I don’t know where you are right now in your life…You may be in a “valley place” like I was many years ago…I was a young mother of a three year old precocious little girl…and my marriage had just imploded….I sat in my living room…confused…despondent…and absolutely clueless as to what I was going to do…I remember feeling like God had taken a giant step away from me…I ranted and railed with Him…and questioned why He allowed this to happen…I realized when I was sobbing that I had not spoken to Him for quite some time…I felt like He understood how busy I was…I was a wife and a working mother…I just didn’t have time to talk to Him….there just wasn’t enough hours in the day…I had stopped attending church because Sunday was my only day to rest…I felt like I would get closer to God when my life calmed down just a little…I had no idea that I would NEED God sooner than I had ever anticipated…as my sobbing became more controlled…I told God that He had forsaken me…that He had forgotten me…that He had turned His back on me…that He didn’t care what happened to me and my daughter…as I wept…I felt a peace enter the room…the God that I had been so angry with…gently reminded me that He had not moved…I had..like a little girl…I had wiggled myself out of the strong…protective arms of my Father…and like that little girl on a Christmas morning…I had gotten down to play with the gifts that I had been given and had totally forgotten about the One Who had given them…I became distracted…by the blessings of God…and had stepped away from the Blessor…I spent my time playing with the blessings and left the safety of the arms of the One who loves me most…it was at that moment that my heart recognized the great error I had made…I had bowed to the gifts rather than to the Giver…I would love to tell you that my life quickly returned to normal…but it did not…my marriage was lost…my finances were in shambles…and my heart took a major hit…I recovered by His great grace…but I learned an invaluable lesson during that dark season in my life…I will ALWAYS need God…I CANNOT live without Him…and even when He is no longer my priority…I am ALWAYS His…So sister…if you feel like He moved..check your location…perhaps…you…like me…need to reorder your priorities…and climb back in the arms of the Father…You need Him more than you even know…He’s waiting for you…

“If we are faithless He remains faithful–for He cannot deny Himself” 2 Timothy 2:13

Lord, when I feel as though You have turned away from me…please locate me…don’t leave me to myself…beckon me to return to the safety of your loving arms…and restore the joy of my salvation

How do people feel when they leave you? What thoughts do they think? What emotions arise? Do they feel better? Do they feel loved? Do they feel accepted? Do they feel that they have just visited with a kingdom citizen? Do they have more clarity or are they more confused? Would they consider you a counselor of light or of darkness? Would they refer a friend? Would they sense the heart of God? Would they feel entreated or repelled? Are your words seasoned with love or rancid with disdain? Sisters…God has given us so many opportunities to sow life into the hearts of those who He places in our spheres of influence…He calls us His ambassadors…How are we representing Him? If He were to be silently sitting in on our last few conversations…how would we be graded? It is not who we are…or what we have achieved…it is not our status in life…or the amount in our bank account…it’s not our address…or our degrees…it’s not how many verses of scriptures we know..or how well we can exegete a certain passage…it is all about how we leave people feeling…whether they walk away with a fragrant scent or a rancid stench…it all depends on how seriously we take each encounter…how much we desire to be”like Jesus”…we must do an exchange today…we must transfer our way…for His…we cannot exact change in this world…if we refuse to change…we can do better…we must do better…our BOOK of instructions speaks to every life situation we could ever experience…we cannot read it…memorize it…and than quote it…but fall short in living it…let’s vow today…to leave people full of the love of God…to pour into them all that Christ has poured into us…let’s leave them better than we found them…after all isn’t that what Christ has done for us?

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience” Colossians 3:12

There is something amazing when women fellowship…I mean when we have no agenda…no itinerary…no set schedule…just sitting across a table…eating…and somehow without missing a beat… ministry begins to happen…there is a comfort in sitting with women who are full of hope…eventhough life may not be perfect..somehow when we sit together and allow one another to just BE…to not have to pretend…or follow a script…there is no hierarchy here…we are all the same…the Kings’s daughters…then miraculous things happen…burdens that we have been carrying somehow become lighter…when the load is shared…transparency shows up…we come out of our shells…and become more vulnerable…we feel safe enough to tell each other what we are really feeling…this is a judgment- free zone…we are not having church…or attending church…we are being the church…as each woman shares…and laughter erupts…you can feel the chains of life falling off…we linger a little longer…wanting to squeeze every drop out of this spontaneous divine appointment… and then we all walk away knowing God knew exactly what we needed…He knew just who should be at this spontaneous fellowship..and His purpose was pure and simple…my daughters need to rest…to take a break from the reality of all that presses in on them…I will give them each other for a few hours…to laugh…to connect…to relate…to engage…to encourage…to hope together…and then I will release them back to all that waits for them…but they will return lighter…unshackled…and grateful for the sisters that I have given to each one of them…spontaneous fellowship…sometimes we don’t need a structured program..sometimes all we need is a safe place to unpack the bags that we have been carrying…and just breathe…thank you Father…for knowing what we need and arranging it…so we don’t miss it.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” Hebrews 10:24

I was in my closet…once again…struggling to find a pair of pants that had somehow gone missing in the massive clutter of clothes…as I pushed and pulled…and yanked and strained to get what I needed…I became frustrated…and in the frustration…anger began to well up…then…fatigue…why can’t I ever put my hand on the thing that I need? This is crazy…there is too much junk in here…when will I take the time to purge this thing? I need to get rid of the stuff I cannot use…all of a sudden…this thought became a “divine revelation”…”Lord…how much clutter is in my heart…how many times have I reached for something…but had to strain to find it because of the many things that I have been holding on to”…the thing that I needed the most…I could not get to quickly because I had not “let go” of the things that were no longer useful…you know those useless things…that offense…that careless word…that insensitive gesture…that grudge…that past hurt…oh yes…and that whole “shelf” of unforgiveness…it is hiding all the things that are needed…the easy smile…the comforting word…the selfless action…oh..and yes…the untainted love of Christ…all of the good stuff…is harder to reach…if we refuse to let go..to release what we can “no longer wear”…Sisters…it is time to “clean the closets of our hearts”…time to let go…and give all of that junk away…I hear Jesus wants it…He needs everything that you can no longer wear…He’ll take it…and make something new and beautiful out of it…I’m giving my junk and my clutter to Him…how about you?

“Beloved ones, with promises like these, and because of our deepest respect and worship of God, we must remove everything from our lives that contaminates body and spirit, and continue to complete the development of holiness within us.”

2 Corinthians 7:1 TPT

Have you ever thought about how many times God has come to your rescue? Have you ever thought how many times He has circumvented a calamity? How many times He has covered you? How many times He answered a hasty prayer? How many times He dispatched His angels to keep you from falling? All I know is…He’s done it…time after time…He’s kept my mind when I wanted to lose it…He restrained my tongue when I wanted to release a reckless word…He’s provided for me in times of personal famine…He’s given me favor too many times to count…He’s been my high priest…my counselor…my advocate…my healer…my way maker…my friend…my Father…time after time…He’s protected me from myself…loved me when I was unlovely…freed me from my past…and secured my future…time after time…He speaks life to me when dead thoughts overwhelm me…He lifts me high above my circumstances…He meets me where I am…and gently carries me to where He is…time after time…I fall in love with Him for being All Of That To Me…time after time…

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

Lord…thank you for being the one consistent force in my life…you alone have kept me…and will keep me…in you is everything that I will ever need…thank you for being my source…

The other day I had a handy man do some painting on my shutters….he did a wonderful job…but he accidentally placed the base of his ladder on one of my blooming bushes…when I inspected my bush…it had been crushed…and what originally was full and poised…now was bent and broken…for a brief moment my heart was saddened..I felt…this was the prettiest part of my small garden…this little bush with it’s delicate purple flowers had greeted me every morning for several years…as I examined the bruised plant…I decided that I would just leave it in it’s present condition…it was too much work to pull it all up…I knew that the glory of that plant was gone…so for several days I would leave my house and sadly glance over at the brokeness of my once beautiful bush…I was trying to decide when I would extricate this crushed thing from my garden…BUT…Sisters… what I did not know was that this little delicate bush…was quietly being healed…I didn’t notice that it’s tender stems were being strengthened…and that the rich moisture of the soil and the warm glow of the sun was slowly restoring it back to it’s original beauty…can you imagine my surprise when the other day I walked out of my house…and here it was strong and poised again…taking command of my small garden…what am I saying?…Sister…you may be bruised and you may even be broken…I’m not sure what crushed you…maybe someone accidentally “stepped” on you…or worse yet…perhaps it was intentional…but here’s what I do know…you…like my pretty bush can be restored…don’t decide that you will never be strong and poised again…yes…the truth is…it broke you…it crushed you…but…if you stand still…and allow the water of the word to bring moisture back into your dry places…if you allow the warmth of the love of the SON of God to strengthen you…if you refuse to be “uprooted” in your faith…you too can be beautiful again…and you can command the gardens that our Father has placed you in…He doesn’t just heal bushes…He heals His daughters, too…❤

“The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18

I am my sister’s keeper..I am responsible to be helper and encourager…I am commanded to teach…It is not enough for us to decry the flaws and faults of our sisters…to slowly sway our heads and then fold our hands and do nothing…we are commissioned to be agents of change…I am convinced that the thing about our sister that irritates us is often the private battle that we ourselves are fighting…perhaps she is indecisive….or overly committed…maybe she is full of fear….or a daredevil…whatever the perceived character flaw…perhaps it is the invisible giant that we silently struggle with…or maybe we yearn to be more like her…we long for the freedom that she seems to possess…her spontaneity unnerves us…but we wish we could be more like that…The one thing I do know is that there has been an assault on the relationships of women…of women helping each other…mentoring each other…and empowering each other…I believe it is because when women see each other as “keepers”…as sisters…as incubators for those who are NEXT…we are the greatest threat to the enemy of our souls…when we link up…and give a hand up to those walking behind or alongside..we are bringing glory to the God who called us to be Helpers…sisters…resist buying the lie of the enemy…we CAN teach each other..we CAN learn from one another..we are BEST when we are together…and like a chain…we are no stronger than our weakest link…we really do NEED each other…

“But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Wherever you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16

Lord…cause us to be like Naomi…to see the needs of the Ruths that are in our lives and make us mentors…willing to share all that You have taught us…so that our sisters are equipped and prepared to be all that You have called them to be..

What happens when women pray? When women are committed to cry out to God on behalf of their sisters? What happens when the prayers are not littered with their own personal agendas…but are filled instead with petitions for the women who sit weekly with them in the Sister Circle…there is this incredible tribe of women…that have learned a significant truth…”if two or three are gathered in His name and are on one accord…touching and agreeing…He will do the miraculous…I speak often of these women because they encourage me…they convict me….they challenge me…they exemplify all that God is…they are counselors…mentors…they exhort…console…inspire…facilitate…when women labor in prayer…there is always a birthing that takes place…there is new life that springs up…when women wail…the war cry is heard in heaven…and the heart of the Father is stirred…His ear is inclined to the voices of His daughters…and the Good Father meets them..and embraces every word…when women pray…the bowels of hell are sealed and the doors of heaven are flung wide open…as women pray together…change happens..when women pray hope returns…burdens are lifted..deliverance is evident…joy is restored…help comes…healing begins…when women pray!

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them.”

Jeremiah 9:17

This weekend…Mother’s Day weekend…I was honored to speak to a group of women that are beyond warriors…they are fierce…and they have courage that is amazing…these women have lost children…that is the neat painless way of saying…their children died…this is probably the greatest fear of any mother…that they will outlive their children…as I sat in the room with these women…I whispered to God…”what can I say to them that will not offend their pain”? I’ve never lost a child..and the truth is…it’s a thought that brings a feeling of foreboding in my spirit…but speaking to them was my assignment…I watched them as they began filtering into the room…and I saw them leaning in to each other’s pain…I watched the wounded begin healing each other…quietly checking in with each other…the pain of some was raw and palpable…and others more subdued…but here they were…women admitted to a club that none of them wanted to join…when it was my time to speak…I thought of my own mother who has buried not one…but two children…and I became keenly aware of the emotions her heart felt…I have spoken to many groups in my lifetime…this group…however was my most humbling assignment…I got to see that even with unthinkable sadness…women will still nurture…it is inherent in us…it is what we were created to do…I watched them push pass their own needs…to meet the need of another…who’s terrain was just a little rockier than theirs…I spoke…and while I spoke…their lives poured into mine…You could feel them pulling on the strength of God…confused…disappointed…hurt…broken….but still holding tightly to the God who has kept them through their worst nightmare…Today..I am empowered by their great faith…what losses have you suffered? God can keep you through the unthinkable…

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Waiting…is hard…I don’t know if there is anything more frustrating than realizing what you want is not happening NOW..it can be as simple as waiting to get through a line at the grocery store…or as critical as being in the room of a hospital anticipating a word on a loved one’s condition…waiting is not for the faint hearted…it’s not for the restless…it will test every ounce of faith that courses through you…it will challenge that same faith…it will attempt to usher in fear and anxiety…and when you are waiting on an answer from God it’s even harder…but…when you have waited on Him before…when you have sat at His feet…and felt His presence in your waiting…your waiting turns from icy fear…to great expectation…the more we have waited on Him…the more we trust that eventhough He has not said a thing…we know He hears…and we know we can trust Him to do what is best for us…I’m not saying that there are not moments when fear tries to creep in and challenge our peace in our waiting…but what I am saying is that each time I remember that He knows what’s best…that He does not want to harm me…that His love for me is constant ..that He knows me better than I could ever know myself…that He has a plan for my life…than I feel my pulse rate slow…and my heart becomes aligned with His…waiting is hard…but waiting with God for God’s answer brings peace…How are you waiting?

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7