Tag: relationship

Gonna Let it Shine

“You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

The Lord has been pouring oil in my lamp in preparation for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in others. I am being very intentional about having my lamp full of oil, so that the lamp will give light to everyone that comes near me. I spend a lot of time around people who are living in darkness, it is a scary, hopeless, desperate & desolate place to be. As a child I was extremely scared of the dark. I never wanted to be alone when it became dark and even in the daylight there were times I could just sense the darkness. I don’t have to fear the dark now because there is a light that burns continuously inside of me. Now that I have this light I’m gonna let it shine, shine for others to be able to see. My goal is to help others light their wick right off of mine. Sharing is caring, right? I want to share the good news of living in the light. I want to see the people blessed and living in their blessings. Have you ever had a gift for someone and you were just so excited about giving it to them because you knew it was just what they needed and you could hardly hold back? That’s how I feel about my light; Jesus. When they see me, or hear me talk, or watch me emulate Jesus I want to be able to hear them say, “Hey that light your wearing is so bright, I couldn’t see anything but the light, why is that? Where can I get a lamp like that? Be prepared to light the fire in their soul. They have been in the dark so long that they can barely see the light flickering at times when it passes by. The naked eye can detect light approximately 1.6 miles away. Yet there are things that can cloud that vision such as haze & air pollution. When people are going through things such as job loss, living on the street, addictions of any kind, relationships that are beyond repair, bad experiences even in the church, so many things I can’t possibly list them all. Everyone has their own story. Their vision gets clouded, blurred, in some cases close to blindness. It’s important that we who hold the candle make sure our wick is lit, our lamp is full of oil and ready to let our light dispel darkness. Scriptures calls us believers the “light of the world,” and urges us to shine as lights in the world of a crooked and twisted generation. All of this for the sole purpose to give glory to our Father in heaven. For at one time we were in darkness, but now we are the light in the Lord, so we should walk as children of light. So Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Is. 60:1)

Coat of Many Colors

…in God I trust: I shall not be afraid. (Psalm 56:11a)

If you know me, you know me. I am much like the cat in the picture. I’m charismatic, outgoing in every direction, have a style of my own and not afraid to wear it. I love the fluffy feeling of being complete in my attire, all the accessories. The colors in this cat make me feel happy, relaxed and comfortable. I’m just not sure about the look on her face though. She almost looks frightened, or surprised. Then I thought about that for a bit, I wonder if anyone notices that in me when I’m dressed in my coat of many colors, all fluffed up? Do they see the hurt, or fear that I sometimes feel, the shock or overwhelming feeling of life in the moment? Can they see the burdens that I am carrying that are woven so intricately into the fabric of my being, that I try to disguise as some form of accessory? I have hidden things in my attire in the past because I didn’t want people to see the deeper parts of me. When you are the one that people look to for a smile, a touch, a word of encouragement, the last thing you want them to see is what you are going through. We can do pretty good at hiding those things from other people, but we can’t hide them from God and honestly he does not want us too. God is my Father and a Good Good Father at that. He cares about EVERYTHING I care about. He knows my every thought, every happy, sad moment, he even knows every hair on my head and He collects every tear I’ve ever cried and puts’ them in a bottle, recording them in His book (Ps. 56:8). He knows my pain, sorrow, and struggles and he won’t ever forget them. He is aware of every burden I’ve had to bear, from the sleepless nights to the quiet unseen sorrows wrapped in my “Oh I feel so good” outfit I’m wearing. So when I look at this cat, what I see is beautiful on the outside, but on the inside is a different kind of beauty. It’s not a form of weakness because of that look in her eye, or the look in my eye, rather it is a need to give it over to the One who sees and remembers. Those feelings on the inside I call them beautiful to because I am created by a God that does not make mistakes, therefore, He wanted me to feel or He wouldn’t have given me the emotions to do so. What He doesn’t want is for me to be in bondage to those feeling and feel the need to hide them or hide from them nor does he want you too. So, get out your best outfit, accessorize, put a smile on your face and let the light shine down upon you with confidence that what others see you wearing on the outside, is the same thing you are wearing on the inside.

Trust In God

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

Life comes with lots of questions, decisions to be made, and a lot of pondering until you finally take a leap of faith. Bold faith that God is true and His Word is truth, that He has given you everything you need through the Holy Spirit. Our goal is to overflow with confidence in God’s promises, even in difficult circumstances. There is no way my human self could ever achieve these things without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. He causes me to overflow with expectancy, full of assurance that He is the one in control, which brings me much confidence and comfort when I am searching for the strength to move forward.

Father God, I pray for myself as well as all who are reading this that may be in need of hope today. I pray we recognize you are the source of all hope; I ask that you fill us with joy and peace through our trust in you. I pray that by your Holy Spirit’s power; You would bring us an abundance of hope, inward peace vs. human optimism. I ask that you put people in our paths today that would bring encouragement, especially for those facing loss whether in physical death, broken relationships, jobs, etc. Remove all confusion from our minds and help us to dare to make decisions based on Your truths. To speak firmly to the mountain that is in front of us and to have the strength to persevere with passion knowing we have put our trust wholly in You, Amen.

Com’n In A Shout’n

Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! (Psalm 149:3)

Sunday morning worship is the BEST. I’m not a good singer nor do I have instrumental talent, that’s why I love Sunday morning worship, these people on stage do. They are prayed up and anointed to bring the congregation into His presence. I’m not shy when it comes to worshipping my Lord and Savior. I throw up hands, I will jump, sway, stomp a foot all the while thanking God that no one else can hear me, but Him. Now at home or in my car it’s a whole different story, I let it rip. I’m all in. I love that no matter what I sound like, to God it is beautiful and He delights that my heart is focused on Him and He thinks this is the sweetest sound ever. Isn’t that just like a father? Always seeing the best in his child even when no one else can. Sometimes I just can’t help myself, I get this beating in my heart and overwhelmed sense of gratitude, for how much He loves me. I become so humbled before Him for all the goodness He has done for me, I mean geez …He saved my life! He set my feet upon a rock, He turned my life around, broke the chains that once had me bound, brought joy in the morning after nights of darkness, delivered me from SOooo many things, healed the deep wounds within me, gave me a reason to live, He set me FREE! It makes me want to SHOUT! I feel new strength and hope once I have been in His presence through worship. That is my best description of “JOY.” Nobody can love me like that and I’m gonna let Him know! You know God doesn’t just love to hear us sing praises to Him, it is a declaration of our trust in Him. It shows Him our surrender when we will humble ourselves and worship Him. He actually views it as an act of obedience, adoration, and a pleasant offering. God “inhabits” or dwells within the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), affirming His presence. It shows Him that Jesus Christ really does dwell within us. So if you ever see me shouting praises to God, just know God is rejoicing over it.

Bread and Water

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst'” (John 6:35)

I just want to share a little about my Blog. When I began this, I really had no idea where it was going or who would read it and I was okay with that. I needed to write more than I needed people to read, what I did know was God was speaking to me. He first spoke the words Bread and Water to me. I knew right then that was the domain name for my Blog. I also knew I was a sinner saved by grace which in turn gave me a tagline; “Personal experiences and revelations of a sinner saved by grace.” A slogan; “Overflowing in grace” my life story. Lastly, my logo; a photo of a wall plaque a man from our church over 25 years ago had made for a housewarming gift for us; “Jesus Living Water.” All that I am writing about are things He is currently or has in the past spoken to me directly, whether through the written Word of God, or a knowing in my spirit, or by word or a sentence of words that suddenly come to mind, which usually becomes a title to a blog at some point. I love to take pictures, picture of all kinds and sometimes I look at a photo that I’ve taken and suddenly there’s a Blog. My Blog is an example of my life with Him, what it looks like in recorded form. Blogging is also a way for me to unleash some things that bring discomfort or uncertainty in my life. It allows me to focus on Him verses the chaos that is going on around me or even just in my mind. I have always been a person given to journaling; it is great therapy. It allows my mind time to sit in the silence, it brings a calm in my storm, and I hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit giving me that feeling of inner guidance. I am able to reflect on life circumstances and writing down my thoughts help me recognize spiritual insights. I feel a real heart-to-heart connection with God in these moments. A lot of the writings are personal, yet sincere conversations between me and the Lord and I feel that others can glean from them as I do, at least that is my prayer. This picture aside from what the woman looks like, is truly a picture of me, what I look like when preparing for writing a blog. I have my Bible, my 13 little notes scattered all around me, and I am sitting ever so intently listening. I also have days when I do not hear anything and it’s just a time of silence and waiting, reflecting or ruminating on a word, or a moment. This is my time. I don’t believe life allows for a lot of “MY TIME,” you just have to make it happen and cherish it like a newborn baby. Originally writing a Blog was my husband’s idea simply because he was aware of how much writing does for me. I thought, why not? I’d just like to say, thanks to him for knowing me so well, and knowing what I needed more than I did. I pray any and all who read my Blog will be blessed in some way and a big thank you for taking your precious time to read it.

The Heart of the Matter is the Matter of the Heart

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

In the movie the Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man wants a heart to feel emotions like love, kindness and sorrow, believing that without one, he cannot love. In the beginning he explains his need for a heart and later he notes, “Now I know I’ve got a heart because it’s breaking”.

Tina Turner sings a song, “What’s Love Got to Do With It”. This was a song about anti-love, keeping relationships casual and physical, rather than emotional, to avoid heartbreak. Its focus is on, distrust, emotions driven by past pain. It’s about protecting oneself from future hurts by not allowing themselves to fall in love. The chorus: “What’s love got to do, got to do with it? What’s love but a secondhand emotion? What’s love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?” This secondhand emotion suggests that emotional intensity is less important than physical experience. Tina Turner stated in an interview in 1984 that she personally believed “love has everything to do with everything,” even though the song fit the “liberated” and faster-paced mindset of the time. The song inevitably denies the importance of emotions.

The movie is a fairytale, the song is based on an era in time, but what does God have to say about the matter of the heart? God views the heart as the center of human personality-encompassing intellect, emotion, and will-and the primary indicator or spiritual condition. As humans we tend to look at the outward appearance, God looks directly at the heart as in the Scripture (1 Sa. 16:7), which is often described as naturally deceitful, sinful, and in need of divine transformation. Scripture also speaks of the heart being wicked; filled with evil thoughts, immorality, and greed. Jesus taught that the heart is the source of all behavior, that what defiles a person comes from within, including evil thoughts, murder, and adultery. God says, he searches the heart, he tests it looking for evidence of His spirit, and then he refines it and blesses it according to our conduct; [“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deed.”] I as many of you reading this have experienced our own story of emotions on the matter of the heart. As horrible as the brokenness and the wounds that we have been carrying from the emotions of the heart are, there is GOOD NEWS. In the Word of God it says, broken hearts are not abandoned, but are the focus of His intimacy, healing, and restoration. God draws near to the brokenhearted, offering to bind up wounds, exchange the emotional ashes for beauty, and transform painful experiences into a testimony of His love and grace. He saves the crushed in spirit (Psalms 34:18). He turns sorrow into joy (Is. 61:1). No matter how shattered the circumstances of your life may seem…”preaching to myself here,” God is the restorer of the damage done. God will use these moments of brokenness to draw me and you closer to Him, a place where His strength and love abound and this is the heart of the matter.

Am I Producing?

Knowing the testing of your faith produces patience. Let patience do its perfect work, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Ja. 1:3-4)

Let’s turn our adversities into opportunities. Let’s become complete and whole. Let’s produce “FAITH.” Faith produces patience, endurance, and perseverance, which leads us to completeness, I want everything God has for me. Faith produces the ability to withstand hardships which in turn should mature us as believers. Eventually it will lead to good works and obedience in God, which I am steadily maturing in with each circumstance presented before me. Faith is our weapon to war against the enemy. If we have the faith to believe God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Battles seem to be never-ending, but with God we are more than a conqueror. It also produces peace, joy and love for others, that’s where we see the adversity turning into an opportunity. An opportunity to show the love of Christ in any given circumstance; I am still working out the kinks in that area just FYI. Faith is the foundational assurance of things hoped for, confidence to trust God’s promises. I have hope, and I trust, that’s the only reason I am still here. It is an anchor, a grounding for all future hope today, tomorrow, days and years to come. While hope is looking forward with an expectation, our faith is relying on God’s character that He is who He says He is. Faith is the inward certainty that generates the outward expectation of hope. This is where I know that I know comes in. If we will get this seeded deep inside of us, it makes it possible for us to move forward with confidence. Life allows us so many opportunities, yet I have found most require faith to do them. I don’t always feel that kind of faith. I have to stir up faith inside of me, it’s there, but I have to remind myself. Without it I am an “Udder FAILURE,” I have to pray for direction and guidance and be ready and willing to receive. God simply wants me to trust in Him, have “FAITH.” By doing it that way it is perfect, I lack nothing. That trouble situation, self-doubt, rejection, lost loved one, struggle to succeed in what I am trying to accomplish; adversity overcome. DONE! Once you have faith, the test is finished. (Hebrews 12:2), Jesus is described as the “author and finisher” (or perfecter) of our faith. Doubt and faith do not co-exit.

After “It Is Finished”

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” (Matt. 28:19)

Jesus gave the command after his resurrection and shortly before his ascension into heaven. Immediately after rising: He appeared to his disciples behind locked doors in Jerusalem and told them, “As the father has sent me, I am sending you”. Shortly before ascending: He gave further instructions near Bethany on the Mount of Olives, telling them they would be his witnesses “to the ends of the earth” after receiving the Holy Spirit. According to Scripture in (Matthew 28:18-20) [And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”] This applies to all Christians as a mandate to share our faith. We just spent an entire week in preparation for the celebration of our Risen Savior, now it’s time to GO! If you gave your life to Jesus at anytime during or before the celebration you have now been commanded to Go …share the good news, be fishers of men, make disciples. This is the mission of the Church to spread the gospel message of salvation, we are the Church, don’t just sit around and wait for the world to come to you, we need to GO to them. If you need a place to start, start with letting others see the change in you. What the cross did for you, your freedom from the sins you were carrying, the hurts, habits and hang-ups the Lord just freed you from, the new love you have for people, even the unlovely. Go … looks different for everyone, just like our fingerprint is different from everyone else’s, so is the way we bring others into a personal relationship with the Lord. For others it may look like evangelism in the streets to the homeless or a co- worker the Lord put on your heart, a schoolmate or a random person at the grocery store. Acts of kindness are a very good tool for everyone to start with. Let me also remind you, that you are not the one doing the calling, the Holy Spirit calls them, you are the tool in which He uses to accomplish His good work, lest anyone boast of his good work (Eph.2:8-10). The purpose of good works is not causing salvation, instead we believers are created to do the good works to show the fruit or evidence of our faith. Remember is was entirely by the grace of God that you were saved and it is by grace that others will be too. Just GO! that is the command, put your individual fingerprint on another soul for the kingdom of heaven.

ONE Way

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

I was at a funeral this week for a man that was given just a few weeks to live. This man had experienced hell on earth in many different ways, and he had a faith in Jesus that what Jesus did on that cross was real and it was for him, death would not win because Jesus had already conquered death once and for all. He knew in just a few short days he was going to Heaven and Jesus was the only way there. He wasn’t scared, NO fear! He knew the devil was real and he was a liar. He had the Holy Spirit living in him, guiding him through all truth, it just resonated in his whole being. No questions what-so-ever, truth is truth, believe it or not, he believed and we should too. The day of the funeral was a celebration day, not a sad day, because how could we be sad about where he was? A place we all want to go to one day. Of course he will be missed by many, but the awesome part of that for those of us that know the truth, we know that we are just going through a temporary separation and soon we will all be together once again. Our friend is not gone for good; he is in heaven awaiting our arrival. When the Pastor was with our friend shortly before he left this earth, he asked him, “are you okay?” Meaning did he have any reservations about what was about to take place. The Pastor said, “In the 20 years of being with those that are dying, I never met a person so prepared, so sure and so ready to go” and not because he was suffering or in pain, though he was, but because he was just that certain of where he was going. We would be wise to prepare ourselves for the truth in such a way as our friend did. Death is not the end; it’s the beginning of a life that we will never be able to obtain here. We will have for the first time a direct, unhindered communion with God. To actually be in His presence, the “Heaven of heavens” a place where our souls find true rest. So, the answer to the question is: Yes, Jesus is the ONLY way to get there.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10)

Prayer of Salvation “Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. I confess that I am a sinner, and I believe that Jesus you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I ask you Jesus, come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I repent of my sins, and I trust in You alone for my salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Afflictions …Nothing Strange About That

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (Psalm 119:71)

Have you ever felt like the short-legged dog? Life can be a real challenge at times, but scripture tells us that already. “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12). Life is a battleground; a place we grow, learn and for spiritual refinement. Hardship and heartache are part of our journey in helping us in becoming one’s intended self, [We need to entrust our souls to our Creator and continue to do good, for He is faithful] ( 1 Peter 4:19). I sometimes wonder how people can be so saintly while going through stuff. Their demeanor will be like; walking around with this angelic kind of smile, such self-restraint, like it’s all good. I know scripture, I know God intimately, and without say’n, He obviously knows my every thought and action before I even think it or do it. I know we are all wired differently and because of that each person goes through things differently, even people of faith. I also know God has and will always provide an answer to the question or a light to lead us out of the dark if we will [“be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him …] (Psalm 37:7). But you might be one who has been waiting patiently for a long time for an answer, what now? Wait a little longer, trust and count it all as joy. What? count it all as joy?! Yep, because the Scripture says; [“when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness”] (James 1:2-4). Steadfastness: the quality of being fixed, unwavering, and loyal in purpose, faith, or affection, characterized by endurance and consistency. It provides stability during adversity, builds deep trust in relationships, and, according to biblical context, produces mature faith and spiritual reward … like those who I called earlier; the saintly. And this “joy” obviously does not mean the worldly, temporal happiness. This is complete “joy in the Lord” who is sovereign over all things, including trials. So now you may ask, “why would a loving God want me to suffer? I’ve asked this question before. Again, scripture has an answer; [In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith …may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed] (1 Peter 1:6-7). Just so you know, God does not delight in your suffering nor in mine, but He allows suffering in order to refine our faith, to develop Christ’s character in us, and to bring glory to Himself. I don’t know who’s reading this and what you might be going through, but I do know the One who does. Scripture tells us, [“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed”] ( 2 Cor. 4:8-9), [“God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”] ( Psalm 46:1). Then, [“Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray”] and remember to be still and wait patiently for God. Afflicted …but, not crushed! Don’t let the mud of life bury you, get up out of that grave … bathe in the Living Water and let the mud be washed away.