What Are You Waiting For?

Ecclesiastes 11:4,6 - He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hands, for you know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Have you ever waited for the perfect time to do something, but the perfect time never comes? The perfect time to have kids? The perfect time to move? The perfect time to go on that trip.... take that loved one? The perfect time to launch out and start that business? The perfect time to treat your parents to something really special.... just to say thank you for all they've done over the years? The perfect time. Does the perfect time ever come?

I had great plans... great ideas. My mind had planned out this great trip....I was going to bring a special family member. It was going to be such a memorable experience and this would have truly been a "Life Highlight" for this family member. Tyler and I waited. There were several times when we "could have" ... it would've worked out. But, we continued to wait for the "perfect time." In our pursuit to wait, this very special family member died.  My perfect trip, with the perfect memories & the perfect surprise never came to be because I was waiting for the perfect time.

What are you waiting for? Like Ecclesiastes says... are you observing the wind? Are you waiting for ALL conditions to be favorable before you sow? Before you step out in faith. Are you observing the clouds? It looks like it might rain, so you don't launch out with that new business. The economy looks like it's taking a turn for the worse, I'm just going to stay at my job. Ooooh.... they are doing cutbacks.... let's just not have kids now. Let's wait a few more years.

The Holy Spirit does know best in each and every situation. But....maybe now IS the time. It may not be perfect. "ALL" things may not be favorable. Last I checked, we please our Father by our faith! Maybe now is YOUR time to do what you have been waiting for. Maybe now is YOUR perfect time to take the plunge! Have kids! Move! Buy that house! Go on the trip! Start a business! Make the decision to go "ALL-IN" with your current business and MAKE IT GROW!

What are YOU waiting for? Maybe now is YOUR TIME!

 

#194 - Where is the Prize?

Good morning! :) God amazes me. His timing is perfect. And.... he cares. He cares about everything in our lives. He cares about our needs, our wants, our desires. His desire is to bless us, we are His children! I see things at such a deeper perspective now being a parent. How the desire for a parent is to provide MORE than just the bare necessities of a child, but to provide the fun things too. To provide those things for your child where their eyes light up with excitement, they are filled with joy. Whether it be just time playing with them, swinging them around or whether it be a new toy, the joy it brings to a parent to provide MORE than the necessities is now quite apparent. God wants to do the same thing for US! He wants to do that for YOU! He wants to see you giddy! He wants to see you so excited at the blessings HE brings to you. Just like a parent. He IS YOUR parent! Isn't that a blessing! He is OUR parent! He is OUR Father! That is good news. Let's get into today's Word...

Proverbs 15:23,29 - A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment--how good it is! ....He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous...

Proverbs 31:16 - ....expanding prudently....

Just yesterday, God amazed me. He does it frequently, but it is fun when you can see how God's timing is better than our own. Several months ago I was considering pursuing some avenues that I "hoped" would provide some extra income in our family. I remember as I thought about it and considered it, in my mind I just didn't feel at peace about it. It was going to call for a lot of time researching some things on line, then if MY PLAN even panned out, MY PLAN was going to cause me and Tyler Junior to have to travel one way about 4 hours, on a frequent basis. To me, my plan sounded very toilsome. I was willing to make it work. I was willing to FORCE all of the puzzle pieces into place, even if they did have to be bent some. I was willing to make MY plan work and let God tag along.

In the back of my mind as I continued "mentally" pursuing this idea, I still settled with a feeling of hesitancy. I did not have peace. One day in my quiet time, I finally just heard clearly, "No. Not now." I had received my direction. I did what most children may do when they don't get their way, I protested. "But... but but but...." I wanted God to know why MY IDEA was a good one and why it should work NOW! It was MY IDEA and I wanted to do it NOW! lol. I laugh just thinking about how that does sound like a little child, nonetheless that was how our conversation went down. Needless to say, I eventually listened. I hung up my idea, not knowing if anything would ever come from it or if it would hang forever, un-pursued.

But isn't God amazing. Isn't his timing perfect and his connections divine?! I have continued to daily do the things that I felt like the Lord was leading me to do. I have continued to just be obedient (for the most part.... an occasional plight for forgiveness would come in). I have stuck to what I KNEW I was directed to work on. Sunday after church as I was talking to our Pastor, he said something, prophesied, over this specific area. I made a comment on the way home from church to Tyler, but just left it at that. If GOD wanted to open up doors, I was going to let him but as it stood, I was just going to be still with the, "No. Not yet."

Then, wouldn't you know it, just yesterday, someone came up to me talking to me about the very same thing. They did not know I had hung up this "plan" just months ago. They not only came to me to specifically make some recommendations, BUT they also gave me a name to this divine connection. The divine connection is someone they knew well, and is the business owner, the actual person I would need to speak with about my idea. They are not 4 hours away, but right here in Columbia!

I think about how it would've turned out if I would have pursued MY PLAN on MY TIME. I think of how the last 3-4 months would have been toilsome, time spent on the computer searching things, time spent driving places that were in vain. Time. Wasted time. I just sit here and thank the Lord that I listened.... sure, maybe stubbornly at first, but I didn't pursue MY plan in MY timing. As this person talked to me, I just felt an abundance of peace. I didn't hear harps, or birds chirping, but I felt peace. I felt like THIS was God's Timing on the idea that I had. HE had planned this person to talk to me. And who knows, if they wouldn't have seen some things I had done, if I wouldn't have continued to be obedient in the day-to-day things I was called to do, they may have never contacted me to connect me with this God-Contact!

Sometimes the word "wait" can be the hardest word for us to hear. Wait. "But, but but but.... I want it NOW! I want it NOW! Work it out NOW God!" His timing is SO much better. Even when it's hard to wait. I once heard Tony Evans talk about this very subject. He said something like this: "There are two scenarios. Both of these single women want to get married desperately. They want to find Mr. Right. Take the first lady. She gets to work at 8:00 in the morning, busies herself for the Lord immediately upon arrival. It seems like no time has passed. She has pursued exactly what the Lord has wanted her to pursue with excellence. What seems like about 5 minutes goes by and they look down at their watch and wouldn't you know, it's already 3:30! It's close to time to go home. She has been so busy getting things done, that she hardly noticed how much time had passed. Then, there is the other woman. She gets to work at 8:00 in the morning. All she can do is sit there and think about how frustrated she is that the Lord hasn't brought her the "Mr. Right" she has been waiting on. She sits there, sulking, doing nothing. Not pursuing the calling God has on her life because she wants to be married. She wants Mr. Right. So, as she sits at work, it seems like five, six hours has passed. She looks at her watch and in utter discouragement she sees that it is only 8:05! All this doing nothing and only 5 minutes has passed!" His point in the story was this, if you are a believer and still clinging on to a promise that is yet to be fulfilled, pursue the calling on your life with fervor!! Time will go by so quickly and the prize that you have been longing for all along will be waiting for you on the other side of your obedience!


Now... I don't care who you are... that is GOOD STUFF! That is some AMEN material right there! The prize that you have been longing for all along will be waiting for you on the other side of your obedience! 


Holla! Amen!

Be blessed my friend!

#163 - For Such a Time as This

Good morning! Get ready for this. The Word for today is for MANY people. MANY. I'm excited to allow the Holy Spirit to really show out and open eyes through what He has shared with me this morning, and what He is about to reveal to you. It is amazing! Buckle up! Strap on the boot straps & get ready! This is a Word from the Lord!

Proverbs 6:6-8 - Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise! ⁷ Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, ⁸ Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest.

Esther 2:2b, 12, 13 - Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. ²Now when the turn of each maiden came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the regulations for the women had been carried out for twelve months--since this was the regular period for their beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet spices and perfumes and the things for the purifying of the women-- ¹³Then in this way the maiden came to the king: whatever she desired was given her to take with her from the harem into the king's palace. 

Matthew 25:2-4 - ²Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). ³For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them; ⁴But the wise took flasks of oil along with them [also] with their lamps. 

Wow! This is good. I was sitting here listening to the Holy Spirit as I journaled some of my thoughts.... and this was one of his opening lines to me: "Amy - just relax your brain. You seem so uptight this morning." Do you ever wake up like that? Even though you may be in quietness and peace, nothing in your brain feels or seems like that. Your brain is going a million miles a minute thinking of a million thoughts, concerns, situations, etc, etc. It's like... how could you have so much going on in your brain so early in the morning. You just woke up! So, I listed out all the things that I had in my brain that was causing a bit of question or even potential stress. The Holy Spirit reminded me that I needed to RE-CAST those cares on Him. I was allowing the baggage of my load to weigh me down, which in turn was hindering my ability to Care Less and be Care Free!

OK... all that was bonus. Let's roll into the Word. Above you read about 3 different accounts. The first one, in Proverbs talks about how the ant is prepared. The ant prepares during harvest and when winter comes is ready. Proverbs tells us to learn from the ant. Let's skip down to the Matthew scripture. Here's an account of the story of the 10 virgins. If you remember, they were waiting for the bridegroom to return so they could enter into the party. 5 of the virgins came prepared with extra oil, not knowing how long into the night they would be waiting, and not wanting to run out of oil. The other 5 came unprepared, and later ran out of oil. When the bridegroom returned they were not there because they had to go get more oil... they missed the opportunity to enter into the party. They were left behind closed doors in the dark. A real picture of heaven & being prepared for the return of Jesus. He is coming back, the question is, will WE be ready?

Esther... the key thing here that I wanted to point out is this... virgins were going before the King so that he could decide who would be the NEW QUEEN to replace Queen Vashti. The King was going to choose. A NEW QUEEN! Someone! A young woman from among the people. It reminds me kind of of the Cinderella movie with Drew Barrymore.... where the women of the region are invited to go to an elaborate ball so that the Prince can choose a wife! Well... that in essence is similar to what's going on with Esther, EXCEPT before going before the King, the women go through a 12 MONTH PREPARATION period! They go through 12 MONTHS of beautification treatments! 12 MONTHS!

How does that affect me? What does that have to do with me? As I was sitting here listening... well, just feverishly writing what the Holy Spirit was telling me... He reminded me of these accounts. To sum it up, He basically said, HEY... even ESTHER had a time of preparation! Her season JUST for the beauty treatments was 12 months before she would go before the King. Her ASSIGNMENT was huge! We all know the "For Such a Time as This" statement. Queen Esther saved an ENTIRE NATION! She saved the Jewish people! BUT she had to go through a preparation period. 


Put your name in here: AMY (Tarra, Kim, Angie, Galen, Renee ___________________) will YOU be patient enough during this season, during this time for me to PREPARE YOU? Great things are on the horizon, but I need to prepare you! You don't have to be in a rush. My timing is perfect. Will you please just continue to let me? Before the fullness of manifestation... before your dreams truly ARE a reality, in the current quietness, will you allow me to get you FULLY grounded so you are FULLY prepared?! You will not lack any good thing! The day and the hour is not important right now, it will come. The important thing right now is that you focus on the time you are in and that is PREPARATION! Will YOU prepare and allow me to prepare you? Continue to draw near to me! This is part of the preparation! I will guide you in what to focus on, what to prepare. Your time is coming, the time that will be famous for you and you will recognize it as: For Such a Time as This! You will know you had been prepared for this moment and for this time. So.... please.... will you just be patient. Will you let me do My work in you? Your time is coming. 


Need I say more? My time, Your time is coming. Will we be faithful in the preparation? Will we be faithful so that at our VICTORY, at the FRUITION of the desires we've been waiting upon... we will be able to say, "I see it now... For Such a Time as This, I have been made ready. I'm so glad that I am prepared!"

#158 - A Pursuit of Fervor!

Good morning to you on this wonderful day! It has been a blessing, these rain showers at night... washing away some of the yellow pollen that covers everything. In Jesus Name, no allergies or pollen formed against me shall prosper!!! Nonetheless, the rain has been a welcome blessing at night! I have an extremely full morning... and lots of traveling this afternoon... so we best get into some Word. We are taking a visit back to our regular reading schedule. :)

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]!

Psalm 25:3-5 - Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause. ⁴Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. ⁵Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long. 

First of all, I find it interesting that here in Psalm, we have David... King David praying for US, you and me! Those of us who trust in the Lord, David is asking the Lord for us not to be disappointed. I thought that was pretty cool.... David, way back, was praying for ME and YOU!

Waiting. Have you ever just wondered, When will I get there? When will I get to my goal? When will this happen or that happen? When will be my time? When will this dream come to pass? When will the 'waiting' be over? When will I arrive? Well, I know that at times, I have found myself asking those very questions in certain areas of my life. Tyler even reminded me of it this morning. I met Tyler in July of 1998 on a mission trip. On that very trip, God told me I was going to marry him, God told me specifically that he was going to be my husband. After the trip, we both separately went back home and carried on with life. I, in Indiana, Tyler in South Carolina. For the next YEAR AND A HALF, every day I pleaded with the Lord! "Lord! When are you going to let Tyler know that I am supposed to be his wife? When is he going to call? When is he going to write? Email? Anything? LORD!!! WHEN!?!? Please Lord, just let him know that he is supposed to pursue me." What seemed like the longest 18 months of my life, at the time, I was waiting. I was expectant, but nonetheless, I was having to wait. What a time that was. BUT... what is interesting.... now, I have been married to Tyler for over 10 years! Looking back, though I remember the pleading with God, I remember the sleepless nights, looking up at the stars just wondering when the time would come. I remember it all very clearly. But today... I have Tyler EVERY day! Every day of my life, I have him.

Things that could have made the time go faster? I believe it I would have been more focused on the Lord, seeking and pursuing the Lord, seeking and pursuing my calling at that time in my life, I believe time may have seemed like it would've went faster. Instead, every day I was just moping around, pleading and longing to be with Tyler. Every day! My happiness was determined by the rush to the computer lab at college.... would I have an email from him today?!? Logging in to the campus computer, within minutes I would either be on a cloud of bliss, or my head would hang in disappointment.

What's the message? Look at the Proverbs 31 woman! Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure! WHY? She rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! She already knows the outcome! Our Proverbs 31 friend is not standing as I was, head hanging low, sad, disappointed. She is standing just like I COULD HAVE been standing, in STRENGTH & DIGNITY. Her shoulders pulled back showing her position of STRENGTH & SECURITY! She is SOLID! She is CONFIDENT! She is EXPECTANT! She knows the outcome is good! And do you know what, I spent 18 months of waiting and it was miserable. It was such a hard time. I could have changed perspectives. God already told me Tyler was going to be my husband, I could have just rejoiced over what the future held instead of longing every day in my present. 


God's timing is perfect! We all have dreams & goals. We all have things we desire. Maybe we are looking to find our joy. Maybe we want the dream marriage, happy & fulfilling. Maybe it's a bigger house. To be out of debt. To have a new vehicle. Maybe it's to retire from your job. Whatever it is, your days are numbered and your VICTORY is at hand. But while you wait out those numbered days, STAND like the Proverbs 31 woman in strength. Like our Psalm, KNOW that your outcome will not bring disappointment, but as a CHILD OF GOD, it will bring VICTORY! The Word WILL come to pass in your life! The desire WILL BE fulfilled! And while your waiting, PURSUE your FATHER with FERVOR! Pursue your calling with FERVOR! I know sometimes "moping" is the easiest thing to do, but choose to PRESS IN! PRESS IN to your gifts, talents and abilities! Press in to what GOD has called you to do RIGHT NOW! Maybe you are called to be a blessing to someone else right now. Pull yourself up. Take your eyes off the "consuming desire", and be consumed with the Lord's will for your life today! What are you called to do TODAY? As you complete your calling, you will be shocked when you turn around and your desire has COME! It is here! You are walking it out! You are living in it! What a blessing. But don't miss today while you wait. 


Have a great weekend! :)