Though None Go With Me, Still I Will Follow {My Heart}

Though None Go With Me, Still I Will Follow

I have decided to follow Jesus,

I have decided to follow Jesus.

I have decided to follow Jesus;

no turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow,

though none go with me, still I will follow.

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

no turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me,

the world behind me, the cross before me.

The world behind me, the cross before me;

no turning back, no turning

The words of this song have been on repeat in my mind for weeks now. Every so often the line, “though none go with me, still i will follow” is whispered in my ear as a reminder from God. This song is stirring my heart. At least I thought that’s what it was doing.

Let me fill you in.

I was raised in a “Church of Christ” and you better believe I grew up on hymns. If I had a dollar for every hymn I’ve sung in church I’d be an extremely rich woman. Not to mention all the “singings” we went to growing up at others’ homes. Growing up I always liked the hymns we sang. I had my favorites just like everyone else. My personal favorite was “Trust and Obey”. I never fully understood why I loved that particular hymn so much at my young age. I was really young then and I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with the words. (Google the song.) Now that I’m older and am stepping into my calling and walking out my passions I totally get it.

More often than not, the only time we sang the hymn “Trust and Obey” was right before someone was about to be baptized. In the Church of Christ their belief is that you are not saved until you are officially baptized in water. Ever since I can remember I have always LOVED baptisms. The whole concept of someone committing themselves to God just melts my heart. Salvations and baptisms to me are like attending a wedding. Watching someone commit everything to the person they love can be such a beautiful thing. You get to sit back and witness Gods infinite plan continue to unfold before your very eyes. I just love seeing people come to Jesus! And growing up, the only time I saw the manifestation of salvation was through water baptisms. When you’re six or seven years old the elders don’t always tell you ahead of the service that there’s going to be a baptism at the end. I don’t know if you knew that. But if you didn’t well now you do. You’re welcome. Yet, I always knew when we were about to behold this particular beauty because whoever was leading hymns that night would always sing “Trust and Obey” as the baptize-y was getting ready. That was my cue. To make matters even better, we had a friend/man in our church named Alfonso who often lead hymns. Alfonso had an incredible soulful voice (aka: Gift) from God and I loved hearing him sing my song! He could sing any song well, but I especially loved when he sang my favorites. It’s as though I waited constantly in anticipation and expectation for that song to be sung because it told me of what was to come. Nothing quite like watching someone get baptized or being baptized yourself.

I realize I’ve begun to detour a bit but oh well. I love telling true stories. So here is one more for the road.

When I was fourteen years old I still had yet to be baptized. I was determined to not let others influence this particular decision – the most important decision of my life. I was determined to find God for myself. I wanted Him in His fullness. I grew up knowing of or about Him, but found myself in my Junior High years longing to know Him. So I made it a point to get to know God for myself – to experience His radical love and power. I’m not one to back out on the commitments I make. I like being a woman of my word. Either I’d give Him my all or nothing at all. This was not an ultimatum. It was, in a way, me reminding myself of the reality that I was made for Him. He will always love me and He knows me. I finally came to that point in life where I would either intentionally return the favor or intentionaly ignore His invitation. I always knew in my heart that He was THE One for me. I have never doubted that. So after praying alot and asking God to reveal His character to me and encountering God like never before I decided I was ready to fully place my “everything” into His hands. I was ready to be His bride.

When I decided to get baptized I planned in advance. I am a planner. I love planning things out. Planning, organizing, arranging, thinking, dreaming are all a few of my favorites. My hearts desire was to be baptized in the church I grew up in. At this time in my life we had been out of the Church of Christ and had been and still are actively apart of a charismatic spirit-led church who were always holding baptisms for those ready to make this commitment. I felt strongly that I needed to make this as meaningful as possible. That’s why I spent a good handful of time in prayer for this. It meant so much to me and baptism still does. I hold a very high regard to water baptism and believe that every believer should experience it. There was something about being baptized in the church I grew up in, in the church where I first heard about God, that I knew would prophesy into my future. Long story short, it was like me partnering with God and promising to be with Him everywhere I go and promising that I’d forever dwell on His faithfulness. No matter what or where I am. From birth, God has lavished me wastefully with five specific gifts – His LOVE, faithfulness, grace, favor, and honor. I’m not complaining at all.

Anyways, when I was fifteen I was baptized in the little church that I was raised in for a portion of my life, in Escondido CA. The building was filled with friends and families that I grew up with, most of who remembered me in diapers and proceeded to remind me of that on my special day. Although I had planned this in my heart it was all pretty spur of the moment. Nothing but my decision itself was decided upon beforehand. All I knew was that I wanted to be baptized and that I had asked my brother Jared, who is one of my best friends next to my momma, to baptize me. We were in town and it seemed like the perfect Sunday. They announced it to the church and quickly put things in order. As I walked to the room where the tank was I looked back and saw one of my favorite people stand and walk towards the front. It was Alfonso! God arranged that just for me and just for fun, I have no doubt about it. I remember changing and as I walked from the changing room into where the tank was, this incredible sense of destiny filled my heart. I wanted to laugh as I heard the room full of my loved ones singing “Trust and Obey”. It wasn’t the words that moved me it was the fact that is was finally my turn. And the Holy Spirit simply whispered to me; “Hey hun, it’s your turn. I’ve been preparing your heart for this day since before you were born. The day you’d officially say YES to Me. I have courted you throughout the years and now you’re all mine. Let’s do this.” I have wished to re-live that moment over many times since then.

The detour is over. Hold on to your seats as we make a sharp turn towards the song that I mention in the beginning of this post.

The words of this song have been stirring in my heart, every so often, for the past few weeks maybe even months. I decided to Google it. Good ol’ Google. I was pretty surprised by what I found. It wasn’t so much a stirring but more of a sweet conviction that came over my heart. In all my years of knowing and loving this song I have never truly known the depth behind it. After reading the story of this song and the passion behind the words I actually felt saddened. I felt saddened by the fact that we so often miss the point. How many times have I sung this song and thought, “No matter what Jesus, I will love You. La LaLa La La..” Of course, I will ALWAYS love Jesus. He’s the only sure thing in this world. Regardless, that’s not the point here. This song is based on one man’s steadfast YES to God. He stood fast and strong when others would have crumbled and he did it willingly for Jesus. I’m pretty sure this is what living a life that says YES to God daily looks like. I have a whole new respect and love for this song.

I could go on but I think it’s better for you to read about it yourself and let the Lord speak to your heart.

Enjoy!

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{The Story Behind the Song}

These lyrics are based on the last words of a man in Assam, north-east India, who along with his family was converted to Christianity in the middle of the 19th century through the efforts of a Welsh missionary. This song originated among the Garo Indians, one of the hill tribes in India. The Garo tribe lives in an area that is now the state of Meghalaya, but was until 1970 the state of Assam. The northern part of Meghalaya borders on the Himalayan Mountain range.

Called to renounce his faith by the village chief, the convert declared, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” In response to threats to his family, he continued, “Though no one joins me, still I will follow.” His wife was killed, and he was executed while singing, “The cross before me, the world behind me.” This display of faith is reported to have led to the conversion of the chief and others in the village.

The formation of these words into a hymn is attributed to the Indian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh. The melody is also Indian, and entitled “Assam” after the region where the text originated. The fierce opposition is possible as various tribes in that area were formerly renowned for head-hunting.

A Lutheran writer noted, “It definitely has a different meaning when we sing it than it did for the person who composed it.”

An American hymn editor, William Jensen Reynolds, composed an arrangement which was included in the 1959 Assembly Songbook. His version became a regular feature of Billy Graham’s evangelistic meetings in America and elsewhere, spreading its popularity.

Source: wikipedia.org I_Have_Decided_to_Follow_Jesus

Lord,

Though none go with me, still I will follow.

Carmel Apple Pancake Cupcakes {Recipe}

Carmel Apple Pancake Cupcakes

Yields:  Dozen+ Cupcakes

My prize-winning Carmel Apple Pancake Cupcake recipe. We attended a “Chopped” party a while back and I had to bring/invent a dessert recipe using the following three ingredients; apples, pancake batter, and pretzels. This is what I came up with and it turned out surprisingly good! Not only were they great tasting but they were the winner of the dessert round and a prize. If you like breakfast food, pancakes, carmel apples, or cupcakes, this is for you. These are sweetly simple to make and they taste great. This would be a great recipe to use for breakfast when you have guests over. The only differences between these Carmel Apple Pancake Cupcakes and those gross store-bought muffins are that these are basically “fancy pancakes”, they are homemade, they are delicious, and well the list goes on. We hope you enjoy this homemade original recipe! If you have any questions let us know. If you step out and bake these, we’d love to hear about it. Have fun!

-Cupcakes Ingredients-

3 cups of pre packaged “Buttermilk Pancake Mix”
3 Green Apples
Cinnamon
Brown sugar

Steps:

-Mix pancake batter as usual.
 -Pour batter into a greased muffin tin.
 -Peel and chop apples in 1/2 inch squares. In a bowl, toss apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
 -Add apple mix to the top of the pancake batter.

BAKE:

For 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

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-Carmel Frosting Ingredients-

 1 package of Fat Free Cream Cheese, room temperature
 2 Sticks of Butter, room temperature
3-4 Cups of Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Carmel Sauce

Steps:

-Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add Carmel and mix well. Gradually combine powdered sugar.

Frost cupcakes and top with a pretzel :)
To make more cupcakes, use 4-5 cups of pancake mix and 1-2 more green apples.

What Makes You a Leader

I’ve always loved the topic of leadership. I’m a huge sucker for leadership podcasts, books, blogs, messages, and even people who can’t help but talk about the subject. I love it all. A few months back I had been watching and listening to every message I could find on Christian based leadership. Listening to different people define their  views on what Christian leadership should look like, and  how we are all called to walk in such a way that would create more leaders, was a bit overwhelming..in a good way. After consuming all these messages and sermons I was overwhelmed at the vast variety and amount of wisdom we have been given in this area. God is constantly speaking and in this hour He is especially whispering to His children about the area of healthy passionate leaders who live a life that raises up more leaders.  Those who are attentive and are listening for His voice will hear what He’s saying and will be the ones who shape nations. I was up rather late one night talking to God, I asked Him what He thought about this. I asked Him to sum up for me what makes a leader..in His eyes. “What are You looking for in leaders? What in our lives gives us the right to be called and considered leaders of our generations? What are the most important and most basic qualifications?”

We are all called to lead someone. Whether you recognize it or not, whether you’re intentional about it or not, whether you want to or not, you are leading someone. In the right way or the wrong way, we all are leading someone somewhere. We were created to lead. It’s our God-given DNA to be amazing leaders. Anywhere from leading a multimillion dollar company to leading a thriving church or even leading a small group with 10 people who are bearing fruit and are on fire for God..You are a leader. The quicker you recognize this call to leadership and embrace it the sooner the journey of impacting others will begin and expand. I instantly felt God speak to my heart in response to my questions about leadership from His perspective. I grabbed a notebook and a pen and began to write down each important, yet basic, quality that He is  looking for in leaders today. Below you will find these qualities followed up with verses that support and encourage each one.

You are called to be a successful leader who raises up more leaders. You will change nations. These qualities God highlighted to me have set the stage for my life. I’m constantly looking around me to find people who walk out the qualities..because those who do, they are the ones who will make a difference in this world. Attached to these principles, for a lifestyle of leadership, are sacrifices to be made. You will not only have to count the cost but you’ll have a huge price to pay as well. With that being said, I can guarantee you that the price you pay is nothing in comparison to what God gives in return. The sacrifice it self pales in comparison to the fire God releases on you and your life. As you give yourself fully to Jesus, you are and will be a fantastic leader.

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True Leaders:

Are made famous by the thoughts of God.
Have grown in the womb of willingness.
Are formed in the team of community.
Have made it to the “Hall of Fame” in the secret place.
Are strengthened in the chair of feedback.
Have established a track record for obeying His voice.
 & Are born on the stage of servanthood.

Psalms 139:17 NKJV
 Isaiah 1:19 NKJV
Philippians 2:1-4 MSG
 Matthew 6:6 NKJV
Proverbs 5:12-14 MSG
 Proverbs 13:10 NKJV
Proverbs 15 MSG
 Hebrews 11:8 NKJV
 Galatians 5:13 NKJV
1 Corinthians 9:19 MSG
John 12:26 MSG
Mark 10:45 MSG

Related articles-  The Importance of Your “YES”

Owl Shortbread Cookies {Recipe}

Owl Shortbread Cookies

For those of you who bake and use Pinterest to find new recipes you’ve probably seen that photo of the adorable owl cookies that’s been pinned over a million times. The downside is that there’s no recipe attached to it. The cookies were just so cute that I decided to try and take a crack at it. They’re extremely simple and they taste amazing! Here is my version. Enjoy!

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I used a shortbread recipe for the cookies base, Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Trefoils from Babble.

Homemade Trefoils

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt tiny pinch ground ginger (optional)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

2 cups all-purpose flour

Chocolate Chips

Almonds

ONE: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in salt, ginger, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. Slowly add in flour, and mix until well combined, but do not overmix. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

TWO: Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes. (Or just slice the roll of dough.)Place on a cookie sheet, at least an inch apart.

THREE: Roll two small balls of dough for the eyes of each owl cookie. Lightly place each ball of dough next to each other. Using chocolate chips placed in the center of the balls of dough, press down to secure. Add the almond for each nose. Use the prongs of a fork to make marks for wings or feathers..

 FOUR: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until almost starting to brown on the edges.

The inspiration: http://pinterest.com/pin/142707881914547832/

Our Raspberry Dump Cake Recipe {Featured on Tipnut}

 This post has been a long time coming.. Tipnut put together a list of “26 Quick & Easy Dump Cake“ recipes on their website. Graciously, our Raspberry Dump Cake recipe was featured on the list. We’re blessed and thankful for the feature and all the new visitors we’ve received since this post. We just wanted to return the favor and tell you about Tipnut. Be sure to check out their entire website, especially this amazing list of Dump Cake Recipes. Then get to baking. Be sure to stop by the post and leave a comment, then try a new recipe.

#21 Raspberry: (Vanilla cake mix), Frozen Raspberries, Sugar and a stick of Butter. From The Hem Of His Garment.

 

Here is our recipe, enjoy!

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Raspberry Dump Cake

What You Will Need:

3-4 cups Frozen Raspberries

{I had frozen some fresh raspberries during the summer and used those.}

1 Vanilla Cake Mix

1/2 cup of Butter (1 Stick)

If using “fresh” frozen raspberries, like i did… Add a 1/2 cup of White Sugar.

This Recipe fills a 9×13 or a very thick 8×8.

Preheat Oven for 350°

Step One: Thaw your raspberries completely, then pour/spread across the bottom of your pan. (Optional: Add 1/2 cup of Sugar.)

Step Two: Sprinkle the dry Vanilla Cake Mix over the top of your raspberry filling. Make sure to cover it completely.

Step Three: Melt your stick of butter in the microwaves, about 30 seconds. Pour over the cake mix, covering as much as possible.

Step Four: Bake for 30-45 minutes. Or until the top is golden brown.

The Importance of Your “YES”

The Importance of Your Yes

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As I laid there, on the floor of the Alabaster House staring at the wooden rafters, I thought about how strange it felt to not feel God there in that particular moment. I knew He was there, I really did. Praying in the prayer house there has always stirred something inside of my heart each and every visit. Weather it’s intercession, soaking up the love of the Father, my hunger for the Word increasing as I read some verses as if for the first time, or just simply dreaming with God-He tends to meet me in new ways when I visit that house.  

Laying there staring up at the rafter with an overwhelming appreciate for one mans yes. While praying there in the past, God would often visit me in a whirlwind. This time was different. It wasn’t about what I could feel, it was about what I could see and hear. The emphasis was on what He had been whispering in my ear as we laid on the ground.. One thing I did feel was GRATEFULL. Feeling so grateful that the Lord can take one true YES and build a home upon it for others to come and go. An unadulterated vision for true hospitality-a lifestyle of hospitality. I couldn’t help but have this overwhelming thought about how important our YES is.

“The importance of your YES.” That’s what He whispered. 

Within seconds I had different thoughts racing through my mind as the Lord whispered these truths upon my heart.  Okay, so maybe I wasn’t “feeling” Him as strong as I had in the past.. But I couldn’t deny how strong I was hearing Him. Earlier that day, while talking to the family who Jared (my brother) is living with while attending BSSM, Kellie the wife shared that their home was their fulltime ministry. She mentioned how many people they’ve had live with them over the years and the countless others who come and go on a daily basis. Not to mention the international students who stay during the holidays when they aren’t able to go home to their families. Just a few hours later was when the Lord began to echo Kellies words in my heart as He and I laid there on the floor. He began to relate that to the phenomena brewing at Bethel. These two were one in the same.

A group of people said YES to God and that’s what opened up the door, years ago, for the Lord to lay the foundation for a home that was built to house the multitudes and for the multitudes to encounter His presence. I don’t think they’ve ever stopped saying yes. I’m looking at these rafters that are holding up the roof in the prayer house and thinking how vital it is to have people who give one big whole-hearted YES to the plans of God, often not knowing a single step, and allowing Him to make a home out of their YES. A home where thousands will be able to pass through and will also encounter the sweet gift of saying YES to the King.

How beautiful that one persons agreement, partnership, and alignment with the will of God can create such holy chaos where the feet of those who pass through the grounds that the Lord has laid are too numerous to count. It’s as though our YES, to God using us and our lives, becomes this forever open door for God to take us to the nations as well as bringing the nations to us. You following Christ with everything that’s in you, everything that you have, is critical for those around you. You saying YES to Jesus not only affects you but it affects your family, your friends, your city, your region, your state, and the nations. Entire cities will come to know the love of the Father because you said YES. The only way this can be true is that you give yourself fully to Jesus. There’s no stopping the influence that the Lord places on your life once you’ve genuinely said YES to the King.

When you say YES to Jesus, you’re forever marked. No longer are you just like the others. No longer will there be any excuse for you to be anything but remarkable. You’re set apart, chosen, called, and loved by the King. Your YES creates a dwelling place for His presence. (Psalms 132:13, 14 NKJV) You become His dwelling place. We must fully commit ourselves to this one thing, falling madly in love with Jesus. Having that moment when we hear the words, “Well done, MY good and faithful servant” as our focal point and running hard after Him. Let our costly ambition be spent on seeking His face and staying focused on this one thing. Everything between your YES and seeing His face will automatically fall into place. It will work itself out. Give yourself fully to Him and fully to His cause. Embrace the greatness of your dreams and the importance of your YES. The nations are waiting for the “burning ones” to arise and put their hands in His hands. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19 NKJV

Early on people would prophesy over me about the nations. They’d prophesy and tell me that the Lord has called me to speak to nations, God is giving me influence over the nations, I will mother the nations into the Kingdom, etc. Each time I heard those words my heart would beat so fast as though it was going to burst out of my chest. It still does. There was something inside of me that resonated with those words and my heart longed to see them fulfilled. I earnestly desire to see Jesus get what He paid for. I’ve given my life and have vowed to do all that I possibly can to see Jesus get the nations as His inheritance. (Psalms 2:7, 8 NKJV) A good half of me was full of faith and couldn’t wait to see how God was going to work this out in me. The other half was purely practical and dwelt on the fact that i was only about fifteen at the time. “Taking nations” just seemed so far in the future I could hardly reach it.

Constantly I’d press God for answers. “How on earth do You plan to do this? I’d really love to know.” He took me on a journey where He would whisper little secrets here and there about my call to nations. Whether it was through His voice, His Word, or the people around me, God was constantly reminding me of my call. He wasn’t about to let me forget it. No matter how far off it seemed to be. (He will do the same for you.) When I was around sixteen years old I found myself praying into this call of mine for the nations. I remember asking God to give me promises from His word that I could hold on to. So that at times when my future would look unreachable and unrealistic, I would have His promises to hold onto. The Lord told me to open up to Isaiah 55:5. This was not a familiar passage to me. I can honestly say up until that point I had probably never read it. This was my promise from God,

Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you. (Isaiah 55:5 NKJV)

Not only was this passage exactly what I needed but it explained it perfectly. Even the address of this word fits amazingly. God has always dealt with me according to GRACE. He has been ever wasteful with His grace and favor in my life. I knew I had heard from God about this scripture as soon I as I saw the three fives-five represents grace. In this case triple grace. “Nations who do not know you will run to you”, that’s what you call favor and influence. God has glorified me, He has set me apart, and marked me that Christ in me would be attractive to the nations. Nations will be drawn to me, not because of me but, because Christ is dwelling inside of me. They’ll run to me wanting what I have and all I have is Him. God is releasing, today, a grace for influence. The nations are so hungry for the Fathers love that they will begin to come to you. That’s why it is so important that you not only say YES to Jesus but that you fully embrace the importance of your YES. That way you live fully empowered to live out the mandate on your life to shake nations. 

People come because of your YES.

People don’t come for you.

People come for Him.

Like I said a few paragraphs ago, when you say YES to Jesus you are chosen! Just like people would prophesy to me regarding the nations, around the same time people began prophesying to me the verse, “Many are called but few are chosen.” (Matthew 20:16 & 22:14) People would tell me that ALL the time. It sounded really nice but I had no clue what it meant or what they meant by it. I could hardly tell what they were implying by quoting this to me, let alone what God intended by this verse. Frankly, it drove me nuts. I would rack my brains trying to figure out whether I was called or chosen. And if I was merely called then how do I become chosen, vise versa. It wasn’t until one day when God used someone in my life to randomly and prophetically clear the air. While in a conversation with a man of God that has made quite an impact on my life, he said it. This man randomly says to me, “Sarah, many are called but few are chosen. True.. But you, you are CHOSEN.” My thought was this, “Ohh Lord, not him too! How do you know I’m chosen? Prove it.” Of course I didn’t say that but I definitely thought it. lol The next few words out of his mouth were these, “YOU SAID YES. You’re chosen because you said YES to God.” Instantly I made the connection. I am chosen by God because I responded to the call and said yes. This may seem obvious or simple to you, but this radically changed my life. I felt incredibly honored by the Father once I came into this truth and I was blown away that others could recognize that about me..even when I had no clue.

God is calling us all to live a life fully surrendered to Him. He is calling us to lay down our lives for His name’s sake. It’s time to live radically for Jesus. You are a chosen people who said YES to the King. He called me, I said yes, and now I’m chosen. It’s time to live a life of radical love, for God and others. Attached to your YES is a grace to influence nations. Start with your neighborhood. Start with your city. You saying YES to Jesus was and always will be highly important. You are and always will be very important. Once you’re washed in His blood it is now in your DNA to seize and influence nations and to lead others into His arms. It’s only natural that nations run to you.  Once you’ve said YES you officially look like the Desire of Nations. Hints the running. You can do anything..because you said YES to His call. Lets live radical and give Jesus His nations.

Your YES is extremely important.

“I’m not afraid, I was born for this.” Joan of Arc

♥

That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. (Psalms 67:2 NKJV)

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV)

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. (Psalms 2:7, 8 NKJV)

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Greater by Steven Furtick {Book Review}

Greater by Steven Furtick

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Let me start by saying this, I know extremely little about Steven Furtick and his ministry. Basically, I’ve only heard about him through the grapevine. The reasoning behind me wanting to read Greater was solely based on the concept of greatness.

The idea that we were made for bigger and better and we are destined to dwell in the land of “greater” is a constant thought of mine. It melts my heart to see others walk in the greatness of their calling. The Lord is constantly challenging His body to step into the reality and authority behind the truth, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We have the Holy Spirit living within us and He wants to use us for great exploits all across the globe. There is greatness inside of us. God loves when we realize who we are in Him because it stirs up a passion and fire that causes us to go into all the world and inform them of who they are as well. The children of God are great and were always destined to be.

The second reason why I chose this book was that i’ve always been fascinated by the story of Elijah and Elisha. I absolutely love reading about them! I’ve often wonder about the life of Elisha and thought that he deserves more recognition than we give him. He is just as much a hero as Elijah. What’s a father with out a son, and vise-versa. They are a dynamic-duo and true heros of the faith. Furtick does a good job of relaying the story of Elisha to us and lays out the map of Elisha’s life very well. I enjoyed reading about Elisha’s process to “greater”.

So initially I was really looking forward to this read. Greater starts out nicely. The first two chapters are good. I enjoyed the part where Furtick begins to introduce Elisha as the hero. But honestly, after that I was lost. I felt disconnected and was having a hard time becoming engaged in this book. That could have been my own fault, I’m not sure. After about the third chapter I began to loose interest. The concept of the book is great, no pund intended. We were all meant to be “greater” and the first step to achieving that is to believe in who God has made us and called us to be and walk that out in every area of life. Whether your working at Burger King or you’re preaching behind a pulpit to thousands, be confident that God has made you great. It’s your inheritance. You shine Him well when you shining.

I really enjoy books that are personal to the author. You know when the aurthor breaks off a piece of his or her life and shares it with you, that’s what encourages me. In this book it seemed as though Furtick was trying his best to give a “down-and-outer” a good pep talk. I would have much rather read about his own journey to and through the process of greater. What has the Lord told him about the idea of “greater”? Why is it worth writing a book about? Anyone can write a decent book on a well known subject just simply based on common knowledge that they’ve heard about that topic. I dont want to be informed of that subject.. I’d much rather read about your personal experience with that subject. Tell me why you believe this subject is so important for people to grasp? How has this subject affected you and/or transformed your life and way of thinking? Has it streched you? Does it challenge you? Why is it worth it? What is God saying about this? Why should I adapt this and make it my own?

I was expecting Greater to empower me as a believer to go after the things of God and better acknowledge the greatness God has destined me for. Instead it was more informative them empowering. Also, I felt that when he referred to Elisha as “greater” it was in a way that one-upped Elijah. Maybe not intentionally. Yet, that’s how it came across. Furtick is also very sarcastic. I didn’t find his sarcasm offensive at all, but I could see where certain people would be turned off by of it. It’s not a humorous type of sarcasm, at least not in this book. If you’re someone who is easily annoyed by sarcasm, this wouldn’t be my first recommendation for you.

Honestly, it was a decent book. I’m sure he a great pastor and a great man of God. His heart seems to be in the right place and the idea behind the book was nice. I would have enjoyed this book much more if he would have shared his heart and personal experiences with the Lord in the area of greatness.

I’m giving Greater three stars because it is possible that it just might be what someone needed. It wasn’t what I was hoping for but I hope someone else gets more out of it then I did. I did learn more about the life of Elisha, which I enjoyed. It’s a book that will vary from person to person. It wasn’t for me, but I’m sure it may have been for someone.

I received this book free from Water Brook Multnomah Publiching Group’s “Blogging for Books” program in exchange for my review and my honest opinion.

Blogging In 2012 {Review}

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 13,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

Please, Get Your Hopes Up!

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“Don’t get your hopes up!”

In my opinion this is one of the most over-used cliche phrases in America. How many times have you heard that said before? Has anyone ever said that to you? How did you react? After thinking about it for a while this scenario popped into my mind.. In the movies, the person who this line is usually said to tends to have a sudden change in demeanor and lowers their head as they walk away from their dreams. More often than not that seems to be the case when it comes to the big screen. Sad, isn’t it? Stunning how one short phrase can crush so many people’s hopes and dreams. It’s not so much the sentence itself but the heart behind the words. Sometimes those who use this phrase are the exact ones who have had their hopes squashed and they’re dreams deflated by the crude reality of the world. Or then again, maybe someone told them not to get their hopes up?

This phrase, “don’t get your hopes up”, has been stirring in my heart and mind for a while now. I just find it interesting, the whole idea that a single phrase can influence whether a person will choose to have high expectations in life or possibly none at all. While thinking about all this it made me realize how powerful hope can be. Of course, probably just like you, I know the gist of what hope is. I truly believe the Word of the Lord and i genuinely follow Christ. I’m in love with Jesus and all my hope is in God. It’s all true. I’m realizing more and more that somewhere down the road we’ve allowed great things like hope, joy, peace, happiness, faith, love, etc, to become mere words in our vocabulary. (In saying this, i don’t mean to throw a rock at anyone or tell you you’ve done something that you haven’t. If you haven’t, that’s wonderful! Honestly, I have found myself guilty of this as well.) There is so much more behind these gifts from God than just nice feelings attached to comforting words. They are more than just words painted on the plaques that hang on our walls.

“Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eye, sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called; The rejoicing of hope – Hebrews 3:6.” William Gurnall

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Hellen Keller

“This hope we have as an anchor for our soul, always sure and steadfast.” I just love that. God offers a hope that anchors my soul-your soul! God promises us hope with stability and confidence in an otherwise unstable situation. Life isn’t always stable and it’s often very hard for people to have confidence while going through those unstable waves. But just think, what if they knew they could have this stable confident hope like we have? What if they tasted of this gift of hope that Christ has to give? I wonder what they would do. What would you do? Think of something that you could only accomplish if you had a promise for stability and confidence to help you conquer anything.. No fear, just a hope that helps you step out into risk. What’s one thing you would do?

Would you like to know what I think? (Whether you do or don’t, oh well, I have the “mic” or technically the keyboard. Being that this is my blog. Oh the joys! lol)

I think you should take that one thing to the Lord and then I think you should go
do that one thing. Because, “We have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. It cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it–a hope that reaches farther and enters into the very certainty of the Presence within the veil,” {Hebrews 6:19 AMP} Go for it! Start building an orphanage in another country, open the business of your dreams, tell everyone who will listen about the love of God, start a small group, go back to college, start a blog, write a book or ten, make an effort to love people more, fill stadiums with worship, or spend four hours a day in prayer. Whatever it is-you can do it.

Hope – The joyful expectation for good, from God.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. My hope is founded upon the blood of Christ. The same blood that cleansed me of my sin. The blood that’s washed away our past and made a new slate for our future. Sounds pretty solid to me and All other ground is sinking sand. I understand why someone who isn’t walking with God wouldn’t want to get their hopes up. There hope isn’t in Christ since they are not following Him, so if their hope’s not in Him it’s in the world. That alone is deffinitely not promising. But God is. When our hope is in God why would we dare not get our hopes up?

Love hopes all things.
Gods is love.
We’re in love with God.
The God of all hope.

I say it’s about time we get our hopes up. What do we have to loose? That’s right, great answer.. Nothing. “Oh but what if what I hope for doesn’t happen?” A great thing to take into consideration each time this, or a question like this, pops into our head is to also ask ourselves how we are viewing God in that particular situation or area of life. It’s always good to make sure that we haven’t fooled ourselves into thinking that God is a “genie in a bottle” type God. We’re not playing a wishing game with Him. This is a lifestyle. A lifestyle where we continually learn to trust God, build our faith, praise Him for His faithfulness, and constantly get our hopes up.

Back to that “what if” question. I genuinely hope that we aren’t willing to rob ourselves and those around us of the opportunity to see God move and be seen faithful because we’ve had some small thought/doubt that it may not happen.. I get it, I really do. Life isn’t always fair. Life doesn’t always turn out like we plan. Things happen that we wish wouldn’t have. But placing your hope in God is nothing like tossing a coin in a wishing well. Think about it.. Picture a wishing well or a water fountain full of coins. We have a big one in the center of our shopping mall. Would you like to know what it’s filled with? First, I’ll tell you what it isn’t filled with. It’s not filled with faith, hundred dollar bills, blood, sweat or tears. Nope. That fountain is filled with pennies. Maybe there are a few dimes and nickels, but it’s mostly pennies. Why pennies? Because they’re cheap, you rarely use pennies anymore, and you probably won’t miss it when what you wished for doesn’t come true and you never see that penny again.. When was the last time you bought anything for just a penny? Then why would we offer (to a fountain none the less) a penny for our “dream come true’s”?

“Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19), because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.” R.C. Sprouls

Let me ask you another question.
Are your hopes worth a penny?
Are your dreams worth one cent?

Mine are worth so much more than a penny.

He who promised is also able to perform it.
He will perform that which concerns me.

When it comes to hope, it’s crucial that we never approach God as if He is a “wishing fountain” or a “genie in a bottle”. He’s not a man-made waterfall you can toss a coin in and cast your hopeless wish into the waters and walk away. God is faithful and it’s His joy and pleasure to spend His time making our hopes and dreams come true. He longs for you To see Him in His fullness and He’s willing to go the lengths it will take for you to know how good of a God He really is. Abandon all fear and get your hopes up. Dare to trust God when He said He would give you the desires of your heart. Build your hopes up.

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. (Psalms 147:11 NKJV)

What are some things you are hoping for?
Right now think of at least five things.

Would you pay a penny to see those things come to pass? I’m sure you’d be willing to pay a much greater price for your dreams than simply a penny thrown in a fountain. Count the cost and pay the price of putting all your hope in God. Dwell on His faithfulness and get your hopes up. Fully surrender to him those five things and continually have hope in the God who has never stopped doing great things.

Imagine someone walks up to you and tells you that they will do all that they possibly can to make your dreams come true. The only, for lack of a better word, “catch” is that it will cost you. Seeing your dreams come to pass will cost you this, you will have to give your all. You’ll need to put all your hope in the person who’s making this promise. You’ll have to have high expectations and great faith. With that being said, upon accepting this gift of fulfilled dreams and expectations met, would you offer that person a penny? The good thing is, Jesus doesn’t want your pennies. He wants your life. He wants your faith, trust, and hope to be rooted in Him. If our hope is in Christ then we must fulfill our end of the deal and have high hopes. Don’t listen to the world.. When it comes to hope, listen to the One who knows what He’s talking about and who hope itself comes from. On behalf of every person out there who has ever told you to not get your hopes up, I apologize. God gives us full permission and authority to get our hopes up. We get to hope in the only god that doesn’t disappoint, the One True Living God. He always comes through. He always does what He says. And He will always love you like crazy! He is eager to make your dreams come true. So, here it is..

Save your pennies.
Do yourself and God a favor and please GET YOUR HOPES UP!

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But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. (Psalms 71:14 NKJV)

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , And whose hope is the Lord . (Jeremiah 17:7 NKJV)

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation: It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word]. (Lamentations 3:21-25 AMP)

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Romans 8:24, 25 NKJV)

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord . (Psalms 31:24 NKJV)

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NKJV)

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, (Hebrews 6:19 NKJV)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23 NKJV)

Jesus, knowing they were out to get him, moved on. A lot of people followed him, and he healed them all. He also cautioned them to keep it quiet, following guidelines set down by Isaiah: Look well at my handpicked servant; I love him so much, take such delight in him. I’ve placed my Spirit on him; he’ll decree justice to the nations. But he won’t yell, won’t raise his voice; there’ll be no commotion in the streets. He won’t walk over anyone’s feelings, won’t push you into a corner. Before you know it, his justice will triumph; the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even among far-off unbelievers. (Matthew 12:15-21 MSG)

Read our short post on why I don’t give up and plan to have high expectations in God: {Don’t Grow Weary in Your Expectations}

Thrive In Every Season of Life {My Heart}

Thrive In Every Season of Life

“Embrace the current season of your life.” Gabrielle Blair

Whether you’re abasing or abounding learn to flourish in the process. I’ve learned that, whether I like it or not, I will continually find my self in different seasons throughout my life. The good, the bad, and the greatest. We determine the outcome of our season.

I can run in circles till the season is over and attain nothing but stress OR I can embrace the season and acquire the wisdom and the knowledge that God has set aside for me to learn in that particular season I find my self in because I chose to thrive. It’s my choice.

It’s one thing to count the cost, it’s another to pay the price. The ability to thrive and prosper in every season is what sets you apart and equips you to fulfill the assignment on your life and change the world. You will see your dreams and purpose fulfilled.

God is by your side.
God is with you.
God is committed to you.

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. (Deuteronomy 28:12 NIV)

Sermons & Podcasts to listen to:
The Process by Banning Liebscher
The Process to The Palace by Kris Vallotton
The Process of Recieveing Promises

So it came to pass in the PROCESS of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord .” (I Samuel 1:20 NKJV)

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV)

These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. (Psalms 104:27 NKJV)

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV)

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. (Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV)

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. (Psalms 20:4 NKJV)