Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Master in front of a warm fire this morning, and my time with Him was all about praise. I have a ton of things to take before the Throne of my God every day, and I have lots of needs to pray for. But today, all my heart could do was praise Him for all that He is and all that He does for me. I know that God doesn’t care about my voice or my lame attempt to play this guitar; He cares about my heart instead. I can’t help but to wonder if it makes God smile when we meet with Him with praise in our hearts without an agenda or a list of things we want from Him. Don’t you think about things like this too?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Living God as He woke up the world, and it would be humanly impossible not to be moved by His Majesty on a morning like this one. Lots of people give lots of credit to lots of other things besides a Mighty God for what they see; as if they can easily explain away the universe. But if they look closely at the world around them with a set of eyes eager to take it all in; they’d see that it can’t be explained away as “nature” or “the universe” or something brought forth by some “cosmic boom” or by anything other than the Hand of an Amazing Creator. There’s a big difference between worshiping the planet and worshiping the One who Created the planet, and when it comes to God; that’s a Deal Breaker.

Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing more precious to God than His people. Not trees and not bees, Not dogs or cats or horses…but His People. If any of these things have a soul and a shot at Eternity the way people do; He would have said so. Man has “dominion” over the earth and there is no doubt that God wants us to take pleasure in it all…it’s a beautiful thing to commune with nature. He wants us to be good stewards over our world and He wants us to give Him the Praise and the Glory for it all. God says “I’m a jealous God” and that “thou shalt have no other gods before me”. He wants to be front and center…He wants to be first and foremost…and He wants to be given the glory for ALL of Creation! That’s pretty clear from where I’m sitting. But we live in a world that sometimes goes a giant step beyond just being good stewards, and it teeters on having other gods before Him instead. There’s a big difference between worshiping nature and worshiping the One who Created it….a precious Gift from God for man to enjoy…and it all began in the Garden of Eden.

It’s so easy to accuse someone of allowing “money to be their god” when their time and attention is all given to getting more of what they love. But what happens when it comes down to other things that get our time and our attention more than anyone or anything else…including God? What happens when it’s our pets that we’d lay our own lives down for and we put their needs above everything and everyone one else? What happens when our disaster relief efforts are focused more on providing for the needs of the homeless pets than providing for the needs of His homeless People? How is it possible that we issue warnings about leaving pets outside on a cold winter’s night, but there are no warnings about the homeless people that often freeze to death on our streets? How can it be that people go to jail for hurting a dog or a cat, but people walk free for murdering their babies? How is it possible that parents can abuse their own children year after year and never lose custody, but when someone abuses a dog, all bets are off? How is it possible that famous athletes can beat their wives or their girlfriends like savage beasts, and yet the “show” still goes on; but if they strike a dog or treat them with cruelty, they’re off the field, off the payroll and inside the jail? How is it possible for us to put forth so much effort to find loving homes for dogs and cats while so many children rot in foster care longing for the same thing?

I saw the Master’s Hand this morning in the tree in this photo, in the fields around me, in the deer, the birds, the cows and even the cat that I’ve somehow semi-permanently adopted, and I love them all. I understand that I am to have dominion over all of them and I’ll treat them with respect that ALL of His Creation is worthy of. But God’s people will always be my biggest priority and their Destiny my biggest Mission. People Created with a Plan and a Purpose in mind and People He died for.

How about you?

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these BROTHERS and SISTERS of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:35-40

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s the calm after the storm of the Thanksgiving celebration, and this morning I’ve been savoring the memories of one more year of celebration with my loved ones and friends. Only half of my tribe made it to the farm for Thanksgiving this year, but they’ll be in town soon enough for a different kind of celebration and I’m counting the days until we’re all together again. As surely as the seasons around me change, the seasons of life do too, and no amount of wishing can change the course. So I roll-with-the-flow of my life and I give thanks through it all. Isn’t that the way you look at life too?

It would be so easy to look around the holiday table and to focus more on who’s NOT there than who IS there. Sometimes death leaves an empty seat and sometimes conflict takes priority over peace. Sometimes people move far away and sometimes they opt for different plans at a different table. But no matter how many empty seats there may be at the table, it’s the fullness in the heart that matters most of all. Though I miss my loved ones that have passed on from this life, I don’t light a candle or hold a memorial service in their honor. Instead I keep them alive in my heart and I speak of them often and there is always a great story about them that comes to mind to share…holidays or not. They haven’t “left” us…they’ve moved on to the Biggest part of our Purpose and I know that one day we’ll have the greatest Celebration of all.

It would be so easy to focus more on the conflicts that can keep us apart than all of the reasons we have to be together; but conflict is often the cause for of a lot of empty seats around the table. Sometimes separation is in order for good reason, but most of the time it’s a hard heart and a refusal to forgive that drives one out of the seat at the table and it’s a selfish heart that refuses to make its peace. There are plenty of people worthy of an Academy Award that can somehow set aside their battles just for the sake of the festivities, and you’d never know what’s working behind the scenes just by what you see played out at the table. Image is more important to them than genuine peace and they can fool themselves through a holiday anytime for the sake of what things “look like” to others. On the other hand, lots of people put way too much emphasis on gathering together “for the holidays” as if joining together just for the holidays paints a picture of relationship and love. But gathering together JUST for the sake of a holiday celebration is nothing more than food and drink if the relationship isn’t there all year long too. It’s the fullness of the heart that matters the most and it’s working to have a healthy family and healthy relationships all year long that lead to the fullest tables.

My table may not have been as full as it usually is, but the fullness of heart fills up the empty feeling. There is peace in my family because we wouldn’t have it any other way. If conflict arises; it is handled in Christ-like fashion and forgiveness flows through our veins. We may not be forever joined-at-the-hip but our hearts are, and it’s the fullness of the heart that matters the most.

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 outside on the front porch in the wee hours and I savored the surprise of a warm morning on this Thanksgiving eve. It’s not “supposed to be” this warm in Virginia in November, but God doesn’t pay attention to what’s “supposed to be”. As I gave thanks for this unusually warm day, I thought about how much disappointment and heartache we bring on ourselves by painting our own picture of what’s “supposed to be” in life. The Bible is filled with instructions on how we are to live, and how we are to love, and how we are to diligently work out our Purpose while we’re here on earth. But when it comes down to the condition of life or the circumstances we face; the idea of the way it’s “supposed to be” comes down to what we believe and not what God has planned for us. Outside of walking the Walk and talking the Talk we don’t have a lot of say-so in the way things are “supposed to be”. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

As we head into the holiday season there will be enough heartache floating around to sink-a-ship because of the picture we paint of the way things are “supposed to be” but aren’t. Our minds go into Hallmark-card-mode and if we’re not careful; we convince ourselves that everybody else is living life the way it’s “supposed to be” and somehow we’ve been left out. T.V. advertisers will turn-up-the-heat as they prey on lonely singles over the way things are “supposed to be”; and millions of lonely singles with jump on board because of it. But when the new year rolls around and we leave the holidays behind, the attempt to snag the lonely gets pretty quiet UNTIL the next holiday rolls around and singles begin to rerun the tape all over again of the way things are “supposed to be”. I’m confident that while some are pining away over no relationship, others are crying themselves to sleep over a “bad” relationship, and they’d probably switch places with the single ones in a heartbeat because of the way they believe it’s “supposed to be too”. How is it “supposed to be” when it comes to the Living God?

Sometimes the holiday season is lean-and-mean and sometimes there isn’t enough money for a Thanksgiving feast or for presents to be under the Christmas tree the way it’s “supposed to be”. Depression can so easily set in as we dwell on what we don’t have instead of what we do have, all because of the picture we’ve painted in our own minds of the way it’s “supposed to be”. Our minds go into Hallmark-card-mode and we convince ourselves that “good” holidays are “supposed to be” filled with feasts and treasures and every single family member or loved one we’ve ever known. But life doesn’t always work out the way we believe it’s “supposed to be”. I’m confident that every single parent who has lost a child would trade every turkey leg and every present under the tree for the rest of their lives for just one more day with the one they loved and “lost”. God doesn’t “take” a life to torture loved ones, He takes a Life when it’s time for their Next Chapter even though it doesn’t feel like that’s the way it’s “supposed to be”. How is it “supposed to be” when it comes to the Living God?

There’s not a whole lot that I can do to change my life into what I believe it’s “supposed to be”, so I work hard on my Faith to find my contentment in the way things are instead. I serve a God that loves me, and who gave the Ultimate Gift for me so that I might spend Eternity the way it’s “supposed to be” for all who Believe. I never lose sight of that fact when I’m tempted to paint of picture in my own mind of the way things are “supposed to be” for me. I know that it’s not possible to comprehend the mind of my God or to fully understand His Plans for me…but I know that He has a Plan and I know that it’s Good. So, I keep doing my part. I keep living and I keep giving. I keep growing and I keep learning. I keep sharing and I keep praying and I’ll keep doing all of these things no matter my circumstances and no matter what my own mind is inclined to think the way it’s “supposed to be” for me. Most of all I keep give Thanks to the God of it all for what I have, for those I love, for His Faithfulness to me, for the Price he Paid throughout the holidays and every other day of the year. How is it “supposed to be” when it comes to the Living God?

Happy Thanksgiving.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Master as He woke up the world and He painted a picture in the sky so beautiful that it defies words. I stood in His Presence and I gave Him the thanks and the praise that He’s worthy of, and I sought my Direction for this new day. I’ll be busy making my living today, but my biggest priority will be to be a Witness to the world of the saving Grace of a Mighty God. My Faith goes to work with me as surely as my laptop does, and although I won’t “nag” people about the Living God; they’ll no doubt see Him in me…no matter what. THAT’S the most important part of all the steps I take along the way toward “success” on this new day. My Boss and my Beliefs will be front-and-center no matter where I go or who I meet with throughout my workday. Isn’t that the way you do business too?

It’s a little strange to see how few people understand what it means to be an Ambassador for Christ, and they’re not afraid to say that those “religious” things have no place in the workplace. Somehow they have separated the Workplace and the Worship Place and they don’t think the two of them should ever be mingled together. But if they know anything at all about their “Boss”, and if they have a sincere desire to be like Him, then they need a Good Lesson in how He lived out His Faith. Christ didn’t hang out in the synagogue waiting for people to show up, and He didn’t keep His conversations about His Father contained within the those walls or for an “appropriate time”. He sure didn’t refrain from “religious” talk in the midst of the workplace. In fact, He used the workplace as a platform to share the Truth AND He went out into the workplace to reach people where they are. He stepped into their everyday lives and He was part of the busy days as they toiled to make a living; and He reminded them of their Source and their Strength. He gave them Direction on how to deal with others, and how to be compassionate, how to handle disputes, what it looks like to be people of Integrity, and He talked a whole lot about money and how it is to be handled. Unless you doubt the Truth of what you read Bible and you believe it to be a book filled with entertaining stories about mythical people; then I’m not sure how you CAN’T be working out Faith full-force in the Workplace…the ideal platform to be a Witness to the world of the Saving Grace of a Mighty God.

I’ll be going about my work today with the boldness of a lion along with a firm foundation of Faith that is as sweet honey. I’ll be kind; but courageous. I’ll be a woman of excellence as I share my business with the world ,and my world will know with absolutel certainty that I am a woman of Faith. If they are offended by my Faith, and they choose not to work with me because of it; I know that God will provide a Replacement. I’ll be taking advantage of the Platform of my work as an opportunity to Serve Him and to share Him. I know that the Platform of my work is ordained by the Living God and that I am called to be His Ambassador in all that I do…ESPECIALLY my business. You won’t have to rely on a bumper-sticker on my car to tell if I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I walk like it, I talk like it, I live like it and I love like it…no matter where I am or who I’m with.

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 outside despite the cold temperature and I flipped the pages of my Instruction Manual with gloves on determined to spend my time outside instead of inside this morning. What began as a quiet time surrounded by the beauty of this old farm transitioned into a celebration. What started out with reflection on the events of this year that is soon to be behind me, turned into a Reflection on my Life and how far I’ve come. In the quiet of this cold morning, God painted a picture that was so profound that it brought me to my knees and it put a “song of Praise on my lips”. Nothing on the planet could possibly compare to what it’s like when God takes us down Memory Lane to remind us of His Greatness and His Hand through it all. Isn’t that the way it is for you sometimes too?

The world may look at my Life with an opinion of its own about my journey; but every step of my Journey has been ordained by the Living God so that I could be used for His Purpose for such a time as this. Maybe I was hard-headed and He knew that I wouldn’t “get it” without a whole lot of pain to soften me, or maybe He drove me to the depths to Strengthen me for His Work. I’ve been taken to the top of the Mountain and I’ve been thrown into the desert and I’ve been to the Spiritual Woodshed more often than I care to admit. I’ve been overwhelmed with Joy and I’ve been overwrought with sadness. I’ve had a life filled to the brim with my loved ones and friends, and I’ve lived on an island “alone”. I’ve known poverty and I’ve experienced prosperity and each of those taught me to give. I’ve made some bad decisions in my Life as I set out on my own, and I’ve been filled with supernatural Wisdom that surprises even me. I spent a long time in the desert during one Season and I squandered years that I can never relive and I’ve learned now to savor the seconds. I know what it is to hate and to be hated, and I know what it is to have a heart that can love Unconditionally. All of the Ingredients of my Life have produced a Masterpiece for Him and I have no regrets. I don’t waste a minute wishing that my Life would have turned out differently because He has made use of it all. The good, the bad and the ugly have shaped me into His willing Vessel and I am a Witness to the World of His Greatness.. When you look at it that way, how can we have any regrets?

He is the Potter and I am His clay and I know that He’ll use whatever means that He wants to use to shape me for Himself. It’s ONLY when we understand THAT PART of the Journey that we can find our Joy through it all. “Bad” things DO happen to good people and a lot of turmoil can come our way BECAUSE He loves us. There are consequences to our sin just the same as there are consequences for a wayward child, but one of biggest lies floating around in the Christian world is that if you’re living right…you won’t face trials. My Instruction Manual overflows with example after example of people being Refined with “fire” so that they could be shaped by the Potter…and we’re no different in His eyes. So, I wear my War Wounds proudly as I continue to be Shaped by the Potter and whatever He sends my way, I’ll use to Glorify Him. The good, the bad and the ugly.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The sky may be gloomy and the air may be cold, but it’s an entirely different story when it comes to the condition of my heart after my time with the Living God this morning. We had a little chat about this Season of my life this morning, and it didn’t take long for me to go from feeling a little old and worn-out to feeling excited about my Purpose and Energized to accomplish all of those things He still has for me to do. The trees around this old farm were a sweet reminder to me about how each one of us is in a different Phase of the same Journey. Some have already withered and lost their leaves and others are still hanging in there until the last gush of wind forces them down. What we do with each Season of life comes down to choice…not age. Isn’t that they way you see your life too?

I’m not sure who came up with the concept of “retirement” but it doesn’t come from God. Somehow we’ve put a specific time limit on how long we’ll be forced to work and how much money it will take to STOP, and most people use that timeline to stop making contributions to our world at all. Some people stay so focused on when they can stop working, that they forget to keep Living in the Process. But striving for that time for when the work stops, and the schedule lightens up, and the responsibilities slow down, while we become obsessed with doing as little as possible; is a very dangerous place to Live and it serves no Purpose at all. Nursing homes are filled with people that stopped living long before they die. They lost Purpose and productivity and they left all of the responsibilities of Life for another younger person to handle. But it’s when we stop having a Purpose, when we stop being Productive, when we stop forcing the body filled with aches and pains to keep Moving, when we stop surrounding ourselves with other people whose lives we CAN make a Difference in; that the living has already stopped and we’re just biding our time until we die. It’s ONLY when we comprehend that we don’t exist for our own pleasure (but for His Purpose) that we understand that “retirement” is not on the Agenda at all. Every day that is allotted to us has a Purpose greater than ourselves and you can bet that Purpose doesn’t involve doing as little as possible…EVER.

I’ve been through a few seasons in my life just like everybody else. The first season was wild and reckless and it had no purpose at all beyond myself. I stepped into my Faith in the next season and my first priority through that season was to raise healthy, happy and God-fearing generation. The kids are grown and gone now, but my Purpose in their Lives didn’t end when they left the nest, and it will continue through the next generation. The Spiritual message that my children teach my grandchildren will be reinforced by the example of Faith that I set too, and my prayers on their behalf are like “incense in Heaven” to my God. This is the last Season of my life and slowing down or “retiring” isn’t on my radar screen. I KNOW that this Season has a Purpose that is just as important to the Living God as the other Seasons of my Life and I won’t waste it, that’s for sure. My Responsibility to Change as many lives as I can doesn’t come with a retirement plan.

You’ll find me striving to fulfill the Purpose that God has for me for all the days of my life. You’ll find me being Productive and working hard for as long as I’m able…not just for as long as I’m willing. You’ll find me using my mind and moving my body to do my part to be Strong and Ready and able to Serve no matter how old I am. I can make a Difference in a whole lot of Lives while I’m still here and I won’t stop until He stops me.

Have you put a time limit on your Purpose?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s the first day of a new week and when I met with the Living God at daybreak my heart was already heavy. It felt almost as if I crawled into His presence desperately looking for hope; and Hope is what I found. It’s not my life that burdens my soul these days and it’s not my circumstances that have the potential to rob me of my peace and my hope. It’s life all around me that troubles my soul…a world so dark that the oppression is almost a tangible. With so much tragedy going on in the world around me, it’s not easy for me to keep my own Balance or to sustain my own sense of Hope. Sometimes I wake-up with a burden for this world, and when I do; it takes a little extra work to find what I need to face this life on this new day. I KNOW that ALL that I need…all of my Peace and my Strength and my Courage and my Joy can ONLY be found through Him. So, instead of wringing my hands about these things that trouble me; I run to my God. Isn’t that the way you deal with life sometimes too?

It’s so easy to become discouraged and to lose hope when we’re surrounded by tragedy; especially if we don’t understand where it comes from. Hundreds of innocent people shot over here and dozens of people shot over there. Innocent people run over by a truck on a busy street like yesterdays trash. Young girls being swept off and away from their families and robbed of their innocence forever. Millions of people consumed by addiction that has robbed their entire family of peace, and that may ultimately rob them of life. Parents and teachers doing unspeakable things to innocent children and parents taking the lives of their own children just to get even with the other. There’s no end to the tragedy, and it takes its toll on all of us; especially when we know that we are to strive each day to have the compassion of Christ, and if we determine to “love our neighbors” as ourselves. We aren’t instructed to extend compassion just to those we deem worthy, and we aren’t called to love just the “nice guys”. IF we don’t understand where the tragedies in this dark world REALLY comes from, and if we don’t know how to do our part to battle against it; it will discourage us and consume us and rob us of our Hope and our Peace as surely as we breathe. Just like any good soldier, if we’re going to Win the Battle the we need to understand who our Enemy really is and we need to recognize HIS part in the tragedies. It’s understanding where the tragedy in this life really comes from that leads us to the Direction of Hope through it all.

It’s nearly impossible to remember that the people doing those dark things that lead to unimaginable tragedies in our world are not the enemy at all. They may be pulling the trigger and they may doing the harm to the innocent, but they’re just being used by their commanding officer. The Bible says that “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm”. We’re in full force Spiritual War that takes place in a place that we can’t see with the human eye, but it’s being played our right before our eyes through tragedy after tragedy. Unfortunately, the battle against “good and evil” will get much worse before it Ends. So, if we’re going to do battle against this dark world, there’s only One Way to fight…we Fight like the Warriors we are called AND INSTRUCTED to be. We don’t need our own guns (yes, I have more than one) and we don’t need bombs to fight this fight. Our Marching Orders for this horrific time in history, in a world that is filled to the brim with tragedy after tragedy, have already been made known to us by my Commanding Officer. Better yet, we can be confident that we WILL WIN this Battle if we don’t forget how to fight it and if we never lose sight of the enemy’s schemes.

I may have dragged myself into His presence this morning and I may have temporarily let the tragedies of this dark world to discourage me, but I’m armed and I’m ready now and I’m confident that WE WIN all over again. I have Hope and Peace and Strength for it all. How about you?

MARCHING ORDERS FOR WAR:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. This old porch is graced with four flags and they each represent something I stand for. As I sat before God this morning and I looked at those flags still wet with dew, I considered those things that 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 their 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 and words and relationship to be seen by the world.

I have a crazy sense of humor and I’ve had a roller coaster life, and 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 good of stories. But nobody has to be in my presence for long before they see AND hear 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 just a glimmer of 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 may 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 relationship is as natural to me as breathing.

I like to think of myself as being a little like those flags that hang 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 the statement on my behalf. I’m a child of the Living God and there is never a doubt about what I Stand for or Who I Represent.

How about you?