Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Soon after I opened my eyes and gave thanks to the Living God for another day to Serve, someone came to my mind “out of nowhere” and I began to pray. I wasn’t even awake enough to be thinking about anybody, but God put them on my heart. I have no idea what’s going on with them but my Heart could feel the burden so I carried their load in prayer. No organized prayer list on the planet could ever measure up to those times when God Almighty stirs up the spirit on behalf of someone else to drive us to my knees before His Throne. It takes a spirit that has been Sensitized by the King of all Kings to understand that nothing happens “out of nowhere.” Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

If we could peel back the layers of Heaven to watch God working behind the scenes I’m pretty sure it would shock us to see all the times He’s called upon us to step-up but we ignored the Call. How many times have we had a thought “out of nowhere” that gets chalked up as a coincidence, so we do nothing about it at all? How many times have we “just happened” to be in the right place at the right time and we chalk it up to coincidence or luck of some kind? How many times has someone come to mind and before we could turn around twice we “just happened” to bump into them or they just happened to reach out to us? How many times do we have a thought or a dream about someone we haven’t seen or heard from in years and we just chalk it up to good (or bad) memories? How many times have we rolled our eyes over bad behavior in a public place and we whine about our misfortune of getting in their path as if we ordain our moments? There’s no end to those Opportunities we choose to ignore OR things we easily chalk up to coincidence. None of us get it right all the time, but it takes a Sensitive Spirit willing to be guided by the Hand of God to listen to the whispers of God instead of waiting for a shout out from Heaven. This is the Key to Walking in the Spirit through this Journey called Life.

I began this new day with a burden for someone I wouldn’t begin to know how to reach…but God knows where they are. I prayed for someone not knowing what the needs are…but God knows their needs. I don’t understand the Mind of God or why He does what He does when He does it…or why He would nudge me to pray for that person this morning. All I DO know is that I want my spirit to be Sensitive to His whispers and I don’t want to chalk anything up to “coincidence” EVER.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was one of those nights…I had plans for sleep, but God had other Plans for me, so I spent the night in front of a warm fire and I let the Fire of God work through me instead. I’m not troubled for this world or the condition of the nation – I have complete confidence in the Living God and I know His Plans are Perfect no matter what…Plans that were put in motion before the foundations of the earth. Why would I spend even one-minute debating over His will? No, I’m not troubled by the condition of the world, but I can’t say the same about the condition of the hearts of all those people putting their time, attention, and trust in things of this world instead of the God of this world, and if they aren’t careful, they’ll get lost in the chaos. Now THAT troubles me. Does it trouble you too?

We don’t reach the world for Good just by praying no matter how much time we spend in the prayer closet or how often we find our way to church. We reach the world by who we are in Christ…by what we stand for IN HIM, not by what we stand for politically. We reach the world when we’re willing to share our personal Testimony of His Greatness and Mercy, not by spreading evil about the “evil” ones…the ones He died for too. We reach the world when it sees that we Worship only One and we Trust only One to lead. We reach the world when we can muster up Christ-like compassion for the lost ones that outshines our passion for our political preferences, and we care more about the condition of the soul than we do what side of the fence they’re on. We reach the world when we fearlessly BELIEVE and it shows…NOT in our own theories…NOT in some underground world…NOT in the opinion of “experts”…NOT in anything or anyone of this world…but the God of all Creation. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to EVERYONE, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the HOPE that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” – this is what being a Servant of the Lord looks like…through the good, the bad, and the ugly…with nice people and “evil” people in HOPES that they might find Christ through us. Are you a Servant of the Lord?

The Bible says; for the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” God doesn’t tolerate us having any other gods before Him…period. “Gods” aren’t just magical, mythical beings…they aren’t just statues…they aren’t merely things we idolize…the “gods” Almighty God is referring to is anyone or anything that is higher on the priority list of life than He is. I don’t need to be there personally to see that millions of people are spending more time reading about what’s going on in America than they are the Source of Truth…and it shows. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, it’s not possible not to hurt for the broken world. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, it’s not possible not to care more about lost souls than we do about lost elections. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, you want to shout the Good News from the mountaintops in hopes that everybody (including the “evil” ones) will have what you have and know what you know. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, you have absolute confidence in your Future, and you find contentment and peace that surpasses all understanding through it all – because you know that “all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His Purpose” even those things that look so bad from where we sit.

I spent the night in front of a warm fire with my Consuming Fire and it will show in the way I work…the way I love…the way I Serve…the way I Share my testimony…the way I pray…the way hurt for the lost…the way I spread the Gospel…and the way I stay focused ONLY on Him. My Faith is unshakable because of my Consuming Fire.

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 Alpha and Omega at the beginning of this new day with a broken heart for the world, but it didn’t take long for Him to set me Straight all over again. All it took was a little time in my Instruction Manual, a Heart willing to Learn, and a Spirit in need of Rest. With those things in Perfect Alignment, He spoke Life into my life and He put Heavenly Perspective on the world again. I wish everybody could feel what my Heart feels now and I wish everybody could have peace like mine at such a time as this…but, not everybody is willing to work for it. Are you willing to work for it?

If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that God will be Victorious no matter what our outward circumstances look like from where we sit. He IS the Beginning and the End with a Master Plan that would blow our minds if we could see it now. But we see victory as a win or lose, while God sees Victory with the Master Plan in mind and victory isn’t always so cut-and-dried. When David became King the Philistines set out to kill Him so David inquired of God IF he should go against them and IF God would deliver them into his hands. God assured David that he would, so David set out full force to annihilate his enemy. When David heard that the enemy’s army wasn’t finished yet, HE INQUIRED of God again. David didn’t assume anything without first approaching the Throne of the Living God for instructions. God responded with “As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” God isn’t just “with us” – God isn’t just “for us” – GOD GOES BEFORE US and HE delivers the victory Himself. This is the Key to Peace at such a time as this.

I’m just as broken-hearted for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are overlooking the One with the Master Plan (as they write a playbook of their own) as I am by the condition of the dark world. There is only one Solution for ALL our problems…problems that are a part of the Master’s Plans…and it has nothing to do with victory for the left or the right. The Solution is Jesus Christ…the One who sits at the right hand of the God of all Creation and intercedes on our behalf. The lost ones don’t know any better because they don’t know the One who died for them yet, but my brothers and sisters should. If they Know my God they should be confident in the Outcome even if they disagree. If they Know my God they should seek His will through the battle and be willing to wait to “hear the sounds of marching in the tops of the poplar trees” before they do battle with an enemy they cannot see. But most of all, as my brothers and sisters shake their fists, spit out insults, and claim to have exclusive rights to their own master plan, they aren’t willing to let the Lord go out “in front of you to strike” the enemy down Himself. He can…and He will…in His time…in His way…and THAT is the foundation of our Faith ESPECIALLY at such a time as this.

I care about the condition of our world and I have plenty of “opinions” of my own, but none of my opinions matter to the One who wrote the Master Plan that cannot be altered. Victory isn’t cut-and-dried and it doesn’t just happen overnight…at least not from where the God of all Creation sits. He’s my God and I trust Him…I love Him…I want to please Him…I surrender my all to Him…I seek Him and His will…and my Faith is unwavering. You won’t find me living in fear or shaking my fists at the Plans my Maker has in store. Instead, you’ll find me walking out my Faith with confidence that He will ALWAYS go before me to strike down my enemy and you’ll hear me sharing the Gospel like never before…a message much more important than the left or the right… because that’s what being a Witness for the Living God looks like and His Agenda is the only agenda that matters at all.

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 holds “the keys to death and the grave” and we had a little fireside chat this morning about the condition of the world. Sometimes it’s painful to look at this dark world and all that’s going on around me, but I have nothing to fear no matter how bad it is. I know I serve the Solution to it all and my Future is in His Hands. Instead of dwelling on things He’s already said would come to pass, I Focus on shedding Light in a world that seems to get darker by the minute. I’m on Temporary Assignment in this Journey called Life – but I’m determined to leave an Eternal mark for the One who died for me while I’m still here. I’m beacon of Light in a dark world and THAT’S how I can find Joy no matter what’s going on around me. Isn’t that the way you see your life in a dark world too?

It’s interesting to see so many people of Faith fretting over this dark world and all the madness unfolding right before their very eyes as if they’re surprised to see what they see. They debate the possibility of war even though He tells us “there WILL BE wars and rumors of wars” before He returns for His people. They’re appalled when they hear about turmoil in families that sometimes manifests in abuse or death even though He tells us “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” Sometimes people of Faith whine about people of this world even though they’ve already been warned that “people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Everything we need to know has already been foretold, and yet people of Faith are often caught off guard just like the rest of the world all because they don’t Know the Truth…or they refuse to accept it.

It’s one thing to Know the Truth about all the madness and how the Story ends – it’s another thing to Know the Truth that brings Peace and Joy in the midst of all the madness. I know that no matter how things are or how bad they get, the Great “I am” is still in control. I don’t spend one second in fear of the darkness around me because I know that “greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.” I don’t worry about being forgotten when things appear to be so dark because I know He says ” So do not fear, for I am with you do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” I don’t worry about being persecuted for my faith or attacked for my beliefs because I know He “holds me in the shadow of His wings.” The One who holds the keys to death and the grave is the One I Serve and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” There’s no excuse for a person of Faith to get caught up in this dark world or to be living in fear – and there’s no excuse to withhold the Gospel of Jesus Christ from a dark world that needs the Truth more than anything else. How will they explain themselves One Day when they’re found hiding under the bed in fear or hiding from the darkness when they’re supposed to be shedding Light and Hope to a lost world?

My Faith is unshakable, and I refuse to live in fear no matter how “bad” things get. I’m not surprised by what I see because He’s already told me what to expect. I know the Truth and I have the ONLY Hope the world has ever known. I’m on a Temporary Assignment in this Journey called Life and you won’t find me squandering my time. Instead, you’ll find me Dedicated to the One who has the keys to death and the grave…the One who died for me…and you’ll find me full of Joy no matter what. It’s time to shed Light on this dark world like never before so THAT’S my biggest Priority while I’m passing through.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. God nudged me awake long before the sun came up and we had a long talk about Life. My heart couldn’t wait for the lights to come on so I could see with my eyes that my world is the same today as it was yesterday. Sometimes it’s hard to accept that He is a God who “gives and takes away” but He is. Sometimes it’s hard to see that He is a God of Mercy but He is. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that He is a God of Law and Order when it looks like the world has fallen apart but He is. As I turned to Him for Peace and Direction for such a time as this, He reminded me that He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore no matter how I perceive what’s going on around me, and He reinforced my Marching Orders all over again – to share His Goodness with a world that needs Him more than ever before – and before you know it, my heavy Heart was filled with Peace and Hope all over again. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

One of my favorite parts of the Bible comes from Job 38 where God paints a picture of His Majesty and Might to a man who had everything taken from Him from his kids to his wealth and health. The God of All Creation considered Job to be “the most righteous man” on the planet and yet He allowed calamity to come to him…calamity like you and I would never want to know. Through the calamity Job never stopped praising God but He sure got himself into trouble when “the most righteous man” presumed to know the Mind and Plans of God…and he wasn’t afraid to say so. When God set him straight with the most beautiful “where were you?” speech, Job was so ashamed of his arrogant heart…a heart that presumed to know what God was up to, that he cursed the day he was born. With humility like that, it’s no wonder God saw Job as the most righteous man on the planet! I wonder how many of us can say that we don’t presume to know the plans of the God who “gives and takes away?”

When I consider the “where were you” speech this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder what that speech would look like for America today? Would God say “where were you” when laws were passed that allow us to rip an unborn child…a Life He Created for Purpose…from the womb of its mother…70 million times? Would God say “where were you” when laws were passed to disgrace what He intended to be between a man and a woman?” Would God say “where were you” when we created new genders of our own and we chose to accept perversion as the “norm?” Would God say “where were you” when we allowed prayer to be removed from our schools to avoid offending non-believers – the beginning of robbing our children of truth?” Would God say “where were you” when His commandments were removed from the walls of our public places for all the world to see?” I don’t want to presume to know the mind of God either…but could it be that God has had enough with our “one nation under God” or that all our efforts to “stand up” are too little too late in His eyes?

This world needs Jesus now more than ever before and I’ll be one to be sure they hear the Truth. Not the “truth” that comes from some secret source or the “truth” that comes from an “uncensored” news channel…but the TRUTH that comes from the Word of God – the TRUTH about the God of ALL Creation – the TRUTH about the future that’s possible for all who Believe – the TRUTH about the God who gives and takes away – the TRUTH about the One who died for all. Lots of things are changing in our world, almost faster than we can comprehend…but God NEVER changes and He’s the way to Hope and Peace forevermore. Just thinking about my Future with Him fills me with Excitement and my Job Description is clearer than ever before no matter what God decides to take away for such a time as this.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cold outside this morning and venturing out onto the porch to snap a photo was a painful step for me. As I met with the Living God in the warmth of my kitchen, I began to weep for those so much less fortunate than I am… those left out in the cold in more ways than one. When I closed my eyes, I could see cold people, lost people, sick people, and poor people all around, and the image overwhelmed me. Except for the honor of praying for them and doing my small part to attempt to change their lives…I’m powerless. But I know the Miracle Maker and I know the Provider very well, and I know that He has a Plan through it all…even when I don’t understand it and even when it hurts. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It could be so easy to ignore the pain in the world or to consider it somebody else’s problem…if not for having a Christ-like heart. When we strive to have a heart like Christ, we learn what genuine compassion really looks like, and we no longer have just fleeting moments of feeling sorry for people…we hurt for them instead. Over and over again we read about the compassion of Christ and over and over again the translation refers to physical agony that He felt over the pain of another. It wasn’t as simple as a fleeting moment of compassion…He didn’t just shake his head and say “that’s too bad” or “that’s so sad” or “I’ll pray for you” …He hurt for them…He was in agony over their pain. It was when Christ was moved with compassion that He performed some of the most amazing miracles…like feeding thousands of people from just a little bread and a little fish because they had no food. It’s when compassion kicks-in that action kicks-in and it’s when the Heart genuinely hurts for another that we are in agony over their pain. It’s compassion that drives us to our knees to pray for the help we can’t provide on our own, and its compassion that forces us into action to help whenever and however we can…with no expectation of return, reward, or recognition.

These days there are plenty of people salivating over a stimulus check they believe they deserve, and even more people whining about how little it is. I’ve read comments made by the entitled ones like “that won’t even pay my rent” – or “that won’t put new tires on my car” or “Hurray! Beach here I come”…sad but true. Some people desperately need aid, while plenty of others don’t need it at all. Will it help? Of course, it will. Every little bit helps when people are in need. But I wonder what the world would look like if those non-suffering recipients would hand out their hand-out to someone else in need instead of spending it like the “found money” it is? At the break of this new year there are over 5 million people facing homelessness – 5 million people in line for foreclosure or eviction all because of the hand-outs that always get repaid one way or another…like it or not. Will we continue to sit back and blame our circumstances on the government OR will we step up the way God tells us to step up…offering an endless supply of “hand-outs” from the One who already paid the price?

I’m heading into this cold new year with more blessings than any human deserves. I understand where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. I understand that God used my own pain and poverty to tenderize my heart, and I understand that “there is no good thing in me apart from Him.” I am a child of the King and I’m humbled to be found worthy to do a little Work in His Name. I have a place Reserved for me in Heaven when I leave this temporary home and I’ll have Everlasting Life with my loved ones that are His Children too. I have a family that is so close and so filled with love that it defies logic, AND they’re all healthy and strong. I have a Purpose that was Divinely Designed just for me for and I understand what I need to do to Fulfill it. I have a warm home and a warm heart and every day I strive to have a Heart more like Christ…the kind that hurts over the pain of another, and the kind that wants to do something about it if I can. The kind that NEVER overlooks the honor that it is to be able to stand before the Throne of a Mighty God on behalf of someone else…the kind of Heart that knows I’m NOT getting what I deserve because Jesus already paid the price for me.

How about you?

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:17

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I stepped outside on this cold January morning to welcome in a new day of this new year, and to dedicate it all to Him all over again. He is my Hope, my Strength, my Redeemer, and my Friend, and “there is no good thing in me apart from Him.” He deserves the first fruit of my Life …beginning with my Time. I know if I give it all TO Him and if I live my Life FOR Him, the Journey will be beautiful no matter what’s going on in the dark world around me. So, when I stepped onto the front porch at sunrise for the first time this year I thanked Him for the year that is behind me now, and I thanked Him for what He’ll be doing with me and through me in this new one. Isn’t that the way you step into “a new thing” too?

Plenty of people around the world are saying “good riddance” to the year we left behind…but not me. Oh, it was filled with disappointments and all kinds of bizarre changes that’s for sure, but it had a Purpose in the Master Plan just as much as all those “good years” did and Beauty can be found everywhere if you look with the Right set of eyes and a Grateful Heart. I’ve spent just as much time as the next guy scratching my head in disbelief over what’s going on in the world and how quickly life has changed, but more than any other emotion or reaction to what I see and hear, I’ve watched with Great Anticipation for what God is doing at such a time as this. I don’t have all the answers, but I Serve the God who does, and I’m watching Him connect the dots to what He already had in motion since the very beginning of time. The only thing I need to concern myself with is how I fit into His Plan – and the only thing I can do anything about that has any significance at all is to Live out my Faith “with fear and trembling,” to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as I can, and to feed the sheep He Orchestrates into my Life.

The world around me has changed, but God sure hasn’t. He never changes His mind and He never leaves His Throne. He’s never taken by surprise like we are and He already knows the rest of the story because the world is in the palm of His hands and He “wrote the book” on how and when the Story ends. He’s “the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.” He never grows tired of hearing our prayers…they’re like “incense in Heaven” to Him… and He stores up every tear we ever shed “in a jar” because He loves us. He sent His “only begotten son” to die for us so that we can live out Eternity with Him in the place He’s already “prepared for us” – at least that’s what the future looks like for those who believe. God cares about each one and He died for all. But there are still plenty of people out there who don’t know my God – there are plenty of people who THINK they know my God but they don’t- and there are plenty more who have never been told about Jesus at all. And THAT’S where you and I come in…ESPECIALLY at such a time as this.

I’ve been blessed to have been loved BIG by countless people throughout my lifetime, but nobody ever loved me as much as He does. I’ve loved so big that I thought my heart would burst, but I’ve never loved anybody as much as I love Him. So, the world can keep changing and I’ll keep clinging to the Only One with the Answers while I share Hope with the world around me. You’ll never hear me say “good riddance” to a year full of days to Serve the Creator of All, that’s for sure! I’ll keep Serving every day, year after year…in good years and in not so good years….because THAT’S what Love looks like.

Happy New Year, world.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The sunrise was spectacular this morning, and it was as if God Almighty hand- painted His Majesty right before my very eyes. My heart went from solemn to celebration as I watched this new day unfold, and the course of my time with Him and my time in His Word was redirected. I started out focused on His birth and all of the circumstances surrounding His humble beginning…things we should never overlook. But in the midst of this magnificent morning, God didn’t just want me to consider the birth of His Son, He wanted me to CELEBRATE Him instead…so Celebrate I did at daybreak. Isn’t that what happens to you sometimes too?

My mind can’t begin to imagine what it was like so long ago when my Savior entered the world. A virgin girl was chosen to be the one to nurture Him in her womb, and there was no need for a doctor’s exam to confirm her pregnancy or to prove her virginity. Her fiancé kept his promise to marry her and he accepted what the angel of God told him…there was no need for DNA to confirm whose child she carried. Without a text message conversation, this girl’s relative immediately knew she was pregnant too because the baby she carried leaped in her womb at the sound of this young mother’s voice and the Holy Spirit came upon her that very moment… just as it was foretold. Without cell phones or the Internet, news traveled fast about this Child…the Savior…the King…because the details of His arrival, His life, and His Purpose were foretold long before He was ever born. Without the benefit of GPS the 3 wise men found their way to Him and without the benefit of online shopping they brought Him the most precious gifts under the sun.

Most of the world will celebrate next week, but most of the world won’t be celebrating the birth of my Savior at all. Some take advantage of this time of year and although they light-up a Christmas tree and wrap-up gifts, they don’t Believe in my Savior…they just like to use His birthday as an excuse to have fun. Some will proclaim to Believe but they don’t “buy-in” to all of the details of His birth that were foretold LONG before He was ever born…as if the Word of Godis a-la-carte and we can pick and choose the parts we like the best. Some profess to be people of Faith and yet they don’t pause to celebrate in Savior-style and when (or IF) they “tell” the story of His birth on Christmas morning it will have as much excitement as a trip to the mailbox. Some will sing Happy Birthday to Him on Christmas morning and seconds after they sing they’ll dive-in to gifts and shovel down a feast and He won’t be mentioned again…as if they’ve done their duty to acknowledge Him. Some claim to Believe and they’ll celebrate next week but the focus and thanks for all of those gifts their children receive will be credited to a fantasy-guy-in-the-sky who determines if they’re worthy or not.

I’ll soon be celebrating the birth of my Savior at the farm with my family, and you can be sure that it’s Him we’ll be celebrating. We know that “there is no good thing apart from Him” so He’ll get thanks for it all. We know that He is our Provider and that every morsel of food and every gift we exchange is only made possible because of Him. We’ll be celebrating Savior-style and we Believe every single Word of the story of His Birth…a baby born to a virgin…our King…our Savior…our Wonderful Counselor…our Mighty God…our Everlasting Father and our Prince of Peace!

How about you and yours?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. God dusted the fields with frost this morning – an outward reminder of the winter season…and the sun made it glisten all around this old farm. Today marks the beginning of a new year of my life and that frost reminded me of my Journey. I’m in the winter season of life…a time where most of the hustle and bustle is behind me and where Wisdom is my greatest attribute. A time where my body has begun to show signs of age and most things about me aren’t what they used to be. A time where my kids are now raising their kids and they don’t need me the way they used to. But for all the things that are “behind” me now, the Greatest Season is still ahead. I’m a Vessel for the Living God and He’s using me like never before. I’m a Voice for the Kingdom and I’m speaking up like never before. I face each new day with great anticipation for what He has for me, and I prepare for the Wonderful things He has in store for my Life. It’s a beautiful life and a blessing to be in the season capped with frost.

There aren’t many things that make me crazier than to see people squandering a life that has so much potential…especially the season capped with frost. Some people crawl through life like slugs as they get older with no joy or excitement at all. It’s as if they lost a little happiness each year along the way and they don’t seem to care to look for it again. They think the best is behind them, so they have no Excitement for today. Some people face each new day as if it’s a burden they have to endure instead of the Blessing that it really is. Some people look at the life of someone else and they’ll claim that if they had a life like theirs, they could be happy too… as if outward things make the biggest difference of all. Some people believe their happiness is dependent on other people and they convince themselves that if they had the right mate or a houseful of kids, they could be happy like the rest of the world. Some people have aches and pains and other physical challenges, and they embrace them like an old friend with no expectation of it ever being better. Some people quit living a LONG TIME ago and they’re just biding their time until the end. It’s possible for anybody to live like that IF they fail to see that Life has a Purpose much greater than themselves and much broader than their 4 walls of solitary confinement. Nothing ever changes unless we do our part to change it, and no long-lasting joy can be found without a proactive Focus on a Mighty God…all the days of our Lives!

There are plenty of people who look at my life and they could write a list a mile long for why THEY think it’s easy for me to be happy. They look at outward things or they hear me laugh or watch me smile and they convince themselves that joy comes easier for me than it does for them…but that’s not true at all. I determine to be happy and I insist on peace…and I’m old enough and wise enough to know where to go to find both. I refuse to surrender to the woes of “old age”, and I know where to go for my Strength. I meet each day with Great Anticipation, and I expect Good things each and every day…still. When I face trials and tribulations (just like everybody else does) I know where to turn for my Comfort and my Strategy. When life tries to beat me up, I don’t lick my wounds. Instead, I run to my Protector and I let Him take care of business on my behalf. I determine to be happy and I put in the effort it takes to sustain it…no matter what’s going on. I’m filled with Gratitude in ALL circumstances…it’s not possible to “pick apart” life or to lose your Joy when you remain Grateful…especially in the season capped with frost.

Age has no relevance at all when it comes to enjoying our days or to our making a Contribution and you’ll never hear me making excuses as I grow older. I’m like a child on a Christmas morning ready to open the Gift of each new day… and you’ll always find me Savoring the Blessings. I work hard to be this way! I do my Part to Live out this Life with Purpose! It’s when you Walk with Purpose, you’ll ALWAYS find happiness and Joy… regardless of age.

Thank you, God, for the years capped with frost and for another season to Serve you everything within me.

Happy birthday to me!

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One who breathed Life into my soul long before the sunrise, and once I got into His Word I couldn’t get enough. I read Words I’ve read many times before, but they Touched me in ways they never had before and today they had New Meaning just for me. I’m growing more each day because of Him…AND because I’m a Willing student. But just like the branches on this tree, there are pieces here and there that need more Attention so that the smaller, weaker, parts of me can become Mature like all the others. If I keep strengthening some parts but overlook all those other “little” things that need to Mature, I can’t become ALL that He Created me to be. So, I keep working day after day striving to be the Best for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your life too?

It can be so easy to feel good about ourselves based on Maturity in some areas of our lives, while we overlook the need to develop all the other “little things.” We can be strong and well-rooted in some ways but weak as a newborn colt in others. If we continue to pour Living Water on the strong parts, no doubt they will continue to stand firm. But if we overlook the “little things” that need attention too, we risk thwarting the entire Journey of Faith. Sometimes those small branches need to be pruned a little just to make a way for the others, and sometimes they need to be cut away completely. Either way, unless we pay attention to the “little things” that stand in the way of us becoming all that He Created us to be, we never reach the Goal. There’s aren’t many things that scare me as much as thinking I could end my Journey with a “Mission Incomplete” all because I refused to address the “little things” that stand between me and my God.

Sometimes we don’t even realize our Journey is being thwarted, but that’s because we excuse away the “little things” and we deceive ourselves into believing that the “little things” don’t matter as long as there are some Strong parts…but that’s not true. After all, the human body is made up of millions and millions of cells but all it takes is a few active cancer cells to prevent all the others from thriving…and the same is true for the Journey of Life. We often tell ourselves that “nobody’s perfect” and while that’s true, that’s no excuse for not at least trying to be more like Perfection. It takes each piece of us to Grow into a Strong Vessel that is worthy to be used by the King, and sometimes it’s all those “little things” that are standing in the way no matter how many other Strong branches we have. As long as we’re Willing…and Seeking His Face…and Determined to please Him more than we’re determined to please ourselves… He’ll keep revealing those “little things” that need some tending to and He’ll show us the way to prune or cut them away.

The Lord used the branches on a dormant tree this morning to drive home a message to me. He loves me. HE Created me for a Purpose. He wants to Use me. He wants me to be Strong. He wants me to Grow. He wants me to be a Walking Testimony of His Love and Grace in every area of my Life. If I need to go through a little pruning and cutting away so that I can be the Best for Him, it’s WORTH it. I won’t reach perfection on this side of Heaven but it won’t prevent me from trying to be more like Him every day of my life. “Mission Incomplete” isn’t an option for me.

How about you?