Happy New Year!

We are pressing on into 2016. I choose to live in expectancy of the goodness of God. 2014 and 2015 were the hardest two years of my life. But they are over and God was with me. 

I fought the fiercest battles and seemed to lose but I KNOW, at times, that the victory is simply continuing to STAND... 
the outcome is up to the Lord.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, 
you may be able to stand your ground, 
and after you have done everything, 
to stand."
Eph 6:13

I am also realizing that victory belongs to the Lord.

"For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
Deut 20:4

"Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. 
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand."
Ps 20:6

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord."
Prov 21:31
He sees the trials no one else does.

He knows what we are fighting for. 

He rewards in ways only He can. And He gives the BEST rewards.

He gives things money can't buy and the world can't take.

The enemy threatens to take our inheritance.. and sometimes we can forfeit and allow him to take what is rightfully ours if we cave to sin/idolatry.

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Jonah 2:8

I don't want the enemy to take what God has promised me. The only way he can is if I give it away and stop believing God will protect what He has left to His children.

"and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 

And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power"

1 Peter 1:4,5

The battle lines are being drawn. 
Individuals are being forced to choose whether they will fight for the things of God or align themselves with the prince of this world and his system. 

We are seeing a RE-ALIGNMENT of troops.

Make sure you are fighting for GOD! 

If you haven't had to count a serious cost, then please evaluate what who you are fighting for! There is a cost involved in serving the living God. You will feel the sting.
Not nearly the "sting" it cost Jesus though.

Christians are falling "asleep" and falling into traps they  never even saw.

We have to stay ALERT.

Be so MINDFUL (no pun intended) about taking mind-altering medications.

God's Word is very clear on this. 

"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober."

1 Thess 5:6

"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming."

1 Peter 1:13

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray."

1 Peter 4:7

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

1 Peter 5:8

The Bible uses a word in the Greek for "the use or administering of drugs" called PHARMAKEIA.

It is translated "sorcery or witchcraft".

We have to be able to take our thoughts captive or we will be taken captive ourselves.

No one in their "right mind" would drink a 6 pack of beer before going into fight ISIS!

Our enemy is more powerful and more cunning than ISIS. 
We have to be alert and awake.
Have to be fully sober.

Obviously there are many different convictions on this subject but the Scriptural goal is to have a sober mind.
Aim toward that goal.

Although we are living in scary times, I also believe we are going to see great moves of the Holy Spirit. Early Church type miracles as the Church is being purified and persecution continues to leave only the fully committed.

 We are getting so near to the return of Christ. He is preparing us, His Bride. He uses trials to sanctify us "through and through". 

Yet, He is also BLESSING the faithful. 

I am loving this verse right now...

“If my house were not right with God, surely He would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely He would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire."

2 Sam 23:5

God does grant us our desires!!

 I am seeing Him answer prayers in my life that I have been praying for YEARS! Somethings I desires I honestly gave up on because of the years of waiting.
It is kind of a funny feeling when God answers a prayer after years and years of asking.
 My friends and I joked it's like the dog that chases the car it's whole life and one day catches it! 

All of the sudden, it's a little unnerving!
Because we never thought He would actually answer that prayer! 
He gives shockingly good things to those who love Him.
1 Cor 2:9 is my life verse.

I believe we are going to see victories in the spiritual realm so much bigger than we ever dreamed.

The enemy taunts, "All is LOST."

Then God corrects the lie and says, "All is YOURS".

I am thinking a lot about the love of the Father as I prepare to teach at the next conference for single girls...

I love the heart of the Father revealed to us in the Prodigal Son parable.

I love thinking of the Father RUNNING toward the stinky, hungry, embarrassed son...

"And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he RAN TO HIS SON"

Luke 15:20

All is not lost. No matter if we have squandered it ourselves or been beat up by the enemy through warfare.

The heart of the our heavenly Father says...

"everything I have is yours"

Luke 15:31

As I pray for God to bring girls to this conference, I make two specific requests.

1. That He would bring girls that are living in darkness into the light.

2. That He would bring the ones He has marked and called to change the world.

Most of the time that is the same girl. 

She doesn't understand her great worth or calling of God yet. 

But when He reveals it to her, mountains begin moving out of her way.

Please help me get The Word out to any girl you know who is a high school senior or up.

This conference is going to be powerful.

The musicians are already practicing.

The teachers are preparing.

The logistics and food are being thought through.

Now, I am asking God to bring the girls and change their lives by the power of His Spirit and His Word.

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Our family had a wonderful Christmas. Tim and I cooked a huge meal and it all tasted SO good. I have been doing gluten-free for over 2 months now and I can tell a big difference in my joint pain! I originally cut out sugar and dairy too but have added those back in in moderation.

I have to be honest I am very skeptical of the "holistic" world because I have seen it turn into idolatry so quickly and isolate people into their own self-centered worlds of fear, paranoia, and control. I have watched it lead believers down a weird path of New Age beliefs and away from the truth of God's Word and AWAY from relationships with other believers.

It can definitely get weird if you consume yourself with it.

But that can really be anything if we let it creep into idolatry.

We are so prone to worship idols.

I want to be a healthy mom and serve God at my fullest ability. My health/immune system is still somewhat fragile and unpredictable from having a chronic illness.

 I have to be wise in my choices so my  health doesn't bottom out again.

It is a total thorn in the flesh that keeps me near to the Lord and proves that in my weakness HE IS STRONG.

We (moms) are in the PRIME of our lives. 

I don't want to have regret and I don't want to waste these years. 

I want to serve God ENTHUSIASTICALLY and take care of my body so I can pour my life (and hopefully the life of Christ!) into my children.

"Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically."

Romans 12:11

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

1 Cor 15:58

The enemy has gone to great lengths to attack my children and cause them harm.

I praise God that His power is GREATER in them.

On our way to the beach, we were in the middle of nowhere and the kids were about to pee in their pants so we stopped at the first gas station we could find. It was shady.

The bathroom walls had horrible things written all over them. I would let any of my "readers" go in there. They  had to go outside behind the building.

When we got back into the car, one of my boys said... 

"momma, I saw a magazine with a picture of a girl on it that didn't have on enough clothes and I think I looked at it a little too long".

Whoa... Tim and I were so thankful he told us.

We praised him for being honest and walked him through what to do in the next situation like that.

He said that the magazine said "MASTERPIECE" over the girl.

I said, "SHE IS GOD'S MASTERPIECE". God created her with His own two hands. She has a purpose in life and it isn't to be on the cover of a magazine like that. She doesn't understand WHO SHE IS."

 The enemy takes God's masterpieces and makes them his. Instead of freedom they find SLAVERY and BONDAGE under his reign.

During the week at the beach, we began to memorize the verse that talks about us being God's "masterpiece".

"For we are God’s masterpiece."

Eph 2:10

The definition of that word (POIEMA) is workmanship, something made.

The antonym of that word is "KATASTROPHE" in the Greek.

It means destruction and/or demolition.

Oh that we women would be God's POEM and MASTERPIECE instead of the enemy's Katastrophe.

And that my boys would see women in this light!

God's light. 

His creation. 

His delight. 

Containing great value.

The enemy is going to put things before the eyes of our sons. They have to know how to navigate it and process it before it lures them in.

They have to know that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

That they can make no provision for the flesh.

How I pray they continue to come to us when they are faced with temptation!

How I pray they continue to FIGHT to keep their eyes filled with light.

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.  But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness."

Matt 6:22,23

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Tim and I are getting ready to celebrate our 14th anniversary. We are going to have a little ceremony in front of the children. Our hope is to do it every year so they will know that we are committed to God and each other to the end.

Oneness in marriage is worth fighting for. Strive for excellence in marriage and the intimacy God has in store for you and your husband. 

The prize of oneness is so holy, so sacred, so RARE.

What Tim and I have is found only through Christ.

We have wounded each other and made terrible mistakes over the last 14 years. Yet God, by His Spirit continues to pull us toward Him and toward each other. So that our love deepens.

He truly has poured His love into our hearts.

"because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Romans 5:5

The fairytale does exist. 

It is found through Christ.

Apart from HIM, it does not "exist".

"for in Him we live and move and exist"

Acts 17:28

Be blessed.

If you are a college girl or older, please sign up and COME to this conference.

You will so ENJOY it!!

You can come alone. 

You will make friends here!! (True friends who love Jesus).

 I didn't have one single Christian friend who really lived for Jesus when I gave my life to the Lord. He is so faithful to give us the friendships we need. 

 "Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts."

2 Tim 2:22

It will be such a sweet time worshiping God and studying His Word. SIGN UP HERE....

https://hisproposal.wordpress.com/how-to-register/

Happy New Year!

God is doing a new thing in your life!

All He has is YOURS.

Steph