Whatever you focus on the most will be the thing that you move toward. We know this statement is true, we learned it as children. Whether riding a bike or driving a car, you must maintain focus on where you are going, not where you don’t want to go.

Why is it then, that in life so many of us are hyper-focused on all the bad things and the “don’t do’s”?

If all you do is think about and talk about negative things, then how can you expect goodness? It seems obvious to me that in order to find goodness, you must pursue it.

Be honest, when you wake up each morning, do you wake with joy in your heart and anticipation of good things? Or do you wake up dreading the day? The answer to this question is very important.

Likewise, when you interact with people throughout the day, do you focus on the negative parts of those encounters or on positives? Do you allow one negative thing to throw your whole day into a tailspin and begin proclaiming that it’s just “a crappy day”?

We can’t control many things in life, but we can control our responses.

Today, I challenge you to intentionally choose joy and optimism. Lay aside the heavy garment of pessimism and disappointment and decide to believe the best. Believe the best about God. Believe the best about your spouse and children. Believe the best about your co-workers and church family. Simply choose to believe that those around you have a good motive, whether they do or not. Because something fantastic can happen when you begin to believe the best about those around you…they will begin to give you the best! You get what you look for. If you are looking at and for negatives, then that’s largely what you’ll find. If you look for something good and positive, then you’ll begin to receive much more of it.

The choice is yours. The responsibility is also yours. Nobody can “make” you have a bad day, but you. You, alone. It’s not anyone else’s fault or responsibility. Only you can decide what kind of day you have. That’s the good and bad part of it, it’s up to you…some people will read that statement and think, “That’s not fair or true. I can’t have a good day with (insert excuse here).” Sorry friend, but that statement is a lie. You absolutely can have a good day no matter what. It all begins and ends in your heart. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. That is also true of how you act. Out of the overflow of your heart, you act.

None of us is perfect in our daily responses but we can all make headway toward doing better.

Prayer Moment: God, please guard my heart and mind so I respond to daily inconveniences better. Help me to choose joy. Help me to always be on the lookout for Your goodness and kindness. I believe You are as good as You say You are, so help me live like that. Teach me Your ways, God. I adore You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  Psalm 34:14-17

This weekend, our church hosted a ladies self defense class. It was so much fun! I loved the kicking and hand thrusts. It was amazing how powerful all of us felt after a one hour class. Once we discovered a way to escape different scenarios and how to inflict damage to an attacker, we were all left with more confidence. It was great!!

During the instruction for how to get out of one of the holds, I felt God speaking to me. In this particular situation, they pretend someone has grabbed you by the wrist and you need to get free. We were all stunned to discover just how simple it is to find release. By twisting your wrist just slightly to one side and then pulling, it is extremely easy to break someone’s hold of you. There is a weak place within a person’s hold that is undeniable…the place where their thumb would touch their other fingers. It’s the weakest part of the hand. This is the vulnerability you want to exploit in order to find escape.

Then I began to hear God say, “Many people feel stuck in something and wonder how they could ever escape. But what they don’t realize is that with just a slight twist, they could be free in no time.”

I know some of you need to hear that.

Think of your worst or hardest situation in life right now, then imagine, what’s one thing you can do to pivot that situation and then create momentum to walk away?

There is always a way to get free. God even promised this in scripture:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Friend, no matter what you feel ensnared by, whether it’s something that seems major or minor, anything at all…God has given you a way to break free. Seek that weak place, where the grasp it has on you is vulnerable to your escaping. There is ALWAYS a weak place. With God, you can escape from anything.

Seek God and ask where that place is so you too can find the freedom that He died for you to attain.

Prayer Moment: God, protect me from myself. Help me to find freedom from anything in my life that has trapped me. I long to be free in You. Teach me how to make that slight twist that will lead to my release. I trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

You hear a lot of people referencing the “silent majority” right now. It’s an interesting thing the way the media and others view silence.

The silent majority, those who follow Christ, so they hit their knees instead of hitting the streets to scream, rant, burn and protest. The silent majority, those who want to be more like Jesus, so they choose love and grace instead of confrontation and force. The silent majority, those who desire righteousness, so they avoid interacting with the things of this world as they attend church and prayer meetings. The silent majority doesn’t act as a bully, but rather a shepherd guiding others to the cross. We don’t have to force what the Holy Spirit will reinforce. We speak and allow the Holy Spirit to bear witness to what’s been said. Because we carry the power of heaven, we don’t have to force anything on anyone.

The silent majority isn’t really that silent.

As we petition God, we make the loudest noise, the only thing is our greatest sound is heard in heaven. We invest largely in what is eternal. We partner with the One Who created this world we live in.

We are the un-silent majority.

What might happen if, instead of letting the statement that we’re the silent majority, make us feel small and helpless, we allow it to get us on our knees more often. What if the more we are called silent, the more we cry out to heaven.

It’s true that in many ways the church has remained far too uninvolved, but in my opinion, being silent often isn’t a negative thing. Sometimes the greatest wisdom is to remain silent as you let the screams of the unrighteous reveal their true motives.

As Proverbs says: Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites ruin. Proverbs 10:14 and When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19

Prayer Moment: God, draw me to my knees in prayer. Keep my heart in a position of surrender to heaven. Help me to walk with purpose and intention. Give strength and power to my prayers. I exalt You. May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 10:6 &11

Recently as I was talking to God, I was lamenting about an area of my life where I feel like I fail a lot. I was pleading with God to forgive me and was praying for the strength to change. That’s when I heard Him speak to me, “Lisa, how many times did I tell you to forgive others?” My reply, “7 Times 77.” “Yes, now how many more times do you think I will forgive you?”

This was the moment I began to feel the full freedom of grace all over again.

Then He reminded me, “When Jesus died on the cross, He died for that sin too. It’s already been accounted for, so you don’t need to carry the guilt anymore.”

It’s funny how the thing that you’ve always known, can seem brand new when He brings it up to you.

Of course, I know Jesus already paid for my sins, but don’t we all need reminding sometimes? That’s the power of salvation, Jesus died for a lifetime of my sins before I was even born. So, how can I hold onto shame and disappointment without shortchanging His sacrifice?

Today, I wanted to remind you of the blood that covers all your sins. Sure, we all strive to not sin, but let’s face it we’re human and the struggle is real. Every day we do little things. Some days we do big things. The bottom line is that we all fall short of the glory of God.

This morning I hope you take comfort in the fact that you don’t have to be perfect. You only have to be covered. Covered by Jesus’ blood. When you finally begin to absorb the full affect of His grace, I believe your struggle with many sins will fall away. And the sins that are harder to avoid like, pride, slander and gossip, etc. well, you become more aware of and learn how to walk away from them more often than not.

Take heart, the God of the universe sent His Son to die a sinner’s death so you could live free. So, live free. Stop carrying the burdens of your sin and just walk in freedom. The thing you focus on most will more than likely become your greatest obstacle. If all you ever do is worry about this sin or that sin, then you’re much more likely to fall back into it, but if instead, you begin to focus more on walking in grace and freedom in Christ, then you’re much more likely to walk in that.

Focus on the thing you want to do, not the thing you don’t.

Prayer Moment: God, forgive me of my sins. Help me to walk in the freedom which You paid so dearly for me to have. Teach me to partner with Your grace more each day. Help me to not become so consumed with my shortcomings that I lose sight of Your grace. I want to be Christ focused, not me focused. I adore You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

I’m sure that during your lifetime you’ve run across some people who are rebelliously living out a wild lifestyle, I know I have. In fact, at one time that wild one was me. I’m not ashamed to admit it anymore because I’ve been so washed in Jesus’ blood that I know I can lay all my shame and embarrassment aside and embrace the fullness of redemption. Honestly, I believe I treasure redemption more because I once lived so horribly. The old me is but a distant reflection in the past now, but I still clearly remember many once shame-filled moments. Every day I get a choice, do I resent my past or do I embrace my future. I choose the future. I decided long ago to simply learn from my past and point toward my future.

But I have often wondered why I was inclined to wildness.

Because you see, I am wild for God now. When I was walking in darkness, I was leaning toward wild. Now as a redeemed believer, I am still inclined to wildness…only this time it’s properly directed.

In my heart, I often wonder if many of those we view as wild are truly just misdirected in their passions that were intended to be wild for Him. Meaning, they were created to be wild, they just haven’t found the One worthy of wild passion yet.

I’m all in with God. I worship with all my heart. I pursue Him at all cost. I listen to Him for every decision. I don’t turn away from a challenge He calls me to because of fear. My fear of missing Him is greater than any earthly fear. I am desperate for Him.

You see, the line between passion for God and passion for addiction and wild living is smaller than you might think. All of those statements above could also be used for those who battle addiction or wild living, just replace God with whatever addiction a person might have.

You might be wondering why I’m even going on about this, but my hope is that in reading this and hopefully prayerfully considering it, you’ll find more grace. More grace for your own short-comings and also more grace for the fallen ones.

We were created to be passionate. God is the epitome of passion. Imagine the passion required to send Your only Son to earth to die the worst death. Imagine the unbridled passion of a Savior Who was willing to take on ALL our sins while hanging naked on the cross. Just imagine.

Passion is as passion does. Where is your passion focused?

Prayer Moment: God, I am one of the wild ones. I am consumed with my love for You. Don’t ever let that change. Never let me “grow” out of it. Never let me respond to criticisms by pulling back from You. You are it for me. You’re all I really need. May my walk through life with You be eternally blessed. I am Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that 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

Sway: Move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backward and forward or from side to side. -control of influence a person or course of action. -rule or govern.                                                               Hold sway- have great power or influence over a particular person, place or domain.

God, You hold me and You sway. Back and forth, You gently rock me. You woo me and cause my heart to relax. Then we move. You begin to move me to places I would not normally go. You take me out on the water, and before I know it, I’m in the middle of the ocean but I’m not afraid because You’re with me. Dancing with me. Holding me. Your hand holding mine. Your heart is the rhythm I hear. Your eyes captivate me. You hold me closer than my own breath. You are my breath. At some point I lose track of where I end, and You begin.

Likewise, the world can hold sway over us if we’re not careful.

We are not called to be of this world. Yes, we must live in it, but it is possible to live in a place yet hold to that which is our Home. Heaven is my home. I live my life as if it is a reflection of my ultimate resting place.

I would much rather allow God to hold sway over me, than to allow the world to do so.

The thing that holds sway over us, is that which we are closer to. If we are walking closely with God, then all we do will be heavily influenced by Him. If we are more closely bound to the world, then it will hold more sway over our lives.

Upon reflection, what is holding sway over you?

Prayer Moment: God, be real with me. If there are any places where I have allowed the world to influence me, reveal them to me. Hold me close, Abba. Closer than ever before. Let me hear Your heartbeat. Let me hear Your thoughts. As You hold me close, let me see into Your eyes. Show me Your world. Teach me to walk more confidently in Your Presence. Help me to not fear being different from others. I want to be more like You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18

Recently, God has invited me into a season of unknown. His constant word over every part of my world is, unknown. I even have pictures hung in my room that reflect this….the one on the left is the day Chris and I eloped and got married, a clear picture of the past. The window hung on the right, is empty. When I hung it the other day, God spoke to me, “This is a glimpse at your future and it’s unknown to you for now.” For whatever reason, God is asking me for more trust than He has ever before. He is leading me where I can’t even see the next step before me until I place my foot on the ground.

This season is such that if I don’t remain in tune with His voice, then I might get lost. It requires a constant communion with Him. One more intense than I’ve ever had before.

By nature, I dislike unknown things. I don’t like quick change. I prefer to ease into things. God knows that and for years He’s been lovingly accommodating to that part of me. Now, He’s asking me to grow. Deepen my trust in Him. Go on an adventure with Him. I have said, “Yes”.

Yes, it’s been scary, but it’s also carried reward. I have seen Him providing exactly what we need, when we need it. My prayers have begun to transform too. I used to pray specifics, now I often ask God for creative miracles in the places where we need breakthrough.

As Holy Spirit has grown more creativity within me, I’ve desired to see more creativity around me and in those who are nearest to my heart. I desire to see as much of God’s creativity as I can. I thrive in the creative places. “Oh God, that You would draw other creatives into my circle.” My heart cries out to walk in tandem with other creative forerunners.

I don’t know where I’m going, I only know God has said, “Come.” Just as Peter walked out onto the water, God has called me out. Only, I’ve seen myself at the top of a mountain and there is seemingly nothing between me and the next mountain top. Yet, God is saying, “Come.” I step out, and when I do my foot lands on a solid spot. It was unseen to the human eye, until I touched it. Then He again says, “Come.” I step again and find another solid place to stand. This is my life right now, but it’s never felt more exciting or full of promise…

Prayer Moment: God, You have created me to be a forerunner. Help me to embrace that. Lead me God, then teach me how to bring others along with me. You created me for relationship, so teach me how to walk out relationship with those around me. Give me a value for each person. Help me to never turn away from one because they don’t seem to get it. Show me who is to travel into the unknown with me. I trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16

As I have walked through the swamp for the last year of my life, I have been actively looking around. I’ve been watching how others respond to struggle. I’ve observed who lives a life motivated by fear and who stands in opposition to it. I’ve seen who carries a stronger alliance with my heart.

I’ve been looking for those who dare to trust that God is exactly Who He says He is, and then live like they believe it. Those are my people.

I am immediately turned off from people who carry a strong spirit of fear. Those who can’t seem to navigate life without being scared and speaking fear into everything. In the same way that I avoid angry people, I also avoid fearful ones. Lest I be influenced by that same spirit.

As I’ve looked around, I’ve wondered, “Am I in or out? Will I choose to walk out life with _____, or not?”

These are healthy and valuable questions, I believe. As a wife and a mom to four kids, my time is very valuable. I don’t have a lot to share. Time is my greatest asset. How I spend it must be wise. It’s your greatest asset too. How are you spending it?

When I look at my day, I weigh it carefully. God gets my first fruit, then the rest is distributed accordingly. My husband and kids get the next portion and all else is then divvied up.

This is the space in our life where our motives are exposed. Every single person has motives. Some are good, and some aren’t.

My greatest motivation is to be nearer to God. Family is a close second. Then the rest. It’s reflected in the way I balance my life.

How does your time reflect your motives in life? Who receives your greatest portion? What motivates the way you spend your time? A need to feel valued? A desire to be popular? A striving for perfection? A desire to know God more? A need to connect with family?

You see, it’s easy to begin to expose motives when we really take a hard look at how our greatest asset is spent, our time. So, when you look at those around you and how you are best served spending your time, are you in or out? Are there places that deserve more of your time? Are there places that should have less?

Where you’re in, go all in. Where you’re out, be all out. It’s worth it.

Prayer Moment: God, show me any places where I’ve invested my time poorly. Help me to keep my greatest priorities, greatest. Help me to say no when I need to. Be my balance God. You are my greatest reward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

As a companion to yesterday’s devotional, I’d like to talk about celebrating!

While walking out years of challenges and struggles, I’ve learned another very useful thing…now is always a good time to celebrate!! Find something to celebrate in every day!!

I have discovered the power of enjoyment. It is far too easy to get bogged down in all that is wrong. That is a slippery slope. Years of falling down that slope can result in a bitter heart, but I’ve discovered the antidote to bitterness is celebration! God’s hand seems to be moved by one who learns to find pleasure in all moments. The ones who look for things to celebrate and enjoy. I have become one of those people. I look for the blessing in each day and that’s what I allow my mind to rest upon. I don’t dwell on the troubles or trials. Instead, I look for a victory or a moment to celebrate.

During our lean times, I search out pockets of fun! It’s such a useful practice and it helps teach my family to be very grateful. My kids will delight in the smallest present they receive. They will openly rejoice over the tiniest victory. I’ve deliberately sown into that. The atmosphere of our home is so affected by my heart. As the mother of this home, I am tasked with creating a positive environment. I am responsible for lifting my head and facing life with victory in mind. Find things to celebrate is a key to this.

Living life this way leads us to celebrate each other so well. We encourage and celebrate all the wins. Our family doesn’t do the “participation award” lifestyle, but we do look for moments where my kids have done real things that deserve accolades, and if any of us receives a gift of any kind, you will see all of us celebrating that.

We’ve learned to love well, and part of loving means being wiling to not only be celebrated ourselves, but to also allow others to be celebrated. On birthdays, if we go somewhere like Chuck E Cheese or Incredible Pizza, then all the tickets earned, go toward the person who is being celebrated. It’s a seemingly small gesture, but it’s really helped the kids to die toward a measure of selfishness, knowing they will earn tickets and give them away instead of receiving their own prize. This is just one small example, but it’s been a powerful one for us.

Prayer Moment: I challenge you to find something to celebrate today! Whether this is your best day ever or your hardest day yet, find the joy. Therein lies your strength. Look for something to intentionally celebrate. Encourage others around you. Become a voice of light and life, instead of just another voice echoing doom and gloom. Pull up your bootstraps and let God be victorious in your life. Defeat is not your identity. Christ is your identity…Now go act like it 😊

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133

As I listened to a new song, “The Story I’ll Tell”, I realized something beautiful…I’ve really learned to center myself in the Calm of the storm. All these years, all these challenges we’ve faced. It seems daunting if I look at it all, but if I didn’t, I would be missing the beauty. So much beauty in the story of the Hurst Huddle.

From our unlikely meeting, to hearing God tell me we should go ahead and get married right away and not wait. Noah being miraculously given over to me for adoption. Babies being born, two with chords around their necks, yet still delivered safely at home. Chris getting a miracle job years ago, that I had sowed so many prayers into. Seeing God heal. Watching God fiercely protect our marriage, our union. Him using our marriage to bring healing to both of our hearts from wounds of the past. Many encounters with God in our home. Watching our whole family prophesy over each other on many occasions. Seeing our children sob as they speak prophetically over each of us. Being willing to move multiple times, because following God is our number one priority. Seeing God make a way for us when we could see none, so many times. Walking through all the challenges of parenting and feeling like we would never make it through it. Feeling completely inadequate to raise our kids, and now seeing light at the end of the tunnel. They are wonderful children. Each one of them.

Every day the enemy tries to taunt me with thoughts of, “Where are you going to go from here? How will you ever get out of debt or even pay what you owe this month?” He comes in the night to steal my sleep with anxiety. Thoughts of, “What about your kids? They are only going to see you struggle, never break through.” He’s always there holding a bag of lies, but I’ve learned something amazing. First, I’ve learned to roll over and go back to sleep with praise in my heart. But also, when he comes with his lies and what if’s, I say, “I truly don’t know where we are going, but I know one thing, God has never left us. So why would He now?” That true statement comes into my heart like a flood of peace and resets my soul, giving me right focus again.

Another important thing I’ve learned is to not limit God with my understanding. He CAN do anything. So now, instead of directing Him with my prayers, I ask Him to be creative over us and make things happen. I pray for creative miracles over our relationships, work and finances every day. It’s brought me such peace to stop trying to figure it out, and instead to embrace the fullness that each day brings and to honestly live it like I don’t know if we have a tomorrow or not. Because guess what? We aren’t guaranteed a tomorrow. One day I will run out of tomorrows and I don’t want to stand before God as the one who hid all his talents, so he didn’t risk losing them. I want to be the one who spent and wisely invested all he was given and increased what he had and then received more from God. That’s who I want to be.

I can’t spend my life in heaven. I can only spend the time I’m given, on this side of heaven. Every day I look forward to being in heaven. All I want is to be right next to God and to gaze upon Him forever, I truly do. But I don’t want to get to heaven and Him ask me why I wasted so much of my time on earth. There are souls that need saving, lives that need His Presence. There are people who need to see me living out my testimony. My kids need to see me praise, worship and trust. My husband deserves a wife who lives life to the full and leaves nothing behind. My God deserves all that I have. Jesus’ sacrifice deserves my whole commitment. I don’t want to arrive in heaven with change in my pocket. I want to spend it all here on earth.

Prayer Moment: God, here I am again. I stand before You with my hands open. I am ready to receive my portion for this day. God, give me wisdom as I spend today. Lead me where I need to go. Protect me from the enemy. Let my every breath be a testimony of Your love and provision. I am Yours completely. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master’, he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘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. The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master’, he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘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! Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So, you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gathered where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest. ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw the worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:14-30