Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s misting rain again this morning and it seems like all creation is taking cover. The deer find their refuge in the trees – I find mine on the front porch. Even though I was shielded by a porch roof this morning, the mist kept blowing into my face even with the slightest breeze, and more than anything else, it was a distraction for me so inside I went. A little time with the Author and Perfector of my Faith, a little time searching my Instruction Manual for Wisdom and Truth, a little coffee, and a very Grateful Heart – that’s the way a new day begins for me. Without my Full Attention given to the first part of each new day, would my Heart overflow with Gratitude this morning? Not a chance! If I don’t keep my Priorities straight, the Journey of Life begins to look “too big” and the next thing I know, my Courage wavers and my Heart becomes heavy. Keeping my Priorities straight at the start of each new day Equips me to be all that God created me to be and I am forever reminded that I have a Purpose in this life far greater than myself. My Priorities are non-negotiable.

Just like anything else in life, it takes Commitment to keep my Priorities in check. A busy schedule can easily rock the boat and I might be tempted to rush into my work without a second thought of my Priorities if I’m not careful. But if I want that busy schedule to go smoothly, I NEED to be Equipped for the day. I could easily get distracted by the needs of others who sometimes rally for my attention, and I might even be tempted to set aside my own priorities to put their needs above my own. But if I want to have what it takes to give them the Best part of me, then I need to be Equipped for the ride. I could easily be distracted by the little things in life, and I could alter my schedule so that my Priorities are addressed after my chores, my errands, my work, or my home. But if I do that, my priorities are no longer a Priority and they take a back seat to so many other things of less importance. If I want to Accomplish all of the little things in His Name, then I’d better be equipped for the Journey. My priorities are non-negotiable.

I often hear people comment about how they don’t have the “luxury” of setting aside time for these Priorities in life. But I wonder…if they don’t have a little time to give to the Living God, the King of kings, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Prince of Peace, the Bright Morning Star, the One who died for them then why in the world would they expect Him to make their needs a Priority either? The Living God isn’t looking for performance, He’s looking for Relationship and it takes time and attention to have one! When the King returns One Day, plenty of people will be listing out all the things they did in His Name…and plenty of people will hear “I NEVER KNEW YOU”. Relationship is what will make the Difference between Heaven and Hell for all of us. As for me, I NEED for Him to “Keep me as the apple of His eye” and to “Hide me in the shadow of His wings” and for as long as I live, He will be my Biggest Priority. That’s non-negotiable for me.

My Priorities are straight and I’m Equipped for this new day after my Time in the Presence of the Living God. There are many things for me to “manage” today, but everything will fall into place because of my Time in the Presence of the Living God first thing this morning. I’ll strive to give the very best of myself to my family, my friends, and to the stranger God puts in my path today, all because of my Time in the Presence of the Living God. My Time with my God is non-negotiable.

How about you?

I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord – Psalm 104: 33, 34

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It rained all night and it will be raining all day today – and I’m thanking God for answered prayers. There’s not much to see from the front porch on a rainy day because the deer are vulnerable and they usually take refuge in the hiding place across from the front porch…and they stay there until the coast is clear. For some reason, I was feeling a little weak and vulnerable myself this morning, and even though I didn’t need to Confess it to the Living God who knows everything about me…I did. I poured out my Heart in the same way I used to pour it out to my Dad because He’s my Heavenly Father and I know He has my best interest in mind too. As I sat there on the very seat I shared with my Dad long ago, I began to cry and I talked to my King as if He was sitting right next to me, my weakness turned to Strength…my doubt turned to Confidence…my scattered thoughts became crystal Clear…my rocky road became Straight…my sadness became Joy, and every fear within me Vanished. He wiped away my tears the same as if He touched me with His own Hands…He walked me down Memory Lane to Highlight His Plans for my Journey… and THEN He Prepared me for this new rainy day. Isn’t that the way you deal with your downcast Heart too?

My relationship with my Dad was very special, and the older I get the more I see how it shaped me for my relationship with the Living God. I could talk to him about absolutely anything and he was always ready to listen without judgment. I could confess my doubts and fears and he was always ready to pour confidence into me with words of encouragement. When I did wrong, and I knew I had disappointed him, he didn’t lash out in anger with unkind words and he didn’t grab a belt. Instead, he made me think through what I’d done wrong and why I did it, and he helped me see what needed to be done to make it right. I couldn’t hide anything from my Dad, because he knew me so well and it was easy for him to spot when I wasn’t telling the truth or when I was attempting to twist the rules. My relationship with my Dad paved the way for the Relationship I would have with the Living God one day…one of Respect and Reverence and a healthy kind of fear, but one so sweet that all I ever want to do is to please Him.

My Dad taught me to slow down and look at the world around me, and we’d sit forever and contemplate life. If the weather permitted he would always be outside with a cup of coffee in hand because he loved the world around him and everything in it. He taught me to savor the moments (and a hot cup of coffee) and to laugh at life. He’d tell me about how life “used to be”, and he’d tell me about family members who were gone long before I arrived, and no matter how many times he repeated himself, I always wanted to hear what he had to say…because I loved him. It didn’t matter how bad things got…and they could be pretty bad back in those days… my Dad was always ready to comfort me by saying “Everything’s going to be alright…we’ve got this together”. My Dad taught me how to listen, and to love, and to hold onto hope. A priceless introduction to my Relationship with the Living God!

When my Dad lost his eyesight I’d cry when he didn’t know it, because I knew how much he loved his front-row seat in life and how he savored every bit of the world around him. Compassion drove me to use words to describe what he could no longer see, and I lifted the fog. I painted pictures in his mind, and I helped him visualize everything around him. He could “see” nature as I described it, and He could “see” his grandchildren. He could see a birthday cake, or a baseball game, or anything in his space because I could thread words together to help him along. I didn’t leave out a single detail just so that he could still savor those moments with me…and he did until just a few days before he died. My words put a smile on his face, and they helped him endure a journey of blindness with joy that I never want to know for myself. That experience, driven by my love for my Dad and my desire to help him “see” with his mind and his heart, developed my “ability” to paint pictures on behalf of the Living God for all the world to “see”. God has given me a Precious Gift of words and He used my blind Dad to develop those skills to be used by my Heavenly Father one day. He led me to my Purpose.

I started this day with a Heart that felt like the rain drenched fields, but I’m Strong and Ready now. The Living God reminded me of the Journey He’s been Preparing me for since before the foundations of the earth, and I know that He will be Working on me until He takes me Home. Our relationship is Precious and Priceless, and I see my Dad’s part in Preparing me for that. I may have been his eyes, but his heart trained mine in ways that defy words. Every piece of life, the good the bad, and the ugly can be used for Greatness if we pause to see the Hand of God through it all. So, I’ll be taking the “bad and the ugly” and threading them into Good throughout this new day, because my Heart has been Lifted by the Hand of a Mighty and Merciful God…my Father.

God has already fully Equipped you for your Purpose too. Are you fulfilling it?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cloudy and muted this morning but I still see the Color all around me. Eventually, nature will wake up just the same as I did, and when God wakes them up they’re all over the farm in living color celebrating the new day right along with me. They don’t worry about potential rain or what they’ll eat, drink, or wear, and neither should I because my Shepherd is always watching over His flock. When I sat in His Presence to give my Praise, my Thanks, and to make Requests, the Sweetness of our Time together overwhelmed me. I considered the deer and other animals and how they’ve found a place of refuge here just like so many people have. Even though the world is growing darker and there are many threats for everyone these days- family, friends, and even strangers know where to find a “safe place” because they sense the Presence of a Mighty and Merciful God here. What a beautiful reminder to me straight from the Throne of the Living God this morning!

It doesn’t matter how many times I pray the 23rd Psalm it stirs my Heart every time. I don’t just recite it because I’ve prayed it so many times before – instead, I visualize the way it is with a shepherd and his flock, and I am Confident that Jesus sees US as His precious flock too. A good shepherd is gentle with his flock, and he tends to their every need, just the way God tends to mine. He leads them to green pastures so they can find their rest in a safe place, just the way the Living God leads me to the place to find mine too. He leads them to still waters so they can drink and not be afraid of rushing water, and He takes me to places that could be scary had He not led the way with gentleness. He restores them when they’re downcast, and He leads them in the Right Direction the same as He does for me! And when the flock is faced with the biggest threats…and He sees them headed for disaster…He uses His rod and staff to guide them in the Direction of safety, just the way He does for me! The same as it is for the deer grazing without a care in the world, He prepares their feast in the presence of “enemies” and protects them from harm. When they’re hurt, He anoints them with oil to heal their wounds, and their “cup runneth over” with everything He ALREADY KNOWS they need. The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want for anything!

What a beautiful picture of the Love and Compassion of a God who tenderly leads us through this Journey. When we know Him as our Shepherd, we always recognize the sound of His voice and we easily surrender to His will and not our own because we Trust Him.
God graciously chose me to be the steward of this old farm many years ago, and I strive to be like the earthly version of my Shepherd in Heaven. I open the way for others to find Refuge and Peace. If they need food, water, or a place to find their Rest, they can count on me. If they’re weary from the Journey, I’ll comfort them, and if they’ve lost I’ll Help them their way. I’ll pull out my Spiritual Rod and Staff and gently guide them when it’s necessary so that they can find their way back to the Shepherd and His Will again. The Lord is my Shepherd and I want for NOTHING. He’s all anybody ever really needs, but He expects me to Represent Him by sharing Christlike Peace and Compassion and by filling practical Needs too.

He’s my Shepherd and I’m a Humble member of this Flock. I Trust Him and I’ll follow Him everywhere He leads me, and because I Love Him, I’m feeding as many sheep as I can while there’s still breath in my body.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. My mood matched the weather this morning as I stepped out onto the front porch with my coffee in hand…a little cool…a little foggy…a little quiet…but with the potential to be incredible no matter what. After my time with the Living God this morning, I am confident He will keep “my path straight” and I know that He’ll provide “my daily bread.” I know that the “boundary lines will fall on me in pleasant places” and that He will “keep my lot secure” no matter what. Cool, foggy, or even quiet doesn’t change my Purpose, and the Sonshine in my Heart will override the clouds in the sky all day long as I do my work for Him. Isn’t that the way your life is too?

I wish I were as brave as some people think I am, but it’s not bravery they see. I wish I were as confident as some people believe me to be, but it’s not confidence they see. I wish I were as bold as some people think I am, but it’s not boldness they see. I wish I were as creative as some people give me credit for, but it’s not creativity they see. I wish I were as knowledgeable as some people believe that I am, but it’s not knowledge they see. I wish I were as carefree as some people think I am, but it’s not carefree they see. I wish I were as resilient as some people believe me to be, but it’s not resilience they see. When people look at me and “see” these Characteristics, it’s not “me” that they’re seeing at all. What they see is a Life that has been Surrendered to the King and one that is driven by His Spirit. They see a Willing Vessel, and they see a Joyful Servant. What they see is a wretch that was Saved only by the blood of Jesus Christ. They see what a weak woman looks like when God is running the show. They see the results of answered prayers and they see Characteristics beyond my flesh. They see Him.

I wish I’d never stumble and lose my way, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never do something wrong that I’d later regret, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never lack Compassion, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never feel like giving up, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never want to pull the covers over my head to hide from the world, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never want to shut out the world, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never feel fear, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never felt hurt over the way I’ve been treated, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never feel alone in life, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never need a good cry, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never question God, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never want for things that I don’t have, but sometimes I do. I wish I’d never disappoint someone else, but sometimes I do. When I’m feeling any of the things that I wish I didn’t feel, I know that this weak woman has gotten a little too far away from the Living God, and those Characteristics that can usually be seen in me have dimmed…so it’s back to the source of my Strength all over again…lather, rinse, and repeat. Although we ARE”only human” there’s no excuse for a child of the Living God to live in weakness. “When I am weak, He is strong”.

I began this new day feeling cloudy and cool and quiet and I may have been inclined to let my mood follow that path all day long…but it’s an entirely different story after my time with Him. Today I’ll be Strong and I’ll be Unstoppable and I won’t be walking through this day like any “weak” woman you’ve ever seen in your life. If I stumble today, I’ll make it right as fast as I can by asking Him for forgiveness and strength. And if my stumble is a bad Reflection of my Faith to someone else, I’ll be making it right with them too so that others may see what Christ-like Humility looks like. There is “no good thing in me apart from Him” – all that I am…all that I do…it’s all for Him. When you Live like that, it shows – and if others can see Him in me, I pray they want to know Him and Love Him as I do. That’s the goal.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I love the cool mornings this time of year and it is as if I hold onto them a little harder because I know one day soon they will slip into winter and it will be too cold to spend my mornings with the Living God outside. This morning was a little odd to me because I didn’t see any of my morning companions. No deer. No rabbits. No squirrels. The one thing I did see (and hear) was a crow cawing in the top of this tree and it seemed to be giving it everything it had to give. I tried to ignore the repetitive sound, but it seemed to get louder and louder and before I knew it, the crow had turned my attention away from the Living God and onto the noise. The Author and Perfector of my Faith used this noisy crow to drive home a message to me – sometimes all it takes is a little noise in a dark world to turn our eyes toward things of this world instead of things of God. Can you see the danger of that too?

The world is filled with lots of noise these days, noise intended to draw our eyes off the King and onto this world. Whether it’s talk of the economy, the election, global warming, gender, sex, or false prophets, there is no end to the noise designed to distract. As surely as this crow cawed to make a statement, there are plenty of people out there cawing to be heard and if they’re ignored, they just get louder and louder too. Sometimes the timid ones are afraid of the “crows” in this life because they make so much noise and many will scurry off just like birds do when the crow comes cawing…as if they have something to fear. Sometimes people become enchanted by the noise and they can’t seem to get enough of the tune they long to hear. It’s their insatiable appetite for the cawing that often leads them away from Truth. And then there are others who have become crows-in-training and they work hard to learn how to caw from the highest branch too. Somehow they’ve convinced themselves that God wants them to make a lot of noise and that without them, He can’t complete the Work He has Planned for the world. But God’s Plans can’t be thwarted whether we choose to caw or not. There is a tremendous difference between being Bold Warriors for Jesus Christ and noise makers attempting to distract and THAT Truth can only be found in the Living, Breathing Word of God.

When God wants to get the attention of His people He knows how to make “noise” of His own. When the prophet Elijah was at the end of his rope, God called for a meeting on the mountain. The Bible says, “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a still SMALL VOICE. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” I’m no expert but it seems to me that God was letting Elijah know that hearing from Him doesn’t involve “noise”. There’s no need to fly to the top of a branch to caw meaningless noise to the dark world. God is found in the quiet and He tells us to “be still and know that I am God”. It is said that it’s “he who screams the loudest wins” and there’s a whole lot of truth to that. But the God who calmed the sea with the sound of his voice doesn’t need noise makers – He needs Spiritual Warriors that Understand the war and who have been Taught how to fight and win…and it doesn’t involve cawing from the highest branch.

I’m like a “watchman on the hill” and I do my fair sharing of noisemaking when it comes to sharing the Gospel and warning God’s people. I’ve been known to make some noise of my own as I cawed from the highest branch I could find UNTIL I came to Realize that making noise isn’t glorifying to God and it’s not what He calls us to do. In fact, noisemaking has everything to do with the Deciver instead. The God of the “still small voice” – the One who calmed a storm with the sound of His voice DOES NOT command His people to make noise and it’s all the cawing that is taking the Focus OFF of the Living God and ONTO things of this world. There is a song that says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus – Look full in his wonderful face – And the things of earth will grow strangely dim – In the light of his glory and grace” and that’s where you’ll find me no matter what’s going on in this dark world. I can’t wait to see the Miraculous things that nobody has the knowledge to even caw about. Until then, I’ll continue to be still and KNOW that He is God.

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 I’m Armed and Ready to face whatever comes my way after my time in the Presence of the Living God. Someone once asked me how I can stay focused on the Author and Perfector of my Faith with so much beauty around to “distract” me…but since I Serve the Creator of the beauty, what I feel is much more Praise than distraction. This time of year the acorns are dropping from the oak trees and it’s entertaining to watch furry friends of all shapes and sizes sharing in the abundance. As I sat there watching the deer and the squirrels unphased by each other, and with seemingly no concern that one would walk away with more acorns than the other, it made me think about their two-legged friends and how much we could learn from them. It didn’t take long before I was asking God for a Heart like my furry friends – the unselfish kind without judgment…a Heart like Jesus. Isn’t it just like the Living God to use a few deer and a multitude of squirrels to Inspire my Heart this morning?

I don’t presume to know the mind of God but I think we must drive Him crazy with our self-centeredness and prejudice against the ones not like us. If a favorite human treat came dropping out of the sky as these acorns do, man would trample over anyone of any shape and size just to get its fair share of “free”. Many wouldn’t care if someone needed it more. Many wouldn’t care if they already had enough at home, they’ll grab as much as they can carry anyway… after all, it’s “free”. Some will even be so bold as to proclaim that God poured it out just for them. Worse yet, others would quickly begin to examine all the other “critters” looking for a morsel to determine who they think “deserves” nourishment and who doesn’t. These furry friends don’t have the intellect to understand that there will soon be a shortage of acorns to savor, but when people hear of a “shortage” it becomes their time to hoard. The Bible says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” My furry friends naturally embrace this concept – it’s a shame man has so little trust in the Living God that they don’t believe He’ll provide.

The deer and the squirrels aren’t concerned about sharing the abundance and they don’t run off to gossip over the fence about the one they think gathered too much. They don’t judge the other for not looking like them and they wouldn’t have the ability to attempt to determine if the other “deserves” a morsel or not just because of the way they look. It’s too bad people don’t roll that way. At the first sign of anything they don’t like about someone else, they go running off to the first fence they can find to gossip over. Even though the Bible says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness” – they take it upon themselves to rip the character of anyone they don’t agree with without blinking an eye as if God changed the rules just for them. It’s a shame when mankind has so little Trust in the Living God that they don’t Understand what Love looks like.

I’m an imperfect woman living an imperfect Life but my Goal is to love like Christ did. I plow my own field and I mind my own business. When I have an unkind thought about someone else, I ask the Living God for forgiveness instead of trying to justify my wicked Heart. You won’t find me hanging over a fence to gossip about someone else because I know they were also made in His image and He loves them as much as He loves me! I allow myself (it’s a choice) to get hurt when I experience judgment coming from someone else – especially when it comes from someone professing to be a Christian because I Know how God expects His people to handle such things…and it’s never over a fence. I stand on His Truth and I’m Guided by His Spirit. You might wonder how I can look at the deer and the squirrels munching on acorns and be Inspired with a Message like this…but that all comes down to how much I love the Author and Perfecter of my Faith and how Willing I am to Grow.

How about you?

Hosea 10:12

Sow righteousness for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
    for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness on you.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s one of those spectacular days where the cool air and warm ground meet to bring the fog over the fields. That’s a sure sign of the changing seasons in Virginia. You never know about the mornings here in September – it can be scorching hot OR it can be in the high 40s like it was this morning. Either way, it’s always beautiful from where I sit. I spent my time with the Living God outside despite cooler temperatures and I’ll keep clinging to the front porch until it’s too cold to bear. I took in the beauty and thanked God for another day of Life and then I opened up my Instruction Manual looking for Wisdom and turned to just the Right Word for me on this cool new day, thanks to the Living God. The outside temperature seemed to heat up as the Message straight from the Throne of God was Burned into my Heart and I was no longer aware of my outward circumstances at all. Sometimes bright light can be blinding and it’s nearly impossible to keep your eyes open when it is. But the Light of the Lord is brighter than any other light in all of Creation and when He Lights up, my eyes are wide open. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It can be so easy to let our outward circumstances get in the way of Life, and when they do, we lose out on the Light that lights the way through it all. Sometimes it’s something as simple as an uncomfortably hot or cold morning, and sometimes the distractions are much bigger. When tragedy and heartbreak strike, we naturally focus on our circumstances, and if we aren’t careful we’ll snuff out the Light that lights the way when we do. It’s not easy to comprehend how a Loving God can allow the tragedy and the heartbreak when it comes to His Children, but whenever these things show up it’s time to focus LESS on the details and more on the Light that will light the way to our Healing. He’s the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, and the ONLY life any of us ever really have, and if we’ll just be sure not to allow our circumstances to blind us He’ll Light a way through the deepest, darkest pain and He’ll bring Joy back to the Heart. This is the Key to Peace.

When God’s people were blinded by hunger, He rained down manna from Heaven to meet the need. When they grew tired of the manna and began to whine (again), God rained down enough quails to feed millions of people. When a widow was blinded by fear of debt and was at risk of losing her sons to slavery because of it, God miraculously filled up jars of oil for her to sell to pay off her debt AND He provided abundantly so that she could sustain her family moving forward. When the family of Lazarus was blinded by the heartbreak over his death…they questioned why Jesus wasn’t around to help, but on the fourth day, Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave just to prove His Power over the very things that appear to be impossible. When the Israelites were blinded by fear as they were being pursued by the enemy with no way out in sight, God parted the sea to free them and His Light led the way to their safety. The outward circumstances appeared hopeless for all of these people when they lit up the details in the human mind, but God showed up to Light the way to peace, safety, joy, and provisions…and He always will if we let Him. He is the ONLY way and He’s Faithful through it all…IF we focus on His Light instead of lighting up the details that only He has control over.

I am just as inclined to light up my trials the same as everybody else, but I’ve been through the Fire enough to know that it serves no Purpose at all when I do. God has my Life in the palm of His Hands and He loves me enough to send His son to die for me. When I turn to Him instead of all those details that have the potential to consume me, He Lights the Way for me every single time. I’m focusing on His Light and I’m Trusting Him through it all – and if I find myself faced with outward things that have the potential to snuff out His Light (if I let them) I will be sure to “take captive every thought” and Surrender to the Light of my Life all over again. And that, my friends, is the Key to having the kind of “peace that surpasses all understanding” no matter what’s going on in the world around me. I’m on Temporary Assignment and I take my Job seriously. I’m an alien in a foreign land and I’m an ambassador for Jesus Christ. I’ve been Called by the King and I’ll be Headed Home to the place He’s already prepared for me One Day. In the meantime, I can’t afford to squander even one day focusing on the outward instead of the Inward.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I headed to the front porch with coffee in hand and what I saw from the window was like open arms of the Living God inviting me to join Him…and I couldn’t wait to be in the Presence of the Love of my Life. It’s there where I find my Strength for my Journey. It’s there where I receive my Wisdom. It’s there where I feel Love like no human being can show. It’s there where I find my Peace. I “pay my dues” to have a Faith like mine – it doesn’t “just happen” and it wasn’t always this way. I won’t reach Perfection until I go Home, but as surely as I am Strong today, I know I’m inclined to be weak too IF I don’t do what I need to do to remain Strong. Isn’t that the way you work out the Journey of Life too?

Faith is a process that takes a lot of Work, but if we refuse to put in the time and effort we can’t grow. No seed can be planted and then left alone to thrive or not…at least not if you planted the seed intent on seeing it bear fruit. Just like anything else we set out to master, it takes lots of time and commitment to perfect. We try and we fail. We take a step forward and then three backward. Like a toddler learning to walk, we stand up and then we stumble over and over again. But with a whole lot of falls, and even more persistence, the toddler becomes a walking expert and before you know it, the toddler learns to run. What’s true for the toddler is true for the Journey of Faith – it takes time, persistence, and a whole lot of stumbling and falling to become an Expert. This is the Key to Perseverance.

It’s easy to see how so many People of Faith are stuck in the past and many of them haven’t grown much at all since they first Believed. Some are still living like toddlers – they keep stumbling, never perfecting the Walk. Sometimes they continue to do the same things they did before they saw the Light because they failed to put in the Time to Grow. They say the right Words most of the time, but their Lives don’t Reflect their Belief because their Growth has been thwarted by neglect. Sometimes people are stuck because nobody helped Guide them to the Truth and they were left on their own to sink or swim. Unless they learn to Build their Strength for the Journey they’ll likely sink and spend their days below the Surface of what’s possible for them. Unfortunately, we’re quick to judge people of Faith who don’t Reflect their Belief, but instead of trying to Show them the way to Grow we leave them to their own demise.

People of Faith who have never learned to Grow don’t always know that what they’re doing or saying goes against the Living God UNLESS we lead them to the Truth with Love. “Tough Love” has no place in the process because it’s not fair to apply tough lessons to those who have not even matured enough to understand the wrong! That’s like stomping on a seed because it isn’t growing or taking it out on a baby with no ability to reason yet. To Christ, there’s no such thing as a “big” sin or a “little” sin…it’s all the same to Him…He died for ALL. It’s in His Presence where we learn to remove the plank from our own eyes, and before you know it, contempt and complacency get replaced with Compassion. This is the Key to becoming a Faith Expert.

I’m an imperfect woman living an imperfect life, but I serve Perfection and I seek His Face every day. Because I’m Mature in my Faith, I usually see my wrongs fairly quickly and I can’t wait to ask for Forgiveness and make my peace when I do. I won’t be leaving anyone in the dust if I can help it, and I’ll be a Reflection of what Faith should look like so that others see Him in me…and hopefully, they’ll be Inspired to become a Faith “expert” too…that’s the Goal.

How about you?