Search Results

Have you ever searched for your keys to the point of frustration only to realize it is right where you left them in the first place? Have you ever heard the phrase, you don't know what you have until it's gone? I believe both of those questions propose one unanimous idea. These questions suggest that most, if not all, of us, have missed what is right in front of us at some point in our lives, whether now or in the past. We miss items, scenarios, or people right in front of us daily, all because of one major cause. We are distracted and sleeping. We miss many opportunities and connections because we allow things to distract us and take away from what matters. It has been so heavy on my heart that we miss what the Lord is doing in and through our lives daily. How can we live more focused on our burden and not WHO sustains us? How can we live missing what he is doing around us because we are busy looking at what man is doing? Is our desire and focus on man, or is it on God? Are we more engaged with what man provokes or does on Earth than the spirit of God surrounding us? How long has it been that our gaze has been captivated by the things of this world or the doing in our own lives that we have missed the presence of God in the midst of us? I don't want to miss it! People have missed it since the beginning of time! Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Luke 7:44-46 In Luke, we see the woman with the alabaster jar. Here is a woman, who, in the eyes of many, has nothing to offer, yet she comes to the feet of Jesus. In this story, Jesus is in the house among the Pharisees. Men who study and know the word, yet we see in Luke verses 44 - 46 that Jesus acknowledges that only the woman in the room recognizes who he is. She can identify who he is and honor him in a way that the Pharisees couldn't. They didn't acknowledge the son of God, who was in the same room. I wonder how often we don't recognize him or his presence when He is in the same room. I wonder how often we are only aware of his presence after a miracle than when a miracle is in the works? Does it take a miracle or something supernatural for you to acknowledge his presence? If he stood in the room alone without any music, any miracle, would you be able to sense his presence and see that he is there? It doesn't take an entire worship experience within the four walls of the church to encounter Heaven on Earth or the King of Glory! It doesn't take an elaborate prayer. It doesn't take a room full of ministers. It doesn't take a gifted voice or a unique talent. It doesn't take anything of those things except a yielded, willing, and humble heart. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If we want to see the glory of God invade our daily lives, we must be a people holy, hungry, and humble. We must live lives pleasing to the Father and in a way that doesn't cloud or create a barrier for us to see Heaven on Earth. Yes, the Lord is forgiving, and his mercy is new every morning, but until we repent, we will be blinded from what He is doing and wants to do in our lives. We must desire to seek him, to see him move in supernatural ways in our daily lives. Hunger produces faith which puts a demand into the atmosphere! We must be on alert for what He is doing because the truth is He is omnipresent, which means He is everywhere, but only those with genuine desire and faith to see will see and unite with what He is doing here on Earth. Lastly, we must be humble enough to acknowledge that what we want to see and what he wants to show us is different. We must surrender our desires and how we want Him to move. We often ask Him to show up in a specific way, but what if He wants to show up differently that stretches you, your faith, and the limitations placed on him? Can we be humble enough to admit that we haven't sought him in our daily living or acknowledged him enough? We must wake up to see what is happening in the heavenly realm. We need people who are awake and alert to see what is happening in the heavens and make it known to man! I don't want to miss him when he is in plain sight! Will you awaken? Will you see him in your daily life as you fold laundry, drive to work, hold conversations, start business endeavors, and make travel plans? Whatever you are doing, will you position yourself to see him? He has been there all along; will you acknowledge him? Prayer: Dear Lord, oh, how mighty and majestic is your name. Lord, forgive me for the times I've walked past you. Forgive me for the moments I set limitations for how you could show up in my life. Today and every day from this moment forward, will you allow me to see what you are doing and where you are? I position myself to see your glory and all you are. I humble myself and repent from anything that has caused me not to see you. Lord, I long to see you in my everyday life. Show yourself to me and all you are doing. I put no limitations on you. In your mighty, mighty name, Jesus, Amen.

Too many times, we over-exert ourselves trying to achieve a specific goal. We make a story longer to make a point, over-strategize the most straightforward game plan, and overbook our days to make every second matter. The truth is that it is all more simple than that. I was three days into my mission trip in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, when the team and I had a throwdown with one of the worst stomach viruses I've ever had. It kept most of us up all night and left us feeling weak and debilitated the following day. Still, there was a need to be met in the communities. We gathered all our strength and continued our mission. By the end of the trip, I was amazed at all that was accomplished. I stood alone in my room, about ready to start packing my bag, and became overwhelmed with one thought: I just had one of the truest encounters with grace. I realized that grace was more present than I had acknowledged on this trip. It emanated through our team. It was present in our weakness. It was present in our initial yes. There was not a moment when it wasn't present. Grace is simple, and when you look it up, it is defined as simple elegance. When we say yes to Jesus, look like him, walk like him, and want to reflect him - grace is prominent. Grace covers where Christ-like love is present. That is what I saw that week. In surrendering my abilities, understanding, agenda, and comfort, grace stepped in and covered us all. The beauty of grace is simple. It is all so simple, yet our human agendas mess up simplicity with the complexity of confusion and striving. We forget the simple truth of the Gospel. And because we forget, we live life in a very exhausting way. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9 When do we ever boast in our infirmities or weaknesses? I know that we boast of them, but in today's society, we rarely boast gladly in the midst of them. We do everything we can not to have them or show them. We do everything in our power. We do everything in OUR power. Can I present a different perspective today? What if we restrict the simplicity we could access by doing everything in our power? There is grace in surrender and in our agreement to show Christ. Grace is simple. Loving like Jesus is simple. All that is required is that we agree with what the Lord is doing on earth below. What isn't perceived as simple is that last part, agreeing with and surrendering to what He wants to do - that's where our striving and stubbornness come in. We strive because we don't believe in his promises. We are stubborn to see what we want and not what He wants. We strive to prove ourselves to society and are adamant about believing that life can be simple. Now, don't get confused. Simplicity doesn't mean easy. What it does mean - is that it can be more natural. Do you notice that it feels more natural when we aren't striving or trying to do things out of our giftings or outside of who we are? That is because we are living in our intended purpose and design. We agree with what God intended and wants. We are covered in grace when we walk in obedience and agreement. One more thing to note is that agreement does not equate to understanding. You may not understand what God is doing or going to do, but you can still agree - sound familiar? It sounds a lot like faith. For we live by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corithians 5:7 Agreeing is having faith. Will you agree and believe in what God wants to do on earth below and in your life regardless of your understanding? I don't want to live another day striving and overcomplicating life. I don't want to live a day where I continuously make the conscious decision to make life more complicated for myself simply because I don't want to agree or believe. Can I challenge you this month? Can I invite you to let grace flood your life? Will you find grace in your surrender this month? Will you find grace amid your weaknesses? Prayer: Lord, thank you for today. Thank you for extending your grace unto me. I make room for you to do what you want and for your grace to flood my life. I surrender my understanding and my strive in exchange for your grace. I lean into all you promised and orchestrated. I trust your ways are higher than mine. I choose to come to agreement with you and your plans for my life. Please show me how to walk in agreement daily. In your precious name, AMEN.

With the events of the past and upcoming weeks, I can't help but ponder on this one word. A word that is the key to accessing what we often miss, what we desire, and what we are seeking. When it comes to the luxuries and the photogenic moments of life, we are all so quick to say a three-letter word that changes the course of action. This three-letter word is used in what we desire most, from finding new love to the idolized idea of receiving gifts in whatever way they manifest. To the more "beautiful" and "peaceful" things in life, we have no hesitation in uttering and even shouting the three-letter word, yes. Who wouldn't say yes to the most opportune moments of life that we have so longed for or desired? It seems like an absolute answer, and there is no other choice. Throughout these past years, I have carried this word, making it a part of me. It has tethered itself to my personal testimony and life story. I've learned to cherish this word in more than just the Instagram-worthy moments of life, but the most private and tear-soaking moments too. We undoubtedly say yes to our life plans, agendas, and desires. But what about the moments we don't want to say yes? The moments that scare us that challenge us beyond what we know, the moments that strip us of our own ability, our own pride, and security, to these moments, do we just say no? What if you are meant to say yes? Let me ask these questions differently. If the Lord says to abandon everything and trust him, will you say yes? If He asks you to stop what you're doing to trust him, will you? If He tells you to quit your job, move to a different city, or wait for His door to open, will you do it? Will you say yes to the moments that aren't so glamorous? Will you say yes to going to another country that isn't known for its tourist attractions and serving its people? Will you give all you have to people you don't know? Will you be willing to lose any title, your social media, or any platform you have to go to the people who need seeking in your city? Will you do all of this without any recognition? Will you say yes to any of this? Will you build an ark in the middle of a drought? Saying yes is more glamorous than we make it out to be. But the reward of a yes stands regardless of the process it brings. I've said yes to abandoning everything around me, and even at times, a job; no matter how ridiculed I may have been, I committed my yes to Jesus. My yes isn't one filled with irritation, though frustration does arise. It is filled with the faith and boldness that if He gave everything to me, then why can't I give Him everything I have in return. If He asks this of me, what He has is something far greater than what I am trying to achieve on my own. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 Crazy faith receives crazy rewards, but it all starts with telling Him yes. Saying yes goes beyond the action, but it also pertains to inner- self-reflection. Can you say yes to forgiveness, healing, and surrendering whatever character development you may need? This is almost always the first yes that is required. Maybe you must take a moment to fully acknowledge the mess in your heart and be honest with yourself and God. Once you begin, development follows, and opportunity follows after that. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:39 I think of the song " I have decided to follow Jesus." It's a cute song that most of us learn in Sunday school growing up in church. But, as we grow up, it remains a pretty song instead of the eternal heart posture for our life. We take back our yes from him, we turn back from following him, and suddenly no becomes the only option because we have acknowledged human pride and ability. If we say yes to the scariest and most unglamorous moments of life, it can produce the most beautiful fruit and reward. Could it be that the most beautiful fruit is trying to grow, but there needs to be healing? A more incredible opportunity is waiting, but you must let go of what you think is good. Will you wait without settling while the perfect opportunity comes? What if you have been saying no to what you are meant to say yes to and yes to what you are meant to say no to? Can you lose grip of your idea of life and say yes to the more significant? Answer the call and say yes. I promise it has been worth it all. Prayer: Lord, thank you for the provision you are. Thank you for the opportunity to receive more remarkable than I have planned. Grant me the boldness to let my yes be yes to you. Help my unbelief and grow my character in you as I say yes to what you want for me, even if that means surrender. What you have is more significant than I could achieve and dream of. You have my yes, Lord. Amen.

Dear Friend, Well, here it is. I arrived at the dawn of my 26th Birthday. 26 never felt more out of reach than it does now; how ironic. Though it isn't 25 or 27, it feels like a total oxymoron as I try to keep my poise in the seam of joy and grief. How can two feelings on such opposite ends of a spectrum be so tethered together? I've been trying to wrap my mind around it as I also battle feeling the two. Happy Birthday has such a positive connotation. Another year, another milestone, chance, and miracle. I know I wouldn't have made it on my own. I am full of joy and astonishment that God has carried me this far. He has provided for me thus far. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude as I reflect on all that I have gotten to do. I am amazed at his patience as I stumble and sometimes doubt, yet He repeatedly chooses to confirm and prove His word to me. He has uplifted me and revealed more of himself and who I am to him than ever before. But I'll be honest. I have also felt so much grief as I ponder and analyze everything. I have been grieving my dreams and wants that I had for myself at this point in my life. I'm grieving the "should have" or "could have." I'm grieving the dreams I once had for myself. I'm grieving the goals and plans I made as I see it all fall apart. I can't explain the number of tears I have shed or the pain of failing. But there is one thing I can say amid this grief. This grief is so full of courage. This grief is so full of expectancy and faith. It sounds so contradictory, and believe me, it is. It takes courage to say yes to God's will and purpose for your life, regardless of what people say and think. It takes a particular faith to leave behind what you thought you wanted for something you can't yet tangibly see. Surrender isn't all that glamorous in the moments like these. Surrender is one of those actions that everyone does when it seems convenient for them, but never whole heartily commits to because, deep inside, no one wants to grieve. The grief in Surrender is rooted in grace. It's a graceful brokenness. It's the kind that doesn't allow fear and doubt to take over because you know He is faithful to his word. If his plans are to prosper you, they are (Jeremiah 29:11). If He says he works all things for your good, he does (Romans 8:28). Oh, what a reward that waits when you act on that faith. If there is anything I want to say to you all for my Birthday, it's this, surrender. Surrender what is not convenient for you. And sure, allow yourself to grieve, but don't doubt your decision to say yes to him when you do. He will lead you to do things beyond what you planned and take you to places you never imagined. Trust me. I'm grateful for where I am. I'm thankful for the graceful brokenness. If my plans and agenda are gone, His are the only ones in control. So I'm all in. If I ever wasn't all in, I am now. May He continue to take what doesn't belong, may He continue to flip my world upside down, and may He continue to keep me in awe and surprise. He has never let me down. So, my friend, I can whole- heartily say He won't let you down. So this year, my 26th year, I'm all in. Will you join me in this too? Will you be all in? Will you Surrender? With Love, Michelle Zuniga

There is nothing I will need of. Throughout the past week, I have found myself in provoking circumstances that leave me rather silent, to say the least. Circumstances that don't make sense no matter how you try to word them or view them, and to anyone it would be easy to be put into some kind of panic or unease. Yet, in the midst of it all, there were four words that came from the depth of my soul and surrounded me in each circumstance... I will lack nothing. These four words emanate such peace, such rest, and such power in faith. They put my soul and mind at ease believing in the greater FACT. Yes, you read that right... fact. That fact is knowing that God will provide all and more. And by the time we all probably read that last sentence, we get into the attitude of knowing it but not living it, because if you truly live it out then there would be peace instead of overwhelming worry or stress in making ends meet, finding an open opportunity or settling an agreement. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and became radiant, and their faces are not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints; for the ones who fear Him will not be in need. The young lions are in want and suffer hunger, but the ones who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves a long life in order to see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against the ones doing evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the contrite of spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. A righteous one keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of His servants, and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished. Psalm 34 The beautiful passage of Psalm 34 is a reminder of this fact. Written by a shepherd boy waiting to be king, as he has hidden in a cave fleeing for his life. He writes and sings this psalm of peace. In a moment where anyone would be frustrated, tired, worried, or desperate in need, he writes in full satisfaction of belief in knowing that He will lack nothing. He writes in verse 6, "this poor man cried." He is that poor man and so are we. That cry be one of bitterness, sorrow, a sense of defeat, and anguish, which I imagine can be all the feelings he is confronting in that cave. Those are all feelings that we ourselves can relate to and yet, while he awaits to come out from hiding he finishes writing the psalm with victory before he sees it manifested in the physical. Many of us may be reading this and asking then why do I lack here or there, doesn't the Lord know my need? Of course, he knows your need, but have you called out to him? Do you fear the Lord? Do you seek him? One of the greatest reasons we see lack is because we ourselves lack faith, trust, and fear of the Lord. In order for us to say we lack nothing, we need to understand where we lack spiritually. Those who fear and those who seek the Lord will lack no good thing. So what does that mean; what does that look like? It looks like constant pursuit and surrender. It looks like trust and faith in God. We have the tendency to trust the capabilities of our hands more than the one who gave us the grace and strength to be capable. We trust our own knowledge and experiences in the world more than the creator of the world. We live a life firmly built on our own expectations and goals when in reality it's nothing compared to what he has in store for us and what he can do through us. What we lack is surrender. Surrender looks like trusting that He is your shepherd. He will guide you, he will feed you, he will protect you, and he hears your cry... for that is what a shepherd does. And because you trust and know He is who he is, you surrender. You surrender your doubt, unbelief, stress, worry, and anxiety. And when you do just as David in Psalm 34, where there was no opportunity suddenly there is, where there was no home, now there is. Where there was no hope, now there is. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. - Psalm 23:1 I want to encourage you to take a moment this week to define what you are in need of and define the areas you lack. Trust and know that the Shepherd hears you and He will provide for you. Keep your praise and enlarge your faith because YOU WILL LACK NOTHING. PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am beyond grateful for the work of your hand over and in my life. Thank you for all that you have already provided. Today, I choose to surrender and remind myself that you are my Shepherd. You will and can provide for my every need. Bring back to memory the times you did supply for me and revive my faith in you. I surrender my will, my unbelief, and my worries and I put my trust in you. I declare over my life and believe in your mighty name, Jesus, that I will lack nothing. Thank you, Jesus, for all you are providing for. Amen.

How do we overcome the cloudiness of mind and vision? What do we do when we can no longer see further than the very moment we are in? Sometimes these moments seem longer than necessary. For some, these moments aren’t even a day or two but weeks or months. Discouragement seems to be one of the enemy's largest tactics. It devours every bit of hope and blinds you from all-purpose. I’d have to admit in full transparency that I was so discouraged. Discouragement has come in full force and I have allowed it to distract me and flood my mind. It kept me still and bound in fear. I allowed myself to become focused and overwhelmed with discouragement. See, discouragement happens when we let it. Discouragement happens when we allow ourselves to diminish ourselves, our gifts, our purpose in life, and in many cases our faith. It happens when we allow ourselves to be overworked. When we allow ourselves to fear. When we allow ourselves to give into being complacent. There is one key principle we need to note. Disappointment and discouragement are different. Disappointment can happen as a reaction to something not going or being executed according to plan. Discouragement is a lack of foundation in specific areas according to where you are feeling discouraged. Disappointment is a momentary reaction but discouragement is the way we choose to live past the reaction. It is absolutely okay to admit that you have been disappointed. In fact, it is expected to happen because we live in a human world. Admitting your disappointment is key to your personal growth and to achieving the goal you are aiming for whether it be relational, task-oriented, or organizational. It also helps to prevent discouragement. Discouragement on the other hand is a choice. The problem with discouragement is that we tend to reflect it upon others as their fault when the reality is we choose to live discouraged. What others cause is a disappointment but your choice to live discouraged is entirely based upon your lack of foundation in a personal area of growth. I believe there are specific foundations in life that deeply influence the way you live and sure there are some that you can add or take away. However, I believe that when you are battling with discouragement there is a lack in the foundation in these four categories: self-care, family, faith, and identity. If you lack in your foundation of self-care you may have problems drawing a line between work and home. Maybe you have yet to understand the concept of rest. In physical form, maybe you haven't taken good care of yourself and aren't happy. You probably outwork yourself for the sake of your title. If you lack in your foundation of family, maybe you are dealing with unforgiveness of past events or traumas. Maybe you haven't healed from past hurts regarding your childhood and are carrying that over into all other relationships and expectations of your future. If you lack a foundation of faith you may have problems figuring out your purpose in life. You may be experiencing hurt from the church. You maybe have no personal union with Christ and just have a routine of attending a Sunday morning service. You could probably be very judgemental of everything in the church or people in general because of anger in the expectation of what you thought salvation was or how you thought God actually worked. If you lack a foundation of identity you probably feel invalidated by others or feel consistently unseen. You may feel alone or like an outcast and like everything you do has no value. You are never satisfied with your outcomes or you placed too much value on your work and not enough on yourself. The truth of the matter, and let's be very real, discouragement has every bit to do with YOU. You are going to have to shift your mindset, and take the action to forgive or change how you do things. You will have to do some self-reflecting and acknowledge the wounds in your heart or trauma from the past. You are going to have to call out the disappointment that was inflicted and you have to let it go. You probably read that and are now asking why. Why should I do that? How about this... How about a different perspective? Discouragement is causing a fear of no expectation, dream, or goal ever being met. In other terms, no God-given promise is ever being kept. Therefore, your discouragement, or your choice to live discouraged, is causing you to choose to diminish God's word and his faithfulness to fulfill the promises and plans He has declared over you. Fear will hinder you from reaping what is yours because you simply don't believe. I would argue fear is unbelief ( topic for another time). And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galations 6:9 In the Passion translation, it says, " ... for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you've planted IS COMING." However you choose to read this verse, it NEVER says you will not reap. We need to remember that God is faithful to his promises and therefore when we believe He truly is who He says He is discouragement cannot tell us otherwise. If we are faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself. - Timothy 2:13 I want to encourage you today to take a moment to reflect on an area where you need to strengthen your foundation. Acknowledge the fear you let create doubt. It is not a shameful thing to admit, if anything it is the action that will help propel you forward and leave behind discouragement. God is faithful to his promises, through and through. Can you believe that truly? Prayer : God, thank you for your word. Thank you for your promises. Thank you because you never have forsaken me and you never will. Forgive me for my choice to diminish you and your promises. I choose to believe in who you are. I choose to accept your purpose and promises over my life wholly. Help strengthen me to keep going and to see all you have for me. May my faith strengthen and remind me every day that you are with me. Thank you for your right hand that holds me. I am forever thankful. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.

Peace doesn't come as quiet as it seems. 1,2,3... we count and breathe day in and day out in the hope to establish a sense of peace. We purchase plane tickets and force ourselves into absolute stillness believing that it's the price we pay to receive a moment, an hour, or a brief second of it. Peace is one of the most valuable and significant things we seek in the world right now. In this world that seems to be holding onto a thinner line of string by the day, it is the high commodity. Peace looks different for everyone and is accessible to everyone nonetheless, why does it seem to be unattainable? Why does it seem out of reach or impossible? When did it become the equilibrium of an escape? Peace has become a state of being so unattainable to this world that it is called an escape. Or it has become a posture of absolute ignorance to the things that surround us. Today, can I offer the alternative idea or perspective that peace isn't something you wait for or something to pass by in hopes that you can catch but it is something that you access. We have mislabeled it and misinterpreted what it is. Peace isn't us running away from our problems or becoming ignorant of the problems that surround us. Peace is silencing the voices, silencing the doubt, the lies, and reining over them instead of them reigning over us. Peace is understanding that you don't have to fight or argue with the persecution of doubt, lies, and anxiety, it's understanding that you don't need to be submerged by them. Peace is understanding that you can dominate and trample on the head of the enemy, and accessing that kind of peace pleases the Creator. Time and time we read in the Word of God to seek and pursue peace but, very few establish it within their lives, and I'm guilty of not doing so myself. Imagine this. You've been desiring to own your very luxurious vacation villa where you can go whenever you want to enjoy yourself with friends and family. Then one day you're been gifted keys to your very own villa with all the most luxurious of amenities and it is all you've ever asked for. But as soon as you received the gift box with the keys for your villa inside, you placed it down on the table without one bit of effort to open it. And the keys to your luxurious villa are sitting within that gift box day after day. Months pass and you don't bother to open the gift to access the keys to your villa. All the while your villa sits there, waiting for you... Imagine that villa being your peace. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27 So many times we ask for peace. Peace in our family, peace in our jobs, and peace in our minds. What if what you've been asking for has been made available to you? The only thing is that you have not accessed it with your authority. Why are we allowing the enemy to take it? To cloud us from seeing it or shutting our mouths to access it? I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. - Luke 10:19 Accessing Peace is accessing your authority! When you look into the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark, I can't help but notice that to calm the storm Jesus REBUKED!! The storm was big, loud, furious ( much like the ones we go through in our lives with our jobs, families, and minds), and Jesus rebuked it just as powerfully with exclamation marks, meaning it was expressive and authoritative. He spoke out loudly: "Peace! Be Still!" So, why are we softly speaking to the wind and the waves of life, letting them dominate us instead of accessing our authority, which we have been gifted? Instead, we worry and lack faith like the disciples in the boat letting the storm of life submerge us? I believe that Jesus, who lives within us, wants us to access our authority to access our peace. He wants us to speak out and call out the enemy. You should stop Him and his tactics to disrupt your peace. If the enemy is so loud with his attacks why can't you be just as loud back? I believe it's your turn to yell back in authority: PEACE, BE STILL! Access your Peace. I want to challenge you this week to speak those three words ... Speak it over whatever it is that is stealing your joy and peace. Speak it when you can't sleep, speak it when you are overwhelmed, speak it in the loudest moments, and speak it in the silent ones, in a room full of people, or a room with just you. Speak... PEACE BE STILL! Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for being my hiding place, my refuge, my comforter, and my Prince of Peace. I pray that you give me strength amid the chaos. Help me recognize the authority that you have given me. Lead me in accessing it in my daily living. Guide me in the courage and confidence to do so. Jesus, I thank you for making it accessible to me. May the peace that surpasses understanding surround me; that I find it at any moment throughout this week and the days to come. Remind me of your word and the promises that you keep. Thank you for the peace that you keep. For the peace that you are. In your mighty and reckless name, Jesus, Amen.

Is it cliche or just not talked about enough? Let's be real, the reality is that we have a picture that pops into our minds when the word love comes around. It can be one of the greatest memories or one of the most devastating heartbreaks. Love has a lasting impact through time no matter who you are. You can't escape it, it surrounds everything you do and everything you choose. This time of year, we reflect on loving the one's dearest to our hearts. We shower them in gifts or acts of service. We do everything in our power to give. We give our attention, our time, our hearts. We become all the more aware of who we love most and what we would do for them. It's honestly a beautiful thing. But let's get real. Very few people in this world know what love truly is. In fact, I would ask the question, do you know what love is? When we look up the definition of love we find it to be a "deep or intense feeling of affection" or "great or intense pleasure in something". Everyone can attest to the feeling of a deep passion or affection for something or someone. However, not everyone can attest to receiving that. Love is consistently rejected every day, every minute, every second. In fact, we all have rejected love at some point in our lives or run from it, and I'm not talking about romantic love. I mean LOVE. Love has a name. And as I say that I'm sure few of you may turn your brains to autopilot as I mention the cliche Christian understanding that God is LOVE. But you are missing the point. We can't just say it or read it. We need to KNOW and GRASP that God is LOVE. So many of us are trying to love without ever truly having been loved. We are trying to demonstrate love without the true example of what it is. We are trying to give something we are not willing to receive. Or maybe we are trying to give something we have not willingly accepted entirely, so what we do give is incomplete and broken. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 God chases after you endlessly, day and night just seeking to love you. To heal your heart, to show you purpose, to restore your broken heart, your heal your past traumas, to show you his prosperous plans for your life. And yes, while He is God and He can do anything, He will knock at the door of your heart for you to choose Him. If He just makes you accept His love, it's not love but an obligation. Love is something you choose to give and receive. Sadly, often we are the ones rejecting His love. I'm not talking about the salvation prayer, though that is a great first step in receiving it. I am talking about the deep work of his love working in your life. His love doing its work in your daily living. I am talking about letting Him uproot pain and sorrow, traumas and betrayals, curses and unbelief. Many of us walk around daily not knowing that we choose daily to reject His love when we choose to live in unforgiveness, unbelief, sin, and fear. When we choose to live life believing He is less than who He says He is, we are rejecting LOVE himself and all its benefits. When we live in such things we choose to forget what He has done and it has no value. We diminish LOVE. When you diminish it, you devalue it and you reject it. When you choose to live in unforgiveness, unbelief, sin, or fear you are choosing a life of bondage, which is not a life He has planned for you to live. In His love there is freedom. Maybe I need to get more specific because some of us have gotten so used to running away from LOVE that we've gotten complacent with the idea of it but haven't fully experienced it. Maybe we understand that yes He loves us and wants better, but we have no true belief that His love is free, that we don't need to work for it. And because we haven't experienced a true encounter with the love of God we believe that our works are what makes Jesus loves us more, so now you hold people or yourself to the standard of having to work for love or forgiveness. Maybe on another note, you haven't experienced the true redeeming and restoring love of God because you have your heart so guarded because of deep hurts and traumas. And granted we are supposed to guard our hearts but you are closing the door to the one who wants to heal your heart. Maybe, just maybe you're the person who keeps falling on their journey and fears that His love isn't enough to redeem you and that maybe He has stopped loving you, so you've given up on Him when He has never given up on you. God's love is for everyone, this is for everyone. So don't let the enemy discount or discourage you because you're a man, because you don't know Jesus right now, or because you are currently off track. Or worse, don't let this week go by without a new revelation of God's love for you by being complacent with what you already know. News flash, what you know is not all He is, He is so much more wants to show you that. This is your choice and your chance to encounter the love of God. Today, this week, I want to challenge us to ask ourselves these questions. And as we ask ourselves these questions, let's be honest without ourselves about our heart tendencies and patterns. Meditate on these questions, don't allow it to be surface level. God wants to show you all of His love, are you letting him? Do I know God? Do I reject God's love for me in any area of my life? What is holding me back from a true encounter with the love of God? Is my heart truly open to encountering the full portion of God's love for me? How am I abiding in God and reflecting in full portion His love in my life? PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I thank you for your reckless and mighty love for me. I thank you because though I am undeserving, you call me worthy of love. Lord, I pray that throughout the next few days you illuminate what is prohibiting me from fully experiencing your love. Uproot what is holding me back from truly encountering your healing, redeeming, and freeing love. I want to encounter you more. Lord, as this week passes may I not only encounter your love but lead those around me to encounter your love too. I want to receive your love fully so that I may also give. I love you and thank you for the work you are doing to help me become more well defined in your love this week. In your mighty and wonderful name, Amen.

Can you really miss an exit when your eyes are fixed on the sign? When God leads you to a place He will not abandon you. When you are fully seeking His heart and will for your life, He WILL guide you. There is so much pressure in choosing the right major, the right school, the right job, the career path, the right house, and so forth. I hear people, and I was one of them in college, say that they don't want to choose wrong. Choosing to follow God's perfect will for your life in these decisions starts with the very foundation of seeking the Father's heart. When we seek His heart, we seek the guidance of grace and love. When we seek His heart we are able to grasp the full vision and desire that He has for us. When we are fixed on the eyes of Jesus, we are inevitably looking at what was purposed for us. It is the window to our future in Him. " Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 When we seek, we find. What a powerful verse that gets thrown right over our heads in times of difficult decisions. But it's a verse that brings comfort and peace to the weary soul. See, if we are in the constant, and I mean the CONSTANT pursuit of the heart of Jesus then there is no possibility of missing our next destination. It is literally impossible. It defies the character and nature of who God is. It defies the word of God. And last time I checked, He is not a man who should lie. He ALWAYS responds. When we are in the middle of difficult decisions, there are some questions we need to ask ourselves. Am I in the CONSTANT pursuit of the heart of Jesus? Am I WILLING to say yes to His direction for my life? What am I expectant for? When asking ourselves these questions we allow ourselves to truly dive deep within our own mind and heart. We get to expose the fact that maybe the answer we are looking for has been in front of us but we aren't WILLING to choose what He has for us. A willing heart is a heart that chooses guidance. It's a heart that not only hears but listens. It doesn't just hear but does. There is action. Therefore we let ourselves drown in worry knowing that what he has is not what we are willing to choose, or we have let fear keep us weighed down from choosing it. More than that it's as if we tell God, your answer isn't good enough for me. and You decide to play the role of God. When you try to play the role of God, you carry so much more than you are capable of and things you were never meant to carry. The last question gives us the direction in which to face when making a decision. If there is no vision, there is no will. If there is no growth, there is no desire. Expectancy always keeps you moving forward while using your present to catapult you through. Expectancy keeps you looking in the right direction, forward and up. Expectancy tunes your ears to the right frequency and guides you in hope, in truth, and light. The Lord always births expectancy, never worry. God will always guide you to where He is leading you, sometimes we just let fear and worry cloud our minds from remembering that if He brought us there, He will lead us through. The Lord is faithful to guide you and if you truly are willing, constantly seeking him and expectant, you can't miss it. PRAYER: God, thank you for your grace today. Thank you for your everlasting love that desires the best for me and seeks to guide me every day. Help uncloud my vision and reignite the hunger to be so fixed on your eyes. Lead me in peace as I trust that you will answer every prayer according to your word and promises for my life. I trust you Jesus, so I surrender all worry today, knowing you are with me in every decision. Great is thy faithfulness, and today I will see it once more. I love you. In your mighty and wonderful name, I pray this, AMEN.

Chapter One. It's the chapter where the whole story tells its ending. Where every question plants a seed and where you are invited into an unknown quest. I've stared at this blinking cursor for hours and I faced the conclusion that there is no guide and perfect outline for how to begin writing this blog. So here I am, just doing. It's the beginning of the year and for some people, they write out resolutions, dreams, vision cast, etc. If you are like me, getting started is the hardest part of achieving anything. Often because it comes followed by the dreaded question of What's next? Or maybe that is the very question you begin your year with. Regardless, that question over the years has become daunting. It comes with a burden of disappointment. And I can't help but think when was that ever such a problem as a child. When were we ever worried about what we were going to do next after playing with a toy or going to school. Sure there was the benefit that our parents planned our days but when the decision became ours, why did it become so daunting? That question should be tied to the moment when we allowed ourselves to people please or be controlled by disappointment. When we let ourselves become driven by the worry of disappointment or by the desire to please people, we ultimately are letting ourselves be driven by the lack of assurance in who we are. There is great freedom in realizing that who you are is enough. Sure it sounds cliche, but let's be honest. Most people today do not believe that who they are and what they do is enough. That's why you have so many people confused, depressed, and continuously exhausted from doing things they were never meant to do or being someone they were never meant to be. " Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5 The Lord takes so much delight when we, his children, understand the gift we have to just "be" or simply abide in him. When we grab hold and understand that concept, we can live a life confident in who we are, we can take joy in knowing that the next thing to do is just act on what has been placed in our hearts to do and be who we are meant to be. Because the truth is when we abide in Him, everything we do will bear its fruit, leaving no room for worry or disappointment. Can I challenge you to ask yourself some questions and pray some prayers? I believe these next questions hold keys to freeing yourself from the burden of worry or disappointment. It isn't the easiest of questions when you truly allow yourself to open your heart and really examine it. But, in doing so, you free not only yourself but others, from expectations that shouldn't even be placed on them. For all you know, you are walking in deep hurt from people who have never reflected any negative thought toward you. The thought of not being good enough, or you disappointing them never existed rather it was the enemy's tactic to stop you from doing what was placed within you to do. Who am I trying to please? Lord, take the first place in my life. Have I made anyone or anything an Idol? Lord, I am truly living for you? What trauma am I attached to that I need to let go of? Lord bring to memory anything that I have not healed from that you want to heal in me. Do I think I am good enough? Lord show me who I am in your eyes. Today in writing my first blog, I am taking joy in knowing that my next looks like this. I have asked myself these questions and do so regularly so that the lies of worry or disappointment won't confine me from doing what I know I am supposed to do and being who I am meant to be. And I hope that throughout the week you take rest in knowing that maybe your next is as simple as just doing what is placed on your heart by God. Take that next step, just do. So without further a due, let me introduce my Blog. DEFINED LIFE. A place where my stories, testimonies, thoughts, and heart have free liberty with a Pen. I hope to share my experiences, the heart of God, hot topics with friends, and ultimately dive into understanding the definition of the world around us, defining what belongs to us, and who we are defined to be. I look forward to becoming well- DEFINED with you.