jesus

Sweet and Simple…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. This day came to life with a sunrise that looked more like a dimmer switch slowing being turned up than a sunrise, BUT the birds around me made sure to spice things up as they rejoiced over this new day. Sometimes the simplest things breathe Perspective into my Life, thanks to the Author and Perfecter of my Faith. As I sat on the front porch seeking the face of the Living God and struggling to keep my thoughts on Him and my focus on our Time together, I was Reminded of His Words about the sweet sounds of the birds around me – “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”. So this morning God used something as small as the sound of the birds as a gentle reminder of how much He loves me, and when He did, I wept with joy all over again. Isn’t that the way the Journey of Faith should be?

Most of the time, we feel the greatest love through the simplest of things. A scribbled drawing from a child or a hand-picked weed from the yard can make a mother’s heart overflow with love. A simple smile at just the right time moment in time can send a message of hope and compassion without saying a word. “That look” that says it all without saying anything at all. A simple laugh can lessen the stress and ease the sting of our circumstances. A sincere hug doesn’t require a spoken word at all if the arms are attached to the Heart. A surprise cup of coffee by someone just wanting to please. A simple compliment or a heartfelt “everything’s going to be OK” can lift the spirit of discouragement faster than you can say “amen”. It’s the simple things that send the loudest message of Love every single time IF we’re Leading and Living with the right Heart instead of looking for the “proof” of Love.

When it comes to love, actions always speak louder than words. I can say “I love you” until I turn blue, but if my actions don’t back up my words, it’s all meaningless. I can sit with you and talk for hours about how wonderful I think you are, but if I don’t show you with heartfelt actions, it’s all meaningless. I can tell you “I’m sorry” for the wrongs I’ve committed against you, but if I continue to repeat the wrongs, it’s all meaningless. The message of Love is best delivered through those simple things that impact the Heart in profound ways. There once was a woman so desperate to get in the presence of Jesus because she Believed He could heal her that she crawled her way through a massive crowd. When she managed to reach through the chaos to touch the hem of His garment she was instantly healed. She didn’t need to “prove” anything to the One who died for me. She didn’t need to “sell” Jesus on her Worth and there was no need to beg. Without speaking a word at all, Jesus could feel His power leave Him as she was being healed AND I’m pretty sure He could feel that desperate woman’s Heart too. All Jesus ever wants for any of us to for us to seek His face with everything within us and when we do, all the other pieces of our Faith fall in line with the Heart.

I think people complicate Love especially when it comes to our Journey of Faith. Some set out to memorize Chapter and Verse but if all they do is brag about cramming all the words into the hard drive of their mind and never recall the Words with Love, it’s meaningless. Some jump through hoops to “perform” for God (and to be seen by man) and they can needlessly work themselves into exhaustion because of it. But if all their works were performed out of a false sense of obligation or as a means to make it to Heaven, it’s all meaningless too. The One we Serve (and aim to please) wants our full attention…He doesn’t care if we memorize the Bible word-for-word because He doesn’t care about the intellect, only the condition of the Heart, and He can see that for Himself anytime He wants to. The Living God wants to spend Time with His children and He wants our Relationship to grow stronger each day. Sound familiar? It should. Although man is forever looking for “proof” of love, Genuine Love needs to be Expressed far more than it needs to be voiced – why would it be any different for the Living God? “Peter do you love me? Feed my sheep”.

I have a Changed Heart this morning and I can give credit to the simple singing of the birds around me as I sat on the front porch at sunrise. The Living God used something that most of us take for granted each day…a simple thing…to remind me in a big way that HE LOVES ME and the smile that He put on my face will last all day…. thanks to the Living God and for the simple gesture from the birds. I’m a complex woman savoring the simple things in life that send the greatest Message of Love.

How about you?

Pick Your Battles Wisely…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I made my way onto the front porch before the sun came up this morning but I didn’t stay long because after the rain there wasn’t a dry seat on the porch. The flags were all tangled up and a few limbs had fallen to the ground, but all is well and beautiful at the farm rain or shine. This morning I prayed long and hard for all those people who have been devastated by the hurricane – lost homes, no electricity, some entire towns wiped out – many deaths – circumstances beyond my imagination – and my soaked front porch isn’t even “worthy of mention” compared to their agony. None of us are defined by the trials we endure, we’re defined by how we see them…how we face them….how we overcome them. The Bible says, “But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved” – so that’s the Ultimate Goal no matter what the storms look like. As for me, I know that no matter what kind of threat I face – a storm blanketing this old farm – or adversity – or persecution – or an attempt to rob me of my peace – the King of kings will shine no matter what because I’ll be focusing much more on Him than any “threats” that come up against me. I’m a Warrior for the King and I understand the source of Strength for ALL my battles…and I Know how to fight and Win. As long as I’m Readied for battle and confident of my Victory, how could I ever live in fear or turmoil? Isn’t that what your Journey of Faith looks like too?

When I take my eyes off the King to look at this dark world instead, I can become overwhelmed and I begin to feel hopeless. When I incline my ear toward what people say about the world…and each other…the darkness is blinding to me. When I see people of Faith attempting to use their voice as a Weapon instead of a Source of Praise for the Living God, I weep over lost opportunities. None of those things come from a Good Place, so whatever time I spend looking at the condition of the world, instead of looking at my Commander in Chief, I’ll weakened for the Journey and that’s NO PLACE for the Warrior I’m already Equipped to be. As surely as kryptonite robbed Superman of his strength, focusing on this dark world could rob me of mine too IF I let my guard down and quit Fighting the way I’ve been Taught to.

One time Jesus said to Peter “Get behind me Satan” when he recognized the enemy at work through him. Imagine how poor Peter felt when Jesus spoke those words! The Bible tells us that our battle is “not against flesh and blood” but plenty of people are fighting these days as if their enemy is running for political office. But politicians aren’t our enemies…it’s much worse than that. Our real enemy comes from the pit of Hell and there are no limits to what he’ll do to rob, kill, and destroy. If only we could all just remember to Focus on the Commander in Chief of the Universe – THE ONE WHO ORDAINS ALL OUR LEADERS – the world would look a whole lot different than it does today. This is the Key to Peace and the only way to find Victory in the dark world.

It’s election time for the United States of America (the “one nation under God”) but the Spiritual battle surrounding the race is far greater than the battle between two candidates and what we have to lose goes beyond the party. People of Faith on both sides of this election are praying for Victory – but lots of people of Faith aren’t fighting the battle of Victory at all…they’re fighting the battle on behalf of their enemy instead. They’re either overcome with fear because their eyes are on the dark world instead of the Light of the dark world OR they don’t understand the Words they read in our Instruction Manual at all. Either way, the more they fight like the world fights, the farther away from Victory we slip. Instead of putting on the “helmet of salvation” they’re busy filling their heads with hateful thoughts about people God LOVES, even if they don’t. Instead of whipping out the “sword of the Spirit”, which is the word of God”, they rely on rumors and ridiculous “theories” about the darkness and they give “power” to the enemy because of it. Instead of standing firm “with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place” they surrender their peace and battle like wussies in a dark world instead of the spiritual Warriors they’re Instructed to be! It sure looks like they’re taking their lead from the enemy instead of the King of all kings…otherwise, they ought to know better. Sad but true.

Without Him, I’m powerless and without Him, I wouldn’t know how to battle my way through anything in this dark world. Without the Power He has already given to me (and you), the enemy could easily overtake me…but that will never happen because I know what it takes to Win. When I draw my last breath and I stand before the King, I won’t pay the price for all my sins because that price is Paid in Full…BUT I will answer for lost opportunities – for times I failed to be a Light in the dark world – those times when I may have chosen to spit out venom against another one of God’s creations instead of speaking Words of Hope and Truth….and Love. Now THAT’s a scary picture…especially at election time in America.

I’m not perfect, and I slip and fall almost every day, BUT I know how to do Battle and I know how to Win. When I get distracted by bad things it’s almost impossible to find the Good, so I’ll be working hard NOT to let those things that come from the pit of Hell distract or derail me along the way. I’m a Warrior and I ALREADY have all the Tools I need to Win…all I really need to do to live fearlessly is to be Wise enough to use them.

How about you?

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Ephesians 6:10-17

My God Doesn’t Make Mistakes…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Last night God brought the rain we’ve been praying for and this morning everything is rich and green all over again. It’s amazing what a little nourishment can do when God opens up the heavens and how nature seems to appreciate the rain as much as we do. I watched this deer come out of hiding in the brush as she led her triplets to “greener pastures” for reasons I don’t understand. This mama deer is a rare creation – not only because she gave birth to triplets, but because she is what is known as a “Piebald” which means she has a very rare genetic mutation that causes her to have lots of patchy white fur. Her fawns still have spots, so it’s impossible to see if they’ll carry the same gene…only time will tell. Sad as it is, some people believe that Piebalds should be exterminated to stop the “bad” genes from continuing to “taint” future herds, but I am confident God doesn’t see it that way. After all, MY God doesn’t make mistakes and He sure doesn’t make decisions based on what the outside looks like. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

If only people could travel through the journey of life without a care in the world just like this Piebald does, the world would be a better place. This beautiful deer is oblivious to her genetic differences, and she doesn’t care if humans think she is “flawed” or not. She doesn’t have the intellect it takes to worry about bringing “imperfect” life into this world – she fills the world with God’s beautiful creations instead. If only people could (or would) stop trying to look like somebody else the world would be a better place. If only they could stop trying to remedy a “flaw” that actually adds to their beauty just the way it does for the Piebald the world would be a happier place. If only they could see aging as a Gift from God and stop ridiculous attempts to reverse the clock, the world would be filled with more content grandma’s and grandpa’s. If only they would stop mutating their bodies into something unrecognizable, the world would be filled with people who believe they’re actually worthy of Love. God knit each one of us together in our mother’s womb and, just like Mama Piebald, He thinks we’re beautiful just the way we are. To God, the outside is not of much importance at all because the outside is just the shell that houses the Soul (for now). If only the world would focus on the INSIDE more than it focuses on the outside, the world would be a godlier place to be.

I’m sick of life-altering decisions being made based on the outside because I Know only the inside matters at all. I’m sick of upheaval in my Country over the color of skin…and I’m really sick of the focus on skin color and gender as part of the selection process for the leader of the free world! Have we become so obsessed with the outside that the inside has become irrelevant? God help us. Who in their right mind casts their vote on what the candidate looks like instead of their ability to lead? I may not be the brightest bulb God ever Created but I’m wise enough to understand that brown skin, orange hair, and/or body parts have zero relevance whatsoever when it comes to casting a vote for ANY position in the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His site! If only people would TRY to love others the way He loves us…if only they would accept the fact that what we look like on the outside doesn’t hold a candle to what we look like on the inside! If only the world…including opinionated Christians…would actually believe what the Bible says – that God ordains the leaders based upon who He wants to lead and absolutely nothing can change His Plans- the world would be a wiser and more peaceful place to be. No doubt people are outraged to hear that some believe this beautiful “flawed” deer should be exterminated so as not to taint future generations AND YET it doesn’t phase them at all that life-altering decisions in America are being based on race and gender. Hmm…

My Country is in turmoil BUT my God is in Control and He doesn’t make mistakes. Absolutely nothing slips past Him and everything needs His Approval. Although He knit us together in our mother’s womb, He’s not looking at the outside for flaws…He’s examining the Inside of each one instead. He didn’t mess up when He created the Piebald and He won’t mess up when He Ordains NEXT leader of the United States. He is the great I AM. He IS all. He SEES all. He’s the Leader of the entire Universe and He has a Perfect Plan for the leader of the free world (and beyond) that I Trust with everything within me.

How about you?

Not Gauged By “Feelings”…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. To kick off this new day I sat waiting to feel the Presence of the Lord as I usually do, but I can’t say that I actually did. I know my Omnipresent Lord is always with me but I wanted to FEEL Him this morning. I praised Him. I exalted Him. I thanked Him and I made a few requests – but I didn’t “feel” anything in return. When I didn’t “feel” anything I set out to examine my Heart to see if there was any reason within me for the silence. The last thing I want is for something within me to hinder my Relationship with the King of all kings, so that’s ALWAYS the first stop to check the pulse of our Relationship. He’ll NEVER wrong me…but have I wronged Him? I found a few things that I needed to Adjust and I asked Him for Forgiveness – and I felt uplifted even though He was still “silent.” Some people might wonder why I try so hard sometimes, but that’s because He’s my everything and I’m desperate for my God. The words of the Psalmist define my Heart far better than I can “As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.” Isn’t that the way it is in your Journey of Faith too?

It can be so easy to gauge anything in life by what we feel or don’t feel, but a Quality Life isn’t measured by what we “feel.” We don’t exist to be entertained, and we won’t always have warm fuzzy feelings. Everything in life has a season of silence – from work to relationships to time with Living God. When we don’t “feel” excited, or successful, or loved, or appreciated, or anything else we often point to someone or something else for the reason why. Silence isn’t always a bad thing, but when things are silent the FIRST STOP should be to examine ourselves to see if there is anything within us that is hindering the “feelings.” That is NOT taking the blame for every season of silence – it’s doing our Part to find the Truth. As long as we insist on placing blame for how we feel or don’t feel we never Mature and we lose much more than we gain. I don’t know why I didn’t “feel” anything from my God this morning, but I DO KNOW that the most important thing for me is to be sure that I’m NOT the reason why. After that, I continue to do my part and I NEVER read into what I feel while I wait patiently for Him.

I’ll be doing lots of things in His Name today but the most important thing isn’t necessarily what to do with my mind or my hands – the most important is the Condition of my Heart while I Serve Him. If I don’t “feel” from someone else, the first stop will be for me to Examine myself before I ever turn to them for the cause. I’m desperate for my God and Pleasing Him is my Biggest Priority. If I have that part right, everything else just falls into place “feelings” and all.

How about you?

Don’t Let The Thief Rob You…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I started out with a mind full of chaos this morning, and if I hadn’t Surrendered it all to the Living God, that mindset would have wreaked havoc on this new day from start to finish. Thankfully, I had my attitude Adjusted by the Author and Perfecter of my Faith and my mind full of chaos quickly became a Heart full of shame…shame for doubting and shame for waking up with so little Trust in a Mighty God. The scattered clouds in the morning sky were a sweet reminder to me of the battle that goes on in the mind – a battle only possible IF we allow the enemy to whisper lies of defeat…and we willingly listen. But when we DETERMINE to “take captive every thought” – to Focus on God Almighty instead of the chaos – all things come together to paint a beautiful picture just like the one God painted over the farm this morning. It’s when we determine to focus more on the Son than we do on the scattered clouds that we’ll find Victory and Peace in the chaos every single time. Isn’t that the way you look at taking control of the chaos before it takes control over you too?

It would be so easy to allow the circumstances of life to turn into mental chaos sometimes UNLESS I make up my mind to focus more on my Mighty and Merciful God than I do on the chaos. If I’m not careful…if I’m not diligent in battling my own thoughts and fears…I could easily spend LESS time in the presence of the Living God instead of MORE time when I need Him the most. I could easily begin looking for logic in the chaos and I could easily try to “fix” the chaos on my own. But that doesn’t make any more sense than it would for me to try to fix the clouds in the sky! The God of all Creation is the ONLY one that can do that and He’s the only Solution to chaos. It’s when I feel as if I’m in over my head that I force myself to slow down and I take the time to Refocus my Heart on the One who holds the world in the palm of His Hand. He’s the Heavenly diffuser of chaos! With Him I’m unstoppable. With Him I’m Victorious. With Him I am Strong. With Him, I can do ALL things. He’s the Wind beneath my Wings and the source of my Strength. He’s the Son behind the scattered clouds and He’s the Solution for the chaos. There is absolutely NOTHING I can’t overcome IF I put Him first and IF I take the time to strengthen myself for the ride by taking captive every thought. This is the key to everlasting Peace.

I may have hit the ground with a mind full of chaos this morning but I’m not the same woman now after my Time with Him. Nothing clears the chaos like a Firm Reminder of who I Belong to! I’M TAKING CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT just like He tells me to and I refuse to allow the liar from Hell to rob me of my Peace. After all, that liar can only get FROM me what I willingly surrender to him because he has absolutely no power over a Child of the Living God. The chaos in my mind hasn’t completely faded yet, BUT I have no doubt that if I keep doing my part to take captive every thought, it will be over soon and I WILL be Victorious. I don’t have all the answers for the chaos (yet), but I have the ONLY Solution for it all. My mind, my Heart, and my Soul have been readied for the ride and now I’m more focused on the Son than ever before!

How about you?

Are You Listening?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

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 in the Journey called “life” and I’m prepared for whatever He has for me today after time in His Presence at sunrise. I watched the Master wake up the world and I witnessed nature being Obedient to His call. Nature can’t reason the same way man can, but what nature has going for it that man doesn’t is the ability to listen without worrying about whether or not what it hears makes sense. God is still on the Throne and He still has a Voice and it’s the willingness to Look and Listen that sets us aside as His Chosen ones. His people KNOW that at the sound of His voice, the earth was formed. At the sound of His voice, the land was separated from the sea. At the sound of His voice, Adam was put into a deep sleep, and Eve was formed from his rib. At the sound of His voice, the stars were scattered in the sky. At the sound of His voice, the sun stood still. At the sound of His voice, the sea parted. At the sound of His voice, the rain was withheld for years. As I considered the Power of the sound of His voice and how nature so easily responds, I thought about how often man…the most Valuable Creation of all…willfully ignores the sound of His voice and we struggle with Obedience when we do. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

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

The Bible says “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” – this isn’t referring to age, but to Maturity instead. Most of the rules we teach a child make no sense to the young human mind, but when they’re taught to listen to the voice of their father and mother (and they see the rewards of obedience) they mature into rule-following people able to accept authority, and they don’t hesitate to do what they’re told to do. If only people Walking through the Journey of Faith would do the same when they Hear the Voice of the Master of all Creation! IF only they would “let go and let God” the way they claim to! If only they could understand the importance of “working out salvation with fear and trembling” that leads to Obedience without question! If only they would step out in Faith when God Instructs them to do something that makes absolutely no sense to the human mind. If only they could Trust Him. This is the Key to being a Willing Vessel – a Participant in the Master Plan that might not make a whole lot of sense to the human mind on this side of Heaven, but one that makes Perfect sense to the Perfect God.

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

How about you?

It’s Just Noise To Me!

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One who scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name with a Heart eager to Learn and overflowing with Love. I Prayed and read from my Instruction Manual, but I had the hardest time trying to concentrate this morning! At first, I couldn’t figure out what my problem was, but then I realized the problem wasn’t with me or my ability to focus – the “problem” was due to a couple of crows in a nearby tree making a lot of noise to disrupt an otherwise quiet and beautiful morning. The more I thought about how a couple of noisy crows could disrupt my time with the Living God, the more it reminded me of the Journey of Faith at such a time as this. All those noisy “crows” in the world today SO determined to be heard have managed to take the focus off the Living God and onto the “theory of the month”. Sadly, while most of the noise is intellectually (and emotionally) stimulating, it has absolutely no eternal relevance whatsoever. With each “crow” – with each tweet – with each post – and with each conversation, the noisy ones are doing their part to divide the Church but they can’t see the Forest for the trees. Isn’t that the way you see the world too?

I’ve been told to “pay attention” to what’s going on in the world by some of my closest friends and because I refuse to pay attention to the world (and the White House), I’ve lost a few along the way. Some think I’m ignorant of what’s going on. Some think I’m being deceived because I’m not jumping on board. Some have even called me a “trader” for not doing my part to win the world over to what’s coming out of Washington. I’ve been insulted and shunned more times than I can count. What they don’t realize is that I believe there is absolutely no end to the corruption in this dark world and that anything is possible. They don’t need to sell me on that! The difference between us ISN’T that I believe one way and they believe another…although that’s the picture Hell paints. The real difference between us is that I’m too focused on the One who already died for me to sacrifice even one minute of my life to theories. God is still on the Throne, He sees it all, HE ALLOWS it all, and vengeance belongs to Him. The Living God doesn’t need me to spread darkness into the world – He “needs” me to share the Light with a world that is much closer to Hell than it realizes…and to encourage people of Faith to stop making noise that has no Eternal significance and to get back to God’s business before it’s too late.

The world could be flat after all, who knows? There might be a cabal with a deep-rooted agenda. The reset could be just around the corner. Children are being sold and sacrificed every day. We might have a President propped up on a pillow and another corrupt election just around the corner. All these things are horrific, but they don’t deserve my Focus. My Focus is on the One True God. The One Who sees it all. The One who allows what He allows and rejects whatever He rejects. The God who gives and takes away. The God who ordains ALL our leaders. The One who gives Life and who hates evil. The One who is coming for me One Day soon. My Focus is on Sharing the Good News – the ONLY News that matters in the Bigger Picture. I’m Focused on Eternity and God is my King.

So, if you’re busy making noise like the crows about things that have no Eternal Significance whatsoever, I’ll be praying for you but I’ll tune you out as surely as I tuned out the crows that were robbing me of Quality Time with my God this morning. I’m only interested in One Leader and One Future and everything else is just noise. In case you don’t know by now, I’m not recruitable. I’m SOLD OUT for the King and His Story is the ONLY one I share.

How about you?

How About A Walk Down Broken Lane?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

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 Author and Perfecter of my Faith walked me down Broken Lane to remind me of how Strong I really am and just 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 everything it takes to Serve the King of kings…ALL because of my brokenness. Isn’t that the way you look at your life too?

It can be so easy for most people to throw in the towel when they experience brokenness, but they miss out on all the Strength that can be found in Victory when they do. Some people shake their fists at God and demand answers when calamity strikes, and some people hide under the bed. Some people spend what seems like forever “asking” for answers 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 “break” experience as if it’s just a minor setback and they’ll brush it off without a second thought. Some people experience brokenness but they stay so busy trying to hide it from the world that they miss out on the Beauty that is just around the corner if they’ll just let go and let God do what God does best. It makes me sad to see all those wounded people so clueless about the process and it makes me even sadder to know that they can’t be Used by the King as long as they remain on Broken Lane. God takes Brokenness and Spins it into Strength IF we just accept the Purpose behind the storms.

I wish I could have avoided the pain and suffering of Broken Lane, but I wouldn’t 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 in 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 I’d refer to what God does as a “test” but He definitely forces us to flex our Spiritual Muscles to make us Stronger. The Author and Perfecter of my Faith has a Perfect Master Plan and He longs for each one of His children to be willing to walk down Broken Lane with Purpose! Will we become weaker or stronger in the end? Will we see Broken Lane as a sign of a “mean” God or a testimony we’re willing to share with someone traveling down Broken Lane too?

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 Jesus Christ. I’m 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

Claim Your Victory…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO BUT IT WAS A TREMENDOUS ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME THIS MORNING. I PRAY IT BLESSES YOU TOO!

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Author and Perfecter of my Faith before the sun came up but this morning was a little different than my average morning, this morning instead of seeking His Will, I Claimed my Victory instead. I marched around this farmhouse and I marched across the front porch, and the longer I marched the louder and bolder I became. Sometimes I struggle with life but I never struggle with Faith – so when I’m feeling “shaky” I begin to shout out all the Promises of my God and I claim my Victory as if it has already shown itself in my Life. He’s my God and I’m His child, and He’s already Told me how the Story ends. So, for all the in-betweens I face in this Journey Called Life I just keep claiming my Victory and I’ll persevere until the end. Isn’t that how you handle your struggles too?

“Taking captive every thought” is easier said than done when we’re facing “trials of many kinds.” If the trial is big enough, all the “what ifs” could drive us insane if we dwell on them, and before you know it we give the enemy an edge to push us over the edge because of it. But there isn’t a trial that God isn’t already aware of and there isn’t a problem He can’t solve. The real problem is that we can’t see the Victory as long as the mind is a muddled mess! Our ability to stay focused in His Word or in prayer is nearly impossible because our mind keeps going back to the mess instead. So when that happens to me, I eventually begin to SHOUT out the Victory He’s already told me would come. I know when I shout out the Victory He hears me for sure…but I know my enemy does as well…and the more I SHOUT the Bolder I become as all those fiery darts set out to destroy me are diminished…at least for now. When I SHOUT out I’m overriding all those things that have been consuming me and I Stand Taller than ever before! This is the Key to battling the spiritual war and it’s the Key to Victory over it all.

If anybody saw me shouting out they’d probably call for help. I’m loud, and bold, and determined. You might hear me SHOUT things like; “MY GOD parted the sea, healed the sick, and raised the dead THIS IS A PIECE OF CAKE for Him!” – MY GOD placed the stars in the sky and knows them each by name – and He calls me by name when He says “you are mine!” – MY GOD knit me together in my mother’s womb for SUCH A TIME AS THIS” – “MY GOD Prepared me for this battle before the foundations of the earth!” – MY GOD will use everything to “work together for Good” because I love Him and I’m called according to His Purpose” – MY GOD says “no weapon formed against me will prosper!” – “WATCH my God bring Resolution!” – WATCH my God bring healing!” – WATCH my God stomp out conflict!” – WATCH my God Strengthen” – “WATCH my God bring Peace that surpasses all understanding!” – “WATCH my God make all things Perfect” – “WATCH my God bring Miracle after Miracle over my life!” – “He’s the same yesterday, today, and forevermore and HE’S GOT THIS!”- and so the SHOUTING goes, with countless proclamations of VICTORY and the Goodness of my Perfect God.

There is no end to the things I can proclaim as I shout out my Victory to my Amazing God…the God of Miracles… and sometimes I wonder if He gets a little more pleasure out of my SHOUTING Victory throughout the Heavens…shouting out like the Warrior I’m Designed to be…than He does when I have a muddled mess going on in my head as I search for answers like a child. I don’t know for sure, and I don’t know His mind…but I do know that the SHOUTING Victory Strengthens me no matter how weak I felt before it began…and I KNOW MY GOD hears me.

How about you?

Is There Anything “Beneath” You In His Name?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I don’t need anything outward to make my time with the Living God richer or more meaningful than it already is, but what I see from where I sit in the morning is just the right touch for my time in the Presence of the King of kings. With a hot cup of coffee in hand, the Word of God at my fingertips, and the Touch of the Master’s Hand visible all around me, I feel like the Royalty He says I am. This morning I sat there for the longest time just listening to the sound of the birds singing in the rain. They were making the very same happy sounds as they make on a sunny day. It seemed like when the rain fell harder they only sang louder and when it slowed down their sounds were softer too. It’s too bad most people can’t live with the same “outlook” – to do whatever needs to be done on any given day, and to Glorify the Creator through it all. Isn’t it just like God to use a little rain and the sound of the birds to speak to my Heart today?

People of Faith generally have lots of thoughts about Heaven and even more questions about what it will be like when we get there. They wonder about things like – how we’ll recognize each other in Heaven and what our “new body” will look like…and they wonder what age they’ll be. They look forward to seeing their loved ones who have already made their Journey Home, and they wonder if they’ll be there to greet them when they make their own way Home too. They wonder what Jesus meant when He said “In my Father’s house there are many mansions” and they wonder if they’ll live with their family in a mansion on a street paved in gold. They speculate on who they’ll talk to first and they look forward to Time with Paul and Peter. There is no end to the list of things people want to understand about Heaven, but there is ONE thing they rarely even mention…and that’s what they’ll be doing when they get there. No doubt there will be Praising as we hear “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty”24 hours a day, but there’s more to it than that! Understanding the Journey from start to “finish” determines how we Serve and Share today.

Most people willing to Serve the King on this side of Heaven are only interested in the things they believe they would enjoy doing. They like the idea of the “sizzle” kind of service, those high-profile roles some are called to fill. But when it comes to “behind the scenes” menial tasks, well, those things are beneath them and that’s often when you’ll hear something like; “I don’t feel called to do that.” Unlike the birds singing in the rain today, they aren’t willing to do whatever needs to be done on any given day to Glorify the Creator. Instead, their service is conditional and based on their sense of self-worth. It’s a good thing Jesus didn’t allow a (sinful) sense of self-worth to prevent Him from getting His hands dirty in the trenches of Ministry! Instead, He reached out to the lepers, the whores, and the demonic AND He washed the feet of His disciples instead of the other way around. I doubt there will toilets in Heaven, but IF there were, how many people so curious about Heaven would still want to go there if they knew they’d be assigned to cleaning toilets for eternity…how many would be like the birds so willing to sing in the rain no matter what?

Service may come in all kinds of shapes and sizes but God doesn’t. We bring Honor to the King when we’re willing to give thanks and Glorify Him in ALL things. We bring Honor to the King when we feel privileged to have been found worthy to Serve no matter how big or “small” the job appears to be from where we sit. We bring Honor to the King when we’re willing to sing in the rain just like the birds do no matter what we’re asked to do in His Name..from preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cleaning holy toilets. He’s my God and I’m His child and I strive each day to be like those birds – willing to do EVERYTHING in His Name and to never stop singing in the rain. When it rains hard, I’ll just sing louder – and when it lightens up I’ll soften right along with it. It’s my Honor to Serve the King and I pinch myself just to be found Worthy by Him to do WHATEVER He calls me to do on this side of Heaven all the way through Eternity!

How about you?