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 During that same span of time I noticed that this same lady began to act differently toward me also. I did not know her well, but we always had a cordial relationship. She stopped speaking to me. When I would see her she would look the other way. I kept thinking that with time she would return to her normal self.

 Months began to pass. She remained the same. I would visit her store and when she saw me come in she would leave the floor and her employees would wait on me. I began to pray over the situation in general. I didn’t understand her attitude. I knew that she had a problem with my friend, but she and I had never had any difficulties as we barely knew each other.

 One day a woman from my church that was very close to this lady called me. She told me that the lady was causing great harm to me in the spirit by the things she was saying about me. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21 Thus I went before the Lord asking Him to explain this to me. The Lord spoke clearly to me and said, “guilt by association.” (the spirit of friendship) I said.” Lord, what must I do to bring peace and restoration to this broken fellowship.” He reminded me of Matt. 25:3-4 “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

 So I began my pursuit of reconciliation. I tried many times to speak with her but she would not talk to me. I sought the Lord again, and He gave me a specific plan. He told me to go to her store before it opened, and to wait for her to arrive when she would be alone. So I did just as the Lord instructed me. I drove to her store early one morning and parked my car in an inconspicuous place and waited. It wasn’t but a few minutes until she arrived. Her store was in a strip mall and she was walking up to the door with keys in hand. I quickly walked up to her and said, “May I speak with you for just a moment?” When she saw me she said “NO! Please go away and leave me alone.” I said, “It won’t take me but just a minute.” Again she emphatically said, “NO,” as her keys were going into the door. Fearing that she would get inside and I would miss my opportunity to obey the Lord, I immediately fell to my knees on the sidewalk outside the store, between her and the door. I said, “I ask you to forgive me for whatever I have done to hurt you.” She said, “What are you doing, get up, get up!” I persevered, “Do you forgive me?” She said, “Yes, yes, yes, just get up!” I said, “I thank you for forgiving me and I love you very much.” As I stood up she rushed into the store as I slowly walked back to my car with tears pouring down my face.

 A few weeks past and the Lord began to deal with me again to go back into her store. So one day I slowly walked in and just browsed a bit. She saw me, spoke to me and helped me with a purchase. The Lord kept leading me to go back to her store again and again. Slowly she begin to soften. Through the next year she became very friendly and we talked many times. One day I received a call that her 18 year old son had been killed in an auto accident. He was her and her husband’s life. This was a very special opportunity for me to then be able to give myself to her without measure since I had obeyed the Lord in the beginning. A year later she had a gall bladder attack and during the operation her liver was cut and she almost died. She suffered for a long while and had to undergo another operation to restore her injured liver. Many days through all her trials I would stop by her store and pray with her as the Lord would allow me to minister to her in such a precious way.

 Besides the Blood, Forgiveness is one of the most powerful weapons we possess against the enemy. We are using the same weapon that Christ used against the enemy on the cross…Forgiveness. “Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34a We must forgive to be forgiven. There isn’t one without the other. Forgiveness is the key that opens the door to some of the greatest blessings that the Kingdom of God has to offer.

This woman is a devoted intercessor. Intercessors pay a high price for the call upon their life. Standing between someone and Satan draws fire and retaliation from the enemy. Over a year ago, this woman called me out of the blue. She began to pour out her heart to me and tell me a story, which in most respects would provide the perfect scenario of a script for a Hollywood horror movie. Thus over the past months I have counseled her spiritually as well as providing a shoulder for a friend to cry on.

She has walked a very hard path, one that many could not endure. She has been through the depths of despair. She has lost everything, her husband, her children, her home, and her business. Even though she has been through periods of weakness and depression, she did not give up hope. When she would call me, we would begin to speak the Word of God together over her situation. She knew the Word for she had studied to show herself approved. In the past, she was a Women’s Intercessory Ministry Leader and used her home for Intercessory Women’s Retreats.

Many times our love for the Lord can result in zeal before wisdom resulting in a lack of discernment. There are times that God desires for us to assist His children in common sense ways. They need a natural word. My friend called the other day and as we began to talk, I realized that she needed natural advice, ideas, and confirmation that what she was doing in the natural part of her life was the right thing to do. She needed a natural plan. We live in two worlds at once–the natural and the spiritual just like our Lord when He walked among us. We as Christians must be sensitive to the needs of others in the natural as well as the spiritual.

Before our conversation ended, she related that she felt more at peace as she realized that there was a way in the natural to start over and she could do it. Christians often overlook natural counsel, encouragement, and edification for loftier spiritual heights. Jesus fed the five thousand natural food before He fed them spiritual food. (Matt.14:13-21) Our love for the Lord will result in our service to Him, however as we seek to find ways to serve Him more, let us desire the anointing of the Sons of Issachar; (1 Chronicles 12:32) to be able to discern the times in our lives and the lives of those  God sends our way.

We live in a world of enquiring minds…everyone wants to know everything about everyone. Yet so few people want to know anything about the most famous and important person that ever walked on the face of this earth…Jesus Christ.

Why do so few people want to know so little or nothing at all about the man that holds the power of life and death in His hands.The man who holds the keys to death and the grave, as well as the kingdom of heaven? 

We have become a self-absorbed society, filled with self-centeredness and selfishness. How did this happen? How did it get so “all about me?”

God has definitely blessed America. We are a blessed people living in a blessed land; a land of plenty. Many times when we have had so much for such a long period of time, we forget how it was not to have plenty. We forget those times in the past when we struggled to survive, prayed and God miraculously came through for us. Since then pride has crept in and we begin to feel that we deserve to be blessed. It is our right, not a blessing.

Let us never forget where our help comes. It comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Let us repent and remember our past that we may be thankful for the present and for all that God has planned for our future. 

Thanksgiving is a season to remember. It is a season to remember and be thankful. It is more that stuffing ourselves with a huge turkey dinner of which so many of us do. It should be a special day that our country corporately gives thanks to our creator for all the things that He has done for our families, our friends, our land, and us. 

America, America, God certainly has shed His grace upon us. Can we do any less? Let us show grace and mercy to those around us and live to serve others, the way Christ so unselfishly served us; by giving His life we might live. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all, 
but more than that– 
Thank you Jesus for all you have done for me.

I have been so blessed by the testimonies that I have been receiving from ladies who have emailed me concerning what God has done and is doing in their lives.

Nothing is too small for God not to receive glory. That is our purpose on this earth; to give God glory, to bring Him honor, to worship Him, and to give Him praise.

I often wondered when I was younger what “glory” really meant. Why God wanted glory? Especially from me His own creation?

Then as I grew older I realized how I longed to have those I loved to love me back. I wanted to hear them say they loved me. I wanted to feel their love. I wanted to see the love in their eyes when they looked at me.  

Basically that is what we are doing when we give God glory. We are loving Him, embracing Him and telling Him how much we love Him. We are doing what we would have Him do to us. Isn’t that the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?

So as we desire the love, attention and affection of those we love, the same is true of our Heavenly Father. He desires the love, attention and affection of those He loves; His creation, His children, those who have accepted Him as their Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Praise, worship, & adoration are all expressions of our love toward our Heavenly Father, the one and only God who is the creator of the universe…the I AM, El Shaddai, Emmanuel, Elohim, El Elyon, and the Ancient of Days, and then to His Son Jesus, the Messiah!

Giving glory is loving. As we grow in Him giving Him glory will be a natural outpouring of our love and affection toward Him as well as others. The more we love Him the more glory we will give to Him. We love Him because He first loved us!

So give Him glory, give Him praise, give Him honor, worship Him, adore Him, appreciate Him, tell of His magnificent greatness, tell of His mighty works among men, tell of His attributes, tell of all His miracles, tell of His love and peace toward men, sing of His saving grace, dance before Him for His promises, clap your hands in thankfulness and joy, lift your hands in praise, and fall to your knees in worship. For great is our God and worthy to be praised, for all He has done and all He is going to do, but most of all just for WHO HE IS!

Moving in & out of the God-seasons of our lives is more about the realization of the change and adjusting to it, than the change itself. Accepting the transition and learning to quickly get into aggreement with God’s plans makes the entire process so much easier. It even helps it to move along more quickly. Why, because we are not so stressed out about it or so impatient during the process of it.

When one part of our spiritual lives becomes less active and another picks up, we need to become more sensitive to the change, we must quickly discern, recognize, and accept God’s soverign hand in it. 

All that is really happening is that God is moving us from one field of harvest to another. Most likely we are on a temporary hiatus while God is working behind the scenes to advance His will in our lives. Most likely the field that we have been is has produced  it’s full potiential for our spiritual advancement. Thus God is moving us to a new field to fulfill specific needs in our spiritual lives, or there are other sheep in this new fold that are ready and waiting for what God has given us to share.

Either way, whether we go or stay we must enjoy both seasons. The season of release to another field of service, or be content to remain in the present field of service where we are presently feeding and being fed. 

Our lives are not are our own. As we know, we have been bought with a price, and it wasn’t cheap. It was the life-blood of the Son of God. If our Heavenly Father willingly gave us His son as a ransom for our sins, then the least we can do is trust His will in our lives. He is after all, the lover of our souls, a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and our Beloved! How could we ask or need more!

Last Saturday I had a taken a shower and was cleaning up some things in my bath. I have some bottles of cleansing gel that I keep refilled on a shelf at the back of my tub. Outside the opposite end of my tub I have a table which holds a vase and plant. 

So I was standing at the front of the tub, leaning across it reaching for the bottles in the back left corner, I lifted my left leg to give me more stretch as I have done many times before, and  placed my hand on the back tiles of the tub. 

Failing to remember that I had just taken a shower, the very instant that my hand touched the wet tiles it slipped, and faster than a speeding bullet I fell downward and forward turning up side down and landing head & shoulder first at the bottom of the tub. In that split second I thought….”I am in Big Trouble!” My feet were half way up the front shower wall  sticking outside the shower. 

At first I was speechless. I didn’t move. I thought, oh my, what have I done? At that moment my husband came running in and told me not to move. I kept waiting for that oh so familiar pain of injury to ensue and in the next few seconds it did! It was my big toe and the ones next to it, they began to scream in a painful throb. 

My husband stepped into the tub and like my knight in shining armor picked me up out of the tub, carried me and set me down. I was amazed that the only thing giving me pain was my toe. I couldn’t believe it! I began to think of the seriousness of the situation that had just happened to me. Many people are severely injured and even die from blunt force trama to their heads when falling headlong into a bath tub. But I had only injured my toe!

I began to praise the Lord and thank Him for what He had just done for me. I began to weep and weep and weep and weep! It wasn’t tears of joy, it wasn’t tears of pain, but tears of thankfulness and gratitiude for the ‘Savior’ He had just been to me. As I held ice on the injury and sat in my husband’s prayer chair, I felt the love of God pour over me like I have never felt before.

It was so warm, it was so gentle, it was so kind, it was comforting, so reassuring, and oh, so real. I wept, and wept, and wept. This must have gone on for 30-45 minutes. This presence of God and His love for me was so over powering that during this time I never felt the pain.

I could not thank Him enough. I knew at that moment that my mission on this earth was not over and that my destiny was still to be fulfilled. Ps. 91:11-12 came flowing in and out of my spirit over and over, “He will give His angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways. With there wings they shall bear me up, lest my foot dash against a stone.”

Wow, the smallest injury of all…my toe against the wall. Praise His Holy name. As I thought of what could have been but wasn’t, it would begin all over again; the tears, the thankfulness, the gratitude, the love, the love, the Agape love of my Lord and Savior. That name; ‘Savior’ took on a whole new meaning to me.

My body has felt the trauma for a few days now, with messages from muscles and tendons I never even knew I had. But I will never forget that one day that I knew for sure the Lord gave His Angels special charge over me. To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen

Do you ever have those nights when you just can’t sleep? Well, this is one of those nights! It’s 2:19 in the morning and here I am at the computer. I would rather be in my cozy bed. However, I wanted to tell each of you how special you are to me. If you are reading this, you are special to me and to God. He loves you and so do I.

There’s not enough love to go around these days. I have always been called “a love bug.” It’s a true statement. I got it honestly from my Mother. A precious saint that has already moved to that city called Heaven, whose builder and maker is God. One day I am going to move there too. Will you be there with us?  I sure hope so.

You can be assured of that one thing; making heaven your home. All you have to do is repent and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, forgive you of your sins and be the Lord of your life. He will do it right then and there. Oh, the joy of a soul set free! 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

I don’t know who the Lord has gotten me up for in these wee hours of the morning, but I know that someone is going to accept the gift of eternal life because of it. Then one day you too will live in that city called Heaven. When you and I are both living there, please walk up to me and tell me that it was you that the Lord had me up for during that second watch of the night. Then I can give you the BIG HUG that God saved just for you; from Him through my arms extended, when we both once lived in that place called earth. 

If you are the one that reads this and accepts Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, then by all means, please email me and let me know about it now! I’d be thrilled to discover I have a new sister or brother in my family…the family of God. You know what, I am just going to to go ahead and give you a BIG CYBERSPACE HUG right now!

I love you.

Nighty nite……

Ever wonder why the Lord decides to move us in and out of certain seasons in our lives? Ever wonder why it usually has to do with giving up that which means the most to us? Well, so many times I find that He has given me a few hints along the way, but I have not taken heed of them for one reason or another. So He seems to have to always help me along. By helping me along I mean He has to pick me up and set me down where He wants me to be.

Everyting in life costs something and the spiritual realm is no different. It usually costs us whatever means the most to us. Christ’s victory at the cross cost Him His life. The price we pay involves dying. We die a little bit ever time we follow the perfect will and plan of God for our lives. Paul stated in I Cor. 15:31, “I die daily.”

Dying to our flesh and emotions is a hard thing to do. It takes spiritual fortitude and being built up in our most holy faith. It goes against our very nature as we were born to live. Yet as we die daily to our will ,we receive His pefect will within our spirit. As we pass through the spiritual valley of the shadow of death we move into a new level of spiritual growth. We may not see it at the time. 

However, as the Shepherd moves His sheep from pasture to pasture, I am sure they are not always ready to go. For most likely they have found a cozy little place to lay on soft green grass. The shepherd continues to push them to move on, no matter how comfortable they may have become. For most likely they are very close to the mesa, the tableland at the top of the mountain. Everything depends on them getting there at just the right time and season. The same goes for our lives. When we can’t discern the times, the Lord, our Shepherd does it for us. It’s like a shot of medicine; it hurts, but it eventually makes us to feel better.