Have you heard this song? Has it gripped your heart like it has mine?
The beauty of this song is that it is a simple, yet powerful, Truth!
“‘Cause Your name is power Your name is healing Your name is life Break every stronghold Shine through the shadows Burn like a fire”1 (Additional lyrics below)
When we speak the name of Jesus, there are ripples of power that radiate through the spirit realm!
Evangelist Steve Hill testified that at his lowest point, proclaiming himself an atheist, in the midst of drug-induced convulsions, he called out the name of Jesus until minutes later, he found himself sitting upright, completely delivered! There’s power in the name of Jesus!
When I think of how the world abuses the name of Jesus, it grieves my heart. How it must hurt the ears of the Lord! Conversely, imagine the oil of beauty that flows over His ears when we speak the name of Jesus in faith and confidence! Imagine the joy that fills His heart when we ascribe honor and glory to His name! How that must bring a smile to His face!
Jesus! What an incredible name! What a glorious name! What a powerful name2! The authority inherent in the name of Jesus is available to us! We are welcome to come boldly before His throne, ask in His name, and stand in faith believing that He will meet us right where we are!
Live loved,
1Songwriters: Jesse Reeves / Dustin Smith / Abby Benton / Raina Patt / Kristen Dutton / Carlene Prince
This month, the Lord has protected loved ones from not one, but two, falling branches that could have potentially killed them. Not only that, but He protected us from a potential house fire resulting from a clogged dryer vent. How many other things has the Lord protected us from this week of which we are not even aware?
Psalm 91 tells us that God has given His angels charge over us. Isaiah 54:17 tells us that no weapon formed against us will prosper. Daily, Andy and I purposefully use our authority in the spirit realm to declare protection in the name of Jesus and to release protecting and warring angels to surround our family, church family, schools, and friends.
Consider this: The tax refund you expect drops into your savings account. That provision is of no benefit to you unless you decide to appropriate it by making a purchase or paying a bill. Jesus shed His blood on our behalf to provide forgiveness, healing, and protection (that’s provision). It’s our responsibility to tap into His provision (that’s appropriation)! Make no mistake, there is an evil plan at work against you and me. John 10 clearly states that Satan has a goal to kill us, steal from us, and completely destroy us! BUT JESUS!
Our position in Christ provides us authority (read Ephesians 1) in the spirit realm. We must appropriate or apply that authority in our lives daily. Will bad things still happen? Well… do we still live in a fallen world? Of course. (Matthew 5:45 tells us that it rains on the righteous and unrighteous.) However, we can rest in the knowledge that when we come boldly before His throne, request His protection, and release His angels, He will protect us from known and unknown dangers and be with us when the hard things do come into our lives. He is faithful!
Need some encouragement to speak it out? Listen to this song: Champion by Dante Bowe
You cannot have faith without hope. You cannot have hope without faith!
Think about it… these two are inextricably entwined. The very nature of having faith inspires hope! All is not lost, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The very nature of hope requires that you have faith… faith that what you are presently enduring is temporal, good things are coming!
Faith is a belief, or confidence, in something or someone. Hope is an expectation of better.
Faith and hope pair up to create a pathway to joy! I’ve experienced this over and over in my life. Whether you value faith or not, I cannot share pathways to joy with you without spending time sharing how faith has impacted my journey.
A popular song in worship these days is called The Goodness of God. This song deeply moves me. It celebrates God’s goodness amidst all my ups and downs: life and death, hurts and healings, gains and losses, success and failures. I can’t help but sing with abandonment:
“All my life you have been faithful, All my life you’ve been so, so good, With every breath that I am able, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God!”1
You might read that and think, “Joy, you have no idea what I’ve experienced. I can’t possibly sing those lines and believe it.” You’re right, I don’t know what you’ve been through. You may be still dealing with dredges of pain that I can’t imagine. Even if I’ve experienced what you have, your journey is your own.
Let me share how I’m able to declare that God has been faithful to me in spite of painful times. It’s in the lyrics: “With my life laid down, I surrender now, I give you everything.”1 You see, I choose to submit everything I’ve experienced, the difficult things I’ve endured, to the Lord and His purposes. This is where faith and hope come in!
I have faith that God will cause everything to work together for my good because I love Him and have an amazing destiny! (Romans 8:28)
I have hope that God can bring good out of what the enemy designed for evil in my circumstances! (Jeremiah 29:11, Genesis 50:20)
It’s all about perspective. When we set our difficult journey within the framework of divine goodness, we can believe that our lives are a tapestry in which the threads of all we experience are woven together to create a masterpiece of beauty called our life.
“But Joy, how can this loving God allow terrible things to happen to us?” This valid question has been asked through the centuries. People have written books on it.2 I will not attempt to answer it here, but will share this simple truth: humans have free will to choose their actions! When God created Adam and Eve, He said, “Let them have dominion over the earth.” He gave us the opportunity to govern ourselves (as well as animals and nature). Why didn’t God stop Eve from talking to satan or eating the fruit that was off limits? If He had, would she have had free will? Nope… He would have overridden His own law by stopping her free will.
So, why do terrible things happen in the world? Because you and I, as well as all the people who affect us, have free will.
This is why faith is important! When we have faith that He is a good God that loves us, we invite Him into our lives and circumstances and give Him permission to intervene on our behalf! It doesn’t mean we have life without pain or sickness, but it does mean that He will cause goodness to be the theme of our lives! That is faith that breeds unstoppable hope, resulting in incredible joy!
Let me go a bit deeper… I don’t just have faith in God… I TRUST God! I trust that He has good plans for me. I trust that He created me amazing. I trust that He loves my family more than I can imagine. I trust that He will never leave me or abandon me. I trust that His Word is true! I trust Him as a Father and Friend. There are times that my journey has been unbearable, yet I’ve come through on the other side! He has proven Himself to me over and over! What joy I have found in my faith! Hope rises up in me when I meditate on His goodness!
If you haven’t considered yourself a person of faith, this may have been a difficult read for you. I hope that you will explore the Word of God and ask Him to show up in your circumstances! I pray that you will encounter His goodness and come to know that He has been there all along, crying with you in the painful times, sharing your laughter, and celebrating your successes.
I would love to pray with you if you want to start your faith journey or need encouragement in it. Drop me a comment with your email and I will connect with you!
Live loved,
1Lyrics from Goodness of God, Bethel Music, Written by Jenn Johnson / Ed Cash / Jason Ingram / Ben Fielding / Brian Johnson
2Where is God When it Hurts? Philip Yancey, When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner are two books you can explore.
Have you ever been given the gift of #notalone? It’s a beautiful moment when you open up your heart and share a painful journey, a deep struggle, or a raging battle and the listener looks at you with understanding and assures you that you are not alone. Maybe they’ve also fought your battle or they’ve endured a heart-rending experience that rocked their own world… and survived. Maybe their gift of #notalone is the willingness to walk with you through your valley and celebrate with you on the other side. Knowing that we are not alone lifts our spirits in difficult seasons.
Yet, we know that having someone journey with us does not necessarily spark joy. So how does #notalone become a pathway to joy?
Let me share with you a beautiful piece of poetic truth found in Psalm 139:
1 Lord, You know everything there is to know about me. 2 You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and You understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. 3–4 You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and You know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins. 5 You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness You follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past.[a] With Your hand of love upon my life, You impart a blessing to me. 6 This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible! Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength.[b] 7 Where could I go from your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from Your face? 8 If I go up to heaven, You’re there! If I go down to the realm of the dead, You’re there too! 9 If I fly with wings into the shining dawn, You’re there! If I fly into the radiant sunset, You’re there waiting![c] 10 Wherever I go, Your hand will guide me; Your strength will empower me. 11 It’s impossible to disappear from You or to ask the darkness to hide me, for Your presence is everywhere, bringing light into my night. 12 There is no such thing as darkness with You. The night, to You, is as bright as the day; there’s no difference between the two. 13 You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb.[d] 14 I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything You do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly You know me, Lord! 15 You even formed every bone in my body when You created me in the secret place,[e] carefully, skillfully shaping me[f] from nothing to something. 16 You saw who You created me to be before I became me![g] Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days You planned for me were already recorded in your book.[h] 17–18 Every single moment You are thinking of me! How precious and wonderful to consider that You cherish me constantly in Your every thought! O God, Your desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore! When I awake each morning, You’re still with me.
(The Passion Translation, emphasis added)
Read it once, twice, even three times! Let the truth of His presence wash over you. God is always with you! Everyone else in your life may have abandoned you, but God never will!
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake {abandon} you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
The Passion Translation says it this way in Hebrews 13:5: “…for you always have God’s presence. For hasn’t He promised you, ‘I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life!’” He is holding you safe in His arms and He won’t let go! What a beautiful picture of a father’s love!
When we are hurting, angry, ashamed, or questioning, our tendency is to run away from God. Many of us have been taught that God is an angry, militant master just waiting for us to screw up so that He can drop the gavel and pass sentence on us. But while He is holy (thus the need for Jesus’ sacrifice to cover our sin), He is a loving Father who adores us and is waiting to give us the blessings He has stored up for His children. He is waiting for you to turn your face to Him so He can be everything you need. Instead of running away, run to Him! He is waiting with arms open wide!
“I am Yahweh, your mighty God! I grip your right hand and won’t let you go! I whisper to you: ‘Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you!’” Isaiah 41:13 TPT
Trouble will come, that’s the reality of life. No one is exempt. But here’s another promise: “But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV
You are not alone! Even in your darkest time, your deepest pain, your most desperate situation, He is near. Whisper His name, allow His love to wash over you. Run to Him! #notalone!
My prayer for you today is that you would feel the presence of a loving God! That you would feel His loving arms wrapped around you and His voice calling your name. You are not alone!
Live Loved,
P.S. Isaiah 49 is one of my favorite Scriptures! I love the idea that God has tattooed my name on His hand (as if He would ever forget!) 🙂 If you’ve never read The Passion Translation, I encourage you to explore it (not all books have yet been translated but you can read: Isaiah, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and the New Testament). The translators also include many footnotes to help us understand what the inspired Biblical authors were trying to communicate to us.
By human standards… historically, in Europe, your worth in society was connected to your birth. In India, the caste system you were born into determined your destiny. In China, your value was determined by your gender. These standards seem harsh and unreasonable, but society today isn’t much different. Society determines someone’s worth by their degree of “success,” the looks they have, the car they drive, or the money that lines their pocket.
But!
By God’s standards... your worth is based on this eternal truth: God created you amazing! Your birth, your very conception, establishes your worth! God told Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you!” In Psalm 139, David celebrates how God shaped him amazingly in his mother’s womb. You, my friend, can say the same! But there’s more!
God delights in you! Genesis 1 describes the creation of the earth and how God declared each component to be. Feel the build-up of excitement as all Heaven waits in anticipation for His crowning creation! In verses 26-27, with a sparkle in His eye, He turns to Jesus and the Holy Spirit and says, “Let us make man in Our image!” He made man and woman in His likeness… with His character, His creativity, His beauty… and then said that this creation was very good! That’s you! That’s me! He delights in us, His creations!
Maybe the circumstances surrounding your birth were less than ideal. Maybe your family dynamics provided minimal love and acceptance. Maybe you see yourself as a failure. Maybe you feel that the way you’ve been treated or the way you’ve treated others defines your worth. Let me ask you this: If you found a crumpled up, dirty, stained, creased, and smelly $50 bill on the ground, would you still pick it up? Yes! Why? Because the worth of the bill is not defined by its condition. Your worth is also not defined by your condition but by your identity as one of God’s amazing creations!
Understanding this, my friend, is a sure pathway to joy! Knowing that the God of all creation delights in YOU, not because of what you’ve done (or not done), not because of what you believe (or don’t believe), not because of how successful, rich, or talented you are (or aren’t), but just because He created you! This understanding will breed a confidence that His delight comes wrapped up in unconditional love for you and that He cares what happens in your life.
Let me share another precious verse with you as you journey down this pathway to joy. Hebrews 12:2 tells us Jesus CHOSE to endure the atrocities of the cross. Why? For “the joy set before Him.” That joy was the knowledge that His sacrifice was laying the foundations for relationship between all of mankind and God! Adam’s sin tainted the bloodline of man preventing us from spending eternity with a Holy God. But Jesus’ sacrifice was the pure offering that atones for the sin of all man! His perfection covers our imperfection and paves the way for us to have eternal relationship with God. The joy Jesus saw in His mind’s eye was you and me! He was willing to lay His life down to have relationship with us! If nothing else has struck a cord with you, let this be it! He loves you that deeply!
Want to know more about what God thinks of you? Grab a Bible or use Biblegateway.com and check out these verses: Deuteronomy 7:6, Zechariah 2:8, Isaiah 43:4, and Galatians 4:6-7.
My prayer for you is that you will know down deep in your soul how much God delights in you as His creation! And as you grasp that truth, you will begin to understand how deeply He loves you just because you are! May this truth bring joy to you today and every day!
It’s Resurrection Celebration week, also known as Holy Week! It’s a week to remember the events leading up to the empty tomb that Mary found on that morning so long ago. I had the pleasure of home-schooling my children and even though I worked full-time from home, I remember the blessing of being able to just BE with my kids. During this season, we purposely chose to spend time each day focusing on the gift of Jesus’ Sacrifice for us. One year, we even made a poster and added a picture or symbol for each day. This year, many families will have the flexibility and time to do the same, whether by necessity or by choice.
With that thought in mind, I’ve created a daily plan with activities focused on the events of Holy Week. With a few supplies (many found around the house or easily picked up while grocery shopping), you can facilitate focused conversation, thoughtful activities, and a meaningful family time that honors the Lord and deepens your own understanding of God’s gift to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Palm Sunday & Monday: Read Matthew 21:6-11. Palm Sunday is the day that Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It was a day when the people publicly declared that He was sent from God! Declare today how amazing Jesus is! Have each family member share something they love about God. Create an individual or family acrostic with the word HOSANNAH by writing each letter on its own line. Then, write something that the Lord has blessed you with beside each letter. Decorate your acrostic and hang it on the fridge!
Example: H is for a Healthy body and mind!, I is for Incredible creativity…
Tuesday: Read Matthew 26:6-13. A woman poured a bottle of perfume over Jesus’ head to demonstrate her thankfulness for His love and forgiveness. Choose some Scriptures that celebrate Who the Lord is to us as His children. Write the Scriptures on slips of papers and enclose them in plastic eggs (add a few jelly beans if you’d like!). Hide the eggs around the house and have an egg hunt! When the eggs are found, gather as a family and read the Scriptures. Sing a song together such as How Great is Our God or Our God is an Awesome God. Here are a few Scripture suggestions: Exodus 34:6, Psalm 89:9, 136:3, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 16:16, Mark 1:1, John 11:25, 14:6, 14:26, Romans 15:13, II Corinthians 4:7, Ephesians 3:20, I John 4:9, Revelation 22:13
Wednesday: Read Matthew 26:36-46. Jesus was willing to do what Father God wanted Him to do, even though it would be difficult. He knew that God was faithful and trustworthy! Create a reminder of God’s faithfulness! Gather planting supplies: small pots, soil, flower seeds, water. As you put the seeds into the soil, name your worries, fears, and dreams. Cover those seeds with soil and water. As you do so, pray together declaring that you trust God with all of them! When we give our desires and worries to God, He can make something beautiful from them! Read: I Peter 5:7, Romans 8:28. Note: A planting “how to” video can be found here.
Thursday: Read Matthew 26:17-30. On Holy Thursday, Jesus served a Passover meal to His disciples. Sing a song together and then brainstorm ways for each member of the family to serve one another. With older children, consider having communion together using grape juice and crackers or even spend time washing each others’ feet as a sign of willingness to serve and honor one another. Here are some ideas for serving your family:
Do another family member’s laundry
Share a chore that would typically be individual
Wash someone’s car
Make a sibling’s bed
Create a meal together
Friday: Read Matthew 27:11-55 (or a shorter portion depending on the age of your children). Good Friday is a day to remember what Jesus did on the cross for us. Watch a kid-friendly video about Jesus’ Crucifixion. Share about the love that God has for us, even when we mess up. Draw a cross shape or print one (one for your family or one for each person). In pencil, write on the cross wrong behaviors such as unkind actions, impatience, selfishness, etc.. As a family, confess those actions and ask the Lord for forgiveness, then erase the words. Celebrate! Jesus’ death on the cross erases our sins! Then decorate the cross by coloring it, painting it, gluing on tissue paper, colored rocks, or pretty ribbon!
Saturday: Read Matthew 27:57-66. Imagine how the Disciples felt when Jesus was gone. They didn’t realize that it was only temporary! What is something that you are asking God for in your family? Thank the Lord for the answer even though you haven’t seen it yet! The Jelly Bean Poem: This is a fun and concrete way to think about Jesus’ sacrifice for us! Write out or type the Jelly Bean Poem and create baggies of Jelly Beans to share with others. You can also make a Jelly Bean Prayer bracelet or necklace using beads! You can find the Jelly Bean Poem here.
Resurrection Sunday: Read Matthew 28:1-10. He is Risen! Make Easter Sunrise Empty Tombs to celebrate that His grave is empty! Use this recipe or find one on Pinterest. One family I know creates an Empty Tomb cake each year. Click here for an easy miniature version. 🙂 Whatever your tradition, embrace it as a way to bring your family together to focus on the beautiful Gift of Easter morning! Celebration time! Get dressed up! Wear one new item (shirt, dress, hairbow, socks) as a reminder that we are new creations (II Corinthians 5:17). In lieu of going to church this year, watch an online service. Sing along to the songs, participating just as would if you were there in person. Organize a neighborhood car parade: Decorate your cars with streamers and a poster saying, “Jesus is Alive!” or something similar. Line up in a central place and then drive around your neighborhood with the windows down, cheering and honking! If you can’t organize a parade, be your own 1-car parade! Celebrate Jesus all day long!
Each Resurrection Sunday, as I get ready for the day, the song Arise My Love plays through my mind (and usually through my speakers)! The grave no longer has a hold on us as believers in Jesus! I am so thankful for the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice! In His death and resurrection we have forgiveness, freedom, healing, deliverance, restoration, an inheritance and everlasting life! Hallelujah! He is Risen!
It seems that unless you are living in a cave, you, like me
are being inundated with talk, texts, or posts about COVID-19. My social media world is comprised of
parents, teachers, pastors, and young adults trying to come to grips with
making decisions in the light of constantly changing information and
directives.
If we are not careful, our curiosity, boredom, or just need
to be “in the know” will reap a harvest of fear, uncertainty, and
paranoia. For some of my readers, you
may already be there!
This is no time to fear! Throughout history, when times of stress, trauma, war, and upheaval have come, it’s then that heroes emerge, leaders arise, and problem-solvers create! Instead of seeing COVID-19 as a curse, it’s time to view it as in impetus! When we look back on this time in history, what will you and I have done to make our world a better place? When we reflect on these world events, will we be able to see beauty arise from the ashes? If we want to be part of the beauty, we will need to conquer the fear!
Overcoming Fear
So, how do we tackle the fear? It’s all about our Mindset! Circumstances can help assuage our fear, but they will not alleviate it long-term. Sure, several rolls of toilet paper can help you breathe a sigh of relief, but that relief only lasts as long as the loaf of bread, or the jar of peanut butter, or the money in the bank. There will always be a circumstance that can rear its head and thrust us right back into fear. Only managing our mindset will enable us to maintain peace regardless of our circumstances.
Mindset Management 101
Be thankful! When your heart and mouth are filled with thankfulness, it becomes hard to complain! Start each day by listing 10 things you are thankful for… clean water, eyes that see, food in the cupboard, fresh air… you get the idea! Model thankfulness for those around you. They will catch on. 🙂 When you are thankful, your mindset shifts from complaining to celebrating!1
Be busy! Jammies are cozy, the couch is comfortable, relaxing is important! But set boundaries for yourself (and your kiddos!). Get dressed, go for a walk, clean out a cupboard, play a game, learn a language, create, build, read! When you are engaged in life, your mindset shifts from problems to productivity!2
Be purposeful! Do you remember that old saying: garbage in=garbage out? It still holds true today. What you allow into your eyes, ears, and heart will determine what your mind focuses on. Shut off the 24 hour news loop! Stop reading all those fear-inspiring articles on the internet. Change a complaining conversation into a constructive one. When you are purposeful about guarding your home and head, your mindset shifts from cluttered to centered!3
Be kind! This should go without saying, but when the world goes topsy-turvy, sometimes our priorities get scrambled and we forget that we are not the center of the universe! Everyone has trials they are navigating; avoid judging journeys that are different than your own. Smile more, criticize less. Post an encouraging word. Make a “just because” phone call. Share a square. 🙂 When you are kind, your mindset shifts from self-centered to other-centered!4
Be positive! This is a big one, so bear with me! I know that we all have different personalities. Some of us tend to look at life with rose-colored glasses, while others of us can’t seem to get the dark shades off. But YOU are in control of YOU! You can choose to swing your tendency from negative vibes to positive ones. This will probably be very challenging for those who are chronically negative. Determining to find and focus on the positive may require you to enlist some help. Ask a family member or friend to help you identify negative ideas and phrases as they come out of your mouth. Then consciously rephrase your thought to reflect a positive idea. When you’re tempted to point out the faults in others, pause and look for good instead. As you grow in this process, you will feel like the sun shines a little bit brighter, people seem somewhat kinder, and the sky really isn’t falling! Build your positive focus by listening to uplifting music, reading biographies of social heroes (biography.com) and practicing looking for the good around you. When you focus on the positive, your mindset shifts from barrenness to beauty.5
Be faith-filled! Being positive is big, but finding faith is foundational! There are not many things in this world worth trusting. People fail, systems fail, finances fail, marriages fail, contracts fail, doctors fail. But my God has never failed me! There were times when I felt lost or forgotten; but He has never left me. It has taken me much of my adult life to grasp how deeply and unconditionally my Heavenly Father loves me! I trust in that love. It’s my faith in His love that enables me to punch fear in its face! If you are struggling to find faith in this season, you’re not alone! And I happen to know that God loves you deeply and unconditionally. Ask Him to show Himself to you, He will show up for you right where you are! When you begin to grasp how deeply the God of Heaven and earth loves you, your mindset will shift from fear to faith!6
No matter where you find yourself on the fear to faith spectrum, you are never stuck there unless you choose to be! Circumstances may appear to be out of control, but you are not without power! Proactively manage your mindset and find peace… then share it with those around you!
It’s a simple thought really! One of the core beliefs of our Incredible God, Eternal Father, and Everlasting Prince is that He is unchanging!
Jesus, the Anointed One, is always the same—yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 tPt
And yet, this unchanging Bridegroom loves us so intensely that when we get it… when we grasp just a smidgen of that love, when we open our hearts to be loved unconditionally, His love changes EVERYTHING! It changes how we view ourselves and how we view others. It changes how we perceive our difficult circumstances. His love changes how we view the hurting around us. It changes our actions AND reactions! His love changes everything!
Let that seep deep into your spirit today! His love for you is unchanging and yet, His love for you changes everything!
My prayer for you is that you will grasp and BELIEVE that His love for you is unconditional, relentless, and unchanging… that you would trust this truth a little bit more today than yesterday and tomorrow, more than today!
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John NIV
He is the Lover of your soul and the keeper of your heart! He wants the very best for you!
Live loved,
My family is evidence that His love changes everything! #thankfulheart #Imabeliever Photo Creds: Jaime Hinton
Perspective: (noun) a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. Have you ever thought about what influences your perspective on events in life? Situations and challenges we encounter are filtered by our gender, age, culture, ethnicity, and most of all, our outlook and experiences!
This Sunday, it was an honor and privilege to share at Freedom International Church about rewiring our perspective to line up with God’s!
How exciting it is to know that because we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ! However, we need to purposefully pursue His heart and His ways on a daily basis.
In the video, I talk about Neural pathways. Below, I’ve linked a video that shows Neural pathways being formed (note: Use of this video does not indicate support of the website cited at the end of the video). If you are interested in more information about changing behavior patterns, you can read more about the “Neuroscience of Behavior Change” here: https://healthtransformer.co/the-neuroscience-of-behavior-change-bcb567fa83c1
I hope you enjoy this teaching about developing Neural pathways that form a habit of seeking the Supernatural Perspective in every area of our lives! It was a blessing to share and I hope that you are blessed and encouraged as well! (You may need to turn up your volume.)
https://youtu.be/TWkS2-zZ7oI
Here are the highlights of ways to develop a connection to our Father’s Perspective!
Trust in His goodness! His good plans for you and for those around you!
Proverbs
3:5-6: Passion translation
Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions.
With all your heart rely on him
to guide you, and
he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he
will lead you wherever you go. tPt
Romans
8:28: So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is
continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into
our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed
purpose.
tPt
Trust
in His plan! Tap into His presence consistently and pursue His heart, Jeremiah 33:3: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and
unsearchable things you do not know
Psalm
25:14: There’s a private place reserved for
the lovers of God,
where they sit near him and
receive the
revelation-secrets of his promises.[d]
He will speak to us! Not necessarily His plans,
or His timeline, or His purpose, but His heart!
Trust
in His process! Be transform, or renew, our thinking patterns by aligning them
with His
Romans
12:2: Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the
culture around you,[a] but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through
a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s
will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes. tPt
I Corinthians 2:16: “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”[a] But we have the mind of Christ.” Because we are filled with the Holy Spirit NIV
Trust
in His timing!Isaiah 40:31– but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be
faint. Differently translations say: wait, trust, & hope in the
Lord! He will cause us to soar and our
vision will be aligned with His!
Psalm 37:7 Quiet your heart in his presence and pray; keep hope
alive as you long for God to come through for you. And don’t think for a moment that the
wicked in their prosperity are better off than you. tPt
Live Loved!
P.S. If this encouraged you, please share on social media and comment below!
Storms, like most natural phenomena, carry their fair share of beauty… the dancing breezes, showers of raindrops, brilliant displays of flashing light, and commanding rumbles of thunder. In Florida, our summers are known for daily doses of thunderstorms. Most of the time, it’s a manageable inconvenience that we weather our way through (pun intended!) knowing the sunshine will chase away the remnants of the storm soon enough. But sometimes those storms are not inconsequential and are not quickly followed by the sunshine.
If you have lived more than a decade or two, you are well aware that life carries storms much like the Florida skies. Some storms are intense yet brief and are quickly followed by smooth sailing. Other storms leave us feeling marooned on an island of pain and confusion, wondering if we will ever feel soul-healing sunshine again.
As I look back on my journey, there are several distinct times that I remember feeling very storm-ravaged by life’s circumstances. During those times, I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me and I was flat on my back wondering where it had all gone wrong. If that’s where you are today, I want to encourage you! There is a clear horizon on the other side of the storm! Keep moving forward, moment by moment, day by day, knowing that you WILL come through this storm and you will have a story to tell!
In Mark 4, we read the account of Jesus and His disciples taking a boat trip. When they were in the middle of the lake a violent storm whipped the boat around and the disciples were sure that death was upon them so they ran to wake Jesus. “Teacher, Teacher, wake up! Don’t you care that we are going to die?” Jesus brought perfect calm in the midst of the storm, then turned to His disciples and asked, “Why are you so afraid? Haven’t you learned to trust yet?”1 They were awe-struck!
In the midst of this storm, the disciples got a revelation! They encountered the truth that this Jesus was no ordinary man. He wielded power over the wind and waves! When they crossed over to the other side, their minds were eager to see more evidence of who this amazing Teacher was. AND they had a story to tell! Two chapters later, we see Jesus sending them out to preach and to demonstrate the power that they had seen in action.
What does this storm story bring to your stormy
situation? Be encouraged! Your storm isn’t worthless. God can take any difficult situation, even ones
caused by our own choices, and bring good out of it! Here are some proven “Storm Tips:”
Rest: Jesus, the son of man slept; but Jesus, the Son of God, never sleeps! He is always available to you! While He may not change your circumstances, He will calm the raging seas of confusion and doubt in your heart. He will bring supernatural peace in the midst of chaos allowing you to rest in Him. He is trustworthy!
Revelation: In the storm, Jesus revealed His power to the disciples up close and personal! Storms are perfect places to encounter Jesus! He will reveal Himself to you in new and tangible ways during the difficult times. The best thing is, no one can take that revelation away from you! Your new understanding of who He is becomes part of your firm foundation enabling you to stand in the midst of any storm owning your faith.
Readiness: No storm lasts forever! Your skies will clear and you will get to the other side of this situation. As you embrace the process of dealing with the debris your storm has left behind (healing, forgiving, rebuilding), you will find yourself ready to go to another level of understanding and victory. You will have a story to tell about the Storm-Stabilizer!
Remember I mentioned those times that I had felt very storm-ravaged by life’s circumstances? As I allowed my mind to look back and mull over those difficult times, I realized a few things that are encouraging:
My pain has faded as a result of forgiveness, time, and healing.
My understanding of the Lord as Father, Healer, Friend, and Lover of my soul is so much deeper.
Experience and increased faith allow me to encourage others in their storms.
I have stories to tell! He has seen me through every storm to the other side! Let’s meet for coffee some time and I’ll share one!
There is no wasted pain when we submit it to the Father! There’s beauty… even in the midst of the storm… when you realize you’re with the Storm-Stabilizer!
On the other side of the storm, someone needs to hear your story. Be alert and ready to be used by the Lord to help someone else weather their storm!
Live Loved,
P.S. Please comment and share if this encouraged you! Blessings!
