The other day as I was spending time with God, I reflected upon all the things happening in the world right now. I thought of my own life and how God is using these unusual circumstances to establish some very positive things in my own home, heart and personal life. During this season, when the enemy thought he would cause me, and most other Americans, to despair or to be fearful of ever having a hope for tomorrow, God has reinforced a tenacity of spirit within me. He has re-affirmed His good plans for me. He has poured out creativity upon me and led me to the piano to write songs. He has emboldened my heart to share worship on live streams. I never thought I would do that. But the time and space has been made for me to have this extra space to begin to establish new things in my own life. Also, during this time I have been able to cultivate some closer friendships with a certain few in this newer town that we are living in. It was the stopping of it all that made room for us to have time to connect and build the foundations of friendship more solidly. It was the busyness of life that had prevented it previously.

As I mulled over these thoughts, I kept hearing, “God is intentional.” These words kept running through my head as I saw a lot of current events and previous happenings and the many ways that God has used them to show His intentionality in our lives.  He leaves His mark everywhere. I thought of good and bad things that have happened in our lives and in the world and then I’ve seen how God showed up in the midst of all of them to use them to intentionally bring about good. As scripture says, He works ALL things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. There is no trick or deception of the enemy that God cannot usurp and use for our good.

None of our current situation simply “happened”, and none of it caught God off-guard. No, He saw it coming before the beginning of time, and He took care to weave into it goodness for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.

I am one of those, and if you have Jesus in your heart then you are too.

Prayer Moment: God, I know that You truly can and do work all things for my good. You can make good out of any circumstance. You can turn things around in the blink of an eye. The knowledge of this brings me great comfort. Thank You for loving me enough to constantly kiss me with goodness. I trust You, even in these seemingly uncertain times. I trust You because you are trustworthy, but also because I can see how You can use many of today’s circumstances to bring about Your plans for my life and for the whole earth. I lay my hope and trust in Your hands. You’ve never failed me yet. I adore You. In Jesus name, amen.

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. Proverbs 12:25

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

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. Romans 8:28

 

 

One skill that I have found to be very important in life is to know how to, and be willing to, shift gears quickly. What I mean is, it’s very important to learn to make changes according to the circumstances you find yourself in.

Imagine a manual transmission car, if you try to continue driving and refuse to shift gears when the engine indicates that you should, then eventually you will destroy the car. Furthermore, you won’t be able to drive at a variety of speeds if you chose to refrain from shifting gears. Let’s take this analogy a step further, if you are still in this imagined car and decide to take it onto the highway, still refusing to shift gears and refusing to accelerate appropriately to stay with the flow of highway traffic, then you will eventually have a big problem. You could cause a bottle neck in traffic, or an accident as the other cars are traveling appropriately and as I mentioned before, you would ruin the transmission of your car by not shifting as you should.

This same principle applies to our every day lives as well. Refusing to adapt and change or to find the appropriate changes to make in order to continue moving through life, can wreak havoc in your life and cause others to have to trip over you as they move forward.

Things change. Circumstances change. We must learn to lean into change when it comes and ask God, “What’s next for me? How do you want me to adapt into this situation?” Letting these simple questions become your first response, as opposed to anger and refusal, will drastically change your life for the better. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Prayer Moment: Today is a good day to take an honest personal assessment. Where are you, in regards to the spectrum of willingness to accept change? When you’re honest with yourself, are you truly willing to allow change in your life or do you demand that things remain as they are? If you find that you are creating your own roadblocks in life, I encourage you to take it to God right now. Ask Him to forgive you and to reshape your responses. He is so faithful and loves you so much, and though our world changes, He remains the same. What comfort that brings to my heart!

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it. Proverbs 10:22

The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. Proverbs 10:20

The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:16

 

We were made to worship Him!!

This Sunday I encourage you to find extra time to sit and worship Him. He is so worthy, isn’t He?! It’s a day to truly celebrate our heavenly Father. Sing praises to Him and honor Him with your words today. Bring to Him your joyful heart and thank Him for all that He has done.

He has done great things!!

During the hard times, never forget all the great and wonderful things He’s already done for us!! He is constantly worthy of praise. He’s never short on goodness. He is so faithful.

I pray today you find yourself tapping into the wellspring of life…His Presence living inside of you!

When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. Psalm 126

Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion. Psalm 134

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords; His love endures forever. To Him Who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. Who by His understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. Who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. Who made the great lights- His love endures forever. The sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. The moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. To Him Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, His love endures forever. And brought Israel out from among them, His love endures forever. With a mighty hand and outstretched arm, His love endures forever. To Him Who divided the Red Sea asunder, His love endures forever. And brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. But swept Pharaoh, and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. To Him Who led His people through the desert, His love endures forever. Who struck down great kings, His love endures forever. And killed mighty kings- His love endures forever. Sihon king of the Amorites, His love endures forever. And Og king of Bashan- His love endures forever. And gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever. An inheritance to His servant Israel; His love endures forever. To the One Who remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever. And freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever. And Who gives food to every creature, His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven, His love endures forever.     Psalm 136

One night recently, I went outside at dusk and noticed the sky was particularly beautiful. The clouds were very pronounced and had detailed shapes. Not only that but because a storm was near our area the clouds and colors in the sky were rapidly changing. It was so glorious.

At one point, we all looked up and saw a cloud that looked just like a dove. It was gigantic and seemed to be hovering right over the edge of our property. One of my kids thought it looked as if it was holding an olive branch in its mouth. Whatever the case, it spoke to us all as we felt a reverence fall over each of us.

The dove is often referenced in scripture. A dove descended upon Christ’s shoulder as He was baptized. Noah sent out a dove when he wanted to know if he could leave the ark.

This dove was special for us. It represented a promise. A promise that we will leave this place of struggling and tarrying. The promise that we will emerge from this season and dwell in the land He has given us. We will thrive.

God’s not finished giving good things to His people. If you ask me, we are just beginning to see how extremely good He can be. I don’t live life rooted in disappointment and delay. I choose to live life knowing my God wants to bless me. In fact, He goes out of His way to do so.

This is the season of the dove, friends. I believe that dove was for our family, but also represented a word for all of America, in that it is now time for us to emerge and dwell in the land.

It’s time for the church (universal) to rise up and dwell in the land. No longer should we stay locked away just waiting for Jesus to come back. No, we are called to take this land. We are called to take territory here in America in Jesus name. America is to be a refuge. A place where a person can truly prosper. A land of true freedom. Remember the promise today. He’s not finished yet.

Prayer Moment: God, show me how You want me to thrive. Teach me how to take territory in America in Your name. Help me to dwell in this land, not hide away. Cultivate within my heart the boldness of a warrior, with the gentleness of a dove. Thank You for reminding me of Your promises over my life. Thank You for saying, “Yes” to me. I adore You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:3-6

When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. Genesis 8:11

The other day as I walked up our driveway, I noticed this beautiful wispy cloud and I heard the word, “Zephyr”. I had no idea what that word meant until I looked it up, but when God speaks like that, I always know He has more to say.

Zephyr: a soft gentle breeze

Seeing that cloud and hearing that word brought an immediate flood of peace to my body. During this time when Chris is working out of state and I’m helping the kids wrap up school for the year, as well as all the normal duties I have, I’ve found myself exhausted by the end of each day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad exhausted, it’s simply being tired from having a full life right now.

Even though we are managing quite well, we still need these moments of refreshing. I need refreshing. I need encouragement from God every day, and I’m not afraid to ask for it.

Friends, God will be a source of constant encouragement for you if you will pay attention. He goes out of His way to show us His love, but sometimes it’s in very unexpected ways so we must learn to stop and pay attention. This cloud was one such moment. I could’ve just kept walking after I saw that cloud, but when I felt a tug in my spirit, I knew I should stop and take a second look. Then I asked God what He wanted to say. That’s how something as “simple” as a fluffy cloud in the sky became a symbol of love from my Father. We must learn to stop and be present.

I encourage you to intentionally look for God’s little love notes to you this week. If you see something beautiful, linger as you take in its beauty. You never know when God will use that as an opportunity to speak His love back to you. He loves it when we love what He has created. I make it my practice to take time to take in beauty every day.

Prayer Moment: God, train my heart and mind to always notice when You are giving me a gift. Open my ears to hear Your voice so clearly that I never miss an opportunity to be loved on by You. You are such a perfect Father, You always know my every need. Thank You for being You. Thank You for loving me. Help me to always love You in return. In Jesus name, amen.

O Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. May my prayer be set before You like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:1-2

Blessings crown the head of the righteous; but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 10:6

Crevasse: a deep open crack, especially one in a glacier. A breach in the embankment of a river or canal.

I took my kids on a hike yesterday, and at the end my two youngest asked if they could climb around on these two huge rocks. When we went to the backside of one, we noticed a huge crevasse, and they had so much fun climbing inside it. At the same time, I heard God speak the word “Crevasse” to me and I felt that familiar nudge in my spirit, so I knew He wanted to teach me something.

One thing is certain, this whole Covid 19 scare and quarantine has really exposed a deep crevasse in some of us. I have watched people responding in so many varied ways. It’s been very revealing.

When the hard things come, we discover other’s true character, as well as our own. How we respond to trouble truly reveals where and upon whom our hope lies. You can’t hide your “crazy” when troubles come. That’s a funny but true statement, isn’t it?

I wonder how you’ve fared through this time. Have you thought about your responses? Have you measured yourself? I have on multiple occasions. I frequently assess myself during normal life, and even more often during times of stretching. I give myself a short leash for “acting out”. If I feel myself drawn to lashing out or sulking, I immediately bring it before God and ask Him for redirection and to reaffirm His love for me. In short, I have determined to keep Him front and center and to always allow Him to be my source.

When troubles come, I lean into the fruit of the Spirit called self-control, and it’s served me well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always good to walk in all the fruit of the Spirit, but there are times when we lean more on one for a moment, and this moment in our lives calls for self-control.

The good news about the fruit of the Spirit is exactly what the word says, “Against these there is no law.” We can never be stopped from walking them out and they are fruit that is always in season.’

Prayer Moment: God, help me to always be mindful of where You are in any given situation. Help me to always lean into the fruit of the Spirit. Teach me to always act responsibly by stopping myself from lashing out. Forgive me for the times when I have hurt others by my weakness. Help me to never make excuses for my bad behavior. Help me to always be accountable to You. I give You my whole heart, Abba. I am Yours forever. In Jesus name, Amen.

The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life. Proverbs 16:17

The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. Proverbs 16:21

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. Proverbs 15:14

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. Proverbs 18:2

As I was walking on our dirt road the other day, I noticed a field covered with tiny yellow flowers and then two bright purple flowers standing proudly above all the others. They really stuck out because of the sea of green and yellow all around them. Then I heard God speak to my heart, “Don’t be afraid to stand up and stand out.”

As a family, we have moved quite a bit, and I’ve learned so much about just being me because of it. When you are new to an area, school, or church it’s easier to just sneak in and fit in. But God didn’t create me to do that, He made me an individual just like He made every other member of my family an individual. I don’t do any of us a service by trying to just meld into my surroundings. Instead, I’ve learned to just be me, and the funny thing about it is, when I just act like myself it’s much easier to make friends.

We are all created differently. We all have things that make us individuals. God quite obviously loves diversity, so why would we pretend it doesn’t exist?

In a world that screams for inclusion, it’s often shocking how much they don’t really mean it. In our world it’s become “Be different just like me.” So instead of allowing each of us to operate in our own unique giftings, we often just try to stick people by groups into different boxes. God doesn’t work that way. He made us all different and when we embrace that we find that we actually work quite well together.

When we just live life without being pushy or demanding and allow others to do the same, we find ourselves engaged in the most beautiful dance together. We also find more needs being met when we allow each one to thrive in their giftings. It takes a walk of humility to say to another, “You are much better at that than I am, so you take the lead for now.” It also takes humility to gently use your giftings and not to force them on others. That’s where we find ourselves engaged in something like a dance. The prettiest dances are those that are fluid and each person dancing has their moment to display a flourish or to support the other dancer. It’s a give and take. Life is full of those.

Prayer Moment: God, help me to never be afraid of who You’ve made me to be. At the same time, help me to not be someone who sucks all the oxygen out of a room. Make me balanced on the inside. Make me certain of Who You are and who You’ve made me to be, so I am secure and not threatened by others strengths. I want to represent You well. Help me to walk in a humble way that isn’t proud but also doesn’t hide my giftings. Help me to be useful to You. I adore You, Abba. In Jesus name. Amen.

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7

Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12

A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. Proverbs 18:16

I’ve been thinking about seasons of breaking lately. There are several places in my life where I’ve been waiting for breakthrough for a long time, but what I see in the waiting is that I had a lot of breaking that needed to occur within me before I breakthrough.

The breaking before the breakthrough is so important because that is where character is built. That’s the place in our lives where God makes us strong enough to carry our breakthroughs.

Imagine a person who has never been told no and has never not received what they wanted. They get exactly what they want when they want it all their lives and never have a conflict. Now imagine that person finally facing a challenge. They would likely crumble under the pressure. They would probably also feel very unloved because it would seem unfair to face a challenge.

You see, God loves us enough to let us walk through some difficulties because He knows we gain strength through it. He loves us enough to allow us the room to mature.

These places in my own life where I’m waiting to breakthrough are places where God has led me to desire certain things. They were His desires for me first, and they became mine. But that didn’t mean I was mature enough to simply receive them immediately. No, He put His desires into my heart, and they became mine and then I surrendered to the process of watching them become reality.

Surrender is a key to breakthrough. The longer you resist, the longer the breaking takes and the more painful it will be. We all know this is true.

Prayer Moment: God, help me to stay in a position of surrender through all of the discomfort of my breaking seasons. I bow to You. You know exactly what I will need in order to be properly equipped for my breakthroughs, so help me to always partner with whatever You are doing inside of me. Open my spiritual eyes so I can see past my own selfishness and discomfort. I long to be fully Yours. I long for more of You in my life. Come and do as You will, Your servant is surrendered. In Jesus name, Amen.

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers. Proverbs 19:8

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.         Proverbs 23:12

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare treasures. Proverbs 24:3-4

 

As we are wrapping up school, I find myself desperate for us to finish. It’s funny because I have mostly enjoyed teaching the kids. I love the one on one time I get with them, especially Hannah and Micah. Every day I sit shoulder to shoulder with each of them and we do school together. This time has been a hidden treasure during the storm of quarantine. But just as with every normal school year, when the last week is around the bend, I find myself struggling to finish strong.

I am eager for the summer days when we have no alarm clock or schedule to keep, but I also know that by mid-summer I will be aching for a schedule again, so I’m not blissfully unaware. Quite the opposite, I’ve learned to be soberly aware. I know the ebbs and flows of my personality and each of my kids, as well.

I know I can do this. I know they can do this. I am raising kids that will hopefully always finish strong.

To me it matters far less how you start something, rather it’s the way you end it that shows true character, in my opinion.

It’s easy to start something with focus and ample energy, it’s far more difficult to finish with the same or even an increased tenacity.

This all leads me to some thoughts…where are you in your walk with Jesus?

Maybe you started out really strong, but are you still walking as boldly and deliberately now that time has passed? Were you once on fire for Him, but maybe after many years that fire is more like a pile of smoldering embers? Where are you now?

When I first fell in love with Jesus, some misguided older believers told me that what I was experiencing was great, but I would fade out like they did. Every time someone has spoken something like that to or over me, I immediately rebuked it in my heart. Just because time has passed, and I grow older doesn’t mean my passion or zeal for Jesus has to fade. It doesn’t mean that I don’t still need to press into Him for continual healing and growth. It doesn’t mean that I can’t always be molded and changed.

On the contrary, the ones I look up to the most are those who never cease to search out God’s heart in new ways. My parents have done well in leaving me a legacy of never being too old to learn new things or meet with Jesus in new ways. They are a solid examples of how to keep growing in God.

We will never “arrive” this side of heaven. There is always more to discover.

Prayer Moment: God, help me to remain humble enough to learn more about You. Keep me so close that I never lose sight of how I can grow in any given season. I want to be one who walks so near to you that as I mature, I become less and less me, and more and more like You. Eclipse my heart with Your presence so I see all of life through Your perspective. I truly am Yours forever. Help me to always remain open to You in every way. In Jesus name, Amen.

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers. Proverbs 19:8

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 18:14

“Praise be to the Lord, Who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our fathers; may He never leave us nor forsake us. May He turn our hearts to him, to walk in all His ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations He gave our fathers. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may uphold the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel according to each day’s need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.” 1 Kings 8:56-61

Yesterday, as I was running past a neighbor’s pasture, I noticed a sign that read: “Unauthorized Personnel Keep Out”. I have seen this sign many times, but this time I felt a prophetic significance to it as it struck my spirit.

I immediately thought of my mind and I said, “No unauthorized personnel is allowed here.”

We decide what thoughts we entertain. Never forget that. I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. The Bible instructs us to hold every thought captive.

Picture it like this: Your mind is that pasture I saw and there is a gate that is chained and locked and upon it is a sign that reads, “Unauthorized Personnel Keep Out”. Up walks a random thought, and it stands outside the gate. You then approach the gate and assess the thought to make a decision about whether it is allowed in or not. “Is this thought from God?”, you ask yourself. If it is not you turn it away, but if it is then you let it in.

If this is true, imagine this next scenario: Your mind is a pasture and there is a gate, but it is not only unlocked but also opened wide. A thought comes to the gate and notices it is open and steps right in and walks around your pasture freely, except this is an enemy thought and it was just allowed to infiltrate your field. Getting it out is much harder than keeping it out in the first place.

Does this make sense to anyone?

We have this power. We are called to take this responsible approach or guarding the “pasture” of our mind.

Prayer Moment: Have you been responsibly guarding your mind? Holding thoughts captive to determine their source or just letting them all have free reign? It’s not too late to lock the gate. It’s always the right time to ask God to remove every thought that’s not from Him. He can do this. He loves to do this. Take some time and be honest with yourself about how you process all the thoughts that come into your mind, and let God partner with you in building a wall of protection between you and the enemy of your mind.

He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.  Proverbs 25:28