His Name is Jesus

I have recently started a new study by Beth Moore- the title is Jesus. It is a 90 day study and it is taking me through His entire life.  I decided to look up the definition and Webster defines His name as this; the Jewish religious teacher whose life, death, and resurrection as reported by the Evangelists are the basis of the Christian message of salvation —called also Jesus Christ. It says the basis of the Christian message of salvation. His name is the reason I am covered in grace and redemption.  It's crazy how much we love celebrity names and even more celebrity blended names. Just yesterday the news was reporting about "Kimye" which is Kim and Kenye west.  Rebekah and I laughed out loud because number one why do we care so much and number two we knew that name would  stick and that it will be all over magazine covers today.  We also allow our identity to be defined by the names that have been said about us.  For me growing up I had a lot of bad names spoken over me and about me. Some I deserved and others I didn't but because the weight of words are so heavy I carried it. I looked in the mirror and I saw those names.  It wasn't until I really embraced the name of Jesus that my view of myself began to change.  Remember the story of the woman at the well? She encountered Jesus and she never was the same. In fact she ran into the village where people knew who she was and what she had done.  She needed for others to know.  I remember running into a girl I went to school with growing up at the fair last year. I was so eager to talk to her because I needed her to know that Jesus had changed my life.  She had bullied me a good bit and she was also quick to apologize and let me know Jesus had changed her.  We tend to look at people and automatically remember their sin and yet Jesus looks and sees us covered in His beautiful grace.  The lady who checks you out at the grocery store without a smile may have come from an abusive home before she entered to work and she has no smile left.  The man behind the wheel whose driving so slow and seems not to care may be avoiding going home because he has no food or money to give his family. We seem to take things at face value and make our presumptions and then respond accordingly. Our complaints, attitudes and responses look nothing like the name we choose to carry as the basis of our salvation.  What about you and me? On our worst days we crave grace from others.  I had a rough few months adjusting to a new job and Jesus reached in showed me areas of change and yet all the while He reminded me of who I am in Him not who I use to be.  My worth has nothing do to with how unorganized, how overweight or How all together I am.  My worth is defined by a name that changed  history, a name that took who I use to be and made me brand new.  A name that is so powerful that demons have to flee and yet brings freedom to those who embrace it. That name is Jesus and today He wants you to know that He loves you more than anything. How would you define the name of Jesus today? For me... Jesus means - My ENOUGH. 

Psalm 8:9 Oh Lord, oh Lord how majestic is your NAME in all the earth. 

Hold Your Banner High

This week I was reading in Psalms and I came across this verse in chapter 20 verse 5 "May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!" The main word that jumped out at me was "banner" which led me to Webster dictionary.  I began to visualize people holding huge poles with a thick piece of cloth tied between the poles with a symbol or a word that declared where their allegiance stood.  The banners signified how deeply committed to something or someone they were.  Another picture that came to mind was  the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The unity that walked behind each flag brought such excitement to whatever country you were represented by.  As I thought back over my life and the things I have declared I realized my loyalty would follow many things that kept me from experiencing victory. I would declare that my body was ugly and I followed that with all I had with fat jokes, to speaking such harsh things over myself and my loyalty to that banner is how I lived my life.  For a season I walked with defeat as my banner and my dreams, my friendships, my passion, the way I mothered my kids followed this banner. Never being being good enough in any area.  You see, the lies we attach our hearts to will be followed by the things that fill our lives.  Today God wants you to hold your banner high with words like masterpiece, worthy, beautiful, peace, trust, purpose and the list goes on. We choose to believe the truths of Gods word and fully walk in freedom or we simply choose to deny it and walk fully in bondage. The last part of that verse says "May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!" The word fulfill means "to make full."  Many of you are so empty and need to be filled.  He hears the cries of your hearts.  Today life up your banner in the name of God and embrace the truth of who God has created and purposed you to be!  

I NEED COFFEE!

Today I am that woman who looks as if she stayed up all night with a newborn. The bags under my eyes would also make you think I was going on a permanent vacation. However I am doing neither. I am not a night owl like Richard is. He wants me to sit up and watch tv with him or like last night stand out in the front yard at 11 o'clock and take pictures of a ginormous raccoon in our tree.  Honestly I just want to go to bed and sleep so I can rise early and be the morning person I am.  Our lives are so busy with commitments and responsibilities that we don't get to have the weekly date nights right now. My lunch dates with him and TV watching on the couch means so much to me that I have to put myself to the side and soak up his sweet smile, laughter and shenanigans.  I would love to say it gets easier to stay up but yesterday I went to the doctor about my stomach and she took caffeine from my diet and even though everything she said was true I am struggling today. I want the biggest cup of coffee I can find. I want to go to sleep. I want peanut butter. I want veggies and I want some Greek yogurt and yet for the next four weeks I can't have any of those things because she is cleansing my stomach.  I really almost pulled into a store and got me the biggest monster I could find. Isn't that how we are with other things in our lives? We know that freedom comes from surrender and yet we hold on to the things that keep us in the dark and we walk in compete bondage. We allow sin to become our guide rather than a reference point for us to see the redemption of Gods beautiful grace. I was talking to one of the girls I work with and she said "I want to do good but I just can't seem to make good choices" how profound from a girl who is young and still trying to walk through healing. She gets it.  Today my prayer is that you see the big picture and walk in what is to come. Freedom is around the corner.  Healing is coming to my stomach I just have to push through the withdrawal of what I want versus what my body needs to heal. What is it that you need to do today? Do some of your friendships need to be let go of? Do you need to surrender & stop running? May you need to Listen with the intent to move? Or today maybe you just need to repent.  That is a churchy word and we often zoom over it because we equate it with someone beating their bible and shouting it loudly but honestly it is the very thing brings back the intimacy between you and the Creator. It's what restores and heals your brokenness. To me it's like Richard desiring me to stay up a little linger and the feeling I know he gets when I do. God desires our whole hearts In Matthew 3:8 it says this "Bear Fruit in keeping with repentance". I don't give up sleep to just sit, instead I stay up so my relationship with my man will bloom even more and is!!! Be encouraged today! 

A Little Nap Works Wonders!

One of my most favorite things in college was naps.  I took one almost everyday.  My step dad also loves his Sunday afternoon naps. The word nap means 1 : to sleep briefly especially during the day 

2 : to be off guard.  You see naps are meant for the day. They are meant for you to doze off.  Your body is caught off guard because it becomes still and then you are off in dream land. People fall asleep in church a lot because that usually is the one time during the week their bodies are still and they fall fast asleep.  Movies, laying out in the sun are also moments where we don't intentionally mean to fall asleep but often do.  I remember once I was picking up Rachel last year and I got in line 30 minutes before the bell rang. My goal was to read and pray and little did I know the vice principal would wake me up by banging on my window and horns would be blowing for me to move forward.  Isn't that how our lives often look. We set things in motion and the minute we are caught off guard all heck breaks loose. The past few weeks and weekends have been jam packed full with stuff to do.  From work, to church to wedding stuff to speaking has forced me to be so busy everyday.  Today is my day of rest and usually that means that I clean up a little but mostly read, write some and catch a few episodes of cupcake wars. However today I woke up and took Rachel to school came back ironed Richards clothes and decided to take a brief nap but instead I woke up at 11:30.  My first reaction was guilt because I have dishes in the sink, clothes to wash and floors to sweep and mop. But as I laid in my bed I found myself shifting my thoughts from guilt to thankfulness.  I believe that we often resort back to guilt because somewhere along the way the world has decided that if you take time out for yourself in any capacity you are some how lazy.  As I got up I felt so much better and energized to do the to-do list.  Remember the Mary and Martha story in the bible. One had the longing to have everything perfect and the other just wanted to sit and soak up the presence of the Creator. Our lives have become so full and if I leave my schedule unprotected and my thoughts unprotected you better believe I will find myself in a place of exhaustion and defeat. In 1 Chronicles 15 it says this "7 But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”  To take courage simply means : mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.  We aren't out there fighting lions and tigers and bears (oh my). But I know many of you are emotionally withstanding verbal abuse from your spouses and you need to hear me say take courage! For some it's battling your addiction and you need to hear someone say take courage. I am not sure where you stand today and how bad or good things are. But I do know that God is never caught off guard, never taking a nap or startled by the circumstances of our life. Richard said this past weekend that "our circumstances never dethrone God" and that has stuck with me.  Brittany and I have a friendship like no other and she not only knows me inside and out but she also pushes me to take care of my body. Today she cooked me lunch and loved on me and it meant the absolute world.  My body needed more than a day of rest it needed sleep, friendship, and a cup of coffee.  Our words can often be the game changer in someone stepping out and embracing courage.  As you finish out this day let the last part of that verse resonate in you "for your work shall be rewarded.”  Press on! Rest!  Lean in to the heart of your Creator! Love your friends and leave the results to Him. I believe today I am suffering not only from lack of rest but also a spiritual hangover. God has and continues to rock my world in ways I never imagined. Dream bigger than your captivity today.  Ephesians 3:20 - Freedom is a beautiful thing! 

Who's Leading You?

We recently got a new puppy. Rachel my youngest daughter got him as a birthday present. She named him Tux. She has done an incredible job taking care of him. Her name means motherly and she has really taken on that roll with this pup.  He is in the stage of wanting to chew on everything and play non stop  She is at school all day so guess who gets the roll of saying "NO" ummm that would be me.  One of the biggest struggles I had growing up was saying no. I would morph into whoever others wanted me to be. From dressing like others, to going places outside of my mom's rules. I participated because saying no was to hard. We can't see the big picture and only strive to satisfy the desire we currently have. 

Galatians 5:22/23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!  

I have found myself really trying to be conscious of my words and how I respond in all areas of my life including waiting on God to respond to my prayers and dreams.  I am learning every day that Satan's plan is to distract believers, to confuse and to ultimately lead them away from God’s heart.   I look at magazines in line at stores and they are all consumed with outward beauty.  They push girls to lose weight and also encourage girls to show more skin and to do it well.  I talk to teenage girls a lot and their pain is so deep that it causes them to cut, smoke weed and drown themselves in music and relationships that are toxic.  I see women of all ages desperate for attention from their husbands and they are crying out with all they have and they feel hopeless numb and praying for a miracle.  I know men who are working with all they have to just pay the bills and yet their wives still want more at the end of the day.  Men consume their eyes  with porn addiction and yet they have no idea how or what it looks like to pursue the daughters of the King.  Satan wants your attention and he will stop at nothing to get it.  Struggles often become normalcy and then before long you no longer try to kill the addiction but try and live with it as a crutch.   In Galatians I also noticed something that has never stuck out before.  In verse 16 it says this.. Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  Let the Holy Spirit lead our lives… How does this happen? I believe that the main instrument that God uses to connect His people to His heart is His word and yet we often miss His leading because of distractions.  God wants to lead us away from those sinful cravings and lead us into freedom, forgiveness and a life filled with hope.  Who has your heart has your time, money and relationships. If God is leading you then you can’t sit in front of a computer screen and look at His daughters with lustful thoughts. If God is leading you then you will pursue your wives like Christ pursues His church.  If God is leading you then you will not nag and push your husband away but embrace His love and leadership and allow him to lead NO MATTER what.  IF God is leading you sweet girl you will look in the mirror and see a reflection of a masterpiece starring back at you. God’s says you are His and He wants your heart protected within His.   We are His and He has purposed us to live a life that is often not easy and sometimes overwhelming but when pushed in the corner satan doesn’t get the glory it’s our fruit that blooms and people get to see a glimpse of hope in us.  Is God waiting on your return, your willingness to go deeper, your step of obedience, your heart to position?  He wants you to be filled with new life.  Which word will you start with Today? Will it be Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Get ready to bloom….

Go ahead and jump into the lions den-

Today was a full day. I left first thing this morning and didn't stop except for a quick breakfast and lunch. By the time I got home I was literally sweating. I had to carry this heavy bin from work filled with products down three flights of stairs. I was so glad to finally get that thing into my car. I wrote a good bit yesterday about some things that are close to my heart and also have weighed me down in the past.  When you write through the lens of transparency it opens yourself up for Gods healing.  There are things we like to keep tucked away with the hopes of it never surfacing to the top of our hearts simply out of fear of going back to that place or what God might show you about yourself.  When addicts open up about their addictions they will often say I am one choice away from falling back Into it.  You see sin is something so many believers are afraid to talk about yet it's the very thing that separates us from feeling the presence of God.  At the end of the day isn't that what we long to feel in our lives.  There are days I am so mad or frustrated about something and I can turn on worship music and suddenly the very thing that ticked me off fades to the back of my mind.  It's His presence that pushes us through the fears, the shame and the disconnect you feel from being who you were created to be. It's not about us and until we really get that and really walk in that we will forever chase the things that leads us into a place of mediocrity and numbness. Daniel in the lions den is one of my favorite bible stories.  Daniel displayed whole hearted devotion to the Creator. I would love to say if I was forced into a Lion eating party, I would show such intense faith as Daniel did. God calls us out of mediocrity because there is nothing about following Him that should ever take us to a place of complacency or numbness.  Satan's entire plan is to constantly derail you by keeping your eyes on anything but the goodness and faithfulness of God.  If he can make you feel as if you have no one around you supporting or cheering you on then he can make you feel as if you are NOT in the midst of Gods will or even more you aren't making a difference and before long you begin slacking off or over doing  it to gain approval and then you suddenly experience "burn out". I feel like I am constantly in the wrestling ring with my thoughts. The enemy's plan is to push my thoughts into action. My mind has to be protected therefore I must be in the word so I can saturate my mind and heart in truth.  Our modern day lions come in all sorts of sizes for some its an addiction to approval, a drug of choice or the weight on the scales.  For some your lion maybe be your past mistakes that seem to roar loudly into your ears. We allow our mistakes to cover us in shame and keep us from walking in the confidence of Gods grace.  Satan wants you to remember who you use to be and so when you see certain things or even smell things a memory is triggered because it takes you back to a time you aren't proud of and often ashamed of your disobedience. We think because we remember that brings about God's disappointment. WRONG!!!  When you surrender fully Gods unfailing love sets in and you are covered in His forgiveness and grace. He makes ALL things new.   It is important for you to know that God tosses your sin into the sea of forgetfulness and remembers no more. Stop asking for forgiveness for things, addictions and disobedience that you have already been freed from.  Don't live as though you are still enslaved to it because that cripples your thoughts, actions and the way you love with all your mind soul and strength.  When satan throws the dart of who you once were remember that you were created with a purpose and you are loved beyond what you can even fathom!!! You are a NEW creation.

Hebrews 10:17 then he adds,“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Daniel 6:16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared[a] to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 

Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." 

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

A lot can change in a week-

 As we approach Easter Sunday I thought about the journey Jesus made to the cross. I realized that a lot can happen happen within a week. Jesus rode triumphantly in on a donkey with people of all ages singing Hosanna and waving palm branches in honor of Him and then just one week later those very same people were yelling crucify Him.  Easter stirs all different types of emotions in people. For some it’s a call to return to your first love and truly surrender and move forward in following God with ALL you have. For others it’s a call to give your life to Him for the very first time and others it’s a trip to church in a new outfit and the routine of just going.   Looking back over my own life I have played the part of frantically looking for the perfect Easter dress and showing up with a huge smile on my face as my girls walked in looking like they stepped out of a magazine and then after Sunday passed I missed the moment to worship my Creator. I have also been moved to tears from songs that were played and video clips that pierced my heart to experiencing Jesus in a new way through incredible sermons.  This year I am praying for an awakening to happen all over my city. For churches to move past their Easter outfits, families to get beyond family dinners and egg hunts and for children of all ages to see something greater than Easter baskets.  God sent His son flawless, and perfect in every way to experience a beating that left Him so unrecognizable for you and me to walk in freedom.   How can we truly ever get over that?  Today as we move closer to Easter Sunday think about the triumphant entry Jesus made at the beginning of the week and parallel that with the moment you encountered Him for the first time in your life and what does that look like now? Do you still feel the same way?  As I read through the account in Luke I was moved by this verse in chapter 19  ⁴¹ As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it…WOW!   I am praying for a daily renewal this week for pastors! Your churches WILL be packed and you have the opportunity to share Jesus in a way that will leave their hearts desiring more.  God MOVE the hearts of your people to an awakening like never before! Let us see our cities the way Jesus did that day! Let us experience you like NEVER before! The Easter countdown has begun… let’s ready ourselves for a DAY we will never forget!  Join me at Revolution church at 10:30 

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2019:28-41&version=NIV