Today! Heaven is here.

"You can't threaten me with Heaven! I know where I'm going." A cliche in the Christian circles when someone or something threatens our personal safety.

As Believers, we live an eternally focused life. Our eternity-driven soul, eagerly waits for Christ's return It's our heart's desire and our life mission to reflect the glory and grace of God, sharing our living Hope that others may be reconciled to Christ as Savior. As we should. We focus our life with the end in mind leveraged in the necessary balance of living with our minds set in the here and now. To live Heavenward, not Heaven-bound. 

There are only two options as we take our last breath here on earth and for those who accept Christ as their Savior, it's Heaven. Those who do not, it is Hell. There will come a moment in time when the opportunity to make that choice ends, hence our urgency to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation. How do we live our lives eternally focused on the end yet eternally focused here on this broken Earth? 

Heaven, a new beautiful beginning with no end. I personally cannot wait to see my Redeemer and my Best Friend, my Father and The King of Kings face to face. Can you imagine? Where all our questions fade, we gaze face to face into the eyes of the One who loved us more than we can know, to touch His hands and hear His laugh and know the shape of His smile and the creases of His skin and the radiance of His Divine glory. 

The place where worship builds as every Saint joins the chorus, echoing against the streets of gold in perfect harmony, where the radiance of Glory will be like nothing we can comprehend in brightness and breath taking beauty. 

Heaven is the place we dream of and long to be for all eternity. A place of no more tears, pain and suffering. A place of acceptance and joy. We long for it. I long for it. I live, today, for it.


You know "those days" those weeks, and sometimes "those" seasons? "Lord come quickly" we might say with a chuckle. Lordy, we need you, take us NOW! In just, it's funny...but for others, it's a serious plea. 

In recent days, there was news of a Pastor who took his life. How heartbreaking when someone feels there is no other choice. As a Believer, the temptation to get to where you ultimately want to be doesn't feel threatening. It feels like an answer. Our mind rationalizes it with... finally, yes...I am coming Lord. 

Depression and anxiety seem to fill threads these days. 

Technology shrinks our world. We are exposed to more and connected more intimately than ever before, and yet there is nothing new under the sun. 

Social media ignites us in shared passions, illustrates for us things unimaginable and executes what could never have in decades prior. After scrolling through several threads within different mainstream Christian authors, my heart grew so heavy scrolling through the hundreds of comments, one by one people sharing their depression, fears, lostness and hopelessness, thanking them for their shared ministry and speaking out words of hope and encouragement, Here I thought I was the only one. So many are hurting, and to be reminded, these are Believers sharing. Ones who know God, seek God, serve and love Him with all their hearts. And yet their hearts were depleted all from different reasons and seasons but here they are in the same boat, drifting and some sinking. 

What a misconception to think Believers are immune to trials and tribulations. I also believe the enemy wants us to feel alone in our struggles. To overcome us with shame and loneliness, to feel in the minority as if there was no source of understanding or help. To deceive us into hopelessness. Trials are a guarantee because now you have a real enemy who thought he was your friend until you made a decision to follow Christ and now you're his enemy too. We see all through Scriptures, God does allows trials to strengthen us and test us in our faith. What Satan intends for evil, God intends for good. Do you trust Him when things get hard and you can't see around that bend in the road or a way across that ocean?

I feel this is a conversation that needs to be talked about more and there are so many layers and probably entire books and Bible Studies written about this. I acknowledge there is no way to cover every layer of this topic, but I do pray it's a view inside a scope of something huge. I am also believing there is someone out there needing to read this to reignite their hope for Heaven today.
People mean well, we all do, when a friend shares with us a crisis in their life. A million articles have been written on What Not To Say When....because our hearts are in the right place and if it's something we haven't personally dealt with, we don't really know what to say. 
When you find yourself at the end of your rope, well meaning people say to you, "Hang in there. It's okay cuz ONE DAY there will be no more suffering and everything will be right and all the pain will be gone.You just have to make it through day by day until that day." All you can think is TODAY can be the ONE DAY so you deeply consider plans to go. Yes, it's wrong. It's selfish and ultimately it's murderous sin. But for them, it appears to be a short cut to get where peace is a guarantee. No more pain?! I am going anyway and I can't do this alone anymore. I'll plan to go sooner than later.

Friend, NO! You are not alone. Defeat Lie #1. 
There is no other way out. Defeat Lie #2.

This is not a conversation about blame or fault. It is never our fault if someone chooses to end their life. The focus of this share is how we can pay closer attention to the words we say by way of encouragement to a person in desperation for breath. Our goal is to give them that breath today. Are we showing Peace here, today? Are we talking about what they can access for help and healing, today? Are we giving them tools to manage and endure, here, today? 
"Peace is HERE! Peace is NOW! Stand FIRM! ASK! SEEK! KNOCK! RISE UP and FIGHT!" Help them see Heaven, here. Bottom line point: Don't point them to Heaven to come....show them Heaven TODAY! Help them look heavenward without being heaven-bound. They are so desperate for peace in their soul, where can they go for refuge and refreshment, to lift their eyes and recognize their value to fulfill their calling and sustain life because Christ is near, today? They need the hope for Glory TODAY in this dirt of earth. Let's lock arms and lay on hands over these precious souls He has fearfully and wonderfully made.

Friend, if this is you, yes, Glory in Heaven is the ultimate place for no more suffering, but it is not up to us to decide when our lives here on earth are over. The Lord has created us and purposed us for every day here, to be lived according to His purpose, in His strengths despite our weaknesses. To receive His perfect peace in our suffering. To be built up in the Body that our mat can be carried by fellow Believers to the One who can save us, restore us and heal us. He has not given you more than you can bare. He sends us unlikely friends  or faithful friends to strengthen us by the lifting of our arms when we cannot stand any longer. That we may touch the hem of His robe and be touched by the power of God. That we can come to the deep waters and find life, not death. To come hungry, and be fed.
When we bring God our minimum, He shows us His multitude. Our least is His long-lasting.

TODAY is the day of HOPE.

TODAY is the day of MERCY and STRENGTH. 

TODAY is the day of FOCUS.

TODAY is the day to BREATHE.

TODAY is the day to FIGHT.

TODAY is the day to LIVE.

I love the lyrics of this song (click here to listen), 

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, LordIt's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise

When the day comes you can't catch your breath, when you lose your grip, when your mind becomes noise, when anguish consumes your heart, mind and soul, and you feel like there is nothing left for you and your life here on earth is hopeless and useless, you now know the voice of your enemy! Most people only know their own voice, how blessed are you to hear your enemy coming for you. He will not back down until you decide to rise up in Jesus Name and fight back against his deception and lies. He wants you to quit because you are a threat to his only battle plan of keeping Believers, including you, from worshiping The Lord with your life. 

Your time on this earth is over when God calls you home and He will never ask you to sin to accomplish His plan for your good and His glory. He knows the number of breaths He has planned for you. Breath His breath. Submit your body and your mind to worship. Surround yourself with Fellow Believers who are wearing their armor, who will carry your mat to the Savior. Friends who will go to battle for you and hold your sword till you have the strength again to pick it back up and get back on the front line. Do not set yourself in a corner and hide from help. You are worth fighting for, in fact, God sent His one and only Son to die for you. Blood has already been shed, yours is not necessary.
Let us RISE UP for TODAY!! The God of Angel Armies is always by your side! Still your soul to hear the Voice of our Redeemer, our Rock and our Refuge. You are dearly LOVED and NECESSARY, TODAY!

Recognize the voice of the enemy who comes to kill and destroy (John 10:10) the work of God in your life. Hear the call of Your Savior and stand on His Cornerstone, a Sure Foundation. You will not be conquered, for you are more than a conqueror in The Name of Jesus (Romans 8).
Be still and know He is God. (Psalm 46:10) He is here TODAY. This song was a command to my soul for many months, leading me into quiet stillness that I might hear God through all the noise. It settled me into worship. Worship ushered me into Peace. Perfect Peace. Not as the world gives, but as He Himself Is.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

TODAY is the day for Salvation and NOTHING can separate you from the Love of God. Friend. RISE UP and know that you know, this is a journey where you do not walk alone. When the world around you feels like it is closing in and you can't breath...be still and breath. Take your eyes off the path and look forward. (Psalm 121:1) Climb out of the pit you have slipped into. Trust The One who will never leave you or forsake you. Choose a Heavenward, not Heaven-bound Life today!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." 

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:6, 8

There IS help in the church and outside the church. I am happy to share with you the things I did, just ask. Don't let the enemy rob you of the richness and fullness of Christ. The Lord is mighty to save and has plans only you can fulfill. There is no other God but our God and there is no other you than YOU.

BE STILL and RISE UP! Heaven is here! 

"For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 

And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 

nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 14-15, 18, 24-28, 31-39

If you or a loved one feels at the end of their rope, pray for the Lord to show you Help, jump into Scriptures, turn on the worship music and if there is a desperation for life, seek immediate help at a local church, area counselor or call the Suicide Hotline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. 

Be Still and RISE UP!

Encouragement When You Feel Depressed and Alone : Let's Pray

"When I said, "My foot is slipping," Your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul." Psalm 94:18-19 

Not every day can be a great day. Over the years I have learned to be more truthful with my feelings and stop hiding behind the "I'm fine" response which most often translates I am not okay. Saying I wasn't okay seemed to admit defeat or reveal a lack of faith. I convinced myself somewhere along the path of perceived togetherness, it wasn't okay to not be okay. 

My mind would say if I prayed harder, there'd be more Happy. If I listened to worship music and read my Bible a little longer, my circumstances might change which would surely change my heart and mind too. I would never had admitted a bad day for fear of being judged that I was a hypocrite or a weak Christian. How sneaky and manipulative is our enemy.

It took getting stuck in lots of pits and circling the same walls over and over to finally get through them. I've learned to honestly answer, "Not every day can be a great day, and I am not okay, but God is faithful." It is bearing false witness if you say everything's great when it's not. The false joy and perceived peace are not healing hopes. They are deceiving masks. 

The Lord tells us in His Word there will be trials and storms. What a prideful thing to equate ourself to God in thinking we can control things. You and I may be able to fake out some people, but we cannot fake out God or those closest to us who can immediately see the shattered twinkle in our eye. I think the Lord gives our close companions a special kind of discernment to know when we are not okay and call our bluff. Those are special kinds of Sisters.

Of course there is the opposite of me out there when someone is a Pity Party for One and all are invited in. They can't fathom anything good cuz the world is evil and there's no good left in anything or anyone. How exhausting it must be to live like that. 

People with drama drain me. I will certainly pray for them, but I am not going to enable them and I don't have to spend more than a minute with them either. Hello Healthy Boundaries. 

Life is just too short to waste time complaining, contemplating and gossiping. My Mom has always said I wear Rose-Colored glasses but I come by it honestly. I know the Lord gifted Hospitality, Encouragement, Empathy and Compassion into my heart but my Grandma used to always tell me, "Always find something kind to say to every person you encounter." So, here I am born with a glasses of Hope and yet, I still struggled with insecurity and anxiety.

Life isn't going to always be great no matter how we try to create a perfect place. There are seasons our sorrow will outweigh our happy. And God didn't promise us happy. He promised us a Helper. Life gets really hard and sometimes our prayers feel they fall onto deaf ears. We gasp for a breath under the weight of expectations, hopes and dreams that only seem to fade. 

So many friends are dealing with huge issues and it's hard even when it's not you. I read comments in social media groups that break my heart and drive me to want to be a louder, bolder Encourager and Light for the Lord, to reach those in dark places at the edge of depletion. I have been on that edge and praise God, 

He sent His Helper and His hugs through amazing, honest, warrior woman who knew how to Hug my heart through prayer and accountability. Scripture says together we are a City on a Hill if we all chose to Shine which means, no masks. Does that mean we tell everyone everything? Do we post on social media all our failures, problems, conflicts, insecurities? No. We are wise to pray before we post and ask, seek, knock where our help will come from. 

Our God....He is a Mighty Force, Ruler over all Authorities and principalities. Our Lord is a greater force than our finite minds can imagine. He is a real God, a loving Father, Great Counselor and Friend. He is our Rock and Refuge. He is our Anchor Who holds us in place when we find ourselves being tossed to and fro. When the seas roar, He has the power to calm them. (It's the only time you should stay close to a power source in a storm!! heehee!!!) 

When we know Who God is, there we find our Hope. Hope strengthens our faith and faith drives our perseverance, which strengthens our joy. No one can do what He can do but He can use us as His hands and feet here on this side of Heaven to bring that Hope Reminder to others. To remind the broken hearted He is near and He knows where we are. 

And the most important fact I learned: He is trustworthy and faithful. His love is unconditional and He loves me right where I am, in my insecurity, my anger, my fear, my hurt, my unknowns...He loves me here. Are we willing to surrender ourselves to Him? Do you trust Him to be a Promise Keeper? Do you believe He is Who He says He is?

One day, crashing waves will find their calm and joy will conquer painful sorrow as all the tears are absorbed into The Master's sackcloth. There is a time for everything as Ecclesiastes 3 explains. We will dance but we will also mourn. All in His time.

I challenge you to do more than simply give an Honest Answer. Surrender and Trust Him. Depend on Him. When you trust Him, you will be honest with Him so you can then be honest with yourself, and others because you trust Him more than you trust yourself. We can find comfort knowing God is Who He says He is and gives us exactly what we need as we need it. You cannot borrow joy, or grace. You cannot create peace. You cannot move mountains, divide oceans, calm storms, or create life from ashes. But God is more than able to do exceedingly more than we can ever imagine. 

Do you trust Him as YOUR Honest Answer?! 

Lord, as we cry our salty tears, replenish us with Your Living Waters. Give us the peace only You can. Heal our hurts. Forgive our unbelief. Forgive our forgetfulness of who You are. Forgive us for minimizing Your power of provision and grace in our lives. You are more than we can imagine and Your love immeasurable. Give us favor in the mustard seed of our faith to walk trusting You. Transform our insecurities with Your insight.

We believe at the command of Your voice, healing can come and hearts restored. Lord, heal our broken bodies. Renew our minds and set them on You again. Help our broken hearts beat in the rhythm of Your grace. 

God,  I pray for those in the middle of a storm, remind them of the Strength of Your Anchor! Send hugs and Help to them and lift them up. Call out to the winds and calm them that You may be seen walking on the horizon. Break their chains and renew their hope in Jesus Name. Grant them peace, revive their strength. Relieve the weight of their sorrows and replace it with Your mercy, new every morning! 

We acknowledge You are faithful, steadfast and Honest. Father, we worship You and bow before You asking for revelation of Your Power. Use us and gather us as a City on The Hill. Open our eyes to see what You see and clear our minds to hear wisdom. Give us courage to take off our masks and be a Light for You. Take our flesh and cleanse us. You are so patient and worthy. We praise Your Holy Amazing Name! You are everything to us. Amen!!

"You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever." 

Psalm 30:11-12