Consider the Lilly

 Today, we celebrate something special to our family. Today, TEN years ago we became members of Harvest Church. I wanted to say a little about it for those of you that maybe are on the fence about church or joining a church.  Ray nor I was raised in church and we both wanted that for our family. But there's where the problem started. I wanted a different kind of church to go to. We had visited several churches and even stayed at a couple churches for periods of time, but in the end they weren't the right fit for us. Nothing I wanted to hitch my wagon to. The boys and I visited Harvest, I knew that first visit this is where I wanted to hang around a little longer to see if this could be the church for us. I had been struggling with after salvation, what next? Ya, know what? That was exactly what the Preacher's message was that very Sunday I decided to show up. Long story, kinda shorter, haha.. We ended up going to Harvest for a little over two years, before we became members...

  Hope is the ultimate form of resistance. I'm not sure who to give credit to for the wonderful quote. Doesn't it activate and bubble up inside your entire being when you read a quote like this? 

 God makes purpose from our pasts, even in the hard, bad, ugly, and even in death. He gives us new chapters of new books. The pain was not from God, but he will use it. He will turn it to help for another one of his dear children. You are not done. You are seen. You are heard. You are valued. You are His. Don't throw in the towel. It's not over. The race is not finished. Don't give up now. One more turn, one more hill, Look, can you see it? It's the finish line. Finish hard, finish strong. Finish. Don't look behind you, don't look beside you, focus, focus on me. Don't retreat, don't shrink back, you are anointed to prevail. I'm in the front, I'm with you, I'm guiding you. Grab my hand, child. I see you. You matter.  Possess it. It's yours. It's your inheritance. Your victory is certain.

  There's this quote that has been going around for years now that says, "this is my story, this is my truth". I get it. It makes you feel better being able to share your side of a story or an event. It may help to being you some sort of closure. It may clear your name from some of the people still talking about "what happened". But the truth of the matter is your story is not all truth. I know, that sounds harsh. But the truth is, we have this funny little thing called perspective. And our perspective is formed and changed by our life experiences. Somewhere along the way, our perspectives change and evolve or stay in that constant fight or flight mode. Your story will always be your story. But the truth will be somewhere in between two versions.  

Has God given you something to say to the culture or the church that is not popular? It's tempting when you're scrolling thru social media, reading all the trendy, uplifting posts, and seeing their thousands of followers...it's tempting to dull the sword and dampen the flame. A nd go the more traveled and popular route. But God has not called us to be a VOICE and speak HIS WORDS to a wicked generation that desperately needs it to shy away and not fulfil the call. Don't ever be ashamed of His words. His Words may not always be "cool" right now, but His Words contain life and healing and redemption. His Words ultimately cost Him everything. and they will cost you as well. But His Words also GAVE mankind EVERYTHING. Everything pertaining to life and godliness. Wouldn't it be amazing if just one person came to you and said it's because of what you said that made me turn to Jesus? So fan the flame. Sharpen that sword.  Speak His Words. Frequently. Boldy. Au...

  The garden laid dormant all winter. Here she is now dressed and ready for her splendor. She will be arrayed in greens, golds, reds, and purple. With bursts of yellows, orange, blue and crimson too. Her time is coming. Her season of resting and waiting is coming to an end. Her season is upon her. The garden is a magical place. She tells us all kinds of the Earth's secrets, if we'll just linger and listen. She speaks of a Creator who so loving and faithful, so creative too. Who else could make the flowers? Only the One True. Soon her bounty will be upon us for so many to enjoy. The bounty does not come without sacrifice. Tending her tendrils is also a secret she'll share. Work is not just work when you see and enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Get outside. Get in the sun. Put your hands in the dirt. Plant something. Enjoy it's growth. Enjoy your stretching and growth too.  We planted only a fraction of the garden last weekend but still it stirs hope! Enjoy friends!

  Restore Part 1     Jeremiah 33:1-8 1. Moreover, the word of the lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,  2. Thus saith the Lord the maker of thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name; 3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not, 4. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword.  5. They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with dead bodies of men, whom I have slain un mine anger and in my fury  and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city. 6. Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. 7. And I will cause the captivity of Israel to return, and will build ...

                                                                                 Six Months It's been 6 months with you not here. Six months. Half a year. Six months. It doesn't seem like it's been that long in one way, but in another it seems like an entire lifetime ago.   Six months full of tears, questions, what ifs, laughter, and the indescribable pain of losing your dad. No one or really nothing can prepare for this.   Thanksgiving was going to be different this year. We weren't having a Thanksgiving dinner like we always do. It was too much for Mom. I get it.   I hope these anniversaries get easier. It seems like they loom and then it's here. The date you left us. This one seems especially harder with it being six m...

                              Why I Quit Young Living I have promoted Young Living publicly for over five years now.  So, this is the only reason that I am choosing to share why our family has decided to quit.  I love YL’s products, and we use a ton of different ones in our home on a daily basis. There are a couple reasons that I’m not going to disclose publicly either.  This is in no way to give YL a black eye or the MLM businesses.  I’m not writing for either of those reasons.  This is a long story so if you want to find out why , keep reading. :) Back in the fall 2021, I decided that in January 2022 it would be one of my goals to really focus on my YL business and get it up and running more than I had ever done before.  I had spoken to quite a few people who told me that after I got it back up in January that they would join me.  One person I know for sure ...

                                                                               Giving Place: Part 1   What do you do when you feel like you have a million things to say and not one word will form?  I have important words shut up in my bones.  They need out.  They need to fall where they may.  Maybe none of you will even read them or take what I have to say to heart? I don't know. But what I do know is if one of you will read and consider in your own heart, then I have fulfilled my purpose in doing so.     Nobody is talking about these things. Is that why I feel the need to share? There are tons and tons of people involved and children and our futures are at stake and nothing.  You can hear a pin drop while the enemy ...

  Don’t mistake a friendship for a mission.   I don’t believe in coincidence.   The Lord strategically puts people in our lives for a number of different reasons, times and seasons. We have to lean in to discern is this a friendship or is this a mission?    

 Are there any noble?  Is anyone really who they say they are?  Is social media all "influencers"? Is anything really true?  What happened to being unique or authentic? That's always been what I have been drawn to. Someone who sets their self apart from the rest. I've never been a moth to a light kinda girl. Most are. Most won't readily admit that and that's okay. You are one of two camps, either okay with that or haven't worked that out for yourself.   I have been praying about that same thing. Are they're any noble? Are there any truth seekers? Not your truth, but the ultimate truth. Do I want the ultimate truth or am I settled in my own truths? I crave truth, like literally in my bones. I hate a lie or a half truth (which is a whole lie). I crave people in my life who aren't social media perfectionist. Who want the same things in their own unique life. I like the weird. The song writers  who writes the lyrics of our hearts. The mystics who the w...

  Peter Piper Its an all to well known tongue twister. Its catchy too. I can hear children singing it and trying so hard to get it right. And the embarrassed laughter if they don’t. I was randomly thinking about this today and it made me wonder, “just who is this Peter?” and “what’s a piper?”   Well, a quick Google, or for me a Duck duck go, search and its done.   According to “bon appeitt”, Peter was a one-armed French country man. He was a horticulturalist and a missionary.     He traveled all over and smuggled some of the most aromatic spices and herbs that we know today such as clove and nutmeg.   He gathered plants and flowers from his excursions all over the eastern world. Peter planted gardens in his native land with all the gems he had collected from the tropical world known in those days.     Can you imagine how lovely his gardens must have looked to all the villagers.       Of course, to anyone else, they probabl...

  Psalm 23 ~ A Psalm for Today Hmm, this set of scripture is so beautifully poetic, but so over used and underappreciated.  Poetry? I’m not a huge fan myself.  But the language and the way it’s written has drawn me in.  As I have said, I love these verses, but have not always been a fan because of its over-use especially at funerals.  It’s not wrong on any account to these use this passage at a funeral, but for me, I find this passage is for us, now, in the land of the living. We’ll talk about that more in a minute. A little back story, for the month of December I decided that I wanted to read through the book of Psalms sections per day for the whole month. My plan was to make notes on things that stood out and go back over those parts more in depth. I read Psalm 23 and that was it. Didn’t make any notes just read it for the sake of reading it and marking it off my list.  Its February now and I’m still working my way through Psalms and my notes. Something k...

Dear March Were so glad you’re here. Days are warmer and getting longer.  the sun is shining brighter and warming the Earth’s sleeping ground. The birds are chirping the bugs are coming out of their burrows. Every creature is glad with what March brings. March brings hope. Hope of spring. Hope of new. Hope of joy. Hope of create. Hope of growth. Hope of tomorrow. February held true to its usual holdings. Wet, cold, damp, dreary, and let’s not forget the mud.  Only to be remembered now. We are to set face toward these new beginnings we call tomorrows.  Tomorrow is a new.         A new. I like the ring of that. We go through this first part of the new year.  New years are always filled with promise. Each new day is too, even if it’s a gray February day.      Join me going into March with February’s failures a miss. Only eager to what each new day will bring.  The God of creation beckons spring too.  His creation is crow...

                    Consider the Lilly   Consider the lilies how they grow they toil not, they spin not, and yet I say unto you that Soloman in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ~ Luke 12:27 Let’s think about the Lord of all creation. He has created all things. He was satisfied with His creation, so much so that he called it good. A simple and yet so complex lily was a part of that glorious creation. I think its safe to say the Lord loves and appreciates beauty in all forms. Just look out amongst his creation. We find beauty in everything our sight can behold if we will take the time to consider. A lily, a wildflower of its time. To some even a weed. But the Lord. He saw it as so important that He tended to it. He provided for it.  The lily, itself, does not work. It doesn’t have to care for itself. It simply does as it was made to do. It grows.  From what you don’t see is all the activity that is taking pla...