Revival Ladder

It is going to happen. Over ten years ago I started praying for revival to come and Jesus, let it begin with me. I can feel it in my bones. The awakening. This Christmas the stirring has begin. I have felt it in the deep places. Deeper than goosebumps and chills. Deep into the marrow of my bones. This will be a new year!

Last Christmas the stirring began. During a visit to the local upscale diner in our town, the children and I handed out candies that we made. It was an effort to give away what we had prepared for the elderly and those shut in their homes for Christmas. My oldest son gave a baggie full of treats to an older man sitting at the counter, when he started giving it back. My son looked at me with questioning eyes and I stated to the man that it was for him, for Christmas. He looked awestruck and said, "This the first present I have gotten in three years." My heart churned hard, like when the children fall on the stairs, it make my chest hurt. And the mission began. We will give the entire Christmas season away.

This Christmas we made over 100 of those chocolate packages with verse reminding us that "God is with us". We gave them away most everywhere we went, and it stirred up love and joy. The atmosphere shifted like the sun coming through the clouds after a tornado. Everywhere we passed the gift of God's love people changed right before our eyes. People laugh in surprise, they cry and hug, they try to give us money, because it makes them feel so good to receive the love packaged gift. People are hungry. Their souls are hungry and they don't even know it.

So Christmas is over, but for our family it has just begun. We are going to give this winter away. I am not sure what this is going to look like yet, but it is going to begin in right here. I am praying that like Jacob's Dream, that Jesus will make our home a gateway, a ladder for His glory and presence coming to our county. That we will see His angels working, that we will be a people poured out for His glory and we will see His presence in this place. It's starting.

You may be like me and struggle with depression, you may be in a funk because life has treated you wrong, mistreated and it's not fair or maybe you are just looking for that next step to freedom from the weight and cares of this world. Give Yourself away. Share Jesus's love for your neighbor with your neighbor. Listen a little extra, buy groceries for the single mom, visit a lonely person, make a moment not about you. Pour yourself out. Spend yourself. Once you taste the joy you won't want to live any other way. Jesus did it and he's calling you. It's called fishing for men.

Before Me

Paul writes in Galatians, "But when He who had set me apart before I was born , and who called me by His grace..."

Can you imagine the joy between the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit? Before the foundations of the world... knowing that throughout all of history the moment would come when Paul, (who left to his own devices wreaks havoc on the young church)  does a complete turn around and becomes God's greatest missionary. He didn't just translate God's word, He dictated it!!!

I have been thinking lately about the party in Heaven that the scriptures speak of. that when anyone gives there life to Christ there is a celebration in heaven. I believe it all begins with the Father.

A friend told me once that she believed that it was very difficult for God to not rescue us from our troubles. He restrains Himself so that the "work can have it's prefect way in us." He knows the greater good comes from allowing us to find Him in it. If He spoke a word into our situations and everything was great, we would probably forget about him. That would be devastating.

He love is so grand. He is perfectly patient with us. Waiting for that time when He is able to unfold those purposes that He has established us for.

Thank goodness we don't have the business to know what the future holds.

BUT....

We have the incredible blessing of knowing intimately, the One who holds our future.

Done Hungry

How is it that so much can be done in one day, so much experienced, so many loved, so much food prepared, and so many lessons taught, and yet there is such a lack of satisfaction felt? How the things I do are so seemingly meaningful and seem to be such important things to do, yet as each one is accomplished the joy is not replenished and my tender, weak soul feels the lack. Just as my spider-plant's leaves shrivel when my lack of attention leaves its roots dry, I feel my soul roots starving for water.

Living Water.

I used to think it was a daily duty. Like making dinner and brushing my teeth. A check off chore that would keep my mind, soul, and body able to see the day through without catastrophe.
Then I learned...

I learned by running. It started fast walking, and then...then I got hungry to run. So now I run...then I get hungry. Really hungry. The more I run the hungrier I get.

I am finding it's like that running with Jesus. When we work hard our appetites increase. When we worship hard, our roots get stronger and spread farther and I need to feed more often to nourish them. I drink The Living Water and I chew on The Daily Bread. That is where the satisfaction comes.

I was too busy these last few days. Focused on this and that. All good things, but not the most important One. Now my soul is weary, but I have sat at the Father's feet for a couple of hours and feel refreshed. Tired in the flesh, but renewed in my spirit!

I encourage you today to rest in God's Word. Set the thoughts of time aside and focus on Jesus, The Gospel, and his tender-loving care for you. Praise Him for bringing our lack of focus on Him to our attention and ask Him to fill us with the ability to see how often we do need him.

Jesus alone can satisfy. Nothing else will do. Some days all  I really need... is more of Him.

Illuminating Chord

O Lord, I hang on You; I see, I believe, live,
When Your will not mine, is done;
I can plead nothing in myself
in regard of any worthiness and grace,
in regard of thy providence and promises,
but only Your good pleasure.
-Pilgrim's Prayer

I hang on. I hang on.

All the snow is melted and the fresh white has turned a, dingy, grungy, dirty mess. I peer out the window over the sloppy remains of the prisoner's last night's feeding. What I see outside is the debris left behind from winter taking a pause. Wet dampness shows the muddy marks on the ground where the children's play has pressed it down. The trees stand tall, unmoved. They look cold and damp, standing on through the weather.

I feel cold and damp rising up in me.

Faithfully the Father is healing my hard, cold heart. The warmth has come in me. The light has been breaking forth in my heart steadily. The chilly, damp thoughts rise up, but they are old friends I have turned from some time ago. Those aren't the companions I need, to love the people in my life today.

I grab hold of Love. I take the chords of light illuminating in the midst of dreary, dampness and wrap my mind and fingers together in a cry of, "Be with me. Help me to hold on to You, Father."

I close my eyes and feel the warmth flooding me. Oh how thankful I am that Love came down. That He rescued me from darkness and brought me into His glorious light. My first need is Jesus.

He conquered darkness for me. For you. Let Him have your dampness today, so that He can cover you with the warm fresh blanket of His unfailing love.