Examine Me as Severely as Necessary That I May Confess, Repent and Be Changed

Proverbs 15:6

"Great riches are in the house of those who are right with God."“Great riches are in the house of those who are right with God.” Proverbs 15:6

Lord, am I right with you? Close? Near enough right to receive your riches?

If not, show me where your Holy Spirit needs to work in my life, where I need to be changed and made holy. Examine me as severely as necessary that I may confess, repent and be changed, but do so with as much mercy as possible.

With the Holy Spirit They Spoke the Word of God Boldly

Grow to Become Mature — Act 4:31

With the Holy Spirit They Spoke the Word of God Boldly

With the Holy Spirit they spoke the word of God boldly. – Act 4:31

Do we speak God’s word with boldness or do we avoid speaking the Truth of God for fear we might offend, wound, or become tagged as someone who spouts “hate speech?” Paul calls us to speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Speak in love; speak his Truth.  When we do we “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

Bold are those filled with his Holy Spirit of Truth.

Books I support—authors I trust.

In The Nam The Everyday: 366 Real Stories for Real People On Deadly Grounds The Consort Conspiracy: Some secrets refuse to stay buried... Letting the CAT out of the BAG RIDING THE RAILS TO HOME A Mother's Song: A Story of the Orphan Train Dust Between the Stitches PIECING FABRICS - MENDING LIVES: THE HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY AND INGENUITY OF QUILTERS Creating Comfort-ers: The History, Philosophy and Ingenuity of Quilters Cultivating Wildflowers: An Urban Teacher Romance Miss Bee and the Do Bees: An Urban Teacher Romance The Food That Held the World Together RUSH Chasing the Butterfly Down to Davy Jones Enjoy Today Own Tomorrow

Make My Heart Hurt for You — Impact My Heart

He Ghosted Me—Acts 2

Make My Heart Hurt for You — Impact My Heart

The Spirit came to rest on them. – Acts 2:3
Lord, may your Ghost rest on me.

The Spirit filled them. Acts 2:4
Lord fill me with your Holy Ghost.

The Spirit enabled them. – Acts 2:4
Lord, enable me to pray with power.

They had everything in common. – Acts 2:44
Lord, may your people have everything in common. 

The Lord added to their numbers. – Acts 2:47
Lord, add to your numbers. 

They were cut to the heart. – Acts 2:37
Lord, dent my heart. Make my heart hurt for you. Impact my heart.


Books I support—authors I trust.

A Mother's Song: A Story of the Orphan Train Enjoy Today Own Tomorrow Journal Sober Cycle: Pedaling Through Recovery One Day at a Time Deep End of the Lake RUSH BROKEN VESSELS: God's GLORY through FLAWED Humanity Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops  Land of My Dreams Labor to Leadership The Flight to Excellence Faith House: A Journey of Faith In Addiction Recovery Little White Squirrel's Secret

If Your Right Hand Causes You to Stumble—or Your Right to Yourself Causes You to Stumble—Cut It Off

Asserting Your "Rights" In Jesus

Asserting Your "Rights" In Jesus

“If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” – Jesus (Matthew 5:30)

Our need to prove that we are right is almost always a sign that the spirit of our flesh is trying to assert its rights. From our Father’s perspective, we surrendered all our rights when we died to ourself, which is what the act of water baptism symbolizes, and rose with Christ. It matters not if we are slandered, maligned, cheated, persecuted, unjustly convicted. What matters is that we do not lie, cheat, slander, falsely accuse or malign others.

If your right hand causes you to stumble—or your right to yourself causes you to stumble—cut it off. Cut it out.


Books I support—authors I trust.

RIDING THE RAILS TO HOME Enjoy Today Own Tomorrow Sober Cycle: Pedaling Through Recovery One Day at a Time Deep End of the Lake  Seasoned: A Love Story BROKEN VESSELS: God's GLORY through FLAWED Humanity Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops Rodeo Mouse and the Greatest Escape Plan in Mouse History Within Golden Bands Labor to Leadership The Flight to Excellence Faith House: A Journey of Faith In Addiction Recovery

Honor the Lord With Your Bounty

The Prosperity Gospel & Prosperity Theology from God's Perspective -Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the Lord With Your Bounty

Honor the Lord with your wealth. Honor the Lord with the first fruits of all your crops. Do this and your barns will be filled to overflowing. Your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

Seems simple enough: Invest a tithe (10%) of the first income / produce you receive and you’ll never go hungry or run out of wine. Who wouldn’t jump on a plan that guaranteed such a blessed harvest?

Only my reading of the life and words of Jesus, plus my own experience, leads me to wonder if this verse, so often sited by prosperity preachers, has a deeper, more spiritual meaning. To give away 10% of your wealth may not seem like much, but in 2017, eight years after the Great Recession ended, 49 percent of all Americans still lived paycheck-to-paycheck. To give to God 10% before buying groceries or paying bills might seem like scooping buckets of water onto a sinking boat.

But could it not be that the principle of giving the “first fruits of all your crops” is key to walking with our Father.

“Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering.” – Genesis 4:4

If you are Abel, give first, give large, give your best.

Give God your very life and trust that he will know best how to fill vats and barns. Remember: filled barns and vats suggests that someone must work hard to care and sort the produce. What might seem like a blessing for some is a burden for others.

We may never know how many times God directed disaster away from hour home, spared us from sickness, kept us from making a bad purchase, or turning towards a catastrophic career move. On the other side of the grave we may see how his hand guided us, but on this side, we must simply trust and obey.

Lord, I do not ask for riches. I only ask that you richly bless me with your presence, your protection, your provision, your hope, your joy, your love, your arms wrapped around me tight, pulling me close. It is enough that you keep me in your lap and close to your heart. Enough and more than I deserve. Thanks and THANKS!


Books I support—authors I trust.

A Mother's Song: A Story of the Orphan Train Enjoy Today Own Tomorrow Journal Sober Cycle: Pedaling Through Recovery One Day at a Time Deep End of the Lake RUSH BROKEN VESSELS: God's GLORY through FLAWED Humanity Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops  Land of My Dreams Labor to Leadership The Flight to Excellence Faith House: A Journey of Faith In Addiction Recovery Little White Squirrel's Secret

A Poem from a Prisoner of Christ

A Poem from a Prisoner of Christ

I did not realize Jesus was all I needed,
Until Jesus was all I had!

Jesus wept the day,
when I went Astray.

I confused my Need,
with Satan’s cunning Greed.

When Jesus was a stranger,
I could not control my Anger.

Now my cure for defeating Pride,
is with the Holy Spirit by my side.

To defeat my Envy, Hate and Lust,
Reading God’s word daily is a must.

The Bible’s encouragement and motivation,
gives me courage over Temptation.

My Bible is frayed from daily use,
I have won the battle of Abuse.

Jesus, Baptized with the symbol of a dove,
came to teach me about God’s Love.

Do not simply believe my words,
Ask Jesus to make his voice Heard.


Books I support—authors I trust.

Sober Cycle: Pedaling Through Recovery One Day at a Time Rhinestones on My Flip-Flops The Flight to Excellence Faith House: A Journey of Faith In Addiction Recovery Land of My Dreams Within Golden Bands Labor to Leadership BROKEN VESSELS: God's GLORY through FLAWED Humanity Enjoy Today Own Tomorrow Journal Enjoy Today Own Tomorrow