Freaky

Wrote this months ago- forgot to post. Actually, I needed this reminder today. Thank You Jesus!

I am a freak. A thankful freak. A forgiven freak. A full of Joy freak. An unafraid freak. An abnormal freak- that is pretty freaky.

Sunday on the way to church Selah asked me if she could do something- I said no. She said, But "so in so" can. I said, On judgement day, I won't have to answer to "so in so". I will answer to Jesus for the covering that I provided for your journey.

I was reminded yesterday- Moses' parents were not afraid to hide him. That is what is says in Hebrews. Blessed my socks off. Wish Selah could have heard the confirmation!!!! When it comes to my kids I will not conform. I am a freak. I warned you. He made me that way and I am so thankful. Partially because I am much forgiven. I am the wretch that was saved. And let me give a little disclaimer- I think God leads us to be freaky in different ways concerning our children. What might not be right for one child or family- may be acceptable for another- at least in your specific point in your Jesus journey. He is the transformer, as long as you are listening to His voice and not your own. Yes there are certain Kingdom absolutes, I'm not arguing that. Seeking His best, His direction, His nudge will never disappoint. Now you may feel a little freaky- a little set apart or abandoned by the in crowd. That's alright. The crowd thins at the cross.

Butter Cream Caramel Chocolates

This past week, my husband was in a car accident and a dear friend sent him some chocolates to bless him. Of course, my little Selah had to sample a piece or two. She really never has been much of a chocolate lover like her mama- but she tasted her first, in her words,"butter cream caramel chocolate".

She begged me to find more.

I couldn't find them- so I gave her some Rolos, hoping that would be close in enough.

I told her that soon, she would have the opportunity to love on some kids in the community. She said- no, I'm good. I'll stay home.

It was one of those moments when Jesus stepped in and seriously took over- so I thought I would share.

So, still holding the Rolos, I said, " Selah- if I offered you a bag of chocolates and you had never tasted them, you would probably pass them up, right?" 'Cause she is one of the pickiest most selective eaters, on the planet.

Yes mom.
But you got a taste, and now you want more.
Yes, please mom!

Well- if we never show people the real love of Jesus,  they will not want more. They will not even know that He is worth wanting more of...

That's why it is important for us to show people, genuine love- cause that is Who Jesus is. We have to tell them about the purest love that has ever been. The LOVE that sent His Son to the earth. The love that allowed Jesus, to die for our sins. The Love that enabled GRACE POWER to resurrect our Savior from the grave, so that we could spend eternity with Him in Glory!

The Love that is our Refuge. Our provider, Our strength. Our shield. Our healer. Our Hope.

Now that is something worth tasting. 'Cause HE IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!!!!

Taste and see that the Lord is GOOD... Psalm 34:8. We got to give out samples- kinda like they do at Sam's.

Amen? Amen.

And lots of folks are asking about Gene. There is no other explanation for him still being in one piece, except that Jesus must still have some chocolates for him to share...

Blue Light Special

Blue lights behind me last night…

I glance down. Not speeding.

I’m on the phone with one of my best buds, Tonya.

I hang up on her.

Blue lights. Yes, definitely trying to pull me over.

I take off my seat belt to reach my driver’s license in my purse on the floor. Oh golly, miss molly, why did I take off my seat-belt? Why, why, why???

God help me. I pass out in situations like this. HELP ME LORD.

State Trooper approaches.  Oh Lord, help me for real. There are TWO STATE TROOPER VEHICLES BEHIND ME.

Good evening sir. Was I speeding? I never speed. My husband wouldn’t even believe me if I told him I got a speeding ticket. A little verbal diarrhea going on here…

Oh no mam. Your lights weren’t on, it's drizzling and getting dark. A little foggy. Just want you to keep safe this weekend.

Whew.

Thank you sir for caring. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. As I grabbed his hand and prayed for him. I was so thankful, I didn’t want to let him go! He was probably a little freaked out at this point, just sayin'.

Where are you going mam?

I’m on my way home.

Ok- Keep your lights on.

His message- I sincerely believe from the throne zone, KEEP YOUR LIGHTS ON! It is drizzling, getting dark out there, and a little foggy.

To be honest, I didn’t even see the fog.

It wasn’t even all that dark.

I usually keep my lights on auto. That's where they belong my husband tells me. He's right.

That State Trooper spoke in love, and gave me a verbal warning. And I received it- a little deeper probably than he intended.

Keep your lights on, shining brightly- as you are traveling home.

Direction, protection, projection, revelation.

Only Him.

Got it. Love You Lord.

And Tonya… I called her back! Nothing like a conversation filled with laughs, Jesus and blue lights!

Isaiah 60:19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

My Mama Nailed the Windows Shut

When I was growing up my mama nailed the windows in my bedroom shut, not so much because she was scared I would sneak out- but she didn’t want anybody sneaking in!!!  

Well- she did her best, but unfortunately, a lot snuck in.  She taught me right, but I did wrong!

In my heart, I was not surrendered to Jesus- nor did I comprehend the love He had for me, nor did I know anything about the power of the Holy Spirit or even that He existed…  I made a lot of bad choices. A lot.

I wanted things to be different for my daughter…

In our culture, waiting until you are eighteen to date or court is not common. Saving your kiss until you have found your prince doesn’t happen much.

No, in this bachelor-bachelorette driven society (I was right there with ‘em- I’m not judging, just sayin’….) it  is not the norm. Choose your favorite flavor then change your mind- cause it is all about YOU…or not.

It is weird, strange and peculiar that girls and guys wait. Really for anything. Whether it’s a donut, or a cheeseburger or a relationship. We are all in it for instant gratification. We want it now and we want it hot!!!!! Think Krispy Kreme…

Now- from the start. Let me share that I am now a bonafide, freak, of the Jesus kind and make no apologies for that. Your beliefs may be different. I am not the judge-  my Daddy Jesus is, I’ll leave that to Him. I love Him and respect Him more than words can express.  I have seen His life transforming power in my life.  So- now you know where I am coming from and you can choose to read on if you would like.

We are raising our daughters to court instead of date. There are lots of books on the subject of courting- but starting very, very early, I shared with my oldest that she was a rare treasure, a peculiar treasure. I shared that someday, she would be married to a wonderful, God fearing, God loving man and he would want her whole heart and her whole body. Not just pieces. I told her that every time she gave her heart away- it would stay and that she needed to guard it carefully, prayerfully.

We dreamed together of her wedding day- how special it would be to give her heart to her husband with Jesus at the very center! They would become one and do great Kingdom things together! 

We talked often about how to keep her heart and actions pure.

This meant as parents, we had a job to do and it wasn’t a normal one.

WE PRAYED! PRAYED PRAYED!!!

AND PROTECTED, PROTECTED, PROTECTED!!!!

We did not let Skylar mingle in mixed company, without an adult for a long time! She was 17 before she was able to go, IN A GROUP, with mixed company anywhere without an adult.

I always checked at parties to make sure adults would be with the kids.

Only on 3 occasions was she allowed to ride a lone in the car with the opposite sex. These were all very close friends- but not boyfriends and the circumstances warranted the ride. I remember a young adult male sharing with us after I told him she couldn’t ride with him that he was thankful, “I wish my mom and dad had cared that much for me. I probably wouldn’t have done some of the things I regret now.”

Yes- even movies had to be group events and a parent had to be there. When we moved to NJ a group asked her to go to a corn maze. An older teen church leader was going to be there- but not an adult I personally knew. She didn’t go.

It was not always easy for her. At times it was down- right hard and horrible.

There was a time she deeply cared about a young man but THEY( my hat’s off to him too), prayed and fasted and both got a red light from the Lord. I remember them both crying- but they didn’t have the nod from God so they didn’t move forward.

There was one other gentleman she was fond of- but Jesus was in that too. Sometimes rejection is His mighty hand of protection- because He has something else in mind!!!!!!

In September of last year, she had the opportunity to meet a young man she had been praying for. They had so much in common. Both had very similar callings. They both wanted to go into ministry, specifically missions. He shared that a family member of his lived in panama and had helped a village…Skylar saw Him through the eyes of her Savior.

BUT, the two couldn’t court or date. Too long to get into here, but they fell in love across church chairs over  a period of 10 months,  patiently waiting for His timing. I don’t think I could have done it!!!

A look- a prayer, many Scriptures prayed over each other, time for them both to mature solo in their relationships with Jesus… but no contact- except with their Daddy Jesus. Fasting, prayer, praise…hope.

And suddenly God started revealing His plan for them to court and to begin to carry out His kingdom come.

At 18 and a few months my daughter had her first date. He came in, I took lots of pictures, of course, and as a family we prayed!!!

This sweet prince, surrendered to the cross and filled with the Holy Spirit was worth the wait….you see, His Daddy is a KING- so he really is a prince and she really is a princess!!!!

When the King is in it, things are not normal. It is peculiar….and that is just the way this mama prayed it would be.

I can’t live seeking the approval of man- I just want to please my Savior. I don’t always get it right- but He knows our hearts and seeking Him…you just can’t go wrong. 

Things might not always be easy or comfortable, you may be misunderstood or even persecuted.  But praying His Kingdom come, His will be done  and following His leading, His peace will NEVER disappoint.

Update-God has and will always allow, love to be a choice.  If something doesn't work out, that doesn't mean it wasn't God purposed. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. His ways will always be higher than ours and individuals always have choices. We just have to trust God- always, He really will never disappoint! This courtship did not end the way we thought it would- but God, I believe honored my daughter's heart for HIm and provided her with the very BEST for her journey!

Choking on a doorknob...

Long ago, when my daddy was a little boy, he was picking blackberries and noticed a huge snake lying in the blackberry shrub branches overhead. He ran as fast as he could, got a hoe and cut the snake wide open. Dad was surprised to find a porcelain doorknob in the snake’s belly!

His neighbor had placed an oval, white porcelain, doorknob in the hen’s nest so the hen would lay more eggs or know where to lay them( I am not a farm girl- but I think that is somewhat accurate).

That snake came and got that egg…I mean doorknob, right out from under that hen without her even noticing! It was so slick- so sly, it thought it had taken her young chicken!

How can that happen? I mean- she is sitting right on her egg- doorknob thingy and she doesn’t feel a six foot snake slither under her and take her baby?  Really?

The Word says that our adversary has come to kill, steal and destroy.

He, the devil, the big snake himself, has a tendency to go after what means the most to us.

Remember he is deceiver, but we belong to TRUTH.

The devil is not so crafty. Not so smart. Nope. Not at all. The deceiver had been deceived. Swallowed a knob and not an egg.

Hear me mamas and papas. The devil cannot take what is yours unless you give him permission. And I know you won’t. You may even get snake bit in the process but don’t stop feeding the fire which is eternal! Keep pressing in with prayer. Fast, pray and praise like never before!!!!

Remember that the devil has been disarmed and an open display was made of that on the cross of Calvary!! Colossians 2:15

He may think he has succeeded, but he will end up disappointed because you and your chickens, I mean children are covered by the Anointing- which is a fancy way of saying the power and presence of God through Jesus Christ and His Spirit!

The devil cannot destroy what Jesus knit together.

Us chicken mamas got to stick together. Got to stay focused. Stay alert. We are the keepers of the home. And even if we get a surprise attack- our prayers, His presence and our confessions of His Word over our kid's lives will have covered our baby chicks.

Recently, without going into details, one of my eggs, ahem, chicks- were threatened. A serious, war time threat. This mama had already been told by our sweet, one of a kind Holy Spirit to speak Psalm 91 over her chicks the week before.  I look back and thank God that He really does go before us. I remember thinking- this is kinda silly, things are going so well, why do I need to speak Psalms 91 over my girls??? So glad I did. Thank You Jesus for Your prompting!

This was a surprise attack- out of nowhere. My family was dressed in the battle gear of Ephesians 6 from head to toe. Seriously serving and pursuing His will in our daily steps. Joy filling the atmosphere. I was living in thanks- so much so I had tears of serious joy rolling most of the day…

And  then whap.

The snake.

The attack.

But I was prepared and I continued on. Not even believing what was going on around me. Somehow Jesus got my heart beating again- because I’m pretty sure it stopped a few times. I shared with only a few folks who are Spirit filled, Word believing, Jesus marching saints what was going on. This is so important. The world doesn’t need to know all your business. I couldn’t afford to give the devil any more ammunition. I needed life speaking sisters who would pray believing for His best.

I got encouragement. I received revelation and strength.  

Restoration- that’s what my Carpenter Daddy is famous for.

And the attack- well, I am certain the devil choked on that porcelain egg.

My chicks are safe and in His care.

And we are marching on towards the prize.For HIS GLORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Fear Factor

The fear factor-I hear it's back. We haven't had television in awhile, but I remember their hook, "Do you have what it takes to face your fears?"

Sooner or later, you and I will be faced with that question...when we go through...not if, the Word says Isaiah43:2.

A friend asked me last night for any thoughts I had on fear. Wow. Yes. actually, currently God has been teaching me a lot about fear…

We have two primary actions…some may say emotions,but every action we walk out comes from either fear or love.

We know that God is love. Jesus tells us that we are to love as He loves. His perfect love casts out all fear.

So- why are we afraid? Why do we walk one step in worry, anger, jealously, envy, hate? All rooted in fear.


I have heard pastors share that sometimes fear is "false evidence appearing real".

Sometimes it is.

Other times it is very real evidence...

Living with abuse, a doctor’s report, cancer that has invaded the Lord’s territory. A tragic accident. Betrayal- your spouse had an affair…your husband deserts you with absolutely no warning signs. A job loss. Physical pain that will not go away…even though you have faith in Your Healer, Jesus Christ. A child dies. A spouse dies….all of these mentioned have occurred in the lives of those I love in just the past year alone.

These circumstances are REAL. THEY HURT.

How do we walk in love during these real circumstances?

I am convinced that it begins with a choice and a clear understanding of Who has authority over His Kingdom and His children!

God’s will is not always carried out here on earth. We live in a world that for the most part is far removed from His presence. But that doesn't leave us hopeless- because our Savior already has the VICTORY!He is our HOPE!

I witnessed and heard a brutal rape a few years ago. To make it even worse a young child was present. I physically froze. You know those dreams you have and you can’t move…well that was me- at least physically. The only part of my body that could move was my mouth and the Spirit took that over. I have no idea what I was praying- if I didn’t fully believe in speaking in tongues before that night, I sure did at that moment. The police showed up within a few minutes.

Only by His Spirit was I able to live out that moment in love and not fear. That was supernatural. All I can say is that I begin my day asking for His Spirit to lead me according to Galations 5. I get dressed in my battle gear and only then am I ready for the day.

Sometimes...fear is very False Evidence Apprearing Real. Just recently my youngest daughter was experiencing chest pains. Like turn pale, headache-grab chest kinda pains. Long story short, we were referred to a cardiologist. I knew it wasn’t her heart. I had already chosen not to walk this out in fear. For the next few days the devil put everything he could think of in my path to change my faith into fear. She started asking me questions about heaven and dying young…out of the blue, and she had NO idea that she even had an appt with a cardiologist. I didn’t even mention it to her! We went to the library and as we walked into the kids section, there appeared a book about a kid with heart issues… and I could go on and on… Turns out, Selah has a strong, vibrant 100% healthy heart! The ultrasound was just confirmation.

When we are faced with the unexpected, we must reckon with our flesh that is so prone to act in fear and establish by His power and His Word that we will take captive in obedience to Jesus Christ, EVERY THOUGHT AND EMOTION!!!!!! 2 Corinthians 10:5. And STAND believing that He will give you His peace that passes all understanding.
A heart controlled by fear is toxic and leads to all kinds of diseases and unhealthy relationships. We must guide our mind, will and emotionswith His Word and His truth! God has given us peace(Psalm 91:1, John14:27).
I've found that staying away from quick fixes- soft addictions (continuously living on facebook, hours hooked to a tv and “un-reality” shows), venting constantly horizontally, especially with folks that feed your fears!!! etc… helps keep my mind on good things (Philippians 4:8-9).

And consider purging your house of anything dark. Get rid of it if it is even questionable. Nother post, nother day- but I thought I would mention.

Spend some serious time alone with Him. In His Word…singing praises to Him…being still….listening to Him.

Worshiping throughout every moment with a thanks in your heart and on your mouth. In all things I will give thanks! He promises when we do- His peace will guard our hearts Phil 4:7.
Rocky has his theme song… I have one to- it is Revelations 21:5!!!!!! And I speak that He makes all things new according to His Word!

I’ve recently had two mammograms come back questionable- an MRI scheduled for Monday. I can honestly say, by His grace power- I have walked this out knowing that He is enough no matter what.

If we are in a situation and don’t know what to do, He has given us a teacher- His sweet Holy Spirit is there waiting- has promised to teach us all things- just ask. He will show up!

You know, at the end of the day- there is our Promise. We have such a gift in Jesus- eternity with Him. If that is settled- then it is all, already gonna be alright.

Love you all. Praying for you. Send me prayer requests- I’ll agree with you!

Scriptures to speak: Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 41:10, Proverbs 3:25-26, 2 Timothy 1:7

Selah's lipstick...the stain that remains

THE STAIN THAT REMAINS

Previously shared with my NJ sisters at their Spring retreat 2011

It was Good Friday and Selah wanted to wear her new dress to our communion service…

I asked her NOT to get her new “lipstick” on her dress (her favorite shade- red as a rose).

I looked down as we were worshiping and saw IT. A huge oil mark on her new dress from her “red as a rose” lipstick. Well- I almost threw a fuss, yes, right there in church- and even worse- it was Good Friday and we were about to take communion...

And God spoke to me…THAT’S HOW I DESIGNED IT. THE TWO HARDEST STAINS TO GET OUT ARE OIL AND BLOOD.

What was God saying to me…

Number one-He wants the oil stain to remain!!!!!

And I’m not talking Wesson……when His oil gets on you- it stains! You are marked and set apart. Because we are under the blood- we are anointed with His Spirit.

Anointed- being set apart for His purpose, to be endowed with enabling gifts and grace, being filled with His Spirit. (2 Cor 1:21-22, 2 Cor 12:4,7-11, James 4:6)

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NKJV)

Ephesians 5:18 shares that He wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit to influence others for the Kingdom.

His Kingdom comes through us…as we remain stained by the oil of our sweet Holy Spirit!

He tells us in Acts 1:8, you will receive My grace power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you then you will be My witness in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth! We gotta operate in the power supply of His oil!

I desire to walk in His anointing!

Lord please stain me with Your anointing! Your Spirit- Your glory- soak me, saturate me in who You are …leave a stain that remains! In recent battles, I encountered so many Kingdom warriors that continuously had a bountiful eye- always looking to be a blessing! Prov 22:9.

I saw the stain of our sweet Holy Spirit in others.

I had an acquaintance(now a close sister friend), who did not know last year that my husband was in between jobs. She dumped out her pocket book one day and told me that the Lord told her to do it. One day after home school group I found food in my front seat- still don't know how that happened because my car was locked and I had the keys with me! God is good!

Another friend gave us a gas card, just when our tank was empty. Still another friend sent me a card with Psalm 100 written on it- and a $100 bill.…

God placed mighty women in my life who spoke life over me when there was not much of me left! They were oil stained!

You know...you can speak the Word of God- but without His Spirit being in it- you can beat somebody up with the Word.

Satan used the Word….but he didn’t have the anointing! There was no power.

In Genesis the Spirit moved, God spoke and there was life. It is the same today. The Holy Spirit must be in the equation. When we feed on His Word and soak in His anointing we are power filled! Ready for action!

When we are under the control of the Spirit, our prayer life is transformed, and we pray with the heart and vision of a righteous man (James 5:16).

When the Holy Spirit is in control, we are of the same mind with God. We are humble before God and man (Phil. 2:1-8).

When we are filled with the Spirit, we have the mind and thus the attitude of Christ (Phil. 2:5).

We reproduce His likeness (Gal: 5:22-23).

When we are under the influence of God’s presence, nothing really matters but Jesus Christ.

For if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25).

Living, walking in the Spirit is the opposite of your will or your flesh. We have the Grace power to reckon with our flesh and tell it that Jesus now has the authority in our lives! Roman 6:11

“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:8).

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (Romans 8:13,14).

Saturated in oil for your light to shine- just like an oil lamp!- Purpose filled light!

For You will light my lamp Psalm 18:28

And most importantly...point number two... there is supernatural stain removal with the Blood of Jesus Christ.

His blood won every battle you will ever be in. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior - HE HAS WASHED THE SIN STAIN AWAY and the power of death has no hold on you!

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain- He washed it white as snow.

Heb 10:19 And by the blood of Jesus we have boldness to be in His presence!!!!!

So go soak in His presence- take a sweet Holy Spirit oil bath!!! Love you all- praying for each of you!

Harvest, Victory and Rain

As I was teaching Selah Grace about the early Thanksgiving celebrations in America, I discovered that the governors would decree a day to give thanks in three areas: a bountiful harvest, victories in battles & drought ending rains.

There is something about having an attitude of thanks. Giving thanks to God changes circumstances and releases miracles!


Jonah gave thanks...he was spit out of a horrible circumstance, Jesus gave thanks...thousands were fed. Ten lepers, one with a thankful spirit- they all got healed, but he was made whole in every area! Jesus gave thanks and his friend Lazarus rose from the dead. The Last Super was blessed- thanks was given and the miracle of salvation followed!

No matter what you are going through- GIVE THANKS! 1 Thess 5:18

This year, let's be intentional about giving thanks in these three areas-harvest, victories in battles and the refreshing rain that our sweet Holy Spirit brings. Before I get to turkey stuffin' and cooking-I'm going to spend some time at the feet of Jesus sharing my thanksliving proclamation!

^{Ephesians 5:18-21}...Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

If your harvest has not manifested- give thanks. Your harvest may include seeing a loved one saved. Maybe it includes a provisional need- a job, a physical need-a healing....maybe you are praying for deliverance, restoration. HOLD ON TO HOPE. His name is JESUS! Don't limit your thinking to what is possible with man. Take the little bit that you have and give thanks (2 Kings 4:1-7)! Put away all complaining(Phil 2:4) and put on thanks!

If you are in a battle, not yet won- thank Him any how! Victory is coming. With God ALL things are possible ( Matt 19:26, Mark 9:23, Mark 10:27, Mark 14:36). That is not a catchy Christianese phrase. IT IS TRUTH ( See these posts for encouragement in battle: Attracting Attack, Fire in the Kitchen , Neckline Slimmer and Smart Phone Encounter).


If you are dry- in need of a shower from a Higher power, give thanks. Seek Him. Desire- we gotta be thirsty! He promises:
I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.

Isaiah 44:3

DRENCH ME LORD!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!! Praising Him and keeping a "thank You" on my lips, love-jananne.

*We started this tradition several years ago- 7 to be exact. Everyone at the table takes turns reading the following verses from the Word. We all read the last verse together and then enjoy our celebration meal!!!!!

Isaiah 55:9 Thank You God for knowing all there is to know.
Psalm 150:2 Thank you God for all the awesome, miraculous things You do!
John 14:3 Thank You Jesus for promising to return one day soon!
Psalm 139:14 Thank you God for creating me.
Psalm 103:11 Thank You God fro showing us mercy!
Psalm 130:3-4 Thank You God for forgiving me.
Jeremiah 31:3 Thank You God for loving me.
John 14:26 Thank you Holy Spirit for teaching us all things.
Romans 5:6 Thank You Jesus for dying for me.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord...to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 150:6, Psalm 30:12

Daddy, Please Come Get Me!

A lot of friends have asked me two questions recently- how do you let Skylar travel all around the world? And... from those her knew her growing up, How does she stay away from home that long? Well, to be real, it is not easy! One of my favorite quotes is by Corrie Ten Boom- it goes something like this… "The center of His will is our only safety.” “Safe” is not defined necessarily as the absence of danger. It is defined as being right where He wants us to be, doing what He created us to do. I’ll never forget putting her on a plane for the first trip. She was only fourteen and she was traveling across the country by herself, stopping in Dallas, switching planes and then on to CA, then Mexico. After she boarded- no joke, I heard the liar, the devil- say ,"Really, you are going to trust Jesus to get her there?" And the liar continued to remind me of all of the awful things going on in the world- even some things in my world that didn't make sense at the time.

I spoke out loud in the Raleigh-Durham airport with arms raised to Heaven- My God is her shield, He is her Rock! Angels will be encamped around her(Psalm 91, 34:7, 2 Samuel 22:3) I had a knowing- that no matter what, Her Daddy God would have her in His eternal arms. And yes- I am sure the folks around me in the airport thought I was a freak- I am! That is peace. Knowing that you have a God, an Abba Father that really is for you, that will never leave you. That will give you strength- for whatever you are facing or wherever you are traveling! When Skylar was little(and not so little), she was very, ahem, attached to us. She was the baby that I rocked to sleep, never letting her cry anything out! Haha!!! She had a hard time being dropped off at day care and in the church nursery. “ If that mama would just leave and let her cry!” I heard that a bunch- actually thought it myself too! She never could spend the night away from home. She would try- and about midnight, we would get a call…sniffle, sniffle, “Daddy, please come get me.” This happened even in middle school…She was very, very social-but when it came to being away from home, especially at night- it just didn’t happen. Not one time did we ever say- NO. You are staying there. There was something in her voice that melted her daddy’s heart. I don’t care what time of night it was- he was up, not complaining and headed out the door. One time she had gone to a birthday party at the river- and hour away. About one o’clock in the morning, we got the call and Daddy was out the door. And to think she now spends the night in the jungles of Panama- in an open hut ( only a thatched roof above her head) with spiders and snakes looming around her- yes, it blows this mama’s mind. That is all GLORY TO GOD for sure...not our parenting- but His goodness!!! How did this happen? I am convinced- when we get a deep understanding of His eternal plan and love- there will be no fear remaining to hold us back from our destiny. Just as Skylar learned from an early age- we would always be there for her, she now knows that Jesus- her Savior and best friend will never leave her- wherever she goes, He is there! ( Ephesians 3:11-20) That Daddy- who will never leave you- is always ready to come to your rescue!(Hebrews 13:5).

He is there for you too. If you have a relationship with Jesus, and have insecurity issues or fear dwelling in your soul (of any size big or small), pray for the Spirit of Revelation(Ephesians 1:17) to help you comprehend that Jesus will never leave you- no matter what. Remember that His love is not dependent upon your goodness. He is for you and loves you despite your mess! Don’t let the enemy take you captive on any level. If you feel conviction about something-ask forgiveness and know that He is the forgiver- accept it in Jesus name! If you are carrying around hurt or unforgiveness, ask for Jesus to lay an ax to any bitter root that may have formed in your soul due to past hurts or trauma ( Hebrews 12:15,Matt 3:10). If you dealt with rejection as a child or as an adult- I pray this truth sinks into you now: Jesus will never leave you (Heb 13:5). Don’t hold on to that spirit of rejection! Literally- speak out loud that you know Jesus will never leave you. Bind that hurt and rejection in Jesus mighty name and lose His acceptance and love over your life!(Matt 18:18)

His love is unconditional- the only condition is that you accept it!!!! Then don’t let your mind go back to that rejection, hurt or trauma. If you start getting little sneaky thoughts cause the devil is sneaky) IMMEDIATELY take captive those thoughts and emotions to Christ Jesus(2 Corinthians 10:5). Speak it, “I take those negative, hurtful thoughts captive in obedience to You Jesus!” He wants your mind renewed and thinking about great things so His Kingdom can advance!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is something in your voice that melts your Daddy’s heart- call on Him and He will answer. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you (James4:8). Praying for each one of you! Thanks to all who are visiting here with me and sharing His good news around the country and throughout the nations!!!! If you do not have a relationship with Jesus- which is very different than religion by the way…check this out, An Invitation. Let me hear from you!