Hunger Scale

I love this photo! I used to meet with a nutritionist every once in a while and she always talked about the “hunger scale”. It’s always really good to know where you are on this scale. We tend to overeat when we don’t focus on our body’s triggers to remind us when to eat and when to tell ourselves we aren’t hungry, that we are just bored.

So at this point I know you are wondering if I am about to give you a run down on proper nutrition and hunger. Well sort of, however not like you probably think. You see, that hunger scale that we should be using to judge what out bodies need food wise to stay charged and healthy is the same hunger scale we should be using with our hunger for Jesus. There is a huge difference in the two though. Allow me to explain.

When it comes to food, we should never allow our bodies to get to the point of starving and we should never eat until we are stuffed. Two extremes that I try so hard to avoid. A happy medium is what we should always try to stay near with regards to food.

With our hunger for Jesus it takes on a different look however there are certainly similarities. If we are stuffed, then we are stagnant. This is a place where maybe you have been a Christian your entire life and you are simply going through the motions, not remembering what brought you to your knees to ask Jesus to save you to begin with. Growing up in church your entire life maybe and enjoying it however not having that fire that drives you to reach out and constantly step out of your comfort zone for God. Or maybe you didn’t grow up in church, you became a Christian but the craziness of life has kept you out of God’s word as much as we should be and you have lost your fire, your hunger.

Being at a happy medium is slightly different. You aren’t stagnant, you remember getting saved and really learning to live like Jesus would ask you to. You have a certain amount of fire however stepping out of your comfort zone is not something you typically do. You attend church, feel comfortable telling people you love God, you love to pray, you feel connected to your church, you give your tithe and I could go on and on. You have no issue going up to someone to pray with them and you feel a closeness to God always.

Starving is where I am currently and it’s a place where I love to watch people get to. It’s that place where you can’t wait for the next words that come from God’s mouth for you. Always looking for him and what he wants you to do. Feeling like he is right next to you and learning to let go of your worldly and earthly self. This is a very difficult place to be also. It’s a place where you really start to see just how human you are….catching yourself being judgmental of others and having to correct yourself, not stepping out on faith when you feel God giving you that push, being too afraid of a missions trip because it’s too far or what if something happens. These are just small examples but my point is, starving for Jesus is being what has also been referred to as “souled out”. Feeling like your soul is full of his love and joy. Not caring if people call you a Jesus freak or labels you as “oh here she comes again to invite me to church”. Being a follower of Jesus not just someone who goes to church.

I know this kind of talk can step on toes but isn’t that what God wants? For us to sometimes feel uncomfortable in our seat because we know we could be doing so much more for him! Being willing to walk into a place where you know you aren’t welcomed to see if you can change one heart.

This place though doesn’t make you perfect. It’s actually quite the exact opposite. The devil works on you spirit and your decision making ability hard core. I’ll give you an example.

This past Sunday morning I woke up after a very busy week wanting to grab my coffee before the remainder of the house woke up and just enjoy the sun coming up. I then read for a while. Very relaxing right? Yes! My daughter slept in, so I continued to sit. I watched the news, I threw in some laundry and did some other little things. I was going about my morning in a very relaxed manner. Then the thoughts began. “Amy, you never have much down time, you are worn out lately, you are still trying to recover from being sick, you seriously aren’t going to wake up your sleeping child who needs her rest”. All innocent thoughts right? Well normally except when it comes to with your time with The Lord….NO! You wouldn’t think those simple, innocent thoughts would be the devil but guess what….they are. I became selfish in that moment and stayed home. Yes, that’s right I skipped church! That simple decision had a big impact on my day too. I went from feeling relaxed to nervous and defensive, I began to feel guilt that I didn’t wake my daughter and take her to church where not only could she meet with God but also be amongst all her other little friends who, YES, got woken up for church.

Now I know you are probably reading this saying “it’s not that big of a deal, sometimes it’s ok to just be selfish”. Yes that is true, but when it comes to God, think about how “unselfish” he was for us. He gave his son for our sins. We just celebrated Easter the weekend before, the rising of a beautiful King and savior who went to the cross for me! For my family! For my friends! Doesn’t seem like a simple thing anymore does it?

Hunger can be the most amazing experience spiritually for you but let me make you cautious and pressure you to be on your toes knowing that the devil is going to lurk around. He is going to make your decisions seem very innocent and no big deal. He will make them look simple and non effecting. See that’s what he does, he “candy coats”. God never “candy coats”, he never dumbs things down if you will. Just like when you are starving for food and get to a point of hunger where you don’t take time with your choices and you eat badly, that simple decision can effect you greatly the next morning on the scale not to mention ruin very hard work to stay healthy in an age of fast food. That simple decision can quite frankly make you feel horrible later. When you are on fire and starving for Jesus, you have to be prepared for those attacks the devil will inflict.

So I have one question, where are you on the hunger scale? How can I help you, pray for you, walk along side you to find that starvation to go out searching for God’s spiritual fulfillment?

The Bible says this:

for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29

The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out. Leviticus 6:12, 13

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24, 25

So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me. Hebrews 10:22-31 (This is The Message version and is to be used along side of your NIV or your Bible of choice).

I hope you meet with God this morning and rejoice in the beauty of his love. Now, let’s get up and go out to set that fire all around us! Let’s make them starve for Jesus!

Challenge Anyone?

This photo to me says it all and it never fails, every time I come across this in a magazine or the internet I always stop and take it in. Go with me here. All the fish are swimming around very content however the one fish wants more. He wants to see what it’s like to swim not only in a different bowl but take a huge leap of faith to arrive there. Anything could happen. Think about it, fish do not have lungs so if he misses and falls to the table below he could potentially be giving the ultimate sacrifice…himself! On the other side if he makes it he can have eternal happiness in a big open bowl.

So how does a picture like this compare to you? Our worldly life is a big crowded fishbowl. We can choose to exist around the tank in life with all the other fish OR we can take that leap of faith into our own great big bowl of a spiritual loving relationship with God. So this is an easy challenge, right? NO! It’s actually not. If you believe it’s easy then you aren’t making the right commitments to him and your spiritual life should have you in question right about now. If you are going through the motions and your prayers are very surface then this is the challenge for you.

I love to use things like this with folks I meet, mainly women because well I am one and aren’t we some complex creatures? As complex as we are though, I get it because I am one and therefore girls and women’s are my ministry.

Ok so the challenge. For the next 30 days I want you to commit to asking yourself, answering yourself and challenging your to change your relationship with God for the eternal better. So here we go.

For starters, ask yourself the falling questions:

1. What do your prayers consist of?
2. Are your prayers routine and in a certain order or are they fish bowl prayers…bold prayers with no pattern?
3. What have I done recently that was a leap of faith?
4. Why is it so hard to let go and let God?
5. Is what I’m doing right now benefiting my walk with God?
6. Whose life is my walk with God influencing or am I causing someone to turn more away from The Lord?

Simple questions right? Do they have simple, easy answers though in your current way of living?

Scripture says this:

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:17, 18 NIV)

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— (Psalm 119:1, 2 NIV)

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts. The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder your statutes. To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless. (Psalm 119:1, 2, 93-96 NIV)

These are amazing scriptures that have the same end point… Walk in faith seeing God as limitless!

Heavenly Father,

My prayer today Lord is that those who read this will be challenged to leap out of the fish bowl Lord, having leapt by faith and not by sight. I pray that your will is all they seek and long for and that your greatness is all they shall need. May this little blog have a big meaning to one person Lord who will want to see your light more.

I love you so dearly Lord, Amen

Am I Being Reverent?

Reverence! This is a word my husband uses often these days with our daughter. As a family we pray together and he is always telling her that during prayer time she must be reverent.

The definition of reverent is :
feeling or showing deep and solemn respect.
“a reverent silence”
This adjective to me is one of the most important words in the Bible.
Reverence is something we do to show respect not only in God’s house but also in our prayer life. That means cutting out the brain chatter, outside noise, distractions and just really focus to hear God. To give him our full attention and really be able to give thanks.

Our daughter, (who I might add is 3 years old), tries very hard however she is easily of course distracted. This really got me to thinking “am I reverent?” Do I show God enough respect during my prayer time and my life with him? So this of course led me straight to scripture.

The first I came across was Psalm 130. Take a moment to read this song. This is a perfect explanation of reverence. The Psalmist sings of crying to The Lord begging The Lord to hear him and The Lord being faithful.

Deuteronomy 8:1-20. This is a staple section of scripture truly. The Lord’s straight forward way of saying things here is quite eye opening. Basically in simple terms “show reverence and listen to my commands”. He again provides and never leaves us hanging out to dry.

Leviticus, Esther, Exodus..I could go on and on. Clearly reverence is so important in a truly meaningful, intimate relationship with God. Your prayer life must be active, you must talk to God, you must go out and witness however none of this is worth anything at all if you aren’t still and quite when it’s his turn to talk!

Just like our 3 year old, teaching her to be still and quiet is very challenging at times. She wants to make sure she is heard. Oh this makes me laugh. As adults though we are the same way. We have to be taught to be still and quiet….Reverent! I am learning that silence is golden because then my ears and heart are wide open to what God has to say. If I am ever going to have an intimacy like no other with him, I must be willing to shut my mouth and open up my mind to what he offers to me.

In today’s society as followers of Christ, there are constant distractions. The devil himself finds any angle he can to coerce us or lure us into anything that will keep us from being able to really hear God. Simple things even for example: today I took my dogs outside. While they were sniffing around I began to just thank God for a few short hours of warmer weather. As we were talking I began to get distracted by the sound of a plane overhead that literally cut the conversation off immediately. Not only am I extremely A.D.D. but I allowed the devil to give me instant distraction. I very quickly pulled it together and thought reverence! With a world of constant noise, it’s such a beautiful thing to just be still and no he is God!

Will you be reverent?

Don’t Just Listen, Hear!

My husband Jason and I have been married 6.5 years and been in love almost a decade. For many years I would forget things that we discussed or he would mention. He would ask me a question and I would barely have recollection of the subject.

It was pretty funny and he always gets a bit of humor out of my inability to remember things without a recording of the conversation. What made things even funnier was a couple of years ago when I stood with my back to him in the kitchen and he said “babe did you hear anything I just said?” It didn’t take us long to realize that I was having some hearing issues but what neither one of us realized at the time was that not only did I have a real diagnosis of partial hearing loss in one ear, I also had a hearing loss in conversation that had nothing to do with my actual issues inside my ear.

Let me switch gears for a moment. Ever go to a concert and afterwards you are still speaking loudly and hearing music in your brain 30 minutes later? I went to my first concert last year with my cousin. We saw this amazing, spiritually uplifting, LOUD concert. When we walked to our car and I said to her that I felt like I was screaming at her to talk. It was about 1 hour before I felt like I could hear normally again.

Sometimes your communication with others can be much like a concert. You are having a conversation with someone, listening to what they say however the noise of your busy life is still there and you don’t actually hear them.

I began to realize a little while back that what my husband and I found funny regarding my inability to remember things, boiled somewhat down to partial flighty forgetfulness and a huge amount of not being able to focus and actually HEAR! We began to talk more about how I could learn to be a better active listener that actually hears and retains information.

I practice this every day now in my conversations with others. Really trying to shut out the noise of life and focus on what’s really being said to me. It’s human nature sometimes to forget or even listen only to what we want to, but what if God forgot? What if he only heard bits and pieces of what he wanted to? I think about how many times God has set me straight and proven to me that he hears me.

When I share my faith with others, I always give examples of how God hears and acknowledges me. How he makes me the center while he and I are talking. Much like we should be doing with those we are interacting with, God is always attentive and ready to hear you.

The following verse speaks volumes to what The Lord expects us to ask him to do:
Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. (Psalm 54:2 NIV)
Now read on through verse 7 to grasp how the Psalmist was not only asking God to listen, but he was also clearly hearing what God was doing for him.

It is my prayer that you will read this and your very next conversation will be one of great attention to details.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Please allow those who read this blog to begin to hear conversations differently. To catch those fine details that connect us truly to others. Please allow most of all Lord for them to hear you. To allow what they hear to bounce off their ear drums and resonate in their minds. For without ears that hear your will and eyes that see your path that you have created just for us, we are no more than societies followers.

It is in your precious and holy name that I pray Lord, Amen!

I Can Not Pray Enough

Music can be so powerful especially when you take time to really listen to the words. There is song out by Hillsong United now that is called Oceans. Everytime I hear this song, I have an incredible urge to hit my knees. It speaks to things that I wrestle with in my soul all the time. After hearing it one time I realized that I wasn’t asking God the right questions.

See, usually when I pray there is a bit of a pattern. I always begin with thanking God for the day, no matter how the day played out. We have to always remember to thank him regardless of what took place good or bad. Then I follow with praying for those around me that I either feel need my prayers or have asked me to pray for them. Next I begin to talk about my family with him. They are my most prized possessions. Then I talk to him about my sins, things that I may need forgiveness for. Last I talk to him about my needs and how I can better serve him.

I tell my husband all the time, no matter how much I pray, I always feel like I needed to stay in prayer longer, talk more or that I just feel like it’s never enough. Then I heard this song………..
If you haven’t heard the song, I strongly suggest that you look it up and listen.
The lyrics are almost as if God is delivering to me exactly what my feelings are and explaining to me how to project my prayers differently. See prayer is based on something major that few folks realize. A very simple word with a meaning that is beyond measure. That word is Trust!

One of my most recent prayers was a situation where I literally begged the Lord to help me feel as if my prayers were complete. That I wouldnt finish them and feel like I left them open ended. Now let me make this clear, praying can never cease so when I use the word complete I do not mean it in the manner of feeling like you are “prayed up” for a while. I dislike that phrase…”prayed up”. If you truly love your savior, you will never feel like you have prayed enough that you can take a break for a while. “Prayed up” to me is really an insult to our Lord. It’s almost like saying we only need him part time.

What I mean by complete, is that I feel like my prayer time with him was strong, meaningful and that I have a feeling of emotional release to him. That I trust him with a completeness and fullness. For example: Ever do a project and when it’s over you experience a feeling of you could have added one more piece or a little more of this and that? Sometimes that is how my prayer life feels. The great news is the Lord hears our thoughts just as much as our prayers and he uses our feelings and emotions to teach us his way.

The lyrics to this song were like a deliverance to me. It starts out like this:

“You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand”

I immediately heard the Lord say to me, I am calling out to you and trying to help you understand what I need from you with your prayer life. See prayer is not just about what people are going through or what’s going on in your life or even giving thanks. It’s about allowing the Lord to have a full on conversation with you and challenge you.

It’s also a very specific defined time with him no matter when you choose to do it. I am not talking about scheduling here, I am talking about being in the moment with him and him only. Hearing no outside influences or disturbances. Being so caught up in your conversation with him that you easily tune out everything else and if you are anything like me, mainly those noises are my own brain.

See to me “the waters” are a place where it’s just me and God. I look around for miles and see nothing but him. Below me is water, fear that I will fall through but I keep my eyes fixed on him and TRUST that he will hold me upright.
He wants me to cling to him just like I did my mother as a little girl. I would wrap my arms so tight around her at times and she would squeeze me right back to show me comfort. We feel like sometimes if we don’t feel actual physical arms around us, then there is no embrace with God. It’s exactly opposite. When you are in prayer, no matter how you choose to do so, you should feel a warmth come over you, a calm. That is the Lord’s embrace. When the dust settles, that is God. When you are able to make it through each day of your life with whatever is going on in it, that is God’s embrace. I have emotions easily in prayer. I cry. It’s because I feel so intimate and close with him. The tears just burst from my eyes and I can’t stop them. It’s like the day I took my wedding vows or the day I had my daughter, those emotions just can’t be held back. They are tears of emmence love.

In the beginning of time, the book of Genesis tells us of how God created the world with his love and goodness in mind. He wanted to create a perfect place where all living creatures would live amongst each other in love and cleanlyness. That we wouldn’t harm each other or make sin. His intention for our creation was not what we are today obviously and it didn’t just start recently. It began rather quickly is Genesis 3:1. When Eve made the decision to listen to the serpant, God’s plans changed to much more than being our creator.

That is why lyrics like the ones of “Oceans” even exist. It speaks to what we must do because the world is such a mess. There is a section that says this:

“And I will call upon your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine”

It brings us back to the basics of God’s intention. That we will trust that he has us. That he will keep us. Trust though is more than saying “ok Lord I believe you and I just sit back and wait”. We have a role in trust with him. We have to allow him to work in us and step way out of our comfort zones at times, giving all of ourselves to him which brings me to the next exert from the song:

“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presense of my Savior”

That portion is repeated 6 times over and over. It’s so powerful when you sit and repeat them over because with each passing time, you begin to move toward that trust. It’s a calling from him to relenquish all of your worries and doubt to him. To step off shore, place your foot on the unknown, unforgiving water below and step out with eyes fixed upon him. No life preserver, no life guard, nothing to keep you afloat. Trust! Being so fixated on him and living in his ways, that nothing can sink your soul. Behaving as we were intended to in Genesis.

Being lead without warning of what is ahead in our path of life. Fear will never go away. The section that says “where feet may fail and fear surrounds me” is the marker of his expectations with us as a body. That we are allowed to be fearful but instead of cowering on the shore, that we step out of that comfort of dry land and place ourselves in a complete unknown place of trust.There is no greater measure of your love for The Lord than a total trust and embodyment of his words.

After hearing this and saying the words to myself over and over, Genesis took on an entire new meaning to me and my prayer life has began to take a 180. My feet are planted firmly on freezing water that I can’t see through, however I take my fear and instead of trying to see below me at what is down there, my eyes are fixed ahead at that beautiful light of love he offers me.

Today’s scripture I pray will move you that way it’s moving me. I keep reading it over and over because it’s so much louder in my head than ever before.
Genesis Chapters 2-8

Be blessed in knowing that he can make all things for you different if you just trust that he knows your path and knows what he is doing.

We’re Not in Disney Anymore

I know what you are probably thinking: what in the world does Disney World have to do with faith? Clearly she had a little too much fun in fairy tale land. Well that’s totally the case. I came home with what a friend of mine calls A.D.D.- After Disney Depression! Yeap, I need Mickey himself to help me.

On a more serious note though, that trip was so wonderful in so many ways but there were a couple of things about Disney itself that really stood out to me.
The first was that one guys dream and faith created this magical wonderful place where your worldly realities are left at the gates. The second was how friendly the staff was.

So I want to start with Walt Disney’s dream and faith that he could make this dream a reality. Now look I didn’t know him personally, I’ve read where he prayed always and had a faith that could move mountains. He trusted The Lord and the path that he made for him. It was very evident to me in so many ways while I was there, that faith helped create this magical place.

That brings me to the friendly people. You can tell that there is a very high standard set for the employees of Disney. A standard that they will treat the guests with respect and give them a great experience. There is more than just that expectation though. People seem to truly enjoy their jobs and giving you that amazing experience. There is a genuine kindness that you experience that makes coming home… Well…. Somewhat sad. Now don’t mistake what I’m saying, I love home however the reality sets in that “we’re not in Disney anymore”! People are unhappy, taxed to their max, rude, in a hurry and worst of all they hate life! Oh and I almost forgot, desert isn’t served to you constantly either. People have hard realities in today’s world and they struggle.

So here was what I began to see. What if… Just what if we treated others the way we are treated in a place like Disney World. What if we constantly greeted people with a smile? What if we even took the time to make eye contact and genuinely listen to folks answers when we ask how they are? What if we prayed when we said we would? Better yet what if we prayed right there on the spot? What if we had the faith of Walt Disney and the kindness of all the Disney employees? What if every single day our goal was to be so happy that people would ask us “what makes you so happy” and we could respond with witness of Jesus and this wonderful freedom he gives us?

I recently had an experience with a man in my church that really changed something inside of me. He shook my hand as I was walking by and asked how I was doing. Well I was looking for my husband in the crowd with complete tunnel vision and basically made no eye contact with this man, said fine and kept right on moving. It bothered him and God laid it on his heart to come find me. To my surprise there he stood very humble and he explained that he felt the need to ask me something. I felt a terrible pit in my stomach because I could tell he was bothered. He asked had he ever done anything to offend me or upset me. I was shocked. I of course felt he had done no such thing and explained that I have no issues what so ever with him. I then followed up with a giant hug and apology. He had the guts to follow what God planted on his heart and track me down, and thank God he did because I would never want to make anyone feel that way.

My thing is, think of all the people who would just assume that you just didn’t really care much for them and they never try to get in your way again. Those small gestures have major impact on the church and they cause people to withdraw because they feel judged. Have you ever felt something like that or had that experience? It’s terrible and I have to wonder how many times I’ve had those same mannerisms and caused someone to doubt themselves.

My whole point is people go back to Disney over and over because it’s a great experience where you are treated so wonderful. Wouldn’t it be neat if people could see your faith and kindness causing them to keep coming back?

I know I am making much better habits of how I greet people thanks to one mans challenge from God to call me on it!

We certainly don’t live in a daily Disney world however we can sure live life as though we do and pass that love onto others, others who might not know Jesus. Others who might see that happiness and faith that you have and decide they want to know where you got it…..

The Message says:
Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. (Proverbs 17:17 MSG)

I like to also include the Bible verse anytime I pull from the Message because keep in mind that this is more commentary and you should always have your parallel to put with it, so the Bible verse is:
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. (Proverbs 17:17 NIV)

I love this one:
He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (John 1:8 NIV)

You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. (Acts 22:15 NIV)

I pray you go out tomorrow and smile at people. Many blessings to you!

Bigger, Bigger & Bigger

My toddler said something so profound tonight. When she prays her bedtime prayers, she pretends to hug God. A simple gesture that brings tears to my eyes every night because she has a faith that as adults we should have but often times we can’t get out of the way of our own selves to see God’s power.

She can’t see God yet she trusts
and believes in his abilities so much. Anytime someone is sick or hurting (including herself) she says to her daddy and I “let’s pray to God to make it better”. That kind of faith isn’t taught. Now sure kids learn verbiage by what they hear their parents say constantly, for example she has picked up “Heavenly Father” which to me is so adorable but the belief is a touch from God.

Tonight was different though. We had finished our prayers which always consists of her daddy praying, then she prays and then I bring it to a final close. Tonight when I finished, she jumped up and said “now let’s say is bigger, bigger & bigger. Let’s yell it loud for God to hear us better.” My husband and I just starred at each other over her pureness and excitement to pray to God.

God wants us to live with a faith that is Bigger, Bigger & Bigger! Salvation is not something you can buy, its not something you can earn by following the right crowd, it’s not something you can gain by being in control of your life and it’s path. Salvation can only be received if you ask The Lord to be your personal savior. You have to have the heart and faith of a child and believe Bigger, Bigger & Bigger!

Today’s Scripture:

The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. (Psalms 116:6 NLT)

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. (Psalms 62:1 NLT)

Many blessings and love!

The Disconnect

This one will hit a nerve with some and be a blessing to others. Today I deactivated my Facebook account. Liberating right? Not really. What should have felt like a breath of liberating fresh air went a little more in my brain like this: how will people who don’t have my number contact me, how will family in other states or people who I don’t see often know what’s going on in my life, how will I keep up with others and how will I show off what Addi is up to as she grows….and then it stopped. Those two little words “show off”! I didn’t mean it in my head that I purposely try to brag on her, but I go overboard to share how she is growing.

Lets switch gears for a moment because I always want my blogs to be tied into a biblical place as well. So let me give you two scriptures that speak loudly to me tonight:

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:4 NIV)

Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. (Exodus 18:19, 20 NIV)

Do you notice the word “show” in these two scriptures?

The words “show off” are what brought me to a screeching halt when I wasn’t over joyed about deleting my Facebook account. The words in the scriptures are about showing in a different way.

Here is the thing, social media has become a common area if you will. You know like the area in high school where everyone convened in between classes and “showed” pictures, talked about what they were doing over the weekend and everything else that we do now except its on Facebook instead if in person. We have a way to message people when we notice their status is concerning, we can tag people in photos or status’, we can even check out constantly what others are doing. That is all just fine. Facebook is also a place where we can harshly place judgement on each other. It’s a breeding ground of sin at times. Like I said I know I’m going to step on some toes here. Also it causes me personally to be not only nosey and I constantly want to look. Here is the kicker though, instead of leaving a status on your husbands Facebook for all to see, why not call him and say it? Why do we want everyone else to see it? We aren’t dogs, we don’t need to use social media as a way to mark our territory.

God has this great love for us however you will never get a tagged Facebook status from him. Reason being he is there always.

I personally am to a point where I want to build deeper relationships with people that I truly care about and stop “showing off”. I want to know what is going on with my friends kids by asking in person, not looking at photos on social media. I want to show love to my family in person. I want to be concerned for my small group by picking up the phone, not leaving them a Facebook message. God commands us to show people his love an mercy, we need to make better habits of doing that in person. We need to hold ourselves accountable in his word and have the guts to share his awesome grace eye to eye with people.

After God gave me these scriptures I felt beyond liberated because I know that if people truly care for me and if I truly care for them, we will connect and God will make that happen without social media. It’s always amazing how beautiful his delivery is.

I hope this blog helps you to feel as liberated as it has helped me.

Love in Christ!!

Revealing The Revival

I usually don’t start off with scripture however I feel like God has put this scripture on my heart for a week now:

Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:18, 19 NIV)

We will never turn our back on you; breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name! God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation. (Psalm 80:8-19 MSG)

This is the NIV and Message parallel. The reason I feel a parallel is needed here is due to my wanting you to see the aggressive manner of excitement that is shown here. Ok so sit on this because we are going to come back here in a moment.

Lately everywhere I turn the word “revival” is in my face, my ears and my heart. It’s in my devotions. It’s in songs on the radio. It’s in sermons at church. It’s a word God keeps laying on my heart.
So what comes to mind when you think of the word “revival”? Think on that for a second.
Ok… Do you have it? What does revival look like to you?

The dictionary says revival is the resuscitation of a person.

Christian revival is a term that generally refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation.

To me there is another definition that plays right into the two terms above. Personal revival which to me is when you feel like God has stepped in and resuscitated your body with his breath of life.

So the question I hear most often is how can you say you have experienced a revival more than once? Once revived aren’t you always?
The answer is no! That is what is wonderful about our Lord. He breathes life into us during our darkest times because we are human and can’t always hold in that pure excitement.

Revival doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to bounce off the walls all day every day with excitement. Revival can come from small things for example: maybe you recognize the Holy Spirit in things all around you, where as before you may not have been able to appreciate his simple pictures that he was drawing for you. Revival is this wonderful ability to feel alive in God’s word and his promises of an amazing eternity with him.

The thing about revival is we must open our eyes and prepare our hearts for the blessings big, small, easy to see or not. We have to stop seeing life through our worldly eyes and open our spiritual eyes. Eyes that see our creator and allow him to work constantly in us.

This is no easy task if we do not lay down our burdens and trust The Lord with all of our hearts. We also have to be willing to live out loud and be prepared living in revival does not guarantee us a perfect life. What a revival for God does guarantee is a father who will never turn his back and also an eternity with him that is far better than anything we could ever have in a worldly fashion.

So my question is: does your heart feel revival?

Today

Today Pauletta begins the process of fighting her cancer.
Today she begins a journey into what is unknown.
Today more than ever, she begins to heal although for a while it may not feel that way. God will begin to mold her back to health. He will hold her closer than ever before to his heart, kiss her foreword and whisper into her ear that daddy is here. He will never let go of her and there is no reason to be afraid. He will rock her in his arms and quiet her very emotional spirits.
Today she will experience pain, tomorrow she will be filled with drugs that will attack her system to shrink the cancer. However all the while this is going on she will feel peace because his grip on her will get tighter and tighter.
Today she will join an elite club where the dues are very high but the rewards that she will gain will be more than most of us can ever understand.
Today, she will see God’s love in a way she never has before.
Today….she will once again feel like a little child, wrapping her arms around his big shoulders to never ever let go.

Lord, Today I ask you to give Pauletta peace, comfort, to take her fears away and allow her to rest in you knowing that you make all things new. Today, I ask you to shelter her. Today I ask you to teach her, to teach those of us who can’t begin to understand what she is feeling and for those who can….to pray that she has love and peace with her cancer. Today I ask you to remind her that your righteous right hand is all over her and all of these wonderful women who have rallied around her and prayed over her. Allow us as her family not to get impatient and not to worry…to continue giving it all to you. I can’t thank you enough Lord for the blessing you continue to give us even when they are disguised in our worldly minds as sickness and hardship.
Please bless the beautiful ladies that read these blogs and touch them in only a way that you can in whatever they may be dealing with in their own lives because you know there is so much more than one email could ever touch on.

In your name I humbly ask,
Amen