May 6, 2021

 Sometimes God surprises me.

 Have you ever heard something like this, “Well, just when I thought I had figured things out...”?

 The person usually goes on to explain how their plans got upset in some way.

 Well, I can say just as I thought I had figured out what God wanted me to focus on for the next few months, He surprised me.  I thought I was to focus on family projects and personal health [yes, I gained weight during the pandemic and let my regular exercise slide].  On the ministry side, I was to focus on finishing a video course concerning prophetic witchcraft, rewrite a book on hope, create several e-booklets and other materials to encourage believers, and prepare another video course.

 All these things are important, of course.  All this need doing, and I felt as if the Lord wanted me to work on each of these areas, which meant disciplining myself and creating a balanced work schedule.  Unfortunately, none of these goals were seemed particularly appealing.  Non...

Do your days  sometimes fill  you with frustration, confusion, and bewilderment?

Do you dream of greatness but struggle with the daily burdens of the mundane?

Do you feel like you should be soaring in the Spirit but feel pressed down by the distractions  and grind of daily responsibilities?

Hurrah! You're human...

and I know exactly what you are feeling.

In my quiet times with the Lord, when I read and study His written Word, I get excited about how loved I am by God, how I am seated with Him in heavenly  places, how he has given me--and you--authority and has created us to be priests and kings in HIs kingdom. I often pray that I may bring Him honor and great glory, and that I desire to see Him face to face. At times, I feel as if I could fly to heaven on eagle's wings or slay 50 Goliaths.

Then the reality of the present world smacks me in the face.  Oh, it may not be a major trauma or upheaval.  I struggle with the mundane hassles of life--like ants in the garbage can or spilt s...

On this Resurrection day, my thoughts wander. . . .

 Yesterday [4/3/21] I spent several hours driving across the Carolinas. Because work delayed my leaving until the afternoon, I didn’t really want to make this drive yesterday; but I had to take the journey if I wanted to be home for Resurrection Sunday [commonly called Easter]. Along the way, I had to slow down several times because of signs saying that "Road Work" lay ahead; these work slowdowns lengthened my journey considerably. I was so glad that the sun clung to the sky long enough for me to recognize the familiar landmarks and signs that lay within a mile or so of my home. [I actually entered the house just as the last afterglow faded from the sky].

During this long drive, I spent part of the time listening to books by Jennifer LeClaire and James Goll.  As I listened to their inspired words, my mind went from focusing on the length of my journey and the delays I faced to the goodness and majesty of God.  I found myself crying ...

Sometimes a photograph seems to scream at me--"pay attention"!  I wouldn't say this particular photograph "screamed" but it did make me think...

Last year I was on the beach in North Carolina eager to try out a new [well, new to me] camera. I had been hoping for the opportunity to take pictures of a glorious sunset, with  vivid pinks, oranges, and even bits of purple.  However, the day was dull.  Clouds hung close to the shore and the bits of fog seemed to have discouraged all but the most determined beach goers from roaming the shoreline.  As I trudged along the beach looking for something to inspire me, I spooked a lone seagull that flew off rather than enduring my company.

I took many other pictures that day.  I have erased most of them, but this one of a seabird against a blurry background speaks to me. The picture reminds me that in my walk with Jesus, some days are not easy.  Oh, some days seem to sparkle with light and joy like a wonderful sparkling, spring day. Some days e...

Like many of you, Christmas  time this year was a roller coaster of emotions.  Our family is scattered, and getting together was impossible, except for a couple of hours here and there. While we had planned to have a small Christmas celebration with one other couple whose family is far away, illness [not Covid; we were quarantining ourselves before Christmas] interrupted those plans.  The few Christmas presents that I purchased online did not all arrive, the weather was awful, and to  top it all off, I miscalculated the time it would take for the chicken to roast, so we had had only vegetables ready for our Christmas meal!

Yet through it all, I kept asking God to help  me celebrate Christmas in my heart with true joy and thanksgiving.  I also sought His direction for the new year.  I felt led to repent of unkept promises, to  release all those who had disappointed me, and to fulfill some long term projects that I was involved with.

Then on January 3,  2021, I believe that the Lord sp...

I will be blogging on the second part of "Looking back to look forward" but I felt that moms needed encouragement, especially this year when the pressure to make Christmas amazing and wonderful is intense.  God promises "peace on earth", good-will towards men, but moms often seem to live on a battleground.

The Bible warns us not to look back or yearn for the past [See Luke 9:62].  We are not to be afraid of the unknown in our future but go forth, confident of the Lord's provision as we walk in His purpose.

However, sometimes it is good to review past prophetic words so that we are strengthened and encouraged to go forth into the future.  The key is not to turn back [as Lot's wife did] yearning for the past pleasures found in evil or because we fear the future. 

In the Bible verse referenced above, Jesus told a man that shallow commitments to the Kingdom of God were worthless.  Jesus was looking for men and women who would not let their past lives or personal ambitions distract them from their course any more than someone plowing should be distracted. A person plowing a field in Jesus' day had to fully concentrate on his task so that he could plow in a straight line.  If the plowman was distracted, the animal leading the plow would wander off course.  

This year has been full of distra...

I don't know anyone who has said to me, "2020 has been my best year yet!".  We are all aware of the hovering menace of Covid 19. Death has taken off his mask, and he walks freely with his companion named Fear.

Probably everyone now knows someone who has been afflicted by the Coronavirus; some have lost loved ones far too soon.  Even those who have not been directly affected by the virus have had their lives upset.  For many, what began as an inconvenience has been replaced by serious hardship.

The term "2020" in the past has been used to refer to clear vision.  This year has certainly changed many people's vision.  We have had to look deep into ourselves, to reevaluate what we consider our priorities.  For some of us, 2020 has been a year of painful reconsideration of our priorities. Through all this self-examination, we have learned to see ourselves and our priorities in new ways.

2020 has also been a year of goodbyes.  We have had to say "goodbye" to our tendency to think that we ...