I closed my eyes as I asked God to speak to me. “Show me my life through Your eyes. God, what does my future look life?”
I saw fields upon fields of ripe wheat. I saw myself walking through those fields while my fingers ran across many of the stalks. I saw God’s light all around and I had no glasses on. Every time I see any part of heaven on earth, I have restored vision. No glasses. It’s a wonder.
Oh, Lord, let heaven come to earth in my eyes. Let my sight be restored!
Then I saw Chris. He stood on one side of a giant tree and I on the other. Somehow our hands touched as we were on either side of this giant tree. Only God. I can’t explain everything in a vision…some of it is always a wonder.
Then I saw our family tree.
God showed me that Chris and I are meant to begin…begin our own family tree. Having cut off old roots and generational strongholds, sins, and curses from both sides…we now stand as a first fruit. A first generation of a new thing God is doing. A separate tree altogether.
Our own family line.
It’s in our union that God is interested in restoring and renewing and building upon.
Leave and cleave.
We all say it so cavalierly, yet don’t even begin to truly understand it and live it out.
We are meant to begin something new when we marry. Completely new.
Leave and cleave and begin to grow.
We’ve been leaning more and more into what it means to do this. Here we are 20 years into marriage, yet in some ways we are just now finding the separateness God always intended.
Chris and I and God are one. A separate family. The beginning of new generational hand me downs. This time, determined to bless.
Generational blessings. Generational abundance. Generational restoration.
We are learning to focus on the fruit. Tending it. Pushing into our new root structure and letting nourishment for our fruits to come from that holy place.
Root well, friends.
Invite God to rout out the enemy, and re-root your family tree. It’s never too late to begin again. To decide that your family tree will be full of generational blessings.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:6
This is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24

This morning began with a flurry. One of my children burst into my room at 4:45 am. They had car trouble while heading to work and needed assistance.
I’d been awake already, thankfully. But this did cause the adrenaline to kick in straight away.
As a mother I know that it is imperative that I maintain a peaceful spirit. On occasions such as this, it is invaluable to be able to default to calm and reassuring.
I am the family touch stone, as it were.
I am only able to do this because I am daily, hourly, and minutely in contact with my Touch Stone. The Touch Stone.
It’s my job to direct my children to Him in any and every circumstance.
To the best of my ability, that’s what I do.
I can feel my body centering on peace when I go to comfort or guide my children. I can feel my body center on peace when a trial comes. I have trained my heart to immediately search for peace in everything.
Am I bragging?
Certainly not.
I am hoping my story can help you search for the same thing.
When I was younger, I struggled so much to have peace during the easiest of circumstances…not to mention the tough stuff. It seemed that everything set me in a frenzy, during those days. It was awful. I was so weak. But I matured. I saw where my wounds led me to feelings of franticness. I asked God to mature me. I made decisions to choose peace. Now I am much better, albeit not perfect…but still growing.
One thing that helped me immensely in this process was to learn to see.
When things happen, I begin to look for God. I look for the great Problem Solver to come. I have learned to promptly and definitively hand things over to Him. No turning back.
When life’s troubles come, I encourage you to stop, take a step back, and center your spirit on Peace. Invite Peace to come, even when you don’t feel it. Let the Prince of Peace take over.
See the problem solved and then ask God to fill in the gaps from where you are to where you want to be.
See.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Psalm 34:4-7

This morning when I came to sit with Jesus and begin the day, I saw a tree. I heard Tap Root.
Tap root: a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots spring laterally. Typically, a tap root is somewhat straight and very thick. Is tapering in shape and grows directly downward.
God was inviting me to tap into His Spirit. To get to the root of Him. To draw from His deepest parts. The marrow…as it were.
We each have the opportunity, every day, to come to the Father and drink deeply. Drink in His wisdom. His peace. His instruction. His mercy. His joy. The list goes on and on.
When we are directly connected to His tap root, we experience the “more than enough” of God.
It’s a choice.
Living in abundance is a choice.
Living in peace is a choice.
Living in wisdom is a choice.
Living in His mercy is a choice.
We choose daily.
What do you choose today?
Do you want to be tossed around by every wave and way of thinking?
Would you rather be tapped into the tap root of God?
We must mature in Christ. I’m speaking to the body of Christ and saying, “It’s time to grow up!”
It’s time to mature in our secret place with God so we can act with maturity when we interact with the world. It’s time to mature in our hearts and minds, so we can lead the lost to salvation.
As believers we always have access to the Truth. We simply need to ask and humble ourselves in the Presence of God and receive.
Through repentance and rest is our salvation. Repentance and rest. Not bullheadedness and striving.
Repentance and rest.
Hustle culture is dead. It was always a lie. It infested the deepest parts of the body of Christ and masqueraded as success…yet it has milked us dry. It festered in burn out and hope deferred. It transformed into envy and greed and became nothing like God.
We are made in the image of God. When we move through life partnered with Him, then we will magnify His ways. I never saw Jesus striving in Scripture. I never saw Him hustle. I never saw Him being boss.
No, I saw Him dependent on God in all things. I saw Him go away for quiet and rest. I observed Him serving.
Come back to the Truth and find fulfillment and rest.
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore, you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore, your pursuers will be swift!” Isaiah 30:15-16

Today is Sunday. 

Today our family will gather around the table, enjoy a big breakfast and a hearty conversation about Scripture.  Then we will pray together, before leaving and enjoying the day.

This is how we enjoy our Sabbath.

How will you enjoy yours?

Whether you meet with God at home or in a church, there’s one thing that matters most, His Presence.

Come, let us gather together and praise the Lord!

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”  And now here we are, standing inside Your gates, O Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached.  All the tribes of Israel- the Lord’s people- make their pilgrimage here.  They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel.  Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David.  Pray for peace in Jerusalem.  May all who love this city prosper.  O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces.  For the sake of the house of the Lord our God.  I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.  Psalm 122

It is right and good to praise the Lord.  It matters not if your assembly is your family or your larger church. 

What matters is that we come to praise Him and give Him the glory due His name.

As we have entered into December and all the busyness that ensues, let us not forget the One we are celebrating.

Jesus Christ.

Emmanuel.

God with us.

Let’s tether our hearts to the center of our celebration. 

This sacred moment when we consider well the One Who came to earth in the lowliest of ways…and grew to become our living sacrifice. 

It takes my breath away every time I think of it. 

Jesus Christ.

Our One Savior.

The center of peace is the Spirit of God. 

The only peace that exists is through God.

We must remember that our All in All is the One…our great I Am.

What brings peace? 

Read below…

I rejoice in Your word like one who discovers a great treasure.  I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love Your instructions.  I will praise You seven times a day because all Your regulations are just.  Those who love Your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.  I long for Your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed Your commands.  I have obeyed Your laws for I love them very much.  Yes, I obey Your commandments and laws because You know everything I do.  Psalm 119:162-168

Loving God’s instructions gives peace and helps us to not stumble.

Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?

I often say this, but it always bears repeating, we MUST read and contemplate on the Word of God daily.  The God of the universe has given us a written instruction manual to read, along with Holy Spirit to guide us, what more could we ask for?

Today, I encourage you to do just that…make a decision to daily read scripture and take time to meditate upon it.  Read and then sit and ask God to speak to you about what you’ve read.  What does He have to say?  What does the scripture mean to you that day?  How can you use the scripture to lead you through this day?

When we are deliberate about our time in scripture then we will have much more success in life.  Our days will be wrapped in wisdom and peace.

That peace that surpasses all understanding. 

I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I know what it is to live life without peace.  I grew up with no peace.  As a young adult, I began to know truth, yet still couldn’t grasp peace.  It took time to discern, but I realized that I’d always been surrounded with a cloud of unpeaceful witnesses.  It was time to reconfigure my influences.  I stepped away.  I found a real and authentic relationship with Jesus, and He slowly and methodically began to peel away the layers of distrust, uncertainty, and lies that had held me captive for a lifetime.  I hadn’t chosen to be fearful, it was how I was brought into this world.  Imagine…never knowing peace.  When that has been the case, and then you do find it…well, you won’t walk away from it for anything.  You want to share it with everyone. 

It’s in my brokenness that I’ve found my mission to lead others to the God I know.  The God of peace.  The God Who fights for me when others won’t.  He never tires.  Never walks away.  Never gives up on me.  Never fails.  He is. 

The One Who was, Who is, and is to come…that’s the peace I know.

I pray you know Him too.

As I pondered this devotional, I heard, “Show your raising”. 

Meaning, live in such a way that shows you were raised right…have you ever heard the saying, show your raising?

As a mom tells her kids, you better show your raising when we go out in public today.

This saying is worth pondering.

When we died to our sins and were raised into a life with Jesus…we were eternally changed…we now have the opportunity to show our raising.

What were we raised from?

What purpose were we raised to complete?

When we died to self, how were we resurrected?

It’s time for the body of Christ to show our raising…don’t you think?

Living separate from the ways of the world isn’t an option, it’s our calling.  Knowing the Truth and living in it is our mandate. 

How can we live in Truth if we aren’t steeped in it…if we spend no time in the Truth?

The very essence of Your words is truth, all Your just regulations will stand forever.  Psalm 119:160

Jesus is Truth.  His Word is Truth…we must study and meditate upon it day and night.

Oh, how I love Your instructions!  I think about them all day long.  Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.  Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of Your laws.  I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept Your commandments.  I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to Your word.  I haven’t turned away from Your regulations, for You have taught me well.  How sweet Your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.  Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.  Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.  I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey Your regulations.  My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying Your instructions.  The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from Your commandments.  Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.  I am determined to keep Your decrees to the very end.  Psalm 119:97-112

Many of us have sins in which we are entangled.  Some seem worse than others, yet God really looks at them all the same, from what I can tell.

Anything that separates from Jesus is pretty awful, if you ask me.

Some of us wrestle with these entanglements publicly, others in private…yet, we all wrestle with something. 

Today, as I sat and pondered what to write next, I saw someone in the muck and mire.  That person was reaching out and trying to crawl out on their own…only to be pulled back in every time.  It seemed the muck and mire had a suction hold on them.  It seemed impossible to be free.

I can really relate to this vision.

The only way I was able to get out of the initial muck and mire of my life, was to be lifted.

I heard… “Stop trying to get out on your own, and be lifted out by My Spirit”

This is true.

It rings true to my very soul and spirit. 

We are incapable of delivering ourselves.  Only the Spirit of God can do this.

Now is the season to stop wrestling in your own strength and let the God of all creation deliver you from the evil one.  Let God deliver you from your muck and mire.  Let the Savior save you…

Stop trying to crawl out on your own and lift your hands to the One Who is powerful enough to break any and every stronghold in your life. 

Praise the Lord!

I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.  Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.  Many, Lord my God, are the wonders You have done, the things You planned for us.  None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare.  Sacrifice and offering You did not desire- but my ears You have opened- burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.  Then I said, “Here I am, I have come- it is written about me in the scroll.  I desire to do Your will, my God; Your law is within my heart.”  I proclaim Your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, Lord, as You know.  I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and Your saving help.  I do not conceal Your love and Your faithfulness from the great assembly.  Do not withhold Your mercy from me, Lord; may Your love and faithfulness always protect me.  Psalm 40:1-11

The first time God showed me my position in heaven, I saw myself at His feet, ministering there.  I was face down and holding His foot in my hand…in a position of humility worshiping and ministering to Him.

It was an awe-inspiring moment. 

Since then, I’ve returned to that vision over and over again.  It’s wonderful every time.

Today, in quiet meditation, I returned…but this time something was different.

In the past I see myself dressed humbly.  Like a servant.  Today I realized that I’d been seeing myself that way, because of myself…not Him.

Today, I saw beautiful jewels adorning my hands and wrists as I sat at His feet and held them and worshiped.  Then it was as if all things became brighter and I saw in color for the first time.  I saw I was adorned.  Then, I saw heaven in color…rainbows of mercy and waterfalls of grace were everywhere. 

Rainbows of mercy and waterfalls of grace.

Have you ever seen a full rainbow?  Once I saw a rainbow that was a full circle.  It was fantastic.  I would love to see one again.  A complete promise.  A rare sighting.  Again, an awe-inspiring moment. 

We may come to God as lowly sinners, but once we accept Jesus into our hearts, we leave as kings and queens in the kingdom.  It’s hard to imagine.  Harder still to grasp.  But it is true.

A royal priesthood. 

During this Christmas season, let’s not forget Him as we gaze upon the beauty and the lights. 

I pray that the Christmas lights of this season constantly remind you of your adornments in the heavenly places. 

We are royalty…we should learn to walk like we know it’s true. 

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.  By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.  we have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One Who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.  And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.  Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge or our Lord Jesus Christ.  But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.  So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen.  Do these things, and you will never fall away.  Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  2 Peter 1:2-11

I have discovered that the more I learn of God, the more I sit with Him, the more I choose to grow and be changed…I am made whiter still.

What is righteousness that I could achieve it on my own?

I could never.

Righteousness is found in Christ alone.

If I am to live a righteous life, then every moment I must be found in Him.  Trading my sin and shame for His mercy and grace.

The mercy seat.

Our King of kings.

Emmanuel.

Oh, how His glory shines throughout the earth.  He is Wonderful.  Counselor.  Almighty God.

When we step more intentionally into His presence, we become whiter still…

Shades of white. 

We are washed clean when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior…I’ve noticed that we become whiter still as we walk out sanctification.  Becoming transformed into His likeness, more and more.

I challenge you today to lean into God and ask to be made whiter still.  Confess any sins and ask Him to cover you, again, in His blood.  We bring every part of our lives under the blood of Jesus, to be made whiter…whiter than snow…whiter still…

We proclaim to you the One Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard and seen.  We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands.  He is the Word of life.  This One Who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen Him.  And now we testify and proclaim to you that He is the One Who is eternal life.  He was with the Father, and then He was revealed to us.  We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.  We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.  This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you.  God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.  So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness, we are not practicing the truth.  But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.  But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.  1 John 1:1-10

I sat with my eyes closed, focusing on God.  I was looking for Him. 

Then I saw a light snow falling around me.  In my vision, I stood with both arms outstretched and bare.  The snow gently fell all over me, yet I noticed it wasn’t cold.  The snow fell and awakened me with each tiny flake, but it warmed me inside.  This was the snowfall of Holy Spirit.

How I knew, I cannot explain…but I knew.

With each flake I felt ignited inside.  Awakened to the glory all around.  I saw what I couldn’t previously see and knew what I had not known before. 

Oh, this glorious snow!  Oh, the glory of Holy Spirit!!

How I love You, Holy Spirit.  My best Friend, Comforter, Guide…so many things. 

We gain so much when we take moments in our day to focus our hearts and minds…turn off any and all distractions and simply be still. 

How long can you last?

Many say that when they decide to be still in His Presence, they first feel frustrated because they had no idea how noisy their own mind was…I believe this is exactly why we should attempt it.  More than attempt, we should train ourselves to be still.  It’s a skill in this current world of noise and distraction.

It’s such a valuable skill.

The snowfall of Holy Spirit made me feel so full.  Peaceful.  Aware.  Awakened me to yearn for more.  Excited my heart for the future.  Gave me peace for today.  Granted forgiveness for the past.  Encompassed my whole life in every flake. 

Will you lean in today?

Will you dare to close your eyes, shut out the noise, and ask God to come.

Come Holy Spirit.  Come Holy Spirit.  Come Holy Spirit.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge.  Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.  Yet You desired faithfulness even in the womb; You taught me wisdom in that secret place.  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.  Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  Psalm 51:1-12