The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

2 Kings 25:10

Have you ever thought, Maybe God is allowing my comfort to break down all around me so the only thing I have to trust in is Him?!

It’s hard to think that God’s chosen people got to a place that was so far from God that he released his hand of protection and allowed the Babylonians to lay siege to the land. Yet they did, and the Babylonian army tore down all the walls that protected Judah, the walls that surrounded Jerusalem, the place where the Holy Temple stood. The army took all the people of Judah captive but left a remnant of poor people to work the land. Essentially, The Babylonians destroyed the Israelites pride and took away the prideful of the land, but left those that were humble to help rebuild it.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18

The thing is….what God allowed to happen to Judah, he still allows today. When we get too prideful…when we begin to trust in our own strength and ways…when we give Glory to ourselves and not God…our comfort, our protection, our walls will eventually fall and we will be overtaken. The consequence for our sin against God is to fall from Grace.

Pride will tumble to the earth and turn to ash, but Praise be to God, He can bring Beauty from our ashes.

No matter how far we fall from Grace, we have a Savior who is full of Grace and Mercy that will heal our land, restore our walls, and bring life back to dry bones. But the funny thing is, we first have to fall from our pride to be humbled and the humbled He will Magnify.

I’ve watched it happen over and over again, but until we realize we’re fallen, until our pride hits the ground, we can’t find healing in the Lord. We must lay down our selfish ambitions to take up our cross. We can’t fully Trust God until we fully lay down our life and let Him take control to let Jesus RESTORE us.

My walls fell years ago, 22 to be exact. All The thoughts I had of myself dropped off and God began the rebuilding process. He is the potter and we are the clay, and He began remaking me and molding me into a broken but beautiful jar that is able to shine His Glory through my cracks. He’s been piecing me together, healing all my inner hurts day by day. Now don’t misunderstand Me there’s still a whole lot of brokenness in this vessel, but there is also so much health. And one day, sooner than you think, I will be fully healed and this body and Spirit fully restored standing before Jesus in Heaven. Oh, What a wonderful day that will be, no more broken walls, no walls at all, just pure freedom to Worship Him.

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did — with all his heart and all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

2 Kings 23:25

Tucked away in the back of the temple lay a book that generations of kings had never seen or read. But as King Josiah was looking for treasure to mend the temple, his high priest found the Book of the Law of Moses, the Word of God. This wasn’t the treasure he was looking for, but as it was read to King Josiah, his heart began to change and be transformed. He completely turned from all the wicked ways before him and forged a new path that was completely following the Lord.

All my life I’ve been drawn to the Word of the Lord. As a child I’d grab that little red Bible from the second shelf with the sequin heart on the top and my name engraved in the corner. I’d open and read it and find peace in my heart for the hurt I was feeling. As a teenager, I’d grab the teenage Bible with relatable stories of the things I was going through that would point me to scripture on how to deal with my current situations. And as a newly wed, unsure of how to be a wife or mother, I dug even deeper into the Word to find Wisdom and Guidance to turn me from my way of thinking to God’s way, the better way. The more I dug in, the more God spoke to me and transformed my heart. The more my heart was transformed the more my mind was transformed, and my life took a totally different path fully following the Lord.

I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for the transformation God did in and through His Word into me. You know what even more amazing….Satan, the slithering snake, continues to try and whisper lies into us, but as I go to God’s Word everyday, He continues to speak to my heart, leading and guiding me with His wisdom and knowledge, filling my anxious heart with peace, helping me to grow the fruits of the Spirit, revealing to me His Truth, Love, Mercy, and Grace.

This is available for you to. His Word may be hidden in the corner of a room you’ve forgotten about, tucked away in a box in one of your moves, maybe you lost it at some point, but thankfully, many bookstores, including Amazon, have it for sell. It’s worth it. The Word of God is a treasure that will speak to your heart and transform your life. Go get it, read it, and fully dig in.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6:6

God is after your heart, not your head and hands.

God wants you to love him first and foremost, and out of your love for him, your heart be transformed and your actions be changed. He’s not looking at us and saying, ‘OK, I’ve saved you, now what are you going to do for me?’

Instead, he’s watching us to see how salvation has transformed us from the inside out, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Not an overnight transformation, but I slow pressing, stain, beating our way out of the cocoon to beauty.

Gods not waiting to see what we do for him, but how we truly love him and show our love for him through our natural actions and reactions to the world around us. When what we do is forced, you can see that it is in our own power, but when what we do is from his love, there is a peace and joy in the doing of it.

The Glory of God will shine through us when what we do is from the heart.

How do we know his heart and how does our love for Him grow? By knowing Him more. And how do we know Him more? We build a relationship with Him, a personal relationship, that takes US seeking Him and speaking to Him. Just like getting to know a person we have to learn about them and we can learn more about God by READING the Word of God. It’s personal and it’s transformational. Then our hearts will be changed, then we will grow closer to Him.

So what does God want from each of us? Micah 6:8 in The Message explains it so sweetly:

“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously — take God seriously.”

Love God with all your Heart, and let Love shine forth through the actions of your Head and Hands, your Words and Actions.

She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavish on her the silver and gold – which they use for Baal.

Hosea 2:8

In all our striving, we tend to forget where our gifts come from.

I’ve been given so many gifts over my lifetime. Some come in the form of things, some as talents, some as people, then there’s time, words, peace, and so much more. And I always cherish and love each gift I’m given, but when I receive these gifts, I tend to focus in on the excited giver, the hand it comes from, that special person, the stranger, or sometimes I see myself. Yet in seeing these people and the gifts they give, many times I forget to recognize the main giver of all gifts, and how he hasn’t just giving me the gift but also the gift of the hands who have given them to me.

From my own hands, I should thank him for how he created me and not just condemn the me I see in the mirror. In the hands of the stranger, I should recognize his creation and the work he’s doing in others all over the earth. And my favorite, the hands of those who truly care for me, how God has blessed me with the gift of each of them. All very different, all unique, and all the picture of his love for me.

Behind every gift, everything we receive, there is the initial giver and then there’s the main giver of all. When we recognize him, when we give thanks to him in all things, we receive an abundance of joy in all of life through a chain of gratefulness poured into our heart.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being the giver, gift-giver, of all things in my life. Allow me to not just see the gift, but those that give it and ultimately you who give all to me. Let me always recognize and give thanks for you and your love for me in everything, and in all things. Amen

But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.

2 Kings 13:23

No matter what we do, no matter how far we’ve gone, if we are a child of God, his life for us will NEVER end.

Judah and Israel, two separate kingdoms but one family. Both kingdoms come from the lineage and covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but only Judah is from the house of David. The kings Of Judah are mostly Faithful to the Lord but the kings of Israel all follow the path of sin away from the Lord. Yet in all of this, in all their sin and evil deeds, God still has compassion on them, he still loves him because of his covenant, his promise, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Now let’s fast forward to 33AD, the time of Jesus, the Son of God, who walked the earth, died a horrendous death on a cross, and rose again to save us from our sins and give us Eternal Life. Not only that, but all who believe and trust in Jesus become heirs with him into the family of God.

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29

Oh my goodness, over these past 41 years I’ve rode the roller coaster of Judah’s kings and I’m sure I’ve sometimes smelled of Israel, but I’m grateful that since I was a wee-child, I have loved me some Jesus. My faith in Jesus has never ceased, it’s only grown. And in that growth my love for him has grown even more. I’ve made mistakes, I know them all too well. Like Paul, I’ve sometimes felt like the chief of sinners, but because of Jesus, God’s mercy, grace, and above all love for me has NEVER ended.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

This same promise goes for you. If you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there is nothing and I mean nothing, that will ever take God’s love for you away.

Because of His GREAT AND UNENDING love for me, my birthday wish for this year AND the years to come, is to walk even more faithfully in his love, to be an example of Jesus to everyone, and to be salt and light to my family, friends, community, and the world. This is my Wish, until the day when I meet Him face to face, to live faithfully on the Promise of being a Child of God.

Thank you for the Birthday Wishes! I TRULY LOVE YOU ALL!

When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

2 Kings 9:22

How can we expect to see change if we ourselves haven’t changed or created change?

Let’s start here – with sin there is no peace. Sin causes pain and pain doesn’t perpetuate peace. But when we turn from sin and turn toward the way of God we experience peace. You see, turning is a changing of direction, it’s a leaving of one thing to go in another direction.

Joram was the son of Jezebel, and Jezebel was evil. She did evil things to people, and she worshiped all kinds of gods and idols. Anything but peace came around Jezebel. Her son, the king of Israel, had the opportunity to demolish all of her idol worship and witchcraft, yet he didn’t. He didn’t even try. So when Jehu was coming at Israel with force, and Joram asked whether he was coming in peace, Jehu knew the only peace they would experience would have to come through change.

When our life seems chaotic, when we feel like we just can’t keep going in the direction we are heading, we probably need to make a change.

*Maybe you always feel chaotic because you bring work home with you. – Leave work at work because tomorrow will come.

*Maybe you always feel like you are doing laundry, picking up around the house, yet you always have more clothes and more stuff. – Look through your things and begin giving away to those in need the things you don’t need.

*Maybe you and your husband never seem to be able to have a peaceful conversation because you are always trying to talk in the heat of an argument. – Schedule time every day when you are both at peace to communicate about what’s going on in your lives.

*Maybe your kids are running in 10,000 different directions and you literally feel like you’re driving insane. – Help them to decide what’s most important and make changes accordingly. This will begin helping them find peace in their own lives as well.

There are so many things we can change so that we are able to find peace in our life, but we have to be willing to make those changes.

You know one of my favorite changes I implemented in my life years ago that has brought me so much peace? Cutting my morning sleep so I can wake before my family to spend time with God in prayer, reading the Word, and writing in my journal.

Do you come in peace? Maybe it’s time you make some changes to find the peace you’d like to see.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servants eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:16-17

If only our eyes can see all the work God is doing all around us; then we wouldn’t fear the Call and/or Battle in front of us.

We may not be able to see the work that he’s doing, the angels he’s placed around us, but we can trust that he’s there. We can trust in the truth that God has set before us by seeking his truth, by opening our eyes to see Him.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

We can open our eyes to see the Lord by opening our Bibles to read the Word. The work God has done and is doing is written in the Word because He is the Word and the Word is still alive and active.

For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates to even dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Are you afraid right now? Are you anxious? Do you have a decision to make? Are you trying to find the way to go? If you want to know where to start or if you are heading in the right direction, if you want to know what God wants from you, Go to the Word, Start there.

He’s at work all around you. He’s already has the way for you to take and he’s guarding you along the path. So open your eyes to see him, even when you can’t see the work he’s doing because he will guide you, protect you, and turn you as you seek Him in his Word.

In the words of King David: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:1-6

“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see You. I want to see You” – Paul Baloche

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slave.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

2 Kings 4:1-2

Are you distressed right now and see no way out? God sees you, cares for you, and will use what little you feel you have for a bigger picture in His masterpiece.

God truly cares for all those who are hurting. He desires to breath life back into their bones. He wants to provide a way where they see no way.

He calls to us, even when we don’t hear him. He beckons us forward, even when we don’t see the way.

God longs to fill us with Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love if we will just walk in obedience no matter how menial the task.

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.”

2 Kings 4:3

When we truly seek Him we will not be disappointed. We will trust in what we do not see. When we slow down enough to pray we will be met by His Presence. We will experience His peace in every storm.

He will fill us to overflowing when all we see is the little we have. He can take our small gift and make it grand.

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.”

2 Kings 4:5

God truly cares so much for all He created, You, because He created little “u” to be in the mix of His BIG P. u. R. P. O. S. E.

We need to stop looking at our flaws, failures, trials, and “minimal” gifts as worthlessness, and realize that God put in us and placed around us everything we need to be just the right piece of His Masterpiece.

She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

2 Kings 4:7

God cares for you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. He sees a bigger picture, the BIGGER picture, where your little piece completes His Masterpiece.

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

1 Kings 19:11a

Sometimes to fully experience the presence of God you’ve got to step into the unknown.

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

1 Kings 19:11b-12

God called Elijah to stand on the mountain so he could experience his full presence, but Elijah stayed hidden in the cave. Something like a tornado passed by, then an earthquake, then an all consuming fire, but God wasn’t in those. Finally God revealed himself in a gentle whisper and Elijah stepped out of the cave.

The a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:13

God asked Elijah what he was doing. It was probably much more of a, “Why are you hiding? Don’t you remember all I’ve done for you and through you? Why are you afraid to step out?” Elijah have been hiding in the cave because he was too afraid to stay on the path got had for him. The path was hard, but God had proven himself over and over again in miraculous ways as Elijah was going. Elijah just need encouraged to keep moving forward to fully experience all got had for him. He just needed to tap into that courage by remembering all God had already done.

Over the past two weeks my most fearful child, stepped into tryouts for a team at her future high school. On the first day she had no idea what she was doing but she fell in love with it and came home ready to do whatever it took. Every waking hour as long as she wasn’t at school, she practiced twirling a baton and reviewing every routine. Whether she made the team or not her dad and I were already so proud of her because she stepped into the unknown with courage and determination.

As we prayed before she went into her official auditions yesterday, we prayed not that she would make it, but that she would SHINE for Jesus, that she’d utilize all the GIFTS God had given her, and that she TRUST in God’s plan whether she made it or not.

This daughter has been through many trials, she’s seen a lot in her short life so far, but more than that she’s experience God in all of it. My sweet Hannah found courage to step into the unknown.

Congratulations Hannah on becoming a Lakeland High School Majorette! You’re dad and I are so proud of you, but we were proud of you before you even made the team! Go Dreadnaughts! 🧡⚓️

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

1 Kings 18:38

Elijah, just saying the name reminds me of “The Lion King”, one of my all-time favorite Disney movies. Do you remember the scene where the hyenas are in the elephant graveyard and just at the speaking of the name Mufasa they would jump? I have a feeling that’s how King Ahab felt when anyone mentioned Elijah’s name. Ahab was an evil king who worshipped only Baal, and turned all the people to Baal worship as well.

Elijah, the name alone means, “the Lord is my God”, and he was a faithful prophet that brought the news of a great drought on the land. God placed Elijah in the kingdom at this time to try and get his people to turn back to him. So, as everyone is thirsting for water, Elijah has all the people meet him on Mount Carmel. He tells the Baal worshipers to pick their sacrifice, set up their wood, and call for Baal to set it on fire. The people call and call, they begin hurting themselves out of ritual, but nothing gets fire to come down from heaven. Then Elijah, he gets the leftovers. He gets the bull nobody wanted, the wood they passed over, and then pours gallons of water over the entire altar to saturate the sacrifice. Once he’s done, Elijah steps forward and prays that God would answer him and set fire to the sacrifice, so that all the people would know the Lord and turned back to him. And immediately the fire of God falls from heaven on the sacrifice and burns up the entire altar and even licks up the water in the trench.

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “the Lord he is God! The Lord he is God!”

1 Kings 18:39

We have a tendency to worship many idols: money, fame, attention, people, drugs, love, social media, phones, time, fun, you name it. But we can’t figure out why, while doing so, it never seems to fulfill our deepest needs. It’s because the only thing we should worship is the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. How do I know? Like Elijah, the proof is in the pudding. I’ve seen, felt, and experience the fullness of life and the provision of all I need when he was all I had.

Whenever I chase after an idol I find anxiety, a constant thirsting for something yet unable to find any water that quenches. But whenever I chase after God I find Abundant Life, overflowing water that quenches my thirst and hydrates me to my deepest core.

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:13-15