Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It didn’t take much to put a smile on my face this morning as I watched the Master bring the winds and the rain on this glorious new day. There are tornado watches all around and flooding in every direction…you won’t hear complaints from me. Why would I complain about the rain I’ve been praying to receive? Instead, I praised, prayed, repented, and searched for Wisdom in my Instruction Manual for Life just like I always do. By the time I was ready to get busy with work, I was Readied from the inside out. I enjoy a little adventure in life here and there, but I love some of the routines as well. The routine of stepping out to see my world from the front porch of an old farmhouse filled with the aroma of fresh coffee is just about as good as it gets to me …and there’s no place I’d rather be. For as long as I live I will never take for granted the Blessing of each new day or the simple pleasures of the world around me EVEN in the midst of the storms. Isn’t that the way you look at Life too?

It could be so easy for any of us to wake to any new day without a single thought about the Blessing of still HAVING days to wake up to in the first place. Some people have already envisioned their house being destroyed by a tornado or being washed away by the storm, and some have not stopped complaining about the rain they so desperately need. Some people roll out of bed and their first thought is about the aches and pains that are sometimes a part of the rising….but also a sweet reminder of life. Some people wake up hungry and the first thought is what they will eat for breakfast. Some people wake up and are SO FAR from appreciating the new day that they turn on the TV just minutes after their eyes open to catch up on the tragedies of the world. Garbage in…garbage out. Some people wake up with a mind full of all kinds of things that need to be done on that particular day as if the checklist in their mind never shuts off during the night. Some people wake up mad and some people wake up scared. Some people wake up worried and some people wake up lonely. All of these things are Signs of the tendency to be more focused on ourselves than anything else so at the beginning of their new day it’s not possible to be Grateful – little do they know that they are willingly surrendering their Peace and Joy to the liar from Hell in the process. No one (including the Devil) can steal our Joy or our Peace….that’s something we surrender instead.

Plenty of people can’t be grateful for their own lives because they’re too busy comparing theirs to yours. Some of them want the Lord to take them home soon because they’ve already quit living. They’re already dead, they just haven’t jumped into the coffin yet. Little do these people know that the Joy and the Peace they see in the Life of someone else has nothing to do with a perfect day or a perfect life without struggles. The Joy and the Peace they see has nothing to do with God showing more favor on one life over another….although they’re quick to point out how YOUR life isn’t like THEIR life as they attempt to justify their attitude about where they are (or where they aren’t) in life. The Joy and the Peace is not a sign that nothing “bad” happens or that the other couldn’t easily be inclined to focus on the aches and the pains and the trials too. The Joy and the Peace show up (no matter the circumstances) when they turn to the Source of Life…to the One gracious enough to give them the Blessing of one more day to live…to the One who has Plans and a Purpose for each one of us…to the One who knit them together in their mother’s womb…to the One who holds their hand EVERY TIME they reach out for His, to the One who has the entire world in the palm of His Hands, to the One who is big enough and Powerful enough to handle any problem (and any emotion) IF they’ll just turn to Him…especially at the beginning of each new day. IF they’re willing to do their part they’ll find Joy and Peace no matter what’s going on in their lives too…guaranteed. It comes always comes down to being willing to die to ourselves so that we can Live for Him.

The view from my front porch is picture-perfect tornado warnings and all, but my Life sure isn’t always that way. When I have thoughts of defeat I Know how to send the liar from Hell back to where he belongs because THOSE thoughts come from him! I fight hard for my Joy and Peace and I refuse to surrender until He calls me Home. Until then, I am absolutely confident that He has Purpose for my Life and I’m not going to squander even a day because I don’t want to die without fulfilling what I was born to do. I want Joy and Peace and Strength for the Journey every single day and I know that it all begins with me and my Willingness to start the day with the King of kings…the One who died for me…the One I Live for. Because I determine to Live for Him, He’s the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind at night. Everything in between is the Journey I have been Destined to live since the very beginning of Time. Why would I squander even one day when you look at it like that?

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cool and humid this morning and it won’t be long before the farm will be nourished by much-needed rain that is supposed to linger for days. I’ve prayed over every inch of this farm for decades and I see the Hand of God all over the place BUT one of my favorite God-given gifts at the farm is trees. I love trees. I like old majestic ones like these black walnut trees and sometimes I try to imagine what life was like here when they first took root. I like small ones and flowering ones and ones that bear fruit…I love them all! We’ve lost a few 300+-year-old oak trees at the farm, and we’ve lost a black walnut or two probably about the same age. Lightning has taken out a few others over the years and disease snuffed out a few as well. The black walnut trees that I see from my kitchen window are now hallowed out and, although they continue to leaf, it won’t be long before they succumb…and I’ll cry and feel the void. When the trees are gone, they’re gone for good and only the memory of their beauty is left behind….but that’s not true for me. When I’m “gone” I’ll finally be Home forever so as long as I’m here, I still have some lessons to learn from a tree.

When I look at a tree I think about what it took to grow so tall and how many storms it’s endured. I think about how much joy it brought to a child when they climbed its branches and I can almost hear the giggles if I try. I consider the shade it provided on a hot day and I think about how many years its beautiful fall leaves fell to the ground. I think about the refuge it provided for squirrels and how many birds made a home for their babies. I wonder how deep its roots are and how much water it consumes each day. I think about how it seems to reach out to the heavens when the sun shines and I wonder how much energy it takes to bud and bear fruit. I think about how many people have walked right past an old tree without ever noticing or pausing to take in the beauty. I think about how many people cut down trees every single day to make room for something else without blinking an eye and how new is much more beautiful than old to most people. No matter what we do, we can’t change the fact that there is a season for everyone and everything in the journey of life. When the trees go, some will notice and some don’t…and people like me will miss them forever. It’s that “permanent” stage of death that makes me so sad when I lose a tree but when it comes to man…”permanent” always comes down to Choice. Some poor people believe that death is permanent for everybody, but that’s not true. The only “permanent” in my future is Eternity and when I leave this world I’ll finally be Home for good.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who would think I’m crazy for how I love trees and for how much thought I’ve put into them over the years BUT that’s only because they don’t know what they’re missing. When I look at the trees I see the Hand of God and I’ll NEVER grow tired of that! The truth is, trees have taught me a lot about the Journey of Faith. I’ve learned to reach for the Heavens to find my strength and that Living Water is the source of my Life. I’ve learned that I become parched without Nourishment that I find in the Word of God. I’ve learned to offer “shade” to others when they need it, and I’ve shared a few branches to make room for others. If the time comes that I need to sacrifice a few branches to make a way for someone else, I’ll gladly do that too. I’ve made it my Goal to bear Good Fruit AND I’m willing to Share it with the world. I’ve learned that I can share Joy and Peace during ALL seasons and that it’s not easy to ignore the Beauty of Jesus Christ in me. I’ve learned to stand tall during the storms because I am a Child of the Living God and He sustains all Life. I’ve learned that life is frail and sometimes it’s over too soon, so I’ve learned to Savor it all while I can and to make it my First Priority to tell others what I’ve Learned so that they can Focus on Everlasting just like I do.

I shed tears over lost trees but that’s not because I’m greedy or selfish. I shed tears because a chapter closing permanently…whether it’s the life of a tree or the life of man…is the saddest thing I can think of AND the driving Force behind me Sharing the Good News of Jesus with every lost soul I can. I’ll always miss the trees but I’ll get over the loss eventually…BUT when it comes to a lost soul…that’s an entirely different story.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. God brought us an abundance of rain a few days ago and now everything around me is rich and green. I’m grateful for what I can see with my eyes but my Gratitude is much deeper than that. The minute I opened my eyes this morning my Heart overflowed with Gratitude and Love, and I felt the Power and the Presence of my God as surely as if He sat next to me on the porch. I set aside my Instruction Manual for a while and I just sat there enjoying the Living God and all that He is and all that He does for me. It’s no wonder I like to share this old farm with everyone I can because I am confident that others can sense the Peace of God when they’re here too…and I know they see Him in me. Sharing my God and my Life with someone else is the Greatest Gift of all. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey too?

It can be so easy for us to overlook the importance of Sharing, and we miss out on the Biggest Blessings when we do. From our Hearts to our homes and to everything in between, God looks to us to share what He graciously blesses us with…from time to tangibles. God never meant for any of us to be alone in anything that we do. He made Eve as a companion and helper to Adam when HE saw that “it is not good for man to be alone”. He brought Aaron to Moses because He saw that Moses needed to partner in the journey AND he needed another voice to speak for him. He gave Ruth to Naomi to lead the way to food and a Future. David had Jonathan. Paul had Silas. Even Jesus had an inner circle of friends to share the Journey with. They didn’t just walk around witnessing to the world, although that was the Biggest Role they played, they also traveled together and fellowshipped together too…breaking bread and living life…and I’m pretty sure they shared a laugh or two as well. Because Jesus had just a few guys in His inner circle, we know that a few of those guys were very special to Him, and He chose to share more with them than all the others. As for us, we need to share the Living Waters with the world, but we need to Share Life with others too (don’t forsake the assembly). If there was ever anyone who could probably survive just fine doing His work alone or living on an island by Himself, it would have been Jesus. But Jesus surrounded Himself with His friends, and He only went off alone when He needed to be Refreshed by some One-on-one time with His Father. After that…He went right back to His inner circle and right back to the business of Sharing.

There is a “danger” in isolating ourselves (whether we live alone or not) that most people don’t seem to see. Many people have built imaginary walls around their lives and “no trespassing” written on their Hearts. There isn’t much outside the four walls that interests them – and when they do venture out for something self-serving like food or appointments, they lock the doors and windows of the Heart and mind as soon as they return to their island. Lots of these people “do church” using the Internet and a remote control and they lie to themselves about the value of isolated Praise. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years and eventually, they become useless Vessels to the Living God and oblivious to the needs of others. They don’t thrive because they don’t share, and they don’t Share because they choose not to. How many different ways can God explain the Value of a shared Journey? – “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work” and “iron sharpens iron”. There is no denying the Value of walking the Journey of Faith engaged with the lost world and encouraged by brothers and sisters walking the same Journey as we are. This is the Key to a Full and Fulfilled Life.

I work hard to make sure that I have a Heart that is willing to Share because the only thing that has any Value or any Significance in this Journey called Life, is not what we GET, but what we Share with someone else. I understand that there is “no good thing apart from Him” and that everything I have, from my family to the farm, belongs to Him. I shared my morning with the Living God, and now I’ve shared His Words with my world. I’ll share all that I can with my husband and my family today BUT I won’t be isolating myself from the world, that’s for sure. I will always have an Abundance of love to Share with someone else because that’s what the Living God has called ALL of us to do. If they need a meal…I’ll share it. If they need a bed…I’ll share it. Most of all, I’ll be Sharing Jesus…because EVERYBODY needs Him. Filling tangible needs is just a vehicle to reach the Heart just like Jesus did…a Truth the isolated ones have chosen to ignore. It’s not what we get out of the Journey of Faith…it’s what we Share instead AND THAT is the Biggest Blessing of all.

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 Alpha and Omega – the Beginning and the End, on this new day of this new month, and I’ll be walking with Him until the end of me. At first, I felt very small as I sat there in the Presence of the Beginning and the End, but there’s nothing “small” about me or my Life. At first, I felt doubt about my ability to make even the smallest Difference in the Kingdom through my Efforts today…but there’s no place for doubt in the Heart and mind of a Child of the Living God. From the outside, I might appear to be a speck of dust in the bigger picture of Life, but the Beginning and the End Designed me for a Purpose MUCH bigger than anything I can imagine, and my Significance is Known in the Kingdom. As long as I allow the Beginning and the End to Shape me, Teach me, Strengthen me, and Encourage me for His Work day after day, then I AM a Significant and Mighty force for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey of Faith too?

It can be so easy to allow ourselves to believe that we don’t matter much in the Big Scheme of things, or that we can’t make a significant Difference in the world on our own, but those thoughts are a sure indication that we’re listing more to the liar from Hell than when are to the King. We often hear people say “I don’t want to get involved” or “What difference could I make?” but those are just excuses stemming from the lies from the one set out to keep us from doing what we were Born to do. We weren’t all Born to preach from a pulpit or to be missionaries in a remote part of the world, but we WERE all Born to Fulfill a Specific Purpose that will never be found unless we’re willing to Believe that we ARE Significant to the Alpha and Omega…the Beginning and the End. It’s when we Understand our Significance that we begin to roll up our sleeves and we get to Work to Fulfill what He has for us. It only takes one spark to get a fire going, and it only takes One to change the world when the Alpha and Omega is behind the Plan.

It only takes one smile, or one act of kindness to set things in Motion sometimes, and just these alone can be the beginning of a Transformation in the Life of another…when the Beginning and the End is at Work through us. It only takes a tiny bit of Compassion extended to someone who doesn’t believe they deserve it, to open the door to Introduce them to the Definer of Compassion. It only takes a small monetary contribution to someone who doesn’t believe they’ve earned it, to open the door to the Provider of it all. It only takes a little Love and Acceptance of one who doesn’t believe they’re worthy to lead the way to the One who died for them because they ARE. The Bible is filled with accounts of ordinary people doing Extraordinary things because they were Born for that very Purpose…and because they were found Willing to Serve the Beginning and the End. NOTHING stands in the way of each one of us doing Extraordinary things in His Name…UNLESS we actually believe the lies told to us by the one who sets out to destroy. None of the excuses we use for NOT getting to Work to Fulfill His Plans for us are EVER good enough for the Alpha and Omega…the Beginning and the End and when/if we don’t bother to fulfill our Purpose…we’ll answer for it One Day.

Each tiny little piece of each Life on any given day has Significance WHEN we accept that we were BORN for His Purpose. We continue to draw breath ONLY because the Beginning and the End hasn’t called us Home yet, and I am confident that He isn’t happy to see so many “Servants” not serving at all as we pass the time away. I don’t imagine He’s pleased with us when we grab onto the Salvation Message…our Hope and our Redemption…AND YET we refuse to Pay it Forward by Sharing our Gift to a lost world so they can have what we have too!

I was feeling small and insignificant at the beginning of this new day but He set me Straight about my Worth. The Alpha and Omega knew ME before He ever formed the earth, and that fact ALONE brings clarity to my Worth and my Mission…and it kicks me into Motion to Fulfill what He has for me. He’s my God…my Savior…my Redeemer…the Alpha and Omega…the Beginning and the End and I CHOOSE to Serve Him until the end of me.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s that time of year in Virginia with scorching temperatures and high humidity – and just when the earth seems to be shouting “ENOUGH!” God brings a storm to cool things off. It was 65 degrees at sunrise today and I enjoyed every minute of the cooler temperatures, that’s for sure. As I considered the high temperatures, and then the fierce storms that come along to force things back to “normal”, I thought about the Power and Might of my God. When He raises the temperatures in the Journey of Life isn’t always fun for us either. Unfortunately, there always seems to be some “bad” that comes along with the Good to set things straight in Life, but God knows what He’s doing when it comes to the weather and He knows what He’s doing when it comes to my Life. When I met with the Master of the Universe this morning I was looking for answers…but what I got was a good dose of Humility instead. Isn’t that just like God to use the weather to breathe a Message into the Heart?

Sometimes I wonder if we drive God crazy because we question (almost) His every move. Like a small child asking “why” a dozen times a day we do the same thing to the Living God! Sometimes a fierce storm passes through Life and more of our energy goes into asking God “why” than it does in trying to figure out why the fierce storm might have been necessary in the first place. Sometimes we’re too busy scrutinizing the Storm than we are to Examine our Hearts to see what’s behind it! As surely as it takes a fierce storm to bring the temperatures down in Virginia from the 100s to 60s overnight, sometimes it takes some pretty fierce Storms to reconcile Life too. One of our recent storms took down so many beautiful trees – trees blocked plenty of roads temporarily, and hundreds of people were without electricity on the hottest days of the year. But instead of Thanking God for dropping the temperatures that would surely have scorched the earth, we ask “why” we have to be inconvenienced in the first place. Sometimes we forget that the same God who loves us enough to send His only Son to die on the Cross so that we might have eternal Life is the God who became so disgusted over the depravity of people back in the days of Noah that He flooded the earth destroying every living creature. We focus on the flooding, but God focuses on the New Beginnings that are possible for ALL on the other side of that fierce storm.

I had a few questions I wanted answers to this morning but those questions don’t matter much anymore after a Good Dose of Humility straight from the Throne of a Mighty God. He loves me more than anybody else in my life does. He died on a cross that I might have Life everlasting. He planted me in my mother’s womb at His precise moment in time and He knows every hair on my head. He might raise the temperature in my Life and once in a while and I might even feel scorched – that is until His He’s ready to make a fierce move to cool things off all over again. When that happens, I won’t be asking “why” because I’ll be more focused on my Lesson in the heat than on “why” He thought I needed to endure it. In the end, my Life will be more beautiful than it ever was before and I’ll be loving Him and Trusting even more BECAUSE of the work of His Hands through it all. There’s nothing more beautiful than the Refiners Fire.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I made my way to the front porch with the excitement of a child on a Christmas morning. I couldn’t wait to get outside…I couldn’t wait to enter His presence, I couldn’t wait to read what He had for me on this new day. So, with coffee in hand and a Bible close by I set out to Ready myself for the Journey. I watched these two deer seize the opportunity from a fallen limb as if God dropped it to the ground just for them. Of all the deer around the farm, God led these two to finish a Job He started through a storm. We aren’t much different than the deer when it comes to seizing an Opportunity God puts in the Path intended just for us. Some of us put in a little effort on the limb before we walk away, while others devour the limb because they are confident God put it there for His Purpose. As for me, I know God has Big Plans for me that nobody else ever born can Complete, and everything from my fingerprints to my soul print was Designed for such a time as this. There are plenty of things I could add to a bucket list…things I’d like to see and do before I die…but the Biggest thing on my List is to Fulfill what I was Created to fulfill. With that in mind, every single day is overflowing with Excitement as I peel back the layers of what God has for me. Isn’t that the way you look at your Life too?

It can be so easy to lose the excitement in Life if we don’t Understand how big Life really is. Sometimes we lose our excitement when pain comes along – sickness, financial stresses, the loss of someone we love -the pain is real and it’s consuming. It’s when we Understand that God is there in the midst of the pain and that He has a purpose through the pain that it makes the pain a little easier to bear. We can’t find excitement when we’re hurting, but we can Cling to the fact that God KNOWS we’re hurting and He hasn’t forgotten us. That’s what godly sorrow looks like! I don’t understand how the entire Journey works, some things won’t be made clear until I step through the gates of Heaven. But I DO know that God uses the pain of His people sometimes to magnify His Glory to the world and THAT’S the Part that excites me! His Servant, Job was given up to endure pain like none of us will ever know, and I’m sure the world was in awe of how Job continued to glorify the God that allowed his pain. But God was Gloried in ways that aren’t possible without the pain, and Job’s life was restored in double measure! Paul was a Treasure in the ministry of Jesus Christ and when he was afflicted with sickness and pain He asked God 3 times to take it away. God’s response was: “my Grace is sufficient for you, my POWER IS MADE PERFECT in your weakness.” There is NOTHING exciting about pain itself, but there’s a whole lot to be excited about when…or IF…we allow ourselves to consider how the pain fits into His Plans.

A long time ago I asked God to “use me” for His Glory. Little did I understand the pain I’d have to endure to be shaped into a Usable Vessel for Him, ready and able to Complete my Purpose. It’s been a journey most people can’t wrap their heads around and sometimes the pain was almost more than I could bear. People LOVE to say “God won’t give you more than you can bear” but that statement falls short of the Truth. The Truth is that God will ALWAYS help us find a way THROUGH the pain IF WE TRUST HIS PLANS and turn to our only Real Hope. It’s no wonder some give up on life while others hate God…if they think God sits on His Throne and measures how much pain he’s going to dish out while we attempt to measure if He’s “given us more than we can bear”. It simply doesn’t work that way. God is the truest definition of LOVE and COMPASSION. God sent His son to die so that we might Live God Created each one of us with a Plan in mind and nobody else can do what we were Created to do! God doesn’t like to see His people suffer…but the pain is part of Growth in a Plan we can’t fully understand on this side of Heaven. The ONLY way to endure the Journey with Excitement is to understand that we are Part of a Master Plan that was written before the earth was formed, and our Pain will be used as part of it. This is the Key to Peace through it all.

The deer came and they went and nothing will come out of their visit to the fallen limb except a little nourishment for the body…but I strive for something to become of every day all the days of my Life. I devour the Word of God like a deer panting for water. I have no idea what’s in store for me today but I’m Excited. One Day He’ll call me Home to Paradise where I’ll live for eternity with Him with all those born-again Believers who have passed before me. The Bible says we can’t even imagine the beauty of what’s in store for us in Heaven. I can’t wait to see it – but more than that – I can’t wait to see my Savior and (prayerfully) to hear “WELL DONE, good and faithful servant”. The Author and Perfecter of my Faith Created a Job intended just for me and I intended to Complete it with Grace. It’s sad to see so many people living like the deer putting forth a little effort for their own gain ONLY because it makes them feel better. They’ll answer for their lifeless Journey One Day and I’ll answer for mine. As for me, when it comes to being a Witness…when it comes to Serving the King…when it comes to Praising my God…when it comes to reaching the lost…I’m on duty 24/7 and it’s the greatest Joy of my life. It’s a Journey FILLED with Excitement and I’m ready to do what He Created me to do. How could ANYTHING be more Exciting than Serving the King of kings through it all?

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The sky is gray and they’re calling for rain and it’s almost as if I can hear the ground begging for water. We’ve been praying for rain and my God already Knows that we need it. As thankful as I am for the possibility of rain today, the gray sky replaced the “wow” for me this morning and it would be so easy to follow suit and to become “spiritually lazy” today myself. I can’t do anything about the gray skies except to pray that God fills the clouds with the rain we so desperately need, BUT I am in full control of whether or not I become “spiritually lazy”! I don’t know everything, but I DO know this – if I don’t “take captive every thought” and kick the gray to the curb, then I can’t fulfill all that He has Planned for me. So, rain or shine…blue or gray…I seek His face day after day and I make it my Mission to be pleasing to Him…because I know that as long as I do my Part, I can be a usable Vessel for the King. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey of Faith too?

I’ve traveled a rocky road through this Journey called “life” and I’ve had my fair share of drama. Some of it was self-inflicted and some of it brought on by someone else – ALL of it was purposed into my life by the hand of the Living God to mold me and shape me and soften my Heart. I am living proof that “all things work together for good FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.” I know what it is to live WITHOUT peace, so I determine to live a life OF peace and I avoid anything and anyone who has the potential to rob me. Determining to live a life of Peace has nothing to do with living in a bubble on the front porch of this old farm, and it doesn’t mean that I isolate myself from the world. It doesn’t mean that I hoard my Christianity or that I keep it to myself for just me and my family. It doesn’t mean that I look at the dark world and I quietly give thanks that I’m not part of it. It doesn’t mean that I avoid those who don’t share my Faith like the plague as if I have something I deserve but they don’t. It doesn’t mean that the primary benefactor of my Faith is a local church and serving the needs inside of it. Determining to protect my Peace means that I refuse to be “spiritually lazy” and if my Faith is deliberately fueled each and every day, I’ll have Peace that surpasses all understanding as I head out to face the world for the King. I refuse to be “spiritually lazy”.

I think the world is filled with “spiritually lazy” people and I feel sorry for them for what they’re missing. I think they believe that it’s their job to avoid as much of this life as possible and they don’t think it’s “their job” to rub elbows with “the world”. They’ll sit at home with remote-controlled sermons and some of them even pray for the world, but they refuse to take action of their own. If we’re going to refer to ourselves as Christians, aren’t we supposed to behave like Christ? I Know that the One I Follow went out into the world and that He made it His Mission to be seen and to be heard no matter how bad things appeared to be. The One I follow was persecuted and hated and eventually killed for speaking the Truth, and He warns me that I will be too…IF I’m not “spiritually lazy” and IF I’m willing to leave my bubble. So, if I am serious about being a Follower of His, then I have to be willing to be uncomfortable and I have to refuse to be “spiritually lazy”. I have to equip myself in all the ways He tells me to and I have to throw my fear to the curb. I have to be willing to be mocked and ridiculed for speaking the Truth and I have to be willing to love the “unlovable” just like He does. My Faith has very little Purpose at all if I stay inside my bubble and if I only surround myself with my own family. Hoarding our Faith in the confines of our homes falls painfully short of what we’re Instructed to do; “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”. My Job Description makes no allowance for me to be “spiritually lazy” and the One I Follow won’t be okay if I am. This is the key to Obedience and Everlasting Peace no matter what.

I may have been inclined to be a little lazy on this dreary morning but I’ll never be inclined to be “spiritually lazy”. I know what’s expected of me by the One who died for me, and although I haven’t “mastered” every step yet, my Heart is willing.

How about you?