Category Archives: Devotionals

Bible studies, sermons, and preaching genres

Columns, Devotionals

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

Over the years, the Lord has led me down an amazing journey of knowledge. My friends chuckle at all the books I've read, but I believe the Lord is leading me to the things He wants me to know. "Without knowledge, the people perish." Hosea 4:6

Our God is infinite. We will be in His Presence for all eternity and still not know all of Him!  The more I study, the more I am compelled to study. One glimpse of knowledge opens another door - a door I didn't even know existed!

I dreamed the other night that I was handed a whole bunch of rusty, ancient keys and in the dream, I put one of the keys into a heavy, wooden door.  Then the dream ended.

I want to open that door.




Recently God lead me to an amazing book called, "The Dancing Hand of God," by James Maloney. This book is an inspiring account of James' life, from poverty and abuse to the 'dancing hand of God.'

James had had some life-changing encounters with God but his life really changed when he was chosen by a group called "The Golden Candlesticks."  Sound a little weird, right?  I thought so too but after reading his account, I was fascinated and ordered the book, "Ladies of Gold."

This book is a compilation of writings by Frances Metcalfe, the leader of The Golden Candlesticks and as I read her writings, I recognized My God.  She has gone to Glory but in her lifetime she  had encounters with Jesus that most of us will never have and she has touched the heart of God in ways that stretch my imagination.

The Golden Candlesticks was a group that varied in number over the years.  There were between 30 and 80 people, mostly women, that met 6 nights a week.  They worshiped and prayed from 6pm until 3am in the morning!  They built a special house to meet in - in James Maloney's home town.

They gave up all opportunities for public ministry to minister nightly to the Lord but they asked one thing of God - that they would be allowed one person to pour all their hopes and anointing into.  That person was James Maloney!

And the miracles and healings and encounters that James has experienced are mind-boggling!  The Lord released him a couple of years ago to share all these things and I am so thankful that I read this book.  Dear Lord, please stretch me to reach for Your Presence, to KNOW You and the power of Your resurrection!

I have spent hours (days) reading these books and asking God to teach me and let me know Him more. And surprisingly (ha!) "Golden Ladies" led me to another book!  God willing, I'll share on that later!

love and blessings~

"Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;" Genesis 1:14


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Columns, Devotionals

Dear Anonymous



I recently received a comment from an anonymous person on my post, "He Saves, He Heals."






This is their comment - "Please do more research on this topic.  Implying someone is sick simply because of sin is not Biblical.  There are examples of Jesus not healing.  John 5 is a good example. There was a crowd at the pool but Jesus chose to only heal one and slipped away unnoticed.  Nowhere does it say or even imply Jesus healed every sick individual he came into contact with.  Plus, Jesus' healing ministry was part of prophecy fulfillment as a sign of who He was.

The issue of Job also has to dealt with.  God ALLOWED him to be sick and to suffer.  It is very clearly laid out that it was not at all because of his sin.

There are several words from the original text that translate to 'heal' in English but some refer only to spiritual healing and not physical.  This is a deeply complicated topic and simply saying someone's in has made them sick is not Biblically correct and can do more harm than good."

Dear Anonymous;

I understand that this is taught in the churches. I understand that it is very painful to see people we love sick and there are many who have faith in God who have prayed and not received healing. And so we try to explain it away and say that it's just not God's will.  Please also know that I am not answering you with a desire to prove you wrong - but a desire that we might all find the truth.

We know that sickness came into the world because of sin and we know that all of us have sinned.  It is not condemning a person to say that all of our sickness is tied to our sin.  

In the passage in John 5 that you mentioned, it does not say that Jesus only healed the one man and slipped away. It tells the story of this man and then stops. It does say that there were others at this well and does not tell of their healing.  But in so many other passages of scripture it makes it clear that Jesus healed every single person who came to Him in faith. 

Their faith was the key.

Matthew 9:2  "And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven."" 

Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven" and this healed the paralytic.  This clearly shows us a tie between our sin and sickness.  

Matthew 9:22  "But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well." 

Matthew 9:29  "Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." 

Matthew 15:28  "Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once. "

Matthew 13:58  "He did not do many miracles there because of a lack of their faith."

And in John 20:30 we are told, "The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs which are not recorded in this book."  The Bible says over and over again that 'Jesus healed them all.'  He healed EVERY SINGLE PERSON that came to Him in faith.

Anonymous, you stated that " Jesus' healing ministry was part of prophecy fulfillment as a sign of who He was. "  Yes, it was.  

Jesus was/is God, who laid down His divinity and came to the earth as a man. He was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, as an example to us of how we should live after being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Romans Chapter 8, makes it clear that He was the first son and we are also children of God, just like He was.

Not only is it God's will that we be healed but God desires above all things that we walk in good health! "Beloved I desire above all things that you be in good health and prosper, even as your soul prospers." (III John 2) 

God not only wants us to walk in good health, He wants us to heal others, in His Name.

"And (Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelief shall be condemned.  These signs will accompany those who believe; in My name they will cast out demons, they speak with new tongues, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  Mark 16:15.

And in John 14:12, Jesus tells us, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."

The story of Job supports my belief.  The Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man.  He believed in God and was serving God.  His faith in God was credited to Him as righteousness.  

But in Job 3:25, Job states, "The thing I fear has come upon me."  Job's sin was fear. Sin opens the door in our lives for the enemy's attack.  God's law has to permit the enemy to attack us if there is sin in our lives. We could argue then that it is God's will for us to suffer but I think the heart of God is shown more when He restores everything to Job in double portion.  

But we now live in a more perfect covenant because of the blood of Jesus! Jesus paid the price for our sin. When He died on the cross He restored us to right relationship with Our Father God so that we might become 'sons of God.' And He bore our guilt and shame and our sickness on the cross so that we might be healed.  Salvation and healing mean the same thing.  You mentioned soul-healing.  Read III John 2 again.  Our physical healing is directly related to our soul healing.

When the enemy comes before God and wants to attack us, Jesus steps up and declares, "This one's mine! This one is covered in the Blood and MY righteousness and it is therefore illegal for you to attack them."  Once we get a revelation of this, we can fight back.  We can use our faith and the Sword of the Word to defeat the enemy.

My purpose in writing about healing is never to do "more harm than good."  My purpose is that we would realize the tie between sin and sickness and repent of sin. I have sin in my life. And the first thing I do when I become sick is seek God to find out why. Then I repent.  

I got very discouraged a couple of months ago and I got sick and could not get well. I had congestion, a sore throat and an ear ache that lasted for about 6 weeks. I knew, by the Holy Spirit, that it was tied to my discouragement but I did not know how to come out of it. I repented and cried out to God.

The next day a friend invited me to a weekend women's conference in another town. We went. Long story short, at that conference, God touched me in a mighty way and healed my discouragement. When the conference was over, I was also physically healed. And even more that that, I was completely refreshed and filled with new hope.

My sin was discouragement; a lack of faith and hope in God.  There could have been others there that did not receive the same touch of God. Our faith and need for God cause Him to act in our behalf.

Anonymous, I would encourage you to listen to the teachings at ibethel.org.  Bill Johnson's church in Redding, CA has been experiencing miracles and healings for many years now. Their sister ministry, IRIS Global, experiences miracles on a regular basis and when I found out about them about 10 years ago, had raised over 70 people from the dead. I'm sure the number is higher now.  

I listened to a teaching of Heidi Baker, the leader of Iris Global, several years ago.  She asked the group of African pastors she was speaking to, "How many of them had raised someone from the dead?" and every one of them raised their hand.  

Here in the United States, we have put our trust in money, insurance, doctors and our own knowledge. We are not desperate for God. We have not been in the position of having nothing but our faith in God to trust in. We have become luke warm.  And God tells us in Revelation that He will spit us out.

We get to choose. 

My hope is that you will seek GOD.  Not church.  Not someone else.  But GOD. My hope is that you will cry out to God for truth and earnestly seek Him.  He is a rewarder to those who seek Him.

love and blessings~

photo credit jonasclark.com

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Columns, Devotionals

Dear Anonymous



I recently received a comment from an anonymous person on my post, "He Saves, He Heals."






This is their comment - "Please do more research on this topic.  Implying someone is sick simply because of sin is not Biblical.  There are examples of Jesus not healing.  John 5 is a good example. There was a crowd at the pool but Jesus chose to only heal one and slipped away unnoticed.  Nowhere does it say or even imply Jesus healed every sick individual he came into contact with.  Plus, Jesus' healing ministry was part of prophecy fulfillment as a sign of who He was.

The issue of Job also has to dealt with.  God ALLOWED him to be sick and to suffer.  It is very clearly laid out that it was not at all because of his sin.

There are several words from the original text that translate to 'heal' in English but some refer only to spiritual healing and not physical.  This is a deeply complicated topic and simply saying someone's in has made them sick is not Biblically correct and can do more harm than good."

Dear Anonymous;

I understand that this is taught in the churches. I understand that it is very painful to see people we love sick and there are many who have faith in God who have prayed and not received healing. And so we try to explain it away and say that it's just not God's will.  Please also know that I am not answering you with a desire to prove you wrong - but a desire that we might all find the truth.

We know that sickness came into the world because of sin and we know that all of us have sinned.  It is not condemning a person to say that all of our sickness is tied to our sin.  

In the passage in John 5 that you mentioned, it does not say that Jesus only healed the one man and slipped away. It tells the story of this man and then stops. It does say that there were others at this well and does not tell of their healing.  But in so many other passages of scripture it makes it clear that Jesus healed every single person who came to Him in faith. 

Their faith was the key.

Matthew 9:2  "And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven."" 

Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven" and this healed the paralytic.  This clearly shows us a tie between our sin and sickness.  

Matthew 9:22  "But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well." 

Matthew 9:29  "Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." 

Matthew 15:28  "Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once. "

Matthew 13:58  "He did not do many miracles there because of a lack of their faith."

And in John 20:30 we are told, "The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs which are not recorded in this book."  The Bible says over and over again that 'Jesus healed them all.'  He healed EVERY SINGLE PERSON that came to Him in faith.

Anonymous, you stated that " Jesus' healing ministry was part of prophecy fulfillment as a sign of who He was. "  Yes, it was.  

Jesus was/is God, who laid down His divinity and came to the earth as a man. He was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, as an example to us of how we should live after being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Romans Chapter 8, makes it clear that He was the first son and we are also children of God, just like He was.

Not only is it God's will that we be healed but God desires above all things that we walk in good health! "Beloved I desire above all things that you be in good health and prosper, even as your soul prospers." (III John 2) 

God not only wants us to walk in good health, He wants us to heal others, in His Name.

"And (Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelief shall be condemned.  These signs will accompany those who believe; in My name they will cast out demons, they speak with new tongues, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  Mark 16:15.

And in John 14:12, Jesus tells us, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father."

The story of Job supports my belief.  The Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man.  He believed in God and was serving God.  His faith in God was credited to Him as righteousness.  

But in Job 3:25, Job states, "The thing I fear has come upon me."  Job's sin was fear. Sin opens the door in our lives for the enemy's attack.  God's law has to permit the enemy to attack us if there is sin in our lives. We could argue then that it is God's will for us to suffer but I think the heart of God is shown more when He restores everything to Job in double portion.  

But we now live in a more perfect covenant because of the blood of Jesus! Jesus paid the price for our sin. When He died on the cross He restored us to right relationship with Our Father God so that we might become 'sons of God.' And He bore our guilt and shame and our sickness on the cross so that we might be healed.  Salvation and healing mean the same thing.  You mentioned soul-healing.  Read III John 2 again.  Our physical healing is directly related to our soul healing.

When the enemy comes before God and wants to attack us, Jesus steps up and declares, "This one's mine! This one is covered in the Blood and MY righteousness and it is therefore illegal for you to attack them."  Once we get a revelation of this, we can fight back.  We can use our faith and the Sword of the Word to defeat the enemy.

My purpose in writing about healing is never to do "more harm than good."  My purpose is that we would realize the tie between sin and sickness and repent of sin. I have sin in my life. And the first thing I do when I become sick is seek God to find out why. Then I repent.  

I got very discouraged a couple of months ago and I got sick and could not get well. I had congestion, a sore throat and an ear ache that lasted for about 6 weeks. I knew, by the Holy Spirit, that it was tied to my discouragement but I did not know how to come out of it. I repented and cried out to God.

The next day a friend invited me to a weekend women's conference in another town. We went. Long story short, at that conference, God touched me in a mighty way and healed my discouragement. When the conference was over, I was also physically healed. And even more that that, I was completely refreshed and filled with new hope.

My sin was discouragement; a lack of faith and hope in God.  There could have been others there that did not receive the same touch of God. Our faith and need for God cause Him to act in our behalf.

Anonymous, I would encourage you to listen to the teachings at ibethel.org.  Bill Johnson's church in Redding, CA has been experiencing miracles and healings for many years now. Their sister ministry, IRIS Global, experiences miracles on a regular basis and when I found out about them about 10 years ago, had raised over 70 people from the dead. I'm sure the number is higher now.  

I listened to a teaching of Heidi Baker, the leader of Iris Global, several years ago.  She asked the group of African pastors she was speaking to, "How many of them had raised someone from the dead?" and every one of them raised their hand.  

Here in the United States, we have put our trust in money, insurance, doctors and our own knowledge. We are not desperate for God. We have not been in the position of having nothing but our faith in God to trust in. We have become luke warm.  And God tells us in Revelation that He will spit us out.

We get to choose. 

My hope is that you will seek GOD.  Not church.  Not someone else.  But GOD. My hope is that you will cry out to God for truth and earnestly seek Him.  He is a rewarder to those who seek Him.

love and blessings~

photo credit jonasclark.com

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Devotionals, Letters

What Covenant are They Under?

Old or New?

You can tell a whole lot about whether someone is walking in the New Covenant, or if their thinking is still grounded on the old. It's especially important that we understand which covenant prophets and other declarers of truth are working from.

The Old Covenant was all about blessings & curses (Deuteronomy 28). So Old Covenant prophets speak a lot about blessings and curses, or people who are blessed and people who are under judgement. That’s why Jeremiah & the others were declaring judgments and curses and such over the nations and the peoples who had defied what they knew about God.

That was the Old. That’s dead and gone (Hebrews 8:13 & others). If you have trouble with that, you might want to stop here and work this out before going further in this; the rest will just make you stumble.

The New Covenant is all about blessings and forgiveness (1Corinthians 14:3 and others). Therefore, that's what New Covenant prophets speak about: it’s the work of the New Covenant prophet to declare God’s blessing, God’s forgiveness, God’s Kingdom, to declare that they way to God is open!

You can tell a whole lot about what covenant someone is operating in by the words they speak (or write).

·         If someone regularly talks about needing to avoid this activity or that place or those people, or if they talk about needing to honor this festival, that holiday, they’re working under the Covenant that’s about works and whose end-game is about blessings and curses. They’re under the Old Covenant. Don’t go with them, unless you want to walk away from what Jesus has already done for you.

·         If someone regularly talks about how this preacher is wrong, about how that doctrine is heretical, or about how this country or that people-group deserves judgment, then that person is working under the Covenant that’s about works and whose end-game is about blessings and curses. They’re under the Old Covenant. Don’t go with them, unless you want to walk away from what Jesus has already done for you.

·         If their message is more about “Change how you think about God so that you can participate in the Kingdom of Heaven, which is right here among us!” (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15) then they’re working under the New Covenant where the Kingdom of God is “at hand” (or “within reach”) of all of us, and where the King of this Kingdom literally “became a curse” (Galatians 3:13) in order to remove curses from us, and from our words.

Here’s the short version: generally, if someone is preaching about “you need to change!” they’re preaching the Old Covenant. If they’re preaching about “Come to Jesus and be changed!” then they’re preaching the New Covenant.

Come to Jesus and have your mind renewed.
Standard
Devotionals, Letters

What Covenant are They Under?

Old or New?

You can tell a whole lot about whether someone is walking in the New Covenant, or if their thinking is still grounded on the old. It's especially important that we understand which covenant prophets and other declarers of truth are working from.

The Old Covenant was all about blessings & curses (Deuteronomy 28). So Old Covenant prophets speak a lot about blessings and curses, or people who are blessed and people who are under judgement. That’s why Jeremiah & the others were declaring judgments and curses and such over the nations and the peoples who had defied what they knew about God.

That was the Old. That’s dead and gone (Hebrews 8:13 & others). If you have trouble with that, you might want to stop here and work this out before going further in this; the rest will just make you stumble.

The New Covenant is all about blessings and forgiveness (1Corinthians 14:3 and others). Therefore, that's what New Covenant prophets speak about: it’s the work of the New Covenant prophet to declare God’s blessing, God’s forgiveness, God’s Kingdom, to declare that they way to God is open!

You can tell a whole lot about what covenant someone is operating in by the words they speak (or write).

·         If someone regularly talks about needing to avoid this activity or that place or those people, or if they talk about needing to honor this festival, that holiday, they’re working under the Covenant that’s about works and whose end-game is about blessings and curses. They’re under the Old Covenant. Don’t go with them, unless you want to walk away from what Jesus has already done for you.

·         If someone regularly talks about how this preacher is wrong, about how that doctrine is heretical, or about how this country or that people-group deserves judgment, then that person is working under the Covenant that’s about works and whose end-game is about blessings and curses. They’re under the Old Covenant. Don’t go with them, unless you want to walk away from what Jesus has already done for you.

·         If their message is more about “Change how you think about God so that you can participate in the Kingdom of Heaven, which is right here among us!” (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15) then they’re working under the New Covenant where the Kingdom of God is “at hand” (or “within reach”) of all of us, and where the King of this Kingdom literally “became a curse” (Galatians 3:13) in order to remove curses from us, and from our words.

Here’s the short version: generally, if someone is preaching about “you need to change!” they’re preaching the Old Covenant. If they’re preaching about “Come to Jesus and be changed!” then they’re preaching the New Covenant.

Come to Jesus and have your mind renewed.
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Columns, Devotionals

Goals for the New Year and Perseverance

photo credit pqhobbit.wordpress
Happy New Year! 


I am unreasonably excited over this new year which is not my usual attitude. 


Most years I think, "It's just another day," but this year I'm really feeling a change in the air and I am full of hope...





...hope to see some things I've been praying for come into fruition!
...hope to see some things I've wanted to change in my own life happen!
...hope to see God show Himself in a big way in the area where we live!

I've been getting together with my prayer partners on Mondays and praying and we have been SO blessed! We have been touching God. God has been touching us.  We've been having 'church!'

We've been receiving insights from the Holy Spirit and words of knowledge as we've prayed and have been so encouraged to pray these Words over our loved ones. We have become very excited over praying together and I believe it's been the catalyst for all the other good things.  

As 2015 came to an end, we each made a goal list - spiritual goals, personal health goals, family goals, home improvement goals, financial goals - and shared them each other and prayed over them. We met with our husbands to make these goal lists. And we have each been delighted that our husbands were very excited over this! We are going to update each other as we go into the new year.  

One of my goals was to do a 40 day Word fast again.  And someone said, "Let's start now!"  I honestly hesitated. And then I realized that I could put it off forever and just never do it again. Because very honestly, I've thought about doing it again for years. And maybe I need to do it permanently.

So on Monday, we started our 40 day Word fast. No television, no secular books, no secular radio, no news, no Facebook except messages, etc.  Nothing but the Word of God and things that teach about God.  None of us needed to do much about our iphones - I never usually know where mine is! lol

This is the morning of day three and I want to tell you that I can honestly feel the difference. Ephesians 2:2 makes reference to Satan as the Prince of the power of the air.  I've often wondered what that means. But I want to say that there's a lot of scientific evidence that the electrical waves in our world, that we're exposed to so much, have a negative effect on our health and brain.

I don't know about that but I want to say that taking the television out of my life has caused my brain to 'quiet.'  I feel like the buzzing is gone. I'm always careful not to watch any occult, violence or immorality on television but I also want to confess that I've been a fan of some shows that I knew I shouldn't watch. Very honestly, there's really not much on TV that does not promote immorality and violence and the worst, demonic activity.  

And I want to take all of that out of my life.  But I even think it's more than that. I heard a wonderful man named Henry Gruver speak a few years ago and he said something that I really witnessed to.  He said that there are demonic spirits attached to television shows and even commercials that have assignments to attach themselves to us.  

I always knew that things like Harry Potter, The Twilight Series and such had a demonic assignment but he also told us that all the Pokeman characters were actually oriental gods!  It makes so much sense when you see children and ADULTS become crazed over some of these things that there's something going on!  I pay attention whenever there's something that sweeps our world.

But now I'm thinking that even if you only watched Christian television that the actual TV affects you negatively; changes the electrical impulses in your brain, causes you not to be able to hear God clearly. I want to hear God clearly.  I want to be in His Presence continually.  I need His Wisdom for every minute of my life.  I want to be His voice on this earth and I can't do that if I'm not continually in intercourse with Him.

Luke 18:8b keeps coming to my mind. "... when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"  

Are we as Christians really any different than others?  When people meet you, is it quickly apparent that you're a believer in Christ.  If they visited our homes, would they notice the difference?  Some Christians believe that healing and miracles and the gifts are not for today.  I know that they are and we are not manifesting the Holy Spirit because of the impurity in our lives.

I can say that I am different in a lot of ways. But I don't just want to be slightly different.  I want Smith Wigglesworth different!  I want to impact the world around me for Christ.  I don't want to fit in.  I want to be Jesus-peculiar! 

I have received a Word from the Lord that I will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will rise to life.  I will heal mental illness and ADHD and autism and I want to see that Word come to pass!  I have experienced this in my walk with Christ but I want more - so much more! Mary, the mother of Jesus, said, "Let it be done to me accordingly to your Word."  We have a choice to make; to yield ourselves totally to His will or to just keep living our lives in mediocrity.  I don't want to do that anymore.

So in the next 37 days, I am praying to be radically cleansed, radically changed, radically transformed!  

God said two things to me for this new year:  Radical obedience and a pure heart.  Those are my primary goals for 2016!

I saw some bloggers choose a 'word' for this year.  Mine is PERSEVERANCE! I think it's going to take some perseverance to reach my goals.  The new year's joke is that we always start the new year with goals and we quit around January 12th.  I am blessed to have some prayer partners, and you!, to keep me accountable!

love and blessings for a glorious 2016~
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Columns, Devotionals

Goals for the New Year and Perseverance

photo credit pqhobbit.wordpress
Happy New Year! 


I am unreasonably excited over this new year which is not my usual attitude. 


Most years I think, "It's just another day," but this year I'm really feeling a change in the air and I am full of hope...





...hope to see some things I've been praying for come into fruition!
...hope to see some things I've wanted to change in my own life happen!
...hope to see God show Himself in a big way in the area where we live!

I've been getting together with my prayer partners on Mondays and praying and we have been SO blessed! We have been touching God. God has been touching us.  We've been having 'church!'

We've been receiving insights from the Holy Spirit and words of knowledge as we've prayed and have been so encouraged to pray these Words over our loved ones. We have become very excited over praying together and I believe it's been the catalyst for all the other good things.  

As 2015 came to an end, we each made a goal list - spiritual goals, personal health goals, family goals, home improvement goals, financial goals - and shared them each other and prayed over them. We met with our husbands to make these goal lists. And we have each been delighted that our husbands were very excited over this! We are going to update each other as we go into the new year.  

One of my goals was to do a 40 day Word fast again.  And someone said, "Let's start now!"  I honestly hesitated. And then I realized that I could put it off forever and just never do it again. Because very honestly, I've thought about doing it again for years. And maybe I need to do it permanently.

So on Monday, we started our 40 day Word fast. No television, no secular books, no secular radio, no news, no Facebook except messages, etc.  Nothing but the Word of God and things that teach about God.  None of us needed to do much about our iphones - I never usually know where mine is! lol

This is the morning of day three and I want to tell you that I can honestly feel the difference. Ephesians 2:2 makes reference to Satan as the Prince of the power of the air.  I've often wondered what that means. But I want to say that there's a lot of scientific evidence that the electrical waves in our world, that we're exposed to so much, have a negative effect on our health and brain.

I don't know about that but I want to say that taking the television out of my life has caused my brain to 'quiet.'  I feel like the buzzing is gone. I'm always careful not to watch any occult, violence or immorality on television but I also want to confess that I've been a fan of some shows that I knew I shouldn't watch. Very honestly, there's really not much on TV that does not promote immorality and violence and the worst, demonic activity.  

And I want to take all of that out of my life.  But I even think it's more than that. I heard a wonderful man named Henry Gruver speak a few years ago and he said something that I really witnessed to.  He said that there are demonic spirits attached to television shows and even commercials that have assignments to attach themselves to us.  

I always knew that things like Harry Potter, The Twilight Series and such had a demonic assignment but he also told us that all the Pokeman characters were actually oriental gods!  It makes so much sense when you see children and ADULTS become crazed over some of these things that there's something going on!  I pay attention whenever there's something that sweeps our world.

But now I'm thinking that even if you only watched Christian television that the actual TV affects you negatively; changes the electrical impulses in your brain, causes you not to be able to hear God clearly. I want to hear God clearly.  I want to be in His Presence continually.  I need His Wisdom for every minute of my life.  I want to be His voice on this earth and I can't do that if I'm not continually in intercourse with Him.

Luke 18:8b keeps coming to my mind. "... when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"  

Are we as Christians really any different than others?  When people meet you, is it quickly apparent that you're a believer in Christ.  If they visited our homes, would they notice the difference?  Some Christians believe that healing and miracles and the gifts are not for today.  I know that they are and we are not manifesting the Holy Spirit because of the impurity in our lives.

I can say that I am different in a lot of ways. But I don't just want to be slightly different.  I want Smith Wigglesworth different!  I want to impact the world around me for Christ.  I don't want to fit in.  I want to be Jesus-peculiar! 

I have received a Word from the Lord that I will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will rise to life.  I will heal mental illness and ADHD and autism and I want to see that Word come to pass!  I have experienced this in my walk with Christ but I want more - so much more! Mary, the mother of Jesus, said, "Let it be done to me accordingly to your Word."  We have a choice to make; to yield ourselves totally to His will or to just keep living our lives in mediocrity.  I don't want to do that anymore.

So in the next 37 days, I am praying to be radically cleansed, radically changed, radically transformed!  

God said two things to me for this new year:  Radical obedience and a pure heart.  Those are my primary goals for 2016!

I saw some bloggers choose a 'word' for this year.  Mine is PERSEVERANCE! I think it's going to take some perseverance to reach my goals.  The new year's joke is that we always start the new year with goals and we quit around January 12th.  I am blessed to have some prayer partners, and you!, to keep me accountable!

love and blessings for a glorious 2016~
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Devotionals, Letters

Learning From the Past Year

It has been said that “Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.” If we apply this personally, we could say, “Those who fail to learn from their history will find themselves making the same mistakes all over again.”

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to not make those particular mistakes again. It’s not that I’m afraid of mistakes, but I’d sure like to learn from new ones, instead of repeating the old ones.

And so I try to reflect on the year behind me, and I try to learn from the year I’ve just finished, with the hope that I’ll actually be more mature, not just older, next year. If you’d like to join me, here are some questions you might reflect on. Hint: this is a great time to get out your journal and write:

What was your biggest triumph in the past year? What does God say about it?

What was your most costly mistake in the past year? What do you learn from it?

What was the smartest decision you made during the year?
  
What was the greatest lesson you learned during the year?

If you could repeat one day of the last year, what day would that be, and why?

If you could forever forget one day from last year, what day, and why?

What one bit of Scripture best describes last year?

What are you most happy about completing during the last year?

Who are the three people that had the biggest impact on your life? Have you thanked them?

Who are three people whose lives you impacted for good? Have you thanked God for them?

What area of your life have you best taken responsibility for?

What area of your life did you leave to someone else to be responsible for, and why?

What was the most loving service you performed? What effect did you see from it?

What was the biggest risk you took? How did that turn out? How could it have gone even better?
  
What important relationship improved the most? What made the improvement?

What important relationship took a hit last year? What can you learn from that?

What compliment would you have liked to have received?

What compliment would you like to have given last year? Can you give it now?

What else do you need to say or do to be completely finished with the year?


What would you like to say to your Father about last year? 
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Columns, Devotionals

Books to Read in 2016

photo credit colourbox.com
I'm a reader. I read constantly.  My friends smirk at each other (with love) that whenever a (God) subject comes up, I will tell them a good book to read. And giving people books is my favorite thing to do.  What greater gift is there than knowledge from God?

I have a Kindle and if I want to read fiction,  I use it.  But for all my Christian books, I always buy paper back.  That way I can write in them and mark passages that I want to remember.  I think it's so much easier to study a paper back than an e-book.  

I have a short list of books that have changed my life.  I have included the Amazon link where you can purchase these books.



1 At the top of this list is, of course, the Bible!  There is no substitute for God's Word.  His Word is LIFE.  And a great tool along this line is the book I mentioned in my last post,

2 Prayers That Avail Much by Germaine Copeland.  

3 When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson  Several years ago, I had reached a point where I began to ask God if I was crazy.  I say this very seriously.  No one seemed to know the God I knew and I began to wonder if I really had it wrong.  And then the Lord made me aware of Bill Johnson and his church in Redding, California.  Bill Johnson says that when miracles become logical, we have renewed our mind in the Word.  He is my hero.  I read everything he writes and listen to him at.ibethel.org

4 Kingdom Principles by Myles Munroe  Jesus did not come to earth to give us a new religion.  He came to bring God's Kingdom to the earth.  

5 The Essential Guide to Healing by Bill Johnson and Randy Clark  I believe that it's always God's will to heal.  God's character is kindness and love and you cannot come into His Presence without becoming more whole.  He never makes people sick.  It is not His nature.  After reading this book, God told me to 'practice' praying for people and laying hands on them for healing.  Since then I have consistently experienced people receiving God's healing when I pray for them.

6  Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne  Shane Claiborne is another one of my heroes.  This book will change your perspective on 'churchianity' and changing our world like Jesus did.

7 Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna This book was a HUGE confirmation of many things God was telling me several years ago.  It was another confirmation for me that I was not crazy.  Don't read this book if you don't want to be rocked to the core.  

8 The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson  This book contains powerful truths about taking territory for God's Kingdom through prayer.

9 There Were Two Trees in the Garden by Rick Joyner  In this book, Rick Joyner gives powerful insight to the difference between God's righteousness and man's good.  You will never look at the world the same again.  

10 Fashioned to Reign:Empowering Women to Fulfill Their Divine Destiny by Kris Vallotton  I have not read this book yet (ordered it today) but I've heard Kris' teachings on this and they are wonderful! Two-thirds of the Body of Christ is women and God did not give us gifts that He did not intend us to use.  If you have any reservations about this, these truths will bless you and set you free.

11 The Tongue:A Creative Force by Charles Capps  God created the world with His Words.  We change the world with ours.  

12 The 40-Day Word Fast  by Tim Cameron  I have not read this book yet but was told about it by a blog-friend.  If you read my last post, doing this was a powerful life-changing event.  

I am looking forward to 2016 with a renewed sense of purpose and hope!  The world is in need of a Savior and we are to be His hands and feet.  We are to speak His Words into the earth and bring righteousness and truth.  We cannot do that until He is manifested in us.  Wrong thinking (thinking that is not aligned with the truth of God's Word) will stop this from happening.

We need His Truth.  We need revelation.  We need transformation.

Happy New Year!

love and blessings~



"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6
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Columns, Devotionals

Books to Read in 2016

photo credit colourbox.com
I'm a reader. I read constantly.  My friends smirk at each other (with love) that whenever a (God) subject comes up, I will tell them a good book to read. And giving people books is my favorite thing to do.  What greater gift is there than knowledge from God?

I have a Kindle and if I want to read fiction,  I use it.  But for all my Christian books, I always buy paper back.  That way I can write in them and mark passages that I want to remember.  I think it's so much easier to study a paper back than an e-book.  

I have a short list of books that have changed my life.  I have included the Amazon link where you can purchase these books.



1 At the top of this list is, of course, the Bible!  There is no substitute for God's Word.  His Word is LIFE.  And a great tool along this line is the book I mentioned in my last post,

2 Prayers That Avail Much by Germaine Copeland.  

3 When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson  Several years ago, I had reached a point where I began to ask God if I was crazy.  I say this very seriously.  No one seemed to know the God I knew and I began to wonder if I really had it wrong.  And then the Lord made me aware of Bill Johnson and his church in Redding, California.  Bill Johnson says that when miracles become logical, we have renewed our mind in the Word.  He is my hero.  I read everything he writes and listen to him at.ibethel.org

4 Kingdom Principles by Myles Munroe  Jesus did not come to earth to give us a new religion.  He came to bring God's Kingdom to the earth.  

5 The Essential Guide to Healing by Bill Johnson and Randy Clark  I believe that it's always God's will to heal.  God's character is kindness and love and you cannot come into His Presence without becoming more whole.  He never makes people sick.  It is not His nature.  After reading this book, God told me to 'practice' praying for people and laying hands on them for healing.  Since then I have consistently experienced people receiving God's healing when I pray for them.

6  Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne  Shane Claiborne is another one of my heroes.  This book will change your perspective on 'churchianity' and changing our world like Jesus did.

7 Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna This book was a HUGE confirmation of many things God was telling me several years ago.  It was another confirmation for me that I was not crazy.  Don't read this book if you don't want to be rocked to the core.  

8 The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson  This book contains powerful truths about taking territory for God's Kingdom through prayer.

9 There Were Two Trees in the Garden by Rick Joyner  In this book, Rick Joyner gives powerful insight to the difference between God's righteousness and man's good.  You will never look at the world the same again.  

10 Fashioned to Reign:Empowering Women to Fulfill Their Divine Destiny by Kris Vallotton  I have not read this book yet (ordered it today) but I've heard Kris' teachings on this and they are wonderful! Two-thirds of the Body of Christ is women and God did not give us gifts that He did not intend us to use.  If you have any reservations about this, these truths will bless you and set you free.

11 The Tongue:A Creative Force by Charles Capps  God created the world with His Words.  We change the world with ours.  

12 The 40-Day Word Fast  by Tim Cameron  I have not read this book yet but was told about it by a blog-friend.  If you read my last post, doing this was a powerful life-changing event.  

I am looking forward to 2016 with a renewed sense of purpose and hope!  The world is in need of a Savior and we are to be His hands and feet.  We are to speak His Words into the earth and bring righteousness and truth.  We cannot do that until He is manifested in us.  Wrong thinking (thinking that is not aligned with the truth of God's Word) will stop this from happening.

We need His Truth.  We need revelation.  We need transformation.

Happy New Year!

love and blessings~



"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6
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Devotionals, Letters

Learning From the Past Year

It has been said that “Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.” If we apply this personally, we could say, “Those who fail to learn from their history will find themselves making the same mistakes all over again.”

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to not make those particular mistakes again. It’s not that I’m afraid of mistakes, but I’d sure like to learn from new ones, instead of repeating the old ones.

And so I try to reflect on the year behind me, and I try to learn from the year I’ve just finished, with the hope that I’ll actually be more mature, not just older, next year. If you’d like to join me, here are some questions you might reflect on. Hint: this is a great time to get out your journal and write:

What was your biggest triumph in the past year? What does God say about it?

What was your most costly mistake in the past year? What do you learn from it?

What was the smartest decision you made during the year?
  
What was the greatest lesson you learned during the year?

If you could repeat one day of the last year, what day would that be, and why?

If you could forever forget one day from last year, what day, and why?

What one bit of Scripture best describes last year?

What are you most happy about completing during the last year?

Who are the three people that had the biggest impact on your life? Have you thanked them?

Who are three people whose lives you impacted for good? Have you thanked God for them?

What area of your life have you best taken responsibility for?

What area of your life did you leave to someone else to be responsible for, and why?

What was the most loving service you performed? What effect did you see from it?

What was the biggest risk you took? How did that turn out? How could it have gone even better?
  
What important relationship improved the most? What made the improvement?

What important relationship took a hit last year? What can you learn from that?

What compliment would you have liked to have received?

What compliment would you like to have given last year? Can you give it now?

What else do you need to say or do to be completely finished with the year?


What would you like to say to your Father about last year? 
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Columns, Devotionals

Renewing Our Minds

"And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind to prove what is the good and acceptable perfect will of God."  Romans 12:2

It is not enough for us to believe in God. We are called to be Christ-like. God wants to manifest Himself here on the earth through us.

We are to be His hands and feet - healing the sick, raising the dead, counseling with His wisdom, filling others with the Holy Spirit - and we can only do that as we are transformed into the image of Jesus.

We want to think like God and speak His Truth.  We want to say nothing that is contrary to the truth of His Word.  We want to always have His Truth to counsel others with.

If we don't have the Word of God to counsel others with, we have  nothing. Our opinions are worthless. And in fact, our opinions can cause harm. If our wisdom does not come from the Lord, it can lead others in the wrong direction.

We can't know God unless we know His Word. God and His Word are one.  We can't identify His Voice if we don't know His Word.  But as we begin to abide in His Word and His Word abides in us, we will hear His thoughts and His Voice. We will begin to have an inward witness and receive direction and an inward counsel.

We can tear down every thought that rises against the knowledge of Christ with the Sword of the Word. In other words, when the thought comes that we aren't going to have enough money to make it to pay day, the Word in us rises up and declares, "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)

Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)  We cannot have faith unless our mind is renewed in the Word.  Don't try to fake faith.  You can't.  But as you renew your mind in the Word, faith is birthed in your inner man and out of the fullness of your heart, your mouth will speak. (Luke 6:45)

When I first recommitted my life to Christ and was filled with the Holy Spirit, I found a book that is a great tool for renewing your mind.  I read the whole New Testament within a few weeks but I also started using this book.  "Prayers that Avail Much", by Germaine Copeland. (this is not a sponsored post)

The teaching at the beginning of this book is life-changing and it changed my life.  I re-read this teaching many times until I understood it and then I began to apply it to my life.  This book is simply the Word of God grouped into prayers on different subjects. The Word is turned around into first person so you are speaking the Word over yourself.

I did this every night the last thing before I went to sleep until I had memorized all these verses. Then I could quote them over myself whenever I wanted.  My first four paper back copies of this book fell apart.  lol  I now have the leather bound version.

I give this book to everyone I have a relationship with and advise them to incorporate it into their lives.  A friend of mine and I bought a small case of them a few years ago and handed them all out. It's a great tool in renewing your mind!

In this season the Lord told me to go on a 40-day Word-fast.  I knew instantly what He meant.  I stuck my television in the closet and turned my radio to a Christian station.  I put nothing into my heart except the Word of God and teachings and books on the Word for 40 days.  It transformed me. I went from zero to sixty in 40 days.

A true fast is 'water only' but I believe that if you are water fasting, this is a very powerful thing to do during a fast too.  If we are fasting, we should be dedicating as much time as possible to prayer and interaction with God. TV and books should be put aside during the fast.

I am always very careful to not watch anything on TV or see movies that are violent or sexual.  I want to confess that I have not been perfect in this and am making a fresh commitment to be more careful about this.

I never have anything to do with supernatural movies or shows - even turning the TV to another channel when an advertisement comes on.  These movies and shows impart demonic spirits of violence, lust, impure thoughts and even nightmares.  The more sensitive you become because of the renewing of your mind, the more you will become alarmed at these things and need to remove them from your life.

We cannot live like the world and expect God to be manifest in our lives. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in an impure vessel and the more impurity we have in our lives, the less Holy Spirit we will have. So many of our illnesses and problems will disappear as we are transformed into the image of Jesus. Integrity becomes a shield over us.

The new year is a great time to renew our commitment to spending time in the Word and with Our God.  He is faithful and true and His mercies are new every day.  He does not hold our weaknesses against us but instead rejoices when we get it right.  He is a loving, encouraging Father that rejoices over His children with joyful singing.

May He manifest Himself in us in this new year!

love and blessings~






Standard
Columns, Devotionals

Renewing Our Minds

"And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind to prove what is the good and acceptable perfect will of God."  Romans 12:2

It is not enough for us to believe in God. We are called to be Christ-like. God wants to manifest Himself here on the earth through us.

We are to be His hands and feet - healing the sick, raising the dead, counseling with His wisdom, filling others with the Holy Spirit - and we can only do that as we are transformed into the image of Jesus.

We want to think like God and speak His Truth.  We want to say nothing that is contrary to the truth of His Word.  We want to always have His Truth to counsel others with.

If we don't have the Word of God to counsel others with, we have  nothing. Our opinions are worthless. And in fact, our opinions can cause harm. If our wisdom does not come from the Lord, it can lead others in the wrong direction.

We can't know God unless we know His Word. God and His Word are one.  We can't identify His Voice if we don't know His Word.  But as we begin to abide in His Word and His Word abides in us, we will hear His thoughts and His Voice. We will begin to have an inward witness and receive direction and an inward counsel.

We can tear down every thought that rises against the knowledge of Christ with the Sword of the Word. In other words, when the thought comes that we aren't going to have enough money to make it to pay day, the Word in us rises up and declares, "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)

Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)  We cannot have faith unless our mind is renewed in the Word.  Don't try to fake faith.  You can't.  But as you renew your mind in the Word, faith is birthed in your inner man and out of the fullness of your heart, your mouth will speak. (Luke 6:45)

When I first recommitted my life to Christ and was filled with the Holy Spirit, I found a book that is a great tool for renewing your mind.  I read the whole New Testament within a few weeks but I also started using this book.  "Prayers that Avail Much", by Germaine Copeland. (this is not a sponsored post)

The teaching at the beginning of this book is life-changing and it changed my life.  I re-read this teaching many times until I understood it and then I began to apply it to my life.  This book is simply the Word of God grouped into prayers on different subjects. The Word is turned around into first person so you are speaking the Word over yourself.

I did this every night the last thing before I went to sleep until I had memorized all these verses. Then I could quote them over myself whenever I wanted.  My first four paper back copies of this book fell apart.  lol  I now have the leather bound version.

I give this book to everyone I have a relationship with and advise them to incorporate it into their lives.  A friend of mine and I bought a small case of them a few years ago and handed them all out. It's a great tool in renewing your mind!

In this season the Lord told me to go on a 40-day Word-fast.  I knew instantly what He meant.  I stuck my television in the closet and turned my radio to a Christian station.  I put nothing into my heart except the Word of God and teachings and books on the Word for 40 days.  It transformed me. I went from zero to sixty in 40 days.

A true fast is 'water only' but I believe that if you are water fasting, this is a very powerful thing to do during a fast too.  If we are fasting, we should be dedicating as much time as possible to prayer and interaction with God. TV and books should be put aside during the fast.

I am always very careful to not watch anything on TV or see movies that are violent or sexual.  I want to confess that I have not been perfect in this and am making a fresh commitment to be more careful about this.

I never have anything to do with supernatural movies or shows - even turning the TV to another channel when an advertisement comes on.  These movies and shows impart demonic spirits of violence, lust, impure thoughts and even nightmares.  The more sensitive you become because of the renewing of your mind, the more you will become alarmed at these things and need to remove them from your life.

We cannot live like the world and expect God to be manifest in our lives. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in an impure vessel and the more impurity we have in our lives, the less Holy Spirit we will have. So many of our illnesses and problems will disappear as we are transformed into the image of Jesus. Integrity becomes a shield over us.

The new year is a great time to renew our commitment to spending time in the Word and with Our God.  He is faithful and true and His mercies are new every day.  He does not hold our weaknesses against us but instead rejoices when we get it right.  He is a loving, encouraging Father that rejoices over His children with joyful singing.

May He manifest Himself in us in this new year!

love and blessings~






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Columns, Devotionals

My New Year’s Resolution

Do you make 'New Year's Resolutions?'  My birthday is in October so I typically take stock then, make some changes, and then see how I'm doing at the start of the year.

But this December, God's been talking to me about making some changes.

I have something on my heart that I've wanted to do for years...for decades...and have never done it. With God's help this year, I'm going to try to write a book.  

I've had it on my heart for years.  It will take some research and many hours of work but God gave me a plan that I think will help me accomplish 'our' goal.  I'm sharing this in hopes that it may help you, too.

God told me to make a schedule.  

This seems like such a simple idea.  I haven't had a schedule for years since I quit home-schooling our children.  They have all graduated from high school and our two oldest have graduated from college.  After I quit home-schooling, I wandered around for a few years, going "What do I do now? What do I do now?"  lol

I am not a naturally disciplined person.  When I was home-schooling, the hardest thing for me the first couple of years, was sticking to a schedule. When I quit home-schooling, it never occurred to me to have a schedule.  In fact, it was a glorious relief to NOT have a schedule! 

But God spoke to me the other day and told me to make this change. My family had already suggested that I set aside times that I would dedicate to writing, but when God down-loaded this to me, He empowered and convicted me. So I have been working on it.  

I'm starting slowly. I have designated times that I will write. I have penciled in times that I will do other things that need to be done weekly - like clean, grocery shop, laundry and errands, Gates of Crystal. I am so bad at this! But I am going to continue to work at this until it's a part of my life.

One of the things that has messed me up a little this year is our son came back home to live with us. I had a desk set up in our guest room that helped keep me organized and all my books were in there. He's been home for six months and I had to reorganize. He may be moving back to Boston soon and that will change.  (I will be very sorry to have him go!)  But I will once again have an organized spot and a sunny place to write.

My husband and I have each made a list of things we'd like to accomplish this year. We are praying together over our lists and are going to keep each other accountable. I like to think of myself as creative and having to 'do my thing' when the inspiration hits.  :)  But recently I heard Kris Vallotton say that when writing a book you start out with inspiration but the last few months are just hard work. I needed to hear that.

I have been meeting with some friends of mine to pray on Monday mornings and for Bible study and prayer on Thursday evenings.  We have been wonderfully connecting with God and are freshly flowing in Words of Knowledge and the prophetic. This time has become so precious to us!  And God seems to be connecting each one of us with people we've lost touch with and the first thing they ask is what we're doing. I had a dream the other night that the room was full of people, including men. I've been very encouraged about what the Lord is doing.  

I want to encourage you to pray.  To start with even one person and meet weekly and pray! I believe that this is the step that began to change things.  

So now, I'm even accountable to you.  Maybe we can be accountable to each other.  

If you'd like to comment and share something that God has put on your heart to do this year, please do! Or you can email me at lyndabrandly@gmail.com or add me as a friend on Facebook.  I also have a Summits of Rubies Facebook page if you'd like to join.  

I have a fresh hope that this will be a year of gain and accomplishing goals!  

love and blessings for a prosperous new year!
"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."  Ephesians 5:15,16,17
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