The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord.....

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." ~ Isaiah 61:1-3

It seems like every time I turn around I am getting a phone call, an e-mail, a Facebook message from someone asking me for prayer for a situation in their lives. It seems to be everyday now. Hearts are broken, sickness has came, loss, grief, some are just sitting absolutely stunned at their life circumstance. I have a friend who has a beautiful baby that they brought in their home because God told them to. They love him and now as life would have it, they are threatened to have this baby taken away after they have grown to love him so. Another, lost a beautiful baby. Another, whose Father has been given a very grim diagnosis of cancer. Another, from someone who is just experiencing grief all the way around, in every circumstance, everywhere she turns. And yet another, whose very young life is fighting to live on life support. I have seen someone who has not one thing to her sweet, precious name. No belongings, no loving family, nothing. .I have also heard of a Mother who had to bury her 19 year old son this week. Another who has lost her son and a beloved sister within a month of each other. And I promise, this has been in the last few weeks.

Tonight, I have had to just look up and cry out to God. Why? Lord, isn't there something You can do. Can you stop all this pain? And then, He gently whispered over me.... Isaiah 61. The very verses have always been comfort to me in my times of grief. The Words that wash over me and give me hope. It never ceases to amaze me how God gave the prophets in the Old Testament the revelation of the future to come. Isaiah speaks of Jesus in the first verse.... way before He was ever born to Mary. And it reminded me, this is who I want on my side. This is who I need, my friends need, and everyone else around me in this broken world. God sent Him, He was anointed to preach good news to the poor, the broken, the grief stricken, those left standing there wondering what in the world just happened to them. God sent Him to live within us and to bind our broken hearts, to release us from captivity and darkness, to comfort those who mourn and provide for those that grieve. Praise His Name. Praise Him.

We have to hold on to this. His Word tells us that He will never leave us, never forsake us. We have to stand in that today and just believe. We have to cry out to Him. Even if it's one word, Help or Why. He is there. He already knows.

As I kept thinking about it, I started to think of the different names of Jesus. Who is He to you today?

• Yahweh Yireh - Your Provider
• Yahweh Nissi - Your Banner
• Yahweh Shalom - Your Prince of Peace
• Yahweh Rophe - Your Lord who heals You
• Yahweh Tsuri - Your Lord, Your Rock
• Yahweh Roi - Your Lord, Your Shepherd

Think about that. He is all of those names and many, many more. I urge you, no matter where you are, what is going on in your life to just stop. Be still. Know He is God. Cry out to Him. Lean on Him, throw a fit on Him, whatever your heart desires. Just go. Don't wait. Just go. He is waiting with arms wide open for You to just come on. 

I can't describe what it feels like in my heart when He speaks to me. I know this is for someone today. I hope it lands right in your lap. All for His glory.... every bit to His glory. Praise You Father. Praise You.

Resting in His Arms, Brandi

A New Year...

"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." - Isaiah 61:3

As we enter a new year, I (like I am sure most everyone) have been thinking about what the new year is going to bring this year. We all want it to be better than the last... a second chance (in my case, 100th chance... lol)... We want to start off fresh, right wrongs and of course shed weight, stop bad habits, etc.... the list goes on and on.

I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions because I know I simply won't abide by them. However, I just feel this overwhelming urge to jump on the resolution bandwagon this year.

So, I have been really thinking about all of the things that I want to change and do this year. Honestly, I have to say that everything, and I do mean every area of my life comes back to one thing... to be a better servant of Christ. To follow Him and seek Him in everyway.

I have really been enjoying the pages of Isaiah and I have to say that Chapter 61 are really my life verses. Verses that I have always came back to, verses that heal and give me hope. I love the verse quoted above.... To be called "oaks of righteousness" just absolutely entices me. And after much thought, meditation and prayer, I have realized that if we can actually live as the women that God wants us to be then everything we want to accomplish will be there. We can do anything, if we have Christ at the center of our lives.

I don't know about you, but I yearn to display God's splendor. I yearn to be that woman that God has called me to be. I am tired of sitting in a nice little shelter that I have made for myself because that is where I feel like I am safe from the world. From the pain and hurt that life has caused me. I want to get out of the pit and serve Him... I want to be an "oak of righteousness... a planting of the LORD..."

I have truly been in a dark, dark place for the last two years... I have felt that I could not even feel the presence of the Lord in my life. I have not been able to understand why I deserved what this cruel world had to offer me. I have seen pain beyond belief for my family. Confusion, disarray, and just down right hopelessness.

But you know, I have really learned in the last few months that I have put myself in a place that I could not hear anyone. I have completely shut off everything so that I would be safe. A place of unfeeling. Oh, how wrong that was. I have hurt myself in more ways than I could ever tell you today. The list goes on and on....

But I have now come to a place where I am ready to crawl out... beaten and bruised... and right now I am still very bloody from the chains. But thank God for grace and mercy... that He would come to me right where I am.

I am not saying that I am starting my New Year completely healed and raring to go... I am weak, poor, injured and as I said above bloody from the battle that I have been fighting on my own. However, I start the New Year with hope, I see light now. I see light through Jesus Christ who gave His life so that I may have life and have it more abundantly. I see hope that I can be an oak of righteousness, a display of God's wonderful splendor. I cannot tell you how grateful and thankful that I am that He has rescued me from my own self.

I just want to encourage you today, that if you have yourself in a place that you have created or in any place that you know that you cannot stay, to have courage... just call on Him. He will come and get you right where you are. No questions. No doubt. He will be there when you call on His name. So, call for Him. Start this New Year off right. Make it a year of healing, growing and serving. Seek Him in all that you do.

How wonderful would it be to sit here this time next year looking over the past year and truly being able to say... I have been called an oak of righteousness, a planting of my Lord... I have been a display of His splendor this year... Oh Lord... let it be, let it be in each of our lifes...

Merry Christmas

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."
~Luke 1:45

This morning when I woke up, I just have that overwhelming urge to go back in God's Word to the ageless story. The story of Jesus and His birth. I just wanted to really reflect and embed in my heart the true meaning of Christmas.

I have been so bah...humbug this year. Just wanting to get Christmas over with. Looking around, it has been such a hard time for everyone this year. So many people and families have struggled throughout the year and now they are trying to just find enough to buy presents for their families. I have seen families be hit with medical conditions that are devastating and were not expected at all. I have seen such spiritual disarray very, very close to me. People are losing hope, they do not see an end to all the madness. I will have to include myself in this.

So, I just started digging in the gospels for the story of Jesus' birth. The REAL Story.... A story of not only true miracles but a story of hope that applies to us just as much today as in the ancient days of old. I truly love Luke and how he portrays such intricate details.

I came upon the story where the angel of the Lord came to Mary and told her that she would be having the Messiah. The baby that would save the world and give the gift of eternal life. Can you imagine how she must have felt? I just can see her on the verge of exploding. Could you imagine trying to hold that in? Well, she didn't. She got herself together and went straight to her cousin, Elizabeth's house. Now, Elizabeth had already been truly blessed by the Lord. She was barren, older and unable to have children. The Lord sent the same angel to her husband, Gabriel months before and told him that they would be having a child. A son, to be named John. The angel also stated that this child would be "filled with the Holy Spirit" on the spot. So, Elizabeth was perfect for Mary to go too. They shared a common story. The only difference, John was to pave the way for the Messiah, Jesus.

You hear no talks of jealousy in this story. They were just happy with what the Lord had chosen for their lives. So, Mary enters Elizabeth's and Elizabeth already knew. They were excited, I imagine they were both talking a mile a minute. I bet joy overflowed in that house that day. Answers to prayers, having God's presence all around them. It wasn't hard for them to believe that the God of heaven and earth had been right there among them.

Elizabeth looked straight at Mary and said... "Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished." This verse just stunned me this morning. Blessed means happy, fortunate, favored.... That leads me to my point this morning.

We, as women, will be blessed (happy, fortunate, favored) when we believe what the Lord says to us.

Believe this day, God sent His son to redeem us. Ladies, He sent Him to forgive and he sent the promise that we will be taken care of. He paid a price for us.... a dear price. We need to remember that this day. To remember His birth, but to also go back to the cross. We need to remember and believe. Believe that provision and favor are bestowed upon us because of who we are in Christ.

So this year, as we turn on the lights to the tree and we enjoy the fellowship with our friends and families.... remember the light that has been turned on for us. Believe.... be favored, happy and most of all fortunate....

Merry Christmas....

Faith

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."


- Hebrews 11:1

As I woke up this morning, more determined than ever to have just some quiet time with My Father.... I had to do the initial things that most mothers know exactly what I mean...

I didn't want the kids to wake up and "ruin" my quiet time so..... I ever so quietly went to start making the coffee with as little noise as possible. I went ahead and let the dogs out and that is where it started. Our sweet, fun-loving Shih-Tzu, Molly is a runner. I honestly believe she could make it to Canada if she really, really tried. She ran instantly barking at 7:00 am on a Saturday morning... Then, Abby, our Pug started barking at Molly's disobedience... as if telling on her. All this, while my street is still in complete silence. So, I just did the only thing I knew to do.... PRAY!!! Father, please help me get these dogs in this house quietly, without waking up neighbors or children. Please, please give me just a few minutes with you..." I am happy to say He obliged.

So, I picked up my Bible and a little devotion that I had been wanting to try out and there Hebrews 11 was... Topic... Faith. Hmmm.... I know all about that, I thought. We cannot see it, alot of times if we ask for it, it turns out dangerous... But then, I looked at Hebrews 11:1.... It said "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I flipped over to the Merriam-Webster website and looked at their definition... "Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof." That whole meaning just struck me odd. I especially eyed these words. "No Proof".

I decided quickly that I did not like those two words associated with faith. Why? Because, even though I may not live my life as these heroes did here in the word or even some of the wonderful people that I have had the pleasure to know. I have proof. With everything in me, I have proof.

I have seen a physician tell a mother that there is nothing else that they could do for her unborn child because of very specific problems only to tell them at the next visit that those problems don't exist anymore and her baby is fine and healthy. Loss was imminent, this mother had other plans. Plans that were full of faith and prayer, calling on the Lord she knows. She called on her brothers and sisters in Christ and they prayed, believed and called on the One they knew that was the ultimate healer. And guess what, she is about to deliver a healthy little baby boy.

I have also seen lives changed that were nothing short than a miracle from God. Lives that have been lived in bondage and pits and they were enslaved to years of generational sin. Lives that are free now... living a life that is serving to the One and Only true God. Years of bondage, broken through their faith in Jesus Christ.

So, my question is.... Is this not proof? Proof of our Father stepping in our lives and moving.... making a difference? Even when the results are not exactly what we had planned. I have to say that I do deep in my heart know that I have proof He is in my life. Working in my life, communicating with me and showing me new revelations through His Word everyday!!! I do have proof of that... Sorry Merriam-Webster, I just can't agree with you on this one....

I Stand Amazed...

I stand amazed at how blessed I truly am. I have fallen so many times that my knees are so bruised and bloody. I don't know why I continue down the same paths that I do when I know that I know that I know. God, in His grace and mercy, comes and picks me up every single time. All I have to do is cry out. Tonight, I have cried out. The sorrow and pain of life seems more to me that I can ever bear. I am so weary. I remember the words of my Savior when He told me to come to Him. That His Yoke was easy... Come to Him and He will give me rest. Thank you Father, for your Word, for your comfort. I praise You... Lord, thank You for rescuing me. Time after time... I love you more than words can even say right now... My heart is sooooooo full. I just feel like I have to get it out... To share Your love for everyone. Not just me. Father, the theme of my life seems to be, that Your Mercy Said No. I am Yours. You will sustain me and continue to satisy my soul..... Thank You Father... I praise you...

I Stand Amazed...

I am so completely amazed at God this evening. He lavishes me with love, grace and mercy beyond belief... I turn my back on Him, I ignore Him, Stay away from His Holy Word and yet I still know beyond belief that He loves me so much... He created me in my mother's womb. He knows every hair on my head and holds every tear I have ever shed in a bottle. He is a friend to the friendless, a father to the fatherless. I am so thankful that I know Him as my Savior. My Father, my hope and my strength... I am absolutely nothing without Him. I pray that if one person sees this blog that they will come to know this boundless love that I know. It is a love that never ends no matter what you have done. No matter where you have been. He knows it all. He still calls you to Him... He is calling You... Answer, child, answer. Thank you Jesus. Precious Jesus.

Here I Am...

Well.... I have wanted to do this for a long time and finally, here I am. I just think it will be so neat to have a place where I can share my thoughts!!! Sometimes I just have so much to say and no one to tell it to.
I am not really sure what I am doing but hopefully I will catch on quickly!!! :)
I hope this can become a place that I can post my thoughts and feelings on my every growing realtionship with my Awesome God!!! He has been so good and faithful to me. I hope I am able to share Him with as many people as possible here.