Janell's Official Wal-Mart Countdown to Christmas Finale 2013

This Christmas something really awesome happened. The Wal-Mart Christmas Countdown was born! It was so much fun! Now that the countdown is complete for this year I thought I would include some interesting facts about My Wal-Mart Christmas Countdown! So here we go! 

Days until Christmas: 46

It all started with this photo! 46 day before Christmas! My family was at Wal-Mart (I know! no surprise there!) and my mom saw the countdown sign and said "Janell! Go take a picture with the sign!". I did obviously and that is how it was born! I was hooked.

Days until Christmas: 39

I almost didn't see this little sign , because it was so small! But I was on the lookout! All the signs were in different places, colors and sizes!

Days until Christmas: 35

By the third picture people started to comment on how i go to Wal-mart a lot. And already people are saying that they will miss me doing the countdown..by the third picture!

Days until Christmas

 I didn't always have someone with me on my Wal-Mart trips. So I would have to take them myself. Sometimes it took me up to four tries to get it right...or I would finally give up...people were staring like crazy!

Days until Christmas: 25

My countdown to Christmas went viral!! Not really but I stared seeing a lot of other people joining in on the fun! Here is one of them! Thanks Holly! 

Days until Christmas

Sometimes my trips to Wal-Mart are very exciting, but this day God totally set me up to minister to a lady there! Always take time to see what God is doing at Wal-Mat!

Day until Christmas: 20

By this time I really don't care what people think. It was kind of a freeing feeling! When people would stare (remember I was the only one by the signs most of the time!) I would just look at them and say "It's almost Christmas!" or "I just love Christmas!". People would just continue to stare! haha

Days until Christmas

I have now been given the title "Princess of Christmas"! Ah! I loved it! I also was told that Wal-Mart should pay me stock for advertising! I um love the idea!

Days until Christmas: 11

During the Countdown I visited 3 different Walmarts in OK. But never had anyone get my enthusiasm or share in my Christmas cheer!

Days until Christmas: 9

This was the only Wal-Mart that hung the sign up high! I had to get creative! I also didn't have my phone, so I had a friend take it with her phone! I am now called nuts too! haha yeah!

Days until Christmas: 5

I took this one twice...The first one I took I looked so tired and  not excited that I had to go back and take it again (you think I would have learned to look at my pictures!) I really loved it when I had someone to take the picture!

Days until Christmas: 2

Not only was I photo boomed by the lady on the display behind me I also had a guy ask if he could call me sometime! Haha whats funny about that one of my friends said "...As long as you aren't going to Wal-Mart to pick up guys...". Haha well...

Days until Christmas: 1

This day the Wal-Mart I was at had two different countdown numbers, even other stores had a different number on the dame day! This happened a lot actually!

Days until Christmas: 

And today is the day! Merry Christmas! No I didn't go to Wal-Mart today, this is the same sign from Day 1! I just moved the 1 over ...it's behind my head! 

And that is it ladies and gentlemen! Janell's Official Wal-Mart Countdown to Christmas 2013 is over! I had a blast doing it! I had no idea what it would turn into! Spacial thanks to my photographers Mom, Dad, Faith , Janae and Justin. And to all of you who followed my countdown! You all made it even more fun! 

Merry Christmas!!!

Days until Christmas: 364

All I Want For Christmas

I love how Jesus speaks to us. I heard a friend say that God can speak to us through anything, except for the things we don't let him. So I try my best to have a listening ear, to hear what he is saying in any moment. The other day I was listening to the song "All I Want For Christmas" by Anthem Lights, this song is one of my favorites, their harmonies are awesome (I highly recommend them!). Anywho I was listening to it and it was like all of a sudden God was singing the song to me (God likes to sing to me). I let the words wash over me as I listened to the song as if He was the one singing, and it warmed my heart. Take a listen real quick and let God sing to you through this song:

All Jesus wants for Christmas is you. He doesn't care about anything else. He doesn't care about all the "works" you do or the acts of Christianity. It's simple, He just wants you. That is the whole reason He came to earth as a baby. So that one day you would give Him all of you. Take time to sit with Him, give Him a gift this Christmas…You.

Whatsoever Think...

Have you ever given yourself to Jesus? Make this Christmas the best ever and belong to Him. Comment below and I will introduce you to Him.

Or maybe you have taken back your gift to Him. It's never too late to give yourself back to Him. 

I See Beauty

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Oklahoma! Snow is falling and well so is the ice.  Right now everything is covered in ice except for the roads, thank you Jesus! With our ice history here in the state people get scared, worried and some, just mad when the ice starts rolling in. Now I understand why people don't like the ice, but I choose to see it in a different light...I look at everything differently...I see beauty. I see a winter wonderland. I see glistening trees. See I could focus on all the negative things that the ice or hard times bring, or I could magnify the good. 

In our world, when something bad happens or the rumors start we get bent all out of shape. Thinking of all the bad and terrible things that could happen. I understand the dangers of things, but I don't let them rule me into fear. There is a difference between true and truth. 

Hard, icy times come, there is no stopping them. It's up to us on how we see and act in the situation. Are we looking through the lens of hope or despair? It's all about perspective! That's why I have made hope a lifestyle. Without hope, life is full of dread. See hope, see beauty.

This Christmas I encourage you to change the way you see everything. See them through I eyes of God. And I promise you will have a very Merry Christmas!

Whatsoever Think...

Do you have trouble seeing the good around you? Ask God to show you! He is always speaking! Comment below about how God has spoken to you about hope in a hopeless situation. And then how you were able to walk it out. I would love to hear it!

Life and Death

I just thought this picture was neat! It is so important to speak life over our lives! The Bible says that life and death are in the tongue. 

So speak life over every area of your life! If you don’t like what you see right now in your life then it’s time to change the way you talk! You have the power to change your life! 

Why not start today? Why wait?

Whatsoever Think...

I Am...

I am completely loved

I am smart because of Christ

I am a real life princess

I am chosen

I am to die for...literally

I am full of joy

I am not moved by this world

I am pursued by a real King

I am thankful

I am a lover

I am a fighter

I am clothed in strength and dignity 

I am rich

I am not of this world

I am a dreamer

I am hopeful in all things

I am a light to the world

I am lovely

I am out of my mind

I am sold out 

I am free

I am realistic...I expect Miracles

I am called

I am pure

I am beautiful what am I saying..

I am gorgeous

I am a mighty warrior

I am full of life

I am a vessel

I am dangerous

I am called beloved

I am a important

I am noble

I am fearless

I am special

I am full of faith

I am the daughter of the only star breather

I am a citizen of heaven

I am like a child

I am made new

I am confident 

I am forgiving

I am powerful

I am always believing in the impossible

I am worth more than gold

You see, all of these things are true because I am God's. 

Nothing you can say will change that. Men and woman can't change it. 

The government can not change it. My circumstances can't change it. 

The world doesn't have a say. 

I am Gods and He is mine. 

This is only a short list of the things I am because of God. There is a lot of things I am that are unique to me. But all of the things listed there...that is who you are! 

You are God's. 

So what are some other things that you are because of God? I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment below and spread the love! 

The Girl Named Sephora

One night after a personal bible study I lay in bed and thought about what I had just read. The study said to ask God what’s one of the names He calls you by. So I was like ok, let’s try this! Kind of half expecting to get an answer,(which is really stupid of me because I know that God speaks to me and that He is more than faithful) I was wonderfully surprised by His gentle voice. God said "One of my names for you is Sephora."! Cool name right? 

But I wanted to know why He calls me that, I so I reached over to my phone and pulled up Google (I believe God loves Google ha-ha). After typing in my new name the make-up company came up, totally forgetting about the brand name, I kept looking and then I saw it...One of the meanings of Sephora… is beautiful. I almost burst in to tears.

As girls and woman this is the one thing we want to hear. When we hear it though, it’s as if the word only touches us on the outside, it doesn’t touch the heart. We also hear that God has made us beautiful, but it’s just like the saying “Jesus loves me”, we have heard so many times that it can grow into something we just know (If we don’t let it change us).

God calls me beautiful. The awesome thing is that what he calls you too. You really are beautiful...Read it again let it get into your heart. Psalms say we are wonderfully made...that is amazing. We are beautiful! When we let this truth sink into our hearts and let God bring a deeper revelation of this, we will begin to change from the inside out. You have heard it said that beauty comes from within, well it's true. Know who you are, and then it will show on the outside. 

I am the girl named Sephora, and so are you!

Whatsoever Think...

Note: Now you try it! Ask God what He calls you(it will always be good!)! Find out what it means! Then please leave a comment about it! I would love to hear what He said about you. I did this with my youth group and it was really awesome to hear all the names that God calls us! Ready...Set...Go ask!

Photo Credit:thesundaybest.com.au and http://laniwendtyoung.me

Take a Knee

I recently saw the movie "After Earth" and I really loved the story and the message. One of my most favorite parts of the movie is when the son, Kitai, has just left his father in order to save both of their lives. The thing is, Kitai has never been out on His own before, and his surroundings are freaking him out big time. His father tells him over the radio "Kitai, take a knee...assess" and he would do what his father said. After he would do this he would stand back up at peace and ready to face whatever would come next. Throughout the movie the father would tell him to take a knee, and in the end of the movie when the son could no longer hear his father voice, the son took a knee all by himself. Then saved the day. The Holy Spirit showed me that I could apply this "take a knee" to my own life.  

I was at work and my employer was having a bad day, and well she took it out on me for a few minutes. I was right at the edge of being ticked of. Then I heard Holy Spirit say "Janell, take a knee". I smiled and knew he was right. I couldn't take a knee for real because I was right in the middle of work, but I took a knee in my spirit. So I did what Kitai did, I centered myself in God, remembered who I was in Christ, that my peace comes from God. Nothing can take my peace away unless I give it. And well I wasn't going to let my stressed out employer dim my joy. 

When trails come a lot of times we will do what young Kitai did...we freak out! We tell everyone of our troubles and make the problem bigger than it was. Instead we should go to God and take a knee and do a assessment on what God thinks and who we are in Him. We should always get on our knees before God in all things, no matter if it's big or small. 

"Kitai...Take a knee..."

So after I took a knee in my spirit I felt so much better..actually my joy increased! I had beaten the plan of the enemy! 

Try this in your own life, take everything to God.....My Friend, take a knee... 


Whatsoever Think...

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

My sister has created a website and has started a "Let Your Voice Be Heard" Series! Please go check it out! It's going to be a lot of fun! She is always doing great stuff! I would appreciate it!

J.M.Schiele -VOTE HERE!
Her Website- jmschiele.jimdo.com
Follow her on Twitter @JMSCHIELE

The Wonder of Christmas

As Christmas comes around so do all of the old and new Christmas specials, the decorations, soft ginger cookies, good cheer, bell ringers, peppermint mocha's ahh...uh ha I guess you get the idea, everything that is wonderful... is now here! 

For years it has been the traditions of most to tell stories of Santa to small children. Telling them of flying reindeer, elf's, Christmas wishes, bright presents under the tree, filling their childlike minds with awe and wonder. Parents and many others go to great lengths to keep this childhood dream alive, that is until they "grow up" and all the wonderful dreams are shattered. The wonder in Christmas takes a hit. But then the cycle continues, the children now grown, tell their children of the man in the red suit...the circle of Christmas life.

Then you have the other side of Christmas. The wonderful story of a young virgin girl who gives birth to a son. But not any son...Gods only son. Wise men come from afar, bearing priceless gifts to the new king. Angles by the thousands fill the sky, shepherds filled with delight at the site of their king. So much awe and wonder in this story too. Children are told this story as well. But like the story of Santa, it many times becomes another nice story. The wonder in Christmas takes another hit. 

For me Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year. But I asked myself why? Why do I love this time so much? Is it the presents? The music? The pretty lights? Holiday drinks form Starbucks? All of these are good but no, that wasn't it. 

What I love most about this time of year is that no matter which side you are on, Baby Jesus or Santa Clause, is that Christmas is the time for the impossible. 

Everywhere you look dreams are coming true. Miracles are happening. That is what I love. But what I don't love is that these impossible "children's stories" are just that, stories.

We tell people of the impossible, getting their hopes up but then to turn around and say it's just another nice story.  Crushing faith. That we live in the "real" world.  Personally, I am sick of it. 

I don't think this season was centered around miracles and wonder by chance. I mean both pagan and religious people have a common ground! I believe that God wants to show us that nothing is impossible with Him. That hope is alive and that love can never be beaten. We must be careful not to lead those with childlike faith off into the "real" world. Where if you can't figure it out with science then it isn't true. That can kill childlike faith. 

So this Holiday season, spread wonder and joy where ever you are. Light the fire of the impossible in someones life. Tell people that there is hope! That miracles do happen...why not show them! Keep the  wonder in Christmas this year and if you want, keep the wonder all year around! Have Christmas all the time! Because it truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Whatsoever Think...

Freedom and Pink Skater Shoes

Have you ever said this to someone?

"Oh those shoes are so cute! But I could never pull them off though."

I know that I have said this a lot. I love to encourage people and tell them they look nice or their clothes are really cute. A Few months ago I saw a teen girl with the coolest pink skater shoes I had ever seen. So I made a point to tell her how awesome her shoes were, but I added the "I could never pull those off" bit. 

A minister friend was standing there and when she heard me say the “but” she looked up at me and said something that as changed the way I think about myself, how I dress and well… everything! She said:

"You could defiantly pull those off, because you are confident!”

I didn’t have a reply, I had been saying this for years and now with that simple statement I was undone on the inside. I kept what she said close to my heart and let it change the way I think how I view clothes and myself. I thought I was doing good by encouraging others, but I was stabbing myself at the same time with words of self doubt. I would see something and think man that is so pretty, but think I just can’t do it. Why do we say that? This is a mind set of lack, unbelief…captivity.

When we are in Christ we are set free, and we can have all the confidence in the world. I mean we are royalty! Have you ever seen royalty walk around without confidence? No, they radiate it. And that is what we were meant to do. We cannot walk around with self doubt as Christians.

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery…” Galatians 5:1

When Christ died for us He made it so that we could be totally free. A lot of times I think that we get tied back up into slavery. I am a confident person, but I wasn't being confident in my whole person. We are called to be free in every area of life even in the things we wear (God is into fashion Exodus 28).

So try those shoes or that new style.  You are confident; you’re amazing your royalty. So basically, start acting like it. We should be walking around as the most confident people on the planet. People can tell…they can see it! So shine in every area in life!

Whatsoever Think

World of Wondrous Things

I love fairy tales...this is a fact, so it's no surprise that I fell in love with the classic Thumbelina as a little girl. I didn't own the movie as a kid so whenever I went to grandma’s house I would always watch it. Now as an adult I own the DVD (I feel no shame) and I still really enjoy the story. So when God brought this movie to mind tonight, I immediately thought of the movies main song:

Let me be your wings let me be your only love

Let me take you far beyond the stars

Let me be your wings

Let me lift you high above

Everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours

Anything that you desire

Anything at all

Every day I'll take you higher

And I'll never let you fall

Let me be your wings

Leave behind the world you know

For another world of wondrous things

We'll see the universe

And dance on Saturn's rings

 It's a beautiful love song right? Tonight I believe the love song is for you from Gods heart. I could just hear Him sing it over you tonight. That he wants to take you far beyond the stars, just leave this world behind and come into a new world of wondrous things. God is so wonderfully in love with you He just wants you to know that. God is so much fun; I believe this is a invitation for you to actually go dance with God on Saturn’s rings if you want! The song also says "Heaven is where you are", You carry heaven with you, don't doubt it! All you have to do is say yes to Him. This life was made to be a wonderful adventure with our God.

Love and Gas Stations

Have you ever felt the need to be loved? Like all of a sudden you just want love from someone(or something). For me the other day, I had this feeling to be loved by a man. This isn't wrong, I am a woman after all and single at this moment. But I have made peace with this fact. I enjoy my singleness! So I was caught a little off guard the other day when this feeling of wanting to be love by a husband popped up, and was taking up too much of my thoughts. Again it isn't wrong, I am created for relationship,  however, this was taking up too much of my time. So I finally stopped everything and asked God what was up?! I had been careful not to let these feelings run my life. He then showed me a gas tank on a car and it all made since...

See, we are all created for love and God is the only one who can fill the need of true love. A lot of times though we look to other things or people for love. It may last for a moment but in the end it just leaves us unsatisfied. 

God, the giver of love, the ultimate picture of love, wants to fill us up, just like you would fill up your car with gas. Just like a car needs to return to the gas station regularly for a refill so do we. We need constant refills of His love. Actually we should never leave the filling station. We were made for love. But if we disconnect or fail to refuel, we will feel low, and try to fill ourselves up on our own. 

God told me just go to Jesus, and as soon as I acknowledged Him, He was there filling up my love tank. It was that easy. We make being loved by God so hard, when all we have to do is just let Him. 

Whether you are single, married, widowed etc, we all need the love of God. So don't beat yourself up because you have these feelings. Realize you were created for love and RUN to the one who can fill you up.  God is standing at the filling station, waiting to fill you up, looking off into the distance, ready to love you. Just say yes…

So here I am, still single and completely loved be my God. Do I still want a husband? Heck ya! But it does not control me, and those feelings don't have to control you either.

Whatsoever Think...

Vitameatavegamin Girl

"Hello, friends, I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl! Are you tired, rundown, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? The answer to all your problems is in this little bottle, Vitameatavegamin. Vitameatavegamin contains vitamins, meat, vegetables, and minerals. Yes, with Vitameatavegain, you can spoon your way to health. All you have to do is take a tablespoonful after every meal. It's so tasty, too!  It's just like candy! So, why don't you join the thousands of happy, peppy people, and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin tomorrow? That's Vita-meata-vega-min!"

This has to be one of the best episodes from the I Love Lucy Show. All Lucy wants to do is be on TV, and like always it ends up in a mess and she learns her lesson...well until the next time! But that's why we love her.

My question is do you ever feel like that? Rundown and listless? In everyday life and maybe your own religion? Well let me tell you there is this bottle ...no just kidding! Believe it or not, there is someone who has a similar speech:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” -Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

In this passage Jesus gives us the key to live a free and light life. I know I have sad it before but the key is to come to Him. We can't live life alone, because when we do, we become tired and worn out. Jesus said that He wants to show us real rest! Have you ever experienced real rest? By the looks of it, He has called us to live a life of rest in Him. 

It is achieved by watching Him work. So that means being close to Him.  In my last post I said that we need to be by the Fathers heart.  It's also important to walk right beside Jesus to see how to live life. 

So are you tired, rundown, listless and just plain burned out? Then it's time to go for a walk with Jesus. Take His hand and see how he does it. He will show you how unforced His grace truly is. 

Why don't you join all of the "happy, peppy people" and start today? I promise you will be a lot better off than the Vitameatavegamin Girl! 

Puppy Kisses

After a long hard day I like to sit on the couch with my little poodle Rosie. I love it when she lays on my chest and sleeps next to my heart. When she was a puppy a lady told me that poodles love to hear their mothers heart beat. It clams them and makes them feel safe. Even now that she is a year old she still lays next to my heart and I love it! 

But you know what Rosie loves? Giving kisses. I am totally convinced that Rosie's "love language" is licking...and lots of it! If you give her the chance, she will lick you until it drives you crazy. 

Last week I called Rosie over to get on the couch with me. We got comfortable and started to rest, but then she just started to lick my face. I'm tired...I just want her to take a little nap with me! I tell her no and she stops. But then she started back up! I looked at her very cute face and said "Can you just sit here with me?".

Then the Lord in His sweetness spoke to my heart. He said I am like you, and you are like Rosie. I love it when we are together. But sometimes would you just sit with me and listen to my heart. The licking represents everything you could possibly bring to Me. I love it when we talk, but when was the last time your intentions where set to listen to my heart beat?

This is a beautiful picture and it rocked me! I know it's so important to get so close to the Father that you can hear his heart on what He says about me and others. Because if we don't then we can't properly love ourselves or people. Because that is the whole point of being a Christian, love. 

I double dog dared my youth group to set a time to just listen to the father's heart in the secret place. To not just hear what's on His heart but to actually hear it. When we decide to just let go and let God do Hos thing it's life changing. The supernatural is so much more real than the realm we live in. God invites us to get close, close enough to hear the beating of His heart. That is a overwhelming thought, but oh so wonderful!

So now when I snuggle on the couch with Rosie it's a reminder to go and Listen to His heart. 

"I want to sit at your feet. Drink from the cup in your hand. 

Lay back against you a breathe... feel your heart beat."

The Lowliest of Places

This just happened a week ago! God is moving, I hope this encourages you to be revival wherever you are!

While on a treasure hunt my team went to the County Fair in our town, and we ran into a friend. She asked if we were enjoying the fair, we said yes and that we were on a treasure hunt . After a few minutes we parted ways. Our team continued to look for our treasure. After about 20 minutes this same friend came up to me kind of embarrassed “What is treasure hunting?”

I proceeded to tell her and after I was done I could see that she wanted to be a treasure. Because we are all God's treasure! I started looking at our maps and saw that her son’s name was on the list! Her son didn't need healing but she did in her knees. I then got a word of knowledge about back pain which she had as well.

We stared praying for her back and nothing happened. I then felt like her son was supposed to pray. He was really shy and barley whispered a prayer. Once he was done the mother's face was full of surprise and amazement! She felt something like oil going down her spine! She tested it out and all of the pain was gone!

I had her daughter pray for her knees, she prayed and the pain went down, but not all the way so we had her pray again. She felt the same oil in her knees! She tested it out by kneeling down in the gravel. She felt no pain!

My dad had been having pain in His foot and had so we had our friend pray for his foot. That was totally healed too!  Next one of our team members eyes felt funny. So we asked who had eye problems. The daughter couldn't see clearly far away. They prayed and her eyes were totally healed! Then the daughter prayed for the girl on our team that had eye problems and she was healed!

By this time we have gotten kinda excited and a lady who was sitting on the bleachers in the barn we were in turned around and said that she wanted prayer too! She climbed down and said she had sciatic pain. Our friend knew this lady so I had her pray, and her friend was healed instantly! Then a lady in our team said that she had the same problem. So we had the lady who was just healed pray for our team member and she was healed!  

Then we noticed the lady who had been on the bleachers had glasses on. We asked if we could pray about that too! We prayed two times and then she was healed! So she the glasses on her head like a head band! She was so excited! 

God wants to use you wherever you are! Step out across the "chicken" line and start living a supernatural life! And the greatest part is you don't have to wait until you are at church! This healing bomb went off in a barn full of pigs, goats and cows behind the bleachers next to a dumpster! God can work even in the lowliest places! 

Do you need healing or prayer? There is no distance in prayer! Nothing is impossible with God. Comment below or just receive healing in your body right now! 

Happily Ever After

I've been learning that God can speak to us any way He wants. So I was looking on my news feed and I saw a post from the Disney Princess page (yes I'm a big princess fan!):

"At the stroke of twelve, the spell will be broken and everything will be as it was before."

-Fairy godmother

This saying was from one of my favorite princess movies Cinderella. I looked at the saying that I had heard so many times and it was like I was hearing for the first time... Poor Cinderella! She had everything, great clothes, a personal carriage, a fairy godmother, true love...then she had to give it up after just a few hours. And knowing that she may never get to experience anything like that again. Then a thought hit me...

"What if it was like that with God?"

What if you have had been in a lot of pain, and then one night God shows up big and heals you from everything? But then after the stroke of 12 everything went back the way it was before? 

I have been living right in the middle of revival and when people decide to make it a lifestyle, healing and miracles are sure to follow. So I have seen people get healed, but then a few days or not even that long they are right back in the same pain that they were in before. 

Why would a good God do that? Why tease with healing, when it's not going to last?

Well let me put your mind to ease...He doesn't. He doesn't give us gifts like that only to take it back. God isn't like the fairy godmother who's magic has a expiration date. But you may say"I've been healed before but now I'm back in pain.".

Yes I know, I have experienced the same thing! But here is the deal: the enemy doesn't want you well. Because if you are, then you can serve God, holding nothing back. 

The devil just wants to see if you really want to keep your gift. 

He will try and tell you lies, that it's not real, that you are just imaging it. And if we let ourselves believe those lies, we welcome back the pain we were just set free from. 

There is a lady in my church who was healed in her neck and shoulders just a few weeks ago. She had been dealing with pain and discomfort for a long time, then God healed her! Today she told me that the pain tried to come back. But she said no, that she was healed and the pain left! 

I've talked about it before, but our confessions (words) matter so much more than we know! Hold fast to what God does in you. He is not a man that he should lie. He is a good Father. So if you have been healed, hold on to your promise. Then go release what you were given! It's too much fun! 

Be like Cinderella, when it looked bad she kept holding on to her dream. Never doubting, and she lived happily ever after.

Do you need a miracle? Do you need healing in your body? Comment below and I'll pray for you!

Dumpsters and Alleyways

I have been practicing the secret place with Jesus for over three years now (on and off), and I really love those times. I went again Sunday morning with my Sunday school class and got down on the floor and asked Jesus to show me something about Himself. Then I waited to see where our place would be this time. I looked around and saw that we were in a alleyway, and I thought that this can't be right. Our places were normally in the great outdoors. On mountains, near waterfalls or by a camp fire. But now I was standing in a alleyway.

I decided that this couldn't where He wanted us to go and I imagined we were in another place...somewhere nicer and more to my liking. But I couldn't shake the alleyway. So I let Him take me back to that place. Taking a better look around I saw a place much like the picture above. There were dumpsters that lined the alleyway. I looked at Jesus remembering what I had asked Him in the beginning: Show me something about yourself. It was like I had asked Him again and He answered with a smile:

"I like garbage!"

Ha ha! I laughed out loud, forgetting I was in a room with other people. His face was so sincere as He said it. He moved over to the nearest dumpster and looking the contents. I looked inside too. There were broken toys, soiled paper, pictures, all kinds of things. This wasn't your normal dumpster. He took out a broken object and started to mold it in His hands. Within a matter of moments the once forgotten and broken object was like new! It even looked better than it's original design. 

Amazed by what He did, I looked in the dumpsters and pulled out a crumpled paper. I saw that it was like a Broadway play, with music and words on the sheet. I looked back at Jesus. What is all this stuff? Jesus started to explain:

Dreams, ideas, families and really this list could go on forever. Take the Broadway play. That was a great idea, but the writer thought it would never be good enough for the big stage...so he through it away. The dumpster is full of things people thought weren't worth anything or weren't worth saving. Marriages, relationships, music, books anything you can think of. I like to come here and fix what is broken. I make all things new. There is nothing too broken or too forgotten that I can not fix it.   

I thought about what He said. He makes all things new... All. Have you put anything in the dumpster? Do you have broken relationships? Dreams and idea's that you once had but decided against them? Jesus is ready to fix them, to mold them into something more wonderful than you could have imagined! He loves what we think is insignificant, or beyond saving.  He makes them beautiful. Today if you feel like something in your life is broken, let Him have it. Entrust it to Him. You wont be disappointed. 

Looking back now on the time I spent with Him, I laugh to myself. I went dumpster diving with Jesus! Ha ha! How crazy is that? It makes wonder where we will go next? I learned that if your with Jesus, anyplace is great. Try it today! Go with Him somewhere it's so fun! And who knows, you just might end up a dumpster and a alleyway.

Photo credit: grungecity.wordpress.com & corynnchan.blogspot.com

Love...What An Novel Idea

This summer I pulled out one of my favorite books. I hadn't read it in 3 years, and was excited to read the heart gripping story again. As I read the story I was struck by the level of love one of it's characters lived in. Whenever something happened, she responded with love. Even when it came to facing someone who tried to have her killed she saw it as a opportunity to love once again.

I sat there convicted in my own heart as I remembered the John 13:34-35 MSG:

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. 

In the same way I loved you, you love one another. 

This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

Jesus said that our love for one another is how everyone will know we follow Him..... Everyone! How spectacular is that? The entire world will know. It's not our good works, the healing's or anything of that nature. It's love. There is so much in that word. There is so much depth. 

It's easy to love when nothing is going wrong. But when things come and hit you in the face, love, a lot of times becomes an after thought. 

I looked back at the book, what if a story was written about me? What would I see? Would I love unconditionally? Even unto death?  

This is something that I want to live everyday. Even when I all I want to do is not love! One thing is certain, we can't love people with that kind of love by ourselves. We can't even come close to producing that kind of love. It takes the love of God to love people with everything that we are. 


Photo credit: http://artsymumof5.tumblr.com

Just Be...

I actually like being busy. My whole life I have been busy with this or that. I love always having something to do. So many times I think when it comes to God we want to be busy with Him too. 

What do you want me to sing for You? What do You want me to do for You today? Give me something to do? 

We want something to fill the space. To feel like we are accomplishing something. 

I was feeling this way today, wanting to do something for Him. I tried writing another blog post, finish the song I was writing, play the guitar. But nothing seemed to work for me.

I didn't have a good idea for the blog, I couldn't remember how the song went, and every time I played the guitar the sound wasn't pleasing to me. Finally I just gave up! I quickly went to my worship play list, needing some kind of help! I played the first song, one of my favorites that I hadn't heard in a while called "A Little Longer". In the song the writer is asking God what did He want to hear today? What song would please His heart? Gods reply was simple. 

Just be with me. You don't have to do a thing. I'm in love with you...

That can really offend the brain of a busy person! But God I have to do something! He's like no. Just let all of that stuff go. The songs are great, but what I really want is you. 

A busy person can have a problem with stopping, and just be. To drop everything, and just sit with Him is a hard thing. 

I think we don't realize how much we need that. That deep love from a God who loves us so much that He just wants to sit with you. It really is a wonderful thought, is it not? We can have it if we just learn to be quite and rest. It's not hard to be with Him. We just have to stop and do it.

So make a point this week to just stop and just be with Him. Go to your secret place with Him, see what happens. I promise that you will like what happens.

Did you know you had a secret place with Him? That it's so real and fun? Do you want one? Leave me a comment and I will help you get to it.

Photo Credit: http://www.kirstysleep.com