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 there is frost on the trees on this Spring day. As much as I was longing for warmth, God had cold in mind, and I Accepted His Will with a Grateful Heart. As I entered the Presence of the Most High God this morning, it began the way it usually does…with Praise for who He is and what He does for me. I cried out “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, who is to come!” and I imagined what it must be like to hear that praise 24 hours a day in Heaven. Next, I began to Thank Him and it was as if I couldn’t stop. I sat there for what seemed like forever, weeping with a Heart so full of gratitude. I eventually got around to making a few Requests…but the One Who stands on the Right Side of the Throne of a Mighty God knows my Heart AND He knows my needs without me ever speaking a word. His Word says, “It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear” and it brings me indescribable Peace to Know that He is already in tomorrow and that He Knows my needs even before I do. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It doesn’t take much effort for people to shout out a “thank you” to God when things are running smoothly, but it isn’t so easy for some to thank Him in the storm. It’s almost as if all the Good He does day after day is diminished when His people go through a season of suffering. They’ll beg Him to hear their prayers and plead with Him to fix things RIGHT NOW. But do they THANK Him for what He is doing IN the storm…those things they cannot see? Do they Trust Him with the Purpose behind the suffering or do they spend time questioning Him for why He isn’t fixing things the way He’s supposed to? Are they willing to Surrender to His Will ESPECIALLY when they don’t know the rest of the story? His Word is clear when it comes to the trials – “And we know that ALL things work together for good for those who love Him and are all called according to His Purpose.” It’s when the storms show up that He does His BEST Work and it’s when the storm shows up that He can be Glorified the most! Thank Him for what He’s doing in the storm!

Most people know who God is and many proclaim their faith in Him -but even the demons know who God is and they shudder at the sound of His name. Some people are admirably faithful to ritualistic prayers day after day and some are in the church every time the doors are open. But there’s much more to the Journey of Faith than these things. I’m sure those things don’t go completely unnoticed by the Living God, but what He wants more than anything is a Heart that hungers for Him. A Heart that Trusts His Will. A Heart surrendered to Him. He wants a Heart that can’t get enough of Him…one that can’t wait to spend “quality time” with Him…one that Trusts…and Honors…one that never grows tired…one that is Faithful through thick and thin…one that never overlooks the Good to focus on the bad. It’s funny how people can easily define what it takes to have a “good relationship” with someone here on earth, while they overlook the beauty – the Characteristics – the necessity – of having a Relationship with the Living God. The King of kings and the Lord of lords wants to have a Relationship with you and me and the mere thought of that should send you to your knees and give you spiritual goosebumps! It sure does me.

The morning is cold while I was hoping for warm and the world around me appears to be in a tailspin, but that’s okay. I have profound Faith in the One who says “Before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear”. My God is Faithful. My God has a Master Plan that is Perfect and I Trust Him. I love Him. I Praise Him, and I Thank Him. We have a Relationship more beautiful than anything here on earth and my Heart thirsts for Him. I’m His child…He’s my God…through thick and thin. With a Relationship like ours, how could I ever be anything less than Thankful no matter what’s going on around me?

How about you? Do you have a Relationship with Him?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Today is the 2nd day of Spring, but the calendar doesn’t mean much of anything to the Living God. It’s 29 degrees this morning and it could just as easily snow as it can to shine. When He tells the sun to shine through the clouds it does. When He commands the snow to fall in the Spring, it comes forth. The unpredictability of the weather is a sweet reminder to me this morning of the unpredictability of Life…there is rarely rhyme or reason in the Journey at all. I look for the Good the same the same way I look for the sunrise each morning, but I have found my Contentment in the unpredictable Seasons of Life, and I no longer fight against it. Isn’t that the way you look at your life too?

The source of disappointment always comes down to things not going the way WE expect them to go, or when people don’t behave the way WE expect them to behave. But there’s rarely rhyme or reason and most of the time these things are completely out of our control. There are times when we go into overdrive as we attempt to make someone else be what we want them to be, or to feel what we want them to feel, or to behave the way we expect them to behave, and most of the time we do irreparable damage to the relationship when we do. People don’t change any part of them unless they want to change, and we have no control over the heart of someone else. How many precious hours of Life are wasted by pondering “if only” this or “if only” that over things and people completely out of our control? We trade our peace for all the “what ifs” instead of doing what WE need to do to change our own Hearts or our own circumstances. Sadly, lots of people choose to spend the rest of their lives in “if only” mode. No amount of “if only’s” could change the outcome of this day, and the “if onlys” ONLY lead to disappointment and heartache. The surest way to find Peace when people and things aren’t what we expect them to be is to Trust the Living God with the Road Map and to Believe that He’s got a Plan through it all. IF ONLY most people could reach that point…the world would be a more Peaceful place to live until He calls me Home.

Every person of Faith must reach a point where they’re willing to “die to” themselves because that’s the core of what it means to be a Christian. That’s not a place of sacrifice, neglect, or abuse, that’s the first step in Peace and Joy! We don’t become “Stepford” people when we give our Heart to Christ, BUT we learn to stop fighting against things we know we can’t control! It’s when we stop trying to anticipate the Next Move, that we learn to accept the Journey and we appreciate it every Step of the way. It’s when we strive to be Christ-like that we learn to love unconditionally…ESPECIALLY those people who aren’t so easy to love. It’s when we realize that we can’t control people, places, or things, that we stand a little taller and we REFUSE to accept less for ourselves because we KNOW that we are worthy. Instead of trying to change the ones that aren’t what WE expect them to be, we move on in Peace. It’s when we finally accept that God is Orchestrating Life and that our circumstances ALWAYS have a Purpose bigger than ourselves, that we learn to look past the details and the personalities that WE become Better through it all.

There’s no good rhyme or reason for why the temperature in Virginia is below freezing on this Spring day, but there’s no real rhyme or reason to this Life at all. So, I surrender to my Circumstances, and I always remember that the conflict I have with someone else has nothing to do with them at all…it has to do with what I EXPECT of them…things that I may or may not ever see in my Lifetime. I kick my expectations to the curb…and sometimes I move on to Peace instead of trying to put a square peg in a round hole. I’ve learned to “die to” myself, and I understand my Journey even though it doesn’t have much rhyme or reason from where I’m sitting because it ALL has Perfect Rhyme or Reason from where the Living God sits. He’s got my Full Attention no matter who or what I encounter on this 2nd day of Spring. Because I choose to die to myself and to live for Him, it doesn’t need to have rhyme or reason because everything and everyone else dims in comparison… and because I KNOW that “all things work together for Good for those called according to His Purpose”. I don’t sweat the small stuff.

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 One who “laid the foundations of the earth while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy”. How could I NOT be excited about this new day when I pause to consider the Power and Might of my God? Today marks the first day of Spring, and although we’re seeing signs of new life at the farm, the morning temperature is still too low for me to spend Time with the Living God outside on the front porch at sunrise. It won’t be long now before it actually FEELS like Spring at the farm and when it does, the world around me will come alive as I spend every morning watching the Master wake up the world at sunrise. It can’t come soon enough for me, but I’ve learned (the hard way) the importance of trusting in God’s Timing in all things. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

I know what it is to wait for God and although I occasionally cry out to Him to speed things up on my behalf, I know that those things He has promised to walk me through will come when He thinks I’m ready…not when I think He should be ready to take me there. I’ve been guilty of saying “I think God wants this” or “I think God wants that” but if I’m walking in the intimacy of our relationship, I still won’t know His Mind…but He’ll make His Will known to me. There is no doubt that my Father “knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” and it’s because I Trust Him, that I don’t worry about the little things. I walk with Him every day and I live a Life of Peace because of it. I don’t stop at every single turn and look for approval for every word and every step. What kind of Faith is that? Instead, I use the common sense God gave to me, and when I’m sure my Heart is open to His Spirit, He’ll turn me around in a heartbeat if I begin to head in the wrong direction. This is the key to boldness in Faith.

I pity some people who stay so wrapped around the axle about God’s will that they take no action at all, or they stay silent until they see a lightning bolt or some other “sign” that will confirm His Will to them….even for the smallest steps in life. Many of them appear to be in spiritual-pause mode and they seem to have stopped short of the intimacy to be had in a relationship with God. They claim that they want to be in His perfect Will in all things while they put things off and make excuses for not moving forward at all. I wonder what kind of relationship they have with the Living God if they need to rely on some visual sign of God’s Will, instead of the prodding of His Spirit? When we truly Walk with Him instead of just acknowledging His existence, “He’ll keep our paths straight” and He’ll “make the boundary lines fall on us in pleasant places”. Just like the sheep being led by a shepherd, they don’t look for guidance with every single step they take, but they trust the shepherd to keep them on the right path, and when He puts His staff in motion to set them straight they obey. Our Faith really isn’t complicated at all IF we have an intimate relationship with our God that leads us to being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. This is the key to Peace and Joy.

I’m facing this day with Peace and Joy and I’m moving forward full speed ahead as I patiently wait for it to FEEL like Spring in Virginia. You won’t find me stopping until God stops me, but you WILL find me seeking His Face 24/7.

How about you?

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cold and windy and not yet time for me to enjoy the mornings outside, but that doesn’t stop me from taking in the beauty of God’s Creation on a new day. For me, it all begins with Gratitude…Gratitude for a new day to Live, to Serve, and to Love. These things are even more important these days – a time when the world is in turmoil and many of God’s people appear to be lost in the desert. So, I give thanks, I pray up, I armor up, and I set out to make a God-sized Difference in a lost world. I’m on Temporary Assignment for the God of all Creation and nothing that goes on in this dark world has the power to derail the Plan. Isn’t that the way you look at Life these days too?

God knows how mankind is inclined to be fearful and He knows how easily we can be distracted and deceived…if we aren’t careful. He knows that we’re inclined to put our trust in man when things are scary, and he knows we are easily influenced…if we aren’t careful. He knows that our adversary can paint pretty pictures intended to draw us away from Truth to get us headed in the wrong direction…if we aren’t careful. He knows that we’re inclined to look for treasures in this world instead of the Treasures in Heaven when Truth is spun into lies…if we aren’t careful. He knows that we easily cling to this life as if this life is where our peace will be found…if we aren’t careful. He knows that we’ll struggle to Trust Him when the outward things of this world don’t make sense and that we’ll turn to “experts” on earth for direction…if we aren’t careful. God already knows how weak His sheep can be so He gives us Direction through His Instruction Manual and He gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us. The question at such a time as this is, will we Trust Him even when we can’t see where the world is headed OR will we put our trust in man?

It’s painfully obvious that lots of people of Faith have willingly “traded the truth of God for a lie”. Perhaps some people have attempted to make His Word work for their belief system instead of building their Belief System on His Word. Maybe they don’t know His Word at all, or maybe they don’t Rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them through these crazy obstacles we face today. Whatever the reason, God already provided all that we need and He Knows how easily His sheep will wander away from Truth…if they aren’t careful. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and He doesn’t want His people focused on the things of this world, He wants us 100% focused on Him instead. He knows all the in-betweens and He’ll never leave us nor forsake us no matter what we encounter in this Journey called Life, IF we focus on Him and not on the dark world. We exist to Glorify God and not to right the world. Understanding this is the Key to Peace, Joy, Contentment, and Hope no matter what we see with our eyes.

I’m more Focused than ever before on the King of all kings and I refuse to get caught up in the world. I’ve “lost friends” because I insist on focusing more on God and His Will than on the latest conspiracy theory. I do my part, but I don’t care much about politics because it is God Himself who will ordain our leaders. I don’t have the power to make the dark world right, and I won’t waste even one second pondering how things should be but aren’t. Vengeance isn’t mine, it belongs to Him, so I won’t allow myself to sin by wishing worldly justice on others. My Focus is on Him. My Heart is with Him. My thoughts are inclined toward Him. And because I’m so Committed to the God of all Creation, He’ll be able to use me to feed His sheep today. I exist to Glorify Him.

How about you?

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” Matthew 24:24

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. As I met with the Author and Perfecter of my Faith on this new day of a new week I began to pray for this dark world and I pleaded with the Great I AM to open the doors of Opportunity for me to share the Good News. The Bible says that I am “the light of the world” which means that if I walk the walk I talk about, my Light has the potential to snuff out the darkness. Although the Journey of Life isn’t easy right now, and it’s destined to get tougher, I am CONFIDENT that I was born for such a time as this and I’m a whole lot more excited than I am troubled because of it!

This morning, our Compassionate God whispered Hope into my Heart that is intended to be shared with you. My prayer for you is that your Faith will be Strengthened for such a time as this and that you will “run and not be weary – “shall walk and not faint”.

Here are the reminders for you today…

He’s the same “yesterday, today, and forevermore” – the same God who healed the sick, raised the dead, and parted the seas has the world in the palm of His Hand. HAVE NO FEAR.

There is “nothing new under the sun.” What we walk through today has been walked through before. The only thing that matters is HOW we walk through it. STAND FIRM.

Nothing happens that doesn’t filter through His Hands first and He always has a Purpose much bigger than the problems. TRUST HIM.

He’s our Shepherd – He “leads us beside still waters” – He “prepares a table for in the presence of our enemies” – He leads us “to the path of righteous” and He can restore any soul. With Him, we want for nothing. FOLLOW HIM.

The same God who made the sun stand still for a battle to be won can produce a miracle out of the direst of circumstances. WALK WITH HIM.

The same God who sent His son to die so that we might have Eternal Life is sending Him back again and He’ll call His followers to be with Him forever and ever. ACCEPT HIM.

My God is bigger than any sickness. He’s bigger than an empty pantry. He’s bigger than a lost paycheck or an empty bank account. HE’S OUR HEALER AND OUR PROVIDER.

The sun will come up in the morning just like it always does and He’s the God of a million New Beginnings. Some will begin this New Day with a world of opportunities to be a Light for Him in a dark situation…sadly, plenty of others never will.

Some will draw their last breath today while many will be drawing their first.

Some may die by way of a mysterious ‘virus”, some will die of something else BUT ALL will die at the Time God allotted to them. God can’t be robbed. Nobody dies “too soon” and nobody dies too late. No matter what, the God of Heaven won’t be surprised to see them.

He’s the Alpha and Omega – the Beginning and the End…the Prince of Peace, the Great Physician, the Bright Morning Star, the Everlasting Father and He is always Working. He NEVER leaves His Throne. He NEVER forsakes His children. BE COMFORTED. WORSHIP HIM today…” for He is worthy”

Now go take on the day like the Warrior you’re intended to be, overflowing with Peace and Hope.

Share Christ-like compassion.

Be respectful of our leaders.

Be generous.

Don’t hoard.

Don’t fret.

Don’t worry.

Share the Great I am with everybody you can and Celebrate the Victory that is soon to come.

Be encouraged.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Spring is definitely in the air in Virginia and it couldn’t come soon enough for me. I’m not the only one celebrating Spring. When I stepped outside this morning I heard an orchestra of birds – geese, quail, hawks, a woodpecker, and a host of others all singing in unison. There is not an orchestra on the planet that can hold a candle to the Orchestra of the Living God. I stood in awe of His Glory as He painted the sky and whispered “good morning” to the world around me and I praised Him right along with the birds. There aren’t words to describe the beauty of this new day from the inside out, but my Heart has been filled with an attitude of Gratitude because of it, and there’s a big smile on my face that will probably carry me through tomorrow. God Almighty is the source of my Joy, but I have to do a little work to be happy too. Isn’t that the way it is with everybody?

Taking the time and taking the steps that lead toward true Joy in my life is worth more than gold to me. There are plenty of “reasons” that I could dwell on to be sad or bitter or angry over my life circumstances, but I refuse to live with a heavy heart so I take the steps toward restoration each day. There are plenty of reasons I could find to cry and whine about what I do have, or what I don’t have, but I focus on all of the blessings in my life and I count them one-by-one each day instead. There are more than enough reasons I could find to be angry with people around me when I’m wronged or when things don’t go according to my plans, but I choose to examine my own Heart instead of scrutinizing theirs and eventually “let go and let God” deal with the wrongs instead.

Making the choice to be happy each day is the source of my Peace – it doesn’t come from an anointed, problem-free life that so many would like to believe I have here at my farm in Virginia. There is no doubt in my mind that I’ll hear from people who have read these words today and who will attempt to paint a picture that justifies their UNhappiness or their heartbreak, but it will never fly with me. As they try to “sell” me on their right to be miserable, and they suggest that I would be too if I were in their shoes, I’ll do my part to explain what it means to make the choice to be happy. As they attempt to fill me with details about what’s going on in and out of the White House, I’ll remind them that the Master of the world is THE ONE in control. As they paint a picture of heartbreak and loneliness because they put their trust in another instead of the Living God, I’ll do my part to explain the love and fulfillment that ONLY He can satisfy. Making the choice to be happy despite the circumstances is the key to it all, but one so many overlook as they remain focused on themselves above all. I hope and pray that one day soon they’ll learn to die to themselves and Focus more on the King and all of the wonderful Plans He has for their Future. I’m sorry to say, it does make me wonder if the whiners Know my God at all – and that’s where I come in – something that would never happen IF I chose to Focus on myself instead of the King of all kings.

I’ve done the Work on me this morning and I’ve turned to the Living God for it all. He’s the One who scattered the stars in the sky and Knows them each by name. He’s the One in Control of every heartbeat and every breath breathed into my lungs. He’s the One with the Keys to Hell and Hades, and He’s the One that will greet me in Heaven when He calls me Home. He’s the One with the Perfect Master Plan. I won’t be relying on anything or anyone but Him today. I’m happy, I’m content, I’m at Peace, I’m Grateful and I’m fulfilled this morning after a little attitude adjustment of my own as I made the choice to be happy today.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s windy and cold but I’m beginning this new day of a new week with the hope of Spring – a new beginning just around the corner. As I approached the Throne of the Living God to give thanks for it all, He reminded me that every new day is an opportunity for a New Beginning with Him. All the woes of yesterday are gone and all the Promises of tomorrow are enough to consume the Heart with joy. It’s not always easy to leave yesterday behind knowing it can never be repeated, but it’s ALWAYS replaced by the New and it’s Promised to be filled with New Beginnings just the way He says it is. No matter what each day brings, God has a Plan designed with Perfection, and THAT alone should be enough to fill every Heart with Joy.

It can be so easy to live in the past or to obsess over the future, but we lose out on Joy if we do too much of either one. No amount of fretting or wishing can cause yesterday to be repeated again – the biggest motivation to Live without regrets, that’s for sure. All the beauty can be stored up and savored forever as we push the replay button at will. Memories are a precious gift from the Lord! Not all the pain from yesterday can just be set aside when we lose a loved one or suffer some other sort of agony. That pain will run its course and it will dim in time IF we allow it to be our past and not allow it to dictate our future. Life goes on for the living even when we’re in so much pain we sometimes wish it wouldn’t…and God ALWAYS has a New Beginning after the season of pain. He cares about our hurt…He even stores up our tears in a jar…but God doesn’t want us to Live in the past…He wants to show us a New Beginning. When we can get to the point of “releasing” the pain, the future will be filled with the kind of Beauty that can slowly override the pain. This is the Key to endurance in a Journey sometimes filled with pain.

Not living in the past is one thing, obsessing over the future is an entirely different story. When we spend more time thinking about the future than we do about today, we miss the blessings of the New Beginnings that come with each new day and we overlook the beauty in the rush. Tomorrow will come soon enough, and with it will come plenty of good and bad because that’s what the Journey of Life looks like. But tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us and we have no idea what the future holds in His Perfect Plan for our lives. Planning for the future…having goals for the future…excitement about the future…that’s one thing – but when the future overrides the New Beginning of today, we can easily squander a life away without even knowing it. His Word says “Each day has enough trouble of its own”…and “Who can add a single moment to life through worry?”…so I take His advice each day and focus on the New Beginning…more than the past and MORE than my future here on earth.

I’m celebrating Spring before it arrives and I’m savoring this New Beginning as if it’s the last one I’ll ever live. I’ll see each new experience or each new encounter as a Gift intended just for me on this new day and I’ll be living as if there’s no tomorrow. After this life I have a New Beginning that is so beautiful that the Bible says, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Now THAT New Beginning is something worth obsessing over!!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I poured out my Heart to the King of kings while He poured down the rain and I embraced His Word with the eagerness of a child. Sometimes I just can’t get enough of Him and sometimes I can’t seem to give Him enough of me. When I considered the rain on this new day, I thought about how all the soon-to-be Spring foliage can’t get enough of the rain the same way I can’t get enough of Him. It’s the rain that will provide what the dormant life needs to come back to life and bloom or bear fruit, and it’s the Son that will do the same for an eager and hungry Heart. Nature has no choice in the growing process…a little dose of rain and a big dose of sunshine and off it goes. But man has a choice of whether or not to grow. I choose to grow, don’t you?

It can be easier than most people are willing to admit to put God on a shelf and to leave Him there until He’s needed again. Some people go days without praying at all…except for the obligatory prayer before meals or a little “now I lay me down to sleep”…and they never consider the consequences. Some NEVER mention His name outside of their inner circle of friends and family. Some mention His name in public but it’s painfully obvious they haven’t Surrendered their Will to Him by the way they speak and judge. It might be better for them to never mention His name at all instead of being a bad Witness for a Gracious and Forgiving God. Some live in fear of what He might “do” as if God has a Plan to destroy the imperfect ones and He’s armed and ready to punish. Some pout like a 2-year old when He doesn’t give them what they want – all the while they refuse to give Him what He wants. There are lots of “signs” of a dormant Life but only one reason they are. They make the choice to remain dormant and they refuse to grow to bear Fruit.

There have been times over the years that I’ve worried about one of my children and the direction they were inclined to take. I prayed without ceasing and I trusted God with the outcome but it hurt to watch them make choices that went against the Rules. When they were our relationship suffered. I stood firm with unwavering Faith and non-negotiable expectations while they set out to challenge the rules and suffer the consequences. They made the choice to rebel against the one who gave them birth AND the One who died for them and it wasn’t easy to watch. I didn’t argue or berate them, I loved them instead, and I was as gentle as a lamb as Christ’s love for my child was Reflected through me. I reminded them of who they Belong to and I encouraged them to make the Choice to Grow again. When your Heart is Inclined toward the Son you’ll bear Fruit in the toughest of situations and when you Love Him more than anything else, the rest of the world sees Him in you no matter what’s going on. Having a saving Faith is one thing…bearing Good Fruit is an entirely different story and it always comes down to choice.

I was inspired by the Love of my Life on this rainy day and I’m grateful for the God-sized reminder straight from the Throne of the Creator of the universe this morning. The more we Give…the more we Love…the more we Surrender..the more we bear Fruit. But it always comes down to choice. I’ve made my Choice to be the best that I can be for Him…a Reflection of the One Who died for me…in all that I am, all that I do, and all that I say…and I reconfirm my choice often.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Spring is definitely in the air and it won’t be long before I can spend my early mornings outside where I belong. I stepped into the Presence of the Most High God and I poured out everything in my Heart – the good things I thanked Him for and the “bad” things I repented of so that there is nothing between me and Him. I opened my Instruction Manual and found Truth that I’d never seen before and I picked up some more Wisdom for the Journey. I don’t know what God has in store for me on this new day, but I DO know that I’ll be ready for whatever it is. No doubt I’ll be leaving my Soul Print on everyone and everything around me and I’ll be making a “mess” in Jesus’ name all day long. I was born for such a time as this! Isn’t that the way you see your Journey of Faith too?

It’s not hard to tell where a child has been because they usually leave a trail of fingerprints on everything within their reach. They scatter their prints on all the appliances and they touch walls as if they’re being held up by them. And when they’re older, they leave fingerprints on the door jams just because they are tall enough to reach them. Kids make the most beautiful messes and if only we understood how short our time with them is, and how fast they grow up, we wouldn’t complain about having to clean up after them nearly as much as we do.

Each one of us is born with unique fingerprints that set us apart from the rest of the world AND we each have a unique Soul Print that only God can identify. He Knows each one by name because He Created each one. There are great things in store for those who Follow Him and horrific things in store for those who don’t. When we make the Decision to Follow Jesus, He expects us to go out and leave our Soul Print on everyone we possibly can. You can always tell where a child has been by the trail of fingerprints they leave behind on every surface they can reach AND you can always tell where a Child of the Living God has been too. We leave Soul Prints on everyone God puts in our Path that cannot be “wiped off”, and because our Journey is eternal, we set out to make a “mess” in Jesus’ Name every day of our lives. This is the Key to living out our Calling.

I’m a unique woman Created by an Amazing God. When He came calling for me I followed. Nothing about me is like anyone else ever born. I have a unique set of fingerprints that can identify me from the rest of the world, but more than that, I have a Unique Soul Print too. It’s my Goal to leave a “mess” in Jesus’ Name so that the world can see Him even after I’m gone. My Soul Print should linger through Eternity and nobody’s going to be cleaning them up. When I leave Soulprint it makes my Father happy and when I meet Him, I pray He’ll look at the Mess I’ve made on this earth and say “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

How about you?

Are you making a “mess” in Jesus’ name or is your Journey undetectable in this dark world?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The temperatures are rising in Virginia so stepping out onto the front porch isn’t a bitter experience anymore…at least not for now. I had a staredown with the deer through the fog this morning and it was as if the deer wanted to make absolutely sure it was me and not something it should protect itself from. Nature relies on its own instincts and those instincts often have life-or-death consequences. Unfortunately, man is inclined to rely on “instinct” too, but the stakes are much higher with consequences that lead to eternal life or death. The Bible says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse”. When you look at the Journey of Life through the eyes of God, it’s impossible not to Believe. But for those so set on relying on themselves…well, they’re ‘without excuse”, and that’s where I come in before it’s too late for them. I don’t need “instinct” to navigate my way through the Journey of Faith, I need the Holy Spirit to guide me instead! And if I’m Willing, He’ll guide me to someone “without excuse” that needs a little Spiritual Enlightenment about the Future too. Isn’t it just like Him to use a foggy field and a deer to speak to my Heart this morning?

In some ways, I envy the animals. They don’t have an intellect or a conscience that gets in the way of decision-making. They aren’t attracted to “shiny” things and they’ll never need an “excuse.” They naturally surrender to something much bigger than themselves and they don’t waste time rationalizing the next move. They don’t hear the “noise” of other well-meaning critters telling them what they should (or should not) do and if another one takes something away from them, they don’t hate and hold grudges forever and they won’t gossip over the fence. Instead, they’ll speak their peace to the offender and IF they don’t get back what was taken away, they just shrug their furry shoulders and run off to replace what was lost. Yep, animal life looks pretty good sometimes UNTIL we remember that they will never have an eternal impact on this dark world and that the “wages of sin” have no relevance for them whatsoever. Our furry friends live a simpler life, that’s for sure, but nothing they do holds a candle to what’s coming for their friends who “are without excuse”.

Man’s quest to intellectualize the Journey of Faith is undoubtedly his greatest downfall. God doesn’t care how smart you are and He doesn’t care about degrees. God doesn’t (usually) share His next move and He doesn’t care if you like it or not. God’s ways don’t have to make sense to you and it doesn’t matter to God if man takes a million trips to the moon and back, we’ll never be able to intellectualize Creation. God has already proven Himself through His “invisible qualities, His eternal power, and divine nature” so you are without excuse to be searching for “proof” of His existence. Man’s need to intellectualize God is the very reason so many people don’t ever come to Faith, and it’s the reason EVEN MORE refuse to Serve Him. It’s a sad day when “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” is more common among the animals than it is among the man Created in the image of God.

As for me, I see God in everything. I see Him in the sunrise and I see Him in the stars. I see Him in the deer and I see Him in the birds. I see Him in my marriage, and I see Him in my children and grandchildren. I see Him in the trials and tribulations and I Trust Him through it all. I may not be the brightest bulb on the planet, but my God doesn’t care about that. He looks for the Heart that loves Him unconditionally and like no other. It’s when don’t get that part right, it will be the very thing that will cause Him to say “Depart from me – I never knew you”. He Created me for such a time as this and He’s already given me everything I need to face the intellectualized world head-on. He says He’ll never leave me nor forsake me. He says I have nothing to fear. He says that He’ll give me the “words to say when” I need them. With that in mind, why would I EVER dive into a foxhole in fear…and how could I NOT have compassion for those “without excuse?

How about you?