Daily

So to be completely honest, I've been struggling with being consistent in my quiet time. I get really lit on fire when I'm at church, sitting in the sanctuary listening to Pastor Dean and praise and worship get me going; and the day after church and before church I'm most definitely in the word. Now sometime in between now and then I like fizzle out. I skip a day, maybe two and then get back in the word.

Now you may think that's ok, like give me the benefit of the doubt. But the truth is my life is like a roller coaster because I don't have this constant flow of peace and joy that only God can provide to me through His word. 

So this evening I make a decision to turn off my Netflix and open my bible. I read the Gospel of John and read a few verses; verse 17 was like whoa! The King James Version reads like this, "sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth". So God's word is the absolute truth, the highest truth, the ONLY truth. His word needs to be DAILY applied to my life so it can purify my heart and mind.

Well duh, no wonder I struggle. I struggle because I give God some days and get lazy with others. I think he can have a few and I'll have a few and we will both be happy. But neither of us are. He can't help me when I don't give him my days, my thoughts, my emotions, or my words. And I am certainly not happy when I don't give him days because I am run by my thoughts, my emotions and my words. It's just like I said before I put my own self on the roller coaster when I don't DAILY make an effort to spend time with My God. The God who thought about me before I was born, who made a way for me through Jesus to get back to Him, to have eternal life with him, and also to enjoy a life of happiness and peace and love and joy here on this planet too!

So I wanna say good bye to the struggle, you are real but I refuse to quit. I refuse to give up. I endeavor DAILY to open my bible, to listen to a message, to praise God because I am alive and I have purpose and I still have time.

Daily, every day, every minute, every second for the rest of my life God may I continue to seek you, your word and your way for my life.

The Blood

I was reading my bible devotion and it was over Luke 22:20. I’m sitting here thinking about Jesus, about the night before His death and what he must have been feeling. In the Living Bible translation, it says “His blood was poured out for my soul to purchase it back from the enemy” This man, this Jesus, my savior DIED so that I could live. He died so I wouldn't have to be separated from a Father who loves me like no one else can. That's a big deal. I try to picture myself and think if I could do it, honestly I think I probably would have chickened out. Like He had to physically do what someone else wanted him to do and die. I may have been able to do it for the people I love. My kids my husband some of my family, but even then may is a far stretch from actually doing it.  But He died knowing that not everyone would accept what He did for them. He knew it would be questioned by some and that some would perish but he still did it, He knew it wasn't going to have a 100 percent success rate but Jesus did it anyway. Seriously this is why his name, the name of Jesus is the name above all names. Honestly who else could fill his shoes?

So I have this huge miracle taken place for me so I can go to heaven and live out heaven on earth but I don't fully take advantage because of what I may want to do in the moment? So Jesus I apologize you died for me but I'm going to be selfish and do me first then you. FRAN you are being so stupid! It won't ever work that way. You have to do things God's way and then my heart, my desires will follow. Being lazy and doing what I want totally slows the process.

And not to mention what if Jesus said, oh I'll wait a year or so then die for you, I've got to see this, do this and make sure everything else is good before I take on anything for you. Don't be selfish that's not what he paid for. He paid for me to be overcoming in this life and most certainly the next. So do it remind yourself that blood was shed for you and you don't have some ordinary boring life with no purpose. That is a lie!!!!

You have purpose and you are extraordinary! Jesus died for you!

miss the mark momma

I get home from work, from picking up the boys trying to get supper fixed and my little one is screaming, something is obviously wrong; he wants attention, a bottle, a new diaper, something. So I stop do all of the above and he is still screaming, I have Deep and it starts at seven and I’m trying to just take care of my family but Kason’s cries for me are more and more on my nerves, needless to say we are walking out of the door my husband asks me if I’m ok, of course I’m ok….NOT! But just as I’m out the door the slightest thing sets me off and I yell at my children and am rude to my husband. Blah I failed. I’m an impatient mom, and rude wife.

I get to Deep sit in a seat and feel awful. I want to grab my kids hug them tell them I’m sorry and I love them and the same with my husband I want to call him and tell him to forgive me. Why do we get so overwhelmed with everyday things? Like really I could have taken ten minutes and really spent time with my little one, I could have taken five minutes and just expressed my frustrations to my husband instead of a snide comment. But it didn’t happen that way. But you know what it is ok. God still loves me and his grace and mercy has covered that. The important thing is that I learned a lesson last night, my family is my purpose and yes it is my responsibility to feed them, it’s more important that I nurture and take care of the relationships that I have with each one of them.

So take some advice from this miss the mark momma, she will no longer dwell on the mistakes she makes. She will ask for forgiveness, learn, and determine to do better next time. Because the God I serve loves me and wants nothing more but for me to succeed and be the woman he created me to be, and the beauty in that is He wants the very same thing for you! He loves us all THAT much! <3

Branches

There is so much on my heart that I don't even know where to start so I'm sorry if this sounds all over the place but ready, set, here it goes. I went to Houston about two weeks ago, I went because honestly I wanted to develop relationships with women who were wanting to get to know Jesus on another level, my goal was to make friends who I could do life with and who could help me and give me the counsel I know that I need, and well did God accomplish that or what. Seriously if you want something from him all you need to do is make it known and I promise you he will deliver in a way that you can't even imagine on your own.

And just a little back story I almost didn't even go to Houston, I was like I can't leave my kids, who is going to do everything I do, I don't want to leave all of this for Michael while he is so busy with work I mean really the list goes on and on but all it was, the enemy, trying to get me to miss out and keep me at a level where he can control me. WELL NOT ME!

So I'm so excited and happy I went because honestly I was at a point when I was questioning my church going, my volunteering, I needed that time to be stirred up to be reminded why it is I do life with GOD.

John 15 talks about how Jesus is the vine and God is the gardener and we are the branches. Well it's true. Jesus is the only way that we can be connected with the Father, we need him to have any type of success in our lives. The father is the gardener and decided what stays and what goes; but the ultimate decision if we are successful branches is up to us. Jesus can't and won't make us do anything, just like the trip to Houston he knew that it was exactly what I needed but he couldn't physically put me on the plane and make me go. I had to decided for myself if I wanted to grow and get on another faith level. Just like you do. You have to decided for yourself exactly what you want out of life and go for it no one else is going to do that for you except for you. So just in that same way we have to always stay connected with the vine because truly it can give us exactly what we need for that moment, if we choose to do things our own way, which in my case to stay home with the kids taking care of my home and helping Michael I wouldn't have gotten fed the way that God knew that I needed. And because I choose my way instead of what He had for me, my branch would have died a little bit. And let me tell you I don't want to become a dead branch or a weed because let's face it who wants a dead empty life figuring out things on their own when all you have to do is invite God, do life with him and he will give you everything you want and then some. I don't know about you but I want to flourish, in such a way that my family is full of love joy and peace, that my children know that they don't have to experiment and go off and do their own thing that they were made for more! To be leaders, to have a voice that stands out above the crowd to know that they are secure in the LOVE of the most high GOD! Seriously what greater thing than to be loved like you've never been loved before?!?!?! Why would you pass that up? DON'T!!!!!!

And you know what I'm glad I didn't, I'm going to purpose to be more like him. To show love, to be kind, to help out even when I don't feel like it because I want to be a branch that produces the most beautiful fruit, not because I want to be proud and say look what I did, but because I want to say look what God can do, if he can do it for me, he most certainly will do it for you!!!!

Fruit

Fruit; yummy red ripe sweet strawberry. That's what I think of when I see the word fruit. You don't tend to think white, fuzzy, molded over, losing its brightness red strawberry do you? Of course not!! Who wants to eat a rotten piece of fruit? No one. So why when we look at ourselves in the mirror do we see imperfections? Mold or fuzz so to speak?  I will tell you why because we buy into the lie of the world, of the enemy who says we aren't small enough, or your hair isn't fixed in the right way, your jeans arent the brand they need to be or whatever lame excuse about your face or your nose or whatever. NO! You are beautiful and so loved by God. So loved by God. 

Listen in Houston I wrote down in my notes this question. Why don't I love myself? You want to know what I wrote? "Because the world says I am not beautiful" how retarded is that? Really Francheska you have this extravagant love the Jesus poured out for you. Get over what the world says and find your amazing worth in the Father. 

Then I feel like I was hit with bricks!! Duh God loves you wake up and smell the coffee just because you aren't a size two doesn't make you worthless. The ugly little liar called Satan wants to keep you under this lie, this spell that you can't achieve anything because your appearance isnt flattering to the world. Well I've got news for you. I have had a huge revelation that because I'm not a picture perfect size I still am going to make a difference; if it means smiling or going out of my comfort zone to talk to people I really don't know well for fear of rejection. I'm not ever going to be rejected because guess what I'm good ripe beautiful fruit here to love and show how amazing God is!! And I know that I can't be bound by a number on a scale anymore. I know that I am loved regardless because His word says so! 

So be empowered to break past insecurity and take hold of life that was created for fullness in God! 

Oh and pay someone a compliment you never know what demons they are facing in their head. Be bright and full of love! ❤️

Light Bulb

Oh my goodness I can't even begin to explain how the light bulb has just went off in my mind, body, and spirit so I will try to share it as best I can. 

I am going to my church's bible study program and we are reading a book called "One word from God can change your health". So I'm reading this book it's talking about how first our body is spirt then flesh and we need to learn to walk in the spirit man in order to control the flesh man because the flesh doesn't just operate without the brain telling it to do something. So the section I'm reading is entitled :: No Condemnation Allowed :: so I want to be sure I fully understand what I'm reading I google condemnation and come across the word criticism (we are all fully aware of that meaning) so everywhere in this section I swap condemnation for criticism. So in a nutshell it is explains that we basically criticize a lot of things and we do not need to be doing that. 

I started thinking of myself and my own crticisms towards my body, my parenting, my time management and the list goes on. But what my book was saying was don't allow those condemnations those crticisms as long as each day comes you are atill striving to be a better woman you are ok. As long as you can hear the Holy Spirit whispering to you and helping you do better it's ok. Because one day all those little baby steps are going to add up to a huge leap and guess what you will be better. So keep pressing on knowing yes you may fail but so what just don't give up. 

Bright Light

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.

      Proverbs 20:27 (NKJV)

The Lord looks deep inside people and searches through their thoughts.

      Proverbs 20:27 (NCV)

The spirit of man (that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from GOD) is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

      Proverbs 20:27 (AMP)

 

Our inside, our heart is where we carry the spirit of the Lord. By how we act, the things we say we portray an image to the Lord of how bright his spirit is inside of us. Some of us may be so firm in our faith, that this light is bright; bright like when you wake up in the middle of the night and the light pierces your eyes and you have to keep them closed till they adjust bright. This brightness is powerful and strong; life changing. Some of our light is burning it wants to grow more, it wants to be bright that there is no question who holds your heart and whose team you are serving. Other people may have no light they may be lost; they may not know that GOD is so amazing, so good and he has the power to turn any situation into light; any circumstance can do a 360 when he is included in the plan. The thing about this great news is that they don’t know that. Just flat out that knowledge they do not have.

      Yes it’s good that we work on ourselves and strive to be better woman and men of God, yes we want to be less of procrastinators and more productive, yes we want to lose weight and feel better about ourselves; but take that energy you are focusing on you and help someone out. Be encouraging to a stranger; our words go a long way when someone is hurting they can help so much. I encourage you to just put yourself out there, believe that God is going to make the opportunity for you to minister to someone’s life. There are sick people, hurting people everywhere we go; let them know that Our Savior Jesus Christ died for them, not only to have eternal life but a life on earth that is full of health and wealth. They are being robbed by the yucky enemy. He is telling them lies and because they go feel by what they see they are doomed. Let them know NO you do not have to feel like this. There is a way out. I bet if we were all bold in this way with just one person; it would feel better than losing ten pounds. Because we gained another person into the amazing kingdom of GOD! I am just challenging myself and you to be brighter than we are right now. Let people know and the rest is up to them. But at least you shared the truth.