Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Master of the Universe on the front porch, and I lingered there with Him until the scorching sun sent me to cooler places inside. Our Time didn’t end because we were interrupted. I just relocated, and we picked up right where we left off because He wasn’t finished with me yet, and I’ll NEVER be “finished” with my God. Spending the first part of my day in the Presence of the Author and Perfecter of my Faith is THE BIGGEST priority in my Life. He says, “Abide in me,” and if I don’t Work hard on our Relationship, abiding in Him will not even be possible. If I let life get in the way, and if I refuse to get the Nourishment it takes to “abide” in Him, I’d be chasing a crisis and losing control of my thoughts, and before long, I’ll be lost in this journey called life and NO LONGER LOST IN HIM! Isn’t that the way you see your Relationship with the King of all kings, too?

When you think about how most relationships fall short of what people dreamed they would be, it’s not a surprise that their Relationship with the Living God would fall short, too. Some people will endure a relationship no matter what, and they’ll “stick it out” even though there is no abiding love whatsoever, as if doing a life sentence without love is the honorable thing to do. But nobody wants a love like that – ESPECIALLY not the Living God. He wants us to be consumed by Him. He wants us to consider Him above all else, and He wants to be a part of every part of our lives. He wants us to consult Him on all of our major decisions, and He wants to know that He’s front and center at all times. He wants to “smother us” with His Love. Oh, and He’s a jealous God too…He’s not willing to share. In fact, He demands that He be our One and Only, and if we want Heaven to be our final Destination, that’s precisely the way it needs to be. The Living God wants ALL of us, and He will never be Okay with us just “sticking it out” with Him like some life sentence or out of some sense of obligation because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do…He wants us to be with Him because that is what we DESIRE to do…HE WANTS OUR ABIDING LOVE!

People often wondered how and why I spent most of my life flying solo, as if there was something wrong with me because of it. I remained single all those years because I knew what Abiding Love looked like, and I NEVER would have settled for less. Nothing could have tempted me into a miserable life sentence just for the sake of not being alone because I Know (with God) I AM NEVER ALONE. God Almighty sets the threshold for how Love is supposed to be, and nothing short of that would ever be good enough for me…OR HIM. And I Knew that if God decided that it was time for me to give my heart and my life to another person, He’d send me Abiding love, and I’d be loved in the way that I deserve to be loved as a Child of the Living God…AND HE DID! Now the Living God is front and center in OUR lives and, together, we Abide in Him.

How about you? Do you Abide in Him, or are you just hoping He’ll settle for less?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I began this new day of a new week just the way I always do – I raced to the front porch for a hot cup of coffee, eager to watch the Master wake up the world right before my very eyes. I love to watch as He Unveils a new day, and I love to watch nature respond to His Commands. It doesn’t matter how many sunrises I’ve seen in my Life, or how many more I have left to enjoy, I will never grow tired of being an eyewitness to the Touch of the Master’s Hand, and I’ll never stop being in awe of how the world around me responds to Him. His Majesty overwhelms me, and it sends me straight into Praise-mode because of Who He is and what He means to me…and it all begins at sunrise. It would be impossible for me NOT to tell the world about my God, because my excitement cannot be contained. Sharing exciting things in this world seems to be pretty easy for most people to do, but when it comes to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s an entirely different story. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith, too?

When people get excited about something its amazing to see how fast their excitement can reach the world around them. Excitement travels fast, and excitement is contagious. It’s excitement that compels others to want to experience the same thing that created the excitement in you. Sometimes it’s a great movie or a great restaurant. Sometimes it’s a new theme park or a bike trail. Sometimes it’s love. Sometimes it’s a sale in a store or a new gadget. Sometimes it’s the excitement over a new home or a new car. Sometimes excitement stems from a new job or business. It doesn’t really matter what inspires the excitement; when excitement is shared, it takes on a life of its own and can spread like wildfire. Hollywood spends billions of dollars on advertising to market its goods to the world, but it’s the excitement that creates “word of mouth” advertising that will make or break a film. It’s not possible to put a “value” on the results that even one person has the potential to create through their excitement…because excitement always takes on a life of its own. So, where’s the excitement for Jesus?

When Jesus walked the earth and began to “show” His Power to the world, there was no containing the excitement. He was Teaching with Wisdom in ways nobody had ever heard before. He was extending Compassion to others in ways nobody had ever seen before. He was Healing the sick and causing the blind to see. He even raised His friend from the dead after he had been dead for days. The excitement that spread like wildfire in those days was the Beginning of the Ministry of Jesus Christ. Sometimes I wonder, had He NOT performed a few Miracles for the world to see with their own eyes…would the excitement have grown into Truth for the entire world to hear OR would His words have fizzled out almost as quickly as they were Spoken? He is the same yesterday, today, and He’ll be the same forevermore. But if there’s one thing lacking in the Journey with Jesus…it’s excitement. It’s expressing Excitement about Who He is and what He’s done that can compel another to want to know more. We may not live in the Time of Christ where we could be eyewitnesses to His miracles here on earth…But His Power and the Miracle that He does within our Hearts and our Lives should be enough to keep people of Faith excited for all the days of their lives. So…where’s the excitement?

One of the most Powerful tools that we use in sharing our Faith with the world isn’t just inviting somebody to church or giving them a free Bible. What creates Excitement and Hope is sharing our Journey…sharing what He means to us, what He’s done for us, what He delivered us from, what He healed us of, and how he Transformed our Hearts and our Lives in Miraculous ways! If my world could see a video of the woman I was before Christ, I would be unrecognizable. He transformed me into who I am today and the Miracle of my Heart…tenderized by the King…is enough to keep my excitement going for as long as I do. I share my “past,” and I share my “failures” and I share my “wrongs” without blinking an eye so that my Life can be a Living Testimony to the Power and Love of the Living God. I share my Future, and I share His Plans for me, and I sprinkle it with Hope…because what He has done AND what He Plans to do for me. All that He has done for me He would LOVE to do for you too! The story of my Journey has Power, and I’m always willing to share it. Some of my Journey would make you blush. Some of it would make you mad. Some of it would make you weep. All of it has the Power…IF I’m willing to share it with the world, that is. And when I share, I share with Excitement that never waivers.

Every piece of my Life…those things I’m “proud of”, and things that brought me shame, can be used by Him ONLY if I’m a willing Vessel and ONLY if I’m genuinely Excited about Who He is and what He’s done for me. It doesn’t matter how bad the past might be, He can make it work together for Good. Your life may have a chapter or two that you’d rather not reveal to the world…BUT unless we Share how He changed us…and Share it with EXCITEMENT instead of hoarding it in the name of “privacy”, we don’t ever Reach the Potential that we have as His Servants, and we never really Tap into the Power that every Piece of our Journey has…when we Share the “rest of the story”.

I do what it takes each new Day to be sure that my Excitement NEVER dims and my Faith NEVER waivers. I’m an open book that sometimes makes other people of Faith uncomfortable. But it’s not MY Journey that makes them “uncomfortable”, it’s that they see me as a bad example because I don’t “leave the past in the past”. But it takes the ENTIRE story of a Life to Paint the Picture of “modern day Miracles”, and it takes it ALL to create Excitement that can take on a Life of its own. I get up, I pray up, I show up, I Stand up, and I’ll never shut up about my God BECAUSE I’m excited…still.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day in this Journey called Life, and if I want to be sure that I’m Prepared for whatever the Lord has for me today, I need to begin with Him. So, I sat in His Presence, I gave thanks for who He is and what He does for me, I poured out my Heart, I confessed my sins, and I sang a few songs of praise in my Heart. When I opened my eyes to take in the beauty around me one more time, I saw that the sun shining through the leaves on this very full tree, and it left light on the ground where it managed to break through. I could see some big breakthroughs and some little breakthroughs, and the sun beat down on this tree as if to illuminate each breakthrough. The breakthroughs in Life come by way of the Light too, and everything we need to grow and bear fruit is found in the Living Word. The Author and Perfecter of our Faith is ready to “light it up”too anytime we desire to be Taught. Isn’t it just like God to use the sun He Created to drive home a message to me this morning?

Most people in this world are content just to be average, but I’m not one of them. It was never enough for me to be an average worker at the office…I put in the effort to be the BEST, and I was rewarded with the fruit of my Labor. It wasn’t enough for me to be an average Mom…I put in the work to be the BEST I could be for my Treasures, and I Know that the fruit of my Labor will last for generations to come. I did not labor in vain. As a child of the Living God…hand-picked to be one of His own…I want ALL that God has for me. I see warning signs all over His Word about what the future looks like for those who are just along for the ride – content to sit on the sidelines – so I make sure that’s not what the Future looks like for me. I pour Him into me, and before you know it, He pours right back out of me…I BEAR FRUIT. I have no interest in the sidelines – I want to be on the Frontline, so I put in the work to make sure that my Heart is Ready and that my Life is bearing Fruit. The Journey of Faith is “evidenced” by good fruit being born day in and day out. If there is no fruit, that’s a pretty good indicator of someone content to just go along for the ride…and the Future isn’t nearly as bright for them as they think it is.

When a tree stops bearing fruit, the grower gets busy trying to figure out what went wrong. The grower has a lot invested in each tree, and he will never be content with a tree that’s not bearing fruit. Most of the time, the tree stopped producing because it was somehow malnourished, lacking the nutrients it needed to have the strength to bear fruit at all. Once the grower takes the steps to give the tree the nourishment it desperately needs to be a good bearer of fruit, the tree will become part of the land of the living again. If it never bears fruit again, it is removed so that it doesn’t take away from the rest of the orchard. A dead tree has no purpose whatsoever. It’s too bad we don’t look at the Journey of Faith the way a farmer looks at a tree. If we notice a tree isn’t bearing fruit, we should do everything in our power to give the “tree” what it needs to Mature so that it can bear fruit. After that, if there is no fruit naturally coming forth from the tree that has been Given everything it needs to Grow, it’s safe to assume it’s dead, and it’s time to plant seeds all over again. What’s true for nature is True for the Journey of Faith…if there is no fruit, there is no sign of Life.

I Nourish my Faith with the Living God the same way a farmer nourishes his crops. My Life depends on Him, and I have no future without Him, so He is the center of my world, and I refuse to be content or to labor in vain. I give the Living God the First and the Best of me because I LOVE Him more than anyone or anything else – as a result, my Life bears fruit. There isn’t anything “average” about my Journey of Faith, and you won’t find me on the sidelines hoping for a Future with Him…you’ll find me Living out the Purpose He created just for me instead. Besides, with so many seemingly dead trees out there, there is plenty of work for me to do in His Name. I want everybody to Know who I know and to have what I have, and I want the world overflowing with beautiful Fruit that will someday be Transplanted to Heaven. What I have isn’t rocket science, and it can’t be intellectualized even though plenty of people try to do just that. All it ever really takes to bear the Best Fruit FOREVER is the Right seed, and Proper Nourishment all the days of your Life.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s overcast again this morning, and the fields are filled with moisture from the days of rain we’ve had at the farm. The deer you see have bulging bellies, and it won’t be long before we’ll be enjoying their babies. My soul is Refreshed after my time with the Living God this morning, and my Path has been made Straight with His Word. I’m not JUST a Follower of Jesus Christ…I’m a Warrior, and Warriors take a few more “hits” in this Life than all the others. As a Warrior, I need to be Strong, Ready, Bold, and Fearless…but more than any of the Characteristics that I need to be a Good Warrior…I need to be Kind and Compassionate, too. It’s not an easy combination to be Bold and Kind all at the same time, and I definitely can’t pull that off on my own. So, I step into the Presence of the Most High God…the truest Definition of Compassion, to Prepare myself for War and to take on His Character as best I can. THAT’S where I find the Balance, the Strength AND the Compassion to do what He has for me to do. Isn’t that the way you find your balance, too?

It can be so easy to lose our Balance when we’re faced with adversity or when we find ourselves not seeing eye to eye with someone. Anybody can roll over and play dead in the midst of the trials and Tribulations, and most people are good at lashing out when they’re feeling hurt or offended. Most of the time when we’re faced with these things, our truest character can show itself in a split second, but followers of Jesus Christ are called to be “slow to speak,” and we can’t afford to “lash out” just because we want to, because we have a Witness to Protect. Some people are cowards, and they refuse to “get involved” even if the Battle has the potential to harm someone else. Some people spit out insults without blinking an eye, and those words can never be reversed once they’re spoken. Some people point fingers and spin the situation in the direction they want it to go in, or in the direction they THOUGHT you were heading in, even when you weren’t. Some people think they’ve been given the supernatural ability to read minds or to test motives, so they think they already know where you’re coming from without you speaking a word. Some people gear up and stay so busy defending their own position that they never stop to hear what yours is at all. Some people have perfected being passive-aggressive, and they’ll pout or go silent in the midst of the conflict because they know that it hurts you more when they do. There are plenty of people who are entertained by conflict, and they’ll do anything to keep it going – because as long as it’s going, they are sure to have your attention, which is all they’re really looking for in the first place. No matter what’s going on or who it’s going on with, the Battle can’t be won when we rely on our OWN words or our OWN “feelings” to get the job done. It takes a Warrior to do battle God’s way! It takes a Warrior who has been Prepared through time spent in the Presence of the One they “fight” for, and a Warrior equipped with the only Words that ever really matter from a Warrior willing to speak up and a Warrior consumed with Compassion. That’s the ONLY way a Battle is ever really won, and it’s the ONLY way to Glorify God when we’re at War. Putting on boxing gloves and slinging insults has no place in the Life of a Warrior because War is ONLY ever won with Truth and Love. This is the Key to living like the stakes are High.

There are all kinds of battles we face in this Life, but there is only ever ONE War. There are all kinds of conflicts with all kinds of people that we’ll face along the way too, but there’s only ever ONE enemy. I don’t pick fights, and I don’t open a can of worms just so that I can speak Truth. I don’t like conflict, and I guard my Peace with everything I’ve got, BUT when God throws me into a situation where I have the choice to be tolerant while His Name and His Character are being questioned OR to stand Firm for Truth…I’m called to be a Warrior. Because I know my enemy very well, I know his subtle ways, and I know what he’s up to when he attempts to bend the Truth. I know what’s at risk if I remain silent, and I Know when and how to Speak the Truth as a Warrior for God Almighty. I’m not afraid, and I’m not worried about being popular. I’m not the Judge or the jury and don’t express what others might perceive to be my “opinions” – I stand up for the Judge and speak for the Truth, no matter the consequences I might face in this world because of it. I don’t “hate” others because they don’t believe what I believe…I have Christ-like Compassion for them, and I care enough about their Future to speak the Truth to them at all costs. He is my God, and I am His Chosen Warrior. I am an Ambassador for the One who hung the stars in the sky and knows them each by name. I am a Child of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! I know that if He sent His Son to die for me so that I might have Eternal Life, I need to be willing to die for Him if I’m ever faced with that too. I’m Bold, I’m Strong, I’m Compassionate, I’m Kind, AND I’m a Warrior. I’ll be doing battle in His Name for as long as I have life, and when I draw my last weary breath, THEN I’ll see Victory face-to-face, and maybe I’ll hear “well done, good and faithful servant”.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day, and I’m armed and ready for whatever comes my way after my time with the Living God. Things beyond the view from this porch aren’t so beautiful sometimes, and I know that if I’m going to endure what He has for me to endure or if I’m going to bless a suffering soul, it always comes down to being One with Him. I don’t have it in me to run this race of Life alone. I’m equally yoked just like these mules are to successfully navigate my way through this life, AND I have HIM IN ME. With Him, there’s nothing I can’t do and no pain too great for me. I’m like a walking billboard for what Victory looks like, and I make sure that my world hears about the Power of my God day after day after day. Isn’t that the way you live out your Faith, too?

Nobody gets through this life without trials and tribulations, even though some would have you believe that they have. Some people hide their lives so far from the rest of the world and so deep within their hearts that it would take a sledgehammer to break them free. Some people don’t believe that our trials and tribulations are “anybody’s business,” as if people of Faith don’t have them and as if there’s some kind of shame if they do. Some people square their shoulders and walk around as if they’ve managed to escape the hardships, and some of them have even convinced themselves that God is showing more favor to them than He does the rest of us. But nobody escapes trials and tribulations in this life, ESPECIALLY if they’re going to be used by a Mighty God, because it’s the fire that refines the gold. Those trials and tribulations ALWAYS have a multi-faceted Purpose from a multi-faceted God, and they weren’t intended to be hidden behind closed doors. How can a Mighty God be glorified through secrets, and how can we offer Hope to a suffering soul unless they can see and hear about what God has done through our darkest hours?

The world beyond the front porch of this old farm is filled with trials and tribulations, and it sure would be easy to hunker down at the farm and to ignore the pain and the darkness of it all. But I wasn’t Created to hoard up or shut up, and neither were you. God didn’t accidentally place me in this life at just the right moment in time without Good reason, and He didn’t accidentally place you here without Good reason either. God doesn’t fill my world with just pleasurable things, and He won’t fill yours like that either (regardless of what some would have you believe). God hasn’t refined me through Fire without Good Reason or to torment me, and He hasn’t made a mistake or left His Throne when your life looks the same. Sometimes it takes a season to recover from the pain beyond the front porch, but it’s never OK to sit back and lick my wounds because of it. Instead, the hardness of my life has served to soften my Heart, and I’ve been Tenderized by the King for Good reasons beyond anything my human mind can comprehend. ALL things work together for Good….if we let them.

I don’t understand it all, but I DO understand that without Him I could do nothing. Without Him, I would have no Hope. Without Him, I wouldn’t know what Victory looks like. Without Him, my Heart wouldn’t have been softened for the Journey. So, from where I sit I know that all of those trials and tribulations Served a Purpose BEYOND me and my Life and I’m supposed to share with all those suffering souls…NOT to whine…to encourage…to offer Hope…to be a Living Testimony of the Power of a Mighty God! I’m what Victory looks like.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s the morning after a heavy rain, and everything around this old farm is coming to life after being nourished by the touch of the Master’s hand. The greens are the greenest, and the blue is the bluest, and no artist in the world could come close to capturing what my eyes saw this morning. My Time with the Master was a little different than it usually is, and I was pouring out my Requests like a river. I spelled out my heart’s desires, and I got specific about my goals. He already knows all those things because He knows every thought I have, but I think He likes it when we don’t give up, and He sees that we never stop Believing throughout the Journey. When I looked at this photo of the sun, it reminded me of how it is with me and my God…a beam from the front porch straight to Heaven to a God who cares about every single part of me. Isn’t that the way you see your Relationship with God, too?

It can be so easy for people to give up on their dreams just because they haven’t become a reality yet, but we lose out on the chance to lean into God when we do. God-sized dreams are put into Motion by the Touch of the Master’s Hand…a Hand that is Timeless and One that will never be rushed. When God plants the Seed of a Dream, He’s got His own Agenda and His own Timing, and the fact that we haven’t seen it all come into Play yet doesn’t mean the Details aren’t being Worked in Heaven. But the waiting often leads to impatience when we don’t see what we’ve been Dreaming of within our desired timeframe, and most people will throw in the towel instead of Leaning into Him even MORE. If we don’t Believe in the Dream that was planted by the Touch of the Master’s Hand in the first place, how will it ever come to be?

With the Faith of the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains…IF we BELIEVE. That’s not to say that we make a wish and get our way, but if the Plans come from a Seed of a Dream that was planted by the Hand of God, it’s already a “done deal” even when we don’t see it with our eyes yet! “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” Why would you expect to see the fulfillment of the Dream He planted within you if you don’t believe that it’s possible yourself, and you give up because you got tired of waiting on God?

God says, “I am the I am” – He’s the “Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.” His Word says, ” For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways – As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways.” He’s the “same yesterday, today, and forevermore,” and His Promises are True. He says, “I know the plans I have for you,” and THAT alone should be enough to keep even the biggest “skeptic” waiting on the Touch of the Master’s Hand. God never rests, He never changes His mind, He never quits on you and me….so how can it be so easy for so many to quit on Him just because He hasn’t revealed the Whole Picture in OUR desired timeframe yet?

No matter what I want for myself, I know that God knows what’s best for me, and I Trust Him because I BELIEVE what He says. It took 25 years for the fulfillment of the plan for Abraham and Sarah – from the first hint of a son to the birth of Isaac. God doesn’t work on our timing – He works on His own. He planted a few God-sized Dreams within me years ago, and they haven’t become a “reality” YET…but they will in HIS time. I NEVER stop Believing. I never stop Trusting. I never doubt Him. I don’t rush Him. I don’t quit, and I don’t give up on what He has for me. You won’t find me like a wave of the sea going back and forth in my Belief…I serve a Mighty God who NEVER breaks a Promise, and ALL things are possible with Him!

Amen?

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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 at the end of a long week, and God has put a new song in my heart. A song of Praise, a song of Thanksgiving, a song of Hope… and a song of EXCITEMENT for His Plans for my life today and beyond. I’m not sure how anybody endures this Journey of life without a similar song in their own Heart, and I feel sorry for all of my friends of Faith who lack excitement as they pass through this life. The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” so having a Joyful Heart is the Key to all things. I know that I have a Purpose much bigger than anything I can wrap my head around, and I don’t need step-by-step Instructions to be willing to keep moving toward the Goal – I just need to Press on. Isn’t the mere thought of your Master Plan enough to excite you, too?

It’s pretty easy to think in shallow terms when it comes to this life, and it’s even easier to fall into the trap of routines if we aren’t careful. Routines can be good things, but when routines overshadow our ability to be spontaneous for the Lord, they’re nothing but a trap. It’s when we determine to keep our eyes and our hearts fixed on the excitement of the Future as we live out His Plan that all of those shallow and routine things seem to be a whole lot less significant to us. I’ve known a few people (and a few churches) that would be rattled to the core if their routine was shaken because God had the nerve to “show up”. They aren’t prepared to let Him “work” whenever He’s ready to work, and if He isn’t on the schedule, it ain’t happening. These people can easily excuse away their actions by defending the need for “law and order” or by preaching about time and responsibilities, but they stay so focused on their need for schedule and their fixation on routine that they wouldn’t recognize a visit from the Master if He hit them over the head. Sometimes I wonder if these people are reading the same Instruction Manual that I read, or if they are just inclined to consider it to be more of a history book filled with things of the past than one filled with Life that still applies today. You don’t have to read too far into my Instruction Manual to see that when God “showed up,” He didn’t sit around and wait until He could be squeezed in to the schedule. Instead, people responded to Him at the most inconvenient times, and their blessings were immeasurable because of it – BUT those who chose to ignore Him instead, paid a high price….and so will you.

Oh, I’ll take care of my responsibilities today, and I’ll be following a few routines too. But all the while I’ll be listening out for the voice of my God, and when He calls me into action, all bets are off. I’ll get busy doing the Work of the One I love the most without a worry at all about all of those shallow, routine things getting done, because when I obey Him, somehow there’s plenty of time and energy within the day to do it all. If He brings a suffering soul my way today, I won’t make them wait until a more convenient time when I’m not so busy. I’ll drop what I’m doing, and I’ll get busy doing the work of my Master. If He calls for me to speak up and to share my Faith with a lost person today, I won’t make excuses for why it isn’t a good time or place to do the sharing. Whatever He calls for me to do today, I pray that I’ll do it without reservation, and I pray that those shallow, routine things don’t blind me to His Plans for one second.

I’m filled with love for the Love of my Life today, and I’m very excited about what He might have me do in His Name. When He “shows up,” I’ll drop everything else to serve Him, and I know that all of the other things on my plate will be managed with Heavenly efficiency because of it.

How about you? Do you have a schedule and shallow routines that prevent you from listening to God, and would your world turn upside down if you dropped it all for an unscheduled opportunity to Serve Him? IF so, we need to talk. We’ll have a long talk about what it means to know the Living God so well that you recognize His voice when He speaks, and how if you don’t tune in and make Him your priority, you’ll miss out on all that He has for you, and when I’m done with you, you won’t be wound-up tight or sticking God in a box until a more convenient time in your life either!

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s raining this morning, and just the sound of it from the front porch is guaranteed to soothe the soul. God knows precisely what we need, and when we need it, and no amount of whining about the weather will change His Plans for this new day, that’s for sure. As I sat there taking in the rain, I watched the raindrops fall on the flags and then run down across the cross before they fell to the ground. Those raindrops reminded me of tears, and I wondered just how many times I have shed tears at the Cross. For sure, I’ve shed every imaginable kind of tear at the Cross – tears of gratitude – tears of joy – tears of shame – you name it. I’m forever running to the Cross with whatever is on my Heart…as it should be. Make no mistake, I don’t worship the Cross the way some are inclined to do, BUT I do worship the One Who died for me on a Cross, and that’s why having it nearby is so important to me. In a world where the Cross is being removed to make room for other things, it is, and forever will be, front and center in my life, and I guard it with everything within me. Isn’t that the way you consider the Cross, too?

I believe the biggest turning point in our Faith comes when we embrace the fact that it ALL began at the Cross and that we were ONLY Created for His Purpose. That’s the source of our Peace and Joy, and it puts all of the pieces of Life together…it’s the ONLY thing that makes our lives make sense at all. But most people don’t “get it”. They somehow have convinced themselves that life is all about what they can get out of it for as long as they live, and they somehow believe they exist for their own pleasure. They question everything that happens, fight against the Flow, and are determined to make things the way they believe they should be, rather than considering His Plan and His Purpose in it all. To them, the Cross is merely a reminder of an historical moment in time and NOT the center of who they are in Christ Jesus. When good things happen they easily shout out a “Hallelujah,” but when bad things happen, they question His Will. My greatest Joy is knowing that my life has been stamped by His Hand for His Purpose and that every single piece of it belongs to Him. Some pieces make me cry, and some pieces bring me profound sadness, but EVERY piece has a Purpose beyond my ability to comprehend. This one significant piece of my Faith is the source of my Peace, my Joy, my Contentment, my Strength, and Unconditional Love. I was Created for His Purpose, and I’m Destined for Greatness. Why would I try to “own” all of the pieces of life when I can find my Peace only by accepting His Purpose for my Life every step of the way?

Sometimes I cry when I don’t have the answers, but I know that if I stay in His Presence and I ask Him for Wisdom, He’ll provide it to me every time. Sometimes I cry out of frustration over my circumstances, but I know that if I stay in His Presence and seek His Will, He’ll always put me on the right path. Sometimes I cry. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for all that He is and all that He does for me, because I know that I don’t deserve it, but He gives His love to me freely and unconditionally, no matter what. Sometimes I cry. I’m humbled by the Work He places in my Hands because I don’t believe that I can measure up, but EVERYBODY measures up in His eyes! All He ever looks for is a Vessel willing to live out Life according to His Purpose and not their own…and a Focus on the Cross. Living out Life with only His Plan in mind may look like the loss of freedom for those people who don’t understand it, but living out Life according to His Purpose and His Plan is the ONLY Freedom that matters at all, and it’s the ONLY way to find True fulfillment and Peace.

I’ve shed a whole lot of tears at the Cross, but every single one of them has been dried by His Warmth, and my Heart is singing for Joy as I set out to fulfill His Purpose for this new day.

How about you? Will the Cross be out of sight and out of mind for you today, or will you remain focused on the Price He paid for you? Will you be focused on the Cross today? Will you Trust His Purpose for your Life here on earth, or will it be all your own?

At the cross, at the cross

Where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!