Words are so important to me. I may not know how to pronounce them all exactly or what the exact definition of each word is but I know what words bring life and what words bring death. I am not saying that my words are always full of life because there are times they are not but I do know the difference and I do know the power of words.
          Almost every day I get up real early so I can spend time with the Lord. It’s my favorite time of day and I feel the loss on the days I don’t take time. I have several devotionals and books that I read and the Word. I have a couple devotionals that I have been reading the last year and half that have made such a difference in what I think, focus on and believe. They are full of truths of who I am in Him. I have been changing the meditations of my heart for the last 24 years when I first heard the message of grace and faith and my identity in Him. The 40 years before that I worked really hard to do right, be right and please Him which mainly brought condemnation and fear since it was never good enough. It has not been as simple for me as some to change my mind and heart but I have come a long ways. The only way I know how to change my mind and heart is to focus on the truths of who I am. I must have these before my eyes every day and hear the words of His love continuously.
          It’s not only the words we speak but what we hear that is so important. This last week I taught in our Thursday night class and the lesson was on hearing. It was so awesome to teach and the lesson went right along with my message today. This is the verse: “So faith comes by hearing what is told and what is heard comes by the preaching of the message that came from the lips of Christ the Messiah Himself.” Romans 10:17  The most common of translation of Romans 10:27is, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  The word God is from the Greek word Christos which means Christ. Faith comes by hearing the message of Jesus. Jesus’ message was about love and who we are because of what He did for us on the cross. The Word is very clear about how important hearing is. “So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them will be like a sensible wise man who builds his house upon the rock.” Matthew 7:24
 
“And your ears will hear a word behind you saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21
 
“As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another 60 times and in another 30.” Matthew 13:23
 
Not believing you are who God says you are can lead you to hear incorrectly. As long as we are focused on our short comings and tearing ourselves down we won’t walk in faith in some areas. Learning to hear His truths about our identity brings more freedom and peace than anything else we could do. Sometimes it is also the hardest thing to believe. “If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you and more besides will be given to you.” Mark 4:23-24 We must be careful what we listen to which includes our own thoughts, words and condemnation. We need to focus on His truths. The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you. The more we focus and receive His truths the more truths we will be able to focus on and receive as ours. Remember, focus on who the Lord says you are. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy trying to keep you from hearing clearly with self-accusation. Find the verses that say you are loved unconditionally and all the verses that tell us what we have “in Him”. Keep these verses before your eyes and let them become your focus and life.
Listening to our negative thoughts and to the negative words of others will bring destruction into our lives. The Word of God is Life to us. All His promises are Yes and Amen.
 
 “So faith comes by hearing what is told and what is heard comes by the preaching of the message that came from the lips of Christ the Messiah Himself.” Romans 10:17 Faith comes when we hear the preaching of the message from the lips of Christ. If we are focusing on and meditating on the law, condemnation, on lists of do’s and don’ts – faith will not come. The more we listen to what isn’t coming from the lips of Jesus the more we become obsessed with what doesn’t bring faith. In Numbers it says that the Israelites did not go into the promise land because “the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it”. They became afraid. When you think on something over and over and over – you become obsessed. When we are in this state every part of our mental and physical being is focused inward on whatever our obsession is. When we are obsessed we don’t listen to anyone – let alone God. When you are obsessed you become exactly like what you focus on. If you are focusing on the downfalls and faults of another person – you will someday end up doing and being what you have judged and condemned. That is powerful to me and I definitely have experienced it. Many of us have. We get so busy picking on someone else and their weakness and soon it becomes our downfall. I’ve seen people judge and condemn a love one for years for drinking and when hard times hit their life they are doing the same. We become what we behold. If we talk, think and listen to the wrong things long enough we don’t notice what we should be noticing. We don’t hear what He is saying. If we have sickness in our bodies and focus on the sickness it becomes all we know. Same with poverty, fears, judgments and all the other negatives that can control our thoughts.  What we focus on we become.
The same works for the words of Christ. When we focus on Him and His words we become like Him. When we hear and think on His words over and over and over again they become a part of us that cannot be taken away. Hearing and hearing and hearing the preaching of the message that came from the lips of Christ the Messiah Himself brings faith that will always stand.
          The Lord has taught me a lot about declarations in the last couple years. I want to declare His truths and His words. Once I am able to embrace the truth of who I am I don’t have to strive to prove myself to anyone. I am at peace with who He created me to be and happy with how He made me. The revelation of His love for me is so much greater than I ever thought possible. It’s more than singing Jesus Loves Me as a child. His love is unending and so undeserved. I love to hear how much He loves me. As I’ve focused on His love for me and how He sees me the last couple years so many things have just fallen into place. I don’t have to worry and strive. I can be me not the person I think the people want me to be as a pastor or as Ed’s wife. This is a journey I am still on and each day I fall more in love with my Savior and love others with a deeper love.  “Because this revelation lamp now shines within you, nothing will be hidden from you—it will all be revealed. Every secret of the kingdom will be unveiled and out in the open, made known by the revelation-light.” Luke 8:17
          Because Jesus died and rose again we have new life. The power that raised Him from the dead is in us. He has given us the resurrection power and is revealing to each of us the mysteries and secrets of that power. His Kingdom is a mystery to those who do not believe Him but He has given us the keys to the Kingdom and nothing is hidden from us.  “So faith comes by hearing what is told and what is heard comes by the preaching of the message that came from the lips of Christ the Messiah Himself.” Romans 10:17 Hear His words. Hear His message. Listen to preaching that preaches the message from His lips. Listen to songs that share the message from His lips. If it isn’t the Good News message of His grace and faith alive in us because of what He did at the cross then it isn’t a message you may want to be hearing. Every part of the Bible points to Jesus and His resurrection. Saturate your mind and heart with His words of love and identity. It’s a joy unspeakable and full of glory that brings peace that passes all understanding. It’s a place you will want to remain in forever and never leave because it is in Him. No greater place I’d rather be!
          I have shared some of the declarations I preach to myself every day. These are some of the truths the Lord has been showing me the last year or so. These declarations of His truths and the message that comes from His lips has changed my life forever

Some of the declarations the Lord has shown me.
*I am His chosen one
*I am His heritage
*I am His bride
*His love extinguishes every fear
*He is my Savior, Friend and King
*There is victory in His name
*He is all I need, He is enough
*Nothing is too big for Him to care for
*I have resurrection power
*As I embrace the truth of who I am in Him my whole life is transformed
*He gives me fresh revelation
*He rejoices and delights in me
*I am totally dependent on Jesus
*Jesus calls me lovely
*He says I am beautiful
* I am anointed
*He has a purpose for my life
*Favor and wisdom are mine
*His joy is my strength
*Righteousness and peace are mine
*He encourages me
*He says I am special
*He wants to wrap me in His presence
*I am His masterpiece
*Worship, prayer, devotion and resting
in His presence is a vital part of my
relationship with Him
*Nothing is more beautiful than time
with Him
*He talks with me
*His glory heals, speaks and comforts
*His glory is in me
*His glory releases wisdom and favor
*I have resurrection power
*I have His goodness and power inside
*I am to release His goodness and power
*I will not fear what He has given me
Victory over
*He infuses me with faith
*I never give up
*Nothing is impossible for Him
*He never gives up on me
*He refreshes me with sweet promises
*He wants to encourage me and gives me direction for my life
*My heart is confident and at peace
because it is set on Him
*His words always build me up and
never tear me down
*His words brings life to my heart
*Life with Jesus is filled with joy
*His love is tender and kind
*Life with Him is exhilarating
*Jesus understands me like no one else
*He is excited about me
*In Him I am confident, courageous, and filled with compassion
*He breathes resurrection life into me
*My life in Him is a story to tell
*I was born for a divine purpose
*I was fearfully and wonderfully made for that purpose
*My hand was created to release  healing and love to all I touch

*His desires stir within me
*I was created to touch the world
*I am in the safety of His arms and
the enemy cannot touch or defeat me
*I am the reward of His suffering
*He delights in me
*I was created for love

*He walks with me
*He tells me I am His own                   
*I was created to hear Him
*He created me valuable and significant
 *He tells me He loves me
*His love is as certain as the sunrise
*I place my expectations in Him
*He created everything as a gift for me
*His peace is mine
*I abide in His heart

*I was created for joy
*I was created for peace
*He is my great Shepherd
* He is my best Friend
*Life in His Kingdom is exciting and
fulfilling
*I am designed to prosper, be whole,
be happy and healthy
*I live in Him above the circumstances
Of life

​Today Ed and I celebrate 40 years of marriage. It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years and there were times I couldn’t even imagine being at this point. I thought I would share a bit about our last 40 years and the miracle of our relationship.
40 years ago I married Ed. He wasn’t the man of my dreams then. Ed and I knew each other since we were teens. Our parents were best friends and my brother and Ed were friends so we encountered each other occasionally. I didn’t give him much attention because we both had other important people in our lives and he was a drunk. After my first husband, Dan, was killed in a car accident Ed’s family helped me a lot with my kids and situations. Ed didn’t pay much attention to me because I had 3 little kids (they were 3, 2 and 8 months). Around the holidays my brother, Chris, didn’t like seeing me so sad so decided we would all go bowling. This was Ed’s and my first date. From there we spent hours talking or I spent hours talking about Dan and my feelings and Ed spent hours listening. Skipping lots of details one Saturday we decided to get married the next Saturday, April 15. It was a crazy decision and no one tried to stop us but took bets as to how long the marriage would work. I was a widow of a few months and he was a drunk. We were 24 and 23 and sure we knew what we doing. Right or wrong we went forward with it and was determined to prove everyone wrong.
Ed had not drank at all for the 4 months we datedJ. But 3 weeks after the wedding he started up again. I knew nothing about a drunk. I figured if I could go forward after the death of my husband no one had problems enough to drink. But his mind didn’t think like that. After a few months I became pregnant with Adam. What a joy when he was born. Ed did lots of drinking but only at the bars. He was a legend up and down the mountain. I stumbled through my days taking care of babies, trying to please Ed, dealing with hidden grief and trusting the Lord. When Adam was 1 year old the doctor found a mummer in his heart. Within 3 months Adam was in Children’s hospital having a patch put on the hole in his heart. By then we were broke, losing everything – including our house – and was without insurance. But the Lord was with us, we saved our home and vehicles and Ed quit drinking. Adam came through with flying colors even though Ed and I went through many emotions. A year later Tim was born and Ed had been sober for a year. After he quit drinking we were involved in Mountain High Chapel and learning from our pastor. We still struggled with LOTS of communication issues and just didn’t know how to be married.  We had lots of selfishness and were exhausted most the time from trying to make ends meet to taking care of 5 little ones. After 10 years of marriage we were baptized together and Ed let go of all the jealous feelings he had about Dan. That was one step towards us being able to be closer. At about 18 years of marriage we learned about different behavior styles and love languages. That is when our oneness started to form. That was the beginning of a real relationship. Ed had been that everything was about him and for him. I actually was the same way but in a self-condemnation way. I was all about me and everything I did wrong and caused to go wrong and how I was useless and had no value. That too was selfishness.
The last 20+ years have been a growing and learning process. We have learned so much about our identity in the Lord which transfers to our marriage and oneness. There were times we could have easily split but I was scared to be alone again. I knew who Ed was when he wasn’t drunk and on the inside he was a wonderful man. We had rough, tough times. I almost gave in and almost gave up but we came to a place we decided to listen to the Lord. Ed had the septic business for years and 24 years ago this June we became the full time pastors at Mountain High Chapel. Being in ministry isn’t as glamorous as some think. It is hard work, emotional and a day to day walking with the Lord for provision. It effected our kids in some negative ways. We also lost a couple of them to the world when we were in the 1st few years of ministry. Going through those times were hard. Our children came through our mistakes and are very wonderful adults. We are so proud of them and how they are in their marriages and raising their families.
Ed still isn’t the man of my dreams. He’s above and beyond what I ever thought a husband could and would be. He has worked on his heart issues and taken responsibility to change and trust the Lord. I knew he was a great man inside 40 years ago but never knew he could be this wonderful and loving. He’s amazing. He is patient with me, an encourager, my greatest fan. He believes in me and in us. He hears my heart, lets me dump on him and doesn’t preach back to me when I am struggling. He loves me unconditionally and I love him beyond what I can express.
I believe the next 30 years will even greater. Each day is an opportunity to see His love, hope, joy, peace and favor that is already in our lives but we don’t always acknowledge. This has been our marriage verse:
 
“Trust in the Lord with all your hearts and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6
 
We want to acknowledge all He has given us that we don’t always live. Marriage isn’t just gushy – mushy stuff. It is included in our oneness. It isn’t getting my way or Ed getting his way. We are one – we have one way. We may see things different but how our differences work in our marriage - in our oneness – looks totally different than either of us had wanted. It’s amazing how His ways are higher than our own ways. We are one with God. His way and His wisdom becomes our way when we are one with Him. Oneness is an amazing truth, it’s His creation. Marriage is God’s creation and His idea. Living together or being together can happen without Him. Marriage cannot happen without Him. Marriage is a mystery. His love in the oneness of marriage stirs us to go forward. It is gentle and it is soothing. It’s a promise. His resurrection power is so beyond what we think. It’s His resurrection power that gives us the grace to be married and love. Our marriage was designed by the Lord and is more than we ever dreamed possible. His resurrection power takes us to the higher place – the high road. Our marriage is taking the high road. We want to experience the very depths of what God created marriage and oneness to be. It is knowing each other so well and loving in the mist of hard times. We cannot afford doubt and fear in our relationship. The Lord has called us to go and share the grace of the Lord and our oneness is to be an example to others and the power of the Lord.
          In our oneness we are in a new season. Our 40 years of marriage has had many seasons. Season with children, season of losing our parents, seasons of losing other people, seasons of caring for parents or loved ones, seasons of believing we were in lack, seasons of knowing we are prosperous. There are seasons of difficult decisions, seasons of hearing clearly. We don’t know what lies ahead in our lives but we know that He prepares the way, He prepares the table in the mist of our enemies, He encourages, He directs, He loves and He always cares. We will have challenges. We have our moments of fussing with one another and selfishness. Those times are more about moments now instead of days. We get in doubt and fear. We get in places where we have attitudes that are hard for anyone else to live with. But these times are shorter lived than they used to be. We encourage each other. When one is down we lift the other up. Trusting the Lord is one of the greatest weapons against the doubt and fear that try to get us down.
          We are excited that the Lord has given us a story to write and tell. He has chosen our marriage to share with others His love and grace. He has chosen your life, relationships and marriage to demonstrate His love to others. Take time to ask the Lord what your ministry and purpose is for your life, your marriage, your family. He has a plan for every person and every relationship. Let Him guide you and ask Him what this season is for you.
Trust Him and let Him gloriously transform your relationships. He has done that with us. I am so thankful we have trusted Him to work in our lives. I am so blessed and thankful for my wonderful husband who has given his life to love me and our family. In my devotional it says that His love is heavenly, mystical and magnificent. That is what our love is to be with others because He is in us. That’s how I want my love to be for Ed – heavenly, mystical and magnificent. He is my awesome guy and I am thankful 40 years ago he decided to take on me and my 3 little ones. He’s amazing!! I am blessed!!!
 

HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY!!!! Today is the day we celebrate what Jesus did for us at the cross. The last few weeks the Lord has really been talking to me about His resurrection power. I’ve shared before about the power of being a new creation in Christ and that part of the foundation of believing is to truly know and understand what we have because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
 
Most of us know about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and that He was buried and 3 days later rose again. That is what Easter is all about. We believe that when He died and rose again He paid for our sins so that we could have eternal life in heaven with Him. All that is true but I also believe that it is deeper and even more relational. Jesus came to earth as a man. He lived on earth for 33 years. He knew that He came to die for the sins of the world so that man and God could have the relationship that God had created them to have. In the beginning man and God were intimate. Then when sin happened there became a bridge between God and man. The heavenly Father could no longer have a close relationship with His children that He longed to have. After the fall man could still be close to God, speak to God and hear from God but God could not be in them. There were laws made that let man know what was acceptable and unacceptable to God. It was through the keeping of the laws that you earned your relationship with Him. A relationship that is built through doing good deeds is never as close and intimate as a relationship built on oneness. “I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and definitely recognize that You sent Me and You have loved them even as You have loved Me.” John 17:23    In this verse Jesus is talking to God about Their love for each other and man.
 
I always like reading through John and the life story of Jesus this time of year. Jesus knew that the cross was before Him. He knew He would die a horrible death. How could He do that? Some may say it is because He was Jesus, He was God’s Son. It is true that He was the Son of God but when Jesus came to earth He gave up His place in heaven and became a man. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way as we are. He had no more power than we have available to us. The difference was that He never gave in to any of the temptation and because He lived a sinless life He could become our sin. He was the Lamb without blemish that shed His innocent blood for our redemption of sins. God sent His Son, Jesus, to take our punishment and pay the price we owed for all we had done in unbelief – which is sin. Jesus actually became all the sins of the world, past, present and future.  Jesus, the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God had to become our sin and then shed His innocent blood for us to have an intimate relationship with God, our heavenly Father. Jesus could endure the shame and pain of the cross because He saw the other side of the cross. He didn’t look at the pain of that day but saw the purpose and goal of the cross. His power came from knowing He would get through.
 
“In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission, forgiveness, of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses) in accordance with the riches and generosity of His gracious favor, which He lavished on us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence.” Ephesians 1:7-8
 
When we talk about Jesus dying so that we could have eternal life, we are usually thinking about life eternally with Him in heaven. That is true but listen to this verse. “And this is eternal life; it means to know (perceive, recognize, become acquainted with and understand) You, the only true and real God and likewise to know Him, Jesus (as the) Messiah, Whom You have sent.” John 17:2   Eternal life is more than just living forever. It is knowing Him deeply right now – here on earth – TODAY!  
 
 
 
As I seek the Lord on the power of His resurrection, I am seeing there is a foundation. Part of that foundation is to know and believe that we are a new creation in Him when Jesus becomes the Lord of our life. We aren’t a fixed up person but totally new in Him. “If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your mind and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on things that are on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2
 
None of us will ever have to do what Jesus did for us. Yet, all of us go through problems and
situations that are hard to endure. How can we know that we will have victory in those situations?
By seeing the other side. We must learn to look beyond the circumstances and see what God has promised us. Any problem we have we can get through when we see the victory at the end. You
may ask, “How can we know it will be victory?”  We will have victory if we believe in our heart
God’s love and purpose. If we believe in failure and that there is no hope that is what we will experience. There is no power in unbelief. The power comes from believing that with God all things
are possible and that without Him we can do nothing.  
 
Another great part of that foundation is His love. His agape love never fails. If our life is built on the foundation of His love, we will stand strong through any storm. One of the greatest things about knowing and walking in His resurrection power is knowing His love. Most of us aren’t accustomed to handling most of our situations by the power of His love that we have because of His resurrection. We don’t see ourselves and others as the Lord sees and then we walk things through by our own logic instead of His unfailing love.
 
Jesus died on the cross for us because of that unfailing love that He had for His Father and us. God gave up His Son to die for us because of that same love.  Jesus didn’t go to the cross full of bitterness doing a duty He was told to do. He could only have done what He did for us through the love and power of God. “I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self and I will continue to make You known, that the love which You bestowed upon Me may be in them, felt in their hearts and that I, Myself, may be in them.” John 17:26 These are the words Jesus prayed to God, His Father, right before He went to the cross for us.
 
There is so much to know and understand in our hearts about what happened when Jesus gave His life for us and then rose again and conquered death. Ask the Lord to continue to show you the power of His resurrection and how you can have a foundation built on who you are because of what He did. His love will never fail me.
 
On this day that we have set aside to remember what Jesus did for each of us, take time to search your heart and see what you really believe about Jesus and His resurrection power. If you have
doubt or fear about any situations, surrender that to Him and let Him show you the other
side of it. Let the Lord show you in your heart that His salvation includes love, joy, peace,
prosperity, deliverance, healing now not someday down the road. He wants you to experience
“On earth as it is in heaven” today and every day. That is His will for you.
 
Don’t let His love for you be in vain. Believe that God truly is a good God and “so loves the
World that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, shall not
perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
 
Have a beautiful week reflecting on His power – His love and desire for you. You will see the power of His resurrection in your life and never see your life and situations the same. You are blessed!!!