She Stands

I don't recall a time in my life where my faith has ever wavered, I trust God. I believe in Him and His promises.   However in the recent events I am finding it's not my lack of  trust that has me on my knees, it's my lack of understanding . The grief that has consumed my community and our nation is smothering the very essence of my heart. So much death..... So much violence..... So much brokenness..... Division at it's worse. As a nation we grieved for Dallas and the loss of the fallen officers. Today as a community we grieve for our own. The three hero's, Montrell Jackson , Matthew Gerald and Brad Garafola , who lost their lives in a purposely orchestrated attack. A senseless act which has now placed Baton Rouge on the map of sorrow with others across the US. And one question that screams at us all............ WHY? I do not have the answer nor will I pretend to.  I wish I did. I pray my words of comf...

       In lieu of my nations recent tragic events and those that have hit my hometown, I find myself in a place of bewilderment. A place where words do no justice to the pain and grief that seems to have swallowed cities, coummities and the nation as a whole in a place of grief that is larger than I could have ever imagined in my lifetime. I do not cry from a place of fear.  Gods words promise me he did not give me a spirit of fear but of love, peace and sound mind. ( 2 Timothy 1:7) My tears come from a place that shelters my hearts deepest emotions for those I know, those I don't and those whose pain is more than they can bare. It is my secret place where my walls fall and my weeping is earth shattering. Where I have no words, my tear stained face is deafening to my soul. My tears have purpose. Psalm 56:8-9 " You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, The...

  Ephesians 4:26 "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."  (NIV) " Many times bitterness is the result of unresolved anger; anger with ourselves or with others. . Anger that is not dealt with can easily become a dangerous bitter root in our hearts......" ( Click here for more on overcoming bitterness )      My mom has told me time and time again, " Stacey you forgive so easily, that's just who you are."   Truth be told, I do forgive fairly easy; I have my moment , express my emotions, shed any needed tears, and move on. Am I perfect? Not hardly. Some situations and circumstances in my life have had me not wanting to forgive, and secretly hoping for God to smite them. Harsh? Yes I know. " Lord forgive me."   However over the years I have purposed to do my best to see others with the eyes of my daddy God in spite of my hurting heart. And  there are tim...

Goliath....   A Philistine giant who stood over nine feet tall, wearing full armor and came every day for forty days, mocking and challenging the Israelite's to fight.  His stature was massive with a physical strength no man could match. He put such a vast fear into the army of Israel and King Saul no one was willing to confront him, until David, a boy after God's own heart, stood to face this giant with the colossal power of God standing with him. Some may ask how does a sling and a stone become such a victorious weapon of war? My answer...... It was the trust and faith in God alone that gave David and his sling and stone such a victory. All though I may not actually face a nine foot giant in life, I do however have had my own Goliath's to encounter. And the one over the last few years has refused to fall........... Just when I think peace has finally found it's place in my life, this giant surfaces with its mocking and taunting war cry, challenging me to...

In reading the book of Isaiah I have been fixated on  Isaiah 60:1-22. Here it speaks of the prophetic promises of restoration and the hope for Israel while in captivity.  I began to think about the promised restorations for my life and what has held me captive.  One in particular has been my financial struggles over the years, robbing Peter to pay Paul maneuvers , but then again who hasn't had a struggle such as that from time to time? As a single parent I became good  surviving from pay check to pay check  and accepted my captivity of  financial stress as a never ending norm of life.  It was not the lack that held me captive, I knew my daddy God would provide,  it was the stress of the unknown as to how and where all would work together in my favor. Stress has its own special way of showing up out of no where.  It is famous for sneaking in on me during the midnight hour. I wake up to find sub consciously I have been grinding ...

Years ago had I seen a bible ripped , torn or in any other condition other than perfect my gasp would have been louder than a bull horn. My religious law attitude had me so tangled up I believed the bible, my bible, God's holy word should be nothing but in pristine appearance. And to see one full of highlighted passages and notes written in the margins,was unthinkable for me. My thought process sadly was distorted and bound by a religious spirit which could not see past law and embrace relationship. Once I began to learn of the precious relationship Jesus wanted to have with me and that His words are yes indeed holy however they are written with love from a father to his daughter, my lawful spirit began to crumble and my relationship began to grow. As my thirst for His knowledge  began to increase , my idea of my bible's appearance changed.  I highlighted, made notes in my margins, placed sticky notes out to the sides of certain passages, circled and underlined scriptur...

Photo Credit: Tracy Teppler This beautiful picture is the home of my dear friend, sister in Christ and blogger companion , Tracy Teppler. I met Tracy through blogging four years ago, a relationship  my daddy God blessed me with at the right time. Tracy is a keep it real, do not settle in life, stand tall, warrior through prayer woman of God. And she is my friend............. The funny thing is, Tracy and I have never met face to face. Tracy lives in South Africa and I in the United States. We text , Facebook and email each other. We pray together, we fast together and we share our most precious cries for our loved ones and it never fails when one of us reaches out to the other with a " Hey how are you?" ........Our timing, God's timing ,  is impeccable. It is then we spill our over whelming emotions, desires, joy, praise reports and prayer request with one another.   Our daddy God gives us those who he knows will be the support system we need. The ones who with...