The Love of the Father

"I have loved you with an everlasting love..." Jeremiah 31:3

The love of our Father. Have you ever felt it? Have you ever let Him touch you with His love? To describe it takes words, experience and emotions that are and will be different for each of us. He is greater than human words can express, but you must know Him. For me, He is indescribable at times and at other times, He is sweet, precious, gentle, comforting, faithful, delightful, dependable and the best hugger in the world! I love Him for all these things and so much more.

I pray that others know Him now and that others will be drawn to Him daily. To know His love is to know of One who has the ability to fill every need and longing within us. For whatever you want and for every desire, He is the answer.

How to get His love is too simple for us to accept, but He stands with open arms towards all of us anyway. Some of us will run to Him, others will walk tentatively and others will run in the opposite direction. His love is more powerful than that of any human being, yet it contains all we need. It accepts us as we are with every mistake, failure, loss, indecision, and complaint. It's a love that makes no sense to what is familiar. That's why I want it. It never fails me. When I am in need, which is all the time, I can count on God's love. It fills me, comforts and consoles. It makes me laugh and surprises me with the simple desires of my heart. It completes me. In the chaos of my day or in the darkest moments, I reach for Him, call out to Him and He is there. Always there.

Reach for Him. Seek His face. Take a deep breath and let Him love you. You may think you are the lowest of the low, but in His eyes you are glorious, a display of His splendor. No other human may love you, but He has always loved you. Yes, it's hard to fathom. Why, with all that you have done or not done, would He want to love you? Because He can. Because He wants to. Because you make His heart so full.

My friend, He adores you and wants to give you the world. Take a chance. Let Him into the places where others have trampled and the secret places where no one will ever go. Watch how He loves you then. I promise you a sweet embrace from our heavenly Father. Savor it. Share it. Keep reaching for it.

He's waiting for you.

God Is Good!

I just have to say that God is good! He has such a way of showing up when we least expect Him and when He does, He is so smooth.

The past few months have been full of work and enemy distractions, but God has been faithful. He kept His promise to never leave me nor forsake me and for that, I am truly grateful. Our heavenly Father opened my eyes to some projects that I had taken on, believing that I needed certain skills and experience in order to serve Him. He kept speaking to my spirit and reminding me that the harvest was not only ripe, but really overripe!

So I gave up some of my projects and responsibilities and decided to make time to sit and listen to Him. Oh, how sweet He is when we wait on Him! What glory and splendor He shows when we delight in Him and seek His face. The effort isn't great, but it is a choice only we can make. He is a mighty God with a warm, gracious and loving heart that wants to simply love us. He wants to touch us, change us and shine through us so that others will know Him and seek His face. He has so much to give and longs for us to run to Him for every need and for every bit of us that is empty. His arms are always open and not a moment goes by where He doesn't think about each one of us. Yes, He thinks about you and me all the time. There isn't a human being on this earth who can do that!

Whether you believe you are worthy of His love and presence doesn't matter. What matters is that He is there waiting for you to come to Him. He has everything you need and is everything you need. Please drop every burden and every care, even if it is just for a few minutes. Give them to Him to work out. It may seem strange at first and you may wonder what to do now that you are not carrying everything. Once that happens, do the oddest thing - rest! Rest and let Him take hold of the reigns. Rest and let Him carry your world for you. When others come to you with their burdens, tell them what you did - accepted Christ's invitation to come, lay down your heavy burdens and rest. You will feel weary once you let go and it may take some time, even months before you feel rested. That only shows how much you have been carrying on your own. But, continue to rest in Him and listen to what He has to say. Listen to His heart. Receive His love and grace. It may be hard to do this, but it is what He has for each one of us because He simply loves us. He loves so simply.

My friends, please let God love you today and watch what happens. Give Him a chance to show He is there for you. Then thank Him. Thank Him for everything you can think of. He will delight in your acknowledgement and will show you so much more of His glory. And He will show you that even you were created to be a display of His splendor right where you are and just as you are. Then thank Him again for He is worthy to be praised!

Be blessed my friends!

Which Way Should I Go?

"For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15, NIV)

How the enemy must laugh when we send ourselves into circles believing his lies. The doubt and condemnation is enough to make a person crazy! How many of you set goals for yourselves, make detailed plans to achieve them, then don't do anything with them? How many of you then think that the power and results come from God, so why should I be so concerned? God's plans will come to fruition no matter what I do or don't do. Then we hear the catchy affirmations like, "If it's going to be, it's up to me!"

So what do you believe - the affirmations created by man or the Scriptures created by God? Do we really need to think about this?! My personal desire is to be used by God for His purposes and I know that the desires in my heart are from Him. The toughest part is figuring out how to achieve those dreams and goals. Do I go after them strictly on faith, prayer and God's leading or do I set goals with action steps, time lines and accountability markers to check my "progress"? Can't I simply trust God to open doors for me and walk through them in confidence knowing He has given me everything I need for success? Or, do I have to work and work and work through actions versus work and work and work through prayer, faith and belief in God?

We often hear that our actions show faith in God. So what actions are the right actions for God's plans? His Word says to do with all my might as if I were doing it for Him. Isn't that my whole purpose for living? Aren't my actions to be a reflection of Jesus Christ? So, if I don't have my day planner completely filled with activities and I am not running the gerbil wheel at least twelve hours a day chasing after my dreams, am I not living right? Am I being disobedient to God? Is my "laziness" an offense to Him?

Dear God, tell me which way to go because all I know how to do is my best. Order my steps so that what I do brings You glory. If I am headed in the wrong direction, make your plans clear, close doors and turn me in the way in which I should go. My life is for Your honor. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

A New Thing

"I have summoned you by name; you are mine...See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:1,19 NIV

For those of you who check this blog frequently, I apologize for not having written for a while. I began seminary last month and have been adjusting to working full-time and going to school along with the other responsibilities in my life.

God is doing a mighty work within me though, a work that I can only describe as spiritual transformation. The emotional, mental and spiritual battle waging within has been draining. The confusion and frustration drive me to despair at times and I wonder if I am close to what David must have felt when he wrote the psalms. But, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me!"

Despite the war within, I am loving my classes and the seminary experience. That might not make sense, but I know the raging battle is because of my obedience to God. The enemy is not happy that I am walking in my destiny, but seminary is where I am supposed to be; it is part of God's call on my life. As long as I seek Him, I will have victory!

So today, let's praise God for Who He is. Praise Him for His love! Praise Him for His promises and blessings! Praise Him just because we can!

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me for Your plans. Thank you for ordering my steps and protecting me from the enemy. Thank you for doing a new thing in my life. Help me throughout this journey - in my laying down of self, in standing on Your Word and its promises, in my belief and faith. May You be glorified in all that I do and in all that I am. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

He Really Does Answer Prayer!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and will bring you back from captivity.'" (Jeremiah 29:11-14, NIV)

God really does answer prayer! I know it may be hard to believe especially when you are in the middle of a dark, stressful time, but He does come through. If we remember that His ways and thoughts are not the same as ours, we can learn to expect Him at all times.

God has a way of surprising us in the tiniest of details as well as in the big things of life. As God's children, we must believe what He says about His character and promises. It is a choice we must make to trust that He really does know the plans He has for us and in our trusting cast all of our cares in obedience.

When we take a step in faith, God will move mountains for His children. I attended a conference a few months ago and heard a speaker say that, "When we make a decision, God will move the universe!" What an amazing revelation and promise! Despite what I have done or not done in my life, when I make a decision to step out in faith, God will move heaven and earth just for me! Wow!

The beauty of these promises comes from the immeasurable love God has for His children. We don't deserve it and could never earn it, but He freely gives it. Hallelujah! And to think that all we have to do is choose to believe, trust, wait on Him with expectancy and simply delight in Him. Even when we do those simple steps He shows up.

God has mercy for us, grace and wisdom for living each day and power to help us overcome life's circumstances. When there is no hope and we have done all we can do as humans, God can do so much more. I am limited in my own efforts, but with God I can do all things.

If you are in a place that doesn't seem to be getting any better, if you have lost all hope and have done all you can, seek God. Simply ask Him to help you. Believe He will answer your prayers and know that they will be answered in ways that you would never expect. Look for Him in all things and watch His glory unfold.

Lord, may we seek You and seek You with our whole hearts. We often get ourselves in situations that we don't know how to get out of. Help us to remember that You know all things and that You do care about each one of us. Help us believe and trust in You. Remind us to turn to You at all times for all things. Change our hearts, our minds and our ways for Your glory and promises. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Why God

"And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people." Leviticus 26:12

Those who do not know the Lord, ask how and why Christians believe in Him. When I look at what He has done in my life and in the lives of other Christians, I can't help but believe in Him. Issues have been resolved, unexplainable blessings have been received and miracles have occurred. None of these could have been accomplished by human hands, only by faith and the power of God.

I have been faced with a challenge or what I would call a challenge and finally met it head on the other day. I was accepted into grad school via an online program with a prestigious Christian university. I am so excited about the opportunity to learn and deepen my faith in the Lord. My biggest fears were paying for school and managing it with work. I have a job that I am grateful for but am not crazy about. I finally shared with my boss, who is also my father, this great opportunity for school. The sharing part went well, but I was finally faced with what to do about a career. I have been praying and asking God to make a way for me to go to school full-time and provide the financial means to pay for it and my personal needs over the next three years. My desire is to focus fully on my school work and some other opportunities that God has laid on my heart.

Over the past two weeks, 2 Corinthians 5:7 ("For we walk by faith, not by sight.") has been repeated many times in passages I have read or in conversations with friends. Some have even said, "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat!" I am once again at a point where I have to trust God in a mighty way to open doors and bless as He sees fit. Yes, some of the changes and opportunities require effort on my part, but the impossible or miraculous can only come from God. What some people call fate or luck, Christians know is the grace, love and power of Almighty God.

When you are faced with challenges that you have no idea how to resolve or get through and suddenly an opportunity or resolution appears that no human could have performed, you know it has to be God! When doors open and your dream is handed to you so smoothly and effortlessly, it can only be God. When your dreams are achieved, needs are met in greater ways than you planned or expected, it's because God's hand was in it. There is nothing any human can do without the grace of God. We have power, abilities, talents, skills, creativity, wisdom, knowledge and strength because of our Creator. We didn't give any of these to ourselves. He gave us these attributes as gifts for the sole purpose of using them for His glory. God isn't selfish. He, like us, just wants to be received, recognized, accepted and loved.

If you have dreams in your heart or circumstances that you don't know how to handle or resolve, make an attempt to ask God for help. He will help if you ask. You don't have to be perfect. He already knows what we have done or not done and what our intentions are. Almighty God just wants His children, the human race, to trust Him and love Him, and He in turn will bless us in amazing ways.

Lord, there are so many of us who do not know You, are afraid of You or don't believe in You. Forgive us and help us to see You as we need to. Help us come to You with all that we have. Teach us to trust You. Show us how to believe in You. Help us receive Your love and grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Life as a Christian

Do you know Jesus Christ? Do you know anyone who does know Him? What is your impression of their belief and faith? Are you sceptical? Do you have a distaste for what they believe?

Many people believe from experience that being a Christian comes with a holier-than-thou attitude and a distaste for anyone not a Christian. Others think Christians are just fanatics or plain crazy. Do those of us who are Christians even have a desire to set the record straight for those who are not?

Being a Christian has been an amazing journey for me. When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior twenty-three years ago, I had no idea what I was in for. These have been years of amazing blessings, and overwhelming trials, none of which I would trade. They have made me stronger, a little bolder and a great lover of Jesus Christ.

My life as a Christian has not always been a bed of roses and it never will be. God has taught me that Christianity is simply a relationship with Him. It's sitting with Him in prayer throughout the day. It is reading the Bible and asking Him for wisdom, understanding and guidance. It's learning to surrender to His will and being obedient to His commands and call on our lives. It's getting to know Him and falling madly, deeply in love with Him. And it is sharing this faith and all that He is with others.

The results of a life with Christ are unspeakable joy, unfathomable love, immeasurable grace, and an indescribable sweetness in your life. There are trials, heartache and pain throughout our lives as Christians, but having a relationship with God teaches us how to trust Him, how to wait on Him to help us through each trial, patience, and expecting and receiving victory and blessings.

Many people think you have to be perfect to be a Christian. It ain't so! Perfection is attained as we live our lives as believers in Jesus Christ and it is all done by God. Our part of perfection is being surrendered to God so that He can transform us into the likeness of His Son, Jesus. Our trials and victories are what make us more like Him. We make mistakes. We hurt people and ourselves with our actions and our words and we fail. But because we have a relationship with God and because He loves us more than anything, He gives us more chances to get it right. And as we grow, we learn that living as a Christian can only be done by His power not ours.

I love the Lord, because He sacrificed His Son out of love for me, a sinner. He has accepted me as I am, my mistakes and failures. Yet, He still loves me. Is it possible for someone to love us no matter what we have said and done to ourselves and others? Absolutely! God is the Someone Who can, will and does love us for all that we are. He created us so that He could love us. That is His only motive and all He wants in return is for us to love Him. He is really quite simple! The beauty of being a Christian is knowing that His love exists purely for us and that it is there every moment of everyday.

If you don't know Jesus Christ and would like to find out more, simply ask Him. He would be delighted to hear from you and is actually waiting just for this moment.

Lord, for those who do not know You, I pray that they will seek you today and every day. I pray that they will continue to seek Your face and have a sweet relationship with You. Touch each one of them Lord and direct their steps to where You want them to be. Lead them to those who can help them in their new life's journey. Renew their spirits and fill them with Your glorious love and grace.

For those who do know You Lord, strengthen them and continue to guide them. If they have turned from You or are in such great need, call them near. Help them hear Your voice and find rest and comfort in You. Encourage each one of us to reach out with open arms to those who are searching to be filled. May we be Your shining light and hope for them.

You are the sweetest, most precious gift we could ever have. May we rejoice in all that You are and give You all the glory, honor and praise. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Are You Ready Yet?!

"Be ready in season and out of season." 2 Timothy 4:2

I just read today's daily devotional from "My Utmost for His Highest." Oswald Chambers talks about being ready all the time to do the work God has called us to do, even when we don't feel like it or feel inspired. It was a gentle thump on my forehead this morning!

For several weeks now, I have not felt inspired to write for this blog. I felt "blocked" and couldn't put in to words what God was doing on the inside of me. After reading Oswald Chambers' devotional, I now know for sure this blog is not for me, but for God. I asked Him last night to let me be a pencil for Him and as He often does, He used His good sense of humor to answer my prayers.

When God gives us a vehicle to use for His plans, we have to work with and through it if we are going to faithfully answer His call. I continually ask Him to use me for His purposes. When the vehicles, locations or situations for use are not to my liking I get upset or disappointed because they are not to my expectations. You know, I really am not my own and the price that was paid for me is worth more than my thinking I am all that and a bag o' chips!

A life lived for Christ takes surrender, preparation and a willingness to do whatever whenever He commands. What I have discovered is that moments of glory for Him come when we are not looking for them (clearly life is not all about us!).

We get to serve a Mighty God Who wants His children to touch every soul in this world and share the Gospel. This command is not an option, but a life long mission. Because Jesus paid the price for our sins, we don't get to decide when we will be used by God. A command was given and must be obeyed at all times, at all costs. That is our price as His disciples. Jesus did what we could never do. How we must grieve Him when we refuse to be used His way!

Lord, forgive me for being so spiritually minded and of no good for You. Change me today. Help me see what You see. Move me to do. Help me love the way You love. I only want to serve You because I love You so much. Be glorified. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

It's All About Jesus

"I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." 1 Corinthians 9:22

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!" Joshua 24:15

My work, my labor, my purpose must be to Jesus Christ. I live, I do, I breathe all for His glory. He chose me to be a witness to Him in all the world. My life is His for the using. I may have a list of dreams and desires, needs and wants, but ultimately all that is done, given and endured is for His purpose.

He knows the plans He has for us and they are plans for good. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." He places visions and desires in our hearts for Him to provide and accomplish. The possibility, the power and authority for achievement come from Him and Him alone.

Our sole mission is to do the will of the Father just as Jesus did while here on earth. How do I live the will of my heavenly Father? Through a surrendered life, obedience to His commands, committing my all to Him, trusting in Him and His promises, having His Word flow through my heart, living in a place of gratitude for being saved from sin and death and being available for Him to move through me so that others will know Him. Allowing God to bend, mold, shape, break and rebuild me makes for a testimony, a witness for His glory.

Lord, I may not understand why you send me where you send me or allow me to go through situations and circumstances that are painful or confusing, but this I do know - You are in control! I do know that I love You and I do know that I want to be used by You. So, as scary as these words are to say, have Your way Lord in every area of my life. Make me who You need me to be and help me trust You more and more as I live each day. I love You so. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Blessed Beyond Measure

"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: you will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land He is giving you. The Lord will establish you as His holy people, as He promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity - in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground - in the land He swore to your forefathers to give you. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them." Deuteronomy 28:1-14

This Scripture basically sums up all that we could ever need and the abundance, graciousness and love of our heavenly Father. Just think, all you have to do is obey Him and He will bless you. Just simply obey.

How difficult is obedience? I think it is as difficult as we choose to make it. Life is perception and reality and how we perceive situations, circumstances, people, ourselves and God will determine what we get out of life. If we perceive all of the above as God sees them, we really are heirs, conquerors and a light to the world. If we choose to focus on the hardship of our circumstances, all that is ugly in the world and our failures, we may suffer more than God intended.

I know life isn't easy, but I also know that I want all that God has for me. Can you imagine your life filled with all of the blessings listed in Deuteronomy 28:1-14? What would you do? I know I would be praising Him like never before. I would do all I knew how to do and then some to be sure He gets all the glory, honor and praise. I would believe Him.

Now, why should we wait for those blessings to come before we praise Him and give Him glory? Doesn't His Word tell us to rejoice and be glad in Him, delight in Him, turn away from all other gods, love Him with all that we have and are, love others as we love ourselves and be witnesses to Him in all the world? If we are doing those things along with renewing our minds, can't we be blessed?

Are you doing those things already? Aren't you already obeying those commands and seeking help to be even better today than you were yesterday? Is He giving you help? Is there food on your table? Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have a job or some type of opportunity to learn, grow and give back? Do you have transportation whether it is public, a car or your two feet? Did you wake up this morning? Is there someone or many someones in your life who you love and who love you as well? If you have any of these things, all or more of them, then you are already blessed. Then you are living a blessed life.

Take some time today, even if it is just a few minutes and list all that you have and all that you are grateful for. Then praise God for each and everything you listed as each one is a blessing from Him. Then ask Him to help you see the world, your life and yourself as He sees and watch more blessings unfold. It doesn't matter whether you think you are worthy, what matters is that He is able and willing to bless you exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ask or think simply because He loves you.

The simplicity of it all - He loves you and desperately wants to bless you. All you have to do is obey and receive.

May you be blessed today and every day.

The Pleasure of His Presence

"Delight in the Lord..." Psalm 37:4

Delight in the Lord for the simple pleasure of His Presence. Not with your own agenda, but just for His company. Quietly listen for Him. Rest in Him. Let Him speak to your heart sweet, sweet somethings.

The simple pleasure of His Presence - a gentle place of surrender. Lay down every care, every need and every dream. Let Him flow through you. Know His joy. His warm embrace - a precious touch.

Take my hand, O Lord and sit with me. Tell me Your secrets, share Your joys. Wrap Your loving arms around me and hold me near. Just love me so. In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name, Amen.

The Glory is His

"Oh Zion! Put on thy strength. For the glory of the Lord is hidden within thee. Oh Zion! Put on they strength. Be fortified, arise and conquer. Oh Zion!" - Dwell, by Fred Hammond and the Radicals for Christ Jesus

My purpose, our purpose is to glorify the Lord in every area of our lives. Through belief, faith, trust, surrender, humility and patience, we are to seek and honor Him. It is then that we can be used for His purposes so that He, not we, may be glorified. Surrender so that He may freely mold us and transform us into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Glory to God! He is glorious! Majesty! All eyes are to be on Him and His majesty, not for what He has done, but for Who He is - I AM WHO I AM. What power and might! And in the midst of that power is a sweet, sweet love for all people.

Bow down and worship Him. Acknowledge Him for all that He is. Have passion for His glory. Have passion for Him, joy in His Presence. Delight in His blessings. Trust in His promises. Do all that He commands for His glory. Commit all that you are and all that you have to Him.

You belong to Him - the glorious One. You are His joy and delight. He will move heaven and earth for you. It is by His grace that you are who you are, that you have what you have and that you are destined to become all that He created you to be. All for His glory!

Lord, may all that I am be for Your glory. May every word and every action bring glory to Your Name. May I be continually humbled by Your grace and used by You so that others may know You. Be glorified Lord! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

All-Consuming Passion

"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2

My soul longs to be in step with Jesus at all times. The time I take with Him is the light of my day and the joy within me. I love sitting in His Presence, learning what He has to teach and hearing Him whisper precious somethings in my ear. What a joy You are my Lord and Savior!

As Paul states in the Scripture above, his sole focus was Jesus Christ and Him crucified. My desire is to live my life in the same way. What changes need to be made in doing this! Yet, the Lord knows my heart and I have chosen to surrender every day so that He can mold me into the character of His Son. I want to be all-consumed. I want to ooze Jesus out of every pore in my body. When I walk, I want the world to see our Savior Jesus Christ. No, I am not perfect, but my God can make me that way. I choose to lay down my life as a sacrifice for His pleasure.

Through constant study, meditation,worship and praise, gratitude on my lips and in my heart, humility and unwavering expectation my transformation will resemble that of Jesus Christ . Fill me with Your light Lord Jesus and let me light up the world for You! When You look down upon this earth, I pray You say the same words You said about King David, "I have searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He is a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him."

May my heart beat to Your heart. May my dreams and desires be Yours. May I be totally consumed with living my entire life for Your glory. May all that I say and do represent You well. May I know nothing except You Jesus Christ and You crucified!

Desperate for God

"He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.'" Mark 5:34

How desperate are you to want God moving in your life? How desperate are you to want your dreams achieved and your needs filled? Are you desperate enough to reach for Him at all costs? Will you turn away from who and what is not working in your life to Him Who will do a mighty work instead? Are you desperate enough to believe Him at His Word?

The woman who suffered an issue of blood for years is a great example of perseverance and faith. She was not going to let Jesus pass by without touching Him. She believed enough to press on to touch just the hem of His garment, hoping for healing.

What are you hoping for? What do you want Him to do in your life? What do you want to be freed from? Do you believe enough to reach out to Him? Do you believe that if you reach just a little bit more that you will touch the hem of His garment? The sweetest words to hear are, " your faith has made you well."

I just finished reading a great book called, "Prepare for Rain" by Micheal Catt. His church members wrote and produced the awesome movie, "Facing the Giants." Both the book and movie feature perfect examples of people desperate for God, people who want to see a move of God in their lives. These people prayed faithfully for change, greater faith, strength, blessings and the abilities and opportunities to reach others for the Lord. They faithfully made plans, sought God's approval, direction and correction and moved when and where He told them to move.

After I finished the book, I asked myself if I was desperate enough to believe and reach for God in the visions and dreams He has given me. I am comfortable in so many areas of my life and know that I am going to have to make some changes in order to walk out God's plans for me. In some areas I am ready to jump out of the boat and in other areas, I want to jump but don't want to leave my safe place. It's hard to jump out and completely let go when you don't know all the details of where you are going and how you are going to get there. But a decision has to be made. Do I love the Lord my God enough to jump out, let go of my boat or comfort zone and do His will? I really want to, but am I desperate enough to jump?

God, it is scary to ask You to change me so that I am desperate enough to seek only You and Your will. I know the comforts of this world are not true and will at some point let me down, unlike You, Who will always be my safety net. Make me desperate enough to reach for You, determined to touch You. Replace any and all fear with boldness and blessed assurance in You. I do want to serve You and see the visions You have placed in my heart come to fruition. Move me to do whatever it takes for Your visions to come to pass. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

You Mean, Even Me?

"Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20

"As it is written, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him..." 1 Corinthians 2:9

I went to an awesome conference this weekend that was so uplifting, exciting and Spirit-filled. One of the speakers said something that I pray I will never forget. She said, "When you make a decision, God will move the universe." Those are powerful words that I have not been able to let go of. They have been working in my spirit all weekend.

Now, I know what God's Word says about His love for me, but would He really move the universe for me? God, when You look at me, do You light up inside? Are You filled with joy when You gaze upon me?

Last night I made some business decisions and took up the courage to ask God, "Would You even move the universe for me?" His answer was, "I have been waiting for you to ask so I could do just that!" Our God is waiting for us to ask Him for the dreams in our hearts. He placed them there. He is the vision giver, the dream giver. Everything that He has shown us and promised us is what is to come. He is just waiting for us to ask.

As I reflect on what this speaker said, I gain a better understanding of the love of God for His children and how badly He wants to give us our hearts' desires. I understand a little bit more about Who He is - a loving, generous Father. We are more blessed than we may ever know. Can you imagine what your life could be like if you asked God to pour out everything He has for you? If I dare to believe, am strong and courageous enough to trust, what would my Lord and Savior have for me?

If you are wondering if God has your desires in store for you, ask Him. Be bold enough or courageous enough to ask. He will answer your prayers.

Heavenly Father, I just love You so. You give me such hope and fill me with such love. Thank Your for choosing me and being forever present in my life. I pray that You will continue to show me how high, how deep, how long and how wide Your love is. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Shall We Dance?

For fifteen years, I trained as a ballet dancer and often took classes in partnering where you learn to trust your partner to lead. There is a good lesson in this and a hard one for me. When you are used to dancing solo or as part of a group, it is hard to lean on someone else trusting that they will take you where you are supposed to go. Letting go can be difficult. Even though I knew the choreography and the end result, I still had to rely on and work with someone else to help get us to the finale.

It is the same way in a life with God. At some point, we have to let go of the controls so that His visions can come to pass. We may not understand the way He is taking us and may even hate it, but the vision will come because He ordained it. The vision comes when we take His lead.

Lord, change my mindset to one of reliance on You. Help me to trust You with the plans You have for my life. Help me relax and let go and instead of encountering fear, find joy and wonder at every turn. I accept Your invitation to dance Lord and know that we will have an amazing finish. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

My Help

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:1-2

How badly we need the Lord. To live each day, we need His power and grace to handle every moment we live.

Yesterday, I received news that someone I knew lost a loved one. I cannot imagine the heartache and pain that this person feels for her loss. The grace is that her loved one knew the Lord and had been baptized.

God, help us see past ourselves! Like the Apostle Paul, help us be who we need to be that we might save some. You have given us dominion and authority to overcome our circumstances and to press on to Your high calling. Give us constant reminders that our lives are not about ourselves but about loving You and others. Give us wisdom and discernment in knowing when someone is in need and the ways to help them overcome. Move us to step out in love and faith just as Jesus did every day. Help us get over what's in it for me and instead be blessings to others.

People are hungry for You Lord and are in such need. You are our help and strength at all times. You have promised to never leave us nor forsake us and gave us Psalm 31:24 which says, "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Help us to tell others that You are our hope, our strength and the Answer to our prayers. Help us live lives of faith, belief and blessed assurance. Let us rejoice so that we can say Psalm 16:9, "Therefore, my heart is glad and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope."

May we find rest and peace in You Lord, the peace that You promised shall surpass all understanding.

Living My "Someday"

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

"Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'" Luke 9:62 (NIV)

I love to dream! I love to imagine what my life will be like when I achieve this goal or am blessed with this dream. Many of us say, "Someday, I am going to take that trip!" or "Someday, I am going to answer God's call on my life!" or "Someday, my life is going to be better!"

For many years, I prayed that God would give me my "someday." I prayed and recited affirmations and worked as hard as I could to achieve the dreams and goals I had wanted. But, then I got tired. I became so worn out that I couldn't believe any more. A bit of hope still remained, but the strength to keep asking, believing and praying was fading. I had worked so hard because I had believed so hard in God's promises. When I had believed and prayed for so many years and saw little to nothing happening, I wondered if maybe those dreams and goals weren't for me. Maybe what I heard as my calling was really a call for someone else. Maybe what I was believing and striving for was for someone else to do. Maybe believing wasn't worth all that I had been doing.

God finally had to get me to a place where I knew that He was in charge and that all things happen by His power. He brought me to a point where I had to let go of my old beliefs, my old ways of doing things, striving, stressing and straining. He had to renew my mind so that I was living and learning His way. Instead of believing, "If it's meant to be, it's up to me," I had to start believing, "If it's meant to be, it's up to God!"

So I decided that I wanted to live my dreams which are the visions God gave me. I decided that I wanted them bad enough to achieve them His way. Once I made that decision, I began living my "someday." I didn't have to focus on past successes and methods of doing things. I now could keep my eyes on the prize in front of me and press towards the mark - His call. I could follow His Word and live my someday all day long.

Now living my someday requires me to get my feet wet, big time! I have to swing both feet over, step into unsure waters and actually pry my fingers off my boat of comfort. Unfortunately for me, my boat of comfort is still tethered to the dock with so many knots that it ain't going anywhere! So if I am going to be the woman God has called me to be, I have to step off the boat and let go every day just as John Ortberg wrote in his book, "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat."

Now what does my someday look like? It looks like all the visions God has given me. It looks exceeding abundantly above all I could ask or think. It looks like the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey. It's a someday with every nook and cranny filled with God and all that He is. My someday is me actually living the call He has placed on my life in ways that I could not even imagine. What a someday!

If you could live your "someday" what would it look like? What would you be doing? Where would you be? Who would you be with? What would you need to do to live it right now? Who and what would you need to let go of? Could you get out of the boat and let go? Could you or would you answer Jesus' call, "Come," and walk towards His outstretched hands? Why not try?! Why not swing your feet over the side? Why not dip your big toe into the water and then get your feet wet?! Why not reach out one arm to Jesus and then the other? Why not take a step towards Him, your Someday?

Dear Jesus, reach for me. Wrap your arms around me and show me more of my "someday." Help me keep my eyes on You, my Prize, my Someday. Help me live today as my someday so full of Your grace and Presence. May You be glorified, honored and praised. In Your precious Name, Amen.

Soooooo Big!

"Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM..." Exodus 3:14 (NIV)

Have you ever read the book, "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat?" I just finished reading it and found it funny, thought-provoking and in some ways, spot-on. The last chapter of the book talks about how big your God is and starts out with an exercise or game we play with toddlers. We often ask them how big they are and their response is to raise their arms over their heads to show how big they are.

The author of this book, John Ortberg asks a question in the last chapter that left me somewhat speechless. His question was, "If your God truly is a big God and you could ask Him to do any one thing in your life, what would it be?" This question brought tears to my eyes because the things I ask of God aren't big enough for Him. It doesn't mean that I think He can't give me what I want or that my desires are insignificant. God is so much bigger than what I want! Could this be what Jesus meant when He said, "in that day you will ask Me nothing?" Could I be at a point that all of the material things I want in life aren't meaningful enough to ask for? Am I at a point in my walk with God where I know what He wants is much greater than anything I could ask or even think?

What then do we ask of God? What does He even want us to ask for? Material things, good health, wealth, peace, safekeeping, the ability to serve Him. C'mon! What else?! He's bigger than those things! When you put all of those things aside, what do you have left to ask for? Once I listed everything I wanted and put them aside, I saw a huge wide open space before me. Its vastness made me think of God Himself. He is even bigger than what I saw. All I could think of to ask at that point was for God Himself. At that point I realized He was all I needed to ask for in the first place!

How big is God to you? How big do you allow Him to be in your life? Will you let Him be sooooo big?

Dear Lord, please help my unbelief. Please increase my faith. Help me to know You and all that You are. Help me put my trust in You and You alone. I know the desires of my heart are important to You because I am important to You, but God, may Your will be done! Today, I am taking the lid off my little box of desires and dreams. Be soooooo big Lord!

Pleasing to God

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who currently handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..." Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Holy and pleasing to God. Am I a sweet sweet fragrance to the Lord? Do I represent Him well? Does He delight in me when I delight in Him? Is He glad when I love His children? Does He rejoice when I receive a revelation that changes my life?

I was chatting with a friend yesterday and shared that I believe God has called me to reach the masses in some way for Him. I have no idea how to do that, but I do know that I must step out in faith to answer His call. Living His call will take courage and faith as well as trust in my Heavenly Father. I have learned that in doing His will I must rely on His power and strength as God does not give us visions to accomplish on our own abilities.

Whatever steps I take, I want them to be steps that are pleasing to God. I am learning that living my life His way means that His work in me permeates my being and every area of my life. I must be a faithful and grateful steward of all that He gives me knowing that what I have is for His purpose and glory. Every resource, gifting and blessing is to be used in service to Him. My actions and words must be a representation of His grace, love, mercy, joy, and wisdom.

My whole life has been spent waiting to hear, "I am so proud of you!" from my earthly father. I can count on one hand how many times I have heard that from him, but have lost track as to how many times my heavenly Father has said those words. I have decided that at the end of my life, all I want to hear is, "Well done my good and faithful servant. Come share in your Master's happiness!" Those words from the Lord will have more meaning than anything else I have ever received or earned. Those words will be more precious than gold. All I want to do is what is pleasing to my Lord and Savior.

So, I recommit myself and all that I have to the Lord. Today I want to know more of His Word and have more of Him. Today I want Him to have His way with my life. May I speak and move in ways that are well pleasing to Him. I want to hear His voice and know what brings Him joy. I want to do what He wants me to do today.

Move through me Lord so that Your will may be done. Do what You have to do for Your light to shine through me. Speak to me. Speak through me. All I want is for You to be known and loved. I will be Your broken bread and poured out wine today if You will let me. Please give me the will to do for Your good pleasure. May all that is said and done be for Your glory, honor and praise. In Jesus' sweet and holy Name, Amen.

My Best for His Glory

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite books. When I first purchased the book in 1994, the devotionals were so over my head. I had no clue as to what Chambers was talking about most of the time, but I persevered and asked God to take me into a deeper understanding of Himself. Now, my copy of My Utmost... is highlighted on every page and the middle pages are falling out, but I also now have the deeper relationship I prayed for.

As I read Chambers' devotional for today, I wondered what is my utmost for God's highest? What is my best? Is what I think the best even good enough for the Lord? I know I was made in His image and likeness and that every day I become more like His Son Jesus Christ, but in all my doing and being, is it the best for His glory?

Today God, I ask You to stretch me to be the best for You. Move me to do and be for Your glory. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear You. May every word spoken and action performed be a reflection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. May others be drawn to You and may they fall in love with all that You are. This I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Missing You

Man, I miss talking to You Lord! I miss Your Presence and Your voice. I have been really busy these past two weeks and I miss our time together. I thank You for the opportunities that have been keeping me busy and pray that You will continue to bring more my way. But most of all, I want You by my side. You are the best companion I could ever have and Your love is the greatest treasure.

Let's make up for lost time today. Sit with me, walk with me. Tell me Your heart's desires. Show me what You see. Share Your secrets and surprises. Let me do something to bless You today. When I am focused elsewhere, be in what I see and hear. Open my eyes and ears again to Your glory.

As I write this message, I feel Your loving arms around me. Oh, how I have missed You! Thank you for being with me. Thank you for Your promise to never leave me nor forsake me. Thank you for the gift of Your love.

If You and I get to do only one thing today, let us hold each other near for I have really missed You.

My Bestest Friend

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15, NIV)

This has been an awesome and busy week for me. God has loaded this week with opportunities and blessings that have kept me flying high with joy. For this I am truly grateful. It's funny, for three years I have prayed and longed to do the will of the Lord. It was at that time that He revealed to me what was needed in order to fulfill His vision for my life. I have spent the last three years working through stuff to get to this point and now He is opening doors to beauty, joy, grace, friendship and love. I love being busy doing what the Lord has called me to do. It is always an amazing time of giving and receiving, learning and growing.

Serving the Lord is an honor, but being with Him is an even greater priviledge. This morning I told Him that I miss when we are not close. I just love when He speaks to me and shares His love and grace. I know He is right here with me which is what prompted me to write today's message. He is the bestest friend I have ever had! If you have a close relationship with Him then you know what I mean. Who else could always take you as you are? Who else could love you no matter what? Who else could give you hope when you are at your wits end? Who could give you strength and lift you up at your darkest hour? And Who could sit with you 24/7 just for the sake of sitting with you?

We are blessed to have such a friend in Jesus. He was courageous enough to teach us Who our Heavenly Father is and to die for us so that we may be free from sin and death. He reaffirmed everything we needed to know to live a life of freedom and His death tore the veil that kept us from reaching our Heavenly Father. Now, we can go to Him at anytime. How many friends do you have that you can call on at anytime and they will always be there to listen and help? There is no greater love than this!

Thank you Jesus for being my friend! Thank you for Your faithfulness to the Father and for Your precious love. Help me to be Your friend and a true friend to others. May You receive all the glory, honor and praise. In Your sweet and holy Name, Amen.

Recognition

"Well done my good and faithful servant!... Come and share your Master's happiness." (Matthew 25:21, NIV)

Last night, I had an awesome time with friends from my women's fellowship group and my Mary Kay Director. I have become an independent consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics because I believe and now know for sure that God has called me to educate, edify and encourage women. This company offers a great opportunity for women to grow personally, spiritually, financially and socially. This is my ministry; this is my calling. As we were sharing last night, my director noted that one of the reasons women become independent consultants with Mary Kay Cosmetics is because of recognition. This company is faith based and rewards its consultants in more ways than you can imagine. In the past, I have told myself that I did not need recognition and that I was comfortable in the background going about my day. I know now that all of us hunger for recognition and can do greater things when we have support and belief behind us.

We all work so hard every day for just a little bit of recognition from family, friends, coworkers and bosses and most of the time we live each day without it. Many of you may read this message and think you don't need recognition because you are fine by yourself and know you can be who you want to be without it. I believed that for a long time. I believe in a good work ethic and for years I worked at jobs with all that I had because of that work ethic. I worked late, came in early, rearranged my personal plans and helped other people succeed because I believed that is what we are supposed to do in life - go the extra mile. Most of the time there was very little to no recognition and even when there was, it lasted a minute and wasn't worth a cent the next day. It is hard to strive for a prize and miss it. It is hard to be recognized for failure versus success and it is hard to have someone tell you that after all you have done and all of the years you have worked, you will make a great whatever someday.

I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father, because He recognizes me daily through blessings, answers to prayers, surprises, love from Him and others, teachings, forgiveness and grace. He knows more than anyone else how desperately we need to be recognized for our efforts and promises that no matter what we do, whether we fall short of the goal or rise above our achievements, He will never leave us nor forsake us.

With all the recognition He gives us, how much time do we spend recognizing Him? Do we begin our day with prayer and thanksgiving? Do we surrender the day into His hands so that His will may be done? Do we recognize that all we have and all we are is because of Him? As we plan our days and our lives do we seek His wisdom and guidance first? Do we thank Him and praise Him when the blessings come and when the blessings pass us by? Do we tell Him we love Him no matter where He leads? Do we just sit with Him and ask what He wants us to know and do for Him? Do we even just sit with Him and enjoy His Presence?

As you seek recognition today from those around you, send up a prayer of gratitude to God. Instead of asking Him why something isn't going your way or when He plans to move your mountains, ask Him what He wants for today. Enjoy Him. Love on Him. Recognize our Almighty God and acknowledge Him for all that He is.

Have a blessed day!

Not My Own

"You are not your own, you were bought at a price." (1 Corinthians 6:19, NIV)

Simple Godly commands versus human nature = the reason for Jesus.

Every day, I want to be more like Christ. Every day I want to be broken bread, poured out wine and used up by my Lord and Saviour. And every day, my self gets in the way. My soul longs to love and nurture people all day long, give them hope and help them know Jesus. I want to live my life as the Apostle Paul and Mother Teresa did, totally devoted to the Lord, knowing nothing else but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But I also want my comforts of clothing, shelter, food (especially ice cream and chocolate!), nice furnishings, a new car, the bills paid and all of my dreams my way.

Daily I commit my all to serving the Lord and every day, my self gets in the way. Thoughts pop into my head that center around my needs, wants and desires and I begin to fret because I am not where I want to be or don't have what I think I need. The previous sentence reflects that. Look at how many "I's" are in that sentence! Yikes! Me, me, me, me, me! God must really love me to save me and give me a calling and a hope. Look, there I am again!

Thank God, the Lord loves me enough to save me from myself! My human nature always seems to be begging for attention. God tells me not to worry, not to be anxious and to seek His kingdom and its righteousness for every day living. His Word is full of commands for living that I read, yet still seem to struggle with.

Lord, keep me surrendered. Remind me that I am not my own, but Yours to use in whatever ways You see fit. Have Your way and move me to do for Your kingdom and Your purposes. May Your will be done this day and may You and only You receive all the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Staying Plugged In

"Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." (John 15:4 NIV)

What do you do to stay motivated, excited, enthusiastic or pumped up to do what God has called you to do? Do you read the Bible or motivational books, listen to music or motivational CD's, recite affirmations or fellowship with other Christians?

As I write this message, I think of all that it takes to keep me motivated for the day. I start with prayer, a devotional and Scripture and sometimes I just sing what precious song comes to my heart at that moment. Throughout the day, I send up prayers to God and always ask Him what He needs me to do or how He wants me to handle a situation. I often check in with several friends throughout the day so that we can lift each other up if and when needed. At the end of my day, I read and meditate on God's Word and ask Him to make Himself plain.

In order for me to live my life I have to stay connected to my Lord and Saviour. Even though I do the actions listed above, there are days when I still struggle to stay fired up. Those days, I know it will take Almighty God to get me through. As I write this message, I hear Jesus saying, "Abide in Me and I in you." The more I want to live the calling God has placed on my life, the more I need to stay plugged in to a Source greater than myself.

God does know who and what we need right when we need them. He has provided the greatest Source we will ever need to live our lives fully for Him. His Holy Word is full of guidance, encouragement, edification and hope. He knew with our waywardness we would need a mighty tool in order to achieve our crown. The love and grace of God is revealed in every page of the Bible, a Book that is as relevant today as it was when each page was first written.

Thank you Lord for knowing Your children so well. Thank you for providing the greatest, most valuable tool we could ever need for success. Teach us to read, study, meditate on and speak Your Word as You wish it to be applied. Help us to follow Your command as it is written in Joshua 1:7-8, "Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

The Power of One

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NIV)

The Power of One is an amazing concept. We are practicing this concept in our Mary Kay unit this month and learning how one more step can change a person's life. One more step takes faith and belief. If we take one more step towards our dreams, if we take one more step towards our Lord, if we take one more step to do an act of love and kindness what changes would be made in our lives and in our world?

There is a song that was written years ago called "One is the Loneliest Number" (or something like that) and I always thought that was a sad way to look at things. Now that I am older, I see what the power of one can do. The power of the One and only God can move mountains, cast out demons, raise the dead and heal the sick. The power of One can give hope and cause us to praise in the midst of our circumstances. The power of One can strengthen the weary and give power to the weak. He can renew our strength enabling us to soar on wings like eagles. The power of One saved us from sin and death. The power of One teaches us how to live for eternal life. The power of One teaches us what true love is. The power of One loves us enough to give us the Holy Spirit to be a witness to Him and to all the world.

When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you were given the power of One. You were given the Holy Spirit, an everlasting power to be a witness to Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, we will do greater things than He did because He gave us the power of the Holy Spirit. This power doesn't have to be forceful or be used in a demonstrative way. Simple acts of kindness come from this power. Stopping to love, listen and do for someone else comes from this power. Doing something nice for someone you don't like or find repulsive for whatever reason comes from this power. Doing what you don't want to do comes from this power. Faith, belief, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and passion come from this power. Being humbled, surrendered and faithful comes from this power. The boldness to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes from the power of One. Actually, all that you are, all that you do and all that you have comes from the power of One.

Are you being transformed daily by the power of One? Does it have dominion over your life? Is it giving you strength? Is it moving you to live your life for Jesus Christ? Is it moving you to be broken bread and poured out wine for our Lord and Saviour? If not, ask God to fill you once again and lean on this power, the greatest gift you will ever have and watch the Lord transform you into someone He can use for His glory.

Be blessed. Be the power of one.

From a Place of Courage

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:7-9, NIV)

"Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." (Matthew 14:27, NIV)

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as the "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, difficulty." It also states that, "courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty."

As I write these definitions, I look at my own life and wonder where courage fits in. It pretty much needs to live everywhere within me. Courage takes faith and surrender. It requires complete trust in God and His promises. It requires us to lay down everything and let Him teach and love on us. It takes waiting on Him, wisdom and knowledge. It requires something, Someone much greater than ourselves. I know I don't have all that it takes to be strong and courageous.

Last night I went through the Bible searching for Scripture focused on God's promises. That pretty much sums up the whole Book! I found such hope and comfort in my search. As God has promised in Jeremiah 29:13, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with your whole heart." Knowing that I cannot do what God has called me to do on my own and knowing that in my own strength I cannot remain surrendered, I find comfort in His Word and Presence. Spending time in His Word, spending time in His Presence, loving on Him and letting Him love on me fills me with courage to do what I cannot do. My hope is that He will find a faithful servant and warrior in me.

Choosing to live the life He has destined for me and leaving father, mother, sister, brother and even myself, takes greater courage and greater faith. As I lay down my life, I find that God fills me with more hope, more belief, more faith and more courage to live each day. Learning to let go of even the things I don't want in my life takes a courage that can only come from the Lord. I know I don't have it and living for God will require Him to fill every inch of my being with all that He is. God is going to have to take over my life in order to make His plans happen.

Surrender is the hardest part of Christian life because it requires us to relinquish all that we are to be available for what we don't know. Each step of this journey with Him, requires us to surrender even more than our last moment on the altar. As we grow, He shows us what else He needs for His purposes. There is stuff He wants us to give up including our plans and expectations as to how we are to live this predestined life. Sometimes I feel that all I can do is sit, watch, wait and listen because I don't see anything in front of me to do. You hear so many people say that we can't just sit around and wait on God to move, but that we must do something every day for His kingdom. I have to say that we as humans are always busy doing something because we believe that that is what He wants from us all the time. My heart says He wants us to spend more time being still, praying, reading and meditating on His Word which is one of the greatest acts we can perform for His Kingdom. Then, when He is ready to move, we will be ready as well. We will then have sufficient courage to serve and fight for His kingdom because we will be full of Him.

Today I encourage you to be strong and courageous enough to be still and live in His sufficiency. When we are obedient in this, we will see that the mighty hand of God has moved mountains, strongholds and giants and is more able than we could ever be on our own.

There's a Solution to Your Agitated Funk!

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do... For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:15-20, NIV)

Back and forth and back and forth. Do I take this path or should I follow this one? Should I be still or do what I know to do? Maybe I should pray. I don't even know what to pray for! Oh, how the enemy must be beside himself with glee. But thank God for God! I know I say this at least once a day, but God knows who and what we need right when we need them.

I was in such a funk today. Frustrated, confused with no idea what to pray for. I was so agitated I had to ask the Holy Spirit to pray for me! I couldn't even find words to share on this blog. By the time I got home from work, I was reciting the "I Am Sick and Tired of..." list over and over again.

Normally when this happens, I go through some one's fast food drive-thru and order grease with a large Coca Cola chaser followed by ice cream, preferably heavy on the chocolate. This is followed by frustration and more agitation because I then beat myself up for eating the "comfort" food instead of something healthy. But this time, I walked passed my freezer and went to my women's fellowship meeting.

I am usually not one to talk about my issues, needs and desires with a group of women because I have always felt that my issues are not as big or important as their issues and the issues of this world. This time was different. My precious sisters in Christ comforted me, guided me and encouraged me in such a way that by the time I left the meeting, the agitated funk was gone. I felt a release during our prayer time and God spoke so clearly to me about some things I needed to let go of. My sisters shared Scripture, sage advise and wisdom. On the ride home, I felt joy in my spirit and believed once again, that all things are possible to him that believes.

God has huge plans for each of us and He is working those plans every moment of every day. We may not be able to see the details or the strategy, but we do have to get to the end of ourselves and surrender. The battle for control is a draining battle that we are not going to win. God is in control despite what the enemy whispers in our ear. God has His own paths that make no sense to us. We have to stop fighting Him and discipline ourselves to be faithful, trusting and obedient.

My sisters made many things clear to me tonight. When speaking out my future, speak out God's Word because that is my future. Be true to myself and let go of what no longer brings me joy. Call or email each other for comfort and edification. Don't negate the positive and precious moments in life. Yield to what is happening in my life and ask God for the wisdom and discernment needed for each day.

I am so sorry if you are in a funky place today, especially if there is not chocolate in sight! Know that the Lord really does love you. Rest in the knowledge that He knows where you are and what you are feeling. Call on your sisters and/or brothers in Christ for prayer. If there is no one in your life to call, ask the Lord to bring people into your life who can walk with you on your journey. He will answer that prayer, I promise. He answered mine!

BIDIA (But I Did It Anyway!)

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1, KJV)

Don't just sit there, move! Do something, anything! How many times have we come to a point in our lives when we are not sure if we have heard from God? How many times have you asked yourself, "Should I stay or should I go?" (reminds me of a song!) when you are at a crossroads?

I have such a difficult time when these moments occur. I know what God has called me to do with my life and I think I know what is needed in order to accomplish the vision, at least from a human standpoint. But I often wrestle with the how because most of what I know how to do costs money that I don't physically have right now. Yes, I am believing God is my Source for all things and that He would not give me a vision without the tools and resources to do it. What I struggle with is the waiting until the resources come. Do I move forward with what I do know how to do or do I wait until He comes with the resources?

Waiting is not one of my favorite tasks in life. Like most humans, patience is a virtue that will probably take all of my life to master! While I wait for Him to drop the next motherload of resources, I must continue to abide in Him or drive myself crazy. The only thing I know how to do well is set goals. What I also seem to be good at is waiting for the motherload instead of moving forward with what I do have. How I wish for once He would just drop down the money needed to do what I think needs to be done. Obviously, He has a different plan for accomplishing His vision. Sometimes I think His "withholding" is a test of my faithfulness and trust in Him. Do you think He knows His children or what?!

So, I decided that I was going to apply the BIDIA strategy which is, But I Did It Anyway. This weekend, I am going to review and implement those goals one more time and revise that business plan, make those phone calls, schedule and hold those appointments. And like Moses, I will stand before whomever I need to be in front of and remember that I AM WHO I AM sent me to do His will. He did command me to be a witness to Him and I did respond with, "Here I am. Send me!" I guess I had better get a move on!

Even if you can't see how God is going to make your dreams happen, take a step of faith. And if you have taken lots of steps in faith and still don't see your vision ahead of you, take one more. Do what you have to do anyway. Sometimes God opens doors as wide as airplane hangars that lead to unimagineable blessings and fulfillment. What's on the other side of your door?

Being Of Any Use to God

"She has done a good work for me." (Mark 14:6)

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21)

"I believe that if God finds a person more useless than me, He will do even greater things through her because this work is His." Mother Teresa, No Greater Love

My soul longs to spend every waking moment serving the Lord. I believe He has called me to touch the lives of women and children through love, compassion and hope. I don't know exactly how He will use me, but I know this is the work He has called me to do. Where I am now in my life is merely a stepping stone to the next level of service for Him.

Mother Teresa's book, No Greater Love gives us a wonderful glimpse into a life lived in humility and devotion. She loved the Lord so much that she laid down her life for Him. As I study her life, the life of the Apostle Paul and our sweet Savior, Jesus Christ, I realize that surrender and devotion are the only way to live a life of service and humility. We get so caught up in this world trying to meet the expectations of others. We will never measure up to the world's standards of living and we will never fix the wrongs of this world without God. So much time is spent trying to fit in and make people and situations fit into boxes that we miss the wonder and beauty of living; we miss the simplicity of a life with Christ.

As I live, I want to be transformed. I want to be the servant that God can look to and say, "She has done a good work for me." I want to represent Him well. I want to be used up, "broken bread and poured out wine," not when someone says I can, but right when God needs me. My life is to be lived for Him and His good pleasure, not on someone else's terms and time tables. I want to be free for God which entails complete surrender in every moment because I don't know who will need me or where I will need to go. As it is written in Isaiah 6:8, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" I want to be able to say, "Here am I. Send me."

Lord, keep me surrendered and available for Your battles. Live and love through me so that my spirit resonates Your Presence and grace. May all that people see is You. This I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Sufficient Grace for Tough Decisions

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Answering God's call can be a daunting experience for it requires humility, sacrifice, patience, devotion and trust. He gives us visions that we have no idea how to accomplish and allows challenges that confound us to our wits end. Have you heard God's call on your life and accepted it? Has He given you glorious visions that you can't wait to live out? Are you in a place right now where you have no idea how to begin and feel stuck with where you are? I completely understand your situation.

Last night was spent in prayer with regards to an issue I have been struggling with for almost a year. I have no idea what to do except follow my heart. Obedience seems to cause God to open doors and bestow unexpected blessings and today I must make known His calling to someone I love dearly. I am fearful of this person's response because they have their own expectations of me, ones that I cannot follow. I have to go where God leads and for the first time, I know the end result but have no idea how I am to get there.

My prayers to the Lord have been for provision, wisdom and faith in this new journey. He has done that and more. He continually opens doors with blessings waiting on the other side and He always leaves me in awe. The step I need to take today is a big one and the only way I am going to be able to take it is with Him by my side. I continually think about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and His prayer to the Father asking that the cup of sacrifice be passed from Him. But Jesus, out of devotion to the Father, bravely and humbly accepted His commission. The step I need to take must also be done out of devotion and obedience to the Lord. I have taken a similar step before and the wrath and pain that followed was heartbreaking. I don't want to relive that experience, but I must be faithful to our heavenly Father. What I really want is the freedom to live for my Savior, but I know that sometimes that freedom comes from doing things we have no desire to do.

So many times I have asked the Lord to help me enjoy the situation I am in and to see it from a different perspective, but that has not come. I have tried to enjoy the opportunity but have no interest in it whatsoever. This makes it more difficult because I know the time spent working on something that I don't enjoy could be spent doing something I know I am called to do.

What do you do in a situation that you don't see a way out of? How can you stay in the situation until the time comes for you to walk out your calling? It has to be by God's grace which He promises is sufficient for all times. Despite outcomes and circumstances, each day is for the Lord, not for me and that all I do must be for His glory. God promises to never leave me nor forsake me and out of love for Him, I must keep my eyes on the prize.

I pray that despite my fear Lord, You will be able to do great things through me for all honor and praise. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Constant Surrender

"And He said, 'Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but thou wilt.'" (Mark 14:36, KJV)

"Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this." Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Could you say those words to God? Could you lay down your life in pure devotion to Him? I look at those words and realize that I don't know if I could do it His way. In all those times I have told the Lord I loved Him and would serve Him, rarely do I consider that those moments of devotion would ever take me to such a place of sacrifice. Could I really allow God to make me "broken bread and poured out wine" as Oswald Chambers says? My soul longs to do that and there is a hunger in my spirit that wants to reach the masses of unloved, hungry children of the Lord. Yet could I give up my comfort zone to step into the enemy's war zone? I search within me to see if the words "no greater love" are part of my being.

I am madly deeply in love with my Lord, but as I begin to understand the true cost of discipleship I realize I am no where near ready to let go of my comforts. I don't know that I could lift a dying human out of a literal gutter and clean the worms off his body like Mother Teresa did. And there are even days when I don't want to serve within my safe comfort zone. But my heart and soul long to love. There are so many safe ways that we can serve our Lord, but the hunger and need for Him in this world is greater than our comfort zones. The question to ask is, "Do I love You enough Lord to feed Your sheep regardless of who and where they are just as You have commanded?"

There is no way for me to live my life fully surrendered and available without the power and grace of God. Who I am to serve and love is up to Him. True surrender isn't allowing God to use me, but letting go of my self knowing that God will use me in situations that I would not choose and with people that I may not be comfortable with. A choice must be made every day; do I serve Him or do I run? If I have my way, I may run, but as a chosen child of God, I have to trust Him in all things at all times. If I run, I run from the One Who allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross to die a slow death out of love for me.

Keep me surrendered Lord. Help me live Your greatest commandment. Change me from within so that I am available for You to use when and wherever You choose. Help me remember that my life is not for me but for You. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Weakness

"For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10, NIV)

Just the other day I took the Strengthsfinder 2.0 "test" to determine what my strengths were. A friend had recommended the book several times so I thought I would buy it. The results were interesting and quite true and even one was a bit of a surprise. What I thought was most interesting about this process was that its purpose is to help you discover your strengths and focus less on your weaknesses.

As I finished the process, I wondered what my weaknesses were and realized that I had been so focused on what I knew I could and wanted to do that I didn't think of specific acts that were weaknesses. I do not think that I am perfect at all, but I do believe that my entire life is lived to arrive at perfection through the power of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I realized that my weaknesses really do not matter because what I think is a weakness is based on human beliefs and standards, not God's. I have learned that the glory of living is that I learn to surrender my all to God so that He can use my strengths and weaknesses if, when and where He chooses.

Weaknesses are just as good and as necessary as strengths. My life is not to be lived for myself but for God and others He brings into my life. Weaknesses give others hope. They keep us surrendered to the Lord. The purpose for living is for God's glory, not ours. We must decrease that He may increase.

I am nothing without God and cannot fulfill His plans without His strength, power and might. The authority, dominion, power and greatness that is within me comes from the Holy Spirit Who lives in me. "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me," because, "greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

I encourage you to take what you believe your weaknesses are and turn them over to the Lord along with what you believe are your strengths. Who you are and all that you have are for and from the Lord. Regardless of your beliefs, God can use every bit of you for His purpose. Yield all to Him and watch Him use you to touch someone else.

In His Name, Amen.

The Cost of Vision

"You shall be witnesses to me..." (Acts 1:8, NIV)

"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall..." (2 Peter 1:10, NIV)

Pursuing the vision God has given us may cost us the love and support of family and friends. When we make the decision to stand and serve the Lord we find opposition where we least expect it. Those you would expect to agree with you and help you achieve your vision oftentimes are the ones who question your sanity and ability.

Taking up my cross and following Jesus comes with a cost that I do not fully understand until I take that first step of faith. I may be a little to a lot fearful in the endeavor, but out of devotion and love for my Lord, I have to answer His call. The shock, heartache and pain that comes from our loved ones' responses to our endeavors can cause us to stumble. Our only hope is in the Lord.

When I think about my journey with the Lord and the process of preparation that He is taking me through, I try to remember the Apostle Paul. He went through much more than I have and yet he persevered. He loved the Lord so much and was so grateful for his salvation that he did not allow anything or anyone to sway him. As Oswald Chambers says in his book, My Utmost For His Highest, "Nothing other saints do or say can ever upset the one who is built on God." Keeping our eyes on Jesus is the only way to achieve the vision given to us.

Dr. Myles Munroe wrote The Principles and Power of Vision. It is a great book that clarifies what it takes to pursue God's call on our lives and helps to map out a plan to achieve the vision. He asked questions that made me laugh because I know myself well enough to know what my answers would be if I were not madly, deeply in love with the Lord. For example, if you knew beforehand what being a witness for Jesus meant would you do it? Would you press on if you knew that it may cost you the love of family and friends? If you knew God was going to take you through dark and lonely places, would you step out or would you run in the opposite direction? These are good questions to ponder and I can say that having gone through dark and lonely places, living through family ridicule and falling often I will still press on for the love of God. The unspeakable joy of His Presence and His love for me far outway what I have been through.

In my walk, I have learned that even though God has given me a vision of greatness, I cannot run ahead of Him and make it happen. Oswald Chambers says that after God gives us His vision, He then has to take us into the valley to mold and shape us into that vision. Our trials, tribulations, and darkness are times of preparation and the building of a solid foundation in the Lord. This is the time where God wants us to get to know Him and Him alone. This is the time where we consistently read His Word, pray without ceasing, delight in His Presence and learn to walk by faith, not by sight. This is when His Word comes alive. It becomes a part of us until the day we realize that we have been living the vision all along. What God wants us to see is that the vision cannot be accomplished without Him. We can't run ahead of Him, but we can run beside Him. So holding us back, making us wait and even allowing us to fail teach us that we are nothing without Him.

If you are questioning your abilities and decision to serve the Lord, I encourage you to take a deep breath and embrace the vision burning in your heart. It is your gift from God, your birthright. Just because others don't see what you see doesn't mean it will not come to pass. Stay focused on the vision and the One Who created it. Trust and believe that it will happen just as you have been shown. Our God doesn't tease us with dreams, but faithfully gives us all things for His purposes.

Be encouraged, strong and courageous. He will never leave you nor forsake you. You can do this. As a matter of fact, you already are!

True Love

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NIV)

"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV)

What a perfect time for God's children to demonstrate true love! He has chosen each of us to be a light to the world and this could not be a better time for us to shine for Him. God proved His love for us in that He sacrificed His Son so that we could be free of sin. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13, NIV) Take time to love on Him today and let Him renew your heart. Fall in love with Him all over again and nestle in His embrace.

Slow down and take a moment to show kindness and love today. Listen to someone who oftentimes gets on your nerves. Stop long enough to open a door for someone. Buy lunch or a treat for someone who may be struggling financially. Give someone a genuine smile or hug. Tell a loved one that you are proud of them and love them very much.

God is love and greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. We have love on the inside of us and we may be the first taste of true love to someone today. Let God work the above Scripture through you today and every day so that you may be a blessing to others wherever you go. Be a gift of love.

Who Are You, Jesus?

"I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6, NIV)

I wanted to write about Jesus today since that is the purpose of this blog. I asked Him what He wanted us to know and wondered what I didn't know. The Bible tells us about the love of God for us, the coming of the Messiah to save us from sin, all of the prophets and faithful warriors of the Lord, Jesus' ministry while He was here on earth and what will happen when He returns. So in all this, who is Jesus? How much time have I spent getting to know Him?

Do you think the disciples really grasped Who Jesus was while they were with Him? Can you imagine spending 1095 days (equivalent of three years) with the Son of God?! The awe and wonder of Him! Every one of those days was spent with the Source of all wisdom, love, power, grace and mercy. That Source became human form for you and me.

A prayer came into my heart as I was thinking and writing this today. I know Jesus and have accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, but I want to know more. I hope you do too!

Jesus, teach me like You taught the disciples. Open my eyes and ears to Who You are. I want to know You, Jesus. I know what You did and why and now I want to really know You. You came so that we could and would turn back to the Father and Your Word says that if we know You then we know Him. Show me more of You, Your character and grace. My life is spent living to become like You. Who are You, Jesus? Sit with me. Speak to me just as You spoke to Your disciples. Reveal to me all that You are. In Your sweet, holy Name. Amen.

In Spite of Loss

"I'm gonna lift up holy hands in the Presence of the Lord."

My dear friend lost her husband this morning and the only thing I know to do is lift up holy hands to the Lord. Her husband accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior, reconciled with his estranged daughters and married my friend all in three weeks time. How glorious, magnificient, wonderful, marvelous and mighty is our Lord!

As I got ready for work this morning, I realized how important it is for us to love those God has brought into our lives despite differences, quirks and beliefs and how much we need to lean on God to do this. In spite of our circumstances, frustrations and sorrow, we must trust the Lord to guide us through. He has plans for us and we must press on in pursuit of our passions and the dreams that have been placed in our hearts. We have no idea what God's full plan is for our lives or how long we have to live, but He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. By trusting in Him, He will order our steps.

I don't know what you may be going through today, but I pray that you will take time to lay everything before the Lord and ask Him for strength one more time. Ask Him for peace, wisdom, understanding and the love of friends and family. And in spite of your trials and tribulations, I pray you will use the strength you have to lift up holy hands in the Presence of the Lord.

Be blessed.

Promises Are Coming!

"Therefore, my brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9, NIV)

Words of strength, words of faith. The Lord knew when He created us that we would need words of encouragement to keep us pressing on and into what we believe. These past few months and even years have been tough for myself and many of those whom I love. We have watched the enemy mess with our loved ones and the dreams we have held on to for so long. I believe in this new year, the enemy will be knocked way back because the Lord is moving through His children.

My spirit tells me that God is moving and getting things in order. His children have suffered long enough in the wilderness and it is time for them to have every promise He has made and then some. His children have prayed, cried out, fasted, studied, prayed and cried out even more. He has heard every prayer, caught every tear and steered His children in the directions they needed to go. It is time to take back what was stolen and the enemy is going to pay!

I am believing God for miracles beginning this year! My spirit tells me that He is going to do things and move in ways that only He can do. He is going to leave His children running, jumping, dancing, singing, and falling out on the floor with His mighty works. Unbelievers are going to know there is a God and a mighty One Who will answer every prayer of His children. We have suffered enough and God is tired of seeing His children in pain.

For those of you who have suffered, are suffering or know of someone who is, press in to the Lord. Let Him hear your cries and your prayers until He moves in your lives. We go through our trials and tribulations so that God can move, show Himself and give others hope. Be prepared, He is about to show up! Know your Word. Know your Lord. Surrender to His commands and let Him continue grooming you for His works. Choose to believe! Decide to be faithful! He has great plans that He promised to fulfill. Whatever heart desires you have, know that God gave them to you before you were born. You are not crazy, but created to do a mighty work by the grace of God.

Step out in faith and put plans together for what God has laid on your heart. Take what steps you know how to take after spending time in prayer with the Lord. Remember that He gave you the dream or desires and the abilities to achieve them, but also remember that even though you have written down plans, be flexible. You may want to go right, but the Lord may be leading you left. Whatever you do, go left and trust the Lord. He knows what He is doing! Dare to believe Him! Dare to take a step of faith! Dare to press pass circumstances because of the power that is within you. Don't let anyone tell you you can't be the dream that God has given you. You don't get to leave this life until you fulfill the purpose God has for you.

Press on, P.U.S.H. (pray until something happens) and watch God move!