"In God We Trust" - Happy Independence Day, All!

Yes, this, today and everyday, this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYh11VCqkiY

"In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise - in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
- Psalm 56:10-11 (NIV)

Intro Psalm 56:10-11 {Toby McKeehan of dc Talk}

Sunrise over the mountain of freedom
As we are living and breathing
Counting the blessings that fall on us all
We go down into the valley before us
Singing and shouting our chorus
Donning the Armor of Light
That we're leaning on {Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith}

For we know that we are nothing without it, oh yeah
Overall, under Him we make our stand {Rachel Lampa}

In God we trust
For He is faithful
We put our hope in Him alone
Through any valley
God will sustain us
Until the day He brings us home {Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Rachel Lampa, Jaci Velasquez, Steven Curtis Chapman}

So long, long is the road that we walk on
On every journey we stay strong
If we are believers in love and the power of His hand now
We can endure anything now
We know in our hearts He is here now
Lovingly, mercifully
Watching over us all {Steven Curtis Chapman, Crystal Lewis}

When we're falling only He can save us, oh yeah
If we follow, He will surely lead us on {Jaci Velasquez}

In God we trust
For He is faithful
We put our hope in Him alone
Through any valley
God will sustain us
Until the day He brings us home {Mark Stewart of Audio Adrenaline, Janna Potter of Avalon}

Lay down
Lay down your troubles now
Lay down
Lay them down {dc Talk - Michael Tait, Kevin Max, Toby McKeehan}

In God we trust
For He is faithful
We put our hope in Him alone
Through any valley
God will sustain us
Until the day He brings us home {Anointed - Da'Dra and Steve Crawford}

Outro Ad Libs {Selah - Nicole and Todd Smith; Russ Lee; Anointed}

Took this photo while out on my morning walk today! God Bless you and yours on this Independence Day and every day! 

In His Love ~ Amy

What Of His Love? Reflections on God's Love For You...

When we get a revelation of the Father's love for us, every fear is washed away, our strength is renewed, every impossibility becomes possible, and grace Himself gives peace to our hearts and minds...All because He loves you. ~ Amy Elizabeth Billings

Did you take time to reflect today on Jesus' amazing love for you? Have you believed in your heart, or just confessed with your lips "He loves me" today?

Like the song, by David Crowder "How He Loves", says...He is jealous for you. He loves like a hurricane, and you're a tree that's growing and residing by His rivers of living water. 

We ever grow, ebb, prosper and bend beneath the weight of His great love, mercy and grace. And we really don't have time to maintain any regrets or do it all on our own, in our own strength, when we trust in, believe in and be blessed through His great love for us! You can only love as well as you know your Father and His great love. He is love. He loves you!

Please take a moment to listen to this song by Christy Nockels today, and reflect on the love of Your Heavenly Father for you....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfQOYDd_lHw

Lyrics to "Be Loved" by Christy Nockels

have you ever let yourself be loved by the One who made you?
have you ever told your soul to believe that His heart is on your side?
you could even try to run away but there is nothing you can do
so just be loved, be loved, He loves you
just be loved, be loved, He loves you

have you ever let yourself be held by the One who holds this world?
have you ever told your soul to rejoice that His arms are open wide?
you could even try to run away but He’d come running after you
so just be held, be held, He holds you
just be held, be held, He holds you

we didn’t earn it, He just chose to give it, and its in our resting that we rise up singing rejoice, again I say rejoice
rejoice, again I say rejoice

you are loved, be loved, He loves you
you are loved, be loved, He loves you

you are loved, be loved, He loves you
just be loved, be loved, He loves you

Lessons From The Dentist & Jesus

What started out as an ordinary dental check up turned into a spiritual and life lesson…

As the dentist was showing him how he should be brushing his teeth, the pressure to use the stroking motion, the man replied, “But, I don’t feel like I’m doing enough”.  “Precisely!” exclaimed the Dentist.  “You’ve been doing too much, and as a result, your gum line is receding terribly.  All you need to do is be consistent, gentle and thorough. “

Amen and Amen! What if that were it?

What if we stopped trying to do to succeed and accomplish, but risking ruining present goodness?

What if we remained consistent, gentle and thorough, and were doing more than enough?

It doesn’t matter that the rest of the world is in a wild “Rat Race”.  

My husband, the same man in that dentist chair that day, said tonight, “There is strength in numbers, yes, but there is no faith.  Don’t do what everyone else is doing, just for the sake of being apart, but do what God is calling you to do, and have peace in that”.

What if God is just calling us to not go all out, all the time, but just remain consistent, gentle and thorough in all areas of our lives? Couldn’t you just feel the joy arising in you in this moment to think it?

We will never arrive, so what are we striving so hard for?

Rest. Be. Go for a walk outdoors on your lunch break. Take your shoes off and walk in the grass barefoot.  Ride on a rollercoaster. Sit with a book. A steaming cup of coffee or tea. Let the dishes in the sink be, and just go and sit with your family, and enjoy the present of the present! See those faces, alive and well.  Dream together. Play together. Be together. Enjoy this life that Jesus died to give you, because, Hallelujah, you have it! That’s more than some can say in this moment.

No amount of striving, accomplishing and succeeding can prove what you already are…a beloved, and blessed child of the Most High God.  He adores you, even if you never did another thing, and His is the only opinion and blessing that matters, anyway! The rest is just icing!  Now go eat that cake! 

In His Love, 

Amy O

On Your Remarks, Reset...Go!

We finally got to the car, and on our way. My harsh tone and hurrying words still hung in the air. 

How is you can be minutes from an awakening to life and breath, new mercies and new day, (Lamentations 3:22-23) filled with God's limitless compassion, yet still choose to be and do so much of the "old you" that includes none of that/His wonder and beauty? 

Her beautiful, clear blue eyes looked out the window taking in the world and the glories of God in it. (Isaiah 6:3) His glory standing out before her, but in me, through me, through my words and actions, can she behold any of His glory?

It’s a simple question and my eyes well up.  It seems the only question that continually keeps coming up for me.  And in this, I know God is stretching me again. Stretching, growing, directing, loving me forward, because, He loves me too much to leave me the same.  When will that revelation ever stick?

I pray often, “God help me to be a blessing to You and Your Kingdom.” And, maybe in one of these opportune moments, I will stop and re-think my go-to emotions, reactions, words, and tone, and remind myself that the very platform to change the world I’ve been asking for all along, is not the one in my grand vision, but the very place He’s given unto me that I abide in day in and day out, right now. In my home. With my family.

Every moment He has given, and gives, is an opportunity to do just this…glorify Him. I have a choice to live more like Him, in every moment. Because that is where He is. In the moment.  Ever my refuge and strength. My very present help in time of need.  (Psalm 46:1) 

Every moment I need Him.

My weaknesses may be abundant. But this is actually hopeful. Because He says “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

And there it is, the greatest truth…in needing Him, I am strong. 

And there in the car, before we got to our destination, before another moment passed, His still small voice whispering, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. I am near”. (Philippians 4:5), I claimed a victory for my Savior, whom I long to glorify so! 

For above all the appointments, feelings, places, problems, and fears, there is one thing that must ring clear above all of the worldly distraction. This is The Lord proclaiming, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)

And I stammered, but said, “Beloved.  God just showed me that I haven’t been nice. He’s asking me to be nicer. Please forgive me?”  Because what good is it to tell her to be nice and to be a blessing, if she doesn’t know that God with us, above me, doesn’t hold me accountable too? If He loves me to it, so I must also love her through it!

She looked at me in the rear view mirror. Between glances, I could feel the grace and love of God pierce through me, with those beautiful eyes. She looked into my spirit, and forgave. Fresh from Heaven and Grace Himself, she loves freely.  And I think sometimes those clear blue eyes can see eternity still.   

My God, He’s showing me how to live through her.  There is so much to learn from this beautiful child of God. To dance, to laugh, to sing, to shout, to run, to play, but mostly to love.  Her highest priorities are His. And so mine must be!

And to forgive myself and move forward in Him and With Him…Well, it must be done. Every moment is an opportunity to choose better, to exercise the fruit of the spirit to greater strength within me.  Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control (Galatians 5:22-23). 

He is these. He is in me. I have Christ in me. I can be more like Christ in me. 

And I leave you with God’s Word from 1 Thessalonians 5 to encourage you as you move forward and keep looking up, Ya’ll. Be blessed! You are His Beloved, In Whom He is well pleased!

Love in Him,
Amy O

^{For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awak or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing....but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else...Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.}

P.S. Later that same day....

Dream, Dream, Now Go!

So…I’ve been fearful (yes - seems to be a pattern). And yes, it’s caused me to be in distraction and procrastination – for a long time.

But then God has sent me pretty big messages yesterday, and He brought me back to these words, a number of times.  As I lay in bed last night and shared these words with my husband, tears began to flow down, as I realized how very much they applied….

The biggest thieves to the fulfillment of your dreams are the distractions that come your way. Your vision has to be compelling enough to cause you to run with it. It requires organizing every routine around the vision as your central focus. Failure to do so will cause the vision to die in the dream stage because activities that do not contribute to the achievement of your vision will keep you from your destination. ~ Dr Mark Chironna

"It’s very important to know where the line is between faith and presumption. Go and stand as close to that line as possible. Some of us are so scared of being presumptuous that the place where we’re occupying is really a place of unbelief. There’s territory in, around and in front of you that belongs to you but you’re not occupying it because you’re scared of making a mistake. God is not worried about your presumption. He’s concerned about your unbelief." ~Graham Cooke

Listening to music and an enlightening thought occurs to me: God does not see me the way I do. I can be such a mess. I am chaotic. I am restless. I am random. And wandering. But He sees order. He sees purpose. He sees perfection and pure love. And just like that, I am once again in awe of my Creator. ♥ Forgiven. Beloved. Hidden in Christ. Made in the image of the Giver of Life. Righteous and holy. Reborn and remade. Accepted and worthy, this is my new name. ♥ ~ Godstrong Women

Wow! These, such words of wisdom calling to me in my self-imposed rut. Providing a light in the darkness, which I’ve chosen to surround myself with.  It reminds me of the quote from Anais Nin “And the day came where the risk to remain tight in a bud became far greater than the risk it took to blossom.” That describes me on the precipice of this step forward in God. How about you?

As you can see, it’s been pretty quiet here on the blog and on the writing front lately. I lost confidence in my ability to write and bring God glory. It always seems someone has always “said it better”.  Despite those around me encouraging me to write, and affirming how much it blesses them, I still chose not to move forward in what God was calling me to. There will always be a reason or excuse not to.  Writing doesn’t come easily for me.  It seems almost painstaking to put together a post. But I realize if God is calling me to do it, than who am I to not.  Even the Olympic athlete spends years and life perfecting their skills and crafts.  Do we not realize that once God delivers us from our Egypts, there is a desert experience for a time, yes, but there IS a promised land.  We can all choose to remain, or just go move forward. Even if we circle the mountain a few times or a few years, the Promised Land is still there. Promised. Waiting for us. We just need to make the choice to step in (and yes up to the chest sometimes) But blessing will come! Because there is something for only you to be and do for Jesus in the life.  One of my favorite lines in the movie Lord of the Rings is when Galadriel says “This task has been appointed to you, if you do not find a way, no one will”.  And Gandalf echoes as well “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us”.  Our God says in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].” He also says in Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

So here I go….

I’ve named my 2013 year.  “FOCUS”.  I will be focusing on writing. I will be focusing on growing more in Christ, and pursuing a revelation of His love for me, and living and breathing out of that love. 

He’s tasked me to be encouraging people through a ministry page on FaceBook.

Keep Looking Up – Encouragement for Everyone. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/KeepLookingUpEncouragementForEveryone

Additionally, I will be beginning a Praise & Coffee Night Bible Study for Women at my home in Danbury, CT this month. Please contact me if you are interested in attending. 

All so very exciting, even though my boots are a-shaking with nervousness on embarking on all of these new faith-propelled endeavors.  May God’s grace, peace and blessing be over all as we move forward confidently in the direction of our dreams, with Him and For Him! For we were all born for such a time as this!  

Father God,

Thank you for the blessed, Holy Spirit-led, anointed and hopeful dreams You’ve given unto each one of us. Father, Thank You for blessing us forward into these unknowns and unchartered territories, even desert looking places at times. We declare we move forward with our eyes on Jesus, committing ourselves unto Him, and glorifying Him and Him alone, and blessing Your Kingdom and Your people. Lord, more of You, less of us, always!  Father, go before us, making ways in the wildernesses and streams in the deserts. Sing over us songs of peace and love as we embark in these territories toward the Promised lands of our dreams that You’ve ordained before time and the world even began in You and Your Word! Thank You for great revelation, for every tool and blessing, for every trial that strengthens, for every wind that blows to strengthen our roots in the One True Vine, You, oh Lord! We declare that we will do mighty things for You and Your glory. We declare that we will make a difference, by being the difference and we are moving forward in faith and confidence in You, Sovereign, Able, Mighty, Gracious, Loving, Caring, Faithful God and Father.

In Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!

Be blessed, Beautiful Children of God,

In His Love ~

Amy O

WARNING: Your Past Has Been Passed

Absently listening as my 3 year old daughter sings along to the Barney and Friends album playing loudly through the car speakers, I entered the highway enroute to yet another destination.

As always my mind was amuck with every thought. I was far from God, trying to take "it all" on my own shoulders once again. Hesitant to stop playing Holy Ghost Junior, I had to stop for a moment to ensure our safety and check my blind spot to merge into oncoming traffic.  As I looked in my rear view mirror I noticed a beautiful sunset disappearing behind us.

I did a double take. This thing of beauty God created for all of us, right there. Stunning. Lovely. Just like Him and His uber-creativity. It must be all that Omnipotent-ness in Him that can do that!

I felt God smile, and then He gently spoke reflections of grace, showing me that many people, including myself, are coming out of a season of Harvest, of blessing.  It looks to them, as if they are now driving forward into barren land, because the fields are being rested and prepared for their next planting. They see a beautiful sunset, a beautiful time behind them and they have trouble continuing forward. After all who really prefers harsh Winters over promising and budding Springs? What we need, myself included is to find peace and rest in Him, knowing He is almighty God, and that there are better sunsets and times ahead that await us.

This walk of life is just that, a walk. One step forward at a time, in faith. Try not to take those "two steps back". Forge forward in faith. Remember, if we always pray so defensively... "God, please heal me. God, please help me. God, please deliver me. God, help these people. God, bless these people. God, please....", we lose sight and innate knowing of how Mighty, Able and Faithful He is.

What we need to do is remember upon all that He is, and praise Him. Praise Him for everything He's helped you through and delivered you from in the past.  Know that if He's done it for you before, done it for Job, done it for Mary, Lazarus and Martha, done it for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and so many others in The Bible, He'll do it for you, again and again and again. Remember, Who's beloved child you are today.  Not your earthly, limited parents, or caretakers, but God Almighty's.

When we walk in peace, hope, faith, and gratefulness for all He is, in this present moment, no matter what the circumstances dictate, He will bring us forward into a new dawning, a new harvest to be blessed with...that ceiling will become the floor! For us, beloved, the greatest part of our journey is in drawing nearer to God in relationship as we live out this one short, gift of life. It's not about what we see as we pass through.

One of my favorite songs is Moving Forward by Free Chapel/Isreal Houghton and New Breed...may it, and it's lyric, bless you today.... (copy and paste the link below into your browser)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvngI_8fpCQ

God, we stand before you tonight. We declare that we surrender our lives to You, and You alone Father.   We acknowledge are past is passed, it's over. We declare we are moving forward with You, Lord. Jesus, please be with my friends reading this prayer. You know every wound, every joy, every fear, every dream. Heal old wounds. Heal new wounds. Rejoice alongside. Alleviate every haunting fear. Fulfill our God-sized dreams in Your timing (and help us be patient in the waiting). Help us all to see the power of Your resurrection this month and year to come. Give us eyes to see where new life springs in our hearts and our fertile soils. Rejuvenate us when we’re weak. We are not looking back.  We declare You are making all things new, and we are following You forward. Let our new sunrise greet us as we move in step with You, in faith in You, forward. We need You Jesus.

In Your Mighty, Able, Powerful, Precious Name We Pray....Amen.

Now Go....Follow Your Loving Daddy Forward into newer and better above all you can ask or think territory.  Don't look back. Just Go!

Isaiah 43:18-19 
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.” (NIV)

Don’t be afraid to keep moving on,
For what was before, now has gone,
God wants to accomplish so much more,
But we need to move forward in the Lord.
© By M.S. Lowndes, Based on Isaiah 43:18-19

In His Love,

Amy O

Be a Mordecai Presence In An Esther Life

Earlier this year, the Lord spoke to my heart and encouraged me to become more conscious in eating better and exercising.  

Classic stress eater and food lover, I was just not doing anything God glorifying in the area of health, fitness and wellness.

In fact I had such a voracious love of food, I developed a mighty large “food baby”, as was evidenced by my having multiple people, in multiple places ask me when I was expecting. Audacious, you ask? Of course. Did they have reason or grounds to ask? Absolutely.  I was packing a mighty large tire belly!

I was feeling pretty bummed, to be honest. It seemed a lot of work ahead of me, and with no ideas in how to start, I turned to the only person I knew in my life at that time who exhibited any self control in this area at all.  A good friend whom God had led me to years earlier, Ms. J. (As a side note…there is something to be said for praying for God ordained friends and friendships. I literally prayed this woman into my life)

This is a picture of both of us taken 1/2009

There we are.  Short of my self-induced pounds, those smiles are for real. There was A LOT of praying, standing in agreement for things in one another’s lives, and blessings and God given miracles seen and witnessed up until that point. Little did we know we hadn’t and haven't seen anything yet!  

I was much the same weight back then as I was at the beginning of this year.

Ms. J became a Mordecai in my Esther life, the day God called her into it.  She’s never stopped speaking the promises and blessings of God over me, in any area. In fact, although she’s never said it, I imagine that she was praying long before God set it in my heart and mind for me to get healthy, for me to get healthy! No doubt God showed her what He needed her to be in agreement with Him for, over me, long before He ever called me on board with the plan!

In this new journey God was calling me to this year, He used Ms. J to keep reminding me of the great call He placed on my life.  That part of it was, that I am not my own....

I was bought with a price, and the highest price at that, when Jesus purchased all of me on that cross on Calvary some thousands of years ago. If I am to house His Holy Spirit, and achieve my God given destiny, which I am still working with Him to realize, I better give Him something to work with for awhile-a healthy body vehicle!

Ms. J has continually reminded me that I would need to strengthen His temple, my body, to achieve that high call. She gave me products, resources and advice. She encouraged me in what to eat. She never quit calling me to press in and press on. She knew what I was capable of, even if and when I didn’t.

And here are the results of a Mordecai speaking into and blessing your Esther life!...

Yes. That’s my sassy, 20 + pounds lighter, more fit, self. And guess what? Those fancy clothes I have on, were a gift from none other than my Mordecai, Ms. J! God is so great in and through her!

Ms J. has never quit, and something tells me, will never quit reminding me “you were called for such a time as this!” (Esther 4:14)

My message today is simple….

Don’t limit yourself. Don’t limit God. Pray for what He wants for you. Pray for the results He desires for, in your life, in your calling, in your destiny that He has pre-ordained before the foundations of this world had even been laid!  Include Him, Your Loving Father, in everything by seeking His “plans” (Jer 29:11), purpose (Jer 1:5), Word (Isaiah 55:11) and face (Song of Solomon 2:14), always. You seek and will find, when you do it with all of your heart and all that’s within you (Jer 29:13). 

Pray for the people He wants in your life. Remember as Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron”. That goes both ways.  Get a mentor to speak into your weaknesses and be a mentor to someone else in the areas of your strength and gifting.

There is no limit to what God has in store for you. He never promised it would be easy, however He does promise it will be worth it, and He will never leave us or forsake us in it (Heb 13:5). 

Jesus is coming back for us, and we nor God can afford for us to let slip away our giftings and callings in His Kingdom.  For the sake of the souls to be saved, and encouraged. For the sake of seeing God glorified, and your children blessed, and the breaking of generational curses for eternity, seek His purpose and ordained destiny for your life, and stop at nothing to move forward in Him, with Him and for Him.

Father God,

I come before you today and ask You to bless those that are reading this.  Bless them in abundance, to the full to overflow with renewed courage, strength and faith to press on in what You are calling them to be and to do. Help them Lord, with the wisdom, discernment, and encouragement they need to move forward in what You are convicting them in. Father, thank You for entrusting us as stewards for those gifts and calls on our lives. We declare that we do not take these positions, work, and blessings for granted. We want to glorify, honor and bless You and Your Kingdom all of our days. We need You now more than ever Father. For we know as we are strengthened in our countenance to move forward into these ordained destinies and calls, that the enemy will stop at nothing to distract and prohibit us, but we know that even on his best day, he has nothing on us, because we have You! Your love, divine protection, covering and blessing. We thank You for giving unto us the people that would be our Mordecai’s in our lives, and we thank You for the privilege and opportunity to be Mordecai’s in other’s lives as well. We love You, Lord. Have all the power and authority in our lives, our hearts and minds. We choose to keep our eyes fixed on the prize and high call you have for us. We choose life in You, and for You! In Jesus Mighty and Blessed Name we pray ~ Amen!

Please keep moving forward and keep looking up, Beloved!

In His Love,

Amy O

P.S. Thank you to all of the other countless Mordecai's in my life that I had not mentioned in this post (I fear that I may have broken the internet had I tried to mention you all). You know who you are, and I'm all the more thankful to God every moment of every day for you all!