Intimacy with God

It is important to spend time alone with the LORD. In case you were never informed, God wants to be with you. He wants you to meditate on His unfailing love with a heart of thanksgiving. The LORD wants to strengthen, teach, encourage and bless you in the time that you spend with Him in secret.

HE WANTS TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU!!

Strongholds?

"One who is wise can go against the city of the mighty and pull down the strongholds in which they trust" Proverbs 21:22


Yesterday morning, the Lord really impressed upon my heart the importance of pulling down strongholds. Many people trust many things that are not God Himself. This is not the way that it should be. God is trustworthy & faithful.

In the world that we live it, there are many things available to put your trust in. All of these things are false. Nothing that you trust in, aside from God, will save you. You need God. Anything you have heard contradicting that is a lie! Rebuke all lies. No longer believe them (Regardless of what you have heard, you have a choice whether to receive the lies or not... my advice: Do not receive them-come on, they are lies).

First off, let us examine our lives together. Are there any strongholds? We, as believers, must make sure that we trust the LORD and the LORD alone. There can not be a plan B. He is the only one that will remain faithful through it all.

Where a stronghold is present, in that area, there is a lack of communication with God. If anything is put before God, or elevated in any way above God, there is a lack of trust in who God is.

Before dealing with strongholds, I find it extremely important to look at who God is. God is faithful, Provider, all-powerful, all-knowing, He has insight, He is love, He is the first and the Last. He is who He says He is. The more God is seen for who He really is, the easier it is to understand the power in His name.

When God is present (always), nothing can stand above Him. Look into your life. Is there anything that has a hold on you? Anything separating you from truth? REMEMBER NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD! Rebuke all lies that the enemy has tried to put in your way!

The Word of God is what sets us free! Meditate on His law day & night! Place His truth in your heart. Set it higher than any thought! Remember who He is & thank Him always!

I have found, in my personal walk, that when something comes my way... A temptation, a previous struggle, or anything that tries to puff itself up above my God... His Word is more powerful than those attacks! He is strong, oh so strong! Nothing at all can separate us from His love. We must continue soaking in His Word, becoming familiar with all truth. If we are covered in truth, no lies can exist.

Strongholds are lies!! Rebuke all lies in the name of Jesus Christ (YES! Hallelu Yah! There is power in His name). Find scripture that speaks truth about whatever it is that you are dealing with & believe the truth... not the lies! Lies no longer have power over you! If you are indeed a son or daughter of the Most High God, YOU ARE FREE!!!

Bless you!

*Praise is a wonderful tool for breaking off strongholds... there is freedom when you praise God with all of your heart!*



http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/bible_verses.php

It is ALL ABOUT HIM...

When did it become about us? The more that I share the gospel of Christ, the more I recognize a need for Christ to truly be seen. "They have eyes, but they cannot see" would be the best way to explain what is concerning me. If you would, partner with me in prayer that God would open the eyes, ears and hearts of those who do not know Him and to those who have a knowledge of truth but deny its power.

Lately, my eyes have been opened to see the way salvation is viewed by many. It is as if, accepting Christ is a ticket to heaven. Really, that is the way that a lot Americans view Christianity & it hurts to see. You know at the end of a service when the pastor says "If you were to die today, do you know where you would go?" A friend of mine made a clear point. This question is driving people into a place of fear. They may accept Christ, simply because they fear hell. That is wrong. Accepting Christ can not be seen as a "ticket" to heaven. Believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He was raised from the dead is your assurance that you are now able to commune with YHWH! He hears you because of your faith in His only Son. Hallelu Yah.

Salvation starts here. Salvation is freedom from sin & the wages of sin and freedom to worship God with all that you are. Salvation is knowing God and being known by Him. Salvation is being led by the Spirit. Salvation is loving God and being loved by God. Salvation is freedom. Salvation is a constant growing, learning and seeking the will of God. Salvation is not heaven. Yes, we who believe will soon be with the Father in Heaven, but salvation starts here. We are now able to communicate with the LORD, through faith in His Son Jesus. He will speak to us, guide us, love us, protect us while we are here, and eventually bring us home to be with Him.

If Heaven is our focus, we are in trouble. God must be our focus. He loves us so much that HE SENT HIS ONLY SON TO COME TO EARTH & DIE ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS. God is love. He is the acceptance we will do anything for & He accepts us freely. He is the truth we would die for & He is willing to give it to us without cost. He is the life we seek & He has given up His for us. God is love. He so loves you. It is not about who you are or what you will receive. It is about GOD loving you.

God first loved. We did nothing to deserve His love. We rebelled against Him, intentionally and unintentionally. He gave us earth and all of the resources we need to live a long joyful life. The living God gave us everything we could ever need. He asked one thing of us... to worship Him with all that we are (to thank Him for giving us EVERYTHING)... and WE REBELLED against Love Himself. What we did deserves punishment. We deserve to be separated from His love, because we did not respect it from the beginning. BUT He loves us too much to send us away from His presence. He knew we could never make it up to Him. He knew that no matter how hard we tried, we would always fall without Him. So instead of leaving us here to die, He sent His Son to die for us. He paid the debt of our sin. HE MADE A WAY WHEN THERE WAS NO WAY!!!! Why? Because He loves us. He loves us so much. Do you see? He could have given up on you & I, but He did not. He had love for us. He has love for us.

Why would He want to send His Son? He sent His Son because He wanted to make sure that our sins were atoned for, so that He could communicate with us and love us endlessly. He made a way for us, so that while we are here on earth we can have a relationship with Him. He forgave us so that we could praise Him. Truly, He made it possible for us to worship Him again. He has allowed us to come back to a place of thanksgiving.

Salvation is not about us. It is not about hell. It is not about heaven. Salvation is about a loving God who created humans who fell. He had love for them so deep that He made a way for them to receive forgiveness. Once forgiven, He now can speak to them & know that they will hear Him. He made a way for all people to commune with Him. He made a way for all people to have an intimate relationship with Him.

It is ALL ABOUT HIM! It is all about the love He has for all people, including you. It is ALL ABOUT HIM!!!

Repent & return to a lifestyle of thanksgiving. He deserves to be praised. He has given us everything we need without cost & has made a way for us to worship Him. He is love. He is love. He is love.

PRAISE YHWH! It is ALL ABOUT HIM!

Mobile

We are heading back to Mobile in the morning...

I have so enjoyed every moment of Houston! Being with Alicia Conn & her family has blessed me, oh so much! You learn a lot when you fellowship with other people and spend time getting to know them through experience.

It will be a busy next few months.

This week was exactly what I needed before heading into BUSYness.

Oh, joyful tonight :) REALLY JOYFUL.

I plan to write much (soon & very soon).

until next time: Blessings.

There is always Love...

Over the last two days, I have learned so much. God has been revealing Himself to me and bringing me to a deeper understanding of His mercy and grace. The weaker I am, the stronger I see Him. Papa God is so strong. Thank You, Lord.

Yesterday, Elisa & Rachael came over. Their visit was full of blessings. First, they shared many stories of real life events. Then, Elisa gave her heart concerning marriage. It was beautiful to hear her share. The Lord allowed me to see into her life as a wife and opened my eyes to the challenges that come with marriage. Lately, I have been more aware of the trials that it brings. Hearing her perspective helped me to know actual situations and the importance of communication through them.

Then, the night went on. I had dreams. All night, the Lord revealed Himself to me. One specific dream, I encountered a very bad guy. The man asked me to wrap myself up in Christmas lights, so that he could plug me into the wall and eventually electrocute me. I knew his plan and noticed that it was raining outside; so I asked him if I could plug myself up outside (because I knew that if I went outside I could fly away). He said know, knowing that the neighbors would hear me scream. I went outside anyway. Once out there, the mans daughter tried to help her dad stop me. I told the girl that I was an angel. She asked me to prove it and so I got a running start and flew away from them. Flying was my escape from death. So, I flew all the way to the University of Mobile. At the university, some people saw me flying. In my dream, I heard the voice of the Lord speaking to me. He told me that I was soaring with Him and that He was taking me places that people did not believe I would ever go. My dream really blessed me.

When I woke up, I heard Lily (Jessi Ryan’s baby girl) laughing super hard with Ms. Victoria. It was such a blessing to wake up to their joy.

The entire day was full of productivity. It was wonderful. We all went up to Barnes & Nobles and got work done. I finished homework, started on study guides for upcoming tests and looked over information for a disciple now that I am leading this weekend. Getting things done was rewarding.

Then, we went home and Ms. Victoria made dinner for us. We had yummy Mexican food. After dinner, Ms. Victoria explained to me how the Lord radically healed her many years ago and allowed her to have children. Her story so blessed me and took me deeper in the love of God.

All night I had a desire to worship God alone, so I went upstairs and began to pray. In prayer, I thanked God for all that He was doing. He deserves all of my praise, so I continued to bless Him (just as He had so perfectly blessed me). We had a good time with one another. His presence was tangible and I was grateful to feel Him with me. His love is more than enough.

After worshipping and fellowshipping with the Father, I met up with Alicia & Ms. Victoria on the couch. Ms. Victoria asked me a few questions that opened up a much-needed conversation. Before I knew it, I was opening up and allowing both of them deep into my heart. I took them places that no one had been. It hurt so badly. All I could do was cry. The entire experience pulled on me so hard. All I could do was cry. We talked about things that had hindered the Lord from working and they helped me to realize how much God wanted to do in my mother’s life. Their words of wisdom truly blessed me. As Ms. Victoria talked, claimed victory, and prayed over my mom, and me I was without words to say. My heart was hurting and I felt a little bit misunderstood. Thankfully, the Lord cleared up all of my doubts. Spending time with them touched my spirit in ways that I will never be able to explain. All that I know is, God healed my heart in a new way tonight and allowed me to see His great love in another light.

I am grateful that God is consistent.

God continued to speak to my heart throughout the night. I am blessed to have the Lord to comfort me. He is my first love. I will always be His. It is a wonderful gift to be a child of the Lord. He is always there to bring me into truth and to pull me out of darkness. God is for me. God is working all things together for my good.

Although times may be extremely painful and hard, He is there working all things out. I am grateful to have God with me. His favor is more than enough for me. He is more than enough for me. ALL PRAISE TO YHWH!


<3 LOVED

The day of birth...

Today, twenty years ago... I was born!

Alicia Conn & I are traveling to Houston, Texas today!

We are at Starbucks, starting our morning off with coffee :) Alicia got me a birthday drink. She is so sweet in her love for me. Rebecca Wattier & Alicia are talking at a table nearby... and I love hearing their voices! Sometimes, just being in the same room as friends (really, family) blesses me. Even when we are not talking with one another, it's a joy to know that they are here.

You know, God has poured out His love & favor in abundance this morning/day. I am grateful for His grace. My friends remind me of how much God loves me :) The way they continue to shower me with truth and guide me along the path of righteousness.

I am free. I am learning about freedom and would like to share that soon...

Thanks for all who are reading and following along.

Praying that you all are blessed in God's presence today & that you recognize His grace all throughout the day. To the Lord, YHWH, be the praise! Bless the LORD!

What are you looking for?

What are you looking for?

Remember that time when you bought the perfect outfit for that special night? You searched throughout every store until you found the clothing that fit your personality and looked perfect. You recognized it as worthy and bought it. When the special day came, you wore the outfit with pride. Compliments surrounded you and you felt beautiful.

What ever happened to that outfit? Do you still wear it and feel the same way? Does it still turn heads? I know that if I were to go back in time and find the outfit that comes to mind, it would barely fit me and surely would not turn heads the way it did back then.

Why is it that something that seemed so significant years ago is now useless? Why is it that you searched for the perfect outfit? Fought for the look? Bought it full price? What made an outfit seem so appealing?

As a woman in America, I can easily look at my life and be humbled. Time after time, I searched everywhere to find the look that I was going for. I looked and looked until I found exactly what I wanted. The outfit was worn once, put in the closet and given away just a few weeks later. I am guilty of spending time seeking for something that quickly lost value in my sight.

Before I knew the LORD, my time was spent shopping and shopping. Every week, I had a desire to find an outfit to make myself look better. It would work, for that day. I would look super adorable and everyone around me would tell me so.

Then, I met God. He showed me that I had value and that it was not my appearance. Just a few weeks after meeting Him, He woke me up in the middle of the night and asked me to clean out my closet. This request seemed Huge, but worth it. It was an early hour in the morning and I was tired, but I did what He said.

As I picked through clothing, accessories and swimsuits, I soon realized that I was far from modest. My appearance was far from beautiful. All of the compliments I had previously received because of what I wore suddenly seemed worthless.

Ashamed, I continued cleaning out. Every dress was five inches shorter than it should have been, every pair of shorts showed more skin than necessary, my swimsuits were more like undergarments, and my shirts were short and low-cut. My wardrobe that once brought me attention, now humbled me. How had I been fooled so easily? What I had been wearing was not appealing at all. Maybe to the worldly eye, I had appeared like them which made me pretty to them. But, in God’s eyes, I was really just giving away what He had given me.

Clothes suddenly seemed worthless. The hundreds (not exaggerating) of items that I got rid of that day made me realize how little earthly possessions meant, clothes especially. I remember looking in my closet before and having tons of things to choose from. After cleaning up, I had four main outfits and a few extra things for running.

All I wanted was to glorify God through my dress, even if that meant wearing the same thing every day. And I did. Sometimes, I wore the same thing days in a row. After a while, I started shopping for mommy clothes. Clothes that were older women attracted me. So, for a while I wore them.

Over the summer, I worked as a lifeguard at Camp Baldwin. Every day I wore super long shorts, my work tank top or t-shirt and sandals. Throughout the entire summer, I wore a total of ten outfits. This story would sound crazy if you knew me before this happened; God gave me value and allowed me to walk in it distraction free.

When school started in the fall, my wardrobe changed a little but not much. Makeup was no longer a priority because I had gone the entire summer without it (seriously, my makeup bag was packed away). To the world, it was if I did not care what I looked like. This was true.

My concern was/is for my Father and His Kingdom. I found out that the more time spent with Him in the morning, the more I have to offer to the world during the day. I found out that the less time spent on makeup and finding that “perfect outfit”, the more time I had to read the Word of God. There is something mysterious about the Word of God. It truly is a mystery. He is willing to reveal the mystery to those who seek, He is.

This previous break, I spent time very sick with the flu. I could barely open my eyes because the light caused much pain, my throat hurt just breathing, there were pains in every area of my body, and I had a fever of 102. While pulled down and sick, the Lord taught me so much. He brought me to a place where I recognized Him as my Beloved. He became the One that promised to stick with me in sickness and in health, the One that would not separate from me in death. He gave me value. He took the time to spend with me, to remind me that I was beautiful in His sight. Beautiful just laying there without makeup, baggy clothes on and barely able to move. He sees past the visible, into a realm that is more real. He sees me, His daughter and loved one, as beautiful.

During my time away from school, He also brought me back to the day that He asked me to clean out my closet. He impressed upon my heart that getting dressed up, caring for my appearance and enjoying being physically attractive did not offend Him. He allowed me to see that He was always with me and for me. He showed me that His eyes were focused on my heart, not my looks. As long as I was not using my dress as a tool of manipulation, He was okay with me getting ready for the day and loving it.

Getting back into it was so much fun. I would sing to Him and thank Him for freedom as I put mascara on. I would ask Him to pick out my outfits and guide me in purity. I still do.

This past year has been an adventure. Seeing what really matters and letting go of what doesn’t has changed my life. I am forever convinced that seeking God is far more beneficial than seeking anything else. And I am not ashamed to tell all the world that GOD IS GREATER than anything else that can be desired.

He gives you purpose and hope. Through His Son we are able to meet with Him. Seeking God and spending time with Him is the most amazing gift. I have found no greater love than the love of God. He is the only one that is solid; He is my Rock.

Seek Him with me. He will give you the desires of your heart. He will teach you things that men cannot teach. He will purify you and show you true beauty. He will bless your heart as you praise His Holy name. He is worthy.

If you are in desperate need for something to seek, something that is of worth, seek YHWH! He is worthy. He is all you need. There is always more. When seeking Him, there is always more to find. Seek Him & you will find what you are looking for.

YHWH, the Living God, is all that you are looking for. He is all that you need.

The more I experience...

... the more I know God. His character is flawless & He is who He says He is.

As most of you know, I have been following Jesus Christ for a little over a year now. In the beginning of my walk, I spent hours upon hours asking the LORD for one thing. That one thing is still my hearts cry "I WANT TO KNOW YOU". When I started asking Him for this knowledge of who He is, He immediately answered me. Every moment of every day He revealed Himself in a new way. He emphasized that HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS. Whoa! It is a truth that only grows.

Knowing God means becoming less. In Proverbs we are told that "Humility is the fear of the LORD" (22:4). When we know Him, we fear Him. When we know Him, we become less. He is MIGHTY & HOLY. The more I learn about Him, the more humbled I am; the more I want to please Him. YHWH is worthy of all praise. He is.

Lately, I have been dealing with different things. Struggles of the mind and flesh have crawled in without invitation. Although I have not acted on any of these struggles, I felt as though I had wronged God. This is not so. If anything, God was being magnified in my life. The more that I struggle, the more my need for God is obvious. He is magnified.

"He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30). As He is magnified and seen for who He really is, the more I recognize my need for Him. I am so weak on my own. The beautiful thing is, I am not on my own. GOD IS MY STRENGTH!!! He is with me.. Forever & Ever. Yes!!!

ENCOURAGED: Let's embrace our times of weakness... and allow God to be magnified! Sing praise to Him through the weakness!! HE IS STRONG :) HE IS STRONG!!! Yes!

Constantly Learning...

On Earth, we have the privilege to continue learning. In every situation, God is calling us closer to His heart. It is by His grace that we are able to receive from everyone and everything around us.

When we were lost, we were unable to see Him pursuing us. Now, we are saved & He is in clear view.

Let us always remember that God is with us. God is willing to teach us & direct us.

Let us always choose to hear His voice over the many voices surrounding us. His voice is the voice of Peace & Love.