2 by 2

Do you ever wonder?  About all of it.  Where am I going?  Where will it lead?  How will it end?  What will happen?

Wonder, wonder wonder..... and all too often it seems I sit here with more questions than answers.

BUT God....  You will remember this one as I use it often. One of my favorite phrases.  But for God.... who knows all, sees all, and takes all things into His hands.  To include this weary girl.

A friend who is a powerful prayer warrior reached out during a particularly exhausting week recently and sent me the following words. 

"I believe God showed me your new calling and positioning for 2020.  (See the 2 by 2 in 2020?)  It's important.  It's a calling, an appointment, an anointing and a position.  It is all about Jesus and His kingdom and the place He is bringing you into.  You are the vessel He is working through.  I believe you made this trip through obedience and sacrifices even now.  Pray for your enemies, do good to those who spitefully use and abuse you but be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove.  Be quick to hear and slow to speak.  For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope.  Hope that does not disappoint.  Hope that springs eternal in your soul.  Glory bless the name of Jesus.  Yes I know your sacrifices.  Even to not get together.  Choosing the best even when you don't know and understand why.  Shalom, shalom, shalom.  Have eyes to see and ears to hear.  It just won't stop.  What God has blessed no man can curse.  May the blessings of the Lord our God be upon you for Jesus has come in the flesh.  Rejoice.  The joy of the Lord is your strength.  Amen.  Now give the Lord the intents of your thoughts and motives of your heart.  Give your mind completely over to Him in shalom peace.  Follow Him closely in faith trusting Him alone.  He will broaden the path beneath and beyond you.  Jesus is your 2 by 2.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  A friend like none other who sticks closer than a brother."  

And she closed with this:  I feel like the Lord will be speaking to you with verses.

I don't know about you, but I feel like I could spend a lifetime trying to comprehend the breadth and depth of what was written above.  And the crazy of it all is how quick the Lord is to bring confirmation when we earnestly seek His voice above the noise of the world.

I just returned from California (late last night) where I had traveled for business on a wing and a prayer.  This meant that I ate the continental breakfast served by the hotel, I ate the lunch provided by conference, and I ate the hotel provided evening service.  Because I literally went on blind faith that God would provide all I had need of.  I traveled to California with 2 close friends who have faith in the leading that God is providing and have humbled me by coming on the journey with me.  Can you

While in California, I couldn't release the thoughts of my dearest friend and prayer partner that I haven't seen in over 20 years.  I knew she lived in California but had no clue where.  Turns out, she was roughly an hour from where I would be for the next week.  My heart soared!! Nothing I wanted more than to figure out how I could make time to meet with her and relish speaking to her in person.  I nearly cried when there was a hard check in my spirit that I was not to do that but to focus on the task at hand.  Being the "doer" that I am, my mind set to work on how I could accommodate everything and still meet my friend.  Can you picture me working to balance the see saw?  Quite clearly the door was closed once more.  I couldn't understand.  My friend is such a beautiful story of a Godly woman and powerful prayer warrior why would God not want me to see her?  It broke my heart but I obeyed and stayed.  None of which I shared with my sweet friend.  But as you can see above in what she shared, God definitively had other plans and was faithful to reveal that not only to her but to me as well!!  How good is He to protect our hearts when we are faithful to Him and His leading.

This morning after a week that was mentally and physically draining I awoke to a rather excited Homer bouncing on my head demanding I roll out.  And he, being the boss of the home that he is, succeeded and out I rolled.  As I grabbed my coffee and headed to my refuge, longing for my warm comfy bed called me to just indulge a little.  I deserved it didn't I?  After all, I had been up at 3 a.m. most every single day and hustled til after 7 every evening.  I was feeling oh so depleted and even more justified in why it was ok to crawl back in my bed with my coffee and just lounge.

I just couldn't dismiss that pull.  The pull of God called me to my refuge and to open His word so that I could hear from Him on how to move about my day.  So in I trudged (yes trudged not skipped with delight) to plop down with coffee in one hand and the bible in the other.  For those who don't know, I follow a regimented reading plan that encompasses the old testament, psalms, proverbs, and the new testament daily.  And I always read in the order the books fall in the Bible.  My inherent nature that craves order won't allow me to do any different. Now you grab a hold of your coffee and take a listen to how God moves in the hearts of his people when we will be obedient.  Because just as sure as I am sitting here, this is fully God on display and nothing of me.

The first reading was 2 Samuel chapters 7 & 8.....  One verse leaped off the page to me.  8:6 "So the Lord preserved David where he went."  yes daughter, as I will preserve you if you commit your life to Me.  My head whipped around.... I thought for sure someone was standing there speaking.  He was.  The great Alpha and Omega loves me beyond what I can understand and reached out to make sure I am fully aware of His calling on my life and His direction that I am to follow. 

The second reading was Psalm 119:33-48 Every single one of these verses just sang a song in my heart that even now is ringing with joy.  The verses plead for God to reveal His will and word to His people.  That He opens their understanding.  Asks for strength in walking in His ways.  And it goes on and on and on and on.  My heart is just quivering for without a doubt God is walking me through His holy word to reveal Himself to me so that I may know "this is the way, go in it."  I am humbled and for once..... speechless.  I can only say over and over and over "yes Lord, your will only my King."

Next in line is Proverbs 15:33  "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor is humility."  I am listening Lord.  Strengthen me to be obedient.  Place my feet on Your path so that they do not slip. 

Lastly today's verses wrap up with John 14:15-31 Verses 15-18 stopped me in my tracks completely.  God reminding me that if I truly love Him I will be obedient to His commandments.  And more than that:  He will equip me to do so by sending His Holy Spirit to me forever so that I am not left as an orphan. 

As I closed my bible I was awash in emotion and my thoughts were just swirling like a riptide pulling me deeper and deeper.  God wasn't quite done with me..... I kept wanting to pick up my phone which is something I have committed not to do while in my refuge.  I am easily distracted so it is important that I push things aside so that God can truly have my heart and my time.  The thought wouldn't go away.  Over and over, "pick up your phone, read now what Janet has sent to you.... read it now." 

And read it I did.... and there was my come apart.  Tears streaming at the goodness of the Father to lead me once more to His throne of mercy and grace so that I might find all that I need there. 

I have highlighted corresponding revelations so that you can see how God unfolded everything so that I could rightly understand it. 
If you would like to test me, (wink wink) open the bible app and go to day 145.....  for that is where I am on my year through the bible journey in this application.

Listen closely my friends for God is calling out to you just as surely as I am writing this to you.
Take the time to hear Him.... you won't ever regret it....

Hugs from me to you......

F I G H T

So often in our day to day lives we find ourselves facing a battle.  Some are small, some are pretty large, then there are those that just come in wave after wave where we can no longer see daylight.

2019 has been such a year for me.  I don't want to give unnecessary credit to the battles themselves so let's just say it greatly resembled the waves forcing their way up the beach in the middle of a tsunami.  Waves which sought to drown, destroy, and take away everything.  Waves that left destruction and desolation in its place.

Daily I come to my refuge.  Some days I enter with a much better attitude than others.  That is reality.  But daily, God never fails to meet me here.

The biggest struggles through out the storms which have been raging are those my mind couldn't see around.  How do I find God in the midst of this? Fear of the unknown.  Who am I now? How will I ever fight this giant?  Will I survive?  And the biggest of all, how do I move forward in battle, laying aside hurt/betrayal while presenting myself in such a way that God gets the glory?

The first and biggest revelation was two fold.  1) I am who God says I am ~ even if I have a hard time believing it.  So I remind myself daily by repeating all the verses that tell me who I am in Christ.  2) Every single thing is a choice!  Not happening to me.  Not an emotion.  It is MY choice how I react.

I grabbed onto those revelations and held on to the life preservers that they were.  New storms kept rolling in and the questions kept swirling.  Somehow I was missing what God was trying to teach me.

Then this morning while the full moon was shining, God entered my refuge and began to speak.  My ears were opened and I could clearly hear Him calling to my heart to hear, obey, and be healed.

In 1 Samuel 17 we read the account of that which so many of us are familiar with from the days of our childhood of David & the Goliath.  What I haven't ever done, is see what is so plainly spelled out as to how we are to fight.

* 17:26 ~ Who is this that they should defy God?   This is our proper perspective to those who are in active disobedience against God as they advance towards us with a storm
* 17:32 ~ Never let fear have a foot hold in your heart or your life.
* 17:33 ~ Do not let those around you deter you from pursuing the call God has placed on you.  For they do not know the God that is within you.
* 17:34-46 ~ Do not let your heart fail at the sight of the current battle before you.
* 17:37 ~ Rest in the confidence of all the times that God has delivered you.
* 17:39-40 ~ Do not choose the weapons of man but rather the weapons of God which are a humble spirit, an obedient heart, and prayer.
* 17:45 ~ Always and only lead with the name of God for there is none that can stand against His mighty name.
* 17:47 ~ Believe the power and might of God for He fails not.  Openly confess His victory even in the middle of the storm.

How is that for a battle plan to fight all that comes against you?  I know my own heart is resting in peace this morning.

I will daily remind myself of all He has taught me this morning as I continue to move forward secure in the knowledge that my God is the great Lion of Judah, King of Kings, who is, and was, and forever shall be!!

Keep moving on your path of faith my friends.  Just place your boots firmly in His footprints and your hand in His.

Hugs to you all.....

Mirror Mirror

All too often I find myself reverting to old ways of thinking.  Status quo kind of thinking.  The kind of thinking that kills growth, steals joy, and allows wounds to fester.

The stale thoughts just kind of creep in much like an old habit.  I always heard this, my family taught that, it has always been this way..... all these add up to come silently in to your thoughts, which become your actions, which become habits, which become who you are.

But is it really?   Is that really who you are?  Stand up, grab your boots, and come on a journey with me.  Let's walk the path of faith!

In 1 Samuel we find Hannah crying because she can't have children.  She is ridiculed and her days are made miserable by those around her.  In spite of her husband treating her so very well, Hannah's sorrow cannot be consoled and she even refuses to eat.  During the families journey to worship in the temple, Hannah "pours out her soul before the Lord."  The priest Eli hears her and speaks to her a promise from God. 

Here..... here is what we need to see and grab on to!!!  "She went her way and ate, her face was no longer sad."   Are you catching what is being laid down?  When I grabbed onto this early this morning, my face literally began to shine with joy that was pouring out from within.  SHE WAS NO LONGER SAD!  Her circumstances had not changed.  In fact, nothing had changed. 

She heard the promise of God and walked away filled with joy.  THIS.... this is the things that faith is made of.  She wasn't any different, her life wasn't any different, the mean people weren't any different.  She CHOSE to believe the promise and then walked forward as if the promise was already a reality!!!!

Wooooo.... I am just about to fly right out of my chair as I share this with you!  I cannot begin to describe the freedom that comes with allowing this one truth to become the center of the foundation of your faith.  Jesus is the Cornerstone, but allow this truth to become the center of the rest of the foundation of faith that we will build on.

But wait, there is more.  Mind boggling I know.  When we read in John 5 we see the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda unfold.  Ask yourself this question, "if the man had not taken the action of gathering his bed, rising up, and walking would he have been healed?"  The answer is no.  Not because Jesus isn't able but because of another stone that needs to be added to our foundation of faith.  Action MUST accompany faith.  Always.  When we choose to place our boots on, put our feet on the path, and take that first step forward, God will always meet us there and show us the way.

The reality is that it is not enough to believe, we must get off our sitting parts and hit the path of faith and place our full obedience and trust in God to lead, guide, and protect us.  Our part is to make sure each day finds us in His presence, seeking His will through the reading of His word, and allowing Him to speak into our lives.

The final stone of our foundation today is found in John 5:19-20.  Just as Jesus did nothing of Himself but only that which He had seen Father God do, so should we.  In other words, each of us are to be a mirror image of Jesus the Christ and God the Father in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  For our actions reveal the condition of our heart.

Mirror mirror on the wall.   What do you see when you look at the mirror of your heart?  Do you see a reflection of Christ?  If not, grab a coffee and sit with Him a while and pour out your soul to Him.  He listens, He cares, He heals.  That is for all of us. 

I love ya! Let's go out and start that sure foundation and place a new stone on it each and every day!!!

See you on the path to faith!!

Be Prepared

As I sit reading today's selections in the Old Testament God began to speak to me about preparedness.

Not quite in the manner I expected at all.  I was thinking, end times, being aware of the signs, being vigilant.  Sounds all good and holy doesn't it?

But noooooo........
Naturally He was wanting to bring to my attention an area of my life that needs to be further aligned with His Word and will than it presently is.

All through out the chapters I read this morning God gave instruction over and over again for each tribe, priest, and person on how they should prepare to come into His presence.
Easy enough.... or so I immediately think because I tend to run ahead of Him, I almost always have prayed, entered into confession etc when taking communion.

But again..... I didn't listen close enough.  This preparedness is for EVERY moment I enter His presence.  First thing in the morning when I enter my refuge, every time I bow my head to pray, and before I ever step foot into the church. 

Mind blown once more.  I am so so so thankful for His mercy and grace in that He always continues to move me towards greater obedience to Him.  That He cares so much for me, that He wants to ensure I don't miss a single thought, blessing, or instruction He has for me by my carelessly wandering into His presence as if it is just one more thing to check off my to do list.

Heaven forbid I ever be so cavalier again!!!

So thank You Father, for conviction and instruction that always leads me where I should go.  I praise you now and every day.....

Come on my friends, pull on your boots and let's keep walking this journey together!

Did you hear?

Like many of you, I follow a daily bible reading plan.  This particular plan incorporates the old testament, new testament, psalms, and proverbs every single day.  Most of the time, the verses appear to be disjointed as they are taken from different books.
And just like most other folks, there are days I "cruise" through the scripture and "check" the box that the days reading is done.

Then there are days like today.  I come to my quiet spot where I prefer to study and pray.  These walls have heard years of prayers, joy, and tears spoken in them.  My heart is often poured out before God here.  And on days like today, when I come ready to LISTEN and EXPECTING to hear, that God meets me and reveals Himself to me.

These are the days when joy runs down my face in rivers and my soul cries "Glory, glory, glory!"

You see, when I come into His presence with the attitude of reverent expectation and position myself to hear, His voice can be plainly discerned.

Today the verses flowed from one book to another..... one message to another.  Words of instruction, comfort, and promise.

Today I listened......

Old Testament - Leviticus:  make yourself clean each and every morning.  This is crucial not only to our ability to listen but to be obedient through out the day.

New Testament - Mark: come by yourself to a deserted place and rest.  This is our time before we do anything else with our day that we seek solitude to be alone with God and find complete and utter rest.

Old Testament - Psalms: it is I, do not be afraid.  No matter the circumstances, no matter how alone we may feel, no matter.....  God is there.  We have no reason to be afraid.  The great I Am is always with us and will never abandon us.

Old Testament - Proverbs: set upon a rock, establishes our steps, places a song in our heart!  Oh my goodness.  When we choose to be made clean, be alone to rest, and place our faith solely in Him, then this is our future.... in ALL things.....

Just as God wove these verses and scriptures into a beautiful tapestry for me this morning, so is He weaving together the lives of those who love Him.

Did you hear His voice today?  It is not too late.....
Be encouraged beautiful ones!!  You are greatly loved!

I am Strong Enough

I feel like a fraud just for typing that sentence.  🤪

You see, just as recent as last night I was drowning. Drowning in a myriad of events over the past 4 days that defies the odds.  How can so much go so wrong in such a short period of time.  I literally had difficulty just catching my breath so that I could breathe.

Everywhere I turned there was a wall so tall I couldn’t see over it. So wide I couldn't get around it. So black that it threatened to swallow me whole.  I know you can identify a time in your life, maybe even now, that you have been in the same place.

I found myself shutting down.  I just can’t ~ was my pathetic cry.

But there in that sad phrase was the key to the very freedom I was so desperate to find.  I can’t.  I really can’t.

But God!

But God can!  But God created me for a time such as this. But God knew this would happen and He prepared me in advance. But God woke me with peace in my heart, a song of praise on my lips, and a smile that lights up my face.

But God!

You might wonder how that can be.... as I can assure you that not one circumstance has changed.  But God changed me!!  The key all along was not for circumstances to change but for me to change.
W O W   .....  still can’t quite wrap my mind around it. But the joy bubbling inside bears witness to the truth. For there is no earthly reason for joy, yet it is over flowing in me this morning.

The truth was so simple yet so profound that I over looked it completely.  God can. He always could. He never told me to have the answers, to do it all, to carry the load.  Complete opposite actually. He only asks that I stand on faith strengthened by hope and move when He calls me to move.  Because He can and He will if I will get out of the way and let Him.

Do not mis-understand me sweet friends.  That statement is awfully easy to write and oh so hard to live out and well I know it.  You see, I have been perceived as “strong” my entire life.  I have carried things no child should have to carry.  Walked through fires that no one would wish on their enemy. And every around me would always say “you are so strong, you will be fine.”   So much so that I really would have enjoyed knocking them sideways when they said it.  Reality was and is ~ I am a marshmallow who is hurt easily, loves large with not a lot of return, gives my heart freely to anyone, and who, most of all, would like the white knight to come in and carry the load so that I can rest. Just once in my life.

And that white knight has been there all along. Ready to carry the load.  Ready to hold me, protect me, and to love me fully.  The problem is I looked at all the wrong people, places, and things and missed the white knight.

That white knight that me, you, all of us, has been longing for is Jesus the Christ.  He alone is able to meet our deepest need, love us completely with all our faults, carry us when we are to weak to stand, and to bring us a joy that circumstances cannot undo.

So stop trying to do it all, be it all, fix it all, carry it all.  It is not our burden to carry.  Are you listening Katrina?  Are you listening my friends?

Let's grab on to who we are in Christ and allow Him to be God in our life.  Allow Him to show out on our behalf.  Allow Him to work it all out for the good of those who love him.  Whether that is the inside good or the outside good ~ His plan is perfect in every way!

I hope someone else can learn from my being stubborn and avoid the pitfalls I have lived through.  

Link arms, join hands, lift each other in prayer, and here we go..... living our absolute best life!!!

I love you so very much....

me.... a simple girl that chooses to put boots on her faith.

Say What???

Have you ever had one of those moments when you find out that what you thought you knew, you really didn't know?

I know, I know, a little early for such a statement but I know that I am called to share my "aha" moment with you.  So you just grab your cup of coffee and join me on this little path of discovery I am on this morning. 

As the years have passed God has taught me many lessons.  Some I was smart enough to grab on to rather quickly and some I grabbed on at the last minute much like a shirt tail flapping in the breeze.  Sliding in by the seat of my britches you might say.

One constant struggle has been applying my faith to events, circumstances, happenings that are personally and wholly mine.  For example - a friend battled a life threatening health issue and together we stood on faith in prayer to see God move in her life.  My mind immediately picks up the gauntlet and runs forward into battle on her behalf.  I got you cher......
Not so long ago I was moved to Stage 5 renal failure.  The beginning of the end so to speak.  My mind immediately becomes weak and says, "but healing isn't for you."

Say what?  Surely to my goodness if I can believe for another and stand in faith with them I can believe for myself.  But sadly, tis not true.  At least not for me.  It was more along the lines of this: Don't you know how often you have failed God?  Why would God heal you?  If God did heal you you would become proud and not give Him the glory.  And on and on and on the defeating litany would ring in my ears and in my heart.  Successfully stealing the victory that Jesus won and gave to me.

Like most Southern families I was raised going to church every Sunday.  So this last time when the litany once again made its rounds through my thoughts seeking to take hold of my heart I fell back on things I had heard, and honestly probably did not even really understand, oh so many years ago.  Taking a verse and plucking it out of it's surroundings and grabbing onto the surface meaning as if it was solely truth.  One such verse is Mark 9:24 "help thou my unbelief."  I grabbed on to the surface meaning and ran with it right into untruth.  Naturally.  Can you see me rolling my eyes at myself?  Ha, you are probably rolling your own eyes at me!

Somewhere along the line I took on the belief that I needed God to give me more faith.  That I did not have enough faith.  That I wasn't as good as some of the heroes of the faith therefore God would not give me the powerful, believing faith that they had.

I tell ya, sometimes my own foolishness leaves me shaking my head.  Today God opened my eyes and showed me truth in it's fullness.  There it was, all along, shining it's many facets just waiting for me to pick it up and make it mine.  Instead, I had allowed the enemy to steal it from me.  But praise God ~ NO MORE!!

Here are a few things you should know about faith:
* It is for believers who have a relationship with Christ.  Romans 12:3 "God has given every believer the measure of faith."
* There are not different kinds of faith depending on who you are or the role you play in the body of Christ.  Some believers may have already strengthened and developed their faith over time but their faith is NO different than yours.
* Only you can build your faith.  Faith comes from one place and one place alone.  Romans 10:17 "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

In short, do not listen to the same lies I did.  The enemy is always quick to paint an unworthy picture of us in the mirror.  He does so to keep us from stepping forward into belief, obedience, and blessings.  He will do literally anything to keep us from realizing the uniquely wonderful creature that God has created us to be.  To shackle us with lies so that we do not walk into the truth of the freedom that Jesus bought for us with His life.

I say enough, is enough, is enough. 

So this morning, lift your banner of faith high.  Let it wave lifted by the strength of Gods love and mercy.  You keep walking on your journey of faith.  When you falter, just reach out your hand and you will find me by your side to encourage you.

You got this cher......  And you know what?  So do I!

Boots on, feet in motion, flag of faith flying high....

much love to all of you....

me

Life as a Country Girl

It is no secret that I call Louisiana home and draw great strength and comfort from my roots.  Those roots have allowed me days of sunshine, showed me the value of hard work, and sheltered me from the storms while teaching me how to survive them.

Just as growing up country in a deeply Southern town has taught me many lessons, so too, have I learned lessons that stretch me and cause me to grow through experiences as well as pain in the life I live based on the foundational relationship I have with Father God.

Through the years, I have noticed that God speaks to each of us based upon our physical roots so that we can easily understand what He is saying to us.  In my case, He clearly speaks "country girl" to me.

As I was sitting in the quiet this morning reveling in the moment of solitude, He came to me calling me to go deeper with Him.  To pursue the deep things.

Hosea 10:12  Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, til He comes and rains righteousness on you.

To sow means to be intentional.  To work toward producing or growing something.  In country terms... I am going to sweat a massive amount as I work to break up the ground and get it ready to receive the seeds I will plant.  It means making sure the soil has the right nutrients to grow what I am planting.  It means the soil is loose and no longer hard and compacted.  When all this is done and ready, then I can plant the seed.  Now the easy part is done and the real work begins. 

Once the seed is planted it must be nurtured and tended daily.  Always making sure that there is the right amount of rain, sun, and nutrition so that the seed is able to grow and thrive.  In addition, there is hours of back breaking work as you keep weeds away so that nothing comes to choke out the life of what was planted.  As if that isn't enough along comes pests, fungus and an abundance of other things to cause the plant to be unhealthy.

In this verse in Hosea God is reminding me to work towards obedience to the revealed word of God.  Sounds pretty simple but then so does planting tomatoes.  If you have ever had a garden, you know the truth of these words.  It is work.  Pure and simple.  Without the work there is absolutely no way to enjoy the reward.

So it is as I allow God to bring me to full obedience in Him.  This can only, and I do mean ONLY be accomplished through daily pouring His word into my heart.  Daily hitting my knees in conversation with him.  Notice I did not say in talking to Him but used the word conversation instead.  This means I will choose to spend more time listening than I will talking because I can guarantee that what He has to say is what I desperately need to hear.

As I grow better at listening to His instruction, He is faithful to teach me.  In order for me to learn I must first be willing.  Then when I am willing I must add to that obedience.  It takes both in equal abundance in order for me to be in a position to hear the words that the Father places deep within my soul to take root so that I might be rooted and grounded in Him and not in self.

As I listen to His instruction then I will begin to reap mercy.  And not in the way that I first thought I would.  Being the inherently selfish being that we as humans are, naturally I had thought of all the ways that mercy would be brought to me.

But what if?  What if mercy was given to me so that I might share it in ABUNDANCE with those around me?  What if when mean shows up it is rewarded with kindness?  What if when hate shows up it encounters genuine love?  What if?

So this morning as I am preparing the soil, planting the seed, and tending the plant, may I remember how God loved and how His mercies are new every morning....

Faith with boots is a lifestyle not a momentary thing....

love you all....

me

Which Comes First?

Do you remember that old joke?  Which comes first the chicken or the egg?  Sparks a world of debate depending on who you are talking to.  😀

As I was studying through the book of Psalms, Proverbs, Daniel, and 1 John today, a great reminder was brought about.

All to often we get caught up in our actions and emotions.  More often than not, emotions lead the way.  Especially if we are in the midst of an especially hurtful situation.  Our emotions scream out it's version of right, our actions react based on those emotions, and you can bet that it is rarely has anything to do with God.

The reality is that faith proceeds works and feelings.  Every.  Single.  Time.  When we step forward in faith, we are humbling ourselves in obedience to God.  When we are obedient to God and we are humble, then we are able to accurately hear God.  We become teachable. 

Have you ever noticed when trying to teach a puppy, a horse, or even a child that first they must know your love?  Then they begin to hear.  Not only do they hear, they begin to understand.  Once they understand, they can obey  Once they obey their actions and emotions follow suit.

So it is with our faith.  In all things, but never so evident as when we are hurting.  So we must make a choice to lower the volume of our emotions and allow our faith to be loud.  Remember, we have all the faith we need.  Even if it is tiny as a mustard seed.

Once we tune in to our faith, God can speak because our ears are now unplugged from the turmoil and we can accurately hear His voice over the noise. 

As we put that first boot forward (hence my blog called Faith with Boots On) we will find that our path becomes illuminated so that we can see His leading.  Some times a few steps ahead, some times a day ahead, and some times we can see far ahead.  No matter what we can see, we must determine to keep putting one foot in front of another.

As we travel the path you will find that your emotions and actions begin to fall into line.  Now just to be perfectly clear, I want you to notice that no where in here do you see the words easy or without effort, etc. 

You will also notice that no where does it say, "understand, makes sense, or clarity".  It all begins with stepping out in faith.

As long as we are pursuing self and waiting on God to shine a light on a path and speak in a booming voice "go here and do this" we will continue to wallow in self which will ultimately lead to our own destruction.

When we choose to put our boots on the path of faith, which leads to obedience, which leads to our emotions coming in line, which leads to our actions coming into line, which leads to the greatest joy of all and that is a life lived in the presence of God.  Then He can rain down blessings on us so that we might share those blessings with others. 

You see, that is how all this works.  I am blessed so that I can bless you.  You are blessed so that you can bless another.  They are blessed to bless yet another.  It is living in community.  Each caring for the other the same way the Father cares for us....

So if you find yourself straying from the path, stop! make the choice (for that is all it is), and put your boots on, and take that first step forward.  You won't be alone.  You will find me there and oh so many others. 

Lastly, when we link arms and lift others, the journey is all the sweeter.

So come on folks.....  put boots on that faith and let's get walking!

Different ~ And All That Means

Micah Taylor wrote a song called Different..... (link below)

Today as I sat in study that song began to play.  As the words impacted my very soul, the tears flowed freely and my heart soared with hope and joy!

As I lay down all my flaws and imperfections before the most Holy God, He in turn restores my soul.  He is faithful to create the change in me that Micah put in such beautiful words.

I am excited to move forward into His vision of who I am and all that I can be!!!

Coveting your prayers during my journey, I remain faithfully your friend as we walk this road of life.

me.....

Different

Today, I Choose

Today I Choose.....

What will you choose today?  Each moment of this day lies before you a precious gift that you get to open.

What will you choose to do with this gift?

There is a truth that is seldom acknowledged and that is this:  life is not happening to you.  You are making choices.  Even your decision to do nothing is in itself a choice.

So what will you choose today?

Today I choose to make the day before me intentional, God based, faith filled, and obedient so that I might walk into the Father's presence when my days are completed and hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant."

Today I choose......

The Battle is Not Yours......

Have you ever been sitting in the stillness of the early hours reading God's Word and find that all of a sudden the words begin to leap off the page?  That God begins to speak and to instruct you in such a way as to be a voice shouting in the quiet?

This, this was my experience today.  As I sit here ready to share this with you, I am still tingling with awe that the God of the universe would reach out to me, give me instruction in the way to go, guide me in how to walk in this thing we call life, and speak intimately with me in a relationship I can only describe as "all."

You might be wondering what "all" could mean but in it's simplest form that is what it is.  It is everything I could ever want or desire from a relationship: love, joy, peace, unity, trust..... And the list just goes on.  It is ALL.

I digress....  As I sat here reading 2 Chronicles this morning God used Chapter 20 regarding the reform of Jehoshaphat to speak to me about some things in my life.  In this chapter, a great multitude was coming against Jehoshaphat and he knew that he had no power to defeat this enemy.

Listen to the words of Jehoshaphat speak as he calls out to God: "O our God, will You not judge them?  For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

The FIRST and most important thing they did was to acknowledge God, His power, and the fact that they simply needed to place their eyes upon God.  This surely does not mean you do not acknowledge the situation but rather you make the choice to keep your focus on God who is above all as your source.  You do not let the things of the world that are pressing in around you take your focus off of the Great I Am...... God Almighty.

Now we see God's reply: "Thus says the Lord to you:  Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's."
"You will not need to fight in this battle.  Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!  Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out agains them, for the Lord is with you."

The SECOND thing we must do is to be willing to hear and listen when God speaks. Following closely on the heels of this is the THIRD which is to be quick to be obedient to what He calls you to do.  For some this is not so hard.... for me; well for me this is quite possibly the most difficult.  For you see, in each of us is a basic tenant of fight or flight.  It is deeply engrained in our dna.  For me, the need to fight for those I love, for all that I believe in, for those who are unable to do so is as strong as breathing.  So when God speaks as He has this morning; telling me the battle is not mine, it is just plain ol' hard to lay it down.  "I" want to do something.  I want to stop their pain.  I want to make everything better. I, I, I.   I find myself heartily sick of the "I" and finally ready to lay it all down for God.

Finally, let's see the results of Jehoshaphat's plea and God's response.  God went before him and all the enemy was destroyed before Jehoshaphat ever arrived.  The battle cry that was sung by Jehoshaphat and the Levites was this: "Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."

I am learning to sit in "believe in the Lord your God" and allow that to be enough as God goes before me to complete His will in the lives of those around me.  A tougher task than you might think but look here at what that can bring about......

"Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around!"

Wooooo.... oh man oh man oh man.  Can you imagine?  Everything was quiet and he was given rest!!!  The equation is so simple as to appear unlikely to work but work it does!!!

Acknowledge God
Hear & Listen
Be Obedient = all is quiet and rest is given all around!!!!

Come on people.... you should be shouting along with me right about now!!!  The battle is NOT yours....  God has peace and rest for you if we will but leave it in His hands.

One final note, I couldn't help but notice that Jehoshaphat didn't keep complaining about the issue to God, he didn't give the situation un-due notice, instead he committed to go into the situation "bowed before the Lord, worshipping the Lord!"

I am seriously pumped this morning and ready to wake the house with shouts of joy!  I may not know the how, the when, nor the anything else but this one thing I rest in.  MY GOD IS ABLE.....

Praising Him for each of you that walk through this life with me...

hugs my friends

Right Foot Forward

Psalm 119:32
I will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart.

How have I not understood this before?  How was it that I was so blind as to not see?

God has called me.  He called you as well you know 😉.  I have long known that.  I also know that He uses us when we are in motion, not when we are at a stand still.  Yet I still questioned.  I still sought to understand.  I still wanted the answers before I put feet in motion.

From the first of July until now, this 27th day of November, I have been deeply entrenched in an extended lesson of the soul with God as my teacher.  When it began it was not of my choosing but it was definitively of His choosing.  I had no direction, no vision, and if you had asked me, I would have told you that I had no calling as well.

Through a series of heart rendering torn relationships, job changes, upheaval, and more.... heart lessons were being taught that my hurting soul was quick to grab onto like a drowning person grabs onto a life line.  The cries of why, how, where, and when became less and less as I learned to lean so very deeply into God that I, myself, became lost.

For when I am lost, I am found.

Truly.  Not waxing poetic or vague but rather discovering the profound truth that has always been there waiting for me to be willing to lose it all.

It began with utter surrender during a worship service on the square in Murfreesboro and the waves began to build.  Waves so big that they carried me away from everything safe, from the ones I loved, from security, from confidence.  Waves so big that had you asked, I would have told you I was going under for the last time.

Yet here I sit.  In utter peace amidst the biggest storm yet, looking in the face of my Father, knowing (that deep knowing that circumstances cannot cause to waver) that I am where I belong for I am held firmly by the One who loves me best and loves me most.

My ears are unstopped and I hear His voice clearly.  My heart is wide open for all to see.  My eyes are no longer covered by scales.  I am home.  I am resting in the heart of Father God learning the confidence to be everything that He has called me to - no reservations - no excuses - no apologies.

He has spoken so very clearly this morning.  Or maybe I am hearing so clearly for the first time.  In losing every last scrap of myself I have fully walked into His family, into the heirship that is fully mine, so that I can fully declare the praises of the One who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.  1 Peter 2:9

As I keep His commandments, He enlarges my heart. Right foot forward, my heart expands.  Left foot forward, my heart expands.  And so it goes.  The people I always admired and thought were so "together" in their relationship with God are doing exactly the same.  We stumble, we fall, we get covered in filth, and we rise as He lifts us, and we continue on.  Right foot forward, heart expanding.  Left foot forward, heart expanding.

THIS, this is how the apostles were obedient.  THIS is how the heroes of the faith stood their ground. THIS is how faith is able to move mountains.  When WE refuse to be moved by outside forces and instead only move at the direction of the Father's will.

I thank you Lord for loving such a wretched person as me.  I remain in awe of the mercy and grace that You show to me.  I am forever grateful and humbled by Your forgiveness.

Teach me more..... for I am willing to listen to all that You are calling me to.  Even despite my not knowing.  For I trust you to enlarge my heart.

Boots on the ground.  Right foot forward.  Left foot forward.

me

Offense, Offense she cried

No I am not screaming at football on the television.  Not that it couldn't be a very real possibility.  We all know I am a good Southern girl who loves her football.

Todays lesson learned..... You know the saying " the best defense is a good offense ?"  So do I.  But rarely do I think to apply that to my prayer life.  Or to my walk with Father God.

My power moment this morning during my studies was just this.  Don't just pray against hardship but pray God to bless, provide, and be glorified.

An example would be something along these lines....  Instead of just praying against divorce, ask God to make your marriage a beautiful picture of the gospel of Christ and His love for His bride, and that He will use you to minister to others and advance the kingdom through your loving relationship as husband and wife.

Yes, we do want to bind the evil that would come against us.  Yes we do want to claim the blood of Jesus Christ over the situation.  Yes, yes, yes.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good
Romans 4:17 But God who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which do not exist as though they do.

At the very same time, we want to call God and His promises - provision into the situation by praying lovingly.

My take away is this, do I get caught up in the situation at hand (problem) or do I look around to see the glory that God will receive as He works (solution)?

Let me begin today raising my eyes to the Father who works all things for the good of those that love Him and make praying offensively a part of my daily prayer life.

Praise God there is always hope, peace, joy, and the greatest of them all, LOVE!!!

Hugs folks.....

Undignified &

Just so that we are all on the same page.....

Undignified as defined means:  appearing foolish, lacking dignity.

Doesn't sound like anything I would knowingly choose.  Quite the opposite in fact.  I strive to NOT appear foolish.  I find that my biggest fault is that I look to those around me for approval when in fact, the only one whose approval should concern me is that of God.  

As I was reading today in 1Samuel 6 a particular verse stood out to me.  

1 Samuel 6:22a "And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be  humble in my own sight."

I always strive to keep a verse in the context of which is was written so that I do not mis-represent nor give an accounting of a verse that God never intended.  Today, the Father used this verse in particular to speak to me to reinforce a new work that He is doing in my life.  

God is stripping away any confidence that is based upon self, upon family, upon friends, upon titles; anything that is not of Him.  Instead He wishes to replace it with confidence in Him, in who He has created me to be, and in the calling that He desires me to walk in.   W H E W... how is that for a heavy load?

It all began a rainy, cold, nasty Saturday.  Last Saturday in fact.  It all began with 1 Peter 2:9.  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.  His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

So as I begin this new path, I thought to share it with you.  The highs, the lows, the struggles, and the victories.  And though I do not know what all lies ahead, I know this:  Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

So back to undignified..... am I willing to appear foolish to others in my worship of, obedience to, glorifying of, exalting of the one true God?  Good question and I can honestly say that I am not completely there yet.  Not even sure that I am half way there yet.  Like many of us, I still look at the perception of others which is most definitely NOT where I should be looking.

Finally, the second part of that verse: and will be humble in my own eyes.  Sounds fairly simple but if we take away those protective glasses we wear when we view ourselves, then maybe the answer isn't so obvious as we might think.  Did you know it is possible to be completely lacking in self confidence and be proud?  Oxymoron I know, but I have discovered that, in my own life, this can indeed be true.  There are things that I take pride in.  Things such as the way I love others deeply without reservation, the way I serve family, friends, clients community, the way I can grasp new concepts easily and a few other things.  So here is the thing... am I proud for the gifts the Lord has given me, of the achievement and how it can bring good things to others, or am I puffing myself up to receive the honor myself?  Talk about a wow / hard question.  And truth be known sometimes it is the first and often times it is the latter.  Not for any other reason than to feel good about self.  However, IF we know (that we know that we know) that we are a royal priesthood, sons and daughters of the most high God, then why aren't we already confident in whose we are, whom He created us to be, and the relationship which we walk in with the great God Almighty?  

Strong words.  Took quite a bit of coffee to get those down I can tell you that much!!  So the two words that literally leapt off the page at me were undignified and humble.  Not sure that I have ever seen those two words used in conjunction with each other but after many hours of prayer and seeking I can see how together those two words bring about perfect harmony.  When we are willing to have our complete and utter focus on God the Father, we take our eyes off of self and off the world and are free to serve/celebrate/worship Him with our whole being no matter how undignified we may appear. With that letting go of all else except God comes a humble heart that has no room for self but only for God.

Pretty cool stuff don'tcha think?  I sure did.  And although I am still so far from perfecting the practice of this, it is now part of my morning prayer.  More of You, less of me.  May I be even more undignified than this.  May I be humble in my own eyes.  My You consume all that I am and more.  May I be so lost in You that all else fades away.

Woo!!! I tell you; gets me seriously EXCITED!!!

Time for me to go pull those boots on and get to walkin.... God has much to do today and I am determined to be a willing vessel.

Take care folks........

Love ~ Is it worth it?

Have you ever been just going along about your day, humming a tune, and then out of no where something is said or done which just completely knocks you off balance?

Something so unexpected that although you are hearing it - experiencing it, you just can't get your mind to comprehend what is happening?  Amidst your mind struggling to comprehend the why and how of the situation your heart is working over time to stop the bleeding from the wound that was inflicted; there is no real way to think, to process it, or to react due to the numbness that creeps over you as you are reeling.

Recently this was me.  Experiencing and hearing a hurt that my mind just couldn't seem to wrap itself around.  Something so outside of my thinking - expectations that I couldn't get my mind to comprehend what was happening.  In an attempt to gain some perspective and begin to make sense of it all, I reached out to an individual who is filled with wisdom and grounded in the Word of God.  The response I received was so not what I expected or could have imagined.  

"I know I have said this many times to you (now anyone with a lick of common sense knows that isn't the prelude to a warm and fuzzy so much as a 'you aren't listening to me when I speak' moment) 'protect your heart'.  You love big and it opens you to big hurts."

True to the strong willed character that I am, I immediately fired back with "may those words be on my tombstone 'she loved big' no matter the hurt it brings, may it always ring true in my life."  

It has been several sunrises since that conversation and it is something that I am seeking God earnestly on.  One question that keeps popping up is this; did I really mean that?  Did I really, from the depths of my being mean that?  Because if so, then that means that I am choosing to allow hurt from unexpected sources into my life.  That means, that when that hurt comes, I MUST, become an expert at crawling up in the lap of the Father and allowing Him to heal me rather than allowing that hurt to have it's way with my heart, my soul, and my character.  That rather than the return fire option, I MUST choose to let go of all that rages through me.

So then the question becomes; is it worth it?  That is not something that could be answered with a snap response but instead requires deep introspection, deep guidance from the Father, and an even deeper commitment to daily roll my hurts onto Him.

So this morning (yes it has taken a while), I go back to my original response with a new conviction and a firm faith and trust in my God and Savior and I say with all the strength that I have.......

MAY LOVE ALWAYS RING TRUE IN MY LIFE.

Now before there is any commenting, applauding, or any edification of me at all.... know that my nature is at war with those words and this stand that I am taking.  There is no halo above my head.  In fact, quite the opposite 😈.  But my heart is true and my God is faithful and will sustain me.

So I ask that you hold me accountable to what you have read here (please be kind when you do so 😊) and that you join me in this commitment to love.  Doing so in the full knowledge that it is not easy, it is not always appreciated, it is not always well received, but also knowing that God is faithful to provide the strength to do that which He leads us to do.

In light of what is coming up this weekend in our beautiful city, this becomes even more heavy on my heart.  Let us each seek God's will rather than our own reactions and choose to love through the hate.

Much love my friends.....  Pull on those boots and let's get busy walking.