Building Project

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I wrote last. I knew that building a restaurant would be challenging, but I had no idea how many decisions concerning the building, along with choices of finishes and equipment that would have to be made. My husband and I both feel like we are being schooled in this new area of construction. I hope we make the grade!!

God continues to remind me that, regardless of the current economic condition of our country, and the challenges that so many face, that we have much to be thankful for. In this week of Thanksgiving, I just want to thank Him for everything He has given us. Above all, His grace is sufficient! Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Groundbreaking!!

Well, the big event finally happened today. We broke ground on the restaurant that my husband and I have been working on for over two years. It seemed so surreal that it would finally be happening. My husband was super excited about the event, while I felt somewhat overwhelmed, wondering, in this economy, if we were a little daft.

Because we both have felt confident that the Lord has called us into this project, we continue to move forward, trusting that if He leads us somewhere, He will provide for that place. Our expected build time is ten months.

I thank God for all of the battles He has fought for us over this project and that He showed Himself faithful and trustworthy. We have learned so much about Him and His ways and ourselves (not always good) and know that the adventure will continue. I know the days ahead will be challenging and there will be more battles to be fought, but we know whom we can trust.

Thanks to everyone who has fought along side of us for this project. He has heard and answered!!

Love, hope and faith

This morning as I was walking and praying for our nation, and our economy and the elections, I felt the Lord break in on me and remind me of something really important. He quoted 1 Corinthians 13: "Faith, hope and love". I realized that in the midst of the battle of the season that we are in, and because of our passion for God's Kingdom to come, it is very easy to end up being angry with the people who oppose our ideas and opinions concerning the elections. We get so caught up in what we think is right, that we end up having hard hearts and losing all perspective of what the Kingdom is about. We will not convey love and Godly wisdom to those we speak to if we are hard hearted and hateful.

So He reminded me that in this season of seeming hopelessness, He wants to give us faith and hope and over it all, love. Ephesians 6 says that we fight not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and principalities of this present darkness. The people who disagree with us are not the enemy, darkness is the enemy. My pastor this morning told us to not be discouraged with the prevailing darkness, because light shines brighter in darkness and people will be drawn to the light.

Yes, keep fighting in fervent prayer!! We are called to be stewards and warriors in the affairs of the earth, but let's not be distracted from the foundation of the Kingdom of God. Let's ask God for a baptism of faith, hope and love. I believe that is the Lord's heart.

Don't Forget Thanksgiving - Like Me!

This morning in church someone spoke about being thankful to God. Now, we all know how important that is. We all know that God loves to hear us thank Him for what He's done for us, but I think sometimes we take it for granted and forget to actually do it! To the stresses of our normal lives, add the current economic and political stresses and wow, we sure do have an overwhelming amount of concerns to face.

Sure, we're faithful to pray about those concerns and we work hard to overcome so much. But how much time do we spend thanking God for everything He's given us. Have we thanked Him lately for the freedom we enjoy in this country? How about our friends and families, for the food we have in our fridges, for the clean air we breathe, our faithful vehicles and the beauty of the earth? For flowers, for birds and butterflies. How about microwaves and washers and dryers, they're pretty wonderful too. When you think about it, there are so, so many things to be thankful for.

Even if you can't think of absolutely anything to be thankful for in your life, you can thank Him for Who He is, for His faithfulness, His beauty, His sacrifice, His love, His power!

In the midst of these challenging times, it's easy to get focused on hard things, but if we could just take our eyes off the challenges and onto the Lord of the challenges, it would be a huge step towards stress relief. God hasn't fallen off the throne. He still is the sovereign Lord of the universe and "holds the whole world in His hands"! Sure, He invites us to be involved through prayer and intercession for our world, but He still rules and reigns. Let's give Him a little credit and thank Him for our lives. I'm certainly going to try to remember to begin my prayer time with more thanksgiving.

Hey, do me a favor: Please write and remind me about this in about a week!

Going Where No Man Has Gone Before

Lately I've felt like I've been able to relate to Abraham in the Old Testament. Abraham was called by God to leave the place he called home and begin moving out to some unknown place. He packed up his household and began the journey, trusting that God had a good plan for him.

As we continue in the adventure of building a restaurant, we are adding another operation to our already overwhelming lives and expanding our territory. There are many things we are now facing that are unknown to us. We don't really know where we are going, as we've never been this way before. Okay, so it doesn't seem like the current times can be compared to Abraham's times. We now have AAA or On-star or directions to anywhere at the touch of our keyboards. And I know that Abraham didn't have the world wide web to support his every need and give security for everything he faced, but our lives are not that much different from Abraham's. There really still is no security apart from our walk of obedience in the Lord's will.

Psalm 91 has really ministered to me in the midst of such uncertain times. Verses 1 - 6 tells us of the safety and rest and security we have when we place our hope and trust in God. As we face such uncertain times, it's easy to harden ourselves and withdraw into our own thoughts, fears and negative thoughts. Our weaknesses and fears in these times really highlight where we place our trust and hope.

Let me quote those verses for you: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

I'm thankful that Abraham boldly went where no man has gone before, obedient and hopeful. I pray we can be as confident and trusting as we walk in obedience to His call on our lives.

The Gift of Tears

I know that there are times in our lives when we have a hard time crying. God has taught me over and over how precious tears are and how He uses them for us and for others. I used to think that tears were very shameful and that people would think I was weak if I cried. Even though many times I could hardly contain myself in a situation, I strived with all my might to hold back those embarrassing tears.

As I have grown in the Lord, He has shown me that the enemy's plan is for us to be afraid and ashamed of those precious tears because the enemy knows that if others see our soft hearts, they will be drawn to us and love us. As we share our hearts with others, we can't help but be tenderized toward one another.

Another important benefit of tears is the cleansing that comes with them. If we hold in all of our pain, hurt or grief that we experience in life, those emotions will eventually overwhelm us and will leak out the cracks in ways that hurt us and others. As I was thinking about tears this morning, I remembered that Jesus cried at least once that we are aware of. I have a feeling that there were many more tears than what is recorded in our Bible and I am thankful that even the God of the universe can grieve openly. God is an emotional being and not a bit ashamed of it!

I have also learned that when we close off those places of grief, thinking that we are protecting ourselves, that we close them off to the divine comfort that our wise Father wants to pour into them.

Thank you Father for tears and the cleansing and softening that they provide for us. I know You didn't make a mistake when You created us complete with tear ducts. We praise You that You made a provision for the grief of this life to be expressed and washed away. Thank You for the gift of tears. Amen

We are Called to be Overcomers

I think one of the most frustrating things for me is being in relationship with imperfect Christians. Don't ask me why I think they should be perfect, I certainly am not. But something in me screams when I am slighted or hurt by another Christian.

Example: We are dealing with a very difficult Christian in the midst of our project development (I'll call her Jill) and every time I talk with her, I can barely contain the frustration and anger that surges within and throughout me.

Last night I had to spend some time talking to God about Jill. I started by whining quite a bit, justifying my anger and frustration and listing the incidences where I felt slighted. At that point I didn't feel any peace so I turned to the Word. Interesting how God knows exactly what we need at exactly the right moment. A passage in Acts 4:32-33 says,"Now the multitudes of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common..." I know this didn't specifically address my issues with Jill, but of course the Word is living and active and went right to my heart.

What I sensed at that point was that I had no grace, mercy or love for Jill. I only want her to suffer and be judged for her failings. As soon as I thought that, the Holy Spirit whispered the scripture from Luke 6:37-38 (I didn't know where it was so I looked it up, I just had Karen's version of it): Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Wow! Immediately I realized that even if I don't care about Jill, I certainly care about me and mine. (Sorry Lord, I have to be totally honest here!). If I dwell in anger at another person and judge or condemn them and not forgive them, I am going to suffer the consequences of that decision.

While I was talking to my husband about my thoughts, he said to me that Jill is accountable to God alone for her actions. I knew right away that he was right, even though I know there may be times when we have to hold others accountable for things. This really helped me to realize that she would be judged by God for her actions and that ultimately I needed to pray for her that she would see her sin and repent so that she would not have to be judged. (I go in and out of willingness to do this!)

As I wrestled with God over this whole thing, I heard the word "Overcomer". I had a sudden understanding that an overcomer overcomes the desire to wound back, to hate and to dwell in anger. Every time we choose forgiveness over hatred, every time we choose blessing over cursing, every time we choose God's ways over the devil's schemes, Jesus' Kingdom comes into that situation. That is one of the ways that His Kingdom comes, through our minute by minute choices. And as we make those choices, we become overcomers. We are called to desire the Kingdom of God to advance in the earth and so of course He gives us opportunities to choose blessing over cursing. And of course, God's abundantly compassionate heart makes sure that we too are blessed with our Godly decisions as He then pours a good measure into our laps. So, in the end, everyone benefits! Wow, God, You continue to amaze me more and more each day!

By the way, I felt much more peaceful after this time of ministry from the Lord. Thank you Father, for allowing us to come into contact with hard people so that Your Kingdom can come in our lives and theirs.

Bulging Heavens

The other morning when I was on my morning walk, I was praying for someone who had a need for provision. I heard God say that the heavens are bulging with provision. It made me think of a type of cloud we see here in the desert where the bottom of the cloud has large billows coming down from it, like it is about to pour out rain. It really is a beautiful sight.

I think it's a good thing to remember that our Heavenly Father is just waiting to be asked for what we need. Yeah, I know He knows what we need, but I think He wants us to acknowledge our need and to remember where our provision comes from. What is your need today? Just think of bulging heavens!

A Visitor from Japan

Our daughter, Kelly, flew in from Japan this last week so we have spent as much time with her as we can, trying to make up for the last year and a half that she has been overseas. She left again this morning for the East Coast to visit her husband's family but will be back in about 9 days. How wonderful it is to be with our precious daughter again and enjoy her laughter and beauty. She will fly home to Japan the first of September, to return to her two dogs and her husband. Oh, well, I guess we have to share her. What a blessing she is in our lives!!

Sonscreen

Recently as I was praying for a friend's need, I heard the Lord say that my friend needed sunscreen. At first, I couldn't quite understand that, but I finally got it and started laughing. The Lord was trying to tell me that my friend needed "Sonscreen"!

Jesus desires to be our protection and coverage in everything that we face and He wisely surrounds us with praying people. When I was growing up, we had no idea how dangerous and harmful the rays of the sun were. But we're wiser now and wouldn't think of being in the damaging sun for a prolonged period of time without our sunscreen. Since we face such potentially dangerous circumstances every day of our lives, let's try not to leave home without our Sonscreen. I'm certain that He has an SPF of 100!

Live Honoring...

Today at the post office I saw a sign that said "Live Honoring Americans Fallen Every Day". Of course this is talking about honoring our troops that have died in war. Having a son-in-law in the military, this really hits home. The incredible sacrifice of our fallen soldiers (and their families and friends) should never be forgotten.

But it also made me think about the Word of the Lord that came to me some years ago that said, "Live like you believe me." This time the Holy Spirit said, "Live Honoring The One Who Died For You". Thank you Jesus for the cross and the incredible sacrifice You made for us. May we truly Live Honoring The One Who Died...so that we might live.

Another Grass Observation

It's interesting that God spoke to me a couple of days ago through grass while I was golfing and now today He spoke to me again through grass. We lost a tree because of the wind in our front yard awhile back and we have tried to replace that spot with grass. We've had a hard time getting our grass to grow well in that spot because it's such a large spot. The rest of the grass in the yard is surrounded by well established grass, so it is thick and green, but this new spot has more dirt than grass so it can't stay wet enough. There is not enough established grass surrounding it to protect it and keep it hydrated. (I mentioned in my last post that it gets over 100 degrees daily here in the summer!)

As I was out watering that spot today I realized that when we are not surrounded by spiritually well hydrated people who are drinking daily and thick with the Lord's presence, there is a chance that we will dry out and die. We can't do this walk alone, I need you and you need me. None of us are doing it perfectly, but regardless, we still need each other. We need a lot of grace with each other to finish well on this walk on Planet Earth. But Praise God that He holds abundant amounts of grace just waiting to pour it out upon us. Let's ask for it abundantly!!

The Grass is Always Greener?

I walked 18 holes of golf yesterday morning (even though we had a high of 104 degrees by mid day!) and as I walked I noticed how beautiful the grass looked ahead of me, smooth and soft. But when I arrived to that same spot I had gazed upon a few minutes earlier, I noticed that the grass was bumpy and hard in places. It made me think about how often we think that everyone else around us is living a smooth, soft life and we are the only ones going through hard times. But when we get close to those "everyone elses" we find that their lives are as bumpy and hard as ours is. Actually, I have found that other people are going through much hard things than I am going through. (They probably think that about my trials too)

So the next time you think the grass is greener further down the fairway...remember...there will be bumps ahead. I sure am glad that I know and can count on my Abba Daddy to be with me and help me through those bumpy places. As His children we can rest secure in His love and care for us.

Where do you carry your water?

My daughter had a junior high science teacher who took her class on a trip to Death Valley one spring. I was invited to go along as a helper and as we climbed the beautiful sand dunes, her teacher informed us that we should always carry our water in our stomachs, not in the bottles he had provided us. He said that if the water stays in the bottles, it doesn't do our bodies any good. But if that water is in our bodies, it is refreshing and hydrating us against the 90 degree heat of the desert. (It's also easier to carry water that way!)

I've noticed that I can apply this principle to the water which is the Word of God. If I leave my Bible sitting next to my bed and don't open it and drink in His goodness, then it really is not helping me. But as I drink the Word on a daily basis and keep it within me, it refreshes and hydrates me against the dryness of our existence.

It's too easy to go about our day, not spending time in the most valuable book on earth. But in the long run, life really will be harder and dryer. I pray that I would grow in my adoration of Him so that I would choose to carry His refreshing Word deep within me!

Report: Battle Won!!

Sorry that it has been so long since my last post. My husband and I have been very busy with business (and a little vacationing!) I wanted to report that one of our long ongoing battles was won last week when we finalized the purchase of the building our restaurant has leased for over 20 years. I think it has been about a year and a half that we have been working on this purchase and have seen over and over the hand of our Heavenly Father move on our behalf. Certainly my faith has not always been strong, but our Faithful God was always there to strengthen and encourage us.

I am amazed not only at the faithfulness of my Heavenly Father but also of my growth in faith during this long war. I have discovered that we are warriors who are able to overcome the plans of the enemy. I have discovered that our prayers are powerful and effective. I have discovered that we can hear God's voice and sense His leading. I have discovered that we can trust God with the battles of our lives. And I have discovered that God has surrounded us with friends and family who are willing to battle with us.

There are so so many more things that I have discovered but I think that as you have journeyed with me via my blogs, that you have seen what God has taught me. Above all, I have experienced His loving kindness and grace to a degree that I never could have had I not been in this long long war. The enemy does come to kill, steal and destroy, but praise God - He is able to deliver us. Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. Thank you God for everything!!

P.S. We received a major breakthrough today for another battle we have been in so I will report on that as soon as I can.

Japan!!!

I just returned home from a glorious visit with my beautiful daughter who lives in Japan. Her husband is in the Navy and so they are stationed there, although he spends more time at sea than at home. I often joke that my daughter is really stationed in Japan because she's the one who lives there full time.

While I was there, we visited Mt. Fuji and many other beautiful places. Japan truly is a breath taking nation, so lush and forested. And I love to observe the people when I visit there, they are so shy and kind. While I was there, each morning I would walk my daughter's two sheba inu dogs around her hilly neighborhood and try to get acquainted with her Japanese neighbors. I would try using the few basic phrases that my daughter and son-in-law have taught me but I have a feeling that behind my back, the Japanese nationals were giggling at my silly pronunciations. It doesn't really matter though, over all I have such great memories of this beautiful and intriguing land.

What a blessing to be able to visit my daughter and the foreign nation that she lives in. Thank you, God, for continuing to care for me and give me so many precious gifts. You are truly awesome!!

Our Position

This morning we have a ten o clock appt to meet with our banker about our projects. I wrote a friend that after that meeting we would know better our position in the projects. Then while taking a shower, the Lord began to speak to me. He reminded me what our position is:

We are accepted (Romans 15:7); Able to do all things (Philippians 4:13); Abounding in hope (Romans 5:5); Appointed by God (John 15:16); Favored (Psalm 5:12); Future Assured (Romans 8:18,28); Seated in Heavenly Places (Ephesians 2:6); Protected (2 Thessalonians 3:3); Provided for (Matthew 6:33); Rich (2 Corinthians 8:9); Royalty (Romans 8:16-17); Steps established by the Lord (Psalm 37:23) Unafraid (Isaiah 44:2); Overcomer (1 John 5:4-5)

I could go on and on, but, well, you get the idea...

Choose Life Part II

Recently I felt like the Lord was impressing upon me that I haven't always been willing to receive life, that I tend to have a hard time facing anything that may be too hard. I have thought a long time about that and wondered why. I think I am still working through that, but in the midst of that I sensed that Jesus was reminding me to choose life. As I meditated on that scripture from Deuteronomy 30, the scripture came to me from John 14 that says "I am the way, the truth and the life." Duh!! No wonder He wants us to choose life, He wants us to choose Him!

When we choose to face hard things in our lives, and must lean on the Lord, we discover a part of His character that we didn't know before. If we are facing a financial crisis and must turn to Him for help, we discover Him as our provider. If we are sick, we discover Him as our Healer. Without need in our lives, we would not know the fullness of the Lord's character that can only be understood during those times of need. It seems like without need, our understanding of God is only academic. He comes alive in us as we need Him.

My Mom has always told us kids that God doesn't waste anything. I believe that that is true. He uses everything for His glory and for our blessing. He is such a good Father!!

2:22

Do you remember the movie Bruce Almighty? In that movie God kept trying to speak to Bruce in different ways by showing him the numbers of a scripture over and over again, particularly through his alarm clock. I had the same thing happen to me recently. I woke up one night last week and sensed that God had woken me up. The clock said 2:22 and I thought He wanted me to look up Jeremiah 2:22. The next morning I looked that scripture up (even 22:2), but nothing really leaped out at me as being really important at that time.

Two days later at my ladies Bible study, the leader asked me to read Isaiah 2:22. I gasped! Of course the ladies wanted to know what was going on so I told them my wake up story.That scripture says: "Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" This really spoke to me since we have been having to put a lot of trust in men lately with the building projects that we are working on. Maybe more trust in them than we should have. Are we looking to God to be our provider, our provision and our hope? I'm not sure we can ever fulfill that 100%, but I know that we should always be willing to grow in that process our entire Christian walk.

Don't be surprised if God tries to get your attention in unconventional ways. He is definitely creative in his approaches to speak to us. And He sure has a good sense of humor!!

Feeling powerless?

As we continue down the road on our building projects, I have been feeling very powerless lately. It seems like we're at the mercy of other people in our projects and that we have no power in the situations. Last night my husband and I watched a movie about a family who suffered the loss of their 10 year old son due to a hit and run driver. The father felt so powerless over the situation, he couldn't bring his son back and the local law authorities couldn't find the hit and run driver.

I thought a lot about the movie and our powerlessness in life. I've decided that very often it does appear that we are powerless in this life. And it feels like we're alone there and I think this can often lead to discouragement. The enemy loves to isolate us, doesn't he?

The truth is that we are not powerless, that we have the most powerful person in the universe behind us, fighting for us. I know, it doesn't always seem like He is winning, but His Word says that He is over all, so that answers that.

It certainly appeared that Jesus was powerless and defeated as He hung on the cross 2,000 + years ago, but little did the enemy know that God's Kingdom is an upside down one. The enemy didn't know that suffering and what appears to be defeat in the earth actually leads to victory. We can't always see what is happening in the heavenlies as we choose to trust God in our "powerless" seasons. But I know one thing for sure, that according to God's Word, we win in the end!

Stop in the Name of Love!!

Go ahead, I know you want to. Sing along with me...Stop in the name of love, before you break my heart...Stop in the name of love, you're tearing us apart, think it over....think it over....

I just love when God uses a secular song to get my attention. This morning I was talking with my friend Melanie, and she said those words (Stop in the name of love) and ever since then I can't get that song out of my head. I hear God saying, "Stop in the name of love, you're breaking my heart when you dwell on your circumstances, on your pain, on your offense, and when you grumble. Stop in the name of love, you're tearing us apart, you're drawing away from my love and grace as you forget to praise me for this time, as you forget to see my hand in your life, as you forget what I did for you in the past. Think it over...think about my Goodness, my Love. Remember you are my beautiful bride, you are my beloved daughter/son, you are the object of my affection. Think about my hand in your life in the past, think about my promises in my Word about who you are and the power you have because you're mine. Remember the love handles I have provided for you." Think it over....

Trojan Horse

Have you ever had a scripture that just kept popping up over and over? I've learned when that happens that God is trying to get my attention. Recently I kept coming upon the passage from Philippians 4:8 - 9 : "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

In the midst of a battle, it's easy to focus on the battle and become discouraged and troubled. It's easy for the enemy to send seemingly innocent thoughts into our minds, but those simple thoughts can be trojan horses. Once we dwell on them, they release destructive thought patterns into our minds and try to undermine our faith, especially when there is a delay involved.

Finally, as I realized that the Lord was trying to show me where I should be focusing during the current battle, I began to focus on this scripture and as I was doing that I realized that the words were describing Jesus: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy. I've never seen that in that passage before. So as I meditated on the Word, He came and spoke to me and encouraged me by revealing Himself to me. I love those simple ways that the Lord shows us He is there and working on our behalf.

And I don't want to miss the second part of that passage: "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." I can't think of anything we need more when we're facing a battle and giants in the land than the God of peace. He promises He will be with us!

Don't Forget The Troop's Spouses!

For years, I have prayed for our troops in Iraq, but sometimes we forget that the spouses and families of the troops are engaged in their own battles at home. Now that I have a son-in-law who is gone for months at a time in the military, I see the toll that it takes on the spouses and families and the stresses they have such as loneliness, single parenting and financial issues. They are serving our country just as much as their spouses are, in Iraq or anywhere else in the world.

And don't forget to pray for our troops daily. Even though the war has been long and drawn out - our men and women are still there fighting for our freedom. Let's not forget them or take them for granted. God bless them!!

The Scenic Route!

My husband and I continue to feel frustration with the amount of time it is taking to finalize the two projects we are working on. The problems don't seem to be about anything on our end, but with other people and their competence and speed. This morning the Lord said to me that He knows that I prefer a speedy bee line in everything that I do, but He is taking us on the scenic route in this season. I'm not sure I like the scenic route, it takes too long, but I have a feeling that in the end I will see the beautiful sights the Lord has for me. I guess I'll just have to relax, rest and enjoy the sights! Are you on the bee line or scenic route right now? I'll keep you posted on the progress of our travels.

The Value of Fear

Okay, okay, so I know what you're gonna say...that God did not give us a spirit of fear...and I know that, but I am seeing that even though God didn't give it to us, that there can be great value in it. It's just like pain. If you didn't feel pain when you accidently touched a hot surface, how would you know that you need to move your hand? Fear is similar to that, it serves to get our attention.

As parents, one of the biggest areas that can bring fear into our lives is circumstances surrounding our children. Our love for them wants only the best, but life gets in the way of that. God promises that in this life, you will have trouble. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. How does God overcome the world? Sure, He is God and He can do anything He wants. But I believe that He desires for us to partner with Him in the circumstances of our lives through intercessory prayer.

Of course, we shouldn't remain in fear, for this shows that we don't really trust God. When I'm experiencing fear and trepidation, I try to remember to turn to prayer, even if it's for just moments at a time. Each time I turn from the fear to intercession, to our loving Father's face, instead of dwelling in the fear, I experience a measure of victory that leads to greater strength in the future. I don't even notice at the moment of choice that I am being strengthened, but slowly and surely the victory and peace begins to move through my spirit and emotions.

We have to remember that we truly do have an enemy that hates us, because we bear the image of the living God and he hates Him. He really wants to destroy us, as quickly as possible. We must remain in persistent prayer over an issue and not let up. We are in a battle and we must use every weapon available to us from the heavenly arsenal.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a wonderful retreat. We spent four hours every morning seeking the Lord and journaling where He was in the events of our lives. Then in the afternoon, we took turns reading our journals to the group.

I was so surprised to see that every single person had had really hard times in their lives and every single one of us were dealing with current problems. I guess I was surprised at that because they all looked like they had it together. We forget that behind every life, there are struggles and issues. The enemy loves to lie to us and tell us that we're the only one with issues so that he can shame us and send us into troubled places. He uses lies and fear to separate and shame us.

The goal of our lives should not be to try to avoid troubles, but to be sure that our foundation is strong through the storms. We all know how that is accomplished, but the main thing I want to say today is that God is good, faithful, powerful and merciful and full of grace and He is our sure foundation. Whom shall I fear?

Love Handles

No! Not the ones we try to eat less bread and work out at the gym to get rid of. I'm talking about the ones that attach us to God. As I was praying this morning over a need, He said that this need was a love handle. It gave me the ability to hold onto my Abba Father in a way that I wouldn't have if I didn't have the need. I think of all the "opportunities" God gives us to hold onto the love handles He so graciously provides. But just like our physical love handles, we don't really want those "opportunities". We want everything smooth and stress free. But it is only as we experience life in all the fullness there of (including pain and stress) that we will experience fully our Father God. If we never had a need for provision, we would never know Him as the Provider. If we were never sick, we would never know Him as the Healer. How much of the goodness of God would we miss if we had no needs? I know, I know, can't we just wait til heaven to experience God in His fullness. After all, we'll have all eternity!! Isn't that long enough? But no, in His gracious wisdom, He wants us to experience a measure of His goodness here while on earth. So, hold on to those love handles and enjoy the ride!

Guard Rails

Thank God for guard rails! Last weekend, my husband and I had an accident that caused our car to crash against those wooden kind of guard rails that mark the edge of a road. Basically, they saved our lives, considering the fact that had they not been there, we would have plummeted over a cliff of unknown depths. (Unknown to me because I really didn't want to go back and measure!) We had many dear friends with us, since we were on a community cruise with 16 cars and everyone kept telling us afterwards, "We're so glad you're both alright." I think God matured my husband and I both at least 10 years in those moments after the accident and beyond.

It's amazing when you've come through a life threatening situation how your perspective changes. I have had so many staggering understandings from this situation, but I think the greatest for me has been the new appreciation for the loving protection that our heavenly Father provides us. His love and mercy was shown not only to us, but to those who know and love us. To our daughter and her husband, to our immediate families and friends. To our employees and customers. The ripples of the loss of one life can be greater than we could ever imagine. I pray that we don't take our lives for granted, that we cherish every day and every person that God places in our paths. I pray that we will be careful with this life that God has so graciously given us to steward. True, we would have been with Him in heaven had we passed, but I certainly am not ready for that yet. Too many pizzas to toss, too many frappes to blend, too many lives to bless and be blessed by. Sorry if this has been a sobering post, but it was a sobering weekend. Thanks Abba!

God's Glory Revealed in Us

Yesterday was a beautiful spring morning as I went out for my early morning walk. I felt like the roses were especially beautiful, as they only can be during springtime. As I thanked the Lord for the many different vibrant colors of his roses, He said to me, "My glory is expressed through what I have created."

I knew He was using the roses to remind me how beautiful we are, as His children. I don't always feel very beautiful, but I am learning to understand God's heart towards me and so I know that He sees me as beautiful. He created each one of us unique and beautiful and truly His glory is expressed through the many facets of our lives. The roses will fade as the summer heats up, but the glory He has placed in each one of us will not. We will continue to grow and bloom not only here on earth, but throughout eternity. Thank you Lord for your glory and for your expression of beauty through each one of us.

Poke Holes

Have you ever baked a poke hole cake? After the cake is baked, you have to poke holes in it so that the sweet, creamy filling can go deep into the cake. God reminded me this morning that He is in a season of poke holing His people. He is poking grace holes into our lives so that He can pour His sweetness into us. If the cake had feelings, it would probably hate being poked. But once that sweet creaminess was lavished into it, I'll bet the cake wouldn't mind it at all.

It truly is painful to be poked, but the deeper the work He does in us, the deeper His Spirit and power and love can penetrate into our souls. Ultimately, what He is doing, is drawing us into intimacy with Him. When we are poked, we become desperate and must draw close to Him. If ever we grumble about pain and suffering and being poked, just remember, He went first!!

What does Ministry in Business look like?

As God continues to teach me about what ministry in business looks like, I've been understanding that it has many facets. I've known that we were to be a blessing to our employees, customers, vendors and communities in which we do business, but that has taken on different shapes over the years. One of the turns it took last week as I was reading through "The Supernatural Ways of Royalty" by Kris Vallotton is through the understanding that as "royalty" (aka Kids of the King) and the head of our businesses, we are "to spend more time raising up people around us rather than worrying about our own significance. We need to cultivate an environment that draws out the plans God has hidden in the hearts of people." To sum up his thoughts, the goal is that people who come into our presence would feel valued and significant.

So as I was praying about that, I suddenly heard the words "building people". Are we spending time building up the people around us or are we so caught up in our own identity and how we look to others that we forget to pray for and actively draw out what God has placed within those around us.

I know that as we build up those around us, we will also be built up and blessed beyond measure. We don't always have to understand how God works that all out. If we had to totally understand how God does everything, then we would miss the "peace that passeth understanding!" What does ministry in business look like to you? Write me and let me know. Ker@iwvisp.com

Presence or Principles?

This weekend I spent a lot of time on the road, as I normally do, and had a chance to listen to some great teaching cds from one of my favorite teachers, Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, in Redding California. I felt so good about some of the principles I learned and hoped I could hold onto those lofty thoughts. This morning when I woke up I heard God say, "Information without intimacy can be a dangerous thing. Knowledge puffs up but intimacy grounds us." I'd been hearing this theme a lot lately. When I shared this with my friend, Melanie, she reminded me that there is a scripture that says, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." from 1 Corinthians.

I realized that if we only spend time gaining knowledge about our God and Saviour, then we have the danger of only being "religious". It is in intimacy with our Father, spending time with Him in quiet places of contemplation, that that knowledge is able to do the work in us and transform us into the person that He created us to be. He doesn't want us to know about Him, He wants us to know him and that can only come as we spend time in His presence, laying our heads upon His heart. Even time spent in Bible Studies with others or church services, though these are valuable things, can work against us if we are not having that time alone with the lover of our souls. I know how hard it is to make that quiet time, but the value cannot be overestimated. HELP LORD!! May we so fall in love with You that we can hardly stand not to place you above all other activities. In Jesus' Name!!

Every move I make...

Do you ever wake up with a feeling of dread? The other morning when I woke up with that feeling, I sensed that it must grieve God's heart that we aren't sure if He can really help us with the circumstances of our lives. Do we think that He isn't wise enough, powerful enough or adequate enough to help us. Do we think that His arm is too short or that He is too old or feeble or weak? Do we think that He doesn't love us enough to care about the situations we face, or that He is mean spirited and enjoys watching us suffer? I know these aren't really conscious thoughts we have, but do we operate as though we believe they are true?

Of course, all of these questions are ludicrous. His arm is not too short to help us and He says that He never sleeps or slumbers. He says that all good things come from Him. He says that He loves us enough to have sent His only son to die so that we could spend eternity with Him. He never changes or ages or forgets.

But His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are much higher than ours. His perspective is from a much higher vantage point than ours and His desires are unselfish. He promises that He works everything to good for those who love Him...

The next time I wake up feeling anxious, I am going to remind myself what a loving Father I have. I discovered anew Psalm 91 the other day. Verses 1 & 2 say, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'" It helps me to remember that God is really big and He is for me.

All that day I had the chorus of the secular song on my mind that goes, "Every step I take, every move I make, I'll be watching you." I know that it wasn't the intent of the songwriter to talk about God watching us, but I felt like the Holy Spirit was using that secular song to remind me that He is watching over me, no matter where I am or what I am doing. The prayer of my heart once more is that I will live like I believe Him.

Daughter or Orphan?

Sometimes when I ask God to intervene in a situation, I feel like my request is hitting the ceiling. Am I the only one that feels that way? I doubt it. Recently when I was thinking about this, the Lord asked me, "Are you praying as a daughter or as an orphan?" You see, a daughter has every right to come into her Father's chamber and sit at his feet or on his lap and talk things over with him and make requests of him. It is the Father's delight to respond to his daughter when she does this. But an orphan has no rights. She must wait outside the house, hungry and cold and scared. She has no access to the Father. Romans 8:16 says, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ..." This makes it pretty clear that we are not orphans, but daughters or heirs. As daughters (or sons), we can approach the throne of grace with confidence!

God's Upside Down Kingdom

This morning during my Bible reading, I discovered another one of God's upside down principles. As we continue to struggle with frustrations concerning the building of our new restaurant, God continues to bless us with solutions and wisdom, but it always seems to come after long times of wrestling with issues. I feel like things should be solved easier, quicker and with less struggle. I am always expecting microwave solutions. So this morning I found this gem:

James 1:2 (The Message)

2-4Consider it a sheer gift (or "pure joy" in another version) , friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its' work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

We just want easy (don't you love that Easy Button concept from that office product store) but God wants maturity. Now, we all know this principle, and are very familiar with that verse, but why is it so hard to remember in the midst of a trial? In the midst of a trial, all we can see are the circumstances. If we could just turn our focus to the Lord, then all would soon become clear. Well, maybe not as quickly as we would like, but when He knows it's time, His faithfulness will be evident.

God is always moving us to higher levels in Him and unfortunately, uphill walks require more energy than walks on level ground. But consider it pure joy....

The IFs in LIFE

As my husband and I continue down the road of building a new restaurant, I've discovered numerous "what ifs". They especially come at me in the wee hours of the morning, when it's dark and I'm groggy and susceptible. They have a way of temporarily alarming me, until I can come to my senses and fight the way the Lord has taught me.

This morning I was reading in Luke 4 and noticed that I am in good company. The Lord Jesus had the same kind of attacks when He was in the wilderness. In verse 4, the enemy says to Him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." And there were many other "if" attacks on our Lord by the enemy in the wilderness. I thought that was very interesting. The enemy loves to place subtle doubts in our minds about who we are, what the Lord has called us to do and upon the Lord's faithfulness.

And of course, this is one of the greatest battles that we face...the battle for the mind. If the enemy can get us to believe the doubts and lies that he subtly whispers into our ears, and we react in fear or desperation, then he has won. One of my greatest battles in this area is over provision. The enemy knows how to place doubts into my mind to try and make me believe that I have to provide for myself or that my customers are my provision. I have learned over and over to remember and proclaim that the Lord is not only my provider but also my provision, my very great reward. As I refuse to dwell in those places of doubt and fear by remembering what my Faithful Father has done for me in the past, as I focus on Him and His Word rather than on the situation, I find that slowly but surely I am able to overcome the alarm and move to a place of security and victory. After all, we are called to be more than conquerors.

I know that God blesses us with enough problems in life, so that He can rescue us and prove Himself to us so that we will no longer fear problems, but see them as opportunities for God to show Himself strong and faithful. I know I'm not fully there yet, (maybe we never will be this side of heaven) but I know that He is moving me in that direction. Sometimes it's one step back but ultimately I know that, by His grace, I will take two steps forward.

Psalm 27:5-6 says, "For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord."

So Faithful Father, we give you all of our "what ifs", knowing that you are sufficient for all that we face. Thank you that you will not let us be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. Amen

Let's live like we believe Him!

The Battle for the Car Wash

When we built our car wash, we envisioned a no hassle business. After being in the restaurant business for 25 years, we figured, how hard could a self serve car wash be compared to a restaurant? But we were sadly mistaken. It did well at first, but never really achieved the level that we had hoped for. And then it began to go down, down, down, so we decided that the best thing to do was to sell it.

But when the business didn't sell, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about it, through my desperate hopelessness. He impressed upon me that He had given us that asset and that I had not fought for it at all, in prayer. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that it wouldn't do well and had given up.

God is raising up His warrior bride to fight for the Kingdom. For the marketplace minister, that very often is our business/ministry. When we find ourselves in fear and/or hopelessness, that can be a key for us to know that we need to seek God and see how and where He wants us to fight for a situation. God is in the process of preparing us to don our sword, shield and combat boots to accent our wedding dress as we become "more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

He actually has already won the victory, but He invites us to join with Him to accomplish that victory. He invites us to battle in prayer and seek His face for strategy. He has also given us co-conquerors to join us in the battle and we need to gather those warriors around us to join us in the battle.

When we are in battle, there is an incredible danger for us to become focused on the battle and the opposition and on ourselves and what we are to do. He reminded me recently that we have always got to keep our focus on Him and Who He is and what He has done. Always, always, the whole point of our lives is to draw back to intimacy with Him.

Since that "Godly wake up call" concerning the car wash, I have begun to fight for the car wash in prayer and petition. I wish I could say that the victory has become manifest and that the car wash has tripled its' sales, but I can't. Sometimes God answers prayers immediately and sometimes He lets us linger in battle for His purposes and our growth. He has reminded me often of Daniel's prayer, which took some time to be answered because Daniel was being opposed. So, I'll keep in touch concerning the status of the battle for the car wash, but I guess you'll just have to stay tuned to hear the end of this story...

The Safest Place

In light of the recent gloomy economic news in our nation, sometimes I find myself thinking that my husband and I would be better off if we were in some other business or just had regular jobs, rather than functioning in the marketplace. Surely, everyone else's provision is more secure than ours, isn't it?! Whenever I begin to think about which job or business would be the most secure if the economy really tanked, I actually discover that every job and business will be affected.

Every time I start down that path I feel the Lord speak to me very clearly about the fear that wants to rise up and destroy me. He always assures me that the safest place we can be is where He has placed us. It is not a matter of where we are physically, but where our hearts are. He has promised to shake everything that can be shaken, everything that is not based on His Lordship. When fear arises within us, looking at Him is our only help. If we have built our kingdom upon worldly foundations, then they will be shaken. Our Heavenly Father loves us too much to leave us in a place of relying on anything but Him. He knows what we need, He knows what will bless us and those around us. We can choose sinking sand or we can choose the Rock!

Fear so easily creeps into our minds, especially when we are focusing on ourselves and the possibilities that could happen to us if the economy gets really bad. But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He has given us a Spirit of power and of love and self control. (2 Timothy 1:7) He wants to deal with anything in our lives that comes between us and Him and fear is one of those.

As I was looking for a scripture recently about fear on line, I was shocked to see how many references there was for "fear". I have a feeling that God knows that we need lots of help with this one, because the enemy knows how much we are affected by fear. And I know that God does not want to leave us there in a place of fear or timidity.

He tells us in Romans 8:15 that we have not received a spirit that makes us a slave again to fear, but we have received the Spirit of sonship. We are the precious children of the King and Creator of the Universe and He knows everything about us and knows what's best for us. As we spend time with Him and look at His face and come into greater intimacy with Him, He will bring us out of the fear and lead us into a peace that passeth understanding, even in the tumultuous times that we are now in.

He also tells us that we are to lean not on our own understanding, but to acknowledge Him in all our ways and He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5,6). If we focus only on our circumstances, the storms and the possibilities, we will be easily overwhelmed. As we acknowledge Him in everything we do, even if it seems like it won't accomplish our plans, He will straighten out all the circumstances and calm the storms. His perspective and vision is much higher and greater than ours and we can trust Him in everything that we face. Praise Him in the midst of the storm and watch Him work!!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. -John 14:27

Prayer

I have often appreciated the prayer guidance some authors have given me concerning an issue so I thought it might be helpful to share some prayer insights that God has given me concerning ministry in business. Remember that ultimately we should be seeking the Holy Spirit about what to pray, but here are some starter thoughts that might be helpful:

• Ask God to cover, hide and protect you and your domain, especially with His armor.

• Ask Him for wisdom and strategy as you minister in the marketplace.

• Ask Him for the authority, power and anointing that you will need to accomplish His purposes.

• Ask Him to give you a willingness to put His Kingdom ahead of your own.

• Ask Him to prepare and teach you His ways of doing business.

• Ask Him to lead you into all truth.

• Ask Him to give His angels charge over you and your domain.

• Ask Him to be the builder and architect of your business.

• Ask Him to provide resource and provision for His purposes to be accomplished and for the grace to wait for these to come forth.

• Ask Him to bless your business so that it will be a blessing to your employees, suppliers, customers and community. Ask Him to expand your territory.

• Ask Him to allow everything that you do personally and in your business to honor Him.

• Ask Him to oppose those who oppose you and contend with those who contend with you.

• Ask Him for strength to fight the fight (your part) and trust Him with His part of the battle.

• Ask Him for grace, favor, mercy and to increase your faith.

• Ask Him to search you and know you, so that you can know Him more intimately.

• Ask Him for rest and peace.

• Ask Him to connect you with those He wants in order to advance the Kingdom.

• Ask Him for divine appointments

Sometimes I pray these daily, and sometimes I will focus on one or two a day, as the Lord leads. Our Father loves for us to invite Him into every aspect of our lives and businesses. Over time I believe that we will see Him answer the prayer requests that honor Him and bless us in Kingdom ways.

Construction Can Be Painful!

As we continue in our adventure of building a new restaurant, I am having so many understandings about what God desires for our lives. Today, when we met with our contractor, he told us that they were going to have to make changes to a perfectly good wall. You see, we are attaching our new restaurant to an already existing building and so it is making the construction complicated at times.

But, why in the world would we need to make changes to a perfectly good (only three years old) wall, I asked?!? They are not even affecting that wall with the construction. But the contractor informed us that structurally the wall had to have changes made to it, in order to complete the construction. Because the wall is a bearing wall, if changes were not made, the integrity of the building would be compromised.

As I pondered this, I thought about my life and how God is doing so many new things in this season. I'm usually not elated when God wants to tear down an old wall in my life, but in the midst of the deconstruction, He tears down walls, pierces hard places, heals old wounds and brings beautification. It certainly seems like I'm fine, that I don't need any work in me, but the architect of our souls knows us through and through and knows when our bearing walls need work.

Construction can be very painful, but our Heavenly Father knows what we need and He knows the perfect timing and circumstances to use to bring us to His ultimate goal for us, intimacy with Him. His mercy and grace are perfect and sufficient for all the work that He wants to do in our lives. Changes must be made in our hearts so that the integrity of our lives and our character are perfected and the new can come.

In the long run, I believe that we can rejoice in His perfect plan and purposes for our lives, as He beautifies and expands us. Are we willing to allow the perfect being who created us and knows us best to bring the newness in our lives that will bear fruit and bless others? I hope so!!

Blessing

When we heard that a new fast food restaurant was coming into town, fear immediately sprang up within me. After all, we had been THE fast food restaurant in our small town and with a second one coming in, how would that affect our business? Certainly there couldn't be enough business to go around. Would our business be in danger of going under, as had happened ten years earlier in another location? The fears and lies of the enemy just kept assaulting my mind and before I knew it, I was in full panic mode.

Well, maybe, I thought, a semi would come along and crash into the new building and then they would have to close and maybe never re open. These were the kinds of places my mind traveled, as the anxiety and fear overwhelmed me. I didn't realize it at the time, but my imaginings were cursing the new business and owners.

After dwelling in that place for much longer than I should have, God began to teach me about cursing and blessing. He showed me that my seemingly innocent thoughts were also cursing myself and my business, that He had placed me in our little town to be a blessing to the whole community. He certainly was able to provide for my all my needs, I did not need to worry about my food, what I would eat , or my clothes, what I would wear. Initially when God first began to highlight this to me, I was shocked to think that I would curse anyone. I certainly would never do that intentionally.

But our competitive nature so easily rises up, (especially when there's fear) like a venomous dragon, and wants the best only for ourselves. Like an orphan, we are afraid that there will not be enough to go around.

I began to purposefully bless the new building and the new owners every time I drove by the location, even though at first it was a bit begrudgingly. But eventually I found myself blessing them gladly and looking for other places and people to bless. In the long run, our business did not suffer from the opening of that new restaurant and ten years later, we are getting ready to open another location in another community close by.

God has given us all things that we may be a blessing to those around us. Blessing others always exponentially affects much more than we will ever understand on this earth. As marketplace ministers, we are called to be God's funnel of blessing on the earth. Tomorrow as you go out into your community, ask God to show you what business He wants you to pray blessings into and then be obedient. You too will be greatly blessed!

Choose Life!

A good question to ask God during our intimate time with Him, is, what is my place of authority. God has given us a realm, a domain in which He gives us authority over and we are responsible for inviting/bringing His redemptive work into that place. In that place of authority we are given the tools, armor and weapons to take ground. It will only be in our dwelling with Him that we will know that place of authority and know the timing and strategy to take ground. We must look into His face and focus on the work He may show us that He is currently doing in our domain and then advance toward what He shows us. The Kingdom of God is always, always building and advancing. We must be willing to let go of old unredeemed ways and receive the keys to the building of the Kingdom in our domain.

This morning I was reading in John Eldredge's "Journey of Desire" and he says, "Life is now a battle and a journey." God uses everything in our lives to bring us closer to Him, especially the battles in our lives. I believe that if you are experiencing a battle right now, perhaps over the domain that He has given you, that you have the opportunity to receive life right there in that place. You may see it as hopeless, but God has allowed or given you this opportunity to receive more of Him and more life. We actually get to choose if we will receive it or not. So, now, choose Life!!!

The Longer I Know Him...

The longer I know Him, the more I realize the depths of His goodness.
The longer I know Him, the more I realize that it's more about Him than me.
The longer I know Him, the more I realize it's all His work to do and my job to trust Him.

A T. Davis Bunn book I'm reading has a line in it...the fictional video game junkie says, "That was the trouble with reality. He could never get it to do what he wanted." I had to think a long time about this. What makes us think that we can control or manage our reality? The more I try, the more the Lord thwarts what I try to control. He knows how dangerous it is for me to be in control, so He allows my plans to find invisible walls around them. As they fall apart, He arises in His perfect ways and gently (well, maybe it doesn't always seem so gentle) moves me toward what He has already, always purposed for me. Oh, Lord, give me more grace, more trust. Help me in my unbelief. Allow me to see your gracious Hand in everything around me. Amen!

How in the world did I become a marketplace minister?

So I was talking to my sister, Kathy, the other day and telling her about what God had been teaching me about being a marketplace minister and she said that I should set up a blog to share those insights. I thought it was a great idea, but with all my other duties, I didn't really see that I would have time to do that...but then this morning as the Lord continued to teach me about being a marketplace minister,...I couldn't stand it any longer...I needed to share it with someone. So I decided that I would just begin and see how much time I have to do it.

If you're a marketplace minister, you probably wonder the same thing I wonder...how did I get to this place? I just thought my husband and I were getting into business for ourselves to make a living, I certainly had no plans for it to be a ministry. But of course, when we went into business for ourselves 30 years ago, we didn't know the Lord like we do now! He has a way of going before us and putting things together that He will use years later - He's not really worried about whether or not we GET it at the TIME!

Twenty five years ago, as our domain grew and then collapsed, we found our need for a saviour and then the Lord began building through us again. Because of that season and the purification that went on in our lives, we were much wiser, and so the Lord has been building His Kingdom in and through us ever since. I was so excited when I began to learn that we were serving His Kingdom in and through our businesses. I had served in the church proper for many years, but never understood that we could honor God and serve Him in and through our businesses.

One of the very first things I learned is that because we are a "ministry", we need to have prayer covering i.e. intercession, just like any other ministry. The enemy hates the move of God anywhere , even in the marketplace and so he of course is going to oppose us and do what he does best...rob, kill and destroy. God has been gracious to provide intercessors in friends and family and in addition to the continual prayer covering, I know where to go for emergency prayer.

Some of the main points He taught me in the beginning are: We will need wisdom to operate righteously in a sinful world and we need the mind of Christ to know God's plan for our decisions. It all belongs to Him, and it is in His hands. We have much responsibility, but ultimately, it is His work.

Another thing I have learned is to look at the process we are in daily, not just focus on arriving to a certain "place". A wise person once wrote: "God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. " This has actually comforted me (if that makes sense) to know that I haven't necessarily gotten off the right path whenever there may be pain. We must want His Kingdom more than our own comfort. This whole process is an adventure, and there is great risk involved (as if everyone doesn't have that if we're breathing!) but above all, God loves me and wants the best for me.

Recently during a really stressful day, when I was thinking that retirement looked awfully attractive, He said to me "You must build or you will die". I knew that He didn't mean die physically, that He was talking about many other facets of life. Our calling as marketplace ministers is to build His Kingdom, and for my husband and myself, that is in the restaurant business. Sometimes, because of the battle, I just want to retire and stop building and risking, but that Word from Him made it very clear that that would not be the best thing for my husband and myself at this time. (Lots more about the battle another day). Obedience has to be key in our walk as marketplace ministers.

He has also taught me that we will make mistakes, but they will be growth-laden. There will always be steps backwards, but the progress forward will be greater in the long run. I have to remember to focus on what He has done, not on what I haven't!

Another very important word for me from Him was that our goal was not to accumulate wealth, but to know Him more and grow into the image of His Son - to learn to trust Him more. This has helped me to stay focused on the ultimate goal of knowing Him and not watch my bank account.

Another important thing He said to me was, "Live like you believe me!". This continues to be a challenge, but I know that His grace is sufficient for all that I face.

For years I asked God to redeem our finances and to give us favor. Every time I prayed that I felt nothing, like I was talking to a ceiling. But over the years I have seen that He was pleased with that prayer and has answered it over time. In the midst of that He redeemed our hearts CONCERNING finances and that was part of the process.

One of our main purposes is to bless those we have contact with, our employees, our vendors, our customers and our community. Our servant's hearts must be continually looking for ways to bless others. He gives us authority over our domain, and that means we must intercede for those in our domain. My husband's generosity has served us well over the years as he continues to teach me so much about blessing others.

The degree of integrity that we must choose is paramount. At times this has been difficult, because sometimes it just doesn't seem to matter much, (nobody will see it) but over the years, I have felt the Lord say, "Just choose integrity one minute, one decision at a time" and truly He has blessed us for those choices.

Wow, I guess I had more to say than I realized. There's so much more, but perhaps for another day. It's so great to be able to share, even if nobody else reads this. Thanks for listening!