Redeemed

Ephesians 1:7 he is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased my freedom with the blood of His son

Romans 5:8 While I was still in sin Christ died for me ...
and payed the ransom for my freedom

How do/did I accept this freedom?

Repentance.
I repented.

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord(Acts 3:19 NKJV)

Repentance is showing deep sorrow for your sins -turning and going the opposite direction.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:7 NKJV)
Ps. 51:10 create in me a clean heart o God and renew a right spirit within me.

Luke 3:13 - unless you repent you will likewise perish.

Repentance is real. When God washes away sin and redeems us by the blood of Jesus it's real.

And that defines me! REDEEMED!

To be redeemed : someone obtained my freedom by someone else paying a ransom (God gave His son Jesus in my place)
Someone (Jesus) took the rap for my wrong doing.
He made amends for me.

I am no longer defined by my past who I was or how I made decisions. I don't have to try and make up for the foolish things I did or the foolish way I thought the blood defines me I have been redeemed. I can now enter into HIS rest safe and secure from the past that tries to haunt me. It has nothing on me.

Yes! I hear Him saying come enter into my rest Come and enjoy every good and perfect thing that I have for you. This is real and I did it for you. Walk in peace and walk in the joy of your salvation! This is real living or should I say livin it real!!

until I accepted that He redeemed me from my sin I was still trying to make up for what I did denying that forgiveness through repentance covered it. Wow. It is so real. What he did and how he did it is so real! Amazing. God is amazing!!

Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4, 5 NKJV)

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. (Psalm 25:21 NKJV)

My prayer is that I would be a prudent woman (careful and wise) who walks with integrity bound by truth and righteousness.

Ephesians 1:8 he has showered his kindness on us along with all wisdom and understanding.

Be love with the same love He loved you with. Be kindness with the same kindness He showered on you.
All out of thankfulness!

The American odyssey relay

Wow!! What a privilege to have been asked to run this race... I joined a strong team. With amazing leaders!
Check it out online www.americanodysseyrelay.com
This was my experience I was runner 10 out of 12

Leg 10 runner 10 -9.2k
Leg 22 runner 10-7.4k
Leg 34 runner 10 -10.4

My first leg was so beautiful. I ran trails basically for approx. 4 k my nemesis kept me focused until she was out of sight. So the race started with joy passing me the baton (a neon yellow slap on bracelet). So cool.
I started up hill ran through the trails doing my very best to not get off track. When I got to the top I ran down with was breathtaking - pun intended- it was amazingly picturesque and I got a cramp I thought I was going to bust my rib I was pushing on it the pressure seemed To help with the pain AHH. So I went from the mountain to a dead end desert. We went down this dirt trail that lead to nothing and then turned around and ran to the transition which was where I passed the baton ;) to Wes.

Leg 22
This was my night run it was 1am when I started running. I felt amazing and ran hard. I ran a 5.35 pace I was pleased with the time and this run. I actually ran through the cemetery of the bloodiest battle of all time a little creepy but I felt Gods presence and I had no fear. My support van stayed pretty close. Which was nice we talked about fences thanks to John Mac. Joy Henderson joined me for the last 2k, and sprinted with me the last bit. There is something invigorating about running at a ridiculous time of the night. It was so worth it.

Leg 32- I was sore. Really really sore. I comforted myself by thinking I only had 10 k to run - which is doable with not much effort lol- this run was also beautiful! Very beautiful and smelled amazing!
I ran along the canal -it went on and on and on. :)
I was not with any other runner when I felt like I had possibly gone the wrong way. I prayed for a confirmation and I turned and saw another runner.
I battled with looking back- i didn't want to represent a 'lots wife' but I believed that the Lord gave me the release in saying that as a leader you need to make sure you have followers ( you wouldn't be a leader without them lol). It was so relieving to see another runner. He approached me after thanking me for keeping him going lol he said knowing I was there kept him going he started behind and then passed me but knowing I was there helped him- I told him I was glad I could be there for him :) he was genuine. I got what he was saying.
I finished that leg running faster then I ever thought possible after all I had already done. it took me 1:03 to run it.
I ran 27.7k and finished strong!! I am sore now but it hurts so good!
God is so faithful.

Say no to mediocre

Come out from among them and be separate.

Christians are extraordinary

Christ in you the hope of glory!

The danger in the last days is that so many will be lovers of pleasure and self and it will be hard to distinguish what is right and what is wrong because lawlessness abounds

Love - agape -the love of many will grow cold. Don't let your love Grow cold - keep the fire stoked -the love fire!

Be careful that when the temperature changes you don't change with it!

God has a plan to keep you warm when everyone else is cold

His anchor is a promise hebrews6-
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. (Hebrews 6:19 NLT)

Some believers have suffered shipwreck. They lost their faith
-distraction- discouragement-deception

Keep the unnecessary unloaded. Sin so easily ensnares

The only way to get to your promise is through Him.

Heb6:12 -don't get sluggish but keep the faith stay connected to Him


Grab hold of the chain and don't let go- let it bring you all the way up to the top

God is not a neutral observer

Hosea 11:4

Walk the Call

We have been commissioned to go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. We have been called to love.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

And again... Mark style.

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” (Mark 16:15-18 NLT)

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34, 35 NLT)

Commissioned to go and Commissioned to Love

So He commissions us gives us a vision and a promise and we start to walk the call with great passion ...then we get married both passionate about God, each other and the call individually and together... then we have children. Who unexpectedly become our closest most intimate disciples. Who also become our character builders :)
The call is still there, still stirring.
The Go is maybe a bit faint and the vision a bit blurry. But still there. Still burning (at least there are still embers).
This scenario begs the question. What happens to the call and vision when I'm exhausted and there seems to be no extra time in the day? From date nights to laundry, cleaning, diapers, bath time and so on. ..These are all things that demand our attention.
We need to consciously continue to let the vision brew and ask for strategies... His timing is amazing.
TRUST!
When He called you He equipped you! This is part of your basic training...
Take a look at it this way.
-He who has started a good work in you is faithful to complete it. He sees the end from the beginning and when He called you He saw what was up ahead
-He will lead you gently and at a slower pace during this season.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. (Isaiah 40:11 NLT)

Don't give up on the call. Take every opportunity to see your seeming set back/detour as part of the call, building in you the character needed to complete the call.

He is building in you the character needed to walk the call. Don't doubt it just do it.

Live yourself

If everyone would sweep their own doorstep the whole world would be clean. - mother Theresa

Take responsibility and ownership to what you are connected, doing do you could do amazing things.

Be committed to making a positive difference... In order to make that positive difference you need to be confident in who you are and what you are doing currently...
No part of the body is insignificant - or instrument in a symphony - or part played in theatre. Every part is significant and needed.
We need you!
We need you to become devoted to expressing your absolute best- a spirit of excellence.
Leadership is not about what you get or where you sit - its more brilliantly how well you work and how masterfully you behave.
Lead without a title
Courageously step out! Step out for Love

Let your light so shine!!

Passion vs Striving

I never really saw how passion and striving could be confused or mistaken for each other... Until yesterday. Running with a good friend of mine, she was saying how she wasn't sure if it was her passion causing her to do something or was it out of striving. I get that.
My immediate thought was that passion comes from a love of something... When you are passionate you have the drive to do whatever it is no matter what -because you love it and will go great lengths to do it or get it done.

Striving at least an aspect of it is when you are looking for value or approval from others and God-
there are obviously healthy aspects of striving like when it's in an attempt to do your best. But in this case I'm referring to it in an unhealthy way. Striving to gain value and comparing yourself to others.


As I reflected on the two I realized that that was me my entire life. I never felt like I was good enough -pretty enough -or smart enough. I was plagued with a determination to find my self worth and value in something or someone. So striving for value was my reality. It's so easy to think your finding some self worth by comparing yourself with other people and highlighting their short comings in order to feel better about yourself. This happens subconsciously but it's because you have programmed your brain to look for ways to make you feel better about yourself. Crazy eh! We need to renew our mind consciously everyday or we will unconsciously go back to our old ways of thinking.
I see more clearly how the the 2 oppose each other... When it's unhealthy
Thankfully I am seeing 'the light' and know that now I can find my value in who God has called me to be and find myself in doing what He has called me to do.
It's His love-amazingly unconditional love that spurs us on to do greater things for Him!
We love and are passionate because HE loved and is passionate.

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 MSG)
I love that verse in that translation. Passion misguided by unhealthy motives can turn into striving. Stay in the spirit and walk in love.

You when you thought you were something....

...But realized you weren't you just thought you were.... Ya exactly. I have thought a lot of things about myself but being a "Christian" I knew I was because I had prayed the prayer and lived the life. I have been very active in the church, teach my children the way and do very Christian things. Until I realized that I was a religious Christian doing just what everyone else does. And in that realizing I was disobeying the first 2 commandments. SO CRAZY. Ya I was surprised too. I realized fear religion and lust (of the world and it's seductive way of sucking you into what seems ok) had really held me captive. See the problem was that I looked and sounded great. But I was a coward on the inside not really being who I was called to be because of the things I allowed at the same level of God. Instead of putting Him first. Like truly first. Not fear (including insecurities because that's what they are .Fear) or myself or the facade of religion because that will stop you.
Running yesterday was a lightbulb moment. It turned on ...how revolutionary. Lol .well not really that's what we expect of working lightbulbs. Anyway I realize I was not living by faith and that I was a very timid cowardly soldier in the army of God. This is huge!! Because that is unacceptable seriously. That kind of Christian is worthless in this end time army. He who endures to the end will be saved. The fear of not making it to the end was about to become my reality ... But not anymore the lightbulb is on and bright. The scriptures are being illuminated and life transforming encounters are more frequent. I'm loving it. And now able to live it real what a great motto. Livin it real. But actually. :)