There are several spiritual gifts and every believer has at least one. Some have several but one will usually prove more prominent.
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Discernment is just ONE of the gifts we are given when we come to the knowledge of Jesus and accept the gift of Salvation. The spiritual gift of discernment is sometimes called "discernment of/between spirits".

The Holy Spirit enables the gift of discernment in certain Christians to recognize and determine if a certain influence is from God or Satan, (world or flesh) in a given situation. Every church body needs strong believers with this gift to warn of danger that isn't seen outright or from being led astray by any kind of false teaching.

In the bible, our word discernment was translated from the Greek word: diakrisis-  meaning the act or power of distinguishing, deciding, or judging clearly. 

to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.-1 Corinthians 12:10 NKJV

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.-Hebrews 5:14 ESV

As you will see in the verse above, discernment can be trained or grown by constant practice! This happens as we ask God to help us live a life in the spirit instead of our natural inclinations. 

Praying today for the strengthening of discernment for us all:
Father, I come asking you for your blessing, your strength and your power of discernment in each of our lives today. Lord, I know as you take more control of our thoughts and lives, the easier it gets to discern things that are not of you. This gift keeps us from falling down and falling prey to the enemy. Thank you! Help us today to realize what a gift that is and to praise you for it! You give us so many ways to know the amazing & abundant life you planned for us and we praise you BIG! Amen.

What is the WALL in your life today? The wall that is too tall to climb over, too wide to go around in this world, or to thick to knock down? We all have or have had walls in our life.

I have realized over this past couple of years that I had walls I knew nothing about! I know! That sounds crazy, doesn't it?! Let me try to explain what I mean...

A Wall is meant for safe keeping of something, right? So if I am speaking of personal walls, it will be a wall that keeps me protected from potential harm. Right?? 

Although, how many times do you think walls have been built when the harm was only in our emotions or our imagination? It happens! I mean, what about when someone says something to you with no harm intended and you twist it all around in your own mind to mean it as degrading. Blocks have started stacking up & beginning to look like a wall. 

So what now? What are we to do with those few courses of blocks that have started? Well, we can continue to replay all the ways she meant harm and help the wall to continue to grow taller. 

OR, we can demolish the wall while it is still small! Breaking down walls is God's specialty! He promises to give us what we need to destroy all hindrances, but we have to make the decision to ask what our part is as we begin handle this situation. 

What if God reveals your wall was started because YOU?? Because you were already in a state of stinking thinking! You were down on yourself and blamed it on her? OUCH!

What we do with what God reveals to us will determine what happens to the wall!

Another kind of wall is one constructed in a loved one's heart. These walls may be easy for you to see, but they are blind of it. What do we do then?

I recently had a Jesus moment while praying about someone I love dearly. The wall is so evident to me and it hurts my heart to see how their wall has blocked out not harmful things but wonderful things!
Things that make life here worth living...JOY, PEACE, COMPASSION, CONTENTMENT is what has been kept out since that wall was built years ago.

Walls this old are just too tall, too thick, and too wide to be destroyed it seems. 

BUT GOD... God is the Master Carpenter and Demo is his specialty! He can break down the biggest wall, have it crumble into dust and clean up the mess as if it never existed! I have seen it happen!

If you are like me and praying for someone with the 'too big' walls, let me give you some encouragement that came in a Jesus moment recently....

Jericho's walls were fortified! Strongest of any constructed. BUT not only broke down the walls, He did it without one single sledge hammer or wrecking ball.
Remember what God used to bring down those walls????.....His people being obedient to walk. JUST WALK! 
It must've looked crazy to them, but they chose to trust & obey even when it was nuts.
God said, "walk around the city wall every day for 6 days. Then on the 7th day, walk around it 7 times and on the last round, blow the trumpets and shout as the walls come down"- my paraphrase :) read JOSHUA 6 for the full story!

So today, pray asking for HIS plan to demolish the walls. If He says for you to just walk, then just walk. If He wants you to go in and begin to break it down with a sledge hammer, He will show you that too. 
For me, He reminded me of this story to let me know I CANNOT FIX this situation for my loved one. No words, No actions, Nothing in my power will change it.
BUT GOD...He let me know He has it already worked out, and my job is to keep walking, keep praying and wait for it to happen! YES!!

I am more confident today than ever that I will see those walls crumble and this heart restored as if the wall was never there! Praising Him as I Walk today!!

 In today's world, nothing can be counted on 100%, forever. A firm & secure hope is hard to find in the constantly changing circumstances. We live in a flaky & shaky culture today. We need something that grounds us. Something we can rely on to be consistent and unchanged. Something that will be able to hold us up when we feel we are crumbling. We all have a deep need for a strength and hope to draw from when hard times come. Something that remains resolute, regardless of the circumstances.

Even if we have a fairy tale life, trouble is inevitable. Trouble will come. 
Where we pull strength and hope in times of suffering is what I like to call our personal 'foundation', our strong hold, our help.
​
The foundation is our security in the bad times. It’s what we see as the most secure thing in our lives. Our foundation is what remains when everything else has crumbled around us. It is what are counting on to get us through anything.

So, let me ask you this, “What is your secure foundation today? “

​Is your foundation in yourself? in your abilities, knowledge, or power? Does your mind tell you things like “If you just work harder or modify your behavior you will be able to change or control the shifting circumstances?” Is that where your strength is found? and how's that working for ya?

"A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps." – Proverbs 16:19

Do you find other people to be your strong foundation? Do you have that one person you can count on, no matter what? It is a wonderful gift to have special people in hard times, but all people are imperfect. There will come a time when others will disappoint, not have the answer, or just can't be here any longer. Another person can never be your Savior. What will you do when they disappoint? Will your foundation remain stable or will it crumble?

“Shout that people are like the grass.  Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.  The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”- Isaiah 40:6-8

Maybe your foundation is found in the security of what you have acquired? Maybe it’s a generous nest egg. Or a wonderful home full of luxury and enjoyable things.  It is wise to have a plan and a cushion for the future. BUT true wisdom is the realization that God owns it all. We should be wise enough to acknowledge and accept the fact that anything 'bought' in a day can also be 'gone' in a day. Natural disasters, death, economic downturn, terminal illnesses happen every single day and interrupt the best laid plans.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. – Matthew 6:19-21
 
This one may surprise you...RELIGION is not a strong foundation either! Religious activity will not help much in tough times. Regular church attendance and good moral behavior are wonderful things but ONLY IF they come as overflow from your RELATIONSHIP with Jesus. Religious appearances and acts will never bring you strength, hope, or peace in troubled times!

“Everything they do is done for show. They act holy[b] by wearing on their arms little prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside,* and by lengthening the memorial fringes of their robes….. “Woe to you, Pharisees, and you religious leaders—hypocrites! You are so careful to polish the outside of the cup, but the inside is foul with extortion and greed. 26 Blind Pharisees! First cleanse the inside of the cup, and then the whole cup will be clean. -Matthew 23:5,25-26
 
The ONLY FIRM FOUNDATION is one built on a RELATIONSHIP with the 'The Foundation Stone'...JESUS!
​Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem,
    a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
    Whoever believes need never be shaken.- Isaiah 28:16

His Word  is our foundation. It never changes, never fails and never crumbles! There is no security like knowing that our Father God never, ever changes! The same Father God who adopts and loves us as His own children when we accept Jesus, promises He will never change!

His Word, His Love, His Power, remains the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8) We can count on it to be rock solid and unwavering, always!

This promise should bring all of us a secure hope each morning! No matter what comes, we have a Savior who is the True Foundation, The Cornerstone that never moves! 
 
The Word of the Lord STANDS forever! This Foundation Stone has better than a lifetime guarantee, this foundation is guaranteed for eternity!!

Love ya! If this devotion spoke to you today, please share. There is someone else in your circle that may need to hear from Him today too. :)

 This old house in the pictures above sit in the pecan orchard I like to take my walks in. From Day One, I have seen her beauty shine. Beyond the broken places. Behind the weeds trying to choke her out, her beauty remains.

So many days as I walk, I am drawn to her. I feel pulled to come and have a seat. To rest. To Be Still and listen. This was one of those days.

So I carefully climbed up to sit on the uneven and tattered steps. I begin to ask Him, "what is it Lord? Do you have something I need to see or hear? Or am I just to be still for a moment?"

After a few minutes of trying to just BE STILL, my eyes were wandering all over. I was seeing all the broken and battered places this poor girl has sustained.

This house was once a big, strong & beautiful home. There once was love and laughter I am guessing. All was beautiful with no worries.

Then one day...abandoned! She was left to care for herself. The rains poured down on her, helpless. The years of storms and sun have taken it's toll on her. There were many years she was hidden from everyone.

​Did she enjoy the seclusion or was she desperate to be seen? She has been battered and beaten down by time in this life. She is no longer the strong beautiful structure she once was....because Life Happened and it left her bruised and broken. She has been robbed of her insides. She has been choked by the weeds of normal life.

But then one day, Someone began to make a path. Someone started cutting back the trees and then the vines that had her wrapped up. She was opened up to the world once again. As tattered and broken as she was, now she was there for all to see.  

The once beautiful home was uncovered. Every visible broken and battered piece of her could not be hidden any longer. People said she was not worth keeping and advising to just demolish what the hard life of abandonment & neglect had started.

What would I see? What would others see? Would we only see the battered and broken? The tattered and torn of what appeared on the outside, or would we look to see more? Would I care to know all of her? The inside as well as the outside?

I was curious and decided to carefully look to see what was inside. I wanted to know more of her.  I thought she was beautiful. What I found amazed me! I carefully dodged the unsteady boards and holes, I pulled on the old door that was stuck and made my way inside. 

What was once a picture of perfection, was now littered with trash, critters, old furniture, mattresses and whatever else you could imagine. But I chose to look past that and try to see her 'bones'. Her true self at the core.

It was evident she had not felt beautiful in quite a long time. If her walls could have talked to me that day, I am sure they would've said..."I'm past my good. My time has gone and I am worthless now. See, just look around. Too broken. Too battered. Beyond repair."

That is what I felt this old home saying to me, but I saw beyond all that. I saw what once was. I saw what could be. I saw and admired the unattainable 12"+ real wood molding that lined the top and bottom of the walls! I saw the 12-14' ceilings in the rooms. I looked under the peeling wallpaper to see ship lap that made the walls that are now imitated. Intricate molding around the doors, transom windows all around the front door. So beautiful in it's beginning and beauty still able to shine thru all the neglect even today.

​She wanted show me the deeply buried beauty within. For me to see beyond the tattered and trashed part, but to her core. 

I realized then, thru my cant-sit-still, wandering eyes, how much we all are like this old house.

See, we were built absolutely beautiful and exactly as the Master Carpenter wanted us to be in the beginning. Over the years, life brings the storms as well as the beautiful sunshine. Both can damage us if we try to take care of it all on our own. Then.  is when we feel our beauty begins to break. The strong parts begin to feel battered and bruised. We begin to believe we are beyond repair. No restoration could help us now.

BUT GOD CARED! He sent Jesus to seek out and rebuild from the foundation up!

JESUS doesn't care how broken, battered, torn or tattered we are. He still sees the beautiful masterpiece He created at the beginning!

Life brings all kinds of things to us to hurt or destroy us. It comes as neglect, abandonment of all kinds, betrayal, and bruises.

The enemy means to destroy us! Any way possible! If it takes abandonment to make you hate God, that's what he will use. If it is betrayal, hate, bitterness, selfishness....he will use any and all of it. The enemy ALWAYS makes us Broken and Battered! 

BUT when JESUS comes, He says..."Bring all the rotten and broken parts to me. All of it! There is no reason to try to hide it, I have already seen it and I still LOVE you! Bring it to Me so I can throw it all away.  I will mend those broken places and restore your beauty to bigger and better than before!" He makes us NEW!

Jesus says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

So today, if You are feeling battered and broken, let JESUS, the Master Carpenter, come in and remodel you! Let him use the tattered as the gorgeous character that will draws others to you, just like the old doors in that house! Let him shine thru those crack of brokenness and restore you to a more beautiful 'home' that you ever were before. 

Let this post also remind us all of each person we encounter. There are broken & battered people with a door that doesn't want to open up. They will not always be glad to open that door. It takes time since the last times they opened only brought hurt and stealing. We must remember that LOVE OPENS THEIR DOOR! We cannot adequately share who Jesus is until we can show them Jesus's LOVE.

If we ask to see the beauty under the brokenness, JESUS will shine His light on it for us to find! We must take the time to look beyond the junk trying to hide her & remind her of her beauty in JESUS. This is love. Reminding her Jesus Love Her too!

JESUS remodels and restores to bring bigger, brighter, and more beautiful. Everytime!

If Jesus brought restoration to you, I'd love to hear it! Many others NEED to hear it too, so share your story today with big love.

RELATED POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY:
Spiritual Maturity Assessment 
6 Exciting Hopes in Resurrection
Come As You Are- Song Sermon

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What a song of PRAISE this is! 

I sometimes forget what once was. What once held my hope. I sometimes forget how hard I tried to handle my own life. How it felt carrying the burdens of the entire world on my shoulders.

Who wouldn't rather forget those days! But I have come to realize in my own life that only when we remember back to the pit we were in, can we be truly grateful for the Grace Jesus brought to us!  

Jesus brought HOPE. FREEDOM from the shackles and chains. PEACE replaced turmoil. 

Most of all...Jesus paid for me to have a clean slate!
Salvation took every stupid mistake and rebellious attitude and threw it away, promising to never remember or bring it up again!! (thank you Jesus!!)

Today, as the song plays, let's choose to remember where we were when Jesus found us. Do you remember drowning in the quicksand of the mess? I do....

Give Jesus PRAISE today for HIS BLOOD that saves us and brands us for eternity!

ENJOY & Share with a friend who needs to reminded that if Jesus was big enough for salvation, He is big enough to handle anything the world throws at us! :)t

"All My Hope is in Jesus" Lyrics

I've been held by the Savior
I've felt fire from above 
I've been down to the river
I ain't the same, a prodigal returned 

All my hope is in Jesus
Thank God that yesterday's gone 
All my sins are forgiven
I've been washed by the blood 

I'm no stranger to prison
I've worn shackles and chains 
But I've been freed and forgiven 
And I'm not going back, I'll never be the same 
That's why I sing

All my hope is in Jesus
Thank God that yesterday's gone 
All my sins are forgiven
I've been washed by the blood 

There's a kind of thing that just breaks a man
Break him down to his knees 
God, I've been broken more than a time or two
Yes, Lord then He picked me up and showed me 
What it means to be a man come on and sing

All my hope is in Jesus
Thank God that yesterday's gone 
All my sins are forgiven
I've been washed by the blood 

Oh 
I've, I've been 
washed by the 
blood

​After having a deep discussion at our bible study recently, some questions arose: 
Are there church members filling pews regularly, teaching classes & maybe preaching each Sunday that may not have a real, on-going Relationship with Jesus?

Is the American way of church making disciples or do-gooders? Could there really be people who walked the aisle, joined the church & baptized that know all ABOUT Jesus, but have not met Him personally? Is it possible to have a dedicated church member living in fear of Heaven or Hell being their destiny?

These questions are heavy on my heart because I think this happens each Sunday in every single church around our nation. The outside appearances and accomplishments look perfect. The words they say are just right. They may even know more theology than most. How and why can this be? Because...
​
REPENTANCE is no longer politically correct.
It's uncomfortable and it's judgmental.

Repentance:  A complete reversal of one's attitude and values; i.e., a turning toward God. Repentance is a complete shift of attitude toward God and our sins. Repentance is not reforming our life. Nor is it penance or an attempt to atone for sins. Repentance is change - it is more than sorrow.
​(excerpt taken from blueletterbible study tools)

Think about it....if a pastor started a 12 wk series on our need to repent of the mess going on behind the facade, would you would be excited & happy to get to each Sunday? Probably not. I'm betting we would be quick to think repentance is for those lost people, not me....I mean I am at church & those people are not. :/

 THAT mentality is exactly why we, the church, need repentance.
The church is being called to repent and return to the first love...Jesus.
Only when the church gets right with God will we impact the lost around us.

 Repentance is hard & it hurts.

Repentance acknowledges that we are not perfect. Admitting that we are not even 'good enough'. It brings us to confess that we have been doing our own thing, all the while knowingly against what God says. Who likes outing themselves??

Repentance means admitting we are not what we appear under the mask. Repentance is brokenness, before God and before others.

Repentance won't come naturally. Repentance is something we have to will to happen.
Repentance happens only when we decide & determine to compare heart with GOD's instead of our pew partner Patty.

Repentance only comes when GOD is given first place in our lives. Repentance won't come until we acknowledge and submit that God is The Ultimate Authority over everything, even our lives. Even our money. Even our desires. Even in our leisure time.

BUT GOD longs to bring Freedom, Peace, Joy and confidence in your salvation & back into our churches. Do we desire it enough to make room for it? Will we make room by getting rid of the hoarded & hidden sins that are overtaking the heart.

Our Spiritual lives will never grow until repentance becomes such a part of our lives that it seems normal. Then our churches will explode with & for God. When we, me and you, decide to get uncomfortable & real with repentance in our own lives.

Using the illustration in the video below, God is not going to shovel the ...'crap' out of the way for us until we acknowledge it and ask for Him to get rid of it. 

Francis Chan illustrates this point perfectly in the video below! BE SURE TO WATCH!!

"We can't continue to be the church member content to dust the windows and vacuum around the pile of 'crap' in the middle of the floor. "

COME AS YOU ARE. YES...come just as you are. Right now at this very moment. Jesus has no prerequisites. No list of 'get it together' issues.
​That is not how Jesus is. Not at all how He works or loves!

You see, Jesus not only loves us, He IS love! LOVE is Jesus. This is still a hard concept for the logical, analytical nature in me. I ask constantly, "but WHY would you love us when we reject you, scoff & run the other way? Why?"

The answer I get each time is this..."I AM GOD, not human. I AM LOVE, it is not just a conditional emotion I feel." Wow. I guess that explains it. I will still never be able to understand a love that deep and unconditional. But I'm glad that Love is for me!

So, don't try to rationalize it. You will never understand. Just accept it! This love is always for us, but we have to ask and receive it. He won't force Himself on us. He only wants love from us that is true, deep & realized.

I have no idea what lies your past has convinced you of. We live in a hurting, sinful world and some of you experienced that as far back as you can remember. BUT, God promises to use what was meant for harm & turn it to good if we allow Him to.

At times, we choose pleasure & happiness in everything except Jesus. This will last for a moment or many, but it always dries up and leaves us parched for fulfillment.

That 'satisfying & fulfilling' hole will only be filled when Jesus comes in and mends the shattered cracks of the heart. Ask around & you will find many who thought they were beyond repair. Some thought they had gone waaayyy to far over the line. Bottom of the pit, as they say. BUT GOD always had His eyes on them, sending people, songs and words at the exact time, maybe even for years before they realized it.

GOD ALWAYS LOVES YOU, but
 God can only save us if we allow Him to come in & take us over. Inside & Out! Only then can His love, mercy, kindness, peace and all the other flow thru us!

So today, COME AS YOU ARE! Give up trying to be good enough or perfect on your own. It just can't happen.
Only Jesus can make us Righteous
(perfect in God's sight)

Get this!  Joshua & Caleb were the only two men from their generation to live & move into the wonderful, new land God promised. 

See, Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve spies that Moses sent over that came back ready to go as God had instructed. They begged the others to not be afraid because the Lord was on their side and He would be faithful to bring victory.
“Only do not rebel against the Lord…..the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”- Number 14:9

The others wanted to stone them because they were going against the grain and challenging the others to listen to the Lord and go, even when it looked impossible. They didn't like Joshua & Caleb stepping on their toes when they called it ‘of the Lord’.  They didn't see how getting killed by the giants could be 'of the Lord'. 

BUT, they were leaving out the most important part....the LORD can do the impossible! Sometimes the things of God are the things that seem too big and too crazy to be possible! We need to be careful that we do not reject something just because we don’t think it is a good idea….prayer needs to be involved to make sure.

Thankfully, they didn’t go through with stoning Joshua and Caleb. Remember the ten spies who came back giving negative reports that encouraged them to go against what God had instructed?? Well they were struck with a plague and DIED! They were struck down y'all! 

After that, the people decided that they may need to do what God had instructed ...but too little, too late. This was only the tenth time or so that they told God no. He knew their ‘repentance’ was not true.
​
Caleb & Joshua were spared because God was going to use Joshua to lead the people after Moses. God also said of Caleb "had a different spirit and served the Lord wholeheartedly" Numbers 14:24  What a compliment!


God told Moses that He wouldn’t strike all of them dead immediately, but they would all wander around & live on the edge of greatness until the men over 20 years old (the adult men) died off. Sadly, Moses would not be allowed to enter either because he did not move on in obedience either.  An entire generation had to die off before God would be able to fulfill His promise to the people!

But God led these two faithful believer, Joshua, Caleb and the new generation into this abundant promised land regardless of what their fathers ahead of them had done. 

I pray we are not a generation that is having to wait around and die off before God can show Himself to America today! I want to be among the generation that moves into this new place with Him! I want America to experience what other nations in our world are experiencing these days. Revival explosions in the most persecuted areas, where people are willing to die if they speak the name of Jesus! Where they are willing to die just to know Jesus personally.

I am seeing God moving in ways and doing things I never have before. Right here in our small Grady County! I see young people rising up to do what the generation before them hasn’t. I am seeing young people standing bold for Jesus after everything else has failed them. They have tested what the world had to offer & it left them unsatisfied and unfulfilled. They are experiencing Relationship with God instead of just going thru the motions and working hard to try to attain righteousness.

Maybe the younger Israelite generation learned what not to do? Did they have more openness to God even without seeing the miraculous?  I can only imagine what the children grew up thinking. I wonder if their daddies told them about the big 'what if I had listened to Joshua, Caleb & Moses' moment? I wonder.

I am pretty sure the righteous life of Joshua & Caleb's was a big example to help them see God was faithful to the ones who were wholehearted.  Remember, they "had a different spirit & served the Lord wholeheartedly".

I want to be like Joshua & Caleb! I want a different spirit than everyone else. I want to be known as that gal who serves the Lord wholeheartedly....even a little crazy at times! I'm not content any longer to sit on the edge of the big, amazing & abundant life He created for me to live. I'm not. It's boring there. Comfortable, yes, but also boring. I want to move into God's land here! In Grady Co, GA. God has a special place here for us to be with Him. 

Are you ready to join me as we begin the move into our new place with God? Can Cairo be known as that dot on the map in our nation known as " the different spirit? the sold-out, all-in, wholehearted servants of the Lord?"

Oh, I hope so! I'm ready to go with God's Presence right into this new land! 

Are you ready for new places and new things with Him? Are we ready to be known as "a different spirit & serve the Lord wholeheartedly"? Let’s determine today to leave the wilderness land, sitting right on the edge of what He has for us!
It begins with us. It begins with our repentance. It begins with our surrender.
 It begins with HIM being Lord. JESUS First & Foremost!
​

​If you enjoyed this Learning Post, you may also enjoy these:
7 Things I Learned about the Power of Prayer
Song Sermon- 'The Well' by Casting Crowns
Powerful Perspective Reset in 30 Minutes​

I love to see that person ‘who-will-never-change’ be transformed, the sick be healed, the impossible happen! I just love a good, dramatic, happy ending. I am guessing you are like me and love to see God do amazing and miraculous things that show us He is personal and very real. This shows us the power of prayer.

I am blessed to be one of those who has not only heard amazing stories, but I have experienced them firsthand. I can tell you story after story of how my awesome God has provided faithfully in miraculous ways in my life. Many stories. In the craziest of ways!

ALL these stories had a common thread...Prayer. Much Prayer.

Folks will probably tell you this about me ......”that gal believes in prayer, she prays about everything & I mean EVERYTHING!!” I would tell you, laughing loudly, that they are right.

I know, without any doubt, that prayer allows us to see God’s power at work. I have lived it. I’ve experienced answered prayers that seemed like impossible dreams and wishes come to fruition!

I am not talking about dreaming for a luxury vehicle here. NO!
 I am talking about seeing an addicted husband radically changed when he got real with God after years of prayers!

Of being so sick with what I now refer to as my 'body shutdown' with  labs all crazy & multiple doctors clueless... prayers over the course of those debilitating months brought healing to my body AND my soul!

I experienced these personally.
This is why I believe so much in the power of prayer!

Now don’t think I am this super spiritual woman that has everything all figured out! NO, I am simply an ordinary gal who has finally realized that true, abundant life ONLY comes through true a continuously growing prayer & faith life.

​When I think about the Creator of the universe wanting a personal relationship with us it still blows me away! God longs to guide us all to a wonderful life without fear and the anxiety of having to figure out life on our own. I will never understand why he loves us like he does, but boy, I am so glad he does!
 
I want to share
7 Nuggets of Wisdom I have Come to Learn about the Power of Prayer 
in my own life:
 

1. God desperately wants a RELATIONSHIP with his children. I heard this thousands of        times, but hearing and grasping are not the same thing...at.all!
2. Prayer is talking and listening to our Father God...as if he is your best friend
3. Prayer is more than positive thinking because it unleashes God’s power, not my own
4. Prayer changes me even when the situation doesn’t change....HUGE lesson for me!!
5. No prayer life = No growing faith
6. Prayer continually reinforces how big God really is! SO much bigger than I give him credit for
7. Prayer has shown me over & over that God knows me & my needs much better than I do

 
I used to only pray to see the power of God, you know, the work I wanted him to do. (messed up, I know!)
Over the years, my prayers have changed, thankfully. God has already proven his power to me, in the little and big things. Now,  I seek to know Him more. His nature, his love, his work, and His plan for me.
When I ask to know him better, I see how He is in everything!

He will to show us opportunities to join him in his work. I want nothing more than to see God’s power unleashed all around me so others can know this same power of prayer that I have come to know! 
 God desires to be in a relationship with US today!
Prayer is not a science or a skill, it is just talking and listening with your loving Father God.

Just talk to Him today and let Him give you a peace and a power you have never known before.

LIVING He Loved Me
DYING He Saved Me
BURIED He Carried My Sins Far Away
RISING He Justified & Freed Me Forever
​ Watch video >> Oh Glorious Day by Casting Crowns
 

Jesus Christ came to make a way for us to become righteous & holy enough to have a personal relationship with God, our Father.
To do this, Jesus came from Heaven & lived as a human man. With one BIG difference...he was sinless!
He died an undeserved death to pay a once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins. Only Jesus, with his perfect, sinless, holy blood was a sacrifice that could make this happen!
​Jesus sacrificed himself for ME and for YOU! But, what if that had been the end? What if our Savior & Lord died a death like every other human? 

​Thankfully, He didn't die like everyone else...there is MORE!

Jesus died on the cross, was buried & guarded by soldiers who had heard talk of a 'resurrection'. They were determined to keep this group from carrying this story any further!

​BUT GOD.... 3 days later he rose from the grave just as he had said.
He WAS dead, but now HE IS ALIVE...EVEN TODAY!!
 
Resurrection Story Proves True
God had not just one, but 4 men to write what happened that day! He was seen by over 500 people recorded in over 11 different scenes in the new testament before he ascended back to Heaven!...it happened!
When the women went to the tomb to bring the spices for the body, the Angel said, “Why are you looking for the Living among the Dead? He is not here. He is Risen! ....just like he told you....then they remembered his words.” Luke 24:5-8
 
FOUR EYEWITNESS RESURRECTIONS STORY ACCOUNTS HERE:
Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 & John 20 

The Resurrection is KEY to our Christian faith
 
1-Just as he said, Jesus rose from the dead! WE can now be sure that all he promised us in his Word will also be true.
 
2-Jesus Resurrection proves we have a LIVING Christ...not just a good prophet or legend.
 
3-We can be certain our death is not the end! Jesus promised a future life with him if we believe.
 
4-POWER! The same power that raised Jesus from the grave is now available to us...it brings our dead spirits to abundant life.  This same God power destroys sin, creates new lives and is getting us ready for when Jesus comes back!
 
5-Resurrection of Jesus is the church basis to witness to the world! Our witness is THE One True Savior is Jesus, because JESUS is the ONLY God that is ALIVE!!
 
6-The Resurrection gives us all HOPE for the future...even when circumstances here are bad...we know an eternity in Heaven with Him is in our future.
 
 When we believe, commit to Jesus, and decide to devote our lives to living for Him, can we being to understand what it really means to have a ‘real’ & ‘alive’ God with us each and every moment of our lives! 
***************************************************************************** 

As Easter approaches this week, ask Him how to apply the Resurrection Story in your life today.  
 
-what does it mean in YOUR life personally?
 
-is it REAL in your life daily or just a story you hear on Easter Sunday?
 
-is there anything else you think will bring you the HOPE that comes from the Resurrection promises?
 
-Can you say without a doubt that you know Jesus, this Resurrection Hope & that He is real & alive in You?

Y'ALL!! THIS SONG!
This words of this song are so powerful. A sermon in itself!

​I have no idea what you are dealing with right now, but I know Someone who does!
THIS song is for someone today....is it for you? Take a few minutes and let God speak to your heart as you listen.​

Happy 1st Day of SPRING 2017!
​Spring makes me think of new life, lots of color and growth. You know, this sounds a lot like what this site is all about...NEW LIFE and GROWTH! 

When we find and begin to nurture those, it brings beautiful COLOR to our life!

​With that thought, why don't we take this
1st day of Spring as OUR 1st Day of SPRING-ing UP too!
Let today begin the 1st Day of NEW GROWTH for YOU!

Take a few minutes to re-assess where you are currently and what growth is yet to come.
Go to the Home Page & click "Start Here Assessment" to chart your Spiritual Maturity Stage.

Read through all of them and find where you hope to be next Spring!
​I want us ALL to GROW into Deep-Rooted TREES in our Faith Life that Bear Much Fruit!
Let us know where you want to be & we can keep each other encouraged and accountable. :)
​
Links Below for All Stages
​START HERE ASSESSMENT
SEEDS, SPROUTS, SEEDLING, STAKED TREE, & SECURELY- ROOTED TREE

This song, as most by Casting Crowns, is a sermon in 4 minutes! I am praying today as you take a break and watch the video for God to speak the words you need to hear today.
​

‘Sermon’ from this Song:
God created us with a Spirit nature, unlike any other animal or creature! This spiritual nature was to enable us to be in relationship with Him. This spirit nature will crave Jesus and this relationship with the Father until we find and accept Him. 

We think we know what will fill our void and make us happy. We all try to fill that void within us in a few different ways: 

• Others- saying “if I can only find that soul-mate, that perfect one who completes me…” They are human with faults like everyone else. Humans disappoint. God doesn’t!
• Ourselves- “I know what’s best for ME!” We all like to think that, but can any of us say we are the BEST we will ever be right now? Did you think you would be farther along and more successful than you are by this age? SEE…we only see what is right in front of us, but God sees the before, present & future and will work all things together for good for His children….IF WE LET HIM!
• ​Material Stuff- "The newest & best of things bring me happiness!" Yes, they will....FOR A TIME! All the toys and finest house and clothes will be awesome until the new wears off or until someone else gets something newer and nicer! If  'things' are what you depend on for your joy and peace, you will never be content in this life. There will ALWAYS be something bigger & better right after you get what you think will make you happy forever. THINGS are temporary. God is Eternal!
• Religion- “If I do all the right things, God will bless me and I will go to Heaven” DOING the right things has nothing to do with peace and joy! You may get some happiness from others patting you on the back, but God probably isn’t one of those hands. Salvation brings real peace & joy, the gift of grace from Jesus! All the good deeds in the world will never earn salvation, but so many burn themselves out thinking if they keep the scales of good & bad tipped in the right direction then they will get Heaven. Such a scary & sad lie that will keep so many from the amazing life God has for them here & in Heaven.

JESUS is the ONLY one that can fill us! Our Soul-“WELL” needs to be filled constantly. We can work in vain to fill it with non-spiritual things, but it will never, ever satisfy!
Some spend a lifetime trying only to end up dry.

JESUS is the LIVING WATER! The ever-bubbling spring of water to keep "THE WELL” full and overflowing. We don’t have to understand it all. We don’t have to explain how He does it.
HE JUST DOES!

“When you come to the well,
​all who thirst will thirst no more, all who search will find what their souls long for,
​the world will try, but it can never fill,
so leave it all behind, and come to The Well!”

Come today asking for Jesus to begin to fill your “Soul-Well”! ​

POSTS will be COMING SOON... I PROMISE!!
​This Category will hold all sorts of learning help related to our daily walk with God.
It will focus on the instruction manual aka THE BIBLE and how it relates to our everyday life now.
​It will be teaching, leading and hopefully motivating you to dive into this relationship like never before.
​I hope to incorporate several learning styles, not just written form but also videos, songs and whatever else comes up.
​Hope to see you back soon!