Word Medicine

 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.- Proverbs 16:24

    There is power in speaking kind words to people we meet. Our words can be life to dry bones. We never know what people have been through. Our words could be healing oil on their wounds, some wounds they've carried for decades. The Bible asks us to,"encourage one another and build one another up" - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 

    Just like rain to a garden, our words have the ability to give life to those who are wilting.When we see wilted, discouraged and fearful people, it may be because they haven't been watered in awhile. Let's shower people with affirmation and acceptance. Let's use our words to energize and comfort those we meet. As Christians our mouths are fountains of life (Pr10:11). We are told to, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."- Ephesians 4:29 and to "...consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds..." -Hebrews 10:24 One of the best ways to stimulate one another toward love and good deeds is with our words. 

    There is no such thing as silence. When we don't affirm people, the enemy fills that void with lies and insecurity.  When we don't speak, the enemy will. If we want people to blossom and  use their gifts to their fullest potential, we must learn to encourage one another.

    If we've grown up with an unlimited supply of affirmation, surrounded by parents that gave us encouragement and people that lavishly praised us, then we may not be aware how starved for acceptance others may be. A daily dose of positive words spoken over someone will perk up those wilted petals. We never know the thoughts people are rehearsing in their minds about themselves, these thoughts have the ability to paralyze someone, cause them to stumble, even miss opportunities that were destined for them. 

    Often times we take someone's reserved nature as a negative. As if they are judging us or have a bad attitude, but in reality they are struggling with a spirit of rejection and a few healthy doses of affirming words could be the cure. Job 4:4 says, "Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees."

     It's the same as a doctor's prescription. The prescription does not usually read, "Take once. The End". It usually says something along the lines of "Take 3 times a day for two weeks". The same is true with healing words. It takes a consistent dose of "word medicine" to bring about change. God may have put someone in your life for a season for this very reason.

     Words are powerful. They bring life and death. We will never understand the true power of spoken words over one another as seen in the spiritual realm, but we can see their power transform a fearful, hesitant person into one that is firm, empowered and confident, right before our eyes. The Bible says, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." -Proverbs 25:11, " The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry" - MSG 

     A blessing spoken over someone is like the gun shot that starts a race. Many stand at the starting line their whole lives waiting for something but not knowing what. It's the spoken blessing. A potent dose of "word medicine" could be the very thing to fire the shot that frees them to begin their race.

Deeper, Lord

Running loose

"Since they didn’t bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose."- Romans 1:28 THE MESSAGE

   When we develop a lifestyle of doing things our own way, we really do begin doing things on our own. God does not force us to acknowledge Him. If we want to run loose, then we can. But when we acknowledge God in all our ways, He participates with us, as we participate with Him.  The Bible says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."- Proverbs 3:6 NASB 

    Acknowleding God is about trust. Do we trust Him more than we trust ourselves? When we put our trust in God it's easy to acknowledge Him in all our ways, it's when we trust our own opinions and gut that we have trouble acknowledging God. The Bible does not say "follow your gut", it says to acknowledge God and he will direct our path (NKJ). It says He will lead us with His peace and keep us in His peace. 

    Many today do not have peace. They can't sleep at night and they wrestle with many things. Running loose is not as fun and freeing as many start out believing. But there is a promise of peace to those that have their attention set on God. "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" - Isaiah 26:3 NLT  When we have tunnel vision, when we acknowledge and recognize God in all our ways, we will live with peace. 

      One of the most important things to remember when journeying through life is to," Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all." - Proverbs 3:6 THE MESSAGE Many problems can be avoided by simply remembering this. 

       Don't succumb to running loose, doing whatever you want whenever you please. We are put on earth for a reason. It's only when we acknowledge God that we begin to see the fullness of that reason. You have a designer, acknowledge Him and His path for you will become increasingly more clear.

Gifted to do

"The successful man lays aside what he can do in order to accomplish what he is gifted to do." -John Paul Jackson

Hebrews 3:12-13 AMP

     "[Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God.  
     But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him]."

Cheap Candy

"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much." - Proverbs 20:19 NIV

      Gossiping. What's so wrong with it anyway? We know gossiping is frowned upon, but why? I'm going to share a few reason as to why gossiping is hurtful for the gossiper and for the those being gossiped about.

     "Fools are undone by their big mouths; their souls are crushed by their words. Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly?" - Proverbs 18:7-8 THE MESSAGE

    Gossiping stops us from healing. We continually rehearse painful events, ripping off our scabs, causing us to begin bleeding again. Bottom line, a gossip never heals. They get stuck looking backwards instead of moving forward with their life.

    Gossiping causes division and separates close friends. The word "separate" does not provide the visual we need for what really happens. A gossip severs close friends. It's not a clean break. It's a painful cutting and ripping, and our words caused it.
    Gossiping is self-righteous. When we gossip we are often judging others. In order to judge another, we would have to be claiming perfection. Of course, only God is perfect. We make mistakes all the time.
    Gossiping destroys our credibility. When I'm around a gossip the first thing that pops into my head is, "I'm never opening up to them!" and I'm being completely honest. Is that how we want people to think of us?
     Gossiping is slanderous. We tell our side of the story without giving the other person a chance to speak for themselves. "In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines"  - Proverbs 18:17 NIV  "The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him." - NKJ

   Summing it up, gossiping creates loss. It could be a loss of a friend, a job, an opportunity, respect, healing etc. We not only create that loss for ourselves but for others. When we engage in gossiping we are participating in tearing something down when we were created to build up.

      It comes down to integrity. Ask yourself, "What am I hoping to gain by gossiping?" we rarely participate in behavior that does not have a pay off. Be honest and search yourself. What's the pay off? God can help us find ways to meet those needs in healthier ways.

"Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief."

- Proverbs 21:23 THE MESSAGE

Trust God

Happy 2yrs!

      This October my hubby and I celebrated two years of marriage (read about how we met HERE.) October is a special month for us. It's also my hubby's birthday month and the month we bought our house. To celebrate such a fun season we took a road trip to Nashville, TN. It was beyond fun. We've always loved road tripping together. The open road, music, quality time,  random stops etc all make it one of our favorite things to do. We drove through north Texas and straight across Arkansas - next time we want to spend a little more time in Arkansas, because of our schedule, we didn't get to see the mountains. 

       Once we arrive in Nashville there was so much to do. We visited the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum and toured the Reba exhibit along with other artist features. We toured RCA's famed Studio B (insane!!). We also enjoyed walking down Music Row and listening to live music on Broadway. We even visited the Grand Ole Opry and the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Next time we are going to catch a show at the Opry. 

         After soaking up Nashville for a few days we headed to Memphis, TN to see ELVIS! Graceland was a trip, a serious time warp. Only half the house was open to the public. Elvis never allowed anyone upstairs and it remains that way today. After touring his house we toured his automobile collection and his private plane. I must say, I'm thankful at how design has evolved. Everything in Graceland seemed dark, narrow and extremely gaudy. It's hard to believe people lived like that. As for the spirit of Elvis, the Graceland tour along with studio B really gave me a sense of who he really was outside of his celebrity status. It was fascinating.
      Interesting facts about Elvis: * Elvis had a identical twin, Jesse Garon, that died at birth. *Elvis greeted everyone when he arrived at the studio. He wanted everyone to know they were appreciated. * Elvis was an artist and had to set the mood for each song. He often used colored lighting or no lights (pitch black) to achieve the right emotion while recording. For example the song, "Are you lonesome tonight" was record in the dark, you can hear Elvis hit his head on the microphone towards the end of the song. *Elvis didn't start wearing crazy clothes because of fame, according to his classmates, Elvis was very flamboyant and quirky since grade school and was made fun of for it. *Elvis was extremely generous. He gave away numerous cars and paid off people's debt (even strangers).
       After spending some time in Memphis, hubby and I headed home with hopes of visiting again soon. Nashville definitely holds a special place in our hearts. Hubby always jokes about us packing up and moving....we'll see...maybe one day.

Shine

Light for Others

The struggle many of us face....to eliminate or illuminate.

Distractions instead of destiny

    There are so many opportunities to build in today's world that if we aren't careful we will be building distractions instead of destiny. Just because we can build something doesn't mean it's God's will for us to build it. 

     I've have to be careful of this as well. I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Even as a kid I was always trying to create something from nothing whether it was art work, a club with friends, or small business.  I've learned over my lifetime that my ideas can sometimes, well, most of the time, out run God. I can get trapped in doing many things and forget the main thing,"God's called you as a Christian writer". 

    It's hard for me to picture myself having a "normal" life as some may call it because my experiences have left me far from "normal" in the ways I think, feel and take in the world around me. This aspect of myself has caused me to jump out ahead with new ideas that I usually regret because I haven't spent time seeking God first. Any free birds out there know what I mean?

      We are capable of many things, but not all things are destiny - most things are distractions. If God hasn't given you a word about something I wouldn't spend enormous amounts of time or money perusing it. Take it from someone who has done many things in vain, and chased countless whims. God always gets His way with His children. It's better to spent time in prayer and WAIT for the go-ahead than it is to spend weeks, months, even years sowing into a dead end. I even have to wonder if these whims are from the enemy himself, trying to keep us from doing what we were meant to do. 

     Ideas are great. Creating art is freeing. Building something is exciting. And keeping the main thing the main things can quickly become oh so boring. But we have to develop self discipline, which is really hard for some of us. The discipline to focus and drive it home. 

    The Holy Spirit gives me little sayings that help me focus and live the life God wants of me. I'd share them all but they are really personal at times (many make up chapters in my two devotional books). The current one is the one I'm sharing with you now, "Distractions or Destiny?" I'm going to start running my gazillion ideas past it before moving ahead with anything!

       We are either sowing into distractions or destiny.

Diluted versions

       We are so much more vibrant than we often know. In order to live a life that continually carries it's maximum energy, color and potency, we must uncover what's diluting us in the first place.
      There are many ways to become a diluted version of yourself, but the two main culprits I've found are A.) passed trauma  B.) people pleasing (in the form of being "balanced", "politically correct", or "Popular"). The key is honesty. We have to be honest with ourselves and do a little inward investigating.
     What passed trauma have you experienced? It could be something dramatic to something sublet and unnoticeable to others. How has it affected you? What have those experiences robbed from your life?
        As for people pleasing, the truth may not be balanced. The call God's put on your life may swing so far one way that you are out of balance to earthly standards, but it's that drive, focus and fiery passion that will help you accomplish the very things you were born to do. To walk in your full potency you may have to give up being popular.
      If you've lost this edge and feel like a diluted version on yourself, pin point what's draining the color and life out of your life and allow God to transform you in those areas. It's a life long journey. I felt diluted for much of my life, but through soul searching, doing the hard work (counseling, classes, reading etc), and being honest with myself about insecurities and things that have held me down I continually sense a new level of vibrancy as each productive year passes.
     How about you? Do you feel watered down? You were created to live at maximum strength.

Your love sets me free

Spirit of the age

    "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." - 2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV

 "If our Message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see. They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get." - 2 Corinthians 4:4 THE MESSAGE

    There are greater days ahead. I'm not a doom and gloom Christian. I believe that those who stay connected to Him will continue to go from glory to glory, victory to victory no matter what happens around us. Our best days are ahead. But that does not mean everyone will continue on the path of light. Many will be devoured by the spirit of the age and follow the voice of deception. Many will leave their pure unadulterated faith for a compromised new age faith that enjoys a little bit of everything - creating their own god.

     How do we avoid such a down fall as the majority begin floating down steam? We avoid it by staying focused. By reading our Bibles and praying in the Holy Spirit. If you are not filled, it's time to be filled with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit will empower you, He will teach you, guide you and lead you on paths of righteousness. He is our helper.

       There is a way that is cool, it's seen as mature, cultured, worldly and hip and then there is a way that is right and true. We have to choose which way we will go. It won't always be easy, but the choice is ours. There are greater days ahead and an eternal weight of glory awaiting those who will not turn their backs and follow a god created by man.

"My truth"

   The new age saying, "My truth" is becoming more mainstream and gaining momentum as more people begin to incorporate it in their every day lives. "You follow your truth and I'll follow my truth". Even Christians are beginning to include this phrase in their conversation, "That's your truth, not mine".
    As a Christian what is "my truth", anyway? If you are a Bible believing, Jesus following, Christian then Jesus is your truth. He said it himself in John 14:6 NIV, "I am the way and the truth and the life." 

   He didn't merely say He taught truth, but that He is truth. Jesus makes many bold claims throughout the Bible, this is why the leaders of the day were so upset. I'm sure they wouldn't have minded Him so much if He simply said "I share truth", or left it at, "I follow truth", but He didn't. He said, "I am...". He was calling Himself God and they knew it. It infuriated them to the point of wanting Him dead. 

   We are faced with the same Jesus today. He is saying to us, "I am the way and the truth and the life." There is no other way, truth or life. He's either "my truth" or He isn't. He didn't leave it open for compromise. His radical claims force us to make a choice. 

    As a Christian "my truth" is based on the one who calls Himself "truth". If "my truth" adds up to anything other than Jesus then "my truth" is sadly being used as justification for "my deception". Your truth, my truth, their truth, none of it matters in the end. What matters is if we embraced THE TRUTH, Jesus.

The Reward

Unconditionally

Brokenness has taught them...

True intercessory folk are often entrusted with knowledge only for them as they give themselves to the groan of His heart. So the intercessors are not tattle-tales; they do not use their gift to lord over another or as a badge of importance. Brokenness has taught them that quiet, trustworthy obedience is better demonstrated. - Don Nori Sr., Former CEO at Destiny Image Inc.

 

       Ever wonder why God reveals His secrets to you? It's so we can pray. :-) When I was younger I'd get so frustrated when God would reveal things to me. I was like, "Okay? What am I suppose to do with this?" Eventually, I learned from older and wiser people that it was God's calling to pray. 

       His secrets are revealed so we know how to pray. Prayer changes everything! Some people don't have anyone praying for them. :-( No father, mother, grandma etc. out there speaking blessings over their life or asking for a hedge of protection. 

       When we are shown something it's because God trusts us with the information. Trusts that we will love and not hate. Trusts that we will weep with them and for them and not puff up with pride. Trusts that we will be moved with compassion for things that are breaking His heart. :-)

        The Lord trusts you with His secrets because He knows you are broken. Don't despise the broken pieces in your life. They have been used to shape you into exactly what He wanted - a usable vessel.

When inspiration hits

      I have 50 draft articles in my blog account. Those are articles I started but laid aside to finish, "tomorrow". The thing is when inspiration hits, we need to respect it and give it the time it requires to create what it's intended to create, otherwise we lose momentum. Like ME!! And my 50 draft articles!! What in the world!!

     I'm still excited and a believer in each article, but it's slightly overwhelming to think about capturing the same frame of mind and spirit to finish them all. I'm slightly disappointed with myself for putting off so many.

     I'm learning from this feeling of disappointment to pound out each message as it comes because "tomorrow" never really comes. Inspiration beckons me toward something else and I never get a chance to come back and finish what needed to be finished yesterday. I need to complete each article while I'm in the flow.

        Hopefully some of these draft articles make it onto my blog eventually.

Happy Fall

        Happy Fall from my baby boy, Winston the Basset Hound. He's trying to run off with my pumpkin lid. :-) 

        Should Christians carve pumpkins? As with Yoga, I can only share what I believe to be true after researching the topic myself.

       Where it started, "The Celts would hollow out turnips, then carve faces in them and place candles inside.  The turnips were then either placed in the windows, to keep evil spirits from entering a home, or carried around as lanterns.  This tradition eventually melded with the North American tradition of carving pumpkins.  At this point, the carving of pumpkins, which had been around in North America before Halloween was popularly introduced, became associated almost exclusively with Halloween (around the 19th century)."

        So why were American's carving pumpkins if it was not for Halloween as many mistakenly think? The answer is, for lanterns. A hollowed out pumpkin made a great lantern on the table or on a stick in the yard and even down a road to light up the night before electricity. I don't have a problem making a cute fall lantern every October. When the Irish came to America and saw how much better pumpkins were for lanterns they stopped using potatoes, beets and turnips and began using American pumpkins, since then we only hear about the "dark side" of carving pumpkins and completely forget that pumpkins were carved as lanterns, not faces to welcome the dead.

        Carving a fall lantern or carving a Jack-o'-lantern or demon face would be the same difference as a Christian stretching vs a Christian participating in yoga. They look similar but completely different.

          The legend of Stingy Jack is sorta creepy, you can read it HERE along with the Celtic tradition of using glowing jack-o-lanterns, to welcome deceased loved ones and protect against malevolent spirits. Though I did carve faces into my pumpkins as a kid, I will not allow my future kids to participate, or even go trick or treating.

       However, I love the idea of going to the pumpkin patch, and making fall lanterns with my family. Then sitting outside on a crisp cool night, sipping something warm and enjoying our lanterns, sharing our thankfulness and making memories together.