Can You Count The Stars?

This moment was so great and I’ve shared it already with several circle of girlfriends but for some reason I am having trouble compiling it here on my blog.  Sometimes speaking and sharing in person is just a little easier when the message is just so monumental!  I eluded to this a couple of weeks ago in this blogpost about Watching for God. 

It was literally like God moved a mountain for me to see my faith. 

Both Matthew and Luke share Jesus’s words in the Gospels that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can speak and move mountains- right?!?

I was studying about Abraham and reading in Gen 15 and picturing God bringing me out to the night of stars and writing out a prayer to God asking Him to help me believe His promise of blessings as vast as the stars.  This picture of being under the stars stuck with me for a couple of days.  And the following mornings every tiem I walked through my neighborhood and felt the sun both warm my face and blind my eyes as it rose—I remembered and thanked my God. 

Later that week, I heard a Bible teacher speak about Luke 13 and was intrigued by her sharing the details of this crippled woman.  I got goose bumps and felt God nudging me to pay attention.  I began to think about what might have crippled this woman and even with my recent rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis I knew God wanted me to see more than just physical crippling.  I felt nudged to ask what is crippling me and have been on a journey with Him to discover these things.  And I bet there will be more blogs as He reveals. 

Because of the Bible teacher’s description of this crippled woman, I was seeing this crippled woman who Jesus saw-then called-then healed-then touched in Luke 13.  The Bible says she was bent over and could not straighten up at all; can you imagine looking at the ground and your feet all the time…never being able to look up at the stars the Bible teacher explained. 

When we are crippled we are not able to see the promises that God has for us and I am convinced this is why Jesus healed her.  She needed to be able to look up at the stars…

A little later, I was compelled to read the story in Luke 13 in its entirety and verse 16 jumped off of the page…this crippled woman, Jesus called a ‘daughter of Abraham.’  And that is what we are…daughters of Abraham...capable of great faith.  

And God desires for us to see all that He has for us--as vast as the stars.  We are meant to stand tall and look up to stars.  Are you feeling crippled-emotionally-physically-spiritually?  I used to be crippled with shame from abuse that I suffered, praise God I no longer walk hunched over because of that--yet I still want to seek to be free of anything that may be crippling me.  Don't you?  

I feel this is what God wants us to remember: Jesus sees you - He has called you - He will heal you - He wants to touch you.  For you are Abraham's daughter!  Get out there and look up at the heavens!

Can you relate?  I would love to hear how Jesus has touched you or how your faith has moved mountains thus far.  

Watered with the Word

Word up!  Having you gotten in the Word yet today?  What spoke to your heart?

I love the picture I got in my head when I read Proverbs 14:27.  (These pictures on my blog, don't do it justice)

"Reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." AMP

Monday Music Mayhem

Picture taken from Amber's new album and website. 

God recently reminded me through a girlfriend of just how much He desires to lift my spirit through praise and worship music.  I'm bad about downloading music and using iTunes (I am accepting tutorial help from those more versed with this application).  I listen to Christian radio often on my phone and have it blaring for me and the kidlet when I am home; but I have gotten out of the swing of this.  I think with 3 boys-okay 4; it gets pretty noisy and I just like the quiet.

But, I am going to devote Mondays on my blog to music and am hoping more of you will share what moves you too.  Let's all is Monday Music Mayhem.

Today I want to share a song from a gal I met through Mending the Soul Ministries; she has a new album out and you can download her new album for free for a short time here:

Amber recently opened for Chris August in concert at my home church and she plays for many of the Mending the Soul Conferences.  You will be blessed in hearing her music....Heal These Wounds-the last one on the album is one of my FAVs!

What are some of your FAVs?  Will you share with us?

Remember this month I am giving away the devotional book and each time you share/comment your name will be entered in the drawing.  

Just Squash It!

So I don’t know if it is the amount of testosterone floating around in my home since football season started or the recent reading with my boys that God decided to speak to me through simple bugs—yes BUGS!    (I will spare you a pic of this unsightly creature I saw today)

I am seriously outnumbered here in my home and even though I grew up catching bugs myself…I was a little bit of a tomboy; I am very glad to have boys around to kill the occasional cockroach, cricket or spider that crosses our path. 

Yet, this morning no one was awake as I sat reading my Bible and praying when a cockroach simply interrupted me when I caught a glimpse of it darting across the floor. 

I sat for a second and rationalized that it wasn’t something to go wake one of my bug-assassins so I grabbed a book near by and bombed the moving target.  After applying firm pressure with my bare foot to the book I felt it was safe to dispose of the bug. 

Ewwww….why am I writing about this? 

You may have guessed, it wasn’t quite dead; apparently these bugs are similar to cats and have 9-lives…for it began to scurry across the floor again after seemingly being squished to the floor.  In the seconds I watched it scurry again I heard God speak to the recesses of my heart….I know weird—

Yet, really it is not so weird; for God is in the little things of our lives just as much as He is in the big things, right?!?.  

And whether I am starring at my shoes that just squished a bug or enjoying a sunset on the beach He is with me—He is with you if you believe and call Him your Savior too.

“Some things are just hard to kill…”  I heard the Spirit speak to my heart.  These words just prior to trying to kill a bug that interrupted my reading and coffee…these words just prior to me asking God, “Why is this surfacing again?” I thought I have already dealt with this.

So I didn’t sit still for long, I came back with more force in the second squishing and succeeded and I felt God’s smile. 

You see there are negative emotions and feelings that we have that seem to resurface even after we have had time to deal with them.  I don’t know have you felt any of these feelings lately and wonder where they came from: un-forgiveness, lustful thoughts, jealousy, envy, anger, conflict, rebellion…

The Bible says we all have these emotions and we cannot ignore them (Gal 5).  And any unsettling feeling that we have is simply God moving in us by the Holy Spirit to encourage us to live with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

You see God was reminding me of His truth to just squash it-kill it…or Gal 5:24 says to crucify my sinful nature.  And like the bug….some things just want to keep scurrying- for we have an adversary that continues to scurry.  

Let us not be discouraged when we realize we have a unbecoming emotions rising in us; but let us do what we need to do is squashing them; so that we may live by the Spirit rather than our human desires that the world will tell us are normal and thus okay to just let be.  

Remember it is the Spirit who empowers us and gives us strength to do great things for His Kindgom.  Girlfriendit Radio spoke about how God empowers us last week.  You can listen here.  

"Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Gal 5:26

Don’t ignore it…squash it and lean into God to empower you to walk full of His love.

How do you ward off scurrying emotions that can come up from time to time, like envy? 

I would love to hear how you deal with emotions like this...I enjoy learning from others and would love to start a dialogue here.  

And to encourage comments this month, I am giving away a copy of the devotional book, titled "Big Dreams From Small Places".  Every comment will enter you in the drawing.  Share with me and others how He moves in your heart to walk with Him--together we inspire and encourage each other. 

Word Wednesday!

It's Word Wednesday...Do you have a Word to Share?

This spoke to my heart this morning and some words were already underlined in my Bible but I couldn't help but run over all the words with my pink highlighter today.  Proverbs 4:20-27

My son (I read princess), pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 

Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 

for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 

Put away perversity from your mouth;keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left; keep your foot from evil. 

Share a verse that spoke to you today.

To encourage you to share this month; for every comment or share you will be entered into a drawing to win this devotional book.  

Simple As Clean Underwear

The busy weekend left my mind full of inspiration to write as well as a house in need of attention.  Not to mention work items to complete and items still left un-checked from last week.

Do you have a list a mile long and struggle with what to focus on first? 

Do you ask God to guide you/show you what and how to focus your energy each day?

I literally laughed out loud when as soon as I penned in my journal this morning; a truth derived from Isaiah 30:23 –He will bring what I need to grow!

As the truth penetrated my heart and I asked God to show me what to focus on; I heard my husband’s early morning voice ask me, "Can you bring me a clean pair of underwear?"

Ooops!  I took this as a gentle nudge from God to focus on the laundry and needs of my family today.  

My mind instantly went to a picture I saw in an article I saw posted in Crosswalk this morning. Click on the picture to the right and you can read the article too.  I know I am leading in other areas, but I am also leading right here at home (and apparently I forgot a load of laundry over the weekend). 

Do you believe you are a leader?

No wonder us women who are wives, stay at home moms, and work-from home moms who rarely wear a suit struggle with believing we are leaders. 

Not all leaders wear a suit, right?!?   I pictured myself leading near my washing machine, and with my vacuum, wearing my grubby work-out clothes and yellow gloves.  Can you picture it??  Let me help you....

So today, I will do various things; but first I am chuckling and embracing the words spoken in the depths of my heart when I asked the Lord to ‘show me what You would have for me to write and focus on today. 

It seems the underwear needs washing today-so I will tackle this necessity first. 

Does God speak to you about the simplest things like tossing a load of laundry in the washing machine?  I really do love communicating with other women and discussing how God communicates with you.  I am inspired by your journeys and I truly desire to encourage you with mine.  All for the purpose of making Him more known—not myself…the Lord knows this is my desire.

It’s been a few years now since God first nudged me to write and I believe part of this purpose was to bring me closer to Him.  

Do you write or journal?  

Have you experienced getting closer to the Lord by writing? 

Many have encouraged me to write and one recently encouraged me to submit some of my devotionals to a publisher and have you heard my first devotional was published in a devotional book titled, Big Dreams From Small Places go here to read a little more of this journey and click on the picture like the one below at the end of the blog for more information. 

It is a fun, inspirational book of devotionals from other women who are paying attention to God in their lives and writing about it….want a copy of the book? 

I am going to be giving away a copy. 

Every time you leave a comment on my blog this month you will be entered in the drawing to be held November 1^st.  Leave 10 comments, you will be entered 10 times….leave 27 comments, you will be entered 27 times.

For today, I would love to hear how God has spoken to you recently, or maybe you have a question to ask about how to discern the nudges you think you are feeling—or maybe you just have a word or scripture to share that spoke to your heart--or maybe you want to share how writing has brought you closer to God...

Remember the Lord uses us to encourage one another.  I used to think it was weird sharing how God spoke to my heart—never did I think I would share how God made me laugh showing me it was time to wash the underwear...

I will be checking back to see what you have to share—I am so encouraged by your comments and love conversing with women albeit in person or online. 

All await your comments....
Until then, I'm off to gather the laundry so my family can lead with clean underwear.

Keep Watching For God

I am so thankful for the walks along the way…

Both the literal walks that I have just about every morning after sipping my coffee and reading my Bible; as well as the figurative walks I have with God along this Princess Path.

Are you walking too?

I wonder if you are walking right now with a kick in your step or does a season of solemnness have you dragging your feet?

Wherever I am, wherever you are in your walk, I know Jesus wants to encourage me(you).

I believe this is why God gives us gifts on our walks…and these gifts keep me going and energize my soul.  You know those times when you just know God brought that Word, that song lyric, or that friend’s wisdom at just the right time to remind you of His presence.  I cannot help but have a desire to write about these moments...

I realized this week that I have to be careful not to crave these times more than I hunger for Him alone.  This past week I have been soaking up a gift and resting in it all the while still very aware that the enemy has tried to push me in a corner.  He is the bully of all bullies. 

I didn’t fully understand the vastness of my ‘funk’….I don’t know what else to call it.

Today while soaking up the wisdom from one of my favorite Bible Study teachers I felt God highlighting with bright neon color in my head some of her words along with scripture. 

She reminded me that the enemy does love to push us in a corner and had us read Psalm 19:18.  In looking up the verse, I found it highlighted in my Bible with bright blue from previous studying. 

Do you like to highlight and write in your Bible?

I love a fresh Word but even more a fresh Word that He has previously given me… (Yes, I think this makes sense…His Word is alive and active and capable of being fresh, again and AGAIN.)

The enemy loves to make us feel like we are backed into a corner and restricted; but our God has rescued us and brought us to a spacious place…why?

Psalm 19:8 says He delights in us.

Do you feel backed in a small space, restricted at times?  

Some times this feeling of being restricted is just plain crippling and causes me to freeze up. 

I am catching on to the enemy’s nasty pushing tricks and the amount of time that I feel backed in a corner has become less and less; but I can't deny that it still happens. 

How long does it take for you to realize your stuck in a corner?

How do you get yourself walking again.

The funny things is that this week after reading some other scripture, I asked God to reveal to me some areas that I am crippled and in need of His healing touch. (I will share this other God-moment with you in a later posting)--but I see now God is showing me the culprit of the crippling...

I am so thankful to know God and know that He delights in me—and He delights in you—and He has brought you and me into a spacious place. 

Let us not feel paralyzed and stuck in a corner…let's keep walking.

For the LORD has delivered us..

Our eyes from tears…our feet from stumbling, so that we may walk before the LORD.

(Psalm 116:8)

*And look at this note-what timing!  

Awaiting for me in the mailbox were the copies of the book I contributed to, and the publisher attached a note encouraging me to "Keep watching for God...and to keep writing!"  

I want to encourage others to keep watching for God too...stay tuned for a book give-away.