Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cool and calm on this new day of a new week and after a little time in the presence of a Big God my Heart felt on the inside what the day brought to the outside…cool and calm. It was shocking to step outside to temperatures so much cooler than the average summer day, but after a few minutes I settled in to enjoy the ride. As I considered the “shock” of experiencing something I’m not accustomed to…something I wasn’t expecting…it made me think of how that’s the kind of impact my Life can have on others IF I’m willing to be a Reflection of Christ, that is. When someone stands in my presence they should see, feel, and hear about the One who died for me and my life should cause an unbelieving soul to experience “culture shock” because I don’t resemble things of this world, but things of Heaven instead. Isn’t that your goal through the Journey of Faith too?

It can be so easy for people of Faith to fall into the snares of this life if we aren’t careful but we can’t be a good Reflection of Heavenly things if we do. We can stomp and whine about the state of the world with the best of them, but we are supposed to be “in this world, not of this world” and there’s nothing “shocking” about the way we live when we join the crowd of complainers. We can hold a grudge against the ones who wrong us like the best of them, but holding a grudge is a refusal to forgive and there’s nothing “shocking” about the way we live when we hate along with all the others. We can spit out insults and justify our beliefs like the best of them, but there’s nothing “shocking” about the way we live when “out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing.” It’s when we love when it doesn’t make sense…when we forgive no matter the offense…when we refuse to speak hate to (or about) any one of God’s creations…that we stand out like a sore thumb in this dark world and the “culture shock” that lost people experience in our presence will often lead them to want to know what’s “different” about us. This is the key to living out “thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

I’m an imperfect woman living an imperfect life but I love the Perfect One with all of my Heart and I strive to Live the way He commands me to. My desire to please Him is far greater than my desire to tango with the darkness of the world. From politics to pedophiles I leave it up to God to exercise judgment and “vengeance” because I know when He takes care of business, the consequences of their actions are eternal. With Him in control of it all, I know that when I speak out against what I see with my eyes, I’ve lost sight of the Master Plan altogether and I become a poor reflection of the One I Serve. I want lost people to experience “culture shock” when they see my supernatural responses to unnatural events. I want them to see Love when they “don’t deserve it.” I want them to see the “peace that surpasses all understanding” when outward circumstances paint a picture of turmoil and hate. I won’t rely on what I think with my head or feel in my Heart to be a Witness to the darkness…I’ll give it everything I’ve got to live a Life, to SPEAK the name of Jesus Christ, to Love unconditionally, to reflect the “fruit of the spirit” which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. I want the darkness to experience CULTURE SHOCK in the Light of my Faith all the days of my Life…and THAT’S what God will use to add to His Kingdom if I remain faithful to the Faithful One.

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 Author and Perfecter of my Faith in the wee hours of this new day and by the time the sun came up, it was already warm and muggy. The humidity is so high, the air so “thick”, that it feels like you could cut it with a knife. As I sat there in silence taking it all in, I thought about how the world is very much like the air at the farm today. Evil is raging and the Spiritual warfare is so “thick” that it feels like you could cut it with a knife too. The Bible warns us that as the end draws near there will be “perilous times” so it comes as no surprise to see our adversary raging in his race to destroy as many as he can while he still has time. I can’t do anything about a hot and humid Virginia day except to withdraw into cooler places, BUT there’s a whole lot I can do about that Spiritual war and withdrawing is not an option for a Child of the Living God. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It’s amazing to experience pushback from people professing to share my Faith when I speak up for Righteousness and I preach the Truth…even when it hurts. I’m a stickler for manners and I preached “polite” to my children until I turned blue. These are important characteristics for Christian people and I drove home the message well…NOT so they would please me (although they did) BUT so that they would learn what it looks like to be a Good Witness of a Loving and Compassionate God…even when it hurts. It’s impossible to be a Good Witness for a loving God if we withdraw to our own opinions of what the Character of Christ looks like or retreat to our own comfort zone. Impolite, rude people carrying a Christian Membership card do much more harm than Good because they’re a poor representation of the Nature of Christ, and the ones opting for the comfort zone over what we’re Instructed to do…well, let’s just say they’ll be in for a BIG surprise One Day.

There are countless Good characteristics that should come into play for a Child of the Living God BUT withdrawing from Truth because we’re too cowardly to Speak it isn’t one of them. It takes Courage to stand boldly for Truth these days, but it also takes a whole lot of Unconditional Love to have the Heart to “save some” from the fire of Judgment that will come to ALL who withdraw from the Truth. So, I push back against the pushback and I pray for the ones professing to share my Faith as they do their part to Discourage me from what the Lord has for me because I know that when they do, they’re being used as “messengers of Satan”…ouch. Sad but true. No matter how many times they’re used by the adversary to shut me down, I remain strong because I know that he doesn’t win the Battle I’m Fighting, and the only thing that will succeed in stopping me from doing what The Lord of Hosts has called me to do is death.

Yes, the air is thick with the raging spiritual war BUT I am confident that no “weapon formed against me will prosper.” Yes, the air is thick with warfare BUT I am confident that “greater is He who is within me than he who is in the world.” His Word says: “Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” How could anybody professing to share my Faith pushback as I push Forward to finish the race I’m called to run? How could people professing to have a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ withdraw like wussies and refuse to speak the Truth to a lost world? The answer to these questions might scare you…but they don’t scare me. I’m bold. I’m courageous. I have nothing to fear. But more than anything else, I have a Heart so in Love with Jesus that I want to be Pleasing in His eyes and Obedient to His Call..even when it hurts. I’ll do my part to assure that I remain “salty”. I’ll stand up and speak up with LOVE because I want to be the light of the world. My Life…my Faith…is like a city on a hill and it cannot be hidden.

How about yours?

Good morning. world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I watched the Master wake up the world at daybreak but as I lingered on the front porch to savor my time with Him the temperature rose quickly and the sun became blinding. It’s destined to be a scorching day in Virginia. There was no moving away from the glare and no relief even with a hat and sunglasses. The brightness of the morning sun outshined everything else around me and pretty soon it was all I could see. I was powerless to dim it, so I surrendered to its beauty instead. God used the bright sun of this new day to Paint a Picture of how that’s the way it should be in the Journey of Life too. The consuming Fire of my God should be so bright that I can’t see anything else – and the Light of my Faith should be so powerful that this lost world can’t miss it in me when I pass by. Isn’t that just the way it is with Faith?

The Consuming Fire of the Living God should be impossible NOT to see in me. Without speaking a word, the lost world should be able to see my Joy, Peace, and Love just by being in my presence. That’s not something I can force into being, that’s something that happens naturally when the God of all Creation is all you can see and you’re Blinded by His Love. When He’s all we can see we no longer focus on the things of this dark world, and we don’t spend our time or energy trying to right the wrongs that are out of our control. Instead, we remain blinded by His Light and we do a little blinding of our own in the Process. Just like the blazing sun in the morning sky, the Consuming Fire can’t be avoided when we’re in His Presence, and absolutely nothing can snuff it out. The dark world should see the Consuming Fire in me as it outshines the world around me and it Illuminates the pathway to Truth. The peace that “surpasses all understanding” within me should outshine everything else around me too. When you’re in my presence, you should recognize immediately that I’m not your average person even without me speaking a word. When you’re in my presence you should be able to recognize that there is something profoundly different about me – and you’ll KNOW that I’m at peace with a world that appears to be falling apart. You should be drawn to me like a moth drawn to light because of the Consuming Fire in my soul, the warmth of my Heart, and the blinding Light that is all over my Journey of Life. Isn’t that what Faith is supposed to look like?

The words I speak should be like the language of the Son…bold, bright, and beautifully blinding. When I do my Part to keep the Consuming Fire of God burning in my Life, you’ll see Supernatural Beauty that has nothing to do with outward appearances – and the words that flow through me will be overwhelmingly Kind, Gentle, Loving, and Compassionate. The Characteristics that come by way of that kind of Consuming Fire are like an Open Invitation to a hurting world. Hurting people with “dark secrets” will know that they’re safe with me. Sad people who believe they’ve lost their hope will know that I have a Solution. Angry people ready to lash out at the world will be calmed. People who have been sleeping through their Journey of Life will be awakened. Wicked people will be disarmed. The ones being judged by this dark world won’t find judgment with me, and the ones longing for love will find it. The language of the Son is Perfect and it’s filled with the Wise Words any time I need them…all because of the Consuming Fire I keep kindled in my Life. When we’re blinded by His Light it’s impossible to be “lost for words” – He says “the Holy Spirit will give you the right words when you need them” and THOSE WORDS are a reflection of the Perfect Balance for the Journey of Life…never judgmental…never too harsh…never words that would risk blinding the other with Truth before I impact them with Love…” the greatest of these is love.” Isn’t that the way Faith is supposed to sound like?

I’m refreshed and revived for this new day and my Heart is Consumed by His Fire. The God of all Creation used a blinding sunrise to quicken my Heart and Reinforce the Significance of my existence in this Journey called Life. The dark world will see His Fire IN ME and it will hear about Him THROUGH me…all because of Him and that beautiful Consuming Fire. I have everything I need to be a beautiful Blinding Light in a dark world…and I have a willing Heart to share. My Light can’t be dimmed. I am consumed by Him!

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 Lord of my Life before the sun came up and this sunrise was a perfect Touch of the Masters’s Hand to end our Time together. I sat outside in the dark and opened my Heart. I invited Him to take a close look at my Heart and to Highlight any areas that I need to Refine in His Name. I sang a hymn or two and I made sure He knew that my Heart meant every word as I made a joyful noise. I thanked Him for all that He is and all that He does for me, and I made sure to Surrender all of me to Him all over again today. I felt His Presence in the dark on a front porch of a farm in Virginia as surely as if He sat next to me. What a sweet reminder to me once again that as long as I’m willing to “draw near” to Him, He’ll always “draw near” to me. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

Every relationship takes work to keep things headed in the right direction, and it’s no different when it comes to a Relationship with the Living God. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that it’s when we take things for granted and assume someone will always be there, that love loses its luster and a relationship begins to die. When it comes to God, knowing He’s omnipresent is one thing, Seeking Him out and Purposely drawing near to Him is an entirely different story. Some people look for God in the big things while they fail to seek Him in the simple things like a morning sunrise. When Elijah stood on the mountain top to meet with God he looked for Him in wind, in the earthquake, and even in the fire. But God wasn’t found in the BIG things, God was found in a “gentle whisper” instead. If we insist on looking for God only in the big things, we overlook the Importance of hearing His “gentle whispers”…the sweetest Sound there is. Just like Elijah, we need to do our part to be willing to meet with Him on the mountain top and refuse to leave until draws near to us too. The real Treasures in the Journey of Faith are found when we seek Him with a Heart hungering for Him to draw near and with eyes that determine to See Him in everything. That’s what Worship looks like!

I saught Him out at sunrise and my Heart overflowed with Praise over the sound of the birds singing and a sun determined to shine. He Knows my Heart is to please Him…and He sees when I hunger to draw near to Him and for Him to draw near to me. When people ask me about how to “hear from God” my answer is always the same. Look for Him in the gentle whispers – don’t just look for Him as an emergency plan for the challenges in Life – seek His face with everything you’ve got! He is Faithful and True – James 4:8 says; “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a perfect morning as I kick off this new day of a new week and I have a Heart overflowing with Gratitude after my time with the Living God today. We had a little Talk about Trust and about my Purpose and He showed me in Black & White the Wisdom I need…not just for today…but for every day of my Journey through this Life. The Author and Perfecter of my Faith reminded me that my walk as a Christian calls for me to be eager to Listen and Learn to the One who died for me and to always be Willing to be Obedient to His Call in my Life…no matter what. Tuning into the Living God is the key to Wisdom, Peace, Joy, and Strength. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

Being a Christian has nothing to do with DNA or genealogy. It has nothing to do with going to church or singing songs. Just saying you’re a Christian doesn’t make you a Christian, and just saying you Believe in Christ doesn’t either. The Bible says that even the demons believe and they shudder and tremble in fear at the sound of Jesus’ Name. Wearing a cross around your neck doesn’t make you a Christian. Neither does exchanging the word “luck” with the word “blessed.” Being a Christian doesn’t mean you’re perfect or that you don’t make mistakes…it just means you’re filled with remorse when you do and you rush to the Cross for Forgiveness as fast as you can. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you’re better than anybody else because of your Faith. Doing good things for others doesn’t make you a Christian. Being a “good person” makes you easier to be around, but that doesn’t make you a Christian either. Being a Christian means that you Surrender your life to Christ. Being a Christian means that you belong to Him and not to yourself. Being a Christian means that you long please Him and that you’re willing to put in the Time to refine your Heart to be more like Him…and you never stop Seeking Knowledge and Truth for the Journey. I am a Christian.

I get a little annoyed sometimes when people tell me how “lucky” I am. Although I am grateful beyond measure and I never cease to give thanks for the blessings in my life… from my Faith…to my family…to this old farm…to my heart that has been Tenderized by the King…even to the ministry He allows me to be a part of each day. NONE of these things have anything to do with me being “lucky.” God doesn’t love me more than He loves anybody else and He hasn’t blessed me more either. What they see from afar is not about me – it’s all about Him. They look at the beauty of this old farm and they read the Words that have been Delivered from the throne of God and all they see is the Sweetness. Some people make excuses for their lives and they’ll suggest that if they had my life then they could be “happy too.” But nobody knows all the crevices of my life. Nobody sees all the flaws. Nobody had a front-row seat as I’ve been Tenderized and broken by the Living God over and over and over again (be careful what you wish for). What they see from afar has nothing at all to do with me being lucky. What they see from afar is my heart for the King. What they see is Christ. I am a Christian.

Why do the boundary lines fall upon me in pleasant places and why does it look like I’m “lucky” to you? I’ll let God answer that in His own Words: “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

I am a Christian.

How about you?

Are you leaning on some lame definition of what it means to be a Christian while you lack joy, peace, compassion, and love in your life? IF so, reach out to me. It might be time for you to truly understand what a relationship with Christ looks like and when I’m done with you your life will take on a whole new “look” too!

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I stepped out onto the front porch with a hot cup of coffee, a Heart filled with Gratitude and High Expectations about my Time with the Living God. This isn’t just any old day – it’s a New Day – and I’m not just any old Servant – I’m a Willing one with High Expectations about the Journey. My God has no boundaries and it shows in my Life as He continues to use me in ways I could never imagine I was would be capable of IF I look at Life with my mind instead of my Heart. As I stumble through the Journey – as I struggle through life – as I fall down and get back up time and time again – I KNOW HE KNOWS my Heart for Him and He’ll use me all the days of my Life…because I Love Him and because I am a Willing Vessel with High Expectations about doing the work of my God. Isn’t that the way you look at your life too?

It seems to be so easy these days for people to lose hope in the face of adversity but that’s because they don’t have High Expectations for the Journey of Life. Sometimes we focus on the surface of Life that can look like a shipwreck with a million broken pieces – but that doesn’t slow down the God of no Boundaries and He’ll always work it for Good IF we let Him. When we have High Expectations about the Work of His Hands, we understand that there is always something Beautiful going on behind the scenes and we look through the rubble for the rubies every time. When we have High Expectations about His Purpose for us, we don’t allow ourselves to think that things are impossible – because we KNOW all things are possible with Him and we Celebrate the Victory long before we see it. When we have High Expectations, we’re quick to hit our knees to ask for Forgiveness, because how He sees us is far more important than how the world does, and we Understand that we need to be found Worthy for the Journey if we want to be used by the King. With High Expectations, we don’t put God in a box and we NEVER quit believing in Miracles.

I don’t know how God will be using me here until He calls me Home – I only know how He’s using me right now. I have High Expectations because I’m a Willing Vessel and I’m Ready to step into whatever He has for me whenever He asks. I won’t be afraid, and I’ll never feel inadequate no matter what He Calls me to do – not because I’m confident or capable – but because I have High Expectations for the Journey and I’ve been Tenderized for the Work. I found the rubies in the rubble and it shows in my Life. What I do for Him can’t be measured by human standards, and my Rewards won’t be seen on this side of Heaven – what I do for Him is done out of Love…and it’s that Love that keeps me going with High Expectations.

Do YOU have High Expectations about what God is doing too?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cool and foggy this morning but it’s always a perfect morning to meet with the Living God outside at sunrise from where I sit. I watched the Master wake up the world and I was an eyewitness to nature being Obedient to His call. At the sound of His voice, the earth was formed. At the sound of His voice, the land was separated from the sea. At the sound of His voice, Adam was put into a deep sleep, and Eve was formed from his rib. At the sound of His voice, the stars were scattered in the sky. At the sound of His voice, the sun stood still. At the sound of His voice, the sea parted. At the sound of His voice, the rain was withheld for years. As I considered the Power of the sound of His voice and how nature so easily responds, I thought about how often man…the most Valuable Creation of all…willfully ignores the sound of His voice and we struggle with Obedience when we do.

It can be so easy for us to tune out the Voice of God, especially when He Instructs us to do something that makes no sense to the human mind, but we miss out on the Opportunity to Serve and to Please the God of all Creation when we do. Somehow when the rational mind kicks in, we convince ourselves that God would never Instruct us to do something that doesn’t make sense to us. But if it makes sense to God Almighty that’s all that ever matters. God’s ways are not our ways and His ways don’t need to make sense to us for us to be willing to be Obedient. I’m pretty sure things didn’t make sense to Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Joshua, or a host of other saints we read about. But the biggest Miracles the world has ever seen were born out of Obedience over things that didn’t make sense to the human mind- and the same is STILL true today. Being willing to be Obedient to His Instructions ESPECIALLY when they don’t make sense to the human mind is the KEY to a Rich Relationship with the God of Miracles. The surest Sign of Trust is Obedience through it all.

The Bible says “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” – this isn’t referring to age, but to Maturity instead. Most of the rules we teach a child make no sense to the young human mind, but when they’re taught to listen to the voice of their father and mother and they see the rewards of obedience, they mature into rule-following people able to accept authority, and they don’t hesitate to do what they’re told to do. If only people Walking through the Journey of Faith would do the same when they Hear the Voice of the Master of all Creation! IF only they would “let go and let God” the way they claim to! If only they would step out in Faith when God Instructs them to do something that makes absolutely no sense to the human mind. If only they could Trust Him. This is the Key to being a Willing Vessel – a Participant in the Master Plan that might not make a whole lot of sense to the human mind on this side of Heaven, but one that makes Perfect sense to the Perfect God.

When I was a child in Faith, I “passed” on plenty of things because they didn’t make sense to my human mind. Today is a different story – today I’m Mature. At the sound of His voice, I’m Obedient and I Trust what He wants to do through me. My world sees the God of all Creation work in my Life in ways that sometimes leave them breathless. But what they see in my Life over and over again has nothing to do with me. What they see is the Hand of God working Miracles…Miracles born out of Obedience. Every single day I work on “dying to myself” – to set aside my own will so that I can do His instead. I listen to His Voice with an open heart and I set out to Serve the One Who died for me ESPECIALLY when it doesn’t make sense to me at all. That’s what Trust looks like!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. When I met with the Living God this morning to give my Praise, my Thanks, and to make my Requests known, I was feeling inadequate to Accomplish all that He has for me in this Journey called Life. So, the Master of the universe walked me down Broken Lane to remind me of how Strong I really am and how it all came to be. There are lots of things in the past I’d much rather forget…at least in the human sense…but the Hand of God brought calamity my way many times in my life…not to break me…but to Build me into a Usable Vessel and to make me strong for Him. I went from feeling inadequate to BELIEVING I have all that it takes to Serve the King of Kings….all because of my brokenness. Isn’t that the way you look at your life too?

It can be so easy for most people to throw in the towel when they experience brokenness but they miss out on all the Strength that can be found in Victory when they do. Some people shake their fists at God and demand answers when calamity strikes, and some people hide under the bed. Some people spend what seems like forever asking for answers to why the trials showed up in the first place, while others are consumed with self-pity because God is being so “mean.” Some people gloss over the broken experience as if it’s just a minor setback, and they brush it off without a second thought. Some people experience brokenness and they stay so busy trying to hide it from the world that they miss out on the Beauty that is just around the corner if they’ll just let go and let God do what God does best. It makes me sad to see all those wounded people so clueless about the process and it makes me even sadder to know that they can’t be used by the King as long as they remain on Broken Lane and they refuse to share the Journey with the world as a Witness of His goodness. God always uses Brokenness and Spins it into Strength IF we accept the Purpose behind the storms – “All things work together for GOOD for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” – Romans 8:28

I wish I could have avoided the pain and suffering of Broken Lane, but I wouldn’t I be a Strong Vessel for Him today had He not taken me there to Shape me into what He needs me to be. I find comfort when I read about all those Saints of the Bible who were Broken for His Purpose too – like Paul on the road to Damascus and David after his sin with Bathsheba…and the list could go on and on…people He walked down Broken Lane JUST so they could become Strong in His Name. Brokenness doesn’t end well UNLESS we accept His Purpose for our lives in the good times and the bad ones too. It takes understanding that brokenness comes with a Purpose much bigger than we can see on this side of Heaven…but we never fulfill the Purpose if we aren’t willing to look at Brokenness for what it really is…a chance to be Readied for Service….an Opportunity to become Stronger than ever. I’m not sure if God “tests” us or not but I AM sure that He has a Perfect Master Plan and He longs for each one of His own to be willing to be tested through brokenness…will they become weaker or stronger in the end? Will they shout Victory from the mountaintops or hide it from the world?

I started off this new day feeling inadequate for the job but He set me Straight by walking me down Broken Lane all over again. He reminded me of where He’s taken me and how Strong I really am in His Name. He Encouraged me with Heavenly Reminders that I have EVERYTHING I need to do what He’s Called me to do and that Victory is already mine. I Serve Him well…I Love Him and Trust Him completely…and I’m grateful for Broken Lane….the place where I found my Strength through Him. I’m a Vessel for the Living God…an Ambassador for Christ…a force to reckon with in His Name…and it all began with brokenness.

“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.” – 1 Samuel 2:4