ASSUME - A Five Minute Friday post

***

I have missed this practice and community of writing for five minutes flat off of a One Word prompt --a Flashmob of writers all leaning in and seeing what spills out as the timer ticks away! This is a Five Minute Friday post...and our One Word Prompt is: ASSUME!

{GO!} 

My eyes see the One Word Prompt and my heart is already mid-sentence before I even open the screen to write.  

Oh - Assumptions... how they can boss us around!

I believe Assumptions and Ascribing Intent are two of the biggest tools of our enemy. 

I know?! I feel the hugeness of that statement too and I wonder for just a moment if I am being dramatic... if I am overstating this thought.

So I slow... even as the timer ticks away... and I ask the Lord if I am on the right track here... 

"Lord,  what happens when we assume... when we write a story in our own mind in a flash with absolutely no facts or background... what is it that happens in our hearts?"

Immediately I felt His answer... 

May He be Harder to Ignore... a Five Minute Friday post

***

This is a Five Minute Friday post... Five Minute Friday posts are when I set a timer and free-write for five minutes flat. Then I add graphics and format a bit, but the actual writing stops (or at least is given an asterisk!) when my timer goes off! I am a bit out of practice but I'm back again... leaning in, and listening closely to what the Spirit is saying... let's go!

{GO!} 

My practice in the old days was to see the One Word Prompt and immediately ask the Lord what He wanted to say. That is something I am most definitely NOT out of practice in doing. I ask Him these things all the time, and normally He is quick to speak! 

He has opinions, friends... and He's not shy about them if we will only ask! 

And that is when it hits me: We have heard it countless times - how Jesus is a gentleman and He will not push Himself on us. He pursues us with a passion and focus that should take our breath away. It should leave us weak in the knees and stunned at His selfless, all-encompassing love for us. 

A "These are the Days of..." Post

Hello, Sweet Readers!

I dipped my toe back into the Blogging World last month with my return to participating in the Five Minute Friday community.  I had hoped to find an easy rhythm finding myself back in the saddle again. But we know, ... don't we? I mean - we know now that - at least in this season -  any kind of 'easy rhythm' seems really difficult to find!

So - nearly a whole month went by with no routine, no clear schedule, no priority laid out to get me back in this chair... tapping at these keys, waiting to see/read/hear what He has to say.  You see, I've explained it before but sitting in this spot, praying for words and then being willing to type when He begins speaking to my heart: It's more for me than it is for you! 

Oh, you are welcome here... welcome to any nuggets of truth or insight or wisdom, of course!  But the 'easy rhythm' I'm truly longing for is simply the reconnecting of spending time with Him, expectantly waiting to hear! (Maybe you are longing for something similar, too?). 

With the arrival of a new month, hope is stirring yet again and I am following His lead... heeding to the beckoning of His call... and I am willing and I believe (--Lord, help my unbelief!) that He has something for us in this season that will only come as we pursue Him with a single vision and a tenacity that - to be honest - has waned for many including myself. Maybe we grew weary... even though we know the verse that tells us not to... maybe doubt crept in - or maybe life just crowded Him out. Whatever the reason or excise... here's to pressing in again and pursuing His Presence together in this space yet again!

Let's get to the process of beginning again... and leaning in to hear what God is saying in this season, at this time!

For today - as I am slowly walking back into this practice, let's revisit an old favorite way of keeping track and writing things down! This discipline of making a list had me at Hello! (I mean - right?). Emily P Freeman talks about making a list to help her stay present and acknowledge all that a season is holding. I loved it so much that I started to put it into practice!  In fact, when I didn't write ONE SINGLE ESSAY/POST/JOURNAL ENTRY for all of whatever year Covid was new and everywhere... (2020? 2021?) - every month, I wrote a list! I'm so grateful to have those written in my journal!

So today - to catch up on what this Season is holding for me... I will make a list:

"THERE ARE THE DAYS OF..."

Jan/Feb 2023

*        Cozy Evenings spent at Home, stirring up Gratefulness for ALL the way God takes care of us.

*        Real Estate Broker Licensing Course/Studying (Before work, After work, on the weekends, too!)

*        Midnight Hour Intercessions - Being Wide Awake at 3am, praying for our Nation and our world, as well as for our friends and family!

Receive - A return to the Five Minute Friday Post

***

This is a Five Minute Friday post... It has been a long, long while since I have played along with this practice, this community... but I am hoping to get back to some sort of consistency in sitting in this chair and typing words together... In case you are new - or like me, may have forgotten -  Five Minute Friday posts are when I set a timer and free-write for five minutes flat. Sometimes I then add graphics and format a bit, but the actual writing stops (or at least is given an asterisk!) when my timer goes off! I'm out of practice in all things writing but here I sit... leaning in, and getting back to some old practices!  Here we go!

Today, our one-word prompt is: RECEIVE

{GO!} 

Receive...

I see the word prompt and immediately remember doing a post on this word years and years ago... maybe around Christmas time.  I am also reminded that it has been WAY too long since I have sat in this space and tapped on keys to reveal my heart.

I stepped away from the Blogging World a while ago. It was a slow fade for me... 

Our Annual Prophetic Post for the New Year - 2023 Edition

Happy New Year, Sweet Readers!

Honestly - I didn't mean to be gone for nearly an entire year!  I wrote a post last week and didn't get too into all the why's of why I was absent here but let me say this - it was not intentional! I didn't decide to walk away from blogging, from writing, from connecting in this space... Life just sort of crowded it out and I felt a call for a season to hold many things closer to my chest.  I was called (--am still called, really!) to a more intense season of intercession. Between that, regular life, plugging back into church/ministry, a part-time job and schooling, and - of course - being a Mimi, Blogging got pushed to the side.

For now... I want to say, Here we are! We made it through 2022 and we are winding down the first full day of 2023! Once again, I am SO READY for a Brand New Year... a Fresh New Start... a Blank, clean slate! The Hope and Energy that accompanies the dawning of a new year is tangible and the pull towards Goal Setting and Dream pursuing and the endless possibilities for GOOD... well, it seems to only last for a few days, right?  So - the standing Open Invitation and long-running Date I have with the Lord continues and He woke me up early this morning, already speaking about 2023!

And that means it is time for our Annual Prophetic Post for the start of the New Year!

Before we dive into what God spoke to my heart about 2023, let's briefly look back at 2022...

Merry Christmas Eve!

Oops!? You guys?!!?

How did LITERALLY almost an entire YEAR go by here?

I knew I was feeling called to more quiet... less sharing of all my thoughts so publicly.

I was called more to Prayer in secret and waking (again/still) at 3am to intercede through most midnight watches in 2022. Add to that: real life, working a part-time job that took up more mental space than part-time jobs usually do, battling some physical ailments that made my OneWord (Strength) feel mean and tricky, and - well - I was tired, Y'all!)

TIRED!

  (Weary? Maybe a bit of that, too, as the year dragged on.)

I kept up the Monthly Newsletter for a bit longer than this blog, but even that practice got pushed to the side for a season.

However, I have been feeling a stirring... a reawakening to write, once again!

My, how I have missed it!

Our Annual Prophetic Post for the New Year - 2022 Edition!

Happy New Year, Sweet Readers!

We made it through and here we are: January 1, 2022!  

A Brand New Year... a Fresh New Start... and I think all of us are ready for it --maybe even more than in years past!

This has become a somewhat anticipated post around here... but, as I've said before, it was a tradition long before I started this blog (which was a long, long, LONG time ago!) So, long before I wrote this New Years Day post here for the public, I practiced this routine in private --and year after year, it still proves to be... True... Helpful... Accurate... and Encouraging!

This is our Annual Prophetic Post for the New Year!

I know we have all felt a bit of trepidation and hesitant Hope during the approach of a New Year for the last few trips around the sun.  But I have to say, I feel ACTUAL Hope and Joyful Anticipation rising up as we enter into 2022!

It feels like all the Hard & Heavy from the past several years have been leading up to Now! NOW is the time... THIS is the year!

Before we dive into whatever God has to say about'22, let's briefly look back at 2021...

Releasing 2021 and Leaning in to 2022! (A One Word 365 post)

***

Do Y'all still do this? I love the practice and even in those years where it seems my OneWord may have slipped away - I can always reflect back over the year and see how it was actually at work all the while!

Maybe you are not aware of the movement that is OneWord365... or maybe you are in the know and already have fully embraced your Word for 2022! I didn't write much in 2021 about my One Word and to be honest, I kind of forgot all about it for months at a time... but as I said, as I have been reflecting over this (past - almost!) year, I can see how it was always close at hand!

I've been doing this OneWord365 project for many years and yet, each December, I pray into what He may have for me and ask Him to lead my Word to me. (And --usually-- I argue and second-guess! It's fine. It's all part of my charm!)

My OneWord last year was RELEASE!

It was sort of a Do-Over word because I had picked "Releasing" about seven or eight years earlier. If you remember, I sort of argued with God about His choice because - you know - out of ALL the words...? Why use one so similar to something I'd already walked with? But I got confirmation after confirmation and when I allowed myself to sit still long enough to listen, I realized there were things I still hadn't let go of in 2021... things that were holding me back!

"Release" also showed up in laying things down (again) like old hurts and expectations, insecurities and doubts, but also releasing things like our small group and old traditions... It meant good things too, like releasing Hope and Peace into OH SO MANY anxious and stressful situations throughout the year, and releasing the false hope of trying to control or persuade something or someone into believing differently!

So... I'm so thankful I took a few moments to look over 2021 to see where or if Release showed up - because, well - it seems (even though technically I am NOT 'lighter'!) I feel much lighter going in to 2022! Less weighed down... less held back --by myself and by others! When I moved on and began praying about my NEXT Word for 2022, I asked the Lord to give me a Word that would stick with me all year long and would bring in me - if I was willing - a lasting change!

Enter the stirrings of Power and Strength!

Wrapping Up James... An Official The End to our Year-long Series!

I am simply popping in real quick and quiet-like to officially say, "That's a Wrap!" to our James Series! 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I know things are (still!) different and for many, the holidays were not all Bright and Joyful.  But I do pray that you had moments of knowing His Love for you remains -- no matter what else may be shaking... His Love is secure and steady!  

I can't say for you --but I know for me, this week in between all the hustle and bustle of Christmas and the unfolding of a brand New Year can feel a bit lost and without focus. These few days in between give us a little rest and recovery before we put all the decorations away and refocus and set new goals for the year ahead! So it felt like the perfect time to pop in here and simply say, Thank You!  Thank You for going through the book of James together with me this year! I know it was not all rainbows and unicorns!  James is a straight shooter and he packs some heat!  But all of the hard things he says are FOR OUR BENEFIT!

So whether you ready every single entry, or you just clicked over to read now and then --I hope you gleaned some wisdom and insight and hope while you were here! I hope it stirred you up and inspired you to dig into the Word and read in a few different translations, too! I will leave the Intro page with links to each post in the series up for another month or two - and then I will be taking it down, with plans to upload it to Amazon for purchase! My hope is to upload the James study as well as the Colossians study (possibly along with a few other 31 Days Devotional series, too!) 

Am I planning on writing another series in 2022? I'm not.  I am praying into adding a second Podcast in 2022 and I'm just not sure I will have the time or bandwidth to take on a series AND a podcast! (But - again... you know how it is with me! I'm not the boss of me so if God tells me to do it - I'll be here in this space, tapping away at these keys!)  

I AM leaning in this week and praying... reflecting over the book and phrase the Lord gave me at the start of the year, along with my OneWord, and seeing if/where/how it all showed up in 2021! I'm also setting aside time to pray on New Year's Day to ask Him for a bit of direction for 2022 so I invite you to check back in this space in the next week or two to see what He whispers to me about what's ahead for us in the next year! 

Wanderers Retrieved, Sins Covered... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

You guys!??! Today is our last official post in this year-long 2021 James Series!  Man, I hope you have been with me all through the year!  If not, I encourage you to click on the Series Intro page (at the end of this post) and scroll to the bottom, where you can read each post from the whole series!  I will be taking this off the blog early in the New Year with intentions of making it available on Amazon in late Winter or early Spring!  But I'm getting ahead of myself! Today - we dive into the final two verses! (Then we may have one more post to sort of wrap it all up before the end of the year! Maybe.  Because - you know... the Holidays!)

But today's verses are JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 19-20! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Finally, as members of God’s beloved family, we must go after the one who wanders from the truth and bring him back. For the one who restores the sinning believer back to God from the error of his way, gives back to his soul life from the dead, and covers over countless sins b)  their demonstration of love!" (The Passion Translation)

I know... the whole study was leading up to this! We MUST go after the one who wanders from the truth and bring him back. In the Greek translation of this verse it means, "save his soul from death." 

Yes. That. 

Let's do that! 

Here's the thing -- we have to know when someone wanders from the truth. And even before that, we have to know and remember that there is One Truth that we can wander away from! 

I know...!? This wreaks of accountability! (Gasp!) 

Want Tremendous Power? Pray for One Another... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Happy Holidays, Sweet Readers! Can you even believe it is DECEMBER? I mean  - DECEMBER? Where did this year go?  Anyway... we are nearing the end of the year as well as the end of our series here.  So without further ado, let's get right to the Word:

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 16-18! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Confess and acknowledge how you have offended one another and then pray for one another to be instantly healed, for tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer!

Elijah was a man with human frailties, just like all of us, but he prayed and received supernatural answers. He actually shut the heavens over the land so there would be no rain for three and a half years! Then he prayed again and the skies opened up over the land so that the rain came again and produced the harvest." (The Passion Translation)

I mean... I think we all want 'tremendous power' - at least when it comes to our prayers, right? 

Brace yourself, friends... here we get James being all James-like again, explaining that in order to tap into that tremendous power, there are a couple of steps BEFOREHAND that we need to take!  This one is tricky because NONE of us like doing it! (We keep it real around here!) 

Prayer to be Reckoned with... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Hello, friends! We are back with another installment of our James series! Today we are going over just two little verses, but --you guys!-- they are PACKED full!  Let's get right to it:

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 13-15! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Are there any believers in your fellowship suffering great hardship and distress? Encourage them to pray! Are there happy, cheerful ones among you? Encourage them to sing out their praises! Are there any sick among you? Then ask the elders of the church to come and pray over the sick and anoint them with oil in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick and the Lord will raise them up, and if they have committed sins they will be forgiven." (The Passion Translation)

'Are there any believers... suffering great hardship and distress?'
This is rhetorical, right? I mean, the answer is always yes... 

Now is the Time for High Hopes and Patience... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Happy November, Y'all!  Can you even believe that we are this close to all the end-of-year Holidays and festivities? I was talking with a friend just the other day sharing about how this year has seemed to slip right by while we have been holding our collective breath, waiting... for healing, for hope, for a breakthrough, or overcoming... While much of our 'normal' lives may have been pushed to the side or put on pause, Time -in fact- did not slow!
This also means we are nearing the end of our study, reading through the book of James together through 2021!  Let's continue with Chapter 5... 

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 7-12! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, we must be patient and filled with expectation as we wait for the appearing of the Lord. Think about the farmer who has to patiently wait for the earth’s harvest as it ripens because of the early and latter rains. So you also, keep your hopes high and be patient, for the presence of the Lord is drawing closer. Since each of you are part of God’s family never complain or grumble about each other so that judgment will not come on you, for the true Judge is near and very ready to appear!

My brothers and sisters, take the prophets as your mentors. They have prophesied in the name of the Lord and it brought them great sufferings, yet they patiently endured. We honor them as our heroes because they remained faithful even while enduring great sufferings. And you have heard of all that Job went through and we can now see that the Lord ultimately treated him with wonderful kindness, revealing how tenderhearted he really is!

Above all we must be those who never need to verify our speech as truthful by swearing by the heavens or the earth or any other oath. But instead we must be so full of integrity that our “Yes” or “No” is convincing enough and we do not stumble into hypocrisy." (The Passion Translation)

Oh man, this portion is PACKED full of goodness!

Listen for the Cries for Justice - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Hello, Sweet Readers!  I bet you thought I forgot about you!  Or gave up... but look - here we are, nearing the end of October and we are digging into Chapter FIVE!!!  We've almost made it! We can do this!

I hope you have been getting a lot out of going through this Book ever so slowly this year. Verse by verse, precept upon precept... I hope things have both encouraged and challenged you, as they have me!  Who's ready for chapter five?

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 1-6! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Listen all you who are rich, for it’s time to weep and howl over the misery that will overtake you! Your riches lie rotting, your fine clothing eaten by moths, and your gold and silver are corroded as a witness against you. You have hoarded up treasure for the last days but it will become a fire to burn your flesh. Listen! Can’t you hear the cries of the laborers over the wages you fraudulently held back from those who worked for you? The cries for justice of those you’ve cheated have reached the ears of the Lord of armies!

You have indulged yourselves with every luxury and pleasure this world offers, but you’re only stuffing your heart full for a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered good and innocent people who had no power to defend themselves." (The Passion Translation)

Oh yeah... James can be - uh - a bit much! 

James again calls out to the wealthy and tells them it's time now to weep and howl over the misery that will overtake them. Fun times. The Aramaic word for misery here can refer to demonic torment. Again... super fun. 

It Seems Everyone is Violating God's Law of Love lately! The Book of James Bible Series

***

Happy Thursday, Friends!  It's time to dig into more of James! I'm so grateful that the Lord highlighted this letter for us to focus on this year... it is so needed and has been so helpful!
You know the drill: Grab something yummy to drink, get your Bible, and let's dive in!

LET'S DIG IN! TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 4, VERSES 11-17! 

We begin by reading our verses together here from The Passion Translation Bible:

"Dear friends, as part of God’s family, never speak against another family member, for when you slander a brother or sister you violate God’s law of love. And your duty is not to make yourself a judge of the law of love by saying that it doesn’t apply to you, but your duty is to obey it! There is only one true Lawgiver and Judge, the One who has the power to save and destroy—so who do you think you are to judge your neighbor.

Surrender, Stand, Resist, (Repeat) - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Hello again, Sweet Readers!  It's so great to meet you here as we dive into more of James!  Grab something Fall-like and festive to sip on along with your Bible, and let's get started!

LET'S DIG IN! TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 4, VERSES 6-10! 

We begin by reading our verses together here from The Passion Translation Bible:

"But he continues to pour out more and more grace upon us. For it says, “God resists you when you are proud but continually pours out grace when you are humble.”

So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will flee in agony. Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting. Feel the pain of your sin, be sorrowful and weep! Let your joking around be turned into mourning and your joy into deep humiliation. Be willing to be made low before the Lord and he will exalt you!" (The Passion Translation)

I'm going to just say it upfront... this is another hard part of James --but only because he speaks the truth so bluntly and he makes it hard to ignore! 

Let's start with the not-so-hard part first... 'he continues to pour out more and more grace..."  That phrase there can also be translated, "he gives us a greater gift" or "the grace or favor he gives us is stronger."  Remember in when a verse starts with 'But', or 'And', or 'Therefore', (etc.) it's always a good idea to back up a verse or two...