Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I was awake just in time to watch the sun lift over the horizon and I couldn’t wait to see the morning unfold to see what God had in store for this new day of this new week. I dug into His Word like a hungry child looking for a morsel to satisfy my soul – what I ended up with was Golden Nuggets beyond my imagination. So, by the time I was ready to face this new day of a new week, I was in awe of my God all over again. He took me to the Spiritual Woodshed a few times and He reminded me that He “scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name.” God Himself patched together this weary Vessel this morning – He put “my feet on a firm foundation” and He “put a new song of praise in my mouth”. All it ever takes is a Good Dose of a Mighty God to put Life back in Perspective. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It’s not easy to walk this Journey called Life sometimes, but Help is just around the corner if we turn to Him instead of trying to weather it on our own. Each time we Turn, we Grow. Each time we “draw near to God, He draws near to us” too. Each time He takes us to the Spiritual Woodshed to show us our wicked ways, He’s Refining us to be more like Him. When we’re lacking love for the “difficult” ones, He’ll stir us into Compassion. When we’ve wronged someone, He’ll remind us of what unconditional love looks like and He’ll provide the conviction it takes to want to make things right again. If we’re afraid of what tomorrow might bring, He’ll Provide the “peace that surpasses all understanding” and everything scary dims in His Light. When we attempt to take control of our lives, He’ll remind us that He is the One who has “given orders to the morning” and “shown the dawn its place” and our own plans look so lame in comparison to His. Strength is found in Surrender, and His Power is ALWAYS made Perfect in our Weakness.

Plenty of people throughout my lifetime have commented on my “strength,” but that’s just an observation of how I’ve handled the storms and how I never quit. Inside I’m a wussie and I never forget how weak I really am without Him. My gratitude for the Price that was paid for me on the Cross at Calvary is stronger today than it was when I first met Jesus – and it’s my Gratitude that keeps me “strong” in my Service to the King. When I hurt someone I cry like a baby and I won’t rest until I make it right. If they refuse to allow me to make it right, I’m in agony until I give it back to God. When I get a good dose of judgment about my Faith – sometimes from the ones who don’t know my God, and sometimes from ones who do – I’m overwhelmed with Compassion over how my enemy is using them to try to get to me, and I pray for them with Love. None of these things are possible for human beings…it takes God to Accomplish the Goals. Rest assured, there is “no good in me apart from Him” – so if you see Strength in me, you’re not looking at a strong, capable woman, you’re looking at Jesus!!!

I’m beginning this new day in awe of the Creator of Heaven and earth and it all began with me looking for a morsel at sunrise. He fed me Gold Nuggets and patched together this weary Vessel and I have a new song of praise on my Heart to begin this new week. I’m leaning on the Author and Perfecter of my Faith and I’m Trusting Him to keep my path straight…AND to point out my wrongs every single time so that I can make them right. My Heart is inclined toward the Living God in all that I do and all that I am…and THAT’S the Power behind this Journey called Life.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The wind raged over the farm last night and this morning I see lots of limbs and twigs scattered on the ground. My Dad used to say that was God’s way of pruning the trees – “He shakes them up and causes the weaker ones to fall away so the tree can be stronger overall”. As I enjoyed the memory of my Dad this morning, I thought about how God prunes more than just the trees…He prunes His people too. Sometimes He’ll huff and puff and cause the winds to rush through the life of One who belongs to Him just so that He can prune away the pieces that need to be done away with so that He can make them Stronger. What a blessing it is for the God of all Creation to use the twigs and the limbs to drive home a Message this morning.

Life is filled with Strong Winds and nobody gets to escape them, but the winds don’t pass through for punishment and they NEVER pass through without Purpose. When the Strong Winds pass through it’s always a time for Pruning. Sometimes the Purpose is to cause some of the weaker things to fall away so that we can be made Stronger. Sometimes God is refining our Character and He’s forcing us to do away with things that shouldn’t exist in the Life of a Child of God at all. Sometimes He shakes things up to force us to hold on Tighter as we call out to Him for help. Sometimes He shakes things up just so that we can see that when we’re weak He is strong and His “power is made perfect in weakness.”

For some people, the wind seems to never stop blowing and if they aren’t careful they’ll question God in the process. I don’t presume to know the mind of God, but I think sometimes He keeps Pruning and Pruning hoping the tree will stop trying to stand on its own…and sometimes I think He’s got BIG Plans for the tree so a Big Work needs to be done to ready them. When the wind comes through it’s not time to whine…it’s time to Seek His Will and to Surrender to His Plans. God Loves a Heart that is humble and inclined to please Him. If we ask the Purpose of the winds with a Heart that is willing to be Pruned, He’ll always reveal His Pruning Plan. This is the Key to Maturing for the Journey.

The winds have passed through my Life more times than I can count and God has Pruned me into a Tree that is Strong and Willing in the process….a Tree that looks the same on the outside but one that will never be the same again on the Inside. God huffed and puffed and pruned LOTS of things from my Life that needed to go so that I could be made Stronger for the Journey…and so that I could be a usable Vessel… and I’m sure He’s not finished with me yet. When those winds pass through I never say “Why me?” – instead, I hit my knees at the sign of the first breeze because I KNOW He’s got a Purpose in the Pruning process…to make me Stronger for the Work He has for me. It always begins with a Willing Heart and a desire to be taught by the God of all Creation.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. As I sit here taking in the beauty around me this morning it’s hard to imagine that there’s anything wrong with the world beyond the front porch…but there is. I began to appeal to the King of all kings for dozens of things that came to my mind but my Heart kept turning back to the Good instead. I went from feeling anxious about the world to being filled with a “peace that surpasses all understanding” as I focused more on the Good than the bad. By the time I opened my Instruction Manual to find Wisdom and Direction, all I could find were Messages of Hope and reminders of how He’s got the whole world in the palm of His Hands and only He knows the outcome of it all. No matter what happens in the dark world beyond the front porch, as long as I focus on the Good I can easily trust Him with the bad. Isn’t that the way you see Life too?

It’s interesting to watch the world from a Place of Peace as it sets out to chase its own version of truth. Some people believe all the things they read and they spread it like wildfire on the web. Some believe they’ve identified secret sources and they savor every word as if it’s the gospel truth. Some are obsessed with the state of the world and it’s nearly impossible to get them in the direction of Good. Far too many people are beating their chests to be heard and hate runs through their veins for anyone bold enough not to believe what they believe. Some people have already given up on the world, and they’re hiding under the bed because they’re afraid of what tomorrow brings. Some are filling their children with fear and rage and they’re robbing them of Good in the process. No matter how hard these people try to make sense of the dark world, and no matter how much they’ve convinced themselves that they know the truth, the only Truth to rely upon doesn’t come from a secret source or a post on the world wide web. The ONLY Truth comes straight from the Throne of the Living God and only He knows what is in store for us all. Remembering this is the Source of Peace in the world beyond the front porch that surpasses understanding.

It sounds ridiculously simple…even to people of Faith…that Peace can be found in the Presence of God and His Word is the source of Truth…but it’s as true today as it was from the very beginning of time. He IS our Hope and He Holds our future in the palm of His Hands and HE will have the final say. When I look out there to see people of Faith sharing secret information from secret sources with passion and conviction, I wonder how they got to the place where they traded sharing the Word of God for the opinion of man. When I look out there and see people of Faith captivated by any man much more than they’re captivated by the Son of Man I see why the world is so dark. I’m not sure how much crazier the world has to become before people professing to share my Faith…people claiming to Know my God…will come to their senses and turn to the Good instead of obsessing over the bad, BUT I do know He’ll balance those scales One Day. My God can be Trusted with the bad…and He’s not surprised by anything. He’ll make sure it all works out in His Favor…every single time…since the beginning of time. He is the only source of Good, He’s the Authority over it all, and He is the Key to Hope and a Future well beyond this dark world.

I am blessed to have a beautiful backdrop to wake up to each day, but MORE than the view from the front porch that I focus on with my eyes…I make sure that my Heart is inclined toward Him and I make it my goal to ONLY focus on the Good. There’s not much I can do for the dark world beyond the front porch but I CAN shed some Light on behalf of the One I Serve. I can speak up loud and clear about the One True Authority over this world, and I can speak the name of Jesus Christ and make every demon in hell tremble in fear. I can continue to put my Faith and Trust in Him…and not in man…secret or otherwise. Good is Always there and I’m determined to keep my eyes on the One with the Master Plan no matter how bad the world appears to be on the outside. I know that “ALL things world together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His Purpose” – I love Him with everything within me and I’ve been called according to His Purpose…how could I NOT have peace at such a time as this?

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a little cloudy and cold but that didn’t stop me from at least stepping outside to take in the glory of this new day before I settled in to meet with the Master of it all inside. As I sat there offering my Praise and my Thanks, my mind kept wandering off to troubling things that could have easily robbed me of the Joy of Time spent with the Living God. I could have surrendered to those thoughts, and I could have cut our Time short because of them, but I chose to Persevere and I chose to take “captive every thought”… and before you know it all those things were put back where they belong and I found my Joy and Peace all over again. What a Sweet Reminder straight from the Throne of a Mighty God that everything comes down to choice.

Man is the only one of God’s Creation who has the intellect to make good or bad choices. God does the Calling, but we choose to accept Him as Savior or not. God does the Leading, but we choose to follow Him or not. God plants the seed of Purpose deep within the human Heart, but we choose to fulfill it or not. God breathed Life into His Word to show us the Way, but we choose to read it or not. God surrounds us with Beauty every day, but we choose to see it or not. God brings people into our lives to Grow us through the Journey, but we choose to accept them or not. God ordains Opportunities to share the Gospel with others, but we choose to Speak it or not. God issues “red flags” and the Holy Spirit does the warning, but we choose to Listen to Him or not. God ordains circumstances intended to draw us closer to Himself, but we choose to accept it as Divine or not. The Lord “gives and takes away” but we choose to accept His Will or not. God withholds the details of His Plans sometimes, but we choose to Trust Him or not. There’s no end to the choices we make when it comes to the Living God and His Will for our lives – but He’s either Lord of our lives or He’s not – and that comes down to choice too.

Perhaps it takes a Valley to force us into Surrender instead of us getting there on our own. Sometimes where there seems to be no way we make the choice to Give it all to the “way maker” instead. Sometimes when we’ve lost our hope, we’ll turn to the only Hope any of us really have. Sometimes when we’re scared, we turn to the Great “I am” to “hide in the shadow of His wings.” Sometimes when we’re without, we’ll turn to the Provider of all. Sometimes when we’re lonely, we’ll turn to the One that will “never leave us nor forsake us.” There is always a Purpose for the Valley and we often Turn to Him for Help when we’re there – but when He Delivers us out of the Valley and places us on top of the Mountain again, we choose to tell the world about His goodness or not. He’s either Lord of our lives or He’s not – and it always comes down to choice.

I began this beautiful new day subject to things that could have robbed me of Good this morning, but I made the choice to fight back instead. All those “thoughts” come from an enemy that would LOVE to distract me from doing the Will of my Father – but I choose to thwart his plans by taking “captive every thought” instead. Today I choose to Serve the King of all Kings and I’m ready for whatever He has for me…and all because I make the choice for Him to be Lord of my Life day after day.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and it began at sunrise for me in the presence of the Most High God. I’m anxious to meet with Him for lots of reasons on any given day, but THIS morning I met with Him after a night of troubling dreams, and since I know that those dreams came through a blind spot in my subconscious mind, this morning we were doing some House Cleaning within me. The Bible says: “Do not give the devil a foothold” so when I see a red flag – a sneaky way the enemy is attempting to “torment” me, I get busy cleaning house! I cast all my cares on the One Who “scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name”! I don’t have absolute control over everything in my Life, but I do have control over what I allow to take up space in my mind whether I realize those thoughts exist or not. So, this morning I gave it to the Most High God and I filled myself up with Him and His Word. Today I’ll fight the Good Fight the way my Savior did…I’ll be quoting Truth in the face of my enemy, and when I do, I’ll override the schemes the evil one is using to discourage or defeat me. I know how to Fight and I Know how to win. Isn’t that what you do to Overcome too?

I have lots of dreams about the future in my waking hours, but I don’t usually remember a dream that passes through my mind in my slumber. For me to remember a dream, it has to instill enough emotion within me to wake me up. Once in a while, it’s something so odd or so funny that my own laughter will jar me awake. But every once in a LONG while I’ll wake up in tears over whatever I was dreaming about, and that’s what happened to me in the wee hours of this new day. Years ago I had a dream that war was raging over my soul…the war between Good and evil and it was terrifying. I could sense Peace and Protection on one side and I was reaching up to my Savior and calling His name, but there was also darkness and evil on the other side that was so frightening it’s impossible to describe. I didn’t stop reaching for my Life Line for one second, but the evil one was threatening to consume me, and it was fear and trembling that woke me up that night. I’ll never know if I was given a glimpse of the non-stop Spiritual war that takes place in the heavenly realms that night, OR if it was my own subconscious mind playing out the Choice that we all need to make that will determine our Future. Either way, to the Throne of God I went and I got busy equipping myself to do warfare of my own. I have been Hard-Wired to Fight back and win! So, I made sure to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. The condition of my mind has a direct impact on the condition of my Heart, so when I see that a little work is needed I get busy doing my Part.

Psalm 16:7 says “I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me” so I’m confident there is Heavenly business going on when I sleep. I know that the King of kings is on Watch 24/7 and that God NEVER leaves His Throne. I know that we Win the battle against Good and evil and that one day “EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that He is Lord”. But I also know that my journey isn’t supposed to be just a walk in the park. It takes HARD work to run this Race if we want to Win. It takes work on the Heart, work on the mind, and an understanding of how the two are tied together. My body finds its rest, but my mind never sleeps. So if I want to be sure to stay away from those subconscious thoughts within me that can ruin a perfectly good night’s sleep then I have to do my part to fill me up with Good in every way…every day..

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s Veterans Day and I spent a little more time than usual this morning praying for those special people who have sacrificed so much to serve me and my Country. It’s the kind of sacrifice that I can’t begin to fathom and it’s the kind of sacrifice that often goes unnoticed…except for once or twice a year, that is. Sometimes I think about the Biggest Sacrifice EVER made for you and for me and when I do, I realize that if most of the world doesn’t accept or appreciate THAT Sacrifice, how will they appreciate the sacrifice of time and life that our servicemen and women (and their families) give each and every day?

I gladly gave up my own life to raise my family and I’d be willing to die for any one of them today. I’d give up my life for my God too should I ever be asked to deny Him. But the thought of people being willing to give up their own lives for people they don’t even know? That thought overwhelms me every time I think about it. These days it must be difficult to make so many sacrifices for a country that doesn’t show them the respect they deserve. It must be difficult to be threatened with being removed from service because of choices they make for their health as they watch freedom quickly become a thing of the past. God bless them for still being willing to serve the greatest nation in the world even though they see it transform right before their very eyes to an unrecognizable world. If there’s ever been a time we need them, it’s now.

Not everyone who serves in our military is faced with the sacrifice of life (thank God) but they’re willing to if they have to…and they ALL make huge sacrifices for you and for me every single day. In their fight for our freedom, they surrender their own. They’re told when to show up, when to suit up, and when to shut up. They’re told what to wear and when to wear it and they know that what they wear better be perfect at all times. They are people of discipline and people of excellence and it shows. They’re told where to live and how long to live there. They’re told what to say and when to say it and to never question authority. They’re told what job they’ll be doing and they’re taught how to do it, and if they don’t particularly like what they do, they do it anyway without complaining instead of looking for a new job like you and me.
Most of our young enlisted men and women could easily make more money working at a retail store full-time than they do to serve our country 24/7. They’re told when they’ll have a day off and IF they’ll have a holiday off, and many of our servicemen and women spend the holidays alone more often than we care to think about. In spite of all of the sacrifices they make for you and for me, they PROUDLY serve America even when we don’t tell them or show them how much we appreciate the sacrifices they make for us.

My husband proudly served in the Marine Corps, and as they say, once a Marine, always a Marine. My father served in the United States Navy during WWII, my youngest son served in the United States Air Force to do his part in this War on Terror, and my son-in-law still proudly serves in the United States Air Force today. I’m not just thankful for their service…I’m humbled by all of the sacrifices made by them (and by their families) day after day for you and for me. I’m thankful for EVERY Veteran…those I know and love and those I’ll never meet! I don’t just thank them on Veterans Day and I don’t just pray for them on special days either. Every single one of them has my heart, my support, my gratitude, and my prayers every single day that I breathe.

How about you?

Thank you, Veterans!!!! May God bless you and your families and may God richly bless the United States of America.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was too cold to spend time with the Living God outside today but I endured the cold long enough to snap a photo of what the hand of God looks like from the porch this morning. I love the Fall season more than all the others. It’s a time of vibrant colors all around me, from the leaves to the sunrise, but it’s also a time of change. First, the leaves turn every shade of yellow, orange, and red, and then they shed the dead. I don’t care much for naked trees, however, it’s when they shed the dead you begin to see things you haven’t seen before…things that were masked by the leaves. Isn’t that just the way it is with Life? It’s only when we are willing to “shed the dead” that we have the chance to see Life in ways we’ve never seen before, and although it’s a brutal process, it’s the only way to Growth in the Spring. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith too?

It’s amazing when you think about it – the leaves of the trees are the most magnificent just before they shed the dead and fall to the ground. When the trees begin to shed the dead, they are preparing to go dormant for the winter. God wired them to “conserve” water and energy throughout the winter so that they’re prepared to begin the growth process again in the Spring. Without the process of shedding the dead, their growth would be thwarted and the future wouldn’t be so bright for them in the next season. What’s true for God’s creation and how he “wired” the trees is also also true for God’s people. Until we’re willing to shed the dead…to let go of painful things we’re clinging to…to forgive…the cast our burdens at His feet instead of attempting to carry them around…we can’t grow tall and strong the way we’re intended to and we’ll never see behind what the leaves are masking. This is the Key to Spiritual Maturity.

It would be interesting if we could see people the way God sees them – if we could just SEE their dead leaves and what they’re holding onto that needs to be let go. No doubt it would be painful to see, but it might just compel us to us tell them about the importance of shedding the dead. If we could see, maybe we would take the time to explain what Purpose looks like and how they’ll only begin to Grow and Thrive if they’re willing to shed the dead. If we could see, we might just Share what God has to say about shedding the dead: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Just think, we would have a front-row seat to see New Life spring forth right before our very eyes as the dead is shed and each burden falls at the foot of the Cross. This is the Key to the Great Commission.

There is great purpose in the fall foliage that we have the opportunity to enjoy each year but THERE IS NO purpose in holding on to the dead in our lives that needs to be let go. As surely as the dead leaves would tap the resources of the tree preventing it from preparing for Spring growth, the dead we refuse to shed in our lives will rob us of a Good Future too. No burden is too heavy for God to carry and no pain is too great for Him to Heal. There is no Shame too big to be washed clean by the blood of the Lamb and no transgression that God can’t erase. But, there IS an adversary that would like you to believe that refusing to shed the dead is no big deal at all and that the burdens you’re carrying around needlessly are nobody else’s business. What better way to convince you to hold on to things that need to be shed? This is the Key to Fighting and Winning the Spiritual War.

I’ve shed lots of dead in my lifetime and I know what Freedom feels like because of it. I don’t try to carry my own burdens…I give them to Him instead! It wasn’t until I shed the dead that I buried my shame and I began to see things about my life that had been masked by my leaves…things that needed to be “pruned” by the Hand of God. It wasn’t until I shed the dead that I revealed the most Amazing Testimony of Faith to share with the world. It wasn’t until I shed the dead that I found genuine Joy in all circumstances and I learned to be content. It wasn’t until I shed the dead that I REALLY began to Grow. My roots are deep and strong because I shed the dead, and today I’m an Unstoppable Vessel for the King of all kings. This is the Key to Spiritual Victory.

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 inside looking out from a desk with a view of the porch and that will be our Meeting Place throughout the colder months. It’s as close to the front porch as I can get without being there, and it’s a place that has special meaning to me. “Setting the scene” is important to me because the “scene” prepares my Heart for our Time together. After all, if my Heart isn’t on board to seek His Face and to Hear His voice, why would He be inclined toward me either? So, I changed the geography and I adjusted our Meeting Place and we had an amazing One-on-one time together this morning. Don’t you go out of your way to “set the scene” for your Time with the Living God too?

It can be so easy to take our Time with Living God for granted while we squeeze in a little time here and there when we can, but we miss out on the Rich Relationship that’s possible with Him when we do. He’s God, and He’s not going anywhere no matter how often we blow Him off for better things to do, and no matter how little quality Time we’re willing to spend with Him. Most of us take the time to make our time with our family and friends very special. We tidy up and clean the house and we fret over what they’ll eat and drink. We decorate for the season, we put on just the right music, and we serve their favorite foods. We’re thrilled when they notice the effort we put into pleasing them so that our time together will be the BEST that it can be. When we set out to please…IT SHOWS.

Sometimes a family member or friend needs a little one-on-one time to share what’s on their mind. When they show up, we don’t fret a whole lot about the house or what they’ll eat and drink. Instead, we make sure to remove the distractions as best we can, and we offer a comfortable seat with a hot cup of coffee. We “set the scene” for them to open up about what’s on their Heart and what’s going on in their world…and IT SHOWS. It’s the simple things we do that are a reflection of the Heart, and when the Heart is warmed and glowing…the relationships grow. Why would it be any different for the Living God?

There are countless ways we prepare for time spent with other people and it seems like we never grow tired of putting in the effort to set the scene for any occasion at all…at least when we love and respect the one(s) we’re meeting with that’s true. We pour our hearts into the preparations and we spare nothing at all when we roll out the red carpet. But when it comes to the Living God… setting the “scene” doesn’t seem to matter to a whole lot of people because they don’t think it matters to Him. Worldly things don’t impress the One who Created every ounce of gold and every precious jewel, that’s for sure. But we ALWAYS impress Him when we pour our hearts into Preparing to meet with Him. We ALWAYS Please Him when we make sure our time is Quality Time…and not just an obligation. He deserves to have our undivided attention. He deserves to have a quiet place when He Whispers to our Soul. He deserves to have the music off when He wants to play the Sweetest Sounds within the Heart. He deserves to not be in competition with cell phones, computers, or television blaring in the background. If anybody deserves Quality Time and a heart that is poured into pleasing and Preparing…it’s the Living God.

I don’t have all the answers in life, but I do have my Priorities straight. God comes first. My family second. My work is last on the list. I serve each of these with excellence…beginning with the King of kings. He’s there for me 24/7 and He will “be there” for all of eternity. The least I can do to Please Him is to pour my Heart into Preparation so that our Time together is as Good as it can possibly be. First, I roll out the red carpet for Him…and THEN it gets rolled out to my loved ones. Every relationship in my Life is rich and it overflows with love ALL BECAUSE each day begins with me Pleasing my First Priority.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The cold morning forced me to spend most of my time with the Living God inside today but I never lose a chance to take in the glory of the morning, even for just a little while, from my front porch. This old porch is graced with four flags and they each represent something I stand for. As I sat before God this morning and looked at those flags, I considered the things I stand for, and I wondered if what I Stand for is as easy for the world to see. It doesn’t matter much if people look at these four flags and they don’t “get” what they represent to me…but it matters a WHOLE lot if people look at my Life and they don’t see what I stand for or Who I represent. Isn’t that something that you consider too?

It’s so easy for us to look at the outer edges of a person and to draw our own conclusions about what they stand for by what we see on the outside. Sometimes people attempt to put the world on notice about what they stand for by placing bumper stickers on their cars or by wearing a cross around their necks. Sometimes those things are intended to be gentle reminders, and sometimes those things are intended to provoke. Just like the flags hanging on this front porch if people don’t “get” what they represent they merely serve as decoration. Sometimes people attempt to make their mark on the world by tattooing their bodies or by piercing the skin in unimaginable ways. But just like the flags hanging on the front porch, if people don’t “get” what they represent they merely serve as body art. There is no end to what can be done in our attempt to put the world on notice about what we represent, but what we stand for takes a whole lot more than flying a flag over our lives. What we stand for takes action words, and Relationships to be seen by the world.

I have a crazy sense of humor and I’ve had a roller coaster life, so IF I never spoke up about what I Stand for, the world may see me as just someone fun to be around and someone with lots of good stories. But nobody has to be in my presence for long before they see AND hear about what I Stand for and Who I represent. Some may perceive me to be ONLY interested in fun things and funny things because of my personality. But with an opportunity to change my Tune to comfort a suffering soul, or to speak Words of Wisdom from God, and what I Stand for and Who I Represent is front-and-center. Some could believe that I can find humor in anything…and there’s a lot of truth to that…and they might hesitate to share their pain with me for fear of me laughing at them. BUT with just a few words about my Life Journey and all of the pain I’ve endured in His Name, and they open up like a flower with no fear of judgment from me. I don’t rely on bumper stickers on my car or a cross around my neck to make a Statement to the world about what I Stand for. I live it, I breathe it, I speak it. What I Stand for is a part of me and taking action with Words and Relationships is as natural to me as breathing.

I like to think of myself as being a little like those flags on the front porch. Bright and colorful, resilient, able to withstand the winds, flexible, bold and forever making a statement for the world to see. But you’ll never find me being a silent Representation of what I Stand for or Who I Represent, and you won’t find me relying on some outward “sign” to make a statement on my behalf. I’m a child of the Living God…I’m Royalty…I’m Unstoppable…and there is never a doubt about what I Stand for or Who I Represent. I Love Him…I Live for Him…I Serve Him…and it shows.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I give thanks for a lot of things when I meet with the Living God because my Heart overflows with Gratitude for who He is and what He does for me. But one of the most Prevailing requests I put before His Throne, and one that I Proclaim over my life is Peace. When I have peace in my Life everything easily flows, and when I have Peace I can handle it all. Having Peace doesn’t mean that everything is smooth sailing around me, and my peace doesn’t come without effort on MY part. I WORK for my Peace…I guard my Peace…I Proclaim my Peace…day after day and year after year. It’s pretty simple. If I can be a Reflection of Peace in the midst of a world in turmoil then I can be a living, breathing example of my Faith for the world to see. Without it, I’m a poor Witness for the Source of Peace – the kind of “Peace that surpasses all understanding.” Isn’t that the way you see your Journey of Faith too?

We live in a world that refuses to live in peace and we’re surrounded by people that do their very best to be sure that we never have it. Some people hunger for conflict and they make it their mission to instill anger and fear because they have no interest in peace at all. They’re entertained by conflict and they get perverse pleasure out of instilling pain on other people. They’re like snapping turtles…they latch onto something that they’re sure will cause division and they refuse to let it go. They spit out venomous words and they stand by to see how much damage they’ve done as they celebrate their wicked accomplishments. From political preferences…to the color of skin…if they only Knew that God Almighty Ordains (or allows) it all, they might stop willingly surrendering their Peace instead of adding fleshly fuel to a Spiritual fire.

There are plenty of people hell-bent on division in our Country, within the Church, and sometimes within our homes. As long as we don’t make Peace a priority…as long as we don’t determine to have it and proclaim it day after day no matter what… the squeaky wheel will rob us as surely as we breathe. That’s the way our adversary works! Conflict is toxic, and it’s contagious, AND it comes from the pit of Hell. It can spread like wildfire, destroying anything and everything in its path IF we don’t diligently guard our peace and IF we don’t mirror the Prince of Peace through it all. How many times must we be reminded that the struggles in this Life ARE NOT AGAINST flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil? With that in mind, nobody ever really “takes” our peace – we willingly surrender it instead.

I am blessed beyond measure to live on a beautiful piece of land in Virginia that has been graced with an old farmhouse, a front porch that I dearly love, and now a chapel in a barn. I open my Heart to the masses and I hear all kinds of comments when people make their way here – things like “It’s so beautiful,” “It has character,” “It’s charming,” “The view is amazing,” “It feels like grandma’s house,” “I never want to leave,” and “When can I come back?” There is no end to the list of compliments I hear when people visit, BUT the prevailing comment that crosses the lips of EVERY single visitor is that they can FEEL the Peace…the kind that surpasses all understanding – and more than anything else, THAT’S why they keep coming back. Peace can be felt by everyone because I Guard my Peace…I Pray for my Peace…I Proclaim my peace to the Prince of Peace every single day, and Supernatural Peace is felt by visitors because of it. I prayed over every inch of the farmhouse and every foot of the boundaries of the land BEFORE I moved my family here, and I’ve continued to pray over it every day for all these years. As a result, this place has been a refuge to countless friends and family over the years. They sought Peace and they knew where to find it. But it hasn’t been a wide open door that welcomes just anybody in, that’s for sure. If there is ever one that I am confident would be chipping away at my peace, I close the door and lock it. Without my Peace, I can’t be a Witness for the Prince of Peace at all so I guard it with my Life.

I have had LOTS of adversity come my way and I’ve been known to cry every now and then…BUT MY PEACE never falters because I REFUSE to let it go. When you boil it all down, there is only ONE who would like for me to surrender my peace and I know how to fight him and win. I Serve the Prince of Peace and it shows. Peace is the Source of the Brightest Light of my Faith and the fact that I Reflect it in a dark work is the greatest Witness to the One I serve. In a land that is in turmoil and a future unknown, I guard my peace like the Warrior I am and my Peace can be seen AND felt all around me because of it.

How about you? Are you guarding or surrendering?