Let Love Lead the Way! by Kimchi Blow

As a Christian, we are called to love. Although, that is a simple statement, it is not an easy task, at least not for me. My love for others is constantly being tested and honestly, I fail at it at times and I have quit on love and on people! Why? Good question, huh? Why do we fail to love others like ourselves? Well, because love has to begin with the other person and not ourselves. In fact, the truth is, Love begins with God and flows from Him through us. It is a supernatural gift that supersedes anything we could imagine as humans. Without God, we can’t truly love. God loved us first; therefore, we can love others. Either way, love is a choice. Notice I said “choice” because in fact it is a choice. It is not a feeling. I will say that again, it is not a feeling! Feelings come and go, but true love remains faithful. Feelings can change like the direction of the wind. It can be fleeting, leaving us with emptiness.
Every day, we are given a choice to love someone. Will it be “us” that we love more or others? For most of us, including myself, it is easier to love myself more. Why is that? Well, for number one, I am not a risk. At least when loving myself that is. However, I might be a risk for someone to love me. I know where I stand and I am in control of myself. It is not a risk for me to trust myself. However, it is a risk to love someone else. It is a risk to trust someone else with our hearts. Why? People hurt people. Or it has been said, “Hurting people hurt people.” Well, the truth is, we are ALL hurting people. In some way or another, we have all failed at love and love has somehow failed us. Our hearts are bleeding out and we ALL need healing! This is the risk and so you have to ask yourself in the end, is the risk worth it? Is loving others more than ourselves worth it?
Jesus thought so. In fact, He BELIEVED in love so much that He died for the cause! Now that is a scary theory. His love conquered all! His love empowered all. His love was faithful. His love was complete. His love was endless. Most of all, His love for us was not a risk, it was an investment for eternity..To Him, we were worth it!
I don’t know about you but that is the kind of love, I want to experience. And it is the kind of love I want to extend to others. It is the kind of love that never fails. It is the kind of love that has no expectations. It is the kind of love that is selfless. It is the kind of love that is freeing! However, in and of myself, I can’t achieve this kind of love on my own. It takes surrendering “myself” daily. Surrendering my rights, my feelings, my thoughts, my pride, etc…basically, my life! It should always be about others and not myself! Or more so, it should always be about God!
I want God’s love! I want it more than anything because it is the one thing I hold as truth. It is the kind of love that is endearing. It is the kind of love that brings me hope. It is the kind of love that I know in the end, is worth the risk.
How do I get this love? Simply by believing in the One in Whom God sent, Jesus. From that choice, love flows. Love is a choice and the choice is Jesus.
What I am learning these days about love is this. First of all, love is a commitment. My commitment is to God first. We can all love others better when we commit with starting with a relationship with Jesus. Why this is important is because when we can rest in His love for us, it makes it easier to love others and when others fail to love us. It somehow does not matter any longer because we have God, who won’t fail us. God’s love is complete and it does not lack in us. We must find a way to tap into that daily. Our expectations should be in God and not people. Somehow, we all have been lied to. People can’t complete people because of our sinful nature and our need to be selfish.
The second thing I am learning about love is not only does it begin with God, but it never ends with me! That is right, whenever love is taking a look at how” I” feel, I just failed in it! Love is always about the other person! This is a hard concept to learn and to act on. It begins with abandoning our feelings, our emotions, our rights, our lives!
Thirdly, I have learned that love will fail because people are human and they are not perfect. However, God’s love never fails. So, if you are looking to people for love then you are looking in the wrong place, people will fail you! I know, I know, that is a tough truth to embrace, but it is true. God is the only person who can complete us. This makes sense because He is the ONE who knows our hearts inside and out. He knows what each if us are longing for. He knows what each of us is thinking before we even think it. He was part of our beginning and will be there in the end. God is LOVE!
My goal these days is simply this, I am crying out to God to help me be faithful to love Him, so that I can love others. I am trying not to look to others for love but instead look to God to fulfill me in any areas I am feeling need in..I am placing all my expectations on Him. God is not a risk, however, He is a choice, but a choice that I know will be the best thing I ever did! Let love abound in you today and let love lead the way!

Betrayl and the Possibilities...by Kimchi Blow

“Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eat with Me will betray Me.” Mark 14:18

I can only imagine, I would have been foolish like Peter and said the same thing, “Not I, Lord, not I.” But the truth is there are times in my life, I have betrayed God. Not meaning to, but in small ways. Like times when I chose not to spend time with Him in His Word or in prayer, instead I chose to fulfill my own desires. The world is full of temptations that lure us away from the One and Only. It happened to the disciples of that day, so why can’t it happen to us now? Let us not be so foolish to think we are any different, especially in the times we live, where life is constantly challenging your heart, minds and souls!
It is important that we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and pray our hearts and minds will be protected from the evils of this world. We can do this by making sure we are in the Word of God daily. Also, by keeping ourselves accountable with other believers. Even with all the safe guards in place, there will be times that we will in small ways betray Jesus. We do this when we chose something in our daily lives that is not His will for us. It could be as simple as watching a not so life giving TV show, or spending our time in conversations that can be hurtful to others. Maybe it is continuing to make our focus about our desires and not the Lords. Whatever it is, we must have a heart that is towards the Lord and be quick to repent, receive the forgiveness and move on, choosing the next time to honor Him with our lives.
The point is, we are all at risk to betraying God daily. Our lives can quickly take a turn in another direction due to our surroundings, the people we hang out with and the world around us. We need to guard our hearts and minds continuously. We need to be faithful to the One who loves us and died for us. What is it in your life that God might be warning you of that could possibly become a betrayal? Take hold of His warning and ask for His grace to help you be more faithful.

My Divided heart...by Amanda Gonzales(Guest Blogger)

My divided heart
Psalms 86:11-12
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
Last night as I read this scripture I thought, wow, what an amazing jewel that is hidden in the WORD. I know I’ve read it before but for whatever reason it never really caught my eye like it did last night. I went to bed thinking of it and I woke up this morning thinking of it.

As Christians we are saved by accepting the free gift of life through Jesus Christ and by being united with him in his death. After this event occurs in our Christian walk, we begin the life long process of santicification. This is when the Holy Spirit really begins to work on us and transforms us into a better, purer picture of what Christ really is and who we really are in him. It is a life long process and I believe it will only be complete once we enter heaven.

This process is being spoken about us Ps 86:11-12. An undivided heart… I know that most Christians would say that their heart was 100% for Christ. And while yes that is our intention, it is not always what happens. In Romans, Paul speaks about a struggle. A struggle between his flesh and his spirit. He wants to do what is right but finds himself doing the very thing he doesn’t want to do. Romans 7:15 says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do,I do not do, but what I hate, I do”.
For me this is what sanctification is all about. I want to be more like Christ. I want to love unconditionally like him, I want to forgive immediately like him, I want to accept others like him without condemnation and judgment, I want to accept myself like him, seeing the goodness and the greatness of his plan in my life. But at times I have to admit that I am my own worst enemy. My heart is divided. I want these things, I want to be these things but yet oftentimes they are not. My flesh rises up and I get angry and I judge others and I don’t always trust him. Thank goodness for his mercy and grace and his faithfulness. He always brings me to repentance. I just see more clearly now the times when my flesh is waging war against the Holy Spirit that lives in me, because my heart is divided. If my heart wasn’t divided then there would be no war. There would be no need for war and for the struggle. But God is faithful.
In Deut 6:5 ,we are commanded to Love the Lord our God with ALL our heart with all our soul and with all our strength. In Ps 86:12, we are called to praise him with all of our heart”. Yet how can we do this if our heart is divided. That’s where this sanctification process comes in. God uses these moments of struggle to show us where our heart is divided. In Matt 6:24, we are taught that we can’t serve two masters. So how can we love the Lord our God with all our heart as commanded if we are at war within our own selves battling a divided heart? That’s where God comes in! Thank you Jesus! It is in these times that God uses this situation to show us where our heart is divided. If we are never shown where this lays deep within our own heart how we can ever be restored to a heart 100% in love with Christ and willing to do his will whatever the cost.
Let me explain in a more practical sense. Right now in my life, I am going through a period of testing that at times can be difficult and at other times easy. My husband and I want to have to children as it is a God ordained desire of our hearts. However, after a 1 ½ of trying we still haven’t received this promise blessing in our lives yet!!! Throughout this process God has shown me in so many ways how divided my heart truly is. Is my heart sold out to what I really want, which is right now to be a mother, or is it sold out to Christ? At times I have wanted to shout at God because it seems like for others this is so easily obtained for them and for me it’s not. My mind doesn’t understand. He has truly asked me, will I still serve him even if I never have children? And for a long time I didn’t want to answer that question because I didn’t want to entertain the idea of not having children. Don’t get me wrong…I Know what God has promised me and I will NEVER LET GO of my promise from him. However, I have finally come to the place where what I truly what is Him. Yes, even if I never have children, I will still serve him! No matter what else happens I need him. And yes at times my heart is still divided. But that is when I choose to say, I will not listen to my flesh, I will do and say and most of all be who God is calling me to be- A child who is patiently waiting and walking in obedience no matter the outcome.
What is your heart divided over? What have you placed before your God? We know this answer deep within ourselves. I believe God can’t release certain blessings in our lives until he knows that we can handle it. What blessing are you waiting on that could possibly have become an idol in your life? Are you willing to lay it down and say “Lord, I trust you and I know you have a good plan for my life. I don’t want my heart to be divided over this matter any longer. Lord ,though there’s pain in this offering Lord I give it to you.”

If there wasn’t pain in the offering then your heart was divided over it. I’m not saying to give up on your promises…NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR PROMISES! I’m just saying to give them back to the Lord. He is faithful and will release them to you right on time. He is faithful to complete the work that which was started on you the very first day he gave you life.

I leave you with the words to a familiar worship song. “ And I will worship you with all of my heart. I will worship you with all of my mind, I will worship you with all of my strength. You are my LORD, you are Lord!”

Let’s pray:
Lord, today whatever it is that our heart so desires, Lord it doesn’t compare to you. Lord , today we choose to have our hearts sold out to you. We remember your promises to us in our lives and we trust you with them. WE will no longer fret over them, worry over them, and try to make them happen in our own strength. Lord, we surrender our hearts desires to you. Lord, we know that you are the only one who is truly able to give us joy in our hearts. Please help us to accept that joy today despite whatever situations we may be facing today. You alone are the one who can answers our hearts desire. Lord, today we choose to set our hearts, minds and strength on you today. Help us to focus on you and what you would have us do this day. In your son’s name, Jesus Christ, our savior, we pray.

Waiting patiently, waiting strong
Amanda Gonzales

Life...by Kimchi Blow

It hurts. Life simply hurts at times, no two ways about it. Let’s just be honest, sometimes you just want to throw in the towel and say, “I quit!” Do you ever just wish you could unplug your emotions and become numb to people and the circumstances around you? I know I do, more than I would like to admit at times.  Unfortunately, we can’t. However, we do have a resource that can help us disconnect and plug into a more powerful supply, and that is God.

Today, I had a conversation with a special person in my life and during it; I was struggling with my emotions.  I hung up the phone feeling an array of feelings and not liking any of them. Mostly, I knew there were some things I needed to hand over to God immediately because I was so uncomfortable with the struggle going on inside myself.  I just wanted to be out of my own skin! Have you ever felt that way?   God, for whatever reason was using this person to reveal some things in my heart.  Honestly, I didn’t like the evidence I was seeing.  Literally, I wanted to just hide from myself and God. Probably how Adam and eve felt in the Garden.  I wanted to stuff those emotions down and hide them deeper but as most of you know, God is all about bringing light and truth to those places in us that need to be aligned to His Word for one reason only and that is for Freedom! This is the first step to healing for all of us, is recognizing the sin that lies within our hearts and confessing it.

Freedom, what an awesome word and more so, what an awesome experience. God is in the business of restoration and freedom. In His loving grace and plan for our lives, He knows what relationships and situations to use to bring us closer to Him.  After my phone conversation, I stood in my kitchen and began to cry.  I began to wipe the tears and talk to God about what I was feeling.  The one thing about God is He is a superb listener.  I felt His presence right there with me as I agonized over each emotion. I lifted them up to Him without guilt, without embarrassment, without regret.  Instead, as each emotion was confessed, the freer I became and then there was peace. My true heart was placed on the altar of grace.  It felt good to be real, to be transparent, and to be human.  No one was there pointing a finger judging me or preaching to me about how I should feel or better yet, how to solve it. Instead, I was met with acceptance, forgiveness and love.  I was in my Heavenly Daddy’s arms! It was a safe place of comfort, security and peace.  I long to always be there. I was grateful for the moment and began to praise Him for it!  It is those moments that we draw to the One who loves us and adores us and wants to pour out His compassion on us.

In the end, God did speak some truth to me gently as He wiped my tears away.  He reminded me of His love for me and how He knew how I felt. After all, God knows every detail of my life, even the amount of hairs on my head.  He simply allowed me the opportunity to be humble and truthful without fear. I loved the intimacy I have with Him. There is nothing that compares to that. However, He reminded me that life begins with Him and will end with Him.  Oh, the truth of that is compelling to say the least. 

You see, it was on the cross with His only Son, Jesus, that death was conquered, along with all my sins. God reminded me that through the death of my sin and the resurrection of His son’s life, that LIFE for me was transformed forever.  In other words, my life was bought for me that day! My life was thought of, started and planned for and began at the very last breath of His son, Jesus. As Jesus took his last breath, God breathed it into me that day!  He also reminded me that though life has its ups and downs, we have the power over the down side. Before, the down side would surely have lead me to death spiritually and sometimes even physically. My life has been paved with promise; the promise of redemption for every situation, the promise of HOPE over every tragedy, the promise of truth over every lie and the promise healing over my emotions and physical body. Life is exactly what it is; a LIFE worth living for.

The secret is to choose it in the midst of your circumstances.  You must not only choose life but more so believe in it.   It is when you do this, that you become empowered into His death and Resurrection.  It is almost as intimate as feeling the power of Jesus’ blood pumping through your very own veins, giving you life today.   Blood carries oxygen to the heart and the blood of Jesus is what gives you the right to breathe freedom into your lungs today.  So, choose life today.  It was bought for you and is your inheritance and right over every situation you find yourself in.

Grow in grace,

Kimchi

God Up Many, Satan down Zero! by Kimchi Blow

God Up Many, Satan down Zero!
Crazy title, huh? Hey, what can I say, it is almost 9p.m., and I am tired but was compelled to write about this exciting revelation! Don’t you just love it when you read the Word of God and something jumps out off the pages to you and sings to your spirit, LIFE! Especially when it is late in the evening and you were tempted to just go to bed and not read the Word to begin with. Yes, I am so GUILTY of that!! Oh, but God is all I can say! He is always faithful and moves us past our flesh at times because there is something that He wants to speak to us personally!
Well, here it is and please forgive me if you already know this. It is nothing new and has been in the bible all along. I have read this passage many times before, but tonight there was an importance behind it for me.
Please read Romans 5:18-19. It says, “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Now read it again and notice the bold words in print. There is a pattern here. Basically, this scripture is saying that Satan had his plan using Adam to sin and bring many to death, SO, ALSO God had his plan to use Jesus to bring Life to many. Duh, right? But read it again and allow this truth to sink in for a minute. Meditate on it, chew on it, sleep on it people. God is showing us something here!
What is it really saying? To me, it is saying that with every plan Satan has to bring us down, there is a plan for God to redeem that much more! Yes, yes and Amen!! In other words, God is always UP one on Satan! He is in control and has the final say! It is finished!
How many times has Satan tried to bring death to areas of your life, such as, your marriage, your children, your finances, your mind, your body, your future, your promises, etc. Do you understand what I am saying? Let me quote what the Message bible says for verses 5:18-19, “ Here it is in a nutshell, just as one person did it wrong and got us all in trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into Life! One man said no to God and put many to in the wrong; one man said yes To God and put many in the right.”
How awesome is that? It says, “he got us into Life!” That means LIFE over all things in your life, right now. Satan is trying to cause death in so many areas, but he holds no authority over you because Jesus bought those rights on the cross! The only way, he has authority, is if you give it to him!
How awesome is that? Now take it a little deeper for your own life. There are places in your life that Satan has tried to destroy with sin and death, but because of Jesus, those places can be made right. In other words, the enemy can’t steal, kill and destroy your life any longer! Satan tried to destroy with sin and death, but because of Jesus, those places can be made right. God bought and justified all those places through His son! So, if Satan has taken from you in any area of life and tried to cause death, I dare say, be bold and courageous this day and DEMAND it back, take back the plunder because it is RIGHTFULLY made yours through Jesus righteous act! You hold that authority in the spirit because of Christ.
This is deep because this is truth and it carries authority in the spirit! Read the scripture again and let it sink in. When sin verses grace, grace always wins! God is in the business of restoration and bringing all things under His authority. This includes your life, the kind of abundant life He always meant for you! Demand it back from the enemy this day. Take back the plunder from the war and begin to walk in the LIFE that God really has for you!!
Grow in grace,

The True meaning of "Yes" by Kimchi Blow

The True meaning of "Yes" ( Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria)  Read 1 Kings Chapter 20                                                 

King Ben-Hadad, who was king of Aram, gathered his troops and made plans to attack Samaria.  He sent messengers into the city of Israel to King Ahab, demanding his silver, gold and the best of his wives and children.  King Ahab agreed to the demands out of fear and intimidation because he knew his city was too weak to fight back. He was thinking that once he met the king's demands, it would be enough to spare him further disaster.  But what he didn't realize was that his decision, which was made out of fear, only encouraged the enemy to attack him  more.    King Ben-Hadad saw an open door of opportunity, or weakness and demanded Ahab's palace and his kingdom official’s possessions too. 

Upon hearing this request, Ahab gathered with his elders for advice.  They advised the king not to agree to his demands any longer.  He basically needed to draw the boundary lines with this tyrant, refusing to appease him any longer.  Obviously, King Ben-Hadad was furious and followed thru with his preparations to attack Israel.

In verse 8 of this chapter, we see the word "agree", which in Hebrew means to consent, desire or breathe after.  King Ahab "agreed/consented" to the first set of demands.   When he did this, he was basically saying, " Yes, come and help yourself to my kingdom and have full reign, I desire that you do so."  He took no stand against King Ben-Hedad, allowing him the right to rule.  

What can you learn from this story in your own life? How many times have you made a decision based off of fear?  What was it that you consented to, or desired for, without completely thinking it thru?    Have you allowed the enemy to come take authority and possession of your land? When you say "yes" to something, you are consenting and desiring that which you agreed upon. Stop and think about that for a moment.   

Have you agreed/consented to bad relationships, thoughts, habits, possessions, etc.?  Saying "yes" can make you vulnerable without meaning to.  Israel was already in a vulnerable state, but if Ahab would have trusted the Lord with his weakness and gotten the advice he needed before hand, he could have saved himself and those around him much grief.

Learn to say "yes" to the right things. Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no."  In Proverbs, it states, "Boundary lines are drawn in pleasant places."  

Don't give away those things that God has entrusted to you.

Grow in grace,

Kimchi Blow

My Testimony...by Amanda Gonzales

I am here today taking a step of obedience and to tell you the story of God’s amazing love in my life. My husband Jose and I have been on this journey since 2002. I believe God is calling me today to be transparent to share our journey in order to bring hope and healing to myself and others.

Back in 2002 I was diagnosed with ovarian cyst. To make a long story short my doctor in Atlanta delivered the news to Jose and I that I would never have children and that if I did choose to try to have children that the cyst would compete with the size of my unborn child and ultimately kill the child. Needless to say, I was devastated. Throughout the following year I cried myself to sleep almost every day and I began to sink back into depression which was an all too familiar giant in my life. This year was very difficult for me but God pulled me through it.

Shortly thereafter, Jose and I moved to Savannah and we were invited to attend Tres Dias (a community of Christian believers with renewal type of weekends). He and I were both excited to go. When I attended my Tres Dias weekend, I was miraculously healed. God did a mighty work in me mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually and I can truly say that I will never be the same again. I returned home pain free and even the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with me!! I wished that I could say that I’ve never felt this pain again in my life but that isn’t true. But I’ve learned that Satan will do anything he can to try and steal what God says is rightfully mine.

There are parts to my journey I’ve only begun to share within the past few weeks. I believe God is calling me to share my story. I have been struggling silently for a year and a half and I believe God is now calling me to break the silence concerning my struggle because I believe he wants to minister hope to you today. Somehow I just assumed that because I was miraculously healed that I wouldn’t have to wait to have children. Well that’s not the journey God has given me. Please understand that I wouldn’t trade my journey for anything in the world and I know it’s going to be worth it. Almost a year and half ago, Jose and I decided to begin trying to start a family. And we don’t yet have children. I have experienced a whole gammed of emotions from anger, to frustration, sadness, disappointment, self-pity, judging others, jealousy, desperation, shame, unworthiness, incompleteness and an absolutely broken heart but I have also experienced the amazing love and hope of Christ through this struggle.

The main reason why I wanted to share today is to share hope with you. See my children have already been promised to me. They were promised to me through a prophetic word when I was miraculously healed during my Tres Dias weekend (yeah I didn’t believe in prophecy either till it happened to me!). Ps 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he WILL give you the desires of your heart”. God has been faithful to give me numerous confirmation of this promise in my life from scripture, prophetic words, prayers, dreams and visions. In my heart, I had always envisioned sharing this part of my life with others after I had children but obviously God had other plans. He is STRONG in you when you are weak, even when you are waiting. I want you to know that not everyone has their life all together. I don’t have it all together. We all have struggles. The people whom you perceive to be strong Christians do not have it all together. I don’t know what your struggle is and I don’t have to. You just have to know what God’s promise is. Everyone has a test and a trial to overcome. I am no different from you. I have good days and I have bad days, we all do! Sometimes I’ve handled this as a Christian should and sadly sometimes I have not. We as a Body of Christ, brothers and sister are all on this journey together. We are called to be a family, to love and to minister to one another. To walk beside each other, to pray for each other, to encourage each other and help each other up when we fall down because we ALL fall down. None of us have arrived………

Somewhere along the way Satan tried to steal the hope of my promise away. He tried to make me forget and wonder if it would ever come to pass for me. Proverbs 13:12 “A hope deferred makes a heart grow sick”. There have been times when my heart has been very sick, disappointed and broken. There were times when I didn’t think my heart could take anymore. Isaiah 55:11 paraphrased says that His word will not return void in our lives but fulfill the purpose for which it was set out. When Satan tries to take your promise or the hope of your promise away we all have to open up our mouths and tell him, “NO!” We all need to find scriptures that confirm His words in our lives and we need to open up our mouths and fill the enemy’s ears with God’s word instead of him filling our minds with his lies.
God is in the process of healing me and He is restoring my heart. Romans 8:25 says that if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. I have not always waited patiently and God revealed to me that it was because I was losing hope. Yes, I’ve had to surrender my own control. I am a very driven- goal oriented person who believes in setting and achieving goals and making good decisions that will positively affect your life. Well, this has been something I can’t do anything about. I can’t control it, I can’t do it for myself, and I can’t accomplish this on my own. NO ONE can do it for themselves. Truly it is only by the grace of God that anyone becomes a parent. I don’t like to be weak and vulnerable and I don’t always trust people. This is the thing that makes me vulnerable and weak before my God and now he is calling me to be transparent and trusting before his children.

At times this has consumed my mind and my emotions. I can finally see very clearly that this had become an idol and a god in my life. The truth is that God should be the only thing that consumes me. Yes, it is a God ordained desire in my life and that will never go away. However, I am now able to fully trust my God to be faithful to the promise He gave me. Learning to wait patiently has brought such freedom into many areas in my life. This no longer consumes me. We talk about laying things down on the altar. I laid this sucker down a long time ago. But I kept looking back wondering what God was doing with it and wondering when He would release my promise to me. I’m learning to surrender my sense of time. God is not bound by time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says” There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. I’m learning to trust him in the seasons in my life. I’m now able to say that I truly want him to do with this as He wants because I trust him. God often uses the difficult times in our lives to refine us and draw us closer to him. I believe our trials are rarely about the situation at hand; often times he is trying to get our attention in order to do a mighty work within us. He has used this journey refine so many places in me. This has been about so much more than my desire to have children. He has used it to teach me and draw me into an even more intimate relationship with him. He is teaching me to trust him with all my fears, hopes, dreams and visions for my future. It has been a hard lesson for me, but a good one! It has taken some time for me to get where I am today. I didn’t jump over this hurdle in one day. This has been an ongoing struggle for me for some time. Life is a process, a journey. Allow yourself and God to walk through the process. Your never too far from His reach, He is always able to save you, and rescue you.
Satan had me convinced of so many lies. I want to share with you some truths I’ve learned along my way. I believe it’s time for the body of Christ to start filling Satan’s ears with truth.
The truth is that there is a God in heaven and He happens to be my daddy and your daddy. He loves us more than we could truly ever understand. He has a good plan, an excellent plan for our lives! He knows that this wait hurts some days but I’ve learned to trust Him and His timing. I know that my daddy in heaven doesn’t want to cause me any pain. He isn’t punishing me or you. He just has a plan that we can’t see and that it’s far better than anything I can think of. He doesn’t want to hurt us. He can’t stand to see us hurting and He if is allowing us to hurt then you better believe it’s because He has a better plan for us! A promise delayed is not a promise denied. I’ve learned to evict disappointment from my heart and to embrace the hope of my promise. I no longer doubt my promise. I know what God promised me and I won’t let go. I daily remind myself of a few scriptures. Isaiah 54:1 says “Sing barren woman, burst into song, and shout for joy. Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Ephesians 3:20 says “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”.

I’ve learned to hold on when everything and everyone else says to quit. My relationship with my Father in heaven is a very real and daily thing. I need him daily to deal with my journey. I’m learning to be complete in the wait. I’m learning that having children doesn’t complete me, my heavenly daddy completes me. My relationship with Jose is so precious to me. We’ve had some precious ministry time together that I’m not sure we would have had any other way. Infertility can kill a marriage. God has used Jose to be a source of strength and a safe place to fall when my heart hurts. We fought together, we stand beside each other, we pray for one another and when the pain gets to me, he helps me to not wallow around in it but to get up and keep going. He is a gift from God and he has loved me all the way through this journey. It didn’t kill us. In fact, it only made us stronger. Most importantly I’ve learned to stand STRONG in the wait. I know what it’s like to feel as if the whole world is crashing down around you but for you to be still and feel the solid ground of Christ love beneath you. It is a very peaceful place, a very quiet place and a very still place. It’s a place that I’m learning to live in and it’s amazing. Our emotions don’t always point to truth. Satan often uses them to distract us from what God really has for us. Learning to wait is learning to trust.

Our life is a journey and he takes us from glory to glory, transforming us. I’m learning to take my giants as they come. Sometimes I have to open up my mouth and remind myself and the devil because every day presents a new challenge. But I refuse to let go or to go backwards. I choose to take one day at a time. When I fall down because I do I’ve learned to stand up again. God has taught me to be thankful for all the children in my life and I realize how selfish I truly am. I don’t want my life to revolve around my desires and wants. I want my life to be about living to the fullest, serving and worshipping my God. I choose to serve “Yahweh” my daddy in heaven and I trust him to release my promise to me RIGHT ON TIME!!!! I am free through the blood and love of Jesus and I want to minster that freedom to other people. This isn’t about us. It’s about helping others. It’s about breaking the silence and giving people permission to talk about their struggles whatever they may be without fear of being rejected or feeling ashamed or judged because we’ve all been there. It’s about us standing beside each other during our wait encouraging and pushing each other towards trust because we are a family.
So whatever it is that you still believe God for, I encourage you to today to hold on to that hope! A hope deferred makes a heart grow sick. Don’t let go of your hope and your promise.

Got Faith?...by Kimchi Blow

“Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God, but was strengthened in His faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”  Romans 4:20

Faith is a powerful.  Abraham believed that God would give him and his wife, Sarah, a child in their old age. God was faithful and He did.  The scriptures clearly state that Abraham did not doubt in any form what God had promised them.  He trusted God entirely at His word and was credited righteous because of his faith.  We too are granted and credited that same righteousness when we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

How did Abraham have so much faith and trust in God? What did this simple man have that the rest of us struggle with day after day?  It starts with a simple decision to come into agreement with God. Just simply believe.  When we do this, we are taking on the mind of Christ. With that comes supernatural power and authority behind it.  Abraham tapped into this and was able to walk in blessing because of his decision to simple trust. Because of him, we received the inheritance of the blessing of his faithfulness and righteousness. Thank you Abraham for your immaculate example!

I find this reassuring as I look at our world today, especially with where our nation sits economically and politically.  There are so many uncertainties before us.  The very foundation of our country is being challenged. There seems to be no true security for those who don’t know God. I can’t imagine how anyone who doesn’t know the God of the universe sleeps at night with present circumstances surrounding us.  War is eminent, political struggles are out of hand and the economy seems to be slipping into oblivion.  But yet, there is hope and it begins with faith!   The good news is there is Jesus Christ. When we choose to have faith in the One who can deliver us from these periling times then we have what most can only dream of and that is peace. Peace that surpasses all things!

 Let us follow the example of Abraham, not wavering, not weakening, not doubting or mistrusting but instead being strengthened, fully satisfied, and assured in the promises of God.  Our faith can change us individually, our children, our marriages, our finances, our nation, and our future.  It all begins with knowing the promises of God.   We must disciple ourselves to learn them, memorize them, recite them, declare them and live them if we want to see the full blessings come to path.

Abraham was fully assured that God could perform whatever He promised to do.  Will you believe with the same radical faith? What is it today that God is asking you to have faith in? How was Abraham able to resist the temptation to doubt God’s promised? What lesson does that offer us and how can we apply it to our lives to glorify God?

Faith is more than a feeling; it is a state of mind. Change your mindset today and give Faith a fighting chance. You will be blessed when you do! 

Obsession Possession …..by Kimchi Blow

Being a military soldier, wife or family member is truly a call. Although, some of us may question what we do daily! Our lives are filled with the unknown, such as where we might live? How long will we be there? Who will we meet? What is the next assignment? There are constant changes and transitions having to be made. This sometimes can cause loneliness, fear, stress and anxiety at times.

Every new duty station has its challenges. But we have to keep in mind that with every challenge is an opportunity for victory. Some of them are small at first as you transition into new places, but eventually you establish yourself in the new territory that you were assigned to. After awhile you begin to gain a better understanding of the area around you and how you might begin to fit in. There begins to be less confusion and life begins to flow and make sense again. But before you know it, it is time to do it all over again because there are new orders in hand. This is the call of a military life!

How does the average military family do it? They must learn to take on the mindset of a soldier who knows what it takes to survive the challenges set before him or her. One of the sayings that I remember most as a young soldier myself was, “Suck it up and drive on!” Meaning, accept the challenge and do whatever it takes to succeed!

Today, I want to look at the first chapter of Joshua in the bible. It is a book that chronicles Joshua’s conquests. We learn through this book that he didn’t possess the promise land all at once, but merely one victory at a time. This should be an encouragement and example to us all because as humans we have the tendency to want victory all at once. When this happens, we sadly overlook the process, rather the everyday victories.

We all need to learn to walk out the promises of God step by step, day by day, because when we try and rush the process we become overwhelmed and defeated easily. Sometimes our processes seem slow, but that is what I call real possession!

When you read the first chapter of Joshua, you will see that the Lord tells them at least three times to “be bold and courageous. Apparently, God knows that it is human nature for people to fear, especially when faced with the unknown. Fear is a natural response but God requires a faith response . Joshua is a man without fear. He literally accepts God’s call without hesitation, questions, or doubts. Instead, he does whatever it takes to be obedient to God. When God began to speak the promises to Joshua, he listened and received them in his heart. He acted on his faith immediately because he trusted God was with him.

What does it mean to be bold and courageous? One of the definitions to the word “strong” in the Hebrew translation is to establish oneself firmly. The word “courageous” means to persist, to determine. Keeping the promises of God is necessary as we live out our lives doing His will.
In the first chapter of Joshua, he takes up a command of faith which immediately places God’s mantle of Authority on him. He establishes (strong) himself in the LORD and determines himself to succeed and persist (courageous) to posses the land that God promised them.

In other words, he is in Possession Mode! When you choose to act in faith, becoming bold and courageous it knocks fear from its authority over you and instead places God’s power on you! Faith is contagious and you see this reaction from the Israelites as they respond to Joshua’s example. They choose to follow him without any doubt or fear. It was the same reaction that Joshua gave God. In the end, Joshua and the Israelites successfully crossed over the Jordan River into the Promise land. The Jordan River in a way can represent our flesh as humans. Our flesh can respond in many ways to trials. Emotions keep us from reaching the promises of God. Fear, anxiety, insecurity, pride are just some. Being bold and courageous is what God commands us to be! Let us follow Joshua’s example so that we too can enter into our Promise Land.

How do we become obsessed to posses the promises of God in our lives?

1. Know God’s promises.
You must read and study the word of God which helps build your faith. Faith comes through reading the Word of God.
2. Declare the promises of God.
Recite them daily, write them down. Post them for you to see. (Habakkuk 2:2 )
3. Have a vision and know your role.
God gave Joshua a vision. A man without a vision will perish. (Proverbs 29:18) Set goals and place an allotted time to them. If you don’t have a vision or goal, start with God’s word.
4. Be in motion- act on faith
God can’t meet you sitting down! Faith without works is dead.(James 2:20,26) To whom much is given, much is required.(Luke 12:48)
5. Have accountability
6. Be disciple or mentored.
Joshua’s mentor was Moses. Throughout scripture, you will see many men and women being trained up by someone.
7. Persevere (Be courageous, determining yourself to persist)
8. Be faithful and obedient

Being strong and courageous is more than just feelings; it is the key to possess the things of God. The promises of God are rightfully your inheritance. What are you willing to do today to possess yours?