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?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the God of all Creation again this morning and it never ceases to amaze me that I have Direct Access to the Throne as a child of the Living God. I need Him a whole lot more than I need air, so it’s to Him I run each day to give my praise and my thanks and to draw my Strength for the Journey. It was cool and comfortable the first thing this morning, that is until the sun began to scorch and I headed back inside. But as I sat there taking in this new day, I noticed that not all of the parched land was still parched this morning – there were still patches of dry land here and there that didn’t receive the benefit of the dew. The dew didn’t fail – it dropped wherever it could drop and it was in those places I saw the green while the rest was too “hidden” to benefit. This visual of land that had been kissed by the dew made me think of this Journey of Faith and how some people don’t make themselves available enough to be “kissed” by the Son because they’re hidden in the shadows of their life on earth. Isn’t that just like God to use the dew to speak to my Heart this morning?

It can be so easy for some people to attempt to hide in the shadows of life, but they miss out on the biggest blessings when they do. Some people live the adult version of a frightened child hiding from the boogie man under the bed…and they like it that way! They have every excuse imaginable for hiding from the world. They hide from relationships. They hide from (perceived) danger. They hide from germs. They hide from conflict. They even hide from the Church as they click away on the remote control for church each Sunday. Like Jonah in the belly of the big fish, they’ve convinced themselves that their life can still be Rich and Strong even though they choose to remain in hiding…but it doesn’t work that way. The Bible says that the cowardly (aka people hiding from the Son) “will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur” and that “this is the second death”. These poor people don’t understand that Nourishment isn’t an option for as long as they remain in hiding and they’ll never Flourish like all the Green that has been Kissed by the Son throughout their bold Journey. This is the Key to finishing the race well and to becoming a Vessel that can be used by the King.

I’m just a flawed woman BOLDLY walking out my Journey of Faith and although I’m not fearless YET – I REFUSE TO HIDE from the “scary” things of this world because I’m on a Mission to reach the lost. I was BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS and I Know that I can be a Witness to cowardly ones in hiding and, God willing, I can help “refresh” their Hearts before it’s too late for them. Our land is parched and desperately in need of the touch of the Master’s Hand. ..a kiss from the Son to sustain us. If not for the bold ones who refuse to hide, the entire “earth” would be dry and barren…so I refuse to hide and I’m Unstoppable in His Name. I Know that He is the One to bring peace. I Know that He is the One to ordain our leaders. I Know that He is the One to provide for us and that “the righteous never go hungry”. I Know that He is the One who has already made a way for us and that One Day I’ll be with Him forever. I Know that He is the One that brings plenty of “dew” to sustain us when we’re feeling parched – BUT we can’t receive it as long as we’re intent on hiding from the world. I will strive to be the “light of the world” and the “salt of the earth” all the days of my Life because that’s what the Creator of the world commands me to be. I refuse to hide.

How about you?

Happy Independence Day, world. Let Freedom Ring!  https://youtu.be/ZVVbSXz7jaU

God built freedom into every fiber of creation
And He meant for us to all be free and whole
When my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redemption
His cross stamped pardon on my very soul
I’ll sing it out with every breath, I’ll let the whole world hear it
This hallelujah anthem of the free
That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive
The Son has made us free and free indeed
Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring 

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a cool and clear day in Virginia and I spent my time reading my Instruction Manual on the porch this morning. I lingered with the Master of my Life and I clung to His Word as if they were both “new” to me. This morning I couldn’t let go of one very small chapter with a very big Message of Love. Even though I’ve read it before, the Compassionate message overwhelmed me…so I read it over and over again today. A simple letter was written from a prison cell by someone who once would have killed someone like me over my Faith in Jesus Christ. But God got ahold of that guy and He changed his Heart the same way He changed mine. He went from persecuting people like me to Loving people like me in ways that can only be understood by Understanding the Heart and Nature of the Living God. One simple letter filled with Love and I’m flying high to put into Action what I learned this morning from the front porch. Isn’t that just like God?

If there’s one thing that can cause me to lose my patience it’s hearing people of Faith judging other people for where they are (or aren’t) in Life. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not true – if it’s a big offense or a little one – we were all Created by the Hand of the Living God and He loves us ALL the same. That’s a tough pill for arrogant Christians to swallow. The arrogant ones want to pass judgment, and they prefer to spread their own version of “truth” about someone they may or may not have ever even met. Somehow they’ve convinced themselves that they are one of God’s “filters” here on earth to determine who is worthy of Him and who isn’t. They’re told NOT to cast stones…but they do it anyway. They’re told NOT to judge… but they do it anyway. They claim to believe that Christ died for ALL of us but they Live (and judge) as if they’ve “earned” the Grace of God. I’ll bet if I handed one of the arrogant ones a letter from a prisoner – a man who was once so cruel to Christians – a man who perhaps had persecuted a friend or family member – a man who shared His Faith from behind bars – they’d probably mock him, spit on the ground, and refuse to read his letter at all. But that’s not the way God sees the sinner. It’s man who creates “categories” of sin, and it’s man who quickly judges based on how “bad” it is. BUT when it comes to Jesus…HE DIED FOR ALL…a (not so) minor detail the arrogant ones forget.

There are plenty of people of Faith who claim to “love everybody” but their actions tell an entirely different story. You can’t “love everybody” and pass your own judgment on their lives. You can’t “love everybody” and shun them because of their wrongs. You can’t “love everybody” if you’re glad when people get what they deserve in your eyes. You can’t “love everybody” and scurry off to the other side of the street to avoid them. You can’t “love everybody” if you have no compassion for them. You can’t “love everybody” if you have the means to help but refuse to because of where they are in life. In fact, the Bible says “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” Hmm…”how can the love of God be in that person?” That question should keep lots of people professed Christians awake at night…but somehow it doesn’t phase them at all. The One I follow hung out with some pretty “low” people and He loved them enough to die for them the same as He did me. If you REALLY want to be a Follower of His, being willing to Love ALL is at the top of the Qualification List. “The greatest of these is love.”

I’m an imperfect woman living an imperfect life but it is my desire to LOVE the way Christ tells me to love and I’ll never take for granted the Gift that was given to me without judgment. He “saved a wretch like me” when I didn’t deserve it, and He loved me through it all. He met me where I was and He saw what was possible for me in the Journey of Faith and Ministry. I want to meet people where they are too no matter what their offenses look like or where they are or aren’t in life because I remember where I was too before Christ got ahold of my Heart. I want to extend Compassion and Love the same way Paul the prisoner did so long ago. Thank you, God. Thank you, Paul…a prisoner for Jesus Christ.

How about you?