DOR

Hello! Just wanted to wish you a GREAT DAY! I'm having my Day or Rest! Excited about it! Had an AMAZING, LIFE-CHANGING weekend! The power of the Holy Spirit is amazing! Things that had been holding me back from my potential for over 8 years, I received REVELATION on this weekend. LIFE-CHANGING REVELATION!

PRAISE the LORD! I look forward to maybe sharing some of those things in future devotions.... but... WORLD, HERE I COME! :)

xoxo,
Amy

#132 -Clippings

Good morning! Well... Tyler Jr got his first hair cut last night! Bye bye curls! :-( It was so cute, but just getting too long. In a way, it was sad to see the cutie curls get snipped off. It was actually a perfect segway into today's devotion: CLIPPINGS. So.... let's get started.

1st Clip of Tyler Jr's hair. January 26th, 2011

Proverbs 27:1-2 - DO NOT boast of [yourself and] tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

Proverbs 27:21 - As the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold [bring forth all the impurities of the metal], so let a man be in his trial of praise [ridding himself of all that is base or insincere; for a man is judged by what he praises and of what he boasts]

Proverbs 31:28 - Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying]....

Let me start of saying this...sometimes transparency stinks! Ha! Why?? Well.... here ya'll are out there and get to read about ALL the times I drop the ball!!! Isn't that great?! It's kind of no fun sometimes to reveal the "reprimands of Amy" or those times when I mess up... fall short... drop the ball. And... here we are again. Insert foot in mouth Amy!

Do you ever have those times when you just wish you could take the words back in? They go out, and you think, "Man... could we just rewind? Can I just get those words back?" Then, if it's actually in TEXT, in writing.... then you definitely can't hide from it. Sometimes words spoken fade a little bit, but if it's in writing, it can continue to be re-read and re-read. 

Well...here's the story... I was excited.... actually, excited wouldn't be the phrase that would accurately describe it... JACKED would be more like it! The beautifulness of social media. I received a direct message from a SUPER-HERO of mine & my husbands. Someone we respect extremely. An awesome person of God, mentor, someone who has the fruit on the tree.... someone in life where we want to be, where we will be. Basically the message was an invitation to a special meeting (that was sent to me but directed to Tyler). I showed Tyler and we were both JACKED! This person is typically out of reach for us, so it was such an honor, and really, the FAVOR of God working in our lives that they would invite us. Well... here goes Amy, like a little school girl. I was so jacked and thanked the person and also mentioned several bits of positive 'activity' that "I" have been doing lately. Isn't that lovely. Well.... I didn't think about it at the time. I was still to JACKED to give it a second thought! Until.... doesn't the Lord have great timing how He does things. I wake up this morning, get in the Word and BAM! Can't hide from the Word! Being corrected by the Word. Receiving a rebuke from the Word! But, PRAISE God! I can and will receive correction! Let's take a deeper look. 

Proverbs directly said, don't BOAST about yourself. Let ANOTHER man praise you, not your own lips! Why is that so important? Quietly working, quietly being diligent allows one to be lifted up by another. Let's look at what happened to the Proverbs 31 woman.... here she is, being DILIGENT in ALL of her work. The woman is UH-MAZING! She's buying up real-estate, helping the poor, being an entrepreneur - sewing items and SELLING them, planting vineyards, and the list goes on. She is diligently working, being productive. Her eyes are not on herself, and IF they are at any point, she is not verbalizing it, she is not praising herself or saying, "HEY! LOOK AT ME! LOOK WHAT I'M DOING!" And at the end of the day, look what happens! Her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband praises her! I can see her children, in front of their friends bragging on their mom. I can see the Proverbs 31 woman in town with her husband, on a date, walking arm in arm, and he sees some of the town counsel members (since he's known at the city gate and sits among the elders), he says, "Hey George, Bill, let me tell you what my wife did. Let me brag on my wife for a second...." Meanwhile, she sheepishly smiles, her cheeks turn a light rose color, and her husband brags on all that his wife has accomplished. All that she has continued to do in silence, quietly being diligent about her work, she is now being PRAISED in public. 

It also reminds me of what I read a few days ago. Could I not have taken a hint then? Proverbs 25:6-7 says, Be not forward (self-assertive and boastfully ambitious) in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men; For better it is that it should be said to you, Come up here, than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whose eyes have seen you. Basically, don't elevate yourself. In this verse, don't assert yourself to a high position that you feel you deserve, as then you may be DEMOTED IN PUBLIC. Instead, take a lower position, that you may be brought to an ELEVATED status in public, while others are watching. I've also heard it said, "Don't read your own press clippings." That's when you get in trouble because that place is the beginning of when pride can sneak it's way in.

Praise the Lord for the Word! I can receive correction. Forgive me Lord! A great lesson for me this morning. Diligently quiet. Diligently working. My new mantra! ;)

Have a blessed day!

_______________________

Enjoy the pictures of Tyler Junior's first HAIR CUT! Mama's DOLL BABY! :) 

"Bye bye curls." - Will mom be OK with it is the question!?

My doll baby!

Clip clip. Snip snip. TJ did pretty good with Ms Stacy!

No more curls.

Mom's NEW Little man! :) Off to "Save the World!" :)

DOR

Hello! :) Took part of my DOR yesterday... and taking part of it today! Be blessed! Have a great day! :) Praise God that we can work for 6 days and rest for 1! He sure did know what He was talking about when He scheduled a "SABBATH"! :) 


Be blessed!

#131 - Google or God? - Part 2

Good morning! It's been one of those mornings.... you know, those morning where you sit down and then you have to get up like 20 times to do something or get something. Argh! All is good though... because finally upon sitting down for GOOD.... the Holy Spirit was and is continuing to reveal some good stuff! It's UH-MAZING that He is able to turn a "not great" morning into an AWESOME one! Just by one word from Him. Just even by instruction or direction! I'm excited because he told me to take a nap. I pretty much don't ever take naps (with the exception of Sunday after church).... so... a nap, wow! That will be a treat!


So... today, we are going to get part 2 from the first devotion, Google or God? I wanted to give you an update on the devotion... I wanted to tell you how specifically things turned out by following God versus following what I could have found on Google. Let's first look at the Word: 

Psalm 25:3a-5 - Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed .... Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

Psalm 25 talks about those who SEEK the Lord being fulfilled... not being disappointed by the answers that HE will bring. That is exactly what happened earlier in the month for me. If you remember.... the devotion Google or God?, I was tempted when I had a question to just pull up my laptop and Google it! That's almost like a "verb" now. Need an answer? Just Google it! Well... in the past, it has been all to easy for me to do that. I would say that Google has a lot of value, but if I have a specific situation that I really want CONCRETE answers on, GOD definitely has a better answer than google. 

So.... here's the situation.... here's the follow up. What was I frustrated about? Well... over the holidays, not only did Tyler and I go on an anniversary ski trip, but also spent the holidays with both our families. Like most people, it's almost a constant time of grazing, eating stuff that you don't normally eat, and allowing a bit more freedom than you normally may. Well... I was no different. I got home from our travels and realized that my jeans were uncomfortably tight. I wasn't too excited about that. Following the Fitness 4321 (10 minutes of exercise), and using some Nutrilite products, after Tyler Junior was born, I got down to an all time weight low of 125. I was JACKED! I felt great! Was eating good. Exercising consistently, so I was excited! I mostly stayed around 127 though. Well.... after the holidays when I got home I weighed 134. I wasn't too thrilled, primarily because my jeans felt tight. PRAISE GOD that we can ask the HOLY SPIRIT ANYTHING AND get answers! So.... as a follow up to "Google or God?", so instead of "googling" for answers, I asked the Holy Spirit.... he laid out 6 steps for me to do... here's what He said: 

1. Bump your calorie intake down to 1000 calories until your body levels out and gets used to you not breastfeeding. (How would I have known that?!)
2. Increase your water intake dramatically. Get the big (34 oz) cup & fill it up twice per day!
3. Eat often. Have yogurt, fruit & snackable vegetables redily available. Fruit smoothies are a great choice too. 
4. Since you are not breast-feeding, begin taking your Nutrilite Slimmetry, Nutrilite CLA. That will help, & take Nutrilite Invisafiber. 
5. Continue doing what I instructed for Fitness. 4321 - 7 x's/week.
6. Follow this & don't weigh yourself for a week!

OK.... Ey Ey Captain! I went about the next 7 days following the plan that HE laid out. Not just any plan, but THE SPECIFIC PLAN for me. He knows my body, He knows my genetic make-up, He knows what I need! The following Tuesday, I jumped on the scale after a pretty easy week, none of the steps were real difficult... I went from 134-130 in 1 week! 4 pounds! If you ask me, that's pretty good! And, I've kept it off. The last week, I've continued to follow what HE laid out, and I've lost a little more. I'm going to continue until my jeans feel perfect again. :) 

Google could not have told me this. God could. Your jeans may not be fitting tight but maybe there is something else that you need answers to. Maybe it is a nagging pain. Maybe it is your finances. Maybe a relationship. Maybe you want to do something different for work. Whatever it is.... if you ask, God can tell you. Google will be great at providing a lot of opinions... some facts.... but if you don't want to have to sift through all that, I recommend letting the Holy Spirit lay out a STEP-BY-STEP plan for your situation too! He'll do it if you will take the time to ask. 

If you ask AND listen... I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Google or God? I choose God. 

#130 - Stacked in YOUR FAVOR!

Good morning fellow brothers and sisters!! Isn't it GREAT that God is no respecter of persons! He doesn't pre-qualify us. To hear from him we don't have to have a Masters Degree, or have went to Seminary, we don't have to be a missionary or a pastor. Isn't it awesome that each one of us, the only pre-requisite is to be born again, to have invited the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. Once we are saved, like Jesus said, he sent the Holy Spirit as our Guide & Comforter, to be with us always. At that point, when we have made the commitment to follow Jesus, and have invited Him to be our Lord, as believers, we all enter onto a level playing field! No "office politics", no "political correctness", pure and simple we have DIRECT access to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Like we have an "ALL-ACCESS" pass! Way better than a back-stage pass, we have an "ALL-ACCESS" pass! As much time as we want to spend with Him, He is available! In the board meetings, on the playing fields, in your car as your driving down the road, in your office, in the bathroom, in the heat of battle, HE is right there available for access the moment we ask. He is there! Praise God! What a wonderful gift!

Ps 24:3-4a - Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...

Ps 54:4 - Behold, God is my helper and ally; the Lord is my upholder and is with them who uphold my life. 

Ps 84:11 - For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Ps 144:1-2 - BLESSED BE the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight-- ²My Steadfast Love and my Fortress, my High Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in Whom I trust and take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. 

Who is He? Who is this "One" on your side? Is He illusive or hard to figure out? Is He just this "mystery being" out there somewhere who wants to keep things hidden from us, who wants us to 'play it on our own?' NO. He is alive & well. He is KNOWN to those who want to KNOW Him! He will not stay hidden, He will not stay a mystery. Through the Holy Spirit, He has made it possible for ALL things to be known to us and for us. The key, pivotal factor is, we made have to do some seeking, we may have to do some digging for those hidden secrets or nuggets He has for us. 


If you picture a boxing ring, look at who you have in the ring. One one side, opposite of you, you see a very small but toothless being. You see one who has been cast down from heaven, and has a "ROAR", but no teeth to back it. He has a big "talk" but no "punch" to back it. The only thing he has is the power of suggestion. He can try to make you believe the negative things he may whisper, but the bottom line is, everything he says is a lie. So.... if you go into the match just KNOWING that ALL he says is a lie, you'll be fine! 


Let's look at who is in the ring with YOU on your side! Shall we begin? 

• Your Helper. 
• Your Ally. 
• Your Upholder - if you do happen to slip or almost fall, He'll uphold you. 
• The SUN - bestowing grace, favor, honor, blessing & splendor
• The SHIELD - bestowing grace, favor, honor, blessing & splendor
• Your ROCK
• KEEN (finely sharpened & accute) Strength
• Firm Strength
• Your Steadfast Love - steadfast... a love that won't allow ANYTHING to harm you. 
• Your Fortress
• Your High Tower 
• Your Deliverer 
• Your Shield - blocking any attacks
• Him Whom you trust 
• Him Whom You can take refuge 

Here we look. A scraggly, short, puny, toothless being VERSUS ALL this that you have on your side of the ring. Is there ANY question of who the winner of this fight would be? I'm not a betting woman, but if I was, I know where I'd put my money! The key is going into LIFE, going into EACH DAY knowing WHO you have on your side. Knowing WHAT you bring to the table. You go out with great FAVOR on your side. Favor! Strength! There is no way you can fail with our great and mighty God fighting on your side! 

Is there a way you could be defeated? Technically, yes. One way. If you listen to the suggestions of the scrawny being on the other side of the ring. If you allow yourself the freedom, if you put your guard down long enough for him to begin talking to you, he brings to the ring lies & manipulation. He brings to the ring deceit. Close off your ears to thoughts or suggestions of the enemy, and instead go out and CHOOSE to operate in the Victory that is already yours! The odds are most DEFINITELY stacked in your favor! Operate with the attitude that YOU CANNOT LOOSE! If you are willing to stay in-tune with your Father, and tune out the enemy, the victory is YOURS! The odds are stacked in YOUR favor! Go out and WIN today!

TOP 10 DEVOTIONS of 2010

Are you a daily reader? Have you missed some days or weeks? Check out the list below. These were the most popular read devotions of 2010. Find a title that catches your attention and maybe it will speak to you today! :) 


Have a blessed day! I will be enjoying my Day of Rest! (DOR) 


TOP 10 (read) DEVOTIONS of 2010

1. The 72 Hour Rule *(kid censored)*

2. Fairytales Do Come True

3. Reach Out

4. Living Vanilla? Add Chocolate, Carmel, Whip Cream ...

5. The Finer Things in Life

6. A Fixed Gaze

7. Free Fall

8. Victory is Yours if you will TRUST

9. We Serve an "I DO" God

10. The Time is Now

#129 - Real Stories: Even the Little Things Matter

Good morning. Well... today's blog is going to be a little big different. I'm actually going to share some real stories with you. You are about to see a little bit more into the life of Amy (and Tyler). They are technically  stories about how the Holy Spirit will direct us if we are willing to be obedient. Stories like this happen on a regular basis in our lives, but these were just a few that have happened this week and are examples of where we did not listen. Shame on us, right?! But they show how God even cares about the very little things in our day, the tiny details even matter to him. 

Proverbs 20:18 - Purposes and plans are established by counsel...

So... the scripture today talks about how plans and purposes are established by counsel. The KEY for a believer though, is once we RECEIVE counsel (from the Holy Spirit), to be OBEDIENT to the counsel. We can choose to still do it "Our Way" but the outcome is not guaranteed to be good. Let's take a look....

1. Breakfast: Tuesday I was fixing breakfast for Tyler Jr. Some days he eats as much as Tyler & I do, and some days, he doesn't. Well, Tuesday, while I was getting his breakfast ready, I cut up an orange to let him eat that while I fixed him Cream of Wheat. I have always enjoyed cream of wheat, and ate it a lot growing up....and it has been one of those staple foods for TJ for breakfast. Typically, he gets an adult serving: 3 Tablespoons of Cream of Wheat with 3/4 cup water, microwave 2 min, stirring every 30 seconds. After it comes out of the microwave, I usually add about 1/2 cup of applesauce to make it kind of sweet. Well.... Tuesday, as I was getting it ready, the Holy Spirit said, "Just do 2." I heard Him pretty clear. BUT, I reasoned, "If the boy doesn't eat it all, I'll just finish it off." Obviously, you and I both know that MY WAY is better than the Holy Spirit's, HA! Yah right! So, I continued on, with 3 Tablespoons of Cream of Wheat. While it was cooling, I made a chocolate, banana, peanut butter protein shake for Tyler Sr and I to split. It was yummy. Breakfast was ready. I fed the boy. I drank my shake. And do you know what? The boy barely ate HALF of his food! And do you know what else? After I drank my shake, I wasn't hungry to even have a bite of it, let alone finish it off. Do you know where the remainder of the Cream of Wheat went? Down the garbage disposal. Isn't it funny, that the Holy Spirit will even direct us in the little things! So, next time, I'm determined to listen to that still small voice!
2. Travel: Also on Tuesday.... Tyler had on his schedule that he would be traveling for his job. He was going to travel to part of his territory that is about an hour to an hour & a half away, Augusta, GA. He sets off for Augusta in the morning and is off. He later receives a phone call after he is already in Augusta, and finds out he needs to get to Charlotte, NC right away to pick up his newly issued laptop. Looking at it from the outside, it seems like a major inconvenience. From Augusta, Charlotte is a 2 1/2 hour drive one way, with our home being in the middle. A LOT of driving for one day. What does Tyler do? He checks with the Holy Spirit to see what he should do, and he gets the answer to GO to Charlotte, despite Tyler's flesh telling him that sounds ridiculous! Tyler makes the drive, gets the laptop, gets caught in traffic on the way back, and it ends up being a day of being on the road a lot! Wednesday morning Tyler woke up to have his Quiet Time.... his first question that morning was, "Lord, why did you have me driving all over the place yesterday? It seemed so unproductive." - The simple answer Tyler received was, "You never asked." Then the Holy Spirit proceeded to tell him that he would never have had him drive to Augusta, but Tyler didn't ask. 
3. Pants: OK... this one.... I'm still in the middle of. I exchanged some things I got for Christmas, in doing so, I got a lot of really cool Nike clothes. I also purchased a pair of pants. Super cute, kind of a dry-fit, not silky, but just real smooth when you touch them. I knew when I tried them on that I would probably have to hem them because they were a little bit long. The Holy Spirit told me not to buy them, but I wanted them so I bought them anyways. (I know! Bad, right!?!) So.... I bought them and get them home. One reason I liked them is because they were a size 4 and I was excited about that. So.... there they lay, up in my bedroom on my chair, a great representation of disobedience. They still have the tags on them. I've wanted to wear them, but I haven't. In my mind, I have been going back and forth, "Return them, or keep them." Well.... finally, I have decided I'm just going to return them! I'm sure the Holy Spirit knows WHY they aren't a good idea for me. Maybe I won't ever wear them. Maybe I'll get pregnant soon. Maybe I won't ever hem them. Who knows. But... I'm going to make it right and return them! 

So.... these are just a few situations that WE have had lately. I'd like to say that most of the time we are obedient and listen, but these were a few of the times that we were not. It just reminds me how God even cares about the little things! I mean, 1 Tablespoon EXTRA of Cream of Wheat?! Who cares, right? But God even cares about the little things! That was 1 tablespoon that was wasted and did not have to be. 

Today, will you choose obedience? Listen. Ask. Obey. 

#128 - Faithful, No Matter the Cost!

Good morning! :) Well... let's just say it has been an interesting morning as normal! :) I've had a chance to talk to my husband A LOT! :) (HA!) During my quiet time, he wanted to share all the stuff he got out of his quiet time... and wanted to share a funny reprimand that happened to him yesterday... OK.... let's just say, it looks as if "THAT" will all be a part of today's devotion. We will be veering a little of our "regular" reading schedule. 


We were both sitting in the living room with our Bible's and journals, having our own separate "Quiet Time." Tyler piped up and said, "Do you mind if I share some of what I'm learning right here. I mean, this is good stuff!" So.... I stopped my own reading.... I had just written down a key verse that had jumped out at me, then I put my pen down to give my undivided attention to my excited husband. :) As he started to read, I recognized the verse as the one I had JUST written down. 

Proverbs 19:21 - Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand.

He proceeded to talk about Proverbs 19:21, and we jumped over to a couple other places that also applied: 

Isaiah 46:10 - Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose .

Isaiah 29:11 (NIV) - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

As Tyler started talking to me... he made a statement that is a GREAT statement to think about EVERY time one gets in the Word. Good enough to even write it down on a post-it note, include it with your Bible, so every day when you open up your Bible, you have THIS thought in the back of your mind. This is what he said: "As I was reading, I was looking for the word behind the Word." That, my friend, is what it means to meditate. That, my friend, is what it means to allow the WORD to speak to you! TO LOOK FOR THE WORD BEHIND THE WORD!  What exactly does that mean? Well.... obviously, we know that not even a pen-stroke should be added or taken away from the Bible (Matt. 5:18), right? So how can we get more than what is there? Well, since when we are saved, the Holy Spirit now LIVES within us, He has the ability to make known to us all things, IF we are willing to ask, seek, meditate, etc. So... when reading... it is a matter of reading with purpose, reading with a desire to see the "hidden treasures" that are locked away in the Word. (Prov. 2:4, Is. 45:3)


With the scriptures from today... the bottom line is this: The Lord's purpose will stand. He has a plan! We have our own will, but He has a plan. We have the ability to choose His plan, or choose our will. If we choose our will over His plan, He will find someone else to carry out the Ultimate Purpose! Tyler made an amazing point as we were talking! He said, "Look at the life of Joseph! Look at when Joseph is in Potiphar's house and Potiphar's wife continually tries to get Joseph to go to bed with her. Well, after continual refusals, she finally tears of Joseph's cloak one day and accuses him of trying to get her to go to bed. So, Joseph is wrongfully accused. Well, look at this. Joseph didn't try to defend himself, THOUGH he was innocent. He was then thrown in prison and remained their for a couple years. Well, think about this. Why didn't Potiphar just KILL Joseph right there? Maybe Potiphar had some doubt that what his wife said was true. Maybe Potiphar thought, 'This is totally against Joseph's character. What if he did not do this?' Then, if Joseph, would have slept with her, he probably would've died! Potiphar would've probably had him killed!" If you remember the rest of the story, Joseph ends up rising to power, 2nd in charge only to Pharoah, and because of the plan Joseph receives from the Lord, in a time of famine, that plan SAVES NATIONS!


God's divine plans will stand. He will see that someone who is willing to be faithful, will get the job done. We just have to remain faithful to HIM and HIS direction. He declares the END and the RESULT from the beginning. So, as we start down our path of following him, from the BEGINNING He has already declared what the end & the result will be. IF we stay on HIS path, the end will prove to be thoughts and plans to prosper you! Now, that is good stuff! IF we, follow HIS plan, the ending has already been determined! The end our OUR story as a faithful, child of God are plan of prosperity, plans of success! Praise the Lord! 



I definitely can't take any credit for all this Joseph information! Tyler has been meditating on it for over a year now. He continually sees new insights, information, nuggets, treasures. It is a story packed with amazing things!


Well....let's wrap this up. God is God. His purpose will stand. The question is, will you be faithful to HIS plan no matter what the cost? Will you be faithful? 

#127 - Talk Less!

Good AFTERNOON! :) Hope all is going well for you so far today! As for me, things have been great! I feel extremely blessed to be in this season of my life. That every day I get to choose what I do, and not have to answer to a "time-clock" of clocking in or out of work. Don't get me wrong, I was blessed with the job I had in Corporate America, but I am SO JACKED that I no longer have to be there!!! What a blessing. It has been over a year now that I left.... and in ALL that time, I think I've only had MAYBE 3 bad days! What a blessing! Now... I get to spend a lot of time in the Word, journaling, seeking the Lord on specific areas of my life, writing this devotion, writing books, raising our son up in the Lord, & running a business with my husband. 


I just want to say.... if while you read that paragraph, if you got a knot in your stomach because you don't like your job, or you want more freedom, more breathing room, more time to do the things you love.... if you felt frustrated.... I encourage you, SEEK THE LORD! If you are unhappy in your current place, maybe God has somewhere else for you? I'm not saying it will happen overnight. But, if you feel miserable, DO SOMETHING! Step ONE: Get diligent about seeking the Lord. Have a Quiet Time. Have your Bible & a journal, sit down and take some focused time to be QUIET and LISTEN! I promise, God will give you steps. He will help you. If your miserable at your job, make this the year that things change. Either your attitude changes about your work, or your work changes. I can't describe the fulfillment I have had in that last 14 months doing what I love & doing what I'm called to do. Unfortunately, I would bet that a lot of Christians are just punching a time clock and not living in their gifts. STEP TWO: If you have no clue what you would want to do or how you could possibly change careers at this stage in your life... ask yourself this question: What do I love to do? What could I just do for hours and it not seem like work? What makes me happy when I'm doing it? Some ideas.... maybe it's cooking, sewing, being outside working in the yard, listening to people, helping people get their finances in order, teaching, working with kids. Whatever it is... that joy, that fulfillment, that gift... maybe that is where God will direct you. 


OK... all of that was bonus. Let's get into the "planned" part of today's devotion:

Proverbs 18:2 - A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions and himself.

Proverbs 18:6-7 - A [self-confident] fool's lips bring contention, and his mouth invites a beating. A [self-confident] fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to himself.

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

Proverbs 31:26 - She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]. 

Wow! The above scriptures are pretty blatant, aren't they? When we look at all the things a fool does, I don't know about you, but it makes me think about how maybe sometimes I do things like this "fool." That sometimes maybe I talk too much. 


So... let's check out what this fool does...

1. When he's in a conversation, he makes sure to fit in HIS opinion! He has GOT to make sure that the people he is talking to know HIS opinion! (18:2) - A personal check: Do you always make sure to fit in your opinion? Even if it may be on the borderline of gossip? "Well, I think that she shouldn't have done that because...."
2. He makes sure to talk about HIMSELF! If the subject is not on him, he often changes it starting the sentence with: "I...", "I did this yesterday....", "I think....", "I... I... I... I....". (18:2) - A personal check: Listen to yourself when you are talking to others. Do you often change the subject and begin a sentence with "I"? Is it all about you? 
3. The fool brings strife. They add fuel to the fire of a pre-existing frustration. They drag on the drama. They breathe life into the drama. Even if it sometimes means sounding like "The Martyr." They plant negative thoughts into other people about "so & so." They plant seeds of doubt about other people. (18:6-7) -  A personal check: Do you find yourself having a pitty-party when you are around others. Taking on the hat of a martyr all the while, you are talking about WHY you are the martyr. Because "so & so" is selfish and had to have their way. Do you find yourself talking about other people, saying things you WOULD NOT say if they were around? 

The Outcome OPTIONS: 

• LIFE or DEATH (18:21) - 
• The way of the fool is the sure way to the road of death. Maybe not immediately. And in some cases, maybe not even always eternal death. I believe some people may truly be saved, but participate in the things of a fool. For those people, maybe they do go to heaven when they die.... BUT, on earth, they basically live "hell on earth." They do not live in Victory. Their life encompasses defeat. Their life is not one of victory. They struggle in many areas of life. They are not happy. They constantly are looking for areas to feed "drama" because it allows them to feel "involved" or "important." 
• The way of the righteous will lead to life. They do not feed on negative. They do not feed on drama. They often talk less. They often do not give their opinion because they listen to the "red flag" that goes up in their spirit when they get ready to open their mouth. They choose to heed to the "red flag" and just not talk or give their opinion. They realize that it would be feeding gossip or strife, and instead they choose life. They end up living their dreams on earth. Sure they do go to heaven when they die, but they also live a life of heaven on earth too! They are happy, fulfilled & prospering! 

You choose your road. I know for me.... like the Proverbs 31 woman does in verse 26, I'm going to do my best to open my mouth in WISDOM. If I'm going to speak, I'm going to choose wisely the words. I'm going to choose the way of life & most of the time probably just TALK LESS! :)

#126 - Sinner Saved by Grace?

Good morning! :) What a blessed day it is going to be!! I'm excited! Are you? Today, you are accompanied by the ALMIGHTY GOD! You are walking with the KING today! Don't you feel special? You are accompanied by the Almighty One who is above HEAVEN & EARTH! Ruler over all... and HE has chosen to be with you! Equally as important, YOU, as a believer and child of God, have made the decision for Him to be with you. That is something to SHOUT about! WOW! You are so special that you are accompanied everywhere you go by the KING! If you receive it... it's like, as he walks with you, he dubs favor everywhere your hands touch, everywhere your feet tread. Like He said to Joshua in Joshua 1:3, wherever your feet tread, the land is YOURS! I picture a King in a mighty robe with his scepter....walking along side you dubbing people, places & things to turn in your favor. Why? Because you have earned it? No, because you are HIS HEIR! Heir to the throne, CHILD of a King! Today.... you can choose to live your life with the glass half full, the glass half empty, or the glass overflowing! If your glass isn't overflowing in the natural, just choose to expect it! Just choose to say, I'M ACCOMPANIED BY THE KING! I HAVE FAVOR IN EVERYTHING I DO! I WALK IN ABUNDANCE & LIVE IN THE BLESSING! THEREFORE, MY CUP RUNNETH OVER!


Now all of that, that is shouting grounds! That is good stuff. That was worth coming for, and was not in my "mind" when I sat down to the keyboard.... so I believe that was from the Holy Spirit to my fingers, to YOU! Receive it today!


Let's get in the Word:

Psalm 47:1, 8 - O CLAP your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy! God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne.

Psalm 77:13 - Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary [in holiness, away from sin and guilt]. Who is a great God like our God? 

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure... 

SHOUT to GOD with a voice of VICTORY! HE Reigns and since HE lives inside of you via the HOLY SPIRIT, YOU REIGN TOO! You walk in Victory also because the Mighty One lives within you. 


Man, this is good stuff! God's way, is in the sanctuary.... away from sin & guilt. When we were forgiven, when we were born again... our old lives were washed white as snow, we were recreated anew. We were given a NEW, CLEAN, spirit, free of sin, bondage and baggage. We were given a fresh start. Our slate? PERFECT! Wiped clean! So... what happens when we mess up? What happens when we sin? Does sin after sin begin to dirty our perfectly white slate? Does it just pile up until it is again, like it was before we were saved? Does it just continue to get dirty and tarnished? It does not have to! That is what repentance and forgiveness is! When we fall into sin, or fall short, that is why our heavenly Father allows us to come before the throne of grace and repent. The moment we repent, our spirit is completely white again. Our responsibility? To continue, through the Word, to RENEW our Minds. Our Spirit already carries the Almighty One, we just have to renew our mind so that our mind will fall into line with what our spirit already knows! That is why being in the Word on a daily basis is so crucial! It renews our mind, then, gradually, sin gets further and further away from our desire. Our desire gets to a point that we just want to please our Father. We just want to make our Father happy & proud of us, so the temptation of sin, gets lessened. 


It appears that the Proverbs 31 woman has figured this out. She walks around with strength and dignity. She KNOWS who she is. Her position, her stance, in the natural & in the spiritual is STRONG & SECURE. She knows who she is and whose she is and because of that she is able to operate with confidence and authority. 


An Un-Victorious Focus: Something I believe in some circles is dwelled on too much... tell me if you have heard this line before.... "Well, I'm just a sinner saved by grace." I picture a woman with a cane in a feeble voice saying that line. But often, when it is said, the person is focusing on the SIN. We WERE sinners, but NOW by grace we are saved. I AM NOT A SINNER. I am the REDEEMED! By Jesus stripes I have been redeemed from my old life. I have been redeemed from the life I lived before Jesus, the life of sin. I am now the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God and have been saved! Praise God! Not by anything I could have done to earn it, but I was saved because of the Almighty Grace of God!!! I WAS a sinner, and NOW I am HEIR TO THE KING! I'm CHILD to the KING OF KINGS! I am now the RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD THROUGH Christ Jesus! Do you see the difference in thought process? Do you see how radical of a difference these two people must live? One focused on the "sin".... wallowing in how they are "not worthy", and the other focused on the "grace" and because of the VICTORY Jesus had over the cross, death, hell & the grave.... because of THAT victory, this person too is now living and walking with a VICTORY MINDSET. 


What a revelation! This is GOOD stuff! Like Psalm 47 says, SHOUT to God with a VOICE OF TRIUMPH! That is what I feel like doing NOW! PRAISE GOD THAT WE ARE VICTORIOUS! Isn't that good?!!! I know it is! Amen! God is good! He reigns! He is Victorious AND HE LIVES INSIDE OF ME SO I CAN BE VICTORIOUS TOO! PRAISE THE LORD!


Have a great day! Hold your head up higher today. Be WHO YOU ARE! You are ACCOMPANIED BY THE KING! Act like it!

#125 - Guest Post: FAILURE IS NEVER CONSIDERED

Today I'm posting something that I think is DEFINITELY worth the read. It is a post from my husband's blog (http://themccartteam.blogspot.com)  that he wrote yesterday! For both of us, it was very freeing. Enjoy! 

Failure is Never Considered by: Tyler McCart

I was talking with Amy on a date night and as usual we are talking about what we are learning and about our team!! These are popular topics.

Well, I was listening to a CD in my car and it was an interview of a college professor (Dr. Sirkumar Rao) that has the ONLY self-improvement course in a MBA program at an Ivy League school. So this was a pretty big time accomplishment because it had never been done.

So the person conducting the interview asked the professor, "Did you ever consider failing at the idea of creating a self-improvement course and making it part of an MBA program?" The professor's answer really did catch me off guard.

He stated, "I never thought I would fail." When he made that statement, I was like wow!! He never considered failure. The thought of failing never crossed his mind. And then he went on to say this, "The reason I never thought about failing was because this was what I was born to do. So therefore, if I was created to do this, then I could never fail at this." WHOAAAA!!!!

I pondered this in my heart for several days. Then Amy and I began talking about it and as we were talking I made a statement about my realization. Amy was so excited about it that she told me to stop talking while she typed the statement into her Blackberry.

The statement, "If you are doing what you were born to be and do, then failure should not even be a consideration. Because you were born for that very purpose."

That is good stuff!! If you were born for that very purpose, then YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON that can carry that purpose out. It helped me stop thinking about "what if I fail or do not succeed?"

To reinforce this mind-set, the book The Slight Edge (by Jeff Olson) is a key to fulfilling the purpose you were created to for.

Failure should be called lessons.

#124 - Be Liberal with your Praise

Hello! I pray this finds you having a blessed day thus far! Columbia is still partially shut down due to the snow. Kids are still out playing, sledding & building snowmen. The sun has finally come back out and graced us with pretty blue skies. I would anticipate the snow is on it's way out. As for us...Tyler & I went OUT last night to dinner while "the boy" went to his normal babysitter. Yippee! The occasion? We were celebrating my finishing my first book. 


Anyways... let's get started. Let me put out a reminder of the reading schedule and let you know again how I do my reading. You are obviously welcome to do whatever works for you! I typically am reading with the expectation that the Lord will reveal something to me. I usually start with the Proverbs for the day (ie: today is January 12th, so I read Proverbs 12), then I either go to the daily Proverbs 31:10-31, and may continue with the Psalms schedule (ie: for today, Psalm 12, 42, 72, 102, 132 - basically starting with the day "12" and adding 30). Well... sometimes I don't get all the way through Psalms. Like today, I didn't even get to Psalms. I got to Proverbs 12 and 31, and that was all. The Holy Spirit revealed to me what I needed to hear today out of just reading that. So... I say all that to say this, don't feel pressured or condemned if you don't read "everything"! We do not walk or operate in a spirit of condemnation, and that includes when you read the word. Some days, you may only have time to read ONE verse.... that is OK too. You do what YOU need to do. God can use one verse to change a persons life. If you do only read one verse, choose to meditate on it throughout the day. While you drive, allow your brain to go over the verse. Think about it. Ask the Holy Spirit for insight into the verse. Allow it to churn. As you meditate on the Word, the Holy Spirit will give you insight. Will remind you of a story that may relate to the verse. Maybe make one word jump out to you, and you later look that word up in the dictionary to get a deeper meaning or clarification on the verse. Maybe you look up the verse in the Greek or Hebrew, to get it's original context. I'm just saying there are multiple ways to "skin a cat".... (yikes... hopefully none of us are really literally doing that!) .... there are multiple ways to get in the Word... and THIS way works for me. I read until the Holy Spirit flags a verse for me to meditate on. Then... that verse usually is the key verse in the devotion I write. So... without further ado, let's get in the Word.

Proverbs 12:25 - Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad.

Proverbs 31:12 -  She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

In the King James Version, Proverbs 12:25 substitutes the word anxiety for "heaviness." Having a heavy heart. Have you ever had a heavy heart? Well, last night as Tyler and I sat at one of our favorite restaurants, Carrabba's, talking about my book, and talking about our year. I have officially been out of Corporate America for a FULL year. Due to God, and the income we derive from our business we have had on the side of our jobs for the last 7-8 years, I was able to resign. Retire. Choose to do something else. Whatever you want to call it, I have now been home raising our son, and doing whatever I want EVERYDAY! Tyler pointed out something pretty neat. He said, "Amy, do you realize in the last year you have really only had 2-3 bad days?" He was absolutely right. Really, almost every day over the last 365 has been AWESOME! Blessed! Where I have just loved the day! Quite different than my experience in Corporate America.... where sometimes people I worked with, bankers would make me cry. On a few occasions clients made me cry. They would say things so mean or expect so much, that I just broke down. Some people were just mean. Or the constant flow of emails, voicemails, phone calls, appointments, price comparisons, rate reviews, servicing calls, DEMANDS, DEMANDS, DEMANDS. "Amy, I need this! Amy do that! Amy, get this done! Amy, I need this ASAP! Amy, I need equipment and I want you to GIVE it to me. Amy, I want this for free, I deserve it!" AHHHHHHHHHHH! People expecting something for nothing. Or MANY times people expecting me to make an emergency out of their poor preparation. Since they didn't plan well enough, their problem was now suppose to be my emergency where I DROP everything else I was doing to accommodate them and get them out of the BIND they put themselves in. One word. STRESS! 


Well.... I went from a constant state of frustration, to a world of bliss! I never knew that every day could really be awesome! Well... yesterday was ONE of the few days that was a kind of bad day. For no real major reasons... it was just a day that I felt I was in a "funk." Part of it was that I was re-reading a part of my book that was re-living some bad things. It's the part in any "Cinderella" story that had the baggage. It was hard for me to "go back there." Relive. Remember. And... it put me in a funk, my heart was most definitely heavy. I couldn't put my finger on it until we were at dinner. 


With all that said, the point is, Be Liberal with Praise! Be Liberal with Encouragement! Just when I needed it... when I needed a little help, a little boost getting back to my "happy place," I got a FaceBook message from a friend of mine who lives in Charleston. She didn't know I needed encouraged, but she just told me how much she has enjoyed reading this blog. She told me it was funny, witty & refreshing. Words that I really needed to hear, that really refreshed me. Thank you Carmen! :-)  


Liberal with Praise. Any time I have a good thought run through my mind about someone, I try to tell them immediately. The other day I was at Dick's Sporting Goods, I saw a woman who was very pretty. I didn't know her, had never seen her. I just opened my mouth and said, "You are so beautiful. You have such a pretty face, you could be a model." She smiled and blushed a little, and thanked me. I would bet those words made her day. Maybe she had gained a few pounds over the holidays and was feeling frumpy. Or maybe she had a frustrating conversation with her daughter. Maybe she was stressed out because she spent too much money on Christmas gifts and was now having to scrimp. Or maybe she was JUST FINE and happy. I have no idea! But, I do know that it is Biblical to encourage people. It may have been just the words she needed to pick herself back up and feel good about herself, to turn a corner and begin back on the path of being productive.


That's what Carmen's words did for me last night. They were encouraging and really helpful to me! I woke up this morning feeling great! No funk! Just great.


So today.... who can you be encourage? Who do you have kind words for? A stranger? A friend? Family? You may think they "have it all together." You may think, "Oh, they do not need encouragement, they already think they have it together. I don't want to make their head big." Well, you never know, but they may be the VERY person that needs some kind words. 


Food for thought. Who can you encourage today? If you think something kind, SAY IT! Be Liberal! 

#123 - Google or God?

Hello! It feels like "Good Morning" still.... but it is actually "Good Afternoon." Here in South Carolina it is like everything is SHUT DOWN! We woke up yesterday to snow, and STILL have it on the ground, roads, cars, houses....and since Columbia isn't really prepared for clearing a large amount of roads with snow-plows, most of Columbia is just shut-down. Canceled. Closed. It's all good to me. It's kind of fun. I like my husband being home.... snowed-in, if you want to call it that! :) HA! It reminds me of the days in High School when we had school canceled because of snow. Wow! It was so great! It was the "Mother-Load of Greatness!" MOG! ha! I said that the other night, "Mother-Load of Greatness" and was laughed at because of the combination of words I put together. Our friend, Chris, even wrote it down and now it is coined MOG. :) 

Anyways... let me get going.... 

Proverbs 11:27 (KJV) - He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour...

Psalm 71:3 - Be to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress.

Procureth - to win, to obtain, to secure. To secure favor. By seeking good, we can secure favor. By having a heart after God, after His will, we can secure favor into our lives. That is good news. 


Let me tell you a story. So... this morning I sat down and was journaling.... just journaling some thoughts that have been going on in my head and journaling the 'happenings' of the last day. I was also specifically writing about an area that lately I've felt that I was "borderline" obsessing over. I don't want to obsess over anything, unless it's my degree of being radical to the Lord and relationship with Him, listening to Him, etc. But, any other area in life, I do not want to obsess. I would like to keep a healthy balance. Even with a healthy balance, sometimes the Holy Spirit has me spend focused amounts of time on specific areas, but if HE is directing it... I'm OK with that! 


So... I'm sitting here and was just journaling some concerns about a specific area of my life.... this thing I've felt maybe I've been close to obsessing over. Right as I was journaling that, I thought, "Ooooh! I could look it up. I'll just grab the laptop and Google it!" Right? Tell me, have you done that before? "I'll find it. Surely Google has the answer!" 


lol. I'm sure I'm not alone in this one. So just as I was going to reach for the laptop, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, "OK. Are you going to consult Me? Or the 'Almighty Google'?" the Holy Spirit chided.  I knew I was busted! I felt like consulting the Holy Spirit would be more "work" for my answer than just "googling it"! I just wanted a quick answer and was sure Google would have it. 


Well, reluctantly when the Holy Spirit said that, I said, "OK! You!" 


And then... do you know what happened? He laid out the FULL answer to my question down to minuet details. As I was quickly writing what I felt like He was revealing, He first laid out to me the "WHY." Why this specific challenge was occurring. Well, obviously, that was good to know. And then He laid out 6 very specific steps to get this situation back in line. Wow! 6 very specific steps that GOOGLE could have NEVER told me! Why could Google not have told me? Because the steps were specific to MY EXACT SITUATION! It was amazing. Actually kind of humorous. A very good lesson to me. 


As I read Psalm 71... it reminded me that I want the Lord to be my constant ROCK. I want HIM to be my fortress always. I want to run to HIM when I have a problem or question. Not some Internet portal that has opinions of EVERYONE in the world. If I want answers, I want to rely on HIM, the ALMIGHTY Creator of the Universe! The Creator of Heaven & Earth. The Alpha. The Omega. My Jehovah Rapha. My Jehovah Jirah. My Healer. My Provider. That is Who I want to run to. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to NOT ask..... so I prolong the asking and try to deal with it myself... when all along, if I would just take a few minutes, HUMBLE myself, get quiet and ASK, HE will reveal to me answers. He will reveal to me the next steps. He desires that I seek Him. And His Word says in doing so that I WILL OBTAIN and SECURE HIS FAVOR! Having Him answer my question and give me COUNSEL from the All-Knowing God, that is FAVOR! Having an ANSWER that is the RIGHT answer and not a guess, THAT is FAVOR! 


So.... do you have a big question? Have you been just going it solo? Doing it on your own? Who will it be? Google or God? I hope you choose God. He has a great answer for you!

__________________

Want to hear the results of listening? 

Check out the rest of the story: Google or God Part 2