Eve M. Harrell's Blog: My Week in Writing, page 13

No Greater Love

It was an hour unlike any other, also known as the “Holy Hour.”  A group of men had just shared a beautiful Thursday evening full of fellowship and encouragement from their Teacher over the Last Supper.  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” A prophecy with a promise.As our men find their way to an olive grove called Gethsemane; I cannot help but be moved by Jesus’ words as he moved away from the group while asking them to stay with Him.  “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”“Deeply grieved.”  This is the same Jesus who just four days prior made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the same Jesus who wept over the city as He approached.As we are reminded of the greatest sacrifice ever made, I would like to consider the preface to this action by our Savior.  Can we take a moment and join our Messiah in the Garden as He lifted up His greatest desire to the Father?  And perhaps catch a glimpse of “WHY” this monumental moment in history took place.Abba Father, everything is possible for you.  If it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.“May your will be done.”  From the beginning of time, Jesus knew this day would come.  Sin demanded a price, a price that mankind couldn’t pay.  Jesus was the only One who could free humanity from the bondage of sin. An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.  Father, the hour has come.  Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.  Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.  They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.  Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.  For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.  They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.  I pray for them.  I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.  And glory has come to me through them.  I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.  While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.  None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.  For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.”  Jesus lived on earth in human form for 33 years, three of these spent revealing His Father to those placed in His path.  Why?  “That they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”  Salvation is more than just Heaven, salvation is a changed life, a life full of joy.  Jesus walked with these men, had fellowship with them and yes taught them the way to a joyful life. My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.  Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.“  My very favorite part!  Why?  Jesus is praying for ME!  He is praying for YOU!  And His desire was for all of us to be one, one with each other, one with Jesus, one with The Father, one with The Holy Spirit.  This is why He laid down His Divine Nature and took on human flesh.  This is why He made a CHOICE to take our place.  This is why He suffered and died, because He wanted to be one with us.Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  I have made you known to them and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.“The glory you have given me because you loved me.”  Two thousand years speak to the Glory of God.  Life after life redeemed and restored to the Father.  And today, we have the opportunity to personally give Glory to our Father as we seek Him and show the world that He loves them just as He loves us!Jesus did it all for Love.  The greatest prayer ever spoken, full of intense anguish, gives us insight into the Heart of One who laid down a crown of glory for a crown of thorns so that we would choose to dwell with Him eternally.Jesus, thank You for the greatest prayer ever spoken that gives us insight into Your Heart.  As we celebrate Your resurrection, may we all recognize The Greater Love that You have for each of us, individually and corporately.  May we peer into Your heart and see our name, may we realize the unconditional love shown at the Cross is FOR US.  May we share Your Glory with all that You place in our path so they too will know eternity with You!In Your Precious NameAMEN“Greater love has no one than this; that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Do you have a friend who needs to know the Love of Jesus?John 15:13 / Matthew 26 / Matthew 27 / Mark 14 / Mark 15 / Luke 22 / Luke 23 / John 17 / John 19

Show Me Your Glory

Every morning like clockwork the sun rises.As the earth rotates on her axis, she makes us patiently wait 24 hours to witness this momentary miracle of creation.  Oh, but isn’t this moment so worth the wait?Spring has sprung, blooms everywhere stretch as they feel the sun’s light pour upon them.   They stretch to show the beauty of their creation; they stretch up to Elohim, their Creator.I walk outside and see the beauty of a sunrise and my heart pounds in my chest as I think about the One who created light.  Was His proclamation “Let there be Light” a whisper OR perhaps was His voice so loud that it shook the earth as the sun took her place in creation?  I may never know in this lifetime what creation was like, but every morning when I awake I feel the presence of My Creator as I bask in His glory and see why“God saw that it was good.”Did He smile?  Did He lift His arms up as He saw the beauty of His creation?  Did it make His heart pound just as it does my own?  Did He weep over this exquisite miracle that would serve to remind His children of His faithfulness? So many questions . . .  One day I will ask Him.  Today, I will bask in the glow of the sun that serves as daily encouragement that my Father is with me.My Father’s Glory is everywhere, in every good thing that He has created.  He reveals Himself in nature, in His Word, and yes in His Love.  In the sun, the moon, the stars, in the love of my husband and the eyes of my children, in the heart of my friend who prays for me, in my heart as I prayerfully lift up my friend to Him.  In retrospect, I can connect the dots of His handiwork, well maybe more like a patchwork quilt of beauty with His love connecting each moment in loving seams of time.  Where will the next seam take me?  Wow, I can only imagine what the final design will look like when we stand before Him!  My God is so good! I yearn to see His Face, don’t you?Moses shares with us in Exodus 33 a moment in time when He too yearned to see God’s glory. “How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?  What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?  And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”  Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”  And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.  But, he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”  Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.  When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”We know Moses was with the Lord forty days and forty nights as our Father presented the Ten Commandments, and in Exodus 34:29 we learn that Moses was not even aware that His face was radiant as He had spoken with the Lord.  In 34 and 35 we learn that WHENEVER He entered the Lord’s presence to speak with Him, His face was radiant.Wow, is that what it’s like to see my Father’s Glory?  Do I look like that when I am in the presence of my Father?  I know that great joy emanates from my heart as I experience His little blessings, I know that He is with me and is where my hope comes from.  When I see my Father’s Creation, I know that He is here, I am not alone. If there is one thing that I know it is this: His Glory shines on me, His Light shines in and through me and when I look into the Eyes of my Father through my eyes of Faith, I see myself as He sees me, His child made in His image, beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made.What about you?  What do you see?  His blessings are EVERYwhere.  Where does your next seam take you?  Do you see the flowers and the trees?  Do you see the sunrise and the sunset, the palette that is on display for us every morning, every night?  Do you see the water as it trickles down the stream and your reflection as the sunlight beams through the trees? Do you see your reflection in the Father’s Eyes?  He made you, His child in His Image.  When He sees you He sees His creation, beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made.As we enter this Easter season, may we be renewed in the mark of His new mercies, may we embrace God’s glory all around us, with the promise of what is to come:  “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  The Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. You will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy.  The sun will no longer be your light by day, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” Isaiah 60:1,2a,5a,19Father, Show me Your Glory, Your servant awaitsIn Jesus' NameAMENEnjoy: Show me Your Glory By Jesus CultureShow me Your Glory By Third DayHow has God shared His Glory with you?  I would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Moving Mountains

As the sun rises my heart grows heavy.  Every morning I awake with a song on my heart, what is so different about today?  Heartbreak, despair, am I one step away from depression?Uncertainty clouds this broken heart.For a heavy heart, moving through the day can often feel like walking through quicksand with concrete shoes.  Place one foot in front of the other, never give up, right?  How often instead do we wake up wanting to place the covers over our head and call in sick?  But I refuse to quit, I WILL NOT QUIT. MY GOD IS BIGGER, MY GOD IS GREATER, AND HE HAS A PLAN!Beautiful, I wish I could tell you that tomorrow will be better.  The honest truth is sometimes it isn’t, sometimes it’s harder.  So what is a Daughter to do?  I think there are three reminders Abba Father has for us:Stand on the promises of The One who is bigger, greater and has a plan as He reminds us that His mercies are new every day.I have come to the conclusion that I am in a season of mountain moving, or so it seems.  Every time I move a rock out of the way, there seem to be two more behind it.  But I am truly comforted by God’s promises, specifically one in Matthew 17:20: “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.” These are the words of Jesus, our Conqueror, our Redeemer, and our Savior.I believe in God’s promises, have seen them fulfilled over and over again.I see God in EVERYthing, in the sky, the trees, the flowers.  I see Him in the eyes of a newborn baby and in the love shared by my husband.  I see God in blessings over my sons.  I see God in Church and yes in traffic.  I see God in the lives of my girls as they learn to place their trust in Him.  I see God in the powerful mountains that loom overhead.  And if there is one thing that I know, watching God move is exhilarating, there is absolutely no reality show that can beat El Shaddai (Almighty God) when it comes to moving mountains.  So I stand on His promises because He hasn’t let me down yet. I believe God will move again.Which leads me to the second thing we need to do:Trust Him, let it go.What is “it”?  I don’t know what your "it" is, but let it go.  My “it” is my son, I keep taking him back up as if my worry over his current circumstance will change anything.  But my Father patiently reminds me to give him to Him, even if I’ve laid him at the Cross multiple times, He reminds me of His promise in Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  When I take on things that I have no control over I find the quicksand quickly gains control, and the truth is my Father doesn’t want me to be stuck in concrete shoes, He wants me to know His perfect peace.  He wants you to have His perfect peace as well, which leads me to our third thing to do:PersevereJames 1 promises that “we will face trials” and that “the testing of our faith produces perseverance.”  He goes on to remind that we are to “let perseverance finish its work so we will be mature and complete.”  What I love about this promise is that we aren’t expected to persevere on our own power, James encourages us in v5 that we can “ask God for wisdom who gives generously, and it will be given to us.”  It will be given to us, do you know what this means beautiful?  God is in the challenge.  He is, Daughter, so don’t give up.I am reminding myself of this truth as I remind you.I began writing this blog a month ago today.   Over the last month God has blessed my obedience in these little actions while encouraging me to SURRENDER.  Surrender my son, surrender my fear, surrender my will to His.   EVERY DAY!  I don’t have to move this mountain on my own power, my God will move it for me.  His peace is mine.Beautiful, is there something you need to surrender today?  Allow me to encourage you that our God is so very faithful, you can trust Him with your challenge.Father, thank You for being patient with me.  I know I am a work in progress to become mature and complete as James so eloquently shared.  Father, I surrender my fear to You, I surrender the things that are out of my control to You, Your will not mine be done.  I recognize that life may not unfold the way that I plan, but I know that Your plan is so much greater and I accept this as my own.  Lord, I pray for the challenges that cocoon every beautiful daughter into an anxious state, I pray Father that she will give each one up to The One who is bigger than her challenge.  Grace us all with the courage and strength we need to persevere through the challenge.  May all glory go to You the Perfecter of our faith.In Jesus’ NameAMEN

Letting Go

I hold on to things, I admit it.  I am a Type A ENFJ all the way. The good news is that I have a burning desire to help others find their potential and I am a natural people pleaser, but then I also struggle to say no and take on heavy task loads. I don’t know, maybe it comes with being an older sibling.  God revealed to me during Confessions of a Helicopter Mom that holding on to my children had a great deal to do with fear.  Fear grows and pressure builds leading to a need to hold on which robs us of our peace, and the thing with an ENFJ, when pressure builds our desire to run is strong. NOT GOOD . . . I AM NOT A QUITTER, so I must deal with the struggle.  Hmmmmm, so why do I continue to struggle?  Didn't I already figure this out?!?This year’s word is peace and as with any learning experience, God is breaking me down to help me understand what peace truly looks like. About a year ago I began receiving a sign.  Now before you write me off as crazy, hear me out.  At the strangest moments I would see the number 11.  It began as 11:11 or 1111, goodness I have seen car tags, clocks, time counters on the news, the time on my phone.  I could not even begin to tell you the number of times I have seen this number.  Around August of last year, I realized the pattern and began to pray about it.  “Maybe something was going to happen on November 11th, I mean I was going to Guatemala,” I thought to myself.  And something incredible did happen on that day, I had a revelation of my future; however, the signs keep coming. Just today, I have seen 1111 no less than 3 times.  I wish I could tell you I was making this up.Considering my number inundation will not stop, I did some research and I learned something very important.  11 is the number for chaos in the Bible.  Interesting, huh?  In the spring of 2016, God begins preparing me for chaos that leads me to a desire for peace in January of 2017. God doesn’t do anything by accident.I wish I could tell you what was going to happen, I don’t know, I truly don’t; however, what I do know is that I must figure out this peace thing. So, task #1, I have to let go.Several weeks ago our Pastor taught on letting go.  Letting go of the things that bind us, letting go of the emotions that wrap us up in their cocoon.  WHY IS IT SO HARD TO LET GO?Because I care. A revelation hit me, I truly do.  Even my personality says so, ENFJ's are loyal, think of others before themselves and enjoy giving.  God has given me responsibilities in life and I feel responsible to finish the task at hand helping others along the way, but I have to be careful not to confuse my tasks with The Lord's else I find myself giving away the peace He so graciously gives to me.  For example: I cannot control the actions of others.  I can pray for them, I can love them and I can listen to them, but ultimately only they can control their actions.Another example:  I cannot control my 150k mile vehicle.  I can put gas in it, I can maintain it, but I have to accept that it is a mechanical vehicle and will experience mechanical failure.Another example:  I cannot control illness.  I can pray for those who experience illness, but I have to accept that God is ultimately in control of all things and there is nothing of which to be afraid.What can I control?  I can control my reaction, I can control my emotion, I can control my prayer life, this is called “SELF-CONTROL.”  Everything else, I must let go of. So today, I am letting go. I am letting go of my need to be in control.I am letting go of my need to be heard.I am letting go of fear, worry, stress, anxiety.I am letting go of my frustration over unmet expectations.I am letting go of trying to be in control of the lives of others who have to make their own way.So what do we do with all of these things?  We lay them at the feet of Jesus.  The One who placed the stars in the sky, The One who breathed the breath of life into man.  The One who gives us His Perfect Peace.  He can handle our challenges, and we can trust Him.What else do we do?  We sing in the rain, we seek and thank Him for our blessings, we make and throw paper airplanes just because we can, we dance, and we praise Abba Father for He is so very good!    That leads me to Task #2- I pray and seek truth in His Word.  God’s Word is chock-full of truth and the further I go in my journey the more I want to know.  So I am spending more time in His Word, and I am praying.  He is my Heavenly Father, He knows my heart but He wants to know my heart.  He wants me to feel just as close to Him as He feels to me.  And the truth is, the deeper I go, the more peace He grows.It’s a journey, a wild and beautiful journey.  And ya’ know what, I have no idea what will happen tomorrow.  WHAT GLORIOUS FREEDOM THIS IS!!!!!Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt.  James 1:2-6a.Father, I am letting go, I give these things to You, publicly.  I ask Holy Spirit that You will give me the courage and the strength to leave them at Your feet and to TRUST YOU COMPLETELY.  I know that You have me in The Palm of Your Hand.  I know that You will carry me through the chaos on the wings of Angels.  I BELIEVE Lord that you are a Father who gives generously so I ask for wisdom, I ask for strength as I persevere.  I BELIEVE Lord that you will give me courage to face whatever challenge is in my path.  Thank You for watching over me, thank You that when I am weak, You are strong, thank You Father for testing my faith so that I will be mature and complete.In Jesus’ NameAMEN

Look For My Love - Guatemala Style

Innocence on the face of a sleeping child is so very sweet.  When my children were babies I would spend hours watching them as they breathed in and out, enjoying the sweet murmurs as they dreamed.   Oh my, I am so very thankful for God’s Love in the eyes of my children.  My greatest prayer is that all mothers know this blessing. As a young girl, I went to a Baptist Church.  We had a revolving door of missionaries in and out sharing stories of children in need, families suffering along with beautiful stories of grace as God moved in the hearts of those they served.  All very touching but there was this little voice inside of me that would always cry to God, “Please don’t ask me to be a missionary, please don’t ask me to be a missionary ... “When the call came for me to go on a mission trip, I found it amusing considering my background.  But there is just something about watching your children grow up that places a tug on your heart for those who may be in need.  My Pastor said something that marked me that year, “We are all called to go, the question is, will you answer the call?” I said YES.My first trip to Haiti in 2013 proved to be one of the most marking experiences of my life.  You can read about my journey to Haiti Here.  I watched the Hand of God move in a way that I had never witnessed before.  Stories written on our hearts included God’s love and grace intertwined within the knowledge that WE did very little, the truth is that the blessings were ours as the community reached out to serve us.  God moved through us all.In November of 2016, God served to mark me once more when He called me to GO. I wish I could tell you that age had dismantled my fear over mission work; on the contrary, my ole’ nemesis was working overtime as he threatened my peace in the days leading up to my “YES.”  But then God would remind me to “Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)The Lord is with me WHEREVER I go!!!  Once again my heart would choose obedience as I joined with 3 kindred spirits and we made our journey to the beautiful country of Guatemala.In Central America, Guatemala has many neighbors including Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.  Winning the designation of “most populated state in Central America,” Guatemala is booming with a population of around 15.8 million.  This became very apparent as we entered Guatemala City and saw the scores of people on buses, in automobiles and courageously crossing roads where cars have the right-of-way.If you were to peer into my journal from that week, you would recognize the Father’s fingerprints interspersed with the delight of a daughter’s heart finding His little blessings along the way. Our Father loves to delight us.Every mission trip has a mission, with the core rooted in sharing the gospel and love of Jesus in direct correlation with Jesus’ final commission, “Go and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19a) A mission given with a promise, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:21b) Our mission was to serve a local church in Guatemala City by the name of “Cristo es el Camino,” through encouraging small group leaders within their youth program.God really knows how to tug on my heart.  His still small voice asking me to serve students is all I need to promptly say yes!There is great need in Guatemala City and the desire to swoop in and save others is strong.  Just google Zone 3 – Guatemala City, I won’t add to the heart-wrenching stories of need and poverty, no, God has given me a different message to share.Look for My LoveAs tears well up in my eyes, I remember the baby sitting in the dirt paved walkway.  My heart cries over the thick breath of oppression hanging in the air.  My mind asks “Why Lord?” as I recall the dark figure hanging their head in defeat as a child stared emotionless at their side.  “What can I do here, Father?  I am only one person.”  I will never forget His answer as we walked through the lines of freshly washed laundry, side-stepping potholes in our path, “Look for My Love.”God knows me too well, He knows my passion and He knows my pain and my pain in this moment was great.  But in His quiet whisper He reminded me that He is bigger than my pain, He is bigger than oppression, He is bigger than defeat.  My God is bigger and His Love is greater!There was a moment that I almost succumbed, but the reminder of God’s faithfulness gave me new hope, new life, as if He lightly lifted my chin, wiped my tears and guided me on my way with the promise of a move of God unlike anything I had ever known.And as always, God delivered precious moments forever etched on my heart.Moments such as . . .Praying over a baby weak with fever.Meeting my beautiful sponsor daughter on the first day in the community.Visiting Nueva Esperanza (New Hope) and witnessing fresh revival among those who served. Praying over a young mom whose husband had lost his job.Serving alongside students on fire as they shared Jesus with their friends and loved ones.In my treasure hunt I recognized God’s Love in the eyes of each connection.Yes, there is poverty in this world and there are people who need to know they are loved and cared for.  But God’s story is still being written and He is still faithful.  We are all on mission as we have been written into His story to share His love with those who may not have the strength to look up.  And as He calls us to GO, He promises that He will go before us, strengthen us and be with us until the end of the age.My heart still yearns to help the little ones who do not know the comforts that I take for granted, but I know that He will provide, and as I look in their eyes I recognize that His Love IS PRESENT and He is so very faithful.  HIS LOVE IS EVERYWHERE!My prayer for you is that His fingerprints will inspire you to His call resulting in your own personal discovery of His blessings.You will never be the same.Ladies, thank you for allowing me to serve alongside you!!You can find additional pictures from our journey here.

Daughter You are Extraordinary

I have a great love for Roses.  Red, white, yellow, pink, they are all beautiful.  Oh, if I could only sit in front of a rose and watch it bloom.  There is so much beauty in one little bud. Oh, but with movie magic, you can see the transformation happen here: Red Rose BloomingWOW, God’s creation in time lapse.  The beauty of this bud isn’t apparent at first, it appears to be just another green plant, but when Light hits this ordinary bloom, the ordinary becomes extraordinary.In Hebrews 11, we learn of several people in “The Hall of Faith” that God shines His Light on, inspiring them from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Today, I would like to share the inspiration of Sarah. Sarah was an ordinary woman with 2 distinct qualities that God used for His purpose. “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.  And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” (Hebrews 11:11-12)The 2 qualities God saw in Sarah?Sarah had faith andSarah was unable to conceive. It would take a miracle for Sarah to have the children she longed for.  But I think if she were sitting next to us today, that she would share this famous quote with us from Dr. John Edmund Haggai, “Attempt something so great for God that it is doomed to fail unless God is in it.”Wife to Abraham, Sarah was very old and past childbearing age (Genesis 18).  God had promised Abraham years before that He would provide a son who was his own flesh and blood to be his heir.  “Look up at the sky and count the stars- if indeed you can count them.”  “So shall your offspring be.”  (Genesis 15:5)In the video link above, there is a time lapse of 1:33, but in reality a rose takes 6-8 weeks to bloom as she stretches toward the sun.  Sarah too had to wait, at least 13 years from the time the promise was given.  God was doing something very special as she waited; however, He was building her faith, a move that would turn the ordinary to extraordinary as He blessed her with the honor of becoming the mother of His chosen people, the Nation of Israel.Sarah isn’t the only ordinary woman who attempted something great for God: Hannah prayed for a child and was blessed with Samuel who she dedicated back to The Lord as a Holy man of God.Rahab, a prostitute, risked her life harboring Hebrew spies, helping them to escape from ancient Jericho.  She would also be listed in Matthew’s gospel as an ancestor of Jesus.Esther saved God’s people from annihilation by the Persian King.Ruth, a poor and foreign young woman, would not leave Naomi who lost her husband and son.  Ruth would become the Great Grandmother to King David and an ancestor of Jesus.Mary, a Jewish peasant girl would become the mother to Jesus.We do not know the name of The Samaritan Woman, but we do know that she met Jesus at a well.  In her dialogue, she learns that she is in the presence of The Messiah and would come to believe in Him.  God would use her to become the first female missionary.A handful of women written into God’s story as He declares their lives extraordinary. I would bet that none of them thought of themselves as anything more than ordinary.  The rose doesn’t know she is extraordinary either, but when Light shines bright, she stretches out every lovely bloom into a cascade of beauty for all to see. Remember the promise given to Sarah and Abraham?  He would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.  I don’t think God is finished yet, I believe that He is still shining His light on each of us as He declares women extraordinary in His Kingdom.Each of us have a purpose in God’s great story with gifts that bring honor and glory to Him.  Just as with this beautiful rose, His Light shines on what we consider ordinary and declares us extraordinary.What about you?Do you know that Your Father calls you beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made in His Image, blessed, His daughter, chosen, extraordinary? Look up and allow God’s Light to shine on you as He prepares you to cascade into the beauty He has created you to be.For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.(2 Corinthians 4:6-7)Father, thank You for blessing us as daughters of The King.  It is in Your purpose that we are called to Your perfect plan.  Grant us courage and strength, to fulfill the purpose You have placed in our lives.  We are honored, Lord, that where society places a period, you add a comma. Thank You for writing us into Your story and blessing us with eyes to see ourselves as extraordinary in Your sight.We Love YouIn Jesus’ NameAMEN

Can I Do Anything?

A week into a new Presidential Administration has proven to be very stressful for a weary nation.  As of 1/27/17 5:53pm EST, our currentUS National Debt is close to $20 Trillion Dollars (that is 12 zeroes for those who are interested.)  While our Tax Revenue is only $3 Trillion Dollars.This is not an attempt to begin a political discussion; however, I have to admit if I were walking into a business deal short by $17 Trillion dollars I would be in for quite a migraine.  Not to mention concern over the added responsibility to provide a safe environment for those placed in your charge.So, I can imagine the pressure on the current Administration is pretty great.  Add to that the mass fallout from peoples who are on the right and the left and I too am personally struggling.  I can only imagine how our President feels.Now at times in our life we all have to sit back and take inventory. We audit our finances coming in along with our expenditures going out.We review our life choices and consider changes that will allow us to grow whereby enriching not only our own lives but also our community and the next generation.We take inventory of our goals and dreams and attempt changes that will place us one step closer to realizing same goals and dreams.What happens if we don’t?We will run out of money and the bank will come to collect.We can find ourselves in a spiral of self-interest where we are creating a vacuum in the lives of others.We will stagnate and possibly burn out.Just as we have to take inventory of our life, our President has to take inventory of our nation.  Why should it be any different?  Yes there will be changes made, yes there will be changes that we don’t all agree with and yes we will all feel the pain from said changes.  Some will be good, others will create growing pains but at the end of the day we are all in this together, otherwise we have chaos.What can I do?  Can I do anything?YES!  My heart has been so heavy this week over some of the opinions blasted over social media.  When we are not held personally accountable for an action, we find it so easy to throw accusations at the one who is responsible.  Unfortunately with the advent of the internet it’s so easy to find mud to sling at anyone whom we disagree or find ourselves at odds with.But will you please hear my heart for a moment?  WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.  Right, wrong or indifferent, we are neighbors, we are parents, we are leaders and our children need to see us step up, pull up our britches and work together to make this a better nation.So, what does this mean for me?  Well, I think Jesus gave us clear instruction on the matter and believe this instruction will benefit all of us in the long run.1- Do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right Hand.(Isaiah 41:10)God is in control, in good times and bad times, God has a plan to give us hope and a future.  We don't have to be afraid, even in trials He will uphold us and the good news is that we have story after story of God fulfilling the above promise in His Word.2- Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  (James 1:12)Yes, we will have trials and tribulations; however, along with this warning follows the promise of blessings from our Father when we persevere.3- My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.  (James 1:19)We all have an opinion, but it is so important (especially now) that we listen and research all of the facts, steer away from opinion and be prudent with our words (both verbal and written) because our words cannot be taken back.Anger does not get us much more than a bag full of resentment.4- Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)  What are “these things?”  All of your needs, a reward from your Father, treasures in Heaven, and best of all a beautiful relationship with The One who knows your heart better than anyone else.  God knows what we need and will provide. 5- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6)We get stuck on this one in so many ways, perhaps it’s the “SUBMIT” part, but the truth is that when we trust in him and submit completely he takes away the worry, the fear and the need to “MAKE THINGS RIGHT.”  And as a bonus, he leads us in the way we should go with confidence that HE WILL MAKE THINGS RIGHT.6- Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  (Luke 11:9)  This one is self-explanatory.  PRAY and BELIEVE He will answer.  Sure it may not be in your timing and it may not be the outcome you expected but He will provide according to His perfect plan and purpose.There is one thing we can be assured of, life is never easy and we will face challenges, but we are promised that our God will be with us in the challenge.  And when we follow the 2 greatest commands Jesus left us, to love God and love our neighbor, we find that the challenges tend to work themselves out very quickly.  So let’s trust Him to get us through, stand together and pray that He will grant wisdom and discernment to those in Washington who are leading this country into tomorrow.Father, we thank You for Your providence.  We thank You for the many blessings You have afforded us both personally and corporately.  Lord, we pray for our nation, we pray for our leaders and we pray for the unity of all Americans that You will continue to provide and help us work toward a better tomorrow for our communities and the next generation.  We love You and thank You for all You will do on our behalf.In Jesus’ NameAMEN