the-well-at-the-living-waters-farm

Standing on the Promises of Christ my King…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. This time of year, I meet with the Author and Perfector of my Faith from inside a warm house instead of on the front porch, but I don’t miss the morning view, no matter what. It is cold and (usually) windy this time of year, but God provides a shield of protection over it all…even our furry friends. We have lots of deer around the farm that find everything they need for a high-quality life, just like we do. There is peace. There is shelter. There is food, and there is water. So, they bed down in the wooded area across from the porch, they get their nourishment from the fields, and when they wander to the pond, they find water. Although they “depend” on God to provide all their needs just like all of nature does, they don’t need God the way I do. They don’t long for God the way I do. They don’t run after God the way I do. The Bible says, “As a deer panteth for the water, so my soul pants for you, Oh God”. Does your soul panteth for the Living God, too?

There are plenty of things we all THINK we need, especially this time of year, but nothing that can be purchased in this life is something we really need at all. If you’ve ever spent time with me, you’ll hear me say things like “I need coffee”, or “I need sunshine”, or “I need peace”, but in reality, all I ever NEED is God. Because I panteth for the Living God, He brings favour into my Life and because His Word says “The righteous will never go hungry”, I am confident that He’ll provide for all of my needs. Because His Word says “Joy cometh in the morning”, I am confident that if I find myself downcast for any reason whatsoever, if I just continue to panteth after Him, my Joy will return in the morning. Because I know that HE KNOWS the Plans He has for me, all I need to do is take His Hand and let Him lead, and I don’t need to concern myself with all the in-betweens. Because I know that He has gone to “Prepare a place” for me, I don’t have to concern myself with where I’ll live in the Future. Because I know that Victory is MINE, no battle I face will overwhelm me, and because He says that “No weapon formed against me shall prosper”, I don’t need to run and hide. Because He says that whatever I “bind on earth, will be bound in Heaven”, I don’t concern myself with the darkness that surrounds me…I bind it all instead. Knowing His Word and standing on His Promises is the only way to genuine Peace in the Journey of Faith.

I enjoy my furry friends around the farm, but I don’t admire them. They live as so many people do – wandering around aimlessly with a short-sighted perspective on wants and needs, forever focused on their survival.

I am blessed beyond measure for all that He is and all that He’s done for me, and I’ll be standing on His Promises until I draw my last breath. I panteth after the Living God day in and day out…I live FOR Him, and not just with Him. He’s everything I need, and BECAUSE my Heart remains inclined toward Him, He always takes care of all the rest.

How about you?

The Stinky Sheep…

/ www.LivingLarger.life / 2 Comments

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and the minute I opened my eyes I gave thanks for another day to Glorify my God before He calls me Home. It’s beginning to warm up a little in Virginia and Spring will be here in no time at all. Everything that looks so barren today will spring forth with life soon and the barren will be replaced with beauty. As I sat in the presence of a Mighty God, I thought about how it’s the same way with God’s people. We were once barren and lifeless, but with the touch of the Master’s Hand, we can spring forth and bear fruit all the days of our lives…IF we love Him, that is. Love is where the courage to Share comes into play and Love is where we die to ourselves and begin Living for Him. Love is where we love the lost and the broken ones, and Love is where we lose our judgment. Isn’t it just like my God to use a few barren trees to spark a reminder to me of what Walking in Faith really looks like WHEN I walk with Love.

Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. I’m not sure why He asked Peter three times – maybe because it was three times Peter denied knowing Jesus. The same Jesus he followed…the Jesus he saw perform miracles…the Jesus he walked on water with…the Jesus he jumped out of the boat to rush to after Jesus was transfigured…THAT Jesus he didn’t hesitate to deny when he faced potential consequences for doing so. Peter loved Jesus! Still, in the face of turmoil and threat, Peter denied Him. I’m sure when Jesus asked Peter “Do you love me?” He already knew the answer to the question the same as He knew Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. When Peter heard that rooster crow “he wept bitterly” because he realized that despite his argument that he would never deny Jesus…He did! So, Jesus pressed Peter a little harder and He asked the same question three times. Although Jesus didn’t say “prove it” the way we might be inclined to do today – He made it perfectly clear to Peter (and to the world through His Word) “IF you love me – feed my sheep.” Love is where it ALL begins and Love is what springs us forward to “feed” His sheep…with Joy and Honor.

Sheep look good from afar but they can be nasty things. They’re dirty and stinky, and they’re not the smartest of the animals in the kingdom. They’re clueless, rebellious, and not easy to contain. Every once in a while one will run off from the flock, and that same sheep might do the same thing over and over again. For these reasons, most people would never want to shepherd a flock of sheep. But Jesus wasn’t referring to a flock of stinky sheep – Jesus was referring to a world full of stinky people, and He’s saying IF you love me you’ll pour Good Things into them. Anybody can throw food and water at an animal…4 legged ones and 2 legged ones -but it takes LOVE to nurture in His Name. IF you love Him, you’re not just willing to – you’re honored to – Love, nurture, tend to the needs of His sheep even if it means chasing them down over and over again. In the flesh, we’re inclined to pick and choose who we believe is worthy to be loved. In the Spirit, we Love (and feed) them ALL…especially the rebellious, stinky ones. “IF YOU LOVE ME feed my sheep” doesn’t leave room for our own discretion or judgment. Love is where it all begins and LOVE is what springs us forward to “feed” His sheep with Joy and Honor…especially the “stinky” ones that need Him the most.

It’s a piece of cake to love people “like us” – the real “test” of the Spirit of God is when we can love the stinky, clueless, and rebellious ones enough to Feed them in His Name. Only when we LOVE HIM, can we genuinely LOVE them. So, Love is where it all begins and Love is what causes us to spring forth. Love is where we die to ourselves and we begin to Live for Him. Love is where we feel honored to be found Worthy to Serve whoever He puts in our path. Sometimes we offer them food and water – but more importantly, we Offer them Everlasting Truth and Unconditional Love…the kind of Nourishment that lasts forever. So, I’ll be feeding His sheep today whenever He puts them in my path, and I’ll do it with Love. “Lynn, do you love me?” YES, LORD! “Feed my sheep.”

How about you?

The Honor Deserved…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s Veterans Day and I spent a little more time than usual this morning praying for those special people who have sacrificed so much to serve me and my country. It’s the kind of sacrifice that I can’t begin to fathom and the kind of sacrifice that often goes unnoticed…except for once or twice a year, that is. Sometimes I think about the Biggest Sacrifice EVER made for you and for me and when I do, I realize that if most of the world doesn’t accept or appreciate THAT Sacrifice either so how will they appreciate the sacrifice of time and life that our servicemen and women (and their families) give selflessly each and every day?

I gladly gave up my own life to raise my family and I’d be willing to die for any one of them today. I’d give up my life for my God too should I ever be asked to deny Him. But the thought of people being willing to give up their lives for people they don’t know…wow! That thought overwhelms me every time I think about it. These days it must be difficult to make so many sacrifices for a country that hasn’t been showing them the respect they deserve. It must have been difficult to be threatened with being removed from service because of choices they make for their health as they watched “freedom” quickly become a thing of the past…beginning with them. God bless them for still being willing to serve the greatest nation in the world even when they’ve watched it transform right before their very eyes to an unrecognizable world. If there’s ever been a time we need them, it’s now.

Not everyone who serves in our military is faced with the sacrifice of life (thank God) but they’re willing to if they have to…and they ALL make huge sacrifices for you and me every day. In their fight for our freedom, they surrender their own. They’re told when to show up, when to suit up, and when to shut up. They’re told what to wear and when to wear it and they know that what they wear better be perfect at all times. They are people of discipline and people of excellence and it shows. They’re told where to live and how long to live there. They’re told what to say and when to say it and to never question authority. They’re told what job they’ll be doing and they’re taught how to do it, and if they don’t particularly like what they do, they do it anyway without complaining instead of looking for a new job like you and me.

Most of our young enlisted men and women could easily make more money working at a retail store full-time than they do serving our country 24/7. They’re told when they’ll have a day off and IF they’ll have a holiday off, and many of our servicemen and women spend the holidays alone more often than we care to think about. Despite all of the sacrifices they make for you and for me, they PROUDLY serve America even when we don’t tell them or show them how much we appreciate the sacrifices they make for us. That’s what true heroes look like to me!

My husband proudly served in the US Marine Corps, my father served in the United States Navy during WWII, my youngest son served in the United States Air Force to do his part in this War on Terror, and my son-in-law still proudly serves in the United States Air Force today. I’m not just thankful for their service, I’m humbled by all of the sacrifices made by them (and their families) day after day for you and for me. I’m thankful for EVERY Veteran…those I know and love and those I’ll never meet! I don’t just thank them on Veterans Day and I don’t just pray for them on special days either. Every single one of them has my heart, my support, my gratitude, and my prayers and they always will.

How about you?

Thank you, Veterans!!!! May God bless you and your families and may God richly bless the United States of America.

Yesterday a Memory – Tomorrow A Dream

/ www.LivingLarger.life / 2 Comments

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I woke up the way I always do…filled with Gratitude for another day to Serve the Author and Perfector of my Faith. Living is one thing…living with Purpose is an entirely different story altogether so I have Purpose in mind this morning. The Fall season has officially set in, and every day looks different than the one before while nature heads toward winter. As I sat there looking at the changes that have taken place since yesterday, I thought about Life and how each one of our days is different than the last as we head toward the “winter” too. Yesterday becomes a memory, and tomorrow becomes a dream. Today is all we really have to work with and our greatest opportunity to Live, to Serve, to Share..and to Love. Isn’t that the way you look at the new day too?

It seems to be so easy for people to live in the past or in the future while they squander away today – some are “stuck” in the past while others are so focused on the future that they forget about the blessings of Now. Today really IS like “the first day of the rest of your life” and today is all we have any control over whatsoever. We can’t change what we did or didn’t do yesterday, and since tomorrow is promised to no one, all the things we dream of for tomorrow should be focused on today. If there is any Unfinished Business like asking for forgiveness or making our peace leftover from yesterday, today is the day to make it right. If there is an unspoken “I love you” or a word of encouragement that could change the course of another, today is the day to speak. If there is anyone in our world that has never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, today is the day to Share it. If there is anything within us that holds us back from all the things the Living God has for us, today is the day to move forward in His Name. There’s no end to the things that should be reconciled on a new day and there is seemingly no end to the putting off. Yesterday is only a memory now and tomorrow is only a dream. Living TODAY is the Key to an Abundant Life in all the ways that matter.

Some people have a “near-death” experience that puts things in perspective for them…at least for a little while. But every day is a near-death day for all of us because tomorrow is promised to no one AND YET, we have so little regard for the frailty of life that we’ll put off the important things as if we have all the time in the world. When you look at it that way, how can any of us dare to squander even one day? There is a past that needs to stay in the past and a future to dream about. The Bible says “Without a vision the people perish” and that “hope deferred makes the heart sick”, so looking forward with longing is a good thing for the heart and soul. It’s when we linger in the thoughts of tomorrow while squandering the today’s that we stand the chance of NOT living long enough to see what the Heart has been longing for. Yesterday is a memory and tomorrow is only a dream. Living TODAY is the Key to living Life to the fullest in all the ways that matter.

I’ve been on top of the mountain and deep in the valley and every place in between…but my past is now in the past where it belongs. The only piece of the past that has any Value for today is the Wisdom I gained in the Process. The “bad” has been Forgiven and the Trials have become my Testimony which is shared with the world today with Purpose. I have Dreams for my future and I take steps to fulfill them every day BUT my future isn’t here yet so I Focus on Today. Today will be the most spectacular day in the history of me! This day will be filled with Gratitude and countless surprises straight from the Throne of a Mighty God. The past has become but a memory and the future is only a dream, but I have TODAY to do Good in His Name and I can’t imagine a better way to spend any day allotted to me.

How about you?

The Inclined Heart…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s another gray and rainy day in Virginia, but it’s a NEW day and a Gift from the Master to me. I understand that each day is a Precious Gift, but it’s more than that – each new day is another opportunity to Glorify my God…and THAT excites me! So, each day, rain or shine, I do my Part to Prepare for whatever He has for me. I am Confident that I can “do all things through Christ who strengthens me” but I also know that none of that is possible UNLESS my Heart is Inclined toward Him. So, with Bible in hand and a hot cup of coffee, I set out to enter into His Presence each day Ready to learn and Eager to Grow. It’s easy for me to comprehend how “the mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of His Name” when I witness His glory at the beginning of each new day. “I sing for Joy at the work of His hands” and everything within me is Inclined toward my King. Isn’t that the way it works for you too?

It amazes me when I hear people comment on how “it’s easier” for me to be Inclined toward Him at sunrise because of the view I’m blessed with. There are no words to describe my view that’s for sure, and it’s an Honor to have been chosen to Steward this beautiful place. But when you’re looking at the photos of the view from the front porch, you’re not just looking at the Work of His Hands, you’re looking at my Heart through the lens of a camera too. When you read the Words that describe where I am, you’re reading the words from a Heart that is Inclined toward a Mighty God. When you Walk my journey through photographs as I describe what’s going on in my world, you’re seeing it all after it’s filtered through a Heart that is Inclined toward Him with a Heart that knows that it doesn’t belong to me at all! The mountains aren’t the only things to bow down at the sound of His name…I do too. Sometimes I bow down in the physical sense but ALWAYS bow down in the Spiritual sense. I long to please Him and I long to Serve Him so being sure that my Heart is Inclined toward Him is even more important to me than air is, and THAT’S why you see the Work of His Hands through a photo and a few simple words.

When the Heart is Inclined toward Him it’s impossible NOT to see the beauty in everything around you. Of course, you see the beauty in His creation – that’s a piece of cake especially when the view is so spectacular. But with a Heart Inclined toward Him, you even see the beauty in the not-so-beautiful too. You can see the beauty in others when they aren’t so kind to you because you know that He loves them just the same as He loves you. You see the beauty in brokenness because you know that God has a beautiful Purpose behind the scenes IF the broken one is willing to be Inclined toward Him in all things and through all things. You can even see the Beauty in heartbreak and sickness because you know that He will Spin it into an opportunity to Glorify Himself no matter the outcome IF the Heart is Inclined toward Him. There’s no end to the beauty we can see if we look at Life through the lens of a Heart that’s Inclined toward Him! That’s the Key to being a Light in a dark world no matter what’s going on around us. One Day the King will come back, and when He does, my Heart will be Inclined and it will leap with Joy whether I’m on the front porch of this beautiful farm or not. That’s the Nature of the Heart Inclined toward the King of all kings!

My heart is Ready for this new day and I’m excited that He will find me Worthy to be of Service…even though I don’t Know the Details yet. With an Inclined Heart, anything is possible! Every moment, every encounter, every word, and every image will be filtered through my Inclined Heart and I’ll be Ready and Willing to be used by the King anytime He’s ready for me.

I was born for such a time as this!

How about you?

Be Still…He’s Waiting For You!

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. My first thought was of the Living God when I opened my eyes this morning – He’s my first thought and my Biggest Priority in this Journey called life. I couldn’t wait to get in His presence so I headed out to the front porch eager to see what He had in store on this new day. What I saw took my breath away and it prepared me to sit in the presence of my Mighty God. I went from feeling “small” and insignificant in the big scheme of things to Praising the One Who Created me for His Purpose and Who Calls me by name! Hallejulah! Just like everybody else, there are plenty of other things I could choose to be doing in the early hours of any new day, but NOTHING compares to being in His Presence. His Word says to “be still and know that I am God” and it’s that “still” part that feeds my soul the most – more than Christian music playing in the background or a long walk to commune with His creation – it’s when we’re “still” that He is able to drive a Message home, and it’s when we’re “still” that He can Speak directly to the Heart of His people with no outward distractions at all. So, “still” I am day after day. Isn’t that the way you spend your morning too?

It’s interesting to hear how some people define their “quiet time” with God. Some people have a Bible reading plan to help them stay on track to read the entire Bible from start to finish and they never venture off track on their own. Some people put on Christian music while they prepare breakfast for the family and somehow in the middle of morning chaos, they believe they’ve had quiet time with the King. Some people read a page or two from a devotional and call it a day. Some people dedicate time to homework for a Bible study they’ve committed to and they label that as “quiet time” instead of extra credit. Some people read a chapter or two from a book written by a Christian author and that becomes “quiet time” for them. Some tune into a sermon on TV or on the Internet and they’ve sold themselves on the quality of their quiet time in their recliner. Some people multi-task by listening to a spiritual message while they work out at the gym or take an early morning walk or run. Some pray on their way to work or listen to a spiritual message along the way. There’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with any of these things because each one is an effort to fill the mind and the soul with Good things. BUT none of these things can be defined as “quiet time” and none of them leave room to “be still” before the Living God. None of them make room for those miraculous moments when God unexpectedly “shows up” in the quiet. Although God is always with us, and I’m sure He likes some of those attempts we take to fill our world with Him, I believe He likes it best when everything else in the world is set aside and tuned out and He gets some SERIOUS one-on-one time with His child in the quiet.

I’m just an average woman with an above-average Faith in the Living God and the Priorities in my very busy Life are in order. He’s my FIRST priority and it shows in all that I am and all that I do! It’s because of Him that I know how to Love. It’s because of Him that my Faith is unshakable. It’s because of Him that I Persevere no matter what. It’s because of Him that I hurt for the Lost ones and I do my part to Share. It’s because of Him that I have a Future laid out for me that is more beautiful than the mind can imagine – a place where there is no more sickness, sadness, or pain. With all that said, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I NOT make time to sit in silence before the Throne of a Mighty God? There is no doubt about Who my Heart belongs to. There’s no competing with my time because my world Knows that He comes first. I’ll always have a mile-long list of things to do and I’m (at least) as busy as the next guy, BUT before I get busy on any new day, I get “still” and in those “still” moments the world isn’t even a blip on my radar screen. He gets the One-on-one time that He tells me I need in order to live the Life He Created me to live. The King of all kings WANTS to spend time with His child and there is no greater Joy in my Life because of it. I’m being still.

How about you?