prayers of action

I'm trusting the Lord for increased courage this year. The prayer of my heart is that the Lord will show me  practical, everyday ways, that I can be bold and courageous for His Kingdom cause. The verse below was one that Pastor Dary shared this morning, and it just so happens to be my verse for 2012. Just look at those powerful verbs!

Learn to do good.

Seek justice.

Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans.

Fight for the rights of widows.

-Isaiah 1:17 (NLT)

*Learn--dedication to acquiring knowledge, becoming familiar

*Seek--passionate pursuit, looking intently for an answer

*Help--extending a hand of service

*Defend--speaking out for those who cannot

*Fight--engaging in the battle at hand, standing firm, not backing down

See, I told you they were powerful verbs. This year I'm putting these verbs to good use as I act upon the burdens that the Lord has placed upon my heart for both the homeless and the victims of human trafficking. For which causes has the Lord given you a burned? I challenge you, no I dare you to act upon this verse. May our prayers stir us to action! I can't wait to see how the Lord works through His people in 2012!

With love! xox

BeCAUSE words are powerful

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,

But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

-Proverbs 12:18

You are precious. You are beautiful. You are lovely and dearly loved. You are valuable and destined for great things! Some of you have heard these words all of your lives, and praise God for that blessing! Perhaps words of life were spoken over you daily, and while there will always be those who speak harshly, words of love quickly fill those wounds in your life.

I know, however, that many of you have never had these words spoken over you, and sweet ones, I am so deeply sorry. Please receive these words from me today, written with love especially for you. You are not the sum of your past mistakes. You are a conqueror. You are beautiful! You are more valuable than gold and silver. You are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are worth dying for! You are loved far more deeply and completely than you can even imagine. You are a blessing!

I love encouraging others! Truly it brings me so much joy to stand in the gap for others, sharing their burdens and tears, rejoicing with them in the breakthroughs. What an honor! One of my favorite verses on encouragement is Proverbs 16:24, Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Such sweet truth, oh, that my words may be sweet and healing to others. I know that encouragement may not be one of your quote-un-quote spiritual gifts, but if there is such power in words why would we ever withhold the blessing of touching a life, changing a life forever.

My word for 2012 is courage, and I'm learning to step up and take leaps of courage in all areas of my life. Today, however, I want to enCOURAGE you to speak life over those around you, in your own communities. Be a beacon of light in the darkness. But, don't stop there, take these words of truth and speak them over those in your nation...and even to the ends of the earth. They're powerful, you know!

The A21Campaign provides a beautiful way for you to touch the lives of victims of human trafficking, by writing a letter of encouragement. Please visit this link for more specific information. Be a life-changer. Make a difference. Because everyone should know that they are loved.

Press on, beautiful ones! Be encouraged as you go change the world! xox

once upon a time

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to twirl and pirouette in front of windows, mirrors and anything that welcomed a reflection. She would practice her routines for hours in the garage in her classically white roller skates. She did flips on bars and gymnastics in the yard. The whole world truly was her stage. She never doubted her talent, never questioned her beauty. She knew she was a princess.

As the little girl grew up she learned to nourish a perfectionistic tendency from deep within. As the years went by she began doing less and less of what she once loved because she would somehow fail if she was anything less than the best. Her self-worth became wrapped up in what she did well, where she excelled, and slowly her creativity was squelched, almost becoming non-existant--almost. She became a ridged rule follower and would cast harsh judgmental thoughts and glances upon those who weren't. She never felt good enough because not even the girl herself could live up to her impossibly perfect expectations.

Luckily the story doesn't end there. In college the girl saw her desperate need to return, yet again, to her first Love. Over the next years the girl learned to feast on the words from her Abba, Father. She found freedom from bondage and began living again, walking in truth. She began to receive blessings and cast away curses spoken over her. She now fights lies from the enemy boldly with the Sword of Truth. She finds joy in encouraging and standing in the gap for others. She has learned the power of her words and considers it all joy to be entrusted to speak into the lives of women.

This now woman believes in miracles, takes God at His word. She is beginning to believe again that she truly is a princess, for her Father is the King of all kings. Her dreams, she realizes, are a gift from God, the very Lover of her soul, and she prays expectantly, waiting patiently, (some days more patiently than others), knowing that extraordinary is not just something saved for the future...it's right now!

And while her story here on earth will one day end, she keeps her focus upward knowing that one day she will be united in perfection with her happily ever after.

moment of surrender

I've been so captivated by the stories in the Old Testament lately. I always am! I mean, you can't make this stuff up; it's "sit on the edge of your seat" kind of good. If you like a good adventure, danger and good always prevailing over evil, there's just nothing better than the holy book itself. This year my word is courage--I haven't even gotten all the way through Genesis yet and already I'm surrounded by men and women of courage. Let's start with father Abraham, God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac, and just as it looks like Abraham's beloved is a goner God sends a lamb as a sacrifice. What courage and faith! Then there's Rebekah who leaves her family to go and marry Isaac, a man that she's never met, never seen. Blind faith and courage! And, let's not forget Joseph, denying Potiphar's wife, finding favor in prison and eventually telling the meaning of dreams to the king himself. Isn't it so encouraging that the Lord uses ordinary people, flawed people, to do extraordinary things for the Kingdom! It's beautiful!

The more time I spend with the Lord that more I realize why He has given me the word courage this year. Because there is no place for cowards in heaven. Revelation 21:8 says But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. The opposite of faith is fear; when push comes to shove and faith is all that's left do I believe that that's enough?

Yesterday I felt the Lord prompting me like Peter, Andrea, do you love me? Of course I love you, Lord. But, I knew what he was asking, what he was requiring. And, for the first time, truly ever, I gave over my hopes and dreams. Abba, Father, if I never get married, if I never have children, if I never speak to a stadium full of women, if I never write a book, if I loose my health, wealth and all my possessions...I've got more than enough because I've got you. It was so freeing! I don't have to try to make those things happen--I mean I've always known that in my head, but my heart just wouldn't let them go. It's all those bold prayers I've been praying lately, directly calling out Satan and telling him that he has no place in my life! And, as I was experiencing peace to the depths of my soul this is what I heard:

Well...it's about time! Now, let's go!


I know that this is something that I will have to lay before the Lord daily as I take up my cross to follow Him, but man-oh-man, I wish I would have done this sooner.

...perfect Love casts out all fear...the one who fears is not perfected in Love

-1 John 4:18

Press on, dear soldier!

courageous warrior

Good evening...or good afternoon if you're reading from, let's say, Australia (or should I say G'day). I have had the best couple of days--spiritually speaking. I mean, they've been full of normal work day things but I just cannot explain how refreshed and alive I feel in Spirit! And then, brace yourself, tonight I found out that one of the men that I've been working closely with to prepare the Perspectives course for Fort Collins not only helped edit the book for the class but KNOWS Dr. John Piper!!! Dr. Piper influenced me greatly and is largely responsible for my service in China after college--definitely a giant of the faith!

So, how have you been? How is 2012 treating you so far? I sure hope you're doing well and have enjoyed every day of this new year. I'm so very expectant about 2912, like never before. Last year I committed the year to trusting for more confidence...confidence in the Lord. Wow! The Lord allowed me to go through some pretty tough trials in order to grow me in this area. And, whereas I can say that I am much more confident now than I was a year ago...I still have a long ways to go. But I think that's how faith works. The more we see and taste God's goodness, the more we see our great need for his mercies every day. Keeps us humble and teachable.

My word for 2012 is courage, which might be similar to confidence, but really I think they go hand-in-hand. With confidence I was growing in my faith, allowing the Lord to work in my life. With courage I'm focusing on the doing part of faith. Now that I am more confident in the woman that the Lord has created me to be, with a better understanding of my giftings and talents, what am I going to do? How am I going to boldly serve Him? In the past I have so often found myself holding back due to fear, but this year I'm not letting fear have a place in my life.

Here are just 5 areas in which I'm going to practice courage:

• loving
• prayer
• ministering to women
• fighting injustice
• actively serving those in my community regularly

Phew! I can feel it! It's going to be a big year. Luckily, I serve a God who is bigger.

In which areas of your life would you like to be more courageous? 

Praying for you as I end this entry. You are lovely and more precious than gold or silver! xox

starting out right

Hi bloggy friends. Happy 2012! Another new year--here we go! I tend to be a pretty reflective person in general, but there's something about the end of a year that almost requires one to reflect upon the happenings from the previous season and look ahead towards the next. And, I must tell you that my heart is so full of hope and faith for all that the Lord has for this coming year--I'm giddy with excitement and expectancy!

Lately, the Lord has impressed the word *breakthrough* upon my heart. Last year I learned a lot about the power of prayer--I'm looking forward to praying boldly and expectantly this year. Inevitably 2012 is going to have it's ups and downs and it is my hope that through the good and bad my natural reaction will be to hit my knees, humble myself and pray in all circumstances. May I truly be a woman of prayer.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! May the Lord shine His face upon you. And please know that I would love to stand in the gap with you as you trust for your breakthrough. You are so deeply loved and cherished by the Creator of heaven and earth, run to Him this year. Let Him be that which your heart desires above all else.

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

the Lord delights in those who fear him,

who put their hope in his unfailing love.

~Psalm 147:10-11

Blessings upon you this new year! xox