Monthly Supporters

Christmas Cheer!

Just gotta brag on my parents & grandparents...they have been going nonstop to make everyone's Christmas eve & day amazing!! They are incredible! They wear their hearts on theirs sleeves, they always make everyone feel welcome and they never stop giving & loving!!! ♥ Thanking God for them!!!

"God is saying, “I want the rest of your life to be the best of your life. I’m with you, and I’m for you. I want to save you from your past. I want to save you for the purpose for which I made you. And I want to save you by my grace. If you’ll let me do that, I will give you peace with me, peace of me, and peace with other people. But you have to open the door and receive the Christmas gift."

Jesus is the REASON for the SEASON






Jesus is the REASON for the SEASON

Merry CHRISTmas Eve!!!



This is my video entry in the Christmas contest for The Basement's Got Talent. Enjoy!!! Hope you "like" it on their page :-) God bless you and your family! Merry CHRISTmas!!! ♥

Click this link to "LIKE" it on their page:
http://www.facebook.com/basementsgottalent/posts/177050312394214

Thank You!!! Glory to GOD in the HIGHEST and peace to His people on earth!!!

Everybody ♥ Everybody! LOVE conquers all!!

Everybody ♥ Everybody! LOVE conquers all!!



Just want my parents and grandparents to know how much I LOVE them and how much they have impacted and changed my life!!!!!! Not a day goes by that I don't LOVE you with my whole heart!!!! Don't ever forget that!!! I hope I never ever forget to tell you how much I love you!!!

Narrow Road

Let me walk with You on the narrow road
I know it may get lonely but I know Iʼm not alone
Iʼll seek You in the wilderness, I know thatʼs where You are
You whisper like the breeze, Youʼre speaking to my heart
You say...

The wide gate looks so beautiful but destruction is its end
Go against the stream, my friend
and stand where angels fear to tread

At Your feet I lay my crowns
With my tears I sow into those who will one day
Know the glory of the narrow road

Is your thermostat set to "Comfort Zone" ?

Some thermostats have a "comfort zone' setting on them. Is the 'Comfort Zone' the setting on your thermostat?

Here are a few excerpts from an article I just read, that I can really relate to:

"For the last several months the term “comfort zone” has been a
regular part of my vocabulary. I think about “leaving” it, and
overcoming the desire to live there. I count the many challenges of
leaving what’s comfortable and familiar and the triumphs of risk-
taking when God leads."

Peter stepped WAY out of the comfort zone to walk on water, when Jesus called him out of the boat.
"I LOVE Peter. I love how he is bold and self-confident. I love that when he blows it, he blows it BIG. And yet, Jesus never defined him by his impulsiveness, bad decisions or fearful behavior. Comforting thought."

"Why leave Comfort Zones? Because we cannot grow in humility, patience or courage within the
confines of a zone where we deem our selves comfortable. Lessons in these three elements, are by
their nature, uncomfortable. And, all the while, we grow in deeper relational intimacy with the
God who reveals to us what is inside our hearts and reaffirms His loving redeeming touch."

God has been pushing me out of my comfort zone BIG time with my new church, my small group, my job at times...and that's just to name a few. God knows the way to shape me, equip me, change my heart and stretch me-will always be outside of my comfort zone. You cannot take a leap of faith, inside your comfort zone.

"The greatest things in my life have been things that I did not plan, they were directions the Lord gave me at that time"- Francis Chan

♪ ♫ ♩ ♬ In the HIGHEST and COME ALIVE♪ ♫ ♩ ♬




Your great light shines for ALL to see, I come alive, I come alive. Singing Your song for eternity, I come alive, I come alive!
Your love breaks sadness over me, I come alive! Gates fling wide and Heaven breathes I come alive!

♪ ♫ ♩ ♬ 1st day singing at Garden City♪ ♫ ♩ ♬

Yesterday was my first day singing at Garden City Church. It was AWE-MAZING!!! God gets ALL the glory. I was very nervous leading up to it but it was incredible how God Himself calmed all my nerves and quieted my soul on every level. He made me feel so at home, and the band was just so warm and welcoming. I felt like I've been worshipping with them forever! I kept pinching myself and thinking, I am so blessed to get to do this! It is the ultimate dress rehearsal and practice for heaven when we get to worship Him nonstop, without the constraints of time and energy. I hope to start posting some videos in the near future.

It was 100% Philippians 4:13. God just emptied my nervous, insecure, intimidated self and filled me up with HIM! His grace is sufficient and He did ALL the work! I felt fully alive in Him and using the gifts He loaned to me on earth. I want to be a good steward with what He has given me, so I won't let the fear hold me back. I may be afraid every time, or WAY out of my comfort zone, but in HIM I can do all things. He gave me life, so I give Him mine. Help me to be all that You've called me to be Lord.


"I am filled with a love that calls me to action.. God give me the strength to give something from nothing, I want to be a glimpse of the kingdom that is coming!"

Link to Garden City Church Website: http://www.gardencitysanjose.com/

Hindsight is 20/20

October is crazy!!

This has been a crazy week! My computer broke...but Apple might actually be fixing it for free...praying!!! God is so good! I met the most amazing, sweet, radically saved girl from Teen Challenge and got to hear her testimony...incredible! it was so encouraging to meet a fellow sojourner of the Lord....when I least expected it. It is like meeting a long lost sister. I also had the privilege of meeting the sweetest little girl named Daysia. she is only three years old and she has Leukemia. If you are reading this, please take a moment to pray for little Daysia. let me just say that she made a lasting impact on my life and in my heart! she is so full of the JOY of the Lord. The purity of a child's heart and their child like faith is the most beautiful gift. It is proof of Gods existence! How a child with Leukemia can be filled with hope and joy! WE ought to have faith like that...on a good day or a horrilbly "bad" day. If she can do it...we can do it! By the grace of God.
Then my aunt Janet flew back to Alaska...that was sad! I hate goodbyes! But I am beyond grateful for the month I got to spend making memories with her and my family! She has so much energy...I don't know how she does it! I am wiped out haha! We had a twelve hour adventure on saturday in San Francisco...it was awesome! I laughed so hard the whole day that my stomach literally hurt.
Can't believe it is already November! My daddy's birthday is tomorrow :) This year has flown by! I am excited for this next season! It's going to be good...I can feel it! And God is always good so here we go...buckle up!
Pardon my grammar on this one...I'm using moms IPad...not used to it yet haha!

Beautiful People

Feel Him now.

Close your eyes and listen to this. Now picture that someone in your life who is suffering or struggling right now...someone you love and care for deeply. It breaks your heart to see them hurting. It breaks God's heart even more. He is near. Now close your eyes and listen. Find comfort and solace and peace in knowing God hears the Cry of the Broken. He is holding your loved one and wrapping His loving arms around them as you listen to this. He is so close to the broken hearted. Let HIM love on You. Let go of your heart, let go of your head and feel Him now. Don't be afraid, just let go and try it. What have you got to lose? No one is watching, it is just you and God. Now just close your eyes & abandon everything and feel HIS love, now in this moment. He is with You. He is with your loved one. Be still and know. I love you.


His perfect timing-Waiting on God

The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises...but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you. Not desiring that any should perish. 2 Peter 3:9

His timing is one of His greatest mysteries. God is never late & always worth the wait! Do not despise small beginnings...we all start with one small step. Remain faithful to the little.

I the Lord will hasten it in his time. (Isaiah 60:22)
"When the Lord hastens, His speed is glorious"-Spurgeon


It's not how you start. It's how you finish. LOVE. ALWAYS. WINS.
God is LOVE.

Spiritual Steak...

God, in my car after my doctor appt. you gave me the daily bread...as I pulled the little book out of my purse the page was folded back on Nov. 16th. The card the doctor had just written me for my next followup was Nov. 16th. Coincidence? I think not. So I begin to read the Nov. 16th entry. The top of the page says BEWARE! It is about false teachers. It was perfect! More than you know! The timing...

So John (in 1 John 2) warns us, as believers and followers of Christ, against these false teachers. In the end times, there will be (and are) many among us. The daily bread compares it to counterfeit money; which is quite apropos considering the money scandal in San Francisco. It said that, when distinguishing counterfeit money from real money, one must look for the DIFFERENCES, not the similarities. As the enemy will lace things with truth. Little grains of truth will be strategically placed, just enough, throughout the teaching that it will "seem right & good." This is highly dangerous. The point is to draw the faithful away from Jesus. Not outrightly and obviously, no of course not. That would not happen; but subtly, without really knowing. This is the cunning baffling thing about the adversary. By warping truth just enough that it is not glaringly obvious. Twisting this, mixing that, deviating here just a little. You have to be on your guard and clear-headed, prayed up and connected to THE source. The indwelling Holy Spirit will give you red flags and warnings. But it is up to YOU to search out those warnings, to seek that Truth, to dig in, to press in...press into God and His Word. The similarities will make you believe that it must be "right" Thinking to yourself, "well he preaches Jesus, he loves Jesus, he quotes scripture." But John warns us not to look at the similarities. Look at the differences. The differences are what makes ALL the difference. The slightest difference changes the WHOLE BIG PICTURE.

It is so crucial, now of all times, that we are mature and spiritually discerned, testing the spirits and being a tester of metal. Don't let what "seems" right and good, fool you or lead you away from the Truth, from Jesus. He IS the Truth. The ONLY way to come to God the Father, is through His son. God makes it very clear in His Word, and anyone or anything that says otherwise, is opposing God's Word and warping His Truth. Forgive them Father, they know not what they do. Forgive us Father, we know not what we do. God is the only one who truly knows and makes all things right. There is no need to fear, our Shepherd will never let His sheep out of His sight. He is the Ultimate Authority and I thank Him for warning me and for being my constant guide.

Every painful lesson we go through is worth it. God uses it to equip us with discernment, empathy, Godly wisdom and so much more. "What was intended to destroy you, God is using for good, for the saving of many lives"-Gen.50:20. God shows me again and again why that is my life verse. Maybe this was all to prepare me, so that God can use me when others are being led astray by false teachers and heresy.

Read 1 John 2:18-27. It is a heavy topic, a meaty chunk of scripture...meant for our maturity & growth in Christ.


Waiting




To wait for God is never a waste of time. Wait on His timing, it's perfect.

Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you're waiting.

"Beware of your knowledge of God outpacing your character of God. Truth should never travel faster than Love." ♥
God is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 7:35
"I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."(NIV)

"I am saying these things to help you. I am not trying to keep you from getting married. I want you to do what is best. You should work for Him without other things taking your time."(NLV)

"to secure your undistracted and undivided devotion to the Lord."-1 Cor.7:35 (AMP)


How long will you wander, my wayward daughter?
God will create something new & different to happen:
A transformed woman will embrace the transforming God!"-Jer. 31:22
In another version of the Bible it says "A woman will court her suitor"...wow! God is our suitor, pursuing our wandering, wayward hearts. In Hosea 2 God says, "She will call me her husband"

But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly (words of comfort) to her there.
I will return her vineyards to her
and transform the Valley of Trouble, a door of hope.
And she will SING there as she did when she was young (NLV)
when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.

When that day comes,” says the Lord,
“you will call Me ‘My Husband’-Hosea 2:14-16 (NLT)

"I will promise to make you Mine forever. Yes, I will take you as My bride in what is right and good and fair, and in loving-kindness and in loving-pity. I will keep My promise and make you Mine. Then you will know the Lord."-Hosea 2:19-20

WOW! I could write an entire novel just on these verses from Hosea & Jeremiah...the thing is...there are SO many more. His Word is so alive. He has been speaking to me about being His bride since before my baptism and He keeps revealing more and more to me. Hosea 2:15 He says she will SING there as she did when she was young. After He freed her from captivity. I can really relate to these verses. He is wooing me and calling me back to my first love...to HIM. Calling me back to singing to Him and for Him. He reminds me of all He has freed me from and all He has rescued me from. When He recalls to my mind & heart, all of the mercy & grace He has had upon me...it makes me want to SING for Him. Shout for JOY, sing from the top of the rooftops about how good He is. You see when you experience a LOVE like God, you want to tell the WHOLE WORLD about it. You can't help but tell them, sing about Him...you are bursting at the seems with His love! He is so jealous for us. For our love, affection, attention. For our first and our best. Because He loves us that much and He wants to give us HIS first and HIS best!









LOOK UP



“I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” -Abraham Lincoln

A picture is worth a thousand words...









Daily Inspiration and Truth

‎Some must read quotes for today:

”Prepare to meet your God” (Amos 4:12). You have no choice in whether you meet him. Only whether you are ready. - John Piper

Lord God, as I read the stories of the Bible, I see again and again that You call Your people to do things that, at the time, don’t seem to make sense. I also realize that the reason Your will didn’t make sense to Your people is that their vision was limited—they couldn’t see the ends You had in mind. Show me in my mind and heart that I cannot know what my best interest really looks like, because I would need to know the future, and only You know that. Because my own perspective is limited, may I learn to trust You and do what You tell me, because it will always work out to my greater good. Then trust will overcome fear, and I will risk everything on Your character and live into the purposes You have ordained for me. As I embrace a biblical perspective, may it change my priorities and my practice. [Ken Boa]


So long as breath remains in our lungs, untapped POTENTIAL lies inside us, waiting to be released. The reason we are still alive is that we are carrying something inside us that this generation NEEDS. That’s why we’re not yet in heaven.
– Wayne Cordeiro

He's not impressed with horsepower; the size of our muscles means little to him.Those who fear God get God's attention; they can depend on his strength.-Psalm 147:10-11

On a good day enjoy yourself. On a bad day examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we wont take anything for granted-Ecc 7:14

Rise up & shine, for your light has come. The shining-greatness of the Lord has risen upon you. Let your light shine for ALL to see-Isaiah60:1

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. Mother Teresa



*Mind you that when I post quotes and verses, I never claim to have these down 100%...these are things that inspire me that I want to share. Things that I try to do and aspire to DO, with Christ's help. To not only be a hearer of the Word but a DO-ER. Not preaching at or to anyone. I am in the same boat as you. Just doing the best I can to follow His Word, one day at a time*
Not Perfect, Just Forgiven

Iron Sharpens Iron




Santa Cruz last night....God's skyline!!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Had the most amazing night with my little sister Kelsey! She posted this while I was sleeping last night "You know you have an amazing best friend when every conversation you have is about how wonderful God is. Love you Malorie Mckenna!!!!"

"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm' though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hands." Psalm 37:23-24

Wow!!!! All the glory to GOD for that!!!! Everytime I share my testimony, I'm reminded of how amazing God is & all the He saved me from! Humbled & grateful! Never forget.
Last night was an ~iron sharpening iron, fellowship, testimony share, worshipping the Lord and getting filled UP~night!! I felt like I had a little Santa Cruz vacation with the Lord and my sister. God never ceases to amaze me through my friend's love & the friendships He has blessed me with! We talked from 5:45 to 2 a.m. about God. I mean I just love how we can't stop talking about Him. I love how we want to stay up all night and read His Word and talk about Him and learn from Him and worship Him. Worship and fellowship are literally crucial to my survival. They help me thrive...it's where God fills me up so that I can overflow His love & goodness onto others. It is where I am changed & transformed & renewed by Him.

As I recalled everything in my testimony and all of His goodness. I saw so clearly my Father's hand in everything and His fingerprints running through my whole life. I just felt even more alive. We overcome by the word of our testimony. And of course, His blood! It was so awesome to remember how God connected me and Nichole and ALL He did through her in my life and still does. And then how He connected me & Kelsey through Nichole. I really believe I will eventually meet my husband through Nichole. God has connected me to so many amazing people and given me countless priceless friendships through her. She is a Jesus networker and connecter. I love it!!!

I still cannot believe that Nichole and I met in a bar four years ago when she was cocktail waitressing. Now fast-forward and we are fired up, sold out, Jesus freaks, and sisters in Christ. I could go on and on about the many miracles God has done in and through our friendship. I can never thank God enough for loving me so much to give me such amazing sisters!!!

Worship jam session

Give it up for GOD

But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,
the woman who sticks with God.-Jeremiah 17:7 (MSG)

Most blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.-Jer. 17:7

This goes along with my blog yesterday about not putting your hope in powerful leaders, or in humans in general. But putting your whole confidence in the LORD and sticking with Him. Not relying on your own, or on any mere human strength but relying on God's power & strength.

The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.-Jer.17:9-10

Okay now that may really sound depressing at first...like Oh great my heart is hopelessly deceitful & an unsolvable puzzle even to me?!? But the Truth is, God knows our hearts through and through, better than we ever could. It is impossible to know every single motive of our hearts & every motive of every single thing we do. It is important to press into God and ask Him to search our hearts (Psalm 139) and to reveal to us any offensive way or to reveal our motives to us. But we cannot search our hearts without Him. He is THE heart searcher. There are times when I do rely on my human strength, or maybe on someone else's...I am not proud of it, but I am being honest. God is faithful to reveal to me when I am putting my reliance in the wrong place and not on Him.

He wants the best for us. He reveals to us so that we can surrender and put our hope & trust back in Him. If I don't even know my own heart then I surely don't know what I need. If my own heart can even deceive me then I really need to stick close to God. I have to stick close to Him to be on guard and discerning. Not seeking or forcing my will, but just the opposite, letting go of my will and seeking to follow His. Whatever we have to let go of to follow His will, is ultimately for our good. I just heard Zig say this at Unashamed last night:

"God will never make you give up something you cant live w/out. Guaranteed, anything you give up for Him, He'll give you BETTER!"

That is so true. If you think about it, anything you have ever given up for God, you survived without and in fact you were better off without it. And I guarantee He brought something even better your way. He does close doors, we do face rejection...but rejection is His protection & leading us in a better direction, to a BETTER open door. Don't trust your own unsteady willpower or your deceitful heart. Don't lean on your own understanding & try to figure it out. Just let Him lead you & trust in HIM. He is the only One that has the best plan for you all mapped out and knows the best way to get you there.

What you were created to do, you can't do without God. God doesn't want to go a single day, a single minute without YOU! Don't go a single minute without Him! -@ZIGoftheU

Waiting: "She will call me her Husband"

How long will you wander, my wayward daughter?
God will create something new & different to happen:
A transformed woman will embrace the transforming God!"-Jer. 31:22
In another version of the Bible it says "A woman will court her suitor"...wow! God is our suitor, pursuing our wandering, wayward hearts. In Hosea 2 God says, "She will call me her husband"

But then I will win her back once again.
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly (words of comfort) to her there.
I will return her vineyards to her
and transform the Valley of Trouble, a door of hope.
And she will SING there as she did when she was young (NLV)
when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.

When that day comes,” says the Lord,
“you will call Me ‘My Husband’-Hosea 2:14-16 (NLT)

"I will promise to make you Mine forever. Yes, I will take you as My bride in what is right and good and fair, and in loving-kindness and in loving-pity. I will keep My promise and make you Mine. Then you will know the Lord."-Hosea 2:19-20

WOW! I could write an entire novel just on these verses from Hosea & Jeremiah...the thing is...there are SO many more. His Word is so alive. He has been speaking to me about being His bride since before my baptism and He keeps revealing more and more to me. Hosea 2:15 He says she will SING there as she did when she was young. After He freed her from captivity. I can really relate to these verses. He is wooing me and calling me back to my first love...to HIM. Calling me back to singing to Him and for Him. He reminds me of all He has freed me from and all He has rescued me from. When He recalls to my mind & heart, all of the mercy & grace He has had upon me...it makes me want to SING for Him. Shout for JOY, sing from the top of the rooftops about how good He is. You see when you experience a LOVE like God, you want to tell the WHOLE WORLD about it. You can't help but tell them, sing about Him...you are bursting at the seems with His love! He is so jealous for us. For our love, affection, attention. For our first and our best. Because He loves us that much and He wants to give us HIS first and HIS best!


When my mind or my heart start to wander, even just a thought (take captive every thought)...I say out loud to myself & to God..."I set you as a seal upon my heart." And "The Lord is my shepherd, nothing shall I want." I am not saying I do this perfectly, but I have been trying to make it a practice, whenever my heart wanders...I say these verses. Focusing on what I don't have is to be ungrateful for all that I do have. It is to take my eyes & heart off of Jesus. It can & does change the course of my whole day. When I am focused on what I DO have...which is so much more than I could ever ask for, then I am not only cultivating at attitude of gratitude but I am also keeping my mind stayed on Him. Isaiah 26:3 is another favorite verse of mine. "He keeps in perfect peace, the one whose mind is stayed on Him, because He trusts in Him." Keeping my eyes on Jesus and my mind on eternal things, gives me the gift of HIS transcendent peace. Sometimes I start listing out loud all the things I am grateful for and all the things He has been doing in my life. Once we really start to look at all He is doing in us, thru us and for us, we will be amazed at how joyful and peaceful we will be, even in the worst situations. He anchors us with His peace & love & joy when we deposit into our spiritual banks. Life is always wanting to take withdrawals from your spiritual bank account. The enemy does come to STEAL...so make sure you are depositing plenty into your spiritual bank account so you are ready when life's storms hit. It is amazing how our attitude & perception changes everything. The fact is, God does meet all of my needs like a husband cares for a wife. It is just up to me to focus on that truth & "see" it with His eyes.

He will never stop pursuing our wandering hearts, and He will keep wooing us back to Him, reminding us of all the good He has done for us. Reminding us that He will continue to do good. He has a good track record!!! He keeps transforming us and calling us back to Him until we fully surrender our hearts to Him and pursue Him as our rightful suitor. I cry when I read this verse a loud, "How long will you wander, my wayward daughter, for I will cause something NEW & different to happen. A transformed women, will embrace the transforming God." There is so much hope there. He never gives up on us. He doesn't just want to save us, He wants to change & transform us until the day we return home to Him. God is so intimate, relational and romantic with us.

Child Like Faith AND Wisdom

I would rather be foolish than faithless...that is what child like faith is. I feel like I have been going through some major discernment lessons. The hardest lessons are always the one's that stick. The one's where we were totally wrong, or missed all the red flags from God...but that is how He teaches us. That is how He cultivates discernment deep within us. Through the "mistakes"...there are no mistakes in God's Kingdom, He allows things to happen to teach us. I tend to look at the world with rose colored glasses, I want to see the best in people & situations. This is a huge blessing from God but can also be very bad when it comes to discernment. I want to be sharp and wise and discerning, while at the same time seeing the best in people. It is a tough combo, and one that only God could truly help me do. I am usually at one extreme or the other...seeing everyone & everything in a good light, but maybe missing the red flags. So God is dealing with me on this. He gave me the verse

Matthew 10:16
“I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all around you. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves." The gentle as doves part comes pretty naturally (by His grace & through HIM) but the wise as snakes part He is pruning in me right now. I am grateful He is teaching me all of this. I know I need it, in this big big world and in ministry. It is very important to be wise & cautious, while at the same time loving & accepting. Only Jesus could do this perfectly...wow what an example He is to follow! The best!!!

God also gave me these verses recently as I've been going through some church changes here in California...
Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
But joyful are those who have God...as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.-Psalm 146:3-5

My hope is not in a powerful leader at my church and his dreams and visions for my life. My HOPE is in GOD alone...always and forever. Because when that leader is gone or when God redirects my footsteps, GOD alone remains the same. His plans and purpose and dreams for my life will never change, will never be to harm me or to use my gifts for anything but HIS glory! God's plans are the BEST. Submitting to His plan, trusting, knowing it might not "look" like what I thought I 'wanted' but it is surely always what I NEED. And it always, always works out that what HE has for me, what I need...always turns out to be what I truly wanted all along, just didn't know any better. It is like a kid that asks His dad for chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner..the Dad knows best what the child needs, but the child doesn't know. Later on however the child thanks the Father for being a good Dad and meeting His needs. So it is with us & God. I want to LOVE His will. Thy will be done. And trust His will, because His will is the best. He will meet our needs, it will be more than we could as think or imagine. He may not give us the blueprint, because He just wants us to trust without needing to see it. Once again, it is just me and Jesus. Exactly where He wants me. Totally and utterly dependent on HIM for every move I make, every breath I breathe, every step I take. Desperate for Him. He gives us a dream that we could never do without HIM, so that we have to press into HIM in every way and trust Him in every way to even take one step closer to it. So that HE can be glorified in EVERY WAY.

Follow your dreams...you say "I don't know how to follow this dream"...without GOD. But with HIM all things are possible and if you keep following Him one step at a time, He will accomplish His plan. It is a promise and He can't break His promise.

I will give them ONE heart & one purpose to worship me forever...I will make an everlasting covenant with them. I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy in doing good for them-Jer. 32:39-40

Wow. His Words. His promises. 100% Truth. God is always faithful!

My loyalty is first and foremost always to Jesus. I will also always be loyal and faithful to the Basement.

Master Artist! LIGHTS up the sky...

The beautiful masterpiece God painted in the sky this morning...right outside my window...breathtaking!!!





GOD IS SO REAL!!! He lights up the sky...
It is the Lord who provides the sun to LIGHT the day & the moon & stars to light the night"-Jer.31:35


Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—
His faithful love endures forever.
the sun to rule the day,
His faithful love endures forever.
and the moon and stars to rule the night.
His faithful love endures forever.-Psalm 136:7-9

I am all that HE says I am...and so are YOU!!!

Chains are broken, scales are on the floor, Truth is spoken, I'm no orphan anymore.


1 Peter 1...wow!

Keep on believing, no matter what you are going through...the storms, the trials, the fire...it is all purification of the former life and sanctification of your NEW life hidden in Christ. He is producing patience and endurance, and equipping you for things unseen, unknown to us now, but surely for HIS glory and our future glory with Him. I will say I have never been through such a fire in my life than I have these last few weeks. I cry a lot, but tears of mourning which HE turns into tears of JOY. Those who sow in tears, will reap a harvest of JOY.-Psalm 126:5. He disciplines those He loves and that is how He corrects & equips us & prepares us. If we are children of God we will be disciplined. Think about it DISCIPLE...DISCIPLine...hmm...notice any similarities.
I have never been discipled on such a level, or pushed as hard as I have this season, but it must mean that God thinks I am ready. He believes in us more than we believe in ourselves...because HE knows us inside out, He knows what we are made of and what we will do for Him. Wow, to think each & every day is written in HIS book, and He holds each and every tear we have cried and will ever cry! Here is some encouragement to anyone going through a season like this: The coach is hard on the players He see's more potential in, than they even know they have. So He pushes them and stretches them farther than they knew they could ever go. Take heart beloved! Jesus believes in YOU!!!! Yes. HE. Does. More than you even know! "Though I walk through the Valley...I will fear no evil, for my GOD is with me!" We must walk through the Valley with God to get to the Mountain top with Him and be able to stand firm there on His solid Rock. Whatever we have to fight for with God, He gives us the equipment & perseverance & character to keep it on our way to fighting for it. Hope that makes sense.


And the special gift of ministry you received ...keep that ablaze! God doesn't want us to be shy with His gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 I want to glorify God & serve God & sow to His Spirit in all seasons...He has actually re-awakened my passion for Him & the gifts ablaze through this FIRE!


This is a 1 Peter 1 season for me...God encourages me with His Word. What would I do without my Jesus? He is the ONLY Way.
1 Peter 1
1-2 I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!

A New Life

3-5 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.
6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation.

10-12 The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!

A Future in God

13-16 So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."
17 You call out to God for help and he helps—he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living.

18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

22-25 Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That's why the prophet said,

The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God's Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.


Listen to this song as you watch the video below. Mute the video below and play the song above...makes me cry everytime!


I bow down, My Beloved

Agent of *CHANGE*

I am taking a break from social media, Facebook, twitter and the like...to focus on the most important relationship in my life. My relationship with God.

Place Your Life Before God
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."Romans 12:1-2

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now HIDDEN with Christ in God. When Christ, who IS YOUR LIFE, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-3

Amen!!!!! Wow! These verses encourage me so much & remind me to keep my eyes on God. To remember that this world and this culture is not what we are made of, not where we are from, or where we are staying. We are in it, but not of it. Yet I felt myself becoming more and more a part of it. Losing myself, but in all the wrong ways, trying to prove myself which is NOT what God wants. HE is the One who justifies. I have peace & rest & joy in Him alone. And if I am trying to prove myself am I truly living for HIM & HIS glory or my own? ouch! I do not want to become polluted, or lower the bar...God's children were chosen and sent to RAISE the bar, to be the change. "Keep oneself from being polluted by the world."-James 1:27 How can I let God truly change me if I continue business as usual. "If you do what you've always done, you will get what you always got"-Matt Pitt. If I want radical change, then it starts with me.

Giving it all away, losing it all, letting go of my life to find true life. (Mark 8:34-36, Matthew 10:39) It is all for His glory & His plan. A transformation by the renewing of my mind. Do what You will Lord, have Your way in me & with me. When God wants to change a nation, He changes a person. When God wants to change a family. He changes a person. Let me be the agent of change God! The pruning, the letting go may hurt...it does hurt! But YOU are worth it Lord. I consider it pure Joy, I count it ALL as loss, but to KNOW You, to carry the cross! You are worth everything, because You are everything. I surrender & submit to Your will and praise You at all times. I know my God that you replace bronze for gold and you give us silver for our iron. So take my bronze and iron! Take my coins and bring true change. Take my heart. None of it is, or will ever be mine. "My beloved is mine & I am His!"-Song of Solomon 2:16

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Get Wisdom at ANY Cost

Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed. Prov. 3:13-18


Proverbs 4

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching. Prov.4:1-2

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[c] wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,[d] get understanding.
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.”Prov. 4:6-8


Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the[e] paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways. Prov. 4:25-26

I'm not in the drivers seat...Jesus take the wheel.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Matthew 16:23-25


You're Not in the Driver's Seat

21-22Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, "Impossible, Master! That can never be!"
23But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works."


24-26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?


27-28"Don't be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You'll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. This isn't pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory."

Not perfect JUST forgiven

This pretty much says it all!

Ephesians 3:7-10 this is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message (the Good News). It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the LEAST qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

8-10 And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are WAY over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!

I mean really?!?!?! That God would choose me...He chose us?!? WoW! I am not perfect, I am JUST FORGIVEN. God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Yesterday was a rough day, flat tire and late for work but I kept meditating on Philippians 4...Paul learned how to have joy and peace in any and every circumstance...good, bad or awful. And I sure did not go to prison like he did...so how can I even complain? Then I got home from work and I get these sweet & encouraging words...like a silver box with a bow on it! God sent me a letter from one of my best friends in Alabama, then two emails from two different friends...All words of LOVE & encouragement. I was blown away by how God not only got me through yesterday gracefully but on top of that HE blessed me in ways I never even thought possible. Its amazing how on the hardest days, the days you dont even wanna do...on those days God blows your mind with His Love & Grace...undeserving. It is those kind of days that God is wanting to show you how amazing His love is and how much He LOVES you! As I was working on a project for one of my clients I look up on the wall and see a painting, very simple & beautiful with a verse on the bottom.

"I've opened a door before you that no one can slam shut."-Rev. 3:8 So when I got home I run over & grab my bible because I want to read more, I want the context of the verse...here it is...
"You don't have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You obeyed me, you didn't deny me when times were rough."-Rev. 3:7-8
That pretty much sums up yesterday! I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength. Offering up praise & gratitude to Him. He does this kind of stuff all the time, everyday...I would have a novel if I wrote about every way God blesses me & surprises me day to day.

BEAUTIFUL WORSHIP!!!!



I will be the sweetest offering. I will be the Praise Your heart desires! My heart sings WORTHY!!!! My heart sings WORTHY!!!! I've found none other like YOU!!!!


G-O-D trumps ALL else!

What's better a PHD or the G-O-D? The G-O-D trumps the PHD everytime!!!
The Spirit reveals "the secret wisdom of God"-1Cor.6:7. Not earthly wisdom. He doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the CALLED. You can't analyze or "figure" God out...He is too BIG to be put in a box like that. No little human boxes can contain HIM. The only one that can discern the thoughts of God is HIS Spirit. We have been given the mind of Christ and God gave us HIS Spirit to discern & reveal the Truths & thoughts of God. WoW! He gave us His Spirit as a deposit because He is coming back for us :) Get it? Well its true...we are carriers of His presence...with the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us..until HIS return or our homecoming to Heaven.

Loving God above all else means letting go of "all else."He may give it back He may not but either way you have HIM so you have everything! If you want it all, you must GIVE IT ALL. Give it ALL to HIM. Everything. Your plans, your dreams, you actions, your will, your life...most importantly your HEART. It always comes down to the heart, because God looks at the heart. Where man looks at outward appearance, or looks at degrees, certificates, awards...etc. But God doesn't look at these things...it is always a matter of the heart for Him.

Some nuggets from church:
"Once you know the TRUTH, you know what's FALSE. True or False?"
My Pastor said this on sunday, "I am not God, I am just the mailman." :) He is the carrier, the messenger, the middleman.
God wants to exchange your earthly glasses for Heavenly glasses. To see through HIS eyes, not the worlds eyes or your earthly eyes.

"The enemy wants us stressed. God wants us BLESSED!!!!!"

"You don't have to QUIT. You just have to SUBMIT." Submit to God. Surrender it all to HIM. Let Jesus take the wheel. Don't give up. Don't quit, just submit.

"A heart of forgiveness means no chains. True power & strength & freedom lies in forgiveness"

"worship is an overflow of our experience of God as the Shepherd of our souls."

David was a man after Gods own heart. When he was alone he would pour his heart out in songs that he wrote for God. Beautiful. Inspired.
A heart fully surrendered to God. That does not mean perfect. It means one day at a time opening your heart, being vulnerable & humbling yourself before the Lord for His spirit to search the deep parts of your heart and guide you into ALL truth. Allowing Him to change your heart. To convict you and turn you the other way. There are new levels of surrender each day. New deliverances and new testimonies all the time between you & the Lord...depends on how much you are willing to surrender to HIm. Surrender it all. He is worth it all!!!!



BEAUTIFUL SISTER
'A woman's heart should be so hidden in the Lord that a man should have to seek Him first to find her'

I am not shouting that 'I am clean living.
I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found & forgiven.'

I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble & need Christ to be my guide.

I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak & need His strength to carry on.

I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed & need God to clean my mess.

I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Inspiration...quotes of the day :)


It's not about being successful, it's about being faithful.-Mother Teresa

We are not here to judge, we are here to LOVE. Love love love
#GiveLove

If My people, who are called by My name, humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, & require of necessity My face...then will I hear from heaven & heal their land. -2 Chron. 7:14
#crave #seek #require

"No weapon formed against me shall remain. God is my victory. and He is here! All of my life, in every season, You are still God, I have reason to sing, I have reason to worship!"

God is rock-firm &faithful. I'm in His very presence. How refreshing it is!I've made Him my home. God, I'm telling the world what YOU do-Psalm73:25

I choose the true road to Somewhere...I'll run the course You lay out for me God.-Psalm 119:30,32
#HolyRoad #Highway2Heaven

I'm single-minded in pursuit of You God; don't let me miss the road signs You've posted. I've banked Your promises in the vault of my heart- Psalm 119:10 (MSG)

Your laws are so fair that I wake up and praise You in the middle of the night-Psalm 119:62


Martin James McKenna

My sweet friend shannon brought a flower to my daddy the other day and sent me this picture! Gah! Sooo precious!!!! She told me she even talked to him and told him how much I love and miss him...totally made my heart melt!!! God gives us friends/sisters as treasures and gems to cherish. He loves us through them!!!! This is a belated Happy Fathers Day gift to my dad!

Letters of HOPE-tornado survivors

So I just wrote a letter to a survivor of the tornados, that was left fatherless. I wanted to share it with you guys in hopes that maybe God would move you to write one too. I did it for this organization called "Letters of Hope 4-27-2011" I put their information under my letter...you can handwrite one or email one...or even handwrite & scan & email...
Here is my letter:
This letter is to the fatherless on this Father's day. If you have recently lost your father, let me encourage you...there is HOPE! You are not alone! You see, I lost my father when I was just seven years old. I never thought I would heal or be whole again. I felt lost, alone, abandoned, scared and so sad. The pain of losing your own father feels unbearable at times...it comes in waves. Sometimes you feel as thought you cannot breathe, the pain is too deep. That deep place where it hurts, is also where the healing begins. As you feel the feelings, God is healing. He reveals that pain and brings it to the light so that He can heal our hearts. I was mad at God when my father passed away. I kept asking "WHY, God, WHY?" I thought if there was a God, then He must not love me or maybe he is punishing me. At that age it is too hard to wrap your head around...even at the age of 25 (which I am not) it is too hard to understand. For God's plans are far above my own, and His ways I cannot comprehend because He is God and I am not. I am just human, mere mortal trying to make sense of things. Getting angry with God was part of my grieving process. Grief is one of the hardest things to walk through. But it is possible to walk through it...I am living proof. Nothing is impossible for God. The last stage of grief is acceptance, I have accepted my fathers death and know that I will see him again in heaven. I know that God must have thought I could handle losing my father, so he must think I am pretty strong. God has SO much faith in YOU. At this very moment He is looking at you, His loving child, and wanting to Father you! Our heavenly Father is the best daddy in the whole wide world. God gave us our earthly fathers on loan for a time while we are here on earth. This is our temporary home, just preparing us for eternity. There was no guarantee how long we would have either one of our parents, but they were gifts to us for a time. Vessels that brought us into this world, and although their fragile earthly vessels may have passed, their spirits are very much alive and well! God is your Father, He loves you unconditionally and wants the VERY BEST for you. He will NEVER leave you or forsake you. He is always with you even when you cannot feel Him. He holds your every tear in the palm of His hand. He knit you in your mothers womb, you are fearfully and wonderfully made...created in His image. I had to wrestle with this truth for many years, wrestle with my "common sense" and my need to figure everything out logically. Once I finally surrendered all of that, in that moment of pain and fear...there was the hope...waiting for me all along. Hope can be found in moments with no light, moments of despair. That surrender gave way to hope which gave way to faith. Faith in something far greater than myself. There is no pain or loss to great for God to heal. I began to see that God must have really thought I was special, for Him to give me this specific journey in life. What an honor that God would give me the gift of empathy for others who have lost a father. A gift that cannot be bought. Only my own loss could give me such compassion in my heart. He has a purpose for you, a destiny that you cannot even imagine! You have been purposed for this very moment. The bigger the mess our lives seem to be, the more God can use us. The more strength He can bestow on us...His strength. He truly is the most tender and loving Father you will ever know. His love is abounding and matchless in every way. There is absolutely NOTHING that can separate you from the love of God. That is a promise! That is the Truth! Once I realized that, and it went from my head to my heart, I was set free. Free from so much fear and pain. Perfect love casts out ALL fear and God IS love. I reached out and began to experience God more and more, I invited Jesus into my heart and He is my best friend. Even in my darkest moments, and I know I am not alone and there is still hope because there is still Jesus. No matter what my circumstances, Jesus never changes, He remains the same forever. He is stable and steadfast and true. Lean on Him beloved, He wants to give you strength. He wants to comfort you and pour His peace on you like you've never known before. Just ask Him to come into your life, into your heart, reach out to feel Him. Cry out to Him He is listening. Ask Him to prove Himself to you, Oh HE will! I pray this for you my dear friend. That the peace of God is guarding your heart and your mind, right now. That Jesus is your Lord and Savior and He is your Heavenly Father. That He is making all things new and His love and mercy and grace is enveloping you as He wraps His arms around you forever. I know your scared, I know it hurts, it feels like you will die of a broken heart...I know. You are not alone. Cry, its okay, just cry...you are beautiful, you are precious in God's sight. You are soooo courageous and strong, there is more strength that lies within you than you even know. You are safe, God is your protector and defender...He will not let anything or anyone harm you. Death has lost it's sting because eternity has been bought for you my dear. I love you, I am your sister in Christ and I love you with HIS love. This letter is God loving YOU through me. I am just the vessel. I am just a little pencil in the hand of a writing God. Sending His love and truth to the world...to YOU.

Love in HIM, Malorie M.
INFORMATION "LETTERS OF HOPE"
To preserve and gather letters from people all over the world for the survivors of the 4/27/11 tornadoes. We will never ask for anything more than a letter, card, poetry, art or any other form of media that is encouraging, inspirational and will symbolize your idea of "HOPE" to be mailed to us for preservation. Every prayer, every letter or card, every word of encouragement is a piece of hope the survivors can cling to when rebuilding their lives. While material things are an immediate necessity, nothing can provide a sense of peace quite like a letter of hope!


Address:

Wolfe Orthodontics
Attn: Letters of Hope/ Dawn Draiss
500 Riverwoods Court Suite B
Helena, AL 35080
Email:
lettersofhope4.27.2011@gmail.com

Matt Pitt

Matt Pitt




Matt with former Alabama running back and NFL star Shuan Alexander!!












Matt with Florida Marlins Jason Standridge












Matt with Javier Arenas #28 Alabama...Roll Tide!
















Matt Pitt hanging out with Billy Graham...no big deal! Fire!





















Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be
.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing,
Dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.


Oh my goodness!!! This is the sweetest little video that my niece Elizabeth made for me...she is precious & very creative!!!!


Plans, Shmans!!!

Its funny because we make plans and then they don't always happen. Our intentions are good, motives are pure, hearts in the right place...and still nothing. Then after all is said and done...we realize "oh, I guess THIS was the plan." It was the plan all along, we just couldnt see it at the time. Like the mom that got stuck in traffic on her way to the airport, where she would have boarding one of the planes that hit the twin towers on 9/11. But the traffic kept her on the ground. I should say God kept her on the ground. It was His plan all along. But to the human eye wouldn't it look like a nuisance, a missed flight, a hassle, a frustrating traffic jam, a bad morning, maybe a bad day...where nothing is going YOUR way. Well thank God it isn't going OUR way and it is always going God's way. If everything were going OUR way, we would be running the show, running the world...we would be in control. I am thankful that God is running the show. He is in control, and things always go according to plan, according to His plan. What a relief! Takes a big heavy burden off of our shoulders, that doesn't belong there in the first place. So when you start feeling like nothing is going your way, the whole world is working against you, your plans are being ruined...say the Serenity Prayer. And remember that our plans sometimes are not in alignment with Gods plans, so we just yield to them no matter how bad or far off they look...and trust in Him. We might not get what we want, but we always will get what we need.


Serenity Prayer:
God grant me the serenity to ACCEPT the things I cannot change
Courage to CHAGNE the things I can
and the WISDOM to know the difference.


Acceptance is the answer to all our problems today. Accept His will. Accept that He wants the best for you : ) It takes more faith to believe that when everything is not going "your way" or according to the plan...but then ask yourself...whose plan am I following...my own? or God's?

For you have placed eternity in the hearts of men.
And now I know that whatever God does it is final. Whatever He does, He does forever. Ecclesiastes 3:11,14

What God does, He does forever. What He promises will happen. He cannot change, He remains steadfast and true. This world is ever-changing and the people in it. We come and go like dust in the wind. "This world is crazy, can't wait till I make it home. Then I can be w/ Him who I adore. When I'm in the battle He's my shield & sword...the One that showed me Love like I've never known before. Gotta give props to my Lord. My Lord is my everything. He's all I ever need. My Lord is the best."





SIng, sing, sing!!!


Okay so the video quality is not the best, but it wasn't about the video...I was making it more for the vocals. I've been worshipping nonstop lately. Night & day...writing, recording, worshipping...its been amazing! I just decided to turn my MacVideo on last night for a bit while I was in it...just for fun...enjoy!


Tornado Care kits-Heart to Heart.org

***WAYS TO HELP***
Every item in the Heart to Heart Care Kit will be used to bring comfort, health and peace of mind to those who receive it. We rely on our growing volunteer movement to acquire, prepare and send the kits, which are shipped from our Global Distribution Center in Kansas City. Below are simple instructions on how you can participate in this worthy cause:

careKit.jpg


CARE KIT ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Place all items in one zipper-seal bag, seal it, place the top of the filled bag into the bottom of the second bag and seal the second bag.
  • Collect banana boxes from a local grocery store, place cardboard or a paper bag in the bottom and place 10 completed Care Kits in each box.
  • Complete the Care Kit Information Form (see link below), insert it in an envelope with financial support for shipping (suggested donation: $1.00 per kit) and place the envelope in the box.
  • Secure each box with packing tape and mark the outside of the box “10 Care Kits.” (If sending multiple boxes, please mark box "Form Inside" to ensure that we collect your information efficiently.)
  • Add necessary shipping information and mail to our warehouse:
Heart to Heart International
1021 Pacific Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66102


CARE KIT CONTENTS:

  • One new hand towel
  • One new washcloth
  • One wide-tooth comb
  • One 10-15 oz. bottle of shampoo
  • One new individually wrapped toothbrush
  • One 4-6 oz. tube of toothpaste
  • One individually wrapped bath-size bar of soap
  • Ten (10) adhesive bandages
  • Two (2) one-gallon-size, zipper-seal plastic bags

Pain & gain

When you avoid something like the plague...it is usually because there is something BIG there. Something BIG and buried deep beneath the core of who you are, the core of your feelings. It is aching...you avoid the hurt, but the more you run the more it hurts. Its almost like when you have a bad neck and it kills to turn left, so you avoid it...but the longer you keep looking right, the worse it will get. The avoided stretch and pain, only magnifies the stiffness and the suffering. You gotta get to the root of it, the source of the pain, dig it up, bring it to the light so that God can heal it. He wants to heal you, He wants you to be whole and complete in HIM. So the Holy Spirit spotlights our heart...the deep dark crevices that only He can see. Painful, yes...but its worth the healing! I notice that the longer I am trying to avoid something the more pain must be buried beneath that I am afraid to look at or feel. It is a good indicator a red flag that there is something God is trying to show me, tell me, spotlight. He uses pain as a megaphone.


When you hear voices in your head...which one do you listen to? Do you listen to your own voice, the voices of other people? The voice of lies? Or do you listen to God’s healing voice of truth? Take captive every thought...it can be very overwhelming for a highly sensitive person with racing thoughts. I am always hearing God’s voice...so loud...but I am also hearing lots of other voices trying to drown out His voice. Of course the more loudly and clearly I hear God...the more the other voices want to turn up and tune Him out. “I count it all as loss if I can’t hear Him, feel Him, because I need Him. Cant walk this earth alone. I recognize I am not my own, so I live to make my boast in Him alone.” People say that they do not believe in God because they cannot see Him. Can you see the wind? Can you see pain? Do you still feel the wind, do you still feel pain? You experience pain and feel pain but cannot see it. I experience God and feel God but cannot see Him. So I let my faith be my eyes, believing & hoping in what is unseen. He is SO REAL! Experience HIM daily, moment by moment, He is all around!!! Speaking ALL the time!!!