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Persevering In Faith by Pastor May Dobbins

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I want to encourage any of us who may need encouragement today.

Maybe you had some hopes and plans for 2020 and due to all that has taken place so far, those plans have become distant thoughts and you’re deeply discouraged.

Maybe you’ve been believing for God to come through in some way and it’s been a long time and you haven’t seen the breakthrough yet. And you feeling disappointed and hurt.

OR maybe all the news, conflict and chaos has gotten to you. And you’ve been feeling all the affects of anxiousness or uncertainness.

Whatever it is, I believe God really wants to encourage you today with some verses as a reminder to keep PERSEVERING in faith.

 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

This verse refers to holding on and persevering in our hope in Christ – without wavering. For He who promised is FAITHFUL.

God’s promises are YES & AMEN for those who will push past:

  • DISCOURAGEMENT
  • DISSAPOINTMENT
  • HOPELESSNESS
  • ANXIOUSNESS                   

REMEMBER what James 1:6 tells us about wavering and being double-minded?

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

As we go through trials – such as the trial of waiting on God to come through – there’s the TEMPTATION to waver in our faith and hope in Christ.

BUT God is FAITHFUL to provide an escape from all temptation. (1 Cor. 10:13).

Having this CONFIDENCE, we can persevere and endure– knowing that God can be trusted to keep His promises.

Hebrews 10:32-39

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.  For, “In just a little while,  he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.“

The writer is writing to the Hebrews because when they had first believed they suffered many things for their faith and many had reached a point where they TEMPTED to run from away from the persecutions they were facing by renouncing their faith.

And this letter was written to these Hebrews to encourage them to press forward and to remind them of the eternal great reward that awaits them – if only they would persevere and endure.

He then tells them that patient endurance or PERSEVERANCE is what they need in order to continue doing the will of God. IN ORDER TO RECEIVE WHAT WAS PROMISED!

What is the will of God? It is to TRUST God fully.

You may not be experiencing persecution because of your faith the same way the Hebrews were when the verses were written.

But I do want to acknowledge that we do have an enemy that does actively try to persecute us for our faith and hope in Jesus.

His goal is to tempt you to give in and give up – so that you won’t experience the fullness of what God has for you!

Heb. 10:38 – My righteous ones shall live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.

Faith is what pleases God.

“ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.“(Hebrews 11:6)

Friends – we are NOT of those who shrink back to hopelessness, doubt, depression, anxiety, disappointment, or discouragement!

Remember, Heb. 10:39 – “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

The temptations will always be there – but remember we have CONFESSED our HOPE in Christ!

So let us hold tightly to that hope without wavering – KNOWING that we can be CONFIDENT that God is TRUSTWORTHY and FAITHFUL to keep His promise!

Reflections on Psalm 93 by Connie DeRosa

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“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty;
 the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
 indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
Your throne was established long ago;
 You are from all eternity…
 the Lord on high is mighty.”

Psalm 93:1-2,4 NIV

In heaven no one is confused about who is in charge.
There is no question about it.
The LORD reigns.

God will never need to board up His temple
to protect His throne from attack.

Absolutely no one will ever
rush in to take Him off the throne
or remove Him from power.

His throne is secure.
He has NO RIVAL.

He will not be moved.

How to Capture Runaway Thoughts in a Battle…And Win Every Time! by Tracy Ward

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For an audible version of this article click below


We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in
defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to
the Anointed One. Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion, as soon
as YOU CHOOSE complete obedience.
2 Corinthians 10:5-6

We are now several weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, and at some point, I bet there is not a single person reading this
who hasn’t faced a full-fledged attack on your mind and your thoughts.

For me, this time has been an amazing time, and there have been numerous opportunities to see God in action. Holy Spirit is
bringing fresh revelation, and He’s also using me to encourage, equip, and empower so many in the body of Christ. I’m
watching them step into and walk in greater understanding of their identities in Christ Jesus. Freedom is ringing loudly!

But how many of you know that just when you think everything is going so nice and smoothly, BAM, and then comes the test!

Allow me to set up the scenario. From August of last year until February, I had a significant hormone deficiency. This
deficiency caused numerous tormenting issues, like horrendous hot flashes and night sweats every two hours. I also
experienced a significantly reduced sex drive. Not cool for a married woman. But Thanks to Pastor Julie and her
recommendation to have my hormone levels checked, I finally received the help I needed.

Fast forward to April when the hormones finally kicked in and things normalized. I felt like a brand-new woman, and the internal
furnace was no more. Hallelujah! But something else happened that I didn’t expect. My sex drive woke up with a vengeance,
and suddenly, all I could think about was sex. While that might sound like great news, it was the intensity of it all that created
the problem. I felt like an 18-year-old teenage boy.

So, one might ask, as a married woman, what’s the problem with that? Well, when those thoughts bombard your mind such
that it consumes and overwhelms your thoughts, THAT, my friends, is a huge problem. Although my husband was a happy
camper, I still had a problem, because I wanted more, way more.

The other challenge I had was that I was delivered from a two-decade long pornography addiction nearly twenty years ago,
and the enemy was looking for an entrance to try to resurrect that old sin. But because that thing is deader than dead, that was
not even an option for me, nor was there a desire to do that. Thank You, Jesus!

So, the question is, how was I able to capture my thoughts, when they had already begun to run wild?

The Battle: 10 Rounds

My Opponent: My flesh/the enemy

The Winner: The first one to score ten points
Weeks one and two (rounds 1-2), I got my butt kicked and I felt as though I had no control whatsoever. I found myself
entertaining those unhealthy thoughts and feelings. It was as though I couldn’t even spell the name Jesus, let alone use the
authority He’s given me. I was afraid that this was going to end badly and that I could go back into some old thinking patterns,
and worse, behaviors that do not honor God. I was in trouble.
Score: Me 0 My flesh/the enemy 2

Revealed Truth: It would’ve been easy for me to justify myself, and to continue entertaining those thoughts because I wanted
more than I could have. This is where many believers get tripped up. Here’s a helpful truth. Even if you can easily blame the
situation for how you feel, and ten out of ten people would understand you entertaining your feelings, you’re still 100%
responsible for your response! God operates by a completely different standard than the world, and there is never a reason to
justify bad behavior.

But God! He had a plan.

THE PROCESS OF TAKING MY THOUGHTS CAPTIVE:

  1. I called out to Jesus and I earnestly prayed for Him to help me.
    He answered early the next morning. I was still asleep, but in my spirit, I heard the words to this battle song that I had recently
    begun listening to again that said “🎵 Your Blood is my shield, Your Blood is my shield…I press on toward the goal to win”🎶. I
    saw a picture of Jesus’s Blood running down the walls of my mind. Immediately, hope sprang forth! That truth was enough to
    remind me of Who was with me, and Who was in me.
    When I fully awoke, additional parts of that song played in my spirit. “🎵 No compromise, I see the prize, yes I will win. No
    flaming arrows come to steal, Your Blood is my shield, I press on toward the goal to win!’ 🎶
    Revealed Truth: When you receive encouragement from the Lord, grab hold of that and don’t let go. This is a stewardship
    issue. If I thought that what the Lord gave me was some small thing, and I didn’t apply it to my circumstance, then I might have
    lost it. Unfortunately, this is a hard truth. You will lose what you fail to steward. ‘To those who use well what they are given,
    even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be
    taken away. ‘ Matthew 25:29
    Score: Me 1 My flesh/the enemy 2
  2. I actively began taking those thoughts captive.
    I needed to submit to God, resist the devil, and wait for His Ugliness to flee.
    As challenging as it was to round up those thoughts and take them captive, I knew I wasn’t alone. Holy Spirit is my Helper, and
    He was right there to help me through this battle. I allowed the truth of God’s word to strengthen me and to remind me that
    greater is He Who is in me, than he who is in the world. I needed to believe that God’s grace was sufficient to enable and
    empower me to overcome what was before me. My confidence that I could win this battle immediately sprang into action!
    Revealed truth: You must strongly resist thoughts that oppose the knowledge of God. Although you may have hope and
    encouragement, the battle is real, and your attitude should be that this is a fight to the death!
    Score: Me 2 My flesh/the enemy 2
  3. I rejected any form of guilt and shame.
    The truth is that MY WHO IS NOT MY DO. What does that mean? It means that who I am (my true identity) is not defined by
    what I do or do not do (my behavior). Therefore, as a blood-bought daughter of Christ, my identity never changes; even if my
    thoughts or feelings are not in right alignment to The Father. I’ve been made righteous in Christ by what He did on the
    cross. Because Jesus already dealt with sin, this was not the problem, here. My thoughts were sinful, yes, but that doesn’t
    mean that I had to go into shame-mode for having those thoughts.
    When I walk in this truth, there is no opening for the enemy to bring shame upon me.
    Revealed Truth: You are loved by God and NOTHING you do could ever separate you from His love. It’s time to start
    believing and walking in that truth, because we do what we believe and we will not do what we do not believe!
    Score: Me 3 My flesh/the enemy 2
  4. I believed and received what Holy Spirit spoke to me, and I MADE A DECISION to exercise MY WILL, combined with
    HIS POWER to take those thoughts captive.
    God then began encouraging me with His Word. When I opened the bible app the following day, this was the verse of the day.
    Remember this: sin will not conquer you, for God already has! You are not governed by law but governed by the reign of the
    grace of God. Romans 6:14 TPT
    Hallelujah, I received that and I knew in my spirit this was a battle that I was not going to lose. Immediately, I was reminded of
    this scripture: If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and
    its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7 NASB
    Revealed Truth: You have authority over sin! But authority, like a muscle, must be exercised. That is the only way you can
    bring Your thoughts into submission. You have the power through Holy Spirit to rule over your flesh and the sin it loves to
    produce!
    Score: Me 4 My flesh/the enemy 2
  5. Fear of the Lord kicked in and sounded an alarm within me.
    Holy Spirit reminded me that my body is a temple of the Lord, and that I am to be Holy as He is Holy. I was so horrified of
    entertaining those thoughts in God’s presence that it literally brought a mega-shift in my thinking. As a blood-bought daughter
    of The Most High God, how could I possibly entertain vile thoughts when I carry God’s presence within me? What I realized is
    that my heart’s desire was to be pleasing to Him, not so much about the sin itself. Stated another way, I chose to operate in a God-conscious manner rather than in sin-consciousness. Thinking in this way brought me to my knees. It was right then that I
    determined that I would not defile the temple of the Lord any longer!
    Revealed Truth: The Fear of The Lord is a vital key to repentance. When the thought of hurting God becomes greater than
    your desire to experience temporary pleasure, that, my friends, is The Fear of the Lord. That fear is what causes you to turn
    around and sprint toward the Father!
    Score: Me 5 My flesh/the enemy 2
  6. I shifted my thoughts and focus onto Jesus, and where I was seated in the heavenly places, with Christ.
    He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the
    heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ!
    Ephesians 2:6 TPT
    The truth is that wherever my focus is directed, that thing I behold will always become magnified. The problem occurs when the
    circumstances cause my focus to shift away from where I was seated, and to focus on what I was “thinking and feeling,” all of
    which was temporal and transient. Think about it, that is the goal of the enemy; he wants to draw you out of your spiritual
    residence in the heavenly places. He wants you to fix your eyes on the things of this world, and worse, what you think or how
    you feel about it. After all, this is where he has his authority! Not today, Satan…I see you, Sucka!
    Revealed Truth: The enemy has no access to the heavenly places. Remember, the heavenly places are far above all
    principalities and powers. God’s voice should always be the prevailing and loudest voice. If you hear the voice of the enemy
    chirping in your ear, that’s a clue that you’re not positioned in your spiritual residence. Where you position yourself determines
    what you see, and what you see determines your access. Get back in right alignment to The Father, so that you can access
    every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places! It’s not complicated. Ask Holy Spirit to help you.
    Score: Me 6 My flesh/the enemy 2
  7. I exercised my God-given authority over my flesh.
    This is where the spiritual rubber meets the Christian Road. It was time to apply the truth of God’s word to this situation. For
    many Christians, it’s easy to read and quote the word, talk about God, and to participate in every “Christian Activity” under the
    sun. But the following scripture makes it quite clear that activities are not synonymous with application.
    Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word
    become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life! If you listen to the Word and don’t live out the message you hear, you
    become like the person who looks in the mirror of the Word to discover the reflection of his face in the beginning. You perceive
    how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but then you go out and forget your divine origin. But those who set their gaze
    deeply into the perfecting law of liberty are fascinated by and respond to the truth they hear and are strengthened by it—they
    experience God’s blessing IN ALL THAT THEY DO! James 1:22-25 TPT
    So, how exactly did I apply the word of God to my situation?
    It looked like this: After I received encouragement from the Lord, I earnestly focused on who I was and whose I was. When
    sinful or lustful thoughts would come, I spoke to them. I began saying things like “no, I will not rent you space in my mind, you
    can’t stay here, I’M THE BOSS of my thoughts, flesh, not you, and these thoughts WILL come into the obedience of the Word
    of God!” Then, I meditated on and spoke God’s word over myself, and I worshipped! Lastly, I engaged my spiritual prayer
    language. Now you tell me… do you think that those negative or sinful thoughts can hold up in that environment? Not a
    chance! The word says that if you SUBMIT to God, RESIST the devil (by applying the word of God) then The Loser Devil
    MUST FLEE (James 4:7 TLW)!
    Revealed Truth: Your spirit is always willing, but your flesh is weak. When you apply (by speaking) the word of God to your
    flesh, then you must act on (apply) what the word says. It’s not enough to quote the scripture, you must do it. Otherwise,
    James says that this is the essence of self-deception. He promises that when you apply the word of God, you’ll be
    strengthened by it, and you’ll be blessed in everything you do!
    Score: Me 7 My flesh/the enemy 2
  8. I watched my flesh bow in total submission!
    As I walked in the above steps, I began seeing a significant reduction of those ridiculous thoughts! The more that happened,
    the more amped up I became in declaring the word over myself and worshipping My Deliverer! With each day, my thoughts reflected more godly thoughts than sinful thoughts. I was experiencing victory right before my very eyes, which encouraged me
    to keep going, and not to stop. It’s important to note that it would have been easy to reduce the hormone medication doses to
    stop the feelings they produced. Instead, I took captive the thoughts that the feelings produced, and lo and behold, both the
    thoughts and the feelings bowed in the Name of Jesus! Remember, the word says to take the thoughts captive, not your
    feelings. God’s word is true, and when applied to your circumstances, you will see the harvest every time!
    Revealed truth: Don’t give up! Your flesh won’t be able to hold up in an atmosphere of worship, feasting on God’s word and
    praying in the spirit. You must trust that victory is your portion. This can happen quickly, too. Remember, Galatians 5:16 says
    But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
    Score: Me 8 My flesh/the enemy 2
  9. God began to show off, and now, I’m having fun!
    Grace, hope, encouragement, self-control, love, patience, victory, and every other godly fruit of the spirit began to spring forth
    in multiple proportions. It was like God was saying, I’ll see your faith and obedience, and I’ll raise you everything in My arsenal
    to ensure your victory (a little poker terminology)! Now I’m having so much fun that I can’t stand it! I can smell the victory, and
    it’s a sweet aroma! The stench of sin is gone!
    Praise Report: The thoughts and the physical desires that went along with those thoughts have been gone for three weeks
    now, hallelujah! There has not been one vile thought cross my mind or one inappropriate feeling in my flesh!
    Revealed Truth: You don’t fight toward victory; you fight from victory! You have access to victory 24/7. Jesus secured the
    victory for us over 2000 years ago. Our job as His daughters is to ENFORCE HIS VICTORY! You must first believe that truth.
    Then, when you endeavor to take your flesh and its thoughts captive, and you apply the word of God, you can be assured of
    the victory every single time! That my friends, you can take to the bank!
    Score: Me 9 My flesh/the enemy 2
  10. I never stopped ministering to others through the battle.
    One of the challenges with guilt and shame is that they leave you believing that you’re such a loser that you’re unfit to minister
    to an ant! Lies. All lies. If you know who you are in Christ, then you never stop doing what He’s put you on the earth to do. He
    is Who justifies you, not what you are or are not doing. In fact, through all of this, I helped numerous others break through their
    issues, and I saw such great growth in them. That was a product of Holy Spirit, not anything that I did! But had I sat on the
    sidelines, waiting to become “good enough” or “righteous enough” to play in the game, then sadly, that time would probably not
    ever come.
    Revealed Truth: It’s God who qualifies the called. It’s not how much you’re doing for Him, how good you are, or, how badly
    you think you’re doing. If you’re waiting until you have it all together, you’ll be waiting until eternity. Go and do what God has
    called you to do!

The Final Score: Me 10
My flesh/the enemy 2
The Winner: Me, by TKO in the 10th round!
(technical knockout for those who don’t know boxing terminology)

The Method:
I applied 2 Corinthians 10:5-6
I used the Dynamic Weaponry in my arsenal. The Blood, and my faith in God were My Shield, and The Spirit, God’s Word, was
My Sword! I engaged in worship and praying in the spirit. My flesh and the enemy never stood a chance.

The Prize:
EVERY deceptive fantasy that opposed God was DEMOLISHED. EVERY arrogant attitude raised up in defiance of the true
knowledge of God was BROKEN. EVERY trace of rebellion was PUNISHED, and EVERY thought was taken CAPTIVE and
those thoughts BOWED in obedience to the Anointed One. All because I chose complete obedience and applied the truth of
God’s promises to me as a daughter of the Most High!
Amen and Amen.

Birthed For This by Brenae Maddix

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I’ve had a myriad of emotions over the last two weeks, and while tending to the needs and concerns of my three teenage sons I really hadn’t fully processed my own feelings.

It was during our noon day prayer that everything that I had been suppressing came flooding to the surface and I began to wail. I wailed in repentance for not fully comprehending the type of world I birthed my sons into on the day of their arrival. Yes, it was a cry of repentance and sorrow.

It was the sorrow of knowing that someone may look at them as a threat simply based on their beautiful brown skin and not see the kind, gentle souls that say “Please”, “Thank you”, “Yes, Sir” and “Yes, Ma’am”, that give me forehead kisses, makes me hot tea before I go to bed, holds the door for others and causes me to laugh like no one else. I wailed knowing that Jesus understood every moan and was able to interpret my cry.

I wailed because I had birthed them to be greater than a hashtag or political or social movement.

I wailed because I know they are meant for greater! See, when I was pregnant with them, I prayed special prayers over them as the Holy Spirit led for each of their callings. I birthed a worshipper, a bible teacher, and a preacher, and I’ve seen glimpses of their calling as if the Father is reminding me that He heard my prayers when they were in my womb.

Somehow, in the middle of my wail their spirits recognized their hurting mama and, the little babies that I once held, came and wrapped their muscular arms around me. They all held me at once and they began to pray for me. They prayed for my peace, reminded me of their purposes, and how not one time has God not kept them.

It was a moment I believe every parent hopes for. It was a moment where they knew who they were, who they belonged to and the anointing and purpose that rests on each of them. It was the moment the Holy Spirit had me stand down so they could rise up.

While this was an incredibly moving and powerful moment in our family, I am aware that our adversary, the devil, is going to be just that, a devil, and he’s going to fight against their purpose and my peace.

However, I’m confident of the promises of God that when the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of Lord will raise up a standard against it (Isaiah 59:19)! I got a glimpse that they know how to stand sure in who they are in The Master, and that is the greatest gift I could have been given.

So, in the meantime I’m going to continue to pray for healing and revival in our land with the confidence that God has birthed them for such a time as this to reach a generation that is hungry and thirsty for Jesus!

They were birthed for this.

Tragic Thinking By Brittany Foster

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2 Corinthians 10:5 (TPT)

“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.”

As a mother, have you ever found your imagination getting a little out of control?  You leave your baby in their swing bundled and buckled all secure but the second you leave the room the device has somehow catapulted them across the air and onto the hard floor like a little helpless “angry bird”.  Or how about the time that you left your child in the car for one minute to run inside and grab the keys (that you always seem to forget), but when you came back the car engine had spontaneously combusted and is now up in flames!

I found myself exhausted by these visions since the day we brought our first newborn home from the hospital and wondered if we had buckled her in the car seat correctly.  I didn’t realize that the battle against fear didn’t end at labor.  Although many people warned me, “Once you have children you will always worry about them no matter how old they get.”  And in a world where everything we own is covered in a giant warning label and all we have to do to learn of traumatic events is flip on the television, it’s no wonder we have bought into this lie of tragic thinking.

But today I say “No”!  According to the Word we have the power to not politely ask these thoughts to leave but to “DEMOLISH” them.

Merrimack Webster’s Dictionary definition of “demolish”:

  1. A: TEAR DOWN

B: to break to pieces: SMASH

  • A: to do away with: DESTROY

B: to strip of any pretense of merit or credence

The enemy of our souls gives us flashing images of our most loved little people being destroyed because this is what we are supposed to be doing to him.  he bombards us with fear because he is in fact afraid we might realize our authority against him.  This is why they are called “deceptive fantasies”.

Not only are we able to be victorious over these thoughts, but we are responsible to.  According to the scripture we just read it is actually an “arrogant attitude” to believe that we have reason to fear.  It was the enemies arrogance that got him kicked out of the presence of the Lord and there is nothing the enemy would like more than to take us out with him.  Fear “opposes” and “defies” God because His character, who He is, is Love.  Fear is like a magnet that attracts the kingdom of darkness.  “True knowledge” of God results in faith (the opposite of fear) and attracts the kingdom of light.  When we truly realize deep in our soul the extent to which our Father has gone to prove His security and protection over us, then we can live freely without fear.  The One who watched His own child suffer for the saving of the world, is surely watching over mine. 

Yes we are in a war.  But we are not the prisoners…our fearful, anxious, and worrisome thoughts are.  If we are going to be obedient to the One we call Lord, than our thoughts must be obedient.  We love when our children obey us because it means they trust us.  This is why God loved Jesus so, because He was the only one truly obedient to His Heavenly Father.  And the fulfillment of His obedience all the way to the cross, is what empowers me to have this same trust. 

The Anointed One who tore down the temple veil is asking me to tear down any thought that separates me from my Loving Father.

The Anointed One who was tortured on the cross but had no bone broken is asking me to break to pieces any thought that says He is not for me and my family.

The Anointed One, the only one who is worthy of praise, allowed Himself to be stripped down so that I have the ability to be lifted up and unburdened from my fears.

So today I decide, the cross is enough proof for me.  My child was on the mind of Christ as He hung naked on that tree and has never left the forefront of His mind ever since.  I choose to replace these fear fantasies with the true reality of Love.  Fear can not conquer me because the Lord already has!  My attention goes to the One whose thoughts towards me and my family outnumber every grain of sand on the earth and whose plans for us are good.   I choose as an act of my will to have the mind of Christ- His thoughts AND His imagination.  I do not accept worry as a side effect of motherhood.  Now is the season to start blessed thinking, hopeful thinking, and expectant thinking.  Who wants to practice with me?!

Scripture for further reading: Romans 5:1-2,5 (TPT),  Psalms 139:16-18 (NIV), Psalms 23:4 (TPT), 1 Corinthians 2:16 (NLT), Psalms 25:21 (TPT)

Open Heart Surgery By Karissa Rhodes

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Remember when God left you in the midst of your brokenness and told you to fend for yourself? No, me either. Healing. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It is painful. It is like pulling up the band-aid on an almost healed wound, letting it breathe before it is completely healed – once and for all – feeling whatever it is for the last time. I mean, allowing yourself to feel the very thing that just about tore your heart up in two. God showed me that picture in 2017; the band-aid one. That you can treat it, you can put some Neosporin on it, bandage it up, let it begin the healing process, like getting its second skin back, but at some point, or another, it is going to need to be re-applied. You are going to have to lift up the band-aid, though it may be a little painful, and let it breathe. Then re-apply the truth, what God says and remind your heart of what is good, and let it heal some more. Eventually it won’t be tender to the touch or bleed when accidentally bumped into.

God is our great physician and sometimes we think our wounds aren’t that bad, or we think we don’t have any until there is someone there to take care of us and give a second look. Then, as He peels back the layers, He sees and reveals so much. For eleven years I struggled with a deep, dark and ugly depression that left me attempting suicide and in the midst, I ended up in a two year abusive relationship. My mind, my will, my emotions were all broken. I was broken.

The enemy came in when I was 15 years old and depression just poured over me. I felt worthless, unseen, and he whispered the lie that I would always remain hopeless. I was so weary. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and month into years. I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. As a child I believed the lie that I was created broken because I could never remember the together in my life before it broke. When I was 24 I ended up in a relationship that was mentally, emotionally and physically abusive. I opened up my heart, only to have it broken. When the relationship finally came to an end, I didn’t know who I was. I remember telling myself, “ I lost my identity.”

In 2017 the Lord brought me into a season of deep healing and I learned to sit in a very uncomfortable place with God and let Him search my heart. My hours were measured by pressing in harder and longer into God than ever before while He went into the nooks and crannies of my heart and let Him strip away. There were things that God asked me to do, to give up, to let Him dig up and lay at His feet. It was uncomfortable and hard, but a good kind of hard; but I was convinced that it was going to be.

Can we just admit that life can be hard? I know how it feels to not want to get out of bed and would much rather be underneath your literal and metaphorical security blanket because let’s be honest, it is much easier to hide than to say no to all the fear and lies. It is easy to just want to escape, mentally check out and be transported away to another place where we don’t have to deal with any of it. You may have felt that way at some point – your “some point” could be right now. There is nothing you and I can do to stop occasional heartache, pain, and trouble, BUT GOD… He shifts atmospheres and transcends the worst circumstances. The Lord will sustain, strengthen and empower you through it all. Dark storms may hover, but when God hovers, He shines through the darkness. There is not one dark moment in your life that can undo what Christ did on the cross for you.

Today, if life has gotten hectic, things are messy, if you are broken and you have found yourself in a dark place, know that the Lord is right there. Sometimes, you have got to veer off the beaten path, disconnect from the usual stuff, shut out the noise of life, retreat from the world, and hide and abide under the shadow of God’s wings. His presence makes the difference and who He is changes everything. In Him, you will find rest for your weary soul. He will be your comfort and your guide.

He is present in every hardship, He is there for the misses, and when your heart skips a beat because you are certain you are alone – breath in, breath out, and remember who walks at the forefront of your life, holding your best interest in His hands, paving the way for His goodness and faithfulness to prevail in your coming days. When you lost touch, fall out of communication and your heart becomes clouded by circumstances and emotions, put your foot down. Don’t let all the direct lines of contact with your Maker to be blurred, don’t lose track of what or who is your focus. When all you see if your pain, you will lose sight of Him. Recognize your old patterns of doubt and discouragement, write them down, get them out and save yourself from the journey between nurtured and spiritually distant. God’s presence and faithfulness remains regardless of how many difficulties you face, you many losses you experience, or how many times you stumble, trip and fall. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Today, I am saying a prayer for all the hearts that are healing right now and are in need of healing. I am praying that you will choose to run to Jesus. That you will let Him fill you with peace. That you will rest in His promises. That you will hold fast to His words. I am praying that He holds you even closer. That He comforts your heart. That He covers you in His grace. That He carries you through. I am praying that He will reveal Himself to you. That you will see His fingerprints, that you will hear His whispers, that you will feel His presence. I am praying that you are reminded of the love that He has for you. A love that hasn’t let go, can’t be shaken or pushed. That the heaviness would be lifted and there will be an irreversible shift in your spirit.

Keep your eyes fixed on the one who keeps you breathing. Keep your heart tied to the One who strengthens you to keep going. He hasn’t given up on you so don’t give up on Him, and don’t give up on yourself. In Him you will find a reason to keep going that you won’t find anywhere else – and when you can’t trace His hand, you can trust His heart.

A Heart Created by Him By Karissa Rhodes

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Remember when someone called you something, labeled you something, and laughed because after all, maybe it was true? But then you spend the next few years of your life letting these words define you. Unsure of where these thoughts originally started from, but still you hold them tight as if they were engraved into your palms and ever time you look at these weary hands, you’re reminded.

Reminded of the painful identity that sadly overcome you. It’s not until years later that you have a flashback, a vivid memory, as these unknowingly hurtful words rush out of one’s person mouth. And that one person you had told yourself had impacted you so greatly turned out to be one who made you feel confined to a negative connotation of your own self.

“Oh my gosh, I would never want to be as emotional as you are. I think something is wrong with your heart.” Being the emotional, sensitive human being that I am, I immediately took offense to it. Then over analyzed my personality and questioned, is that true? Am I over emotional? What’s wrong with my heart? What does that even mean? I held onto that for most of my life, thinking that something was wrong with me.

But they didn’t mean it and even if they did, they didn’t know that down the road their words would still be haunting you. But you love them. After all, we are called to love and to give a free handout of grace as if it’s not the hardest form of forgiveness. Be brave enough to give them grace for they don’t see your mind or the internal thoughts that keep you up at night.

I use to despise how emotional I am and how deeply I feel things. I despised it because it means I cry a lot and I was easily guided by my feelings. But today, instead of wishing I was different, I am thankful. Jesus, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to come to you with my heart and be able to pour myself out to you with every feeling I have felt in my heart. Thank you for allowing me to feel, to have compassion. Thank you for hearing me, bearing me, comforting me through every fickle, fleeting and finite emotion.

My emphatic side is nothing to be ashamed of. People may think it is a fault (as some have said) but I think it is one of the best parts of who I am. How God created my heart. I have a deep compassion for other people, I hurt when not only my loved ones are hurting but strangers, and I am overjoyed when good things happen to other people. If I stripped that single trait away, I would leave the very essence of who I am and how God created me.

What I am trying to say is, don’t let the world desensitize you and how God created you. Loving that part of myself has been a process. Being able to process everything that my heart feels in a healthy way has been a process. Truly believing the truth on how Jesus sees me and how He has wired my heart has been a process.

So, to those who experience every moment, emotion, thought and feeling in life so very deeply. To the ones who live with compassion. To the ones who feel the intensity of tragedy and carry the earth’s burden upon their shoulders. To the ones who sees a life and long to save it and see a need and want to meet it. To the ones who cannot contain or withhold their tears, who weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn, and yearn with those who yearn. To the ones who hold nothing back, who reflect a level of understanding like no other – who desire to protect, shelter and shield the broken, the worn out and the weary, and keep every soul from harm. To the ones with hands that are bruised from giving yet remained determined to bandage and heal. To the ones who arms that are tired from fighting for justice but refuse to throw in the towel.

This is for you…

The ones who are filled with second chances, the emotional warriors. The ones who seek to listen for what goes unsaid, see more than what is visible and take the position of servant over master.

You are rare. You are a unique and beautiful force to be reckoned with. So go cross every river and ocean. Go the distance. Soak at the feet of Jesus and fill your cup to overflowing; fuel your flames in the courts of His praise in His glorious presence, and let the Holy Spirit be your eyes. Be wise with your gift but push on. Remember you are gifted and anointed not only to feel, but also to allow Christ carry you as you carry others.

Who Are You Embracing? By Dana Kirkland

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I loved my babysitters growing up. Like idolized, worshipped, obsession level love. They were so. freaking. cool.

Especially Misha, she was the coolest of all because she talked to me like I was a friend, not a kid. We would do the globe game (get out a globe, close our eyes, spin it and put our finger on it to find out where you’ll live one day – anyone else ever play this??), braid each other’s hair, listen to music with her Walkman, climb trees, play M.A.S.H.

I loved her because unlike most teenagers, she didn’t treat me like a nobody. She embraced me. And that meant the world to my nine-year-old self.

Yesterday, a neighbor girl stopped by to see if her and her little sister could play. While she was over, I was folding laundry, doing chores, being busy. And God prompted me, “You’ve asked for people to encourage, to influence, to love. I brought someone right to your door.” I immediately stopped what I was doing and just hung out with her. We listened to music, she showed me new songs and I showed her some I thought she would like.

As she left she said, “I’m so glad you liked my music. You mean a lot to me and I really hoped you would like it.” I heard the words behind her words. “Thank you for spending time with me. Thank you for making me feel important, seen, loved.” I felt deeply grateful I’d stopped my busy to-do list to be her friend.

I’m older now, but I still remember my babysitter Misha, and I bet you still remember someone from your childhood who made you feel seen, important, loved. And I hope this sweet girl will remember me.

That’s the cool thing — now that we’re grownups, WE can be a Misha to someone else. We can make someone feel loved, seen, important by simply treating them like they belong, and they matter to us. THAT’S the truest influence of all: not being too cool, too mature, too busy to love the person right in front of you, make time for them, and show them they matter.

I encourage you to join me in praying and asking God to open your eyes to see the people he’s put in your path to love today. Right now. Do it! God, open my eyes to see the one. To see who you’ve purposefully placed in my life TODAY to love well. Help me not be too busy, too self-consumed, too old to give of my time and energy and love someone well today.

Did you have someone like Misha in your life growing up? Who can you love like this in your life now?