A House Built by the Lord

I decree and declare that this is a house of righteousness
The power of Christ dwells here
As seeds are sown for generations to come...

I declare that in this house of righteousness
Life abides
Life flows
Life overflows...abundant life...

I declare that in this house of righteousness
Fruit from the tree of life grows
And is gathered
To be released to the world around
And to the generations to follow...

I declare that in this house of righteousness
The atmosphere is created
For miracles, signs and wonders, and the greater works...

I declare that in this house of righteousness
Wisdom speaks
And revelation knowledge is released...
This is a house where eyes focus on the beautiful
And tongues utter life giving words that release sweetness to the soul...

I declare that this house of righteousness
Trusts in the Lord
Instead on its own understanding...

I declare that this is a house where God shows up
Where peace and joy dwell...

I declare that power dwells in this house that God built
Because this house is covered with the blood of Jesus
And shelters His godly lovers...

I declare that this is a house
Clothed with the righteousness
Of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords

I declare that this is a house of righteousness...
A house of faith...
That does not waver through the storms of life
But remains green and ever prosperous
Because the inhabitants of this house
Trust in their God
Yes, the Light is turned on at this house...
Because the Spirit of God dwells here with them!!

Life’s Sweetness Satisfies

Life’s sweetness is breathing You in God
And exhaling all the negative.

Life’s sweetness
Is having Your constant companionship.

Life’s sweetness is having You
As my forever friend, forever Help...

Life’s sweetness is having You, God
All around me, inside me, covering me, flowing through me...

Life’s sweetness is
You saving me to the uttermost from all my enemies,

Life’s sweetness is
Fresh abundant grace...each day, new mercies...

Life’s sweetness is
Light in the darkness
Light on the path
Light in my heart..

Life’s sweetness is
Joy...from the inside out
Joy...that abides and stays
Joy that is released when I am just myself...

Life’s sweetness is
Peace...not fear
Peace...not turmoil
Peace...not struggling
Peace... not anxious

Life’s sweetness is
Breathing
Seeing
Communicating
Touching
Hearing
Walking
Smiling
Creating
Giving...

Life’s sweetness is memories,
Remembering, experiencing, planning

Life’s sweetness is
The gift of family, the gift of friends, the gift of relationships

Life’s sweetness is
The taste of a blueberry
The roar of the ocean
The smell of pine
The beauty of a flower
The aroma of coffee
The message of a friend the invigoration of a morning walk
The song of the sparrow
The uniqueness of each snowflake
The noise of children
The closeness of a pet
The warmth of a blanket

There is no end
To the sweetness of life...
The sweetness of life with You God...

And the more we know You God, the more we experience You
The sweeter life becomes...
Thank you Lord for the sweetness of life with You!

Hero

Hero
That is why He died...so I could become
A hero...made in His image,
A hero...Christ lives in me,

A hero in my world
Where He has equipped me with everything I need
To reign
To conquer
To win
To prosper
To thrive...

A hero,
Not because of anything I have done,
But because of what He has done.
He obtained this hero garment for me
With His poured out blood and broken body
And gave it to me
As I believed...
He was who He said He was,
He does what He says He does,
And I am who He says I am...

A hero...
Not because of my great exploits,
But because of His...
Not because of my righteousness,
But because of His...

“Hero”
He says to me
And He covers me with His grace...

“Hero”
He says to me
And He straps the sword of the Lord to my side...

“Hero”
He says to me
As He bids me to
Ride on,
Follow Him,
Feel His Presence surrounding me...

“Hero”
He says to me
As He teaches me
How to stretch the bowstring
Shout the arrow
Destroy the enemy camp,
Bring heaven to earth...

“Hero”
He says to me
As He anoints me with the oil of gladness,
Provides me with nourishment, encouragement
Refueling me for the journey ahead...

A hero...
Surrounded, followed, led
By the Supreme Hero.

A hero...
Blessed forever
Prosperous,
Safe
Mighty
In the strength of the Hero of all Heros!!

Fixing My Eyes

I fix my eyes upon You
My Beloved, my Father, my Daddy, my Help, my Strength

I fix my eyes on the One
Who is looking upon me in delight...

I fix my eyes on You
The Makes of heaven and earth
The One who never grows weary and stays to the end...

I fix my eyes on the One
Who loves me completely
And who never leaves, never disappoints, never fails...

I fix my eyes on the One
Who carries me, intercedes for me, believes in me
Planned me and thought me into being...

I fix my eyes on the Mighty One
Who is loving kindness,
The perfect One
Who paid for my sin
The One who has no boundaries, no limitations
The One who always was and always will be...

I fix my eyes on
My friend
My Shepherd
On the One who offers His hand, and leads the way...

I fix my eyes on the One
Who is constantly pursuing me
Knocking, waiting,
Beckoning me to come to Him
Even though I am weary, heavy laden, muddy and dirty...

“Come and find rest” He pleads
“Come and enjoy all the provisions that I died for so you could obtain!”

My only response can be
To come
And fasten my eyes
Upon this pure love...
And hold on tight
Trust
And know that He is truth
He will help
 And in Him are all the possibilities of heaven!!

Peace to You

Thank you Jesus
That Your broken body and poured out blood paid the price for me to have PEACE.

“Peace to you!”
You repeat and repeat...
Oh how You want us to receive this gift...

Peace
A word so small but so encompassing

Peace
Peace instead of fear
As I trust You

Peace
Peace instead of worry
As I trust You

Peace
Peace instead of chaos
As I trust You

Peace
Peace instead of disunity
As I trust You

Peace
Peace instead of hate
As I trust You

Peace
Peace instead of loneliness
As I trust You

Peace in the storm
Peace in the new, the unknown, the familar, the circumstance
As I trust You

Peace in my body, soul and spirit...

Peace because I am forgiven
Peace because You are near
Peace because I am Yours...

Peace
Acquired because You were willing

To allow those nails to rip and tear Your flesh and hold You to the cross

To allow Your side to be pierced, and your scalp to be torn with the thorns

Willing to go there...to the cross
And take my sin, my shame, my guilt, my condemnation, my sickness upon Yourself.

“Peace I give you,” You repeat...

Thank you Jesus for this precious, unfathomable gift of Peace!

Steady and Strong

I am a steady and strong woman of God
A steady and strong child of God

He keeps me that way
My Daddy
As I trust Him
And believe He is who He says He is
And I am who He says I am...

Steady and strong
He keeps me that way...

When my body tells me the opposite
When the whispering of the accuser tells me otherwise...
I need to remember
That I am holding His hand
And He is strong and steady
And He keeps me strong and steady!

My God is forever faithful, able,
Always keeping me
Strong and steady!

The Blessing of Life Itself

So often as a child, as a teen, as a young adult...
I gazed upon this same scene
As I walked out the door of my house, or walked up and down the hill to the barn...

But I do not remember the beauty, the splendor, the treasure
that I see here tonight...
this beauty that takes my breathe away...

Faintly, I remember those stirrings, those thoughts of
'This is a beautiful place!"
But nothing like the sentiment I have tonight after 40 years...

Why?
Is it because the familiar of today, the routine, the business of our everyday
We miss the treasure, the gift, the poured out blessing?
Or
Maybe the years that have pasted and the experiences we have experienced
Have made the treasures of the past become greater...

I don't want to miss the treasure that is in front of me today
The beauty, the specialness of the relationship, the poured out blessing,

Or the blessing of life itself!

My Light

When I bring You into the picture Lord
You turn the light on...
Because You are the Light!!

You turn on the Light
So I can see the face of the One who throws those accusations at me
The face of the one uttering negativity, and grumbling,
And you let me see their pain, their fear, their wounds...

You turn the Light on so I can know the truth...
About what my body feels, what my body hears, what my body sees...

You are the Light
And You turn the Light on...

So I can see the frustration, the chains...
Of that driver who was so rude to me.

You turn the Light on so I can
Bless and not curse
Give thanks and not murmur
Rejoice instead of complain
Laugh instead of cry
Extend a helping hand instead of a harsh word...

You are my Light and my Salvation
Your Light saves me from
The enemy of worry
The enemy of fear
The enemy of offense
The enemy of bitterness, resentment, despair...

Your Light saves me from the accuser, the false prophet, the liar, the deceiver...

The Light of Jesus lets the sunshine in
And allows me to see the goodness of the Lord in my land...

Thank you Lord for being my Light
And turning the Light on so I can see!

Why Did I Let Him Go?

Why did I let Him go...
Now my heart aches for Him...

How the heart aches for that something...
That something that is missing...

You have searched
You have looked... tried hard
You thought you knew what it was...
But the hole, the ache remains...

Oh yes,
You put the smile on
You function, even laugh...
But inside you ache... you cry
You hunger and thirst for that something or that someone
What?
What will satisfy?
What will fill the hole?
What will connect with your soul and say
All is well...

Precious one,
You are missing your soul’s true love.
The One who knit you to your mother’s womb and breathed life into you.
Inside of your soul
Your Maker is calling you, inviting you to come close to Him...

Precious one.
Only when your heart responds to His voice and you come
Will you find the missing
The Something your heart longs for...

You were created to know Him, to experience His love.
He is the only One who can satisfy the ache and fill the hole...

This is a Light Day

Thank you Lord for being Light...
Father Light...
Father light that lights up that seemingly dark circumstance
With the hope of heaven
The truth of Your Word

Your Light that opens my eyes to see...
To see
The futility of all my fears
Fear of the “what if’s”
The fragmentation of my thoughts that have no concrete evidence...
Fear that has stolen joy and peace from me day after day...

Your light opens my eyes to see
The other side of the picture.

My picture errors in thought
Because impossible is in my picture
“That could never happen” is in my picture...

But Your picture sees it...
And Your Light reveals Your picture to me..
Your picture of
“Desiring to give me everything in abundance
More than expected
Life in its fullness until I overflow...” John 10:10

Yes
Your Light lights up who You are
And who You want to be for me...

And because this is a Light day...
I can believe...
I can believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in my land today
And in this next year...
And in this decade (because I am thinking in decades today because of my decade birthday😊

My hope is in You, God
In You I am strong and full of life!

Oh the sweetness of the revelation from Your Light!!

For I Walk by Faith...Not by Sight...

I cannot see the resurrection power that rests upon me because I am His
That power that leads me to victory...

I cannot see the Holy Spirit
Ministering to me, helping me,
Revealing the way, the answer, the truth...
Urging me on, arranging the circumstances
So I can accomplish the good works that the Father planned for me
Before the foundations of the world...

I cannot see the robe of righteousness
That the Father places upon me
As I believe that He took my sins upon Himself
And transferred to me His righteousness
I cannot see the shining light of purity
That rests upon me
That gives me the privilege of entering into
Into the presence of God Almighty
That righteousness that presents me spotless
That no arrow can pierce, or tongue denounce...
I cannot see the blood
Washing, cleansing, transforming
Making me whole, full, and pure

I cannot see
But I walk by faith, not by sight...

I cannot see how well known I am to the Father
How acquainted He is with with everything about me
How He  knows every inch of my body
My deepest secrets, every sigh, longing, desire, tear...

I cannot see His smile
That is constantly upon me
I cannot see how He rejoices over me, dances over me
Delights in who I am
Believes in me, fights for me, defends me

I can not see the light that radiates from my being
Because He is in me and His glory is surrounding me
I cannot see His favor that is upon me
And the power and authority that is mine because I belong to Him...

I cannot see the storehouses of His provision that is a available
The magnitude of the good plans and purposes that He has for me
The angels that He has by my side,
Or the host of angelic help that will be released at a moment if needed...
I cannot see His grace stored up
Nor the amount of grace that He is pouring out upon me each moment of my day
Enabling and sustaining me

I cannot see the uprooting and preparation
That My Father plans and performs
As He prepares me for the next upgrade, the next glory
That He wants me to experience

I cannot see the Fathers plans
His plans of returning what the enemy has stolen

I cannot see
But I trust Him
I know my God, my Father
And He is good, He faithful...
I walk by faith
And trust the One who thought me into being before the world was formed,
I trust the One who loves me completely
Yes, I cannot see...
But I trust You Father, I thank You
My delight is in You!

Thinking of you, Mamma

I have been thinking so much about you recently, Mamma.
It's Mother's day, the day I always liked planning something special for you,
And although you have been in heaven for 12 years now...I cant stop thinking about you today.

So much of who I am is because of your influence, your love...

Memories flood me of your joyful song that filled our home. I loved sitting next to you in church because I loved listening to your song...
I can hear your encouraging words that you spoke over me as you tucked me into bed, said goodbye to me before I went to school, and whenever my despairing heart would spew forth the "I can't."
Your constant sacrifice was obvious to me as I saw you struggle with the work load, give up your plans to help me with a project, or give up your desires, so you could meet my needs.
Your love for flowers, nature, gardening and natural remedies are part of who I am today.
Your love for Jesus, my father, and each one of us kids helped give me a security in life...

But the memory that stands out from all the others is the place I would find you when I got up each morning. I would find you kneeling by the chair in the living room, inviting the King of glory into your day and committing each one of your beloved ones into His care!

Thank you dear mother for the faithful seeds you planted each day. Seeds that planted blessings into the lives of your children and all your generations to follow you!

Thank you for teaching me what really matters in life.
I am so blessed and grateful!

The Sweetness of Jesus

Oh the sweetness of Jesus
Fills me up with awe and wonder.
The sweetness of His love, His peace
The sweetness of life with Him...all the time,
The sweetness of His closeness, His magnificent Help...
The sweetness of His magnificent care and provision
The sweetness of His watchful eye, His great protection,

The sweetness of being covered with His precious, pure, righteous blood
That destroys all my enemies
Removes all my guilt and curse
Restores
Makes hope real
And life more...
More than expected...

The sweetness of Jesus
Who picks me up
Gives me another chance
Accepts me completely
Loves me perfectly
Promises to never leave me...

The sweetness of Jesus who abides
Who stays, who remains...even in the mess
Who sings over me
Encourages me
Whispering His heart of love
And songs of deliverance into my soul...

The sweetness of Jesus who never fails, never gives up,
Always believes in me as He intercedes for me...

The sweetness of Jesus
The One I put my hope in
The One I trust
The One who can not disappoint
The One who is for me
Who gave me everything
So I could have abundant life...

Oh the sweetness of Jesus..
He is mine.
He is with me today...
That is why I can smile,
That is why I can sing,
That is why I can have confidence today
That I will see the goodness of the Lord
I will succeed...because the Lord is with me!!!

It’s going to be a good day!

This Robe of Righteousness

This robe of righteousness
Placed on me by the Father
When I come, when I believe...

This robe covers me with the precious, powerful, blood of Jesus,
Gives me access to the Father,
Allows me to enter into His Presence,
Allows me to commune with the King of Kings iand Lord of Lords...

This robe of righteousness
Presents me clean...pure...holy
As I am joined to Christ, the Anointed One...

Heaven touches me
Favor surrounds me
When this robe adorns me...

My enemies hate this robe
They try their hardest to steal this coat
With there lies of condemnation, unbelief, and legalism...

This robe is not replaced, removed, or changed
Depending on the type of day I am having.
When the Father dresses me with this gift... it cannot be removed
It is part of Him...covering me...
And it’s His covering  that enables me to stay steadfast
Marching me to victory
Leading me to joy, to peace, to wholeness...
Filling me up with abundant life,
Until I overflow Jesus into my world...

Thank you for this grace filled gift of love!

The Source

Where is my water source coming from
My water source that feeds my soul and gives me my thoughts?
What source am I drinking from?

Am I drinking on the news report, the medical evaluation, the philosophy of the day?
Am I listening to the whispering of my accuser,
The one who hates me and wants me to fail?
Am I only hearing the condemnation of the ones in my life who I can’t seem to please?

What is the source of my water that is causing this death,
This sadness, the condemning thoughts, the hopelessness, this anger, this frustration?

When  the people in the town told Elisha that their water was foul...
Elisha went to the source
And he poured salt into it!

He cleansed the water source with the salt of heaven...
The salt of heaven that purifies, cleans, restores,
The salt of heaven that creates new thoughts
The salt of heaven that breaths life...

Lord I need You as my source!
You are the living water...
You are the pure, holy, righteous, true...

I need You,
Your Word, Your promises, Your truth
To be my source of water
To feed my everyday thoughts.
I need to only hear Your whispering, Your song...
I need You to restore,
To flood Your abundant life into every season, every aspect of my life...
I want You as my source!

2 Kings 2:21

Listen

Listen to the voice that loves you my dear
Listen to the voice that knows you, cares for you, created you...
Listen to the voice that breaths life into you...
Listen to the voice of the One who delights in you
Listen to the song of delight that He songs over you...

The voice of the stranger screams failure...defeat...fear...
The voice of the stranger condemns and sprews lies.

But the voice of Your good shepherd
Whispers love
Whispers peace
Whispers acceptance and hope...
The voice of your good Shepherd
Is the voice of the One who loves you completely and surely
Always and forever...
Listen, listen, listen...
He is speaking, singing and rejoicing over you!!

The Feast

Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed
So we could have a continual feast...

He does not have a feast of rotten stuff
Negativity, strife, anxiety, fear...

He suffered, was whipped, beaten, nailed to a cross
So He could offer us a new feast...
He endured the pain, ridicule, separation
So He could wipe that old table clean
And spread a new feast for us to partake

He offers it to us with the purchase of His poured out blood
He offers the feast of love
Of forgiveness, of restoration, of joy, of peace, of rest...
He offers everything we need
To have that abundant life that He so desires for us to possess.

“Why?” He asks
“Chew on the morsels of the old man
That bring pain, hate, destruction
When this feast of abundant life is available.”

Feast today at His table of truth, His table of of His continual poured out love
The table of His goodness!!!

I am Engaged in a Great Undertaking

When my enemies scream for attention
With the intent to steal, confuse, deter, destroy...
I boldly announce to them,
“I am involved in a great undertaking and I cannot come.”

When fear comes knocking,
When offense comes knocking,
When worry and anxiety come knocking,
When disappointment tries to get my attention,
When unbelief tries to sneak in...

I have to stand up tall
Refuse their advances
And declare,
“I am engaged in a great undertaking and I have no time for you!!!”

I am engaged in spreading the fragrance of Jesus...
I am engaged in being a light to my world...
I am engaged in healing the pain in my world with my hands and my mouth ...
I am engaged  in doing the good works that the Father has planned for me before the foundations of the world.
I am engaged in making my God famous
I am engaged in destroying the enemies plans
I am engaged in releasing the kingdom of God
I am busy counting my blessings and seeing the goodness of my God
I am engaged in being a royal one, a prized possession...

So I cannot come!
I will not take my time to entertain you fear, offense, worry, disappointment, sadness, unbelief..

I am engaged in a great undertaking!

Nehamiah 6:1-4

Thoughts About Truth

That liar comes and tries to convince me
That You are not a good God
Tries to convince me that You are hard to please, that You are frowning on me
Tries to tell me that You are mad, sad, disappointed, irritated...

That liar comes and tries to convince me
That You left,
That I am alone
That You don’t care
That I have to do it all myself...

But it is all a lie
The furthest thing from truth...

The truth of Your Word
The truth of Your Presence
The truth as my spirit connects with Your Spirit
Tells me...

That I am delightfully loved
That I am Your delight, Your treasure, Your cherished beloved one...

Truth shows me Your smile, Your joy.
It reminds me that I am intimately known to You
And that Your watchful eye and attentive ear
Know more about me than I know myself.

Truth shows me that You care
It opens my eyes to the vastness of Your provision, Your light, Your protection
Your peace, Your joy, Your wisdom, Ypour goodness, Your grace...

The enemy had me in darkness, so I could not see
Allowing me to only depend on my emotions
Which I cannot trust
I cannot trust what  is seen, but fades and disappears
I can only trust the truth...
Which is often unseen
But as my spirit joins to Your Spirit
Your Spirit allows me to see with the eyes of my heart
The way You see it...the Truth...

The Process of the Search

The process of the search
For my Beloved,
The desire to fill the hole in my heart
That longs for You, God...

The search
Sometimes leads me around in circles
Going nowhere...
Or chasing fox holes...

Even when I search in the city...
The church...
My heart yearns for the missing...

Oh, but then I encounter Him...
He finds me...
I fasten myself to Him
Refusing to ever lose Him again...

I am my Beloveds and He is mine!!!!

I Miss...and He Does Too

When I look elsewhere
Get distracted
Let the shadows of the world, the cares, the anxieties
Lure me away
From gazing into His flaming eyes of passionate love...

What I let the spirit of doubt and fear prosper
And I succumb to
Tomorrow this and tomorrow that...

When my feebleness of mind only clings to intellect
And my emotions win over my spirit...

I miss the encounter
I miss the miracle, the victory
The opportunity to plant a seed...

I miss His Presence
His closeness, His Help
I miss feeling His hand in mine...

And He does too!

I Watch for You Jesus

I watch for You today, Jesus
I watch for Your delight, for the good things You are putting in my land.
I watch for Your kindness, Your gentleness
I watch for the display of Your presence...
Those God appointed meetings
God appointed conversations,
God appointed connections...
I watch for Your protection, Your provision...
I watch for Your Justice
Your tender expressions of love.
I watch for the miracle,
The longing fulfilled...the promise...
I watch for You Lord
And know You are with me, fighting for me,
I watch for You and know You want me.

I watch in anticipation and believe
That You are able to do exceedingly More
More than what I expect
More than what I ask,
More than what I can image.
Because that is who You are...
A God who is so real,
A God that is close,
A God who loves forever,
A God that does not disappoint,
A God of grace, grace, grace
A God who delights in me,
A God I can’t stop thinking about...