Hidden Beneath

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV)

We bought a new house last May (2011). We were so excited and everything was brand spank’n new! Mike and I grew up in a lot of lack so to have this home was a huge blessing to us and we wanted to be really good stewards of God’s blessings. We took extra special care of every aspect of our new home.

Our sliding screen door that opens onto our lanai (patio) was very close in color to the outside environment which made it a little bit of a challenge to see when the screen was closed. Over and over, Mike reminded all the kids (ours, friends and neighbors) not walk through the screen door.

Seven months later, after months of successfully not having any children walk through the screen door, Mike walked through the screen door. I was in the kitchen making a salad and he was going to our outside kitchen to check the grill. He didn’t see the screen and walked right through it knocking it off the track and turning him into a screen wrecking ninja! 

When he first walked through it, he didn’t realize what hit him so arms started flailing and the duck and jab commenced! He moved erratically, thrashing about! It was one of the most hilarious scenes I’ve ever witnessed! Days later, I was still telling the screen ninja story and laughing. After all, Proverbs 17:22!

A few days later…I…walked…through…the…screen…door. In one week, every one of us walked through the screen door, Mike, me, both girls, and our dog. Our dog succeeded in making two trips.

As you can probably imagine, by this time, the screen was not quite what it use to be. Mike did a good job repairing it and it still worked; however, the handle was hanging by its side because one of the screws was missing. For weeks, every time I went in or out of the door, I thought to myself, “If I could just find that screw I could fix my door.” I’d make a quick look around on the surface to see if I could find the screw but didn’t really get down close to the ground and look in the cracks.

Today, I used the hose to wash the tile on my lanai. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I found that screw and fixed the door?” I got down low and cleaned every crack and crevice to wash out all the dirt, small rocks and dead grass. In one of the cracks of the tile I found the screw and repaired my door! The screw had been hidden underneath the dirt, small rocks, and dead grass.

At the exact moment I saw the screw, the LORD spoke to my heart and said, “That is what I do. I dig deep in the heart of man, beneath the dirt, small rocks, and dead grass and I find what it takes to repair what has been broken.”

Open up your heart to Him today, let your thoughts and the intent of your heart be on wholeness. If there is any dirt, small rocks, or dead grass hidden in your heart, allow Him to dig beneath. He wants to repair everything that has been broken! Let Isaiah 61:3 rule in your life!

Trap'n Little Foxes

"Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom." (Song of Solomon 2:15, NLT)

I like herbal tea, I like it a lot. A friend recently stated I am in tea denial so there…I admit my relationship with herbal tea! I have a special herbal tea drawer that so nicely pulls out so I can see all my organized tea leaves at a glance. (No, they aren’t alphabetical, although I have considered that.) My cabinet smells like herbal tea and it makes me happy as deeply inhale when I open the drawer. I don’t use bags. I use loose leaf with a press. I cut (as my close friend has termed it) my own tea drink every day. I am not ashamed and I shall not be moved!

I like to do research. Sometimes, during my herbal tea research I make new discoveries. I find an herb or spice I can add to my tea that is beneficial to health, hair, skin, etc. At times, I have gone overboard with all my cutting and I cut my daily tea so many times that it tastes terrible. What happened? Experience reveals I have gotten too far from the original. Too many different herbs (little foxes) have ruined the taste of my tea (fruit).

I always start with raspberry. It will always be my first herbal tea love. Then I add a pinch of this and a pinch that (different herbs). As long as I stay close to the original, I have good tea. Once I operate too far from the original, I have bad tea…nasty tasting tea.

The same happens when I operate too far from my Original. When I find myself producing bad fruit I realign myself (Matthew 6:33). Then my first love remains intact and I produce much good fruit (John 15:5).

How closely are you operating to The Original?

Distractions

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)

Recently, my phone rang. My spirit “hit” me and I knew it was not a good report. I said, “I’m not answering that.” The Holy Spirit said, “Answer it now.” The call was from one of my closest friends who is more than a sister to me. She was extremely upset and told me of a completely wrongdoing against her. It was a very evil, personal attack.

Upon hearing of the situation...I felt as if I had spiritually regressed by 20years...

While on the phone, I kept it together. After speaking the word over her and explaining no matter what, we would walk this out together, I hung up the phone. Immediately, this was the conversation as the battled ensued. 

Flesh: I will rip his face off his head! 
Spirit: Vengeance is mine saith the LORD.
Flesh: You are Him on earth performing His works!
Spirit: Pray for him.
Flesh: OH, ho HO-HO-HO you have GOT to be kidding me?!
Spirit: Prayer always works.
Flesh: You know your hands wanna rip his face off!
Spirit: Even though you (flesh) are A LOT of fun, you are going to have to sit down and shut up. 
Flesh: Think on these things...RIPPING!
Spirit: I take every thought captive. 
Flesh: You are boring…
Spirit: I love Him so I keep His commands.

Ok…this is a slight exaggeration for comedic sake; however, I was so upset I was physically dizzy. The sides of my face felt like I had fallen into cactus needles. And I thought, “Oh man, not that physical sensation stuff again.”

Then condemnation tried to hit. Battle number two..."All these years, you had a forgiveness plan. Someone offends. You pray. God gives you a heart of compassion for them. He shows you why they do what they do. You have immediate victory. HA! Now you want to tear someone’s face apart! Your “plan” no longer works!" 

Me: The plan may not. But the Word always does! One sends a thousand to flight...two, ten thousand! Gotta LOVE God's math! I immediately contacted my pastor and his wife. They prayed over me, commanded all condemnation to flee....it immediately lifted. It had to bow to The Name above all names…King Jesus!  Praise God for pastors who can think fast on their feet and who are only a call away! Who are so full of God’s Word and His Spirit and know what to do, say, and pray! Thank you Pastor Micah and Kristy!

This attack was different that what I had experienced because this offense wasn't a direct hit on me. I was indirectly hurt. A collateral damage stat. Be sober, vigilant, alert (1 Peter 5:8)! For a short time, I fell for the attack. If the enemy cannot get to you, or someone you love, he will try someone to get to someone you love. In this case, unfortunately, the enemy had found the weakest link. A person I love dearly was terribly hurt and I was in full on protective mode.

As I began to piece together what had to be done I battled with several things. My primary concern was forgiveness...as in walk in. Yes. I know that; however, I reasoned (my first mistake) once a murderer confesses to killing someone and asks God for forgiveness they are forgiven. However the laws of the land decide the murderer must fulfill their requirements and be locked away for a time so that they can murder no more. I struggled with how forgiveness and accountability is balanced.

Over the next coming weeks, during prayer, Light Was! God showed me how the enemy used this incident to distract me from Him. As long as I was distracted, I was locked into that distraction instead of being locked into Him. I was locked into trying to find a solution instead of being locked into Him. He further revealed to me the next battle that was about to ensue so that I could stand against it. In an instant, He refocused me.

No matter what strikes the enemy makes, when we seek Him first in all things, He adds all things to us. He is everything we need! Don't be distracted!

Does He truly love me?

Several years ago, I heard a friend say something that changed my life forever. She said, “There is truly only one attack of the enemy”. I perked up to really focus on what she was about to say because I thought…hey, this is going to simplify my life! If there is only one battle, I can fight one battle! 

She went on to say, the one true battle is this…does God really love me? 

Light is!

No matter the attack:

• Spousal cheating
• Prodigal children
• Negative doctor’s report
• Financial crises
• A friend turning their back

Would God allow this (whatever the current this happens to be) to happen to me if He truly loved me?

Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19, NKJV)

Why do afflictions come? There are many superficial reasons; however, those are created to be distractions. The foundational reason they arise is for the word’s sake (Mark 4:17). 

What does this mean exactly?

• A spouse may have an affair.
• A child may get arrested.
• A doctor’s report may say a disease is imminent.
• A business deal may go bust.
• A close friend may end a friendship without explaining why.

They all arise to destroy confidence in God’s Word destroying confidence in Him. He is His Word (John 1:1). When all this “comes home to roost”, at the “end of the day” the question is, “Does God really love me?”

I have a good report today! Yes, God really does love you and I can prove it!

All scripture is given by inspiration of God! (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV) Now that we’ve established that and His Word is not a compilation of whatever whoever wanted to write, we can establish His truth about love!

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) 

Now that, my friends, is true love that never fails! 

But I Thought God Said...

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)

Last week, my youngest child ran to me and laid her head on my chest. I asked what was wrong. She explained she had hit her head on a cabinet door. I patted her back thinking it was only a little bump when all the sudden I saw blood running down her face, and then more, and then more. Who knew a little head could bleed so much? Trying not to freak out, I walked her to the bathroom to survey the damage.

As I cleaned her head up, through tears she said, “But I thought God said He is our shield.” In her preciousness, I didn’t know if I should smile or cry. I explained, “God’s Word is always truth. It does say He is our shield and it also says obey your parents so that your life will go well for you.” How many times have I asked you to close cabinet doors?” Then we had a quick lesson on the law of physics.

Thankfully, her bump on her head was very small, her confidence in God’s Word remains intact, and I no longer have to remind her to close cabinet doors. {Smiling}

You Don't Love Me!

One of the most frustrating things I face as a mother is when I discipline one of my girls and they perceive it as me not loving them instead of it being a result of something they deserve.

For example, we were driving to town and my youngest child was teasing my middle child with the dvd remote control, Play-Stop-Fast Forward-Reverse. I took the remote from my youngest. She yelled, “You don’t love me like you do her!” At which time I calmly closed the dvd screen. She said, “I’m going to kick your seat.” In my deepest mommy voice, I said, “Do you really want to do that?” My children know me well enough to know, if they find themselves in a hole, they best stop digging…quickly or else I have many options up my sleeve. Wisdom ruled and she decided to “stop digging” and she apologized.

I understand she is only seven, wisdom will continue to come, and she won’t always react the way she did this day. But I thought…how often do we hear others blame shift and blame God for failure, or natural disaster, or unanswered prayer?

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

Let’s clarify what Jesus said.

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 overflows). (John 10:10, Amplified)

My heart’s desire is for my children to perceive I have a heart of compassion and I love them, even when things are not going their way.

So does my Father.

Running Wild!

Without vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow [God's] teachings. (Proverbs 29:18, God’s Word Translation)

Last October we took a month long family vacation to the Beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. When we returned home, it took us a month to get back in the groove with home school. Every day brought tears. A few days, those tears were mine. (Galatians 6:9)

One morning after prayer and completely being renewed, at the first sign of trouble, I made a bold announcement! I said, “We are going to have a great day!” Every time one of my girls tried to waiver from our goal, I got down to eye level with them and said, “We are going to have a great day!” Then I made them repeat (confess), “We are going to have a great day!”

That was the turning point! Then it hit me, my home school was perishing for lack of vision and my household was running wild! Once I announced our vision (Psalm 119:105) and kept bringing my girls back to the vision, the fruit followed.

What about you? Are you following your vision or are you running wild?

Establish your vision today, follow God’s teachings and blessings follow!