WASHED

To all of us who gave the commitment at church to be baptized, October 24th, 2010. May the day and these words just be a reminder of where we came from, where we stand now, and everything God has done in between. May we stand in awe of that day, excited and empowered to glorify God in all that we do.

For those of you do not know how I write, I really feel that God writes through me... Take the words as if they were yours and hold on to the moments and flow in the spirit as I trust that It WILL speak to you. We are family now and i am so blessed to have been able to share that day and this with you all.

We looked up, to the sky one day

,Said Lord i need you, take my past away.

Giving us peace, strength and love,

Your presence felt, came straight from above.

Our friend then, forever in our minds,

Yet we sometimes fall, forgetting the times,

The times you turned our lives around

Whether floating in air, or walking on the ground.

Your comfort, your peace, your truth, your light,

Not growing weary, neither morning or night.

For god to change my life forever,

gives me confidence to stand tall, in all sorts of weather

The storms come and our lives crash like waves

We submit our troubles Lord their yours to take.

Standing in grace, abounding in love,

we stand in awe, and we rise above

We look to the sky, we remember that day,

when we gave our lives, our sins washed away.

For some it meant weeks, for others it meant years.

A life now to God, brings out the tears.

Tears of joy, excitement, and desire.

Life no longer walking a wire.

His arms spread, from east to west.

Our life, His hands, that grueling death.

To look back and think, the pain the hurt,

Washed by the blood, he counts my worth.

Worthy of Him, called for a reason...

Its now time to shine, so matter which season.

We followed the words, Seek, Ask and Knock,

Our life sealed forever, heavens a lock.

Remember that moment, the feeling, the tears,

The joy we will live, for the rest of our years.

What to do next, why not make a statement,

Baptized by water, no way to fake it.

We took a deep breath and down we went,

Washed by the water, we knew what it meant.

To follow our king, it is all worth it,

symbolic or obedient, we stood with a purpose.

That day a declaration, in front of a crowd,

There Our savior stood, smiling and proud.

We followed him, washed as he was,

Sealed from above, and called out in Love.

Reassurance

Sitting here talking to him,
Praising God I am forgiven,

Along time coming, my desires come first,
Living in sin, nothing seems worse.

My mind clear, your presence near
My heart, my thoughts, my doubts, my fears

Given hope, redeemed by grace
What I wouldn't give, to see his face

Shattered and torn, at times falling fast,
Caught in a feeling, a moment, the past.

Easily side tracked, pushed around
The weight too heavy I fall to the ground

To my knees I fall, calling your name
Your mercy and love, no longer ashamed

Created by Him, His hands, His love
Saved by Grace, called from above.

Close your eyes, my Son, breathe,
look to the sky, I am all you need.

You work, you plead, you cry to me
I love you child, can't you see

Relax, be free, set your mind above,
I’m with you there, don't doubt my love.

Patience my friend, remember, in my time
You don't need a moment, a word, or sign.

Carried you and tested your heart.
Growing in the moments, we seemed far apart

Push through the doubt; rise above
My son stay strong, Be patient in love.

.... In the Moment

Its been some time since my last piece and i pray that this is timely to all who read it! Whether now or ten years for now I pray that the words from God echo in your heart and speak to you in some way.
____________________________________________________________________

My God, My king, My Father, My friend.
We sit here and shout, the hurt wont mend.

We run the race, we come in last,
It’s not about winning, God just laughs.

He has called you, he has called me
Follow the light, walk to eternity.

Give up, give in, run, and be scared?
Your love never ending, the pain is still there.

Father I am calling, I want you here,
The doubts, the lies, my thoughts, my fears.

That person, the hurt, from just the other day,
Clouded by darkness, Lord please take it away.

I cry to you now, like every night before,
My path not perfect, yet you are my core.

I know who you are, I want your touch
Empty me please, your love means so much

I can’t move on, I can’t get passed it,
I’m stuck in a box, I feel so crowded

Nothing works, my hope is gone,
Lord hear my cry, “What have I Done Wrong?”

Songs play, my heart opens wide,
Come to me father, tears fall from my eyes.

To walk in your path, not stagger my own,
I know I screw up as these pages have formed.

My broken soul, reaching for your hands,
Setting myself apart, forever I’ll stand.

Lord I stand, your grace surrounds,
Forgive me, forgive them, and break the bounds.

You set me free, you called MY name,
In your light today, I have no shame.

Forgiven and send out, disciple of you,
Your word, your touch, your grace so true.

All I want to do, is feel you Lord,
My day, my night, my life now yours.

Moment of Silence

My friends, it has been a long time since i have taken energy in writing you. In the past few weeks i have encountered the enemy face to face. While i have been gone, i have experienced many marvels of God's true grace. I have embraced what our Lord is doing in my life to share with you my story.

The prayer from our last time has been itching at my heart. To know that God has taken the domains of my life, off of my shoulders gives me reason to stand today. My heart breaks for those who cannot see truth in the face of trial, and submit to the will of themselves and fights what our weaknesses are. One thing i have held onto in my time, is that God still chooses to show is love and mercy in our lives when we are weak. I am unable to understand the weight of his true mercy, when I kneel before God to cry out to him.

Friends I see the pain and hurt in my life that i have been saved from and i want that for you. I know life is tough and trials do come, but you, with strength and God, can stand tall to fight as well. The hurt and pain are so real in our lives that we become numb to the destruction of what it does to us. I plead that even before you continue on with your day, you take that moment of silence and ask our Lord to clear your mind, and show you His thoughts.

God is always searching to glorify himself through us, yet we fail to truly seek him. The hurt is never the end of life. God has called us to truly seek him through those tough times and cry out to him for help. He wants you to know he is there. The world is totally against God as we seek his kingdom and not riches, but Our Lord Jesus is calling us to lay things down before him, everything, and trust him with our lives.

I leave you with this: A prayer to those who need it and possibly a moment of silence for God to move in your heart.

Father i thank you for my life. I thank you for the places you have brought me out of. For the joy you set in my heart and that is not shaken. God I know your truth and feel your touch and open my eyes to you. God the hurt in my life ranges from way back in time and i pray that i can truly begin to set it apart from what your doing now. Help me rid myself of my past so that i glorify you. Pick me up of mighty King and embrace me with your love that covers all things. My heart is torn and broken and i pray that you show me how to give my life and my possessions to you. Thank you Lord for clearing my mind as i take a step forward and walking in silence to only hear your voice.

Words to pray!

Today my friends I write you because i feel not only I but you as well are struggling. As you read this, I pray that God speaks to you as He has done for me. This prayer came from a book, You have what it takes, by John Eldredge. May your spirit be lifted and guided as you read the words.

" Dear God, holy and victorious Trinity, you alone are worthy of all my worship, my hearts' devotion, all my praise and all my trust and all the glory of my life. I worship you, bow to you, and give myself over to you in my hearts' search for my life. I renounce all other gods, all idols, and I give you the place in my heart and in my life that you truly deserve. I confess here and no that it is all about you, God and not about me. You are the Hero of this story, and I belong to you. Forgive me for my every sin. Search me and know me and reveal to me any aspect of my life that is not pleasing to you, expose any agreements I have made with my Enemy, and grant me the grace of a deep and true repentance.

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and choosing me before you made the world. You are my true Father -- my Creator, my Redeemer, my Sustainer, and the true end of all things, including my life. I love you; I trust you; I worship you. Thanks you for proving your love me by sending your only Son, Jesus, to be my sacrifice and my new life. I receive him and all his life and all his work, which you ordained for me. Thank you for including me in Christ, for forgiving me my sins, for granting me his righteousness, for making me complete in him. Thanks your making me alive with Christ, raising me with him, seating me with at your right hand, granting me his authority, and anointing me with your Holy Spirit. I receive it all with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, thank you for coming for me, for ransoming me with your own life. I honor you as my Lord; I love you, worship you, trust you. I sincerely receive you as my redemption, and I receive all the work and triumph of your crucifixion, whereby I am cleansed from all my sin through your shed blood, my old nature is removed, my heart is circumcised unto God, and every claim being made against me is disarmed. I take my place in your cross and death, whereby I have died with you to sin and to my flesh, to the world, and to the Evil One. I am crucified with Christ. I now take up my cross and crucify my with all its pride, unbelief, and idolatry. I put off the old man. I now bring to the cross of Christ between me all people, all spirits, all things. Holy Spirit, apply to my the fullness of the work of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my new life, my holiness and sanctification, and I receive all the work and triumph of your resurrection, whereby I have been raised with you to a new life, to walk in newness of life, dead to sin and alive to God. I am crucified with you Christ, and it is no longer I who life but Christ who lives in me. I now take place in your resurrections , whereby I have been made alive with you, I reign in life through you. I put on the new person in all holiness and humility, in all righteousness and purity and truth. Christ is now my life, the one who strengthens me. Holy Spirit, apply to me the fullness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my authority and rule, my everlasting victory over Satan and his kingdom, and I receive all the work and triumph of your ascension, whereby Satan has been judged and cast down, his rulers and authorities disarmed, all authority in heaven and on earth given to you, Jesus, and I have been give fullness in you, the Head over all. I take my place in your ascension, whereby I have been raised with you to the right hand of the Father and established with you in all authority.

I bring your authority and your kingdom rule over my life, my family, my household, and my domain. And now I bring the fullness of your work-- your cross, resurrection, and ascension-- against Satan, against his kingdom, and against all his emissaries and all their work warring against me and my domain. Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. Christ has given me authority to overcome all the power of the Evil One, and I claim that authority now over and against every enemy, and I banish them in the name of Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, apply to me the fullness of the work of the ascension of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Holy Spirit, I receive you as my Counselor, my Comforter, my Strength, and my Guide. Thank you for sealing me in Christ. I honor you as my Lord, and I ask you to lead me into all truth, to anoint me for all of my life and walk and calling, and to lead me deeper into Jesus today. I fully open my life to you in every dimension and aspect-- my body, my soul, and my spirit-- choosing to be filled with you, to walk in step with you in all things, Apply to me, blessed Holy Spirit, all of the work and all of the gifts in Pentecost. Fill me afresh, blessed Holy Spirit. I receive you with thanks and give you total claim to my life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for granting to me every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. I receive those blessings into my life today, and i ask the Holy Spirit to bring all those blessings into my life this day. Thank you for the blood Jesus. Wash me once more with his blood from every sin and strain and evil device. I put on your armor (Ephesians 6:11-20) and i wield these weapons against the Evil on in the power of God. I choose to pray at all times in the Spirit, to be strong in you, Lord, and in your might.

Father, thank you for your angels. I summon them in the authority of Jesus Christ and release them to war for me and my household. My they guard me at all times this day. Thank you for those who pray for me; I confess i need their prayers and intercession for me. I call forth the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ this day throughout my home, my family, my life, and my domain. I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, with all glory and honor and thanks to him."
John Eldredge

Caught in the Moment

Have you even been caught in a moment of time when nothing else matter? Your mind run free from worry and your body shakes. Close your eyes and fall! Many things in life tend to distract us or make us react differently. A suspenseful movie, an intense conversation, and even as terrifying as the blue lights of a cop car during a traffic stop. Your mind races to the good and bad of each moment and you hang on with hope of the outcome being better than what is really is.

Life tends to be about moments in time and making the best of each. We are placed in circumstances that challenge us to be bold or back off. When is the last time you were caught in the moment? Did your mind race with freedom because it was so great.. or tighten up becuase it was too hard to handle.

Today, i ask myself, if the moments I am in, send me high or bring me down? The good is Great and the bad is worse than i could imagine. Why is it that they bring me down? Can i not be caught up in a good way even in the bad times? Can we set apart our differences to look to God and take advantage of those times where we push others to catch what is wanted.

There is no doubt in my mind that we have all been caught in the moment. As hard as it is to move again from being frozen in time, we can only look back and take that first step forward to being who we are called to be.

A simple thought

I sit here and think, lines begin to move,
In and out of focus, how can this be true.
The words are there, bold and clear,
Like paint on a wall, coated each year.
My eyes begin to shake, I don't know why,
I take a deep breath, and let out a cry.
Lacking vision and focus, of a life a head,
The chances I get, how am I not dead.
I try and try, to clear my thoughts,
No matter what, never captive or caught.
My mind runs wild, like deer in the woods,
Do I do what I want, or Do what I should?
I fight to push forward, I fall three steps back,
Life is like a train, even then get off track.
The little things, we see and do,
Focused or not, can it really be true?
Something more, something better, that makes things clear,
Blurred by my past, the crap through the years.
Chance after chance, I can easily move,
Guided by others, yet refusing to lose.
Burning eyes, dried up like sand,
Those thoughts of moving forward, starting over again.
To blink or to move, to give in and run,
Where is life going, is it no longer fun?
Our visions are lost, in the ways of others
Out of focus we are, yet still sisters and brothers.
Given a vision, a plan for our life,
Changes each day, breathe, it's alright.
To focus on this, or concentrate on that,
We get caught in the moment, each a new act?
Where is your faith, where is your trust?
Controlled not by us, but God is a must.
Ephesians 2, he calls us his,
A look back a life, the guilt of what we did
God made us, saved by grace,
Not just a walk, but an act of faith.
Perfectly crafted perfectly born,
A life laid out, his plan never torn.
Given a purpose, given a path,
Why do we stumble? The enemy just laughs.
Dead to the world, Alive in Christ.
My focus, my walk, my moment of life.
Confused at time, uncertain, and scared,
Death of the cross will never compare.
Where is your FOCUS, Where is your life?
Whats stopping you, from being born twice.
Alive in spirit, again, dead to the earth.
Plans for you and me, he knew it before birth.
Clouded by days, blinded by nights,
Don't hold God in a box, let shine, his precious light.
Stop, start over, the race set ahead,
Life out of focus, Don't end up dead.
Broken and healed, and a plan from the Lord.
Take A Step back and A Look Forward

Hard Life?

Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you today above anything else.

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

Life is full of hardships. You my friends I know have endured a great deal of pain and sadness throughout your life. Including myself, I have been through many family battles, fights with friends, school, and many other things that truly break us down. Life is not said to be a fun ride to the top is it? If so I have lost the memo. As Paul writes to us in how our instructions to endure hard times and hold on to the hope that God gives us through is word, we can only look back and be thankful for that road we have been on.

For those of you who currently dealing with issues of stress, work, relationships, or maybe just nothing is going right, My prayer to you is that you not only find peace in my words, but the truth of Hope and encouragement can be found in something far greater that what i can ever write. My your day be brightened to not only to spread encouragement to others, but to go embrace the Hope, our King has given us!

The First Step

What step matters most? Is it the one you first take as a baby? or one that you take to ask a girl out? The First Step you took to get a job or make a friend in one of your classes? In life we take many steps but we fail to see the significance of each.

Clouded by the movement of the world, our steps seem to meaningless. Do you take time to stop and stand still on a busy sidewalk? I think not, and i feel that its becasue no one else around you is stopping to look up, put the phone down, or just breathe. Overwhelmed by the atmosphere of a busy sidewalk, our minds race to catch the heels of those in front of us. Significant? Are you embracing each step you take?

My brothers and sisters, nothing hurts me more than seeing the busyness of life engulf our thoughts. Do you have a time to rest? Are you too busy with him or her to see others? Do electronics cloud your mind, like they do mine? Pointing out flaws in your life is not my purpose today, I simply choose to embrace a topic and step out to challenge you to think differently.

Where are you going? Why are you going? Do you ever stop to think there is something more? More that the mundane weekly habits? I fall just as you do into a trap worthless for us both. What good comes from stepping out and getting denied, hurt, or rejected? I have no answer for that but, is it possible that there may be an answer to why you go on living that way?

Life has trapped us and once we get stuck once, we are hesitant to step out and move forward. Your scared, I'm scared! I tremble to step out and get hurt again. I hide my thoughts, my feelings, my emotions, and truly seek to do it myself, or just give up and no longer care. I can not do it alone, and for so long i tried. Stepping forward from the past is very hard, but once you can overcome the fear of The First Step, although you may fall, you begin to see a new light, and confidence in your life.

Each intricate step has been laid down for you and I to step into. What is stopping you from taking A Look Back, and A Step Forward, to live fearlessly.

A New Day

Hello my dear friends.
Today i hope to not only encourage you, but to begin an adventure. This blog will be used for not just a look back at what i have been through but taking a step through my journey to overcome life's obstacles. My prayer is that you see not only what i struggle with, am thankful for, and enjoy, but you see the hurt, the pain, the real life things that i deal with.

My heart behind my letters, is that they inspire you to take steps in your own life to encourage and bless others. My friends, Our Lord is doing a good work in us and in me and pray that the words on this page will cause You to take, A Look Back and A Step Forward, as I in turn, do the same.

There will be many more days and many more letters to come. May God protect you and show you His love today in a new way!