Feeling weak, weary and worried?

Ever have those days or sometimes months where you feel attacked and overwhelmed. The little things in life seem so much bigger and you feel the weight crushing you? I'd like to share a prayer woven through the scripture with you that I am praying in my own life. It is the protection instructed to be worn in Ephesians. The actual scripture in ESV is in italics and my words are the rest.
I pray you will find strength and a renewed hope as you remember Who Your victory and Strength are in. It is not within you to overcome. It is Christ in you that gives you the victory.Trust Him. Prepare yourself for battle and pray endurance till the end!!  Gird up your faith and hang on! Saturate yourself with His Word and hide it in your heart!! It's a crucial weapon you must have with you!!!
If this isn't you and you know someone who needs to be encouraged today, please pray this over them. Jesus is our healing, our victory and our hope. He is the answer! Blessings in His name, Michele


Father God, today I lay my broken and weary soul at the crown of Your Holy and Healing feet. My spirit cries out to You Lord God that I Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Help me Father God, Warrior King Jesus to Put on the whole armor of Yours God, that I may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore help me Lord to take up the whole armor of God, that those of us who serve You may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Lord Jesus, as both a witness to Satan and his evil destroyers and as a witness testifying to Your Conquering Victory, I Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,  refusing and rebuking all the lies he tells me that I am weak and defeated, worthy of death, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, that in my anguish I will choose good over evil, guarding and protecting my heart in Jesus' Name that my heart will remain fully and completely consumed by the Love of my Savior. Steady my feet Lord to walk  and witness to Your Love in a manner worthy to honor You above all others, wearing as shoes for my feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, especially those that are difficult, leaving me to feel exhausted and weary, help me Holy Spirit take up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the  flaming darts of¹the evil one as he seeks to devour me day and night; and take my permanent helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is Your word God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Recall to me Your Word hidden in my heart that I may not sin against You and encourage and strengthen me with fervor in your Word each morning and throughout the day.  
To that end it is my deep desire to keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, getting outside of my own troubles and intercede for those God has placed in my world to stand alongside, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Lord open my eyes to see what You see before and around me and grant me strength and endurance to persevere through each and every circumstance, escaping the schemes and traps of the enemy laid out to destroy me. I am Yours Lord God and I trust in Your strength. Guard me in Your Name King Jesus. May my courage be a bold witness to the enemy and rebuke him to his crushed place under my feet and lift my eyes to where You are so my heart and mind may be restored. Cleanse me and revive me Lord for You are my God! I worship and adore You alone. It is with eager anticipation and holy determination that I count it all joy today as I stand on the battlefield. No weapon of the enemy shall proper where You are so Lord today, keep watch over me that I may not give the enemy a foothold! I stand in You! Thank you and Bless you Faithful God. AMEN!

Ephesians 6:13-43

Do you Believe like they believe?

"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 8:35-39

Ever had that feeling of being overcome by everything Satan has to throw at you? I call it being Jobish. I sure have, recently as a matter of fact! This time, the response was much the same and yet much different. I just completed a bible study in the Book of John and there we were drawn to the theme of God our Messiah, The Christ who comes to save. As with different seasons of life, and the fact that The Word of God is alive and true, the filters with which we work through or see things change. 
We are taught as Believers to believe God has the power to heal. We believe that God is greater than Satan and we are more than conquerors in Him. So, when I was under this attack, I said "God, I believe You have the power to save me and heal me." Then, I felt the Holy Spirit move within and remind me so do the demons. They believe God can heal you. I stopped and had to think knowing this is true, but also knowing there was something for me to learn in this moment.
Of course, my filter of John is flowing through my mind, and one of our memory verses came to mind, John 20:30-31 "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." Believe that Jesus is the Christ and by believing that He is The Christ, knowing He is my salvation, the He is The Supreme Authority over all things, people and principalities, it is in His name, who He is, that I may have life in His powerful and Holy name. Satan wants to crush us as weak and blind sheep to the slaughter and God wants to give us life!
So, when we face trials in our life where we need healing or rest, while it is necessary to believe in what God can do in His healing power but we must first believe in who He is!! Nothing can separate us from Him, not because He has the power over all things, but because He is Supreme over EVERYTHING!!! We cannot be separated from Him because He lives in us! Our bodies are His dwelling place within us and therefore, the Authority in my body, mind and spirit is Him! When we simply cry out and ask for healing power to come, if we are not at the same time acknowledging it is because we actually calling on The Healer, we are merely placing our order. Do we achknowledge Who He is and in Him is our victory?!? I don't think we think about that, I didn't. I just asked for what I needed because I know He can do it. But, when I praise His name and remember that it is He that delivers me to life from death, don't you know Satan shudders at the blood of Jesus!!!
Temptations and attacks can come but there is nothing that will overcome me because not only do I have the power to overcome as a Conqueror in Jesus Name, The King of kings and Lord of lords but He is the name above all names who does indeed hold the power to do it!!
The next time you face a trial, remember and claim the Power of Jesus over you and "...seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

**Funny, half way through this my laptop powered down...it eventually came back up and got it restored back up and now I can send this out. Even in this, Satan doesn't want this Word to go out! Sorry...God reigns! This glory if for Him!!! It is always my prayer that by sharing my walk with the Most High God, that there comes glory to God through my life. May we know Him better so that we can have life and peace in His name!! We are conquerors because we serve The Ruler over all things!!! To You God, we worship and seek to know and have more of! You are our everything!!! Praise Your name! You are my sword and shield!!!!  I do know You stand before me, behind me and next to me!! Thank You for Your faithfulness!! Amen!!! 
 

Get Out of the Ant Bed!!!!!!!!

When there is good news to share, who do you call first? When a crisis comes into your family, where do you run? When the stress of life heightens to volcanic levels, how do you simmer down? When your insides are all twisted up, how do you unwind?
As a Believer, our answer ought to be first, "God!!" But if we are all honest, our first response is usually a person or a thing, then the Lord.
When panic and anxiety first came upon me, I went to Google. I read stories, testimonies, books, articles, self-help websites and bought books. I learned how to cut out certain triggers in my diet like sugars and caffeine. (Yes, I had to completely stop drinking sodas and coffee and cut out all desserts; and yes, I lost about 5lbs almost immediately!!!) Then, I studied breathing techniques. I also learned a lot about how stress hurts our bodies and the benefits of Conscious Language. There was lots of "wisdom" to be learned about handling anxiety and panic attacks. But what about healing my anxiety?!?
And while these "things" were helpful, they weren't healing. Truly, God is our Healer. It wasn't until my mentor had me in The Word of God that I began to understand my circumstances, my body, my mind...my war. Healing began "In the Beginning." The medication and help I needed was God's Manna of Daily Bread and drinking up The Living Water on a daily basis, and being satisfied fully! The Word of God is alive and it heals the soul. The sword of the Spirit is how wars are won!  (Ephesians 6)
Let me ask this: If you found yourself standing in an ant bed, would you simply just keep standing there putting ointment on as your body was under attack? Of course not! You would jump out and run, being sure to never step in that spot again and to be sure that never happened again, you'd return only to drop some death on that sinful spot! And yet, we allow ourselves to stand in emotional or spiritual "ant beds." We try to stop the pain from the bites without success because we don't remove the "ants." We will not find relief until we get out of the sinful spot!!
I am surprised at how long we will keep standing there apply ointment when what we need to do is flee!!!
I could talk (and blog-lol) forever about this but I think it's simply said, "Friend, stop standing there!!! Jump out of that ant bed and drop some death on that sinful spot!!" Get into The Word of God and let the healing blood of Jesus rescue You and grant you peace that surpasses your understanding and comfort beyond compare!

Father God, forgive us when we turn to other people or things before turning to You, the True Healer and Comforter, our Great Physician of our body, heart, mind, spirit and soul. Thank You for those You have given to us as Your hands and feet of healing and health, bless their ministries to us in this dark and sick world. May You be the source of glory through them. But Father, remind us to run to You first. May we put to death the "ants" in Your Name, in Your Power alone. Hear our cries for mercy as we stand bitten fiercely and please rescue us quickly! Heal our hurts God. Lead us into Your Refuge and place Your ointment of grace on the wounds left on us. Heal our anger, bitterness, fear, doubt, tongues, illness, addictions, impurities. "Create in me (us) a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (us)." There is none like You and Your blood surely is our Covering Ointment and Victory!! In Your Holy and Gracious Name, we come. Amen!

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. " Colossians 3:1-17  

My Mentored Heart

This week, I got to enjoy extra time with two of my AMAZING mentors/friends/accountability partners...my Sisters in Christ. I wonder if I could ever get them all together, not sure my heart could take that much JOY...or possible "loving correction!" (heehee) I am BLESSED to have mentors in my life such as these Godly, Beautiful Women. A mentor is different than a friend. Over the years, God has given me the gift of some very precious friends who's seasons and purposes have been all very different. A mentor however is one God places in your life with intention to "mentor." Webster's defines mentor : a trusted counselor, guide, tutor, coach. You can only imagine what a rare GIFT it is when a mentor is also a friend. That is the case with these women, they have mentored me for several years while also being dear Sisters in Christ. 

There was a time in my life that I didn't even have one and for no other reason than my own "fear" and "trust" issues. Betrayals, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, fear of judgement, even hopelessness for something better, can keep someone isolated into their own safe, self-contained, lonely bubble. There was a time that was me. Very guarded, very anxious, very limited, very self-controlled, very afraid to be seen. Happy on the outside, scared on the inside. 
Thinking I had to represent Christ in my life by seeming "perfect", it only deepened my isolating self. I hid the real me behind a mask of perfection. It was exhausting but knowing how imperfect I was, I felt I had no other choice than to at least wear the mask! With God's peace, should I complain or worry or have trials, surely not. Otherwise, it says I am sinning against God for everything would be perfect in my life and self, right?! So who in their right mind would admit something was wrong?!?! And I knew I certainly was NOT perfect. I tried till it nearly broke me. Oh, how clever is Satan. He is a deceiver and a liar. 

When the huge 2008 crisis hit, thankfully God had already placed in my life a few Godly women who I could literally fall on. It was up to me to trust them with what was shattered pieces of my heart, mind and spirit. I claimed desperately, Philippians 4:13, knowing I could do all things He asked of me. I chose to trust God with the provisions of help (aka: friendship, counsel and mentor) and I allowed myself to open a tiny space more to let Love come in, and really, it wasn't because I necessarily wanted them in my business, seeing all my imperfections, I knew I needed them in my business. 

What began as a slow trickle of love flowing in, now is an ocean's full!! God has been more than gracious and more merciful than I deserve. There came a place where I couldn't handle "life" on my own. Of course, I have a loving husband and loving family and a great church family had I chosen to let them in, but it was more than I could bear and for these that were close and involved, it was a crisis they too had to endure with me. They needed encouragement I couldn't give and I needed encouragement they couldn't give. We needed more. 

God made it clear that it was time for a new season. It was time for the old to go and the new to come!! I thought I was okay with my "old" until the "new" came. What a DELIGHT!!!! I realized alone I was weak, I was vulnerable. I prayed and asked for rescue and He sent me some! (I am sure I don't need to say it, but I will incase someone reading this doesn't know this: I am assuming we all understand that with God, we are never alone and He is our strength and yes, He is all we need; however, He calls us to live and love one another, confessing our sins to one another, trusting Him ultimately as our provision in which comes all other fleshly provisions....just wanted to make sure we all knew that!) 

Desiring a closer walk with Him, I have learned how to trust GOD fully and allow in what HE wants in. Walls had to come down and these women have had their faithful work gloves on for a few years now, not giving up on me! What a reflection of Christ's Love for us, taking us as we are and yet not leaving us as we are. He has brought these humble, God-fearing women into my life to encourage me, teach me, streeeetch my dorky, quirky, shy self, and boy have I been BLESSED!! Aside from enjoying the GIFTS they are to me, the eternal seeds invested in me have gone further than I could have imagined!! I know these seeds will impact generations, as they already have begun to! 

Today, I love the Lord more intimately, with an open heart, with more confidence and my life has most definitely changed. Who I am, how I approach life, my marriage, how I parent my 4 children, how I handle trials, guarding my relationship with the Lord, my prayer life, my choices, where I spend my energy and time are all direct reflections to the intentional mentoring I have received and from the faithfulness of sweet friends. (Just thinking it sure takes a lot of people to get me where I am today between loving family, church family, friends, mentors...it's okay, I will take all the help I can get!!!) I am no longer satisfied being left alone to work things out....I need the hands and feet of God to help me work things out. Thank God for the Holy Spirit and Proverbs 27:17 Holy Friends:)

While I don't wish for that season of "hell" to have come into my life, it was the price I had to pay for the relationship and life I now have in Christ. It was what broke me and built me new. I am not weak after all.... I am strong. Wouldn't trade it for anything. The freedom I have in Christ today is a direct result of choosing Life and Love in Christ Jesus. I will be the first to admit that I am NOT perfect. Truth is, it's okay, neither are you, or him, or her. I don't even try to appear perfect. My goal is to have such a deep love with God that He lights up my darkness and others can see the Light of Him through my life, mistakes and victories alike. His blood redeems and forgives. His blood covers my imperfections to highlight His perfections. His grace is enough. To hear Him, to see His Word come alive, how can you not smile and get the cheeks so sore from smiling so big?!? I am continually amazed at our Awe-some God. People comment often about my smiling, and that's exactly why I can smile even on the worst of days. My heart may grieve but my spirit rejoices knowing God is near and He sees me and still loves me so. 

My value and my hope for something better has been found in Christ alone! I once saw the world and "love" through the scope of a straw compared to today, as I view life through a panoramic widescreen lens!! I can walk through the valley and not fear, cuz I trust my Shepherd. I can share my heart with another without fear of judgement knowing it is Satan that is the one who should be fearing his judgement. God opened His heart to us and is asking that we open our heart to Him. 

We say trust Him, but at the same time, if you don't know about Him, how can you trust Him. The more you know about a person, God or friend, the more you see their heart and know they are trustworthy, with history proving their loyalty and faithfulness. is why I have come to crave The Word of God and living life alongside and loving others. There is nothing more satisfying than feasting on The Bread of Life and drinking the Living Water, especially with others who do too!!! Your heart opens wider the more you trust. How big is your heart?

"In the BEGINNING God created the heavens and the earth," He has a plan and while your world may seem like your own, really, you are part of a master plan! You were created for this time, for His glory. You must be in The Word to know of Him. You must walk with Him to know Him. He is not a distant God, He is with you and He will send you people: mentors, friends and even enemies to grow you closer to Him. You must choose to receive His enduring and faithful Love offering. Once you do, watch out!! (Romans 8:31-39) Be ready for abundant LOVE-JOY to fill your soul, of which you must also guard against the one who comes to seek and destroy it!! Steal a person's joy and you steal their heart. 

Do you feel alone? Do you feel like anyone has your back? Who is in your life you KNOW God has them there to push through some of your walls, but you don't trust them enough to let them in? TRUST GOD and if you don't truly trust Him, GET IN THE WORD!! Find someone immediately that does and get the accountability to find a mentor who knows The Word and has a heart that loves and fears God and start walking a life of love, hope and faith in Truth! Not in your ability but in the strength of Christ! His blood IS your VICTORY!!! What a sacrifice that saved my life, yes the Blood it is my victory!!!!!! If you say yes, it is yours too!!!

He will send you peace and strength through the hands and feet of others. We are all parts of one Body. Pray and ask God to affirm their place in your life, for whatever way and whatever season He has planned. Not everyone is meant to tear down your walls. Some help you see them. Others help you break them. Some keep you from rebuilding. Tis a season for everything under Heaven! Satan would like nothing more than for you to stay hidden, cut off from the Body. You're less likely to grow. Step forward in faith. Yes, you do take a chance of being hurt, but do you trust God that everything happens for a reason, He has your good in mind and that His grace and love for you is GREATER than any hurt you could ever feel?! Surround yourself by those who Love the Lord their God with ALL their heart, soul and might, who's desire to honor and please Him above all others! Theirs is a heart you can trust with yours!! 

Reflection: How much do you trust God? How well do you know of Him? Do you know Him personally that you can feel His presence near? Do you need to open up the floodgates for your heart to be filled? Are you walking in victory or defeat? Are you being real/honest with yourself? Are you trying to be something other than you? Who in your life would God be calling YOU to mentor, guide, coach or simply be a friend who walks life's paths with? 

This blog entry is long enough, and I could go on so much further and deeper and wider, but I must wrap this up! This began as a Facebook post of thankfulness for extra time spent with precious women this week and I figured once I got to 3 paragraphs, I had gone past my Facebook code of conduct and shifted over to the blog where I have freedom to write as much as my heart spills out! Hope you have been encouraged in some way and gotten to know me a little better in the process!!! HUGS and LOVE!!!