Prayers Answered Daily

May of you know that I very much would like to leave the job I am in at the moment. I would like to move back to Illinois to be closer to my family and friends, to step into a life with more time for a ministry. So many of you have been praying for God’s plans, clarity, doors to be open. I also know Many Many Many Many prayers have been said on my behalf that my current job would get better, easier. You have been praying I would have favor. You have prayed that the stress would decrease. You have prayed many wonderful things.

I need you to know that he has answered them and does so daily. Though I do not always get along with my new boss (the fourth in less than 2 years,) she works hard and supports me and our team in many ways. I was able to hire a supervisor who reports to me that has significantly decreased my work load. It has been so lovely. I have also had a lot of unexpected and unexplained favor with many people across the city in high positions. I have been allowed to train many other staff members on the on call rotations I serve on so I am on call every five weeks instead of two and only a half dozen times a year with the “bigger” on call phone which used to be every 2 or 3 weeks.

Many of the items I wished to accomplish to improve operations when I first took the job, are nearing completion and I could not be more proud of my staff and team for coming so far. Legislation I helped draft is finally in effect and being implemented.

I am in awe.

At first I didn’t want to talk about this, to say it out loud. If God is making my current job easier, more enjoyable…maybe he wouldn’t be moving me on. Maybe I wouldn’t be leaving and I so very much want to leave.

Thank you God that your mercies are new every morning and there is no condemnation or condescension for my having forgot who you are. Your promises.

See a couple years ago in the thick of things and facing losing my job and verbal assault for failure at unrealistic expectation (literally “no sleeping or eating 24/7”) when I was on call every two or three weeks for 7 days at a time answering a phone that on some nights rang every 30 minutes. In the most intense times of this job, God reminded me on a regular basis about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego and many many times about Daniel in the Lion’s Den.  He promised me through scripture, tongues, his presence, and his assurance to shut the mouths of Lion’s and he DID many times!

Why now do I doubt that he could be shutting the moths of Lions, giving me favor with the kings (queens/managers) AND planning my escape?

Why do I think he is so small that he can’t do it all!?!

Praise to the King of Kings, the maker of heaven and earth, my father!!

He answers prayers daily. He answered your prayers for me. He is answering my prayers. I am walking through his mercy, power, abundance, grace, love, patience daily and no one could ever satisfy me so.

Colossians 1 9-12 MSG: “……. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.”

SO TRUE

His Harvest

I have suddenly remembered that the word harvest doesn't usually get defined in manner which relates it specifically to only one crop. There are many different crops which can be harvested. Not just corn or wheat. Perhaps not just souls. I then decided to look online for some “Webster’s” definitions. Two interesting findings: Harvest can mean a mature crop or productive result.

God is bringing me to a place where his harvest across the world is becoming more and more important, I think about it more, I want it more, I’m focused more. This only happened after a deep harvest he has sought inside me and as he continues the harvest in me. A mature crop. As his work continues, his harvest around me becomes more clear and impressed upon my heart. I want people to know him.

To know his goodness. To know his simplicity. To know his abundance. To know his sweetness. To know his jealousy over and for them.

To know the beauty of his presence, how he inhabits our praises.

I crave to see and experience moments where he not only receives a harvest of souls, but a harvest of deep, intimate, intentional, overflowing, invigorating, expressive praise pouring out from his people and all his creation. People jumping for him, shouting his goodness, dancing with delight, falling to their knees, and offering tender surrender and adoration with their tears. A productive result.

Dear Lord,

In whatever way you can, please use me to inspire the pouring out of our energy, time, focus, talents, joyful noise, and adoration onto you.

The daughter crazy in love with you.

In the name of Jesus.

I am forever and always yours!

Finding God in All Things

     The turn of the year has created a turn in my heart and mind. I have to say I am in love with it. God has placed a spark in me recently to passionately seek him in all things; to notice him and be reminded of his spirit and truth all around me. He has also made my heart, minds, eyes, ears, etc tuned to catch these things.

Childlike Faith/Following Christ

     A friend talked this morning about her very young child and they walk without any idea where they are going. Basically, as a mother attempting to safeguard and keep up, this was a concern as they are never looking for any dangers. Immediately all I could think about is what a cool visual that was for how we should follow Christ!  If, when Christ says go, we would take off walking and not worry about where our foot was going to land. To have such an innocent and lack of awareness of possible worries that we could remain focused on the action alone! We could stay focused on the go and not the terrain, directions, or the destination! Wow! Love it!

Defining Yourself (and others) Through the Word of God/Do Not Judge

     I was speaking with a wonderful woman who shared a simple story about a recent day she had. She described that she was running an errand and had to pick up a bottle of something from the store. She got to the aisle and studied carefully between two products and picked up the one she wanted, paid for it, and left. Only to later discover that somehow she had picked up a bottle of the other brand by mistake and bought the wrong one. While eating lunch with my grandparents, my grandparent started eating their pie and was quite surprised that they had a piece of peach pie. They looked at the label on the package and exclaimed “I thought sure I grabbed the apple pie.” All I could think of was how we so often take quick and rushed looks at circumstances and characteristics in ourselves and/or others and we place a definition on them/ourselves, we buy into it, purchase the lie. All the while we have failed to read the true description.  Our true description comes from the word of God. We are not defined forever by the action we did in the heat of a moment nor are we changed by the “size up” we got by someone else. When my grandparent said they had apple pie the pie didn’t turn into apple. It was peach. Your definition was laid out in the word of God long before anyone or even you have tried to speak any other definition. Likewise, the person you tend to have choice words to describe was described by God before you had the ability to even think. Oh how amazing would it by if we stopped purchasing the wrong things! We have already been paid for anyway.

Side note: I am convinced that this is also his way of giving me a little extra, sustaining me, and giving me a small glimpse of what it will be like to have my dreams and desires, which you may know, if you have been following along on my journey and other posts. He is such a generous God! I fall so much more in love with him every day!