Sometimes it seems as though life can be like going on a journey.
Going from one place to another. Moment by moment. Day after day.
From one season to another. Following the wind as it blows.
Anticipating new adventures. Places yet discovered, but on the horizon.

You see life is full of life. Each day we get to choose whether or not we will embrace
all God has for us in the journey. The beauty of our journey is that God has carefully
 and purposefully written it from the foundation of the earth. He hasn't overlooked
one millisecond of our existence.

In fact He knew you before you were even formed in your mother's womb! That's right
God knew all about your very existence and each day of your life before you came into being.
Now if He can see that far down the road, then surely He knows the daily plans
He has for you and me.

The question is will we fully embrace the journey? Will we willing accept what the
Father has chosen from the foundation of creation for our lives?

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus said, "nevertheless not my will be done." He chose
to accept the Father's will for him. So that day in the garden Jesus relinquished all His
plans and said yes to a journey that would lead him to Golgatha; the place of crucifixion
on a cross.

 We read in Genesis twenty-two that God tells Abraham to take is son Isaac,
the promised son, the one whom he loves and go to Mt. Moriah and sacrifice
him as a burnt offering. Basically God is saying- Abraham I know I promised
you and Sarah a son, but now I am sending you on a three day journey to a
place where you will give "the promise" on an altar.
Try to imagine what those three days would have been like for Abraham.
With every step he took he was drawing closer to that final destination,
the altar of sacrifice.

Now maybe your journey in life hasn't been this extreme, but you have see
some twists and turns along the way. Some unforeseen bumps in the road or
detours along the way. Abraham had such deep faith that he made the journey
with Isaac knowing they would return back. Abraham trusted and obeyed and
Isaac's life was spared.

Our journey has been written by the Divine Creator.
The very DNA inside each and every individual is God's personal
inscription upon humanity. He, the One and only Eternal Divine and everlasting
King has engraved (permanently fixed in one's memory) you and me
upon the palms of His hands. He said I will never leave you nor forsake you.
He is with us in the journey of life. Each and every step of the way.
He even goes before us to prepare the way.

Today, as you read this blog I invite you to take a moment and ask
God are you fully trusting Him with the journey? Or have you stepped out
and created your own path? Trusting in yourself and your own strengths
to get you to where God wants to lead you?
"I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity
and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for."
Jeremiah 29:11 (GNBDK)

HE CAN BE TRUSTED!!!

As this month of thankfulness draws to a close and we embark upon the end of the year, I can’t help but to pause one more time and reflect upon God’s goodness.
Starting with the beauty of this sunny, warm California day. Listening to the sounds of the birds, the leaves gently blowing in the wind and laughter of children at the park. It is a good day to be alive.

One of my favorite songs “Too Good” by Abbie Gamboa sums up the thoughts in my heart.
“You're too good to be true
You're just too good, you're just too good.
You're too good to be true
You're just too good, you're just too good
I don't foresee you changing anytime soon
You've been this way ever since I met you
And you're not the kind to change with time
And the more I get to know you, the more I find
You're too good to be true
You're just too good, you're just too good.”

God’s goodness is all around us. Some days it’s in the smile of a child other days it’s the words aptly spoken to us by a dear friend. Honestly all of creation points to His goodness, like the stunning colors of fall as the leaves begin to transition off the trees and onto the ground.
This annual process has purpose, just as different seasons in our lives have Divine purpose.

We read in first Thessalonians that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. I believe that when we can begin to see our circumstances through God’s eternal goodness we can’t help
but give thanks. Knowing that He is right there with us by our side. Never leaving us or
forsaking us.

When we posture our hearts in the sea of thankfulness it allows for the Kingdom of Heaven to come and flow throughout our lives. Today may we open our eyes to see God’s goodness. Maybe it’s just around the corner or over that valley, but this I do know for sure…….
He is too good to be true!!

Faith ~ Hope ~ Love
 And the greatest of these is….....LOVE! 

1 Corinthians 13 is the chapter in the Bible that so many people refer to when they make
a covenant with each other through their wedding vows.
Paul gives us the characteristics of Divine love in just four verses, four-eight.
What would the world look like if we truly meditated upon those four scriptures and allowed the living Word to become incarnate deep in our souls?
I personally believe that it is possible to live from this place of love.  
We read in 1 John 4 that God IS love. God proved His love for all humanity when He sent
His Son into the world to redeem us from our sins. And since we have been given the greatest demonstration of love, we too should love one another in the same way.

Love is seen in the little things we do throughout the course of our day. A smile we share.
 A hug we give. A text message we send. An unexpected card you receive in the mail.
That special meal you cooked for your family. Time is also an expression of love.
When we give up some of our hours, minutes, and seconds in the day.
Love goes out of its way for another individual. Love never cost us anything.
All we have to do is simply reach into the depths of our inward being and allow the Spirit of God to move through us. He wants to radically pour Himself out through earthen vessels.

Once you have been touched in the inner chambers of your heart with this perfect love
you can’t help but want to share it with others.
An awareness begins to bubble up inside of you for those who have not encountered
the perfect love of God.
It is this love that is the motivating force behind every choice.

I know for some of us it may be easier to simply read these words
than it is to truly put them into practice and live them out.  
I often ask myself, why is this so? 
What happens within the human soul that causes us to choose to withhold love from others?

 Love is a gift that we can freely give away each and every day. There is a limitless supply of love. We know that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God AND
to love our neighbors, as we love ourselves.
So why do we struggle with loving others as Christ has loved us?

 In first Samuel chapter eighteen we get a picture of what it truly means
to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Jonathan, who is the King’s son, the one who is heir to the throne of Israel
demonstrates a deep love for another.
To me he is a picture of The Love that is soon to come and give His life for all humanity.
We read that Jonathan is bound to David in a covenant friendship and loves him
 as he loves himself.
In one selfless display of love Jonathan makes a covenant with David that shifts everything!

 Jonathan takes off his royal robe, his armor, sword, bow, and belt and gives them all to David. He has just symbolically transferred to David everything that represents his right to ascend the throne of his father, King Saul. And in this one act of love prophecy is being fulfilled.

Wow! 
How many of us would honestly give up becoming the next royal leader of a nation
and all the benefits that come with that title and position?
We read in Philippians 2:7-8 about another who loved so much that he gave up his rights.
“But He emptied Himself —taking on the form of a slave, becoming the likeness of men
and being found in appearance as a man.
He humbled Himself —becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Love is selfless. Christ gave His very life, so that we can have eternal life.
There is no greater demonstration of Love than to lay your life down for another.
In a world that is so full of envy, jealousy, strife, contention, hatred and brokenness my prayer is that we, the Believers of Yeshua would allow God’s perfect love to permeate into the very core of our soul...the very essence of who we are.
His love will and can dismantle everything that hinders love.
LOVE NEVER STOPS LOVING!!!

Have you ever gone on a hike or for a walk and ended up wondering which path to take, not really sure where it will lead you? I have always loved hiking and biking. There is something innately in our DNA that  longs to seek the unknown. We are all seeking or searching for something daily.

Back in September 2020 my husband and I travelled to Puerto Rico for a missions trip with our good friends at www.thehappygivers.com He is a builder and in construction so I got to tag along with him for two months. We had such an amazing time on the island. For those of you who know me, I was in heaven! Tropical warm blue waters, palm trees everywhere, and miles of hiking trails.

 Each day I would wake up, have my morning latte and then begin my journey towards Cerro Gordo National Park. There was a trail that literally took you right to the edge of the island along the rocky shore where the waves would come crashing up on the land.  The ocean mist was very refreshing on the hot humid days. I could stand for hours gazing into the distance just watching the waves roll in one after the other and meditate upon the amazing creativity of our Creator -God.

Some days I got to enjoy the morning walks with my AMAZING amiga, Catherine Rodriquez, man is she A LOT of fun!! We would walk the trails together singing, praying and taking in all of God’s beauty. Everyone needs a “Catherine” in their lives. A friend that sticks closer than a brother. Someone who sees white horses forming in the foam of the waves. Someone who runs into the splashing of the waves and isn’t afraid to get soaked by the salt water. She definitely made our walks along the paths playful and exciting.

Catherine lives in Puerto Rico so she knew all the right places to go. She knew when the paths would split off or head into a direction that maybe wasn’t the safest route. Yet some days we couldn’t take the same path due to the crazy storms from the night before, but she would always find another path to take. Her adventurous spirit could always see that there was another option. We just needed to be willing to explore the unfamiliar path in order to reach our destination.
My walks with Catherine reminds me of my journey with Jesus. He is our friend that will stick closer than any other. Deuteronomy 4:29 says that when we seek Adonai our God with all our heart and all our soul we will find Him. Could it be that Christ wrote into the very fabric of our being this longing to seek?  Each and every human being is seeking after something or someone to fill the space in their hearts that is reserved for God.

On October 3, 2020 I got up just like every other morning and started out for my daily walk at Cerro Gordo it was about 9:30 in the morning. Determined to discover more I chose a different path that day. One which I had not yet explored. This path went deep into the park. There was so many different routes and options to take. I wanted to see it all!  At one point I remember coming to a trail that was clearly marked with three different signs pointing which direction to go. Just like those signs,  the Bible tells us that God’s Word will be a lamp and a light to lead us along our daily paths.

At this point in my walk I could hear the sounds of the ocean so I continued to venture on deeper into the park in search for the path that lead to sea. Eventually I found what I was searching for, but by now I was out of water and it was getting very hot and humid.  I knew I needed to head back to the condo and call it a day. As I neared the end of the trail I saw a shortcut back to the main road and decided to take it. Oh boy how I wished I would have just stayed on the right path. That one decision landed me in the emergency room. I slipped, fell, slid down the hill face first, and then rolled several times. I was facedown in the hot sun on the grass. I was able to call my husband so he could come get me. By the time he arrived everything was a white blur. I couldn’t see anything, I could only hear his voice. The pain in my body was excruciating. The worst pain I have ever experienced and never want to experience again.

You see had I just followed the signs and stayed on the designated path I never would have ended up in the ER. As a matter of fact I wasn’t able to go on anymore walks for the rest of our stay. One miscalculated decision. Matthew 7:13 says “There are two paths before you; you may take only one path. One doorway is narrow. And one door is wide. Go through the narrow door. For the wide door leads to a wide path, and the wide path is broad; the wide, broad path is easy, and the wide, broad , easy path has many, may people on it; but the wide, broad, easy, crowded path leads to death.” (Voice)
There is a path for the righteous that the Lord will guard and watch over. I am so thankful that the Lord kept me from death that day. I am thankful that the memory of October 3, 2020 isn’t one of trauma, but rather a memorial stone upon the altar of my heart. A gentle reminder that like Enoch whose walk was pleasing to God or Abraham whose walk was blameless, we too can follow the path that the Lord has set before us. The Divine path that leads to Zoe —the fullness of life; eternal abundant life.

Letter to Jesus
Author Anonymous

Good morning Jesus,

It is 4:22 a.m. and I cannot sleep. As I was lying in bed tossing and turning I decided to get up and send you a letter. I don’t remember if I have shared any of this with you yet, so forgive me if I am repeating my self. Also I share with you because I NEED PRAYER and a friend. Someone who will truly listen, care and love. Also someone who will see through the heart and eyes of Jesus. My lenses are foggy and somewhat distorted currently. 

As I tried to write to my sister and share the details of what happened this summer I couldn’t do it. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t remember the dates or timeframe. And as I sat and tried to remember it was if you were saying to me..”love keeps no record of wrongs” and that’s why I can’t remember the exact dates. 

So how do I move forward with all that is stirring in my head and heart? If I look for any counseling outside of You and Your word then I will never be complete. I think of how David laid his heart open and bare before you, so I will start in the Psalms. 

I know and realize that NOBODY knows my heart better than you Jesus..a friend that sticks closer than a brother. So I write and lean upon my friend.  I share with you just as I would any other person. I move into a deeper place in my relationship with you. I know you are always listening and you care more than anyone else. 

You know the truth, know our past and our future. Plus you are ALWAYS at the right hand of the Father interceding on my behalf. You’re not one to listen and then move on. 

Some friendships don’t last for long, but there is one loving friend who is joined to your heart closer than any other!
Proverbs 18:24 

Now it is 9:05 am and I am reading from my Charles Stanley devotion.  
Psalm 88 is the passage for the day.  
Verse 11-“Who can give thanks for your love in the graveyard? Who preaches your faithfulness in the place of destruction?”
Verse 13-“Lord, you know my prayer before I even whisper it. At each and every sunrise you will continue to hear my cry until you answer.”
Verse 18-“All my loved ones and friends keep far away from me, leaving me all alone with only darkness as my friend!”

The last verse makes me think of a song that I recently heard
 The Sound of Silence by Simon Garfunkel

Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seed while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

And the people bowed and prayed 
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written 
On the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sound of silence


Jesus there is a darkness that you alone know and are not afraid of. You are in that darkness with us. So I will continue to come to talk to you again. I will listen for Your whisper in the…Sound of Silence. 


Thank you for listening,
Me (your friend)

Written by Chris Humphrey

Recently my heart has been inflamed to re-read some of the books in my library on revival history.
I longed to see what I was reading in my generation.  
The Welsh Revival was the spearhead that made way for the Azusa Street Revival which could be the primary link to the modern Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches. The testimonies and messages that came forth from both of these revivals can light a deeper hunger within any heart that desires the “More” of God.

As you read please keep in mind that these testimonies were penned in the midst of God’s Presence being poured out over an entire Nation.

Reports of entire cities putting a halt to the routine of regular commercial business — while Evan Roberts and his team were holding revival meetings in the region.

Reports that jails were shutting their doors because criminals were repenting in the gatherings under the weight of conviction upon their hearts.

Bars and brothels went out of business because their patrons were moved by the Spirit to give their lives over to the King of kings.

One particular message from Evan Roberts the forerunner voice of the Welsh Revival was
 Get the Flame

Listen to the breath of Heaven upon these words,

While the fire of God is falling, while the voice of God
Is calling, brothers Get the Flame….
While the torch of God is burning, men’s weak efforts
overturning, Christians Get the Flame……
While the Holy Ghost is pleading
Human methods superseding,
He Himself the Flame…..
While the power hard hearts is bending,
Yield thy own, to Him surrendering,
All to Get the Flame….
For the world at last is waking,
And beneath his spell is breaking
Into Living Flame…..
And our Glorious Lord is seeking,
Human hearts, to rouse the sleeping
Fired with Heavenly Flame….
If in utter self surrender,
You would work with Christ, remember,
You must Get the Flame….
For the sake of bruised and dying,
And the lost in darkness lying,
We MUST Get the Flame….
For the sake of Christ in Glory
And the spreading of the story,
We MUST Get the Flame….
Oh my soul for thy refining
And thy clearer brighter shining,
Do not miss the Flame….
On the Holy Ghost relying
Simply trusting and not trying,
You will Get the Flame….
Brothers let us cease our dreaming,
And while God’s flood tide is streaming
WE WILL HAVE THE FLAME!”

Every time I read these words, I can’t help but at least touch the heart of God to dream with Him for a people who would posture their heart in such a way to give their lives to this Holy Flame!

Frank Bartleman stated during the Azusa Street Revival —   “I would rather live six months in the midst of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit than a lifetime of an ordinary life”.  

As we draw near in 2022 to the Biblical Festival of Shavuot, otherwise known to the
 Christian Church as “Pentecost”, I have been carrying a deep hunger for the Fire of God’s Presence to re-ignite within His Bride afresh.

It was on the Day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago that the Holy Spirit fell as tongues of Fire upon 120 praying disciples.  After two years of the fiery trial called Covid that has come upon the Globe, I believe it is time once again to yield ourselves with a hopeful expectation to the
Fiery Love of God.
Can we believe together that we are on the cusp of one of the greatest outpourings of God’s Presence? An outpouring that will culminate in the last days Harvest which makes way for the Bridegroom King Jesus to return and take His Bride unto Himself.

Now let us, His Bride re-utter these God inspired words

GET THE FLAME