Jesus, The Author of Truth

This world is full of counterfeits. Things that appear to satisfy the soul. Things that appear acceptable and right in man's eyes. The only way to know truth is to know the author of truth. Jesus Christ. 

There's so much I feel that the holy spirit has been highlighting to me lately about life and how we choose to live it while we are here on earth. Mostly, I feel him telling me to have an eternal perspective. To allow my eyes and heart to filter all that I see and do through the eternal filter of Jesus. It's now, more than ever, so apparent to me the weight of our decisions here in this life. I talk a lot about God's grace and mercy covering our mistakes and wiping our sin away. I talk about it, because it's so important to me. I believe it is the fountain of life to our souls. It is the living water that refreshes and renews our minds. Without God's grace, we can so easily step back into acting and living like the dead people that we crucified with Christ the day that we accepted Christ as our Lord. The power of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb is how we overcome, friends. Jesus has overcome this world. He's overcome any addiction, disease, bondage, and shame. He overcame the world so that we might rest in his finished work. 

The power of the devil is the law and condemnation. Jesus fulfilled the law, that we might walk in this life with his Spirit- guiding us into all truth. Yet, we still have choices here on this earth. We choose to step into things that we know aren't good for us. Or we choose to step out of them with His help. Proverbs is full of God's loving appeal to his children to choose life. Choose His way. Not because you are proud or perfect- but because He is your father, he knows the things that are good for you and what's not good for you. And He empowers you to do so. It doesn't mean that it will always feel comfortable, but it will produce a harvest of peace. 

I often tell my children, that Mommy and Daddy have boundaries and discipline them because we love them. I love them too much to not instruct and guide them. My precious, wild haired beauty pulled a sharp knife from the dishwasher when my back was turned. Because she's small and I am her protector- I stopped her and removed it from her hand as quickly as possible. She doesn't understand that it can hurt her. To her, it's shiny and pointy and might fit really great inside that slot in the wall over there. However, we are not 2 years old and our Father knows that.But He loves us enough to tell us what's life to our soul, and what's dangerous. Jesus chose death, so that we can have life- and have it more abundantly! He tells us clearly in his word, the things that are good for us and the things that will lead to harm or utter destruction. Listen. Open your ears, open your hearts. Seek his wisdom, hear his instruction. And then act upon it. He promises that if you seek and ask for wisdom, he will give it to you. Be bold in the asking and quick to receive.

^{Deuteronomy 30:19} I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.

John 10:10
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Proverbs 3:5-8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁵ Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

⁶ In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.

⁸ It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.

James 1:5

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Grace For the Mommies

I held all three of my children in my lap this weekend. My soul was flooded with the goodness of my God. I could feel the weight of them sitting on my lap and my arms felt their little hands as they reached out and touched me. I love being a Mama. I've had a baby on my hip or in my tummy or both for the past 31/2 years of my life. I wouldn't change one SECOND of it, friends. 

There's a lot of things I'm reading on the internet lately that talk about 'mom guilt'. Not doing enough, working too much, working too little, organic or generic, spending too much time on the phone, not getting anytime for yourself, being too strict with discipline or being too lax with consequences, being too harsh on our husbands or not serving our families enough. Goodness, it's very hard being a mom and wife, or being a woman for that matter. But the Holy Spirit is so sweet to remind me of something. I'm in Christ and washed in his blood. His grace abounds towards me. He knows the areas that I fall short and when I screw up before the words even leave my mouth. He loves me anyway. Not like a 'Oh, I guess I'll love you but I'm not happy about it...' No it's an 'I created you and wove you together in your mothers womb, I put together a beautiful plan for your life, all of heaven stops to take notice when you are received into my family by the blood of my Son, the great I AM goes before you and comes behind you, pillar of fire by night and cloud by day, your feet won't swell, your sandals won't wear out and goodness and mercy will literally HUNT you down all the days of your life' kind of love.

Spend time with Jesus. Allow his Holy Spirit to speak love, identity, and vision into your heart and your life. Relax a little. Be kind to yourself. And follow His leading. He won't steer you wrong. I think it's time we all started to be a little more Jesus conscious and a little less sin conscious. I'm not saying that if you have a sin issue (congratulations, you're human) or something you're struggling with that you shouldn't take it to Jesus and allow him to work in your life. I'm saying be aware that you are now proclaimed the righteousness of God in Christ. The prophets of the new testament convicted those they were around of their new standing, their new righteousness that they received by being Christ followers. The Father sees you spotless, white as snow and the Father sees the price His son paid as completely satisfying. He sees it as good, and therefore He sees you as good. You are his favorite.  When you are in the King's presence, remember your sins have been put away as far as the east is from the west when you are in Christ. He literally remembers them no more. Rest, friends and mommies. Enjoy your blessings and enjoy your time with the Lord. And enjoy your kiddos if you have them. Have a wonderful day. 


Romans 8 Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

^{Isaiah 54:10} For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.

^{2 Corinthians 5:17} Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Setting Up House

 My home is very important to me. I believe it is part of what God has charged me with in this life. As keeper of the home for the majority of the days, it affects me very deeply when I feel as though it's being threatened. If  I'm on the phone too much, or the TV is on for too long, I notice changes in my kids. And in myself. It's  yucky. It feels yucky. It feels like chaos, disorder, constant input. For me, it makes it hard to hear God. How can you when it's never quiet? 

I was talking with my sister today about my grandfather, honoring his memory. It became very clear to me, the importance of the legacy that we leave our children and grandchildren. Money, possessions, titles- those things we cannot take with us when we die. Our legacy is about what we leave behind us when we go. Our behavior and choices today become our legacy that they will remember tomorrow. Be purposeful in loving and living.

I want my children to remember their mommy as one that loved Jesus and loved them enough to discipline and limit the things that threaten the peace or focus of our home. This weekend, I will unplug yet again. The phone, computer, and TV will be turned off. I will spend time with my husband, serving him and laughing with him. He makes me happy. And I will hug my children, smell their hair, hug their necks, and definitely rock them a little longer.Before you know it, they won't be able to fit in my lap anymore. But for now, they are little and I will let them be that way. All of these things not by my own strength but by God's good grace. Have a fantastic weekend!

Proverbs 14:1

Amplified Bible (AMP)

14 Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Battle in Identity

These are some of the things I've been learning recently. I pray that they encourage you. 

The areas of your identity in which God speaks strength and creativity over, are often the areas that are most vulnerable. Think about it, He creates us with a plan and a purpose. And when we are willing, he speaks his innermost heart to ours- calling us up to be as Heaven sees us. Gideon was in hiding, the least of his tribe when God called him up and out as he saw him, Mighty Man of Valor. What an awesome encouragement. Often times, when God reveals our true identity, who He's created us to be, and His purpose for us, it is met with some serious opposition. 

The devil is already defeated because we have the name of Jesus. We are in Christ, Covered with his Blood and filled with his Holy Spirit. Firmly equipped to fight from His Victory. Only when we begin to step into our identity- our battle field of success and harvest has been pointed out from the Lord above. If the devil can muddy our battle field with discouragement, illusions of defeat, temptations of passivity, and lies that God has or will give up on us then he wins a battle. All he can do is attempt to pull you down in the mire, bog you down with negativity. Because in the end, he has no true weapons of his own, only those we abdicate to him. 

I remember hearing a preacher one time talk about how our sins and mistakes can cause the anointing that God has placed on our lives to lift. If our mistakes cause his anointing to lift, then it would never come in the first place. Before Christ gave himself up as our savior, people were subject to the law. You broke one, you broke all of them and you were completely separated from a Holy and Just God. But then Jesus came, lived, died and was raised again. We are forever in God's grace and mercy because of Christ. Regardless of our mistakes on our battle field of our true identity, The God of Mercy is there. Cheering you on, comforting you, and further revealing his mysteriously wonderful plans for you. God has promised to NEVER leave us or forsake us. I think He means it. 

Let your heart seek God's love for you in all situations and circumstances. 

Isaiah 54:17
But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 6:11

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹¹ And such some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God.