Contagious Generosity (Day FIVE-30 Day Challenge)

Good morning all!

It is Thursday…which you know means it is almost Friday. More importantly…we are one day closer to SUNDAY! Do you love Sundays?!?! I just love them. I get to spend Sundays with some pretty amazing people. I am so excited and blessed that God has brought me to my church. I thank Him often, as I am blown away by their generosity. And I don’t just mean financial generosity or tangible gifts. There are people within the walls of my church that are teaching me, by example, to be generous with my time. They make themselves available whenever ministry happens. These people I am blessed to know are generous with their encouragement. They are generous with their affection. They are generous with their covering of prayer. They are generous with their blessings. Generosity comes in so many different avenues!

The main road from which ALL avenues of generosity should stem…is the heart. Willingly AND happily giving because God has asked, is not a pre-requisite. IT SHOULD BE…but you are surely ABLE to give with the wrong heart condition. You can give a compliment and expect a return. You can hold out the blessing God has asked for you to give, with a hand clenched, and a icy glare. Almost challenging the recipient to dare take that which God has instructed you to give to bless them. We can always mess up God’s blessing. Think about this though…

Let’s pretend that you are asked to bless someone with a financial/tangible gift. You do it…but your heart is NOT into it. You give begrudgingly. You talk behind the recipients back about how they should’ve been smarter with their finances. You hold your hands out. One with the blessing. One with your own expectation. A return. You are waiting for the groveling at your feet. For the million pleading thank you’s. And if your unspoken expectations are not met…you deem them ungrateful.

What, besides the obvious heart issue, is wrong with that mentality? Why is it even something we should try to remedy? YOU. ARE. THE. ONE. THAT. IS. CHOOSING. TO. NOT. BE. BLESSED! When you, with the right heart, bless someone with words of affirmation, gifts, meals, time, prayers, etc…you ARE blessed in return. When you aren’t expecting it because you are ‘entitled’…I promise it will absolutely floor you. It is all about your heart condition. We give generously because God does not hold back. His scale is already tipped one way on what He deserves compared to what we do. His resources are nothing like ours. We give as He leads…because we trust HIM! If we don’t give when
He asks…I would say not only is it a heart issue that MUST be addressed…it is also a trust issue.
Can God replace what He has already given you if He asks you to give it up? YES! That might be the whole point of the blessing. A teachable moment! He can use anything to stretch us in our faith/trust.
Are we willing to change? I pray so!

Let’s look up some verses to help prove God’s point for today. I don’t want you to take MY word for it. Dive into HIS! Don’t set out to prove me wrong…set out to prove Scripture to be right and relevant in your heart of generosity.

“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly(which means excessively), but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:24-25  Keep giving when God leads. Keep blessing with right heart motives. God promises you WILL be taken care of. You will be refreshed. You will gain even more. Those are the inspired Words of God…not of Vanesa! Unfortunately I don’t have the resources to give all that this world needs…but, thankfully, I have access to someone who absolutely DOES! And maybe, just maybe, the gift you give is not at all about the gift. Maybe, instead, it is about showing the heart of Christ to someone who is silently struggling. Maybe this small act of obedience on your part is meant to be a turning point for the person receiving it. Maybe they are just waiting for someone to truly and openly live the heart of Christ before they themselves become sold out for Him.

You see little. God sees ALL. Who’s perspective do you trust?! Let’s set up a picture in your mind.

You know how I LOVE to do that. I want this to stick! I don’t want it to be easily forgotten!! Put yourself at the top of the Grand Canyon. Place a camera in your hand. Put your eye up close to the teensy-weensy view window. Put your head down and focus on one of your own feet through the eye of the camera. You can see only where you are standing at that moment. You can’t see the next step. You don’t know where you might stumble. You can’t see the beauty that comes after years of shaping. You don’t know where danger is. You don’t know what lies ahead…because you only see your own focused, little path. One shoe. Tattered. Beaten. Tired. How can you take a step of faith to give, what you have been given mind you, when you don’t KNOW what is to come?

Now take the camera down to your side. Look up. Open your eyes to the beauty that lies ahead. Trust that even though you don’t know how to shape this impossible rock…you know One who does. He’s not asking you to figure it out. He’s not even asking you to try. He’s asking you to trust. Give freely…and trust without question. You see little. God sees ALL and it is beautiful!

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:17-18

We can’t allow the world to out-give us. Some of the most generous people I know are spiritually lost. =( How sad that makes me for them…and also for the example that we, the church, are not living up to. I understand that this not a competition. I’m not trying to make it out to be. How can we expect the world to learn Godly generosity without an example? Notice the title of today’s post. Contagious generosity. I would say the opposite side of this coin is infectious hoarding.

John 3:6 says, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Radical generosity is contagious! It is exciting! It is humbling. When you listen to the Holy Spirit that lives within you…it gives new birth to that generous mentality in others. OR…you stay in your flesh. You withhold. You talk about how you had to work hard for what you have…and you deserve to be comfortable. And those words, that mentality give birth to others to live in the flesh. To only see in the natural. You choose what type of birthing coach you want to be. Choose carefully. Choose wisely. One will bless you. One will keep you stagnant and in wanting.

Extravagant generosity. What causes a Christian to be just that? Extravagantly generous! Simple. God. They are concerned with pleasing God. They are concerned with giving back to God what He has blessed them with. It is the anonymous man who walked into the Christian Academy that my children attend for grade school. He asked a simple question. “What is the amount needed to pay off your newly finished school building?” He wrote one check. He had extravagant love for children he might never meet. That is the type of generosity that is contagious. He did not require a plaque in his honor. He quietly and confidently offered a check written out with six figures (BEFORE the .00)... to bless a community of the next generation. You do not have to compete. If someone like this man wanted it to be about the amount for competition…I would know his name. Instead, I am clueless. I am thankful. I aspire to be that faith-filled with my abundance!

How can you be contagiously generous today? It doesn’t have to cost you a dime…but it may. =) My family and I were the recipients of MANY MANY blessings last week. I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God! I was humbled at the specific gifts that God gave. I was floored by the them all. Each of them surpassed the need…and even covered what I hadn’t even asked God for. He saw the need…and He raised me a few wants. Lol! So this week…will I choose to let that generosity be contagious? Or will I let it die? Will I let that Spiritual blessing give birth to the out flowing of many more spiritual blessings?

I command contagious generosity in all forms to flow freely in/through me this week! I want people to know that I adore Christ when they meet me! I’m praying for you to have opportunities just as I am me. I want divine appointments to be evident to you. I’d love to hear about them too!!! Please?! Ha-ha! Until then…love to love ya!

Who do you Spend your Mornings With? (Day FOUR-30 Day Challenge)

“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” Isaiah 50:4

We’ve all felt it. The nudging of God. That gentle conviction to do what we ought OR ought not. Annnndddd…we’ve all ignored it, doubted it, suppressed it. So what is one of the most common refusals? (Purely in my opinion…and probably based solely on MY own past.)

It is the whisper of God to your heart…

”Wake up My child. Meet with Me. I want to teach you. I want to send you out on your day filled to overflowing so that I am what people see and hear from you. I want you to have something to offer to the lost and broken. Wake up. The war still continues while you sleep. I am waiting to fine tune your fight. When you leave me out of your morning, you sometimes forget I AM the solution. Each trial of your day, I LONGED to conquer. Each frustration you took on yourself, I WANTED. Invite Me FIRST when you awaken. I will give you the joy and strength to finish each day. Wake up!”

This is the whisper, that feeling in your gut, that I believe to be most commonly ignored. I’m not saying I’ve done a world-wide study or anything. I just know in my life, I have good intentions each night…and a snooze button in the morning. I am excited and determined when i set my alarm…but something happens while I slumber. I remember hearing a professor speak during my first week at Geneva College. He set this exact scenario that we have each day. Your alarm goes off to wake up for that class you chose at 8am and you have a split second decision. You either choose to get up…or turn the alarm off. No one is making you get out of bed as a freshman in college. What is ONE skipped class? What is ONE lesson missed? Again. And again. And again. Those choices add up.

The same goes with mornings without God. Choosing to leave Him out…it adds up. What does it matter if you choose sleep…just one day? And then another? Habit. Bad habits are easily formed because they usually fall right in line with the sinful nature that we were born with. Just because we claim ‘this is how I was born’…does not mean that it is how we were meant to stay. You may have been born with anger issues, selfishness, lack of compassion…but you were CREATED for more. You were created to overcome your weaknesses. And when you choose to do so…you are claiming victory over ‘I was born this way’ sinful nature in Jesus Name!

“Why are mornings so important? Why can’t it be night instead?! I’m more of a night person. I hate waking up early.” Been there…said all of that. Read again the verse in Isaiah that I started today’s post with. “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to KNOW the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” How different would your days be if you allowed God to instruct your tongue. Oh how I could use that some days. Uh…I mean ALL days!

How are you going to know the Words of life that will sustain your weary self? Your friends? Your colleagues? Your family/children? Your church? By studying! Do your days usually go ‘as planned’? I know that once my family is awake…my days seem like a crazy race to bedtime. Lol! They rarely…and I dare say…NEVER go as I plan. My only chance to be sure that I have quiet time with my King is to awaken while they snooze. Don’t feel like you must follow my example…but let us find One worthy of following…

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” Mark 1:35   I’m not asking you to wake up and leave your house to pray. I am challenging you to leave your bed. Set your coffee pot the night before. Buy yourself some yummy creamer. Make your morning easy and desirable. Set out your Bible and the devotional of your choosing. Find a new journal that makes you WANT to write out your prayers and revelations. Be willing to stick with what works…and change what doesn’t. Your routine doesn’t have to be so…routine. Some days I wake up and know that I am to write a letter to someone on my heart. I still pray. I still seek verses while I write. But I make myself available to whatever God asks of me…when I wake up! So why don’t I? I LOVE SLEEP! But…I LOVE my Savior more…and I am setting out to prove that with my daily actions. =)

How about these verses found in Luke 6:12-13a, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him…” Has that ever happened to you? You wake up in the middle of the night with a sudden urgency to pray. What do you do? Way TOO MANY times I tried to fake my way through it…God and I both knew I was fading quickly. Then what? I would wake up and head off on my day and find out something was going on in the middle of the night that could’ve used my prayers. GAHHHH!!! Why do I choose sleep over Christ? Why?! Am I learning from my mistakes…or am I just living in the shadow of their guilt?

What is God calling to you? You are His beloved. You are His chosen. You are an Heir to the Throne of Christ. Much is required of you…because you have something worth seeking. You have something worth sharing. You have everything! Figure out what your time is. Figure out a consistent time to dive into God. Consistent. That is key. Bad habits are easily formed. They take no work. They are natural. The fight to be more, to know more, to seek more…that must go against the flow of your born-into nature. You were created to worship. Start your morning off with it…and watch how different your days are! I dare you! =)

They See You Loud & Clear (Day THREE-30 Day Challenge)

I’ve been thinking about this post on day three since I hit ‘Publish’ on day one. I’ve been a bit anxious about it. Today…is my test. Today I am starting completely from nothing. And today I HAVE to write in a timely manner, as it is a school day for my three oldest children. Eeeek…let’s do this! =)

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the Word of Life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.” Philippians 2:14-16

I warned you that I am becoming a woman of God who focuses on specific words in Scripture. I am tired of skimming over radically, life-changing words. Let’s re-read the very first part of that passage in Philippians. “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Okay, now get out your Bible and notebook from yesterday. I’d love for you to underline that whole passage I highlighted above. Circle the word…everything. Now open your notebook and write a list of things  would not be included in the word ‘everything’. Done? Okay good…THOSE are the things you are allowed to argue and complain about. If you wrote down anything at all…you didn’t understand the exercise. Haha. It’s okay…there is no condemnation here. Just flip the page. Start fresh. I want you to be staring at a blank page in a notebook. Picture it the next time you are speaking argumentative or complaining words.

For the most part, the Word of God really is simple. The enemy takes joy in telling us otherwise. he loves to confuse. he loves to whisper thoughts of doubt. he loves to discourage before we even start. he knows that if we open up our Bible and dive into it…we WILL be forever changed. he knows the Word better than you and I. (Ouch!) he can see us when we are studying it. he can hear us when we pray it. he knows how important it is that we meet together with other ‘like-minded’ Christians and learn it. And each choice we make to further our knowledge of Christ…we have a spectator.

The cool thing is…that we also have an army of angels that are cheering for us while we read Scripture. They know that, “The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13 In my Bible I have these verses underlined and starred. I drew some fancy, spiked half sun looking things around the words ‘living’ and ‘active’. And lastly, I drew a sweet sword. (Okay. Okay. I will admit that the sword I drew is awful. I am so NOT artsy in my drawing ability. Seriously…tears of laughter and amazement (at my pure genius lack of ability) when I tried to play the Post-It Note game. Lol!)

Non-Christians. New Christians. Skeptical Christians. They are watching. They are waiting for us to live this verse. They really do WANT us to. They are looking for a people willing to actually LIVE how the Word says to. Can you say that you do EVERYTHING without arguing? Can you say that you never complain about anything? This is not a guilt trip I am taking you on. Don’t go packing your bags for that trip. I promise I DO NOT BELIEVE that I am not holier than you. I am not above. I am with you in these trenches. I see the flaming arrows that are flying by from the enemy. Arrows of shame. Arrows laced with guilt. Arrows covered with words waiting to be spoken in the heat of your anger. Some days I stand up, close my eyes and allow them to pierce me.

And once that arrow is in my hand, in my heart I choose where they go. Sadly enough, there are days that I dare use them against those I claim to love. Those are the days I am not living in line with these Words from Paul in the passage from Philippians 2.


The Word of God speaks loudest and clearest when we live without arguing and complaining. Today is a new day. You never have to live in yesterday’s failures. THAT is what grace, mercy and forgiveness are all about. Learn what God has for you. Let it sink in deep. Mark up your Bible with what HE spoke to you today. Write down in your journal the answer to this question...

“How can I strive this week to make Christ more of a focus of my days?”

Write simple, realistic goals. I want you to succeed. Success is not only satisfying...it leaves you feeling fulfilled! Doesn't it feel good to accomplish something on a list to-do's or want-to's? You can even write the list and post it on your fridge. Whatever it takes to help it to sink in! Make HIM a priority today...because you are always a priority to Him. You are always on His mind. He is always available to you...ALWAYS!

Faith AND Deeds (Day TWO-30 Day Challenge)

James 2:20-22 “You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the alter? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”

And. It is such a small word. And yet it clearly and very simply binds things together. It is your indicator that the previous and the following…go together.

Or. That is an even smaller word. Or, indicates that you have a choice. You can choose this OR you can choose that.

How can such tiny words in the English language have such powerful impact when reading scripture? Oh how easily my friend! Let me try to make sense of what God has placed in my heart for today! ;-)

I'm sure we can all agree that it took many…countless…hours… to translate, proof-read, edit and print our individual ‘preferred’ version of the Bible. I, myself, am not a strict ‘Bible snob’ when it comes to version. With that said, I do only like to use one of my own Bibles because I have written ALL through them. God has spoken so many powerful truths to me while reading His inspired Word and I KNOW that I don’t want to forget the words of my Father. I love to write the ‘always was…but is new to me’ truth with the date(mo/yr) beside the verse(s) that inspired them.

Think about what it might have been like though. Imagine being the person or group of people who started translating page one of the Holy Bible. It probably seemed like an ENDLESS job. How many previous people had felt the call of God to start and gave up before they even started? Why don’t we always remember that if God has called us…He will see us through?

Think about the significance of each word in the Bible. How careful they absolutely had to be! How many times did they have to check and recheck if what was printed was exactly what was intended. Had they really picked the BEST word from our language to portray what God wanted? Let me assure you that I never used to be…but am passionately now becoming, the type of person that focuses in on one, single word in Scripture. Today it is AND! =)

When I again opened up my Bible to James chapter 2 today, my eyes were drawn to a heading in bold print. “Faith and Deeds” There is that word again. And. Why is this word so important? What does faith have to do with deeds? EVERYTHING!

Faith must be accompanied by action. Let me give you an example from yesterday morning’s church service. After worship God led me TO the path of two women. Both of them hurting. Both of them in pain. Neither of them seeking attention. As I walked by both of them, God presented me with an opportunity. I was on my own path. I was standing at a crossroad. God only led me to the path of this woman…I was the one who had to choose to walk in it. I saw the tears in the first woman and I was drawn to her. Some people shy away when they see tears. Sometimes that is me. And yet…this day I knew I was supposed to talk to her. I leaned over and asked, how are you feeling? This woman was in pain. Excruciating pain. When I heard of her recent medical findings, I KNEW that I was supposed to pray for her radical healing. I have faith, so I know what to do. But the knowing is not nearly as important as the actual DOING! Knowing I needed to pray did this woman absolutely NO good. So, I pray. I approached the Throne of Grace boldly!

The next young woman was walking the halls of the school that we currently hold our Sunday morning worship service in. Her arms were across her stomach and her face had discomfort written all over it. Again…I was presented with an opportunity. Talk to her…or walk by and smile. Again I asked, ‘Are you feeling OK?” Again, this young woman said that she was not. Knowing what to do would’ve done her no good. Knowing the power of healing doesn’t heal. Knowing the plan of salvation is not enough. Knowing. Knowing. Knowing. Just as I said yesterday in Day ONE of this 30 day challenge…

Even the demons know. Even the demons believe. What is the difference!?

Action! The difference is when you have both faith AND deeds. When you pair faith WITH action…lives are changed. Those…are what show our God to be living and active. Jesus is not a helpless baby lying in a manger. He is the King of Kings who faced every trial thrown at Him…head on. He was/is forever victorious. He conquered hell and death when He ascended back to His Throne in Heaven. What would our reality be if knowing had been enough for HIM?! If Christ had known how to save man and did nothing…where would that leave us? Let that be your motivation to DO what you KNOW!

Knowing, accompanied by actually doing what we know to be right and true, IS what leads people to our Savior. Being presented with an opportunity to pray over someone can be missed if you choose to walk by. God’s healing for a person in pain can be prolonged or even thwarted if you ignore the nudge of God. People can and are dying without the saving Grace of God because of our fear of rejection. We live in the land of ‘What IF”. It is a land that the enemy happily and easily draws us to and then relentlessly holds us in. What IF I ask if I can pray and they say no? What IF they don’t believe in healing? What IF I try to lead them to Christ and they don’t accept it? God never asks you to figure out the what if’s. He asks only for obedience in the going out.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” " Matthew 28:18-20

That passage is not just for pastors. It is for YOU! Authority has been handed to you by the scarred hand of Christ. He said those words recorded in the book of Matthew to His disciples the first time they saw Him after He was resurrected. ‘All authority’…does not leave room for excuses and exceptions. ‘I am with you always’…does not leave you alone and helpless…EVER!

Let us be willing and available to teach people. Let us lead them, by bold example. Let us be sensitive to the call of God to pray AND go do it. Let us believe in healing AND proclaim it in Jesus name! Let’s choose to not only see the lost, but to LOOK for them AND pray with them.

We don’t have time to wait. We can’t leave this job to someone else. God needs each of us actively engaged in our faith because the world is lost. They are looking to anything, grasping at everything and coming up empty. They are hungry and thirsty for more and we, as Christians, know exactly what will satisfy. “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14

Knowing is not enough. It never has been. Go and do.

Count how many words in the following passage are verbs. How many of them are words that ask us to perform an action? I encourage you to get out your own Bible and underline each action that God is asking of US.


“My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom,
and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright,
He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for He guards the course of the just
and protects the way of His faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair--every good path,
For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:1-11


Did you notice that the first five verses are our suggested action. What about the other six verses that follow? Ah, those are the action-filled promises of God, that will be fulfilled if you are fully engaged. Stale, stuffy, and stagnant are not words that define my Christian walk. How about yours?

Let’s strive to have contagious faith IN action! Look for your opportunities today! Search for them! Who is God asking you to pray for right now? GO! Who is God laying on your heart as you read? CALL! Is your heart beating faster? GOOD!  Are you feeling a bit uneasy? Excellent…now that you know…

What. Will. You. DO?!

What is Enough? (Day ONE-30 Day Challenge)

Welcome to Day ONE of my 30-day challenge. I encourage you to get your Bible, your favorite pen, a journal and a steaming cup of coffee. (You really should think about trying coconut cream if you want to copy what I am currently sipping! It. Is. Delightful!) Get ready to write and underline in that Bible. It will be okay, I promise. Writing all through mine has been a huge help to me in making God’s Word come alive. I love to see what God says to me when I read the verses I’ve underlined and the notes I’ve written beside them. It really does make it easy to apply this ‘head’ knowledge. Soon enough…what I’ve always known in my head…is now forever etched in my heart. THAT is faith! =)

I am so excited to begin…and only slightly dreading the sleepiness that comes when you wake up BEFORE the sun. Lol! I know, now that I am awake and writing, that I would rather be with my King than sleep. He never disappoints me in my time with Him. NEVER!

So… I sat down this morning and opened up my Bible to James chapter 2. My eye was immediately drawn to what I had written beside these God-inspired words of James. Let’s first read the verse… “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” James 2:19 (NIV)

Beside this bold statement made by James I wrote… “Belief is NOT enough! Religion does not equal relationship!” Don’t just skim over these words. READ them.


The demons believe in God.

You believe in God.

What IS the difference?!?! Is your jaw on the floor? Pick it up, dust it off. Don’t let these simple words cause you to feel shame. Shame is the tool of the enemy. But God…HE works with conviction. Conviction still doesn’t feel good…but it is necessary. Shame is not. Learn what God has for you today. Learn the difference between these words; religion and relationship.

RELIGION is knowledge without application. Religion is concentration only on rules. Religion is complacency. (The definition of complacency is- self (uncritical) satisfaction when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers. In my words…you are satisfied with where you are and what you know because you are choosing NOT to think about how dangerous it is to stay that way.) Religion is choosing comfort over the will of God. Religion is the unwillingness to stray from tradition when it is no longer effective.

The demons know all about religion. They are in religion. They hold their allegiance to death. Destruction. Confusion. Pain. They love head knowledge that stays there. They do everything within their power, to make any person with a heart still beating, to never know the difference. The enemy, satan, does NOT want us to know how fulfilling it is to apply Scripture to every part of our day. he knows that even our pain has purpose when we pair head knowledge with heart application. satan has seen God use what he set out to destroy us…to make us stronger. To make us fall more in love and have a deeper level of trust for our Father. The enemy cringes…I smile!

This whole post has made me smile since the day I knew God was asking me to write it. I understand that these are not new revelations I am writing. I am sure that these things have been said before. But I also KNOW that God is going to use them to set someone, as they read today, FREE from religion. They are going to dive into true…relationship! God has been looking forward to this day. He has seen your life…and He knew that your divine appointment was today. I am speaking to YOU! I am writing for YOU! I have been created for such a time as this…and I can not be silenced. Ha-ha!


RELATIONSHIP is constantly striving to move towards. Relationship isn’t happy with being stuck or standing still. Relationship isn’t content with just getting by. Relationship is passion. Relationship is seeking to know more. Relationship is constant conversation. Relationship is looking for ways to bless without expecting a return. Relationship is choosing to see ALL people as though they ARE/or absolutely COULD BE an heir to the Throne of Christ! Relationship is a life of worship…NOT a Sunday morning concert. Relationship is putting off all your old ways and running into the arms of Christ. Relationship is an intimate time spent with just you and your King…daily (at least!)

Relationship flees from evil. And I DO mean flees! To flee is to run away from a place of danger or evil. To hurry toward a place of security. If you stay in the places that drag you toward sin (while you are still drawn to that sin)…how are you going to effectively resemble your Father?! What is your plan? You must have a plan…because the enemy already has a scheme. he sees you reading this now. his scheme is already in place to make you busy. To forget. To doubt. So do me a favor…

Right now…write down your own definition in a journal/notebook of what “Relationship is…” or what “Relationship is not…”. This will help you to not forget. This will prove to the enemy that you are serious. This will help you when doubt tries to creep in. You can say, out loud, “There is no room for doubt in me!” You can scream it if you have to. I do!  Proclaim it now… “There is nothing that will make me too busy to have this relationship with Christ that I have been created to desire! NO THING will stand in my way!”

Can you see how the enemy has so easily deceived a multitude with the thinking that religion is enough? Oh how many people bought into the lies that knowing rules and stories were enough. Learning them definitely has purpose, but it was never meant to be enough. When you realize that even the demons KNOW…you must choose to be different. The enemy is not new at this. he’s been deceiving since the garden. he’s practiced up! he knows what has worked on your mother/father/sister/brother. he doesn’t work harder than he has to. he doesn’t need to come up with new ways, if the current ones are already working. Are you prayed up to handle his scheming? Do you make him come up with new schemes because you keep defeating his stale, old ones?

Let’s focus in on one more word before I leave you for today. Shudder. Read James 2:19 in your Bible and if you will underline it. Circle both times it says the word believe and put a box around the word shudder. Again…I am not into skimming past words that pack a powerful message. Let’s define shudder so you get a clear mental picture of what the demons do because they believe in the power of God.

Shudder-

• to tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or a sense of disgust and loathing
• shake
• shiver
• quiver
• palpitate
• spasm

You see, the demons shudder, shake, palpitate because they know and believe in the power of God. Their belief  is exactly why they tremble with loathing fear. They detest God. They are disgusted at His evident power. They know that they have absolutely nothing to match it. They know that God can speak and even THEY must obey. They hang their head in shame at the mention of His name.
What about you, my friend? Do you only believe? How have you been proving/showing that your religious belief…has made it to relationship status? Do the demons know Who you belong to? How can you actively seek to have a real relationship with God today? The wait is over. Your time has come to get serious.

You can start by praying that God will give you a real desire to meet with Him. Set apart a time. 5am is now my time…feel free to join me! I do not promise it to be easy…but I can guarantee it will leave an eternal effect. In you. In your spouse. In your children. In your church. In your community.

This is your homework.

1. Find a Bible that you love and understand. If you don’t have one IN your home…let me know. I will set you in the right direction with one of my favorites! ;)
2. Find a journal or notebook that you can write in. Write prayers. Write struggles. Write revelations from God (AKA-Light bulb moments that leave you finally understanding what was always there.) Just write! I want there to be a record of where you started and how far you’ve come.
3. Find a church that loves you and actively engages in your life. A church that is alive. A church that does. A church that loves the lost enough to refuse to let them stay that way. A church that not only preaches the Word (religion)…but lives it (relationship)!
4. And find a friend that can keep you accountable. A friend that wakes up at 4am to pray for you if that is what her King asks of her. A friend that roots for your success. A friend that inspires you to have contagious, audacious faith. A friend that doesn’t allow you to settle for LESS than you were created to be.

I have each of those listed things…and I have never been closer to God in all of my Christian life. I have never understood how specifically intimate He is to each of His children. Set out to find a reason not to love Him…you won’t. Because it says in John 10:27-28 “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”-Jesus


 
My son, Levi and little kitten, Princess who followed me out to take a picture of the sunrise this morning. I can. not. fathom. a love more real or deep to my core…than what I feel for that handsome little man pictured above. But I know that I haven’t even scratched the surface of understanding how God feels for me. Dive in to what He has for you. He is waiting for you. I expect great things for you…because I KNOW my Redeemer lives!

Now…go do your homework! ;)

COMING SOON-Pages of Prayer’s 30-day Devotional Challenge!!!! Join me!

The other morning…sometime shortly after 5am…my stupid sweet dog woke me up.   He was not whining or barking…no, it was the quiet noise of his nails as he walked around on the hard floor. Panting and pacing. Both indicated to me that he wished to be outside. I tried to ignore it…but that little --tick tick tick-- of his nails was driving me batty. I got up, let him out, and decided since I wasn’t really tired anymore…it seemed like an excellent day to start brainstorming the “how to” on this idea God has given me the passion to start. I began writing…tick tick tick. This time the only noise in my house was coming from the keys of my laptop. Tick tick tick…not quite so annoying to me now. Lol!

What exactly is this devotional challenge I mentioned in the title of today’s post? Soooo glad you asked! ;) It really is very simple. I wake up earlier than my day would normally need to start. I write what God speaks to me each morning. I post it. You read it, daily. And at the END of the challenge…I will have written my first devotional. I will then actively seek a way to get it published in book form. Understand?! Lol!

Let me give you a little background to this story. You know me…it’s my style. ;) Many years ago God instilled within me the desire to write a devotional. At that time I was newly married and working. Impossible. (At least in my mind.) As the years went on…life only got busier. One self-employed husband, four children, three horses, a dog, a house always in the middle of construction and an active church ministry team later…I found it very difficult to sit down to even START writing this devotional. Another year would pass. Another disappointing reality that I had yet to fulfill what God was asking me to do.

Fast forward 12 years or so…to two weeks ago. On August 14th I was asked to come speak at writer’s group about blogging. Another pastor friend of mine also came and spoke about the process he had gone through to get his devotional published. I sat and feverishly took notes as he spoke. I wanted details…and he was giving them freely. Then came one question that absolutely floored me. “Did you really write the bulk content of your devotional in only 40 days?” His response, “Yes, I guess I did.” =O You see, Pastor Blair is a local youth pastor in my hometown. He is lively and goofy and very easily reaches the hearts of youth in a real way. He knows how vital relationship is, and he takes the time to cultivate them. He is obedient to the ways and nudging of God. He committed to wake up every day to write a devotional type challenge on Facebook, for the kids in his youth group. THEY were his accountability. THEY were his motivation to wake up and write. THEY were counting on him…and he was faithful. When he was about half way through his forty days God spoke again. Publish the Words I’ve given you. And he did! If you want to see for yourself…click here to order a copy. You WILL NOT be disappointed! =) It can be used for individual use or group study. And you will be supporting a small town youth pastor with big evangelistic dreams!!

Okay, so once I picked my jaw up off the floor at the realization that 40 days IS (and always has been) TOTALLY doable…I instantly became excited. I had been making this process, which I KNEW was fueled by a God-instilled passion, seem much too difficult. I was making it seem like a insurmountable goal, when in reality…I just needed someone willing to hold me accountable. I just needed to know that someone waiting for it to be written! I just needed a team behind me that were in my corner, praying for and rooting for my success!

I went home from that writer’s group pretty excited to start and then a few days later I had already started to doubt. Not in my ability to write what God spoke…but would I REALLY make myself available to write DAILY?! Ugh…that didn’t take long. I was already second-guessing. I was ready to throw in the towel before I had really even had a chance to entirely grasp it. Just as it is told in Matthew 13 in the ‘Parable of the Sower’, this idea I felt God had led me to was like the seed the planted in shallow soil. The enemy tried to quickly burn it out before it rooted. But. God.

I want you to read how amazing and specific God is. During those first days that I was thinking of starting this challenge there was one woman who continued to come to my mind. I kept thinking of a girl I had attended high school with. She was older than I, and I would not say that I really knew her all that well. Over the past couple of years, through Facebook, she and I have had a chance to post comments back and forth on each other’s lives via Facebook. Comments ranging anywhere from animals, to faith, to kids, to photography to…you should’ve guessed…Augie’s pizza. Lol! The fact that I could not get her out of my mind seemed rather odd to me. It seemed so random…as I do not really know much about her faith.

Random flew out the window when God revealed to me that it was HE that placed her there. One night as my family slept…I was on, in the words of my husband…”that Facebook thing”, and who do you think sent me a private message? Paula! She asked a simple question. “Is there an easy to read version of the Bible?? I’ve gotten so far from my faith and I need to get back. I miss it.” Here I am reading about how she feels as though she has fallen so far from her faith…and I can’t stop smiling. The ‘God-bumps’ all down my arms were pushing me to tell her just how odd or random her question was NOT! A thousand or so words later…I think I made my point clear. Haha!

God was confirming to me that now was my time…just as He was reassuring her it was also hers. He was calling her back to her First Love…and He was leading me down the next avenue of my faith journey. I know that I will be a prayer supporter of Paula’s. I will be rooting for her success. I will be seeking God in any way I can to help build her faith. Our time has come. We will not wait. God does not work by coincidence. He is always purposeful!

 

So what do I need from you, my bloggerland peeps? I need people who will commit to do this devotional challenge with me. Starting September first I am going to start writing a 30 day challenge. I desire a group of willing participants who will help keep me motivated and accountable. You don’t have to be struggling in your faith. You don’t have to have it all together. I want the lost. I want pastors. I want moms. I want addicts. I want the broken. I want the power-filled. I truly want whoever God leads to this post…to take this challenge on WITH me. Dive in. Head first. No fear. Your time is now…and I am waiting to write for YOU. Wherever you are in this world. I need you.

I have already started the first two posts in the challenge because I couldn’t let God’s Heart be forgotten without typing it as He spoke it to me. You will be challenged just as I was. Get your Bible ready. Grab a pen…and be prepared to mark up that Bible with the Words of Life that God will speak to you when you intently listen. I encourage you to grab a journal and really answer the questions I always end my posts with. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. You are praying for God’s next step in MY life…just as I am praying for YOURS! Hang on…this dream, this vision of mine…is making itself reality! =)

Suggest Hope

Good morning! And what a beautiful morning it is here in northwestern Pennsylvania! It's been a little chilly lately, but the sun is shining and it is already warming up. Don't get me wrong. I am a LOVER of everything fall! The temperature. The smell. The activities. The food. The pumpkin-a-latte loveliness. But...........it. is. JULY! *Rant over...for now*

Most of the year our church has a Saturday night service as well as Sunday morning. My husband is the Worship Pastor and I am also a member of the worship team...which means that we get to attend both services! :-) The message a while back on a  Saturday night, spoke a couple of really power-filled things straight to my heart...and I can't wait to share one of them with you today!! I've literally typed this post three times. Once on my phone. Don't get me started on how annoying that was! Once on my iPad...almost as equally annoying. And once on my computer. Fourth time is a charm? We shall see......

First, this is my challenge to you. Get your Bible out. *Vanesa taps fingers on table and hums Jeapordy theme song while she waits for you get your Bible* No matter how annoyed or impatient you are at my request it will help my post make sense!! Pretty please...*insert puppy dog eyes*

Whew...now open to Acts 27 and read verses 9-44!! The reason I say use your own Bible...is because that way you can underline the verses that stick out at you. You can also write beside them what God speaks to you today. It is for your benefit at a later date when you are struggling. The words underlined and written will stand out...and you will remember how God used them for your good! =)

For those of you honestly too busy, rushed, or ahem...lazy to get your Bible...here you go...

Acts 27: "⁹ Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, ¹⁰ “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” ¹¹ But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. ¹² Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm

¹³ When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. ¹⁴ Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. ¹⁵ The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶ As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, ¹⁷ so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor^[b] and let the ship be driven along. ¹⁸ We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. ¹⁹ On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
²¹ After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. ²² But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. ²³ Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴ and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ ²⁵ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. ²⁶ Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.

The Shipwreck

²⁷ On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic^[c] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. ²⁸ They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet^[d] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet^[e] deep. ²⁹ Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. ³⁰ In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. ³¹ Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” ³² So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.
³³ Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. ³⁴ Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” ³⁵ After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. ³⁷ Altogether there were 276 of us on board. ³⁸ When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
³⁹ When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. ⁴⁰ Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. ⁴¹ But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
⁴² The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. ⁴³ But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. ⁴⁴ The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely."




I highlighted and underlined the verses that I wanted to bring your attention to. The men on the ship had given up hope. They did not see any way out of this situation they found themselves in. So what did Paul do. He suggested hope. He was the first to give them a thought of life over the death they were sure they were facing.

Let's think about this first suggestion of hope. Had they not believed...what would the outcome have been? Had Paul, being a prisoner of these men, been too terrified to speak up...oh how different this story would be. But Paul boldly spoke. And the soldiers hesitantly listened.

Think back on the course of your life for a moment. Has anyone ever been that first suggestion of hope to you? Whether you believed it at first or not...can you recognize that they boldly spoke what neither of you could actually see? Let me give you two of my life examples.



MY first suggestion of hope came after my second pregnancy, which just like my first, ended in a disappointing miscarriage. The difference though, was that I had had a lot more time to fall in love with baby #2. I was 16 weeks along when my hopeful attitude slapped me in face and into another state of shock, disbelief and soon to be depression. I held him. Born in my bathroom on December 20th of 2001, Isaiah Ethan fit into the palm of my hand. His arms and legs were like spaghetti. His tiny lifeless body I was sure would haunt me forever. 

Months went by. I was still unable to think of the events of that traumatic night with out shedding tears. One day I was with a couple of friends at their yard sale. Vicki walked up to me and spoke straight to where I was broken. She said that she was praying for me and God told her that I would have a child. I would carry the child to full term...and the baby would be healthy.

THAT, was my suggestion of hope. I no longer had to wonder. I no longer had to doubt. I just had to wait for God to bless me with this child I had now been promised. It was one month shy of 3 years after that conversation that God fulfilled that promise to me. My healthy baby boy was born in May of 2005...and all I had to do was believe.



MY second suggestion of hope came after I had my fourth child. (I only KNEW of the promise of one...but out of my seven pregnancies...I have gained four AWESOME kids...and three are in Heaven awaiting our arrival!!) After I had my final baby I was diagnosed with Post Partum Depression (PPD). It made absolutely no sense in the natural. Baby #4, Levi, was a very happy baby. The transition to bring him home was super smooth. And it was fall...my favorite season! BUT, in the supernatural it made complete sense. Knowing what I know now....it was an absolutely VITAL part of molding me to the woman I am today.

So, shortly after my diagnosis, God began telling me to talk to specific women. He would say, "Tell her what you are going through, she has something for you." So I did. Six women. Each with their own specific truth for me. Each one, one step in my road to healing. One of them though...was my suggestion of hope.

Bekah sat with me in my living room..while my kids raced around...and listened gently and softly spoke when appropriate. I told her all of it..."I feel like a horrible mother, I've had thoughts of hurting myself, I scream at these children that I prayed for, I flip out, I stay silent for days, I distance myself from everyone I love"...and what is her response?

"I see so much hope for you."

Confusion set in. I didn't see it. If I didn't know and love her...I would say that it was a cruel joke. So she went on to explain. "When you come out of this victorious...you are going to have a powerful ministry that will be set on fire. You will reach out to women who are going through similar circumstances and you will be their voice of hope. God will use you in a mighty way!"

I didn't feel it. I didn't see it. But I CHOSE to believe it. I had to. My alternative...was death. A few weeks later the opportunity would present itself. Death knocked at my depressed heart...and I fought for my life. Had I NOT spoken to those women...what would my outcome have been when the enemy whispered for me to take my own life? If I had not chosen to believe in the hope I neither felt nor saw....where would I be today?



Who has been that voice of hope for you? Have you ever told them? Maybe it is exactly what they need to hear today. Write it down. Mail it to them. Text them. Call. Email....whatever it takes. Let them know the impact that their suggestion of hope had on you. And be willing to suggest hope to the hurting people you know/see. They might be simple words to you....but to the searching heart....it is LIFE!