Don't Abort Your Baby!

Jacob, the dreamer, as he was lovingly called by his brothers has taught those of us whom God has conceived a promise in one thing: be careful who you share your dreams with.

Not everyone connected to you has the ability to understand or appreciate the plans God has for you and your life. Especially if what you are pregnant with has the ability to effect what they have going on in their lives. 

Joseph shared with his brothers two visions. Visions that clearly revealed that he would one day rule over them. Unwilling to accept the plan that God in all His Sovereignty had set in motion, Joseph's brothers set out to kill him. And believe it or not my beloved, there maybe those closest to you who desire to kill what God has conceived in you. But fear not, God's word does not and will not return to Him void. 

So why the warning? Because if we are not careful we will assume the wrong posture when the attack comes.  When the enemy sets in motion the plan to destroy your seed. How will you respond? Will you go quietly as Jesus, like a lamb to the slaughter? Or will you go kicking and fighting. 

It is my prayer that you will assume the right position. That despite what's being thrown at you or how you are being hindered, you will not forget what God has told you. You shall deliver your baby! Amen

Disconnecting, So my family can Reconnect!

It's with me 24/7 and I have even turned around my car when I realized I've left it. One click and I've found it. It's my calendar, my personal assistant, my secret keeper, my photo box and my go to when ever I'm in doubt. I bet it didn't take you long to realize I'm talking about my cell phone. 

I use to scoff at those who couldn't seem to live without it, especially those whose face seemed to be glued to the screen. Now I am her and she is me. I am the present but absent wife who finds her Facebook timeline more interesting than her husband. I am the mother who can't seem to fully comprehend the request of her children because of my most recent text. I am she, who waist hours in an already time capped life span, living vicariously through the posts of others. 

Well today I say, enough of this nonsense! It's time for me to power down so my family can reconnect and I can get back to living the connected life God meant for me to have. 

From this day forward, I will power down when I get home. This means my phone, my IPad, my Apple Watch and any other electronic device will be shut down and I will focus 100% of my time on those before me: my family. The time I spend with my face in my phone can never be recovered and in the process I will have missed my children grow from boys to men. I will have missed my husband's desire to just be the most important person in the room to me at the time.  

According to a recent study completed earlier this year the average adult spends eight hours and 41 minutes on an electronic device. That's more than some adults sleep at night. Not to mention that four in ten adults will wake in the middle of the night just to check their phone. And that not all, we will spend more time at the table on our phone than eating dinner, breakfast or lunch. In short, it is the first thing we do, what we do all day and the last thing we do before we go to bed. 

So what does all this mean? It's time to power down. Cell phones have replaced authentic connectedness with an artificial one. People no longer talk to each other at dinner. Instead we text those not in attendance. The family room is now empty as our children skip off to their respective places in the house to chat with the many friends they have connected with online. While mom and dad sit next to each other in bed playing with their phones. Stopping occasionally to share a post or video they found interesting. 

Will it be difficult? Of course! I have lived this false sense of existence for far to long to think that overcoming it will be easy. But I will, and I will no because I do not have to go at this alone. I will pray and invite Jesus to help me. 

Will you stand with me on this? Will you disconnect, so that you and your family can connect? 

Getting in Our Own Way

The temple in Jerusalem had several courts and each court was reserved for a particular group of people. If you were a Gentile, you belonged to the outer court, which was the very same court others used to gain access to their particular court. 

When Jesus came to the temple, He found the people buying, selling and cheating the brethren in the outer court. The very place reserved for the Gentiles. What was His response? He cleansed the temple! 

Why? Because His house was to be called a house of prayer for ALL NATIONS! Unlike those, who were of the seed of Abraham, the Gentiles were in a bad place. They could not pray and offer sacrifices to the Lord in their court and they could not go into the court of another to do so. 

Do you see the problem with this? The people could not do what they had come to do. For them the temple wasn't the house of prayer that they heard it would be; and it was all because of the activities of those who were already members of the Lord's family. 

Today our churches are have become the modern day temple of Jerusalem; filled with distractions that neither edify nor instruct God's people. The people come Sunday after Sunday in search of a Word from the Lord and leave empty handed. And as a result of this, they cannot go any further. They cannot experience the power that resides within Him. 

God is saying, enough of this madness! It is time for you to return to your first Love. It's time for you to get reacquainted with Me. There is so much I have to show you and so much I have need to do through you, but you're distracted. 

Therefore my beloved, pray for a revival. Pray that the people turn from their wicked ways. Pray that the people will go further in Me and as a result, experience the healing, delivering, yoke breaking power that only I can bring. Amen