Breathe into Me...

I know it has been a long time since I have last written. The plans are still to finish up "Loaves and Fishes" and then move on to our list. :) I am here. I have not forgotten. Thank you for your patience.

The past two weeks have been crazy. Many changes in my life. I find myself struggling to make time for God. My perspective on life changes when I am not with Him. This song spoke to me as I battle to keep Him first amidst all the hustle and bustle. I know it's a little hard hitting, but it fits.

He is so worthy.

I love you God. Your son surrenders himself to you.

Please keep me in your prayers. Be back real soon.

What should our next post be?, results....

Here are the results of our poll...

There were four that stood out.

1) A series on love.

2) Is the grace of God enough?

3) Does pain mean that we are unhealthy?

4) How do you know if you are hearing God's voice?

Thank you to everyone who participated! I think I will start with "Is the grace of God enough?" Then I will move on to "Does pain mean that we are unhealthy?". After that I will move on to "How do you know you are hearing God's voice?" and wrap up with "A series on love".  As I look at these they may all turn into mini series. My goal is to finish "Loaves and Fishes" and then start right in on them. :)

Please permit the occasionally leniency if I post some things that are on my heart in between all of them.  :)

Lets talk loaves and fishes (Part 2)...

OK Beloveds. Now that you have had a chance to read the verse let’s see if we can dig a little deeper. The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is not only a story of miraculous provision but a lesson on sowing and reaping. I would even go so far as to say it is a detailed step by step plan. Lets start at the beginning...

John 6:1-2 (King James Version)1After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

One of the first things we notice here is the need for expectation. The reason the multitudes were following Jesus was because they were expecting to see a miracle. They knew from past experience that Jesus was capable of raising the dead and wanted to see what He would do next. If they were not fully convinced He was capable, the multitudes would have never wasted their time.

This is the same way a farmer planting seed in a field is expecting that seed to grow into a crop he will someday harvest. Even though he will not see results for some time he tends to the crop (fertilizes, waters, etc.). This farmer is not only believing if he does these things he will see a crop, he believes his actions are helping that unseen crop grow, become stronger and more plentiful. He is putting action to his faith, right! (see James 2:17) We as believers must expect when we sow spiritual seed we will reap the spiritual harvest God promises us in His word.

John 6:3-6 (King James Version)
3And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

Here we see Jesus in a teaching moment with His disciples. I believe He was trying to get Philip to look past the natural and into the spiritual. The verse clearly states that Jesus knew what He was going to do. Jesus was asking Philip, where would the provision come from. Let’s see how he answers.

John 6:7 (King James Version)
7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

The first thing Philip does is look at the bank account. He looks at the natural. Jesus knew there was not enough money to buy bread for the 5,000. Jesus also knew even if they had the money there were no where near enough vendors in the area that would have that much bread to sell them on such short notice.

He already knew what He would have to do. The truth is our provision comes from the Lord and not what we see here in the world. Though it is not part of our theme verse, here is another place in scripture to illustrate this point.

Matthew 6:25-27 (King James Version)
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

So when we sow seed we must understand that ultimately, when the harvest does come, all good things are from God. He is a loving father who will always provide for us no matter what it looks like in the natural. We must constantly keep our focus on Him if our sowing and reaping is to be successful.

I think, speaking for personal experience, we as Christians get caught up in the trap of thinking we must do the providing. This is especially difficult for men who are hardwired with the instinct to provide for a family. We think results are based off of our actions in the natural rather than our obedience to God. The result is our seed ends up dormant. The Word says if we seek out God’s will and are obedient to His voice, if we seek first His kingdom and to glorify His name, the provision and harvest will follow (see Matthew 6:33).

Now, getting back to our verse, let’s see if Andrew can help Philip out a little here...

Lets talk loaves and fishes...

In my post "Be Living Water (Part 2)" I mentioned that God had shown me some cool things about “seed, time, harvest” principals and faith. It all started a few Sundays ago when my Pastor did a sermon concerning miracles and John 6:1-13. This is the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with fives loaves and two fish.

As my pastor was preaching a light came on. This is not just the story of a miracle. This is not just a story of Gods supernatural provision. This is not just a story about faith. This is a story of seed and harvest!

I know that typically when we talk about sowing and reaping the first place we turn is Matthew 13:1-8. That’s a great place to start, but I believe there is more. In His explanation of the parable of the sower Jesus describes sowing and reaping as one of the “mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 13:11). He, essentially, then goes on to say that He teaches these mysteries in parables so those who believe will see and hear them but those who are not yet believers remain unable to “perceive”. As we dive deeper into our faith and grow we are able to see more. God will not give us meat if we can only handle milk (1 Corinthians 3:2). He is a loving God and father who takes tender care of us.

This may take a few posts to get through, but I believe there is more meat here in John 6 than first meets the eye. It’s some very exciting stuff and can change the way we look at sowing and reaping. Lets start by just reading the passage so we have a baseline to work from. I cant wait to share the rest with you. Be blessed beloveds!

John 6:1-13 (King James Version)

1After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

He is always with you...

Beloved, Do you know that He is always with you? Even when the night is at its darkest He is still right by your side!

Deuteronomy 31:6 (King James Version)
6Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (King James Version)
5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

In John, Jesus Himself tells us that we WILL face difficult times. In the same breath He tells us that He has already overcome them.

John 16:33 (King James Version)
33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

He will NEVER leave you or forsake you!

satan, the enemy of our souls, has been given temporary reign over this world and DOES wish us harm.

1 Peter 5:8 (King James Version)
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The good news is that he is only allowed to have as much authority and control over our lives as we permit him have. There is no temptation or trial that our loving God has not equipped us to handle.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (King James Version)
13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God takes joy in bringing life out of death, joy out of suffering and pain, light out of the darkness, etc.

1 Peter 5:10 (King James Version)
10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

James 1:2-3 (King James Version)
2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

When the time comes, like a loving father or husband, He will rebuke our devourer.

Malachi 3:11 (King James Version)
11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

It is deeper than all that, but here is the gist: God has a plan for us. He stands right by our side as He allows us to act out our free will. He loves us on a deeper level than I believe we are able to comprehend while on this planet. That does not bother me though. The love that we are able to comprehend if we open our hearts to Him is MORE than enough. As a matter of fact it can be down right overwhelming. He knows what we can handle. He tempers Himself out of His love for us. He gives us what we can handle of Him at the time knowing that with His love everyday day we grow stronger and able to handle more. It makes me shiver just thinking about it, His all consuming love and how gentle He is with us. Always patiently by our side. Loving us. Waiting for us to choose Him. Waiting for intimacy with us. Waiting to GIVE More of Himself!

Beloved He is always with you. Turn to Him. Let Him in. He is MORE than enough.

Be Living Water (Part 2)...

OK Beloveds, I'm just getting back from work and am going to try and dig a little more into this putting action to faith thing...

Let's start by taking a look at Scripture. (Always solid ground to start on. :) ) I think it is important to start by acknowledging the true weight of "faith". The bible clearly states we are saved by grace through our faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (King James Version)
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

So what does that mean?

God is a true gentleman. Though He desires to be intimate with us so deeply, to the point of what I could only imagine we would best describe as excruciating pain, He will never force Himself on us. He has given His creation free will and allows them to choose. (I have many thoughts behind why this is the case. Really good and exciting stuff! But, we will save that for another post.)

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (King James Version)
19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

God is the same today as He was then. Like the Israelites we must choose salvation. His loving grace (undeserved favor) is what does the saving but faith is the vehicle by which that grace is able to activate. Faith is the way God has chosen to give us free will and choice. How cool is that, right!?! His grace and love is always there, we just need to reach out and grab it.

So now, knowing it is the vehicle to grace and (along with Christ) to our salvation, I think it is safe to say faith is extremely important. Next we need to learn how to care for and activate that faith.
James 2:19-20 (King James Version)
19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Vs 19 clearly states that even devils know God is real! Knowing that God is real, even acknowledging (I would say the devils trembling would qualify as them acknowledging) that He is real, is not enough. There must be action or works in concert with that knowledge and faith. This action is us making the choice that enables His grace. If not, that faith or belief is rendered infective and considered dead. As shown before in Ephesians 2:8-9 without faith there is NO salvation.

Faith is capable of living and dieing. We must keep action to it. We must keep it vibrant and alive. It is the key to salvation. Faith in Christ and what He did on the cross. Faith that His broken body hanging there enabled us once again to commune with our Heavenly Father who loves us. We must put action to this faith by loving our neighbors as ourselves and, when called on to, even prefer them above ourselves.

So once again I say be bold beloved. Don't stand stagnant. Don't be a dead sea. Be living water. Give life to that which is around you. Give of everything He has given you. Time. Talent. Finance. Pray and He will tell you where you are needed and what is needed.  Know that He will never require an "action" of you that you are not capable of. What a great and loving God we have.

There is another piece of this that I would like to get into. It has to do with faith and the seed time harvest principles. Very, Very, Cool Stuff! That might have to be my next post. I feel like it would be a great compliment.

I hope you were able to receive of Him through this. We love you Father God! Thank you Jesus!

Be Living Water...

I am in a Men's CBS (Community Bible Study) group.  This was part of a lesson that really struck me today and I wanted to share...

"Water is scarce in the land of Jessus' birth.  Rainfall is negligible for many months of the year; irrigation is essential to the rich and varied agriculture of the country.  The Dead Sea is the largest body of water in the country, but it cannot be used to water the thirsty land because it is just that- a dead sea.  Water flows into it, but there is no outlet.  Evaporation and stagnation make it polluted and useless.  This is an excellent illustration of what our faith is like if we allow it to stagnate.  We are called to express our faith in Jesus Christ by our works (James 2:17,26).  As we drink from His fountain, His life-giving water must flow through us to touch others (John 7:37-38).  We can know all the right things and even say all the right things, but if our faith finds no expression- not outlet- it is dead.  One of the ways true faith will manifest itself is in our attitude and actions toward others."

I sometimes question if we as a church are that stagnant water.  In difficult times do we still praise Him by reaching out to others, or do we get tied down by our perceived needs.  Be bold beloved.  Put action to your faith.  Let His love and kindness flow through you.  I am a little crunched for time this morning so this is much shorter than I would like.  I may try and expand later.  I feel like there is much more to say.

Letters to Lynn - I won... now what?

I have been trying for a long time to sit down and write this. I don't know why it has been so hard. Finally I have just decided to sit down and write.

Baby, I won. There are so many things I wish I could tell you. There are so many things that I wish I could have shared with you. It’s surreal. Baby, God is calling me out of the holding pattern He has had me in for years. I repeatedly told God that I would trade it all in to have you healed and to have our marriage healed. Through the entire process I was thinking to myself, if I win this thing I will lay it down and go get her. That could be the whole reason behind me winning and I was more than ok with it. I was so prepared emotionally for this that the months leading up to it people would ask me if I was nervous or excited and I had to tell them no. I should have been, but I felt completely at peace. I truly didn’t know which direction God was going to take me and was, for the first time in my life, so comfortable in His hands that I did not care. I was ready to give it up after winning. I was ready to lose. I was ready to walk it out if need be.

I kept telling myself that giving up something this big would be the sacrificial action of love I had never given you before. I thought I would get on a plane, fly there and give you a call. I would say here I am to come rescue you. I would be your Mr. Darcy. Your knight in shining armor. The difficult lover that finally got it right, swooping in to sweep his beautiful and strong willed damsel off her feet into happily ever after. I was excited to have something that significant to sacrifice. There was a problem though. It was me that wanted it. It was the man in me wanting to sacrifice for his wife and heal their marriage. God spoke to me. He spoke to me not only through the Holy Spirit but also multiple witnesses. He explained that He was calling me up to lead. This was a calling for Him and His people. There are so many reasons in the natural that I should not have won. There could be no doubt He is the reason.

But God, I do not want this now. God I want my wife! .... Would I put Him first?

Baby, I give myself completely to our God, no matter what He requires of me. I trust Him with you. I trust Him with us. I will not be in fear. I will follow His voice. I do not believe it is God’s will for the death of our marriage!

I love you so much! I will not give up on you! I am with you. I will not give up on our marriage! I know that God is capable of healing and bringing life out of death. I will be strong and continue to fight with everything I have. I will continue to fight for our marriage, His way, no matter how hard it is or what it looks like. The best way for me to do this is to stay in His will.

This post didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I wanted to be sweet, loving, and emotional. I don't feel like I have accomplished much of that, or at least as much as I would like. There is so much pent up though and maybe this was just a first step in getting it out. I am thankful for that.

I LOVE YOU!

Beautiful to Me ...

This is the song of my life right now. I love you so much God! I love you so much Jesus!

I promise that I will get back to meat and potatoes soon. I have so much that I want to say! Until then, in this moment, this is all I have to offer. It is from the heart. It is of me completely.

Please enjoy the song. While you do, make sure to listen to the lyrics. (also listed below) They are soooo powerful! Be blessed by His amazing love!

It is truly beautiful....



So much I don't understand
That I'd change if I'd wrote the story
How pain could heal and death bring life
How defeat could bring such glory
You didn't hold back one breath
You even gave Your last one
So I'd live

It's beautiful to me
Your holy mystery
I'm standing here in awe
Of how you make everything
So beautiful to me
Someday I will see
How You hold this wounded heart
And make it perfect and complete
And it's beautiful to me
Beautiful

I don't deserve Your suffering
I should be the one who's bleeding
But Your broken body gives
This broken spirit what it's needing
You reach through time with Your sacrifice
Your wounded hands
Holding this fragile life

It's beautiful to me
Your holy mystery
I'm standing here in awe
Of how you make everything
So beautiful to me
Someday I will see
How You hold this wounded heart
And make it perfect and complete
And it's beautiful to me
Beautiful to me

This ache, this longing
This heart that I've been searching
This moment while I'm breaking
You're here
Your plan, Your promise
A pain that has a purpose
I let you in to use it

And just like Your hands built heaven's arms
You're making me so beautiful

It's beautiful to me
Every mystery
I'm standing here in awe
Of how You make everything
So beautiful to me
So perfect and complete
You warm this wounded heart
Someday I will see
It's beautiful to me
It's beautiful to me
Beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful to me
Beautiful to me

Keep Breathing

I Will Be Back Soon :) Please listen to this amazing song.

Beloved, Stand With Confidence

I’m feeling a little feisty this morning! God has, without any doubt, given me a warrior's spirit. It has been a huge part of who I am since birth. Though it would shine through from time to time this spirit has been, for the most part, restrained and dormant inside. I can’t yet tell you why, but I know God has His reasons and timing for everything. This all changed in July of this year. In July I entered into a 40 day fast. Someday I will share the details of this fast but for right now let me just say that it was intense. Battles were waged and chains were broken. I was freed of things that haunted me and held me back my entire life. All glory to Him. Since that time the warrior’s spirit God placed inside of me has started to manifest more and more. I am finding myself seeing more and more the works of satan around me. I have had feelings and known things of this nature in the past but have never seen them with such clarity and confidence.

1 John 4:1 (King James Version)
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
We are called to resist the devil.

James 4:7 (King James Version)
7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So I say to you now, beloved you are strong! You have the Holy Spirit, God Himself, inside of you. The story has already been told and we know how it ends. God wins! As His children we win with Him. I want to encourage you. Stand up! Take your birthright! Resist with all your might the one who would condemn and destroy you. Know that it is not your strength that you are relying on but rather the strength of Him who lives within you. When we are able to truly do this, rest in His strength rather than ours, we will NEVER grow weary. We can battle and resist infinitely. Stand strong and be encouraged in your faith. Put action to it. God will show you that it is possible to rest even in battle.

Isaiah 40:31 (King James Version)
31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

He has forgiven you… get over yourself. He Has!

Ok. Let me start off by saying that I don’t believe we should take forgiveness and the asking for forgiveness lightly. The Word commands us to forgive. Asking our Heavenly Father for forgiveness is part of the Lord’s Prayer and essential in enabling God to hear our prayers. Yes, that is right, I said enable God. God can not / chooses not to coexist with sin and death. For this reason the Word is clear that we must ask forgiveness and clear up sin before He will choose to hear us.

Isaiah 59:1-2 (King James Version)1Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Psalm 66:18 (King James Version)18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

1 Peter 3:12 (King James Version)12For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

See also for prayer not heard do to lack of forgiveness… (Prov 15:29, Prov 28:9, Isa 1:15, John 9:31 , James 4:3)

We are commanded to forgive each other…

Matthew 18:21-22 (King James Version)
21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

If we do not ask for forgiveness our gifts can be found unacceptable to God…

Matthew 5:24 (King James Version)24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

I say all of these things to let you know that I understand the true weight of forgiveness. But, with that being said I sometimes feel like we as Christians overdo it. I think we get stuck in a trap and let satan repeatedly attack us with guilt of sins that we have already been forgiven for. I know many Christians that repeatedly ask God for the forgiveness of the same sin. (I include myself in this.) I want to scream, JUST REACH OUT AND TAKE IT. I picture a child nagging a parent for something they have already given them. When this happens we are not focused on Him. We are focused on ourselves. We are thinking so much about what we want and need, ie the forgiveness, that we do not even see Him and the fact that He has already given it to us.

Psalm 103:12 (King James Version)12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

As a matter of fact, I believe that when we ask for the forgiveness of a sin more than once we create a new sin. First of all you are following the voice of satan who is telling you that you were not forgiven the first time. Second God commands us to forgive so by not forgiving ourselves we are in violation of the law. Third we are saying the work Jesus preformed on the cross was not enough to cover us. Fourth we are siting in judgment on ourselves, a job reserved solely for Christ. I don’t know about you, but I try hard not to be in the business of challenging God for His job.

God has had to work a lot on this with me personally. I have struggled a majority of my life with being hard on myself and forgiving myself. It has just been over the last year that God’s patient hand has worked me to a point where I can write this. He is so good. The release I have felt since has be amazing. If one person reads this and finds that peace I will have considered this post a success.

We should not sin. We should take sin seriously. The truth is that sin is separation from God and death. And in the Bible there are extreme consequences for sinning intentionally. Every sin added one more strip to our loving savior. But at the end of the day He did take the stripes. He hung on the cross. I think this fact needs to be taken just as seriously. He has forgiven you! Take it. Hold on to it. Rest in it. If the evil one tries to hold it against you again send him there. Send him to the cross. Tell him to talk to Jesus about it. It is no longer yours. You are white as snow and it is forgotten as far as the east is to the west.

We love you so much Jesus. Thank you

Mom, I miss you.

I hate to do two sappy posts in a row, but this is where the Spirit led me this morning so please bear with me.

When I am done with my bible study in the morning I often listen to a couple of worship songs before I get in the shower and really start my work day. Lately I have been checking out the website of the local Christian station and it’s “just played” list to get some ideas and keep things fresh. This morning one of the songs on the list reminded me of someone who I love very much. As soon as I saw it on the playlist the Holy Spirit rushed over me and I knew I had to get some things out.

Thought I only knew her for a little while she had a huge impact on my life. Though she was a fairly petite woman she was a spiritual giant. When I was around her I ALLWAYS felt loved. Not with just any love, the love of God. It radiated from her. It was a love that came with an overwhelming peace. I hope this does not hurt the feelings of anyone who reads this (family and close friends) but there is only one other I have ever felt this love from. My heavenly father. I have wish that I could love others like this. I have wish that I could have felt it from others. I have tried to work desperately on relationships where I know that it was my and the other persons goal to love each other in this way (my marriage). Though at times it has come close I don’t believe we ever arrived.

To feel loved by someone in such an unconditional fashion was indescribable. Toward the end of her life she had needs that may have clouded this a bit. This is where I entered her life thought and I can tell you FIRST HAND that even in her condition of need she STILL gave more that she took. The best way that I can describe it is that when I was around her I FELT GOD.

Mom I love you so much! Please forgive me, I know it might be selfish, but I miss you. Mom I have a hard time understanding her sometimes. I have a hard time leading her. Even though I know all answers are in Him, I wish you were here to ask questions to. She is you in so many ways. Her heart is your heart. A heart completely after God. You made me feel so loved and excepted. When I was around you I felt like everything was going to be ok. I know that you are in heaven. I know you are dancing and singing for Him. I know that you have been greatly rewarded for the amazing race you ran here on Earth and are now resting in Him. I know that you are not sick. I know that you body is not frail and holding you back. I know that you are leaping and jumping and singing.

Mom, thank you for all that you have given me. I love you and I miss you so much. I can’t wait to see you again.

Letters to Lynn - You are not alone.

My beloved you are not alone! I am with you. I am still here. I am still covering you. More than this, He is with you. Though I wish with every piece of me that I could heal the pain you feel right now, I can’t. Only He that loves you more than I is capable. Only He can heal the pain completely. Be with Him. Rest in Him. Please know that your husband loves and adores you very much. He is still fighting for you everyday with everything he has in him. He has grown. He sees and understands things that he never did before. He loves you so much that he is willing to let you go if that is what you choose. He is willing to completely release you into the hands of the heavenly Father that created you for him. There is no fear here, not even of death. I am willing to let our marriage die to save it. (Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. ~ Luke 17:33) Our God is greater than these. Our God is capable of resurrection and bringing life out of death. He is capable of this in you beloved. He can heal all the pain. He is capable of this beyond just the surface. He is capable of a deep down restoration that will heal the scars and pains of the past that you do not even know are there.

With the authority of my father in heaven who loves us, I bind the lies of satan. The love that my Heavenly Father and I feel for our bride will remain forever.

Your are beautiful my beloved. I see you white as snow. My precious bride.

I love you so much!

The Fiery Furnace / Daniel 3:15-28

This Bible story has played a huge part in my life over the past two months so I wanted to share it with everyone. It is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Through it God has taught me a couple of different things.

First he has shown me that He will not always stop me from getting thrown in the fire. He can not. He has given His creation free will. The choices that we make and the choices that others make around us have an effect on us.

He has taught me through this story that sometimes he wants me to be tossed into the fire. This confused me a little. If I pray to be saved and not tossed into the fire, would not a loving God save me? If I am doing everything right every set of the way, should He not save His child from pain? The answer is most often yes but not always. He allows us to be tossed into the fire as a means of growing our faith in Him. He allows us to be tossed into the fire to burn up the stubble in our life. He also allows us to be tossed into the fire to show us as an example and to glorify His name to others around us. The great thing is that no matter what the reason, He is allways there with us! He is right by our side! :)

Just because we get tossed into the fire does not mean that we have done anything wrong. The story has also taught me that no matter what, if I keep my faith and eyes on Him that loves me I will come out of any fire with not even a scratch.

I hope these verses touch you as much as they have touched me. I wish you without fear and brave in Him. I wish, even as the fire surrounds you, that you will be able to rest and find peace in Him. He who loves you will always get you through without a scratch or the stench of smoke. God Bless.

PS I have also included this fitting song before the verses. I hope it blesses you.



3:15-28 (King James Version)
15Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

27And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

28Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

He Reigns - The Newsboys

Acts 13:22

Acts 13:22 (King James Version)

 ²²And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.