Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Spring is taking its time getting here, and the mornings aren’t quite warm enough to enjoy outside yet, so my Quality Time with the One who “scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name” was spent inside with a hot cup of coffee. I may not linger on the porch until it’s comfortably warm out there, but I step outside at daybreak just to greet the new day no matter what. I want to see what God is up to on each new day, and I want to see what’s changed since yesterday. This oak tree sprouted its buds since yesterday morning and my heart swelled up as I considered the leaves that will soon be rustling for me to hear. Watching the Spring unfold isn’t “like” witnessing a miracle; it IS a miracle and one that I’ll never grow tire of, and I’ll never take for granted. Isn’t that the way you look at nature too?

It can be so easy to only focus on the big things in life and to miss all of those little things if we’re not careful. Like a child looking for entertainment, sometimes we only notice the BIG things because it takes a whole lot to hold our attention in a busy world. But it’s those “little” things where the biggest Miracles are found, and it’s in those “little” things that the Touch of the Master’s Hand can been seen anytime you look for it. Sometimes I think people fail to have that Intimate Relationship with the Living God because they don’t see His Hand in every single little thing around them. To them He’s the “Big Guy” in the sky and they expect Big Things from Him because of it, and unless they see a disease healed or the sea parted; they get a little bored with all the He is on an “average” day…but not me. I see His Hand in every direction I look in, and I give Him Glory for it all. From a budding tree, to birds fighting over their food, to a raindrop that lingers on the leaf of a plant before it drops to the ground. Sometimes people comment on how “easy it is” for me to appreciate the world because of my view from the front porch, as if that’s the ONLY reason I see the Touch of the Master’s Hand with 20/20 vision. But if anybody has ever spent time with me off of this magnificent farm, they’ll tell you that I can find the beauty in anything, and I can see the Hand of God in an asphalt parking lot…as long as I’m looking for Him.

It makes me sad to hear people say that they’ve never been eye-witness to a Miracle, because I know it isn’t the Miracle that is lacking; but the Relationship with Him instead. Maybe they give credit to God for some things, and then credit to “Mother Nature” or “the universe” for the rest, as if there are different kinds of provisions that come from different sources. But it’s when we KNOW that He’s the source of all Life, and we KNOW that He cares about every seed, and every bird and everything in between, that we embrace His Majesty and we give Him Glory for every tiny little piece of life. Some people “worship” nature, and some people “worship” the animals; but I Worship the One that holds it ALL in the “palm of His Hand”, and I know that He gives me “dominion over” these things. Bees exist to pollinate and snakes exist for rodent control, and I don’t much like either one of them…and I do my part to keep them away from my space every chance I get. But I never forget the One who made them and I never stop marveling over the Work of His Hand.

Like Adam and Eve before me, I walk through the beautiful Garden of life, and I commune with the Living God every day, in every way, giving thanks for every tiny little piece of it. But I’m not the same as the trees or the animals or the bugs. I’m a Child of the Living God, and in His eyes; nothing else compares to human life, with a human mind, and a free will, and a soul that has an eternal Destiny. I’ll be a good steward of all that He entrusts me with today, and I’ll be giving Glory to Him for the miracle of it all. But my Main Focus will be on the Biggest Miracle the world has ever known, and I’ll do my Part to share the Story of Hope in every single tiny piece of my day today.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s sunny, and things are beginning to green, and before you know it; the trees and everything around this farm will come to life. As I sat before the Throne of a Mighty God this morning, He used the fields around this old farm to remind me that you “reap what you sow” in Life; especially when it comes to the Heart. There are lots of things that go into the making of a green field that will be rich for harvest one day soon, and there’s a whole lot that has to go into me too if I want to be Rich for Harvest and a Vessel that can be of Benefit to my God too. It’s understanding what it takes to grow the Good Fruit that makes all the difference in the End Result. Isn’t that the way you look at your Life too?

Plenty of trees around the farm will soon bud out, and lots of them weren’t planted here by man at all. Nature did the planting, and God did the Nurturing, and somehow without any help from me; they thrive year after year. There is plenty of green in the fields around the farm too, and when it’s left to grow; it will soon get harvested for the cows. But farmers don’t just cut down long grass and weeds to feed to their herds…at least the good ones don’t. They do their part to nourish the soil too so that what grows in the fields is rich, and abundant and healthy for the herd. God makes sure to water the fields, and He brings forth the sun to help it grow. But without a little effort on the part of the farmer, what would be produced out of the field would be of little use to him and his herd at all…and the same is true for you and for me. God is always ready to do His Part to grow us into Vibrant Vessels for Him, but He won’t do all the Work that it takes to get there. We have to be sure to add all those other things that it takes to grow Fruit that is rich, and abundant and healthy too. IF we do nothing to assure that we produce Good Fruit; all we can expect to grow is weeds. If “weeds” are of no real benefit to a farmer; what good are Weeds when it comes to the Living God? He doesn’t just want “green” sprouting up uncontrollably. He wants GOOD fruit that will be beneficial to His Herd too…and it takes a little work to achieve that.

Weeds are strong and resilient and they aren’t easy to control. Weeds can grow in every nook and cranny, and weeds grow like wildfire. Some weeds may be pleasing to the eyes, and if we don’t know the difference, we’ll easily mistake a weed for a flower. But it doesn’t take long to see that the weed doesn’t produce the beauty or the fragrance of a real flower at all, and it has no ability to Produce Good because of it. Weeds grow in every direction with no rhyme or reason, and when they’re left unattended; they have the ability to snuff the life out of whatever good stands in the way…and so it is with people of Faith. When people of Faith become lazy, and they refuse to do their part to Grow Good, they invite the weeds to take up residence in the Heart, and eventually the weeds will consume the Good in them too. When the weeds take over in a person of Faith, they end up doing a whole lot more harm than Good in the process, and they have the potential to snuff the Life out of whoever stands in their way too. It doesn’t take any effort on our part to grow weeds. Anybody can do that! But growing Good Fruit is an entirely different story. Just like the farmer…it takes nourishment, and hard work, and diligence, and commitment, and a determination to do whatever it takes to Produce Good fruit that will bring about Good things in His Herd. I may not be able to control all the weeds around this old farm, but I CAN control the weeds in my Heart, and when I do my Part; God ALWAYS does His. I’m doing my Part to be sure that my Life is filled with Good Fruit so that I can be pleasing to the King AND used by Him to do Good for as long as there is breath in my body.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I had a long meeting with the Living God inside a warm kitchen this morning, and we spent some time working on my Heart. He made sure to highlight my weakness, and He reminded me of His Strength. Some of the Message He had for me made me weep with shame, and some of the Message made me overflow with joy. But none of the Message would have been possible, nor would it have any impact on my Life whatsoever, had I refused to be willing to be Molded by my Maker again this morning. When it comes to things like Heart and Character, there’s no such thing as being “complete”. There’s always room for improvement and I’m always so eager to be all that I can be for Him. The birdhouse in this photo served as a sweet reminder to me, that I may stand out like a soar thumb in a dark world, I may stand alone in this life, and I sometimes waver in the wind…but just like this old birdhouse, I’ll keep standing Tall and Reaching High until the End of my Journey. Isn’t that the way you look at your and your life too?

There are lots of reasons why most people don’t continue to Grow for as long as they live; but I think the biggest reason is pride. It’s often said “pride comes before the fall” but that’s a spin-off from Words in Proverbs that drives the message home a little deeper… “pride goes before destruction, a haughty (arrogant) spirit before a fall”. Pride is what prevents us from being willing to be transparent, and pride is what keeps us from sharing our trials. Pride is where we convince ourselves that we’re something we’re not, and that we’re bigger and better than we really are. Pride is what makes us run from the Spirit of God when it’s Lesson Time, and pride is what stands in the way of revealing our weaknesses. Pride is what prompts us to judge someone else, and pride is what makes us lie to ourselves about who and what we really are. Pride drives greed, and pride drives lies. It’s pride that will stop us from helping the helpless, and it’s pride that leads us to find our identity in wealth. A prideful heart refuses to admit when it’s wrong, and pride stands in the way of forgiveness of another. There’s no end to the destruction that pride brings with it, and eventually pride will build a shell around the heart that it is so hard, that we’re no longer recognizable as God’s people and we’re useless to the King. There’s no room for pride if we want to grow, and unless we get a handle on pride; we can’t find humility.

I’ve been slapped around by people of Faith more often than I can count when they hear me confess my weaknesses or when I share my trials or temptations. Their pride drives them to believe that if you are a person of Faith, all those things are “in the past” and that those aren’t things aren’t things we share with the world. But I have no pride when it comes to being a Vessel for the Living God, and I know that the more I share about my own Life; the more inclined God will be to use me to help someone else. My Life isn’t just a big ball of mess, even though it’s felt that way sometimes, my Life is Powerful, Living, Breathing Testimony, and I’m not too proud to share it. Every single piece has grown me, and every pain has made me Stronger. But most of all; I know that ” in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose”…so ALL of it has been used for Good. My Life has Purpose, and I’m humbled to be used by the King. So, whenever pride sneaks in, and I begin to take credit for things in my life, it’s time for a Lesson in Humility straight from the Throne of the Living God. I may not like it much when it’s Lesson Time, but I’m ready and willing to be Molded by my Maker so that I can be ALL that He intends for me to be for as long as there is breath in my body.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. As I sought what the Living God would have for me today, every Prompting and every Word I read kept directing me to the significance of, and the Power that can be found in our spoken Words. There was no avoiding my Lesson today, and no attempt on my part to move onto other Lessons could change the Course of what I was intended learn today. The God of the Universe was on a Mission with my heart, and the God of the Universe will always Win…one way or another. I know what it is to wrestle over those difficult Lessons that I need every once in a while, and I know what it is to obey. The longer I live the less I wrestle, and the easier it has become to Obey. Isn’t that the way it is with you too?

Spoken Words have life as surely as I do, but the power of words will last much longer than just a lifetime…once those words are “out there”; they can never be withdrawn. Negative or destructive words can mold the very being of a child, and there is so much power in those words, that they have the potential to negatively impact generations to come. Anybody cold and reckless enough to speak destructive words to their child, will someday witness destruction if they live long enough to see it. “The tongue has the power of life and death”. Those words may have been spit out decades ago, and perhaps there was an apology and even an acknowledgment of forgiveness that followed at some point. But the words and the pain that the power that was granted to them, can never, ever be withdrawn. The same is true in relationships. One fit of anger and a few insults will last longer that the argument, and those words will be forever embedded in the heart and in the mind of the other. No amount of apologies can withdraw the words or negate them from the heart and mind. Once they’re “out there”, they’re “out there” forever, and we might be forgiven for them one day, but the damage they caused will last forever. Words have more power than most people ever realize, so if there is anything on the planet worthy of focus and self discipline; it’s the tongue.

Those negative words may have power of their own, but the Good ones do too! When we speak out loud the Promises that God reveals to us in His Word; nothing has more Power than those Words, and the Blessings that follow will last more than just a generation or two….IF we speak them and IF we believe them. When we speak Good Words over our children, our loved ones and everybody else that God places in our path; they are “out there” forever and they can never, EVER be withdrawn. They have Spiritual Life, and they are Spiritual Truths that the Living God set in Motion from the time of Genesis and through forever more. We don’t just HOPE for good things. We don’t just WISH for good things. We don’t even just PRAY for good things. We PROCLAIM (out loud) Good things, and when we do; we’ll see Power and Change and Hope and a Future and everything else that is Good. We’ll experience prosperity much more significant than our checkbooks…we’ll experience spiritual prosperity and physical prosperity…everlasting prosperity in all the ways that matter.

I got a Heavenly Reminder this morning on the power of my words, and I’ll be sure to exercise self control when I open my mouth. God forbid that I should speak unkind words to anyone in my path today or any other day of my life and God be with me as I Proclaim Good things to world. Words that can never, EVER be withdrawn and Words that have Power forever more!

“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’

Numbers 6:24-26

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and I’m looking forward to how He’ll be using me every step of the way. I took a little “beating” straight from the Throne of the Living God this morning as thoughts of doubt about myself and my Purpose crept into my soul; but it didn’t take long for Him to set me straight at all. When I begin to feel doubt about me and my Mission, it’s always because I’ve allowed someone or something else take up residence in my mind or my heart, and when I allow that to happen; I become worthless to the King. So, after a gentle Reminder from Him and a little confession from me; I’m recharged and I’m filled with excitement for my Life and my Purpose…and I’m humbled for the journey…and now there’s not a doubt in my mind that I’ll be having an impact for the Kingdom today! Isn’t that the way you deal with doubt and discouragement too?

It’s so easy to complicate Life and to get wrapped-around-the-axle over things that make no difference at all in the Bigger Picture of Life; and it’s even easier to become discouraged when we do. There will always be someone “out there” intent on rocking-the-boat, and there will always be Obstacles set out to discourage. It’s only when we look at Life through the Eyes of a Mighty God that we realize that none of those things have the “power” to derail us or to stop us from making a Difference in the world at all…unless we let them. It’s not the people who disappoint us, or those who fight against what we Stand for that matters; it’s how we deal with those people that has the potential to make an Eternal Difference beyond anything we can begin to comprehend on this side of Heaven. The way we “deal” with them, has everything to do with the way we “deal” with God and how we allow Him to deal with us. It’s only when we let God peel back the layers to reveal who we really are without Him; that we find the grace, the love and the compassion to see someone else for who they really are too….and we extend love and forgiveness freely no matter what. This is why when I’m feeling discouraged… when I’m doubting myself and my Purpose… or when I get my feelings hurt here and there…that it’s my transparent Time with my Transparent God that matters the most. It’s when I get ME Right that can I get it Right with the World too. And when I get ME Right…there’s no Limit to the difference I can make in the world on behalf of the Living God.

When we’re willing to step-up and to speak-up about our Faith anytime and anywhere, the world is ready and waiting to lash out in ways that most people can’t imagine. It’s not possible to count the number of people prepared to debate politics or Rules set forth by the Living God. But the people most ready to “attack” aren’t the people who don’t know better when it comes to things of God; it’s the people of Faith instead. Somehow the world has become filled with Pharisees that have convinced themselves that it’s their Role to battle these things no matter the bad Witness they are to a Good and Righteous God in the process. People of Faith spit insults at the clueless ones, and they’re ready to judge the world at the drop-of-a-hat. But there will always be people who go against us and what we Believe. It’s not what somebody else believes or doesn’t believe that matters the most…it’s the way we deal with them in spite of what they believe or don’t believe that matters the most. The way we “deal” with them has everything to do with the way we “deal” with God and the way He deals with us. It’s only when we allow God to peel back the layers to reveal who we really are and how pathetic we’d be without Him; that we find the grace, the love and the compassion to meet others where they are too…no matter what they believe or don’t believe. There’s “nothing new under the sun” and there isn’t a conflict that we face (or a people so vile), that compares to the persecution and Crucifixion of Christ… if He could extend grace, love and compassion to his enemies while hanging from a Cross…I think that’s a clue for us in how we are to treat our “enemies” too. If we’re truly Followers of Christ (and not just bird-dogs for righteousness) then we have to learn to love others no matter what they say or do…AND we need to tame the tongue. It’s when our world sees Christ IN us that we make the Biggest Difference, and nobody has EVER been won to Christ by insults and judgement. If we want to be Right with the World; it all begins with getting it Right within ourselves and Right with Him. This is the Key to humility.

I may have temporarily succumbed to my heart over people and things in my Life, and I may have doubted myself and my Purpose at sunrise; but it’s an entirely difference story now. He peeled back the layers of me and I’m humbled, And NOW I have the grace, the love and the compassion to Represent the King of Kings.

How about you?