I Immediately had a Very Freaky Thought

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16, NKJV)

We have several bibles at our house. I refer to them “real bibles”. Bibles with pages and maps and commentary. Bibles where I can highlight and take notes. I really like my “real” bible.

But like so many, it became convenient for me to use my electronic bible at church/bible studies, etc. I already had my phone with me so I wasn’t carrying anything “extra". I easily made the transition from “real” bible to electronic bible.

Today, I was chatting with one of my best friends via text and we were discussing scripture. I popped open my handy dandy bible app so that I could copy/paste the scripture to her but my bible app was unavailable. 

I immediately had a very freaky thought. There are currently allegations of being "locked out" of social media regarding a current freedom of speech “hot topic” and the IRS can “freeze” assets, could we ever be completely locked out of God’s Word?

Then I had an amazing thought, we let the word of Christ dwell richly! To many of us, God’s Word is everything. We cannot imagine living without God’s Word. We delight in His Word, meditating on it day and night! (Psalm 1:2) We keep God’s Word upon our hearts, we diligently teach them to our children, we talk of His Word when we walk on our way, when we go to sleep, and when we get up! (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) LORD, thank You for Your Word for it is life and it is healing! (Proverbs 4:22) 

Hold Fast to Your Confession

So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the [a] hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. (Hebrews 10:23, AMP)

All scripture is God breathed (Hebrews 10:23) God’s Word is alive, active, and eternal. (Hebrews 4:12, Luke 21:33) God sent His word. (Psalm 107:20) The Word is God. (John 1:1)

As we say what God said, refusing to waver, His living and active Word produces fruit! His Word accomplishes! And His Word prospers! (Isaiah 55:11)

As we confess (speak), we are quite literally speaking…Jesus! 

What are you saying today?

Wait Patiently Upon the LORD

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14, NLT)

God has given me two of the most precious little granddaughters, Caley and Eden. They are very sweet natured, giving, and loving. (Proverbs 22:6)

Last weekend, Eden (five years old) did a quick survey of the gifts currently under the Christmas tree and discovered there were no gifts with her name on them. She took her concern to her mother and the conversation was overheard by her older sister, Caley (nine years old).

Three days later, Caley decided to take matters into her own hands. She took some of her own money, made an envelope, and put it under the tree so that her sister would have a gift under the tree because she didn’t want her sister to have to wait any longer.

I'm sure we can all agree, this is one of the cutest things ever!

I haven’t talked to Caley about this situation but I am sure she knows (through experience) her parents are going to insure gifts are under the tree for her sister when timing allows. 

I have information that Caley and Eden doesn’t have...Eden's already has gifts. They are hidden and waiting for a specific time. Their parents have already provided. (Daniel 10:12)

Caley acted with a giving heart and pure motives but once I learned what she had done, it occurred to me I have:

• decided I waited long enough for my Father to provide and took matters into my own hands. 
• waited a "few days" for my Father to provide and decided it was an acceptable length of time to wait, and I “provided” instead of waiting on Him.
• jumped the gun and provided for someone and then wondered how I “came up short” and realized waiting on my Father to provide for them would’ve yielded  a much larger blessing...for both of us. 
• been a Champion Rescue Ranger and do something to change situations myself in my life (or the life of someone else) which instead, created a setback.

All those times were birthed out of a giving heart and pure motives but God is God. (Deuteronomy 10:17) I am not God. Wisdom waits patiently for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14) God has a plan, a perfect plan. Part of that perfect plan includes His perfect timing...not our timing. His ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)  

It is true that God uses us as part of His plan but wisdom is being led by His Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17) and doesn’t interfere with, delay, or interrupt His plan. Being a “Champion Rescue Ranger” doesn’t help us or the person we set out to rescue. As we practice waiting on Him, and being one with Him, we will wait when it is in His timing to wait and we will provide when it is in His timing to provide. Sometimes, “in the wait” is where we grow, change, and draw closer to Him. We do not want to skip that critical step.         

God has information we don't have. He already has gifts for us and they are good and perfect, hidden and waiting on His perfect timing!  (James 1:5) 

Father, thank You for Your perfect plan for our lives and thank You for Your perfect timing. Your Word says, if we lack wisdom, all we have to do is ask You for wisdom. Right now, in the name of Jesus, please give us the wisdom to know when to wait and when to act. Our heart’s desire is to give and to help and to encourage but most of all, we want to stay in alignment with Your perfect timing. Every day, help us become more and more like You!

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Provers 22:6, NKJV)

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9, NKJV)

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. (Romans 8:14, NLT)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NLT)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14, NLT)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5, NKJV)

One Nation, under God, Indivisible

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. (Ephesians 5:1, NLT)

When I was growing up, in public school we said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. Yes, every single morning. There were some changes made and somewhere in middle school, we no longer said the Pledge of Allegiance in school.  

This is in no way a political blog post but I’ve been wondering…is there a connection between, saying the Pledge of Allegiance and the current condition of our country?

Let’s do some math. For kicks and to keep this quick and easy, let’s say there are twenty kids per class and fifteen grades (including preschool) per school. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 99,000 public schools in 2009. 

Compare that number to 248,000 public schools in 1929. But that’s a whole other blog post. You may find these stats at nces.ed.gov 

For purpose of ease, I am not including homeschools, private schools, continuing education, community colleges, universities, etc. 

A few punches in the calculator gives us: 

20 (kids) x 15 (grades) x 99,000 (schools in the United States) = 29,700,000 (school kids)

29,700,000 kids x 5 days per week x 52 weeks per year = 772,200,000 approximate pledges of allegiance that would have been spoken each year via the mouths of school children. 

That is 772,200,000 little voices not speaking the pledge of alliance. Words not currently being spoken out of the mouths of American children per year. Words “dropped” that would have been a driving force in creating one nation, under God, indivisible. 

29,700,000 kids (and we all know that number is very low) not currently saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

If 29,700,000 kids stood and said The Pledge of Allegiance every morning, what exactly might occur?

1. Might that word drop down from each child’s mouth and into their hearts?
2. Might that word CREATE what the children (and teachers) were saying, IN AGREEMENT, one nation, under God, indivisible? 
3. Might America STILL be the great nation it was when it was a Super Power made so by keeping God first? (Matthew 6:33)

These numbers don't even include teachers, homeschoolers and the parents joining forces reciting the Pledge of Allegiance; thus speaking and creating. 

• Our Jehovah God is The Creator. (Genesis 1:1)
• We are made in His Image. (Genesis 1:27)
• God spoke and the world appeared at His command. (Psalm 33:9)
• We are commanded to imitate Him in everything we do. (Ephesians 5:1)

On another note, children have confidence in what they say. Have you ever chatted with a four year old? When my youngest child was about that age, she was completely convinced she could fly. She would flap her arms and get a running start. Nothing I could have said or did, would have ever convinced her she couldn’t fly. The faith of a child moves mountains. They are convinced what they say is true.

The disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-5, NLT) Children are extremely important to Jesus.

Reverting back to our discussion about the pledge of allegiance in school, what are we to do? Sit back and accept our country being chipped away, little by little, precept by precept completely changing what America looked like in the vision of one nation, under God? Personally I say, “NO!” As God’s royal priesthood, there is no weapon formed against us going to prosper! (1 Peter 2:9, Isaiah 54:17)

Do the public schools in your area daily recite the pledge of allegiance? If not, we can add it to our daily bible study/prayer time in our homes. Sunday schools can incorporate it into their classes. Pastors can include it in their services. 

Is it not the "little foxes that spoil the vine”? (Song of Solomon 2:15) I truly do not believe I could find even one person to argue against the fact that America is currently in a "hole". It seems to me, "America" has tried and is trying everything else except Kingdom principles. How about this, how about we get back to basics. (Matthew 6:33) The same basics that obviously worked in the past. The same basics that our country was founded on.

My husband, Mike, always says, "The best thing to do when we find ourselves in a hole is to stop digging." With the current "method of operating", we've only found ourselves deeper and deeper in a hole. Let's commit to stop digging, and just test God (Malachi 3:10), and just TRY His method of operating and see His great nation become great once again! (2 Chronicles 7:14) 

It was God who originally SAID, "Let there be light” 

Then what happened? 

There was light (Genesis 1:3)

Today I declare, “Let there be light in our heart, mouth, and homes!"

Father God, in the name of Jesus, Your Word says You give us the desires of our hearts. I am asking You to place godly desire in our hearts with a mouth that follows so that we may boldly proclaim Your will be done in our Nation!

Feathers

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NKJV)

My husband and I are bird hunters. It's a sport we enjoy together. Some couples enjoy romantic comedies, we prefer hunting. We have a lot of fun hunting together, God provided a really great bird dog for us, and we are grateful for the ability to provide free range meat for our family. 

This morning, as I was about sit down to answer emails, I caught something out if the corner of my eye. It was a feather blowing around on my tile. I watched it for a second as it swayed and swirled. Then something occurred to me. Every week, I often see feathers in my house which is tangible proof we are bird hunters.

We also have tangible proof as born again believers in Jesus. Good fruit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Apart from Him we can do nothing. Abiding in Him, we can do much.

Please make the following confession with me out loud:

I abide, dwell, remain, sit, stay in You Jesus and I bear much good fruit! Everyone who comes into contact with me is loved with Your kind of love, desires Your supernatural joy in me, is changed by Your peace in me, witnesses long-suffering as I deal with matters, is handled with Your type of kindness, sees Your goodness in me, is changed by Your faithfulness in me, is treated with gentleness, and is matured by Your self control in me. Thank You for teaching me how to abide in You! Thank You for Your grace that supernaturally enables me to superabound in everything You have called me to do and to be!

2 Corinthians 12:9

Romans 4:17

2 Corinthians 9:8

Modern Day Miracles

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23, NKJV)

My family and I have a constant habit of thanking God for giving His angels charge over us and thanking Him that they keep us in all our ways. (Psalm 91:11) Every time it comes to our remembrance, we simply say, "Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for giving Your angels charge over us, they keep us in all our ways.” Today, I believe my girls and I witnessed a miracle in our kitchen. 

Saturday, we spent our morning at the local farmer’s market. We purchased various fruits and veges. As part of our homeschooling day today, we chopped fruit and vegetables, talk about fractions, prepared our lunch and dinner, and prepared the remaining food for freezing to be used later in smoothies.

I used my large butcher knife to cut our pineapple for breakfast. I cut off the top, the bottom, and then the outer sides. 

I stuck the knife in the top of the pineapple in order to cut the pineapple off the core. 

When I tried to push the knife into the pineapple, my hand slipped off the handle and onto the blade all the way to the tip. The knife is half as thick as my hand at minimum.

I gasped. My children gasped. My hand really hurt. I froze trying to make a plan of what to do. My (very upset) middle child said, “What do I do? What do I do?” I said, “I don’t know right now."

After a few seconds I decided to survey the damage. I slowly opened my hand and there was no blood. I said thank You Jesus! Keep in mind, the outside of the pineapple is way harder than my skin. The knife had just cut the outer sections of the pineapple. 

Now, what you are about to read will seem so far fetched for some but keep in mind, Jesus said, “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 9:23, NLT) There was a very distinct white line where the knife had gone down completely across width of the palm of my hand. Before my eyes, I saw the white line turn red, and then I watched almost all of the red line disappear. It was like watching something in a movie. True story. 

I started thanking Jesus! I said, "Thank You Jesus! Thank You Jesus!" 

My girls said, “What?! What?!!” My youngest was fighting back tears and said, “Mommy!! Are you okay??!” I said, “Look what the LORD has done girls!” and I showed them my hand!

Until today, I had never realized how much I really like my right hand and how grateful I am for full use of it! Currently, my hand is tender but by bedtime, I’m sure it will be back to normal. 

My ten year old pointing out 

the slight red mark waiting to heal.

Father! Thank You more now than ever for Your Word being true! Thank You for continually deepening our revelation of Your Word! When we speak what You speak, we are protected, we are saved, we are delivered! Every word we say, MATTERS! Thank You for teaching us the importance of our words, thank You for teaching us the importance of refusing to waver, and to keep our words lined up with Your words to produce life in excessive abundance! Thank You for protecting my hand! Thank You for giving Your angels charge over us, they keep us in all our ways! 

• Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Provers 30:5)
• I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called—His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. (Ephesians 1:18)
• The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. (Psalm 18:2)
• But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. (Matthew 12:36)
• The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows). (John 10:10, AMP)
• Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23, NKJV)
• For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (Psalm 91:11, KJV)

*** Disclaimer: The above middle pictures were staged after the incident to give a visual. The knife in the third picture is slightly turned to show the width of the blade. This picture is slightly different than where my hand slid down the blade.

Country Roads

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4, NKJV)

My middle child has been learning how to drive. We insure we have control of the vehicle by having her sit in our lap. She only drives on country roads and she doesn’t drive over twenty miles per hour. She’s currently ten years old, which explains why she has to sit on our laps.

One thing I’ve noticed about her driving is, she prefers straight roads. If there is a curve up ahead, or an obstacle like driving by a large tree near the road, a ditch, or an oncoming car, she wants to stop the vehicle and have Mike or I drive. As long as she’s on a straight road, it’s all kicks and grins. But as soon as she sees an obstacle up ahead, she wants to stop and have someone else take over. 

Last weekend, she was driving and she saw an oncoming car. She wanted to stop the vehicle, get out of the driver's seat, and have her dad take over. He refused to let her. He calmly said, “No, you are doing fine. You can do this. You are driving safely, and I am right here to help you." 

She said, “But I don’t like obstacles."

My immediate thought was, I don’t either. 

I know how she felt. I remember the days when I was on my dad’s lap, learning how to drive the car. I knew his foot was near the brake and his hand was near the wheel but when I saw an obstacle coming, I wanted to stop the car because I wanted him to take over.

My dad refused to allow me to give up, just like my husband refused to allow our daughter to give up.

Had my dad allowed me to give up, I never would have progressed from driving down a country road to driving across the country.

Life on earth is not always a straight path, or a country road, full of kicks and grins. In life, giving up just isn’t an option. We have to refuse to grow weary. We cannot give up. When we refuse to give up, we will reap…in due time. (Galatians 6:9)

Abide in Him...my brethren…be strong and of good courage...listen to Him calmly say, "You are doing fine. You can do this. I am right here to help you.” (John 15:4, Deuteronomy 31:6)

We’ll go a step further and count it all joy because we know various trials tests our faith and produces patience. When patience has her perfect work, we are perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Sure sounds good to me.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader right now and pray supernatural joy in, on, and through them. I ask you to supernaturally give us the ability to refuse the temptation to give up. Thank You for being with us in our every day lives. Thank You for encouraging us and telling us to be strong and of good courage. Thank You for calmly speaking to us in our every day lives. Continue to teach us how to stay one with You. Thank You for joy. Thank You for all Your promises. For without Your promises, I would have fainted had I not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. Thank You for Your goodness. Thank You Father, for Your Word. Thank You Father, for You.  

Psalm 27:13

That's My Daddy

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. (Deuteronomy 31:6, NLT)

Sunday, after church, Mike and I went about our normal routine. After church service, he went to the parking lot to get the car while I checked our girls out of children's church. Every week, I get our girls while he drives the car near the entrance to pick us up.

Sunday, our girls and I were walking down the sidewalk when Mike pulled up next to us. When my youngest saw him pulling up and said, "Let's act like we don't see him!" I played along. He pulled up further. She giggled and said, "Let's walk away and keep pretending we don't see him." I continued to play along. We walked. He continued to drive right alongside us. Gracie kept pretending she didn't see him. He slowly drove alongside her the whole time, just watching and waiting for her to respond to him.

 After several minutes I said, "What if he just gives up on you and drives away?" She looked at me with the most shocked look I have ever seen on her face and said, "Oh he would NEVER do that, that's MY Daddy! MY Daddy would NEVER give up on me!" He kept slowly driving beside her and she kept playing the game. She continued ignoring him when he suddenly honked the horn. When he honked the horn, she answered and happily jumped in the car. Game over. 

In an instant, the Holy Spirit showed me how I had played the same game with my Heavenly Father. I pretended I "didn't see Him", I walked away so many times. I ignored Him for years and I surrounded myself with people who played along. Somehow I always knew in my spirit that He was always there, and would always be there right alongside me. 

One day, my Father "honked the horn", I finally answered, and life has never been the same. I don't play games anymore, I try to always be ready and willing to jump in when He "honks"! 

Join me today, let's answer Him by making the following confession out loud: 

Father, in the name of Jesus, we position ourselves to hear You. We declare no games, no pretending, and no ignoring. Please teach us how to be one with Your Spirit on a deeper level! Thank You for speaking to us through Your Word. Thank You for calling us and thank You for moving on our hearts to answer! You and Your love is beyond description. Thank You for You, thank You for Your Son, thank You for Your Holy Spirit, and thank You for Your live giving, life changing Word!