December 11, 2022
I’m a list person. Maybe not as much as I used to be – well – depends on how many things I have going at the same time. Christmas, I have lists😊. Lists help keep me focused and not forget something important, but lists can also distract us, take up lots of “space” in our hearts and minds and steal our time. With two weeks left before Christmas I want to make sure my heart is focused on the true meaning of this season and not too many to-do lists. I want to share a very important list, one that totally changed my life the last 25 years, and one we can hide in our heart, keep on our minds and dwell on constantly. This list is what the Word says about who we are in Christ. We need to keep these truths in the forefront of our mind and mediate on them. Find the ones that are important to you this week. Prioritize mediating on them until they are a part of everything you think on and speak. This is the greatest way to keep focused on Him this precious Christmas season. As you know who you are, you see the unconditional love He has for you and it can change how you see the importance of keeping the focus on Jesus the next couple weeks. I pray these truths will bring more joy and peace to this season than you ever thought possible!                                                                                  
I am complete in Him Who is the head over all rule and authority—of every angelic and earthly 30power (Colossians 2:10).  I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).  I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). 
 
I am far from oppression, and will not live in fear (Isaiah 54:14)  I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18).
 
I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).  I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5).
 
I have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
 
The Spirit of God, who is greater than the enemy in the world, lives in me (1 John 4:4).
 
I have received abundant grace and the gift of righteousness and reign in life through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).
 
I have received the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my heart enlightened, so that I know the hope of having life in Christ (Ephesians 1:17-18).
 
I have received the power of the Holy Spirit and He can do miraculous things through me. I have authority and power over the enemy in this world (Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:17-19).
 
I am renewed in the knowledge of God and no longer want to live in my old ways or nature before I accepted Christ (Colossians 3:9-10).
 
I am merciful, I do not judge others, and I forgive quickly. As I do this by God’s grace, He blesses my life (Luke 6:36-38).
 
God supplies all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
In all circumstances I live by faith in God and extinguish all the flaming darts (attacks) of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16).
 
I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ Jesus who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). I press on each day to fulfill God’s plan for my life because I live to please Him (Philippians 3:14).
 
I am chosen by God who called me out of the darkness of sin and into the light and life of Christ so I can proclaim the excellence and greatness of who He is (1 Peter 2:9).
 
I am born again—spiritually transformed, renewed and set apart for God’s purpose—through the living and everlasting word of God (1 Peter 1:23).
 
I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works that He has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). I am a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
 
In Christ, I am dead to sin—my relationship to it is broken—and alive to God—living in unbroken fellowship with Him (Romans 6:11).
 
The light of God’s truth has shone in my heart and given me knowledge of salvation through Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
 
As I hear God’s Word, I do what it says and I am blessed in my actions (James 1:22, 25).
 
I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me (Romans 8:37).
 
I overcome the enemy of my soul by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).
 
I have everything I need to live a godly life and am equipped to live in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).
 
I am an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (1 Peter 2:9).
 
I am the righteousness of God—I have right standing with Him—in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; I belong to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19).
 
I am the head and not the tail, and I only go up and not down in life as I trust and obey God (Deuteronomy 28:13). I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
 
I am chosen by God, forgiven and justified through Christ. I have a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness and patience (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12).
 
I am redeemed—forgiven of all my sins and made clean—through the blood of Christ
(Ephesians 1:7). I have been rescued from the domain and the power of darkness and brought into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13).
 
I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; 
Galatians 3:13).
 
My life is rooted in my faith in Christ and I overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done for me (Colossians 2:7).
 
I am called to live a holy life by the grace of God and to declare His praise in the world (Psalm 66:8; 2 Timothy 1:9). I am healed and whole in Jesus (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
 
I am saved by God’s grace, raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6; Colossians 2:12).
 
I am greatly loved by God (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4).
I am strengthened with all power according to His glorious might (Colossians 1:11).
 
I humbly submit myself to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7). Christ lives in me, and I live by faith in Him and His love for me (Galatians 2:20).
 
I am not ruled by fear because the Holy Spirit lives in me and gives me His power, love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
 
 

​December 4, 2022
It is now December. What a beautiful time of year. I love the lights. Jesus is the Light. It is His name. There can be no darkness where there is light. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 Lights remind me of His love.
 
The last few weeks He has been talking to me about faith. I’ve known to walk in faith in Him since I was saved at 9. I had hope, and believed the impossible. “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.” Hebrews 11:1 Hope is the earnest expectation of good. We hope for what is unseen. Once it is seen, we can no longer have to hope in that. I think in March 2020 when there was a sudden tsunami of fear that crashed over this world there were so much deception and evil lies that the enemy blinded many eyes from ever having an earnest expectation of good again. People don’t want to hope for the unseen. The power of fear is still so apparent in the ways of the world and without a Savior people will not have earnest expectation of good. It is devastating to see the affects of fear that has no love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control because these are the fruit of the Spirit. Hopelessness makes the heart sick. Without faith there is no hope. Faith brings our hopes into reality. To walk in the fullness of this Christmas season we must focus on His love that casts out all fear and share this love with everyone.
 
This time of year, is an incredible time of anticipation. We focus on preparing for Christmas and anticipating what the season will be like for weeks before. We have hopes and expectations of good and anticipate, which is an excitement of something good that is about to happen, a peaceful, joy filled Christmas season. If that hope and anticipation are not founded in Jesus then we are we are headed for disappointments and fear gets ahold of us knowing our anticipations and our hopes, are not in Him. We go from anticipation and hope to expectation.
 
Whenever we have expectations in and on people, places, things or positions we have replaced our hope in what can fail. When people, places, things or positions fail us, which they will, we can lose hope in everything. We can only have our true hope in Jesus. No matter what plans you make, how well they are thought through, without them being the plans of our Father, they will fail to satisfy you. “For I’m releasing these words to you this day, yes, even to you, so that your living hope will be found in God alone, for he is the only one who is always true.” Proverbs 22:19
 
The only truth we can count on without doubt and put all our faith, hope, and anticipation in is our Lord and Savior. Anything you expect, hope or anticipate that’s not of Him will not satisfy the longing inside you. I read this the other day. Once you have been exposed to the Kingdom of God it is no longer acceptable to start with what you don’t have. Change your heart to have earnest expectation and anticipation of only good! Don’t give lack thinking a place to land in your heart and mind. “Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!” Psalm 27:14
 
“Human strength and the weapons of man are false hopes for victory; they may seem mighty, but they will always disappoint.” Psalm 33:17
 
“He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence.” Psalm 91:2
 
 
“But hold your hope firmly to the end and you will experience life and deliverance.” Matthew 24:13
 
“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.” Luke 2:14
 
“God sent his word to the Jewish people first, announcing the wonderful news of hope and peace through Jesus, the Anointed One, the Lord of all.” Acts 10:36
 
“Against all odds, when it looked hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it. He took God at his word, and as a result he became the father of many nations. God’s declaration over him came to pass: “Your descendants will be so many that they will be impossible to count!”
Romans 4:18
 
“Our faith guarantees us permanent access into this marvelous kindness that has given us a perfect relationship with God. What incredible joy bursts forth within us as we keep on celebrating our hope of experiencing God’s glory!” Romans 5:2
 
“And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” Romans 5:5
 
“For this is the hope of our salvation. But hope means that we must trust and wait for what is still unseen. For why would we need to hope for something we already have?” Romans 8:24
 
“Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times.” Romans 12:12
 
“Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!” Romans 15:13
 
“Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!” Colossians 1:27
 
The next few weeks as you continue to prepare for Christmas keep your mind and heart focused on the only true Hope. He is the only hope that is beyond a shadow of doubt. If you find yourself doubting Him and His love, then take extra time to get into the Word and know His love is true and never fails. Expect ONLY good from Him. Let all your hope and earnest expectations of good be in Him alone and watch how He will minister to your heart. Everything else in this world will disappoint and fail you. No matter what efforts you put forth in anything you do, it will never satisfy or fulfill the deep longing in your heart that only He can fill. Give Him a chance this Christmas season to be your All in all. “So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!” Hebrews 10:23  Have a blessed, peace, joy and hope filled Christmas season knowing that He came to give you life and life more abundant. Expect that 😊
 
 

​November 27, 2022
One of my favorite parts of the story of the birth of our Savior, is when the angel told Mary she would have this baby Jesus. “During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence to an unmarried girl named Mary, living in Nazareth, a village in Galilee. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a true descendant of King David.  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Rejoice, beloved young woman, for the Lord is with you and you are anointed with great favor.”
 
Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit.”
 
Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!” Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month.  “Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!” Then Mary responded, saying, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38 Passion Bible
 
Mary was startled and didn’t understand what the Angel was saying to her but do you notice what the angel said? “Do not yield to your fear,”. Your fear. Wow! When we have fear, it is our fear we have chosen to yield to. That’s a powerful truth to mediate on. Mary believed. When she didn’t yield to her fear, Mary had peace. The past couple weeks the Lord has been showing me that I have made a decision to yield to my fear.
 
The last couple of years all of us have had a life shift, an actual “suddenly” that effected our lives in some way. The Word tells us what the reaping and outcome of a godless nation and world would look like. He has told us through His Word how to prepare our hearts for such a time. When our world got turned upside down almost 3 years ago, I didn’t have much fear. I listened to faith-based news believing and trusting the Lord. I trust Him with all my heart, but my own understanding creeps in sometimes. I have to resist the temptation to fear.
 
But fear got in my heart big time! In what way? With making sure we had enough food, water, and were prepared for the nuke attack that is supposedly inevitable. I heard words that were not God based but fear based and let them in. I’m sharing this today because I know I cannot be the only one. The picture that has been painted for the holidays is very gloom. I took extra efforts to be sure we would have enough food. But then the thought comes, “What is enough?” Right there was the clue I wasn’t trusting Him because HE IS ENOUGH!! He told me to remember that I was taught from childhood to always have food. As farmers and a self-employed family, you always prepared for a tough winter. We always have food in our freezers, canned goods, a wood stove, a gas stove, and the basic stuff for eating for a couple months, probably more like 6 months at least. Yet, I thought I wasn’t prepared enough because of FEAR. I think my real fear was being sure I could take care of Mom. That’s a huge responsibility and I wanted ENOUGH☹. It hurts me to write this and that I let my heart go that far but I know I am not the only one. I got where I was snipping at Ed if he used too much butter since it was a staple I wanted to not run out of. He just went on using the butter😊. The Lord has been working on my heart daily for the last couple years peeling away the “not enoughs” that creeped in with all the situations that happened. Not enough help, not enough time, not enough finances, too many bills, not enough fellowship, not enough room, not enough at church, not enough love, and the list goes on.
 
I’m so grateful Mary didn’t have that answer. Mary didn’t yield to fear so her heart was open to say, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” As His servant, I accept whatever He has for me. That is how I want to answer Him when He speaks to my heart. That is my desire.
 
One of my next favorite parts of this story is in Luke 2:21-35. This is where Joseph and Mary take Jesus to be dedicated. An elderly man, Simeon, was waiting for them to come. “For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him, Simeon, that he would not see death before he saw the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Keeping his promise, the Holy Spirit led Simeon to be in the temple court at the very moment Jesus’ parents entered to fulfill the requirement of the sacrifice.” (26-27) Simeon means, “he who hears”. I want to be a Simeon. I do hear and I do believe but this attack of fear coming from my position of responsibility took me off course. I did hear the Lord say, “you have prepared with supplies, you have enough. I AM ENOUGH”. Sometimes we hear, listen to understand, and take to heart the wrong advice. It’s “that take to heart” part. My heart wasn’t guarded but consumed with responsibility instead of faith, trust, hope, joy and love. We can hear and listen to warnings and suggestions but then we must filter those words through the I AM ENOUGH truth. We have made declarations, we’ve spoken His Truth into our lives and for me, I am living in His peace this Christmas season. “For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
 
The last few months I cannot say that I answered as readily as Mary. I did yield to MY fear. We all do at some point but the answer is not to stay there but to spend so much time in His presence that you know that you know how much you are loved by Him. If He says we can do this, we can. He gave us a way to live and walk in all of His promises but we have to trust, believe and obey. When we give in to the power of deceit, we get going in in whirlwind of waves that tosses us to and fro, up and down. If we are not putting His truths in our heart, meditating on His promises, letting the Holy Spirit flow through us and not being still to know He is I Am, we end up with some fear.  Knowing without a shadow of doubt that He loves me no matter what and that His love is unconditional changed how I can come to the throne of grace. “So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!” Hebrews 10:23
 
My fear is this area of “being prepared for the worst” is being healed and gone. I now choose His promises and  seek Him daily, hourly, minute by minute. I let His love saturate my heart so I can trust, believe and obey His words for me. “You’re my place of quiet retreat, and your wraparound presence becomes my shield as I wrap myself in your Word!” Psalm 119:114
 
During this Christmas season take extra time to seek Him. Desire to be as prepared in your heart, not in this world, as Mary was. To trust the Lord with all your heart, to believe him and know not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God! His love for us is beyond our comprehension but with Him living in us and through His grace and the Holy Spirit we can have all He has for us if we choose to. Don’t yield to your fears. Cast your fears on Him.
 
For me, I am making this the best Christmas ever, not the worst. My heart is full of ideas to share His love with my kids, grandchildren, great-granddaughter and others in special ways that He is showing me. It’s not gloom time like some speak, but a time to speak and believe “Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!” Make a choice to let Him guide you in amazing ways this Christmas season. People are seeking and we KNOW their answer.