The silence was deafening. Until I began to really listen. For it was there in the silence that I heard the sweetest sound of all. That still, small voice. That gentle, almost audible and definitely love-evoking voice of the most powerful and wonderful Almighty God. In an instant, He calmed my fears; wiped out any loneliness; and reassured me of His love and everlasting presence. Never run away from your alone time; never crowd your life with busyness just so you won’t feel alone. You may just miss the most precious; the most fulfilling; the most intimate and purposeful moments of your life. Protect those times. Live for those times. Enjoy every second in His Presence. And all of his children said, Amen and Ehmen!
Devotional
It’s really not that complicated…
Me: “But, God, what do I tell those who are struggling with sin 
in their lives? I mean how can I possibly help them when I am a sinner, too.”
God: “You make things much too complicated. What do you tell them? Tell them that I love them. Tell them that I am here for them. That’s all. And then let Me do the rest.”
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Giving Up is Where Hope Begins
My Prayer for Today…
You can either give up on a person or situation or you can give that person or situation up. It may sound the same, but it’s not at all. The first is to call it quits, call it hopeless. The latter is to lay it at God’s feet; to, fueled by faith, put it in the great Potter’s hands and let Him create a work of art and fill that work of art with hope. Lord, help me to lay these things at your feet, to give you the materials to work miracles in my life. I’m just so stubborn. Help me with that, please. Show me the way. Amen and Ehmen!
And God’s Own Word Says…
1 Peter 5:7New Living Translation (NLT)
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Matthew 11:28-29New International Version (NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
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A Warrior In Training…
Note: I have been reading through my God-Time Journals and seem to be getting just as much from them now as when they were written five months ago. I hope you glean something from them as well and that perhaps this will motivate us both to spend a little extra time with our Father in the coming days.
April 7, 2015 6:15 am – 7 am
Good morning, God.
I’m trying to start my day off on the right foot with time with you, but, truthfully, I am tired and feel a 
little unsettled. I feel like I have so much to do and am having the tendency to try and rush through our time; just to say I did it; to get a checkmark. That is so not cool and I am so sorry. This isn’t about a checkmark and I’d be better off getting up and doing something else than just going through the motions. Help me, Lord. Bring me back to you. Help me to spend the next 30 minutes with you and you alone. I LOVE spending time with you. You give me such sweet, sweet love and teach me such wonderful things. What are we going to learn today, Jesus? I am listening.
Ephesians 6: Regarding God’s Armor and Paul’s request for prayer that he continue to boldly preach and spread the good news to gentiles and Jews alike although he was in prison; for God to use him right where he was.
Lord, you know I’m ready to be in fulltime ministry, but I know that there is a reason I’m still here, in chains. Help me to accept my place and use me right where I am. Continue to train me and teach me, my dear sweet Lord and make every breath one that counts for Your Kingdom. Use me Lord, Amen and Ehmen!
Dear Child of Mine,
Good morning. I am proud of you, that you stick to our time together, though you are distracted. This distraction is a battle plan of the enemy, which is why I brought you to Ephesians 6 today. Child, always, always clothe yourself in my full armor, for the devil and his demons are very real. You may not see them with your naked eye, but they are just as real as I Am. But, they are nowhere near as powerful. I have and will always have the edge and, through Me, so do you. Don’t ever forget that. There is absolutely nothing that satan can throw at you that you and I cannot handle together; together being the operative word here. Alone, you are left defenseless, like a tiny lamb among wolves. But, with Me, you will always be surrounded by a hedge of protection. I want you to be like my son, Paul. I know it is hard, when you are ready to move to the next level of ministry, but you must continue to meet me here and throughout your day in prayer, so that I can properly train you. You are going to be a mighty warrior, but warriors must have training before they go into battle. Child, the closer you walk with Me; the closer you get to fulfilling your purpose which, in turn, will win more and more souls for My Kingdom, the more satan and his army of demons will pursue and push you. It is important that you spend this time in training with me so that you can withstand their attacks. I sense you getting anxious; fear not, Child. For when you walk with Me; when you step out on the battlefield in My armor; thine enemies will retreat; they will back away. They know that they can’t win even the smallest battle against Me! Keep Me with you always! They lie in wait, hoping to catch you with your guard down, but, never fear, I am with you always. I love you, child. You come to Me as a defenseless child and become a great warrior with Me by your side. Let’s go win some battles, child. It’s going to be a great and victorious day!
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No Care is Too Big or Too Small…
Writer’s Note: Tonight, as I prepare myself for an early morning doctor’s appointment in search of answers for an ongoing health enigma, I happened to re-read this entry from my “Dear God” Journal from this past April. Though very personal, I share it now because, quite frankly, I am feeling led to. And, if there is even the slightest chance someone else might find benefit, it’s totally worth it. I know it helped me again tonight. The Father teaches me so much and He so kindly re-teaches me as many times as it takes. I love Him and am so glad He is mine. I hope He is yours, too. Lord, help me to get up earlier so I can have more and more Me and Thee time with you; more conversations and teaching moments like this. And, Lord, be with me and this new team of physicians in the morning. I trust in You and praise You for taking such good care of me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen and Ehmen.
April 17, 2015 6:41 am
Lord, I’m here. Still struggling with getting here to the blank page in the mornings. I’m not sleeping well; waking up multiple times in the night and, when I finally realize I can’t hit the snooze anymore, waking with a headache. I’m not sure my cpap machine is working properly or perhaps it is something else entirely. I pray, Lord, that you help the doctors find the problem once and for all…help me to find it….and fix it. I want my entire focus to be on you. I truly, truly do. And, as I wrote yesterday, I want to learn to listen more than I speak, for you know my heart. Teach me, my dear, dear Lord. And know that I love you more than life itself. You are my creator, my protector and my friend. You are my love, my present and my future. I want to be your humble servant who makes you proud. Speak to me, oh Lord. Amen and Ehmen!
Child,
I wish that you fully understood the depth and breadth of My love for you. I care about everything that concerns you, even the smallest stub of the toe. If I don’t heal you in the way that you wish, perhaps there is something yet to learn; or someone yet to relate to. Faith in Me when all is well is difficult to maintain, even for the ones that are closest to me. It is human nature to forget me oftentimes when there is no rain and that can be a very dangerous place to live. Therefore, instead of concentrating on having a perfect life, which will not happen until My Kingdom comes, I want you realize that I care about your suffering and I Am here at all times to help you through it. When the Israelites cried out from the bonds of Egyptian slavery, was I not there? My Word says that I “was concerned.” And My Word is truth. Study the story of Moses and Pharaoh today as there is more that I want to enlighten you to. And remember, you, too, are my people, and I will say to whomever enslaves you today or tomorrow, “let my people go.” And it shall be. I love you, child. Go, go about your day, filled with joy. Shake off the depression and funk you have been in the last couple of days. Focus on me, suit up in my armor, and KNOW that I AM in control of all things that concern my beautiful daughter.
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Every Cloud…
Just the other night, I stood outside and looked up at the sky.
There were no stars; just a slight glimmer of light riding upon a low hanging cloud. Not sure where it came from, whether a moon beam that had somehow broke through or maybe even a stray beam from a nearby street light. Regardless, it was pretty; made me think of the metaphorical cloud with a silver lining. You know, I think every cloud really does have a silver lining. Why? Well, because I think it’s just another way of saying what His Word already tells us in Romans 8:28:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”
Yep, God is busy right now sewing a silver lining in the clouds of our lives. Believe it. Believe His Word. Believe Him. Thank you, God, for loving us so. Amen and Ehmen.
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Prayer vs. Plans…
Imagine what we could all accomplish when we realize that a single prayer can accomplish more than a thousand plans.
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Cutting Through The Weeds of Life
It’s not just a lawnmower. It has a name and that name is…
The other day, a friend was telling me that he gets his inspiration while riding his motorcycle to which I quickly quipped that I got mine on my riding lawnmower. And while I said it jokingly, it’s really very true. Indeed, sometimes God speaks to us in the strangest places—and, for me, it is quite often over the roaring of a lawnmower engine. Perhaps He finds that it is easier for him to “cut” to the chase as the rapid revolutions of the engine and blades drown out all the other noise of my world and I become more focused on Him and His creation. It really is a special time during which, over the years, I have received a lot of great insight.
This past weekend, for example, as I carefully and—I like to think skillfully—maneuvered my fire-engine red Craftsman mower with shiny chrome wheel covers tightly alongside the landscape timbers that separate the grass from my flowerbeds, I felt him nudging me to take a closer look inside the beds. Much to my dismay, what I saw was more weeds than flowers. It is then that I heard these words in my heart; words that flowed melodically and in perfect harmony with what was now just a backup hum from the mower.
Your Heart is like the flowers
The most fruitful of seeds
It will die if not tended
Choked out by weeds.
Stopping the engine, I immediately hopped off the mower and started tending that flower bed. I pulled, plucked and tugged every weed. And, with each weed I pulled, it was if God breathed new nuggets of wisdom into my soul. He explained that the enemy has one play in his playbook—to plant weeds anywhere He Himself has planted seeds. In the case of our own hearts, the weeds represent things like sorrow, regret and shame. The evil one knows all too well that if he can keep us focused on the weeds, he can keep us from growing into the creations that God intended.
But, oh no, you devilish one, you are quite mistaken. God is the gardener of my life. And where you sow a crop of weeds, God is always standing by to pull, tug and pluck every single one. In fact, Matthew 15:13 promises us that “every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.’”
Indeed, as children of God, we should forgive ourselves and each other, just as God forgave us through His son, Jesus Christ. By forgiving, we pluck the weeds of sorrow, regret and shame and free ourselves to give love to and receive love from God and others, just as we are commanded in Matthew 22:37-39:
“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
By forgiving, we free ourselves to be more fruitful—to grow more and more into His image, the image in which we were created in the first place.
Ah, sweet Jesus, I have held this teaching close all week and, today, as I prepared to do my weekly mowing once again, I noticed those flowers and plants which I tended last week have bounced right back and are full of life. My heart is feeling pretty full of life, too. Thank You for loving me; for never giving up on me; for forgiving me through your Son and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and for always being willing to tend the garden of my heart. Please help me to do my part so that I can produce fruit that will make You proud. Now, I’m off to hop on the lawnmower. You know, I’ve been thinking. Perhaps, I will give the ol’ Craftsman a name. Harley. That way I can tell my motorcycle friends that I, too, find my inspiration when riding my Harley! 🙂 Amen and Ehmen!
Have a blessed, weed-free day, y’all!
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Same God, Same Plan…
Writer's Note: Another page from my personal "Dear God" Journals. Though this was from a few months ago, the lessons learned will last a lifetime...and beyond. Here's praying that we all spend more "Me and Thee" time. You don't have to spend hours. This exchange took about 20 minutes. :)
April 2, 2015 6:27 a.m.
Good morning, Father.
I was just re-reading what we talked about yesterday. Thank you for teaching me from your word. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fig tree yesterday and listened to three sermons on it. The really cool thing is that the information I got there simply added detail to what you told me. Oh, how I love these times together and learning directly from the teacher. Please continue to teach me and please let me say tuned to You so that it is Your voice and Your voice alone that I am hearing and so that I can discern right teaching. And thank you especially for the one preacher I listened to yesterday afternoon that gave facts on the fig tree as fig trees are not part of my everyday life. Just to recap so that I can remember: fig trees grow really tall, as tall as 50 feet; they grow even wider; they have many leaves and make great shade trees, providing protection from the elements; they were very common in Israel and Palestine; and, though, it was not the “season” for figs, there should have been evidence of the fruit to come on the tree in March when this occurred. What Mark meant by “not the season” was that the fruit did not ripen for harvest until around June. The tree represented Israel, just as you said, and it is still a symbol that applies to us all today. Lord, I pray with all that I am, do not let me become like that fig tree, looking the part on the outside, but bearing no fruit. To be dried up from the roots means that the tree is no longer drawing life from the Father. Lord, please help me to always stay rooted in you and connected to you. I need you today and every day and will re-commit my life to your plan and purpose every single day that I am allowed to wake up. What do you have for me today? I love you, sweet Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen and Ehmen.
“Oh dear, dear child, I am so proud of your commitment to My will and purpose, and, as long as you stay committed to that, and keep living in relationship with me, you will never have to worry about disappointing me. The roots will grow deeper and you will grow more and more beautiful and fruitful. Will there be others who still stand by the wayside and look like that Fig Tree that is no more? Yes. But, together, you and I will warn those who are going in that direction so that they, too, may “turn a new leaf” before it’s too late. Child, there will always be some that have hardened their hearts, but that day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that I am the Lord. I am the only One that ever was and that ever will be. I am the same One that Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David and Jesus prayed to. Yes, child, you pray to the same God! And, you serve the same God. You are a part of the same plan that was put into play before the dawn of creation. My plan hasn’t changed just because the world has changed. It remains and will remain even after the end of time. It IS just like I AM. Yes, there will come a day when the world as it is will pass away and those who know the world and things of the world only will pass away with it. But, those, like you, who know Me will live forever by my side in glorious eternity. I love you, child…with all My heart….and I AM the Lord, Your God.”
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Whether we realize it or not, He is ALWAYS there…
Thur
sday morning as I was getting ready for work, God began whispering in my ear. While it may not have been audible, it was undeniable nonetheless. He spoke gently and lovingly in that still small voice that I have come to not only recognize, but absolutely covet.
The difference in this and most other occasions where I have heard from God, was that, on this day, I wasn’t purposefully praying or listening for Him. I was just getting ready for my day. I’m sure I was thinking, but I’m not sure what. The truth is I’ve had a lot of things on my mind lately and, while I haven’t really kept it from Him, I suppose I’ve let it keep me from Him somewhat as I spent more and more time pondering and wondering instead of praying and trusting. I guess it was time for an intervention—one of those times promised in the Word of God when the Spirit intercedes and lets the Father know what we need.
So, as I stood in my bathroom, drying off from my shower, I started hearing His whisper. The following is a synopsis of what I heard. And it was definitely something I needed.
“It’s not about speed, it is about endurance. It’s not about talent or works, it’s about obedience. It’s not about you. It’s about Me. And it’s not about pleasure. It’s about MY purpose and the utter joy and peace that comes with a purpose fulfilled…with ME and for Me. If it’s in My Will, it is what is best for you. You may not be perfect, but My will for you is perfect. Trust in this. You don’t have to figure anything out for yourself and I will never leave or forsake you. Lean on Me. Trust in Me. Rest in Me. Breathe in Me.”
Oh, Abba, why do we so often forget how much You love us and just how close You are at all times? Whether we are paying attention or not, You always know just what we need and exactly when we need it. I’m just so thankful that even when my human nature lets me get wrapped up in my problems and worries that You are always willing to gently draw me back. You never get mad at me. You just comes closer and shower me with even more love. I don’t deserve You, but I am eternally thankful that You think otherwise. Thank you, Abba, from the bottom of my heart. Amen and Ehmen.
And the Word of God Says:
Hebrews 10: 35-36: Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.
Romans 8:25-27: But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
2 Samuel 22:31: As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Isaiah 48:17: This is what the LORD says– your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”
Amen and Ehmen! 