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.

#258 - FOUR Ways to be a Super Woman!

Proverbs 31:15-16a - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]...

As we read about the Proverbs 31 woman, I'm sure you've thought it too... she is Super Woman! When we read about all her attributes and accomplishments, it can be extremely intimidating in comparison to where we may currently be in life. I assure you, I am NO different! I often stand in awe of this amazing woman.

Let's look at just a few things from the verses above and see how we may be able to apply these Super Woman qualities!

(1) Benefits to "rising while it is yet night" - The house is quiet. For maybe the only time in the next 24 hours will you be able to think without hearing, "Mommmmy! Mommmmy!" Or without wiping a mouth, washing fingers, cleaning up spilled milk, picking up toys before your spouse walks in the door. I read this morning the quality of "THINK TIME."

• "Resolve now to set aside some time each day (at least thirty minutes) to be completely by yourself.... Select a time when your mind is fresh and when you can be free from distractions.... Spend some time in managed solitude every day and think yourself to success." - David J. Schwartz

(2) Getting YOUR Spiritual Food or Direction - As a woman, mom, business owner, employee, wife, friend, sister, daughter, we have responsibilities that involve the well-being and growth of others. As a mom, it's mine (and your) responsibility to grow our children up in the Lord. HOW are we doing that on a daily basis? Is it a planned event? Are we daily imparting the Word of God into our children, teaching them Biblical lessons or how to act as a child of God? With grown kids... are we encouraging them in their walk with the Lord? Cheering them on to seek the Lord even in the little things? Being an iron-sharpener versus a constant bearer of gossip? Being spiritually fed every morning put US in the right mentality to be able to LEAD our children & ourselves! Being spiritually fed and taking that morning time to THINK and PRAY, allows us to be SPIRITUALLY DIRECTED for our day, so those things we do are not done in vain! 

(3) Assign maids their tasks! - I don't know about you, but I have yet to hire a maid, though I look forward to the day I will be able too!! Until then, how are we doing in assigning those MAID TASKS? Planning when things are going to get done?

• Meal Preparation - healthy & on time for the family 
• Cleaning - baseboards, toilets, mopping, dusting, vacuuming... all the fun stuff!
• Laundry - washing, folding AND putting away. 
• Organizing - how does that tupperware cabinet look? the garage? the pantry? your closet? 

This time of planning of when you are going to get to some of these things. To be honest, I need to work on every one of these areas! But, if we never take the time to assign these tasks to OURSELVES (until we can afford a maid), they may go undone, or a point of stress because we always feel behind. IF ONLY we PLANNED out these items, we may be surprised at the amount of time we actually have AFTER they are completed, not to mention how good we feel about ourselves. (i.e. not carrying that guilt around, and nervous if our husbands are going to ask us for clean underwear again - they are still in the laundry basket!) UNTIL "we" have a maid, our job is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN - ASSIGN THE TASK. Pull out the calendar, and FIND a TIME to ASSIGN THAT TASK!!! Maybe it's one day a month where we prepare meals in advance to freeze? Just PLAN it!

(4) CONSIDER & Expand PRUDENTLY - I KNOW God has called me to do great things with my life, to accomplish things that will change people's lives for the better. I also know that He has called YOU to great things too! He has a purpose and plan, and it is OUR JOB to accomplish HIS purpose for our life. That will take carefully considering everything that goes onto our calendar. If we are going to add something to the calendar, expanding prudently after time as put prayerfully considering that activity. IS it something that you and I are suppose to do, or will it be just one more thing to keep us "busy?" (B.U.S.Y. - Being Under Satan's Yoke) - Make sure that "BUSY" isn't keeping you from accomplishing God's BEST for your life! Sometimes the most POWERFUL and SPIRITUAL word can be "NO"!  Consider, maybe you are suppose to say NO to that committee so you can actually work towards the assignment GOD has for you to do! 

Be blessed! Maybe take ONE thing in the above thoughts that you can work on this week. We CAN BE SUPER WOMEN! It may just take a little THINKING and PLANNING! :)

Not Going Back!

2 Samuel 22:19-22 - ¹⁹ They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. ²⁰ He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. ²¹ The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands. ²² For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

Jeremiah 29:11 -  For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

As I sit and reflect on how good my God is, I just stand in awe with gratefulness. I reminisce on days of my past when I was walking that tightrope with Him. When I was partially in the world, and partially with God. At that point of decision, when I was so close to choosing the world. When dangled in front of me, the luster, the temptations, the shiny glimmer and luring promise of what the world had to offer. It wasn't even a promise though. Because who knows this, everything that is not God is a lie, it may just be a shade, it may just be the beginning of a lie, but if the ROOT is not in God, it is a lie.

I remember that time when what I saw, what was drawing me in was so strong, it was so powerful and it felt so right and so wrong. The danger of the world, but the temptation to choose it over my God was so powerful. During that time, maybe you have had a time like this too, where I held a choice of the world, the other the choice of my God. If I chose one way, I would begin and remain down a path that led to and was defined by godliness. The other would take me down a path that would forsake the Truth, would forsake a true moral compass, would choose flesh over what was right, would ultimately be filled with lies, deceit, compromise. Though the path would feel good at the time, if chosen, I would have ended up miserable.

When I think back to that VERY MOMENT of decision, with all the wrong, with all the bad I had done, with all the forgiveness I needed. It is amazing to me to think GOD WAS THERE! He saw it all and still loved me. He saw it all and still loved me. Even when I had turned my back on him. Even when I made mistakes. He still loved me. AND, He loved me enough to give me a CHOICE. He didn't force me to choose Him, He allowed me the CHOICE to choose Him or the world. He was such a gentleman. In my mental anguish, as I went back and forth. Would I forsake all, throw in the towel and just choose my flesh & the world. Or, would I do the hard thing? Would I give up the things that were holding me back? Would I sever ties that were binding me to the world & its ways?

Praise God in that time, He accepted me. Weak, hurt, disheartened. He accepted me.

He loved me. He never left me.

I think back to that time, almost 15 years ago, my life could have been so different. A life without God, indefinitely would not have given me the promises that the world dangled. Because promises from the world, are not really promises. Promises from the world would have ended up in lies, disappointments, bad roads, bad paths.

THANK YOU LORD!!! Thank you for staying near me even in that time.

With GOD we have the promise of a FUTURE! A good future! A bright future, one with hope!

I don't know about you, but I AM NOT GOING BACK!!! When I look forward, the ONLY way I see a bright future, one with success and happiness, is a future founded on the Word of God. Once you have seen, you can't go back! Once you've seen what God wants for your life, nothing else is better. He promises a good future. An awesome life.

So are you with me? Let's MOVE forward this year! In 2013, lets plant our stake in the ground! Lets determine that WE ARE NEVER GOING BACK! We are MOVING FORWARD! We are accomplishing the dreams in our heart. Those God-given desires that were placed there, in 2013 we are going to pursue them!

In 2013, lets move FORWARD! Lets only use the rear-view mirror for a short glance of how far we've come. But the highway ahead of us, let's put it in full gear, drive and let's DRIVE! Let's hit the road to success God's way! The Success that He has planned for us since before even in our mother's womb when He knew us! We were created with a purpose. We were created with a plan. Let's fulfill the calling on our life. Let's begin today!

#250 - Tips from my Brother: Losing Body Fat %

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.

^{1 Corinthians 6:19-20} - Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. 

Physical fitness. Some of us like it, some of us don't! Nonetheless, to honor God in all aspects, means also honoring Him with our body. Working towards getting or staying physically fit as well as eating healthy foods that make us strong.

Today, I'd like to share some tips with you! Tips from my brother, WBFF Champion Body Building Pro, Fitness Model, Hollywood actor... James Ellis. I have some weight loss and fitness goals with a timeline on them and was talking to my brother yesterday for quite awhile. I'm into details. I like to know what works and how to maximize the minimum amount of time that I plan to work out during the week. The 4321 (or 4321 x 2) program that I have been doing has worked very good for me (10 minutes) in helping me get from 160 down to my current weight of 133 and MAINTAIN. If you are anything like me, I don't want to spend an hour working out. I put my time in as a collegiate cross-country and track runner, so I have ran my fair share of long miles, 5, 6, 10, 15 mile-runs. Now with kids, goals, a successful yet growing business, a home, etc, etc.... fitness is something that I want to do and get it done, then be able to go about my day. 4321 is a great option for that. I also know that it's important to "Muscle-Confuse, Muscle Confuse!"Or as my brother says "SHOCK" your body. Once you've been doing something for a long time, it's important to chance things up to confuse your body, shock it and allow other muscles to work. If your body/muscles get used to the same things done daily, over and over and over, the results will not be as good as they could be.

Today I implemented one of the changes I got from my brother. I figured if it can help me, I might as well share so it can help you too! We're on the pursuit of being STRONG Proverbs 31 women (as well as strong, and fit men!). As it reads in the amplified version of Proverbs 31, that means strong spiritually, mentally AND in physical fitness. Here we go....

Tips I picked up from my brother: 

1. If you want to have the greatest amount calories lost that are FAT BURNING calories, do your cardio work out first thing in the morning. 
2. Do your cardio workout on an empty stomach. What happens when you do your cardio workout on an empty stomach is that it grabs existing EXISTING fat that is on your body. When you have eaten first and work out, it grabs the fat from the food you ate. The carb you ate, the banana, the egg, etc. (Granted, if you plan on doing a weight workout after your cardio, you are going to need to have some protein. A protein shake or protein bar.)
3. "When I was trying to lose body percent fat, I speed walked on the treadmill for 30-35 at 4-4.5 miles per hour (mph) at a 2% incline." - The Fat Burning Zone is done at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. In this zone, 85% of calories burned are from fats!
4. When speed walking make sure to move/pump/swing your arms. This helps to also burn body fat in your arms. 
5. Ultimately, keep things switched up! SHOCK your body. If you do the same sort of work-out all the time, make sure to switch things up sometimes to get maximum effects.  

So... I learned some good things from my brother! He knows his body inside and out and is REALLY good about knowing what to do in order to get a specific desired result.

If you want more info on the subject, he wrote a helpful blog that breaks down some more details. Check it out: Cardio With a Purpose. 

SO.... as we pursue our relationship with the Lord, work towards becoming that Proverbs 31 woman, let's not forget the importance of fitness and taking care of our body! :)

Thanks JW for all the great tips! :) Love you!!

FB: James Ellis
FB: Scientific Body Sculpting
follow on twitter: @jamesellis3
website: James Ellis Fit

Success Formula!

Proverbs 16:3 (amp) - Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

What an exciting verse... one that may take some time to actually fully do. Roll YOUR Works! Roll your job, your kids, your business, your book, your crafts, your projects, your inventions, your finances, your dreams.... ROLL THEM onto the Lord. Commit & trust them WHOLLY to HIM. Once we've rolled our works and our cares over to the Lord, then it's time to TRUST Him with them. Trust that His goal and desire for us IS for us to accomplish the God-given dreams and desires that we have! How exciting! He will cause YOUR THOUGHTS to become agreeable to His will. Probably my 2nd favorite part of this verse. When we cast our works upon the Lord... when we cast our business, our job, our dreams upon the Lord and trust him with it, THEN begins the work of OUR THOUGHTS coming into line and into agreement with God's! Now that is good stuff! Once our thoughts come into line with God's THEN He will cause OUR plans to be established and SUCCEED! 


Who wants SUCCESS?!? I do! By turning our works over to the Lord, trusting Him with them, He begins to transform our mind. Thoughts, ideas, plans, specific activities, the 'how-to', comes into clarity and focus. THEN because we have honored God with our "works", He causes them to SUCCEED!

So... Formula for success?

Roll your Work/Care/Dream onto the Lord + Trust GOD with that Work/Care/Dream = Our Thoughts Line up with God's thoughts (plans, ideas, ways to do things just "pop" into our heads) = (ultimately leading to) SUCCESS 

 

 

 

#238 - A Billboard Kind of Vision

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

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

Habakkuk 2:2-3 - And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. ³For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day. 

Proverbs 31:16 - She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. 

Do you have billboard kind of vision? What's your vision like? Have you driven by a billboard and ever thought, "Did they really expect me to 'get that?'"  There are so many words that as you rush by at 60 miles an hour, you may get a few of the biggest words, but that's it. Then, there are others that you drive by and they just jump out at you! It may be accompanied by a picture that draws you in to it's purpose. It may be something that tugs at your heart and you can't help but want to support the cause.

Billboard kind of vision. It starts off with having a plan. We have to have a plan. In both Proverbs 19 & 16, it talks about the MAN'S mind. It talks about the MAN having a plan. The MAN has taken time to come up with a plan. It takes time, thought, energy & FAITH to determine a plan. Then our faith shows even more when we begin to ACT on the plan. It's exciting to know that we can bounce our plan, our idea of the one who created us. HE will direct our steps. HE will direct our idea. In the end, it will HIS purpose will stand. I know a man who was given the idea to write a book. He was given the idea, the title, even what the cover was suppose to look like. After much time of not writing the book, he opened up a magazine one day and SAW that very book that he was suppose to write. It was IN PRINT! Someone else had written the book that the Holy Spirit had given him to write. The Lords purpose was for the book to come out, and the book came out.

Write the vision plainly. Do you have a Billboard kind of vision? Can you read & understand it easily & quickly when you pass by it? Do you have a sign up stating your vision? Have you written it down? Does it read, "I'm going to watch what I eat & exercise and will weigh 125 pounds by June 1st, 2012." Or is it big and bold, "125 BY JUNE 1!!!" Is your vision PLAIN & EASY to read as you pass by?

A business associate of mine told me a quote that he had heard over the weekend. It went something like this. "Below average people don't have any goals. Average people have too many goals that they can't accomplish them all. Those above average have only a few goals that they are laser focused in achieving." Which one are you? Do you have so many goals that you can't even sift through them to know what they all are? Are there things getting in the way of your goals? Like the Proverbs 31 woman, she has expanded prudently. First things first. She studies and thinks about, will taking on this "project" prohibit me from accomplishing what I need to accomplish?

It starts with a plan.

Take your plan, in prayer, run it by the Holy Spirit.

Create a VISION that is only a few words! Write it. Post it. Say it. Know it. 


Act. Act. Act. Act. - GO and make your vision a reality!

 

#219 - Feel Confident with Your Decision!

Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him].

Proverbs 31:16a - She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]...

Have you ever had an important decision to make, a decision that is a pretty big deal, that will affect the next several years of your life? Maybe the rest of your life? It's important, you really want to make sure you make the right decision. It's going to affect everything.


As you begin your decision making process, you begin to weigh the options. Maybe you are a list person, so you write out all the pro's & con's on a piece of paper. You may fold your paper in 3 sections, use a ruler to make a straight line and begin to neatly bullet things out. Or, maybe you're the type that just gets out a sticky note, and scribbles a few things down. You may be the thinker. The person who sits on it for awhile, days, thinks it over and over. Quietly & to yourself, but you just think. Then, there are those of you who are talkers. You just have to talk to enough people, hear yourself think outloud, hear the ideas come out, get the opinions of others to help narrow down your decision.


Whichever type of person you are when you make decisions, hopefully you do pray or take a minute to just bounce it off the Holy Spirit.


Whenever I read Proverbs 16, I think of it as a "Power Chapter" when it comes to making plans & deciding things. Verse after verse it talks about "plans." Something that I found comforting this morning was the very last verse, "The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]." Since the term "lot" isn't something that we commonly use today, I decided to get a bit more clarity and check how the original Hebrew defined "lot." The definition that made the most sense to me was this: a systematic way for making decisions. 


So here you are.... the big decision on the table. Maybe it's a job, moving to a different city, getting married, buying a house, changing churches, starting a business, closing a business, beginning to have kids... whatever the "big decision," it's on the table. Whatever your "lot," your "systematic way for making decisions," you begin the process. What I like, as a Christian, is the latter part of the verse. Though we plan, we systematically sketch out our thoughts, pro's and con's, at the end of the day, the Lord is going to ultimately direct us. Especially when we are seeking Him, acknowledging Him, considering Him, we are going to be led the right way. We are going to choose the "right spouse," the "right house," the "right city to move to." God is not in the business of leading us awry, but leading us down the path of life, godliness & favor. 


Our Proverbs 31 woman, follows the same process as we do. She "considers." The Hebrew breaks the word "consider" down as this: to fix thoughts upon, devise, plan, consider, to purpose. In the case of Proverbs 31:16, she is considering buying a field, basically jumping into a new business venture. She takes time to fix her thoughts, her undivided attention upon weighing her options. Is this a wise business decision for her?  


Friend, take comfort. God will not lead you astray. If you need one last "check" in finalizing your decision, a rule of thumb I always use is this: Let PEACE be your umpire.  In the natural, if I am not sure which way to go, I follow peace. With which decision do I have the most peace? The Holy Spirit is peace. I allow peace to direct me. I also heard Tyler say this recently, which is extremely helpful, "The Holy Spirit always pulls, the enemy, Satan always pushes. There is pressure with the enemy." If I feel pressure, I typically stray away from that decision.


As you acknowledge the Lord, take peace. Whatever the decision you make, it is not accidental. Take confidence in knowing, since you acknowledged the Lord, He will not lead you astray!

#197 - Thoughts Matter

Good morning! It already feels like a warm day here in Columbia, we may have to hit up the pool for a bit. Well, let's get started in to the Word.

Proverbs 21:5 - The thoughts of the [steadily] diligent tend only to plenteousness, but everyone who is impatient and hasty hastens only to want.

Proverbs 31:27 - She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.

As I sat reading in my journal and reading through today's Proverbs, I couldn't escape the concept that "Your Thoughts Matter." Yesterday as I sat, listening to what I felt the Holy Spirit was telling me, here were some of the things I got from it:

• You are not subject to your circumstances. When you do things God's way, your circumstances are subject to YOU!
• Your expectation and believe DOES matter!
• People SEE your beliefs by how you live. 

Then as I sat down this morning, I felt like with the theme of "A Journey of Belief" or "A Journey of Faith." Have you ever felt like you were on a journey in your spiritual walk? One day you believe, another day you may be a bit down, the next day is better... and on and on the cycle goes. Ultimately you want to be rooted in faith and rooted in belief, unlike the person in James chapter 1 who is like a wave, tossed to and fro in the sea, wavering, unstable in all his ways.  Thankfully, being in the Word on a consistent basis has a way of keeping one grounded. Keeping one emotionally stable and headed in the right direction, though my question yesterday was this: How does someone steer clear from doubt or discouragement? 


The gist of the answer was something like this: Have a clear vision. Have the stories of faith and victory, a plan, the vision, the pieces of the puzzle INGRAINED in your mind and on your heart. Have it SO ingrained there that you know it like the back of your hand. So ingrained that every bit of it is real to you. Continue to RENEW your mind to THAT story, that vision!

This is where your thoughts come in. Your daily thoughts matter. Down to the minute, those things that you allow your mind to dwell on really matter! One thought can lead you down the path of doubt & discouragement, or one thought can lead you down the path of faith, belief, victory and favor. One thought! The Bible does not say that "doubt" won't come. For a believer, it most likely WILL come. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy (Jn 10:10), and if he can steal your faith and belief, he has won! As believers, we need to be PREPARED when the enemy comes, when he tries to plant thoughts in our mind. We need to know HOW and WHAT we are going to do when that happens. It's not a matter of IF it will happen, it's a matter of WHEN it will happen. How are you going to stay on the path to hope, faith & belief? How are you going to keep from getting discouraged? The vision, needs to be there, firmly. We need to be able to QUICKLY look to something, an idea, story, vision, plan, promise, scripture, whatever it is for you, but we need to be able to IMMEDIATELY access those thoughts and dwell on them. When the enemy comes, we need to be able to take EVERY thought captive and put it under the obedience of Christ Jesus. BUT, with the thought that Satan tries to plant, we need to be able to replace it with something else. Replace it with a thought of victory. Replace it with the picture or idea, the story of victory that we've ingrained on our minds and heart. If we are scrambling for that vision, unclear of how or what to think on, we are headed down a road of doubt and disbelief.

Thoughts matter. Today, take the time to PLAN your thoughts. Be ready when the enemy comes. KNOW what your thoughts are going to be! Know what you are going to think on . Philippians 4:8 reminds us to,  Think on THESE things, "... whatever is pure, lovely, of good report....meditate on these things." 


Your thoughts matter.

#177 - Complete Focus!

Good afternoon! :) We've had an eventful morning with one of Tyler Juniors little friends being over for awhile. They are like two peas in a pod! So funny to watch play together, tackle each other &... well... the occasional "toy snatching" has been a re-occurring theme. Nap time is officially upon us so the house is nice & quiet!

Let's jump into some Word today:

Proverbs 4:25-26 - Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.

Proverbs 31:16, 24, - She considers a new field before she buys it...  she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.... She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them... 

The power of focus. As I think about our Proverbs 31 friend, I can't help to think about the many accomplishments that follow her. In today's time, if she had a "Bio Sheet" it would surely be a long list of success', business' she owns, and lives she has impacted. Listing off just a few of the areas that she proactively worked in, I can only imagine that to accomplish all she accomplished took a skill of discipline & focus. In the few verses:

• She CONSIDERS purchasing a new field.... so she weighs her options. Like Proverbs 4:26, she CONSIDERED the path of her feet before she took that path. She was most likely well informed about the property, educated about the sales process, knew the amount of money she was willing to spend, & well prayed up. 
• She BUYS the field. With her business skills and savvy, with money she has earned most likely in other successful endeavors, SHE decides the investment is a good one and takes the plunge. 
• She PLANTS the field. Let the work begin, and the income to follow. This woman is an entrepreneur. 
• She MAKES garments. She has something she believes in, something that she believes will be a benefit, help and serve other people, and she makes a FINE product. Her skills as a seamstress, her creativity, her pursuit for excellence shine through with yet another endeavor of success. 
• She SELLS garments. She saw a need & filled it. Now, her fine quality product that she has made is being sold, marketed & bought. People see the use & benefits of what she has produced & she sells it! Like any business person, I'm SURE she has made a profit with her talent of sewing & with her idea of this helpful piece of clothing. She is PROSPERING! 

This is only covering TWO verses of this Proverbs 31 woman! But, with the power of focus, she is able to be productive AND fruitful in her endeavors! It took focus for her to find success. It took diligence & consistency to succeed. 

Success takes focus. Like Proverbs 4 discusses, success requires a fixed gaze ahead, a fixed gaze on the destination. What is YOUR destination? Are you working on one area to accomplish success? Do you have a few areas that you are working on? Reading Proverbs 31, you get the feeling that her life is full, that she is succeeding in all areas. I would anticipate when she was sewing, her COMPLETE focus was there. When she was planting a field, her complete focus was there. What are YOU working towards? PLAN it. Put it in your calendar. Add CONSISTENCY, and when you work at it, give it your COMPLETE FOCUS. That includes your rest time. When it's time to rest, allow your complete focus to just rest!

Now, put your mind to where you want to succeed & apply COMPLETE FOCUS!

#161 - Guest Post: Clarity of Purpose

Good morning! It has been a great morning so far and I anticipate the whole day will just continue to be awesome! It is my Day of Rest (DOR)! :) :) :) OK... I know some people (MOM!) may be thinking, "You have lots of Days of Rest Amy!" Well... let me explain! Yes... I have a DOR every week! A Sabbath, a Day of Rest. AND... since I'm a MOM, it is usually nice to rest without Tyler Junior... without having the "mom/wife/cook/cleaner" hat on! Do I hear an AMEN from anyone out there? I am blessed to have a husband that has a somewhat flexible job and does have some office days. It doesn't happen all the time, but it allows mom to sometimes get to slip out and enjoy some "alone time" without Junior! Often a very needed break! SOOOO... even though I just had a DOR on Friday... today was the most convenient day for Tyler for me to have my DOR.... so.... I'm starting the week of RESTING! YIPPEE! I'm so blessed to have such a great husband! A major SHOUT OUT to TYLER MCCART! I love you and appreciate you! Thank you for valuing my "rest time" too! 


Check out his post from this morning! It's not every day that he posts... but this one is short, sweet & impactful! 

Clarity of Purpose (check out Tyler's blog!)

Ok. This will be quick blog again, but I just wanted to share something that IMPACTED my life, yesterday.

I was at church and Pastor Donna was ministering and she was talking about making a quality decision about being SOLD OUT to the plan of God for your life. The last verse that she shared was this:

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

She said, "What are the reoccurring thoughts and desires that have been coming up inside of yourself for your entire life? Well, think about these things because it will bring clarity to you about the plan and purpose of God for your life."

Chew on this!! Take some time and ponder this.

Is your "Life" in line with those thoughts or at least are you taking those small steps toward that plan??

Impacting your world!!

#157 - It's all about Consistency!

Good morning! It's going to be a great day. Praise the Lord for the rain last night to wash away some pollen! We definitely needed it. We have had a yellow layer of dust on everything, cars, streets, porches, etc. So, YEAH for rain!!

Well... let's get started.

Proverbs 24:33-34 - Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep--So shall your poverty come as a robber, and your want as an armed man. 

How is anything accomplished? One action at a time. One positive step at a time. One area that Tyler and I daily confess on our "goal cards" is that we are "Spiritual Giants." Our desire with our spiritual growth is that we would be wise, we would be continually learning the things of God, we would be "Spiritual Giants" of the Word & things of God.

Good or bad, big things in life happen because of a series of events and decisions. In the Proverbs verses for today, poverty came upon this man because of daily decisions that he made. If we could see into his day a bit more, I would anticipate we would see days compounded. Day after day, this man sleeping, doing things that were not progressing towards a positive end, laziness. I would anticipate we would see a man who epitomized the definition of lazy.

As Christians, or really even non-Christians can apply this.... it's the power of consistency. For example, when began my real journey of spiritual growth was back in 1996. I rededicated my life to the Lord, and for the first time in my life, began a journey of growth. I would say at the time, I was very "spiritually illiterate." I didn't really even know a lot of the Bible School stories that most children learn from Sunday School. I felt like I knew nothing, or at least very little. But, do you know what happened? Day after day I began to learn. Little by little, I began to take in the Word. Some days I would only spend 5, 10, 15 minutes in the Word, some days I would spend 2 hours. I was hungry. Over the years I have retired several Bibles. Bibles that would get so high-lighted and written up, that I was ready to start with a fresh new one. Or... early on, I used an NIV version of the Bible. As a new believer, it was just easy to understand. I have since advanced to really enjoying the King James & The Amplified versions. Back in 1996, I was not ready for that yet. I was still like a baby drinking from a bottle, I was on milk. I just needed to understand the basics.

Often what happens in our society today, and I am guilty of this in certain areas of my life... we want to have immediate knowledge or success. Putting in the "daily time" can seem monotonous, or like we aren't getting anywhere. BUT, WE ARE! I look back over the last 15 years of my life, and the daily consistency of being in the Word has REALLY REALLY grown me up. I still would say I aspire to be a Spiritual Giant, but it took DAILY CONSISTENCY to get where I am today. It did not happen over night.

I've heard a few very successful people say phrases like that.... one lady in particular who rose to a great level of financial success would say regularly, "We just did something every day." In reaching her success, she may not have moved a mountain every day, but she was consistent in doing something every day to move forward. Just yesterday I was listening to a CD and the guy said something pretty great... he said this, "I don't know how to be focused for a year, but I can ROCK 7 days!" I bet many of us could relate to that. It may be hard to stay on track for a whole year, but if we just chose to be diligent and consistent with a week, how much easier would that be? Each week you start over. Just a week! Or just a day! Just focusing on the small, and in doing so the time compounds!

I know I won't become a "Spiritual Giant" over night, but consistently spending time in the Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, etc... over time, it will happen. It's all about consistency, in WHATEVER the arena. Fitness? It's all about consistency. Finances? It's all about consistency. Keeping a clean house? It's all about consistency. Progressing in your business or job? It's all about consistency.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, 'How do you eat an elephant?' Answer: 'One bite at a time.' Same with our goals in life, it's not about accomplishing the end result today.... but it's one day at a time, one positive step at a time. Before we know it, we will be there!

It's all about consistency! So today... maybe this weekend... maybe it'd be good to sit down, you, your journal, maybe your Bible.... and plan it out! Set a date with yourself, an appointment. What are the consistent steps that YOU need to take to get to where YOU want to be in life? Make a plan, break it down to the day, and then be focused on the Daily Action Plan! Before you know it, your dreams will be your reality!

#142 - Still on Track?

Happy Wednesday! :) Wouldn't it be interesting if we woke up like every day was a Holiday. If we woke up with excitement each day, kind of like we do on Christmas or our birthday. Yesterday I did that with Tyler Jr. It was kind of fun! I said, "HAPPY TUESDAY!! It's a special day! It's going to be such a great day! God has made it! HAPPY TUESDAY!" It was actually fun. It made me smile just saying it. So.... to you, I say, HAPPY WEDNESDAY! It's a really great day!!! It's a really special day! God has made it and you are here! It's an extremely special day. We are in route, on a journey to be all we are called to be. To reach our ultimate destination, heaven! So many things to do along the way. But PRAISE GOD we can enjoy the journey. :)


Let's go...

Proverbs 16:1,9 - THE PLANS of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. (9) A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

So, I recently did this very thing. I, Amy, made a plan. I looked at the areas of my life that I wanted to grow in. Areas that I wanted to move forward in. Goals for my life. Fitness, Spiritual & Mental Growth, Family, Our Business & finances, Writing. I sat down and fully "bulleted" out these areas and wrote what MY PLAN was in order to grow in these areas. I established a plan. What did I do next? I brought MY PLAN before the Lord to gain wisdom and insight on it. "Lord... here's my plan for these areas. Is this a good plan? Is there anything you would add? Take away? Anything I should tweek?" As I sat waiting for His answer, I was able to gain clarity on My Plan. And better yet, I was able to receive a WISE ANSWER from the Lord! I have planned my way, and now can have confidence that the Lord will direct my steps in my way. 


Well... just yesterday, I was looking over my plan. I noticed several things that I was not doing. It had been a few weeks since I had looked at it. I was reminded that I needed to put My Plan up, keep it in front of me, keep it visual, so that DAILY I am able to see & review my plan and make sure I am still on the right track. 


That is my task for today. I just wanted to ask you.... have you made a plan? Do you have YOUR PLAN established? If not, do you think that it would be helpful? Maybe it is just ONE area that you want to grow in. Maybe you want to start a business. Or begin sewing. Maybe you want to improve your relationship with your spouse. Or maybe, like me, you have several areas in which you want to grow or progress forward. Not that you need several areas.... if personal growth is new to you, I'd recommend starting out with maybe ONE thing. Growing in one area. Being diligent.... and then maybe next month.... adding another area..... then the next month, adding another area. Not overwhelming yourself with trying to change everything today, but taking small steps daily to grow. 


If you have a plan, are you still on track? Do you need to revisit your plan and make sure you are not forgetting anything? I definitely noticed a few areas where I was not on track, I had forgotten about. 


So... are you still on track?

#131 - Google or God? - Part 2

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Google or God? I choose God. 

#105 - YOU ARE MEANT TO DO GREAT THINGS!

Hello! I'm BACK! :) It's so great to be home!! You know when it is exciting to leave, but it is also exciting to get back to "life". Get back to the routines & normalcy. My parents came into town last Saturday for the boy's birthday party. Then on Sunday we left to go to Orlando (except Tyler Sr staying home. :-(''' ) I drove back home on Thursday night, and Tyler and I left for a conference in North Carolina, Friday-Sunday.  SO... I'm HOME now. It's nice. What an amazing last week though! SOOOO many amazing things happened.... I wish I could share them all, but it would take WAY to much time. 


Well... let's go ahead and get started...

Psalm 82 - ¹GOD STANDS in the assembly [of the representatives] of God; in the midst of the magistrates or judges He gives judgment [as] among the gods. ²How long will you [magistrates or judges] judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! ³Do justice to the weak (poor) and fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and needy. ⁴Deliver the poor and needy; rescue them out of the hand of the wicked. ⁵[The magistrates and judges] know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in the darkness [of complacent satisfaction]; all the foundations of the earth [the fundamental principles upon which rests the administration of justice] are shaking. ⁶I said, You are gods [since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives]; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High. ⁷But you shall die as men and fall as one of the princes. ⁸Arise, O God, judge the earth! For to You belong all the nations.

Proverbs 31:24 - She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them 

As I was reading Psalm 82, I was interested when I got to the phrase "complacent satisfaction." As I read and re-read the chapter, that was what the chapter encompassed... complacency. God being frustrated with magistrates and judges for showing complacency, for allowing unjust things to continually take place. Complacency had set in. What is complacency equal to? Darkness! When you walk around AVOIDING doing what you KNOW you are suppose to do, you begin to grow not only complacent, but your world begins to become a world of darkness. Complacency begins to not only affect your joy, but the longer complacency sets in, it allows your self-image to take a hit as well. When you know the calling God has on your life, if you have been complacent about it and not PURSUING it your self-image gradually gets worse and worse until hiding and being at home is the easiest thing to do. The passion and fervor for living life has dissipated and a midweek movie, or TV program becomes a normal thing to take part in. Pursuing your "Calling" would require effort and un-comfort in your life, so it is easier just to try to avoid it, all the while, it almost feels like a gnawing in the deep parts of your brain and heart is taking place. You KNOW you are CAPABLE to do great things! YOU KNOW if you just CHOSE to pull out that GREATNESS that you KNOW is in you, you would most definitely be a WORLD CHANGER and make HUGE difference to countless numbers of people. Deep down you KNOW how great you really are. You know that you were not created just to be living the average life you have been living. This is just NOT how it was suppose to turn out. That is what Psalm 82 is talking about. Complacency. 


The scary thing. Allowing complacency get to a point of "complacent satisfaction." At this point, even though deep down you KNOW you were MEANT, really MEANT, CALLED BY GOD to do really GREAT things. The complacency, the gnawing sensation in your heart over time stops "gnawing" as much. Over time of "doing nothing", not progressing towards your goal, or calling, your complacency turns into a complacent satisfaction. You begin to be OK with just being AVERAGE. You begin to be OK with the life that you are living. You begin to be OK about NOT pursuing your calling, the calling GOD has set for your life. You begin to be OK about just being AVERAGE.


Do you really want to just stay average? Do you really want to remain in a life knowing you COULD HAVE done so much. Knowing every day you are living UN-TAPPED. Do you really want to live and ultimately finish life like that? I heard someone say this weekend, what would the day be like in 20-30 years from now when you meet up with the person you COULD HAVE been? How would you feel?  When you meet up and you SEE the person that you SHOULD HAVE been? You see all the great and amazing things you were SUPPOSE to accomplish, how you were SUPPOSE to live, if you just would've gotten out of the place of "complacent satisfaction." 


WHAT IF? What if you chose to pull that person out now. What if you chose to live the life pursuing your ultimate destiny, living out the calling God has on your life. And then, when you get to the end, you look back and see all that you did, how fully you lived, all the you accomplished for the Kingdom of God, all that your children accomplished because they watched an awesome example in you. How different would things be if you just BECAME the person you are SUPPOSE to be. That you chose not to have fear, but to just pursue God's calling. If you just chose to NOT be average. If you chose to be GREAT. If you chose to pull out that AMAZING YOU that you know is deep down inside you. 


The Holy Spirit told me something interesting this weekend. As I was sitting in a leadership conference with so many winners and world changers, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Proverbs 16:9, A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. I had been waiting for the LORD to just tell me what to do, for the LORD to make a "plan" for me. But that's not what the Word says. The Holy Spirit proceeded to tell me that if I, AMY, made a plan, HE would direct it and make it sure, make it successful. It was up to me, I needed to make a plan. Those things that I have been uncomfortable about doing, but deep down have KNOWN that if I just started, I would be really GREAT at... those things, HE would make them succeed. And ANYTIME you begin to do something over and over, it gets easier. 


I know God has made me great. I know deep down I have really GREAT things to do and share. Great things to BE. I know that I was not meant to be average. And you know what, neither were you. 


What have you been afraid of? What has been holding you back? Choose today to leave complacency behind. Be the GREAT YOU! Live out your potential. And when it is all over, have the satisfaction of knowing that you will look back over your life with NO REGRETS. 

#103 - Follow Peace & Listen

Good morning! Still here in Orlando, enjoying my time with my parents! What a blessing to be able to spend time with them! Praise the Lord. I'm so blessed that Tyler allowed me to come home and be a stay at home Mom, Wife & Business Partner.....and thank that Lord that we started a business several years ago that would help replace my income. Thank you Tyler for leading our family!

Well, let's go! We're off to Disney in a bit, so I want to give you what the Lord gave to me this morning. He actually gave me things for YOU! :) He's good like that!

Proverbs 16:9,33 - A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him].

Psalm 16:7 - I will bless the Lord, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.

Psalm 46:1 - GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Psalm 76:1 - IN JUDAH God is known and renowned; His name is highly praised and is great in Israel.

Proverbs 16 is so full of good insight on making plans & decisions, allowing God to direct your steps, following the right path. What kept ringing in my ears was the word PEACE. Peace. I'll share some insight about peace shortly. First let's look at how it begins in Proverbs 16:9. It talks about how YOU & I make our plans.... we MAKE PLANS. We start out with a PLAN. If we aren't doing that, if we have NO PLAN, then that is the first mistake. We start out with some raw material for the Lord to work with. As we establish that plan, He is then able to step in and direct & tweek our plan. Tell us what in our plan needs to be changed. We see in Psalm 16 that HE gives us counsel and our heart will instruct us.

As we make our plans with the Lord to "edit" them... "tweek" them.... "fine-tune" them, we can do so in CONFIDENCE that He is also our REFUGE & STRENGTH! He is MIGHTY! Like the sound of a LION roaring and the echo of Him sounding in the valleys and rocks of the mountains. A LOUD ROAR. Our GOD carries with Him STRENGTH! Picture that. Picture a HUGE LION standing up tall, stretching out his head and letting out a ROAR that almost shakes the trees standing near by. With the Lion as our friend, you & I, tuck ourselves right behind His 900 pound frame and take refuge. We know that nothing is going to get by this ferocious beast. That is the Lord. He is there in a time of trouble, need, help. He is KNOWN. He is FAMOUS. He is MIGHTY.

Where does this peace come in? Well, for the new Christian and the veteran's.... peace is one of the first steps in walking in obedience. Maybe you have been in the Word for years and years, but never fine-tuned your ability to LISTEN to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You study, you know the stories, you know scripture, but you haven't ever really established the habit of listening. Or, for you who may be a fairly new Christian. This whole "Bible" thing is new to you. In the past you maybe read it and thought, "I just feel like this is all going over my head. I totally don't understand this." Or, maybe you practice on a consistent basis to LISTEN & be LED by the Voice of the Holy Spirit. Whoever you are, this is for you. Follow Peace. Continue in the Word, being in the Word will allow you to KNOW God, and will lead to KNOWING His Voice. Without spending TIME with someone, it is hard to discern & know their voice. The KEY is FIRST, spend time in the Word getting to know YOUR Shephard. If you haven't ever really "known how" to "listen". A great Umpire would be PEACE. If you are new at listening, FOLLOW PEACE.

Start small. Ask for help picking our your clothes. Ask what you should wear. Or perfume. Cologne. It was interesting, the other day the Holy Spirit even told me NOT to wear any perfume. I always wear perfume. But the person that I was going to be with, was allergic to fragrances. How could I have known that? I did not. But the Holy Spirit knows even the finest details!

Start small, just start. Listen. Be in the Word, and Follow Peace. Peace can and will be your umpire. That uneasy feeling inside you is most often the Holy Spirit prompting you NOT to do or go to that place. But when you just feel that PEACE, the overwhelming PEACE, you know you are heading in the right direction.

Be blessed today! Follow Peace & Listen.

#72 - Slow Down and Ask

Good morning! Welcome to the 1st reader in Nigeria! :) HELLO! Great to have you joining us in the Word! :) Well... so far this morning I have completed 2 cups of yummy blonde coffee, 1 fruit smoothie, just took my vitamins and am drinking a glass of water with a red straw. A nice, thick, red bendy straw! I love straws. I am a straw user! It's so much more fun to drink with a straw, don't you think? 


Today's Reading Schedule: Proverbs 20, Psalms 20, 50, 80, 110, 140, Proverbs 31:10-31 (AMP)

Proverbs 20:18 - Purposes and plans are established by counsel; and [only] with good advice make or carry on war.

Psalms 20:1a, 4 - MAY THE Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May He grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. 

Psalm 140:6 - I said to the Lord, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my supplications, O Lord. 

Proverbs 31:16 - She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]... 

The alarm clock goes off. She rolls over in bed and knows that this time she must get up. She can't afford to hit snooze again. Rubbing her eyes, she crawls out of bed squinting to read the red numbers on the clock. Dang it, she thinks. I need to get moving. Hurriedly, she rushes into the bathroom, jumps in the shower, quickly washes off, wakes up and gets out. I'll just pull my hair up again today. No time to wash it this morning. She throws on clothes, brushes her teeth, grabs her make-up and heads downstairs. 'I don't have time to put on my make-up, I'll just have to do it on the way to work again. I guess I won't be doing eye-liner today.' As she passes the kitchen table she sees her Bible laying where she laid it yesterday after getting home from church. 'Man, I really need to wake up early to have a Quiet Time. Maybe I'll get around to it tomorrow.' She pours the coffee that is left over in the pot, grabs a banana and heads out the door.


Another day in the life of a busy American Christian. The gnawing sensation there, in the back of her mind... like many people, she knows a quiet time would be a 'good idea' but she just hasn't been able to make it happen.  


As I read Psalm 20, immediately verse 1 jumped off the page. The words "ANSWER YOU" rang in my mind. In order to "answer" a question or cry needs to be made. It's hard to answer when there is no question. The verses today expressed dialog, expressed that of the need for conversation. The verses expressed plans and purposes being divinely orchestrated via counsel of godly men and women of God, or counsel directly from the Holy Spirit. But the prerequisite to COUNSEL, the prerequisite to ANSWERS begins with a QUESTION. Begins with DIALOG. Begins with time, set aside to seek the ONE and ONLY. To seek our Savior, our Guide, our Help. To spend the time with Him that will draw us into our direction, the time that will draw us into His will for our lives being discovered. So that OUR PLANS would divinely line up with HIS direction for us. Like what it talks about in Proverbs 16:3 (amp), "Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed." Isn't that AWESOME?! When we ROLL our works upon the Lord, HE will cause our thoughts to become agreeable with HIS will. And then, with our thoughts in agreement with what HE wants for our lives, WE are able to establish plans. OUR PLANS. And HE will cause OUR PLANS to not only come into play, but to succeed. But it all begins with dialog! It all begins with TIME spent before the throne of grace. Time spent, where the alarm clock is set early, we REFUSE to hit the snooze 3-4 times, but that we DEFY our flesh and get up. We get up, KNOWING in advance that our time getting with the Lord WILL BE BLESSED. That He will talk to YOU. He will direct YOU. He will ANSWER YOU! And we are able to truly say that our plans and purposes are being directed by COUNSEL. Counsel with the ONE and ONLY true God. Because of that time with Him, that time in HIS presence, our desires are coming into alignment with His desires for us. They are becoming ONE. Our plans are coming from a time spent with Him. Our desires, that are becoming our very own are born out of a time spent before the throne. Our desires and His desires are ONE. 


Our Proverbs 31 friend has established priorities. Sure, in this verse it is talking about how she is CONSIDERING taking something else on. She is CONSIDERING it. But, BEFORE she commits to adding another thing to her plate, she looks at her current obligations. Would bringing this "one more thing" on disrupt her current obligations. Would she not be able to fulfill them? Since she is the ULTIMATE WOMAN, and we know from Proverbs 31:15 that "she rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food..." She IS spending time before the throne of grace. If things or obligations would get in the way of her FIRST priority, spending time fellowshipping with her Lord, after consideration she would CHOOSE NOT to take on this additional thing. She CONSIDERS wisely before accepting more to her plate, and she knows when it is best to say NO. What a Spiritual, Biblical, wonderful word.... NO. Sometimes a word more of us need to know. NO. 


What's keeping you from regular time with the Lord? Are you too tired when you wake up? What's keeping you from going to bed earlier? Do you need to say NO to that late night movie? Do you need to say NO to Facebook? NO to twitter? NO to the 11:00 News? Or, do you just need to jump in a cold shower to wake you up in the morning? 


I'll close with some Words I felt the Holy Spirit told me this morning.... 

Those rushing out to their jobs, waking up to late to spend time with Me, feeling rushed and a sense of chaos accompanies the rest of their day. 'Slow down to speed up.' Priorities. Many people are too busy and do not even have a list of priorities. They do not slow down long enough to even see where they are going, they are just in a hurry to get 'there'. For many, I would change their direction. They would be able to do what they love for a living, not just make a paycheck at a job. Their un-fulfillment would change to a daily excitement  to embrace the day. But so many don't slow down long enough to ask. 

Today, tomorrow, slow down and ask. Slow down to speed up. Slow down, get quiet before the Lord and watch how a normal "chaos-filled" day, will change to a day filled with peace. A day where things just line up. A day where you actually get things done early. A day directed. 


Slow down to speed up. Slow down and ASK for direction from a God who is longing to spend time with YOU!