I can’t do this on my own. I surrender all.

When we hear the phrase “Surrender to God” we might often think that we are going to have to stop “living” somehow.

Surrendering to God doesn’t mean that we all of a sudden have no purpose in life. However, some of us have tried to create our own purpose and have surrendered to nothing for a very long time, except our own wills, and all it has done is created one big mess for many.

It’s been 18 years without the love of my life. I honestly cannot believe I’ve made it this long without him. Has time been my healer? No way! It’s been Jesus and me every step of the way. I’ll admit though, they have not always been the best steps that I’ve chosen to take. In fact, I’ve had many “off the path” steps along the way. But somehow I kept finding my way back. Back to the One who has done more than just get me through the storms. God Himself, has carried me through every season which has lead me straight to this very milestone in my life today.

Life has a way of testing our anchors and tempting us to drift…sometimes far away. But here’s the truth, if our anchors are placed firmly in the rock of our redeemer, then they will hold no matter the force of the wind, the strength of the tide, or the height of the waves. Hold on tight to the Truth of your anchor today and make sure it’s beyond secure. 

Often we hold on soo tightly to things in our lives or our own way of thinking because we don’t want to change or it’s just soo hard to let go.

But God cannot redeem what we will not release.

Maybe we forget that He still holds the power to heal and to set free. Maybe we don’t believe that He can, or wants to. Maybe we forget at times, that He’s still the God of miracles, that He can do in a moments time what might take years for us to work through on our own.

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve sent out a newsletter but the sun was shining again today so I thought, why not! I wanted to take a quick minute to encourage anybody that is feeling like you’re waving a white flag of surrender towards Heaven! Jesus sees you and won’t let you journey anything alone!

I can’t do this on my own! I finally surrender all!

May you take heart in knowing that God is preparing you for what He has already prepared for you! There is a new season that is already waiting for you. As you allow yourself to take on the fullness of God’s processing in your life, He is doing a work in you already, even if you can’t see it, so that you will be ready for the day when God opens up all the doors and allows you to walk into that new place. Maybe it’s time to “clean house” so you can be fully ready for it.

Today is another beautiful Tennessee morning. I’m fighting a cold, so I slept in just a bit. As I rolled out of bed, I grab my robe, my computer and a cup of tea to settle in for the better half of the day in my study. I’ve stared out the window of my study now for at least 45 minutes asking God to give me a fresh word. And…..nothing. Nothing comes to mind. My fingers are frozen to the keys on my computer. “Move fingers, type something brilliant!” I think it’s just one of those days when I feel numb and I’m at a loss for words, but the tears fall freely. I miss the life that I once knew. I miss the love that surrounded my life.

My life was forever changed 10 years ago. It’s soo hard to believe it’s been 10 years already. I’m moved to tears at this moment thinking about days missed, yet embracing the days the Lord has given me to discover all the many new adventures surrounding my life… when I was ready for them.

I’ve been shaken to the core and still I stand with my fist held high proclaiming that I am unshakeable in this moment. But that’s just it. Sometimes we go from moment to moment, day to day, season to season. Even in chaotic uncertain times we can be assured that our very lives are in the grip of a loving God.

Life is tough I know, but don’t make the mistake today of thinking that God is not interested in your problems, concerns, hopes or dreams! Because the trust is that scripture makes it really clear that God hears and DOES answer our prayers. I love that and needed that reminder today myself! I totally understand that we all experience times when we wish God would respond immediately and when He doesn’t we can begin to feel soo abandoned and completely defeated thinking He’s just too busy for us.

I love the story of Joshua. Scripture says in Joshua 10:12-14, He was in the midst of a great battle and he and his men were trying to finish off this army before the sun went down. He knew that this army would rise up and cause them soo many problems if he didn’t. Joshua could have easy gotten discouraged and had a defeated attitude but he stepped up and a new boldness surrounded him. He said, “God I know this is totally unusual and completely out of the ordinary but I’m asking you to stop the sun for me so I can complete this task at hand. I need daylight.”