Above all else...

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

~Proverbs 4:23

The tools of our trade....

The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. - 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 THE MESSAGE

What a friend we have in Jesus

"What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there."

Setting ourselves free

          Okay wait, wait, wait! Before anyone sends me a mean e-mail about how Jesus is the only one who can set us free let me explain where I'm going with this.
         Yesterday, I happened to see an episode of "The Glee Project". In this reality show teens and young adults compete to win a 7 episode spot on the show Glee. In this random episode, I happened to catch, the judges/mentors were telling young, beautiful, shy Nellie that they're tired of encouraging her. They said it seemed as if they were begging her to be on the show instead of her fighting to be on the show like the rest of the contestants.
          The show then flashed back to other episode's clips where the judges were pumping her with affirmation and pushing her forward over and over again. Yet, in her present moment she still lacked confidence and seemed disconnected. Her lack of enthusiasm puts her in the bottom 3, where she now has to sing a song the judges have picked in order for her to convince them to save her. As she hits the stage, her demeanor changes, and as she begins to sing she transforms into a different person. Her voice is mysterious and passionate. The judges are obviously moved.
         After she finishes, the judges begin to question her about the drastic change that seems to always happen when she sings. They ask her if she loves singing on stage as a solo artist more than she loves acting. Her transformation speaks for itself. The judges deliberate and post their decisions. The bottom 3 contestants look at the board and beautiful Nellie has been cut. She says her tearful goodbyes and leaves the show.
          Throughout the show, it seemed like Nellie was holding on to this idea about being an actor. Holding on to this idea was obviously torturing her but she never pin-pointed it as the source of her struggles. When she didn't worry about acting and got the chance to sing, she moved people. It was this "acting" image she was clinging to that was building a wall - it didn't fit her.
          When something doesn't fit, instead of trying to hem it, take it in and adjust it countless times in order to force fit it, it's better to simply take it off. When she finally took it off and sang, you could see what truly fit her - like a glove I might say.
         How many things in life do we hold on to, try to squeeze ourselves into, or lie saying it fits when it's way too big, that would be better thrown away. We have to set ourselves free and release it. I remember when I was in school for Christian Counseling; I could have forced my way into the field, or I could be real with myself and let it go.
         We all fit somewhere, but we won’t find it if we are desperately trying to fit where we don't belong. Sometimes other people can see where we fit better than we can and notice before we do when we don't fit, just like Nellie. When we've invested so much into something it's hard to admit that maybe it's time to walk away, but setting ourselves free is the best thing we can do. Until we are honest about what fits, we won’t be able to put on what truly does.

Sean Frizzell - Spontaneous

Make our praise like perfume!! So beautiful!! Our praise ministers to God!! I dreamed a few months ago that my husband was worshiping along the sea shore of a beautiful beach. Then I saw the image of large feet in the sky/clouds and the Lord said that my husband's praise was like oil on His feet!! ♥ Your praise matters!! God can't worship Himself! If we don't cry out the rocks will sing His praise.

What is success anyway?

 "Success. A word to be suspicious of. Especially in the church. Jesus never talked about success in the typically American way."- Brain Zahnd

       What is success? If we don't recognize our false ideas about success and reveal His accurate idea of success we risk living our lives frustrated. False ideas of success keep us striving for something other than what we have. It keeps us from truly embracing our life and living each moment to the fullest. 
        Often when someone says the American idea of success is twisted and not biblical people get upset. They automatically think we are saying God wants you poor, lacking influence and defeated which isn't the case.
       What does success look like to you? What does success look like in the Bible? If we don't ask ourselves this question we risk trying to use God as a "get rich quick scheme" and then getting mad when He doesn't respond. We also risk prostituting our gifts and talents for the kingdom of darkness, instead of light. I heard it once said, "When the gifted get frustrated and become impatient with God's promise, the devil presents his form of promise called com-promise."
        If you have a false idea of success in your heard, you will get frustrated and become impatient because nothing is lining up with your false imagination, which is the perfect time for the enemy to present what you want, on his terms.
        When our ideas of success line up with God's then we can dream and imagine because our heart is in line with His heart. So I challenge you to read the New Testament and think of how it applies to you. How can you incorporate God's word in your day to day life? And how does the Bible redesign your ideas of success?
  

Closer

Commit Your Actions

People may be pure in their own eyes,
    but the Lord examines their motives.

Commit your actions to the Lord,
    and your plans will succeed.

-Proverbs 16:2-3 NLT

This Is What You Do

Picking up where we left off :-)

               I love it when I run into an old friend and we are able to pick up right where we left off. There's no judgment or walls to climb over, only smiles and laughs. I love people who are able to do that. It's refreshing. My husband and I are like this- easy going, forgiving, willing to laugh and chat with people we haven't seen in years. It's a choice and for the most part we willingly keep our hearts open.
              It's always awkward to run into someone who is not like this. There is a weird tension in the air. Some people live a lifestyle of making people jump through hoops to earn their smiles and friendly conversation, but life's too short. My hubs and I could live that way as well, but it's not worth missing out on connecting with God's creations.
            Each moment, no matter how random or scarce, is special to us. Maybe we haven't seen someone in years, and after we randomly run into each other we wont see them for several more years, so what. Our heart is open to connect in that moment. It's fun. It's exciting.
             Allowing yourself to pick up where you left off is a gift you give yourself and others. It's special and worth giving. I always walk away energized. We were blessed with such a moment today. The laughs and  fresh conversation were truly a blessing.

Dreams

    ."And they replied, “We both had dreams last night,
but no one can tell us what they mean.”
“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied.
“Go ahead and tell me your dreams"
- Genesis 40:8 (NLT)      

     

            Have you ever had a dream? Did you wonder what it meant? There are many different ideas about dreams from secular psychologists saying they are repressed memories, to some Christians saying they are from demons, to other Christians saying they are from God and other people saying they are caused from eating greasy food after midnight. With all these different ideas, how do we know what to believe?

             As a Christ follower, I believe some dreams come from the Lord. He is a dream giver. I've had vivid dreams since I was a child. They've always been a part of my life. Ever since I can remember, I've had interesting spiritual experiences. Are you the same way?

            Christians who have never had spiritual experiences growing up usually look down on things like dreams because they can't relate, but once you've had a God dream there's no turning back. It's amazing. My favorite dreams are direction dreams. These are dreams where God gives you direction. He spoke to people in the New Testament in this way, guiding them which way to go just as His word promises (Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take - Proverbs 3:6 NLT).

            God led the wise men with dreams. He warned them not to return to Herod with information about baby Jesus, "And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." - Matthew 2:12 NIV  The truth is God can communicate anything He wants to you through dreams, we only need to pay attention.

           It's troubling that much of the church does not recognize dreams as a Godly experience. I'd understand if the Bible never mentioned dreams, but the Bible is full of dreams. Dreams are not isolated to the Old Testament either; they are consistent throughout the New Testament as well.

          Even after reading New Testament scriptures showing God speaks to his followers in dreams, some will still turn their backs. Growing up as a dreamer has not always been easy. It's a sensitive subject and many have rejected me because of it. I know the way some church people view dreams so I usually keep it to myself, but with myspace, twitter, facebook etc., people can look up my blogs and see what I believe. I knew if someone had viewed my blog or read my books simply by the way they treated me afterwards. I can't tell you how many times someone will be friendly with me today and totally blow me off tomorrow after viewing my websites. I honestly want to say, "My websites/blogs turned you off? They aren't even half as radical as I truly am!" ha-ha   All jokes aside. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt, but I'm used to it.

           I do understand some people's hesitation. If they haven't read their Bibles and they are going based on what they've heard or seen by other radicals, it can be a big turn-off. It's important to remember that Godly dreams will never tell you something that goes against the word of God. It may go against man made doctrines, but never the word of God. It's also important to remember that God wants to speak to YOU. It's great to seek wisdom about your dreams BUT don't become dependent on a person to speak to you. Pray about the dream and seek God. It's important to seek God because not all dreams are from God. The enemy can lie to us in dreams. Our earthly flesh and emotions can slip into our dreams as well. It's a known fact that some medications can cause dreams too. 

         Also remember that you may not get an interpretation for every dream. Trust that all interpretations belong to God and if He doesn't reveal the meaning, move on. The most important thing to remember is not to make dreaming an idol. I see all too often "spiritual" people worshiping the art of dreaming and not the dream giver Himself. Our relationship is with God, not dreams.

          Dreaming with God is connected to our relationship with Him. The closer you are to Him, the more clear the line of communication and the easier it will be to hear and understand. One thing I try to do is read the Bible before I fall asleep. I also go to sleep expecting to hear from the Lord. Sometimes I dream a lot and other times I go weeks or months with not a single dream so don't get concerned with the amount of dreams you dream. If God has something to say then He will say it.

          If put in their proper place and used correctly, dreams can be an amazing blessing. I remember my mom having a dream that showed her we'd be okay during a hurricane and avoided hours of traffic by trying to evacuate. So we sat still and guess what! The storm totally missed us despite the weather report just like her dream had revealed! I remember having a dream that brought wisdom to a burden my mom was facing. My dream led to her healing! I've had dreams that shared where safe places would be during storms. Like years ago when I was still in High School, my church was located in an old run down inner city neighborhood. I dreamed during a flood it would be a safe place for people and news crews to come as my church gave out supplies for those in need.  And a few days later, my family and I watched my dream/vision unfold all over the news!

          Dreams are amazing! God speaks! My husband and I have made life changing decisions based on wisdom and clarity given in dreams. The Lord spoke to my husband about what apartment to move into and situations to avoid. My husband dreamed a previous company he worked for went out of business. When He woke up he felt the Lord urge him to start saving. A few months later the business did just that and it was the savings the dream inspired him to save that held him over until he got a new job. Praise God!!

          If you've closed your heart to hearing from God in dreams, you are missing out. I could write a book with story after story about how dreams have affected me and my family. I'd encourage you to search the Bible for yourself and really seek the Lord and allow Him to reveal more of Himself to you.

           I believe God wants to share life's details with you. It doesn't matter how big or small a situation is, if you invite Him in, He will share with you.

His grace is sufficient

God doesn't pick the qualified, He qualifies the chosen! Don't let anyone in or out of church make you feel that you don't have a place within the body of Christ because you do! 

Psalm 141:3 The Message

Post a guard at my mouth, God,
      set a watch at the door of my lips.
   Don't let me so much as dream of evil
      or thoughtlessly fall into bad company.
   And these people who only do wrong—
      don't let them lure me with their sweet talk!
   May the Just One set me straight,
      may the Kind One correct me,
   Don't let sin anoint my head.
      I'm praying hard against their evil ways!

Meaning it

          Have you ever had a falling-out with a friend, then after some time had past you reconcile and try to move forward? I've only had this happen a few times, thankfully. One thing I've learned through those experiences is the importance of truly letting people "begin again" - giving second chances, a fresh starts.
          When we make people pay for hurting us in some passive aggressive way we are pouring poison on our relationship. We are putting the blame entirely on the other person without assuming responsibility for our part in the downfall. We are not only ruining our friend's second chance but our own. 
          People get tired of paying a price. Little jabs here and there add up and create distance between the very relationships we want to keep, self destruction at it's best, if we aren't careful a root of bitterness can completely sever our relationship's chance of survival. The jabs get old and expose our stifled emotional growth.While we are busy being "catty" our friends will have outgrown us.
          We can't offer a second chances and continue to make people pay in sublet ways. If we choose to do this we are sabotaging our relationship from the get-go. It's also arrogant because again, it's putting the blame entirely on the other person and most people aren't willing to carry the responsibility  of a broken relationship alone. It shows the other person we don't recognize how we hurt them which is unsettling in any wannabe healthy relationship.
         Besides my own relationship experience, I was a counseling and psychology student for awhile and one thing I've learned is that anyone can want a restored relationship, but unless you are willing to lay your feelings aside, throw away your pride and do the hard work, it's not going to last. I've read testimony after testimony of people who had been divorced finally reconciling and living "happily ever after" again. One thing they all have in common is a "clean slate". They gave each other the gift of "starting over", completely and fully. On the other hand I've read about relationships that tried to reconcile but couldn't. They were okay for awhile but  didn't last the test of time because one or both of the partners couldn't let go. They continued to bring up the past, throw jabs here and there and continued making the other person pay. The choice is ours. It does not matter the relationship we are trying to save the truth remains the same - relationships flourish when each person is allowed a sincere chance to start over.
          When we decide to reconcile let's make sure we truly mean it by giving the relationship a fair chance to bloom by forgiving completely. No relationship can stand when someone is harboring unforgivness. Count the cost and decide, "Do I want to save this relationship?" If so, then give it a second chance and mean it! Let go of the drama and start over, sincerely.

Pulling down what God's lifting up

When we don't understand someone it's easy to assume "they aren't from God" as if they are a ploy from the enemy, but just because we don't understand something doesn't mean it's not from God. Be extremely careful when criticizing other ministries, you may find you're pulling down what God's lifting up.

Angels

Your most effective...

Your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurt.- Rick Warren