At the end of the church service, I hear God tell me to put my hand on a stranger’s shoulder and tell him that He loves him. So before I had a chance to argue or ignore, I just did it. It went something like this: “I don’t know why, but God loves you. Wait, that didn’t come out right. I am sure he has His reasons. Ok, wait. Look, I don’t know why I felt He wanted me to tell you, but he sure does. Sorry, I goofed it up.” Thank you, nice guy, for not treating me like a nut, but smiling and saying thanks. And reminding me God even loves goofs like me.
Devotional
Savor the Silence…
Writer’s Note: Just before Thanksgiving last year, I spent a weekend at a monastery. Knowing that God was
calling me there for a little ‘Me and Thee Time,” I went. And, boy, am I glad I did. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew WHO to expect. As promised, He met me there and taught me more in a few moments of silence than I could learn in years of busyness and bustle. Thanks for reminding me of this, Dear Lord, as I have let the loudness of life take its toll on me this week. Back to the stillness, to the silence, to Your Peace! Happy Sunday, y’all. May you find Him in all that you do.
In the silence, I sit. The only sound is the ticking of a nearby clock. Tick tock. Tick tock. The echo of minutes, of hours, of time passing by.
But, you need not be left behind. Grab hold of one of those moments and don’t let go. Delve deeper and deeper into solitude and into that sweet, sweet place that only you and God dwell.
Oh, how much easier it is to hear Him when you are in the same place at the same time. Oh, how much easier it is to see and feel Him when all else falls away.
Why, I wonder, do people fear silence so much? Why do they treat it as if it were a roaring lion trying to devour them when in reality it is the noise and distractions that are most dangerous? Yes, the truth is that silence is beautiful. It has a rhythm which ebbs and flows and harmonizes with every beat of you heart. It is the foundation of God’s own voice, speaking directly to you. Can you hear him? I can.
Lord, may I learn to embrace the silence and You on a daily basis, whether at a monastery or at home where finding peace and solitude is more of a challenge. May I learn to turn down the volume of everyday life so that I can commune with you and hear the sweetness of your still, small and mighty voice every day. I love you. Forever and ever. Amen and Ehmen.
1 Kings, Chapter 19
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Share this:
Her Faith Rises Up like a Phoenix…
Writer’s Note: Over the years, I have watched my friend struggle with depression, but, no matter how dark the nights may get, her faith has always managed to bring light to her path. Sure, sometimes she has needed others to remind her, and God always seemed to make sure I was in the right place at the right time when she needed such a reminder. The following is a short snippet of a vision he gave me one night in regards to my friend. It gave me hope for her and for all of those who may continue to struggle with depression, but who never give up on the God who never gives up on them. His promises are real and His love is unfailing, unconditional and never ending. Thank you, Jesus! Amen and Ehmen!
Sometimes it seems as if the darkness overtakes her from the inside out. Satan knows just what to use to cloud her soul, hurling her into an abyss of loneliness, hurt and depression. He knows full well that is harder for her to follow and find comfort in her Great God when her own eyes are shrouded by clouds.
What he can’t comprehend, however, is how her faith can still rise up like a phoenix from the darkest, nethermost reaches of his hellish plantings. And, just when he thinks he has her in his evil grip, the majestic bird adorned with colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet scoops her up and drops her safely in the lap of her Father.
Share this:
You See Rubble. God Sees Gold. Let the Remodeling Begin!
The most valuable building materials are not hiding on the other side of the world. There is no need for trucks or airplanes to get them to you. No, the most valuable building materials can be found right next to you; in your place and time. For, what you may see as mere rubble; cracked and broken pieces that can’t possibly amount to anything, God sees as gold. He sees promise. He sees the perfect stockpile of building materials from which to build new life and new hope. Our job is simply to hand Him every single broken, splintered piece; every fragment, no matter how wrecked or small. Indeed, no matter what it was that created such disarray in your life, God—the glorious and almighty Creator of all—is waiting to help you put it all back together and to build something beautiful, something better; a life that reflects Him; a life of purpose that brings you joy and brings Him glory. As His child, this is your birthright and the legacy He intended for you since before Creation. Let the remodeling begin. Thank you, Jesus. Amen and Ehmen!
And the Word of God Says…
Ephesians 1: 4-5: “For He chose us in Him, before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.”
John 6:12: “…he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Share this:
Summer Storms…
Writer’s Note: I have always hated stormy weather. I always found it frightening, and still do to some degree. However, about a year ago, as I sat outside on my patio and watched as a summer storm took over the skies over my home, God gave me these words and this “vision.” Makes me smile. 🙂
The darkness rises up from the horizon as if all the demons in hell are readying for battle. Rapidly they advance into the
heavenly realms and the world beneath grows dim. The clouds loom darker as the sounds of battle begin. Thank God, the enemy has obviously met resistance. Thunder rolls as angels hurl lightning bolts at the aggressors and the sky lights up with instantaneous flashes of hope. The good guys are winning. They always do. And just as He has always promised, from the darkest of circumstances, the living waters of Heaven rain down on the earth. Thank you, God, for this day; for this storm; and for the beautiful things that will grow because of it. Amen and Ehmen. Have a beautiful day, y’all and embrace both the sunshine and the storms. Much love, Brenda.
Share this:
What Faith Really Is…
Purposeful Pond
ering: Faith is not a requirement to gain God’s love. Faith is simply an avenue to completely FEEL God’s love; to experience it; to bask in it. Truth is, God loves you even when you feel unworthy. He loves you when you doubt Him. He loves you when you know you are traveling the wrong path and choose to travel it anyway. He simply always loves you and Faith is the wisdom to KNOW that! Have a blessed day. Amen and Ehmen!
Share this:
Happy HIMdependence Day!
I am finding more and more truth in the old saying, “time flies” these days. In fact, the older I get, the old tick-tock seems 
to sprout bigger and faster wings, hijacking the moments and carrying each and every one of them far, far away. If we’re lucky, the good ones land somewhere in the recesses of our memories to be retrieved and enjoyed many times in the future and the not-so-good just keep floating into the dark abyss of time never to be recalled again or, better yet, they wind up in God’s toolbox where He repurposes them and turns each into something useful.
Actually, the truth is, God promises to always use our stuff. He says so many times throughout the bible and most expressly so in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to his purpose.” Notice, He says ALL things; not just some things, but ALL things. All He really wants in return is our unwavering love, another fact that He reminds us of throughout His word, such as in Matthew 22:3, when Jesus himself spoke the greatest and foremost commandment of all: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
My prayer today is that all of us learn to love God just like that—with all our heart, soul and mind—for I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is that kind of love that leads to full trust, obedience and dependence on Him and full dependence leads to guaranteed fulfillment of the purpose for which our Father created us. And that, my dear friends, will ultimately lead to the words we all long to hear straight from the lips of our Awesome God: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done!” Oh, how incredible that will be! I know it’s almost July 4th here in the United States, but this year, I say let’s forget Independence Day and start celebrating Himdependence Day!
Amen and Ehmen!
Share this:
Just Be
Don’t you just love that sometimes the most awesome things in life are those that defy logic; those that don’t necessarily make sense; those things—like God and Heaven—that require Faith; things like the moon, the stars, the sunrises and sunsets which you don’t have to understand to enjoy; things which require you only to be? I hope that today, no matter what is going on, that you find time to just be and to thank God that you are. Amen and Ehmen!
Share this:
The Sweet Breath of Heaven
Hope. Joy. Peace. Love. These are the words that best describe our Father and are the very things He desires for us. And, the best part is that all four are ours for the taking. The trick is to fully breathe Him in. For when we fully breathe Him in, we can’t help but exhale a sweet breath of Heaven into a world gasping for air. It all starts with us. Or, at least that is my take on it. Happy Sunday, y’all!
And God Says…
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Three things will last forever–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Job 32:8
But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
Share this:
The Prodigal Daughter
Writer’s Note: Two years ago this month, I went through a very difficult time and, though, due to current circumstances, I still can’t really talk about it in detail, I am happy to report that I came through it and am better for it. God showed Himself in more ways than one and took care of every little detail. What others meant for evil, God used for good. No matter what you are going through, please don’t ever give up on God, because I can promise you that He will never give up on you!
From my God-Journal, May 27, 2013
As the sun started playing peek-a-boo from the other side of my window 
early this a.m., I lay in bed praying. Soon, however, I started thinking about everything that is going on in my life and found that my prayers had all of a sudden turned into worry. When I discovered I was worrying, I returned to praying; then worrying; then praying; and so the morning went. During my last prayer stint, I heard a whisper deep in my spirit. Two words began to encircle my churning mind: prodigal son.
Prodigal son? What, Lord? What on earth does the story of the prodigal son have to do with me right now? Why would You compare me, Your child who loves You dearly, to this wayward character in the bible?
Grabbing my bible, I studied inherently the story outlined in Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 11-24, and then began to once again pray. I sat down at my computer as I often do when I feel a teaching coming my way. The words below are what I heard.
“Don’t be so literal, my child. Daughters can be prodigal, too, and the inheritance you squander doesn’t have to be financial. Child, do you forget that the day that you accepted My Son, You accepted Me and that when you accepted Me, you became a co-heir in My Kingdom? Go read Romans 8, Verses 14-17.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. But if we are to share in his glory, we must also share in his suffering.”
“Yes, but,” I found myself contradicting, “what exactly are you condemning me for, dear Lord? I know that I am Your child and I know and look forward to my eternal inheritance in Heaven. I also understand that I have to share in Your suffering in order to share in Your glory. I haven’t turned my back on that and I haven’t squandered it, have I?”
As I closed my bible and opened my eyes once again, it was if the Teacher had gotten up from behind His desk at the front of the class and walked over and stood beside mine. Though I readied myself for stern correction, I felt a gentle rain of love, patience and grace wash over me as He instructed my hands to turn to John 16:33.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The word “Peace” leapt off the page and at THAT moment it all became clear. Oh my, I thought, I am a prodigal daughter who has been squandering the very heart of my inheritance as I have essentially handed over my peace to people, circumstances and situations I was never intended to deal with on my own.
Oh, thank you, Lord, for your patience with me and for standing in the field, arms wide open, just waiting for me to return to your offer of peace in the midst of distress and turmoil and heartache and pressure; for the inheritance of peace that is born of Your guarantee to cause everything to work together for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose…people like me.
Father, you have made me rich with this inheritance of peace, and I thank You today for these most difficult and trying times and, most especially, for this reminder that I can have peace through it all, because You are in me, and I in You. Help me to stand firm as we traverse this valley together. Amen and Ehmen.
Amen and Ehmen! 