Drawing Closer to the Heart of God

MY CALLING, A STORY

2012-02-10T12:30:00.001-05:00

FEBRUARY 10, DAILY BIBLE READING

ONE year ago FEBRUARY 16th 2011, I became an ORDAINED MINISTER .
My Calling, My Story.

June 2, 1999 while sitting at my desk doing my daily study with the Lord in my Keego Harbor home, I heard a calling come over my life. Yes it really sounds weird but it was PROFOUND. I began to draw circles around things I was reading. I am looking now at those SAME circles I drew around scriptures over 13 years ago.

2 TIMOTHY 4:1-5 ..."In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
Preach(Heather) the word; be prepared(Heather) in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage (Heather)—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
But you, (Heather) keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist (Heather), discharge all the duties of your ministry.

God has CONTINUED to reveal many things about my calling and gifts in the years and will continue to reveal in the years to come!
No matter what hardships came my way, I always remembered that day with the Lord. His dreams are still coming together for my life.

We're all called to act on the verse I shared above. God has a way He needs to use you today.
However, some calls into ministry can look a bit different. My story is the "bit different" if I may say!

If God has a "specific" call on your life, He will make it evident to you.

Do not try to be something you are not!

Be led by the Holy Spirit.

Be God's servant.

Immerse yourself in the Word of God.

I was Ordained and set apart for His service the day I chose to really hand God my life and calling. Last February I gathered with a church assembly that has been drawn by God to be a part of my journey.
Pastor Dave from Bay Valley Christian Church has stood next to me on this journey, always in awe of the glory to come through my calling, always helping me understand Gods voice and direction for my life.

Pastor Dave helped me recognize my calling and embraced me on this journey. I knew God had something specific but needed the help and understanding of what that deeper call meant.

I was embraced by a team to help me navigate through the details of this ongoing destiny!
This I will always be grateful.

I also cannot thank my friends and family for supporting Gods activity in my life, especially in the year or two in which I struggled with understanding this calling.

Thank you again Pastor Dave for stepping up and outside of your ordinary to help me GRASP and DEVELOP more of this extraordinary calling, this mystery.

Let me share a brief devotion about a certain passage of scripture from today's reading and as I apply to my personal story please be open to how God may be speaking to you.

Allow God to touch your life today. He wants you to be set apart in your families, parenting, schooling, careers, ministry and more.

God is perfect and His word always confirms your situations and circumstances.

After doing today's daily reading God reminded me of what took place ONE year ago as my husband stood with me through the most beautiful and profound ceremony.

A ceremony and spiritual marker in my life that will not be forgotten.

In Leviticus chapters 8-10, the passage of scripture describes the ORDINATION of Aaron and his sons. This was the first time God performed an ordination ceremony for ministry in the Old Testament.

Lets zoom in on this portion of scripture...
LEVITICUS 8:22-24 "He then presented the other ram, the ram for ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot. Moses also brought Aaron's son forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on their big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the alter on all sides."

All the animal sacrifices done in the Old Testament are prophetic, foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. God included all these different sacrifices at the first ordination service because each one illustrates a different facet or aspect of Jesus' work, the salvation we have through His blood.

The New Testament now proclaims "But you are a CHOSEN people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him WHO CALLED YOU OUT of darkness and into His wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9).

The ORDINATION that took place here in scripture was for a very specific purpose.
To consecrate and SET APART Aaron for His priestly service. Moses took the blood of the offering and placed it on three parts of Aaron's body, his EAR, his right THUMB, and his big TOE.

Let me break this down and explain why...

The EAR speaks of hearing and revelation. We must come attentive to the Holy Spirit.
We cannot serve God without hearing revelation.
Revelation revolutionizes things.
The BLOOD OF JESUS friends enables us to receive revelations and gifts.

The THUMB or hand speaks of work or service to the Lord; there is much work for us to do.
The blood of Jesus enables us to be productive persons in God's work.

The BIG TOE or foot speaks of our walk, how we live our daily lives and the journey God is leading us on.
As we live our daily lives through the blood of Jesus, God directs our steps, leading us into opportunities to share faith or receive blessings.

Aaron's EAR (which hears truth), the FOOT(which walks along the way) and the HAND (Which accomplishes the things that define a man's life) are consecrated during this ceremony through the blood so that He may know and desire the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE in his experiences ahead.

Apply this Friends:
God has a calling on your life. He first wants to be in a relationship with you, then will direct and define your life. Allow Him to touch your EAR, THUMB and TOE today!

A touch from God alters your senses

Today I still stand ready...waiting, watching and listening to how God is moving and shaping my calling.
I am grateful for the reminder of that ceremony as the annointed oil touched my EAR, THUMB & BIG TOE.
I know that God called me into ministry personally over 16 years ago. I remember the CIRCLE around the promise and calling which is still marked up in my oldest study bible today .

I remember walking away from my degree from college and surrendering all to His training and calling.

It has been an interesting journey that has kept me moving and adjusting along the way.
I cannot see all the details to this journey but I have seen God work through people and circumstances to place me in the position of my calling . My Ears open, Hands ready to serve and Feet ready to move and adjust!

God will always keep placing a chosen few to help move you along into your calling.
Sometimes He needs to MOVE you to new places to shape that calling.

God has opened a new effective door the past couple years that will lead me to grow more into the call upon my life.

Is God considering a CHANGE in your life?

New relationships are HUGE.
Today I am again thankful for Bay Valley Church, RLCI, Northridge Church and the speaking opportunities through HB MINISTRIES. I stand ready and waiting for God to Shape this calling even more in 2012.

I would like you to take a moment now and make a personal application from my story today.

Are you allowing God to touch your life?

I believe God sees something in you my friend.

I encourage you to touch your EAR, THUMB and TOE.
As weird as this may seem, ask God to open your ears to hear a NEW and fresh revelation.
Touch your thumb and ask God to lead you to NEW opportunities to match your gifts and talents for His service.
Lastly touch that BIG TOE and ask God to help you in your walk and realtionship with the Lord because He will lead and guide you to all the places He has positioned.

God has a journey and destination for your life.

Blessings on your jouney,
Take out a pen and jot down a PLAN, PRAISE and PRAYER from today's devotion.

YOUR INTERVIEW WITH GOD

2012-02-08T09:02:00.000-05:00

FEBRUARY 8, DAILY BIBLE READING

Today I zoomed in on Matthew 24:42-44. I begin to picture what my interview with God would look like. I then began to think of friends and family. Take a look at todays thoughts from the word and then I encourage you to write a PLAN, PRAYER and PRAISE somewhere on paper. Writing things down brings power to the goal.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Kingdom wars presently abound in the Middle East. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are preparing for a possible confrontation with Iran. The past couple years we have seen prophecies about Egypt metastasizing into fulfillment. Read Isaiah chapter 19, its all about the BURDEN in and against Egypt.
Everyone will fight against brother and neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom. It startes with the heart of Egypt and will MELT IN ITS MIDST.

As we listen to the news we see the heart of Egypt melting.
The truth is someday we will see the prophecy of the Son of Man appearing in the sky coming on a cloud with great power and great glory!
Just as we know a new season is coming by the change of trees and leaves. Even so, when you see the signs today in Egypt let it be a reminder that a new season is near and right at the door.

ARE YOU READY?

I urge you to keep watch because you do not know the day your Lord will come, the birth of something NEW is on its way my friends.

Just as we prepare for a new babies arrival... we need to prepare and understand for Gods arrival.
Christ is coming soon and the stage is set....We do not know what day or time however we need to be ready.

Have you thought about what to expect in the future?

Have you taken Gods truths seriously?

We will receive the history we deserve

I pray we diligently pursue the goal to prepare to be ready to meet the future.We do not want to stand and act surprised or scared on the final day.

For too many, meeting God at death will be a first introduction.

This is not because God did not make Himself known, but because they ignored all that God has said and done. God has spoken, but they have not listened.

The unprepared will meet with God just as certainly as the prepared will.

The scriptures teach that an interview with God is inevitable.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10)

God does not want you to come ignorant and unprepared. He sent His prophets, and later His son and the apostles, telling men to prepare.
He also furnished proof that the judgment meeting will come. "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:30,31)

The need to prepare to meet God is clearly recognized by all who understand what will happen when we meet.

There will be a thorough judgment of all sinners based on all their sins. "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds." (Rev. 20:12)

Since we know that this will happen, will we get properly prepared?

I have listed a few ways to start preparing, please take time and review your life.

1. How do you obey Gods word? Do you accept His word? Do you study and read His word?

2. Are you committed and open to the help of others? God has put people all around you to help you accept His truth.

3. Have you taught yourself and family to EMBRACE His truth and accept His message.

The fact is that you cannot do anything you want and be living out the story He wrote for your life. When we meet God face to face I know He will show us the REAL story He had planned for our lives.

John 16:13 states "The spirit of truth will guide you and help you."

Have you submitted to Gods spirit and His truth.

I care for my family and friends and when I read today's word I wondered how many even care to be ready?

I want everyone to be ready for their personal interview!

Blessings friends!

4 STEPS TO A BETTER LIFE

2012-02-01T10:21:00.001-05:00

TODAY'S DAILY READING

TODAY'S FOCUS VERSE:
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

So many people take this scripture out of context. The biggest reasons many are living unfulfilled, empty, dead end street lives is because they're asking and believing for the wrong things in the wrong ways.

Who holds your future?

Its very important to understand that your future has been written and your life is in the hands of God.
But how many of us even make Him a priority in life?

God has a WIll for our lives and desires us to discover it

Individuals today set selfish goals, we need to all take a honest look in the mirror and make sure we are first desiring what God has for our future. This is when things CHANGE.

God wants you to notice some things and begin to connect you with your prepared destiny.

Are you ready to get connected with the SPIRIT of God?
You where created to be a SPIRIT JUNKIE!

When you activate your connection with God you will notice that God will help you accomplish your future.

The key word is NOTICE. It will be obvious that a higher power is working things out around you.

The sad truth is more people spend time planning vacations, kids sports schedules, business meetings over the planning of how to connect with God.

Only God has a way to activate your senses to catch on with what is going on around you.

When you know that you have made personal adjustments in your life to find God in a deeper way then begin to follow these next 4 steps.

Please use a Journal and write out the 4 steps.

When you begin to write this down God will begin to move every square inch of your life and connect it to your divine destiny.

1. Set goals on how you are seeking God for the week?
Only a SEEKER will collide into their destiny.

2. Ask – Know exactly what you want and ask for it. God will then began to rearrange your pieces and help you shape your ASK into His dream.

2. Believe – Truly believe, without a doubt, what you are asking for will be yours. When seeking God He puts the desires in your heart and waits for you to ASK and Believe with faith.

3. Receive – You know what you want, you know you’ll have it, now do what it takes to get it. Take actions and advantages of opportunities to reach your goals. Remember as God moves the pieces around for you, take advantage and step out in faith to DISCOVER!

God's Word is His will. If you want to know what God's will is, then look at His Word. He only promises things that He is willing to do. Since He has promised us abundant life, we can be assured that it is His will to lead us to that.
By not knowing His Word, delays in answers and connections may make us think that God is denying us the answers or dreams. But by knowing the Word, delays are simply opportunities to stand on God's Word in faith.

Please take a serious look at your spiritual life, this is the time to lift the bar and make changes if you want to live the life He is holding and waiting to reveal to you.

Lastly, have fun writing a vision for your preferred future and then put the pen down and watch God work!

Blessings,

THE SEX TALK FOR TEENS

2012-01-31T00:16:00.000-05:00

Today I am honored to speak to a group of women on how to have "the talk" with their children about SEX!
This is a current flow of conversation in the BAXTER home. Brittni is beautiful and 11 and Benjamin is handsome and Bold at 14.
Its very important for our family to constantly be talking about this subject with a reminder and emphasis on the BAXTER'S core values. Enjoy the resources shared and may it be a blessing to your family. I have also included an example of the dating contracts we have put together. The contracts change with age and trust. Again this is just something we do and like because we know the world is a tough place for kids these days.

This material will provide you with wisdom and allow you to be an experienced guide, identifying warning signs or "SPARKS" that start forest fires!

SPARKS always lead to physical passion, the goal today is to give parents free wisdom to formulate GODLY standards for guy/girl relationships that will guide them in the future.

On a personal note, I could have really used these boundaries growing up, I will honestly say they would have helped!

The lesson I am about to share is the lesson we do once a year, then the dating contract is signed.
YOU BET, we do signed contracts in our home.
I am a firm believer in putting core values and expectations on paper and agreeing together as a family.

SPARKS can grow and will turn into forest fires that could damage you and others.
I have a few close friends that I love to pieces that have been affected by young teen pregnancies. A spark
that lead to a big forest fire. These families handled a very hard situation with grace, mercy, love and
wisdom.

YES fires do happen to what I consider the "best" of families.

I spent time with some of these moms during the initial FIRE and it was very hot and overwhelming for the whole family. The tears, sweat and pain are very real.

In our family this will be the Third year using this material.
My son and daughter both have had the initial devotion or should I say (The serious sex talk from smokey bear) and then signed a contract.
I have a copy of the contract copied and placed into a file. We update this contract yearly and when they mature, more freedom is permitted. If they break the contract things are removed from their lives. It has been working WONDERFULLY...SO FAR!
Respectful children that choose to honor God is our goal.

Speaking of goals... as a family we desire to enforce Godly standards to control unwanted behavior in a clear and effective way.

Our contract communicates and provides clear boundaries. It clearly outlines unwanted behavior and family values while keeping tension and arguments to a minimum. Our ultimate goal is to bring God glory thru our lives. When we sign a contract we agree upon in UNITY what has been communicated.
I can only hope that this helps us keep running smoothly with our aim to bring God the Glory.
Remember our children will begin to make choices and our effective communication may help them in the future.

Listed below you will find a lesson and then our contract. I pray this will help you in the ever present dilemma of TEEN DATING and even MIDDLE SCHOOL drama!

FOREST FIRE LESSON:

1. What is Smokey Bears slogan?
“Only YOU can prevent forest fires”

This is the same with sparks in guy/girl relationships. These sparks can grow and turn into fires that damage you and others. It will be your responsibility to NOT light   the sparks that can start forest fires in your relationships.

2. When a match is lit to a piece of paper, does it remain a spark?
   (NO, it becomes a flame)

3. What happens when a piece of firewood is soaked in gasoline and touched with a burning piece
    of paper?  It would not get smaller and go out. It would catch the wood on fire and become a Bigger fire.

4. What would happen if you took the burning log outside to an area of dry grass, leaves Or twigs?
    A forest fire.

GUY/GIRL RELATIONSHIPS

GOAL: To help our children formulate GODLY standards to
guy/girl relationships that will guide them in the future and at each age and grade level.

MEMORY VERSE: Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love ands peace, along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

FAMILY LESSON: Our children need to understand the connection between sparks that start forest fires and sparks that lead to physical passion that could lead to a forest fire!

Enforcing mature Godly standards to control unwanted behavior in a clear effective way. This is what is
expected, once a contract is signed it is agreed upon in unity by both parties. This will help us all keep running smoothly with our aim to bring God all the Glory~
*Provides structure for the family
*clearly outlines unwanted behavior
*family values
*reduce tension and arguments
*bring God glory thru our lives

I respect that my parents LOVE me and want to keep me safe and on TRACK with Gods plan for my life.
With this in mind, we all agree together on:

CONTRACT/ A BINDING AGREEMENT

1. This contract keeps our communication flowing about our family values on dating, relationships and
    physical contact.   DEFINE YOUR FAMILY VALUES BELOW.
     Example: BEN AT AGE 11 6th GRADE :NO DATING or GOING OUT with limited use and time on
     the computer and cell phone.
   (these will change in the future and be updated as he matures)
     We also did not do mixed gender birthday parties at this age.
   create your own guidelines for your family its ok to be different.

2. I agree that traps are hidden from me and I will RESPECT that my parents want to be my guide
   to identify warning signs.

3. I understand that I have to reach a maturity level before I am granted the privilege of dating.
    Things we're looking for:
    Responsible, trustworthy, shows respect for others, displays self-control, and WILLINGLY
    FOLLOWS GUIDELINES SET BY PARENTS.

(When granted the privilege of dating we have a certain set of rules for each male and female. The rules differ with age and gender. Boys and girls need to be taught very different about what cause their sparks.)

4. I will protect my body 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, Flee from immorality 1 Corinthians 6:18.
    I understand my parents want my pre teen years to be a time of learning how to think through
    things and make WISE decisions.

5 .I will try with only the help of the HOLY SPIRIT to honor and obey my parents to do what is
    right, this is honoring and pleasing to God.

6. I BELIEVE God has a huge plan for my life!
   The enemy is out to get me on my trail. BUT I CHOOSE to do what is right even when it is hard
    and uncool.　

　We love you (name) _________ and Together we ask God to help us obey this contract

ALL SIGN BELOW AND COME INTO AGREEMENT

____________________________

____________________________

_____________________________

　

NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU

2012-01-27T01:23:00.002-05:00

Today's daily bible reading click here!

Matthew 18:19-20“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them"

Get in agreement with some people about your goals and dreams!

Today I keep telling myself that nothing is impossible with God, after much thought my husband and I have come into agreement about checking off one of our life goals...
the Chicago marathon.

We have officially registered with
WORLD VISION/TEAM NORTHRIDGE:
We are part of 250 + runners from our church that will come into agreement to train hard and raise money for a great cause.
(More to come on the cause in future blog)

I am feeling a bit challenged and scared yet on the other hand I feel ready to lift the bar in many areas of my life. The future journey and work appears high, steep and unreachable.

"God isn't offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers and situation is not impossible to you, they are insulting to God. Our prayers should desire divine interventions." Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker

Who we become is determined by how we pray. Ultimately , the transcript of your prayers become the script of your life.

If you want to understand more about how God has written a SCRIPT for your life please check this out!

Lifting the bar will affect many areas of our lives.

What is God asking you to lift the bar on today?

Are you struggling with getting past the impossible?

He wants to provide divine intervention with your finances, job, marriages, childrens futures and more.

Today's daily word says: "if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven."

Goals are better when relational. I have discovered lately that when you go after goals with another person it just doubles the joy!

Do you have a friend to come in agreement with for certain dreams and goals in your life? When you come into agreement with another person and draw circles around the promises of God together you will:
Bring Victory
Help you make better decisions
Bring the Holy Ghost
Bring Jesus
Bring miracles
Bring great power
Bring freedom
Bring deliverance

Our goals and prayers should MOVE God, when God is moved, He moves mountains!
Take a pen a write a praise, prayer and plan. Something happens when you write things down!

Blessings,

PAIN IS PART OF GOD'S PLANS!

2012-01-25T08:40:00.000-05:00

A POWERFUL WORD TO HELP YOU STAY FOCUSED!

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
===============================================
Jesus called Peter a stumbling block after he rebuked the Lord for confessing that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priest and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter insisted that such a thing would never happen to Jesus. Selfishness was at the root of Peter’s words. Let’s listen in to how Jesus responded:

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns’” (Matthew 16:23, NIV).

Peter was more concerned about himself than the plan of God, and therefore presented a stumbling block.

Imagine if Jesus had entertained Peter’s words … “You know, Peter, you are right. That shouldn’t happen to me. That’s not really fair. I have never sinned. Why should I die for the sin of the world? Humankind can deal with its own problems!”
Thank God that Jesus did not fall into the snare.

Here’s my point: How often do those around us—even those with the best intentions—speak the opposite of God’s will into our lives?
How often do they discourage us from following our God-given dreams because of their unbelief? See my recent blog on OTHERS DISBELIEF

How often do others get us stirred up and mess with our feelings?

Jesus was quick to discern the stumbling blocks along the path to His destiny—a destiny that would take away the sin of the world—and He was quick to confront and press through them.

WOW~ How often do I notice my stumbling blocks but have hard time pressing through.

God had in mind merely human concerns—not even His own concerns. God was using Jesus to SAVE our lives. So glad he did not walk away from the pain!

Jesus said... Not my will, but yours be done even if it kills me.

How often so we stick pain out to see Gods will?

Jesus was quick to discern and deal with the stumbling block, but that didn’t mean that Jesus immediately cast the one who put the stumbling block in His path along the roadside.
Jesus used wisdom. He knew Peter was an important part in God’s plan to build the early church.

Jesus didn’t cast Peter aside.

Jesus instead taught Peter the right way to respond: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:24-25

He helped Peter get his focus back on the concerns of God rather than merely human concerns.

We all need friends to keep us focused with the concerns of God in the middle of our circumstances. I am thankful for my friends that teach me about GODS will not my own.

Do you have friends that will help you understand Gods will in the midst of your set back?

Ask God to help you notice the stumbling blocks in your life directing you away from your destiny.

Take time to journal a prayer, plan and praise from today's reading.

Blessings as you GO with God!

WARNING FROM RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS!

2012-01-23T12:01:00.002-05:00

TODAY'S DAILY READING

I would like to zoom in on: Matthew 15:6-9

Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’[c]”

WARNING!
A RELIGIOUS TRADITION MAY TRIP YOU IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!

Religious people are involved with a certain amount of traditional, ceremonial, and dogmatic behavior. We do it automatically, because when we were children, we were simply told to behave and even think in a prescribed way. But do we really experience Spiritual Growth when we visit a church, do a good deed, pray, believe what others tell us to believe, belong to a belief system, grow beards, meditate, get circumcised, wear turbans, etc?

What's the best attitude towards Spiritual Growth when attempting to approach God?

Sometimes we still hear about the necessity to fear God, followed with the usual biblical quotes. However, this idea must have been taken out of context and is mostly used by people who already fear God because of their own perceptions and a general fear of the unknown. There should be no need to go into any lengthy theological argument or discussion - the first commandment extols the opposite of fear, clearly stating that one should: "Love God with all your heart, mind and soul."

You don't really fear anything you truly love and there is no need for it.
Moreover, since God can only be found within, God and our own Pure Being relate in quality like the drop of water relates to the quality of the lake. In that sense, any fear of God would amount to nothing less than fearing one's own Self.

Instead of fear, the right attitude should rather be one of curiosity - a curiosity that can only be satisfied when the result of its inquiries are found.

If you are doing the same spiritual things over and over each day and or week with the same results most likely you are stuck in a tradition and not a relationship.

Luke 12:34 - "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also."

Most religious people believe that direct knowledge of God can only be gained after death as a reward by following a set of rules.

Jews and Christians call their set of rules the "Commandments", and the rules laid out by other religions are very similar, if not the same.

All major Religions agree in essence, but only when we bother to look deeper for the real meaning. If God, as omnipresent Awareness, is at the Heart of our Soul, then it stands to reason that we stand a better chance of discovering this pure Awareness through an act of pure Concentration than by bothering with religious ceremony and tradition (wearing hats, shaving heads, growing beards, drinking wine, circumcision, etc...)

When we look past ceremonies and symbols, religions are not so different in their Path to God after all.

The first commandment requires Concentration.
Loving God with all our Heart, Mind, and Soul really leaves very little room for any other thoughts. And it is only during these moments of steady tranquillity that God, who is our very own Self at the Center of our Soul, reveals Himself. During such a condition there are no questions like: Did you cut off your finger? or Did you grow a beard?

It is my prayer that this sets you free from any false guilt that others may have placed on you in the church through traditions!

May we repent from allowing ourselves to be gripped by man-made rules, traditions and holier-than-thou-attitudes so that we can pursue God, the Truth of His Word, and walk confidently in the grace that He has freely given to us with all our heart.

Let us therefore continue to strive to bring our consciences into harmony with the mind of Christ and not be bound by the vein traditions of man.

If God did not write it FIRST and you have to follow a book or person that has spruced up the word of God, you are following MAN MADE traditions.
Seek God and see what He reveals.
.
For me personally it involved leaving my church and traditions many years ago.
God will reveal and lead you through relationship and not religion.

Enjoy Jesus and let Jesus shine through your life. Love God; love people.

I want to hear from you.

Are there any traditions that previously had you bound?

How did you break from it?

What has been the greatest hurdle that you have had to overcome with unfounded traditions?

Share so others can grow!

Blessings,

STAY AWAY FROM OTHERS DISBELIEF

2012-01-19T10:41:00.001-05:00

Have you ever experienced a time of struggle because of others disbelief?

Do you desire to be positioned in the best place possible in order to possess all the promises God has purposed for your life?

Gods destiny for your life will be COMPLETE, PERFECT, SATISFYING AND FULL

However, a time will come in which God needs to reposition you so that he may COMPLETE and PERFECT your destiny.
God desires to keep you satisfied and full in your season, lacking nothing until He completes His perfect work.

A sign or symptom in your life that represents a possibility for the need to move or change is UNBELIEF from others.

We can have off seasons in our marriages, relationships, families, jobs and ministries. During those seasons God may want to reposition you amongst NEW FACES or NEW PLACES.
When I say reposition it does not necessarily mean He is taking you completely out or away from your circumstances but placing you in NEW environments that stretch you to see His promises from another view.

Many times we stay in the circumstance or situation and its surrounded by disbelief.

DISBELIEF is LACK OF SUPPORT and many times others will "not support" the faith we need to have.

Lets look at today's word: Matthew 13: 58

Jesus said "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and his own house, Now He did not do mighty works there because of their unbelief."

The people closest to Jesus in His hometown including family and friends did not believe in Him or His powers to heal and perform miracles. Jesus needed to move away from that environment.

Others disbelief and lack of support can and will distract us from allowing God to fullfill His calling in our life.

Disbelief is a STUBBORN refusal to believe, a REJECTION to believe God is up to something wonderful in which He placed in your heart.

When we are surrounded by people with disbelief it hinders the work of faith in your personal life.

In this passage of scripture the others lack of faith hindered Jesus and He did not perform because of their unbelief.

Did Jesus stay in that place of unbelief or did He leave and join God where He was at work?

If you look at Mark 6:6 it states that Jesus MARVELED at their unbelief and THEN... HE LEFT AND WENT ABOUT TO OTHER VILLAGES in a circuit of teaching!

WOW what a lesson we can learn!

Jesus did not let others disbelief keep Him while missing the miracles God wanted to perform through Him.
Jesus was sure of what He hoped for and certain of what He did not see.

Friends don't let allow your circumstances and the lack of others support dictate your destiny!

MOVE ON!

If you stay stuck in the ordinary it will be impossible to experience the extraordinary powers of God.

Disbelief of others will HOLD YOU BACK.

STEP AWAY and realize God has a grand plan. Trust Him and allow him to REPOSITION you.

Maybe God has a new group of friends for you this year?

How about a New church home?

Possibly a new small group instead of the same friends closest to all the details in your life?

When we move to NEW places God arranges NEW revelations that will SUPPORT what He has already planned.

Do you ever get with family or friends that have disbelief in what Christ is doing in your life?

Do you have others that experience fear around you because they are not comfortable with how God is working in your life?

Do others get jealous and push you away?

DO YOU MARVEL AT OTHER UNBELIEF YET KNOW GOD HAS PROMISED YOU SOMETHING SO SPECIAL?

Friends, please do not give up and doubt Gods powerful work in your lives. Allow Him to reposition you.

After REPOSITION comes more POSSESSION.

If you do not allow Him to transition you, it may be the difference between experiencing a DEAD END or a fulfilled DESTINY.

He has a plan for all your DREAMS!

Jesus moved passed the disbelief and God took Him into many NEW PLACES with NEW FACES.

Take a moment to journal your prayer, plan and praise from today's reading.

Blessings,

THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS

2012-01-18T11:58:00.001-05:00

WORDS
WORDS
WORDS

WORDS: CARRY A THOUGHT AND SHAPE A DESTINY!

Jesus teaches us about words and our communication in Matthew 12:33-37.

Our words carry the power of life or death.

Lets look together at 5 areas of communication

1. WORDS transmit power
In Matt 12:33-37 it tells us the power our words have.
It also explains that we will have to give an account someday for the words we speak.
Remember that God shaped the universe through words. He performed miracles through the use of His words.
God has now created us to accomplish things by wise use of our words.

What is your language like around others?
Power goes out when you speak whether good or bad.

2. WORDS reveal our character
In Matt 12:33-35 it states how the good man and the evil man speaks.
I do not want to consider myself evil however, I will be honest. I speak harsh words sometimes with my kids. I tend to be very critical about things and feel very bad after I have spoken.
This is a huge indicator that I need to ask God to help renew my heart and forgive me of my words. I then ask my children for forgiveness.
I was raised in a very critical family and words did more harm then good.
This is an area today in my christian walk that I struggle with.
It helps me to remember daily that: Our words shape our children's destiny daily!
"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks"

3. WORDS determine our reward or
judgement.
Matthew 12:36-37
This is to the point in scripture: We will be held responsible in the end for our words.

4. WORDS produce fruit.
Matthew 12:33 says we can either make a tree have good fruit or bad fruit.
We have huge influence in the way our childs tree grows based on our words!
Our Children are SHAPED by our words and deserve Gods best!

5. WORDS shape anothers destiny
Take time and pray about your words this week. Then go a step further and watch how you communicate with others. If you need to apologize for harsh words, I encourage you to do so right at that time. God will begin to help you in your communication!

HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS

2012-01-17T14:13:00.002-05:00

January 17th Daily Word

In today’s Bible reading, we see Joseph in a position of influence, a position God soon used to feed surrounding nations and Joseph’s family during famine.

But how did he become influential?
It began with a wound—being sold into slavery (Genesis 39)—which produced a pearl of usefulness.

Because Joseph drew on God’s resources when humiliated, he became better, not bitter.

He named his second son Ephraim, which means “twice fruitful,” and he said, “God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (41:52).

Joseph could have wasted his life dwelling on the injustices he suffered.

As a youth, his brothers sold him into slavery, and he was forced to live in a hostile land.

He had to spend his teenage and adult years away from his beloved father.

Joseph even spent time in prison.

In spite of all he endured, he harbored no resentment.

In fact, he named his son Manasseh, which means “forgetting.”

He explained, “For God...hath made me forget.” I tried several times to forget my past with my own strength but I failed a thousand times .

It is not easy to forget our things in our own strength we need Holy Spirit help to that.

What do you need to forget and put behind this New Year?

When seemingly needless suffering invades our lives, we often ask ourselves, “Who needs all this grief?”

Consider, for a moment, the origin of pearls.

Each pearl is formed by an oyster’s internal response to a wound caused by an irritant, such as a grain of sand. Resources of repair rush to the injured area. The final result is a lustrous pearl. Something beautiful is created that would have been impossible without the wound.

Your WOUND is being created into something beautiful!

Just like Joseph, you have to believe that the sun cannot stay down forever!

During Josephs times of great pain, intense pressure and unprecedent challenge came times of phenomenal opportunity!

I think back on my marriage pains and pressures and I am reminded of the NEW ministry opportunities that have come from that wound.

God is preparing you for new opportunities in your setback, take this time to prepare so you can share.

Take time to Journal today friend, write down a PRAYER, PLAN and PRAISE from today's word.

Watch how God becomes more involved in letting you know His plans during your pain. Take the focus of the Pain and ask God for the Plan!

Go with God today!

ARE YOU A DREAMER?

2012-01-14T15:07:00.000-05:00

This Monday is one of my FAVORITE days because we commemorate the life of a GREAT DREAMER!

lIFE NEEDS TO BE FULL OF DREAMERS, THAT IS HOW CHANGE HAPPENS!

25 years ago on that day a great leader named Martin Luther King had a driving force:

A "VISION" to push for racial equality

In the 1950's America, the quality of man envisioned by The Declaration of Independence was far from reality!

People of color black, Asians, Hispanics were discriminated against in many ways.
Martin Luther was a man with a passion who CHANGED history with the power of a vision mixed with his words and dignity.

GENESIS 41:32 tells us that a DREAM ESTABLISHED by God will shortly come to pass...

"The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon."

GOD HAS FIRMLY DECIDED MANY THINGS FOR YOUR LIFE, HOW MANY REALLY BELIEVE THIS!

At the beginning of Genesis 41 it tells us how Pharaoh had a DREAM and his mind was
troubled because of this dream.

Friends, God designed you to DREAM.

In the process of your dreams God will establish you in peace as HE establishes the dream piece by piece.

A dream is a very specific vision for a very specific outcome.

A dream from God will go through a process which becomes your personal journey with God.

A vision from God will STOP you, SEND you, STRENGTHEN you and STRETCH you!

Keep standing in the revelation every step of the way.

Friends if you do not have a dream, ASK GOD FOR A REVELATION in 2012. He will make sure you find your dream and destiny. It may be a fast process or it may be slow. Keep looking to GOD!

He will bring you through the fulfillment of your destiny.

Never let go of a dream no matter how long you are wondering in the wilderness.

KEEP CLIMBING God will fulfill the vision for your life! If God has His hand on your vision, you never need to second guess it!

I know God gave me a vision deep in my heart 15 years ago that I would teach the word by convincing, rebuking and exhorting! He keeps moving me closer to this dream as He sees fit for that season.

A dream is a process but it will unfold.

I have been personally tested and stretched each step of the way. But God has always raised me above the circumstances so that I could continue to see the dream.

Do not put limits on what God can do friends, BELIEVE BIG and watch God do the most amazing things through your life!

I HAVE A DREAM! DO YOU?

I WOULD LOVE TO DREAM ALONGSIDE YOU IN 2012!

MAY GOD STOP YOU, SEND YOU, STRENGTHEN YOU AND STRETCH YOU!

DREAMING BIG,

STAY IN THE BOAT DURING THE STORM

2012-01-11T13:05:00.002-05:00

JANUARY 11 DAILY READING!

The past year God has been repositioning and stretching me in NEW ways.
I know God is preparing me for higher grounds.
How about you? feeling stretched? overwhelmed?
or perhaps confused?

Sometimes in order for God to prepare us more for a certain ministry...He allows for our boat to get tossed around by a huge uncontrollable wave.

How has your 2012 been thus far? Off to a rocky start? Not any better then last year?
Try to picture this story and see what God may want you to apply to your life today.

All kinds of waves come into our lives. A blog friend of mine put it this way "Waves can flow from a tide of blessings or come out of a storm" Happy or hard, they can overwhelm us if we end up treading water in our own strength.

TODAY I ZOOMED IN ON THE PASSAGE BELOW:
Matthew 8:23-27 presents a story of Jesus and the disciples getting into a boat and then suddenly a GREAT wave or eruption covers the boat. The disciples panic with great fear crying out "Lord, save us we are perishing!"

Jesus then asks, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Jesus then brought about a GREAT CALM and stilled the wind and the waves.

Strong waves are produced by God to rock our boats so that we discover His presence in our lives!

God loves when we call out His name...when our boats are rocking, LEARN to call out His name before you get sea sick trying to find all the answers and solutions to every problem.
I was very good at being strong , resourceful and cunning. But my boat never settled and that wave kept me covered in shame, fear, anxiety and a very low self confidence.

The whole time Jesus was sleeping in my boat/ circumstance and DREAMING about my future. Waiting for me to CALL OUT HIS NAME "Lord, SAVE ME!"

Matthew 8: 24 tells us that the boat was covered with the wave but Jesus was asleep. He was peaceful and undisturbed.

God is always Dreaming for us and ready to calm our storms when we lean on His strength and presence. When we call out His name things change!

When Jesus DREAMS He understands the Wave in our life.

The wave is tossing around the DREAMS of God.

D irection

R ealization

E xamination

A lignment

M otivation

All dreams are outside our comfort zone and will rock our boats.

It's much more dangerous to dream than most people dare to believe.

Saying you believe in yourself will not guarantee your success, but saying you don't believe in God will
guarantee your failure.

I love that perspective!

If you started the new year with plans and resolutions and made NO room for God, don't be surprised if your boat is being tossed.
If the plans did not involve the desire to ask God for His help, He may be using the storm to get your attention.

I truly believe that a wave that covers our boat opens our eyes to receive the perspective from above.

If you already have that perspective maybe God is asking you to search and seek deeper this year in that relationship. That means a little more time with God then your scheduled Sundays.

If a wave has come over your boat then Thank God for Dreaming during your storm.

He has a plan for you friend

New direction, something new for you to Realize, a deeper Godly explanation, new alignments for us and fresh motivation to help us through the storms.

You need to fellowship with Him during the storm and trust Him in the storm.

Remember with every great wave comes a higher ground. Allow God to move you to higher places this year!

Do not let the wave of discomfort, disappointment and displacement keep you from reaching the top. God will take you to a place of rest, comfort and beauty. But remember only if you CALL on his name. That was key in today's reading.

I am calling on His name today for certain areas in my life. How about you friend?

Don't wait till the Wave comes over your boat to call on His name because sometimes the waves we experience are not waves of blessings but waves of punishment.

Remember Jonah and the Whale in the bible? Yes, that is a true story of a man that walked away from God and jumped out of the boat he was in!

Remember, God will use a wave of punishment to purify us and bring us back to God. A great picture is of the story of Jonah in the bible.

Yesterday I received so much feedback and emails on the Blog called CAN GOD HEAL MY MARRIAGE?

Many marriages are going through storms with huge waves. The boats are tossing! I am praying for you friends. I encourage you to NOT jump out of that boat but to stay put and call on Jesus. He will calm the storm in His time.

I encourage you to journal today, start with a PRAISE, PRAYER and a PLAN. If this spoke to you apply what God wants to tell you today. If you sit still after reading God will give you the words to write! Try this application today and experience God friends!

Blessings,

If your new to the blog leave a comment and let me know your around! I would like to build a community this year and will be adding and changing to this blog as we go!

CAN GOD HEAL MY MARRIAGE?

2012-01-10T10:54:00.002-05:00

JANUARY 1O DAILY READING

Last night my husband and I along with two other amazing couples kicked off the start of the Marriage Builders series at our church.

We had nearly 100 couples show up to give specific attention to their marriage.

We broke down into smaller groups that night and God gave us 23 marriages to journey with the next 14 weeks.
Marriages that where good, fair and in crisis.
We had a couple divorced already for 2 years but because of their faith in God and Gods ability to change their individual hearts, they're looking to be fully restored! WOW!
The stories around the table amazed us both.
I was also grateful to share our personal marriage testimony and SPREAD hope in every heart present! Whether the marriage is good or bad God wants us to be growing with other marriages.
This is the key to success.

Marriage takes practice and consistent growing.
Marriage can be very hard.
Marriage is all about love and respect.

I know what you are going through if you are in a time of pain.
Pain is real and feels like vinegar on an open sore. But remember today friend that...
PAIN, PROBLEMS AND PEOPLE PERFECT THE VERY CORE OF OUR BEING.
I also know for a fact that WITH JESUS, HE CAN HEAL ALL WOUNDS.

In Today's daily reading it states: "I WILL COME AND HEAL HIM"

Matthew 8:1-19 speaks of Jesus healing the infirmities in many lives. I want to stress today that God wants to heal your marriage and all the infirmities that have piled high and wounded both hearts.

You may say, "that Jesus stuff is not my thing," well...I am hear to say ..."It better become your thing!" I was the one that denied the Jesus stuff for a long time friends. If I can help you get out of the wilderness of defeat, I encourage you to just get serious with God. Its the best thing that will ever happen in your life.

You may not be living life the way you want in the present moment but God has a plan and it's PERFECT!

God says he will never forsake us and will help us through all our circumstances.

God did not say Ill take you over the problems or under them. He said I will take you THROUGH THEM.

God wants us to cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

God is using this time to REFINE an individual.

He wants us to TAKE OUR EYES off of our spouse and OFF OUR CIRCUMSTANCE.

We need to have FAITH and TRUST HIM that He will do what he says in His word.

Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Always Remember, THERE IS NOT A MARRIAGE God cannot heal....no marriage he cannot restore.
Stamp that in your heart. All it takes is to believe what God said and have faith in His word.
Nothing is too difficult for God. You need to persevere and believe Him. Take God at his word.

God longs to restore marriages..but more than that he longs for you to KNOW HIM intimately Utmost!

God wants a relationship with you.

He wants you to receive His love and love Him in return.

He wants you to receive His peace and joy so you can be a light to let others know what they can find in JESUS.

Never give up believing God for your marriage healing.

God is able and very willing to restore your marriage, because the day you said your vows, you covered it with His blood.

A three-legged stool provides one picture of marriage; one leg represents the husband; another the wife; and the third, God. All three legs are necessary for the marriage to stand.
If one leg breaks, the stool topples.

How is your relationship with God my friend?

When My marriage was a mess, I admit so was my consistency with my spiritual walk.

When God is not working in our personal heart by faith there can be no hope of making the stool stand.

Where does that leave us if our husband or wife is not presently interested in his own healing? We can act on our individual requirement to seek healing for ourselves, and we can ask God to use that process to cause our husbands to yearn for their own healing. This is exactly how our marriage healing played out.

Nothing will solidify your marriage more than strengthening your walk with the Lord together. Turn to Him; trust Him. He won’t let you down.

Here is something else to think about. 99.9% of the time, the cause for problems in a marriage is due to sin. Sin is a fancy word for not doing things the way God would.
We can sin in our thoughts, actions, and speech. The first step to solving any problem is to define what the problem is. Once this is done, the solution then becomes tactical and prescriptive.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7)

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter5:6-8)

Today's Journal Entry

Prayer: Dear Jesus please touch the hearts of every reader today. May they have a heart the yields and desires to get serious with you. Please touch the marriages in our class and the blog readers today. I pray you draw the couples together stronger and if the couple is seperated I pray you glue them with grace back together as you draw them individually to you.

Praise: Thanks for bringing all the couples last night to class. Thanks for healing our marriage. Thanks for using our mess to glorify your name!

Plan: I am excited to invest in our marriage for 14 weeks and do
the work consistently. I plan to respect my husband and love him better. I also plan to come along side any couple and pray their marriage to full recovery!

Please read all of today's daily bible reading located above and find a verse that spoke to you! journal a letter to God and make a few applications!

If you need prayer over your marriage please email me today, my husband and I will pray over your circumstance.
heather@hbministries.com

God has a plan!

Blessings,

4 CORE VALUES WE SHOULD HAVE

2012-01-09T08:19:00.001-05:00

JANUARY 9 MONDAY READING

HAPPY MONDAY FRIENDS!

Today is the first day back into the swing of things for the Baxter family! We had such a great relaxing Christmas break. I must submit to the word routine again! I am not much of a routine type girl, something I am working on changing this New Year with the Lords help.

I have been visiting many BLOGS that I love and that inspire me in my planning, marriage, homemaking, bible tools and more. I want to share this amazing blog: WOMEN LIVING WELL MINISTRIES! If you get a chance grab a cup of coffee and enjoy. I know I have many men that read my blogs so this one may not be for you!

Today I did my daily reading and zoomed in on MATTHEW CHAPTER 7.

If you are following my daily readings, just a reminder that I read the whole portion for today and then zoom in on a passage that is speaking to me in my season. I then apply that passage in my journal through PRAISE, PRAYER and a PLAN. I encourage you to grab a journal and begin to apply scripture into your life.

Remember a consistent investment over a long period of time will make a huge impact! Make daily bible reading a priority.

Matthew chapter 7 spotlights Jesus' major emphasis on certain values. Listed below are 4 core values I seen in Chapter 7.

1. Judge yourself BEFORE others 7:1-6

2. If you need anything ask God; if you have something, give it 7:7-12

3. STAY TRUE TO YOUR CONVICTIONS; DON'T
WANDER FROM THE NARROW PATH. 7:13-20

4. Obedience to God is the only sure foundation for
life 7:21-27

Today the area of true convictions spoke to me. It states that we need to enter by the narrow gate for broad is the way that leads to destruction. Many times I take the broader way in decisions that I make.
Our flesh and the spirit of God war against each other daily.
Without the renewing of Gods word, many times I fall into my temptations and strongholds which is the broader way! Today I am reminded that I have a choice daily to take certain paths.

My Journal entry looks like this:

PRAISE: That I did my daily reading before all my housework! lol!

PLAN: To feed my spirit daily and stay consistent. I have a hard time with consistency and I am working on this area.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, Please help us all with the core values you have showed us today in your word.Help us pursue these values so we may live a life of full JOY and HAPPINESS. Help me in the area of the narrow and broader path, may I make the better choice to please you.

Please grab your journal and begin to apply scripture to your life. What jumped out to you in Matthew Chapter 7?

Blessings,

WHATS YOUR STARTING POSITION THIS YEAR?

2012-01-04T12:48:00.006-05:00

JANUARY 4TH READING

THE PERSON WITH A PLAN IS THE PERSON WITH POWER

God wants to speak many starting positions to us in 2012.

He has a plan all laid out in exact detail. However, many choose to create their own plans and destiny.

I find it true that the more you step into Christ the more He takes away and starts over with NEW.

In my beginning walk with Christ I remember Him taking me out of my job that I went to college to become.
I must confess, not ONCE in college did I ask God to help me in the plans HE had for me.
I was redirected in my early walk with Christ. I am ever grateful for His redirection. My college education was not a waste by no means, it has helped form everybit of who I am today.

When God really got a hold of me, my true priorities and true talents began to rise to the surface.
I would have never dreamed of becoming a public speaker and a writer. This dream is still in process today, He is growing and preparing me daily.

Today I read in Genesis 12:4: "So Abraham departed as the Lord spoke to Him."

God had another plan for the countryman named Abraham, So Abraham began to trust God for the unknown future He was being called toward.

We need to prepare to meet our future.
When we prepare by paying attention to our relationship with Christ and allowing Him to drive us toward a goal, a NEW starting position.
The first part of Moving toward a goal is to: DETERMINE WHAT THAT STARTING POSITION LOOKS LIKE.

God has given us all special goods and talents according to our ability and His purpose. He desires to lay opportunities in front of us to develop us into our prepared future.

Life sometimes is not fair, but our STARTING CONDITION is irrelevant to our STARTING POSITION. So if you feel very stuck at this point, DO NOT give up.
I have a great example for you...

I am a runner, however my starting condition may not add up to the other runners I know. Another runner may be fit and in shape with a great runners body. Does that mean I should not pursue the goal of becoming a long distance runner? We both have the same STARTING POSITIONS at each race.

How we train and pursue goals is what determines a runners ability to finish their race.
I am not a fast runner with a lean and trim body but my condition and shape does not determine my starting position. The goals I set help me pursue the ability to complete my personal race and drives me to the Starting position.

God wants to speak little goals into your life this year.

Do not allow FEAR to rob you of your starting position.

If we bury our talent or Gods command to move in a NEW area we push Gods predetermined destiny away from our lives. If we do not start at the starting line this year we cannot run the race designed for us.

We need to show up at the STARTING POSITION and push past our fears and shortcomings.

This is an example: Have you ever watched the down hill skiers or snowboarders on the X Games? The hill for their starting position is steep and long, looking rather scary with no sight of the end. However, the individual SHOWED UP to his STARTING POSITION prepared to meet his future.

Do not procrastinate with your life friends, God has given you talents and goods with an expected future in mind.
God expects us to use what we have been given. If you do not know what God has given to you, I urge you to ask Him to show you the abilities and your starting position. Step up to the plate and watch God work in your life. I tell my kids this on a daily basis.

Abraham went from being a ordinary countryman to becoming a great nation! God called Him to a NEW starting position in Genesis Chapter 12.

Do you already know your abilities/talents and remember the starting position in which God has called you to?

Have you failed to show up due to rebellion, fear, distrust or hurt?

Maybe you never considered asking God to be part of the plans for your life?

Ask God today to give you a push and jump start for 2012. God knows your hearts desire, if you feel bad that you have buried those talents or your relationship with God then I promise grace will dig them up.
God will show up and help you start again.

My journal entry for today:

PLAN: I am looking for NEW starting positions that God may offer me this year to help me spring more into my already prepared future. I will specifically be working on more speaking events and asking God more more divine connections.

PRAISE: Thanking God that I heard His voice to move in NEW directions in the past.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, Thanks for your Grace. Please move me and any family member to a NEW starting position this year. Help me to stay committed to a relationship with you. I desire to see and hear like Abraham did. Thank you for giving personal blessings to those who follow. I want to follow harder in 2012.

I encourage you to journal to God in a personal book. This will help you see the shape of you personal starting positions

PEOPLE AND PROBLEMS PERFECT YOU

2012-01-03T08:33:00.001-05:00

CLICK FOR YOUR DAILY READING

The holidays are over and everything comes to a dead stop and reality and routine wakes us up this cold winter morning.

As I spent some time reading today's devotion, I was reminded of a verse that spoke to me last year.

Matthew 3: 10 "And even now the AXE is laid at the root of the trees"

Again, I thought about how a farmer is always looking after his crop and he does everything he can to cause his trees to bring forth fruit.

He will soil and fertilize and prune.

If however, you walk through his orchard and see an axe by a tree and there is no fruit on the tree, you can safely assume, the tree HAS PROVEN to be incurable and at a convenient time it will be cut down and burned.

The greatest and wisest farmer of all the land is the Lord God our wonderful creator!

He planned everything perfectly.

In the beginning of all our lives God planted us the same.

In good, prosperous soil and has given us all opportunities of His divine grace.

But the reality is we have many trees just occupying the land, bearing no fruit and not recognizing their God given opportunities.

My greatest desire for you and me this NEW YEAR is that we allow God to get to the ROOTS of our personal lives. God desires for us to know Him in greater ways.

Remember the ROOT is where things spring from.

God can get to the root of our tree and cut out what is hindering us from moving forward in 2012
Our root is like our heart and out of our heart springs the issues of life.
We all have issues and areas that need to be cut away. God has huge dreams for you friend. But if we allow our roots to rot eventually the tree needs to be cut down and DREAMS DIE!

Allow God to take the Axe of his love and grace and chop off what is detrimental to our spiritual growth and God given dreams.

I have some things that I need chopped away how about you? Things that never got taken care of at the root.

We cannot do this without HIS help.

God wants to show you in 2012 the path of life and how in His presence you will find true JOY!

Gods dream for you is...
To be a tree planted by a river of water that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf will not wither and whatever he does SHALL PROSPER! Psalm 1:3

You will prosper in 2012 my friend!

Most of us think that when God prunes us, he cuts off the sinful and the superficial, the deadwood in our lives. He does do that, but he also cuts off stuff that is alive and successful: a business that is going great, a satisfying relationship, good health. Some of that may get whacked off for greater fruitfulness. It is not just deadwood that goes. God often cuts back good things too, in order to make us healthier. It is not always pleasant, but pruning is absolutely essential for spiritual growth.

You may be going through pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off branches that we feel are productive so that more fruit may be produced. This can be confusing. We believe that we are being fruitful and are puzzled, even frustrated, by God’s pruning. We ask, “Why are you doing this, God? I have given my business to you, but it’s failing. I have committed my health to you, but I’m going into the hospital next week.

Isn’t that what we say to God when he prunes us? “Don’t you love me? Don’t you care? Don’t you see what’s going on?” And we think God is angry with us. No, he’s not angry. One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is confusing pruning with punishment. Pruning is not punishment, so don’t equate the two. God is not angry with you. He just sees that you are someone who can bear more fruit, someone who has potential for greatness, someone he wants to use in a significant way. He wants you to be as fruitful as you possibly can be, so he prunes you back, God has a better idea. He sees what you do not see.

God uses problems, pressures, and people to prune.

People will criticize and challenge you. They will question and doubt you. They will challenge your motives.

God is using them to prune you. As I have said throughout this book, God can use every situation in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude.

He can use it all—the problems you bring on yourself, a major disappointment, a financial reversal, a sudden illness, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, the death of a loved one. He will and he does use them all as part of the pruning process to make you even more fruitful.

Over the holidays I spoke with a friend that lost her son in an accident. She told me she had NO desire to read or get closer to God in a relationship. She said "Its not her thing."
I ponder that today and pray this year that she will open up to all God has for her. I know is a hard situation and many times we cannot grasp that God has something good because we hurt so bad.

Trust God more this year friend, this is todays journal entry for me:

PRAISE: That even in the situation of not feeling my personal dream really taking off, I know that God is pruning what is alive for a bigger purpose I do not see.

PLAN: To stay focused and faithful. To ask God to continue to prune what is holding my tree back from growing. I wrote some areas down in my journal that I feel need pruning. These certain areas seem very hard for me but with God all things are possible.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please be with the readers of today's Blog. I pray that someone may really begin to understand that you desire so much for their lives. I pray we all grow more in understanding your will for our lives. I know that many do not even recognize you as part of their New years plans. I pray that through difficult situations, that you draw them closer to you. Thank you for working ALL things for our good even when we do not turn toward you at first.

Please take time to journal your prayer, plan and praise

Blessings friends,

GOD STARTED OVER, HOW ABOUT YOU IN 2012?

2012-01-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE FOR THE DAILY READING

IF YOU CLICK THE LINK ABOVE IT WILL BRING YOU TO THE BIBLE IN A YEAR. FOLLOW WITH ME IN THE YEAR 2012. I WILL POST THE DAILY READING AND THEN I WILL ZOOM IN ON A PASSAGE THAT SPOKE TO ME. I WILL WRITE DOWN A PRAISE, PLAN AND PRAYER FOR MY LIFE ON THAT PASSAGE. WATCH GOD SPEAK TO YOU AS YOU READ THE LIVING, POWERFUL WORD AND BEGIN TO WRITE DOWN YOUR PRAISE, PLAN AND PRAYER!

GET A JOURNAL AND START TODAY!

⁵ The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ⁶ The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

At this point in history, God decides it is time for judgment. Man has grown so hardened and sinful that there is nothing worth saving or admiring except Noah (by God's grace).

There is an important principle to be seen here:

God desires from us the obedience of faith. Such obedience is not based upon our understanding of why we are to act as God requires, but simply because it is God who requires it.

The obedience of faith is based on our faith in God, not on our understanding of why God calls one thing good and another evil. Parents teach their children to obey on the same basis. You cannot explain to a young child why an electrical outlet is dangerous. You can only forbid them to touch it, because you said so, and because they trust your word.

We say we desire to obey God, but we want to understand why we should obey Him before we do. We want to understand why God has commanded some things and prohibited others. When we fail to understand the reason, as quickly and easily as Eve, we reject God’s commandment.

“The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. And the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them’” (Genesis 6:6-7 NASB).

Ponder these phrases carefully: “The Lord was sorry” and “He was grieved.”

God’s grief is a sign of his great love.

The Lord is no robot. He is not some unfeeling God in heaven who sets the world in motion and then watches in benign disinterest while men and women destroy themselves.

His heart breaks over the sin that covers the earth. He weeps over broken homes, broken promises, suffering children, and the wreckage of human sin that covers planet earth and turns it into a massive junkyard of pain, sadness, shame and guilt.

So now God decides to “uncreate” the earth.

Think of what this means. Whole cities destroyed. Homes washed away. Roads covered. Buildings inundated. Whole villages flooded. Men, women and children vanishing beneath the waves. The whole earth under the waters of judgment.

Nothing like it had happened before and nothing like it has happened since. It was a catastrophic judgment that enveloped the entire globe and washed away every vestige of human civilization.

BUT
Noah Found Grace

And only one man and his family are spared.
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” Genesis 6:8. The word translated “favor” actually means “grace.”

Noah found “grace” in the eyes of the Lord.

Let us learn two important truths from this verse:

First, grace is available in the darkest hours.
Even though the world was rushing headlong into judgment, Noah found grace. There is never a pit so deep that the love of God is not deeper still. Do not say, “I am too bad a sinner to ever be saved.” You don’t know that. Don’t say, “God could never forgive me.” Yes, he can. And he will, if you will cry out to him.
And don’t say, “My husband is too far gone to ever be saved” or “I’m going to stop praying for that person because she is a hopeless case.” You don’t know that. While there is life, there is hope. Leave the final judgment in the hands of the Lord.
Keep praying. And if you do not know the Lord, seek him while he may be found. Turn to him. Come to him. Trust in him. This is the day of grace.
Though a thousand perish at your side, though your friends and family turn away, there is hope for you and plentiful grace if you will only come to Jesus.

Second, grace is the only means of escape.
Was Noah somehow “better” than his contemporaries?
No, he was a sinner just like them. But he found grace and was spared.
He turned to the Lord and was delivered. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that “by faith” Noah saved himself and his family. What Noah did, you can do.
By grace we can be delivered even in the darkest days and from the deepest pit of sin. I admit that grace is a hard concept for us to grasp. I define it as God doing for us what we could never do for ourselves. It is God coming to our rescue when we were trapped in sin.

This is my personal journal entry:

PRAISE: I am praising God for my personal relationship with Him, Just like Noah. When the world comes to an end will God KNOW you like He did Noah? God extends that same grace to you and that grace helps you CHANGE.
I challenge you to trust in Him in 2012. Another judgement awaits us in the future. Will you be saved from that judgement? Don't wait until its to LATE!

PLAN: I desire to be more obedient in my faith in certain area in 2012. I know God has plans for me and my rebellious attitude gets in the way of His plans.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you for working your plan through the destructive flood. Even when things never make sense you are always working upstream for our lives. After the flood came Jesus our SAVING GRACE. Now we have hope with our unrighteous selves. Thanks for saving me and I pray to share your GRACE in 2012.

I encourage you friends to write down your plan, praise and prayer from either my personal verse from today's reading or your own verse.

Blessings in the New Year

BRING ON THE NEW!

2011-12-31T14:00:00.002-05:00

SOMETHING NEW IS IN STORE FOR YOU THIS YEAR!

IN THE BEGINNING GOD......

I am thrilled to kick off the NEW YEAR with my friends and family very soon!
IN THE BEGINNING of 2012 God wants to CREATE and FORM NEW things for your life!

God has a perfect plan for our lives and never intended for us to be void, dark and without form! His spirit is moving and He is just waiting for you to join Him!

I will be reading through the bible in one year and I hope that you will join me! I try to blog daily and the daily bible reading is located on the side of my blog page. I will follow that days reading with a Daily Devo.
I hope that you will go for a walk with me in 2012.
Lets share dreams together while encouraging one another throughout the year. I am always encouraged and motivated to change for the better through my blog friends. Thanks for all your support and help as I make mistakes and desire to grow just like you!
I am not perfect but God has showed up and continued to bring form into my life, that I am ever grateful!

In Genesis GOD SAID, GOD CALLED, GOD MADE, GOD BLESSED, GOD CREATED, GOD FORMED and GOD SAW exactly how He wanted everything formed so that it was GOOD!

Do you believe that just as God formed the heavens and the earth, He is wanting to bless, create, form, make and call things He sees perfect and good into your life for 2012?

When God created the heavens and the earth in the very beginning He divided somethings to make it better and gathered things together to make it better. God has signs and blessings for each of us each season and day of 2012.

God set up your life in the very BEGINNING for something bigger and better!

Everyday this year God has something to ADD to your life and dreams.

He desires to walk each day with you. I certainly DO NOT WANT TO MISS WHAT HE IS ADDING TO MY DREAMS or THE DREAMS OF MY CHILDREN in 2012.

However, the enemy wants to slither in every chance he gets and DESTROY Gods dreams for your life. He is sneaky and will deceive you from all the GOOD God has planned for you!

The enemy will make things pleasant to the eyes and desirable to the mindset. His number one goal is to get you to the place in which you feel naked and want to hide.

Friend do you want to hide behind a closed door all of 2012? In shame, guilt and fear?

If so...2012 will remain unbearable.
Sometimes we do have to "go through the pain of life" BUT in the beginning God created us to walk with Him!
I pray you will open the door of your heart, soul and spirit to God in 2012.

If you CHOOSE to make a commitment to walk alongside Christ this year, I promise you will not miss the greatness of God in your life and family.

If you CHOOSE to do life on your own then the enemy will trip you and make you fall to the ground. Without God the ground is filled with thorns and thistles.

Anxiety, fear, temptation, fatigue, insomnia, depression and darkness will pick at your life and the thorns will destroy your heart.

God said that we should know good and know evil BUT we need to CHOOSE to follow only HIS ways! I need to get better in this area in 2012 so I have made a list of changes.

What do you desire to change?

That is a 2012 commitment for me my friends, to know that His ways lead me into a life that is abundant.

Friends and family....I want you to experience God in 2012.
Like I said, He wants to bring FORM to your dreams.

The hardest thing for me is to OBEY....But I know the difference of living my own life and then CHOOSING to live life with God.

A BIG DIFFERENCE INDEED!

I have seen my marriage fall apart, I have watched myself fall into temptation and I KNOW the enemy is after my CHILDREN. So again... I ask GOD to help me walk with HIM and make the right choices.

God wants to change your life in 2012!

Let God BRING IN THE BIG for you and yours this year.

Join me daily as we walk through the word in 2012. I pray God opens your eyes to see what He is doing all around you even on the most difficult days. I pray He alters your mind to see HIS DREAMS for your life.

Anticipating the New Year with you~
Blessings

Heather

UNWRAP YOUR DREAM THIS CHRISTMAS

2011-12-13T10:37:00.003-05:00

Christmas time is the appropriate season for suspense and anticipation, again that is what ADVENT means.

ADVENT=A sense of ADVENTURE

I love unwrapping presents and being surprised on Christmas morning. How about you? The suspense is already killing me with a few interesting boxes under the tree.

Today, I want you to grasp that your dreams are much like a present.

The NEW YEAR is right around the corner and it leaves me with the feeling of suspense and anticipation as I begin to unwrap new surprises along the way in 2012.

God has your dreams wrapped up perfectly and He will allow you to unwrap a little at a time if you desire to walk with Him in 2012.

Your destiny and reason for living are wrapped up tightly in your dreams and desires, like the genetic information inside a seed. That dream in your heart contains your spiritual "DNA," the very blueprint for who you are.

Your dream is that idea, that vision for your life that burns inside of you--something you can't ignore for long. It keeps coming back to your mind because it is part of who you are; it will never leave you alone.

A dream doesn't drive you; it draws you. It is like a big magnet that pulls you toward itself. I don't believe that there is a man or woman without a dream, because God designed every member of the human race to have dreams. Without a dream, a person will be frustrated in the present and will miss his or her future.

Your dream did not even originate with you. It resides within you, but God put it there. He is the source of your dream. When people dream without God, they find it hollow and unsatisfying. Every person must come to Jesus for his or her dream to make sense. In fact, without Jesus, you might follow a dream for your life that God never put in your heart.

God so badly wants to fulfill our expectations and dreams in 2012. Allow Him to teach you about your dream.

What a great challenge for 2012!

God wants us to see our life so badly through His eyes that He extends so much grace in our natural disasters.
I have to admit...I caused all my BIG DISASTERS and was so stubborn and head strong that it still was not enough to turn me to God. My disasters always came from my shortcuts that I designed into my life.

My personal shortcuts always appeared to be a way of speeding up DREAMS and EXPECTATIONS.
Many times a roadblock would appear in my life and quench the spark of my dreams and expectations.

Did you ever feel like a vision or dream has been abandoned or blocked?

The past two years God has placed me on a fence and helped me gain NEW PERSPECTIVE.

He wanted me to put some dreams on hold.

Sometimes we can become so dream focused that we chase after it so hard and end up in places HE FORBIDS!

God wants you to step into the New Year with anticipation and great expectation. However, we have to Return to Him and deny all our shortcuts. I was so focused on Dreams at one point that I was unaware of how I was abandoning God.

When we return everything to God, He will bring a fresh perspective and NEW chances.
If God has birthed that vision in your heart, chance are you have already began exploring.

But in order to:
END UP IN THE RIGHT PLACE ON PURPOSE,
we have to maintain our relationship with GOD first.

He feeds the quality and destiny of the vision.
If we move ahead the vision will again evaporate and we will be left in another natural disaster.

I pray that you walk into 2012 with a heart of anticipation and expectation to Grow in your love for God.

This may mean you will be surrendering more, getting involved in more and stepping out your comfort zone.

When God moves its more POWERFUL then any shortcut.

Your dream is fragile, so thank God for the NEW CHANCES and CHANGES HE will bring in 2012!

Two years ago today, Goded asked me to lay down and surrender many things.
It has been two years of God changing and rearranging my life.

New friends
New church
New opportunities
New possibilities
Fresh perspective on dreams
New schools for kids
New ministry opportunities

The connections and supernatural ways of God moved in so many amazing directions.
He will row the boat and then ask you to step out when the timing is right and lines up with His vision for your life.

Will you allow God to row your boat in 2012?

I encourage you to STAY in THE BOAT, until He says "STEP OUT."

Enjoy the anticipation and expectation of this Christmas season.... BUT I challenge you to EXPECT and ANTICIPATE fresh vision for 2012.

Merry Christmas

HOW CAN THIS BE?

2011-12-11T11:13:00.002-05:00

ADVENT DEVOTION:
We have been talking as a family this past week about the importance of the Holy Spirit, the POWER OF THE MOST HIGH. A very key component in the conception and birth of Jesus.

How is this same Power active in our lives?
Is this component part of your life?

NO DREAM IS ACHIEVABLE APART FROM THE MOST HIGH!

15 years ago I sat in the balcony of a church for the first time because I had a deep, dark hurt and a reality bigger then me that kept me saying,

"How can this be?"

My marriage was struggling and my parents where freshly divorced after 27 years of marriage.
I felt lost, hurt and hopeless.
My parents both figuring out their paths in life and my husband left to go down his self centered path.

I remember so vividly that day when I anxiously made my way through the doors of a big white church. I sat pregnant at 34 weeks crying while asking God, "How could this be?

My reality was so Big, I could not even wrap my mind around any good possibilities that could come out of this. I was troubled, confused and scared. Scared that I would be delivering my second baby with no man at my side.

This morning as sat reflecting over our past weeks advent devotions. This particular devotion stoof out and could change your life!

I would love for you to travel with me to LUKE 1:26-35.
Please take a moment to read and wrap your heart around what was happening in that moment to Mary.

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.

This story pointed my family to a very important truth for this Christmas. I want to share with all my family and friends in hope it blesses you and then encourages you to be a "GABRIEL" angel in someones life this season.

Mary heard the news from the angel that she was Highly favored and blessed among women.

However,
She was troubled from the start with the angels greeting. The angel Gabriel continued saying to Mary... "Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus!

Mary troubled and confused with this BIG reality exclaimed..

"HOW CAN THIS BE, SINCE I HAVE NOT BEEN WITH A MAN?"

The angel then answered her with something so POWERFUL that I would love for you to grasp this Christmas.

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the highest will overshadow The angel then answered her with something so POWERFUL that I would love for you to grasp this Christmas.

KEY PROMISE:
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the highest will overshadow you."

MARY'S RESPONSE:
Mary took her eyes off the reality and placed her life with Trust in God. She just knew with Gabriel's encouragement that God was getting ready to BIRTH A POSSIBILITY IN HER REALITY!

Mary also did not try to ESCAPE her reality. She stood firm and let nothing move her. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

She allowed God to work through her reality to bring true JOY to the world.

Did you ever consider that your trouble will birth a possibility in an other's life? God will use you as He overshadows you and comforts you.

God cares about your "HOW CAN THIS BE?"

Allow Him to Birth a miracle!

I know the moment I asked God to Come into my heart, He began to show me the path of life and in His presence I found FULLNESS OF JOY (Psalm 16:11)

Do not allow your reality to steal the joy from your life. God can overshadow your "How can this be?"

The loss of a loved one
A broken marriage
Sickness
Loss of home
Loss of a job
Financial struggles
Ministry problems
Lost dreams
Sinful consequences

All these realities... the MOST HIGH can take over.

He brought HOPE and DESTINY back to my marriage!

My friend, I want to be your Gabriel today and encourage you with these words...
"Do not be afraid, for with God nothing will be impossible."

You my friend are HIGHLY FAVORED!

SHEDDING SOME LIGHT...
Have you ever been asked to do something that didn't make sense?
Have you ever been asked to believe something unbelievable?
This takes a great amount of truth and faith.
In today's devo we see that God tells Mary she will do something that won't make sense and will have to believe the unbelievable.
Mary trusts His word and power. She allows God to shaper her life according to His plan.

What part of the Christmas season NOW brings you hope and joy?

Joy to the world,

ADVENT=LETS BREAK BREAD TOGETHER

2011-12-07T11:30:00.002-05:00

LETS BREAK BREAD

OUR ADVENT WREATH!

AND YES WE LIKE TO DRINK OUT OF JARS!

OUR MANGER

Advent is an active waiting.

Christmas comes to those who wait for the whisper, who look for the little, who seek the small signs of the every-where presence of God.

The only way to see the Savior this Advent is to see the small and wise men find ways to slow the season down.

I want to share another friends Blogpost with you today. She does not put Christmas presents under the tree for the family. Wow, this amazed me a bit.

Her post title stated this:
"When Christmas Gets Radical: Whose Birthday Is It Really?"It’s been over ten years of nothing under the Christmas tree here.

I will be honest, I struggled with this and felt like a terrible christian compared to her to be brutally honest.
Take time to read this post today and then stand amazed and maybe a little convicted over the culture of Christmas.
I sit today pondering the our families personal Christmas and ask God how I can CHANGE our Christmas each year to bring in more of HIM. I am sad at how selfish I have become.

Click below to read the post, she is an amazing author!

Anne Voskamp

Last night our family Advent devotions was focused on this verse:

"shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him…” Isaiah 11: 1-2

JESUS HAD ROOTS AND WE CAN TRACE THEM ALL THE WAY BACK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT FROM THE STUMP OF JESSE.

Out of the broken off and impossible, a shoot sprouts.

The beginning of my roots with Christ came from a broken, amputated season in my life. My roots do not go way back into past generations but truly started when me and my husband accepted Christ. We pray to pass our faith along.

God buds from the impossible.

Our Savior comes as a sprout from a stump.

Our salvation comes by way off the small, breaking through the dead ends.

Last night around our advent wreath we talked about the roots of Jesus and His family tree. We read together Isaiah 11:1-3 and then discussed our family tree and the importance of the future family members and their roots.

Trust me, as cute and nice as this devotional time sounds we are still 100% normal. The kids got in an argument, dad had to raise his voice, mom was trying to keep everyones attention and my youngest started to cry over something. YIKES!

But my point is...we still got the devotion in and managed to have some great discussions. We all walked away understanding God is wanting to do great things with our family tree and roots. We need to anticipate the coming of Gods presence in our family. That is the spirit of advent.

What are your families Christian roots?
What would that family tree look like?
What Christian traditions do you celebrate at Christmas to make Jesus the reason for the season?

God always can make a shoot from a stump. It is never to late, God wants you to grow strong branches and bear much fruit.

MAKE THIS YOUR PRAYER TODAY:
Dear God, when we find our hearts distracted by the busy-ness of this Christmas season, enamor us with the glory and joy of your presence. Let us understand why the birth of Jesus was "good news and great joy." Help us to find our roots in you. allow us to nourish our roots by the watering of your word so we may grow strong personally and grow the faith of our families.

BE REFRESHED FRIENDS,

ADVENT= ADVENTURES WITH GOD

2011-12-05T22:37:00.001-05:00

TODAY'S READING

I chose to zoom in on this passage out of today's daily reading!

Daniel 2:22, "He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness and light dwells with him.

God wants to speak to us throughout the day.

We just have a hard time slowing down long enough to listen.
That's why QUICK daily devotions are perfect to incorporate more of God's Word into our busy schedules.
The devo's here are short enough to fit into those few extra minutes here or there, but powerful enough to help put our focus back on God and what's really important - the "Big Picture."

God's word will begin to reveal mysteries going on in your personal lives. God wants to bring about the deep and hidden things.

I cannot count how many times the WORD of God has helped my husband and I make many life directing and altering decisions.

The word will speak to you personally and reveal many mysteries in the middle of your financial bondage, broken marriage, sickness, relationships and just daily regular events.

I will honestly admit that if I was not reading the word and discovering the mysteries in my small groups and sunday sermons, I would not be married today. The Word saved my marriage!

I encourage you to gather your heart around the Word this holiday season.

One great way to put Christ in the middle of your Christmas is with some advent devotions.

ADVENT means the anticipation of the coming of Christ!

Check out this LINK for a great family or personal devotion to help you walk through the promises and mysteries of Christ birth.

I made a quick, cheap advent wreath and as a family we light the candles at dinner and read a devotion for that day. Each devotion ushers us into Christmas morning.
( I will post pictures of our wreath this week)

This is a great way to keep everything in the right perspective.I know its way to easy for me to loose focus that is why I like to create an opportunity with my family and bring focus to why really celebrate Christmas.

And don't miss those "God moments" when God is using a seemingly unimportant occurance to draw you into a special time with Him. Such times can become special.

God is more than willing to reveal His mysteries to us, if we would simply spend time learning from Him.

If we could easily figure everything out, there would be no need for learning. He gave us amazing things to learn about so that throughout generations of time, people would always have something to search for, always have something to learn.

My family loves ALL that comes with Christmas... the gifts, food, celebrations and more. I want them to also have memories and traditions of wrapping their heart around the mysteries of the gospel during this exciting season.

God came to this world to breath purpose and life into our lives. Let's to learn to seek Him like the wise men did in scripture.

Yes, we can hear from God in a personal, intimate way. The depth of our personal relationship with God is based on intimate communication with Him. He speaks to us so that we are guided, refreshed, restored, and renewed regularly.

Make this your prayer today:
Wonderfully Wise God, we admit your ways are higher than ours and we fail in our ability to understand your great miracles and mysteries. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see that we can marvel with Mary at the wonders of your son Jesus' birth. Do not let the familiarity of the story limit our amazement. Let us pause, consider and be utterly astonished at what you did! Give us faith to believe what you can do--- in us, in others and in the world!
Amen

Blessings,

WHAT IS JOY?

2011-12-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Hello blogging friends! I am so VERY glad to be back!

I took 8 weeks off to write lessons and speak on the book of Nehemiah. I was given a great opportunity to teach at my home church NORTHRIDGE IN PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN. This was an amazing time with many great women and I thank God for the incredible opportunity to speak the word into so many lives!

With 2012 around the corner, I can only dream big at the greater opportunities God will be providing us all with. I hope to take this journey with you as we read the word daily and begin to watch, hear and touch the greatness of God!
I promise my blogs and inspirations will MOVE you in the direction of Gods goodness for your life!
Will you join me in the journey?

Something was made so clear to me this morning...

If I have personally HEARD from God, been TOUCHED by Him in my life and SEEN Him with my own eyes working things for the good then my JOY should be FULL, no matter what life has dealt you that week.

I have seen the word JOY everywhere the past month with the Christmas season in the air.

We sing about being joyful and proclaim we have joy.

But the reality is...some live in a personal darkness that is stealing the Joy from their lives.
Christmas can become the most stressful season.
I heard on the news today that Christmas Stress is causing CHRONIC PAIN in so many lives. Doctor visits and medication increases by 80% during the Holiday season.

This makes my heart so sad....

Jesus Christ came to us Christmas morning to DECLARE LIFE and manifest himself to us is real ways. He wants to personally touch our lives and hurts. Christ came that our JOY would increase and be full.

CHRIST came to bring us CHRISTMAS.

I ponder the song that was sang in the Grinch movie called...Where are you Christmas?
the little girl goes on to say "Why can't I find you?" "Why have you gone away?", "Why can't I hear you?". Her world is changing and rearranging she wonders if that means Christmas changes.

Our life is always going to change and rearrange but "Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!" Hebrews 13:8

In 1 John 1-4 it tells us that fellowship with
God expresses the most intimate kind of relationship.
Joy would increase and our lives would be touched if we only knew Him better. He wants to be included in every activity, every conversation, every problem, and every thought.

A very merry and joyful Christmas is built by sharing your life with God.
A Joyful Christmas does not just show up on Christmas morning wrapped in a package or a greatly decorated home.

God wants to show up and bring you Christmas all year round.
Today's reading declares that we can hear, see and be touched by Christ!

Don't allow the realities of this world to rob your JOY.
Sickness is real, divorce and separation is happening daily, finances are low and jobs are lost. This is a reality for families all around. I want to speak to those friends today...

PRESS into Christ this Christmas and He will make your Joy full.

You cannot be JOYFUL until He makes your JOY FULL!

Point to Ponder: God is real, no matter how I feel

Question to Consider: How can I press into Christ and focus on His presence this Christmas?

Verse: 1 John 1:4 "Truly our fellowship is with is with the father and with His son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your JOY MAY BE FULL."

May your Joy be Full,

CHRISTIANITY? A CULTURE OR LIFESTYLE?

2011-11-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

HELLO FRIENDS!

TODAY I AM WORKING ON A TEACHING MESSAGE FROM THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH.
WE WILL BE DISCUSSING ALL THE ENEMIES SCHEMES FOUND IN NEHEMIAH CH 6.

THE DEVIL IS WORKING OVERTIME TO DESTROY OUR DESTINY.

NEHEMIAH WAS VERY DISCIPLINED IN THE THINGS OF GOD. HE DID NOT JUST ADOPT THE CULTURE OF CHRISTIANITY. HE FULLY SURRENDERED HIS LIFE TO GODS CONTROL.

NEHEMIAH WAS VERY AWARE OF SATAN'S TRICKS AND LEARNED TO STAY FOCUSED. WE CAN ONLY DISCERN THIS BY CULTIVATING THE CULTURE OF CHRISTIANITY. IS YOUR WALK A CULTURE OR A CHRIST CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIP?

IF THE ENEMY CAN BRING FEAR INTO OUR LIVES HE WINS!

IF THE ENEMY CAN KEEP YOUR CHRISTIANITY A CULTURE AND NOT A FULLY SURRENDERED, GROWING LIFESTYLE THEN HE WILL AND CAN PULL MORE TRICKS ON YOU.

VISIT A BLOG POST FROM THIS SUMMER CLICK HERE IT WILL CHALLENGE YOU.

THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO SHAKE OFF THAT SNAKE THAT IS TRYING TO DESTROY YOUR MARRIAGE, RELATIONSHIPS, FINANCES, DREAMS AND DESTINY.

WE CAN ALL CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS BUT WHAT DOES YOUR WEEK LOOK LIKE?

HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THE ENEMIES SCHEMES? DO YOU KNOW YOUR ENEMY?

BLESSINGS,

WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN GOD?

2011-10-31T12:29:00.001-04:00

God gives us hopes and dreams for certain things to happen in our lives, but He doesn't always allow us to see the exact timing of His plan.
Although frustrating, not knowing the exact timing is often what keeps us in the program. There are times when we might give up if we knew how long it was going to take, but when we accept God's timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems. We know that God's plan for our lives is good, and when we entrust ourselves to Him, we can experience total peace and happiness.

God wants us to live by discernment—revelation knowledge, not head knowledge. It's difficult to exercise discernment if you're always trying to figure out everything. But when you're willing to say, "God, I can't figure this out, so I'm going to trust You to give me revelation that will set me free," then you can be comfortable in spite of not knowing. Trusting God often requires not knowing how God is going to accomplish what needs to be done and not knowing when He will do it. We often say God is never late, but generally He isn't early either. Why? Because He uses times of waiting to stretch our faith in Him and to bring about change and growth in our lives.
I have expereinced this more the past 2 years since my big move and change in ministry.

WAIT WATCH LISTEN

We spend a lot of time in our lives waiting because change is a process. Many people want change, but they don't want to go through the waiting process. But the truth is, waiting is a given—we are going to wait.
The question is, are we going to wait the wrong or right way?
If we wait the wrong way, we'll be miserable; but if we decide to wait God's way, we can become patient and enjoy the wait. It takes practice, but as we let God help us in each situation, we develop patience, which is one of the most important Christian virtues. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22). It's developed only under trial, so we must not run from difficult situations. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing (James 1:4).

The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph, who waited many years for the fulfillment of the dream God had given him. He was falsely accused and imprisoned before the time came for him to do what God had shown him he was to do. Exodus 13:17-18 tells us that God led the Israelites the longer, harder way on their journey to the Promised Land because He knew they were not yet ready to go in. There had to be time for their training, and they had to go through some very trying situations. They wasted a lot of time wondering about God's timing, but God never failed to take care of them and show them what He wanted them to do. The same is true in our lives. It has been many years after I received my call from God in June 2000 before I began to see bits and pieces of of gifting lining up with His plans. Still today I am dreaming bigger yet waiting on HIS timing for the bigger plans. I look at the waiting as God's training period! This time requires us to do what He tells us to do when He tells us to do it...without questioning or trying to figure everything out.

Proverbs 16:9 says, A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

Proverbs 20:24 says,Man's steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?

These 2 verses I have been declaring to my 14 year old son. Its important that He allows God to direct him and the business of sports, friends and school. He has special gifts and a calling from God! Just like all of us friends...

When God directs our paths, He sometimes leads us in ways that don't make sense to us so we're not always going to understand everything.
If we try to reason out everything, we will experience struggle, confusion and misery—but there is a better way. Try explaining that to a 14 year old! But I did my duty and I will trust God with the rest.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

When Dreams develop the desires of your heart begin to manifest— you see your big dreams come to pass.
Are you frustrated, crying out, "When, God, when?" Then you need to understand that God's timing is often a mystery. He doesn't do things on our timetable. Yet His Word promises that He will not be late, not one single day. But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB).

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to make up your mind that you won't give up until you cross the finish line and are living in the radical, outrageous blessings of God! The more you trust Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him, the more life you'll have. Trusting God brings life. Believing brings rest. So stop trying to figure everything out, and let God be God in your life.

OBEDIENCE is the key to keeping the momentum. When God is silent, He is really working in those secret places!

Keep on Keeping on!

HIS VISION, IN HIS TIME

2011-10-28T12:08:00.000-04:00

Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about'" (Gen 22:2).

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you would do almost anything to get it? Have you ever gotten so close to fulfilling a dream only to have it disappear right before your eyes? Such was the case for Abraham.

I have been desiring something for a long time and believe God has moved my family the past year to line me more up with my dreams and passions. I left a great place to explore something bigger and better. During the exploring stages it can feel as if the DREAM has died but I promise you that GOD is at work in the secret places!

God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. He would have a son. However, Abraham panicked when Sarah aged beyond child bearing years and tried to help God by birthing Ishmael through Sarah's servant, who was not the promised son. Eventually, Isaac was born, who was the promised son.

However, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son on an altar to demonstrate his obedience to God. Truly, this is one of the hardest instructions given to one of God's people in all of scripture. It compares only to the Heavenly Father sacrificing His own Son. God intervenes and allows a ram to get caught in the bushes nearby, symbolizing the Lamb of God as a prophetic sign of what is to take place in the future.

God often births a vision in our lives only to allow it to die first before the purest version of the vision is manifested.

This is the story of my own journey.

Oswald Chambers observes, "God's method always seems to be vision first, and then reality, but in between the vision and the reality there is often a deep valley of humiliation.

How often has a faithful soul been plunged into a like darkness when after the vision comes the test.

When God gives a vision and darkness follows, waiting on God will bring you into accordance with the vision He has given if you await His timing. Otherwise, you try to do away with the supernatural in God's undertakings. Never try to help God fulfill His word."*

When God's vision is finally birthed, nothing will stop it. Our job is to allow God to birth His vision through us His way and in His timing.

keep dreaming friends!

SEIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY

2011-10-19T08:25:00.001-04:00

Isaiah 57:11-12 (TODAY'S MAIN VERSE)
CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF TODAY'S DAILY READING
11 The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

I beleive God daily leads us to opportunities to help us repair and restore so we can line up with His overall purpose for our lives. If we do not SEIZE the OPPORTUNITIES we will miss our destiny.
Opportunities. Every one of us has them. Opportunities for greatness, success, to better ourselves, and to serve God in a greater capacity. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "seize the opportunity!"

Opportunity is defined as a combination of circumstances favorable for a purpose. To seize means to take possession of suddenly and by force, attack, or strike.

Why do you suppose it's important for you to take possession of it suddenly? Because opportunities do not wait around for the fainthearted nor the slow to move. They must be seized! Opportunities are being presented to you on a daily basis. You will either seize them or you will let them slip by.

Many times the reason we let them slip by is because we are insensitive to them.
It's work! Most people want accelerated results before dark. A lot of people want what has happened to others but they're not willing to do what others have done to get there.

Have you ever said, "I wish I would have thought of that?" That means you only recognize opportunity after you see someone else doing it first. We're going to have to become more sensitive to the opportunities and the open doors that God presents in our lives.

For a great door and effectual is open unto me and there are many adversaries.
(1 Cor. 16:9)

The Amplified says it this way, "For a wide door of opportunity for effectual service has opened to me there; one great and promising and many adversaries."

Notice Paul says that a wide door of opportunity has been opened unto him but with adversaries. It would be wonderful if he had left that part out. But he didn't. The devil is not going to sit down, roll over, and play dead and let us seize this opportunity without some kind of fight.

Every opportunity that God gives you demands a steadfast, persevering spirit. Ambition alone is not enough. You've got to be willing to take risks, lay it all on the line, and even be willing to lose it all in order to seize an opportunity.

Your attitude and perspective about the situation has everything to do with your outcome. When the armies of Israel saw Goliath, they said, "He's too big to kill!" When David saw Goliath, he said, "He's too big to miss!" Same problem, different perspective!

Someone once said that if all you see is obstacles, then you've taken your eyes off the goals. You're no longer focused on your vision. You're no longer focused on Jesus. If you hear someone talking about all their problems, that's a good indication that they've taken their eyes off of Jesus (The Answer)!

God never gives us opportunities without first giving us the ability to achieve them. So, quit making excuses.

Negative excuses that will keep you from success:

1.It's impossible.

2.It can't be done.

3.I don't have what it takes.

4.It's too risky.

5.What if it doesn't work?

6.What if I lose every thing I have?

Get these out of your vocabulary! If you lose everything you have, then start over. You'll never seize an opportunity hanging on to what you think is security. The only secure thing that you and I have is the Word of God. Your future will look bright when your attitude is bright.

Opportunities become realities to people of great passion.

When God gives a vision, you have to put your all into it! Progress is never achieved by people who have no passion. Successful people become successful people because they don't know when to quit.

The fear of failure will keep you from seizing opportunities. All of us have failed at some time in our lives, but failing is not final. Setbacks are not permanent. We cannot allow ourselves to become stagnant and non-operative because of the fear of failure.

Get rid of negative thinking. Maintain a positive perspective and attitude and become more sensitive to the opportunities God is bringing before you.

You can seize your God-given opportunity if:

1.You have confidence

2.You have courage.

3.You have conviction.

4.You are constant.

When God gives you a vision, don't quit until you seize it! In order to seize your opportunity, you must be willing to stretch yourself, take risks and aim high!

JUST DO IT!

ONE DAY

2011-10-13T15:51:00.001-04:00

One Day

A great post about your personal dreams was written by Steven Furtick. He is an amazing pastor whom I learn and grow from! I wanted to share His word today because it went so well with yesterdays post!

CHECK OUT STEVEN FURTICKS BLOGS!

Two words can disqualify every dream you’ve ever had:

One day.

One day I’m going to start my own business.

One day I’m going to move overseas.

One day I’m going to live wholeheartedly for Christ.

One day I’m going to lose weight.

One day I’m going to make a difference.

If you’re not careful, one day becomes the next day, and the next day becomes the next day, and the next day becomes…

The best time to start a diet is tomorrow.

The best time to start making a difference tomorrow.

The best time to do anything is tomorrow…

…if you don’t want to ever actually do it.

Tomorrow always comes but the dream never happens.

Stop waiting.

There’s only one day that’s appropriate to start chasing your dream:

Today.

Make today your “one day.”

CATCH THE DREAM AND DO THE SOARING

2011-10-12T09:02:00.000-04:00

Todays mentor moment

Isaiah 40:31
31 but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ENTIRE DAILY READING!

Isaiah records an inspiring vision for anyone looking beyond or above their current circumstances, of life or heart: "Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (40.31). That's a passage that has lifted my heart a lot of times, especially when facing uncertain times or in some personal griefs.

But inorder to sore like eagles we need to DREAM!

Dream. Dream up new thoughts that put us above lifes trials and give us the ability to sore in the storm.

Remember, no one else can do the soaring for us. The way a dream or vision becomes reality is when you and I take wing with it, no matter what anyone else does or doesn't do about it.

Start dreaming up ways for change. We do not want to face a trial and say "Will I make it through?" we should say "How will I make it through?"
Don't wait for someone else to dish up hope or change.
Dream up ways to bring your dream to reality.

And whatever you do, don't let anyone dump on your dream

It'll never work. You don't have the resources. You don't know where to start. You don't know what to do or how to get there. You don't, you can't, you won't.
So what if you don't know what to do?
Neither do most other people who have an idea, vision, or dream; they set out anyway, and discover it all, or make it up, as they go.

It's not that it "can't" happen; it's just that we were counting on someone else doing the soaring, when it really always happens from us. YOU need to catch a dream, a vision, and do the soaring.

No dream has died, or fallen flat out of the sky, or in any other way been squashed. It's actually still as alive as we are, as alive as we want it to be, and it can stretch its wings and head toward takeoff any time we're ready for it to.

Dream up what you can, talk with other people who dream, watch the examples of people who have brought their dreams into reality (or are still in the process), join ranks with likeminded dreamers, join hands and link arms and band a lot of those dreams together to make a broader dream for more people. Nobody changes all at once, of course; they just keep figuring out a step at a time. Nobody sees a whole plan or vision at once, or draws up plans for a building at one sitting, or plans anything else in one step, let alone does or builds it in one step; every dream is a kind of construction project. The world has always changed ... for better or worse ... on the power of ideas and dreams, and every dream is a process, not a sudden event. But don't let someone else do the dreaming ... unless you catch it yourself, spread those wings, and really make that dream yours now~

Yes, of course every person's circumstances and resources are different; but different, that's the point. It's not as if there's some magic formula, where life has to line up in a certain way for some vision or dream to unfold; people, whoever they are, with whatever is at hand, speak out, stand up, draw others together, make their dream contagious, and in whatever way they can dream up, they do something about it. And keep doing it, and learning how to do it as they go.

Start dreaming today, spread your wings and meet me in the sky

Blessings,

ARE YOU ROOTED?

2011-10-10T09:14:00.001-04:00

OCTOBER 10 DAILY MENTOR MOMENT CLICK HERE!

the Lord brought my attention to a passage that continues to shape my life as a Christian.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:6-8 NIV

Aspen trees are connected though a central root system and are the largest living organisms on earth. Like Christians connected to Christ and through Christ to one another. Supposedly the roots are representative of the branches in a 1:1 ratio. So as I grow deeper, being deeply rooted, there are more branches of my life which will bear fruit.

This is how I desire to live as a Christian, connected with deep roots to Jesus and to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Deep roots are going to lead me to an abundance of fruit and an abundance of fruit is characterstic of the abundant life of Christ.

Deep roots of knowing the truths of God’s Word intimately and being obedient to them will protect me from being swept away by the struggles and sin that will entice you in this life.

I look forward to my weekly small group and weekly church service because as a believer and I have been working to sink my roots deeper and deeper into God through his word and his ways.
I am big on the Bible. I am persuaded the WORD changes me!

As a Christian, not only do I need to have one but I need to read it and study what’s in it.

Stay rooted. The tree that survives through drought, windstorms, and floods is the tree that has its roots down deep. Even so, those of us who have our spiritual roots deeply anchored in Jesus will come out ahead!

Where are you rooted? do you have a good church home?
Do you have a small group? Do you attend any bible studies?

I had a friend tell me last year when she was going through some storms... that the "church" stuff was not her thing. My response was "You cannot afford for it to not be your thing!"

People are rooted in so many areas like our careers, sport teams, relationships and social networks yet some never invest in their faith! I know its easy to get off track in these areas but I have noticed that Gods word keeps me on track.
Take time to let today's word stir your heart to move toward change.

BEAUTIFUL COLORADO ASPENS!

-Stay Rooted Col. 2:7-

A PURPOSE IN THE PAIN

2011-10-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

TODAY'S DAILY BIBLE READING CLICK HERE!

When you were first saved, God began a new work in you; but you were certainly not a finished product. You had a lot of growing to do. God started something in you, and He is the one that will complete it.

The Bible says in Philippians 1:6, “… He which hath begun a good work in you will COMPLETE IT."

I want to take a minute and encourage my friends that may be finding themselves in positions of adversity or failure, God has a plan for you!

Many times when things end on a bad note we count it as a loss and walk away with guilt and anger. I want to speak vision upon you today, please use this time as an opportunity to see God advance your life and situation. God has a plan for you so I urge you to not drift away from His mission.

My entire life changed during my marriage trials. I was made even more complete in Jesus and found my true purpose and calling in this life. Now I am not saying my marriage is forever complete and perfect but I am complete in Christ Jesus. Now friends, my marriage would be the best if my husband liked to shop and sit in coffee shops while talking for hours but those are his least favorites.
The differences we have should not be what completes us. The purpose we have together in Christ is what gives us purpose and a mission together!

Let me share 5 things that Purpose during the pain has done for my life.

1. A PURPOSE motivated me in several areas of my life.
I wanted to become stronger physically and spiritually.

2. A PURPOSE helped me keep my priorities straight.

3. A PURPOSE began to develop my potential in areas I did not see God working and preparing me for.

4. A PURPOSE will give you power to live in the present.

5. A PURPOSE will help you evaluate your progress.

God will enable you to stay on mission and see your purpose no matter where we find ourselves in this life.

A sense of PURPOSE works on you.

Purpose during your pain will help develop a positive attitude within you and that attitude will determine your altitude.

Let me share a personal example, I was reminded of this yesterday when I prayed and mentored with a hurting women over her marriage.

During a crisis point in the marriage it's normal to think that everything that was good is now over.

I was at this point 12 years ago. I sat completely broken, hurt and devastated. I wondered how my dream wedding ending like this......
However God had a purpose for my entire life and I allowed Him to get into the cracks which then gave me a new sense of purpose. It placed my attitude above the pain of the marriage situation. (this took time my friends)

I promise you will smile in the battle!

The battle will then become a victory because it brought me closer to the heart of God.

I pray friends you find a sense of purpose in the battle. God will complete everything in a perfect way if you surrender to Him.

God has a plan in place of your pain. Its more important to revitalize your purpose then to focus on the past. This will motivate you to carry out your mission no matter what!

Have a blessed day friends

If you would like me to pray for you in a specific way please email me heather@hbministries.com

YOU HAVE A PURPOSE

2011-09-29T09:57:00.002-04:00

Many people go through life feeling discouraged about themselves and thinking they do not have a purpose in life. But that's not true. Whoever you are—whatever your life experiences, talents, physical ability, or role—you have a purpose.

Let's take a look at Today's mentoring moment with a verse in the Bible:

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:1).

Notice two points in this verse:

1. God created you. You are not an accident.

2. God has a plan for you. You have a purpose in life.

You are created to know God.

One purpose in life is to get close to God. You can do this through Jesus Christ.

I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again (John 3:3).

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

You are created for God's glory.

One purpose in life is to glorify God in this world.

Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made (Isaiah 43:6-7).

You are created to praise God

You are created to grow the fruit of the Spirit.

One purpose in life is to grow in character.

The type of person you become is more important than your successes and failures in the world.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

You are created to spread the Gospel.

One purpose in life is to tell others about Jesus' love for them.

You are created to use the talents God gave you.

One purpose in life is to develop your gifts.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully (Romans 12:4-8).

Do not minimize your role.

Live life as an adventure—wherever you are.

All Christians collectively form the body of Christ. The body is formed of many different parts (Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). All are important. It does not matter what part of the body you are

Overcome jealousy or bitterness.

Don't be upset if you do not have a place of prominence, for, as you read in the above verse, God gives special honor to people with "less honorable" roles.

Do not downplay the value of what you do.

Don't compare yourself to others or give up if someone seems to do a better job than you. Of course there are others who have more talent! If all the evangelists or witnesses or teachers in the world decided to stop trying because someone else did a better job, where would we be?

What counts is that you be faithful.

God gave you talents and abilities. He expects you to develop them. Study Matthew 25:14-30.

Personal application

Have you felt purposeless in life? ___ Yes ___ No

How will you use the above information to live a more purposeful life?

Your next step: Live life as an adventure.

If God designed you with a purpose in mind and you want to go on the adventure and discover that purpose, I would like to suggest a GREAT study you can do on your own!
click HERE and see!

My friend in ministry wrote this book, I promise it will lead you into the adventure in which God created!

SOW THE POSSIBILITY

2011-09-27T18:04:00.000-04:00

DAILY BIBLE READING SEPT 27 "CLICK HERE"

When somebody asks me the question that I am about to share, I personally explode inside and every fabric in me wants to help them understand this reality.

QUESTION: HOW COME I DON'T HAVE A DREAM? OR A VISION?

Let me first answer the last part of the question. No you are not weird for thinking that, but you are WIRED my friend with many dreams and visions.

Lets now answer the first part of the question.

Most individuals think a dream is a "High Calling" of some sort, they tend to think of high profile people like Olympian athletes, Doctors, Lawyers, Authors, speakers and Big Owners that started well known companies or businesses. When we partner these high details into our mindset we will have misconceptions about our "own" dreams. If we have the wrong picture of a dream then we will never discover "our" dreams!

Today's daily reading partners with today's amazing lesson, I know this passage of scripture can bring many lessons about. But I would like to focus on the area of "sowing a dream"

Galatians 6:7 "For whatever a man SOWS, that he will also reap"

A dream is the (seed) of possibility planted in the soul of a human being, which calls him to pursue a unique path to the realization of his purpose.

I am a visual learner so follow me with this picture in your mind. If a seed is the dream then the dream needs to be planted or (SOWED) into soil. Lets pretend the soil is the imagination that brings the dream to life~ its all about the soil girls!

God wants us to learn to dream because He is a BIG God and wants to do BIG things in our personal lives!

I want each of you to take a personal look at your life and imagine some things with me. I will guide you into some areas of thought and then let your imagination take off.

Do you have an area in your life that leaves you frustrated, brokenhearted or even angry? Can you take that situation and imagine in your mind a picture of "what should be." If we are dissatisfied with the way things are then allow your mind to grab hold of a clear picture or idea of what could or should be!

Examples: A broken marriage- Imagine a clear picture of what should or could be.

An older child that is struggling in life-Imagine a clear picture of what should and could be.

An addiction or stronghold-imagine a clear picture without the addiction and how life could and should be.

A ministry calling- Imagine what it could and should be as God uses your gifts.

I only listed a few heart broken situations but the point is we may have a passive concern that may need a sense of urgency!

here are a few other areas:

Examples:

Career-Imagine a clear picture of what you may want. Do you want to become a nurse?

Finances- Imagine a clear picture of what should or could be

Spouse-Imagine a clear picture of what should or could be

Children-Imagine....

Ministry-Imagine....

Special Talents-Imagine....Do you want to pursue a Photography business?

Now I am going to share a few ways I have been personally preparing the soil of imagination in specific areas in my life. I have multiple dreams I am sowing and some are clearer then others. So let me share in hope that this will be a help in shaping the dreams in your heart.

Finances I would like to see myself LEARN how to save and handle money better. This is a very weak part of my life. My husband is not happy with my spending habits and I know he has a good picture of what could and should be. I will not allow my weakness to get in the way of our marriage. I have begun several planning steps and I will learn Gods providential will in the area of finances. I have a dream of what should and could be. Now I have to go after that dream! A dream brings about change for the better.

I dream for my children and Gods will for their lives.

Benjamin, Brittni and Alivia.

I study their talents and gifts and I ask God to help me understand his plans for them. I know my son Benjamin can play the guitar, sing and write music. I have already dreamed a clear picture of him traveling with mom someday as I speak. I also believe He will be part of the worship team in church someday, writing His own songs. I also remind him daily that GOD has a huge plan for His life.

I encourage all the moms today to get a journal and begin to ask God for a clear picture and wisdom on your child's dreams. I promise He will lead you. It may not be easy because the enemy does not want those dreams for your child, he will steal, kill and destroy them any chance he gets. So be ready to fight the enemy in your child's life! If you do not dream and believe with your child then you have left him prey to the enemy!

The key is to ask God to show you His will and help you dream and direct the children accordingly!

Lastly I am dreaming big about my personal calling in ministry. God is calling me to new places and He has placed a clearer picture in my mind of what should and could be. I am now in the planning and pursuing stages and the steps of that dream.

Do you have an area of ministry, a career that you want or a talent that you may need to start pursuing so God then can allow a clearing picture to rise to the surface?
Once you begin to imagine then you will start to investigate. The dream will then take root and energy mixed with passion will take over. No matter how difficult the situation may look your passion and clear picture will keep you motivated till the end!

The soul is always thinking and it never thinks without a picture.

Begin imagining today in some areas of your life. We all have expectations and it may not be our reality at this time. However, do not let the gap between your expectation and reality bring disappointment. Keep imagining and sowing because you will reap in the end.

I am grateful for a healed marriage, ministry dreams coming to pass, children's talents being discovered along with strategies to move them forward. All because I began to imagine and then Sow.

If you never imagine bigger then your situation you will never reap. God uses everything we SOW to teach us about faith and believing!

Now let me ask you,.. Do you have a dream?

WHERE DREAMS DIE

2011-09-22T15:37:00.001-04:00

SEPTEMBER 22 DAILY BIBLE READING, CLICK HERE!

ECCLESIASTES 10:6

Sow your seed in the morning,

and at evening let your hands not be idle,

for you do not know which will succeed,

whether this or that,

or whether both will do equally well.

DO NOT LET THE DREAM DIE, KEEP PRESSING ON

Take some time and review and examine the thoughts below.
Remember to sow and believe, God will help you succeed according to His will and you will collide with your destiny!

- Dreams die in three places: the beginning, middle, and end.

- Most dreams die in the womb of small beginnings.

- Wanna see a dream die? Send it to a church committee.

- A lot of people choose to stay miserable simply because it’s familiar.

- The resistance is often fiercest on the borderline of the breakthrough.

- Actually, every word of “Where Dreams Die” was a highlight.

- Jesus did not come to fix systems. He came to subvert them with the gospel.

- Too many people confuse supernatural miracles with magic tricks.

- The impossible prayer God wants you to pray will always come with a specific instruction he wants you to obey.

- Nothing you’ve ever done is so repulsive that God can’t redeem your potential & love you through it.

- Fasting isn’t so much deprivation as it is dependence.

- You know God’s will by doing God’s will.

- Any step towards self-sufficiency is a step away from the Savior.

- Audacious faith isn’t the absence of fear and ambiguity. It eclipses it one small step at a time.

- Sometimes when you’re the closest to Jesus, you feel the greatest fear.

- God only asks you to have faith for the first step.

- We’re not interested in looking good, we only want Jesus seen glorified through our lives.

blessings in your journey!

Heather Baxter

EXAMINE AND TEST YOURSELF

2011-09-21T10:46:00.000-04:00

MENTORING MOMENT: SEPTEMBER 21

MENTORING MOMENT

TAKE TIME TO EXAMINE YOURSELVES TODAY FRIENDS.

ARE YOU STUCK BETWEEN TWO STATIONS?

DO YOU HAVE ALOT OF STATIC AND FUZZ IN LIFE?

TUNE IN TO THE STATION GOD HAS FOR YOU!

EXAMINE AND TEST

Life is full of twist and turns. I have personally experienced crushed, perplexed, struck down and destroyed situations on my path in life. I did not wake up one day and desire to have these obstacles in my life. However, the choices I was making in the game of life was allowing for many of my problems. I was loving the wrong things, living for the wrong things, trusting the wrong things and experiencing the wrong things.

A TIME CAME WHEN I HAD TO EXAMINE MY LIFE

In todays reading 2 corinthians 13:5 it states "EXAMINE YOURSELVES AS TO WHETHER YOU ARE IN THE FAITH. TEST YOURSELVES.

Who wants to live a life that is broken and dried up? Life can bring us crushing news, perplexing situations and struck down disappointments. I personally was broken, dried up and defeated; the game of life destroyed me. I messed up in high school and even more so in college. I carried the weight of sin and bondage into the rest of my travels in life. I was stuck in a messed up world and it kept on spinning in circles.

I did not want this life for me, dreams shattered and hope deferred. I am very thankful for the few divine friends that kept reminding me that I was made for so much more. However, it was not up to them to convince me or persuade me it was up to me to understand that I had the potential for change!

CHANGE is the foundation of HOPE

CHANGE COMES FROM TESTING AND EXAMINING

I was not able to see hope because I was blinded by despair. I was angry at the choices I made in life. I felt like a looser and believed that God had abandoned me. Have you ever felt that struck down friends?

May I please share a truth with you that I know changed my life? The truth is: we can CHANGE our lives by CHANGING our game. We can easily be conformed to this world, but the morals and ways of this life will blind our minds from seeing the light of the gospel. I was blinded from the real life I was created to live because I chose to play by the wrong set of rules.

Let me share two game changing choices I had to start with......

A decision to stop writing my own story; of imperfection and shattered dreams and allow Jesus Christ to renew my faith, heart, trust and focus. Then I decided to commit and offer everything I had to God.

Friends I am living proof of a NEW CREATION, the old is gone and the new has come. I will admit that I still am messy and sold as a slave to sin and still don't understand why I do the things I do for what I need to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

But I do know this.... I am CHANGING and being transformed daily because I am committed to Change. Daily God renews my mind and sets me apart more and more.

Friends I urge you to give your heart, focus, faith and life over to Christ. I promise you will see something NEW in the midst of your situation.

Ask yourself today what you are living for?

What are you living for this week?

I challenge you to make a choice to CHANGE your game.

Stop living the mad life and allow God to transform your life, He wants to come help repair problems in your midst so that your mind, body and spirit can be whole.
We have to follow His rules for college, jobs, marriage, children and our dreams. If you choose to Change and examine your game you will live the LIFE God has planned for you. This game of life will not be boring but action packed and full of adventure.

EXAMINE YOURSELVES TODAY!

Proverbs 16:9 "A mans heart plans his ways But the Lord directs His steps"

Who's rules are you living by?

Thank God for the friends He may divinely be putting in your life today to help TEST your FAITH.

Life in Him,

Heather Baxter

GOD IS DOING THE VERY BEST IN YOUR SEASON

2011-09-19T23:51:00.000-04:00

SEPT 19TH DAILY READING
Accept God's Timing

God gives us hopes and dreams for certain things to happen in our lives, but He doesn't always allow us to see the exact timing of His plan. Although frustrating, not knowing the exact timing is often what keeps us in the program. There are times when we might give up if we knew how long it was going to take, but when we accept God's timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems. We know that God's plan for our lives is good, and when we entrust ourselves to Him, we can experience total peace and happiness.

The book of Genesis reminds me of the story of Joseph, who waited many years for the fulfillment of the dream God had given him. He was falsely accused and imprisoned before the time came for him to do what God had shown him he was to do. Exodus 13:17-18 tells us that God led the Israelites the longer, harder way on their journey to the Promised Land because He knew they were not yet ready to go in. There had to be time for their training, and they had to go through some very trying situations. They wasted a lot of time wondering about God's timing, but God never failed to take care of them and show them what He wanted them to do. The same is true in our lives.
I received my call from God in June of 2000 and slowly see fulfillment of what God has called me to do. I wish for so much more at times.
God's training period simply requires us to do what He tells us to do when He tells us to do it...without questioning or trying to figure everything out.

Learn to Rely on God

Proverbs 16:9 says, A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. Proverbs 20:24 says,Man's steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way? When God directs our paths, He sometimes leads us in ways that don't make sense to us so we're not always going to understand everything. If we try to reason out everything, we will experience struggle, confusion and misery—but there is a better way.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. This sounds so simple, yet too many people make the mistake of trying to figure everything out themselves. Most of us have spent our lives trying to take care of ourselves, but when we accept Christ as our Savior, we must learn to trust our lives to His care. When we do, we can say with the psalmist, ...I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God. My times are in Your hands...(Psalm 31:14-15).

Due time is God's time, when God knows we're ready, not when we think we're ready. The sooner we understand and accept that, the sooner God can work His plan in our lives.

Todays Bible reading:
Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us: To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.
This lets us know that we all don't live in the same season at the same time. You should never be jealous of someone who is enjoying harvest while you're still in the planting season. Remember, they had to go through a season of planting just as you are. Seeing the results they are enjoying should be an encouragement to you. Understand and trust that God is doing the very best for you in your present season. Seedtime represents learning the will of God. Each time I choose God's will instead of my own, I'm planting a good seed that will eventually bring a harvest in my life. If you want to be victorious, you cannot afford to get pulled into the world's system, doing what you feel like doing. James 1:21 tells us what we should do: ...get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

Between seedtime and harvest comes a time of waiting.
I feel like I am here? How about you? After a seed is planted, the heat, moisture and pressure of the ground finally cause the outer hull to crack open. Then roots shoot down, digging their way through the ground. It takes time for this to happen, and it takes place underground. Above the ground, you can't tell anything is happening. That's the way our lives are. After we plant seeds of obedience, we feel like nothing is happening, but all kinds of things are happening inside where we can't see. And like the seed that finally bursts through the ground with a beautiful green shoot, our seeds of obedience finally break forth into a beautiful manifestation of God in our lives.

Are you being obedient? I have areas to really work on? How about you?

When harvesttime comes, the desires of your heart begin to manifest—bondages fall off of you and you see your dreams come to pass. Favor, promotion, honor, and all kinds of good things come out in the open where they can be seen. In harvesttime, more than ever before, you hear from God, you enjoy His presence, and you're led by the Spirit. Blessings begin to chase you down the street, and joy and calm delight become your normal mood.

Are you tired of waiting for harvesttime in your life?
Are you frustrated, crying out, "When, God, when?"
Then you need to understand that God's timing is often a mystery.
He doesn't do things on our timetable. Yet His Word promises that He will not be late, not one single day. But these things I plan won't happen right away.
Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. They will not be overdue a single day! (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB). WRITE THE VISIONS DOWN AND STICK WITH THEM!

THANKYOU JOYCE MYERS FOR THESE NOTES, A GREAT MESSAGE I NEEDED TO HEAR ANDPERFECT FOR MY TIMING, MAY THIS BLESS ANOTHER FRIEND!

Keep on friends,

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time! Your job is not to figure out when, but to make up your mind that you won't give up until you cross the finish line and are living in the radical, outrageous blessings of God! The more you trust Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him, the more life you'll have. Trusting God brings life. Believing brings rest. So stop trying to figure everything out, and let God be God in your life.

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A SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE

2011-09-14T08:15:00.001-04:00

Today's Daily Bible Reading

Have you ever had a friend confront you on an issue or uncover a sin in your life?

A person who brings a word of conviction or rebuke is a GOOD friend.

Have you ever experienced sorrow that produced repentance?

Sometimes a friend can help you clear yourself and allow God to care and appear to you.

In today's daily reading a man name Titus was asked to deliver a letter from the apostle Paul to the church of Corinth. Corinth was a community of believers that had serious problems. God wanted to call these people from their sin and rebellion to a NEW and FRESH commitment to holiness and obedience.

In 2 Corinthians 7:8 it states "For you were made sorry by my letter, I do not regret it."

Paul knew this letter delivered by Titus would produce sorrow and conviction. Titus carried the letter from the hand of Paul to the church of Corinth, he had to deal with the fallout, frustration and hurt when the letter was read.

When a friend confronts us we tend to feel hurt and walk away from that friendship or relationship wounded. Many times the person confronting is deeply affectionate toward you but hates the sin.

I desire friends that confront me with difficult problems that may destroy my life.

How do you feel when you get a word of rebuke or have a sin uncovered? How might you respond?

How do you treat the messenger that brings conviction or rebuke?

God wants our lives to be CLEAR of sin and full of abundant living. When someone influences us, we can turn and then influence others.

Who is the person God is calling you to influence with love?

Could it be your husband?

When I ponder today's devotion I think of a common problem that many women face today.
The pain of a spouse struggling with pornography.
I know countless women in my years of serving in ministry that have been hurt by the pain produced from this issue.
Discovering that your husband is into pornography is like being in a boxing ring with every negative emotion you ever had. Anger, embarrassment, shock, shame and disgust. They all take turn slugging at you until you crumble to the floor.

Begin to Pray and ask God to help you expose your husbands secret and battle with this secret sin. God needs to work through you to influence your husband as Titus did in rebuking the Corinth church. Your Godly influence can help clear your husbands mind from Satan's nature to destroy.
Your reaction is to swing back and hurt but I encourage you to call on Gods strength and begin to confront, rebuke yet influence with affection.

This is hard but I have seen it work first hand every single time.

Blessings,

MY HUSBAND WANTS ME TO WORK

2011-09-12T23:54:00.001-04:00

My Husband Wants Me To Work

I came across what I am about to share with you the other day in my quiet time reading. I thought it fit perfect with today's reading and devotional. Please read today's bible reading in the book of Proverbs and then follow up with whats below.
CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DAILY READING

PROVERBS 14:1 "THE WISE WOMAN BUILDS HER HOUSE, BUT THE FOOLISH PULLS IT DOWN WITH HER HANDS."

I want to share wisdom with you today about this verse relating to the area of finances in the home. I am NO EXPERT in this area just a girl in training and given lots of God's grace daily in learning how to Care for my home and listen to my husband. A question came in from a regular reader that was looking for wisdom about going back to work. Please read below and then take the Godly truths from http://womenlivingwell.org/ and may they help build your home wiser and stronger!
Take a look at her site, its full of great wisdom

Anonymous wrote:

Could you talk about how to handle when your husband is not on the same page as you are in feeling God telling you to be home with your children. I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed. I’m afraid I will resent him in this area for the rest of our lives! I’m also afraid when he realizes that I should, it’ll be too late. =(

Dear Anonymous,

No matter what the issue is – when we do not feel on the same page as our husbands it hurts. As women, we have a need to feel understood and being understood completes the intimacy that we long to experience in our marriage. But here’s the kicker…your husband longs to be understood also – actually - he longs for you to highly respect his opinions…just like during the dating days when he could do no wrong. So you are at a stale mate. Let’s consider the situation.

There are a lot of factors that go into making a decision like going to work. How many children do you have? What age are they? Is there a need for childcare? What is your financial situation? Do you have heavy debt, college coming up for the kids, is your husband out of work, ill, or working in a field that is not secure right now? And what is your husband’s reason for your working? Is there some grain of truth or a respectable reason for why he wants you working?

I would suggest that you go to him (after 1-2 weeks of prayer) with creative alternatives that are well thought out and planned to show him. Giving your husband concrete information will help him as he processes your different perspective. Here’s some things you could do:

1. Evaluate places where you could possibly cut back and save money. Make a list to show him the total savings. Read some of these blog posts by Money Saving Mom . She is a Godly woman who writes her blog to help women just like you!

31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget (google this)

Is it Possible to Save Money When We Barely Keep Our Head Above Water?

Less is More!

I highly recommend you look into some of Dave Ramsey’s Resources, subscribe to his newsletter and really focus on showing your husband by your actions (not just words) that you are ready to work hard to cut corners and save money.

This is the Heather Baxter Goal this new season!

2. If your family cannot make it without your income, look for ways you can earn money from home. My oldest sister (who is married to a pastor, home schooled for 7 years, has done inner city ministry with the youth for over a decade and is an amazing cook, keeper of the home, wife and mom) is a virtual teacher from home with a regular paying salary. Nowadays there are many jobs that can be done from home. Pray and look out on the web for jobs you might be qualified to do from home.

Income Earning Ideas

3. If making money from home is not a good option – consider looking for a part-time job. My other sister – who stayed home until her children began attending school full-time, is a beautifully Godly wife, mother, homemaker, and co-laborer with her husband in ministry for over a decade. She is financially savvy and could tell you where to get every deal in town! She works just 2 days a week in her children’s Christian school. It is perfect because she rides to school with them, can see them through out the day, has summer and holidays off with the kids and still has time to keep her home and serve along side her husband at church. Keeping a part-time job could be a good compromise for you both?

PRAY and watch how God leads you!

If none of these solutions work and he is not giving you the option but rather saying ” you must work” then sweet Anonymous… you need to submit to your husband, as unto the Lord.

Ephesians 5:22 says: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”

Many women are godly wives and mothers and earn income. What this means is your life will be a bit fuller…you will have to be a good manager of your time to keep up with your family’s needs and you may need your husband and children to chip in with housework. While your children are in your home, you will need to say a strong ”no” to many opportunities that come your way for fun or ministry. These “no’s” are only a sacrifice for a season. I have found this to be comforting on days when I must say “no” to fun or ministry opportunities because of homeschooling. The children will eventually grow-up and this guard on my time, will expand to include the things I wish I could do right now.

Your challenge will be finding contentment and joy in the midst of submitting to your husband in this area.

I wrote a post, long ago, about how I dealt with some bitterness in my marriage …here’s how it began…Dare I admit that it was my husband who first detected my bitterness. In the midst of a heated discussion a few years ago – my mouth overflowed and he was shocked and immediately he said – you are really bitter about some things! That was a dagger in my pious heart. In my pride, I certainly was not about to admit that he was right…but when I opened up my prayer journal that night and began to pray and talk to God I was completely convicted. The Lord had used my husband to open my eyes to a poison that was eating me up – bitterness.

Thank you Courtney for you wisdom today!

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Great stuff right? I told you so, it smacked me in the face and gave me a head ache!

In closing, I want to remind you that the Proverbs 31 woman was creatively industrious and brought in an income.

Proverbs 31:24 “She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.”

I believe God has given us all a gift. Find your gift and talent and work it and see how God leads you!

Today I am working on a book and speaking ministry. God has lead me down all the paths but its up to me to make it happen when HE lights up the squares for me to follow!

Readers - have you been in her shoes? Do you have some wisdom you could share with women in this position? Please share it in the comment section.

Remember to take your concerns to the throne of Jesus and Walk with the King!

Blessings,

FREEDOM FOR THE TRAUMATIZED

2011-09-09T11:09:00.001-04:00

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011 DAILY BIBLE READING CLICK HERE!

Today's reading I highly recommend for everyone to read, it's about forgiving the offender. Please take time to read all of 2 Corinthians 2.

TRAUMATIC incidents are those which shatter the soul or mind. For instance, someone is victimized in a horrendous situation, like being raped by their father or witnessing a murder. This traumatizes and shatters the soul leaving a bruise that never heals. A jolt comes to our mental system.

I remember a couple years ago working with a young women that was traumatized by her father at a young age. Her mental memories needed to be unshackled, the haunted memories of the past rape had stolen her joy in her marriage and family life.

When we suffer from a traumatized incident in our lives, regardless of how the trauma occurred it leaves the victim in an injured state. When we have a crack in our soul it allows the evil spirit to take up residence in those cracks.

ANGER
DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION
FEAR
ABANDONMENT
PANIC ATTACKS
REJECTION
DEPRESSION
ISOLATION

Do one of these represent a piece of your brokenness?

God does not want our past to prevent us from moving forward into the future. God also does not want us to create bad habits due to a pain from the past. So what is a start for those shackled to his or her past enjoy true freedom?

FREEDOM ONLY FOLLOWS FORGIVENESS

THIS IS TOUGH I KNOW...

I had to learn to forgive myself and another for hurt in my life at one time. I learned to understand the Jesus sweat great drops of blood out of His brow, He shed those to my mind and soul could be healed. My healing has been paid for and so has yours.

If you decide to never recognize God's solution for your mental healing and hurts you will stay shackled forever. You will become a victim to the worldly methods of healing in the form of sedatives, coping mechanisms and more.

Forgiveness will heal your cracks and God will teach you to forgive through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let me share 7 steps to help you move forward into Gods plan.
These are only actions steps to help you start experiencing God in your trauma.

Before anything else, you have to know why you’re forgiving someone. You have to see that the person has offended you – did the person take something away from you? Did that person ruin your image? Did that person shame you? Whatever that person did to you, you have to acknowledge that it happened and that it did affect you and you were hurt. Unless you do this, forgiveness won’t seem like an option because there was no offense in the first place.

Know what you’ve lost

Before you build your house, you have to count the cost. Same as when you’re re-building yourself, you have to count what it will take to recover what you’ve lost. What did you lose? How hard did it hit you? You have to know the extent of your loss. Unless you do this, you can never appreciate how much God will move through you when you have forgiven that person.

Focus on God
Forgiving simple, petty things might be easy and doable. But there will come a time in your life when you will face a colossal problem – chances are you will find it next to impossible to forgive a certain someone in your life. When you keep focusing on that person and his or her finitude, you will always be disappointed and you will always opt not to forgive – taking the easy way out.

When push comes to shove and your heart is hardened to forgive, don’t focus on the sins done against you. Focus on God and see how much He’s done for you. Then you will see that your forgiveness is but an easy race for the prize in this track called life.

Confess any sinful reaction towards the offense
Chances are you will take it to heart when you are offended. You might say cuss words, hold on to hate and bitterness, and/or do things that are not pleasing to God altogether. These reactions do you no good. It’s the coward’s way of handling an offense. You have to confess it to God and to a close friend or your accountability partner in order for you to be freed from the burden of your own sins against unforgiveness.

Bitterness and anger are burdens too heavy for you to carry

Ask God to save you and depend on Him
Sometimes you will find yourself far too deeply en rooted in bitterness, anger and hate towards the person who has offended or sinned against you. You can no longer find it in yourself to forgive and to love. This is the time when you ask God to save you – you have to depend on Him or else this sin of unforgiveness will enslave you for the rest of your life. And what a big, heavy burden it is.

I tell you the truth, once you break yourself down on God and ask for His help, He will help you. There’s no magic, but there’s God.

Give it up to God
After you’ve decided to forgive and have asked God to help you, you have to give it up to Him. You have to throw it away, cast it down at His feet, never to remember or take hold of it again. When you’ve really given it up to God, you can’t fish out for it anymore, you can’t dig it up anymore.

Set your heart free
Once you know you’ve given it up to God and He’s given you peace, set your heart free. Know that the guilt of hate and bitterness can be conquered by Him. Trust in Him and hold on to Him rather than to unforgiven.

BE FORGIVEN AND FORGIVE,

GET UNDERSTANDING BUT DON'T LEAN ON IT

2011-09-08T09:28:00.000-04:00

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

TODAY'S DAILY READING CLICK HERE

PROVERBS 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight

WHEN WE LEARN TO TRUST IN THE ONE TRUE GOD ONLY THEN WILL OUR LIVES AND SITUATIONS BE TRANSFORMED.

Before I share a thought for today's reading I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by and be refreshed.
We are to get wisdom and understanding in life, yet we are not to lean on it apart from the Lord. The BEST wisdom divorced from God can become a snare and screw up ones entire life.
So again I welcome you to visit daily and be renewed with the right perspective for a brighter future. When you receive Gods word, treasure His commands, incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understand transformation will take place.

I am stepping into a new season this week with kids back in school, new agendas, new routines and new bible classes for me to facilitate. We as individuals are always growing and need a foundation for our daily decisions. I am so excited to start teaching again next week, I had the summer off and feel like I have become weaker in my wisdom, actions, commitments and more.

I encourage you to join me as we roll into a new season. I will be sharing the class through my blog weekly.
The class is called "Overcoming Challenges" I will provide the verses we will use from the book of Nehemiah which is found in the bible. This class will be about 10 weeks. I will also provide you still with the routine daily reading for those that follow me in the daily reading schedule. However, my blogs will focus on the book of Nehemiah for the next couple months. I encourage you to order the book by CLICKING HERE. Its super cheap and will help you follow along with me better. We will kick off this study September 13th next Tuesday!

This study and this blog will help you:

1. THINK BIGGER: Realize God's vision is bigger then the life your living.

2.THINK ABOUT OTHERS:Godly thinkers always include others in the mix

3.THINK CONTINUALLY:You will learn to no just satisfy yourself with an uncertain answer.

4.THINK BOTTOM LINE:You will learn to desire results in your life and situations

5.THINK CONTINUAL GROWTH:You will desire change and to keep improving

6.THINK WITHOUT LINES:God works outside of our control

7.THINK VICTORY:Learn to see God's rule come over your life

8.THINK QUICKLY:You will evaluate more quickly and see possible Godly answers.

9.THINK TREASURE: You will learn to hunt Gods word like treasure and though it were diamonds and rubies. Watch the value it adds to your life. This is no Joke!

10. WHAT AND HOW WILL YOU SEARCH FOR ANSWERS AND WISDOM THIS NEW SEASON?
WILL YOU JOIN ME?

When we become wise in our own eyes our life spirals down the stairs! I know this first hand. When I get my life on track with God its health to my flesh and strength to my bones.

What are you planning in order to experience change this new season?

Feel free to leave a comment anytime, just click on the comment link at bottom of post and fill in the box. Others will be encouraged through your words.

Blessings,

CLEAR COMMANDS COME FROM OUR CLOUDY CONDITIONS

2011-09-01T00:35:00.000-04:00

THANKS TO PASTOR STEVEN AT ELEVATION CHURCH FOR THE GREAT WORDS OF WISDOM LISTED BELOW! IT COMPLIMENTS THE BLOG POST I WROTE ON HOW TO KNOW GODS WILL (SEVEN STEPS). PLEASE ENJOY BOTH AND WATCH GOD ADVANCE YOUR WORLD!

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.

Exodus 24:15-16

I think many people have a major misconception when it comes to knowing God’s will. We often assume that it’s a streamlined, expedient process.

You pray and immediately know what you’re supposed to do.

You fast and the answer you’re looking for magically comes before the second skipped meal.

You open your Bible and it lands on a random verse in Leviticus that tells you exactly what to do.

Sometimes that happens. But not usually. Usually it’s more like what Moses experienced on the mountain.

Moses was at Mt. Sinai to meet with the Lord and receive directions and the Law for the people. He wanted to know the will of God. God wanted him to know it even more. But then Moses just sat there. God eventually spoke to him, but it was only after Moses had had to wait for six days in cloudy silence.

That should be encouraging to those of you who still don’t know God’s will for a particular situation or your life in general and you think you never will. The will of God often takes time to ascertain. Cloudy conditions usually come before clear commands. Sometimes God does speak to you immediately and clearly. When He does, be thankful for those times and act immediately and boldly. But usually, you’re going to spend days, months, maybe even years in the clouds before you hear anything.

If that’s you right now, don’t head back down the mountain just yet. God has clear direction coming for you. And remember, you’re not alone. God’s silence is not equivalent to God’s absence. God’s glory was on the mountain with Moses every one of those six days before Moses heard anything.

God is going to speak to you. He wants you to know His will for your life more than you want to know His will for your life. Just on His timetable.