Do Your Dreams Mean Anything?

Dreams. Are. Important. 

Have you ever woke up and thought, "Man, that was a weird dream." Then you go about your morning routine, getting ready for your day. When you don't give your dream a 2nd thought, an hour later, you have no recollection of what you dreamed about. The fuzziness of your dream just floats off into oblivion. 

Dreams. Are. Important. 

Genesis 37:5 - Now Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers…

1 Kings 3:15 - Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

You know the stories. Joseph had a dream that the sheaves would bow down to him, then a second dream that the sun, moon and stars would bow down to him. The manifestation of his dream came years later when Joseph was the manager of all the food in the kingdom and 2nd in charge only to the Pharaoh! 

Solomon had a dream. God spoke to him and told him to ask what he wanted. Solomon, in his dream, asked for "understanding to recognize what is just and right (1 Kings 3:11)." If you remember, in the dream, God in turn not only gave Solomon discernment and wisdom, but riches and honor as well! But in reality, not just his dream, throughout the Bible we can see the fruition of Solomon's dream. He's know as the most wise & richest man in the Bible. His dream became a reality. 

Dreams are a way that God can communicate with us. As it says, God is the same yesterday, today and the future. Next time you wake up and you think, Wow! That was a weird dream. Write it down! Pray. Ask God to give you discernment into what your dream meant. 

I recently did this. I woke up with clarity, remembering my dream. In my quiet time that morning, I journaled what I saw in my dream and began to seek the Lord if it had specific meaning. As I sought the Lord about it, he revealed to me the meaning of the dream. Though this was a few weeks ago, I can go back to this journal entry, and in anticipation, be excited about it's fulfillment. 

Granted… if you had some bad fish the night before, that could cause you to wake up thinking some weird things. Also… TV can cause you to have dreams that aren't "messages from God." When on vacation recently, before bed I caught a clip of the local news of the Florida town we were visiting. The next morning, I remember waking up to a nightmare (we don't watch news at home!) That news clip, though just seconds, was one of the last things that went in before we went to sleep. The dream did not represent something from God, it represented the last thing I put in my head before bed. My subconscious thought on that news clip while I slept. So, I encourage you, don't go to sleep with the news being the last thing that goes in your mind. 

But, just as in the day of Joseph and Solomon, God still communicates to His people through dreams. Next time you wake up remembering a dream, don't just brush it off! Write it down. Pray about it. See if this dream was a message from the Lord. It could be a possible warning about your future if a certain area of your life doesn't change, or it could be something good you can be in anticipation for! 

Dreams. Are. Important. 

God. Communicates. Through. Dreams. 

Listen.

Favoritism or Favor?

Genesis 37:2-5 - ... Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s [secondary] wives ... Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a [distinctive] long tunic with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved [Joseph] more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not say, Peace [in friendly greeting] to him or speak peaceably to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream...

If television/media wanted a good juicy story with infertility, jealousy, favoritism, sibling rivalry, scandal, attempted murder, imprisonment, wealth & riches, rise to power and salvation of a nation because of one man's dream, they would not have to look any further than the story of Joseph. What a story!

Let's take a look at two people. Jacob & Joseph. By the end I want you to answer the question of, Whom do you most relate too? Let's take a look at the story and a few dangers before we really dig down to the main premise.

The age of today's High School senior, 17 years old, Joseph was doing the menial things of life. Nothing real special or elite, he was tending flock. He was out in a field, herding them, making sure they stayed together, making sure none wandered off. At some points of the day, he most likely sat on a rock watching them, completely bored as they ate grass, no iPhone to look at and check his FaceBook, no AngryBird game to play. He just sat. Sat looking at sheep. But, Joseph had a dream. He was given a dream by God. Ultimately, his dream revealed his brothers and parents bowing down to him. If Joseph did anything wrong, it was telling his brothers his dream, which in his dream he was positioned himself in a place of authority, favor and power over them.

Now, unfortunately, if we really wanted to pin Joseph's problems on someone, we could look back to his father, Jacob (Israel). Because of his love, Jacob was the main contributor to setting his son on a path of hardship. "Love?" You may ask? How could love set someone on the path of hardship? Jacob's love moved from not only love, but to favoritism. Favoritism brought Joseph down to the pit. Thankfully, in the end, God's Favor brought Joseph to the palace.

The short version back story, Joseph was the first son to Jacob's favorite, most beloved wife, Rachel. Because Joseph was Rachel's son, born in Jacobs old age, Jacob loved him more than ALL his other children. In the eyes of Joseph's older brothers, their father didn't even see them through the love he had for Joseph. Joseph was the fair-haired child, the loved, the favorite.

Think about how you are with your own father. What is it, growing up & now as an adult, that you have always desired the most? I don't know what it is with children and their fathers, but I would bet you would say one of the following: to make dad really proud, for dad to love me, to have attention from dad, for dad to spend time with me. Something about a son or daughter, making their father proud is one of the most important life goals I think most of us have.

Here in the story of Joseph, we see all Jacobs son's, born before Joseph, and they ALL recognize that they are NOT their father's favorite. They see "Dad" pouring all this love and affection into their younger brother. They see "Dad" giving their younger brother special gifts, the greatest of the gifts extremely & very evident to show the partiality. It's an elaborate, colorful, very decorated coat from Hollister. (Ok, maybe it wasn't Hollister... but it was so cool, it was the Hollister of that day!) This coat, given to Joseph, set him apart. So.... what began to happen in the hearts of Joseph's older brothers? They began to get bitter. They began to have malice in their hearts, hatred. All from a parent doing ONE dangerous thing, Showing Favoritism! Favoritism that eventually led to a plot of murder!

What if Jacob would not have shown favoritism? What if he would not have set Joseph up for this "so-called" journey of unfortunate events? His brothers throwing him in a well to die, staging his death by bringing his coat to "Dad" with animal blood on it, saying Joseph was killed by an animal. We all know what happened next, sure Joseph, was mourned by his father, but Josephs brothers ultimately ended up selling him as a slave to the Midianites. From slavery, the journey began. Sold to Potiphar, promoted to supervisor over Potiphar's house, wrongfully accused of attempted sexual advancements to Potiphar's wife, imprisoned for years, while in prison promoted as "Head" of the prisoners, then ultimately elevated to 2nd in charge to only Pharoah, after interpreting Pharoah's dream. A fairytale ending, right?

What would have happened if JACOB, if DAD, would not have positioned Joseph to be the HATED little brother? How uncomfortable for Joseph. He probably just wanted his brothers to like him, instead they couldn't even say a nice "Hello." Joseph was put in a place of hatred by his family, by ALL his brothers. What if Jacob, Dad, would have shown ALL of the brothers equal love? I dare say that Joseph could have avoided years and years of hardship, maybe even enjoyed growing up with fond memories of his brothers.

Granted, yes, we do know Romans 8:28 worked out in Joseph's favor, all things worked together for Josephs good. But, WHAT IF, Joseph's dad would not have showed that favoritism? The end of the story, Joseph was 2nd in command over ALL of Egypt and was able to be directed from the Lord how to SAVE the nation from the famine that was about to happen.

Who do you most relate with?

• Jacob. Are you SHOWING favoritism on someone. Through your love, are you setting someone up for ultimate hardship? Be it from their siblings, or peers? Has the depths of your love, elevated to favoritism? It's not to late to repent and ask for forgiveness!  (James 2:9 - But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders.) 
• Joseph. - Now Joseph had a dream... - Do you have a dream?! Does your dream feel like something that is so great and so big it's overwhelming? Friend, allow God to lead and direct you in this dream. No matter how big or how small, no matter what you are going through right now... maybe you feel like you are in the pit? Maybe you feel like you are imprisoned by a job you despise. Maybe you have been wrongfully accused, and through all your work of excellence, you've been stripped of your dignity. Friend, wherever it is that you are at right now, PRESS ON! Do you realize that YOU could be on the path to SAVING A NATION!?!? You could be on a path, as ugly as it may look right now, YOU could be on the path of CHANGING HISTORY! Press on! Do you have a dream? Friend, PRESS ON! Don't let that dream die within you. Pursue that dream and allow GOD to elevate you to a place of favor!

Who do you relate to? Are you the one showing Favoritism, Jacob? Or are you the one allowing God to elevate you to favor, Joseph? It is YOUR choice who you want to relate to. If you need to, make a change today. Line up with where you know you need to be, that is in line with God!

Will you share your story? How you have experienced the results of Jacob or being the Jacob? Or the dreams of Joseph? I'd love to hear from you! 

#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? 

#84 - Faith in your Favor

GOOD MORNING! HELLO! It IS an awesome day! Just wait... after you read today's Word, it's going to be a GREAT day for you too!!! If you take it and apply it, IT WILL be a GREAT DAY! Man, I'm excited!!

Proverbs 13:21 (NIV) - Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

Psalm 43:5 - Why are you cast down, O my inner self? ... Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him ...

Psalm 103:5 - Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm. 

OK! Are you ready? Let's just say, TWO WORDS: BRAIN SURGERY! Yes. Brain surgery is getting ready to happen!! I can't hardly type fast enough I am so excited!! I'm excited to see how the Holy Spirit brings it all together too because it's such good information! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!


Faith. Expectation. Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) versus a Happy Mental Attitude (HMA).
"Every man is what he is because of the dominating thought which HE permits to occupy his mind." -Napoleon Hill. 


I once heard a minister talking about having a Positive Mental Attitude. He also mentioned that there is a sharp difference between having a PMA and a HAPPY Mental Attitude. A "HAPPY" Mental Attitude doesn't necessarily mean that you are "Positive". There is a difference and ONE is DISTINCTLY different and better than the other. Can you guess what it is? If you guess PMA, you are right! A PMA. A Positive Mental Attitude. Tyler and I have owned our own business for the last 8 years. We have done well, replaced my income, allowing me to resign from Corporate America, and are on track to replace Tyler's income as well... giving him what? Options. The OPTION to work outside the home. Options are good. Especially in this economy, right. Well, along with owning a business when you are in a leadership position.... for you, whether that be at work, management, coaching, leading your family, sales, church, talking to a family member, whatever... when you are in leadership your attitude is of utmost importance. Tyler and I both would always put on our "HAPPY" face around business associates. Which that is great... but there has definitely been a revelation.... HAPPY is different than POSITIVE! Whether I was at my job working or at a business meeting, many of those times, my outward smile and bubbly personality was really just a mask. Here were some of my frequent thoughts, see if you can relate, "Things aren't going my way. Growth isn't happening the way I want it too. I don't want to be here. Just another day. Arghhh. I don't feel like going to work today. I don't feel like answering all these emails. Arghh, all these voicemails, I have to answer them. I have to call these people back. AHH! Oh great, another banker with another problem. Awesome! (sarcasm!) I really don't feel like answering all these emails. I really should call __________. I need to do ____________. I just don't have time." *big sigh.... blowing breath out*


Have thoughts like that ever went through your mind?? All the while, you are putting on that "HAPPY FACE" and inside it's like everything is falling apart or everything is terrible. Nothing is good. Nothing is good. You just want to pull the covers up over your head and run away from life and responsibility. Well.... let me tell you, I have been there!


"Bad luck", "misfortune", like it says in Proverbs 13, pursues the sinner. And do you know who it also often pursues? The person whose life lives and dwells in the repetition of negative thoughts. Bad things happen to those who EXPECT bad things to happen. 


You may say, "But Amy, I just can't help but be negative. I just feel like my life is terrible right now. Nothing is going right. Everything in my life right now just seems to be bad. I feel like I'm so far in the pit, it's just easier to cross my legs than to get out of the impossible. I don't have the energy to try and climb out." Friend, sister, brother, I have news for you..... YOU WILL RECEIVE SOME GREAT ASSISTANCE TODAY!!!! 


Psalm 43:5 asks the very question to YOU, "Why are you cast down?" It goes on to say, "HOPE in GOD, wait EXPECTANTLY!" FRIEND, WAIT EXPECTANTLY!!!! And while you are waiting start SPEAKING to your situation!!! Friend, START SPEAKING TO IT! Not in your mind, not thinking it, but speak it OUT LOUD! How does FAITH come? Tell me? Say it out loud right now!! How does FAITH COME? YES! You are right!!! Faith comes through HEARING!!!!! If your outer ear is going to HEAR, you need to SPEAK! You need to speak! You speaking is the beginning of changing your subconscious mind. It's the beginning of retraining your MIND to not just be walking around in the attitude of a HMA, but actually truly having a PMA! Brother or Sister.... take Joseph for example.... I know I have gone back to Joseph several times before.... but for real! Take JOSEPH... you all know his story. Dad gives him a coat of many colors, brothers hate him because he's the favorite, brothers conspire to kill him, throw him in a pit, then sell him - yes - SELL their OWN brother as a slave, tell dad that he's been killed.... Joseph then goes off elevated in Potiphar's house, wrongfully accused by Potiphars wife that he tried to make a pass at her or rape her, thrown in jail, remains for 2 years there... and then finally gets elevated out of jail to the right hand, 2nd in charge to Pharaoh. Pharaoh! Pharaoh, basically the KING or PRESIDENT of the nation. The one with ALL the power. And Pharaoh give JOSEPH COMPLETE POWER! 


Now... you tell me, did Joseph have the opportunity to be negative? To have a "NEGATIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE?" ABSOLUTELY! And never in scripture does it say that he even complained about it! 


Stick with me just a little bit longer.... this is what the Holy Spirit told me on the subject...

So many people do think they are good and positive. Yes they act happy on the outside. When people smile, they smile and laugh back, but they are all the while expecting the worst. They let their minds RACE on all the bad things that COULD go wrong. This meeting or that person. Yes even selfishness. So many of MY children don't EXPECT favor, so there in that place, they GET WHAT THEY EXPECT. My children are weak and depressed. True FAITH is positive. True FAITH is  NOT frustrated, or stressed. Stress is an opposite of faith. People are missing MY blessing because they are NOT in faith. How do you get in faith? Yes you DWELL ON IT. You dwell on the positive. You SPEAK the positive possibilities for what seems like a bd situation. List out, OUTLOUD all of the good outcomes. Write your OWN ending. Yes because like Joseph, even in what seemed like bad situations, he had a good attitude. I worked in FAVOR on his behalf. He was ELEVATED to the 2nd highest place of authority & saved the lives of NATIONS! Faith & Favor.

SO, don't be misled. Don't fake yourself out. Don't think you have this "Great" PMA when all the while, all it is, is an HMA. Catch yourself! Catch what you are thinking about! BE PROACTIVE to DWELL on good things. THINK ON THESE things it says in Phil. 4:8. Dwell on the good, the positive, the FAVOR! What are you thinking about. Are you dwelling on the positive or are you dwelling on the negative. Do you allow your mind to dwell and search for the solutions and all the GOOD things that could come out of "THIS" very situation?? A bad employee at work, a bad report.... do you then allow your mind to DWELL there? Dwell on the bad news? CATCH YOURSELF! Choose to FORCE your mind to go down the positive road. Speak all the GOOD things that could come out of the situation. You got this bad report just so that you would be in this certain place because you were suppose to meet the next person who is going to change your life! And, the bad report will then just go away... it was an error. It's really a good report. FIND A WAY to dwell on the positive. And if you're so far in the pit that it seems really hard to do that, FORCE YOURSELF to speak OUT LOUD all the GREAT things that could happen. SPEAK the outcome you want. 


You are then on your way to truly walking in faith! Faith, when you expect the outcome to be in your favor. Faith, calling things that are not as though they were. Call your situation how you want it to be! That is Faith. 

#47 - The Principle of the Ants

Good Morning! It's definitely nice when I wake up earlier! I get to do more fun things before getting the boy up. Yesterday we enjoyed a fun day of blueberry picking. Aside from getting stung by a wasp, we had a great time and picked lots of blueberries! It was the last day the farm was open, so we were all glad that we went yesterday! Here's a few of the pictures from the days events: 

Ok... well, let's roll...

Proverbs 31:14 - She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country].

Proverbs 6:6-8 - Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!-- Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest.

So... as I sit here, snacking on some blueberries from my "posed" blueberry photo shoot... I was pretty interested in the verses for today. Quite appropriate actually. May or may not be real life shattering stuff for people.... but it is another piece of the puzzle in regards to becoming a Proverbs 31 woman. 


We are exhorted to look at the ant and aspire to do the same things, to learn from, to apply what the ant does in natural life. The ant doesn't even have a leader, but goes about providing food during the summer and harvest season to last through the winter months. This reminds me of the story of Joseph. We look at the life of Joseph, you probably remember the story (Genesis 37-41), but let's review the highlights: Joseph- the fair-haired favorite of his father Jacob gets a colorful special coat, Joseph has a dream that his brothers and parents will bow down to him- blabs the dream off to his brothers, Joseph's brothers annoyed with him selling him into slavery, Joseph being elevated to the right hand of Potiphar, Potiphar's wife wrongfully accusing Joseph of trying to make a pass at her, Joseph being thrown into prison, called out to interpret Pharaoh's dream, Joseph interpreting well the dream of Pharaoh and being elevated to 2nd in charge of the WHOLE Kingdom of Egypt. That brings us to what I find very interesting. As Joseph correctly interpreted the dream of Pharaoh, there would be 7 years of plenty & then 7 great years of famine. During the 7 years of plenty, the harvests were great! People were pulling in more than they could imagine! They were eating off the fat of the land. I imagine during that time when part of the harvest was sold, since it was so plentiful, you could purchase grain or produce at significantly low prices because there was such a great quantity of it to go around. More than they could even use. In laymen's terms, they were selling stuff for CHEAP! They could've used the Wal-Mart slogan, Rollin back, rollin back, rollin back the prices! SALE SALE SALE! Basically they were living in plenty. 


Then we fast forward to the years of famine. Because the people did not heed the principle of the ants, storing away food, it eventually enslaved them to Pharaoh. As people ran out of their supply of food, their crops not pulling in enough to survive on, they began to buy from Pharaoh. NO SALE TODAY! It's all about economics, supply & demand. When the supply is great, prices are low. When the supply is low, prices are high. They bought grain and it wasn't cheap! As money ran out, they traded their livestock (aka: their business') for grain. As their livestock ran out, they traded their land (aka: their inheritance) for grain. As their land ran out, they traded their LIVES for grain. In order to eat, they traded all they had, their life. They were now slaves, ownership of Pharaoh, ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt. Because Joseph applied the PRINCIPLE OF THE ANT it brought EXPONENTIAL WEALTH to Pharaoh's purse. People came from all over the world to get grain from Pharaoh! In the end, Pharaoh owned it all! He had all the money, he had all the land, and he owned all the people. From a "fiscal" perspective, you don't get wealthier than that! (Yes, i know solomon was the wealthiest and wisest... but go with me on this one) I mean think about it. Even the great POWER of fast food today, my dad's favorite place to eat, McDonald's. What are they in business to do? You say, sell hamburgers? Wrong. They are the greatest REAL ESTATE OWNER in the United States, maybe world. 30,000+ McDonald's throughout the world x all the real estate they own for each location.... = $$$$$$$!!!!! 


With all of that said, where does that bring us? How does this apply to us? Great! Joseph applied the "Principle of the Ants", got Pharaoh loaded... AND in the END even saw his DREAM come to pass, his brothers bowing down to him.  Where does that put us? Well.... we can take the same principle and apply it today. We may feel like we are taking a bit of a step back in time, but it is the art of canning or preserving or vacuum-sealing. Whatever you want to do, but it is the art of collecting during the harvest, storing up for the winter. Like what we did yesterday, blueberry picking. You can do it at whatever level you want. Blueberry season, here, came to an end yesterday.... peach season is about to come to an end.... that walks us into apples, maybe pears... and I'm not sure what else. Some options? COLLECT WHEN IT'S CHEAP! Then, learn the art of canning, preserving, or spend $25 on a vacuum-seal machine and put away all your purchases for the winter. We got blueberries yesterday for $1.00/POUND!!! Not sure if you can conceptualize that.... but the picture of all the jars with blueberries... (I got them for free since I got stung, wasn't that nice!).... but ALL those would have been about $2.00!!! So... store away. Take one day a week during the harvest season and cut, cook, puree, freeze, whatever, but take what you've purchased and store it away! Apply the "PRINCIPLE OF THE ANTS"!! Visit your local Farmer's Market. If you really want to be adventurous, plant a garden (I planted 4 things this year! Whoa! Didn't want to get in over my head!). 


I would anticipate that the Proverbs 31 woman collected in the harvest and stored her food away for the winter months. We know her family was prepared with clothing for the winter months and had no fear of cold. I anticipate she also had food ready for them too. 


Just a thought. And, it all comes down to planning. If you don't plan, it most likely won't get done. I need to get better at this, and CONSISTENCY of it. Planning. Seeking God about what should be on my agenda, and having one day a week have a project. IE: Monday's work on my book, Tuesday's can fruit & veggies, Wednesday DOR, Thursday work on a sewing project, Friday work on taxes for the next year & wealth creation, Saturday ??, Sunday??. You get the idea. It's all about planning. 


Per my sister Kimmi's great idea.... let's close this devotion in prayer today: 

Heavenly Father... we come to you in the name of your son Jesus. Father, we ask you to help us weed out things from our lives that are not yielding the fruit that YOU want in our lives. Help us not to get overwhelmed about our journey to becoming this Proverbs 31 woman... our journey to becoming ALL that you would have us to be. Help us to choose what areas to work on at what time so that we would not get overwhelmed. Father we pray in Jesus Name that you would mold us and make us into world changers. That we would not only just be an impact to our immediate family, but that you would use us to fulfill the Great Commission, that we would GO and make disciples of all the nations. That our lives would be pleasing to you, that our IMPACT would go FAR beyond the walls our our individual homes. Lead us to live out our dreams, lead us to be wise, lead us to have MORE than enough to meet our needs and then to be able to pour out and meet the needs of others. Lord... and if now is the time... lead us to even, maybe plant a garden. LOL. We love you Lord. We know you have perfect timing. Thank you for helping us to work on EXACTLY what you want us to work on right now! Like, how to eat an elephant, one bite at a time. With your help, we are working on becoming the BEST woman of God, and man of God that we can be, one positive habit at a time. Thank you Lord! Bless our day, expand our territories, and we claim Psalm 91 protection over us, our families, friends & co-workers. We pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus, AMEN!

Reflection Question: 

• Ask God, "What area would you have ME work on? Is there something I can do to apply the Principle of the Ants?"
• Now, STOP TALKING and LISTEN!

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XOXO, Amy Jo