A New Perspective

Hello. It’s been awhile since I shared anything. I write to remember who I am, and who I’m becoming. If my journey helps you, it’ll seem like it wasn’t in vain. I pray as you read this, you will find a new perspective too.

Here is a my new perspective.

Over the last two years I regained the family that I hadn’t had in over 20 years only to then, loose most of them again. As, each one left, I did my best to stop the momentum. I prayed, cried and gave more of myself than I thought was possible. Yet, one by one, they are now gone. For you, who are only now, coming into this blog site, my grandmother Grace (my dad’s mother), Linda Goodknecht (my dad’s wife of 30+ years), and then my dad, died within the last two years. I hadn’t had a close relationship with them in over 20 years.

I can’t begin to describe what I have been through in something as small as a blog. But, I will tell you what I am and who I am becoming.

I can’t go back and change one thing. Over the past 2 years I can without a doubt say, that I gave more than I had to give. I was walking in a supernatural moment of restoration and emotional healing.

Now that they’re gone, should I believe that God is a liar? Should I believe that I made a mistake in grabbing a hold of what is now so painful? What have I learned, and who am I now?

There are many things that I’ve had to face. I had to face my own demons that kept me from my father and family for years. I’ve had to come to terms with the reason that I agreed to being alienated from the family that I loved so much.

By allowing something to happen to us, we agree to those terms. I never did anything to see that change, which means, I agreed to the terms of alienation.

I’ve had to decide who I will be today, while I face much adversity over things that are too painful to put in this blog.

When someone dies, all we have left, is the people left behind. We all have to choose who we are going to be. Will we allow this loss to divide us? Or, will we once and for all, choose a different path?

I’ve had to forgive myself for allowing the ideas and opinions of others, keep me from my dad. He was a  man that I loved my whole life, yet, he never knew how much I loved him until the last 2 years of his life. The cruelest thing a person can do is withhold love from others.

I’ve had to forgive the very people, that have aimed jealousy, animosity, anger, and malice towards me.

I’ve had to live in regret. Regret that I ever doubted that my father loved me, regret that I ever listened to any unkind word spoken about him and, regret that I stayed away from someone I longed to be with for 20 years.

Did you know that unkind words are designed to cause division? Don’t listen to an unkind word about anyone. They are lies meant to keep you from a great relationship. The people who speak unkind words about others are called divisive.

I’ve had to forgive my father and many others for ever believing lies about me.  In order for people to believe that there is anything in my heart for anyone except pure, genuine love, they are believing a lie. Although love takes on many facets, love has always been at the forefront of who I am. Always!

I’ve had to say goodbye to many relationships that were designed to harm me. I believe the best of others, I don’t comprehend a person not loving me, not to mention, bringing harm to me. When that is evident I have to choose, do I stay in a relationship designed to harm me, my children and my world, or do I cut the cord, and forge ahead regardless of the brokenness that I feel?

I’ve learned that I don’t have any time left in my life to waste on futile relationships. If a person doesn’t have my best interest in their hearts, I will always love them but, I will not involve myself too deeply in their attempts to harm me anymore.

Beauty to capture.

I’ve had to surround myself with a safe place of worship, where I’m allowed to let God alone heal me from the inside out.

I don’t doubt any decision that I’ve made over the past two years. For the first time in my life, I see very clearly. I see what is, what was, and what is supposed to be.

I’ve also learned that preparing for our death is something I will be doing within the next few months. I will make sure, beyond any doubt, that my will for the things I’ve worked my entire life for, will be executed to the letter.

The only thing a person has left when they die, is their legacy. When others try to change that, that is the ultimate dishonoring act. I can’t imagine what is in store for the people who dishonor the dead but, I won’t be that person ever.

I have learned to make every second count. I’ve always been like this, but now, I’m cutting out everything that takes me away from what really matters to me.

I’m eating what I want, when I want it. I’m not eating, if I don’t want to. I sit down, when I need to, instead of pushing myself. I breathe fresh air, tumble in piles of snow, have snow ball fights, and make snow angles in the snow. I want to retire as soon as possible and talk, hug, smile and be deeply in love with as many people as I can. I truly love. I see good in everyone and, it’s amazing to fall in love with every living creature we encounter.

I want people to know that they were created for greatness, and to not allow opinions of others to get in their way. I don’t want my children to be plagued with doubts of my love for them anymore.

I want everyone I know to live like they only had 24 hrs. left. I, no longer, push off goals that are important to me. My goal list has gotten shorter and shorter.

My New Perspective: Love others, and get rid of anything that is a distraction from that.

What are you going to do with your next 24 hours?

 

Enjoy the Rainbows

I had another name for this blog a week ago, but I don’t remember what it was. This will be short as I don’t have time to elaborate. I promised everyone I would write a post over a week ago and I have been on overload for a few months now and each day seems to keep me busy until I wake up and do it again. Without further a due, here goes.

When people see me today, the person I am, they believe this is who I’ve always been. In many ways they are right. I’ve always had a heart for people, animals and harmony. I longed to see harmony in all things my whole life. But, the way I went about doing things to create harmony when I was younger looked nothing like the way I go about bringing it forth today.

I used to think that everything depended on me changing things. I now know that everything depends on me being changed. Let me say that again. I used to think everything depended on me changing things. I now know that everything depends on me being changed. Or, me being the change. I pray this helps you.

I have many regrets because I lacked vision, wisdom and foresight. Many of you don’t realize that you will regret tomorrow by what you are doing today. Why? Because, you lack what I lacked then. We all lack vision to a degree, when we only see our limited view, our perspective, limited by our experiences. Today, if I could go back 30 years, this is what I would say to me, in this order.

Michelle this may sound strange, weird or off the wall. But, because I know the outcome of your choices, if you really want, what you really want, here is how you go about getting what your really want.

1. Find Jesus. Don’t settle for someone else’s opinion or experience of Him. You find Him and don’t stop until you do. Make finding Jesus and living in His presence your number 1 ambition.

2. Get over yourself. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and treat others like you want to be treated. The pity parties need to go, once and for all. They are your number one weakness. Get rid of them now.

3. Respect your parents. Do for them, more than they’ve done for you. Respect your elders. If someone is 10 seconds older than you respect them. Don’t get offended by anything they do. It will cause you more detriment than you’re prepared to deal with.

4. Above all things, spend time with your family. Put your ambitions in a waste basket, catch them on fire if need be and put a date on the calendar every month to visit a family member. Include everyone you know and search out the ones you don’t know. Find out where you are from and embrace your heritage.

5. Find a church that exalts Jesus. Go often, but not all the time. Don’t look for people in the church to replace the family that you wished you had. Meaning, because you hardly see your family. Be, the family that they wished they had, as you become a better family member yourself.

6. Serve everyone you meet in the giftings and talents that you have. Smile often, but shake hands and hug even more. Don’t promise something that you can’t deliver on. But, make promises and keep them when you make them.

7. Don’t date until your mature enough to get married. When you do, be choosy, selective and don’t even date anyone who is self centered. If they aren’t your best friend, move on in grace and be patient until your best friend shows up.

8. Enjoy every minute of your life. Not by being selfish, by enjoying every minute..the good, bad and ugly. Enjoy your life, it’s the only one you have.

9. Show love to all. Put away all criticism and realize we all are one minute away from loosing it.

10. Pray for everyone you meet, even if for 30 seconds. Believe the best and be prepared for the worst.

11. Let your children see the love of God in you above all else. Nothing else matters in this life except the love of God. Make that available to your children no matter what you face. Don’t be so hard on yourself…no one can be a perfect anything. Make love your ambition and you’ll never fail.

12. Breathe. Forgive yourself. Cry. Laugh. Believe. Hope. Endure. Scream. Breathe.

13. Enjoy the rainbows. God will give you many rainbows to remind you that He never forgets His promises. All of your dreams will come true and when they do, remember who brought them about. It wasn’t ever your dream to begin with. It was His. He wants His dreams for you to come true. Enjoy the rainbows.

I Am Thankful 4

Hello friends, family and wonderful readers. I just want to say thank you to you, for reading my blogs. I have a cousin who once said to me, “Michelle, I hope you are keeping track of your life. You do have memoirs don’t you? When you write your book, I want to read it. But, if you never write it, I want your memoirs, I could make millions”. Ha Ha Ha! You are getting for free, what he thought would be priceless. I hope you enjoy my stories as much as Joe does. All of my blogs are my stories. Here is the continuation of my “I Am Thankful” series. If you have not read “I Am Thankful” 1, 2 and 3, go back and take a few minutes to read them. This is a series, so it is important to get all the pieces. You don’t want to miss the foundation that builds to the end.

To continue, I would like to add that in regards to owning Rainmaker, I found a farm with an indoor arena, horse showers, an amazing tack room, outdoor arenas and tons of property to ride on, for $100.00 per month. It was located a few miles from where we lived. If need be, we could ride a bike or walk, to see Rainmaker. Since then, I have never found what I had then, for $100.00 per month. That covered hay, grain, his own stall, and everything else. I remember we video taped him. He was a charcoal grey horse, with dapples. He was very refined and had smooth lines everywhere. He loved attention, was curious, and light on all the aids. Now on to my next person.

The next person I would like to thank would be a woman by the name of Linda Hodge. After a couple of years of owning Rainmaker he and I moved across the state to Pontiac, Michigan. The second place I found for Rainmaker, was as simular to the first place as I could find. It cost $120.00 per month, had an indoor and outdoor arena, tack room, wash rack and…etc. It was nestled into a wooded area on a lake. Linda was the riding instructor/trainer at Woodland Cove Farm. After getting Rainmaker there and finally purchasing some tack, I decided to start taking lessons. All of my other tack had been burned in a fire at the first place I took him to, in the Pontiac area. I began to live out the words that Zina had spoke to me. I needed to find someone who was doing what I wanted to do and learn from them. Linda was the first official riding instructor I ever had.

She had a Bachelors degree in riding instruction. Linda was tall with long dark hair. She had dark brown eyes and a big smile. She and I hit it off. She was the only person in that area, I could relate to. She talked horses and loved country stuff. I had found my person, in this pursuit of becoming a riding instructor and horse trainer. I never wanted to do hair. I was just naturally good at it. Everyone used to tell me to do hair. I always wanted to be a teacher. I was on my way to becoming a teacher in the field of horsemanship.

Linda used to say things like, “well in dressage they do ……..”. One day, after hearing the word “dressage”, I asked, “what is dressage”? Everything she was teaching me, was in relation to dressage, a word I had never heard before. She began to explain it in her own words to me. I didn’t fully comprehend what she was saying, but it sounded fascinating! Linda and I became good friends. I told her I wanted to know everything she knew, so I could teach and train. We went to shows together, trail rides together, and did many other things together. I ended up buying her Quarter Horse gelding, who later got a bad leg injuring, so I had to sell him.

Linda decided after a few years, to get out of teaching and focus on doing hair and other things. I was really sad when she left and moved her horse back to her parent’s house. Probably one of the greatest regrets I have, is loosing contact with Linda. Linda, was a person I could trust, because she had a great heart. I will always be thankful for all of her effort, support, and encouragement that she gave me. She was a true friend. If, I could give you some advice? Here is what it would be, don’t loose contact with real friends. People can’t be replaced! Don’t think that they can be, they can’t.

That is why I am writing this. I want to thank the wonderful people, who took time out of their lives, for little ole me. These are stories of gratitude for the ones who truly cared, even if for one moment. People who cared about me and my future with horses, will be recognized in these blogs. Linda was an amazing person on and off the horse. She always had my best interest, she was a true friend. I love you Linda and I will never forget you. I hope to find you soon.

During the time of my training with Linda, I got married, got pregnant and sold Rainmaker. I sold him while in the hospital, when Derek was born. I was under heavy sedation and was plagued with guilt in owning two horses, one to show, and my Rainmaker. Rainmaker seemed like the logical choice as I had purchased Pesky for competing with and had not really competed yet. Now, I realize I should have kept them both. Advice number two, logic interferes with the plans of God, more than anything else I know of. It takes faith to pursue Godly dreams! Do what is in your heart! You can do it! If only you believe! This is a photo of me and Linda’s Quarter Horse gelding that I purchased, Pesky.

In the next excerpt I will be discussing, what happens to Rainmaker, and the next person who directs my path towards Dressage. Have a great day filled with positive expectation of good. 🙂

Nod, Nod Your Head

I remember along time ago, feeling lost and confused, unloved…..well,……you know?

Each day as the last with no hope in sight. If I were a bird, I would have just taken flight.

Every hall I walked down the door slammed in my face, with a kick to boot, it seemed I had lost the race!

The race of life we had ALL dreamed about, with FAMILY and FRIENDS, GREAT CAREER, let’s all SHOUT!!!

Run, run, run that race I was doing, but the stop watch stopped before me…….everyone was booing!

I felt like a failure, living on the edge! Didn’t know how long I would last….I needed a ledge.

Then finally I did it!!!!! I had, had ENOUGH!!!! I said,” God if your real, you had better show me your stuff!!!”

I opened my bible and the pages came to LIFE! I read in Matthew about how Jesus still was alive!!!

He came, He saw, He healed and He LOVED! He came to die for you and me and then He rose above.

I didn’t know what to do??? So I read, and read! The more pages I turned, I realized I had NOTHING to DREAD!

VICTORY IN JESUS!!! That is what everyone says???

But victory only comes, when we except what He says!

Believe Jesus loves me and you and many more?

He says if we knock, He will open the door?!

Open the door???? I thought really, can He do that?

So everyday I kept reading, always turning back to Matt.

Jesus came to save us, that is right, set us FREE!

From every wicked thing, we should ALL bow our knee!

To be free and live in peace is what we lack and we need!

What stops us from it, is foolish pride, and greed!!!!

Open your heart today, knock down those walls.

Jesus wants to save you, love you, help you to serve Him, that’s ALL!

We fear what is right and embrace what is wrong. Open your heart now, let it be filled with song!

God can give you a new song, a new hope, a beginning!!! Instead of loosing the race, this time you will be winning!

But you might be saying…..Oh THAT’S NOT ME!!! I am the head of my office, the head of my league!

I do unto others as I’d like them to do unto me. What could Jesus have to offer, to a winner like me???

I win, I win, I win every day!!!!! 🙂 When I die I know what they will say!!

He (she) was a great guy to know! We loved him and we’ll miss him so!

But let me inform you, as GREAT as you are, you will NEVER outshine your CREATOR, not by far!

Without Him you are NOTHING in comparison you see!!!! So imagine all the possibilities………… that this could all bring!!! 🙂

Being a winner at birth with the POWER of GOD, is a POWERHOUSE of winning, we could all surely NOD!

NOD, NOD, your head to Jesus, you must see that it is true!!! What do you think Jesus could do, with a winner like you?

This is the first poem I had ever wrote in my entire life! November 24, 1999

This photo above is of me, our choir and Dustin Smith performing live on Daystar television at www.worldrevivalchurch.com .

 http://www.dustinsmith.com/ This is a link to Dustin Smith’s website! Awesome worship leader blazing a trail in worship around the world.

Without Jesus, I would not be here, writing or doing anything of any value!

As always, Michelle.

Encourage Yourself!

Yesterday I found myself in a mess! In the middle of the night I got great abdominal pains that led me to deep cries of anguish. After making several trips to the bathroom, I knew I was in for a long night. Thoughts of frustration started to come over me….I thought finally…. after 6 months of physical/therapy, I worked out!!!  Wanting to start my new healthy life, thoughts of goals never getting accomplished overwhelmed my every thought!

Could I be destined to fail or can I do something about this?? As the night grew my anguish became greater. My husband after hearing I had the flu, flung wide the bedroom doors and ran for his life. There I was all alone in bed feeling like every muscle in my body was being surgically removed or beaten to a pulp?!

I thought, is this what it felt like to be Jesus?? My insides felt like a firebomb had gone off and my outsides felt like it was being pulverized!! Did I mention the headache of headaches!!?? I could not open my eyes, my eyes hurt, my forehead hurt, all my head was screaming DON’T MOVE!! I moaned, groaned, cried, had a heating pad, ice pack….and what was left of Ginger Ale, from when my daughter was sick just a few days earlier! Then I thought….did Joy feel like this? She did great if she did!!! Then like a light-beam, I remembered having to carry her to the bathroom because she was too weak to walk :-(!

My next thought was….. where is my Ipod, I could at least listen to the word of God??? When I reached above my head to find it…as I tried to turn it on I realized it was dead!…………..What was I to do, it was not daybreak yet and I was alone in my room and dying, I thought?! So out of desperation I started whispering the name Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! I thought if He carried a cross while He felt this bad, I can lay here. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…..then I thought I can smile 🙂 no matter what….that’s right….no matter what! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, I changed the tone of my moan to one that sounded more positive..

I was in laying down, barely capable of getting out of bed except to go to the bathroom for over 24hrs. I am not 100% yet, but when I was laying in bed someone text me and when I responded, they said, your feeling like that with a smile on your face???!!! I thought hmmm YES I AM! I can be grateful with a smile regardless, whether I see dreams get smashed right before my eyes! I can be grateful in my heart when everything is turned upside down! I can be grateful when I am all alone in some of the worst pain I have ever been in! I can be grateful when I feel abandoned and left for dead!

If Jesus can be grateful for carrying a cross while being cursed at, spit upon in the heat barely dressed, for humanity, I think I can suffer the effects of a flu. I can pray for the healing he provided with a smile on my face. He suffered for all…I was suffering in myself. The choice of how we handle our sufferings is up to us. I am grateful to have chose to encourage myself in the Lord! When I remember the great things He has done for ALL of humanity, I can only be grateful.

Romans 5:8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁸ But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

Lord show these readers how to encourage themselves in who you are! You are good! All that you are is good. Goodness of God overtake these readers today, let your love abound in their lives towards you and for you in all that they do!

Be ENCOURAGED: GOD is FOR you!!!!!!

Here are a few links of mine of other ministries that I do! Have a great week of encouraging yourself in the Lord! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Germany-4-RevivalDeutschland-4-Revival/326313240819967 A page for prayer! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Synergy-In-Motion/131267290372603 A page to support horse ministry!

Letting Go!

One day I was at the stream drawing water for my horses! I had in my care nine horses some I owned, some I leased. They were kept behind our church, so that I could do horse ministry and so that the church members could enjoy the view of seeing horses behind the church. It also allowed me to have the ability to own so many because of the low overhead.

It was January 2005 and we were in need of some money. As I was getting water for all nine horses, in the coldest month of the year, in Michigan I said, “Lord we need a financial miracle NOW”! He said,”sell Reggie”! Reggie was a Arabian gelding that I had purchased as a colt. He was only the second horse I had ever raised from a baby. I could not believe what I was hearing….but I agreed. Then I said,” how much”? He said, “1,500”! I agreed again.

Instantly I felt a burden lift off my shoulders!! I wrote up an ad, called up the newspaper and prayed someone would buy him. This was so unlike me. I never sold any of my horses, I gave them away!  Reggie was specifically purchased to be my next horse, all the other horses were used for other people.Two weeks had past and no one bought Reggie. One person did called but did like the price! I contemplated an auction and then I got mad! I thought I did what He told me to do and the horse has not sold! Could I have missed God? What is going on? I know I heard Him!!

That next day when I went to water the horses, I looked up to heaven and said, “well…… if you want me to sell Reggie, YOUR going to have to do it because I spent all the money I had to advertise, and no one even came to look at him!” I felt God kind of laughing….I however was not laughing!

The next time that I was watering the horses, a woman showed up. Someone I had never met before. She explained who she was and then asked me if she could help me feed the horses? I explained who I was and said, “SURE”! She was such a unique person, I miss her so much!!! I told her of my financial dilemma, and asked her if she knew anyone who wanted to buy a small gray Arabian who was green broke? She had some connections and would give them a call. Later that evening, she would let me know what she had found out!

When she called me that night, she explained that she called everyone, but no one  seemed interested! In our defense, no one usually buys a horse in January! I thanked her and decided to dig into the word of God and build my faith! He had to come through for me!!! He does not lie!!!! I must be missing something somewhere!!!

The next day while watching a session on Kenneth Copeland, about God answering prayer during a time of drought, my faith began to rise! As soon as the show ended the phone rang, it was my friend! She said, ” hi Michelle are you sitting down”? I said, with a smile on my face and ready to jump through my skin, no I am standing up”! She said, ” you need to sit down”! I said,” I am fine I can handle what ever you tell me”! She said, ” you’re not going to believe this”! I said,” YES I AM”!

She said, “someone came in off the street today at the barn I work at! Do you know why they stopped in? “No why, I asked”? She was looking for a place to board a horse that she does not own yet.” I said, “O.K.”? “She is looking to buy a horse and do you know what kind of horse she is looking for? ONE LIKE YOURS!!!!!!…..she is in my car with me RIGHT NOW and we are on our way to come and pick you up to look at Reggie!!!! Can we look at him right now??”

As I started JUMPING UP AND DOWN, I said, ” YES”!! I knew the minute that she called, Reggie was sold! Every word that came from the buyers mouth God had told me! One of the things I had not mentioned was that all the horses I owned or leased was used for Horse Ministry! It was in my heart to do Horse Ministry and I had actually prayed that he would be used for Horse Ministry years ago! One of the first things that came out of her mouth was,” I am looking for a horse to do Horse Ministry with”! When I told her the price, she said, “that was the amount I had thought about spending”!

I could go on and on about ALL the details, but I think we get the point! The greatest thing  that I learned with this life lesson was, Jesus wants us to TOTALLY RELY on Him! It was not good enough that I agreed to sell my future horse, He wanted to show me how to go about doing it! The minute I totally surrendered my will to His all the pieces came together! Personally I kind of think He is a show off!!! But even if I am wrong, He is the most awesome, faithful, honest, pure friend, I have ever had!

I pray that you will be encouraged by this to TRUST JESUS! His plans for your life are greater than anything you could ever come up with! When we allow Him to tell us what to do, we truly live the greatest adventure there is!! A life worth living and writing about! Until next time, please leave a comment, prayer request or share this as often as you like! Let’s see how our world can change by GIVING IN to His will and LETTING GO of ours!

What Does Love Have To Do With It?

I grew up in a time when people still went to their neighbor’s and asked for a cup of sugar! Which meant they also baked….chew on that concept for a moment! Got it? O.k. we can move on then, they also knew their neighbor……..catch your breath…….here goes…..we also spent time with our families….are you o.k.?? In fact we spent time with my grandparents every week. My cousins would come over almost every weekend, there were times we had 10 kids staying over on a weekend night.

My grandmother spent time daily with relatives and friends, and got her hair done weekly by the same woman for years. My grandparents moved to Tennessee when I was about 12. We visited them, on the average of every other month.  My grandmother would come up to Michigan where we lived and stayed sometimes up to a month, visiting all her friends, old neighbors and children.

When she moved to Tennessee, my grandfather who was a builder in his 60’s, started a new business and became very successful! No computers, no internet, no cell phones, no answering machines…just plain old face to face!!! Why, how could this be??

My family loved people! Were they perfect? NO! They just believed in being kind to others, investing time, energy, and resources in other people. My mother when I was older whenever she visited, she brought with her everyone’s favorite drink, snack or food! When she met people she LISTENED! When we listen to others, we can instantly know what that person loves and needs. We never need to ask anyone we know what they need, they have told us time and time again. The question is ……..are we listening?

1Corinthians 13:1-7. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Everyone I have ever met wanted to succeed. Every church I ever attended, wanted to grow. Every woman I have ever known has wanted a great marriage. Every mom or dad I have ever met wanted the best for their children! Yet over the coarse of my life, I’ve seen the lack or REAL love in action! Love is a verb or action. Love is a decision!! We must CHOOSE to LOVE!

John 3:16, probably the most well known scripture says, God so LOVED the world that He GAVE, His only begotten son. So that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life! If we looked at that one scripture and nothing else, we see that LOVE gives! We see that love giving, produces life! We see that believing in Jesus produces love, giving us life….We also see that if we are to follow that example of love, we need to give love too, so that others might live!

We can not say we love God and not love others :-)! Love is a verb and we love by actions not by a feeling. I had the gift of being raised in a very dysfunctional home, yet seen love in action. Both of my parents and grandparents gave love to anyone, anytime. Although it took on many faces, it was love. My dad would take a baseball bat to work to help others safely get to there cars. He built homes for people as a gift or in trade, but no matter the wage, the level of care that went into the project was always the same.

My family took their lives and gave their lives to help meet the needs and desires of others never really expecting anything except maybe the joy they recieved. They just loved to see a need met. Now, understand my family was not and is not perfect!!!!! But I learned valuable lessons that helped give me a roadmap by which to live by. When I got older and met Jesus, face to face, I realized how blessed I was to have a life of giving love imparted into me.

Currently we are facing a society that is so self consumed it does not even know whether they have a neighbor or not. Children are raised by entertainment, we are so far away from the mark as a whole, that the mear mention of LOVE sends people into a spiral of confusion. We must make LOVE the essence of who we are. In order for people to find Jesus they must see that we have who He is in us!!

As for me I am going to dig out every word of God about LOVE and tie it around my neck so that I do not miss the very reason Christ died! He died, so that others might live. If they don’t see LOVE in me and you, they will never know who Jesus is!!! Let’s be givers of life together! Let’s tear apart the bible and get real with who we are and are not and let LOVE invade every area of our lives.

Love starts by forgiving, then asks for forgiveness! We must know the giver of LOVE personally…..If you don’t know Jesus, it is real easy….Open your mouth and heart and start asking Jesus to reveal himself to you! Don’t stop asking until he shows up! Deut. 4:9 says, “When you seek me you will find me, when you seek me with all your heart”! Then you embark on a journey of letting the author of LOVE be the author of your life!!

Here is a video on what love should look like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO8FFI6pJJA

What do you think? Do you think anything but LOVE can win the battle that you and I face? What relationship has been won by an argument? What person gets healed from cancer from hatred? What job would you like to work at, where you are disliked by everyone? Be the LOVE that you wish you had! Allow God to be real to you, let Him pour His LOVE into you and then take that and start pouring into others!!! We can do this!!! We can do all things through HIM!! Need prayer? Send me a request and I would love to pray that the author of LOVE invades your life today! Until I write again, I look forward to getting to pray for you and hear of all your experiences of being full of LOVE!

If It Is In Your Power To Do Something, Do It!

My husband, myself, my son, and my daughter, all attend the World Revival Church, here on Vivian Rd. in north Kansas City. One day after our church service we decided to explore the area. We came across a thrift store in a strip mall and decided to check it out!

The store we went to is called, Animals in Need Thrift Store, located in Riverside, MO. We walked through the entire store and at the end of our adventure, I walked over to where the cats were located! One cat with large blue eyes and a long gray mane with brown stripes, caught my attention. I had told my daughter for the last 2 1/2 years, that we could not own a cat! I knew if we owned a cat, I would be the kitty litter queen!! As I proceeded to gaze at the large, gorgeous kitty, while walking towards the cages, I kept telling myself, “we are just looking!”

The next thing I knew, I was holding the large, blue eyed beauty, who shared a cage with her full sister, while one of the workers was telling me of the cats’ sad story, I noticed something that had never occurred to me before,  “THESE CATS LIVE IN CAGES!” As my eyes started to fill up with tears, my daughter Joy said, “Mom I thought we couldn’t have a cat?” My heart broke even more! Just as I was putting the blue eyed beauty back in the cage, I heard another voice, it said, “IF IT IS IN YOUR POWER TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT!”

While walking out, the woman who worked there told me of all the wonderful options we had. As she was talking, my heart continued to break. With the sight of cats in cages, and knowing I had the power to do something about them, I told her that I would think about it! So I did.

We decided to take the two cats home on trial. The workers had tried adopting them out separately, but that did not work out very well.The blue eyed cat is named Alex and Ali is the tiger looking cat with green eyes! I was amazed at what had happened. These two cats took to us like we were their long lost relatives! My oldest son Josh tells everyone about them, Daniel who is very animal friendly has welcomed them, Joy blissfully cleans the kitty litter, and Robert, when walking in the house says, “where are the cats?” I just gaze at them in amazement that my heart has changed! I am overjoyed to know that these two cats no longer have to live in cages without a permanent home.

They live in our hearts, our home, and our laps!  Alex loves to climb on the highest shelf and watch everyone….her blue eyes capture the hearts of everyone who comes into our home. Meanwhile Ali loves people and is a lap cat. Every new person who comes into our home, she follows them, waits for them to sit, and tries to jump on their lap.

 

What Happened After Jericho?

We all know “THE BATTLE OF JERICHO” story…..but does anyone know what happens next? Recently at our church the call for Holiness is at the forefront of every thought I have. In a desire to be Holy as He is Holy, I have challenged myself to up the anti in my own walk! I am doing things I have never done before and the results are, experiencing things I have never experienced before!!!

The word of God is being poured in me like never before and I am hearing things I have never heard before. I am asking myself does anyone know this or has everyone just forgotten? We have all heard of the Battle of Jericho….RIGHT? I don’t recall ever hearing about what happened after Jericho?…. I have read the Bible from front to back, side to side and back to front for over 18 years, but didn’t recall before yesterday, the next part of the story.

Many things happen…first off Joshua is a commander of an army extra ordinary. He obeys the Lord to the letter, when the Lord finds someone who will  listen,…what get’s accomplished is AWESOME! Joshua and his army is conquering everyone and taking the land that the Lord promised, but then something happens!

The Lord specifically tells Joshua, make sure that all the plunder is given to me as an offering and don’t keep any for yourselves. What do you think these people do??? Yes you guessed it, ONE person decided to keep some of the plunder for themselves and check out what happened!!!

They go into the next territory which was called Ai, when they get there, Ai attacks them..They retreat, after some of Israelites were killed..This made Joshua and the whole camp be full of sorrow! Joshua tore his clothes and laid on the ground crying out to God asking why He would do such a thing. The Lord answered, He said,

^Josua7:10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. ¹² That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

WOW!!! This changes everything doesn’t it? Most preach, it’s under the blood! I say, who’s blood are we willing to shed because we want to hold on to the very thing that is suppose to be an offering unto the Lord! You can read the rest of the story, I would suggest that you do! But this is what I gathered….ONE PERSON’S SIN can destroy the favor of God on an entire community!!!!

The next time before we decide a small thing that we do, won’t offend the Lord. Maybe we should read this story again and ask ourselves, is it worth dying for? Is it worth destroying my future for? Is it worth destroying my family’s future for? Is it worth destroying my church families’ future for? Who’s blood am I willing to spill over this little thing? The Lord of Lord and King of King’s is the same today, yesterday and forever! He does NOT change! Don’t you think it is time to be a PEOPLE who don’t change with Him?

 

 

The Art of Serving (part 4)

I would like to say that going over all these real life stories is draining, but necessary!! The next part was both the best and worst part of my life, I want to word everything just right.

Since the time at Sue’s I got a divorce, rarely seen my kids, my mother died, had to get a job that paid well, (out with assisting), and was dating someone who had just as many obstacles as me! Wow, what happened?! Not only had becoming the next dressage superstar get put on the back burner, every area in my life, including finances, needed a complete makeover!!

At this point I was plagued with depression and hopelessness, I was on the brink of throwing in the towel completely, but with a last ditch effort, I grabbed my bible and opened it up. I could not understand one word, it was GREEK to me and I knew Greeks, so that did not make any sense either! I held it up in the air and yelled, IF YOU ARE REAL, YOU HAD BETTER REVEAL YOURSELF TO ME NOW, otherwise I AM OUT OF HERE!

I didn’t get it, where had I gone wrong! I thought I had done everything right, how could everything be such a mess?! In an instant after shouting those words I felt a presence I had never felt before and as I opened up my bible, the words came ALIVE! It was as though Jesus himself was saying the words in the bible and instantly, I understood what they meant. Remember I had said I was not raised in a church. I had no knowledge of any of the Bible.

What Jesus was telling me was that I had caused all the chaos in my life. You see I had been so focused on serving others in exchange for something other than money, that I missed out on some very key ingredients to success in this life. First off the bible says that Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. How can we have a great LIFE if we don’t have LIFE in our LIFE! The very essence of who He is, is LIFE! You see He very eloquently placed me in the lives of others to teach me important principals, but without adding LIFE to them, you only have principles!

Principals can suck you in and make you think you are secure. Understand without the author of the principal to back it up…you end up with a lot of self effort and failure. Yes principals do have success but only for a season before the holes begin to be revealed. The holes in my life all showed up at the same time. I am so glad they did. This is what I learned during a 10-17 year battle against the holes in my life.

Let’s look at the life of Joseph, not Jesus’s dad, the son of Jacob. We all know Joseph the dreamer, right? He had a dream that he would be placed high above his brother’s and told his brothers of the dream, (JEALOUSY) hit the air and they tried to kill him! Hmmm sounds familiar, anyway one brother had mercy on him and said let’s not kill him let’s put him in a cistern and leave him for dead, sounding more familiar. Joseph had been favored more than all the others, (are we listening to this)!!

They decide instead of killing him to throw him into a cistern, tell the dad an animal killed him, and be done with the dreamer once and for all. Joseph ends up being sold as a slave, he did not die but became a slave.

Because Joseph’s faith was in God he was the best slave that they had ever seen.            (Remember the first story I wrote on serving)? Potiphar was a government official and he bought Joseph, he could see that the Lord was with him and he seen that Joseph prospered in all that he did. Potiphar ended up putting Joseph in charge of everything! Then trouble hit!

Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph, but Joseph being a holy man after God’s own heart would not allow Potiphar’s wife to touch him. Then when she does not get her way with him, she falsely accuses him of rape. Joseph being a Godly man would not say anything bad about Potiphar’s wife. It would dishonor Potiphar and he was not willing to dishonor his master. Instead he was sentenced to jail, still having faith in God and the dream he had, he remained faithful to God and served any way he could.

Finally he was given the chance to interpret dreams, something he could do because God was with him. After interpreting many dreams and bringing answers to the nations problems he was pulled out of prison and put in charge of everything! Here is a key to The Art of Serving, it must NOT be about us at all. Joseph was about God’s business, NOT his. Joseph could have turned his back on God and try to save himself many, many times. Instead he was steadfast and believed that what God said, would happen.

Joseph always acted like God was in the room with him. He REALLY did what was right, pure, and honorable. So many times we want the results of Godliness without the price of it! The Art of Serving is serving all, all the time! We don’t always get to choose who we serve in the natural, we really are serving the SUPERNATURAL! We don’t serve for those we can see, we serve for those we can’t see.

You see I served as a principal to gain something from the person I was serving. It is a higher calling to serve someone by faith that God rewards those who serve. If my goal had been to see Zina and Sue made greater and God’s name be glorified, my success would have been over the top! Unfortunately for me I had to loose everything before I could find what was truly important. I hope you don’t have to loose another day of your life chasing after dreams when everything that is perfect you can have today!