LIVE READY

Things never discovered or heard of before,

    things beyond our ability to imagine[n]—

    these are the many things God has in store

    for all his lovers.

Every day that we live, we are one day closer to meeting our Maker. Let us live in a way that brings glory to Your name Lord and above all let us live ready. I always feel like I need to get my house in order in more than one way, to be ready to go. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why I don’t work harder to do just that? Because although to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, if we’ve personally accepted Him, there’s always a part that wants to live to see Shiloh’s baby, to see Mathis grow, to see the great way the Lord is going to take the disasters and chaos of our lives and use it to HIS GREAT GLORY!



Many times the way is troubling and wearisome and dreams that have died seem hard to revive. That’s when He gives the new dream.

Some new dreams are happening right now though with eyes of the earth we may not be able to truly see that He is at work, sending journeymates, sending angels to surround and hedge in our loved ones. Oh to see with new eyes, eyes that look on with love.



The Word of the Lord that He brought to mind as I was writing:

1 Corinthians 2 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Paul’s Reliance on Spiritual Power

2 My brothers and sisters,^[a] when I first came to proclaim to you the secrets^[b] of God, I refused to come as an expert, trying to impress you with my eloquent speech and lofty wisdom. ² For while I was with you I was determined to be consumed with one topic—Jesus, the crucified Messiah.^{[c] 3} I stood before you feeling inadequate, filled with reverence for God,^[d] and trembling under the sense of the importance of my words.^{[e] 4} The message I preached and how I preached it was not an attempt to sway you with persuasive arguments but to prove to you the almighty power of God’s Holy Spirit. ⁵ For God intended that your faith not be established on man’s wisdom but by trusting in his almighty power.

Wisdom from God

⁶ However, there is a wisdom that we continually speak of when we are among the spiritually mature.^[f] It’s wisdom that didn’t originate in this present age, nor did it come from the rulers of this age who are in the process of being dethroned.^{[g] 7} Instead, we^[h] continually speak of this wonderful wisdom that comes from God, hidden before now in a mystery.^[i] It is his secret plan, destined^[j] before the ages, to bring us into glory.^{[k] 8} None of the rulers of this present world order understood it,^[l] for if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord of shining glory.^{[m] 9} This is why the Scriptures say:

Things never discovered or heard of before,
    things beyond our ability to imagine^[n]—
    these are the many things God has in store
    for all his lovers.^[o]

¹⁰ But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit.^[p] Yes, he has revealed to us his inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit, who constantly explores all things. ¹¹ After all, who can really see into a person’s heart and know his hidden impulses except for that person’s spirit? So it is with God. His thoughts and secrets are only fully understood by his Spirit, the Spirit of God.

¹² For we did not receive the spirit of this world system but the Spirit of God, so that we might come to understand and experience all that grace has lavished upon us. ¹³ And we^[q] articulate these realities with the words imparted to us by the Spirit and not with the words taught by human wisdom. We join together Spirit-revealed truths with Spirit-revealed words.^{[r] 14} Someone living on an entirely human level^[s] rejects^[t] the revelations of God’s Spirit, for they make no sense to him. He can’t understand the revelations of the Spirit because they are only discovered by the illumination of the Spirit. ¹⁵ Those who live in the Spirit are able to carefully evaluate all things, and they are subject to the scrutiny of no one but God. ¹⁶ For Who has ever intimately known the mind of the Lord Yahweh[u] well enough to become his counselor?[v]

Christ has, and we possess Christ’s perceptions.[w]

This and That for Today

“Judge tenderly if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you are not having to fight.” TRACI LEA LARUSSA FROM TENDING DANDELIONS

"Every morning

 I lay out the pieces of my life

 on your altar

 and watch for fire to descend."

From "Love out Loud": "O Lord, I give my life to you." Psalm 25:1

 When we consecrate ourselves to the Lord, we give Him everything, we should also know that we give Him everything we are not.

God knows everything about you and loves you unconditionally, so hold nothing back from Him. Let go of everything as an offering to your Lord, and you will be amazed at how free you will feel.

Love God today; If your are ready to consecrate yourself to God Lift your hand to Him and simply say, Lord, I give you my life...everything I am and everything I am not." Joyce Meyer

Praying for all who need healing in any way today and adding prayers for single mothers. Lord please provide for their needs and wrap Your big Father arms around them and their children. Don't miss this song, it is one of my favorites:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaxxtIxXKF0


Prophecy by Brother C. L. Moore in 1984 & 1986


And I shall cause thee to have ministry among the sisters and I shall give thee favor. But thou shalt also wait upon thy God and I will give thee a tender heart and yea even more than thou dost even have this night. Thou shalt be broken by My word and by My presence many times but not destroyed nor cast down.


I shall fashion you again and again and each time that I mold and touch thee thou shalt rise up in more of a new transformed creation than you were before you came into the presence of your God.

1986 for Donna:  Many have been the winds Many have been the storms There’s been times you’ve been shaken There’s been times you thought you were out of the barn (?) But the Lord says, I do place thee and though I shake thee I’ll never leave thee and I will keep thee and Surely a lamb is sufficient for the house Claim it, rest in it, shout it and rejoice in it and wait to see the Lord To reveal it. (Amber, my lamb, was born 2 years later)

For Bill: Surely stand in the gap, stand in the gap And I will give those that will stand with thee. You say, this is not the order I dreamed of Well, God didn’t ask for your order God just asked for you to be in submission to His plans His ways and His means Therefore says the Lord, I will clothe thee And I will cause the tongue ye to speak a word Thou hast not known and A word will be in strength When you thought you were totally weak.

Book Review; Murder at the Canaveral Diner (A Florida Murder Mystery Novel) by Jay Heavner

Murder at the Canaveral Diner (A Florida Murder Mystery Novel) by Jay Heavner is a genre that I don’t normally read. But Jay is a fellow member of Word Weavers Volusia County member and I like to encourage and support our members. As I told Jay recently there were some parts I absolutely loved and some that really grossed me out, such as the description of the crime scene.


That being said, I love reading books that have actual locations that I’m familiar with. I’m acquainted with a lot of the locations in Brevard County as I lived down there for some years. I’m also familiar with the route they took past St. Augustine to the FL/GA line and probably the many rest stops they took a break at. Actually, I was surprised at the number of pit stops that the guys made and the references to that. LOL!

There were some scenes in Chapter 9 that were hilarious. Chapters 14 and 15 have some great content, very pro-life and anti-slavery. I love when Roger talked about his wife. I have to say Chapter 16 was a bit hard for me. As for Roger, he had a sad backstory and Bill seemed to be a likable fellow, but together they seemed like a lot of guys I’ve known from the South. I loved the conversation that Roger had with the Pastor and anytime the book went to spiritual matters. Great quotes, “God’s like that, always there watching even when we can’t see or feel His presence.” And later he said, "Anytime, Roger. Anytime. My door’s always open to those truly in need. Remember, Roger, there’s none so damaged that he cannot be fixed by the hand of Almighty God. God loves you. His love for imperfect and fault-filled people is matchless and too big to be measured. It lasts a lifetime and beyond that. You’re His one of a kind wonderful masterpiece that cannot be replaced. He always has His eye on you.”


I’m not sure if this would be considered a Christian book, but I appreciate the parts that were. It was certainly a mystery novel and that seems to be what Jay writes best.

This review is my own opinion, having bought the book from Jay under no obligation to give a good review. I’ll be checking out some of his older books, I’m sure when I get some extra reading time.

BOOK REVIEW of THE HEART OF A KING by Jill Eileen Smith

 THE HEART OF A KING by Jill Eileen Smith


This is the first novel I’ve read by the author but I have a feeling it won’t be my last. 


I love reading historical Biblical fiction and Jill made the words and people in the Bible come alive.  I love the familiarity of passages of scripture interwoven in the dialogues of Solomon and his mother and wives.


I sometimes wished he’d used his God-given wisdom in a better way as far as family relationships. Especially when he compromised the commands of the Lord. 


It was beautifully written, very descriptive and kept me turning pages.


I look forward to reading the next book by Jill. Write on!


Thanks for my complimentary copy from Revell on the author's behalf. I was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

What to Do When You Feel Dumped On

What to Do When You Feel Dumped On

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and

shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in,

their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.

~Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

“In the end only three things matter; how much you loved, how gently you lived and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.  (ANON OR HAND OF GOD from TENDING DANDELIONS)

Lord, sometimes I feel like a dumping ground. A place that people who have life issues that they’re not working on, try to spread their venom and death. Let me not get caught up in their many dramas, I pray. Help me to keep my eyes up on You, ever mindful that You are a kind and loving God and Father.



You keep me when I don’t want to be kept, and You vindicate and reveal truth in Your timing. I lean on You. I trust in You. You’ve said in Your Word, many are the afflictions of the righteous but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34 is one of my favorite psalms. THE WORD OF THE LORD

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the oppressed hear and rejoice.

Magnify the LORD with me;

let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and He answered me;

He delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant with joy;

their faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him;

He saved him from all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Fear the LORD, you His saints,

for those who fear Him lack nothing.

Young lions go lacking and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Come, children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Who is the man who delights in life,

who desires to see good days?

Keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from deceitful speech.

Turn away from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

and His ears are inclined to their cry.

But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to sever their memory from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears;

He delivers them from all their troubles.

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted;

He saves the contrite in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him from them all.

He protects all his bones;

not one of them will be broken.

Evil will slay the wicked,

and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.

The LORD redeems His servants,

and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Sometimes the only thing to do when you feel like a dumping ground is remove yourself from the drama until it runs its course. That being said, it’s not always easy but it may be necessary for a time. People pushing your buttons are doing it for a response and even if it’s a bad one, they feel vindicated that they’ve won or had the last word.

Mark Gregston speaks about this, “Drama draws and demands our attention.  Kids are the same way.  They perform.  They magnify things.  They embellish their stories.  They are crying out for people to look at them.  The essence of drama is conflict, so when kids look for attention, they often use conflict as a means to get it.



The problem is that once we respond to that drama, we often become part of it.  Unwittingly, we get sucked in.  Hey, this is your teen we’re talking about.  He or she knows exactly what buttons to push that incite your emotion.  Right?  It’s tempting to respond by matching, or increasing, the level of conflict.  And the result is always the same:  a virtual meltdown between child and parent.  Once we get hooked into his or her emotion, we can become defensive … only adding fuel to the fire.” https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/teens/drama-responding-to-your-teen.html





This is how I want to be, instead of a dumping ground, a watered garden of the Lord.



The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. (From Isaiah 58)





Personally, I find that my heart loses joy and my body may even respond with health issues when I allow myself to take it all in to myself, as if I could fix anything but myself. Prayer is a wonderful tool that the Lord gives us. It can be used to change the coldest heart to the glory of the Lord. When joy runs low, I return to “living from the heart that Jesus gave me.” It helps a lot in the world we live in, to try to live that way.


Dumping ground or watered garden? Sometimes the choice is up to us.