Happy 1st birthday Sawyer!

My sweet blue-eyed birthday boy!

Happy 1st birthday sweet Sawyer Blayne!

Nana loves you so much. I can't believe it has already been one year since you came into this world! You have brought me so much joy and happiness. I loved watching you take your first tentative steps and now I love to see you run and play. It is such a blast to watch you try and do everything that your big brother Bryton is doing. You want everything he has and try your best to snatch it away from him.

You are growing up too fast but it is so much fun to see you how much you change with each passing day.  I am so thankful that your mommy is already teaching you about Jesus and I pray that you will grow up to love Him with all of your heart. May you be a mighty man for God one day.

I love you so much Sawyer. Happy 1st birthday my precious grandson.

Love, Your Nana

Truth fell like fire

Glorious revival fell mightily in our midst this past week. A true Man of God brought a powerful Word straight from the scriptures. Straight from the Mouth of an almighty God to our ears. 

The fire of His Word fell and he brought the TRUTH.

Sometimes TRUTH hurts. TRUTH convicts. TRUTH can pierce deep and wide but when it in turn circumcises hearts and flesh, it is a wound well needed.

Once we have been confronted by the TRUTH and gotten a glimpse of our sin and unholiness, something has to happen. Something has to take place in our lives.

Change. If we emerge from the sword-wielding unwounded and just like we were before, then in reality nothing happened in our hearts.

When the TRUTH is rightly divided, things are revealed to us about ourselves and our lives. If we experience true conviction in those areas, we will NOT emerge unscathed! We will NOT remain lost in our same sinful nature and behavior. We will be changed.

Once God begins speaking to us about the areas of our lives that need to be rewired, it is our responsibility to prayerfully seek deliverance from Him. It is our responsibility to pray that those chains of bondage be broken.

When we humbly ask Him to change us and we give it all to Him - He will do it! He desires that for us in our lives. He wants to work in us and through us and be glorified!

When we experience a stirring of the Holy Spirit, we need to be ready to respond and make some much needed adjustments in our hearts.

Then and only then can He begin a new work. A new purpose. A new thing.

Conviction breeds hurt. But that hurt breeds renewal. And restoration. And hope.

We have been awakened from our slumber. Breathed upon with new life. Revived unto a new committment to serve our Lord. We have been shown the error of our ways. We have been enlightened. We have been challenged.

We heard God's voice speak. Now it's up to us to allow Him to transform us into the image of Him. Through the study of His Word. Through prayer. Through the application of the scriptures to our lives.

Revive us, Oh LORD. Restore unto us the joy of our Salvation. May we never be the same. May every breath we take be a reminder to us that You alone have the power to give life and the power to take it away. You alone are worthy. May all we do, be for You and for Your Glory.

He is good all the time

'For I', says the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire
all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'
(Zechariah 2:5)
++++++++++

How do you experience such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit over a 4 day period and then come spiraling down and crashing with a mighty thump.

How can joy turn to sorrow in a mere flash of time?

Distressed in spirit

disenheartened

disenchanted

Sad

lonely...

down...

Old fears become new.

Past hurts rise to the surface.

Long ago torments take on new flesh.

Burdened beyond belief.

empty

Crying out to my Lord.

Begging for relief.

Reaching up in desperation.

Cascading down my face, are tears

that seem to flow from an

unending source.

Tears of frustration

despair

sorrow

Tears of anxiety

uncertainty

Necessary tears

Hot, scalding

Healing

Trying to hold them back

is futile.

The levy keeping them at bay

 is weak and breaks

As I call upon God, I know He is near.

I recall scripture.

I cling to the promise of His Word.

I embrace the truth of who He is.

The truth of what He can do.

I know He hears my cry and I worship.

As the water recedes and the tears

begin to subside -

the feeling of restoration washes over me.

Renewing my heart.

Cleansing my mind.

Refreshing my spirit.

Fragrant worship ensues.

The sweet aroma of peace

descends and rests upon me.

His presence wraps tightly around me.

My spirit is strengthened

uplifted

empty of sadness

Ready to be filled with joy

and the furious longing

of my God and my Savior.

I am desperate only for Him.

Expecting an outpouring.

My sorrow has turned to dancing.

He is mighty and faithful.

He is good.

He hears.

He answers.

He loves.

the Cross demands more

The Cross speaks for itself.

Suffering

Sacrifice

Agony

Pain

Death

Unconditional, unending,unfathomable Love

Immeasurable and immutable Love

Glory

Grace

Mercy

Freedom

Forgiveness

Redemption

The Cross that our precious Savior was crucified on, demands so much more of us than we are sometimes willing to give.

It demands a sacrifice on our part.

 It demands service for others.

It demands brokenness, sanctification, and holiness.

It demands our all.

The Cross - where worship began.

It demands truth.

It demands repentance.

The Cross was a cruel place that had a wonderful ending.

Power

Hope

Peace

Eternal Life

The Cross is a place of seeking and finding.

Searching and growing.

Death and life.

We need to cherish the Cross.

Embrace our Savior.

Marvel at our Creator.

Praise His Name.

Worship our King.

He is worthy of all our praise.

He is worthy of all.

He is worthy.

He is.

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary,

there they crucified Him......."

(Luke 23:33)

we choose to serve..

"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:28 (ESV)

There is nothing like the precious fellowship between Christian women. There is a spoken as well as an unspoken bond that we all share. The connection that we have with one another is unlike any other relationship we have. Whether we are young or old, single or married,  mothers, grandmothers or childless, women just have a unique and wonderful kinship that defies explanation.

As I am typing this, there are 23 women from the conference room walking through our halls singing and praying for us. I am filled with such love and joy as the precious spirit that they are exuding is just flowing in our dormitory. Even now, I feel His presence.

The other 20 women that are serving with me have been the biggest blessing and the biggest blast these past 3 days.  As we serve together, serving others, our heart are joined by the sweet love of our Savior. Even though our days begin at 6 and don't end until past midnight, we are full of energy that is unexplainable outside the power of our precious Lord.

We are all here to show true agape love to 25 women on this 'walk'. Agape love is the love that comes only from God. It is a love that is sacrificial. A love that is poured out to us from Him through the Holy Spirit, that we in turn pour out to others. As we drench them in the sweet agape love He affords us, we are splashed by blessings immeasurable.

We choose to serve and we serve with joy. We serve because that is what Christ desires of us. We serve because we want to love like He loves.

As I hear the sweet voices of all my precious friends gathered together in the meeting room, I hear the love in their laughter. I hear the love in their conversation. I feel the sweet agape love of Jesus. Oh, indeed His presence is here.

We came to serve and minister to others. In doing so, we in turn have been ministered to in such a powerful way. God's love is echoed in the smiles on faces, the gratitude in hearts, and the knowledge in our spirits that we are following the example of Christ.

"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8)

I count it a privilege to have the opportunity to serve with the awesome love of God. My heart is full. My spirit is filled with joy. My mind is renewed and my eyes opened to the true love that only comes from a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Precious Father, thank you for the awesome opportunity to serve others. As I go forth to be your hands and feet, help me to minister mightily. Help me to love deeply. Help me to pour out from within, that others might experience the wonderful, agape love of Christ. You are powerful and magnificent and I give you all praise and honor. In the saving name of your Son, Amen.

In Him,

He is so much to me.

"And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING of KINGS

And LORD of LORDS"

(Revelation 19:16)

++++++++

He is the sin-bearer

the Star-breather

the salvation giver

the mountain mover

He is mindful of man

mighty to save

magnified above all

matchless in worth

He gives us light in darkness

rest in weariness

hope in despair

refuge in distress

life in death

He fills us with

compassion,

forgiveness,

love

and understanding

His greatness is unsearchable

His power is unfathomable

His grace is unlimited

His mercy is undeserved

He is the Savior of the world

Rescuer of the lost

Redeemer of sinners

Searcher of hearts

Maker of miracles

He is the shelter in our storms

the strength in our weakness

the presence that we seek

the dispenser of grace

the bestower of mercy

We cry - He hears

We confess- He forgives

We reach out - He touches

We worship - He is glorified

He surrounds, overwhelms, astounds and amazes

He convicts, delivers, perfects and enlightens

He is God

There is none like Him

He is to be highly exalted

His goodness proclaimed

His gospel shared

He is bigger than our problems

He is stronger than our fears

He is worthy of our praise

He is the Master of all

We thirst and hunger - He fills and satisfies

He is the lamb of God

the lion of Judah

Lord of Hosts

Most High God

He is our provider, our healer and our righteousness

He was, He is and He always will be

He is the great I AM

the Beginning and the End

He is Almighty

He is Sovereign

He is the way, the Truth and the life

He is our all-in-all

He is immutable

omnipresent

eternal

He is the King of Kings

the Lord of Lords

the Prince of Peace

He is Holy

He is Glorious

He is God

+++++++++++++

I will be at the "walk" encounter weekend from today until Sunday. Please pray for the 25 women that will be ministered to this week. Pray that God's will speak and His presence felt. I will try and get some computer time to do some blog visiting, but don't know exactly how much free time I will have. Love you so! Thanks for stopping in. May our precious Lord reveal Himself mighty to you this week!

tears, praise, worship... His presence

I made my way to the place where I was meeting with 40 other Christian women to finalize preparations for an encounter weekend.


As I walked into the church, I immediately felt His presence. His awesome and mighty presence. It was so thick it was almost overwhelming. Holy ground.

From that very moment, I could feel the fingers of God reach out and touch me. There was such electricity surging through me. I could sense Him. I could feel Him.

As we made our way to the sanctuary for devotion and communion, I could already feel the beginnings of tears forming beneath the surface of my eyes. Soon, they were brimming with liquid joy and threatening to spill over.

Tears of thankfulness.
Tears of tenderness.
Tears of His presence.

He was there.
Pressing down upon me.
His spirit abounding.

I was ever so aware of Him. I closed my eyes and worshiped.

As I partook of the representation of His body and His blood, I couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. They flooded down my face in a torrent of spiritual cleansing. A river of grace and mercy flowed uncontrollably. A river of release. A river of praise.

As I knelt at the altar, the sound of women sobbing filled the room with humble expectancy. There was an awareness of God and His glory. His Majesty.

The presence of God in the room was palpable. It was astounding. It was so powerful and so alive that I could almost see it!

Oh, He was there. He was present and He was bestowing me with a fresh glimpse of His glory that day. I was encountering Jesus with a fresh anointing. Feeling myself in the grip of His hands. The finger marks of God left behind on me.

It was consuming me. Like fire had fallen from heaven. Engulfing me with the sheer splendor of His manifest presence. Holy ground.

I began to imagine what heaven would be like. I couldn’t even comprehend the magnitude of powerful worship that will take place. To be at His feet. In His presence. Face-to-face with Jesus. Walking with Him. On Holy ground. For all eternity.

Thank you, Lord, for your presence in my life. May I always glory in You and give You praise and honor for all that You are. You are my life and my breath. You are the reason I live. I love You with all of my heart.

In His grip,

Beth

THANKful Thursday

Thank you Greg for being the host of this great way to let the Lord and others know how thankful we are for our many blessings!

I am so thankful that I have the privilege to serve a God who loves me and takes care of me. He is so worthy of much more than I can ever begin to deserve.

I am so thankful for a godly husband who has dedicated his life to serving the Lord through ministry. He is a true lover of God. He is an awesome pastor and genuinely loves people. 

I am so thankful that God has allowed me to experience the joy of being a pastor's wife. While it isn't always a bed of roses, it is a wonderful thing to be able to stand beside your husband and minister to people. 

I am thankful that God never stops teaching me things. I have found that the more I seek, the more He shows me. The more I desire, the more He reveals.

I am thankful for my sweet friends in Christ who I have met through this blog. It is just amazing how close I feel to those that I pray for and correspond with. I truly love y'all with all my heart and I appreciate each friendship more than you can imagine!

"He who believes in Me, as the scripture

has said, out of his heart will

flow rivers of living water"

John 7:38

Praise you Lord for life. I praise you for the ability to read the Word and apply it to my heart.

May the truth of the scriptures flow out of me like a mighty river. May I be nothing less

than an instrument used by You for your glory.

  

break free from those chains of bondage

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which

Christ has made us free, and do not be

entangled again with a yoke of bondage."

(Galatians 5:1)

When elephants are being trained in the circus, they are chained and shackled to a stake when they are just babies. The chains are strong enough at that point to restrain them and keep them from breaking free. As they pull and tug on the chain to no avail, they soon learn that their efforts are futile and soon they don't resist the chains as much.

As they grow bigger and stronger, the chains and shackles don't have to be exchanged for more powerful ones. The elephants have grown so used to the chains holding them, that they just assume that they can't escape and therefore they don't even try.

Do we live like that at times? Are we letting the chains and shackles of this world tether us so tightly to those areas of sin and strongholds in our lives, that we have ceased to even tug and pull on them in any attempt to break free?

Have we grown so comfortable in our bondage that we are living defeated and hopeless lives?

Oh, my sweet friends, I think the answer to those questions is a resounding "yes!". I think that we have grown so accustomed to our chained-up state that we just sit back and remain shackled to sin.

Why do we choose to live as captives when we have been given the glorious key to freedom?  As Christians, our battle has already been fought and won for us. Our state of bondage was overcome on the Cross at Calvary.

God freed us from the chains of sin and gave us  Hope through the shed blood of His Son.  When Jesus gave up His life for us, the sacrifice He made was to atone for our sins forever. Those chains of bondage were broken that day and we were given the ability to live victoriously through Jesus.

Whatever is holding you hostage and is binding you up in those chains, isn't worth it.  Whatever is defeating you, burdening you and weighing you down, is keeping you from living in the freedom of a life of Hope and Victory. You will be forever tethered to that dismal and defeated existence unless you allow God to remove the chains so you can be set free!

Oh, my friends, surrender it to Him and let Him loosen those shackles so they fall off. Confess it and lay it at His feet. Repent of it and arise from there washed anew with His mercy and grace. Free from those chains of captivity. Under bondage no more!

Praise You, Jesus. Praise You, that we have the ability to live a life of freedom. We can walk in victory. We have hope. We can be loosed from the things that bind us and experience the true, abundant life that you intend for us.

Oh, Lord help us to walk in the Spirit. Help us to walk in your ways, obey your commandments and be free from the bondage of the world. Thank you, Lord, the because of Your Son, we can be set free from sin and the ties that bind us. We can live in the freedom and victory of a life in Christ.

"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness"

(Romans 6:18)

THANKful Thursday

I am excited to join Greg for his Thankful Thursday post today!

1. I am thankful that when I cry out to God, He hears me.

"In my distress I cried to the LORD, And he heard me."

Psalm 120:1

++++

2. I am so thankful that I have the amazing and awesome privilege of Worship.

"I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into

the house of the LORD"

Psalm 122:1

++++

3. I am thankful that God delivers and rescues me in times of trouble. He is always

there for me. He tends to me and takes care of me.

"He delivered me from my strong enemy,

From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me"

Psalm 18:17

++++

4. I am thankful that when I am weary, He gives me rest.

When I am down, He lifts me up.

When I am weak, He is strong.

++++

5. I am thankful that when I was a 9 year old girl, I made the decision to ask Jesus into

my heart and accept Him as my Lord and Savior. I am thankful that He lives in my heart

and that through Him, I have forgiveness of sins, redemption, and eternal life.

"But God demonstrates His own love for toward us,

in that while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

Captivated by His grace and,

 

Oh, sweet victory in my Savior...

SWEET VICTORY
My heart is heavy.

tired

burdened

There is no assuagement from the guilt.

feeling down.

defeated.

disappointed.

I battled the flesh today and lost.

I let my guard down

and the foe is ruthless.

Just waiting for the opportunity

to attack.

Crouching and waiting.

he rears his ugly head at

the first opportune moment,

prowling,

devouring.

I allowed him to hold me captive for a short time

Until finally my spirit resisted.

I recognized the conflict

with the flesh.

Between good and evil.

I cried out to my God.

The One who can rescue.

cover

redeem

strengthen

Through Christ, I tapped into the power

afforded me through way of

The Cross.

The power to fight.

The power to win.

The power to defeat the enemy.

Reaching up, I grasp

The Hand of my Savior.

Embracing the unity I have

with Him when I call upon His Name.

I feel His touch.

Melt in His arms.

Allow Him to move.

Because of Him,

I am victorious in the fight.

The guilt fades.

The weariness recedes.

The burdens are lifted.

Joy returns and

I rest in the sufficiency of

His almighty Presence.

The width and depth of His love

Overwhelms me.

The height of it fills me with awe.

Praise You, Lord.

Praise You for your continuing

love,

care

and watch over me.

You are my refuge.

My strength.

My Savior

You are the defeater of my enemies.

The victory in my life.

My heart is light.

Renewed

Restored.

No condemnation,

No defeat.

Only sweet victory in Jesus.

+++++++

"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh

reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit

reap everlasting life."

((Galatians 6:8)