Never Alone

Lay it down. 

Release it all to me. 

Step away and step into my presence.

A time of separation and a time of connection. 

A time of tearing down and a time of building.

These were some of the things God spoke to me years ago when He asked me to walk away from a large part of what had become my identity and comfortable place.

Sometimes He asks us to do hard things. And we don't always understand the purpose in His asking or how what He's asked us to do could be for our good. It doesn't always make sense in the moment.

But trusting Him requires surrendering our will for His. Trusting Him requires believing He is working for our good. Trusting Him requires sitting on the Potter's wheel as we take take shape in the palm of His hands. It sometimes means letting our plans and dreams die. And it takes faith.

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Ex. 33:14

No matter where He asks us to go, He goes with us. 

On page 97 of our current study (Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles with MTOBS), Tracie unknowingly pens a part of my story:

"As we make our faith a priority and learn to trust in God's plans even if we do not understand them or like them, the doors will be flung wide open for God to enter our lives and begin His mighty work. During the wait we are called to fall on our knees just like Hannah and pour out our hearts to Him. We are each called to live life in a state of dependency on Him..."

In Exodus 33:14-18 Moses pleads with God for His accompanying presence and asks to be shown His glory. His dependency is on God and He knows that without Him, He might as well stay home.

At the end of His response to Moses's requests, the Lord agrees to send His presence and to show His glory. Then He says, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock."

There is a place near Him for each of us. In our surrendering to His will and in the realization that we can't do what He's called us to do without His presence and His glory we assume our proper spiritual position. It is here, in this place, that we are more near God than anywhere else.

In verse 21, the word place in Hebrew is MAQOWN, which means: standing place, post, station, city, land, region, place of human abode, etc. MAQOWN originated from the Hebrew word QUWN, which means: to arise, become powerful, to be established, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, etc.

When we are in that place near Him, His plans and purposes for our lives begin to take shape. His plans are established. His purposes are fulfilled. And His power can be displayed through our lives.

Also in verse 21 is the word stand. The Hebrew word is NATSAB, which means: to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish, be stationed, be appointed.

This word is a verb, which conveys an action or a state of being. In that place, we will stand (we must take action, DO something, and BE that which God has called us to be). It is a place of appointment with and by the King of Kings.

The Lord is calling us to Himself. As He does so, He will require things of us that are hard, scary, impossible, and beyond our human abilities. But when we wholly surrender and position ourselves in that place near Him, His presence and His glory will not only sustain us but go with us and enable us to do that which He has planned for us to do.

We are never alone in His presence. And when we don't understand why He's asking or requiring certain things of us, we can rest assured that His plans are so much greater than ours.

Today, He has called you, anointed you, equipped you, and appointed you. 

I believe that place has been created by God and is reserved for each of us. In it is found our destiny and our purpose. There, His grace is abundant to do that which He has ordained us to do. There, His goodness is undeniable. There, His glory is all consuming. It is there, in His presence, in that place that we are so near Him, that we are changed, made whole, healed, and set free! It is there, that we are able to give out what He has placed within us. 

If His presence does not go with me, I do not want to go. 

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Joining with Melissa Taylor and a community of women as we seek God and His word in our current Online Bible Study: Stressed - Less Living by Tracie Miles

(Part of this post is taken from a previous post of mine, A Place Near Him)

There Are Days I Want To Quit

There are days I want to quit.

Days I want to turn off the computer, lay down my pen, and submit an application to a sophisticated boutique where my employee discount would get me twenty percent off of cute shoes and pretty dresses.

I have thought about it, you know.

I wonder, is this thing I'm doing making a difference?

Should I venture from this place and look for something new?

And then the thought of not writing makes my heart ache.

The thought of not sharing through words makes it hard to breathe and I know what, really, I already knew.

I know I belong here with you.

Here in this space sharing life experiences, broken places, and lessons learned.

And there in my writer's desk pounding sentences and building chapters with words that may never be read.

When I'm here I feel like we could sit and have a brownie or I could dip my chocolate covered old fashioned donut in my coffee and you wouldn't mind.

And when I'm there sometimes it's lonely but words heal as they spill out and faith tells me one day they will heal someone else, too.

So I keep writing.

And my heart smiles when you pull up a chair and join me.

Thank you for listening, friends.

And thank you for being a part of this journey, wherever it may lead us.

Is there something you know (but sometimes doubt) you were born to do? Is there a passion for something that drives you forward and keeps you pressing in even when your flesh flirts with discouragement and your heart tempts to fail? I would love to hear this part of your story. :)

How Your Facebook Status Can Change the World

Do you believe what you say and do affects others?

It does.

Do you want your life to make a difference?

It can.

Everything in your life (yes, down to your Facebook status) can make an impact on someone's life.

Today we have a greater opportunity to influence and reach others than ever before. Social media sites, blogs, YouTube - it's CRAZY to think about how much power is at our fingertips.

Just this morning while writing this post my blog was being viewed in three different countries. And in the last twenty-four hours - Germany, Canada, France, Israel, India, Russia, and the US.

It humbles me to think a mother in China is being encouraged by my words. Or that someone in South Africa is starting to believe God really does love them because they read it here.

Without a passport, I have traveled into homes across the world. The Philippines, Malaysia, Aruba, United Kingdom, Netherlands, China, France, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Japan, Thailand.

And my #1 referring site?

Facebook.

Even if you don't have a blog but you have a Facebook page, what you say matters. What you write has power.

Your words are affecting someone. Your family, your friends, your community, your school, your co-workers, your children, your children's friends, your parents, your teachers, etc.

When I post a scripture on my fb status, it's like opening the Bible with possibly a thousand other people or more. And if they decide to share my post on their page or copy my status to their status, the influence grows. Good news travels fast.

Unfortunately, so does bad news.

Ever notice how quickly people respond to a negative fb status?

What you say matters.

Your fb status really can change the world, or at least a part of it.

• Open the Bible with your friends
• Spread good news
• Be encouraging
• Speak the truth in love
• Refuse to criticize, judge, and condemn
• Live a life set apart - out loud
• Choose joy

People are watching, listening, and reading.

Someone is having a bad day.

Someone feels hopeless, alone, and afraid.

Someone is contemplating suicide or abortion or abandoning their family.

Someone is searching for truth.

What are your words saying?

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Linking with Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood :)

There is No One

(Flickr Creative Commons - epSos.de)

There is no one who loves me the way He loves me.

Even when I am unlovable. Even when I think I can make it without Him. Even when I am absent and far from Him. Even when I am rude and selfish and ugly and full of  pride. He loves me.

There is no one who knows me the way He knows me.

When I am lonely, He knows. When my heart is broken but my face still smiles, He knows. When I am overwhelmed or lost or afraid or discouraged. He knows every single thing about me, even when I don't say it out loud. He knows me better than I know myself.

There is no one who completes me the way He completes me.

No matter how hard I search, nothing I find will fulfill the place that was meant for Him. There is a place inside me created for His presence, His spirit. It is molded and shaped for His character and His love. Nothing else fits there the way He does. Completely. Wholly. Perfectly. When I am undone, He is my missing piece.

(Flickr Creative Commons - Nattu)

There is no one who will ever love you the way He loves you.

Jesus loves us so much that He died for us. He gave His life for us. Even in our sin, He loves and offers forgiveness. His love for us is unconditional. It is difficult to understand how someone could love us this much and never change. But He does. Even now, where you are at this very moment, near Him or far from Him...He. Loves. You.

"But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us." Romans 5:8

There is no one who will ever know you the way He knows you.

He knows every detail about your life. He knows your thoughts, your dreams, your hopes, your fears, your sins, your sadness, your loneliness. He. Knows. You. There is nothing that can be hidden from Him.

"O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me.
²You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off.
³You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
⁵You have beset me and shut me in--behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.
⁶Your [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it.
⁷Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?
⁸If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there.
⁹If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me,
¹²Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
¹³For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:1-13

There is no one or nothing who will ever fulfill you the way He fulfills you.

He is your missing piece. He is what you've been searching for all this time. It's not your spouse, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your children, your job, more finances, a better car, a newer house, another drink, another party, more friends, your local church. It. Is. Him. If you are incomplete and unfulfilled, if there is an emptiness you can't seem to fill, He is what you've been looking for.

"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:7-12 (The Message)

Dare to Be YOU

The other day I was considering my life in the moment. Isn't it funny how we go through seasons and stages and up and downs and failures and successes and sometimes never learn what God is trying to teach us?

Rarely satisfied and often discontented, we are unable to live our lives fully and take advantage of opportunities right in the palm of our hands. We compare ourselves to other people and yearn for what we don't have.

Yes, I do that sometimes.

We can get so caught up in who we are NOT that we forget who we ARE.

We can spend so much time thinking about what we DON'T have that we forget what we DO have..

I read this quote this morning:

"Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand." ~Bruce Barton

What opportunities has God laid before you?

What are you holding in your hand, refusing to release?

Honor God today by using the gifts and talents you already have.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us..." Romans 12:6a

Don't long to be like someone else, dare to be who God created YOU to be!

I'm rootin' for ya, sisters (and brothers)! But more than that, God is cheering you on!

And remember, God is always speaking. But if we are not listening, we won't hear Him. Position yourselves to hear from the King of Kings today! He longs to tell you great things!

Really, He does. :)

"Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
- Jeremiah 33:3

Photo credit: Ian Burt - Flickr Creative Commons

Won't You Join Me on the Swing?

Sixty whole minutes before time to pick Taylor up from the high school. I didn't want to drive home and have to come right back, so we headed to the city park. It would provide a much better waiting area than the school parking lot.

Logan bounced from the Tahoe and went straight for the playground and I, gifted with an hour of leisure (or so I thought), found the perfect spot on the grass for my blanket and books.

I tried to read a few sentences between glances at my wandering seven year old, but my mind had shifted into mama mode making it difficult to concentrate or retain any information other than what pertained to my little man. From the jungle gym to the monkey bars to the merry-go-round and finally to the swings.

Faster and higher and higher and higher.

As a kid, I remember swinging as high as the swing would go, pushing and stretching it to its limits and then jumping off. I remember the excitement and exhilaration I felt as I climbed as high as possible and then contemplated the exact time I should jump. I don't remember being afraid or even getting hurt.

But as I watched Logan do the same thing I did so many years ago, all I could think was, "Oh no, be careful! Not so high! Watch out!"

Where had my excitement gone? Where was the risk taker and girl who wanted to test limits and boundaries and gravitational force?

It seems part of growing up and "maturing" is learning to be afraid, learning to be safe, and learning to accept mediocrity. Now, I know there is an argument on the flip side about how all this is good, because certainly it is wise to be safe. But today, I am exploring the possibilities and opportunities often missed because we are too scared to move out of our comfort zone - our "norm" - and take a chance at greatness. We refuse to take risks because...what if...?

For me, attending my first writer's conference last summer was scary. Getting on a plane and traveling from Texas to North Carolina (without my hubby by my side), sharing meals and attending classes with six hundred women I had never met before, going face to face with two publishing houses for a fifteen minute pitch, sharing space with Lysa Terkeurst, Renee Swope, Ann Voskamp and countless others who are national and international speakers and published authors, having breakfast on the last day with two new friends and finding out one was working on her thirtieth book (yes, 3-0)...all this is a little intimidating.  Hang on I'm hyperventilating....be right back....

Ok.

Deep breath.

Sorry, I just remembered I'm signed up to attend again this summer and got a little anxious.

I also remembered I'm taking the speaker's track this year (plus writing classes and meetings) and will have to prepare two short speeches to be critiqued.

Have mercy.

When we refuse to break away from the norm (if God is asking us to do so) and live a dream, write a book, produce a CD, enter a contest, accept a speaking engagement, lead the local PTA or PIE at our child's school, facilitate a Bible study, start a business, coach a team, use our gifts as more than hobbies, change careers or accept another job, we could be missing out on God's plans and purposes.

God often asks us to do things outside of our own ability so His glory and strength and power can be known and displayed through our lives.

Don't listen to the voice that says you can't do it.

We may not all slay lions and fight giants and conquer cities or publish books, but He desires to use each of us to bring His glory to the earth and build His Kingdom (not our own) in one way or another. For some that may mean praying bold prayers and interceding for people you don't know, for others it may mean:

• raising Godly leaders for the next generation 
• being a voice in your community
• teaching children's church
• encouraging those who are hurting
• praying for someone in the grocery store
• going on a mission trip
• trying out for American Idol or The Voice - vote for Raelynn! :)

I haven't jumped off the swing yet, but I'm swinging. My stomach is queasy and I feel excitement building. I'm a little nervous, but I think that's ok. As long as I don't plant my feet in the ground and refuse to swing (I've been known to leave skidmarks).

Is God asking you to do something out of your comfort zone?

Is He asking you to move forward with something, to take action?

Let me take some pressure off and put your mind at ease. You can't do it. Nope. But He can do it through you. And that's exactly what He wants to do.

Won't you join me on the swings? I'll let you jump first. ;)

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Linking with Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood

From This Place

I sit, pretending to be be far removed from distractions and responsibilities. Really, I have just placed my old plastic outdoor chair near a neglected back corner of my home. A place I have not lingered before so its seems new. From here my eyes scan acres of property, noticing and listening.

Three horses to my right stand grazing while their donkey companion plays and rolls creating a cloud of dust on the parched Texas ground.

In another pasture, my daughter's horse stands tall resting under a shade tree.

I notice the ease and grace with which these creatures move. Confident and strong they rest in who they are.

My ears tune to the birds singing a melody of praises as they celebrate.

The wind blows giving rhythm to the leaves around me.

I marvel at the variety of activity witnessed from this place.

All of creation purposefully existing at once.

Living, thriving, resting.

Knowing, accepting, being.

And I, another small part of His great design, sit writing.

I have found my place.

Give me strength, Oh my God, to live and thrive and rest...in You.

To know, accept and be who You created me to be in this place prepared for me.

Sisters and friends, I pray that you stand confident and strong, resting in the place created for you. There is a place for you. And you are not here by chance.

"My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret and intricately and curiously wrought (as if embroidered with various colors) in the depths of the earth (a region of darkness and mystery). Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days (of my life) were written before they ever took shape, when as yet there was none of them." ~Psalm 139:15-16

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Linking today with Jen at Finding Heaven.

Don't Forfeit Your Destiny

Don't you love it when God is dealing with you in a specific area?  Or several at a time?  Feels good, doesn't it?

Not really.

But how will we ever become the person we were created to be without correction, rebuke and repentance?  The truth is....We won't.

With that being said, one of the areas God is dealing with me about at this very moment is self-discipline, or more specifically, the lack of.

I read a passage from Destiny Thieves by Sandie Freed and thought I would share (just in case someone else needs to hear it to):

Esau's lack of self-discipline canceled his spiritual destiny in God.

• If our flesh is in an exalted place of authority, then we become heavily tempted with worldly desires, and we easily sell out to the world.
• We forfeit our leadership calling and spiritual passion, we forfeit our marriages, we forfeit the benefits of our inheritance, and we forfeit destiny.

I don't want to forfeit my destiny.  And I know you don't want to forfeit yours either.  If God has revealed an area in your life that is not pleasing to Him, do what you need to do to change it.  And if there isn't an area that He's working on right now, it probably wouldn't hurt to ask Him to point out anything that might be hindering your walk or relationship with Him and minimizing the (positive) impact your life is having on those around you.  He loves us enough to show us.  And He loves us enough to help us through to the other side.

Not sure how to ask or where to start?  Open up your Bible.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. ~2 Timothy 3:16-17

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? ~Hebrews 12:5b-7

Time of Progression-Part 2: Arise and Go Over

Moving from one place to another always involves change.  Whether spiritually, physically, emotionally or mentally, change is imminent to get from here to there.


And since moving forward is an action, it requires that we DO. 


Do something or stay where we are.


Consider Joshua after Moses had died.

And God said..."Moses my servant is dead.  Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving them - the children of Israel." Joshua 1:2

The word ARISE in the Hebrew is QUWM which means to arise, stand, rise up, stand up, become powerful, come on the scene, to be established, be confirmed, be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to carry out.


God was calling Joshua to ARISE.  Moses was dead and it was Joshua's appointed time to stand up and be established in the place that God had planned for him.


But in order for Joshua to ARISE, to be established and fulfilled, there was something else he had to do.


He had to GO OVER.


In this scripture, the word OVER in the Hebrew is ABAR which means to pass over, to pass beyond, to emigrate, leave (one's territory), cease to exist, to become invalid, become obsolete, to be alienated.


Are you getting the picture?


Joshua had to leave his territory, what was familiar to him.  Life as he knew it had to cease to exist.  His old methods, way of thinking and doing things were now obsolete.  He had to leave the past in the past.  God was doing a new thing.


Joshua was staring his destiny in the face, and he had to take action.


God had already commanded him in Deuteronomy 31:23 to “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”


So when God instructed Joshua to cross over, it should have been easy for him to say yes and answer the call, right?


Let's take a look at a few verses after God told Joshua to cross over.


God says in Joshua 1:6  "Be strong and courageous..."


And again in verse 7 “Be strong and very courageous..."


And again in verse 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”


Even though Joshua had already proven to be a great leader while Moses was still alive, I can imagine that somewhere between verses 1 through 9 there was (possibly) a war going on inside of him.  "Do I go or do I stay?"...  "I can't do this!"..."Moses was a mighty man of God, how can I lead these people as he led them?"..."There must be some mistake."  "Oh, God!  Are you sure?"

But in verse 10 Joshua took courage as the Lord commanded and began giving instructions and preparing for his time of progression, his time to Arise and Go Over.


And when the time came, you can almost hear the excitement and level of faith in his voice as he told the people...."Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you!”  (Joshua 3:5).



He knew he was called and as he moved out in faith he was expecting God to show up!

and then...the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses." (Joshua 3:7)

God trusted and knew that Joshua was able to do what He was asking.


When Joshua made the decision to answer the call, he learned personally that God is a Keeper of  His promises.  He trusted God with his whole heart and stepped into his destiny.


God is always faithful.  If He is telling you to do something, He will not ask you to go alone.

All He asks is that you go, and when you go...


Be strong and courageous.


Be strong and very courageous.

It is time to move forward into the plans and purposes that God has for you (and me). 


It is time to ARISE and GO OVER!

God still speaks.  I know you hear Him. 

What is it that He is asking you to do? 

FEARLESS - My Word For 2011

Fear can be crippling.


And, if you let it, it can steal your destiny.


This plundering thief, if given the power, has the potential to disable your spiritual authority,  take your vision, prevent you from speaking/writing/singing or whatever it is that you are supposed to be doing, and bind your feet together, prohibiting any progression toward fulfilling your purpose.


Scripture assures us that fear does not come from God.

For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ~2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

and the same scripture in the Amplified Bible:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

So if not from God, then from the enemy of our soul.  From the one who hates every fiber of our being and wants nothing more than to prevent us from doing our part to further or increase the Kingdom of Heaven.

It's the voice that says you can't do it.  The voice lurking in your thoughts trying to convince you that you aren't good enough and God isn't big enough.  The voice that says if you try, you will fail.  The voice that laughs and says you'll never make it, they won't accept you, you're not smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, rich enough, you will only get hurt ...


Truth is, some of those things may be true, but they do not matter.


Ever heard the phrase "Do it afraid"?


All throughout scripture we find many examples of ordinary people, like ourselves, who were called to do extraordinary things.  Just like us, they had a destiny, a little (or sometimes a lot of) fear, and a choice.


Open the pages of your bible and listen as God encourages Abram over and over to be not afraid.  Walk with Joshua and hear the Lord say "Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid..."  "Do not fear them..." "Do not be afraid"  over and over and over....

These mighty men needed to be encouraged and reassured that they needed not be afraid because the Lord their God would be with them.  This tells me that they were afraid.  And more than once they pushed through the wall of fear and stepped into the freedom of trust and fearlessness to obtain the victory that was already theirs.

They didn't wait until they were not afraid.  They stepped out with knees knocking and trusted that God would do what He said He would do.  And He did.

We are not offered the luxury of unending days, but with each new dawn we are are drawn closer to the end of our seasons on this earth.  Life as we know it, is short.  There is not enough time to wait until we are not afraid to do that thing which God has been telling us to do.

"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom."  Psalm 90:12 NLT

 As I write this, I gain strength and can feel courage rising from inside.  By faith, I declare that I will FEAR NOT.  For my God is with me.  I have a destiny and I choose to move forward, not waiting but pushing through whatever fear may try to hold me back.  I am behind because I have allowed fear of man, fear of failure, fear that all my messy places will show - because they will -  to keep me stationary and render me immobile.  But man's opinion is of no value to me.  Without the risk of failure, there can be no success.  And God can and wants to work even in my messy places. 

So for the New Year, 2011, my word is FEARLESS.  God has given me a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. And I chose to walk in it.

And even when fear is present, I will do it afraid and trust and watch God do what He said He would do.

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9 ESV

I pray that you will find the courage to step out and answer the call that you have heard, probably more than once.   And hear God whisper to your soul, "Do not be afraid.   For I am with you."

FEARLESS.  That's my word.  And that is how I will take one step at a time closer to my destiny this year, hand in hand with my Father.

What is your word for 2011?

A Place Near Him (reposted)

(Reposted from earlier this year...)


One of my favorite passages of scripture in the bible is found in Exodus 33. Moses tells God that if His presence does not go with him, then he does not want to go. He then asks the Lord to show him His glory.

v. 18 And he (Moses) said, "Please, show me Your glory."

v. 19a ....Then He (God) said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you....."

v. 21 And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock."

God said there is a place near Him....

In verse 21, the word place in Hebrew is MAQOWN, which means: standing place, post, station, city, land, region, place of human abode, etc. MAQOWN originated from the Hebrew word QUWN, which means: to arise, become powerful, to be established, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, etc.
I believe there is a place for each of us where we are more near God than anywhere else. A specific place. And when we are in that place, He will establish us there, causing His plans and purposes to persist in and through us.

Also in verse 21, is the word stand. The Hebrew word is NATSAB, which means: to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish, be stationed, be appointed.

This word is a verb, which conveys an action or a state of being. In that place, we will stand (we must take action, DO something, and BE that which God has called us to be).

v. 22 "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by."

In that place, the glory of the Lord is so great that we, in our current state, cannot handle it. So much so, that God will have to protect us, lest we be destroyed. He told Moses He would make all His goodness to pass before Him and that He would proclaim the name of the Lord before Him. In that place, God's goodness is revealed! And His name is proclaimed so that all who see it will know that it is Him!

I believe that place has been created by God and is reserved for each of us. In it, is our destiny, our purpose. There, His grace is abundant to do that which He has ordained us to do. There, His goodness is undeniable. There, His glory is all consuming. It is there, in His presence, in that place that we are so near Him, that we are changed, made whole, healed, and set free! It is there, that we are able to give out what He has placed within us.

If His presence does not go with me, I do not want to go.

I pray that the glory of the Lord will be revealed in my life, that I might be near Him and know that which I was created for, that He might establish me in His plans and purposes (not my own) and so that others can see His grace and His goodness through me. That I might find that place....

I pray, today, that you might find that place and that His glory is revealed through you!

A Place Near Him

One of my favorite passages of scripture in the bible is found in Exodus 33. Moses tells God that if His presence does not go with him, then he does not want to go. He then asks the Lord to show him His glory.

v. 18 And he (Moses) said, "Please, show me Your glory."

v. 19a ....Then He (God) said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you....."

v. 21 And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock."

God said there is a place near Him....

In verse 21, the word place in Hebrew is MAQOWN, which means: standing place, post, station, city, land, region, place of human abode, etc. MAQOWN originated from the Hebrew word QUWN, which means: to arise, become powerful, to be established, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, etc.

I believe there is a place for each of us where we are more near God than anywhere else. A specific place. And when we are in that place, He will establish us there, causing His plans and purposes to persist in and through us.

Also in verse 21, is the word stand. The Hebrew word is NATSAB, which means: to stand, take one's stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish, be stationed, be appointed.

This word is a verb, which conveys an action or a state of being. In that place, we will stand (we must take action, DO something, and BE that which God has called us to be).

v. 22 "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by."

In that place, the glory of the Lord is so great that we, in our current state, cannot handle it. So much so, that God will have to protect us, lest we be destroyed. He told Moses He would make all His goodness to pass before Him and that He would proclaim the name of the Lord before Him. In that place, God's goodness is revealed! And His name is proclaimed so that all who see it will know that it is Him!

I believe that place has been created by God and is reserved for each of us. In it, is our destiny, our purpose. There, His grace is abundant to do that which He has ordained us to do. There, His goodness is undeniable. There, His glory is all consuming. It is there, in His presence, in that place that we are so near Him, that we are changed, made whole, healed, and set free! It is there, that we are able to give out what He has placed within us.

If His presence does not go with me, I do not want to go.

I pray that the glory of the Lord will be revealed in my life, that I might be near Him and know that which I was created for, that He might establish me in His plans and purposes (not my own) and so that others can see His grace and His goodness through me. That I might find that place....

I pray, today, that you might find that place and that His glory is revealed through you!