Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. If I searched every word in my vocabulary I’m not sure I could adequately describe the morning sky of this new day. It’s a little cool, a little hazy, and a little mysterious looking. There is one deer in the field ahead…at least just one that I can see. With a large herd of deer so close by I’m always curious when one wanders off alone. It’s amazing how what I see outside impacts the inside of me and my time with the Living God, and how He speaks to me through the simplest things. When I approached the Throne of my God this morning and I opened up His Word, He sent a Sweet Reminder to me of how easy it is to lose our way when we surround ourselves with things (and people) that drag us down instead of lifting us up. I read about how to guard my mind, and my Life and my Soul. I was Instructed on how to think, how to Love, and how to Live. If there’s anything I will need to guard myself against today, it’s anyone determined to rob me of my Peace. My Heart is Right (in part) because it is continuously guarded against anyone set on discouraging me today because I am certain of where those “tactics” come from. My adversary would LOVE to have me stopped and he will use whoever he can to discourage me in the Journey of Faith. Isn’t that the way you look at your Life too?

Being a woman of Faith comes with lots of responsibility, none of which I could handle if I just relied on myself and my own Ability. It requires Love and Patience and Compassion…and sometimes tolerance too…IF I want to be a Light in this dark world, that is. It requires that I focus more on the person than I do on their “wrongs” and sometimes that’s not easy when we encounter the “difficult ones”. It requires that I “be nice” even when they aren’t so nice to me, and it requires that I “turn the other cheek” when they wrong me. My Purpose in this Life is much bigger than anything I can totally understand on this side of Heaven, but I do understand this – there can be no doubt in the mind of a Christian that the Biggest Part of our Purpose is to be a Good Ambassador for the Living God. So, how I handle myself, how I treat others, how I react to conflict, and how I Love through it all is a Priority of mine, and it takes a lot of Work on me and a lot of Time with Him to even begin to pull this off in a way that Pleases Him. There is a balance between being a “Stepford Christian”…one that just merely exists and one that follows the crowd instead of thinking and Living for Him…and a Christian on a Mission to please the God of all Creation. I know that God won’t care about how many Bible studies I attended or how many prayers I prayed IF I’m not Willing to Live for Him, and if I refuse to be an Ambassador for Him while I’m here. I don’t put in the Effort because I’m afraid, or brainwashed, or because I Live under the “bondage” of Rules….I put in the Effort because He’s the Love of my Life and THAT’S what Love looks like. As a woman of Faith I am a Child of the Living God… I am Royalty, and I am Worthy, and I take my Role very seriously. While I am called to be Kind, and Compassionate and Love Unconditionally, I’m also expected to draw boundaries around those “difficult ones” that are determined to rob me of my Peace, and when I walk away it’s not “cold”…it’s God Designed.

It seems to be pretty easy for people to pull the Christian “trump card” whenever they are unhappy with someone else or whenever they want to manipulate a situation. Some people can be so toxic that they can almost suck the life out of you without even trying, and when you draw a Boundary Line around your Peace they are quick to say “That’s not being a good Christian”. Some people use their Faith like a weapon, so quick to remind another about what God says about this, or what God thinks about that, whenever they want to change the behavior of another without changing their own. Some people use fear tactics and some people use guilt tactics and some people will go so far as to suggest that you aren’t a Christian at all when things aren’t going well between you. Some people attempt to hold you hostage in the relationship when they paint a picture of God that fits their own way of thinking, and they’ll warn you that God won’t be happy with you for whatever it is as if they are Judge and jury. There is no end to how many times the Christian “trump card” can be played by those “difficult ones”, that’s for sure. But I serve the God who Breathed His Rules into existence and I Know them pretty well. I Know that Christ had little patience and less tolerance for the Pharisees when they played the Christian “trump card” because of their irresistible urge to judge and control. I am Confident in my Role and I understand my Mission…and when I draw boundaries around those people so eager to get my attention and to draw me into their schemes I’m not being “less” of a Christian…I’m doing what God tells me to do in those situations instead.

When the Disciples of Jesus set out to visit their hometowns to share the Good News with their people, Christ warned them that they would face opposition and that there would be plenty of their close friends and family that would go against them because of their beliefs. He didn’t instruct them to stick around his friends and family no matter what, and I don’t think He would have been pleased had they surrendered to the manipulation or guilt trips from the others. Instead, Christ told them to “kick the dust off their feet” and to keep moving forward in His Name. “Kicking the dust off” in those days could best be described as a sign of disgust and a way of saying “NEXT” in biblical times. “Kicking the dust off” was definitely a way of making a statement. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and if He warns us about the company we keep…about how we’re inclined to stumble when we surround ourselves with people intent on taking our peace…if He told those closest to Him to walk away from their own people for not being willing to Listen; I’m pretty sure that He’s okay with me when I walk away from the Christian “trump card” players too when they set out to manipulate OR discourage me…as long as I Love them, I forgive them, and I remember to pray for their hardened hearts.

I’m going to enjoy every minute of this beautiful day with a Heart that’s been Tenderized by the King and Prepared by my God. I’ll love big, I’ll laugh often, and I’ll have a tender Heart for ALL people. I’ll speak the Truth, and I’ll be willing to ask for Forgiveness and I’ll be forgiving others too. But what I WON’T be doing is surrounding myself with thoughts of defeat…I’ll be thinking and Believing in Victory instead. I won’t be spending my time with people who set out to discourage me in my Journey…those so willing to toss out the Christian “trump card” whenever they want my attention. I’ll pray for them and I’ll be hoping that they can find their way to Fulfillment from the Living God instead of relying on that “trump card” to rule their world.

How about you?

Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.

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 if I want to be sure that I’m Prepared for whatever the Lord has for me, then I need to begin it ALL with Him. So, I sat in His Presence, I gave thanks for who He is and what He does for me, I poured out my Heart, I confessed my sins, and I sang a few songs of praise in my Heart. When I opened my eyes to take in the beauty around me one more time, I saw that the sun shining through the leaves on this very full tree and it left light on the ground where it managed to break through. There were some big breakthroughs and some little breakthroughs and the sun beat down on this tree as if to illuminate them. The breakthroughs in Life come by way of the Light too and everything we need to grow and bear fruit is found in the Truth of the Living Word…AND He’ll “light it up” too anytime we desire to be Taught. Isn’t it just like God to use His own sun to drive home a message to me this morning?

Most people in this world are content just to be average but I’m not one of them. It was never enough for me to be an average worker at the office…I put in the effort to be the BEST and I was rewarded with the fruit of the Labor. It wasn’t enough for me to be an average Mom…I put in the work to be the BEST I could be for my Treasures and I Know that the fruit of my Labor will last for generations to come. I did not labor in vain. As a child of the Living God, hand-picked to be one of His own, I want all that God has for me. I see warning signs all over His Word about what the future looks like for those who are just along for the ride – content to sit on the sidelines – so I make sure that’s not what the future looks like for me. I pour Him into me and before you know it, He pours right back out of me…I BEAR FRUIT. I have no interest in the sidelines – I want to be on the Frontline so I put in the work to make sure that my Heart is Ready and that my Life is bearing Fruit. The Journey of Faith is “evidenced” by good fruit being born day in and day out. If there is no fruit, that’s a pretty good indicator of someone content to just go along for the ride…and the Future isn’t nearly as bright for them as think it is.

When a tree stops bearing fruit the farmer gets busy trying to figure out what went wrong. The farmer has a lot invested in each one and he will never be content with a tree that’s not bearing fruit. Most of the time the tree stopped producing because it was somehow malnourished, lacking the nutrients it needs to have the strength to bear fruit at all. Once the farmer takes the steps to give the tree the nourishment it desperately needs to be a good bearer of fruit, the tree will become part of the land of the living again. If it never bears fruit again, it is removed so that it doesn’t take away from the rest of the orchard. A dead tree has no purpose whatsoever. It’s too bad we don’t look at the Journey of Faith the way a farmer looks at a tree. If we notice a tree isn’t bearing fruit we should do everything in our power to give the “tree” what it needs to mature so that it can bear fruit. After that, if there is no fruit naturally coming forth from the tree that has been Given everything it needs to Grow, it’s safe to assume it’s dead, and it’s time to plant seeds all over again. What’s true for nature is True for the Journey of Faith…if there is no fruit, there is no sign of Life.

I Nourish my Faith with the Living God the same way a farmer nourishes his crops. My Life depends on Him and I have no future without Him, so He is the center of my world and I refuse to be content or to labor in vain. I give the Living God the First and the Best of me because I LOVE Him more than anyone or anything else – as a result, my Life bears fruit. There isn’t anything “average” about my Journey of Faith and you won’t find me on the sidelines hoping for a Future with Him…you’ll find me Living out the Purpose He created just for me instead. Besides, with so many seemingly dead trees out there, there is plenty of work for me to do in His Name. I want everybody to Know who I Know and to have what I have and I want the world overflowing with beautiful Fruit. What I have isn’t rocket science and it can’t be intellectualized even though plenty of people try to. All it ever really takes to bear the Best Fruit FOREVER is the Right seed, and Proper Nourishment all the days of your Life.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s crystal clear and cool this morning and except for a little fog lifting off the ground, it looks the same as it did yesterday morning. But no two days are ever the same when it comes to the Journey of Faith and no two days should ever be compared. As I sat in His Presence to give my Praise, my Thanks, and to make my Requests known to the King of all kings, I thought about how every single day since the beginning of Time has been set aside from all the others in every imaginable way – and I became overwhelmed just thinking about it. It didn’t take long for me to ask for Forgiveness for not savoring each one and Forgiveness for the countless ones I squandered along the way – and in no time at all, I was more excited than ever for the one I’ll be Living for Him today – a unique day from all the others since the beginning of Time.

It can be so easy to take everything for granted if we aren’t careful but we risk losing the Beauty of what God Intended when we do. Sometimes the Beauty is lost for a short season, and sometimes it’s lost forever if we carelessly allow each day to blend into all the others without Savoring each one for what it is. Sometimes relationships fizzle out and die when the days are taken for granted and the heart overlooks the need to savor the Love. Sometimes the beauty gets lost when we live for what “used to be” and sometimes it gets squandered when we dwell on what “ought to be” instead of embracing each one with Gratitude for what it is today…right now…a Unique day filled with Unique opportunities…a day of New Beginnings for all. Nothing we can do will change the countless yesterdays we selfishly squandered, but what today and tomorrow will become comes down to how we’ll Determine to live out each one moving forward…in Celebration of a Unique day filled with Unique opportunities OR just another day like all the rest?

I’m excited about this New Day – a day, unlike all the other days I’ve lived so far in the span of my entire Life. I’m excited about the new Opportunities to shine the Light of my Faith as bright as the morning sun for those God places in my path today – and I’m REALLY excited about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. I won’t squander this Unique day from sun up to sun down, and I won’t take anything or anyone for granted. I’ll be kind and compassionate. I’ll extend forgiveness when it’s needed. I’ll share the Truth every chance He gives me, and I’ll smile from the inside out all day long. And if anything threatens to rob me of my Joy today, I’ll put on my armor and Fight like the Warrior I am. It’s a day unlike any other day since the beginning of Creation and I’m filled with wonder like a child on a Christmas morning because of it!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a magnificent morning and I will “rejoice and be glad in it” no matter what…but I have a whole lot to celebrate today. A few victories. A few accomplishments. A few battles overcome. My family. My friends. My health. My sound mind. My Faith and a host of other things “too many to declare! But more than anything else in this world that I might celebrate on this glorious morning in Virginia, I Celebrate that I am a child of the Living God. My Heart overflows with gratitude when I consider that He chose me to be His own before the foundations of the earth. My Heart overflows with gratitude when I consider that the King of all kings paid the Price for a debt I could never pay on my own, and I don’t let one single day go by without giving Thanks for my special Place in the Master Plan. It’s that attitude of Gratitude that propels my Faith into Action and my Joy flows through me and into the world because of it. Isn’t that the way you feel about being a child of the Living God too?

I’m not sure why it seems to be so easy for people to take precious things in life for granted but I think it comes down to Gratitude. It’s true for our relationships…from our mates to our children – for our provisions to our paychecks – for our health to our Hope. Most people start out pretty excited and they don’t hesitate to express their gratitude because the Heart is still in overflow mode. But before too long things begin to lose luster and before you know it the very things they should be the most grateful for are the ones they neglect. Relationships become run-of-the-mill and the romance fades too quickly. Our children become just something that we do or something we can boast about and we stop treasuring the moments in the madness. Our provisions and our paychecks become something that we expect to always be there and we puff up and take credit for it all. Our health is rarely valued until we don’t have it anymore and we turn to someone else to fix it when it’s gone. But the most dangerous one to take for granted…the one that fuels every other aspect of life…the one that propels us with Gratitude is our Hope. It’s ONLY when we can see life through the eyes of God…when we can see our place in the Master Plan…when we can embrace the thought that we didn’t do anything to be worthy of being a child of the Living God and that we can’t do anything to cause Him to leave or forsake us that the Heart overflows and humility sets in and every second of every day is laced with Gratitude.

My heart overflows with Gratitude for the Living God and for the Plans that He has for my Life. When you see me you’ll see my Gratitude. When you talk to me you’ll hear about my Gratitude. I’m a child of the Living God and it shows.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. What the sun nourished yesterday was watered by rain overnight and everything has the look and the smell of new. This morning I read “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me” and I wept when I read those Words because they reminded me of my Life. I am surrounded by beautiful space at this old farm, but my “spacious place” goes well beyond geography – my “spacious place” is the world because there are no boundaries when it comes to Him! He must “delight” in me somehow because He has “rescued me” in miraculous ways countless times and He has set a boundary line of Protection around my life. What a beautiful Reminder straight from the Throne of a Mighty God…the world is my territory and He delights in me!

It can be so easy for people to refuse to step into that “spacious place” in every area of life – either because they like things just the way they are or they’re too fearful to venture outside of their comfort zone – either way, they miss out on the fullness of Life when they do. God doesn’t confine us to a small territory or a routine life…we do that to ourselves. God doesn’t have Limitations or Boundaries on where we can go or what we can accomplish…we place them there instead. God doesn’t restrict the number of lives we have the potential to Impact…we draw a line in the sand and refuse to go there instead. There is a “spacious place” ready and waiting for everybody but He won’t force us into it BUTHe’ll lead us there if we allow Him to. I wonder what it looks like from where God sits to see His people sitting still and drawing limitations around their lives because they Refuse to let Him take them to a “spacious place?”

A whole lot of people proclaim to have put their Trust in Jesus Christ, but I’m not totally convinced that’s true when you see them sitting still. It takes Trust to step out into that “spacious place” and it takes Trust to be willing to do whatever we can do so that He may be “delighted” in us. It takes Trust to believe in those “invisible” boundary lines of Protection and it takes Trust to keep moving when we aren’t sure where we’ll end up. It takes Trust to reach for the stars and to Believe that we have Purpose and it takes Trust to do His Will even if it doesn’t make sense to the human mind. When you think about it, it takes Trust to do anything and everything in His name! Is it possible to Trust Him and NOT Trust Him with our lives? Believing in that two-sided “truth” will find many people in eternal torment one day because a life Surrendered to Jesus Christ is a Life based on Absolute Trust.

God used a few simple Words from the Best Selling Book of all Time this morning to Encourage me and I’ll be repeating those Words all day long. I reside in a “spacious place” that brings joy to me and so many others, but my “real” spacious place is Service that I do in His Name and THAT space has no boundaries. I won’t know on this side of Heaven what impact I’ve had in my “spacious place” but I take Joy when I think that King of all kings delights in me and I’m filled with Peace because I know He’ll always rescue me.

How about you?

Psalm 18:19-21

19 He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;

I am not guilty of turning from my God.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. My soul is Refreshed after my time with the Living God this morning, and I my Path has been made Straight with His Word. I’m not JUST a Follower of Jesus Christ…I’m a Warrior, and Warriors take a few more “hits” in this Life than all the others. As a Warrior, I need to be Strong, Ready, Bold, and Fearless…but more than any of the Characteristics that I need to be a Good Warrior…I need to be Kind and Compassion too. It’s not an easy combination to be Bold and Kind all at the same time, and I can’t do it on my own. So, I step into the Presence of my Mighty and Loving God each day to Prepare myself for War and to take on His Character as best I can…and THAT’S where I find the Balance, the Strength AND the Compassion to do what He has for me to do. Isn’t that the way you find your Balance too?

It can be so easy to lose our Balance when we’re faced with adversity, or when we find ourselves in conflict with another. But anybody can roll over and play dead in the midst of the trials and Tribulations, and most people are good at lashing out when they’re feeling hurt or offended. Most of the time when we’re faced with these things, our truest character can show itself in a split second. Some are cowards and they refuse to “get involved” even if the Battle has the potential to harm someone else. Some people spit out insults without blinking an eye, and those words can never be reversed once they’re spoken. Some people point fingers and spin the situation in the direction they want it to go in, or in the direction they THOUGHT you were heading in even when you weren’t. Some people think they’ve been given the supernatural ability to read minds or to test motives, so they think they already know where you’re coming from without you speaking a word. Some people gear up and stay so busy defending their own position that they never stop to hear what yours is at all. Some people have perfected being passive-aggressive and they’ll pout or go silent in the midst of the conflict because they know that it hurts more when they do. There are plenty of people who are entertained by conflict, and they’ll do anything to keep it going – because as long as it’s going they are sure to have your attention…which is all they’re really looking for in the first place. No matter what’s going on or who it’s going on with, the Battle can’t be won when we rely on our own words or our own feelings to get the job done. It takes a Warrior to do battle God’s way. A Warrior that has been Prepared through time spent in the Presence of the One they “fight” for, and a Warrior equipped with the only Words that ever really matter. A Warrior willing to speak up and a Warrior consumed with Compassion. That’s the ONLY way a Battle is ever really one and it’s the ONLY way to Glorify God when we’re at War. Putting on boxing gloves and slinging insults has no place in the Life of a Warrior because War is ONLY ever won with Truth and Love.

There are all kinds of battles we face in this Life, but there is only ever ONE War. There are all kinds of conflicts with all kinds of people that we’ll face along the way too, but there’s only ever ONE enemy. I don’t pick fights and I don’t open a can of worms just so that I can speak Truth. I don’t like conflict and I guard my Peace with everything I’ve got, BUT when God throws me into a situation where I have the choice to be tolerant while His Name and His Character are being questioned OR to stand Firm for Truth…I’m called to be a Warrior. Because I know my enemy very well, I know his subtle ways and I know what he’s up to when he attempts to bend the Truth. Because I know what’s at risk if I stay silenced and if I’m willing to do nothing all in the name of “tolerance” I know when and how to Speak the Truth as a Warrior for God Almighty. I’m not afraid and I’m not worried about being popular. I’m not the Judge or the jury and don’t express what others might perceive to be my “opinions”; I stand up for the Judge and speak for the Truth no matter the consequences I might face in this world because of it. I don’t “hate” others because they don’t believe what I believe…I have Christ-like Compassion for them and I care enough about their Future to speak the Truth to them at all costs. He is my God and I am His Chosen Warrior. I am an Ambassador for the One who hung the stars in the sky and knows them each by name. I am a Child of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! I know that if He sent His Son to die for me so that I might have Eternal Life, I need to be willing to die for Him if I’m ever faced with that too. I’m Bold, I’m Strong, I’m Compassionate, I’m Kind AND I’m a Warrior. I’ll be doing battle in His Name for as long as I have life, and when I draw my last weary breath, THEN I’ll see my Victory face-to-face and maybe I’ll hear “well done, good and faithful servant”.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I had a lot on my mind when my feet hit the floor today, but all that changed when I met with Master of my Life. In just a matter of minutes, my focus went from thoughts of all those things “pulling” at my Life to being instantly Transitioned into nothing but Pure Love and Praise for a God so amazing He defies words. It’s incredible how that happens when we meet Him with a Surrendered Heart. I know that as long as I’m consistent (and sometimes persistent) just a few minutes with Jesus can change my entire Attitude and He can “set my path straight” like nothing else. As long as I do my Part He’ll always do His. It’s a mystery to me why everybody doesn’t do their Part when Life is so Beautiful AND SO much easier when we do.

It boggles the mind how so many people don’t necessarily want to do what’s best for them no matter how good the good is – from turning their life over to the One that Gave them Life in the First Place, to how to be healthier, how to live drama-free, and even to how to have good relationships. It’s almost as if they’re so driven to live Life according to their own purpose that they don’t care what price they have to pay because of it… and they’ll continue down that same path no matter how much they’ve been warned. If they fail, they fail. If they hurt, they hurt. If they’re broke, they’ll stay that way. If they are destined for Eternity separated from God, they’re ready to face the consequences…or at least they THINK they are. If they truly understood what that separation from God will look like, maybe they’d change their mind. I hurt for them because I KNOW how Beautiful AND how easy life could be for them if they quit trying to live it their way and Determine to Live it His Way instead.

Sometimes when people die others comment on what a hard life they had. I can’t help but wonder how much of the “hard life” was self-inflicted by a hard head or a hard heart….or better yet, why that “hard life” wasn’t Transformed into a sweet Testimony instead. God gives us plenty of Trials to build our Endurance…how we come out on the other side of the Trial has everything to do with the Heart. When the Heart is in Good Condition, we accept that there was a Good Purpose in those Trials instead of whining about the Journey. I can’t recall how many times I’ve heard the song “I Did It My Way” played at a funeral or how many times I’ve cried when I heard it. God gives us Free Will and plenty of Responsibility for our Direction but living a life “My Way” is nothing to brag about at all. Living a life His Way is the only way to genuine Peace and Joy no matter how much fun those people think they had.

I began this new day of a new week primed to do things “my way” UNTIL I spent some Quality Time with the One Who gave me Life and He set my Path straight all over again. No matter what happens today, I know everything will go According to Plan and my Heart will follow His Lead through it all.

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 and I’m armed and ready for whatever comes my way after my Time with the Living God. Things beyond the view from this porch aren’t always beautiful, so I Know that if I’m going to endure what He has for me to endure and if I’m going to Bless a suffering soul in the process, it always comes down to being One with Him. I don’t have it in me to run the race of Life alone, but I have HIM IN ME – and with Him, there’s nothing I can’t do and no pain too great for me. I’m like a Walking Billboard for what Victory looks like and I make sure that my world hears about the Power of my God day after day after day. Isn’t that the way you live out your Faith too?

There’s no avoiding tribulation even though some people would have you believe that they have. Some people hide their lives so far from the rest of the world…and so deep within their hearts…that it would take a sledgehammer to break it free. Some people don’t believe that our trials and tribulations are “anybody’s business” as if people of Faith don’t have them, and as if there’s some kind of shame if they do. But Jesus DIED for the shame…past, present, and future, and Tribulation is where growth takes place! God NEVER stops refining the Character He needs to see in us in order for us to be Vessels for Him! The Bible says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” That’s the goal!

Some people square their shoulders and walk around as if they’ve managed to escape the hardships, and some of them have even convinced themselves that God is showing more favor to them than He does all the rest of us because they’re anointed. But nobody escapes trials and tribulations in this life ESPECIALLY if they’re going to be used by a Mighty God because it’s the fire that refines the gold. Those trials and tribulations ALWAYS have a multi-faceted Purpose from a multi-faceted God and weren’t intended to be hidden behind closed doors. How can a Mighty God be glorified through secrets and how can we offer Hope to a suffering soul unless they can see and hear about what God has done through our darkest hours?

The world beyond the front porch of this old farm is filled with trials and tribulations and it sure would be easy to hoard up at the farm and to ignore the pain and the darkness of it all. But I wasn’t Created to hoard up or to shut up and neither were you! God didn’t accidentally place me in this Life at just the right moment in time without Good reason, and He didn’t accidentally place you here without Good reason either. God doesn’t fill my world with only sweet, pleasurable things and He won’t fill yours like that either – regardless of what you’ve convinced yourself of! God hasn’t Refined me through Fire without Good Reason. He hasn’t made a mistake or left His Throne..He never has and never will. He doesn’t “play” with people like a cat plays with a mouse…He has Purpose for allowing the trials in your Life and He is patiently waiting for you to glorify Him by telling the world about His work in your life! How will you glorify Him if you keep Victories hidden away like a secret that shouldn’t be shared? This is the Key to a Powerful Testimony for Jesus Christ that can be used to lead a lost soul into His arms quicker than you can say “amen”. When you look at it that way, how could you NOT share your Journey with the world?

Sometimes it takes a season to recover from the pain beyond the front porch, but it’s never OK to sick back and to lick my wounds because of it. Instead, the hardness of my life has served to soften my Heart and I’ve been Tenderized by the King for Good reasons beyond anything my human mind can comprehend. ALL things work together for Good….if we let them.

I don’t understand it all, but I DO understand that I could do nothing without Him. Without Him, I would have no Hope. Without Him, I wouldn’t know what Victory looks like. Without Him, my Heart wouldn’t have been softened for the Journey. So, from where I sit, I know that all of those Trials and Tribulations Served a Purpose BEYOND me and they’ve “all worked together for Good” because I LOVE Him and I’ve been called according to His Purpose. He EXPECTS me to share my Journey (and all the ugliness that was turned into the most Beautiful Treasure) with all those suffering souls. NOT to whine…but to encourage. To offer Hope. To be a Living Testimony of the Power of a Mighty God! I’m what Victory looks like!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. No matter how many mornings I step outside to watch the Master wake up the world, I see something new every day. No matter how many times I read through the Words breathed into existence by the Living God I see something new every time. No matter how many times we Meet for me to give my Praise and my thanks, I learn something new about my Journey each time. Every day is filled with New when you look at Life with a Heart for Him and no two days are ever the same. The only constant…the only thing that NEVER changes in my Life is Him…my God is the same “yesterday, today and forevermore”…He’s the “Beginning and the End.” When you have One Constant in a sea of New things how could anybody ever get bored?

It’s amazing to see how easy it is for most people to get bored in a Life filled with New, but they do. Some people need entertainment as much as they need air, and the only time they’re ever really satisfied is when something or someone “fun” is around to satisfy their need for fun. They want to be on the go as much as possible as if they’re running from something in life. Some people schedule activities from sun up to sun down and in their eyes, the weekends were invented just for their own pleasure. In between the activities, they’re on the phone or the television or radio is sounding off in the background because the thought of silence makes their skin crawl so they fill it all up with noise. Some people don’t believe it’s possible to have fun without alcohol, so their entertainment almost always includes an abundance of it. I can’t imagine how exhausting it must be to work so hard to be entertained just to be sure there’s no chance of ever getting bored. But the saddest part to me is that the Sweetest Things in Life are found in those still and quiet moments that the “bored” ones are missing out on because of their need for self-fulfillment.

God doesn’t have a problem with fun, that’s for sure! His Word says “So I commend the enjoyment of life because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be merry”. The first Miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine at a wedding when they ran out and Jesus clearly loved to break bread with His friends. I’m also sure that God didn’t mean for us to fill life up ONLY for our own enjoyment and I know He loves to meet with us in silence. Life is filled with beauty, fun, and amazing people, and I like to have a good time just like the rest of the world does sometimes. But if you want to see me REALLY entertained join me in the quiet places…without distractions…where conversations flow freely…where Trust is built…where wounds are healed… where laughter abounds…where every word is heard…where Hearts are fused together forever. Now THAT’S entertainment for me!

I watched the Master wake up the world the way I have a thousand times before…and I gave thanks for the New. I heard the birds singing a new song…and I gave thanks for it all. I read pieces of His Word that I’ve read countless times before….and I gave thanks for the new Message. Today I’ll hear from my family and friends that I’ve heard from a million times before…and I’ll give thanks for a new day to hear their voices all over again. Bored? NEVER! With the quality of Life that I have in the Silence, how in the world could I EVER be bored?

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cloudy, and they’re calling for rain later today, but it’s still perfect in my eyes. As I sat listening for the Call of My Shepherd, He entertained me with many things. A lone turkey crossing the field. A woodpecker feeding off a stump. A deer that had wandered away from the herd and one little Canadian goose flying solo. Each one looked healthy and strong but then again I can’t see the inside of them and they can’t speak to me. I’m pretty sure every living thing has aches and pains every once in a while but nature doesn’t stop to lick its wounds when it does – it keeps moving forward in survival mode instead. It’s not really about whether we have aches and pains or not that matters…everybody does at some point in life…it’s what we do despite the aches and pains that matters in the Journey of Life. Isn’t that the way you see your Journey of Faith too?

The Bible says “Gray hair is a crown of glory” but most of the world doesn’t look at it that way. At the first sign of gray hair, they’re off to get it covered as if they will somehow look and feel younger if they do. At the first sign of wrinkled skin, they’re off to buy expensive miracle creams or to hire a plastic surgeon to make the wrinkles go away as if they will somehow look and feel younger if they do. At the first sign of an unexplainable ache or pain, they’re off to search for answers as if aches and pains only exist if something dreadful is going on. What is it about mankind that it wants to live a long life BUT it doesn’t want to see or feel the years? When David cried out to the Lord – “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come” – he was a lot more interested in having time to declare the Power of God to the world than he was about the years. Declaring the power of God to the next generation is the greatest Joy…through the gray hair, wrinkles aches and pains and THIS is the Key to a long, and fulfilling life.

I have the Heart of a young woman with a body that reminds me that I’m not IF I let it. I have enough aches and pains to keep me Humble BUT nothing will cause me to slow down to lick my wounds. I don’t conjure up scary things in my mind when I’m not feeling well and I don’t expect to take medications that I can’t even pronounce. Long years are a BLESSING and I’m going to Live like it, Love like it, and continue to run my race until I draw my last breath. Why? Because there is no greater Joy than to share the Power of my God with the next generation and beyond!

How about you?