Fruit Forthcoming

I was three years old when we moved to our little house in North Matewan. There was a young tree growing on the left side of our house that, for years, was just a trunk and branches and leaves. It was said that it was a chestnut tree; but yet, there was no fruit. When I was 10 or 11 years old, green burry-looking pods came out all over and that fall, the most beautiful, huge, sweet, crunchy chestnuts you ever saw were inside. I was thrilled and from that year forward, looked forward to picking them off the ground and taking them next door for Grandpa and me to peel and eat.

It took some time for those chestnuts to prove that the tree was indeed a chestnut tree, but you know something? It was still a chestnut tree. From the moment the first little green sprout popped through the ground up until the day my Dad cut it down. There were chestnut trees on the hillsides and in other parts of the neighborhood, but none had the quality of fruit that this lone little tree wound up bearing. Yep…the same tree whose identity seemed questionable for the greater part of my childhood.

My point? We spend way too much time analyzing one another and looking for fruit whose time has not yet come. Lighten up and love the people around you! Entrust them into God’s hands because whatever He created us to be, that potential is deep inside of all of us from conception. Pray, be patient, be a good example, and never make that person feel as if your approval is some unattainable goal; forcing it can stunt his or her growth and delay the fruit even longer!

We have the assurance in God’s Word that when we train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it. I meditated on that yesterday and thought about this: it says, “when he is old.” Give those in-between years to God and pray a hedge of protection around your children. They may have several years in their lives when they are unproductive or even producing BAD fruit…but you just keep sowing into them. Keep being that example. Keep telling them how good they are and how pleased you are with them. Keep speaking truth in love, but never speak things over your children that declare something negative: you will get exactly what you speak. Keep pleading the blood of Jesus over them. One day, the pods will open and the fruit will be exactly what it was ordained to be.

Peace, love, and light to all of you on this Monday.

Healing Confessions that Shatter the Spirit of Fear

1 Tim 1:7 You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit, but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit. FATHER, THIS PANIC ATTACK I’M FIGHTING IS STRAIGHT FROM THE DEVIL. YOU DID NOT INSTILL THIS WRETCHED FEELING IN ME. YOU HAVE INSTEAD MADE ME BRAVE, CALM, EMPOWERED, FULL OF LOVE FOR YOU AND OTHERS, AND I AM ALSO DISCIPLINED “LIKE A WEANED CHILD.” I REJECT IN JESUS’ NAME ANY TYPE OF EMOTION THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO DOUBT WHO I AM IN YOU, AND WHO YOU ARE. YOU ARE DWELLING INSIDE OF ME AND THERE’S NOT ROOM FOR BOTH YOU AND FEAR!

2 Corinthians 10:5 We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One. FATHER, IN JESUS’ NAME, WITH MY VOICE I SPEAK OUT AND REJECT THE SPIRIT OF FEAR FROM OFF MY LIFE. FEAR CHALLENGES YOUR SOVEREIGNTY, AND I WON’T HAVE THAT. I CORRAL INTO THE HOLDING CELL OF DISCIPLINE ALL THESE THOUGHTS AND WILD IMAGININGS THAT ARE LOOSE AND WREAKING HAVOC. I IMPRISON ANY SUCH NOTION THAT YOU’RE NOT LOOKING OUT FOR ME. I REST UNDER THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS NOW, AND I THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME TO SHAKE LOOSE FROM THE TEMPORARY STATE OF WORRY I FOUND MYSELF IN. YOU MADE ME AWARE THAT I NEEDED TO PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS…I’M PLEADING IT NOW OVER MY MIND, MY THOUGHTS, MY ACTIONS, AND ESPECIALLY MY WORDS. I WILL NOT CONTRADICT YOUR PROMISES WITH WORDS OF FEAR AND UNBELIEF.

1 John 4:18 Love will never invoke fear. Perfect love expels fear, particularly the fear of punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love. THANK YOU, LORD, THAT MY LOVE FOR YOU IS GROWING AND GRAVITATING TOWARD PERFECTION. IT MELTS AWAY THE FEAR THAT SAYS I CANNOT TRUST YOU TO STAY WITH ME AND NEVER LEAVE. YOU ARE WORKING ALL THINGS TO MY EVENTUAL GOOD.

Genesis 18:15 Sarah was embarrassed and tried to deny laughing. She feared these were no ordinary guests. Sarah: I wasn’t laughing. Eternal One: That is not true, Sarah. You did laugh. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR PATIENTLY ENDURING WHEN I SOMETIMES ACT AS THOUGH YOUR PROMISES ARE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I ALREADY KNOW YOU CAN DO ANYTHING; THANKS FOR TEACHING ME HOWEVER, THAT YOU LOVE ME ENOUGH TO DO THE MIRACULOUS NOT JUST FOR OTHERS, BUT ALSO FOR ME…YES, EVEN FOR ME!

Genesis 20:11 Abraham: I did it for my own protection. I did it because I thought this was not a God-fearing place, and I was afraid you would surely kill me to possess my wife. THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT I DON’T HAVE TO LET FEAR DRIVE ME TO MAKE DISHONEST OR FOOLISH CHOICES. YOU ARE ORDERING MY STEPS TOWARD A GOOD FINISH. I WILL OPERATE IN INTEGRITY AND TRUST YOU TO GUARD MY BEST INTERESTS.

Genesis 28:17 But even as he said this, a bit of fear came over him. Jacob: This place is absolutely awesome! It can be none other than the house of God and the gateway into heaven! I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU, GOD, FOR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVERENTIAL FEAR AND CARNAL FEAR. THE AWE I FEEL WHEN I CONSIDER YOUR UTTER MIGHT AND POWER IS NOT ONLY OVERWHELMING ME, BUT IT ALSO CAUSES THE OTHER, UNHEALTHY FEAR TO DISINTEGRATE IN YOUR PRESENCE. THANK YOU FOR BEING APPROACHABLE EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE!

Exodus 1:17 But the midwives respected God more than they feared Pharaoh, so they did not carry out the Egyptian king’s command. Instead, they let all the boys live. THANK YOU, LORD, THAT THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO YOU ARE OVERRIDES MY FEAR OF MAN’S JUDGMENTS. I WILL PERSEVERE TO DO THE RIGHT THING EVEN IN THE FACE OF A SINFUL WORLD THAT OFTEN DISREGARDS YOUR HOLY COMMANDMENTS.

Exodus 2:2 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that her son was healthy and beautiful, she feared for his safety; so she kept him hidden from view for three whole months. THANK YOU FATHER, THAT I DON’T HAVE TO FEAR FOR MY CHILDREN’S SAFETY. I STAND WITH ASSURANCE THAT YOU ARE WORKING OUT THEIR FUTURE AND THAT YOU’VE ORDAINED GREAT PURPOSE FOR THEIR LIVES–AND THAT YOU’LL EQUIP ME TO TEACH THEM WELL. I DRAW THE BLOODLINE AROUND MY CHILDREN AND MY HOME, AND I DECLARE YOUR DIVINE PROTECTION OVER MY FAMILY. I WILL NOT BE FEARFUL OF LOSING THEM TO THE ENEMY, BECAUSE I USE THE AUTHORITY YOU’VE GIVEN ME IN OUR HOUSEHOLD TO ESTABLISH RIGHT BOUNDARIES AND TO CLOSE ALL OPEN DOORS TO DEMONIC ATTACK.

Exodus 2:14 Offender: Who made you our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday? Fear immediately gripped Moses. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR BECAUSE YOU ARE HELPING ME, I CHOOSE TO REMAIN LED BY FAITH AND NOT BY MY FLESHLY IMPULSES. I DON’T HAVE TO COVER MY TRACKS OR FEAR MY MISTAKES WILL BE DISCOVERED AND EXPLOITED BY OTHERS. EVEN IF I DO MAKE A RIDICULOUSLY FOOLISH CHOICE, I CAN TRUST YOU TO NAVIGATE ME BACK TOWARD YOUR PLAN FOR MY LIFE…SO THEREFORE, I REJECT LIVING IN FEAR AND ALWAYS LOOKING BEHIND ME TO SEE IF MY PAST IS CATCHING UP WITH ME.

Exodus 3:12 Eternal One: Do not fear, Moses. I will be with you every step of the way, and this will be the sign to you that I am the One who has sent you: after you have led them out of Egypt, you will return to this mountain and worship God. FATHER, THANK YOU FOR NEVER PUTTING ME OUT THERE FARTHER THAN YOUR WILLINGNESS TO GUIDE ME AND PROTECT MY ACTIONS. WHEN YOU REQUIRE GREAT THINGS OF ME, YOU ALWAYS ARE THERE TO HELP ME MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS AND CARRY THEM OUT.

Exodus 4:4 Eternal One: Reach out and grab it by the tail. Despite his natural fears, Moses reached out and grabbed the snake; and as he held it, it changed back into a shepherd’s staff. THANK YOU LORD, FOR HELPING ME TO BE OBEDIENT EVEN WHEN I AM VERY AFRAID. YOU ARE GIVING ME THE POWER TO TAKE AUTHORITY OVER THE DANGEROUS SERPENTS I ENCOUNTER–BOTH THE SPIRITUAL AND THE TWO-LEGGED VARIETY! MY FAITH IN YOU IS BIGGER THAN MY FEAR OF WHATEVER I AM FACING.

Exodus 14:13-14 Moses to the people: Don’t be afraid! Stand your ground and witness how the Eternal will rescue you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians, for after today you will never see them again. The Eternal will fight on your behalf while you watch in silence. THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR EVEN WHEN IT APPEARS THAT THE ENEMY HAS ME HEMMED UP, YOU ARE PLANNING A DARING ESCAPE FOR ME. I CAN TRUST THAT YOUR TIMING IS PERFECT, EVEN WHEN IT APPEARS TO BE CUTTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE. WHEN YOU DO MAKE THAT MEANS OF ESCAPE FROM THE ENEMY, YOU ARE BRINGING DOWN A WALL OF DESTRUCTION BEHIND ME TO ASSURE THAT I AM NO LONGER IN HARM’S WAY.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and brave, and don’t tremble in fear of them, because the Eternal your God is going with you. He’ll never fail you or abandon you! THANKS, PAPA GOD, FOR NEVER ABANDONING ME! I WON’T LET THE ENEMY SEE ME COWERING IN DREAD, BECAUSE YOU’RE THERE FIGHTING ON MY BEHALF. I AM STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF YOUR MIGHT!

Ruth 3:11 You may rest easy. You have nothing to fear, my child. I will do everything you ask. Everyone in this city agrees you are a woman of virtuous character. FATHER, THANK YOU THAT I CAN REST EASY, FULLY ASSURED THAT YOUR FAVOR GOES BEFORE ME IN MATTERS WHERE I NEED AN ADVOCATE. YOU ARE PROTECTING MY BEST INTERESTS AND ALSO MY REPUTATION. EVEN IN MY SITUATION, I’M SO VERY CLOSE TO MY BREAKTHROUGH…AND UNTIL IT MANIFESTS, I’M COVERED AT YOUR FEET!

2 Kings 6:16-17 Elisha: Have no fear. We have more on our side than they do. praying O Eternal One, I ask You to allow my servant to see heavenly realities.The Eternal awakened Elisha’s servant so that he could see. This is what he saw: the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. THANK YOU, O GOD, FOR OPENING MY EYES TO SEE JUST HOW HUGE AN ANGEL ARMY YOU’VE DISPATCHED TO RESCUE ME FROM DESTRUCTION. THANK YOU THAT THE ENEMY TREMBLES AND IS SET TO UTTER CONFUSION AS THE REALITY OF SUCH PROTECTION OVER ME SINKS IN! YOU WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO BECOME AMBUSHED OR CAUGHT DEFENSELESS. THANK YOU FOR OPEN EYES TO SEE THAT YOU’RE LAUNCHING A FULL-SCALE INITIATIVE TO GET ME OUT OF THE TRAP.

1 Chronicles 28:20 to Solomon: Be strong, courageous, and effective. Do not fear or be dismayed. I know that the Eternal God, who is my God, is with you. He will not abandon you or forsake you until you have finished all the work for the temple of the Eternal. THANK YOU, LORD, THAT BECAUSE YOU’RE WITH ME AND FOR ME, I CAN BE STRONG, COURAGEOUS, AND EFFECTIVE. WHAT YOU’VE CALLED ME TO DO IN YOUR NAME, YOU ARE FULLY EQUIPPING ME TO CARRY OUT AND ACCOMPLISH. I WILL TOSS OUT MY EXCUSES AND MY SENSE OF INFERIORITY…YOU ARE FITTING ME INTO THE PICTURE AND ALSO SETTING ME UP FOR SUCCESS, EVEN IN DOING A NEW THING. THANK YOU FOR AN UNDERSTANDING HEART THAT MAKES RIGHT DECISIONS UNDER THE CANOPY OF TRUST IN YOU!

2 Chronicles 20:17 Stand and watch, but do not fight the battle. There, you will watch the Eternal save you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or worry. Tomorrow, face the army and trust that the Eternal is with you. FATHER, ALTHOUGH I AM IN A TIME OF WAR IN THE SPIRIT REALM, I DON’T HAVE TO SUMMONS COURAGE SND STRENGTH TO FIGHT. I AM HERE AS AN OBSERVER TO PRAY AND WATCH AS YOU SHOW YOURSELF MIGHTY TO SAVE. I RELEASE ALL FEAR AND WORRY, AND I SEAT MYSELF AT RINGSIDE TO WITNESS A FIGHT OF EPIC PROPORTIONS AS YOU ANNIHILATE THE ENEMY OF MY SOUL AND BODY!

Nehemiah 6:9 We knew our enemies’ intent was to intimidate us into stopping our work. They reasoned, “These Jews will stop rebuilding out of fear and discouragement. Progress will grind to a halt.” Instead I renewed my dedication, strengthened my hands. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR SQUASHING THE SPIRIT OF INTIMIDATION. I RENEW MY DEDICATION, I STRENGTHEN MY HANDS, AND I WILL NOT BE DETERRED FROM THE MISSION TO WHICH YOU’VE ASSIGNED ME! FEAR AND DISCOURAGEMENT WILL NOT, IN JESUS’ NAME, MAKE ME UNFRUITFUL; AND NEITHER CAN ACCUMULATING CIRCUMSTANCES. IF “WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS” IS THE BUSINESS OF THE DAY, YOU ARE SWAPPING MY LITTLE POCKET UMBRELLA FOR YOUR BIG STADIUM UMBRELLA AND A NEW SET OF RAIN GEAR! I WILL NOT BE SOAKED TO THE SKIN BY THE ENEMIES LIES OR HIS CLOUDBURST OF ATTACK, AND I AM FREE TO WORK THROUGH WHAT YOU HAVE ASSIGNED ME TO DO.

Job 3:25 What I feared most descends on me; my nightmare—now reality. THANK YOU FATHER, FOR DELIVERING ME FROM CRIPPLING FEARS WHICH TORMENT MY MIND AND LEAK OUT MY MOUTH. I WILL NOT OPEN MYSELF UP TO DEVIL’S SNARE BY VOCALIZING WHAT CAUSES ME TO BE AFRAID OR WORRIED. I REPENT OF IDLE, UNFRUITFUL WORDS WHICH MAY HAVE GIVEN EVIL SPIRITS A CLUE AS TO AREAS IN WHICH I’M VULNERABLE, AND I COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE TO OBTAIN HELP IN THIS MY TIME OF NEED. YOU WILL HELP ME TO SPEAK FAITH WORDS EVEN WHEN MY MIND SCREAMS, “IT’S NO USE! JUST GIVE UP BECAUSE YOU’RE WHIPPED!” IT IS NOT TOO LATE FOR ME. YOU HAVEN’T FORSAKEN ME. I CAN MAKE IT ONE MORE DAY IN JESUS’ NAME.

Psalm 3:5-6 I lie down at night and fall asleep.I awake in the morning—healthy, strong, vibrant—because the Eternal supports me. No longer will I fear my tens of thousands of enemies who have surrounded me! IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I AM GOING TO SLEEP LIKE A BABY TONIGHT AND AWAKE REFRESHED, KNOWING I’M PROTECTED BY ANGEL ARMIES. MY FATHER HAS ALREADY SET ME UP FOR A WIN OVER THE ENEMY. DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES APPEAR TO BE…GOD IS GOING TO SHOW HIMSELF MIGHTY ON MY BEHALF!

Psalm 16:8 He is ever present with me; at all times He goes before me. I will not live in fear or abandon my calling because He stands at my right hand. HOW ABOUT THAT…YEAH GOD! THE ENEMY WILL NOT SCARE ME INTO COMPROMISE OR BACK ME INTO A CORNER, BECAUSE YOU’RE ASSURING THAT I CAN DO ALL THINGS YOU’VE ORDAINED ME TO DO, THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. YOU ARE SETTING ME UP FOR A WIN.

Psalm 23:4 Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted. NOT EVEN THE FEAR OF DEATH CAN INTIMIDATE ME! LORD, THANK YOU THAT I KNOW YOU’RE HOVERING OVER ME AND SHIELDING ME FROM DESTRUCTION. DEATH HAS NO POWER OVER ME BECAUSE JESUS PULLED ITS TEETH! I REJECT THE ACCUSER’S SUGGESTIONS OF ALL THE ILLNESSES THAT ARE ATTACKING ME. WHEN SICKNESS THREATENS, I CHOOSE TO GET INTO YOUR WORD AND SHUT OFF THE INTERNET SEARCHES OF SYMPTOMS AND DISEASES. IF THE DOCTOR GIVES ME A NEGATIVE REPORT, I HAND IT TO YOU AND SAY, “I CHOOSE TO TRUST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN–JESUS!”

Psalm 46:2-3 No fear, no pacing, no biting fingernails. When the earth spins out of control, we are sure and fearless. When mountains crumble and the waters run wild, we are sure and fearless. Even in heavy winds and huge waves, or as mountains shake, we are sure and fearless. FATHER, NO WEATHER PHENOMENON AND NO WAVE OF WICKEDNESS IN THIS WORLD CAN DRIVE ME INTO THE GROUND. NO MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS, NO FINANCIAL CRISIS, AND NO FAMILY DRAMA CAN ROB ME OF YOUR PEACE. I AM SURE AND FEARLESS, I AM SURE AND FEARLESS, I AM SURE AND FEARLESS…AND I DON’T CARE ONE BIT TO KEEP REPEATING THAT TILL IT DRIVES THE ENEMY CRAZY!

Psalm 56:3 When struck by fear, I let go, depending securely upon You alone. FATHER, HOW AWESOME IT IS TO KNOW WHAT WHEN YOU’RE ALL I HAVE, I HAVE ALL I NEED! YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO ME AND BECAUSE I HAVE YOU, I DON’T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS IN THIS MOMENT. YOU KNOW THE END FROM THE BEGINNING, AND YOU ARE ORDERING MY STEPS. THAT’S ALL I NEED TO KNOW–THAT YOU LOVE ME AND THAT YOU ARE FOR ME.

Psalm 56:11 In God I have placed my trust. I shall not let fear come in,for what can measly men do to me? FATHER, IF YOU’RE FOR ME, WHO CAN BE AGAINST ME? I TRUST YOU TO HANDLE THOSE WHO OPPOSE ME. YOU WILL NOT LET THE ENEMY HAVE THE UPPER HAND! IF I’M ACCUSED FALSELY, THOSE WHO RISE UP AGAINST ME WILL BE SHOWN TO BE IN THE WRONG. YOU ARE MY DEFENDER, AND THE ONE WHO ASSERTS JUSTICE ON MY BEHALF. THANK YOU THAT I HAVE THE BEST LAWYER THAT FAITH CAN SECURE–MY ELDER BROTHER–AND THAT HE TAKES A PERSONAL INTEREST IN MY CASE!

Proverbs 3:24-26 Your mind will be clear, free from fear; when you lie down to rest, you will be refreshed by sweet sleep. Stay calm; there is no need to be afraid of a sudden disaster or to worry when calamity strikes the wicked, For the Eternal is always there to protect you. He will safeguard your each and every step. THANKS, FATHER, FOR SAFEGUARDING MY STEPS AND ORDERING THE COURSE OF MY LIFE. YOU ARE PROTECTING ME IN EVERY WAY–MY SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, FINANCIAL, RELATIONAL WELL-BEING ARE LOCKED IN THE VAULT OF YOUR WORD, WHICH YOU WATCH OVER TO PERFORM! FOR THIS REASON, I’M NOT GOING TO LIE IN BED TORMENTED IN MY THOUGHTS. IN JESUS’ NAME, I’LL JOIN HIM IN A SOUND SLEEP IN THE HOLD OF THE SHIP. OTHERS MAY BE PULLING THEIR HAIR OUT IN FEAR, BUT I WON’T BE PARTICIPATING IN THEIR DRAMA!

Proverbs 29:25 If you fear other people, you are walking into a dangerous trap; but if you trust in the Eternal, you will be safe. THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR DELIVERING ME FOREVER FROM THE FEAR AND THE ADDICTION OF APPROVAL BY MAN. I AM SET UP FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY BECAUSE I ALLOW NO ONE TO SQUEEZE ME INTO HIS MOLD. I AM TRANSFORMED EVERY DAY, ALL OVER AGAIN, BECAUSE I RENEW MY MIND TO WHAT YOUR WORD HAS SPOKEN.

Proverbs 31:25 Clothed in strength and dignity, with nothing to fear,she smiles when she thinks about the future. THANK YOU FATHER, THAT JUST LIKE THE PROVERBS 31 WOMAN, I MODEL STRENGTH AND DIGNITY AND THEY FIT ME LIKE A BEAUTIFUL, TAILORED GARMENT. IF THE DEVIL WANTS TO MAKE ME ERUPT INTO LAUGHTER, LET HIM THREATEN TO MAKE MY FUTURE DARK AND BLEAK! I’M NOT AFRAID OF GETTING OLD AND HELPLESS BECAUSE YOU’RE KEEPING ME STRONG.

Isaiah 35:4 Tell those who worry, the anxious and fearful,“Take strength; have courage! There’s nothing to fear. Look, here—your God! Right here is your God! The balance is shifting; God will right all wrongs. None other than God will give you success. He is coming to make you safe.” THANK YOU FATHER, NOT ONLY FOR REASSURING ME OF MY OWN SAFETY AND FAVOR, BUT FOR ALSO GIVING ME A BOLDNESS TO DELIVER THAT SAME MESSAGE TO OTHERS. YOU REALLY ARE RIGHTING ALL WRONGS AND TURNING AROUND SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS, AND I’M GOING TO TELL OTHERS JUST HOW POWERFULLY YOU ARE WORKING.

Isaiah 54:4-5 Don’t be afraid, for there is no one to shame you. Don’t fear humiliation, for there is no one to disgrace you. The shame of your younger years and the sorrow of your widowhood are over. You’ll forget those days as if they never happened. Because the One who made you will be your husband; the One called Commander of heavenly armies will set you right again, the Holy One of Israel. It’s not for nothing that He is called “God of all the earth.” THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR BREAKING THE CHAINS OF MY PAST FROM OFF MY LIFE ONCE AND FOR ALL. ALTHOUGH I’LL NEVER BE PROUD OF WRONG DECISIONS I MADE, NEITHER WILL I LET THEM CRIPPLE ME OR DWARF MY TESTIMONY. YOU ARE SETTING ME UP AS THE COMEBACK KID–AN ENCOURAGING, LIBERATING STORY THAT WILL HAVE OTHERS RUNNING TO YOU FOR DELIVERANCE, TOO. NO ONE CAN USE MY PAST TO HOLD ME DOWN OR LIMIT WHAT I CAN DO, BECAUSE MY FREEDOM AND STRENGTH ARE IN YOU. YOU ARE MY COVERING, YOU ARE THE ONE ENDORSING ME TO MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE–FORGIVEN, FREE, AND FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. SHAME, YOU ARE NO LONGER MY LAST NAME BECAUSE I HAVE MARRIED THE ONE WHO BREAKS YOUR SOUL TIE TO ME!

Jeremiah 17:8 He is like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots beside the stream. It does not fear the heat or even drought. Its leaves stay green and its fruit is dependable, no matter what it faces. THANK YOU FATHER, FOR BREAKING THE FEAR OF LACK FROM OFF MY LIFE. EVEN IN TIMES OF DROUGHT, MY ROOTS ARE SUNK DEEP TO WHERE YOU ARE KEEPING ME ALIVE, WELL, AND DEFYING ALL ODDS TO BEAR FRUIT.

Jeremiah 51:46 Do not lose heart or give in to fear and panic when the rumors start to fly in the land.Year after year, the rumors will come—rumors of violence reports of one ruler warring against another. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR WIPING OUT THE FEAR OF CURRENT EVENTS FROM MY MIND. I’M NOT GLUED TO THE TUBE, DRAWN INTO THE NONSTOP NEWS NETWORKS WITH THEIR NEGATIVITY; INSTEAD, I LOOK UP AND REJOICE, BECAUSE THE SIGNS INDICATE I’LL SEE YOU VERY SOON! I SUBMIT MYSELF TO THE PROTECTION, AUTHORITY, AND BOUNDARIES OF MY FATHER, I RESIST THE DEVIL AND ALL THIS ALLURING TEMPTATIONS TO BE GRIPPED WITH FEAR, AND IN JESUS’ NAME, I COMMAND HIM TO FLEE FROM ME.

Matthew 17:7-8 But Jesus—who was, by this time, used to His disciples being plagued by fear—touched them. Jesus: Get up. Don’t be afraid. And when the disciples got up, they saw they were alone with their Lord. THANK YOU, JESUS, THAT BECAUSE YOU CAME TO EARTH TO IDENTIFY WITH COMMON MANKIND, YOU’RE PATIENT WITH MY HAVING TO BE RESCUED FROM TIME TO TIME OUT OF THE GRIP OF FEAR. WHEN YOU SEE ME ABOUT TO REVERT BACK INTO THE MODE OF FEAR AND DISTRUST, I THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING ME AND REMINDING ME ALL OVER AGAIN THAT IT’S OK…IT’S JUST YOU AND ME.

Luke 8:47 The woman now realized her secret was going to come out sooner or later, so she stepped out of the crowd, shaking with fear, and she fell down in front of Jesus. Then she told her story in front of everyone—why she touched Him, what happened as a result. THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR MAKING ME BOLD AND NOT FEARFUL CONCERNING MY TESTIMONY OF DELIVERANCE. I CAN SHARE MY STORY WITH OTHERS, TOTALLY NOT BOUND BY THEIR OPINIONS OR JUDGMENTS. BECAUSE YOU’RE PERFECTING THAT WHICH CONCERNS ME, I NEED NO ONE’S APPROVAL BUT YOURS…AND YET, WHEN PEOPLE FIND OUT HOW YOU’VE SAVED, HEALED, AND SET ME FREE, MY STORY PROVES TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING THAT BRINGS YOU GLORY AND BRINGS OTHERS HOPE.

Luke 12:7-8 Since you are so much more precious to God than a thousand flocks of sparrows, and since God knows you in every detail—down to the number of hairs on your head at this moment—you can be secure and unafraid of any person, and you have nothing to fear from God either. That’s why I keep telling you not to be intimidated. THANK YOU FATHER, FOR BREAKING THE SPIRIT OF COWARDICE AND INTIMIDATION OFF MY LIFE, AS WELL AS THE FEAR OF LACK. YOU ARE EL SHADDAI, MORE THAN ENOUGH. I REVERENCE YOU, BUT I DON’T DREAD YOU! TODAY IS YET ANOTHER CHANCE TO WITNESS YOU AT WORK ON ME AND IN ME, TWEAKING THIS WORK IN PROGRESS AND CONFORMING ME TO THE IMAGE OF YOUR SON.

John 14:27 My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I don’t give gifts like those of this world. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful. JESUS, THANK YOU FOR LEAVING ME THE LEGACY OF PEACE. IT WILL NOT DIE WITH ME, BUT I WILL NURTURE IT AND PASS IT ON TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW ME. IT IS MY BIRTHRIGHT AS A CHILD OF GOD, AND I RECEIVE IT WITH GREAT JOY, RELIEF, GRATITUDE AND PRAISE. THE BLOOD OF JESUS IS THE BOUNDARY AROUND MY LIFE THAT REINS IN PEACE. MY ABILITY TO RETAIN MY PEACE AMID CHAOS IS YET ANOTHER WITNESS TO A LOST WORLD THAT YOU ARE CHANGING ME…AND THAT YOUR HOPE CAN CHANGE THEM, TOO. TAKE THIS SITUATION I AM FACING IT AND MAKE ME SHINE FOR YOU, AS I DISPLAY GREAT TRUST IN SPITE OF WHAT SCARES ME.

Romans 8:15 You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy. THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR THIS FATHER-AND-CHERISHED CHILD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. I’LL NEVER GO BACK INTO SLAVERY, BECAUSE I’M NOW ONE OF YOUR FAMILY. YOU DON’T SHOO ME OUT OF YOUR PRESENCE, BUT INSTEAD, YOU ARE TENDER AND LOVING AND INVITE ME TO CALL YOU MY DADDY. YOU INVITE ME TO BE HELD AND SPOKEN RIGHT WORDS OVER. SO SINCE YOU ARE GLAD TO RECEIVE ME THE SAME AS IF I WERE NATURAL-BORN, I CHOOSE TO STICK CLOSE TO YOU AND NOT LET YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT. I’M SAFE RIGHT HERE WITH YOU, AND NO THREAT OF SICKNESS, DEATH, LOSS, DEFEAT–NOT EVEN THE TAUNTS OF THE ENEMY WHO’D PULL ME BACK INTO SLAVERY IF HE COULD–CAN EVER PLUCK ME OUT OF YOUR HAND! SO THERE. I AM FIRMLY IN YOUR GRIP AND I WILL FEAR NO EVIL!

Would you like a printable copy of today’s devotional? Click here for a pdf version! Healing Confessions that Shatter the Spirit of Fear

CALL THOSE THINGS: An Honest Talk About the Power of Prayer

I was still semiconscious lying in bed this morning when the thought, “I’d love to write a book if I had something important enough to say,” went through my mind. That thought jarred me awake, and I smiled. It was the answer I’d given people many times over the past few years who kept saying to me, “Why don’t you write a book…you should write a book!” Hey, I don’t have to give that excuse ever again, thanks to God!

A year ago I was still far away from having that book in me. Next week I’ll be on the one-year anniversary of a doctor slamming me with an announcement that I was diabetic. I was wrestling a host of other illnesses too: chronic fatigue that got worse with each passing year, unexplained nausea every single day, digestive issues, anxiety; plus, difficulty falling asleep, but then I slept too much and yet it was never enough, not to mention other nuisance and personal maladies. The fatigue and the wrecked concentration it caused was debilitating, but the diabetes diagnosis was the last straw. I got flaming mad every time I had to take that pill or stick my finger. The anger was legit, but it changed nothing…I was still sick, and being sick was at the forefront of my mind. Especially after that diagnosis! Every little twinge or blip on my radar from then on, I would imagine it was something else the diabetes was doing to destroy my body. I wanted to just stop feeling bad all the time, period–but I was frankly too tired to put up a fight. I would ask God to heal me every day; but other than that, I had no real prayer strategy because that required energy I didn’t feel I had.

I was in a thick fog, a trap of Satan. For the first time, I’m sharing with you that this also is a milestone of about a year back, when I gave our pastor notice of intent to leave employment if I didn’t have a major turnaround by the end of last year. My work was so compromised, I knew remaining would not be good for the church. He said, “We will just trust God!” and did not accept my offer to train someone to replace me.

A distress call from a friend, Peggy Scarborough, last April prompted me to seek Scriptures to pray in agreement with her for a sudden health crisis. Her need was so dire that I went into “grasping for straws” mode. A single prayer point evolved into about 8-9 pages of Scriptures to which I had attached prayer confessions–something over which she and several of us who were in prayer for her would be able to agree. When these prayers resulted in a turnaround for her, she encouraged me to research for other illnesses. I kept at it here and there, and then the Lord opened up an opportunity in June for me to lock away in a hotel room, alone and with no tv or distractions, and pen 12 more chapters that would complete CALL THOSE THINGS. The Lord has since then given me even more prayers to add to that list, which I publish as I get them here on my blog, https://callthosethings.wordpress.com/

When I uploaded the last of my manuscript to the publisher, I was still dealing with these issues but had newfound encouragement in what I had mined out of the Scriptures. I kept confessing these prayers over myself. By July 1 I had eliminated every prescription drug I was taking. No more Metformin, Zoloft, Zofran, Carafate, Zantac, and the over-the-counter sleeping pill. Long before summer was over, every symptom that plagued me (some for years) was gone. I was healed….I AM HEALED! The most difficult to release in faith was the anxiety medication; it had become a crutch in the transition into menopause with its anxiety and mood swings–but God was faithful and He remains faithful! Seven months later, I am still off all those medications and I feel like a different person altogether–no blood sugar roller coaster, no nausea, and I can get by many days on LESS than 8 hours sleep–not 10 or 12 or 14! GOD is the One who did this for me when His Words became my words and my confession. Absolutely no other explanation for it. A cool bonus: All the health issues that a doctor would blame on a need for weight loss got healed before a single pound came off. Yes, I’m still trusting for and working toward that goal too; but God let my healing come in advance, so that no one could say that I got well because I got rid of the excess weight! God didn’t gauge my level of healing on how much I deserved it or how good a steward I’d been with my body–He responded to faith in His Word, pure and simple. Now that I’m well, He’s teaching me to use vitamins, good nutrition, and natural remedies like essential oils to maximize my health…but none of these can claim the title of Healer! Jehovah Rapha (God my Healer) is the One Who stepped in and brought the healing that changed my life forever. And He loves you no less than He loves me!

I can’t and won’t tell you that if you buy my book you’ll be able to ditch all your meds and never again need to be under a doctor’s care. (I would recommend no such thing unless you feel prompted of the Lord to do so. Honestly, I laid my own meds aside because I felt the gentle assurance from God that it was time. It was time to put into practice what He had birthed in me during this investigative process. If I ever need a doctor’s care in the future, I have no qualms about seeking medical assistance. I’ll go.) What I CAN tell you, however, is that if you will dig your heels into the Word of God for yourself, there is life-affirming, health-giving substance that can transport you right out of the ditch you feel you’re trapped in with your body, soul, and spirit. At one point I felt it’d be better to just never wake up again than to have to keep trudging through day after day of feeling bad all the time. Oh, I don’t think I really wanted to die, necessarily; I was just so weary of being weary!

Also, I didn’t write CALL THOSE THINGS as a substitute so people wouldn’t have to pray on their own; but rather, as a teaching tool. I also wrote these prayers to help those who’ve exhausted all the knowledge they already have on how to pray for their healing. I know what it’s like to be so overwhelmed that you don’t know what to ask. I know what it’s like to have an emergency that leaves your mind too cluttered to pray more than, “Help me Jesus!” When Dana was beside himself in pain with kidney stones this past fall, I was so emotional that I wasn’t being very focused in my prayers for him…and I pulled up this book on my phone, right there in the emergency room, and began praying the prayers the Lord had given me months before. It felt so faith-bolstering to have all those kidney Scriptures already indexed. And God helped Dana as he lay there and agreed with each prayer point that I read over him.

One of the most satisfactory comments I’ve heard on several occasions goes like, “I didn’t know I could even ask for something like that!” God’s so much better than we credit Him. What a joyful revelation when at last we get that! It’s His WILL that we walk in health. He’s not sitting up there sprinkling “sick dust” on selective ones of us, to make us humble or teach us a lesson or punish us. Jesus didn’t endure those stripes on His back so that He could turn around and give us the diseases He suffered and bled to free us from. It’s my prayer that if you’re reading this, you are considering investing in this prayer manual. It’s not a read-once-and-pass-it-on kind of book. It’s a reference to go back to again and again for yourself, for your loved ones, and to keep yourself focused whenever you feel tempted to relent to the enemy’s attack on your body. You don’t have to just accept it! Know God’s will for your best life…and if you need help, consider ordering CALL THOSE THINGS for yourself.

Can You Hear Me Now?

“But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13:16

Depending on which translation you use, this Scripture gets pretty broad! Many of the translations leave it simply at “communicate,” while others signify a transference, such as giving. I want to address it for the simpler version–just plain good communication–and attempt to show you why I believe God is pleased when His children don’t neglect to interact properly with others.

One of the greatest weapons the enemy has against the body of Christ is one of our own making, and that is neglect to communicate. We can spew out our colorful cliches and not be short on humor, metaphor, and empty words–just like the world–but we can get pretty tongue-tied when it comes to using our words to show respect and common courtesy. I have been in church for an entire lifetime; and I’ve seen withheld communication destroy, wound, divide, and offend just as thoroughly and just as often as backbiting and gossip!

Why do we have such a hard time with extending this gesture, when we ourselves hate to be on the lack-of-receiving end of communication? I don’t know about you, but I feel my tension levels rise and grind away at my peace whenever I’m waiting on an acknowledgment, and I know someone is choosing just not to respond. Having been there many, many times over the years, it’s help me be more aware of how much more careful I need to be when dealing with others who are waiting on me.

Did you know that you don’t have to have the problem solved in order to communicate? There’s not a thing wrong with, “Just getting back with you to let you know that even though I don’t have such-and-such ready yet, I did receive your request and I’m working on it;” or, “I’m really sorry, but I just can’t be there on Tuesday evening this time. Maybe next time.” We need to be more thoughtful of others in this way! When someone is counting on us to be at our designated post–whether serving as a volunteer coach for the soccer team, a church usher, or even showing up for work–it is a good reflection on our Father when we are tenacious enough to contact our leaders or the person whom we’re serving whenever we cannot do what we have committed to do. I would go so far as to say, when we know ahead of time that we cannot follow through, we should always consider what the other person may have to do in order to fill our vacancy. Sure, I know that ‘s not always possible…but it goes a long way with other people when you don’t leave them hung out to dry! Do your best to accommodate others, and to let them know you respect and value their time, too.

So this sounds almost like an employee manual, I realize–but as ambassadors of Christ, we are called to go above and beyond. If on the job, you are the only believer on a crew of sinners, it’s a terrible thing to have it said of you that the one who calls himself/herself a Christian is the laziest, least reliable, or hardest to work with of the whole team. In the secular workforce, I heard that said of one person or another several times over the years; and while I felt bad for the Christian who was standing out for the wrong reasons, I felt sooooo much worse for Jesus, Whose name was insulted by association with someone who was not diligent…and a neglectful communicator.

You don’t have to have the gift of writing or speaking to be a good communicator, but you do have to have a few other qualities, such as:

Consideration for others. What difficulties are you causing by failing to touch base, check in, offer your assistance or prayer or just an ear? What open doors do you create by taking time to acknowledge and show respect for someone else?
Accountability. A follower of Christ should have absolutely no issue with being above-board, honest, a submitter to authority, and thoughtful to others in general (even those to whom we don’t “owe” accountability).
Humility. Sometimes the other person doesn’t need a lecture; he or she needs for you to listen and show empathy. You’ll never be able to do that if you’re all the time trying to fix the other person! Think…remove the beam in my own eye, then I can help remove the speck in my brother’s!
Humility again! Don’t use “the silent treatment” as a way to punish your spouse, your child, or any other person. We need to check our spirit when we find pleasure in letting someone sweat. I’m not going to say that there’s never an appropriate time for us to delay a response, but the Holy Spirit knows when we’re using this tactic to get revenge or to manipulate.
Quickness to repent. If you are wrong, be willing to acknowledge it (by communicating such) and change! Don’t stubbornly pack your withheld apology around. A mature believer will sometimes follow the Holy Spirit’s lead and be the FIRST to extend the olive branch–even when he or she was in the right! Blessed are the peacemakers…and sometimes peacemakers have to be the icebreakers.
Quickness to forgive. First of all, we need God’s forgiveness and cannot therefore afford to withhold forgiveness from others. Second, unforgiveness can cause us to alienate our people! Think of how many people have just started out a little mad over something, and because they kept nursing hurt feelings, suddenly found themselves five, twenty, fifty years down the road not speaking to a family member. The longer we defer forgiveness, we sear our consciences with a hot iron. The longer we go without communicating, the easier it is to alienate loved ones.
An ear toward heaven. If you pray for the spirit of discernment, God can absolutely help you foresee potential trainwrecks in relationships. Entire churches have split before over hurts…many times because leaders have failed to seal the cracks when an offense came. Truthfully? It’s easier to look the other way and hope something doesn’t fester; however, the devil usually doesn’t pass on an easy opportunity to de-rail a move of God. Often we don’t know HOW to respond, so we do nothing. Or, we feel the other person is just immature and being unreasonable, so we hope that time will cause the storm to blow over. If you see someone bordering on leaving over an unacknowledged offense, prayerfully ask God how best to handle it. At least be willing to make the communication, even if it doesn’t end as you’d hoped. Once the door closes behind him or her, the chance of getting back your relationship with an offended brother or sister is, as Proverbs said, “harder to win than a fortified city;” AND, the biggest slap in the face of all is if that association is broken in profound silence.
Openness without nagging. We are sure good at giving TMI (too much information) on Facebook about everything from our skin rashes to our spouse’s bad habits, but not so open in places where it counts. When you are on the receiving end of a hurt, give the other person a chance to make it right by voicing (nicely) what has happened. Carefully choose your words to express your FEELINGS, not your assessment of that person’s character. Those “you always” and “you never” accusations don’t work and can send the other person retreating like a chicken with its tail feathers on fire. Instead of “you never spend time with me anymore,” try “I miss our time together…I enjoy being with you.” A soft answer turns away wrath, but no answer at all doesn’t do much of anything. It’s ok to be transparent with someone else when the goal is restoration, and preventive maintenance!
Gratitude. If someone–and especially if that someone is in your immediate circle–does something for you, for heaven’s sake, thank him or her! My pastor and his entire family are masters of this trait…and are so thoughtful and appreciative over every little thing. From the time their grown kids were just little, even they were constantly saying ‘thank you’ or ‘I really appreciate that/you.’ Folks are drawn to grateful people. Show that someone’s thoughtfulness impacted you, and that someone go out of his or her way to accommodate you in the future. And when you’re being served in a restaurant, don’t fail to praise those who are taking care of you (instead of complaining about everything)…and put your money where your mouth is, too! For heaven’s sake, Christians, don’t leave a tract in place of a tip. Gratitude is a catalyst to generosity; and if you want that server to view your God as a stingy, unfriendly, unappreciative tyrant in the sky, you’ll be stingy, unfriendly, and unappreciative over your meal. Every encounter with others is a reflection, to the good or to the bad, on our Heavenly Father, Whom we represent. Bring the salt and light through the door with you. I’ve known believers who’ve won servers to the Lord right in the restaurant, just for listening and offering to pray for them. Many times the person taking care of you is a big ball of hurt and desperation. Even now it surprises me how often I encounter someone in this setting who is desperate to just be acknowledged.
Positive and encouraging. Don’t always offer a story about how your problem (or former crisis) was even worse than the one your contact is going through. If someone’s mother just died, he or she doesn’t need to hear you amble on and on about what all you went through when yours did! No matter what situation you’re helping someone walk out, find a way to end it on a good note (and not by using cliches like the silver lining in the cloud). Sometimes a simple, “We will trust God together to bring you through this” will do. Listen more than you speak. When you are interacting with others, sneak opportunities to compliment and encourage them in appropriate ways. Tell people when they’re doing a good job, and if they’re not, you can still turn the tide by turning up their self-confidence! At any rate, when you part ways with those you’ve come into contact with, let them feel a refreshing just because it was you they served. And remember, we don’t always know what kind of things are going on in a person’s life. That rude customer service person may have gotten news just hours before that his or her child has cancer. There may be a divorce, or terrible money worries, or an abuse going on in the home. Don’t return rudeness for rudeness. It’s hard sometimes, but you can do it!

If you have a choice to under- or over-, always over-communicate. You may get on someone’s nerves by overdoing it, but you’ll not vex him or her nearly as bad as if you fail to communicate at all and cause a meltdown in right order. Think like Christ…the Word tells us that we have the MIND of Christ. Let me encourage you to pray for good communication skills; and if you’re a leader, grab hold of the horns of the altar and tarry till God anoints you with those skills! A great resource is a prayer on Developing Good Communication Skills, written by my dear friend, Germaine Copeland in her series “Prayers that Avail Much.” Here’s a link to prayer at her website.

Listen, Heed, Move

PillarOfFire Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 2:1

How critical is it that we move with the voice of God? I’m pretty sure we don’t know the answer to that question; for if we did, we’d be so much more attentive.

In the wilderness, God protected His Hebrew people with a pillar of twofold phenomenon: the cloud by day, the fire by night. By day, His cloud was a visible banner that went before them; but think of all the other things that cloud was capable of! It could shield them from the burning desert sun, even block the view of the enemy if necessary. By night, it was a bright luminary that could not be missed in times when their trek required after-dark travel. It radiated warmth against the cold desert nights. No doubt, to their enemies, a wall of fire was a frightening and intimidating warning to back off!

But this pillar didn’t operate on the people’s schedule. It was as much a test of obedience as it was a beacon to follow to the Promised Land. There were times when God chose to park and stay a while–times some of them may have preferred to just keep moving instead of having to unpack and set up camp. Other times, when they were content to stay in a particular area, God might decide to start moving again. There wasn’t an option. God didn’t say, “I’m going to go ahead of you…just catch up when you feel like it.” No, He was their guide, their map, and their only hope of survival. They weren’t traveling a well-worn freeway equipped with GPS and road signs that said, “Next watering hole 150 miles.” A people not nomadic by culture, they had to rely totally on Him to help them deal with movement…that is, after being enslaved for 400 years!

So what does that say to us about the importance of our attentiveness to God’s Word and His voice? We are in the same place of need. We were a people in bondage, and we aren’t used to navigating in strange territory. When the responsibility of walking in freedom gets tough sometimes, bondage beckons for us to return. Bondage was hell, but we were used to it. We may, at times, look back and think it was easier because it was consistently bad. Still, we can’t go back. Oh technically we could; we could listen to the voice of the enemy wooing us back. “Come back to the leeks and garlic! Come back to bread and meat and a roof over your head. Come back to a steady job and neighbors you were accustomed to! It’s not so bad!” The enemy would of course laugh at us and slam the cell door shut the moment we stepped into his lair. And just like institutionalized hard criminals who commit a crime just to go back to their familiar society, we could go back to Egypt.

But…even if we were to wrangle free a second time, how long would it take us to retrace our steps and find the Cloud? How fast could our feet carry us as we doubled back, trying to remember which landmarks we passed on the way when we were first liberated?

Perhaps I’m overshooting in my example. Even if you don’t plan on going back to Egypt, there is a great price to pay for choosing not to move with the pillar.

How many times do we sleep in on a Sunday, or ignore the Holy Spirit’s urging to lay down our petty toys and get alone with God through the week, or leave the Word gathering dust on the coffee table? We won’t know until we get to the Bema just what these diversions cost us. I would say this to you: the opportunity you passed up to sit under anointed preaching or teaching, that one phone call you chose not to return, that one time when you failed to take the high road, that one opportunity that sounded good but seemed to require too much sacrifice…that choice on that one given date could’ve set your destiny back by months, by years!

And what about just your physical survival? I interviewed RIck and Cathy Simpkins years ago, after her first bout with cancer. They shared that the whole key to her survival became a matter of daily listening for God’s voice. What would seem to others as arbitrary turns in the road were, in fact, them responding to the suddenlies of God’s urging. He led them on a carefully-timed pathway to her healing. He directed every turn in their journey. At times it seemed as if she was ricocheting between treatment plans and doctors, but in the end, it became clear why. Their urgent advice was, don’t miss the voice of God! Keep your ear tuned to hear Him! Get under good leadership and instruction and walk under authority. She got nine extra years of life out of this choice to remain steadfast; got to see her two grandchildren born, got to minister to and help many more people, build a home, travel, and live with the man she loved. Had they given in to despair, or failed to seek His counsel, the alternative was probably not good. What could you do with extra years of life? Could you afford to sacrifice even one of the years you now have?

So, if you knew that your very life depended on this next encounter with God, wouldn’t you go out of the way to ensure that you didn’t miss it? You’d set your clock, clear your calendar, toss the excess overboard, and wait as long as it took! You’d shush every other voice that threatened to drown out the Still, Small One. I’m urging you, whatever you have to do, don’t let the pillar start moving without you. God is merciful and full of grace…we can make critical errors and still be just as saved. However, those lapses in judgment can turn a two week journey into forty years. He redeems time for us, absolutely; He is the author of the Plan B of our lives when we get it wrong. But there’s seldom if ever been a time when someone got the exact same outcome as if he or she would’ve simply obeyed or sought God’s voice to start with. As a result of our foolishness or laziness, we may lose some souls along the way we were meant to harvest. We may wind up in a lesser rank of advancement than we otherwise might’ve gotten, had we been on time. We for sure will have our regrets if we miss that critical hour of our visitation, that one seemingly just-like-every-other-day that was in fact our tipping point.

Listen for Him, run hard after Him, no matter what it takes. The hour is late; there’s not a lot of time for playing catch-up. Remember the five foolish who tried and weren’t able to get back there in time, all because they failed to be prepared for the most important moment of their lives.

Listen. Heed. Move.

Resisting the Spirit of Despair — A Prayer of Deliverance

push back “We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed…” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NET)

My prayer today is for those whose trials of life seem like more than you can endure. I understand fully what it is like to be stressed easily. I’m a quiet-natured person who tends to hold in my feelings to the boiling point. On the outside I am cool as a cucumber but inwardly, my cares and worries and stress can be chewing holes in my soul. Then, at the least convenient time possible, I’ve been known to show my vulnerability. Our mouths eventually betray us if we are focused on the negative or if our mentality is one of despair!

Our only defense is God’s Word, and our only righteous boldness is through the Holy Spirit. But that isn’t bad…that’s good in a FOOLPROOF way! When our defense is coming from God and not our own at-times weak abilities, we don’t have to wonder whether we are going to survive. God, our strength and the One Who goes before us in battle, will meet the enemy first and He will wave the victory banner right in Satan’s face. Take a deep breath, and pray with me. We are about to enter into a state of rest–spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally too.

Father, we come to You today asking You to throw up a shield that guards our speech from the ears of the enemy. We are hearing the taunts and suggestions and mockings of the devil, who would try to drown out Your voice…but Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and another they will not follow.” He didn’t say we would never hear other voices, but He did say that we would recognize and follow HIS. We magnify You today and tune our ears to listen for Your guidance. We are determined that our speech will not betray us and give the enemy a foothold. May only You hear our distress call and not the devourer…we know You stand ready to rescue Your children!

Help us to become glass-half-full people instead of glass-half-empty! Help us to crave Your Word and to dig in to its strength when we are hit headlong with bad circumstances. We realize that it takes no effort whatsoever to become obsessed with bitter, jaded, selfish, negative thoughts…but we are followers of Christ. Therefore, we have the MIND of Christ, and for that reason, we have a choice. We plead the blood of Jesus over our mind, will, and emotions.

When the devil shows us the bad, help us instead to focus on ways in which we are blessed. When he tells us that our circumstances are permanent and that we are trapped with no way to ever be happy again, remind us that to everything there is a season. We can even come to understand, as Paul, that what we are wrestling now are “light and momentary afflictions” in light of eternity. When we are physically feeling too weary and whipped to put up a fight, send Your ministering spirits to aid and strengthen us. We can trust You. Help us not to be angry and resentful for the season we find ourselves in at this time…and if anger and resentment must be felt, may we turn those emotions into prayer bombs launched against darkness. The origin of trouble is in the spirit realm; help us to stop warring against people, when these battles must be fought on a different battleground.

Father, help us to gird up our minds and to stop courting those things which invite depression and despair. Give us a distaste for movies, music, even news channels or foods that tamper with our state of well-being. Make us aware of what pushes our anxiety buttons, and give us the good sense to walk away from drama every time it tries to let itself into our lives. Curb our appetite for over-stimulation, and teach us to live in simplicity once again. May we value quiet time with You. May we learn to politely say NO to the world’s endless list of favors. Help us to learn from Solomon’s experience when he summed all that chasing after worthless things up to just that–worthless, meaningless pursuits. Help us to stick with fearing You and keeping Your commandments. Help us to stick to loving You first, wholeheartedly, then loving others as ourselves. There is no sorrow attached to the blessings You give us. Your blessings make us rich in ways money can and cannot buy.

Today we cast our burdens upon You, because You care for us. Remind us of that. When we are tempted to dig our burdens back out of the heap and take them home, rebuke us! Thank you for fresh mercy for today, for grace to cover our shame, and for Your Word which is the winning argument to every accusation of our enemy. Thank You for Your joy…the joy of our salvation, the joy which is our strength. Thank You for Your joy even on days we don’t particularly feel happy and satisfied! Thank You for a spirit of laughter to overtake us and wash away the heaviness in our hearts. Medicate us with laughter and lightheartedness as we stretch toward Your light and away from the darkness of our circumstances. Prepare that table for us in the presence of our enemies…so that the enemy is scratching his head saying, “Right in the middle of my worst attack, they’re having a joyous feast???”

We submit to You and in doing so, we make our lives a very inhospitable place for the enemy to camp out. Instead of running toward us, he runs away. The heat of having to hear us quote the Word is more than the spirits of wickedness want to expose themselves to. It reminds them of their own despair in the very near future!

Father, we lift our hands to heaven and receive Your strength. We are that tree in Psalm 1, deeply rooted by the river of water, bearing fruit, covered in leaves, strong, healthy, thriving, fixed, and stable. We do not stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful! We toss out sarcasm and carnality and instead we delight in You and what Your Word says. Our circumstances will NOT dictate our level of thankfulness and peace. When the circumstances are resistant or slow to change, You will work on our hearts instead…so that we can say that we are content no matter what state we’re in. When we can say that, nothing can move us out of our center of peace! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Praying Against Spirits of Oppression

Post-It Notes of Remembrance

My mind today is on my friend Cathy, who was one of the bravest and most stubbornly faith-filled women I’ve ever known. Cathy may have left here sooner than those of us who loved her would’ve allowed…but her short life was not shadowed over with a spirit of grumbling and complaining. She had a thing about Post-it notes, and she didn’t care one bit to litter her beautiful home with them. Scriptures, prayer requests, blessings to give thanks for, Cathy would have notes on mirrors, door frames, refrigerator, walls…wherever they’d stick. They were her deliberate effort to maintain a grateful heart, right thoughts in her memory and on her lips. It worked. I watched a woman fighting for her life who made room for jubilant thanksgiving and praise of her God, and it humbled me. It made my petty groanings seem a lot less significant when she’d say of her own major obstacles, “Hardly nothing.” I’m trying to get a little less stingy with my Post-it notes; and because her friendship is one of those blessings I’m honored to remember, she is getting her own note on my wall. Today’s devotional doesn’t start out on a sad note at all…I’m just integrating a bit of very important nostalgia to support the idea of remembering one’s blessings.

The reason why God established the feast days for the children of Israel is to help them remember. You might ask, “How could anyone forget miracles like watching the parting of the Red Sea…or the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt…or the passing by of the angel of death?” Don’t be too quick to judge! If you do not consciously make room in your life for thanksgiving, celebration, and remembrance, you too will forget your miracles when faced with another mountain. Why, we do it all the time…but for the grace of God and the Holy Spirit jogging our memory, we’d become plumb full of ingratitude, forgetfulness, complaining, wishing for what we don’t already have, bitterly living in the past, coveting other people’s blessings.

You are looking at a bill in this morning’s mail that you have no earthly idea how you’ll pay…but shift your focus back to the last time God sent provision right when you needed it. The medical report the doctor’s office just gave you is not at all what you were wanting to hear…but don’t be overwhelmed by today’s trouble when there’s a memory of a previous healing begging to be unlocked. It’s practically screaming through the soundproof glass, “Wait! Wait, you forgot all about ME! Let me out of here and let’s talk!” Shut off the distresses of the moment, right now. If but only in your mind, place them in a tucker tote and put them in a corner out of your way. You can still deal with them, but for the moment, set them aside. It sounds elementary I know, but please don’t be insulted by the simplicity of what I’m going to suggest next–I’m not downplaying your serious needs. Get a piece of paper and begin to list some things from the past which God did for you “in the nick of time.” Add to that list the blessings you already have. You might have to press through pain to get there, but list what’s good. If your left leg’s hurting, praise Him that your right leg isn’t.

There’s an old hymn that says “I can take you to the time, I can take you to the place, where the Lord saved me, by His wonderful grace.” A major weapon of spiritual warfare is that determination to remember the victories. Maybe you don’t remember the exact date or place when something happened…write it down anyway. It will be the testimony that begins with, “There was that time when______.” It will be no less powerful! God’s not like an angry spouse who’s upset that you forgot the anniversary…His reasoning for you setting that time to remember is more for YOUR benefit than His. Anyway, make that list. If you know specific days on the calendar, find some way to commemorate them. Jot them in the margins of your Bible, or Post-it notes on the cork board, whatever. We mark everything else on our calendar from mortgage due dates to doctor appointments…make some room for good things! Whenever May 22 rolls around again and you’ve got even a small story of thankfulness that coincides with that date, make an all-out celebration of it. Today, you might say to others, marks 17 years since the doctor gave me six months to live! Next Thursday marks 2 years when God saved us from losing our business. Or, I’ll always rejoice in April because that’s when I got a letter of acceptance to a university that by all human reasoning, I shouldn’t have been able to attend. Or, it was on a New Year’s Eve 30 years ago when such-and-such relative tried to take his own life, but God spared him. I can’t tell your stories because I don’t know them all, but if you’ll sweep today’s troubling circumstances to the side for just a bit, you have some incredible victories you NEED to relive. You need the strength from those memories to inspire you to forge ahead in today’s trials.

Yes, you need to make a big deal of these things. Who cares if someone else doesn’t want to have a party with you? You have a party with God! Recently, Dana and I started a journal of blessings. Oh, we might not post to it every day, but we’ve gotten into the practice of talking about blessings at night before we go to sleep, and he has me jot them down. Sometimes I go back through and read a few entries. It might be a major healing, or it might be thanks that God helped me to change a faucet under our sink without it leaking. On either end of the wow spectrum, these blessings are worth remembering and giving thanks for all over again!

What has He done for YOU–past or present–that’s worth a celebration? It’s time to put on the garment of praise and ditch that spirit of heaviness! Grab the calendar, grab the pad of sticky notes, and encourage yourself in the Lord. He’s worthy of praise, and His loving kindness is so worth the remembrance.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” –Psalm 103:2-5

Dry Bones, Hear the Word of the Lord! (Bible-Based Healing Confession Over Disorders of Bones/Joints)

Son of man, can these bones live? I know that Ezekiel 37 passage is a vision concerning the rebirth of the nation of Israel; but I want to share a healing confession based on Ezekiel 37. You and I are going to target arthritis, joint/disk/connective tissue issues, crippling diseases, and pain-causing diseases in your framework. Confess the Scriptures and believe that you’re about to see a change. (I may add this to the bone and joint chapter of future reprints of CALL THOSE THINGS. Pray with me…AND SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! Lord, use this prayer to unlock healing and let us hear testimonies of what You are doing in lives!)

1The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” FATHER, YOU ALREADY KNOW THE CONDITION OF MY BODY; BUT YOU ALSO KNOW WHAT YOUR WORD IS CAPABLE OF DOING WHEN MY BODY DOESN’T COOPERATE. YOU ARE ASKING ME IF I BELIEVE MY BODY IS CAPABLE OF REGENERATION. YOU’RE NOT ASKING THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY WHETHER MY BONES CAN LIVE AGAIN…YOU’RE ASKING ME! I ANSWER BACK TO YOU, LORD, “YES! MY BONES CAN LIVE!” I AGREE WITH YOU IN PRAYER, LORD, AND I LINE MY CONFESSION UP WITH YOUR WORD. WITH YOU, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY SINCE MY HEALING HAS BEEN ALREADY PURCHASED AT THE CROSS! THANK YOU FOR SOME REVERSALS, REGROWTH, AND REGENERATION THAT LEAVES MY DOCTORS SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS AND HAVING TO ADMIT THAT THIS HEALING CAME STRAIGHT FROM YOU.

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” THANK YOU LORD, THAT EVEN THOUGH MY BONES MAY HAVE BEEN ACHING, LOSING DENSITY, LOSING CARTILAGE, OR BECOMING ARTHRITIC, YOU ARE HOVERING OVER ME AND BREATHING LIFE BACK INTO THEM! YOUR BREATH IS CAUSING OXYGEN-RICH MARROW TO FORM IN MY BONES RIGHT THIS SECOND…AND THAT MARROW IS POURING HEALTHY, LIFE-FILLED, BRAND NEW BLOOD CELLS INTO MY BLOODSTREAM! MY BONES ARE TURNING BACK TIME TO WHEN I WAS MUCH YOUNGER. I AM LIKE CALEB IN THE BIBLE, AND I SAY THAT I HAVE NOT LOST ONE OUNCE OF MY STRENGTH. I AM WELL-ABLE TO TAKE MY MOUNTAIN FROM THE ENEMY! TENDONS, JOINTS ARE REGENERATING AND GETTING RIGHT AMOUNTS OF FLUID, AND DISKS ARE RE-INFLATING IN MY SPINE! BONE SPURS ARE DISSOLVING, AND TORN LIGAMENTS ARE RE-ATTACHING AND BECOMING STRONGER THAN BEFORE MY INJURY. THERE IS A LOOSENING OF MOVEMENT. ANY DIAGNOSIS IN MY CHART THAT HAS THE WORD “DEGENERATIVE” IN IT IS NOW REVERSED, IN JESUS NAME. I THANK YOU FOR INCREASED FLEXIBILITY AND RANGE OF MOTION WITHOUT PAIN! THANK YOU THAT I AM BEGINNING TO SEE AND FEEL A CHANGE AT ONCE; THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMATION THAT YOUR WORD IS ALREADY AT WORK IN MY BODY. WHETHER YOU BRING MY HEALING GRADUALLY OR IN A “SUDDENLY” MOMENT, I TRUST YOU AND I THANK YOU FOR EVERY INCREMENT OF IMPROVEMENT!

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. THANK YOU LORD, THAT THIS CHANGE IN MY BONES ISN’T JUST IN APPEARANCE ONLY; THERE REALLY IS LIFE COMING BACK TO THEM! BLOOD CIRCULATION IS IMPROVING IN MY EXTREMITIES. MY HANDS AND FEET AND LIMBS AREN’T COLD AND NUMB, NOT ACHY OR TINGLY. THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT “EAT UP WITH CANCER;” I AM NOT “EAT UP” WITH ARTHRITIS. TO THE CONTRARY, YOUR WORD IS EATING UP THE CANCER AND THE ARTHRITIS…GOBBLING IT RIGHT UP EVERY TIME I LET YOUR WORD COME OUT OF MY MOUTH! IF THERE IS ANY MALIGNANCY HIDING IN MY BONES, THANK YOU FOR THE IMMEDIATE DEATH OF THOSE ABNORMAL CELLS. THANK YOU THAT PERFECTLY HEALTHY CELLS ARE SPRINGING UP AT ONCE WHERE COMPROMISED CELLS WERE GROWING. CANCER AND ARTHRITIS AND ALL OTHER “GROWING” DISEASES ARE FORBIDDEN TO KEEP SPREADING NOW. I HAVE APPLIED THE BLOOD OF JESUS LIKE A SUPERNATURAL WEED KILLER TO ALL THOSE DISEASES. THEY NO LONGER GET TO CHOKE THE JOY OF LIVING OUT OF ME. CANCER AND ARTHRITIS CELLS HAVE LOST THEIR ABILITY TO MULTIPLY…THEY ARE DYING OFF AS WE SPEAK! HEALING, HEALING, HEALING IS MINE!

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. THANK YOU LORD, FOR CAUSING A QUICKENING TO COME IN MY WEIGHT-BEARING BONES. I CAN STAND, WALK, MAINTAIN MY BALANCE, EVEN LIFT AND CARRY WHAT I NEED TO. THANK YOU FOR STRENGTH RISING ON THOSE WHO WAIT ON YOU! YES, LORD, I AM PART OF YOUR VAST ARMY. MY BONES ARE NO LONGER VERY DRY! MY PURPOSE IS NO LONGER DEAD AND SCATTERED. EMPLOY MY HEALED BODY FOR YOUR PURPOSES IN THESE LAST DAYS…YOUR ARMY IS INCREASED BY ONE RIGHT NOW! I AM OUT OF THE INFIRMARY AND READY TO REPORT FOR DUTY, SIR!

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” THANK YOU LORD, FOR CAUSING MY LATTER DAYS TO FAR SUPERSEDE MY FORMER DAYS. YOU WILL USE ME IN WAYS THAT I WASN’T EVEN ABLE TO BE USED WHEN I WAS MUCH YOUNGER. THANK YOU FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO TESTIFY OF YOUR GOODNESS, TO LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND TO SEE THEM RECOVER JUST AS YOU’RE CAUSING ME TO RECOVER NOW!

Thanksgiving–Making it a Holiday When We Truly ARE Thankful

Better a bite of dry bread [eaten] in peace than a family feast filled with strife. Better to have a dish of vegetables where there is love than juicy steaks where there is hate. (Proverbs 15:17, 17:1). Holidays are challenging times! Unlike getting together to “watch the big game,” we sit opposite from one another at the table and are forced to have real conversations. For some, Thanksgiving‬ is a hallowed ‪tradition‬ fueled by happy childhood memories. For others, it becomes a source of stress and a dread of having to be around difficult family members.

I would challenge you this week–if your traditions have become too painful, stressful, expensive, or cause arguments and hard feelings among your family–make some modifications that are conducive to ‪PEACE‬! I knew a family once who hated cranberry sauce, but always opened a can and set it on the table because of tradition. Silly, huh? Well, how many times do we do that same thing but in other ways? Make some new traditions if you must…just make them good, easy, and worthwhile.

Make Thanksgiving a good memory for your family, rather than a dreaded event. Simplify your meal plans if that’s what it takes. You don’t have to serve a 250-item buffet to have a good dinner. Don’t create more stress by spending your whole month’s grocery budget on one meal. If you create an atmosphere of love and fun (and true gratitude) a dish of mac and cheese is as good as turkey and all the trimmings! And a meal eaten at a restaurant is not a crime, if that makes it special for your family–especially for the one who’s otherwise have to do all that cooking. I’ve even wondered before how fun it might be to just have sandwich fixings and just make an event of assembling a big submarine sandwich together…or a taco bar, or making pizzas together. No rule says it has to be about the turkey! Find what makes YOUR family feel thankful…and involved. Get creative about ways to get them around the table with you, rather than scattered into their rooms with their plates and an iPad. To do that, you may have to focus on family more than the food, and that’s really shifting your priorities in a positive way. What does it for your bunch? Singing and music around the piano? Board games? Old photo albums passed back and forth…reminiscent movies on the television…even decorating the Christmas tree together. There is some activity that will be fun that sets a spark of excitement for the years to follow.

Consider splitting the weekend to allow families a chance to linger longer. It’s called Thanksgiving weekend…and yet, we place a mandate on our kids to have to hurriedly eat and run at about 3 or 4 different houses, all on Thursday, to keep from causing hurt feelings. And someone will invariably get pouty…because no one actually shows up hungry when there’s a meal to have to eat every 90 minutes! (Remember the Andy Griffith Show spaghetti episode?) A lot of food gets wasted because families, unlike cows, don’t have two stomachs. Let’s not place unreasonable expectations on our families. It’s really not fair to them, or to us, when we use this holiday to force loyalty to our side of the family. It’s not always possible, but when the holiday can be coordinated to allow a fair amount of time that doesn’t put a damper on things, you be the in-law that makes it easy. I so appreciate my mother-in-law, Thelma Crum, for the way she always did this when she was able to cook. She would do Thanksgiving with our family either on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday afternoon after church, so that her daughters-in-law could spend time with our own parents. I’ll always be grateful for her wisdom in that. People appreciate not having to play the “you love the other side of the family more than you do us” game. Word: a little advance planning can make this time a lot more memorable for all the right reasons. Don’t serve your kids a platter of prove-you-love-me-best…when divorce, marriage, grandkids, and other scenarios change the landscape of your traditions, adjust and you’ll preserve the want-to in your family. I can’t stress this enough–this week is your chance to shine to others as a beacon of being considerate of others’ feelings. If you insist on being the “favorite,” try being the most accommodating and easiest to please. That’ll earn you brownie points like no guilt trip ever could!

If this weekend or Thanksgiving Day is not the very best time, consider scheduling your feast on a non-holiday weekend; even or combining Christmas and Thanksgiving together isn’t even out of the question if it takes the stress and the pressure off everyone involved. When Dana and I wrecked five years ago, we had a combined Thanksgiving/Christmas in early February, an event that was truly marked by the gratitude each of these holidays embodies. If you have a loved one going off to war or fighting a terminal illness, plan the holiday to include him or her and do it sooner rather than later. Look at it this way, you are not anticipating the worst, you are extending your season of thankfulness even longer by spreading out the celebration to capture the most good memories you can.

Create an agreement not to argue! If there are hot-button topics that invariably cause bickering, agree in advance to have those discussions at a later time or not at all. Politics, your son’s eyebrow piercing, and the finer points of church doctrine are probably not good dinner topics. You already know what sets the powder keg off in your house, so man-up or woman-up and choose not to go there. Don’t use the Thanksgiving dinner table as a place to hone your sarcastic one-liners on your family. You don’t look more intelligent than the others when you have a snippy answer…you just look like a jerk! Don’t make them waste their holiday spending it with a jerk! Be nice just this once. It isn’t impossible. Pull your claws in for the sake of your family. If you see a conversation getting a little too toasty, change the subject–or borrow that “par-lay” phrase from Captain Jack Sparrow and call a truce! You’ve got all year to resolve the world’s crises…don’t try to do it today. Enjoy some laughter. (And may I also suggest–refrain from serving alcohol, those of you who normally do on this day. Religious preferences aside, any libation, drug, or substance that causes ANY family member to get violent, moody, temperamental is NOT worth it. Also, if you have some who are recovering substance abusers, don’t wave the bottle in front of them and risk a setback. Make an agreement that no one shows up intoxicated or leaves that way, if for no other reason, the safety and emotional well-being of the children of the household. Please, don’t make this holiday a memory of the parents or older sister getting boozed up and making a scene. )

Finally, please don’t be wasteful. If Thanksgiving means every year you wind up with more leftovers than you can cram into your refrigerator, much of it later raked into the trash can, then it’s time to think outside the box…or in this case, outside the icebox. Don’t cook more than you can eat in a couple days and share. It’s so irresponsible to do so, especially if you’re doing it just to make an impressive display on the table. You already know someone who won’t get enough to eat this week. If inviting that person to your table isn’t safe, practical, or possible, take or send some food to him or her. Double blessing: send some food anonymously! By keeping it low-key, you let God get the glory and you get the joy of being His covert agent of goodwill. Either way, just make sure no one goes hungry on your watch this week, even if all you are able to share is a peanut butter sandwich. This is also a great way to teach your children about the “giving” part of Thanksgiving. Kids love to give things…to allow them to help assemble take-out baggies of sandwiches or leftover pie is sowing some precious values into their young hearts.

I pray all of you will have a truly peaceful, blessed, uncomplicated Thanksgiving holiday this week. May God’s presence be felt in every home, and may you have more than enough. Love, light, and life!