to believe it can do all things by itself. Isn't that how we were raised? Of course we should desire to make goals, spend time refining our craft and take care of ourselves, that's not the issue. The issue is when no one wants to talk to us because all we can talk about is ourselves. That's the problem.
So over the holidays, I spent a lot of time seeking the wisdom from the only source that matters, the Word of God. I asked God to reveal to me Scriptures that would fill my mind with His will not mine and to help me look at the unseen. I was once very good with that until life hit me in the face and I had to go to work and provide. I used to know who provided, who was supreme and who was always right and by the way I know it for you but this is me we're talking about. I believed for you but forgot for me. That's what was revealed to me, so clear, I felt like I got hit by a bus and in it I began to feel true peace, not just the peace we talk about but God's divine and utterly perfect peace and that's when I realized my year of yes needed to be about Jesus.
Up to this epiphany, I really thought it was about taking care of myself better, having better work/life balance but in retrospect that wasn't what Christ was asking from me. He wanted me to take up my mat and believe. That hit me like a rock yesterday so I put it on Twitter. I thought I had but obviously I haven't. So before the day begins, I'm sitting at this computer to tell you to take up your mat, believe, and spread the word to anyone that will hear that Jesus Christ has risen and will come to get His bride. Don't be shy, be bold and if the devil tries to get you to back down, pray for protection and proclaim that the only way to Heaven is through Him. He is bold, beautiful, loving, kind and He holds our provision, success and our eternal life in His hands. My year of Yes is about Him and through Him all things are possible. May the Lord of our Father Abraham bless you as you walk toward Him and away from you.
Here's the King James Version of John 5:7-8
7The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. Note: "mat" is in the NIV version
Jesus please let us take up our mat and walk toward You!!!!!
Saturday, January 2, 2016
One Servant Full of Faith for Women Everywhere: A new beginning with Jesus!
One Servant Full of Faith for Women Everywhere: A new beginning with Jesus!: Good morning my sisters- 2015 has left us with many things to think about. We have seen wars, watched warriors come home and Christians b...
A new beginning with Jesus!
Good morning my sisters-
2015 has left us with many things to think about. We have seen wars, watched warriors come home and Christians being persecuted. Conflicts with police officers and rumors of abuse have been abounding and children and young men and women have lost their lives. People have experienced loss and the economy is still in bad shape. We have watched men getting their heads cut off because they believe in Jesus and attacks have happened all over the world. Hate is everywhere and love keeps slipping away like grains of sand. And yet, I have hope in the future. I am abounding with hope in Jesus.
What does 2016 have in store? I don't think any of us knows. I'm hoping there's revival for Jesus, with a great impact and renewal on teenagers that have turned to drugs, alcohol and sex. I pray for marriages around the globe and those that were put into prostitution. I'm praying for those struggling with depression and opression. I'm hoping that God will find compassion for the weak and mercy on the nations. I'm praying that we would stand up for what we believe in and not worry about people's opinions or thoughts of who we are. I'm hoping for God's glory to be seen from coast to coast and globally. I'm praying that I personally would have great faith and that through my fingers, God's word would come and heal the broken, oppressed and shamed.
I am moving on from 2015 with thankfulness in my heart. I have been sifted and have come out of it stronger, wiser and a better person. I believe more and am hoping for the plans God has for me. Through every storm, every war and every loss, Christ is with us. Life will always happen. We can't stop it nor can we control it. We have to live every day with hope, love and the pursuit of God.
As you enter this new year remember that Abraham believed God in everything. Joseph didn't stop when he was put in prison and Paul, although a murderer, became the disciple most talked about today. His faithfulness goes to show that when we take the challenge, live day to day and seek God's face, we will find Him. We are the next generation that can bring about change through prayer. Prayer is the one thing we can do together. Jesus will hear the choir on earth for redemption and peace. I'm praying for every person that is being persecuted but I'm also praying for everyone that doubt the impact of Jesus Christ. The enemy is strong but Christ is so much stronger. This is the year we must believe in the supernatural. I am praying, are you? Make 2016 the year of prayer and petition. It should be the year that we believe Christ will move our mountain and that we are warriors for this time. I leave you with some Scripture that was given to me this last few weeks. I have prayed for Scripture that will remind me of who I serve.
Luke 22:31-32 NIV
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
John 3:2-3 NIV
He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
John 14:1 NIV
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believing in God, believe also in me."
John 4:25 NIV
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
Judges 6:12 NIV
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, He said, "The Lord I with you, mighty warrior."
My prayer on the 1st of January 2016 was that God would give me a Scripture that I could meditate on and this one came to mind.
Psalm 27:5 NIV
For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
All of these Scriptures have meant something to me personally. The Word is for you. It has meaning. It might have been written thousands of years ago but God still uses it to help us, love us and move us to Him. If we aren't in it, then we won't know what He wants us to know. Like you, I struggle with this walk but every day I find solace in the fact that I am dependent on the God who loved me so much that He gave His only begotten Son for my eternal life. If you have hit this blog, you are being asked to seek Him, love Him and move toward Him. How do I know? Because that's what He's called me to do. Happy 2016 and may the Lord of my heart reign in my life, through my life and for others who need a Savior.
2015 has left us with many things to think about. We have seen wars, watched warriors come home and Christians being persecuted. Conflicts with police officers and rumors of abuse have been abounding and children and young men and women have lost their lives. People have experienced loss and the economy is still in bad shape. We have watched men getting their heads cut off because they believe in Jesus and attacks have happened all over the world. Hate is everywhere and love keeps slipping away like grains of sand. And yet, I have hope in the future. I am abounding with hope in Jesus.
What does 2016 have in store? I don't think any of us knows. I'm hoping there's revival for Jesus, with a great impact and renewal on teenagers that have turned to drugs, alcohol and sex. I pray for marriages around the globe and those that were put into prostitution. I'm praying for those struggling with depression and opression. I'm hoping that God will find compassion for the weak and mercy on the nations. I'm praying that we would stand up for what we believe in and not worry about people's opinions or thoughts of who we are. I'm hoping for God's glory to be seen from coast to coast and globally. I'm praying that I personally would have great faith and that through my fingers, God's word would come and heal the broken, oppressed and shamed.
I am moving on from 2015 with thankfulness in my heart. I have been sifted and have come out of it stronger, wiser and a better person. I believe more and am hoping for the plans God has for me. Through every storm, every war and every loss, Christ is with us. Life will always happen. We can't stop it nor can we control it. We have to live every day with hope, love and the pursuit of God.
As you enter this new year remember that Abraham believed God in everything. Joseph didn't stop when he was put in prison and Paul, although a murderer, became the disciple most talked about today. His faithfulness goes to show that when we take the challenge, live day to day and seek God's face, we will find Him. We are the next generation that can bring about change through prayer. Prayer is the one thing we can do together. Jesus will hear the choir on earth for redemption and peace. I'm praying for every person that is being persecuted but I'm also praying for everyone that doubt the impact of Jesus Christ. The enemy is strong but Christ is so much stronger. This is the year we must believe in the supernatural. I am praying, are you? Make 2016 the year of prayer and petition. It should be the year that we believe Christ will move our mountain and that we are warriors for this time. I leave you with some Scripture that was given to me this last few weeks. I have prayed for Scripture that will remind me of who I serve.
Luke 22:31-32 NIV
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
John 3:2-3 NIV
He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
John 14:1 NIV
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believing in God, believe also in me."
John 4:25 NIV
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
Judges 6:12 NIV
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, He said, "The Lord I with you, mighty warrior."
My prayer on the 1st of January 2016 was that God would give me a Scripture that I could meditate on and this one came to mind.
Psalm 27:5 NIV
For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
All of these Scriptures have meant something to me personally. The Word is for you. It has meaning. It might have been written thousands of years ago but God still uses it to help us, love us and move us to Him. If we aren't in it, then we won't know what He wants us to know. Like you, I struggle with this walk but every day I find solace in the fact that I am dependent on the God who loved me so much that He gave His only begotten Son for my eternal life. If you have hit this blog, you are being asked to seek Him, love Him and move toward Him. How do I know? Because that's what He's called me to do. Happy 2016 and may the Lord of my heart reign in my life, through my life and for others who need a Savior.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
When did God get so big?
Good morning my sisters-
Christmas is almost here and the world is in utter turmoil but there is hope. Where you might ask? It's in the laugh of a little child, in the smile of someone who just turned 80 or in your teenager as they think they have pulled one over on you. Life has hope everywhere. It's in the moon rising in the sky as the sun has set or when you see two jets close to one another. Maybe it's when a nurse says there right here for you
or a doctor gives you a ray of hope. It's in the wind as it whips through the wheat and it's in a dog's tongue as it licks you and tells you life is good. Everywhere there are signs of hope and yet this season can make you feel as if there's no hope. I'm going to argue with you on that. Jesus brought hope to Israel, He brought hope to the gentile and He brought hope to the world.
Our brothers and sisters are being persecuted in other lands and it's time for us to pray. The miracle of Christmas is not in the presents and the beautiful tree, it's in the prayers of the righteous. Please take a moment this Christmas and pray for those that are standing up for Christ. He is the reason for the season!
Have a beautiful day.
Christmas is almost here and the world is in utter turmoil but there is hope. Where you might ask? It's in the laugh of a little child, in the smile of someone who just turned 80 or in your teenager as they think they have pulled one over on you. Life has hope everywhere. It's in the moon rising in the sky as the sun has set or when you see two jets close to one another. Maybe it's when a nurse says there right here for you
or a doctor gives you a ray of hope. It's in the wind as it whips through the wheat and it's in a dog's tongue as it licks you and tells you life is good. Everywhere there are signs of hope and yet this season can make you feel as if there's no hope. I'm going to argue with you on that. Jesus brought hope to Israel, He brought hope to the gentile and He brought hope to the world.
Our brothers and sisters are being persecuted in other lands and it's time for us to pray. The miracle of Christmas is not in the presents and the beautiful tree, it's in the prayers of the righteous. Please take a moment this Christmas and pray for those that are standing up for Christ. He is the reason for the season!
Have a beautiful day.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Be still and know that I am God
Good morning-
The end of this year is creeping up on us and all I can think about is the lesson God has etched on my heart. All year, I have heard "Be still and know that I am God." It's something that people that are driven have a hard time doing. I have no problem believing in God but I have a huge problem in being still. Still to me means sleeping and even there my dreams are vivid, busy and often very confusing. I've gotten very used to being busy, running when I should walk and only collapsing when my head hits the pillow. So I've asked my self over and over, why does Jesus constantly remind me to be still?
Being still means you can hear. I'm used to doing five things at the same time but it's been in the quiet, between me and the keyboard with no noise, no people and just the wind whipping against the window pane that I have heard God. Not audibly of course but deep in my spirit. My cousin sent me a family tree necklace today and I was in awe of it's beauty. God promised Abraham He would be the Father of nations. Do you believe that Abraham and his faithfulness brought you to this day? I hope you do because it's that promise that continues until Christ comes back for us. Obviously, Abraham must have spent time with God, scripture says he did. During those times is when this immense blessing was proclaimed. It wasn't when he was toiling on the earth, it came when he sat still and let God reveal His vision to him. That's the key I think most of us miss in this technological highway. How do we remain still when emails are popping on our computers and phones as fast as we can read them? We are surrounded by television, radio, Internet and cell phones. When do we have time to be still and know that God is who He said He was?
So this morning as I rounded the corner to get my first cup of coffee, I decided to sit down and write what's most on my heart as Christmas approaches. It's not how fast the year has gone or that my birthday is around the corner, it's about the gift of clarification, peace and understanding Jesus has given me this year. He has directed my path, increased my faith and rewarded me as I sat still waiting on Him for so many things. I am the luckiest girl in the world because I've come out of a trial more faithful, full of immense hope and looking forward to the adventure before me. I have less fear, more hope and a tremendous thankfulness in my heart that although life isn't easy, God will always be near and when I'm still I can hear from Him.
This Christmas is not about the presents for me, that being said my husband bought me a really cool refrigerator but that's not the best gift I've been given this year. The best gift I've been given this year is the realization that I've moved from my head to my spirit. I've realized that all provision comes from my Savior. He has bended me just like a tree that has ice on it. It doesn't break, it just moves toward the earth and as the ice melts the tree pops up stronger, higher and reaching for the hope of the sun. There is hope on this earth even in the midst of all the evil. In order for us to keep this hope alive we must pray for our sisters in the US and abroad. We must not fall to the fear of foreigners and welcome the love of Christ. Evil is everywhere. We shouldn't fool ourselves to believe we can protect ourselves. Only through Christ can there be protection. Ladies it's time we heard from our God. It's time we got on our knees and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ and it's time we let Him walk beside us, go in front of us and remain strong in Him. I for one have benefited from the moments I've spent with Him. I have prayed more, read more and sought Him more in this year than in any other year in my life. Why you might ask? I found it in Scripture this week. I had to be sifted in order to bring women to Him. I have been sifted and through it all I have found the only sustainable thing on earth, faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
As you reflect on this year, look up and thank Jesus for every joy and every disappointment. Ask Him to really show you the good in the year. And if you've experienced, war, a wayward child, death or despair, know Jesus walks with you and when your still all things are possible through our Lord and Savior!
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 KJV
Join me in a Christmas prayer:
O, Lord Jesus as we come to celebrate Your birth we ask that You would unite nations, change hearts and surround evil with Your power. We believe in the promise You provided to Abraham. He became the father of nations. Your people are all over the world, generations were proclaimed so long ago and now they are spread thousands of miles apart. We need You to open eyes, bring hope to the hopeless and more importantly, guide your warriors to our knees. Let this Christmas be more than lights and children's squeals as they open presents. Let this Christmas be about kindness toward one another and a cry for "Peace on Earth!" But most importantly, let this Christmas season be about being still and providing a vision for your people to look for their Savior. We thank You for Your awesome power and Your holy word that one day You would come and rescue Your bride! Power and Glory to You our risen Savior who was and is to come....AMEN
The end of this year is creeping up on us and all I can think about is the lesson God has etched on my heart. All year, I have heard "Be still and know that I am God." It's something that people that are driven have a hard time doing. I have no problem believing in God but I have a huge problem in being still. Still to me means sleeping and even there my dreams are vivid, busy and often very confusing. I've gotten very used to being busy, running when I should walk and only collapsing when my head hits the pillow. So I've asked my self over and over, why does Jesus constantly remind me to be still?
Being still means you can hear. I'm used to doing five things at the same time but it's been in the quiet, between me and the keyboard with no noise, no people and just the wind whipping against the window pane that I have heard God. Not audibly of course but deep in my spirit. My cousin sent me a family tree necklace today and I was in awe of it's beauty. God promised Abraham He would be the Father of nations. Do you believe that Abraham and his faithfulness brought you to this day? I hope you do because it's that promise that continues until Christ comes back for us. Obviously, Abraham must have spent time with God, scripture says he did. During those times is when this immense blessing was proclaimed. It wasn't when he was toiling on the earth, it came when he sat still and let God reveal His vision to him. That's the key I think most of us miss in this technological highway. How do we remain still when emails are popping on our computers and phones as fast as we can read them? We are surrounded by television, radio, Internet and cell phones. When do we have time to be still and know that God is who He said He was?
So this morning as I rounded the corner to get my first cup of coffee, I decided to sit down and write what's most on my heart as Christmas approaches. It's not how fast the year has gone or that my birthday is around the corner, it's about the gift of clarification, peace and understanding Jesus has given me this year. He has directed my path, increased my faith and rewarded me as I sat still waiting on Him for so many things. I am the luckiest girl in the world because I've come out of a trial more faithful, full of immense hope and looking forward to the adventure before me. I have less fear, more hope and a tremendous thankfulness in my heart that although life isn't easy, God will always be near and when I'm still I can hear from Him.
This Christmas is not about the presents for me, that being said my husband bought me a really cool refrigerator but that's not the best gift I've been given this year. The best gift I've been given this year is the realization that I've moved from my head to my spirit. I've realized that all provision comes from my Savior. He has bended me just like a tree that has ice on it. It doesn't break, it just moves toward the earth and as the ice melts the tree pops up stronger, higher and reaching for the hope of the sun. There is hope on this earth even in the midst of all the evil. In order for us to keep this hope alive we must pray for our sisters in the US and abroad. We must not fall to the fear of foreigners and welcome the love of Christ. Evil is everywhere. We shouldn't fool ourselves to believe we can protect ourselves. Only through Christ can there be protection. Ladies it's time we heard from our God. It's time we got on our knees and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ and it's time we let Him walk beside us, go in front of us and remain strong in Him. I for one have benefited from the moments I've spent with Him. I have prayed more, read more and sought Him more in this year than in any other year in my life. Why you might ask? I found it in Scripture this week. I had to be sifted in order to bring women to Him. I have been sifted and through it all I have found the only sustainable thing on earth, faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
As you reflect on this year, look up and thank Jesus for every joy and every disappointment. Ask Him to really show you the good in the year. And if you've experienced, war, a wayward child, death or despair, know Jesus walks with you and when your still all things are possible through our Lord and Savior!
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 KJV
Join me in a Christmas prayer:
O, Lord Jesus as we come to celebrate Your birth we ask that You would unite nations, change hearts and surround evil with Your power. We believe in the promise You provided to Abraham. He became the father of nations. Your people are all over the world, generations were proclaimed so long ago and now they are spread thousands of miles apart. We need You to open eyes, bring hope to the hopeless and more importantly, guide your warriors to our knees. Let this Christmas be more than lights and children's squeals as they open presents. Let this Christmas be about kindness toward one another and a cry for "Peace on Earth!" But most importantly, let this Christmas season be about being still and providing a vision for your people to look for their Savior. We thank You for Your awesome power and Your holy word that one day You would come and rescue Your bride! Power and Glory to You our risen Savior who was and is to come....AMEN
Saturday, December 12, 2015
What happened to dreaming big...
Good morning all-
The question of the day is what happened to dreaming big? You know when you were a little girl and you dreamed of your family, your job, your new invention or just baking a cake. How about dressing up and imagining yourself as the fairy princess in the latest Cinderella film? All of us had dreams. Dreams that were so much larger than ourselves. And yet, as life ticked by, we lost sight of those gigantic dreams. Why? Reality set in, that's why.
I had a dream to be a doctor, that got thrown out because I couldn't pass Physics. Then I was going to be a journalist, oh that got thrown out too. And then, I was going to be a great Historian, well that didn't happen either. So in a span of four years, three of my very ambitious dreams got washed away, never to be thought of again, until today. Today, I was thinking of one of my very large dreams. I prayed that I would go into business with my husband. This dream happened long before I met my husband and do you know what happened this year, my husband started up a business and I am his financial and business advisor. How did that come to fruition? Honestly, I don't know. I've thought about it. Maybe it was my boss taking the time to teach me about the fundamentals of small business financials or maybe it was the opportunity I was given to help run a business, either way I'm still not sure. So three of my dreams were washed deep within the ground and one became a reality. Now I have other dreams like writing a book and speaking to women throughout the world, will that come true? Time will tell. The point I'm trying to make is that as our dreams are washed away so is the vision, excitement and expectation that our dreams can come true.
This year has been full of dreams that have been squashed and opportunities that have been given. When I look at this year I realize that God has had His hand in all things and that I need to dream bigger, believe more and let God take the wheel. I love having the wheel and up until this last year my driving was excellent. I was the NASCAR champion of my career. No one could stop me. I had propelled to the pinnacle of all my hard work. Well nothing is perfect and I hit a road block or two, I didn't die or even have severe injuries but I did have a concussion for a while. It took a great amount of prayer for me to see that my opportunities are endless and I can make good of a very difficult situation. I have learned that I'm not perfect. Crazy to think I was anyway. I really believed I understood people but I didn't. I really believed that as long as I cared, people would care back, not so much. And finally, I believed that my hard work and production would always be enough. Well it hasn't been. My life is not perfect, I'm not perfect, people aren't perfect and I still want to dream.
Writing my life goals and producing them into fruition has been my mantra. I don't let "NO" impact my ability to perform. I don't let what you think about me defeat me and I don't stop until I achieve. I am in control, right? Wrong. Although those things are admirable in the world, I'm not sure they are for God. Goals are wonderful and I believe we should set them but they are not the end all of this life. Every moment of the day, I'm thinking about how to achieve my goals. What's left then for God to guide me, watch over me and produce fruit from my life? Not much. I've orchestrated everything weighing out the risk and the reward but I've left something out, my dreams. Why do we squash our dreams? I have because I had to provide. Provision has been my compass and my entire focus and somewhere in that word, I began to believe I was actually responsible to provide for everyone. What about Jesus, where was He? Was He sitting on the sidelines? No, He was waiting for me to be still, which by the way I'm horrible at. My mind goes as fast as one of those race cars. It propels around a track in less than 30 seconds and can solve problems, multi-task and rationalize all within the same time period. It's a super highway of thoughts, feelings, and risk modeling. I would hate to actually look inside. So how does a person like me be still you might ask? The answer: God brings me to my knees. There is no greater way to get someone like me to slow down and listen than to put up obstacles I just can't scale alone. That's how He got to me this year. He put up road block after road block and with each one I found myself deeper in Scripture, more in tune with needing Him and praying until I didn't think I could pray anymore. And this week, He got in, finally.
Having dreams is not wrong? As a matter of fact, I think that's how God inspires us to be better. Having dreams and believing your in control, that you can make them happen, that's the wrong part. We must step forward and at the same time realize that Jesus will fulfill them if they are in His will. Telling someone they aren't good at something is not going to take away a vision from God. I'm not good at math and yet, I can do accounting. How did that happen? Because God wanted it to happen, that's how. My childhood dream and prayer to be in business with my mate came true years after I prayed it. As a matter of fact, I had forgotten about it until this week when I was still. Dreams come to us when we aren't trying to solve the world's issues. They are inspired and when your a believer they are God inspired. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't achieve anything you dream. You can and you will if God is the captain of your ship. Be at peace, don't try to figure out all the details, let Jesus gently guide you, just as He did for His disciples. Jesus prayed for Peter because He knew the path Peter would take. If He did it for him, He's done it for us. I leave you today with Jesus' prayer for Peter. I've made it an image on my bible app so that I can remember He prayed for me too.
May your dreams propel you toward our Lord and Savior and may He make them a reality for His glory!
Luke 22:31-33 NIV
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked me to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
The question of the day is what happened to dreaming big? You know when you were a little girl and you dreamed of your family, your job, your new invention or just baking a cake. How about dressing up and imagining yourself as the fairy princess in the latest Cinderella film? All of us had dreams. Dreams that were so much larger than ourselves. And yet, as life ticked by, we lost sight of those gigantic dreams. Why? Reality set in, that's why.
I had a dream to be a doctor, that got thrown out because I couldn't pass Physics. Then I was going to be a journalist, oh that got thrown out too. And then, I was going to be a great Historian, well that didn't happen either. So in a span of four years, three of my very ambitious dreams got washed away, never to be thought of again, until today. Today, I was thinking of one of my very large dreams. I prayed that I would go into business with my husband. This dream happened long before I met my husband and do you know what happened this year, my husband started up a business and I am his financial and business advisor. How did that come to fruition? Honestly, I don't know. I've thought about it. Maybe it was my boss taking the time to teach me about the fundamentals of small business financials or maybe it was the opportunity I was given to help run a business, either way I'm still not sure. So three of my dreams were washed deep within the ground and one became a reality. Now I have other dreams like writing a book and speaking to women throughout the world, will that come true? Time will tell. The point I'm trying to make is that as our dreams are washed away so is the vision, excitement and expectation that our dreams can come true.
This year has been full of dreams that have been squashed and opportunities that have been given. When I look at this year I realize that God has had His hand in all things and that I need to dream bigger, believe more and let God take the wheel. I love having the wheel and up until this last year my driving was excellent. I was the NASCAR champion of my career. No one could stop me. I had propelled to the pinnacle of all my hard work. Well nothing is perfect and I hit a road block or two, I didn't die or even have severe injuries but I did have a concussion for a while. It took a great amount of prayer for me to see that my opportunities are endless and I can make good of a very difficult situation. I have learned that I'm not perfect. Crazy to think I was anyway. I really believed I understood people but I didn't. I really believed that as long as I cared, people would care back, not so much. And finally, I believed that my hard work and production would always be enough. Well it hasn't been. My life is not perfect, I'm not perfect, people aren't perfect and I still want to dream.
Writing my life goals and producing them into fruition has been my mantra. I don't let "NO" impact my ability to perform. I don't let what you think about me defeat me and I don't stop until I achieve. I am in control, right? Wrong. Although those things are admirable in the world, I'm not sure they are for God. Goals are wonderful and I believe we should set them but they are not the end all of this life. Every moment of the day, I'm thinking about how to achieve my goals. What's left then for God to guide me, watch over me and produce fruit from my life? Not much. I've orchestrated everything weighing out the risk and the reward but I've left something out, my dreams. Why do we squash our dreams? I have because I had to provide. Provision has been my compass and my entire focus and somewhere in that word, I began to believe I was actually responsible to provide for everyone. What about Jesus, where was He? Was He sitting on the sidelines? No, He was waiting for me to be still, which by the way I'm horrible at. My mind goes as fast as one of those race cars. It propels around a track in less than 30 seconds and can solve problems, multi-task and rationalize all within the same time period. It's a super highway of thoughts, feelings, and risk modeling. I would hate to actually look inside. So how does a person like me be still you might ask? The answer: God brings me to my knees. There is no greater way to get someone like me to slow down and listen than to put up obstacles I just can't scale alone. That's how He got to me this year. He put up road block after road block and with each one I found myself deeper in Scripture, more in tune with needing Him and praying until I didn't think I could pray anymore. And this week, He got in, finally.
Having dreams is not wrong? As a matter of fact, I think that's how God inspires us to be better. Having dreams and believing your in control, that you can make them happen, that's the wrong part. We must step forward and at the same time realize that Jesus will fulfill them if they are in His will. Telling someone they aren't good at something is not going to take away a vision from God. I'm not good at math and yet, I can do accounting. How did that happen? Because God wanted it to happen, that's how. My childhood dream and prayer to be in business with my mate came true years after I prayed it. As a matter of fact, I had forgotten about it until this week when I was still. Dreams come to us when we aren't trying to solve the world's issues. They are inspired and when your a believer they are God inspired. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't achieve anything you dream. You can and you will if God is the captain of your ship. Be at peace, don't try to figure out all the details, let Jesus gently guide you, just as He did for His disciples. Jesus prayed for Peter because He knew the path Peter would take. If He did it for him, He's done it for us. I leave you today with Jesus' prayer for Peter. I've made it an image on my bible app so that I can remember He prayed for me too.
May your dreams propel you toward our Lord and Savior and may He make them a reality for His glory!
Luke 22:31-33 NIV
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked me to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
Friday, November 20, 2015
My year of YES!
Good morning all-
I have just finished a really good book. It's called, "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rhimes. Now I need to preface this with the fact that I didn't even know who she was until Sunday night. Some of you may be saying, what? I know but I just don't watch a lot of television. I'm too busy. I have a house to take care of, a job and my husband's company to run. I don't have time to veg by the television Thursday night to watch the trio written by Shonda and that's why my channel searching and falling onto the OWN channel just as she was answering Oprah's question is so incredibly awesome.
I have been working on taking care of myself. I am eating smaller portions, working smarter, traveling better and working out. I'm trying to remember that if I don't give something to myself, I won't be anything to anyone else and people depend on me to sell, take care of the house, cook and do the books. People need things from me but I need to do something for myself because this year has flown by and I don't have anything to show for it really. So as I began to get on my husband's bike to go four boring miles(you all know what I'm saying), I turned the television on and I hear Soul Sunday, so I stop, watch it for a second and start riding and everything in my life started to change. One minute, one bike, one channel and then light.
Jesus is my reason to live so if you read her book and start disagreeing, just take a moment and put her journey into the story of Jesus. She wants to love, she needs to love and she hasn't ever loved herself until her year of yes. I saw Jesus all over it. Now if you buy the book and I suggest you do, you may judge me but I can honestly say that every page I turned, I saw Jesus transforming, creating and lifting up. I saw redemption and joy.
This life isn't easy and great women that become warriors aren't great because they were born with a silver spoon, never had hard times or walked in grace all their lives. Great women overcome challenges, scale tall walls and endure hard circumstances. They learn to give of themselves to survive and what drives them is their insecurity and drive to be the best in a world that constantly will knock you down. So yes, I loved the book and yes, I saw Jesus and yes, I believe He alone brought me to OWN for that moment. It's not about the universe or a higher power; It's God!
If you've read this blog you've been part of my challenging year. I have fought and won. I have found peace or what I thought was peace in the storm and I have sought to challenge myself in the face of much adversity. I have not failed this year. I have learned and with every lesson comes enlightenment and right now reading Shonda's book may have opened my eyes in a way I never thought possible. In some ways she and I share commonalities. We both love to read, to create and to dream. And just like her, I held in everything I thought and felt. I closeted my eating to help me with the stresses of life and I succumbed to sitting at home, going to bed early and sleeping rather than living. I hid and hid and hid. I even hid behind this keyboard. It's so easy to write out what I think but it's much harder for me to share these same feelings one on one. I'm a lion behind the keyboard but a mouse in my personal life. Well I'm shedding that and every other thing I've carried in my life. I was made for this time and I'm going to hit it head on.
I love to work. I was made to work. The greater the challenge the more I want to conquer it. If you don't like me, I will work to make you like me. If you think I'm a failure, I'll show you I'm not. If you think I can't do something, I will because I learned very young no one was going to lift me up, wipe me off and look into my blue eyes and say, "Lisa, I'm your savior." No one, that is, except for Jesus. And once again, I'm in a room by myself and Jesus appears. I'm a thinker. I think about everything. I stifle my emotions, have a hard time telling someone they made me angry and hate to be mad because when I'm mad, I have no sense. So I learned young, as the popular people were picking on me, making fun of me and even the nerds excluded me, to stifle all emotion. I pushed it down. I worked at having a shell of pride and I never let anyone tell me I couldn't do it but through the years I have also let fear and worry creep into my life, my dreams and my hope. Jesus is not worry, He's freedom. And yet the bondage of my youth has crept into every part of me and as I finished this wonderful book I realized this was my year of yes.
I'm sure you think I'm crazy. How does a book make you say, "YES?" Well how did six words from a sister change Shonda's life, you'll have to read the book because it really is very special. For me, it was as simple as saying, she's just like you. She loves to work. She loves her kids. She wants to be the best mother and the best working woman. She needs to be creative as much as she needs to breathe and she loves control. Guess what? If this was an algebraic equation, it would equal me. And all of the sudden, I heard that inner voice that really is an introvert, reformed nerd, say, "Why can't I say Yes?" One moment, one thought, could it mean true transformation? My answer is YES. This has been a year of challenge, growth, opportunity and Jesus. Without Him none of this would matter. I don't matter if He's not driving. So yes, I need to do the things that scare me to death. I need to worry less, ride that bike more and revel in the fact that I get to spread the Word of God. I get to, that's just crazy. How does a reformed introvert who is more nerd than anything else, get to? I'm anointed that's how and I'm His and this is my year of yes.
To commemorate this very special moment in my life, I took a note. I'm a goal-oriented person. I put a goal on something and I will meet that goal. I will work for it with verve. I just love that word. So it's on my list. There are fifteen very specific things I am going to say YES to this year and I'm going to look at them every morning after I've read my Bible and have asked God to lead me. It's time to be the butterfly and not the caterpillar. It's time to experience the blessings God has bestowed on me and those I tell everyone else to celebrate. It's time for me to be one with Jesus and transform into an all believing, all seeking soldier with all the wounds befitting to a great warrior. My wounds are His reward. I need to embrace that, you need to embrace it and you need to say YES to your fears. It's time that the women of God stand up in faith and believe we are strong because of Jesus. We are not faint, we don't need to stand on the sidelines, we need to embrace the power of the cross and live!
Lord make us mighty warriors for you in every way, not just in this moment but for generations to come. Please bless my year of YES and gather me unto You as I face my fears, surrender my worries and look up! Your the only reason I need to live and Lord I want to live with my whole heart. IN JESUS NAME I ASK THIS, AMEN
I have just finished a really good book. It's called, "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rhimes. Now I need to preface this with the fact that I didn't even know who she was until Sunday night. Some of you may be saying, what? I know but I just don't watch a lot of television. I'm too busy. I have a house to take care of, a job and my husband's company to run. I don't have time to veg by the television Thursday night to watch the trio written by Shonda and that's why my channel searching and falling onto the OWN channel just as she was answering Oprah's question is so incredibly awesome.
I have been working on taking care of myself. I am eating smaller portions, working smarter, traveling better and working out. I'm trying to remember that if I don't give something to myself, I won't be anything to anyone else and people depend on me to sell, take care of the house, cook and do the books. People need things from me but I need to do something for myself because this year has flown by and I don't have anything to show for it really. So as I began to get on my husband's bike to go four boring miles(you all know what I'm saying), I turned the television on and I hear Soul Sunday, so I stop, watch it for a second and start riding and everything in my life started to change. One minute, one bike, one channel and then light.
Jesus is my reason to live so if you read her book and start disagreeing, just take a moment and put her journey into the story of Jesus. She wants to love, she needs to love and she hasn't ever loved herself until her year of yes. I saw Jesus all over it. Now if you buy the book and I suggest you do, you may judge me but I can honestly say that every page I turned, I saw Jesus transforming, creating and lifting up. I saw redemption and joy.
This life isn't easy and great women that become warriors aren't great because they were born with a silver spoon, never had hard times or walked in grace all their lives. Great women overcome challenges, scale tall walls and endure hard circumstances. They learn to give of themselves to survive and what drives them is their insecurity and drive to be the best in a world that constantly will knock you down. So yes, I loved the book and yes, I saw Jesus and yes, I believe He alone brought me to OWN for that moment. It's not about the universe or a higher power; It's God!
If you've read this blog you've been part of my challenging year. I have fought and won. I have found peace or what I thought was peace in the storm and I have sought to challenge myself in the face of much adversity. I have not failed this year. I have learned and with every lesson comes enlightenment and right now reading Shonda's book may have opened my eyes in a way I never thought possible. In some ways she and I share commonalities. We both love to read, to create and to dream. And just like her, I held in everything I thought and felt. I closeted my eating to help me with the stresses of life and I succumbed to sitting at home, going to bed early and sleeping rather than living. I hid and hid and hid. I even hid behind this keyboard. It's so easy to write out what I think but it's much harder for me to share these same feelings one on one. I'm a lion behind the keyboard but a mouse in my personal life. Well I'm shedding that and every other thing I've carried in my life. I was made for this time and I'm going to hit it head on.
I love to work. I was made to work. The greater the challenge the more I want to conquer it. If you don't like me, I will work to make you like me. If you think I'm a failure, I'll show you I'm not. If you think I can't do something, I will because I learned very young no one was going to lift me up, wipe me off and look into my blue eyes and say, "Lisa, I'm your savior." No one, that is, except for Jesus. And once again, I'm in a room by myself and Jesus appears. I'm a thinker. I think about everything. I stifle my emotions, have a hard time telling someone they made me angry and hate to be mad because when I'm mad, I have no sense. So I learned young, as the popular people were picking on me, making fun of me and even the nerds excluded me, to stifle all emotion. I pushed it down. I worked at having a shell of pride and I never let anyone tell me I couldn't do it but through the years I have also let fear and worry creep into my life, my dreams and my hope. Jesus is not worry, He's freedom. And yet the bondage of my youth has crept into every part of me and as I finished this wonderful book I realized this was my year of yes.
I'm sure you think I'm crazy. How does a book make you say, "YES?" Well how did six words from a sister change Shonda's life, you'll have to read the book because it really is very special. For me, it was as simple as saying, she's just like you. She loves to work. She loves her kids. She wants to be the best mother and the best working woman. She needs to be creative as much as she needs to breathe and she loves control. Guess what? If this was an algebraic equation, it would equal me. And all of the sudden, I heard that inner voice that really is an introvert, reformed nerd, say, "Why can't I say Yes?" One moment, one thought, could it mean true transformation? My answer is YES. This has been a year of challenge, growth, opportunity and Jesus. Without Him none of this would matter. I don't matter if He's not driving. So yes, I need to do the things that scare me to death. I need to worry less, ride that bike more and revel in the fact that I get to spread the Word of God. I get to, that's just crazy. How does a reformed introvert who is more nerd than anything else, get to? I'm anointed that's how and I'm His and this is my year of yes.
To commemorate this very special moment in my life, I took a note. I'm a goal-oriented person. I put a goal on something and I will meet that goal. I will work for it with verve. I just love that word. So it's on my list. There are fifteen very specific things I am going to say YES to this year and I'm going to look at them every morning after I've read my Bible and have asked God to lead me. It's time to be the butterfly and not the caterpillar. It's time to experience the blessings God has bestowed on me and those I tell everyone else to celebrate. It's time for me to be one with Jesus and transform into an all believing, all seeking soldier with all the wounds befitting to a great warrior. My wounds are His reward. I need to embrace that, you need to embrace it and you need to say YES to your fears. It's time that the women of God stand up in faith and believe we are strong because of Jesus. We are not faint, we don't need to stand on the sidelines, we need to embrace the power of the cross and live!
Lord make us mighty warriors for you in every way, not just in this moment but for generations to come. Please bless my year of YES and gather me unto You as I face my fears, surrender my worries and look up! Your the only reason I need to live and Lord I want to live with my whole heart. IN JESUS NAME I ASK THIS, AMEN
Monday, November 9, 2015
Pray for the World....
Good morning-
I just wanted to reach out today and encourage you all to pray for your countries, this world and Israel. Strange things are taking place and I think the one thing God is calling us to do is to repent and to look for Him. We continue to have food supplies wiped out by drought, storms and disease. The earth is growling and in Kansas this last week on the 7th day of November there were 7 earthquakes in 7 hours, strange you might say but it's definitely something to think about.
On top of those things, Israel is facing huge challenges. North Korea, Russia and ISIS would love to destroy other countries and people groups and with all that chaos we are losing another generation to laziness, drugs and a sense of apathy for God.
So this morning, I prayed for the hills of Mount Zion to protect Israel. I prayed a crown of thorns around my family and especially my kids and I prayed at lunch that God would protect all of us as we repent and look for Him. It's a shame that it takes the rumors of wars, famine, floods and fire to make us look toward Him. It's a shame that God needs to shake us up so that we quit being apathetic and we move toward Him. I'm in prayer not about all the situations that are happening but about repentance, mine and everyone else's sin. I need Jesus to envelope me and to make me see the power of the cross and so do you.
Instead of second guessing what's to come or looking for signs, which God promises will be there, let's just get down on our knees and pray for mercy. That's what I'm doing and so should you.
Remember to pray:
I just wanted to reach out today and encourage you all to pray for your countries, this world and Israel. Strange things are taking place and I think the one thing God is calling us to do is to repent and to look for Him. We continue to have food supplies wiped out by drought, storms and disease. The earth is growling and in Kansas this last week on the 7th day of November there were 7 earthquakes in 7 hours, strange you might say but it's definitely something to think about.
On top of those things, Israel is facing huge challenges. North Korea, Russia and ISIS would love to destroy other countries and people groups and with all that chaos we are losing another generation to laziness, drugs and a sense of apathy for God.
So this morning, I prayed for the hills of Mount Zion to protect Israel. I prayed a crown of thorns around my family and especially my kids and I prayed at lunch that God would protect all of us as we repent and look for Him. It's a shame that it takes the rumors of wars, famine, floods and fire to make us look toward Him. It's a shame that God needs to shake us up so that we quit being apathetic and we move toward Him. I'm in prayer not about all the situations that are happening but about repentance, mine and everyone else's sin. I need Jesus to envelope me and to make me see the power of the cross and so do you.
Instead of second guessing what's to come or looking for signs, which God promises will be there, let's just get down on our knees and pray for mercy. That's what I'm doing and so should you.
Remember to pray:
- Nations bow down to Jesus
- People repent of their sin
- God would protect our families by the crown of thorns He wore on the cross
- Pray that all nations would be under God, invisible!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
What would happen if we got our way?
Good morning all-
Have you ever wondered what would happen if God just granted our every desire? I'm not sure why I've been thinking about that one question so much but I have. Recently, I picked up one of Beth Moore's studies and I'm going through the Psalms of Ascent. It's eye opening in the sense that I've been through a time where God needed to change me and make me new and so I think the passage makes so more sense then it did before I went through that trial.
There are so many things I've dreamed of in my life. I wanted a faithful husband and I have one. I wanted to be a princess and instead I'm a working girl. I wanted a daughter and instead I got two beautiful sons. I wanted to take care of my parents financially but they both died before I could do that. I wanted to be a manager of people which I achieved but with some hard knocks along the way.
There are always things people have in their hearts. We want to run before we can walk, that's the nature of the sin in our heart. God called us to walk first, right? Otherwise we would have a million 10-12 month olds running before they walked and we would never keep up. There is order in everything and yet, most think they know what's best for their lives, when in reality only God knows.
It took me the last nine months to realize that God was before me. It also took me that long to realize that I like who I am and I'm not going to change it. And finally, it took me that long to realize that it was best for God to get His way over my way. He had the answer, the timing and the direction all along. Thank you Jesus for not letting me have my way!
David has always been one of my most favorite people in the Bible because I recognize him as a Hero, a King, an Adulterer and a man after God's own heart. Take a moment and read those words again, do you see the painted picture? He had it all and then committed sin and then became a man after God's own heart. When I read the words in the Psalms, I get the picture of a man who knew how to be on His knees. I get his struggles, his need to seek wisdom and His unbelievable knack to cry out to God, not just when he needed Him but every time he needed God. I know I don't always do that and there are religions that teach you not to do that. They call it selfish, right? Well then tell me how a man after God's own heart was selfish in doing so, I don't think our Father would agree.
It's when we are on our knees thinking about the Scripture and one with Jesus that I believe He shows us why we didn't get what we wanted. I think it's in the silence when no one knows what we're doing that we find the answers to the perplexity of this life. I believe there is a holy battle over your life and your either going to let God go before you with all the answers or your going to choose the path that makes you run before you walk, which is not the way God intended. Countries will eventually be crushed if they don't turn toward God, floods of great magnitude will wipe out generations if we don't turn to God, financial empires will be crushed if we don't turn to God and unfortunately for us, when we want to be spoiled and secure in the world we won't see God's hand guiding us through the rough waters and the spiritual battles.
I'm done being my own direction driver. It hasn't done much for me. Oh, I have achieved what the world sees as good but I would rather receive the lesson I learned this year because my eyes are focused on something far greater than myself. I'm glad He didn't deliver everything to me I asked for because I needed to be tested, tried and put into a situation where He was the only foundation I needed. I've learned many things through this trial but what I've learned most of all is being humble, setting my feet firmly in Scripture and repentance which is more important than being the greatest mom, the top salesman, the greatest accountant or the best manager, those are worldly things. Don't get me wrong, I'm always going to strive for those things because that's who God made me. And yet, I hope I've learned a lesson that I will take to my grave. I hope that I've learned that God will make me walk when I want to run. He will make me quiet when I want to defend. He will give me wisdom when I want to commit folly and He will build my house. All I have to do is submit.
Rejoice if God has not given you your way. It might be the one lesson that propels you to greatness. In those dark moments I wasn't rejoicing I can promise you that but then I remembered David and I'm sure he had many dark moments seeking our Father in Heaven. It's in the Psalms that we find a man after God's own heart and if I had to fight an inner battle between flesh and God, it was worth not getting my way. I don't have to worry about the battle because God fights for me. He is for me! Do you realize what that means? If He's for this sinner, He's for you too. Take a moment to think about all the things He has done, were they worthy? Did He change your heart, your mind, your direction? I think if we really look at the impact of what He has shown us along the way, we will see that our direction or really our desires were important to us but not important to His plan.
God delivers us even when we aren't seeing. That's my comfort and that's why I've rejoiced in giving up my direction to walk instead of run. His plan is PERFECT, ours never is.
May God bless you with these words and may you see what He's trying to show you today. These words are mine but His will can take them and make them into someone's lifeline. I hope He does that for you today as He has for me this year.
Psalm 124 KJV
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;
Have you ever wondered what would happen if God just granted our every desire? I'm not sure why I've been thinking about that one question so much but I have. Recently, I picked up one of Beth Moore's studies and I'm going through the Psalms of Ascent. It's eye opening in the sense that I've been through a time where God needed to change me and make me new and so I think the passage makes so more sense then it did before I went through that trial.
There are so many things I've dreamed of in my life. I wanted a faithful husband and I have one. I wanted to be a princess and instead I'm a working girl. I wanted a daughter and instead I got two beautiful sons. I wanted to take care of my parents financially but they both died before I could do that. I wanted to be a manager of people which I achieved but with some hard knocks along the way.
There are always things people have in their hearts. We want to run before we can walk, that's the nature of the sin in our heart. God called us to walk first, right? Otherwise we would have a million 10-12 month olds running before they walked and we would never keep up. There is order in everything and yet, most think they know what's best for their lives, when in reality only God knows.
It took me the last nine months to realize that God was before me. It also took me that long to realize that I like who I am and I'm not going to change it. And finally, it took me that long to realize that it was best for God to get His way over my way. He had the answer, the timing and the direction all along. Thank you Jesus for not letting me have my way!
David has always been one of my most favorite people in the Bible because I recognize him as a Hero, a King, an Adulterer and a man after God's own heart. Take a moment and read those words again, do you see the painted picture? He had it all and then committed sin and then became a man after God's own heart. When I read the words in the Psalms, I get the picture of a man who knew how to be on His knees. I get his struggles, his need to seek wisdom and His unbelievable knack to cry out to God, not just when he needed Him but every time he needed God. I know I don't always do that and there are religions that teach you not to do that. They call it selfish, right? Well then tell me how a man after God's own heart was selfish in doing so, I don't think our Father would agree.
It's when we are on our knees thinking about the Scripture and one with Jesus that I believe He shows us why we didn't get what we wanted. I think it's in the silence when no one knows what we're doing that we find the answers to the perplexity of this life. I believe there is a holy battle over your life and your either going to let God go before you with all the answers or your going to choose the path that makes you run before you walk, which is not the way God intended. Countries will eventually be crushed if they don't turn toward God, floods of great magnitude will wipe out generations if we don't turn to God, financial empires will be crushed if we don't turn to God and unfortunately for us, when we want to be spoiled and secure in the world we won't see God's hand guiding us through the rough waters and the spiritual battles.
I'm done being my own direction driver. It hasn't done much for me. Oh, I have achieved what the world sees as good but I would rather receive the lesson I learned this year because my eyes are focused on something far greater than myself. I'm glad He didn't deliver everything to me I asked for because I needed to be tested, tried and put into a situation where He was the only foundation I needed. I've learned many things through this trial but what I've learned most of all is being humble, setting my feet firmly in Scripture and repentance which is more important than being the greatest mom, the top salesman, the greatest accountant or the best manager, those are worldly things. Don't get me wrong, I'm always going to strive for those things because that's who God made me. And yet, I hope I've learned a lesson that I will take to my grave. I hope that I've learned that God will make me walk when I want to run. He will make me quiet when I want to defend. He will give me wisdom when I want to commit folly and He will build my house. All I have to do is submit.
Rejoice if God has not given you your way. It might be the one lesson that propels you to greatness. In those dark moments I wasn't rejoicing I can promise you that but then I remembered David and I'm sure he had many dark moments seeking our Father in Heaven. It's in the Psalms that we find a man after God's own heart and if I had to fight an inner battle between flesh and God, it was worth not getting my way. I don't have to worry about the battle because God fights for me. He is for me! Do you realize what that means? If He's for this sinner, He's for you too. Take a moment to think about all the things He has done, were they worthy? Did He change your heart, your mind, your direction? I think if we really look at the impact of what He has shown us along the way, we will see that our direction or really our desires were important to us but not important to His plan.
God delivers us even when we aren't seeing. That's my comfort and that's why I've rejoiced in giving up my direction to walk instead of run. His plan is PERFECT, ours never is.
May God bless you with these words and may you see what He's trying to show you today. These words are mine but His will can take them and make them into someone's lifeline. I hope He does that for you today as He has for me this year.
Psalm 124 KJV
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.
Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
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