When I walk, I am not scared of bugs. I know I walk above them. When I walk though my front yard, I don’t consider what bugs may be underground; I just walk. I am not afraid, I go! I walk above problems. I walk over scary things. I move, anyway.
To be above what lurks, is a big deal. It means you walk fearlessly.
Do you realize that we sit above the mayhem of the world?
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” (Eph. 2:6)
“Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.”
We are above what issues lurk below. We are above the world that demands constant attention. We are above powers and principalities of the unseen realm because we sit with Jesus.
Even more, we are “even above reproach”. Do you know what “reproach” means?
American Webster Dictionary defines “reproach” as : “To express disapproval of, criticism of, or disappointment in (someone).
Friend, you are above disapproval, criticism, or disappointment.
This is a big deal. It means that people can’t squash you with words. They can’t ruin you with bad actions. The old labels cannot stick any longer. You, my dear one, sit above that. You are over that, with Jesus.
All that cannot hold you back any longer!
Remember where you sit, my friend. Stay all your mind above all that — whether it happened yesterday or today! Give it no claim to yourself. Despise the shame, just like Jesus did (see Heb. 12:2)! You are “before Him in love”.
It means everything to be seated with Jesus! It’s a powerful position.
Prayer: I pray, today, I feel and experience the love of God. I pray that you open the eyes of my heart, Father God, to know the hope of my glorious inheritance and the riches in Christ Jesus. I pray that I gain understanding of where I sit and whom I am seated with. I pray that you give me power to live from that place. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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It wasn’t what my Nana did; it was how she made me feel.
As the oldest of six kids, I was a like a second mom at home. I took care of my siblings constantly. I handled things, especially keeping everyone in check.
Nana would come and get me, though. She’d rescue me away, picking me up in her long white Cadillac. Along the way to her white country house, she’d pull into a rock drive, straight into my favorite place, Little George’s! It was a small convenience store marked by a huge pig out front!
“Pick out any candy you want, Kelly! It doesn’t matter how big it is,” she’d say.
Nana was like this, always giving (taking me shopping, getting me crabs at her house, finding the best corn for us to eat). Always showing up (making a point to get me). Always wanting to be with me (playing cards, making me clean her house – ha!, giving me ice cream).
Nana certainly was super generous, but — I will tell you — it wasn’t what she gave me that blessed me so much. It was how she made me feel. She was consistently patient, thoughtful and welcoming. She was that way with everyone.
Nana is gone now, but I still want to be like her. She never said a bad word about anyone. I tried to talk ill about her friend, who herself, was “a griper”. Nana stopped me. Ironically, that same day, fire ants went flaming up my leg at the lady’s house. It seemed to remind me that. . . mean words do bite!
Nana didn’t talk love, she showed it.
“Love is patient, love is kind.” (1 Cor. 13:4)
I want to be patient and kind in a world that is rushed and panicked. I want to be love, rather than constantly talking about it to my kids. I want to be kind even when things with my husband get tense.
I want people to know me more by how I make them feel, than by the Christianese I profess with my mouth. I’m not sure I’m there yet.
May they know us by our love. Jesus didn’t talk about love 24/7; He IS love. What if we were to love in such a way, people felt it in the fabric of their being?
Prayer: God, only you can help us love more. Help us to experience your love, to show love. Help us to walk in your grace, to release grace. Help us to live by you, to love by you and to walk away from mean words. We don’t want to just be professors of your word, we want to be possessors of it and releasors of it.
You say, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (Jo. 15:4)
Help us remain in you, for then the fruit of love will come easy!
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The other morning, I felt led of the Lord to read John 5, so I did. But, what I didn’t know was that within 48 hours, I too, would be unable to walk…
What I read:
“When Jesus saw him (the lame man, at the pool of Bethesda) and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”
Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” (John 5:6-8)
A couple days later…I couldn’t walk. I lay on my bed, immobile. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
Let me tell you what happened, from the beginning…
Three pairs of my pants ripped (one of which, ripped: Straight. Down. The. Back.).
This was a sign; I needed to work out. So, I hightailed my growing backside to a gym. At the gym, they told me I should “try a handstand against the wall”. I was hesitant, but I didn’t want to look dumb in front of the group. Needless to say, I tried, but I couldn’t execute it. While going up a wall, my legs fell down, straight down and my big toe hit the ground with all my body-force. Oww!
As a result, on Mothers’ Day, I sat, stuck on my bed, leg iced and lifted. The next day I still couldn’t move. My family waited on me hand-and-foot.
Then, I started up on the internet (a big no-no), which convinced me that I would be immobile for months, if not struggling for years. My mind was spinning. It could be this… It could be that… What if this… What if that…
I continued to lay on my bed; I can’t move.
I tried to hobble on crutches; I am not going to be able to do anything for a long, long time.
I searched more online; I’ll be inside permanently.
My mind settled into the idea – I was crippled.
I wonder, like me, might you also feel crippled? Are there categories of life, in which you have settled into a crippled-thinking? Maybe a habit is crippling you? Or a job? A future? A personality flaw? Where do you feel stuck on a mat, more than able to get up and walk to Jesus? Where have you started to think there is no way forward?
For me?
All this internet searching, made me mostly forget about Jesus.
But, soon, I remembered Jesus’ words – the words I read a couple days before, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk.”
Yes! This is it, I realized. I am not an immobile victim; I am someone Jesus wants to help. If He carried the cross, certainly He can carry my cross and me to some sort of victory, even if in my mind.
Something rose up in me. Authority came. I said to myself, “I’m not going to sit around here sulking! I am going to the doctor!”
I got up off my mat using crutches, thanks to Jesus, and headed in.
There, I found out, my foot was not broken and with shoes – I could walk again, even right now!!
Get up off your mat, and walk!
My friend, you have authority.
Jesus can help you walk again.
Jesus can help you do anything.
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
Where is a victim mindset keeping you on a self-inflicted mat of defeat? Healing comes to a mind that says, “In this way (in the way God is leading me), with Christ’s strength, I can get up. I will get up. I am going to get up.”
It doesn’t have to look like a huge thing or a huge healing. Just make a move towards Jesus, in faith and see Him move.
There is always hope! Jesus has conquered the world and HE can help us conquer any painful situation we are confronted with, even when the worst pain is in our mind.
Keep the faith – and walk how He’s leading you to walk! He is faithful.
Prayer: Father, we praise your Holy Name. We thank you for your Son, Jesus. Oh, He is amazing. He is miracle-working. He is the One and Only. We ask you to forgive us of our victim mindsets that don’t believe and that keep us stuck. You are able to do anything. Come and meet us, come encounter us, come confront us in any areas where you see us on a mat. Come and help us walk. We want to walk again! Help us up. Some of us may have been stuck on a mat for a long time. I ask for an extra measure of grace for all of us to get up in the ways you want us to. And, Father? I thank you for helping me. Do it again, Father. Do it again, for all my friends and family on this blog. You can do it! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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The football coach proclaimed something like, “You’re out!! You just won’t wait in the pocket, like I want you to!”
The quarterback was afraid of getting hit, so rather than obeying the coach’s command to stay back, he moved out from behind the line to throw or to run, even though the coach’s clear command was — stay put.
The quarterback didn’t want a huge linebacker to pummel him, so he kept fearing and disobeying — by moving out — rather than trusting and waiting to throw the touchdown pass.
Likewise, many of us are afraid of waiting on the Lord. Many times, we fear that in our wait, we will: miss out on something; get hurt by our inaction; miss an opportunity; or be proven a fool. So, we don’t trust God and we move.
Have you ever been there? Maybe God is nudging your heart to wait on Him before applying to new jobs? To sit with Him before speaking out to your spouse? To keep in prayer before putting your house on the market? To rest in Him before moving your mouth?
How are you afraid of getting hit?
In this quarterback’s situation, in the movie, American Underdog, the coach set him up — to repeatedly get hit. Why? So he could learn to courageously wait and overcome.
Bam. I can do this.
Bam. I’m still alive.
Bam. After being hit 20 times, I now know I can take a hit or two.
Friends, I don’t know if you are at all like me, but I’ve been hit a time or two, too. I can’t say that God caused these hits, but I can certainly say my disobedience did. Hits were things like arguments, discouragement, defeat, or bad outcomes. Each hit hurt, but also, each hit taught me: it is a better strategy to trust the Lord than to move out on my time in my way.
“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act…” (Ps. 37:7)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.” (Is. 55:8)
Better is it to stay with God, to wait in His presence, than to go my own way.
Prayer: Father God, if you are calling me to wait, please give me the perseverance and endurance to do so. Please give me strength in the wait. May I feel your nearness and your presence. May I gain a greater understanding of knowing and loving you. May I rest in the fact that you fight for me while I am still. May I trust you more and more, even when I don’t understand or can’t figure out what you are doing. Truly, you are weaving a tapestry of the greatest story ever. Help me to trust your plan. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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A girlfriend, last night, told me, “Kelly, I know you care for me, because you spend time with me.”
She was right; I care for her. Another girl at the table could have said, “Kelly, you love me, because you serve me.” Yet, another, could have noted, “Kelly, you love me because you give gifts to me.”
Loving is giving (giving: words, time, gifts, time, service, hope)…
“For God so loved the world that He gave…” (Jo. 3:16)
Jesus gave His life, so we could experience death-defying love.
Love accomplishes much and it never fails. It takes bold risk. Many have led the way in love…
One woman gave, at least, a year’s worth of savings (some say it could be her life savings), and poured it out as a perfume-offering, a pre-burial anointing, on Jesus’ feet…
“She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. And she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (Lu. 7:38)
Giving from her heart she gave away her greatest treasure.
Crying, she didn’t care about the Pharisees, who were likely judging.
Letting go, she gave up what she had rights to.
Due to love. Due to honor. Due to someone greater than she.
Another woman, Martha, had her own love-act. She gave up the pressure to please man and to meet societal expectations, by ditching the dinner preparations — to sit at Jesus’ feet. How dare she?!
(But,) Jesus said, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Lu. 10:42)
She knew love was her highest calling.
She focused on a ministry to God’s heart, first.
She kept first-things, first.
Beyond this, this verse strikes me: “And as He rode along, the people kept spreading their garments on the road.” (Luke 19:36)
Again, love and honor, to the very heart of Christ prevailed.
They laid down what they owned, due to love.
They shed layers, because Jesus was greater.
They likely recognized, God in their midst, and honored Him.
I want to love Jesus this way, don’t you? But, sometimes things hold us back from extravagant, courageous, all-out love. What are they?
For me? If I am honest, it is: fear.
Fear that the time I spend reading the Bible will make me miss out on something else.
Fear that giving will leave me high and dry.
Fear that if I’m with God, I won’t get a chance to do important things for God.
Fear that I’ll be judged.
“The greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13) “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Ro. 8:28)
Love never fails. And, it is the one thing that — endures forever…
“Love never ends.” (1 Cor. 13:8)
Prayer: Father? We want to love more. We want to love Father, Son and Holy Spirit more. We want to give from deep inner reserves. Because all things are from you, to you and through you — will you fill us with love? Will you help us to pay attention and to have great devotion to love? We want to honor you more. You are our greatest ministry. First, we love you! Give us your grace to sit and to talk, to hear and to understand, to minister to your very heart. In Jesus’ All-Powerful, Ever-Saving Name, Amen.
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The mountains were beautiful, idyllic really. Driving, high up, makes you realize huge things can actually — be little. The big mountains in our lives aren’t really as big as we make them. Perspective is everything. To God? From this vantage point, we understand how He can move every mountain. Driving on mountains makes you ponder things like that. . .
Unless, something happens, and jerks you out of your deep thoughts, which is what happened to me…
My husband jerked the car, hard, right. The decline to the right of us was steep. There was no guardrail, no safety net, just a fall. For a second, he lost control.
But, another One hadn’t.
A second later, my husband declared, “Family? The angels must have just protected us. We should have gone over the side of this road down a mountain, but we didn’t.”
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (Ps. 91:11-12)
As a family we took a collective sigh of relief, then my 10-year old son blurted out, “You know, when you realize that God really will protect you, you realize that you really have nothing at all to fear.”
My son was absolutely, unequivocally right: What do we have to be afraid of when we know God will protect us? Help us? Save us?
Miles above us is one greater than us. One who sees before we do. One who knows before we know. One who acts before we even conceptualize there is a problem.
When life feels out of control… When you know you should see a ruined relationship… When you believe you should have made a different choice… When you fear you have messed up parenting… Remember. Remember, God has all control to save us from any and all cliffs — despite us.
Isn’t God amazing? Isn’t His protection astounding?
What are you afraid of today? What if you recognized that you have a saving God that is mightier, taller and bigger than any force coming against you? What if you were to look as the mountain as small and your saving-God as HUGE?
Prayer: Father, than you that you are Father. Thank you that you are Protector. Thank you that you keep us in so many ways, we probably can’t even count them all. We are grateful for your protection and we ask for more of it. We love you. We honor you. Help us to trust you more. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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I remember when I went to college. Suddenly, the nearness of my parents was gone. Because of distance, I did things I would never have done infront of them (drink, etc.). Rather than talk with my mom and dad, I got wisdom from friends. Rather, than seeking help, I acted independently.
When someone is distant, they are hard to reach, out of touch. You don’t consult with them as much, you feel disconnected and, sometimes, even alone. You do what you normally wouldn’t do if they were infront of you.
When a Father is distant, children go awry: They’re fending for themselves, fixing problems alone, doing what they wouldn’t do at home, finding answers in other places.
Friends, can I admit today? I have allowed Father God to feel distant. But, the truth is — He isn’t..
“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.” (Ps. 78:23)
“I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Ps. 16:8)
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.” (Ps. 145:18)
The truth is — to all who call to be near, they come near. To all who make God they’re refuge, they are right in Him. To all who want Him, they get him.
We can’t let the enemy tell us God is far away. That’s a lie. He is right with us. He cares for us. He sees the path we are on. He has a good plan for us. He is not holding back from us. He wants us, likely, more than we want Him.
He is 100% fully prepared to lead us, guide us, be with us, instruct us and show us our way. God isn’t distant — He’s close and knowing that makes all the difference.
Prayer: Father, I draw near to you and I know, here, you will draw near to me. I want to know your closeness. I want to remain in your love. I want to see you before me in all I do. Pour out all the grace I need today to be near to you, in all my ways. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
For one you love, you do anything to spend time with them…
For one you love, you travel miles to get to…
For one you love, you think of them through the day…
For one you love, you share hidden secrets…
For one you love, you listen closely…
“Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ (Mt 22:37)
For one you love, you trust them with all your heart…
For one you love, you lean on in hard times…
For one you love, you do silly things for and please them…
For one you love, you put their life ahead of yours…
For one you love, you probably would die for…
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (Mt. 22:36)
For one you love, you know their voice…
For one you love, you seek to understand them…
For one you love, you desire to know them more…
For one you love, you listen when they ask you to do something…
For one you love, you do things to bless them…
“Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ (Mt 22:37)
All. All our heart. All our soul. All our mind.
There Jesus is. The love of our life. Do we love Him with our all – or is our love small?
In a world that constantly interrupts us, where our is dinging, where our schedule is raging, where people are interrupting, where fast-service is beckoning, where the internet is always going — it can be hard to be all-in, fully invested in love. I know.
There is wisdom in remembering: To turn off the world is to prepare yourself to intimately connect with God.
This can be in your mind, as you commute to work.
This can be at home, as you turn off your phone.
This can be on a walk, as you talk to Jesus.
This can be doing laundry, as you smile and let Father God know that you love Him.
Where are little places of love that you can carve out in your life? What would intentional love look like?
Prayer: Father, we want to love you more. We want to honor you more. We want to love you with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength. Please help us in this. We need your grace to love you more. Will you remind us? You are everything to us! You are deserving of all our love! Don’t let our love run cold or our hearts grow hard. Give us a supple and soft heart. Cleanse our heart and show us any wrong way within us. In Jesus’ All-Mighty Name, Amen.
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Last night, I turned to my husband and said, “I feel like I hate myself.”
Wow. These were bold and uncharacteristic words. Why was I thinking like this? Why did I feel so down this day? Why was the world was coming down on me?
Not that much had changed from yesterday. In this moment, everything was heavy, my outlook was bleak and I didn’t have answers for my problems. I was angry — at me.
Ever been there?
You know there is a real enemy who is really coming against our soul, mind and heart in Christ Jesus. He doesn’t just play-lightly, he isn’t out there blowing bubbles or playing jacks.
He is vicious. He is ravenous.
“For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Rev. 12:10)
Scripture tells us, the accuser is accusing us nearly all the time — day and night. Can you imagine? That’s a lot of attack that comes our way. That’s a lot to stand up against, sometimes.
I should know. I sometimes wake up in the night with hurls of accusation coming at me.
How do we stand against this? How do we stand strong when one day we feel great and the next we are attacked?
We don’t have to wage the war alone. Christ is with us and in us (Col. 1:27). Jesus is the Overcomer. The issue is: we have to turn to Him, rather than shirking away in defeat or disillusion. We cannot allow him who is defeated to triumph over HIM who has already overcome.
Sadly, I didn’t turn to Jesus. There are real consequences to that (such as: a bad night sleep, arguments, being on edge, snap judgements, etc.)
Many times I do, though, and these are a couple of my strategies to overcome…
One: I say, “get away from me accuser. Whom the Son set free is free indeed. I am not listening to attacks.”
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (Ja. 4:7)
Two: I repent of believing lies and only speak what is true and positive.
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (Jo 8:32)
Three: I worship and praise God’s name.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.” (Ps. 28:7)
When we take a stand against darkness, darkness has no chance against the light of Christ.
If you feel the enemy, or your flesh, pulling you away from God — I believe this 2-part breakthrough workshop (that starts tomorrow, Saturday) will be a help to you. I want to pray, connect, talk about God’s truth and give you strategies to stand firm.
2 Days & Multiple-ways to Attend (via live/recorded ZOOM):
1. Live Breakthrough Workshop 1 (Practices to Defeat Shame) – (Tomorrow) Sat. Feb 5, 10:00 AM -11:45 PM ET
2. Live Breakthrough Workshop 2 (Maintaining Fearlessness) – Tue. Feb 8, 6:30-8:30 PM ET
3. Recorded version – Both events will be sent post-event. Register now!
The morning retreat cost is $19. I lowered the price (while covering costs), to help as many people attend as possible!
Have you ever started a recipe only to find that you are missing one ingredient?
This can be frustrating. You don’t have all you need to make your dream dish. You’re left short. You can’t proceed forward — or so you think.
Some of us feel this way in faith… We feel we keep coming up short. We don’t have giftings others have. We don’t pray like Mary Sue. We feel weak. We can’t overcome that one sin. We keep fearing and worrying. We are missing one ingredient, our breakthrough to peace and joy. Grr…
Ever been there? Have you ever felt like you don’t have all you need? That something is wrong with you?
Friends, I come to you to tell you: There is nothing wrong with you.
Scripture says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3; NIV).”
His power — has given everything we need for life (in the here and now). His power has given us all the godliness (righteousness and overcoming) we need. This is HUGE. We have it in-hand. Here. Right now.
We are not lacking or sinking, as the enemy would love for us to believe. We have the ingredient we need – Christ’s power. Through our knowing God and by his super abundant and extravagant glory and goodness — we have what we need. It’s all available to you. Just believe.
Don’t allow the enemy liar to lie anymore and to tell you otherwise!
Overcoming is far more easy when you believe this truth — is truth. When you take God’s Word as His Word.
It, then, becomes as easy as getting on Google and searching, “Canola oil replacement.” Here you find jazzy solutions display, like Apple Sauce or Maple Syrup.
When you believe you have all you need- and that there are resources available – you will, by God’s goodness, uncover new paths and new ways. Your hope in the Lord will open up new things, new sight, new paradigms. This concept is huge. Do not read this fast and pass it by. Some of you (myself included), need to more greatly understand this.
—
I love you all. Merry Christmas to my fabulous friends that I would love to meet in person one day! Big hugs. I love you all so much. I pray many blessings on you this season, in particular the joy of the Lord, In Jesus’ Mighty-to-Save Name. Amen.
—
Let’s pray: Father, I break off the lie that I don’t have what I need. I repent of believing a lie of the enemy. I submit to you and your word. I have all I need for godliness and righteousness in Christ Jesus. I am loved. I am helped. I am equipped. You are the Shepherd of my soul (1 Pet. 2:25). I thank you. I praise you. I lay down my way to find yours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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