There have been numerous head strong women throughout my life.  Many of them are the richest examples of advocating for Christ and salvation through Him.  Many have stood in harms way, when no else would, to protect the innocent.  Many have battled forces outside their comfort zone.  Many have withstood the test of perseverance victoriously.  Righteous head strong women have accomplished great feats because they never lost their focus for the truth and humbly stepped aside for the greater good. 

Exodus chapter 2 begins the first mention of a head strong young woman who showed strength and bravery while serving Pharaoh’s daughter.  Being a Hebrew slave did not afford much in the way of speaking out or offering your opinion in fear of punishment or death and yet there she was standing back to see what would be done with Moses when he was drawn out of the waters of the Nile River.  When he was discovered, Miriam acted quickly and asked to call a wet nurse for her brother from the Hebrew women. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed and unknowingly told the woman who bore him to take the child and nurse him and she will pay her wages. 

By the time we get to the 15^th chapter of Exodus Miriam has witnessed with her own eyes powerful events in saving the Hebrew nation.  She watched salvation come from a basket, into the enemy’s hands, and back to the God of her family.  This sets her life up for greatness.  Miriam is recorded as being a prophetess and a leader of the women. She led them out into the wilderness with timbrels in their hands and leading them in a song of deliverance to the Lord.  God recognized Miriam’s leadership as recorded in Micah 6:4.

In the book of Numbers, chapter 12, we see the same head strong Miriam, but this time being head strong did not serve her well.  Miriam allows her gift to supersede her authority and challenges Moses’ ascendancy, his status as God’s chosen spokesperson, and she does this PUBLICLY. Miriam forgets her position.  Scripture conveys Miriam was the instigator of the open rebellion, because her name stands before Aaron’s, which denotes a shift of responsibility. (vs 10) Miriam overestimated herself.

God made Miriam a leper.  Miriam’s sin and her punishment infiltrated her whole body to the point of decay. The depth of her leprosy was equivalent to her sin.  Verse 10 states, “But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam, leprous as snow.”.  Her sin also caused the delay of the camp moving forward to the promised land. 

God spoke to her directly.  He punished her directly, but He didn’t stop there. He cured her too!  God made a way for Miriam to be forgiven and cleansed of her sin and Jesus does the same for us today! 2 Pet 3:9 God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  John 3:16-17

In Deuteronomy 24:9 Miriam’s head strong sin was used as an example and a warning to God’s people.  She allowed her gift to become her nemesis.  Head strong people are notorious for making things happen when others have given up, but they can also step over the line like Miriam did.  Miriam would want to be remembered for the servant heart she displayed in Egypt, for leading women, and for demonstrating the positive influence a head strong woman can have with her family and community. If you are, or tend to be head strong, ask the Lord to use this according to His plan.  Lay ALL of who you are at Jesus’ feet and ask Him to guide you to a righteous and humble head strong service to Him.  Step aside for the greater good and let God our Father be Head strong.

When my husband and I “fell in love” again, we did all the normal giddy expressions of love.  Leaving notes for no reason, calling in the middle of the day just to say hello, making sure I looked just so, created pet names, using my best manners all the time, cuddling more than two humans are allowed, and  we showered each other with constant “I love you because”… statements.  I remember several single roses for no particular reason. I can remember hearing his car pull up in the driveway and dropped what I was doing to be at the front door, but not until I raced to the bathroom to make sure I looked presentable.  I can remember my husband waiting at the door for me as well, just to let me know he missed me.  The lengths we would go to, to brighten the others’ day are some of my favorite memories to recall. 

That was twenty-nine years ago.  Our love has climbed to new heights many times since then.  We’ve learned, as many of you have, to share each other with children, work, church, and family.  This has changed the way we communicate our love to each other.   The intensity is no less, but the frequency is.  We both know our love is stronger and for better reasons than when we first “fell in love”. 

I say all this to ask ourselves, does God perceive the relationship we offer Him in the same joyous way?  When I first “fell in love” with the Lord it was giddy for me.  The emotions that surged through me then still cause me to produce the same “goose pimply” reaction if I give myself the time to recall the moment. I not only embraced the moment, but also glee of my new relationship for months after.  The zeal of telling every one who would listen about this new relationship I found was exhilarating.   I wanted to shout out His name over and over in hopes someone would ask me about Him.  You would have thought I had gotten married.  Ouch.  I did!!  Unfortunately, I also allowed life to diminish my zeal to share all the new exciting experiences God brought to my life.  I allowed church, family, my job, and other activities to take my focus off my devotion to discovering every aspect of His nature and character.  God did not change His vows to me, He did not lessen his zeal for me, He remains faithful always, and His heart must have hurt beyond human pain when He felt the distance coming between us.  I wasn’t calling in the middle of the day to chat.  I did not always take care of the vessel He blessed me with.  I forgot to use my best manners when He didn’t answer my prayers my way.  For a short time, cuddling up with His Word became more of a chore than a chance to learn of the One and Only awesome God who loves me unconditionally.  My words of adoration to our Lord became more of a routine and a duty.

If you feel a distance that was not there before, know that God didn’t move.  He waits for you!!!   We need to have the mindset to rekindle our relationship with God on a DAILY basis.     In Hebrews 7:25 The writer says, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.“

Our relationships with our spouses are very important.  I believe this with all my heart. However, my relationship to God is the utmost and highest relationship anyone can have.  All other relationships are doomed to fail if my relationship with my Lord and Savior is not aligned with His Word. God offers me all of the blessings of His covenant as I  praise Him, worship Him, and devote my life to living in His presence.

We must remain daily in the attitude of heart, the zeal, and the bubbly affection, we shared with our Lord when we “fell in love” with Him.  We need to go back to the beginning every day and engage our Lord with the same fervor of our hearts when we first met Him.  The same drive that caused us to learn everything there is to know about our earthly loves, should be applied and continue without ceasing to our First Love, Jesus the Christ. We honor our vows to Him by studying His Word, which reveals His nature, character, mercy, grace, and continued faithfulness. If you want to reconnect to Jesus, talk to Him, read His love letters to you, and let the “giddiness” of His love wash over you. Do you need to Fall In Love Again?

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart”.

Have you experienced a public warning of your town’s water being unsuitable to consume?  It is usually accompanied with advice to use bottled water, boil all water from your tap, or filter your water before consuming until the problem can be resolved.  This can be a little unnerving knowing your water source is not safe.  What will the impact of impure water have on your physical body? 

Good News!!! In the book of Psalms, first chapter, the writer knows without proper nutrition for our souls, we will wither and die. In verse 3 he states, “And he will be like a tree transplanted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and whose foliage does not wither; and everything he does prospers.  What an awesome analogy the author used to express what we can be like and where our nutrition comes from. 

The characteristics of trees penetrate downward with their roots entwining with the earth and then drinks from the stream of waters God provides.  Instinctively, trees spread their branches out, and up, to match the deepness of their roots.  Trees were designed to grow upwards to God.  Trees grow in direct proportion to the amount of nutrition they absorb according to their kind.  Trees hold within themselves the seed that is brought forth at the right time and season, but not before.  Trees produce fruit according to their kind, which provides nutrition to other God breathed beings.  Trees also provide much needed oxygen for all forms of life.  Trees that have matured, provide protection and shade to immature trees, giving them room and opportunity to grow.  Trees only seek one type of nutrition, which comes from the One Who brought them forth with His voice and provided living water He knew they would need to have life. 

The writer also states the opposite is true in verse 6.  Without the proper nutrition, we will perish.  Neglecting to cleanse, refresh, and take nourishment from the streams of water God provides through His perfect and Holy Word deprives and starts the decaying process when we fail to root our lives in God’s Word on a daily basis. 

There is no need or requirement to boil or filter out toxicities from God’s pure streams of water and no need to seek a bottle of imperfect water.  Streams of water are living entities.  They cleanse, refresh, and sustain the one who drinks from them.  Streams of water are like having your own personal irrigation system that knows when your spirit is lacking, your soul is heavy, or a yearning to draw closer to God cannot be ignored.  A transformation begins when you root yourself in the streams of water, infiltrating the heart, soul, and mind.   Life abundant and eternal comes from God’s Living Word.  There is only One to seek for pure undefiled water. Only when we drink deeply from His Word can we reach to the heavens, produce visible fruit and foliage, and provide nutrients and shade to seekers around us. You are cordially invited to drink deeply, share generously, and allow the transformation God invites you to.

During one Sunday morning worship service, a very young sweet boy hit his head on the pew and immediately yearned for his dad who was sitting a pew away.  His dad instinctively knew his son needed him and headed his way.  Before his dad could get there, this little man told his dad to “kiss it, kiss it”.   This young man knew what he needed from his father.

We could all use more kisses to comfort our “bumps on the head”. My thoughts take me to a message in God’s Word where one particular women knew what she needed to be healed and whole. The message is recorded in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5: 25-34 and Luke 8: 41-49. 

This woman is not named, but we know her as the woman with the blood issue.  The original language uses the word “hemorrhaging”.  So this was not the typical bleeding experience with menstrual periods.  This plague has been robbing her of life for 12 years.  She’s spent all of her resources on physicians who did nothing for her and actually made her condition worse. 

She heard about Jesus and she mustered up the strength to walk to His presence. When she saw Him, scripture says she said to herself, if I could just touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed.  She didn’t say I might be healed. 

Please picture this woman touching the HEM of Jesus’ garment.  Where is the hem? At the bottom!!  Scripture records that she came up from behind Jesus and then touched the hem of His garment.  What position did she have to be in to reach the hem of a garment?   I see her bent over, in all submission, reaching through the bodies of the crowd to make contact with the right garment and the right hem.  I can also see her possibly crawling on her hands and knees.  She catches the hem of Jesus’ garment and IMMEDIATELY she IS HEALED.  Her life is no longer draining from her body. 

In so many examples of Jesus addressing women in scripture has chosen their name or simply “woman”, but in this moment, Jesus called her DAUGHTER!!!  Jesus addressed her as The Father.  This display of compassion from Jesus to this woman told everyone around them this woman is precious in His sight, she is worthy, she is significant, and she is His. 

She sought only what Jesus could provide, she kept her focus on Jesus, and allowed Him to heal her. Scripture records that power came out of Jesus and into the woman causing the healing.  Jesus kissed her hurt, her pain, and her heart.  Jesus also told her, her faith healed her and to go in peace.

I aspire to be as confident as the little man on Sunday morning who instantly knew what he needed from his father to make everything better.  He focused on the source of comfort and healing.  He needed his fathers kiss.  I too, need to ask for my Father’s kiss.  I need to call out to Him, kiss it Abba kiss it.  I need to hear Him call me Daughter and to absorb the peace that comes from staying focused on Jesus.  I know, just like the little man, my Father will fulfill my need for comfort and peace.  Many have never felt the comfort of a healing kiss from their parents.  Our Father is heaven is waiting for an opportunity to heal our hurts, heal our sorrow, and send us on our way in peace. Ask Him.

A friend of mine in Connecticut calls the period of time when our loved ones are experiencing their years beyond their years, the Winter Season. This definition has intrigued me ever since. It wasn’t long after, my mother displayed characteristics of Alzheimer’s and I began to see her Winter Season.

My mom’s former self has left her. She is bound up and locked inside of a cage where breaking free doesn’t happen often. There are moments and minutes that are evident she has escaped the monster for a short time only to be handcuffed and escorted back to her prison cell.

The pages of her life are being re-written by the imposter who has replaced her. Her memories are distorted at best. She wrestles every morning with the demon confusion. It torments her and causes her to be ashamed and feeling less than intelligent. Everything she recalls, even as recent as yesterday, has truth and fiction combined. Both are her reality. Both are her truth.

Her childlike thought process, behaviors, and reactions are sometimes humorous. Remembering and separating the behavior from the person is exhausting. Certain behaviors are parallel in relation to teenage traits. She can be rebellious, lacking in hygiene, pouts, snide comments, junk food cravings, but in the “moments”, she can be sweet and sensitive. She has her comical moments where you can’t help but laugh. Not because it was particularly funny, but what she found humorous is now out of character.

Mom remembers little of the day to day activities. She has no sense of time, days, and now years. Most every day is a new day. She will never re-learn the living skills she once engaged by reflex. She wants so badly to return to her former self and gets angry with herself for not being able to escape the monster that claims her memories, claims her train of thought, and claims her joy. She thinks if she was just intelligent enough, she could beat this.

I get asked often if I think Alzheimer’s is harder on the caretakers or the precious loved one who is living with it. My answer is always, the one who suffers, anguishes, and lives with the monster who is stealing their life away.

How many times, have you or someone close to you, needed a little encouragement, uplifting words, or prayers on your behalf? I HAVE. In moments where exhaustion, sorrow, or feelings of defeat creep into your day the power of a smile, hugs, or words of affirmation can alleviate encroaching weariness and bring a lovely weightlessness to your heart.

It is such an honor and privilege to fulfill a request of prayer from a friend, church family member, neighbor, or even strangers. Paul asked for prayers numerous times and he also prayed for others. I LOVE what he prays for the Philippians, Thessalonians, Corinthians, and many more. Paul prays for God’s children to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. to walk worthily of the Lord, to please Him, to be fruitful in every good work, to increase in knowledge of God, to be strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, to be patient and longsuffering with joy, and to give thanks to the Father. Colossians 1:9-12

Paul also prays for His children’s love to abound still more, to have more in knowledge and all discernment, to approve the things that are excellent, to be sincere without offense until the day of Christ, and to be filled with the fruits of righteousness through Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:9-11 So that we may be complete. 2 Corinthians 13:7

In 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Paul prays for God’s children to be counted worthy of calling, to fulfill the good pleasure of goodness, to do the work of the faith with power, and for the name of the Lord be glorified in you and in Him.

Jesus prays for Himself, His apostles, and all those who would listen to the Apostles teachings and obey His will. John 17 The entire chapter is a prayer spoken by Jesus.

Jesus and Paul give instructions on how to pray. Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Colossians 4:2-3 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word… 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing

Why do I write about knowledge you already know? I am persuaded to point out that Jesus prayed for others and asked for others to pray for Him. Paul prayed for others and asked others to pray for him.. Is this a sign of weakness or strength? Is it a measurement of their faith? Are their own prayers not enough? These are all absurd questions!! Asking for prayers, admitting you are tired, worn out, or struggling is not a measurement of your faith or a lack of prayer in your life. Asking for prayers when the next step you take seems heavier than the last one you took is a show of strength!! Asking for prayers is a measurement of trust and confidence in the ones you are requesting them from, knowing they will take your name before our Father in heaven and lift you up before His throne.

Please contemplate what your words will be when a struggling friend, a worn out mom, a devastated father, a confused child, a seeking co-worker, a frustrated clerk, a walker pushing elderly person, a call center representative, a church leader, the preacher’s wife, and so many more who frequently enter our lives on a regular basis request your prayers. They need them with no strings attached. They need them with no expectations. They need them with no judgements. They especially need them when they don’t ask for them. Don’t send them on their way heavier with the burdens they are carrying. Don’t remind them of what they ought to do. Don’t tell them it not that big of a deal. Don’t invalidate their request.

Kinder, more compassionate words might be; I’m sorry you are dealing with so much, let’s pray about this. What can I do for you or your family? Are you going to be okay? Choose words that make them feel hugged and comforted. Encouraging words that convey that EVERYTHING is going to work out and God is going to provide a way for them.

Jesus’s faith never waivered, Paul’s faith never waivered, David’s faith never waivered, and yet each one of them asked for prayers and offered prayers. Mostly likely, the person asking you for prayers has great faith, but just needs a little reminder that God is working in others to help them along when life gets ugly and out of tune.

In our life time we are faced with many choices. Some are momentous and others fleeting, but all required thought, planning, and consideration. Some choices require research and dedication to ensure the favored choice. Some choices have to be made on-the-spot with only your current knowledge of the situation no matter how limited. All of these are imperfect, flawed, and at best, a guess.

Our Father in heaven made choices for His people before the earth was formed, before man was created, and before eternity began.

God chose the Hebrew nation as His people. He chose to redeem them, even if, only a remnant existed who remembered His ways. God chose to send His Son to redeem not only those, but all future faithful followers of His so we could spend eternity in heaven with our Father and His Son. God chose authors who would write His inspired Word. God chose specific languages for His Word to be written in.

God chose for His prophets who reported all the history, travels, struggles, wars, devastation, and the immense love of God wrote in the Hebrew language. It’s makes sense to write in the language of your people. God also chose to write the plan of salvation and instructions for His church in the Koine Greek, which was the common Greek language spoken at the time of the New Testament writings.

Both languages were chosen by God to communicate with His people.

There are numerous versions of God’s Word. Several do not accurately represent His Word, (God’s Word), according to the original languages they were written in. Regardless of what version you choose to read, when you are reading scripture that seems difficult to understand, I encourage you to read from a Greek or Hebrew Interlinear Bible to better understand the author’s intended meaning. God chose Greek and Hebrew. He did not choose Latin or English.

Unfortunately, I have witnessed with great heartache, brothers and sisters in Christ who shake their heads in disgust when the original language is presented, elders of the church announce “they don’t care what the original language says”, and those who profess to study God’s Word, cut off or divert any further discussions of the original languages that God chose. Man does not get to override the original language God chose to communicate with us!! This saddens my heart. I can only imagine how God is reacting! The Hebrew and the Greek languages were chosen by God. God is Holy. God is perfect. God provides what we need. God decided we need the Hebrew and the Greek to accurately understand His Word.

You can choose to ignore, fear, and be intimidated by God’s choices for you. Or you can embrace them, face them, and overcome the obstacles that keep you from truly knowing God’s Word as He intended. The Bible is HIS BOOK, HIS WORDS, AND HIS WAYS. God chose, in the beginning, all the necessities His people would need to find their way to Him. God made choices that we don’t have to guess about, just accept and make them a part of our lives. God made all the hard choices so we don’t have to.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.“

WHAT is that smell?”  I cannot count how many times I have asked that question.  Some times under my breath, some times inaudibly, and other times so the inventor of the smell can hear me.  My question could imply a negative odor or it could indicate I have just experienced an aromatic blessing.  In either case, I want and need to identify what it is, or who it is, and either eradicate it or accept and savor it.

In 2 Corinthians 2:15 Paul states we are a fragrance of Christ to God to those who are striving just like us, the redeemed in Christ, and to those who are in and of the world.  The aroma is the same, but the inhalers smell two distinctively different fragrances.  

Almost every time instructions regarding an offering to God are mentioned, the whole of the sacrifice is required.  Moses writes in Exodus 29:18 “And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to Jehovah; it is a satisfying fragrance, an offering by fire to Jehovah.”  I believe God wants us to understand the first step in offering our selves as a sacrifice is to offer the whole of who we are to Him.  Anything less is not pleasing to God neither will it produce a satisfying fragrance.  Many other passages written by Moses use the exact same language when referring to offering sacrifices.  Exodus 29: 25, 41; Leviticus 1:9, and 13.  In Numbers 15:2, Ezekiel 20:41 and Ephesians 5:2 God’s Word mentions the sweet savor we are to be toward God.  In fact, God tells the elders in chapter 20 of Ezekiel that He won’t accept them unless they are a sweet savor.

Paul states in Romans 12:1 we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God, holy, well pleasing, which is our reasonable service. 

God wants us to emanate a sweet aroma that is associated with His Son.  He wants to inhale a familiar fragrance that causes Him to accept our offering of self.  Our Father wants to receive a sweet savor from His children.  Offering our whole being as a living sacrifice that is kept holy and pleasing to God is a logical and rational service to His kingdom.  This service should feel more like a natural reflex to His love, to His mercy, and to His grace. 

I never want to put off a less than desirable fragrance at work, home, worshipping with my church family, or even grocery shopping.  I am compelled to ask myself, am I diligent and concerned about the fragrance I am sharing with others?  Most importantly, what aroma reaches God?  May God never have to ask of me, “What’s that smell?” May He recognize my aroma as a satisfying fragrance, one that is clean and pure and may my Father accept and savor my whole offering.