Hey Daddy, Watch This!

I know a lot of really cool people.  Honestly, I think I have some of the greatest people to walk the earth entrenched in my life.  These people come in all shapes, sizes, ages, personalities and backgrounds.  I feel very 1-dimensional when I'm with them.  I'm really not, but surely some of you know what it's like to have at least one person in your life that is just so well-rounded that you take a look in the mirror and say, "Self...you're boring."  Or maybe not.  Maybe I'm the only one out here talking to myself in the mirror.

I know God has brought every single person to me for a very specific purpose.  Every one of them has true value to add to my life.  There are no accidents when you live in Christ.  Every little intricate detail of your life is planned out before the days of the Earth.  I love that about Him. 

There is one person in particular that has been standing out to me lately.  Great things come in small packages, right ladies? :)  Well, the Lord has brought me a very beautiful and very unique gift in a very small package.  She is wonderful.  She is sweet.  She is beautiful.  She is wise WAY beyond her years.  She is full of Christ.  She is a servant.  She walks in boldness and humility.  She is well-spoken.  She is well-educated.  She loves me and that makes me smile.  The moment I met her, she nestled her way into my heart.  She has brought me much joy.  We have had great talks that have enlightened me.  She smiles at me and hugs me a lot.  You get the picture...

Well my memory verse for the next two weeks is 1 Peter 3:12 (amp) "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their prayers.  But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil."  This verse came alive to me today because the Lord corresponded it with an encouraging word He had me deliver to this sweet friend of mine over the weekend.  He used the love I have for her to minister to me about how much He loves me...how He is saying the same to me.  He loves me us so much that He constantly watches us.  He looks for us when we wake up in the morning.  His gaze follows us all day.  It's not just any gaze.  It's that deep, loving gaze that is protective like a lion and as loving as a lamb.  The depth of His gaze is far too deep for us to ever understand.  It is hot with passion.  It is a jealous stare that says, "Go ahead Satan...make my day.  Touch her and I'll crush you again."

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted so much for your Daddy to pay attention to you.  "Hey Dad, watch this!"  Then you do some "amazing" trick. :)  As children we long for our parents to watch us and listen to us every moment of the day.  I have a son that would love nothing more than to have my full attention 24/7.  As an earthly parent, that can be exhausting and totally impossible.  But it's not a problem for our Heavenly Father.  He constantly watches us and "His ears are attentive to our prayers."  He listens to every word.  He doesn't miss anything.  He listens when I praise Him.  He pays attention when I attempt to blame Him.  He intently tunes in to my requests.  I'm convinced He laughs at my jokes when no one else does.  He loves it when I quote His Word back to Him.  He is moved when I weep at His feet. 

I picture this precious friend of mine, as she lives her life pure and holy before the Lord...I see her twirling around, arms reached out towards Heaven, with a beautiful smile on her face and a sweet giggle in her voice saying, "Hey Daddy, watch this!"  He's watching her.  He's been watching her.  He's so pleased with her.  She is His delight.  I know He is absolutely in love with her.  I know this because He had me tell her.  Then His gentle yet firm voice says to me, "And I love you too..."  Those words fill me with great joy and overwhelming strength.  As long as my Daddy is watching me and listening to me...all things are possible.

Learning What it REALLY Means to be a Warrior

The enemy HATES when we take a stand against him.  He can't stand to see us cut the heads off of our Goliaths.  When we do he quickly rallies his troops and sends out another attack.  Sometimes that attack is harder than the previous.  If we aren't grounded on the foundation of Jesus Christ we will crumble under the attack.  We must have the Word in us so we can understand who we are in Christ and who He is as our All-Sufficient, Sovereign Father.  We have to know that we can lean on Him and that He is so faithful to us.  We have to be deeply rooted in Him so that when the wind and heat from storms and trials come, we will survive.  Just as David spent time in the pasture tending the sheep and allowing God to instill those deep, intimate things in him...we must do the same.  If we don't we will quickly succumb to fear, doubt and the temptation to quit. 

We may get the wind knocked out of us at first.  (That first blow can come as a major surprise and can often catch us off-guard.  That's just part of being human.) But we can't stay down very long.  We have to fight the paralysis of fear.  It certainly is a choice we have to make.  We have to decide, "this day I stand up and fight" or "I think I'll lay here another day".  Oh the temptation to just lay there.  I mean, what could it hurt, right!?  Just one more day.  Maybe if I go back to sleep tomorrow it will all have been a dream.  We won't get stronger just laying there.  Often times we won't immediately know what the fight is going to look like.  We won't know how long or how hard we're going to have to fight.  What we do know is that this fight we are in has already been won.  Ultimately we win.  Until that day of redemption, we can certainly win the fights on this side of Heaven by relying on our Father.  By fighting with the power and authority that has been given to us.  It is senseless to ignore the amazing tools, resources and weapons provided to us by God.  Many of us sit on the battlefield with our armor and weapons laying on the ground beside us instead of putting them on and using them.  The powerful name of Jesus alone is greater than any nuclear bomb man could ever make.  We must not waste them.

This fight will be a testimony to those that are watching us fight.  And trust me, they are watching!  People always look for the greatest warriors on the battlefield.  Anyone can give up and this world is looking for that rare gem of a person that chooses to fight...and fight right.  There is too much at stake.  Too many eternal lives will be lost if we don't walk out our battles in power, authority, obedience and humility.  Our lives aren't really about us.  The sooner we realize this, the sooner we will all become real warriors.


So today I make a choice to fight.  It is time to get back on my feet.  I have a testimony to build and the Glory of God will be all over it!

The Everyday Life of a Warrior

                                                     

Yesterday's Heart to Heart ladies breakfast was amazing.  The Lord truly blessed us with His presences and He certainly did not let us down in ministering to all of us about the Goliaths in our lives.  It was so good to see the auditorium completely full of women that were hungry for the Lord.  I believe we all left there filled up with Him and ready to fight the good fight!

Now that I am no longer focused on the "Heart of a Warrior" message, I will have a little extra time to begin reading other books.  Our church is reading "You Were Born for This" and my friends started Beth Moore's 90 Day Journey of Faith with Paul.  There was no way I was going to sit back and watch them grow in leaps and bounds without me! So I have to say a thousand "thank yous" to Amanda for blessing me with that awesome book.

 I can't think of two greater books to begin reading after studying the heart of a warrior.  The title alone of "You Were Born for This" screams warrior and Paul was certainly one of the greatest New Testament warriors to walk the face of the earth...next to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. :) I know that reading these books are going to help equipment me to walk out the everyday life of a warrior.  As I opened the pages of Paul (Which is one of the most gorgeous books I have seen in a long time.  There's just something about reading a "beautiful book" that helps add to the overall content.), I find myself challenged to consider the traditions that I follow within my walk with Christ.  I am embarassed to say that until this morning it had been a really long time, if ever, that I have stopped and thought about the depth and importance of the traditions that the Lord calls us to observe as Christians.  To think that as I take the Lord's Supper I am carrying on a tradition established by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.  And for thousands of years other Christians have done the same.  As elementary as it my seem to you, it was an "ah-ha" moment for me.  I walked away from this morning's quiet time with a deeper appreciation and awareness of the traditions that are sacred to those that follow Christ.

I also began reading "You Were Born for This" and was immediately challenged.  I'm a person that underlines things in the books that I'm reading and I found myself underlining several statements that Bruce Wilkinson makes on the first few pages of text.  The very first thing I underlined was on page 7 - "He never asks you or me to serve Him in a way that doesn't fit us personally and perfectly."  For me, this related back to the message yesterday that David could not wear Saul's armor, neither can we wear someone else's anointing or armor.  The Lord is a God of such intricate detail.  Everything He gives us and asks us to do is tailor-made just for us.  And that my friend gives us grounds to whole-heartedly trust Him in everything that He does and asks us to do.  It make that "Warriors Walk in Obedience" a lot easier to fulfill.  By the time I made it to page 8, I discovered that I had to redefine what I consider to be miraculous.  I often think of healing the blind as a miracle.  I've not really seen me being at the right place, at the right time to bless someone as a miracle.  I do it, I just never labeled it as such.  I had just always labeled it as "being used by God to meet the needs of someone".  As I continued to read and underline I ran across the statement on page 10 that totally connected this to the heart of a warrior. 

"You'll discover that what God chooses depend on for these divine encounters is simply a willing servant."  That was the very first characteristic of a warrior's heart that we saw in David yesterday.  He was a willing, humble servant and because of those characteristics God used him in one divine encounter after another.  One of those being his divine encounter with a 9-foot-tall giant that found himself face down in the dirt.  Things didn't end well for him and the Children of Israel were delivered from a tormenting enemy that seemed too big to conquer.  I just get so excited thinking about how this is all working out for the women of Family Church.  God's plan is amazingly intricate.  He weaves our lives together so beautifully.  He delivered us a powerful word yesterday on being a warrior and now He's given us a book that's going to help us walk out that calling.

The cry of this warrior is "God, please send me to do Your work by Your power today!"

      

On The Battlefield Of Life

Almost every day is a fight for something on this battlefield called life. Some days we get by without too many struggles. Those days are like cool drinks of water on a hot, balmy day. We try to enjoy them when they come along. What a blessing to sail through a day and be able to tuck ourselves into bed that night with a smile, sigh of contentment and a “thank you Father”. However, sometimes we mindlessly go through them without stopping to “smell the roses”. How selfish of us to carelessly take little to no notice of those easier days. What a blessing from the Father when the pavement seems to rise up to meet our feet. When we hit every green light. When we catch a mint-condition pair of designer shoes on the 75% off clearance rack. (Taking into consideration that we really need them and have the extra money to purchase them.) When our kids come home with 100% on their spelling test and no homework for that night. When our toddler finally decides it’s time to start using the potty. When the checkout line at Wal-Mart is short. When we receive a check in the mail because we overpaid a bill or when we find a considerable mistake in your checkbook that turns out to be in our favor. When our husband calls us just to say “I love you”. When the phone doesn’t ring off the hook and our email inbox isn’t filled to the brim with messages. When our sister-prickle seems to have left her quills at home that day. When that quick and easy recipe you got off of the Internet turns out to be a hit with your family. When you can remember your memory verse from last week and your quiet time with the Lord was amazing. When the barista at our favorite coffee shop makes our drink with absolute perfection. When it’s cold and rainy after work and you have a full tank of gas in your car that allows you to drive home without stopping at the gas station. Here’s the best one…you were able to fix your hair without any fuss and it looks great! Oh, and those designer shoes you bought on clearance go beautifully with the outfit you’re wearing that day.


Some of those are rather shallow things but my point is that we miss those neat, little things that help make our day less of a battle. I’ve found many of those things to be blessings in my life and I try really hard to take notice of them when they happen. It is so important for us to enjoy and draw from those breaks in the battle. The battles we face on a daily basis can sometimes be daunting. The battlefield is an ugly place. When I think of a battlefield the mental image I get is not one of joy or pleasure. To me, it’s a dirty place. It’s grimy. It stinks. It’s a place where you’re surrounded by death and/or injury. It’s a place of weariness. It can often times be a place of confusion and overwhelming attacks from the enemy. Sometimes it’s a place of utter defeat.

James 1 talks about “count it all joy…the trying of your faith will bring you patience, endurance and strength”. Thanks James, that’s exactly what this girl wanted to hear. Count it all joy? Really? When you look at the gut-wrenching, dirty, strength-zapping battles we often face, “joy” isn’t the first thing that pops into my mind. It’s more like “Ugh”. Many times I have found myself in a place of defeat…far, far from that place where I can count it all joy. There have been days where you could have found me in the fetal position under my desk at work. Maybe I wasn’t exactly salt and light in the Wal-Mart checkout line. Maybe I missed a chance to help my fellow soldier because I was too wrapped up in my own fight. Worse yet, at times I just gave up right there in the middle of the battle. I just sat right down and waved my little white flag and let the enemy run smack over me. After all, I didn’t go looking for a fight, the battle came and found me. It wasn’t fair. How/why did it happen? (Talk about being a whiney baby…no wonder I lost so many battles!) Folks, I missed the opportunity to “count it all joy” far too many times. It was hard for me to see that the trials I was tackling were actually strengthening me. The enemy was able to way-lay me because I went into the battle unprepared.

This battlefield of life is no place to be if we’re weary, empty, unprepared and naked. Our enemy roams around like a lion, ready to devour us. He fights dirty. He hits us in our weak spots. He uses the ones we love in his battle against us. He loves using the element of surprise. He uses guerrilla warfare. There is no place in your life he won’t attempt to attack. There’s no sacred time either…he loves attacking at the most inappropriate times. His goal is not to strengthen our patience and endurance. His goal is to kill us. We help him in meeting his goal when we attempt to go up against him unprepared.

A warrior is always prepared. They train daily. They are always on the lookout for the enemy. They know how to respond at a moment’s notice. They get up every morning and put on their battle gear. They fill themselves up on life-giving food. We tell our kids that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We convince them that going about their day on an empty stomach makes them weak and ineffective. What makes us think that same principle isn’t true for our spirits? Being a warrior is not just a physical attribute. It is a mindset. It takes a huge heart. It takes endurance, power and determination. It takes knowing who you are in Christ so that you can stare the enemy in the eyes and say to him, “This day I will fight!”

Only Through the Power of the Holy Spirit

I'm the mother of a 6-year-old boy.  A boy that I waited almost 10 years, after the birth of my lovely daughter, to have.  I had no idea what I was missing until I held that big ole' boy for the first time.  Up until that first encounter I was afraid that I would not love him as much as I loved my Tori.  The second I saw his face, I was head-over-heels in love.  Since that time Mr. Reid has brought so much love, joy and adventure into our home.  He is full of witty insight, enthusiasm, hugs and energy.  He literally transformed the atmosphere of our home.  And the relationship I have with him is so very different from the special relationship I have with Tori...and I deeply cherish them both.

It's because I am the mother of a boy that I can't help but think of Mary during this time of year.  Just the thought of putting myself in her shoes makes me begin to hyperventilate.  We all know that it is really through the power of the Holy Spirit that we get this whole parenting thing right...but think about her.  Here she is in a culture that takes purity before marriage EXTREMELY serious (the way it should be, by the way).  She's young, innocent and has a promising future with a man named Joseph.  In her mind, I bet she was pleased because "this is the way it's supposed to be"...every girls dream.  Then everything changed.  It was the power of the Holy Spirit that caused life to form within her.  It was the power of the Holy Spirit that led Joseph to believe that she was still the pure and innocent woman he had asked to marry him.  And it was the power of the Holy Spirit that continued to confirm the holiness of this little one after his birth.

It would have to be the power of the Holy Spirit that sustained her throughout His life.  As she held Him and looked upon His face for the first time, the Holy Spirit was there with her.  Not only did she have the regular "new mom" emotions coursing through her veins, she also had the knowledge of the fact that she was looking upon the face of a holy child.  Little did she know what that would later mean.  Every parent has hopes and dreams for their children, but did she dare dream for Him?  She must have wanted to.  She couldn't help but get lost in His sweet eyes and in His smile.  Yes, she was a woman...therefore she was naturally inclined to dream and love and bond deeply with her child.  I can imagine that at the same time, the Holy Spirit gently whispered into her spirit thoughts of guidance and hope for this little one.  Yes, He was certainly special but His greatness was incomprehensible.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?  Mary could you have ever dreamed so large that you realized He would one day rule the nations?  Mary did you know that the child that you just delivered would soon deliver you?  No...Mary...bless your heart...you didn't know...but the power of the Holy Spirit kept that check in your spirit that something amazing would result from the birth of this child.  And it would be the power of the Holy Spirit that would carry you through the toughest time of your life.  It was the power of the Holy Spirit that helped you find Him when that little sucker got lost in the temple.  It was also His power that helped you not feel so foolish when you realized that it was you that was lost, not Him.  It was the Holy Spirit that helped guide your words when your other sons made fun of Him for believing He was God.  How many times did you pop them in the back of their heads for mocking Him? How often did you go in to say His bedtime prayers with Him and find yourself amazed, filled-up and blessed when He prayed?  And on the darkest day of your life, tt would only be through the Holy Spirit's power that you could possibly watch your son being crucified.  You were a woman, not a god.  No woman could bear that type of burden and sorrow without His intervention.  That was not what you had dreamed!  That was not the way it was supposed to be!  The images of Him helping Joseph in the carpenter shop were burned in your mind.  How bittersweet they must have become on that dark day.  How many times did you call out "WHY" to God?  How many times did you envision yourself attacking the Roman soldiers?  Did you want to pluck out the eyes of the priests?  How did you keep from running out to take His place?  Oh to hold Him just once more.  To wisk Him away to a hiding place and tend to His wounds.  How you must have wanted to protect Him.  The anguish must have been overwhelming.  Just as feelings of helplessness overtook your thoughts, did the Holy Spirit begin His perfect ministry within you?  I have no doubts that He did because that's just how wonderful and loving He is.  As the blood of your Son was washing away the sins of the world...your sins, Mary...the power of the Holy Spirit was with you.  And when your precious son arose from the grave 3 days later...it was only through the power of the Holy Spirit that confirmed what you were seeing and hearing.  It was then that He whispered to you His confirming word, "Yes Mary, this is the way it was supposed to be."



When The Promise Comes To Pass

Last night it finally happened.  The thing that I have longed for for so long.  My hearts cry.  The deep-rooted structure of my existence.  The joy of my heart.  One of the top three reasons I'm alive.  The pay-off...the reward...The Promise. 

For so long I have fought, prayed, fasted, cried, yelled, made hard decisions, bit my tongue, given up only to jump right back in the next day and worked my fingers to the bone to break a generational curse.  A very unfair and unforgiving curse that, if left alone, would/has destroyed lives and relationships.  Not just any relationship.  The relationship between a mother and a daughter.

Everyone has a yearning to be accepted and close to their mother.  No matter how buried under hurt, anger, unforgiveness, pride...whatever the sin...that innate longing is there.  You can try to deny it, ignore it or explain it away...but it's there.  Oh how broken a life is when one believes they are not loved by their mother.  The Lord certainly loves those that feel abandoned, rejected and unloved, but those feelings of abandonment and rejection prevent us from accepting His love.  We tend to believe the lie of the enemy that says, "If your earthly mother doesn't accept and love you, why would a mighty God truly love you?" Oh the downward spiral that can/will come from those dark feelings and beliefs.  You can try to separate yourself from them, but you ultimately wear them like a smothering, heavy, wet, wool coat on a hot summer day. 

Unfortunately, those beliefs often stem from a mother that doesn't know how to effectively love their child because their only example of how to be a mother is the twisted one shown to them by their mother.  I like the John Mayer song that says, "Girls become lovers that turn into mothers, so mothers be good to your daughters too."  That song reminds me that I'm teaching my own daughter how to be a woman-of-God, friend, wife and mother.  Any hurts, unhealthy characteristics or generational curses that I have battled must stop with me.

I'm blessed that I have a mother who identified curses passed down through our bloodlines and began breaking them.  Her determination to battle the enemy and break those curses has made it easier for me to make the decision to continue her work.  Yes, I believe that she can begin breaking those curses, but I have to choose to continue walking in freedom of that curse.  Sin crouches at our door.  It is always ready to pounce on us.  Therefore, a generational curse continuously crouches at our doors...waiting, hoping, scheming for when we let our guard down.  Many times I have let me guard down.  Too many times I chose to walk in the curse.  Sometimes I didn't realize I was doing it until it was too late...carelessness will get you every time.  We have to be so intentional with our lives, our thoughts, our words, our actions.

It is when we become intentional that we begin to see God's promises fulfilled in our lives.  The promise that if we raise our children the right way, when they are older they will not depart from it.  The promise that a Godly heritage will be passed down for a thousand generations.  The promise of prosperity, love, peace, joy, protection, hope, etc. when we love and obey the Lord.  Then there are the personal promises that are just for you and yours.  Those sweet promises that He whispers in your ear when you sit at His feet.  Oh the sweetness of the day when the Lord fulfills His promise to you.  Oh the tears of relief and joy that flow. 

At last, the fervent prayers of this righteous woman have been answered.  The curse has been broken.  My sweet daughter proclaimed, "I am thankful for the close relationship I have with my Mom and Dad."  She knows that I love her!  She is the apple of my eye.  My beautiful little Sweet Pea.  My lovely Song Bird.  A wonderful combination of me and Richard.  A very loving and caring young woman with a heart of gold.  A daughter of the Most High King. 

Now...I guard that promise...for the enemy wants to destroy it.  Unfortunately for him, I am a lot like David.  I have pursued what is rightfully mine.  Not only have I taken back my relationship with Tori, I'm here to collect a lot more.