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Come & listen, all you who fear God and I will tell you what he did for me.

For I cried out to Him for help, praising him as I spoke.

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

But God did listen!!!

He paid attention to my prayer.

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.

Psalm 66:16-20

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Heartfelt Transitions

Some time ago this guy from Jesus Culture came and spoke at my church about transition.  I did not think that I was in transition like so many of my other friends because I'm not moving, my job is stable, etc. It wasn't until now that I realize the transition that is taking place for me is in my heart. I have friends that are leaving, some leaving to go to another place and some that are just leaving my heart. I've been battling some time about a few particular friends and wondering if the relationship is something worth fighting for. I've decided it's not, not if I'm the only one fighting for it. I'm not angry about that, the truth is that as we grow it is completely natural for people to drift apart/grow apart. Some people are really supposed to be in your life for a season, and that season ends you move on. Can you imagine if it were summer ALL the time?! I live in Houston and although summer has its benefits I look forward to knowing the cooler months are right after it. Likewise, although some relationships with people are fun and I thoroughly enjoy them when things begin to dissolve it's time to embrace the end & the beginning of the new things along the horizon.

God's been doing a crazy intense, interesting, uncomfortable work in my heart these past few months. I never realized how wounded it was. I never thought that I had it all together, but man, I am a mess right now! haha Even in knowing how much of a mess I am right now I have soo much peace about it. I can't help but thank God for EVERYTHING! The good, the bad & the ugly. Recently I found myself feeling overwhelmed with frustration & anger, and you know what I did? I turned off my phone, put my computer away, and I turned my heart to God. I gave it all away; all the hurt, the pain, the rejection, the anger, the malice, I surrendered it all to God. He said I could lay all my burdens at His feet, so with all the gunk inside I opened my hands and said, "God, here is my heart you can have it all", and never, NEVER have those words resounded so clearly in my heart before! He really does make all things work together for my good. If circumstances had not arose then these issues would not have surfaced and I would be unaware of this war ragging in my soul.

 I recognize who I am, and who I was created to be and I tell Him those things too! I declare my identity over myself instead of wallowing in  whatever funk the enemy throws my way.  I thank God for whatever the unfortunate circumstance that caused the ill feelings to arise because if "it" had not happened, I would not know what was buried in my heart & I would not have the opportunity to praise God in spite of.

It is a war. I feel like when I'm in the storm that is is a constant battle. I imagine the enemy to be like a dragon breathing fiery breath upon me to see if I will break. Then I make the decision, within my own heart, to focus on God and not my circumstance. The truth is, our praise is a weapon and I find myself with a heart filled with thanksgiving.
 
I find myself thanking God so much now, now just in good times & not just in bad times, but ALL the time. 

                          He is GOOD. Amen.



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I dont listen to a lot of gospel music, but this song has been stuck in my head! <3 i="" nbsp="">

My Praise is a Weapon

My Praise Is a Weapon
Yes it's a declaration
My God is King
He can do anything

My Praise is a Weapon
Yes it's a revelation
If God be for me
Tell me who can be against me

No weapon formed against me by the enemy shall prosper
But I've got a weapon that will always have power
My weapon is praise, for the rest of my days
I'm stomping on the devil as I lift Jesus name

Alpha, Omega, Jehovah, Messiah
Healer, Deliverer, My Victory from the enemy
I praise You, I lift You up

Living Flames

Howdy all! I thought I would share something I received from God on Sunday. Here it is below, as always, your thoughts, comments and questions are totally welcomed and appreciated! 

On Sunday just after church & after our fellowship meal a few of us were just gathering in the prayer room and it turned into an awesome spontaneous worship set! While there in the prayer room I received this vision of a fire out in the midst of a cold desert where it was dark for miles and miles. I knew that there were predators (wolves) lurking about but I also knew the flames of the fire must remain. Though there was a chance that wolves could come, in my heart I knew that we could not let the flames die out because there were people out there in the darkness that would be drawn to this fire. I thought, how could they not come and draw near to the warmth of these flames, why would they willing stay out in the cold, surely they will come.

I feel like this symbolic of us as a body not only on the campus of UH, but us the cooperate body of Christ. We are each individual flames, and as we go out into this campus, or even in this world, that warmth that comes from those flames is the love of God. It draws in the hurting, the broken, those whose hearts have grown cold, but a fire in itself must be tended to. You have to continue to feed the flames more wood, which I believe looks like us feeding ourselves more of God's word. The logos.  We have to cultivate and tend to the fire that burns passionately for God in our own hearts with His word and allowing that to singe off those fleshly dead things that try to weigh us down. 

In the bible wood most commonly represents our humanity (sometimes I view that as things that are fleshly and that can easily fade away or that do not align with the will of the Father or anything that you can have without abiding in Christ). I believe that God is calling us to lay those things down at His alter. [Note: when something is brought to the alter it comes to die, likewise when we present ourselves to God and make an alter we are saying God I'm willing to lay down my LIFE for this. I do not live for myself; I live for you in EVERY area.] God wants us to be those flames that draw others too Him, but that doesn't mean we have to come and be perfect or appear to have it all together. We just have to be willing to let go and feed ourselves with Him (His word, His presence) and allow His spirit to work within us, which in turn will cultivate those flames, that love, that passion, and that zeal for Him.

-Authentically Cadence

Soliders

So for a few weeks God has been resonating the word soldier in my spirit. I wasn't really sure what to do with it, or how it related to me, but this morning during the prayer set I received this revelation. I don't think it's just for me (though it is speaking to me very clearly in this moment), I feel like it is something that more people need to grab a hold of.  So here it is below:  

(Note: I pretty much just copied this from my journal)

I definitely believe the word solider describes me (and who I am becoming) because as a solider you receive your instructions from the general (lieutenant, Sergent, etc..) and you are expected to follow them out. Truthfully, you do not always like what you are told, but in the end it builds character, it builds strength, or it prepares you for the things to come. 

In the kingdom of God it is very similar. God often calls us (as his children, soldiers, ambassadors, etc..) to do the things we do not always want to do, that are out of our comfort zone. But as we yield our hearts in submission to our commanding officer (God) and step out, we grow, we build strength, & gain experience that will be needed later in life. 

We can't always see the results of our actions, just like we can't' always see a seed in the ground as it is growing. But after that seed has died and the buds (that will later produce fruit) push their way though the dirt, we see that there was something good working on it's behalf even through the mess, even through the waiting, even through the pain of growing. Trust and submission to the things and the ONE unseen bare more fruit than resistance and rebellion. So let us be soldiers. Let us be willing vessels who say use me no mater the cost. Let us catch sight of your vision God and follow you wholeheartedly.   

-Authentically Cadence

Tethered

I feel like I just tapped into a part of my heart that I did not know was there. It’s good that God is shedding some light on those dark places in my heart that would rather stay hidden. In this instance I believe that the enemy is loosing ground as I choose to give up control. 

“Tethered”

Moonlit skies in the distance
the faint glow of the roaring sun
here I stand
alone.
Not even standing,
just floating in the distance that is between the space and stars
faintly communicating with the one who made me because I know
there must be more.
Sometimes, many times, I just float
roaming from space to space
serving from place to place
but still,
no one really knows me
the loneliness of the heart has subtly built these faint walls that appear to shimmer with star dust
you cant really tell they're there from this distance
like a garden enclosed, am I to many
slowly healing, rebuilding, and growing
these young rosebuds have been trampled by the most well meaning,
but "well meaning" won't heal these wounds or cause these bruises to fade any quicker
so I float
away & away
it's quite nomadic in a sense. Always wondering
never really settling
resting in the moment before it's long gone.
I never knew the wind could be so brutal,
I’d grown fond of those subtle breezes from the spring sky
there is more
more than I can see
more than I can imagine
if only I were tethered
a part of my heart longs for the roots
but there's a roaring part that won't relent from "freedom"
is THIS really freedom?
The words search my heart and know me resonate in my spirit
but thats a new level of transparency I’ve yet to experience
or, allow myself to experience
I suppose I am the only thing that’s holding me back
if I were to just let go
and if I were to allow myself to be conformed
then I would not deal with this I in me
this "well what about what I want" voice that lingers in the back of my mind
fighting for control
sometimes gaining control
if I were to release this I to the great "I AM"
then we would coexist together
and I would finally be tethered.