Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One who breathed Life into my soul, and once I got into His Word, I couldn’t get enough. I read Words I’ve read many times before, but they Touched me in ways they never had before, and today they had New Meaning just for me. I’m growing more each day because of Him AND because I’m a Willing student. No doubt my days are getting shorter and shorter, and there’s no longer “all the time in the world” for me. So I work hard to get my nature as close to the Nature of the Perfect One who died for me as humanly possible before He calls me Home. Like the branches on these trees, there are pieces of me here and there that need Attention so that the smaller, weaker parts of me can eventually become Mature like all the others. If I keep strengthening some parts, but overlook all those other “little” things that need to Mature, I can’t become ALL that He Created me to be. So, I keep working to become the Best I can be for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your life, too?

It can be so easy to feel good about ourselves based on Maturity in some areas of our lives, while we overlook the importance of developing all the other “little things.” We can be strong and well-rooted in some ways, but as weak as a newborn colt in others. If we continue to pour Living Water on the strong parts, no doubt they will stand firm for the long run, BUT if we overlook the “little things” that need attention too, we risk thwarting the entire Journey of Faith. Sometimes those small branches need to be pruned to make way for all the others, and sometimes they need to be cut away entirely. Either way, unless we pay attention to the “little things” that stand in the way of us becoming all that He Created us to be, we never reach the Ultimate Goal. There aren’t many things that scare me as much as thinking I could end my Journey with a “MISSION INCOMPLETE” all because I refused to address the “little things” that stand between my God and me.

Sometimes we don’t realize our Journey is being thwarted, but that’s because we excuse away the “little things” as if they don’t matter. We easily deceive ourselves into believing that the “little things” don’t matter as long as there are some Strong parts…but THAT’S NOT TRUE. After all, the human body is made up of TRILLIONS of cells, but all it takes is a few active cancer cells to prevent all the others from thriving…and the same is true for the Journey of Faith. We often tell ourselves that “nobody’s perfect,” and while that’s true, that’s no excuse for not giving it everything we’ve got to be more like the Perfect One who died for us. Don’t take my word for it – He says, “Be holy as I am holy”. It takes each piece to Grow into a Strong Vessel that is worthy to be used by the King, and sometimes it’s all those “little things” that are standing in the way of Spiritual Growth, no matter how many other Strong branches we have. As long as we’re Willing…and Seeking His Face…and Determined to please Him more than we’re determined to please ourselves… He’ll keep revealing those “little things” that need our Attention, and He’ll teach us how to Prune them out of our lives so that we become the Vessel He intends for us to be.

The Lord used the winter backdrop of dormant trees this morning to drive home a message to my Heart, and I’m grateful for the Pruning we did together. He loves me. HE Created me for a Purpose. He wants to Use me. He wants me to be Strong. He has command over every cell in my body. He wants me to Grow. He wants me to be a Walking Testimony of His Love and Grace in every area of my Life. If I need to go through a little pruning and cutting away every once in a while so that I can be the Best for Him, it’s WORTH it. He’s WORTH it.

I won’t reach perfection on this side of Heaven, but that won’t prevent me from trying to be more like Him every day until He takes me Home. “MISSION INCOMPLETE” isn’t an option for me. Is it for you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I spent my time in the Presence of the Alpha and Omega in a warm home this morning, and I approached His Throne with the Reverence He deserves. It’s the most amazing thing to have a personal Relationship with the King of all kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Great “I am”! So, when I meet with Him, it always begins with Praise and Thanks, and soon after that, it becomes like a heart-to-heart chat with the Best Friend anybody could ever ask for. Isn’t that the way it is with you, too?

The Bible tells us that the Throne of God is surrounded by praise – “Day and night they never stop” and I get goosebumps just thinking about what it must sound like to hear “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” 24/7 in Heaven. Sometimes when I praise Him, I say those very words over and over again, and I mean them with all of my Heart…and I try to imagine His Throne and how amazing it is. When I give Him the heartfelt Reverence He DESERVES, it doesn’t take long to feel His Presence, and I get goosebumps when I do. But of all the experiences I have with my God, and all the Words I savor that were breathed into existence by Him, the most amazing thing to me is being able to approach the One who is surrounded by Praise “day and night,” and He welcomes me as His child. He knows me by name. If that doesn’t give you goosebumps, NOTHING WILL.

Like anything else, a Relationship with the Living God takes balance. Some people spend their entire lives in “reverence mode” and live in fear because that’s all they know of Him. They tiptoe through life for fear of THE consequences if they don’t partake in rituals or recite manmade prayers, and they rarely Serve Him because they don’t understand their Purpose. They’re in perpetual Reverence mode without the friendship part. Somehow they miss the point that HE IS approachable and they don’t see themselves as Royalty…His child, His “heir.” If they did, I have to believe they’d get goosebumps too.

Some people get the “best friend” part, but their Relationship has become SO CASUAL that they forget to Revere Him and Praise Him in the Process. Oh, maybe they utter an occasional “hallelujah” but not in the way He wants to be Acknowledged as the Alpha and Omega…the Beginning and the End. He IS the best Friend anybody could ever ask for, BUT HE DESERVES a whole lot more than a pat on the heavenly back like a big buddy in the sky – “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name!” What makes that Friendship too incredible for words is that it comes from the Throne of a God who has been praised in Heaven twenty-four hours a day since the beginning of time and will be forevermore, AND Jesus is standing at the right hand of the Throne of God interceding on our behalf. Goosebumps!

The Author and Perfecter of my Faith hears every prayer, and the Bible says that they’re like incense in Heaven to Him. He sees every tear and stores them away in a jar, and One Day, He will wipe them all away. HE LOVES US enough to die for us, and He loves us enough to intercede on our behalf. Goosebumps? That doesn’t begin to describe what my Heart feels.

My day began in the Presence of a Mighty God, and I was so caught up in Praise for Him that I never got around to a “list” of requests. He knows what’s on my Heart. He knows my needs, and He knows my burdens. He already KNOWS everything! The Alpha and Omega is my amazing, approachable God – but it all begins with ” Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It is hovering at freezing temperatures this morning, the rain is falling, the sleet is mixed in here and there, and to many, the sky is falling for sure. Whether it’s later today or tomorrow, the temperature will eventually rise above freezing, and the threat of the “ice age” will be gone until the next time. There is always hope that a wintery day will be warmer at the end than it was at the beginning – and that’s a Truth that applies to all areas of life. As I sat alone in the Presence of the One who died for me, that message of things becoming warmer at the end than they were in the beginning, was driven Home to my Heart, and I began to weep for the ones who become COLDER in the “the end” than they were in the beginning. Isn’t that something you think about too?

What is it about old age that leads some to believe they’re entitled to speak cruelty into the world as if God told them they’ve lived long enough to stop being nice? What is it about old age that convinces some that they’ve earned the right to do as little as possible to contribute to the world, as if God told them they’ve already done enough? What is it about old age that makes a way for so many people to become gossipers and world critics for what they see happening around them, as if God told them they’re old enough to take over as judge and jury of the dark world? A sweet life doesn’t become colder in the end, AND a child of the Living God matures into the most magnificent fruit-bearing Vessel as it warms up with age. What does that mean for all the others who have gotten colder as their life gets closer to the end? Well…let’s just say that people like THEM keep people like ME busy adding warmth to the end of my own Life, and I won’t allow my adversary to make an enemy out of me by coercing me to become cold in the end. So, I share the warmth of the Son with the cold ones, and I show them The Way to find Warmth on their own that will sustain them for the rest of their Journey of Faith.

From where I sit, this is THE warmest season of my Life, and I’m just getting started in my Service to Him. I get tired of people asking me when I’m going to slow down or when I’m going to “take it easy,” because those of us who Serve the Living God…the ones who Live FOR Him and not just with Him…we DON’T SLOW DOWN, and we DON’T NEED TO TAKE IT EASY! The fields are ripe and ready for Harvest, and it’s the ones that have grown Warmer over the years that will be usable Vessels for the King of all kings!

I’m in the final season of my Life, and I’m Warmer than I’ve ever been before. I’ll leave the ones who choose to sit back and watch from their easy chairs, while they squander these valuable years to (attempt to) justify their lack of effort to the Living God. I’m not quite sure what God thinks about all the people who have voluntarily been “put out to pasture,” but I know He DOES NOT HAVE a Retirement Plan. If you’re sitting back “enjoying retirement,” I’d get on with it if I were you. After all, Abraham was 90 years old when God revealed His Plan to him – Moses was 80 when he set out for the Promised Land – it’s never too late. As for me, I want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant,” so I’m NOT slowing down any time soon and I’ll Work on getting Warmer all the days of my Life.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cold and a little windy, and the sky is filled with snowflakes, reminding me that winter is here and Christmas is just around the corner. If it were up to me, I’d open the floodgates of Heaven, and I’d bury the farm knee deep in snow because that’s a beautiful sight to see from where I sit. As I was giving my Praise and my Thanks to the God of the snowflakes, I thought about how just one little change could bring forth a totally different outcome…for the weather and for my Life too. There’s absolutely nothing I can do to change the outward circumstances like the rain or the snow or the state of the world, but changing the inward…changing ME…is well within my control with the help of the Living God. “By the grace of God, I am what I am.” Isn’t that the way you see your life, too?

It can be so easy for some people of Faith to get caught up in the outward things, but they open themselves up to a totally different outcome when they do. Some people are more focused on the condition of the world than they are on the One Who Created it, and they fight against the Master Plan in the process. That “one little change” will rob us of Peace as we determine to fill ourselves up with worldly things we cannot understand. Some people obsess over things like not having enough money or not having a fit body, and some obsess over their outward appearance as if God made a mistake when He knit them together. But God holds the world in the palm of His hands, and He NEVER makes a mistake. That “one little change” is the difference between living a Life overflowing with Gratitude – “by the grace of God, I am what I am” or living a life filled with criticism over the work of the Master’s Hands. It’s when we focus on the inward…the things we CAN control…that life overflows with Beauty from the inside out and everything else falls into place with Perfection. Living with the Inside out is the Key to Peace and Joy.

That one little change…” By the grace of God, I am what I am” is a way of giving Praise and Thanks to the God OF all FOR all. By the grace of God, I am His child, and by His Grace, I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord. By the grace of God, I have a sound mind and a good Heart, and by His grace, I have control over what I do with both of them. By the grace of God, I’ve lived a turbulent life that came with lots of Lessons, and by His grace, I share the Wisdom I gained through the turbulence with the world. By the grace of God, I had the strength to raise up a godly generation…and the Wisdom I asked for every day…and it’s by His grace I now live to see the legacy of my Faith in my grandchildren. It’s by His grace that I am healthy and strong and that I’ve been given a Voice to share Him with the world. It’s by His grace I found humility…the kind of humility that recognizes that “there is no good thing in me apart from Him.” By His grace, I will finish the race like the Champion He created me to be, and by His grace, I will spend all of Eternity with Him.

Today I won’t lose sight of the fact that “By the grace of God, I am what I am,” and I’ll be thanking Him all day long, no matter what, because of it. The Bible says, “I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” so I’ll let Him keep doing that “good work in me” and I’ll do my part to be found worthy on “the day of Christ Jesus.” None of that is possible unless I focus on the INSIDE out instead of those outside things I have absolutely no control over. I’ll let the Master take care of the world, and I’ll keep reminding myself that it’s ONLY by his grace that I am what I am.

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 from inside this morning with a hot cup of coffee and a warm Heart ready to learn. This time of year, most of the leaves have fallen to the ground, and if not for the beauty of the sunrise and a few flags, there would be no color at all. As I sat in silence in the Presence of a Mighty God, I thought about how finding the “color” in Life is a choice and how so many people “opt out” in search of other things that make them happy in a different kind of way. As surely as I search for color in the winter sky, I search for Color in my Journey of Life too…those Beautiful opportunities to be used by the King of all kings that get missed by so many. “Color” is the Source of my Strength and the Joy in my Journey, and it’s a choice whether I look for it or not. If I CHOOSE to focus more on the world around me than I do on the Color, I’d be in hibernation for the winter, and my Life would have NO IMPACT on the dark world at all. Isn’t that the way you look at the God-given Color of your Life, too?

We’re gearing up for Thanksgiving in a few days, and Christmas is just around the corner, so there are LOTS of people looking for opportunities to serve the “less fortunate”…as if the “less fortunate” only need help at “special times”. It’s always a good thing to extend a kind hand for holidays, but I can’t help but wonder WHERE IS ALL THAT COMPASSION the other 363 days of the year?

Not too long ago, I read about a woman who is “so sad” because she knows of someone FROM HER CHURCH who had recently become homeless, and now “it’s getting cold outside.” She took the time to share her “heartbreak” on social media, and she even made a few phone calls to OTHER CHURCHES and shelters in her area looking for help. Every place she called, pointed to someone/somewhere else that might be able to fix the “problem,” – but so far she had found no solution. She commented on how “sad it is that nobody is willing to help.” But what about HER being willing to help? Plenty of people who would do what she’s doing…willing to make a few phone calls as a cry for help on behalf of someone else, BUT very few are willing to accept the Opportunity to add Color all on their own by stepping up to help someone in need…because that’s what Jesus would do. When Opportunity knocks…it’s time for Color, not cop-out!

Jesus said, “Whatever you do for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.” I wonder…would we just make a few phone calls for Jesus, too, OR would we actually take Him into our home to get Him out of the cold? Would we scurry around looking for someone else to help Jesus so that we wouldn’t suffer the inconvenience ourselves, OR would we roll up our sleeves and get busy blessing Him? Would we stay away because He didn’t smell good or look good OR would we see Him in Living Color the way He sees us? Would we tell Jesus to “get a job” or tell Him that he’s getting “what He deserves” based on poor choices…and would we leave Him outside to teach him a good “tough love” lesson? Would we look for a few pieces of used clothing we can live without, or would we buy Him a NEW coat of his own? Would we point Him to a soup kitchen or look to the government to feed Him (the way most churches do today?), OR would we prepare a feast fit for a King in our own home? Would we protect the holiday table prepared exclusively for our own people, or would we make room for Him at the Head of the table instead? One “sad” woman looking for somebody else to help…one cold, homeless “friend” looking for a miracle…is one HUGE opportunity to Serve the King of all kings in Living Color. “Whatever you do for the least of these of mine, you do for me.” Color makes all the difference in this Journey of Faith.

I’m looking for the Color in this Journey of Life today, and my Heart is ready to Share. I’m an Ambassador for the King of all kings ALL YEAR LONG, and if He ORDAINS an opportunity for me to bless “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,” I know it’s a chance to Serve HIM! I’ve been accused of being a hypocrite a few times in my life when I didn’t jump on the opportunity to open up my home the way someone thought I should (“Take my kid” – “Take my Mom” – “Take me”). But I don’t take my lead from man, I take my lead from the Living God, and when GOD calls for me to help, I help. When He tells me to “go”, I go. When He tells me to “stop”, I stop. His Word tells me to “acknowledge Him in all my ways, and HE WILL DIRECT my path,” and He does. He’s a promise keeper! Hypocrite? Not on your life!

I’ve been guarding the Peace around this old farm for a very long time because it truly is Holy Ground and God really does move mountains here. So, I’m on Call all year long, and my Life…my home…my Heart makes room whenever God brings the Opportunity and calls for ME to add the Color. Today, my home has expanded to include a few more people who call this old farm “home,” and there will be some extra smiling faces around the Thanksgiving table to add some Color of their own. How can one Colorful woman be more blessed?

How about you?