New Blog!

 Hello out there! If you were following this blog, I started a new blog and would love for you to follow me on over there at https://aheartlikehome.wordpress.com/

Be sure and comment so I know you joined me. See ya there! 

Cloth Diapering Considerations & a link to the contest

I am looking into using cloth diapers for our new little one (due February 15!) I often read a blog by Keeper of the Home and she has a contest going on right now. Thought I'd let any of you know who may be interested. Here's the link:
http://feedblitz.com/r.asp?l=60686477&f=671195&u=25752318&c=4099480

For the Future of the Children

My continual prayer is out of the psalms (Psalm 19:14).

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. 

Even as I write, I am beginning to realize the things I want to leave as a legacy for my children and my grandchildren and on and on and on. I’m 39 right now. I don’t have grandchildren. My children are young.

But I want to look forward to the future and see what is important about my life. I want my life to shine in such a way and be so full of the Lord that my children are able to be where I am quickly and stand on my shoulders to be lifted up to the next place that is higher than I’ve been able to attain. And they are able to be higher and higher toward the Lord and go deeper with the Lord so that their children are able to go even higher and even deeper with the Lord than they have been.

I’m becoming more and more focused on leaving a legacy for my children. Leaving a legacy for my heritage line. I want to leave a really good heritage to where a hundred years from now, two hundred years from now they can look back and be moving continually toward the throne. ...Because the depth of intimacy that the Lord offers is so much deeper than I can comprehend. If I reach the deepest depth that I can think of, there is still more. If my children reach a deeper depth than that, there is still more. And if my grandchildren reach a deeper depth in the Lord than that, there is still more.

Deuteronomy 29:29 says

The secret things belong  to the Lord our God,

but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever,

that we may follow all the words of this law.

Whatever has been given already is for me and my future generations. If they are continually seeking out the Lord, more will be revealed to them and that is more available to future generations.

So I pray right now, Lord, give each one reading this more hunger for you, more intimacy of you, more revelation of your goodness so that we can leave a good legacy for our future generations.

Fighting Rules

from a young couple I know

1.       Hold Hands.

2.       Lead each other into the Spirit.

3.       Listen to each other’s feelings.

4.       Pray together about the situation.

5.       Don’t bring up past arguments.

6.       Don’t argue in front of other people.

7.       Speak specifically about needs; don’t be vague, be specific.

8.       Always speak in love, truth & humility.

9.       Don’t try to figure out who is wrong but figure out what is right.



Continuous Revival

It’s not all about ministering to other people even though I LOVE to do that and I want to do that more. But with my children – I love them SO MUCH – but my big priority is that I want them to KNOW that I love them so much. I don’t want them to think that we’re just rushing through life to get to the next thing which seems to be the way I function a lot of times – just rush rush rush to get to the next thing. “Okay, hurry hurry. We’ve got to get ready to go here or there!” I want them to know that THEY are my priority right now. I love them SO MUCH and I really want to be with them.

I just lift this up as a prayer,

LORD, would you help me to really speak that with my actions?

One thing that the Lord has been showing me lately is about tests.  I’ve been tempted and I know the Lord does not tempt. He makes that real clear. However, everybody has weaknesses, and my weaknesses are known and I just feel like I’ve been tested lately in those areas of weakness. It’s been a real struggle because they really are weaknesses for me and I’m aware in my mind that giving in is not the right thing to do.

I haven’t given in. Jesus was tempted in every way and yet was without sin. And it’s not that I’ve sinned in any way, but I’ve been tested in areas that I’m weak in.

It’s been a real struggle for me to stay strong and pure.

I realize the testings are coming so that the Lord can see: “Are you gonna stay faithful to me or not? When these other options come up as possibilities, how far do you want to go with me?

Do you want to stop and level off or do you want to continue to go deeper in the Lord?”

What’s really neat is that a friend of mine gave me a prophetic word not long ago – less than a week ago. He said in the next 2 weeks there would be some tests, and in about 4 to 6 weeks from then, there would be deeper measures of God’s glory. That was such a good word that I’ve actually held on – I’ve needed that prophetic word – to get me through the tests. As I’ve been faced with things that have been a struggle for me, I have been crying out to the Lord for more (of Him) because I really want to go deeper with him. As I’ve been faced with tests and trials – things that have been hard for me, things that I’ve wanted to give in to, things that I shouldn’t give in to – I’ve realized the Lord has been right with me the whole time holding my hand and saying, “OK, do you want to level off here? Remember, you can have more of me if you’ll just stay true to me.” It’s been really good because I’ve got the prophetic word to look forward to more of God’s glory if I’ll just stay true to the Lord.

So I’m looking forward just a few weeks from now to an intensity of God’s glory. I just feel like last weekend has been wonderful with the Lord. I’ve felt closer to him. I’ve not felt what I want to feel yet because I want to go even deeper with him, but I’ve felt so much closer than I have in a while. It’s been so good to worship him, and just to turn my heart to him, to read the word…some of the psalms.

For a long time now, I’ve been practicing some things that Bill Johnson has talked about that have helped him to go deeper with the Lord. Hopefully it would help someone else to know.

At night when you are drifting off to sleep, the last thing you think about is the Lord and mentally turn your heart toward him. I’ve been doing that. And even in the daytime, I’ve been doing that too. Anytime I think about him, I mentally say, “Yes!” My heart says, “Yes!” to the Lord. Whatever he wants. I put all my chips on the table. I give him everything and I just say, “Do with it what you want!” In the podcast, “Continuous Revival,”Bill talks about putting everything you’ve got – putting all your chips – in the middle of the table. And as you do that, the Lord wants to give you more. Scripture after scripture backs that up.

The Lord wants you to give everything you have to him.

And as you say, “Yes, Lord! I give everything I have!” Then he says, “OK, now because you gave me everything, here’s more! I give you anything you want.” And you say, which is it? Is it that I give up everything? Or is it that I get everything? And the Lord says, “Yes! It’s both!” When we give up everything we have, then he gives us more than what we had. What a deal! I choose you Lord. It’s just a YES to the Lord.

[Just a quick note about the link to the podcast above. If you are unable to watch that (you may have to subscribe to http://www.ibethel.tv/ to view it), you can download itunes and search through podcasts to find Bethel Church in Redding, California's sermon of the week. It is a podcast called "Continuous Revival" from September 13, 2009.]

Photos by Kelly Elizabeth Smith of Photos of Grace Photography.

Prophetic Mentoring in 2011

One of my favorite things to do every month is something that feeds my spirit. Several years ago my family and I started going to a “prophetic mentoring” meeting where we and whomever else wants to come are…well, mentored in the prophetic. I need to back up a bit here.

Many years ago, I was doing a bible study when I ran across this verse:  John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”  I thought about this. I believed I was His “sheep”. I had given my life to the Lord years before and gone to church all my life, but I did not know his voice! This scared me!

I began the journey I am on now. The journey of listening, of learning how to hear His voice.

Back to our prophetic mentoring. During this “class” (for lack of a better word) I have learned more about hearing God than in any other place.

This month was especially good as the leader of the group just got back from a mission’s trip to India. I feel like I am to share much of what he said about that and about the coming year that we’ve just begun – 2011. The following are taken from my notes. They may seem a bit choppy, but wade through. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you read, that your spirit will be strengthened and encouraged, spurred on, by the words.

You must be a person of prayer or you’ll fall. Develop your prayer life more than you ever have.  You can no longer afford not to.  When He exalts you, go lower. Be on your face more!  Look for God – not fame.

When God speaks. Believe it. Go for it. In India when the Lord speaks to them, they believe it the first time, not after many confirmations that the Lord really said it. They go and do whatever it is the  Lord told them!

Don’t be western anymore. Change your mindset. The western mindset is too intellectual. Too material. The next two years will be intense years. If you become a person of prayer, it won’t be intense anymore.

Do you crave Him with everything in you? Crave Him so much that your bones cry out!

A new wind is about to blow. (See Acts 2:2)

Apostolic government is about to be released. Not where people call themselves “apostles”.

Acts 5:1-10

 ¹ Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

 ³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? ⁴ Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

 ⁵ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. ⁶ Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

 ⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

   “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

 ⁹ Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

 ¹⁰ At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

There has been too much playing with God. GOD is going to get His church in order. There will be judgment – not from people, from Him.  God wants us to be a Holy, humble people of faith.

Acts 5:11-16

 ¹¹ Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹³ No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. ¹⁵ As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. ¹⁶ Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

Pray and obey. God will bring discipline. If you say, “I like comfort,” and are unwilling to move to do what he wants you to do, He has to come and put something in your life to get you out of your comfort.

Everything has to be done by the word of God and prayer.

Teach even the children to sit before the Lord. (And if you do not know how to…learn!)

Realize you have died and your life is hidden in Christ. We are moving into a new decade. Perhaps the last as we know it.

Matthew 24:37-39

³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

People must see before it is too late. Things were happening in the days before the flood of Noah’s time when God flooded all the earth. There was a hundred year time when Noah was building the ark. This huge boat was being built before their eyes on dry land – no water nearby. Then when it was built, animals from all over the earth came to the ship and began to enter it. The people had the opportunity to hear, to see what was going on, to change their ways. They didn’t see it. Only 8 people were saved from the flood.  Things are happening in the world now. We must wake up from our apathy and see!

God is calling us to a brand new place. There will be a division this year. The ones who are His will be LOW. This is what is meant by that:

Psalm 138:6 Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.

Proverbs 16:19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 29:23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

Matthew 18:4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Walking with God costs you everything. Count the cost.

As I was looking up the following story for verification, I came upon a fantastic article cataloging great revivals from Bible times to the present. 

There was a man who listened for God’s voice. God would tell him, “Go sit in an airport.” He would for a day, two, however long it took for the next direction to come. At times money was given to him to travel and speak a word from the Lord…just enough to get wherever he was supposed to go, one way. Then he would be given money for a return ticket. We must become so sensitive to His voice that whatever He says to do, we do.

One of the greatest moves of God is to come. It will never end.  Only those who HEAR will experience it.

                          We must be clean, repentant, forgiving. 

                          Lord, forgive me of my ignorance.

                          Forgive me of my arrogance.

                          Forgive me of my pride.

You can’t afford to carry unforgiveness in your heart. You’ve got 6 months to get it straight or God’s gonna put his finger on it. There is too much unforgiveness in the body of Christ right now.

Oh, Father, we must be able to hear your voice clearly. Help us, oh God! Open our ears. Remove any veils we have that keep us from hearing, from listening. Give us discernment to know what you are saying and how you are saying it to us. I love you, Lord! In Jesus’ name I ask these things. Amen.

More to say later on how to hear. It is critical that we develop our hearing.

M e d i t a t i o n

Awhile back my husband and I were flipping channels on TV and ran across a program about bettering yourself. Along with eating healthy and exercise, they said to meditate. We watched the entire segment devoted to meditation. They went to top experts to determine how to do this. Their best advice was to do mindless things like climb stairs to meditate. Clear your mind.

I know from being with the Lord that we are supposed to meditate... but not in this way.

I came home determined to become an expert on meditation. I first looked up all the verses in the Bible that mentioned meditation. Lord, speak to us through your word!

Genesis 24:63 Isaac goes out into the field in the evening to meditate.  Rebecca, his future wife that he has been waiting for, comes up just as he looks up.

Joshua 1:8-9    Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Psalm 48:9      Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Psalm 77:11-12           11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago, 12 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Psalm 119:15  I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Psalm 119:23  Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:27  Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.

Psalm 119:48  I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:78  May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.

Psalm 119:97-100       97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.  98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. 100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.

Psalm 119:148                        My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

Psalm 143:5    5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. 

Psalm 145:5    5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.  7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. Meditation causes the psalmist to tell of God’s awesome works.  It causes praise and adoration.  It is the opposite of disillusionment and indifference.

Psalm 39:3      3 My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: 4 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.”

Psalm 1:2        1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers,”

Psalm 19:12-14           12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 104:34  May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.

Reading all this, I determine to choose a scripture to meditate on. Bill Johnson says that when we steward well what the Lord has already given us, the Lord gives us fresh revelation. He said that he did an experiment. He told everyone at a prayer meeting to focus on one attribute of God…his love, his mercy, his compassion…just one attribute. And while he played some worship music, they would praise him for just that one attribute. Afterwards, he interviewed them. Each one said that after a few minutes of praising God they ran out of new things to praise about that attribute. The moment they ran out, the moment they gave him everything they had concerning that one thing, that is the moment God gave them fresh revelation on that attribute.

In the same message he talks about familiar passages of scripture. The danger in the familiarity is that we think we know that scripture. He took Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life…

Meditating on this, you can be encouraged that there is an angel called “goodness” and an angel called “mercy” that are following you around all the days of your life. You can look behind you at any moment and know they are there.  You can know that, because the Lord is your shepherd, you will never want for anything. Wow. That’s what it says.

Read it. Meditate on it. Don’t clear your mind. FILL IT WITH HIM! Fill it with his word! Believe what you are reading!

Are you discouraged? Are you in need? Are you hurt? Angry? Think on him. Ask him for a passage, a verse that you need. Then listen. He is speaking to you. Focus on the verse, on what he is saying in it. The Bible is an ancient text that is still so relevant for you... individually... today. He’s wanting to tell you something. Something personal. Something that will more than get you through whatever you’re going through. Something that will meet your needs. Something that will draw you nearer to him.

To his heart. He wants your heart. He loves you. Oh how he loves you.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

At different times, each of these verses have had special places for me.

Maybe they’ll be somewhere for you to start. Just start. Enjoy the journey. And let me know how it's going. I love to hear from you!

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who  have been called according to his purpose.

1 Corinthians 14:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek  me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

1 Corinthians 2:9

However, as it is written:

“No eye has seen

No ear has heard,

No mind has conceived

What God has prepared for those who love him”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you

in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything.

Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

The Psalms are a great place to start. If you don’t know what else to read, begin in the Psalms and read until you find your heart there.