One Beautiful Day!

Pioneer Park
The most beautiful park in the world
to me!

I didn't see it coming, I didn't know it was coming, there were no signs or even a hint that it was coming. One day I wake up and can't wait for it to be drink thirty, cause I didn't much like beer then, so I could once again escape myself, my failures, my inadequacies, and my annoyingly constant companion, rejection that followed me everywhere I went for 39 years!  I was hopeless and helpless against my many enemies I thought were me.

I was in too deep now. That alcohol had such a hold on me that I couldn't imagine my life without it and I couldn't stand my life with it! I wanted out, oh yes, I desperately wished I had never fallen into that trap. It happened just like the Bible says, I was given over to my sin and it was hell! It started out fun, like God's Word also says, sin is fun for a time. But once the door to the demonic is opened they will tear you up and tie you down till you can't get free! They don't call alcohol "spirits" for nothing!

That was my condition one day which lasted nearly 8 years!  I pleaded with God to forgive me and intervene. I knew He was the only One who could fix the giant mess I had made of myself, that only got bigger and uglier with each passing day.

 I hear it all the time, "God only helps those who helps themselves". Well I couldn't help myself and if that were a true statement, I would still be an alcoholic to this day or worse, dead! No, God reached down from heaven and pulled me out of the pit of hell, via my now precious friends and street evangelists who had set up an outreach in the park behind my house one day. The sound of heaven drifted into my backyard and drew me to it.

Oh that one day, that beautiful one day my whole life was turned around by the wonderful Grace of God, who in His great mercy came to rescue me again!  I sure didn't deserve it, but God is compassionate and so merciful! As I followed the heavenly sound coming from the park, desperate for a glimpse of hope, with my head hung low in shame, and full of remorse, I had know idea my miracle was waiting for me there.

In one act of kindness and love, the evangelists prayed for me, and in the all powerful Name of Jesus, those demons had to flee! And in nearly 4 years now, they have never returned! All praise and honor and glory to God, I am free!!! All in one day! 


"Praise the Lord, O my soul;  all my inmost being,  praise His holy Name.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with Love and compassion. He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagles. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in Love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heaven's are above the earth, so great is His Love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust."  ~Psalm 103:1-14 


God's Love is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and God's Love is the very best part of me! God's Love is so much better than wine, it's the sweetest thing I've ever tasted! These are not hollow words I say, void of meaning, no, my testimony is FULL of truth! God's Love is Heaven to me and there is nobody else I'd rather be than me because I was made for His glory and He makes me so happy!!


If you are waiting on a miracle from God, be encouraged, today could be that one beautiful day for you! 


I would be happy to pray for you if you are in need of a miracle today and would like to share it with me.  

Sweet To The Soul!

As I was drinking my morning cup of mocha infused coffee, with my favorite sweet hazelnut flavored creamer added, and reading my latest unchecked additions to my e-mail in-box this morning, I heard the sweet sound of chirping behind me. It sounded close enough that I could reach out and touch the source of these beautiful morning medley makers. So I turned my head to look out the large window of my living room so I could see what was going on out there.


Birds are one of my favorite sweet delights and the Lord knows it! I like to put food out for them to fill their bellies, and water in the bird-bath so I can watch them dance. I just love it when they do that, it makes me break out in laughter haha... They splash and spray like little sprinklers with such cuteness! 


It's funny that whenever I set out something new for my little feathered friends, they never find it right away. Sometimes it takes weeks! I always know that when they do come, it will be that much more wonderful because I had to wait for them. Like the Lord says in His Word, " a longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul" and is it ever!


It's that way with everything we have to wait for. If we received everything we asked for when we asked for it, the thing would not hold it's value like it does when we have to wait for it. God is perfect, and His timing is perfect no matter what!  So if you are waiting on God for something right now, be encouraged that when it comes it will be much more valuable to you because you had to wait for it.  


Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who built it; unless the Lord guards the city the watchman keeps awake in vain.  Psalms 127:1  


"A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul..." Proverbs 13:19




Can you think of something you were praying for that you had to wait a while before God gave it to you, and do you think you would have been just as grateful for it if you had received it right away?

"To Worship You I Live"

"Praise The Lord Oh My Soul

Praise The Lord!"

Some of my most memorable and wonderful worship experiences have been in the privacy of my own home. Did you know singing unto the Lord isn't just for Sunday mornings? I haven't always known that. The more I get to know the Lord, the more I just can't help myself but to break out in song to Him. Even though I can't carry half a tune half the time, I always say, I just giggle when I miss it, shrug my shoulders, look up, and tell Jesus, "all I know how to do is to love you" and try again. I think He likes it when I do that! :) And since I know my ability or rather inability to sing in tune, I am keenly aware that every single note I get right is a total gift from Him! And I think He likes that too! :)

When I want to get serious all I have to do is plug in my favorite artists name in the Youtube search and up pops all kinds of great worship videos. It's as if I am right there with them, only no one is watching me except God and the angels. I have put up for you a video of one of my favorite new-to-me worship teams, with Steffany Frizzell at Bethel Church in Redding CA.

We are created to worship Him. I didn't always know that either, but that does explain why I love to so much!  In fact I prefer to worship Him in private cause then I'm free to look as silly as I want.  God makes me feel safe and cherished unlike anything I've ever experienced before and that totally sets me free to be me! What an awesome God He is!!!

So if you haven't tried it before, then I urge you to try it now. Worship, sing, and dance for God right where you are. He loves that and I think you will too!  He wants to hear your beautiful voice in tune or out, don't make Him wait till Sunday!

"I will sing to the Lord , for He has been good to me." Psalm 13:6

What is your favorite way to worship God?                                          

Expect The Unexpected Continued...

 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord, repent and live!"   ~Ezekiel 18:32


I hear a knock at the door. It seemed friendly enough so I decided it was safe to answer it. I've never been thrilled with unannounced visits from strangers and I usually don't answer when they come a knocking, but the Lord has been working in my heart about how I treat people I don't know.

We have a couple of different "organizations" that come to my door quite often, too many times to count. And then there is the salesmen, carpenter, I even had a banker  once,  interweaved into the mix of unscheduled visits to my front door.  I'm very shy by nature but God reminds me I have a new nature now, the old is dead, and He has made all things new!

I have in the past either turned a cold shoulder, by not answering the door, or given uninvited quests the brush off, often not as politely as I should. My shyness is not an excuse for rudeness and I am slowly but surely working on it. Praise be to God who will complete the work He has started in me just as He promises in His Word!

As I think back to the lady in Safeway that came at me wanting to touch the growths on my ear because  she "reads energy" and tells me she can help me with that, I realize another vital mistake I made. Not only did I not tell her I belong to Jesus and He is my healer, but I also treated her like she had the plague when, "I backed up, and said in a panic no, no, no and got out of there as fast as I could!"

God's Word says, "our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  (Ephesians 6:12)  People are not the enemy, the power or influence directing them is. Most of them don't even know they are misguided and are being manipulated by the enemy for his dark purposes.

Most likely the lady at the grocery store had good intentions and genuinely wanted to help me. I not only missed an opportunity to share my hope and my joy, who is Jesus, but I also missed an opportunity to share His love with her. Sometimes I wonder, "will I ever get it right?"!

I just love Ann Voskamp, author of "One Thousand Gifts", and blogger
http://www.aholyexperience.com/ .  In her post today titled, What in the World Should Christians Wear?        She nails it!!!  “It’s souls that are the eternal priorities…”

"And what are we really here to do but to live the Great Commission — not the Great Optional? 

How will I feel standing before Jesus, robed in His sacrificed righteousness, only to see that all my excuses to not share the gospel were but cloaks for selfish fear and pride?

Who in the world hides good news? When you know God is the well of all enjoyment and sin the pit of all entanglement — then isn’t it clear what to run from and Who to run to? Why be afraid to share this? 

There may not often be great opportunities to change the world, but every single day there are small ones —  and all the small can do nothing but add up to great.

And there could be the humble bold who claim the Truth, wear the grace, and speak the unashamed — that one more wanderer might be clothed in Christ….":
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“Someone asked “Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved?”

It is more a question — Whether we — who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not — can be saved.”

 ~ Charles Spurgeon

As I went to the front door, all the while remembering how I treated the lady at the store, and many who have come to my door before now,  determined to be kind, I open it. As I see the familiar dark tidy suites and crisp white shirts, I smile and politely say, "hello". They ask me a couple of questions and as sweet as I could, I explain, yes I'm familiar with your "organization" and I'm not interested but thank you and have a nice day." God bless you", I say with a wave and smile! 


Dear Holy Father, thank You for your great mercy and patience with us who have missed many great opportunities to share Your Love and Grace with this dying world. Please forgive all of us who belong to You and are guilty of not being good stewards of Your perfect Love and Gospel of grace that saves us from death. I pray that You would fill our spirits with boldness to share You and Your Love with everyone You put in front of us! In the beautiful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I pray, Amen 

Expect The Unexpected!

Keloids from getting my ear pierced! A Keloid is scar tissue
that keeps building on itself. I was not warned this could
happen, but I do believe God is going to heal it!

I had just finished going through the checkout line at Safeway yesterday afternoon, when I barely heard "does that bother you sometimes?" I looked back to see if the lady next in line was talking to me. She was. I took a step towards her and asked politely, "what did you say?" She said, "does that hurt, the thing on your ear, does that bother you?"

I got my left ear pierced up in the "cuff" area where it's all cartilage about 3 years ago. I had been wanting to do that for a long time but never got up the courage. It's amazing the things I have the courage to do now that I am filled with the Holy Spirit! I mean I still feel fear but I have the courage to push through it! I give God all the credit and glory for that! Well, 2 years ago I developed tiny bumps on both sides of the piercing. I thought it was infected and kept treating it for that. The bumps seemed to just get bigger and bigger! So I went to the place I got my ear pierced and they told me I had Keloids. "Go buy some TeaTree oil, that will make them go away," said the young man confidently, that pierced my ear. Just to let you know, it did not work. They continued to grow! I had to painfully remove my earring and pray, "Jesus please heal my ear!"

I'm completely confident that Jesus said He will. Until then I cover them puppies up with a bandaid when I go out in public! I like to wear my hair up or else I wouldn't have to do that. But yesterday, I forgot my bandaid! I praise the Lord that was not brought to my attention until I was almost out of the store!

The "nice" lady said, "I read energy" while stretching out her arm to put her hands on my ear. Turning red in the face from embarrassment,  I backed up, and said in a panic no, no, no and got out of there as fast as I could!

I am hearing more and more about people, even people close to me are going to these so called doctors that "read energy", and psychics. One calls herself, "The white lady." Well white stands for purity and holiness in God's Kingdom so this is a deceptive name. Could this be those who "pose as angels of light" that we are warned about in the Bible?

"A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads." Leviticus 20:27

 God says to stay away from astrologers, psychics and mediums and witchcraft, so obviously their power is not from Him. Many people don't understand this is not a grey area. If it's not from God, then it's of the devil. The Bible tells us so. And either we believe God's Word is true or we don't. It doesn't make sense to say I believe this scripture but not that one. The Book is either all right or all wrong. I choose to believe it's ALL true and I live my life accordingly. I choose God forever!

"Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you... Surely they are like stubble;  the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame."  Isaiah 47:14

Unfortunately for me, I am not a quick thinker and when something or someone catches me off guard, I don't give the best response. What I should have said to the lady, without panicking haha, was, "no thank you, I belong to Jesus, He is my healer." I did pray for her deliverance and salvation on my way out of the store, but I still feel silly about the way I panicked. When faced with another opportunity like this, because I'm sure this is just the beginning, I will be ready!

I praise the Lord the Keloids don't hurt as often as they used to, and they have stopped growing. This is a great example of God's tender mercy and grace at it's finest to me. Until He removes the Keloids completely at least they feel better and I can cover them which, I will be much more careful to remember in the future haha!

Have you ever been faced with an unexpected situation that you wish you would have reacted differently to? Please tell me I am not the only one! 

God bless you dear blog friends! And don't ever forget, JESUS LOVES YOU!!

He Places The Lonely In Families

"God sets the lonely in families..," Psalm 68:6
This is my beautiful Momma and Poppa from the Lord!

I'll never forget the day we met. It was a warm, late-Summer afternoon and I was being drawn into the worship of God by the familiar, but almost forgotten melody of praise music. Four years ago this August, as I sat in my not so white, plastic lawn chair in my backyard with my cigarette in one hand and my vodka and Diet Coke in the other, I heard a sound coming from the park that borders my fence.  I followed the beautiful sound of what seemed to be people singing and making music to the Lord. the sound filled the park and my neighborhood.

The whole meeting was a total act of God and a complete miracle if you ask me! I had been quite stuck in the trap that catches all unsuspecting victims, of alcoholism, for several years. I'm pretty sure no one sets out to become an alcoholic that is why I called it a trap. Anyway, I was so depressed. My body was sick, my mind was sick, and my spirit was in hell.

It had been years since I had attended church and I didn't have the courage and strength it would take to start going now.  I was lost, so lost for so long. But I could go get me a look-see at what was going on just on the other side of my backyard. As I followed the music I heard coming from the park that day, I saw a group of people nestled under a circle of big old fir trees. There was a couple, a little older than myself, singing into microphones hooked up to speakers and playing what looked to me like a keyboard. Oh how I used to love the Lord and His Word, but that was all lost now. My heart ached to come home to Him. I stood under one of those trees as far away from the group as possible so as not to have to talk to anyone. Cause not only was I shy, but I was extremely ashamed of my condition!

As I was crossing the little bridge to get to the side of the park the music was coming from, a very sweet older man came up to me. He smiled at me with this contagious joy, offered me some literature,  and asked if I would like to go sit by his beautiful wife. I thanked him and politely said no, I'll just stand right here by this tree. I didn't know this then, but apparently when God is present, it makes me cry! It was like someone had opened up Hoover Damn!  I guess you could say I was a bit remorseful! So, unable to hide the streams that were now flowing from my eyes, the kind gentleman asked if I would like a kleenex. I gratefully accepted and then as my heart continued to melt down, he asked me again if I would like to go have a seat next to his wife.

I think we are both still amazed at how God so beautifully orchestrated our meeting and I didn't know it, but I was just about to meet my spiritual Momma! She doesn't normally attend outreach services she tells me, but God drew her to that one!  She came up to me and provided me with the kleenex I so obviously needed and neither one of us knowing what to say to the other, began a beautiful bond that we share to this day! I accepted her invitation to sit next to her and then... spilled my guts all over her...not literally of coarse! She shared with me... I shared with her. We came to find out we are so compatible it's ridiculous to think we are not biological mother and daughter! We even look like we are related! She really is beautiful by the way! :) Yup, that's our God! I couldn't have picked a better Momma for myself if I tried! And my Poppa, well he's just the sweetest man you will ever meet!  It's truly remarkable how God works!

This is the precious cover of the card my Momma
sent me, inviting us to have Easter dinner with them.
I love this picture cause when I was a little girl I use to chase
the butterflies and try to catch them in my net :)

Not having a mom, and with my dad being far away, makes this precious couple a true treasure in my life. The Lord blesses my socks off through them constantly! They have taken me under their wings and treat me like a daughter. They pray for me and my family, they have showered us with some of the best gifts, you know, the kind that come from the heart! My Momma is an awesome cook! And my Poppa is very talented with the woodwork pieces he creates! Momma has shared her library full of great Christian authors and has taught me so much. I wouldn't spiritually be where I'm at today if it wasn't for her! We share like faith which is a precious gift in itself! But I love them and they love me and that is the greatest gift of all!!!

Dear Lord, Your Word is truly "living and active" and it's really true that You "place the lonely in families" just like it says in the Bible! Thank You so much for my precious Momma and Poppa! They are such a great blessing and a treasure to me! Please bless them mightily for the blessing they have been and continue to be to me. Please help me to love them and bless them the way they deserve. May you shower them and their family with Your limitless favor forever! In Jesus beautiful Name Amen!

This is one of the beautiful pieces my Poppa made for me! 

"GOD SETS THE LONELY IN FAMILIES..." PSALM 68:6

Poppa made this beautiful sign for me, it sits proudly
right next to the front door!

Do you have someone unexpected and extra special from God in your life? Or maybe you are somebody's unexpected and extra special person from the Lord! Either way I would love to hear about it!