Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Fall is definitely here. My windows are open. Ceiling fans in motion. Sweats are on. Fresh air throughout my entire house. Woke up this morning with a cold nose. My coffee is hot. My body is rested. It is a beautiful Monday morning outside. Even the dog could not wait to go to her pen; it is so nice out.

Many times I have been asked, ‘Which is your favorite season?’. Ya know, I am not sure. There are plenty of good reasons to enjoy each of them. I think if I were to be asked now, today, this week … I would say that retirement season is my favorite. This season in my life allows me to fully embrace, enjoy, and admire each of the seasons in their glory and beauty. In this season of my life, I have been able to enjoy the spring rains and growth, the summer heat and outdoor activities (I actually have a tan), now…fall is here and I can enjoy the refreshing mornings with my coffee, my husband, and, more importantly … my God.

In our lives, we go through a myriad of seasons. Some of them are happy and wonderful. Never wanting them to end. They make some of the most lasting memories and all attempts are made to either recreate them for the harmony and new memories or to relive them as often as possible so that they do not die. We have seasons in our lives that are more difficult and possibly disturbing. These seasons we wish were not there or had never happened. These seasons were painful and rough to navigate. Frequently questioning different decisions and their validity. Sometimes, even questioning the ‘why’ of it all. And … in some instances … questioning God and what his purpose was in giving us this particular torment. Almost like we ask him what we did to be punished. I know that I have had those questions throughout my life. All of them.

Just as we have a different season, roughly every three months, each season brings a new life, a new journey, a new reconciliation, a new vision. Spring … a beautiful season in the coming of new life. The warmer, warming temperatures, the rain, the freshness … inviting life to start anew for the year. Summer … the warming temperatures for nurturing and growing the plants. The beauty of His brightness and an invitation to enjoy His presence in his garden. Fall … the leaves begin to change creatively, making a color wheel of oranges, browns, and golden yellows. The coming of an end to the growing season and now the time to harvest the crops for market. Energy flows through Fall with kinetic proportions. Winter … snow, colder temperatures, some freezing temps, the death of the old year … but, in that death, comes the snow and the saturation of the ground for the Spring season around the corner. In the death of the last year, life is being prepped for.

Just as each year goes through different seasons for plant/animal growth, we too go through different seasons in our lives. We are born and nurtured into our adult lives. (Spring) In our early to mid-adult years, we are working, learning and enjoying His glories/blessings but enduring the heat of adult life. Typically, we end that season with quite a few tan lines from our growth in that season.(Summer) In our later adult lives, we are preparing and harvesting the crops we have planted for market (life without us); our children and our grandchildren. Our colors change into his magnificent greys and whites. (Fall) Finally, our journey comes to an end and we die away leaving our plants to feed the world for the next round of seasons. (Winter).

I am in my Fall. My colors are changing into the aging of His love. My harvest is in nurturing all those I come into contact with. I do not know when my Winter will be, but I do know that in my Spring and Summer seasons … all are quite remarkable, and I would not change them, for they have made me the plant that I am today … a dandelion in the breeze blowing seeds throughout the world.

Be blessed.

**For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.—Isaiah 55:10-11

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Yesterday evening I got back in the saddle of events. Veedersburg Street Fair from 5 pm to 10 pm. To be honest, I did not even know Veedersburg did such a thing. Not sure why I didn’t know, but I did not until this year. There was quite the crowd. Wonderful music from when I was a kid. Music that many people my age and older were line dancing to. The event had a good selection of vendors and lots of hospitality. And once the sun went down, the temperature was more bearable.

As I stated, it was an evening event. I planned for the cooler temperatures of the evening and wore slacks. While that was okay by the time I packed up, during the first 3 hours…it was a bad idea. My saving graces were my canopy and a small battery-operated box fan…and my two large Yeti cup iced teas. However, once the sun went down, it was a perfect temperature. Now … it was a night event … what would one need to bring with them if they were going to do a NIGHT event? Any guesses? Right. Lights. Guess what I DID NOT bring … yep … lights. Have you ever tried to read anything without enough lighting? Yeah … it does not work very well.

Noticing that the crowd could not see me in my cave-dwelling canopy, I had no lights to help the situation, but the streetlights were coming on … I decided to remove the canopy from the scene and put it away. This way I could utilize the provided streetlamps for my lighting. Once the canopy was down, more airflow was available and the foot traffic could see that I had not abandoned my post. I actually made a sale after I did that.

How many times in our lives do we walk around in poorly lit environments and when we finally decide to take down the canopy, we can get a complete feel for the open surroundings? When we remove our walls, we can make connections. If we would open ourselves up to the possibility of rain, we can water the seeds around us.

My last sale with the canopy up was a bundle set that paid for my site setup fee, a young woman who loves to read and was excited to try out my style of writing. She did not want just one; she wanted all. The interaction between her and her husband was endearing to see if they could afford it. She was willing to just start with a couple, but he insisted that she get the bundle. They reminded me of me and my husband in that regard. However, the last sale of the night. The one made after the canopy came down. Was to a young man who was purchasing a book for his niece. He asked a couple of questions and settled on one book. He asked how much for an autograph and I let him know my signatures are free. After his purchase and thanks, my friend and I sat and talked for a bit. He returned right before I started breaking down for the night and told us that his niece was ecstatic because the book was signed and thanked me again.

That last transaction … that one made the night worthwhile for me. I appreciate and am thankful for the other sales; do not misunderstand, however, the expression of love in this uncle’s face and the subsequent delight of a new story signed by the author … add to that I know the story and know what kind of impact potential there is … priceless.

There was one other situation that made my night worthwhile. I gave away the little Jesus figures to whoever wanted to take one. My last little Jesus give was a young man who proclaimed that he collects them and was searching for the color that he did not have. I told him he chose the perfect item to collect.

Sales are nice, but the delight and planting are far more important. My canopy protected me from the sun; the fresh evening air brought the Son-shine. We are the bible that most read: our actions and interactions. My night was a success because I do not focus on the $$ made, but the seeds and the watering. That is what is most important to me. One day He will provide a sell-out stampede; I know it, but for now … I will enjoy His blessings in those that I can interact with on a personal level. Their souls in heaven mean more to me than money.

Be blessed.

**Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” –John 20:21

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

It simply amazes me how quickly we can default to someone else’s sin. Myself included. The first social media post that I saw this morning was on the Lindsey Clancy case. Let me first address this: I am not discussing her guilt or innocence. That is not what this post is about. The post stated that the one holdout juror who would not vote Not Guilty had a restraining order in place for domestic violence at the time of the trial and then went on to recount what was a matter of public record.

So let's start with “Ok?” He had a restraining order for domestic violence … so what? He is not on trial here. His misgivings or potential errors in his life are not the situation here.

Let me list some of my worldview sins: I am a child of God … a sin against the world’s view of things in the cosmos. I am a believer in truth … truth is what we want it to be. I believe in justice for all, like our pledge states … oh, not if there is an agenda that could be met.

Now let me list my sins against God: I cuss, horribly, in jovial atmospheres, in normal conversation, and heated moments. I jump to conclusions on minimal facts, then eat my words/thoughts most of the time. I covet/desire other people’s property or even peace sometimes. I have a short fuse, especially if I am overtired. I do not always put Him first. I do not always love as He loves me. My forgiveness meter does not get enough of a workout.

Look at all my sins. World and against God. I should never serve on a trial such as this. If we all took a look at our own sins, seriously looked at them … then maybe we could actually see the speck in our brother’s eye around the plank in ours.

The enemy has taken an evil thing, again, and turned it into a circus act where someone who stood alone, based on how they perceived the evidence and made them the villain. That juror could have easily rolled with the crowd and given a Get Out of Jail free card, but for whatever his reasoning … he saw the evidence as compelling enough to stand alone. Is that not the mark of each Christian? To fight the hard fight even if we are standing alone.

I do not know whether this man is a good guy standing up for what he felt was right because it was the correct thing to do, or if he was doing it because it drove the masses crazy. His agenda was and is his between him and God. I do not know if this man was a believer or an atheist. What I do know is this: He stood his ground on what he believed to be the correct path and did not waver to the pull of society. Sounds pretty hard-core Christian to me.

When you are faced with a difficult situation where you are standing alone in the world, do you buckle for the sake of peace in the moment … or … do you stand your ground for the sake of God’s blessing? I can honestly say … where I have done both. In those moments where I chose peace in the moment, I did not change my position in my thoughts, but I quit fighting because it was not a winnable moment at the time.

No one is worthy of the glory of God, yet He chose to save us through His Son. We all fall short, yet He never leaves us. The enemy loves to use Scripture against us and a lot of the time we fall for it. The enemy loves division such as this. This time, he did so with the death of three children. The enemy, in his evilest form, has turned this horrific tragedy into a circus act.

Today I pray for the strength of this lone juror. For protection against the enemy’s threats against him. Today I pray for the other jurors, that they are protected as well from those who disagreed with their votes. Today I pray that, should this go back to trial, that the Truth be displayed and God’s presence be felt in the room as the evidence is released. Whether I agree with the verdict or not is not important, for I am judged for my sins, not hers. My prayer is that we come together as a church and pray for these souls, that they may find Jesus and repent. Today my prayer is for healing against the enemy’s schemes. Today I pray that we come together as one, in unity, and pray for all those involved and that they know Him, follow Him, and that we will all see Him in a positive light on judgment day.
Be blessed today.

** You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water," expressing deep longing for God’s presence—Psalm 63:1

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Fall is definitely here. No AC running in my house. Windows with screens are open … need to get more screens to open more windows. Fresh air to sleep by. It is peaceful.

As I watch the sun rise over the eastern trees in front of our house, with the freshly cut grass (both here and the neighbor’s across the street), I believe this is as close to heaven as I can get here. Simply beautiful. There is just something about a country sunrise with a manicured yard that is bliss inside my soul. I am so thankful that I did not follow my youthful instincts and not return to the town I grew up in … it is amazing that though the town is nowhere near what it was when I was a child, I am nowhere near who I was then. I enjoy this quiet sanctity. I have told my mother several times that I now understand why she wanted to be a hermit. Haha.

Have you ever wondered why the enemy goes after the quiet places? Why he creates overly loud noises in our heads that make the quiet unbearable? Do you ever wonder why our attention span is as big as a gnat?

We all have an issue with our phones. We all have a game or social network that we absolutely cannot put down for whatever the reason. What was created to bring unity across long distances has created a division in humanity. We no longer appreciate the peaceful harmony of nothingness. We no longer can quietly sit without some kind of noise. We do not know how to be still. The enemy has taken the invention of the internet and used it as a weapon of choice against those who follow Him in a myriad of ways. Social Media. Games. News. You name it, it is there at our fingertips. No one is exempt … unless you are over 100. It started with simple radio, grew into television, and now we carry it with us everywhere.

I have taken to trying to separate from the ‘world’ in that I tend to leave my phone on the charger or my desk while I go and do other things throughout the house. I have even quit taking it with me to mow so that I can just focus on the hum of the mower. It is amazing, the thoughts that I have while doing that. Story prompts. House improvements. Visits I want to make. People I want to talk to. I don’t have those thoughts if I am always plugged in. The best connection I have while mowing without my phone is my best prayer/conversation time. I don’t have to talk louder than the mower; He can hear me just fine and believe it or not, I can hear Him.

Today, I encourage you to find that one spot where you can be with Him in quiet. Your car. A closet. A walk. Your bedroom. The garage. The creek. Wherever you can find quiet … shut your phone off, leave it in another room, tuck it away in a drawer … disconnect from the ‘world’ and connect with Him. You won't be sorry. I promise.

Be blessed.

** "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing," showing God’s provision for those who seek Him—Psalm 34:10

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Quick update: my family has landed in Germany and is home now. Thank you for all the travel prayers.

Today I believe that I will mow. I walked through the backyard yesterday and did not like what I saw. Then, when we drove past the rental, I really did not like what I saw. A check of the radar shows a possibility of rain near 1 pm; let's see (1) how accurate that is and (2) how quick I am… haha.

Today we are taking it as a recoup day. Our son, who helped us get everyone to the airport, is staying a couple more days to help out. Tomorrow we start our busy schedule again. Those who get bored in retirement- I truly do not know how you do it. Haha.

Last night, we gave our dog a new toy. Now, understand that we set a stopwatch to see how long it takes her to destroy it and create a snow-fluff storm in my front room. It is hilarious. However, last night, the toy was a rubber/plastic pig that oinked. Best toy ever. I will need to make sure that I buy them in bulk. She loved this toy so much that when my husband tried to corral her to play with her, she jumped over his arm like she was running high hurdles. She has never done that before. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. She was like, “Nope. Mine. Mine. Mine.” As we played ‘catch me if you can,’ we found that she does have kryptonite … potato chips. She dropped the toy for the option of a potato chip. Again, heavy laughter was present. This toy is so popular with her that I had to take it to another room and lock it away so that she would settle down. Even then, she was pacing, looking for the toy. I finally gave her a treat and told her she could play with it again today. On the even happier side of things with this toy … she ran and played so much that she slept soundly last night. No clicking of her nails on my hardwood floor.

That toy was such a great success that she is even docile this morning. She is not bouncing all over the place like she normally does. Definitely a bulk purchase in the future for this toy.

Have you ever had a prayer answered in a similar manner? Where, when it was answered, you were so giddy that you could not contain yourself. That every step you took displayed the power of His love through your smile or tears flowing from your eyes. Perhaps it was a friend that you had not seen in a long time. Maybe it was a child who made the team for the first time. It might have been a completed project. Possibly it was that one person you had been sowing seeds into who finally surrendered. Whatever the situation, whatever the circumstance, your joy and happiness exploded and splattered onto everyone in close proximity. You bounced and ran from room to room. You squeezed your pig toy in grand delight. Those around you became just as excited for you as the situation. Joy spread like wildfire. You were so happy and full of the spirit that when you stopped moving … you were exhausted … overzealously happy, but exhausted. That is the best kind of exhaustion.

Today, I give thanks for my kids being here this month, our son sticking around for a couple more days to help, the joy He gave us through our dog’s playful nature, and the cooler temperatures. As the enemy tries to derail me today with dumb stuff, I will absolutely tell him to kick rocks: hot, stinky sulfur rocks. My prayer for you today is that you will encounter one of your prayers answered and that you will embrace the jubilant joy that my dog did last night with her new toy. A joy that all kids have no problem experiencing and adults seem to have lost their zeal for. Today, I pray that your day is full of joy and happiness.

Be blessed.

**Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. –Psalm 34:8

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Today we travel to the airport and put our family on the plane to go home. It has been a very interesting and exciting visit/vacation. The energy brought into this house was much needed. There is only one thing that topped the children's laughter that filled my rooms and halls: the love that permeated the air. Memories of all kinds were made this past month. None of which had anything to do with crashing an ATV.

This month I finally figured out that I actually have limits on things that I can do. Imagine that … I am not superwoman. Haha. Who would have ever known? Haha. What is more important than that is that “I know” that I am not superwoman. AND I admit it. That is a miracle in itself.

Because we had such a good month, the enemy was not happy with us. He threw quite a few curveballs. Some we fouled off, some we missed completely; however, one that he threw, we hit a line drive right up the middle to the fence. He went after one of my kids. My child set their feet in the batter’s box firmly and took a couple of solid practice swings. When the curveball came, their eyes were focused and made solid contact. At which point, that presumably strikeout turned into a line drive right back up the middle to the fence past all the demon defenders. Because this child is not as diligent in their walk, the enemy was sure he had a solid strikeout. However, right before they stepped into the box, they called me. We discussed scenarios and potential outcomes. We prayed. I continued to pray after we got off the phone. They tagged that curveball with all their might and the power of God’s love.

Prayer. A simple word. A simple concept. Seemingly felt by many to make it feel like you have given up. If you ‘have’ to pray, then you have no more in you. HOWEVER, prayer … the next best thing to His Sword. Because when you pray, you are activating His Sword, His Word, His Love, His Protection. When you pray, the Sword becomes part of you, and then you are indwelt with Him. When you pray, you are inviting the Spirit of God to fill you in overabundance, which fortifies your soul and person with His presence. The enemy does not stand a chance when we pray. Prayer is not a last resort; prayer is the first and foremost, the most powerful anchor or victory in the Kingdom.

As you go through your day today, do not be afraid or ashamed to pray. Talk to Him and allow Him to fill you with His peace and His presence. The day is much smoother and calmer. You will be at peace if you pray constantly throughout the day. Regardless of the attacks made by the enemy.

May the Father in heaven watch over you, bless you, and keep you as you walk through this chaotic world of nonsense. May you feel Him in all that you do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Be blessed.

** Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.—Philippians 4:6

Good afternoon to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

This morning started out VERY early … 4 am early. I was able to find the coffee pot, my shoes (no keys in them) and my clothes. Then found my wallet and the keys (where they were supposed to be) before leaving to go to the hospital. Today was the day my hubby was going to have surgery on his arm. HOWEVER, I messed up. I gave him medicine that had to be stopped so many days out so as not to mess with the anesthesia. In an attempt to NOT forget anything and keep us on a schedule … I messed up. Therefore, the surgery has to be rescheduled.

I do believe that all things happen for a reason. There is a reason that I messed up. There is a reason that the surgery got cancelled. There is a reason I took a nap after we got back from town. There is a reason that everything happened today the way it did.

Now, I may never know His reasoning specifically; however, I can surmise that the following had something to do with it. First, I had too much on my plate and could not keep things straight. Yes, I have a calendar and all the information that I needed; however, the internal timeline in my brain was not synced with my calendar and paperwork and it all got muddled. This tells me that I really need to NOT take on more than He wants me to have. For me, that will be very difficult. Just saying. Second, this is the last day the family is in town before we put them back on the plane. I believe that God wanted us to have quality time together, not sleepy hospital leftover time.

So this afternoon, after I got up from my nap, I have spent that time with the grandkids, ran a few errands, and rested. My mind is less cluttered with ‘everything’ and I am more at peace. It is amazing what can happen if you trust in Him. He saw that I was overwhelmed. He saw that I was taking on too much. He saw that I needed a time-out. He gave me the break that I needed.

Sometimes we do not realize that we have over tasked ourselves until we are in the middle of a firestorm and are trying to get out without hurting anyone’s feelings and feeling like we can do it all, so we don’t quit. However, we are not designed to take on all the world’s problems alone. We are here to serve Him and to follow His lead. With me, I tend to like to run in front of Him and show him how much I can do…you know … like take on too much and get overwhelmed. For example.

Today, as our day comes to a close, remember to give thanks to Him for all his blessings and his guidance in your firestorm. Take a minute to see where you may have been a tad bit overzealous and try to make a note not to do that again. I, for one, keep trying to not do it; however, I keep trying to be an overachiever. I guess I really want a participation trophy. Haha.

Be blessed.

**No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. – 1 Corinthians 2:7

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Memory: The faculty by which one ‘remembers’ something.

Memory is considered a noun: a person, place, or thing. Therefore, it can be more than one. Due to our interesting language rules, more than one memory is memor(ies).

I know. An English lesson this early in the morning is not nice. I apologize. However, believe it or not … I have a reason.

As I sit here early before the sun even decides to think about cresting the horizon, I am flooded with images of this past month. My memory of memories is quite the storybook inside my mind. Though there are memories that were not so good, I can see the good in them; however, 98 percent of the memories were above fantastic.

Last night in particular, a mass encounter of humongous time-stamped memories was made with the middle child of my littles. She likes/loves me, but she is like me in that it has to be the right time and place to encounter such times. The memories that we made last night … well, let's just say … I won't be forgetting them any time soon. She even told her mom that she had fun with me.

This trip for them has not been as exciting or fun-filled as previous vacations, for a number of reasons. Primarily, my mind has been focused on more adult items. I was able to pull out some instances where my inner child came out (muddy puddles) to make some memories, but nothing like I have done in the past. They are leaving in two days; last night, my inner goofball came out to play. Laughter rang throughout the house. Then, as fate would have it, right before bed, we inherited a stray kitten. This kitten is not resting in my All Things Not Garage shed with a can of tuna and a bowl of water. At ten at night, my daughter found it a home. Haha.

Reflecting over the last month, I can see several memories made on this trip. Several exciting and laugh-filled memories. Several moments of pure love. Not because I showered them with gifts or trinkets, but because I was me and they love my time. It may not have been the most exciting visit, but I am sure that we made it a memorable one.

AS you reflect on your last month, though you may not have had visitors all month, what kind of memories did you make? Did you make the ones where you are always angry at the world? Did you make poor choices and are self-reflecting? OR … Did you make lasting memories of smiles, love, and laughter? A final choice … was your month a combination of all the above?

The memories we make are because of the choices we make. We choose to be an adult all the time and allow the world to dictate our mood because of adult things we must face … or … we cast our burdens to Him and choose to live as a child-filled soul who lives a lighter life while watching Him handle the hard stuff. For me, I am still the circus act of balancing all this … however, I would like to believe that I am leaning more towards the child side … the adult side gives me a headache.

Today, as you are enjoying your day off, think about the last month and what kind of memories you made. Look at the month in front of you and see areas that will or could trip you up in making good memories. Then go to Him and ask for guidance in making better choices for better memories.

Be blessed.

**Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- --Psalm 103:1-2

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

This weekend, there is a fest going on in a nearby town. Over the years, it has dwindled in vendors; however, one constant has been the softball tournament. For as long as I can remember, there has always been a tournament, almost like a firm foundation for the event of the weekend. Over the years, I have witnessed many different teams play my favorite sport. Though I have never joined a team or created a team for this event, I have seen some very athletic plays and some not-so-athletic plays. I have seen those who indulged in ‘the cold’ beverage bright and early to play the game and later feel the effects, plus give the added entertainment for those watching.

In the same manner of the softball tournament, there has always been a car show and tractor show. There has always been bluegrass music, a solid indoor meal of some kind from a church or other organization, a plethora of food choices and then, of course, the vendors. In the past, however, there have been carnival rides for the kids; this year there are not. Now that could be for a couple of reasons…the rides were too old and not exciting enough or safe enough or the carnival did not make enough money the last time to make the drive. Either way, the only ride is a pony ride for the kids.

Much like this fest, over the years the church has undergone a plethora of changes. Some good, some not so good … in my opinion. I am fortunate. I belong to a fellowship of solid believers who still remain hooked on the originally written Word of God. They follow the teachings as printed, not twisted for political view. I congregate with those who have a relationship with the one true God, His Son, and the Spirit.

As with this festival and its many staples and foundations of continuity, a good church will remain on the foundation and continuity of His Word. They will not change the Word to suit the masses. They will not sugarcoat the Truths. They will not alter His promises for life, prosperity, peace, joy, love or trials that you must encounter in order to grow. Yes, trials are a part and a good church will embrace those just as they embrace the nice promises. The nice promises only come after or during the difficult promises. Scripture tells us that we will encounter trials and difficulties BECAUSE we choose to follow Him. But our reward will be in heaven.

If you are in a church that only preaches the sunshine, rainbows, and unicorn version of the Word. One that changes the meaning of the Word to fit the political narrative of the day. One that can only see your past or your wallet. One that is not interested in your soul. Then you are in the wrong place. I urge you to find a soul-loving, trial-embracing, armor-of-God church that will love you …despite your faults…but will remind you that sin is sin. It is possible to have all these attributes. It is possible to find a church such as this. It is possible. The only thing that you must remember when you find this church is that they are not judging you; they are giving you all the information you need to make a sound decision about your salvation.

Today, I encourage you to step into a God-fearing, God-loving, God-teaching church and be filled with His Spirit.

Be blessed.

**Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. –Acts 4:12

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

We watched a movie some time ago about how Satan would pull people out of their time and put them in another timeline. To mess with their heads and to prove he was in control. If you fought back, he laughed at you and tortured you even more with different, more agony-driven timelines. For example: pulling you out of your current situation with your family and how they look at you and placing you in the same family, but they look at you in a completely different light. So in ‘your’ timeline, you are hated by your family because you systematically pushed everyone away and that is how you like it, but now your family loves you and is all over you with compliments and attention … the two elements that you loathe. Or the reverse of that. Or … he places you in the same town, but your family is no longer your family and you are looked at as a stranger who has lost his/her marbles. I wish I could remember the name of the movie; it is worth watching.

In the movie, the main character, who keeps getting bounced from timeline to timeline, finally, when the enemy pulls him back to their meeting place, calls Satan a liar. Hurt the poor enemy’s feelings. Called him that repeatedly, angering Satan. To the point that Satan lost his temper. Then after that, the main character began to pray. This made the devil laugh and mock him. BUT … when he did not cease praying, Satan fled. He ran away, like the coward that he is.

The main character was not a professing strong Christian. As a matter of fact, his praying caught me off guard because of his character line in the original timeline; he did not seem like the praying type. As he prayed, however, and remained focused on his conversation with God and not the mocking, ridicule, or attacks from the devil, the atmosphere shifted to the Lighter side of life. The devil became visibly uncomfortable and distraught. Eventually, causing him to flee.

The movie brought to light one very important lesson: prayer is powerful. Very powerful. The second lesson is this: the devil hates to be called a liar. Have you ever noticed how people react when you catch them in a lie … they go into instant self-defense mode, like there was good reason to lie, or that it was someone else’s fault, so they try to deflect the attention to them. I would surmise that if you call a solid Christian a liar, they will laugh at you because they know the truth and as long as they are in the Truth, false comments about their character do not create a reaction. NOW, that does not mean that it does not hurt, or that you do not say anything sarcastic; that is human nature…however, faith-filled, Spirit-led, Jesus loving to the core Christians who know that they are flawed and accept responsibility for their flaws in an attempt to correct them … we laugh at the enemy’s attempts to steal our peace.

The other side of that is that when we are lied to repeatedly, we have to fight hard the temptation to become hardened in our hearts. We have to fight spiritually the desire to become our old selves and put you in your place harshly for lying, especially when we have been nothing but truthful, loving, and honest with you. Loving liars is a very hard task. One that the Father knows is difficult but also knows that it is important to show unconditional love to those. In loving someone, though they lie, creates a conversation within themselves as to the ‘why’. Why would they love me when I did this or that? That plants the seed. Continued love creates the nourishment, then eventually they come to the harvest. In my little book, that is what I am here for.

I have had many who felt the need to lie to me. To bend the truth for their benefit. To cast blame elsewhere. Some I dealt with as Jesus had asked me; some I became the old me. I am not perfect. As I get older and deeper in the Word, I see all the areas I failed and work at catching the old me in those times when I am lied to and offering grace. I know that in God’s time, those who lie to me will be held accountable. I do not have to call them out. I just need to pray the enemy away … persistently.

Be blessed.

**As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”—1 Peter 1:14-16

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Today is a day of rest. This week has been fast and furious. Lots of driving, walking, laughing, playing, and just full-on enjoying life. Today we try to catch up on our adult duties and prepare for a weekend of more of the same. This weekend there is a fest just 20 miles from my house. We intend to spend a bit of time up there and see how this year’s event goes. I will not be sporting a tent there, but I will be sporting the smiles and enthusiasm of my littles.

Today I have the honor and privilege to deliver, in person, the set of books won in my Book Bundle giveaway. It was a fantastic game for the month. I am so glad that I listened to the Spirit’s leading and conducted the contest. I will be having another one before Christmas, I think.

Over the last week or so, there has been a lot of talk about Dolly, Jelly Roll, Charlie, and others who have professed to be Christians and potentially are not. Two of these individuals have passed their 11th hour for repentance, and one is still here on earth. I word this like this for a purpose … all three of them will be held accountable for their actions. If the two that have passed their 11th hour were not as they appeared to be, then they will be ordered to depart from the Father. That will be based solely on their earthly choices. The other, well, they still have time to correct themselves through the conviction of the Holy Spirit … not the common populus. Through all the debates on whether these three are true followers, only one has taken the position of ‘asking’ Jelly Roll if he thinks his actions are in line with the Spirit he claims to follow. Not evilly, but with respect, in a respectful tone, and displaying Love for him while showing him that his choices may have not been the best. That perhaps he has gotten caught up in the scheme of the enemy.

Now, before you hit on the ‘we are supposed to call out those or correct those who have slipped’, you are right; however, lest we see our own sin first as we approach them. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God. All of us will be held accountable for our choices and actions. If we attempt to correct or call out a brother or sister without love in our hearts, we are wrong. If we hold debates on social media or in person longer than just a challenging discussion, then we are wrong. If we can only pull items out of a person’s past, the time from before they claim to profess the Love of God, then we are wrong. The whole point of coming to Him is to be washed of our sins when we are baptized with Him and covered in His blood.

Example: Jelly Roll, supposedly, has had a few public encounters where his actions did not reflect properly on the Spirit. While I like his music, I do not watch him, so this is all secondhand information. My question to you is this … you profess to be a follower; do you always represent the Spirit appropriately? Or. How many times have your actions made someone question your ‘Christianity’? Why is your disobedience less of an issue than his? I plead the fifth on this one for my own walk.

Example: Dolly apparently had some questionable paces in her race in life, and honestly, until her passing, I had not heard a negative thing about her. All that I heard was always low-key positive, as though she may be storing up her treasures in heaven, as we are directed to do.

As far as Charlie, I truly believe that those who did not like him, well, it came down to a personality difference. I do believe that he made choices that could have been done better. I do believe that his sound bites were hand-picked for effect. I do believe that, in his mind, he was doing good and that he did do good.

These individuals will be held accountable for any actions that they took that were not in line with the Spirit’s leading. So, why are we debating their actions now? Who are we to judge if they were or were not? I am too much of a sinner to look at anyone else’s sin … especially if they are not here to correct it. I can only pray that they had repentance in their heart and confessed the name of God in that last hour.

One argument that will be made is that the impact that they had on so many, my question to that is this … you are not on a stage or in front of a camera, but do you honestly know how many people you impact on a daily? I do not, for myself. I am the only bible that many will see, and if I am portraying earnest Love … then I am not representing well, and if I do not repent and ask for forgiveness, then I am not going to be in the book of Life. All by MY CHOICES. Today I choose to pray that those individuals did the right things in the Father’s eyes and I will see them in heaven one day. I also pray that I will make the right choices for myself. Please do not get caught up in the schemes of the enemy and fall into the ‘debate’ trap for celebrities. That makes you a gossip. Gossip is a sin. I have enough sins to answer for without adding gossip to the list. You do not have to agree with their positions or actions, but don’t gossip … don’t slander … unless you are without sin.

Be blessed.

** Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – Ephesians 4:29

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Today is the day. No matter where I am, at twelve noon, I will be going live and drawing the name of the winner of my book bundle giveaway. You still have time to enter; I will check my email before I go live to see if there are any 11th-hour entries. I want this to be fair for all. Remember, multiple entries are completely acceptable. Send that email to NarrowPathways2026@gmail.com.

Today is the end of our three-day holiday with our son who lives three hours away. It has been hot, but it has been fantastic. First night: playing and gifts; second day/night: shopping and pizza; and today, before we head home, we will help him fix the mower we just fixed for him. Haha. Apparently, it does not like the fast (bunny rabbit) function. It eats belts. Haha.

Yesterday I got two hugs from a young lady who has made our stay in the hotel very pleasant and welcoming. We had a great chat and I first asked and got my first hug; then, after our conversation, she asked if she could have another. Who am I to say no to a good hug? Haha.

In the last few days, God has opened my eyes to several areas that He is trying to occupy, which I apparently am keeping Him from. That I guess I think I can do a better job at … I know that’s crazy, right? He has also shown me that I have made monstrous strides in other areas that I finally released to Him. Kind of a “Hey look, see these areas, look at how you are flourishing, now give me these too.” Kind of deal. Visual aids are the best reinforcement. How do you argue with what is right in front of you, especially when it is from Him?

Sometimes as we grow closer and stronger in Him, we get our thoughts and egos up in such a way that we think that we can ‘do’ more ourselves. I think that is where I have gotten to in a few areas of my life. These areas are the ones that He has asked for and for whatever goofy reason, I have not said, “Thanks, here you go.”

Isn’t it funny how we start getting good at something in our head and we think that we do not need anyone or anything else to help us; however, once we accept that help, we see a whole new arena of possibility and hope. Then we are kicking ourselves for being so arrogant to think that we didn’t need it in the first place. Those times we are flying solo, the enemy swoops in, ever so gradually and whispers confidently into our ears that we got this and we do not need anyone’s help. Without any real thought, we believe and continue on … without seeking Him or allowing Him to help/guide. I am so guilty of this. Probably one of my weakest areas … my ego. But, on the bright side, I do finally open my eyes. I do finally see what I was missing. I do fall on my knees and ask for His help. And the Light that He shines on the situation … remarkable every time.

Today, as we go through the day, may we all seek His face first in everything that we do. Each time that the enemy tries to feed us a line, may we all tell him, the enemy, to go kick sulfur rocks. Today belongs to God … the One who is always with us for each encounter we face in the day.

Be blessed.

** Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.—Matthew 11:29

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

What a long day yesterday was. Though it involved a lot of driving, fellowship and family time were absolutely wonderful. Today, the plan is to go to the Amish flea markets and see if we can find something we can’t live without.

In the midst of all the driving, the arcade, dinner … I realized that God had given me the exact family that I was supposed to have. Mind you, there has never been a time when I did not appreciate them, love them, or want them … but sometimes, we take them for granted without even knowing it. We take for granted their different gifts and attributes to the family dynamic. Sometimes we decide that this is just life and that is the way it is … never really realizing how beautiful the situation is in the grand scheme of the family. The different personalities that bring out the best and the worst of each of us. Sometimes, it simply takes coming together as one to see the harmonious music in play.

There will always be differences in opinion, ability, points of view, and knowledge of each’s life adventure. There will be sarcasm meant in jest; there will be feelings of apprehension from past encounters … however … the one thing that can absolutely overcome ALL of this potential adversity … God’s Love indwelling in us.

Since my family has been here from across the pond, we have had one big family gathering, and two little partial family gatherings. The life that He has brought back into our everyday life has been fantastic. So wonderful that the enemy has tried on many levels to conduct catastrophic events to implode our harmony. Starting with travel arrangements for the duration of the stay, financial stability for extracurriculars, language barriers, apprehension about the language barriers, to medical situations (never-ending doctor appointments). The enemy has attempted to insert his evil talons into every aspect of this family reunion, and I can honestly say he has failed. If anything, his attempts have made us stronger. God showed me today, just this morning as I have been writing, the memories, the strength, the resourcefulness, and most importantly, the Love.

Today, as we gather once more for a day of family togetherness, I give thanks to our Father in Heaven for the family that he has blessed me with. Their resilience to push through the tough times and lovingly play in the good times. Through the tiredness of travel and the unknown territory of a new city and countryside, the bonds and memories will be everlasting. Thank you, Jesus.

As you go about your day today, give thanks to the Father for your family. Your friends. Your companions. Even if the waters are rough, there is a purpose in those times, and they are on your path for a reason. Seek His face and give thanks. He knows what he is doing, and all that he does brings out the good.

Be blessed.

**And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Before I start, I must issue a disclaimer. I strongly suggest that you do not consume ANY morning/evening beverages (depending on when you are reading this) while you read this. You have been duly warned and I cannot be held responsible for any mishaps from here on out.

Every morning, we have a scheduled mini-bible study with some friends to start our day off right with God. Every morning, we are usually a few minutes late because I am trying to get everything done with my posts so that I do not forget anything. As long as I stay in my routine, I am good. Yesterday, I overslept a little (on purpose-I was tired), so there was no writing done. We were ready with coffee and bible in hand at a quarter til 7. A MIRACLE.

When we got out of the truck, I asked if hubby had the keys; he did not, so I went in to get them off the hook. Not there. Checked the table; not there. Checked the office and last night’s clothes; not there. Now, before you think that I locked them inside, I did not; the truck was open. After several minutes of searching, we took the borrowed car to bible study. I let my son, who is visiting from across the pond, know and asked them to look for my keys. They seem to know where all my stuff is … I sure don’t. haha. Bible study was fantastic and when we got home, he informed me that they could not find them. The mega search and destroy was on. I moved laundry piles. I dug through my outgoing trash on the street. I crawled around under all the seats and stood on my head to look under the vehicle. Freezer, refrigerator, laundry in the basket and on the bed. Pulled all the covers down and pillows off. Shook towels and linen. Hands into sofa cushions and trash cans. These keys were lost. Or…very much secure … however you want to look at it.

Finally, we called a lock smith to come out and make new keys. A very nice man, professional and polite. Joked with us and even let us know that when, not if, but when we find the other key … how to reprogram it so it will work in the truck also. I paid him, and we offered to spread the word about his business. I went inside to change to go to town, I had to go help my mother with a weed problem. I changed my clothes and went to put on my shoes. Left shoe no problem. RIGHT shoe … out falls the truck key. The one place that I did not look. And why would I look in my shoes that were inside the open closet door? Right? Naturally, I hobbled outside where everyone -but the locksmith- was with shoe in hand and tossed the key over the back of the truck into the drive. Laughter consumed my yard’s atmosphere.

BRIGHT SIDE: I now have three keys for my truck instead of one.

If you spewed coffee, tea, water, or any other beverage, I am not to blame. I warned you.

A couple of things came from that little event. Seeds were planted with the locksmith in that there are still good people out there willing to help someone out. It really is a good idea to have more than one key for your vehicle and to always put them in the same place. Most importantly, however, when you lose your keys … always check your shoes that are in your closet. Just saying.

The locksmith has been in our area, I guess, for a while, and someone else has been trying to snipe business at lower rates. Which is the case in any business. When we offered to help spread the word about his quality service, he was extremely thankful. You never know who you can impart His love on or in. I do not know if he was a believer or just someone who needed a smile of supporting love. What I do know is that my little story will bring smiles to more than just him, and the fact that it is true … well, that makes it even funnier. This world is full of ugly; will you help me bring brightness to the dark? Will you help me shine His Light?

Be blessed.

**So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Have you ever noticed that certain songs stick with you for like, forever? For example, the first few notes of the Jaws theme and you are right back in the movie theater. Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Holding Out for a Hero '”, Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’; just to name a few. I realize that I just dated myself with these music choices, but that is okay. I don’t mind. For me, I have a couple of songs that I will stop in my tracks for … one is The Dance by Garth Brooks; we were married to it and here recently is a song by Josh Wilson, “How Loved You Are”.

This song came up in my social media feed with the caption, “I cried when I made this.” The video was of several people in a variety of social statuses. All were standing in front of a mirror, singing the song or lip-syncing. This particular video of this song really puts a light and a heart around the song. I mean, the song itself is wonderful and if you listen to the lyrics- I mean, really listen- you will see yourself in the song … at some point in your life. I went for a walk yesterday with only that song playing, and it created a pace of focus for me, as my time on the walk was brisk. This morning, I woke up to that song in my head. It has been a minute since I woke up to music bouncing around my brain, but I am guessing God really wants me to (hear) the lyrics.

As we walk different streets in our lives- storms, victories, daily normalcy- if things do not go ‘perfectly’ we start to pull and pick at the imperfections and look down at ourselves, feel poorly about ourselves, and think that we are not worthy or important enough for God. That our imperfections were more than Jesus could cover with his blood. That we are not … not enough.

It is okay to find and see the errors of the day so that you can improve and grow; however, it is not okay to think that Jesus could not possibly care for you. That your errors or sins were too great for His blood to cover. That, my friends, is the enemy attacking you and trying to convince you to turn away and turn to him. Those thoughts are the minions of hell picking away at your armor and attempting to persuade you to change sides. Or, if you don’t change sides, he will use those target areas to steal your peace and joy. He knows if you walk around defeated, your presence in that form will help him steal another soul who you might have helped or been able to help … if you could see yourself from His eyes.

We are all sinners. WE all fall short of the glory of God. We all have those days when we are just down and trying to figure it out. That is normal life. It is how we rebound from those bad days that is the true testament to how beautiful and powerful His love for us is. That is what draws more souls to Him. How we deal with difficulties and trying times. How we recover from loss. How we handle sudden changes and shocks. How we handle the enemy’s attempts to steal our peace … that is what shows the world that Jesus is truly our Lord and is in control.

This song, How Loved You Are, is a powerful reminder of just that. It demonstrates His love for all his children and reminds us that he died for us; He was willing to leave the 99 for us, that his love for us is unconditional. I encourage you today to look for that video and listen with an open heart and mind. Let the love of Christ fill you today on this beautiful Lord’s Day morning.

Be blessed.

**For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Well, well, well, I slept good last night and this morning I had to tell my husband he was right. Ouch. Last night we all made our plans for today and went to bed. He asked me to lay out clothes for him and I reassured him that I would be up when he got up. Well….I woke up when he opened the door to the bedroom. It was 7. He wanted to leave with our youngest son at 7:30. It was a bit of a rush, but we got it done and I told him he was right. He laughed, and I am sure he marked it in his calendar … I do not admit that often. Haha.

So, the kids are going to go have some ‘family’ time this morning. My hubby and our youngest son are going to do some early errands and go to breakfast. I am going to get some me time. I got two hours yesterday, and it looks like I will get a couple more today. Having extra bodies in the house is very nice, in that I have lots of help in the driving arena. So, I don’t always have to go and I can get some recharge time.

I looked at one of the writing prompt contests that run weekly and I think that I have a good idea for the contest. I will get my next cup of coffee when everyone leaves and see what God puts to paper. Last night I made a goofy me video with the background music of “I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody”. It took a few minutes of figuring out the program, but it came out good.

Talking with friends a few times over the last couple of months, I have explained that where I am sitting now is not where I thought I would be. Mind you, I had no idea where I would be, nor did I have grandeur ideas … I had pipe dreams that a bunch of money would miraculously appear and I would be rich without worry … I think most of us have that idea. That never happened, obviously, but what did happen is God gave me a solid work ethic, a job that paid well, and a retirement opportunity that offered me a chance to enjoy my eldering years. Never did I think that I would be a public speaker or an author. Not since 4th grade did I think I would be a teacher. Advocator never was in my thoughts. The one thing that really does not surprise me is that I am an oversized child. My childhood was good, do not misunderstand, but my adult childhood is much funner and funnier. I am truly in tune with my inner child. I really love spending time with my littles and absolutely enjoy making people smile.

If you look at your life now … how different is it from what you have envisioned over the years? Are you shocked at where you are? How many different areas have you found you had talent in that you did not know you had talent in? Without changing the struggles or dismissing the struggles … because they are a part of the who, what, when, where and how you are now … what would you change? Many talk about going back to a younger age and knowing what they know now … honestly, I do not want to do anything over again, with one exception…When I was 9, my grandmother invited me to the senior center to have dinner with her … it was family night or something special … I told her yes … then forgot about it. She seemed upset the next day to me and that is the ONLY thing that I would change. What would you change? Or would you change anything?

Today I want to encourage you to embrace YOU. Accept the YOU that God has molded you to be. Acknowledge your accomplishments and your talents. Then give thanks to Him who has held your hand through it all. You are perfectly made and specifically designed … do not allow the enemy to tell you any different.

Be blessed.

**My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. – Psalm 108:1

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

How are you all doing today? Did you sleep well, with beautifully peaceful dreams that helped you in waking up in a calm and refreshed feeling? Was your pillow a part of your body now, not wanting to separate? Did the mattress hold on to you with that special hug that says that you are needed to fill a void in ‘their’ life? I pray all that is true. It was for me. Though I did not sleep the recommended amount of time, my body said that I slept exactly what it wanted and needed; so Merry Christmas … you have a good day today. I said thank you and gave my body its coffee.

So, I have another question. What if … What if we treated God’s Word in the same manner as described above? A pillow of hope that connects to the soul. A mattress of comfort that holds us close and never wants us to leave. A blanket of security to shield us from the storm. What if we thought of God’s Love and devotion to us in that way, and treated him with the same reverence as we do when we do not want to get out of bed for work? How we shut off the alarms and hit the snooze, roll over, pull that blanket up around our chin, bury our heads into that comfy pillow as we sink even further into the mattress. What if we treated God like that? His Word with such an invitation? Can you imagine how peaceful and spiritually blissful our lives would be?

I know two things to be true in this comparison … first, when I get a wonderful night’s sleep, I feel fantastic in the morning. Second, when I bury my mind and heart in God’s word, I am better than fantastic.

Today I want to encourage you to seek that peace with Him. Seek that arena of bliss. Embrace that devotion of Love. Allow yourself to sink into His presence as He shields you from the days' mega storms and sets your mind at ease in the comfort of his chest.

Be blessed.

**Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.—1 Peter 3:4

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

How is everyone doing today? It is early and eventful in my house. Eventful for old, sleepy people, that is. I made coffee, fixed my husband’s meds, recorded his evening, walked the dog and spent some quality time in the alternative office.

Last night I was able to get the middle part of the yard mowed before I lost daylight and today I will finish. Now, normally, my yard is done in one sitting. However, this week, that has not been the case. With borrowing a mower, I had to wait to get it back and because I borrowed it, I did my obligation to his other property first. I could have waited and done mine all in one stint, but I was having fun. Haha.

So, I have a question for you. How do you decompress? Do you go for a walk/run? Do you dive into a good story? Is it television and snacks? Is there a hobby that you enjoy that helps reset your thoughts? How do you deal with the day’s events as they unfold and/or when you are thinking about them at the end of the day?

For me, obviously, writing is one avenue that I take. Another is mowing—another is music. Of course, there are my phone games … little addictive boogers.

Have you considered prayer as a route of decompression?

A quick research of how many times it is recorded that Jesus prayed is over 25 times. A finer search shows that He withdrew at least seven times to pray. Meaning that he went away alone to pray.

Now, if the Son of God, who came to earth as a human to demonstrate what He wanted us to do, left his pals, his family, his associates to pray and ‘decompress’ with God … don’t you think it might just work for us?

Over the years, in order to make prayer sound OVER important, it has been made out that you need to have a large vocabulary of fancy words and beautiful songs of words that float through the air like a cloud. However, if you read about Jesus’ account in Gethsemane … that was not flowery words … that was “Hey Dad, is there another way we can take care of this plan of Yours? If there is, can we do that instead? Hey, but if there isn’t … I understand.” Jesus was on his face, sweating and pouring out his soul to the Father, pleading for a different solution to this problem. He had become very close to His disciples and the weight of what was going to happen fell on him like a ton of bricks. He felt the burden of His assignment in full force. If the Son of man cried out to God on multiple occasions, would it not seem relevant that we would too?

The enemy would have us believe that if we cannot ‘fix’ or ‘accomplish’ something on our own, that we are weak and worthless. On the contrary, knowing that we have an avenue to strength and power, and then exercising that invitation to sit with Him, settles us and empowers us to persevere. I have confessed many times on here that my prayer life has not been the best. It is improving, however, and I can physically feel His presence as I calm from the day’s events or as I enter the day’s events. Coming from someone who routinely falls down, prayer has given me such strength to continue to take one step at a time each day.

As today unfolds, as the events begin to swallow you whole, as the world tries to dictate your mood, remember that there is One who is always there and willing to listen. Go to Him. Pour out your soul to Him. Cry to Him. Plead with Him. And know that if the answer is not what YOU wanted, that there must be a higher cause. Jesus was not released from his commitment to die on the cross; he accepted it and used it as the way to unlock the doors of death and defeat Satan. What powerful use of your turmoil lies beyond your vision that will help someone in the long run? Release your anguish to the Father and embrace your chosen status, knowing that you were picked to set the tone for someone else in a similar situation.

Be blessed.

**My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. – Matthew 26:38-39

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

It is early this morning. My eyes are barely open. However, that usually makes for a very entertaining post with the wrong word choices, punctuation, and overall topic.

Have you ever gotten an idea in your head that you could accomplish something in a certain way or amount of time and were determined to prove it could happen? You knew that all you had to do was stay focused, keep pressing on, and not allow a little thing like… oh, let’s say… nightfall stop you. That was me yesterday. The gent that I borrowed the mower from to mow my yard brought it back yesterday and I jumped on the opportunity to get the rental yard done and part of mine. In my mind, after I returned home from the rental, I had enough time to mow the back-back yard. Oh, let me tell you, I was really cooking too. I was getting her done. UNTIL. Yep, the sun was going down faster than I could push that mower. Yet, me … being me … said to myself, “Self, you can still see the last set of tire tracks for the return run … keep going.” I did this until I could barely see to get back to the house. Haha. Final verdict: NO, I did not finish that part of the yard, but I did get 98 percent of it done. The 2 percent that is still there, uncut … in the covering of trees and there was absolutely no light.

As I am racing the sinking sun ball, I am thinking to myself two thoughts … 1. You should have known it was too late to get this done, and 2. I am going to get it and show everyone it was possible. Bouncing through the rough patches of the yard, moving as quickly and safely as possible, and still making the yard look good. I was determined. The closer I got to the finish line, the more excited I got that I would actually accomplish this particular task. I even mowed some of the tree-capped lane out of sequence because I knew it would be difficult to see. Hindsight, I should have done both sections of the tree-capped area; however, I did not. Thus, there is a small tree-capped area I need to finish today.

When I finally gave up and put the mower away, I was actually excited to tell my little story of ‘how close’ I came. Then listen to everyone’s bets on whether I would keep going after the moon was fully in bloom in the sky. It made for a great story and giggle fest.

Have you ever been in a situation when, though the time frame in which you really have to get something done is not as long as you thought, but you are determined to complete the task in that allotted time anyway? Did you make it and celebrate or did you fall a little short? If you fell short, how did you defeat? Myself, I made fun of the race I had with the sun and moon and created a fun story and memory.

When we fall short of a goal, whether it's realistically capable or sketchy at best, how we handle the end result is the true prize. If success is in the air, do we boast to the point of arrogance, or do we boast to the satisfaction of a job well done? But if it is not success, do we sulk and find excuses or problems that were clouding the path to success … or … do we see the accomplishment and celebrate what we did accomplish? The result in our hearts is completely our choice.

I did not look at the clock last night, when I returned from the rental property. If I had, I may have thought against the attempt to mow in the back part of the property. Why? I know how long it takes; I know when the sun is going to disappear, and I know the odds. However, I rolled the dice on a beautiful night’s temperature and chose to swing for the fences. The result: a nearly complete mowed back portion with only 5-10 minutes left.

Today, as you go about your daily routines, think about how you are looking at your to-do list. Is it overwhelming or is it just a staircase that you will succeed at one step at a time … until you reach the top landing? When your day comes to an end today, how will you look at your to-do list? Was it a grand slam and everything got accomplished? Was it a triple down the first base line in the corner and nearly everything got accomplished? Was it a triple down the left-field line, nearly everything got accomplished, but it was a close play at the bag? Was it a bunt for a single or a sacrifice? In any one of these scenarios, you choose how you view the outcome. I suggest you view them all as victories and keep the overwhelming Light of Love in full view of your day.

Be blessed.

**Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

My apologies for not posting yesterday. It started early, ran fast, and words just did not come to me for a post. It was a good day, in that appointments were accomplished, tasks were taken care of, playtime was accomplished, fellowship was attained, and seeds were planted.

Where there were plenty of positives to tout on, one family is in need of comfort prayers. One of them either decided that life here was not worth fighting for or they got a bad batch of something … at any rate, he has passed on. I am asking for prayers for this family. For peace. For comfort. And if possible, answers.

Father in heaven, I come to you as your humble servant, embracing the power that you have endowed upon me to come to you and request a sit-down. I come to you, Father, as an intercessor, standing on Your promise that when I seek Your face, You will come. That where two or more are gathered, You are there.

Father, I come to You and ask that You make Your presence known to this family. That they can feel, physically feel, the warmth of Your breath and love surrounding them. I pray, Lord, that they will find peace in Your presence as they navigate this difficult time. Lord, I ask that the right people be in place to be the intercessors in the physical as those of us who are abroad are the intercessors in the heavenly realm.

We stand in unity, as Your body, Lord, to bring comfort and healing to this hurting family. Hear our prayers, Lord. We cry out to Your mercies and grace. Hear our prayers, Lord. We give You the glory and the honor as they reap Your blessings. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

**The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:17-18

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

How do you measure your prosperity? Is it by your bank account, or what you drive or live in? Is it by how many friends you have? Is it measured by how many ‘collectables’ you have acquired? What exactly does prosperity look like for you?

Jeremiah 29:11 is everyone’s favorite verse to quote when it comes to times of ‘financial’ struggles. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The definition of prosper, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is this: (1) to succeed in an enterprise or activity/ especially: to achieve economic success (2) to become strong and flourishing.

I Googled the original Hebrew verbiage and found that prosperous is not a word in the Hebrew language exactly. The word was ‘maschshevot,’ which in modern terms equates to peace, well-being and a positive future.

The enemy is very good at taking God’s word and turning it into something BIGGER for his glory. He dilutes the Word to soften it; he adjusts the meaning of the Word to satisfy popular opinion; he creates a world of his translation of the Word to satisfy the egos of all those who want the easy way. Such as:

Unconditional Love … that does not mean that I love your sin; it means that I love you enough to speak the truth in love, not judgment. The enemy will tell you that I am judging you, when I am not; I am just stating facts so that you can make an informed decision.

Eye for an eye … that is hatred, according to Jesus, who says when someone harms you, turn the other cheek

Prosperity preaching … from this verse … claims that if you ‘give’ to the church, then God will give to you, or rather that if you give to “their” church, God will give to you.

Prosperity and riches. The enemy will hamstring you into believing that God does not love you because you have not ‘given’ enough or that your gift is not good enough. These are all lies. Starting with, God wants you to be financially rich. It is not that God does not want you to be financially rich, but he knows how easily it can distract you from Him. If you are financially rich, then your heart turns to protecting your money instead of worshiping Him who gave you the riches. Prosperity in Jeremiah is speaking of hope, peace, and well-being; not Richie Rich.

I am not a RICH person, but I am better off than many. I have food in my belly, a roof over my head, people around me who love and respect me, a quality vehicle, but most of all … I have love. I have peace. I have joy. I have God. I am one of the most prosperous people I know.

Today I encourage you to find your peace in Him. Worship Him. Praise Him. Embrace Him. Love Him. When you do those things with your whole heart … the world does not seem so hard to deal with. Your eyes are open to so many opportunities for His light and love to shine. This will bring so much joy to your heart that it overflows in abundance to those around you. He knows what the world is like, and He wants you to have His peace and prosperity.

Be blessed.

**But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33