Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cold and gloomy on this new day of a new week and my Heart could so easily follow the “mood” of the weather IF not for my time in the Presence of a Mighty God at sunrise. I didn’t see any wildlife…a didn’t hear a bird chirping…it seemed as though nature was sleeping-in late on this gloomy new day. I know eventually, things will come to life around the farm and all God’s creatures will be scrapping for food just like do every other day. Nature doesn’t need to worry about its subsistence and neither do I. God is our Provider, so all we need to do is Trust and do our part to work. Nature knows how things work because they intuitively know the Nature of God while man has the written Word to serve as a reminder -“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” Isn’t that the way you look at work too?

I don’t know all there is to know about the Living God – that’s not possible on this side of Heaven – but I know a lot and I hunger for more each day. I’ve seen Him move mountains in my Life and I’ve seen countless miracles. I know He will never leave me nor forsake me and that He never leaves His Throne. I know He listens to every word I speak to Him and that He cares about my Life. I know that He knows every hair on my head – He has stored up every single tear I’ve shed – and that He has prepared a Home for me that is more beautiful than I can imagine. I know He’s my Provider and I Trust Him to take care of me…BUT I know that “the one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” so I do my part to meet my needs too. I work like it depends on me, and pray like it depends on Him! Although I enjoy long, leisurely visits on the front porch with a cup of the best coffee on the planet…there isn’t a lazy bone in my body and I’m working like never before. This is the Key to a long and fruitful Life.

I’m not sure where the notion of retirement came from because I see no mention in the Bible of anyone celebrating life by sitting back doing as little as possible. I’m not sure where the notion of expecting the government to meet the financial needs of its people came from because I see no mention in the Bible of anyone sitting back on government support. I don’t know where the notion of sitting under an oak tree praying for our needs to be met WITHOUT the willingness to lift a finger came from because I see no mention of spiritual slugs in the Bible. His Word says “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” and we can take THAT to the bank, for sure. But God always requires action and He always honors hard work. There’s no telling what the world would look like if Adam & Eve hadn’t sinned in the garden that day, but that was the game-changer (in more ways than one) for all of us. Easy Street was transformed into Labor Lane and the rest is history in terms of the requirement for a man to WORK.

I KNOW God will meet ALL my needs but I’ll keep working hard as long as I’m able. NOT because I have an insatiable appetite for money, but because I am confident that “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” – and I thank God for a healthy mind and a strong body to work. But it’s more than that for me. I know the more I can make, the more I can give away! When you look at it that way, how and why would anyone make the choice NOT to work?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s the first morning in a while that the fog hasn’t been lingering on the fields at sunrise… a little like my heart, for sure. I know God didn’t clear the way just for me to have a better view of the fields this morning, but He DID clear the way for me to have a better view of my Heart…I’m grateful for both. There are seasons for everything in life…including fog and Joy and sometimes when the seasons change, we need to work a little harder to adjust. Just the same as God can clear the fields of fog, He can help us turn those difficult corners in the Journey of Life too as long as we keep searching for Him in the fog. What a beautiful reminder straight from the Throne of a Mighty God this morning and it all began with a clear field.

There’s no shame when you find yourself fighting through the fog in the Journey of Life- the “shame” is denying you do. I’m known to share my Battles with the world because I know my life (and yours) is a Testimony of the Power of the Creator of Life for all the world to see. Once in a while, someone will reach out to say “I can’t believe YOU struggle like that if you’re a Christian” as if “good” Christians walk around like God’s Stepford army immune to sorrow and oblivious to life. David cried out plenty of times – in Psalm 6 David says -“I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears” – that’s enough to make anyone cry! David wasn’t licking his wounds and feeling sorry for himself no more than I am…but David was in agony over the state of the world around him and I am too. When we fight through the fog it isn’t a sign of weakness at all – it’s a Journey to endure and it’s where our Strength is found…as long as we don’t deny our “weakness” and we go to the Lifter of the Fog for the Journey.

The world is dark and it’s getting darker by the minute…just the way the Bible says it will be. There’s not much we can do about how the End plays out because God has already ordained the days – but we have a LOT to do about what the End will look like for all the ones caught up in the fog when it comes. It’s so sad to see so many lost in the fog. The suicide rate is up – homicides are off the chart – almost every day you hear of innocent children being abused or murdered by a parent. Drugs are robbing our world and overdoses are off the charts. If we don’t Understand HOW we are to live out this Journey of Life in the dark world, it’s almost impossible to endure…if not for the God of Hope, that is. Way too many people are hiding their feelings or the trials they think got them there in the first place – a sure sign of pride or shame. Some are lost in the shuffle and they never slow down – a sure sign of too many distractions and not enough Focus on Hope. And some prefer to be in the fog as they entertain the dark places by giving the circumstances all their time and attention. As for me, I’m like David…not ashamed to cry out to the Source of Hope and in agony over the dark world and all the lost people in it…ESPECIALLY knowing that the Time is near. The pain of the trials I endure in my own life doesn’t hold a candle to the pain I feel for all those lost in the fog…the ones too ashamed or too prideful to speak up…the ones that don’t know the way to Hope!

I was hovering in the fog and longing to get out when the Author and Perfecter of my Faith cleared the way. I’m a force to reckon with in a very dark world so I’ve got LOTS of work to do in His Name. If I struggle from time to time it doesn’t mean I’m a weak Warrior…it means I am a Strong Warrior with a Heart that breaks for the ones in the fog. But “He’s my glory and the lifter of my head” and I know that I am “the apple of His eye.” He’s Jehovah Shammah…always there…He’s the Bright Morning Star…ready to light the way…He’s the Prince of Peace…ready to calm any storm…He’s the Living God…the same yesterday, today, and forevermore…He’s the Wonderful Counselor…ready to listen 24/7…He’s the Author and Perfecter of Faith…He’s where Hope is found. He’s my EVERYTHING…rain or shine…fog or clear fields, and I want the WHOLE WORLD to know Him as I do.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I turned in early last night looking for a good night’s sleep but sleep didn’t come at all, so my time with the Living God began in the middle of the night and I prayed for hours instead. My heart was heavy, but not for myself…it was heavy for someone else desperately in need of the Touch of the Master’s Hand and I can feel their pain as surely as if it’s my own. As I sat in the Presence of the Source of Hope, I appealed on their behalf AND I thanked God for what He’s already doing to mend. I Praised Him for Victory without even seeing it yet, I thanked Him for answering my Prayers and for all the God-size things on the horizon and to Eternity for a friend. Isn’t that the way you help a friend in need too?

God Refined me through fire a long time ago and He Tenderized my Heart…He’s given me the kind of Heart it takes to look beyond the circumstances, flaws, or the “past” of someone else so that I can SEE the God Potential with 20/20 Vision. I can see them on the Mountain when they’re still in the valley. I can see them walking the straight line of Faith even when they’re zigzagging right now. I can see them turning from their “wicked ways” even when they’re still wallowing in them. I don’t care what they’ve done in the past because I know what’s in store for their Future with just one Touch of the Master’s Hand. It’s not easy Loving this way, but it’s the way we’re called to Love and the parable of the lost sheep is proof that we should never give up on the “lost” ones no matter how far they wonder off. If I don’t want God giving up on me, why would I give up on a brother or sister of mine?

I’m the kind of Friend you’d want on your side…the kind that will lose sleep to pray for you instead, but I need to warn you while I’m at it – if there’s anything that troubles my Heart it’s watching a life with Divine Purpose being squandered away as if there’s all the time in the world to waste. So, I’ll use the rod and staff of my Shepherd to help spur them on, and I’ll tap into Divine Wisdom to show them the way. I’ll love you as if it depends on me and I’ll pray like it depends on God. I KNOW there’s potential for so much more in His Name and I’ll pray like it…lead like it…and love like in hopes that One Day soon they’ll see themselves the Christ does. Sometimes having a Heart that’s been Refined to feel Compassion for another is not an easy thing to bear…but when I think about what Jesus had to bear to take on all my sins all in the Name of Love, it makes the Journey worthwhile.

I’ll “carry the burden” for my friend throughout this busy day and you can find me praying as I go. I refuse to watch someone squander a life with Divine Purpose so I’ll do my part to help them hunger for the Touch of the Master’s Hand where the Victory is found. Isn’t that really what Friends are for?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The hint of winter is in the air and it was too cold for me to sit outside for long this morning. But in just the little time I weathered the cold, my soul was warmed beyond measure. My life has been off-balance for weeks and although my time with the Living God never ceases, the time to savor the world around me took a back seat to distractions and I’ve been feeling the loss. But after just one morning to savor, one more day to take it all in, one more day to focus on His creation, one more day to ponder His Majesty, and I am Refreshed and Revived and full of hope and joy all over again. Isn’t that what savoring Him does for you too?

It’s so easy to get caught up in the distractions and it’s easy to lose time to savor when we do. Like hamsters racing on a wheel, we can run and run to accomplish those things on the to-do list, and we don’t slow down long enough to look beyond the wheel to savor the Greatest things. We can get so caught up in preparing the perfect meal for our family and friends that we never look beyond the work of our hands to savor the hearts of the ones we serve. We can get so caught up in the routine of shuffling kids off to bed for the night, that we never look beyond the exhaustion to savor the moments that pass so quickly. We can get so caught up in our daily lives and our work that we never look beyond the surface of all of those people we encounter to savor the chance to share a smile or a kind and compassionate word. We can get so caught up in all of the madness of the world and all of the bad that we see that we never look beyond the tragedies to savor our own peace and wellbeing. There’s a whole lot that we lose out on when we stay so busy that we neglect to savor but the Greatest of all is our Peace and Purpose.

I’ve become a master at savoring the Master and the work of His Hands, but it all began long before I knew Him. I’d rather sit down and share a cup of coffee and a good conversation with someone than to rush off to take in the finest museum or a good movie. There’s a whole lot more “entertainment” that comes from savoring those precious moments that I know may never pass my way again. I’d rather hear their words and savor their laugh than to rush off to take in the sounds of a symphony or to be part of a concert. I’d rather listen to the sounds of a child attempting to read a book at bedtime than to tune in to any other audible book option on the planet. I’ve been accused of being an “old soul” countless times but I’m not an “old soul” at all. I’m just a woman who loves to savor the moments in life and it shows. People in my world know that I care and because I take the time to savor – they know who to turn to when they need to be heard. I wear my Faith on my sleeve, and I’m wrapped in Compassion from Christ…and it shows. When people think of me, my Faith is the first thing that comes to mind. I savor my King…I take time with my Lord…and it shows. This is the key to walking the Walk and talking the Talk.

I’ll be savoring lots of things on this beautiful October morning, but it all begins by savoring the Living God and the work of His Hands for me. When I consider all that He is, and all that He’s done for me, I get excited and I can’t wait to share Him with my world. I’ll savor every moment and every Encounter today and you can be sure that His Name will come up in every conversation as naturally as I breathe…with love, and kindness and Christ-like compassion. The world will see Him in me as I savor His Plans and His Purpose for me today.

 How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I sprung out of bed this morning eager to meet with the Living God to see what He has for me on this new day. It’s one thing to believe that God loves you, it’s an entirely different story to know that He has a Specific Purpose for your life that only you can fulfill! I didn’t choose Him…He chose me, and He’s been working on readying me for such a day as this for a long time. As I watched the wind shake the leaves from the trees and carry them off to a place where I’ll never see them again, I was reminded of how that’s the way it is with this life. No matter how much time we’re allotted on this earth, it’s not much time at all in the Bigger Picture…and when our time comes we’re carried off like the leaves are…never to be seen here on earth again. That’s not something to be sad about, it’s something to get busy about!

We go through this life knowing that we can be replaced, and we stand the risk of overlooking our Importance when we do. We can be replaced at work. We can be replaced at school. We can be replaced on a ball field. We can be replaced on a stage or in a film or in a pulpit. We can even be replaced at home as one parent introduces their children to a “new” mom or dad as if parents are interchangeable. We’re pretty good at replacing anything in this life, but no matter how many times we get replaced in however many areas of our lives, there is no replacing each unique Creation of the Living God. Nobody else who has ever been born (or ever will be) was Designed to do what each one of His Children are Uniquely Designed to do while they’re here! We’re Perfectly timed, Uniquely equipped and irreplaceable in the eyes of God! Accepting this Truth puts Life in a whole New Perspective, and it should be enough to make everybody spring out of bed eager to meet with the Living God! He had a Job Description in mind for me before I was ever born into this world and I’m Irreplaceable. Embracing this Truth is the Key to living your life FOR Him, instead of just with Him.

Every single day mothers pay to have the life of their babies snuffed out before they have a chance to enter this world. It’s sad enough when one person values their own life more than another, but it’s incomprehensible when life is snuffed out of the defenseless. On this side of the womb, the world will defend a defenseless child and yet it callously snuffs out the same life before it enters the world without blinking an eye. God plants the seed of life into every living being, and He doesn’t make mistakes or have “bad timing.” Each seed of life that He Plants has a unique Purpose at a unique Time in the History of the world. When we snuff the life out of a baby before it has a chance to enter this world, we rob that person of the opportunity to fulfill what God Planned for them to do…and we rob God too. The very second life is snuffed out of a baby he or she is in the arms of Jesus before their dismembered body even makes it to the trash can…and He will be loving them forever even though nobody else did. Snuffing out the life of someone else is a horrible thing, no matter if life is snuffed out in or out of the womb. But there are FAR worse things than death. Being robbed of the Purpose you were Created to Fulfill is far worse. Denying the Hand of God is far worse. Embracing this Truth is the Key to valuing Life as HE SEES it…and not as we do.

I am Irreplaceable and I’m loved by the King of Kings. I was born at just the right time, to just the right parents, to do just what He Created me to do. I don’t want to be blown away like those fall leaves, never to be seen again on this earth, without Fulfilling His Plans for me! He chose me. He’s Refined me. He’s Readied me. Of course I spring out of bed eager to Serve Him!

How about you? 

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. For the first time in a long time I met with the Living God wrapped up in a blanket that warmed my body while He warmed my soul. I had to hold on tight to the pages of my Instruction Manual so the winds didn’t carry it away while I filled my Heart up with His Words and Wisdom. The Fall is my favorite season of the year because it reminds me of the way life is. It’s rich with color, and it’s a little unpredictable as the fierce winds come and go, and the temperatures sway back and forth until its finally cold for good. I’m in the final season of my life but I’m living like it’s the Fall. My Life is full of color, and it always will be because I Serve the One who paints the rainbows in the sky. As long as He’s my First Priority and I stay Wrapped up in Him, the Journey will be even more beautiful than the Fall until I go “cold” for good. Isn’t that the way you look at your life too?

It can be so easy for us to convince ourselves that we’re “too old” for just about anything in life, but we lose our Joy and squander our Purpose when we do. We don’t get old and quit…we quit and get old instead, and it amazes me how so many people quit living long before the body does. God never quits, and our Purpose never ends until life goes “cold” and we’re called Home for good. In time, it gets easier and easier for us to turn to someone else…someone younger…to do the Heavy Lifting for God. Each time we sit back to let someone else Serve Him instead, we lose a little more of the Joy that He intends for us to have and we draw a line in the sand for our Purpose. Even though God provides everything we need to do the Job He Calls us to do, we’ll claim we aren’t equipped anymore, and we’ll pass the buck to someone else…even though God spoke the need to us. If we pass the buck long enough, He’ll no longer call upon us to Serve at all. I can’t think of a sadder way to spend the final Season of Life than to be doing as little as I possibly can for Him because I’ve deemed myself “too old” or “too tired” to Serve the King of Kings.

When are we too old to share compassion? When are we too old to write a note of encouragement? When are we too old to pick up the phone to check on a friend in need? When are we too old to share food or water? When are we too old to visit a sick friend or to visit a prison to spread love? When are we too old to share the wisdom that comes with age? When are we too old to teach the younger ones? When you consider how most of us quit when we’re old…it shouldn’t come as a much of a surprise when the next generation “quits” on us too. As long as there is breath coming to and from our lungs, it’s a perfect day to do Good…a day to Serve the One that still has us here as part of His Plan…a Day to share the Truth to a lost world. God called people into Service for Him a long time ago that were in the “final” season of Life. They had proven their love for Him by Declaring His name everywhere they went. When they went through the Fire they held His Hand. When they were lost, they turned to Him to Lead them. When they were tired, He gave them Rest. They didn’t have the young body they used to have, but they had a Spirit to Serve and the Wisdom of years, and because of that He used them until the day He called they went cold…and He will you and me. We don’t get old and quit…we quit and get old.

I’m in the final season and I’m having the Time of my Life. I’m pouring out the Wisdom that I gained through the Fire and I’m doing what I can to “go forth” to share the Truth with a lost world. I’ll keep Serving the King until He calls me Home, so no matter when that is…today or decades from now… the world will have no doubt that my Job on earth was completed and that His timing is Perfect. I hope they’ll celebrate my passing onto my New Home, and I hope nobody cries about the “unfairness” of my death, because I’ll be Home where I’ll be celebrating for all of Eternity with the One I Served with everything within me. I haven’t gotten old and I WILL NOT quit.

How about you?