Gold 2013

2013: 

This is my fourth year of accumulating Golden Nuggets: a succinct thought or scripture that grabs my heart on a given day. I thought about keeping a running tally here of nuggets I've held onto for the past few years, but decided to store each year's individual scroll as my last entry for that given year. You can find them under the label "Gold".

The path of a spiritual leader is almost always marked by rejection. Bob Hamp, podcast snippet, January 2

There's something magical about twinkle lights shining in dark and difficult places. Brene Brown, Daring Greatly, January 11

We often feel desperate for absolutes ... it's the human response to fear. Brene Brown, Daring Greatly, January 11

Because redemption, after all, is ugly made Beautiful... ~ Amber Louthan, January 13

How can we be connected if we are covered? ~ Bob Hamp, People of the Way podcast, January 15

No one ever entered into the full rest of God by giving Him only half of themselves. ~ Ann Voskamp, When You Are Weary, January 15

When you named Him your Lord, you gave Him right to your life on His time. ~ Ann Voskamp, January 20

There are many problems I cannot solve or fix, but I can take them to the one who can, Jesus. ~ Christine Caine, January 20

The walls you face in your life might not be literal or physical. They might be emotional or relational. And it's okay to feel frightened or intimidated by those walls. ... It would be unhealthy not to appreciate the significance of a major challenge. ~ Excerpt from a devotion telling the story of a competitive extreme climber, January 20

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. ~ Mark Twain, opening quote to Chapter 19 of Cross Roads by Wm. Paul Young, January 22

Hope allows us to leave our unanswered questions in God's hands; it empowers us to remain at peace, and it enables us to believe the best about the days to come. ~ Joyce Meyers, Hope Devotional Reading, January 30

She hasn't learned yet to try and be anything but who she is. ~ Sarah Mae, January 30

He showed me His heart as a Heavenly Father who watches His children go through difficult tests. We cry out in desperation and we ask God to deliver us from the trial. However, our Sovereign God knows what is best for us and allows the test to mold and shape us into stronger followers of Christ. ~ Amber Rhoads, February 13

Reaching a point where you say "enough" to a toxic environment is not cowardly--it is so very brave. ~ Jen Hatmaker, April 25

When you forgive, you are reclaiming your heart for your own. ~ Alan Smith, April 26

When we find a redemptive perspective on our suffering, it ceases to be suffering. ~ Viktor Frankl, Psychologist, April 29

God is using the "all is lost" season in your life for His purposes. And when we submit to His purposes, any death can be redeemed. He's living proof of that. ~ Donald Miller, April 29

Fear begets fear until Perfect Love interferes. ~ Bob Hamp, May 3

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed. Proverbs 16:3 ~ Crystal Lewis, May 6

Your rebellious child's real problem is not drugs or sex or cigarettes or porn or laziness or crime or cussing or slovenliness or homosexuality or being in a punk band. The real problem is that your child doesn't see Jesus clearly. The best thing you can do for rebellious children--and the only reason to follow any of these suggestions--is to show them Christ. It won't be simple or immediate, but the sins in their life that distress you and destroy them will begin to disappear only when they see Jesus more as He actually is. ~ Abraham Piper, Let Them Come Home, May 9

That's the mystery of it, and the purpose--two whole people bumping into each other and learning (through a lot of patience and vulnerability) to keep choosing each other anyway. ~ Alex Hendrick, Knowing Your Boundaries, June 18

For the rest of your life, there are going to be windows, {Ellie}. Some are going to lead to places you shouldn't be, and some are going to lead to a more beautiful view. I can't open them for you and I can't tell you which ones you are supposed to open. But He can, and He will. Your job is to know Him well enough to hear Him, and to be constant in obeying Him. ~ Angie Smith, When Life is Big and You Can't Control It, June 26

In cooperating with God to bring {my husband's} heart back home I first had to pray for his heart to come back to the Lord. We wouldn't have made it if {he} wasn't first softened towards God. Then God softened {my husband's} heart towards me. Rebecca Gates, Facebook Post, July 6

It also reminded me that we have to love as big as we can even when people can't receive it. ~ Travis Gates, Facebook Post, July 8

And I wonder how many times I shake my head in disappointment because I'm frustrated that the Lord has given me the smaller portion, not realizing He has chosen the best based on a characteristic that I don't use to assess the options {quality over quantity}. Angie Smith, Portion, August 21

God hardwired us to remember. That's why photos affect us so deeply. They hang on our hearts as well as our walls. Jimmy Evans, October 13

You never know how much a small gesture can impact a person and alter their life. You just never know ... You might press a nickel into the hand of a little girl who doesn't know she's loved and alter the course of her family for generations. Kate Andre, The Legacy of Adoption and Grandma Clydella, October 18

Hope Allows

5:12am. Wednesday. January 30.

I woke up at 3:30am with my head and heart very actively engaged in processing life. Yesterday was a difficult day in our family as we processed news that played out completely different than what we had anticipated, even expected.

In this world of so much heartbreak and suffering, our news was not earth shattering, but it was still disappointing. Our sophomore, who has grown up with a baseball in one hand and a glove on the other, was given news that his place on this year's high school team is one of demotion, not promotion: 2nd string catcher on the 3rd of three teams. Basically, he received the last available slot for his position on the high school roster ... one step away from having been cut altogether.

Receiving his one-word text "JV2", my heart immediately dropped for him. After a series of questions and short replies between him and me, his astonishment and discouragement were evident. This was not the news he was expecting to hear as he stepped inside the coach's office yesterday morning. With an entire school day and first after school practice still ahead, those of us at home were left with more questions than answers (as I'm sure my sophomore was too).

How? What happened?

By the time I picked him up from school ten hours later, my heart was more concerned for how he was doing and feeling than figuring out the roster results. He was downcast, defeated, discouraged and angry. I know anger; it's how we process pain when we don't know what to do with it.

From the time he was two he carried a ball and glove around wherever he went. He watched complete baseball games on TV with his grandpa at age five. He could recite line-ups and player positions of his favorite team, the Angels, at six-years-old. He has lived, breathed and loved the purity of this game for all the years he can remember ... me too.

And then he's basically told that he was "kept in the program" because the new freshman coach highly recommended him; a coach that could only judge him from a few days of tryouts. His talent and skills and 18 months practicing under the watchful eyes of the Varsity coaches hadn't convinced them, but the new coach did. Talk about a blow to his dreams and his hopes and his reality.

His eyes told me all he felt without saying a word. Sliding into the front seat of our car, shoulders slumped and arms loaded with uniform colors he didn't think he'd have to wear again this year, his body language spoke even louder. My heart was breaking badly for my son and I didn't have the words that would make him feel better. Through conversation I could only help him process what neither of us really understood and pray that God would hold his heart and help him process through the pain of disappointment. Life is disappointing and none of us escape that. But gosh, it's so hard to watch one of your children live through it.

So ... this morning. My head. My heart. All those questions and residual heartache. I got up in the dark knowing I was sacrificing sleep for what was more important: I needed to hear from God--needed my soul settled and encouraged, and wanted something to give my sophomore to hold onto today; a piece of God's heart that reminded him to keep looking up, not out.

And then I read this:

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1 [NLT]

When you think about the future, are you hopeful? Or do you struggle with a sense of dread? ... A close cousin to fear, dread steals the ability to enjoy ordinary life and makes people anxious about the future. Hope is the opposite of dread, and a close relative of faith. ... Hope allows us to leave our unanswered questions in God's hands; it empowers us to live in peace, and it enables us to believe the best about the days to come. You can have hope when you trust in God's love. He has the power to provide for you and lead you through every situation. [Joyce Meyer]

I don't read that verse and think its inference is that everything we hope for in [this] life will magically come true. This is not a "God in a genie in the bottle" type of verse. Considering our treasure should be placed in the eternal things, God does not promise that all our "earthly hopes" will come true.

My sophomore is not promised a career in baseball making millions of dollars playing for a major league team simply because he "hopes" for that. His hope to be a Sooner and play for OU is not written in stone in the Heavenlies (that we're aware of yet anyway). His hope of catching for his high school varsity team is even on shaky ground from where he sits today. But that doesn't mean he's been instructed to stop hoping; instead, he is to be secured by his faith in a God who holds his unanswered questions (for now) and encourages him to press on and in while depositing peace and power to pursue the days, weeks and months ahead trusting in God's plan that is still unfolding.

Hope is a precarious thing. It can feel like we're walking a tight-rope at times without a visible net below us. And disappointment is like a tremor to our foundation of faith. It shakes us, but doesn't have to shift us.

Hope allows us [the choice] to leave our unanswered questions in God's hands. The choice is ours ... always ours.

GOLD: 2012

2012

Keeping track of golden nuggets requires a commitment I didn't uphold the second half of 2011. It wasn't that treasure was lacking, but rather my commitment to place it here in my treasure chest. Each year I learn (at least) one thing about myself that I didn't know the year prior. One of my many learnings from 2011 is that while God's gold abounds, I have to purpose to take hold of it and put it in a place for safe keeping.

[1.8.12]
Do not [yourself] depreciate the Words of God spoken over you. And do not allow time to depreciate the Words of God either. {WordInSeason spoken at Gateway Leadership Meeting at Hilton Townsquare}

[1.9.12]
This is what the LORD says: It is not for your sake that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of MY HOLY NAME." Ezekiel 36:22

[1.11.12]
Love love LOVE when God speaks so clearly that I turn expecting to see His face next to me just as clearly. {me}

[1.17.12] 

Ask the Father to help you desire the thoughts, feelings and purpose of His heart. He’ll give you a new heart—His. You’ll begin to have His perspective and a supernatural love, compassion and righteous indignation that will stir you to pray on behalf of others, our government, families, nations, for Israel and so much more. This is the gift of intercession. It’s in this place of partnering with God— asking for His will on earth to be released as it is in heaven—where great joy is found. {In Jesus' Name, Gateway Devotional}

[1.17.12]
It's hard to lead like Jesus if we misunderstand what Jesus was leading us TO. He leads TO life altering encounters with a Living Father. {Bob Hamp}

[1.17.12]
A habit of listening to the sweet inner voice of His presence results in a radical determination to obey that voice. {AW Tozer}

[1.17.12]
When you pray for someone or something because of a godly burden and a desire for God’s justice and will to be performed, you’re interceding. {Anonymous}

[1.17.12]
The cost of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment. {John Paul Jackson}

[1.24.12]
More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. {Doug Larson}

[1.27.12]
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. {Mignon McLaughlin}

[2.1.12]

Grace breeds grace and gives you eyes to see the person, not the offense. {Marissa Star}

[2.1.12]
Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish yourself to be. {Thomas Kempis}

[2.6.12] 

Three golden nuggets that shined for me in this article I Can See Clearly Now by Deb DeArmond on Destiny In Bloom:

1. On paper, I am not qualified to do most of what God has placed on my plate.

2. I had experienced a genuine change of heart, but had allowed it to slip away.

3. ... but at least for today...

It's so like God to use words written with one purpose to go out and speak something completely different to another set of ears. I love.Love.LOVE. this about His Word!!!

#1 speaks directly to that place in my soul that satan wants to chip away at, and attempts to do almost daily; to convict me of my lack of qualifications to (fill in the blank). BUT GOD ... (I also love those two words) is not calling me because of my resume or accomplishments, but out of His purposes for my life; and what He plans, His Word accomplishes.

#2 is a reminder regarding a subject so off my radar that reading those words this morning is like a wake up call of strong proportions. He is so clear in that sentence. He reminded me that He has already done the work I asked of Him almost a year ago, but that I have not nurtured that heart newness. I didn't even realize I needed this reminder.

#3 are five words that are breathing freedom into my soul and reminding me of the fact that HolySpirit is not here to convict me of what I didn't do yesterday, but convince me of who I am ... at least for today.

[2.7.12]
It's good to go through seasons where you feel you don't have all the answers...it reminds you He's the only one that does! {Preston Morrison}

[2.10.12]
Falling in love again isn’t so much about communicating better, but about connecting deeper. {Ann Voskamp}


[2.18.12]
If you don't guard your heart it will become hard sooner or later. {Brian Johnson}


[2.22.12.]
don’t know what holds us back from being receivers when our God just loves to give. {Rebecca Lee Gates}


[3.10.12]
Modesty does not mean that all your beauty is hidden from all men, but that the fullness of your beauty is reserved for one man. {Alan Smith}


[3.12.12]
Celebrate God in the very area that you are feeling lack in. Exalt him for His goodness. {Bill Johnson}

[3.13.12]
Spiritual leaders influence more than they direct, and they inspire more than they instruct. {Bob Hamp}

[3.19.12]
When you've done everything you know to do & don't really even know how or what to pray: Stand. Pray. Be Bold. Eph 6:13 {Kari Jobe tweet}

[3.20.12]
When God makes wine, he makes really good wine ... stressed vines produce good wines. {John Piper}

[3.25.12]
Blessed is she who believes that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished. {Luke 1:45}

[4.2.12]
Compatibility is an achievement of love; it shouldn't be its precondition. {Anonymous Tweet}

[4.16.12]
For God to teach you about real love, He must bring unlovely people in your life. {Matt Knisely}


[4.18.12]
Any attempt to draw closer to your spouse will be infinitely blessed by God. {Marriage Today}

[4.19.12]
Nothing about me will remain passive when the enemy comes to rob me of ground I have labored and plowed and sewn. {Rebecca Gates}

[5.4.12]
He knew his God would come through, & he acted upon that security. {Nancy Smith}

[5.10.12]
A wise mother knows what men can forget: the way to move heaven & earth isn't with a strong arm but a bowed head. {Ann Voskamp}

[5.10.12]
No matter the seen circumstances, when God speaks to you, it changes your perspective. {Me}

[5.10.12]
Our fall was, has always been, and will always be, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives. {Ann Voskamp}

[5.14.12]
Burdens are heavy because God's not in the burden, He's in the revelation of what will relieve the burden. {Me}

[5.23.12]
Modesty. It’s not about rules. It’s about knowing who you are. {Alan Smith}

[5.27.12]
Reaching people requires a story, not just logic; empathy, not just argument; meaning, not just info. {Rick Warren}

[6.2.12]
God never approaches relationships out of His own need. He relates to give not get. You were made in His image. {Alan Smith}

[6.13.12]

There isn't a loss on earth that can ever rob us of the riches our Lord has saved us for in Him. {Ann Voskamp}

[6.18.12]

Writing is an act of worship. It's choosing perfect words and placing them in precise order. It's downloading and concentrating life's epiphanies to a microship of influence. The purpose of taking pen in hand it to illuminate the face and heart of God; and the result is to aid humankind in the process of being changed into His likeness. I can't write unless I am inspired by nothing less than Him--not my ideas or creativity or thought process or experience. Him. {Bonnie Saul Wilks}

[6.5.12]
Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24

[6.7.12]
When the enemy tries to tempt me to fashion my words like another writer, God reminds me that He is intentionally unique with me...with ALL. {Me}

[6.10.12]
Praying for God to rend the heavens and come down? He already did in Jesus. The heavens are open. Receive it by faith. {Alan Smith}

[6.12.12]
There may not often be great opportunities to change the world, but every day there are small ones. {Ann Voskamp}

[6.15.12]
We are desperately weak & nothing can change that. But our God is omnipotent and nothing can change that. Faith connects us to His strength. {Jimmy Evans}

[6.18.12]

sometimes i get frustrated with myself for feeling like i need yet another new beginning. i've often found myself in places of failure and frustration, in need of forgiveness once again, which makes me feel like even more of a failure.  yet scripture clearly reveals God's delight in showing us mercy, grace, peace and blessing. new normal is good. the God of Glory is always doing something new. {crystal lewis}

[6.30.12]

Don't let the scrutiny of the uninformed majority distract you from your calling. {Preston Morrison}

[7.3.12]

Sometimes it is good to waste money to create memories. {Gunnar Johnson}

[7.8.12]

Satan knows that if he can defeat you in your mind, he can defeat you in your experience. {Joyce Meyer}

[7.13.12]
A thought God just hit me with: Don't buy into the saying that "truth hurts" and run away from it. Believe that truth heals and run to it! {God}

[7.13.12]

REGARDLESS of what my spouse does or does not do, I have to decide: ‘What kind of PERSON (not spouse) do I want to be?’ {@thegracedoctor}

[7.21.12]

Mental focus on who God is must be renewed, for the idolatrous culture of the world erodes clarity. {via Lauren Scruggs on Twitter}

[7.24.12]

When the sun comes up, you can see it — each day is another gift birthed straight from the grace of God.. {Ann Voskamp}

[8.10.12]

cof·fee /ˈkôfē/ A magical substance that turns, "leave me alone or die" into "good morning everyone." {Matt Knisely via Twitter}

[8.11.12]

Healthy couples fight for Resolution. Unhealthy couples fight for Victory. {Craig Groeschel}

[8.12.12]
When we forget where we've come from, we have trouble meeting people where they are. {Kyle Fox}

[8.19.12]
Two things Satan will tempt you with to keep you from fulfilling your calling: pride/arrogance and depression. {Brady Boyd}

[8.19.12]
God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes. Psalm 18:24 [MSG]

[8.20.12]

Do something today that narrows the gap between who you are and who you want to be. {Preston Morrison}

[8.23.12]

5. We must do that which we know we cannot--to prove that it's our God who cannot fail. Our God appoints those who will disappoint--to point to a God who never disappoints.

6. Travel in the direction of your fears--to let God direct your life.

{Ann Voskamp}

[8.23.12]
I don't want a paycheck to settle my fear. I want my faith & trust & dependence on God to bind it before a paycheck is ever on the horizon. {me}

[8.23.12]

There are times in life where it becomes obvious that you need a new anointing for a new place. Good news: He breathes on whatever He births. {Preston Morrison}

[8.28.12]
Good things happen outside of our comfort zones! {Bear Grylls}

[9.3.12]
Lovers change to protect the love. {Danny Silk}

[9.5.12]
The promises of God don't change just because your circumstances do - He who promised is faithful! {Christine Caine}


[9.6.12]
Love and honor need to coexist. If you remove one, you threaten the other. {Danny Silk}

[9.11.12]
Our position as children of God does not grant immunity from the pain, problems and the difficulties of life. Jesus told His disciples that they would experience troubles but through Him they could also have peace (John 16:33). We can be assured that nothing can happen to us apart from the permissive will of our gracious Father (Romans 9:39). These promises give us peace in the midst of turmoil, hope instead of despair, confidence rather than doubt, assurance in the place of fear. {newspringchurchblog}

[9.12.12]
Once I transplanted it to a larger pot, (the plant) began expanding and adapting to its new environment. This was one of the most revelatory experiences for me with my little garden. I didn't realize that plants' growth was stunted once it reached the capacity of its' container.{Brittany Loose}

[9.16.12]
Even when we approach God for help, we may not recognize in our souls this thing called self-sufficiency. Sometimes self-sufficiency disguises itself as expectations. Specifically when we try to tell God how we need help or what kind of help we need, we are still operating in self-sufficiency. {Bob Hamp}

[12.4.12]
Laughter is carbonated medicine. {Anne Lamott, tweet}

[12.10.12]
Asking a good question is a far more powerful tool in leading [people] to a solution than telling them what you think. {Danny Silk, Loving our Kids on Purpose}

[12.13.12]
Whoever controls our minds, controls us. {Jimmy Evans, tweet}

[12.20.12]
...because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand you. {The Velveteen Rabbit}

[12.20.12]
What's inside of you takes dominion over what's around you. {Bob Hamp, TDLeadD}

[12.31.12]
Pain and loss in life are inevitable. Misery is optional. {Rick Warren}

[12.31.12] 
But somewhere inside you she lives. The beautiful one who is unafraid and unashamed. She sings, still, whether you listen, or not. She cries whether you listen, or not. Somewhere inside you she lives. Hidden away beneath layers of life and circumstances, she is hoping that you will care for her like the others did not. She is hoping you will introduce her to the One who made her. {Bob Hamp, Somewhere Inside You She Lives}

GOLD: 2011

2011

God taught me a priceless lesson in 2010: the value of Gold. By prompting me to record the little nuggets of wisdom that came my way--either written or spoken--I now have a great glimpse into the thoughts He illuminated for me for that day, week, month and even (last half of the) year. I'm carrying that lesson into 2011 (and beyond) because I recognize the 'priceless value' of wisdom snapshots ... or golden nuggets, as I like to call them.

Great peace have they who love the Word of God, for nothing shall offend them or make them stumble or confound them. Psalm 119:165 [Jan 1]

"Planning is great, but our future comes down to what we do with the Word of God and the promises he gives us." Jack Hayford [Jan 1]

"Be guarded never to let external circumstances and the way things look distort your internal standard of believing what the Word says!" Arnita Taylor [Jan 5]

"I want to learn the heart of sacrifice and the returning gift of a joyful heart because of sacrifice; that my sacrifice may be a fragrant offering to God, just as Jesus offered himself for me." Me to my Husband [Dec 7]

"God wants us all to grow in seeing and hearing Him and in choosing to be obedient in spite of our circumstances, which I believe unveils the condition of our hearts." Kerrie Oles [Jan 7]

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. Proverbs 13:12 [Jan 11]

Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Matthew 11:28 [Jan 18]

"It's the grace of God that keeps us, but it's obedience to God that moves us forward." Stovall Weems [Jan 30]

"This is what I know: God always has a way of bringing to light what's hidden in the dark. And it's not to punish us (for what we did) but protect us (from what could be). God reveals because He loves." Me to my kids. [Feb 2]

I don't mind clothes, but I hate cover up.

I don't mind independence, but I hate isolation.

I don't mind maturity, but I hate pretension.

I don't mind privacy, but I hate secrecy.

I don't mind make-up, but I hate make-believe.

Jason Holdridge [Feb 3]

"Words carelessly thrown out from a selfish heart are some of the most damaging to those they land on." From my thoughts [Feb 3]

"Sometimes I wonder if, in my own discipleship journey, I settle for "fish on Fridays" by assuming that simply because I do the right things that my heart will automatically lean towards God as a result." Marcus Brecheen [Feb 3]

"A woman who knows her value knows she has something incredibly valuable to give and something important to protect." Nancy Houston [Feb 7]

"Scars remind us where we've been. They don't have to dictate where we're going." Anonymous [Feb 8]

"Real love is not having a human reaction to failure." Coli Jones [Feb 11]

"Will she learn to love again? Will she get her miracle, too? Love hopes all things." Borrowed Words [Feb13]

"The part of your story that will help people the most is the part you least want to tell." Preston Morrison [Feb 15]

"A dream reminds us of what's possible. It's like a balloon that lifts us from reality. It gives us somewhere to go when we feel grounded by discouragement." Coli Jones [Mar 7]

"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" Borrowed Words [Mar 9]

"You can't be hidden and survive." Bob Hamp [Mar 10]

"If you have no joy, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere." Billy Sunday [Mar 14]

"He really is as dependable as this morning's sunrise." Kate (McDonald) Andre [Mar 14]

"The wife is not anointed to lead a family with the same anointing as the man." David Smith [Mar 23]

"God never promotes manipulation." Robert Morris [Apr 3]

"Hope is not deliverance (from) my circumstances; it's knowing that God will walk with me (through) my circumstances." Robert Morris [Apr 3]

"Dead things are going to be resurrected!" Christine Caine, Prophetic Word from Pink Impact [Apr 6]

"Anointing is always given to fulfill a specific purpose or to carry out a calling on my life. And the whole purpose of any anointing is for God to get the glory." Lexa Brecheen from Pink Impact [Apr 7]

"HolySpirit only reveals what's inside us so that He can heal us." Nancy Houston from Pink Impact [Apr 7]

"My destiny is not about me needing to feel accomplished. It's about fulfilling the purposes of God on earth." Mary Faulkner from Pink Impact [Apr 7]

"Only a strong woman can fight for God's justice on her knees in humility; not fighting for her rights, but taking on the burdens and offenses of others by choice." Mary Faulkner from Pink Impact [Apr 7]

"The enemy understands the power of the influence of a woman; it's why he went to Eve first." Charlotte Gambill from Pink Impact [Apr 7]

"Dreams drown in doubt." Debbie Morris from Pink Impact [Apr 8]

"Prophecy speaks to a passion in our hearts only like HolySpirit can." via Pink Impact [Apr 8]

"The greatest temptation a woman faces is to close herself off (her heart) due to pain." T.D. Jakes from Pink Impact [Apr 8]

"Change requires me to embrace a stranger (a new version of me) and let go of the familiar." T.D. Jakes from Pink Impact [Apr 8]

"Identity is not a label; it's a journey." Charlotte Gambill from Pink Impact [Apr 9]

"We confuse 'position' with 'place'. We often sacrifice our place (where God wants to use us) in search of position (being out front, in the position of recognition)." Christine Caine from Pink Impact [Apr 9]

"I am learning that marriage isn't all about romance and passion and ideals that the media pushes on us. It is not even about happiness or having an increasingly better marriage as much as it is about the potential for real transformation in our own lives. Marriage can make us better as people, even when--or maybe especially when--it is hard and things don't go as planned and it is not easy and the demands on us feel unfair. Maybe marriage is at its best when it restricts us, defines limitations, exposes our sin and calls us to die to ourselves in favor of becoming what God has already declared us to be: ONE." Kate (McDonald) Andre [Apr 10]

"A burden has never been placed in God's hand that He dropped, nor have you ever leaned back and He's not caught you." Marcus Brecheen [Apr 10]

"Destiny = Destination (a place of arrival). Destinations often arise after a season of disappointment." Brady Boyd [Apr 10]

"It is the character of very few men (or women) to honor without envy a friend who has prospered." -Aeschylus [Jul 16]

Ask the Father to help you desire the thoughts, feelings and purpose of His heart. He’ll give you a new heart—His. You’ll begin to have His perspective and a supernatural love, compassion and righteous indignation that will stir you to pray on behalf of others, our government, families, nations, for Israel and so much more. This is the gift of intercession. It’s in this place of partnering with God— asking for His will on earth to be released as it is in heaven—where great joy is found.

GOLD: 2010

2010

Journeys. Each one of us is on one whether we participate consciously or not. As God does quite often with me, I was recently hit upside the heart with an idea: in the midst of my journey, as I am exposed to Golden Nuggets (Wisdom Words from God's heart through "You" to me) that I do not want to forget, I am to hold onto them. And so the creation of the GOLD tab was born on my blog. 

"...through our failures and successes God will be made more real." (My Groom) [June 28]

“Honoring your husband isn’t always doing it right, but it is being quick to repent when you know you're wrong and showing intent to change by making steps towards it.” (Ris Star) [June 30]

"When it's hard and you are doubtful, give more." (Francis Chan - Crazy Love) [July 4]

"Never be diplomatic and careful with the treasure God gives you ... this is poverty triumphant." (Oswald Chambers) [July 5]

"The miracle is not always the healing. Many times it's the transformed heart in the process." (Pastor Brady Boyd) [July 5]

"Scripture says we are really free to give everything we don't absolutely need! I  am past asking what we need to give and onto asking what we need to keep." (Coli Jones) [ July 6]

"The power I've given you through prayer is far greater than your ability to earn (by working outside of the home)." God spoke this to my heart when praying about seeking a job. [July 9]

"A miracle is a divine invasion into human affairs. Will you have the courage to wake up every day anticipating an invasion from God?" (Pastor Brady Boyd) [July 13]

"Playfulness is the quality that sees joy in ordinary circumstances and is eager to squeeze even more joy out of any given moment." (Bob Hamp) [July 15]

"Just let me love you." (As You Wish by R. J. Gunn) [July 16]

"It's not so much about whether or not a miracle of this proportion pulls you out of debt, it's about whether or not you believe a miracle like this can still happen. Will you believe for the bigger things and stop doubting what is easy for God to do?" (Holy Spirit to me referencing 2 Kings 4) [July 25]

"Elisha had a double anointing but he still had to walk in it." (Holy Spirit bringing understanding to the critical importance of our part after God's anointing.) [July 28]

"You are never too old to set another goal or dream another dream." (C.S. Lewis) [August 16]

"I shudder to admit this...but the honest and free part of me just won’t let me be silent." (Kerrie Oles) [August 16]

"The only thing worse than thinking He doesn't have the power to do it is thinking He does not have the desire to do it. HE WANTS TO!" (Preston Morrison) [August 17]

"Our brokenness is often inherent: God leaves out certain gifts and abilities on purpose - by design. In the very place God has called you, He will disable something important you think you need so that you see your need for Him." (Pastor Marcus Brecheen) [August 23]

"If He told me to do it … He’s not only going to hold my hand, He is going to rest His presence on it … it would have the ability to minister and bear fruit in others' lives" (Ris Star) [August 25]

"Make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you." (I Thessalonians 4:11) [August 25]

"Being rested makes room for BIG dreams." (Kyle Fox) [September 6]

"He has a plan and a purpose for you and your husband, and He just asks you to trust Him as you continue to lay down your life to demonstrate godly, unconditional love to your spouse. Allow God to write out your story. Don’t give up before you get to the good part. It is coming." (Rebecca Gates) [September 27]

"Expertise in human effort does not win a spiritual battle." (Pastor Bob Hamp) [September 28]

"Have you ever considered the possibility that God has placed you with aggravating people to do something in you? God is not going to take you out of the tension of relationships until He has fully formed and shaped what He wants to do inside your heart. God will use messy people to clean up our messes. There is no path to spiritual maturity that does not include our relationships with other people." (Pastor Brady Boyd) [October 1]

"Love that cannot be vanquished and sent running because of hate and persecution. Peace that cannot be dispersed by the chaos of darkness. Joy that cannot be diminished by light and temporary afflictions." (Pastor Bob Hamp) [October 4]

"Hope when it seems silly. Love when no one else does. Be radically inhabited." (Pastor Bob Hamp) [October 4]

"My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him." (Psalm 62-5) [October 12]

"The capacity for love that you don’t possess on your best day in the flesh is waiting to be poured into you in His presence.” (Holy Spirit to me) [October 12]

"You will enrapture me - diffusing my soul with joy - with and in Your presence." (Acts 2:28) [October 14]

"Love will touch their hearts but prayer will open their spirits." (Pastor Sameh Maurice) [October 17]

"I came to a place where ... my faith and heart no longer rested on a good outcome. I believed ... my faith had somehow changed. I knew that no matter what happened my God is who He says He is. Somehow my faith wasn’t dependent on my circumstances anymore." (Melissa Aulds) [October 20]

"If the enemy can get you to side step the Mighty Love of God just long enough to make you doubt your Father’s intent or love or ability, then he has you a hop, skip and a jump from deflating your own faith. And the more counsel you ingest by way of fear, the more you will find your ears dull to God’s words and your will limp to do as He asks." (Kate Andre) [October 21]

"Now don’t misunderstand me, God uses people (this we know), but He wants us to turn our hearts towards Him and seek His help before we just automatically look to others or try to do it on our own." (Celeste Barnard) [October 29]

"Grace is what I crave most when my guilt is exposed. The very thing I am hesitant to extend when confronted with the guilt of others - especially when their guilt has robbed me of something I consider valuable. When we are on the   receiving end, grace is refreshing. When it is required of us, it is often disturbing. But when correctly applied, it seems to solve just about everything." (Andy Stanley) [November 8]

"If you are facing an impossible situation today, do not lose heart. You are perfectly poised for a miracle. Look up to Jesus." (Pastor Christine Caine) [November 16]

"If you will change your mind then God will change your heart." (Pastor Robert Morris) [November 20]

"Tears are simply the heart’s language when words aren’t enough." (Pam Mueller) [November 22]

"If I offer what I have with faith, God will add His compassion and supernatural power to provide more than enough." (Pam Mueller) [November 22]

"Remember that it is always safe to obey my voice, Much-Afraid, even if it seems  to call you to paths which look impossible or even crazy." (The Shepherd to Much-Afraid from Hinds' Feet on High Places) [November 23]

"Obey Irrationally and Give Extravagantly ... Don't increase your standard of living, increase your standard of giving." (Craig Groeschel) [December 5]

"The journey is about trusting God for every moment; not with a lack of wisdom but with reckless abandon." Pastor Brady Boyd [Dec 5]

"Restoring a person is more important than the fact that you're 'right'." (Crista Ashworth) [December 5]

"It's not to take [from] us but to take us [to] another level of giving." (Holy Spirit's words to me during the weekend message at Gateway) [December 5]

"God's promises are so much bigger than our enemy's strategy to defeat them. Standing on the his promise and believing it will be fulfilled." Me [Dec 9]

"To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of him." Oswald Chambers [Dec 10]

"Conditional love seems to be part of everyone’s DNA. Unconditional love, the kind that allows hope to renew wounded hearts and damaged emotions, seems nonexistent." (Kathy Jimerson, Destiny in Bloom) [December 17]

"I think the truth is that anytime you begin to relentlessly and passionately pursue closer fellowship with God, it rocks other people's boats." Melissa Aulds [Dec 31]