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Walking On Water

I am honored to share this space today with my sweet friend, Brittney Carlson. A worship leader at my church has a new song out called I Am (Miracle). Part of the chorus says, “I’m a living, breathing, walking, talking, moving miracle.” And this is what I see when looking at Brittney. I have witnessed her live out her faith. When faced with life threatening illness, I have seen her look death in the face and proclaim, “Oh death where is your sting?” Whether in a class to grow, teaching students & adults or serving, Brittney consistently ministers grace to those who come into contact with her.

 

Having grown up in a broken, dysfunctional, blended family, Brittney discovered the hope, peace, love and security that can only be found in Jesus Christ. With a heart for at-risk youth and broken women, Brittney serves nationally and internationally. This past year she resigned after dedicating 11 years to teaching at-risk children here in the states to pursue her dream of returning to Japan to share the gospel.

 

The Lord had recently been speaking to me about water. So when I read Brittney’s recent newsletter about walking on water, I knew I just had to share it with you. It was confirmation of what the Lord is calling many disciples to in this season. In fact, I was attending an aerospace convention just yesterday and a woman I just met there relayed that she too was trusting God and walking on water!

 

The spirit is moving friends!

 

So let’s hear from Brittney.

 

Stepping out onto the Water

 

But Jesus immediately said to them: 

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied,

“tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said. Matthew 14:27-29

 

The story of Peter stepping out of the boat is always brought up in discussion on stepping out in faith vs. waiting and preparing. For the past four years I have gone back and forth wondering if it is time for me to step out in faith. Each time I decided to be smart and practical. I thought about the security and certainty of the things I had: a home, stable salary, medical insurance, retirement, benefits and more. I overanalyzed all the things that could happen to me without those things. As a result, each summer I resigned my teaching contract and each year since has been like Ground Hogs Day. For the past four years, I have moved houses and changed jobs hoping that would settle my restlessness and silence the tugging on my heart and mind, but it didn’t and it hasn’t.

 

I keep hearing God’s voice: “Come. Step out of the boat. Trust me and come.”

 

So I am.

 

So I will.

 

As of June 24th, I chose unemployment; as of July 1st I chose homelessness; as of Oct. 1st I will chose to be uninsured… I chose all these things to free myself to step out of the boat. After four years of hesitation and storms, I step out in faith, confident in God’s promises. Though like Peter the winds are strong and the voices of nay sayers can be heard… “What are you doing? What about a salary? What about insurance? Where will you live? What if you don’t raise the funds? What will you do? Maybe it is not your timing? Why don’t you wait another year? Get back in the boat! What are you thinking”… I am stepping out of the boat and trusting God to guide, provide, lead, and catch me if I start to fall.

 

I am stepping out onto the water. Keeping my eyes on Jesus. Praying for God’s help as I try to ignore the sounds of the wind and waves around me. Reaching out to Him as He reaches out to me calling me to “Come”.

 

Your Sister and Friend in Christ,

 

Brittney

 

Brittney

 

 

To learn more about Brittney and to partner with her in sharing the gospel with the 2nd most unreached people group on the planet, please connect with her by visiting:

 

www.BJC2Japan.org

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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The Release Of The Spirit

At the grocery store checkout through a pack of gum?!

It’s amazing the ways God chooses to speak to His people. So yes, God did communicated a powerful truth through a pack of gum. And it’s not the 1st time He’s spoken to me in an unusual fashion. He’s spoken to me by vigorously waving tree branches on a still windless day. I’ve even heard His booming voice from heaven audibly call my name. And that happened while I was new in the faith so it was quite unnerving.

 

On my weekly trip to the grocery store, as I stood in the checkout line I glanced over at the gum, My eyes landed right on Mentos Pure Fresh. Mentos Pure Fresh Gum has three layers.   A hard candy outer shell, a chewy, gummy layers then a cool liquid center. And you and I are like the Mentos gum. We are three layered persons. Our hard shell represents our outer most physical body, the gum layer being our mind, will and emotions and the center our spirit. To release the liquid center of the gum, we must get through two tough layers. And the same can be said for releasing our spirit. Let’s journey through the layers.

 

HARD SHELL

Oh how we long to satisfy the desires of the flesh.

 

When angry, we want to holler or play the power move of being passive aggressive.

 

When hurt or sad we may turn to food or other external sources for comfort.

 

That hard outer shell of the gum, the tough, rebellious outer layer of our person, the flesh, MUST crucify its longings to get to the next layer. That outer shell like the outer shell of an M&M can be cracked. Will we embrace being cracked? Do we see the value and benefit of being broken before God?

 

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

 

CHEWY GUM

When the flesh and its longings have been bought under subjection, we can then reach the next layer of ourselves and that is our mind, will and emotions. And like chewing gum, they are malleable. Just like our teeth and tongue crush, squeeze, fold and turn gum, God takes our mind, will and emotions and turns and squeezes them so that are bought to the obedience of Christ.

 

Therefore do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

 

While there are many well meaning, good intentions we may have, unless they are in alignment with the will of the Lord, they are for naught. It is not OUR will but HIS will that must be done.

 

LIQUID CENTER

Now I find there are three camps people fall into when eating layered candies like M&M’s and this gum. Some lick each layer. Some nibble each layer. And the last just bite through the whole thing. Whatever the strategy, each layer is enjoyed yet the center holds the promise, like getting to the center of a Tootsie Pop lollipop.

 

It behooves us to remain aware and sensitive so that we don’t miss Him. Now every time I SEE the Mentos gum, think about the Mentos gum, or even smell minty gum, I am reminded that Jesus is the center and I have to remain centered in Him.

 

In the case of the Mentos, the outer layer seems to hold the most intense flavor. The mint is strong and fills the nostrils. The mint is cool yet fiery. And when eating the gum, one wants that minty outer layer to last forever. And we can be like that, wanting to satisfy our desires forever. But do you not know there is even more intense flavor inside waiting to be released? For the liquid center inside the gum is even more intense, even more pungent. And the same can be said for your spirit. Your spirit man is capable of producing MORE fruit than your flesh ever could.

 

And this is the work of the Lord. Day by day He puts us in situations where we will be challenged to crack the hard outer shell of our bodily desires, where we will have to stretch and squeeze the longings of our will so that our spirit man will be released to flow freely and fly right in line with the Lord.

 

This is His desire for you. This is His desire for me, that we would be broken before Him so that our spirits can commune with Him and with other like-minded spirits to expedite the work of building the Kingdom here on earth. This is truly living. Doing the work that we were purposed and placed here for from the beginning of time.

 

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The Words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63

 

Last year I asked the Lord to move my relationship with Him from my head to my heart. My head knows plenty about the Lord; I have memorized His word, I have seen His work, I have heard and continue to hear Him speak. The first two layers of ME know plenty about Him. Oh but I desire more than just head knowledge about Him. I long to know Him intimately. I long to commune with Him. I pine for the opportunity to hang out with Him and learn from Him. So He simply beckoned me to “COME!” And when I walked toward Him, the desires of my first two layers, my body and my will HAD to fall away. To sit with Him and hear from Him required me to respond. And to respond appropriately, obediently required me to deny myself so that my spirit could receive and act accordingly.

 

In his book The Release Of The Spirit, Watchman Nee says, “Our spirit is released according to the degree of our brokenness. The one who has accepted the most discipline is the one who can best serve. The more one is broken, the more sensitive he can be.” He goes on to say it is, “Through the Spirit’s discipline, that the outer man is broken. And, through the Spirit’s revelation, the powers of the outer man are completely divided from the spirit.”

 

Therefore, through disciplining ourselves and by divine revelation of the Holy Spirit, our inner man, our spirit man is released and is FREE.

 

In what ways are you being broken?

Can you see blessing in brokenness?

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with these friends spreading the Good News Purposeful Faith

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Condition and Consequence {God’s If/Then}

I was listening to a song a few days ago. I was singing and swaying right along with the melody. But as I listened to the lyrics, I stopped cold. Was the singer proposing, “God if you do THIS then I’ll do THAT”? My praise was cut short as I began to dissect the song even further. Perhaps she was suggesting the thing God had already done then her act of obedience.

 

Conditional sentences give implications and their consequences.

 

God is the author of the IF/THEN clause. It is the method by which He fulfills His promises to us.

 

If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him—  then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.  Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. Deuteronomy 11:22-24

 

 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”  Joshua 1:8

 

If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? Luke 12:28

 

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15

 

If you give, you will receive

If you die to self, you will live

If you believe, you will be saved

If you are humble, you will be lifted up

If you abide, you will be fruitful

If you seek, you shall find

If you obey, you will prosper

 

So who initiates the IF/THEN? It is God who establishes the condition and it is my obedience that carries it out so that I can reap the reward or invite the consequence. Condition and consequence, that’s God’s If/Then strategy. God is waiting to show himself strong and mighty on your behalf.   But are you delightfully, readily obeying Him?

 

The converse is most often the case. We want God to do something for us 1st, and then we claim we’ll comply afterward. Most people tend to want the blessing without the burden, the promise without the practice. Too often meeting the condition is neglected.

 

But I implore you dear friends, to take God at His word. Do YOUR part and stand and watch God DO His part.

 

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

 

I really like the song. I really like the artist. In the song, I truly hope she is suggesting her response to God’s condition. God spells out the condition, we reap the blessing or the consequence with our obedience or lack thereof.

 

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

John 8:31

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

Happy to connect with these sisters spreading the good news Purposeful Faith, #WordsWithWinter, #LifeGivingLinkup

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How To Get Rest

Intel’s fastest PC processing chip does about 3.5 GHz. Perhaps my brain was clocking 8 GHz. Thoughts about managing people, projects, homework, housework, spiritual warfare, tenants, ministry events, oh not to mention my own health, appointments, helping others and the list goes on and on.

 

Then He gently whispered, “I will lead you beside still waters.”

 

This is something I’ve heard Him say before. In fact, He leads me beside still waters almost daily but then one of those sweet little people of mine find some way to encroach on my STILLNESS.

 

Then He whispered again, “I will lead you beside still waters.”

 

DSC_0533

So the day commences with a flurry of activity, make breakfast for 7 people, pack lunches for 5, drop one off extra early in the a.m. for music, drop 2 others, go somewhere else drop off one more. From there I’d normally rush back to get in some exercise but I told myself, “Break from the routine. Go to the park.” The park it is. There I exercised and had fun with my littlest guy. We were about to rush back to begin the next series of errands but God drew my attention to the pond. Just a stone’s throw to my left, the still waters.

 

“Come, sit with me a while,” he beckoned.

 

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

 

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So disregarding the voice in my head that wanted to rush out of the park to “Get things done” I heeded the voice of the Lord.

 

I squarely placed myself in the middle of the bench. My little guy climbed up beside me and rested his head on my lap. As I gaze out at the water, love, joy and peace overcame me.

 

geese

Truly my soul finds rest in God;

my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

 

Newton’s 1st law of motion says:

 

An object that is in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and direction unless an external force acts upon it. An object that is at rest will stay at rest unless an external force acts upon it. The unbalanced force changes the state of motion. This law of generally called the law of inertia.

 

From this we can deduce that we will keep doing what we usually do unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Glory be to God that it is HE who wants to tilt me in His direction. He provides the imbalance so that I can recalibrate and find my balance in Him and in Him alone. When I REST in Him, I am refreshed and renewed. My peace is like a river and my joy is full. He said in His presence there is fullness of joy.

 

When He beckons you to be still, to come sit a while, don’t disregard His prompting. Heed the voice of God. In Him is how to get rest.

pond2

Caring for the temple requires proper nourishment, exercise and REST. Be intentional about getting rest today. Perhaps you could:

 

~Have quiet time

~Take a nap

~Get adequate sleep

~Embrace the now moment

 

What will you do today to purposefully get rest?

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It is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

  1. Happy to connect with friends at Fellowship Friday’s & Dance With Jesus 
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Your Best Yes

Imagine the toughest mental and physical exercise you’ve ever endured…

 

Think about 6 or 7 people carry a log that weighs nearly 200lbs. They carry this log together for nearly two hours while performing a variety of feats including carrying it overhead, sit-ups, running through sand and water and they do all these activities non-stop. This test of physical and mental endurance is part of the Navy Seal’s Hell Week training. Said to be the toughest training out of all of the U.S. Military, on average only a quarter of the candidates make it through the week. For those that make it through, the training is something they can look back on and have the confidence and push to go the distance in combat.

 

Yesterday at church, Psalmist Stephen Hurd and the choir sang,

 

“You are holy

Lord you’re holy

Hands uplifted we say yes

As we worship you in spirit

And in truth Lord we say yes.”

 

Do we FULLY say yes though? We eagerly say yes that we want His favor. We eagerly say yes to receive His blessings. We say yes to prosperity. But do we say yes when acquiring His favor, blessings and prosperity comes with the price of Navy Seal like training of taking up the rugged cross daily and following Him?

 

Do we say yes when He asks us to be more disciplined in our spending?

 

Do we say yes when He gently reminds us to choose well and honor the temple with our eating?

 

Do we say yes when He asks us to have restraint with our words when speaking to someone?
Do we say yes when He asks us to seek Him early and we hit the snooze button?

 

 

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23

 

 

To become a Navy Seal requires intense training. Likewise being a disciple of Christ is intense on the job training. While Seal train is just 5 ½ days, God is training you minute by minute. And to properly condition you the weather the disciple’s journey of life, all He needs from you is your complete YES. Give Him your best Yes. When He has your yes, you are duly equipped us to take up your rugged, heavy log, the cross, daily and follow Him.

 

The Lord needs but one answer from you…YES. He needs your yes to FULLY surrender ALL to Him.

 

~A blind man said Yes to Jesus and could see.

 

~A woman with an issue of blood said yes to Jesus and was made whole.

 

~A chief tax collector said yes to Jesus and was saved.

 

~A man said yes to Jesus and was forgiven.

 

~A parent said yes to Jesus and his child was healed.

 

~I said yes to Jesus and was set free.

 

There’s a popular song that says, “When Jesus Say Yes Nobody Can Say No”. What about when you say yes? What modern day miracle waits on the other side of your yes? He’s looking for those whose hearts are fully surrendered.

 

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a

 

Yesterday I heard Bishop Bobby Perry of The Kingdom Church say, “The best praise you can give God is a surrendered life.”

 

What little something(s) have you been holding back from God? Will you surrender ALL and say yes to Him today?

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

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Happy to connect with friends at Purposeful Faith Equipping Godly Women Dance With Jesus

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I Surrender

“Yes”

 

“My Heart Says Yes”

 

“Yes To Your Will”

 

“I Surrender”

 

“I Surrender All”

 

“I Give Myself Away”

 

“Withholding Nothing”

 

These are the titles to songs I’ve sung time and time again. But as is the case with many songs we sing, we enjoy the melody, but do we allow the TRUTH of the lyrics to resonate in our hearts?

 

Do we ‘live out’ the words we sing?

 

In my heart and mind I’ve truly purposed to surrender ALL to God, withholding nothing. In my heart and in my mind I delightfully obey God. Yet I find myself in situations from time to time where my surrender has been usurped by MY wishes, MY desires, and MY selfishness.

 

I invite you all into my VERY private space for a moment. Please don’t judge your girl, just pray for me as I illustrate how I can vacillate with this issue of surrender. I am currently the mother of 5 children ages 11 and under. When I got married I planned to have one or two children, my husband and my career. After the birth of my second child, the Lord gave me CLEAR revelation that my body is not my own and was bought at a price therefore I ought to glorify Him in my body and that included my womb. So surrender my womb to Him. That means that I do not have control over my fertility, reproduction, etc. He does. When people ask, “Are you planning to have more {children}?” my answer is, “I don’t know. His will be done”.

 

While I’ve surrendered my womb to Him, there are days when I literally tell the Lord, “Dude, 5 is good. You hear me? Five is good”. Those moments when I can’t even pee in peace without the two year old barging into the bathroom, while I hear the 4 year old climbing the shelves of the pantry and the 9 & 11 year olds are arguing all the while a pot is burning on the stove. All I want to do is pee in peace. Lord help me, 5 is good.

 

Yet I look affectionately at the cute pregnant lady walking past me in the grocery store and I feel the emptiness of my womb and wonder, “Will there be another?” My children declare almost daily their longing for a baby sister. They’ve already named her and have a bed ready for her. Each month that I get my cycle is fraught with emotions of relief mixed with a twinge of disappointment. Then if the cycle is a day or two late, I may get anxious with thoughts of how it could really work. How would I manage? Do we have enough money for another baby? I’d need a new car. What about this business I am trying to grow? And on and on.

 

So you see, even after placing my womb on the altar many years ago, I’m prone every now and again to want to try to run back to the altar and pick it up and run as fast and far as I can in the opposite direction. Even if I don’t pick it up, I may stare longingly, devising plans on how to retrieve it, or trying to negotiate with God on partial surrender (which by the way isn’t surrender). As I said, pray for your girl.

 

How then do we ‘train’ ourselves to obey? How do we surrender?

 

We hold fast to the TRUTH.

We meditate on the truth.

And what is the truth?

 

Jesus is the WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE

His WORD is TRUTH

 

When the feelings of “5 is good” come up I tell myself the truth saying:

~If I keep my mind on You, You will keep me in perfect peace

~Every good and perfect gift comes from You

~Children are a blessing and the fruit of the womb is a reward

~I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed begging bread

~You will supply ALL my needs according to your riches in glory

 

Then Jesus gently whispers,

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15

 

He also reminds me that when I do what He says, He will make my way prosperous and I will have good success. In this, He knows I may be weak, fearful and uncertain so He reassures me not to be afraid but to be strong and courageous.

 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9

 

 

So I cry out to Him in prayer:

 

You Lord are the Grand Weaver. You see all the strands and intricately weave them together to fashion my story. You pull the tapestry taut as you skillfully make me a new creation. You shed, pick and beat-up as you let off and take up so that I shine without spot or wrinkle. I am weak God. The current of life pulls me in and out. But you Oh God are my anchor. I surrender what I am, to become who you created me to be. I thank you for never leaving nor forsaking me. I thank you that you will be with me until the end of the age. Lord I’m feeling squeezed on every side but I turn my pressure into praise. I thank you for ministering grace and for moving your truth from my head to my heart. Now Lord grant me your peace as I walk out the path you’ve set before me.

 

To be who He created me to be requires a daily dying to myself. As a disciple, I take up my cross daily and follow Him. And in my everyday life that translates to delightfully obeying Him with a heart of surrender. I surrender. As in the above example, while the thought of a new baby is all at once thrilling and scary, I redirect my attention back to His word.

 

A few years ago, the Lord impressed upon my heart, “True disciples…OBEY”.

 

If you are a disciple, a close follower of Christ, do what He tells you to do. Though it may be difficult, He duly equips you. He doesn’t just say, “Follow Me” then runs off and leaves you. NO. He says “Follow Me” then He leads you in paths of righteousness, His rod and staff comfort you, He teaches you along the way, He orders your steps, He knows your uprising and your going down. When you purpose in your heart, Lord YOUR WILL be done, He sends ministering angels to strengthen you.

 

He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. Luke 22:41-43

 

For me it’s an undisclosed number of children. For you it may be your job, your marriage, your mind, your ministry, your health, your children.

 

In what area(s) is He calling you to surrender?
In what area(s) is He calling you to obey?

 

I want to join you in prayer so write your thing in the comment section below. Once you admit it, then surrender it, you can move forward in delightfully obeying Him.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 
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Mama Moments Mondays Mom 2 Mom Purposeful Faith Front Porch Inspired Equipping Godly Women Dance With Jesus

 

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Being Strong In Spirit

Sunday at church I joined the congregation in high praise singing:

 

Be glorified in the Heavens

Be glorified in the earth

Be glorified in this temple

 

Jesus, Jesus, be thou glorified

Jesus, Jesus, be thou glorified

 

Worship the Lord in the earth

Worship the Lord in this temple

 

Jesus, Jesus, be thou glorified

Jesus, Jesus, be thou glorified

 

And as I sung, “Be glorified in this temple”, I knew the Lord was talking about my physical temple, my body as opposed to the physical church building.

 

My temple, this body of mine…presented as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God.

 

The spirit of the living God takes up residence in this temple and whatsoever I do to my physical body, because my spirit, body and soul are one, impacts another part. To neglect my body, is to neglect my spirit, is to neglect my mind because after all they are one…three yet one.

 

The veil was torn. Jesus gave himself up. He was faithful to send the Advocate who now resides in you. You are the sanctuary that houses the spirit of God living in you.

 

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19

 

After service, as I looked out at the sea of the congregants, I thought to myself “Are we as a body glorifying Him in our temples?”

 

And my answer to myself was no. It was and is so grievous to me that the body of Christ isn’t radiating as the salt and light of the earth when it comes to our health. I am nearly in tears as I type this. God has given me a tremendous burden to encourage his people to OBEY Him. I was speaking with Dr. Celeste Owens, Author, Certified Natural Health Professional and friend about the mandate God has given me to call his people to obey. I want to shout from the rooftop “OBEY YE THE WORD OF THE LORD!” And my friend, the good Dr. Celeste said to me, “Tyra in what area are we (the body of Christ) most disobedient? In our health and no one is really confronting it head on.”

 

Oh saints, we’ve got to do better. Oh how I weep for the body of Christ right now. I trust that the Lord has been whispering, nudging, prodding you to honor your temple. I implore you to harden not your heart and obey his voice.

 

Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Deuteronomy 6:3

 

Those who love him, obey him. For those who have begun making incremental changes, I rejoice with you for each victory and I cheer you on as making the decision to choose well when it comes to consuming whole, nourishing foods is not easy. But by the power of the spirit that resides and works in you, you are more than a conqueror so stay the course.

 

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16

 

We will purpose to eat well. We will eat in moderation. We will enjoy tasty, nourishing foods yet we will be mindful that the Bread of Life is our unfailing source of nourishment.

 

Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. Proverbs 23:20-21

 

Even if you feel like you “eat right” the mental hold that food has over us can be great. Our fixation to have certain foods at certain times can also be a stronghold. I love, love, love Lindt’s Lindor Truffles, small round decadent individually wrapped balls of chocolate. I’d only eat one a night. Because I exercised moderation in eating just one I thought I was doing good until this one night. I was preparing to go to bed and I needed, just had to have that one Lindor ball. So as I proceeded to make that long walk downstairs to my kitchen, the Lord whispered, “You don’t need that.” To which I replied, ”Um, but I really want it.” He whispered, “Not tonight.” To which I replied, “It’s just one.” To which he responded, “Do you want the candy more than you want me? Find comfort and solace in me.”

 

OUCH! That one nightly piece of candy had become a source of comfort, joy and peace that I treasured and my attachment to it became unhealthy. Not too damaging to my body but interfering with my spirit. Needless to say, I haven’t had my beloved Lindor Truffles in over a year.

 

Our physical appetites warrant as much self-control as our appetites for lust, anger, and greed. We hear preaching from the pulpit on those topics but very little about our relationship with food.

 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

 

And food is so deeply rooted in church culture. Even the word fellowship has been watered down and has become synonymous with food. Sunday afternoons across America can find congregants gathering over hams, fried chicken, meat slathered in gravy, biscuits and baked goods galore.

 

Let us embracing being strong in spirit by being strong in body through consuming foods that honor the temple. For assistance in choosing well, check out these posts:

 

In order for us to have optimal wellness, our minds, bodies and spirits must be nurtured and tended; any one area left unkempt tips the scales. Can we truly embrace being strong in spirit yet neglect the body? I venture to say no. So what are we to do?

 

Consume foods that add to not detract from our health

 

Eat appropriate portions

 

Obey the Spirit’s guidance as to what an optimal diet is for you. As my friend Dr. Celeste says, God has a tailor made diet for each individual.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

Honored to be connecting today with my friends at Missional Women

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When You Just Don’t Want To

A hymnal? When was the last time you opened a hymnal? Well I opened one on Sunday evening and on the opposing page was the following hymn:

Trust and Obey
When we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word what a glory he sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, but his smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil he doth richly repay; Not a grief nor a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of his love until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor he shows, and the joy he bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet, or we will walk by his side in the way; What he says we will do, where he sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Seems like this obey thing follows me everywhere.

This hymn, written by John H. Sammis in 1887, was inspired by a young man who stated during testimony service at church, “I’m not quite sure. But I’m going to trust, and I’m going to obey.”

As a disciple you’ve been called to OBEY God.

Not to just obey in the easy things.

Not to just obey in the comfortable things.

Not to just obey in the things you like or want to do.

But the true measure of your obedience is to OBEY in the difficult things.

To obey when you get a life threatening medical diagnosis

To obey when you’re told to give away something you treasure

To obey when asked to go into unfamiliar territory

To obey when a loved one betrays you

To obey and trust God when your spouse makes a decision you don’t agree with

To obey and trust God with your children

Did you read it in the lyrics above? NOT A DOUBT OR A FEAR…CAN ABIDE WHILE WE TRUST AND OBEY.

God is looking for your radical “YES I WILL” obedience; your delightful, lavish and immediate obedience.

Obedience is more than just taking action. It’s also the position of your heart. God wants you to obey Him not grudgingly nor of necessity but cheerfully.

In Genesis 12 we see God give Abram a directive and as soon as the Lord finishes speaking, Abram obeyed. God said GO and when He was finished talking the scriptures say, “So Abram departed” (Genesis 12:4). God is calling us to obey even if it doesn’t make sense to us.

I’ve had my share of having to obey in what didn’t make much sense to me.

Join this church. OBEY

Get involved in this ministry. OBEY

Leave a job I love. OBEY

Give how much money away? OBEY

Have as many children as the Lord says. OBEY

Submit to my husband. OBEY

Serve and serve and serve again without complaining. OBEY

And the list goes on and on. Come close. Let me let you in on a little secret. I didn’t always want to. I didn’t always feel like obeying. In fact I may have had a temper tantrum or two. But as a true disciple, I made a commitment to the Lord and took up my cross daily and followed Him. Thus I’ve purposed in my heart to obey. And I know the above lyrics to be true. Yet even today as I type this post to encourage you I need to remind myself because obeying isn’t always easy.

So what has God been calling you to do that you just don’t want to? Would you be bold enough, courageous enough to take that step of obedience today? Come on. I know you can do it. And if you’re willing, please share below so that I can join you in prayer.

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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OBEY

You’ve probably seen items from the OBEY clothing line.  This line while rooted in pop culture considers itself quite counter culture.

That reminds me of Jesus…a sensitivity to the issues of the day yet taught the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

The call to OBEY doesn’t come from a clothing line but comes directly from The Lord himself.

Walking the straight and narrow line of obedience accelerates our growth and maturity. Psalm 84:11 tells us “For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” Your Father in heaven is looking to accelerate your personal, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical well being but He needs you to work in concert with him, closely following him and being swift to obediently carry out his commands.

In order to do this, we must be strong and courageous. But no need to fear. He’s taken care of that too. Joshua 1:7-8 promises “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

God’s desire is to give YOU His absolute best, but He needs YOU to do your part; to cheerfully, swiftly obey Him.

In my obedience to God I have surrender material possessions, my job, my womb, my husband, my children, my emotions and on and on.

So tell me, what will you do today to delightfully, cheerfully, obey God?  This is not a rhetorical question.  I want to hear from you.

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