YOUR Supernatural Provision

1 Kings 17: 1-6 - Elijah the Tishbite, of the temporary residents of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years but according to My word. (2) And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, (3) Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. (4) You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you THERE (5) So he did according to the word of the Lord; he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. (6) And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook.

Supernatural Provision. You have a wealthy place. You have a place where everything is provided for you. A place where the supernatural meets your reality. You have a THERE! 

What is a "THERE?" A "THERE" is the place where your supernatural happens. Your "there" is the place that God instructs you to go so that He can provide for you supernaturally. Your "there" is a place of provision. When it appears everything is drying up all around you, when it appears a famine or drought has struck, business has dried up, opportunities seemed to have stopped, all around you the only thing you see are people at a stand still and struggling. During that time, if you listen, you will hear God telling you, like Elijah, "Go." During this time where the world seems to be struggling and not succeeding, it is God's desire to provide for you in a way that you can only tell the world, "This is God. How did I make it? How did I survive? It was God, He did it supernaturally."  

But?? Where is the "THERE?" The THERE is wherever God has instructed. A crucial element in supernatural provision is actually SHOWING UP! Notice, that God lets Elijah know that there will be no dew or rain for years. Then, God gives Elijah his next step, and the next step is not to stand still. The next step is to GO.  There was supernatural WAITING for Elijah at his THERE! 

The thing is this… if Elijah would have went to the stream, up the road behind his mom's house, he could have starved to death. The supernatural provision was waiting for him at a defined and definite place. The supernatural provision HAD A PLACE, it had a LOCATION. For Elijah his place was, "from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan." It was very specific. If he chose to go somewhere else, his friends house, his mentors house, his moms house, his grandparents, his place of employment… if he had decided to go anywhere else, like everyone else in the drought, he would have been met with struggle. Elijah's Supernatural Provision had an actual place! His wealthy place was waiting for him. Those ravens were circling that area waiting to provide for Elijah. 

Let me wrap up by adding, the Go, that Elijah had to do in order to receive his provision may not have been comfortable or convenient. He may not have wanted to GO. But, thankfully for him, he did. If you slowed down to listen to that still small Voice of the Holy Spirit. What would you hear? 

Today, apply this BLOG to your life! Allow The supernatural provision to meet your needs!  

1. Be Warned: Know the upcoming season. 
2. Listen: If you listen, the Word of the Lord will come.
3. Obey: If you obey, God's provision will meet you there. 
4. Go: Where is your "THERE?" (Maybe it is where you are at now? Maybe it means going somewhere else.) Your "THERE" is where the provision is! Now GO!

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A SHOUT OUT!

Just wanted to send out a quick HELLO to the readers in
the country of LUXEMBOURG! 

It's great to have you joining us!
 I just wanted to let you know I SEE YOU!
Thanks for reading! I call you blessed in Jesus name!
Also… I'd love to hear from you!
Leave a comment and let us know a little about
you & life as a Christian in LUXEMBOURG!

Stand UP for God!

God needs YOU to stand up for Him! He gets blamed for far to many things that HE is not responsible for, even by Christians!

James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light

John 10:10 - The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows).

1 Peter 5:8 - Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 

I'd like to plea my case today. The subject could be quite lengthy, BUT I will try to keep it into a "bite-size" devotion. :) 

How did your parents teach you? As a parent, would you teach your child the following:

• Put a disease on your child to teach them a lesson.
• Cause your child to get in a car accident to teach them not to value material things. 
• Burn your child to teach them not to touch the stove. 
• Strip everything from your child that they love to humble them. 

Of course you would not do ANY of the above to your child! You would not even THINK of it! Actually, if you did any of them today, you would most likely be thrown in jail! So why do we let God take the blame for ALL of these things?!? Why do we let our loving Father take the heat & get thrown under the bus like this? Let's take a look at the life of Job. I believe his story is behind a lot of our misconceptions. 

You know the story. Job gets everything except his life stripped from him, but let's take a closer look! At the beginning of the book of Job, envision God, a proud papa, bragging on his child. Look at Job. He's such a great son. I'm so proud of him. He really does honor me. NOTICE, when Satan asks God to take things from Job in chapter 1 verse 11, God WOULD NOT TOUCH JOB! In verse 12, we see that God only reminds Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power." If we rewind to the Garden of Eden, we'll remember that after Adam & Eve sinned, the authority & dominion that they had was handed over to Satan. After eating that apple, authority was given to Satan. Man no longer had dominion on the earth for the next several hundred years, Satan had dominion and authority. Not God. Not man. That is why GOD put in place a way for MAN to get back authority and dominion by sending his son Jesus to defeat Satan, death, hell & the grave. Even GOD cannot go against His Word. 

When Jesus went to the cross, that did something HUGE for believers! That took the authority out of the hands of Satan, and BACK into the hands of the believer! It had not been in the believers hands since Adam! Old covenant believers had to constantly sacrifice to be atoned for their sins. Even the sin of fear, which we see Job was living in sin as we look in Job 3:25, For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me, and that of which I am afraid befalls me. Job was living in fear, and sin gives easy access for the enemy to come in. 

Why Today is Different!

Today, as Believers, we live under the new covenant. WE now have AUTHORITY, the key is we just have to TAKE AUTHORITY! The devil, Satan, is roaming around looking to devour believers, but he is a toothless lion! We have all the tools to defeat Him and live in victory! We have the Armor of God (Ephesians 6), we have the Word to defeat Him (Is 53:5- by his stripes we are healed!), we have Angels working on our behalf (Ps 91:11 - He will order His angels to protect ME wherever I go!), and the list goes on! BUT… there it is, the big BUT as it says in 1 Peter 5:8, it is our job to be vigilant and cautious at all times!!! Our enemy is ALIVE and REAL! He, NOT GOD, is looking to destroy us if we let down our guard. We can take the Word and put the enemy in his place! SPEAK the WORD DAILY and DEFEAT THE ENEMY! 

• I am the head and NOT THE TAIL!
• I walk in DIVINE HEALTH because the blood of Jesus is flowing through my blood stream!
• I AM Blessed!
• I am the Child of the Most High God who gives me FAVOR with God AND Man!
• Good things come to Me every day! 
• My family and I are Protected! Angels are encamped all around us and our house!
• I AM A BUTT KICKER! Satan has NO authority over me! I exercise my GOD-GIVEN authority, because Jesus defeated Satan, therefore I WIN! 
• I LISTEN to the Voice of the Holy Spirit and HE directs me where to go and what to do, every day! I AM OBEDIENT!

Speak the Word! Don't let God take the blame for what Satan is doing out in the world! Satan is STILL roaming the earth, looking to destroy, and destroys on a daily basis! Someone needs to stand up for God! He is a good God! He does good and He loves you! Don't let God take the blame for what Satan is doing! STAND UP FOR GOD TODAY!

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I was interviewed by "THE SUCCESS EDGE: For the Marketplace Christian" 

Get a little more insight into ME, my story and what makes me tick. :) 

Thanks in advance for taking a listen! :) 

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The Speed of Your Harvest is Determined by….

Psalm 127:1a -  Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it...

Proverbs 18:16 - A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. 

What was the last thing that the Holy Spirit directed you to do? Have you done it?

The speed of your harvest is determined by the speed & diligence of your obedience.

Have you, like so many, looked around you, looked at your life and felt frustrated? "This is not where I want to be. I am not happy." Like the moment in the movies that shows the person standing there, but everything around them seems to be spinning. 

The speed of your harvest is determined by the speed and diligence of your obedience.

What is is that the Holy Spirit has been leading you to do, but you just haven't gotten around to it? Is it waking up an hour earlier in order to read your Bible and have your quiet time before getting ready and leaving for work? Did the Holy Spirit instruct you on a discipline that you need to establish in your life? If you are a writer, maybe it's writing 4-5 days/week, but you just haven't gotten around to it yet. If you feel called to paint, are you painting? If you feel led to paint a certain amount of days/hours, are you being obedient to it? If you are building or developing a new business, has the Holy Spirit led you to do a few specific tasks to get things off the ground? Are you being quick and diligent to obey, are you consistently following through on those actions each day?

I know for me, sometimes when I am taking time to listen to the Holy Spirit, I get a very specific plan in how to do things, when, for how long, etc. Other times, I get a "just do it" plan. 

Your obedience is tied to your harvest. When you close your eyes and envision the perfect life, doing the things that bring you joy, you are envisioning your dream life. And your dream life CAN happen. But living that dream life, is tied to your obedience. If you've felt led to paint five days per week (but maybe haven't been making the time to do that), maybe the Holy Spirit is setting you up to be able to sell your works which will bring you to a place where you can paint full time, in that house on the beach, all day long if you want. The Lord may have things He wants to get to you, but it is often tied to our obedience to follow through on the instructions He has given us. Those instructions that will lead you to the good life, your dream life. 

So friend, I implore you, be quick to obey the full instructions of the Holy Spirit. He knows the end result. He knows how you are going to take possession of your promise land. He knows the result of your obedience is good. Now it is your job to follow through. Obey quickly and with diligence so you can get to your dream destination, so you can live your dream life!

#266 - Is it Possible to Hear from God?

Jeremiah 30:2 - Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book. 

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets (spiritual) food...

John 10:27 - The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. 

Have you ever been curious as to whether you hear from God? Or if it is even possible to hear from Him? Is it Biblical to hear from Him? Let's take a look into the Word about this very subject. 

If we take a look at the Word, in John 14, Jesus is talking to the disciples and is letting them know that he is going to leave, the world will see Him (the person Jesus) no more. BUT, the even better news is that Jesus says that in His place, He will leave the Counselor, Someone who will be with us forever! Let's take a look in verse 16 and 26 of John 14, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever ...  But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you."

I know there is a myth out there that we, as Christians, cannot "hear" from God, but the truth of the matter is, that is a wrong belief! If we are a believer, we CAN hear from God. More specifically, we can hear from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one of the Trinity of God (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit the Counselor). When we get saved, it is the Holy Spirit of the Trinity that comes to reside inside of us. It is the Holy Spirit that is talked about in John 14:16, 26. The Comforter as it describes. Also Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Strengthener. As believers we are SUPPOSE to hear from the Holy Spirit. He resides in us to be that Voice to tell us, "No, turn right here instead of left today. There is an accident ahead that I want to keep you from." As we read earlier in John 10:27, the sheep (us!) hear My (the Holy Spirit's) voice. 

So, we have to get the 1st myth out of the way. Now that we believe we CAN hear from the Holy Spirit, GET OUT YOUR JOURNALS! Literally! Jeremiah 30:2, tells us to write down what we hear! 

I remember doing this for the first time. It was about 12 years ago when I first began to practice the art of listening and writing down what the Holy Spirit revealed to me. I was a teacher at a private Christian school and was on my prep period. I was sitting in the library reading my Bible and was determined that I was going to practice trying to listen to the Holy Spirit. I remember like it was yesterday as I sat at the table by myself. Often finding myself distracted by things or sounds, I had to try to make everything quiet. I closed my eyes and literally plugged my ears with my two index fingers. I pictured a big bulldozer or tractor with a cement wall on the front literally going through my mind and pushing all the thoughts out of it until I had a blank slate. My mind was blank, distractions gone and for the first time, I began my conversation with the Holy Spirit. It began like a simple conversation. I said, "Good morning Holy Spirit." He replied, "Good morning Amy." As our conversation continued, as it says in Jeremiah 30:2, to WRITE down in a book what He tells us, I had my journal out and began to write what I felt He told me. Interesting enough, probably just to prove to me it was Him, after journaling what I thought He was saying, I opened up my Bible to read. The passage of scripture that I read, went right along with what I had journaled. Confirmation! I was so JACKED! I HAD heard from the Holy Spirit! I was so excited. And THAT was the beginning of me practicing to listen. Granted, I don't have to go through all the steps I did at one time to get in a position to hear, but for a long time I did. Today, after practicing listening for so long, like John 10:27, I can hear my Fathers voice. I can distinguish between His Voice and the noise of the world or of the enemy easily, as long as I take the time to listen. 

I'd encourage you today, get a journal or notebook. Begin to WRITE DOWN as you hear from the Holy Spirit. Be confident that the Holy Spirit DOES speak to you and WANTS to! He was designed for that VERY REASON! To be our Counselor. It wouldn't be a very good counselor if he didn't give us any counsel, now would it?! That is why Jesus left! He said it is BETTER that He leave. Why on earth would it be better? Because as a man, he could only be one place at one time. The Holy Spirit on the other hand dwells within EVERY believer and can be everywhere! We have the Holy Spirit with us FOREVER! (John 14:16)

Friend, practice today! Listen and write down what you hear! Never go another day without conversing with the Holy Spirit!

Be All That You Can Be!

Eccl. 3:14 - ... He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds (a divinely planted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy.)

Have you ever felt a desire to do great things? Be great? You may not have a desire to enroll in the army, but their slogan, "Be All that You Can Be" rings true as a desire for accomplishment in your life.

Friend, God has placed inside you these desires. Desires to do great things! To be great! To accomplish. He has put in you the desire, and He will also give you the means to accomplish those things that you have been put here on earth to do. As it reminds us in Psalm 37:4, God gives us the desires of our hearts. Friend, he will give you YOUR desires! He places those desires in our hearts.

Continue to seek Him. Search Him out for answers. A phrase I have heard many times, "There is nothing that cannot be answered by sustained thought and prayer." Do you not know the next step in accomplishing your dream or desire? Think on it! Pray on it! Listen on it! Take some time and pray, then LISTEN to that Still Small Voice for a response. There are answers! Seek them out and LIVE YOUR DREAM!

#263 - Why You WON'T MISS IT?

Jeremiah 29:13 - Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Mark 1:35 (ESV) - And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household... 

Have you ever thought, "I just don't want to miss it. I don't want to miss God."

I know that there have definitely been points along my life where I thought the very same thing. This morning as I was journaling and taking some time to listen to the Voice of the Holy Spirit, I felt very reassured by what I heard.

If you get this next thing down, I believe you will have won 95% of the battle!!

What is that? First things first: Daily time with the Lord. Once we have committed and have established a DISCIPLINE in devoting time EACH DAY with the Lord, I believe a large portion of any upcoming battle is won. I believe we will "WIN" the day! I believe we will "WIN" in our relationships. I believe we will "WIN" with our dreams and goals!

I attended a business class last night, and the gentleman was talking about a mentorship relationship and what it looks like, what proper communication looks like and doesn't look like. He said something to this effect, "I recently had a conversation with a guy that I am mentoring. Consistently, when we would get together, he would talk the whole time. It may be an hour long of him talking, the guy barely came up for air. He established a habit of monopolizing the conversation. I'm OK with that, but I finally told him. 'You don't need me. If all I am is just a wall for you to talk to, you don't need me.'"

A true mentoring relationship sometimes means you need to be quiet! A true mentoring relationship means that both parties talk and both parties listen.

What does your time with the Lord look like? What does your "quiet time" with Him look like? Like the protege in the above relationship, are you doing ALL THE TALKING when you spend time with the Lord? Do you pray and pray and pray, then get up to leave while the Lord is still just sitting there. He never had a chance to get a word in. He didn't have a chance to offer HIS advice, HIS answer to the situation or problem.

WHY can we be assured we will not miss it? This is what I heard this morning...

Why won't you miss it? Because of this! Because of this daily time spent with Me! When you spend daily time with Me & even open up yourself to LISTEN, I will SPEAK because you are seeking Me!! You won't miss it! Business, marriage, money, kids. You won't miss it.

So friend, I ask, are you spending time listening? Sitting in silence, pen & journal in hand, ready to hear from that still, small Voice? Ready to record His thoughts about the very situation you are seeking Him about?

I encourage you to take some time today, to get in a quiet place and in that silence ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -    LISTEN. 

Expectancy!

Psalm 85:8 - I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say...

At times... I'm sure we are all guilty. Guilty of what? Guilty of falling into the trap of the mundane routine, specifically when it comes to our time with God. Hopefully, you have a regular time that you spend each day with God, preferably morning, allowing your day to be fueled with the Word. Thankfully, it is a routine that I have been pretty consistent with, not perfect, but consistent.

This morning, as I read, I was convicted of how often my time previously was spent without expectancy. My routine of reading and journaling, at times, left out the true fervor of seeking, reading, listening with expectancy to what the Lord was going to tell me or reveal to me.

So my question to you (and me), do you need to revamp your quiet time? Do you need to make an alteration? An adjustment? In that time when you quiet yourself to just listen, tune in to that still small Voice, do you need to increase your expectancy? An hour or two hours in the Word, pales in comparison from hearing ONE WORD or ONE SENTENCE from the Lord about your exact situation.

When you get in that place next, I encourage you to listen with expectancy. There are hidden treasures for you, hidden for you, not from you. Listen, really listen. EXPECT that what you are going to hear next from that still small Voice is going to be EXACTLY what you need!

Empty Your Heart of the Uneasy

Matthew 6:25, 33-34 - Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried).... But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.... So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow...

It is so easy today to DAILY go against Matthew 6:25. Stop being perpetually uneasy, anxious and worried. Is it just me? Do you find yourself easily drifting into a state of worry? Or maybe being uneasy? Anxious? Maybe anxious about your dreams and goals. Maybe it's being worried about how God will come through with your finances & paying some bills. Maybe it's being uneasy about fitting everything you need to get done into the allotted time that you have to do it? Maybe it's having grocery money for the week when your account shows $0.00? Maybe it's your marriage. How could you not stress out and worry, when everything looks like it is falling apart?

Friend, I'm here to tell you (and remind myself), God has everything under control if you will KEEP your situation in HIS hands! So often, I know that I'm guilty of this.... see if you can relate: At some point in time, I may hand over a situation to God. Maybe it's something that I've allowed to stress me out, so I verbally (or in writing in my journal) give the situation to him. Often, later that day or a few days later, when the "microwave" of God doesn't shoot out my answer in the "microwave" time period that I want.... like a true woman, with my actions I do this, I GRAB that thing right out of His hands and like I'm talking to my child, or even my husband, I say, "Let me just do it. I'll get it done quicker." (Because no one can do it better than "me", right?! "I will do it! At least I know the job will get done right!) So, there I go, taking the care, concern, worry back onto my shoulders thinking that maybe I can come up with a quicker solution, since GOD didn't manifest it as quickly as I wanted him to.  

I'm just going to remind you (and me), he DOES have a divine plan. He does have divine people lined up to HELP YOU! He has situations LINED up that are going to turn the situation to YOUR FAVOR!!! BUT.... there it is, the big BUT.... BUT, if we keep taking the situation OUT OF HIS HANDS, then we are prolonging those divine things to LINE up that HE has pre-orchestrated, that He has set up to happen! Our WORRY and ANXIOUSNESS, us dwelling on UNEASY is like giving that "thing" or "situation" priority over WHO GOD IS! GOD CAN and WILL handle the situation if we will only LEAVE it with Him. Let Him do His job!

So friend, whatever it is for you today, empty out your heart of the uneasy. Empty out your heart of the anxious thoughts. Empty out your heart of the stress. Empty out your heart of the sadness. Empty out your heart of the pain. Empty out your heart of the stress. Do it one more time, do it today. Cast that care and worry, cast your situation, your spouse, finances, dreams, relationships onto the Lord. ALLOW HIS plan to be carried out. Leave your situation with Him instead of giving into the temptation to take it back again. Watch as HE directs you step by step. He may not give you the whole unraveling of how everything will unfold, BUT if you will LISTEN today, friend, HE WILL give you the next step. It may just be ONE step, but the ONE step that you need to take next is ALL YOU NEED!

Is this you? Make a verbal commitment to someone today that you are casting it on the Lord. Or even just post a comment as your PIVOTAL decision. Just write, "I'm CASTING it on the Lord today. I'm emptying out my heart today." Pick up GOD's peace. I guaranty, having that in your heart will ALLOW you to smile today even when you feel like a smile shouldn't be possible.

Love you! :)
xoxo.

I'm going to start with my comment below..... 

#253 - Christmas Overwhelmed?

Romans 9:21 (NKJ) - Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

John 15:1-7 - I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
² Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.³ You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].⁴ Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.⁵ I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.⁶ If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned.⁷ If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

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

Good morning! Honestly, as I sit here sipping my 2nd cup of coffee, writing in my journal and just spilling everything in my heart and mind to the Lord, one sentence came to mind, "I'm ready for things to get back to normal." As I thought about it, that was a bit sad because it's ONLY December 6th!! The Holiday season is JUST starting. My whirlwind started at the beginning of November, North Carolina Leadership Conference, Florida Birthday with Grandparents, Georgia Thanksgiving, Kansas Business Trip, Mom's Night out Christmas Party (at my house), and blah, blah, blah... they were GREAT, but life has been anything but normal!

Do you know the feeling I'm talking about? I am not even unpacked from one event, to just dump my suitcase out and pack for another.... while the pile grows of things that need to be put away... or new suitcases come out while the others remain unpacked. 

So... here I sat, this morning in my Quiet Time, just spilling out my brain onto paper. Telling the Lord of all the things that I need to fix about myself, feeling frustrated and a bit like I'm still in the center of a whirlwind. Remembering the weird dream I had last night, waking up in a frenzy because I had "lost my basketball shoes and was running around looking for them and I didn't want to get left." (Weird! I don't have basketball shoes and haven't played since I was in 9th grade.)  So my dream was just another reminder of one area in my life I need to improve on...... argh..... getting more organized and being on time! 

I stopped my frenzy of all the things I "NEED" to do, the areas I "NEED" to improve on, the tasks that I "NEED" to get my head together on... I stopped. Then, I proceeded to just LISTEN. 

As I listened, this was what I heard: 

Amy....it is all about staying connected to Me. Staying connected to the TRUE VINE. I will prune you & as a potter shapes, I will shape you. I will direct you in your tasks & priorities. 

Immediately the verses that came to mind were Romans 9:21 and John 15:1-7.

What happens when a branch is disconnected from a vine or tree? I had a "Mom's Night Out" Christmas Party for my mom's group on Monday night. Beforehand, I went out back and cut some branches off pine trees, got some sprigs of pine to make a centerpiece and decorate some random places. I even found a "Charlie Brown" looking pine tree and cut that down to decorate in a corner. Well... currently, my "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree in the corner of our eating area is staying artificially alive. It is in a vase with water. BUT, it will not stay alive forever. It is currently being artificially kept alive. It is disconnected from it's root system. As soon as I take it out of the water, it will begin to brown, dry up and die completely.

The reminder to me this morning.... as I've been feeling overwhelmed, a bit in a frenzy, my "To-Do" list of Christmas presents and exchanges growing, this morning as I slowed down long enough to LISTEN to the Voice of the Holy Spirit... I got a great reminder! Stay connected! Stay connected to the TRUE VINE. As I stay connected, like the potter directs the shape of the clay, the Holy Spirit will direct me. He will even direct me in keeping me productive on the tasks I NEED to be productive in. He'll direct me where to go and when to go. "No Amy, don't go there right now, they won't have what you need. Wait until Wednesday." Then, the store will receive a shipment, put items out and the item I was looking for will be newly placed on the shelf. I will not spend time in vain, or toiling because I will have taken time to listen.

It really is amazing!!! Because Jesus ascended into Heaven and left this earth, what a gift we have! But, even the disciples argued with Jesus. "NO Jesus, Don't go! Don't go!" Jesus responded, "But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you." (John 16:7 GNT) The Helper, Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. Isn't it awesome that WHEN we got saved the HOLY SPIRIT comes to live inside of us!! I remember growing up and as a child we would say that Jesus lived in our hearts. Well, it wasn't actually Jesus (since he was human and it would be hard to fit him in our heart), but it was the Holy Spirit. The Spirit part of the Trinity. 

Why is that such good news today? Right now? Because SINCE we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, we have COMPLETE ACCESS! All we have to do, is quiet ourselves enough to listen! John 10 talks about the shepherd and his sheep, "...sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 

How cool! When we accept Jesus into our life, we have the SHEPHERD leading us. BUT... we must tune our ear into HEARING and KNOWING His Voice, so that the other voices (ie: the voice of the enemy), when we hear those, we will NOT follow them but flee from them. It's a process and it begins with just choosing to quiet ourselves and listen. Shutting off the TV, the radio, our iPhone, getting away from the hustle and bustle, before our kids are awake... and with no distractions, just sitting and listening. 

So today.... are you feeling the "Christmas Overwhelmed" feeling? My suggestion (to myself!!), STAY CONNECTED. Being connected to the TRUE VINE is crucial more than ever during times like this. I feel so much better after just having a true quiet time this morning. Stay connected. Don't allow yourself to be cut off from the vine! The life cut off from the vine is ARTIFICIAL and TEMPORARY.... it's inevitable that someone cut off from the True Vine will not last. So, this holiday season, stay connected. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you, to save you time, free your life from toil, to direct you to be at the right place at the right time. Allow the Holy Spirit to position you for Divine Favor!! :) Because as a CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, that is EXACTLY what our Father wants for HIS  children! Divine favor! 

Be blessed! :) 

#252 - Are You Being Pruned?

John 15:1-7 (GNT) “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. ³ You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. ⁴ Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. ⁶ Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. 

I got a Word this morning from the Lord that ROCKED me to the core! Not every morning is a morning that rocks me to the core... but this was one of those mornings! The revelation that I'm going to share with you will ROCK you and CAN change your life if you let it! Strap in my friend, strap in.

Tyler & I are coming out of a 4 year valley... a 4 year lull... a 4 year blah. After this mornings time in the Word, I have found it was a 4 year pruning! Now THAT is some pruning!!! Let me tell you a story...

For a little background, Tyler and I met on a mission trip in England in 1998. After 18 months of waiting and pleeing with the Lord, I finally saw Tyler again for the first time since our mission trip December 23, 2000. A little over a year later, we were married. Tyler gave a salvation message AT OUR WEDDING, offered the opportunity for people to accept Jesus as their Savior, and we were then married! That's different, huh?! We became youth leaders at the church we attended.... and 18 months after we were married, we also started our own business where we spent several years aggressively growing and having great success. Until 2008.

Over the next four years, we continued with our business at a less aggressive pace, but immersing ourselves in the Word, especially Tyler. I remember coming home from work on Wednesday and loving it! Tyler took off on Wednesdays during that time, committing to having a Day of Rest (DOR). He grew, changed, meditated on the Word... but continued to feel a strong sense that he was not released yet to build our business again with intensity. Though every bone in his driver body wanted to go and grow, like reigns on a horse, he was pulled back in.

Here is the Word I got this morning.

A bulk of the pruning is complete. Do you realize why? You both went for several years with NOT having a solid Quiet Time. You sought Me only out of need and desperation, not out of pure love and desire. Amy, the pruning was GREAT because the garden had been untended for a LONG time! A great gardener prunes daily! You never have to go through YEARS of pruning again IF you only allow Me to DAILY prune you!! Stay in communion. Stay in counsel with Me & you won't ever get too far off track!! It doesn't have to be painful. It will just be like daily maintenance. Daily maintenance is not like a MAJOR pruning of an untended garden. We had to do an overhaul, that's why it took so long. Weeds, even unwanted trees were growing up in your garden.

Wow. Talk about a wake-up call. I envision a garden with trees and tall weeds growing up everywhere.  A courtyard that could be beautiful, but instead is a weed-stricken mess. Do you remember the original movie, "The Karate Kid"? The one with Mr. Miyagi? Envision him trimming his Bonsai bushes in his courtyard. He had tiny scissors, trimming with accuracy and perfection. To the ordinary eye, you couldn't even tell anything needed to be trimmed. Why? Because he pruned daily!

What a revelation! If we STAY connected to the TRUE VINE, Jesus, like Mr. Miyagi's bonsai trees, we will never have to undergo major pruning. When we stay connected to the vine, when we allow the Holy Spirit to prune us daily, in a daily quiet time, large weeds or even trees won't have a chance to grow up in our garden. The Master Gardener will just daily trim with perfection. Bitterness, unforgiveness, envy, gossip and any other ugly thing will not have a chance to take root and begin to decay the inside of our hearts.

Allow yourself to be pruned, then STAY pruned! Allow the Master Gardener to prune you daily!

My challenge to you. Find a time, make a time, to be in the Word daily. Commune with your Father daily.

 

Timing or Toil

Good morning!! :) It's been so long that I've logged in, I forgot my password for the first round of "tries." Anyways... here I am... excited to share some good Word with you. Why? Because ALL the Word is good! God's Word changes things. God's Word brings peace where their may be toil in your mind. God's Word and Voice brings clarity where their may be confusion. Praise the Lord that we ALL have access to God's Word for our life!

Eccl. 3:1 - To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven

Let's try this on for size....tell me, have you ever found yourself having this conversation with God? "But God, when? When are you going to bring this to pass? When are you going to do it? How long do I have to wait to live my dream, to accomplish what I have been working towards? Pleeeeeeeease God! Will you please help it to happen now?" 

Have you ever found yourself having this conversation? Maybe you are going along through life, working towards your dream or goal, and one day you just get frustrated. You aren't seeing the results that you think you should be seeing.... or it appears that God is SLOW! "God! What is taking you so long?" :)

I'm sure Joseph may have thought this in his journey to seeing his dream become a reality. In Genesis 37, we see that Joseph was 17 years old when he had his dream. The dream? His brothers & parents bowing down to him. In Genesis 41:42, 46 we do see Joseph ascending to the #2 position of leadership in ALL of Egypt. Notice, he is 30 years old at this time, but even this success still is not fulfillment of his dream:  Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.

In Genesis 42, we see that the 7 years of plenty in the land of Egypt had come to an end. At this point it had been 20 years since Joseph had had his dream. 20 years! In verse 6 we see final fruition, Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 

As I sat this morning in my quiet time, basically whining to the Lord, I was reminded of God's perfect timing! Like Ecclesiastes 3:1, there is a season for everything, timing for everything! Just as there was a season for Joseph's dream, there is also a season for my own dream/s. God has perfect timing for my dream. God is not late. 

The Holy Spirit reminded me this morning that the greatest thing that I can do in the pursuit of my dream is to do two simple things. 1) Listen. 2) Obey. If I do those two simple things, my dreams will surely come to pass. THOUGH, the fruition of my dreams coming to pass are still based upon God's timing. I can toil, and try to force my dream to come to pass on my own time, or I can listen & be obedient in the process of my dream coming to pass. I've toiled. That is no fun. I've tried to force things, only to be frustrated in the end. 

What if I want my dream to come to pass NOW? How can I accelerate it? ACCELERATE listening and obeying the Voice of the Holy Spirit! It seems so simple. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

How are you doing in that area? Acknowledging Him in ALL your ways? "Where should I go today Lord? What should I do? What should I work on? Do you want me to call someone? Drop a note in the mail? What should my day look like? How can I be 'God-Productive'? How can I be productive in the areas that YOU want me to work Lord?" 

Acknowledging Him. It means fine-tuning that LISTENING EAR. He will direct you and me to be in the right place at the right time. He will set up the divine appointments. And while HE is bringing to pass the dreams that you have, you can ENJOY LIFE knowing that you are listening & obeying. You can continue to be obedient to His direction WITHOUT toiling and actually enjoy each day. Enjoy each day with your children, spouse, friends, family WHILE pursuing your dream. 

Listen. Obey. He will tell you what to do. Just as Noah received very SPECIFIC instructions in building the ark, God will give you specific instructions too!

Will you practice listening today?

"Little" is the Doorway to Much

Good Morning! I am still "out here." :) I know over the last 6 months, my 4 time/week blog has dwindled to maybe once per week....sometimes once per month. Well... let me just assure you... I'm still out here, and I am still spending daily time in the Word. I just wanted to let you know I haven't fallen off the deep end! :) It is an interesting and new season for me. I'm very excited about that, but at the same time, much change has been and continues to come. With a change of season requires a change in activities, schedule and a continual reevaluation that I am indeed on the right track. My goal, as I'm sure yours is, is to not miss ANYTHING the Lord has for me. Thankfully my husband has "cast me onto the Lord" (which he did a long time ago, PRAISE THE LORD!) and allows me and the Lord to work out what "AMY" needs to be doing.


Anyways... with all of that said. I believe I have a good Word for you today. The Lord continues to give me incites as I dig into His Word. It is so good! Constantly new.


Let's dive in...

Psalm 40:5,6b - Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered....You have given me the capacity to hear and obey...

God's thoughts towards you. Did you know that they are HUGE! Did you know that as the SON or DAUGHTER of the Most High God, that His Plans for you are great! The "greatness" or "legacy" that you leave here on this earth are in direct proportion to your ability to hear and obey. What could that mean? Maybe that means "hearing once" and fulfilling one specific calling with greatness. Maybe that means "hearing daily" and accomplishing a lot in many venues.


In Psalm 40:5, it talks about God's thoughts towards us being too many to be numbered. Imagine a room filled with all the things that you are suppose to accomplish. Maybe it's developing witty inventions, as Proverbs 8:12 says. Imagine in this room, there are shelves full of your inventions. Great inventions, not just one, but MANY. Really, cool, great ideas, just sitting there on the shelves. Multi-million dollar products. Products and inventions that really help people. Just think about peanut butter alone. George Washington Carver invented peanut butter in 1876, and went on do invent 300 other products using the peanut. A devout Christian, Carver considered his laboratory "God's Little Workshop." Maybe in your "room" there are books that you have written, great books. Maybe there are products you have sold. Business' you have started. Engineering firm, photography business, a marketing company you've expanded, a restaurant or chain of restaurants. Maybe it's a dessert you've made famous, or a sauce? Maybe it's your artwork, work and designs that are so exceptional that they are known worldwide for how extraordinary they are. What is in your room? God's thoughts of you are too many to be numbered. That includes that great plans He has for you! His plans for you are for you to prosper! (Ps 1:3, 35:27, Proverbs 16:3, 16:9) There are SO many places that talk about how the Lord's plans for YOU, as His child, are for YOU to SUCCEED!!!!! For YOU to WIN! For YOU to be PROSPEROUS! Healthy! Wise! Wealthy! Third John 1 verse 2, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.


THE KEY HERE? Psalm 40:6b. You have the CAPACITY to HEAR AND OBEY! If you don't feel like you have been able to "HEAR" the direction or Voice of God (the Holy Spirit)... then guess what? That hearing ear can be developed! You can begin the process of practicing to listen! You will be amazed that as you pursue God, as you seek out Him & His treasures, He WILL make Himself known to you! Your life, your direction, your calling does not have to be a mystery to you! It is not suppose to be a mystery! He has HIDDEN TREASURES for YOU! They are HIDDEN for YOU to find them! They are HIDDEN from the enemy FOR YOU! But you have to seek them out, listen and obey! 


So... in your room.... in this room that has "all God has for you".... what is going to come to fruition here on the earth that is in YOUR ROOM? Are all the inventions, business', churches that you help build, books that you write....are they going to be left on the shelves? Or are they going to come to fruition here on earth? I believe that your capacity to RECEIVE those inventions, ideas, successes are based upon your ability to be obedient with the FIRST ONE! If you don't take the first idea, or the first business or the first book and do anything with it, WHY would God give you the next one? When you have not been faithful with the little, the ONE, why would he give you the rest of the AWESOME ideas? 


It begins with 2 things. Listening & Obeying. 


Can you do that today? Can you Listen? Can you obey? Can you take the first step to being obedient to what God has called you to pursue? Just like the story we've heard many times. The servant who was faithful with little, was given much. 


Servant. Child of the Most High God. Will you be faithful with the little He is trying to give you today? That "little" that you are faithful to is the doorway to much. Will you be faithful?

Can You HEAR His Voice?

Ephesians 3:17 - May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love...

May Christ, through faith, dwell in your hearts. Settle down, abide, make His permanent home.  Tyler & I were talking about this this morning. It came into a perspective that I haven't thought about in a long time... and now that I'm at a different place in life, it takes a WHOLE new meaning!

Imagine this.... Tyler compared it this way. "Amy, imagine loving the Bestul Family so much that we sacrifice Tyler Junior so that we can dwell in their hearts. We sacrifice our only son because our love is so great for the Bestul's."

Imagine a love so great! Imagine a love so great that you are the reason for the great sacrifice. A love so great, that someone would be willing to sacrifice their only son. I mean, have you SEEN how cute Tyler Jr is?!?! That puts it into a huge perspective. To sacrifice MY SON because of a love so great for you!

And that is exactly what God did for us! He sacrificed His ONLY son and we now have the opportunity for Him to come DWELL in our hearts. We have the opportunity for Him to take up His PERMANENT home! To dwell: settle down, abide, make His permanent home. What a place of peace, to be abiding with Christ. To be dwelling in the same place as Christ! Right?! Imagine. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and picture it. Sit with Jesus. In the peace, in the quiet. No toil. No stress. No chaos. No turmoil. No struggle. But......imagine, complete peace. Sitting with Jesus and you are overcome with complete peace.

That is exactly what God wants for us. He sacrificed His only son for a purpose! I can't IMAGINE loving someone so GREATLY that I sacrifice what is most important to me in my whole life, and then that person does not even receive the gift I have for them. Think about your son (or daughter). Imagine sacrificing your son, your only son that you love with ALL your heart. Imagine sacrificing him, so that you could dwell with, make a home with your in-laws, your sister, your best friend.

Christ came to earth. He came with the purpose of being victorious. He came with the purpose of saving us, the sinners. He came with the purpose of setting us free from death. But it doesn't end there. He came with the purpose of not just a "Security Plan" for us to get into heaven. He did not merely come that we may have "Fire Insurance" from hell. He came, His Father - God, allowed Him to be sacrificed that He may DWELL with us DAILY! That He may take up PERMANENT residence in our hearts, in our life! That He may direct us in daily decisions as we look to Him. That we may walk & respond in peace. That our homes would be filled with peace. That toil & chaos that the enemy tries to bring onto us would have NO place in our lives and homes. Christ came, lived, and was sacrificed, rose again, ascended to heaven so that that Holy Spirit would be left in His place to live inside of us. Jesus himself was fully man and could only be one place at a time. Because Jesus lived & died & rose again... that allowed the 3rd part of the Trinity to become a part of every believer. The Holy Spirit to live inside of each of us once we accept Christ as our Savior. (Romans 10:9-10)

I ask you today.... Are you saved? Do you know Jesus? For many of you, the answer is yes! You are! But don't let it stop there!! Don't live life with just a "Fire Insurance" plan! Allow the FULL BENEFIT of the Sacrifice to LIVE! Allow the Holy Spirit to direct your life. Lead your life. Take time to develop your relationship with your Father! Take time to get to know Who He is. This starts with time in His Word. This starts with planting the Word in your heart. It starts with consistency. Take time to listen. It says in John 10 verse 27, the sheep know My Voice and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. I ask you.... if you do not recognize the Voice of the Holy Spirit, GET TO KNOW HIM! You can only learn someone's voice clearly by KNOWING THEM! Get to know your Father! Spend time with Him so that during the day you CAN recognize the Voice of the Holy Spirit in your life! Like how I can recognize Tyler's voice on the phone. I recognize his voice easily because I have spent a lot of time with him. I KNOW my husbands voice! The same is true with the Holy Spirit. The more time we spend in the Word, studying WHO He is, time in prayer, time practicing the art of LISTENING to Him... the more we do those things the easier John 10:27 is a reality in our lives.

The sheep know my Voice and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. 

I ask you today, can you hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit in your life? If yes, great! Continue in that relationship. If no, the answer is easy. It takes TIME, time spent with Him to get to know His Voice. Commit today to spending time, daily time getting to know Him. 

He Has NOT Forgotten You!

Good morning! I'm just going to share some quick encouragement with you this morning....

Psalm 10:4 - The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God...

The righteous, YOU & ME, we can choose to be the opposite of this verse. The righteous, humble in countenance WILL seek, inquire for & yearn for God! That is how the verse can be stated for us.

This morning as I was taking some time to just listen... this is what the Holy Spirit revealed to me. Maybe it's for you too... if so, grab hold of it and keep it for yourself!

Amy, I have not forgotten you. I have not forgotten your dreams. Keep true north, true north. I promise, listening & following Me will give you all you've dreamed about and more. Amy grab hold of persistence. Grab hold. Be consistent with your goal. Put the hand to the plow. Work until it is done. 

Substitute YOUR name!
Terri, I have NOT forgotten you. I have not forgotten your dreams..... 
Angela, I have NOT forgotten you. I have not forgotten your dreams.....
Sherry, I have NOT forgotten you. I have not forgotten your dreams.....
Melissa, I have NOT forgotten you. I have not forgotten your dreams.....
Holly, I have NOT forgotten you. I have not forgotten your dreams.....

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul & mind. Allow him to be the leader. Allow him to direct you. Allow yourself to listen & obey with diligence. Listen fervently. Obey fervently. Watch the blessings of the Lord overtake you.

What would be the simple task He would tell you to do today? Maybe it is the same task every day? Maybe it is the repetition that will bring you to YOUR fruition of your dreams and goals. He is even in what may seem like the "monotonous."

Bless you today.

 

 

#243 - Are You a Go-Giver?

Luke 6:38 - Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour ^[a]into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.

Proverbs 31:20 - She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit].

Have you ever "given" something that someone does not want? Maybe it's been time. Maybe you wanted to help so bad so you've given your time, all the while it was more than a burden to the recipient than a gift. Maybe you've given a gift. Something that you thought was truly awesome and the recipient SHOULD want it, they SHOULD use it, it would help them out a lot, but it was something they did not want or need at all. Maybe you've given someone an opportunity. Maybe it's an opportunity to be a part of your Bible study, play group with kids, craft group, business expansion, but all the while, they were not looking for that at all. Maybe they were just looking for a friend. Maybe they were just looking for an ear to listen. Maybe instead of the gift, they really just needed help paying a bill.

I read an amazing book, several times, called the Go-Giver. It was a quick read and so inspiring. It talked about giving. It talked about providing a service that people want. Answering a problem that people need help answers to. It encompassed Luke 6:38, GIVE and it shall be given unto you. Give and you will receive in direct proportion in which you give. Provide a service, and you will receive in direct proportion to the number of people that you help. Whether you will receive back in friendships, in monetary means, in respect or honor.

I've caught myself at times trying to give. I'm trying to give, give, give. But looking back, it is not something that the person wants at all. They are not looking for what I am trying to give. So here I am, trying to force them to receive, but they just want a friend. Or... maybe I'm put in their life merely to connect them with someone they need to be connected. The whole idea? Be a Go-Giver! GO and GIVE. Give what people need. Find the need that THEY have and try to connect them with the answer. Try to connect them with a person who can help.

As I was reading this morning, and asking the Holy Spirit some questions, like He usually does, He reminded me of some things. Basically this, just because someone comes into my life does NOT mean that they are there to help me accomplish MY goal or MY objective, but maybe, just maybe I am there to help them with their need, their goal, their objective. Maybe I am there to give not the other way around.

For me, that means a change of mindset. Being focused not on, "How can I GIVE YOU what I WANT to give," but changing that to, "How can I give you what you NEED and what you are looking for?"

The Proverbs 31 woman is doing just that. She is giving to those in need. She is giving an ear to listen to, to the one who needs someone to listen. She is giving of her physical labor, to the one who needs physical help. She is giving of her money, to the one in need of money. She is giving of her time, to the one who needs quality time. She is giving of her love, to the one who needs love. Giving "physical labor" to the one who needs "love" would be a vain use of time. It would be "giving" to a close fist, because it is not what they need.

So... a new focus? Today or this week... how can we GIVE what someone is truly in need of? How can we give the gift that someone truly needs? A compliment. A helping hand. Paying for their lunch. Or just being a friend. It may take asking some questions. It may take not talking at all and listening. It's all about finding the need and filling it. How can we GIVE the gift today that someone really needs? Are you a Go-Giver?

I Got a Spanking. :(

Jeremiah 13: 1,3,6 - Thus the Lord said to me... And the word of the Lord came to me the second time saying... And after many days the Lord said to me...

Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).

Have you ever slept in and known you should get up? Well.... let's just say my 7:00 snooze on my phone went off until 9:36!!! YES! 9:36! I feel like I'm still trying to get into a regular bedtime routine & wake-up routine. Sure... we have routines, but now things are a bit different with Trinity being here... more things to do before bedtime now, which has pushed things back for actually getting to bed!

So finally... after our 11:30 breakfast (Jr wanted to take a bath when he woke up at 10:30), I am finally sitting down to journal & read my Bible before beginning a full day of laundry! Recently, the Lord specifically told me that I needed to wake up by 7:00, but that it will get earlier soon. So... my first acknowledgement after just telling Him "Good Morning" was this: Please forgive me Lord for sleeping in & not waking up when I was suppose to. This was the response I got, brace yourself, there were no warm fuzzies in what He responded:

It's really your loss Amy. I forgive you, but you are the one who loses when you don't spend extended time with Me. I do promise, you will enjoy your time with Me if you get up earlier! 

Booyah! Well... I know this to be true! It's just sometimes getting past my flesh in the morning. But praise the Lord that the Lord IS the same yesterday, today & forever! Just like in the day of Jeremiah. The Lord SPOKE to Him. In the verses above, we see 3 different times just in the beginning of chapter 13 where the Lord came to Jeremiah and was giving him instructions. So... why is it so crucial for me & for you to spend quality time with the Lord... I think first thing in the morning is the best. Aside from giving God the "first fruits" of our time, for me it means receiving INSTRUCTION for my day. As a wife, mom, business owner...also having recently moved with an abundance of boxes that still need unpacking... I want to do the things with my day that are the most productive! My goal is to NOT toil in my day. My goal is to do the RIGHT things with my time. When I don't take the time to acknowledge the Lord with my activities, I look back on my time and found I was doing things in vain. I was completely tasks that were not the best use of my time. Where if I just acknowledged the Lord, HE would let me know specifically what I should be doing.

Anyways! There it is.... Amy's reprimand from the Lord... a bit of a spanking, whatever you want to call it.  I'm going to do my best to LEARN from it and not snooze when I should be up! I know I have much to accomplish for the Lord and that requires TIME with Him.

What about you? Any areas you care to share? Anything you are working on???

Have a blessed day! I'm finally going to go get my day started at 12:20! :)

#226 - Wake Up Your Brain!

Proverbs 30:2-3 - Surely I am too brutish and stupid to be called a man, and I have not the understanding of a man [for all my secular learning is as nothing]. ³I have not learned skillful and godly Wisdom, that I should have the knowledge or burden of the Holy One.

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

Brainless. Have you ever went through your day and just felt like you had your brain turned off? Like you left your house without it? You left your brain & your cup of coffee on the counter as you headed out the door for work. Then... you went about your day just taking whatever came, accepting it and adjusting accordingly. Good & bad, you just accepted it.

This morning before I got into reading the Word, the Holy Spirit addressed this very issue with me. Here were some of His thoughts to me:

You have a lot more choices than you really are aware of. Choices to accept things & live with them, or simple choices NOT to accept certain things & live with them. Many believers go on with life never thinking, just accepting! If you & others would wake your BRAIN up, you would realize areas, little, simple areas of victory you COULD be walking in. These victories causing you to be more productive with less toil, happier & more fulfilled than you could have thought. 

Little, simple victories. I'm all about victories in my life! For me, part of what the Holy Spirit was referring to related specifically to energy, or lack there of.  Being 35 weeks pregnant, I have definitely had LOTS of times recently where I have been completely drained and in need of a nap. I've got to the end of my rope many days and had to sleep. The Holy Spirit addressed with me, speaking to my energy levels BEFORE getting tired. Speaking to my energy levels during a time I felt fresh. As it says in Romans, calling things that are not as though they were. Sure, we all have choices. I could leave my brain off, and when fatigue hit, just go with it and take a nap. Wrong, no, not necessarily. BUT what the Holy Spirit was wanting to reveal to me was this, I do not just HAVE TO accept what comes. I have choices! You have choices! So often, our brain is turned off to our rights as a believer, the promises that are ours. It takes a conscience effort to keep our brains turned on. To really evaluate, Is this right? Should I accept this or choose something different? Is there something better? What does the Word say?"


As it talks about in Proverbs 30:2 and Proverbs 31:10, we can live being stupid or being intelligent. Proverbs 30 talks about the stupid man living off merely his secular knowledge and this knowledge is as nothing. How awesome that as believers we CAN walk in skillful & godly wisdom. We have access to not just walking through life accepting what comes our way, but with our brains ON, and being tuned in to the Holy Spirit, we truly can live a better life! We can life a blessed life even in the simple areas. Even in the simple day to day activities like housework or grocery shopping or having energy! We can look to the Word for ANY situation we are going through and apply the Word, confess it & walk in it. Specifically for me & energy, I could choose to apply the Word this way:

Thank You Father that Your Word says in Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired." Father, since Your Word says it, I'm going to believe it! Therefore I CHOOSE to have ENERGY! I choose to be RENEWED! Thank you Father for giving me energy! Thank you for being true to Your Word and performing it! I praise you that I can have a day filled with energy, energy that YOU promised! Thank You FATHER for ENERGY TODAY!!! 

Do you see how easy it would be turn on or off our brain? For me in this situation, to turn off my brain and accept fatigue without even a second thought. Or turn ON my brain, accept the WORD of God & His promises and receive energy! Unfortunately, many a days have went by where my brain has been turned off in this area, and I have just accepted fatigue.

What is it for you today? I challenge you today, don't just accept what comes your way today. Filter it! Do you REALLY want to receive it? Does it REALLY line up with the Word of God? Wake up your brain and walk in the promises that God has for you!