Heather V. Shore's Blog, page 2

Emotional Abuse Happening to Men

Having walked through an interesting season this year, I’ve met a few men who have experienced emotional abuse. I was surprised to hear how often men are being emotional abused in marriages and relationships. To see the sadness in their eyes at what they experienced at the hands of women was hard to see. Most people think, especially based on statistics, that women are more abused than men. But in recent years as women shift in roles and hold more heart woundings, they are being the perpetrators towards the men in their lives. How can we as women respect men, give value and call men higher to not settle for less than standards?

Recognize and Understand Your Identity

So many people are walking around lost and confused. They don’t know who they are because they don’t know whose they are. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, your identity is automatically changed. You go from sinner to saint. You no longer have to walk with your head down, but held high knowing you are part of a royal priesthood. So many in the church teach a false theology of grace saved sinner. No, that’s no longer your identity! When you come to understand who you are in the Kingdom, you walk and talk differently. You learn how to respect yourself and others. This is true for men and women.

Emotional abuse happens in very subtle ways to start. And over time, it becomes more insidious weaving itself into relationships not allowing the person to be safe. When you are being emotionally abused, you accept unhealthy things. An example is, “I watched my ex-wife cheat on me one night.” This stunning statement came from an acquittance I know. Floored as I listened to this person recount their experience, I looked at them and said they needed to be respected and what happened was abuse. When the truth and reality of who you are in Christ becomes twisted or you never learn your identity in Christ, we allow unhealthy relational behavior to pervade our very core.

Lift Men Up

We as a society have eroded men’s proper place. Men are called to be leaders and be leaders in homes, businesses, government, etc. Men are biologically designed to lead, and God has given them many talents in this area. What’s heart breaking is watching women tear men down, not allowing them to take their rightful place in life. I know at times in my previous marriage I wanted to be in control, and it caused dissension in our relationship. Men need to be complimented, lifted up and held to a high standard.

Boundaries are important to mention here. It’s important for women and men to maintain healthy boundaries in relationships expressing needs each party has while doing it with respect and honor. We have forgotten what it means to honor others. It means being able to have honest discussions while keeping each other in mind trying not to hurt the other person intentionally.

Respect and Honor

Respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. It’s also called esteem, is a positive feeling or deferential action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of honoring someone by exhibiting care, concern, or consideration for their needs or feelings

Honor is high respect; great esteem. The biblical words often translated as “honor” can have a number of shades of meaning. As a baseline definition, to honor means to esteem and treat another with respect because of who they are or what they have done. Honor has the sense of value, price, or quality. That which is valued and esteemed is “honored.” The biblical use sometimes also means to seek to enhance the reputation of someone. (What Is Honor? | Tabletalk) Keeping both front and center in your relationships and honoring others will create generational ripple effects.

When we neglect others, we are most likely neglecting ourselves and not valuing the way God made us. His ultimate value in us is what matters. If you encounter emotional abuse in any relationship, male or female, recognize and identify it, learn how to confront it, and move on. You were created with value and meant to be esteemed. The biblical emphasis on honoring others has everything to do with the biblical command to honor God. God fashioned human beings in His image. When we honor others, no matter who they are, we honor God. As we honor God, we increase His esteem in the world and attest to His ultimate value.

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Nutrients in the Soil

Lately, the Lord has been speaking to me through gardening. This year my garden hasn’t gotten the attention it needs. Life has been full of work, kids and joyful blessings like Pursuing Redemption. But tonight, I took myself out on a date to Farm Bar Tulsa, the sister restaurant to the Living Kitchen Farm and Diary. I had a lovely conversation with the chef behind the counter, and we talked gardening and cooking. After asking several questions about different plants, the chef made the comment that those types of plants can’t grow without the right nutrients in the soil. How many times do we allow God to shift the soil in our life to create the right nutrients? We like to hold onto to control, fear and a host of lies, not allowing him to shape the soil of our life into something beautiful.

Move the dirt

Oftentimes, we want to be in charge of our own destiny. That is until we mess it up enough to say, ‘please take it back, Lord.’ We think if we move this dirt over here, no one will notice. Or if we allow a little bit of our heart to open up before God, it will be enough. But what if we allowed him to move the dirt out of our lives? What if we let him remove all the lies we believe and replace it with the truth? Our lives would look so different. The dirt would start to transform and less gunk would be in the way of him creating beauty in our lives.

Shift the sand

What are building on? Sinking sand or solid ground? Are you taking in what the world says is coming or are you standing on the truth of God’s word? I’ve let go of several voices I listen to prophetically and politically because it was too much noise. Personally, I’ve needed to sit in the quiet place and just be. Truly hold onto Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” How often do we let him fight our battles and build something which stands the test of time? Truth wins in the end.

Plant some roots

Man, gardening and farming is hard work. It takes a lot of tending to and cleaning out the weeds. It also requires allowing the seeds to take root to grow something fruitful. I’ve learned that blueberry and blackberry bushes are finicky and need a certain type of soil to grow properly. We as humans need the same thing. God’s word needs to be planted in our hearts and we need to unlearn busyness. By learning when to be still, we will learn when to fight. We are coming into a time where ‘we’ as Christians will need to stand up for what’s right. The only way we can fight is if our roots go down deep in Him, the author of the Bible.

So, choose wisely in this next season. Take some time to allow the Lord to shift you, dig up the lies and plant some roots into something better. A better future and a better tomorrow. Those are only possible when we are deeply rooted in him.

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Cracked Pots

Healing has been a theme since the beginning of 2023. I had a relationship end in 2022 which made me realize how much healing I still needed to walk through, and how God can come before us and present to us our healing journeys. As I sat and pondered with the Lord, I wondered how healing came about in the Old Testament and how it looked different in the New Testament. How God used broken people, alabaster jars, to bring about his Word and covenant to life. By using people and stories, He further brings about his kingdom purposes and showcases his power through healing.

What rises up against you, will not rise again

Multiple words came to me prior to December and one of them being Micah 7:8 “Do not rejoice over me [amid my tragedies], O my enemy! Though I fall, I will rise; Though I sit in the darkness [of distress], the LORD is a light for me.” With God, what rises up against you, will not rise again. Father, You told me in your word that affliction shall not rise upon the second time. In the darkness, do we trust the light of the Lord to show the way to healing? Can we see the light through our cracked alabaster jars?

He gives us authority

He gives us the ability to walk in power and authority. In John 14:12 “12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father.” As I’ve walked out a very hard healing journey, I started doing research into power and authority. What does that mean and how do we walk in this as an empowered believer in Christ? Having authority means we have is the legal right to do the things Jesus commanded us to do. Walking in power is the operation of the Holy Spirit in us. We have the Holy Spirit indwelling in us and through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to walk in his authority and power. It all comes from God. We can do nothing apart from him and it must all be unto His glory.

Hearing the healing testimonies of others gave me the faith to believe that healing was possible for me. Having many different hindering beliefs caused healing to either be delayed or out of reach at times. When healing did happen in the natural, it blew me away. It’s real and we serve an amazing God. When healing didn’t happen or we watched a love one pass away, it didn’t lesson the miracle of life. It shows us there are times we can’t explain the healing mystery of God. But we do know no matter the outcome, God is good.

He heals the cracked pots

So many of us walk around in a defeated mode and we marvel when we meet others filled with joy despite their circumstances. I watched my friend get and up down off the floor this weekend to play with her little one-year-old. It was amazing to watch because 3 months ago, she couldn’t do that. God had completely healed her of this nasty condition and taken away a tumor causing so much pain. My friend is one of the most joy-filled people I’ve ever met. She radiates joy! And I knew she was in pain while she walked through that hard season because she cried multiple times when we got together because she could barely move. We prayed, anointed her with oil, and asked for God to bring the right doctor to help take away the tumor. In this instance, a doctor was needed. The reason I tell this story is because my friend has had all her cracks healed through Jesus. He’s taken her previous addiction and done miracles in her life. Her cracks are what she uses to share her testimony with others.

Is God calling you to share your story and the possible cracks He’s healed to share the good news? Let’s run to those in need. A pastor in California said recently, if your walk with Jesus is boring, you’re not really living for Him. Each day is adventure. And when we heal up, it becomes really fun to tell others how healing is possible for them too. Whether it’s healing from depression, addiction, poverty or a broken-heart, God is interested in redeeming your past and releasing your future!

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He Goes Before Us – Word for 2024

Prophetic Word for 2024             

He goes before us. The battle cry of the Lord moving into 2024 is ‘He goes before us.’ He is preparing us for what’s to come next year. There are going to be great highs and moves of the Spirit, and discouraging lows as we watch additional things happen in the natural world. We are barreling towards the return of the Lord.

To be Upright On and Off the Stage        

One of the words the Lord gave me was Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” This is a sobering word and thought. As we have moved through 2023, the Lord has started dealing with our sins and cleaning up the prophetic and other movements. He wants pure hearts and clean hands. As he kept highlighting it to me, he said “I want you to be upright on and off the stage.” In the stages of our lives, He is looking for people to be who they are on and off the stage. Whether you are a coach of a football team, a single parent, or a speaker on a stage, the Lord is looking for us to be the salt and light of the world this coming year. Psalm 66:19-20 goes on to say, “but God has surely listened and heard by voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who had not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Praise God he hears our prayers. Let’s turn to him in each area of life and run after the things of him.

To Run Our Race

Each of us has a role to play in the Kingdom. And he’s gifted each of us with the ability to bring about his Kingdom in the lives of our families and surrounding communities. Do you know how he has gifted you? Are you bearing the fruit of these gifts in your life? Are you running after the things of Him? When we sit with the Father and meet him in the secret place, are you asking him what things he wants you to run after? When we chase the things of God, life is no longer boring. It’s exciting and exhilarating to see how he will use us if we just say yes. So, ask your neighbor if you can pray for them. Tell the cashier at the grocery store about Jesus, lay hands on someone and command sickness to go. That’s when the presence of God shows up and our race becomes fun.

He Goes Before Us

In Deuteronomy 1:30 it says, “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes.” He is our rear guard and walks in front of us preparing the way for what’s to come. We are not to fear the pestilence of the day, but to walk boldly and in confidence of who our God is. He is who he says he is. He doesn’t waver, but we sometimes take our eyes off him and start to sink into the water. In the coming year, keep your eyes on him. He fights for you as you walk out of your personal Egypt. 2024 is the year of Psalm 24 and it says in Psalm 24:3-4, “Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.” The King of glory is coming. Are you excited to welcome him into your life and the lives around you?

As we come into 2024, don’t look onto it with dread, but with anticipation of all God is going to do. In the natural, it may appear bleak, but know God is working all things out for his good and glory. May we each run the race we are called to and know that our God goes before us each step of the way.

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The 3 AM Book: When Divorce Keeps You Up All Night

A Multi-Authored 31 Day Devotional

I taped the last box shut of our Colorado home and looked around. It’s funny – I had spent the last 4 years unpacking childhood trauma, unhealthy reactions, and control issues. I felt like a new person, but I had hoped my husband would love me more. Instead, he was done. The kids and I were moving on to a new adventure.

The bedrock of our new adventure was Matthew 6:33. Matthew 6: 33 “But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” If you seek me first, my Kingdom and my righteousness, I will take care of all things. All things – including divorce.

Brokenness Leads to Healing

The brokenness I brought into our marriage was something I didn’t realize until after our divorce. I was looking for a man to heal me, but not lead me. 2018 in bible study was when the healing and recovery started. God sat me down and said to ‘sit and heal because I want to run this race with you and to end your life well.’ To run the race well, you must heal from your past. Healing from your past can take time and be instant. I would spend six months to a year sitting with Holy Spirit, doing inner healing, and counseling, and undoing all the yuck.

This caused a transformation in my physical person, but also emotionally and spiritually. People could see a difference because of how God continued to heal me. He healed me from the spirits of control, comparison, and anger. Coming out from under those spirits led me into deeper and deeper freedom. It also caused a transformation in my kids’ lives because I was the one the kids spent the most time with when their father was traveling. They have gotten to watch mommy walk out her faith and continue to lean on mommy during our last few years.

But as I healed, it drove my ex-husband and I further apart. It was sad because as he deconstructed out of his faith, he couldn’t see the change. That broke my heart because I was hoping he would see a change in me and ask to know what was causing the change. However, he was too far gone by that point of our divorce. There was truly nothing I could do even though I pleaded. I was the one who had brought all of to a head because of the neglect and emotional turmoil in our marriage. I wanted a marriage and asked him to please be a part of it. To lead, to love and want to be with me. That led to him pulling farther away. When men decide they are done, unless the Lord intervenes, it’s very hard to convince them to give you another chance.

Follow God Even When Its Hard

At the end of our marriage, the Lord continually spoke 1 Corinthians 7:15 over me. It says “But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him leave. In such cases the [remaining] brother or sister is not [spiritually or morally] bound. But God has called us to peace.” And peace He has given me. The miracles which happened through our divorce were amazing. God provided a home, helped us sell our home, provided for us to move cross country to be near family, gave me a job, has been with us through the transition. He continues to heal my kids and I from the last few years and give us our joy back.

He is such a good, good Father and provider, and continues to show up in ways which blow our minds. When the Lord calls you to walk through hard seasons of yuck, don’t give up. Take one step at a time. Take time to rest, be with Him, and most importantly, let him heal you. Let him show you how beautifully and wonderfully made you are. You are not a failure. Your marriage may have not survived, but you are a daughter or son of God and God doesn’t make mistakes. He’s not a God of confusion and chaos, but of clarity, peace, love, kindness, and goodness.

How are you and God building kingdom values in yourself and family during and after divorce?  Be honest with the Lord. He knows anyway, so vent to Him. What is hurting your heart?Ask Him, what do you want to teach me?What are the areas I need healing in?Where are the cracks in my foundation?How can I be the hands and feet of Jesus during this divorce and after?Don’t let bitterness and unforgiveness take root. How can I guard against that?How can I be more intentional with my words and actions?How can I be kind when the other party isn’t?How can you bless the other person in the divorce?Exercise:

Tell yourself out loud, “You are no longer stuck. You are no longer powerless. He sees you. You are known. And you are deeply loved exactly as you are. Created perfectly by a God who does not make mistakes.”

One thing you can do this week:

Take one-two hours to sit with the Lord and ask the questions above. Go through the exercise listed and see what the Lord says back. Try two-way journaling with the questions above and ask Holy Spirit to answer each question. This will lead to further understanding and to more healing, providing much needed rest during your divorce process.

Prayer:

Precious Lord, thank you for the glorious riches we have in surrendering our lives to you. We ask that your agenda take precedence in our lives and that we learn to draw on every blessing we have in you. You are our provider, and no ill-fitting thing will be placed on us. Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder that obedience to you must never be separated from dependence on you. May we experience a deeper realization of your working in and through us. In Jesus’s name, amen.

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Being up at 3 am – New Divorce Recovery Devotion

The 3am Book – When Divorce Keeps You Up All Night

I taped the last box shut of our Colorado home and looked around. It’s funny – I had spent the last 4 years unpacking childhood trauma, unhealthy reactions, and control issues. I felt like a new person, but I had hoped my husband would love me more. Instead, he was done. The kids and I were moving on to a new adventure.

The bedrock of our new adventure was Matthew 6:33. Matthew 6: 33 “But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” If you seek me first, my Kingdom and my righteousness, I will take care of all things. All things – including divorce.

Brokenness Leads to Healing

The brokenness I brought into our marriage was something I didn’t realize until after our divorce. I was looking for a man to heal me, but not lead me. 2018 in bible study was when the healing and recovery started. God sat me down and said to ‘sit and heal because I want to run this race with you and to end your life well.’ To run the race well, you must heal from your past. Healing from your past can take time and be instant. I would spend six months to a year sitting with Holy Spirit, doing inner healing, and counseling, and undoing all the yuck.

This caused a transformation in my physical person, but also emotionally and spiritually. People could see a difference because of how God continued to heal me. He healed me from the spirits of control, comparison, and anger. Coming out from under those spirits led me into deeper and deeper freedom. It also caused a transformation in my kids’ lives because I was the one the kids spent the most time with when their father was traveling. They have gotten to watch mommy walk out her faith and continue to lean on mommy during our last few years.

But as I healed, it drove my ex-husband and I further apart. It was sad because as he deconstructed out of his faith, he couldn’t see the change. That broke my heart because I was hoping he would see a change in me and ask to know what was causing the change. However, he was too far gone by that point of our divorce. There was truly nothing I could do even though I pleaded. I was the one who had brought all of to a head because of the neglect and emotional turmoil in our marriage. I wanted a marriage and asked him to please be a part of it. To lead, to love and want to be with me. That led to him pulling farther away. When men decide they are done, unless the Lord intervenes, it’s very hard to convince them to give you another chance.

Follow God Even When Its Hard

At the end of our marriage, the Lord continually spoke 1 Corinthians 7:15 over me. It says “But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him leave. In such cases the [remaining] brother or sister is not [spiritually or morally] bound. But God has called us to peace.” And peace He has given me. The miracles which happened through our divorce were amazing. God provided a home, helped us sell our home, provided for us to move cross country to be near family, gave me a job, has been with us through the transition. He continues to heal my kids and I from the last few years and give us our joy back.

He is such a good, good Father and provider, and continues to show up in ways which blow our minds. When the Lord calls you to walk through hard seasons of yuck, don’t give up. Take one step at a time. Take time to rest, be with Him, and most importantly, let him heal you. Let him show you how beautifully and wonderfully made you are. You are not a failure. Your marriage may have not survived, but you are a daughter or son of God and God doesn’t make mistakes. He’s not a God of confusion and chaos, but of clarity, peace, love, kindness, and goodness.

How are you and God building kingdom values in yourself and family during and after divorce?  Be honest with the Lord. He knows anyway, so vent to Him. What is hurting your heart?Ask Him, what do you want to teach me?What are the areas I need healing in?Where are the cracks in my foundation?How can I be the hands and feet of Jesus during this divorce and after?Don’t let bitterness and unforgiveness take root. How can I guard against that?How can I be more intentional with my words and actions?How can I be kind when the other party isn’t?How can you bless the other person in the divorce?Exercise:

Tell yourself out loud, “You are no longer stuck. You are no longer powerless. He sees you. You are known. And you are deeply loved exactly as you are. Created perfectly by a God who does not make mistakes.”

One thing you can do this week:

Take one-two hours to sit with the Lord and ask the questions above. Go through the exercise listed and see what the Lord says back. Try two-way journaling with the questions above and ask Holy Spirit to answer each question. This will lead to further understanding and to more healing, providing much needed rest during your divorce process.

Prayer:

Precious Lord, thank you for the glorious riches we have in surrendering our lives to you. We ask that your agenda take precedence in our lives and that we learn to draw on every blessing we have in you. You are our provider, and no ill-fitting thing will be placed on us. Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder that obedience to you must never be separated from dependence on you. May we experience a deeper realization of your working in and through us. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Content is republished with permission from Home – 1 Moment Wiser. Book to be released in February 2024.

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Do You Want to Be Free?

Recently left a family weekend with happiness and sadness in my heart. It was so wonderful to see everyone and to catch up and hear about their lives. I also learned about family history and how some generational blessings and curses had entered into our family line. The conversations were fascinating and most importantly we had the beautiful privilege of praying over my aunt Mimi and her health. She has been such a blessing to so many around her through her love and care for others.

But as I left, I kept thinking, don’t you want to be free? My heart honestly ached as I listened to story after story of sickness and disease. See I believe in John 10:10, that he came to give us life and life more abundantly. I also believe that he sanctifies us from glory to glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”) You don’t have to stay stuck; you don’t have to walk in bondage but can walk in freedom.

Why Choose to Stay There?

Change is hard and scary. When life throws curve balls at you, sometimes you duck and go back into the corner where it’s safe. But faith in Jesus doesn’t guarantee you safety. In fact, check my theology here, God doesn’t call us into safety. He calls us to tell others about the good news, to heal sick and to cast out demons. Luke 9:1-2, “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Those aren’t easy words! They are words which cause action. He was activating them to go out and spread the gospel and to share his heart. Jesus came to heal us, and he wants to heal us today too. His healing wasn’t for another time, it still applies today!

Find Help for Your Broken Heart

Most people don’t want to peer into their broken heart. It hurts. It hurts to look at the yuck, the lies we’ve believed, and the hurts we’ve caused others and others have done to us. But in God’s sweet kindness, there is goodness to repent. In repentance, we find healing for our heart. Our innermost being is where God wants to store his truth and wisdom. He wants you to operate from a place of wholeness. He didn’t come to just save you from sin, he came to set you free from and bring you into wholeness.

My Yeshua wants a relationship with you. He doesn’t want to sit on the sidelines of your life, but he patiently waits for us to invite him into every area. He wants to participate in your decisions, in your thought life, and in your speech. God wants to come alongside you, partner with you and bring His Kingdom into the world. BUT you have to be willing to sit with Him as different times and let Him heal your heart. Healing your heart makes you effective for the Kingdom.

The Power of the Tongue

Proverbs 18:21 has been on my mind a lot lately and kept playing it over and over again on the way home. It says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Bethel Church had a whole sermon on this and how to be mindful with your words. “When God spoke, light pierced through the darkness and the universe took form. We too have been entrusted with the invitation to partner with Him as we speak – an expression of His image that we are called to bear. It’s important that we are aware and mindful of the power of our words. Gossip perverts this supernatural gift of partnering with heaven through the words that we choose to speak. If God inhabitants our praise, who inhabits gossip?”

As His children, it’s our responsibility to speak with intention and for the purpose of edification. This is especially important when it comes to healing. This is our prayer: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. ” Psalm 19:14. We will be a family who steward our words well, committed to releasing life, edification and the presence of God!”

Ask God to Help You

When it comes to your health and walking out healing, how can you partner with God? I believe in unpacking any lies related to this area with Holy Spirit will bring about the wholeness you seek. So, as you delve into this, pray over the questions below and ask Jesus what’s really in your heart. He will reveal what needs to be healed in order to walk into physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

Questions to Unleash the BoxWhere are you storing unhealth in your body, causing physical manifestations of illness?Do you feel you can surrender every area of your health to the Lord? Why or why not?Where is your unbelief hindering the Lord from working in all things?What do you need to believe for today about your health and healing journey?The fitness and health industry in the Western world is a control-oriented framework, including diet plans such as paleo or keto. They keep us out of balance. God’s way, instead, is always inside out, not outside in. Choosing health is to be in an emotional relationship with good. For example, do I eat even when I am not hungry? Food is to be nourishing and enjoyed. How have you engaged with the fitness and health industry in our culture?Ask the Holy Spirit to get to any root issue in your life or spirit that is in the way of healthy living. What is the Holy Spirit revealing to you as you pray?Prayer:

Father, you see and know all, and nothing is hidden from you. You know the root of what is going on with our bodies, and you have power to provide full and complete healing and freedom. May we walk with you into all that is ours in Christ. We ask you to guide each of us in the steps you would have us take, lead us into all truth and into your wisdom, and bring about your desired purposes in our lives every step of the way. Thank you for our ability to trust and rest in you! We know all things serve your great and mighty plan, and you cannot fail in the good plans you have for us. You are greater than any other thing; may we fully rest in you. In Jesus’s name, amen.

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Walk Wisely with God

One of my favorite verses in Proverbs is Proverbs 3:5-6. It’s something the Lord has said over me as He calls me into deeper waters. Trust is ultimately where He is taking me. Trust in Him, trust in His plan, and trust as my provider and protector. This word is related to the Hebrew word for refuge. Can we come under this guidance and bring ourselves into alignment with his refuge and heart for us? While we see bad and good, He only sees me and you. There are a few ways we come into a better understanding of trust.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”Can we let go of Understanding?

Our perceptions, intellect and knowledge are limited. When we lean on our own understanding, we mistake snakes for umbrellas. Our assumptions can be based on fear, and it is wise to acknowledge only God can see all and knows all the details of all our life situations. It is always wise to lean on the Lord and not on our own understanding.

Can you Acknowledge?

Do you consider, prioritize, seek and cooperate with God? Trust him to keep us on the life-giving path? Jesus was the ultimate example of trust. He only did what the Father did or asked him to do. In what area can we double down and trust him? Is it in finances, your future, your career or a different decision? Choosing to trust Him with all your heart leads you into taking brave action.

Do you have Brave action?

Choosing to embrace a confident attitude in reliance upon God takes trust. Brave action is stepping out of the boat and having a confident attitude in our God. Nothing is impossible with God, and this is said throughout the New Testament. Mark 10:27, ESV Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Can you take your eyes off your circumstances and step forward in action?

Trust is built when God is viewed rightly.

Trust is built when we have a clear view of who God is. He’s all wise, slow to anger, compassionate, he’s our father who loves us, and beyond our possibilities. Trust chooses to believe God as bigger than my problem. When we intentionally root ourselves in our identity as Gods beloved children, made in Gods image, we know every day of our life walks out of our past and into our future. We don’t live in shame or condemnation, but as children adopted into God’s family by his blood. He has chosen me, loves me and is a good father who never leaves us. He doesn’t abandon us and brings about all good from all circumstances.

Will you trust God with all of your heart? Take a step out of the boat and walk towards Him. He will answer you in ways beyond your understanding.

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Growing into 2023

The last few years have led me to write about growing into the next year. I personally look forward to what each new season will bring about. 2023 will be a year of abundance and provision amidst the turmoil. Such abundance will come from knowing who you are in Christ and walking out that identity with each step.

Hope

Hope is the conviction that your future is going to be better than your past. Hebrews is clear that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Continuing to have hope as you walk out the constant change we see in our families, the media and the world, requires a perspective shift. This shift leads you into trust. Trusting the Lord for your future is a big step. It requires laying down our expectations of what our world should look like and having hope of how He will design it. This is where trusting Him with the process of walking into our future requires us to hold His hand.

Abundance

Abundance can mean different things to people. What the Lord is calling us into this next year is abundance in Him. One of my favorite scriptures Matthew 6:33 says that God will provide an abundant life to those who “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Abundance in this sense means a life full of everything you need to sustain yourself in joy and purpose.

As you walk into 2023, how can you sustain yourself in joy and purpose in Him? He’s asking us to because of the times ahead for believers. 2023 will continue to shift us forward into His purposes and will test our faith as more trials come our way. The times ahead are not for the faint at heart, but for those who have the courage to stand up and speak the truth. By seeking first, the kingdom, you will find the abundance you are looking for every day.

Identity

My word for 2023 is hope. Walking further into my identity in Christ has led me into greater hope for the future. I won’t compromise my beliefs for the sake of making others comfortable. This has led me into searching for my identity in Christ and what I stand for as a person. 2023 will continue to grow our roots into His truths, how He is for us, and who He has made us to be. As 2022 draws to a close, we are to look ahead. There was a ton of separating light and darkness, and truth-seeking. Looking ahead gives us hope for what’s to come for families, adventures and provision, and our relationship with the Lord.

My hope and prayer is whatever good was produced for you in 2022 continues into 2023. Hold onto glimmers of hope, press into His abundance and step forward into your identity. He will show you the way to go. Psalms 143:8 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”

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Finding Joy

Life has been good lately. Like crazy good where I smile all the time. My friends the other day said, ‘You look so happy,’ and another friend said, ‘You are one of the freest people I know.’ While I’m so incredibly grateful for the compliments and it makes me smile bigger, I sat back a moment and wondered why. We’ve gone through some big bumps the last few years, but even during those times, I had a sense of peace. Sense that everything was going to work out even when I couldn’t see the path through the trees. My life has been filled with so much tender appreciation for others, their stories, and learning how to have hope and hold onto it, that joy has definitely been the fruit of this season.

Hardship Doesn’t Mean You Lose Joy

We all experience hard things. There are going to be times of great fruitfulness and times of desperate pleas. Times of walking forward and times of making bad decisions. One thing has truly become apparent to me is that you don’t have to lose joy when it’s rough. Gratefulness breaks the spirit of depression, disease and bitterness. Thankfulness is a weapon and creates joy in our lives when we live it out.

Joy Can be Found in All Things

I didn’t think this 10 years ago. There have been times where my mind was not renewed and completely negative. I’ve apologized to my ex-husband for those times and putting undue burden on him to fulfill any responsibility to heal me. It has been and always is God’s love which heals us. Recognizing and shifting your mindset to be renewed by God allows you to find the joy in all things.

Being an Example to Your Kids

One thing I’ve been striving to do is speak life over my kids. Want them to understand the power of the tongue and how it brings life and death to situations. (Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”) I admit this last year I haven’t done a great job of parenting. The last few months, as I listened to the words they were saying, I started telling them to speak better to themselves and others. Speaking life brings about joy in your home. It’s taken a while to get there, but we’re starting to see the fruit of life-giving words.

Only God can change your mind, your life, and bring about such unbelievable joy. Hope this holiday season is full of joy-filled moments and nuggets of His truth.

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