There is danger up ahead.  At least, that is what the enemy of our souls wants me to believe.  Danger so frightening that I mustn’t move forward or make any changes in my life.  The enemy uses scripture verses out of context to try to contain me, to make me stay in a position of defeat and fear.  Danger up ahead . . .

I decided not to listen to cries of ‘danger!’  I decided to go back to my life source and renew my strength to choose life and health over stagnation and fear.

Isaiah 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

And now, having made the decision that was so fraught with danger, I find I am resting in a peace that passes all understanding.  While I was in the midst of taking that step — making that decision and acting upon it — my insides were shaking and fear tried to take control.  Fear of what?  Of the future, of course.  Change can be frightening, and drastic changes in our lives and circumstances can be extremely stressful.  But when we are the ones instigating the change, it can be downright terrifying.

Nevertheless, after months of vacillating and wanting someone else to tell me what to do, I have finally set the wheels of my new life in motion.  It is exhilarating!  My mind is rapidly cataloging and planning, neatly organizing what needs to be done and when.  My heart, however, is at perfect peace.  No fear.  No anxiety.  NO DANGER!

Who was it that said we have nothing to fear but fear itself?  Oh yes, Franklin Roosevelt.  And he was right.  There may be a battle looming on the horizon but victory is assured when we follow the Lord into the battle.  We may lose a skirmish or two, or even a battle now and then, but we know we win the ultimate war.  It says so in the Book!  (I peeked at the ending!)

So perhaps there is danger ahead but I know who holds the future and I am resting in the blessed assurance that action — any action — is better than stagnation.  There is no life in a stagnant pool.

We are experiencing gentle showers today and are they ever needed! The ground has become so dry and hard that the first raindrops just rolled off into the nearest ditch and on down the road. But it has been raining for several hours now and the rain water is soaking into the ground – or perhaps I should say that the ground has decided to drink it in! Gentle rain, soothing rain, refreshing rain, healing rain.

As the rain hits the ground, the ground begins to respond. First, in consternation as the rain runs off, and then in delight, as the ground embraces the much needed water. Saturation point is a long way off and the ground continues to soak up the water like a sponge long left unused and now exposed to life-giving water. This is the best kind of rain – no heavy downpour to flood streets and wash away crops. This rain is nourishing and revitalizing. It is, without a doubt, healing rain.

I have been blessed many times in my life to experience the healing rain that comes from the Holy Spirit. Many times I have needed a refreshing for my soul and God has never left me abandoned in my need. He has always sent healing rains. Sometimes it would pour down so heavily I couldn’t stand. And sometimes, like the rain we are experiencing today, it would come down gently and steadily for hours upon hours, refreshing and refilling my soul.

I was blessed to experience just such a supernatural rain this past weekend, and to have it followed today with the same kind of rain in the natural is another gift from God – an opportunity to see Him working in both realms at the same time. Truly His love is amazing and boundless.

My need for healing rain is almost a daily occurrence as I am walking a tightrope in the supernatural and the natural realm, waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. Yet God, always faithful, continues to lead and guide me, and as long as I lean into Him and away from my natural inclinations, the situations and circumstances seem to be changing and shifting to my benefit. The trick for me is to remain leaning into Him and not on my own understanding and natural tendencies to take control and do everything ‘my way’.

Healing rain……with each drop peace is restored to my soul and I am able to rest in His embrace, awaiting His next command. And with each drop, I begin to bloom right where I am planted. The circumstance cannot steal the peace that comes from healing rain. Angry people and volatile situations cannot steal the peace that comes from healing rain. Though some might strive to pluck the bloom from this rose, healing rain allows other buds to blossom and beautiful fragrance to be released. Healing rain……

Praying that you will be able to take a few minutes today to sit back in the Master’s arms and let Him wash you with His healing rain…..

Zechariah 10:1 King James Version (KJV)

Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

The battlegrounds of our lives are littered with shrapnel from exploding shells and bombs that were meant to destroy us.  We often rage against the battle, but even the most naïve of us knows that we cannot stop fighting.  We fight long and hard, and sometimes we get a slight reprieve — a little R&R (rest and relaxation) when the battle wanes for a bit only to pick up stronger and fiercer when our batteries have been recharged.  Eventually, the battle will be over, won (or sometimes, lost) and the enemy withdraws — for now, anyway.  As the smoke clears, we begin to see the rubble and waste of our battleground.  We are stronger now, and wiser, and we turn our backs on that battleground, fixing our eyes on the green hills ahead and move forward.

Today I am surveying the wasteland of a fierce battle, resting in the Lord and trusting Him to lead me on.  Unfortunately for me, there are no green hills ahead of me right now.  Though the battle I have fought for two years is finally over and I am victorious, there is another battle that is about to commence.  This time I know it is coming.  This time I won’t be overcome by shock and surprise.  THIS time, I am going in fully armed and knowledgeable and I AM TAKING NO PRISONERS.  I want the victory, and I mean to have it, no matter the cost.

But right now, I am resting.  The Lord has graciously granted me this lull between battles so that I can regain my strength.  And as I survey the wreckage of the battle just finished I gain strength.  I realize that the battle, though intense to the point that I thought I would perish, has made me a hardened soldier.  My face is set like flint and I can feel every spiritual muscle flex slightly in anticipation of the battle to come.

The battle (no matter what it is) belongs to the Lord.  Not only that, He is the victor, always!  Our job is to fight when He commands, withdraw when He commands, REST when HE commands and follow His lead, no matter what.  When we do we can be assured of the victory — even if our eyes tell us something else entirely!  The battle is not over until HE says it is over and since he never loses we simply have to hold on and wait for HIM to reveal the ultimate victory.

So I am in stand-down mode, leaning into the loving arms of the Savior, resting in His sweet embrace, knowing that what is coming is going to be ugly and vicious and demoralizing BUT not defeating.  Thank you Lord for the battles that teach us to war.

Isaiah 50:7  For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Every moment of every day I am aware of the years of abuse.  Deep, dark recesses of my mind that have hidden away the details are also constantly nagging.  There is a part of me that believes there can never be any safety or any happiness in this life.  That part has gone into hiding and only emerges when the stresses and pressures and fears of the moment become so overwhelming that it must make itself heard.  It emerges in my dreams — vivid dreams that, when interpreted, tell the truth of my inner fears of being forced back into an abusive relationship somehow.

Yet I dwell in peace — a peace that passes all understanding.  There are moments when the clouds threaten to engulf me once again but I have grown quite adept at pushing them away and rejoicing in the healing that has taken place in my soul.

There really is only one way to be whole and that is by letting Jesus in and asking Him to heal that which has been broken and bruised and crushed under the heel of man.  When I asked the Lord to put the fragmented pieces of my soul back together again, I didn’t even know what that would look like.  I had been shattered for so long that I didn’t remember what it was to be whole.  I had spent years being ostracized and criticized and humiliated by co-workers and acquaintances who did not know my circumstance and consequently could not understand my behavior.  I had refused to talk to strangers and scurried like a scared rabbit whenever I was confronted with unfamiliar situations, people, or surroundings.

Six months ago I asked the Lord to put the shattered pieces of my soul back together again and to remove the walls and partitions I had erected between me and others.  I am amazed at what the Lord did in me.  Just six short months later and I don’t even recognize myself sometimes!  What was once a timid, reserved, introverted, anti-social creature has broken out of her cocoon to become outgoing and friendly and unafraid — of anyone!  Where I once dreaded each day I now awake with a song in my heart and joyful praise on my lips.  I am a new creature — or perhaps, I am simply the woman I was destined to be before the abusers tore me down and crushed my spirit.  Whichever it is, I can honestly say that my vocabulary is inadequate to express the gratitude I feel for what the Lord has done in me.

There are still battles to fight and victories to be won.  Yet I dwell in peace because I know the Victor and He has shown Himself faithful in all things.  I can walk through the next storm with my head up and a smile on my face because no matter what the circumstance, the battle belongs to the Lord and HE NEVER LOSES!

“In the midst of every storm I am there.   I hold your hand, I steady your walk.  I am, indeed, the victor.  If you want to win all of your battles you must rely on Me at all times.  Lean into me in the darkest moments.  No matter what it may look like to your eyes, know that I see an entirely different picture and I am making even this very crooked way straight and this path smooth for you.  Hold my hand.  Do not let go.  Do not turn your eyes to the circumstance.  Keep your eyes on me and follow in my footsteps.  Together we will win.  I love you and I will never let you go.  Don’t look down.  Don’t look around.  Keep your eyes on me!”

Deuteronomy 31:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

The wind is whipping around the neighborhood today as if it were the middle of winter.  In truth, the weather is perfect except that we are braced for a tropical storm that looks like a no-show.  Like all of those in our area, I spent yesterday preparing for the worst — stocking supplies, preparing the emergency evacuation package, storing anything that was out of doors that might blow around or be tossed through windows.  And then, secure in the knowledge that I had done all I could, I went to bed and slept like a baby.

Now, at almost four in the afternoon, I’m feeling slightly betrayed by the weather.  True, it is windy.  But that’s all.  The sun is shining and the temperature outside is 76 degrees.  There is little to no humidity, and it feels like a perfect Indian-summer day.  And then it hit me — this is exactly what I had prayed for this morning.  I wanted the storm to go around us.  I wanted God to move this mountain away from us so that we would not suffer property damage of injury of any kind to ourselves or our neighbors.  WHOA!

God is amazing.  I am awed by His infinite mercy and grace.  Don’t get me wrong: I have not deluded myself into believing that I’m the only person who prayed for this storm to miss us.  Nevertheless, I am amazed at His faithfulness.  Even if I hadn’t prayed this morning, and the storm had passed by, I would have been filled with awe and wonder and gratitude for His divine intervention in the affairs of mankind.  How sweet is our God!

The events of the past two days rang another bell in my spirit.  This is exactly how I prepare when one of life’s storms comes upon me — storms of death or illness, financial loss, relationship losses:  I do what I can do, then I pray and let God be G-D!  I have weathered some truly black skies and horrendous winds in my life, but God has never let me down.  I have a friend in the middle of a horrendous battle right now and it looks really bad.  If she were to rely on her five senses she would be fearful and worried.  But she doesn’t, because she knows who she is and whose she is.  She trusts God to show up and take care of the situation, no matter how black those clouds are or how much wind is swirling around her — she knows Him and she knows He won’t let her down — not now, not ever.

God is ready, willing, and able to win any battle in our lives.  He knows what is best for us.  He knows what our future holds.  He isn’t surprised by our circumstances and He knows that when we come out on the other side, we will bring Him glory.

Does He always give us our way?  No, of course not.  Do you always give your children their way?  What parent would?  Parents know what is best for their children, and sometimes it is best for them to walk through the storm.  We learn so much while we are there.  And on the other side of the storm, we discover we have gained valuable insight and wisdom to help others make it through their storms.

God is good.  God is just.  God is faithful.  God is love.  And all He asks of us is to love Him in return and trust Him with the storms in our lives.  How can we not love such a God?

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Anyone who has walked with God for any length of time has figured out that God has a sense of humor. Just look at the platypus. Since I know He has a sense of humor I love to watch for it. Joy is one of the great gifts of God and I think He sometimes does things just to make us laugh.

Take for instance, my hair. Bear with me a minute….. I went to have my hair cut and styled a little over a month ago. Since the texture and curl has changed over the past year I thought it needed a cleanup to make travel easier. Now, you have to understand that I have rarely, I mean RARELY, been happy with the say my hair is cut by someone else. It’s like they don’t hear what I say when I tell them exactly what to cut and what to leave. So this time, not wanting to chance letting a novice touch it, I made an appointment at the local upscale salon/beauty parlor/massage therapist/spa – you get the drift. It was going to be expensive, I knew, but I really couldn’t deal with one more botched haircut.

You don’t sit in front of a mirror in this place when they cut your hair. They are artistes and therefore will reveal their creation when they are finished. I explained what I wanted and sat back to wait for the finished product.

It took over an hour. Snip snip. Spray. Snip snip. (Really?) Mousse. Gel. Blow-dryer. Comb. Brush. (OUCH!) An hour and sixty dollars later I had a beautiful stylish cut that would require a great deal of care and was not what I had asked for – well, technically, I guess it was what I asked for. It was shorter and layered.

I tried to deal with it and have been frustrated by it ever since. I do not have the time or inclination to spend thirty minutes a day styling my hair. Not only that, even when I try it never looks like it did the day it got cut/shaped/styled. This is why when I go to get it done I carefully explain that it has to be a no- to very low- maintenance style. Naturally, I was fed up. I’m about to leave the country again and have another trip in November. I simply cannot be messing with HAIR in the mountains of Guatemala!

With all of that in mind, earlier this week I walked into the local Hair Cuttery and told them I wanted it trimmed and shaped. They told me they needed to put all of my personal information in their computer before they could help me. I told them thanks, but no thanks, and walked away. This morning I drove eight miles to the next little local establishment and tried again. Thanks be to God, the girl said she would cut it. After fifteen minutes in her chair, she charged me thirteen dollars. Thirteen.

My haircut is adorable, if I do say so myself! It is EXACTLY what I wanted. After washing, it takes a minimal amount of finger shaping and it is done. No blow dryer. No curling iron. No flat iron. No hot rollers. Just arrange and go. I love it!

I’m pretty sure God is chuckling right now, because I know I am. I spent so much time and money trying to get something from the ‘experts’ and only got disappointed. Then I spent a little time and a little money with someone who LISTENED to me and got exactly what I wanted! You just gotta laugh!

Of course, there is a lesson in here for some of us. It’s a lesson about speaking what you want clearly and not settling for anything less. It is also a lesson about listening.

People are talking to us all of the time. I sense often that they are rarely listening to me but rather waiting for me to finish speaking so they can talk about whatever else is going on in their heads. How different our lives would be if we really listened to one another. We might hear things that surprise us. We might hear things that delight us. And, we might hear things we don’t necessarily want to hear. The point is, if we listen – REALLY listen – then we are able to help the one who is speaking. If we are not willing to listen to them and hear them we might as well not waste their time. People need to be heard and if we belong to Christ then we need to be the ones listening.

Father, give us eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to understand.

James 1:19  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

I love the Lord!  I love the way He’s always on time!  I love how He loves me!  I love that He honors my prayers and that He opens my eyes to see what He is doing in my life.  I love living life as a Christian.  When I think back on my pre-Christ days, I shudder.  Oh, thank you Jesus for finding me!

Relying on ourselves is the easiest way to disaster.  Oh, sure, we think we can do it all by ourselves.  WE make our plans and WE put them into action, and when things go wrong, WE tend to blame everyone else around us.  Perhaps they didn’t cooperate.  Or maybe they had their own plan and cut us off at the pass.  Perhaps they weren’t “as smart as we are” and couldn’t see the big picture. Whatever our excuse, WE stick to our plan and revise it and amend it and continue to try to make it work all on our own.  And sometimes, when we are really frustrated with everyone else’s lack, we lash out.  WE demean them, chastise them, denigrate them, and make them feel unworthy and worthless.  WE are our own worst enemy.

I have discovered through many years of trial and error that there’s a secret to living life in the midst of disaster:  it is in relying not on myself, but on the Lord of Glory.  He can take the most vile tongue and turn it into sweet music.  He can pick up the broken pieces of a soul and mend them, creating a beautiful work of art.  His smile of approval sets my heart singing and my spirit soaring.  His unconditional love makes my worst mistakes look like small pebbles on a rocky beach.

Through the years I have often turned to the Lord asking for Him to change me —  Change the way I think about a matter —  Mend my heart and help me to forgive —  Take my tongue and turn it to good and not to evil.  During this past year I have been asking the Lord to control my tongue — to make my speech gentle and my manner loving and humble.  These are not easy prayers to pray!  I know the Lord and I know that when I pray these kinds of prayers He will honor them, for this is exactly what He wants to make me:  gentle, loving, kind, humble.  And honor this prayer, He did!

This week I experienced what I can only describe as a miracle transformation.  I have been slowly changing for a few months, but this week I saw for myself to what extent the Lord of Glory had changed my heart and spirit.  In the midst of horrendous trials with customers and employees a brand new ME emerged!  Where I once would have snapped and snarled and threatened, I instead offered comfort, wisdom, retraining, AND — beyond belief — joined the crews in 90 degree weather while we repaired what should have been done right in the first place!  And miracle of miracles, I didn’t complain, I didn’t browbeat, and I didn’t make them feel like they were worthless.  Instead, by the grace of God, I was able to offer gentleness, lovingkindness and humility.  Only God can do that!

The outcome?  My employees are working more diligently than before; my customers are uber-happy; and my ‘team’ is really functioning as a team.  I feel GREAT!  And so do they.

The Lord is faithful.  If we want to be changed into His image, He will change us.  Sometimes it seems to take forever, and sometimes you turn around and BLINK, and the change has been enacted.  It takes a commitment of the heart.  But guess what?  It doesn’t take trying!  We cannot STRIVE to become like Jesus Christ!  We STRIVE to surrender to His Holy Spirit and submit ourselves to HIM, and He will do the work in us.

Praying for all of you who want to be more like Jesus.  I know that’s what He wants too!

Psalm 18:35 (NKJV) You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. . . .

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord lifts up a standard. It is that standard I am blessing this morning. The enemy has surely come in like a flood. My fast is over and I have a $2,000.00 repair bill on the bumper of my NEW car, an assault against my family that has split it wide open, and now my daughter has two bulging discs in her back pressing on a nerve bundle that has totally debilitated her. Unable to work, her husband’s salary won’t support their family, no health insurance, and no naturally visible solutions for their woes.

BUT GOD!

The grace of God, the peace of God, the mercy of God are pouring down upon me like a sweet, spring rain. I’ve had to cancel one mission trip because of the great storm and I felt SO bad about that. I had failed God. I let family circumstances interfere with world missions. This morning, however, He met me here with words of encouragement and although I FELT like the one who had said he would go and then didn’t go, the Lord reassured me that my life and my times are in His hands — and He offered grace for my failure.

I sense I am on the edge of a brand new life – a brand new way of life. I do not know what plan the Lord has for the rest of my life but I am trusting Him to bring it to pass, and that trust has ushered in even greater peace.

If I were operating in the natural and someone handed me a plan, I would meticulously follow it to ensure the final goal would be reached. But God hasn’t handed me a plan. He has simply told me He has a plan and He will bring it to pass. So there isn’t much I can do unless He gives me a piece of the puzzle. When He does, I can be obedient. I think that is why I felt like such a failure when I canceled my mission trip – I thought it was part of the bigger plan that I did not see and therefore I was failing to complete my part of the plan. BUT GOD!

He has spoken to my heart and assured me that His plan for my life will be fulfilled. He has made it clear that I can do nothing to thwart His plan. I am not Jonah, running away from my calling. I am like Peter, who invited Christ to sup in his home and to touch his mother with healing.

God has a plan for each of our lives and He will bring it to completion. I have spent far too many hours agonizing over what His plan is for my life in an attempt to understand and to change my habits, behaviors, and lifestyle to fit His plan. What He has shown me this morning has broken another shackle off of my life. It is simply this: It is His plan. He is responsible for the implementation of the plan. He has chosen each of us to play a part based upon who He created us to be. He is not calling each of us to change in order to implement the plan, but rather, the implementation of the plan will bring about whatever change He deems necessary.

I have been making this harder than it has to be. God loves us and wants us to play a part in His amazing story. He has assigned roles and is placing us in the positions we need to be in in order to fulfill the call He has placed on our lives. We are in training every single day, right where we are.

I would love to see the big picture, but I know that if I do I would do something to screw up the plan and cause more effort than is necessary to get to the goal. So today I am, once again, resting in His love and the sweetness of His embrace, trusting Him to bring to pass whatever it is He is preparing for my life and the lives of my children.

And I’m trusting Him for your life too!

One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen was a young man escorting his bride to their waiting limousine. He held her hand gently, his arm around her back and lovingly cradling her other elbow in his other hand. His eyes seemed to take in everything that was happening around them while at the same time watching the ground before her so she wouldn’t stumble and still managing to let his gaze caress her face at frequent intervals. When they reached the limousine he carefully guided her to her seat, making sure she was protected and her clothing unscathed and, when he joined her on the seat, his position was one of protector and defender still maintaining an atmosphere of absolute devotion.

Such a sight is enough to make the heart of one who has never experienced such love begin to ache while tears come unbidden to the corners of the eyes. For those who have experienced such love in their lifetimes it is a sight that brings a reminiscent smile and joyful misting to the eyes. And for those who are in the midst of such love it brings joyful smiles and quick hugs as the emotions are shared.

For me, it was a reminder of just how much Christ loves me (us). He has taken up the position of protector and defender in my life while at the same time lavishing me with a love and devotion that is unparalleled by anything in my experience. Christ has, for me, already become my bridegroom. His leading is gentle and loving, His care is passionate and His love is …. well, beyond description. My vocabulary is inadequate to describe the depth and breadth of Christ’s love.

In my many travels I have always experienced the incredible peace that accompanies the Bride under the care of the Bridegroom. Whenever I am abroad His Spirit is with me, making sure I am cared for and protected. Accommodations are always more than adequate as is the bounty set before me. In truth, the only time I have felt like I wasn’t getting the proper nutrition was when I was in London – go figure! Yet in all of the physical aspects He is more than enough and, I have found, on the spiritual level His presence seems to magnify when I am not at home in my own little abode.

It is this care, this amazing love, that makes me feel so inadequate and unworthy. As hard as I try to follow His example of love, I invariably fall short. Even more amazing is that when I fall short He meets me right where I am and picks me back up, dusting off my knees and setting me back on my feet to continue going forward. And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me how much He loves me……ME!

Each day we are called to take His love to the lost, hurting, dying world. Each day. Some days I succeed, some days I fail. But each day He provides opportunities for us to be a witness, an ambassador, of His love. My prayer today is that you experience a new revelation of the depth of Christ’s love for you and that you, in turn, share some of that overflow with another.

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…..”

Everything has a beginning and an end, even though we are sometimes unable to see it. Since coming to the Lord I have become comfortable with unanswered questions and concepts that are beyond my ability to comprehend. I dwell in a land of possibilities – dreams and plans and hopes – all of which are under the direction of Almighty God and thus completely possible. Very little surprises me anymore though there is much that brings delight and joy as I watch the Creator of the Universe change circumstances and move mountains to fulfil His promises and complete the works He has begun.

So, I wasn’t really surprised when I was awakened at 1:00 a.m. and heard a whispered “The end is the beginning.” Okay. I’m okay with that. And then, in completely uncharacteristic fashion for me, I asked “What end?” Are we talking about the end of my 40 week fast which is just around the corner? Are we talking about the end of life? Are we talking about the end of a relationship, or business, or ministry? What exactly are we talking about here?

I meditated on those questions for a bit and then forced myself out of my nice warm bed into the COLD family room at 3:00 a.m. Reaching for my Bible I offered a little disgruntled prayer heavenward, reminding the Lord that I’m not all that smart and if He’s trying to tell me something then it really needs to be clearer than the cryptic ‘the end is the beginning’. Sometimes I get so worn out trying to understand what needs to be understood, and I felt this was one of those things that needed to be understood because He was trying to communicate with me.

How wonderful it would be to say I had an epiphany or revelation as I read the verses that were displayed before me. I didn’t. I received many scriptures that spoke of mission trips – taking the truth to places previously unknown and sharing God’s love with people. This was followed with an entire study on power and authority, at the end of which I got an itch to study something called ‘unrealized power’. In my mind that was an indictment of believers who had failed to execute their calling, but what I discovered in my study was something entirely different. The Holy Spirit began to teach me about those who are operating in their gifts but whose power and authority are not recognized by those around them. Like Jesus who couldn’t do many miracles in His own home town because the people would not or could not believe He had such power. The limitation wasn’t in Jesus, it was in those around Him. Or when He calmed the storm and those present began to question what sort of man He was.

So what does all this have to do with my cryptic message? Well, as near as I can make out it is a jigsaw puzzle and I have to put the pieces together in a way that exposes the message. Perhaps the end of my fast will be the beginning of a new ministry in which people who know me will not acknowledge or recognize the power and authority the Holy Spirit will wield through me. That message makes sense to me in light of the hours I spent trying to figure it all out, but I will continue to meditate on it all and see if there is something else I am missing. Perhaps it is just a small piece of a bigger puzzle which will be revealed in stages. Only God knows for certain.

Nevertheless, I am spending each day in anticipation as I watch for the hand of God moving in my life and the lives of those around me.

Praying you exist in an atmosphere of joy and anticipation!