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

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

I have made a proclamation and sealed it with my signet ring … “The Germans may never return home. They are the only ones who know where my stuff is.” Haha.

Years ago when the kids would come and visit, we would randomly look for something. It was then that my daughter-in-law would produce it from wherever it was that I had securely placed it and promptly forgot. If memory serves, I even texted her one day, after they had gone home, and asked if she knew where something was. I had already searched the house; why not ask the expert. Haha.

Last night, a friend had come to borrow a stadium seat and cushion. I found the seat just fine, but could I find those stupid cushions …NO! I knew I had stacked them together, but I could not remember which safe place I had put them in. Just as I was about to give up, the oldest little came into the room I was leaving, told me that she knew where they were, and pulled out a seat cushion from the bottom shelf of the shelving unit. Eight hours later, I vaguely remember putting them there, but she is following in her mother’s footsteps … they may not leave. Haha.

Yesterday was a complete blessing day. Our son earned some money helping a friend. The littles and I went on a walk by ourselves. Then we went on a walk to the park with the other Oma. Afterwards, my hubby and I went to the doctor and picked up supper. Then I was able to secure two extremely valuable boxes of Bluey ice cream for the littlest of littles and become her favorite again. (bribery works…haha) Had a good visit with my sister and a great walk with the other Oma.

Today is looking to be a challenging but good day. Challenging because hubby is in pain from the swelling in his legs, but good because we have a family day planned. Tomorrow we will be celebrating his birthday with all the kids and enjoying God’s love.

To be honest, I know that there were some uglies yesterday; however, they are buried in the positives … deeply. I am sure that there will be uglies today, but I am just as positive that the blessings will completely overshadow any potential attempts from the enemy to darken our day.

What was your positive for yesterday? Did you have more than one? Do they overshadow the enemy’s attempts to steal your joy and peace? Shout them from the rooftops and embrace them as they create an armor of godliness. Today, walk in the Peace of the Lord and seek his righteousness … in doing so … the blessings that He has will manifest before your eyes. The possible darkness will be blinded by His presence and will have NO stamina in your day. I look forward to standing with you in His light today and embracing His love. Have a great day.

Be blessed.

**Give thanks to the Lord, for his is good; his love endures forever. – Psalm 118:1

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

I told you about our trying out a new translation ap so that my friend and I can communicate without someone to translate for us. She is my husband’s age and then there is my catawampus brain. I told you about how we laughed so hard and loud that I got into trouble … haha. Let me give you another giggle from that wonderful ap.

Yesterday while I was cooking dinner, my oldest little came and asked for help with her new baby doll that needed batteries. I told her to go see Opa because he had the screwdrivers. She did. Then she came back to ask for batteries. I looked all over my house and found batteries in every size but the one I needed. As I was trying to explain that we would go to the store after dinner, my German disappeared. So I asked, “Kanst du liesen?” which in my version of German is “Can you read?” She said yes. I was like Yes, I can use the app. I typed that we would go to the Dollar Store after dinner and turned the phone for her to read. I asked if she understood. She shook her head. I looked at the phone and the words looked wrong. (All languages have a vibe and this was not right.) The app had reset itself to Spanish. So, no, my German little could not read the Spanish translation. We giggled. I fixed it. She understood.

Later, my daughter-in-law had a great conversation, in English, about how we each have the same fear. When we attempt the other’s language, we are afraid of saying the wrong word. This brought up some memories of when I tried to ask her in front of her house if s he remembered the keys … however, the word for keys is similar to shoes and castles. So I actually asked if she had her shoes, castles and then keys, trying to make my brain and mouth work together.

There is a language barrier between us, but it is only a barrier if we allow the enemy to hold it between us. The barrier is only as strong as we allow it to be. Fear is a powerful tool and can keep you from trying new things. Such as … having a conversation with someone who speaks a different language. Last year, when they came, I purchased translating ear buds; they were slow on the translation and sometimes did not translate. This year we are trying the app and if I make sure it is set to German and English, I have even attempted to pronounce what it tells me. The attempt is there. The love is there. The barrier is coming down one word, one attempt, one text at a time. As we endeavor to be able to speak to each other, play goofy nugget games and faces with each other, breaking through the barrier one brick at a time … we take away the enemy’s fortress.

The enemy would have us all cowering in our little corners, afraid and resistant to step out in faith. But … I was not made to live in fear. I was not made to cower. I was made to step out in the power of Jesus Christ and share his Peace and Love while planting seeds of hope.

Today I encourage you to seek His face. Lay at His feet the barriers that you are facing, the fear that has you stationary, the battles that seem to be holding you back in your mind. I urge you step out in the faith and power of the Father and watch the fear barriers crumble. I am not completely confident in speaking German, but when it does start coming out … even if it is wrong…I tried. Trying is half the battle.

Be blessed.

**For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

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

Yesterday was such a beautifully blessed day filled with hilarity, accomplishment, and love. With help from our guests, my storage unit is now empty and all that was left is now properly stored in my shed. My shed, appropriately named: All Things Not Garage, is tidy and does not look like anything that I would own. Now, the little garage which sits right beside the shed of all things not garage, it is a little more cluttered, but still does not look like anything that I would own … it is tidy-ish. My third yard got mowed without issue and I got me a nice hot bath. Played games on the phone with the littles, got cuddles and lots of giggles. However, the biggest event for my day was when we tried a new translation AP so that me and my friend could have a conversation. WE had a conversation … a conversation of giggles and hearty laughter.

As we tried to talk slow, but fast enough and fast, but slow enough for the AP to understand two old ladies … let's just say the translations … well, some were good and correct; others were good for loud laughing. This actually got me in trouble, because my daughter-in-law was trying to put the kids to bed.

In this transaction of trying to talk to each other without one of the kids being there to translate for us, these two old women laughed and bonded in love. Love for fun. Love for family. Love for the Spirit who wants us to understand each other a little better.

Sometimes, as adults, we get too caught up in the adulting part of life that we forget to remember to have fun. We forget that we are allowed to laugh. We are allowed to let go. We are allowed to be free of all the adult rules from time to time and just act like kids. To let our bodies feel the ache of stomach cramps from laughing too hard and too much. We are allowed to live.

This day even ended with hilarity. As I was saying my prayers and giving thanks, my mind was everywhere. Then when I went to recite the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, hilarity be thy name….” I kid you not it took three tries before I got the words right. And yes, that caused even more laughing for me.
Today I would like to encourage you to find that inner person who is screaming for laughter. Who is crying to have gut-wrenching aches from too many giggles. Do not allow the enemy to keep you from the beautiful smiles and joyful bliss of laughter. Being an adult is hard enough; do not take away your playtime. Find time today to enjoy the blessings, instigate laughter, and smile because it looks good on you.

Be blessed.

**For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. – Romans 8:20-21

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

It appears that the rain monster is headed back our way. Perhaps today. I have one more yard to mow/bale, and hopefully I can get that done before it gets here. If I recall, the rain is supposed to start this afternoon around 3. We kind of made a plan for today, so…fingers crossed that the monster stays away for the right amount of time.

This year has been a wild year for my yard. I do not recall a year where it felt like a cloud just passed over my place and the grass grew six inches. It is crazy how fast my yard is growing this year. I don’t even think that it has to rain a tiny bit for my yard to keep growing. It is crazy. You know, I always thought a balance of water and sun was the formula for a good growing yard. Apparently, my yard has an attitude and has said, “Give me rain, or not; give me sun or not; give me cold or not; I will grow and will not rot.” I guess it is its version of ‘hold my beer’.

The wonderful part of it is that my yard actually looks like a fluffy pillow of beautiful grass. Not sure how that happened, but it did. There are not a lot of thistles or weeds; even in the back part of the yard, it is beautiful grass.

The way that the grass is growing so quickly and fully is a reminder of how quickly sin can manifest in our lives. Now you are wondering, how did I just turn my beautiful pillow grass into sin? Stick with me; I think you will like this. Some of you who are used to my brain are trying to see my vision first. Haha.

In one of the parables that Jesus taught, the farmer planted bountiful seeds and had a great crop. However, one day one of his servants told him of how the weeds were growing up in the plants and should they pull the weeds. The farmer told them no; they would worry about the weeds at harvest.

My nice and quick-growing yard is just like the weeds in the parable, in that the weeds sprung up quickly and became noticeable to the servants. They did not need attention, but they were trying to take over the crop to the point that the servant wanted to rid the field of them.

Sin works the same way. It finds its way into our lives, usually with logic. Such as, Jesus sat with sinners, so why can’t I? The problem with that example is that Jesus was perfect and without blemish. He did not succumb to the sin from which he was trying to save them from. He simply sat with them and told them the truth in love. WE on the other hand, are sinners who are saved by grace. WE are still human and are susceptible to the temptation of the same sins that we are sitting with. Meaning, a drug addict should not move into a drug-infested area to witness because the temptation could become too strong for them to resist.

Once sin has planted itself in our minds, it festers and grows quickly. It uses logic and ‘common sense’ ideas to justify its existence. Soon, and it does not take long, for those around you to see how the sin has manifested and grew in your/our lives. And the bad part of it all is that many times we either do not see it and still try to justify our actions with the ‘Jesus sat with sinners’ or we do not see it at all.

Today I encourage you to go to Him in prayer and ask Him to reveal any areas in your life that you may be lying to yourself about as a witness opportunity to allow for your sin. When He reveals it to you, go to Him and ask Him to forgive you. If He had sent anyone to open your eyes, ask them to forgive you for not listening to His servant. As you do that, you are telling the enemy to kick rocks and that will give him a headache for sure.

Be blessed.

**Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. – Colossians 3:17

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

Catawampus. That is my word of the day. Catawampus. It is a beautifully weird word that can be used in a myriad of ways to describe the perfect blend of chaos and dumbness in any given situation. The definition actually is: going badly, awkwardly, or in the wrong direction. Most Mondays are, by definition, catawampus. As you read from last night’s post, mine was extremely catawampus. Today tried to slide sideways but quickly smoothed out.

Another vibrant way to describe something going haywire is “off-kilter”. The actual definition of this word is: out of balance.

So, if your catawampus is off-kilter … is that good or bad?

The purpose of this paper today is to make you laugh with the playfulness of words. We make up words every day depending on how our brains and mouths communicate. Sometimes real words come out; sometimes weird syllables that formulate a weird concoction of letters into a word come out. Most of those situations result in gut-filled laughter and a sense of relief because of the guffaw.

What if we approached our off-kilter moments in life in the same manner? Throwing off the stress of the catawampus event and finding the hilarity in the guffaw. If we look, most any stressful situation can find some humor or light, even if it is deemed ‘inappropriate’. Such as, a friend of mine had a falling-out with their dad. They got sick, and when asked if the dad had been notified, I was promptly told no. For whatever the reason, I simply stated that had they called the dad, my friend may have just died on the table, to prove the point that they did not want to speak to him. Dark humor, yes. Somewhat funny in the moment, yes. Appropriate, not really. However, the levity of looking at something bad in a light that can bring a smile … totally worth it.

A business deal is heating up. Everyone involved is losing patience. Someone sneezes softly. Another person belts out, “No need to bring in biological warfare.” Inappropriate, yes. Funny, yes.

Mowing the yard with my borrowed mower, I missed a stump. Yes, a stump. Did not know or see it there. When the mower locked up and stopped mowing, instantly I saw my retirement check fly out the window. This mower was in my care; I was not careful enough, and instant panic set in … when explaining to the owner, he laughed and said he would like small bills. (FYI the mower was fixable)

There are going to be times in life when the situation or circumstance is not good. It is the habit that we have formed to always go dark and negative. That is fine if you only stay there for the moment, but immediately you should be searching for the bright side, the humor, the sarcastic satire. Something that shows you, in your heart, that God is in control and it will all work itself out.

Catawampus and off-kilter moments are a part of life. Do not allow them to remain permanent residents in your lane; find that inappropriate giggle line, and give it back to God. You will find that it helps alleviate your stress level and replace it with His love.

Be blessed.

**Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 3:2

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

Today was nothing like I had imagined it would be. Mind you, we did not really have any ‘plans’ for today with the exception of taking the dog to the vet and me helping my brother on the computer. The rest of the day really was not accounted for. HOWEVER … leave it to us to figure out a way to fill out a day without even trying.

Started with hubs getting sick last night and I ended up taking the dog to the vet. Missed my turn and had to turn around on a busy highway. On the way home, I was not really in a hurry, just driving and when I pulled up to the house, there was a random car in my driveway… no clue who or why … except it was my brother … right on time. Brain fart 101. Totally forgot he was coming, even though my stepson and I had just discussed it.

Get inside to help my brother in a computer/tech assistant nightmare for his new job. 2.5 hours later, we think we figured it out. In the middle of that, we get a notice that hubs needs blood work before his appointment tomorrow…we forgot. No worries, plan to go to the new park on the west side, drop kids off, go to get blood work, pick up lunch, have a picnic in the park, then go home after playing. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. What a funny plan. Dropped kids off, no problem. Get to the lab; they were closed. Then they opened the doors, only to tell us that they were still closed. Stopped and got lunch for the kids, drove to the lab’s second office. Get to that lab only to be told, sorry can’t help you; go to the hospital. By now, hubs is starving … haha … go get a sandwich, then the hospital; he gets labs, and I get a cold sandwich. While at the hospital, get notified that the dog is ready to be picked up … the vet is in the opposite direction of the park, and then meds need to be picked up also; fortunately meds and vet are in the same town. By now it is going on 3 p.m.; no time to go back and play at the park. A completely full day…but wait…I am not done yet; we get home and because it is supposed to rain tomorrow…take advantage of the good day and mow. Finish mowing at 9 pm. All of this because I did not make plans. Haha.

But … with all that chaos and nonsense that went along with the chaos, there were plenty of laughs, a few arguments, some severe rolling of the eyes and lots of blessings. Even with the chaos, things got done respectfully; kids got to go to their favorite park and have McDonald's, the dog is now talon-free and clean and we got notified that our appointment was moved up by half an hour. All positives.

Just because something does not roll down the hill the way that you think it will or should, does not make it bad or a negative. There were plenty of negative aspects to today, but not one of them overshadowed a millimeter of the positives. Each day we have a choice to make: see the positive or see the negative. If you see the positive, it is a great day; if you see the negative, you have a choice … focus on the negative or look for a positive in or from the negative. If you focus on the negative, you will have a bad day; however, if you look for a positive within the negative or because of the negative, you will have a good day.

As you prepare for bed tonight, I urge you to look back on your day and see what kind of day you think you had. Look at each component and how many negatives come to mind first…then how many positives? If you are seeing the negatives over the positives, try realigning your sights so that the positives come to mind first. It makes for a much more peaceful mindset. I will confess that it takes some time and practice, but it can be done.

Be blessed and good night.

**You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. – Matthew 5:14-15

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

Today looks to be a potentially soggy day again. I checked the weather on my phone and it was a muddy puddle. This brings me to my funny story for you today.

Yesterday, my husband and I had a meeting with our VA lawyer in a new town. Because of all the storms and flooding issues, the crowd was much smaller. We actually got to ask a couple of questions when we sat down with him. We did not feel rushed. As good as that was, it was not the highlight of the trip. While waiting for our turn, we met some new friends. Two of which just happened to be authors. One of which just happens to run a podcast. Hmmm. Any thoughts on why we went to ‘this’ meeting with the lawyer and not the meeting place? I wonder if Someone knew who we were going to meet.

One of these two individuals’ spouses has memory issues. The other is applying for their survivor’s benefits with the lawyer’s help. I wonder Who designed this meeting?

Since I have been retired, I have been hyper-focused on making sure that I take care of my husband and keep his medical stuff straight and on track. I have been hyper-focused on keeping our lives as smooth as possible. So hyper-focused that when my littles from across the pond arrived, I was not the fun American grandma. I was grumpy grandma. That changed yesterday.

On our way home from the lawyer, I was thinking about all this rain, the flooding, and then I thought about the muddy puddles in my yard. I decided on the way home that we were going to play in the muddy puddles. God gave them to us, why not play in them? So, when I got home, I changed into shorts, kicked off my shoes, and challenged the grandkids to a splash fest. I do not know how long we played, but we all needed showers when it was over with … and that is after washing off with the garden hose. I even got the other grandma to play in the muddy puddle. We all were muddy puddle winners.

Too often, the enemy gets grown-ups to think they have to be adults all the time. When in fact, Jesus tells us that we are to come to Him as children. In all these storms, there have been ugly skies, so dancing in the rain has not been possible … however … splashing in the muddy puddles … well now, that is an awesome stress reliever.

Today is His day. Today we are going to his house to worship him, whether in a church or a prayer closet. Today we are going to thank Him for his blessings and for the trials. Today, we give God the glory and enter His presence as children. Will you join me on the heavenly playground of muddy puddles?

Be blessed.

**And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3-4

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

This month, I have taken a break from doing events in an attempt to sell my books. I have got the giveaway going, but that is all for now. It is funny that in a matter of just a couple of hours, I have September looking pretty solid for different sites. Add to that a couple of new projects in the works. So, while my physical is taking a break while the littles are here, my mind never shuts off. Haha.

Today we have an appointment to see the VA lawyer and work on next steps for my hubby’s compensation. I have questions, and supposedly this alternate site has a calmer venue to ask those questions.

As the rain falls, yet again today, please pray for those areas that are over drainage capacity and are flooding. My yard is a soggy mess and when I actually get to mow … in six months … we will need a rake to bundle the grass for the horses; however … my little puddles in my yard are nothing compared to those who have been ousted from their homes and businesses.

I would encourage you to seek an audience with the Father today, as you should every day; however, today make a special appearance and pray for those who are watching their livelihood wash away in the floods. Pray for the emergency workers who are trying to keep everyone safe. Pray for the linemen who are trying to keep the power on. Pray for those who just happen to be in the wrong place when a road washes away. Pray for those in your community who are struggling with something that you are not aware of. Pray for our government leaders to put Him first and to follow His direction. Today, spend a considerable amount of time in prayer. Let's come together as a church and cover our country. While in the community, randomly stop and help someone … be the church in the physical as well as the spiritual. Today, let us show the world how His church demonstrates His love.

Be blessed.

**Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” –Matthew 22:37-40

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

I do not recall the last year when we had so many storms pound us one right after the other. I am thinking it was the early 2000’s or so. Mind you, my memory is not the best and I was working a lot after 2003, so my time frame could be off. In the last week alone, it feels like we have been handed a new and severe storm each day. Mowing is all but out of the question, though the grass is green and full … and high.

I told you about my drive to the airport and how much ‘fun’ it was. Last night we had another very loud and very powerful storm come through our area, during which my dog decided to have a panic attack in the midst of it, which of course woke me up. In her defense, the storm and my overactive imagination had already stirred me, so it was not like I was sound asleep. However, I called her over to my side of the bed and we had an ‘its okay’ pet and conversation as the storm made its way through the noisy and scary part. This morning, she is in my office with me as another part of this storm party is making its way through.

Her reaction to the storms reminded me of myself. As powerful and influential storms pass through my life, sometimes they are intimidating enough to send me into an internal panic attack. (Rarely are they visible to anyone other than those closest to me because of my pride…just being honest.) Last night, as I calmed my dog, I felt the Holy Spirit remind me that what I was doing to settle her down, He did/does for me. A simple, yet effective, visual aid to remind me that I am not alone in my storms. All I need to do is put my eyes and my faith in the One who has everything under control.

Last night, when my dog came to my side of the bed for comfort, she knew that I would not let anything happen to her. She felt soothing and calm begin almost instantly. After a few minutes of reassurance and light, loving pets, she returned to her bed on the floor and slept the rest of the night. This is the peace that the Holy Spirit brings to us in our storms … if we truly believe and trust that He is the one who will not allow anything to hurt/happen to us. Just before the first big thunder cracker hit, my overactive imagination had already begun; the Holy Spirit sent my dog to me for comfort, to release my mind from the internal chaos I was building and to place my focus on Him. It worked. My focus changed to soothing the dog and my anxiety went down tremendously, so then I could get back to sleep.

The Trinity is a powerful tool in our arsenal against our daily battles. God created us. Jesus died for us. The Holy Spirit holds us close in times of struggle to remind us of our value to the first two. Leaning on Them, is the only way to truly release the demons of our mind and regain our peace. Peter had faith to step out of the boat, but allowed his eyes to see the storm, so he sank … but … he called out for the One who was on the water with him and reached for His hand. When we start focusing on the storms, we lose sight of the One who saved us in the first place, but when we call out … He is there.

Today, as the storms of life push through, keep your eyes focused on the One who will hold you close and protect you. Invite Him to come sit and cuddle with you as your storm passes. The comfort you receive is unimaginable and beautifully felt.

Be blessed.

** “Come.” He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. – Matthew 14:29-31a

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

How much do you truly trust God?

Oh, pop quiz this morning. How much do you sincerely trust Him?

Now, I know that everyone is going to immediately jump up and say with everything and always. But … I want you to think deeply about this question. As always, I have a reason for it. When you get scared. When things fall apart. When something goes sideways. When a negative surprises you. Do you always run to Him first?

Personally, I usually have a tantrum first, then I go to Him. I think this is how it is with most people. It seems, or it feels like what be the norm. At least from my perspective. I could be wrong. But anywho…

Yesterday I had a challenge where I did not panic or throw a tantrum, I actually prayed over the situation, through the situation, and in the finality of the situation. Where I live, we have been hammered with storm after storm, after storm. Yesterday, I had to drive to the airport to get my littles from over the pond. On the way to the airport, I had to drive a high-roof van through one of those storms. The wind was vicious. Corn was laying down. A tree was still rooted and trying to lay down. I could feel the intense wind trying to take the van over on its side. I had visions of the van flipping over because the gusts were massive. When I drove my little car in storms like this, I would just envision the wind picking up the car and placing it in the nearest field… smack dab in the middle of course. Yesterday, I wondered if the van was going over. But … even in the middle of those thoughts, that terrifying experience, I was calm; I was at peace in my core. I started reciting the 23rd Psalm. I started praying for protection. I released my control (metaphorically) of the vehicle and situation and asked Him to carry us through. He did. On the highway to the airport, the lines that separated the lanes disappeared. That was scary, but He kept the van in the lane it was supposed to be in.

I have driven in or been in many harrowing experiences, but never had I stopped my brain activity to stay safe and invited Him in to keep me safe. I always just trusted in my instincts. Then gave glory to Him at the end, but in the moment, to actually rely on Him and His presence and His power … real-time possibility of danger and harm … and release that fear and anxiety … was mesmerizing.

He does lead my life, and until yesterday, I thought every aspect of it; however, yesterday proved that there was an area that I still had control of … until I didn’t. I am so thankful that I released that fear to Him. I am a strong woman. I am a faithful woman. I am a diligent servant of the Holy Spirit, at least I try to be. But sometimes my pride in my own strength gets in the way of my growth. Yesterday, I grew. Yesterday, I felt what it was like to truly trust Him in a harrowing process.

How much do you trust Him?

A valid question to search your innermost core. Before you jump up and say all the Christiany things … ask Him to show you those areas that you are still keeping Him at arm’s length. Ask Him to show you how to lower those walls and move forward. There is no shame in admitting you still seek control. There is no guilt in admitting you have not released it all. There is only growth. Do not let the enemy tell you otherwise. For me to share a vulnerable moment publicly is a miracle in itself. I know that I have more areas that I need to work on, with His guidance. I will not allow the enemy to rob me of one inch of His grace. Will you join me on this journey?

Be blessed.

**For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. – 2 Corinthians 1:5

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

Today is it. Today we pick up the littles (and the grown-ups) from the airport. Today I will become a 57-year-old toddler. More so than normal. Today my positive is the start of a month-long play date. I will need a vacation after this vacation…haha. My mom said it best yesterday: my heart says that I am a kid, my mind says we will worry about it later, and my body tells me that I am a fool. All are correct. Just to be upfront here.

The enemy has a way of making all things that are good and wonderful seem as if there is a catch, a hook, a deception, or a possibility for failure and dismay. He is very good at using logic to show the pitfalls, create chaos, and change the visual of what is before us. He is subtle in his ways. He is persuasive and convincing. His points and thoughts appear valid. It is extremely easy to see his point of view. We are so conditioned to look for the other shoe to drop that when it does, we fall into this muddle mess of ‘I knew it’. Yesterday he did that with me. I got a feeling that our rental reservation was lost, and I could not find an email with the confirmation. As we ate dinner, my mind focused on what we were going to do if they did not have the vehicle we needed … it happened the last time we rented from them and serious changes had to be made. Fast forward … the van was there. We drove it home. I lost peace for no reason. For a short period of time, the enemy won a battle with me. I allowed my fear to control my faith.

Many who know me know that this is a rarity. I know my God. I know His power. I know His promises. And even when this company failed the last time, God provided a way.

To those who struggle with finding your positive … that is the enemy. A positive does not have to be a massive anything; a positive can simply be that your day was rough, yet you made it through and did not get fired. Your positive can be that the rain was soft and refreshing, dulling the humidity. Your positive can be that though your area was ravaged by the storm, your property got minimal damage. Your positive can be that your coffee pot produced another round of wonderful morning nectar. Your positive can be that you prayed before you got up or before you went to bed. Your positive can be that there is food in the fridge and cupboards. Your positive can be that your son/daughter wanted to cuddle. Your positive can be that you woke up rested. Your positive can be that the laundry is finished. Your positive can be that you found the money you needed for gas in a pair of pants that you just washed. The positive can be that your pet gave you kisses. Your positive can be that the morning air feels calming. Your positive can be … your positive can be anything. It does not have to be massive or explosive in design. Your positive is just that … any positive. Just as a positive can be what you receive … your positive could also be what you give. Your positive could be that you stopped and helped someone on the side of the road. Your positive could be that you were able to help someone pay for their groceries. Your positive could be that you gave someone a hug. Your positive could be that your smile calmed someone down. Your positive … your positive … Your positive is a gift, both received and given. Your positive shows His love for you and IN you.

As you go through your day today, I challenge you to see only the positive. Even in the middle of the chaos and dark … there are positives. You just need to be willing to open your eyes and see them.

Last night, a gentleman who really wants to help me promote the books but respects my current thought process gave me some ideas to think about. Another positive. A new vision. A new potential direction. A positive for the Kingdom.

Be blessed today my friends.

**Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. –Matthew 22:37

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

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been cleaning my house to prepare for my littles from across the pond. Taking on one room at a time. I am a slob by nature, but when I clean … I clean. This round is not as deep as I have done, but I am happy with it. For those worried that the pod people have taken me over … my office is still a four-train trainwreck. Tomorrow is the day I get my first round of hugs.

When I am cleaning, I like to turn on the music loud and just keep moving. The tempo and mood set by the music keeps me focused and on task. Also, while I clean, I do a lot of thinking. Different things will catch my eye and I will end up on a trip down memory lane. During this clean, I found myself getting very short-tempered. My husband would offer to help and I would cut him off with a sharp response. He had done nothing to deserve that tone, but I was so focused on the task and whatever memory was running through my head that he did not have a chance for civility. When I get hyper-focused, I get mean. One of many areas that I must work on with His help.

Sometimes I wonder if my temperament in those cleaning times is a reflection of how many times I felt dismissed by my dad when I was little. It is a far reach, I know; however, that is the only logical conclusion that I can muster inside my little brain. That I was always trying to prove myself strong and capable of anything a boy could do to him, that I still am.

So, before I go on, know this … I have no ‘trauma’ from the way my dad raised me. I loved him. I disagreed with him a lot, but I never stopped loving him. Because of him, his old-fashioned ways, his desire to protect his first little girl … he formed me into the person that I am today. Independent. Strong. Loving. Fun-loving. Caring. Dependable. My dad was not a perfect man, but he was the perfect one for me.

In this day and age of seeking past problems to account for current actions, is overshadowing personal responsibility. My dad was a strong man with strong views. There was never any doubt what he felt was right or wrong. He raised me to be the same way. The enemy wants us to live in the past so that we cannot see the beautiful future.

Yes, there is trauma that needs help working through and you never really ‘leave’ it behind; however … at some point, we must make the choice to make it a part of our story … not just our story. At some point, we need to lay it at the feet of Jesus and see the beauty that we can bring into the new beginnings because that trauma has helped form us into who we are. A child of God. We were chosen to live in that time to be able to witness to those are currently living it and show them the Light. That the trauma does not always win. That the past is just that … the past. That Victory is ours for the claiming.

How do we do that? First, we surrender to Christ. Truly surrender. Giving Him our day from the get-go all the way through to the end. Any past trauma triggers that arise, we give to Him. WE do not act on them; we lay them at his feet. We forgive instantly the person who created this trigger. And we take this as a learning moment that we need Him more than ever to guide us. It is not always easy, but it is doable. The enemy would have us live in the past and be untrusting or untrustworthy, but the Spirit wants us to see the beauty that is before us. We do that by accepting that the past is the past and we are not staying there.

Today we focus on His Light. No matter what trigger arises. Today we lay it all at His feet. Today we start anew with Victory in our hearts. Today is a new day.

Be blessed.

**There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to mourn and a time to dance. – Ecclesiastes3:1,3,4b

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

For the longest time in my life, my prayer life was all but non-existent. I believed in prayer, I valued prayer, but I always seemed to get bored in prayer. I would start to nod off. I would get distracted. I would attempt to be better by using big fancy words because, for some reason, I thought that was how you were supposed to be in prayer. And then even though I said I would pray for you, I would forget about it when I got to a ‘prayer’ moment in my day. My prayer life really kicked rocks.

Then I learned that prayer did not have to be lofty or full of big fancy words. It was suggested that I pick a time of day for every day to make a routine of having a conversation with God. So, I made my time driving to work my prayer time. I made a valiant effort at it; however, since I was a workaholic, my mind would shift into details of work and what I needed to prepare for in the day. Though it improved slightly, it still kicked rocks.

I am not sure what changed in my thoughts and desires other than I wanted a better prayer life, I wanted better communication with Him, and I wanted more of His Peace. It was then that I started the before my head hits the pillow at night and before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I will give thanks for my blessings. I will offer up prayers of protection and healing. I will add to my prayer those who have asked for prayer. And … when I am done with my prayer, I will close with the Lord’s prayer.

Now, the Lord’s prayer is a model of how we are to pray, not just a prayer. We acknowledge Him in his glory both on earth and in heaven. Then we ask for his wisdom and his protection and his forgiveness. We then close by giving honor to his might. In saying this model prayer, my mind will drift here and there, at which point I will remember areas that I forgot to pray about, and I can stop in mid-prayer, go back to my prayer, and make the additions, then start the Lord’s prayer again. It is a great reminder for me to stay on track.

In following this thought process of prayer, I have had a steady pace and consistency for prayer. With that consistency, I have found balance and peace. With balance and peace, my days are so much smoother … even when the storm rages. I do not.

I want to encourage you to find a routine to improve your prayer life, or to start a prayer routine in your life. This concept that I follow may not work for you; however, if you ask Him for guidance, He will give you ideas. Trust in Him and He will guide you. Prayer is a powerful tool to hold off the enemy.

Be blessed.

**I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” –Psalm 91:2

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

Well, my house is nearly finished. I got the upstairs looking very good, and now I can complete the downstairs. Yes, I did do the downstairs first; however, all good things in the worldly arena must come to an end. Everything that was just hidden upstairs is now in my dining room to be sorted, reboxed in totes, and hidden away in the freshly organized shed. Should only take a couple of hours this afternoon. Then get my front room done and maybe start my office…hahahahahaha…..that is a true danger zone.

Last night me and the hubby had a date night. Tried a new place to eat. The décor was good, the service very friendly and efficient; however, the food was lacking in our opinion. I will not say where we went because it was our opinion. Plenty of people were there and coming in, so it is just a matter of perspective.

As we were talking this morning about different things going on in our lives; the kids coming, getting the house ready, health, appointments, daily adventures… and such … I heard got speak directly to me several times in that conversation. “I feel that a lot from you.” “Yes, I understand exactly how you feel.” “I have said that to you many times.” And my personal favorite, “Really?” All these were things I hear in my spirit, which made me step back and realize that much of what I say…He does too … to me.

A friend of mine used to tell me how much they got annoyed when I would use their words against them in frustrated thoughts they had about something or someone. They wondered why I would not just take their side … I would giggle and we would end up in a bashing banter fight and all would be well. The Spirit does the exact same thing … minus the banter bashing … He takes our words, our frustrations, our doubts and shows us that He is there with us as well. I am pretty positive that I am a primary cause of migraines in the Holy Spirit. (LOL) Especially now that I am in menopause and my mood switches like a kid with a light toggle.

The journeys that He gives us are specific to our personalities and strengths. I have on many occasions questioned both those motives, but in the end of each particular journey I have seen the end result and am thankful for it. In the long run, not only was I able to help someone, but I was strengthened as well.

Just as I know my house will be 98 percent done today, after church, that the obstacles that I am facing will be conquered, that the frustrations that I feel will strengthen my resolve, and that any doubts that I may have on any given subject matter will dissipate … it is a matter of trusting the process, and the process is not mine, but His.

Today I will go to His house. I will sit with Him. I will hear His Word. I will be fed his nourishment. I will drink of His Spirit. And … I will leave His house with an indwelling of His peace. Will you join me?

Be blessed.

***Through him and for his name’s sake, we will receive grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. --Romans 1:5

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

In preparation for my German littles, there has been a lot of activity around the house. I have two rooms left upstairs to complete, and two rooms downstairs to finish. Yesterday was an outside workday. A trip to town for supplies first thing, then mowing … two yards pristinely mowed (if I do say so myself…haha), then finishing up one of the three rooms upstairs. My back is telling me that I am not young anymore…haha.

During my travels yesterday, I was listening to different songs and commentary from my phone. One person that I follow because I like their content was singing Are You Washed in the Blood; however, she changed it from Are you … to I am. It caught me off guard at first, thinking it was not the song I thought it was; however, I quickly found myself singing right along with her. The power that I felt by changing the lyrics just that little bit … magnificent. I got chills as I sang along, thinking about how blessed I am that I made that decision, so many years ago, and though I have fallen more times than I can count … I am washed in the blood of the Lamb. I will walk on the streets of gold one day.

The last time that I talked to my father-in-law, I asked him if he knew where he was going after he died. He plainly and directly told me that he was going to the cemetery in a hole. (Before his passing, he did change his view and was baptized.) Unfortunately, his thought process is that of many walking beside us today … even some ‘Christians’. Those who attend church regularly or claim the title still struggle with overt feelings that are not truly washed. This pains me. Having the peace of His blood covering my soul, without a doubt knowing where I will spend eternity, that is what makes life so much easier to manage.

Scripture says that His peace is incomprehensible to those who do not have it. This is because the enemy has his digs into the thoughts of those who are lacking. He plugs and picks away at what they think they know versus what they feel. He finds cracks and small entryways into their minds and reminds them of every little infraction they ever committed. He shouts out all ‘big’ sins and whispers the ‘little’ ones. He remembers every little thing that you did your entire life and reminds you of it to keep you down. HOWEVER, when you are washed in the blood, everything you did prior to your washing is washed away the minute you are baptized. Nothing you did prior to your conversion is held against you. You are genuinely washed in his blood for those sins. Now … the cool thing about after that day … after you are committed and washed in baptism, when you fall (and you will because you are human), all you need to do is go to Him in prayer and ask for forgiveness. Daily, I talk to Him, ask Him to show me my failings, ask Him to forgive me, and to fill me with His Spirit. Peace flows through me like a river. And it can you as well.

Today I encourage you to go to Him in prayer. Have a lengthy conversation about your day, what is coming up that you already know will be a potential trip hazard, ask Him to steady your footsteps, and walk in His peace. If you have not yet committed to His offering of salvation, I encourage you to seek out His presence and sit with Him. Ask Him whatever is on your heart. Watch the birds of the air and ground animals play and know that if He will take care of them, as he does, then why wouldn’t He want to take care of his most precious commodity …YOU. My friend, seek His love, grace, and mercy. There is nothing like it. I promise.

Be blessed.

**My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. – Psalm 101:6

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

In my journey to clean the house, I have gone from worship music to listening to the Bible. My goal around mid-January was to actually make it through the bible by the end of the year. I started in the New Testament while I was driving back and forth to work. It really did not feel like it took that long to devour all that wisdom. (Mind you, it will take me many more meals of that nature before I remember it all.) Once I was done with that, I moved into the Old. Now, we all know how much fun the Old Testament can be. Especially the book of Leviticus … got to know me some offering techniques. Just staying. When I retired, I believe that made it through Chronicles… another riveting beginning of the family tree (it did get better). After that, it was hit and miss when I listened. I am happy to report that I have now finished Ecclesiastes. With only 18 books left to listen to, I am confident that I will make my goal.

Last night while I was folding the hidden laundry that I found in various places, I was listening to the book of Proverbs. Now, this book, I have read many, many times. Though this is true, I ‘heard’ things yesterday that I did not recall from before. I also had metaphoric thoughts of their meaning, in some cases, which is why I did the afternoon post yesterday. When a new light bulb is sparked as I am listening, I have to hit replay several times. I want to make sure that I heard what I thought I heard. I to my physical bible and look it up to read what I heard. I stare at whatever is near me at the time as I search my thoughts like a kid who was just told to pick one piece of candy … so many to choose from. It is fantastic.

Because I listen repeatedly and verify with physical sight, I can usually see or feel the message that He wants to give me, as with the PM post yesterday. However, I was still in the book of Proverbs when I thought I heard another epiphany. I looked it up, wrote it down, and thought about it. I slept on it, and this morning I took another look; the message I thought I heard was not what I received this morning. I believe that what I thought it said last night was an attempt to begin a quarrel or clickbait. That is not what the Word says. Even I can get caught up in the thought of education for the greater good; however, we must have discernment and wisdom for what we are about to divulge. Prudence in this situation, I believe, was the best call. (Quick note: my laptop is being attitudinal … my apologies if there are random punctuations.)

Last night I received a Word from God to post in the afternoon. Shortly after that, I thought that I had received a second one; however, because I was cautious with my response, I believe that I averted or dodged a sticky situation that a post could have caused. The Spirit gave me a metaphoric thought on the first gift; the enemy tried piggyback with a second prompt. The difference was that I am versed enough in His Word that my inner spirit told me to wait and study more closely. Wisdom and discernment, coupled with prudence and patience, are a recipe for success when spreading the Good News.

When Solomon was made King, God asked him what he wanted. Anything he asked for, God would grant … Solomon asked for wisdom. Not riches. Not power. Not favor. He asked for wisdom. Because he did not ask for self-gratifying indulgences, but a way to help his people, God was pleased and granted the other items as well.

Periodically, I will ask to win the lottery, that my books take off, or I have a rich uncle/aunt somewhere that left me their millions. Where the concept of not thinking about money ever being a problem is nice, it brings on its own challenges. My husband and I have joked that if that ever happened, we would still be in the same financial arena we are in now because we would not be able to help ourselves but to help others. I am pleased that He has given me this gift of discernment. I am happy that He has given me this gift of wisdom. I am happy that He has given me this gift of obedience. I fail many times, but He is always there to guide me through. What have you asked for lately? Stature? Or Wisdom?

Be blessed.

**For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. –Proverbs 2:6

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

It is not often that I get the urge to post twice a day. At least not in this format; however, today, as I was listening to Proverbs, something caught my ear and my attention. Chapter 25, verses 21 and 22:

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

I need you to step out of your box and the verbatim reading of this verse. Stick with me for a minute; I think you will be just as amazed as I was.

What if the food and drink were not about physical food or drink, or even spiritual food or drink? What if it were common courtesy food and drink? Trust food and drink? Love food and drink? What if it were forgiveness food and drink?

The enemy has so intertwined with eye for an eye that we forget the part about seven times seventy. The enemy has us so focused on similarities that we cannot see past them and assume the worst. The enemy is very good at using logic to make our decisions seem right and just, but what if we stepped out of that box and built a new one?

If we were to truly build a new box of trust, love, and forgiveness … regardless of possible probabilities … the enemy would lose his grip on us, thus causing burning coals to be poured onto his head, burning off those chains. Heavenly heated coals with Jesus' power to break the chains of doubt and fear … what if?

Imagine, if you can, the high-five we could receive in heaven if we could feed those who have wronged us in this manner. Imagine the chains that could be broken on them if we followed this line of thinking. Imagine the victory that would come from this serving of refreshments in our daily lives.

Something to think about as you go about the rest of your day and evening. Food for the soul is not always food in the physical.

Be blessed.

**The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners”.’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions. – Matthew 11:19

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

I am tired this morning. It is almost like I worked yesterday or something. Haha. A good dent was made in the cleaning of the house. It is very noticeable that I did something. Because I wanted to see exactly what I did at the end of the day, a silly game I play with myself when I am working hard, I made a list of tasks accomplished. That way, at the end of the day, when the house is ‘still’ not ‘cleaned’ … I can see that I did make a difference, and the little tasks that you don’t see right off build up to a completed big task. It helps not to be overwhelmed with the overall task … see your mini accomplishments and count them blessings.

My final task yesterday was to make an urgent run to Peru to meet up with my daughter-in-law. My son, who is on his two-week military training out of state, lost his last childhood pet, who passed away. She was a wreck because of the loss and because my son did not get to say goodbye. We have a large piece of property, and all the kids’ pets are buried somewhere here. I met her halfway from their house to mine and picked up The Queen, as my son had deemed the pet.

If I, as a sinful and disobedient child of God on many occasions, am willing to drive an hour and a half to retrieve a deceased pet to bring home to bury … how much more willing is the Father in heaven to do for me. I am an utter mess. I cuss. I judge. I am rash in my thinking. I like other people’s stuff and sometimes wish I had it … normal on the world’s standards, but sinful in God’s eyes. I am a mess. BUT … even as big a mess as I am, He still blesses me … and in abundance.

The enemy likes to twist things. Such as, my mission yesterday was to clean the house and start loading up the shed loft with boxes from the laundry room. I did not even get to the shed. I am not even close to that yet. The enemy would call me a failure; however, my list and my Father say otherwise. My house did not become a disaster zone overnight… taking two or more days to clean it right is reasonable. The enemy will try today to tell me that it is good enough and I should do something else, so that I will not clean and then he can call me a failure even more. However, what his dense mind fails to remember is that my Father did not give me the spirit of fear or failure, but the spirit of victory, and I intend to be victorious again today by taking out another chunk of this disaster zone and making it almost old-fashioned, presentable.

Once you commit and see the Trinity for who they truly are … your power source, your confidence, your muscle to move forward – even when the territory is rough, then there is nothing that can stop your Victory.

Today, make a short list of things you want to accomplish. As you accomplish each task of the day, make a list of the accomplishments. Compare the two lists. You will be amazed at how much you really did get done and how victorious your day developed into. Do not let the enemy hold you back; you got this.

Be blessed.

** Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. –James 1:2-3

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

What a crazy day we had yesterday … but in a positive way. A really positive way. A long-time friend told me that they prayed for the first time and that they wanted the peace that I had. I broke all the rules that I taught my children and met someone from the internet … at a candy store no less. Haha. From that meeting, I believe that I have a new friend. I met their children, and we had a good time. The drive to and from the meeting place was gorgeous. When we got home, the gas can DID NOT leak on me this time for the mower. I mowed the second property I am responsible for with ease. A grand, goofy, and GODLY day.

It was such a good day that my sleep, where solid and uninterrupted, was a bit wild as well. The enemy knows that he cannot have me. I am solid in my Father’s arms, but he does, from time to time, try to wear me out in other fashions. Whether it be writer's block and frustration or stupid little annoyances that just sit the wrong way with me, he is my thorn. HOWEVER, even with that and the draining it can give me, my eyes do not focus on the storm, but the Man who saved me from the storm.

Another friend showed me a photo of a saying the other day about how the enemy does not bother you if you are his. That is one of the most important statements ever made, in my opinion. If you have already been hired by my company, why do I need to try to get you to join our team? If you are already doing my work for me, why do I need to do anything else to get you to do my work? HOWEVER, when you start to see that the job you are doing is not peaceful or feels wrong or sits poorly in your spirit and you seek alternative solutions … i.e., God. You bet your bottom dollar that I do not want to lose a valued employee, and I am going to pull out all the tricks to keep you. In a business sense, I would give raises that were not earned, or flatter you with compliments always, and I would tell you that rival company has this negative and that negative and the rules are outrageous. The owner does not care about his employees and just look at how good you have it here.

When you decide to leave the enemy’s troops, he gets upset that his forces are dwindling. When you are doing his bidding, he is quite content and will show you why you should stick around. When you decide that this company is not for you and you start to move away … he throws a tantrum. He not only gets in your face and yells obscenities at you, but he goes after anyone who is trying to headhunt for your skill set. For example, my rough night’s sleep last night was a chaotic mess of utter confusion meant for me to wake up drained and not speak to my friend on this topic today. Just like medicine has an opposite effect on my husband, the enemy’s attempts to stop me have the same type of effect on me.

I think it was Paul who said he counted it great joy to have been chosen for the challenges placed before him. I would like to think that I am the same. I have a saying, ‘If you are coming after me, or talking about me, you are leaving everyone else alone.” I am good with that.’

Today I want you to walk with pride and confidence. Today I want you to show the enemy that you have chosen the Father of Peace and are leaving the father of chaos. Today I pray that your challenges appear in such a manner that you laugh when they arise and show God’s glorious victory as you take each step towards Him. Today …. Today is the day that God made …

Be blessed.

** Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. –Romans 8:33

free contest

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

What do you do when God gives you an assignment?

Do you jump at the chance to be obedient? Do you evaluate the circumstance? Do you weigh the good and the bad? Do you ‘pray’ about it … but don’t really pray about it? Do you seek counsel from others? Do you go to Scripture to find out if what you ‘think’ you heard aligns with the Word? Or …….

Do you alter what you were told to do so that you can have your cake and eat it too?

See, the last is what tends to hem us all up. We get the message, then we pray on it … right then, then probably forget about it when a genie does not appear with the rainbow and glitter answer. We open our Bibles with the intent to align it with God’s word but get distracted. We definitely weigh the good and the bad … not because of the victory that awaits, but what it will do TO us. But most of all, and unfortunately, it is quite true … we figure out a way to do what He said but limit the uncofortableness of the task. That is the ugly truth. 9 times out of 10 (my estimation) we hear, we test, we adjust, we deliver the new plan. Not all God’s plan, but a mix of what WE think will work.

I am guilty of this very thing—more times than I care to remember.

The Holy Spirit laid on my heart to hold a contest … over a month ago. Yes, over a month ago. Just last night I started it. In that last month, I could use the events, the hospital stay and a plethora of other excuses; however, the bottom line is that I was dragging my feet. I was trying to sit on the fence about the ‘how’ instead of listening to His guidance. Last night, while mowing, I heard Him loud and clear. Last night I finally obeyed. To His plan, not mine, not a mix … His Plan.

Many times we think we can do a portion of what He is asking us to do and it will count. That is the enemy using logic against us. “You did the ‘important part’; you talked to them. That is what He told you to do, right?” When in fact all you did was give them the morning greeting as you do every day. Nothing more. You did not listen or heed His request, because you could not be bothered by this person who has a reputation, or an odor, or dresses differently … you simply made your morning greeting a little more palatable.

What are you truly afraid of when He asks you to commit to His plan? Failure? Resentment? Disappointment? Rejection? You do realize that these are all from the enemy, right? Traps for you to stay hidden in, buried in, covered over in … locked in. As long as you allow these things to lead you, the enemy has you right where he wants you … on his side.

Now, some would argue that since you haven’t chosen either side, then you are safe. That is absolutely FALSE. Not choosing is choosing. But not choosing to follow the Holy Spirit, you ARE choosing to follow the enemy.

Today I would like you, I would encourage you strongly, to go to Him in meaningful prayer and ask Him to come upon you and help you with that task that He has placed on your heart that you are scared of. Surrender your apprehensions and fears to Him and take the first step to obedience. When you do, there is a peace from pleasing the Father of Life that surpasses all the anxiety that the enemy throws at you. This I have seen. This I have experienced as well.

Be blessed.

** “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” – Matthew 6:24

“Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” – James 1:8

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” – Revelation 3:15-16

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

I think the hardest witness that I have ever done is to someone that I love. Someone who is close to me. Someone that I admire. Someone who has overcome battles. Someone who I want to walk the streets of gold with. However, their views and my views are miles apart.

The world has intertwined so many ‘logical’ explanations, ‘logical’ conclusions, and ‘logical’ dismissals for believing in God.

1. If there is a God, why do kids get sick?
2. If there is a God, why do those who believe in him suffer?
3. I asked God to help and he didn’t.
4. There is no way that the flood happened.
5. Once you die, you die…you cannot wake up again.
6. I believe there is a higher power, but I don’t know about Jesus.
7. Why would anyone purposefully die for someone they don’t know?

Seven very common, very real, very distinctive arguments that I have run into from those that I love. But the one that gets me the most is this: There are a lot of religions; what makes yours the right one?

Anyone else run into these scenarios? Or is it just me?

The first two kind of go hand in hand. Suffering. Illness. Without suffering, how would we know what was good? Without suffering, how could we learn empathy? Without suffering, how would we learn compassion?

Number 3 … I asked, and he did not answer. Hmm. What did you ask for? Money? Revenge? To fix something that He told you not to do in the first place? God always answers, but sometimes the answer is No. When the answer is No to what you are asking, there is a follow-up plan; you just have to be patient. That is one thing that the enemy has exploited to a bare thin thread. We do not have any.

Four has been proven by science. Five, if you can believe in a higher power, then why can you not believe in the Trinity? Then seven, Jesus came, he taught, he demonstrated and he died to demonstrate His love for us. He did not have to … He chose to. To demonstrate that we all have choices … some are more unpleasant than others.

Then finally, the last common one, there are so many religions … blah blah blah … There are. Factions, splits, denominations … I am sure that they are innumerable by now … however, there is only one tomb that is empty. There is only one way to heaven.

So, when you present facts and figures as it were, to family and they still disregard your pursuit, it cuts to the core. But know this: you may have only been the merchant who sold the seeds. Do not be disheartened. You may have only been the worker to plant the seed. Do not be discouraged. You may not be the one at the harvest, but prayerful watering that the right servant will be placed in their path; that is how I get over that hump of fear. Knowing that God has placed me where he wants me for those I am to sow into, and that he will place someone in my loved one’s path to do the same.

Do not let the enemy steal your peace for their salvation; continue to pray and speak love.

Be blessed.

**So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:18