Moms at P.E.A.C.E.

The Flower

2011-07-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

"To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." Isaiah 61:3
One day we were given a flower. The flower, although beautiful, was tattered and torn by the elements of wind, rain, hail and tornadoes. Somehow, the flower survived. It survived enough to be transplanted into different soil. When the flower found out it would be moving to another pot, it was excited but very nervous. The flower dreamed about living in soil that did not make it so difficult to survive. While the flower knew that no soil would be perfect, it had hope there was better soil somewhere out there. It waited. Sometimes the flower would feel angry and just want to give up. The flower knew there were other flowers that even had gardeners who watched over them daily...making sure all of its needs were provided for and its beauty enjoyed. The flower would ponder the time it once too had a gardener. However, it only lasted three short years. In fact, the flower had no memories of its gardener. The only thing it knew about its previous gardener is what other flowers told it. For many years the flower dreamed of what its gardener was like. The flower still dreams about it.
One day, the flower was told that there was a gardener who wanted another flower. The flower wanted to believe it but it had been told that before. Yet, there remained a seed of hope that maybe this gardener would be different. Maybe this gardener would take time to look beyond the wilted leaves and broken petals and see the treasure. The flower dared to believe. The flower arrived at its new soil only one short week ago. In one week the flower has already begun to blossom. The flower is soaking in the water, the sun and nurture in its new soil. In one short month, this flower will also be a gardener. This flower, now a gardener, will be given the responsibility of tending its own little flower. The flower is now thanking the Master Gardener that another gardener came for it just in time.

2011-07-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

"You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds." Psalm 145:16,17

I was reminded today of a time when the Lord began to deal with me on my tendency to grasp for things that were not truly sustaining or satisfying to my soul.(Soul realm being my mind, my emotions and my will) Remembering what it felt like for a few moments, it was so empty, so cold and lifeless. Sometimes those things even appeared to be good. Initially, the thing (Or person) I was grasping for would bring a sense of fulfillment. (Sounds like a drug, huh?) But as the story goes for so many, the sense of satisfaction never lasted. I shudder at the thought of ever going back to that place. The place of looking for love, searching for acceptance, longing for rest and peace...... expecting to find it outside of an abiding relationship with Christ. I have come to realize it is so common. Very few (although there are some) grow up in a home where the pursuit of the knowledge of who God is and the understanding of their true identity as His son or daughter takes precedence beyond all other pursuits. A home where both parents and children are relentlessly pursuing that truth at the cost of being labeled "radical." Radical is now being known as those who would cause hurt, impose beliefs and behaviors on others against their wills and have an agenda for world domination. Seeing radical as those who would love and serve to such an extreme degree that even laying one's life down for someone else tends to get overlooked in our culture. Yet, there are those who are living this very life. I want to be one of those. Now that I have gotten past, to some degree, that my life really isn't about what I can attain, what makes me feel good, what I feel I need, I think there is hope that I can look more like Jesus and less like me. I am not talking about self-hatred or a morbid sense of personal neglect. I am talking about being more consumed with His will than mine. The beauty I find in this way of living (Which in a practical sense looks like asking Him what's on His heart and agenda for me as I wake up each morning.) is the deep joy and satisfaction I experience in serving Him. Even when there is pain involved. For instance, the pain I feel in my heart for a child or baby who is being abused or neglected is overwhelming at times. It would be easier to busy myself with "stuff" that would drown out the reality that in myself I can do very little to help these precious ones. However, when I posture my heart in prayer and cry out to the only One who can touch a heart I can't, unexplainable joy eventually begins to surface. In that place I step into the understanding that my prayers move His heart and His hands to do what only He can do. I realize that intercession is a serious thing and out of it comes a prepared soil and open doors to make what He sends me out to do effective and eternal. There is so much that can be unpacked here but I will save it for another day. Today I am going to focus on being thankful that He rescued me and continues to do so. He rescued me from not only the penalty of sin but from living a selfish, self-absorbed life. While I am still learning what that looks like, I am hopeful He will be faithful to complete the work He has started in me. He’s good like that.

If you’re still coming up short in finding a resting place of true joy and satisfaction, I know where that place is. It’s not always easy in getting there but its simple compared to trying to fill up water in a broken cistern. If you need some encouragement I would love to pray for you. kandacerather@momsatpeace.com

Randomness and Belief

2011-06-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

"But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak," 2 Corinthians 4:13

My thoughts seem to be a little scattered today. I want to write, I want to share, and I want to testify. The challenge is in choosing what to write about. Not for lack of focus but rather in choosing what to focus on. I have many things pressing on my heart today. Maybe in naming them, one will begin to take center stage.

My daughter Bethany called me this morning just to talk. I thoroughly enjoyed it. She was sharing her discouragement over the lack of sleep she is getting because her baby is still waking up frequently in the night. We discussed many possibilities and a few solutions. The conclusion was, Emerie was most likely waking up to feel the security of her mama near her. Many will and have told her, “Just let Emerie cry it out,” but her mother’s heart says, “No.” Mine did too. All my children eventually slept through the night. In the meantime, I learned how to depend on God for extra strength and energy to get me through those months. Bethany will get through this. She is making her own decisions based on what she believes is best for Emerie, not necessarily her. I believe she’s an excellent mom.

Have you heard the angel story? Within an hour after the tornado, a police officer found a 4 year old boy in a field by Home Depot. The boy did not remember his parents name but when asked how he got to the field, he responded, “The angles flew me here.” He was taken from his home in the tornado which was approximately 5 miles from that field. I’ve heard several other angel stories from tornado survivors. I believe!

I know this couple. They have the sweetest children. One girl and one boy. For years they struggled in their marriage. They got to a point where they did not want to stay married. However, they decided to go to church before they went through with the divorce. What they learned was, there was a way to make it work. They learned that if they surrendered their life to God by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they would be empowered with His Spirit to believe and do things they could not do without His Spirit. They believed it and now have the strength to lay aside selfishness and choose to serve one another in love. Their kids were spared from all the loss and pain that occurs in divorce. I believe this will make a difference in their lives forever.

Lastly, living in Joplin is not as convenient as it used to be. The tornado has broken in all realms of life. Personally, my life was leaning towards comfortable before May 22^nd, 2011. My responsibilities were mostly enjoyable and convenient. However, in driving home from a prayer service a few nights ago, the Holy Spirit invaded my thoughts with, “Are you willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of others?” My first thought went to all the “things” I have been doing for others. My temptation was to say, “Are you kidding?” Instead, I knew it was time to listen. The inconvenience He spoke of was beyond my good works. In fact, it had nothing to do with my good works but rather my heart. He did not show me in that moment what this inconvenience is going to look like but, the good news is, I trust Him. I believe. I believe if He asks me a question, He will help me with the answer. (That He already knows) The cross was not convenient for Jesus. It was anything but. Yet, He did it because of love. He loved us even more than His own physical life. He was able to conclude before He went to the cross, “Not my will be done, but Yours.” So, with His example set before me, I come to the same conclusion. That by HIS GRACE, I can yes to His will, even when it feels inconvenient.

He Has Equipped Us

2011-06-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

"For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall," Ephesians 2:14

I'm going to attempt to share some of my thoughts in light of the last few weeks here in Joplin. There are many things words can't express except a deep groan and endless tears. Never have I experienced and witnessed such mourning. The loss of life is so very painful. I think of the mother who lost her two children and her husband in Home Depot and I am at loss for words. I know her only comfort can come from the hope of eternity…..of one day seeing her family in Heaven. I pray through all the questions, confusion, anger and despair, she turns to the Comforter and not away from Him. I pray even though none of this makes sense, she will hold on tightly to her faith and allow others to love her through this.

Three hours before the tornado struck, I posted on my Facebook, “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know You hold me in Your hand.” At the time of the tornado, I was at CityWide Christian Fellowship praying and declaring His protection. I could hear the sound and knew whatever was happening outside was not good. Ten minutes after it lifted, I drove down Rangeline and saw what I heard. It was still raining heavily and as I was driving over power cords and debris......I was shocked. Total devastation …. I needed to see the faces of my family. After taking inventory of our family, the work began and will continue for years to come.

The morning of the tornado our pastor preached a message entitled “Satan, the destroyer.” Two weeks before the tornado I attended an orphan conference and had an experience in worship that still leaves me trembling. While the musicians played (no singing) I began to feel this deep sense of mourning. It got so heavy that I fell on my face and began to weep loudly. In the midst of 1500 people and being on the front row, I lost all dignity. I began to get an impression of a whirlwind (tornado) and as the music played I could hear children crying. After several minutes, I saw a breakthrough of light. I heard in my spirit, “I am coming.” However, when I heard “I am coming,” I also saw believers going into the tornado and bringing His hope and light. Little did I know, I was seeing what was about to happen in my own city….looking back, what started out in mourning, ended in passion to bring forth the Good News of the Gospel. Out of the darkness, His light is breaking in. There is more to this life. As painful as the present is, eternity brings with it, for those who trust on Jesus, everlasting peace….no more sorrow, no more tears. Until then, God has equipped us……not with all the answers but with Himself. His very life in us represents what we need in order to effectively meet the needs of others. Testimonies are coming forth and will continue to come forth…..miracles are being reported and in the midst of these ashes, beauty is arising.

Praying Effectively and Changing Eternity

2011-05-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

What originally started out as Moms at W.A.R. has now evolved to Moms at P.E.A.C.E. (Praying Effectively and Changing Eternity) The thought of changing the title of my blog was a little uncomfortable for me at first. It appeared to indicate that my initial vision was not accurate. Or maybe it's an indication that I am willing to make adjustments when the Lord speaks? I hope this is the case. Life entails many adjustments and while I want to have firm convictions, I also want to remain pliable. With growth comes change and with change comes new levels of revelation and understanding; and we all know it can take courage to make a change. This is not a huge change but, nonetheless, one that needed to be made.
The words “mom at war” came to me from the Holy Spirit when I was interceding for one of my daughters. She was going through a rough moment in life and I desperately wanted to intervene in a tangible way and make it all better. However, I was not invited to do that. I was left feeling fearful and vulnerable. It was during this time I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to my heart that I was a mom at war and the battle would be won through prayer. Not just any kind of prayer. James 5:16 indicates there are prayers that are effectual. “The effectual prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.” What does it mean to pray effectual prayers? And what is the much that can be accomplished? This was the lesson to be learned as God took my hand and walked me THROUGH what felt like the valley of the shadow of death. Shortly after I heard "mom at war," I was reading my Bible and came across Ephesians 1:17-19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him.” This verse sealed the deal. He was certainly reassuring my heart that the weapons I needed to win this war would come from knowing Him. It’s not that I did not know Him before, but many times with testing and trials we dig deeper into who He is by spending more time with Him. The more we dig, the more we discover who we are in the process. With this knowledge comes boldness in our prayers. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:6 We cannot conjure up our own boldness. True spirit-led boldness comes from spending time with the One who destroyed all the works of the enemy. In spending time Jesus and asking Him to impart wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who He is, I found my prayers becoming more effective; meaning, my prayers were being answered in ways that brought glory to Him and healing to us. What I was doing in the closet was beginning to manifest openly.

In conclusion, I discovered during this trial a deeper truth about my prayer life: Praying apart from having an intimate, ongoing and abiding relationship with Jesus is many times wishful thinking in the least and manipulation at its worst. I am not saying God will only answer prayers that are “perfect,” however; I am saying that spending time with Him causes us to pray with confidence, joyful expectation, and the realization of our righteousness in Him. The enemy no doubt wants to choke our faith and cause us to doubt. He can do that simply be keeping us too busy for alone time with Jesus. He can also do that by getting us distracted with blatant sin and selfishness. Little did I know out of this season would come the tools I would need to enter into the season we are currently in. Very soon we will be fostering and adopting children who need a mom that knows how to Pray Effectively and Change Eternity. They will need a mom who can.... "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7

Please allow me to stand with you in prayer for your child/children. You may also request my Moms at P.E.A.C.E. prayer manual by e-mailing kandacrather@momsatpeace.com

It's Good to be Reminded

2011-04-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was rough. I'm not even sure why. I rarely have "bad days." Every day I am given is a gift and one that I set out to enjoy. Yet, even in those days I am often taken in my thoughts to the hurt and evil around me. Just going to Walmart can be quite intense. Yesterday it was Booksamillion. I couldn't decide if the girl who was crying or her mom who was preoccupied had the real problem. All I know is this girl was about 3 years old and mom had decided to give her the bookstore as her playground to alleviate the tears. I so wanted to ask the little girl if I could read her a book. Maybe I should have. Maybe mom was going through something extremely difficult and needed the help. Maybe I should have asked. When it was time to leave mom and older brother began calling out her name. I knew where she was because I was kinda, sorta keeping my eye on her. I decided not to blow her cover. What started out a little annoying and bothersome to me, ended up being rather comical. Mom was ready to leave and 3 year old girl wasn't. She was having the time of her life running in and out of the book aisle. She was feeling rather feisty with her new found freedom. In fact, at one point when she heard mom call her name, she hid in another aisle and proclaimed loudly, "I'm not coming." I knew the little girl only had a few more moments of her independence before mom won. Sure enough, mom saw her. When mom and daughter locked eyes, I waited in anticipation to see what the little girl would do. I was certain 3 year old girl was about to surrender when all of a sudden she makes a quick turn down another aisle. At this point, mom picked up the pace. Although I did not see the capture, I heard it. Mom swoops up little girl, girl lets out a yell and I catch a glimpse of them leaving the bookstore with 3 year old girl's arms and legs flailing while she screams, "I don't want to go." After the fiasco ended, I concluded that I am very much like that 3 year old girl at times. Mainly the "feisty, I think I will hide part." Sometimes I just want my space. Sometimes I don't want to go. Sometimes I just want to be left alone. And sometimes I might even throw a 3 year old fit. Okay, hopefully it looks a little different than this girl's expression of independence but nonetheless, I can feel the same way. The big difference between me and 3 year old girl is I have learned that it doesn't work in the long run. Through trial and error, I have learned that staying close to God, even if it feels like He is preoccupied and is not noticing me, is the best place to be. The truth is, even if He is silent, He is there. In my years of wanting to "be free" and having the run of the bookstore, never once did it end well.....except for the fact that God would find me, pick me up and yes sometimes with me kicking and screaming would carry me out of that place and back to His side. I'm not advocating that we don't have a free will, however, I am saying, God, even more than a mother, knows when it's time to rescue us. In our early years, He will come after us, swoop us up and save us from our ignorance. However, if 3 year old girl now turned 30 is still hiding and wanting her own freedom, He will let her have it. He will let her taste of the thing she desires so she can see that it's not really what she desires. This too is an act of extreme love. He waits and watches. He watches with faith but also grieves of the needless pain she will go through. He sets up people and circumstance to remind her of how good He is. He puts up roadblocks and if she is not too stubborn she will bump her head and turn back. If she is stubborn she may break down the roadblock and go further into needless pain. Whatever the case might be, 3 year old turned 30 now must come to end of herself and choose Him. She must choose to stop hiding and demanding her own rights. She must come to Him just as she is, ask Him to pick her up and take her to the place of true freedom. He will then take her to His lap, dust her off, speak lovingly but firmly to her and place her by His side. She will have opportunites to have the run of the bookstore again but she will look at Him knowing there is nothing in the bookstore that compares to Him . Being by His side is the freest place she can be and she chooses to stay.

Leaving the bookstore I texted a friend and confided I was having a difficult day. Within a few minutes I received a text from her reminding me of how good He is. She tells me I have so much to be thankful for. She reminds me of His work in my life. It's really not that I had forgotten but for some reason, the thunderstorm that was going on outside had somehow began to go on in the inside. Looking back to yesterday, I realize what her text was really saying was, "Peace, be still, God has it ALL under His care." With a few tears and the parting of internal clouds, the Son was shining once again.

Love wins out!

2011-04-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

"For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:5

I have approximately 10 minutes to get a few but powerful thoughts written on my blog today. I am hoping what I say will not just be another thing you read today BUT will provoke a response in you to worship Him from the depths of who you are. Here goes:

God IS Good. He is good beyond any definition we could come up with on our own. His goodness overwhelms my heart today. As I meditate on Him and His ways, words cannot express how I long to know and love Him more. He has never let me down, not once. He has never lied to me, betrayed me, forgotten me, forsaken me, deceived me, been mean to me or used me. His thoughts and motives towards me are 100% pure 100% of the time. His faithfulness is sure and His love never ceases for me. His beauty is beyond compare. His eyes are flames of love that look right through me, sees everything and says, "I still want you." He disciplines me because of His love and He teaches me something new everyday when I choose to sit at His feet, open us His Word and open my ears to hear. His plan and purposes for me are perfect. He faithfully guides my every step and even in the valley He is with me.....guiding me and comforting me. There is none like Him in all the Earth and the Heavens. I long for the day to see Him face to face. I long to embrace Him and look into His eyes and express my gratitude for all He has done for me and in me. Just this morning, I was deeply moved once again over the salvation He has freely given me. Words are not enough. So, with that and so much more, I know I am not the only one. His goodness is not just reserved for me but for all those who love and know Him. He is merciful and patient and longs for all His children to draw near. He longs to show Himself to us up close and personal. It changes everything! I knew Him from a distance as a child but when I dared to draw near I too was ruined, even as Isaiah..... love won over and still wins over....every time. Every time the enemy would try to whisper a lie to me, every time a thought of doubt or confusion tries to take root, every time I am betrayed by man, every time I feel lonely or misunderstood, every time the enemy would tempt me with fear or lust or selfishness....every time......
LOVE WINS OUT.
God is love and God wins every time. In the end, all men will see. They will know. What looks like success without Him will be exposed for the lie that it is. What looks like struggle with Him will be exposed for the truth that it is. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling....struggle with Him now.....ask questions, seek counsel, wrestle with Him in the secret place. He invites us to bring it all to Him. He's not scared of us, our past, our questions, our failures......because He knows if we will trust Him, we will be winners too. We will find ourselves living a life of joy and victory....a life that draws others to His goodness and love.

Father, Give us the courage to come to you just as we are that You may transform our lives to be a reflection of Your beauty. In Jesus Name

Love Came Down

2011-03-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

This morning, as I was rocking my granddaughter Emerie, we were listening to Brian Johnson's CD, Love Came Down. Specifically the song, Love Came Down. I wanted to share the lyrics on my blog for whoever might read it today. I felt as though the words were going to speak to someone and give them the encouragement they needed for the season of life they are in. So here they are:

If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear Your voice
I’ll hold on to what is true though I cannot see
If the storms of life they come and the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe

I remind myself of all that You’ve done
And the life I have because Your Son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

When my heart is filled with hope
and every promise comes my way
When I feel Your hands of grace rest upon me

Staying desperate for You God
Staying humbled at Your feet
I will lift these hands and praise
I will believe

I remind myself of all that You’ve done
And the life I have because Your Son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out remind my soul
That I am Yours I am forever Yours

Father, I thank You that I am Yours. I thank you that my circumstances do not dictate who I am and the victory that I walk in because Your love came down and rescued me. Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me. In Jesus Name, Amen

Without Wavering

2011-03-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

"In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So shall of your descendants be." Romans 4:18

That "he" in the above passage refers to Abraham and the hope it speaks of is beyond a mere wish. Abraham had been given a promise. God promised him that the number of his descendants would be as the number of the stars. (Genesis 15:5) God made this promise right in the middle of what appeared to be no hope. Abraham was old and referred to his own body as good as dead along with the deadness of Sarah's womb. Yet, Abraham "with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform." (Romans 4:20, 21)The phrase"hope against hope"stood out to me many years ago when I was facing a situation that looked impossible. In fact, it really was. Without divine intervention, natural consequences would take effect and I would have been another statistic. It was during this time that I began to consider what Paul meant when he wrote that Abraham hoped against hope. I studied the passage and asked the Holy Spirit to help me have the same kind of hope Abraham had apprehended. I was not confronted with a dead womb; I was confronted with a dead marriage. I wanted to know how Abraham grew strong in his faith right in the middle of his circumstances that had the potential to cause his faith to waver. It's only recently that I could give you a scripture for what happened with my faith at that time. For I did indeed begin to hope against hope, I did grow in my faith and I also came to a place of not wavering in what I knew to be His promise. Before I give you the verse, I want to clarify that I believe it started with a simple desire. A desire to want to see God's will fulfilled in my life, for His glory, not mine. It was a desire that went beyond the dream of having an intact family. It was a God-given desire to see His name be glorified in our family, starting with me. It was a turning point for me. I began to understand that none of this was ultimately about me. While God loved me and tenderly cared for me during this trial, the end result of seeing His promise fulfilled was about Him. This trial was simply an invitation to reprioritize my life. Without complete surrender, the implications would have been yet another family torn apart from divorce.

However, the primary purpose of this blog is not the story of the miracle God did in our marriage. It's about a God who is drawn to a pure hunger for His will to be done and not our own. Romans 4:16 sheds light on how Abraham obtained the faith to believe for something that looked impossible. Here it is: "For this reason it is by faith, that it might be IN ACCORDANCE with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all," This verse is loaded but I want to focus on "in accordance with grace." In accordance with grace indicates when God imparts grace, our faith grows. Grace is His ability to do in us what we can't do on our own. His grace gives us the desire to long for His promises. His grace gives us the ability to grow in faith. His grace gives us the ability to say yes to salvation and to grow in our salvation. His grace imparts faith. What does this mean for us?

Romans 4:23-25 says "Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him, (His faith being reckoned to him as righteousness) but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,"

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God and that He rewards those who seek Him diligently. James 4:2 also tells that that we do not have because we do not ask. I'm referring specifically to GRACE here, not things that are rooted in selfish motives. I am talking grace to know Him, grace to love Him, grace to BELIEVE in His promises, grace to die to selfish ambition and live to glorify His name.

Again, what does that mean for us? It means we can ask for grace, which will:

impart faith

which will

please God

which will

bring reward

which will

produce fruit

which will

GLORIFY the Father

which will

result in our JOY being made complete. (John 15:11)
I encourage you to ask for His grace today. It starts there. From His grace will flow faith. His grace will first draw you to His feet. It will first cause your heart to explode over His love for you. It will draw your heart to love Him above it all....above all the miracles, above all achievements...without Him, none of it matters. Truly, He is the end result. We get Him. We get more than miracles. Miracles are awesome, I love miracles! I thank God frequently for the miracle of a restored marriage, but at the end of the day, He is my reward. God is drawn to your hunger for Him and His ways. Ask Him for hunger! Ask Him for the desire to WANT TO HUNGER! Ask Him to change your desire to not want to hunger for the desire to hunger! Get the point? We all have the ability to ask.

Father, I ask You to impart a deeper hunger in my heart for You and Your ways. You have spoken promises to me that I have yet to see fulfilled so I ask for grace to believe and grow in faith. The things I am believing for would mean nothing apart from You. In my pursuit to see promises fulfilled, keep the passion of my heart to be for Your presence in my life above all else. In Jesus Name.

Once Upon a Time I Had a Buddhist Boss

2010-12-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

"Jesus told him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

Today's the day. Specifically, Wednesday, Dec. 22nd, 2010. A day that marks the ending of one season and the dawn of a new one. And even as I type, I did not realize that my last day of working for T-Mobile would be the first official day of winter. So literally and figuratively, today is a new season. My time at T-Mobile has been both challenging and fruitful. Little did I know that the day I sat in an interview with my Buddhist boss (Or co-worker as he prefers to be called) that he would soon become my brother in Christ. The interview itself was a little strange to me. First of all, I had absolutely no experience in the wireless industry. Secondly, my computer skills consisted of e-mails and occasionally blogs, not complex systems or applications. I am certain without the little bit of a sales background I possessed, there would have been no hope for this mom in the wireless industry.....I mean, I was the oldest person on the payroll. Thankfully, I soon discovered that with a very patient management team and some determination, I could learn new tricks. I confess that I wanted to quit after the first couple of weeks because I had no confidence in my ability to do what was required. However, there was one minor issue that kept me stumbling through.....my boss asked me one day if I was a Christian. Quite shocked and a little taken back, I said yes. He then asked if he could talk to me. Interestingly enough he asked me the question that had already popped into my head on our way over to a table in the food court. It's the question of the masses....."Do you believe Jesus is the only way to God?" For the next hour, I not only answered that question but several more. I was now in my element....talking about the One I loved, the One who changed my life, the One who I commune with continually in my spirit....the One. As I conveyed my passion for this One, he listened. He gave little feedback but did confess to "searching." I knew this was a serious and risky venture as he was born and raised in the Buddhist faith. Nothing in me was compelled to try and convince him to believe what I believed.....I knew that was not my job. I was merely to be a witness of what my faith had done and meant to me. I bought him a Bible later that day with his name engraved on the cover. It was a bold move but one that proved to be fruitful. My conversations with my boss after this point were few and far between. A few times he would mention that he was reading the Bible I bought him. I knew if he was truly searching and his heart was hungry, he was a goner. Sure enough, several months later, I received the text! It simply read; "I decided to become a Christ follower today." He had been captured. Not by a religion, not by the persuasion of man, but by the One.....the One who provided the way for him to connect with the One True and Living God. He entered into a relationship with Jesus. The One who left Heaven, came to Earth as fully man and fully God. The One who took on the sins of the world and that for those who believe would be given eternal life now and forever. I read the text and simply replied, "If I was not at work, I would break out in a dance." Needless to say, I smiled for days...weeks...months....still smiling. I am grateful that I was given a small window and a small seed to deposit in this man's journey of seeking. I have a hunch that he will no doubt multiply what has been given to him and in return impact many for Christ.

So, on my last day, I feel my assignment is complete. Time to move on, not to better things, but different things. When you live each day to the fullest, knowing that Christ lives in you...... no matter what you are doing at that moment, it's the best. I dare not hold on to a season longer than meant to be nor leave one before it's time. Bring on the winter!

Does Jesus know you?

2010-12-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew You; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' Matthew 7:20-23

I'm no theologin. I have no formal theolgy degree nor do I claim to possess an expert opinion on who God is, His nature, character, attributes or qualities. I can only claim that He called, I answered and I have started a journey that will continue throughout eternity of knowing this God who holds my past, present and future in His hands. There is something wonderfully frightening about this knowledge. It causes my soul at times to break out in a rapturous dance of joy and other times, it brings me to my knees in deep turmoil. Most of my days are spent doing what looks "natural." You know, cleaning, cooking, studying for a test, grocery shopping, answering e-mails, coffee with friends, talking to my husband and children about everything from football to abused children. However, all the while, in each of these daily occurances, I have this secret life going on in the inside that is communicating with the One who told me I would hear His voice. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me," John 10:27

For some, this at best sounds strange but for a few even certifiabley insane. I, thankfully, learned long ago not to concern myself too much with the opinion of others. For me, my testimony.....what my life was like before I heared His voice and what it has been like since I have heard His voice is proof enough to me that it's a good thing....a very good thing. Yet, with the ablility to hear His voice, comes the responsibility to steward with excellence what He says to me. I know there are some who believe that the written Word is the only "voice" we can hear, but I 100% disagree. Although, the written Word (Which btw, Jesus IS the Word, John 1:1-5) is the foundation of anything I 'hear" in my inner man or my spirit, it is not the only way Father God speaks to us. There are too many scriptures to name but the whole of all scripture is about God speaking and man either listening and obeying or listening and disobeying. While the written Word will always be the foundation on how we determine what we hear in our spirit, God does not change and He still speaks to us in our spirit man or what scripture also refers to as the "inner man." There are 3 options when you begin to examine your thoughts:

#1) they are "your" thoughts

#2) they are the devil's thoughts being interjected into your own

#3) they are God's thoughts being interjected into your own

Concerning our own thoughts:

-"The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him."
-"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts," Psalm 139:23
-"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
(Our thoughts proceed from our heart. They can either be pure or detestable. His word will be the judge of our thoughts. If we do not know His Word (Jesus being the living Word) we can live in confusion and even torment)

Concerning thoughts the devil interjects:

-"During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him," John 13:2 (Remember our thoughts proceed from our heart. This is why David asked the Lord to purify his heart. He knew if his heart was pure, his thoughts would be pure as well)
-"and do not give the devil an opportunity." Ephesians 4:27 (How do he give him an opportunity? By influencing our heart which will dominate our thoughts. That is why scripture says to "Guard your heart.")
-"and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:26 (The devil knows if he can torment a person's thoughts, he can lead them to bondage. Someone who dwells on lies or evil will evenutally act it out."

Concerning the thoughts God interjects:

The thoughts given by God proceed from a heart that is seeking to know Him. He uses the written Word to confirm the spoken Word of His Spirit.
"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures," Luke 25:45 (The Holy Spirit brings understanding to our thoughts when we read the Word or hear Him speaking to our spirit. We do not have to rely on our own understanding. God WANTS US to know and discern His voice and to divide His Word rightly...the Holy Spirit is our Guide and Teacher. What father would not want his child to know the truth concerning his eternal destination and the way to get there?)

The Word is exhaustive concerning how God interjects His thoughts to us. Keep in mind that we have now been given the mind of Christ and can know the thoughts of God. "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he will instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16 I wish this meant that we always understand but it doesn't. It means that Jesus trusted His Father at all times in all circumstances.

Where am I going with this?

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5
According to Paul, we are to examine our lives. Not in an overly introspective, anxious way but to make sure our faith is genuine. Genuine faith leads to obedience and according to Matthew 7:20-23 the above passage, we must look at "but He who does the will of my Father." This is the life that Jesus demonstrated. He did nothing apart from His Father's will. It's hard to understand that there will be those who "appear" to being doing His will but in reality are not. We know that Jesus prophesied, casted out demons and performed miracles, so it was not that those things in and of themselves were not God's will. It goes back to the heart. God knew their hearts in doing good works. And it didn't measure up.

I conclude with this thought:

It's vitally important to know Truth. What is the truth about my motives?....only He can judge you rightly. Others may have insight but never let your final answer rest on the word of another man. We now have been given the ability to discern what truth is and what error is. (Hebrews 5:14) None of this has to do with perfect behavior BUT rather a heart that seeks to know Him and walk in His ways....I have on more than one occasion done good deeds with wrong motives. I have done things for approval of man, longed for recognition and demanded that another person meet my needs through manipulation....it's all ugly but nonetheless true. Thankfully, a heart that is after God is one that repents when confronted with sin not one that never sins. One of my frequent prayers is, "God, I want to love what You love and hate what You hate.".....first in my own life. He is faithful to answer this prayer if I posture my heart to listen. It’s my prayer that I become a better listener…….

Father, I thank You that You still speak to hearts today. I thank You for the written Word and the spoken Word of Your Spirit to my spirit. Although You deeply care about my concerns and my thoughts, it is what I hear You say that changes me. Help me in this coming year to quiet my heart before You and listen. Help me to not look at being "busy" as being productive in Your Kingdom.....I desire to reflect the heart of Mary who knew that sitting at Your feet and listening was the most necessary thing she could do. In Jesus Name, Amen

Thanksgiving

2010-11-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

"Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayers and supplications with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6, 7

Be anxious for nothing (not one thing).....meaning no worries, no stress and no anxiety? Seriously Paul? Wasn't it you who declared in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 that "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. In all of these, you never became anxious?
How about Jesus Himself......"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith who for the joy set before Him endured (was patient in suffering) the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12: 2,3

I'm going to get straight to the point here. There are some of you reading this that although you are not going through physical torture and persecution; (Thank God) you are in the area of your thoughts and emotions. You are being tormented and oppressed by circumstances going on around you. It feels like you are literally being "squeezed." The pressure you feel of wanting to change things but knowing you can personally do nothing about it causes you to sink into despair and hopelessness. It's a horrible place to be....I know, I have been there. Thankfully, I lived to tell about it! With the most sincere compassion and concern, I say this to you.....Stop it. Snap out of it. Refuse to spend one more day in that place. Yes, you can. You can get out of this place. You are not a victim of your circumstances....you are not helpless and by all means you are not hopeless. You cannot change others or most circumstances but you can pray. Yeah, prayer....I am not talking about reading a prayer out of habit or as a mental exercise, I am talking about prosyookhay. Prosyookhay is a Greek word for prayer that literally means to pray in earnest....to pray with enthusiasm and with zeal from your heart. Praying in this way will get you out of the torment and despair you are in when you know the One you are praying to.

I remember a season I was in and I was praying exactly like this. In fact, if someone would have heard me I am sure I would have been written off as a "crazy." At that moment, I could care less. I was doing battle...I was crying out for the soul of one of my children. I was storming the gates of Heaven making my requests and petitions known and I was not going to relent until I saw in the natural what I was asking for in the Spirit. Recently, my daughter who I had been praying for in this manner confessed to me that she had a few times when the thought of suicide entered her mind. I can't even type this without still being shaken. Yes, I am most certain that it was during these moments that I was petitioning the King with fervor. My hands were tied and I could DO nothing but my mouth was not shut. All hell had to listen to what this mama was asking for. It's not good to mess with a mother of faith....they are relentless, they are determined and they will demand retribution.

I want to share with you that there was a time in my life that I was not able to pray in this way...... the way Philippians 4:6,7 talks about. My prayers were timid....many times filled with doubt, uncertainty and even fear. Interestingly enough my prayers did not begin to change until I began getting to know the King to whom I was praying to. My understanding up to that point was that I would throw up a wish list and hope He would answer. I lacked confidence and I also lacked knowledge of the Word of God that now fuels the very confidence I pray in. Now when I read about Paul telling us to pray with THANKSGIVING, I "get it." I get what he means....I get how he felt in the midst of his trial and testings....I get that he knew the One he was praying to so well that he could be thankful....he could be thankful because he knew that God would give him a peace that would literally bypass his emotions and thoughts. It would be the same peace and joy Jesus possessed when He looked at the Cross He would die on. I really wish I could find some adequate words at this point to describe this kind of peace.....if you've had it, you know what I mean. If you haven't, you can. All you have to do is ask…..ask for a hunger to know Him, the One who will be your very peace in the midst of your darkest storm. In my next blog I would like to share with you why knowing Jesus the King changed the way I prayed and is still changing the way I pray…..knowing Him is a journey…..the longer I walk with Him, the more confidence I have in His faithfulness to take care of EVERY little and big concern of my heart….there truly is no one like Him.

Father, I thank You that even in the midst of trial and testing there is a peace You give that causes me to rise up and pray with confidence. I am so grateful that I no longer just know about You as a figure in history but as One who is my closest Friend and Companion. I know that You are moved by the faith in my heart towards who You are and how good You are. You delight to answer my prayers even as a mother delights to answer her children. In Jesus Name, Amen

Never Say Never

2010-11-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

""For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentence without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

There was a day, many moons ago that I was at the lowest point in my life. It felt as though I had gone too far....I could not see the way out and I was not even sure I wanted a way out. For a few moments in that place, I loathed even my own life. The pain I had caused myself, others and my Lord was too much. It seemed that at that moment, others would be better off without my existence. I had never, not once in my life, ever considered taking my own life. I had seen my share of hard days and experienced trauma on more than one occasion, yet, on this particular day, nothing seemed to compare. I could not get a grid for what I knew to be true. The truth that even in my weakest moments and my deepest rebellion, He still loves Me. That even in the biggest mess I could make, He had a way out and a solution to never go back. As my thoughts were swirling around in my head, my phone rang. I had just gotten my phone turned on and only a few people had my phone number. I answered the phone but did not recognize the voice so it caught me off guard. The sweetest voice began to explain, "I know you don't know us but we heard what you were going through from a mutual friend and she gave us your number. We (Her husband was on the line was well) felt like the Lord told us to call and share a verse with you." I said, "Ok," and listened intently. She then began to quote: "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death." I really don't remember what happened after that but within moments I was on my face crying out to God asking Him to produce repentance in me without regret that leads to salvation. Hope came. The light began to shine. In that moment I told the Lord that there was nothing I could do to change the past or heal the hearts of those I had wounded. He agreed BUT gave me the promise that HE COULD. It's called restoration. It's called a miracle and it's something God is still doing today in hearts all over the world.

Why am I sharing that brief little segment of my testimony? Two-fold!

One, there are some of you who have written off someone who you feel there is no hope for. In the natural they have only gotten worse. You have seen this person in a cycle of sin and bondage for years and you have grown weary of believing there is hope. However, I implore you to never lose hope for a miracle. I have a Great Aunt who prayed for 50 years for the salvation of her husband. The ONE day he agreed to go to church with her, he got saved. Your prayers and intercession are not in vain. Love compels us to keep going when others quit. I lost many of my friends during this time period and almost lost my family, yet, there were a faithful few who refused to believe there was no hope for me. There were those who stayed close enough to Jesus that they knew the real truth about what He was going to do. I am forever indebted with a heart of gratitude to these prayer warriors.

And finally, if you are the one losing hope, don't believe the lie that it's too late to turn things around. My life is a living testimony that God will restore.....completely. Whether it's your own sin or the sin that has been committed against you, I implore you once again to know there is a miracle waiting for you. Satan seeks to kill, steal and destroy and one way he does this is to make someone believe that there is no hope and it's too late to turn things around. WHAT A STINKIN' LIAR. It is never too late. It is never too late to repent, forgive, or surrender. The consequences I still had to walk out became sweet to my soul over the next few years. They were the EVIDENCE that I had a God who loved me and had good things in store for me and my family. And for those of you who have gotten to the place of wanting to give up because of someone else's sin, forgiveness will unlock the door of your heart so that the light of hope can once again shine on you. I know that sounds easier said than done, but Jesus would not tell you to forgive without empowering you to be able to do it. Just tell Him you are willing and He will take it from there....ask Him to help you mean it. He will.

To be continued.........

Father, I thank You that Jesus is our very HOPE. He makes all things new! When we surrender, He takes over and turns the ashes of doing things our own way into something beautiful that He will use for His glory. You are truly gracious. In His Name, Amen

The False Love Movement

2010-11-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

"But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Chirst." Ephesians 4:15

There is a false love movement that is leaving people in bondage and it mistakes "feeling good" with feeling love. However, God's love, true love, will always bring people out of bondage and into freedom. In war, there are times that even a limb will have to be cut off in order to save the life of the wounded soldier. Yet, we often times do not speak truth because we do not want to hurt someone's feelings or leave the impression that we are judging them. Speaking the truth in love merely means that my motivation is always for the good of that individual. It means that I desire to see that person free even more than I desire their approval. It's not always pretty. Hearing the truth can offend us or make us become defensive if our heart is deceived or hardened. Many years ago a lady came to me and confronted me about an issue with one of my kids. My first response was anger. My thoughts went something like this: How dare her. Who does she think she is? Her kids aren't perfect. Who gave her the right to tell me her opinion? Over the next few days, I lost sleep over this. I was so upset that I went and talked to my Pastor. I will never forget his response. He simply asked me, "Well, is what she said true?" I wanted to say, "But you don't understand. She was so abrasive. She didn't do it in love. She doesn't even know me." However, his question, took me to a different place. As hard as it was, I had to look past the messenger and take the message to the Lord and ask, "Father, is what she saying true? Does she see something I don't? Is there any truth to what she was saying even if all of it wasn't true?" I will never forget the moment I turned it over for inspection to the One who knows all, sees all and understands all. I felt the tears build up as I surrendered my pride and said, "Father, I am willing to see the truth in what she has said. I will lay down my "mother pride" and be teachable even from those who it does not "feel" like they love me." I can't adequately describe the freedom that came to my heart that day. Little did I know but it was a pivotal point in my life where the Lord would continue to reveal His heart to me about walking with an UNoffended heart.

The "he/she is being judgmental" excuse of our day needs to come to the light for what it really is. I hear this statement frequently and if we do not confront the lie behind it, people will choose their bondage in the name of "don't judge me" rather than seek the truth and be set free. This is not to say that there are those who don't judge from a fleshly judgment. That is a given. There will always be those who judge wrongly. I will be tempted to judge, you will be tempted to judge and when we do, we must see it for what it is and repent. But I am talking to those who care more about defending their fleshly lifestyles because they think all correction is judgment. People who think "If it hurts, then it must not be good." For a wounded soldier who wants to save his life, cutting off a limb will hurt. We have become so desensitized to the culture's definition of love that many are now shrinking back from speaking the truth as not to offend. I am all about being sensitive to His Spirit, waiting on His timing and asking Him to purify my own motives, yet, when it comes to others who come to me, I cannot get lost in the details of who and how but rather take what is be being said and humbly and confidently take it to the Lord who will shine His light on it. He will and has always been faithful to help me discern what is true and what it is error. (He told us He would do that in Hebrews 5) I will often times submit what has been said to my spiritual authority who will also help me discern truth. I am so grateful for spiritual authority who walks in the fear of the Lord rather than the fear of man. And although these leaders love man, they do not place the approval of man over the approval of God.

Speaking the truth in love is a part of being an obedient believer and with that comes receiving the truth in love. When we receive the truth and act upon that truth, it will set us free. Remember, we are all capable of having blind spots. We are all capable of being "off." Even well known men and women of God who are highly respected have testominy's of the Lord bringing correction to them that came from a brother or sister and even from those outside the church. It takes maturity and humility to place what is being said in the light of His truth for examination. If there is validity to it, praise God. You now have the opportunity to walk in greater freedom and IF NOT, move on, keeping your heart free from offense so you can continue to love others even as Christ loves them.

Father,
I thank You that You speak the truth in love perfectly. I thank You that I can always come to You and You will help me to discern truth from error. Your Word makes it clear that You also choose to use others in my life. May I always keep my heart soft when others confront me. Keep offense far from me, knowing Jesus, who was perfect, was violated even unto death and forgave His enemies. Teach me this love....
In Jesus Name, Amen

Trust

2010-10-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

"Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother's breast." Psalm 22:9

It's been awhile. Since I have blogged that is. It seems that although I do love to write, my season for doing so has not come to full fruition. I believe the winds are changing, however. In fact, it's a little unsettling....kind of like a storm you know is coming but are still not sure what to expect. Yet, God is stirring up my faith and depositing more and more confidence in me each day......AND, He is using my precious new granddaughter to do it. Yes, I am a new first time grandma! Not only am I now a mom at war but a grandma at war as well. I now have yet another soul in our family to pray for and declare His word and destiny over and I love it! Just today I asked my son-in-law if the weight of bringing a soul into the world had rested on him yet. After a brief conversation about the responsibility of creating an atmosphere of faith in his home, he confidently said to me, "I'm not worried at all. I know Emerie will choose Jesus." When he said that, not only did my ears hear it but my spirit saw it. At that moment, the Holy Spirit quickened my spirit with the same faith that my son-in-law had in seeing his baby girl walk with Jesus. My heart was filled with joy at the thought that my prayers and his prayers will be in unity.

Then there's my daughter, Bethany! A new mommy. A new wife.....and now a whole new way of life. It was only a few years ago that I was in deep intercession for her destiny. Out of that season Moms at W.A.R. was birthed and God took me to another level in my understanding of what it means to release our children through intercession. As painful as that season was, the fruit of a deeper root system in God's faithfulness made each tear and sleepless night worth it. The lessons I learned and the 3 am meetings I had with Father God during that time period has left me with the sweetest of memories. There were nights that I would be awakened and His presence was so heavy on me, I would weep. I would feel His love wash over me and I would hear Him say, "I love her and I am with her." Before I go too far with this story, I will switch gears and bring you to the present. There will be a day when Bethany and my story will unfold with all the glorious details, but for now, He's only allowing glimpses.

So here we all are......living under one roof with newborn taking center stage! (Funny enough, Bailey proclaimed joyfully one day, "Now all the attention won't be on me!" To her, this was good. Being the only child left in the home, she felt she was just getting too much attention. You gotta love Bailey's perspectives in life that she often shares with her family members.) With Bethany's husband deployed to Africa we invited her to come back home while he was away. We all had peace about this decision and have since understood why. Thankfully, Davion was able to come back to the States for the birth of their daughter. As God would have it, Bethany went into labor only 7 hours after picking him up from the airport. Emerie Skyy refused to come forth into the world without her daddy being by her mommy's side! This brings me to the above verse taken from Psalm 22:9---

"Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother's breast."

As I watch my daughter raise her daughter to her breast to nurse, I am being reminded of God's faithfulness. As I see Bethany moved by the needs of her baby, I am assured of my Father's perfect love in always meeting my needs. As I look at Emerie in her complete dependent state, I hear the Spirit whisper, "Trust Me, even as she trusts at her mother's breast."

Come what may in this next season of my life, I am snuggling in close to the One in whom I trust......the One who has never failed me nor disappointed me. The One who loves me and chose me long before I knew His name.

Throw off Fleshly Confidence!

2010-07-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

"Beware of the dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh." Philippians 3:2,3

I hate to start off a blog by sharing what I have been grieved about lately, but today I am compelled to share. I believe I have been given just a glimpse of how the Father feels about competition in the body of Christ. I came across the above passage this morning and realized that Paul knew all too well what happens when we "compete" in our own efforts to show off our righteousness. Taking a closer look at Philippians 3

Paul reminds the Philippians of what he has warned them in the past (3:1): to beware of those who teach that the Gentiles need to be circumcised (3:2). Paul reminds them that the true circumcision (3:3a) belongs to those who worship in the Spirit and who glory in Christ, not putting any confidence in their own ability to please god through fleshly efforts (3:3b).

Paul reminds the Philippians that if anyone had reason to boast of their fleshly efforts, it would be him (3:4). After all, he was a circumcised Jew—a Hebrew of Hebrews (3:5). He was a zealous Pharisee who even persecuted the church. When it came to fleshly obedience to the Pharisaical laws and traditions, Paul could be considered blameless (3:6).

But Paul would not boast in his fleshly accomplishments. He considered all this as a loss (3:7). All tings are a loss compared to the profit in knowing Jesus (3:8). For all his zealousness, Paul was never able to obtain righteousness through the Law (3:9a). Indeed, He found righteousness only through his faith in Christ (3:9b). Paul reminds the Philippians that righteousness and hope for the resurrection comes only through faith in and our identification with the cross of Christ (3:10-11).   The Grace Institute

There are those today who measure their success in God by what they do for Him. Paul states that he was able to put much confidence in the things he had done "for God." Yet, he says that he counted everything he did for Christ as rubbish in order that He may gain Christ. What did he mean by that? What did he mean that the things he had done count for nothing?

Paul's faith in Christ brought to him the revelation that the only thing that impresses God is his FAITH IN CHRIST. (right standing with God)I am not advocating that doing good works is not good but that doing good works apart from faith in Christ is nothing more than what the Pharisees were doing. However, James(2:22) also tells us "You see that faith was working with his works, as a result of the works, faith was perfected." Keep in mind here that BELIEF is a work. Think about the thief on the cross. He was not able to "prove" his faith by doing good works but yet, Jesus justified his faith by the work of believing who He was (He had a choice). In John 6 verse 28 the disciples asked, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God?" His response in 29 "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." Jesus was telling His disciples that the work they do is to believe. Yet, even that work started with God revealing to them who Jesus was.

Christ puts EVERYONE on a level playing field. None of us can boast in the work we do.

"For if Abraham is justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God." Romans 4:2 (Obviously Abraham's works may impress people but not God.) Genesis 15:6 "Then he (Abraham) believed in the Lord, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." Abraham's BELIEF in the Lord is what made his works acceptable. We will never be able to "work" our way to right standing with God. That is what Jesus did FOR US on the cross! Our work now is to believe.....sounds simple?? Not necessarily.

Many people choose not to believe on a daily basis. Jesus even said that the way is narrow that leads to life and few find it. (Matthew 7:14) The way is narrow because most people do not want to believe that there is only ONE way to the Father.  Many people say that having only ONE way is exclusive and unfair.

Believing is really about surrendering. It is acknowledging that He is God and we are not. It means having a revelation that God made it clear that there is only ONE way so that we would not have to guess or hope that our own efforts would get us to Heaven. Having ONE way is the most merciful thing a loving God would do.   That One way is Jesus. "No one comes to the Father but by Me." John 14:6

In conclusion,
The current of the world is to NOT believe. (I won't believe it until I see it) If it was easy, everyone would do it. Seeing takes faith. And faith comes from hearing the words of Christ and and saying yes to what He has done!

Father,
Our faith started as a result of the Your spirit drawing us to Your Son. May our faith continue in the ability of Your spirit to sanctify the work You started. May we never think that our fleshly works apart from genuine faith gets merit with You. We surrender our lives and the works of our flesh in order that we may gain Your Son. May our works today be to glorify and honor ONLY You!
In Jesus Name!

Reformers Creed by Dutch Sheets

2010-05-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

The blog I am posting today is taken from Dutch Sheets and entitled "Reformer's Creed" It's so powerful and I really had nothing else better to say as I sat down to write.

"You are a reforming generation.

You are here because God has marked you.

You are here because you want to be a difference maker.

There is something in your DNA that can't accept status quo, business as usual, things as they are.

You will never fit into the box marked "NORMAL".

Deep in your heart you know you are called to change things, to rock the boat.

You love God... but hate religion.

When you taste Him, it only makes you hungry for more; you have God cravings.

You refuse to let the world around you shape or define you.

When you dream.. it's about the impossible.

When you see pain.. you know you are called to heal it.

When you see adversity.. you don't fear it because you measure it against your God.

You are dangerous to evil, to Satan, because your life is not your own (to live is Christ, to die is gain).

You wonder why you are so strange... so different.

When others want to party... you want to pray.

When others laugh... you weep.

When others dance... you mourn.

You will never fit in the typical societal niche, because you are a reformer.

You don't live for fame. You would never lower your goal to be rich and famous.

You are an Abraham, a Joshua, an Esther, a David, a Wilberforce, a Lincoln, a Lou Engle.

Bullets don't scare you... mediocrity scares you.

Indifference scares you.

Losing your life doesn't scare you... wasting it does!

You have already died so you are free."

"You can't be a reformer if you're afraid to be different. If you're afraid to rock the boat, you can't be a reformer. You can't MAKE a difference if you're afraid to BE different!" - Dutch

Time to Release......Again!

2010-05-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth." Psalm 127:4

Well it's that time again. I knew it was all happening when I walked through the laundry room as I entered my house and I saw two huge suitcases staring me in the face. My son and daughter-in-law had come home for the night and I was a bit confused on why such big suitcases for only one night. That's when Ruth chimed in, "Oh, we are already completely packed for our trip to Israel." I had to smile on the inside as I was once again reminded of why Brady and Ruth were joined together. They still had one more week before they left and Ruth was on top of the game. In Brady's single years, he (or I should say we) would have been packing the night before.....yes, even for a three month trip. Now it's only four days away. I just texted Brady to tell him I was going to miss him. I know what's coming....been there, done this. The first time was rather difficult. My trust roots had to go deeper if I was going to be able to walk in peace while my son and now daughter-in-law was in a land where war is a constant threat. Having Ruth by his side and the strength they bring together has helped greatly. I love the two of them together. It's like watching this wonderful and powerful story unfold in the lives of two individuals who were not meant to live the status quo. It takes me back to the times when I verbally declared to the Lord, "Take my kids wherever you want, Lord, but may they never leave Your side." In my younger days, I would dream of all of us living in the same town, having family dinners, watching my grandkids grow and living the typical "American lifestyle." Yet, all the while, I would hear the Lord whisper to my heart in the quiet of the night, "Will you release them to the plans I have for them even if it doesn't look like your plan?" Funny thing is, He was talking about releasing them from the heart. We moms know that we can't literally hold on to our kids. Makes me laugh just picturing it. Deep down we know they are only on loan. Yes, we do get to call them our own, yet, even as Psalm 127:4 declares "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth," we recognize a season comes that we pull the bow back for that final release and watch them soar. There are definitely traditions that can be performed (We have done this with our two oldest) that is a visual picture of this happening; however, it's the heart that truly releases. You may wonder what that looks like. I wish I could sum it up in a nutshell but it's different for everyone. For me, it has been rediscovering who I am as a daughter of God apart from my role as a primary influence in my children's lives. It has meant an acknowledgment that my faith does not rest in my abilities to be a perfect mom, but rather His ability to "never leave them or forsake them." It has meant that I have entered into genuine joy over the plans and purposes God has for each of my children even when I have to place my plans aside. It has also meant going to sleep at night with a peace that passes all my understanding because they are all safe in His arms. This reminds me of a few nights ago when all my kids were home. I was drifting off to sleep and whispered to my husband, "I love it when all the kids are under our roof, " to which my husband replied, "I love it that they are all under God's protection no matter where they are.".....husbands!

2010-03-26T01:34:00.000-07:00

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

I've had orphans on my mind lately…..even more than I normally do. Not just baby orphans, but all orphans. Those who have been rejected, abandoned, tossed away, abused, neglected, unloved, seen as an inconvenience and regarded as unworthy. I seriously can't imagine. Oh, I've had my moments of feeling alone and afraid but never have I experienced utter rejection. Yes, even at my worse, my dad and mom loved me unconditionally. I remember growing up thinking that all kids had a least one person who loved them. The thought that a mom or dad would reject or abandon their own child never really crossed my mind. I knew there were kids who had rough home lives, but to be unwanted was a foreign thought. I know there are also those who have become orphans through the death of their parents but, it was never God's plan that even one child would be conceived that would bring with it regret, pain or sorrow. Conception, child birth and child rearing were His plans from the beginning and it has always been His will for every baby to be wanted. Can you imagine? Think about it for a moment……not one rejected conception or birth in our world. Every baby when the cord was cut was placed into the arms of a mother and/or father who had committed themselves to loving and nurturing their baby into adulthood. Even the hardest of hearts can be moved to compassion when it comes to a child. I've heard that in prisons if the crime you have committed is against a child, you may not make it out alive. Many hardened criminals still have a soft spot for children. What is it about children? Jesus called them to Himself and even told us that if we didn't become like them we would not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. He goes on to say in another passage that it would be better to have a millstone hung around your neck and be drowned into the sea than to hurt a child. The Bible is full of scriptures that speak of the blessing of children and the gift they are. One day, we will all have a full understanding of why God made it crystal clear on how we are to view children. However, we can ask Him to show us His heart in this now before it is too late.

A very precious daughter of mine recently told me that she has the desire to adopt. At first I thought, "How sweet…..how noble and generous of you." I was sincere. I really did think it was special. However, later that day, my heart was struck. Struck with agonizing pain for orphans….. My heart began to feel to a small degree what an orphan feels. I can only tell you that it was supernatural. I am not an orphan, never will be an orphan and the only way I could feel like an orphan was for God to allow me to have this experience. I didn't ask for it, but in His wisdom, He saw I needed it. I trust Him. I trust Him with all my heart. I don't understand but I do trust. I decided to text the young lady who shared her heart with me. My response was different this time. I encouraged her in the destiny that God has placed on her life to adopt rejected ones. I told her that her own life is a message to those who she will raise to know they are accepted. There are many other things I want to share with her but I will wait until we can be face to face.

In the meantime, I will watch and pray. I will watch for opportunities to love on a child and be willing to obey should God send one to our home. I won't just think that someone else will do it or be so busy with my own life that there is no room for another to love on. I hear God saying, "Are you willing to lay down your idea of what the next 20 years of your life will look like?" I'm not sure what He really means, but He has yet to fail me. I do know that my idea of the next 20 years has been the typical progression of life…. an empty nest. So, before God and whoever has taken the time to read this blog, "I am willing to lay this idea down and change my plans if He sees fit."  Maybe….possibly, this daughter of mine and I will be two moms cheering one another on in the call to love on orphans through adoption. I think I'm getting a second wind.

TURTLE

2010-03-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

I just have to ask. Have you ever wanted to be a turtle? I know that's a crazy question but I had this thought today while driving around with my daughter. The thought went something like this: "It must be nice to have a shell to hide under when you just don't want to face the world." Ok, getting smashed on the highway because you're too slow to make it to the other side before a car comes, is a big setback, but all that aside, turtles have it made. I wouldn't want to be a snapping turtle. Snapping turtles remind me too much of moody people. I've never considered myself to be moody. You might say I am a very positive, optimistic, upbeat person. However, if I do get in a bad mood, I might do more than just snap, so beware. The part about turtles that was especially appealing to me today was the retreating inside my shell part. For the last year I have been in this storm. It's been the longest storm of my life. At first, I just tried to rebuke it. You know the "get behind me, Satan, type rebuke." However, after that didn't work I began to think that maybe, just maybe, there was purpose in the storm. Maybe it was what Jesus talked about in Matthew 7:24-27

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!”

Basically, Jesus had just told His disciples many things in the previous chapters in Matthew, including the Sermon on the Mount. He then tells them, "do these things and you're going to make it through the storm that's coming." However, not only are you going to make it through but you are going to come out of it knowing that your house is secure! He separates those who hear and those who hear and do. He also does not indicate IF the storm comes, but when the storm comes. I believe there are two types of storms that come into our lives. Those that we rebuke even as Jesus did in Luke 8:22-25

One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. Now a violent windstorm came down on the lake, and the boat started filling up with water, and they were in danger. They came and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” So he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they died down, and it was calm. Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”

And those that we ride out as we stand upon the Rock of His Word. No doubt the "rebuke storms" are more desirable as we see the enemy bow to the Name of Jesus in our lives, but the "ride it out storms" are becoming to me even a greater miracle. With winds blowing and rain falling, peace prevails! Yes, the enemy flees long before the storms come when our lives are built on the Rock of His Word.

So, the thought about the turtle ended with the Lord whispering His Word to my heart. Psalm 91:1-4

"As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the sovereign One,

and resides in the protective shadow of the mighty king –

I say this about the LORD, my shelter and my stronghold,

my God in whom I trust –

he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter

and from the destructive plague.

He will shelter you with his wings;

you will find safety under his wings.

His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall."

I'm kinda like a turtle after all! Even better……His faithfulness will not get smashed on the highway of life as I am making it to the other side! It is my protection and my shield. So, instead of dreaming about the life of a turtle I am choosing to live in the reality of His protection! I am hiding under the shelter of His wings and trusting Him until the end.

2009-06-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

I encourage you, before you read this blog to go get your Bible and read Hebrews Chapter 11. The title in my Bible above chapter 11 says: Triumphs of Faith. I find much comfort in the fact that this chapter title is not; Triumphs of a perfect life, Triumphs of those who were born to perfect families, Triumphs of the well educated, Triumphs of the rich and famous, Triumphs of those physically beautiful, triumphs of those who have everything figured out....etc. etc. No, rather it says once again: Triumphs of FAITH. You know why that encourages me so much? Because it puts ALL of us on a level playing field....rich, poor, young, old, famous, unknown, witty, boring, ....you get the point. Living a victorious life is not only for the few and the proud but for all who dare to take God at His word.....we can all do this, yet, we will not all choose to do it. Some will choose to rather walk by what they see and feel in the natural rather than walk by faith. Some will not believe there is anything beyond the here and now and therefore, will see this life as the end of all things.....bummer, I just felt heavy-hearted for those people. Can you imagine living a life like that? My faith in God, His Word and His goodness towards me has been the hope of my life...in good times, in tests, in trials and in the face of an uncertain future for the state of our country. Thankfully, I have not had to try to conjure up faith in my own strength.....I have not had to strive to get myself to believe something that seems impossible....God has even made a way for my faith to be established...a way for ALL of us to have our faith established. (activated)

"So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ." Romans 10:17

This statement by Paul is what makes the playing field level for the whole human race. God made a way for our faith to be established by hearing the words of Christ. Initially, we receive salvation by faith when the Holy Spirit draws us to the Father. We hear the truth and the Spirit invites us to say Yes to His calling....to His choosing of us. We, at that moment, are given empowerment(or GRACE) through His spirit to receive by faith the TRUTH about God, His Son and our eternal destiny. Salvation is only the beginning.....once we say Yes, by faith, to His calling us as sons and daughters, He begins inviting us to activate our faith in many other truths. He does this with such tender patience, yet, He is persistent. His desire for us to walk in faith is greater than our desire to do it...He knows that where there is faith, there is freedom. When we believe His Word by faith, we are set free from fear, worry, despair, greed, lust, jealousy....etc. In verse 6 of Hebrews 11 we are told that "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him......"

1)We come

2)We believe

3)We receive

Having a hard time believing even though you are coming to Him???.....I encourage you to open His Word, daily....invite the Holy Spirit to convince your heart that His Word is truth...remember, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ."

In closing, meditate for a minute on Mark 9:24 "Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief." If you read that whole passage you will see that this man did have a level of faith(belief) but asked Jesus to help the area of his heart that did not believe. I love that!!! We can even ask for faith to believe.......even in the darkest hour, we can cry out, "Help my unbelief!" The fall of mankind began with doubt....Satan convinced Eve to doubt what God had already told her to be true.....she fell for his lie and the redemption process was set in motion.

Father,

Thank you that the truth of Your word is greater than the lies we have been tempted to believe. You have given us all we need to have faith in You and Your word through the power of Your Son's resurrection. We choose to believe what You say over our own opinion and the whipsers of the enemy. Strengthen our hearts today as we seek to know you more....as we allow you to love us completely. In Jesus Name, Amen

2009-06-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

"How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are, Your eyes are like doves." Song of Solomon 1:15

Dove's Eyes.....

'Thou hast doves' eyes' (Song of Solomon, 1:15). The dove spends much of its time sitting on water, so that if it sees the shadow of a hawk that is flying overhead, it can avoid it by fleeing. The Church protects itself with the scriptures, in order to escape the deceits of the Devil who plots against it.The dove, therefore, has saffron-coloured eyes. The colour of saffron in the eyes, therefore, signifies the discernment that comes with mature reflection. For when anyone considers deliberately what he should do or think, it is as if he adorns the eyes of the spirit with saffron. Saffron has the colour of ripe fruit. Therefore a saffron-coloured eye signifies the perceptivity that comes with maturity." (Physiologus:4th Century text that explains how the natural world is used as a vehicle to explain the spiritual world....or how God's world is mirrored in the natural world)

Wow! Don't you love that??!! First of all, although a dove has no peripheral vision, it can detect impending danger from a shadow. In fact, the vision the dove does have is so precise that it has the ability to focus intensely on one thing for long periods of time. It is not easily distracted but is also ready at a moments notice to flee harmful situations.

Also, the color of their eyes.....the reflection of maturity.......the wisdom...the discernment they portray.....the ability to make a decision based on mature thinking and not on the emotion at the moment......

My fascination of Doves at the moment comes from a group of young people who are asking for God to give them Dove's eyes....they have a hunger coming from a God-given desire to have their eyes fixed......fixed on one thing....they are asking for discernment and wisdom to flee temptation.....they desire to walk in purity.......to treat their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.....to let their speech reflect the sounds of Heaven........they are crying out to be set apart......they are submitting their hearts to God and to earthly authority.......they are waiting on Him and they are watching to see what He is doing and are ready to join Him......

Simply put, they are lovesick! Lovesick for another Kingdom.......they are falling in love with their Bridegroom and are ready to obey at all costs!

I am inspired, I am challenged and I am in warfare! I am humbled and I am clinging to Him as He leads......I am asking too......I am asking for the eyes of a Dove......to be undistracted in my love for Him. The distractions of this age are many....yet, when we stay focused on the One who this is all about......the distractions can't compete.

Father,
Give us the eyes of a Dove.....you have captured our attention! There is none like You and there is none who can satisfy our heart as You do. Give us wisdom to flee temptation and to make decisions based on Godly discernment and not the feelings of a given moment. We want to know you more; we want to love you more and we will do that by obeying You at all costs! Only by Your grace.......
In Jesus Name. Amen

In Closing.....

In Judaism, the dove signified the love of God for His Chosen People, the Israelites. White doves, signs of purity, were sacrificial offerings offered for purification at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Old Testament symbolized the dove in various forms. The dove was frequently used in the "Song of Songs," largely to convey terms of endearment: in their behavior, the doves paired for a long time. "Oh how beautiful, your eyes are like doves ..." (Songs 1: 15).

2009-05-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." John 15:7,8

I'm going to be straight up....(which is nothing new but I like saying it) This verse blows my mind. At first glance, it sounds rather simple. I abide in Him, His word abides in me, I ask, I get what I ask for, it bears fruit, proves that I am His disciple and by that.....He is glorified. Has anyone else read these verses and thought....."is it really as easy as it sounds?" I use to think that......I use to think that until it didn't seem like I was getting what I asked for, not sure I could prove I was His disciple and sadly, there was not much if any good fruit coming from my life AND the ultimate tragedy, He was not being glorified in my life.....all a painful reality but nonetheless true. HOWEVER,

THERE CAME THE DAY..........

Before I tell you about my day....think about your day for a minute. Maybe you can't identify one certain day but maybe a season....maybe a moment....maybe your day has not come yet. I'm not talking about salvation necessarily.....I'm talking about the day you truly discovered that if He said it, He meant it and if He means it........He will fulfill what He said He would do.

THE DILEMMA.......

If I am not seeing the answers to what I am asking for and He told me I would.....I have to re-evaluate. I have to go back....usually from frustration or exhaustion...... and find the glitch. Thankfully, I didn't even have to try and figure out all of that on my own.....remember the Helper I blogged about several weeks ago? He is also called the Spirit of Truth and one of His roles is to reveal truth to us....yet, He also knows when and how much we are ready for....He actually waits.....He waits until we are hungry for it....He waits until we have a desperation in our heart to not only hear it but act upon it. If we hear truth and we are not ready to act upon it, we typically harden our hearts so we can block out the feelings of needing to be free from the lie we have been believing. (side note- this is why we pray for someones heart to be tenderized or softened....so they can "feel" the pain/need to seek Him for answers)

There are a lot of "obvious" truths we are made aware of everyday and then there are some hidden truths that only He can bring out.....

THE DAY.........

My day came....the day He revealed to me that while I was sincere in my asking, I lacked understanding in what He means by abiding.........up to this point in my life, I had equated abiding with doing all the "right stuff"...you know, going to church, paying my tithes, being nice to people, ...etc. I thought because I prayed the "prayer" and put in my time reading the Bible, then I was doing pretty good in comparison to most of the world....sounds logical, huh?

The word abide in the Greek is meno: a few words to describe what it means are- to stay, to remain, to endure, to wait, to stand, to continue.....notice it really has nothing to do with doing good works.(although doing good works is still good) The conclusion, therefore, is.....one can do good works and not be abiding......

To abide is to remain in Him...meaning to remain true to who He is and what is true about Him.....I can only do that if His word abides in me....His Word can only abide in me if I wait on Him, if I endure through the doubts, if I get back up after I fall, if I continue to believe what He says even in the face of giants....it means I am continually dwelling on Him and His ways and looking to Him for answers and not people...oh, it really does mean so much more, but to suffice to say...up until THAT DAY, I was only a visitor. I would visit Him when I was ready or it was convenient.....I would check in and put in my time so I could "feel" good about doing the "right stuff." Thus, the whole asking thing was not working!

A NEW DAY..........

It's different today....I still stumble, I still do and say stupid stuff.....I still wait on answers and I still fight through doubts BUT, I am no longer a visitor......by His grace, I abide, I remain, I continue, I endure, I wait.......I KNOW THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE TO GO.

Even Peter figured that out. In John 6:67,68 Jesus says to Peter, "You do not want to go away also , do you?"(many of His disciples were leaving Him; decided not to follow Him anymore) Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words to eternal life."
Peter knew there was no one else who could give him the answers....actually, He knew Jesus Himself was his answer.

THE RESULT..........

I ask, He answers, I receive, I bear fruit, it proves that I am His disciple and HE IS GLORIFIED......yes, I still wait for answers but I wait with a hopeful expectation. When you abide, you have confidence and you have confidence because when you abide, you are asking for what is already on His heart.....you ask for things that will advance His Kingdom, not your own.....you ask with pure motives....you ask BELIEVING!

Are you frustrated in your prayer life? Are you exhausted from trying to do all the "right stuff" and seeing no results......are you starting to think that maybe you should just give up and walk away like some of Jesus disciples have done.......WAIT....before you do that....I challenge you to abide......there are no shortcuts.....there are no promises to be fulfilled if we do not play by His rules....AND I am convinced that a man who laid down His life for me is worth following....worth remaining with.....worth continuing to believe.....worth laying down my life for.

I'm convinced there is no other place to go........................

Father,
You are not only worthy.....You are worth it. By Your grace, not our own strength or effort....we choose to abide. We choose to follow Your Son....thank You for picking us back up when we stumble, for revealing truth to our heart when we have believed a lie.
In Jesus Name-Amen

2009-05-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

continued from previous blog........

We would arrive at our destination at approximately 10:30 a.m. and hopefully be able to sleep for a few hours before we went to service. When we arrived at the motel, we were originally told that we could not check in until 3:00 pm. We were getting ready to leave when the motel clerk stopped us saying she found a few rooms that were already cleaned....thank you, Jesus! At this point, I was exhausted and longed to catch a few hours sleep before we went to the Ramp. As planned, everyone slept and woke up ready to see what God was going to do over the weekend!

The first night, the first service, my first experience at the Ramp was beyond my expectations. I'm typically not that easy to impress when it comes to conferences, workshops, seminars etc....not that I sit back with a critical attitude but I tend to be more impressed with the days, weeks and months that follow such an event. I like results. Or another way to put it..."show me the fruit!" :-) Although I am soon approaching 40, I still love youth events; the music, the dance, the dramas and all the excitement. However, what I have come to love more is seeing those (and being one of those) who have had a real encounter with God, leaving more in love with Him.....and as far as I can tell, the only way to measure our love for Him is the level of obedience that we are walking in with Him. "if you love Me, you will obey Me." Thankfully, His love for us is not dependent on our love for Him for we love Him because He first loved us and He loved us while we were yet still in our sin....what love the Father has for us!

It is a challenge to describe what I saw over the weekend....not only did I have precious encounters with the Lord and felt His powerful love for me, I marveled in what I saw Him doing in the lives of the young people that came with me on the trip. Each one of them had a divine appointment with God and each one of them heard His voice over them.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you, I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

I shall share one experience that is yet to manifest glorious fruit for His kingdom. At one point, we were asked to get into groups and pray for our Pastor, leaders and those in authority....then we began to pray over the issue of abortion. As we took turns praying, one young man began to pray not for the physical act of abortion but for a generation of kids who are "aborting" their destiny that God has for them....I was touched, I was moved....I knew he was praying the very heart of the Father in that moment and I began to weep.....and I wept...and I wept....and I wept. Jesus also wept....He wept over the grief of those who were mourning the death of Lazarus....... but, Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. In fact, in John 11:4 He says, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified in it." Yet, those closest to Lazarus could not understand what was about to happen. They assessed the situation as fatal....... what or who appeared to be dead was only three words from coming back to life...."Lazarus, come forth!" Jesus said it.....Lazarus obeyed it......his friends and family witnessed it and Jesus was indeed glorified in it.

It's no different today friends! This generation before us may appear "dead" to the things of God.....and it is very true that some are aborting their destiny in God for the things of this world. My heart breaks over this reality.....I cry out for Him to come and speak those same three words...._(their name)__, come forth!....that they would hear His voice above all the noise, above the desires of their flesh, above the deceitfulness of riches, above the desire for worldly fame and even the love of family. If Jesus can raise a Lazarus from literal death, He can raise up a destiny that has been dead in the life of a young (or old) person. I am not going to settle for a "what will be, will be" attitude. I am going to run to Him and and declare, "Lord, behold, he/she whom You love is aborting their destiny." (read John 11:3) Then, I will wait and I will watch......I will watch Jesus do what He has always done......

Whose destiny are you running to Jesus about? I got my names.......I'm not giving up or backing down, even at the whispers of the enemy that will taunt and torment with "He will never surrender to Jesus." Nope, I got my precedent....it's written in the Book...and this Book will never be revised by a panel of earthly judges but will stand forever as the final Word of God. Wow! I just blogged myself to have even more hope....:-) This is a good thing......I needed it today.

Father,

Bring forth the destiny of your sons and daughters! Pour out Your Spirit on them that they may prophesy to their generation the things that are on Your heart.....for You have formed them in the womb and have called out their destiny even at birth!

In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen

Blessings!

Kandace

2009-05-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His..." 2 Chronicles 16:9

It was 1:00 am and there was much anticipation stirring among us. In fact, so much so that none of us could sleep. We tried....or I should say, I tried. I knew that 5:00 am was quickly approaching and it would be wise to get a little sleep before we headed out on our 9 hr. trip to Hamilton, Alabama. It was the weekend that we had been anticipating for a month. It all started with me telling my daughter, Bethany, that I wanted to go visit The Ramp ministry and see first hand what I had been hearing about for several years. Days after I mentioned my desire to Bethany, I got an e-mail from a spiritual son. He proceeded to tell me that he had a dream and in the dream I took a group of kids to The Ramp in Hamilton, Alabama. Of course the dream got my attention because he knew nothing about my conversation with Bethany. I told him I would get back to him. I wanted to approach the idea with my husband before I responded to the dream. My husband quickly responded, "Go for it." I contacted this young man and the prayers and plans began. He got back to me within days informing me that The Ramp weekend we were looking at going to was sold out. My response was, "If this is God's will, He will make a way where there seems to be no way." The next call confirmed that it was indeed the will of God. There was a youth group who had several cancellations and we could use their registrations. I thanked God for His confirmation and proceeded with confidence that God had something special for those who went on the trip.

(After realizing that none of us could sleep and trying was futile, we decided to leave about 1:30 am. We packed the Suburban and headed to Alabama.)

I love road trips......especially with young people! There is something about being in close quarters listening to their conversation and occasionally chiming in. I could not help but to think how God was looking down upon them, searching their hearts, being moved by their hunger for Him and their expectation to have an enounter with Him over the weekend.

"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those who heart is completely His..."

It's not a new revelation that this generation needs His support. However, the ones who get His support are are the ones who have given their hearts completely to Him. He still loves and pursues those who haven't made that complete surrender but for the ones who have, the support of the Lord on their lives is evident. It is evident in many ways.....it's not that they have arrived at the same level of maturity as their elders necessarily, but they have made a choice to say YES to Him everyday of their lives.....even in the midst of their weakness and failures. Sometimes it may not look pretty(like David's sin with Bathsheba) and if we are not looking beyond what we see in the natural, we may miss it. We may write them off.....

However, instead of writing them off, this is where we step in as spiritual (and natural) mothers and fathers! We intercede....we stand in the gap for them..... we ask for God to send them a prophet(that may be us).....we ask for His mercy....we ask for them to receive grace to submit to discipline....we pray for restoration...we believe.....we believe that the same grace that saved and empowers us to obey Him, will be the same grace He will pour out on their lives.

God is not only looking for those who have given their heart completley to Him but He is looking for intercessors who will birth the manifestion of our children giving their hearts compleltely to Him....

The rest of the story to be continued...........

Father,

Just as You are looking, may we be looking.....looking to what You are doing in the lives of the young people around us so that we can join You in intercession for them. Your Son declared that He did what He saw You doing and said what He heard you saying. We ask for ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying and for courage to speak what You are saying. We lay down our own agenda and pray for You to live Your agenda through us.....we know that is the only way we will see lasting fruit. In Jesus Name! Amen.

Blessings!
Kandace

(preview of the next blog)

We would arrive at our destination at approximately 10:30 am and hopefully be able to sleep for a few hours before we went to service. When we arrived at the motel we were originally told that we could not check in until 3:00 pm. We were getting ready to leave when the motel clerk stopped us saying she found a few rooms that were already cleaned....thank you, Jesus.

2009-04-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house." Matthew 5:14-15

I was recently watching the news while walking on the treadmill at the gym when the segment "the Four States Most Wanted" popped up on the TV screen. I say watching because I actually could not hear the TV. I could only guess what was being said about each person as they posted their profile and had a little caption at the bottom of their picture with what they were wanted for. In the next few moments, my heart began to grieve. I began to think about the day of their births...their moms....their dads.....their upbringings. I wondered if they had a mom or dad praying for them??? I wondered what brought them to the place of losing hope and living a life of running and hiding. I wondered if they had even one person in their lives who was cheering them on....coaching them...loving them in the midst of it all....speaking truth to them.....I wondered about many things in those few moments.

My thoughts then began to dream of a day when we might have a news section called "the Four States Most Celebrated." I began thinking about some of the young people in my life who are letting His light shine in their lives.....those who are saying yes to Him.....those who are saying no to the temporal pleasures of this world.....those who are seeking the things above and not the things on this earth.....those who are being faithful in the "little" .....waiting for the day He will entrust them with the "much".......those who have made up their mind that He is enough.

With each young person that came to mind was the realization that they have someone praying for them...they have a cheering section.....they have someone loving them right in the midst of their questions, their doubts, their fears, and mistakes. Some of them do not have a mom or dad praying for them but someone else who decided to be a "spiritual" mom or dad to them. It does, no doubt, make a significant difference. I know that because the Word of God says that when we pray in faith, we have what we ask for. I am asking.....I am asking for my own kids....I am asking for those who are not my biological kids......I am asking for a generation that will rise up and let His light shine through them.....a generation who will take on the spirit of this age and say, "We will not bow down, we will not serve the gods of the world even if it costs us our lives." I am asking for a generation who will walk in confident humility and influence the governments of this earth. I am asking and believing for big things, I know......we have not because we ask not. I am putting all my hope and expectation in Him, not them.

There are many young people in this generation who are "hiding." They have no light to shine...they have no hope....they have been forgotten, given up on and written off. Some will never know Him, some have known Him but will never turn back to Him. They will spend eternity separated from the God who gave up His Son for them. However, I refuse to believe that all hope is lost. I have seen God take the hardest of hearts...those in the deepest deception....those going full speed ahead in the wrong direction and by His mercy reach down and save them from destruction. I am certain that He gave us the story of Saul being transformed to Paul so that we will never say, "all hope is lost."

Do you know a young person who needs a "spiritual" mom or dad? Do you know someone that is going full speed ahead in the wrong direction....someone in your church.....your neighborhood.....your own house? I say pray....pray like you never have before.....build yourself up in your most holy faith....

"But you beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the holy spirit." Jude 20

If you're lacking faith because of what you see with your eyes, hear with your ears....stop looking.....stop listening. I know that sounds impossible but there is a way to see and hear without "taking it in." You acknowledge the situation but you answer it with a "But God" as Pastor Dan is teaching us.

You put all your hope in Him and His ability to change a heart as you pray in faith and cry out to Him......He's a good Daddy and wants to rescue our kids even more than we do.....He's just looking for someone to dare to live a radical life of prayer, fasting and holding onto Him even as Jacob did when he proclaimed, " I will not let you go until you bless me."

Father,

Give us faith, give us courage.....set our feet on the Rock that is immovable and unshakable so that when the storms come, our homes will not fall. We desire for Your light to shine bright in our children. We call those who are hiding to come out from the darkness and into Your light. We thank You that You are more than able to accomplish what concerns our hearts. We place our faith in You and You alone. In Jesus Name.

Believing for what seems impossible!

Blessings,

Kandace

2009-03-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

" I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth..." John 14:16, 17

"Mom, it's kind of nice not having a phone," proclaimed my daughter Bailey. Bailey had been without her cell phone for two whole days and too much of my amazement, did not have the withdrawal I was expecting. I proceeded to ask her why she thought it was nice not having her phone since she typically likes to stay connected to those she loves. Her reply, which was, "It's nice not having the responsibility," replayed over and over in my mind for the next several days. I did not ask her to explain. Truthfully, it was a rather somber moment. During those few moments of exchange, I realized that my 14 year old daughter had "caught," to some degree, the reality of what it means to be responsible. With the absence of her phone and "needing" to be available to those who seem to be in crisis more often than not, she was enjoying the break from being depended on. You would have to know Bailey to completely understand what I mean, but suffice it to say, she has a very strong sense of loyalty.......although this is an admirable character trait, sometimes, the priority of who gets her loyalties can be a bit challenging.

It all started when I noticed a little bit of a disconnect. Nothing major....more of a sense that she was becoming preoccupied with friends more than family. I know some may think that's normal at her age, but I contend that a mom knows when the normal line has been crossed and it's time to re-group. The solution that made sense to me (and not her at the time) was a mandatory cell phone fast. Of course it would have been nice (or should I say a miracle) if Bailey would have come to me and confessed, "Mom, I'm noticing that I am spending way too much time texting and talking to friends and I would like for you to take my phone for a week." Actually, that's not too farfetched in considering something Bailey might say. She has been my child who tends to get the, "You have so much wisdom for your age." In fact, it's that very gift in her that has set her up to be the group "counselor" among her peers.....thus, the weight of responsibility of being there for her friends. With only two more days to go, Bailey seems to be surviving and so do her friends!!

Although Bailey did not admit it at the time......she needed help. She needed someone that could see beyond her own vision and give her guidance. There was nothing wrong with her connecting with friends but the amount of time she spent doing it, had become a distraction. In fact, I can relate quite well.

Usually it comes in a still small whisper......the Holy Spirit will begin to give me direction in a certain area of my life that needs adjusted. At that moment, I have a choice to make. I can choose to listen and receive His help or keep going in the same direction. One thing is for sure, as children of God, we have not been left alone in our journey to the holy city. We have not been left to our own strength, our own wisdom or our own understanding.

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth."

Before Jesus went back to Heaven, (to prepare a place for us to be with Him forever!) He asked His Father to send us a Helper who is also the Spirit of truth. Quite often, even with well intentions, I can stray....get too busy....get off focus.....seek the approval of man.....stay angry a second too long...etc. In Jeremiah 17:9 we are told that "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" And Paul so eloquently tells us in Romans 7:15 "For what I am doing I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." It was for this reason, among many others, that the Father gave us the Helper. We do not have to conjure up our own strength or our own self-will to overcome what needs adjusted in our life. He, the Helper, will help us! It always comes back to our willingness.....will we let Him? Will we trust that He knows a better way and a better plan? Will we take a step of faith and dare to obey Him at the slightest nudge. I have to say that I am thankful that Bailey decided to do what needs to be done without complaint. She willingly handed over her phone and her attitude remained respectful and honorable. She set an example for me that day.....God used her to paint a picture for the way He wants me to respond when He needs to make an adjustment in my life. I am quite certain that I will have the opportunity to make another decision about following His way or mine. And I am even more certain that when it happens, I will ask for the Helper to come and help me choose His way!!

Father, thank you for not leaving us as orphans! We look forward to the day that You come and take us to the place You have prepared for our eternal dwelling. Thank you for sending us a Helper along the journey. We have no excuse to live in defeat when You have given us everything we need to walk in victory! In Jesus Name.

Admitting I need help!
Blessings,
Kandace

2009-03-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

"For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments, and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God." Psalm 78:5-8

The time has come! The day of release.....the day my son leaves home; never to return as a full-time resident. It happened last night. It was actually quite a comical moment for me. My son came to me only 5 days before he was to move and told me he had landed a job in Kansas City. This was interesting to me for a few reasons. One, Brady is a planner. He likes to know exactly what is going on, how it's going on, where it's going on etc....he does not like surprises. After one interview and one phone call, they wanted him there as soon as possible. When he was a little boy, I quickly learned that it was wise to always let him know at least 15 minutes ahead of time that we would be leaving the house for whatever reason. This would give his brain time to calculate how he could bring an end to whatever he was doing at the moment..... be it a math problem or a creation with his Lego's. Of course, there were those moments when that did not happen and we would have to work through the crisis. The second reason is, I had already planned a birthday party at our home the night he told me he would be leaving. I am quite certain that although his leaving on this particular night did not fit into my agenda, it fit perfectly into God's. As I expected, right in the midst of celebration, cake, blowing out the candles, my son gives me a hug and tells me he's leaving. I held onto to him momentarily and reflected on the last 19 years. I did not have time to cry or even have a good heart to heart with him.... I did not have time to ask him the 10 questions that flashed into my mind. Even today when doing laundry I wandered if he had packed towels and wash clothes!....I didn't even have time to ask when I would see him again........ BUT, what I did have was something greater......a prepared heart! I can't tell you exactly how, but I can tell you it was prepared. As the evening came to a close and our guests left our home, I began to process all that was going on in my heart. I remembered the night I knelt beside Brady's bed in prayer. He was only 2 years old. I heard a gentle whisper in my heart..."begin releasing your son now." I could not fully comprehend what that meant at the time, but it gave me a keen awareness that he was on loan to us only for a time. Not that a mother ever stops being a mother, but the type of influence she has living in the same house with her children will one day come to a close........ And that is how God designed it!

"And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God."

Maybe you're not in the process of preparing your heart for a child to leave home but all life is about preparing....preparing for a test (which I have 2 tomorrow ), preparing for marriage, preparing for a baby's arrival, preparing for ministry, preparing to take a trip...etc....you get the point. We spend a lot of our time in preparation mode.....however, I can't think of anything more important than preparing for eternity. In Amos 4:12 the prophet declares to the sons of Israel, "Prepare to meet your God." The context is not very reassuring for the Israelites at that time. They had rebelled and were not following His ways. Their hearts had become complacent to the word of the Lord and they were not prepared......

Father, may You give us wisdom as we walk this pilgrimage to the holy city! Teach us what it means to prepare our heart for eternity. May we not shrink back in shame the day we meet you face to face but instead hear you say, "Well done, they good and faithful servant!."

In closing....my son has called and texted several times even as I type. No, I may not have the same influence over him as I once did when he was living at home.....but..... I now get to witness God's faithfulness as I watch my son leave the nest and fly on his own......knowing that God is with him at all times, taking much better care of him than I ever could!

Always preparing!
Blessings,
Kandace

2009-03-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

"For I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." 1 Timothy 1:13

Two nights ago I walked into Bethany's room only to find her and her best friend Sarah watching a program called; Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage. I have to admit, seeing them laying there on Bethany's bed side by side focused on what the speaker was saying actually made me laugh. Not that I was making fun of them but that two teenager girls who are not married would actually be intrigued about laughing their way to a better marriage. It didn't stop there..... They scooted over, patted the bed and told me to watch it with them. I only caught the tail end but what I did hear was definitely sparking my appetite to hear more. After it was over, Bethany proceeded to tell me what I had missed. As I listened to my 17 year old daughter reiterate what she just heard, throwing her own thoughts into the mix, I began silently thanking God. I thanked Him for being faithful, for being trustworthy. I thanked Him for being so much greater than my own parenting skills over the years. I thanked Him for His mercy when I have actually made things worse by being lead with fear instead of faith. The list could go on and on. The point is, when we entrust our children to Him, He is faithful to guard them, to protect them, to pursue them, and to keep them "until that day." That day will be the day when our children (and us) stand before Him, covered in the blood of the Lamb because of the faith they(we) placed in His work on the cross. One of Bethany's favorite passages is found in Jude 24, 25 is, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

What are you entrusting the Lord with?.....your children, your marriage, seeing dreams fulfilled, seeing a loved one saved...all the above? Do you know...are you convinced that He is able to guard what you have entrusted to Him? To entrust means to put into the care or protection of someone. Are you confident that He is faithful? I can tell you that this mom has no other hope but His faithfulness. Yes, there are practical things I do on a daily basis because I love Him and want to be pleasing to Him. However, when it's me and Him on "that day" it will only be His blood that will cause me, you and our children to stand blameless with great joy!

Close your eyes and picture it!
Blessings,
Kandace

2009-03-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

"And it shall be in the last days," God says, "That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy..."

In other words, our sons and our daughters shall speak "the word of the Lord" in these last days. There is no question about it. In fact, it is already happening. I see it and hear it in the lives of the young people around me. Sometimes they don't even know they are doing it....prophesying that is. But, I stand amazed as I listen and as I see their passion to once again have the Word of the Lord restored to their generation. Just today I took two young ladies to lunch who ministered to me as they spoke of their callings and their heart for the people around them. My own daughter came to me in tears last night because a young man she works with desperately needs Jesus. Tears streamed down her face as she reflected on the Cross and what Jesus had done to save her. She has decided that the persecution she faces as a believer in the workplace is nothing compared to what Jesus went through for her. I am frequently hearing, "Pray for me to have more boldness." There is a stirring going on in this generation that says, "We could be the last generation before the return of the Lord and we cannot afford to waste time." It leaves me challenged....it leaves me wanting more.....more of Him. I ask myself, "What is my role as a mom, as a leader, as a spiritual mom to this generation?" I hear the echo of a prophet from a much earlier generation...."But Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I shall speak." To pass on a mantle of hearing the Word of the Lord is my role. Not that I can make them hear but to inspire them to want to hear. His voice is getting louder....not that He has to shout but that He is making a clarion call and saying, "It's harvest time." Our kids know it...they are going to other countries, standing up for righteousness in the schools, being leaders at church, interceding for the lost and entering into deeper levels of hunger for His Word. Oh, you will not hear about them on the evening news but I am quite certain it is being written down for the libraries in Heaven....or you may just run into one of them! Just ask them...they love to talk about what God is doing in them and around them. Their passion is quite contagious!!