Tomorrow is the day of the year that I dread the most! No, it’s not ‘TAX DAY’, it’s HALLOWEEN! I have often been quoted as saying, “NOVEMBER 1, is my favorite day of the year! I am so happy when I wake up on November 1! I rise with a big smile on my face and thank God! I plan a wonderful Fall outfit to wear and prepare for baking all things pumpkin!

It’s not a theological stance that I am taking. Even though, there is plenty of evidence in the scriptures to “stay away from evil.” This day of the year for many is as fun as reading a scary book or watching a scary movie. Neither of which I can participate in either.

For me it boils down to a sensitivity in my spirit. God speaks to all of us through His Spirit.

“For The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”                                                        Luke 12:12

The Bible is full of stories of people who were given the words God wanted them to speak, from the Holy Spirit.

“When Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, he spoke to the rulers and elders what God wanted him to say.” Acts 4:8

“When Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit he looked straight at Elymas and said…” Acts 13:9

“…The Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke…” Acts 19:6

These are just a few of the examples of God speaking to His people through His Holy Spirit.

Each and every one of these stories has one major point in common. They all had to listen to The Holy Spirit to receive the words God wanted them to speak.

Your FEAR maybe different than mine. Maybe you are not afraid of Halloween, scary movies or scary books.

Maybe you are afraid of the unknown. Trying something different than what you have always done is paralyzing you with fear. Yet, you feel the Lord trying to speak to you through The Holy Spirit to “try something new.” Are you listening?

Maybe you are afraid of rejection. The thought of someone not approving of you or something you do leaves you in a cold sweat. Yet, you have heard the still small voice of The Lord asking you to trust Him and not men. Are you listening?

Maybe you are afraid of Failure. The idea that you would try something and not be successful at it has you frozen and stuck in the place you are in. Yet, the nagging feeling that God is speaking to you to try something new, has not gone away. Are you listening?

You see, when we are willing to listen to God, it then calls for an action. Something else the stories about the people I shared above have in common, are that after they listened to The Holy Spirit, they were called to act on what they were told.

When I was very young, I had a nightmare that I have never forgotten. God spoke to me then to keep dark and evil images out of my mind. This called me into action. When all of my teenage friends were watching scary movies, I had to say NO! When it was popular to read certain horror books, I had to say NO! When Halloween came around each year and the costumes and the parties and the haunted houses became more and more frightening, I had to say NO! This left me feeling lonely at times and definitely made me a subject of ridicule. It still does actually and that made sharing this topic on my blog very difficult.

But, The Truth remains, when God speaks to you through His Holy Spirit, you have a choice to make. You can listen or not! If and when you choose to listen, you have a second choice to make, you can act on what you heard or not.

So, today, the day before my worst day of the year, will you pause and take a moment and ask yourself, What am I afraid of? And whatever that answer is for you, I invite you to share in THE TRUTH God speaks into all FEAR!

PSALM 56:3 “WHEN I AM AFRAID, I PUT MY TRUST IN YOU.”

PSALM 34:4 “I SOUGHT THE LORD, AND HE ANSWERED ME; HE DELIVERED ME FROM ALL MY FEARS.”

ISAIAH 41:10 “SO DO NOT FEAR, FOR I AM WITH YOU; DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND HELP YOU; I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND.”

JOSHUA 1:9 “HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.”

AND MY FAVORITE…

I JOHN 4:4 “YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.”

TRUTH BOMB

NO NEED TO HIDE IN FEAR! GOD’S GOT THIS!

Live in the confidence friends that GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN YOU, THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD!

Speak Truth Love

Do you ever walk past the magazines at the checkout counter and view the “beautiful people” on the covers and want to run with your cart through the aisles frantically putting back half of the food items in your grocery cart before anyone sees that you had them there in the first place? I actually think that in this day and age of advanced technology the only reason they still print magazines with ink and paper is to guilt trip us at the check out counter.

Do you go onto your Social Media accounts and feel shame over the trillions of posts about what to eat, what to wear, how to decorate your house, how to raise your “tribe”, how to live a “perfect” life or a “messy” life, a “cluttered” life or a “simple” life?

Seriously, if anyones self-esteem can stand up to that daily bombardment, then I would question if they have a heart? Don’t get me wrong, I love the “Food Babe” and the “Paleo Community” as much as the rest of you do. But when my self-control is wavering and that cupcake is looking like the better choice than my kale salad with lemon juice squeezed on it, I feel nothing but defeated and “LESS THAN!”

I love the fact that people are using their god-given talents and passions and sharing successful ways to use them. But I fear that all too often we “FALL FOR” the lie that if we are not living this way or that, we are somehow “LESS THAN!”

God’s Words to us speak tenderly and firmly that we are “MORE THAN”, simply because HE CREATED US!

Psalm 139:14

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

The verse right before this one tells us that we were “knit together in our mother’s womb,” and that “God created our inmost being!”

God made you “MORE THAN!” You are His child and He cares for you! He created your “inmost being”, and that is the you He wants to see shine!

It is fine if you glean a healthier eating plan for yourself, but do not allow your weight or size to define you! God made you wonderfully and you are “MORE THAN” that!

It is fine if you acquire beauty and fashion tips from outside sources, but do not allow them to define your beauty. God knit you together and you are “MORE THAN” that!

It is fine if you gain organization in your home or office by simplifying your surroundings, but do not believe you are “LESS THAN”, if your home is full of clutter! God made you fearfully and you are “MORE THAN”, that!

If you live a “messy” lifestyle or a “coffered” lifestyle, embrace it because God knows you!

“He knows when you sit and when you stand, He knows your innermost thoughts, and He still says, “YOU ARE MORE THAN!”

So when we FALL FOR the lie that we are “Less than”, remember The Truth,

You are fearful and wonderfully made, and God says you are “MORE THAN!

TRUTH BOMB

WHEN THE WORLD TELLS YOU, YOU ARE LESS THAN, GOD TELLS YOU, YOU ARE MORE THAN!

Walk in His Truth my friend. Know that you are MORE THAN ENOUGH!

Speak Truth Love

Why is the loudest voice we hear, the most negative?

Seriously, I can receive fifty compliments and still walk away discouraged by the one negative comment I received. I have a strong feeling that I’m not the only one!

Sometimes we FALL for what other people say because we have a deep, silent insecurity that is triggered.

Sometimes we FALL for what other people say because it validates our own actions. Even if we know deep down it is not right!

Sometimes we FALL for what other people say because the enemy knows what causes us to stumble.

Truth Is, there is only one voice that we need to listen to! Only one voice to validate us, only one voice who tells us how to act, how to be, and how to live!

Our Lord Jesus Christ may speak to us in a ‘still small voice,’ but The Truth He speaks rings loud and clear!

What voice or voices are you FALLING for?

The voice of our Lord is tender, affirming and clear. Don’t FALL for the loudest voice, FALL for the One True Voice, He speaks Truth in a world full of counterfeits!

The only way to know a counterfeit is to know The Truth! The way they train people who work with money everyday is not by giving them counterfeit bills. They inundate them with the real deal. They study real money so when a counterfeit comes along, they can spot it immediately! They study the truth.

The only way to know The Truth God speaks over us is to keep ourselves in His Word of Truth daily!

I recently came across a list of Truths God says about us, about you and about me.

I have written these Truths down. I speak them out loud when I feel like FALLING over what someone else says about me.

I AM A CHILD OF GOD! John 1:12-13

I AM SAVED BY GRACE! Ephesians 2:8-9

I AM ALIVE TO GOD AND DEAD TO SIN! Romans 6:11

I AM SANCTIFIED! John 17:19

I AM A NEW CREATION ! II Corinthians 5:17

I AM A ROYAL DAUGHTER! I Peter 2:9

I AM RECONCILED TO GOD! II Corinthians 5:19

I AM FREE! John 8:36

I AM JUSTIFIED! Galatians 2:16

I AM CHOSEN! Ephesians 1:4

When careless words and lies of others cause you to FALL and dive into the sea of self-doubt, look up these scriptures, speak them out loud and let God’s Truth replace the lies from the enemy!

“So, I am writing to you not because you don’t know The TRUTH but because you do know the difference between TRUTH and lies.”

I John 2:21

God has made it possible for us through the power of His Holy Spirit to know His Truth and separate it from the lies of this world!

TRUTH BOMB

ONLY THE TRUTH CAN DETECT AND DESTROY THE LIE.

Lies are all around us friends. The enemy seeks to use them to cause us to FALL. Know God’s TRUTH about you, destroy the lie and walk in freedom! You are all that He says you are!

Speak Truth Love

I love the Fall season, don’t you?

I love pumpkin everything and truly can not get enough of my pumpkin spice latte’s! I love fall baking, fall decorating, fall dressing and most of all fall eating! I mean, why does pumpkin added to a cookie, muffin, cake, or doughnut almost change the course of history? Pure deliciousness in every bite! I love seeing the colors change from bright gold, to fire red, and that orange pop! I love walking through the leaves and hearing the crunch, crunch, crunch under my feet. I love apples and I love going to Apple Hill with the family! But by far the thing I love the most is the countdown of each and every day of October, then November until it is THANKSGIVING! I love my family, I love my friends and I love all things FALL!

As I say the word “FALL” over and over again, and I read it over again as my head turns from doors, to walls, to magazine covers, I am struck with a slightly different feeling of FALL. FALLING springs to the front of my mind. Why do I fall and what do I fall for?

So, it got me thinking…in this month of ‘All Things Fall,’ maybe I should take a self evaluation of what things I “fall for!”

Too often I fall for GIMMICKS! You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones that promise you will make a lot of money without much effort. Or, the ones that promise you will loose weight quick without exercise or diet. Or, the ones that promise your skin will look young and wrinkle-free if you simply smear this cream all over it.

A GIMMICK is defined as “an ingenious or novel devise, scheme, or strategy, especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal.”

In a gimmick something is concealed or hidden to embellish the true quality of the product.

Each time I FALL for yet another gimmick, I tell myself, “never again.”

I ask myself the obvious question, “If a product is that affordable and that good, is it a gimmick?”

As I realize how easily I fall for “gimmicks,” I am reminded that the enemy is all to clever to offer them to me as well. Oh, he doesn’t care about how much money I have, how thin I am, or how smooth my skin is, but he certainly cares about how much time I spend with God in prayer and in His Word.

I FALL all too quickly for his gimmick of ,”it’s ok that you don’t have enough time this morning, do your quiet time later.”  My day goes by too quickly and the next gimmick I FALL for is, “You had long day, you are tired, do your devotion in the morning.”

Before I know it, I have succumbed to the gimmicks of the enemy, and my week has passed by with little or no time in prayer or bible study.

I love the season of Fall, but I do not like falling for GIMMICKS! They leave me bankrupt both financially and spiritually. My goal this season is to sip that warm, delicious pumpkin spice latte and let it remind me not to FALL for GIMMICKS! Especially those that come from the enemy of our souls!

TRUTH BOMB

KNOW THE TRUTH SO THAT THE GIMMICK WON’T CAUSE YOU TO FALL

“And you will know The Truth, and The Truth will set you free.”                                                                              John 8:32

Speak Truth Love

The announcement is out…It’s a GIRL!!!

This is the way Papa and I found out…

We cannot wait to hold this sweet ‘Lil Pumpkin’ in our arms!

In this world of overactive social media, where a friendships are wide and often shallow, it’s refreshing to know you have a Forever Friend that is with you till the end!

My college roommate and I have that Forever Friendship! We have never lived very long in the same area, but wherever God takes us around the globe, or around the United States, we remain Forever Friends! We have truly been through the good, the bad and the ugly together. You name just about anything life can throw at you and we have experienced it together. Our friendship grounded in Christ has kept our relationship strong and real!

I started college in the Fall of 1978. I was only 17 years old! I was scared, lonely and hurting from the recent break-up of my parents marriage. My dad left the family earlier that Spring, and I took off for college that Fall.  There is a beautiful story of hurt, sadness, forgiveness and restoration that I will tell another time, but on the road to restoration, one of the greatest blessings God gave me was my college roommate. Little did I know then, that we would become, ‘Forever Friends!’

This picture of me standing on a glass floor,  60 stories above the ground in the Calgary Tower of Canada, depicts how I felt leaving home and going away to college by myself!

Do you see me holding tightly to the railing? Do you see my husbands hand on my shoulder? (He had to walk out with me!) And, if you look really close, you will be able to see that my smile is actually more of a shrill than a smile!

Leaving for college with my family life at home shattered, and walking into the unknown, made me feel like this experience at the Calgary Tower.  I was gripping God with every muscle in my body, as tightly as I could. His secure, solid hand on my shoulder was the only thing allowing me to stand on my feet and not crumble to the ground. I managed, through His strength, to keep a shrill smile on my face as I walked into the unknown.

The first solid ground my feet landed upon was my roommate Sheri. My original roommate Susan, knew Sheri needed roommates and brought her to our dorm room. That was no accident! God brought Sheri into my life that year. We have shared so many life experiences together, some good, like meeting our husbands, sharing favorite places like the beach, Disneyland, the mountains and mostly CHURCH, and sharing favorite outings like lunch together, coffee dates and SHOPPING!We have also shared difficult times together, the death of our grandparents, her mother and brother, and many, many disappoints and betrayals. However, in the nearly 40 years that we have known each other, she has been faithful, committed, loyal and available to me ALWAYS!

She is unique, she is a gift, she is my FOREVER FRIEND!

As we were blessed to spend time together recently, I was reminded of the rarity of such a friendship. We live in a world that is consumed with SELF! We want our needs met, our desires reached, our space kept and our rights reserved! Friendships seem to be as disposable as our plastic water bottles. We drink them up and throw them out.

A FOREVER FRIENDSHIP is one that looks to the interests of one another. It thinks more highly of the other than itself. It is faithful and committed through the good as well as the bad. It stands the test of time and comes out shining like a jewel, because it is grounded in Jesus!

“DO NOT MERELY LOOK OUT FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL INTERESTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS.”                   PHILIPPINES 2:4

I was reminded of a song from my college days, this past week as I spent time with my Forever Friend.

The chorus goes like this,

“Friends are Friends Forever, when The Lord’s The Lord of Them, and a Friend will not say never, because the welcome will not end. Though it’s hard to let you go, in The Father’s hands I know, that a lifetime is not too long, to live as Friends.”

TRUTH BOMB

FOREVER FRIENDS STAND THE TEST OF TIME!

Forever Friendships are not easy. They take commitment, sacrifice and steadfastness, but they are worth it!

Blessings Friends, I am privileged to call you that!

Speak Truth Love