Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day in this Journey of Faith, and I can’t think of a more important way to spend my Time than in the Presence of the One who died for me…the One who gives me Life! It’s in His Presence that I find my Peace, and I Receive my Instruction on how and what to do, so, the way I see it, I can’t afford NOT to be still and listen for Him. There are plenty of things that I could be doing in the first few hours of any new day, but His Word says to “be still and know that I am God,” and it’s that “still” part that feeds my Soul the most. More than Christian music playing in the background or a long walk to commune with His creation, it’s when we’re “still” that He is able to drive a Message home, and it’s when we’re “still” that He can Speak to the Heart with no outward distractions at all. So…” still” I am day after day. Isn’t that the way you spend your Time with Him, too?

It’s interesting to hear how some people define their “quiet time” with God. Some people have a Bible reading plan to help them stay on track to read the entire Bible from start to finish. Some people put on Christian music while they prepare breakfast for the family. Some people read a page or two from a devotional written by someone else who had been “still” before God. Some people work on homework for a Bible study they’ve committed to. Some people read a chapter or two from a book written by a Christian author. Some will tune in to a pastor’s message on TV or the Internet. Some people will multitask by listening to a spiritual message through their earbuds while working out at the gym, taking their morning walk, or running. Some will pray on their way to work, or they’ll insert a CD to listen to a spiritual message along the way. There’s NOTHING WRONG with any of these things because each one is an effort to fill the mind and the soul with Good things. BUT none of these things leave room to “be still” before the Living God, and none of them allow for those miraculous moments when God unexpectedly “shows up” in the quiet. Although God is always with us, and I’m sure He likes to see some of those steps we take to fill our world with Him, I think He likes it best when everything else in the world is set aside and tuned out, and He gets some serious one-on-one time with His child. We can study until we turn blue, but the Relationship is built by spending quality time with the King of all kings. For me, it’s in the early hours of each new day…just me and my God, before my day has a chance to distract me.

It’s not easy to shut off the mind or to shut out the world because life overflows with distractions. It’s much easier to push the snooze button on the alarm clock a few more times than it is to get up earlier in the morning to make time for God, and it’s not easy to push the “pause” button on our to-do list so that we can “be still” in His Presence. For some people, it’s not easy to be in that quiet place at all, and they avoid shutting down the world for the Living God because of it, yet these same people whine about date night or a little time with an adult child. Why would God settle for less? Some people can’t stand to be still, and some are afraid of what God may say to them in the quiet…ouch. Others claim that they don’t need a focused time to meet with God because they “talk to Him all day long”…they have no desire for the “still” time at all. Some people praise technology that allows them to tap the Bible App anytime and anywhere they want to. Because they have 24/7 access in a fast-paced world, they don’t understand why anybody would waste time being “still” before God when they can “tap into” Him anytime they feel like it. For them, He’s just an App away! How did it come to be that we’ve become more obsessed with how much we can get done in 24 hours, that we’ve lost the importance of relationships? If parents and partners so willingly trade quality time with their own loved ones for whatever tickles their own fancy, I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that they see being still in the presence of a Mighty God as unnecessary nonsense too.

I’ve got a list of things to do a mile long, and I’m as busy as the next guy, BUT before I get busy on this new day, I get “still,” and in those “still” moments nothing else and no one else even hits my radar screen…it’s just my amazing God and me. He gets the first of me and the best of me and the one-on-one time that He tells me I need in order to fulfill His Purpose for my Life. Life is but “a vapor,” so I don’t have any time to waste pursuing Excellence before He calls me Home.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s 25 degrees cooler than it was just a few days ago, and the earth looks like it’s ready to rest from the high temperatures and blazing heat. God is going to open the floodgates soon, and the rain will do its part. When the cool air meets the warm earth, the fog begins to roll in. One minute, you can see the trees off in the distance, and the next, they are masked by fog. There wasn’t much fog this morning, but I could feel the heaviness in the air – the kind of heaviness that warns us of the rain that is coming soon. Mornings like this remind me of what it feels like to navigate through this dark world. The heaviness of the upcoming Spiritual Storm can be felt in the air, too, but it’s being ignored by so many people. One minute you can see things so clearly, and the next minute life is “masked” by oppression so dark and so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. But as a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I REFUSE to focus on the fog – I don’t fret over what’s masked – and I sure don’t scramble around in the “dark” or blame politicians for the Spiritual state we’re in. I am certain of what we’re up against, and I am Confident in how the Story ends, so I focus on the Eastern sky – rain or shine, fog or clear – because that’s the Direction Jesus will come calling from for me One Day. The Time is near, and I have just a few goals as I live out these perilous times on earth. First, to be sure that I’m READY to meet my Maker, AND next I need to be sure to Help get as many souls as I possibly can Prepare to meet Him One Day too! Despite the insults being thrown around the world right now, and despite what you think someone deserves (or doesn’t deserve), the King doesn’t want anyone to perish… although, sadly, many of them will. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites deserved to hear the Truth either, but God had other plans. There’s no time to linger in the fog when there’s Kingdom Work to do! Isn’t that the way you see these last days too?

The Bible says that in Hell there will be eternal “weeping and gnashing of teeth” for those who don’t believe – imagine that – torment with no ability to find rest or peace ever again. I’m sure it’s much worse than anything we can imagine, but I think we’re getting a small glimpse of Hell today. There is no rest in our world. There’s no end to the “gnashing of teeth” as the battle over “good and evil” goes on. There’s no end to the shaking of fists in anger. There’s no end to the violence. There’s no end to the lies. There’s no end to the immoral acts. There’s no end to the tactics some use to be heard. There’s no end to the greed. There’s no end to the selfishness. There’s no end to the violence. There’s no end to the harm that’s being done to “these little ones.” There’s no end to so many things that can discourage the Heart because of this small glimpse of Hell we’re seeing today, as the battle between “good and evil” goes on right before our very eyes. BUT I know the rest of the story. I Know that the Devil hasn’t been unleashed yet and that the Light of the world is the only thing holding him back. We need more Warriors – we need more Light and Salt in the world! Fortunately, I KNOW Who Wins, and I know how the Story ends…and it ends well for those who have Surrendered to Jesus. Until then, I’m doing my own kind of fighting to share the Good News with this dark world so that the glimpse of Hell doesn’t become an eternal reality for them. This is the Key to living out our Great Commission…before it’s too late. This is the Key to being found worthy by the King!

The Bible says that “no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him,” and I’m looking forward to Heaven. I’m going to that Place where there’s no more sadness or sickness – a place where there are no more tears….EVER. A place where “evil” doesn’t exist, and Peace is Everlasting. Though I can’t imagine it, I long for it, and I want everybody else to long for it too! I am confident that “greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world,” so I’m Living out my Faith with the boldness of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb. I refuse to take part in debates over meaningless things that make no difference in the Bigger Picture of eternity. Instead, my Light will be shining brighter than it ever has before in the middle of a dark world getting darker every day. I KNOW Who wins…and I’m on the Winners Team, so I can’t partake in that “glimpse of Hell” – I can only outshine it with Him – and FOR Him. Darkness can’t exist in the Light, and I know that if more people Believed in my God the way I Believe in my God, they’d be shining their Light in this dark world too…instead of partaking in the war against “good and evil” on earth – so, I’ll be busy trying to (re)ignite their Faith while I’m at it. I’m looking East, and I’m longing for Heaven. This is the Key to walking through the Journey of Faith with Peace in ALL circumstances. When I have Heaven on the horizon, why in the world would I focus on the fog?

There’s so much going on in the dark world, but you could never prove it by the Peace I have within me. To some, it looks hopeless on the outside, but it’s NEVER hopeless! To some, the main goal is to save the most amazing country in the world – to me, it’s to save the Heart of the Lost. Ready or not, the King is Coming, and when He does, believe it or not, EVERY knee shall bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! I mourn for the ones who aren’t ready to meet Him. Yes, even the crazy ones who have taken to our streets to “rob, kill, and destroy”. They’re being used by Satan himself and they’re blinded to the Light. There is only ONE way to fight and to win, and it’s not whining about the government or with weapons of the flesh. To be Ready for the journey through the darkness and the fog, we need to be sure that we are Strengthened for Spiritual battle every single day, and we need to focus more on the Eastern sky where the King will appear than on the condition of the dark world or the latest word on politics. Those things are just a distraction the enemy uses to keep us in the fog! It doesn’t work on me – will you let his tactics continue to work on you?

I’m busy Serving the King, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can easily cut through the fog with the Word of God, and I can light up the darkness with the Light of the Holy Spirit within me. I Receive my Direction from the Holy Spirit. He’s my Strength. He’s my Shield. He’s my Deliverer. I’m looking to the East with great anticipation! Fog? What fog?

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. When I stepped out onto the front porch for coffee and prayer, my Heart was filled with Gratitude, and I had High Expectations about this new day with the Living God. The sun is already scorching, and no doubt it will dry out the freshly cut hay. It’s not the first time the hay has been cut, and it won’t be the last, but it never gets old to me. The look and the smell of a freshly cut field are heavenly to me every single time. This isn’t just any old day – it’s a New Day – and I’m not just any old Servant – I’m a Willing one with High Expectations about the Journey. My God has no boundaries, and it shows in my Life as He continues to use me in ways I could never imagine I would be capable of…IF I look at Life with my mind instead of my Heart, that is. As I stumble through the Journey called Life – as I fall down and get back up time and time again- I KNOW HE KNOWS my Heart for Him, and I KNOW He’ll use me all the days of my Life because I LOVE HIM WITH MY WHOLE HEART. I am a Willing Vessel with High Expectations about doing the work of my God. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey, too?

These days, it seems to be so easy for people to lose hope in the face of adversity, but that’s because they don’t have High Expectations for the Journey of Life. I’m not sure how that’s possible if they Know Him the way I do and if they consume His Word for Wisdom and Direction….how can they NOT think Big? Sometimes we focus on the surface of Life that often resembles a train wreck with a million broken pieces – but that doesn’t slow down the God of no Boundaries, and He’ll always work it for Good IF we let Him. When we have High Expectations about the Work of His Hands, we Understand that there is always something Beautiful going on behind the scenes, and we look through the RUBBLE for the RUBIES every time. When we have High Expectations about His Purpose for us, we don’t allow ourselves to think that things are impossible, because we Know that ALL THINGS ARE possible with Him, so we Celebrate the Victory long before we see it. When we have High Expectations, we’re quick to hit our knees to ask for Forgiveness because how He sees us is FAR more important than how the world does. We Understand the importance of getting rid of anything in the Heart that has the potential to damage our Relationship with the King of all kings, and that if we want to be found Worthy to be used by the King, Humility is a Key Characteristic. With High Expectations, we don’t put God in a box, and we NEVER quit believing in Miracles.

I don’t know ALL the ways my Redeemer will be using me here on this earth until He calls me Home – all I know is how He’s using me right NOW in ways I never imagined. I’m an “alien in a foreign land”, and I’m here on a Temporary Assignment on behalf of the King. I’m like the woman at the well who got so excited about Jesus that she left everything behind to go tell her world about Him. With a Heart and excitement like that, how can ANYBODY say that a woman isn’t qualified to be used by the KING? I have High Expectations because I’m a Willing Vessel (with limited time) and I’m Ready to go where He tells me to go, and do what He tells me to do. I won’t be afraid, and I’ll never feel inadequate, no matter what He Calls me to do – not because I’m confident or capable – but because I have High Expectations for the Journey and I’ve already been Tenderized for the Job. I found the RUBIES in the RUBBLE, and it shows in my Life. I’m “pressing on,” and I’m running “in such a way as to get the prize!” just like Paul did. When I receive my crown (reward) for what I’ve done in His Name during my time here on earth, I’ll be tossing it at His feet as fast as I can because it’s my HONOR to Serve Him and NONE of it would be possible without Him. What I do for Jesus Christ can’t be measured by human standards, and my Rewards won’t be seen on this side of Heaven. What I do for Him is done out of Love…and it’s that Love that keeps me going with High Expectations.

How about you? Do YOU have High Expectations for your Journey?

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s going to be another beautiful day in Virginia today, and my Time on the front porch was too brief for me. I could sit there in His Presence all day long. That’s okay, although nothing replaces being on the front porch, I’ve prayed over every inch of this farm for decades, so I can “see” it even with my eyes closed. I’ve been an eyewitness to nature being obedient to His Call as He wakes up the world thousands of times, and I can visualize play-by-play because of it. I’ve walked this Journey hand in hand with the Master of the Universe, and no matter how many times I see a sunrise, I’m in awe of Him, and because I am, I want to be Obedient to His Call. At the sound of His voice, the earth was formed. At the sound of His voice, the land was separated from the sea. At the sound of His voice, Adam was put into a deep sleep, and Eve was formed from his rib. At the sound of His voice, the stars were scattered in the sky. At the sound of His voice, the sun stood still. At the sound of His voice, the sea parted. At the sound of His voice, the rain was withheld for years. As I considered the Power of the sound of His voice and how nature so easily responds, I thought about how often man…the most Valuable Creation of all…willfully ignores the sound of His voice, and we struggle with Obedience when we do. Isn’t that the way you see it, too?

It can be so easy for us to tune out the Voice of God, especially when He Instructs us to do something that makes no sense to the human mind, but we miss out on the Opportunity to Serve and to Please the God of all Creation when we do. Somehow, when the rational mind kicks in, we convince ourselves that God would never Instruct us to do something that doesn’t make sense to us. But if it makes sense to God Almighty, that’s all that ever matters. God’s ways are not our ways, and His ways don’t need to make sense to us for us to be willing to be Obedient. I’m pretty sure not much made sense to Moses, or Elijah, or Daniel, or Joshua, or a host of other saints we read about. But the biggest Miracles the world has ever seen were born out of Obedience to things that didn’t make sense to the human mind- and the same is STILL true today. Being willing to be Obedient to His Instructions, ESPECIALLY when they don’t make sense to the human mind, is the KEY to a Rich Relationship with the God of Miracles. The surest Sign of Trust is Obedience through it all.

The Bible says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” – this isn’t referring to age, but to Maturity instead. Most of the rules we teach a child make no sense to the young human mind, but when they’re taught to listen to the voice of their father and mother, and they see the rewards of obedience, they mature into rule-following people able to accept authority, and they don’t hesitate to do what they’re told to do. If only people Walking through the Journey of Faith would do the same when they Hear the Voice of the Master of all Creation! IF only they would “let go and let God” the way they claim to! If only they would step out in Faith when God Instructs them to do something that makes absolutely no sense to the human mind. If only they could Trust Him. This is the Key to being a Willing Vessel – a Participant in the Master Plan that might not make a whole lot of sense to the human mind on this side of Heaven, but one that makes Perfect sense to the Perfect God.

When I was a child in my Journey of Faith, I “passed” on plenty of things because they didn’t make sense to my human mind. Today is a different story – today I’m Mature. At the sound of His voice, I’m Obedient and I Trust what He wants to do through me. My world sees the God of all Creation work in my Life in ways that sometimes leave them breathless – but what they see in my Life over and over again has nothing to do with me. What they see is the Hand of God working Miracles…Miracles born out of Obedience. Every single day, I work on “dying to myself” – to set aside my own will so that I can do His instead. Every single day, I ask Him to examine my Heart to see if there is anything inside that I need to purge and repent of. I can’t hear His voice if I have sin in my Heart (and neither can you!) I listen to His Voice with an open Heart and I set out to Serve the One Who died for me, ESPECIALLY when it doesn’t make sense to me at all. That’s what Trust looks like!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One Who Knew me before the earth was formed, and we had a long chat about my Life. My Biggest Priority in this Journey called Life is to be Pleasing to Him… and not necessarily to those around me. Though I’d love to please everybody all the time, I know from my Instruction Manual that it isn’t possible to please the world. So, as long as I’m Pleasing the Master of the world by the way I Live, Love, and Speak, everything’s going to be just fine, and all will be well with my Soul. When I looked at the flags on the front porch on any given day, they reminded me of my Life…I’m many things to many people, and I’m often wearing more than one hat. And just like the flags on the front porch, when you mix all the colors of Life together, you get a Masterpiece painted by the Hand of God. I AM A MASTERPIECE because of Him, and all the pieces of my Life work together for Good because I LOVE HIM and I’ve been Called according to His Purpose. Isn’t that the way you see your Life, too?

It can be so easy to worry about what everybody else thinks about who we are and what we stand for, but when we worry more about what people think than what God thinks, we become useless to Him. Refusing to stand up for the Living God is a form of denying Him, and He makes it pretty clear that “Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in Heaven.” Some people feel better about defining God as “the same god to all religions by a different name,” AS IF the Living God is okay with being mixed up with untruths. No matter how many people worship whatever form of god they design in their own mind, there is only One God, and He makes it perfectly clear in His Word – “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Plenty of people spend a lifetime making sure a loved one did not die in vain, and they do whatever they can do to be sure they aren’t forgotten…and that’s a beautiful thing. If only people had as much love for Jesus – if onlythey were Determined to Share His Messege so that He didn’t “die in vain” either, and IF ONLY they could love Him enough to make sure He’s never “forgotten,” the world would look a whole lot different than it does today. Unfortunately, with so many people of Faith opting to ride out their Journey as spectators, the world keeps getting darker and darker. As for me, “this little light of mine – I’m gonna let it shine” no matter what and what Jesus did for me will be shouted from the rooftops all the days of my Life!

As surely as I would stop to help someone with directions to a nearby destination, I will never lose the opportunity to Redirect a lost person when I see them being deceived. When I’m asked to “tolerate” other gods all in the name of acceptance…I refuse…because the Living God can’t be pleased with me if I entertain untruth just to be nice. I know that if the lost ones don’t get headed in the Right Direction, they’ll be lost for eternity, so I do my part to Redirect them before it’s too late. I have the Only Solution and I’m obliged to Share it with as many as I can in my Lifetime. I make sure to share the Truth with Love, and I know that lost people can’t deny the Joy they see in me. If they’re “offended” by Truth, there’s nothing I can do about that except to pray. I don’t Share because I judge them or because I don’t like them…I Share because I LOVE THEM! I stand Strong as a Messenger of Truth and an Ambassador to the One True God, no matter the price I pay because of it. The Living God has already warned me about how I’ll be treated, so it comes as no surprise to me – “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” There’s not much to “hate” when we are silent, and there’s not much love in withholding Truth. It would be nice to be more popular for who I am and what I stand for, but as long as I’m “popular” with the King of kings, all is well with my Soul.

I am many things to many people, and sometimes I wear lots of hats in this Journey called Life, BUT when you mix it all together and stir it up, you’ll see that I really only have One Job, One Agenda, One Role, and that’s to serve Him with everything I’ve got. I care a whole lot more about Pleasing the Living God than I ever could about offending man with Truth. I may not win a popularity contest in this Journey called Life because of it, but that’s okay because I’m much more Focused on being “popular” in His Eyes than I am in the world.

That’s what Love looks like…that’s what Faith looks like…that’s what Surrendering a Life to Christ looks like.

What does your Life look like?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One to put Boundary Lines of Protection over my Life, and I spent a long time giving thanks. There’s no end to the things that could have the Potential to harm me and this old farm, but “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places,” and He’s “made my lot secure.” As I met with the Master this morning and I pondered all that is going on in my life and the lives of the ones I love, I thanked Him for those boundary lines of Protection over us day after day and year after year. I know that outside of myself and my own behavior, there isn’t much that I can do about most of the things that “threaten” my Peace, so I turn to my Protector for it all. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

I could own an arsenal of firearms, and I could build a wall around this old farm that I love so much, but I know that my real protection comes from the Hand of God as He makes sure that the boundary lines fall on me in pleasant places. I could have every door locked and every window nailed shut. I could install hurricane shutters on every one of the 33 windows. I could have the most advanced alarm system known to mankind that would alert me to every threat outside – but I know my real protection comes from the Hand of God as He makes sure to have the boundary lines fall upon me in pleasant places. I could refuse to allow guests into my home for fear of them robbing me or spreading their germs. I could live a life that is built around privacy and paranoia, but I know that I don’t have to keep the world away to be safe because He will make the boundary lines for me in pleasant places every single time. More than any of these steps that I can take to protect myself and this beautiful old farm, the biggest step I take is to have a Belief in the Power of my God and the assurance of knowing that He’s in control of it all. This is the secret to Peace in the midst of any storm in Life.

When I’m asked to pray over the Life of another, one of the things at the top of the list is to pray for…no matter what’s going on…is for God’s boundary lines of Protection over them – The kind of boundary lines that only He can draw and the kind of boundary lines that bring Peace that surpasses all understanding. I pray against our adversary, and I call upon the Name of Jesus Christ to thwart any plans to torment or destroy that he might have up his evil sleeve. I pray over the boundary lines of the Heart and mind so that no fiery darts from the enemy can tempt them into destruction, and I pray boundary lines around them to discourage them from listening to the world instead of the Master. I pray they find comfort in knowing that He “commands His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Yes, when I pray on behalf of another, it’s serious business…and it all begins with Boundary Lines.

I’m facing this day with the kind of Love that defies words for my Protector, and I have a Heart overflowing with gratitude for the boundary lines that have fallen upon me in pleasant places day after day and year after year ALL because of Him. He has made my lot secure!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Master of the Universe on the front porch, and I lingered there with Him until the scorching sun sent me to cooler places inside. Our Time didn’t end because we were interrupted. I just relocated, and we picked up right where we left off because He wasn’t finished with me yet, and I’ll NEVER be “finished” with my God. Spending the first part of my day in the Presence of the Author and Perfecter of my Faith is THE BIGGEST priority in my Life. He says, “Abide in me,” and if I don’t Work hard on our Relationship, abiding in Him will not even be possible. If I let life get in the way, and if I refuse to get the Nourishment it takes to “abide” in Him, I’d be chasing a crisis and losing control of my thoughts, and before long, I’ll be lost in this journey called life and NO LONGER LOST IN HIM! Isn’t that the way you see your Relationship with the King of all kings, too?

When you think about how most relationships fall short of what people dreamed they would be, it’s not a surprise that their Relationship with the Living God would fall short, too. Some people will endure a relationship no matter what, and they’ll “stick it out” even though there is no abiding love whatsoever, as if doing a life sentence without love is the honorable thing to do. But nobody wants a love like that – ESPECIALLY not the Living God. He wants us to be consumed by Him. He wants us to consider Him above all else, and He wants to be a part of every part of our lives. He wants us to consult Him on all of our major decisions, and He wants to know that He’s front and center at all times. He wants to “smother us” with His Love. Oh, and He’s a jealous God too…He’s not willing to share. In fact, He demands that He be our One and Only, and if we want Heaven to be our final Destination, that’s precisely the way it needs to be. The Living God wants ALL of us, and He will never be Okay with us just “sticking it out” with Him like some life sentence or out of some sense of obligation because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do…He wants us to be with Him because that is what we DESIRE to do…HE WANTS OUR ABIDING LOVE!

People often wondered how and why I spent most of my life flying solo, as if there was something wrong with me because of it. I remained single all those years because I knew what Abiding Love looked like, and I NEVER would have settled for less. Nothing could have tempted me into a miserable life sentence just for the sake of not being alone because I Know (with God) I AM NEVER ALONE. God Almighty sets the threshold for how Love is supposed to be, and nothing short of that would ever be good enough for me…OR HIM. And I Knew that if God decided that it was time for me to give my heart and my life to another person, He’d send me Abiding love, and I’d be loved in the way that I deserve to be loved as a Child of the Living God…AND HE DID! Now the Living God is front and center in OUR lives and, together, we Abide in Him.

How about you? Do you Abide in Him, or are you just hoping He’ll settle for less?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I began this new day of a new week just the way I always do – I raced to the front porch for a hot cup of coffee, eager to watch the Master wake up the world right before my very eyes. I love to watch as He Unveils a new day, and I love to watch nature respond to His Commands. It doesn’t matter how many sunrises I’ve seen in my Life, or how many more I have left to enjoy, I will never grow tired of being an eyewitness to the Touch of the Master’s Hand, and I’ll never stop being in awe of how the world around me responds to Him. His Majesty overwhelms me, and it sends me straight into Praise-mode because of Who He is and what He means to me…and it all begins at sunrise. It would be impossible for me NOT to tell the world about my God, because my excitement cannot be contained. Sharing exciting things in this world seems to be pretty easy for most people to do, but when it comes to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s an entirely different story. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith, too?

When people get excited about something its amazing to see how fast their excitement can reach the world around them. Excitement travels fast, and excitement is contagious. It’s excitement that compels others to want to experience the same thing that created the excitement in you. Sometimes it’s a great movie or a great restaurant. Sometimes it’s a new theme park or a bike trail. Sometimes it’s love. Sometimes it’s a sale in a store or a new gadget. Sometimes it’s the excitement over a new home or a new car. Sometimes excitement stems from a new job or business. It doesn’t really matter what inspires the excitement; when excitement is shared, it takes on a life of its own and can spread like wildfire. Hollywood spends billions of dollars on advertising to market its goods to the world, but it’s the excitement that creates “word of mouth” advertising that will make or break a film. It’s not possible to put a “value” on the results that even one person has the potential to create through their excitement…because excitement always takes on a life of its own. So, where’s the excitement for Jesus?

When Jesus walked the earth and began to “show” His Power to the world, there was no containing the excitement. He was Teaching with Wisdom in ways nobody had ever heard before. He was extending Compassion to others in ways nobody had ever seen before. He was Healing the sick and causing the blind to see. He even raised His friend from the dead after he had been dead for days. The excitement that spread like wildfire in those days was the Beginning of the Ministry of Jesus Christ. Sometimes I wonder, had He NOT performed a few Miracles for the world to see with their own eyes…would the excitement have grown into Truth for the entire world to hear OR would His words have fizzled out almost as quickly as they were Spoken? He is the same yesterday, today, and He’ll be the same forevermore. But if there’s one thing lacking in the Journey with Jesus…it’s excitement. It’s expressing Excitement about Who He is and what He’s done that can compel another to want to know more. We may not live in the Time of Christ where we could be eyewitnesses to His miracles here on earth…But His Power and the Miracle that He does within our Hearts and our Lives should be enough to keep people of Faith excited for all the days of their lives. So…where’s the excitement?

One of the most Powerful tools that we use in sharing our Faith with the world isn’t just inviting somebody to church or giving them a free Bible. What creates Excitement and Hope is sharing our Journey…sharing what He means to us, what He’s done for us, what He delivered us from, what He healed us of, and how he Transformed our Hearts and our Lives in Miraculous ways! If my world could see a video of the woman I was before Christ, I would be unrecognizable. He transformed me into who I am today and the Miracle of my Heart…tenderized by the King…is enough to keep my excitement going for as long as I do. I share my “past,” and I share my “failures” and I share my “wrongs” without blinking an eye so that my Life can be a Living Testimony to the Power and Love of the Living God. I share my Future, and I share His Plans for me, and I sprinkle it with Hope…because what He has done AND what He Plans to do for me. All that He has done for me He would LOVE to do for you too! The story of my Journey has Power, and I’m always willing to share it. Some of my Journey would make you blush. Some of it would make you mad. Some of it would make you weep. All of it has the Power…IF I’m willing to share it with the world, that is. And when I share, I share with Excitement that never waivers.

Every piece of my Life…those things I’m “proud of”, and things that brought me shame, can be used by Him ONLY if I’m a willing Vessel and ONLY if I’m genuinely Excited about Who He is and what He’s done for me. It doesn’t matter how bad the past might be, He can make it work together for Good. Your life may have a chapter or two that you’d rather not reveal to the world…BUT unless we Share how He changed us…and Share it with EXCITEMENT instead of hoarding it in the name of “privacy”, we don’t ever Reach the Potential that we have as His Servants, and we never really Tap into the Power that every Piece of our Journey has…when we Share the “rest of the story”.

I do what it takes each new Day to be sure that my Excitement NEVER dims and my Faith NEVER waivers. I’m an open book that sometimes makes other people of Faith uncomfortable. But it’s not MY Journey that makes them “uncomfortable”, it’s that they see me as a bad example because I don’t “leave the past in the past”. But it takes the ENTIRE story of a Life to Paint the Picture of “modern day Miracles”, and it takes it ALL to create Excitement that can take on a Life of its own. I get up, I pray up, I show up, I Stand up, and I’ll never shut up about my God BECAUSE I’m excited…still.

How about you?