November 17

I’ve always loved Brandon. There is something beautiful about the grand old oaks with their swaying moss that adorns every tree. To have a home nestled among them is so sweet. This morning, with a chill in the air and the sun shining, I decided that it was the perfect time to start a fire in the fire pit. There aren’t many days that we can do that because we live in such a hot climate, so anytime I get the chance, I become a fire bug. It makes me feel like I’ve been camping. All of this to say, enjoy your moments. Life is not easy when you’re displaced from your home, meaning, we are just ambassadors for the Kingdom to bring about the reconciliation of others to God, until He calls us home.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

I’m still in Florida y’all, so I’m in my mermaid hat and bare feet!

November 16

Have you had some trying times? We all have! It’s when we try to muddle through it alone that causes us the most distress. Many times I have to remind myself to ask for help! How ridiculous is that? God is right here among us and we forget just how powerful He is and how He has promised to always be with us and keep evil away. When we become arrogant and think we can do it on our own, disaster strikes and things go haywire, but notice, because you belong to Him, everything turns out fine. I keep getting lessons of trust that I wish I didn’t have to go through, but hopefully I will be calm when the next anxiety causing issue arises and am able to fully trust in Him who created all things. Put your trust in Him, He is where our help comes from.

A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:1-2

November 15

I don’t know about you, but my home office can become a big mess! Stacks of mail, file folders, and other office stuff can pile up, and become a catch-all for clutter or things I’m trying to hide from guest. When I’m home, I get a little lazy, and preoccupied with television, food, and the recliner, so paperwork gets no attention until it becomes necessary. I spent a good portion of the day filing, and moving all that mess, and still didn’t get to the bottom of the stack, but at least I made a little headway. We are closing in on the end of the year, so I need to get everything in order, because tax season is just around the corner. Have you ever noticed that our daily lives reflect a spiritual truth? Things can get messy in our heart, fear, pain, and other thing left unchecked can pile up, making us miserable. As Christians, we need to be free of the clutter. We must get out of the recliner and make an effort to cleanse our hearts. “Tax day” is just around the corner, and we need to be prepared. Make your confession to the Lord, pray, and trust what He’s doing.

"let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."  Hebrews 10:22

November 14

Along with a few couples from my church, my husband and I attended a gala for the Pregnancy Care Center of Plant City. Their theme was “Every child deserves a birthday.” We had finished our dinner and the guest speaker was wrapping up, when I got a text from my sister saying that the newest member of our family had arrived, a sweet baby girl. She, not unlike the babies we were celebrating, was the product of an unplanned pregnancy. When I say unplanned, I mean it wasn’t planned by her parents, but obviously God had planned it, sometimes we have to catch up to His plan. I believe God has a special assignment for this baby girl, because just after I got the text, they instructed us to sing “Happy Birthday!” It was so fitting for that particular moment. Sometimes God shows you how the pieces of His puzzle fit together and when they fall into place, it paints a beautiful picture and lays out a glimpse into the future. In addition to that, the speaker kept calling babies a gift from God, and it just so happens that this baby girl was born on her daddy’s birthday! Such a sweet, sweet, gift.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Psalms 127:3-4

November 13

Sometimes the words of the enemy come through someone you love. They don’t mean to be his tool, they don’t even know they are being his tool, but it happens to the best of us. The enemy can use us too, so don’t be arrogant. Well meaning people may think they are helping when offering you advice, but their words slither through our mind and turn into something that makes the devil do a dance. When fear begins to creep in, shut it down immediately, before it takes you for a ride on the dark side. When the devil tells you, “you can’t,” God says you can! 

As an example, after telling a few people about taking my paddle board around the tip of the island, I heard more than one say, “oh, I’m so afraid of the current there.” I knew about the current before I tried it. I also knew about the sharks that hang out in that area, but I did it anyway and I’m still alive to tell about it. The enemy says you can’t, but God says you can!

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."  2 Timothy 1:7.  "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13

November 12

We get so wrapped up in ourselves that we forget about our brothers and sisters in Christ living in other parts of the world. They are fighting battles that we know nothing about, and dealing with issues that we’ve never dealt with. Though we are from different cultures, our struggle against darkness affects us the same way. We have heartache and tragedy, and feel the pain of the war waged against us in the heavenly realm. Take some time today to help them by standing in the gap and offering prayer on their behalf. If you don’t know what to pray, open your heart to the Holy Spirit, He prays on our behalf every day, and will go before the Father, if you are sincere. 

If you are located outside the United States and need prayer for anything, please post it here so we can come together as one in Christ. For those who are in the U.S. that need prayer, you can private message me, and I will pray for you and share your request with other prayer warriors.

"praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,"  Eph 6:18

November 11

It’s been a long time since I took my paddle board out on the water, but this day was the perfect. The breeze was nice and the water was as clear as glass. I always peruse the bay side because there is less wave action and the seashells are more plentiful, but because the water was clear on the gulf, I put in on the beach to see what I could find. There wasn’t much to see other than red tide particles floating just below the surface, until I came across a sand dollar grave yard. I picked up enough to finish filling my giant jar. Since it was nice out, I decided to keep going and rounded the end of the island at Boca Grande pass; there is a strong undercurrent in that area. I crossed the pass to an island and began finding all kinds of shells, making it one of my best shelling adventures. I seldom go into deep water, however, sometimes you have to cross a deep cut to fulfill your calling. The water can be treacherous, but collecting empty souls and giving them hope for a future can be all the incentive needed to do what God sent you to do. Venture out beyond your comfort zone and let God fulfill His work through you.

"“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."  John 14:12

November 10

It’s exciting to find out who you came from. In two evenings, I’ve traced one branch of my family back to the pilgrims! The pilgrims I found last night were planters! My family has always farmed! I have a great grandfather who was killed by the Algonquin Indians in the Jamestown massacre, and some who fought in the Revolutionary War, Confederacy, and the Indian Wars, and a grandfather who was pardoned by Andrew Johnson for some reason; I plan on looking into that a little further. I also found a family member who raced horses; my dad does that now! So much of what we do, can be traced back to something that was done in the past, you know the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This is why God sent word through Ezekiel to warn Israel to get rid of their past habits, and idols. These types of things can be passed on from generation to generation, with little knowledge of where they came from. So again I urge you to survey yourself and see if there is anything within you that doesn’t follow the Word of God, and cleanse yourself of it today. 

"“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?"  Ezekiel 20:30

November 9

It’s unfortunate, but if you have to deal with people, “Christian” or non-Christian, you will not have a peaceful life. Though Jesus left us His peace, it’s a different kind of peace. God’s kind of peace is knowing that when we leave this earth, we will be with Him. No longer must we worry about the ever after. However, we must live our lives, and in doing so, we will encounter people who do not have the same mindset as we do, and who do not have their hearts set toward Jesus. I get frustrated when I’m dealing with people who say that they are Christian and they do not listen to the Holy Spirit or follow the tenets of God. Unbelievers call them hypocritical, and so do I! I get angry because they have identified themselves as believers, yet follow a worldly mannerism. We must remember that they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions, not with us, but with God. Keep your heart turned toward Jesus, and all of the unrighteousness will be burnt up in the fire.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  John 14:27

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”"  John 16:33

November 8

We are all guilty of it; following the ways of our parents or our church into useless traditions or unhealthy habits. I’ve included church because there are some traditions that need to be set aside for the sake of the lost. While Israel was held captive in Egypt, they began worshipping the idols of the Egyptians. After God brought them out into the wilderness, they continued using those idols, even after He gave them the Ten Commandments. Because of that, He waited for the whole generation of those who had lived in captivity to die before He allowed them to enter the promised land. Moses taught the children the ways of the Lord and to follow His precepts. Are there some areas of your life that you need to let go of that are against God? Maybe He’s waiting for you to give Him your total devotion before He blesses you with the promise He made you. Do a survey of your life and begin to release those long held family traditions that separate you from God and are harmful to you and others.

“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, Ezekiel 20:18-19

November 7

I felt the Holy Spirit draw me outside this morning. So I built a fire. He said to me, ‘I have placed you in a sanctuary in the middle of a city and surrounded you with beauty, though you cannot see it, you can still hear the sounds of what is happening around you. I did not want you so far removed from the public that you forget why I commissioned you.’ This is such a good reminder for all of us. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our home, and our need for peace that we forget that there are many out there who do not know the love of Jesus. The fire reminds me that the Lord is a consuming fire. That means the He is able to burn up any iniquity, that lives within us, and from anyone else who puts their trust in Him. Those who don’t trust Him, will be burned up along with their sin. A sinful being cannot occupy the same space as our Holy God. That fire that burned up your sin, will become a light within you, make sure you let it shine for all to see.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

November 6

Once a month I try to take some time in the woods to meet with Jesus. It gets me away from the house with its distractions, and helps me keep my attention on the Lord. There is much to be learned by spending time among the trees. One of the ways He speaks to me is through nature. I found the perfect spot, but had to make my way through many spider webs to get there. Before sitting, I looked around at my surroundings, and right above me was a cypress tree with a large birds nest. I decided to take a picture of it. As I was taking the picture, I noticed another nest, this one was a squirrel nest, so of course, I need a picture of them both together. Then I noticed another one! Three tall trees, each with a nest! I got all kinds of meanings for this, but today I got His answer! God planted a branch on a mountain, and under Him, we would be protected. That branch was Jesus, and He is a noble cedar and our protection. Rest easy today my fellow Christians, we are safe.

On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. Ezekiel 17:23

November 5

Did we, as a country, make a deal with the devil? The only way I could describe what we are seeing in our country is war. We may not be using physical weapons, but nevertheless, the words are sharp and cutting. A prime example is my church. We are in a city of many churches, more than most towns, yet we have been opposed on every side, not by people, but by spiritual forces. It’s like trying to get through a battle line and the hits keep coming. We are taking ground that hasn’t been touched by other churches, so it’s been like stirring up a hornets nest. I believe the same is true in our country. We are touching on areas that haven’t been touched and the devil is angry. Have we closed our eyes, closed our ears, and shut our mouths to the evil that has abounded from the beginning? We must keep moving forward and keep fighting for truth and justice, and take back ground that was lost to the enemy. 

Though Ezekiel is speaking of King Zedekiah, because he broke his covenant with the Lord, the lesson is similar to what we are dealing with today.

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head."  Ezekiel 17:19

November 3

Sometimes I’ll read a scripture and have a deep conviction that He is talking directly to me. Even though the context of the scripture may be that God was giving a warning to Israel in His anger, you know that He still gets disappointed when we are as they were. Though we began as a Christian nation, we have wandered far from the truth and have committed abominations in the eyes of the Lord. As Christians, we have been adopted into the Holy family, to become the bride of Christ. When God has given warnings about conduct, we can take it to the bank that He is also talking to us because of the things we are doing as a nation and as individuals. Pride, haughtiness, excess of everything, including food, prosperous ease; if these words don’t reek of who we are, I don’t know what does. He called them Sodom and you know what happened to Sodom! Tremble before the Lord in repentance so that you may be spared should destruction come upon this nation.

Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it. Ezekiel 16:49-50

November 2

The countdown to Thanksgiving begins. Though we should always be thankful to God for all the blessings He has given us, there is something extra special about the season of Thanksgiving. Even though we tend to skip from fall straight into Christmas, I believe we should spend some time in between and give glory to the One who gave us these magnificent seasons. Our biggest blessing is Jesus, and we should honor Him every day for His love, and for snatching us from the fire. We should also go back and look at the memorial stones we have set up as important reminders of answered prayers, where we have seen His hand of blessing in our lives. These memorial stones have become our testament to His mercy and a way to show others that He is real. Thanksgiving is a special holiday set up to honor our amazing God, so take a walk back through your history and begin thanking Him for all He has done.

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!"  Psalms 100:4

November 1

My father-in-law was in the Navy. The ship he was on docked in Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, and they were allowed to go into town. Every day he would walk by this enormous wall, but never thought much about it. It wasn’t until he it was gone that he realized that what he thought was a wall was actually a ship! He was so close to it that he couldn’t see the whole thing. This is how I think of God. He’s right here amongst us, but because of His size compared to our size, we can’t see Him. When He tells us that Heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool, that should give us the idea that we have underestimated how big our God is. He also says that the train of His robe fills the temple. So, if Heaven is His throne, and we live on the footstool, are we in the throne room? I look at the clouds and the stars as His robe, I mean, He is the King, why wouldn’t He have a fluffy, sparkly robe? The moral of this story is, the bigger God is to you, the closer you are to Him.

"Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?"  Isa 66:1

"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple."  Isa 6:1

October 31

I’m very proud of my church for redeeming today by drawing children to a Christian carnival rather than sending them out into the unknown. We have a very active missions team who puts a lot of effort into bringing people to know Jesus, first locally, then in the state, nation, and the world. The great thing about the local mission field is that you get to see the fruits of your labor first hand. Tonight, we will get to watch sweet little faces light up, that might need a little encouragement, and love. We aren’t going into a safe or a well-to-do area of town, no, we’re going where we are needed the most. Just before Jesus ascended back into Heaven, He gave us a template for who we are to minister to. He said that we would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Basically we are to minister everywhere, but tonight, we will be in our Jerusalem, also known as Plant City. Serving doesn’t have to be drudgery, it can be fun, so get out there and be a witness for Jesus!

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”"  Acts 1:8

October 30

Actions speak louder than words. Do you go out of your way to help someone in need or do you turn a blind eye to them? I watched as a man gave some money to an individual standing at the corner near the grocery store, and it did my heart good to see it. That man stood behind what he believes and showed it by being charitable. God saw it, and I’m sure He was pleased. However, when I was finished at the store, I saw the same beggar having a conversation on his cell phone. Is it wrong for him to have a phone? No, but I’m less inclined to give to someone who still has connections. The beggars actions didn’t stop the man in the car from being blessed, and may have been an act of obedience. His kindness shows that there are still good people in this world. I’m not saying you need to give to the beggar, but I say you need to go out of your way to be kind. Open your heart to hear what the Holy Spirit says and your obedience will not be in vain.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4

October 29

It’s easy to become hardened towards people, especially this day and age where we are so divided. There is an evil force behind everything you see happening. There are pawns being used to bring about the enemy's divisive plan, people who have made a deal with the devil. If you align yourself with these people, you will surely suffer the same consequences as them. There is only one side to be on where there is safety and that is God’s side. He makes it very clear in the Bible, the things that are acceptable and those that aren’t. Today, search your heart and see if you have any hate, or anything that doesn’t line up with God’s precepts, and ask for forgiveness. If your mind is not clear enough to see it, ask God to search your heart and reveal what needs to be redeemed. Standing firm on the Word of God is the better place to be. Our fear should be of Him and not of man. 

"But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”"  Ezekiel 11:21

October 28

My husband and I were at a local diner grabbing a bite to eat before heading home. There were some really good things on the menu including beer battered fish! I love beer batter crust, it adds a little extra greasiness that makes it so tasty.  When I got my fish and it looked amazing, and I couldn’t wait to eat! I took one bite and all I got was crust. After only getting crust, I decided to break it open, and found that there was hardly any fish! Don’t get me wrong, the crust was delicious, but there has to be some nutritional value in the meal, otherwise I could just eat cake. It reminds me of how we try to conceal God within other things or secretly worship other gods. Maybe you’re worshipping the god of television, internet, or social media, or maybe it’s the gaming god. You could be worshipping the god of perfectionism, money, or spending. There are so many more! Don’t wrap God in your idolatry and try to pass it off as worship. Remember, whatever is hidden in darkness will be brought into the light and laid bare, just like my fish.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’” He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.” Ezekiel 8:12-13