It's MONDAY ... from ugh to Exuberant JOY!

It’s MONDAY!!!

I must admit … I wasn’t quite as excited about today when I first awoke.  However, in my seeking and planning of the day my hope and excitement of the day has burst forth.  Yet another blessed delight in my life. 

As I sat to focus on the steps of my day and the needs of others asking for my assistance, I turned to whom I seek my guidance.  In the days of so many seeking my services, my eyes rest upon our house and its state of neatness … it reflects that it has not taken priority over the calls, sessions and life events.  My heart constricts seeking affirmation that my husband and sons, my #1 mission field, are not reflecting the same condition as our house.  Since I was a little girl I remember earnestly praying for my husband and children asking God not to come again until I got to know and love them well.  I used to laughingly say, “He honored my requests and my prayers held off the second coming.  Now I have my husband and sons, so you’d better be ready or putting your own pleas to the Father as my prayer had been answered.”   Today, as I contemplate and seek direction, I ponder do I “know and love them well”?  My mother’s heart yearns to know and hear a resounding YES.  The reality check of my flesh replies, “You can always do better.”  Talk about constricting my heart and stopping my breathing.  However, my perspective of looking forward frees my heart and releases my breath as once you experience doing something you are then able to seek new ways of doing it even better.  It’s not a matter of “failing” it’s a matter of reaching a “new level”. 

I know scripture says that as I do His what He asks, He will cover my family.  My faith is every growing and this wife and mom’s heart knows this but sometimes there’s a still small voice that is contrary to the promises I stand on and it must be bound and squished.  In my seeking affirmation for my steps Luke 7:27 and Matt 7:7-8 are brought to my awareness today.  So, in my curious state I look up the references and my heart overflows with the small ways the affirmation of obedient steps I take are shown. 

Matthew 7:7-8 (AMPC)

Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.

For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.

These Words sooth my heart and prompt me to continually Ask, Seek and Receive (It’s not begging its sowing seeds, standing declaring and decreeing the scriptures, and purposefully reaping my harvest!)  especially on behalf of myself and my family, my #1 mission field.  I know the passion that burns within me and I trust that the Source that created me with that passion knows my heart and loves my family that I was gifted even more than I do … which is mind boggling as I know the intensity of my love for my husband and sons. 

I give thanksgiving praise for the affirmation and eagerly look up Luke 7:27 to see what was written for just this moment in my life and I find this …

Luke 7:27 (AMP)

This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi], ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

Oh Yeah!  Talk about major WIN!  Talk about affirmation.  As long as I am seeking His guidance, I will have VICTORY … even if I stumble and my actions choose less than His best for me.  He loves me so much.  He guarantees my victorious success despite myself because He sends His Messenger to prepare the way for me.  I must take the first step for my life to open for Him to do what He does so creatively well.  It’s not about meeting other people’s expectations or even my own expectations … its all about meeting His expectations which may not be easy, but they are always simple and always start with just one step where He always meets us and carries us from there. 

So, it is with a renewed and energized confidence that I now look to this Monday with exhilarated hope (exceeding expectation) of what blessed Joy this day is going to bring to myself, those I encounter and the One who created me to be His Joy.  I already know the day is filled with greatness and I get to be a part of it because I’m choosing to take the first step of doing.  Look out World … here I come, love, laughter, hugs and ALL!

What step are you being asked to take this grand day?  Are you dreading or expecting?  Boldly stepping or frozen in place?  

Thank you for the investment of your time. 

May you hear and receive what is yours to hear from the sharing of a portion of my insights. 

Be blessed in the Name of the Lord, Yahweh, Jehovah-Jireh.

Created to Serve,

Michelle Wendt, CAFTP, CEFT, OM

His Beloved, blessed wife and mother

MFB247.com, My Father’s Blessing Ministries and Be Healthy His Way Life

For our Be Healthy His Way – Emotion Study Group:

Today diffusing and using:

Dream Catcher, Inspiration, AromaEase, En-R-Gee, 
Common Sense, Build Your Dream, Fulfill Your Destiny

To support and expand in these areas:

Growth, Ignited, Motivated, Alive, Connection, Flexible,
At-One-Ment, Unconditional Love, Openness, Complete, 
Illumination, Respect, Directed, Passion, Awareness, 
Safety, Clarity, Harmony, Confident, Strength, Steadfast

To be a part of our Be Healthy His Way Team or purchase products:  www.1111order.com  

To learn more about emotions and essential oils:  www.1111emotions.com

To see great videos about why natural, chemical-free living:    www.MFBOils.com

Contact us for more information:  BeHealthyHisWay@gmail.com

To Schedule AFT Session with a Certified Practitioner:  MFB247@gmail.com

Ut-oh ... Accountability check ... Consider Your Ways

Before I get started, I want to speak blessing and insight connecting each one of us to a deeper, higher level of His understanding and application of knowledge in our hearts, minds and lives. 

Father God, Yahweh, Jehovah-Jireh,

I give thanks and praise to you for all you are doing in and through me.  My heart is filled with peace, joy and anticipation for what you have for me today.  With the authority, you have given to me, I speak to my eyes to be open to see, my ears that they may hear, my heart that it may receive and my mind to understand the insight you have for me today.  Thank you for your loving faithfulness.  In Yahweh, Jehovah-Jireh’s name, I pray.  Amen.

Ready or not … here’s my heart for today! 

So, for the past few days I’ve have had the urge to read Haggai.  Our family does the chapter a day with a body of Believers that we fellowship with.  Currently we are in the book of Proverbs which is always filled with wisdom of how to handle specific situations that are presented in life.  It’s a great resource.  This week we also have the added benefit of attending the Greater Faith Conference.  (Click to watch rebroadcast.)  My typical day generally starts around 4 am and ends somewhere between 10:30 and midnight … so this week has been packed even fuller mandating a rest week for many things – which is a concept I need to consider incorporating into my life on a consistent basis.  On top of all this time in the Word and sitting in teaching, I still have the quiet but insistent urge to read Haggai again.  Well, today is the day.  I finally took the time to read it.  I mean … well, it’s only two chapters … but what a timely and appropriate two chapters as we are nearing the completion of the first 10% of 2017 being.  (You know how God feels about the first 10%.  This year has brought awareness of purposed insight into His 10^th portion of my year … I have to admit, I’ve not purposefully lived HIS first 10^th of the previous as well as I could have but thankfully I’m only accountable for what I know and do from the point of awareness.  God’s grace and mercy once again.) 

• So, do you feel like you are …
•  Sowing much but bringing in little or not harvesting at all?
•  Eat, but still hungry, don’t have enough?
•  Drink, but still thirsty?
•  Clothe yourself, but are still cold?
•  Work to earn wages, but there’s holes in your pocket? Your paycheck doesn’t stretch to cover all?

If you find yourself in agreement with even one of these things … many of us are experiencing all the above … then it is time to do as He says and … “Consider your ways!” 

I challenge you to go read the book of Haggai.  This book was written to the people living in Jerusalem and to those who had returned from exile.  It applies to each one of us today.  Those of us living in His created purpose for our lives and those of us returning from wondering from the purpose that He has created us for.    

Talk about accountability check.  If we are experiencing even one of the bullet points above, then we need to stop and check our purposed use of life.  Are we building up our own body, home, business, etc. before we are tending to the Lord’s?  You say, “Yeah but …”.   I totally hear and feel you.  I look at our daily calendar.  Besides having a busy family life, we homeschool.  We have a ministry and two businesses as well as attending HMS School and attending services 14-15 hours a week as well as the bonus of the conference this week which puts us attending a minimum of 29 hours this week.  And yet, I must “Consider my ways.”  I’ve been looking at how and when we can volunteer during our already feeling full schedules.  It appears there’s just no way.  However, the need to serve where we are currently being called to sit under to learn is already on our family’s heart … and now after reading Haggai … any thought of “need for food, drink, clothing, bills, paychecks …” (and with teenage sons …” I’m hungry” or “what’s for dinner?” is plentiful!)  makes me stop and “Consider my ways.”  To look to see what I am doing to “build His temple”. 

It is written in Haggai 2: 18b-19, “from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid – consider it:  Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit.  But from this day I will bless you.”

Okay … so mega WOW enlightenment from something that I’ve read before but obviously ready to see and receive now.  Do you see it?  It is written (and we all know God can only speak truth) that from the day the foundation was laid – Yip! Starting from the day I put first time to serve and volunteer in building up His temple/the fellowship we are mentoring under … that unlocks blessings to pour out over me, our family.  I don’t have to wait for the seed in the barn to be sowed, grown and then be harvested.  I don’t have to wait for the growing season to progress to be the proper time and temperature (Goodness the temperatures are so up and down here in Missouri!  75 degrees one day, 29 degrees the next and today we are heading back into the mid to high 60’s. I’m not even a tree or plant and I’m confused but praising the nice riding weather in the middle of what is called winter!)  for the fruits of the vine or trees to put on buds, produce fruit and ripen.  Nope … God’s blessing starts at the very foundation of DOING.  Based on that Truth, I cannot afford to NOT volunteer a portion of my time to His temple building.  I experience it constantly in my life that when I do what He lays on my heart, everything works together better and the outcome is far greater than what I input when I follow HIS leading.  When I try to meet expectations of others and those I place upon myself without His guidance, it is always far more effort, time, energy, expense and the outcome is no way near the same quality.  So, if I’m feeling lack … it’s an accountability moment to make sure I’m tending HIM first and then myself.  Only then can the scale balance or truly tip in my favor. (Vision a scale with chains suspending plates on each side of the balance point. I'm purposefully loading the plate on His side! Tee Hee I've lived the other side and I'm not going back.) 

So, I challenge you to … “Consider your ways.”

As you proceed in your day and life, it is my desire to bless you with sensitivity to God’s voice.  I call forth your inner spirit to receive this blessing.  Spirit, God speaks in many creative ways, and I bless you with tuning your spiritual ears to him.  Your salvation depended on His voice calling you, and your response to Him was music to His ears.  I bless you with listening with commitment to obey.  I bless you with a hearing spirit and an understanding heart to discern between good and evil.  I bless you with clearing out static and interference so you have clear communication.  I bless you with awakened, deeply cleansed, and alert ears to hear.  I bless you with knowing your Shepherd’s voice.  I bless you in Jesus’ name with the sound of heaven.  So Be It!

It is our desire for you to KNOW God, to share His Word with you but also to share our lives with you in love.  We welcome getting to know you and to be able to love you where you are.  We are honored to support you on your journey to get from where you are to where you want to be. 

Thank you for the investment of your time. 

May you hear and receive what is yours to hear from the sharing of a portion of my insights. 

Be blessed in the Name of the Lord, Yahweh, Jehovah-Jireh.

Created to Serve in Love,

Michelle Wendt

His Beloved, blessed wife and mother

My Father’s Blessing Ministries and Be Healthy His Way Mentor

For our Be Healthy His Way Team – Emotion Study Group:

Today diffusing and using:

Dill, Sage, Melissa, Cool Azul

To support and expand in these areas:

Regard, Self-sufficient, Happiness, Letting God lead, Hope, Purpose,

Unfoldment, Freedom, Mobility, Amusement, Transformation, Truth, Wisdom,

Content, Unconditional love, Openness, Respect, Divinely protected,

Stillness, Forgiveness, Harmony, Connected

To be a part of our Be Healthy His Way Team or purchase products:  www.1111order.com  

To learn more about emotions and essential oils:  www.1111emotions.com

To see great videos about why natural, chemical-free living:    www.MFBOils.com

Contact us for more information:  BeHealthyHisWay@gmail.com

How's your lamp shining?

John 1:6-8 HNV "There came a man, sent from God, whose name was Yochanan [John}. The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light."

We are sent from God as a witness that we might testify about the light, that all might believe through us.  Wow!  What an impact that scripture has made on me.  I, like Yochanan [John] am a lamp that shines the Light [Christ].  So … I have to stop and ask, how am I doing?  How well is my lamp reflecting the light of Christ?  Are others believing because of how I am living my life? my choices? my actions? my love for self? my love for others? my ability to forgive myself? to forgive others? 

What type of lamp light was I created to be?  What type of lamp light am I actually being?  

Here are just a few that have come to mind:

A light controlled by a switch - either fully on or fully off.  

A dimmer light - Either fully off or when on, on at varying degrees of brightness from barely there to full on bright or somewhere in between.  

A hazard flashing light - Only used when there is a problem.

A blinker - on one moment and off the next.  Only used when making a deviation from the path and even then not always being turned on when deviating and making a direction change.

A headlight - If old style - only on when turned on at night (in today's times that's if one remembers to turn it on or someone warns and flashes that we are proceeding without light).  If modern style then we are on all of the time but still primary use is during the night or stormy times to light the way  immediately in front of us on our journey.  We can be low density (which many drive using all the time instead of using the high density bright lights and having to remember to "dim" our headlights when others are approaching.) or high density bright beam lights. 

Christmas lights - All pretty and colorful, either solid or twinkling with part of us on at all times for the season; however once the season is over we are packed away for all the other seasons until our one season comes around again.  

A lighthouse - Shining 24/7 for others to help navigate, giving direction and keeping their paths focused on God, aware of and avoiding snares/traps/dangers.   There for all to use and giving 100% even though you may never know those that were directed by the light that shined through you.  

A search light - Radiant light that pierces the sky to be seen for miles and miles to draw others to come and find out what is the big deal.  We aren't the big deal but our lives reflecting His goodness and greatness through us draw others near so that they can come and meet Him for themselves receiving His salvation,  focusing on Him, believing Him, knowing Him, loving Him, walking with Him, partaking in His fullness.  He is the BIG DEAL.   

I also must ask myself, am I tending my lamp properly and to my best ability?  Am I keeping it in good operational shape - trimming the wick, keeping the oil full, prepared to be lit as He beacons?  Or am I busy running after other things or world busyness that I am too tired or distracted to make sure I am fulfilling the reason I was sent. Am I living such that anyone would see Christ in and through me and choose to believe in Him?  Am I drawing others to Christ or am I part of the attack of the busyness to distract and keep them away from Him?  No matter what, when you stop and look at it, you are either living so others can believe because of you OR you are living so that others are in unbelief and lost.  You're either for or against, there's no fence riding.  What an amazing love and confidence Christ has in us to give us such an impact on all His precious children young and old.  

Honestly, my life in and love for Christ has grown so much during my years; however I can see myself in each of the different types of lights.  I have had to stop, repent and ask His forgiveness for not living up to my best at the different stages of my life.  In this new awareness I strive to live more fully reflecting Him through me so others are not delayed in their belief because of me and my action or lack of action.  I am exhilarated with the simple understanding that I am here to be a lamp testifying of His light so others may come to Him and know Him.  As easy and simplistic as that is, I find myself knowing that every time i achieve my best He will then give me more wisdom and knowledge that will always keep me reaching and obtaining new levels of best in Him.  He will always keep leading me on in great anticipation of new levels of awe all my days as His lamp on this Earth.   I must keep Christ perspective that obtaining our best is a great thing and opens us up to continual new levels of best.  And if I stumble, then I must get up, repent, learn and keep moving forward and upward.   I must make a point to not adopt the world's perspective that we're never good enough no matter how hard we try, that our best just means failure as more is always expected.  For me, it is an awesome promise that He always has more for me so that in my pursuit of knowing Him I will never tire nor reach an end.  I am only limited by what I myself limit myself.  Hmm, to totally understand that fully - that I am the only thing holding me back.    With Him the possibilities and expansion is unlimited!  Thank you God!!  

Insight Hut #123 - What Does Grieving My Mom Your way Lord look life for me?

Today the journey started with healing ministry class at Faith Life Church with Brother Joey Woodward beginning a new teaching on "Hope in God".  Just another fine example that God leads you and gives you the insight teaching He desires to expand in you when you listen and say "Yes" to Him -- even when you don't know what you're fully saying "Yes" too!  It's always, always worth the step of faith to say "Yes".  He's never lead me wrong yet and always gets me out of or through challenges I get myself in to if I lose focus and wander a bit.  I will possibly share more about Brother Joey's teaching - however for clip notes, it covered Colossians 1 entirely and Romans 15:13 and concluded with he and his lovely wife praying with me as God brings this next season of His retreat and healing refuge from a thought (that he gave to Malachi when he was about 2 yrs old and Randy and I about that same time frame too) to a BE.  After the teaching we were speaking and I shared my quest for grieving my mom His Way and my struggle of what that looked like, Brother Joey spoke the word O death where is they sting.  I Cor 15:55.  It rang affirmative with my spirit … there was no sting in my mom's death.

So, after a refreshing rest this afternoon, I now find myself lead to Insight Hut #123.  And lead I was.  There are so many to pick from but every time I tried to settle for another Hut He prodded me on to receive His best or fullness of Insight Hut #123.  As I come up to it I can tell its not been used often.  The leaves are built up more than any of the others.  The table is covered with debris and dust webs from lack of use.  There are at least 10 other Insight Huts in view yet this one stands very much alone.  The trees are mostly young saplings with some mature but not predominant trees.  (Represents those stuck in grief mode?)

It would appear that grieving is a time or season you do alone, possibly in proximity of others grieving but each person is unique in its journey so thus alone.  You can take heart that others have been here before you and may be on the journey now so even though you're alone, you're not truly alone or abandoned.  You can walk your individual journey along side others who are walking their own personal journey.  Just keep your eyes and focus on your journey and don't compare to anyone else's!  Otherwise you might get lost in the journey of grief and stay longer than you should or need or even worse, plant your roots and remain the rest of your earthly days.

The many saplings speak a time of tenderness and newness to me.  This is a new season of life, a new start.  In the case for me its a new season …. of living as His Ambassador in this foreign land without my physical mentor, my nurturer, my comforter … my precious mother.  She's been there for me since before my first breath.  She loved me from the moment she knew God was creating me inside of her.  Okay, her thoughts and words might not have been so loving and kind when she though I was a violent flu; however as soon as she knew it wasn't the flu and wouldn't pass but be in her life for the rest of her life … SHE LOVED ME!!!  What insight and revelation of God's love to me.  Except we went from 1) being His thought to 2) BEing and there was no ill thought of flu, discomfort of sickness, no dread, no icky (technical term) feeling … just pure love, joy and delight at His creation.  Wow!  And I've been honored to be a mom and experience that intimacy of love.  Thank you God, I'm so humbled and will strive more to love fuller my family and those you bring to us to love.

So here I am again … What does grieving my mom Your way Lord look like for me?  I want to get it done and launch fully whole into this new season.  Just like my mom, I chase after Him seeking to please Him and honor Him.

So … if in doubt, look up the definition to identify or define according to some dictionary what the baseline or meaning of the word is -- it even gives you different tenses i.e. noun, verb, past, present, transferal? (I think I missed English that day!)

GRIEF:  to cause great distress or sorrow.

SORROW:  a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others.

DISTRESS:  extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain.

So … here I sit pondering those definitions.  "SORROW: a feeling of deep distress caused by loss ..."  Hmmm, I didn't lose my mom.  I know where she is.  She fulfilled her assignment in this foreign land and was able to return home to hear "Well Done".  "… disappointment …" my mom's life was anything but a disappointment.  Her life walk inspired all (even sometimes when I fathered it didn't).  I experienced moments of sadness while she was till alive when I looked at the challenges of life she lived in, the abuse, the neglect, the sacrifices … but wait!  There's more!!! (And no extra shipping charge either!  God already took care of that fee.)  The Lord brought to mind we either receive our rewards and treasures here on Earth OR we store up eternal rewards and treasures in Heaven.  My mom so got that and choose an eternity of rewards and treasures rather than Earthly ones that break, have be be cleaned, replaced, moved, etc.  "… or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others."  Suffered - yeah she went through some intense pain in the flesh in the final month but her sweetness remained and she endured for  His gain praising Him through the pain and tears.  If you read her obituary then you know her passing had no part of suffering or distress and honestly -- it was so sweet and anointed it brought great joy to both Randy and I that we were witness to her eyes being opened to the Heavens and her pure vocal response in seeing her Savior and Lord, her Comforter, her Provider, her Lover and the wealth of rewards and treasures she honestly in her humility had no clue were awaiting her.

Randy and I were so humbled that He loved us and let us witness it.  That I got to hold her and kiss her goodbye as she prayed / conversed with God in a language only He understands then sang her way into Heaven while I held her physical body that housed her spirit until He received her spirit in His arms with the ultimate, long awaited hug from One who was dearer to her than any other.  No greater love have I witnessed or felt.  Even now these tears I'm shedding are tears of thanksgiving, of being so humbled that He allowed me, little (okay maybe not so much presently) ole me to hold her and hand her over to Him.  The One i know and trust.  The One who loves my mom even more than I.  Suffering or distress?  Absolutely NOT!  It was like receiving top honor or recognition … and I was just being who He created me to be, loving as He poured in to me, tending, serving the mentor He purposefully chose for me.

"DISTRESS:  extreme anxiety …" …. Nope!  We knew where she was going and it's far better than any taste of Heaven she may or may not have had on this Earth.  "…sorrow…" -- Are you kidding me?  Sorrow would have been her being stuck here after her assignment was done.  "… pain." -- We, from our first breath of birth, are guaranteed achieving at least one goal in life and that's death.  We all will accomplish it, the journey on the way is up to us and how well we live out our days on Earth.  So I  knew it was a definite goal and my mom would strive to succeed at it giving Him her absolute best -- which she did.  The only pain I've really experienced is right now and its the chill as the temperature drops and I sit outside writing this wishing I had a blanket or warm fire … but that's not grief related.

So again, I look at the definitions of grief -- the World's definitions.  They don't apply in this situation.  I know my mom and I are just His Foreign Ambassadors doing our assignment here so we can go home. This is just temporary.  I was blessed with a lifetime of her love, mentoring, nurturing, comforting me, encouraging, praying and speaking into my family - my amazing husband and awesome sons - as well as all the spiritual children and people He brought into our lives.  I was given an amazing gift of a little over 22 months to love on, honor and give back to my mom before she completed her assignment.  I played games with my mom, laughed with my mom, cried tears of joy and sorrow, prayed, prayed … and prayed with my mom .  I got to share new levels of light He imparted to me because of the high mantle she achieved and launched me from.  She lead as Jesus lead -- from behind, encouraging, supporting and launching me to be able to do all she knew and could do and even more.  She praised with me and celebrated all God has, is and has yet planned to do in our lives and ministry.  She lived through me.  She dreamed with me.  She laughed with me.  She praised Him with me.  She prayed WITH and FOR me.  I chose to honor her and celebrate her life while she was still living it.  We laughed together.  God allowed me to speak into my mom and right wrong perceptions or false truths that she was under.  We loved together.  We laughter together.  We praised together.  We laughed together.  We prayed together.  We laughter together.  His Joy was not a stranger to us.

When Holy Spirit opened my eyes that my mom had no clue the impact she had on this Earth for His Kingdom -- I began a purposeful celebration of her life by requesting friends and family to express the way my mom impacted their lives.  When the emails, cards, letters, Facebook comments began to come in, we would read them.  She looked at me and asked where all this was coming from and why.  With all the love in my heart I told her that I firmly believed she would benefit more by celebrating and acknowledging the impact she has and had on people's lives  while she was still alive rather than after she was dead.  She laughingly agreed with me.  I firmly believed in Celebrating her while she was with us and could enjoy it and laugh with us rather than later when frankly, she wouldn't care and it wouldn't matter to her.  Sooooo …. CELEBRATE mom we did.  Even during her two days of silent resting in preparation for her end of assignment promotion Holy Spirit lead me to speak all the appreciation and thankfulness for all the things He brought to mind that my mom did.  I had 48 hours of speaking into my mom's spirit and was blessed beyond blessed and could have continued on if time allowed as there was still far more she did but … the eternal rewards and treasures covered the rest.

So,  I'm finding myself thinking there is nothing to grieve.  I have no regrets or uncompleted issues with my mom.  She lives on in and through me.  She is a part of me, my husband and my sons and that is to be celebrated and praised.  I may experience moments of homesickness - but I did that while I was growing up when we were apart and we were always reunited which we will be this time too.  I am choosing to praise and celebrate my mom and laugh with her even while she is at Home waiting for me to get there.

My mom dreamed and prayed with me as God revealed to us His plans of having us steward His yet to come retreat and healing refuge.  I feel my mom's completing her assignment and going Home was/is a gift to our family so we could freely, whole-heartedly go after pleasing God by starting this new season and level of ministry.  It overwhelms me all the plans God has shared, is sharing and reveals and blows me away as I know its just a glimpse of what He has planned if we just continue to say "Yes".  My faith and belief are ever growing because as in every situation in the past, He positions us so He is strongest in our weakness allowing all the glory to go to Him.  We know what and where He is leading we can't obtain or do on our own … but our God whom we love and serve can and already has it covered. We just need to submit ourselves, say "Yes", get out of His way and hang on!  He's always provided and lead us well, far beyond anything we could imagine and He keeps expanding our ability to imagine.  Wow!

Thank you Mom and Thank you God for giving me such a role model to walk out You for me.

Let's CELEBRATE!

                                … And that's How Grieving my Mom HIS WAY looks like for me.

I wonder what Insight Hut He has in mind tomorrow and what the insight will be.  Nothing but joy and anticipation from me!

Expectations verses God’s Will

Good deeds will not get you in to Heaven. Neither does meeting expectations make you in God’s will. Sometimes we are mislead by doing good and meeting expectations of others that we give authority over us (family, friends, bosses, church, organizations, etc) and think that we are in God’s will. When my eyes were opened by God to these travesties in my life it was a plethora of emotions: freeing, disconcerting, disheartening and intense sadness that I had let my Heavenly Father down. In my past I have strived (and still find myself getting caught up in it around certain people/situations) to meet others expectations especially those of my family and church even to the sad exclusion of following God’s leading. Sad to say Satan seemed to be always hitting me with a whammy (or I was doing it to myself or allowing others) as I always seemed to fall short of meeting others “expectations” - family or church. It was never enough, not done their way, etc. It brought on a state of exhaustion and being overwhelmed.

One day in talking with a dear pastor friend of mine, God opened my eyes and showed me how His heart hurt because I was so busy trying to meet others expectations and do what I thought was right (according to expectations placed on me by others & myself) that I was sadly out of His will and purpose for my life. I didn’t have the time, energy, motivation or ability to do what He wanted me to do, called me to do; to minister to whom He placed in my life at that moment; to be willing and flexible to go where His Spirit lead me to go; serve the way He wanted me to serve. My purpose on this earth is to further God’s Kingdom and prosper it. Thus, I’ve got to seek His expectations above all others. Only then will I truly succeed at why He has me here. In seeking God’s will and striving to meet his expectations there is freedom, peace, joy, fulfillment, exhilaration and so much more.

God loves us for giving our all no matter how much or little it is, just as long as it is our ALL. This is not an easy step as the more we yield to God the more of a threat we are to Satan, the more he ups his attacks on us and boy does Satan know our weak areas. The amazingly wonderful thing is that God has got us 100% covered IF we trust in Him. He will fight any and all battles for us if we allow him to, no matter how big or small. He gave us the desire as parents to want to protect and give to our children. This is just a minute glimpse of His heart’s desire to protect and give to us. Just as our children go through the growth stages while preparing for adulthood, we as Christians seeking God’s will also go through the same growth stages with God our Heavenly Father. Our maturity in Christ shows as we develop out of the “2 y.o. I-do-it-myself” mentality into the “I don’t understand but I trust you as you know ALL” mentality.

Take time and examine why you are doing what you are doing today. Does it fit in to God’s will for your life or is it based on an expectation placed by yourself or someone else to keep you busy and miss your appointment that God has scheduled for you today? I challenge you to pull the “weeds” of others expectations out of your garden and only leave the bountiful “plants” of God’s expectations. Then see how much more your harvest is without the “weeds of others expectations” sapping the nutrients from the “God’s expectations plants”. Our God is an awesome God … are you opening yourself up to allow Him to manifest His awesomeness through your lives on a daily basis?