SALVATION

But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing." Andrew Jackson


Christ secured our blessing of salvation when He died on the cross for us. He payed the ultimate price so that we would not have to. We do however need to remain vigilant for the devil prowls around, waiting to destroy us. The devil will do anything that he can to make you disbelieve the promise of your salvation. He knows that BELIEF in the promise is what seals the seals the deal.

GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

I was recently given a very old Bible from a friend of mine. I love the treasures that are sometimes pressed in the pages, or the notes that someone from long ago left for us to find.

I have always had a thing for Abraham Lincoln. As I was turning the pages, I discovered a yellowed newspaper clipping. It was cut to the size of the article perfectly. The Title of the article is, Lest Union Forget! It's Been Four Score..And Seven Years Today Since Lincoln Made His Address.

I decided to read the Gettysburg Address. I have come to realize, that God knows that I enjoy history, and uses it as a way to reveal things to me. Here is the address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

In reading the italicized part of this speech above, I realized that Christ died for the same reason that these men gave their life. Just as God has raised up an earthly army to fight for our physical freedom, He also sent us Christ, who has paved The Way for our spiritual freedom. In the same manner that Lincoln had urged us to take increased devotion towards their cause, I feel that Christ compels us to continue on with His cause of freeing the spiritual prisoners of this Earth. Let us lose our lives as Christ did, by dying to ourselves, and reaching out to a hurting world. If you want to become a hero, save a life. Save them by teaching them of the Lord our God and Savior. In this Way, we will show the world that our Lord did not die in vain.

Father, give us eyes to see, and ears to hear those around us that need our help.

DECOLORIS!!

I was enabled to embark on the journey of a lifetime. My walk to Emmaus, #32 St. Annes Convent, Melbourne, KY, TABLE OF ESTHER (I should have known)! I have never felt so loved in all of my life. I want to thank God for Jerry a man that after knowing a girl for only 15 minutes on a bus to New Orleans, would follow his inner Spirit voice, and refer me to two fellow servants Lori & George who would sponsor me for this walk. My heart has been touched in so many ways, my cup overflows with love. I am blessed to become a part of this community of BELIEVERS! Thank you also for my friends who so dearly expressed their love for me, through their agape letters, and for the people that knew me not, yet showed me more love than a heart can contain. Lord, you always know where to put me, and when to put me there. The experiences I am unable to speak of, as the surprises must be left as such, should you become a pilgrim. I will say that I know what Heaven will look like, if only at a glance. I have been inspired in so many ways to take this love inside of me, and pay it forward. Thank you Lord for my new friends, my new experiences and where this road is leading on my Fourth Day! I know you are counting on me and I am counting on you.

Jesus, I adore thee, lay my life before ye, how I love thee!

I ask you Papa, what is next? I am willing to wait for that answer,and BELIEVE with all my heart it will be revealed in your perfect time.

Love me, your daughter art!

A SABBATH DAY OF REST

Heb 4:1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
Heb 4:2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
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Most when they hear The Sabbath and rest, think of taking time off from our work to play, and I do feel this is an important part of the Sabbath that God speaks of. I also BELIEVE there is another kind of rest. One of sitting back, and not letting the storms of life bother you. To fully and totally TRUST our Father to handle any situations that arise. To have a peace about you in the midst of everything, that can only come from clinging onto the only constant, with full assurance that He that knows all, will see you through. If you are going through something today that has you stressed, you are not putting your full Faith in our Father to take care of your every need. I have a son. If I knew that he was constantly worrying that I may not be able to take care of him, and provide for him, it would break my heart and I would feel that he does not trust me. I feel that God hurts the same when we don't keep our eyes on Him as our provider, with an inner knowing that all will be well.

Rev 4:3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.



If you click on this picture twice, it will make it bigger. I just love the circular rainbow of colors along the outside of the sun. It reminds me of what our hearts look like when we are full of the Holy Spirit. It is the true Sonshine.

STAIRWAY FROM HEAVEN

I was at Red River Gorge over the weekend. I had never been there before. We hiked for endless hours on Sat and Sun. On Sunday, we were headed towards a rock with a split in it, was all that I knew. I had no idea that the bottom of the rock was about 10 feet from the edge of a cliff. This would have been where you would reach your leg up to get onto this rock, that was about half as tall as me.



My friend had it in his head that my other girlfriend and I would be totally fine climbing it. Normally, I am up for a good challenge, and it is hard to get me to back out of one. I was not sure if this was a time to face the fear of falling, or if this was an unwise move all together. As we sat there on the other rocks deciding whether we were going to climb it or not, I prayed to God to tell me what to do. I felt as if it was not a wise move because there was no one else climbing this rock, my legs were already spent from all of the hiking that we had done all weekend, and this was my first time hiking like that. I did not feel it would be a wise choice. Now that I had made this decision, I began to wonder what the alternative route was going to look like. We had already climbed some very big rocks, in some very tight squeezes, to get to this rock in the first place. I began to pray Lord, please make a safe way for us. As we ventured around the front side of this mess of rocks, there were, wooden and steel steps with rails. how they got them all the way up there, and built them around all those drop off points, WOW! He had mentioned they were not there the last time that he came. Even though my legs were aching, I was never happier to see those staircases from Heaven. Thanks God for making a way for me! He will always make a way out for us if we call to Him.

We got to the bottom all of us still in one piece. That was a miracle in itself.

Me on a safe rock, LOL:

BUTTERFLY BLESSING

Yesterday was a beautiful day at Harbin Park. I arrived earlier to spend about an hour and a half, talking to God, and reading my Bible. I have been struggling lately, feeling a little disconnected. I felt much better after spending that time with Him. A friend of mine met up with me to take pictures, walk, and talk. We had a wonderful afternoon! There are many paths that lead to the hiking trails at this park. We walked down one of these paths, thinking we were going to take a small hike in the woods. We began to take pictures on the way, but her camera was not taking her pictures correctly. It's a little hot out at this time, the bugs are biting us, and now we are really irritated with this camera. Why did it all of the sudden stop taking macro shots correctly? As we are standing there, I look down and see the feather of a cardinal!! I had never found one before. It was awesome! As I bent down to pick it up, I was deciding whether I was going to give it to my friend rather than keep it for myself. Just then another one caught my eye, THERE WERE TWO! WOW! Not only did God bless me with this treasure, He provided another for me to give to her! Then there were two smaller feathers, that were lighter and smaller, able to float in the air better. So, we decided to pick them up, make a wish and throw them into the air. Both of our feathers blew to the left and right side of the trail on top of leaves. I took a picture of both of them, but I liked the picture of hers the best.

After this, we went to get lunch and I was able to get my blue Slush Puppie, that I had been craving at the local ice cream stand. It started to get cloudy out. I was in shorts and a tank top, and it was getting a little cold out there. I was wishing that I had long pants to put on. I went to the trunk to get my Bible and my journal thinking, well maybe I will just stay for a little longer and read and write. Something navy blue caught my eye. It was the track pants that I had put in there, in case I needed them! I thought that I had taken them out. I was able to slip them on over my shorts, and go on my next adventure. I felt a strong sense that there was something exciting waiting for me on one of those paths. I decided to go with my gut and investigate.

Walking down the path, I could hear my feet crunching the grass, the swish of my track pants, and the sound of tons of crickets even though it was only about 6:30Pm. There was a cool breeze blowing, and everything was vivid and crisp. The bugs could no longer use me as a walking buffet as I was well covered. It was as if I had stepped into a beautiful painting, or a different land of mystical wonderment. I stopped at one point in the path to take pictures of a tree of thorns, mixed with flowers. As I was standing there, I heard something fly by my ears similar to the sound of a small plane. It was a beautiful butterfly! He was fluttering all around. I tried to get a shot of him, but he was much too fast, and very skittish. It was as if he was playing with me. Flying right past my face, and then up, up, and away. It was making me giddy with joy, that he was making his presence known to me. Rather than chase the thing around, I stood still and I held my left arm out, camera in right hand, deciding that the butterfly would in fact land there. I prepared everything as if I knew it was going to happen. I had also asked God to intervene, and allow this to happen.

It was less than a minute, that this beautiful creature blessed me with his presence on my hand exactly in the spot that I had the camera pointed to! WOW! What a miracle/gift of God.

After taking these pictures, he flew away. I asked God if I could have a picture of him, next to the footprints ring that God had given to me years ago on my pinkie finger so that my two miracles could be together. So, I held my arm out again and stuck up my pinkie finger.



Praise the Lord! Thank you so much for making your presence known through your creation. I could never explain the euphoric feeling to have God instantly answer a prayer right before my eyes. Butterflies do not just land on on you. Unless you are at the conservatory at the butterfly show, LOL. Nope, God led it to me because of my request, but more importantly because of my childlike Faith that it would happen. Those are the prayers that release Heaven on Earth, and that is exactly what it felt like in those woods on that day.



I look forward to my next adventure! I will also try with all of my heart to continually remember that things that we perceive as bad or aggravating, happen along the paths of our journey, to slow us down and have us take note of the beauty around us. I guess that is why her camera kept messing up, because once we got off the trail, it started working again. If that had not of happen, I may not have had the time to notice our feathers!

EVERY GREEN PLANT FOR FOOD

Ge 1:30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it I give every green plant for food. And it was so.

Ro 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Ro 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Ro 10:11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Ro 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
Ro 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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I ran into an old friend of mine. He showed me his bracelet that he had just purchased. The person that was wearing this bracelet has no doubt in his mind, or heart that he is saved. He knows that even though he is not perfect, Christ is what makes us perfect in the eyes of God, and it is nothing of our own works.

If you are that person and you are reading this now, KUDOS! Even though we may not always agree, and we are quite different people, I do see Christ in you and it is beautiful!

We can defiantly agree on one thing, WE ARE SAVED THROUGH CHRIST!!!

Ro 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Ro 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
Ro 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Ro 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Ro 12:20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Ro 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

THE NARROW AND WIDE GATES

Mt 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
Mt 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

On Tuesday, I was out for a walk. I met a woman from Romania. It was one of those times where I passed by this lady a couple of times, and I knew we were to have a divine appointment. She started speaking to me about a certain kind of tree that was at that park. I could tell by her accent that she was not from around here. We walked and talked for over an hour. After speaking with her only a little bit, I realized that she was very much into new age teachings. I could also tell that she was very scorned from religion. I was carrying my Bible of course, because that is when I do my daily reading. When she mentioned that she was from Romania, I let her know that for some reason, I feel like I am going to end up there someday, and that I will be there for a missionary type purpose, possibly teaching the Bible to people that live there. She gave me a look and said, I mean no disrespect to you but what kind of education do you have? I said, oh I only graduated from high school, but I am quite sure that I will be equipped for whatever it is I will be teaching. I don't need a certificate to discern the Word of God, or to teach it, I learn straight from God. She shook her head and let me know that I may as well forget the thought of that, because the people there are very intelligent. As we walked around, she began to give me a short history lesson of things that she has learned. She would ask me a question, and if I did not know the answer, she would let me know with accent, see you know nutting, and won't be able to teach these people. She also let me know that the Bible is only one narrow teaching, and that there were so many teachings available out there. Now don't get me wrong, the lady was adorable in her own way. I could tell underneath the comments towards me, she was a person that had been hurt by religious people in her past. She proceeded to name off a bunch of new age teachers, half of which I knew of, and for that reason, I was able to relate some Biblical teachings that basically have the same message. Not very many, because it seemed she really wanted to do most of the talking, so I listened. as she spoke of her new age learning's, something sparkling on the ground caught my eye. I bent down to pick it up:



WOW!!! I showed her what it was and she was silent for a second, I could tell the wheels were turning. What are the odds? It is funny to me that she had spoken to me about the narrow views of the Bible. There was the cross laying on the narrow path to life (analogy).

It started to get cold out so, she had to leave. She let me know that her knee was bothering her because of a car accident. I asked her if she would be OK if I prayed over her knee? She was more than happy to receive this prayer of healing. We sat on the bench and I said a prayer for Jesus to heal her knee, her heart, and to provide wisdom. She let me know that she usually will not speak to anyone about her beliefs, but that she felt it was OK with me. She told me how nice it was to meet me, I told her the same, gave her a hug and told her that maybe I would see her again sometime.

My point is that I feel the most important witness we can make to anyone is to simply hear them out. Let them talk. Speak only when needed, and guided by Spirit. Most importantly, NO JUDGEMENT or condemning words. I feel like if anything else, she could at least see that I cared, which I do.

I am not sure why we met, or why we needed to talk, I just know there was a reason.

PS:
Earlier that morning I was able to catch about 20 min of a Joyce Meyer teaching. It was about not letting people speak negativity over you, when you feel like you have a dream that God has put on your heart. She said that her so called church friends had laughed at her when she told them, that she felt that God was telling her that she would have the largest female ministry around. They told her not with her attitude, surely she misunderstood. By the way, one of the ladies that said this, later worked for her. Was it a coincidence that I saw this before my encounter with someone telling me to forget my dream of teaching the Bible, because I did not have enough certification?

04-03-14  I had to make an update on this post. It had occurred to me that the audience of my blog, second to the United States is the Ukraine and the numbers are very close. I find this interesting because part of my heritage is Hungarian. My Maternal Grandmother and Grandfather were both 100% Hungarian. The other reason is that Romania is near the Ukraine. I have not been there yet but maybe God had something else in mind besides my being their physically. We never know how God will work the things out that He lays on our hearts. Pay attention to everything going on around you always. Just when you feel you heard Him wrong, maybe you will realize He just worked it out a different way than you had anticipated. 
I wrote this update and turned off my computer and looked down at a scripture card that I had pulled earlier today but did not read what it said yet. It was worth turning the computer back on and updating this much more. As you read the verse, keep in mind the title of this blog as well as everything that was said that day. 

John 14:6

King James Version (KJV)

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

HELP

REFRESHMENT FOR THE WEARY

Ps 68:9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.
Ps 68:10 Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.

dandeLION (LIONS TOOTH)

I know I will never look at a dandelion the same way I have in the past!



Please take a few minutes and really study this picture. If you click on it, you may be able to zoom in to see the intricate details.



I was captivated by this shot that I took of a simple backyard dandelion. As soon as I saw it, I immediatley began to draw analogies to life in the Spirit. It is said that Christ is the vine. Now I know this is just a stem, but it reminded me of a vine. See how each individual parachute and seed, is deeply lodged into the top of the stem? Now take a look at the end, how magnificant looking is that? It is as if each parachute is exploding with glory! It appears that there are lights shining as they do in a stadium, when the cameras are flashing. I was reading an article and it stated that the leaves are at their best when they've just emerged, and the yellow flower can transform into the white globular seedhead overnight, and that each seed has this parachute to travel far and wide in the wind, which spreads the seed. Dandelions spread further, are more difficult to exterminate, and grow under more under adverse circumstances than most competitors. Most gardeners detest them, but the more you try to weed them up, the faster they grow.

As each one of these seeds are rooted deeply into this stem, I feel when we stay deeply rooted, and grounded into Him, in time we are given a seeds of knowledge, and filled with such joy, we feel we are going to explode with love. This gives us the desire to tell everyone THE GOOD NEWS! The Spirit as the wind will carry us along, and give us the Glory of the Father to shine and advance His Kingdom. I see the seeds as the Word of God or GOOD NEWS, that we are to spread as we are carried along in His Spirit by heavenly parachutes, similar to wings. Like dandelions, the more that people try to squelch the advancement of the Kingdom, the faster it grows. A good example is the persecution of the Christians in Roman times. They were trying to weed us out, or exterminate us. We see what happened with that. We also on an individual basis grow faster through adversity, than any other circumstance in our lives. This is how God prepares us, and matures us to become who we are meant to be in Christ, and in His Kingdom. We build into our testimony through these times, which will in turn help us to build into others, having been there, we are able to comfort them, and provide wise council. It reveals the purpose we are created for.

If your not feeling this in Christian walk today, here is something to think about. Just as the dandelion may appear to turn from the flower, into the white seedhead overnight. In most cases there were other stages of life, and maturity that led up to that transformation. It started with the soil and the roots. The soil had to be made fertile, in order for the roots to grow. You cannot see the roots until they burst through the ground. It is something done on the inside. This is similar to the transformation stages that we as Christians go through. Sometimes we cannot see it on the outside, but if we hang in there, and stay rooted into Him, we will see the outward appearence, of the Christ like transformation that has been taking place on the inside of us. We could be in our yellow flowering stage now, and not realize a breakthrough is going to happen tomorrow. Just stay connected, and use this time to mature in Christ. It is imperative however that we do not remain idle once we reach this point. We must move in the direction the Spirit will lead us into. I am sure if the parachutes, stayed hooked in past their time to fly, they would not be able to spread as much seed, and find new life. We cannot get to the new places that God is trying to move us to, if we aren't allowing the Spirit to carry us, as the wind carries these parachutes to the new places, and plants them into their new soil to begin the proces over again. All things in their proper time. See Ecclesiates at the end of this if you wish.

Another interesting fact that I learned of the dandelion, is that they're so deeply toothed, they gave the plant its name in Old French: Dent-de-lion means lion's tooth in Old French. How appropriate I thought for this analogy, as Jesus descended from Judah. The symbol of Judah is a LION, and obviously you find the teeth in it's mouth.

Let us all spread the WORD of our MIGHTY LION, as these dandelions are spreading their seed all over the world! Don't let it surprise you if you find that you are treated by this world, as a weed that needs to be pulled. A servant is no greater than his Master. Have the attitude that Christ has and forgive them, for they do not know what they do, and they have veils over their hearts, as we once did preventing them from seeing the beauty of God that lives in you, CHRIST.

A Time for Everything

Ecc 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
Ecc 3:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
Ecc 3:3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
Ecc 3:4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
Ecc 3:5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
Ecc 3:6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
Ecc 3:7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
Ecc 3:8 a time to love and a time to hate. a time for war and a time for peace.

While the second picture is mine, I am unable to take credit for the first one. Information that I have used, as well as the first picture, can be found at the following link. I encourage you to read it when you have the time to find out more information regardig these amazing flowers:

http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Dandelion.html

TAX DAY

Ro 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Ro 13:2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Ro 13:3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Ro 13:4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Ro 13:5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

Ro 13:6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

Ro 13:7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
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If you are writing a check to Uncle Sam today, consider this; that means that you made something to be taxed on. Write your check thanking God for His every financial blessing that He has placed in your life. It is a different way to look at things.

Father I pray for those that are searching for a job right now. Show them the way that they need to go, and give them supernatural favor, and confidence. Father I thank you for placing me in America, the land of the free. Freedom is not free, but always worth it. I love you! In the name of your glorious Son!

2 THESSALONIAN PRAYER

2Th 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.


IN THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS I ASK AND BELIEVE YOU WILL RECEIVE!

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE

I am recalling a scene tonight out of the movie, Titanic. When that movie came out, I remember that I was dating someone that was very similar to to Cal Hockey. He was not as evil as they portrayed Cal to be, but he was a very controlling person and manipulative person. He made pretty good money, and social standing was quite an issue. It was always all about how you looked, what you made, and how you behaved. His family was very hard for me to be around, because I constantly had to prove myself. I did not feel accepted, in fact I felt like an idiot half of the time. There were constantly jokes about the back ground that I had come from, and the fact that we did not have money. I remember this relationship was on it's way out in my life, but I was still very much caught up in the middle of it, and feeling trapped by it emotionally. This is a scene from the movie:

Jack: Rose, you're no picnic, all right? You're a spoiled little brat, even, but under that, you're the most amazingly, astounding, wonderful girl, woman that I've ever known...
Rose: Jack, I...
Jack: No, let me try and get this out. You're ama- I'm not an idiot, I know how the world works. I've got ten bucks in my pocket, I have no-nothing to offer you and I know that. I understand. But I'm too involved now. You jump, I jump remember? I can't turn away without knowing you'll be all right... That's all I want.
Rose: Well, I'm fine... I'll be fine... really.
Jack: Really? I don't think so. They've got you trapped, Rose. And you're gonna die if you don't break free. Maybe not right away because you're strong but... sooner or later that fire that I love about you, Rose... that fire's gonna burn out...
Rose: It's not up to you to save me, Jack.
Jack: You're right... only you can do that.


I remember how I kept thinking about this scene for weeks. I felt as if I were Rose. I felt myself conforming to their ways, not because it was who I am, but because I started thinking that who I really am, is not good enough. I was so caught up in what they believed I should be, that I felt I had to squelch my true personality, and on top of that, I was ashamed of who I was, and where I came from. I felt just as Jack said, my fire was burning out. I was miserable. I had everything I wanted as far as material things from this person, but I was forced to become a person that I really did not know or resonate with. It was do as we do, or be cast out. It's something that at the time it is happening feels like a double edged sword. The false sense of security of someone that can provide for you financially, you have some fun with them, but in all reality, you have very little in common, and it will never bring you happiness. Over time, my self esteem was so run into the ground, it made it harder and harder to leave. It was like a cancer, eating me alive inside. My family loved him, my son loved him, but I knew I did not anymore. I started working at the company that I am working at today. In this time, I had grown close to a lot of my co-workers. They became a very strong support group for me. They stood by me, and pointed out that this was not a healthy relationship. I started to see things differently, and that eventually gave me the strength I needed to move on. Thank you Jesus for the people you have put in my life, at always the right time to help me.

I have to laugh now when a man makes a comment to me in regards to his financial status, and not being able to give me what they perceive to be the things I need. I know in my heart that money truly cannot buy love, and the best things in life are free, and never come in the form of money.

ENCOURAGEMENT JUNKIE

Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds
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It is so important to surround yourself with people that are willing to build into you and encourage you. I have a friend that has the gift of encouraging others. He is so good at staying positive, and focusing on the good qualities of others. I have learned a lot from him in this way. I feel we should all strive to be encouragement junkies. I am not saying to offer fake compliments. I am saying see the positive in others, and magnify that rather than their negative traits. Let's face it, we all have less than desirable things that come along with us. How about we forget about that, and push forward focusing on the important things. The gifts and talents that others have to offer. Whatever we focus on will multiply. Let's individually draw our encouragement from the Lord, and then pass it along to others. Freely we have been given, freely give!

EAGLES WINGS

One thing I miss about Catholic Masses are the well rehearsed hymns that we would sing. There is something to be said about hours of practicing a song, and how beautiful it sounds, when everyone knows how to sing it. When you are in a Catholic School, one of the classes you have is music. This means every day, you are practicing songs from the hymnals. I love to sing, so this was one of my favorite classes. I'll never forget the day a couple of years ago that I came across this verse below, and realized this is where my favorite hymn from school must have come from. I had not heard the song in years, but reading this verse reminded me of it. Back then, it was just a song that I loved to sing. Now it is a truth that my soul sings! Take some time to follow the link below and sing along with the song. Really think about what you are singing. And if you are a Catholic, you probably know it by heart, and can close your eyes and sing it. How brilliant and beautiful it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvpjxfWrjzY


Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,
and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

On Eagles Wings Psalm 91
Written by Michael Joncas

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust."

Refrain
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.

Refrain
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.

Refrain
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

For to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Refrain
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

HAPPY EASTER!

Jn 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
Jn 11:26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Ac 2:31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.
Ac 2:32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
Ac 2:33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Ac 4:33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

Ro 6:5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

1Co 15:21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

Phil 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Phil 3:11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

1Pe 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

MY LORD MY LOVE

1Pe 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
1Pe 1:7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1Pe 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
1Pe 1:9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
____________________

This verse has really touched my heart tonight. It is so very true that God is near to the broken-hearted. It was only through a broken-heart, that God was able to fill mine. For a couple of years I prayed, God heal my Faith, God let me feel something in my heart again. Let me feel that inexpressible joy that "born agains", speak of. There is something about the pain that makes you pay more attention to God. You focus on Him because He is all that you have left. No more distraction, just you and Him. The very things that I prayed for could only happen through daily conversations with God,reading His Word, and yes extreme pain. I am a person that has always been held hostage to a rough exterior, an armor that I had built around my heart. You won't hurt me, I am stronger than that. I am independent and I don't need anyone. If I remove myself first, they won't be able to abandon me. As a child, I was left to myself a lot. I know my parents love and care about me, but they just did not have time for me. I feel this gave me an internal message, a tape that kept playing over and over, you are not worth it, you are dispensable, and alone. I was born and raised Catholic, but no one ever taught me how to have a real realtionship with God so that I could hear His encouraging Words and BELIEVE His Promises, where fallible humans failed to deliver, I could have rested in God's feelings towards me, and the promises He had made to me. I feel this sets us up to attract the people who will on some level, do the same things to us, that allow us to revisit that same pain all over again. In some way, that pain feels normal, and we may not even recognize it as pain at first, or the unacceptable treatment of something as valuable as our heart, as anything more than usual behavior. Perhaps it is because they themselves feel the same way about themselves. Like attracts like in most cases. Historically, when suffering a broken heart, I would just find another distraction, or someone that I thought felt the same about me. This time, I chose to lean on God, and what He has in store for me on His time, rather than what I want and on my time. It has been a struggle in some cases, but I am at a turning point. I have been walking in obedience to the Lord, and this has been building my Faith. The more I obey,the more I see His promises fulfilled before my eyes. I am not saying that I have seen the fruit of my obedience in all cases, but enough. I know that somehow in all of the pain, my heart has warmed and my Faith is healing every day. I have an overwhelming desire to love on the unlovable. I have always had a compassionate heart, but nothing like this. There are times when all I can do is cry tears of Joy, and I don't know why besides an inner knowing that God is amazing, and has a plan for me. That someone as big as Him thinks about someone as little as me, and loves what He sees. He is showing me more and more everyday what a special person I am. He has instilled qualities in me that are quite simply hard to come by in this world. I am starting to see who I am in His eyes, and that person is beautiful. Now that I see this in myself, I am able to see it in others, and love them warts and all, as Christ loves me. He has trusted me with many of His plans that He has revealed to me. All I needed to bring to Him was my willing broken heart. When I think of the many ways that He has blessed me and brought me to where I am today, and where I will be tommorrow, all I can say is, THANK YOU FATHER THANK YOU!! Thank you for the pain, for it brought me to you and is making me whole. Thank you for Joy! Thank you for my salvation!Thank you so much for my beautiful son, and friends who have stuck by me through it all. Thank you for my Family. I was so upset about not having someone special to spend my bday with, and I am unable to keep my calendar straight still even though my bday was the 23rd, because God has made friends, and family literally crawl out of the woodwork, and want to do something special for me.. I think the last plans that I have are next Wed, but who knows!!! God you really worked overtime to show me I am loved, THANK YOU! Thank you for eyes that see, and ears that hear! God has always been here for me. He has carried me along through every tough time in my life, and has always blessed me by putting the right people in my path at the right time, and removing, even if temporarily what was not bearing fruit. He is so amazing and I love Him so much!! I was created to God from birth. A prophetic word that was spoken over me by a dear friends very young son a couple of years. I now BELIEVE that with all of my heart.

Now I encourage you to scroll back up and read the verse over, after hearing my story. This stuff is totally for real. It is not just words. I know with my innermost being how true it is, and want you to experience it too. GOD IS MY ROCK AND HE ROCKS!

As Will Ferrell says in Elf, "I'M IN LOVE, I'M IN LOVE AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd0VBm8gU5o

PASSOVER (Tis The Season)

Ex 12:21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.
Ex 12:22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the door frame. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning.
Ex 12:23 When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the door frame and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
Ex 12:24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.
Ex 12:25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.
Ex 12:26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’
Ex 12:27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
_____________________________

Did you know that The Passover from the Old Testament is a foreshadow of what was to come in the new?

Jn 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

When I first began to read the Bible, I often wondered, why do we need to know about the Old Testament(covenant), if there is a new Testament(covenant)? Now I realize that we need to be familiar with the Old so that we are able to understand the New. It is kind of like Math classes. They build on top of each other. Once you have enough of the Old under your belt, you can be reading along in the New Testament, and all of the sudden it strikes your Spirit, hey this sounds familiar. You will start to notice the myriad of parallels. It is like a game of connect-the-dots. I feel as if today is such an exciting day!! A remembrance of when God rolled out the plan of our salvation! WOOHHH!! You see, just as the Israelites had to offer up a perfect lamb to sacrifice for their sins, and spread the blood over the door frames so that the death angel would pass them by, God sent us Jesus for our sins. The only difference is that there is no more sacrifice needed after Christ. He took the hit on the cross for our sins once and for all. If you BELIEVE that, you are covered just as those door frames were, and death and condemnation will pass you by on the day set aside for judgement. You are covered as a blanket of flowers cover over a field. That is how beautiful you become sin and all, in the eyes of our Father, through the blood of Christ.

Father we thank you so very much for your gift of the precious blood of Jesus! Thank you for making a way for us to get to Heaven!

A MUSTARD SEED

Mt 17:15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
Mt 17:16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
Mt 17:17 “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”
Mt 17:18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Mt 17:19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn't’t we drive it out?”
Mt 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”
______________________

My friend had given me a mustard seed necklace. The pendant is a clear ball and it has a mustard seed inside of it. If you have never seen the size of a mustard seed, I encourage you to check them out. They are soooo small. It clicked with me today that Jesus had been with his disciples for all of that time, and He basically said that they did not have Faith the size of a mustard seed yet. Imagine all of the things that they witnessed with their own eyes, and they still did not believe. I plan to research this, but if I am remembering correctly, none of them had received the Holy Spirit until Pentecost, which was after Christ was crucified. They would not have received this gift however if they had not waited in Jerusalem after Jesus had gone back up to Heaven, like He told them to. He did not tell them how long they had to stay there, or how it would happen. He just said go there and stay there (WAIT). They did not realize that this "Gift" would be the very thing they needed, to cast those demons out for others in the future. The Gift of The Holy Spirit. Every time we are obedient to the Lord, we will see fruit that will fuel our Faith. it may not be right away, but it will happen. It is not a good thing to rush ahead when we have been instructed to wait, and it will just make our "waiting" that much longer if we do, because we will usually mess up things that will need to be straightened out later. If you feel as if you are in a "holding-pattern", wait on God to tell you to move. You will know just as they did, when it is time, and you will know what it is time for.

A DIVINE APPOINTMENT IN TEXAS

On 10/28/2006 I was informed by my company that I needed to take a trip to our corporate office to train for a new account. This was very peculiar to me, because there was someone in our office that could have trained me. It is also rare that my company was willing to pay the expense of sending me out of town. My flight left on a Tuesday, Oct 31, returning Nov 4 Saturday. You will understand the significance of this later. I had brought a new book that I had received from my pastor onto the plane with me. The book is called The Barbarian Way. It is about not being afraid to show that you are passionate about Christ in public. It is about taking the hard Christian road, rather than the passive one. As I am reading my book, I notice that the gentleman sitting next to me is conversation starterer. Yes, you read that right. I could feel by this man's energy that any minute, he was going to strike up a conversation with me. I was hoping that he would notice how engrossed that I was in my book, that he would just leave me be. While I am breaking free from this bondage now, I used to be an extremely shy person. It would give me anxiety to think about speaking to someone that I did not know. Sure enough, he spoke up and very loudly asked me, what are you reading? I said, The Barbarian Way, and of course went back to reading. Ok, that is over with, whhheewwww. What's it about? At that moment I realized that you cannot read a book about speaking up for Christ, and try to get out of telling someone that is what the book is about. There it was, my moment to show if anything in the book was sinking in! It was the first time in my life that I voiced the name of Jesus in a rather loud and proud voice. It was scary at the time. You would not believe how many heads on the plane turned and looked at me. It is amazing the power of His Name. That is when he told me that he was an elder at a church that is in Seven Hills. He told me about a movie that was showing called One Night With the King. I told him I had not heard of it and had no idea what it was about. He was so excited to explain to me that the movie is about the Book of Esther in the Bible. As soon as he told me the story of Esther, I could not wait to get back to the hotel room to read the Bible, to find more out about this incredible woman that he spoke of. We talked the rest of the way there, and I was actually a little sad to see him go. Before he left, he told me where his church was, and that I should come try it out. I said I will when I get back. He then said, I am coming back on Saturday, how about you? WOW, I am too! I could not believe that he was on that strange flight of Tues-Sat too. Once the flight landed, I began to get a little nervous. I had no idea where I was going or what to do. I prayed to God please help me. I followed the man that I spoke with on the plane to the baggage claim. From there he showed me the shuttle I needed to get on for the car rentals. It turned out that mine was the first stop. Wow, that was easy! So, I got my car rental and off I went. Now this is a big deal for me, because I get anxious driving places in Cincinnati, let alone a place like Texas. As I am driving down the highway, I see the Hilton but I am unsure which exit I am supposed to take to get there. The exits are not set up like they are here. I missed the exit that I thought I was supposed to take, so I took the next one. I stopped at the light, and bowed my head down and said, Father please help me, I don't know where I am going. I took a right off the exit drove down a random street, and decided to take a right on a side street. I figured I would at least get off the main streets of downtown, and try to find out where I was. I will just pull over here into this lot and call my friend at corporate to help me. As I turned into the lot, I noticed a huge sign THE HILTON. I was awestruck! God placed me right into the back parking lot of my hotel. I had no idea where I was going and I had not been following that wretched map for at least 45 minutes! Once I parked my car, my friend at corporate told me not to worry about driving while I was there, he was going to take me anywhere I needed to go, and would pick me up to work and bring me back everyday. You have no idea the weight that lifted from my shoulders! I read the story of Esther once I was back in my room, and that was when I fell in love with her story. It was so amazing the amount of favor that God had shown to her. A real underdog story and I love those! I could not wait to see One Night With the King. I spent my days training with a lady that was not very nice to me. I kept thinking of how I was going to hate being on that account when I got back. I was able to get closer with my friend while I was there, and share my story of how I was trying to learn more about Christ, going to church, and reading my Bible. I also discovered how much of an awesome friend he really is to me. He stuck by my side, and watched over me while I was there. God used him to be my angel, and I was sure to tell him that. Well, here it was time for my trip home. I prayed again, Lord please help me like you did on the way here. Boy did he answer my prayer! The first place I stopped was a toll booth. At that time I was thinking in my head, I need to fill up on gas and I don't know where the gas stations are. As I gave the guy my money, he proceed to answer all of the questions I had in my head without my having to ask him. It was as if he already knew what I needed. How many times have you even had that much time to talk to a person in a toll booth without them moving you along? It turned out the gas station was right before you turned into the airport. It was not at the airport so, I did not have to pay the high prices of gas. I have never seen that before. Usually, you get one chance about 10 or more miles before, and then you are stuck paying high costs. I turned into the airport and I started getting confused, with which way I was supposed to turn. So, I started to follow this pathway of twists and turns, and before I knew it I was corralled with other cars, right in line with my rental car service. It was as if God was playing matchbox cars with me, and just pulled me right in to the correct place. I literally got out of my car from where it was, and walked up to check out my car. After you dropped off your car, you had to take a shuttle to the airport. As I was waiting there, I remember thinking, you know I would love to just have one cranberry and vodka, just to settle my nerves a little but I am not paying 8-10 dollars for something like that. Once I was on the shuttle bus, a man started talking to me. It turned out, he was going to Cincinnati for a connecting flight to TN. He had apparently done this a lot and he knew exactly where we needed to get off on this bus and how to get to the right part of the airport. Wheewww, I could relax again, because he was going to make sure I got there ok. Once we arrived, I thanked him for his help and headed towards the check in for my bags. There was a strange electronic thing there, and I had no idea what I was doing with it. Before I had a chance to think twice about it, I heard a voice behind me, do you need help? It was a guy from the airport who came out of nowhere, he looked at my stub and did everything for me in order to print my tickets out. When was the last time you have seen anyone like that in the airport available to answer questions, let alone do everything for you? I said thank you and started to walk towards the baggage line that was pretty long. Without missing a beat, he said follow me and I will check you out over here. I could not believe that he just opened up a line for me! He closed it after we were done. After that, I took the escalators upstairs, ready to sit and wait for my flight to leave. Once I got to the top, the guy from the shuttle was standing there. He said, I figured I would ask you if you wanted to get some coffee. I said sure! I usually would have said no thanks, but I have to admit, I liked having the company. As we began to walk to what I thought would be a coffee shop, he mentions to me that he is a member of the crown room of Delta, and that once we were in there, everything breakfast, drinks, would be totally free. I mean you should have seen the place! Plush comfortable chairs, big screen TVs, your own private bathrooms. Well, I got my Vodka and Cranberry, and also breakfast and snacks for the plane. I remember seeing the crown on the door (because it was the royal crown room), and the first thing I thought, was that I felt like Esther that day. I had unexplainable favor everywhere I went, and people were treating me like royalty. After we stayed awhile, he said he had to go because he had a pretty important thing he had to do on the plane, and that he would be boarding before anyone else. As we said goodbye, I hear a voice calling to me, hey Angela!! It was the gentleman that I had met on the plane to Dallas. It turned out his seat was right next to mine again! As we boarded the plane, I realized the man I shared breakfast with was not on the plane. Where did he go? I watched him walk through the doors to get on that plane, but he was not there. Hmmm, maybe he was an angel I thought??? I did not ponder it too long, I just said thank you God! Once we boarded I was able to talk to my new friend all about what I read in Esther, and all of the stuff that happened with supernatural help from God. He stayed with me till we were back at the airport, and even waited with me until my boyfriend came to pick me up to make sure I was OK. I ended up going to his church for a while after that. Well that is it! I could not tell everything, because it would take days to tell of all of the ways that God sent help for me, simply because I asked Him for it. In all of my life I never had so much favor in the eyes of others. The path was paved with a red carpet for me. Thank you so much Father for showing me your love time and time again!

Incidentally, I got back to my office and they told me that something had happened while I was gone, and they needed me on a different account than the one I had trained for. WOW, no more mean lady!! Unbelievable!! I realized at that point the trip had nothing to do with training on that account. It had to do with God building my Faith in Him, and showing me the book of Esther when I needed to see it the most. Since then, the book of Esther has played a major role in my life!

ISNT HE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

TODAY GOD PROMISED ME A FEATHER!

I have been having ongoing conversations with God for about a month or more. I can hear Him speaking to me, and I answer back. It is as if I talking with my closest friend. Some significant things have happened in my life with feathers. One of the first and biggest was on 9-03-08. I walk and read my Bible at the same time. Just as I read the story in Luke 8:40, where the woman reached out in Faith and touched Jesus to be healed, I looked down and there was a big feather on the ground. I heard God say all you need to do is reach out to me, and have Faith that I will heal you. Ever since then, the message of Faith has been attached to feathers for me. Because of these things, I know that when I find a feather, God is healing my faith, letting me know He is here, and letting me know I have angels watching over me. God has been working overtime on my request from a couple of years ago to heal my Faith, and move my Biblical knowledge from my head to my heart. It is incredible! We have been working on renewing my mind. and allowing me to see myself as God sees me. I have been learning to cast any negative thoughts aside, and concentrate on His promises. The devil lies, and I throw Truth at him just like my Lord and Savior did, and boy has this been working! On my walk today at lunch, I had the thought what if I am going crazy? Maybe these words and promises that are being made to me, are just what I want to hear so, I am making them up? God said, how about I give you a feather to let you know it is me talking? the first thought that ran through my mind, what if I don't find...immediately His Truth came to me, anything is possible for he that BELIEVES. With God all things are possible. I gave the Lord a resounding I BELIEVE LORD!! I BELIEVE that what you have promised will happen!

I began to look for my feather. Keep pressing on, I told you that I have it for you, are you going to believe me? Look for it as you would in an Easter egg hunt. You know the eggs are there even though you may not see them right away. You know because someone has assured you that they hid them. I began to feel like a little child as I was looking everywhere for my feather. I was excited! What will it look like? Nope not there, not there either! As my walk back to the office from my lunch break was almost over, a part of me wanted to say, oh well maybe next time (like in the past). I am running out of places to look, and the door is only inches away. Nope, I said!! I am choosing to believe your promises God! I choose to BELIEVE! Faith is believing in His promises, even though your natural eyesight tells you otherwise. It is hearing His promises and seeing with your spiritual eyes, it coming to pass! This is called Earsight! The Lord told me a couple of years ago that I did not have earsight, and revealed to me the meaning of that long ago planted seed today! Isn't it wonderfully fun the way that He works? Where was I? Oh yes, my feather hunt! As I was ready to open the door of my office, The Lord let me know that the day was not over and I would still get my feather. Thinking back, I decided in my heart to KNOW without a doubt that this feather was going to be there. I never let myself think otherwise (IT IS A CHOICE). After work, I was to walk with some friends of mine before our girls meeting. I had no idea where we were walking to but it turned out we were walking through neighborhoods. It dawned on me that, HEY maybe this is where my feather will be! As we were walking and talking, I was seeking my feather with all my heart! My friend asked me what are you doing? What are you looking for? I said a feather. She was actually really cool about it. She just said, ok I won't ask but I will help you look! I looked everywhere on the ground, nothing no feather and we were almost back to our starting point. I still was not giving up, God said I would have a feather and for the first time in my life, I BELIEVED with all of my heart and was not going to let the devil steal my joy by lying to me about God's promise, or letting doubt sink in due to my natural eyesight. Nope, this time I was all in!

There it was! In the grass on the ground, just like an Easter egg. It was a grey feather probably from a goose. I had my feather just as God promised. About 3 min before our destination, I was also blessed with a second feather of a hawk's in a blacktopped parking lot. Not only did God do what He promised, but he gave me double what He promised! I hurried and put my feathers in the trunk of my car so that I would not lose them. Our other two friends wondered why we were walking the wrong way rather than to the door of our church, again without judgement, my friend just said, she needs to put her feathers in her trunk. I am going to paste them in my journal as a reminder that God is the one talking to me, and I can BELIEVE in His promises. You may ask why I am so excited over a feather. The feather is only symbolic of some really big promises that will be coming to pass, that He has made to me. The small tests of our Faith, are what get us through to the bigger fruits He has in store for us. We must prove trustworthy with the small things, before He can move us on to the bigger things of His Kingdom.

Question for you....What is your feather, and are you BELIEVING without a doubt that God will deliver? {Selah}

I'M FREE!!!

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom

Want to know if you are truly walking in the Spirit? Ask yourself, am I truly free? Am I free from guilt, fear, anxiety, etc? If not, take inventory of what is holding you in bondage and surrender it to God. We are all following something. Might as well be Christ who sets us free.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xHLPadyiyM


Do you see what I see
A rainbow shining over us
In the middle of a hopeless storm
Sometimes I'm blinded by my feelings
And I can't see beyond my troubled mind
Afraid of what I'll find
The story of our lives
But there's tomorrow.

[Chorus]
Cause I'm free, I'm free
And things are only as important

As I want them to be
We'll have a breath of sunshine
When the rain goes away
I pray, I pray.

Do you need a friend right now
In the road that you're going to
If you get lost just call me I'll be there
Yes I'll be right there
Cause though I may not have the answer
At least I know what I'm looking for.

Yes I can do without sorrow
There's a day after tomorrow
So I'm leaving behind.

[Chorus]
I'm free, I'm free
And things are only as important

As I want them to be
We'll have a breath of sunshine
When the rain goes away
I pray, I pray.

And if you want to share my dreams
Well all you have to do is say it, say it
Let me hear you loud and clear
Cause I need you if you wanna be, if you wanna be.

Do you see what I see
A rainbow shining over us
In the middle of a hopeless storm
We'll be safe and warm

JUDGE NOT

1Co 4:3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.
1Co 4:4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
1Co 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.


This is the type of freedom that Christ desires for us. If we are walking with the Lord in obedience, we should not be worried of the opinions of others of this world. The only person’s opinion that matters is the Father’s. I am not saying that we should not trust the wise council of our friends, or pastors. I just feel that if we listen too much to the opinions and criticisms of others, it can lead to a form of bondage that we were not meant to live in. It may even restrict us from being the person that we are meant to become in Christ. How many times would we have stepped out in Faith, if we were not worried about what someone else was going to think about our behavior? In the same sense, we should not be quick to judge the motive of another man. So many times we cast a glance at someone and something they are doing, and we have already decided in our hearts they are guilty, or innocent in whatever it was they were doing. In reality there are plenty of times when a situation at first glance can appear to be something that it is not. This is why we are to leave the judging of another person’s actions to God. He is the only person that knows the heart of the man. We have no idea what journey that God has that person on, that will eventually lead them to Christ. So, as long as someone is not walking towards the end of a spiritual or physical cliff, leave them be and let them live in the freedom that we are all meant to live in. And while we are at it, let’s let ourselves live in that same freedom that comes of walking in the Spirit. Read the Word of God daily. Not only will it build your relationship with the Father, but it will also keep people from passing down rules to you that are not Biblical but of themselves and their own version of the Word. One example that comes to mind is the pastor that was an alcoholic in his past; therefore he tells his congregation it is a sin to have a drink. He was unable to control himself in the past in this area so, with good intention he is trying to keep you from wandering down that same path. While the intention is good, it is a form of trying to control others out of fear. It is not a sin to have a beer; it is a sin to get drunk. There are people that enjoy the taste, and that is the end of it. If that is something a person really enjoys, they should feel free to do it without feeling as if they are doing something against God. I use this as an example because I have seen this in more than a couple of pastors now. Each time they preached on this subject, I could tell at some point they were going to reveal that they had themselves abused alcohol in the past. This is where a piece of their past is coming through in their message, and the Word is twisted to how they feel it needs to read in order to keep their people from experiencing the hardship of alcoholism. It begins with one or two things like that and before you know it, we are all afraid to live our life from a place of freedom, and instead we are following the life that people around us have told us to lead. Read the Word, keep communion with God daily and He will give you a nudge if you are doing something you need not be. You will feel it in your heart if you are doing something out of His will. Let’s not follow the compass of another man’s journey. Let’s instead follow the compass of the Holy Spirit within us, and see where that road takes us in Christ. I am sure He has something much better in store for us.

BIRTH PAINS

Are you wondering what is going on with all of the earthquakes? Some will say that there are no more than usual. How come there are so many asking then? Did you hear of earthquakes of this magnitude last year? Haiti, Chile (2 of them),Taiwan, Turkey. Do you remember hearing of this many last year or the year before? This led me to research the stats from years past. In doing this, I happened on theforerunner777 on YouTube. I am not a blind follower of what other people say. In reading my Bible and keeping relationship with Jesus/God, He has been revealing much to me lately. All of the things I see in this world are confirmation at this point, of what He has already been speaking to me. Folks it is imperative to read the Word to know the sign of the times. The Lord says that my people perish from lack of knowledge. He is not speaking of any type of knowledge you can obtain from this world. He is speaking of the knowledge that you receive directly from Him, as you stay in His Word and walk in obedience to it and keep a real relationship with the Father. You will only trust a close friend with your deepest secrets and in this way, God is no different. The links below are disturbing to me. I am not fearful because I know that I am saved and as in the Passover of long ago, I will be passed over of the wrath of God because of the lambs blood that is on my forehead. I am not saved because of anything I have done or will do. I am saved because I received and believed and now have His Seal of the Spirit. I am His property and the devil and his agents cannot harm me. I want this to be the case for everyone. It saddens me that is not going to be the case, but please let it be the case for you. I don't mean to speak fear to you, this is not my intention. I bring GOOD NEWS to this situation for you. The GOOD NEWS is that all you have to do, is turn your life over to Christ. He made a way for us. We have a get out of jail free card. But just like in Monopoly, you need to be holding the card on that day. In Monopoly, you have to be lucky enough to get this card. With Jesus, we all have the choice, we either accept it or we don't. This is real. I knew in my Spirit of the things that are now starting to happen just as spoken to me. I am not the only one. All of the members of the Body of Christ that are truly walking in Spirit are well aware of what is going on right now. We know because we read in the Word how this would happen and we talk with God daily. This is not a game, this is real. I beg of you to repent (turn from the ways of this world with Christ and not of your own works). Whatever it is, Christ will change your desires if you truly BELIEVE He can and will. If you don't understand the significance of the links below, it is ok. I just want you to pay special attention to the words of Matthew. Please do not be deceived!! REMEMBER HOW THE LORD HAS SAID HE WILL COME AND NEVER FORGET IT!! If it does not happen exactly how He said, it is not Him.


http://www.share-international.org/av/v_maitreya_emergence.htm

http://www.share-international.org

Mt 24:23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
Mt 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.
Mt 24:25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
Mt 24:26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
Mt 24:27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Mt 24:28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
Mt 24:29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
Mt 24:30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory

CONTINUE ON IN SPIRIT

Gal 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
Gal 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
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It is important to remember after we turn to Jesus, it is His Spirit and power that we rely on and not our own. Too many times we make things much harder on ourselves in thinking that we need to use our own strength to fulfill our purpose, rather than letting the Spirit guide us. When we walk in obedience to the what we hear of the Spirit, and trust God instead of our own understanding of a matter, He can move in mighty ways through us. The key is obeying God.

IS IT A BELIEF OF YOURS OR TRADITION?

Mk 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Mk 7:7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’
Mk 7:8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”
Mk 7:9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
Mk 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
Mk 7:11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),
Mk 7:12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.
Mk 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
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A funny example of a tradition for you, that a friend sent to me:

Now and then for a family get together Sheila will cook a ham. Before she bakes it she cuts the end off. Like a BIG chuck she cuts off.
I asked her why and she said that's the way her mom showed her to do it. She called her mom and asked her why she did that, thinking she would hear something about the flavor or something like that she says...that's the way her mom did it so that's what she does.
Well Sheila took this as a mission and upon further research; and talking to family she found out that it was something that her great gmaw did, and she did it because she did not have a pan big enough to fit the ham.
so for 3 generations they have been cutting the end off the ham

Imagine that!! All of that wasted ham because of a tradition that had been passed down year after year, until the original reason they were doing this had been lost. Everyone at a certain point was simply just doing what they were told for the recipe. They did not realize that the end was being cut off to suite the roasting pan of one person, and it had nothing to do with the outcome of the ham.

I feel as if a lot of people are walking this same route in regards to their relationship with God. They have been taught to worship a certain way, and whether it resonates with their Spirit or not, they feel as if they must continue on because that is how it has always been done. I encourage you to take a look at your relationship to the Father. Does it feel like a real relationship? Are you drawing closer to God because of what you have been taught, or do you feel there is still a void that you have been unable to fill, or are there feelings of guilt or fear associated with it? I challenge you to research all of the things that you have been told, and feel to see if your heart is really into it. If not, it may be time for a Spiritual over-haul. Jesus taught many times that he wants a true relationship with you, and not a follower of tradition or ritualistic gestures performed in order to show your love for Him.

HOLD THE LINE!

A Hold The Line mission is a type of Timed Mission, where instead of completing a mission in a set time, you have to prevent the enemy completing their objective before the time runs out. This usually means you are defending your base, or a certain character, until reinforcements arrive, or vital repairs are carried out on the base. Sometimes the enemy is an overwhelming force, so actually defeating the enemy, or even surviving much beyond the time limit, would be impossible, without reinforcements or similar. Fortunately for you, victory will usually occur instantly and automatically as soon as the time runs out, even if you were moments away from defeat.
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I hear a message in my head over and over, HOLD THE LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! No, it's not the song from Toto, but that is a really good song... LOL. Where was I, oh yeah. I feel like there is a huge message for us in this regarding the Kingdom Of God. I feel as if we are God's soldiers and we need to hold the line, waiting for His re-enforcement at the end of times. We know that whenever they yell this in the movies, all of the soldiers get as close together as possible, and work as a team to hold off the enemy. While God has His Heavenly hosts assembled and ready to go on that glorious day of His return, His earthly army is presently being built. We are that army. The next time you see someone in pain, I want you to remember these words HOLD THE LINE! Do whatever you are able to in order to stay close to this person until the storm passes. Encourage them to get their strength from our Father through His Word, and keeping relationship with Him daily. Together with God, we will be victorious. Remember that even though it may seem as if you are moments from defeat, Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in this world. We cannot see what lies ahead but that is what true Faith is all about. We know how this story ends!!

HOLD THE LINE!!!!!!!

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED }

Eph 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Eph 1:14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Est 8:8 Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

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Come to Christ, confess your sins and BELIEVE that He has forgiven them, and put total trust in Him to transform your heart. This will place the seal of His Spirit on you, signifying that you are Christ's and a follower of The Way. A signet ring is a seal used by an authoritative figure to validate the acts, that are executed in the name the ring bears. Typically, they have a coat of arms on them. This is a design that signifies which body you belong to. In our case, it is the Body of Christ and it distinguishes us as being in The Army of God, rather than the army of the devil. You are now the legal property of God, transmitted from Father to Son and everything the Son has, is now yours including the power that comes in His Spirit. The devil is well aware of this and he is afraid.

Think of it as God placing His signet ring on your forehead, baptizing you into the family name of Jesus, which means that His Father is now your Father. This is your spiritual baptism. You are born again in the name of Christ, you will inherit the Kingdom of God and be recognized as a son/daughter of God, rather than a slave of this world whom the devil is the father of.

Gal 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

In sharing in His glory, we will also partake in the same sufferings of Christ, when He walked in the flesh on this Earth. You will be persecuted, the same as He was persecuted. The world will see His Spirit in you, and despise you for it. You have just fled to the other side of the war and your old captain, and his team of hosts are not going to be happy with this. One thing we have to remember is that the humans in this world, may not realize that they are treating you poorly because it is not them, but the devil working through them. Eph 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Friends, this battle is real! It is not a figure of speech or some type of symbolism. The devil wants you back on his side. Make no mistake, your seal is irrevocable. It will not be taken away from you and there are no amount of works in the world, that can give you anymore of it than what you have. however; you can lose the power that is available to you, if you fail to continue to BELIEVE in the promises that come with His Seal. This is the area the enemy loves to hit us in the most, because he knows the power that comes from your Faith. Faith is believing in His promises regardless of what the devil is showing you in this world. It is looking ahead to the Kingdom that Jesus has promised you. That is the GOOD NEWS!! He has prepared us the way that any commander would by giving us access to the full Armor of God. 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Eph 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
Eph 6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Eph 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

As a solider in His Army, you will have angels standing around you, protecting you. The devil cannot physically hurt you. All he can do is wage war with your mind, if you allow him. Just keep on your helmet of salvation to protect you from his lies. Keep this promise in the forefront of your mind:

Jn 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
Jn 6:40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Father I pray that anyone reading this will receive your seal, by believing in your power to do all that you have promised. I pray for them, a restored, or new relationship with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!