What are You Doing with Your Angels?

Angels are talked about often. Most times, people have been made aware of their guardian angel. However, the angelic realm goes far beyond that. 

In Jesus' prayer in Matthew 6, He mentions "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, ON EARTH as it is IN HEAVEN." That is a pretty good indicator that earth is to operate like heaven. Some may believe that statement was from the time that Jesus was on earth forward, but that is not the case. The moment God put Adam and Eve in the garden, He established government and since God created heaven, it is safe to believe that He established His government on earth the same as in Heaven. (Check out Genesis 1:26-28.)

What I find interesting, is that when you look at the people of Israel and were established as nation, they had no king. It was known that God was their king. Under his dominion, there were 12 tribes. Each tribe had certain characteristics and responsibilities. If earth mimics heaven in its establishment of government, there are then different tribes of angels in heaven, since they were the ones who lived with God before we (humans) came into the picture. 

Messengers
We often hear of the messenger angels like when Daniel was fasting and waiting for an interpretation or when Mary had the announcement of her being the mother of the Messiah. But, there were also warrior angels. 

Warriors
The angel that delivered the message to Daniel said he was delayed and so Michael had to intervene and do some fighting so that he could get through. 

There are guardian angels but we think of them as little floating babes when in Genesis the angels that were put in front of Eden to guard it had flaming swords. 

Ministering
There are ministering angels that we hear came to Jesus after his temptation and to Elijah when he was in a deep depression because Jezebel wanted his head. (Women can be evil at times. j/k...not) 

There is an invisible realm with lots of activity around us that we are unaware of, but God wants us to have more sensitivity to that realm. He wants us to be aware that we are not alone and that we have a lot of backing. We have angels at our disposal. (Psalm 103:19-22, Hebrews 1:14, Matthew 18:10, Exodus 23:20, Psalm 91:11-12) It is worth reminding you that 3/4 of the angels stayed behind and chose God as sovereign ruler. 

Your angels are not some floating, fat-little babies. There are some angels that look pretty darn scary. (Check out their description in Revelation.) They understand what is at stake and their mission is to protect, guard, fight and minister to you. So...what are you doing with your angels? Are you using them or boring them to death? Are you giving them a reason to worship God along side of you, or are they having to cover their eyes because you're not living a righteous life? Are you keeping your angels busy? Are you releasing them on assignments to tear down strongholds, break curses, or minister to a family member or friend? Again, what are you doing with your angels?

If we would ask God to open our eyes to see the spirit realm, it would be scary. Most of us would want to stay blissfully ignorant and blind to the reality of what is going on in the spirit realm. 

Many struggle in life because they don't tap into it. They don't believe that they deserve that type of protection because of behavior or thoughts that they participate in. Is that you? The truth of the matter is that you are assigned angels. How many you gain over the years depends on your activities in the spirit realm. 

We focus on what we see, but God puts merit and worth to the unseen. When you love, the ripple effects are established and experienced for generations, as a matter of fact, for eternity. Whenever you do something out of love that shows compassion or brings healing, it is a catalyst for change that's felt in the spirit realm all the way to heaven...not just around this earth. Your angels are patiently waiting for you to send them to resolve, fight or bring comfort and healing to those around you far and wide. Are you using them? 

You are not to pray to angels. An angel from the Most High God would not allow it. They give glory and honor only to Him and would not take it. Only demons would accept that from you. When you're decreeing and declaring, you're also commanding. You're commanding a situation to be, even though at the present time it may not be. We have been given dominion. It was restored when Jesus rose from the dead and handed dominion back to us. You have the right as the daughter or son of the Most High God to command angels to do what they so long and want to do for you. Are you using them? What are you doing with your angels?

My prayer today is that you get deep revelation, that you can see this unknown fact in a dramatic way that it changes your life forever. Your angels are waiting for you, and the more you put them to work, and the more you step up into faith, the more will be added to you. We often hear, new level...new devil. How about instead we focus on, new level...more angels. Put your angels to work today. They're waiting. 

The Won Factor

One of the first things I learned when I was in Israel was that the word ‘coincidence’ does not exist in the Hebrew language. It is easy to accept when the stuff that happens is a blessing or something that is good. The feeling changes when it is a tragedy, an illness or anything bad.

I’ve had moments of two-year old tantrums where I asked God, no straight out screamed at God, why He has let certain things happen. The reason is because I felt like I was his favorite, privileged and should not be subject to go through anything bad. I am different. I am His girl and under His protection. Nothing bad is supposed to happen to me.

Judean Desert

The shock of the reality and consequences of living in a broken world makes me angry at God sometimes because it means I have to fight once again and I’d rather He fight all alone on my behalf. (Sounds selfish huh?) It’s not long after I have kicked and screamed that I realize that I need to put my big pants on and fight like a girl…okay a big girl. What that means to me and should mean to you is that we’ve already been taught how to fight and because we’re God’s daughters, we have the backing to win.

The sacrifice of Jesus ushered in the ‘won’ factor. Notice that is past tense. What most of us miss during a battle is the fact that we are fighting from the stance or should fight from the stance of knowing that we will win. You cannot lose. I cannot lose. We have the backing of the God of the universe. It does not matter what the circumstance is, we’ve won.

Perhaps you cannot accept that you have won at the present time because you are so clouded with the negative of your situation. That is actually a normal human response. However, we are not to fight from a human perspective. We are to fight from our spirit 'know'.

If you refuse to believe what the bible says, you will lose. It is as simple as that. The biggest hindrance to a believer is unbelief. The partnership and covenant between you and God comes at a standstill because both parties have to be in mutual agreement for the same purpose.

Fear drives, fuels and maintains unbelief. Belief is a choice. Either you believe the whole God package or you don’t. When YOU choose to believe a past experience of failure, you tie the hands of God because he cannot operate in unbelief. When you choose to believe what God says despite of what the situation brings, the won factor is activated and has to come to pass.

You have the won factor…believe.

              In memory of my sweet Marian Gavish. Until we meet again. I know it was not
              a coincidence that you were my guide in your beautiful country. 

Romans 8:31-39 We are more than conquerors.

You are Equipped!

You can do all things that you set your mind to. Deep inside of you is the gift that God has given you that has equipped you to do whatever it is that you are supposed to do while you're on this earth.

You see, living life to the fullest is a choice. You choose every single day whether you are going to live or exist

To live means to do everything that you are equipped to do to the fullest. To exist is living a life of excuses, living in the past, living in the present with regrets or not caring.

You are equipped, let the world see you do what you do best!

Get Dressed in Love

There are different ways you can dress up your inner gal. She can be dressed in love or hatred. That love or hatred can be towards others or yourself.

To get dressed is a choice. You choose what you wear and how and when you will wear it. You choose the accessories to go with it.

You may be tempted to blame others for how your inner gal is dressed. However, the blame is with you. Your reactions determine your decisions to your choices.

Are you wearing love or hatred? Choose love.

Surrendered Prayer

More often than not, we dictate to God how we want a prayer to be answered. We outline how it should be answered and even go as far as setting a deadline.

When the prayer is not answered, we get mad and disappointed. We conclude that God is not real, we are too sinful or He's too busy with other people who really need Him.

Surrendered Prayer is when you make your need or want known to God and then you trust. The trust comes into play when you thank Him and let "it" go, whatever it is. You trust that His answer will be the best in His timing.

God always answers prayers. He will not answer a prayer that will harm you, harm another or go against His word. In this case, the answer is no.

Often, it is the wait that makes one give up. Sometimes, what looks like an unanswered prayer to you, was an answered prayer to a loved one that was suffering for example, and you asked for them to stay but they asked God to let them come home.

There are many things you and I will not understand, here and now...but one day we will.

Surrendered Prayer is when you have relationship, a love relationship with Jesus and you know that you can trust Him. He's got ya.

You are Courageous!

Often the focus is on the times we were cowardly or scared. Yet each day, we live courageously.

You have the courage to do your job and do it well. You have the courage to drive a car amongst maniacs. You have the courage to step into the unknown time and time again.

What is the unknown? It's finishing college and stepping into the work world. It's buying a new house. It's having a baby. It's starting a new business. It's facing a disease that can potentially kill you. It's the choice to deal with whatever comes your way in any of these choices...or more.

You may see courage as a valiant act but what it really looks like is the ability and choice is to live for more. You look forward and grow continually. You grow and you evolve constantly. That my friend, takes, and is courage.

Balance of Faith

Whenever we hear the word faith, we automatically think of the definition believing without seeing. In our minds, we make it a mystical mystery. Yet we fail to see that we operate in faith everyday without much thought. We dismiss the power behind faith and explain it to ourselves and others as expectation. We think this is what is going to happen because it is part of the norm, or because we’ve worked hard towards this or that. In our foolishness we forget that expectation is part of faith. Both go hand in hand.

Life on this earth operates on faith. Even if our views are warped, it doesn’t change this power-principle that makes all things what they are. Everything around you that is in existence today is as a result of faith. Whether the outcome was good or bad, it required that a person move within a series of steps that purposed them to believe in their cause. We often wonder why our world is so off kilter and are inclined to blame politics, terrorism, war and anything else that is blatantly evil or wrong with our world. However, none of us stop to think that we contribute to the chaos because of our actions or lack thereof.

Ripple Effect
Each one of us generates a ripple effect in the vast ocean of life. Our lives are intertwined. We may never meet or speak to a person across the ocean, but our actions always affect others, be it good or bad. What does this have to do with faith, you may ask yourself. Faith thrust us into action. Faith has the potential to cause change, it also creates. It brings into existence things that were never there before. Think about it. The level of technology we have today is because of faith. Someone thought about it, believed they could make it a reality and stuck with it until it came to pass.

Perhaps you are thinking that you just don’t fit into that category of the adventurer who forged the path of advanced technology, but you do. Faith begins with small steps and grows each time you see what you waited for materialize. All of us possess it. However, many still struggle with the acceptance of the power behind it. We dismiss the validity, deny it because of past disappointments, or dismiss it altogether because it is not tangible.

Blind Faith
People do not have faith in God because they believe He is not real, stopped believing because something bad happened to them or a loved one, or refuse to believe because they cannot see Him (although some will acknowledge that there is some higher power out there). Yet they’ll readily place their faith on people they don’t know or have never seen.

How many of us have boarded a plane to fly half way around the world because we believe that the pilot has the right credentials? We’ve seen countless air crashes but continue to fly. We don’t know the pilot, we’re not even sure the guy we see when we enter the craft is the one behind the controls, yet in our minds we have ushered in feelings of belief and security.

Balanced Faith
Contrary to popular belief, God is love, tells us constantly how incredible we are in the bible and encourages us to live life to the fullest and in peace. When your first faith is in God, it balances out all other aspects of faith in your life. You understand who you are, you believe things will get better (even when it ‘looks’ like it is getting worst, and that outlook spills over to anyone who comes in contact with you…at least that is how it is supposed to be.

Perhaps you have not experienced balanced faith although you believe in God. Maybe you don’t believe in God and are skeptical. In either case, you cannot dispute the truth of balanced faith unless you’ve experienced it. Unbelief is so detrimental. It happens when we listen to different sources without questioning or experiencing for ourselves, or because we get hung up on a past mistake – often due to poor choices, our own, someone else’s or because of something we’ve witnessed.

Affirmation and Faith
Faith in God is a personal experience. It is a personal choice. He continues to affirm us no matter what stance we decide to take. Affirmation is so important throughout our lives. It motivates us to do the impossible, to love without limits, and to create in the realm of endless beauty. None of us can accept or embrace affirmation unless there is faith. Someone can tell you over and over again that ‘you can’, ‘you’re so talented’, etc, but if you don’t believe, it’ll slip right through the ears.

Perhaps you’re doing pretty well because you are an achiever and have a trail of blazing success…but, when all is said and done and you’re alone at night, does all of that grandeur cradle your soul, or do you find that you have a hollow-ache inside? It’s not enough to believe in yourself. It’s not enough to depend on others to empower you. Tangible as both may seem, we all know that time makes us all waiver and change.

Power of Relationship

When faith comes from within your spirit and its source begins with God, then you become a force to contend with. In order to get to that place, though, you have to throw unbelief out the window. One thing that blew my mind was when I understood what Jesus meant when he prayed, “Father I ‘know’ that you hear me.” He said those words with such certainty.

Most people don’t know - or let’s just say it - don’t believe that they are being heard. When you say you don’t know, what you’re really mean is that you don’t believe (because you don’t feel it). It finally hit me when I caught myself saying the same thing one day. I was able to say it with certainty because I had built a strong relationship.

Faith grows in accordance with your relationship with God. If your relationship is strong, your faith will be strong. If your relationship is weak, your faith will be weak. If your relationship is non-existent, your faith will always be lacking. Faith will never be balanced in your life unless you invest yourself into your primary, spiritual relationship. Your choice determines the type of life you’ll live. You can continue to limp in certain areas of your life, or you can begin to walk tall and confident in body, soul and spirit.

To hear truth and do nothing is just as bad as unbelief without experience. No matter what choice you make today or what you decide to believe, remember…truth always confirms itself with time. Balance your faith today and become the ripple effect that causes the tidal waves of change.

God is Listening

So Rich shared about a time where a young man was shot and he happened to be in the vicinity. He explained that he took the young man's face in his hands and told him that he was going to die and pass into eternity. As blood spurt out of his chest, Rich asked the young man to ask Jesus to forgive him. His last breath was taken with those words.

When I asked my hubs if I could post this, he reminded me of another time that a similar shooting had occurred with another young man. Weeks later, he approached that particular young man's mother after she left the courtroom in tears. He explained that he was the last one to be with her son and he had prayed with him right before he died. The woman collapsed. She had been praying for her son for years.

When I heard the first story, the first thought that came to mind was that there must have been a praying mother somewhere.

Some of you mothers with children with issues need to be reminded that God answers prayers. It may not be the answer that you envision but He never leaves a prayer unanswered when it comes from a mom...no matter how late she thinks it is or was.

Be encouraged tonight. God is listening.

Are You Headed in the Right Direction?

Sometimes God will will overwhelm you so that you know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that you're headed in the right direction.

Your destiny, your purpose here on this earth comes to its fullness when you become sensitive to God's voice, His leading and are obedient to His word. There are no short cuts, no skipping lessons and it's always at an appointed time.

You can't get ahead of it. You have to ride it out and trust. You can't think ahead but you definitely have to plan.

God is as real as you make Him. The reason people don't believe is because they've kept Him small or have pictured Him as an unforgiving tyrant. To me, He's neither and since He's a personal experience, I can only challenge the doubters with, don't knock it until you've tried it, really tried it.

OK...back to destiny...

You are as great as you want to be. Open your heart to the possibilities because the awesomeness about it is that the adventures can be endless.

You Are a Queen

So you’re probably wondering why I say I am a Queen – remember with a capital Q!

When we think about a Queen, we automatically think of some rich woman on a throne and honestly, most cannot relate with her. In our minds the comparison does not jive. This is why most women dismiss the compliment of being called a Queen. However, there are others who take this title to heart and a bit to the extreme, and they strut through life believing that everyone in their world has to jump at a snap of their fingers. Why does balance elude us when it comes to these types of things?

What is a Queen?

A Person of Influence

Whether you believe it or not, you influence your world. If you have children, your job is to mold them into people who can enter and contribute to society. If you don’t have children, you help mold your nieces, nephews, siblings or your friend’s children.

At your job, even if you’re not a manager, your choices and suggestions make a difference and impact in your department or organization. In your community, you affect the economy financially and if you volunteer to help with any sports or events, you inspire others through the giving of yourself.

A Person of Authority

We all have authority. We authorize who can take one of our kid’s out of school, who can be added into on of our accounts, we transact throughout our lives. We are the boss of our kids and we have clout or a say so in many arenas of our lives. To most of us it’s just routine, part of life. Part of life or not, you possess authority.

A Person of Wealth

Wealth or being rich is often times equated with money. Here is where most people miss it. You can be wealthy without having loads of money. You can have a wealth of friends, wealth of family, wealth of health, wealth of wisdom and influence. This can also be interpreted as being prosperous. When I think of how blessed I am I don’t look solely to the almighty dollar. I look at the entire picture and I smile at the realization of how incredibly blessed - wealthy I am.

A Person of Dominion

When God created Eve, He told her that she had dominion. For some reason a lot of us forget that as women. This reality roles up all of the above mentioned into this one. Our kingdom is our realm of influence, authority and wealth in our various circles. Most times we do not realize the impacts we have in the lives of others. Remember the ripple effect. A ripple becomes wider the further out it goes after a small stone is tossed into a pond.

Daughter of God

Whether you believe or not, accept it or not, you are the daughter of the King of kings.

When you realize that, all of the above make sense and begins to fall into place. You begin to see yourself differently and this is what occurs:

1. Your standards become much higher. (Side note: This means you expect a man to treat you with love and not abuse you emotionally, verbally or physically).
2. You understand the importance of excellence. You expect excellence. You do all in excellence. (Side note: You wait for the right man and don’t settle or accept less than. Stop making excuses.)
3. You look for opportunities to better yourself. Remember you are an influence in your circles. Purpose in your heart to learn something new everyday.
4. You look for opportunities to help others. When you focus on others, it stops you from asphyxiating on your current problems. You’d be surprised how you find the answers to your own problems when you help others.
5. You understand the importance to maintain and grow healthy relationships or release bad ones.
6. You understand that it is critical to nurture yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically and socially constantly and without fail.
7. You understand the responsibility that goes with your actions and how your actions, big or small influence your world and the world of others.

You are a Queen. I am a Queen. We are Queens.

We are Queens in God’s kingdom…act like one.

We are Queens in our home…act like one.

We are Queens wherever our pretty little feet bring us…Act like one.

It doesn’t matter if our crowns are rollers, our robes are made of terry and our throne room is the kitchen, we are Queens.

Back straight, shoulders back, heads held high.

We are Queens.

You are a Queen.

Witness to Favor

Have you ever been a witness to favor?

What is favor you ask? It's preferential treatment from someone. It's done to you, not because you deserve it, but because you are loved. It's not based on what you do or don't do. It's based on grace.

What is grace you ask? It's a gift given out of love even though you did not deserve it. It encompasses forgiveness and restoration and reconciliation. All this describes how God loves.

There are good things that happen in your life that are unexplained, and I dare say they're actually kisses from heaven.

Others wonder how you are so blessed and have a great life and wonder what you are doing right. They are witnesses to God's favor in your life. It doesn't happen just because. It happens because you have relationship with the Father and they're seeing the harvest of blessings on your life through Christ Jesus.

When you become the focus of God's favor, it speaks volumes to those around you. It is the greatest way to share God's story in you and about you, without saying a word. That is Jesus they see.

This time, this era, your lifetime is such a great opportunity to show off God's love through you.

Watch your words and let people read the story of your life. Let them be a witness.

Cool of the Day

There’s something very peaceful about waking up to steady rainfall, window opened with a soft, cool breeze. It soothes the entry of the day. Eyes closed, the mind begins to wander, imagine and remember.

One thing that stands out in my mind are the countless walks I had with my dad as a young girl. Being the oldest, I was his buddy. If you know my dad, he LOVES to talk…and walk. Although we couldn’t afford to take expensive vacations, he made it a point to take us to all the places NY had to offer tourists. He took full advantage and made our trips adventurous, fun and of course educational. My dad’s trade of heart is teacher.

In my late teen years, my dad used to miss our walks and would leave me notes on the table that I would see some mornings asking that I spend time with him. Those notes became very important to me.

Those memories help me understand what it must have felt like being in the garden of Eden. Here it is in the cool of the day, in this case it was the end of the day, and God seeks out Adam and Eve for their walk. They all look forward to this time together because they want to tell each out about all that has transpired hours before. I can imagine that the conversation may have resembled one that may happen at dinner table.

Do you know what I saw today???

You know, Adam brought up this really great point…

What were you thinking when you created that thing?!

Everyone in that intimate party looked forward to each other’s company. I can even imagine Eve slipping her arm into God’s – as she walked with him and shared her heart. Why not? Didn’t he himself say that we are his children? I did it with my dad, still do when I walk and talk with him…why wouldn’t Eve?

It’s the cool of the day (in my neck of the woods) and my imagination has taken me into the place that reminded me how way cool it is that the God of the universe wants to spend time with me. That’s all he ever wanted. It was never about my do’s and don’ts or what I could do to earn his love. It was always about his just wanting to talk and walk with me, arm in arm.

Dare to Believe

A few years ago I fell in love with log cabins. I loved them so much that I created a binder with pictures of them, examples of entrances, kitchens, dens, bedrooms and great rooms. At one point I began to design my own floor plan. The desire was so intense that God joined in the fun and said walk me through every room and tell me what you would like in each.

After a while, the log cabin fever wore off but my hubby and I always wanted to have a larger home. Since we were in no rush, we house shopped for about three years but nothing screamed at us – buy me!

Then one day Rich announced he wanted us to kick it up a notch and he began to research possible candidates more enthusiastically. We finally found something in early Fall one year. We made a bid and then nothing.

We began to see a few more houses but I had a bad attitude because I wanted the house we put a bid on. It had “most” of what I wanted. The strolls through these other houses were ho hum. It got to the point where I didn’t want to go see any more but my realtor girlfriend insisted I had to see two more. House number one was another disappointment and on the way to house number two, we actually called her and told her to forget it. She was adamant we had to see this house. Yes…I grumbled all the way.

When we arrived, the house was set at a cul-de-sac and my husband began to say “please go in the middle, please go in the middle”. I didn’t know what in the world he was talking about until he drove into the middle driveway. My jaw dropped when the house came into full view.

We went inside and I had a habit of taking text pics for my daughter. I was busy taking one when I heard my realtor, Jackie, scream, “Roz come here quick. They have the refrigerator you wanted!” I seriously did not understand her enthusiasm (because I still had an attitude). I looked at the fridge acknowledge it was nice and turned around to find she had vanished. Another scream came from upstairs, “Roz you need to come up and see this.” “Yes Jackie…wait I’m taking pics” (she interrupted) “Roz you need to come now”. I went upstairs and walked towards the room she was in and my jaw dropped (again).

After I entered into the room, I stopped and froze because something I saw rattled me. The master bedroom I was standing in had something in particular you don’t find in most of them; a loft. I went slowly through that room and I said to myself, it can’t be.

Methodically, I did this room by room. Every single thing that I had asked God for was in this house. (By the way, I had to ask God to forgive me for the bad attitude because he already had a house in mind with “all” of the stuff I wanted, and I was still hung up on a nice house with “some” of the stuff I had wanted.)

There were a lot of ups and downs along the way and I have to admit that my ‘tude’ got the best of me at times. My conversations, whines and outbursts sounded like this at times. “How can you show me a house with everything, everything I wanted and then let this or this happen? What is wrong with you?” Thank God He is God. Through it all, He was patient with me and even gave me a few cheerleaders. One of them included my pastor and he didn’t even know it. God timed his messages so well you would have thought they were outlined just for me. His messages challenged me to believe for the impossible and to expect miracles.

When our closest friends and family would ask what time was closing, I would respond "2 pm is walk-through, 3 pm is closing and at 4 pm the party starts in heaven and on my side of the earth."

I believe with my entire heart that God threw a party because Rich and I successfully retrieved one of the BIG blessings, with our name on it, from one of His storage warehouses in heaven. The Lord gave me…us (Rich and I) exceedingly, abundantly, above all that I could have imagined or dreamed of.

I have to admit that I was, and am, still floored by God when I think about it. When Jackie showed me this house that first day, I got scared because I couldn’t believe that God had actually answered my prayer. I know that may sound silly and even contradictory but this was a BIG and detailed dream.

Is there something you’re dreaming about and falls into the realm of the impossible?

Dare to ask…dare to dream…then dare to BELIEVE!

Either He is or He Isn't

There are times when we hit a juncture in the road and we question everything we’ve been taught and believe in. This often occurs when hardship or tragedy strikes us at the very core. It makes us question the sovereignty of God. In most cases, these raw moments become a benchmark for change.

A Broken World

In the United States, we pride ourselves in the freedoms that most countries do not have. However, there is a freedom that we all possess that surpasses all others. It’s called the freedom of choice. We are free to choose everything and anything for our lives. It’s our God-given right, and it is something He will not violate. This includes the choice to live a life with or without God.

We live in a broken world. To ignore that is foolishness. We all recognize that there is good and there is evil. However, for some reason, it’s become easier for many to blame God for everything and easily dismiss the reality of driving force behind what’s evil.

Unanswered Prayers

Our families had been healthy for the most part but a few years ago, a few things occurred that really tested our faith to the very core. One of those events was the death of my cousin’s 4 year old son; my nephew. You see our prayers weren’t answered the way that we expected. We prayed for healing. Our expectation was to watch him grow up to be a strapping young man.

Many of us call ourselves Christians but we really don’t understand what that means. Usually it’s a title we use to define our religion. Here is where most of us miss it. We go through the motions or traditions, but we often wonder if God is really out there, especially when our prayers go unanswered.

Either He Is or He Isn’t

It was during one of those junctures in my road that I questioned, I mean really posed the question to myself. Either He is or He isn’t? I was tired of hearing about what God could do, and I was tired of not seeing that in full effect in my life.

When I questioned this, it had nothing to do about my salvation. I knew I was saved. Acknowledging His existence was not a challenge. The challenge was to allow Him to work in my life and the choice to believe in His sovereignty in any case and trust Him in all and with all.

The easiest part for me was to accept sovereignty. The hardest part was to trust totally (an ongoing journey).

• To trust totally meant that my prayers had to change and become bold and daring and not continue to be wimpy and wishful.
• To trust totally meant that when I prayed, I had to hand it over and not obsess and stress over the situation.
• To trust totally meant that I had to relinquish total control or the illusion of control.
• Finally, my expectation had to become that the answer to my prayers were no longer restricted to my time line or the confines of my exact request.
  

AJ’s Legacy
I don’t know why my nephew died at such a young age. I believe the answers to my whys will become clear one day because living here is just a prelude. I will see AJ again and I look forward to watching him race with the angels.

In the mean time, I don’t let my unanswered questions weigh me down. What’s the point?

Here’s what I do know. I know that my nephew made an unbelievable positive impact in his 4 short years that many do not make in a lifetime. Other prayers were answered because of him. His ripple effects are still being felt today. That continues to bring me great comfort.

The Choice

Here’s something I live by.

I refuse to live a life stuck in the past, a life wondering about the future and a life scared to live in the present. How? …I’ve chosen to trust God.

Either He is or He isn’t…and for me…He is.

I Try to Notice

God shows me His power, His grace, His mercy, His love, His compassion, His beauty - everyday... I try to notice.

The reason I use the word ‘try’ is because my day can be harried or busy enough for me to miss out what is being shown to me every day - without fail. When the conscientious effort is made to notice, a smile touches my lips, peace is ushered in and connection to the heavens continues.

Each day, we catch a glimpse in our moments of light, as my sister Mayra says, where we’re reminded of His presence, joy, love and beauty.

How does that happen for you? If you’re not sure, let me share some of my insights and then perhaps you can share as well.

It’s in the small things. It’s in the kind words, the unexpected hug, the compliment or the 2 minute phone call from someone you love.

It’s in the routine. It’s in the comfort of coming home, sitting in an office, driving to the grocery and in the rules of engagement with others that those routines bring.

It’s in the obligations. It’s in the caring, feeding, educating and bathing of children. Their smiles, laughter, stories even challenges, bring a reminder of our God like no other.

God can be blatant and extravagant in his blessings and that’s when we most tend notice, really notice. To operate in that mode of extravagance will not give us the ability to survive the now and the present. We must notice the small, the routine, even the obligations, for God is always in all. To ignore that fact, that truth, imprisons us. There is no freedom – only religion.

God is not limited to the building, the pew, our beliefs or interpretations. He is ever present and in expectation for us to discover him, again and again and again.

Yes, God is ever present...just stop as often as you can and notice.

Curious Love

Do you know that nothing can separate you from God’s love? That statement will only make sense to you if you have a deep relationship with the Almighty. It will comfort you if you need to be reminded. It will encourage you, if you have fallen away from God or do not currently have a relationship with Him.

To understand God’s love is to experience it. One can try to explain it as best as one can, but experience brings it to a level where it cannot be denied. When you discover how deep God loves you, no one can shake your core beliefs. No one can change your desire to pursue the light of God’s love. Circumstances may rattle you but instead of letting go, you hang on because you know that depth of love is like nothing you’ve ever known before.

It’s such a deep and personal experience, that it becomes hard to explain, because it is simple to explain. The simple explanation of God’s love frustrates those who hear about it, because they do not understand. They do not understand because they focus on the bad that has happened in their lives and conclude that God is not love or cannot be love because He is to blame. Quite honestly, any of us would feel that way with that mindset.

It’s our human nature to want to blame God when tragedy happens because He could have stopped it. It’s our nature to blame God when circumstances happen that could have been changed by Him, even if it was because of our own doing. However, it’s also our nature to only pray to Him when things are going bad or we are desperate. Somehow we forget Him when all is well. And yet even when we forget about God, He waits patiently. Most of us would not bother with someone who forgets us constantly, but God actually is thrilled when we remember Him.

Instead of God being human and saying forget you when you reach out to Him in crisis, He gives His best to comfort you. His heart breaks because some things could have been avoided if you understood the authority you receive when you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. You will never avoid bad stuff entirely, but you at least begin on an even field and then quickly move into the winner’s circle. What does that mean? It means that even when you lose in life, all is not lost.

There is always hope, when you understand, when you have accepted, when you embrace that God loves you and nothing that has happened or that you have done can change that. You may never understand the whys but you do know you are loved. It’s not a regular type of love. It’s a love that is deep and undeserving. It humbles you and it enraptures you.

It’s my hope and my prayer that you become curious of this love and that it encourages you to experiment just like you have with everything else in life. Hasn’t life’s motto been - before you knock it, try it?  Just talk to Him as you would a lover and a friend…constantly.

Romans 8:37-39 NIV

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

While I'm Waiting

There are times that songs just swirl in my head. Some times for days. Some times for weeks on end and when that happens I really pay attention.  This go round the song is While I'm Waiting by John Waller. When he wrote it he said it took him all about 10 minutes. It later became the focal song for the 2008 movie called Fire Proof but the power of the song still resonates today…at least in my life.

We all go through periods where we need to wait. We wait for a job offer. We wait to see if a wayward child turns around. We wait for a broken marriage to mend. We wait for a result on a biopsy. We wait and wonder what life will be. We understand that our lives can change in a split second.

The hardest part for anyone today is to wait because we’ve been conditioned to get everything right away. We’re a fast paced society and so when answers from God are on the slow side that tends to freak us out especially when things are down to the wire or worst our life is at stake. As the song repeated itself over and over again and I felt the compulsion to listen, it uncovered many truths in my life that I wanted to share. This is for those of you who are in wait mode. Don’t feel alone. I’m there with you in my own wait.

Wait on the Lord
When I was younger – a lot younger, I used to think that all you had to do was pray and just wait for God to do something. I kept that in mind when things got ugly in my marriage and got frustrated when nothing happened. It really messed with my faith. What I discovered was that God heard me long ago but was waiting on me to take some action. Faith without action is dead. I tied up God’s hands for a few years because I didn’t adjust certain behaviors of my own and accepted certain behaviors I shouldn’t have (as an example).

Being Hopeful
So here’s the deal you can’t just pray and not be hopeful. Hope is not just wishing – it’s expecting. I remember one time Joel Olsteen said to live with the expectation of good things every single day. We lose sight of that when our lives become chaotic or dread fills our hearts. We often forget that we serve the God of the universe. Hmmm so if he created the gazillion stars ya think he can take care of my (fill in the blanks). My pastor has been doing an awesome series about hope and one of the things he said resounded loudly with me. He said God’s no means that he has a better yes in mind.

Although It’s Painful
Being hopeful during pain is the toughest thing to do but it’s a choice. It’s always a choice. People that survive illnesses and tragedies often do because they make every effort to focus on the positive and for many they put their trust in God. Trust doesn’t come over night. Like in any relationship, it takes time to cultivate, but when you do, you know who you can depend on. There are some people I trust with my life and I know they got my back but my reality is that I’ve become so dependent on God that I would feel extremely lost if he were not the lover of my soul, the companion of my heart and my most trusted Lord and friend. My greatest comfort through pain is him.

Patience
I laugh when people pray for patience. I stay away from that prayer. Patience requires a situation where patience can be molded, enhanced – stttrreetttccheed. Oh heck no!

It’s hard to be patient when you need a resolution now but if you remind yourself of the trust factor then it helps – at least for a little while until you have to remind yourself again. (Just being real.)

Move Ahead Bold and Confident
It’s hard to forge ahead bold and confident but then again why shouldn’t we? What’s the point in living a miserable life when just a part of it is haywire and the rest is good? Ok that part may affect our lives but it doesn’t need to paralyze us. We often forget how blessed we are. I give the gals I counsel a certain exercise. Write the things you’re thankful for. It’ll help your perception of things and will help you move forward. Always move forward no matter what. You may not be able to move in certain areas but move in the others. Don’t quit!

Serve
To serve God means to have relationship with him. People often freak out because they don’t want to give up certain things. Here’s the reality of it, the things you sometimes hold on to so dearly to, are the things that are probably adding to your hurt because you’re not dealing with the real issue. Most vices are escape goats to relieve or detach you from the unhappiness you feel. God won’t force you to let go of anything because he won’t impose his will on you. His greatest desire above all else is to be part of your life, especially while you’re waiting.

Worship
This word is so broad but for some reason folks think it’s only when you sing or praise God. Nope, it goes way beyond that. I have a friend who is currently painting his parents living room. This is an expression of worship because he’s honoring his parents. There are countless women who get up in the wee hours of the morning to pack up their kid’s lunches and get their clothes ready for daycare or school. Their worship is in tending their family. Whenever we are obedient to things that need to be done, we worship.

Don’t Faint
We often think of to faint as passing out but in this case it means don’t lose courage. Don’t wimp out. Don’t give up on your fight. FIGHT! Fight the right way. Fight for your kids, your marriage, your sanity…whatever it may be FIGHT. Don’t just war with your words and don’t just war with your causes in certain areas; war on your knees too. We often forget we’re spiritual beings and let the enemy walk all over us. If you think there are no demons out there, you’re sadly mistaken and what’s worse is that they’re here to take you out and you’re letting them.

Be Peaceful
Peace eludes us at times but it’s a choice. The bible says we should seek peace. This means you do all you can to maintain peace even if it means saying I’m sorry, forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it or choosing not to think about something negative. Yes it’s hard but it’s not impossible. We like to beat ourselves up way too much and we just have to quit it. You can’t take back certain things and it is what it is. Move on and let it go. Forgive yourself.

It’s also important to discover the peace of God – it surpasses all understanding. I’ve been peaceful in the worst of times – the most horrid of times. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. It comes with relationship. Relationship + Trust = Peace

Run the Race
Whatever it is you’re supposed to do in this world, whatever ripple effect you are cut out to do whether your circle is your home or the world, do it well. Don’t let the interruptions in life – big or small – cause you to lose sight of why you’re here. If you‘re gifted to sing – sing. If you’re gifted to write – write. If you are an encourager, go out and touch as many lives as you can. If you have the gift of being a good friend – continue to do so. You’re gift makes a difference. Slide out of this world screaming what a rush and with the confidence that when asked by God what did you accomplish you’ll have the story to tell that will continue to put a smile on his face.

Mom, Why do You Pray in Fear?

Isn’t it true that most mothers pray out of fear over their children? When we pray for blessing, it’s because we fear that they will not have enough in whatever area. When we pray for wisdom, we fear because we believe they are making the wrong choices. When we pray for protection, we fear because of where they have decided to, because of where they are or because we don’t want them to get hurt in their travels (especially if they’re driving). When we pray for healing, we fear because they are a little sick and we do not want them to become a lot sick, or they are a lot sick and we do not want them to get worst. One can argue those are normal and valid reasons to pray and the motivations are not out of fear for the most part, or is it?

The other day after a quick worried-filled prayer was sent up there was a check about my motivation and my stance behind the prayer. The understanding came immediately and after the ugggghh and grrr and grumble, a second prayer was sent up that made the last one sound seriously lame -  like a beggar’s plea.

What’s sad is a lot of us have done or continue to do that. Our prayer sound like this ~ Oh God please, please, please help so and so because I will die if I lose them.

Don’t get me wrong, God hears our heart and there are times in our desperation that’s all that comes out. We are not talking about those times. We are talking about when our prayers are constantly like that. I can imagine the whole heavenly host that surrounds us shake their heads or maybe even slap their forehead in disappointment.

Do you know that when we pray wimpy, fearful prayers, we’re basically saying I have no authority and I don’t believe my prayers can be answered? When your prayers are consistently and constantly from a stance of a beggar, out of fear, out of desperation and/or frustration, it is a clear indicator that you do not understand the authority that God as placed in you as His child.

Perhaps this is not you and your prayers don’t sound as desperate and sound more like this ~ God let your will determine if my daughter should go to that particular college but you know I  am not comfortable with the area that it is in and she’s far away and I’m not sure if that’s the place she should go.  

This doesn’t sound like a wimpy prayer. It actually sounds like a regular prayer with some wishy-washy sentiment in it and if you paid some attention, it happened to be fueled by fear. Now, one can argue, well I talk to God about everything and that is awesome, but, is the talk the actual prayer you want answered?  

Imagine if God was sitting right in front of you and the conversation went like this? 

Me: God let your will determine if my daughter should go to that particular college.

God: She can go wherever she wants. I told her I will never forsake her or leave her. You do want her and my decision to be honored no? I mean your daughter and I already talked about it.

Me:  Well… but you know I am not comfortable with the area.

God: So you don’t trust my protection over your kid?

Me: Well that’s not what I meant, it’s that she’s far away and…

God: But I thought we agreed that she already knows I won’t leave her and you do know she has a host of angels around her…um so what’s the problem?

Me:  Well I’m not sure that’s the place she should go (with little tude and frustration)

God: Really Roz…isn’t the real problem that you’re a bit fearful because your girlie is not going to be  under your roof and care? Don’t you trust me?

After that conversation, one would think twice about continual wimpy conversation and our prayers would sound more like this ~Lord as my daughter’s authority I pray over her life. Let her decisions be sound and blessed by you. God thank you that you are in the mix and leading of my daughter’s decision and that the outcome will be good and blessed.

This type of prayer acknowledges your authority as a child of God and it becomes more powerful when you add a verse in a positive, expectant stance. This stance should be consistent and constant after the initial human melt down and after all the additional human melt downs that you will experience during the wait for a miracle. God understands our humanity, but He also expects you to step up into the spiritual realm so that YOU can call in those things that were not as though they were because we are supposed to mimic our daddy God.

Easier said than done…absolutely! But it can be done and it is expected.

Mom you are the most influential chick in a kid’s life. It’s “my” opinion that God always answers a mom’s tear-filled prayers because his heart wells up with compassion. But I also think, He would rather see less tears and more spiritual tude because He always has our back. We just have to say and pray the word.  

Someone Believes in You

Faith in ourselves wanes from one day to the next. It is only in our triumphs where the validation of faith is readily embraced, driving us to our next dream or goal. However, when we step back and truly look at the whole picture, a lot of our motivation to believe in ourselves usually comes from outside encouragement. Generally, what pushes us to succeed is the reassurance we feel when someone tells us we can, we’re able, but most of all that we are believed in.

Did you know that the literal translation of believe is to accept as true. Think about that for a moment. When someone comes to you and says quite plainly that they believe you can, it empowers you subconsciously to try harder to realize your greatest dreams. Your mind set changes. Your internal dialogue becomes positive, and these adjustments utterly influence the outcome.

And what of failure? If viewed correctly, failure can motivate us to see it as a lesson learned, and gives us all the more reason to try harder by implementing different methods to attain a desired result. All of us, with no exception have someone in our lives that accept our abilities as true. The problem is life can discourage us so much that doubt begins to prevail. Sometimes it’s just not enough to believe in ourself, alone.

A passage comes to mind from the good book about a story that describes the strength behind mustard-seed faith. The size of a mustard seed is similar to a grain of sand, but when planted in the right conditions, it can flourish high and wide. What’s intriguing is that the story relays that if you have faith in the word of God similar to that of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. When you compare the two, logic would dictate that this is impossible, but if you dig deeper the meaning is quite powerful. What it is actually saying is…

1. It only takes a grain of faith to begin the journey to accomplish monstrous goals.

2. God continually validates the potential in each and every one of us by letting us know that He
    believes in us -- accepts our abilities as true, no matter what the undertaking.

So, whether you’re feeling a bit discouraged, or are on the wave of affirmation, consider this a reminder that you are believed in and that you can. Embrace that thought, run with it, and never doubt that you can become your absolute best.

Remember, all you need is a mustard seed.

So don’t just sit there…make it grow!

But I Love You

I feel really bad I haven’t spent enough time with you lately.
           But I love you…

I just can’t keep my head straight. There are so many things going on.
           But I love you…

Yea but it’s just that I don’t exactly do what I’m supposed to do all the time.
          But I love you…

You don’t understand. I just can’t be perfect. I have messed up a lot lately.
         But I love you…

I don’t get it. I’ve been angry with you lately. I’ve even questioned who you are.
         But I love you…

I pause in my misery of wanting to deserve…to earn your acceptance.
         But I love you…

How can you love me?     
         Because…Just Because….