Faithful in priorities

A worker is considered to be good when they have consistent attendance and contribute to the growth of the company. However, in God's economy, kingdom work is consistent service. God looks at motives not money-making. Success in the kingdom is His glory above all else!

Today, take a look at your priorities. What is absolutely FIRST on your lists? Is it the Lord? If so, that's not bad but what is better is making Him central to all you do. When your life is centered around Jesus everything else revolves around Him. He is the reason, the purpose and the goal!

Consistently pursue Him and let those things that do not find their purpose in Christ fall away. It's just dead weight anyway! The best example that we can give you is Jesus Christ Himself. In John 19, we find Jesus in the garden with His disciples. The soldiers are coming to take Him away to be tried and ultimately crucified. Sonce Jesus was laser-focused on His purpose and calling, He did not fight. He was faithful in His priority - To seek and to save the lost. Although strange to His followers that He did not seek self-preservation, Jesus walked this earth as an example to us to be different. He was ok with being faithful....to the end.

Do you have the same resolve? Pray and ask the Lord to show you how to revolve your life around Him and remain faithful consistently..... until the end.

Raising Children of Faith

Your child is suspended. That was what I was told. Maybe you can relate. You feel like you raised a good kid, maybe better than most. You have taken them to church and modeled holiness in your home. Perhaps you even pray for your children regularly but they are still wayward.

God holds parents accountable for the training of their children and their discipline. However,  the name that a child makes for themselves is their own burden to bear.

In the Bible, we read about Eli the Priest and his sons. I can imagine that he raised them to honor God, yet they took it upon themselves to dishonor Him as unholy Priests in His tabernacle. Because Elijah did not correct them,  they all died (I Samuel 2:12-36)

Parenting is hard. We love our kids. We want the best for them and discipline is hard. We have let things slip that we probably needed to discuss. I am sure that there have been times when we have majored on the minor things as well. But parents seeking to raise faithful kids have to draw a line in their home. There has to be some clear white and black boundaries! Let's discuss them.

Inside the Home

For example, we will always honor the Lord in our home. This is our house, so we decide what toys to allow, what audio and visual media is enjoyed and who gets invited over. As parents, we must protect our children as well as our peace. It's OK to disallow what is evil and make allowance for what is good.
The faith you practice in private before your children will stay with them.

We have caught our children doing what is wrong, but we have also caught them doing what was right! Being seen having quiet time or reading the Word is proof that something is sinking in. You will influence your children by your personal daily life more than taking them to church or by lecturing. Your faith increases their faith!

Outside of Home

Some parents feel that they have no control over what happens outside of their home. They relinquish parenting on the corner of their property. Let us share something with you.

Where our feet cannot go,  prayer does!!

Outside the four walls of our home,  there is an uncontrollable environment. Our responsibility as parents is to cover our children in prayer when they are out of sight and arm's reach. The enemy has a plan of attack against our babies. We have to stand guard but we also need to teach our children spiritual warfare. Have you taught your children how to defend themselves in the physical as well as the spiritual?

Faithful Kids

Faithful kids need faithful parents. Our boys are tweens at this time. They are beginning to really test the waters and try to decide who they will be. Although we model Christianity before them,  it's our job as parents to put other Godly examples around them. For example, if you claim to serve God but none of your friends who visit set a good Christ-like example, you are showing them that compromising standards is OK. By acting one way on Sunday and the opposite all week,  you are teaching your children that your faith is in word only, not in deed.

Consistency is key. The more we love and serve Jesus the more we can model that love and service. It does not guarantee great kids,  but our obedience has rewards and so does theirs.

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it( Proverbs 22:6). In 2 Chronicles 6, we read the story of how Solomon was able to do something for God that his father could not. We can set the stage and give our children the tools,  but they will decide how to build. When the right foundation is set, everything else built on it is solid. Let's never have to question whether or not we pointed them to Jesus enough.

Our kids are growing up. Let's give them something to look up too - not us - but Christ!

A fun trip to the zoo - Summer 2017

Anointed Devotions Book

I am devoted to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am honored that He has allowed me to present my latest paperback book to you - Anointed Devotions!

This book is a labor of love and sacrifice. I have shared my daily devotionals with my audience on periscope for over 2 years now and this book is a compilation of my quiet time with Jesus during those years. I encourage each reader to dive deeply into their time with our Lord. Most of us desire a closer relationship with God, but we are not ready to make the sacrifice to do so.

The Cover

This book cover almost brings me to tears. I asked the designer for a picture of a crushed flower that represents my life being poured out like the woman with her alabaster box. It shows what it looks like when we press into God. We are wrecked, but our lives leave the fragrance of our moments with Him. Our sin is exposed and we become naked before holiness. We are undone. I did not want my picture to be a focal point. I wanted to just be found in the anointing. I often say that "I am happy just to be a part". 

If you notice, there are several flowers on the cover and they spill over to the back. This is a picture of the Church making disciples. Not all the flowers are the same. Different shapes, variations of color and size, but all yielded to the anointing. It makes a beautiful tapestry. The cover is glossy to represent the oil - the Holy Spirit who covers us all.

The Format

This is a devotional journal which means that it is not just for reading. It is to be used as a meditation tool, a reflection journal and a prayer diary. My prayer for the reader is that they hear less of my voice and more of His. My entries are scattered throughout the pages while the majority of space is for the Lord to speak to the one who is devoted to being in His presence. 

I want readers to use it in any way they like, but it is divided into 52 week sessions that can be completed in a year's time, however, the reader can begin and end whenever they choose. 

Your devotional time should not be so strict that there is no freedom for God to interrupt, neither should it be so haphazard that you do not notice if God is there at all. 

The Story

This book was truly "birthed". It was an almost three year labor process. Imagine that ladies! Ha! There were definitely some major hurdles and lots of storms. There were tears and moments when I was tempted to give up. Between the interior changes and proofreading nightmares to the unexpected cover switch, I was undone. The real story is that this book is the Lord's and He was guiding the process. I was simply the vessel that I asked to me - nothing more. When I whined about dates and missing my goals, He simply reassured me. When I cried because people where disappointing me, He never wavered. Everything was in His timing. His book, His cover, His story. And now, I get to present it all to YOU!

Periscope 7/14/17

Please let me know your thoughts. Leave comments about the book and what you think of the layout. It's different for a reason. It's unlike any other devotional. Thank you for reading. Dive in with us on facebook in The Devoted group! Find the book online at Amazon, or at a local Barnes & Noble or Walmart!

Paperback and E-book available 7/17/17

The Fruit of Faith

A little mustard seed of faith can grow acres of spiritual fruit!

Prayer of Faith

Consider prayer for instance. I waited and waited for Maurice to change into the man of my dreams. I wished and hoped and nagged, but it didn't work. However, I can promise you that NOTHING worked as fast as the prayer of faith. Why? Well, praying in faith cannot be done until your heart is right. I was out to change a man, but that doesn't really work. God had to change my perspective first. If I was going to pray, I shouldn't be worrying about my husband. If I was going to worry, I had no need to pray.

The reality is, I could only believe God for so much. You know what I mean? A compete makeover would be miraculous. Now don't get me wrong - we were both saved and everything, but oh...the details in marriage!! I wanted him to do laundry my way. I needed him to understand that interior decorating was my department and I didn't want his opinion. He needed to be perfect and never sin, never whine and never point out my errors. Wow. With that mindset, it was difficult to pull the speck out of my husband's eye because of the beam in my own.

The prayer of faith is based on what God knows is best. Something as simple as saying "Let your will be done Lord" is a great prayer of faith. It can move mountains.....and beams out of your eyes too!

Walk by Faith

Your lifestyle is your "walk". How you live out each day shows the world what kind of faith you have. And no one knows you better than your spouse. They say that integrity is who you are when no one is looking, well....faith is looking like what you profess. It's the evidence that backs up your claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The person that can see that best is your marriage partner. What would they say about your faith walk? Is is real or do you have a limp in your spiritual legs?

Faith is not just believing in God. It is far more. It is not merely hope, but firm trust and assurance that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do. When you know it, you walk like it!

You want your spouse to be a Godly man who leads his home right? Well, after you have prayed, have the faith to step back and let him lead. Where is your faith? Walk it out and watch God work!

Stay Faithful

Faith without works is dead. Maurice and I took an inventory of couples that we have known since our marriage and it was staggering to see that almost 80% of them are now divorced! The fruit of faith is.....you guessed you....faithfulness! We are certainly not here to throw blame around or cast stones. Some divorces happen for legitimate causes and reasons. However, we also know that when two people of faith collide, there is a harvest.

When we are connected to the same vine, we both have the same opportunity for growth. When two healthy branches intertwine, they support each other don't they? Your fruit actually has MORE potential when you are surrounded by others with the same connection. Now you could pluck a grape from another vine and throw it on top of yours so you could be together, but obviously, one will grow weaker and the other stronger. After a while, that disconnected grape will fall away. It's only a matter of time that separation is inevitable - now and for eternity.

However, when we remain, we reproduce, we get stronger, we thrive off of one another. That is our prayer for you in your marriage. Don't settle for a marriage that does not look like Christ and His church. Pray in FAITH until something happens, then keep right on praying. Stay faithful to God in prayer and stay faithful in your marriage!