More Than Anything

Psalm 73:24-25 (NLT)  You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.

I love how God's word is full of inspiration and encouragement. I pray this inspires you, let it remind you that the living God wants to guide you today.

 Let's break this down ,
(1)You guide me with your counsel...
     I love the fact that I can go to my Heavenly Father anytime and consult with Him. It is in that "consultation" that I am receiving from Him and being guided by His Wisdom and not my own.
After all, He is the one with all knowledge , so who better to consult with than Him?
It is when I am in communion with Him and doing what His word directs me to do by:
 Asking, Seeking and Knocking that He leads me.
 The word leading means to go with one by holding them by the hand, while moving forward.
Think about that for a moment, there is not one place our feet will step that He isn't with us. I know that if He is leading I am going to get to where I need to be, and ultimately it is going to be for my good and a very desirable destination! The truth is, we can not see what is around the bend on the road we are walking, but we can have complete faith and trust that God knows what is around the bend. He is literally going with us, holding our hand, rest assured that He knows the way. Let Him guide you.
(2)..leading me to a glorious destiny.
      God is all about forward motion, moving us into our destiny. What that journey looks like for each person is different. Sometimes our journey is joyful and there are also times in our journey that are less desirable to us. However, if we choose to trust Him in the journey we can be sure He is working everything together for our good,  even in the less desirable moments of our life,  God will not allow anything to go to waste in our life.
   The word with us means we are accompanied by Him.
Think of it like this:  If you are walking with someone you are accompanying them and moving in the same direction. you can not walk with someone and go in opposite directions.
Our lives need to be moving forward in the same direction He is going.
Proverbs 5:21 - Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make; he’s aware of every step you take.
in the footnote of the NIV Bible for this verse it shares how we must have God's revealed Word and his Holy Spirit in order to complete our life's journey.
(3)Whom have I in heaven but you...
     Our hope, our treasure and life is God himself. There is nothing that compares to Him and there is no one like him.  When we stand face to face with him there will be no comparison.
 I have heard it said that God gives us glimpses of heaven, and when He does, it always makes my desire run even deeper, it inspires me to endure and to love him and serve him with everything  I can, because what awaits those who are in Christ Jesus is beyond anything we have ever seen or heard.
(4) I desire you more than anything on Earth.    
     I can see a huge smile coming across God's face when we say this to the Lord:
  " I desire you, crave you, yearn for you and my complete longing is in you. 
 This should encourage us to have a desperation for the Living God like never before.
This word desire isn't referring to human wants  but a holy desire. It is referring to a positive desire,  it is a persons earnest seeking, the "drawing near" to God that He responds to,....
 In other words, He shows us a favorable reaction to our drawing near. 
The Good news is that it is possible to have close fellowship with Him, this is His desire for us and it should be our desire as well.
I encourage you to keep a journal of how you experience God's response to your drawing near, His responses are priceless, those moments are like nothing else as He shares His heart with His beloved.  These are God encounter moments that deserve to be recorded. It is always nice to be able to go back and read how He met with us, it will serve as encouragement in times of need and can be a faith builder when we need reminded.
Remember:  He will respond! 

Here are some important questions we need to ask ourselves:
Is He leading?
Am I earnestly seeking Him?
Is He my greatest desire?

Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Seasons of Change

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Natural seasons, personal seasons and spiritual seasons all have a purpose,they are designed to move us toward God's purposes for our lives - if we allow it to. "People who understand the principles of change handle changing seasons without wavering in their purposes because they know the Unchangeable One. They understand that as long as they put their faith in Him, they, too, will remain steady".~Dr. Myles Munroe

Seasons are purposed by the Lord The word season is often used to denote change, it defines change that is not a short-term event but rather an extended period of transition. Let's face it our flesh does not like transition, and we definately do not like to hear that a season of transition can be more often than not an extended period of time. We would like it to be as short as possible and get on with a more desirable "season". But we have to remember that there is a purpose and God desires for that season to work its purpose in and through us. Showing us what ever it is he desires for that time.

The seasons He has purposed are by his design I remember like it was yesterday when we came to give Kansas a visit. It was the middle of winter, January to be exact. I noticed change before I ever stepped foot on the ground, from the view from the airplane the landscape was different all together from what I was accustomed to in Florida, from a warm climate and a peninsula surrounded by water to patches of squares from the sky,and winter temperatures waiting to greet us. This Florida girl was about to experience a "real" winter. I remember visually taking in how dry and lifeless everything looked, to be honest it didn't look very "pretty". During the drive from the airport I remember saying "Lord, I don't see anything apppealing to me." He quickly reminded me that we do not walk by what we see but by faith.(2Cor 5:7). It wasn't two minutes later, I am sad to say, that I again said to the Lord "but Lord I dont see anything desirable". He immediately spoke this to me, he asked me a question " "Do you think Mary saw anything desirable about the manger? But out of that undesirable place I brought forth the DESIRE of NATIONS, so don't you think I can bring something desirable out of what you think is undesirable."
There was no doubt about it this was His tender loving correction spoken into my life, and what a correction it has served to be. I will always be thankful for this special moment when He spoke. I have since then asked the Lord to forgive me in my little way of thinking, for numerous times I have remembered praying and thanking Him that His plans and purposes were being fullfilled in our life, but thinking it would be done in a certain way, not realizing that plan and purpose was being fullfilled before my very eyes, that this was His way of bringing about transformation. Sometimes I wonder how many times we wrinkle our nose up to someone or something because of the "winter appearance" it may have, it may look dry and lifeless at the time but inside be full of Beauty and Purpose that within due time is revealed. Remember,God sees the desirable even when we cannot.

Monroe states " No matter what our personal desires, wishes, or attitudes may be, we cannot control an unfolding season of divine destiny. Just as we can't stop winter from coming after autumn, we can't prevent a season of God's purpose, no matter how much we may become angry, pray, or propose plans for doing so. The change is inevitable. It has arrived in the fullness of time.The beginning and ending of a season are not determined by man but by God's sovereign agenda".

Many times we get so accustomed to what we know and are familiar with that we find it hard to invite change. To be honest, I struggled for awhile with comparing the known to the unknown, the familiar to the unfamiliar.The truth is, we can still be apprehensive to change, even when we have felt the stirring in our Spirit that transition is coming, it's like when we feel the change in the air right before Autumn arrives, we know that next season is right around the corner but yet there is a part of us that loves the long dog days of summer. One thing that I have found to be true is, the season that brings transition and change will look nothing like what we have already known and are familiar with. I believe moving into the "unknown" is something that God desires for all of us at certain times in our lives, He calls us to adventure beyond what we know.

God desires for us to move from a place of "eyesight"
to a place of "faithsight"
from a place of "what I think"
to a place of "what God knows"
We are not always given all the details before we follow Him, but the bottom line is that we are called to follow Him. What will "following Him" look like, only He knows the complete picture. He knows what is down the road and around the bend, and as we follow him we will discover what that picture looks like step by step, when we are walking in obedience to His leading. In that process of following Him we will see the effects of change and the benefits of it as well.

Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Expecting

On Mother's Day I was honored to share a message with the congregation at my home church. The Lord laid on my heart that there are those in our congregation that are in a state of expectancy.
How about you? I wonder how many of you are expecting,not necessarily in the physical sense of "being pregnant and expecting" but expecting God's plans and purposes being fulfilled. What are you expecting?
Just as there are different trimesters in pregnancy, We are all at different stages in our expectancy as well. Some are just at the early stages of conception...this time is very important and what happens here can be crucial to the development of what is to come. God wants to birth ministry out of you, destiny and purpose.
Some may be in the "middle stages", this is your waiting time , your meantime, also known as your meanwhile. Webster's Dictionary says the definition for this is know as "intervening time" ...WOW!when I read this, I was excited and thought it to be very interesting.This is the time where God is doing something, He is intervening, working miracles! Have you ever heard someone say " I am waiting on God"? I have, and some make it sound as if there is nothing they can do but just sit and wait.If you are at a waiting point in your life let me encourage you to be careful not to get in a rut of thinking there's nothing you can do because you are "waiting". This time should never be passive. During this time it is important that you DO SOMETHING! Be proactive in your waiting time, get yourself ready! Body, mind and spirit.
Prepare...,
Pray...,
Seek God...,
and Grow. And when your "fullness of time" is complete you are going to be amazed at what God is going to bring forth from you!Remember it is in the meantime, in your waiting time... that "intervening" time when miracles are birthed!
For others, you are in transition. Ask any woman who has been through labor and she will tell you, This is the hardest part of labor,this is where it gets down to the nitty gritty, but it is essential, it is necessary in the birthing process. Yes it's hard, yes it's painful, but you can't give up now, or turn back. You can't leave what God has deposited inside of you, it needs to come forth. I heard one of my friends say during her labor "I can't do this anymore!" and some of you may feel that way right now during your transition time. God's word says in Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Be encouraged, This transition time doesn't last forever, (though at the moment, it may feel like it is)Soon the pain will be over, and the reward of all of it will be in your arms. This is where we need to be honest with God and say "here I am"... with all my hopes and fears. I don't know all the details,all I know is I AM EXPECTING!!! This leads us to a place of surrender, a place of trust. Just as a mother surrenders by laying down to give birth, and through this it gives way to a new life. God wants us to be in a place of complete surrender as well. Get ready because the baby is coming! God wants to establish you, cause you to grow and bring into existence what He has placed inside you .
Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Love on Purpose

While I was leading Worship Wednesday night with our Student Ministries Worship Team, we were singing a song entitled Came To My Rescue and the bridge of the song goes like this:

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high

As we paused after this song the Lord gave me a question to ask the students. The question was this, "What will it take for me to be lifted high in your life....., in your world,... in your love,... what will it take?
It was silent... you could hear a pin drop. Each student had their own answer to that question, which they kept to themselves. I went on to share that Jesus loved without reservation, he loves when he isn't loved back. If your not sure how to love watch how He did it, read about it and learn from Him.
John 15 :13 says :There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend.
John 15:13 in the Message Bible says it this way: >"I've told you these things for a purpose; that my joy might be your joy,and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: LOVE one another the way I LOVE you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do these things I command you. I am no longer calling you sevants because servants do not understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I have name you friends because I have let you in on everything I've heard from the Father."
God's word commands us to love, it is not an option. And yet so many Christians today live like it is.I am so thankful that Jesus didn't live His life like that, that He didn't go around loving like it was an option. Jesus Loved on Purpose, and that is how we should love, LOVE ON PURPOSE! Everything Jesus did was on purpose, everywhere He went was on purpose, He healed on purpose and He performed the miraculous on purpose! Everywhere Jesus went, there was His mission field!
We can love because He first loved us (1John 4:19)
The truth is we can not truly love apart from God, We can find no greater love than the love of Jesus. He laid his life down, He had nails in his hands and his feet, He died and he rose again. All because of His love for us! (I think that is totally amazing!)
I am encouraged today and I hope you are as well, to love like He did, so He can be lifted High in our life, in our world, and in our love.
Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Moving Past Distractions

Distractions We all face them at one time or another in our lives, however, it is what we decide to do with the distraction(s) at hand that is important to our outcome.
Distractions will get your focus off of what is before you and the task at hand. Distractions will consume your thought life, if you allow it to. Webster's Dictionary even states that the word "distracted" and mental confusion go together(that's not to surprising). That is why it is so important to renew our mind daily in God's Word. When we do this we are digesting God's word, His Truth into our very being, every part, Body, Soul, and Spirit. The Word of God is made up of Life Words which will move you forward and get you past the "trap" of distractions.

Many people allow their past to be the main distraction in their life. Our adversary loves this because he knows that if he can get you "hung up" on your past, always looking back that you'll never move forward. You will not see what is "really" in front of you because your too busy always looking back. This is the only thing the enemy can use against you, He can't use your future against you, so he will try to remind you of past failures, whatever they may be. Moral, Spiritual, Physical, Financial...you name it.When you are in Christ Jesus you are no longer the person you use to be.You are no longer identified with the old person you were, but you have become a New Creation in Christ Jesus! Allow the call of God in your life to speak louder than the voice of your past.

I am reminded of the account of Lot and his wife in Genesis 19,they were told to literally run for their life and not to look back, not to even stop anywhere on the plain.However, Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. I believe there are times in our lives where we need to run for our life and not look back! Runaway fast from the distractions that even seem to look enticing, but in the long run they will only keep you from moving forward.

Not that long ago I was faced with a situation that bothered me, and to be honest with you, I would say it played on my mind, to quite an extent.I found myself thinking on what this other sister in the Lord had said about me, during different times of the day, even when I went to bed. It was consuming a lot of my thoughts.~It was crazy, seriously!~ One night I went to bed and had a dream where I confronted her, she was sitting in the corner of a room, she was sitting how you would see a "Buddha" sit.It was as if she wanted to be in control of the room or the atmosphere. When I confronted her and told her that I wanted to talk to her about what she said, we immediately were in a different location and I no longer was talking to this woman,but it was a demon. This "thing" had a scrawny little body but a huge head with hair that looked like it had stuck it's finger in a light socket, (it almost reminded me of those freaky little creatures in one of the Lord of the Rings movies.)As I tried to get my words out this "thing" would talk while I was trying to talk and it was very distracting to me, it was a struggle for me to keep my train of thought. But I reached a point in the dream where I said very firmly, "I will fulfill God's plans and purpose for my life, Hallelujah!" and immediately the dream was over and I woke up. God reminded me of the scripture in Ephesians 6:10-12 that says "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms".
The next day my husband was giving a message to our students and he was saying how the enemy will use anything he can to distract us and immediately the light bulb went on, the Holy Spirit showed me that this was a scheme of the enemy that was talked about in Ephesians. My battle was not this woman, not of flesh and blood but this was a "scheme" of the enemy, This was intended to rob me of my peace, it was intended to be a stumbling block, but God showed me how to make it a stepping stone. And since then I have moved forward, past that distraction, Praise God!
So, with all that said I leave you with a scripture from the Message Bible Phillippians 3:12-14 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong:By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. Dear Friend, God has so much in store for you, there is no need to be looking behind you. Keep your eyes wide open, looking onward to Jesus, and you won't miss the mark!
Shine Like the Dawn,
Jennifer

Baggage

Hebrews 12: Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
As I was driving my car the other day coming back from lunch with a friend I passed a homeless person walking on the sidewalk next to the road, I immediately noticed his oversized, over the shoulder duffle bag that was packed full to capacity,on top of that, he had a folded up tarp of somesort which i am sure he used to help protect him from the weather,he also had a big bulky blanket that he had folded up as well. All of this stuff he had stacked so neatly and obviously there was a specific order to it, he knew how to "make it all fit", These were his belongings.It surprised me that I noticed all of this since I was driving past him rather quickly. But as I drove passed him I just had to see if I could see his face, so I quickly looked back. He was a gray haired man with a bushy beard. Immediately a thought came to my mind and I said to my friend " I wonder how many of us look like that spiritually,walking around with baggage like that", no, we do not necessarily carry this around in the physical for everyone to see,however after time it does take its toll on our physical bodies. But what about in the spiritual sense? Seeing this man with all this baggage made me take an inventory of myself, and so, I did. But this also inspired me for todays blog. Where do you stand right now? Is there any baggage your carrying? We as humans are so good at "making things fit".
I am reminded of packing my suitcase for a trip and knowing it was going to be hard to get it to zip up all the way around, but I was determined to "make it fit!" I find i usually over pack and never use all the items anyway. I am now trying to do better.

Today we have so many different fashions available for us to carry stuff, but no matter if we sport a Louie or a Samsonite lets face it baggage gets pretty heavy,and we all eventually get tired of lugging it around, no matter how we try to pack it up and make it look pretty. We get tired of carrying it on one shoulder so we switch to the other. Some of us may think we have our baggage all under control because ours never really seems to get in the way to much because we have our baggage on "Rollers"! This kind you can set next to you and have your hands free when needed, however you always need to grab a hold of it and pull it with you when you go from one spot to another,Still stuck with it. We sure have a wide variety of baggage or luggage to choose from today. How about the backpack?... this one works great until you need to sit down and then your back and shoulders bug you from the weight.Men are not exempt either, today we have "Man Purses", They even have those cargo pants with tons of pockets in them,oh and what about "fanny packs", I definately do not want any extra baggage around that paticular area! No matter how we choose to carry "our stuff" the point of the matter is it is still "ours", and eventually it will become a hindrance.
As I am writing this, I invision a woman neatly dressed, a woman who looks like she has it all together and ready for the world, she is getting ready to walk thru a door, but due to all her "baggage" she can't manuver thru the door. in order for her to get thru she lets go of everything that is keeping her back and keeping her from getting to her destination.
With that being said, you have a destination you need to get to, a God given plan and purpose that is of the utmost importance. Is there any baggage that is keeping you from going thru that door? What is holding you back? I am reminded of the scripture in Hebrews 12 that says: "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that ensnares us", the Amplified Bible even goes so far as to say "let us strip off and throw aside every unnecessary weight" God wants our hands to be free of holding onto unnecessary "things" so they can be ready for service, His service. Don't be slowed down with unnecessary baggage. I encourage you with a new year close ahead of us take a personal inventory and if need be apply Hebrews 12 into your life.

Shine Like The Dawn,
Jennifer