Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s one of those perfect kind of mornings with clear skies and cool air before things heat up for the day. Part of me wishes it could be like this all the time, but if it was like this all the time I’d eventually take it for granted. Only God is “the same yesterday, today, and forevermore” while everything else in between changes. It’s the changing that keeps us on our toes, and it’s the changing that causes some of us to seek His Will a little harder than all the others. Some changes are good ones…some are bad ones…some seemingly without much relevance at all…at least from where I sit. Because I know that change comes to all of us, I determine to face each new day with a renewed Heart and an attitude of Gratitude while I Ready myself for whatever change I might face on this new day. Isn’t that how you look at change too?

It can be so easy to take things for granted in life if we’re not careful, but we miss out on the Purpose of Life when we do. We skip through life without a care in the world as long as things are running smoothly, and before we know it, we begin to take things for granted in the process. We live as if love will always be there – it’s when we take love for granted that it has the potential to fade. We live as if nothing in life needs to be nurtured, but nothing grows strong roots without nurturing. We live as if life never ends for anybody – it’s when we take life for granted that we forget to savor more moments. We live as if money will always be there – it’s when we take money for granted that we spend it recklessly OR we take for granted all those beautiful opportunities that can lift us out of poverty. We live as if good health is just a way of life – it’s when we take good health for granted that we forget to protect it. We live as if we have forever to do all those things we’ve always dreamed of doing…but it’s when we take our dreams for granted that we begin to perish. There’s no end to what we take for granted and no limit to our excuses when we do. It’s ONLY when we have a sincere Attitude of Gratitude for every sliver of life that we realize how precious (and how frail) life is and we make SURE to savor it all while we’re still here.

The Bible says that in the end times “men will be lovers of themselves” – no doubt taking things for granted is a very clear picture of what that looks like today. It’s the selfish heart of man that leads to taking things for granted – living for ourselves and tending to our own needs above all else. The hard Reality is that it’s not possible to be filled with an Attitude of Gratitude for all that He is and all that He does when we take so much for granted…we’re “lovers of” ourselves instead. It’s when we see the Blessing of it all…the Blessing of each one…the Blessing of every Ordained moment…the Blessing found in every up and every down…even the Blessing behind the changes…that we learn to savor it ALL and taking things for granted is Spiritually impossible. The Lord “gives and takes away” and I can’t help but wonder if He changes things up in Life to be sure that we don’t take it for granted.

I’m savoring this cool summer morning before it changes back to the norm and I’m overflowing with an Attitude of Gratitude even though my life isn’t “perfect” here on earth. Change comes to all of us and I’ve had my fair share just like the rest of the world. Sometimes I embrace it and sometimes I fight it, but I always Trust Him with the change. I don’t want to take one moment…one person…one change for granted and I want to overflow with an Attitude of Gratitude that can be seen far and wide…no matter what’s going on in the Journey called Life. May it NEVER be said of me that I was a “lover of” self.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Though it’s Saturday, every day is a busy day around here so I make sure to kick each one off with the most Important thing on my List of things to do – I meet with the Living God. He’s not just the CEO of my Life, He’s a Wonderful Counselor and the Source of Wisdom too. He knows my steps before I take them, and He knows what the end Result will be before it is revealed to me. He “keeps my path straight” if I should stray from His Plans for me. Everything I need to know about my Life and Ministry was written long ago. I refer to my Instruction Manual every single day for Divine Direction because these Words were Breathed into existence by the Living God to help me along. If I want to be successful in every area of Life it all begins with my Relationship with my CEO. As long as I have that part right, everything else will just fall into Place. Isn’t that the way you look at your relationship with your CEO too?

I can’t imagine what it’s like to hit the ground running on a new day without a Staff Meeting with the Living God to ensure my success, but plenty of people do just that. When things get in the way of my Staff Meeting…an unexpected interruption or a late start to a new day…I’m out of sorts all day and I don’t feel nearly as Prepared as I need to be for the Journey. I’m not sure why people refuse to spend time with the Living God, but I think most people don’t think it’s necessary…sad but true. If that’s the case, they’ve been deceived by the master deceiver! If you want the Day to end well, it all begins at the Beginning. If you long to be Promoted One Day, the kind of Promotion that will take you all the way to the Top, you’ll Invest Time to spend with your CEO each day too. If you want to Receive a Good Review…the kind that says “WELL DONE!” that depends on how much Quality Time you spend with your CEO. Your “success” all comes down to you and how much you Value your Position in Life and how much Time and Attention you spend with the Author of it all aka your CEO.

Some people were baptized as infants and they’re under the impression that the sprinkling was a Reservation for a place in Heaven…but that’s not true. Some people say a prayer every night before bedtime in the privacy of their own homes, and they think that satisfies the Living God…but ritualistic prayers don’t mean a whole lot to the Living God – He wants the Heart instead. Some people are pretty good about confessing their wrongs and they feel good about receiving “forgiveness” from man…but unless they genuinely confess the wrongs to the One who died for it all, it doesn’t mean a whole lot to the Living God. I feel bad for all the people who know who God is…but they don’t KNOW God because there is no Relationship between them. Every relationship of any kind takes TIME to build. Why would a Relationship with the CEO, the Living God, the Author, and the Perfecter of Faith be any different?

When I talk about these things I’m often reminded that I can’t judge the heart…and that is absolutely true! I’m not the Judge and I’m not the jury and there is no desire within me to be either one. But what I am is a Messenger on Temporary Assignment and I take my Instructions from the CEO of my Life seriously because there is so much at stake! I didn’t Write the Rules and I’m not the One to enforce them. My Role is to be sure that others understand that there ARE Rules and then it’s up to them whether or not they want a Relationship with the Rule Maker or not. When it comes to Truth and Recruiting, God expects us all to CARE ENOUGH TO SHARE! After all, a Messenger without a Message isn’t worth a whole lot no matter how you look at it. The CEO of Life has already given each one of us a Message that is Intended to be Shared with the world. Not Sharing the Message is non-negotiable for Followers of Jesus Christ…the CEO of Life. You’re either ON the Jesus Team or you’re NOT – if you are ARE then you care about your Job Description too!

With so much at stake in this Journey of Faith, I am sure to meet with Him each morning so that I’m Equipped with Love and Compassion, Boldness and Strength. He Expects me to Share His Message with Compassion so that I can be a Light of Hope in a Dark World. For me, there is no other way to Live and no Greater Purpose. I absolutely DO see a lot of beauty from where I sit on the porch each day, but THE MOST beautiful thing on the planet has nothing to do with geography or wildlife – it’s that Staff Meeting with the CEO of my Life that brings me Joy and Peace and it’s the Marching Orders He gives to me that gives me Direction. Why would I EVER not want to meet with the CEO before I begin a new day?

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 Living God with High Expectations for all that He has for me to do in His Name and I watched Him wake up the world around the farm just like I always do. It’s fascinating to watch nature put its trust in the Hand of God for its provisions and every day is pretty much the same to them as they hunt for it. This morning this bird took a seat slightly above the ground to watch for its prey and it was ready to dive for whatever appealed to him in the moment. It could have landed on a limb much higher off the ground but then it wouldn’t have the same view of the options that will satisfy its hunger for more. When you think about it, that’s not much different than how many people live their lives. They fly a little closer to Heaven but set their sights on the pleasures of this earth. They have no Higher Expectations whatsoever. Isn’t it just like God to use a tiny bird on a tiny limb to drive a Message into my Heart this morning?

Once upon a time I was a wretch and I sinned in total peace; “I was blind but now I see”. I had high expectations about success in every area of life and it was my strive to be “the best” that propelled me to the top of all things…from motherhood to business. Average was never good enough for me. Having high expectations should never be confused with being a perfectionist. It should never be confused with being ego-driven. It should never be confused with being greedy. Having high expectations is the threshold of excellence…it is a non-negotiable place of integrity. It’s a quest to be all that you can be! High Expectations has been a part of my Journey of Faith all along. I Expect miracles. I Expect to feel the Presence of the Lord. I Expect to see the Glory of God. I Expect healing. I Expect salvation. I Expect Him to do Big Things in a barn in Virginia. I have High Expectations and the Living God never disappoints. As long as I keep my eyes on Him, I know all things are possible just like His Word says they are.

Unlike the bird on the low limb this morning, I fly to the highest limb and look UPWARD for my sustenance. I don’t hunger for anything on this earth whatsoever. He’s all I need. I have High Expectations of the Most High God…a God without Limitations. I Expect Good things. I think about Good things. I speak Good things. I Reflect Good things. I will be Good things in the name of Jesus.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. When I settled in to spend Time with the Living God this morning, it was all I could do to focus on His Word. The sun was blazing hot already even though the temperature was cool. The sun was already blinding even though the sun had just made itself visible in the morning sky. All indicators point to a brutally hot day in Virginia. I don’t need meteorologists to confirm what I can already feel on my own. I know the outside very well because I spend most mornings here and nothing much catches me off guard because of it. That’s just the way it is in the Journey of Faith for the Faithful too – when we spend enough Time in His Presence and we Study His Word Intently, we can’t be caught off guard like the rest of the world and we aren’t taken by Surprise by what the God who “gives and takes away” does on any given day of the week. Plenty of people have some sort of “faith” but very few are Faithful enough to Feel what is on the Horizon before all the rest, and THAT Remnant will remain Faithful until the End. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith too?

I’m not sure how anybody survives this thing called “life” without a firm Foundation of Faith but it’s obvious most people do somehow. I’m not sure how people professing to be Followers of Jesus Christ can justify (or be content) spending a little time with Him on Sunday mornings while they live for themselves the other 6.5 days a week. I’m not sure how people of Faith can possibly get so caught up in fear that they pace the floor and hide under the bed because they don’t Know how the Story ends. I’m not sure how people who claim to have a Relationship with Jesus Christ can arrogantly attempt to mock God by saying one thing and living another as if there are no consequences at all. I’m not sure how people who claim to be Grateful for their Forgiveness that came by way of the blood of Jesus Christ AND YET they somehow justify their refusal to extend forgiveness to someone else. I’m not sure how people claiming to Love Jesus can possibly go through the day without even mentioning His name in the presence of the lost world. I’m not sure how so many people claim that they would die for Jesus when they refuse to Live for Him now. These people are so far away from the Living God that they don’t even Feel the scorching sun on their faces and they are far too numb to “Feel” what’s coming soon. These lukewarm wanna-be believers are what keep people like me very busy sharing Truth with Love…and at all costs. Remnants never stop – we’ll Remain Faithful until the end.

Last night hail “the size of golfballs” fell in places all around the farm…but not here. Trees fell in fields and roadways everywhere…but not here. People lost electricity for hours on a stifling hot day…but not us. Am I surprised to have been Supernaturally Protected from the storm? Of course not! He says “The righteous never go hungry” and I Trust Him. His Word says,

“But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him….and I Believe it. He says that He is coming back soon and I FEEL it. I am unstoppable. I am unwavering. I am a bold Warrior and a Compassionate Vessel for Jesus Christ my Savior. You’ll hear His Name cross my lips dozens of times today as I Celebrate Who He is in my Life. I am a part of the Remnant He’s coming for!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I stepped out onto the front porch with a cup of coffee in hand just as the sun was beginning to rise and I smiled when I felt the cool temperature on this July morning. The heat has been taking a toll on the earth and the land is thirsting for water. As I looked out at the foggy fields filled with deer eating their breakfast in the wee hours of this new day, I thanked God for the Beauty of the Simple things that bring such Joy to me. We’re all surrounded by Simple things that have the Potential to Fill the Heart with Joy and Gratitude, but not everybody is interested in looking for them because their Hearts are more inclined toward themselves and “feel good” moments. As for me, I’ll take the sound of a bird at sunrise over any concert on the planet, and I’ll take watching deer in the fields over any movie. God Entertains me more than man-made things ever could because I love the Simple things. This morning I spent a little extra time thanking the Living God for all that He is and for that He does for me and for this amazing clear and cool morning in Virginia. The Simple Pleasures make my Heart sing. Isn’t that the way it is in y our Journey of Faith too?

It could be so easy to focus on the bigger battles in life and miss the Simple Pleasures if we aren’t careful, but it’s those simple pleasures that often have the Biggest Impact on the Heart. How can pleasure be measured when we look into the eyes of a child or when we hear them giggle? How can pleasure be measured when we stop the world to focus on conversation with our loved ones or when we break out in a belly laugh as we walk down Memory Lane? How can pleasure be measured when we spend time sharing our Heart with a friend or when we go before the Throne of our God together in prayer? How can pleasure be measured as we consider the birds of the air or the fruit of the fields and we Know that it all comes from Him? How can pleasure be measured when we look at the sky full of stars and we know that God placed them there and that He knows them all by name? How can pleasure be measured when He speaks to us at just the right time for just the right Purpose and He takes us by the right hand to lead us where we’re Called to go? There is no end to Simple Pleasures and no way to measure the joy they bring to the Heart…IF we refuse to overlook them in our search for the “bigger” things.

Some people think the simple things are nonsense and they miss out on the Quality of Life because of it. They need those “wow” moments for them to feel Fulfilled and they’re only impressed by God when He does “Big” things to entertain them. They miss out on the Simple Pleasures. These same people are inclined to search only for those “big” moments found in the Bible and they’ll flip past the pages of those Simple things as if they are unnecessary “fluff” in the Bigger Picture. But there isn’t even one word in His Word that is unnecessary “fluff” and just one Whisper from His Spirit to my Heart is THE BEST (not so) Simple Pleasures in this Journey of Life. My God can part the seas at the sound of His voice. He can make the sun stand still and He can calm the storm. He can declare war and He can bring Peace whenever He wants to. He can heal the sick and raise the dead. He gives AND He takes away. He can do all things and I am in awe of Him. But when He Whispers to my Heart…When His Words come flowing into me and I feel His Spirit Speaking to me…it’s THAT Simple Pleasure that brings me the most pleasure in this Journey called Life. Knowing that He Loves me…that He hears my cries…that He is with me always…that He has a Word for everything I am and for all that I do and that He cares enough to Whisper those Words within my Soul is so beautiful it defies words! I wish everybody could have what I have all because I savor those Simple Things.

I feel sorry for the ones missing out on the Simple things as they let their Time here on earth slip by. Far too many parents refuse to participate in simple things with a child as long as there are smartphones and TVs to entertain them. Far too many people of Faith are sitting out the Game on the bench (aka pew) and they’re missing the pleasure of Selfless Service in His Name cause of it. Some people stay away from churches that serve up Simple music as if a rock band defines the worth of the Church and they’ll miss the Truth in the process of looking to be entertained. Some people refuse to slow down for anyone or anything because chasing success is much more important to them than “chasing” Relationships with God or man. Eventually, the Time runs out for all of us and the opportunity to enjoy the Simple things will come to an End. I wonder if there will be Regrets for the ones who thought of themselves and their entertainment far more important than those “boring” Simple things where the Truest Blessings are Found? Will they hear God say “I gave the gift of a child but you found other things more important than spending time with her?” Will God Remind them that they existed just to glorify Him and not to entertain themselves? I don’t know if they’ll be asked about squandering their lives but the thought of standing before God with excuses is enough to keep me chasing the Simple things of my Faith.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. To kick off this new day of a new week, I sat waiting to feel the Presence of the Lord but I can’t say that I actually did. I know my Omnipresent Lord is always with me but I wanted to “feel” Him this morning. I praised Him. I exalted Him. I thanked Him and I made a few requests – but I didn’t “feel” anything in return. When I didn’t “feel” anything I set out to examine my Heart to see if there was any reason within me for the silence. The last thing I want is for something within me to hinder my Relationship with Him, so that’s ALWAYS the first stop. I found a few things that I needed to Adjust and I asked for His Forgiveness and I felt uplifted even though He was “silent.” Some might wonder why I try so hard sometimes, but that’s because He’s my everything and I’m desperate for Him. The words of the Psalmist define my heart far better than I can “As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.” Isn’t that the way it is in your Journey of Faith too?

It can be so easy to gauge anything in life by what we feel or don’t feel, but a Quality Life isn’t measured by warm and fuzzy feelings. We don’t exist to be entertained and we won’t always have warm fuzzy feelings. Everything in life has a season of silence – from work to relationships to time with Living God. When we don’t “feel” excited, or successful, or loved, or appreciated, or anything else we often point to someone or something else for the reason why. Silence isn’t always a bad thing, but when things are silent the FIRST STEP should be to examine ourselves to see if there is anything within us that is hindering the “feelings.” That’s not taking the blame for every season of silence – it’s doing our part to find the Truth. As long as we insist on placing blame for how we feel or don’t feel we never mature and we lose much more than we gain. I don’t know why I didn’t “feel” anything from my God this morning, but I DO KNOW that the most important thing for me is to be sure that I’m NOT the reason why. After that, I continue to do my part and I NEVER read into what I feel while I wait patiently for Him.

I’ll be doing lots of things in His Name today but the most important thing isn’t necessarily what to do with my hands – it’s the Condition of my Heart while I Serve Him. If I don’t “feel” from someone else, the first stop will be for me to examine myself before I ever turn to them for the cause. I’m desperate for my God and Pleasing Him is my Biggest Priority. If I have that part right, everything else just falls into place “feelings” and all.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It rained last night and everything went from patchy and parched to green and beautiful after just a little nourishment from Heaven. As I sat in His Presence and contemplated this new day, He kept taking me back to what Nourishment from Heaven can do to a parched people too. We can do absolutely nothing to bring the rain when we need it, but we can approach the Living God for Nourishment from Heaven any time we feel parched. His Word says “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God” and this morning I thought about what a deer is like when it feels parched. It doesn’t just think about it, talk about it, or whine about it, as people do. Instead, it sets out to find water to quench its thirst and doesn’t rest until it finds it. Oh, that our soul would pant for the Living God and not give up until we find our way into His presence for Nourishment each day too!

What is it about the heart of man that makes the Journey of Faith so hard? It’s not an easy thing to comprehend that people (even God’s people) would rather wander around in the desert dying of thirst than they would to seek His face in their time of need. They will compare their lives to the lives of others and wonder why God is “better” to someone else than He is to them. They’ll come up with excuse after excuse for why they’re parched in the first place, and none of them have anything to do with God. Despite their circumstances, they refuse to turn to Hope. They refuse to admit that they need Jesus. They refuse to accept that there is no good thing apart from Him. They thirst, but not for Him. There is a never-ending flow of Living Water for anyone who wants it BUT many would rather remain parched than admit they need Nourishment from God at all. When the SOUL thirsts for God it’s relentless and, just like our furry friends, it doesn’t stop until it finds the Source of Nourishment when feeling parched.

It’s not easy to comprehend why people don’t turn to God when they’re feeling parched BUT it’s a piece of cake to understand what’s behind it. The same liar from the Garden of Eden who successfully convinced Adam and Eve that they would have everything they need WITHOUT God is the same liar working on Hearts today! He whispers, and as long as you listen you’ll remain parched in the desert. He convinces you to worry about what people think. He convinces you that you can handle things on your own. He’ll even convince you that God doesn’t love you! He can pull the trigger on fear and have you hiding under the bed. He convinces you that surrendering to God is weakness in order to keep you from finding your Strength. He’ll keep you wandering around parched all the days of your life UNLESS your soul begins to pant for Living Water. Seek His Face and watch the miracles flow through your life! God looks for humility; the kind of humility that easily confesses a thirst for Himself. That’s the Key to Spiritual Growth!

We have mastered an intellectualized Faith and we’ve whitewashed the Truth long enough so allow me to simplify it the Big Picture. There is Good and there is evil and nothing in between. You’re either FOR God or you’re against Him. You’re either a friend of God or you’re an enemy. You either thirst for Him OR you’ll fall subject to your adversary. There is a real Heaven and a real Hell and no middle ground whatsoever. Christ died for all but not all find their way to Heaven. There is a Day coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. If I were you, I’d start seeking His Face so your Soul begins to thirst for Him before it’s too late. The only thing standing between you being eternally parched and having Eternal Noursishment is Humility.

Be like the deer.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I enjoyed the morning on the front porch before the heat rises for another scorcher day and I gave thanks for it all even though I don’t like the heat. I’m not sure what purpose there is for those scorching temperatures or why God turns up the heat, but I love Him, so I Surrender to all that He is and all that He does without question… especially to those things I don’t particularly like OR understand. The Living God has every “right” to Demand that I Surrender to Him, but it doesn’t work that way. Instead, He Loves me and gives me free will. He wants me to Surrender to Him on my own and not because He says so, but because I love Him. Pleasing Him is my biggest Priority in Life. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It’s amazing to see how people react when it comes to being willing to surrender to almost anything in life because they see it as a sign of weakness instead of a place of Strength. We don’t like to surrender to authority when we push the speed limit up to where we think it should be instead of where authority says it is -but God says to obey the laws of the land. We don’t like to surrender to political leaders – but God ordains them all and He tells us to pray for each one. We don’t think it’s necessary to surrender in any relationship whatsoever because having “equality” is more important from where we sit- but God says to love one another more than ourselves and to put their needs above our own. Kids sometimes don’t want to surrender to their parents – but God says to honor them. Employees don’t want to surrender to the boss – but God says to respect and obey them. Then there’s surrendering our PRIDE to extend Forgiveness to people WE don’t believe deserve it. Why would we do that? Because He commands us to. If we want Forgiveness from Him, we’ll surrender our pride to forgive others too. There’s no end to the things we thumb our noses at because we refuse to surrender…including the Living God. But Surrender to God is a Beautiful thing and it’s only rooted in Love. It’s when we humbly Surrender to a Mighty God because we LOVE Him, that we “unleash” His Power in our lives! No, there’s nothing “wussie” about Surrender…it’s where the Strength is found!

It took a lot of trials and tributlation to Tenderize my Heart and it took years for me to Surrender my own will to His Will instead. I recognize a rebellious spirit when I see it…the one that refuses to surrender to anything in life at all…from the law to love, and we’re seeing that a lot these days. Some people cheer those rebels on because they admire their determination to have their own way, but not me…I pray for them instead. God gives me Free Will to “do it my way” but I’ve tried that, and I KNOW that His way is the ONLY way. I KNOW the Peace and the Power that comes through Surrender and I wish they could have what I have. I’m bold…I’m a Warrior…I’m a threat to my enemy…I’m unstoppable…I’m unshakable…I’m Victorious…ALL BECAUSE I Surrendered to the Will of an Amazing God…by my OWN free will…out of Love…and never out of weakness.

How about you?

Good morning. world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I found my way to the front porch a little later than usual and as I lingered to savor my time with Him, the air was hot and the sun was blinding. There was no moving away from the glare and no relief from the sun even with ceiling fans and sunglasses. The brightness of the morning sun outshined everything else around me and pretty soon it was all I could see. I was powerless to dim it, so I surrendered to its beauty instead. God used the warm air and bright sun of this new day to paint a Picture of how that’s the way it should be in the Journey of Life too. The consuming Fire of my God should be so bright that I can’t see anything else – and the Light of my Faith should be so powerful that this lost world can’t miss it in me when I pass by. Isn’t that just the way it is with Faith?

The Consuming Fire of the Living God should be impossible not to see in my Life. Without speaking a word, the lost world should be able to see my Joy, Peace, my Love, just by being in my presence. That’s not something I can force into being, that’s something that happens naturally when the God of all Creation is all you can see and you’re Blinded by His Love. When He’s all we can see we no longer focus on the things of this dark world, and we don’t spend our time or energy trying to right the wrongs that are out of our control. Instead, we remain blinded by His Light and we do a little blinding of our own in the Process. Just like the blazing sun in the morning sky, the Consuming Fire can’t be avoided when we’re in His Presence, and absolutely nothing can snuff it out. The dark world should see the Consuming Fire in me as it outshines the world around me and it illuminates the pathway to Truth. The peace that “surpasses all understanding” within me should outshine everything else around me too. When you’re in my presence, you should recognize immediately that I’m not your average person even without me speaking a word. When you’re in my presence you should be able to recognize that there is something profoundly different about me – and you’ll KNOW that I’m at peace with a world that appears to be falling apart. You should be drawn to me like a moth drawn to light because of the Consuming Fire in my soul, the warmth of my Heart, and the blinding Light that is all over my Journey of Life. Isn’t that what Faith is supposed to look like?

The words I speak should be like the language of the Son…bold, bright, and beautifully blinding. When I do my Part to keep the Consuming Fire of God burning in my Life, you’ll see Supernatural Beauty that has nothing to do with outward appearances – and the words that flow through me will be overwhelmingly Kind, Gentle, Loving, and Compassionate. The Characteristics that come by way of that kind of Consuming Fire are like an Open Invitation to a hurting world. Hurting people with “dark secrets” will know that they’re safe with me. Sad people who believe they’ve lost their hope will know that I have a Solution. Angry people ready to lash out at the world will be calmed. People who have been sleeping through their Journey of Life will be awakened. Wicked people will be disarmed. The ones being judged by this dark world won’t find judgment with me, and the ones longing for love will find it with me. The language of the Son is Perfect and it’s filled with the Wise Words any time I need them…all because of the Consuming Fire I keep kindled in my Life. When we’re blinded by His Light it’s impossible to be “lost for words” – He says “the Holy Spirit will give you the right words when you need them” and THOSE WORDS are a reflection of the Perfect Balance for the Journey of Life…never judgmental…never too harsh…never words that would risk blinding the other with Truth before I impact them with Love…” the greatest of these is love.” Isn’t that the way Faith is supposed to sound like?

I’m refreshed and revived for this new day and my Heart is Consumed by His Fire. The God of all Creation used the blinding morning sun to quicken my Heart and Reinforce the Significance of my existence in this Journey called Life. The dark world will see His Fire IN ME and it will hear about Him THROUGH me…all because of Him and that beautiful Consuming Fire that is there for us ALL if we seek it. I have everything I need to be a beautiful Blinding Light in a dark world…and I have a willing Heart to share. My Light can’t be dimmed.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I was awake most of the night last night and it seemed like forever before the sun came up. At first, the sky slowly got brighter as if God was using a dimmer switch to light it up and then FINALLY, the sun could be seen on the horizon. It was a beautiful shade of orange but it wasn’t your average sunrise. It looked a little mysterious “peeking” through the trees and for some reason, it couldn’t be captured on camera like it usually can be. As I sat in the presence of a Mighty God to pour out my Love and my Thanks, I thought about how nature is a lot like Life. There is a mystery to the Journey and we can’t predict what the future holds. We can’t control every turn. We can’t Comprehend the Plans of God. But when the Right Heart meets with Determination to embrace the Journey, we can find the beauty in the mystery just as surely as we find it in a photograph at sunrise. Isn’t that the way you look at Life too?

One of the Greatest Mysteries of all time is Faith. Some accept it – some don’t. Some “buy in” to every Truth between the pages of the Bible while some believe it’s nonsense. Some have a relationship with the Living God and they search for the Truth all on their own while some rely solely on a “man of the cloth” to lead the way. Some surrender every aspect of Life over to the God they Trust, while some consider that weakness as they attempt to steer their own ship. I don’t completely understand it, but I know that when we come to our Faith with a humble Heart the ways of God aren’t mysterious to us at all…we just accept them! No scholar on the planet could change my mind and no science can refute what I Believe. God formed the earth in 7 days. Jonah was swallowed up in the belly of a big fish. Moses used his staff to part the sea. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The sun stood still at God’s command. The earth once flooded destroying everything on it. Jesus died for my sins and He was resurrected from the grave. I believe it all! “Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see.”

I am blessed to have a wonderful family; the love that flows through it is almost tangible. I raised my kids on my own and we still laugh about some of the silly things I told them when they were young. Truth be told, I could have told them anything and they would have believed me. They trusted me. They loved me. They depended on me. They respected me. We had plenty of ups and downs but they never doubted me in the process because they knew I would never leave them and they knew I’d do what’s best for us all. No doubt I flew by the seat of my pants sometimes and I made plenty of mistakes – but when it came to raising my kids I had ONE goal…to be a Reflection of the One I wanted them to Follow. I was absolutely sure that if they could see the Unconditional love of Christ in me, they’d learn to Trust Him too. They witnessed my Faith day in and day out. They saw my Love for Him in every part of our lives. They experienced my Unconditional love no matter what, and “tough love” wasn’t in my vocabulary. I met each offense with Christ-like gentleness and I didn’t rub past offenses in their face as a reminder of their rebellion because Christ doesn’t do that with me! They watched me depend on Him when I couldn’t see the future. They knew I Respected His Word and His Will ESPECIALLY when Life looked as mysterious as the morning sun. I took the mystery out of Faith by walking it out in Living Color and today they’re doing the same thing. My ONE goal for my family will be paying off for generations to come!

There’s plenty of mystery to this Journey called Life and sometimes we feel uncertain about the future because of what we see with our eyes. But there’s really no mystery when it comes to God. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forevermore” and He is Trust WORTHY. Some of us Believe every single thing we Read in the Bible and we Trust Him through it all. We love Him. We depend on Him. We respect Him. Our Faith is unshakable and our Belief unquestionable … and it’s such a mystery to a lost world. All the more reason to “peek” through the trees and Shine like the Stars…if the lost world can see the Unconditional Love of Christ in us, they might learn to Trust Him too!

How about you?