UPDATE: NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON & DECEMBER 15 BOOK LAUNCH!

QUICK UPDATE!

A lot has been going on in our neck of the woods as we prepare for the Fairytales Do Come True book launch! The book AND study guide will be available for purchase starting December 15th, 2015.

Any of you who follow me on social media know this has been a work in progress for quite some time, so to finally be at this point is such a blessing, and extremely exhilarating. If I can be transparent, I have had to continue to apply 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your cares on the Lord for He cares for you." I have had to continue to cast my nerves on the Lord.... having a book come out... to be quite honest, my flesh sure does want to be nervous!

The book and study guide will be available for purchase on my website, www.amyjmccart.com. Currently under construction, phase 1 of the website should launch *hopefully* by December 15th.

The ebook is already available for pre-order on Amazon, which will also automatically download to your device on December 15th.

Sooooo.... thanks for your support and prayers! We have definitely had a BIG, FULL and BLESSED year! Moving to Georgia into a new home in February, having our 4th baby Taylor Liberty in March.... and now wrapping up the year with the book/study guide release December 15th. God has truly blessed us... and though some days (like today), as I look at the Mount Everest pile of laundry calling my name, I just continue to know God has it all under control. His timing is perfect, and even this mom's laundry will somehow get done in the midst of it all!

God Bless and Merry Christmas!!! And don't forget to purchase your STOCKING STUFFER copies of Fairytales Do Come True and Fairytales Do Come True Study Guide! Perfect for college age student or a great mother-daughter (or even father-son) study for those high schooler's!

#271 - No Gerbils Here!

Good morning! I look forward to taking a few minutes to get into the Word with you! I've had something that's been on my heart and mind for not only the last few months, but the last several years!

Deut 6:5-7 (The Message) - Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!  Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.

John 12:36 (The Message) - ... You’ll be children of light. 

Proverbs 31:28 (The Message) - Her children respect and bless her... 

I recently listened to a podcast by New York Times best-seller, Christian, tagged as the family and kid expert, Dr. Kevin Leman. The podcast episode was entitled something like, "It's your kid, not a gerbil!" The episode went on to talk about the rat race of having young children involved in lots of activities. The topic is a pretty close topic to my heart, because I've been dragging my feet. The topic has often come up in my quiet time. "Lord, do I need to get Tyler Jr and Trinity involved in sports yet? I'm just enjoying our time. Our family time. Playing outside. Playing inside. I enjoy eating dinner every night at our kitchen table. I'm just not ready for running my kids from this field to that, eating in the car or on the go."

Not that I need to have anyone else's approval on what we choose to do with our children and our time, let's just be honest, there is pressure there! Whether it be external pressure from family, cousins, grandparents, friends, Facebook, the pressure is there and it's real. I'm sure I'm late on the "ban-wagon"... honestly, I just haven't joined it yet.... and I'm COMPLETELY happy staying off it for awhile. I know my kids will be in sports. I know they will be good athletes, but for now, it is fun watching them run around and play tag outside before dinner. It is fun watching them color and draw pictures. It is fun playing the matching game with them. It is fun eating dinner as a family every night and hearing each person as they tell "their favorite part" for the day. And it is fun, pouring love into them, pouring kisses into them. It is fun "messing with them" before bed, chasing them around the house, with laughter and screaming, as mom or dad catch them. Right now, for this stage, however long it is, I am happy and content not being a mom on the soccer field or on the sidelines.

As it says in Deut. 6, write these commandments on your hearts...get them inside of you, then get them inside of your children. This is my focus, helping the Word of God get written on the heart of my children. Whether it be as simple as sharing, or loving each other, praying for each other or others. I was in Tyler Jr's kindergarten classroom last week (a public school) and I was helping in his class. A little girl got hurt, and I witnessed him pray for her right there on the spot. His teacher just looked at me and said, "Tyler Jr is our little prayer. He loves to pray." I am ok with that. I love that my kids pray, and I love that they are not shy to pray for someone when they are hurt. If they were on the soccer field or football field, all the time, with me pouring less time into them, I'm not sure how much Word would get put in, we'd be throwing food in their mouths, throwing them in the bath or shower when we got home from some muddy field, praying and hopping in bed.

For me... I'm just going to enjoy our schedule just being ours for now. I refuse to FEAR because, "what if my kid misses out." No! I am going to have confidence in the Holy Spirit that we will not miss anything. But at each season we will be in His perfect place, involved in His perfect plan for our lives. And for now, that may simply be meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans on a Tuesday night at 5:30.

I encourage you and your family, don't be guilted into anything! If it's the soccer field right now, be children of the light in that place! If it's holding out a little longer before joining that sports team or ballet class, hold out! Whatever your season and where ever your place is for your family, like the Proverbs 31 woman, may your children raise up and call you blessed! May you be the wife and mom you are called to be! Whether it's a Pot Roast, or McDonald's, as long as you are in the center of where God has you, either one may be the exact dinner for your family. NO GUILT HERE! And I encourage you, find your place and LOVE IT, GUILT FREE!

Love ya'll! Give me a shout out! What season are you in with your family? Or is it time to re-evaluate?

Be a Spectator!

The McCart Gang: Tyler Sr & I with our kiddos, Tyler Jr, Trinity, Timothy & Taylor

HELLO! :) Despite my lack of blogging in a YEAR, I am still alive! Alive and well! And what a journey it has been! I'll give you the QUICK version, before I jump into a few things in todays post. 

The year has brought a new state, a new home, and a new baby.... just to name a few things! In February, a whirlwind of God's blessings moved us from Columbia, South Carolina to Dacula, Georgia. Six weeks after officially moving to Georgia, new hospital, new doctor, we gave birth to our 4th child, Taylor Liberty on March 19th. And what a beauty she is. She is now almost seven months old and our family is officially complete, two boys and two girls. Tyler, Trinity, Timothy and Taylor. Could my heart be any more full?! 

My girls: Trinity Faith & Taylor Liberty

More than ever, we've learned to a greater degree how to trust the Lord, trust His timing, not stress, not toil, not rush His timing, and we've continued to re-center, fine-tune and re-define, on a new level what it means for our family to be fully sold out and committed to Him! What a great re-focus. With goals and dreams (which we still have) sometimes being so at the forefront of the hamster wheel, it can be easy to get caught up in it all. And here I find myself, falling in love all over again with Jesus. Wanting His best. Wanting to impact His Kingdom. Wanting my schedule to be burned to only leave HIS objectives on the table. 

Well... with that super quick update of our whirlwind year... let's jump into some Word! 

Psalm 91:8 (AMPC) - Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. 

Now usually in life, I want to be in the game. I want to be playing. I want to be speaking, impacting, GIVE ME THE BALL! What a different perspective Psalm 91:8 puts on being a spectator. And in this reference, a SPECTATOR should be our highest goal! 

Psalm 91 is such an amazing Psalm, and many can quote it's verses as they pour out promises of protection and safety. As a mom, I find myself thinking about or praying for the safety of my children more than I ever did prior to having kids. 

I love what it says here in the amplified, how when we ABIDE, remain close to the Lord, we will be INACCESSIBLE from the enemy! As we snuggle up close under the wings of the Almighty, we can put faith in His ability to protect us and keep us from harm. 

My immediate thought goes back to Job. Something many people quote or reference, talking about how Job lost everything. Family, lifestock, home.... everything. But PRAISE GOD, we do not have to fear that for ourselves! In Job 3:25, Job references that what he had greatly feared had come upon him. Fear, gave the enemy access to those things that Job held the closest to him. As believers, Jesus died that we could have life and have it more abundantly, and a live free from fear! The enemy, Satan, comes to steal, kill and destroy. The enemy, wants you and I both to live in fear, operate in fear, tuck our kids to bed at night in fear. Fear for their safety, fear when we leave them with a babysitter, fear they'll associate with the wrong people or kids at school. The enemy wants us to put ourselves in a place of sin, in a place of fear. But as a Believer, FAITH SAYS, "I am the HEAD and not the TAIL, above and not beneath! The FRUIT of my ground (my kids) WILL NOT be destroyed, the VINE won't fail to bear fruit in the field. NATIONS will call me blessed because I am the righteousness of God. I WILL NOT fear for my children because they are protected under the shadow of the Almighty! Fear has no place in my life or heart. God has given me these children and GOD will protect them and keep them safe!" 

Psalm 91:11 says,  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]. 

WHO will give HIS angels charge over us? HE WILL! GOD WILL! When we ABIDE in HIS presence, when we rest in Him, commune with Him, HE, GOD will give His angels charge over us and our family! Over our children. What a great promise we can stand on, and how refreshing to take some pressure off of ourselves to be "the almighty protector" of our kids. God loves them even more than we do, and as we abide in Him, HE will protect our sweet babies!

When the devil tries to stand at your ear and make you fear the safety of your children, STAND UP and say NO DEVIL! I SHALL ABIDE IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY, and because of this GOD PUTS HIS ANGELS charge over me and my children! As for ME AND MY FAMILY, we are SAFE from YOU, and GOD is on the throne of our home! He has WON and YOU are defeated! 

Take a stand for your family, and ENJOY your place as a spectator!! And as a spectator, you remain INACCESSIBLE from the enemy, as you rest and abide in your place with the Lord. Isn't that good news?!!! Praise GOD!

Love you all!! Give me a shout out and let me know you're still out there! I missed you guys and I'm glad to be back! Praying for you! :)  Oh... and aside from the US and all other countries, I wanted to specifically welcome GERMANY & RUSSIA! I've noticed a lot of activity on my blog from both countries this month. :) Good to have ya'll visiting this blog. Comment and let me know where you are and how I can pray for you! 

FAITH While You Wait!

There is a difference between faith & wishing. Faith sees, feels, knows, talks about, envisions, before it is a reality. Faith comes by hearing. Faith is. #talkaboutittilitsreal #myproof? #tylerjr #trinityfaith #timothyisaacjosiah

Romans 10:17 (KJV) - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Yesterday I posted the above quote to my social media outlets. I began thinking about faith. About our successes, as well as things we are still standing in faith to see come to pass. I began to think on our greatest success thus far in regards to faith. It was an easy example, our children. 

It all began in 2001-2002. Newly married, a new business and growing in our walk with the Lord. As we were aggressively expanding and growing our new business, we found ourselves driving a lot in the expansion process. We would drive from Myrtle Beach, SC to the Atlanta Metro area in Georgia. The one way drive was a short 6 hours. There were seasons where we drove this several times a week, leaving Myrtle Beach at 3:00 in the afternoon, driving to Georgia for a 1-2 hour meeting, and turning around and driving home. We had a LOT of time on the road. We had a LOT of time to talk. 

FAITH BEGAN
Often on our 6 hour drive home, we were almost talked out. We had talked about everything and to stay awake, we began talking about our future children. We had already decided we wanted 4 children, and had already decided upon their names. Our drive consisted of imagining what they would be like, act like, look like, their personalities, their gifts, talents and abilities, how tall they would be, the color of their eyes, thickness of their hair, even down to who would be the one child who would like to snuggle the most. We began talking about, imagining and SEEING our children.

We began talking about, praying for, seeing, imagining our four children: Tyler, Trinity, Timothy & Taylor, in that order. Two boys, two girls. To this day, I'm still not sure why we believed them in the order of boy, girl, boy, girl, but we did. That is how we saw them. We talked about how Trinity would love to feed daddy. She would feed him bites of her food (and at age 2 1/2, SHE DOES THAT!), and when she was old enough she would make him sandwiches, carrying it in on a plate and beam with pride as daddy thanked her. She would love to serve daddy (and even her brothers), simultaneously this is also the love language of her dad, "acts of service." From the book The Five Love Languages, this is one of the ways Tyler feels loved the most. Taylor on the other hand, wouldn't be the serving type, but she would be the snuggler out of the four kids. She would love to be held, hugged and could just sit in your lap, loving you with her affection. 

I could go on about all the things we talked about, but the bottom line is, WE TALKED and FAITH CAME! Faith comes by hearing! I HEARD my voice as I talked to Tyler, I heard my voice talk about our children, and I listened and HEARD as Tyler also talked about them, and we were in agreement (Matthew 18:19). As we SPOKE WORDS out of our mouth, FAITH CAME. Until, our kids took on themselves, years before they actually arrived. They began to take shape, because we spoke about and envisioned them. We talked about them like they were REAL and one by one, they have become the real, live, manifestation of what we spoke about. 

I've heard many people say comments like, "Well, we're just not like you and Tyler. It just doesn't happen like that with everyone. My husband and I can't just 'pick out' whether we want a boy or girl next."  

My thoughts behind that comment? Tyler and I just spent more time building our FAITH around who our kids were and who they would become. Sure, someone who just makes a decision, hopes for or wishes to have a "baby boy next," may or may not have a boy. How real did that baby boy become? Did they see him, talk about him, envision him, see his characteristics, personality? My questions to them would be, DID FAITH REALLY COME? Did you talk about them so much, OUTLOUD, with your words that, as Romans 10:17 says, FAITH CAME. 

Don't get me wrong, why haven't some of our other dreams and goals come to pass yet? I believe many still will, but why not yet? Well… I believe it is our responsibility to speak about, envision, see those goals becoming a reality. SPEAKING ABOUT them until FAITH COMES. Faith GIVES birth to a new, dreamed, reality! 

When were our children born? Tyler Jr - 2009, Trinity Faith - 2011, Timothy Isaac Josiah - 2013. BUT, truly on our drives from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach, THAT IS WHEN OUR CHILDREN WERE BORN. 

Tyler Jr, Trinity & Timothy …. one more to go! Our baby girl Taylor!

To Hell in a Handbasket?

Quite an interesting title for today, I know! I looked up the meaning for this phrase and this is what I found: 

To be 'going to hell in a handbasket' is to be rapidly deteriorating - on course for disaster.

As I sit and reflect on my life, like many of you, I definitely had my season of what I call my black sheep days! Late high school, early college, the definition above defines the direction of my life. Without Jesus, doing what I felt like doing, my life was rapidly deteriorating & on course for disaster.

One of the Bible verses Tyler & Trinity know, is one of my favorite.

Romans 10:9 - If you, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord & believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved!  

But isn't that true of every person who has not accepted Jesus as their Savior? It may not look like their life is deteriorating. It may not look like their life is on course for disaster with their nice new car or new house, their elegant and perfect interior decorations, or the front porch wreath & topiary tree that makes everything look so together. You know that friend, you partied with them back in the day. You joked, laughed, created memories, most of which you now wish you could take back.

But then… that day came for you. Like the prodigals son, who went and squandered his inheritance, he came to his senses. He came running back to his father. You and I did the same. We had that defining moment when we realized our life was empty. The parties were not fulfilling the empty void in our heart. The relationships weren't completing us like we thought they should. The money seemed pointless and meaningless. We had that moment, down on our knees where we took Romans 10:9 and received it for our life. We confessed with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, for the first time we believed it in our heart that God did raise Him from the dead, and for me, that day in November 1996, I was officially saved. Saved from a deteriorating life. Saved from a life headed in the wrong directions. Saved, ultimately, from a life in hell, had I not confessed Jesus as Lord and received Him into my life.

What about those friends? What seemed like decades ago, what about them? Did they make the same change or decision I did? Some did. Some did not.

Jonah 4:2b - ...for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and [when sinners turn to You and meet Your conditions] You revoke the [sentence of] evil against them.

The evil sentence? What is it? For those who DO NOT accept Jesus as their Lord, the eternal sentence is inevitable. When they breathe their last breath on earth, they will go on to spend an eternity in hell.

And that friend, for years, has continued to come up in my mind. She continues to prod at my brain. Why? Because I know most likely where she would go. I don't think she has made that decision for her life.

Which leaves me with the challenge. Who is it that you need to talk to about Jesus? Who do you need to ask that question?

On a scale of 1-10, how sure are you that when you die you will go to heaven? ------ Oh, you're a 7? ---- Would you want me to tell you how you can be a 10? Eternity is a long time to play around with and not be 100% sure. Because if you're not 100% sure, you are 100% unsure. Can I share with you how you can KNOW you are going to heaven? 

Romans 10:9 - If you, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord & believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved!   

Repeat after me: "Thank you Lord that I confess that Jesus IS Lord and I DO believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I receive Your salvation. I confess my sins to you and ask for your forgiveness. THANK YOU LORD that TODAY, on __(date)___ , I AM SAVED!"

You pray for me and I'll pray for you. I have a phone call to make that I've dragged my feet on for years. Who is it that you need to call?

And please, SHARE your story in the comments below!

 

Any Excuse Will Do

Do you have something in your life that you know you are supposed to be working on? A habit you are supposed to be establishing or breaking? A task or assignment that you are supposed to be completing? Have you been diligent to complete this assignment?

Or are you letting life pass you by?

Any excuse will do not to complete a task. Over the years, I've noticed I've had many excuses for different things. Let's look at a common list of tasks... And list of excuses.

• Complete the book. Edit the book. Pursue a publisher.
• Start the business.
• Get on a consistent exercise routine. 
• Organize ________________.
• Make your bed everyday. 
• Clean regularly.
• Start cooking and eating healthy. 
• Save money.
• Get out of debt.
• Do what it takes to grow existing business.
• Read and listen to success/spiritual books or audios.
• Teach kids the Bible, manners, how to clean up room/make bed, ____________.
• And the list goes on. 

Well, I like most have been guilty of making excuses, and guess what, any excuse will do!! Here's a list of some I have used over the years, as well as maybe some extra's. 

• I have small children, I just don't have time to __________.
• I'm a nursing mom, I can't ____________.
• My kids are in soooo many activities. I'm just a taxi and don't have time to ______________.
• I'm pregnant and need to sleep. I'm just too tired to ________________.
• We don't have the money to do ___________.
• I don't know how to start the __(business, podcast, book, you name it)__.
• I don't have the materials to _____________.
• It's too hot. 
• It's too rainy. 
• I don't have the contacts to get started with _______________.
• My house is too small. 
• I have to clean, I don't have time to ___________.
• I have too much laundry, how can I fit in doing _____________?
• My family doesn't believe I can do _____________.
• My friends aren't supportive. 
• I would have to wake up early, my sleep is too important. 

Honestly, to not accomplish something in life, any excuse will do! You could just as easily say, "I can't write the book because of the hangnail I have. It's too painful to type." 

You could be making excuses or you could be simply running. Let's take a look at Jonah, 

Jonah 1:3a - "But Jonah rose up to flee..."

It's easy to make excuses and it is easy to flee what you know you should be doing. Most likely, you or I are not going to be swallowed by a whale if we are disobedient to God....but what are we going to miss out on for not being obedient? What life could you be living if you followed that gut instinct that you've had for years! (i.e.: gut feeling, also known as the prompting of the Holy Spirit) What could be your happiness level if you just completed this assignment instead of chalking up excuses. What could be your significance level? Would you be able to help a large group of people if you completed this _________________?

I'm speaking to myself here! Trying to accomplish things with a 4 1/2 year old, 2 1/2 year old & a 7 month old can be interesting. Sometimes it's interesting to just fit in a shower, let alone accomplish something major!

Friend... I'm going to challenge you today, unlike Jonah, don't flee! Choose to not make excuses and just do it anyways! DO SOMETHING GREAT! Go against the odds and WIN anyways! Despite what you could use as excuses! Do it anyways! Excuses will always be available! No one ever did anything great with excuses, they always operated in spite of their obstacles and adversities!

Friend, today WIN ANYWAYS! Any excuse will work for you remain average, but friend, go out there and ACCOMPLISH YOUR DREAM! START IT! BEGIN!

I believe in you and am praying for you right now!!

Numbing Joy

Have you ever been at a crossroads? One path will take you down a road to one life, while the other path will lead to a completely different life. The 1st life, The Blessing - the blessed life that The Lord has in store for you to live. The good life. The 2nd life, a life that, in the beginning brings happiness, it feels good, it fills a void in your life, it even seems consuming. Your heart and mind are consumed by this life (often revolving around a person or position). You think about it/them all the time. When you rise and when you wake, it is the consuming thought that is with you at each breath. 

Proverbs 2:23 - Men who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness…

Proverbs 4:26 - Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.

I remember well that day. That defining day. The day that would change the very course of my life. The term crossroads almost seemed too light of a word to describe the position I found my life. I knew, though tangled up, obsessed, wrapped tightly, consumed - the one life would bring me fulfillment in the today. The fulfillment would be at least for a day or maybe just moment, though it could immediately turn on me for the worse if it felt like it, as soon as tomorrow! The other path, in the short-term, would be painful. It would be a painful today, tomorrow, next week and most likely next month. It would mean cutting ties. It would mean hurting my heart. It would mean opening up a place in my heart where I had allowed something to slide in and fit, puff up and fill a void. Path 2 meant I would take that piece out, leaving an empty, shallow, dark, painful hole. My heart would be open and my heart would be hurting. 

The defining day. The lottery option. If I chose the first road, it was a true gamble! The lottery option in effect meant, I could lose everything. My second road, I ultimately knew would bring pain now! I would be in pain for awhile, and only time down this path would heal my opened heart. BUT….. the end of the road meant I would be fulfilled, healed, whole and healthy. My heart would be in a healthy place. The void would be filled with God, and by choosing Him, He could lead me to HIS life that He had for me. The immediate life, the microwave choice, would be immediate happiness, long-term mediocrity, and potentially end in devastation & toil. 

The good life, the blessed life required patience. Painful, day in, day out, patience. The path God had for me, put me on a path that required putting in, beginning to fill that void with Him. Beginning to fill the place in my heart with God was not always easy, but I chose God first over self, short-term feelings, my flesh and my pleasure. It was a painful path that required my continual, daily pursuit of God, when sometimes the pursuit of alcohol or relationships would have brought a more numbing joy. 

On this journey, when I was ready, when I was complete, the ultimate gift would be waiting. The gift that would bring so much joy and happiness that I could not have imagined. After the pruning away, trimming back, the waiting, shaping, molding and defining, that ME…. the me of the 2nd path, could be finally trusted with the good life! I had proven myself faithful. I had allowed roots to not only take root, but go deep & thicken. In pruning out the hard things, my roots were strengthened. God could TRUST me! 

I'm so thankful I chose true joy over numbing joy. The numbing joy would have been fleeting. It would have gone. It would have continually had to be replaced. It would have included toil. It would have ultimately caused more pain. It would have pushed me into the hamster wheel of life, sin and entanglement that had me going too fast, it was hard to get off the wheel… not to mention, the wheel was extremely exhausting and certainly not the blessed life. 

Is there something in your life that you are choosing numbing joy instead of choosing to truly seek & follow God? What is it? Will you consider dealing with it today? Finally head down the road of peace, restoration & true joy! 

#270 - The Mom of "COMPARISON"

Let's be honest mom's, we've all done it. Done what? You know, done it. Sat there comparing ourselves to that other mom. Or on a really bad day, maybe we just sat there comparing ourselves to LOTS of other mom's… having one of those moments where we just didn't feel good enough, so let's just rehearse all the things that other mom's do better than we do! 

How exhausting!

The list may go something like this: 

She makes healthier dinners than I do. She buys the good organic stuff.Her kids don't eat much junk food. Her house is always clean. Look how good her kids behave, I never see them fight. Her kids have such great manners. She's in great shape! I mean, how does she have a stomach like that after having 3 kids?!She seems like such a nice mom. Her kids get to be in so many fun activities. She and her husband are such a good looking couple. She and her husband must be so good at handling their money, I have no idea how they live in such a nice house.  She is so disciplined at working out.I'm sure my kids watch more TV than her kids. Her kids probably color, use scissors, glue and do crafts.

And the list goes on.

Proverbs 31:10a - A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who is he who can find her?

I'm thankful for the Proverbs 31 woman, and I'm thankful that as a believer, I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me. Why? Well, I'll answer the latter part first.

I'm thankful the Holy Spirit lives inside of me. 
A few years ago, as a newer mom, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. So many mom's that I was around seemed to have everything together. I couldn't figure out how I could do everything, raise my kids up in a godly manner, work out and stay fit, and cook, clean, get up early to read my Bible… yaddee yaddee yaddee. It was one of those days for me. As I sat looking at everyone else's strengths, I wallowed in all of my short-comings. And as I sat there wallowing, I felt like the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "Just focus on the atmosphere. Create an atmosphere where I am involved, and you will be the best mom that you were created to be." 

So… I had permission NOT to be the mom of the year by the "worlds" standard by being involved in everything under the sun. I had permission to just be ME while creating an atmosphere which invited the Holy Spirit.

What. A. Relief. 

As far as the Proverbs 31 woman…. I've come to more and more of the realization that as I focus on being that woman, I don't have to search for her in so many other people. I don't have to compare when I'm focused on just being.  If you read the whole section, Proverbs 31:10-31, you'll notice that she really is amazing! I can imagine, between her doing everything that she did, there was no time for comparing. For me, if I just focus on being who God created me to be, being the Proverbs 31 woman in my own life, being and listening to the direction that the Holy Spirit leads me each day, then I won't not only not have time to compare, but I won't even see the opportunities where I could compare. I will be to busy being!

So… girlfriend…. today, when you're tempted to think that other mom is thinking about you or how your kids are behaving when she looks your way, dismiss it! Focus on not wasting your time and energy on the comparison game. Focus on BEING the Proverbs 31 woman that God created you to be! When you are in the pursuit of THAT woman inside of you, you will not have time to compare yourself to Susie Homemaker. 

Girlfriend, PURSUE the YOU that God created you to be! Pursue that Proverbs 31 woman on the inside of you!

Do Your Dreams Mean Anything?

Dreams. Are. Important. 

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

Dreams. Are. Important. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dreams. Are. Important. 

God. Communicates. Through. Dreams. 

Listen.

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!

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A SHOUT OUT!

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