#162 - Steer Clear!

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GOOD MORNING! Man, what a blessing! Do you ever just reflect & think, "Wow! This is awesome!" "THIS" meaning, your life. That you are operating in your gift, you are following your calling, you are excited to be doing what you love, you are fulfilled. That is how I feel this morning! :)
So, yesterday, I picked up my book again. The draft of "Fairytales Do Come True" is completed. I got the "go-ahead" yesterday to dive back in and begin the editing process. The book is right over 74,000 words, I read & edited the first 5 chapters yesterday. Wow! It's so fun! If I could ask you to pray about a few things for me... that would be awesome!

1. I'm thanking God for the Provision & Favor to go to a Conference in July. It's called SheSpeaks, put on by Proverbs31.org. The cool thing about this conference is that it will allow me the opportunity to meet with Christian publishers, bring my book, as well as some of the top Blog posts. It will be a big opportunity for me! If you want to check out the conference details... check out the website... I will be taking the Writers Track (there is also a Speakers Track & Leadership Track). Here's info about what to expect. My goal is to apply before April 15th. 
2. Please pray for me as I am in the editing process of my book. Some key areas of prayer... since it is my testimony, I have changed some names in the book of people who may not want their names shared. Please pray that God gives me wisdom about how to go about it. A few of the main characters played a major hindrance in my life. So what if they ever read this book? I've changed their names... but the role they played, is still the role they played. Please just pray that I would have Wisdom. 

Thank you! :) If you want to read a quick "snap-shot" on the book, I did write a devotion on it: Fairytales Do Come True

OK, lets get going! 

Proverbs 5:4 - But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged and devouring sword.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Proverbs 5 is our classic... it talks about the "loose woman." How God amazes me even this morning, that He can continue to bring NEW things out of His Word! Praise the Lord! Proverbs 5:4 is describing a bit of who the "Loose Woman" is... her characteristics and the deadly role she can play in ones life, IF one lets her! As we skip on to Hebrews 4:12... we also see something else that is described as a TWO-EDGED SWORD! Here we have 2 very opposite examples, ONE bringing DEATH, the other with the ability to bring LIFE! Hebrews 4:12 is talking about how God's WORD is SHARPER than ANY two-edged sword. ANY! Including the loose woman. How the WORD OF GOD has more power than the SHARPEST two-edged sword, that the WORD OF GOD has the power to penetrate. The Word has power to expose us, reveal us, show our hearts and our true deep desires. I believe that EVERY Christian has a deep desire to please God. That deep down, no matter what you're doing in life, whether you are living a life with reckless abandon to loving and serving your King, or whether you are living a life cussing, drinking, or running from God. I believe that IF a person has made a decision to accept Jesus as their Savior, deep down they have this INNATE desire to serve Him, to please Him, to make Him proud. Even amongst the yelling, the arguing, the countless beers, the revealing clothes, the wrong association, that DEEP down even this person has a DESIRE to please our Father! It's there, deep in their heart, a longing, a passion, a drawing to - like a magnet - the King of Kings. Christians have a desire, a longing to be close to the Father!

Something extremely cool about that.... is SURE... here in Proverbs 5:4, the loose woman is luring people in and she is like a two-edged sword. She = "sin", "the World", "bad association", "Wrong motives".... you may not be drawn into what the "outset" of Proverbs 5 looks like... when we just read the words for what they say, many of us think, "This doesn't apply to me, this is talking about a prostitute on the streets trying to lure men in to have sex." But, if you REALLY look a little deeper, SHE is any area that is trying to draw us away.

An awesome thing? Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the WORD is SHARPER than ANY two-edged sword! Including the loose woman! Including sin, temptation, sluggishness, lack of desire, procrastination, lack of motivation.... the WORD is MORE powerful than ANY of that! The WORD has the POWER to PENETRATE! It has the power to get you right in the heart and CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!! When we read further down in Hebrews, the last verse in chapter 4, tells us additional good news.... let's check it out....

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

HALLELUYAH! That is good news! Even if you have messed up, fallen short, run from God, avoided Him... that it says EVEN YOU can come CONFIDENTLY and BOLDLY to His throne! That even YOU will receive mercy for your failures, your mess-ups, where you've fallen short. And PRAISE THE LORD, that HIS help will be well-timed, coming just when we need it!

UNMERITED FAVOR is favor that is undeserved! You did not earn it. You just receive it. Because Jesus went to the cross for you, died for YOUR sins, and here you have it... YOU are receiving UNMERITED, UNEXPLAINABLE, UNDESERVED FAVOR! A promotion why? Because of favor! Increase why? Because of favor! A compliment from someone un-expecting why? Because of favor! Forgiveness for screwing something up why? Because of favor!

Just a reminder... STEER clear of the loose woman... and ALL she represents. Bad association. Are there certain people that pull you down, draw you away from a relationship with Jesus? THEY are the "loose woman" in your life. STEER CLEAR of them! It may just be for a season.... but the loose woman is the enemy to us drawing near in a relationship with Jesus. 1 Peter 5:8... be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [^[a]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 


Steer clear and CONFIDENTLY press in to the THRONE OF GRACE! Everything you desire is at that throne! Your dreams, they are there. Your desires, they are there. Your answers, they are there!

#93 - How To Get Answers from the Lord

Good morning! It is so still out this morning. It's like the air is just still. Almost a strange quiet. No wind. No rain. Just very still and quiet. A bit like my feelings of things I need to do I suppose. If you've joined us the last 2 days....hum.... well, let's just say that it's been Holy Spirit convicting time. Have you had times in your life where the Holy Spirit is just getting on you about change? I guess maybe it's a good thing. I have a close enough relationship with the Holy Spirit, with my Lord that He is able to talk to me about areas in my life that need change. I'll tell ya, it's really not always easy to hear. Sometimes it seems like such a big job! I'm still majorly in the process of "De-Cluttering".... that is definitely not an overnight process. But... I know what to do, so that is probably the biggest part of it. (GTD - Getting Things Done by David Allen - Get the book on CD if you don't have time to read it.) Tyler has implemented GTD really well and for probably over a year has wanted me to just DIVE in. I've pretty much blown that idea off in the past. I wasn't really ready for it. But... evidently the Holy Spirit says I need to be ready now! I agree! De-cluttering will be good. Things need to have their place and that will most definitely free up my mind! What did Tyler do that was SOOOO good in it all?? He frequently does this..... he casts me on the Lord. He realizes that HE can't fix me or change me, but the Lord can. So... he continues to cast me on the Lord.  That's a good place for me to be. The "Old Amy" would want to rear up and totally buck the system if someone tried to make me change. Especially if I wasn't ready. I'm not saying that's right, it's just true. As a child, my parents always prayed that the "stubborn Amy Jo" would one day steer the stubbornness to serve the Lord with a fervor. Well... let's just say, I'm glad Tyler has learned to cast me on the Lord. That's the best place for me to be. The Holy Spirit has a way of speaking the truth to me in a way no one else can, and at a time when I am ready and willing to listen. Well... with quite a long intro... let's get started. 

Proverbs 28:19 - He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.

Psalm 118:6a, 7a - The Lord is on my side.... The Lord is on my side.....

Psalm 118:8 - It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 

This morning I was talking to Tyler.... he is really a wealth of knowledge. I'm glad I married him. He is always learning. He reads all the time! He listens to awesome men of God and business leaders, and really is quite an inspiration to me. He makes me think all the time! It is so true what it talks about in Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. - That is my husband. A definite iron sharpener! 


So, in our conversation he reminded me something I had heard a long time ago. The best way to get an answer to a problem. George Washington Carver, inventor of over 300 uses for the peanut, including yummy peanut butter! And how did he come of with these inventions? He said, "God gave them to me." It has been noted, when Carver wanted to solve a problem or was seeking an answer to a question, he didn't seek out men, he didn't seek out education and books, but he sought God. He took his Bible and a notebook went to a quiet room, closed the door and sought the Lord. It was not "try, fail & adjust", but it was, "Lord, you give me the answer. I'm going to seek you until I have it."


Wow! What an awesome example to learn from! Is there really anything else to say? The Lord will answer, and as it says in Psalm 118, The LORD is ON YOUR SIDE! He's on your side! He wants you to be a success! He wants you to win! He wants the RIGHTEOUS to flourish! 


What are you following? Who are you following? What are your pursuits? Are they worthless? Are they of value? If they are, and things are not going how you would like them to go, do like Carver did, seek the Lord. Get a notebook, get your Bible, leave your laptop and cell phone in a different room (and turn your phone off or on silent) and SEEK the Lord. With Him, it is not "try, fail & adjust," He just gives you the actual exact thing to do IF you tune in to Him and listen. 


Short and sweet. But a definite Word!  

#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!

#39 - Power of Association

Good morning! As I sit here at my kitchen table...I just realized why I almost always have my quiet time outside on the screened in porch... lack of clutter! It is so nice to just have "your place" that you go to spend time with God. To spend time in the Word. Listening, reading. A place that is special. Or at least, the more time you spend there, the more special it becomes. A time that can be filled with revelations and "ah-ha" moments. This morning I stayed inside, at my kitchen table because I knew it would be a quicker morning than usual. We are going out of town this afternoon, and I have a lot to do before we leave. And... yes.... clutter of a kitchen table. I heard once this lady say how to cut down on "clutter".... she said, "When you come in to your home, don't lay something down, put it away." We are still working on that!!! I definitely don't like clutter...not to mention, clutter creates a little bit of "chaos." If not in the actual home, just in your spirit. If words could be married.... I think these words go together: clutter & chaos, organization & peace. It's like when you walk in a cluttered house, you just feel uneasy, yucky. But when you walk in and things are put away and neat, you just feel at peace. Well, I am still working on certain areas staying un-cluttered in our home, especially the kitchen table and kitchen bar.


Ok... well, let's roll....

Proverbs 23:20 - Do not associate with winebibbers; be not among them nor among gluttonous eaters of meat.

Proverbs 31:18 - She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good...

This morning there were so many good directions we could go; food (v 1-3), wealth (v 4-5), thoughts (v 7), discipline (v 13-14), envy (v 17), hope & expectation (v 18), truth (v 23), wine (v 30-35). Since Proverbs 23 talked so much about gluttons, eating, drinking... it actually began the chapter with the danger of being a glutton, and ended the chapter talking about being drunk.... the verse almost in the middle talked about both. That seemed like an appropriate verse to park on for today. 


Since we don't use the word "winebibbers" on a daily basis... I thought I'd look it up and see what the meaning was in the dictionary. To my expectation, it means "drunkard" or "a person who drinks much wine." How powerful is the beginning of Proverbs 23?! Do not associate with. Wow. We have read a lot of books, listened to a lot of CD's that talk about the POWER of association. And here, in the #1 book of all times, is also directing us in who NOT to associate with. Do not associate with drunks... and do not associate with gluttonous eaters. The dictionary calls a glutton, "a person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously." A glutton, most often are probably the people who are overweight. A glutton or winebibber, they lack discipline or restraint from drinking or eating. They overdo it. They are excessive. 


So what's the deal with the POWER OF ASSOCIATION? I have heard a very common quote many times over the last 10 years... you may have heard it as well, but it goes like this: "You can determine where you will be in 5 years by looking at the people you associate with and the books you read." Another one on association: "Your income is most likely within $5,000 from the circle of friends you hang out with." A good rule of thumb:

• If you want to be a drunk, hang out with partier's.
• If you want to be fat, hang out with people who overeat.
• If you want to be poor, hang out with broke people.
• If you want to be negative, hang out with people who always complain or have something bad to say.
• If you want to be wealthy, hang out with wealthy people.
• If you want to be fit, hang out with fit people. 
• If you want to be motivated, hang out with people who have a dream, who are going somewhere.
• If you want to have a great walk with the Lord, hang out with passionate Christians.
• If you want to quit smoking, hang out with NON-smokers. 
• If you want to have a better, more positive attitude, hang out with optimistic, positive people.

If you are always with people who drink alcohol, you will most likely mirror what they do. Looking at your association is much like looking in the mirror. You most likely will begin to mirror and look like, and do the same things that those people you hang out with do. 


Who is your DREAM YOU? Find who that person is. Go out of your way to spend time with them. Ask if you can buy them a cup of coffee. Once a week. Once a month. Just get around them. Surround yourself with people who are in life where you want to be! Ask if you can buy them lunch. Even if it was just once/month. Ask them questions. "How did you get where you are? What books did you read? How did you overcome the hurdles along the way?" Everyone has an innate desire within themselves to help someone else. ESPECIALLY if the person is asking them questions. It is an honor. People love to feel special. 


Our Proverbs 31 friend... she tastes and sees. She enjoys the fruits of her labor. If she bakes a chocolate cake, she enjoys a piece. She doesn't eat the whole thing! :), but she enjoys it. Enjoy life, but don't be excessive. 


Is overeating a problem? Begin to take small steps. Cut your food in half. Serve your plate from the stove, don't bring the whole dish to the table. Get chips or pretzels out of the bag, measure them out, then put the bag back in your pantry versus sitting on the couch with a WHOLE bag of chips! Out to eat? Cut your food in half and ask for a box before you even get your plate. Put half of it away before even starting. Or split a meal with your spouse. You will be surprised that you really are satisfied. Chips and junk-food a problem? Don't even buy them when you grocery shop then! Buy fruits, veggies, yogurt, jello, sugar-free pudding, carmel rice cakes. Set yourself up to win. 


Is drinking a problem? Change your association. If all your friends are drinkers and partier's, begin add some new association, become part of a new group, get involved with a young singles group at church, or business team, or softball team. Do something that gets you away from your "old association."


Take control of your life! If you do not do it now, 5 years from now you will be older, fatter, poorer, and not a bit happier. Choose wisely who you associate with. 


Be who you've always dreamed you could be. Be the dream YOU! Start today with your association!