One gift I’ve received, particularly in 2020, is friendship.

As a family, we have moved a lot, and that means that we are not strangers to being the “new” people in town. Finding and building new connections is always a commitment. Sometimes, it feels like a burden and other times it feels like such a gift. One thing it has done, though, is given me a true appreciation for friendship.

Suddenly, this year I’ve found myself surrounded by several quality friendships. Such a treasure. Such a gift.

When Chris came home for a 24 hour visit recently…he had just left when I received a text from a friend offering wine and conversation later that day. What a joy to be thought of by a person who knew sadness would come on the heels of Chris’ departure.

Other times, friends have sat by my side at ball games and had silly fun with me as we very enthusiastically root for our team. Then over covid lockdown, I met with a friend several times a week to get in exercise and lots of conversation. This and many other instances have led to me having the most fruitful friend season I’ve ever experienced.

Even three of the women I cultivated friendship with while in PA have served as steady and faithful friends still. In past moves, I have had the hard realization that even good friends will fall to the wayside when distance requires them to make additional effort. It’s been a painful but all too real truth for me. But these three faithful relationships have stood the test of time and our distance has only enhanced what we share. We’ve walked through challenging seasons together and forged bonds that time and space can’t dissolve. Faithful friends are a treasure from heaven.

If you’ve only lived in one place during your life, I encourage you to take a minute and reflect on the treasure trove of relationships you have and remember it’s not that way for everyone. We all have something to be grateful for, friendships are one of those things.

Prayer Moment: God, thank You for friendship. Thank You for blessing my life. During this rich season of seeing friendships abound, I want to say how very grateful I am. You are my best Friend, though. Help me to always remember that. You are my most trusted Confidante. I adore You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 27:9

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.     1 Thessalonians 5:11

One thing that God has been continually burning into my soul is this…there is ALWAYS hope!

Hope does indeed spring eternal, straight from heaven our forever home. I ran across this scripture in Proverbs that reinforces our old staple of Jeremiah 29:11…

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18

There you have it! Our hope is sure and will NOT be cut off. I’ve read and heard much debate about how Jeremiah 29:11 was a specific promise for a specific people….and even though God has specifically spoken that promise over me as a today (Rhema) word, I now have this gem from Proverbs to back it up. God never changes. His desire to give us hope and a future remains the same. You can rest in this. You can cling to it. You can use it as a star to guide you through dark times.

Over the last week, God has been constantly telling me that He is releasing joy within me. He is giving me fun. Several times, I have been in a situation and wondered, “God, is it ok for me to do (this or that)?” and He has said, “I want you to have some fun!”

What a relief!! Especially after years and years of feeling the weight of being responsible. The pressure of shaping and molding the next generation has left me, at times, feeling that I needed to highlight self- control so much that fun fell to the wayside. It wasn’t intentional, but the business of raising kids is intense. I gave myself over to it completely, but God never intended that I lose my fun-loving spirit. Here’s a secret about me…I LOVE TO HAVE FUN!!!

So many times, I will say to my husband, “I just want to go have some fun!”

Life can feel heavy. Obligations to family and daily needs can feel overwhelming. What if we began to learn how to embrace the joys God places in our lives? What if we remember how to have fun?!

Prayer Moment: God, remind me how to have fun. I ask that You lift off the burdens of this world and give me time to breathe in Your goodness. Teach me how to walk in joy and fun! Give me the grace to embrace and enjoy life. Help me to be a joy to others. Teach me to embrace joy so that my children can walk in the strength of joy. God, I love You. I enjoy You!! I adore You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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 51:10-12

“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. Jeremiah 29:11-14a

Lately, I have thought a lot about how often people jockey for position. Have you noticed? People manipulate or speak highly of themselves, all in an attempt to win position and favor. It happens everywhere…schools, jobs, families, even within the church. But as I read my daily scripture from Proverbs this morning, I was reminded of something. Let me first share the scripture…

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. Proverbs 22:29

It reminded me that when we do something with excellence, God will promote and reward us. And if we allow Him to be the One doing the promoting then we will sustain what is given. Failure comes quickly to those who self-promote. Never envy someone you see who is jockeying themselves forward, because it will inevitably end in failure. Maybe not tomorrow, but one day soon.

So whatever phase of life you are in, take a moment and step back. Are you finding that in your zeal to move further into your calling and purpose, you have begun to manipulate or jockey? If so, then take the reigns and pull back. Ask God to forgive you and then to reset your course. Course correction is ALWAYS available. If you find yourself being trampled as you humbly wait on promotion amid a mass of jockeys…then go to God and reaffirm your trust in His plan and timing and ask if there is anything He would have you do differently.

In the kingdom of God there is more than enough for everyone. He will NEVER run out. God has made room for all of us. He creates space around us. He creates positions for us to fill. He releases favor and blessing. Those things will never run out.

So, if you are currently feeling lack in any of these areas, I encourage you to do these things…ask God, am I where You want me to be? And if so, ask God to create places for you to be used and useful.

If He has placed a call on your life, then you can rest assured that He will make a way for you. You don’t need to fight others. You only need to work excellently and allow Him to move you into place. Your anointing will make room for you.

Trust Him. He Who called you is faithful, and He didn’t call you to bring disappointment into your life. Trust is the key.

And remember the process you walk out to move into your position is largely the point. It’s where you grow and establish deep roots. The process is where your strength for tomorrow is developed.

Prayer Moment: God, I trust You. I know that at the perfect time, You will place me in the positions You have promised. I desire to only be right where You want me to be. Help me to be satisfied and hungry all the time. Satisfied with where I am and always hungry for more of You. I desire to desire You. You are all that matters. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

I’ve been walking out some conflicts in my life lately. Building relationships is sometimes hard. It can feel so uncertain. When someone begins to be angry with me and I am unaware that I have done something to cause it, I often feel overcome. It’s hard because then I feel as if everyone is allowed to receive grace but me.

When this happened recently, I found myself spiraling into a sea of frustration again. Feeling like I was drowning and couldn’t figure a way to survive. Then like a break in the storm, I felt grace fall. The Father came to me, took my face in His hands and began to speak truth.

“Lisa, if these relationships in your life are so fragile that they can’t withstand the tiniest amount of conflict, then are they truly important to you? Do you really believe that if things aren’t perfect then everyone will leave you?”

Of course, this revelation to my heart brought an instant surge of relief. I had been believing a lie and wasn’t even aware of it.

I was then able to step back and detach. A flood of perspective washed over me, and I released all the perfectionism I’d been unwittingly holding onto. I felt a literal weight lift off of my shoulders…I had been under attack. A cloud of deception had come to rest upon me, and I hadn’t even known when it happened.

Suddenly, the weight of grace broke the weight of perfectionism.

I wonder, where do you feel a lack of grace in your life? Is there a relationship that causes you to feel the way I was feeling? Do you feel a lack of grace over a certain struggle you have?

There is so much grace. Reach out your hand toward heaven and take a hold of it. Handfuls of grace. Grace is there for you today, and it will be there for tomorrow, each day holding its own portion. Don’t fear it running out. Lean in and trust God to provide. The poverty spirit says, “There won’t be enough for me.” The one with identity in Christ says, “God gives exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.”

Prayer Moment: God, I pray You would break the cycle of condemnation over me today. I pray that You would open my eyes to grace. Consume my heart with a revelation of Your love and understanding. Give me the perspective I need to give and receive grace. Thank You for loving me enough to keep growing me. You are an all-consuming fire. Come consume me again and again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Reservoir: A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply. A supply or source of something.

There are so many times that I have wondered how I would ever make it through this life if I didn’t have a reservoir of God’s presence within my heart. Where would I find the grace for each moment? How would I walk out the many ups and downs of life?

We each need a reservoir of His presence.

The year 2020 has really been a time to discover who has this reservoir and who doesn’t. The media has done it’s very best to stir up all kinds of fear to boost their ratings. The more afraid they can make us, the more they capitalize. It’s all a game to them, a sick and perverted game.

Those without Jesus have been running wildly amok in their fear. The evidence of the Prince of Peace in the lives of believers has never been more clear. Those who know where their hope lies, are walking out this time with grace. Those who are certain that heaven is their final destination have nothing to fear of death. This is a set apart time. A time to let our faith in Jesus Christ shine like the sun, and warm the cold, weary earth.

I press into my reservoir every day. Lately, I have felt so worn out. Tired from parenting alone while Chris is working out of state, tired of the constant spiritual warfare that is happening. Tired of struggling to maintain peace in our home when the world is constantly trying to steal it.

Last week I found something new, though.

Having reached the end of myself again, I let go and fell backwards into the reservoir of God’s peace. This new pool of Presence is one I’ve never been in before. A deeper pool. I daily pray for God to take me to deeper places within Himself and that’s where I found myself, suddenly.

Things I’ve struggled with for years simply washed away in this deep pool of His presence. Other things that had been covered by years of moss because I was unaware they existed, were suddenly brought into the light so God could speak truth over them as He removed them completely and replaced them with Himself…and then another wave came. A deeper wave of His presence. I’ve heard of it but hadn’t experienced it quite this way before. God was showing me a new place in His heart.

Today, I offer an encounter to you. An encounter with a deeper level of His Presence. How is it found? By asking and then being still. When it comes, just believe it to be true and then surrender to letting go. Let go of this life and hold onto heaven. Release your fears and dreams and receive His vision for your life. Exhale all the panic that breeds control and inhale His saving grace. He is more than enough.

Prayer Moment: God, I ask You would pour out a deeper measure of Yourself over every person reading these words. I pray that right now they would feel You in a deeper way then they ever have before. Come and consume them with Your grace. Wash away comparison, fear and poverty. Release the joy of the Lord over them right now. All this in Jesus’ name, amen.

His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before Him. Luke 1:50 (MSG)

I read another day of the new book I’m reading, and it focused on a practice that I have done since the beginning of our marriage. I was inspired as I read about it this morning because I had never heard anyone else mention it. I only began to do it because Holy Spirit lead me to do so. Turning toward.

I have continually turned toward my husband. No matter what has happened and how I feel, I won’t allow myself to begin to seek out comfort somewhere that isn’t God or him. I made a firm decision years ago, to always fight for connection with Chris.

Even in times when anger or frustration have threatened to cast a shadow over our union, I will force myself to go to God and seek out reconciliation. Marriage is and always will be a choice.

Every marriage has moments when you may think there is no way forward, but if you press into Christ and center yourself in His promises, then you can make it through. The key is to stay open.

Staying open is a choice. When I vowed to love Chris in plenty and want, sickness and health, through the good times and the bad until death do us part…I meant it. This is not a promise I made lightly. I knew what I was getting into. In the moments when I’ve been surprised or disappointed with him, I’ve leaned into the fact that God directed me to marry him, therefore, He knew I’d be facing whatever it is and He will provide the grace for that moment and will see me through. I’m sure Chris has had to do this for me too. I have no doubt disappointed and surprised him at times too.

He chooses me. I choose him. We remain open.

We have built a foundation firm enough at this point to know that there isn’t a fight we can’t make amends after. Actually, we usually don’t fight because we both know we’ll end up laughing anyway. Now we both know how to diffuse each other.

Our relationship with God is very similar. We each choose to turn toward Him no matter what. We choose to assume the best about His character, and rightly so. We choose to cling to Him even when we don’t understand what’s happening or feel disappointed. We cling to Him because He’s the only One worth clinging to. The Only Firm foundation to be found. If you feel like everything in your life is shaking, turn to Him and be open. Believe in the goodness of His character and remain focused on Him.

Prayer Moment: God, I choose You. Today and tomorrow and the next day, I will choose You still. You are my forever Faithful One. I trust You. I choose to turn to You in all things and at all times. I love You. You are my one true love. Oh, Faithful Father, I lean into Your heart. I press into more of Who You are. I want to be closer to You. As I inhale, let Your spirit flood my body. As I exhale, may my fears and insecurities leave. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26

I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me. Song of Solomon 7:10

This morning, I opened a new book that is designed to prompt you to search your own heart and hear from God at the end of each reading. Today’s reading was about marriage. The prompt at the end was to think of the marriages that have inspired me and that have qualities that I desire in my own. When I closed my eyes and considered this, I realized that my marriage is my favorite.

No, Chris and I do not have the “perfect” marriage, but we do have commitment and each year we have grown in our affection and understanding of each other. Now, we can speak without words. The slightest look from my eye can tell him all he needs to know, and he’s demonstrated this many times. The softest touch while in a crowd, will indicate a whole conversation, without the need of words. He knows me. I know him.

We have fought for our marriage during hard seasons. There are times when I’ve fought harder and there are times when he has, but one thing is true, one of us was always fighting to maintain connection. During seasons when I felt I loved him more, I only became more determined to pour out that love while simultaneously becoming a woman worth loving. Remaining loveable. Refusing bitterness. Holding onto hope.

During season’s when he’s felt he loved me more, I have allowed it. I have learned to be where I am. Meaning, if I am struggling through something, instead of faking it or feeling guilty, I just continue to go to God and ask Him to give me what I’m missing inside. I don’t hide it, I press into it…because we are BOTH worth it.

Marriage is refining, if you let it. Marriage will grow you, if you allow it. Marriage is the easiest and hardest thing we do.

This morning’s reflection led me to one thought, “I’m so happy to love what is mine.” I haven’t always been able to say that, and it hasn’t always been true. But now, after sixteen years of falling for Chris, I can truthfully and honestly say our marriage is the main one I look up to.

Now, when I look in his eyes, I see years of covenant promise kept. I see how we’ve fought for our love and built family together. I see a man who has sacrificed greatly to provide for our family. In my eyes he sees a woman who has purposefully poured into our kids and household, creating a bond forged so soundly that our loyalty and love for one another is what we’re known for. We create family. We chose to love what we’ve been given.

Life is so full of choices. Each one has the potential to become very significant. My choice today is this, to love what I have.

Prayer Moment: God, thank You for my family. Thank You for creating this wonderful life we live. In its imperfection we find growth and commitment. Thank You for knowing the exact recipe to create this. Thank You for making us people who need people. Thank You for giving everyone a need for connection and fellowship. Lead us as we learn how to accept the fellowship we have around us. Lead us further into a heart of gratitude for exactly what You’ve given us. Let my heart never long for another’s marriage over my own. Keep me steady. Keep our eyes fixed on You and each other. Bless our union. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.                                          1 Corinthians 13:13

As I have pondered a few relationships that are in my life right now I heard, “Thorn in my side.” Then I realized that I keep coming across these people that feel like they are a thorn in my side. Some would say, “Your spirit draws them to you.” And on some occasions, I would agree, but today what I saw was this…

I continually come across these people that serve as a thorn in my side because, each time I learn more and more about how to deal with them. They are ultimately not going to be a thorn. They will ultimately become ineffectual weapons the enemy has attempted to use to create conflict in my life and ministry. But God wants me to learn how to stand firm against opposition and He will sometimes use people to strengthen me. He will use the weakness of others to strengthen my weak places, if I will let Him. Eventually, as I am healed and strengthened, I will be able to love these challenging people. I will be able to better pour into them. I will have more to offer.

I am daily reminding my children of what the Bible says…

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:44-45

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12:14

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:32-36

These scriptures remind me that in my pursuit of God, I will come across those who dislike me and those who don’t love me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am to love them. I have no choice really. Well, I do, but if I want to grow and be continually useful to Him, then I need to learn how to love the difficult and unloving.

Today, I ask you, “Are there people in your life that you have written off as unlovable?” If so, I encourage you to seek God, and ask if there is anything He desires for you to do to show them His love. Is there any act you are supposed to bless them with as a love offering to God? Yes, there are seasons where love means stepping back and allowing distance, this is another healthy part of life. I simply encourage you to press into Him and ask, “Is this a season of speaking love to someone through moving closer, or is this a season of allowing distance?” Then have the courage to do whichever He leads you to do.

Prayer Moment: God, please keep me ever aware of the season I’m in. Help me to love those You’ve placed around me. Give me courage to build bridges when I need to, and restraint to stand back when that’s what You desire. I long to be nearer to You. Don’t let anyone or anything come between that. I am Yours completely. I adore and exalt You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

While I was exercising today, I was contemplating yet another famous Christian leader who has apparently bowed down to the attempted stealing of an election. When I read his words, I could see he had grown weary, probably had faced a lot of criticism and pressure to stand down and finally relented. Again, I asked God, “Am I deceived? Do I need to stand down? What posture do You want me to take?” Right after those thoughts, I remembered one solid prophetic voice that I have been following throughout this stretching time and how his words are often a confirmation of my own. When listening to him I feel strong and supported. Then I came across two other trusted Christian leaders who are also continuing to stand.

I asked God, “Why are so many backing down? Why is the church so weak? Why is it so hard for the church to have a long-term united stand?”

Immediately, I was in a vision. I saw Gideon’s armies and they were at the edge of the water drinking. Do you remember? This was all a part of God paring down the army to a mere 300 men so that when they defeated the enemy, there would be no doubt that God had made it all possible.

Then I realized that is what’s happening now. This was further confirmed to my spirit because when I see people falling out of agreement with God right now, I only feel more firm and more bold. It’s not causing my faith and tenacity to decrease it’s causing it to increase.

So, there’s an army rising up. It is growing slimmer in number, but it’s God’s army. I do still believe that we will see the victory of the Lord in this season. I am daily, even hourly praying for our politicians to have a backbone should this ball be hit into their court.

This is our season. We must stand. I will not relent.

Are you in a season of standing firm for something? I encourage you to have the courage to stand and fight for whatever it is that God has placed before you. If He promised it, then simply believe it and live your life as if it will surely happen. Don’t listen to negativity. Don’t let others dissuade you from believing. Stand upon God’s promises and watch as He moves mountains for you.

Prayer Moment: God, thank You for all that You are. You are able. You are more than willing. I believe in You. Remembering Your words, brings me comfort and peace. I will not relent in my pursuit of You and Your promises. Give me strength to stand. Give me courage even when I’m standing alone. I am Yours completely. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”So, Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” So, Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Judges 7:1-8

This world has become a web of lies. What is the purpose? Why would so many groups be coming together to facilitate a lie?

Power and Control.

The façade of pushing the socialist agenda is all about those who have power wanting to remain in power. They are blinded by it and satisfied only by obtaining more of it.

We are in a season of truth, believe it or not. Does that statement seem contradictory to the previous one? Well, it’s not. The reason I know we’re in a season of truth is because so many lies are being revealed. You see, for years and years the lies have been there, and people were slaves to them. One reason people were so enslaved to them was because they didn’t know they were lies. The deceptions were being woven like a web and many willingly crawled into the web because it had the appearance of something good and beautiful. It had the appearance of unity. Now that they are in the web, they can see they are trapped. What was boasted as unity is actually unrelentingly divisive. What many thought was good, now reveals it has the heart of evil.

God’s truth is the only truth. There is no such thing as personal truth. That’s a uniquely crafted deception of the enemy, bent on enticing people into that same web of lies. The web where one day they will discover they’ve been enslaved in something they never meant to be involved in.

Friends, this is a season to lean into truth and stand firm. We must be as unrelenting as the forces of darkness. We are on the side of God when we stand on truth. We have the ultimate victory, so why not act like it?

One reason the opposing forces riot, yell and demand is because the enemy knows he’s already defeated. He knows he has nothing to truly stand upon. He’s built a castle made of sand, and when the wave of glory comes, all his work will be washed away. His days are numbered, and he knows in the end God and His people will have the victory. It makes him so mad. It should make us feel so strong.

Remember what side you stand on. Remember where this is all headed. Give all you have on this earth so you can openly embrace your heavenly reward, as you finally see God face to face and hear those words we all long to hear. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Prayer Moment: God, help me stay strong to the end. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence His soul hates. On the wicked He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the Lord is righteous; He loves justice; upright men will see His face. Psalm 11