Good morning! :) I pray that you are having a blessed morning and week so far! It's kind of like a Monday to me since I had my Day or Rest yesterday. Praise God for a day to rest! To get rejuvenated, refreshed, a time to reflect even take a nap! Love it!
We're going to veer off the normal "schedule" today... primarily because I'm going to share a big revelation that I received this weekend. A revelation that has set me free. A revelation which has released me to now go BE who I was created to be! What amazing FREEDOM!!!!
We had a life-changing night Thursday. Our "special invite" to a special meeting really rocked our world... but Friday morning as I was reviewing some notes, Tyler and I started talking and I just started bawling. I was bawling like a baby! My sobs were making my body shake. It was quite pathetic really. And sad. I told Tyler of some of the revelations I had received, but the one thing that I felt that was left lingering in my heart was "doubt." I knew God had created me to do really really great things... but I was crying because I didn't know how to get rid of the doubt that I was experiencing in my heart. The doubt that said, "You aren't capable." The doubt that said, "You can't help people." The doubt that said, "You will reach your goal one day.... but that one day was no where in sight." The doubt that every day, for the last eight years kept me in a place of bondage. Sure, I've done good things, and made some strides along the way... but I was prisoner to doubt. After my bawling episode... maybe 30 minutes.... I had to move on with the morning and get the boy ready to go to the babysitter for our leadership meeting that we would be attending downtown.
I went the series of leadership meetings looking for one thing, looking for the CLICK that I needed to really become the ME that God created me to be. To become the me that was ROCK SOLID! The me that wasn't scared. The me that could confidently help people. The me that could pursue my FULL calling with reckless abandon. I was expectant. I didn't know what the 'click' would be, but I was expectant! As I sat, soaking in all that I was hearing, writing page after page of notes... my mind was being renewed.... and then, there it was. The click. The missing piece to the puzzle. The revelation that I had been needing and waiting for. James 1:6-8 ~ If you DOUBT, you are unstable, like a wave tossed to and fro in the sea! If you DOUBT, because of that doubt, you can not even expect ANYTHING from the Lord!!! ANYTHING! If you have doubt in your heart, don't expect to receive from the Lord! WHAT?! WHAT?! So... here I had had this doubt in my heart for 8 years! You mean because of that doubt, I can not expect anything from the Lord?! In the past, I had recognized it a little bit... more just as fear or insecurity, but I had known it was there all along. But THIS, THIS was different!!! Before, I would do what the man in the Bible did when he doubted, he said, "Lord, please help me with my unbelief." I had done that a lot. But this time it was different. Immediately in my spirit I knew exactly what to do with doubt. Tyler and I do it ALL the time with other things! If you were a fly on our wall, you would hear it randomly come out of our mouths, "I take that thought captive and put it under the obedience of Christ Jesus!" Maybe we had a thought of fear or lust, or temptation. So you will often hear us saying that verse out-loud. If we are in public, we still say it out-loud, maybe just a little under our breath.
So... what did I do? I FINALLY recognized what was happening. The enemy had planted a seed. That seed had been holding me captive because I listened to the subtle comments and suggestions! The enemy, Satan, demons, whatever you want to call them, had been just ever so subtly sitting right behind my ear and whenever I would think about or begin to pursue to help someone or do something in the direction of my calling he would talk to me, "Oh, don't even try it. You won't be able to help that person. Don't even pursue it." - "You've never helped anyone do that before, what makes you think you can do it this time?" And on and on they would go, until I caved in to the voices. At the time they were UN-RECOGNIZABLE by me, but the voice was that of the enemy. I didn't recognize it as the enemy. But I now know it WAS the enemy!
NOW, guess what I KNOW to do?!?! I KNOW that when I recognize that fear or doubt, I only need to do ONE thing, TAKE THAT THOUGHT CAPTIVE AND PUT IT UNDER THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST JESUS! Put that NON-SENSE under my feet! Where it belongs. And then AGGRESSIVELY pursue it because I can EXPECT to receive from the Lord!!! And because I have taken the thought captive, thrown it down, the Lord will even show out even more because I have been obedient! I can expect the LORD to do the work through me AND it be a success!
I HAVE NO FEAR! I AM FREE! DOUBT is no longer controlling my thoughts, emotions and actions! I know what to do, I take the thought captive and then LAUGH in the face of my enemy! I have FINALLY WON and the enemy has been caught! I recognize the subtle drops of doubt and fear, and because I finally recognize them for what they are, I can take authority of them because I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND I HAVE AUTHORITY!
What is it for you? Have you been hearing subtle drops of doubt about starting a business? "You can't do it. You don't have the experience. You don't have the finances. You don't have the knowledge." Have you been caving in to that voice and putting aside what you really desire to do? Have you been hearing the voice saying, "You can't lose that weight. You've never done it before. It always comes back. Don't even try this time."
BUT... THIS TIME could be THE TIME! "This time" could be the "the time" you have been waiting for. The time where you really experience the breakthrough once and for all! FREE YOURSELF from DOUBT! Take those thoughts captive and experience your breakthrough!
Have a blessed day! Receive what you need today!
We're going to veer off the normal "schedule" today... primarily because I'm going to share a big revelation that I received this weekend. A revelation that has set me free. A revelation which has released me to now go BE who I was created to be! What amazing FREEDOM!!!!
James 1:6-8 - But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
2 Cor. 10:4-5 - The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.OK... are you ready? Buckle in for this! Buckle in! For some, this may ROCK your world! For some, maybe it will just be like another "good Word", or "devotion".... but, I do believe that this revelation can & will set some other people free like it did me!
We had a life-changing night Thursday. Our "special invite" to a special meeting really rocked our world... but Friday morning as I was reviewing some notes, Tyler and I started talking and I just started bawling. I was bawling like a baby! My sobs were making my body shake. It was quite pathetic really. And sad. I told Tyler of some of the revelations I had received, but the one thing that I felt that was left lingering in my heart was "doubt." I knew God had created me to do really really great things... but I was crying because I didn't know how to get rid of the doubt that I was experiencing in my heart. The doubt that said, "You aren't capable." The doubt that said, "You can't help people." The doubt that said, "You will reach your goal one day.... but that one day was no where in sight." The doubt that every day, for the last eight years kept me in a place of bondage. Sure, I've done good things, and made some strides along the way... but I was prisoner to doubt. After my bawling episode... maybe 30 minutes.... I had to move on with the morning and get the boy ready to go to the babysitter for our leadership meeting that we would be attending downtown.
I went the series of leadership meetings looking for one thing, looking for the CLICK that I needed to really become the ME that God created me to be. To become the me that was ROCK SOLID! The me that wasn't scared. The me that could confidently help people. The me that could pursue my FULL calling with reckless abandon. I was expectant. I didn't know what the 'click' would be, but I was expectant! As I sat, soaking in all that I was hearing, writing page after page of notes... my mind was being renewed.... and then, there it was. The click. The missing piece to the puzzle. The revelation that I had been needing and waiting for. James 1:6-8 ~ If you DOUBT, you are unstable, like a wave tossed to and fro in the sea! If you DOUBT, because of that doubt, you can not even expect ANYTHING from the Lord!!! ANYTHING! If you have doubt in your heart, don't expect to receive from the Lord! WHAT?! WHAT?! So... here I had had this doubt in my heart for 8 years! You mean because of that doubt, I can not expect anything from the Lord?! In the past, I had recognized it a little bit... more just as fear or insecurity, but I had known it was there all along. But THIS, THIS was different!!! Before, I would do what the man in the Bible did when he doubted, he said, "Lord, please help me with my unbelief." I had done that a lot. But this time it was different. Immediately in my spirit I knew exactly what to do with doubt. Tyler and I do it ALL the time with other things! If you were a fly on our wall, you would hear it randomly come out of our mouths, "I take that thought captive and put it under the obedience of Christ Jesus!" Maybe we had a thought of fear or lust, or temptation. So you will often hear us saying that verse out-loud. If we are in public, we still say it out-loud, maybe just a little under our breath.
So... what did I do? I FINALLY recognized what was happening. The enemy had planted a seed. That seed had been holding me captive because I listened to the subtle comments and suggestions! The enemy, Satan, demons, whatever you want to call them, had been just ever so subtly sitting right behind my ear and whenever I would think about or begin to pursue to help someone or do something in the direction of my calling he would talk to me, "Oh, don't even try it. You won't be able to help that person. Don't even pursue it." - "You've never helped anyone do that before, what makes you think you can do it this time?" And on and on they would go, until I caved in to the voices. At the time they were UN-RECOGNIZABLE by me, but the voice was that of the enemy. I didn't recognize it as the enemy. But I now know it WAS the enemy!
NOW, guess what I KNOW to do?!?! I KNOW that when I recognize that fear or doubt, I only need to do ONE thing, TAKE THAT THOUGHT CAPTIVE AND PUT IT UNDER THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST JESUS! Put that NON-SENSE under my feet! Where it belongs. And then AGGRESSIVELY pursue it because I can EXPECT to receive from the Lord!!! And because I have taken the thought captive, thrown it down, the Lord will even show out even more because I have been obedient! I can expect the LORD to do the work through me AND it be a success!
I HAVE NO FEAR! I AM FREE! DOUBT is no longer controlling my thoughts, emotions and actions! I know what to do, I take the thought captive and then LAUGH in the face of my enemy! I have FINALLY WON and the enemy has been caught! I recognize the subtle drops of doubt and fear, and because I finally recognize them for what they are, I can take authority of them because I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND I HAVE AUTHORITY!
What is it for you? Have you been hearing subtle drops of doubt about starting a business? "You can't do it. You don't have the experience. You don't have the finances. You don't have the knowledge." Have you been caving in to that voice and putting aside what you really desire to do? Have you been hearing the voice saying, "You can't lose that weight. You've never done it before. It always comes back. Don't even try this time."
BUT... THIS TIME could be THE TIME! "This time" could be the "the time" you have been waiting for. The time where you really experience the breakthrough once and for all! FREE YOURSELF from DOUBT! Take those thoughts captive and experience your breakthrough!
Have a blessed day! Receive what you need today!
5 comments:
You da Man...uhhh WOMAN! Get rid of doubt AND fear! Thanks.
Pleasure JT! We believe in YOU & Sara! What givers you both are, and what HUGE hearts you have!!! Excited to see YOU BOTH rise to the top this year! IT IS YOUR TIME JT!!!
Well, all I can say is that I'm very disappointed that you left out the best part from when you did the talk Tuesday night... I didn't read "Tim & Rebekah" anywhere! :o) Thanks again for such a great talk and for putting it down in writing. When you were talking, it was the voice of God speaking right to our hearts. Thanks Amy!
Wow, Amy ... did you write this just for me? This wasn't so much the "a-ha moment," but more absolute confirmation that I'm heading down the right path.
A little back story, if you don't mind ... not sure if you know, but I'm a photographer and have had a business for nearly 10 years ... but it's been a "part-time" business. It has taken a taken a back seat to another full-time day job that basically provides insurance for my family and a steady paycheck. It has always been my desire to be full-time with photography and be able to be at home for kids. Since we had our daughter 2 years ago, my boss let me go down to 30 hours a week (which is the minimum I have to have in order to keep the insurance ... my husband is self-employed) in order to spend more time with her. It is not our desire to have her in full-time day care and it didn't make sense to US for me to work extra hours just to pay for day care. If I'm going to pay that kind of money, I'd rather take the cut in pay and be the one at home with her.
ANYWAY ... a couple weeks ago, my boss asked me if I had considered coming back full time because our department is growing and looked very much like it was going to necessitate someone full-time in my position. He gave me a couple weeks to think about it. My husband and I talked about it and our position was still the same ... didn't want to work more to have her in day care, but ultimately, didn't want her in day care full-time. SOOO, that means I'm not willing to go back to work full time. I'm making my daughter a priority. I told my boss on Monday that I wouldn't be coming back full time. He was disappointed, but respected my decision.
WHICH MEANS ... we're taking the leap and going full-time with photography! I've always been a fearful person and the thought of leaving the good insurance and the steady paycheck has kept me in a place I don't want to be.
At the beginning of the year, I told God that I was tired of trying to do my business MY way because MY way wasn't working and that I was handing it over to him to do what HE wants with it. My husband and I feel like this is the push I need to actually DO something with it!
I thankfully have about 3 months to get things in order before I leave the day job.
What's crazy is that I have no idea what it's really going to look like, but I have such a sense of peace about it and I'm not freaking out about it like I thought I might. I KNOW the LORD will provide for us and I'm looking, EXPECTING GREAT THINGS! I need to GET RID OF THE FEAR and DOUBT ... finally!
So, sorry for the long post, but I had to let you know that your words today are a confirmation for me! And I need to BANISH fear and doubt!
Thanks, Amy, for your word today!
Thanks for you comment Jen! I will be praying for prosperity in your leap!! :) How exciting!! If you notice the date on this... I wrote it over a year ago!! I knew it was really a great revelation to me when I wrote it and lately I have needed to revisit this revelation to plant it into my mind and heart for some business things!! I still need to re-read it MORE and meditate on it to really allow this word to sink in for me! Praise the Lord that it could help you!! :)
I'm praying for you!! What an exciting time for you!! And PRAISE THE LORD you have the Holy Spirit to direct you! As you listen He WILL NOT lead you astray! Excited about a prosperous photography business... and anything else He leads you too!! :)
Thanks for sharing! I'm praying for you!!! :)
Amy
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