YOUR Supernatural Provision

1 Kings 17: 1-6 - Elijah the Tishbite, of the temporary residents of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years but according to My word. (2) And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, (3) Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. (4) You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you THERE (5) So he did according to the word of the Lord; he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. (6) And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook.

Supernatural Provision. You have a wealthy place. You have a place where everything is provided for you. A place where the supernatural meets your reality. You have a THERE! 

What is a "THERE?" A "THERE" is the place where your supernatural happens. Your "there" is the place that God instructs you to go so that He can provide for you supernaturally. Your "there" is a place of provision. When it appears everything is drying up all around you, when it appears a famine or drought has struck, business has dried up, opportunities seemed to have stopped, all around you the only thing you see are people at a stand still and struggling. During that time, if you listen, you will hear God telling you, like Elijah, "Go." During this time where the world seems to be struggling and not succeeding, it is God's desire to provide for you in a way that you can only tell the world, "This is God. How did I make it? How did I survive? It was God, He did it supernaturally."  

But?? Where is the "THERE?" The THERE is wherever God has instructed. A crucial element in supernatural provision is actually SHOWING UP! Notice, that God lets Elijah know that there will be no dew or rain for years. Then, God gives Elijah his next step, and the next step is not to stand still. The next step is to GO.  There was supernatural WAITING for Elijah at his THERE! 

The thing is this… if Elijah would have went to the stream, up the road behind his mom's house, he could have starved to death. The supernatural provision was waiting for him at a defined and definite place. The supernatural provision HAD A PLACE, it had a LOCATION. For Elijah his place was, "from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan." It was very specific. If he chose to go somewhere else, his friends house, his mentors house, his moms house, his grandparents, his place of employment… if he had decided to go anywhere else, like everyone else in the drought, he would have been met with struggle. Elijah's Supernatural Provision had an actual place! His wealthy place was waiting for him. Those ravens were circling that area waiting to provide for Elijah. 

Let me wrap up by adding, the Go, that Elijah had to do in order to receive his provision may not have been comfortable or convenient. He may not have wanted to GO. But, thankfully for him, he did. If you slowed down to listen to that still small Voice of the Holy Spirit. What would you hear? 

Today, apply this BLOG to your life! Allow The supernatural provision to meet your needs!  

1. Be Warned: Know the upcoming season. 
2. Listen: If you listen, the Word of the Lord will come.
3. Obey: If you obey, God's provision will meet you there. 
4. Go: Where is your "THERE?" (Maybe it is where you are at now? Maybe it means going somewhere else.) Your "THERE" is where the provision is! Now GO!

______________________________

A SHOUT OUT!

Just wanted to send out a quick HELLO to the readers in
the country of LUXEMBOURG! 

It's great to have you joining us!
 I just wanted to let you know I SEE YOU!
Thanks for reading! I call you blessed in Jesus name!
Also… I'd love to hear from you!
Leave a comment and let us know a little about
you & life as a Christian in LUXEMBOURG!

The Speed of Your Harvest is Determined by….

Psalm 127:1a -  Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it...

Proverbs 18:16 - A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. 

What was the last thing that the Holy Spirit directed you to do? Have you done it?

The speed of your harvest is determined by the speed & diligence of your obedience.

Have you, like so many, looked around you, looked at your life and felt frustrated? "This is not where I want to be. I am not happy." Like the moment in the movies that shows the person standing there, but everything around them seems to be spinning. 

The speed of your harvest is determined by the speed and diligence of your obedience.

What is is that the Holy Spirit has been leading you to do, but you just haven't gotten around to it? Is it waking up an hour earlier in order to read your Bible and have your quiet time before getting ready and leaving for work? Did the Holy Spirit instruct you on a discipline that you need to establish in your life? If you are a writer, maybe it's writing 4-5 days/week, but you just haven't gotten around to it yet. If you feel called to paint, are you painting? If you feel led to paint a certain amount of days/hours, are you being obedient to it? If you are building or developing a new business, has the Holy Spirit led you to do a few specific tasks to get things off the ground? Are you being quick and diligent to obey, are you consistently following through on those actions each day?

I know for me, sometimes when I am taking time to listen to the Holy Spirit, I get a very specific plan in how to do things, when, for how long, etc. Other times, I get a "just do it" plan. 

Your obedience is tied to your harvest. When you close your eyes and envision the perfect life, doing the things that bring you joy, you are envisioning your dream life. And your dream life CAN happen. But living that dream life, is tied to your obedience. If you've felt led to paint five days per week (but maybe haven't been making the time to do that), maybe the Holy Spirit is setting you up to be able to sell your works which will bring you to a place where you can paint full time, in that house on the beach, all day long if you want. The Lord may have things He wants to get to you, but it is often tied to our obedience to follow through on the instructions He has given us. Those instructions that will lead you to the good life, your dream life. 

So friend, I implore you, be quick to obey the full instructions of the Holy Spirit. He knows the end result. He knows how you are going to take possession of your promise land. He knows the result of your obedience is good. Now it is your job to follow through. Obey quickly and with diligence so you can get to your dream destination, so you can live your dream life!

You ARE Chosen!

2 Chron. 29:11 - …. the Lord has chosen you...

I recently heard a mom say that she felt like she was living in the mundane. As a stay at home mom, she chased a toddler, fed a newborn, and did the daily "day-in, day-out" activities that need to get done in a home. Cooking, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, wiping noses, washing little fingers, laundry, and the list goes on.

Mundane.

Monotony.

Day in. Day out.

Are these things little value in the Kingdom? Is there value to them?

I asked the same question this morning as I was journaling. I made my list of things that need to be done. Today's list specifically, there seemed to be no "life-changing" or "world changing" activities on my list. As a Christian, wanting to take the world by storm for Jesus, change people's lives, help people, and I look at my current to-do list, and (aside from reading, listening to an audio, having my quiet time) the activities for today include: clean a box in the garage, do laundry, dishes, pick up living room. 

As I flipped open my Bible, I randomly fell upon 2 Chronicles 29:11, which read, "…the Lord has chosen you….". Though in context, this passage is talking to the Levites, those who are the ministers of this time, the priests. They are to guard and preserve the temple, the Holy place, receive offerings, etc. Though, as the yellow highlighted passage in my Bible stood out to me, I took a moment to listen to what that Still Small Voice had to say to me about being chosen.  (Substitute YOUR NAME and YOUR calling)

You are CHOSEN to be exactly Amy. Exactly where you are. Mom & wife. Pregnant right now. Business owner. Writer. You ARE CHOSEN to complete your calling. You ARE CALLED! Some days it may seem mundane. It may seem like the things are of little effect, but if you follow My Voice & plan, it all works into the big picture. Amy, I am not calling the perfect, I'm calling the willing. Those willing to listen, obey and act on My Word & Voice. Yes, some days it is as simple as cleaning a box out of the garage & doing laundry. Do not belittle the daily tasks. It is part of your CURRENT assignment, but it WILL NOT be your assignment forever. 

You are CHOSEN. You are CALLED. Even through the days that seem mundane. Organization and cleanliness allow a peaceful place for the Holy Spirit to operate and move. I've heard it said, "Clutter and chaos hinder the Holy Spirit. It breeds lack of peace." Maybe de-cluttering is what you are doing today. And do you know what, that is OKAY! It could very well be paving the way for starting up a ministry, and it may be right out of your garage!

You are CHOSEN and you are CALLED. If it's dishes and laundry today, accomplish TODAY's Calling. Conquering the World and seeing a million people saved may be work for next year, or 5 years from now or even 10, 20? But today, pave the way with your obedience…. even in the mundane.

You are CHOSEN to be YOU. Listen to the Voice of the Holy Spirit & obey today's assignment for your life.

#252 - Are You Being Pruned?

John 15:1-7 (GNT) “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. ³ You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. ⁴ Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. ⁶ Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. 

I got a Word this morning from the Lord that ROCKED me to the core! Not every morning is a morning that rocks me to the core... but this was one of those mornings! The revelation that I'm going to share with you will ROCK you and CAN change your life if you let it! Strap in my friend, strap in.

Tyler & I are coming out of a 4 year valley... a 4 year lull... a 4 year blah. After this mornings time in the Word, I have found it was a 4 year pruning! Now THAT is some pruning!!! Let me tell you a story...

For a little background, Tyler and I met on a mission trip in England in 1998. After 18 months of waiting and pleeing with the Lord, I finally saw Tyler again for the first time since our mission trip December 23, 2000. A little over a year later, we were married. Tyler gave a salvation message AT OUR WEDDING, offered the opportunity for people to accept Jesus as their Savior, and we were then married! That's different, huh?! We became youth leaders at the church we attended.... and 18 months after we were married, we also started our own business where we spent several years aggressively growing and having great success. Until 2008.

Over the next four years, we continued with our business at a less aggressive pace, but immersing ourselves in the Word, especially Tyler. I remember coming home from work on Wednesday and loving it! Tyler took off on Wednesdays during that time, committing to having a Day of Rest (DOR). He grew, changed, meditated on the Word... but continued to feel a strong sense that he was not released yet to build our business again with intensity. Though every bone in his driver body wanted to go and grow, like reigns on a horse, he was pulled back in.

Here is the Word I got this morning.

A bulk of the pruning is complete. Do you realize why? You both went for several years with NOT having a solid Quiet Time. You sought Me only out of need and desperation, not out of pure love and desire. Amy, the pruning was GREAT because the garden had been untended for a LONG time! A great gardener prunes daily! You never have to go through YEARS of pruning again IF you only allow Me to DAILY prune you!! Stay in communion. Stay in counsel with Me & you won't ever get too far off track!! It doesn't have to be painful. It will just be like daily maintenance. Daily maintenance is not like a MAJOR pruning of an untended garden. We had to do an overhaul, that's why it took so long. Weeds, even unwanted trees were growing up in your garden.

Wow. Talk about a wake-up call. I envision a garden with trees and tall weeds growing up everywhere.  A courtyard that could be beautiful, but instead is a weed-stricken mess. Do you remember the original movie, "The Karate Kid"? The one with Mr. Miyagi? Envision him trimming his Bonsai bushes in his courtyard. He had tiny scissors, trimming with accuracy and perfection. To the ordinary eye, you couldn't even tell anything needed to be trimmed. Why? Because he pruned daily!

What a revelation! If we STAY connected to the TRUE VINE, Jesus, like Mr. Miyagi's bonsai trees, we will never have to undergo major pruning. When we stay connected to the vine, when we allow the Holy Spirit to prune us daily, in a daily quiet time, large weeds or even trees won't have a chance to grow up in our garden. The Master Gardener will just daily trim with perfection. Bitterness, unforgiveness, envy, gossip and any other ugly thing will not have a chance to take root and begin to decay the inside of our hearts.

Allow yourself to be pruned, then STAY pruned! Allow the Master Gardener to prune you daily!

My challenge to you. Find a time, make a time, to be in the Word daily. Commune with your Father daily.

 

Timing or Toil

Good morning!! :) It's been so long that I've logged in, I forgot my password for the first round of "tries." Anyways... here I am... excited to share some good Word with you. Why? Because ALL the Word is good! God's Word changes things. God's Word brings peace where their may be toil in your mind. God's Word and Voice brings clarity where their may be confusion. Praise the Lord that we ALL have access to God's Word for our life!

Eccl. 3:1 - To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven

Let's try this on for size....tell me, have you ever found yourself having this conversation with God? "But God, when? When are you going to bring this to pass? When are you going to do it? How long do I have to wait to live my dream, to accomplish what I have been working towards? Pleeeeeeeease God! Will you please help it to happen now?" 

Have you ever found yourself having this conversation? Maybe you are going along through life, working towards your dream or goal, and one day you just get frustrated. You aren't seeing the results that you think you should be seeing.... or it appears that God is SLOW! "God! What is taking you so long?" :)

I'm sure Joseph may have thought this in his journey to seeing his dream become a reality. In Genesis 37, we see that Joseph was 17 years old when he had his dream. The dream? His brothers & parents bowing down to him. In Genesis 41:42, 46 we do see Joseph ascending to the #2 position of leadership in ALL of Egypt. Notice, he is 30 years old at this time, but even this success still is not fulfillment of his dream:  Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.

In Genesis 42, we see that the 7 years of plenty in the land of Egypt had come to an end. At this point it had been 20 years since Joseph had had his dream. 20 years! In verse 6 we see final fruition, Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 

As I sat this morning in my quiet time, basically whining to the Lord, I was reminded of God's perfect timing! Like Ecclesiastes 3:1, there is a season for everything, timing for everything! Just as there was a season for Joseph's dream, there is also a season for my own dream/s. God has perfect timing for my dream. God is not late. 

The Holy Spirit reminded me this morning that the greatest thing that I can do in the pursuit of my dream is to do two simple things. 1) Listen. 2) Obey. If I do those two simple things, my dreams will surely come to pass. THOUGH, the fruition of my dreams coming to pass are still based upon God's timing. I can toil, and try to force my dream to come to pass on my own time, or I can listen & be obedient in the process of my dream coming to pass. I've toiled. That is no fun. I've tried to force things, only to be frustrated in the end. 

What if I want my dream to come to pass NOW? How can I accelerate it? ACCELERATE listening and obeying the Voice of the Holy Spirit! It seems so simple. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

How are you doing in that area? Acknowledging Him in ALL your ways? "Where should I go today Lord? What should I do? What should I work on? Do you want me to call someone? Drop a note in the mail? What should my day look like? How can I be 'God-Productive'? How can I be productive in the areas that YOU want me to work Lord?" 

Acknowledging Him. It means fine-tuning that LISTENING EAR. He will direct you and me to be in the right place at the right time. He will set up the divine appointments. And while HE is bringing to pass the dreams that you have, you can ENJOY LIFE knowing that you are listening & obeying. You can continue to be obedient to His direction WITHOUT toiling and actually enjoy each day. Enjoy each day with your children, spouse, friends, family WHILE pursuing your dream. 

Listen. Obey. He will tell you what to do. Just as Noah received very SPECIFIC instructions in building the ark, God will give you specific instructions too!

Will you practice listening today?

"Little" is the Doorway to Much

Good Morning! I am still "out here." :) I know over the last 6 months, my 4 time/week blog has dwindled to maybe once per week....sometimes once per month. Well... let me just assure you... I'm still out here, and I am still spending daily time in the Word. I just wanted to let you know I haven't fallen off the deep end! :) It is an interesting and new season for me. I'm very excited about that, but at the same time, much change has been and continues to come. With a change of season requires a change in activities, schedule and a continual reevaluation that I am indeed on the right track. My goal, as I'm sure yours is, is to not miss ANYTHING the Lord has for me. Thankfully my husband has "cast me onto the Lord" (which he did a long time ago, PRAISE THE LORD!) and allows me and the Lord to work out what "AMY" needs to be doing.


Anyways... with all of that said. I believe I have a good Word for you today. The Lord continues to give me incites as I dig into His Word. It is so good! Constantly new.


Let's dive in...

Psalm 40:5,6b - Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered....You have given me the capacity to hear and obey...

God's thoughts towards you. Did you know that they are HUGE! Did you know that as the SON or DAUGHTER of the Most High God, that His Plans for you are great! The "greatness" or "legacy" that you leave here on this earth are in direct proportion to your ability to hear and obey. What could that mean? Maybe that means "hearing once" and fulfilling one specific calling with greatness. Maybe that means "hearing daily" and accomplishing a lot in many venues.


In Psalm 40:5, it talks about God's thoughts towards us being too many to be numbered. Imagine a room filled with all the things that you are suppose to accomplish. Maybe it's developing witty inventions, as Proverbs 8:12 says. Imagine in this room, there are shelves full of your inventions. Great inventions, not just one, but MANY. Really, cool, great ideas, just sitting there on the shelves. Multi-million dollar products. Products and inventions that really help people. Just think about peanut butter alone. George Washington Carver invented peanut butter in 1876, and went on do invent 300 other products using the peanut. A devout Christian, Carver considered his laboratory "God's Little Workshop." Maybe in your "room" there are books that you have written, great books. Maybe there are products you have sold. Business' you have started. Engineering firm, photography business, a marketing company you've expanded, a restaurant or chain of restaurants. Maybe it's a dessert you've made famous, or a sauce? Maybe it's your artwork, work and designs that are so exceptional that they are known worldwide for how extraordinary they are. What is in your room? God's thoughts of you are too many to be numbered. That includes that great plans He has for you! His plans for you are for you to prosper! (Ps 1:3, 35:27, Proverbs 16:3, 16:9) There are SO many places that talk about how the Lord's plans for YOU, as His child, are for YOU to SUCCEED!!!!! For YOU to WIN! For YOU to be PROSPEROUS! Healthy! Wise! Wealthy! Third John 1 verse 2, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.


THE KEY HERE? Psalm 40:6b. You have the CAPACITY to HEAR AND OBEY! If you don't feel like you have been able to "HEAR" the direction or Voice of God (the Holy Spirit)... then guess what? That hearing ear can be developed! You can begin the process of practicing to listen! You will be amazed that as you pursue God, as you seek out Him & His treasures, He WILL make Himself known to you! Your life, your direction, your calling does not have to be a mystery to you! It is not suppose to be a mystery! He has HIDDEN TREASURES for YOU! They are HIDDEN for YOU to find them! They are HIDDEN from the enemy FOR YOU! But you have to seek them out, listen and obey! 


So... in your room.... in this room that has "all God has for you".... what is going to come to fruition here on the earth that is in YOUR ROOM? Are all the inventions, business', churches that you help build, books that you write....are they going to be left on the shelves? Or are they going to come to fruition here on earth? I believe that your capacity to RECEIVE those inventions, ideas, successes are based upon your ability to be obedient with the FIRST ONE! If you don't take the first idea, or the first business or the first book and do anything with it, WHY would God give you the next one? When you have not been faithful with the little, the ONE, why would he give you the rest of the AWESOME ideas? 


It begins with 2 things. Listening & Obeying. 


Can you do that today? Can you Listen? Can you obey? Can you take the first step to being obedient to what God has called you to pursue? Just like the story we've heard many times. The servant who was faithful with little, was given much. 


Servant. Child of the Most High God. Will you be faithful with the little He is trying to give you today? That "little" that you are faithful to is the doorway to much. Will you be faithful?

Obedience. (quick post!)

Proverbs 7:1 - MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments (for use when needed) and treasure them. 

Just wanted to share a quick verse today.  It's very appropriate that this was the first verse I read. Have you ever had scripture convict you of something you should be doing? Or have you ever had a prompting or the Holy Spirit tell you something that you need to do? Here, in this verse, we are reminded to KEEP HIS WORDS. Obey.

I'm still working on crucifying the flesh... specifically when my alarm clock goes off! Say a prayer for me if you think about it! I NEED to wake up earlier!

What about you? Is there anything you are working on? Are you "keeping HIS word?" Are you being obedient to what His last direction was for you and your life? 

#180 - Reverent Fear of the Lord

Good morning! Happy belated Mother's Day to all you moms out there! :) I pray you had a great day. I had a great day getting to spend time with my two favorite boys! :) Tyler Sr & Tyler Jr!

OK... let's get going today... more of a look into the life of who this Proverbs 31 woman is...

Proverbs 9:10a-11 - The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom... ¹¹For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased.

Proverbs 31:30 - Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised! 

In Proverbs 9:10, the Hebrew further describes "fear" as: awesome thing, respect, reverence, piety. We're talking about having the utmost respect for the God Most High! The King of Kings. Though we can cry "Abba Father" and cry out to him as a Father figure, we also have a healthy respect for Him, there is a humility that would cause us to bow at His feet because He is so great. A worshipful respect, a worshipful honor, to hold Him up, highly exalted. This is honoring to our Father. I'm just briefly reminded of how Sarah called Abraham "lord" with a lower case "l". Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not going around calling Tyler, "lord", but the same feeling behind it is one of respect. A respect and honor. I know I have times with Tyler, where he is more of the person where I sit on his lap and get a hug, but equally so, I know he values and appreciates it when I show him respect as head of the home. When I value his opinion and recommendations instead of always "questioning" or "second guessing."

Bottom line, what is a great benefit to having a reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord? Proverbs 9:11 lets us know the great news! Those who fear the Lord, honor Him, respect Him, THEIR days shall be multiplied, the years of their life will be increased! Imagine this... living a good life, living a long life because you are a "good person", but then you add honor, respect, fear of the Lord to the equation and the already decently "long life" that you have is extended! Your years are increased! Time with loved ones is extended! Time to accomplish great things for the Kingdom, time to pour into your grandchildren or great grandchildren is increased. TIME. Fearing & honoring the Lord gives you a precious commodity that so many people long for more of, TIME!

Our Proverbs 31 friend has figured out a way to accomplish this. Proverbs 31:29 tells us that SHE excels them all! She excels ALL women! Verse 30 explains WHO will be praised. It's not the woman with a 6-pack set of abs, though our Proverbs 31 friend is in good health and physically fit. But it is the person who above all else, honors, respects & fears the Lord.

I took time this morning to just think about what that really means. What does it mean to "fear" the Lord, or show Him "reverence." I came up with a list that I think is a good start. Let me know what you would add.... what do you think?

• Obedience - One who is obedient to His Word shows him honor and respect. One who follows His commandments for our life. 
• Study - One who honors Him by KNOWING and STUDYING His Word. His direction for our life. 
• Love - I'm reminded of Jesus talking in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. In Matthew 5, Jesus talks about loving those who love you, don't even SINNERS do that? Jesus says, "But I tell you, Love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you." Later it talks about whatever you do for someone else, it is as if you are doing it TO Jesus himself. How are you treating even your enemies? Those people who get under your skin? The potential "thorn" in your side... how are you praying for them? Are you wishing evil upon them? Are you even praying for them? What does your heart look like when you pray for them? Ask God to give you compassion for them, to show you more into why they are acting as they are. 
• Praise - Honor & fearing the Lord through praising Him! Thanking Him. Through song, through your words, through offering thanks. 

Honor, respect, fear, obedience... I desire to let my Father know that I honor Him above all else. That I don't put anything in front of Him. That I fear Him out of respect. I humble myself out of respect for ALL He has done for me. For sending His ONLY Son just for me! In return, He blesses me & you even further by increasing the years of our life. What a blessing. 

So... today... can you attempt to honor, respect or fear the Lord in at least ONE way? Show Him today that above all else, like the Proverbs 31 woman, that you too have a reverent & worshipful fear of the Lord. 

#145 - The Best Investment

Good morning! :) I am back and it's a beautiful day in Columbia! UH-MAZING! Not sure the temperature outside, but yesterday it was 84 degrees! Wow! :) 

Proverbs 28:5 - Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave and seek the Lord understand it fully.

Proverbs 28:9 - He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God]. 

I recently was talking to Tyler and he's always so smart. Not only is he a studier of the Word, but he learns and takes in from everyone. He is always learning. He said that a statement that impacted him that he had heard was about studying the Word. The person had said sometimes as you're studying and meditating on the Word, it is important to see what the Word says, but also important to see what it doesn't say. For me.... the things that Proverbs 28:9 does not say is really what I'm interested in. 

He who turns away his ear from hearing the law even his prayer is an abomination (to God). If we looked at it another way, we could see: He who turns his ear TO hearing the law, his prayer is a blessing & delight to God. 


This morning I am just excited about turning my ear TO God... turning my ear to His Word. It is comforting that investing time in the Word HAS the greatest return that I could possibly hope for or expect! That I am being a delight to God when I turn my ear towards Him & His law & Word. 


Now that I am a parent, I'm just starting to realize what a blessing it is when my child listens to me, when he doesn't touch the things he is not suppose to touch. The power of being obedient to the Law! Whether that be Mama's law in the house.... or God's law with life! Tyler Junior is blessed more by his mama when he is obedient. My love for him doesn't change, but sometimes my attitude does.  When he is fun & obedient, I want to take him places, go to the park, play, do fun things. When he is whiney and not listening well, I do not want to 'play' with him. I'd just assume it would be nap time for him! I KNOW God's desire is to bless me too! I am HIS CHILD! My desire is to bless him with my obedience and my listening ear. 


Does it seem like the theme for this year has been "listening"?? I feel like it just continually comes up! To crave & seek the Lord. To listen & obey His Word. I know listening & obeying is the best investment that will yield the greatest dividends available! 


May your day be blessed! 

#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. 

#122 - Tardiness Delays HIS Best

Hello! Welcome back! I'll tell you what, it is good to be home and beginning to get back into a routine! The Holidays are packed with fun & family, but it is equally exciting to get back and be progressing towards the goals, directions and assignments from God. Amen?!


Well... Tyler and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on Thursday, January 6th. Over our Holiday traveling tour, we were blessed to be able to spend 5 days at a Ski Resort in Northern Michigan while the boy enjoyed time with grandma & grandpa & his cousins. What a fun time! He even ate snow and made a snow angel up in Indiana! I'll share some pictures with you at the end! :)


Let's get started! If you want to be updated on the reading schedule, click on the link above to see our schedule. :)

Proverbs 10:17 - He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others.

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! 

As many of you know, for the last several months I have been working on writing my first book. I kind of piddled around writing it sporadically early in the year, but would go sometimes a month between entries. At the beginning of September, as I was in my quiet time with the Lord, He gave me specific instructions about completing it, how to do it, and when to have it done. It was quite interesting, but wonderful because He broke it down into attainable objectives. One hour of writing, first thing when I got up only four days per week. That's not so hard, is it? Well... great! I had the daily action plan. Then, comes the completion date. The Holy Spirit had directed it to be done by December 31st. Cool! So, as I entered into December, I realized, "Wow! I really am almost done with this book! God really did know that this would be a realistic goal when following the daily action plan that He instructed me to have." 


Well... let me just fast forward a bit. December 31st came and went, the book, not completed. Almost completed, but not completed. I probably only had 2-3 hours of writing left to complete. And... on December 29th, while on our ski trip, was a day that we chose to be a relaxing day. No skiing, just enjoying each other, swimming in the outdoor pool, relaxing in the outdoor hot-tub, going to the water park on site of the resort, having a nice dinner, taking a nap... just doing things that seemed relaxing. That, would have been the perfect day to complete my book. And... I could have! So... yesterday, I was driving home from church (the boys stayed home), and I literally got an OPEN rebuke as I was praying and talking to the Holy Spirit. WHOA! It is not often that this happens so blatantly. This is what the Holy Spirit told me, "You delay my blessing because you are late. I told you to finish the book by 12/31/10. It's 9 days late. Tardiness delays my best." 


Whoa! Right? That was like getting a spanking as an adult. He was right though. He did tell me and I did not complete it on HIS time table. If you know me that well... you would also know that 'in the past' one of the areas in my life that I REALLY need to improve on is being ON TIME! I remember exactly when the bad habit of being late started. I was in High School. Cheerleading practice. I hated waiting for the cheerleaders who were late in order for us to be able to start practice. I felt like I was wasting time. Not that it was right, but then I decided, 'I will just be the last one here then, then I will not have to wait.' OK... put your stones down... I'm not saying that was right thinking, but that is what I began to do. I was then, the last person at practice. The beginning of a bad habit that I am working on breaking. 


"You delay my blessing because you are late." Think about that! How many times do we pray and ask God to do this or that. Or we ask for a material blessing, a financial blessing. And how often is it that the blessing takes a LONG time to manifest, NOT because of GOD, but because WE have not done our part. Proverbs 10:17 - He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. On the way home from church yesterday, I most definitely took correction. I had to ask forgiveness for not being on time. Then I read this verse. In heeding, accepting, receiving correction I am a WAY of life for me & my family, but ALSO a way of life for others! How so? How could I be a WAY of life? Well, a few that I can think of are.... financially. My writing and future books will provide income for my family, a livelihood. It will provide a WAY of life for others? In encouragement, instruction, salvation, as an example to follow in serving the Lord. This specific book is entitled, "Fairytales Do Come True." This can and will specifically be a WAY of life for those who are single and seeking to date in the proper way, the Biblical way. It will hopefully help young woman (and men) who decide to save themselves for marriage, for their spouse. It will add ammunition to save the virginity of many young people. 


I worked on the book yesterday and I finished it this morning. 69,622 words. It is now completed. The process of editing will now begin. AND I will give a copy to my discerning friend Stephanie who will begin the process with me. 


What else? It's interesting because this morning the Holy Spirit told me WHY I needed to have the book done. He said with all the snow here in Columbia, everything shuts down, people don't go out and drive, everything is canceled. He said that she would have time to get a lot of reading done today and tomorrow. But PRAISE GOD for Grace & Favor. He said, "But it is OK. Yes, I will even make your mistakes to prosper. But moving forward, be obedient even to the details. I tell you these things for a reason!"


Praise God!


So today... I encourage you.... what was the last thing the Holy Spirit told you to do? Have you been obedient to completing it? Do you know WHAT the time schedule is? When are you supposed to have it done? HE IS WAITING TO BLESS YOU! Do not delay HIS blessing by being late! Tardiness delays HIS best... complete what He instructed you to do. Speed up the blessings He has waiting for you! Complete what He has instructed!

______________________________

My little SNOW ANGEL! :) 

We stopped off at the World HeadQuarters of our business.
Here are the Multi-Billionaire private holders of the family owned company.

View of the slopes from our suite at Boyne Mountain.

A ZipLine Adventure for ME! 

Me -ZipLining Upside-down! 

#101 - Accompanied by Angels!

Good morning! It has been a blessed morning so far. I feel like I have done a lot and it's still early. It is great to feel productive! Did anyone notice what was in today's reading? Did you see? We talked about it yesterday! :) Abiding under the "SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY!" And there it was, in our reading for today, Psalm 91:1. Isn't it good that I don't make this stuff up?!


Well, let's get started: 

Proverbs 11:31a - Behold, the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be recompensed on earth... 

Psalm 11:7 - For the Lord is [rigidly] righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face, or He beholds the upright. 

Psalm 91:11-12 - For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Proverbs: 31:29 - Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. 

Today, this may be a bank-shot for you. It may just be review or a good reminder and something you practice and confess daily already. Nonetheless, I'm going to share about it anyways. 


Psalm 91. The Protection chapter in the Bible. What a neat chapter! This chapter is talking about the Lord (seems pretty obvious) and it begins in verse 1 talking about dwelling in the secret place of the most High. It says to remain stable & fixed under the shadow of the Almighty - WHOSE POWER NO ONE CAN WITHSTAND. So we are talking about the Invincible! The Indestructible! Victorious before the battle even starts, the LORD will ALWAYS win. No question. No doubt. Well, as you get down further to verses 11-12, check out what the LORD does for US, His children! He is giving HIS angels SPECIAL charge over us. He is having HIS angels ACCOMPANY us- so go everywhere that we go, he's having them DEFEND us and even PRESERVE us. In the Hebrew it breaks it down into even more responsibilities of the angels as this: to guard, to watch for, to protect, to save life, to be one's guard, to keep. Now, you tell me, how exciting is that? To grasp the revelation that you have BIG 9, 10, 15 foot ANGELS keeping watch over you. Standing as your BODY GUARD! Like I could imagine maybe Julia Roberts having, or the President. YOU have BIG INVINCIBLE Body Guards too! Isn't that cool??!? 


Now... here's the kicker... check out what it says next...these angels are going to protect, guard, perserve you in ALL your ways of .....drum roll.... of what? Of OBEDIENCE & SERVICE! So... you tell me... how important is it that you are OBEDIENT & SERVING the LORD? Pretty important. Our angels are standing guard to protect us, but we need to be walking in obedience to the Lord! It takes it even further.... it says that they will even bear us up in their hands. Or the Hebrew describes it as being in the PALM of their hands. So, you KNOW if they are holding us in the PALM of their hands to protect us from even hitting our foot against a stone, they must be pretty big! 


Tyler & I put God and our angels in REMEMBRANCE of this scripture OFTEN, if not daily. It is now so 2nd hand nature. When Tyler leaves the house, or when I leave, it's almost as natural as saying "Good-bye" or kissing good-bye. We accompany our "Good-bye" with "Angels all around you! You're blessed and highly favored!" We remind the angels of their positions AROUND US! When we are driving, especially on long road trips, we verbally position them at ever corner of our vehicle, including the top, bottom & sides. When Tyler Jr. is going to bed at night, I take comfort in the angels I have positioned around his bed. At the door to his balcony, at the windows, and standing guard outside his room. The boy is like royalty! Mama has put angels ALL around him as his body guards! I'm not doing it in fear, but I'm doing it as HIS guardian. I'm doing it as HIS earthly parent and protector. As Tyler Sr says, "I'm the BOSS of the boy!" He's my responsibility, and by golly, those angels are going to be ON THE CLOCK at ALL TIMES! 


The Lord is RIGIDLY righteous and He loves righteous deeds. The Lord loves us, his Children to walk in obedience. He loves us to not be whiners to him. He loves us to follow His commands and instructions. He loves us to listen to that still small Voice and be obedient to it. The Lord loves when we are walking out our life in pure, constant obedience. 


A friend the other day was telling me about an experience she had recently. She recently potty trained her little girl. Well... typically once they are potty trained, as a mama, you don't normally bring extra clothes along. Well, this day she thought she heard, "Grab some extra clothes for her." Unusual for her to do this, but she grabbed a change of clothes for her little girl. Then she heard, "Grab the socks too." Well, she brushed it off and said, "I don't need the socks." Later that day, she was in a shoe store trying on shoes. Her little girl was trying on adult shoes and having fun. All the sudden, for the first time in about 3 weeks, she looked over at her little girl and saw she was standing in a puddle of pee. Her clothes & socks soaked. Thankfully, she was happy she had listened and grabbed an extra set of clothes, but she was just shy of some socks. Man! So, her little girl went sock-less with her dry shoes. 


It's awesome to begin that process of listening. Learning to hear and then seeing later WHY you heard what you did. That really the Holy Spirit is letting guiding us, wanting to make life easier for us. Wanting us to live more in the complete blessing. 


But again... it all boils down to obedience. Obedience & Service. Obeying the Voice of the Holy Spirit, and the DIRECTION & CALLING God has laid out on your life, and ultimately SERVING HIM with your life and daily actions. 


The benefit of OBEDIENCE & SERVICE? We can be confident that we are accompanied by angels! We walk around with big body guards all about us. We are under-cover famous! :) hehe! 

~ be blessed today my under-cover famous friend! 

                                            Amy J.          

#65 - The Clock is Ticking

Buenos dias! It's a great day! I almost needed a jacket on while sitting out on the porch! I was out here a bit earlier than normal.... I postponed one thing I do before I write this because Tyler Jr has his MyGym class this morning! It will be early rising for him.... but then, he will probably take a good nap this afternoon... so that is great! Ok... let's roll!


Today's Reading Schedule: Proverbs 31:10-31 Proverbs 9, Psalms 9, 39, 69, 99, 129

Proverbs 31:20 - She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit].

Psalms 39:4 - Lord, make me to know my end and [to appreciate] the measure of my days--what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].

Psalms 69:32 - The humble shall see it and be glad; you who seek God, inquiring for and requiring Him [as your first need], let your hearts revive and live.

Psalms 99:5 - Extol the Lord our God and worship at His footstool! Holy is He!

This morning I was reminded.... though I knew I was on a time schedule, after I read the chapters for today I almost just jumped right into writing what I felt led to write. Then, I was reminded. Reminded to just take some time and listen and journal what I the Lord was telling me. He really summed it all up. His desires. His wishes. His wants for His children. So... check out HIS words to me. I believe they are for you too. 

The clock is indeed ticking. Though the 30 year old may have a long life yet to live, there is urgency on their obedience. The man or woman living in the world needs to know about me. Each day in disobedience adds to those who will die & spend an eternity in hell. Yes. I want My children to hunger for & crave after Me. My desire is for our fellowship to be long & sweet. Daily, constant. All the day long. Like you were spending the day with your best friend. Sometimes you talk. Sometimes you laugh. Sometimes you just sit in their presence. My desire is that My precious children would long for Me. Their time would reflect that I am more important than the TV or internet. Prove to Me, My Child, that I am #1. 

Well... what more needs to be said after that? He just summed up the 4 verses above to perfection. And do you notice how much shorter HIS "devotion" is than what mine usually is?! Wow! He is good! 


The clock is ticking. Though, my belief on my life (according to scripture) is that I will have a LONG life! I believe that is a promise we have as believers. Time is still ticking. The most important thing I can do every day is be obedient to my calling. My lack of obedience may not put me in the right place, developing the right relationships, meeting the right people, being the right example for the lost  who NEED to meet Jesus. My obedience is all part of His plan! 


I realize that the more obedient I am, the more time I will desire to spend in the Word. And... vice versa. The more time I spend in the Word, the more obedient I will be. It is as if I am drowning out the urge or craving for sin. Since I am filling myself up with Good, the bad does not have room to stay. The temptation for sin is diluted until it is gone completely. 


Take some time to meditate on the verses above. For me, I am meditating on especially Psalms 69:32. It is my desire to get more in that place... where I am "requiring Him as my first need". With all that I am, I REQUIRE my time with Him! I REQUIRE a Word from Him. Where upon my waking, my passion is drawn into my time with my God. Where my passion for my relationship with Him urges me on. Draws me in.  


An army. An army of passionate people worshipping the Lord. Eyes lifted up, praising the Father. It starts with Me. It starts with You. The clock is ticking. People are lost. Let's be obedient to our calling. 

#56 - Observe. Think. Observe. Learn. Observe. Apply.

Good morning. Sitting out in the gazebo... what a difference from South Carolina!! I think it may be 75 degrees out right now! Maybe cooler! For sure different than 105 or 110! It definitely feels like fall (which i LOVE!) Fall was always my favorite season. I have always enjoyed sweatshirts & jeans! What a wonderful wardrobe! We don't need much of that down south.... at least not like I did when I lived in Indiana. But... this will be my first fall/winter in SC not working a job, so maybe I'll actually get to enjoy sweatshirts more. That would be swell! My dad had a Notre Dame catalog last night, what cutie stuff!!! Ok... I'm going to refill my coffee and then we will get rolling.... 

Proverbs 24:32 (NIV) - I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.

Proverbs 24:32 (AMP) - Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked and received instruction.

Proverbs 31:27a - She looks well to how things go in her household...

Observe & think. If you read a few verses before Proverbs 24:32, and the few verses after, you will really have your eyes opened even more. In verses 30-31, you are told what was seen, what was observed. A lazy man with an overgrown vineyard & a broken down wall. In verses 33-34, you are shown what was learned from the observation. With sleep and laziness, poverty comes. Observe & take instruction. Observe & learn. 


I have often heard the common phrase, "Experience is the best teacher, especially when it is someone else's!"


Growth, progress, success.... so much of that can come from learning from & observing other people. Whether it be positive observations or negative observations, we can learn! Did someone have an outcome that you would REALLY like to have also? What did they do? Look & learn! Observe & apply! What did they do to get the outcome they desired. If possible, duplicate it! Did something not so favorable happen? Look & learn! Observe & apply! Do you NOT want the outcome that they had? Learn from what they did & do not do the same thing!!


I recently heard an amazing man of God sharing a personal story that was quite impactful! God had spoken to him about a book he wanted this young man to write. God gave him the whole book, the ideas, concepts & even gave him the title & what the cover should look like. Now... it was just up to this man to write it. God wanted the book out, so the words would most definitely be inspired, and the book WOULD get published! Well, this man got busy.... one day, had things to do, errands to run... the next week, a new project to work on with his ministry... a few months later, celebration of some exciting events in his life..... then a few months... a few months.... a few months. Then, to his demise, one day he saw HIS BOOK in the bookstore!! The COVER, the TITLE, the CONTENT! There it was, on the shelf! The book God had given him had been written and was now lining the bookshelf! 


This is what the Holy Spirit said to me about this:

Observe. Think. Slow down to think. For you Amy, consider it well. Look at the book. I have books I want out & they WILL come out, I just find the faithful people who WILL NOT procrastinate. This man was given a book & I would've wrote it for him. He procrastinated so I gave it to a man who did not "need" this book for growth or elevation, but I knew he'd be faithful to complete it when I wanted it done. Observe. Learn.

The man who completed the book already had countless books in print. He did not "need" the book out to establish his writing career. Whereas, the man the book was originally given the book idea to, this book would have launched a new era of his life & ministry. This book would have been the beginning of more great books to come.... not to mention the aftermath of the book coming out may have brought more people to the ministry in which he was involved. This book would've helped to promote him to the next level. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this man has learned a great deal about procrastinating, and God could surely use him to get out another book. I'm sure this time, he would be faithful to complete it in the time directed by the Holy Spirit. :) Praise God that God can even make our mistakes to prosper!!!


Another great example is one that you & I use EVERY day! A man was given an idea of talking through a line. Transmitting sound waves through a wire. After receiving the idea, it took him about 4 months to put anything down on paper. After finally putting it down on paper, he waited another 2 weeks to go to the patent office. One afternoon, he finally went to the patent office to submit his plans for what would be called the telephone. The man at the patent office said, "Sir, I'm sorry but just an hour ago someone came in & got a patent for these exact same plans. He was a teacher by the last name Bell. Alexander Graham Bell." 


Procrastination. What was the first guys name? I have no idea. But, due to procrastination, we don't know or care what his name is. An idea that changed the way we live life is the legacy of a man who did not procrastinate. Alexander Graham Bell. 


Our Proverbs 31 friend is LOOKING WELL to what is going on in her household. She is paying attention to what is happening. She is monitoring, tweaking, assigning tasks, and considering the tasks that she should be working on. She is working towards those things she feels led & directed to work on. See Proverbs 31:16... there she is considering before doing something. She is evaluating. She is making sure she is doing the right thing as not to get overwhelmed or overcommitted! She is using wisdom in the tasks she is working to complete!


Observing.... considering... also can be directly connected to obedience. Being obedient to the last thing that the Holy Spirit was directing us to do. We may not know or understand why we are feeling led to do something, but that does not matter. It is about obedience & the Holy Spirit knows best! Are things not going right in your life? What was the last thing the Holy Spirit directed you to do? Have you done it? 


Observe & Think. - Slow down long enough to observe. Slow down long enough to be able to think about what you are observing!!! So many people are so busy, they see nothing else around them. They are just focused on quickly getting to where they are going. Slow down. Observe. Give yourself time to THINK about what you are taking in! There is a time to focus & be narrow minded to complete a task... but there is also a time to slow down & observe. To take in. To think so that it can lead to learning!
Observe & Learn. - Observe & learn! What can you learn from what other people have done? Their experience? Could it or would it in some way help you to fine-tune or tweak what you are doing? Help you fine-tune things to get you to your end destination better, faster, more efficiently? Take the time to LEARN from others actions!
Observe & Apply. - Now, APPLY IT! In my case, the Holy Spirit has given me books & has given me a finish date to have them completed. Now it is my responsibility to be faithful! To be faithful with the instructions of the Holy Spirit. To be diligent. To not procrastinate. To set aside time for completion! That is my application. Diligence!! Faithfulness. Obedience! And, it is a daily task. It is easy to get busy.... and one day slips away, the next... the next... before I know it a month has gone by and I have not worked on my book. It takes diligence & planning!


Where have others go awry? Or where have others been on course, on a straight path? OBSERVE THESE THINGS! LEARN FROM THEM! APPLY THEM IN YOUR LIFE! 


Learn from the mistakes & successes of others. Learn from their experience & allow it to help you have success in your life! 


So....what was the last thing the Holy Spirit directed you to do? Have you done it? If he hasn't told you to do anything, are you listening?