Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a whopping 32° this morning, and the wind is blowing, so it feels even colder than it is. Spring in Virginia is unpredictable and full of surprises – one day it’s hot and the next day it’s cold until FINALLY, Summer arrives and there will be no more bath and forth. In addition to my “normal view” from the front porch, occasionally, I’ll get to see a flock of peacocks running free, and we are blessed to see them when they pass through. I’m not sure how many there are for sure – 5 or 6, maybe more? – but interestingly, we’ve never seen them all at once. The only consistent one we see in the flock is the male. The females come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and they don’t appear to be the same age. All I know is that they are flocking together, and really the only thing they seem to have in common is the fact that they’re all peacocks; peacocks on a mission to search for quality of life. Humans are a little different. We want quality of life too, but we’re only happy if we’re around people like ourselves, and we’ll sacrifice just about anything to find it. The rich want to hang out with the rich and the poor with the poor. The old want to hang out with the old and the young with the young. I’m no expert, but I believe the peacocks might have it right – they seem to laser-focus on their common goal with no concern whatsoever over their differences. Isn’t that the way the Church should be, too?

If there’s one thing Christian people tend to obsess over, it’s how old they’ll be in heaven and how we will recognize each other if we get a brand new, indestructible, eternal body. Instead of obsessing over the fact that Heaven is real and the Qualified get to spend eternity there with no more sickness, sadness, or tears (WOW) people obsess over how old they’ll be, what they’ll look like, and how they’ll recognize their friends and loved ones. Some people even lose sleep at night as they obsess over whether or not the family dog makes it to Heaven, AND some go as far as to say they don’t even want to go to Heaven if their furry friends aren’t going to be there. As much as people fuss over how they look here and how they’ll look in Heaven…as fixated as they can be about hanging out with people their own age…NONE of it matters at all because we’re all just a gift-wrapped Soul. So, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that what we’ll recognize in Heaven is the SOUL of our loved ones, no matter what the new packaging looks like. I’ll know you and you’ll know me because the essence of us isn’t how old we are or what we look like…it’s the Soul. So, when you boil it all down, the ONLY thing that matters (or ever has) is what the Soul looks like to the Living God and whether or not we’re Qualified to be with Him forever.

Nothing brings out our obsession over silly things like being with people just like us than church does. Unlike the peacocks that remain laser-focused on the Common Goal instead of what the others look like, how old they are, how many people flock there, and what’s in it for them, we tend to focus on the outward much more than the Inward. When it comes to the Soul, it doesn’t matter what kind of gift wrapping we’ve been given for our Journey here on earth. It doesn’t matter how old we are because the Soul is timeless (and eternal). Most importantly, the Soul NEVER focuses on “what’s in it for me?” because the Qualified Soul is too busy staying laser-focused on God and the Purpose of our Journey here. To me, it’s very sad to hear people talk about what they look for in a local church as they set out to search for a group of people most like themselves. The same age, the same likes and dislikes, the same music – you name it – and when (or if) they find a church that meets their criteria, they think they’ve found the (almost) perfect church. Some have lost sight of the importance of the Common Goal in the Journey of Faith, and they’re satisfied with remote control church as far away from the flock as they can get. And then there are people like me. I’m in the Soul business, so names, ranks, and serial numbers don’t matter even a little bit…what matters is the Soul. I want to stir Souls up and cause them to laser focus on the Common Goal more and more, and I want to inspire them to toss the personal preferences down the toilet so that they ONLY Focus on the Soul instead. Come to find out, that’s what makes the (almost) Perfect Church – a body of Believers much more interested in flocking together as they reach for the Common Goal than they are “what’s in it for me?”

I’ll be Heaven bound sooner rather than later and there isn’t much in this Life that thrills me the way being with a group of Laser Focused beautiful Flock of Souls does. It doesn’t matter the shape or the size. It doesn’t matter the tone of the skin. It doesn’t matter how old or how young – it doesn’t even matter the quality of Life because as long as we’re Laser Focused on our Common Goal we’ll have EVERYTHING we need to please the Living God through this Journey of Faith. Think about it – the Qualified ones will be “stuck” with each other forever in a place so wonderful that it defies words. With that in mind, who in their right mind even cares if the outside is different than yours? The outside is just a gift-wrapped package hosting the Soul that will live forever. Trust me, you’ll recognize me because my Soul will be all that you see. So, the only thing that REALLY matters is where the Soul will be spending eternity. Now that is enough to motivate me to flock with the others as we chase our Common Goal together…to me, that is what the (almost) perfect church looks like!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Countless things make this time of year beautiful to me, but absolutely nothing compares to the Time we set aside to Remember what Christ did for you and for me. When I look at this image of the mountain with trees mostly blooming closer to the ground and with just a few scattered green trees at the top, it makes me think about the day of the Crucifixion of Christ and the overall Journey of Faith. I’m sure the ground was filled with spectators that day, some of them salivating in anticipation of Jesus being Crucified right before their very eyes, while some watched in horror. No doubt, a few of them made their way closer to the top of Calvary, just like some of the green trees are closer to the top in this image. But the truth is, the closer we get to the Cross, the fewer people we see because so many professed Christians would rather be spectators than “defenders” of the Cross. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith at such a time as this too?

Soon it will be Good Friday, and I’ve often wondered how it got its name. The “good” is the end result of Jesus dying on the Cross so that we might have Hope and a Future, but there was nothing good about the way it came to be. Good Friday is a solemn day in my Heart each year as I consider the human side of what Christ did for me. He was brutally beaten to the point of being unrecognizable. He was flogged until the skin tore away from His body. He was spit on. His hair was torn out from His head and His beard. A crown of thorns was placed on His head as they mocked the “king” and the thorns pierced His skin. And then, there’s that long journey carrying His cross naked and bloody right through the business district for everyone to see until He was finally hung to die a slow and miserable death on the Cross. Solemn? That doesn’t begin to describe what my Heart feels, and I have a hard time referring to it as “Good” Friday even though the GOOD came ONLY because He was willing to endure what He did. I don’t want a place in the “cheap seats” in my Journey of Faith, and I’ll never be a spectator. I want to keep climbing my way closer to the Cross all the days of my Life. Sadly, the closer I get to the Cross, the fewer people I see.

I pity the ones so focused on Easter egg hunts and beautiful bunnies that they fail to teach their children about what Good Friday is all about. I feel sorry for the ones who gloss over His Crucifixion as if a child can’t understand suffering. I’m appalled by the ones who focus only on the Resurrection while they whitewash all He endured for mankind. Without Friday, there wouldn’t be a Sunday, and without Easter, there wouldn’t be a Christmas. Even our churches are shying away from being too descriptive about what Christ did for us to avoid “offending” anybody. I used to take my kids to a passion play hosted by a nearby Bible church every year at this time. People traveled far and wide to attend. It was graphic. It was so realistic that it wasn’t easy to watch. I can still remember my kids crying as they “nailed” the spikes into the hands of Jesus. Many adults left the sanctuary because they couldn’t bear to watch even a portrayal of what Jesus endured. The actor portraying Jesus was “bloody” and he groaned as he walked down the aisle being beaten. It was heart-wrenching. He was hung on the Cross and it looked so real…and then He was Resurrected! Yes, it was “scary” for my kids to see, that’s for sure, but it drove Home the message of the Cross within their Hearts, and none of them have ever lost sight of what Christ did for us. It was worth it to share with them. Sadly, today, that play is an entirely different story because all the “offensive” scenes have been removed. No miracles. No beatings or blood. No sign of the Price He paid for you and me. Today, it’s a whitewashed portrayal of the Greatest Event the world has ever known. Yes, the closer you get to the Cross, the fewer people you see, and sadly, some churches are taking multitudes with them to the cheap seats to teach them how to be good spectators instead of climbing closer to the Cross.

This is the most important time of year for me. It’s bigger than Christmas or milestone birthdays. It’s bigger than the celebration of new life or a new job. Nothing compares to this time of year! You won’t find me whitewashing what it represents with pastels and candy. I’ve got a front-row seat before the Throne of a Mighty God who sent His son to die for me, and I’m not budging! The closer I get to the Cross, the fewer people I see, and THAT’S what keeps me busy sharing Jesus Christ with the world all year long.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I stepped outside this morning with a blanket, a cup of coffee, and the Holy Word of a Holy God to meet with the One who died for me. The Bible says, “draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” and that’s what my Time with Him is always about. It’s never about just showing up…it’s about drawing near…and to pull that off, I need to enter His Presence with a Humble and Grateful Heart, AND I need to be willing to have my Heart Examined each day by the Author and Perfector of my Faith. Sometimes it’s a sweet Time, and sometimes it’s a tough Time, but it’s always a Good Time when I draw near to Him and He draws near to me. Isn’t that the way you see your Journey of Faith, too?

It can be easier than you think to find ourselves in that place where we wonder where God is and if He’s even listening to our prayers at all – but it doesn’t have to be that way. If we just do our Part to draw near to Him, He will ALWAYS draw near to us. After all, He is a God of His Word! Sometimes, drawing near seems impossible and it feels like we can’t get there from here…and when that happens, it’s because we are in our own way of having quality time because of the Condition of our own Heart. No relationship can thrive just by being in the same room, and it’s not possible to “draw near” to another human being if we rely on the fact that we’re “together” physically while the Heart is not Prepared for the journey at all. There isn’t a Relationship on the planet that can possibly survive and THRIVE if the heart isn’t in it. Why would it be any different with the King of all kings?

The Living God doesn’t just want us to show up; He wants us to DRAW NEAR instead, and that is where the “work” comes in. It isn’t possible to genuinely draw near to Him if there is Unfinished Business in the Heart, and it’s not possible for Him to draw near to us if we meet with Him just to see what He can do for us or how fast He can settle our latest crisis. Drawing near to Him takes Humility to confess whatever is in the Heart that is not pleasing to Him, and it takes a Heart that Hungers to be ALL that He created us to be. Drawing near is more about what WE can do…and who we can be…to be found pleasing to the Lord of all Creation than it could ever be about what He can do to please us. The child of God is Royalty, and it’s an Honor to enter His Presence any time we want to BUT it matters to Him how we show up, and He can’t draw near if we insist on living a Life that’s not pleasing to Him.

Having a Rich Relationship with the King of all kings isn’t nearly as complicated as folks like to think it is. A Rich Relationship isn’t reserved for just a select few, and it isn’t withheld from any Willing Heart, but it does take Effort on our Part. It takes drawing Near to Him with a hunger to be found Pleasing in His eyes and with a willingness to let Him Work within the crevices of the Heart…those places that only He can see. The heart of man will need to be Refined every single day until we find our way Home, and, as for me, that’s the Greatest Honor – to be Refined so that I can be found Worthy to Serve the King. It makes me sad to see how few professed Christians “get” this part and how few are willing to Surrender to Him to draw near all because they’re too proud to humble themselves before the Living God. I’m not sure how the Journey will work out for those people, BUT I’m confident they won’t see the kind of Relationship I have with the King until they’re willing to surrender just like I do…day after day and year after year.

I met with Him wrapped in a blanket on the front porch of an old farm in Virginia this morning with a Heart that longed to draw near. I need Him more than I need breath in my lungs and we both know it. As long as I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s the second day of Spring and everything is coming to life around the farm, and I’m giving Thanks to the God of all Creation for Blessing me with another view of the Spring from the Front Porch. I LOVE watching the Touch of the Master’s Hand and I love to see what He’s up to each day especially this time of the year. It’s incredible to see how fast the trees bud out overnight, and I can almost hear them saying “Finally!” as it gets closer to the time they’re fully matured for the season. Unfortunately, this morning the temperature was just above freezing with a windchill factor of 26 degrees and it’s not unusual for us to get a snowfall in April. As I considered the joy of seeing new life in the Spring and how easily it could be snuffed out by freezing temperatures, it reminded me of the Journey of Faith. Many people come to Life when they’re first Introduced to Jesus Christ, and they’re the most Beautiful Buds you could ever imagine when they do. But just like a surprise Spring snowfall, the Enemy can come along to “freeze” all their fresh Growth and they can go from Budding Beauty to dead again faster than you can say “Amen”. Isn’t it just like the Living God to use a simple tree bud to inspire a Message for the world today?

God is the Creator of all Life, a Master Gardener, and the Author and Perfector of my Faith. Jesus has a lot to say about seeds to help us understand what takes place when we sow the seeds of the Gospel. In the parable of the sower of the seeds, Jesus taught us all about Beautiful Buds and what happens to the seeds (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) is never about the “quality” of the seeds, but about the Condition of the Heart when they’re planted. Some seeds get planted on a path and, although they hear the Word (Gospel), they don’t understand it, so the devil snatches the seeds away. Bye-bye Beautiful Buds! Some get planted on rocky ground and although they’re happy at first, as soon as hardships come they quickly blow away. Bye-bye Beautiful Buds! Then there are others who are planted in the thorns. Although they hear the Word they get choked out by the thorns and never bear fruit because of it. Bye-bye, Beautiful Buds! It makes me sad to think about all the seeds (Gospel) that have been sown and how few have actually taken root and have grown into Beautiful Buds all because of the condition of the Heart when the seeds of faith were “planted” in the first place. This is Key to our Journey of Faith – we do our Part to Plant the seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ but we have no control over the Condition of the Heart. That Part is between the seed and the Sower.

It takes just the right conditions for a seed to take root or for a tree to bud. It takes lots of water and plenty of sunshine. It takes nutrients it gets from the soil AND it takes the Touch of the Master’s Hand. Without any of these things (long term), not only will a plant not grow or a tree not bud, but it will begin to die altogether. It takes just the right conditions and the Touch of the Master’s Hand for the seed of Faith to bud BUT it also takes just the Right Conditions for Faith to Grow into Maturity too. The Bible tells us that our Adversary does nothing but prowl around on the earth looking for Seeds to Devour. He’s a liar. He’s a thief. He robs, kills, and destroys. He masquerades as something beautiful. His entire Agenda is to kill the seeds of Faith – especially before the seeds are firmly rooted. As surely as prolonged cold temperatures could cause the Beautiful Buds on the trees at the farm to fall to the ground, the Seeds of Faith can easily be destroyed if the soil isn’t just right. This is the Key to Maturing in our Faith in all conditions and it’s the Key to Protecting the Seeds of Faith every step of the way. After all, a Thief can’t steal what he doesn’t have access to!

I’m a Professional Seed Planter so I do my Part to warn others about all those seeds that have fallen to the ground and are potentially lost “forever” when all they ever needed was the Right Heart and the Touch of the Master’s Hand. It’s my Job (and yours) to plant the seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ but we can’t force them to Grow. As surely as we don’t plant seeds in the garden with a “love ’em and leave ’em” attitude, we should always be prepared to help Nurture all those seeds of Faith that have the potential to grow into Beautiful Buds. If God could take a wretch like me and Nurture me into a Beautiful Bud in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ…there’s hope for anybody with the Heart to Receive.

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 we had a long talk about Purpose and Plans for this new day and beyond. There is no Answer that can’t be Found in my Instruction Manual regardless of what’s going on in Life…and it’s Sufficient for every Season. When I set out to raise four children solo, I went to the Source of it all. God gave me the Wisdom I needed because I asked for it. My Instruction Manual says “If any man lacks wisdom let him ask and I will give it abundantly without judgment”…and He did. More than anything else, my Desire was to raise up a GODLY generation so I sought My Instruction Manual for step-by-step Instructions…and I followed them. I learned to “Impress them” (His Words) upon my children and to talk about Him non-stop as I “walked along the way”…and now they’re doing the same for the next generation. Training up a child isn’t as simple as taking them to Sunday school and praying before a meal – that takes very little effort at all! To “train up a child” we need to LIVE what we BELIEVE. Training up a child is walking the walk we talk about and it’s embracing every Supernatural Word we read. My morning begins at sunrise but my Journey of Faith begins with my Instruction Manual and I Know that if I Follow what I’m told, I’ll be Victorious in every area of Life…every single time. Isn’t that the way you Embrace the Word of God too?

It amazes me to see how so many people leave their Instruction Manual to gather dust as if it’s just one of those little (unnecessary) details of their Faith. Maybe they may open it up when they’re being taught by an “expert”, but without someone to point them in the right Direction, they leave it closed until the next time. Some people don’t bother reading it because they claim they don’t understand what it says, but there is a good reason for that. Some people turn to self-help-spiritual books instead of the Greatest Book and Top Seller of all Time – Perhaps because what they read in a book written by someone other than the Living God is more their style? With only 18 inches between Heaven (the heart) and Hell (the head), I’d ditch the intellectual approach to Faith before it’s too late if I were them. Some people read the Bible the way read a good novel…they skip to the back part to find out what happens and depending on whether or not they like the way the Book ends, they may or may not read it from the front to the back. Some people don’t like the first half of my Instruction Manual because they think that it’s harsh and they don’t like to read about the wrath of my God – but they fail to see that the first half is Perfectly threaded to the last half and they miss out on getting a good look at the FULL nature of our God and the Purpose of our Faith because of it.

Some people pick and choose the parts they like in my Instruction Manual and leave all the other parts behind as if they serve no Purpose. Some will whip out Words of judgment and they’re happy to point out what the Instruction Manual has to say about whatever it is that they’re judging, but without all of the other Words laced together in Love, the message is lost on the lost. Some people tip-toe-through-the-tulips of their faith and all they ever really care about is the Good stuff. Although the Good stuff is the focus of our Faith, there’s a whole lot more to walking the Walk than merely tip-toeing on the surface or focusing on just the parts that make us feel good. Every Word on every page was breathed by the Living God, and every single Word can be brought to Life if we just search for the Truth…and when we do, His Spirit will always open our eyes and lead the way! Without God, none of the Words make sense and without His Spirit, we only get an Intellectual view from the grandstands and we fail to see those hidden Spiritual things. Without Him, my Instruction Manual can easily become a book that only gathers dust instead of Words that can change your life and mine, day after day and year after year. The Bible is my Power Tool and it’s the Key to Maturity in Faith.

I’ve gone before the Throne of my God this morning and I’ve been Directed to Words in my Instruction Manual that have now been “burned” into my heart. I actually DO have “all the answers” because of have the One Who Created the stars in the sky and knows them each by name, I have the One Who died for to pay a debt I could NEVER pay on my own, I have the Holy Spirit to guide me and teach me, and I have my Instruction Manual with all the answers to every question ever asked since the beginning of time until NOW.

How about you?

If you want Truth – read it.

If you want Victory – read it.

If you want Restoration – read it.

If you want Forgiveness – read it.

If you want Wisdom – read it.

If you want to raise up a godly generation – read it.

If you want Hope – read it.

If you want Love like you’ve never known before – read it.

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. When I stepped outside this morning it was a mere 28° but with a Heart already overflowing with warmth from the Love of my Savior, my Heart shouted “GLORY!” as if this was the first morning I’d ever seen. It’s a lot like that for me with the Word of God too. I can read the same Words a hundred times over and, although they feed my soul each time, once in a while they Light up like the sunrise and I can’t help but shout “GLORY!” when I read them too. Although some things about my Life are “routine”, nothing about my Time with God is! I refuse for my Spiritual Life to be routine just for the sake of sticking to some self-induced schedule, and I long for the next time my Heart shouts “GLORY!” to the King of all kings. I am FREE in every imaginable way…especially when it comes to the Author and Perfector of my Faith. What a mighty God I serve who can make all things New just like He did this morning! I know with certainty that when the Heart overflows with Anticipation for all that He is and all that He does, it will naturally hunger for Him as if today is the first and the last. Isn’t that the way it is for you in the Journey of Life too?

I wonder how many people never notice the sunrise on any given day or how many refuse to trade slumber to experience it for themselves? I wonder how many people will walk through this day dreading what lies ahead, or how many headed off to work complaining? I wonder how many people will fear the future today and how many will look under rocks for truth? I wonder how many people will set out to end a relationship today and how many will trade time with a child for time with a smartphone? I wonder how many people will take inventory of their lives and how many will whine for more? I wonder how many people will blame someone or something else for why they can’t be happy? Of all the things I wonder, mostly I wonder how many people of Faith met this new day with Anticipation for all that He is and all that He does and if they’ve ever been so Moved by His Majesty that they couldn’t help but shout “GLORY!” over something they’ve already seen hundreds of times before. We don’t Serve a God of mundane things, we Serve a God of New Things…not losing Sight of this Truth is the Key to Peace and Joy through it all.

Faith is much more than just believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins – genuine Faith includes genuine Trust and it’s backed up with genuine Belief. When I see how many people of Faith live like the Israelites did when they wandered around in the desert complaining for forty years, I hurt for them. When I see so many people of Faith walking the Journey with no Joy, I hurt for them. When I see people of Faith with a doomsday mentality looking under rocks for a version of truth, I hurt for them. When I see people of faith wringing their hands over the uncertainty that surrounds us, I hurt for them. When I see people of faith spitting out insults and cursing the bad guys as if God has left the Throne and left them in charge, I hurt for them. Sadly, all of these people believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but they’ve been convinced that’s all there is to the Journey of Life. Unfortunately, they “have a form of godliness but deny its power” and they don’t genuinely Believe that He can…and HE WILL… make ALL things new in His time. No wonder they never shout “GLORY” over something they’ve seen or heard a million times before!

I am an imperfect woman living an imperfect life that’s filled with uncertainty just like everybody else’s…BUT I am filled with Anticipation for what God is doing even when I can’t see it and I choose to turn to God for my Joy…in the sunrise, in His Word, and in the New Day. I Hunger for Him, I Trust in His Word, and the Holy Spirit is my Guide. How could everything NOT be New when I have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit on my side! I KNOW what my Future holds and I KNOW what I’m supposed to be doing until that New Day comes….and if that’s not enough to make you shout “GLORY!” I don’t know what is.

How about you?