She Stands

      Over the last several years, the Lord has given me one word for the New Year. I keep each word tucked away as a reminder of each season I walk. This year I have waited for my word; the word from Him that will send me into the New Year with a new found hope and assurance. Up until 5 minutes ago, I had no word. As my fingers began to flow over my keyboard with the belief I had been given a scripture instead, my word, His word for me, rings in my spirit. "EXPECT" , He tells me.   Expect your hearts desires..... Expect my will to be done..... Expect the road your are walking will bring you to the place I have set aside for you.   This beautiful word now falls into place with the last two words given to me.  2015 I was to "believe His words over my life, 2016 came and I was instructed to "declare" His promises over me. 2017 I am to now "expect" all that has been told spoken to manifest in its fullness. Not only has He given m...

 I can relate to this picture in several ways. Holding to the things I love in life, at times, can be a downfall for me. I clutch to the small with the belief this is the best I can do. I put restrictions on my daddy God as I live my daily life in a complacent safe zone; a area where no growth is available and a season that has come to its end. The reality is I get comfortable and convince myself I am right where I need to be. And all the while He is telling me "Trust me. I have better."   The definition of trust . .... to depend on, believe, have faith, and assurance in. And yet I continue to cling to what I think is best. The truth, my truth, is the struggle I have been battling within myself and my reasoning behind it. Though I feel my reasons are warranted, my complacency however is not. The world will have me to believe what I am holding in my hands is it, all there is for me to receive in this life. That's the worlds version However Jesus gives me...

I am so excited to have Lyn Livingston guest post today. Her love for God and all his children is beautiful and her words of truth reflect her heart felt love. Please join me and welcome Lyn to She Stands. !! I know she will bless you as she has blessed me!! I felt my heart break in half. A wrenching tearing pain signifying a part of me was no longer there.  I felt hot tears burning my eyes and rolling down my cheek. How did this happen?  How could I have lost a friend just like that and not understand why? Laying the phone down, I held my face in shaking hands, crying out to God between sobs.  “Oh Father, Help me.” I cried. “Help me give grace & mercy, help me understand.  If I have done something wrong show me so I can ask for forgiveness.  Father I need you.” When rejection becomes personal it develops into a relentless searing sting unlike any other.  I will be honest, my first reaction was “What! How dare she? After all I did for he...

Love..... a word used to express  heart felt emotion; to express the importance of feelings towards something or someone. But what if I told you love is not just a feeling but a choice? Let that sink in for just a moment......... How is that even possible? Real love is when we choose to love those who are set against us; those who are set against Christ. It is easy to love those whose beliefs are ones of my own. It's even easier to love those who love me , treat me with respect and stand in agreement with me.  The difficulty comes in loving those who rage against me, speak words of destruction, and engage in behaviors that are meant to break me. I have even found it to be strenuous  when those close to me attempt to speak good in my life but yet pick apart my heart with their words not realizing the impact of pain they have now caused. And yet I choose to love. Years ago I asked the Lord to use me as a instrument of  His love and in mo...

 Leaving for work I  snapped this picture from my front porch. The brilliance of the sun coming up and breaking through had glimmers of gold dancing across my front yard; such beauty to behold in the few moments I had before scrambling off to begin my work day. Perfection would have been for me to be able to stay and enjoy my morning coffee sitting in the rays of sunlight, however the brief moments I had were enough for me to be thankful for witnessing another one of God's beautiful moments of His divine artistry in the morning sky. I began to think of the times when my life has been covered with "shade"; when it appeared to have no sunlight breaking through. And, on a larger scale, I began to reflect how the world has had its own shade of darkness covering its every corner ringing its cries for just a little light to shine.Creeping slowly down my driveway I realized had I kept my head down, hustled down the porch all I would...

  Heart......the organ that pumps blood throughout our bodies entirety; supplying oxygen and nutrients to our tissues and removing carbon dioxide and other wastes. Our physical life line; if unable to supply blood to our organs and tissues, they die..... We die.  We all know the physical purpose of our heart. We are taught what eating habits and physical activity are best to keep our hearts functioning properly. However do we ever really seek how to keep the emotional and spiritual health of our heart at its best as well?   What do we do to guard our hearts  from emotional deaths; a death that causes our once soft, fleshy heart that held compassion, empathy, grace and love to become a cracked jagged and jaded stone? A stone that buries deep within the cracks the brokenness of our self worth and harbors the anger of our hurt others have pierced with their arrow of disdain. ...

I love this picture of McKenna. I have been blessed to know this precious young lady since she was in junior high school. She is now a wife and mommy of two beautiful babies. McKenna started doing cross fit when she was pregnant with her first child( maybe before? ) and has continued her fitness goals to this day. This picture is the first time she ever made it to the top of the rope. What an accomplishment!! It did not happen over night. It was not accomplished the first or even her second try. McKenna had to "endure" the process . She had to fight through the sweat and pain, the burning muscles and the constant desire to meet her goal. And met it she has!!  I then ask myself....... How do I press through a growth process?  When the pain is too much to bear and my muscles burn with the intensity of a boiling furnace , how do I endure? My endurance comes from my daddy God;  a process of growth and strength training in the spirit.  It...