Keep it Simple

A have a dear friend who recently met with me to talk about some business ventures I am embarking on.  She was so kind to share how she got started in her business and the philosophy she has followed through the years.   Rhonda shared, “Doing what you love doesn’t have to be complicated.  Just keep it simple.”  I am forever thankful for her advice.  I have taken her advice in starting my new business.  But more than that, I have taken her great advice when I think about doing what I really, really love…sharing the love of Jesus.   

There have been so many opportunities to share about Jesus that I have let slide by because I tried to make it complicated.  I thought I needed to have all of the scriptures memorized in case I would get asked a hard question.  I thought I needed a background in theology or biblical training in order to be able to answer the great mysteries of the bible.   I thought I needed all of these things.  But the reality was I didn’t need a bible college degree.  I just needed to take my friend’s advice.  I just needed to keep it simple.  Today I realized,  I am just a simple woman who is completely loved by an incredible God.   

So this week, I just kept it simple.   

I cared for a woman at the hospital who had such a beautiful name.  I had never heard of it before.  As I got her comfortable in bed, I asked what her name meant.  She answered, “It means LONELY.”  I said, “Awww, you don’t have to be lonely, Jesus loves you!”  She smiled from ear to ear and so did her family.  In fact, her health has declined so much recently, I’m sure she hasn’t smiled for weeks.  By just keeping it simple, I was able to share two very important biblical truths with her.  Deuteronomy 31:6  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  AND  Ephesians 2:4 But God who is rich in mercy, because of his great love, with which He loved us,   Simply put, she doesn’t need to be lonely because God loves her! 

The very next room I went to was a gentleman who just found out he had two cancerous masses in his brain.  As I gave him his medications, the man’s wife shared about his condition.  She said, “He has been the picture of health all of these years and now we are waiting to see what the next step is.”  As I handed him his pills, I said, “You are going on a journey, but you aren’t alone.  God is with you.”  I saw the hope rise up in their hearts as I expressed to them in a simple way that they would not have to go on this journey alone because God is faithful and He would not leave them.    Psalm 23:4  Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.   

Right after this, a hospice representative came in and wanted to introduce herself and give us some literature about her company.  Boldness rose up in me and I said, “I don’t know if this is a conflict of interest or not, but I wanted to let you know, I am starting a private duty nursing business here in Tucson.”  Her eyes got huge and she asked if I would be willing to go to lunch with her.  She was a regional representative for Tucson and she had 250 contacts of people who she could connect me with.  We are meeting for lunch tomorrow to talk about her company and see if we could partner together.  I was thrilled because I had been asking the Lord just one simple thing, “Just open doors for me, Lord.”  So I felt compelled to tell her.  She smiled and said, “Maybe he is opening doors with me.”  It was just a simple comment, but for a moment, this woman shared in my faith.  The faith that says God opens my doors and closes them and He is in complete control of my life.  Revelation 3:7  What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.   

Some days my heart breaks for those I care for.  Some days I keep it so simple I don’t even use words.  I have no words to comfort  those who are hurting and sick.  I just simply ask God to show Himself through me.  When I go in to the patient’s room, all I have is a smile and it’s contagious!  Even the worst crabby,  angry, or depressed person can’t resist the joy of the Lord.   Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; in your presence is the fullness of joy; at your right hand or pleasures forevermore.  This biblical truth was expressed so simply I didn’t even use words.   

So today I celebrate in my simplicity and I encourage you to take my friend’s great advice.  Keep it simple.  It takes all the pressure off knowing we don’t need to know all of the answers to the great mysteries of the bible.  We don’t need to know all of the scriptures.  We just need to keep it simple.  It’s just that simple!  Psalm 119:130  The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. 

But God...

When the storms of life come crashing in on me, it's easy to be plagued with fear and doubt. More times than I'd like to admit, I serve myself up a large portion of fear and doubt when I am facing a trial in my life...and then I serve it to myself for dessert! It's the natural man's response to fear when we are faced with the unknown in a difficult situation. But God... I am here to tell you, we have a God who has overcome the world. We do not have to be satisfied with the "fast food" of fear and doubt when we have the "gourmet" meal of the Word of God. It never changes. It never spoils. And according to the book of Jeremiah, the Word can be eaten and it's mighty tasty! Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

But God...

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart fail; [But] God [is] the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

But God...

Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah

But God...

Genesis 48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

But God...  I really love this statement. The statement "But God" appears 613 times in scripture. I just recently taught a women's bible study and they talked about "But God" and how He is the finishing touch to a fearful thought or doubt. Jesus is our answer. We don't have to be satisfied with the "fast food" of fear and doubt when the "gourmet" meal of the Word of God and His rich promises last forever. Don't be satisfied with anything less!

I recently went back to work as a Registered Nurse. Five years ago, I decided to quit my job as a nurse to stay home and raise family for a few years. Many people told me it was professional suicide. I'd lose my nursing skills and nobody would hire me. But I knew a little secret..."But God" opens my doors and closes them and I am not subject to the world." It was my "But God" moment.

God indeed opened doors for me at the hospital I used to work at. I was hired almost immediately and I started working. I got a PRN position and could pick any hours I wanted to work and I could work 8 hour shifts or 12 hour shifts. It absolutely was perfect. Several weeks into my new dream job, the hospital started cancelling all of my shifts because of low census. My plans to work hours this summer to be able to renew my license was coming crashing down.

Immediately fear and doubt was presented to me on a hot steamy platter like a rich meal at a fancy restaurant. I started to worry. I started to doubt that God had gotten me the job in the first place. I started trying to figure it out on my own. I started thinking what other jobs I could apply for. But then it came to me...   "But God..."

I sat on my swing on my back patio and I called out to the Lord. I told Him I wasn't going to do anything on my own but I was going to wait on Him. I knew He would watch over me and I didn't need to worry about it. In fact, I told the Lord, "I refuse to worry about this. There is no need. I trust You." In my heart I had a peace that cannot be explained. One simple two word statement settled it, "But God..."   As I sat there, I asked the Lord to touch my heart in a special way and I knew He would answer me.

One of my favorite past times is going to Good Will and finding treasures. Sometimes they are old vintage items that are neat or just neat things I find for my own house. That day, I went to Goodwill. I asked the Lord two things. I asked that I would find a "treasure" at Goodwill and also that He would speak to my heart in a special way.

I had no idea how God would touch my heart. As I looked through the bins at Goodwill, I reached in to one of them and pulled out a tiny bible. When I opened it up, it was a bible from December 25, 1943 and in the back of the bible it had a handwritten journal of one soldier's battles in World War II. What a treasure I thought. As I held this little bible up, I realized it was alomost two generations old. And then, like a flood, the Lord spoke to my heart through the Book of Psalms. Psalm 12:7 You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.  God has preserved His Word from generation to generation. I had nothing to fear. I had God's Word. I can't tell you how deep and how wide God's love was for me at that moment.


I am glad I chose God's "gourmet" meal of rich promises. Within 72 hours, the Lord had completely turned things around for me in a mighty way. A made a call to the woman who hired me (a sister in the Lord).  She then made some calls for me to other departments in the hospital. I was referred to one of our sister hospitals who is critically low in nurses and they are paying 1.8 times my salary! Not only do I have more hours to work than I could possibly work, they are paying me almost double time to do them! The Lord has opened more doors for me than I could have ever imagined. It was all Him and all glory goes to Him.

God has given us His Word and His promises are good...from generation to generation. "But God..."  has become my new defense when fear and doubt come. I speak to the mountains in my life with "But God..." knowing that He has everything in His hands.  God will always take care of us. God will never fail us. We have His Word and it's "gourmet." So don't settle for the "fast food" of fear and doubt!

Prayer: The Secret Weapon

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

The United States Military is one of the most decorated, powerful military forces in the world. America the Beautiful is armed and dangerous with a long list of weapons of mass destruction; the computer operated drone, satellite detection for bombings, secret mission submarines, Delta Force for counterterrorism, and last but not least, Navy Seal Team 6. These massive weapons and special teams are designed for the most elaborate covert operations of their kind to accomplish only one thing –to abolish the most powerful enemy.

I love my country and am blessed to have such a powerful military organization guarding me at all times. But, you see, I have found in my spiritual life to have a very powerful special weapon of my own – Prayer. I have oftentimes been on the receiving end of this most powerful weapon of prayer and have reaped eternal benefits on more occasions than I could count. The fruits of this powerful weapon have been evident in my life through and through and have on many occasions significantly changed the course of life. This massive harvest of fruit in my life from being on the receiving end of others praying for me has caused me to take this most significant opportunity to pray for others to the deepest of levels. Join with me in this most elaborate military operation with our greatest weapon of mass destruction of all – Prayer.

Why Do We Pray?

We pray because God hears us and responds by fighting our battles.

James 5:16 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

When we pray, God hears us. And when He hears us, the Word of God says it avails much. God responds to whatever our battle is and He is ready to fight for us.

We don’t need an army of thousands of people or the Delta Force or Navy Seal 6, we just need the most effective weapon against the enemy…prayer. These people prayed and the Lord came to their rescue and He is still rescuing us today. If anything makes the enemy shudder, it’s the power and effectiveness of prayer to the One who answers.

God fights for us.

Joshua 23:10 One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.

I know first-hand the power of prayer and how the Lord rescued me by winning the battle for my soul. In 2003, I was a guest speaker at a missions banquet in Wisconsin. I gave my testimony and shared several instances where God had answered my prayers. At the end of the evening, a shy red-haired woman came up to me and in a very small voice said, “God has answered my prayers about you.” I was struggling to make a connection with who this lady was. Looking a bit confused, I said, “Do I know you?” She shyly answered, “No, but I know your father. He used to tell me about you and all you were going through. Whenever I would drive past your father’s house, the Lord would put you on my heart and I would pray for your salvation.” I am certain I am saved today because of this woman’s prayers on my behalf. I am forever in debt to her for her faithfulness to pray.

We pray because we acknowledge our dependence on Christ.

Matthew 15: 5 I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

We pray to Him because He is our only source. We must completely depend on Him to plan our attacks and fight our battles. We will have our “battle success” only through remaining in Him.

Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence in faith through Him

We can be bold when we ask God and we can expect Him to answer. We have access to the One who has all the resources to provide solutions and we can come to Him with confidence knowing that when He hears us, He answers.

I sat on a plane in 2004 ready to return home from a visit with a friend. It had turned out to be quite a disaster. My ex-husband had gotten remarried that weekend and I was on a huge pity party. He had moved on and remarried and I was still waiting for God. I was really broken that weekend. I sat there on the plane ready to return home and I poured my heart out to the Lord. I asked God if He would send me a woman to minister to me. Right after I prayed, I just knew with confidence that He heard me and I knew He would send her. I cried out to Him and said it was very seldom that I ask, but this time I needed someone to minister to me. I was sitting in the middle seat. I looked at the man on my left who had his headphones on and the woman to my right was reading a book and not at all interested in talking with me. In my heart, I said, “Lord, you are either going to change this woman’s heart next to me or you are sending someone else. I watched and waited for the woman to arrive. Person after person boarded the plane and sat down until the plane was almost full. The very last woman came through the door. She was an older woman in her 60s. She started coming toward me and said to the woman next me, “Excuse me, I think you are in my seat.” The woman to my right looked up from her book and said, “No, this is my seat.” The gray-haired lady pulled her ticket out of her purse and showed the woman next to me. It was indeed her seat. I knew as soon as she sat down it was the woman God had sent. This lovely woman ministered to me the whole way home. She shared her own faith in Christ, several scriptures to encourage me and loved on me the whole way home.

My God heard my prayer and not only did He hear it, but He responded. He sent her for me not only to minister to me, but to pray for me. We exchanged addresses before we parted ways. The next week, I was thinking how special that was that God heard me and responded to my plea. When I thought of this woman, I had this deep feeling in my heart that she was praying for me. Immediately after this thought, I went right to my mailbox and pulled out my mail. When I pulled my mail out, a letter dropped out on the ground. I knelt down to pick it up and it was a letter from the woman on the plane. It had just eight powerful words. It read: Stacy, I am praying for you. Love, Elaine. God hears prayer and He responds powerfully.

We pray because we are not ignorant of our enemy.

1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We are in a battle. If you don’t realize you are in a battle, it means you’ve been taken captive. This battle is like no other. The most powerful of all military weapons of mass destruction pale in comparison to the weapons needed for this battle.

Join with me to arm yourself with the most powerful secret weapon available – Prayer. Make a commitment to step up your prayer. Get a prayer journal and pray specifically, fervently and consistently. We must completely depend on Him to plan the attack on the enemy and to completely annihilate him. He will respond powerfully to our prayer. This is a weapon available for our taking. Take hold of this secret weapon of mass destruction, our prayers, and stand back and watch the Lord fight our battles!

I am God’s Favorite…and So are You!

Psalm 16:3 As for the saints who are on the earth, They are excellent ones, in whom is all my delight

For the past several weeks, I have taken hold of such an awesome truth. The truth is, I am God’s favorite…and so are you! The Lord has reached deep down in my soul to show me this beautiful reality. It struck me deep in my being when I first read my pastor’s wife’s blog. In recent months, she has been diagnosed with lung cancer. She shared with our congregation that late one evening, her husband insisted she go to the Emergency Room because she was complaining of pain in her chest. Like any other trip to the emergency room, they had waited hours and hours until they both finally dozed off. When she awoke, she looked over at her sleeping husband who was still clutching her purse that the nurse asked him to hold hours before. What a sweet picture. It made me smile at the love she had when she looked at her husband still holding her purse. When she saw her husband’s faithfulness and love, she said, “He really is my favorite.” Deep in my heart, for just a moment, I realized that’s what God thinks of me. This profound statement really stuck with me. The Lord has continued to bring that saying to my attention ever since. And every time I turn around, I am hearing God’s people sharing that same truth with me. Yes, I am God’s favorite…and so are you!


1. You are God’s Favorite because He is not partial. Webster’s definition of Partial: Inclined to favor one party more than the other.


Job 34:19 Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor: For they are all the work of His hands & Romans 2:11 says For there is no partiality with God.

I have had people respond to me from time to time, “Wow, You must be really special. God must really love you. He really favors you.” But God says in His Word, He is not partial. He will not favor me over you. You see, I am His favorite, but you are too! I rejoice with you that you share in this great reality. We are God’s own favorite people.


2. You are God’s favorite because He died for you and took you to be His own special treasure. Webster’s definition of favorite: one that is treated or regarded with special favor or liking; especially a person who is specially loved, trusted, or provided with favors by someone of high rank or authority.



Titus 2:12 who gave Himself for us, that He might purify for Himself His own special people. He gave Himself for us. He was beaten beyond recognition as a man for our sins. He died a violent, horrible death for our sins. On the third day, He rose again to save us from our sins and now He has revealed to us that we really are His favorite. What a delight to be His favorite.

God delights in us and to Him, we are precious beyond compare. I have a special saying when I am sharing the love of Jesus to the world. I tell them, “Don’t you know, Jesus adores you?” Just a few days ago, I had my 5 year old daughter with me while getting my hair cut at a salon. The door of the salon opened and a thin, tattooed gentleman brought his little 4 year old daughter in the salon. He asked my hair stylist could his daughter play in the salon with my daughters. She came in and my 5 year old, Grace whispered in my ear, “Does she have Jesus in her heart?” I smiled and whispered back, “I don’t know, why don’t you ask her?’ Grace shared with the little girl the simple bible truths of the gospel that I had taught her and the she opened her heart and prayed with us to accept Jesus in her heart. My heart melted inside when her big brown eyes widened when I explained Jesus now lived in her heart. This beautiful, blonde girl had just become God’s own favorite. When I walked out of the salon, I saw the parents of the little girl outside the door. Their bodies were riddled with the effects of drug addiction. I wanted to hug the mom and tell her, “Don’t you know, your little girl is God’s own favorite? She is His treasure and He wants you as His favorite too.” My heart hurt inside when I saw the emptiness in her eyes and that she didn’t know the depths of this great love for her.


3. You are God’s favorite FOREVER. Webster’s definition of forever: For a limitless time; at all times: continually.


You are God’s special treasure and this astounding promise lasts forever and FOREVER! This reality has brought me to my knees in tears countless times over the past several weeks. I am His favorite and this warms me from the inside out and blesses me beyond words.

Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life.

Hebrews 13:5 For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

It’s hard to imagine that this great God is not partial. We are, in fact, His favorites. We are His own special people and so are any of the “whosoevers” that John 3:16 talks about. Let us live every day in the reality that we are God’s favorite. Let us live our lives out loud for those who are lost and hurting and have no love. Let us bring them this great love that cannot be compared…that they would know they are God’s favorite and this great love lasts FOREVER!

Hurry Up and Wait!

Isaiah 49:23 "Then you will know that I am the Lord, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me."

Have you ever said to God…”Hurry up….only to hear Him answer, “…Wait. We are always in a hurry aren’t we? It’s fast food, instant messaging, and the microwave. I used to put my food in the oven and wait for it. These days, I decline to purchase a meal if it takes longer than 2 minutes to prepare in the microwave. I’ve found no satisfaction to use the mail service at Netflix anymore. I want the instant stream from the internet right to my television. I don’t want to have to wait the extra day to get my favorite movie to watch. The fact is, we want what we want, and we want it right now.

This concept of waiting has been on my heart for a couple days now. I’ve come to realize, I am not that great at waiting on God. I am impatient, demanding, and always being reigned back in to wait for God. I was driving home today from my bible study, and literally at every stop light I was jotting down revelation at the Lord gave it to me. Since it’s been a long time since I’ve written, I hope to bless you with what the Lord revealed to me today.

There are three things that stood out to me as the Lord poured revelation into my heart:

1. Everything has an appointed time.
2. It’s essential to wait on the Lord for the appointed time.
3. It’s absolutely necessary to be ready when He calls.

I have many times been impatient with the Lord and nagged God to Hurry Up! It’s like holding back a race horse when they open the shoot. But contrary to what I think, Scripture is filled with examples of God having an appointed time to accomplish His will and His purposes.

Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. God had an appointed time for Sarah to receive her promise to conceive her baby. Sarah’s appointed time came when she was 90 years old!

John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. There is an appointed time that God heals. And for this man who had an infirmity for 38 years, this appointed time of God’s healing touch was what he had been waiting for.

John 7:8 You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come. There was an appointed time for Jesus to go into Jerusalem, suffer, be crucified, and an appointed time that He rose from the dead on the third day. This amazing event was to happen at a special time and it happened not one second before it was supposed to. He waited for His appointed time, and therefore, it accomplished all that it was meant to.

These great men and women of faith had an appointed time and they waited for that appointed time. Abraham was considered to be righteous because He knew God who promised, was faithful to deliver that promise. And after waiting 91 years, Sarah received her promise. The man with the infirmity sat at the pool day after day waiting for his miracle. He had waited 38 years for his appointed time and his miraculous healing and God delivered not one minute too late. Jesus waited 33 years for His appointed time. He did not go ahead a second before His appointed time. He waited for the Father to give direction and He followed and delivered our promise.

As we wait on the Lord, we can wait with expectancy. 2Peter The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. God will deliver, but we must see we have an appointed time, wait for our time, and be ready when He calls.

Exodus 12:11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. He wore his belt and had his shoes on and a staff in his hand. Why do you think he had his shoes on and his staff? Because after he was done eating the Passover, he was planning to go. He was ready, with his belt, shoes and his staff. He was prepared to leave.

Matthew 25:3-8 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. The wise virgins had oil in their lamps and they were prepared when Jesus arrived. When He called, they were ready.

Jesus has an appointed time for us for His purpose. It’s not our timeline, but His. He has it calculated down to the second. Join with me as we wait on the Lord for His appointed time and His call. Let us fill our lamps with oil, gird our waists with a belt, and place sandals on our feet. Let us be ready for the call of God and go at once when we hear Him!

I cry out, "Abba, Father"

Ephesians 1:4-6 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the beloved.

Do you ever think how cool it would be if we found out that we were really an heir to the royal family? What a surprise that would be. Maybe we would be invited to the Palace and would be able to sit at the table with the King and Queen. We would just kind of be “grandfathered in” to positions because of our position as heir. It wouldn't be like they actually knew us. They would just invite us only because of our position in the royal family.

Well, I have even better news than this. Those who are in Christ, actually are of the Royal Family…the Royal Blood line of Christ and a member of the Family of God. We will sit with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords one day and we won’t be “grandfathered in.” He will know us and we will know Him. We will all cry, “Abba, Father,” which translates “Daddy.” Can you imagine? We will be calling the King “Daddy.”

I have not ceased to praise my Lord and King this week and I cry out Abba, Father. As some of you know, my 13 year old sons, Charlie and Chad, were from my first marriage. My ex-husband was not exactly a very involved father and as the years went by, it became less and less frequent that he visited, called, or sent gifts until finally 4 years have passed without a word. After my divorce and I had given my life to Jesus, I waited on God to bring me a husband. But you see, I didn’t want any old husband, I wanted a father for my children…one they could call “Daddy.” I knew they had been abandoned, but I also knew God would provide. Many of my friends told me not to expect too much and not to be too disappointed if God didn’t bring me a husband who felt that special feeling for my sons. After all, husbands like that were hard to come by. Once again, God was faithful to me in every way. Matthew 7:9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? God is faithful to answer our prayers.

The day my husband, John, and I decided we would marry, he shared with me that he had been praying to the Lord that God would give him love for my sons, as if they were his own. The very first day Charlie and Chad, who were age 6 at the time, met John, they asked if they could call him Dad. They have never called him anything else. John shared with Charlie and Chad that they would not be his “step kids” but they would actually be his kids. John brought them into his family as if they were his own blood. He shared with them that everything he had was theirs and they would inherit everything that he had and would be shared equally between his other children. He would be the one to teach them about God, go to all of their ball games, be there when they were sick, and show them how to become men of God. What a picture of God’s love! God doesn’t have to take time to see if he likes us before He accepts us. He doesn’t say, “Well, let’s just see how things go. I am going to be your “step dad” for a while and see how you act. Then I will decide where we stand.” No! Ephesians 1:4-5 says He chose us in Him…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. We are no doubt Royalty according to Christ’s good pleasure and His will! Not only that, but according to Galatians 4:5-7 He totally accepted us, so much so that we have permission to call the King, “Daddy.” Gal 4:5-8 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Yes, we are of the Royal Family of God and we did nothing to deserve this great gift from God! We gave Him no reason to love us or to desire us. No friends, He just loved us because He is pure love!

My husband’s love for my children has made a bond between them that can never be broken. In fact, it’s such a strong bond that people even think my husband, John, is their birth father. Now my husband is Hispanic and very dark skinned and my sons, Charlie and Chad, are like Casper the ghost! It’s clear that they are not related. But it never fails when people see them together that they say, “Oh, I can totally see the resemblance. They look just like their father.” My husband and I always smile and agree! This is always a joke between us. But this, too, is a picture of God’s grace and love for us. At one time, we didn’t look like our Father either. We were covetous, blasphemous, hateful, and rebellious. This is who we were before we knew Him, but as God continues to work in our hearts, we continue to look more and more like Him. We resemble His actions, talk like Him, walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. We just start to look like we are related to Him…we start to look like we belong to the Royal Family of God. Ephesians 1:4 that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. God sees us as He sees Himself because we are a reflection of Him.

Years have passed since John made that promise of “daddy-hood” to my sons. For years, my husband has desired earnestly to adopt Charlie and Chad according to the law in the State of Arizona. Although John already knows that he is Charlie and Chad’s dad, he wanted them to have his last name and God’s stamp of approval. We have waited and prayed for many years. This past October the time had finally come.

As we prepared to go to court, we had consulted with an attorney who recommended we not attempt to terminate parental rights of my ex-husband without an attorney. He shared that this is no small task to terminate someone’s parental rights, especially in the state of Arizona. Although I appreciated this attorney’s advice, the Lord brought to remembrance His Word. 1 John 2:1 And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. According to God’s Word, I knew I didn’t need to pay an attorney $5000, because I had an Attorney who would go before me and represent me and my family (and I hear those Jewish Attorneys are the best!). So we did. We consulted with the Lord and asked Him to go before us. I prepared the paperwork and showed up at court with the Lord ahead of us and me, my husband and my two sons following.

This was the day we had waited for. My husband and I and some close friends had been praying specifically for the heart of our judge. We asked that the Lord would prepare her and that she would judge righteously according to the Lord's leading. We prayed God would move in her heart to hear our case. During the hearing, which lasted all of 20 minutes, she asked my sons if they understood what we were talking about and how they felt about John adopting them. She smiled when they answered confidently they thought the idea of being adopted would be great because my husband had been their dad for almost 7 years and they really loved him.

It was a day to celebrate. Within minutes, she decided our case. She deemed after hearing our evidence, that according to the State of Arizona, it was in Charlie and Chad’s best interest that my husband adopt! As of 10:00 that morning, my ex-husband’s parental rights had been terminated and I was awarded sole custody until the adoption went through.

Judge Wagener said we looked like a great family and then as if the Lord prompted her, she squinted her eyes and looked at my husband and then at Charlie and Chad as if comparing them. And then Judge Wagener said it...”You know what’s funny? You guys actually kind of look alike,” speaking of the similarities between my husband and my sons! This would be God’s stamp of approval and another reminder that His hand is always upon us and He is working on our behalf 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! We indeed are set apart and without blemish because of Christ and this is a beautiful picture of God’s love for us.

We praised our God who went before us in court. He truly went ahead of us and worked on our behalf. After the judge ruled in our favor, we were immediately sent to another section of court to start adoption proceedings. We are blessed beyond measure and cry out, “Abba, Father.” We are thankful for His love and provision for us and for His constant favor in our lives. We truly are of the Royal Blood line and we continue day by day to allow God to work in our lives that we would look more and more like Him each day.

He Sewed Me Back Together

2 Corinthians 4:9 ...Struck down but not destroyed.

What a delight to worship my King. Yesterday, my daughter was asleep on the couch, the whole house was quiet, and I turned on some praise music to worship my King. I folded clothes and just had a sweet time worshipping Him and giving Him all my attention. As my heart worshipped Him, he revealed His love for me and it was so perfect!

Just a couple of weeks ago, I had cut my thumb on a piece of glass. It was really deep and I required 7 stitches. After I cut it, I had numbness in the thumb. I was referred to a hand specialist, Dr. Butler, who recommended I get the nerve repaired. I had cut the finger right above the ulnar nerve and he felt it was probably severed all the way. Unfortunately, this nerve is like a rubber band so when it is cut, it retracts back into the hand and they need to go under a scope and find it and suture it back together. Last Thursday, I had the surgery and Dr. Butler said he was pleased because it had only partially severed the nerve and it wasn't cut all the way through. He was able to take the nerve and pull it back together and suture it. He said my prognosis was good, that although for the first month or so I wouldn't be able to feel the thumb, eventually the feeling would come back and he thinks I will get full function back in the thumb. I was so happy!

As I worshipped God and sang to Him, He showed me that this this thumb surgery experience was a great comparison to my life. He brought to mind how before I was saved, I was struck down, but satan didn't destroy me. There was still a little bit of me that was still "attached" and the Lord took it and brought it back together and sutured my life up. Then He brought to mind how difficult it was when I first got saved. I had lost everything....my husband, my home, my car, my job. I had lost control of my kids' behavior. I didn't even have enough money to get back to Wisconsin to live with my parents. My dad sent me plane tickets to get me home. When I finally got home, I was literally like a walking zombie. I didn't know my right hand from my left. The Lord reminded me that I didn't "have feeling" for a while, but He continued to breathe life into my heart with His very Word and the "feeling" came back. Just like my thumb, after several months, the feeling started to return. He restored me completely. He took my severed life, sewed it up, and put feeling back into my life and when He did, I could function. He breathed the very breath of life into me like He was performing CPR on an unconscious person. That person was me. He reminded me that I wasn't destroyed. I was struck down, but it was ONLY BECAUSE OF HIM that He never allowed satan to take me out. He allowed Him to go so far. Satan could only go as far as leaving that little piece of nerve left still attached. I hadn't walked too far away from God to be brought back, because I still had that little part of my heart still attached and God could still work with me. He carried me even through that time. It was ONLY because of HIM that I live today. He was the one who covered me during that time because He has a plan for me. Isn't that amazing?

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. God knit me together when He created me and then He, like a Good Shepherd, went and found His lost little sheep who had gone astray, and He knit me together again. And then if that was not enough, he breathed His life-giving Word in me and restored me completely. I can honestly say that all of my greatest childhood experiences all the way to adulthood, I consider a great loss in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ as my Savior and walking with Him intimately over the past 11 years.

So I praise Him for going after me, finding me, knitting me back together and breathing life and "feeling" back into me. He restored my soul and I know without a doubt I have found the true meaning of life..truly living for Jesus Christ.