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 a little 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 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 fist 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 for 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 set-back, 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 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.

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 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

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I spent the first part of this new day outside on the porch and I listened in the dark as nature came to life. No orchestra could hold a candle to the sounds I heard, and it was as if nature was celebrating the God I Serve right along with me. By the time the sun came up, I was already filled with awe over the Work of the Master’s Hand in my Life, and from this porch. No artist could ever paint anything as beautiful as what I see when I look at Life with Eyes for Him. Sometimes I study my Instruction Manual. Sometimes I sit in silence. Sometimes I fall at His feet. Sometimes I just weep. And sometimes, like this morning, all I can do is Praise Him for His Majesty. “If the stars were made to worship, so will I.” Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

I think some people believe that all I do is sit around on the front porch taking in the view, but that’s not true. My life is busier than most people know, and most of what I stay busy with isn’t outside at all. I understand the Importance of Time with the Living God and I understand the Value of Peace…AND I guard both with everything I’ve got. I know what Life looks like when it’s consumed by things of this world, and that’s not a place I’m willing to go or a price I’m willing to pay…the loss of Peace and Trust in the Plans of the God of all. I don’t “question” what He’s up to because I Trust in His Master Plan. I don’t “tell Him” what’s going on in the dark world because He’s the One to allow it. I don’t cry out for Him to reckon with the evil in my country because He already sees it and He’s letting it roll for this Season for His Purpose. Sometimes I wonder if He’s allowing it all to see what His People do. Will they focus on the dark world and how they’re going to “fix it?” Will they rant and rave to anyone who will listen to be sure the message gets through? Will they sprinkle a little “God” into what they do and say to validate their hate and agenda? OR will they fall to their knees in Surrender to the One with the Master Plan? Will they Praise Him no matter what’s going on?

It’s not that I don’t care about what’s going on in the world around me, it’s that I know I can’t “serve two masters” – the more time I give to the dark world and its agenda, the LESS Time I give to the One who Created it. Garbage in, garbage out. It’s not possible to fill up with a good dose of all the horrific things going on in the world and fill yourself up with Praise for the Living God at the same time. Of all the things we could say or do to make the world a better place, NOTHING can hold a candle to the Love and Light of Jesus Christ. That’s what the world needs more of, and that’s what God’s People are Called to do. The more we talk about all the injustices, the less we talk about the Living God…the only Hope any of us really have. The more we talk about the dire future of America, the less we talk about Heaven! We only exist to Glorify God, and we’ve all been given the same Great Commission…the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…the ONLY message that can make a difference at all. Things can’t get better “in the White House” unless God’s House is in order…and right now, there’s garbage coming in and garbage going out. Oh, how my God must mourn to be taking the back seat for Time and Attention as His people chase the darkness instead.

I began this new day Praising God for who He is and what He does for me. I accept my Assignment of the Great Commission and I do my best to live it out each day. If you want to talk politics and/or the deterioration of this wonderful nation of ours, I won’t be engaging. Not because I don’t care. Not because I don’t think it’s impacting life in America or that I don’t believe our freedom is being lost. But because I know that HE IS FREEDOM and I can’t serve two masters…this dark world and all of its ugliness and the One with the Master Plan. I’ve got Peace that surpasses all understanding at one of the worst times in our history…and I’ll have Peace every step of the way because my focus is on Him. My Trust is in Him. My role is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How about you?

“If the stars were made to worship, so will I

If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I

If the oceans roar Your greatness, so will I

For if everything exists to lift You high, so will I

If the wind goes where You send it, so will I

If the rocks cry out in silence, so will I

If the sum of all our praises still falls shy

Then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times”

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Master of all Creation before the sun showed itself in the morning sky and we had a long talk about Life. It doesn’t serve any Good Purpose at all to question the Hand of God when we know underneath the pain that His Will is always Perfect. So, I cast all my cares at the foot of the Cross this morning and I spent time in His Word to reinforce my Belief about the God who “gives and takes away.” Bad things DO happen to good people – and good things happen to the “bad” – these are mysteries we don’t have the capacity to understand on this side of Heaven…that’s where Faith comes in. The same God who paints a beautiful picture each morning from the front porch is the God who allows pain and suffering FOR HIS purpose. Isn’t that the way you look at the Journey of Life too?

There’s a good reason the Bible mentions “fear” 365 times and there’s a good reason we’re referred to as sheep. When trials come our way we’re all inclined to fear, and when we do we can scatter like fearful sheep with no direction at all OR we can cling to the Shepherd like never before. It’s not a sin to be fearful – God knows it’s human nature – but the depth of our Faith will either be Refined through our Circumstances or we can choose to shake our fists at heaven and give God a good lecture on fairness instead. There was nothing “fair” about Jesus Christ being beaten and flogged and hung on a cross to die like a common thief…but it was God’s Perfect Will. Mary and Martha were convinced that if Jesus had come to help Lazarus when he was sick, he wouldn’t have died at all. It didn’t seem fair that Jesus would delay returning to town when He heard about His sick friend, and it didn’t seem fair that He would “let him die” when He had the Power to Heal. But Jesus knew that God’s Perfect Will was for Lazarus to die so that Jesus could “prove” His Power to the world by raising him from the dead instead. We don’t know the mind of our God, we just Trust His Perfect Will through it all. That’s what Faith looks like.

Plenty of “bad” things are happening to good people these days and it’s impossible to make sense of the world. The Church in America is beginning to experience persecution and things don’t look so good for this “one nation under God.” Some people have found comfort in worldly experts even though we read, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” It could be fear that’s causing the sheep to scramble around America looking for answers OR it could be that some people can’t accept that a Good God sometimes allows “bad things” to happen to fulfill His Perfect Will. He’s a God who “gives and takes away” – we either Trust Him completely OR we can choose to shake our fists toward Heaven and accuse the God of all Creation of being unfair. It’s not easy to understand when we’re middle of the storm, BUT “All things (really do) work together FOR GOOD for those who LOVE HIM and are called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.” There is nothing to fear with Him on the Throne and nothing too big to endure…IF we Trust Him through it all.

It’s not a perfect day in Virginia but it’s a Good One – one that I choose to walk through with complete Trust in my Father’s Perfect Will. He’s a good God. He loves me more than anybody else does. He sent His son to die for me. “He sought me and bought me, with His redeeming blood.” He chose me before the foundations of the earth. He wants what’s best for me. He called me out of darkness and into the Light. He has gifted me to do His Work. He has called me to feed His sheep. After all that He’s done for me, how could I not Trust His Perfect Will over my Life?

How about you?

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 and I stood in awe of His glory as He painted the sky and whispered “good morning” to the world around me. 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 to the end of it. 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 plenty of times I could have complained about loneliness and abandonment when I’ve relied on another for my fulfillment, but I choose to fill my time with the One who loves me Unconditionally and who will never let me down instead. There are more than enough reasons that 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 each time and I “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 that 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 won’t 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 over what’s going on in and out of the White House, I’ll remind them that the Master of the world is 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 in spite of the circumstances is the key-to-it-all but one so many overlook as they remain focused on themselves and their own desires. I hope and I pray that one day soon they’ll learn to die to their own needs as they focus on the King and all of the wonderful Plans that He has for them…IF they make the choice to be happy.

I’ve done the Work on me this morning and I’ve turned to the Living God for it all. He’s the One with the Keys to Hell and Hades, and He’s the One with the Perfect Master Plan and 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 the last day of a very busy week but I’m refreshed and revived for my Journey after time in the presence of the Living God. Time spent with Him is the most important thing I’ll do today, not just because I’m showing Him Honor by giving Him the first fruit of my time, but because He’s my Commander in Chief and each step I take with Him is a Step in the Right Direction. So, I wake-up, I pray-up, I listen-up and I arm-up each day with His Plans for me front-and-center, and as long as His Plans are my main focus, I’ll succeed in every single thing I do..for Him and with Him. Isn’t that the way you see your life too?

It’s easy to measure “success” by tangible signs that come by way of dollars and cents. Big cars, big houses, big toys, catch an admiring eye from most people. Sometimes these things are a genuine sign of affluence, and sometimes they are nothing more than an attempt for some poor soul to fool the world into believing they’re something they’re not. Some people try so hard to impress the world, and the cost and the consequences don’t seem to matter to them as they work so hard to be admired. Sometimes affluence is just a lifestyle that has effortlessly passed on from generation to generation and it would be nearly impossible to spend all the money if they tried. Sometimes there is no outward sign of money at all, and the “keeper” of the wealth could easily be presumed to be penniless. The world is often shocked when it hears of their passing and how they left almost every penny they ever earned behind. There’s no wrong in having lots of money as some people of Faith would lead the world to believe. After all, if nobody had any money, God would have a tough time funding ministry and working His miracles in a tangible world. But the truest sign of wealth isn’t measured in money at all, and the truest sign of Success doesn’t come from the bank. It’s what we do here on earth that has an Eternal “measure” that will bring the greatest Reward (AND joy) and the reward at the “end of the day” will exceed the value of all the gold in the world. This is the key to Success.

We’re each born for a Big Purpose and each of us has already been equipped for the Job. How interesting it is to hear people say “I don’t know what God wants me to do” when He’s already issued the Job Description and He’s already given each of us a unique Gift to be used for His Purpose that will always lead to Success. Jesus said to Peter, “if you love Me, feed my sheep” – but how will we feed them food if we have no money and how will feed them Truth if we aren’t willing to try? Hoarding up our Gifts and our talents and our money serves no Purpose at all, and if we aren’t careful, the same God who gives, is the God who also takes away, and we could so easily find ourselves penniless and useless for Him if we don’t put to Good Use those things that bring Him glory. I’m a “businesswoman” and I work hard to earn my dollars, but the Greatest Work I’ll ever do in my life is my work for Him. He’s front-and-center in my work, in my family, in my friendships, and everything else in between. As long as I have my Life in Perspective, I’ll always be successful and the fruit of my labor will have Eternal Significance. I love Him, and I’m doing my Part based on my Job Description…I’m going forth to tell the world the Good News, and I’m using my Gifts and my talents to feed His sheep day in and day out every chance He gives me. I’ll never have to worry about a single thing as long as I’ve got that Part right.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The Living God nudged me awake in the wee hours of this new day and I took the fourth watch of prayer right away. When the Spirit of God comes calling, sleep is of no importance at all, and when He comes calling it’s for a Big Purpose. So I settled in before the Throne of a Mighty God and I went to work on behalf of so many of my brothers and sisters. It’s an honor to pray on behalf of another, but it’s also “work” when you understand how the spiritual war is fought. I like to imagine that the enemy hates to see me coming because I pray with BELIEF and I pray with BOLDNESS. I’m as bold as a lion and as gentle as a lamb… I’m a Warrior for the Living God. Isn’t that the way you see your Role in the battle too?

Lots of things come into play to be a Warrior in the spiritual battle- like Faith, Perseverance, Boldness, Courage, and Willingness. But I think the one thing that sets Warriors apart from the “average” person of Faith is Compassion. When Jesus was “moved with Compassion” He did some incredible things. He fed thousands of people who came to learn from Him because He was moved with Compassion. When He raised Lazarus from the dead He was moved with compassion for the family, and Jesus wept over their pain. When the centurion soldier asked Jesus to heal one of his men, Jesus was moved with compassion over the centurion’s faith and He healed the soldier from afar. It is Compassion that drove Jesus to share the Truth, and it was Compassion that compelled Him to action. Compassion is the center of why He hung on the cross for you and for me. Heartfelt compassion cannot be ignored, and it will propel us into action every single time. There’s a huge difference between feeling sorry for people and having Compassion for them. Feeling sorry invokes a little conversation and it might even inspire a prayer or two, but Compassion…that’s where BIG things happen…that’s where Action is born… and that’s what it takes to keep us before the Throne of a Mighty God fighting the spiritual war.

I wish there was a way to force people into being Compassionate, but that’s not humanly possible. Compassion is born out of Love…Love for the Living God and the kind of Love that leads us to genuinely “love your neighbor as yourself.” If I love you the way I love me it’s not possible for me not to feel Compassion and it’s impossible not to do whatever I can do to meet the need. When Compassion kicks in we feel the pain of another and the “one body” teaching makes perfect sense. With Christ-like Compassion we don’t need to have firsthand experience in the journey the suffering ones endure…we just need to “love your neighbor as yourself” and their pain becomes your pain faster than you can say “amen!” Compassion drives us into action as surely as it drove Jesus to feed the multitudes…but just as important, it drives us to our knees on their behalf too. Not just a whispered prayer or two like so many people do, but Compassionate, Passionate, Bold, Relentless prayers with the Belief that they’re being heard in the Heavens. The Bible says that our prayers are “like incense in Heaven” and sometimes I like to imagine how sweet my prayers are to the King of all Kings.

I prayed through the fourth watch on behalf of the suffering ones and I did the only kind of Battle that does serious damage to the plans of my enemy. I’m a Bold Warrior in the biggest spiritual battle I’ve ever known, but I’m Courageous and Willing and I know how the Story ends. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about how His Compassion for me drew me to Himself, and what my future would be had He not – and THAT overwhelms me with the kind of Love that fuels Compassion…the kind of Compassion that drives me to my knees for the fourth watch and calls me into Action to fill the needs every chance I get.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I’m not sure if I was hungering to be taught or if God was just ready to teach me – either way, this was a morning for Knowledge. Not just any kind of knowledge…the kind of Knowledge it takes to Grow in grace. It’s as if God took out a Heavenly highlighter and lit up the Words that I needed to see, and I couldn’t seem to get enough as He taught me. When you have a Relationship with the Living God, it takes on many different Shapes…each One is one step closer to Him. Sometimes it’s Praise, sometimes it’s Heart Surgery, sometimes it’s revealing painful things about myself, and sometimes it’s time to soak in the Knowledge. When you spend the Time in the Presence of the One who “scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name” you just never know what He has in mind until you Meet. Isn’t that the way it is with you too?

God is the same “yesterday, today, and forevermore” but He’s not just an invisible Powerhouse in the sky, and He longs for a Relationship with His children. Each day is a new day to Learn more of what He wants us to Learn so that we can become more of what He wants us to be. When we see Him as just an invisible Powerhouse in the sky – we might have plenty of respect and reverence – but we don’t have Relationship. How can we have a Relationship if all we do is recite prayers passed down for generations, and how can we ever Know His Heart for us unless we seek His face? How can He use a Heavenly highlighter to Light the way to the Words He wants us to read if we’re just skimming the surface like panning for gold? How can we have a Relationship if we sing songs because we like the music without Giving Him the praise He deserves while we’re at it? There is a tremendous amount of “mystery” surrounding the God of all Creation, but there is NO Mystery surrounding what He wants from each of us…He wants a Relationship with His Children…the kind that overflows with Love and Gratitude and that longs to Please, and the kind that never grows tired of Him.

The Bible says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” so it isn’t hard to miss when God is pushed to the background for bigger priorities. I’ve heard plenty of people say “I can’t spend all day praying and reading the way you do” but I don’t spend all day doing those things either! He gets the first part of my day, the biggest part of my Heart, and my time and attention as I walk this Journey called Life. His Spirit dwells within me so I see Him everywhere I go, and I feel Him with me even when I’m not “praying and reading” because our Relationship has been Nourished. When we spend the Time to Nourish our Relationship with the Author and Perfecter of our Faith it pays off tenfold, and we have built-in Barometer for our words, our actions, our attitude, and our love everywhere we go, and in everything we do. He IS my Treasure and He has my Heart, and because of that I “consider” Him in all that I do. When you look at it that way, why in the world would we NOT do our Part to have a Relationship with Him?

I picked up some Knowledge this morning about things I’ve never even thought about before, and I’m Stronger and more Readied for this Journey called Life because of it. The most important One in my Life got the first part of me this morning and our Relationship is Stronger than ever. I’m His Child…and He’s my God…and it shows because we Nourish our Relationship every day.How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I woke up to the farm being blanketed with snow and the beauty around me defies words. Snow is clinging to every twig on every tree and plenty is falling to the ground. As I took it all in and gave thanks to the God who made each unique snowflake and calls it to earth at His appointed time, it reminded me of Life. Each one of His Creations is unlike any other, and each one is called into this world at His appointed time too – and just like the snowflakes falling this morning, some will cling to the Tree of Life while others just fall to the ground. What a beautiful reminder to me straight from the Throne of a Mighty God that some of us will desperately cling to the Tree of Life but others will just fall to the ground. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It can be so easy for us to clump all the people of Faith together as if we’re all the same…but we miss out on the Majesty of His Creation when we do. Each one of us was knit together in our mother’s womb at His appointed time and there’s no such thing as a mistake or bad timing in His eyes. Each one of us has a unique Purpose in this Journey called Life whether we ever get around to fulfilling it or not. Each one of us Knows the One who calls down the snow from Heaven and most of us have been Taught the same Lessons. The biggest difference is that some of us will desperately cling to the Tree of Life while plenty of others are content to fall to the ground where they’ll get mixed in with all the rest and their uniqueness fades away in the shuffle. We all have the One who Commands the snow to fall in common, but that’s not all we have in common. One day each one of us will melt away just like the snowflakes in Virginia, and the chance we had to Cling to the Tree of Life in the time we were Allotted will be over. When that happens we DO get clumped together for all of Eternity. The desperate ones who clung to the Tree of Life on one side and all the others content to fall to the ground on the other. This is the Key to the importance of sharing the Message of Truth with ALL the world…in and out of the church.

There’s a big difference between being determined and being desperate. Some people walk out their Journey of Faith determined to be God experts and they aren’t afraid to let you know it. They believe the more they know the stronger their faith so they study and study and they judge and judge – but most of their passion comes from their head…and not the Heart. These same people always have an excuse for why people sin and suffer and they probably can’t even spell HUMILITY or COMPASSION. Those poor souls don’t realize that they’ve already fallen to the ground like so many others because they’re lost in their determination for knowledge. It doesn’t take knowledge to desperately cling to the Tree of Life, it takes Heart. The kind of Heart that may not have all the answers from the Bible but one that clings to every word anyway. The kind of Heart that knows how helpless and hopeless it is without Him so it clings even more each day. The kind of Heart that overflows with Compassion for all those lost people and for the others that somehow went from clinging to clumping. The kind of Heart that understands the finality of the melting snowflake and it’s Desperate to Share the Truth because of it.

I marvel at the One who Commands the snow to fall that He would send a Reminder to me in the snowflakes this morning. You won’t find me clumped together like an everyday card-carrying Christian and you won’t find me fallen on the ground. You’ll find me celebrating my Uniqueness and embracing my Purpose. You’ll find me desperately clinging to the Tree of Life all the days of my life, and when it comes time for me to melt, I’ll be clumped together with my brothers and sisters in Heaven. The Heart for Christ is a Desperate Heart and that’s the only kind of Heart I want to have. The only determination on my radar is the kind of determination that makes me want to be all that I can be for Him and a determination to Boldly Share the Truth with all the ones who have fallen to the ground.

How about you?

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail?” Job 38:22LikeCommentShare

Lynn Gardner

tSpo6naSmsorhed  · Shared with Public

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The Living God lit up the farm with Majesty again, and no matter how many times I witness the Work of His Hand, I am in awe of Him. When I went before the Throne of the God of all Creation at sunrise He did a good Work in me…work that I desperately needed for the Journey. I’m troubled for this troubled world but not for reasons most people are troubled. I’m troubled to see so many of my brothers and sisters far more interested in speaking out about the troubled world than they are about the God of it all, and I find myself whispering “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” more and more each day. This magnificent sunrise was a firm Reminder to me to focus on His Majesty…the Light of the world…and to be a Testimony through it all – NOT just for the lost – but to my brothers and sisters as well.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” are the words spoken by the Savior of the world when he was wrongly accused and ultimately murdered by the rulers of the land. If anybody ever had the right to speak out against the wrongs, it would be Jesus Christ…the King of all Kings. If making sure his troubled world heard about its wrongs was of any importance to Him at all, He’d probably still be hanging on the Cross to get the final accusations out. Instead, His heart broke for them and He cried out to His Father to forgive them “for they know not what they do.” Jesus died for ALL including the ones who hung Him on a cross like a common thief. His final words were beautiful words…Compassionate words…words of Love, Hope, and Forgiveness. That’s the story of Jesus Christ…the one whose very nature we are called to take on. It’s not humanly possible to be without sin like He was, but it IS humanly possible to care a whole lot more about the Final Outcome than we do the troubled world itself, and having the “last word”…words of Love, Hope, and Forgiveness is always a choice.

Sometimes I close my eyes and I imagine what it would be like if my brothers and sisters, so determined to spread what they believe is happening behind the scenes in Washington, would begin to spread the Good News instead. I wonder what it would sound like to hear “Jesus is Coming!” a whole lot more than we hear “four more years!” I wonder what the world would be like if it could hear personal Testimonies of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives instead of personal opinions about what’s coming next in politics and how the world has done us wrong. I wonder what it would be like if we longed to see Heaven a whole lot more than we long to see justice here on earth. I wonder what it would be like if God’s people would cry out “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” instead of shouting out insults about the character of those they hate. I wonder what it would be like if my brothers and sisters understood that they’re being used by the enemy as surely as their enemies are and they’re not messengers for the Living God the way they think they are because they fail to speak Love, and Forgiveness right along with all their “truths.

“Watching how so many of my brothers and sisters are weighing in on the world breaks my heart…it is one of the saddest times of my life, for sure. Sometimes I wonder if we read the same Bible or serve the same God at all, but more than that I find myself whispering “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” more and more each day…a prayer for all those lost people too ignorant to know what they’re REALLY doing, and for my brothers and sisters caught up in the war. As surely as God brings the sun each morning, I’ll be letting the Light of my Faith outshine the darkness around me and I’ll DETERMINE to be the Witness He’s called for me to be. Oh, and because I LOVE HIM, I’ll continue to feed His sheep too. He’s my Priority. He’s my Good News. He’s my Savior. He’s my Rock. HE IS THE TRUTH and that’s the ONLY TRUTH this troubled world needs to hear.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Living God surrounded by beauty, and all I seemed to be able to do was give thanks. No search for answers. No plea for mercy. Not even a whole lot of time in His Word. Just Gratitude for it all. When I saw this flag, beaten up by its journey and clinging to the rough edges that caused the damage, it reminded me of Life. I can’t fly freely or do what I was Designed to do if I allow myself to cling to any rough edges that have the potential to cause me harm…nor should I hold onto those things that caused “damage” in my life. I released this flag from the rough edges as surely as God Releases me from mine…IF I let Him….and when I do, there’s nothing more Bold and Beautiful than my Life flying for all the world to see. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey too?

Life happens to all of us. There are ups and downs, heartache and heartbreak, tragedy and death, sickness and health and everything in between. We all get beat up along the way just like this old flag did…nobody flies forever without hitting a few rough edges. It’s the good AND the “bad” that defines a Life and its how we look at the rough edges that define character and Faith. Some people seem to cling to those rough edges as if they want to be sure they never forget…and even though they don’t see it that way…the rough edges define them. Though the wind blows to bring in the new season, and though it wouldn’t take much to let go of the rough edges to fly freely again, plenty of people would rather hold on than let go.

Some people let go of those rough edges as fast as they can but before you know it they get tangled up again in the very same way! They let go but they rushed the whole process and did nothing to repair the damage brought on by the rough edges… so they’ll remain vulnerable in exactly the same place. The rough edges will always be a part of life – unless you mend the damage that was done the last time you got snagged by them, you’ll get caught up every time you fly by the rough edge. When we hit the rough edges and endure a little “damage” in the process we have a choice. We can remain torn and vulnerable OR we can take action to be sure that we don’t get hurt in the same spot over and over again. Unless we repair the Heart Damage, we will ALWAYS be subject to the same rough edges and and we’ll repeat the same painful pattern until we do.

The flags on the porch take a beating and they eventually succumb to the rough edges. They begin to fray and before you know it they’ll hit that rough edge and get caught up until I release them. The damage gets worse each time they pass the rough edges and eventually they’ll get replaced. Had I taken the time to mend the flag, it could have kept flying freely to share its beauty for all the world to see. What’s true for the flag, is true for my Life too. I know I’ll hit rough edges for as long as I have breath in my body, but unlike the flag that could have used a little mending from me, I’ll be Focused on the Flawless One…the One Ready to mend my Heart and to give me Wisdom so that I never hit the same rough edge again. I’m Free!

How about you?