Replace Your Fear with Faith

I’m beginning to get comments and reviews on my new book, An Untroubled Heart. I can’t tell what an encouragement it is to read how God is using my words to minister to you. Then, again, why should I be surprised. He’s the real communicator who reaches out calming every anxious heart.

Here are some of what others are saying…

Janet shared, "Micca, I saw you back in Feb speak at Pursue the Passion @ Covenant. I recently began your book over my Easter vacation (I teach and I'm a mom so...finding free time to read is rare!)....I am LOVING it. It is a GREAT book and I am recommending it to the ladies in my bible study! Fabulous...I am just highlighting away in it!"

Carol wrote: Just finished your chapter on Family Matters. I'm with Lelia's group Yes to God. I loved it. It gave me so much encouragement. I even read the section on your daughter and her bff to my daughter, (she's 9) and she is so glad they are friends again. Plus we are going to go through Philippians 4:8 in detail to help her understand the verse in 9 year old terms."

Shari said, “Micca, started reading your book on the plane to Los Angeles and was laughing and crying out loud...your stories are hilarious and I can just hear you saying those things, too! Funny!!!!! People were looking at me strangely!”

Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to share my journey with you. It is my greatest desire and prayers that through the pages of my book, you’ll find freedom fear too.

Tonight, I spoke live on the radio sharing with many some practical tips for overcoming fear: I’d like to share a few with you also.

1. Get Rid of Mistaken Thinking: When troubles hit our lives, misconceptions about God are often revealed. God doesn’t always cause the trouble, but He allows it so that we can come to really know Him as He is. Instead of looking at your situation as a frightening “set-back,” look at it as a “cut-back.” God is often cutting away our falsehoods so that truth can grow in its place.

I recall when my daughter was young and I was cutting back the rosebushes for the winter. Peyton loves flowers. She always has. When she saw me cutting back the rosebush, she was horrified. “Mom! Why did you kill it?” she questioned.

I explained to my sweet girl that I wasn’t killing the bush although it appeared like I was. Instead, I was cutting it back so that in the spring new roses would bud and grow bigger than before.

Likewise, when God uses troubles to cut away our misconceptions, there’s no need to fear. Although it may feel like we’re going to die, God is really making room for new growth—bigger and brighter than we’ve ever experienced before.

2. Be Strong and Courageous: Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage withstands fear. God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified.” Courage is being strong enough to push through our fear causing terror to flee.

God doesn’t want us to live life in a bubble. He wants us to live life to the fullest; to take risk; and be passionate about life. Still, fear is a powerful emotion. It can keep us up at night and shut us down during the day. Doubt can rob our faith and before we know it, we’re living life inside of a bubble. I’d rather walk on water.

Remember Peter? He walked on walk with Christ! I’ve often wondered about the other 11 who stayed in the boat. They missed an amazing opportunity to walk on water with Christ. Did they live with regrets having missed the chance? I don’t know, but I imagine doubt is what kept them in the boat. I can even hear them shouting doubt into the heart and mind of Peter as he threw on leg over the side of the boat.

“Hey, dude! What are you doing? Are you crazy? You can’t walk on water!”

Yet, while they were saying such things Peter was already doing it. He was walking on water!
Is someone putting doubt in your mind over something you may be already doing? Don’t listen. Don’t even look back. Keep looking forward and before you know it—you’ll be walking on water!

Go ahead and push through your fears. Dare to dream your God-given dreams; take risks and live passionately. For this is the way faith lives that is stronger than all our fear.

Don't forget to visit my friend Bonita's blog Encouraging Words for Writer's for a chance to win a free copy of my book!

Favorite Holiday Foods

If you've stopped by from Karen's 12 Days of Christmas Giveway, Welcome!!

Today I'm sharing about my family's favorite holiday foods.

Throughout the years, our family Christmas menu has consisted of a variety of foods. One reason may be because we love to eat! But the main reason is because there are special memories that surround certain foods.

My Granny, who is celebrating her first Christmas with her Lord and Savior this year, always made dumplings on Christmas Eve. We had traditional foods too such as Turkey and Ham, but dumplings were Granny’s best dish and no meal was complete without them. So, even though it was Christmas, dumplings soon made their way onto the menu.

Before Granny went home to be the Lord, she spent several years in assisted living. Christmas Eve with family was moved from her house to my parent’s house. At first, we feasted on an assortment of festive foods such as seafood, dips, and casseroles—once again leaving the traditional foods for Christmas day dinner.

It didn’t take long before heritage changed the menu. My father is Italian. I grew up with homemade sauce and meatballs, lasagna, pizza and other Italian dishes all made from scratch. In fact, if my dad knew I had a jar of spaghetti sauce in my pantry, he’d cut me out of the will. There’s three things Italian people remain true to—God, family, and Italian food. You may have read before that my passion for Italian food is only surpassed by my love for Jesus. It’s in the genes.

Needless to say, Christmas Eve dinner is served Italian style. This year it’s going to be lasagna.

It’s custom to have Christmas day dinner at my house with all the traditional foods. I love this honor—a blessing that became mine because both my sister and brother lived out of town.

Both family and friends are invited so the house is usually full. One dish that the guests anticipate is my sweet potato casserole.

As I shared on Karen’s blog today in her 12 Days of Christmas Give Away, I got this recipe from an old high school boyfriend’s grandmother. I’ve been making this dish since I was eighteen—first in my mother’s kitchen and now in mine. It’s to die for! I’d love to share it with you!

What you’ll Need:4-5 cooked sweet potatoes
1 c sugar
1 t vanilla
½ c milk
2 eggs beaten
½ stick of butter

Mash cooked potatoes and mix together with mixer the rest of the ingredients. Pour into casserole dish.

Topping
1 c brown sugar
1/3 flour
1/3 butter
1/3 milk
1 c nuts (optional)

Heat butter and milk over medium heat. Add flour (more milk if needed) Then blend in brown sugar with mixer. Beat until smooth. Pour mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. ENJOY!!

I’d love for you to share your favorite holiday recipes with me too! It would be great fun to serve your dish to my family this year! Who knows? It might just become our next favorite holiday cuisine.

Happy Eating!
Micca

12 Days of Christmas Give-A-Way!

I started the holiday season right this year by celebrating our Savior’s birth with about 800 of my friends from Asheville, NC! Settling the “reason” for the “season” in my heart as I spoke at this event has given me the right perspective on Christmas. It’s not about the rush. It’s not about getting out my cards on time or finding the perfect gift for everyone I love. No. It’s about the joy Christ brings into our lives. Even in the midst of challenging times, our Savior is enough. That’s why we celebrate Christmas. It reminds us that no matter what we face in this world, Christ has overcome!

This year I want to enjoy and celebrate the gift of Christmas, our Savior, with my family by spending more time together, eating sweet treats to remind us of His sweetness; laughing together to remember the supernatural joy Christ brings; and by playing games and giving gifts to remind us that Christ is the greatest gift of all.

Another way to enjoy the season is by stopping by my friend, Karen Ehman’s blog. She’s hosting a 12 Days of Christmas give away! What fun! Karen shares how it works….

“December 1st, I’ll be hosting a 12 Days of CHRISTmas giveaway right here on my little ole’ blog. Each day December 1-12, in addition to giving you some of my most requested yuletide ideas and easy recipes, I’ll also be featuring one of my fellow Proverbs 31 speakers in a short profile and asking them a holiday question. Then, you answer the same question by leaving a comment and you will be entered into the giveaway. Each day will have a different present for you; a helpful book, an inspirational cd, a fooffy-girly gift or giftcard for a Starbucks. The purpose is to give you ideas and a small cyber-break from the hustle and bustle at your house.”

Doesn’t it sound like fun? And…you haven’t missed a thing by getting started now. You can go back and visit the speaker’s who have already stopped by Karen’s blog and leave a comment to win!

So grab a cup of hot chocolate and join the fun!

Christmas wishes,
Micca

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Merry Christmas Y'all!!

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! (Well, and when the kids go back to school!)

I kicked off the Christmas season this week in Asheville, NC. I had the privilege of speaking at a two night Christmas Banquet. The tables and stage tinkled ( i had to leave this misspelled word in. I did get home at 2:00 a.m. this morning! I meant to say "twinkled") and glistened with Christmas decorations. Each hostess was responsible for adorning their table in festive holiday tradition. Boy, were these women creative! I enjoyed viewing the tables along with the guest. We couldn’t help but “ooh and ahh” over each one.

The table hostess’ husbands were our servers for the evening. They did a wonderful job of keeping our glasses full, and most importantly—offering a second round of desert! The feast was fab too!

My favorite part was when we sang the Christmas Carols. Don’t you love singing Christmas songs? I do. They seem to bring out the Spirit of Christmas in my heart. By the way, did you know that Family Life Bookstores has Third Day’s Christmas CD on sale for $5.00? What a buy! (Was that random?)

Anyway, the women at North Asheville Baptist are wonderful. Their fellowship is warm and inviting. You could sense that God was doing at work in that church. It was a joy to be with them. I was so blessed.

The women’s ministry team had a beautiful basket awaiting our arrival in the hotel room. It was full of sweet treats, a book about the Biltmore AND Biltmore tickets! Sooooo, before the banquet on Tuesday night, my husband and I enjoyed the day at the Biltmore! We had lunch at the Bistro and enjoyed each other’s company. It was a perfect day.

Well, I have pictures but I couldn't get them to download. I'm so NOT computer savvy!

If you’ve never been to the Biltmore, it’s a must.

Well, I’ve gotta run and unpack my suitcase. I think I’ll also put on my new Third Day CD and work on adoring my home for this blessed season!

Wishing you a blessed Christmas,
Micca

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's a cute story I got from my wonderfully talented friend Gwen Smith. (check out her blog!) I hope you enjoy it!

John received a parrot as an early Christmas gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. In desperation, John threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and shoved him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I inquire as to what the turkey did?"

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving,
Micca

Know Truth

On the way to school this morning, my daughter and I were listening to our local Christian radio station. Each day they give a verse of the day. Today’s verse was from John 8: 32, “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

I couldn’t help but think about how relevant that verse is for America right now. Many are concerned and with good reason. A failing economy, rising prices, and threats of terrorism are all good reasons to fear. Fear can be a paralyzing emotion. Not only can worry shut us down and bring us down, but it can cause us to doubt Truth.

For generations, people have been asking, “What is truth?” Jesus answered that question in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Therefore, truth is not what we can see with our eyes. Truth is not our temporary circumstances. Truth is Christ and what He says about our present situation.

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you would have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” John 16:33. What Jesus is saying is this. In this world, we will experience all kinds of trouble—relationship trouble, financial trouble, political trouble, even sickness and death. But, He is bigger than it all. When life brings pressure, stress and anxiety, you and I can rest in the fact that Christ is large and in charge! And if God is for us, what is there to fear?

The bible tells us that God is seated on His throne in the heavens. Picture that. God is seated. He is not up pacing the floor and wringing His hands in worry. No. He’s calm and at rest. He is not surprise about the condition we are in because He is larger than it all.

I realize that our surroundings tell us otherwise. With foreclosures and a falling stock-market it appears that God is not in control, but nothing is further from the truth.

Freedom comes when we place our trust in Truth, not circumstances. Bottom line—you and I will act on what we believe. If we believe that good nutrition is healthy, we'll eat well. If we believe in prayer, we'll pray. If we believe Christ and take Him at His word, we will trust and not fear.

I’m getting excited about the release of my book, An Untroubled Heart…Finding a Faith That Is Stronger Than All My Fear. It too is relevant for today’s concerns. My book also covers fears of the unknown, loneliness, betrayal, avoiding fear-driving parenting, dealing with stress and anxiety, and the upside of fear. You can pre-order my today by clicking on the link above the cover.

God’s plan for you and I is a life built on faith—not fear. In Christ, we can be free.

The Blessing of Abiding

I’ll never forget the day I was determined to remain in Christ all day long. I started with prayer and bible reading. Then, I put on some praise music to keep my thoughts on Him. It was wonderful. I found myself praying for others and for small things too. For example, I couldn’t find my cleaning gloves so I asked God to help me.

(Note: you know you’re being controlled by the Spirit when you find yourself in the mood to clean!)

Anyhoo, I asked and suddenly remembered where I had put them last! Things couldn’t have gone better. In fact, it was the best fifteen minutes of my life!

It’s true. That’s as long as it lasted. I didn’t even realize that I stopped “thinking” about God until that night as I crawled into bed and began my nighttime prayers.

At first I was heartbroken. I thought, “I’ll never learn to abide.” Truth is we can’t think about God consciously 24-7 and we’re not intended to. Abiding is more of an unconscious act—where we’re not continually thinking about God but He’s the first one we think of in times of joy, surprise, or sorrow.

Whether the surprise in life is a cup of God’s grace or a bitter cup of adversity, the person who abides experiences the abundant life of God living in them. This rich, full life draws on God’s provision—strength for the storm; joy in the midst of heartache, and love for our enemy. As Children of God, this is the kind of life we are meant to have.

President Franklin Roosevelt on December 6, 1933, as the Great Depression had the nation in its grip. Roosevelt spoke that day on the need for American families to be economically secure. He called his address: "The Right to a More Abundant Life."

Jesus Christ once gave a speech on the same subject, saying in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

The abundant life that comes from abiding in Christ is not really a right to claim, but a blessing to receive. The Bible teaches that God gives us abundant mercy (Numbers 14:18), abundant provision (2 Chronicles 11:23), abundant kindness (Nehemiah 9:17), abundant pardon (Isaiah 55:7), and abundant peace (Psalm 37:11).

To feel secure in our relationship with Christ, we must not neglect the life he came to give us. Let’s plug into our source today by practicing His presence.

May God's abiding Presence overwhelm you today!

Making the Christian Life a Reality

Welcome friends.

Has your relationship with God grown stale?

In today’s devotion, Making The Christian Life a Reality, I listed 7 things that help to keep our relationship with God alive and passionate. Under each, I’ve added additional insight and benefits. It’s all about relationship.

1.) Abiding in Christ. (John 15:4, NIV)
Abiding in Christ means to remain in Him. You and I need to be aware of God’s promised presence in our lives. Remaining in Christ means He is the first one we think of in joyous times and in difficult times. When we have a need, we think to ask for His provision. When we experience goodness, we are quick to thank Him and so on. You and I should abide in Christ to the point that we fall asleep in His arms at night, and wake to His presence each morning. Just think how your life will change when you begin to realize your friendship with God is always present and available.

2.) Praying daily. (Mark 1:35, NIV)
Prayer is one way we communicate with God. Communication is to a relationship like blood is to the body. When we practice daily prayer with God, we are nourishing and sustaining our relationship.

3.) Meditating on God’s Word. (Joshua 1:8, NIV)
Reading the Word of God is how the Lord communicates with us. It’s how we come to know God and His ways. How can you and I become passionate about a relationship if we do nothing to get to know our new friend? We can’t. Strong relationships are built on strong communication. Let God speak to you through His word, and then, respond to Him in prayer.

4.) Putting off the old and putting on the new. (Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV)
The Bible says that when we give our lives to Christ, old things pass away and all things become new. Make a list of how your life has changed—an attitude, a perception; a character trait; a desire to go to church, pray or read the bible. Read verse 25 of chapter 4 and do a self assessment.
Only God, who created you and me, can re-create us. Some things change in an instant while others take more time. Either way, you should be able to pinpoint some change. In truth, your desire to change is evidence of your new life. To keep from growing stale, you and I need to take a spiritual check-up often to insure the old is being replaced with new.

5.) Being continually filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18, NIV)
Did you know this was a command? You and I are to be filled daily with the Spirit. Why—because we are leaky Christians. Sin quenches the Spirit of God in us; therefore, we must continually be filled. There is a onetime filling of the Spirit when you and I receive Christ as our Lord and Savior—and there are many fillings that follow.
I love the analogy of this verse: “Do not get drunk, but be filled with the Spirit”
What controls a person who fills themselves with alcohol? The alcohol controls the person. Who is controlling the person filled with the Spirit of God? God is. If you and I want to experience a powerful life that is able to withstand temptation and sin, we must be filled daily. How?
Each day we must confess our sins, ask God to fill us with His Spirit, and believe by faith He has done so. Then, we are able to walk in His power instead of our own.

6.) Exercising God-given gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NIV)
Each child of God is given a spiritual gift. This gift is not for you. It’s for others. The personal benefit, however, is a satisfaction that’s undesirable. Jesus stated in John 15, that His joy was made full when He was doing the will of God. Our gifts are designed to point us to our purpose in life. When you and I are exercising our God-given gifts, others are blessed and we are fulfilled like nothing we’ve ever experienced before.

7.) Actively sharing the gospel with others. (Mark 16:15, NIV)
This is another command of God. We are to share the love of Christ with those in our sphere of influence. The person who abides daily in Christ, practices prayer, mediates on His Word, exercises their gift, and is filled with the Spirit can’t help but share Christ with others.
Think of when you met your spouse for the first time. You couldn’t wait to tell your friends and family about him or her. How about when your children were born? I bet you couldn’t stop talking about them either. The same is true when you’re in love with Jesus. You want the world to know Him.

This is the natural outcome when you’re living a passionate, powerful, fulfilling life in Christ.

I challenge you to 40 days of practicing these relationship building steps. After which, I’d love to hear your life has changed!

Be A Blessing--Get A Blessing

Do you know that the bible tells us to be ready to share with others the hope we have in us? This command use to scare me. I thought I had to be ready to give some long theological explanation of how Christ’s death on a cross transformed me from unholy to holy. I was wrong.

God means for you and I to seize the opportunities that I believe He orchestrates to talk openly and honestly about our faith. We don’t need a degree in Seminary do so—just a prepared and willing heart.

Just about every day I ask God to make a blessing—to my family, to a stranger, to whomever. I ask that He give me His eyes and His heart so that I can see who out there is searching for hope. God loves to answer these types of prayers!

Often, I find myself encouraging a sales clerk while shopping. Once, as a visitor at a nearby college, I volunteered to give my testimony when the speaker didn’t show up. One young man surrendered to the call to ministry that day.

Lately, as I was flying to PA for a speaking engagement, the stewardess asked what I did for a living as she observed me studying my notes.

“I’m a Christian speaker and author,” I replied.

“Oh,” she responded. “I’m not into religion.”

“Me neither.” I agreed. This took her by surprise. “But I thought you were a Christian?”

“I am.” I confirmed. “But I don’t live by a bunch of rules. That’s what religious people do. No. I live by the power of God within me. I have a relationship with the Creator of all things! That’s much different than being religious.” I added.

As we talked more about the difference between religion and relationship, she began sharing her story with me. She was orphaned by her mother at a young age. Growing up in a home for orphaned children was hard she explained—especially since she was the only black girl there. She described feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and fear.

I tried comforting her with words of truth. “Even though you’ve experienced difficult circumstances in your life, God has a good and perfect plan for you.”

“Humm, is that right?” she asked. “I don’t know about that. What I do know is if I want to get somewhere in this life, I have to do it. That’s how I became a stewardess.”

“Is being a stewardess what you really want to be?” I inquired.

She hesitated and then with tear-filled eyes said, “No. What I really want to do is open my own home for girls. I’d run it like I know it should be run—giving them more than tools for success. I’d give them understanding.”

Wow! I was blown away. I could clearly see God at work in her life and our conversation. So, I encouraged her to seek God—the giver of that dream. And by the end of the flight, she had promised to do just that.

I walked off of the plane that day with a renewed sense that God was truly in control and at work in each of our lives. I also felt satisfied. Something about doing the will of God provides that in my life—true fulfillment.

I guess that’s the funny thing about being a blessing, you always get one in return.

Is God A Stingy God?

Sometimes I act like God is stingy. I don’t recall ever saying that out loud until now, nor do I remember thinking it. But my actions have stated it many times loud and clear. Using my feeble attempts to get what I want without asking God first, or asking but not waiting on His timing is an example of this.

I wonder what would happen if I were courageous enough to simply trust God with Christ’s words. “Not my will, but yours be done.” Perhaps God would do more than I would think to ask of Him. Maybe He just might knock my socks off!

That would be magnificent. There’s only one problem. I prevent Him from blessing me in this way. You see, as long as I have my own agenda in life, God can’t bring me up to speed to His. I imagine God sitting in the heavens shaking His head at me wondering when I’m going to let go and really trust His plan for my life.

Oh, how my own plans hinder me spiritually and keep me from His course. Not allowing God to have his way, makes me of no use to Him. In fact, it makes me a hindrance. If I’m a hindrance, then God will only find another committed heart to work through. This is not my heart’s desire.
My heart is for God and Him alone.

Many years ago, by the Spirit of God, I was compelled to give my life entirely to Him. When counterfeit goals and passions slither into my life, God gently reminds me of my true goal. It’s a goal I wrote in my journal nearly 20 years ago. I’m to know God and make Him known through a surrendered life. While God’s will was clear, I struggled.

About 5 years later, I took a piece of paper and made a contract with God. I signed over my life asking Him to keep it because I could not. Ever since, He has held true to our agreement. when I go off course, He guides me back.

Dying to self, isn’t the end of life. It’s when I truly began to live. God has knocked my socks off on more than one occasion. I’ve had dreams come true that I didn’t even know I had. Why—because they were God’s dreams for my life. And they are way better than anything I could have dreamt of myself.

My passion is for every person to come to this place in their own life—a place of total surrender. It’s what you’re looking for. Would you let my words today be God’s gentle reminder that whatever you’re running after, God alone is the prize?

THE WINNER IS....
Forgive me for not posting the winner of the Hearts at Home bag yesterday. I had a sick child home from school. As any mother knows, a sick child requires much attention!

The Winner is.....Laurie!!! CONGRATS!!!!! If you'll contact me with your home address at miccacampbell@comcast.net, i'll get it in the mail to you right away! It's so cute. You're gonna love it!

They Grow Up Fast!

Today is my daughter’s birthday! Peyton is turning 16 years old. I can hardly believe it! Where do the years go??? It’s seems only yesterday I was sitting on the couch snuggled close beside her as she held her blanket and Molly, the rag doll who quickly became a member of the family, while watching the Little Mermaid for the millionth time.

Sixteen is a special marker in child’s life. It’s when you get your driver license! What could be more important or memorable in the life of a teenager than that? NOTHING! I must admit, however, I’m a little frightened about my daughter driving.

Just this summer, while driving the Go-Kart, she nearly killed herself and her brother! We allowed them to drive on the road—with helmets of course. BIG, BIG mistake! Parker, her younger brother by 4 years, was riding on the passenger side.

As they approached the crossroad, we noticed a car was coming. The car had the right of way. Peyton’s road was clearly marked with a stop sign. You know, the sign that shouts S-T-O-P!! Most drivers obey the sign in order to prevent collision. Not Peyton. What does she do?? She panics!

Her dad and I, along with her younger brother, were screaming—“STOP!!” Instead, Peyton pushes the gas pedal to the floor, runs the stop sign, passes in front of the oncoming car by the skin of her teeth, and finally comes to a halt by driving the cart into the neighbor’s yard.

Parker jumps out of his seat and yells, “Gosh, Peyton! Why didn’t you stop?”

Now, when the younger brother knows what to do better than his big sister who is of age to drive, it’s scary. I told Parker that he may need to ride with his sister as sort of a co-pilot. His response… “You’re not putting me in a car with her!”

If you don’t live in TN, you can add it to your list of “what I’m thankful for” this Thanksgiving. But, we would appreciate your prayers. Really!

This weekend, I was reminded of the responsibilities we have as parents. I had the privilege of speaking and serving along side of some great women in ministry at the Hearts at Home conference in MN.

If you’ve never been to their conference, I invite you to visit their site. They are doing great things for the kingdom by equipping moms to be the wife and mother God designed them to be. In fact, I brought you back something. It’s a cute black bag with a pink poke-a-dot belt just perfect to carry your bible in to church. But, I only have one. Leave a comment, and I’ll pick a winner of the bag tomorrow!

At the conference, I learned many truths this weekend such as…

According to Ken Davis, husbands consider silky nightgowns a romantic on gift for their wives, but they don’t consider silky underwear for men a romantic gift in return—especially if they have little strawberries on them. Men prefer car batteries. Good thing to remember ladies.

I also learned that when your children are small, it’s best to bolt down the furniture. Now, they tell me.

And, if your child is age 9, he or she is half way grown.

Well, my sweet Peyton is more than half way there. I plan to cherish my remaining years with her. In fact, I think I’ll get Molly the rag doll down from the attic, put in Little Mermaid, and snuggle her close tonight.

True North

Have you ever heard of True North? You can’t find it with a compass because when the arrows on the compass point north, it’s not really pointing to the North Pole.

Geographically, the North Pole is the top of the earth. It’s a fixed position that never changes. That’s why it’s called, “True North.” It’s from this position that mapmakers draw their maps.
A compass, however, doesn’t point true north. It points 1,300 miles away from the North Pole and that’s called, “magnetic north.”

What’s my point? If I were a sailor sailing for the North Pole and all I had was a compass, I’d miss my mark by 1,300. That’s a big difference. So big that I may never discover the right harbor I set out for.

For those of us searching for truth today, we’re not going to find in our world. If we follow the world, we will miss our mark. True North, so to speak, is the truth of God’s Word. It’s fixed. It’s certain. It’s absolute. It’s the true map that will guide us toward the right harbor.

While I have nothing personal against Obama, and I can appreciate the excitement this historical event has created, I simply don’t agree with his views and values. They are not true north. Therefore, I must become intentional about these uncharted waters we find ourselves in. I must keep to the Truth of God’s Word or else go off course.

Obama has a hard road ahead of him—just as McCain would have had if he’d been elected President. Our world is already in choppy waters. As people of true north, we need to become active in prayer and duty so that we can help guide America toward true north. We can do that through: Re-Pentance, Prayer, Preparation, and Position.

Re-pentance: In order to hit true north, you and I must began with repentance—personal, political, and national. The bible says, “If my people who are called by name will humble themselves, seek my face, turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Prayer: Prayer is the work we do that moves the hand of God. We need to be actively praying for Obama, those who surround him, for our families, America and her safety—but most importantly the protection of our Christian heritage. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.” (1 Tim 2:2)

Preparation: It’s possible that we are headed for judgment. I know that’s not easy to hear. The good news is we may be in position to see Christ’s glorious return as well! Either way, we need to be prepared.

Hard times are still ahead for America. With foreclosures, a failing economy, and rising prices things are tough for many. We can be prepared for the worst. The first thing we need to do is get out of debt. Steps to do that can be found by visiting the website of Dave Ramsey.

Once we’re out of debt, we are in a position to help others. You know, we’ve come a long way from how it use to be—kids playing in the backyard, knowing our neighbors, working in our communities, etc… God often uses difficult times to bring us back to where we need to be—helping one another. What a time--such as now--to be a blessing to someone less fortunate than we are.

Most importantly, we need to be sharing the love of Jesus Christ. Adversity has a way of bringing people to a decision about the fragility of life and their eternity. When they come searching, we want to be prepared to tell them about Jesus. “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence “ (1 Peter 3:15).

Position: Our position is in Christ. We must not forget where our confidence, hope, and security lie as Believer’s. When our faith gets weak, remember that faith is not my trusting in God. Faith is believing that God will remain true to His character. For He is fixed, steady, certain, and absolutely trustworthy. "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut 7:9)

I want to help guide America toward the right harbor. That means I must set my course according to “True North”—God’s standards and nothing less.

I’m also heading north to MN to speak at the Hearts at Home Conference this weekend. The weather forecast is predicating snow. Yea!! We’ll talk again next week when I return.

God Bless...

We Told God To Go

Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote

I’ll be honest. I’m not afraid, but I’m concerned about the election today. I stand on Godly principles and that’s how I’ll vote—for life; for same sex marriages; for war; for America. There’s something dark about Obama. Something causes concern in my spirit for our Country. It’s not really higher taxes I’m worried about. It’s whether or not America will be safe on his watch. If Obama becomes President, he’ll need our prayers. And peace will come as we put our trust in God and not man.

However, today we have an opportunity to vote the right man in office-who will also need our prayers. We already know that attacks are planned and aimed at America. We know this because of 911. We also know that these countries are watching this election closely.

Again, it’s up to us to vote for the right person. For me, that person is John McCain.

When 911 took place, people questioned God. Even the media had questions. An interview took place on CBS's "The Early Show" on the Thursday morning after the terrorist attacks. Jane Clayson, conducted the interview with Anne Graham Lotz.

According to the transcript of the broadcast, Clayson asked, "I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?"

Lotz replied, "I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have “trust in God” on our coins, we need to practice it."

We need to make up our minds-do we want God or do we not want Him. We cannot just ask Him in when disaster strikes.

Listen, friends. We are in a situation that no man or government can fix. We need God.

Today is the time to let God know that we still want His love, protection, and blessings for American. We state that claim by voting for the right person.

Pray and Vote

This is possibly the most important election concering the future of American than any other. I urge you to pray before you vote.

Below is a letter written by Dr. James Dobson. I hold the same bibical views as he does and would like to share his words of wisdom with you as he calls all Believers to prayer before casting their vote on Nov 4th.

Regardless of your political views, I want to urge Christians everywhere to be in prayer about this election. There are many scriptural references wherein King David “inquired of God” when he was faced by troubling circumstances (1 Samuel 23:2,4; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19,23). It is time for Christians everywhere to turn to Him for guidance and wisdom. Find some time to be still and listen to what He wants to tell you. The National Day of Prayer Task Force, led by my wonderful wife, Shirley, has embarked on a national campaign entitled “Pray for Election Day.” All around the country, individuals and groups are being encouraged to gather every Thursday leading up to Nov. 4 between 12 noon and 12:30 p.m. Spend time with the Lord, asking Him to guide and direct those privileged to cast a ballot. If you are able, I would also encourage you to fast and pray immedately before the election. After all, it was the Reverend Billy Graham who once said that “To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.” Amen, Dr. Graham.

This election is about the future of the nation, but it will also go a long way toward determining the culture your children and grandchildren will come to know. I know you will vote with your children and your children’s children in mind. That certainly puts the election in a different light, doesn’t it?

You know my heart on these issues, and I hope you understand that I am less concerned with politicians and political parties than I am with the timeless biblical principles that those parties have the power to either strengthen or damage. No candidate is perfect, whether in this election or any other. Please don’t make your decisions lightly. There is simply too much at stake. May God grant each of us wisdom as Nov. 4 approaches.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Dobson

For more views on our canidates and how each could affect America, click here

"Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord."

Unquenchable Love

I’m on my way to the airport this morning but I had to stop and write to you. I was overwhelmed yesterday by the personal emails I received. Many of you are going through great emotional pain due to your circumstances. And yet, you’re choosing not to let Ole Smutty face steal your peace and your joy.

As I read each of your stories, I couldn’t help but wonder--God do they know how much you love them--right now this every moment? You see, I've discovered lately that God not only loves us but He's lovesick for us! Have you ever been lovesick before? If so, then you know that you just want to be with that person. You want to hug'em and kiss'em til their neck falls off. You love them so much you can't hardly stand it. Well, my friend. The same is true of God. He is head over heels in love with you!His love is unquenchable.

Then there is ole Smutty Face. He uses painful situations to try and convince us that God doesn’t care. It’s hard not to listen when you have that hollow feeling in the pit of your stomach. Do you know that sick feeling? It’s like someone has punch you and taken all your strength. I know that pain, and I could sense that you do to.

No matter what has occurred in your past or what you feel right now, the Father’s love certain. That's hope we can cling to. Isaiah tells us that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Even though the Lord may seem far away and uncaring, the truth is God has a higher purpose for our pain. Even though we don’t understand why he’s allowed our suffering, trusting Him enables us to keep our joy.

Sometimes, in my mind’s eye, I’ll crawl up in the lap of my heavenly Father and just let Him love on me. By this I’ve learned something about His love. God pours His love upon us without exception—no ifs, ands, or buts. He did not begin to love you and me at the moment we invited Him into our life. Nor did He begin to love us when we first started going to church or reading the bible. No. He loved us from the beginning. Way before we ever knew Him—God knew us and loved us.

Let the truth of God’s love wash over you today. Let it put a song on your lips and peace in your heart.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

God loves you and me. And nothing or nobody is coming between us. That’s something to be joyful about.

Has Anybody Seen My Joy?

I have to be honest. Ole Smutty face, our family name for Satan, can steal my joy faster than I can flick a tick off of the dog. Boy, did that sentence show my southern roots or what? (I’m cracking myself up here!) Anyway. It’s true. The enemy’s number one job is to steal and kill what God has given us. And God has given us joy! Do you remember that childhood song you sang in Sunday school way back when?

“I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart!”

Second Verse: Sing it with me…

“I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart!”

Even though I sang that song as a child, I didn’t get the true meaning of it. How could I? There wasn’t anything in my childhood that induced sadness. Oh, sure I had my moments of displeasure, and I knew how to throw a fit about it too. (Translation for those who live in other countries and northern states: to throw a fit is to have a tantrum.) But most of the time, I was happy.

I think children are just naturally happy and content with their circumstances. That’s because their circumstances are arranged to meet their needs. When hungry, their tummy’s are filled; when downcast, they are encouraged; when bored, they are taught to play; and when their tiny eyelids grow sleepy, someone tucks then into a warm, soft bed to rest for the night. It’s also natural for a child to be happy because she doesn’t have to face facts.

It’s not until we reach adulthood that we face facts. It’s then we realize that happiness is associated with circumstances. When all is going well, we are happy—but when our circumstances go sour, so do we.

Joy is much different than happiness. It doesn’t come from our circumstances. Joy comes from doing God’s will. Jesus said, “My joy is made full when I’m doing the will of the Father.” You and I were created for purpose; for service. When we are doing what we were created for than joy fills our hearts and peace rules. On the other hand, when you and I attempt to live life apart from God’s purposes, it’s like a coffee mug trying to fly.

Wouldn’t it be strange if I got up this morning, reached for a coffee cup, and proceeded to fill it with hot coffee when all of a sudden it protested? “Hey!” Don’t put that coffee in me. I’m not a cup. I’m a Frisbee.” (Okay, I know this is a strange analogy but hang with me for a second. It is early, you know.)

Let’s say I buy the mugs argument, open the back door, and attempt to fly the coffee mug as if it were a Frisbee. I dare say the results would be tragic. Upon impact, the mug would shatter into a million little pieces and scatter across my patio. The first thing my kids would say after running down the stairs to see what crashed is, “I’m not cleaning that up.”

It’s usually while we’re trying to clean up the broken pieces of a life lived apart from God that we wonder where has our joy has gone. For others, we’ve found ourselves mixed up in the circumstances of family or friends and we’ve allowed that situation steal our joy. We know our joy is there somewhere—but where?

Something happens when the easy flow of life is interrupted by chaos. We switch something off. Most of the time, it’s our faith we turn off. We stop following God and walking in light of truth because of what our circumstances are telling us.

Oh sure, you and I are fine when God is blessing us, but when the blessings stop—we stop. The problem is our aim. We are aiming for happiness instead of joy. Joy is only achieved in following after God and fulfilling our created purpose.

So, where are you today? Has Satan stolen your joy?

If so, how has this affected your witness; your life; and your service to the kingdom?

What do you plan to do about it? I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to keep following Christ. And as I do, you’ll hear me singing… “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart!”

Come on...sing it with me! "Down in my heart to stay!!"

It's A God-Sized Task

"God does not demand of me that I accomplish great things. He does demand of me that I strive for excellence in my relationships." —Ted W. Engstrom

It’s true. God never calls us to do great things, although He does great things in and through us. The Lord calls us to Himself. It’s out of our ongoing relationship with Him that true ministry is received and accomplished. The thing God commands of us is to walk worthy of our calling by serving with excellence. Even that requires dependence on Him.

God-sized tasks are big. They feel big because they are something only a big God can do. If you and I can accomplish the task at hand, then it’s probably not from God. In fact, anything you and I do apart from God is insignificant—motherhood, wife, disciple, etc… That’s why we often fail at our own attempt to serve God and others by our own efforts. On the other hand, anything we do by the power of God, we can label as Greatness.

I’ll never forget a certain lady I met at our Annual She Speaks conference—which is held for those who feel called to be God’s spokesperson through the written and spoken word. She was amazed at the number of others who also felt called of God. She just knew that she was going to be the next Big Name in Christian ministry. Her question to me was, “If that is true, why are there so many others who feel the same way?” Good question.

Do you remember the time Christ was preparing His disciples for His home-going? The guys were distraught and full of questions like, “Where are you going, Lord, and why can’t we come with you?”

Jesus gave us great insight into heaven that day as well His plan to go and prepare a place for each of us. But Christ also explained to His followers that He was limited on Earth. By Himself, He could only reach a few, buy by the Holy Spirit living in each of us He could reach more! Therefore, it was good for Him to go.

There is a great big world out there. It takes many workers. God needs all of us to fulfill His Great Commission. That, my friend, is a God-sized task. It feels big because it is big and requires dependence on God.

You see, we are all running in the same race striving for the same goal—to build God’s kingdom. The winner is the one who keeps her eyes on Christ. I have my personal race to run and you have yours. They will not look alike. But if I’m tempted to look at your race and compare it to mine, then I will eventually trip and fall. If I keep my eyes on the goal, then God will be able to accomplish His purposes through me.

The call of God is BIG! Accomplishing it involves maintaining our relationship with God so we’ll know where and when to run. It takes dependence on Him to do what only He can do. It takes commitment to work WITH God not FOR God with excellence. If we forget these things, we begin doing great things for ourselves rather than the Kingdom of God. Tom Holladay agrees.

He wrote, “There is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to do great things for God — and accomplishing great things for him. The problem is that it's just too easy to start doing the great things for yourself and not for him. It can happen in the blink of an eye. Service is then replaced with selfishness. We all struggle with selfishness, so how do we protect ourselves from letting our ego take center stage? That's where the priority of relationships comes in! A healthy relationship with God and healthy relationships with others have the power to keep our commitments to the things and the tasks in our lives from getting out of balance.”

It’s simple. True ministry is birthed out of our relationship with God. It’s where we are called, kept, and maintain a heavenly perspective. When He is our vision, success is always certain.

The Freedom of Trust

Ministry, like life, can be messy. Our flesh can get into the mix and cause “not-so-good” consequences. When the “flesh” questions the call, doubt takes over.

While I was certain of God’s call, I had all kinds of doubts about serving Him. I struggled with my insecurities and my inabilities—not to mention my deep southern accent. I thought, “Most need an interpreter when speaking in a foreign country. With my accent, I’ll need one in order to speak in the north!” What’s funny—I speak mostly in the North!

When I first realized that God was calling me to serve beyond what I was already doing at my home church, I sought the advice of a wise counselor—my pastor. But not before I went through extreme agony for about a year. I brought this agony on myself by doubting God instead of trusting Him.

You see, I was very shy growing up. While I had a deep faith in God, I never dreamed I’d grow up to be a speaker and author—NEVER! English was my worst subject in school which you may have already figured out by reading my blog. And I use to get sick and run a fervor if I had to make an announcement in front of my Sunday school class. Public speaking was never on my “what I want to do when I grow up” list. Therefore, I wanted to be certain God had called me before I approached my pastor. I spent long hours each day in prayer and in the Word.

When I finally made an appointment with my pastor, my worry instantly ceased. Taking that first step was validated by peace. At the time, I wished I had been obedient from the start. It’s tough living with doubt and conviction.

The first lesson I learned about ministry is that it’s not something we decided to do. God does the choosing. That was my question exactly. I wanted to know for certain that God had called me. Otherwise, I’d only be wasting my time, my family’s time, and others who needed to be gleaning from a true prophet of God.

My pastor gave me a simple answer to my question. “Wait.” He told me to wait on God. We already knew that I had heard from God. Now, understand, I don’t claim to have heard the audio voice of God, but it was the loudest, clearest thought I ever had—one that wouldn’t go away—not even for a year. It’s important that you and I have a clear sense that God has called us. There should be a time in your life and mine where we can pin point that call. After that, we wait and trust God to lead us.

I was reminded of this lesson from my pastor when during my conversation with Beth Moore. She shared, “The key to ministry is never get ahead of the anointing.” When we’re running ahead of God, we can’t be in the center of His plan. We simply spin our wheels trying to get somewhere while God spends His time chasing us down.

It’s like trying to chase down a hungry toddler who wants his lunch but runs from his mother who is trying to place him in his highchair.

After we are certain that God has called us, we wait. My pastor told me that God would make His plan crystal clear in unmistakable ways. This meant that I didn’t have to promote myself. I didn’t have to develop an agenda. I didn’t have to network with others in the same ministry. I didn’t have to knock on doors and ask God to open them. I didn’t have to pray for opportunities or for the expanding of territory. I certainly didn’t have to worry about the competition. No. I simply had to wait and trust that God would show me the way in His timing. This was my experience time and again. In fact, I’m still experiencing miracles that confirm God’s favor and direction on my life.

The cool thing is God also made my call unmistakable to my husband as well. Since I didn’t know how to use a computer and needed to brush up on my English skills along with others, my pastor thought it was a good idea to return to school while I waited on God.

Taking his advice, my husband, who is an accountant with a personality, accompanied me to the state’s school where I filled out the necessary papers to enroll. When the office worker return, he informed us that my tuition had already been paid and I was free to pick up my schedule.

This sent my accounting thinking husband’s head spinning. He questioned the young man as to how the tuition had been paid. The officer worker told us that their records showed I had enrolled 18 YEARS ago but never came to class. This was correct. I had met a really cute guy and ran off and got married. Now, it was 18 years later and the school was honoring their records.

To my husband, this was unlikely. He knew that he accounting department would have returned the check to my parents or after all these years written it off the books. The young boy agreed, and yet, there it was and they were honoring it. Cool huh? God leaves no detail or worry undone. From that moment on, my husband was certain in his heart that God was indeed leading us.

With each miracle, God illuminated the path I was to walk. As I took each step with obedience and trust, He’d uncover more of the path—and continues to do so today.
What freedom! I don’t have to worry and work. I don’t have to compete or contemplate. I just simply trust and obey. As God leads, in life and ministry, I find myself where I truly long to be—the center of His will.

Are you trusting God or trying to work out your own life and ministry? You and I can say we are trusting God, but our true beliefs will be revealed in our actions. Let me leave you with these thoughts from John Ortberg.

“I have three different kinds of convictions. We might think of them in this way: what I say I believe; what I think I believe; and what I reveal I really do believe by my actions.

The best indicator of my true beliefs and my true purposes are my actions. They always flow out of my mental map about the way things really are. What I say I believe might be bogus. What I think I believe might be fickle. But I never violate my idea about the way things are. I always live in a way that reflects my mental map. I live at the mercy of my ideas about the way things really are. Always. And so do you.”

The Magic of Trust

There is just something in me that has to do something when a problem arises. I don’t care how much I’m making a mess of things, I’m driven to either fix it or find a solution. Are you the same way? Maybe it’s a woman thingy.

I’ve learned over the years that God can do in a small amount of time what may take me years to accomplish if I’ll just surrender it in prayer.

It’s true. Prayer is the key that moves the hand of God in our lives. (I need to repeat that several times a day!) It’s not me begging God, or demanding of Him with my hands on my hips. Striking a deal with God isn’t what moves Him to work in my life either. It’s quiet trust after making my request known to Him.

Prayer not only moves the hand of God, but it replaces my anxious worry with peace and contentment as I wait on God to do what only He can do. I’ve experienced this throughout my life and ministry.

When I lost my husband in a tragic accident, prayer became a source of strength and stability for my life. When there was no one else to talk to, cry on, or lean on at 2:00am in the morning, God was always there. Each time I cried out to Him, God would meet me in my pain and replace it with the peace that comes from abiding in His promised presence.

Then, my children came along. Whoa! Talk about increasing your prayer life! I’ve had to trust God to work in their lives, because believe me, they don’t always listen to mama—especially during times of rebellion! It’s during those times that I want to “talk God” to them most. It doesn’t always go over well. When kids are in this state, my Granny use to say, “Don’t talk to your kids about God. Talk to God about your kids.” She was a wise woman.

I’m amazed at how God orchestrates my children’s lives when I pray, get out of the way, and trust Him. Besides, God loves them too. Because of His love, I KNOW that God always has their best interest at heart—even when I attempt to “fix” them myself instead of relying on God.

I’ve also seen this truth in my ministry. However, because I have an appointment to keep this morning, I’ll have to finish my thoughts tomorrow. So as they say…stay tuned! And in the meantime, trust God today. Let Him carry the thing you’ve been carrying. His shoulders are much stronger and able than yours and mine. Go ahead. Hand it off. You’ll be amazed at how light and carefree your steps can be.

For The Love of Chocolate

Fall is my favorite time of the year! In Nashville, the trees are beginning to turn as the temperatures outside become cooler. In the North however, the trees are already a glow with brilliant colors. This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking in Hershey, PA. The trees were beautiful, but the chocolate was awesome!! Here’s a picture of me and some of my new friends standing in front of the Hersey Chocolate factory after our tour during free-time on Saturday.

The wonderful thing about Hershey, PA is…you guessed it…the chocolate. The minute you enter town, you can smell chocolate in the air! The street lights are made in the shape of Hershey kisses, and they have a great Hershey Amusement Park! My family and I love amusement parks. We like the old fashion wooden roller-coasters and they have two! To top it off, if you’re directionally challenged like me, you can never get lost because the town is built in a circle! I’m definitely coming back and bringing my family!

The retreat was held at the beautiful Hershey Lodge. Again, the aroma of chocolate filled the air inside of the Lodge. Throughout the day, it would smell of chocolate-mint and other mouth watering mixtures that the nose recognized and the appetite desired.

To get you started, each guest received a chocolate bar as they checked into the Lodge. That’s not all! The nicely decorated rooms came with complementary hot chocolate and Hersey kisses on the pillow.

Yep, if there were ever a town built for me, where you can drive round and round and never get lost—where chocolate can be found on every corner—Hershey, PA is it!

The women of Mid-Atlantic church were a treat, too! This is my second time to be with them. It was nice to see old friends and make new ones, too. Even though I came down with Laryngitis, the Lord spoke in a powerful way. His spirit moved mightily on Saturday night as the women nailed their fears to the cross. It was a time of release and liberty like only the Lord can do. Praise His Name—for whom the Lord sets free is free indeed!

Now, lets go drink some hot chocolate and stay warm!