#231 - In Need of Some Confidence Today?

Proverbs 14:26 - In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge.

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

Today, are you in need of strength? Are you in need of strong confidence? Are you in need of just a knowing in your heart that everything is going to be OK? Maybe it's financial struggles, health challenges, relationship issues, marital struggles, tiredness, weariness, job challenges, lack of fulfillment, a family health challenge, a child who has gone astray from the Lord. Have you been doing things right and feel like it hasn't paid off? Have you been following the Lord, being faithful, and feel like it hasn't gotten you anywhere. You look at people who have done it "their own way" and feel like they have just catapulted in success and happiness. Do you need a strong confidence? Do you need that knowing that GOD is still GOD? That God is still on the throne and blesses HIS children for their faithfulness and obedience?  


Friend, God still is on the throne. And, God has a strength waiting for you that you've been desiring. He has that strong confidence available for you that you have been longing for. In 1 Chronicles 16, the chapter is filled with David directing the people to give praise to God... and HOW to give praise to God.  

1 Chronicles 16:7:12 - That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the LORD in this manner: ⁸ Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. ⁹ Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. ¹⁰ Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. ¹¹ Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. ¹² Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.....

As I write this, the song playing has these words ringing. "Shout out to God with a Voice of Triumph, Shout out to God with a Voice of Praise!" Are you waiting for that strong confidence? Choose today to receive it through reverent worship! Like in 1 Chronicles 16, Give praise to the Lord! Sing to him! Tell of His wonderful acts! Remind Him of what He has done for you! Give Him glory. Look to the Lord and HIS strength. 


Get alone. Allow yourself to have a time in reckless abandon to praising Him! Allow yourself to be taken away in worship. Allow yourself to get on your knees, to worship, to adore, to honor your Heavenly Father for all He has done and all He is doing. Maybe with your eyes, you do not see it. Maybe like Thomas, you want to put your fingers in the very holes of Jesus to know what He did was real. Maybe you want to SEE that God really is working.... but friend, allow your time in worship to SHOW God, to prove to Him that you CHOOSE to trust, even when you don't see. That you CHOOSE to trust, even when you can't touch the hole in his side, the holes in his feet & hands. Allow your worship to be a sacrifice of praise that says, "GOD, I trust you and what you are doing! I trust YOU and where you are taking me, even when I don't SEE the outcome yet. I surrender all to you."


As you praise Him, receive the peace and strong confidence that He has waiting there for you at the alter of praise. Everything IS going to be OK. Cast all of your cares upon Him, for He DOES care for you! Receive your confidence from His throne today!

#221 - Comparing!

Proverbs 18:24 - The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 31:30a - Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain...

She has more friends than I do.
She's prettier than me.
She always has such a cute outfit on.
People invite her places all the time.
Her house is nicer than mine.
She is so nice.
She's always buying something new.
She is always doing something fun.
She & her husband always go out to eat.
Money doesn't ever seem like a big deal to her.
She's so good at making things.
She throws lots of parties.

Who is the "she" in your life? Who are the "Joneses" in your life? Are they there? Do you find yourself frequently discontent only when you look at the life of someone else? If you are truly just looking at your life, living your day, you actually like it.... you enjoy your life, until you compare it?

It's interesting, I found the Holy Spirit revealing some things to me this morning about this very issue. As I reflected on the "Joneses" in my life, I found myself realizing, all the areas where I felt inadequate or insecure (ie: all of their strengths), mirrored a lifestyle that would not even fulfill me. As I thought about my true perfect day, it would not be doing the daily and weekly activities that the Joneses did.

Tyler was sharing with me about a recent audio he listened to. It was by Marita Litweiller (author of Wired That Way). She went on to describe personality types. How opposites attract. What brings energy and life to different people. What energizes one person would be completely draining to the next person. They were not designed for that 'strength.' Where one person is energized by working out, running, lifting weights... the thought of being so "die-hard" would be draining to someone else. Equally, the bubbly wife always entertaining guests week after week, would be draining to the next mom. We were not all designed to be the same. We were designed to be different. We begin to get drained when we are trying to BE & DO those things that are a strength of someone else. Whether your a "one-person friend" or a "30 person friend," it's OK! You were designed just that way!

In the King James Version of Proverbs 31:30 it begins with, "Favour is deceitful, beauty is vain..." "Favour" in the Hebrew is also defined as "acceptance." "Deceitful" is also described as: in vain, disappointment, lie, wrong. So we're not just talking about the charming and graceful woman here in verse 30. We can look at it in a whole new way! We could also say this, "The woman who focused on being accepted is deceived, disappointed, living a lie. She is operating in vain."

Our desire to be accepted, to be like the "Joneses," to be like that co-worker who seems to have it all together is all vain. It all brings disappointment. I've heard this phrase that is helpful: "You will only ever be SECOND best if you try to be someone else, but you can be #1 at being the best YOU!" 


You can finish #1 ALL THE TIME when you are focusing at being the #1 YOU! When we compare, we will always find ourselves disappointed and discouraged. What are YOUR strengths? What is YOUR perfect day? What makes YOU happy? Focusing on those questions will help us to really experience fulfillment in this walk through life as a Christian. You are not called to be like "her." Be the best YOU and feel the wonderful release of pressure you've placed on yourself to be like someone else!

 

#214 - Two Paths

Proverbs 8:2 - On the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom [skillful and godly];

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

Have you ever found yourself at a decision point? A point in life where you have 2 paths, 2 distinct paths. One path you are more drawn to, it is more comfortable, it may even feel better. You see the lights & glimmer, lots of possibilities with the first path. The first path makes you feel good, IF you can avoid the uncomfortable gnawing in the pit of your stomach. IF you can ignore the gut feeling that quietly tries to prompt you NOT to take that path.

There is a second path. The second path does not seem to make logical sense. From first glance, it seems to be drawing you away from your ultimate destination, what seem to be your goals, your dreams, the opportunities that are jumping at you. The second path seems rougher, less obvious, it seems to show less glitter, less possibilities, less glamour. For some reason, this 2nd path, though you don't want to be drawn to it, you feel like it is the path you should take. All the reasoning in your mind, you try to shake it off, you try to tell yourself the other path is fine, it's the path of "opportunity & advancement."

You know the path, don't you? You've seen both of them. Maybe it is the path of career advancement. It appears glamorous, but with just a hint of "the world" and "compromise." Maybe it is the path of the comfortable relationship. You're dating, he is not a Christian and has no desire to make that decision, but you are great friends, comfortable, other than your faith, you have a lot in common. Maybe it's the path of honor. Honoring your father & mother, or holding on to bitterness & unforgiveness to wrongs that were done you. Maybe it is the path of destiny. Do you continue in the job where you are comfortable, make good income, unfulfilled, but doing well? Or do you jump out into what you are really called to do, what you are really passionate about? You've always wanted to write a book? You've always wanted to be a teacher? You've always wanted to own a restaurant and cook for people? You've always wanted to be a minister? You've always wanted to be a missionary and share the gospel?

As I continue to read and study about the Proverbs 31 woman, she has chosen her path. Her path leads her to reverently & worshipfully fear the Lord. Her path leads her to make decisions based upon her respect & honor for the Lord. Her path leads her down the road less traveled. Her path leads her on pursuits she maybe never imagined, pursuits that she started maybe uncomfortable, unsure.... the path where she did not know what the next step was, pursuits nonetheless where at the end of the day, she prospers.

I encourage you today to look at the paths that lie ahead for you. Do you take the path that leads to godliness or the path that leads to compromise? Do you take the path that honors our heavenly Father or the path that ensures worldly success? Do you take the path that is merely comfortable or the path that causes you to fully rely on the Lord?  

I anticipate, as the following poem reads.... if you take the path of the Lord, it will make all the difference!

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could 

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back. 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --

I took the one less traveled by, 

And that has made all the difference.

The Road leading to Jesus does make all the difference!

#187 - Excel Them All!

Good morning! It's so good to be back! I'm enjoying my screened in back porch, the breeze, the sounds of birds & the aroma of hydrangea's & gardenia's. Wow. They smell amazing! I have finally started to get my sense of smell back. Being pregnant, for about the last 4 weeks my hormones have been a bit off and I haven't really been able to smell. Don't get me wrong, that was nice when it came to changing a dirty diaper.... but unfortunate for Junior, he would probably run around a little longer with it because I couldn't smell that it was dirty. Anyways.... smell is good! Something that I definitely realized I took for granted.

We had an amazing vacation and enjoyed a lot of time in the water and in the sun! Tyler Junior has been a little fishy for the last 9-10 days, and he definitely has a cute little tan (despite the fact that he had spf 60 on all week!) I'm excited to get back into the word with you, and today seems like a perfect day. The 31st. It really allows us to dive into the whole chapter of Proverbs 31, who this woman really is, and discovering our role in it all. Let's jump in.

Proverbs 31:1 - THE WORDS of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him...

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

Proverbs 9:10 - The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding.

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. 

I believe as women, when we read Proverbs 31:10-31 and we begin to understand a little bit of the depth of this godly woman, our first instinct is to want to work on ourselves. As we read down through the verses, we want to work on becoming all we can be, striving to mirror the attributes of this Proverbs 31 woman, this Ultimate Woman. I think that is the first and most obvious take away as we read this chapter. One that may not be quite as obvious is one that takes us back up to verse one in Proverbs 31. Who is the speaker & who is directing these thoughts & descriptions of this woman? It is a mother speaking to her son. The obligation of a mother to share with her son what he should be looking for in a woman, ultimately his wife. King Lemuel here has taken heed the advice of his mother, he has obviously recalled it because he is able to recount it, so his mother must have made it a priority to teach & re-teach the godly characteristics that he should be looking for in his wife. The message here to us? The obvious, work on ourselves and becoming this godly Proverbs 31 woman. Secondly and often not practiced as much, teaching who this woman is to our sons. Teaching who this woman is to our daughters. Taking the time, as we raise up godly little warriors in our boys, to teach them what exactly they are looking for in their mate. Sure, it may be 20-25 years before they will really be applying the things they have learned, or looking for these qualities, but as with King Lemuel being able to easily recount what is mother had taught him, repetition in who "she" is will allow our sons to one day marry a strong partner, a godly woman, a woman who does "excel them all" (Proverbs 31:29).

Who is she? She is a woman who fears the Lord, respects the Lord, worships the Lord. As we look at Proverbs 31:30, we can see that, but more importantly, we can go back to Proverbs 9:10 and see the significance of it! Reverent & worshipful fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of Wisdom! The chief part of Wisdom! This reverent & worshipful fear of the Lord leads our Proverbs 31 woman to gain Wisdom. To gain the most important attribute that essentially leads to almost all other things, decisions & outcomes. The fact that she has attained Wisdom, allows us to know in her daily dealings with purchasing real estate, working with people, planting a vineyard, whatever she is doing on that day she is proceeding with Wisdom. Wisdom attained by fearing/respecting the Lord.

I remember hearing a quote that is pretty powerful by Eleanor Roosevelt, one that I'm sure our Proverbs 31 woman also abides by, it says: "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people." Proverbs 31:27 tells us that this Ultimate Woman does not take part in gossip, in talking about other people. She does not take part in idle chatter, but steers clear of it. She does not even allow herself to wallow in self-pity or discontentment. She straps on her boots & just "gets over it!" Surely she addresses situations that need addressed, but self-pity is not something that she allows herself to take part of. She changes her situation. By Wisdom, she allows herself to be directed to make the necessary changes so that self-pity & discontentment does not have to be a part of her life. She is led & directed by Wisdom. The outcome? A life that she loves. A life that she can enjoy. A life that she can "taste & see" that it is good (Proverbs 31:18)!

Wherever you are at today, take an evaluation. Are you a mother? Are you single female? Single male? Father? Single women, married women, take the time to daily work at becoming this woman. Take the time to seek out and attain the reverent fear & respect of the Lord so all your dealings can be done in Wisdom. Take the time to work on becoming this Proverbs 31 woman, not just for success but to be an example. If you have children or plan to, one day your son will be looking to you for an example in what he wants or does not want in his wife. Mothers, it's never to early or to late to begin teaching your sons & daughters who this Proverbs 31 woman is. What a son should one day look for in his wife, and what a daughter should aspire to duplicate. Fathers, you're not off the hook. You can equally teach your sons  what they should be looking for in a wife and teach your daughters the values in striving to become all God has called her to be. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, aspire to excel them all! With Wisdom ALL things are possible. With God, ALL things are possible! Today, begin to teach your children the qualities of a godly young man or a godly young woman. It's never to late to teach them the godly way to excel!

_________________________

Vacation Pictures 

What fun!

#180 - Reverent Fear of the Lord

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#83 - AGGRESSIVELY LISTEN

Man! Are you ready! I have so many good things that are just wanting to LEAP out of my head onto the keyboard and your computer screen! Before even getting started I want to give you a few starting, foundational quotes that will correspond with today's Word. 

• Open-mindedness is essential for belief. Closed minds do not inspire faith, courage and belief.
• A burning desire to be and to do is the starting point from which the dreamer must take off. Dreams are not born of indifference, laziness or lack of ambition.    
• No one ever is defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.
• Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. 

Yesterday, during my interesting Day of Rest, finally at the end of the day when Tyler had the boy out and about with him, I got to silently sit and listen. Sit and listen to the Holy Spirit. Listen to His words to me as I sought to find a book that I could really dive into. A book that I would not get a few chapters into to only set it down and pick up another book. I have about 5 unfinished books right now, that have just not kept my interest. I know reading is very important as I remember the quote, "Not all readers are leaders, but there are NO Leaders who are not readers." So, in essence, if I want to be a leader, if I want to have influence in my life, there is no way around reading. I must read to lead. I finally found a book that has been very inspiring and one of the many classics of Napoleon Hill. The quotes above are his and they fall in line with what we are going to talk about today. 


Let's look at today's scripture:

Psalm 42:1b-2a - I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. 

Psalm 73:28a - But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God...

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

During my DOR yesterday, as I sat by lamp light on the couch, I just paused to listen. Sometimes in the past, I would get so 'productive' DOING, that I didn't spend enough time just still and listening. I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to LISTEN AGGRESSIVELY. The more aggressive you are to listening to Me, the quicker you will accomplish your dreams.... your discipline to listen 1st will advance you further than anything. 


Imagine this. (Frank Luntz, from FoxNews was at our business conference this weekend... he said the word 'IMAGINE' is one of the top 20 most powerful words in the English language!) SO, IMAGINE THIS... imagine, you wake up in the morning and you have an open notebook next to your bed. So, you pick up the notebook and begin to read the words written on it. God Himself, wrote down your "TO-DO" list for the day. He wrote down in detail even what time you should go to the grocery store because the person who is going to open the door to THE BIG OPPORTUNITY for you will be in the produce section. He lays out what to do, what direction to drive on your way to work, or to run errands. He writes down who to call on the way and how to spend the most quality moments with your children, while still progressing forward. He lays out just how the whole day is suppose to go. 


Sounds really nice doesn't it! To have hand written instructions from God each day! And you know what, YOU CAN HAVE IT! He wants us ALL to AGGRESSIVELY LISTEN to Him. He knows just what will be successful and what things would be activities in vain. He knows just what to do, who you need to meet, how to do what you need to do for money to come in... HE knows it all. And in HIS way, there is NO TOIL. No Toil. No frustration. No 'wondering' if it will work. With God, there is NO failure. BUT on our part it takes a discipline to AGGRESSIVELY LISTEN. 


Belief. Burning desire. Victory. Moving forward. All the above words in the quotes from Napoleon Hill, ALL of those lead to victory. God wants us to live in VICTORY. He wants us to live a life that will SHOW how great HE IS! He wants our lives to reflect HIS GREATNESS! He wants OUR lives to reflect how GOOD of a Father He is! 


A friend of mine sent me a text message this morning that almost sent me jumping on my bed for joy! She has needed a new vehicle for awhile. She and her husband have been believing God for a new vehicle. I mean, it was so bad that on rainy days, water leaked in from the roof into the back seat. AND, not only that, they have a little girl who rides in a car seat in the back. So, they NEEDED a new vehicle. They consistently and persistently THANKED GOD for providing it for them. They have seen him do other miracles in their lives, and knew God wanted them and their family in a safe vehicle. God wanted to show his goodness. So in the text message my friend told me the amazing news. She received an SUV as a gift this weekend from her in-laws. A GIFT. I was so jacked, I about wanted to cry! What a blessing. Sure, it was a gift from her in-laws, but it was a gift from their FATHER! God used her in-laws to bless them. God used someone to bless them. God took the opportunity to reveal HIS GREATNESS!


Long for. Thirst for. Draw near to God! Like the Proverbs 31 woman lived a life with characteristics that were not in Vain. She developed characteristics that were not in vain. They did not just reflect outside, physical beauty, but she had an inward beauty that lasted. She had an inward resolve that was truth and it was lasting. 


LISTENING AGGRESSIVELY is a trait that is not vain. It is a characteristic that will last. It is a quality, that IF USED consistently will lead to you accomplishing whatever your burning desire is, your dream is. IF USED, if YOU LISTEN AGGRESSIVELY, YOU will see and accomplish the fruit of your prayers... the fruit of the time spent listening. And just wait and watch as God shows out in YOUR LIFE TOO! Will it be an SUV? Maybe. Will it be a house? Maybe. I would bet it will be whatever it is that YOU need. Because MY GOD supplies all MY NEEDS according to HIS riches and glory. And He will supply YOUR NEEDS TOO! We have a very wealthy Father!! He wants to bless you too! Will you LISTEN AGGRESSIVELY? Will you make it a habit today? Take some time, right now... get out your journal, stop and listen. What we "IMAGINED"... the directions, the "To-Do" list, the daily instructions... what we "IMAGINED" can be a reality if we will only AGGRESSIVELY LISTEN. 

#70 - DON'T BE MOVED!

Top of the mornin' to ya. :) Can you hear my accent? Irish? :) lol. I sometimes sit around and say things that make MYSELF laugh. It's a good thing I can entertain myself. I laughed yesterday as I was recalling something that my grandpa often reminds me of..... he says, "Amy Jo... when you were little, it was so funny. You just looked up at me and said, 'Grandpa, I just like myself so much I can't keep from smiling.'" To this day, he is still tickled by that comment I made as maybe a 5 year old child. It is pretty funny! :) lol. "I just like myself so much, I can't keep from smiling." But, you know what, that's how we should be now! We should be so happy with life, with God, with who we are and where we are going (because we are Christians and are following a divine plan), we should be so excited because the FAVOR of God is all over us, ALL THE TIME, that we cannot keep from smiling. :-D ---- Maybe today... when you are driving down the road, or walking to class, to a meeting, to an appointment, while you are working out, cooking dinner.... just practice the art of SMILING. :) Just SMILE. You can just be silent. You don't have to talk. Just SMILE. If you need something to smile about, recall all of the "HIGHLIGHTS" in your life. Like movie previews, showing the best parts... go through your life and see the previews. Smile at the main events. Think on the best moments that you have lived up to this point. And... even smile at what is to come. How GOD is going to use you in mighty ways to bless and further HIS Kingdom. Like YOURSELF so much that YOU can't keep from smiling! Smile so that people ASK YOU, "Why are you smiling? Why are you so happy?" What a testimony that is, just from a smile?! :) 


Ok... let's roll today. 


Today's Scheduled Reading: Proverbs 16, Psalms 16, 46, 76, 106, 136, Proverbs 31:10-31


I'm going to give you my highlights of the scriptures that jumped out to me this morning in a different way. I'm going to run them all together. I really think it tells a story... check out this.....

IN JUDAH God is known and renowned; His name is highly praised and is great in Israel. Our fathers in Egypt understood not nor appreciated Your miracles; they did not earnestly remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint Your loving-kindness on their hearts, but they were rebellious and provoked the Lord at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake to prove the righteousness of the divine character, that He might make His mighty power known. To Him Who earnestly remembered us in our low estate and imprinted us on His heart, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. Be still, and know, recognize and understand, that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life. Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain because it is not lasting, but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised! (Psalms 76:1, 106:7-8, 136:23, 46:10, 16:8, Proverbs 16:17, 31:30)

How is HIS name in YOUR home? In YOUR life? God wants to be KNOWN! Not just in JUDAH, not just in ISRAEL, but he wants to be known in YOUR LIFE! He wants to be known in your home, at your address. 2121 Main Street, WhereILive USA. Put your address there! He wants to be KNOWN THERE! 


Look at it, a WHOLE generation FORGOT. A whole GENERATION forgot about the miracles that GOD DID! "They did not earnestly remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint Your loving-kindness on their hearts." Do you realize, WE are, right now, WE are a generation following His miracles....not only following them, but in the midst of them. He is STILL performing them today! Do you know what, He wants US to remember HIS miracles. Often, not only in the time of the Bible, but also just in times past, stories would get passed down from generation to generation. In order to REMEMBER. In order to REMEMBER. Remember what ancestors had done. To remember what Great, Great, Great, Great Grandpa Abraham had done. But, now, we do not just have stories, we have those stories in WRITING! The actual events written down exactly how they had taken place. Miracles. What God did in Egypt JUST to bring His people out of a land of slavery. Miracle after Miracle after Miracle! What GOD performed through Moses to bring out GOD'S CHOSEN people into a land flowing with milk and honey. We are a generation that did not live during that time, but we can STILL REMEMBER. Do you remember? Have the stories been passed down from your parents, from their parents, from their parents? Have the stories continued? Are you passing them down to your children? The great and MIGHTY works that GOD did so that HIS PEOPLE would have FREEDOM!!! Would be released from the slavery they experienced in Egypt. If you do not remember, NO FEAR.... the EXACT details of the story are ALL written down so that YOU COULD REMEMBER!!! So that you could pass it down to your children. 


Even though a generation had forgotten, had forsaken God, but needed help in a time of trouble....they had forgotten, forsaken and turned their backs on God. Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake to prove the righteousness of the divine character, that He might make His mighty power known. He SAVED and FORGAVE a generation that had forgotten Him. 


What does He want US to do? To set the Lord continually before us, to NOT be moved. Friends are pulling you down? Don't be moved! Your marriage has been rocky? Don't be moved! Your finances have been in trouble? Don't be moved! You've experienced a sickness? Don't be moved! You have lost your job? Don't be moved! You're trying to launch out with a business and you've had set-back after set-back? Don't be moved! You are trying to overcome an addiction? Don't be moved! 


WHY? WHY NOT BE MOVED? - Because MY GOD, YOUR GOD, THE SAME GOD of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, the VERY same God that sent the 10 plagues (In Exodus- frogs, lice, boils, locusts, hail, darkness, etc...) in order to FREE HIS PEOPLE. THAT GOD, is the SAME GOD of ANY problem you may be facing today! He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! When Moses said, "LET MY PEOPLE GO." And Pharoah continued to say, "NO"... God was going to SHOW HIS POWER until HE WAS KNOWN! God was GOING to WIN, eventually, and HE DID! (Like now... if Tyler Jr is putting up a fight when I change his diaper... MAMA is going to WIN every time! One day he will be over 6 feet tall, but it's going to take a LONG time for him to be stronger than MAMA! :) ) 


REMEMBER! Do not be like the generation that forgot. Yes... even if you forget and get in trouble, whine, complain, finally cry out to God, yes out of His mercy may drag you out of your problem again. He will SHOW OUT His Power to be KNOWN! BUT, DON'T FORGET! Stop forgetting the GOD you serve! Stop forgetting that HE STILL is in the MIRACLE business! Whatever your situation, GOD CAN PULL YOU OUT! PRESS IN! Is it urgent? Is it a pretty important situation? Problem? Well, get serious! PRESS IN TO GOD! Press in like your life depended on it. PRESS IN and WATCH GOD SHOW UP! 


"The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life." - You are on a HIGHWAY. Choose to TURN from evil. Choose to GUARD your way and what will happen? Your VERY LIFE will be preserved! Think about it.... what do preservatives in food do? They make your food last longer! They can be in your fridge or on your shelf for longer. While you are on this highway of life, TURN FROM EVIL, GUARD your thoughts, your mind, your eyes, choose careful your association, choose careful the movies or TV you watch, the internet sites you go on. BY GUARDING your way, you are PRESERVING your life so that while you are on the SHELF of life, you can LAST LONGER! 


GOD IS A GOD OF MIRACLES! DO NOT FORGET HOW MIGHTY HE IS! He is NOT to small for your problem! He is IN THE BUSINESS to clean up and fix things. HE can FIX YOU. He can FIX the problems you are facing! Just turn and go to Him!

#66 - The SOLID ROCK will PULL YOU OUT!

Good morning! Wow! It's been a full morning. I have been given a daily assignment to do in the morning. It has been quite fulfilling. So great to see growth, progress, but more importantly, obedience. What a good feeling to be obedient to what the Lord has instructed me to do! What was the last thing He told you to do? Are you doing it? I've went many a times procrastinating on what He has directed, and postponing.... but now that I'm in the middle of it, nothing feels better than daily obedience! :)


Today's Reading Schedule: Proverbs 10, Psalms 10, 40, 70, 100, 130, Proverbs 31:10-31

Psalms 130:3-4 - If You, Lord, should keep account of and treat [us according to our] sins, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴But there is forgiveness with You [just what man needs], that You may be reverently feared and worshiped.  

Psalms 40:1-3a - I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. ²He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. ³And He has put a new song in my mouth...

Proverbs 10:25 - When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous have an everlasting foundation.

Psalms 100:5b - ...His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations. 

Proverbs 31:30 (NLT) - Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.

What was the reoccurring theme here? What's the story? Because I think it definitely tells a story. 


This is the story... a story of forgiveness and grace. A story of help. Pulling you up when you feel like you are drowning. Throwing you a life-vest when you are just about to sink. Raising you up. It is a story of love, mercy, acceptance, belonging. 


Despite where we are as a Christian, we still may have those days where we mess up. We feel like a failure and a flop. We begin beating ourselves up over messing up again! We feel ashamed and disappointed. And... sometimes our own disappointment can be the worst disappointment of all because we are not easy on ourselves. 


Maybe life is just the day to day for you. Maybe right now, everything about life seems unfulfilling. Seems like you have just failed and failed, or you've started on this path and you don't feel even close to your end destination. You feel destitute, lost, sad, disappointed. Is there any use continuing on in this direction when nothing seems to be happening? 


Friend, let me tell you, you are not alone! You have company that is just waiting to help. You have the company of ALL company who wants to see you be the greatest success ever! Company that has plans for you beyond what you could EVER think or imagine! He has plans for you that He wants to unveil and reveal, He wants you to walk down the path towards the greatness He has in store! 


In this story, what I hear is, Do NOT give up! You may be experiencing life in what has seemed like a pit, but things are changing! Here is my 'revision' for one of the verses above.... 

"Friend, you may have sinned or just began to grow weary. You may be tired, frustrated and discouraged. But, ALL you have to do is GRAB MY HAND! I am PULLING YOU OUT! You have waited. You have been expectant for my help. Emmerse yourself in MY WORD. Ground yourself in ME. Plant yourself firmly in MY PLAN, and let me tell you!!! I AM putting a new song in you! An excitement about life and your purpose that you have NEVER experienced! You will want to shout! People will ask you, 'Why do you always smile? Why are you so happy?' You will just laugh and smile and respond, 'Because My God is SOOOO good to me!' Prepare yourself! The new SONG is here! Continue to GROUND yourself in ME, and we will do great things together! SING YOUR SONG! SHOUT TO JOY! Expect your VICTORY! WE HAVE WON!"

Also, the old hymn enters my mind that just makes me feel happy, "On Christ the SOLID ROCK I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand!"

SIN - DEFEAT - DISCOURAGEMENT
 JESUS - FIRMLY PLANTED - SOLID ROCK

FORGIVENESS - VICTORY - HOPE - NEWNESS! 

Today... PLANT YOURSELF ON THE ROCK. Plant yourself so firmly that you WILL NOT be moved! Refuse to let Satan get you down and defeated. Refuse to give in to him. His tactics are to wear you down. To make you feel like you are a failure and a loser. But GOD'S plan is DIFFERENT! For one, YOU ARE FORGIVEN! Anything you have done in your past, even today, it's as easy as ASKING for forgiveness and it is done! Your slate is wiped clean and you are as white as Billy Graham. You are forgive. Walk in VICTORY today! Rejoice in Victory today! RECEIVE God's plan and purpose for your life! AND DAILY, get more and more firmly planted as you spend time in the Word and talking with Your Father! 

ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND, ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND, ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND!

PRAISE THE LORD! I'M STANDING ON A SOLID ROCK AND IT FEELS GOOD!!!


XOXO! Be blessed today! :)

#40 - Who do you Follow?

Buenos dias! How is everyone's morning so far? Things here in Columbia are quite swell. Had a good time getting some instructions for my week from the Holy Spirit.  Praise the Lord that we can rely on Him versus rely on our own understanding, or our own direction. His way is so much better, less things done in vain when we listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit! Listening. Listening is a very valuable attribute to acquire. Learning how to LISTEN to the voice of the Holy Spirit is something that is available to everyone who is saved. When we accept Christ into our life as our Saviour we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Our "spirit" is "re-born". That is why they call it being "born again." Our spiritual compass has been reset to things of God. We have the "still small voice"... aka: the Holy Spirit, living inside of us wanting to direct us & guide us. At first... it may take awhile for you to really feel like you are "hearing" correctly. I remember developing that ability to listen. I remember working on it, working on listening. Let me tell you how it happened for me....


I was a Spanish & Bible teacher at a private Christian School. During my prep period in the morning, I would go to the library and spend time in the Word and journal. As I began to try to listen, I remember I would often get so distracted by ANY noise I heard. I would feel like it totally threw me off track. I had to try so hard to listen. I remember sometimes I would even close my eyes & plug my ears just so all I could hear was the "emptiness" inside my brain. I wanted SOOO bad to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. I wanted so bad to experience the relationship & direction of Him. One of my struggles when I tried to listen was thoughts like this: "Oooh. I need to call Tyler to see if he got our conference tickets." - "I need to swing by and pick up some chicken so I can make chicken casserole tonight for dinner." - "Oh yah, I need to remember to return the ski pants to Robin." Literally, I felt like my time of listening was the time every reminder would pop into my head! It was very distracting & honestly kind of annoying. Eventually, I remember going through this practice each day to try to empty my mind of thoughts, and it actually worked! I would close my eyes, picture a truck... it was a truck that had a cement wall on the front of it (lol! for real!). I would picture this truck with it's cement-wall front driving very slowly and pushing all the thoughts out of my brain so my brain was empty. After all the thoughts fell off the side... cliff... whatever... my brain was a clean, empty slate ready to listen. I would say, "Good morning Holy Spirit." And I would hear back, "Good morning Amy." And there is where it began. I wrote down everything that I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying to me, instructions, things to do, stories to remember, verses to look up. Sometimes I felt like I didn't know if "I" was actually hearing Him, or if it was just me. Well... one morning, the Holy Spirit was heavily talking about a particular subject... I was writing it all down... he just kept on this subject. Then when I opened my Bible, I felt led to turn to this certain chapter, and there it was! ALL the scripture backing up everything I had just finished journaling. All the instructions, right there. Just to confirm to me that I was hearing correctly, the Holy Spirit directed me to "confirmation" in His Word. How exciting. Today... I don't have to close my eyes, squint really tight and plug my ears to hear. But, we all have to start somewhere. And, that is where I started. 


Anyways... quite a long intro to today's verses... let's get into the Word. 

Proverbs 31:30 - ....but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!

Proverbs 26:9 - Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man, so is a proverb in the mouth of a [self-confident] fool.

Proverbs 26 is loaded with a lot of good stuff.... but, as I tried to get past some of the obvious things that jumped out at me... I started to realize how much Proverbs 26 talked about the "fool". In verses 1-12, it talks about the "fool" 11 times! 11 verses talked about a fool. As I re-read the verses several times, I wanted to find out what made someone a fool. That led me to search it out a little. 


As I searched, I found what I would consider the ULTIMATE foundation of what makes someone a fool. Psalm 14:1, 53:1 both read this:  The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.


Proverbs 1:7 - The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.


Our Proverbs 31 friend, we know is not a fool, she reverently & worshipfully fears the Lord. So, big check beside her name! She is on board with being wise. Now let me say this, there is hope for the fool. That's called the GREAT COMMISSION (Matthew 28:19-20). As Christians, that is part of our calling to reach out to these "fools" who say "There is no God." It is part of every Christians assignment to help fulfill the Great Commission, to GO and make disciples of all the nations. Some Christians are called to be missionaries to another country to help the Great Commission be fulfilled, others are called to be a missionary right where they are, in their jobs, schools, homes, churches, malls, grocery stores, right in the town where they live, to be a beacon of light to others, to share the love of Jesus with those who do not know Him. 


As a Christian, I believe one of our greatest responsibilities is to KNOW who to take advice from. Proverb in the Hebrew is defined as sentences of ethical wisdom. And we know by reading our Proverbs for today, that a "proverb" in the mouth of a non-believer is just foolish words. Who are you taking advice from?!? Whoa! A pretty big pivotal point of importance. Who are you following. We know if they are one who says, "There is no God", then we would be a fool to follow them. We would be a fool to take their advise. We would be a fool. Look to who you follow now in business, in politics, in books you read, in music. Are they people who say, "There is no God." And as Christians, we know just believing in God is not enough, even the demons do that and tremble, but we need to believe in the one and only way to be saved is confessing with our mouth that JESUS is Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. It is then when we have CONFESSED and BELIEVED that we are saved. Who are you following? Have they done this. Have YOU done this? If you haven't, you can do it now very simply by praying a simple prayer, out-loud, something like this: "Father, I come to you right now and want to ask forgiveness of my sins. I confess my sins to you. I also want to openly say out loud that I DO believe that Jesus died on a cross for me. That I would be saved. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead and that now He sits at your right hand. Thank you Father for saving me. I am now BORN AGAIN! I am now SAVED!" - It's that simple! Now begins the fun of re-newing your mind to things of God. Getting in the Word, studying the life of Jesus (the book of John is a good place to start). 


Sometimes, we may not have complete control over who we follow. Whether it is the president of the company we work for, a senator, governor, President of the United States. We may have some voice, by voting, but if we are following non-believers (aka: FOOL according to Ps. 14:1, 53:1) in any area of our life, it is our responsibility to help CHANGE it! To PRAY PRAY PRAY! For us to say that we followed not in vain, but we prayed. Pray for salvation. 


If you can change who you follow, do it. Don't take advice from fools. 
If you can't change who you follow, change it by PRAYING.