Monthly Supporters

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.